#but that feels like it has the potential to be slightly controversial

[altschmerzes]

ao3 tagging conundrums they will never end

[disneyprincemuke]

for the girls * fem!driver

she isn't worrying about being on track for the first time - she worries about the media.

pairings: sebastian vettel x fem!driver, f1 grid x reader

warnings: literally a piece of garbage, SO inaccurate, no idea what i’m doing…

notes: this is sOOO BAD PLS I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO WRITE THIs man

also, please feel free to send it some scenarios for this series! you can send them in here freeflow~ none of these will be posted in chronological order so don’t worry about it

(series masterlist) | (📂 the rookie season)

"here is sebastian vettel's personal addition to the grid, (y/n)," the interviewer grins, turning to face the girl. "welcome to the 2023 formula 1 season. thank you for coming in."

"thank you for having me," she smiles, hands clasped together in front of her. she's been following sebastian around all day - she doesn't want to be left alone in such a tough crowd.

"how does it feel to be the first woman in formula 1 in almost 2 decades?"

"i'm very thankful for the opportunity given to me to achieve this spot on the grid. i hope i'll be good enough to create a difference and be the stepping stone towards more women in the sport," she answers cordially, moving her arms slightly.

interviews, unfortunately, were also a very big part of the job. she didn't really mind it, but she knew the controversy of her being in the sport, and it's been driving her insane since the pre-season testing.

"and of course congratulations on your move from formula 2 to the main league. how do you feel about the doubters or naysayers who are saying you don't belong here?"

"i think it's unfair to assume my placement in the season before it has even started. i have worked as hard as everybody else to get where i am today, so i'm just really hoping that the fact that i am a woman does not overshadow all my achievements."

she's seen all that's said about her. the news articles, the videos criticising sebastian's choice to vouch for her, and the comments under her posts and announcements - it's very disheartening.

sebastian has tried his best to tell her otherwise, telling her time and time again that he wouldn't have vouched for her if he didn't think she had the potential to be here.

"and how are you getting along with everybody else on the grid?"

"very good. i mean, we've already been acquainted for years and that really helped me out a lot," she laughs, locking eyes with sebastian doing an interview right next to her. "but it is still a competitive sport. it's going to be a climb out there from my starting position at 18th. hopefully it will be a good race."

"of course, good luck out there."

"thank you so much."

"just like we talked about. you'll be fine," sebastian folds his arms over his chest, leaning back into the wall.

she's pulling the sleeves of her race suit over her shoulders. "why don't i believe you," she mutters, looking down at her shoes to avoid his eyes. "think about what the media would say if i don't finish in the points today."

"who cares about what the media has to say? just do your best out there today," sebastian repeats, patting her shoulder lightly to get her attention.

he flashes her a grin when she looks up, only to have her roll her eyes as she zips up. "me. i have to face the interviewers later, remember? not you."

"just race like you always have. you're doing this for yourself. not the media, not the insecure guys hiding behind a screen, and definitely not the interviewers." he grabs her shoulders, shaking her just slightly to lighten up the mood. "i'll be in your ears to help you out, okay?"

she sighs, leaning slightly to the side to grab her balaclava off the table. "promise to tell me when i'm being reckless?"

"i'm your race engineer. i've got you."

he turns her around, towards the track where the cars have lined up. "get out there and shut them all up. you're doing this for the girls, remember that."

"right. for the girls," she huffs, wiping her hands on her race suit. she takes the helmet that sebastian is holding out to her and gives him a smile. "okay. i'll talk to you through the radio."

and she does everything she has to do. she’s in the race car, anticipating the formation lap that’s about to start.

days leading up to this moment, she didn’t think she would be so nervous to be behind a wheel. she doesn’t typically let the feeling get to her so much.

but it’s different now that it’s being broadcasted to the entire world. she’s now watched by ten times her normal viewership.

“radio check,” sebastian’s voice comes into her ears. his voice has become a significant point to calming her down behind the wheel. you would be surprised how well he can calm her down just by his voice.

“copy.” she breathes into the mic unknowingly as she exhales, looking up and taking in her view.

her car was surrounded by the engineers, making the final touches on the car and triple checking all the components.

within a few seconds, she can see the sky as they disperse — the sun is shining bright and there are barely any clouds. to her right is yuki, also looking around the grid and the grandstand.

she locks eyes with him as he looks around, her eyes crinkling at the corners to acknowledge him. he returns the gesture with a smile through his eyes then a thumbs up to wish her luck.

she lifts her hand above the halo and returns the thumbs up.

“okay, the first car has taken off for the lap. i’ll check in on you again in a while.”

her grip on the steering wheel is tight despite the engine being turned off. she’s proud of herself for making it through her first race in the league, even parking the car neatly in parc ferme.

“you did amazing.”

“you’re only saying that. i didn’t even finish in the points,” she answers dejectedly, rolling her eyes to herself.

sebastian tries to make light of every situation, even if the normal person would not be able to find that in a frustrating position. but he was also a rookie once. the least he could do is empathise and try to make this experience less daunting for her.

he’s investing in her — her talent is impeccable, but he has to make sure that he fosters and encourages her into the best version of herself. the racer that he knows she is, she just needed someone to actively believe in her.

“the climb from p18 to p11 is good progress. the season just started, kid. the only way is up.”

“sure,” she chuckles. “i’m getting out of the car. see you in a bit, seb.”

taglist: @wcnorris @treehouse-mouse (comment to be added)

[mopopshop]

THIS IS WHAT IVE BEEN WAITING FORRRR stewie x controversially young gf like she’s a new rookie on nyl hehehehehe

Rookie (Breanna Stewart x OC)

hopefully this meets y’all’s expectations, give feedback if you’d like 🫶🏾

———

You've only been on the team for a month, but it already feels like a whirlwind. From the moment you stepped into the training facility, your eyes were drawn to Stewie. She’s the team’s star player, and her presence commands respect. But it’s more than just respect that she garners from you; there’s something else, something that flutters in your stomach every time she’s near.

One evening after practice, you find yourself in the gym, shooting free throws. You hear footsteps behind you and turn to see Breanna, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Okay Rook! I see you, staying late” she teases, hyping you up and leaning casually against the wall.

"Just trying to get better," you reply, trying to keep your voice steady.

She saunters over, her smile growing. "You know, I could give you some pointers. Help you out a little."

You laugh, shaking your head. "I don’t think I’ll ever be at your level, Bre."

"Oh, come on. You’ve got potential," she says, her voice low and playful. "Plus, you’ve got me to guide you." she grins, judging you with her elbow.

You raise an eyebrow. "Guide me? Is that what they call flirting these days?"

She grins, stepping closer. "Who said I’m flirting?"

You hold her gaze, your heart racing. "Just saying. You’re not really subtle you know"

Breanna chuckles, her eyes never leaving yours. "You’re pretty bold for a rookie, Jamie."

"And you’re pretty forward for a seasoned vet," you shoot back, your confidence growing.

She tilts her head, clearly amused. "Maybe I just know what I want."

You swallow hard, your cheeks warming. "And what is it that you want?"

Breanna takes another step closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Maybe… I wanna to get to know you a little better."

Your breath catches as her words sink in. "Get to know me how?"

"Well," she says, her eyes sparkling, "we could start with dinner. Unless you’re too busy practicing."

You grin, feeling a thrill at the prospect. "I think I can make time for dinner."

She nods, satisfaction evident on her face. "Good. Tomorrow night, then. After practice."

"Sounds like a plan," you reply, your heart pounding with excitement.

You watch her walk away and can't help but smile. Maybe this season is going to be even more exciting than you thought.

---

The next day, after a grueling practice session, you find Breanna waiting for you outside the locker room. She’s dressed casually, but there’s an elegance about her that makes your heart skip a beat.

"You ready for that dinner?" she asks, her smile making your stomach do flips.

