#if you only understand it as a romance trope and be like 'oh everyone else is just stupid' maybe you need to reread the manga

[ladsofsorrow24]

i think some of you are too used to genre conventions, you guys forgot to question the worldbuilding that many authors painstakingly made to question the subject of death and life in a more nuanced manner than just "wow resurrection is so romantic!"

[archivesofthevoid]

Hiiii!!

Can I get a friends to lovers scenario with some of the Harry Potter boys (particularly George Weasley and Remus Lupin if you do those two characters ❤️❤️)? Any specifics will do, I’m just a sucker for the trope. Please and Thank you!!!

George Weasley - Friends to Lovers Trope HCs

I know you guys are looking for probably actual writing but right now making bulleted headcanons are just so much easier on me and my melting brain, so for now, take this semi detailed scenario hcs about being friends to lovers with George :))

I'm so sorry I'm advance!! these really are just me rambling about how I think it would go,,, I hope y'all enjoy,,

I promise I'll actually write something better for this soon

•So friends to lovers with the one and only George Weasley. Honestly I see this trope as like,,, you're just best friends with him and he's the one to fall first. And believe me, he falls HARD.

•This man doesn't fall easily for people. At least, not like this. Sure he's had a few fling crushes here and there that he might have hyper fixated on a tiny bit just because he craves the attention. HOWEVER - once he realizes he's falling for his best friend? He's a mess.

•One day he was just listening to you talk to him, Fred, Lee and Angelina and all of a sudden when you laughed about something stupid he said? It made him feel different. It pulled at his heartstrings in the most beautiful way that he was almost sure he imagined it because you never stirred up this reaction out of him before?? So he was very confused.

•No doubt he tried to brush it off but as time went on in the span of the 30 minutes you and everyone else was chatting in the Commons, it dawned on him.

•O h. I'm gaining feelings for my best friend.

•Insert him excusing himself to go do… something else. Probably go try to work on WWW inventions or something. He just needed to take a quick breather and distraction. Everyone thought it was normal but Fred could sense something was off with his twin. So he followed after him? He went to their dorm to see George kind of flustered and freaking out and asked what was wrong.

•Naturally, George is great with words /sar so what ended up coming out of his mouth? Complete gibberish. Fred normally could understand his brother's incessant ramblings but not this time.

•"Woah Georgie, slow down. I can't understand you when you're spilling your words all over the floor like this." He normally would have tried to make light of the situation and he still does. Thankfully, George was able to actually get out what he was trying to say.

•"I think - I think I might be falling for them!"

•Que Fred laughing. Also que George punching him in the arm while yelling "BLOODY HELL FRED THIS ISN'T FUNNY!!!"

•Oh but it is. He knew his brother was rather soft when it came to the mushy feelings of romance, but he didn't think he was this bad.

•So naturally Fred has to talk him through processing these feelings (not that he could really handle his own feelings if he ever liked someone like his twin is currently)

•They're both horrible with their feelings. Despite having a big family, I don't think Molly really was there to help them process their own feelings due to having their younger siblings to take care of. And you know Arthur was always working so it was quite literally just the two of them. Not that they don't appreciate their family but c'mon now.

•ANYWAYS I'm getting off track here. George eventually figures out his feelings and yes, its very apparent he feels something for you.

•So he and Fred try to plan accordingly about how to bring it up to you. But you're so… you. George doesn't want to mess whatever you guys have up.

•I will say however that you've noticed him acting a bit different. So the plan the twins had goes out the window once you confront and ask George about his behavior in the next coming weeks.

•He cracks, because he just can't lie to you! Not when you're looking at him like that. So he ends up spilling a confession of which almost gets missed by how hesitant and quiet he gets.

•Thankfully your ears work (unlike mine lmao) and you take his confession in pride. You tell him you appreciate it (which he swears he's about to be rejected just because of those words alone-) but then you tell him that you'd be willing to try. Because recently you had started to see him in a different light.

•He's ecstatic tbh and SO relieved. Like when I tell you he let out the biggest sigh of relief? I MEAN IT.

•This is how your relationship with him starts. Yeah it's a little messy, but not in a bad way! George has next to no idea what he's doing because he REALLY does care for you and he doesn't want to let you down or hurt you.

•Just be patient with him, okay? I promise he makes it all worth it <33

[winter-kh-sideblog]

The thing with Kairi is, for all of the “she has no autonomy and is barely a character” jokes, she is so so interesting if you are willing to put a little bit of effort into understanding her. And this is kingdom hearts, the fandom of digging through offhand comments from games across every console imaginable to put together snippets of backstories, so like, I KNOW there’s an audience of people willing to put in effort? So here is my little essay on why Kairi has so much potential

I think a lot of people get lost because they assume that Kairi is Sora’s girlfriend? And they say “oh well the narrative doesn’t show that, the narrative is giving us more reasons they should move on than that they should stay togehter” and it’s like!!! You’re correct!!!! The narrative IS saying that!!! This is because Kairi is not, and never was Sora’s girlfriend!!!

Most people (correctly, sadly) get the “thrown to the side, no autonomy, barely a character” vibes from Kairi. But then they just go “oh she’s a one-dimentional stock Woman ™ character” and don’t think farther

i think that, a LOT of Kairi’s canon treatment makes more sense when you realize she’s not the “hot popular girl who’s a prize to be won” trope that people think she is. She’s the dead wife.

This sounds wild at first, because she 

Is a teenager

Has never been in a relationship, let alone married

Is ALIVE

So it’s like. What the heck. How could she be the dead wife. But she IS. and i think it’s impossible to unsee once you realize it.

She’s been dead from the beginning. She’s always haunting the narrative. She’s barely present and doesn’t get to make decisions, but the things that happen to her catalyze the entire plot of almost every game?

The thing is, her stock cliche ending is not, and never was “she ends up with Sora bc she’s the Prize and the symbol of Winning and they live heteronormatively ever after.” Her ending was always. She is perfect and innocent and pure. She dies. Everyone is sad and angry for a bit. They fight for justice. Then they move on. The happy ending is catalyzed by her and she gets credit, but she doesn’t do anything, she doesn’t have autonomy, and she doesn’t get to stick around for the ending. 

And this is a REPEATING motif in her life. When she was FOUR years old she was sent ahead to stop the apocalypse. She is basically dead to her homeworld. They weren’t getting her back. She lost her memories and her family and her life.

In kingdom hearts one, she dies in the apocolypse and becomes motivation and a prop for Sora and Riku. She doesn’t get to fight, she doesn’t get blood on her hands, she isn’t faced with messy decisions.

In kingdom hearts 2, she’s again kidnapped to start the plot. She doesnt get to be with sora or riku or even know what’s happening for most of the game.

And then of course in kingdom hearts 3, she’s literally killed, and it’s like. It’s not even a fight. She’s literally just slaughtered for no reason other than Sora fight motivation.

She’s the symbol of home and family to Sora. It’s not just a matter of romance, there’s not even romance between them? Not really? It’s about childhood and closeness and the promise of forever.

