#i’m also not interested to debate with fans of these two ships

[karaspal]

just wanted to say how much I love your post about brainy in supergirl! I’ve written literal essay-length posts about how I think the show did him dirty and how much potential his and Kara’s friendship/relationship had, and also rewrote all of Supergirl season 2 to have Brainy arrive instead of Mon-El so I’m 100 percent with you there.

thank you very much! :)

your s2 fic is actually one of my favorite cwsg fics. link here

i don't talk about the show a lot on this acc, but i will now use this ask to state some of my opinions that no one really asked for about karadox / kara and querl's romantic partners. it's probably going to be a bit long lol.

(disclamer, but i don't consider s6b as a part of the show. like, at all. i think it's a disgrace and an insult to all the characters/story. for me, the show ends with 6x07. period. nothing after that is canon as far as i'm concerned. i ain't touching it with a 10-foot pole. i just, i don't acknowledge it as part of the story. that shit did NOT happen. so just keep that in mind because when i'm discussing the overall story, for me, the overall story is 1x01 - 6x07.)

since this turned out to be a very long post, i divided it into sections. opinions below the cut. enjoy my bitter ramblings :)

1) querl dox and the wasted potential of his character

ngl my opinions of the show have definitely changed a lot since it ended, but to this day, i still think querl as a character, as well as karadox, are the show's biggest wasted potential. they are literally my second favorite kara ship on the show (with superdey being first and superdreamer third). they had chemestry. their personalities meshed well. they could relate to each other on a deep, personal level. i don't know what happened there. and they didn't even need to have them date each other. a strong friendship would've sufficed. kara and brainy had, like, three scenes with each other each season. and kara is the main lead. shouldn't she have a strong bond with all of her supporting cast??? it's her supporting cast, they are literally there for her. HELLO??? the show truly was scared of their chemistry.

kara has a sense of justice, so does querl. kara is a hero, so is querl. kara knows what it's like to miss your home (krypton), so does querl (the future). kara is a nerd, so is querl. and, they are both cat people. and aliens.

honestly, the show failed querl as a character. maybe it's because i'm a space fam fan, but his character was truly likable only when he was interacting with kara, alex or j'onn. it's probably because he felt like he could be himself the most with them since kara and j'onn are both aliens and alex is cool like that. i really don't like how the show handled brainy in s4 and s5a. he is not a dorky dude??? he is a mean bitch. s3 had that vibe well enough. and him in 6x01 - 6x04? peak querl. he did not care about anything else, but kara. as he should, as he should.

it also really pissed me off how ableist the show was toward querl (as a neurodivergent person myself). they reduced him to a quircky dude, which was both infantilizing and hurtful. most of the time, him being "quircky and funny" was him being anxious or just genuinely not getting social cues (which is neither funny, nor a bad thing. he is still a full-grown capable adult even if sometimes he doesn’t get a social cue. can this show be normal about people with autism geez?). he wasn't trying to be funny. treat him like an adult, not an "adorable boy who just doesn't get it"!!! also, what was that wardrobe? nothing he wore fit. what was that even about? they should've let jesse show his strong arms!!! and what was that hair cut? brainy’s hair in s5b>>>

this is just my personal opinion, but the show not doing a character study on kara through querl's eyes was a missed opportunity. and it's not even a missed opportunity for querl, it's for kara!!! i mean, they kind of did with the quote from 6x02, but i want more. and not just querl, everyone!!! all the supporting cast i like. i want to see kara through their eyes. i'm just a sucker for multiple povs lol.

2) the show's inability to write romance pt.1: karamel

literally anyone on that ship who wasn't mon-el would've been ten times better. i hate that man. he is the worst. and the whole kara / mon-el romance did not work. one bit. he was not a good match for her. kara literally gaslit herself into liking him. up until 2x11, she did not like that man. every time she asked him if he liked her, she looked relived when he told her no. mon-el literally kissed her and she didn’t say anything lol. and she was genuinely upset when she found out he’s working with her because he wanted to date her, not because he wanted to be a decent person. kara rejected him twice. literally went to his job to tell him she doesn't like him. unprompted. that was so funny.

mon-el: so what do you want to drink?

kara: dude, no offense, but ew for having a crush on me. you suck. you are the problem. the way you are is just, eh. just letting you know.

mon-el: :/ … i'll just get my coworker to take your drink order. i’m going to go over there now.

like, mon-el got it the first time lol. kara did not have to go to his work and tell him again (i'm referring to the beginning of 2x11). but also, he had it coming.

i honestly think kara dated him because she felt like everyone was pulling away from her and she was scared to be alone again. i mean, it was during the time she was fighting with her best friends (the bisexual boyfriends winn and james) and her sister was not spending much time with her since she was with her (toxic) girlfriend. on top of that, part of kara's story in the early seasons is unlearning all the bullshit jeremiah and eliza forced her to do so she could "fit in" ("don't be too smart", "make sure not to stand out", "go on dates, find a partner. it's what humans do"). so her abandonment issues, mixed with her belief that you need a partner to fit in and be happy because "that's what humans do", pushed her to mon-el. it also doesn't help alex decided to push the last of her internalized comhet on her sister ("well, mon-el likes you so are you sure you don't like him either?" no. no, she doesn't. this is not slander to alex tho, it's the writers fault. alex is my girl, and i love her very much.)

and, on top of that, technically, for kara, mon-el was the closest thing to a kryptonian. in a way, he reminded her of her home (even if he was the furthest from that). she romanticised him a lot (she said so herself in 3x15). she felt like she could be herself with him, because he was too an alien. but the thing was, mon-el hated his planet and didn’t miss it at all. and for all of krypton’s faults, kara still missed her home a lot. mon-el couldn’t related to her the way kara thought he could.

all these factors - 1) kara’s abandonment issues (because almost everyone was pulling away from her), 2) the belief installed by her adoptive parents that you need a romantic partner to fit in and appear normal (eliza would get upset with her if she didn’t go on enough dates), 3) most of her friends looking genuinely happy in their romantic relationships (happiness kara wanted to experience too and not realising that happiness looks different for different people so she assumed a relationship would make her happy), 4) last of alex’s comphet telling her that maybe she likes him too because he likes her (even if there were no indications and in fact, kara said she didn’t like him and looked disappointed when she found out he did), and 5) mon-el being the “closest” to her home (even if that was far from the truth), resulted in kara reassuring herself mon-el would make her happy and that he is good for her. even though he wasn’t.

i honestly believe that if kara had nia as a friend in s2, she would've never dated mon-el. nia would've taken one look at that annoying man and laughed. and then she and kara would've spent the rest of the season making fun of him lol.

i really love how s3 ended for kara. she finally accepted that she's happy with her life and doesn't need a partner to make her happy. i also think there are a lot of elements in kara's story that are asexual-coded and maybe one day i'll make a whole separate post about it. i mean, forcing yourself to date someone because 1) they like you, 2) almost everyone else around you is in a relationship, and 3) you've been taught dating is the norm, and if you don't, you're weird, is pretty much the standard asexual experience.

it honestly baffles me how much the show messed up mon-el. comics!mon-el would've literally fited perfectly. especially post-infinte crisis one. he was learning how to live life. he was experiencing things for the first time. he respected women. he was a hero and a good man. and he was working as a law enforcer, which would've paired up nicely with kara's journalism story. they could've worked together on cases and such. he could’ve been her source. and he had a british accent. give me british mon!!!

i understand the show wanted someone to "challange" kara and push all her buttons, but mon-el never did that. well, he did annoy her a lot so in a way, he did push all her buttons. but not in the way the show wanted. everything kara thought and said about him, was true. he was a scumbag. he was a horrible person. he was literally the prince of daxam. that man just straight up sucked.

it's also crazy how much mon-el did not understand kara. he literally called her elitist (3x11) when that's the furthest from the truth. someone needed to beat his ass with a catco magazine. that woman is literally a journalist who fights for every voice to be heard! what was he talking about? and one can make the argument that she was "elitist" because she had "prejudice" (very valid opinions) against daxamites. but she literally hated them because they took people away from their families. in what world is that elitism??? is he fr??? bro should've just opened one article written by her. or just listen to what she was saying. like, how am i supposed to root for mon-el when he doesn't understand one of the main things about kara? and compared to will, who called kara's work "art", nia, who hyped kara up and called her intelligent before kara was about to go on stage for a debate, and querl, who has helped her with her articles and called her words maggic, mon-el is nothing. these three people are a perfect fit for kara and understand her well. mon-el? not so much.

another thing he didn't understand was who kara was to her core. and she literally told him. she told him "supergirl is what i can do. kara is who i am." and when they were on argo he told her "now you can be yourself, supergirl." no??? she told him she’s kara and supergirl is what she can do??? did he ever listen to her??? and she literally responded with “not supergirl. kara.”

fuck mon-el. truly the worst. but at least kara realized she doesn't need a partner to be happy, and now she knows what she doesn't want in a relationship. for what it's worth, karamel provided a good character development for her.

also, while i’m here, fuck mon-el’s fans too. you guys suck! karamel shippers who are kara fans and have more ships for her, other than mon-el, this isn’t about you guys!!! cw!mon-el fans are homophobic (to alex), xenophobic (“kara shouldn’t feel at home on earth” / they hate kara danvers. sorry that a refugee finally found happiness again, and a family that loves and respects her in her adopted world i guess? fucking weirdos. kara being kara danvers doesn’t take away from her being kara zor-el too. kara danvers will always be a kryptonian, even if most people don’t know that. and alex danvers will always be kara zor-el’s sister, just as much as kara danvers’ because guess what, kara danvers and kara zod-el are actually synonymous and not two different people.) and have a strange hate for adopted families (by denying how important alex actually is to kara. which is pretty funny because mon-el got divorced because imra chose her sister over him. as would’ve kara, if it ever came to that. maybe mon-el should just choose to date an only child?)

