#izzy stans you are so valid

[acespacedweller]

I get that there is a deeper level to Ed and Izzy's relationship of a fucked up toxic love, but love nonetheless. However, there are certain ways that izzy stans are interpreting scenes from s1 that I have a really hard time agreeing with.

Not saying that they are wrong or that izzy is a "bad" character, cause he's actually so interesting and well written. But I have a really hard time seeing Ed talk about the things he likes and is excited about (Stede's trinkets, clouds in the sky and what that could mean weather wise, the whole singing thing) only to be shut down. As an ADHD person who has had very similar experiences, knowing how much that hurts, I don't think I will ever be able to interpret those scenes under the lens that izzy stans enjoy. Honestly I wish I could, but in my book he has a lot more shit to make up for before I can say "he's a dick but he's our dick"

I especially struggle to see that scene from e10 as Izzy is telling Ed that their professional relationship can continue but that their personal relationship is over. To me that conversation reads a lot more threatening, particularly when it's coming from someone who has expressed over and over again all season that he only wants to see a certain part of Ed, and thinks other parts of him are pathetic.

[canonizzyhours]

I want to give some advice for anyone new to the fandom who's looking at this blog trying to figure out how they should understand the whole Izzy divide.

If I could go back in time to when I first joined this fandom, and give myself one piece of advice, it would be this: any time you're talking to somebody and they get weirdly defensive about Izzy and how he's actually a very nuanced character and we need to appreciate that he's just a hardworking middle manager trying to rein in his whimsical boss - stop the conversation and block them immediately.

The thing is I understand why this sounds crazy. You're like, but I want to have an open mind and learn from takes that are different than mine! And sure, I don't see Izzy that way but he's a great complicated character and I understand why people would like him! I don't want to be a character basher, I want to understand every character and all the different perspectives of all their fans!

All of that is great in general. But it's not going to help you here. What's going on with the Izzy stans is not just people liking a character you think is an antagonist. It's not even the normal kind of woobification. It's people getting caught up in an entire interpretative framework that centers the show around Izzy at the cost of making the central love story about the two main characters totally incoherent as well as racist, and getting so invested in that framework that it becomes a core part of their identity and anyone who expresses disagreement with it is attacking them directly. We should have all known a year before season 2 happened that it was inevitably going to end with all of those people viciously turning against the show's creators when the second season inevitably failed to validate this whole bizarre contratextual interpretation they invented.

You're not going to learn from them, unless you mean learning about how fandoms become toxic. You sure won't learn anything about the actual narrative of the show or the characters in it. At best you're just going to have some of the most frustrating conversations of your life, and at worst you are going to open yourself up to harassment from people who are so convinced of their own righteousness that they can't see when they're the ones lashing out at others.

Just block them. It's better for everyone.

#391.

[ofmdsalt]

this is some of the most bizarre back and forth i've seen and why it's impossible in this fandom to criticize this show without being labelled a:

a hater

a troll

an izzy stan

i agree with a lot of the points made by OP (obvious-captain-rogers)

there are many things i do enjoy about s2. i think the episode that focuses on the cursed jacket to be particularly enjoyable because it harkens back to a lot of the shenanigans we're used to from s1

but i also agree that Stede and Ed's character arcs often fell flat of what the writers were originally intending and that's because they genuinely do not have the time to get these characters back to their s1 selves because so much has happened between them.

and again another problem in this fandom is also this behaviour of fundamentally needing to be right at all costs when it comes to criticism of this show in general.

criticism of media is expected. it's unavoidable. it is also highly subjective. what won't work for one person will work for another. i can accept that s2 did not work for me in a lot of ways (my thing is how much Jim was pushed to the side as character to a point where they weren't a character at all; they were just Vico Ortiz in costume)

but the insistence that you can't talk about this show negatively or you have to do it in a hyper specific way for your criticism to be seen as valid is bad media literacy lmao. and the inability to talk about what people were disappointed in, wished could have gone differently, is why this fandom has a toxic reputation. it's impossible to have these discussions

I liked season 2! the first 3 episodes are actual masterpieces, and i personally loved episode 4 and 5. The only episodes from s2 that disappointed me were episode 6-8 and now that we know the writers were forced to rewrite those after they already started production, the reason for the weird pace of those episodes (plus a lot of scenes that got cut) is pretty clear. If anything I'm mad af at max for meddling bc in the end we only got a butchered version of what this season was supposed to be

If ppl enjoyed the eps there’s absolutely no judgement from me on that. When I watched them the first time I was entertained, but on this second watch I was underwhelmed.

The writing throughout just didn’t seem to have all that much heart behind it. And when a good moment happened, it was quickly brushed aside and the characters- and tbh I mostly mean Ed and Stede bc they never gave the rest of the crew enough screen time and this doesn’t apply to Izzy- never learned or grew from any of it.

If they were trying to build to s3 I don’t know where they were going to try to go with it bc overall s2 was such a mess imo

[ladyluscinia]

Still trying to grasp the sheer number of tags on that blanket fort tweet that are taking it seriously. "He's fucking Blackbeard" is the showrunner QUOTING Blackbeard talking to himself from the show. Dear lord. It's not him scolding some random twitter user in a sudden and abrupt reversal of general fan positivity

Also, this might just be me, but I'm pretty sure the joke about taking two people to build a blanket fort is about the maximum reach and number of hands of a single person, not being a poor helpless baby with no skill? Have you never been trying to hang or fold something slightly wider than your reach and felt the adult frustration of "fuck that corner slipped again????" Never called in another person for the sole instruction of "hold this"????

Fuck, it's not that deep. Or weirdly hostile for that matter. The Izzy stans think the response is funny

[dylanndr]

TL;DR:

Trans Izzy headcanon is not universally accepted by all trans men and can be traumatizing to some of us (even us Izzy stans!), so don't assume that any given trans man is into it. Figure out where someone is before tagging them in to Trans Izzy stuff.

The long version:

[CN for frank discussion of gender dysphoria]

I understand that Trans Izzy is a popular headcanon, and I understand that a lot of trans guys feel affirmed and validated by that headcanon. This post is not about bursting that bubble. If it's working for you, fine. Do your thing.

I want to make clear, though, that it is NOT a universal headcanon that all trans guys are on board with. I keep getting tagged into Trans Izzy stuff by well-meaning people who assume I must be all about it, when what it actually does is trigger a massive dysphoria spiral that can flatten me for hours or days after.

I was sincerely hoping I could desensitize myself, but it turns out "have you simply tried not having dysphoria" isn't working any better this time than it did when that first therapist I ever went to offered that as a solution when I told him I thought I was trans.

So: Trans Izzy headcanon stuff is a SEVERE dysphoria trigger for me and I can't engage with it at all. I can't look at the art, I can't read the fics or meta. I don't click on Izzy tags or join Izzy groups because of it.

If you've read this blog at all, you know I love Izzy and I have spent a lot of time thinking about him. I have never encountered one single thing about him that gives me trans validation feels (no, not even his height relative to the other characters). I have encountered several things about him that are the polar opposite of my experience as a trans person. Obviously a lot of other trans guys are having a very different experience of the character, but for me, for my own experience there is N O T H I N G relatable about him from a trans perspective, and a number of things that feel actively wrong to me when put into a trans frame. It's like having my gender experience anti-validated.

In addition to the dysphoria, I'm just generally grossed out by the idea of a cis* actor playing a trans character. There's no excuse for that in our current era. [*AFAIK Con is cis, given that he self-labels as an ally when posting pro-trans content. He's clearly pretty chill about the HC. But either way he is not a trans man and should not be playing one on TV.]

