#but in general i dont feel drawn to the series

[kirafesmaichuu]

"would you still love me if i was a worm" is an important question but i also want to ask if you would still love me if my interests changed

[myreputatioooon]

The dichotomy of wanting to get into more MCYT content because you fucking love that medium of storytelling versus the sheer emotional burnout of series and fanfics with too much hurt and too little comfort inflicted upon you which you still haunts you tok this day

(and also you dont have anytime you ain't reading all that but that isn't important)

[yuridovewing]

okay i think what bothers me about the lionblaze “intrusive thoughts” plotline if we can call it that (saying because im not sure its intentional, just careless) is that:

1) lionblaze acts on his intrusive thoughts and iirc the narrative DOES assert “yes he would do this! its in his nature! thats how he is!” i dont think i need to explain why this is deeply offensive. and,

2) in a series as misogynistic as wc, it feels strange to have one of the main male characters have thoughts about torturing and killing his former female love interest. not that youre a misogynist if you experience intrusive thoughts aimed at women- but we have to consider author’s intent and bias here. in a series where the women get much harsher, more drawn out injuries and sicknesses and deaths than their male counterparts, its weird it’s focused on heathertail. especially when given the nature of lionblaze’s insecurities, these thoughts would also be about his friends and family. (at least thats how it is in my experience) again, not saying HES a misogynist, hes not real, im pointing out the general treatment of female characters by the writer. and finally,

3) the books kinda take it upon themselves to be like “UGH isnt heathertail a MEAN BITCH????” after the eclipse battle. I mean, I think she has every right to not like lionblaze after everything, but again, narrative framing- but what is the purpose of having her act so antagonistically towards EVERYONE in the rest of the series before the writing team change? for events that dont even concern lionblaze too? is it to give lionblaze consequences for his actions…. or is it to kind of go…. “well she’s a cunt anyways so lionblaze wasn’t ALL wrong about her.” remember they dont like the male protags being wrong, and for YEARS the common fandom consensus on heathertail was that she sucked for heatherlion and she’s a horrible bitch for “lying” and she’s too mean to sweet himbo boy lionblaze for no good reason.

basically its just a mess of ableism and misogyny if you think too hard about it and try to say lionblaze was intentionally written to have intrusive thoughts. which pretty much tracks considering what series we’re talking about

[cjtheghost-14]

Dearest Mutual,

It is 11:35 at night rn and I’m going to attempt to sleep early. You may be asking yourself; why am I sending an ask and then going straight to bed? Simple! This is me telling you to talk about your current favorite thing, for as much or as little as desired, straight to my ask! I will read it in the morning, and I look forward to it!

Sincerely,

General B

(P.S. if you feel pressured to write anything then don’t! This is purely for funsies. Good night!)

This came at such a funny time!! (while I was talking about my current favorite thing with a friend)

I recently got into the series All For The Game, which is completely opposite of what I would normally read. (sports and the mafia, usually aint for me. I need magic and fantasy otherwise im bored). But I picked it up because the first book was free and I was seeing some CRAZY amazing fanart for it and was lowkey jealous for other fandoms I'm in that dont have much art floating around unless you really dig, and so I said screw it and just started it for funsies.

AND OH GOD I LOVE IT AND I HATE MYSELF FOR IT LMAOOOO

its lowkey trashy and I love it so so so so much, I love all the characters I even love the writing style and that stupid lil story and oh my god I even love the sport (I viscerally hate sports irl)

Its even gotten to the point where I've drawn fanart myself. Today actually (for a late trend but its ok lmao)

I'm on the second book and I am disgusted by the appeal of this goddamn book LET ME OUT OF YOUR CLAWS

fr tho Andrew is such an interesting character and its so gay and sad and it speeeeaaakkks to me

its probably the found family trope lmao

thank you so much for giving me another chance to talk about these losers lmao

[a-caterpillars-world]

I'm elaborating on my dedication to scar being The Comet as opposed to any of the other propositions, largely because i have more thoughts on the topic Now and feel I can better articulate my point

under a read more because big post

first off let me shoot down the ones I dont like and why really quickly (with absolutely no shade to the people who came up with those ideas I'm just picky about my symbolism not deliberately mad at real people in real life).

I dont like the eclipse because it's not a celestial body it's an event of random happenstance completely dependant on 2 other celestial bodies and I dont like what that says in reference to scar's victory

I dont like the void because given the fact that this is now the second winner it's been suggested for it makes the metaphor feel weaker and with less weight. if anyone Can be the void why Should anyone be the void.

I dont like mercury because it's symbolism is largely dependent on the sun (which I'll say it grian and scar's narrative paths in secret life were so far apart that they are almost completely irrelevant to each other here. there is no reason to keep tethering him to grian.)

I dont like the earth because the earth to me is the canvas on which every life series takes place which doesn't feel like the right metaphor for this situation. also again symbolized in relation to (and dependent on, literally) the sun

I dont like pluto for the same reason I don't like mercury but a little bit less than i dont like mercury Because it has additional symbolism outside the "how close or far is it to the sun" symbolism.

tldr I don't like how the majority of scar's proposed symbols are entirely dependent on grian's symbol of the sun. I'd argue secret life is the life season where grian and scar are the Least relevant to eachother so it makes no sense to me that his symbolism should be entirely dependant on grian.

section 2 why do I like The Comet so much

as I said in my original post it's a very lonely celestial body, soaring through space for miles and miles on its own. it's far from space junk but in comparison to big grand well known celestial beings most people wouldn't pay it much mind. another comet in a sea of space rocks. what's so special about this one? it brings to mind, to me, that this is the second season Scar has been entirely alone and without allies, as well as a greater trend of him being generally underestimated among the other players.

but then the comet enters the space of the earth and it /burns/. brilliantly so, brightly enough to join all the other lights in the night sky. what was once an ordinary rock floating alone around space reminds you strongly why you do not underestimate it, because it can tear a bright and unstoppable path through the atmosphere. a force of nature among forces of nature. scar has always been associated strongly with that fire. he says himself his trademark is to burn things, his trail of destruction that can't be stopped until he too is destroyed by it.

but this season the comet will not burn up in the atmosphere, it will not die. scar is the only winner to not have a final death either immediately after his victory or inevitably as the clock ticks down. comets, too, can return to the night sky in their own cyclical patterns. even a comet is reigned in by gravity, even a lonely asteroid is still drawn back in to the planets and stars and moons. and just like them, too, it will shine again.