3) the show's inability to write romance pt.2: brainia

honestly, they are nowhere near as bad as karamel. i'm a fan of both nia and querl. i'd definitely say their relationship was just two good people not being compatible.

i did not like how brainia took away so much from nia's story. she is my favorite supergirl character after the spacefam (kara being my fav, and alex and j'onn sharing second place). her story arc in s4 was so good. but then the writers stopped her character development and reduced her to her romantic relationship in s5. and for what? in s5, she was supposed to figure out her powers more, become a better journalist, mourn her mother and get over her guilt for not being able to save her, and come to terms with the fact that izabel would never be able to teach her how to use her powers. yet, none of this happened. why? because they reduced her to brainy's girlfriend. and for what? most of the nia-focused scenes in s5 were brainia focused (minus 5x15). i love brainy, but i'm so upset about this. like, it's not his fault per se, but also, fuck that guy (not really, i’m just joking). his existence (kinda) screwed over nia. ideally, him and nia would’ve never dated, each would’ve had their own story and he would’ve went back home at the end of s5 after actually outsmarting lex instead of whatever the writers did.

and if it wasn't bad enough that they messed with nia's story, they completely butchered her character whenever she was around querl. like, i'm sorry, but she would not tell him he's too much and needs to change when he literally told her that's just how he is. she literally advocates for people to be able to be fully themselves!!! be serious!!! that was so ooc for her. she would've handled brainy "love bombing" her by telling him that it's neither her nor his fault, they should just find a middle ground. and she would've told him that calmly. they would've had an adult conversation about it. it's clear the show used nia to push their ablestic views (because telling a neurdivergent person they are being too much when in reality, they are just being themselves, is wrong) onto brainy and that's fucking awful. she would never say that. how do they not understand her? they literally created her??? it also pissed me off so bad that when kara got sucked into the phazntom zone, nia wasn't worried about her. she was more worried about wanting to make things work with brainy. i promise you, nia loves kara way more that she loves querl. she would've been so worried about her best friend, she wouldn't have given two fucks about that man. and especially since her entire story in s5b was getting over him. why would she want to take his ass back???

and honestly, brainia was just not that good of a relationship. despite them taking all of nia’s story in s5, they were still underdeveloped. most of stuff we know about them were told to us, not shown. in 5x18, nia tells brainy she promised to be there for him when he took of his inhibiters, but that never happened? querl broke up with her the same episode he took them off and she didn’t bother reaching out to him after. of course, she had every right to do that. he was her ex after all and she didn’t owe him anything. but claiming she was there for him when she wasn’t, is not correct. in 5x11 she says her nickname for him was “wild cat”, but she never really used it while they were in a relationship. again, this an example of the show telling, not showing. in 5x19, nia says her and brainy were more than just boyfriend/girlfriend, they were partners. which, again, we saw very little of. like i said, most of their relationship was told, not shown. and this is not how you build a good romantic relationship when telling a story. there’s also the whole erasing nura nal from existence thing lol. and i can’t say i’m the biggest nura fan, but mysa nal is my girl. she doesn’t deserve to be erased like that.

and, look, i’m all for characters having flaws. had the show have nia being a bad girlfriend be presented as a character flaw, i wouldn’t have had a problem. but they acted like she was always right, when most of the time, she wasn’t. i’m talking about when they were in a relationship, nia did have every right to tell brainy to fuck off after he broke up with her. it wasn’t her job to reach out to him in s5b, it was his friends’. i still don’t know why no one checked on him. especially since we know kara, alex and j’onn are actually all close friends with him. and i can kinda understand kara because she is way closer with nia, but alex and j’onn? they are closer to brainy.

and because i have enough time, and this is probably the only time i’m speaking on brainia, i’m actually going to break down nia’s main story/role in every episode she was in in s5 to show you how much this relationship consumed her story:

5x01 - nia works on getting brainy to be more comfortable with physical touch;

5x02 - brainy bombards nia with food and she tells him to knock it down a bit (respectfully);

5x03 - brainy bombards nia with words of affirmation and nia tells him to knock it off and that he is being too much, they break up (?). in this episode, nia also helps j’onn;

5x04 - brainy and nia make up. nia also helps kara;

5x05 - nia stops a big wave (that was actually pretty cool). she also calms down her friend kelly;

5x10 - nia is there to support her boyfriend. they broke up at the end (hooray!);

5x11 - nia is getting over the break up. she has a talk with winn and he tells her to never let anyone make her question her own worth;

5x14 - minor role, but she saves kara so that was pretty cool;

5x15 - the only nia-focused episode. she takes down a violent transphobe. this episode shows us she still holds guilt over what happened to her mother and she’s still struggling with her powers. if only the show explored these two things in the previous 14 episodes. she is also still not over her ex;

5x16 - nia serves cunt during jeremiah’s funeral;

5x18 - kara and nia stop that old dude and when brainy takes him to the deo, they go with him. after the deo’s destruction (which, hooray. i hated the deo), nia has a fight with querl. in this episode, she also has a dream about him;

5x19 - nia is still upset about her break up with querl. she keeps having dreams about him she chooses to ignore. at the end, she finally figures out what they are about. also, her and the super friends fight leviathan;

like i said, brainia takes a majority of nia’s story. if the scene isn’t about her and brainy in some way, it would be about her doing standard superhero stuff or helping her friends. which, don’t get me wrong, is great. i like that they portray nia as a good friend. but these scenes aren’t really about her, they are about her friends. i don’t think it’s all brainia’s fault per se. it’s clear the show just didn’t give her enough screen time. but when all her personal stories this season revolve around her romantic relationship, it’s hard for me not to be annoyed about it. especially since brainy had his own storyline, away from nia. and much more screne time. and i’m not saying he didn’t deserve it. he did. he is a great character. it’s not his fault, it’s the writers’. but when the guy in the relationship has more screen time/an actual, personal storyline and the girl has none of that, i will be upset. you should not be reducing a woman to being a love interest. especially in a feminist show! i just don’t get why the show had to use her limited screen time for this relationship, when they had many more important storylines they had to continue when it came to nia. they literally used most of her screen time for her relationship with brainy and brainy’s screen time for his own story. why not have both of them have separate stories and use some of their screen time for their relationship (since they wanted it so bad)?

brainia not only messed with nia's story, but also butchered her character, and that's so so infuriating. she deserves better. brainia to nia's character is what people belive karamel is to kara's character - a relationship that consumes her story and stops her character development. i don't even hate brainia because i'm a karadox and a superdreamer shipper. they aren't even the endgame ships i have for kara. it's superdey. i dislike brainia because i absolutely love nia and her story, and i think she deserves better. i also think brainy deserved better. at the end of the day, yes, it was ooc for nia to act this way, but she still acted this way and was not a good girlfriend to querl.

as a nia fan, i’m upset how much brainia took from her story/screen time. as a brainy fan, i’m upset how nia treated him while they were in a relationship. this relationship was not good for either of them. the only reason most people claim to like it is because brainy wasn’t dating kara and they don’t really care about nia as her own character.

anways. that's my long ass rant. hope you guys enjoyed. :)

[musicalmoritz]

Do you have any bsd hot takes or any popular ships you don’t like

Oooooooh I love this question!! BSD hot takes are my specialty so I’m just gonna rapid fire some with zero elaboration

• Saying that Dazai hasn’t changed is a fundamental misunderstanding of his character, as well as the major themes of the manga. This shouldn’t even be a subject that’s up for debate

• As for ships, I temporarily really disliked Soukoku but it’s grown on me again. I think my most controversial shipping takes would be that I really dislike FukuMori and Atsulucy

• I wish people talked about the Hunting Dogs more!! Like their actual characters, not just simping or ships (not that there’s anything wrong with those things ofc). Jouno specifically is soooooooo interesting to me

• Dazai being suicidal is another subject that shouldn’t be up for debate. Saying he’s not because “his attempts always fail” or “he wants to live” is a horrific misunderstanding of how suicide ideation works

• The reason Atsushi doesn’t feel like the protagonist is because most of the light novel content focuses on the supporting cast, which then gets integrated into the show and gives Dazai more screen time. Reading the manga by itself, Atsushi actually has quite a bit of screen time and development. There are also two light novels focused on him so like,,,yeah

• I’m sorry but it will always be WEIRD to me how many fans switched up on Mori when Yosano’s backstory got animated. It’s fine to like him ofc but why are ppl allergic to focusing on the female characters

• The plot is very straightforward ya’ll it’s like one of the most basic plot structures of all time. Stop acting like it’s impossible to comprehend

• It’s also WEIRD to me how so many fans deny Higuchi being abused by Akutagawa. We see him hit and berate her multiple times, these are textbook examples of abuse. Especially within a professional relationship like theirs that has a power imbalance…again, no idea why this is even a debate

• Look personally. PERSONALLY. I do think Mori is intended to be a pedo. I know a lot of people probably just rolled their eyes so I want to clarify that I have read every analysis you’re about to recommend me that says otherwise. I see that perspective, however it really seems to me that people are doing mental gymnastics to deny the obvious. Again this is just my interpretation so pls lower your guns

• I fucking love Fukuchi he’s one of my favorite antagonists

• Nikolai is queercoded

• I so desperately wish we got more focus on Gin. What we have on her is already so compelling and I would love for Asagiri to flesh her out more

• “Dazai leaving the mafia was a good thing that ultimately saved his life” and “It is rational that Chuuya would be upset over his partner abandoning him with no explanation” are two sentiments that can and should coexist

• Not really a hot take but the Buraiha Trio is my favorite dynamic in the series. I need an entire spin off that’s just them meeting up at Bar Lupin except nothing bad ever happens

• Oda’s death scene is one of the most impactful moments from anything I’ve ever watched or read. It genuinely changed my outlook on life

• And on that note, The Dark Era is my favorite thing to come out of BSD

• It shouldn’t be controversial to say that Dazai was abused by Mori. Not physical or sexual like a lot of fans suggest but child endangerment and manipulation are definitely at play here. Mori’s actions in the Dark Era should be considered an act of abuse on their own

• I don’t care much for The Guild as a whole but the individual characters are super compelling!! Fitzgerald’s comeback is one of my favorite parts of the series and I absolutely adore Louisa, Lucy, Poe, Margaret, and Mark. I hate Nathaniel tho

• I do believe that Ranpo is autistic coded due to Untold Origins, however a lot of fans get very stereotypical and weird with that headcanon. I don’t see that as often now as I used to but it’s still a thing to some degree

• Most fans only look at half of Dazai and Akutagawa’s arc together and completely ignore how it was pointed out to us that Dazai is trying to show Aku the light and make him stronger by pairing him up with Atsushi. He hasn’t stopped training him, he’s just doing so from a distance now because he’s aware he caused Aku a lot of trauma. Not saying their dynamic is entirely positive, but it has changed. There was a whole chapter to point this out!! But people exclusively look at every scene with them through a negative light and it leads to the fandom undermining the development we see from both of them

• Oh and btw, Akutagawa and Atsushi’s partnership is amazing. I’m a big AtsuAku shipper but setting romance aside completely, I love seeing their characters interact. Their banter is so funny and omg the mutual respect between them??? The parallels between their arcs??? The way they help each other grow??? Absolutely fantastic, Asagiri ate with that. I must confess I like them way more then Dazai and Chuuya as a duo

• All these male partnership duos and not a single one for the women, c’mon Asagiri😔 Give us a toxic lesbian pair (I would say Higugin but technically Gin’s partner is Tachihara so they don’t count)

• Kyouka is easily the most underrated character in the series. She’s incredibly well-written and, not to mention, one of the main characters. We see her more than Chuuya and Poe but do people talk about her more than Chuuya and Poe??? No, my baby gets ignored. Sad times we’re living in

• I do believe in the whole “abuse cycle/web” concept, however there is also a healing cycle that is far more important to the story and I hate seeing fans overlook that

• Dazai’s talk with Kyouka at the end of The Guild arc is one of my absolute favorite scenes from the manga and I wish people talked about it more

• Fans joke a lot about Atsushi calling Dazai a good person but I do genuinely believe Asagiri wants us to think of him that way. He is morally gray for sure, but currently he is dedicating his life to saving others, therefore most people in-universe would consider him good. His past actions don’t matter to the every day people he saves on a daily basis. Imo this line was an attempt to challenge what we generally consider to be a “good” person

• To elaborate on that, it directly parallels the scene at the beginning of Dead Apple where Atsushi points out that Dazai is visiting a grave. “Do I look like someone visiting a grave to you?” “Yeah, you do” / “Do I look like a good person to you?” “Yeah, you do.” Atsushi was right the first time, so I believe he was intended to be right the second was well. Why else call back to it???

