#i would like to enjoy their dynamic! but i dont care to romanticize it etc etc it's just not appealing to me and i think irl shipping can

[linoguy]

whats wrong w minsung? i hv no investment in them im just curious since they seem to be popular

ehhhhh it's mostly petty reasons if we're honest. i don't have any interaction w that side of things and my problem w it is that it's just so pervasive in spaces where i would like to just talk about the guys and their music, not theories if two of them are dating or not, it's not why im here so i couldn't care less about it

[oceanwithouthermoon]

least favorite saiki ship and why ?

IT SCARES ME THAT THIS IS ON ANON. WHAT IF I SAY THAT I HATE A SHIP AND THEN IT TURNS OUT THE PERSON THAT ASKED THIS IS LIKE THE CEO OF THAT SHIP OR SOMETHING.

... its torisai LMAO.

i dont like saying it on here much cuz its one of the most popular ships in the fandom (the number one most popular ship is kubokai, and im not a fan of that either ☠️ i just think theyre the ship you get from looking at the show/manga purely at surface level and just picking two characters that are close friends and saying 'they should date' even though they wouldnt actually fit together.. i just dont see it personally lol.. OKAY ANYWAY SORRY-) but i really dont like torisai 🧍🏻‍♀️

(im about to talk about sa under this, fair warning)

i literally just posted today about people shipping things in ways that mildly trigger me, and torisai shippers do it pretty bad !! for some reason, mikorei shippers and yumetori shippers etc dont really do the thing that torisai shippers do where they romanticize sexual assault in the way they write them.. im not sure why that is, maybe they think that men cant be sa'd in the way women can ? they think cuz its a gay ship that its okay to write tori sexually harassing and assaulting him (+acting like its cute, not tagging it accordingly with warnings, etc) ? crazy. especially since saiki is implied to be a victim of sa (or at least is canonically a victim of sexual harassment and attempted sa) by his brother..

that whole thing is something i genuinely think is awful and nobody should romanticize sa, but toritsuka isn't inherently awful and still had potential and good character development, so that alone doesnt really make the ship that bad since the shippers are the problem.. i actually used to be okay with it until the shippers ruined it for me, but thinking critically about it (and thinking about WHY the shippers believe that their dynamic is so sexually abusive) did make me realize how much the ship sucks anyway.. (imo !!)

its partly because i project onto saiki, but i already mentioned how saiki is canonically a victim of (at least attempted) sa, and i reallly believe that he would not be interested in dating someone who is so obsessed with sex to the point where he canonically sexually harasses people and tries to peep without their consent !! he is literally an sa victim, obviously that would make him so uncomfortable!!

their friendship at the end of the series is nice and one of the most developed in the series, so i get where people got the ship from, cat tank incident invites a lot of content about them... but toritsuka still has a lot of work to do on himself before he can date ANYONE, and ESPECIALLY a literal sa victim..

when he saw saiki as a girl, one of the first things he did was DIRECTLY ask him about his boobs.. WHY WOULD HE DATE HIM AFTER THAT SKSNKAKAMSK..

actually lol, when i made that post today about ship content that triggers me, part of that was specifically inspired by torisai shippers lol.. (not all ofc and no hate, it just isnt my thing !! torisai mutuals i love u please don't unfollow me..) ive seen multiple people post about how they love torisai BECAUSE they would be absolutely awful for each other and bring out the worst in one another.. like hmm.. great for you if you enjoy that, but that is entirely why i DONT ship it !! i hate ships like that, i love my fluffy healthy romantic ships !!

okay anyway anyway, i love their platonic friendship, they care about each other lots, theyre one of the most developed in the series, their friendship has lots of potential, etc.. i just dont see it romantically !!! maybe in the far far future, but definitely not at the point they are at the end of the series..

[probably-haven]

after binge reading i have come to a new revelation: I’m not a fan of most Xiaoven fanfics

Don’t get me wrong, I love the ship and its one of my favorite to think about.... but most of the fanfiction for the ship just- doesn’t sit right with me for a number of reasons. 