So: I am asking people please do not tag me in any Trans Izzy stuff, and please don't make a blanket assumption that all trans guys are into Trans Izzy HC.

Final word: from the stuff I have seen, not a single one of you has the faintest clue how trans men on HRT experience menopause. That's not really your fault, since our culture barely acknowledges menopause in cis women as it is. Finding accurate info on trans man menopause is nigh impossible. So here are some basics:

If you've had a hysto before you would have hit menopause, you will not go through menopause. There's nothing to wind down.

If you haven't had a hysto but are on masculinizing levels of T, you are unlikely to experience any menopause symptoms at all. The T suppresses them. If you've been on HRT for a long time, your body will stop absorbing it as well as you get older, and you could experience some lessened symptoms if your levels drop low enough. But all you have to do is increase your dose and you're back to T overriding menopause symptoms. My doctor specializes in trans medicine, has been in practice for over 30 years, and has had almost none of her trans man patients complain of menopause symptoms in all that time.

As far as sex-in-the-front goes, T dries you out to some extent, menopause dries you out even more. You're almost certainly not going to be making puddles, and you're going to be running through a lot of lube. Get a few barrels of it and use them as ballast if you're going to be at sea for awhile.

[keagan-ashleigh]

You know what makes me feel unwelcome in this fandom, as a gay man? Izzy stans.

Y'all are homophobic abuse apologists who think queer relationships that aren't toxic aren't valid.

I have literally posted nothing about that and you're making big crazy assumptions about me, you need to take a big breath and touch some grass, so much rage cannot be healthy.

I wish you a lot of peace, now get off my blog.

[smilesthroughfandoms]

What Your Favorite Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss Characters Says About You

Charlie: You think Disney Princess movies would be better if they let the princesses be gay and say the f-word.

Vaggie: You’re a lesbian simp, and that’s valid.

Angel Dust: You either connect with him on some sort of level or you want to screw him... or both...

Alastor: You either like his aesthic, are happy to have Aro/Ace representation, or you want to screw him... or some odd combo of the above.

Husk: Look, I can’t prove you weren’t apart of the Szechuan Sauce riots a couple years back, but I can’t not prove it either.

Niffty: You stanned Pinkie Pie unironically.

Mimzy: You’re just vibing in the fandom and that’s valid.

Baxter: You think the “Mad Scientist” trope is underrated.

Crymini: You were apart of the TikTok group that screwed Donald Trump’s rallies and I admire you SO MUCH

Cherri Bomb: You liked Izzy from the Total Drama franchise a little to much.

Sir Pentious: You think Zuko’s redemption arc is overrated. As far as you’re concerned, Dr. Doofenshmirtz has the best character arc of all time.

Valentino: I’m afraid of you.

Vox: You liked Firelord Ozai and White Diamond a little to much.

Velvet: You KINNED Pinkie Pie unironically.

Rosie: You’re convinced Mary Poppins has a body count she’s not telling anyone about.

Fat Nuggets: You are a firm believer in CUTE 👏 PETS 👏 HAVING 👏 RIGHTS 👏.

Helsa: You relate to Regina George on a spiritual level.

Blitzo: You think offensive humor is a criminally underappreciated in our modern time.

Moxxie: You either had an Invader Zim phase in middle school or you’re going through an The Office phase now.

Millie: I have no joke. You are just genuinly good person... Unless you want to screw her in which case you’re valid but stop she’s married.

Loona: You’re a furry.

Stolas: You take being horny on main to an entirely new level.

Octavia: You like goth girls.

Stella: Your favorite subreddits are the revenge based kind.

Andrelphus: He hasn’t even showed up yet you thirsty mofos!

Verosika: You want to be stepped on.

Tex: You’re a Furry but I’m directing it more at the MLM crowd.

RoboFizz: You are a simp. I’ve seen the tumblr tags and believe me, I could say a lot worse.

Fizzaroli: You are a simp and I mean that both affectionatly and derogatorily.

Asmodeus (Ozzie): You want to be stepped on but I’m directing it (again) at the MLM crowd.

Mrs. Mayberry: You think Matilda would’ve been a lot better if Ms. Honey just let loose and slapped a bitch.

Loopty Goopty: You know for a fact Willy Wonka has a body count.

Lyle Lipton: Your first fictional crush was either Bigweld from Robots or Dr. Eggman from Sonic

Paimon: You are not good at “daddying” but you MIGHT be a daddy.

Cash Buckzo: You are not good at “daddying” and you are definitely NOT a daddy.

Crimson: The Godfather is not a good movie to base your entire personality on you stop that.

Chazz: Your real name is Chad and I totally believe your pee-pee is big /s

Cletus: You think being condescending is a personality trait

Keenie: You’re the star of at least 3 Entitled Parent stories on reddit.

Collins: You are a doormat. Stand up for yourself more.

Deerie: Your name is Karin. Yes spelled exactly like that.

Striker: Thristy Simps, all of you.

Sallie May: You're cool. No joke. You're Just cool.

Wally Wackford: Your favorite trope is Wacky Shenanigans in which hijinx ensue.

Agent One/Agent Two: You think liking the Men in Black franchise qualifies as having a personality.

Eddie: You are literally twelve, how are you here right now.

[angstysebfan]

PR Stunt Gone Wrong - Chapter 28

Pairing: Sebastian Stan x Reader

Summary: You are a fellow actress in the MCU, Bucky’s love interest. You met Seb during the CA: WS and you guys hit it off. Chemistry on and off the set, but never dated until after Infinity War. During filming of FATWS, the pandemic caused everything to shut down. Seb offered you to spend quarantine with him, but somewhere along the lines, things go wrong and Seb makes a PR decision.

A/N: I was going to to this in a Bucky story, but then I decided to keep it Seb. With everything going on with Seb over the last several months, I came up with this story in my head. Obviously a lot of this is made up, but it is using what we know Seb has been doing over the last several months.

After Sebastian left, you spent a great deal of your time back on the beach, thinking. You were thankful that the area was quiet and empty and you could have time with your thoughts as you walked up and down the long beachfront with Tucker. You started thinking about everything, and got very overwhelmed. You decided to break everything down.

You started with Chase, since you both had a newer relationship, so not as much to think about. Chase was the one that was there for you when you fell apart. He came to your rescue like a knight in shining white armor. He held you when you cried, he told you all your feelings were valid, and he made you pick yourself up when you were down. He respected your ongoing feelings for Seb and never pressured you to move on.

When you both kissed the first time, you didn’t know what to think. Of course you liked it, but you immediately stopped it. You assumed it was because you weren’t over Seb. You convinced yourself that you didn’t have feelings for Chase. You tried to shut down anything that would have made you feel more for Chase, because he had become your best friend. You, eventually, let your walls down and allowed yourself to give in to temptation. 

At first you didn’t regret it, because nothing changed between you. As time went on, however, you started to have some feelings, and knew he did also. When he left you to film, you missed him, a lot. But now that you think about it, you did pretty well on your own. You were calling him every day, only when you needed advice. Most of the time you were too busy with work, or talking about the trial to talk to him. 

Going out to LA was amazing, and you are honestly happy you did it. Seeing him again, being with him, letting him in more, was perfect. You thought you were going to be out there for awhile, but you chose to leave. You wanted time to think. You were confused by your feelings for him, and for Sebastian.