[goldiipond]

Do you recommend watching The Promised Neverland if I am a big fantasy enjoyer? Like what is it about

OOOH YEAS ABSOLUTELY!!! tpn is probably best described as more of a psychological horror, especially the anime in particular, with some fantasy elements. it takes place in a sort of alternate part of the world ruled by funky masked creatures (the main children call them demons but they're also called a few other things and don't actually. have an official name. for the majority of characters theyre demons) think like the owl house where there's an alternate demon world except the guys in this world. eat people. the story centers this group of kids fighting to save as many other kids as they can and find a place where they can live without fear. also has very blatantly anticapitalist themes throughout, a very strong emphasis on chosen family, and portrayal of marginalized groups that, while definitely rough in some areas is. very refreshing for a shonen

the only guideline for enjoying tpn anime is do not fuckng watch the second season dont do it it is not worth it. the first season is incredible and honestly stands on its own pretty nicely if you dont feel like reading 100+ chapters of the manga but i highly highly recommend that you do read the manga after the first arc because it is really really good <3 aside from general setting details this is a story that is fun to go into as blind as possible, but some i'll give some content warnings for season 1:

-child death, both mentions and depictions. the depictions are very sparse in the first arc and never like horrifically violent or anything, but you will see dead kids)

-emotional abuse/manipulation (and 2 instances of physical abuse in ep. 8) and suicide

-a black character who is drawn with. very racist exaggerated expressions, specifically in eps 3, 4, 6, and 7

so if you're looking for less.. dark fantasy then this might not be for you. but this series rewired my brain and i've been autistic about it for about 2 n a half years and i highly recommend it <3

alsoi love ray and don more tgan anything in the world and i wuold kill anything for them. thank yoi

[draw-you-coward]

yeah maybe you reblogged that thing like 2 days ago but I'm going slow right now so if you still want to do the character ask thing, maybe mr Aloth Pillars of Eternity?

ogh im just happy to get one! lol

First impression: he's just a sweet lil lad. a sweet boy.. he seems so nice and shy and somewhat pathetic... i take pity on the lil squishy wizord in deadfire: damn aloth's old and cynical now lmAO

Impression now: this is tough bc i've slooowly started replaying deadfire and i forget most of my impression of him 🤔 I remember thinking that he makes a lot of very funny snarky comments and I liked how they gave him nervous stims esp with his hands. he just seems so done with all the bullshit and i feel that. I do wish he still had some of that sweet ladness left under all that cynicism though... but I think Rake thinks it's a little sexy

Favorite moment: bruh he propositioned Rake in the bathhouse literal seconds before tekehu did... i've been wanting to write a fic about it. besides that, there was a bit in the first game where rake failed a str check and aloth also failed a str check to help him and dislocated his shoulder and I just thought it was so sweet :-) so little rng things i guess... although i do like the comment he makes after you kill the memory monster in the wael dlc

Idea for a story: ok ok u know how i do like. vignettes. well i've been wanting to replay deadfire and sloowly make a fic abt their relationship? starting with the first time they enter the bathhouse maybe ahaha it'll be more playful in tone. my writing's improved a lot since i started the rake series and I still think about one comment I got that said they were so glad i was writing because barely anyone else did male watcher/aloth... 💀 i wrote like. three things and i still feel guilty about it sometimes

Unpopular opinion: oo boy! i feel like i stay so far away from fandom that i dont know what anyone thinks anyways LOL. ig just a general thing for me which is I'm not really a fan of romance? shippy stuff kinda gives me the ick 😅 For characters like aloth (esp bc i. dont like men lmao) I'm mostly drawn to their vibes and personality, and I really liked his whole wizard deal plus iselmyr and the abusive dad backstory ; i feel like there's a LOT of potential to dive into how that affects him that no one really explores

Favorite relationship: with edér :)) just two good ol boys. i like how theyre pals

Favorite headcanon: oo i dont really make these for characters esp if I like canon. i guess i'd like to further expand on how iselmyr functions for him, esp since in game it doesnt seem to follow specific rules or guidelines. does she come out when he's triggered? does she come out just to yell at me for friendly fire or to be upset when my unkillable ghost dog dies? how did he learn to function well in combat if she delivers attacks sometimes ("i dinnae con the spellybooks" girledfriend then woter u doing here? 😔) i guess i'd headcanon that there'd be a learning curve, esp since his first instinct was to fight/suppress her 🤔

from here pls feel free to send me more i love attention

[blackjackkent]

im so inspired and in lovvveee w u (as a fan!! no parasocial shenanigans here I swear 🫶)

When they said they weren't doing any more DLC for the game, I wasn't sad, actually. I noticed there's a big divide of peeps who like the game right? I realized this when I saw there were people who *always* play Durge and think it 100% hands down better than Tav, and seeing in the forum why people actually *liked* playing Tav over Durge, And it's like because Tav can be anyone with any story. Durge is really just a customizable pre-existing character (That's why they're under origin character, right?)

So that's what I realized the divide of people. There's always going to be certain people who prefer to play Something with a pre-existing story, people who don't enjoy the extra work of making your own character. But for people who do, the lack of DLC is disappointing but not a big deal. Because ask someone who has always enjoyed making her own characters, The end of a story is never really the end for me. And all that jibber jabber to say I see it in YOU too, and I looooooovvvve it! You're such a good writer and it's fabulous 🫶

though, as someone previously non-experienced with D&D, I do admit that makes imagining the future a little bit harder, despite, What really is probably one of the most Fanfiction-Friendly properties 😂

I did want to ask for advice on that if you have any to spare! Like, for example, I'd love to write about my own Tav and Karlach rolling around in Avernus, but I have no idea where to start even looking 😭

:O This was a fun message to receive! c: I appreciate so much that you like my writing and reached out. <3

You def make an interesting point about the Durge vs Tav experience. I think there's a lot of room for character headcanon even when you're playing Durge tbh (certainly I'm enjoying giving Rakha her own sense of personality and such), but you're right that it adds a bit more of a "built-in" framework for people who prefer that kind of experience and not having to think too much about the character details.

(It also, without giving too much away, is very representative of the character experience in BG1/2 - which was more of a Tav/Durge mix, really.)

But yeah, I also feel okay about the lack of DLC because there is lots of room to come up with the story I want outside of the events of the game. :)

As far as advice - I think you're asking specifically for advice on writing within the Forgotten Realms world and D&D sphere in general? Tbh I am not the hugest expert on the subject myself; there is a lot more FR lore than just what comes up in this series and I am by no means familiar with most of it.

My practical advice would be to point you towards the Forgotten Realms wiki, which is where I get most of my info that I can't get from the game's own dialogue. (Sadly it's a fandom.com wiki - if anyone else has other resources that particularly like for FR lore I would love your comments also!) There's lots of info in there that I've drawn from when needed for my fics.

On a more general level though - honestly I think my best advice is to get comfortable with the idea of getting lore wrong. We love to play in this sandbox but we're allowed to bring our own toys too. :D So if something feels like it'd make a better story by being a certain way, then fuckin go for it. :) Any reader who wants to make a stink about details being off isn't actually there to appreciate your story anyway. And the vast majority of readers are there in good faith to see what you're going to come up with and enjoy it. :)

(I've been thinking about this a lot in the context of writing "Open Your Eyes", because they're off to Calimport now and I have realized I know nothing about Calimport. XD So I've been studying the wiki a lot but I've also made an executive decision to not stress myself overly about it and focus on making the setting work for the story and not the other way around. I dont really mind if someone ends up letting me know (politely) that I missed the mark on something, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it if I'm pleased with the story regardless. :D )

I hope this is the sort of answer you were looking for! Sending very supportive vibes for your writing adventures also. c:

[casualavocados]

talking about ep6 and how much it means to me is...hard actually. sometimes. because there are so many reasons. reasons that feel silly to me on occassion and reasons that have all been said before but i have to say again because it will never not get to me, how rare it is to see any of this. rare in a bl and rare in entertainment in general tbh.