"Ready for you to Wow me," you tease back, trying to keep your cool.

Dinner is at a cozy little restaurant not too far from the arena. The conversation flows easily, with Breanna sharing stories from her years in the league and you talking about your journey to the WNBA.

"So, Rook" she says, leaning in slightly, "How’re you feeling about NYC?"

"It’s amazing," you admit. "Kinda starstruck honestly, been dreaming about being on this team forever."

She smiles “And the team? How are you finding that?"

You shrug, smiling. "It’s great. Everyone’s been really supportive. And, well, having you around has been... interesting."

Breanna raises an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eyes. "Interesting, huh? In a good way, I hope."

You laugh, nodding. "Definitely in a good way."

"Good to know," she says, her voice softening. "I’ve enjoyed getting to know you, Jamie. There’s something about you that’s... refreshing."

"Refreshing?" you echo, feeling a blush creep up your neck.

"Yeah," she says, her gaze intense. "You’ve got this energy, this drive. It’s inspiring."

You smile, feeling a surge of confidence. "I could say the same about you."

Breanna’s eyes flicker with something you can’t quite place. "Well, maybe we can inspire each other."

Your breath catches at the implication in her words. "I’d like that."

As the night goes on, the flirtation between you becomes more obvious, the banter easy and filled with laughter. By the time you leave the restaurant, you’re both smiling, a new understanding between you.

"Thanks for tonight, Bre," you say as you reach your car.

"Anytime, Rookie," she replies, her eyes warm. "And remember, if you ever need more pointers... you know where to find me."

"I’ll keep that in mind," you say, your heart feeling lighter than it has in weeks.

———

[sunshine-zenith]

So, um, I guess that awkward dinner between the Wellses and the Fairywinkle-Cosmas is more likely to happen now

Angela and Marcus: so, Peri, what is it you do for work?

Peri, who spent the last three nights sleeping on his parents' couch: well I *starts sobbing into the homemade french fries*

In all seriousness I have so many thoughts about this episode and that scene and these two and Imma use this ask to get them out. Spoilers below

So like, we all saw this coming, right? Dev has never treated Peri all that well and Peri became frustrated with him two seconds in. I sincerely hope Peri stays Dev's godparent because they are such a fun duo with so much potential, but wow they were both screwed over when they got assigned each other. A lot of people have pointed this out, but it really isn't fair that Peri got assigned a hard case for his first godchild. He should've been given someone like Hazel or maybe even like Chester from the original series -- a kid that needs someone for emotional support, of course, but is also arguably well adjusted otherwise. Dec, meanwhile, does not need wish fulfillment -- he's rich, wishing for the "perfect cupcake" won't make him happy when he can just as easily have his robot au-pairs doordash him some cupcakes. He needs a therapist, and to be removed from the harmful situation he's in (IE the neglectful, emotionally stunted, and emotionally abusive father)

Part of why Dev wishing Peri away is so sad is because Peri is actually trying. I don't think he dislikes Dev, even if he's out of his depths dealing with him -- he looks overjoyed and relived when he hugs Dev in the Fairy World episode, and once it becomes clear Dev's birthday was a bust, he offers to do what he can to make it better.

The other reason why its so sad is because Dev can't accept that Peri is trying. He's a miserable child who's never had anyone even try to to teach him emotional regulation. He's understandably hurt and pissed off and probably freaked out when he finds his fathers "secret evil lair," and so he lashes out before anyone can explain things to him. He also probably lashes out because he doesn't know how to handle friendship and support (which Hazel and Peri were offering) and even if he did, they aren't the ones he wants it from, Dale is (they're also safer options for him to lash out at that Dale. Hazel has been kind and forgiving, and Peri is magically bound to try and make Dev happy. He knows on some level that they won't hurt him, and so he knows that they won't hurt him back)

And, well, maybe controversial opinion, but Cosmo and Wanda probably contributed a little to things falling apart slightly. Peri had problems with Dev before he knew his parents were around, but his parents definitely add to his frustration -- they treat him like a little kid, undermine his authority, and probably add to the tension he feels, while also being two people he wants to impress. He spent the beginning of O:BT clearly disengaged with things while Cosmo, Wanda, and Hazel greet Dev, before he whisks them away to show off his new digs. He's such a delightful and relatable take on a young adult who's low contact with their parents while also clearly loving them and wanting to make them proud (He turned off his equivalent of Find My iPhone and was terrified of them finding out about him becoming a godparent, but he also specifically calls godparenting "the family business," choosing it over what would've likely been a more lucrative career with the Tooth Fairy)

(Plus like, Dev constantly being around a set of parents who love their kid while his father is more loving to his boots that his own child has gotta suck)

That said, I don't think Cosmo and Wanda are at fault -- they need to learn boundaries and to come to terms with the fact that their baby isn't a baby anymore, but otherwise, they're loving and supportive. They're more experienced that Peri and could probably give him genuine guidance. They just gotta step back and let Peri do his thing, grow his confidence and learn from his mistakes (which he is making and will continue to make -- he's new, to both godparenting and likely to childcare in general. Plus, even though the show hasn't explored it -- yet -- Peri likely has a unique perspective on godparenting given that he was born to a set of active godparents and raised alongside their human godkid as siblings).

Dev and Peri as a duo are a delight because of how messy they are -- the traumatized iPad kid who's honestly an asshole but an asshole for a reason, and the underprepared and underestimated grown up Baby Of The Family, both of who have family issues that almost clash in how different -- but valid -- those issues are

...Returning to the original point, I wanna see both of them interact with Angela and Marcus, if only to see how they interact with a set of reasonable parents who respect their children as individuals and have largely positive relationships with them

(lastly, really quick, I wanna shout myself out for a moment here for making a comic about the Sad Rich Kid Rival of Cosmo and Wanda's godkid being upset about the whole two fairies vs one fairy thing months before ANW aired. I got the kids in question wrong but I was right in guessing someone would think it was unfair)

[tsykku]

I am having q!tubbo brain rot so have a slice of it.

I am so curious as to which direction Tubbo will take his character. Because nothing what q!tubbo does seems malicious or sometimes even intentional yet so many people take issue with him or his behaviour. And he is somewhat aware of that while at the same time, completely oblivious as to why or how deep the conflict goes.

You have the federation who cannot stand his arse. Who we know is paying extra attention to Tubbo and wants to arrest him the minute he even does something slightly illegal. While they have not arrested him yet, it is only a matter of time. So what do they do in the meantime? They use him as a scapegoat to nerf certain game mechanics or punish him extra harshly in comparison to others who did the exact same things or worse. Yet for some reason, the other qsmp members are under the impression that Tubbo never gets punished and that he is solely to blame for the create nerf, breeding animosity.

Then next, you have the antagonistic fights with Etoiles which started carefree and rather playful but now have been escalating in q!Etoiles telling the codes that Tubbo works with the federation. To be honest, Tubbo is absolutely partly to blame for this one with his cheeky comments to Etoiles about losing his fight with the code. However, it adds another dynamic layer of conflict to the situation.

Finally, you have the vendetta of Bad and Aypierre against Tubbo due to the controversial Tubhole. You can argue all day long about the logistics of Tubhole and whether Bad and Pierre are valid in their objections against it. But the facts remain that it is within Tubbo's rights to do so and that they have not given him the grace period to let him make it into a good build. It literally is still a work in process that has been going on for less than 24 Minecraft hours. And even if it turns out to be ugly, the fact that Tubbo has been building the Tubhole with only create machines is fucking cool and makes it worth it (in my opinion). Moreover, Bad and Pierre both have similar big projects and their concern that it is different because of the close proximity to spawn feels a bit hypocritical as there are other (big) projects near spawn that cause similar amounts of lag.