And the thing is. She clearly doesn’t want to be the dead wife character. I don’t think anyone would??? But it is ALL she’s good at. And that’s the problem. She’s a princess of heart, which is defined by absence. She doesn’t have darkness. She doesn’t have evil or badness or anger or malice or anything. And it’s just so?????? She’s narratively destined to die young before she has the chance to get older and get involved in anything messy or morally dubious. Her “job” is to be perfect and good enough that people miss her when she’s gone.

And then???? They don’t????? That’s the whole thing with melody of memory. They let her stay in a coma for an ENTIRE YEAR. Her friends are upset when she dies, but Sora’s the only one actually fighting to bring her back. No one else makes an effort to be with her???? It doesn’t seem like Riku makes any effort to contact her at all in the time between kh1 and kh2 when Sora’s in a coma for an entire year???? They fight and kill to wake Sora up but not Kairi anymore?????

They can't even make a kairi GAME without making her basically dead because that's her Role.

And it’s like????? What do you do when you’re the dead wife. When everyone theoretically loves you but only for what you’re not. When they love you because you’re fragile and pure and have never done anything wrong. When you’re not allowed the chance to live enough to become anything complicated, and people act like that’s for the best?

What do you do when you’ve been dead since the beginning, when everyone has already mourned you??? When they've all reached the acceptance phase and you're not sure if they want you back? They've spent too long learning to be Without you to remember how to be With you and now you're an inconvenience and a reminder of closed wounds?

What do you do when you’re alive but you never learned How to be alive, because you weren’t Supposed To survive????? What do you do when no one knows what to do with you??????

I think a lot of people who want Kairi to break free from the narrative are the ones who keep saying things like “oh she needs to move on from Sora and get better friends” but Sora is one of the only people who gets it?????? He’s been one of the only people that we see onscreen???? making any kind of attempt????? To love her like she’s alive?????? Its not much but its literally ALL shes given?????? And i dont fault her for holding onto that?????? And cherishing it????

And I do think it can be very cool to see her move on???? But i dont think people understand that,,,, if Sora and Kairi were to end up together, it wouldn’t be playing into the cliche, expected ending. Kairi LIVING is already breaking free of the tropes. Kairi being allowed to be messy and hurt and heartbroken,,,, being allowed to want things for herself,,,, being able to ask for help IN THE MOMENT instead of having people guess what she would have wanted after she’s gone,,,, being loved as a person rather than as an idea,,,,, Thats breaking free of the narrative tropes in such a profound way. And i don’t even think it matters much whether it’s romantic or as bffs or as teammates???? It’s just about being chersished as a human person and given a support system.

So yes, i do want to see Kairi make new friends and get some self confidence and move past her layers and layers of survivors guilt and make an identity for herself that doesn’t revolve around a man???? But also????? I think that its 2023 and people should stop pretending that sokai is inherently the boring or cliche expected ending when they’re LITERALLY doomed by the narrative already. Like do you guys actually not realize how subversive it would be if they were to end up together. The romance of staying alive for each other and breaking the cycle out of pure love and spite. The rebellious act of LIVING and taking up space while you're alive, of being a person instead of a concept to be idealized.

You can ship what you want and whatever sparks joy but PLEASE for the love of everything do not call sokai the boring ending. Please stop saying that letting kairi continue to exist and be alive will make the games suck or be cliche. Please.  Just like put a little bit of effort into themes and narratives i beg of you. It is so much more fun.

[lfghughes]

Can I get a forbidden romance with Trevor? I’m not really picky about why it’s forbidden but maybe not the usual brothers best friend trope ❤️🙏🏻

a/n: you asked for forbidden romance so i went as dramatic as i possibly could with this. pls dont hate me. i did not include any names so just pretend its a player that everyone universally hates so no one feels bad for him going forward

warning: this fic is definitely going to have some cheating in it as well as a not so good boyfriend in the emotional sense.

“I don’t know what you expect me to do.” You let out a frustrated sigh as you looked over at Trevor. Both of you had stepped outside onto the patio of the restaurant and it hadn’t taken long for an argument to start between the two of you. An argument you had to keep kind of quiet so you wouldn’t get anyones attention but you also knew any of your shared friends inside couldn’t even see you two. “Maybe I don’t know, don’t move away?” He said it as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

Like you wanted this move when it was actually the last thing you wanted. “You know I can’t just do that.” You tried to calmly explain to him but he was already waving his hand as if your words were just an excuse. “So you’re just going to go. That’s it?” He asked and you nodded your head because what else was he expecting. Trevor wouldn’t understand because he wasn’t in your shoes. Everything was easy when you weren’t the one having to actually do it. “Listen, let’s pause this conversation. We have to go back in there but we can talk about it some other time this week. Promise.” You did mean that, even if you felt like you couldn’t change the outcome the way he wanted.

Making your way back inside, you slipped into your seat. Almost immediately a hand went to your thigh and you turned, pasting a smile onto your face as you looked at your boyfriend. “Everything okay? You look upset.” He pointed out and you shook your head. “I’m fine.” You gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, trying to distract him from asking any more questions. “What were you and Z talking about out there?” No such luck apparently on the questions. “He was just asking about your trade and if we were excited to move.”

That answer seemed to do the trick. Oh yeah, did you forget to mention that your current boyfriend was Trevors teammate and not only that but he just got traded to the east coast so both of you had to pack your bags this upcoming week and start looking for a new place. Only downside? You weren’t happy but you didn’t know how to express it. You had fallen out of love with your boyfriend before you had even gotten to know Trevor but you had truly known it once you had spent more time with him.

There had been red flags there with your current boyfriend that you should have acknowledged sooner but ignored. Funny enough Trevor had been the one to point out the obvious red flags to you as you two had grown closer. It was obvious Trevor wasn’t a fan of his teammate which wasn’t good for anyone and this trade should have been good news to him except when he realized you weren’t planning on staying behind with him. There had been not nice words shared from Trevor that you were just looking for comfort and you were choosing that over actual real love.

Maybe he wasn’t far from the truth but you had been in this relationship for so long and your lives were intertwined so deeply that it almost felt like you needed to just deal with it. Trevor of course didn’t see eye to eye on that. In another life you knew you and Trevor could have been happy together but that just wasn’t going to be this life. “Actually I just wanted to say something real quick.” Your boyfriends voice snapped you out of your thoughts.

As he lowered himself onto one knee in front of you, you felt your heart start to race but not in the good way. You knew what was about to happen and when the ring box came out you wanted to excuse yourself from the table but you were in front of all your friends and panic took over instead. “Will you marry me?” There had been a pretty good sized speech before that you missed and all you could hear were those four words. “Uh yeah. I mean yes.” You were dizzy and your eyes flashed up to see Trevor disappearing out the door of the restaurant.

[cowboybrunch]

writerblr interview tag!

thank you for the tags @tragedycoded (here) @sableglass (here) and @saturnine-saturneight (here) <3 ive been meaning to get to this one for a minute sooo let's get into it

Short stories, novels, or poems?

i started with poetry, so it has a special place in my heart. all of my short stories turn into beasts. is it a cop out answer to say all of the above?

