#it’s called having complexity and a narrative arc

[luckthebard]

A portion of people on here seem completely unable to interpret Imogen as having any flaws, and I can’t tell if it’s a Women Must Always Be Good And Pure Or They’re Evil So She Must Be Good thing, a 3rd campaign hat trick of Being Weird About Laura’s Characters thing, a Queer Women Can’t Be Wrong Actually thing, or some awful combination of all three.

[unboundprompts]

Do you have any advice for a character who has a sort of sacrificial lamb complex? A savior complex but not as in a hero to save the day, but as in they don't believe they deserve to save themselves?

How to Write a Sacrificial Character

Backstory and Motivation

Traumatic Past: Explore the character’s history. Perhaps they’ve experienced abandonment, betrayal, or loss, leading them to internalize the belief that their worth is tied to suffering for others.

Family Expectations: They may come from a family that emphasizes self-sacrifice or has a history of martyrdom, teaching them that their own needs are secondary to others.

Guilt and Responsibility: The character might feel an overwhelming sense of guilt for past failures, believing that they owe it to others to endure hardship or take on burdens.

Internal Conflict

Self-Worth Issues: Illustrate their struggle with self-worth. They might dismiss compliments or feel undeserving of happiness, using phrases like “I don’t deserve this” or “I have to earn my place.”

Desire for Connection: While they may push others away, they also yearn for connection and love, creating an internal tug-of-war between wanting to be saved and believing they are unworthy of it.

Sacrificial Actions

Small Acts of Sacrifice: Show them making small sacrifices for friends or loved ones, like skipping meals or taking on additional work, which reinforces their belief that they should suffer for others’ well-being.

Dramatic Moments: Create pivotal scenes where they are put in a position to sacrifice themselves for someone else—physically or emotionally. This can highlight their motivations and lead to significant character development.

Interactions with Others

Supportive Characters: Introduce characters who try to save or help them, but the sacrificial character resists, believing their problems aren’t worth the effort. This can create tension and deepen their internal struggle.

Small Acts of Kindness: Have moments where others go out of their way to help them, reinforcing that they are worthy of care and support. This can include simple gestures, affirmations, or sacrifices made on their behalf.

Conflict with a Mentor or Friend: A mentor figure might challenge this belief, encouraging them to see their value and fight for themselves, leading to moments of growth and resistance.

Gradual Change

Moments of Clarity: Show them having fleeting moments of realization where they understand their self-worth, possibly triggered by a significant event or dialogue with another character.

Catalyst for Change: Introduce a scenario where they must choose between self-sacrifice and self-preservation, forcing them to confront their beliefs head-on.

Life-Altering Experience: Put the character in a situation that forces them to confront their fears, such as a near-death experience or a pivotal choice between saving themselves or others. This moment can act as a wake-up call to their worth.

Acts of Courage: Have them step up in a crisis, leading to a moment where they save someone else and realize their capability and value. This can help them see that they have something to offer.

Turning Point: Create a climactic moment where the character realizes they deserve to save themselves, possibly triggered by witnessing someone else sacrifice themselves for them, prompting a realization of their worth.

Final Confrontation: In the final confrontation (with a villain or personal demon), let them stand up for themselves, verbalizing their worth and challenging the beliefs that have held them back.

Symbolism and Themes

Recurring Motifs: Use symbols that represent sacrifice and self-worth, like broken mirrors (self-perception) or shadows (their past). These can help reinforce their internal struggles visually throughout the narrative.

Redemption Arc: If they ultimately find a way to save themselves or allow others to save them, showcase this as a powerful moment of growth, suggesting that self-worth and love are intertwined.

Emotional Depth

Show Vulnerability: Allow the character to express their fears and doubts, whether through dialogue, journaling, or introspection, making their internal battles relatable and poignant.

Balance with Humor: If appropriate for your story, consider moments of humor or lightness to juxtapose their darker thoughts, showing that they are more than their complex.

[ecideras]

Misogyny disguised as an appeal to canonicity

I've seen many excuses in my life for excluding women from narratives. The latest? "Canonicity". This is how some fans — in their eagerness to appear cultured, demanding, or simply "protectors of the work" — hide a latent and ancient misogyny, painted in the colours of textual purism. The Rings of Power series, which dared to make Galadriel a warrior, complex, fierce and, above all, a protagonist, has become the target of the revisionist movement that calls for fidelity to the books only when it comes to men.

It's symptomatic. When we talk about bringing Celeborn into the series, we're talking about "fixing" Galadriel, it's not about deepening a relationship or enriching the world. It's about control. This cursed verb appears in whispers and between the lines of posts and videos: "Galadriel needs to be controlled", "she needs balance", "Celeborn will bring sobriety". And when they talk about balance, what they mean is: she needs to be pruned. Because an angry woman, wounded by pain, brave enough to defy Sauron himself, seems to bother more than the Dark Lord himself.

These criticisms are not innocent. They are symptomatic of a culture that only tolerates women when they are silent, when they are supporting actors, when they love and die for men — never for themselves. And that, for me, is at the heart of this disguised misogyny.

You want "canonicity" so much, but you forget the women who are part of the canon and are solemnly ignored.

Let's talk about Inzilbêth. She is the mother of Pharazôn, the man who defines the last and most tragic days of Númenor. But she's not just any mother. She is a descendant of the Faithful — of those who resist corruption. In a world where Pharazôn represents the pride and arrogance of the Númenorians, Inzilbêth could be a character of dramatic depth: a mother torn between love for her son and horror at the path he is following. She could be the voice of the past, of the ancient faith, of the warning against worshipping the Valar and Sauron himself. But she isn't even mentioned in the debates.

Erendis, Tar-Aldarion's wife, is another powerful figure who lies forgotten in the corners of the Unfinished Tales. She is an abandoned woman, scorned by a man whose nautical ambition speaks louder than any affection. Her story is a cruel mirror of what happens to many women in the stories of men: they are loved while they serve their plot, discarded when they claim their own space. And even though Erendis' timeline predates the events of The Rings of Power, she could be mentioned — as a symbol of the price Númenor has already exacted from its women. A legend told in the courts. A warning whispered on the island's street corners.

And if they really want to keep their feet in the "canon", why don't they talk about Lúthien? The woman who faced Morgoth himself. Who, together with Huan, the dog of Valinor, defeated Sauron. It's not fanfic: it's in the Silmarillion. But female figures are only remembered in fanart or in niche discussions, never clamoured for with the same force as Gil-Galad, Elendil, Isildur, Glorfindel, Anárion, Celebrimbor or even Celeborn. The logic is simple: when the past is male, it's glory. When it's female, it's forgotten myth.

And I'm not saying that the series is immune to criticism. It's far from it. It has problems with pace, the construction of certain arcs, and dialogue that sometimes sounds forced. But it's curious — or rather, revealing — that the most virulent criticism is directed at Galadriel. Not at Sauron, with his still nebulous motivations. Not the aesthetic choice of Númenor or the lack of exploration of certain cultures. Galadriel has become the scapegoat for a wounded masculinity.