And now this vendetta has gone from convincing other islanders of how Tubbo must be stopped to them framing Tubbo for the kidnapping of Ron to Fred. A being that everyone on the island at this point knows is important to Tubbo. A relationship which is one of the only ones Tubbo has left, besides the morning crew. We already know how much the relationship between Fred and Tubbo affects Tubbo's emotions so what will losing Fred or their trust do to him?

So now you have this huge cluster of events that puts q!Tubbo in a situation where everyone is against him, the federation, the code entities and most of the islanders as well. An exception can be made for the morning crew however they do not seem to take Tubbo or his concerns seriously, treating it like the mischief and matters of a kid.

And most interestingly, it is still not clear what makes Tubbo so special. Is it his use of create mod? Aypierre, Ramon and Dapper do something similar. Is it his curiosity and distrust of the federation? Cellbit, Badboyhalo en Bagi are right there with him. Is it his apparent greed or selfishness with regard to resources? It is not like he has never shared them or that gathering resources is sole motivation. Is it his knowledge of Minecraft mechanics to break the lore/server? Philza and his fourth wall breaking say hello as does Aypierre. Is it his age then? His relentless attitude to anything that catches his attention? His endless curiosity?

It will be so interesting to see where all these points of contention will lead to and how q!Tubbo will react to it or change as a result of it. Currently, his only concerns are the potential romance with Fred and finishing the Tubhole so that he can get along with everyone again. So he clearly does not know yet how much trouble he truly is in or how the cards are stacked against him...

[jackdaniel69nice]

How about Tokoyami and Aizawa relationship together? They don’t seem to interact very much but I feel like they would share the same vibe.

You know it’s funny you say that…I have a bit of a controversial opinion on that haha.

Look I love dadzawa content but fanon goes a little off the rails making him a caring and supportive father…this man is not that. He is cold and critical and purposefully discourages his students to weed them out. His actions show more than his words by doing everything in his power to saving them. He does care about them but he does not show it well. He purposely keeps a distance between himself and his students. While tokoyami and aizawa prioritizes rationality above all else that similarity actually strains their relationship more than anything else.

Because tokoyami is so strict on himself and doesn’t allow himself to feel emotional responses to anything the extra criticism from aizawa is encouraging these bad habits. Tokoyami is already so hard on himself for his failures and Aizawa just creates more pressure with his threats of expulsion or reminding him he will die if this is a real battle. Tokoyami already knows this and the stress is slowly breaking him.

This is why he gets along so well with hawks I think. Hawks is very free spirited and encourages a more emotional and even silly side from fumikage. Even if Tokoyami doesn’t realize the reason he feels better around hawks is because he’s actually being more open and emotional. At first hawks ignored him which is a sort of neutral stance but then after tokoyami decided to catch up to him on his own he became encouraging and inspiring. He took him flying, he said he has potential, he said “those who can fly, should fly” and totally flipped Tokoyami’s world view on his head. No one has ever believed in him before, no one ever encouraged him, it was ground breaking.

As far as UAs teachers go Tokoyami actually likes aizawa the least for this reason. A teacher should be someone who encourages you and also pushes you to be better. Aizawa is a “firm hand” and while that may work for other students tokoyami has had far too many of those hands strike him down to feel believed in or even safe around aizawa. He needs a gentle and kind teacher, someone he can feel safe enough to go to for advice and support. In case it wasn’t obvious toko has had lots of problems with teachers in the past and is slightly afraid of them. He has also had problems with heroes. He tries to be on his best behavior around adults in general.

The thing that obviously scares him most about aizawa is his quirk. He doesn’t like when shadow is erased, it makes him nervous and shadow is always a bit disoriented afterwards. He keeps thinking that if aizawa tried to attack him he wouldn’t be able to escape (even if that situation is very unlikely…unless shadow was in a rampage…). He feels bad for not being able to trust aizawa when the man has clearly shown he will do anything to protect his class. He just doesn’t believe Aizawa would protect him specifically :(

Shadow is also afraid of aizawa for the same reasons. No adults have ever listened to them before and Aizawa doesn’t seem very open minded (dark shadow is actually wrong about this assumption). Dark shadow tries to keep from talking in front of him as much as possible. It is inevitable that they would slip up eventually but aizawa seemed surprisingly cool about them being out when they’re not supposed to?? (Shadow you are wrong about him he is nice and understanding I promise). Maybe Aizawa talks to nezu about Dark Shadow and understands a bit better about what they need and how their training should look. Both birds are very surprised when he starts addressing shadow directly in training. It says something about shadows past treatment that even if aizawa is the teacher they don’t like the most that the man still treats shadow with common decency.

Regardless I think toko stays to the shadows of 1-a so to speak so aizawa doesn’t pay much individual interest in him for quite a while. Once shinso joins class 1-a (however you imagine that happening) he has more free time for one on one training so he offers tokoyami a chance for training at night. Tokoyami immediately refuses. Aizawa makes it obvious that it’s not actually a request but an order and tokoyami relents. After getting erased several times in a row shadow is very sluggish and disoriented, after a few more times toko is having trouble getting them to manifest or wake up at all. He doesn’t want aizawa to think he is making excuses so he keeps trying to train without saying anything. Eventually tokoyami also becomes disoriented and passes out and aizawa is very upset toko didn’t mention anything (not to mention worried because he doesn’t actually know what’s wrong).

Once they are feeling better aizawa immediately berates them on keeping their discomfort a secret. Something snaps in toko and he says “why would I tell you anything when I don’t even trust you.” They have to have a long talk about Tokoyami’s frustrations with Aizawa’s teaching style. Even if Aizawa doesn’t suddenly become a reliable and empathetic teacher he is more careful about beating toko down and no longer a direct hinderance to their progress. Maybe shadow even feels good enough to come out during his class~

(This doesn’t have to be the only scenario where a resolution occurs but what’s important is that toko will not say anything about his issues until he is prompted or his hand is forced)

Eventually tokoyami could be forced to talk about his fear openly with aizawa and could be reassured that aizawa would never hurt him. Once again Aizawa would need to be paying close attention to Tokoyami’s behavior and subdued behavior around him. Then he could truly become a reliable figure in tokos life which would be nice.

As far as aizawa’s opinion on tokoyami goes when nezu told him about toko’s…history he was expecting a problem child but toko didn’t seem to stand out at all and never caused any issues. A good but albeit confusing kid. He quickly learns dark shadow is the actual trouble maker and doles out specific punishment for them if they act out. I’m not sure if aizawa is fully aware of how bad it was when toko lost control at the training camp but he did place his room next to aoyama in the dorms so he probably knew something happened.

I just want a final result of aizawa giving him head pats (without him flinching) and shadow coming over to his desk to play with his stapler and capture scarf while toko is trying to take a test and needs to focus.

PS if anyone has any different hcs for aizawa and toko with good reasoning I’d love to hear it!

[jdsgothwife]

lawlight fic rec list

so i’m gonna do a series of these, starting with my favorite death note ship! make sure to pay attention to all warnings on these fics. enjoy! if you have a ship you’d like me to make a rec list for, please just send me an ask! i don’t want to be obnoxious, and i’m not saying they’re good, but i (slackjawbitch on ao3) have some lawlight fics up!

♡ = a favorite of kitty’s

angst

♡ 1. i’m drowning; please save me: L looks at Yagami Light and drowns. There is no other way to put it. As the days pass and blend into weeks, L looks at Yagami Light sitting next to him, the harsh lines of his face creased and determined, and he swallows water.

L looks at Yagami Light and he cannot breathe.

great characterization, always makes me very emo, and is probably a pretty major influence on my writing. one shot. 1,817 words.

2. always waiting for you just to cut to the bone: And then, breaking through the pounding in his head he hears what would be the last words out of that wretched man’s lips.

“I love you.”

fic for teh death note drama (2016) canon! title is unfortunately from a t*ylor sw*ft song (/silly) but this fic is so good and sad.