What genre do you prefer reading?

it'd be easier to list what genres i don't like. when i say ill read anything, i mean ill read anything. lately i've been on a sci fi kick (thanks Pierce Brown) but i love a good modern trashy romance as much as the next guy (i read the booktok sludge so you dont have to!) im not really a nonfiction guy but hey, if anyone has some recs, ill give em a shot

Are you a planner or a write as I go kind of person?

def NOT a planner. usually when i start writing i have a vague idea of where we start and where we need to end up, but what happens along the way is a surprise for everyone involved

What music do you listen to while writing?

SILENCE. sometimes white noise. i cant focus with music, brain gets jumbled

Favorite books/movies?

of all time? oh god for books, probably This Is How You Lose the Time War or The Song of Achilles but The Locked Tomb series is def up there. not a novel but i've read Bluets by Maggie Nelson so many times i probably have it memorized by now favorite movie is Zoolander, easy answer. that movie owns. i can watch it on repeat and ill never get sick of it

Any current WIPs?

Dust to Dust is still alive but im taking a bit of a hiatus before hopping into the final bit (tag is here if you wanna see me ramble about it) Felix Wonder is the fun time brain break WIP of choice currently and im working on draft 3 of Burden of the Reluctant Death (we will get to the ending this time. we will)

Create a character description of yourself: 

Elusive, or pretends to be. Too much energy in too small a body. Refuses to sit properly in a chair. Prone to fits of melancholy remedied by sunlight. Easily excitable, but fussy. Same outfit every day: big sweater, little pants, fuzzy socks. Nails bitten bloody but at least her hair is clean (if a bit too long for summer)

Do you like incorporating actual people you know into your writing?

i could say no but that would make me a liar

Are you kill happy with your characters?

i was gonna make a joke but it would be spoilers soo. i write about grief. no way everyone makes it out alive

Coffee or Tea while writing?

coffee. i dont like tea (sorry sorry!)

Slow or fast writer?

im very much a burst writer so. flood or drought, no in between. lately i'd say SLOW but im just waiting for that spark u get me?

If you were in a fantasy world, what would you be?

this really isnt fantasy but i feel like i was destined to be the kind, slightly off-putting maintenance man in a haunted apartment building that says cryptic things like "don't take the east elevator on a full moon" and "the air conditioning has made that noise since the fire in 12B"

Most fav book cliche:

yea there's only one bed and ill eat it up every single time!!! also: "i didnt know where else to go" or basically any overdone romance trope you can think of. im here for it

Least favorite cliche:

if there's a cliche that i dont like, i havent found it yet

Favorite scene to write?

confession scenes of any kind! scenes where the big tough character breaks down. any kind of emotional revelation, positive or negative

Reason for writing?

words in head, need words out of head ok ok fine, serious answer. i feel like writing is both asking and answering the question, "have you felt like this before? has anyone ever felt like this before? am i alone?" and it's proof that you're not the first and only person to ever experience the things you're experiencing. even this made up guy in this pretend world understands rage and despair and joy and grief and love. the source is different but the result is the same. human connection, man. love it and! it's fun. im having fun

tag!!

@knightinbatteredarmor @friendlesscat @tildeathiwillwrite @glassonthewall @illarian-rambling

@mysticstarlightduck @dyrewrites @sarandipitywrites @oliolioxenfreewrites @xenascribbles

[heretherebedork]

Mmmm, Shu in the doorway as he finally approaches his own feelings through Shin who has never shied away from love or standing up for his relationship.

This contrasting with the way that Minato has separated them due to Shin's jealousy and want to be out about their relationship is very interesting because Shin has never doubted his love while Shu is just starting to realize that he might feel something more for Asuka.

We're making the transition from a queerplatonic relationship that was not fulfilling what Asuka needed but was what Shu thought he wanted into a romantic relationship that they both want as this love is realized.

I am not implying or saying that a queerplatonic relationship is less than romance. By no means. But It is different and these characters trying to face their differences and to face what's changed and what's different and what it means is truly interesting.

Because Asuka has always approached this as a romantic relationship but tried to temper his own love with the knowledge that Shu simply didn't feel that way... while Shu has just been coasting along on Asuka's affection and love because it fulfilled what he needed from their relationship... until it didn't because he saw Asuka supposedly cheating and started to realize that he wanted more.

... This doorway just means a lot to me, okay? Shu is taking the first steps into a change in his identity, realizing he's in love and what that means for him and for his relationship and how it affects him and it's beautiful. Because he is the student to Shin's expertise. We see him through the same doorway, sitting at a desk, Shin in a position of authority.

Again and again we see Shu not using his words because he doesn't know what to say or how to say it or assumes that people will understand him without his spoken participation. Shu always makes the very base assumption that people know what he needs and what he means without having to actually say it.

That's part of why his relationship with Asuka is under so much stress. He only says about half of what he needs to express his feelings and affection and he says even less sometimes because he doesn't know what he's feeling himself.

Third time for this exact trope of someone thinking that the physical manifestation of love is a physical malady with their heart. I love them all.

But also this just explains so much. Even when Shu was showing Asuka affection, it wasn't from a place of romantic love. At least not yet. He hadn't realized that what he felt was love, that he felt more than he'd thought.

Shu came into this expecting a queerplatonic non-romantic relationship on his part and to simply be who he could be to Asuka and assumed that Asuka loving him was just... enough. And now he's realizing that he fell in love and he think that Asuka might have fallen out of love because he thinks he was cheating on him.

My beloved this absolute emotional idiot. I love Shu so much because he doesn't recognize his own emotions. He has no idea and no connection to the idea that he loves Asuka and that's why his heart hurts. He really doesn't know. This is entirely foreign to him.

Shin is so done with everyone else's relationship. His struggles in his own have left him with just nothing. He's so frustrated with these older men who don't seem to know their own feelings.

We need so many more straightforward boys like Shin, y'all.

Oh, Shin, we all love you. The most audacious boy to ever BL. The best beansprout. The boy who loved and loved and loved and never stopped for anything.

Shin getting to express his frustration with the way his relationship with Minato is good here. It's important to know that he loves Minato but he's also hurt by the way Minato acts and treats him sometimes, that for all his love doesn't end he isn't always happy about it. It's just nice how many people Shin has to talk to about his feelings.

Unlike Minato and Asuka.

(That is a whole thing I could talk about, how Shu and Shin both have other people to confide in and manage to communicate with each other while Asuka and Minato tend to end up very trapped in their own heads. They can't even give each other advice because they're caught in their own thoughts. Asuka does have Shin to have some extent but their communication is also rough.)

Shu literally getting smacked with the realization that he loves Asuka. That he absolutely, fully, completely loves him. You know. His boyfriend.

Well, again, I think Shu considered them to be queerplatonic and to realize that you're feeling romantic love when you never considered yourself capable of romantic love is a terrifying concept. To be faced with feelings you never thought you'd have and for someone that you think might have stopped feeling that for you... terrifying.

Shin continues to be a genius and Shu's realization takes a lot for him. I mean, it is in fact huge. I can't be upset with him.

But also I think that this explains a lot of why people struggle with their relationship. @italianpersonwithashippersheart's has left all the best comments in my tags about their struggles with their pairing and I get it (also, omfg, those tags make my day EVERY TIME just FYI). And I think this is a huge component of it. Realizing that Shu didn't know he loved Asuka has colored all his actions in this entire show so far. Shu has genuinely been acting on affection and care but not on romantic love. Because he didn't recognize it as a feeling and because he doesn't even know what it means.