i can’t believe this show is allowed to have lines like “when there are other people around, talking to you feels like a matter of life and death.” / “what can we do? we’re just born this way.” and have the context not be about homophobia. the way pat and pran get to go out to the market and get groceries together like it’s nothing, be told they look cute together in passing without consequences, experiencing those things they missed out on in high school - which alludes to the way queer ppl irl share many of those domestic moments later in life. the way pran comes downstairs when pat rings his doorbell and hangs back and watches their parents confront is explicitly a metaphor for wanting and being drawn to something you know you should not or cannot have, mixed with the feelings of being something “different” than what your parents want for you.

these moments just hit so hard. they are so small. and yet they mean so much. 

then ofc there’s the huge focus on communication this episode - the way pat hurts and struggles and tries over and over to reach out to pran, slowly learning to meet pran where he is, all along respecting pran’s boundaries enough to not cause a scene himself but also not backing down from his own needs. it’s simply something i dont see often enough in romantic relationships in television. so much that’s portrayed to the world focuses on miscommunication and dishonesty rather than how worth it vulnerability can be. 

something that also stands out to me that started in this ep in particular (that’s why im bringing it up), is the way any sexual implications that arise are never used for jokes that play off the fact that pat and pran are a mlm couple. they’re taken seriously instead. like i’m not sure how to say this right, but the sexual tension feels so real because attention isn’t called to it. it’s just something that happens. and a lot of this also has to do with the fact that neither pat nor pran ever devolve into heteronormative, misogynistic gender roles as well (which i could talk about forever especially in the context of bl but i wont here). there are no onlookers pushing their own agendas onto the main characters ever in this series, not romantically, and not sexually. 

(not even korn in ep9 feels that way to me, because he comes across as a goofball who wants the best for his friend(s), an observer rather than someone trying to push his way into business that isn’t his. also imo he’s speedrunning his bi realization in that ep as well so he gets a pass and a pat on the head). 

and because of all that, to my astonishment, i have never once felt any second hand embarrassment watching pat and pran. whether it's a serious scene like the newspaper game in ep6 or a silly scene like the one in pat’s room in ep7 - everything feels like it’s just for them. not catering to the audience. they’re allowed to be goofy, they’re allowed to be serious, they’re allowed to be visibly attracted to each other - without the show making a big deal out of it. and to me, that makes it a big deal. the fact that it is so normal. and ofc so much meta has been written about the casual physical intimacy in this show - the fact how on the other hand, not every touch between them has sexual undertones. that they can just exist in each other’s space and it be normal.

(and i feel like that’s where a lot of disagreement comes from, from a minority of audience members. i’ve seen takes where people thought pat and pran acted more like friends than lovers once their relationship actually became romantic - and i feel like not only does that point to the twisted societal pressure to differentiate between what classifies as “romantic” and “platonic”, but also the stigma that every act between same sex couples is inherently sexual, and therefore “dirty”. so simply put, the people who have those takes just don’t understand what this series has done.)

because for real, any other bl would have shown the physicality of pat and pran’s affection and interest in each other very differently. 

idk it just really gets to me. it’s spread throughout the rest of the show ofc but i specifically remember watching ep6 for the first time and being so shocked by how subtle the difference i saw in this series was - and also shocked by how much it meant to me to see it.

so yeah, this is just a silly romcom. but also no, it’s so much more than that. and episode 5 might be the ep that began that shift, but episode 6, for me at least, is the one that solidified it. and the rest of the show just continued to do the work to prove that.

[true-blue-megamind]

Hi, I have a fan theory question. (I hope that's ok.) Why is Roxanne not a more major character in the movie? I get that her role is important but it seems like just the tip of the iceburg in a way. She's this smart strong female icon but it feels like we dont get to see more than the rescue/love interest side. Any fan theories about why?

FAN THEORY THURSDAY FRIDAY - Roxanne's Importance in Megamind

SPOILER WARNING! It's still a thing, and, if you haven't already, you still need to watch Megamind.

Among the other major characters in the film Megamind, Roxanne seems to rather more time in the proverbial background. As this anonymous fan stated, it’s not that her role is unimportant, but she doesn’t appear to garner the same sort of focused attention given to Metroman, Titan, and, of course, Megamind himself. Why is she not more prominently in the spotlight? Is she simply a classic comic book style damsel-in-distress and love interest, or something more? The good news is that I’m starting to suspect Megamind headcanons are like phone apps: no matter what you imagine, there’s a fan theory for that. This one is no different. Let’s dive right in!

The most obvious answer to this question is that, while she’s clearly a well-known television journalist, Roxanne is not a super of any kind. This is important for two reasons. Firstly, it means that the reporter, naturally, plays a less active role in superhero and supervillain confrontations. Doing so is simply not a choice she’s made in her life or her career. Some fans on the Evil Lair Discord suspect we may see that changing in the upcoming series, Megamind’s Guide to Defending Your City, now that Roxanne is romantically involved with the blue hero. However the point still stands that during the original movie her only role in the “Cape Game,” as some fans call it, is that of a kidnapped damsel. It’s a position that is notably passive.

The second related supposition is less readily apparent as well as more insightful and interesting. I’ve mentioned in a previous post, Why Does Megamind Wear Black, that Jason Schleifer, Head of Animation on the film project, stated during an Animation World interview that both Megamind and Metroman “play the good guy/bad guy game to the crowd like rock stars.” They are putting on a show; their loud banter and even their costume choices—modeled on Alice Cooper and Elvis respectively—are intended to make them impossible to ignore. Despite his being a more serious threat, even Hal/Titan adheres to this standard to a certain extent. His uniform, clearly designed by Megamind and made by Minion, is skin tight, brightly colored, and almost sparkling. Obviously, supers making themselves the center of attention is the norm. This connects to a fan theory spanning multiple comic book-inspired franchises, from Megamind to Amazon’s series The Boys, which states that in this sort of alternate reality, heroes and villains would be expected to grab attention for multiple reasons. These include ensuring visibility—thus allowing citizens to easily identify Defenders at need and to get out of the way before battles begin—as well as generating interest and revenue for local tourism.

Why does that matter? Although her job certainly puts her in the public eye, Roxanne is not trying to garner unfettered attention in the same manner. She’s not putting on Megamind-styled presentations. Reporting the news on local television is, after all, a far cry from booming threats over a speaker system, surrounded by a laser light show and accompanied by classic metal tunes, all while dressed in spandex, black leather, spikes, and high collars. Some fans suggest that Roxanne’s less-prominent presence in the movie may be either an organic result of this difference or a conscious choice by the creators to make the narrative feel more authentic. In the film, as might be the case in real life, our attention is naturally drawn to the bigger, bolder, more intensely conspicuous show being put on by the supers. This doesn’t make Roxanne Ritchi any less important to the story, however it does mean that she tends to work a little more in the background. It’s difficult to focus on a news report when there’s a circus act going on right beside it.

