#neither fanon or canon are better grow up

[thenonbinarydetective]

it's funny how days after I post a tiktok about issues with fanon and particularly batfamily fanon (as an example) there are suddenly posts on here with "No matter what people on TikTok say, you're still a valid fan if you only like fanon"

Gods, I hope that is some attempted snark at my video just so I can say that if people think I hate fanon just because I criticized a part of it and the behavior of some people who purely enjoy fanon, then they didn't pay attention at all.

I'm also not the only one who's pointed it out that there are someone "woe is me" fanon fans out there who act like there's no possible way to get more into comics.

Or maybe need to ask themselves, "If I hate the medium/source material and have to change everything about it in order to actually like it if I actually like it?" or "Am I willing to give into moral ambiguity and realize I'm not going to get the perfect image in my head?" because these questions are completely normal and people ask them all the time with all media. It's basically just critical thinking.

And I'm sorry, but the attitude of people who try and correct people who have actually interacted with canon content on storylines, characterizations, plots, relationships, etc. when they don't even know how they work, either in the grand scheme of things or just that particular comic. For an example see, Dick threatened to send Tim to Arkham (Fun AU, never actually happened in canon but people will swear on every grave in existence that it did because they don't have any context for Dick, Tim, Dick and Tim's relationship, and what actually happened)

I don't even have to use comics for an example because it works with anything. I have a book about King Arthur; if you've never read that King Arthur book, you can't tell me how it interprets the legends because you've never read that book.

It's really just pathetic to see people try and turn "fandom elitism" from what it actually is into "being expected to actually interact with the canon content on any level is too much because I'm not interested in it, and I don't like people judging me for it."

idk some people just try and turn canon into this big scary awful monster when it's honestly not. Like people telling me that DC's all "dark and edgy" tells me they haven't picked up a single issue or they hear of a bad moment and just assume every single page ever written/drawn is like that when it's not.

It's fine if you only enjoy fanon just like it's fine to only enjoy canon or to enjoy both. But as long as you aren't harassing people or constantly shitting on either side, it's all good.

One last time: If you've read this and think this is fanon hate or I hate fanon/fanfiction, you didn't actually read it. Try again.

This also isn't an argument, try and argue with me, and I will block you.

[alexlestar]

Muted Blue AU

Reguri AU that pulls from other’s posts.

First is @deoxysacid’s role swap https://www.tumblr.com/deoxysacid/730102658260779008/roleswap-reguri-purple-if-you-will?source=share

Second is parts of @bunnygirl678’s post https://www.tumblr.com/bunnygirl678/728819485053730816/au-or-hc-idk-buttttttttttttttt-so-red-and-green?source=share

Then there will be Blue being scared of most ghost Pokémon like he is from Origins. (The only ghosts he’s fine with is the Gastly line)

Now for the part of the AU I’ve come up with

Agatha is Blue and Daisy’s grandma and is the reason why he’s fine with the Gastly line. (Not sure how fanon this is, but I know people agree they were ex's)

Blue gets his cocky side (that he only ever shows Daisy and Agatha) from her so she has a soft spot for him but still sees him like any other trainer during their battle.

Blue and Daisy have only ever been outside of Kanto once and that was to Alola to see family when Blue was very young (like 2 ⁄ 3 years old) and Blue only knows this because of photos. So this AU ignores any canon mention of Blue leaving Kanto.

During said visit Blue and Daisy’s parents are killed by a Jellicent while on a cruise and is why Blue is scared of ghost Pokémon. He doesn’t know which Pokémon is to blame, just that it was a ghost Pokémon that isn’t from Kanto.

The grief of losing their son and daughter-in-law Oak and Agatha break up which leads to Oak becoming a bitter old man to his grandkids. Daisy is old enough to stand up for herself but Blue becomes withdrawn around Oak and is a selective mute from it. For the next 7 or 8 years the only people who have ever heard Blue talk is his sister and grandma until he meets Red.

Red isn’t born in Pallet Town and meets Blue when they are 10 and is a month older than Blue. Daisy tries to get Blue to play with Red but he’s too shy at first, but this only makes Red want to be Blue’s friend more so he’s always hanging around Blue.

It takes a few months until Blue finally starts talking to Red even if it’s simple “Hello” and “bye”. This makes Red very happy which helps Blue warm up to him.

A year after Red has been living in town and has learnt sign from Blue and Daisy to help them talk when Blue is mute. The two of them get their first Pokémon. From Oak. This scares Blue but Red promises to stay with him while they get their Pokémon. Red picks Charmander and Blue goes to pick Squirtle but Oak makes a comment about how he’s trying to one up Red. This almost makes Blue change his mind but Red tells him it’s a smart move and how the typing matches their names.