It's a struggle because there is a difference between how you care for someone and how you stay in a relationship with someone when you care for them versus when you romantically love them.

This is also about Shu coming to the realization of what's been happening in their relationship. Of what their relationship is and what it means to him.

This is the perfect halfway mark for the series because the rest has to be about settling with the cheating and the communication and what romantic love means to both of them. We know Asuka has been feeling neglected and lonely in this relationship and now it's Shu's turn to try to act on what he's feeling.

May Shin's direct communication be a blessing to these two. Because Shu and Asuka need to actually talk at some point. Desperately. They need communication. But Asuka is afraid of losing Shu and Shu didn't realize what he felt until it was threatened.

I am already dying for next. Absolutely lost. Absolutely gone. Asuka is so terrified of losing Shu that he can't do anything or act on anything or speak up because he's terrified of losing even the tiniest hints of what he has. And what is Shu going to do? Who's he going to talk to!? I doubt it's Asuka, honestly. But I cannot wait. I love this show so much, y'all.

(Also, the chup chup has been a Thai joke about kissing so many times that I'm a bit surprised to see it in Japan but I love it.)

[volcanicflowers]

1 2 and 3 for general ships, 24 and 42 for forthur!

List 3 shipping tropes you love

differing lifespans gets me every time, absolute height of romance. what if you took up only a minuscule portion of this guy's life but you were still their most important person ever. what if they knew this couldn't last forever but what if it was worth it.

this is just recently on my mind since we were discussing it today lol but enemies or rivals to lovers.. good shit. what if the most insufferable guy you knew became the only person you trust and the only one who understands you.

i was gonna put devotion here but i decided to use that for the emotional aspect so i'm gonna say travel buddies, their home is wherever the other one is...

List 3 shipping tropes you don’t love

soulmates. boring as hell. whats the point if you already know it'll work out no matter what because you're destined to be.

when they're too healthy. i'm not here to watch you guys discuss any problems you have in a healthy and productive way i want to see you have problems and issues and make your couples therapist quit in front of you.

guy and Girl Version™

One emotional aspect of a ship that always gets you

THE DEVOTION ABOVE ALL ELSE!!!!! when they're like blowing up suns and killing over each other. when they're just the most important guy ever to each other, yea girl destroy that universe for your silly guy.

FORTHUR TIME

What’s ONE conflict they’ve had.

one??? god they have so many.. ford is a little bitch who can't stop running away from his problems and feelings and arthur doesn't like to think about his in the first place.

they are so like.. well i think theres a reason why every time i try to make them in the sims or whatever the game immediately goes "what the fuck. these two are incompatible as hell." because they ARE. but also not really. you get what im saying?

the thing is ford would do anything for arthur but arthur is too attached to his comfort zone and the general illusion of being normal to do more than be like "okay." and a man can get fed up with this. they can't communicate so ford just Fucks Off until he gets sick of not being around arthur and the cycle continues. idk if this makes any sense but yknow what i mean

Would they get married? If so, describe their wedding.

oh man i've had several ideas about this. one day i'll write a fanfic i swear to god. there's the space vegas wedding of course, they get incredibly drunk and get married and then chased off the planet bc of some stupid casino fraud ford did or something. they barely get the marriage certificate signed bc they're being drunk dumbasses, ford drew a little car for his middle name.

my SECOND forthur wedding idea is "hitchhiker wedding". completely broke? president caused the worst economic collapse in galactic history? its okay you just go stand in a field in front of all the stars so everyone can see you and give each other any personal item, ideally something useful that will help your partner even when you're not there. (alternatively called towel marriage, which is also the name of my random ideas google doc)

[lesbiansanemi]

I know you said you will spare everyone from your essays, but I kind of want to read them (specifically the demon slayer ships that are popular [giyuushino,obamitsu,zenezu,tankana, etc])

Obviously, you don't have to write the essays, but if you were to write them, I would be the first one to read /nf

☀️🌻

Oh yeah! Sure! I'll take any excuse to get up on my soap box lmao

I want to preface this, as the ships you've specifically listed are popular m/f pairings among the fandom, and three of which are actually canon, that I am very picky with m/f ships. I don't dislike them by virtue of being m/f, but it does take an extremely interesting dynamic to get me to like them, and for them not to feel like people are just smashing the characters together because they're a guy and a girl and they should be together literally just because... they're a guy and a girl.

I'll start with Obamitsu and Tankana as I'm a lot less critical of them than Zennezu and Giyuushino

To be honest, I don't actually dislike Obamitsu. I just... don't really care about it, and I find that most people who ship it don't seem to care about any of the more interesting or nuanced aspects of it. They get boiled down to "mean angry man is only soft for his sweet bubbly gf" which is... not a trope I'm super fond of. I think there's a lot of interesting aspects to explore with the ship, like the angle of Mitsuri initially wanting a stereotypical masculine man to take care of her and provide for her, eventually falling in love with a physically smaller and weaker man who doesn't know how to function in society at large, leaving her the much more "competent" of the two, forcing her to examine gender roles and her own internalized sexism as well as her supposed preferences. There's also Obanai's fear and trauma regarding women, and the fact that Mitsuri is about as stereotypically feminine as you can get. I think these are somewhat interesting things to explore, but most people (and the manga itself) never explored these things and wanted to paint them as a very straight forward cutesy (and tragic, but only in the sense that they both die young) romance like "look! Obanai can be nice and soft sometimes! And Mitsuri fell in love like she wanted!" with nothing else. The relationship makes sense to me, writing wise and why people would enjoy it, but ultimately does not do enough to make me genuinely care about it beyond going "yeah it's okay I guess." All this being said, it becomes a lot more fascinating if you add the angle of transfem Obanai, or add Shinobu for Obashinomitsu, but obviously this is not canon nor what ppl want or expect with the ship at large

Tankana is kind of similar in the sense that I just find it really boring. Kanao is a very layered and fascinating character to me. Given her childhood and trauma, I get why she would latch onto Tanjiro and admire him in the way that she did. She was a character who never experienced kindness or even being treated as a human being until Shinobu and Kanae found her. To be honest, I think her relationship with the Kocho sisters is incredibly complicated, and immediately being entranced in the Corps lifestyle also affected her in an extreme way. To meet someone like Tanjiro, who is so unabashedly kind and genuine and immediately sees her as a person with agency (not that the Kocho sisters didn't do this, but that Kanao has had more time to adjust and process her trauma by the time she met Tanjiro so he's more... separate, in a way), like I said, it makes sense to me that she would latch onto him.

So it makes sense, and I don't hate that they became canon, but again, it's just a bit boring to me. I also personally think that Kanao and Nezuko's storylines and personalities compliment each other a lot more from a writing perspective, so I much prefer Nezukana. So yeah, it's a ship that makes some sense to me, I can understand why people like it, but I don't care about lol. And it does have a little bit of the "they get together because they're a boy and girl omg" angle, though it is a little less egregious than some.