3. Our Bodies, Possessed By Light: L. Lawliet is a gifted photographer who believes he has understood the light and its secrets. Light Yagami is a young, unstable and slightly crooked model. Together, they kill time.

modeling and photography au. make sure to read all teh tags and warnings for this one; there’s nothing gross, but some potentially triggering subjects for some people are in here. multi chapter. 81,218 words.

4. Hearts and Spades: Which would you choose? Love or death? RaitoL, slight AU.

short but sweet piece featuring that classic fanfiction dot net era vibe, an emo-ass playing card metaphor (/pos), and a recounting of l’s death scene that made me sad over him all over again (also /pos). and also light being obnoxious, but it’s death note, so that’s usually a given, lol. one shot. 1,801 words.

5. Not Quite Drowning: Sometimes Light ponders happiness. L/Light

a short lawlight and light character study. i like it a lot, and i don’t usually like light, so that should tell you something about how well i think it’s written! one shot. 424 words.

♡ 6. Water, water, water: In the bath, they forget they’re a detective and a suspect; they remove these identities along with their clothes, layer by layer until there are only the handcuffs left. And them; facing the other in the eerie calmness of their bathroom.

At least, it’s how Light sees it.

i really love this one! make sure to read teh tags, as eating disorders and drugs are mentioned, for example. angst with a happy ending! one shot. 3,504 words.

fluff

1. Silver Bells: Silver bells...silver bells...

They’ve made it. Everything is okay now, when they’re dancing in the candlelight.

really, really cute! i recommend it as a palate cleanser to make you feel better after reading a sad one, lol. one shot. 1,255 words.

♡ 2. New Year’s Eve: "I've seen fireworks before," he says. "This is... so much... more."

just a cute little new year’s eve lawlight fireworks show! this one is also from 2009 which is kinda cool to me, haha. i like this author’s descriptive language a lot. one shot. 507 words.

♡ 3. Do Gay Penguins Go to Hell?: Too many New Year snacks bring about a family discussion between L, Raito and their daughter about healthy diet, common sayings and nature of good and evil. And gay penguins, of course. AU

a really darling kid fic, based on teh stupid, homophobic controversy over that adorable kids’ book about teh gay penguin couple. one shot. 3,791 words.

4. A Feeling: It's LxLight fluff! This takes place after Light was confined and lost his memories, chained to L. : D SO YUS. SOME FLUFF FOR YAH D: Hope you leik it :D

very cute “l and light cuddle and kiss” fic, written by a scene kid in 2008, which is extra points with me! one shot. 1,006 words.

alright! i will add to this rec list as i find more fics, and i would love it if people would send in their favorite lawlight fics!

[pjo-tvs-version]

I've seen a lot of hate for the previews of wottg with people saying that rick has just written this book for money, and the characters aren't accurate.

That he's just gone on a crazy tangent and isn't doing anymore fan service.

Especially hate towards annabeth for wanting to throw a party and to grover.

What's your take?

Love this ask soo much!! Thank you anon because now I have a reason to rant on the thoughts in my head and I promise you I didn't think I would write this much...

Percy's mental condition as shown in the first chapter is pretty well displayed in my opinion. My boy is fed up, requires therapy, a break and blue food but he has to face WEEKEND CLASSES (I have them and I can tell you that they are the absolutely worst way to torture your sanity). I'll give Rick points for this though. The entire episode with Hecate was also written well and IT DID NOT FEEL LIKE FANSERVICE TO ME ATLEAST. Percy feels like himself at least from the preview I can say.

HOWEVER I have my own set of issues too. Now I will tell you that I am a kind of person who refrains from the negatives of any situation before seeing the whole story BUT sometimes I have opinions which I will express now. To start off, I do not like they way Rick just made Grover and his hooves not appear because of the mist concept. This was actually a deal in tlt and have it just discarded away in one line in the book put me off a little. I love continuity in books and small errors are like pricking needles for me.

Now we come to the most controversial moment of them all: CHAPTER 3!!! See I love Annabeth having friends (happier because it fulfills my Annabeth being a social butterfly head canon). I love Hana loathing Percy (she definitely has a crush on Annabeth, fight me). But I have an issue with the way Percy sees himself when he is in the midst of her friends. He makes himself inferior and an idiot when he absolutely isn't and I have an issue with that because it isn't good!

Annabeth proposing to have a party is slightly out of character in MY OPINION but okay I can accept it and see how Rick wants to proceed with this so neutral on that till now. HOWEVER I hope he makes Annabeth and Percy have a fight on this because Percy has to let out his problems and their relationship needs to have some angst from time to time (also in my opinion).

Overall, I am extremely excited and hoping to read the book as soon as it arrives (curse you Amazon). I believe that you can't hate the book on the basis of the preview but there are few... unsettling things which can be set right if handled well later in the book. I do think sometimes Rick does not effectively utilise the potential but I'll read the book nevertheless. It's the very reason I look forward to live through my exams. So yeah I have no strong opinions and would most probably drop in a detailed analysis after I actually read the book.

Thanks again for the ask anon! Loved answering it

[wolfie-d00dles]

My version of Monster High G3 (part 1)

These are a work in progress, and there are definitely more to come! It does take me several hours to complete one drawing simply because I want to put my love and dedication into my designs, and I want each character’s personality and story to be reflected in their look. Please enjoy ⚡️🧠🐾

More in-depth descriptions under the cut!

⚡️Frankie Stein (They/Them)⚡️

Frankie’s personality in G3 is very energetic and quite literally electric. They have dreams of becoming a monster surgeon, and they also enjoy STEM activities such as building gadgets and attachments to their body. In my design I wanted to give them a unique, almost neon-punk mad scientist, style. I feel like Frankie finds reflecting their unique identity in their self-expression to be very important. I kept their gender identity and sexuality pretty canon to the show because I think it’s amazing to see for a main character. Also as a neurodivergent person I see myself in Frankie and their personality a lot, which is why in my version they are absolutely neurodiverse in some way.

Flags/Symbols Included: Neurodivergent infinity symbol, non-binary flag, lesbian flag

🧠Ghoulia Yelps (She/They)🧠

I know there’s a lot of dislike for Ghoulia’s new character in G3, but honestly I really do like seeing her being portrayed as a gamer ghoul type nerd versus being a numbers and tech nerd like in G1. I think her character design needs a bit of work though. In my design she’s kind of a more realistic gamer in terms of dress I feel like, and also has a bit of edge as well. I headcanon them as being slightly emo and it shows in their style hence the classic beanie, plugs, converse, and hoodie/t-shirt combo. And I feel like she’s the type to wear strictly pajama pants and sweatpants due to sensory reasons (jeans are evil), but they usually have some kind of graphic patterns on them! I feel like a good aspiration for them would be learning how to code and create video games. I could also see them enjoying animation as well, potentially incorporating their own animations into games. Also, I’m taking away the skater ghoul aspect completely just because I think the animation and video game/coding hobby is a lot more interesting!

Flags/Symbols Included: Neurodivergent infinity symbol, bisexual flag, demisexual flag.

🐾Clawdeen Wolf (She/They)🐾

Clawdeen’s character revamp in G3 is another controversial one that I see the fandom divided on as well. A lot of people miss her glamorous and fierce style, while others embrace the change. I personally adore Clawdeen’s new look, and I definitely leaned into it in my version. I felt like I just had to make her a tumblr ghoul. Idk what the Monster High equivalent of Tumblr would be, but she’d definitely be on there with blogs about books, following fan fiction tags, and aesthetic mood boards and photos. I totally get those vibes from the OG design, but I needed to see them in a beanie, flannel, tattoo choker, distressed/cuffed skinny jeans, doc martens. I also just had to give her the galaxy wolf shirt her doll outfits always have a celestial theme and galaxy print was THE shit.