• Tbh it is objectively hilarious that Dazai doubts himself being a good person directly after saving the city. I understand why but like…sir, cut yourself some slack

• I think the fanon family dynamics are super cute but people should be able to acknowledge that a lot of them aren’t canon (besides, like, Fukuzawa and Ranpo or Bram and Aya). Ranpo and Yosano’s canon relationship is best friends, you can absolutely view them as siblings but don’t treat it like a canon fact

• Yk that post that said “Who the hell gets into bsd and looks for a healthy ship?? Take your sensitive ass back to Haikyuu” ? Yeah. I second that

• As an OCD-er myself I am TIRED of people calling Kunikida OCD. Yes I’ve written him that way before but it’s another thing that people treat as canon which it just…no, that’s not what OCD looks like😭 I could see OCPD or autism tho

• Yes, Kouyou abused Kyouka. Yes, Kouyou cares very deeply about Kyouka. Both of these statements can coexist. Every decision Kouyou makes is motivated by what would be best for Kyouka and if you don’t get that then you won’t understand her character very well

• I want to see Dazai and Kenji interact. Asagiri please

• Since I mentioned Kenji I wanna point out smth very weird I’ve noticed where, when people bring up healthy bsd ships, they tend to only mention the straight ones??? Even if it’s a mischaracterization or the characters have never interacted. It gives me a very weird vibe

• I think Tecchou and Jouno should kiss each other

• Fyodor is probably my favorite antagonist, the chapter with him and Ace is one of my favorites. He’s a good parallel for Dazai and I just love his whole aesthetic. I love the Decay of Angels as a whole, all of them. I’ll also note that his fans seem to understand the manga very well so shoutout Fyodor fans

• Tachihara has an amazing character arc and I hate that the anime cut it out

• Higuchi is so…ugh I love her to death. Her character is the perfect mix of comic relief and tragedy. I once saw someone point out that it’s nice how Asagiri is able to use her for humor without making the jokes misogynistic and I fully agree (although I do have some qualms abt Aku hitting her being used as a joke in that one bonus page). And her finding her place in the mafia, realizing how important she is to the people who work for her???? I adore her, I hope she gets a satisfying ending

• Higugin has so much potential to be explored in fanon and I hate how they always get reduced to the token fluffy wlw ship or how some ppl only like them for the aesthetic. Give me angst!!! Give me toxic doomed yuri!!! Or give me death!!!

• I really like Fukuzawa’s backstory and want to see more of it

• I’ve seen a lot of interesting headcanons for Dazai’s mental health status, and a lot of them feel realistic, but personally I think he’s very obviously intended to have MDD. Nothing wrong with other headcanons ofc, I’ve written him many different ways, but I think since a lot of people downplay the severity of depression, they overlook that option when trying to psychoanalyze severely mentally ill characters

• The light novels have some of the best bsd content and more fans should read them

• I don’t like the “all lesbians love Chuuya” jokes because I am a lesbian and I’m not down bad for him. Do I love him?? Yes. But not in a simp way. He’s more like my gay brother

• Speaking of which- I do really like the gay hc for Chuuya and the bi hc for Dazai but I wish fans weren’t so afraid to step out of the established box!! Nothing is fully confirmed guys, we can headcanon them as whatever we want. Let’s get creative with it

• I wish more fans humanized Yosano the way they do with the male characters. We see from her backstory how much being out on a pedestal hurt her and so it just seems weird that she’s upheld as this flawless girlboss. Yes, she’s a totally badass and a hottie and I love that but there is so much more to her. She has her weak moments just like every other character, and she has such an incredible arc

• On that note I hope everybody who told me Mori is more interesting than her dies in a fire (I’m joking) (ik how Mori fans like to tussle)

• I happen to really like both the Tanizaki siblings. Actually that’s a lie I used to hate Junichirou. I can’t remember why, I think I just found him annoying. No idea what my current opinion is but now I feel kinda bad for hating him so I’ll say I like him now

• Idk why ppl get so pissed when you suggest that Dazai self-harms like. Okay fine ik it’s not fully confirmed that that’s what the bandages are for. But let’s use our brains for a second…

• Ango did nothing wrong

I could go on but this is already absurdly long (edit: cannot believe that autocorrected to wrong, I have never been wrong about anything in my life) so I’m gonna end it on that doorknob confession. I miss my bsd hyperfixation sometimes, the TikTok fandom got on my nerves but it truly is one of my favorite series ever. And not JUST because of Dazai, clearly I have a lot of thoughts on everything about it lol

[literatureloverx]

Now i'm curious (from how you considered dazai's openness around chuuya "debatable") about how you consider chuuya and dazai's dynamic? I'm not presuming you think their connection isn't important or anything, or that you think dazai doesn't trust chuuya, but i'm interested in how you think dazai's openness around chuuya is debatable. I'm 50/50 on it too tbh, so maybe your analysis can give more insight :D

Sure, dear, let’s dive into it.❤️ This has become a grand analysis + my comments lmao. I hope you enjoy it!❤️

🩵~~~🩵~~~🩵

First of all, it’s important to note that I personally classify Dazai and Chuuya’s relationship as truly meaningful and admirable—but not in a romantic way.

I want to be clear that I don’t see their dynamic as romantic, which is where I differ from many Dazai x Chuuya shippers. This is exactly why this post will be very, VERY long.

Asagiri himself said that he understands where the Dazai x Chuuya ships are coming from and he definitely gets it, but he won’t make the ship canon because he doesn’t want to dishonour/disrespect the original authors.

So it is indeed very kind of the illustrators and the studio to still provide the fandom with “fan service material,” which is on one hand very thoughtful and kind, but on the other hand fuels toxic shippers and feeds their theories, which they accept as absolute facts. (I suppose they make much money from it no matter what they do, so why would they care, right?)

I’m not trying to demoralize anyone or diminish their character shipping preferences. Everyone is entitled to ship whoever they want, and I don’t want this post to come across as a hate post.

However, I don’t view these dynamics (or any ship in BSD) through rose-colored glasses but rather in a more realistic light.

Many ship blogs tend to romanticize nearly anything that fits their perception (and while I often understand where they’re coming from, I find their interpretations naive compared to other logical explanations), but I want to approach this from a perspective that stays as realistic and logical as possible.

So, I kindly ask those who are sensitive about their own opinions and perceptions to consider skipping this post, as I don’t intend to hurt anyone’s feelings.

A small reminder: you’re allowed to have your ship and preferences, but please don’t act like they are canon or the ultimate truth, or hate on those who don’t share your opinions. This is truly rude and disrespectful.

Wow, that intro was long, but it needed to be said. Now, let’s dive into it:

🩵~~~🩵~~~🩵

🩵~~~🩵~~~🩵

If we brush off the fan-service material of the scenes in Dead Apple (which we still don’t know if it is canon, and those specific scenes aren’t even incorporated into the light novel, I hear? I’m not sure about it, though; I haven’t read the light novel), what remains?

In my humble opinion, there is a great understanding between the two of them on a humane level, but their dynamic is double-edged.

So why did I consider Dazai’s openness around Chuuya "debatable"?

It starts with Dazai’s perspective. I once saw someone write (sadly, I have no idea where; sorry, I’m not good with past experiences and memories) that “Fyodor understands Dazai but doesn’t get him, and Chuuya gets Dazai but doesn’t understand him.”

I believe this thesis to be entirely true. The problem is that while Chuuya gets Dazai but doesn’t understand him, Dazai gets and understands Chuuya very well.

Let us move over to the 15 manga, if I recall correctly (lmao).

There was a scene where Dazai was ready to sacrifice a whole city just for Chuuya to find out his truth about humanity because it was bothering him on such a deep level.

Dazai could understand his feelings very well because he himself is also struggling with his own humanity.

Their dynamic is so meaningful because they are like two halves of an apple.

Dazai struggles with his humanity because he doesn’t feel human (the true reason behind it remains still unclear), but he is physically human.

Chuuya struggles with his humanity because he is physically inhuman, but he is still human with every fibre of his being.

I believe Dazai can see that as well, which leads him to believe that Chuuya is the most humane person he’s ever known.

This is entirely true. Chuuya embodies almost every aspect of a human so perfectly—with visible flaws (he is so gorgeous to me), emotions, impulses… (this aspect could be a whole other post, but I need to stick to the main point right now).

Does it matter that he is physically inhuman?

No, of course not. What truly matters is the inner persona of someone.

That is the exact aspect Dazai is struggling with. He feels empty, he feels inhuman because he lacks all those aspects Chuuya brims with.

I personally see admiration on Dazai’s part because Chuuya embodies the things he lacks perfectly.

We either admire people who are able to do or have the things we cannot, or we’re simply jealous or hateful. In Dazai’s case, he admires Chuuya; he is flabbergasted.

But wait… hate? How does this manifest in Dazai?

Remember how he said that he’s been trying to find a way to kill Chuuya for the past 7 years?

Well, first of all, I don’t believe he genuinely wants Chuuya dead. However, this statement could indeed be true (with Dazai, you never know if it is), because Chuuya embodies everything he is not.