Now Sebastian was a whole other matter. You have known him for so long, and have had so many ups and downs with him, you don’t know where to start. I guess the clue was when he didn’t choose you at first to be with. You were his fuck buddy, and nothing more. It took awhile for you both to get on the same page, and you decided to give him another chance. It was still rocky, but for the most part, you were happy.

You feel in love with him, hard. You started picturing a long life with him. Marriage, kids, growing old together, the works. You were too scared to tell him how you felt, thinking he would run away. Another clue, I guess. It took awhile, but he said it first. As mad as you were at him, your heart lit up like Christmas when you heard those words. When you finally said them back, you felt like the Earth shifted and everything was finally in their right place. 

The pandemic brought a lot of struggle for you both, but you kept going, together. It wasn’t until he was given the ultimatum of doing this PR relationship, or your career was going to be ruined. You still wish that he would have spoken to you. That he would have told you what was going on, so you could fight it together. But, “to protect you” he left you. Leaving you broke you, and then find out that he was with another woman, who was younger, and thinner, prettier (in your head), broke you more. 

Why would you believe that it wasn’t real? He didn’t answer your calls, texts, or any other communication. He only reached out after he saw you and Chase together, because he was jealous. Seeing him again for the first time, and seeing his sad eyes, all you wanted to do was run into his arms. You always wanted to protect him, just like he always wants to protect you. You can’t fault him for that, though you wish you could. 

But he fucking slept with the bitch! That is something you are not sure you can forgive. You swore you would never sleep with him again, but obviously that didn’t work out. You want to know why! Why did he have to sleep with her? He even admitted that he liked it. That is a smack in the face like no other.

You will never forget that day in your trailer, when he told you what was going on. You finally told him how you felt. That you hated him, which a part of you really does. You hate that he took it upon himself to do this without talking to you. You hate that he broke your heart and acted like it wasn’t a big deal. You hated that he slept with her who knows how many times. Your emotions got the better of you and slept with him. You made sure that there was no emotions except anger in that moment.

Since then, he has been patient, and understanding, and kind. Almost like the old Seb that you fell in love with. He has let you be a part of everything with the case, and has been behind you with all decisions you have made. Even telling you if you chose Chase, he would support it. You feel tears in your eyes thinking about that. 

Chase gave you up. Didn’t let you figure out your feelings. What if you want to be with him? Will be reject you? Is he with someone else now? Did he end it because he was jealous of the pictures with you and Sebastian? You’re glad you have this place to run away to, and still Sebastian found you. He came for you. To make sure you were ok, and safe, and that you knew you were not alone. 

Today when you slept with Sebastian, you knew it wasn’t just sex for him. He was making love to you. He took his time and worshipped you; just like he used to. He made you feel loved and cherished, and you would lie if you said you didn’t enjoy every second of it. You know Seb loves you, even though he was shit at showing you before, he has shown it recently. But is it enough? Can you trust that he will continue down this path of being open, honest, and truthful with you?

When you called Chase, you thought you just needed closure, but after the conversation, you feel like you still need to consider your feelings for him. You have 2 men who you care for greatly. You have a broken heart that was caused by both of them, you need to protect. What is the right way?

You start heading off the beach toward the house. The sun has practically set and it was getting cold. You feel like you have made your decision, but you want to sleep on it and see if you still feel the same way in the morning. Then you need to get the courage to tell everyone involved. 

No matter the outcome, you are doing this for you. You are making your own decisions now. You control your own destiny.

--

Chapter 27 / Chapter 29

What do you think her decision is? Oh and don’t worry, we will find out what happened to Ale. 2 more chapters and this one is in the books! Feedback is appreciated.

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[normal-thoughts-official]

UWU I'm in the mood for some Raphael talk, I love the headcanon you've talked about in the chat about Raphael tolerating Alec only because he makes his dad happy (which is so damn valid of him), and it's one of my most fave things do you have more slightly silly headcanons about it?

you really want me to be beaten up huh may. you want them to come for me again. you want to ruin my life

okay disclaimer Alec stans pwease dont hate me uwu I'm not saying i hate Alec I'm saying that i dont think Raphael would vibe with him. especially after the whole punch which I'll never get over cuz like i KNOW rationally that alec didnt have the full story and if izzy was hurt and sitting beside a white shadowhunter he would go there and beat them up all the same cuz alec's like this, but I'm still upset eidndidjdid my boy doesnt deserve this okay

anyway with that being said

i dont think its Raphael like, genuinely hating him as much as them having nothing in common besides their mutual love for Magnus and desire to see him happy. so Raphael can tolerate him fine, but he's not exactly dying to be best friends. besides, alec's like, all of the most annoying things about shadowhunters (all serious, never fucking relaxes, must have a weapon close at all times, doesn't understand food, doesn't listen to music, doesnt-) that arent like straight up nazist bigotry. so hes just like. ugh. whatever. I'm here for Magnus. leave pls

i can absolutely see that tbh Raphael just goes to their house and is all like "Alec leave i want to talk to Magnus" and alec's like "this is my house?" and raphael's like "and?" and alec's like "Fine, ill take a walk. Magnus, Raphael is here." but he also kisses Magnus goodbye in front of Raphael because he can, in fact, be an ass

also i know i told u about that already but Raphael lowkey challenges him every time like. he'll come by Magnus' and bring food, and of course theres food for 3 because Raphael is not gonna be that rude and he doesn't want to make Magnus feel like Raphael wants him to choose between Raphael and Alec. Alec makes Magnus happy and Raphael would never want to make Magnus feel like his love or presence in his life is conditional. Plus, he doesn't actually hate him. Just a little.

anyway so he brings the food and he's like (clearly judgemental tone) "i brought hot sauce because i figured Alec doesn't usually eat spicy food" and he's obviously correct, Alec had never eaten anything with season in his life before he met Magnus, much less pepper. he's the kind of ultimate, boss-level gringo who puts salt on his food when he's feeling adventurous

so Raphael sits down and puts the food on his plate and he pours hot sauce into his plate while making unwavering eye contact with Alec (yeah raphael can eat in this because he deserves it and i said so) and it's an obvious challenge and it evidently works because Alec 1- is competitive, and 2- actually wants Raphael's respect because he knows how important he is to Magnus. so he takes the salsa from Raphael and starts pouring it too while maintaining eye contact right back, jaw clenched in challenge, looking all serious and Magnus is like "children, please" and raphael's all like "oh no no no, let him" but Alec considers that a win because Raphael is clearly trying to contain a smile and thats the first step to winning him over

so anyway Alec sweats and grimaces through the whole meal, cuz like, look yes he may have pain tolerance because he's a shadowhunter but he's also the bitch who reacted to taking a sip of beer like someone had farted on his face. he can't hide his reactions for shit, but fuck if he doesn't lick the plate clean (not literally like gross) and doesn't shed a single tear, even as he clearly can't keep his eyes open with the effort

Magnus is like "Alexander, you dont have to do this" and alec's like "(eyes squeezed shut, grimacing, drenched in sweat) do what? this is very good" and Raphael is smiling into his plate even as Magnus shoots him dirty looks

then Alec is like "i won. i ate it all" and Raphael is like "(looking at his red sweaty face and puffy eyes) really?"

also look ill always love the hc that Raphael resents Alec for his height and Alec doesnt even notice. Raphael is not short, god damn it, hes 175! thats TEN whole centimeters above the mexican average! he was the tallest boy in Guadalajara! RAPHAEL IS TALL, OKAY

