#i'm still new to the fandom so if my characterization seems a bit off that's prob why

[jittyjames]

WHUMPTOBER DAY 7 (this was actually meant to be posted wayyy later but i needed to free up my psychological day lololol)

(i know a lot of you guys hate marius, but have you considered the fact he is indeed blorbo??? that he is indeed baby girl??? i'm a marius girl first and a person second.)

[shaunashipman]

i am genuinely a bit scared for my fellow bucktommies because with all the love eyes for bucktommy and tommy, i am not sure if people don't happily-ever-after too close to the sun with their expectations about how the bucktommy relationship will continue. 911 is still very much a drama show that will create drama out of thin air if it has to, oftentimes in ways that feel very dumb and will make the characters look very bad. we have seen in the past that resolutions are usually very lackluster, or sometimes even off screen. i personally really look forward to see buck and tommy, but i hope we all remember that buck AND tommy will fuck up at some point, and maybe even fuck up Bad. please be careful out there with how high you set your expectations, my fellow bucktommies, and don't forget that buck and tommy will have conflict again, with the others or with each other, sooner or later! (i hope it will be compelling and nuanced and interesting conflict that fuels their development, at the very least 🤞 but i also know that i am watching 911 so...)

so nonny, this isn't really directed at you, but i'm gonna use your ask as a springboard cause i'm seeing this sentiment pop up a lot

people need to stop conflating fanon actions with desires for canon

by this i mean, 99% of what i post about bucktommy, are things i never expect to happen in canon, and some of it quite honestly i would not want to happen in canon. i obviously can't speak for everyone, but most of the people i interact with are well aware that the characters on screen are not really the characters we're playing with in our sandbox.

and that's okay. that's how fandom is supposed to work. fandom is separate from the source material. we didn't used to need to post disclaimers about how no, we don't actually think this is going to happen. no, we don't actually think their relationship is going to be sunshine and roses. ppl in fiction act stupid cause sometimes the writer needs stupid to move the plot where they want. I, as a fan, can choose whether to incorporate said stupidity into my existing fanon, whether to analyze it to see how it could fit with my existing fanon, or whether to toss it out, baby and all.

part of the reason fandoms start is because we find the source material lacking. so honestly, when buck or tommy, or any characters, inevitably acts like a dick in a way that seems counter to their previous characterization, it's just more fodder for fandom, a new facet of their character that we then get to analyze and decide why they're doing it. well behaved women rarely make history and well behaved characters rarely make fandoms

so, just so it's clear, at least from me, unless I specifically state that this is what I think will happen in canon, everything I post about bucktommy, and basically all of my fandoms, is not even wishful thinking, it's just me playing with my dolls.

[thattimdrakeguy]

I HAVE BEEN READING ZDARSKY BATMAN, AND I HAVE DECLARED: I FREAKING LOVE IT!!

I'm reading the Batman Zdarsky run in reverse. That way if I see any bull I can back out at anytime: and to be honest--besides a few things. I really enjoy it

LIKE YO, THAT IS JUST STRAIGHT UP TIM DRAKE RIGHT THERE. It knows who he is as a character. his motives, it's great.

Screw the people complaining "oh why is tim still robin :((", THIS IS WHY HE IS STILL ROBIN. Because this is when he's at his BEST. When he gets to hit his character purpose, WHEN HE GETS TO BE HIM AT HIS MOST HIM. It's FANTASTIC.

Reading in reverse because I know I hated the first story, it was so contrived and ridiculous.

But this--this is some good shit.

Tim being an underdog fighter, having to use his wits to win the fight? MY DAWG, MY DUDE, MY GUYS, MY GALS, MY THEMS, MY THEYS, THIS IS SO TIMMY DRAKE. This is so damn Tim Drake, guys. Oh, my gosh, I am loving this so far.

Dick has his temper back? And trust me, he isn't normally like this. But he's hitting a limit AND IT'S SOMETHING NEW, NOT JUST A REFERENCE. HE'S ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING HE'D DO, 'CAUSE HE'S AT HIS LIMIT. That's wonderful, man. That is so wonderful.

Plus Tim is the heart of the Bat-Family again? This feels like someone actually went back to read these characters before writing it. I'm not saying everything is perfect of course, but these high marks are exceeding all my expectations. And I STOPPED reading comics because of how the beginning of this run destroyed any hope I had.

You guys have no idea how much I'm enjoying the few issues I've read. Besides the cussing (I remember after a bit they decided Tim was someone who used funny words instead of proper cusses), this feels like the Tim I know and love during the era I especially loved him.

Tim comparing himself to his predecessors? Tim not being a natural? A WRITER REMEMBERING THAT?? It's been so long since I've seen that! Most writers treat him like he was another prodigy when he wasn't. AND THIS GUY REMEMBERED THAT!

I shouldn't be so happy at just seeing Tim do Tim things, and serving his character purpose. BUT YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE A WRITER KNEW WHAT TIM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE.

Only complaints I have is that Jason feels like a typical Bat-Family member, and not the sketchy outsider that he is. Making him so close makes his character more bland in my opinion. And Steph is--also generic af unless she's wacky quirky...which is a characterization I hate for her, because she started off so damn interesting, but they made her a freaking trope instead, which is such a disservice to her, but she barely does anything so far, so whatever I guess. Doesn't mean much.

--

This is the first honest thing I've seen that I hated.

No

Not this

This isn't the Bat-Family

This is a sitcom world the fandom wants to be the Bat-Family and some comply with

They're not a sitcom. The conflicts, and uniqueness of the characters is what makes things feel alive and well.

This stuff is cheap fanservice for the fanon demographic that doesn't buy comics to begin with.

Fanon doesn't belong in canon.

--

I mean sure Tim could be drawn smaller, the gag of him looking 12 when he's nearly 18 doesn't work when he's bigger than Damian who is 15 (and contrary to some bullshit comics isn't meant to be small. that was a random thing added for writers who aren't clever to write better humor. it actually contradicts things that were already established).

Don't see the big deal though for most of this.

Can't wait to find it, though. Oh boy.

This whole obsession with Zur Batman, is way over done though. So--I wouldn't be shocked if that was the problem, because my golly does that plot point not seem to be stopping--and it was there from the start and part of the reason why I didn't read it 'til now.

Good Tim tho, at least. So heehee, yey for that--I think--I guess.

Oh, well.

It let me peak at a pseudo-version of an AU I made up years ago. So that's pretty freaking cool.

Always a plus.

And redoing Red Robin story beats but better? Normally I'd hate references to Red Robin, 'cause that changed the perception of so many characters for the worst, but ayy, a bit of redemption isn't bad.

Man, just seeing simple stuff like Tim and Bruce being good ol' classic Batman and Robin warms my heart. It's been so long since Batman and Robin has acted like a proper classic Batman and Robin. It's dynamic that's been sorely missed by many.

OH, MY GOSH, WHY DID THE FIRST STORY HAVE TO STINK SO BAD. THIS STUFF IS GREAT.

Like, DUDE, this is such a Tim thing for him to do!!

And he's showing emotion?? He's crying like how he does?? Because he's not a typical Bat-Family member who just angsts his way through?? THEY'RE MAKING HIM STAND-OUT AGAIN BY MAKING HIM, HIM??

WHY DID THE FIRST STORY HAVE TO SUCK SO BAD?? THIS IS GOOD SHIT.

Like this part is why I originally stopped reading, not because Bruce should think Tim is his soldier, and not his son, THE FREAKING OPPOSITE.