He might have found solace in simply the imagination of getting rid of him, not truly trying to make it a reality. Because we all know—if Dazai wanted to, he would have.

The reason why he doesn’t want Chuuya truly dead? Well, isn’t it obvious? I believe from the bottom of my heart that he cherishes Chuuya. But not in a romantic way, because in the canon context, there is really no evidence of that.

You can find so many clues that suggest their bond is deep, heartfelt, and close. It is so beautiful, truly. Their bond is one of my personal favorites of all BSD relationships.

But the romantic side of it? There truly is none.

This is the common problem here. Just because their bond is very meaningful and deep, people find every opportunity and reason to make a romantic relationship out of those things because we sadly live in a world where meaningful relationships are not appreciated at all but simply put in a box called “romantic & sexual tension” (there speaks the INFJ). Most relationships are multifaceted, people.

However, I’m babbling too much. Let’s dive into Chuuya’s perspective:

Chuuya seems to be more aggressive towards Dazai, clearly and often declaring that he “hates” him. Does he now?

No. I don’t believe that he does.

I believe that he sees through Dazai’s antics and his void of self, which makes me think that he is rather feeling bad for him (compassionately). I know that Chuuya doesn’t seem to be the most empathetic person in all Bungo Stray Dogs universe, but I believe that he actually is quite empathetic; he just doesn’t show it much.

He tolerates Dazai’s unsettling aspects most of the time, even though he is short-tempered.

Speaking of him being short-tempered, this side of him shines even brighter at Dazai’s side. He is much calmer and composed around others.

I believe that this is: first, because he trusts Dazai that he has everything in control so that he can act more freely; second, that Dazai knows exactly how to push him into irritation, which makes him aggressive quite rashly.

I said this before when I described Chuuya’s ideal type, and I’ll say it again: Chuuya doesn’t hate Dazai, but rather the challenges he provides that unsettle him deeply.

Now, I’d like to point out another example: Remember when Chuuya hit Dazai, and Dazai said to him that it hurt and he is only a human too? Chuuya answers coldly, “no one would believe that” (again the 15 manga, I believe?).

This is the solace Dazai seeks from Chuuya. He helps Chuuya to see that he is indeed human and expects the same in return from him, which Chuuya doesn’t provide.

Chuuya, someone Dazai sees as the picture-perfect human, denies him his own humanity. That must hurt really, really bad.

This is exactly what I mean with “Chuuya gets Dazai but doesn’t understand him, while Dazai gets and understands Chuuya.”

Chuuya is unable to provide Dazai with solace because he is so fixed on his worry about the other people dying and struggling that he is unable to see that he hurts Dazai.

Which is ironic because not seeing what is in front of him is again, very Chuuya-like and very humane, after all.

We’re human; we may be impulsive, we make mistakes, we might hurt our friends and families.

And Dazai again is looming in shadows, lying almost dead on the sofa without a care how many people will die, which is again, very inhuman.

So, let me bring in another aspect:

Why did Dazai install a bomb in Chuuya’s car before he left the Port Mafia?

I believe it was his coping mechanism, as always. His cheerful, uncaring attitude he wears like a mask, his desperate attempt to show Chuuya he would’ve loved to get rid of him, but sadly he was lucky—once again. That stupid slug.

Chuuya is someone who Dazai cherishes, maybe not as much as Odasaku or even Atsushi, but he cares deeply for him. (This is initially why I thought that Dazai has a heart of gold, because he is able to cherish so many people so very deeply, and he himself isn’t even really aware of it, which is adorable to me.)

I read somewhere that those two are soulmates, and I believe that to be true also, but as I already said—not in a romantic or sexual way.

Remember when I said that I adore soulmate connections, not only the romantic ones but also the platonic ones? The relationship between Dazai and Chuuya seems to be exactly that to me. I love them and I love them as a duo as well.

So, as an addition, I’d like to speak about their unwavering trust in each other, which is one of the main aspects of their relationship and dynamic. Dazai trusts Chuuya because he knows that Chuuya understands his trust and has already plotted the entire situation with no errors whatsoever. Chuuya needs to play his part in order for Dazai’s plan to work out as intended.

The reason Dazai trusts Chuuya is quite simple: Chuuya is a truly trustworthy person. To work as partners, they need to establish a strong sense of trust, which plays out perfectly. They are both able to forget their quarrels and focus on the job at hand, making them unstoppable together. Chuuya is known for his loyalty; it is his most prominent personality trait. That is why Dazai trusts him so much, knowing that Chuuya also trusts him because he understands that Dazai never fails.

To Chuuya, Dazai is nothing short of a genius—a very strange one, that much is sure. He is well aware that Dazai is depressed and lacks many of the qualities Chuuya possesses naturally, but he doesn’t really judge him for it, as seen in his high tolerance for Dazai’s antics and childish manner.

In summary, their bond is truly admirable, deep, and very important. Please don’t diminish it by confining their relationship to a box of sexual and romantic feelings in a canon sense, as this simply cheapens their dynamic.

Create your ships, write your fanfictions, but please don’t be rude to others who don’t share your perspectives. It’s absolutely fine to disagree with my opinion and interpretation, but please be respectful to me and my dear followers.❤️

Reminder: Chuuya calls Dazai “Dazai”, just like the ADA members, which is his surname. This suggests distance. Dazai calls Chuuya not “Nakahara” which also would be his surname, but “Chuuya”, his given name, which suggests that he might disrespect Chuuya or not take him seriously, since Chuuya is actually older than Dazai. I’m not sure what to think about this fact, so I wanted to mention it but I had no idea what analysis I can make out of this.

[whatevermakesyoubreak]

> Why do Lira and Hisoka hate each other?

> an analysis/character deep dive that no one asked for 👻

> and no, it has nothing to do with them both slutting illumi out, cmon y’all. it’s actual hate here 💀

> spoilers for sic infit below~

hi.

if you’re reading this, i know u fw my fic heavyyy lmao. love u!!

ok so. we haven’t gotten to Hisoka’s POV in my fic (it’s coming soon) but, Lira has already established the fact that the two of them DO NOT like each other (to Illumi’s surprise) because outwardly they seem like they would. what, with the near carefree & bloodthirsty nature that they both seem to possess, why wouldn’t they get along?? so— what’s the problem?

the answer is literally so simple & LET ME JUST SAY— it actually has nothing to do with any of their sexualities (i feel like i have to mention this, especially with these ships smh). (no, lira does not have issues with hisoka just because him & illumi have had a sexual relationship. she actually is pretty laid back when it comes to things like that, considering she has no objection to being with another woman). she’s awful, but not THAT awful, nor is it from a place of jealousy.

Hisoka has stated in the series that he is a fan of honest & straightforward people, hence his interest in Illumi.

for Illumi, i believe he doesn’t have enough shame to lie unless it’s for something absolutely necessary, such as his job, but even that’s debatable. Illumi even said it himself, “I’m an honest person so I can’t help answering whatever I’m asked,” or whatever the exact quote is, and i’m pretty sure he was completing a contract then, too!

yes, while this could have been a lie on his part, i don’t think it was.

additionally, the illumi in my fic is written to be so devoid of shame he’s basically not capable of it, nor does he have the time to waste lying to himself, so he literally says whatever’s on his mind to Lira within reason, because as he himself said, he doesn’t feel the need to lie to her.

so, what does that have to do with Lira and Hisoka?

well, Lira is not an honest person. at all. she is extremely deceptive as well as evasive, and frankly, she often tells little white lies because she thinks they’re funny (birkin, anyone?) and due to the fact that Lira and Hisoka have indeed crossed paths and even lived under the same roof before (y’all just wait for the Lira x Phantom Troupe backstory), he clocked that shit from her immediately despite her trying her best to mask it, and she HATES that he can essentially see right through her.

ultimately, upon realizing it, Hisoka DOES NOT LIKE THIS, and he DOES NOT LIKE HER BEING AROUND HIS (their) ILLU. especially with how close she is to Illumi, and how fast their relationship is progressing. he knows she’s a drug addict, he knows she’s self serving, and, again— he sees RIGHT THROUGH HER, and wonders why Illumi can’t.

he is not jealous of their RELATIONSHIP but he absolutely despises how it seems that Illumi is apparently unaware of her deceptions (he’s not). he also considers her as nuisance who EVEN HE doesn’t have any real interest in fighting (though he certainly will) even though she is quite strong and would normally be enough to pique his interest. he feels as if she is disingenuous to a fault (which is a lot coming from him) and refuses to let go of his belief that she is incapable of telling the truth no matter what she does or how she has changed.

although, with Hisoka being Hisoka, he still does find himself intrigued by her Nen and in typical Hisoka fashion, has asked himself whether he’d like to kill Lira and make an enemy of Illumi, kill Illumi and make an enemy of Lira, OR, sit back and watch as they inevitably destroy each other, which he believes is bound to happen & honestly wants to happen purely because he thinks it’d be funny.

now, for Lira. one- Lira, while she does not particularly care about them, nor is she good with them- draws a HARD line in the sand for herself when it comes to killing or hurting children. the reason she is such a successful assassin who has managed to avoid being killed is because she refuses to do anything she will regret later. harming children is one of those things. due to her history (being trafficked as a child, essentially, which is wrong as fuck, no matter how she tries to justify it with the fact that she was born into an assassin family and that’s what’s expected of her), she is disgusted and repulsed by Hisoka’s actions and thoughts towards the boys, such as Gon and Killua, despite how many times he has tried to explain to her whatever his state of mind is when it comes to them, and how it isn’t sexual. it means nothing to her. she doesn’t care. all she sees is an adult man putting children into adult or abusive situations and it enrages her. (possible foreshadowing for the Alluka incident… hmmmm?)

additionally, she DESPISES the fact that he can see through her facade,as well as the fact that he calls her out on it, and it makes her blood BOIL. she would gladly kill him- if she was certain she could defeat him, which she's NOT- but she knows that Illumi would be affected (she does, in fact, care about Illumi), and while part of her doesn’t want him to feel upset or any other way, a bigger part of her would consider it a nuisance in regards to the aftermath, especially with the whole 'providing emotional support,' thing. additionally, who knows if leaving Hisoka alive might come in handy later…

TLDR: Lira and Hisoka have a deep, caustic hatred towards one another because they’re both homicidal fake bitches that goes deeper than something as superficial as being eskimo siblings.

pls free illumi yall he didn’t ask for this shit.