And make no mistake, Roxanne is absolutely vital to the narrative. It’s not merely the fact that her affection is the catalyst for Megamind’s heel-turn or that her rejection leads to Hal’s showing his true violent personality, but also that she represents, in a way, the normal populace of Metro City. The reporter’s acceptance of Megamind foretells the acceptance of the entire society. Furthermore, she can even be said to change others’ opinions about the blue man. It is Roxanne, after all, who reveals that the former villain was the one to save the day. She publicly hugs him, proving that he’s not nearly as evil and dangerous as people assumed, and explains away his instinctively defensive reaction when the crowd closes in. She chooses to help him and, in the end, kisses his cheek in front of a massive audience, indicating that she is now dating the new hero.

That last scene appears to end the reporter's own relatively small character arc. Roxanne begins by being obviously attracted to the blue man during her kidnapping but just as clearly unwilling to act on her feelings, rejects him in the middle of the film, and finally allows herself to forgive his past transgressions, move beyond social assumptions, and love him. Of equal importance, however, is the fact that her choice is especially brave. Think about how people might actually feel about someone openly being in a relationship with an extraterrestrial, especially if that someone’s career depends on TV ratings and public opinions. Roxanne is clearly unafraid to take risks.

This courage makes it clear that the reporter is far more than a typical damsel in distress. Consider the superman comics, which the film Megamind lampoons. Roxanne is obviously an echo of Lois Lane, to an extent, but she is far less easily frightened than that of her counterpart. While Lois can be said to possess a certain amount of bravery—she goes into dangerous situations to get the story, usually landing herself in trouble—her primary purpose is still simply to be rescued and desired by the hero. Beyond that, in film renditions from movies to old cartoons, Lois Lane screams quite a lot.

This is, in fact, an expectation the Dreamworks team played with and subverted. Far from wailing to be saved at every turn, Roxanne refuses to scream during kidnappings. Even when she is tied to the top of Metro Tower by Titan, she doesn’t yell or panic; she makes a calm, rational plea to Megamind for his help. That is far from the only time the woman proves just how spunky and bold she can be. Using skills as an investigative reporter, she is not only intelligent enough to deduce the location of Megamind’s hideout but also daring enough to explore it. When the blue man himself initially believes he can’t save Metro City, Roxanne goes alone into the most dangerous area and tries to reason with Titan. Later, during Megamind’s second fight with the red-haired villain, we see Roxanne moving up behind the latter with a broken signpost, clearly intending to attack the super-powered threat. She knows she has no special abilities or advanced technology, she knows that Titan wants to harm her, yet she is still willing to fight back.

So, to answer your question, it seems obvious that Roxanne is, indeed, far more than an ordinary damsel, however, she appears to be slightly less central to the narrative simply because, in the end, the film is a superhero story, and she is neither a hero nor a villain. If the movie were about, for example, an attempt to discover Megamind’s plans and put a stop to them, it appears likely that she would have played a more prominent role. As it is, Roxanne remains vital to the plot but is not squarely in the spotlight. It will be interesting to see whether that remains the same in the upcoming series or whether she becomes more directly involved with Megamind’s new position as Defender.

That concludes this latest post! As always, thank you for the suggestion! I hope everyone enjoyed it! I look forward to the next opportunity to share another Fan Theory Thursday!

[eilinelsghost]

ive been reading through your atandil series this month and really like how you have them use thee and thou. i was wondering if theres a reason for where they do and dont? sometimes the same characters switch mid conversation but it seems intentional

Hi anon!

I'm so glad you're enjoying it. And extra glad the informal thou is landing, because it's definitely one of my nerdy indulgences in the series and I wasn't sure if people would like it or hate it 😂 Thank you so much for giving me a reason to ramble about it on here. This made my day. :)

So is it intentional when it changes mid-conversation? Yes, always excepting typos, that's deliberate. There are usually two reasons in Atandil that it would switch in a scene involving the same set of characters:

Language Change

The first reason is that the characters are hopping between Taliska and one of the Elven dialects. That's probably the most typical example of when it happens and it's pretty frequent in the conversations between Finrod and Balan, especially early on. I try to give cues in the text for when this occurs, but I've realized lately that I haven't been as good about that as I should be, so I'm trying to be better about that going forward so it's less confusing.

The reason for that difference between Taliska and the Elven dialects is because when I started the series and realized I was going to need to come up with some kind of stand-in for Taliska since we don't have anything but a few words and a general "was modeled on Germanic-Gothic." So I wasn't sure whether or not it should have the informal thou equivalent. I ended up opting away from that in my faux-Taliska, keeping the whole language a little more informal to match how the characters' culture was beginning to develop as I got to know them a bit.

Which means it also became a quick shorthand for when they're speaking which language. In a conversation between Finrod and Balan, for example, you can usually assume that if they're using "thou" to address each other, then they are speaking in Quenya or Sindarin; and if they use "you," then it's a safe bet it's Taliska.

Mood, Context, and Formality

The exception to this is if they are arguing or in a tense exchange. If Balan is particularly irritable or angry with Finrod, he will often switch into the formal address as the equivalent of (or in addition to) a cold vocal tone. It puts immediate distance between them, stresses the otherness of each, and pulls back on the conversational intimacy they typically inhabit.

A good example of this is from Vassal when Balan shows up to confront Finrod about why he decided to leave Estolad:

Balan hesitated. The momentary relief of their easy exchange had dulled his anxiety and he wondered again if it was not all of his own imagining. Then he recalled his son’s words and forced himself to meet the other’s eye. “Lord,” he said quietly, “have I offended you in some way?” Finrod’s face fell, stung by the formal address. “Offended me? Nay never, Balan. Not in word or in deed.” “I am eased to hear it." Balan traced the toe of his shoe through the loose soil in an echo of Baran’s earlier gesture. “Nevertheless, I cannot but fear something has gone amiss between us. You were my dearest friend, closer than any other I have known. You knew my heart ere I uttered it, understood it ere I laid it bare. You see me with a clarity I could scarce imagine and by such have drawn me out into the fullness of myself, whole beyond hope, joyful beyond measure.” The pointed formality failed him and he fell back into the intimate address. “Yet now thou hast fenced me out. We speak in trivialities, as acquaintances meeting in the day’s tasks, passing naught of consequence between us. I see thee shy away from our earlier points of friendship, I enter and thou soon wilt find cause to depart, I speak to thee and I feel the doors tighten. What wrong have I done thee, lord? Tell me—where is the hurt or what have I broken? Name it, I beg thee, so that in knowing I might see some road to mending it ere thou art gone from me.”

The other reason for a change mid-conversation is if the context or formality of the occasion shifts. Balan tries to remember to keep to the formal address when they're in situations where Finrod is operating as the king and not just as his friend (their arrival in Nargothrond, for example). Unfortunately (fortunately?) our guy is not great about remembering this and slips up on the regular. Which gives us that mid-conversational shift again.

There are probably other reasons as well, but those are the primary ones, or at least the ones where I'm doing it intentionally. I'm sure there are times it switches where it's just author error! Let me know if this didn't answer what you had in mind and I'm happy to unpack it differently if this didn't get at what you were wondering.

Thanks again so much for the ask and for reading the series! Like I said earlier, it really made my day (made my week, really) to get a question like this. I appreciate it!

[derekscorner]

KH Fandom Miscommunication

Come, sit, let’s have a serious look over this. Don’t you find it jarring that a series based in Disney magic only ever spawns talks of echoed opinions or fierce talks of hate?