But because the original story has Bruce acting weird when unneeded, just to say this was so unneeded, and adding in all these stupid corny Bat-Family moments was so groan worthy.

This run started off with a story that was a total turn off for me.

To end up being a run that could've kept me enjoying DC, rather than running away from it from as far as I have.

Chip Zdarsky started off awful, but really, he ended up great.

And I've seen people complain about his run, and TRUST ME, there's stuff to complain about. But I have only ever seen the stuff worth complaining about, or stuff I WOULD complain about.

WHEN MOST OF THE RUN IS GOOD

At least when Tim is around.

Go figure.

Maybe I should've paid sole attention to how he wrote Tim and nothing else at the very least for that first story.

'Cause even in the first story, Tim was well-written--it's how cheap the rest of the story telling was in that first story that turned me off--and the weird knew about the movie plans that I am still fully judging harshly. (Love the new Superman film suit, though)

[asuyaka]

My Husband !

★ - hi... (´･ω･`) erm, I know 've been gone for a while (a very long while) but m'back and addin' two new fandoms t'my masterlist !! (Haikyuu & JJBA pt.1 - pt.6!!) - do be warned 've not finished part six yet (m'on chap 114!) so I can't write for every character!

☆ -Narciso Anasui x Male reader!

♡ - he's close enough, welcome back Diavolo !! o((>ω< ))o — forgive me if he's a bit OOC, 've yet to watch video essays on their characterization ＞﹏＜

Being Anasui's boyfriend wasn't the toughest thing on earth. Nearly dying after meeting Pucci for the first time was tough, having to escape a fucking fairytale stand was tough, but dating Anasui was like brushing your teeth with your finger.

Annoying, yes, but it got the job done.

"Love..." Narciso whined from behind you, pushing his head into the crook of your neck. The two of you were situated under the shade of an oak tree, Weather Report and Emporio ate on the opposite side of the tree.

"Yes, Narciso?" You chuckled, patting the top of his hair affectionately.

The other wrapped his hands around your waist and sighed. "Nothing just wanted to say hi," he kisses your neck with a content sigh, sitting down against the trunk and placing you in his lap.

You roll your eyes but decide to humor him, lightly trailing your finger against his forearm. "Hello to you too, Narciso."

Anasui placed your hand on his palm, looking at your matching nails with fondness in his eyes. "So small... perfect for a ring." He mutters as he stares at your (annoyingly) bare ring finger.

Narciso and marriage are like two peas in a pod. When you two first met due to association with Jolyne, his first words weren't 'hi', 'hello', or 'watch out there's a Stand behind you', it was "Please marry me".

So yes, even after the unethical first meeting and the disastrous first date, he's been deadset on becoming your husband no matter what.

That was fine; you didn't hate nor love the idea, but none mattered to Anasui. Once his mind was set on something you couldn't take his mind off it.

"Sucks you haven't found one yet." You squeeze his hand, laughing at his expression.

He turns you over so you're facing each other, your legs wrapped around his torso. "You mean it? You'll marry me?"

"You don't seem to have the whole proposal thing figured out, do you, Narciso?" You ask playfully, watching a flush grow on his cheeks. "I do! This isn't the actual proposal, I'm just...scoping the area!"

"...scoping the area," You repeat slowly. "We've been dating for a while, what 'area' are you scoping?"

Narciso groans, resting his head on your chest. "You know what I meant!"

You chuckle, rubbing his head softly. "You'll know if I'll marry you when you propose."

Your boyfriend looks at you with wide eyes. "Really?"

You smile, pressing a kiss on his forehead. "Really."

"This was supposed to be a picnic." Weather says, looking at you two with a deadpanned expression. Emporio tried to pull him away to no avail.

"Fuck off, Weather." Narciso glared at him, the affection in his tone disappearing.

You sighed—he was the definition of 'I hate everyone but you'. Even with his interesting quirks, he was still your boyfriend; and eventually, your fiancé.

[velvetwyrme]

So Flipping Fate is my favorite Underfell Papyrus fic but what is your favorite UF! Papyrus fic?

AH 🥺❣️❣️ First off, thank you so much!! I'm glad you're enjoying Flipping Fate! :D!!!

Secondly, there's no need to apologize- my fav/s are definitely in the list you mentioned, but I'm more than happy to answer again here :]!! My favorite UF!Papyrus fic has GOTTA BE Thunderstruck. Absoluuuutely killer characterisation and development, delicious interactions and writing... I love it dearly 💖

Other notable fics (probably also in the list lololol) include; A Smile from the East and Roadside Attraction. ASftE made me fall in love with UF!Pap back in the old days of fandom, and Roadside Attraction made me adore him once again when I returned.

And since you asked so nicely, here are some more (sfw) UF!Pap/Reader recs that. also may or may not be in the list idk I didn't actually go back and check lol

Becoming Edge is a fic all about finding yourself and your identity through fashion and was instrumental in me doing the same. Really sweet!!! Pastel goth Edge... my beloved.

And speaking of pastel goth- My Soulmate is a Pastel Goth (And Other Concerns) is a enemies-to-friends-to-lovers fic with the added elements of Soulmates ✨! Love me some tempestuous soulmate fic. (Note: this fic also features Fem!Frisk as Sans' soulmate in the bg, so if you're not a fan, that's something to note ^^! Fr//ans isn't quite my thing, but tbh I'm really interested in seeing how things turn out for them here!)

Between a Rope and a Wrench, or; this skeleton is buying a lot of really weird, suspicious stuff but you will help him get it because it's your job and later because you're his friend. (Also, you choose his friendship over the possibility that you may become an accomplice in murder.)

Sound of Blooming... MAFIAFELL 💥💥!!!! It's been a bit since I read it but it's in ny bookmarks so... :3c!

A Home for Mending Souls is actually a UF!Bros/Reader, but it still counts. It's really good!! Healing from trauma! Soft moments! Slowly opening up to one another!

Till it Brews Over is a coffee shop AU where you purposefully misspell the name of your asshole regular, who just happens to be one edgy skeleton.

Also for additional fics that star UF!Pap that I enjoy/have enjoyed:

While I was looking for one of these fics it led me to realise that I STILL haven't read Fight Me! (by MsMk- not be confused with Fight Me! by Little_old_lady, which uses the same premise and is also really good, but it features FS!Sans instead of UF!Pap) Anyway, this is truly a travesty because they're a fantastic writer and I can only assume it got lost in my various open tabs >>"!! [Addition while drafting: I LOVE IT he's so sulky... I'm staring warily at the chapter count though. So much time for things to Go Wrong]

I actually really like UF!Pap in Bitty Hunt- his characterization is very much... reminiscent of that era of fic, but all the scenes with him in it are ones that have been seared into my brain !!

Another new-ish fic that I'm enjoying UF!Pap in is Honey Lemon Tea, which the summary succinctly describes it as "Papyrus finds his Grillby's... in the form of a very plain coffee shop.", and which I will less-succinctly describe it as "Anti-harem with a delightfully mysterious barista, with the obligatory awful gf"

Edit: I cannot figure out why for the life of me but the formatting looks REALLY weird on my end, but in the editor it's fine?? So if it looks weird/out of order to you please excuse this post, it seems to be some Tumblr Fuckery

[fabbyf1]

I think it’s inevitable with RPF that characterizations are going to be similar. We all rely on the same basic facts and we build what we consider to be canon together, so I’d honestly be worried if characterizations were vastly different—it’s still fanfic, we’re not building brand new characters each time. People get into RPF by reading RPF, so while there’s some variation we all share a vaguely similar idea of what these characters are like and we form those ideas together whether we know it or not, and that in turn gives us a sandbox we can all kind of mess around in together. Obviously lifting whole bits of dialogue or common phrases is very different, though. I think ‘thinking with [character]’s dick’ is a common one but the other two you mentioned seem pretty specific. Again sorry, literally stumbled in off the street and am only distantly aware of what’s happening—I hope this doesn’t come off as rude

Hello, anon.