[moxanji-real]

Hiiiiii <3 hope you don’t mind me dropping in!!! I just found your blog n ur ship is super cute !! I’ve been debating watching OP for awhile, you seem to be a big fan of it so I figured maybe you could give me a reason to finally take the leap (ps!! I’d love to know about your self interest/selfship if you’d like to infodump a bit about that too!!!!)

Of course I don’t mind!!! Also raaaaaaa- it makes me so happy that you find my ship cute!! Sanji is my whole life so when people compliment my ship it means so much to me. So thank you!😭💞

Also an info dump? Sure! I have their entire lore posted on my straw page but it probably won’t make too much sense if you haven’t watched the anime ^^

Moxie and Sanji are two hopeless romantics who found their perfect match in each other. Both obsessed with fairy tales, they see their love as the happy ending they always dreamed of. They’re clingy and affectionate, constantly cuddling and holding onto each other like they’ll never let go. Sanji spoils Moxie with her favorite dishes, while she keeps him smiling with her wild recipe ideas. Moxie is fiercely overprotective and can’t help but get jealous over him, but Sanji secretly loves how much she cares. Even the years apart that they were separated for couldn’t dim their love, and when they reunited as pirates, it was like no time had passed. Now, they’re inseparable, hopelessly in love, and living their fairy tale. 💗

Also hey I’m excited for you if you were to watch one piece! I’m glad I was the reason to give you the push to watch it! 🥹💖

[thee-rat-king]

Suits fans, I have not seen much of your show, however the draw appears to be morally ambiguous lawyers, interpersonal office drama, and homoerotic subtext. If this is the case, may I present

✨BOSTON LEGAL✨

It ran from 2004-2008 (5 seasons) it’s technically a spin off of The Practice but you do not need to know ANYTHING about that show to watch Boston Legal.

The revolving cast of Main Lawyers are varying degrees of morally ambiguous, many of them commit crimes at some point. There’s so much fucking office drama and 90% of it is actually engaging. And while there is A Lot of homoerotic subtext, there’s also a decent amount of homoerotic text. “I love you” and “you’re the most important person in my life” and “we’re sleeping together” and “will you marry me?” type homoerotic text.

^^ these quotes are all canon, and are between the Main Character and his best friend/mentor/life partner/the man who hired him when no one else would/the proposal is not a joke they get married in the season 5 finale.

I’m not kidding Boston Legal is like. THE best rep of a QPR I’ve even seen on television.

It’s also fun and goofy, has some great dialogue on living and aging and how people respond to terminal diagnoses, and a really interesting time capsule into early 2000’s American politics.

It also has NO CURRENT FANDOM! (other than me). And since Suits appears to be its closest cousin in television that does have fandom i’m very politely beseeching that some of you jump ship to one of the other deranged lawyer shows.

This is Alan! Main character. Main lawyer guy. He’s funny and irreverent, does whatever he can to protect the disenfranchised and at one point he beats up a man for committing elder abuse.

This is Denny! Denny Crane. He’s a named partner at the firm (Crane, Poole and Schmitt). He’s also Alan’s soulmate, and a republican which is so that the more liberal Alan can debate him, usually on The Issue Of The Episode. He also has early stage alzheimers, which develops over the course of the show. And yes, him and Alan are the most important relationship of the show. And they do get married in the finale. (Yes that’s William Shatner).

This is Shirley!!! In Crane Poole and Schmitt, she’s Schmitt. She’s one of the most competent lawyers at the firm, and some of the best “women over 25 are hot and desirable” writing I’ve ever seen. (Most of the other main characters on the show are legitimately attracted to her, and it’s never treated as a joke. And she’s dated a lot of different men over her life and the narrative doesn’t slut shame her for it - the characters that occasionally do are always framed as In The Wrong.) she is very much The Voice of Reason to a lot of Alan and Denny’s antics.

There’s also a vibrant cast of partners, associates, assistants, clients, judges, exes, and cameos.

(Content Warning for This Was Written In 2004 And Some Things May Have Aged Poorly.)

Please dear god someone take the bait and watch this the cases are interesting the characters are funny I need the fandom to be more than Just Me.

Is there anything else I can add?

Alan tells the Supreme Court to go fuck itself in two seperate episodes. (There’s a lot of other stuff send me an ask if you want more Boston Legal is the best propaganda I fucking love this show)

Happy viewing! (It’s on Disney+. Or wherever you get your shows.)

[comrade-emma]

How Dinosaurs made me a leftist

I’m going to change gears a bit after being burned out from with dealing with liberal Zionists all day. Since one of the most prominent paleontology blogs on tumblr, a-dinosaur-a-day/jewish-kulindadromeus, has been exposed as a Zionist, I decided to write my own post about why dinosaurs have been important to me and how they’ve actually had a significant impact on my political philosophy. Dinosaurs are a stereotypical special interest for a lot of autistic kids and can be a good jumping point for getting into other science fields.

I first discovered dinosaurs when I think I was 5 with the first movie I saw in theaters being Ice Age 3 as well as being given a bunch of old models by my uncles. When I was 7, I got a documentary for Christmas and that same year, we visited a traveling exhibit at the Detroit zoo with animatronics. At the time I thought they were real. They became one of my favorite things and something I could ramble about for hours. During Christmas of 2013, the Walking with Dinosaurs movie was what I really wanted to see when everyone else was gushing over Frozen. I know it’s not a good movie but I liked it at the time and it was even a bit emotional for me.

Jurassic Park became an interest of mine after a trip to Universal Studios in 2014 and seeing JW the following year, although now I hate it especially because of Chris Pratt. Out of the movies, TLW was actually my favorite and I was surprised people hated it. That actually contributed to my dislike of the Nostalgia Critic/Doug Walker for his nitpick filled review, before I learned about any of the Channel Awesome controversy. I still have the collector’s set of the first two JP films as well as Disney’s Dinosaur and the Walking with Dinosaurs series in my dvd collection.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit this but I used to be a big fan of Jack Horner, the infamous “T. Rex is a a scavenger” guy. At the time I was interested in his Dino chicken experiments as well as his work on the JP series. Then I learned about the controversy of him dating an undergrad student and that ship sailed. I do find it a little amusing that the irredeemable villain of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has the same name as the sleazy paleontologist I used to admire. I can appreciate him for mentoring Mary Schweitzer who’s an actual good paleontologist and has made some important discoveries.

So what does being a leftist have to do with any of this? When I was 6, I was exposed to creationism for the first time. My parents thankfully weren’t but we knew a lot of people that were. In middle school, I met a lot more of them. Many of whom went to the same church youth group and school. It was there that I got into some debates about evolution. Sometimes, kids would tell me “dinosaurs aren’t real” or “you should read the Bible more” and I was expected to just put up with it. At the time I really wanted to be a paleontologist and while I no longer do, sometimes I felt bad for wanting that because of what people said. I stopped talking about dinosaurs for a while after that.

Becoming more knowledgeable about evolution pushed me to learn about climate change too and many of the same people who were creationists were also climate deniers. I watched parts of the Bill Nye vs Ken Ham debate and began doing more research. Climate change in turn was a big part of my radicalization which led me to breadtube. I know that breadtube is heavily flawed but it helped me see a lot of the problems with milquetoast liberals and the lies told by American propaganda. I watched those videos during the pandemic around the same time events like George Floyd’s murder and BLM and that cemented me as a leftist.

So that’s the story of how dinosaurs helped make me a leftist. They’re not my special interest anymore, that’s anime, but they still have a place in my heart. Spielberg may be a Zionist but the first two JP movies are still fun to watch. My favorite paleontologist these days is Stephen Jay Gould who that racist Zionist, prismatic-bell, should read after their disgusting post about aboriginal people with his work against scientific racism. I may not want to be a paleontologist anymore but I am considering anthropology. Some may view them as a childish thing but they were a way of escapism for me and pushed me to learn more about science which in turn cemented my disgust towards conservatives who want creationism in schools.

[revserrayyu]

2.4 Xianzhou continuance thoughts [part 2]

**SPOILERS** for everything up until entering the Shacking Prison, so as always, read at your own discretion if you haven’t reached this part of the story yet. Fair warning that I may mention some things that happen inside the prison as well, but hopefully not much. Sorry not sorry in advance for me obsessing over Feixiao.

As much as I adore Jiaoqiu’s character, I’m currently debating on pulling for him. After testing him out a bit inside the Shacking Prison, I realized I don’t really have a team that would suit him best? Of course I plan to pull for Acheron in the future but I might just hold off for now so I can save even more for Feixiao. I do hope these two and Moze have a good team synergy though. They seem like such a tight group and I’d love to use them all on a team one day.

Tee-hee, One Piece mention. Random, but I’m such a fan of Jiaoqiu’s fancy braid.

Noooo, I don’t like that her unknown medical issue can’t be healed! I mean, it’s not unheard of that Bailu pretty much said the same to Jingliu, about how bizarre it was and how there wasn’t much she could do to help. I don’t believe Feixiao to be mara-struck though, or at least I hope not. While this quest continued on the thought of her transforming into a Borisin came to mind a couple times but I have my doubts. I haven’t delved deep into any leaks about her lore so I can only speculate at this point. Even if those deaths in Penacony were fake, I don’t need any more to happen here, please.

Good boy!! Keep your promise! Heal this queen! I beg of you! I won’t lie, him being so dedicated to keeping his promise (which I’d love to hear the backstory of) to her sorta kinda flips a little switch off in my head saying “ship,” and I’m on board.

Been chatting about this a lot with others, but the question as to why Feixiao has no tail despite being a Foxian is interesting. I personally assumed that the lack of a tail was a result of some harsh battle where she got badly injured, but even with this brief flashback, it doesn’t appear that one is visible here either. Maybe she lost it before this fight? Or perhaps she never had one? Could not having a tail be the cause of her condition? Or was it really taken off from her? I haven’t a clue and it’s another reason why I’m so fascinated by her. Hopefully 2.5 sheds some light upon her past, or at least her character stories once she becomes playable.

Here’s another moment where the whole Borisin transformation idea popped into my head, especially after seeing how capable they are with shape shifting. Learning that the Foxians and Borisin share a common ancestor, the idea changed to Feixiao possibly being half and half? If so, then the condition she’s suffering from might be the Moon Rage? Similar to what we experience when fighting the Borisin down in the Shackling Prison. Add Bailu’s comment about “enjoy some tasty food” and how hungry Hoolay was too.. hmm. Doesn’t help he and Feixiao both have white fur. With how much the Foxians detest the Borisin, keeping this part of herself hidden would but ultimately stressful and probably taxing on her physical and mental health.