Flags/Symbols Included: Unlabeled flag, queer flag

[alexandraisyes]

*skitters in in need of nice and funky things* HOKAY. SHIPS. I am honestly open to nearly all ships due to the fact my aro-ace ass simply doesn't require them to live BUT I do have few that either sparks my interest or i think they work pretty well :3 I also go by the logic they are robots and relationships cannot be really compared to humans. Earth x Eclipse - I don't what it is with Earth cracking the harshest personalities but my god, Eclipse v4 warming up to her to the point of tolerating was a feat and sparks immense joy. Allowing Earth to hug him and hang out? Chat? Feel loved? Absolutely precious. Earth respects his boundaries and at the same time Eclipse appreciates her embracing his persona. It's just such a good premise for a slightly odd but good couple. I love it. Sun x Eclipse (many versions) - Canon divergence with Sun and Eclipse working it out? YES. Solar and his original Sun? My god please yes. Oh, what's his? Lord Eclipse and his Servant Sun? Mhm mhm yes. Excellent. So many potentials. So many ways to roll with the ship. Can be loving or spicy or unhealthy. So many choices. Nexus x Solar - do I even have to explain. I think many feels similar about this one. Nexus as new moon found his Sun, even if that Sun is eclipsed. Solar desperately needed someone to love and appreciate him. I am both friend shipping them and shipping, both works for me beautifully.

Sun x Moon - ho boi a controversial one but hey, what is the multiverse for if not ship anything you want (especially since it was even confirmed in canon that romantic DCAs are as normal and common as brotherly bonds or coworkers or absolutely hating each other). They are AIs inhibiting robotic bodies. They are synthetic beings and their understanding of bonds are different than the ones of a biological critters. They are a bundle of codes that try to understand the convoluted partnerships and roles among each other. Protective Moon and caring Sun may decide their bond is on the romantic spectrum. Cos who knows Sun better than their Moon? What is Moon without their Sun? :) Those would be the ones that stick to my brain. Thank you for making the small sharing time! I hope you have a lovely day/evening :) Cheers!

Hiii Wonszu!!! (Waving at u from my enclosure!!!)

I think that Eclipse deserves something nice. And maybe Earth could be that something nice, in the right circumstances.

They're literally my first ship (just normal SunChips) in this fandom and ough. Ough. I literally never even considered the idea of shipping the sillies until I found out that this fandom has a fucking ao3 tag. I was still mostly in the UTMV fandom when I started watching TSAMS, and my poor fandom then was burning while I was slowly jumping ship.

I think they're sweet. I don't see them as romantic myself, but I support those who do. They remind me of the relationship my brother had with his best friend.

I think the fandom is slowly getting over their whole general "every sun and moon HAS to be related and platonic" since we have people hardcore shipping Helios (dark sun) and Nexus. Not to mention the AU Sun and Moon in DoctorF's fic, Sunlo and Moonlit. They're cute. I don't see why we can't have TSAMS AUs where the dynamics are different when it's generally acceptable to ship SolarMoon as an AU. Idk maybe I'm biased, I've been shipping Sun and Moon (in general) since like immediately when Security Breach came out. I took one look at them and went "oh yes they are so fucking gay". And jadkl;fsjads it was such a lonely time when I didn't know anyone else who shipped them.

As I've already said before, I see TSAMS as just one DCA au amongst many DCA aus. Do whatever the fuck you want bro.

Ask Game - Send Me Ship Headcanons (TSBS)

[narrators-journal]

The investigation team's sexualities (plus a bonus)

Woot woot, I think this completes the set! Now, every persona game (except for 1, I know nothing of that game lol) has a collection of what I think their sexualities are. Which, are they strict? Not really, they’re just for fun, and easy for me to do to scratch the urge to write without blowing all my energy before the upcoming kinktober! So, just enjoy, and if you’ve got any questions, pls just be respectful when asking. These are all just based on vibes I get from the anime mostly, and the animes aren’t the besssst for thorough canonicity.

Yu Narukami

While Yu is not my personal favorite persona protagonist, meaning I don’t chew on him like I do Tatsuya, or even Akira. So, his vibes are a bit hard for me to choose. On one hand, he vibes pretty strongly as evenly bisexual. Men and women equally could get it. But, on the other hand, I also get the vibe that he’s potentially under the asexual or maybe aromantic umbrella? Bisexual aromantic maybe? I have no really strong opinions on which fits more lol.

Yukiko Amagi

Yukiko gives me pretty strong lesbian energy, or female-leaning bisexual maybe? Bi-curious at a minimum. Sadly though, I don’t have a strong enough opinion to really know for surebetween those. I just know that she undeniably likes women to some extent.

Chie Satonaka

Unlike Yukiko, I don’t need to think much more on what Chie’s into. She vibes verystrongly as a lesbian. Maybe somewhat unaware at the start, but also somewhat aware at the same time. Like, maybe she just doesn’t want to admit that she knows it isn’t super duper straight to want her female friends attention and to be relied on and seen as her knight. She’s just a bit too embarrassed to really act upon that knowledge.

Kanji Tatsumi

The clear answer would to say Kanji’s simply gay. That’s sort of what the running joke is in the game, and it is hard to argue that he’s heterosexual. However, I don’t think he’s just. Gay. I think Kanji’s bi or pansexual. Women, men, neither, it doesn’t super matter to Kanji, it all confuses him on his feelings of things. Which, sadly, only makes the questioning worse and lengthens the time it’ll take for him to really pinpoint what he is and come to grips with that.

Naoto Shirogane

We are going to avoid the whole controversy around Naoto. I’ll just say that I doubt they’re heterosexual, but I can’t really say what they might be. Which, I feel is pretty fitting for Naoto. They’ve got too much going on with gender identity issues and questions to really focus on what they like in someone else. If they like you, they like you. If they don’t, they don’t.

Yosuke Hanamura

I could joke and say Yosuke’s an in-denial homosexual, but I could also take Bisexual too, since he was into Saki Konishi at the start, and I think he’s just, very very gay for Narukami. Some part of me thinks he’s so strongly into Yu, that he’s almost comphet, and his homophobic quips are some form of denial. But if I’m just looking at the vibes alone, no jokes, I think Yosuke’s bisexual and just has an unacknowledged preference for men. Specifically men named Yu Narukami.

Sho Minazuki

Gender does not matter to this man. If you can fight him and give him a fun fight in the process, you can get it. Homie is violence-sexual lol. Simple as that.

Teddie

Teddie’s a slightly weird one. Not only because he’s not human, but because he’s just. Kind of giving me weird vibes in terms of sexuality. He seems to simply mimic what others do, and since he’s roomed with Yosuke, he’s taken on a perverted act to try and fit in. He just seems more into fitting in with his friends and clinging to any form of identity he can find than any form of actual sex. So, if I had to guess what sexuality Teddie might be, I’d say he’s asexual with some biromantic or panromantic on the side. But, uh. He needs some therapy before anything.

Rise Kujikawa

Rise gives me such strong heterosexual vibes. Like, she vibes like she’s a straight girl, but she enjoys when girls crush on her, and likes to poke at any form of crush a girl might have on her. Like, she’d kiss a girl in spin the bottle, or to teach a girl to kiss, but she wouldn’t actually sleep with a girl. Maybe she’s just questioning a bit of her own sexuality, or maybe she’s more fluid than she lets on, but I personally think she’s heterosexual.