I appreciate your non-biased and objective opinion on this matter. Really, I do. You make a lot of great points that I wholeheartedly agree with. RPF is a beast. Every story is going to have "similar" characteristics if we're following canon timelines and making our characters as realistic as possible.

I also agree that, as a fandom, we tend to... make up a lot of common personality traits and use them over and over again until it’s hard to remember that they aren’t necessarily real. And they’re not based on facts. But we all continue to use them in our fics, and it helps them to be cohesive and easy to follow along from fic to fic. It helps us writers not have to character build as much as we would in an original fiction. 

A quick example of this is Max referring to Charles as "schatje". I think that's a very commonly used nickname in F1 RPF, even though Max himself has never publicly called anybody that. We have just decided, as a fandom, that that’s the dutch endearment he would use. It’s also easy to take commonly repeated phrases from Max The Person and shove them into our dialogue to make it easier for our characters to have a voice. For example, the phrase “of course” is used a lot in Max's dialogue because Max Verstappen (the person) says it a lot. 

But I think it's important for this instance, for the plagiarism that I'm speaking about, that you know the full context and don't just "stumble in off the street". You openly admitted that you're not fully aware of the situation, and that's totally okay. It's actually kind of refreshing to know not everyone is as concerned about this and that not everyone sees the copycat works as much as often as I do. 

If you’re a casual reader of F1 RPF, you probably don’t know it’s happening. 

But it’s not just me it’s happening to. Lots of other prolific authors are being taken advantage of and having their works stolen from them on an every day basis, and it really needs to stop. We all create this content for free, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have ownership over it. And the only logical reason I can see for people to steal our work is that they are attention-seeking and looking for clout. They want to be known as one of the great RPF authors. They want love and admiration. 

And it’s fine to want that. 

But you shouldn’t want it so badly that you’re willing to steal other people’s work to get it. 

That’s... disgusting. 

This is not the first time I’ve had my work stolen, and it won’t be the last. It’s not the first time somebody has been too heavily inspired by my work, and it won’t be the last. I know that is the risk I take with every fic I publish. It’s just a shame that it’s gotten so out of hand. 

I would like to correct you on one thing, though.  

You said: “I think ‘thinking with [character]’s dick’ is a common one but the other two you mentioned seem pretty specific.” but that’s not what I said. If you’ll go back and read my original post, my direct quote was, “but maybe that was [insert characters]'s dick talking," which is a very different phrase. If you’ve ever read my work, you will see that my characters often go on and on (and on) for a paragraph or two, lusting after the other character, sometimes spiraling further and further until it no longer makes sense and will end with “... but maybe that was [their] dick talking.” 

Again, I will say that I do not own that phrase, but I wouldn’t say that was a commonly used phrase in Formula 1 RPF until I started using it. 

I would know because I’ve been reading F1 RPF since it first started getting posted on AO3. 

I have read a good majority of the (completed) F1 fics posted to AO3. 

I know what existed before I started writing and what has appeared afterward. 

And again, let me clearly say I am not claiming to own that phrase or any other combination of words. But when that phrase, along with other commonly used phrases from my fic, all appear one after another in someone’s work? It’s too much of a coincidence to say it wasn’t intentional. 

But I do not expect you to know that since, as you said, you stumbled in off the street. 

I hope that makes sense. 

I hope we can all stop stealing from each other, or this fandom will be over before you know it. 

[septembriseur]

Tagged by @aintgonnatakethis

About me

When did you start writing?

Not sure. At the age of ~9 I started writing a terrible epic fantasy novel that basically recapitulated the Terry Brooks and David Eddings series that I was obsessed with at that point. There is (regrettably) evidence of this because my family had a printer that I made copious use of. I started writing X-Files and Star Trek fic before I knew it was something that other people did, around age 11.

Are there different genres or themes you enjoy reading other than the ones you write?

I basically exclusively read crime novels and fic because the sf/f and literary fiction that I encounter is so unappealing almost without exception. And actually I read very little fic because almost all the fic I encounter these days is terrible. I am constantly starving for non-terrible fiction. (Please feel free to recommend some.)

Is there an author you want to emulate, or are compared to often?

I've always been obsessed with Hilary Mantel's prose and used to rip her off often in my sentence structures. But I don't know that there's anyone I look at and think, "I wish I could do that." In terms of fic, Kat Allison was a big influence on me— I read her fic when I was probably 13 or 14 years old and was first starting to develop real ideas about writing, like, "What is this story doing?" Also a Highlander fic called "Heat Goes to Cold," which appears to no longer be on the internet but which introduced fourteen-year-old me to Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, which I still have a great fondness for even though I have (kicking and screaming) outgrown it.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

Right now my biggest problem is that I don't have a writing space and mostly write in coffee shops. My apartment is full of intrusive objects like a work-from-home husband and multiple no-work-from-anywhere rescue dogs, which interfere with thinking. I've just set up (using a room divider) a new attempt at a bedroom office, which is an IKEA table covered in heaps of agates and fossils and ephemera, so we’ll see how that goes.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and/or places you write about?

Not so much the place I grew up as other places I've lived. I tend to put people in landscapes that I know well and be meticulous in details, which is partly just because I have almost no visual imagination. Northern New Mexico and London are probably the landscapes I feel I know most deeply and find most productive. Thinking about this, it actually seems to be because in both cases my knowledge of the place is very specific and idiosyncratic. My physical knowledge of New Mexico is very linked to nuclear history and fossil hunting, which creates unusual routes and focus. My physical knowledge of London is very linked to mudlarking— the river, the terrain and transit around the river, the material history of the city— and to punk rock, which heavily shaped my husband’s London and therefore (through him) mine.

Are there any reoccurring themes in your writing? If so, do they surprise you?

It's been discussed to death.

Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character?

I think that I'm less interested in specific characters than I am in the potential for characters to be interpreted in unexpected ways. The more generic a fic is in characterization, the less readable I find it. Marvel and (especially) Stargate characters are great for this because there’s so little to them on the page— they exist as a potential for readings, especially critical readings. I see less and less of this in fandom, sadly.

Which of your characters would you be friends with in real life?

Truthfully, I would probably have an easier time being friends with my characters than I do with people in real life. When I look at the characters I write about, they seem to all be veterans, refugees, would-be revolutionaries, and/or people who have had really extreme and unusual experiences that make them outliers. That also describes an awful lot of people I know in real life.

Which characters would you dislike the most of you met them?

Probably Transposition Chloe Armstrong, insofar as a lot of the details of her life are a gentle spoof of people I went to school with at various points.

Do you notice any reoccurring themes/traits in your characters?

I exclusively write about damaged people, pretty much. I guess also maybe see the last question here for more thoughts.

How do you picture your characters?

I have a very poor visual imagination, so I don't really. I have to find photo references, even for original characters. I’ve mentioned before that I have to look up floor plans online in order to figure out spaces in my stories.

My writing

What’s your reason for writing?

I'm good at it— ie I’m able to do what I want to do with it. I'm probably better at it than anything else I do— there are other hobbies I've given up (music) because I know that I will never be as good at them as I want to be. With writing, I feel that I am capable of being good enough.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment from readers that you find particularly motivating?