The misogyny that hangs over these reviews is not just about what they say, but about what they choose not to say. I never see posts calling for more women in the series. Tolkien's world has incredible and fascinating women. They exist, they have always existed. The problem is that many of you never look at them with the same fervour as you do the warriors.

So, enough. No more pretending that this is about being faithful to the books. If it were, many of you would be asking for Inzilbêth, Erendis, Lúthien, Aredhel, Nienor, Berúthiel, Nimloth, Idril Celebrindal, Andreth, Thuringwethil. But no. You're asking Celeborn to silence Galadriel. You're asking for silence disguised as tradition. And that, my dear, is not Tolkien. That's misogyny.

It's not wrong to want to be faithful to the original material. But it's cowardly to use this as an excuse to erase female voices that were already there — in tales, appendices, half-forgotten stories. The series has a chance to do what many books, series and films have failed to do: give space to women as agents of their own history, and not just as a silent chorus for the tragedies of men.

I want female characters. May they come, with armour or without. With wisdom, pain, fury, tenderness or glory. But let them come.

I want to see Lúthien. I want to see Inzilbêth. I want to see Berúthiel. I want to see the women that Tolkien wrote about and that fandom insists on forgetting and erasing. Because, honestly, there's nothing more "canonical" than the pain, strength and light of these women.

It's time to put aside this lazy and selective reading of Tolkien. Middle-earth is too vast a world to fit only the mould of heroes in armour and beards. It has also been shaped by women — wise, brave, charming and tragic. They have names. They have a voice. They have history. And they deserve to be told and seen.

If The Rings of Power really wants to honour Middle-earth, it shouldn't bend the knee to misogynistic clamour disguised as purism. It should dig deeper, listen to the echoes of those women who are repeatedly forgotten — and let them shine through at last. Because fidelity to Tolkien's work doesn't lie in preserving the fragile masculinity of the fans. It's in recognising the complexity of what Tolkien built — including, above all, the female characters that many insist on ignoring.

And if that bothers you, perhaps the problem was never with the series.

@spatortlove @ffaleruv

[iheartsparklingwater]

What your favourite season of house says about you

Season 1:

You like a medical procedural and there’s nothing wrong with that!

Often, you try and guess what the final diagnosis of the episode will be.

You watch house as a comfort show.

The un-self-aware charm of early 2000s television appeals to you.

I feel like you own a dvd player and/or an oversized blazer.

You watch 2002 interviews with Hugh Laurie on youtube.

Season 2:

“This is when the show really hits it stride”

Love an ethical argument, you’re the type of person who brings up the Trolley Problem in casual conversation.

You’d never say “I told you so,” but you’d think it.

You will defend Cameron with your whole chest (As you should)

LOVE clinic duty scenes.

The ducklings>

Love how the Stacy arc gives more context to what House was like before the infarction.

Meta girlies!

Season 3:

Camchase <3

You have indulged in livejournal and tv board posts from 2006.

You have a Tumblr tag called something like “difficult people I love.”

You have a complicated relationship with justice and probably don’t think Tritter was entirely wrong.

You believe that the depiction of House’s Vicodin addiction is the most nuanced and realistic in s3.

You psychoanalyse everyone in your life.

One day one room is a masterpiece.

Season 4:

You crave structural disruption.

New team > old team and you’ll die on this hill.

You’ve reblogged the “what is my necklace made of?” gifset more than once

Forever mourning the 8 episodes cut due to the writer’s strike

You think Kutner and Taub are more emotionally complex than they get credit for, and you're mad about what happens next.

Bawled your eyes out to House’s head/ Wilson’s heart.

You can write 3k words on the use of the bus as metaphor.

You are deeply loyal to underdog characters and niche side ships.

Justice for Amber.

Season 5:

You think season 5 is objectively the best season.

Thirteen is one of your favourite characters and you love her dynamic with House.

You would defend your favourite episode in a PowerPoint presentation and close with a quote that makes everyone cry.

The thought of hallucination Amber crosses your mind constantly.

Thinks that Birthmarks is very underrated.

Season 6:

“Broken 1&2 are the best episodes of television ever made”

You have a complicated relationship with hope.

You would watch an Alvie spinoff.

Dr Nolan>

You think the show should’ve ended at s6.

House with short hair is hot.

Season 7:

You have read the thunder mountain 7x01 pdf.

You vibe with Rachel Cuddy.

You have multiple theories about narrative sabotage and have used the phrase “narrative whiplash” in earnest.

THE ACTING IN AFTER HOURS DESERVES EVERY AWARD EVER MADE!!!!!!

We don’t talk about bombshells.

Possibly an editor? I feel like there’s a lot of s7 scene packs.

You believe fanfiction can fix what the writers ruined.

The bathtub scene.

Can't justify the car 'incident', and consequently miss Cuddy deeply in s8.

Season 8:

You’re a contrarian

Emotional truth can justify tonal inconsistency.

“The last 5 minutes were perfection”

You think the 8x01, twenty vicodin is overlooked.

You love Park. You defend Adams. You ship them if you’re feeling brave.

You feel excluded from the fandom

Love Chase (He has an entire episode named after him in s8!!)

You think House and Wilson’s relationship is the show’s real love story and this season finally acknowledged it.

[paesagex]

Shimura Koutaro and wasted occasions for depth within My Hero Academia

Thinking about Koutaro Shimura one day a realization suddenly hit me. If Gran Torino and All Might fully believed for five whole years that All for One was dead, but neither knew of Koutaro’s and his family's tragic passing in a “mysterious Villain Attack”, that means that they never tried to get in touch with him.

That’s not a big revelation, we already knew that, but the more I thought about the implications of this choice, the more fundamentally wrong it felt.

There was one sole reason Koutaro was sent away from his mother, and that was to protect him from Afo. but once Afo was “dead”, there were plenty of good reasons to try to look for him.

Out of minimum decency, Koutaro deserved at the very least an apology and an explanation for his abandonment. He also deserved to know that the death of both his parents had been avenged, as the man that is behind all his family’s trouble was believed to be dead. Besides, was Koutaro even ever informed of Nana’s death? If she tinkered with the documentation, it would mean that there was no legal proof that Koutaro was her son. Therefore, no government official would know to notify him.

One may counteract that they tried but failed, but that’s a weak argument.

Koutaro was a successful businessman who likely had a lot of social connections, and his name wasn’t even changed. All Might, with all his resources, should have been able to find out anything that Afo, the guy who Koutaro was supposed to be hidden from, could.

The motto of this story is “Plus Ultra”.

If it is the right thing to do, you should put the whole of yourself in achieving your goal, no matter how difficult.

Therefore, All Might and Gran Torino, thematically speaking, have no excuses to not have tried to make things right with Koutaro. Even if, let’s say, Afo had managed to make the whole ordeal of the Shimura’s mysterious deaths go mediatically unnoticed, the heroes aren’t excused from their inaction.

Or rather, the narrative that established this theme isn’t excused from not calling this out.