[frankiebirds]

so. potentially slightly controversial opinion amongst elle fans: i really like her departure.

i think it's very thoughtfully written. the fatal flaw that contributes to her departure (her impulsivity) is shown and named in the very first episode. the trauma she suffers in the season one finale also contributes significantly, and i believe the implications i and others picked up on that there was something related to SA in her background were intentional, and even though we never got confirmation on that, elle does still express a specific hatred of sex offenders and briefly relates to the vigilante unsub in a real rain.

it makes sense. it's tragic, but it makes sense. elle has a special hatred for sex offenders. at the time of the episode, she's recently suffered a trauma wherein her home was invaded and she was, in a way, violated. (although no sexual assault happens, a man shooting a woman and then reaching into her wound, coupled with her later feeling that she can sometimes still feel his hand there, does have heavy and likely intentional imagery paralleling sexual assault). it's entirely plausible that a case concerning a man who is both a home invader and a rapist would push her to the edge.

i don't know how soon the writers knew lola glaudini would be leaving the show, but whether they knew late in season one and set up foreshadowing, or they knew later and referred to elle's previous statements, implied backstory, and canonical trauma in writing her departure, i think they did a really good job. a long-running show like criminal minds is pretty much guaranteed to have a lot of cast turnover and i wish it was this well-written more often.

if i could change one thing about the way elle's departure was written, i could have used a little more nuance, maybe changed the way some of the characters spoke about her, and referenced her more often later on. (when i say "the way some of the other characters spoke about her" i am not saying that i wish all the characters had gone "what elle did was fine. that rapist deserved to die." i wish we had gotten to see varied opinions amongst the team (without any of them being treated as having The Wrong Opinion) and that she had been discussed with more sympathy given the lead-up to her choices). referencing departed characters more often is something i wish was done in general. i wouldnt want it to be every episode, because that would be obnoxious, or even that often at all, but sometimes it feels like when the characters remember someone who left the team, it's because the writers remembered, if that makes sense?)

[moriartyluver]

FALSE LOVERS CHAPTER I

MY DEAREST MOTHER AND FATHER,

How are you? I do hope the two of you are well. I truly miss you both and as if fate has brought us back together once more, I am writing to invite you to visit me in London. I look forward to hearing father's wholesome laughter and mother's silent but affectionate smile.

After months of mother reminding me that I must find a husband to secure my future title of the Grand Duchess [Last name], I have finally found a suitable husband for myself whom I love with all my heart.

Do you remember when you came to visit me at university when I was eighteen years of age? I hope you do. There was a boy there who was talking to me right before father approached me with mother following behind. Father joked about how he seemed to be a potential suitor to which I promptly denied in annoyance.

That young, once irritating, boy is to become my husband within the next few months. We had been courting secretly for a while before our engagement, and the day of the proposal was possibly the happiest day of my life.

William, that is his name if you didn't remember, is a good man. His older brother is Earl Albert James Moriarty, a man who works for the military and his younger adopted brother, Louis James Moriarty is equally noble despite his background. William holds them both dear to him which I find the most beautiful thing.

He's selfless, intelligent (I recall mother making the remark that I would find it difficult to settle with a less clever man than I because I always sought competition in a partner. I suppose she was right because our rivalry in intellect is what drew me to William in the first place) , and very, very handsome. Not like those older men with bushy facial hair and large statures who repulse me ever so slightly, but rather, William has a beautiful sharp and youthful face with the most darling red eyes, more precious than any jewels I've seen in my days in [home country]. His hair is silky and soft with the prettiest blond colour and he always, even when enveloped in fatigue, maintains this angelic beauty.

I couldn't be more happy with any other man. I now realise that the two of you were right when you said I would find a man for myself someday who I will love dearly, and who would love me even more, just like my dear parents love each other.

Was this unexpected? When I was sent to Britain for my studies by the request of my parents, did you ever feel the urge to keep me in [home country] with you? When everyone told the Grand Duke and Duchess that I would become less desirable if I studied in a man's field, did you ever agree with them?

I wouldn't blame you, of course. Although higher education is becoming more available to those of my sex, it is still surprising to some. Thankfully, [home country] is slightly more progressive than England. Sending your only child, and daughter at that, to a separate and somewhat controversial country due to Great Britain's relations with [home country], only for her to study in University then work as a professor despite my status, it must have been upsetting.

I'm glad that during my youngest years as only a mere child with a heavy interest in books and mathematics, Father and Mother, you both noticed my talent. My intellect was recognised and I am forever grateful towards both of you for raising me, not as a feeble young girl, but as the daughter of [father's name] and [mother's name], the Grand Duke and Duchess of [home country]. I was raised with swords and books alongside my dolls and dresses. I wasn't forced to reject my femininity but instead encouraged to embrace it whilst also enhancing my strength and intelligence.

Thanks to the two of you, I am working only for myself and I never, no matter how many degrading comments from noblemen I received, changed myself for anyone. With that upbringing, I had high enough standards to accept a man like william into my world. I hope that you both grow to love him as I do.

So until I see you again, with your blessing for my marriage, I bid you farewell.

With love and admiration,

[Name] [Last name]

"I wonder if that'll convince them," (name) turned to look at her closest aide. "What do you think, Josephine?"

The girl in question looked at the letter in (name)'s hand, her grey eyes skimming over the paper. Her mistress had taught her well and she was able to read the letter with ease.

"You write all that and you still deny that you love Lord Moriarty?" Josephine laughed as she teased (name), who scowled and quickly folded the letter, sliding it into the envelope.

"I don't love him!" she exclaimed, her eyebrows furrowing as her previously empty expression shifted to an irritated one "I just..I needed it to be convincing. My parents, well my father may act a bit silly, but they can both see through me easily in person. I've had to practice my acting skills in the mirror every morning whilst trying not to laugh! It's difficult work Josephine Evans!"

Josephine only laughed more, to the extent tears even threatened to spill from her eyes. A pale finger reached over to wipe her eyes as the brunette tried to regain her composure. "My..ha..My apologies, your ladyship, but I don't think you'll have any issues convincing your parents. Even I find it difficult to remember sometimes that you an' Lord William aren't a real couple."

"So it is convincing..?" (Name) trailed off  "I suppose that issue is sorted..I don't think my parents care too much for the status of the man I marry. Mother is tired of me constantly rejecting my supposed admirers, and father would be glad that his little (nickname) has finally fallen for a man after so long."

"Uhm.." Josephine opened her mouth to speak. (Name) turned around in her chair to face Josephine who was standing behind her. She raised an eyebrow.

"What is it Josephine? You know you can speak freely with me. I'm not a tyrant." (Name) said

"Right..my apologies if this sounds rude, but..how are you to deal with the issue of.." Josephine felt her freckled cheeks grow red in embarrassment

"The issue of...?"

"Offspring!" Josephine said a bit too loud " I mean-..how uh..do you plan to uh...you said earlier that your father joked that he wanted grandchildren so-"

(Name)'s face visibly darkened as if she had seen a ghost. The thought hadn't crossed her mind before hand. It would have been deemed improper in such an era when even seeing a woman's ankles was scandalous.

"I..don't know.." (name) whispered in a depressing tone. "For the first time in my life, I don't think I know the answer.."

"I'm sorry Lady (name)!" Josephine exclaimed as she bowed repeatedly to her depressed mistress "I shouldn't have asked!!"

"I think I should probably talk to William about that..wait no..that's be embarrassing..but if I don't produce an offspring, rumours may spread that our marriage is an unhappy one or that I'm infertile..because of course it's always the woman's fault..maybe rumours would spread that William has a secret lover behind my back..I don't think I could bare that at all..and I can't expose a child to murder and death like that.."

(Name) had started muttering and spiralling in her thoughts. Surely doing..it..with William would be out of the question, right? He wouldn't even dream of such things..at least she hoped he wasn't a pervert of some sort..no..William? A pervert..? Surely the man was still chaste anyways..no woman would be attracted to such a rotten man in (name)'s eyes, let alone love him.

"L-Lady (name)..? I think it's best you sleep on it..it is late after all, and your uncle," Josephine spoke, snapping (name) out of her thoughts "I mean the Marquis, has reminded you to rest every so often.."