Moze is just.. so unironically funny. We have this heavy conversation happening and he chooses to cling to something so simple a food, which is fair. Food is always a good thing.

When Feixiao mentioned she was going to meet up with an old war friend, no alarms rang in my head telling me that it could be another Foxian that I enjoy, which is a shame but also wonderful because the surprise of her and Yukong being friends was worth it. 30 years might not seem like a long time for them, but it’s a decent chunk for people like us.

And yet so much has happened during those years for them. The time does throw me through a loop though.. I always imagined that Yukong lost Caiyi and gave up flying so much longer ago? Because then Qingni (Yukkong’s adopted daughter) couldn’t be much older than 30, right? Caiyi had just returned from maternity leave before she lost her life and Qingni never even knew of her real parents until the events of Yukong’s companion mission. I dunno, I’m just surprised. I definitely thought the daughter was older than that and the tragic loss in Yukong’s life happened ages ago.

Everyone give your utmost praise to Jiaoqiu right now for keeping our gorgeous general alive!

For real though, what on earth even happened to Jingliu and Luocha? like they both showed up in the Shackling Prison at the end of the main Xianzhou story alongside Jing Yuan, but stuff also happened in Jingliu’s companion quest at Scalegorge Waterscape where Luocha was sent away with some Cloud Knights before Jingliu’s fight with Blade where the quest just sorta ends there afterwards. My memory is terrible and I’m not entirely sure which order these events play out, but whatever they’re up to, they’ve been awfully quiet. With how often Jingliu’s name is brought up later on, it gives me small hopes that she could return in the later half of the story. Wouldn’t that be nice to see her take down Hoolay again?

Poor Jing Yuan can’t catch a break with these accusations. This entire quest also feels like the first time I’m hearing so much of this Marshal, but I’m certain it’s just my memory failing me. The main story of the Xianzhou wasn’t my favorite mission out of the bunch, but I am enjoying this one, surprisingly.

I do love the bond these women share with each other. Yukong asks about the Alliance’s plan regarding Jing Yuan and Feixiao graciously provides answers knowing that Yukong can keep a secret. Respect! You love to see it!

Suddenly, the Prisoner of Deep Confinement relic set makes sense to me. I never really took the time to look into the details considering how little DOT units I actively use, but it’s pretty cool to see where the inspiration for it came from and it actually being worn like this.

Now when “Whistling Flames” was mentioned, I first thought of that ghost ship Yukong saw at Fyxestroll Garden for reasons I’m not entirely sure of, but after some light searching, it’s apparently the guild Tingyun was part of?

It sweet to know that Yukong still hasn’t given up searching for clues about Tingyun might actually alive, but if Ruan Mei somehow found Tingyun first, I dunno if I should be relieved or concerned considering our crazy scientist had a habit of.. experimenting.

With how much chatter the Wardance received from trailers and livestreams, I’m honestly shocked that there isn’t much about it happening in the story? It may be because I’m hyperfixating on Feixiao and everything else much more, but my interest isn’t nearly as piqued as I thought it would be. I haven’t done that one side quest revolving around March so I assume there’s more to it there, but so far her sword training arc seems more of a background story. I did find it cute how both her masters gave her gifts at the start, with Yunli providing her new outfit and Yanqing crafting the swords, of course.

Yo, generals! Come pick up your kids! They’re still arguing about nonsense!

And you’re both adorable with your pink hair. Now be friends!

I have a sneaking suspicion that this man could very well poison someone if he wanted to.

I don’t remember much about this brief scene.. something about Yanqing’s doubts and the obstacles he faces or whatever, but it was pretty.

Moving a highly dangerous criminal out of prison to somewhere else? Surely nothing will go wrong! And definitely not right before you make your own move either! That would be crazy.

To no ones surprise, things do eventually take a turn for the worst, but that’s all to be discussed next, so have this, because why not:

Because I clearly haven’t obsessed over her enough already. No way.

[fawnwritesthings]

Dreams and Fables - 1x1 Discord Partner

Hi all! My name is Fawn (She/Her, 27, Canadian), and I want to expand my horizons in search of a new writing buddy! I am ONLY looking to write 1x1 on a private Discord server.

I am seeking a partner with whom to write 1x1. I am not looking to join any sites or servers at this time. The main genre I tend to focus on is Supernatural/Supernatural creatures. Just so you know, I do not write in any fandoms, considering my characters are only OCs.

I am a muse bomb ready to explode... ;) I am looking for someone active, ready to send me gifs, playlists, Pinterest boards, muse in general, and of course, write something awesome! I am looking for someone who can post minimally two to three times a week. It does not have to be super quick or super long responses, but I don’t want to wait for more than a week or so (of course under certain circumstances, I understand!)

What I’m looking for in a partner?

• 25+ is a requirement. Preferably She/Her or They/Them due to unfortunate past experiences.

• I would prefer if a partner was in a similar timezone as myself, just to make plotting/musing/writing easier for both of us. I am currently in CST (GMT-6). A difference of one to three hours is ideal.

• Must have an advanced writing style. (3-5 paragraphs - Novella length replies preferred, but not necessary depending on circumstances/plots/etc). I also enjoy Rapid Fire, and shorter replies, as long as the literacy/grammar skills are still present. 

• Active (Replies at least 2-3+ times a week.)

• Someone who is enthusiastic about plotting and characters and coming up with unique ideas!

• Someone who plays a wide variety of characters/personalities. I ONLY play males, and if we are writing romance/smut, I would prefer if your character was female as all of my characters are heterosexual.

• Please keep in mind I do not have any triggers or sensitive subjects. That being said, I will fully respect yours, so please let me know if you have anything that is a no-go.

• Please note that I do not write with anime/cartoon/drawn characters. Characters must have a faceclaim belonging to a real person/celebrity.

• I will ask for a writing sample (can be from a site, another 1x1 setting, etc. As long as it is current), just to make sure that our writing styles will work well together. Thank you for your understanding in advance. :)

• Please note I have a few writing guidelines that I will need to go over with you before we start writing!

Plots I’m interested in?

• I love my ships - I only do M/F, where I write M. I do not write F under any circumstance. I love my fluff/smut and will defend our ships fiercely!

• I REALLY want plots involving angst/fluff/dark subjects! I'm a sucker for trauma, character development, dark histories, crazy scenarios, adventures, etc. As previously stated, mostly anything goes as long as it is in one of the genres listed above.

• Friendship plots - I love a good friendship plot, childhood friends, etc. Whether it be simply platonic or grows into something more.

• I love angst that will cause my characters some discomfort, annoyance, and character growth. Whether it traumatizes them for life or not is up for debate...

• I’m a big fan of romance and smut (of course with some angst and fluff thrown in there). If this isn't something you're comfortable with, please do not reach out.

What are my hard no’s?

• Darker than dark – If we are writing smut, I will not write rape/pedophilia/extreme abuse under any circumstance.

• God-Modding/power playing - Some situations call for a little bit of push or shove from either side, but please do not try to control my character's actions or words without my permission or talking to me first. 

• Not so serious - Please keep in mind that writing is a hobby for me, not a fight to the death. All of my boys hold a very special place in my heart which I will protect and defend, but please keep OOC and IC separate and I will do the same.

Anything else?

• I am extremely picky and protective when it comes to my face claims.

• I LOVE musing, and I will send gifs and writing prompts I think fit our characters. I get really excited about plots.

• I am currently unemployed but looking for work, so my availability at the moment is pretty open. Please note that this will change!

• Things I like that I will talk to you about any time: Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Skyrim, Our characters or ships, Musing, Musical Theatre, Theatre, Shakespeare, and Knitting.

If you are interested, have any questions, or would like to discuss things further, please do not hesitate to contact me on Discord at fawnwritesthings (formally Fawn#2062), or feel free to shoot me a message here or react to this post. :) <3

Love and light,

- Fawn

✨Please read all information carefully before reaching out. Thank you!✨

[blitheringmcgonagall]

The most annoying part of the canon v fanon Sirius debate is that canon Sirius never had a romantic partner but people will insist that he does. I’ve seen bullying over this and that’s when the debate stops being a bit of fun y’know?

I think that we need to let people come up with their own ideas! Bullying is never okay. As I previously mentioned, while we get a reasonable amount of backstory regarding Sirius, he’s most definitely NOT the main character in the series.

Just because we don’t get information about his love life, or lack thereof, doesn’t prove or disprove what his sexual orientation was and whether or not he was interested in dating/sex etc?

JKR clearly says that canon Sirius is not gay for Remus. She more or less invented Remadora to prove this point as apparently lots of HP fans were convinced Wolfstar was canon (but it being the 1990s etc, they thought that she couldn’t say it openly) and she wasn’t happy about it.

I genuinely think all options can be defended:

Asexuality/ace spectrum/Grey-A (canon says he had no interest in girls/boys looking at him and no GF/BF is mentioned in the books)

Gay (for RJL - the whole “embraced like bros, Lie Low At Lupin’s, 40 line stare, buying presents together” etc)

Straight (he’s got posters of muggle women and motorbikes on his wall)

Bi/pan (both of the last two)

Personally I’ve read really excellent ace!Sirius and Blackinnon fics. And as you probably know, I personally think of Wolfstar as canon. @plecotusauritus explains it really well in a humerous post:

Plus, they are the star (brightest star Sirius) and moon (Moony) in canon. And JKR herself confirmed lycanthropy = equivalent of AIDS in 1980s etc (yeah I know, it’s not great and in fact terrible/horrible comparison when you add Greyback etc; but anyway the AIDS link unwittingly despite herself gave Remus a non-straight background, in fact the way she wrote Remus and Sirius had the director assume Wolfstar was canon!)

Having said all that, in canon, while the classmate was ogling Sirius, he was completely oblivious of her interest as he was too busy staring at James Potter. Ahem. Make of that what you will…!

I completely respect you thinking he never had a romantic partner. Who knows? JKR says that he was too busy playing hard/messing with his bros on his flying motorbike and fighting a war to want any serious relationship. She doesn’t confirm did he have one night stands or other types of encounters. And most people at this stage don’t really care what JKR thinks of Sirius.

The whole point of fandom and shipping and fanfics is to imagine/reimagine all the massive gaps in our knowledge of a character. It’s ok not to stick to the canon info, otherwise the fics we read would be extremely limited, short, and all very similar and boring after a while. I personally prefer when a character’s personality isn’t changed completely (ie when they retain the features that make them recognisable from the original story). But I am very happy to alter other aspects of them - like their race, colour, sexuality, religion etc. Also if you are writing a comedic piece, the characters will not be written the same way as when you write a more dramatic/in depth/ Angsty fic or a very fluffy one?