And oh boy alright here we go

So Zennezu. The ship's only basis in Zenitsu's overplayed crush on Nezuko. I already don't like ships like that, where the whole thing is "one of the characters has a crush on the other for shallow, usually physical, reasons the entire series and the other character never acknowledges it/returns it until suddenly they do at the end of the series." Like, imo, that's one of the laziest ways to write a romance ever, and also just feels very unrealistic. Maybe that's the aroace in me, but "crushes" portrayed like that are just not realistic or compelling to me.

Beyond that, I think the ship kind of negates a lot of Zenitsu's character arc and development. He ended up in the situations he did because of his obsessions with women and wanting a wife, and a lot of him needing to learn to live and do things for himself, not because he wants the stereotypical image of a wife, and not letting his anxieties control him. Instead of getting that development, seeing him settle down with Nezuko at the end of the chapter feels... idk, out of place? Odd? I can't think of the right word, but just for a character development perspective it just doesn't make sense to me. Also. Nezuko deserves better lol

And for Giyuushino.... Yeah. The epitome of "guy and girl get together because they're a guy and girl and stood in the same frame so that means they're canon." (Because no seriously, I would be less bitchy about this ship if the shippers could acknowledge it has no canonical substance or backing but so many of them fully act like it's based in some kind of canon feelings or implications)

I just truly don't understand what is so entertaining about two characters who work together, who, conceivably, if they were ever going to even be friendly with each other, would have done it already. One of their few interactions is Shinobu telling Giyuu how much everyone hates him, and also Giyuu really never gives an indication whatsoever that he wanted to be close with Shinobu. He treated her the same as he treated all the other Hashira

Also Shinobu is a lesbian and anyone who disagrees just fundamentally don't understand her sorry not sorry she hates men

But yeah! That's the gist of it! Idk, I just tend to really dislike popular m/f ships as I hate the way ppl as a whole approach m/f shipping and the dynamics they go for for it. So much of it is "mean and/or emotionally stunted guy really likes girl and she fixes him and also we'll ignore a lot of the female character's nuances and flaws" but. You know.

[millimononym]

Choose violence ask: 10, 12 and 25 for Galactik Football

k imma be honest this was really hard cuz like. Galactik football is a really small fandom so we don't really have a general "fanon" consensus or really a general Anything consensus so i had to think abt it real hard

10. worst part of fanon

ok so we don't really have a fanon (again) but something i saw in some fics (not bashing anybody btw) quite enough was making the other SK super unlikable to the point of OOC just to make another character seem better or more sympathetic (it's Micro-ice). Just. Complete assholery to a ridiculous level that would never happen in between the main cast(at least in the first 2 seasons) just to make u feel bad for the guy.

And i don't understand that. Because like. Micro-ice is already kind of mistreated in canon? he literally never got an apology for the way he was treated (which made him RUN AWAY IN THE FIRST PLACE!!) and everyone just returned to being friendly with each other despite them never addressing Micro-ice's feelings in a proper way imo. So WHY would you feel the need to make the others OOC to a ridiculous degree to try and make people sympathize with Micro-ice??? He's ALREADY SYMPATHETIC!! Just adress his feelings !!!

Oh and this was also done mostly for shipping reasons because...of course.

Can't have a character have a healthy support system outside of the one person they're dating!! Nope!! We HAVE to isolate a person from their friends by making them uncharacteristically horrible just to make the only outside option look better!! Peak romance!! /S (literally it's just the family friendly version of that fanfic trope where writers kill off canon characters who 'get in the way' of their ship lol)

12.the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

Ok so i know "unpopular" in this context means hated or unliked but... I think i agree with most of the fandoms opinions on this one lol. Just to check, The hated characters that come to my mind are Yuki(don't really hate her on her own, but her relationship with Micro ice makes me wanna throw myself off a cliff so as a side effect i dislike her), Mark(no strong opinions to give except "he's boring" which we've all heard a million times by now), p much everyone in s3...idk i can't really remember anyone else. I personally find duke Maddox annoying but that's not the point of the question

So I'll take this as LITERAL unpopularity. You may have noticed but a while back i was obsessed with The Shadows and giving them personalities since i was upset that as the rival team they never got screen time. I think i was the only one that cared about them lol so there's that. It's just...Sinedd was a semi-main character! And they made a big deal out of him leaving for the Shadows!! And then NEVER expanded on them as a team other than "they aggressive 😢" !!! They should have done something with them!!!! Also the other rival teams as well. We should have gotten more alien content in this sci fi series goddamit!! They all have lots of potential that was unfortunately unused imo

25.common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

I agree with most common fandom complaints..but as this is a small fandom, so we probably think of different things (or I'm just forgetting something)

The most common complaints i hear are that the pirates subplot took up too much time, clothing design being wack and generally disliking season 3. i agree with those, personally.

Again you and i probably think of different things when we hear "common fandom complaint" so feel free to tell me which ones i may have missed because I'm probably forgetting a lot

[plaggioclase]

Chlodrien siblings is so important to me actually (discord dump)

lettuce: Chlonoir is SO good ..his very specific way of putting up with her, that visible displeasure with an undercurrent of fondness, the snark and disrespect rooted in a long standing rapport (I don’t know if I’m even making sense) it’s too bad we get like 2 minutes of it in canon Helix: lmao now you've got me thinking that Chlonoir is Marichat but different lettuce: And this is blorbrain spiraling but the unconditional love that remains despite Chloe veering off the path into oblivion because hes one of the only people on earth who remembers her heart. like even if he sternly friend-dumps her you know he’d be the first to come running back when she’s ready to turn around even if (especially if)she’s rotting in a hole. That’s my kind of chlodrien lettuce: I can’t believe I didn’t notice the  chlonoir branch of my rinaverse au has actually marichat tropes

lettuce: Much to be said about Chloe’s obsession/possessiveness of adrien but in my head she never actually had romantic feelings for him just didnt understand how else a person can remain special in someone’s life besides being lovers. The insecurity, like her mom left so even if he’s like a brother that’s not for keeps(to him it is but she doesn’t know that) gotta put a ring on it and make sure everyone knows... I’m normal about them. Helix: riggghtttttt

I've been watching some Chloe compilations and she's about as touchy feely with hugs and kisses as Adrien is with Maribug, especially in her earlier episodes lol

That's where I get the romance part, even though she thinks everyone else's displays of affection are gross hah

but Adrien definitely sees her as more of a sister. It's kinda weird to kiss someone you think of in that way, even if it's for a play...... eh

I wonder if she was more successful when they were kids, and he just developed some discomfort when he realized that he doesn't return her affections, at least around Origins when he really did fall in love lettuce: i could imagine that part of his discomfort is the jarring difference betw her behavior at school vs how he knew her before which could include the come ons, like she’s putting on a show and it’s embarrassing for both of them Helix: oh yeah definitely Helix: but I do think that each other being their only friend until middle school makes their friendship/bond fairly strong lettuce: “Why are you acting like this, please stop” because she was normal with him before and suddenly is very much not Helix: that's why I like the Pixelator moment. it's just them together, she's vulnerable, he teases her lettuce:

the best

Also notice how she clings to him way more as soon as ladybug is watching

Helix: ohhh I see what you mean

she's clingier in front of others

but she also doesn't treat Adrien like a pet when they're alone lettuce: Yeah she doesn’t touch him at all in the void except immediately after seeing the croc which is a fear reaction and not a show of affection

I haven’t quite figured out Felix Chloe relationship yet

annoying

Stupid

Spoiled brat

“fake adrien”

Seems like they never deigned to see each other as people

[itsbinghebitch]

"the bdsm is just a part of that that imo doesn't stand on its own without the emotional devastation. thank you for coming to my ted talk"

Exactly! Fucking this!! Like Vegas didn't fall for Pete because he found no other suitable partner sexually. If that's the basis of their relationship, how long would it take for Vegas or Pete to move on when they encounter someone more compatible ( and there always can be someone more compatible).