EXCEPT everyone in the goddamn shadow world is apparently a god damn giant. Its humiliating enough that Magnus is 180. but Magnus is his dad, so whatever. but Alec is FUCKING 190. no one needs that much tall. no one! Raphael went from being the tallest boy in the neighborhood to the shortest, and boy he is so not pleased about it

but Alec has no idea because who cares? (Raphael. Raphael cares. deeply. he cares so much) it's not even good to be that tall, he keeps banging his head on things. so there will be moments like. Raphael is standing in front of the bookshelf, seeming very focused. Alec shrugs, figures he's looking for something, and puts the book he was going to put there up. Raphael shoots him a dirty look that might as well be a stab, and Alec's like ???????? did i disrupt you? sorry? and Raphael just crosses his arms like "you didnt do anything, i dont know what you're talking about"

in reality the shelf was too high up because Magnus adjusted his shelves to his and Alec's height, and Raphael refused to stand on his tiptoes or god forbid, a stool, to grab his book, so he was just glaring at the shelf until the book came to him or something. and when Alec put the book up he was mad cuz Alec could reach it fjdndid

later Alec tells Magnus about it like "i dont get what i did. is he just that private?" and Magnus is like "hmm. i have no idea, darling" but next time Raphael comes, the shelves have been spelled to adjust to the book picker's height

also this always makes me think of that scene in hsm where zeke tries to talk to sharpay and she goes "evaporate, tall person!" and leaves and i love that mental image tbh

also like. eventually Alec apologizes for the punching thing (look. look. Im still salty and Raphael deserves it okay) and Raphael is like. moved because something deep inside of him still believed it was his fault and he was a monster, and it's. nice. and Alec kind of extends his arms and Raphael is like "dont think so" and crosses his arms and Alec kind of very very slowly lifts his arm and pats Raphael's head once and Raphael wants to scream and Alec looks very awkward and sheepish and Magnus bursts out laughing

(Raphael doesnt mind, though, because Magnus is genuinely so happy all day that they had a good interaction. so happy. and Raphael thinks, okay, this is okay. it's good if it makes Magnus happy.)

(Magnus also pats his head and plays with his hair, but its okay because Magnus has always done that and Raphael doesnt mind. only from him though. and raphael's partners. but anyway)

plus whenever Magnus is like, upset, or sick or something, theyre like. an unit. because for all they have no common interests they do think very alike (autistic solidarity i guess) and are very practical when it comes to taking care of others, and they both just. adore Magnus, okay. so Raphael will arrive, make Magnus soup. while he makes soup, Alec stays with him and takes his temperature. once Raphael is back with the soup, Alec goes out to buy medicine, and Raphael stays with him to make him company. and so on. at some point Alec is almost falling asleep by Magnus' side and Raphael taps his shoulder and points to the chair nearby, and Alec nods and dozes off for a while. then its the other way around. Magnus isnt seriously sick, of course, but he doesn't usually get sick so it's an event, plus they're both Like This. and for all the grief they give each other, they trust each other to take care of Magnus. theres no argument about that

(Magnus was resting, but he did see some of these moments, and smiled a bit to himself before dozing off again)

also Raphael and Ragnor gave Alec the ultimate shovel talk (Ragnor doesn't trust anyone after Camille, and while neither do cat and dot, they were more chill), but it lowkey backfired because they were like "if you ever hurt him, we'll remove your kneecaps" and Alec was like "(nodding seriously) thats fair"

also i know we've talked about this already but i also love the idea that Raphael goes to their house and is all absentmindedly like "hm can i have some coffee" and alec's like "sure, ill make it :) you stay here and talk to Magnus" and when Alec comes back he hands Raphael his coffee in a "best. bonus son. ever" mug and then he leans back against the wall, sipping his own coffee from his "world's #1 stepdad" mug that he bought himself, trying to hide his shit eating grin, and Raphael scowls and deliberately holds it so his hand covers the words, and Magnus laughs and his eyes shine as he sips his tea.

(later, Raphael is like. guess me and lightwood have a dynamic now. gross. but he still rolls with it)

in short Raphael and Alec being little shits to each other but still building something of a relationship for Magnus and always taking care of him..... ultimate trope

[canonizzyhours]

One of the worst things that having acquaintances who were Izzy Stans meant for me for a while was having to qualify factual statements about the character and the show with stuff like "but of course other interpretations are valid too," because I didn't want to alienate or invite nasty fights with people who did not watch the same show we did. So much so that an early ask I sent to this blog of all places, I felt like I had to cushion my statement about canon Izzy with fuzzy words about how your mileage may vary and other takes are valid too.

But the thing is that while yes, there's more than one way to read some ambiguous elements, visual symbolism, subtext etc, NOT ALL INTERPRETATIONS ARE ACTUALLY SUPPORTED BY THE SOURCE MEDIA. That's the difference. Some interpretations ARE more valid than others. If that wasn't true, literature professors would be out of a job. I'm saying this out loud here because I guarantee I'd have anons in my inbox telling me this is elitist of me if I said it on my own account.

And if your take places an antagonistic side character as the central hero of the piece and you think that's canon, you know what? Yeah, no, that's genuinely a less correct reading of the actual show, sorry. Genuinely do whatever you feel like in your fanworks, but recognise that those =/= the text of the show.

#419.

[curiouser-and-curiouser-fics]

I’m a new arcana blog and idk how to get more followers and idk many arcana blogs :/ can you recommend some?

sorry this took so long, babe!! things have been crazy over here, and I got quite the weekend ahead of me

most of the blogs I’ll recommend will 7/10 follow you back, so following them all is a sure fire way to at least gain some followers XD