(Name) nodded, "I'll quickly stamp this letter and have it sent before morning so it can reach my parents before the engagement ceremony, then I'll sleep.." she said as she poured red wax on the seal of the envelope, stamping it with her personal seal and handing the envelope to Josephine who quickly left to send it off whilst (name) went to bed.

And how did this young lady somehow trap herself in a fake marriage? The problem had routed to about a year before, when she had to ask for help from a certain blond for the first time in her life.

At the time she regretted doing so for the sake of her pride, but now, there would be a lot more to regret in the future thanks to her involvement with Professor William James Moriarty..

The Lord of Crime.

A/N: hey guys, first actual chapter lol. Please give (nice) feedback because I’ve never uploaded a long series to tumblr before so I don’t really know if you guys will like it or not 😞 (please be nice about the feedback or I will cry) Also let me know if you guys wanna be on my tag list bc I’m thinking of making one.

[maddys-nerd-blog]

TMNT Character Ranking ask Game: Michelangelo

HELLO 👋🏻

Oooooooo okay. Time to get controversial. Lemme choose three of the ones that I feel 1: Stands out from the rest, and 2: Is a perfect blend of both little bro and comedy!

In my opinion, Batman vs. TMNT Mikey is probably the BEST Mikey. Period. He’s the perfect balance of comedic relief and wacky little brother who cracks jokes to break the ice. His little friendship with Alfred is also golden. Kyle Mooney is also AWESOME as the nunchuck master!

The silver medal goes to 2012 Mikey. Firstly Greg Cipes provides an excellent vocal performance— he’s literally the best voice actor for Mikey! I think he’s also a great little brother, always being there to support his family when the cards are down, generally being so kind and accepting of those who otherwise would’ve been rejected, being helpful and quirky, just… he’s so wholesome. ALSO HE ISN’T STUPID OR HELPLESS, AND HE HAS HIS FAIR SHARE OF FLAWS!

The bronze medal goes to Mutant Mayhem Mikey! I’m so honored I got the opportunity to meet Shamon Brown Jr in June, and I think this version brings a ton to the table!! He’s fun, uplifting, and just hoped for acceptance by the world, never giving up his dream even when faced with doubt. I’m so excited for the series and to see what they do with him, he’s got so much potential!!

As for the rest, lemme summarize!

Rise! Mikey— Runner up! He’s fun and has some badass mystic abilities with that kusari-fundo, turning him into a Ghost Rider Spider-Turtle 🤣 but we don’t really get too much of stand alone Mikey to really KNOW him like we did with Raph, Leo and Donnie. Even April got her own solo episode!

1987 Mikey— Who doesn’t love the classics! Such a chill, fun goober with a ton of great moments and very wholesome!

1990 Mikey— Robbie Rist provides excellent vocal work and makes this live action iteration iconic for all the best reasons.

2007 Mikey— Great voice actor, but we literally don’t get to spend time with him outside of his intro. This movie is the Raph and Leo variety hour 😂

Bayverse Mikey— If they had taken those stupid Innuendos out of the first film he’d be great! He got slightly better in the second one, but DAMN, missed opportunity.

And then, settling in bottom place, my least favorite version of him ever… 2003 Mikey.

Lemme start by saying IM SORRY. I know everyone likes him but… god, I cannot STAND him. He’s just so irritating and obnoxious! He makes everything about himself, he’s self centered and bratty when he doesn’t get his way, he COMPLAINS when he’s tasked to take part in a plan to break out of space prison and HES THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE IN THE LAST TWO SEASONS 😂😂😂😂

But yeah! These are my hot takes!

Hope you liked this! 😊

[streets-in-paradise]

Why were Achilles and Briseis written the way they were?

The following meta is a contextual analysis of the movie, not necesarily a ship defense post.

In this opportunity i am going to present my personal interpretation on a few factors that I believe can help explain what remains to this day the most controversial point of the film: the romance of Achilles and Briseis. Keeping it short and simple, my arguments here will be mostly linked to the conventionalities of the film genre and the specific time period in which the movie was created.

In this case, not to simply shrug shoulders and confortably claim " those were other times" and dismiss the problematic aspect, but to list a few sensical reasons I find behind the choice regardless of how potentially problematic it was.

The purpose of this analysis is understanding the movie in context, not changing anybody's mind in what comes to the moral sanction in its reception. The reader's approbal or dissaprobal of the film doesn't affect it, because the intention is to merely provide a contextualized explanation.

That being said, let's begin:

-The historical/epic films that served as inspiration for Troy often include a precise formula that the pairing emulates in a synthetical way.

As pointed out before, the list of epic films inspiring Troy (2004) is endless. From subtle references in the scenery and costume design to direct copy in the use of tropes or character archetypes, this movie is like a summary of the whole genre. However, the particular historical context in its release made three particular titles the core influencies of the film.

These are Gladiator, Braveheart and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Listing every single aspect in which Troy nurtured trying to replicate their success is worthy of an entire different meta, but here I will take one precise element to examinate.

In all cases, there is a warrior lead hero and a woman of nobility that find themselves tangled in political intrigue/war and have (or have had) some form of forbbiden love. Both Lucilla and Isabella find themselves contextually in between the movie's hero and villian, walking the thin lines of negociation while wishing for the insane emperor/asshole king's demise.

In Gladiator it's mostly a political alliance with a mere romantic undertone that comes from the fact that they had a past together, while in Braveheart the meeting through political matters is a gateway for romance. In contrast, Arwen's conflict comes from having to choose between her family and Aragorn in the middle of a war that has her kind leaving Middle Earth.

The Briseis of Troy is like an abreviated and more simplified synthesis for all of these. Outside conflict begins as soon as she is in the middle of Achilles and Agamemnon, the fighter-hero and ruler-villian that she equally challenges through their argument scene. Later, her inner conflict comes from having to choose between her family in Troy and her growing feelings for Achilles.

So subtle, yet so powerfull, the influence is so evident that we can even see a gender reverse of the Evenstar necklace moment.

The seashell necklace is a gift of his mother, who is rumoured to be a goddess. It's purpose on this scene is slightly similar yet very different as in lotr. Achilles is giving to Briseis a gift of possibly godly origins that represents him as he tries to compensate her for the pain that his vengeance has caused her. It's also an act of love, the last one they can share because he is allowing her to choose her family and leave to be with them.

This simple example ilustrates too well how far the similarities went in the strange mashup of formulas.

At the same time, one can point out that the principal deviation Troy took was having Briseis as the only woman arround. In both Gladiator and Braveheart a dead wife haunts the narrative and motivates the hero to seek revenge against the cruel ruler. In the case of lotr, the side love interest is the one that the context encourages in contrast to the one forbidden for the hero. The men of Rohan already respect Aragorn and Theoden shows himself supportive of a possible union between him and the obviously infatuated Eowyn.

Instead of a hero that oscilates between two women, the dead wife and the princess or the adequated love vs the impossible one, Troy presents the enemies to lovers dynamic product of Briseis' war captive status making her conflcted feelings oscilate through the story.

-The Sheik meets Titanic: iconic romances and sex symbols.

The casting of Brad Pitt in the role of Achilles was definitely an influence for the tone the romance adquired. If I had to describe the Achilles x Briseis romance without listing the influences I mentioned before, I would say " it's a bit like The Sheik with a Titanic ending" and I feel this is not entirely casual.

( Most evident paralel that can be made is that the Josh Groban song " Remember" feels pretty much like reverse" My Heart Will Go On". James Horner worked on both films, so maybe that played a part in this particular aspect but I am merely speculating.)

Valentino and Di Caprio were iconic in their romance performances, they made history in their roles, and both shared with Pitt the fame of being actors super popular with female audiences. I can't blame Troy for wanting to evoke a bit of that magic when the man doing the job is Brad Pitt. Back in the day, people used to popularly claim he was the most handsome guy in the world. His name is a synonym of male beauty.