THE WEAKENING OF THE NARRATIVE'S OWN MORALS

In fact, this last consideration is really my main point. This essay is titled “wasted opportunities,” not “heroes suck,” after all.

The problem with this oversight from the two heroes isn’t really that it’s a clear show of neglect towards a man that lost his childhood innocence because of the choices heroes made for him.

It’s that they’re never called out about it.

Making characters mess up, make bad choices and ending up hurting others is not bad writing at all, actually it is very good. This shows that they’re complex and have multiple facets, and that their actions have consequences within the story, which is what makes them well written!

However, when the narrative fails to acknowledge bad, hurtful choices, especially if it is trying to frame a character as a “good guy”, then it creates inconsistency.

All Might’s arc is one of deconstruction, where he’s supposed to go from A, an untouchable idol, to B, a man with flaws and sins. However, this example I’m bringing up and many other ones people pointed out over the years shows that his arc really goes from A, to B, and then back to A again. The story never fully dives into all the things All Might could have been criticized for, it is afraid to touch upon Deku’s idolization of him.

Despite my opinion in the matter being that Koutaro and his right to know should be mainly Gran’s responsibility, as he was involved personally in the decision to abandon him, All Might is a much more important character, and should be challenged harder.

Of course though they’re both left off the hook, All Might to protect Deku’s moral integrity and refusal to question his idol, Gran because he’s specifically thought out as a stagnant old fashioned hero who represents the suppressive justice system which Deku was supposed (and failed) to surpass.

Letting the matter of these two heroes just leaving a presumably still alive man unaware of the reasons behind a huge injustice imposed on him when he was just a child makes them look bad, but not in a good sense. They seem indifferent. The fact that Koutaro was already dead by the point of Afo’s “head massage” is irrelevant. It’s the fact that they never even think about making things right with him that counts.

Heroes neglected Koutaro when they decided that his right to have a parent was less important than fighting Afo, and they just kept neglecting him even after they believed the fight was over.

WHY THIS CHOICE (in my opinion)

I thought about it, I tried to find a reasonable explanation as to why Horikoshi would just pretend this whole deal wasn’t there. And the only one I could come up with is the same one I reached in trying to explain myself why nobody ever seemed to look into Shigaraki’s past once his identity as a Shimura was revealed:

Horikoshi had already planned the whole Afo/Ofa psychic connection and wanted that to be the way Deku grew any interest in understanding Shigaraki.

All Might and Gran Torino looking for Koutaro would have uncovered part of the mystery behind Shigaraki too early, while the author wanted the protagonist to be able to look directly into Shigaraki’s heart through the power of One for All, the Quirk Created to Save.

However, as many pointed out before me, the last arc and Deku’s newfound interest in helping villains feels incredibly rushed, his empathy forced, which is frustrating since there was, through the whole time of the story, a huge pile of information just lying there gathering dust that the characters had tons of good reasons to look into and be interested in.

MISTAKES AND USING THEM TO BUILD A STRONGER STORY

I fully believe that the story building would have worked better if Deku’s interest in Shigaraki had been gradually built from the start, and Koutaro was the key to achieve this.

Heroes are “forbidden” from focusing too much on the Shimura tragedy because that would ruin the story’s strong plot twists and tragic flashbacks, which are one of MHA’s main strong qualities, one might say. However, this isn’t a true problem.

In fact, if you think about it, making so that All Might was aware of Koutaro’s and his family gruesome death would have created 1) foreshadowing to Shigaraki’s identity reveal, 2) added weight to his shoulders, challenging not any hero, but the Symbol of Peace himself to face the consequences of his neglect directly, and 3) at first, it would have made the assumption that Shigaraki was the one to kill his family even more horrifying.

If we as readers had been aware of the level of violence that the death of the Shimuras involved before Shigaraki’s flashbacks, we would have been lead to believe, just as any character who would have bothered to do any research about them, that they were a perfectly normal, loving family that couldn’t possibly have deserved this tragic fate. Making Shigaraki, who is said by Afo to have killed them, look like an innate psychopath.

For these reasons, the emotional investment of Shigaraki’s flashbacks in the My Villain Academia arc would not have been undermined at all, actually it would have strengthened it, as in this case, they would work both as an explanation of how Shigaraki was manipulated from childhood by Afo and it would unmask an impression of superficial happiness and perfection, one of Mha’s big themes.

Moreso, a gradual investigation through the whole story on the main Villain’s past would, as we already said, have created a more earned interest from the protagonist, but it would have also… made a lot of sense logistically.

His Quirk was known, so was his real surname, by this point the fact that the police never connected the dots and didn’t manage to find his old neighbours, kindergarten teachers, anyone who could have testified that Tenko used to be perfectly normal and even exceptionally gentle before he was taken in by Afo is just a huge, unjustifiable plot hole.

CONCLUSION

Keeping All Might and Gran Torino so disinterested of Koutaro’s and his family’s fate is both a bad choice in moral consideration and, because of the way it is (not) handled, in writing, just as the gaping black hole that is the nonexistent investigation on Shigaraki when there was plenty of information.

The Shimuras are not only amongst the biggest tragedies of this story, they’re a missed opportunity for a fully deep exploration of the story’s themes. One of many, unfortunately.

One that fully reflects all the things that make MHA a hypocritical, double standard narrative that parrots its desire to uncover cycles of pain and violence and hold society accountable but then never fully commits to its message.

Koutaro and Shigaraki, father and son, led sad lives, neglected by the people who should have protected them and therefore becoming easy prey for Afo, and then died horribly without this sadness ever being really acknowledged, the people responsible never expressing their guilt appropriately.

There was no improvement between their two generations, Deku’s teachers didn’t manage to be a good example to the new Symbol of Peace by facing their mistakes honestly.

My Hero Academia presents the tragedies of the Shimuras as ways to uncover cycles of violence and societal neglect, when it is actually using them to create empty emotional engagement that isn’t used to add depth to the story and doesn’t even reach a real resolution.

To put it simply, they’re wasted.

[jessaerys]

the critiques of the severance finale wrt essentially (i)markhelly vs (o)markgemma keep hitting weird and ringing misplaced. to me. and i'm trying to articulate why and it's like. i think that the mark (pun not intended) of a valid racial critique is being missed by positing "gets chosen by mark" as the measuring stick that decides if the finale was Good or Bad.

my good faith take is that severance is ultimately working towards that final nirvana of synthesis, with dylanists having been framed as the more emotionally fulfilling, more fair, more peaceful path towards freedom vs the necessary but violent rebellion of mark and helly, both hellyists (and i don't think severance wants us to think they are in the wrong - helena and (o)mark are far more abusive to their innies than (o)dylan ever was. they have dug their heels in and refuse to relinquish their control over their subjugated selves, as opposed to (o)dylan. which is a far more common and expected reaction from those in power.) BUT. but. mark is not yet reintegrated. a complete mark reintegration is going to be an extremely momentous event upon which everything will revolve, when it happens. we are not at a point within the narrative where we can consider mark a single character (yet).