@smellsliketinycupcakes @basicallyjuliandevorak @devorak-julian @the-arcana-fluff-and-stuff @luciostanblog @unlicensed-plague-doctor @arcanedrabbles @the-arcana-headcanons @not--valid @juliansass @vesuviass @junkpilestuff @dr-devorak-will-seeyounow @cutelilbow @julian---devorak @pumpkunbread @teyaleen @androgynous-bones <–– cosplayer @lightgetsout <–– cosplayer @we-stan-julian-devorak @vesuvian-american @the-andy-world {@timmys-and-scribbles @timbits-and-memes @icedcoffee-and-pumpkinbread @icedcoffee-and-pumpkinbread2} <–– same amazing artist I love her so much omg @thatoneasrastan @juliandevorakismyeverything @babufactory @cicadagirl @dr-devoraak @sinningforasrian @depressedbutnoregrets @cater-pickle @blackcoffee-lobsterclaws @asrascum @talldarkandrowdy @softasra @those-arcana-things @juliansleftbuttcheek @floofy-magician @lazyvoyager @arcana-scenarios @ask-count-lucio @katherine-the-apprentice @arcanamagines @merclucio @littlefallenseraph @arcanaimagines @ackles-impala-babe @thearcanaheadcannons @devofuck @starry-skxes @magicdrabbles @queenofthearcana @flagadalagada @xxarcanalordxx @idrinkluciostears @dreamthievesandbluelilies @one-eyed-captain-kinky @arcanathots @nopalio @amber-acrylic @sensitive-rejects @punkstrawberrychild @julianmakesmydickhard @nonoahstop @bazzpop @sandra-smb @anotherclichednightmare @frosty-rain <–– cosplayer @countgoatman-and-drleechboy @badlydrawndoctordevorak @remi-demi94 @obsessedwiththearcana @thosearcanaimagines @apprenticesofia @asras-bitch @dominominoms @harmonyowl @brownce-real @lovedevorak @jilljoycearts @nlynch-art @mazelinka-daughter @imjustadaydreamerr-blog @softarcana @bbcrazypraise @thecryingsombra @sketching-jess @collective-laugh @yet-another-arcana-blog @ladytesla @d-devorak {@izzycle @izzys-doodles} <–– same blogger, so sweet <3 @zenlesszen @asrasass @i-dont-speak-wolf @arcanaalamode @faust-was-here @fernleavesillustrator @aaliyah-draws @plague-doctor-jules @hello--artbug @arcan-i-help-u @arles-limerence @camtankerous @ayeyocitrus @zaemoultrie75901 @s-m-a-l-l-s @that-emo-noodle @julian-thirstposting @acideflagrant @luchesilovesyou @4biddenleeches @artbykays @countlucioappreciation @potentiallymrsdevorak @arcanaslut @nightingale-twins @herbalisia @slipperyboii @canistheapprentice @tarot-card-based-hell @q-quincy @i-am-arcana-trash {@ryanthatsgay @ryanthatsgay2} <–– same blogger ily Ryan @celestial-star-freckles @devorak-titties @cascadejpg @dont-make-me-say-it @whimsical-doctor @odxttxnightmare @arcana-noodles @spicysarahcha @snakes-and-arcana-babes @polynymph @riamiloray @chickie-dee @ask-pasha @dreamyarcana @thirstydebergerac @ask-the-softest-of-goatmen @arcanicious @meggomyeggo210 @arcane-literary-dreams @julianisacinnamonroll @bokutos-art @arcanaivette @arcanasass @incorrectarcanaquotes @crypticdandy @asra-the-arcane @spearmint-and-daisies @vincentsmemes @pagingdoctordevorak @darlingdoctor @devorakmd @3rrol @bakubakufuckyou @metazensae @stellarfairystars @roe661 @faust-the-danger-noodle @arcales @thecardsimagine @thearcanaspectral @apprenticebutterfly @pokemeg @oditea @ask-arcana-devil @larknnightingale @cfluffiness @the-arcana-slut @apprentice-grace @vulpinebones @sketchy-saram @starz-n-sunshine @slipperydoctor069 @juliungh-devorak @sleepylena @linaisbluepancake @pur3g0lden @scaredy-apprentice @theintrepidmagician @bisexual-arcanas @arcana-dumpsterfire @ilya-devorak @galpalaven @mando-ad @lemonorangelime @raentheriabjd @officialdevorak @theapprenticevalentina @apprenticehasana @missrabbitart @am-i-late @five-salty-bitters @lovefromreverie @ellyikyak @ilyasterisk @lunarpanthera @beautiful-baby-birb-boy @julianxkatforever @spitting-ink @kidgrimm @itsezrawithane @asraisasweetsummerchild @ask-muriel @yesslenderspawn @legaltaboo @plague-doctor-devorak @1000camellia @apprentice-althaea @arcanadotcom @a-lovestruck-whore @prettyboywrecked @marinmuffins @majulian-my-son @celine-vorona @doc-mcleeches @queer-coupon @mrsdevorak @rockboci @countlucios-bitch @xvi-the-tower @ajulianromantic @unromancablenpc @apprentice-melphina @bungeegumbitch @arcanainanna @samusisagirl @froggoli @apprentice-grace @katthewonderbat @devorakian-theatre @vesuvianalia @asrathemagicalthot @apprenticeofcups

dear God that took so long like literally 30 minutes hhhhhh XD

Welcome to the community, sorry in advance for any discourse that will might pop up, and good luck!!

[bi-lullaby]

Meredith vs People

Alternative titles: “My other post in a similar format got slightly popular and I crave attention” and “I’m still hung up on the one time Owen called Mer “the only universally liked individual in the hospital” because she is my fave”

Meredith x Cristina

Once called “the true lovestory of the show” I think it’s one of the kost refreshing relationships between characters I’ve ever seen in my, admittedly not that long, experience with fandom. The love and support each other wildly and publicly, straight up say to others how their person is important and a thing to prioritize. It’s so... Amazing to watch their deep, soulmate-like bond develop. I also love them from a narrative standpoint: How they started out as ambitious, driven people with complicated relationships with intimacy who saw surgery as the end all be all goal, and how they’re allowed to grow apart from that slightly, acquire other goals and relationships and projects (Meredith) or continue on that path, prioritizing their career and success solely/mostly (Cristina) and how both are treated as valid, rewarding choices (Mer with her happiness at family life and her Harper Avery, and Cristina with her bomb-ass hospital and the resolution of her personal relationships). They’re two characters that took on distinct journeys, but whose paths to personal fulfillment are deeply intertwined to each other.

Meredith x Alex

Okay, this is my favorite friendship ever. If Izzie showed Alex that his “evil spawn” ways weren’t exactly preferable nor they made him better than anyone or immune to pain, Meredith stuck out her hand for him and said “you’re dark and twisty? Cool. Doesn’t mean you can’t find, and fight for, happiness. Lets be dark and twisty together while we figure this out.” They relate to each other in a fascinating way, both children of neglect (to varying degrees) who worked their way to the top with a lot of bumps in the way. Also, seeing as I’m Mer’s number one stan, I also love their relationship because Alex is so amazing to her. Even Cristina had her moments of “mommy tracking” her, or even putting her aside in favor of a relationship, while Alex sticks by her side like glue and puts her above almost everything (which, I’m not saying a friendship is less valid if it’s not the most important thing in the world to you, of course not. I’m saying that everyone has a favorite person in the world, and the fact Mer is someone’s, makes that someone (Alex) even better in my eyes). Meredith sticks by the people she cares about’s sides through whatever they’re going through, in whatever way she can, and I find that that is surprisingly not-reciprocal in some instances, so it’s good she has her own ride-or-die. It’s also comic to me that two of the most sexually active, sex-driven characters in the show have never had an indication of sexual tension between them. (Almost like men and women can be friends, shocking!). The show’s not complete without Merlex, that’s for sure!

Meredith x Lexie

BRB, will be crying about the softest sisters ever, who deserved a much more fleshed-out relationship! To this day, all my (unpublished) Grey’s fanfiction involve “Lexie is actually alive” because it was such a traumatic loss to Meredith (that was under explored, imo, even if the little mentions of it through the show are heartwarming AND breaking). I loved that they made Mer push her way at first, because it showed her deep resentment of her own life, of not getting the doting father and the protective mother and the “growing up with siblings” and then having someone who had all that come and throw at her face the word “sisters” like they shared anything but DNA at that point... I think my two favorite examples of “family is about choice, not blood” examples of this show are their relationship and how it got deep through knowing each other (Meredith donates a piece of her liver to their father because of Lexie, but doesn’t remember Molly’s name in the same ep because Molly has not actively been her sister) and another one I’ll talk about later. And the contrast between Lexie’s own sadness from suddenly being left with basically no family (alcoholic father, dead mother,stranded older dister and far-away younger sister, all things I feel like people don’t consider enough to understand Lexie has also suffered) and her fight to get that family back was just so amazing. In a way, Lexie was Meredith’s Izzie, not only by being cuddly and fuzzy and nurturing but by having a “I deserve better than you being an asshole so I’ll make you less of an asshole or so help me god” attitude. Mer got softer for lexie and I think that’s beautiful.