Also so so true about the pool scene. Pete could have said million other things ( I am not too mad about the "I am hungry", kind of like it) but then he chooses I am your pet, aren't I? And my god I wanted to slap someone. Like whenever I sent asks to people regarding this, they were like oh no no it was to steer Vegas away from harming himself. And I was...like that?! I also wanted more of an ambiguous ending. Like Pete torn between what happened at the safehouse ( the abuse , the talk, the romance, then the devastating day when Gun came etc) and his current feelings ( Vegas risking in to say that he is sorry, Vegas can't make himself shoot at Pete, Vegas confessing and wanting to die by Pete's hands, Vegas being shot at and the horror of losing him). I also think that if Pete was Kinn's most trusted to the point of actually him choosing Pete over Big ( just how?) for the mission...there should be more dilemma on Pete's part. He loves Vegas, might have been the one looking after Macau but there's still his loyalty for the main family. Wanting to be with Tankhun out of his sense of duty. Wanting to be with Porsche ( you know the guy for whom he took on the risky mission?) after his discovery of the not dead mom. And yet Pete isn't now just someone who feels like his purpose is to fade...he has finally been seen.

If that's the basis of their relationship, how long would it take for Vegas or Pete to move on when they encounter someone more compatible

*shouts this from rooftops, blazes this with tumblr blaze* bcuz yes. that's exactly it. you cracked it open everyone else go home

and yes, I'll rectify and say I liked the 'I'm hungry' bit and i love and understand their ongoing hunger motif. it's the pet thing that leaves me..... confused? for lack of a better word? like what does that resolution mean for their third act conflict? if Pete said 'I'm just an object to project your feelings on,' what does it mean that the only ostensible reason for Vegas not killing himself is their pet-owner dynamic? what does it mean for Pete's self-worth statement? how does it make any sense with the later hospital scene, when Vegas admits that Pete is not his pet anymore, but the most important person in his life? these all feel like threads of a conclusion for the pairing, almost as if there were several possible endings in the writers room and Pond said. actually let's just have them all :)

And yet Pete isn't now just someone who feels like his purpose is to fade...he has finally been seen.

let's caveat this with: kinnporsche is a show powered primarily by trope, shock value and melodrama. I try as much as possible to meet it at its own level, but that doesn't mean there can't be good faith critique of what it tries to achieve. your point is exactly why I was left frustrated by much of the latter half of the show. as a viewer you feel gaslit: Vegas claims Pete is the most important person in his life. we get Pete screen time galore. we have Pete go through trials and tribulations, yet why does Pete still feel like an extra? rather than creating a meaningful arc for him, the writing continues treating him as an afterthought.

compare that with Vegas, whose love arc with Pete is beautifully intertwined with his primary internal conflict (his positioning by his father as a competition object to the main family). while Vegas drives the Tawan pinch point and the safehouse arc, it's Pete's own decision to kiss Vegas and start their sexual relationship. his agency doesn't stop there: Pete also makes the decision to escape Vegas and then later on to punish Vegas physically and stick with Vegas as he gets shot and recovers. the reasoning behind these choices remains, however, nebulous to the viewer.

Pete deciding to escape the safehouse after starting a sexual relationship with Vegas--how does it integrate into the larger history of who Pete is? why is a bdsm relationship with his captor appealing to Pete to begin with? why does Pete decide to "take Vegas back" after Vegas's love confession and the parking lot punching during the coup? is this reflective of Pete's values as a character? was that enough for him to consider the conflict resolved?

these are all questions unanswered by the show. Pete feels like an extra because the writing treats him as such: unlike every other protagonist, we don't have a single benchmark for his inner conflicts except a violent past under his father's boxing abuse. at the end of the day, all of his actions are actually re-actions: to Kinn ordering him to follow Vegas, to Vegas's abuse, etc. to me, the only real, fully agentic action Pete takes (as I, as a viewer, understand what exactly powers his choices), is when he offers Vegas his own life story in episode 11: I see you and I recognize your pain and suffering. here is how I surpassed mine.

[aurelim]

It always makes me so happy when I see someone sharing my opinions about not liking ROs getting together or with "NPCs" if not romanced! I HATE it. It's one of the tropes I hate the most in IF and visual novels. Of course, I have nothing against people who like it, cause tastes! But it makes me very uneasy unless it's something the player can actively influence. I'm fine with it if it happens only if the MC matchmakes actively, and wouldn't happen "passively" on a playthrough in which the MC doesn't push for it to happen.

If it's "mandatory" it stresses me out. I don't even think it's "jealousy" per se for me though! More like... Well most of the time when I play a game, I will ONLY have one single "canon playthrough", and that means I will only ever romance one of the ROs. Sometimes I'm truly interested in more than one, but I always struggle with forcing myself to romancing another one, since I feel like "betraying" the first RO and "cheating" on them. It feels pretty awful (and because of my canon playthrough thing, I can't make multiple MCs either, or I will feel like I'm "robbing my first MC out of their story"). In very rare instances I manage to force myself to romance more than one character, but the guilt is always strong. And well, if this cheating on the ROs makes me uneasy, the RO "cheating on the MC" too makes it 100 times worse. It both manages to strenghten my guilt, and also makes me feel uneasy in regard to that romance happening with the RO and another character.

Not only that, but there is another aspect - realism is not what I'm looking for when reading IF or VNs. I LIKE the fact the MC is actually the MAIN character, the one the story revolves around. I love how "special" the romances feel if well written, how "made for each other" the MC and their RO may feel. But if the RO can just end up with someone else on another path, and "bypass" all the struggle and highs and lows they went through with the MC and just be just as happy with someone else... well, it's disheartening, because suddenly the romance with the MC doesn't mean much anymore, and is in a way "inferior" to that other romance.

Anyway, sorry for the rant! Long story short, I'm happy you share my feelings!

Oh haha I'm glad you can relate!

The way I play IFs, I usually self-insert. Rare when so many use their own MCs, but I just like seeing my name used in the game LOL. I think I can understand if you feel like you are cheating on your first chosen RO if you go for another. But personally I do not get attached that way. What I do is save, see what the romance option is like, reload the old save and then continue playing. Or I use the back button if available.

I try not to get too attached to a character. That can be hard if the character is well-written. In A Tale of Crowns I could not imagine romancing anyone other than X. Although I tried A and also loved that route too. My heart was all in for X despite this. Don't feel like you're cheating! At the end of the day, IFs are games with insanely good writing and especially if it is a demo you can always replay again! Then again, if the demo is long it may feel like a chore to go back. I've certainly done demos where I wanted to try another route but didn't since that would mean I'd have to restart to the beginning.