(i)mark has always been the main character. the arc of the show has always been about the innies fighting to first discover and then secure their personhood. severance is a rebellion storyline, an oppression allegory. like christ alive, we got the *stands on a table* we are many, they are few! speech.

(i)mark doesn't know that he (he! the mark synthesis! the mark final form!) loves gemma. i don't care about (i)mark and helly as a ship, i don't care to think about them in Scenarios or AUs or what have you. BUT i care about mark and helly as the vehicle through which severance explores and signifies choice and humanity. i find that deeply moving - that last moment of (innie!) mark chosing himself as an entity separate from (o)mark, chosing even a handful of minutes more of life and love and independence from the powers that be - it's a triumph. the show was always going to lead us here. lumon may or may not try to kill (o)mark, but there's (in the innies minds, at that moment) not a universe where (i)mark and helly get to live. they are in a doomed timeline. they have nothing, not even their flesh belong to them. they are so suffocatingly denied or personhood that to steal even one more moment together they must kidnap their own bodies.

THAT SAID.

that said. i have talked about how annoyed i am that gemma's motivation was "ohh woman can't have baby". i think that writing choice was lazy. believable, sure, and it makes sense within the narrative, but i hate it. it's reductive, it's objectifying. i wish they had given gemma more life beyond "marks dead wife", i wish we had gotten to know her as a person as complex and moody as mark scout.

i am also tired of allegories for oppression being filled with white faces.

the racial problem in the helly/mark/gemma dynamic exists within what i can only think to call the infrastructure of showmaking. with diversity being applied as a coat of paint to the outer edges of a cast, rather than roles being written for non-white people, or letting main characters be non-white. there's no reason why gemma couldn't be white and helly asian, or mark, or all of them, except racism in casting.

ON THE OTHER HAND.

i try not to judge shows before the story is completed. to let a non-white character end a story unhappy or in tragedy might often be an afterthought of racism in storytelling but it doesn't have to be. we have been shown that severance can handle a complex racial narrative with milchick. i am hoping that the same will happen with gemma, either because of critiques currently being made or because they have always planned to address her racial identity in relation to both mark, helly, and lumon, but we haven't gotten there yet.

or they might not.

they might have filled their talking-about-race quota, and the intersection of racism and misogyny might be a tragic, infuriating blind spot in the severance writers room. idk man, maybe we just need to give the writers the benefit of the doubt. only time will tell. and if they fuck it up we will still have our hammers next season

[atomicrebelfire]

Buck is an unreliable narrator — and the writing does him no favors

Honestly, Buck has been such an unreliable narrator for his own story. We’re supposed to believe he’s this mature, grown man in his 30s dealing with complex feelings, but his actions scream otherwise. He avoids accountability, dodges confrontation, and leaves Tommy (and fans) guessing what’s really going on inside his head.

Buck won’t even call or text Tommy to clear things up after they break up — or after their messy hookup. Instead, he lets things fester and runs around asking everyone else for advice. How is this his story if he can’t even own it?

The writers are basically telling us Buck has no agency, no standing — that he needs Maddie, Chim, Hen, Josh, even Bobby’s permission to decide what kind of relationship he wants and how to manage it. He’s not a teenager. Did they forget this guy is eight seasons in, whose whole arc has supposedly been about growth and maturity?

The problem isn’t just that Tommy was “wrong” or “insecure.”

It’s that Buck was:

Passive

Vague

Emotionally evasive

And somehow, we’re asked to:

➡️ Blame the guest character for not reading Buck’s mind?

Yes — Buck should have checked in with Tommy. Especially after:

He initiated the hookup with clear emotional tension

He twisted the meaning of it, turning it into something casual without clarity

He was offended by Tommy’s insecurity instead of showing empathy

Even if Tommy ended things, Buck misled him by:

Hooking up without intention

Reacting with anger instead of reassurance

And yet the writing acts like:

“Poor Buck... just sniffle it out, put up a new shelf, and boom! You’re healed.”

That’s not character growth. That’s narrative evasion.

The bigger problem — the vulnerability imbalance

Tommy constantly shows vulnerability with Buck. He tells him he was jealous of the 118’s bond. He shares how his father and Gerard wasn’t supportive, and how hard it was not being out while working under someone like that. He openly admits his fears about getting hurt.

Buck? We rarely see him meet Tommy halfway. Even when he says he was afraid of losing Bobby (S7E10)— someone he considers like a father — he never really lets Tommy in.

In the breakup, Tommy was misguided but emotionally honest. That fear came from somewhere real. And before the hookup? Tommy says he wanted to reach out, and Buck replies with, “No way.” and nothing.

The next morning, Tommy tries again — asks what Buck’s plans are, brings up his insecurity around Eddie. And Buck? Lashes out.

Tommy leaves. Buck doesn’t follow. He doesn’t text. He goes to Maddie for advice. And when she tells him to learn to live alone, he just sniffs and does nothing.

This isn’t just inconsistent writing — it erases the emotional labor Tommy does and paints Buck as a passive, emotionally blank slate who never has to do anything to grow.

So we’re still expected to root for Buck as the main character?

Why is Buck allowed to be emotionally evasive while Tommy has to carry all the guilt?

Why does Buck’s story hinge on what others say — instead of him taking actual emotional risks?

If this is supposed to be growth, it feels like a step backward.

And the kicker? This isn’t even the first time Buck has acted like a passenger in a relationship. It’s the same story, just a new season. New Buck 8.0, same passive patterns, no visible growth.

You can’t keep calling it development when every emotional beat gets outsourced to side characters while the lead avoids doing the work.

Using abandonment issues as a crutch? That has limits.

You can’t keep handing Buck “abandonment issues” every time he refuses to exercise his autonomy — doing nothing is still a choice. That excuse loses power when it becomes a get-out-of-growth-free card every season.

And honestly? This wasn’t a relationship. It was a checkbox.

Not a real, messy, evolving romance. Not will-they-won’t-they. Not right person, wrong time. Not even a miscommunication arc. — one is a main character while other is guest at best.

This was one person refusing to use their agency — then playing the victim when things fell apart. I’m sorry, I have no kind words.

I wanted to do a full data-backed analysis of this relationship. I really did.

But then I saw season finale. Got mad. And thought, “You know what? Let me lash out now and be more rational later.”

I’ll try to be the adult in the next post. I swear. 😤 I still want to do a more rational, unbiased analysis of this relationship later — pinky promise. 🤦‍♀️🫶🙏 I love these boys, but man… the writers really fumbled this one. they suck!

[novlr]

How do you come up with a satisfying ending to a story? And what different types of endings can a story have?

Writing an ending that does justice to everything you’ve written up until that point is an incredibly daunting thing to tackle. It’s your last chance to leave an impression on your reader, and it needs to feel both surprising and inevitable. So how do you toe that line?

What makes an ending satisfying?