Meredith x Amelia

Yeah, that’s my other “favorite family is not by blood, it’s by choice” ark. That clear-contrast scene of Amelia coming from her “sisters” meetup, emotionally drained after having to endure their toxic, demeaning, vicious attacks, and into her sisters, who are earning to hear what she has to say, who empathize with her and support her... I ate that shit UP, let me tell you. Because Mer was such a huge bitch to Amy at first, but came to love her after allowing herself to truly get to know her (which is the opposite story with Nancy and Lizzie and Kate, who all refuse to get to know her past the version that they despise). I also love that Derek was kind of a barrier between them, because he had his own views of Amy that influenced Mer and when he was gone, she had to face a... quite different reality. I see a lot of people shitting on Mer for the “You’re not my sister, Cristina is my sister. You’re Derek’s sister and Derek is dead” line, and I can see why, it was rude, but... That’s Meredith’s whole instance on family? Yeah, Amy was sweet and I’d bet she was mer’s favorite “Shepherdress” out of the four woman (she had stood up to her before, against Derek, nonetheless), and it breaks my heart that Amy saw her as “the only sister she could relate to” (seriously I was sobbing) but... Sister? That’s a personal, intimate title she reserved very, very few people in her life, and Amy has earned that right with a lot more patience and care than most people put into relationships. Of course she was more loyal to Cristina than to Amy at that point (who herself was more loyal to Addison than to her own siblings, hence she didn’t tell Derek about the affair, for example). But then? She literally tells Megan she can’t possibly choose which one of Owen’s wives she likes more, and need I remind you the other one is Cristina herself? (who she called “her soulmate” over Derek?. They’re two example of women who’ve gone through tremendous trauma and pain and came out changed from it, and the fact they have each other for support now makes me very, very happy. I do wish they had more scenes together, but the ones they do share are enough for me to say their relationship is a gift for this show.

Meredith x Maggie

So pure! I like that they meet up when they’re both older and more experienced and have kind of “set” personalities, that clash sometimes, but also can add up into beautiful things when combined. It was... slightly frustrating to see Mer push away yet another person at first, but watching them get closer was also sweet. I hate the comparisons between their relationship and Merlexie’s (and the comparisons between Maggie and Lexie/Cristina/April like she’s just a stand-in for them). They were different moments of all their lives. Mer and Lexie? Inexperienced 20-something women going though shit trying to find their place in the world, when Mer was still in her dark and twisties and needed to be cajoled into giving Lexie even an inch. Mer and Maggie? Well-established women in their late thirties whose relationship wasn’t built on a need for each other, but in working together for the sisterhood they wanted. I love that it was Maggie that had to get to know Meredith and be persuaded into liking her, actually. And look where they are now! They have such a comfortable, intimate relationship that’s based on love and mutual respect! I love Maggie’s small fangirl moment when Mer pulls that amazing straw-in-the-skull stunt in the airplane and Maggie’s filming the interview (although I hated what came afterwards. C’mon Maggie, fighting over a boy? Really?). It’s also good to see how Meredith helps Maggie navigate her first real trauma (loosing her mother) and how her pain has build her up and actually helps others! It’s an excellent stance of character development that remains true to the character. Their little interaction when Mer’s creating her little dream-induced invention and Maggie looks at the board once and understands it, helping her figure it all out, is so cute and nice! They’re sweet and good for each other, and I’ll protect this relationship forever!

Meredith and Jo

“You’re Jo Wilson, I know exactly who you are!” makes me weak. Because it’s such a powerful, important phrase, but also such... A Mer thing to say. At the end of the day, Mer loves people and takes them under her wing and empathizes with them. She becomes Jo’s support system and doesn’t let go. I love how she’s the one to stand by her side and protect her from Paul, and I love how she’s the one in the more recent episode to manage to get Jo to open up, to get up and get help. They’re almost mirrors, Jo with Mer’s headstrongness and emotional baggage, barging in and taking the world by storm, with Mer being Jo’s Bailey in a way, with a lot of crankiness and a slight superiority complex but lots of wisdom and care, looking at her go with a smirk like “that girl will go far but she’ll need a couple wrist slaps on the way”. Mer was extremely important in Alex’s life, she became extremely important in Jo’s life, and that’s beautiful and sweet. Also, their “shared custody” of Alex is hilarious.

Meredith x Callie

How could we have guessed that two people that initially were at each others throats constantly would be so close one day? They are absurdly different, and yet so close! The way they support each other’s journeys as mothers, wives and surgeons is a great thing to see. And they have such iconic moments, like the panties in the bulletin board, the trial, and the little kiss!

Meredith x Mark

I’m not gonna lie, I shipped those two very briefly but very intensely when they first met! Then they evolved into a rather sweet friendship. I love to think Mer tells Sofia all sorts of stories she heard through Derek in those first years. When she told Callie that Mark used to call her (not Derek, not Addison, not Derek’s mom, not Bailey, her!) whenever he needed advice or had a crisis in the middle of the night, I teared up a little, because that’s such a huge step from who they began as! From loner and relationship-phobic insecure to parents with loving relationships who could count on each other! My favorite dirty mistresses ever!

And there’s so much more! Meredith and Bailey and how they both grew so much, Meredith and Arizona and how their relationship is underrate, Meredith and Jackson’s sibling-esque relationship, Meredith and April... “I used to think you could only have one person, but now I know. Turns out I have a whole damn village!”.

[confused-and-hurtzo]

Grey’s S15

So... I pranked myself like I always do, and I decided to do a mini grey’s rewatch of seasons 12-15. To be completely honest, I didn’t watch season 13 or 14 entirely, and I wanted to understand this past season better. (I lowkey also wanted to see Deluca’s character development b/c I want to understand the man that Mer just said ‘I love you’ to). So here is a review of Grey’s S15, what I hope to see in S16, a rant on some comments I have seen on the internet about. I just need to let my thoughts out. 

First of all, I am a big Grey’s Anatomy fan. Although I roll my eyes every time I say it's been running this long, this show has a special place in my heart. I started watching the show during my formative years, Cristina Yang basically raised my teenage self. I started in middle school, and now we are here, a year away from graduating my undergrad at UofT. I don’t want to discredit the amazing women that raised me, but I also don’t want to not mention Shondaland and its influence on who I am today. Overall, Grey’s is kind of like my bible, I rewatch it every time I need to feel comfortable, validated, and reasonable. Its storytelling has allowed me to understand so many things, such as addiction (s/o to Private Practice and Amelia Shepherd), family issues, loyalty, love, empowerment. Its most important lesson is that life goes on. No matter how hard it gets, it just keeps going, and that's the beauty of it. We all can take whatever it throws at us, and come on the other side, stronger and wiser. I hate it when people say that they miss the old Grey's, that they miss Derek or Cristina. It’s all very valid, I miss them too. However, that is life, people die, people move across the globe, and you just have to deal with that and move forward. 

I really enjoyed this season because of its attention to detail. I know this sounds very odd, but, after watching S12, 13, and 14, I feel that this season was packed with references. It mostly stayed true to the characters' storylines and amended some plot holes from previous seasons. I love that the Mer-Tatcher storyline had a conclusion, I always wondered what happened to him after Lexie died.  I also enjoyed meeting Alex’s mom, she is honestly a sweetheart. Benley’s story was so exciting, I am never concerned about them because they are perfect, but it is good to see them going through hard times. They brought back Teddy, which allowed Owen’s character to move forward. I loved that they gave Amelia a chance, we got a better explanation of why her family was not there, and her story became full-circle. There is more reference to the Mer’s kids, making us remember that she is a mom LOL. Finally, although he is a more recent character, I love Schmidt so much. He cracks me up, and his story is so underrated. 