I read arguments about how romancing an RO makes it feel special when MC and RO go through a journey of self-discovery. Arguably one of the best things about romance in a game, right? Everyone loves to see that. But for some, if a RO falls in love with someone else and appears to have no self-discovery like MC and them did in a romance route, then it is disheartening.

I don't think of it as disheartening or inferior. Maybe there is problems in the background that the MC does not know about. The RO appears happier with this someone else but there may be underlying problems. There is no such thing as a perfect, happy relationship. In fact, if the MC and RO go through struggles then it is the sign of a healthy relationship! Whatever is going on with the RO and that someone else--that "perfect" relationship will soon show its flaws. From there they would have to work it out.

As you can see, I have written a response that matches your rant. Hope this makes you feel less bad about yourself!

(also i see you have made at least three asks to me and at this point with this subject now up I have to know--which RO from ATOL are you going to romance????)

[epickiya722]

Man i keep seeing all that controversy over what Ochaco said to Toga and it's beginning to make me feel kinda sick. Like, why do people keep bringing up other mangakas' stories to prove Horikoshi's bad at writing? Now, i'm not saying that it isn't a possibility, but how high even IS that possibility?

I know this was mostly bc of translation issues, but people acting like this is what's going to prove iz////och canon and freaking out over Ochaco's development and storyline with Toga being damaged. Like calm down?????

Sorry for this mini rant. I just wish people didn't jump to comparing Hori's writing to others to be hateful, instead of just thinking about the chapter past the leaks.

And you know what, Anon?

I do feel your frustration.

Honestly, I feel like because shipping is so popular nowadays a lot of people tend to blend that in with everything they consume.

As you said, with translations, who really can say what is concrete?

And yes, going off leaks alone?! CAN YOU GET THE FULL CHAPTER FIRST?!

Let's be honest, the only reason why Toga "fell in love" with Izuku is because he was all bloody and that HE LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE HER FIRST HUMAN VICTIM. She doesn't like him for his personality or anything. He is literally just another person she wants to take blood from like everyone else. Toga is not a love rival.

And with Ochaco, and I made a whole post about this one, I just... one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to her is that the fandom constantly makes her whole character "crushing on Izuku". "It's her whole personality".

No. It. Is. Not.

If Ochaco's whole personality was about her crushing on Izuku, then every single scene she is in would be fawning over him with heart eyes.

Hell, her introduction would have been like the typical anime girl crushing on a dude "Oh, he's so dreamy"!

Instead, she was like "Oh, hi", helped him and walked off.

When Ochaco told Himiko she wanted to talk about love, it was her trying to reach out to her. Understand her. Not fight her over a crush.

Again, Anon, I cold hardly agree with you.

When it comes to comparing mangaka's work to another's just to be cruel is a big no-no to me. Especially, when some do take inspiration from others. It's not a competition. The mangakas are doing the same thing and that providing their audiences with stories.

Hell, sometimes they be drawing each other's characters. DENJI CAMOED IN BNHA!!

I've said it before, if a story isn't a romance, people shouldn't be considering what ship is canon or will be canon.

It doesn't matter!

Boku no Hero Academia is about superheroes and villains! People are dying, getting limbs ripped off, getting traumatized.

And some of this fandom are more about "I hope this ship isn't canon" this and "I wish Horikoshi makes this ship" that.

THERE ARE KIDS FIGHTING SOME DUDE WITH A HUGE EGO AND YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT THEM MAKING BABIES BY THE END?!

Can they graduate?! Survive a war?! Hello?!

I'm all for being a shipper, I have my ships and I make jokes, but I could not give a damn about ships when for the canon story I want my hero students all good and reunited and graduating.

"How about a timeskip where they grow up and get married---"

READ SOME FANFICTION THEN. THERE'S PLENTY.

I wanna see Horikoshi draw everyone smiling again when they finally become full fledged heroes.

I'm not against IzuOcha, I do find it cute. But seriously, sometimes how people perceive is like...

Why does is need to be canon or not be canon to make this story good?

There is no reason because it was never a goal for neither character or Horikoshi.

If he wanted, he would have definitely made about IzuOcha from the moment they met. Or made them childhood friends, that's often a trope used.

But he didn't! Why?

BECAUSE THEY JUST WANT TO BE HEROES!!

[miercolaes]

she was intelligent, and intelligent women mixed literature and poetry with love,

oh, romance is exactly as appalachian's skincrawlers. the further you think you ran away from it, the closer you actually got.

wednesday's intelligence springs from the head through reason and logic. give her a maze and she will solve it using reason. it's always ariadne's thread and never eris's apple of discord.

wednesday began reading at a young age, from once upon a time's to world's bloody history to artistic movements. renaissance and romanticism did caught her attention : shakespeare, jane austin, edgar allan poe, emily bronte.

but romanticism she prefered most : celebration of nature, focus on the individual and spirituality, celebration of isolation and melancholy, interest in the common man, idealization of women, and personification and pathetic fallacy. what's there not to love about romanticism?

her love, like everything else, is but a byproduct of society. she learned about love from two places only, both stimulating her mind : her family (which she's carefully observed and drew conclusions from) and literature (which she immersed herself in to the point of no return).

her love is less about consumerism for a valentine's day and more about literature's pique. she won't be giving flowers nor chocolates, but she will love fiercely. love is not about the good moments, it's about the chaos and tumult that will occur ; and staying and loving another for their flaws.

you can't make wednesday love you as you see in most tropes. she's a wild little thing and wild little things like her don't conform to mainstream rules. she will love you until it consumes her, until she's finally driven mad. and even then, in all her madness, she will love you. she'll kill for you. she'll look at you when you're at your worst and only then will she hug you, kiss you, hold you close. if she loves you, congratulations. your own beast may now rest assured : it was never unlovable, it just never came across wednesday.

when goethe said "all the knowledge i possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own" and when austen said "if i loved you less, i might be able to talk about it more" and when bronte said "every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own : in pain and sickness it would still be dear" and when shelley said "i have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. if i cannot satisfy the one, i will indulge the other. there is something at work in my soul, which i do not understand. if i cannot inspire love, i will cause fear!" and when poe said "from childhood's hour i have not been. as others were, i have not seen. as others saw, i could not awaken. my heart to joy at the same tone. and all i loved, i loved alone.", wednesday had drawn the picture of romance and she knew she was capable of it. but she feared it.

oh, how she feared it. the atrocities she would be capable of for the one she loves. it scared her for the power she may acquire and the weakness she could lose. as i said in the beginning, the further away you think you are, the closer you find yourself in front of danger. love was the beginning, is the middle and will be the end. and if you're fortunate enough to be loved by a tortured soul like hers, treasure it. for all that begins must end. but what you have will be eternal.