A satisfying ending isn’t just about tying up loose ends. It’s about giving your readers emotional closure while staying true to your story’s themes and character arcs. The best endings feel both unexpected and perfectly logical: they catch readers off guard while making complete sense within the context of your story.

Essential elements of a strong ending

Your story’s ending acts as the final piece of a puzzle. Every element needs to fit perfectly up to that point so that your ending can create a complete picture that readers will find satisfying.

A strong ending should:

Resolve the main conflict: Give readers the closure they’ve been anticipating throughout your story.

Complete character arcs: Show how your characters have grown or changed through their journey.

Deliver on story promises: Pay off the expectations you’ve built through the rest of the narrative.

Reflect core themes: Reinforce the deeper meanings, themes, and messages of your work.

Provide emotional payoff: Make readers feel their investment in your story was worthwhile.

Feel earned, not forced: Arise naturally from the events and choices that came before.

Each of these elements works together to create an ending that resonates long after readers turn the final page. Miss one, and your ending might feel incomplete.

Types of endings

Just like there is no single way to begin a story, there are lots of ways to end one. The type of ending you choose should grow naturally from your story’s genre, themes, and the journey your characters have taken. A lighthearted romance might call for a neat resolution and a happily ever after, while a philosophical literary novel might benefit from a more ambiguous conclusion. The key is matching your ending style to your story’s needs.

Here are some types of endings you might consider, along with when and how to use them most effectively:

Resolution endings

These endings tie up all major plot threads neatly. They work well for:

Standalone novels.

Genre fiction where readers expect closure.

Stories with clear antagonists.

Traditional narrative structures.

Open endings

Some questions remain unanswered, inviting reader interpretation. Best for:

Literary fiction.

Stories focusing on internal conflict.

Stories that emphasise life’s complexity.

Works aiming for realism.

Circular endings

The story returns to where it began, but with meaningful change. Effective in:

Character-driven narratives.

Coming-of-age stories.

Stories about personal growth.

Stories about cycles or patterns.

Twist endings

A revelation changes everything that came before. Works well in:

Mystery and crime novels.

Psychological thrillers,

Stories with unreliable narrators.

Stories exploring perception vs reality.

Bittersweet endings

Victory comes at a cost, combining triumph with loss. Perfect for:

Epic narratives.

War stories.

Complex moral tales.

Stories about sacrifice.

Epilogue endings

A glimpse into the future after the main conflict resolves. Useful for:

Series conclusions.

Generational stories.

Stories needing emotional closure.

Stories with far-reaching consequences.

Writing your ending

Once you understand the different types of endings available to you and how you can mix and match them for best effect, it’s time to tackle the actual writing. This is where theory meets practice, and where it’s easy to find yourself stuck. After all, it’s one thing to know what makes a good ending in theory, but quite another to actually write one.

Writing a strong ending becomes much easier when you break it down into manageable steps. And like any writing advice it might take some experimentation and practice to find what method works best for you.

For planners

If you’re the type of writer who likes to outline and plan ahead, try to:

Plot your ending first: Having a clear destination helps you plant the right seeds throughout your story.

Create an ending outline: Map out the major beats of your conclusion chapter by chapter.

Plant deliberate clues: Weave in foreshadowing that will make your ending feel inevitable in retrospect.

Track your promises: Keep a list of questions your story raises that readers will want answered.

For discovery writers

If you prefer to find your story as you write, consider:

Writing multiple endings: Let yourself explore different possibilities without committing to one. It’s amazing what you’ll find speaks to you when you let yourself play in the sandbox of your own story.

Following character arcs: Let your characters’ lead the way. The way they grow and change can often suggest natural conclusion points.

Looking for themes: Try to notice recurring themes in your draft that could point toward meaningful endings.

Take notes: Your subconscious often plants seeds for endings while you write, so if you have a thought on a possible ending at any point, make sure you keep a note of it.

For hybrid writers

Many writers fall somewhere in between, so you could try:

Flexible plotting: Have a general idea of your ending but stay open to organic changes.

Milestone mapping: Identify key moments your ending needs to hit without plotting every detail.

Character-plot balance: Let character decisions influence your planned plot points.

Regular revision: Adjust your ending plans as your story evolves.

Testing your ending

If you’re not sure on whether your ending is effective once you’ve written it, then ask yourself these questions:

Does it feel true to your characters?

Have you resolved the main conflict?

Does it satisfy the story promises you made?

Will readers find it emotionally satisfying?

Does it reflect your themes?

Would a different type of ending work better?

You can also ask these questions of your beta readers if you feel like you’re too close to the story to be objective!

Remember, a great ending grows organically from your story’s DNA. It should feel both surprising and inevitable, like there was no other way your story could have ended, even if readers didn’t see it coming.

The trick is finding the right type of ending for your specific story and executing it in a way that leaves readers satisfied. Whether you’re writing a neat resolution or an ambiguous conclusion, make sure it honours the story you’ve told and the journey your readers have taken.

[laufire]

top 5 jason comics

The Batman: Second Chances arc (aka Batman #408-411). What a good origin story. What a great use of antagonists to enhance Jason's character and his relationship with Bruce. What a great first meeting/Meet Ugly between two people who'll never become untangled from each other, no matter what comes.

Batman: Under the Hood (aka Batman #635-641, #645-650, Annual #25). THEE Batman comic, to me, as well. It changed the game in ways DC itself will never accept. And Jason himself? Superb. The antagonist I've wanted my whole life.

Red Hood: Lost Days #1-6. A great Jason comic all-around, amazing at filling in the blanks, really good at showcasing his character. And look! A female character and a complex dynamic with her right at the center of it!

Batman: The Diplomat's Son (aka Batman #424). Good Jason comic that doesn't quite know it's a good Jason comic because Starlin has a perspective on misogyny and sexual abuse that should be incomprehensible to sensible brains but alas xD. I'd include the following issue, although that's more of a "Bruce you goddamn hypocrite" comic than a Jason comic añsldkfja.

I'm between Green Arrow: Seeing Red (Green Arrow volume 3 #69-72), or Outsiders: Pay As You Go (Outsiders volume 3 #44-46, Annual #1), but although they are 1) good comics that 2) feature a great Jason, I wouldn't call them jason comics... OTOH you have Batman: A Death in the Family (Batman #426-429), which is a bad comic that manages to be a good Jason comic lol (yes, he dies. Yes, it's the true beginning of the victim blaming narrative. But at this point it could still believably be about Bruce's godawful coping methods and my god, I love Jason in it). You know what? I'm going to take a turn and say Superman: For the Man Who Has Everything (Superman Annual #11). Because "Jason saved the fucking Trinity from fucking Mogul" should be brought up as often as possible, if you ask me.

Honorable mentions go to "More Time" (Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Spectacular #1/5) or "The Delusions of Alfred Pennyworth" (Gotham Knights #34/2) or Supergirl volume 6 #35, I just like seeing him in those lol. Batman: The Cult #1-4 as well, honestly.