I probably prefer more neutral comments that engage with the subject matter in depth. I like talking about my stories as a fan rather than an author, I guess. I have a hard time with praise.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Probably my mercilessness in terms of both characters and prose. Secondarily (and relatedly), my intolerance of generic phrasing. If nothing else, I am determined to describe things in a new way.

Have you been told is your greatest strength as a writer is by others?

Its strangeness/unexpectedness. But this has mostly come up in the context of my old original fiction, which is not very good and mostly written to pay bills.

How do you feel about your own writing?

Satisfied— generally. Circa 2019, I’d been writing so much that I really felt like I had an incredible level of technical control over my prose. However, I also had a very shallow understanding of the world and a lack of moral imagination. 2021 onwards really marked the beginning of me developing as a person, ie having a quiet breakdown and having to reconstitute myself. Unfortunately, 2021 also marked the severe limitation of my free time. Now I feel that I am able to write with more insight, but I'm still working on getting back to the same point of skill in my writing.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, do you write purely for yourself, or is it a mix of both?

Given what I write, it's pretty clear that I mainly write for myself. I think I write to solve arguments for myself— to resolve tension between ideas or principles; to reconcile parts of my character; to understand how to live in the world. That last thing sounds really elevated and pretentious, but I mean it in a pretty down-to-earth way. The last three years completely stripped away what I thought I understood about how to be a person and left me seeking some truth about how a person is supposed to live, day-to-day, in a world that is characterized by such profound injustice. I think that’s the kind of truth that can’t be arrived at except through fiction, because it’s not logical— it has to reconcile fundamentally paradoxical ideas. Is it stupid to suggest that writing, like, pornographic sex scenes is a way of dealing with that? Maybe! But in fact that’s the way I experience it: that everything I write, however silly and trivial, is always also toying with these questions about power and humanity and being in the world, because it can't not be. (And I think that there's probably something really "late settler liberal" about the idea that it's possible to separate the two things— that on the one hand there's entertainment, which is free of these questions, and on the other hand there's real life.)

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "Secret Cargo"

Mon Mothma is a badass, that is all.

Hello another one of my husband's favorite episodes.

So much story expressed in just body language and establishing shots. The Ghost is waiting--apparently they've been there a while if they're willingly listening to holonet news--and they're all anxious and bored.

So the Ghorman Massacre, if previous Legends canon still holds, is that incident I mentioned way back when, when Tarkin landed a Star Destroyer on top of a group of protestors, implicitly with Palpatine's permission.

And can we just admire the sheer balls on this woman? Mon makes this pretty speech in the Senate chamber while it's in session.

Meaning she called Palpatine a "lying executioner" to his face.

Legends canon also holds that right after this, she personally hand-delivered the Declaration of Rebellion to his desk.

Yeah. I love her.

Heeeeeey good thing they established how utterly creepy these droids were back in "Warhead" because I see it and now I'm filled with dread.

The sound design for these things is still excellent.

Love how Ezra can tell different dialects of Binary apart in order to know the probe "speaks Imperial". He be learning behind the scenes yo.

(In more ways than one, as we'll soon find out.)

The way they draw out this suspense as the probe makes another round is great, quick teamwork and fast reflexes almost had the thing once it was within range.

Intense Ezra is intense. :)

The Ghost takes in a Y-wing in yet another cool utilization of its cargo hold.

Too bad these pilots are ungrateful. "You're making things harder for all of us!" Awwww boo hoo is the tyrannical authoritarian government getting even more tyrannical and authoritarian because it's finally being pushed back against? That's an occupational hazard, people. You're in a rebellion, it's not going to be cake and ice cream.

"It would have been prudent to avoid detection, as ordered." The probe was literally on top of them looking in their windshield, I think it was long past having detected them.

But enough griping about Gold Squadron's backseat rebellion-ing, let's get some more action!

One of the Y-wing pilots conveniently gets taken out so Ezra can take their place and I love this expression from Gold Leader:

He's just like, "Really? This upstart kid?"

But Hera has complete faith in him, awww.

Ezra looks really good in a Y-wing helmet. I don't think he keeps this one, he only seems to collect Imperial helmets.

*ANGELIC CHORUS*

Faslfhaksjfh pretty sure fandom winced when Ezra said the cursed line but! In this case nothing bad happened. Guess we broke the curse.

And now we learn just why the Rebellion loved using Y-wings so much. Two attacks from two fighters and they absolutely cripple this light cruiser.

His face is too pure sometimes. T_T

I really like how Mon is characterized here, Rebels really leans into her Paragon qualities. She sounds like a woman who's tried her best and is finally fed up, and you absolutely believe in her capacity as a Rebel leader. I think one of the reasons I'm reluctant to watch Andor is how they handle Mon. I'm not really a fan of "graying" my heroes.

Dantooine namedrop!

Four Star Destroyers hovering over Capital City now, come on guys that's excessive.

The beginning notes of Thrawn's leitmotif play softly here, in glockenspiel it sounds like, before switching to the iconic organs. As a side note, since they have Kiner for the Ahsoka show please please let there be some theme carryover from the show.

Thrawn already knows Hera's tactics well enough to deduce where she's going to go; through a risky, little-used smugglers corridor in a nebula. Him sending Pryce and Konstantine to head her off I don't actually think was him setting them up to fail, because for all intents and purposes they had the Ghost dead to rights, Hera was just a bit too creative and clever and managed to slip free.

Why is this show so good at coll menacing shots for Thrawn?

Mon speaking to another one of the archthemes of Star Wars: When to keep fighting inside a flawed system versus when to break from it and burn it all down. There's no real easy or right answer. Bail, and Padme, and Mon worked for years within the system, both of the Republic and the Empire, trying to change it from the inside. The Republic, for all its flaws and problems, could have been salvaged if enough people cared enough to fight for it, and absent Palpatine's influence of course. The Empire on the other hand, is rotten to the core, from the top down, the entire hierarchy and infrastructure designed to deprive its citizens of rights and due process and basic freedoms and control them under an oppressive hand.

Which isn't to say that continuing to fight against the Empire's rule from the inside, in the government halls rather than on the streets, was a worthless endeavor. Not all political conflicts can be solved by direct action. But it does take wise discernment to know when to start openly opposing a corrupt system.

Mon has apparently reached that breaking point.

This whole conversation is just... nice.

Hello yes, someone order some fresh scenery porn?

Ezra gushing about how Hera's "the best around" awww.

The Empire shows up, Vult Skerris now shoved in a TIE Defender, as if he wasn't a hassle enough in a regular TIE, and Ezra tries to warn the others about the Defender to no avail, we lose a couple redshirts.

This music cue is gorgeous, the animation on the nebula is gorgeous, I know I'm not being super verbose this rewatch but this episode is just so nice.

The way the Interceptors just melt, the bits that peel off the Ghost...

This music cue is much more relaxed than the wailing chorus at the end of "Journey Into The Star Cluster", more like a track you'd hear in a nature documentary, maintaining its sense of subtle awe and wonder even as a danger is narrowly escaped.

Love that Mon immediately knows she needs to stall for time so that Hera can think up something. She's fitting into the Rebellion already, knows her people well. :)

Also hilarious how her stalling tactic is a laundry-list of political demands.

LOL Chopper rolling along the floor there.

Ezra being an actually really decent pilot (because Hera taught him) and taking care of business. <3

Hera's face when she hears Ezra. <3

Sabine would have loved Hera's tactic here.

SCORCHED.

Dantooine be pretty.