[marshmallowprotection]

so i have this idea for a plot but im kinda conflicted bc it's the one of the few things im still unconfident about

basically the plot has the potential for romance, but it doesn't just stick to one ship but it explores other potential couples and their dynamics with the protagonist and are actually all compatible with them. it's just that doesn't explore a harem or anything and there's definitely no love triangle. it's just basically friends to lovers trope but with the smallest hints of a budding romance with one another that make the reader go "oh yeah, i can see them falling in love in the future"

((sorry, that was seriously wordy but i wanted to get the context so you might understand it somehow))

im conflicted bc it seems like even the creator of this story, even i can't seem to make up my mind on the romantic future of the leads even though I'd like to write something else, like idk, their own individual personality and have it not revolve their lives 24/7

so, yeah, I'm in a pickle and just need your advice pls ;-;

I think it would help you to write everything down physically and piece together the plot and characters in front of you so it's not trapped inside of your head like it is. Materializing everything you're seeing can really help you pick apart what the problem is and how to fix it. That's how I manage to write what I'm working on because once I see it, I have a better idea. I’m a visual person so maybe it isn’t helpful advise but it’s a thought.

You need to look at your goal and intention for the story overall. Do you want these romantic options to be the focal point of the story? Do you want to show your readers their entire story or just the hint of what it could be someday? It’s going to hinge on your story goal. If you’re bouncing between characters all the time, then going for subtly and growing them in the background off-screen after you see them is an option! Switching POVs! There’s no wrong answer here. I’m just sure you need to research more types of options.

Explore the story. Write things out of order. Use music to motivate yourself! See what you like and don’t like. Everyone’s got a writing method. I can only suggest some, you’ll have to do some hard work finding what gives you what you need!

[abigail-nicole]

tgcf liveread part 6

moving my liveread of the perfect novel, Heaven Official's Blessing, Tian Guan Ci Fu, by MXTX, from the dying twitter (fuck u elon) to the shitposting haven of tumblr, which hasn't failed us yet. probably just a mtter of time tho. xie lian would understand. anyway, continuing with Book 3, just after the Best Dinner Party in All Of Literature!

originally live tweeted on 3/30/2020:

Xie Lian, baby taizi dianxia, who can now be threatened because he loves someone

HOMOPHOBIC GHOSTS AND THEIR HETERONORMATIVITY

YEAH GET MARRIED!!!! How many times will Hua Cheng have to propose before Xie Lian gets it lol

Yes because when someone normally asks “want to get married” while holding one another in a too-small chair, its a hypothetical

Xie Lian catching feelings

so virtuous so beautiful......makes me plow other people’s fields all day....

Xie Lian, staring at Hua Cheng’s throat as he swallows, deeply upset by the implication that Hua Cheng likes a girl, unable to keep working: Gay Panic

Xie DON’T LOOK AT MY HALF NAKED BOYFRIEND Lian

Hua Cheng, gremlin, delights in teasing him,

OHHHH SHIP SINKING BLACK WATER

now we have a nautical yarn,

Do i spy a Crimson Rain Sought Flower v Ship Sinking Black Water confrontation that will leave our magical girl protagonist scared and aroused

God this scene is so GOOD????????? I’m dying??????? This is the best adventure?????

I cannot WAIT to see this animated oh my god

MAGICAL GIRL XIE LIAN STRIKES AGAIN oh i love him crying emoji

Demon King Hua Cheng oh my god & his magical girl boyfriend

kiiiiiiith

why isn’t I Must Cross The Sea With My Beloved And We Have To Both Lie In A Tiny Coffin, Our Bodies Pressed Together, To Escape The Ship Sinking Black Water more of a trope

What If Our Coffin Boat Breaks, the trope

More like Crimson Rain Sought Flower Crown Martial Prince why did it take me so long to make this joke oh my god

hahaha sexy times in a coffin while floating in the lair of the black water demon ....just hualian things

oh my god these idiots WHY DIDNT YOU BUILD A BIGGER ONE IM SCREAMING

Hua Cheng telling Pei Ming to go kill himself........... legend

this is also gonna blow my mind when it’s animated. Spiritual detective boyfriends! we love to see it!

why haven’t I commented on qingxuan/ming yi romance before this????? Am I an idiot????

an earth god and his genderqueer partner? we also love to see it

oh wait I’m idiot

This plotting is incredible???? (except for the Go Have Sexual Tension In A Coffin which was plot unnecessary but everyone is happy about it anyway)....everything else is so well done?????

AHHSJDJDJSHAHHHHHHHH OH MY GOD I NEVER SAW THIS COMING I AM IDIOT

i wont post the spoiler bc its all mxtx wanted was to not share that spoiler.... but i reiterates this author note is pure evil

MING YI IS STILL HERE TO PROTECT SQX I STILL SHIP IT. HARDER

A FASTER, BIGGER SHIP. CHAPTER 124 ON MING YI/SHI QINGXUAN

listen I actually love the Ghost Kings being friends. I imagine them hanging out & playing cards together in Ghost City

Ming Yi CARES ABOUT SHI QINGXUAN

listen qingxuan & xie lian are gonna sit around & have dinner with their ghost king boyfriendOH MY GOD THIS ALREADY HAPPENED!!!!!!!! I DIDNT EVEN KNOW WHEN I SAID THAT DINNER WAS A BLESSING!!!!!!

a) I ficking love He Xuan’s backstory

B) excuse me why do I now know more about He Xuan than HUA CHENG, OUR LOVE INTEREST, THE PERPETUALLY MYSTERIOUS CRIMSON RAIN SOUGHT FLOWER, I

The way Ghosts Kings (ghosts?) value Knowing Even When (Especially When) It’s Bad ..... excuse me while I pull up this “TERM PAPER Villains and Dumb Babies: the Fool, The Hero, And Moral Complexity In The Hero’s Journey.doc”

Ghost Kings Say IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE!

Did I think there could be an mxtx novel without Brotherly Self Sacrifice? The only thing I know about mxtx is that they’re not an only child lol

so, from another perspective, it makes zero sense that xie lian would even be there to see any of this in the first place, even though limited third person POV dictates that we must see everything through his eyes, but on the other hand,,,,KITH

They now make out all the time but never get any emotional mileage out of it!!!!!

aghahaha i take it back I like general pei “what the heck” god bless this translator i love them

Oh no I was looking up Crimson Rain Sought Flower characters (血雨探花) and spoiled something for myself oh no. Its not like i know even a single character in chinese why did I think “oh I should look at these characters”

wait I wanna stop & talk about Xie Lian doing a crushing kiss and then shouting his ultimate magical girl power move “SOUL SUMMONING SPELL!” as a real MOON PRINCESS HALATION moment

It’s a STARLIGHT HONEYMOON THERAPY KISS! I know way too many of sailor moon’s attacks i should probably feel more ashamed but im just thinking.....meatball head Sailor Flower Crown Martial Prince....neo-dianxia xie lian....his transformation sequence....

I was wrong hes not a himbo he’s purebred Magical Girl. they share characteristics

There’s even a Millenium Silver Crystal.....clearly Hua Cheng’s ring....why did I spoil that for myself like idiot....i am fool.

Okay sorry I’m off my tangent & back to Mistress 9, I mean He Xuan,

He Xuan LOVES Shi Qingxuan and..... I’m just going with that

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW, SIR,

lol i almost feel bad for qi rong but also....Bro You Can Just Leave.... except we need you for comic effect to interrupt the makeouts

okay this seems like the end of the black water arc and a good chance to break this archive of a livetweet. returning shortly