[laosinsin]

So. I have a new obsession

It's been a long time, and it's a k-novel this time, "S-Classes That I Raised". Did not expect this level of getting gripped. Started with the webtoon (it's called My S-Class Hunters), and it's pretty as hell, but i ended up at the novel soon enough, and I genuinely do not enough words to explain the enormity of my love for this now.

It's got all the best parts of some of my favorite fandoms in the past

complex and thoughtful worldbuilding - CHECK

unreliable narrator which requires you to read between the lines, in a way that the narrative ultimately rewards you for - CHECK

complex and fleshed out large cast of secondary characters, all of whom have lives and motivations and plot happenings beyond just the MCs deal - CHECK

no clear Good vs Evil team divisions, everyone and all sides are complicated and doing things that they do for Reasons - CHECK

Insane GayTM Relationship with the Best Banter I have ever experienced in fiction - CHECK CHECK CHECK (This is not a BL, it's a gen work, but in my opinion I will say it's a gen work which acknowledges the existence of lgbt people in the context of a very anti-lgbt society, but the secondary relationship is in fact explicitly love (the nature of that love is officially "ambiguous", the existence of that love is not) between two male characters)

Canon AUs and What Ifs that explore how characters would have reacted/acted in differing circumstances, and really let you get to know and love the characters themselves - CHECK

BUFF women (and men) - VERY GOOD VERY CHECK

Delicious angsty backstories for all the main characters, which nonetheless did not break them, so basically a main cast full of different flavors of Woobies - OG flavor, Iron, Stoic, Jerkass, Destroyer of Worlds, the whole gamut is represented!

Anyway, this is just an brief list (of the extensive miles long one), might post some more.

I have read through the novel once (mtl), with selective arc rereads (already rare af for me, i don't generally re-read/re-watch stuff much) but i am now thinking of starting a reread from Ch 1 with the proper tl (I haven't read the early chapters in this version).

[dramioneshipperz]

The Handmaid’s Tale—Season 6, Episode 9

Spoilers + Full Rant: Nick Blaine deserved better.

It's been hours. I’m not over it, and honestly? I don’t think I ever will be. These are my thoughts on the second-to-last episode of The Handmaid's Tale. Just my opinion.

CW: mentions of character death, abuse, and assault (including references to rape). Please read gently. Take care of yourself.

Nick’s downfall, if we can even call it that, wasn’t earned. It wasn’t thoughtful. It wasn’t the slow moral descent of a man corrupted by power. It was maybe three episodes of rushed choices, forced betrayals, and a character assassination that feels like it was written for shock value, not truth.

After six seasons of restrained love, quiet sacrifices, and impossible choices, they (writers and cast) threw him away with no warning and expected us to accept it.

But I can’t. I won’t.

Nick Blaine was not “just like the other Commanders.” No matter how badly the writers wanted to draw those false parallels in the final episodes, we know who he was. Having June and Serena both say, "You're just like the rest of them," was not only inaccurate, it was completely unjustifiable.

He wasn’t Fred. He wasn't Wharton.

Nick wasn’t a man who reveled in power or used Gilead to abuse women. He was a man caught in a system he never asked to be part of. He tried to survive, yes, but more than that, he was one who loved. One who tried to do good inside a world built to crush it.

Let’s talk about Serena Joy. If Serena can be "redeemed" after being an architect of women’s suffering—after holding June down to be raped—if she can cry over a baby and suddenly be positioned as a symbol of complex womanhood, then Nick Blaine deserved the chance to live.

And Aunt Lydia? Who mutilated girls and said it was what they deserved? She’s being reimagined as morally gray, too.

But Nick? Nick, who gave everything to help the woman he loved escape—he gets a bomb. No closure. No voice. No grace.

Let’s not forget why Nick did what he did.

He killed Guardians because June, Luke, and Moira needed help.

He shared Mayday plans because June put him in a situation where he had to choose between death on the wall or betrayal. And from what we’re shown, Nick didn’t know or even think that those women would die. Just like June didn’t think that asking for his help over and over wouldn’t come with consequences eventually.

Then June just let him get on that plane. She didn’t warn him. She didn’t stop him. After everything. After all the quiet love, all the protection, all the things he never asked for in return. She let him die believing she hated him.

And I’m supposed to believe that’s justice?

This is June’s story. I’ve always supported her rage. Her choices. Her trauma. And I always will.

But what they did to Nick. What the writers did to that love story. That wasn’t just cruel. It was narratively dishonest.

It twisted years of slow-burn connection into a last-minute complicate-by-association arc that Nick never deserved.

And for what? Shock value is all I can think of.

One more corpse to stack under June’s story?

I’m not mad because Nick was perfect. I’m mad because he wasn’t, and that’s what made him real. He was scared, restrained, and loyal. He loved June so deeply, he disappeared into it.

And they killed him off like he was a plot device.

Nick deserved redemption. At the very least, he deserved the truth. And I will never forgive them for denying him both.

I am heartbroken about Lawrence. But it made sense. Nick didn't.

That’s my rant. I will be watching the last episode next week.

[seilnakyle]

Nightwing #52…. While they didn’t have sex here, because they were literally in the middle of being shot at by mobsters, Selina obviously wanted to and was deliberately prepositioning Dick to. At the end of the issue she literally revealed she came onto him so that he’d tell Bruce and Bruce would be jealous. Thats a very concerning ‘motherly’ behaviour

While you can (arguably rightfully) say this comic is misogynistic and out of character, but it still happened so calling yourself a Selina Kyle Fan while saying Selina is the “matriarch of the batfamily a mother to all Bruce’s kids” WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY allowing people in your comment section to call Talia a rapist and let that racism go unchecked when we know damn well you can see it, is kind of hilarious. you’re the exact person the tweet was talking about. This is the same woman who has a deathly fear of commitment. being tied down to ANYONE or being in a motherly role to anyone is a literal nightmare scenario for her, Selina would kill herself if she saw this ngl. Can we not force every female character into a mother role or is that too much to ask.

As usual the misinformation cult doesn’t know what’s going on and is misrepresenting comics to further their agenda

I’ve already talked about NW #52 here and Selina has zero intention of sleeping with Dick. It is explicitly about making Batman jealous because she doesn’t know this is the first Robin. She knows he has a connection to Batman, and only wants to get him to mention her flirting to Batman to make him jealous. It’s literally clear in the last panel you posted but none of you seem to be able to read unfortunately. And never in their 80 years of history have Selina and Dick been romantic or sexual towards each other since.