Disclaimer: these are personal opinions from my own taste and are in no way an attack against any authors out there, because frankly fanfic authors are great and not like i could do better lol. As these are personal opinions, I acknowledge here and now that a number of people disagree and that they are under no obligation to change their opinions in any way as it is not and never will be my intention to tell others what they should be thinking That said- read at your own risk if you want- meh, anyway-

time to share some opinions that have been on my mind lately

The biggest reason.... is how they handle Xiao. And I don’t even mean mischaracterization because Xiao is such a complex and yet simultaneously simple character that as long as you’re somewhere in the range of “Xiao vibes” it’s really hard to write him out of character because of his complexities. What I mean is something that i actually completely agree with as being accurate to his character. In nearly every single fanfic I’ve seen, there is some element of idolization that Xiao has for Venti, or for the sake of reference, Barbatos. He tends to think himself beneath Barbatos and/or indebted to him, whether that be because he’s an archon, because he saved him, or simply because of Xiao’s tendency to dehumanize(yes i see the irony in that word usage) himself.  This by itself isn’t an issue but its often how this trait of his is treated.

Imma just list a few ways I’ve seen this be handled within Xiaoven fics. - It isn’t handled, it’s just there and accepted as a part of who he is in the story - It isn’t handled but his trait is treated as source of humor within the story - Venti(and others) roll with it (finding humor in it, just cant change it, encouraging it, making jokes about it, etc.) - Venti takes advantage of it(whether accidentally or purposely) - it’s actually addressed(by Venti or someone else or the narration- can go a number of ways, but just- even a brief reference to the fact that its not a good mindset fits in here) - savior!Venti(Where venti disagrees with it but the way it’s written gives off “god among mortals” vibes- like he’s just being humble and truly is above him in reality) - its the focus of the story  - not directly addressed but shown to be destructive.  - they chose not to not include this in the story’s characterization of Xiao(just saying that this is valid ahead of time) Theres others but i have a lot already.  Note that I tend to read more ‘serious-toned’(idk if that makes sense) fics so that may skew my perception

Now there’s a few that i have issues with on their own- both instances of it not being handled, Venti(and others) rolling with it, Venti takes advantage of it(purposely(and without good intent)), and savior!Venti. Xiao not only has this trait, but he is unfamiliar with what is normal in relationships or emotions as a result of isolation and inexperience. He is also either not aware of or not concerned with what is considered strictly “healthy.” Combining these makes for a rather dangerous combination and just accepting it as “oh he’s just like that, it’s who he is” or making it out to be something funny- It’s not wrong or bad by any means necessarily, and I could still possibly enjoy it to an extent depending on a series of different factors, but its- not as often.  Even in the case where I do enjoy reading it however, I would still feel uncomfortable sharing it with or recommending it to others because in the first instance it feels like normalizing a destructive and dangerous mindset, and in the second case it does the same while simultaneously making a joke of it. It’s the same deal with Venti or other characters rolling with it, but that’s probably gonna be mentioned later too. Not to say that this is a “wrong” way to handle it, that it makes the fic bad, or that authors even are normalizing anything by doing so, just that in my specific instance- not a fan. 

I’ll get to the others when i talk more about Venti, but for now: It’s the focus of the story. I think I saw like... 2? where the story was like- focused on this and why its a problem which- power to them, address those real world problems like a boss- but also i wouldn’t actively seek it out or anything- like, good job, but doing so just leaves it open neutrally for other factors to decide how good a story i think it is. 

not directly addressed but shown to be destructive. You’d think i wouldn’t like this- but frankly in fanfiction not everyone wants to address every character flaw verbally because it can through off story, narration, dialogue, and general flow to do so. This can be with an event, an action, a dialogue, a mere comment, making it actually fit into the it’s actually addressed category except that its- subtle enough to make its own category. plus i live for show not tell- in everything- its a thing. im- very much a fan of when the fics do this but the subtlety is easy to miss and its not common so- 

It’s actually adressed- doesnt have to be a lot- just mention anywhere or imply anywhere that maybe idolizing someone as a god and savior and being in a relationship with them while having little knowledge of standards, emotions, relationships, or healthy behaviors in general- maybe isnt the smartest idea in the word. (”Call me Venti, not Barbatos” by itself is not enough to fit in this category tho as a note)

-

Now lets talk about Venti...

uh.... those who have followed me for awhile will probably already know this but... I have a lot of opinions on Venti and a pretty- “niche(?)” perception of his characterization that isn’t shared by a lot of others- so I don’t actually read as much Venti fanfic in general as you might expect because I often end up disagreeing with how writers portray him, which again, in no way is their characterization wrong, but- “their perceived truth” conflicts with “my perceived truth” and by extent so does the characterization, though neither is any more correct than the other from an objective point of view, if that makes sense... but anyways now that that’s said, moving on before this becomes a philosophy lecture, as fun as that would be for me.  I’ll try to keep my “perceived truth” out of this for the first bit. 