Everyone should feel free to use their imagination and also not worry about people bullying them for their alternative views. We should all be secure enough in our views that we don’t feel the need to bully others who disagree with us. I’m sorry if that’s happened to you or to people you know 💗💗💗💗💗💗

[ihatepannacotta]

I was just thinking about Russel x Winry the other day!! Kind of along the lines in a modern au of them agreeing to fake date in the hopes of getting Ed jealous (winry tried and failed multiple times to flirt, and ed does have his jealous tendencies, so the logic is that by seeming like she’s interested in a guy she knows ed Does Not Get Along With that the sort of protective jealousy would kick in, russel is totally willing especially if it means being able to hold something over ed). but then it doesn’t work. ed is a bit judgy in the sense of “really winry??? You’re into THAT guy??” but is otherwise in the “it’s her life, she can do what she wants” mindset. And then russel and winry realize that Oh, Oh no, I actually like you, what now??

Ed and ling (who are dating, up for interpretation on if Ed is gay, bi, pan, or demi) are just watching the relationship from the sidelines sipping at smoothies or something just watching russel and winry be absolute disasters trying to figure out how to date each other, not knowing that it’s fake dating that somehow ended up turning real dating.

Also, I think Al and fletcher would be cute!! Fletcher potentially thinking it’s some Romeo and Juliet level thing because their older brothers Don’t Get Along. Like, how does he tell his older brother he has a crush on his rival’s little brother?? (I am looser with my al ships than my ed ships, so like, up for debate on if it goes well for them or not? I ship al with winry, paninya, mei, and fletcher, so whatever works for whatever thought process I’m having at the current moment I guess)

But I only have vague ideas of characters from 03 and haven’t had the chance to analyze them yet past what wikis say they’re like and because it’s 03 the tringham brothers are like… NOWHERE in fma fanfic I’ve come across. I do know they’re like… a parallel of sorts to the Elric brothers with a few key differences.

AAAAAAAAAAAA YESYESYESYESYES!!

I'm so happy!! We need more Winry x Russell propaganda, they would be so cute together 😭

And YES, I can see Russell being the stupid one who said "I have an idea" thinking it would be amazing and the best idea ever. "We should have a date" he said, very proudly of himself. Winry just watches him in silence for a long time, completely confused because she doesn't understand how that correlates with Ed in the slightest. When 5 minutes have passed in silence, Russell laughs awkwardly and explains the plan, and since they both began to share a neuron since they became friends, Winry tells him "YES! YOU'RE A GENIUS!"

But maybe while all the fake dating is being planned, Ling and Ed are not together yet (I mean, of course they have a crush on the other, but neither of them has taken the first step, they are just being awkward and dumb with the other) that's why Russell and Winry think one of them have a chance. And when they are ready to start the plan, Ling asks Ed for a date, but Winry is oblivious about that.

They start to be together all the time, and when the gang (Lan Fan, Paninya, Al, Ed, Ling and Mei) want to organize something, Winry says that she already had plans with a "friend". Ed looks clearly upset because this is the fifth time she did that, and angrily asks who this guy is who can't leave her alone for a second.

"You know him, remember Russell Tringham?"

"...You're fucking with me"

A week passed and Ed is still really really angry about that "relationship" and Ling is trying to calm him down, saying Winry is his friend and he should be happy she found someone, Ling reminds him that Winry was a little upset before she started dating this guy. So Ed reluctantly agrees he is right.

One day, Ling sees them and comes up with a plan to make Ed calmer and show him that Winry will be fine. He takes his boyfriend by the arm and drags him to where the other two are.

"We should all go out together. You know, a double date!"

Ed, Russell and Winry are shocked but for different reasons.

Ed, with a frown, thinks Ling is an idiot for coming up with that idea (although there's a bit of red in his face because Ling looks so pretty smiling ajhfkwbrksjfjs).

And on the other hand, Russell and Winry are panicking because the two of them were together?! since when?! How did this happen?!

The chaos begins. Ling and Ed were so confused during the date because Winry and Russell don't feel like a real couple?? They seem so awkward with the other and every time Ed or Ling asks them something about their relationship they look at each other with panic.

Dude, I really love that idea javdjwbdnsbjfhs

OKAY I WILL STOP NOW 😭

Talking about Al, I ship him with Mei jdjsjjfka but I think he and Fletcher would be amazing bff's! And Ed doesn't have a real problem with the younger one, but his big brother????? Omg someone kill him please.

I really enjoy your ask! Thank you so much, and sorry for being late with the answer!

[musicalmoritz]

In terms of potential queercoding I really don’t know how to read Dazai’s character because he exclusively talks about relationships in terms of being with a woman, even in official “interviews,” as opposed to the other characters who consistently use gender neutral pronouns. He even hints at a disinterest in men in the first chapter (though that varies based on the translation). I’m aware that some people suspect the irl author was bi but there is a great level of difference between the characters and the authors. And I somewhat doubt that Asagiri would consistently have Dazai show an interest in women/disinterest in men if he intended for him to be read as mlm

However, I quite honestly don’t know how else to read his dynamic with Chuuya. It could very much just be fan service but that…I don’t know, strangeness between them is very integral to their canon dynamic. They have a lot of romantic moments and are essentially soulmates. The dynamic may not be entirely positive but there’s no doubting those two are a perfect match. And then there’s also the fact that he enjoys being choked by Kunikida

At the end of the day it doesn’t matter to me that much, Dazai’s potential queerness isn’t one of the reasons I like him. It would be a nice bonus but straight, gay, bi, etc. it doesn’t really make a difference to me. I tend to write him as mlm even if it’s not a ship fic but I like him because of his arc and personality, not because of shipping (as opposed to some characters where their sexuality/romance plot line actually is one of the main reasons I like them). I see a lot of people call Soukoku queercoded though and I’ve read several analyses on it but I can never quite decide where I stand on that whole debate

I will say though, when analyzing this subject it’s important to keep in mind that Dazai is a liar. That man lies all the time, he tried to lie abt visiting his deceased friend’s grave. He laughed off being called a good person after his plan successfully saved an entire city. This bitch will do anything to escape vulnerability. So I don’t think it’s a stretch to say he’s lying about and/or exaggerating his love for women (or disinterest in men). He could simply be playing up a bit. It has been mentioned that he’s had relationships with women in canon tho so most likely he’s straight or bi (when it comes to fanon tho I love any variation of mlm Dazai)

[jeffersonhairpie]

One of the YouTube comments of all time oh my GOD

Found on this video

[Image ID: A YouTube comment from user @sire-dame-sander It reads:

Image 1

as promised here in MY Insane Cats Fandom Story. formatting this greentext style bc it’d be fucking unreadable as a big block of text - be me - cats the musical fan, dumb teenager - in groupchat with several other cats the musical fans - our number one group activity is keeping up with this one fanfic, “the silver protector and me” - it’s 70k words of munkustrap x the author’s self insert oc - from the moment you pick TPSAM up it’s not great from a writing perspective but the further you read the more unhinged the plotlines get - everyone can shapeshift into normal cats with no explanation. the main character is french n everybody else is incredibly aroused by it. all the girl cats frequently body shame the main character for being too skinny. the love interest is abusive towards his son because he thinks he might be gay. there’s a bunch of sex slavery just like an insane amount - this isn’t really that alarming to us. obviously the author might sort of be goin through it but at the end of the day it’s just a fanfic - however. there is also an author’s note at the end of every chapter where the author (we’ll call her jazzie after her self insert) shares wayyyyy too much about her life - we learn a bunch through these. she’s british. she has a terrible ex. she loves the guy who’s she’s currently dating but he hates cats the musical. she’s been to cats the musical 115 times. she has a 7 year old son - she also links her instagram + tumblr. maybe this was a dick move of us but being teenagers we check them out - jazzie’s instagram is pretty normal other than the fact that everyone but her looks miserable in every photo - whatever. they might just have resting bitch face - jazzie’s tumblr is CRAZY - we discover that she’s been in several bona fide large scale scandals - you name it jazzie has posted it. most recently she’s gotten in trouble for comparing the traditional body modification of various unrelated african cultures to, and I quote, “dumb bimbos getting too much plastic surgery” - she’s also fighting on a daily basis with people who hate her fanfic over its various Issues, including one heated debate with an actual sex trafficking survivor - about a week after we start checking in on jazzie’s tumblr, she posts that she’s going to be taking a break n moving all her mutuals into a discord server - this server will also house the live drafting of new chapters of TPSAM - being idiot teenagers we decide we HAVE to get into this server to watch TPSAM get drafted live. its siren song is far too strong for morals to assuage us - in an attempt to gain mutualhood before jazzie leaves for good, I create my cishetsona - her name is abi n she’s a 17 year old girl living in indiana who loves only two things: cats the musical and her homophobic 23 year old fiancée who works in his dad’s garage - she’s a closet tuggoffelees shipper as well but she openly ships mistoffellees/victoria (which is for some reason the default straight ship in cats even though victoria canonically hooks up with plato. no I’m not sure why either) - abi begins participating in the cats the musical fandom by posting annoyingly heterosexual content - within one (1) week, this has gotten her into jazzie’s discord - a few of my co conspirators have played the same trick. there’s maybe four or five of us in there - inside this discord we are exposed to fandom drama we never even knew existed - jazzie frequently complains to the server about her current boyfriend. she hates how much he dislikes cats the musical, n hates even more that he’s always telling her to pay more attention to their kids (plural) instead of writing cats the musical sex slave fic - do you remember how I only mentioned the 7 year old son earlier. this is the first mention we hear of another kid - the next day something terrible happens

Image 2

- we MEET the other kid - he is 12 years old n he is a SERVER MODERATOR - this means he’s been fully privy to the active drafts of his mother’s super explicit cats the musical sex slave fanfic - apparently nobody on the server was aware this moderator was jazzie’s son either, because her genuine mutuals seem just as shocked as we do - at this point one of the real mutuals snaps n tells jazzie that while she loves TPSAM, kids shouldn’t be anywhere near it. a good half of the server enthusiastically agrees with this - jazzie takes this as a personal attack on her parenting abilities n the server fucking implodes - a couple days later the whole thing gets taken offline - abi gets a message from jazzie apologizing for the whole situation n thanking her for not attacking her like everyone else - I don’t have the energy left to tell her abi isn’t real, so abi says “thank you. it’s no problem” - there is brief discussion of reporting jazzie to some kind of authority, but we decide that’ll probably only make it worse for her kids, so we don’t - we figure she got the message to not involve her preteen son in the drafting of her sex slave fanfiction when all of her friends left her - TPSAM has not updated since. I really hope it’s because jazzie stopped neglecting her kids for it - it’s for the best she stopped. I hope her family is doing better now - but frankly I’m a bit sad we’ll never get lines like “can I cum in you?” “oui!” ever again

/End ID]

[ffviirarepairweek]

Hello! What is the definition of rarepair?