The entitlement of y’all is crazyyy it’s NOT my fucking job to correct everyone about Talia every time they bring her up. Every time I’ve been directly asked about her I have defended her from the rape narrative, it’s not my fault that my blog with a fairly big following occasionally has people talking bad about Talia in the notes Lmfao you will find that literally everywhere, it’s not like y’all are out here defending Selina from misogyny and racism, in fact the only thing y’all do is lie about her constantly, like in this very ask…

Why should I care that the misinformation tweet on the misinformation web site was for me? Y’all are still wrong 😭

“Deathly fear of commitment” you are so dumb, her fear is of being totally dependent on someone (a whole 90s arc with scarecrow about this but again y’all can’t read 💔)

Selina Kyle is the mother figure of the batfam, loves children and has ALWAYS deeply desired family and belonging. Can we not reduce complex women to “independent girl boss” or is that too much to ask? 🥴

What’s actually hilarious is the way Talia stans hate Tom King’s guts until it’s time to use his characterization of “hesitant mother” then he’s the only writer ever lmfao

Selina has always deeply wanted a family, and she already IS a mother figure to every vigilante in Gotham <3 not to mention Holly Robinson ,Arizona, the Alleytown kids, every young vigilante she’s trained….once again NEVER take character advice from a Talia Stan!

[ven0moir]

What to expect from Will's arc at the start of S5. ( & how Bychance is a personification of his compound trauma ) v01

bychance part i - introduction bychance part ii - narrative structure

I've talked about before how S4 Willelmike essentially follows The Swan Princess' narrative logic. And what happened to Odette when Rothbart tricked Derek into confessing to "Odile", an Odette in disguise he had created via an enchantment? ( they don't call her Odile in this movie, but that's what she's called in the og Swan Lake play )

( HELP I'm sorry this is so dramatic but yeah )

She almost died until Derek was able to rectify his mistake. Derek specifically saying "I make a vow to break all vows" reminded me immediately of S2. Something something about that script talking about Will looking at Mike throughout.

Something something Vecna has been watching every vow mike breaks and every smile will fakes.

HELP ME WHAT IF MIKE GETS VECNA'D and we think we're getting allll this super complex "realization" sequence but instead Vecna's just legit like

"Wdym? I love El."

HAHRDSOKFOEHW IM CRYINGGGGGGG a funny thought but ( hopefully not ) I hate the idea of Mike's love confession to El being meant for Will. Please don't Mileven 2.0 my Byler, Duffers.

Anyway, I trust them, so I know that won't happen ( squints at them )

Something about Will being forgotten/fading into nothing. Something about Hopper having lost the "spirit to live" .... The Nothing being this force that takes away hopes and dreams ... it's giving birthdaygate. It's giving Will feeling like he's a mistake. Some of this could also apply to Mike ( and I'll ... talk about Mike eventually bc im mustering up the courage. But this is about Will rn )

Now there's only so much I can handle thinking about Will's arc because it's just way too freaking angsty for the payoff to just be "Mike realizes he loves Will and then tells Will he loves him in this super dramatic sequence" as in, again, Mileven 2.0? This already happened in S4, not to mention Will cannot look like a second option. The Duffers aren't perfect, sure, but they're more creative than that. ( I say about the derivative af show lmfao but even that is intention ) So they'll likely do something different.

My first guess is that Will is probably not going to be drawing at the start of S5, just like Mike's love for DMing was suppressed under the weight of his trauma at the end of S1.

In Will's case, the reason is even more specific--it is the medium through which he expressed his love to Mike in S4. And if he's suppressing his love for Mike, then if he does any art at all, his heart won't really be in it/he'd be doing it on autopilot/for Vecna related purposes.

Art is also the way he basically gives himself therapy, so if that's not a thing available to him at the moment, then yeah. My guess is he'll be in a similar position as S1 Joyce after they found Will's dead body and Lonnie showed up.

Joyce ( Will ) had hope that Will ( love ) was alive ( aka there was hope Mike loved him and he wasn't delusional for believing that ).

But the "proof", Will's dead body ( Mike's love confession ) makes it clear.

And when I say 'love' I don't just mean Mike, I mean in general. His hope of finding love at all died in that surfer boy's pizza because the chances ( lmao ) of meeting someone else like him, and bonding with that person, are very low. Hence his belief that he wasn't going to fall in love at the start of S3.

But if, like Joyce, Will still had any hope left, then the lie complicates things. Because chances are, that ...

Mike is going to be mad when he finds out about the lie. And even though Will was right, and El shouldn't have lied, after he'd had time to self-reflect, what was his conclusion?

Just like when Lucas tried to apologize to him in S3.

By the time Will's S5 arc begins, he'd have time to reflect on his painting lie, which he really didn't think through, he just acted on impulse to help Mike when Mike needed him, he's likely thinking;

"Whatever happens, whatever he does next, I'll deserve it."

And what's the worst case scenario in this situation? Mike being mad, and banishing him from the party. Telling Mike the truth would probably only make Mike hate him/be disgusted by him so imho I think Will would literally rather die than tell Mike he loves him.

And how things have gone for him so far, he's expecting the worst. He will be operating on the belief that it's only a matter of time before he experiences the worst trauma ever: officially losing his party, the people who saved him.

So S5 Will's emotional landscape is going to be the equivalent of his S1 self--meaning, Will is going to be trying to survive emotionally now like he tried to survive physically in S1. He'll be doing whatever he could and lived off of whatever water-like substance he could find ( unless the show provides a more supernatural reason for his survival ). So when Chance approaches him I kind of picture it being the emotional equivalent of like ...

And them paralleling Jonnie would kind of bring it home to me that Chance is a personification of Will's compound trauma. Lonnie, to Joyce is something not good/toxic ( Chance is a bully ) but god, she is trying to survive emotionally and needs all the help she can get, AND he is familiar ( Chance reminds Will of Mike, likely. At least at first ). He thinks he's making a choice for himself, but Chance is just using him. It's just an illusion--a lie.

However, the thing with Chance isn't all just another way for Vecna ( metaphorically or directly ) to wear down/exhaust Will--it's also a trial, a test to prepare Will for his final showdown with Vecna and finally Break The Cycle. Being with someone before Mike also gives Will perspective--even if he couldn't be with Mike, Chance is evidence that there *are* other guys like him out there, and he could eventually meet someone given enough time to heal.

This is why I think this storyline IS important for his growth. It offers the opportunity for self-exploration and reconnecting with himself. That way, Byler will feel more deserved. More of a choice rather than Will being Mike's last-minute second option.

I admit this one I'm still mewling over, so if there are any changes I'll post updated versions!

[directdogman]

Dogman, how do you write SO WELL!?!? I love all your characters and I need to know what/where you find inspo from...

Ha. Every writer is just someone who apes the creative processes of their inspirations. For video game writing specifically, there's two answers for me.

Toby Fox is always gonna be a huge inspiration for me. I've written plots and characters before and had to abandon ideas after realizing I'd accidentally written part of UT again. Even some of the ideas I used were undeniably inspired by UT in a subconscious way and ofc, I included several explicit references to UT in my last series. Toby's a very clever guy who likely pays very close attention to the art he consumes and tries to figure out how to maximize how much his work connects with his audience. Whatever his process is, it works.

The other answer is a lil funnier: Scott Cawthon, but specifically the legend, not the man. For context: Back in the earlier days of the FNaF fandom, people had a hyper-inflated view of Scott Cawthon's writing skills that largely came from how little of a presence he had back in those days. In the vacuum of Scott actually explaining his own process in detail, people got caught up in his genuinely creative way of hiding exposition in his games using cryptid and (then) unexpected methods, and a narrative formed (one that he's since refuted.)