Venti’s response to this: 

He rolls with it: this depends on the mood of the fanfiction. If they dont put a lot of stress on that trait of Xiao’s it totally fine but if the trait seems to be a major part of Xiao’s character, it seems like normalization once more. (more on this later)

he takes advantage of it purposely: if its an AU or something and Venti’s like a villain(i saw a few) then- villain venti isnt my cup of tea but i have no qualms. If they don’t portray Venti in a negative light while having him take advantage however that’s a bit uncomfortable to read for me because it feels like normalizing taking advantage of that mindset as well as the mindset itself. However, i did see a number of instances of Venti using it as leverage for like- self care- which i definitely have no qualms. Xiao: [insert probably destructive idolizing statement about being indebt] Venti: How bout you pay me back by actually sleeping for once smh or other variations are okay and depending on the vibe are actually a really fun dynamic as long as it doesnt turn into romanticizing or normalizing it, y’know?

Venti accidentally taking advantage of it.... I love angst- and in most of these theres a sense of guilt when he realizes- and i just think thats a lovely way of addressing the dangers of such a mindset for both sides. As long as it doesn’t keep repeating to the point of romanticization its totally cool to read in my eyes(not irl ofc). If Venti never realizes he accidentally took or is taking advantage it feels a bit like normalization, and if he does but just- doesn’t care thats- a rip.

savior!Venti...... i- i hate. the story giving off vibes that Xiao’s mindset is technically correct while Venti oh so humbly tells him to treat him as an equal like the wonderful and charitable person he is.... i just- no. of course thats over dramatizing it- I think the main thing that gives it this vibe is when Venti doesn’t seem either concerned, surprised, uncomfortable, or otherwise have a negative feeling towards Xiao’s mindset. Just- it makes the whole thing weird in my eyes when Venti doesnt really seem to have his own reason to oppose the mindset idk- 

-

fact time!

Venti is the god of freedom. His backstory is freeing Mondstadt from a god’s tyrannical reign. His origin is a windsprite, just another breeze bringing changes for the better. His form is a nameless boy who played an instrument and then died, thus failing at his only dream and only ever accomplishing anything because of the help of others. He slept for a thousand years after the archon war to avoid putting Mond under the rule of yet another tyrannical god. He only even became a god because Andrius chose to let him. He wouldn’t have even had that chance if the nameless bard had survived, he’d remain just another wind while his friend ascended to godhood. Venti sacrifices his own power for his people’s freedom. 

now that I’ve laid out a number of canon facts, time for opinions:

Venti has little to no desire to be seen as a god. He thrives in, comes from, and emphasizes a lack of superiority in quite nearly everything. The first Ragnvindir, who canonically turned his back on Venti after Decarabian’s fall, likely did so because one- he anticipated power would corrupt and Venti would soon become just another tyrannical god, two- he suspected Venti used the nameless bard in an attempt to rise to godhood, or three- idk insert other possibilities to acknowledge again that i could totally be wrong.

Look me in the eyes and tell me Venti wouldnt trade godhood for his friend in an instant. His godhood was only granted to him because his friend died and could easily serve to constantly remind him of what could have been and what he lost. Venti takes no enjoyment from being seen as superior and in my opinion, I feel that it could actually make him largely uncomfortable when his divinity and abilities as an archon get involved-

also self promotion for my favorite posts- check out #archon war era venti if thats interesting to you

so anyway Venti rolling with it or making jokes about it just doesn’t sit right with me.- 

-

Okay! enough talking about that mindset!

idk- i have... a few/lot of other gripes and stuff or just things that kinda throw off the vibe for me but that’s the main one plus my general personal pickiness when it come to Venti fanfics- but this has gotten long enough already- 

idk i just felt like rambling about it and i haven’t done a long post in a while so-

again, I love the ship and its actually one of my favorites- just the fanfic isnt my thing..... that doesn’t mean i don’t still love it and come up with a whole ton of brainrot and ideas on it tho lmao

[elyssias-blog]

This is just me ranting about JD from heathers (mostly how some people talk about the character, so spoilers for the end of heathers) I just want to get this off my mind. (I also feel like people talk about this A LOT so this is probably super tired discourse if you are apart of the fandom)

So forewarning, I’m like not even skin deep in the heathers fandom, like i really enjoy the show. But I’m not really involved in the fandom so idk how well this actually reflects the community as a whole (and I think its a sizable minority at least) this isnt supposed to be like a call out either. I also haven’t seen the movie so the movie perspective might be a bit different.

but like I listen to the songs on youtube sometimes, like the lyric ones, right. So I practically never look at the comments. But on the r a r e  occasion I do I nearly instantly regret it. Because pretty much everytime I see like a comment or two about how sad JD’s death was and I’m like...