[CIRCLE HIGHLIGHTS THE PART IN MON'S SPEECH ABOUT AUTHORITARIANS STIFLING FREEDOM IN THE NAME OF "SAFETY", POINTS EMPHATICALLY.]

Rebels said beware tyrants trying to control you for your own (or "the greater") good.

This whole ending bit is just so... optimistic. There's a sense of hope and heroism, of dawn breaking after a long night. Things are clear cut, there is evil and we must stand against it.

And finally the true Rebel Alliance is born. :)

Ahhhhhhhh I love this episode I love it, it feels almost chill in pacing and tone but that sense of clarity of purpose, that OT feel, it's just beautiful, this is just a pleasant episode.

Even knowing what happens in the finale can't fully dampen the spirit of this one.

[iamthecomet]

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I just want you to know that my friend and I have been absolutely obsessed your fics and your Dew characterization. We keep reading them and then having literal book club level discussions about them and and honestly they have lead to our Dew brainrot getting out of control. Also I'm impressed the amount of range you have when writing. We read six of your fics independently before realizing all of them were by the same person. Like we would read one and then discuss and one of us would be like "well you should also read this other fic because the writing and characterization is so good" before being like "oh shit this is the same writer" so yea I just think you should know the massive effect you're having on our lives.

If it's not much, I'd like to know your thoughts on Dew's relationship with sex and how it pertains to his trauma. Although this fandom is primarily porn, Dew especially feels written to be super hypersexual compared to the other ghouls and it can manifest in interesting ways. Even if an author has not intended to write Dew as having an unhealthy relationship with sex, just the way that he is written in general by the entire fandom almost makes it seem like sex is the only thing he has to give (or at least that's what he thinks and that's how others act). So I've thinking lately about a Dew who becomes less enthusiastic about sex or even sex-repulsed and I'd just like to hear your insight on that.

Thank for you all the great work you put out into world. My friend and I enjoy it immensely.

HI!?!? Sorry I've been hoarding this ask since I got it last night because it made me INSANE?!!!?!? First things first this is so fucking SWEET!? YOU HAVE BOOK GROUP LEVEL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MY PORN? I love you and your friend. THANK YOU. I cannot express how much this means to me. Highest levels of compliments right here. I'm so glad you read so much of my stuff independently and didn't realize it was me and still LOVED it. I am giving you and your friends SO MANY HUGS (if you want them). I'm really glad you love my Dew. He's SO special to me, and complicated and just, thank you for loving him too. AND now, onto the other part of this. Because I love to make Dew's life miserable (as you know). Some thoughts about Dew's relationship with sex, under the cut.

So, I sometimes think that post-elemental-transition Dew is really not into sex for a while. His whole body is new and different. He doesn't recognize himself in the mirror. His body doesn't WORK the same way anymore. Even jacking off isn't fun--it feels wrong. Like it's someone else's dick even though he feels it. He's not as wet. He's burning hot all the time. It's just not right. He's not right. And the idea of other people touching him? seeing him like this? he hates it. He wants nothing to do with it. Can't even stomach the thought of having sex with anyone else anymore. It isn't the same, never will be again. I also, sometimes think that Water Dew was less into sex than fire Dew. Not repulsed, just not enthusiastic about it. It was fun. It was a way to connect with his packmates. It meant something. Fire Dew? he's good at it, he's confident. People want him. And if he keeps them happy they'll keep wanting him. They won't leave. He'll never be alone again. I really think there's a little bit of all of that in even my version of Dew. The ebb and flow of his sexuality. From sex is a fun thing I do sometimes but it isn't everything )(or even very much of anything) to I cannot stomach the idea of having sex. I will never do it again. Thinking about it makes me want to shatter into a thousand pieces to, using it as an unhealthy coping mechanism for other insecurities he doesn't know how to talk about. And, I think, eventually, (after some hard conversations) to a version of him who just enjoys it. No insecurities. Does it when he wants--doesn't when it doesn't feel good. That he can lean into that ebb and flow of his own body and listen to it instead of constantly trying to fight against himself to be someone he thinks other people want. A hard-won version of himself that he, finally, actually likes.

[masterjedilenawrites]

hellooooo!! 1 and 16 for the ask game? with all the violence you would like to inflict >:)

Hiiiii! 👋 Ooh boy, these are good ones. Put up your dukes, I've got things to say! (unless you agree, then let's fight off the haters together lol)

the character everyone gets wrong

I'm going off the beaten path of clones (a bit) for this one... Boba Fett.

Now, to be fair, this character has been all over the place in canon. There's gaps in his story. There's legends stuff that some people still mix in to things. So I get how there's different takes or preferences or whatever. This is my take, and I'm throwing fists with both fandom and canon material equally (I'm looking at you Book of Boba Fett...)

Basically, long story short, I think the Mandalorian/Din Djarin stole a lot of Boba Fett's characterization. There is a delicate balance to Fett, where you need to play into the ruthless, faceless, mysterious bounty hunter with sick fight scenes and pithy one-liners... while also allowing for some quiet but meaningful moments of growth or change. And Din took all of that, which meant Boba's characterization had to be redirected elsewhere in canon.

And I see a lot more of the fandom latching on to that new direction instead of the characterization he started with prior to all the new shows and storylines. It's almost the opposite to the problem I have with Wolffe fics; there's too much fluffy tenderness and not enough toughness/badassery. Personally, I just don't care for it and will stick to the Boba Fett I've known since I first got into Star Wars over a decade ago.

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

I can understand the why behind most things, even if they aren't my cup of tea. But, one thing I do struggle to understand... mermaid AUs. What is the appeal there?? Of all the half-animal hybrids, why fish? How do you keep a character in-character when they have to swim around to get anything done? That just seems like it'd change a person. I sure would be a different person if I didn't have legs or a shirt and had to swim against tides and seaweed and whatever else is lurking down in the ocean. *shudders*

Good on anyone who likes them I guess, but I don get iiiiiiit. :/

[ao3-oner]

hello i just read your new fic and i wanted to thank you for writing something so brilliant...i loved the characterization, especially peyz's! and the descriptions... i mean if i tried to quote every sentence i liked i would probably ctrl+cv the entire fic but really the description of the graffiti melting down, and 'It is a portrait of a heart exploded' ADFLJSDKLFDS HOW DO YOU WRITE SENTENCES LIKE THAT

Hi there, and thank you so much for the ask!

I really appreciate that you enjoyed Metro Lines - I worked hard on that fic, so I'm super glad to hear that it paid off. To be fully honest, I struggled a bit with maintaining motivation to finish it because I knew that there would be a smaller audience for it compared to most of my other work (since it's not ship-based or T1-centric); however, I'm really glad that I did because even though it isn't super popular, the people who have read it have reportedly really enjoyed it.

I was especially apprehensive about this fic at first since it feels very different from everything else I've written for the fandom - my brand seems to be a McPick 2 of humor, fluff, angst, and smut, and Metro Lines doesn't really fall into any of those categories. Still, I think it was a cool AU idea, so I'm glad that I was able to finish it and share it with you!

In case you haven't garnered as much, I am very feedback-motivated, so I greatly appreciate you taking the time to shoot me a message saying that you liked the fic - that greatly increases the chances of me writing similar things in the future.

Thanks again, and have a great day!

[queen-erika-the-songful]

most annoying barbie take(s) you've seen? feel free to go off if you want to

Oh buckle up because I've got 2 major gripes.

1. People using Life in the Dreamhouse as the end-all-be-all of what Barbie media/content should be like. Yes it's fun and hilarious and I still love it to this day but I'm sick of everyone comparing every new idea to it.