While he never implied it tmk, fans broadly believed that he constructed these sweeping and complex narratives with tons of cohesive moving parts, with the games essentially acting like the mere tip of his lore iceberg. People even thought he wrote so much that he had whole games worth of lore outlined from the beginning! In the first Dawko interview he gave, he clarified that this wasn't the case and explained roughly what his process was (basically just outlining rough theme ideas + aesthetics for future titles.)

However, that legend made younger-me's mind run wild and any time I wrote a story, it became very difficult for me to not keep writing down ideas while completing the grunt work that followed me finishing my scripts. When I finished DSaF 1, I already had DSaF 2's draft written and by the time 2 was done, I had enough lore for a 3rd game on paper (and a lot more stuff that I didn't use.) By the time three was out, I had pages upon pages of unused concepts/story ideas and more or less just had to decide to call it quits or else I'd be pumping out entries forever!

That's why if you go back to those older games, there's references that directly refer to future plot-points in pretty casual/easy to miss ways. (Like Henry's mention in DSaF 1, Dave being heartless in DSaF 2, Jack being soulless in 1, and even Blackjack being Jack's soul in 2. Most of 3's major plotpoints are implied somewhere in 2 and some of 2's in 1.)

DT is much the same. By the time I finished writing it, I had fairly detailed drafts for arcs for each of the characters, some early material ended up getting completely recontextualized (and even modified in small ways to not conflict with the wider ideas I came up with.)

I get really into writing my stories/characters and I always wonder exactly how things ended up where they are, what characters think about but don't say, etc etc. This is why I have an obscene amount of Crown lore that I have very little to do with rn (since he impacted the whole world so deeply.)

This extra stuff also includes plenty of sequel material ideas, though I didn't think I'd even get a chance to use them since DT performed pretty meagerly before the big release and I was expecting to have to move onto something new. Though it turned out that Scott didn't actually write his games this way (by his own admission), it's the correct answer for what my core writing inspiration for writing game narratives is.

Hope this helps!

[velvetvexations]

IDK if you care about dark souls but i am getting myself pissed off again thinking about the trans discourse around dark sun gwyndolin. like i can understand why trans women want to claim him because he is a feminine character amab, but to deny that his backstory would resonate with trans men, as a son who is being FORCED by his father to perform socially as a daughter due to cultural stuff, is so silly to me! that's a particular archetype or narrative arc that i see trans men and women gravitate towards because like, complex and alienated relationships to masculinity and femininity are things we all have in common. why can't we share without it being framed like one group is "stealing" from another? frankly gwyndolin is intersex coded as much as anything else and i never see people talk about that!

It's wild how many radfems have transfem headcanons that are literally just trans men, like, canonically. Gwendolyn, Ranma, Chihiro, I cannot stress this enough they are literally canonically trans men. If not for knowing trans women have historically dug Ranma in the past, I would think they literally pick these characters just to deny them to transmascs.

I don't deny at all that characters AMAB going through gender benders or forcefem can't resonate with trans women, because they always have for me. But ignoring the fact that they're canonically trying to have their masculinity returned/revalidated is ridiculous. Acting like trans men are stealing from and denying representation to trans women when they headcanon these characters as transmasc is ridiculous. And using this to say that transmascs are inherently incapable of literary analysis unless they agree with you that every character they like is a trans woman is fucking infuriating.

The reaches they do to force the character into being transfem is so obviously weird, too, to the point of genuinely being pitiable. "The culmination of Homestuck's transfeminist themes" girliepop you sound like someone who thinks Blue's Clues is a tool of the Illuminati. Talk to your loved ones. Go for a walk. Headspace has a free trial.

And like, listen. I talk a lot about headcanon discourse on here. But you have to understand, the issue here isn't if this or that character is transfem or transmasc. It pisses me off BECAUSE it's so petty. It is a manifestation of how other trans people who really, really hate transmascs will go to the most extreme lengths to deny them anything. It makes my blood boil because they see any transmasculine joy at all, headcanons, bands, even your fucking names, and will spend every day trying to get rid of it while calling that transfeminism.

Trans women who touch grass on a regular basis are, like all trans people, getting fucking murdered on a regular basis, but what are we spending our vitriol on? What's our number one priority on Tumblr.com?

[sunlight-allergy]

SUCCESSORSWAP — a death note AU || for mattmelloweek day 1 - parallels

———

the prompt for today got me thinking about a concept I came up with about a year ago… Death Note has its fair share of narrative parallels, but one I don’t see people talking about enough are the ones between the big 3 of the main cast (L, Light, & Misa) and the Wammy’s House kids from the successor arc.

think about it… Mello and Near are very clearly supposed to serve as each other’s narrative foils to replicate the rivalry between L and Light, exemplifying many of the main duo's character traits & flaws... whereas just like Misa with Light, Matt is Mello’s undying supporter who would risk his life for Mello’s sake... we see the vision right??

their narrative roles are very similar but their relationships are COMPLETELY different, and therein lies the appeal. but imagine a world in which their roles were to change places, swapping with the character who’s supposed to mirror them during the second arc… while maintaining those same relationships they have in canon. and you get:

this! an AU in which Mello is Japan's so-called "perfect top student" hiding his identity as Kira, Matt is a famous idol working as the second Kira alongside Mello, and Near (aka "N") is the genius child prodigy detective hunting them down.

it’s like death note but sillier! and in this universe I’d like to think that everyone else meant to parallel each other switches places as well. (Watari and Soichiro, the Task Force characters with the SPK, the Shinigami with each other, etc.)

but since we're focusing on just these 3 for the time being, here's a little relationship tree I threw together for them:

(sorry in advance if tumblr compression makes this unreadable)

Mello and Near hide a complex rivalry behind a facade of begrudging friendship as they work together to catch Kira (all the while Mello is covering his tracks), Matt and Near are bffs because I live for that shit, and Mello and Matt are partners in crime Bonnie & Clyde style, harboring secret feelings for each other that they mask behind a "fake" relationship.

they're fake-dating for the sake of the case (to cover up them working together as Kira) but wish they were actually dating, you guys know the trope. and I think it'd be REALLY funny if, during the Yotsuba arc in this universe, they forget about the "fake" part of their relationship in the midst of all the Death Note memory fuckery... and just start actually dating because they can't remember that it was supposed to be a facade in the first place LOL

Near is naturally very suspicious about all this (his two biggest suspects having such a close relationship is QUITE the coincidence, maybe not the best coverup after all...) and during the whole Yotsuba arc handcuff thing I think he'd probably rope Matt in too (or Matt would make Near include him because "you're not about to handcuff yourself to MY boyfriend without me!!") which would make for some silly shenanigans (and a very disgruntled Mello)

i have so many more thoughts & stuff written out for this AU so let me know what you think about the concept / if you wanna see some of my in-depth thoughts about their backstories/relationships/or even other characters & who they'd switch places with muahahaha