In this part, I will focus more on my favorite characters of the show and what I liked about them this season:

Meredith: I have to admit, I always thought I was Cristina Yang, but the more I reflect on this, the more I realize that I am more of a Meredith Grey. I am so proud of how far she has come, professionally and emotionally. She is a warrior. I love how happy she is this season. It's partly because of her new relationship, but also she is very stable now, with her kids, her award, her friendships. She is always working really hard to be a better person, and it takes a courageous person to admit that you need to improve and actually doing the work to be better. She understands her past and moves forward, motivating the people that love her the most to do the same thing. She has changed, for good. And, people may say that she is not the Meredith Grey she was in season 1, and I say that this is a good thing. She has grown up and learned from her mistakes (some of them, she was still afraid of I love you’s and committed insurance fraud, but some things don’t change lol). Cece was such a central character for her storyline, I loved how she allowed her to believe in herself and in life-after-love (yes, this is a Cher reference), which is why Merluca is a thing now. I high-key believe that Cece intentionally created the Link-Andrew-Meredith love triangle for Deluca to step up his game and show her how much she wants to be with her. After all, Cece was there when they talked about the kiss, she saw something, and finessed her way into making it a reality. I can’t help but smile at the fact that Mer is smiling like a teenager again, it fills my heart. I too loved Derek, but he died. That happens, it sucks. But, Mer has every right to move on and fall in love again. She deserves finding love again. 

Alex: Alex as chief was my favorite thing this season. I love how he just got the job randomly, but this job allowed him to prove himself what he is capable of. Don’t get me wrong, I love Bailey as chief, but we all knew that she was going to be a great chief someday. I always root for the underdog, and in this particular situation, he was the underdog. My favorite part is when Bailey and Weber realized how good he was at the job because he understands that delegating is a thing (lol). I liked meeting his mom, that storyline just re-states how pure he is. I love how he doesn’t realize that Merluca is a thing, he is just completely oblivious. It broke my heart to see him freaking out about Jo because it made me realize how much Izzie scared him. He is the Most Improved Character of the show. Period. 

Amelia: I love Amelia so much. She is often very misunderstood by some fans, but you all need to watch private practice to understand her better. I liked this season because it made justice to her and her journey. We learned a bit more about Christopher. We saw her being a mom with both Betty and Leo. We saw her helping Betty through her addiction. We saw her standing up for herself and end a relationship that had become very toxic. We saw her talk to her family and, more importantly, talk to her mom. We saw her rise above her love for Owen and let him be happy with Teddy. She has grown so much and this season allowed her to do that, which I am very grateful for. After rewatching S15, I now am a full Amelink stan. I love how they start their first significant interaction with Link word-vomiting his feeling about the overdose wave. He talks a lot, just like her, and he is willing to listen to her talking. One reason why Omelia didn’t work out was that Owen didn’t talk and Amelia felt that she shouldn’t talk either, leading to significant miscommunications. I also love that Link understands addiction a bit better than Owen, which is already a sign that this relationship has potential. I loved Omelia, they had a very awkward, sometimes funny, sometimes dark relationship and helped each other in very dark moments. They did love each other, in their own twisty way. However, I think that it kind of became an addiction for them to be together despite all the red flags, which is not healthy.

Jackson: I love Jackson, he has such a big heart. Kind of salty about Japril not being endgame, but we gotta move on. I loved how supportive he was with Catherine during the tumor surgery, their chemistry is so good. Like. It’s hard for me to believe that they are not actually mother and son. I love that he is a high-key Merluca shipper and how much he respects Richard Webber. I hope he doesn't die. 

Deluca: OK... so I just going to say that I want him to be in peds so bad, he is the SOFTEST character atm, I am in love. He has also grown this season. I think its partly because the writers want us to believe he has now that he is dating THE Meredith Grey, but we stan this evolution. People always complain about how he didn’t want to date Maggie b/c she was his boss, and I would like to disagree with that to an extent. Yeah... the problem was that she was his boss, but the main issue was because he was afraid of the favoring situation, meaning that he didn’t love Maggie because was not willing to put up with what others would think about them. Sigh. Anyways... I enjoy how much depth his character is getting, learning about his family was important because we now understand the difficulties he has faced. He has shown that he is no longer an intern. I cringe every time people try to invalidate his character by pointing out how immature he was. No one on Grey’s is their intern self. Look at Alex, Mer, Bailey, SCHMIDT... everyone has grown out of their intern mistakes, so why should we just bring up Andrew’s to justify why Merluca shouldn’t be a thing? (and so what if he is not as mature as Mer? Mer wasn’t as “mature” as Derek, and no one batted an eye... double standards am I right?). The being beaten up by Alex storyline really shook him. He did say some irrational things, but how are you supposed to be 100% rational when you went through a very untenable situation? He deserves the benefit of the doubt and a second chance. Don’t tell me you all have never said impulsive things or had inappropriate crushes. Smh.  

What I want to see in S16

Meredith in jail and her village supporting her. 

Jo and Alex dealing with Jo’s depression in a compassionate and empowering way. 

Teddy and Owen being parents and being in love.

I want a Towen wedding, just because I want everyone to look pretty AF.

Owen and Amelia being good friends. As much as I think Omelia is no longer a viable love relationship, I really like their chemistry, and I would like to see them becoming good friends. 

Merluca being domestic with the kids and talking about their past. I want Mer to tell him about her losses, her feelings, her fears. I want them to talk about the age difference in a positive way. I honestly don’t see Mer getting pregnant, but like I always think about Ben and Bailey and how Ben just became Tuck’s dad and he loves him like his own son. I can see Andrew loving Mer’s kids in that way. 

Andrew choosing peds and Alex mentoring him, just like Arizona. Team Peds 2.0?

I want to see Carina more, more insight into her character. She is always someone’s lover or just Andrew’s sister, but we don’t get to see her by herself.

Andrew just dealing with the sister trifecta. I want funny, light, comic relief interactions.  

Knowing where the fuck Jackson is. I am ready to see him go, but I am also not prepared to see him go. 

[cursedlightwood]

You: *makes a very valid post about how the writers treated the parbatai bond as a terrible plot devise even reducing Alec's character and making him very ooc at times* Some reblogger: fake! He loves his brother! fucking Alec stans. Like I don't even know how they thought that correlated to what you were saying and honestly you should say it. The whole "parabatai bond" is so toxic I'll never get over that scene in 3x07 with Magnus and Alec truly the worst. -luxxmagnus

YEAH altho looking at the blog that person appears to be a JACE STAN and jace stans are a different brreed I swear Like, no one is denying that Alec loves Jace as like his brother. But that doesn’t mean that the parabatai bond is unhealthy as hell. Lots of ppl have family members and shit that are horrible and abusive to them but they still love them but that’s not like, a good thing? AND YEAH ITS LIKE THEY DIDNT EVEN READ THE POST I NEVER SAID ANY OF THE SHIT THEY WERE SAYING I SAID! Jace stans see anyone criticize Jace’s behavior or the way he treats those around him and the ooc writing that makes it seem like Jace is the most important person in Alec’s life and just lose all capacity for critical thought.