For example, I'm not the biggest Dreamhouse Adventures fan but the fact that people are STILL comparing it to LitD is ludicrous. First of all, they are different KINDS of series, DA being a 22-min TV series aimed at teaching life lessons and LitD being a short form web series (with a couple exceptions) that spoofs reality shows and satires Barbie. They're also totally different in tone, setting, and characterizations of Barbie & co. Yet people treat DA like it's some inferior LitD reboot/successor. DA isn't TRYING to be LitD!!!

I think it's gotten even worse recently with the live-action Barbie coming out. Endless LitD comparisons are being made. I mean, at least it's a bit more understandable this time with Barbieland seeming similar to dollsize Malibu and an air of self-parody. But even so people are whining and crying about characters like Raquelle not being there. Again I love LitD and Raquelle is iconic but she's beloved BECAUSE of LitD. She didn't even exist before it, unlike Midge who was Barbie's first best friend. (Sidenote: Barbie Diaries Raquelle and Fairy Secret Raquelle do not count; they are completely different characters). (Sidenote #2 it's RAQUELLE not Raquel at least get it right if you're gonna whine). I mean the "Raquelle" entity has been around before LitD like characters such as Teresa, but again the one people always talk about is this one iteration of her. If anything you should be complaining about the lack of Christie and Teresa, who have been around for generations like Midge and used to be mainstays of Barbie.

I also want people to stop saying other versions of Barbie are "wrong" or that people outside the fandom don't understand what the characters are "really" like because of this ONE version of the characters that has been discounted since 2015.

2. People wanting Aqua's "Barbie Girl" in the new movie

Look we all loved this song as a kid, I get it. I did too because I thought it was a real Barbie song. But it's not. Yes Mattel sued and then made their own version and used the melody in commercials between 2009-201x whatever the date was BUT it's been abandoned since then.

The song depicts Barbie as a stereotype dumb bimbo blonde with a gross horndog version of Ken as her love interest. Even with lyrics like "imagination, life is your creation" & "if you say I'm always yours" it's surrounded by things like "you can touch/you can play" "kiss me here touch me there/hanky-panky". Like I'm not gonna stop others from making sexual/humorous depictions of Barbie. My problem is this fandom wanting "outsiders" to see another side of Barbie but still insisting this song be part of it. Why are you holding on to it so tightly? Maybe I just don't get it.

And going back for a sec, again Mattel SUED over this song. Like I don't think it's going into the movie just for that reason

I feel like I had another thing to say but this post is long enough so I'm just gonna stop here

[visd3stele]

i have only watched the first two episodes, but i have to write this down before i forget it

SPOILERS AHEAD

i'm so upset you people made it seem so much worse!! i'm talking about ATLA live action show, of course. all i saw about it is criticism, harsh, angry criticism. which is valid, to each their own, but it's not that bad!! it's actually quite good. for people who haven't seen the original it should be gold. their new fav fantasy series.

yeah, the plot is moving FAST. faster than it should and thus eliminates so many things. like, getting to see Aang's backstory so soon, whitout showing how happy he was before finding out he's the avatar and how the other kids pushed him away once the news got out, gyatso being told to stay away too being the final drop, causing him to leave and despise being the avatar. in the show he just fears the responsability. which is in tune with his character. it's valid. it's just far less complex and complicated.

Aang's still childish and likes to play and goof around, he just accepts his role faster. fear of hurting others, a very important characterization of him that appears in the original show as well, plays a huge role still, he just becomes responsible and stops running from who he is faster.

Katara and Sokka are really well written. Sokka's sexism isn't out and open, it's not obvious and it's watered down a lot, but it exists. harder to catch on, easy to brush away, but it's there. and Katara is motherly, the only thing i was upset about was her not mentioning her mother. it was made up for with the flashbacks, but still.

Zukko didn't mention his honor once!! whyyy??? i mean, i know it's a running joke in the fandom, but all humor aside, it plays an important part in his character. throughout the series he learns how to be an actual honorable person, he learns he's the only one who can give himself this value, he can't receive it from – or have it taken away by – Ozai. other than that, though, he's a really good Zukko. he has the entitled prince patience – or lack of it more likely. he has the anger, the need to succeed driving him over his limits. he's rude with those he sees beneath him. i have faith his growth will be well handled.

SUKI!!! other than the fact she has an immediate crush on Sokka, she's also good. her and Sokka still train, she still beats him and shows him how to fight better. he still tries to show off in her face and is ashamed to lose to a girl. he's ashamed to ask for her help. but he comes around real quick. it's two seasons worth of character development and relationship development crammed in one episode. but they have to do that to catch your attention. the average public has lost their patience to watch a slowly developing, complex character arc. and they don't want the show to be cancelled.

Uncle Iroh is on par with who he is in the original. nothing to comment here.

there are major chances, like Aang channeling Kyoshi and entering the spirit realm so early in his journey. but the channeling other avatars in their temples is an interesting addition in my opinion. i personally like it and am ready to see more of it.

Katara is learning a bit fast, but she still can't fight Zuko on her own, so they didn't, thankfully, make her a prodigy mary sue. it's fine by me. she still has to work to achieve her powers and it actually reminds me of how fast she learns when she has a teacher, so they did rush her, but the struggle is still there.

they leave so many things unadressed because they don't have time to write them in, but they do touch the important main events. so i'll take it.

the costumes are SPLENDID!!

all in all, i like it. it's nostalgic and i can see my childhood show come to life. nothing could replace it, but it's a beautiful addition.

[mdhwrites]

I think Dana explained the betas though, it was the characters in a much different, heavier and darker story, that probably would have leaned more into the idea of witches and… well hell. Since Hieronymus Bosch drew lots of purgatory images. But you cant really do that for Disney. Plus to be fair, you’re meant to be able to throw ideas at a wall (even if they are very unlikely to work) for concept art and then be willing to immediately dump stuff and try new ideas without getting attached.

 Side note, while the big selling point for the Betas is that they are edgy or can be used to explore darker subjects, people sometimes just make them borderline evil, or just… actual evil, did you know its very easy to find beta fics tagged with non con and/or underage? Yea. They make Willow actively hateful and sadistic or make the Lumity ship a copy paste of Catradora, aka have them beat the life out of each other but then say uwu owo its not toxic, they love each other.

(seriously i cannot take ship discourse in fandoms seriously, they'll say one ship is toxic or problematic and turn around and ship the same thing but worse.)

For the first point... You're absolutely right. I should not judge for someone exploring different possibilities in concept art because I have no idea when in production that art was made or what the idea for the show was at the time. A LOT of things go through a half a dozen rewrites before the public ever sees them. Frozen apparently came down to the wire for its final plot and it's a miracle we got what we did at all. And even then, I think that movie is still a bit of a mess at times.

Also, fun fact, I have considered an Owl House AU where Luz went to hell instead. In that, Eda would be a demon looking for redemption and her only real ally, but also the only one trying to be real with her so Luz keeps thinking the demons who want to manipulate her are the ones to trust. Amity would have also been an angel undercover and supposed to be giving reports to god about the comatose child who's soul went to hell for some reason when the worst she deserves is Limbo. I could do a concept pitch blog for it but *shrug*

So I think it's personally wrong to conflate canon material with fan material and what is being criticized. Fanworks and the like are one of the safest places to explore different topics or express pain and the like you've had. It also only commonly has one or two eyes on it to say something might be toxic while media on tv usually has a few dozen and the fact that no one catches the red flags is... questionable. Especially why those red flags exist.