We all have fell pray to it and I’d go as far as to say I’ve had a very bad stint in it in previous years. You can’t say you like something without a swarm of hate on why you’re wrong nor can you criticize it’s writing without being told you’re wrong.

And before someone takes time to screenshot an old post of me during my awful faze or one of my meme/jokey posts let’s just take a moment to sit and really think about this conundrum.

I criticize KH all the time yet I keep posting things because most of my longer posts are a critical talk about why I dislike something. I don’t generally expect responses but I still throw them into the void to get them off my mind. (like this one)

When I do this I rarely get responses and when I do it’s just short echoed replies or just simple replies about why I am wrong. Which some topics dont really leave room for longer responses but the point is I dont usually see people on any site give a genuine answer from critical thought.

For example, if I asked you why you liked KH Days or it’s leads I’ll usually get a response of some sort of head-canon. If I’m lucky, a short response like “I find them cute and/or tragic”.

To some extent that simple feeling is fine as an answer but if someone is going to debate with me (because subjective does not seem to exist in the fandom vocabulary) don’t tell me you think they’re expertly written because of what ideals you push onto that character.

The most recent example was someone trying to discuss with me what sexuality they put on Xion which baffled me. I wont name the person, they were just being nice, but this idea still baffled me. Why? Because:

1) Xion has the body of a 14 year old with the mental experience of one year.

Her initial body didn’t even have a true face. So it’s very hard for me to imagine she’d have any semblance of that aspect of life figured out. One day she might but I highly doubt she does at this moment in time.

She’s lucky she even got a body back to experience life beyond her initial year.

2) When I ask what you like about so and so from Kingdom Hearts I want to know what, within the written story, that this character experienced, made you think that way.

Head-canon, lord forbid fanon, is something we all have but what you saw online or added in your head isn’t from the actual story. It’s not a factor when giving critical thought to the writing.

Even I will reblog Xion fan art or manga panels despite hating the DS game Days because the manga and artists add something the games do not. It’s drawn/done well and I’ll reblog it but that won’t be a positive point I add to my view of the game itself.

3) And the final issue this causes is admission. You’re telling me that you only liked this thing after adding ideas you liked to that thing.

That’s an indirect admission on your part, to me, that your initial take on the story wasn’t as positive as you remember it. You’re having to support your opinion with added fluff not found in that story to begin with.

The best example of this is Terra. I’ll make jokes but at the end of the day Terra and the BBS cast is given writing that makes their intelligence questionable.

Yes, you can infer or speculate that Terra’s trusting nature is due to his sheltered life but Terra himself never hints this. The writing doesn’t have to tell me verbatim that he is too trusting. If anything show is better than telling but do keep in mind that the story lacking this nuance is what adds to the “terra is stupid” view.

His initial mistake with Maleficent is understandable. That’s the first mission. It’s entirely possible he’s naïve but I won’t get that impression when Terra rarely feels like he learns from his misadventures.

And this is me giving a realistic look at Terra. I can’t speak highly of his middle story but his initial mistake and the death of Eraqus are two aspects in his story that’s actually done decent and makes his actions shortly after believable.

The Issue

If you’re still reading then you likely think I’ve rambled into a tangent but no. I mentioned these things because that’s something I expect to see when I hear someone telling me why they love or hate something KH related.

You think I’m wrong about Terra? Okay then tell me why based on what you saw in BBS. I may not agree but I’ll respect critical thinking. 

You think I’m right about Xion? Fine, tell me why you agree. Don’t just respond with “lol Nomura sucks ass remove him from office”. I may not necessarily disagree with your sentiment but I will not accept that as a point about why you, or me, are right about Xion compared to someone who likes her character.

Saying “nomura sucks” doesn’t tell me why you disliked Xion. I can tell you why I didn’t in long or short form but it’ll be based on the Days game I experienced. I will also always end any Xion criticism (a serious one mind you) with the undertone that I liked the manga.

I genuinely love the personality and humor the Kh manga gives the cast because I feel the games and their writing do not add the same level of humanity to them. This does not make my issues with the game writing better but rather gives me an example of how good it could be.

And I expect this civil thought in turn. If you want to joke I’ll shoot the shit with you all day but if you’re wanting a serious talk you’ll find yourself muted or losing my participation the moment you drop some tribalism like “it sucks and you’re wrong because Nomura sucks” or “you’re wrong. you’re just a hater that should quit playing the game if you hate it”.

Such responses aren’t responses. What they are is childish anger because you feel personally slighted. Acting this way doesn’t fix anything and it’ll only pollute the area you hoped to discuss it with others in.

You can’t even say “Kingdom Hearts” on twitter or a forum without a flood of why Kh3 was written by God himself or why it was so bad it should cost an old Japanese man his job.

Worse, you risk the chance of running away everyone but the five who agree with every word you say which doesn’t help you grow as a person. That just builds a bucket that you’re shouting into and hearing your echo shout back.

It’s all sad to watch and it’s even sadder knowing I was no better for it ages back. I even risk it now because I genuinely get annoyed when any level of thought is brushed off by someone just saying I hate so and so and replying constantly hoping for a conflict.

We all fall victim to it and it is just so very sad....it also makes me wonder if our generation and later is losing the capacity for critical thought thanks to social media and the internet but that’s a topic all it’s own.

Bye now. 8D

[hostilemuppet]

okay so I’ve never seen HTF but I want to know who all the characters are cuz they seem cool and also I wanna know which ones you’re talking about. and I think it’d be fun to ask you that. so like, feel free to ignore this if you don’t want to, but here is an excuse to infodump about every HTF character and who they are and what they do

you dont know how much this ask means to me. i will be dumping all my thoughts about the characters (not all of them just the ones i think about the most) under the cut so im not ruining everyones day. some of the things might not necessarily be """"true"""" but are extrapolated from what IS true and there hasnt been an episode since 2016 so it basically belongs to the fans now sorry graff if only you accepted flakys gender

cuddles! semi-official mascot of the show. star of a fall out boy music video. hes rowdy and reckless and likes to pull pranks and be a general nuisance, but is still really cute so its hard to stay mad at him. usually either seen with toothy (best friend) or giggles (sometimes girlfriend sometimes friend).

giggles! referred to in out-of-show texts as "shy and sweet" but is one of the more sociable characters, being the go to girl for when the writers need to write a romance. has been romantically involved with cuddles, russell, flippy, the mole and cro marmot. she also swoons over splendid a few times. bc of this shes typically characterised as being boy crazy, if not slutshaming her which is an INSANE thing to do to a pastel pink chipmunk. she also cares a lot about protecting the environment and loves animals! shes a sweetie. when not treated as "token female character for a romance plot" shes usually with cuddles or petunia (her best friend)

toothy! imma be real with you. he does NOT have a personality. the tv series was mostly dedicated to fleshing characters out and giving them a personality (since thats hard to do in 2 minute shorts) and he is the ONLY character that didnt get a starring role. bc of this he tends to be mostly ignored by the fandom (he can be drawn next to cuddles and thats it) and i personally like to take his "lack of personality" to mean hes just. a normal guy. hes got a 401k he doesnt have time for all this death and dismemberment. hes also canonically had plastic surgery on his tail. is usually seen with cuddles or sniffles.