After leaving, the only thing Blue says around other trainers are the attacks he wants his Pokémon to use. But when it’s just Blue and Red he talks more openly. A few months into their journey, Blue now has a one-sided convo where he’d just gush about Pokémon while Red listens. The first few times he does, he cuts himself short thinking he’s being rude by not letting Red speak, but Red assures him he fully enjoys listening to Blue. Red encourages Blue to gush to the point where Blue has repeated himself at least 10 times about the same Pokemon facts, but Red doesn’t care. He’s just happy to see his best friend and rival is so at ease around him.

Another few months passed so it's been a year since their journey started. They took their time to catch all the Pokemon they can, collect all the badges and help each other grow. They also hold off going to the league because Blue knows that if he became champion he would have to see Oak again he’s scared that will undo all of the progress he’s done to better himself. But in the end he goes because he doesn’t want to hold Red back.

Things proceed as normal with Blue going first and becoming champion, then Red following and beating Blue. However when Oak arrives and says he’s disappointed in Blue. Red goes off on Oak and says that they are champions together or neither of them are because they worked hard together to get to this point. Lance steps in and says he’ll allow it just this once because another region has more than one champion. But one of them has to be Top Champion while the other is only champion rank. Blue takes the rank just so he can leave and get away from Oak, leaving Red no choice but to accept Top Champion.

Once Red is crowned Top Champion, he rushes to find Blue talking with his grandma outside who is telling him how proud she is of him.

From here things continue as normal with Blue taking over the Viridian Gym, but he stays there a lot of the time to avoid going back to Pallet. Red goes up to Mt. Silver and promises Blue he’ll come back after some training.

After three years Red comes back for a few months before leaving for Unova. The two chat over the phone during this time. With Red no longer around again Blue regresses to not talking much to others in person outside of his sister and grandma since he couldn’t find a connection with the trainers in his gym.

3 more years pass before Red returns again when they are both 18 and this time stays in Kanto and promises that if he ever leaves again, he’s taking Blue with him.

The first week of Red being back he notices Blue being mute around him and worries it’s because he was gone for so long but Blue signs that isn’t the case. Red knows he’s telling the truth because Blue is a terrible liar. Red then jokes Blue likes him and catches Blue in a lie when he tries to sign that he doesn’t. For the next few weeks Red tries to coax the truth out of Blue verbally by flirting with him which flusters Blue. When he finally does admit it, he explains he was scared Red would reject him but realised that none of the flirting would have happened if he were to reject Blue.

So that’s my headcanon/AU for Reguri thanks again to deoxysacid and bunnygirl678 for the roleswap and mean Oak post that inspired this AU.

Part 2 Part 3

[redlollygag]

so im gonna be autistic in your inbox 😁😁😁 < face of someone mentally unwell

SO the biggest appeal of dabihawks is ofc the enemies to lovers trope, first lets look at canon:

theyre enemies plain and simple, they hate each other, its a beautiful show to watch of them absolutely disgusted by the other but forced to interact [ IF ONLY THEY GOT MORE FUCKING SCREENTIME TOGETHER JESUS CHRIST ] anyways its the angst potential, hawks dirtying his hands just to get into the league only to then betray the entire league </3 hawks dirtying his hands just for the sake of the mission for the sake of dabi letting him in because that WAS his only contact so hes the one hes "closest too" dabi the evil motherfuck toying with hawks, making him do all the things he hates and knowing what hawks is truely doing. they hate each other in canon plain and simple they dont care if neither one dies or not. hawks even STILL views endeavor as an equal even after all hes done (whether or not you think its valid is up to you i think that hawks needs a LITTLE MORE TIME AND SPACE to rethink the whole "yeah no enjis cool now hes alright :D" shtick.... personally i hate it i just want him to be a little more..... EYES OPEN to how fucked up endeavor did things even if hes trying to do better now like ?????) canon tropes that could fit are like their divorce, unhealthy co dependency, there was only one bed, acciental first kiss, drunk sex, fuck buddies, rarepair, the whole hero vs villain thing, height difference, flirty and the flustered, oh fuck theyre BOTH messed up, loud and quiet ETC ETC

now heres where the dots connect though through fandom genius. now when dabis first introduced hes blue and emo and firey and dramatic (theatre kid) mentally unwell, tired yet manic, daddy issues supreme, body horror circus party, the whole palooza. we ALL been known, his daddys a top hero who made him a top villain. and now hawks, who was an enigma at first, man too fast for his own good, red, arrogant, laidback, yet serious and calculating, heart of gold underneath all of that dirty work with a like for trashy preppy outfits. at first it was just the enemies to lovers, dabi hates endeavor and heroes, hawks admires him to the sun and is one of the best heros... AND THEN WE GET HAWKS BACK STORY. hawks. hero. raised by a villain. if the red and blue, sun and moon, emo/goth and jock, FLAME AND FEATHERS, if those parallels werent enough the father issues sure will! dabi, hero father made him a villain, hawks, villain father made him a hero. the amount of parallels these two have was fuel for the growing fire.