(As a note: I can't weigh in on if Catradora is toxic or not because I have watched only one episode of that show. Not even the first. I really ought to though since it seems up my alley.)

WITH THAT SAID, fanfiction authors aren't exactly going to always be respectful about such topics and the like and it took the majority of a year for anyone to tell me people used the Betas for more than murderous, drug addicted psycopaths. Even those people praised a story for having the two get into random fist fights with strangers in a Denny's parking lot so... Yeah. I'm not going to say the characterization of the Betas in the fandom is the best, or their use for that matter.

With all that said, I feel like the nicer Amity has become, and the more the two have come closer and closer to their Beta designs, the less I see of the Betas. Even now, I see lot less blood smears and sadistic grins and a lot more "It's just a normal Lumity picture except a different design." These aren't criticisms really but more just me ruminating on the fact that I think the fandom lost a lot of people who liked the edgier possibilities because of how poorly the show handled its own edge.

As for me as a content creator, have I ever considered using the Betas? I mean, I have for a one off or two, notably a one off where Luz is a dragon and Amity the willing sacrifice to her, but a one off can be hard to capture anything really interesting about them. I'd say I've only had one idea where I maybe wanted to use the Betas and that idea is a Noir Mystery? (It's complicated) story where Amity is a brothel owner in part to make her mom mad, Boscha is both bouncer and stripper for said brothel and dating Amity and Luz is a detective but not super gritty or the like. More Columbo (from what I hear, haven't seen it myself) than normal pulpy fiction Noir types. Also her detective style would lean a lot more into reading people and connections than forensics.

Another story I could do a concept pitch blog for since god only knows when or if I'll ever get to it. That idea is WAY more fleshed out than the going to hell one though.

But yeah, the betas are fine in my opinion to exist and mostly fine in how the fandom uses them because... I mean, if you don't like what they're being used for, just don't consume it. It's not necessary AT ALL to be a part of the fandom and I think a lot of fandoms really need to learn to chill about content creators creating content they don't like.

I don't think people realize the sorts of spaces they're creating within their own fandom because of that or the damage to their show's popularity either. It's a complicated topic and one I've had to give a lot of thought as, well... Ex-erotica writer, remember? And I've still done one erotic story for TOH too, even if it's aged up.

[blocksruinedme]

SMALLETHO WEEK STATUS: PENULTIMATE REPORT

(please let this be penultimate report)

Okay I have 11 hours to get these out in saturday my time zone and i am going to do it, or i'll take my me off and throw me in the lake (it's right there down the street I'll do it.)

You'd think they'd be done by now. You'd think given how many days ago they were first "basically drafted" they'd be done right now. But noooo, some bitch (me) decided the fic "deserve more" and there are scenes "they really need" and like fine yes I still agree but why can't they just be done.

Red Life fic:

the first three sections are about incidents after turning red than made etho go "huh" about joel. they serve their purpose, but currently exist mostly in the form i scrawled down on the back of another fic in my car after the dentist. I could def describe things more, add a little more reflection about their place in the double life ecosystem as they start murdering and burning

gotta make good kiss at end, and the last bits of lead in, and the little bit after

the main issues here is that i gotta go rewatch DL ep 4 from multiple POVs. at minimum i need pearl's pov of dying, and maybe check for some other people's reactions to joel's shit that are not in smalletho vids but in universe they would have heard. (if only i could shove knowledge of every traffic episode fully into my head, sigh. so much content.

so that's not too bad!

fuck me there's 36 [] around words i don't like/phrases that need to be replaced/etc. fml fml fml

LARPer au morning after fic

apparently i'm adding all this backstory, which means i got to take it out o the author's notes, which i hope will make it more appealing. it's mostly about the party that this is morning after, but it's joel pov and *very* focused on getting laid, he's kinda aware that a lot of shit went down for pretty much everyone else

i want to add a very quick awkward bit with joel asking jimmy about the party the night before, currently he's totally succeeding at making joel (who is very distracted) think he's fine. and it's not gonna get explained in this story, but i'm not setting up a giant mystery, it's just more of "joel missed some shit last night". if that upsets people... i'm sorry! i'm actually very new t writing fic but it feels fine? it's a 5k story, alluding to the rest of the world seems fine

then it's just, fuck holding my breath... 40 sets of []. many many many of them, when i have people look at them, they say "that's fine", and it's just me at "will i have a time to struggle for a synonym/rephrasing

Dear everyone who compliments my writing skill (which i love, keep on doing it)

i hope you are not comparing yourself to me. here's some reasons why i probably have a leg (several legs?) up on you

i am very old and have been writing in one way or another possibly since before you could write.

I legit used to teach sat prep in writing, i have been trained in this and made money on it

if you live like i do, when you are my age you will also have a pretty big vocabulary

i usually edit a lot. I get beta, i throw problem sentences and such at friends, i've gotten proofreading from actual professionals. If i published most of my first drafts, well. I might not get as many "well written" compliments (though i think my plot and characterization would be similar levels of quality, my voices not so much - i have google docs for the way people talks and go through my dialogue looking for places to change things. it's actually great. i could share it?)

it's wild that what is my most popular fic by 3x is the one that went from thought of to posted in <12 hours and thus had only quick editing. so, it's not alway from editing

i just never want anyone who doesn't have those things to compare themself negatively to me, y'know? That said I'm a hypocrite, I compare myself negatively to professional writers in other fandoms. So, do as i say, etc

am i avoiding getting back to writing? yes

back to joel talking about asking scott to help him get tarted up

okay one last thing, me being pleased with my writing - i am jumping between my early 20s larper au and my late 20s/30s burning man au, and i think i am doing a good job at giving age appropriate characterizations to similar version of the same characters. my 21 year old Etho feels 21 to me and my early 30s Etho feels early 30s to me. These ensembles are very much based on my own experiences so I've got a lot to work with, 60 year olds would be harder :)

[thevindicativevordan]

What do you think of Snyder's Superman?

I seriously considered skipping over this. I've ranted a lot about this topic elsewhere, and that horse has been beaten to death by everyone, not just me. Can't resist a post for the record so here it is: I consider Snyder to be the worst caretaker of the Superman character ever, and his Superman to be godawful.

God I will never forget the excitement I felt the first time I watched the third trailer for Man of Steel. "Finally," I foolishly thought to myself. "We are getting a movie that can nail Superman's character AND deliver badass fight scenes." The third trailer used lines from All-Star Superman for God's sake, clearly this was the work of people who knew what they were doing. Can't begin to describe how wild I let my imagination run in the lead up to Man of Steel's release: a whole new era was going to begin. I pictured a Superman video game announcement following shortly after, a new cartoon, spin-off movies for Supergirl and Steel, in short I thought Superman was going to actually be back on equal footing with Batman. Superman fandom's decades long nightmare ushered in by TDKR and Superman III & IV being garbage was at last coming to an end.

Instead what followed was a trainwreck that simply grew more and more corrosive to Superman.

Now to be clear, there are some facets of the DCEU Superman which are worthwhile and interesting. Snyder's depiction of Superman's powers gave us some of the most jaw-dropping scenes to ever hit the big screen, and have been copied by numerous other movies and TV shows including Superman & Lois. Conceptually having Superman struggle to be a hero in a world that doesn't immediately fall over to fawn at his feet isn't a bad idea. Zod in the DCEU was the best incarnation of the character, and I'm glad that writers seem to be drawing more on Shannon's portrayal these days over Stamp's. Hans Zimmer gave us beautiful music that evoked Superman wonderfully, I still listen to that First Flight track to this day. Bits and pieces of Snyder's portrayal of Superman are actually good!