I feel this group is overtaken by the same old popular pairs we see everywhere all the time

Hi there, so there’s two parts to your question.

I’m going to address the second part first – that it’s just the same popular pairs being shown. Before your ask arrived in the inbox, I had reblogged the following pairings for this year's event (in no particular order):

Reno/Aerith

Sephiroth/Elfe

Reno/Veld

Ifalna/Lucrecia

Biggs/Wedge

Scarlet/Lucrecia

Reno/Tseng

Aerith/Kunsel

Reno/Rufus

Seph/Zack

Vincent/Veld

Cloud/Wedge

I’m also writing requests for Seph/Elfe, Seph/Lazard, Reeve/Vincent, and Biggs/Wedge which will be posted later in the week.

I wouldn’t call that list just all the same popular pairings. If you mean there’s a lot of repeats from previous years of this event, well, yeah. We have a number of repeat participants who, unsurprisingly, still like the same pairings they did last year.

In order for me to share a pairing, someone needs to make content for the event for them (and of course Tumblr has to cooperate in showing it to me, or they can mention to me that it exists – a quick reminder to please do let me know if I’ve been missing your posts, we’ve already found one person who the tag is ignoring > . <) so that I can share it. (Or, someone can request a pairing and I will write something for it to the best of my ability.)

The second part – what is a rare pair.

On the prompt post ( https://ffviirarepairweek.tumblr.com/post/740152122290618368/ffvii-rare-pair-week-2024 ) I have the opening as:

Urban Dictionary defines rarepair as “A ship or pairing that not many people ship or is very rare to find fanfiction and fanart of. Typically happens within small fandoms or with minor characters.”

Of course, people often ask for more specific clarifications because some events are very specific about this. I’ve answered this previously, and this year in this post: https://ffviirarepairweek.tumblr.com/post/740261946911260672/is-there-a-number-of-fics-on-ao3-that-you-are

I’ll copy that reply here as well however:

Obviously there are the big huge pairings that you can’t avoid, and no one is going to mistake them for being rare, and there are some pairings people feel are rare on AO3 but may have had a bigger home on other sites in the past. There’s always debate on what counts as rare. If a pairing has their own currently running active annual event week, then I’d encourage folx to seek those out for those pairings first, as someone is trying to create a space for that pairing already and I’m not trying to take that away (but not everyone knows those are happening either!). My general policy is I’m not going to police a rare pair. At the end of the day, I want folx to have fun and encourage people to create above all.

To further elaborate on that, my goal, as always, in running any event (week or otherwise) is to encourage people to have fun and create for the things they love. To help people find others that share their interests. Maybe introduce others to a pairing they may not have thought about yet, when it comes to rare pair week in particular. I would much rather people feel welcome to create, than sit here looking at every fan site calculating how many entries there is for each pairing and tell someone, sorry, your pairing has x number more things than another, so you’re not welcome in the playground. My table has enough room for us all to sit at for show and tell.

I'll try to be better with tagging the pairings so you can ignore the pairings you don't like for the rest of the week - I was working off mobile the last couple days to post things more frequently. That's on me. If there's something particular you need tagged, you can always send in an ask or message me directly.

[olivers-cocoapuffs]

Speaking of Jegulily, how is that Jegulily survey you posted about around a month ago coming along? Have you taken a look at the results, and if so, any interesting trends?

I’m sorry for leaving you hanging a bit, I didn’t have access to my laptop for a moment there. Thank you for asking!! I actually haven’t had a recent look at the results/trends in a week or so, but I’ll do that now.

57.7% people were cis females, 17.9% were trans mascs, 2.6% were cis males and 21.8% were none (other)

Like last time I updated, people choosing Princechaser are more likely to pick regulily as well

7/10 Dramione shippers are also James Stan’s, and choose Jily over Snily (something that surprised me)

7 people hate both ships, 5 of them being James stans and 2 being Severus stans

Two people are neutral about both ships, both of them favour Severus

The lead cause of people not liking Doechaser is because they don’t like Snily (or Sev in general)

More people are willing to look into Doechaser than Jegulily

People mainly don’t like Jegulily because they headcanon Lily as a Lesbian and Regulus as a gay man

Jegulily is more popular with newer members of the fandom

opinions that really jumped out at me are a)Jegulily is the same as Doechaser and b)Jegulily is a lazy solution to the Jily and Jegulus debate

Note: I’m not trying to say either ship is better than the other (personally I’m not a fan of either) and this is data I’ve collected from a sample size of 78. The link is here if you want to contribute your opinion (thank you to those who have done so already)

[caesarflickermans]

Twenty Questions: Fic Author Edition

tagged by the lovely @thesweetnessofspring and @bodyelectric77 (my heart is warm for uuu <3)

1-How many works do you have on ao3?

Two (+ a deleted one)

2-What's your total AO3 word count?

89,860

3-What fandoms do you write for?

THG. I’ve been writing in it for ten years (RP before fic), and I much rather go into publishing before I move to any other fanfiction tbh.

4-What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

She smelled like white roses

Burning bright in the city of the night

5-Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Absolutely! I try to, at least! Sometimes I get so excited about a comment that I’ll leave it in my inbox for a few days just to get excited again. Especially with my first fic that is very niche in this fandom, I get insanely happy about the fact that people are interested in it enough that they comment on it.

6-What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

This is hard, as I’ve only really written two works. Burning bright comes the closest, even if the final sentence is more a relief than anything, but it is mysterious throughout. Depending on who readers think the stranger outside is, the entire story can either be very angsty or not angsty at all.

7-What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

SSLWR is technically not finished as it has a second longfic coming up, but it ends on a very happy note. I’ve had THE urge™ throughout the fic and even while planning to kill Virgilia off as a repeated circle notion, but it’s breaking the circle that is so vital. Even if she has succeeded in finding out the truth about the past wife (a mystery from the first chapter onward!), educated herself about our past, and found actual love that exists/is not a fairytale, it’s still not a character journey over. If anything, characters—and on a meta level people—like her deserve a happy ending. Even if just to show that there’s the chance to do a 180, no matter the situation. (Doesn’t mean the horrors aren’t awaiting her though 😊)

8-Do you get hate on fics?

No, and I’m kinda? Surprised lol? Like maybe it’s just that niche that you’d only click on it if you are at least semi-interested, but with the heavy subject matter I had expected some people being very critical of the content—the whole debate what belongs and doesn’t belong in (fan)fiction.

9-Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Sort of? SSLWR included a smut scene in ‘Queenside’. It was very flowery, though. So, yes, but it’s not a very descriptive scene. I wanted to stay true to V’s character and focus more-so on the emotional inner thoughts and meaning of having this moment. That said, of course this isn't the last time they will do it, especially with the next longfic including more romantic couplings, but I don't see the purpose of writing them out. The before and after seems much more important, so if I end up wanting to write it again, it will be similar to the first moment in what it did and did not mention.

10-Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Not in fanfiction, but I’ve done a lot of AUs for Caesar and Virgilia in RP context. Caesar has really been in any kind of popular media from the past decade to roleplay with people’s characters there. He’s been a Tyrell in ASOIAF, and he’s been a former show host in TLOU-like verses. My most used one is a modern AU where he lives in NYC as a late night host. As for Virgilia, it’s been much fewer and I don’t really set her in other media anymore. But she has several modern verses, among those one where she grew up in a FLDS-like cult and escaped eventually.

11-Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No

12-Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

13-Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No

14-What's your all-time favorite ship?

I don’t really do ships outside of the ones I have; which are Caesar/Cinna, Cressida/Fulvia, and Virgilia/Plutarch. I also have two ships with my rp partner, @beedelia. The first is Caesar/Bedelia Du Maurier from H.annibal, and the second is the sole victor I'm shipping Caesar with; a middle aged victor from 7 who lost his eyesight in the arena.

15-What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I only have one more WIP planned and it’s going to take some time, but I have confidence in it being finished. I do have some loose ideas about writing some one shots that detail more on tertiary characters, such as Paylor, but it’s nothing more than an idea. Would be in the same style as Tigris' one shot, so it's more a "once I really start, I don't think it will be abandoned".

16-What are your writing strengths?

I think I’m a good character writer. It’s a given coming from RP, but I think I can breathe life into the characters I write, and give them good story arcs. With Virgilia especially, I’m always baffled that people say they like her character or liked her journey, so I’d say that’s working quite well for me writing wise.

17-What are your writing weaknesses?

That I take a long time and overthink everything. I want my first draft to be really good, so I cannot settle for okay. I rewrite sentence and am generally slow because I want what’s coming out on the blank screen to be good. It doesn’t help that—obviously—I’m no native speaker, so my sentence structure or vocabulary is never going to be the best; I feel like both are fairly repetitive. I do try to use Merriam Webster a lot to spice it up, but it can only help so much. I’m also not sure how I’m doing pacing wise. Coming from RP, I was used a lot more to, say, 200-500 word replies where I was writing short scenes with someone else. Pacing was never a question here. But I feel like I’ve improved on this ever since I started writing longer stories.

18-Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

It doesn’t happen in Panem, anyhow. As @bodyelectric77 has said, some headcanon that Spanish is spoken in District 4, but I don’t believe that the fascist government would want to keep any other language than English in its country, because it makes surveillance so much harder. But for a more general approach: I find it unnecessary. If the character doesn’t speak the language, then it’s essentially just a blank for them. Why should they know what the other is saying? If they do speak that language, then don’t build on the reader being able to speak it (or being bothered to look it up. Why do I need google translate for a fic, grr!). Just give me indirect dialogue then (“He said XYZ in Spanish”).

19-First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter back when I was 12 or so. Both in RP and fanfiction.

20-Favorite fic you've ever written?

She smelled like white roses. It’s my passion project. Though I’ve got a feeling that Birds of the Capitol (current WIP) is going to be my magnum opus in a way. Really encapsulating 10+ years of writing (RP/fanfiction) in this fandom. I’m excited, scared, nervous, thrilled. Everything.

Tagging: @mollywog, @lemonluvgirl, @thesmileykate, @districtunrest, @petruchio