flaky! technically one of the most popular characters but is insanely mischaracterised to the point its basically a different character. was originally designed to be a male character but is generally accepted as a female one, the creators still have mixed opinions on it so id say their gender is ????????. is sporty, collects baseball cards, doesnt take care of their personal hygiene as well as they should, is allergic to peanuts. is a COWARD, theyre the only one who acknowledges how dangerous the world they live in is. they are one of the few characters to kill flippy bc they are terrified of him and their fight or flight instinct is unusually strong. typically seen with cuddles bc cuddles is brave and flaky is a coward.

nutty! you can tell from his design but this fellas obsessed with candy and all things sugar! seeking out sweets and treats is usually his downfall. in the episode false alarm its actually treated as an addiction he gets help for, and then immediately replaces with an addiction to video games. hes a gamer! but he goes back to normal by the end of the episode bc its a cartoon. in sucker for love he gets so into his obsession with sweets he fantasises about falling in love with various confectioneries. he gets a box of chocolates pregnant. yes i have to live with this every single day of my life. is usually seen with sniffles.

handy! as you can probably tell he is one of my ultra faves. hes a handyman / carpenter / architect / whatever the episode calls for that has had both arms amputated, either by the wrist or elbow depending on the episode but i go by elbow. hes a dude with a 'tude, except the 'tude is justified bc everyone in town is an asshole towards him and his disability. is probably THE most unlucky character in the show bc even when he doesnt die (or his death isnt the focus and happens briefly off screen) bad things still happen to him (in double whammy flippy offers him a foam finger, in see ya later elevator he asks them to hold the door of the lift for him but they let it close on him, in a change of heart he dies off screen before the episode even starts so they can have a heart donor and he is the ONLY PERSON TO DIE in the whole episode 😭 do you know how rare that is???). dislikes basically everyone around him bc they are, as i mentioned, assholes, and rarely cares when others get hurt or die (he even laughs when cuddles loses both of his arms in the wrong side of the tracks) but the two people he likes are petunia (his girlfriend) and the mole (his best friend, was his roommate in one episode). is usually seen with mole or lumpy.

the mole! or just mole in later episodes (they dropped the "the" fsr). hes a blind mole with a mole on his face who used (currently is? i usually see it as a past thing but theres no way to really know tbh) to be a spy, so. triple mole! you love to see it. is also blind, bc yk hes a mole, and is frequently given hobbies or activities that require. vision. usually has very little problem unless the episode calls for something funny to happen. is responsible for a lot of peoples deaths and while its generally accepted he cant tell whats going around him, in wipe out he knows his actions caused handy pain and he does his best to fix it, so he DOES know when hes hurting people but just doesnt care unless its someone he cares about. sadistic king what a legend we LOVE a lack of empathy this is why hes handys bestie. is usually seen with handy or lumpy.

petunia! shes a skunk with very VERRRRRRY bad ocd, hence the air freshener around her neck and the flower on her head; she wants to be clean and smell sweet or she freaks out! her starring ep of the tv series wishy washy was all about her ocd being triggered and her having a real bad time about it and as someone with ocd it is GREAT. idc if "ocd haver freaking out about germs" is """"problematic"""" she is just like me fr. shes also the only character on the show to commit suicide and bc of that the latter half of wishy washy is the only episode mondo do not have on their yt channel! she does it like no other. but she is very nice, and she was the first to reach out to lammy when she moved in (even tho it didnt end well for anyone involved). is usually seen with giggles bc as much as it pains me to say it sometimes the show sees her as nothing more than "girl #2" so shes paired with girl #1, but other than giggles she is seen with a lot of different characters a couple times each so when you think about it shes got a wide social circle you go girl

[devilbombers]

Claymore review

7.8/10

An extremely overlooked cult classic. It's probably the butch lesbian fantasy of all time.

For a good time for the most part I still think everyone should read it!

The Anime

this is probably the first time ive preffered watching the anime than the manga. Personally i found the beginning of the manga drawn too plain and thought the story telling was illustrated in a rather boring way and honestly i dont think the Norihiro Yagi was at the level he needed to be with choreographing fight scenes in a comprehensive way at the time and i just had to go ahead and watch the anime instead mostly because i could finally understand what was happening in scenes.

I really liked the anime however in the i am always inevitably a manga over the anime fan til the bitter end. It actually made me really angry to find out they had to drastically change a bunch of major plot elements and even make up a bunch of shit just so they could wrap up the anime in a nice way. Like i kind of understand why but it was actually such a corny and confusing ending it actually made me really angry lmao (ESPECIALLY HOW THEY REPLACED THE SCENE WITH JEAN SAVING CLARE WITH RAKI INSTEAD)

The Characters

For the most part I really liked everyone but of course I absolutely despised Raki. I do not blame anyone who couldnt bring themselves to continue or even start the series because of him because it took so much out of me to continue regardless of his almost pointless presence.

Like I kind of understand its because hes sort of supposed to expose and ground Claire's humanity but i really think it was still possible to do that without him even existing. hes kind of really a walking character device isnt he? Like im pretty sure Jean's existence was enough.

So anyways i think everyone else was really cool.

setting/genre/lore

I really dont know how to start with how much i admired everything. I really liked the legion of really cool/scary/pretty butch lesbian warriors, the concept of youma/awakened beings is so interesting and i love how horrifyingly beautiful they all are, I was super into how little i fucking knew about the organization.

In general everything is so unique and fresh I like everything about it. It pains me to no avail acknowledging that this is the only series asides from berserk thats a dark fantasy and even worse understanding both of them are technically over and its extremely maddening knowing nobody wants to draw dark fantasy manga anymore

creature design

i fucking love monsters so of course I have to discuss the unique appeal of the creature design in this series. One of the greatest things i absolutely adore from Yagis designs for the awakened beings is the stark contrast of a creature that is frightfully elegant.

I have to praise Yagi for also being the only other artist asides from Kentaro Miura whos considerate about exploring different shapes and forms for the overall silhouette of his creature designs.

Another specific aspect I greatly admire from his designs is that hes probably the first artist ive come across whos capable of mixing mostly scaled/armorlike textures on a monster while still retaining an air of tension and an organic looking design.

from my own personal art and observation from other creature designs from all sorts of artists I find it almost impossible to have these textures while retaining said elements of design because i think it gives it more of a "cool" vibe than a scary one.

Up until this point I was quite convinced its only feasible to have scales/armor-like textures on a monster if you balance it with a fleshy texture (approximately 70-80% fleshy and hard textured for the 20-30%) but Yagi truly is a genius or something because hes the only artist i know whos capable of making designs that are like 90% armor but its still somehow gives you chills.

So anyways heres a list breaking down my deepest feelings about my favorite awakened being designs:

1. The destroyer

I actually havent ever seen a monster design so grand it took my breath away. Theres too much to love about it. Out of all the awakened beings nothing radiates such a thick aura of radiance and absolute terror than this design alone.

The whole idea of two sisters lovingly trapped together to become a greater and unstoppable creature is so overwhelming it really makes me shiver with delight and terror. Ive never felt so strongly about a design before so I really think nothing else will outdo this unique sensation.