HE WAS GOING TO BLOW UP THE FUCKING SCHOOL AND HE DECIDES HEY MAYBE THIS IS A BAD DECISION AND I’LL SACRIFICE MYSELF SO THE E N T I R E SCHOOL DOESNT EXPLODE WITH EVERYONE IN IT???

like his death isnt that sad, bc no oNE WOULD HAVE TO DIE IF HE DIDN’T MAKE THE FUCKING BOMBS IN THE F I R S T PLACE????

Like I don’t think him realizing he fucked up and making that sacrifice is redeemable enough. Because 1, he was already suicidal the only things he ever cared about in the show was Veronica and 7/11 (and the 7/11 thing was like before he and veronica got together and is only mentioned in Freeze Your Brain) and maybe his mom who was long gone before the start of the show.

The point I’m trying to make is that him sacrificing himself was probably not a “huge” sacrifice for himself. at the end of the show, Veronica had broken up with him, and then he thought Veronica was already dead, like I would be more shocked than not if his character was planning to stay in the school for the explosion after Veronica faked her suicide. Like from a character motivation perspective he didn’t really have anything to live for. Like could you imagine what JD would have done if everything went according to his plan? Because I can’t, like he has no purpose because he does not care about anything else. He let Heather Chandler die (or straight up killed depending how you look at it) bc she had wronged Veronica and his fucked up sense of justice; he killed Kurt and Ram for the exact same reasons.

IF Veronica was gone, he had nothing to live for. In Meant to be Yours, his reasoning for blowing up the school was that the only possible reason that Veronica had broken up with him was because the other students had “messed up (her) mind, they made (her) blind” so he was going to kill them for “revenge”. JD is can’t stand to think that maybe Veronica broke up with him was because his self-righteous “vigilantism” because he was so much better and smarter than everyone else and he is above them and blah blah blah. (this basically fits into one of the show’s main themes of, how everyone thinks they’re better than everyone else when they’re in hs and that everyone else is just stupid. And that you, specifically are the smart and self aware one that sees everything how it is. this video touches on it)

He had also already suffered a gunshot wound, he might have thought he would have died anyways.

However, I understand that perhaps the sadness associated with his character is could come from the fact that if his childhood had been more normal that he could of become like not psychotic, and instead like a genuinely good person? In which case I don’t exactly disagree.

Yet, I’m under the impression that a lot of the “sadness” about JD’s death has to do with people shipping him with Veronica and that he died to “Save her” (but ya know she wouldnt need saving if he hadnt been crazy in the first place) Now, I don’t have a huge problem with people “shipping” the two, if people are very aware the relationship was abusive and like the dynamic from a storytelling perspective (kinda like how people like fucked up characters, bc they’re interesting) As long as their relationship isnt’ romanticized. But I feel like there are some people that don’t quite get that?? idk. But, if you’re sadness about it from the “romantic” perspective is similar to the previous paragraph where the tragedy was in that they could have had a normal relationship that was sweet if not for etc-  thats fine too.

Again, if you like the character of JD that is fine too. JD is a well written and complex character. And I understand that people find a character that is completely fucked up more interesting than a typical character and thats fine, as long as you recognize that they’re fucked up right.

I also get that those comments were made probably by like some 13-15 year olds that were just having fun talking abouta thing they like and they probably have less experience of “critical analysis” in english class, and they just have a different perspective. I also get that this whole thing is SUPER PETTY, like lmao this shit is beyond first world problems really. This post is alsoa mess, like im well aware. I just needed to vent.

also like I am up for debate and discussion over this, It just angers me I guess when I see an over simplified comment saying “nooo dont remind of jds death its sooo sad” or something and im just like no, I celebrate everytime. Veronica might say “say hi to god” but im like “lmao have fun rottting in hell you pyschotic lampshade”

ANYWAYS

thats all i have to say, thank you to anyone who actually read all this okay