I feel his Achilles does a good job balancing two contradictory goals the movie has for him: being the embodiment of an epic hero and seducing the audience through the romance scenes. In this point I want to add that the basic structure on the dynamic for the abduction romance is very similar to the one in The Sheik: civilized and outspoken lady that represents modern viewpoints gets kidnapped by a seductive man of savage ways. In a good kidnapper/bad kidnapper game with the antagonist, she discovers that she has fallen in love. In Troy it works as a sort of reactualization for this basic premise adquiring a different flavor when mixed with other elements of the film.

And here is when the most iconic moment makes so much sense:

This was the one part of the movie that made history. Not only the quote is beautifull, here is also where you get the distinctive flavor that is also a byproduct of the general themes in the film permeating the romance. Achilles proves himself to her above the mere act of rescuing her from someone worse.

While this is the response of Briseis.

She keeps challenging him because she was made aware that he can do better. Sure, she later sleeps with him anyways because that's almost an ineludible part of the charm in that scenario. In both cases, it is used as a sort of indulgent fantasy for the eyes of a (straight) fem audience expected to go crazy for the actor. Unlike in the 1920's, by the time troy came out spicy scenes are already a standard and I can distinctively point out those tend to be particularly prevalent on media about ancient greece and rome.

For tumblr censorship reasons I won't show a picture for the following claim, but the scene itself doesn't expose her as much as him. It's all focused on the beauty of Brad Pitt, in his seductive ways and how the girl slowly gives in to him. His naked body covers her from the camera, all we see its a glimpse of her legs and stomach as the lense follows the way of his hands undressing her. It's the same dangerous seduction feeling that turns the strong woman defenseless applied in an film age where you can show it on a love making scene.

Despite sticking to the basics, that oldass concept adquires a more unique modern feeling.

-For Plot Reasons: they work as a parallel with Helen x Paris.

From the beggining of the film, forbbiden love is the big topic of the film when it comes to romance. I know I have written in previous analysis that Achilles and Paris, through their selfish and romantic driven choices, become a parallel of each other. Helen, the willing runaway, and Briseis, the captive, are also made a parallel.

However, I want to go back a second on the specific way the behavior of Achilles directly mimics Paris triggering the war: he seduces the girl, sleeps with her, and decides he is ready to abandon his countrymen for her. While Odysseus tries to convince him out the rational way, the recriminations of Patroclus evoke the angry Hector who had just discovered the spartan queen in his ship. Fighting the war due to the reckless choices of their relatives, they die. At the end Achilles and Paris are on their own.

The trojan prince leaves Helen behind to fight and, when he gets the chance, avenge his brother, while the greek warrior is there for only love and remorse. Dreams of glory are behind him, he got inside the trojan horse seeking to rescue the woman of his affections.

It's a fascinating role reversal where, motivation-wise, Paris becomes Achilles and Achilles becomes Paris. This conclussion comes as evolution of the romances written parallelistically as side plots of the big family tragedy.

[danggirlronpa]

Oh, are we talking about trans headcanons??? I see someone already mentioned transfem Kazuichi, which I'm a pretty big fan of! But have you guys considered transfem Fuyuhiko? I think there's a lot of potential in that - in the fact that even in canon there's a lot of him not feeling like he really fits as the Ultimate Yakuza, and that he has to play a role to be so... I think it lends well to a transfem headcanon. Another I could see would be transfem Mondo, with how much in canon he plays up the masculinity, it could be something preformative in a transfem headcanon. I'm also a fan of transfem Kokichi & Shuichi, too - I've seen people headcanon the both of them as nonbinary, transfem, AND transmasc, and honestly? Love that for them, tbh.

I also am a big fan of transfem Makoto!!! I usually headcanon him as genderfluid, but I could also see him be a trans demigirl, tbh. I respect transmasc headcanons too even if I don't usually ascribe to them for Makoto specifically! I kind of like to think that the fact that Makoto's door gets stuck is a very funny quirk of fate in the event of him being genderfluid/nonbinary - even his door, which is supposed to be a men's one, doesn't ascribe to a binary! & Makoto using she/they/he pronouns is so real to me.

I also love to see Kiibo exploring pronouns in fics. Like, in canon they use he/him (at least in the localization) but I like to believe they experiment with different ones for a while, just to see if they like them.

I also tend to see Hajime as nonbinary, using he/they pronouns too! That's not exactly a transfem headcanon, but yeah.

I also love the idea of nonbinary kaede as well - using she/they pronouns. Maybe in the event of transfem Shuichi or Kokichi, she helps them explore their gender at first.

I could also see Tsumugi as being genderfluid or otherwise genderqueer in some way - she defaults to she/her but she doesn't mind other pronouns, and oftentimes go with he/him when complying a male character.

This one's more controversial, but I also love the idea of nonbinary Junko with possible internalized transphobia. Like, I think the fact that she keeps making alter egos that are male (Monokuma, Shirokuma, and Kurokuma) lends well to this, but I also keep going back to that line monokuma said about being neither male nor female because there's no gender in the animal kingdom. Incredibly nonbinary thing to say. Of course, I think how Junko handles being nonbinary is somewhat dependent on what you headcanon Chihiro as - but if you headcanon Chihiro as a transwoman and Junko as transphobic towards her, it could somewhat be from internalized transphobia- like, her having the idea that "if I'm fine with being a woman even though I feel like this about it, you should be fine with your assigned sex too!" Or even the idea that she cannot fathom why someone would WANT to be a woman in the first place - like, what reason would you have to subject yourself to it if not malicious ones or weakness? Since she is so disconnected or even discontent from "womanhood". If you see Chihiro as nonbinary, Junko not understanding or even being bitter that they get to reject the binary but she doesn't could also make sense, and her putting them in the "male" box would almost be from jealousy and spite. If you headcanon Chihiro as a transmale, it becomes a) somewhat hilarious that Junko, the big bad of the series, accepts their gender and b) Chihiro could be the person who teaches her about this stuff in a pre-despair setting, and maybe even make her realize she's nonbinary. I know it's.... slightly problematic to headcanon the main villain of the series who has shown she is possibly transphobic (depending on how you see Chihiro again) as trans, but I think it's... fine if you also headcanon other characters as so and not just the villains. Plus, I'm nonbinary myself, so I think it's allowed.

Those are the ones I can remember off the top of my head! I love trans headcanons <3

There's so much good stuff here!! I can't address all of it, but a couple of my favorites:

I LOOOVE transfem Mondo, it's one of my absolute favorite transfem headcanons. The way it changes that trial from "horrifying trans panic" to "the tragedy of someone with extensive internalized transphobia meeting someone who is further along on their journey and lashing out in unrealized jealousy, ultimately destroying the version of themself they wish to be"...MWAH. The type of tragedy that can only belong to someone transitioning. The consequences of self loathing, both in harming others and harming ourselves, made manifest! But with GENDER.

I'm sure this is just part of the rest of that line, but the phrase "they canonically use he/him pronouns" is so funny. Power to K1-B0 for being incomprehensible wrt gender just in general. Love that agender kid

I am actually a big fan of transmasc Junko! (And I'll use he/him for Junko real fast to emphasize this point) I think the idea of Junko as someone who experiences a huge amount of dysphoria when he's perceived as feminine, who then goes out of his way to present himself as a champion of gyaru culture and hyper-femininity, making it so that, even if he one day receives the mental health treatment he obviously needs, he will always be associated with this incredibly female-oriented culture...that's despair. That's the type of shit you do at rock bottom. I have BEEN there my man. EDIT:

we are on the EXACT SAME PAGE anon 🤝

I actually did, genuinely, think Shuichi was a butch girl until I played the game, and was SO excited to finally see rep of my actual high school self. Wearing hats to cover dysphoria-inducing hairstyle? Emo makeup to escape the Social Makeup Norms? hangs out with kaede??? that's one of us right there