Its just so fucking cool!!!!!!! I'm obsessed with religious iconography so i really adored how it was shaped like an angel and devil at the same time. i thought it was super fascinating how it would relentlessly and indiscriminately shoot everything and everyone in its radius with pieces of itself warped into more awful abyssal creatures that could even manipulate and transform anyone it stabs itself into. its all just so coollllllllllllllllll!!!!!!!!

2: Isley

i thought isley was a really weird guy and i probably hated him but i cannot deny how I think his awakened form was soooo cool. Isley is the prime example of what i was talking about with balancing textures on a monster. Super cool design i like it a lot

3: the awakened girl that showed up during ophelias first appearance

god i really wish i could properly admire her with knowing her fucking name. Quite an ephemeral appearance but she had such a unique look to her despite everything I've seen throughout the series i could never forget her. She's probably the defines the general features and theme of what awakened beings should look like. A trend setter dare i say.

4: Cassandra

VERY interesting silhouette. its not often you get to see a humanoid like body be treated like somewhat of a quadruped. Its interesting how its something vaguely erotic and terrifying at the same time. The multiple heada that snaps its jaws on anything that gets near it is a fantastic touch.

5: Riful

overall a relatively simple design but its the simple things that are always the most fascinating isnt it? I really like tangled looking monsters. Not much to say except slay honestly lmao

6: Jean

She was only in this form for such a brief moment but it was such a striking design I couldn't forget it. If find the most unforgettable things are usually the most fascinating things in turn. Such a gorgeous yet terrifying thing. I hope i dont sound like a psychopath saying this but the visible helplessness being trapped in an awful and radiant body is very beautiful to me.

7: Miata

quite a short appearance but i really liked the silhouette of her awakened form. I wish there were more panels showing more closer details of it. not much to say about this other than i think its really neat!

8: europa

literally just a ball with several spines attached to it and i could say its a bit lazy in comparison to everyone else but theres sm attention to the finer details of the spines i cant get mad at it. I know you're supposed to focus on the arms with this design but i actually like this design the most for just the face. The upside down doubled face is really interesting to me and i admire it a lot for some reason.

9: the abyssal eaters

probably one of the most terrifying creatures in the whole series and maybe somewhere up there in my hierarchy of the most scariest monsters in a manga. i LOVE LOVE LOVE the whole idea of them so much bc theyre so fucking scary!!!!!! Very simple design but i never get to see stitches ENOUGH in media (which is a huge shame because its one of my favorite features to draw with body horror) so it makes me happy that all of their faces is just stitches.

THE STORY and the series as a whole

i really wish i could say i loved everything about it but everything I loved about it in the beginning basically disipated in the end. I think the main issue lies in the fact it all started in a very simple but effective manner but yagi ended up over complicating everything by adding too much. I don't scorn Yagi at all for the almost sudden and utter collapse in quality writing because its sort of an inevitability with titles that go on for a very long time. But I still think it's important and valid to explain my fascination with it in the first place.

I really liked the overall simplicity it had with everything. The plot at the start was very simple and straightforward: a woman who gives up her humanity to avenge the death of her only family. Not a unique plot of course but it obviously was the main character herself and companions (excluding raki ofc lmao) who really makes up the story.

I really liked how Claire was never the strongest. She really appeared to be but comparatively speaking to her fellow warriors she pales immensely. And I think its that remaining humanity I really liked the most about Claire. I REALLY liked how cohesive her group was and I was so impressed with the storytelling and character building in the beginning because at the time I thought this was the only other series I like I could think of other than Dorohedoro where theres a lot of characters that show up but you actually manage to sincerely remember them because they all have meaning. Too many times i run into series who introduce too many characters solely just to keep the story fresh; but none of them have any real purpose to them.

I also was obsessed with how well Yagi was with building tension throughout the story. To me I think its really hard to find series who are able to capture their readers with a good sense of tension.

The characters in this series are quite overpowered, but In the beginning I found it extremely admirable how Yagi was still able to make the reader feel anxious about whether or not the protagonist or their companions would persevere againt their adversaries. Yagi had a very good sense at balancing everyones strengths and flaws in a very balanced way.

But again with the sands of time it couldn't stay this good forever. To be completely honest it took a lot out of me to read the rest of it. It came to the point where i was so lost and frusturated about how confusing everything got i was just trying to read it just so i could be done with it?

I think my main problem with the series as it ended was how unfocussed it got with the plot. I feel like everything immediately got so muddled after the fight with Rigardo. Maybe it's just me but I honestly was ok with never understanding the organization I was mostly just interested in what was going to happen with the main cast with the abyssal ones and such. It actually made me really angry how the battle scenes got so stupid overtime with how it became one of those series where they overexplain the characters' tactics for a very long time. I initially really liked the battle scenes because they dont talk too much and they just simply fight, i really really hate it when anime/manga does the latter actually.

I don't really know how i feel about the ending honestly. I don't know if im satisfied with how claire somehow turned into teresa and she killed priscilla instead but i guess it was nice? I don't know how i thought it was all going to end but i would have never expected it to be like this and i dont say that in a good way but more of a confused way if anything. I wouldn't say it was a bad ending? but I guess thats okay???

anyways, despite all my criticisms i still think its worth the read and the credit it deserves in the end. It's really weird how it went on for so long but no one ever seemed to care? that makes me quite upset actually.

[odysseys-blood]

🔥 video games (bonus challenge: just stating dislike of a popular series is banned, we gotta get SPECIFIC in this house tell me what you're opinion is on a series you like, something you think is unpopular)

hmmm i dont think i have any super unpopular opinions abt video games? i'll give u a three part ramble response tho on three different fronts:

most of my dislikes is just personal (like i dont get how ppl are really into stardew it just seems like smthn thatd get boring to me super quickly i hate games that really need a routine and if ur looking at it from the bachelor/bachelorette side also it seems. lackluster theyre all boring basic milquetoast white ppl except for like 2 characters) (or me not liking shooters or team games in general mainly bc im bad at aiming but i feel like ppl playig those games tend to be too high strung and a lil annoying which makes me more anxious/a worse aim)

idk if this one is unpopular either but i dont get the whole clover/alice ship for vlr. like are they close? yeah anyone could see that but i dont think theres any romance to it. i think alice is in a position where shes got too much heart for her job though. having clover do such high stakes missions where shes in danger a lot probably takes agood toll on her but i think thats from the position of her not wanting anyone else and their families to have to go through the struggle she had to with her father and she knows clover has been through the game before and that she has her brother to think about. i also think clover just does admire alice and see her as a companion but more like a mentor than a romantic partner yknow? i mean also ppl can just ship what they want it doesnt have to have a long drawn out reason but to me its just like w/e.

one i KNOW i get teased at a bit for is liking visual novels over other types of game and like. sure w/e im playing a power point we get it. but having the visual with you when engaging with a story makes it hit a lot harder! its not like a show or a movie where you just watch it unfold and cant take it at your own pace vis novels put you in the drivers seat and allow you to experience the story while it unfolds! it lets you make choices and see where you end up! ill even include dating sims in this bc trust me i know theres a ton of lackluster bottom-of-the-barrel sims but i think u have to play a few of those to really appreciate how hard a good one can hit you

Send me a “ 🔥 “ for an unpopular opinion. Bonus points if you include a topic. ( IE. shipping, roleplaying, ect. )

[deadmunds-ghostbee]

I truly don’t know what to expect with Kanthony in S3, concerning possible sex scenes or generally. There’s no precedent with a former lead couple now being put on the back burner.