Except for the actual characterization of Superman himself. Good God he is so boring in these films! He's not charming or funny or even possessing much in the way of a personality at all. That can be blamed on Snyder's choice to not bother to explain why this version of Clark Kent decides to be Superman. What drives this man? What keeps pushing him to help people even though it keeps blowing his cover? Certainly not the Kents as is traditionally the case, Pa and Ma advocate for self-preservation above all else, even if it means other people dying. So then what's the reason? Only real answer is that DCEU Superman helps people because that's what Superman does, hardly the "realistic" justification you would expect from a franchise that takes great pains to establish how hard it is to become Superman, and how much it sucks to be Superman once you actually do don the cape.

Cavill himself is just meh. Yeah he has the physique to sell himself as Superman, I think that's part of why so many have latched on to him as the One True Superman. But he certainly doesn't offer anything performance wise on the level of what Chris Reeve or Tyler Hoechlin show us. There's no effort to differentiate between the two identities on Cavill's part, and his portrayal of both identities is rather stoic, missing an opportunity to let Cavill explore different facets of Superman's psychology or personality. The "romance" between Cavill and Adams is terrible, much like how there isn't any effort to justify why Clark becomes Superman, there's barely any justification for why Clark and Lois hook up other than "well Superman and Lois always get together right?" and then doing that. While it was ruined by the awful CGI (and everything going on behind the scenes), Cavill's best portrayal of Superman is when he interacts with the kids at the start of Whedon's JL. That was the only time Cavill got to play Superman anywhere near to what I would like to see from a film Superman.

People complain that Snyder's Superman isn't "hopeful", that he's not an optimistic character and they are correct. In and of itself that's not a problem, there are many takes on Superman - some not evil - which I wouldn't describe as optimistic or hopeful. Superman is not always sure of himself, of his place in the world. What kills this take is that Snyder wants to have his cake and eat it. He wants to deconstruct the parts he doesn't like or thinks are dumb, like the no kill rule, but he also wants to just lean back on the cultural assumptions and perceptions of Superman to do the emotional heavy lifting for him. Take Ma and Pa Kent for example. We're supposed to view those two as the same saintlike parents they are everywhere else, and we're supposed to like them. But they're both selfish pricks under Snyder and all their advice to Clark just gets in the way of him helping others. Pa teaches Clark that if helping someone else inconveniences or threatens your standing in life in any way, you shouldn't do it. Maybe let those kids die if it means revealing your secret. Definitely let your dad die because otherwise you'll be exposed, even though you can save him. Ma meanwhile tells Clark he doesn't owe anyone else a damn thing, and he's under no obligation to use his powers to help others. Forget what terrible moral advice that would be for a regular person, what kind of advice is that for your invincible man-god son who could easily crush the entire world beneath his heel? You're telling me, in this "realistic" take, that Pa and Ma never considered the damage Clark could wreck to others, and only ever thought about the danger others could pose to him? Sorry I don't buy that one bit, and it just makes the Kents seem stupid in addition to selfish. Yet Snyder can't seem to understand why so many people rejected his take on the Kents or on Superman himself.

Snyder either doesn't realize, or stubbornly refuses to acknowledge, the way people react to his portrayal of Superman. Sometimes the gap between how Snyder wants us to feel about his Superman, and how the creative choices he makes evoke the exact opposite emotional reaction will give you intense whiplash. We're supposed to feel sad in BvS because Superman died, and we're supposed to understand that everyone else feels sad Superman died too, because Superman is good!.. except Snyder completely undercuts that by teasing evillllll Superman! Why would I feel bad about him dying when you're telling me that Batman was right about him? DCEU Superman is a threat! He's the greatest liability to our planet! He brought Zod to Earth when he activated the Arctic ship! His failure to limit the destruction fighting Zod caused Batman and Lex to go off the deep end, and his failure to properly clean up the damage after the battle left Kryptonian technology where Lex and the military could access them! Of the entire Justice League he is the only one weak-willed enough to succumb to the Anti-Life Equation when his girlfriend dies. All the other Leagues go through hell and lose loved ones in the Knightmare, but they don't succumb, only the so-called "greatest" hero. This ties back into the trend of overdoing "evil Superman" stories: when that is all you can think to do with the character, it really makes it hard to buy that this guy is the paragon who sets the example. He can't be the greatest hero if he's the one who is constantly breaking when shit gets hard, especially when everyone else isn't succumbing. Even more so since we've barely seen him do regular Superman stuff that would make us view him as the leading light!

Furthermore you want to know something truly depressing? Snyderverse Earth is a place where the world would be better off if Superman's pod had just crashed into an asteroid and he had died out in space. Zod would never have come to Earth and killed all those people. Lex and Batman would have never gone insane. The Mother Boxes would never have reactivated - and how shitty is it that the one actual emotion Snyder makes sure to show his Superman evoked was despair so great it caused the Mother Boxes to wake up - and thus Steppenwolf and Darkseid would never have come and destroyed the world. At every turn Superman made life worse, and Batman has to clean up his mess. Even in the end Snyder's plans for Superman have him inspiring jack shit, "Bruce Kent" goes on to be the next Batman, making Batman the one who inspires the next generation and sets the benchmark for everyone else to live up to. All that bullshit about how Superman "made us see the best part of ourselves" is exactly that: bullshit. Snyder's washed out gray wasteland of a world is the same miserable place as when Superman started, he's inspired no real change in the setting whatsoever. The world sucks and he can't make it better besides killing the shit out of a few monsters and rescuing some people.

Finally this supposed "arc" Superman was going through: what was it supposed to be? Learning killing was wrong? He killed Zod twice! He brutally mutilated Steppenwolf and expressed no emotion at Diana cutting his head off! Finding his place in the world? Where the hell does he end up at the end of Snyder's "arc"? The same damn place he started! No friends or loved ones outside his mom and Lois, except for fucking Batman because even when their first major interaction has Batman brutally torture him in the lead up to murdering him, having moms with the same name means they're best friends now. Snyder's "arc" fucking sucks and leaves us with a dogshit character who has to:

Catastrophically fuck up his debut and leave thousands of people dead

Kill off the only surviving members of his race because they're all intrinsically evil

Get his ass whipped by Batman and told how much he sucks, then go kill Zod again

Die

Get brought back and mutilate Steppenwolf

Turn evil after failing to stop Darkseid

Get rebooted by Flash so that he doesn't completely suck and doesn't turn on everyone

Kill Darkseid

Go raise his wife's son with the man who tried to fucking murder him, which she had sex with while his corpse was barely cold, so that his wife's son can one day take up the mantle of the guy who tried to murder him

Fuuuuuuuuck that "arc", if I had to choose between letting Snyder finish his arc and never seeing Superman on the big screen again, I'd kill Superman's film chances permanently in heartbeat. If you thought the DKR damaged Superman, this shit would've been the finishing blow. How the hell do you come back from being turned into a cuckold? Especially when ALL THE OTHER MAJOR SUPERMAN ADAPTIONS OUTSIDE COMICS MAKE HIM LOOK BAD TO SHILL BATMAN?

This take has been one long nightmare for me that just doesn't seem to end. Hopefully the Snyder Cut was the last of it, Cavill seems to be finished in the role and for that I'm grateful. I'd rather wait as long as I have to in order to get a proper Superman adaption over seeing someone try to build something worthwhile out of the ashes left from Snyder torching the franchise. Goodbye and good riddance to bad rubbish, that's my feelings on DCEU Superman.