The parabatai bond IS so toxic and I don’t even think that’s exclusive to Jace and Alec. Like...all of these people are choosing as CHILDREN that they want to bond their soul to someone else’s forever with like, very few ways out? That’s not a good idea for anyone. But yeah the way Jace treats Alec is truly unacceptable. And it’s also unacceptable how Jace chooses Clary over his family time, risking Alec and Izzy’s lives and runes, convincing Magnus to steal from Alec, lying to him, saying things to him with the specific intention of hurting him time and time again but Alec is expected to give up EVERYTHING including Magnus, the person who finally made him feel happy and wanted and loved, for Jace? Absolute bullshit. The 3x07 scene is really awful. The way Alec treats Magnus is actually disgusting, he acts like he doesn’t care if Magnus dies. But then in like every other scene it’s obvious that Magnus is the most important to him.

Idk if I explained that good I just have a lot of feelings and everything u said is absolutely correct. I think that Alec finds a way to become immortal and while it doesn’t strip him of all his runes it breaks the parabatai bond the same way becoming a downworlder did for Luke and Valentine and then Alec and Magnus live happily ever after forever. That’s just my canon now and no one will stop me.

[wvearp]

to Pessimism Anon: why you gotta be like that? Take a breather, go drink some water, take a walk, or if you're so unhappy with your team after they score 4 goals in the CL after being away from it for 5 years, MAYBE consider stanning another team. Jeeze, perfect football doesn't exist, even in Lyon. Enjoy the moment fam! (Izzy you keep being wonderful, you go girl!)

Thank you! I think anon was trying for some genuine discussion over our defence which is VALID honestly, but I prefer to wait until a few days after the match when we’ve enjoyed ourselves a bit, ya know?

To that other anon: feel free to send that same message in a few days haha, I’ll happily talk about it then.

(Thank you, you’re lovely)

[jcmorgenstern]

Ok bc I’m procrastinating for studying for the exam I have (tomorrow) and have thoughts:

I’ve been seeing a lot of really interesting discussion around the jonathan/jace bond in the books vs the jonathan/clary bond (namely a really interesting point from @grayacejace about clary’s agency) and despite my obvious bias it got me thinking. I feel like as a fandom we sometimes rag on CC making Clary an obvious self-insert, I think there’s something exceedingly genre-appropriate about it, and it’s a deliberate choice that works in a way where shadow hunters’ choice to treat Clary as the hero and determinant of her narrative also works in its own context.

What I often forget is that TSC are for kids, specifically, I would argue, young girls. When I was 14 and reading Harry Potter I wasn’t analyzing every frame for social meaning, I was imagining myself along for the ride with Harry and his friends and how amazing it would be to be part of their adventure. I’m not sure if this is a universal experience, but I’d be willing to wager it’s not uncommon. TMI is a liberalization of that child fantasy, as well as a reflection of fan fiction genre conventions of the time. CC didn’t write Clary as a badass feminist who takes charge of her own storyline and beats up men and constantly is bowed down by the weight of the world …you know.

She wrote Clary as a pair of eyes through which little girls could experience the wonder and excitement of being part of the fantasy narrative they’re so often excluded from. Clary fits the bill for every Mary Sue self-insert because she is one, and that’s intentional—and not necessarily something to make fun of. She’s the daughter of the main villain and has special powers and has this instant and intensely romantic connection with a boy pretty much tailor-made for 2003 pre-teen girls. Clary in the books is CC drawing on the conventions of literary tradition of fan fiction from that time—she is not as much the main character but the avatar through which young girls can experience being special and going on amazing adventures.

Which isn’t to say there’s no feminist or critical message and all fan fiction and self-insert fic is just stupid mental cotton candy. There’s a strong sense of wistfulness and struggle with femininity that I think is one of the most subtle but powerful parts of the books—Clary describing her femininity as “a housewarming gift she doesn’t know what to do with.” CC’s depiction and subversion of femininity is actually quite fascinating even in her missteps (the rivalry with Izzy, for example), though honestly lbr we probably were all like that at 16, for better or worse. Clary’s relationship with Jace is, I think, telling girls what they should hold out for in a partner, that they can deserve someone who makes them feel special. Jonathan is an inversion of Jace who is deceptively attractive but treats Clary like shit and is, lets be honest, sexist as fuck, among other things. He’s dressed as the fairytale ending she’s promised with Jace but is actually something toxic and evil. Dru’s storyline in TDA reads as intensely personal and emotional—a girl constantly excluded and sidelined, because of her age and her weight and her general introversion, but someone who is strong and capable and compelling—and the right people see that in her and honor her for it.

Which is a complete diversion from the point that got me here but simply put: COLS works because the message and intent and even the very narrative form fits it. I could cite a whole slew of scholarly work about about fan fiction, the female gaze, and the fan mediation of male homosociality through self-insert female characters (thanks cultural studies for making me say ‘homosociality’), but basically: it’s fitting with the fan fiction literary tradition CC is from and helped build that the female character is the avatar for the audience to observe what, okay maybe this is personal bias, is a pretty charged dynamic between Jonathan and Jace (morally or sexually, take ur pick). Clary mediates that bond and ultimately, because the books are about validating the reader (while again subverting certain expectations), Jonathan’s obsession turns to her and is ultimately revealed to be exactly what it is: toxic and evil, Jace’s association with him completely fake.

The show is operating on a different narrative paradigm, where Clary is the traditional “protagonist as hero” approach, complete with Clary’s own hero’s journey. As Dyl (@greyacejace) pointed out, in the books Clary’s storyline is often focused around others—she’s the avatar for the reader more than a character of her own. I hope I’ve convinced you that isn’t necessarily a bad or shallow thing, but the show definitely has aged up the narrative. Clary is an adult, with adult problems and challenges, and the show tackles them with varying levels of success. Now, in season 3, she is no longer the audience avatar in any way, not even for the sake of exposition—often she is telling other people expositional elements or discovering things along with us. She is not an observer but a character,  and as such the bond with Jonathan (along with pretty much every other plot element they can think of…not 100% a fan of all of that, if spoilers rumors are to be believed) has been shifted to her.

I’m not really sure “incestuous sexual obsession” is really the honor we want to be bestowing on our Strong Badass Female Characters(TM), but that’s the honor Clary gets. Personally given how the show has handled rape themes in the past I’m not exactly bursting with joy to see how they’ll tackle Clary being mind-controlled by her brother who wants to do….well, exactly that, but I guess that’s the brave new world we live in. I honestly didn’t intend to bitch THAT much about things but basically: the Clary of the books is a girl who’s biggest threat is that her father and later brother want to take her Hot Boyfriend away from her (and maybe kidnap her in hell but REALLY the big problem here is taking away her Hot Boyfriend, the rest is kind of hand-waved away). Clary of the show is an adult woman who has adult woman problems, like men who want to rape her and think of her as a particularly personable piece of furniture that will solve all his problems.

(He’s thinking of a therapist, but too dumb to know that).

Obviously there are a lot of gross simplifications here, especially of Jonathan’s character (in another universe I could and probably would write an angry meta screed slamming my own meta’s portrayal of my ‘’sweet baby boy’’ but ill leave that for another day. Was that a self-deprecating joke lamp-shading my own obnoxious stanning? Yes it was). Point is, I don’t think the two narratives are entirely comparable as they follow different narrative structures and paradigms and follow different goals with different results. Jace vs Jonathan is about how two boys react differently to abuse and nature vs nurture; Clary vs Jonathan is about the definition of heroism vs villainy and how good motives can be betrayed by bad actions and how that compares to bad motives and bad actions—whether the end can ever justify the means.

Anyway tldr leave me and my idiotic sebjace ass alone but this shit slaps too