I do think the show views Polin as a “it couple” and it’s not wrong — their book is probably tied with TVWLM as the favorite of the series. With the general viewers, though, I don’t think it’s unfair to say they’re not beloved (yet - everyone did a 180 on Anthony, but I also think JB as an actor was a *huge* difference maker there; plus Anthony’s sympathetic backstory. At any rate…) Like, the day they announced Polin as S3, the Twitter reaction was pretty negative, and I mean casuals, not the fandom. So I do think they’ll be careful to make sure Kanthony won’t pull focus from them too much as they make Polin a credible couple to regular viewers. And imo that means little if any K/A sex scenes, which would possibly highlight the difference in chemistry between the couples. Also I wonder if they’ll return to form with the gratuitous sex of S1 after all the complaining about S2’s relative chastity. Even if they do, they’ll probably show Benedict fucking around, until halfway thru when the main couple do. I know it’s been a thing that Anthony’s ass has been out in the first few minutes of both seasons and it could be fun to do that with him and Kate. Tbh Kanthony (and especially JB/Anthony) ultimately won in S2 in that they didn’t have to have Regé’s shadow immediately looming. But that’s not the case now, and there will be more direct comparisons between subsequent couples and prior ones.

I agree that I hope the kanthony storyline is mostly divorced from the main romance one. I dunno how realistic this is considering it seems likely they’ll be living at the main house. And they keep reiterating they’re the “head of the household” - so the problem solvers. The idea of K/A having to conspire to solve the LW thing and spare the family their umpteenth scandal gives me second hand embarrassment idk. I love how Kate somehow never spoke to a Featherington in S2 and wish it could stay that way lol. I hope it’s mostly Anthony supporting Kate’s emotional arc, her being Viscountess, and the baby that’s been hinted at a lot. But I have a feeling with how they qued up a Kate/Eloise friendship, they’ll inevitably get drawn into the romance plot, probably with Eloise tattling on Penelope.

God this got so so long pls dont mind me. There are a lot of s3 thoughts in here I've been keeping in me for a long time and i probably wont care much to talk it a whole lot more. But here they are! (its a lot of polin talk which is very unlike me tbh)

Agree with a lot of things you said here! I think the only thing I don't really see is production viewing Kathony chemistry potentially being a detriment to polin. I def think they're focused on polin and don't want to harp on past couples too much bc of screen time/focused narrative purposes, but I think it would be cynical of the show's creators to view their next love story as something that can be so easily overshadowed. As a shipper, i understand that perspective but in productions eyes Kathony should be nothing more than an added bonus to lure in viewers!

That being said, i do think they are aware that they really have to stick the landing with this one since a lot of people are kinda hesitant to like either character. They’ve def been hyping them, but some of the methods of hype (like posturing colin as a hero) have been odd to me. So like as an example (I haven't been paying too close of attention so someone please correct me if I'm wrong) but any talk of Luke's glo up feels a little weird to me. As friends/coworkers of luke ppl like nicola are just hyping him and colin and I totally get/support that! but if production or promo or interviewers lean into colins glo up, then the insinuation that he needs one in the first place feels a little? insulting? Thats just what luke looks like. It wasnt like with Jonny and those silly sideburns that everyone has opinions about!

I'm interested to see how they intend to deal with polin and their lasting power on the show! Someone like nicola has the most steady career trajectory of any actor on this show in my eyes. People like Rege and Simone broke out big and need to ride that wave so fame and opportunity don't fizzle, but Nicola has steady buzz as an actress and I actually think a lot more likely to get attention from critics/awards because of her recognizability and being a long-time face of the show! (im sure shell do a great job anyway, but that's just how I've been told awards work, a good performance coinciding with a rise to fame. not just the former)

What I mean by all of this is, I know nicola loves the show and the role but will she be famous and busy enough to walk away? Will she be so so expensive that they dont totally have the budget to keep her? Do they have a post LW plot after this season, does it involve her, and does it make her more important to the show than ever? Who knows. Colin and Pen as members of the family dont have a narrative ~necessity~ to be around the way viscount and viscountess do. (Altho all this featherington heir stuff...is their baby becoming the next lord featherington? probably).

Now uhh getting into the sex stuff. Their approach has been kinda head scratcher. If i were a polin stan id want the quality of the kathony one with a little more of the frequency of saphne. Its hard to say whether production will stick to their guns on the "only necessary sex scenes" or if they'll take heed of some of the criticism and go back for more raunch. Who knows but i really feel like they'll just do whatever fits their "vision" of the season. CVDs monologue on only wanting the scenes to be "necessary" was imo only that. He wanted the broken up wedding and sex didn't fit into it easily. I think its as simple as that. So how much sex polin has I think depends on how they plan to structure it. Which is anyones guess really.

Benedict will for sure be a whore. and Kathony, if anything, would have something short. Its not like side characters in s1 had drawn out sex scenes! That was only the main couple!

Now rounding back to what we both actually care about, Kathonys future: I really think Kate and Anthony as problem solvers being involved with polin would be a bad move for both couples! Colin, as someone "lacking in purpose" doesn't grow if Anthony is still cleaning up his messes for him. It was a bad move in the book (sorry JQ) and it would be a bad move in the show. I don't think they'll do it imo but they've made worse writing decisions lol.

I also don't think that Kate or Anthony will care (?) that much about Polin? I do think its wrong to say that they will react horribly to the LW reveal (if they even find out). Anthony would be mad at first, and Kate maybe too but they forgive and are ultimately loyal to family. If colin forgives pen, if they get engaged before its resolved like they do in the book, Kathony is sticking with family for no other reason than that's simply what they do. I don't foresee kate having any affinity for Pen, or caring about the featheringtons in any real way. I don't think Anthony gives a single fuck about that family at all tbh. But fam is fam and they'll come around to the match eventually even if there's initial resistance. But like i said i don't think that's something to worry about to much.

Taking your point about Eloise and Kate's relationship at a new angle--her duties as viscountess could coincide w the relationship with El (and hopefully helping with fran's debut with Violet too). Esp Els insecurities with a new sister out on the market, her BFF betraying her and also getting married herself, she will need someone in her corner. If bens being a depressive mess then she'll need someone like kate by her side. This could also def tie into the main plot tho, who knows!

Ultimately how they distribute non polin time will be interesting! A big question mark for me is the portia featherington of it all. She basically had her OWN large and detailed plot with jack. Violet basically got no time independent of her fam first 2 seasons--will portia now get the same treatment or still get her own again? (actually don't answer this. I'll get too bitter and negative when i don't wanna be). And will adding in fran content take up a lot of time? They need to build up the younger bridgertons, after all.

So...our Kathony content is contingent on a lot. We're probably all overestimating how much they can actually do with them, but the speculation is fun :)