FIRE IN WHICH IT WAS FANON. fanon dabihawks is BEAUTIFUL. the best and probably only light dabihawks will ever shine in 😀😀😀 < gripping horikoshis neck even thought nothing will happen but angst for these two. slightly shifted canon compliant with some queer writing and spicing up the characters a SMIDGE, making them more fit to how they ACTAULLY ARE (in my very (not) humble opinion horikoshi you dont know your own characters like we do) all of that is the mountain of fanfic tropes. we already have enemies to lovers but add a little bit of that battle for dominance play and sexual tension, heavy flirting and fuck buddies OOO BOY. they play and they bite and hawks is number one pretty boy and charms his way past dabi "probably hasnt been flirted with in his life," OR dabi being the brat and attention seeker he is and pushing hawks buttons before dabi gets put in his place. hawks turned genuine lov member because then thats where he sees the TRUTH. or hawks still killing jin but REGRETS IT TO THE MAX and dabi finds him a little after and hawks begging for forgiveness. the league was his only true family but hes been a hero under the commission for so long that killing him was second nature until he realizes. rehabilitation after the war and dabi being captured and hawks still visiting him wherever dabis being held. if you make them even a LITTLE BIT GAY it literally makes things more tragic than just "lets hate each other even though we're walking parallels"

one very popular and loved aspect is red tailed hawks avian hawks and not just his fierce wings. THIS ADDS TO THE MOUNTAIN. youve got a multitude of bird facts like torpor, nesting, cloacas if youre into that, preening, MATING HABITS. hawks being a spy to the league only to see how open they are to their members quirks. spinner and his lizardness needing warmth and insects and shedding and togas fascination and need for blood ( not quirk reasons shes mentally ill but there are healthy ways to get blood so) hawks seeing the league being accepting open AND welcoming to when we dont see ANY OF THAT in his hero work??? especially with dabis inside knowledge of how shit the hero system is with quirk discrimination??? youve got so much to work with here JUST from the aspect of making hawks a hawk mutant. he likes how shiny dabi is with his staples and piercings, he loves the natural warmth coming from him (even if dabis skin is cold), hawks lowkey loving the smell of blood from dabis scars (bird of prey) dabi helping hawks be open to the more avian side of him, he imprints on him and dabi becomes mate in hawks mind, IN TURN hawks showing dabi that even the most shittiest of origins, you can still do good, hawks knowing full well that quirks sucks (molting season, talon clipping, wing care, the overstimulation of senses like sounds hawks has become numb to) and he coaxs that little burning fire thats still in dabi, that he can still do good (dabi said that killing innocent people drove him mad in a negative way so he doesnt enjoy it) two broken souls from quirk discrimination finding solace even with all the shit hero AND villain society treat them. this leads to, along with those above, hurt comfort, slow burn, mutual healing, mutual pining, sunshine x grump, girlboss and malewife, overly affectionate x touch adverse, old married couple, sacrifices too much x sacrifices too little, romantic virgin x romantic confident, annoyed x annoying, gets into fights x patches them up, OBLIVIOUSNESS TO THE MAX, idiots in love, domestic husbands ETC ETC (and the more kinky spicy aspects when it comes to bird genes and a fire quirk)

what makes them even JUCIER is if you make the commission EVIL. EXACTLY WHAT DABI HATES AND DESPISES. another common trope is to make hawks be lowkey abused by the commission hence the whole child soldier thing but hawks has been living with then his whole life so its like, fine for him. dabi being his savior, dabi showing him the league can be his true family, dabi, a villain, being hawkss hero. hawks, who would get his hands dirty just for the sake of justice, shows dabi true heroes are still alive. hawks being an avian mutant adds to the juice because if it was just hawks with fierce wings well you could paint it as just the child soldier BUT WITH THE HETEROMORPH youve got commission being absolute JERKS and forcing hawks to mask his avian-ness, forced to endure people touching his wings left and right, forced to not perch, forced to have them preen his feathers in the way that society views as "perfect," clipping his talons, making him live in a boring ass apartment because "hawks heroes dont care about sentiments, you have to be presentable and collecting 'shiny things' isnt herolike," the league being the EPITOME of quirk freedom, hawks finding solace in the league because hes actually able to be himself and being a heteromorph isnt SHOULDNT be bad, dabi being able to polish his old big brother instincts and take care of hawks nurse him back to help and free him from his bird cage.

SPEAKING OF BIRD CAGES, another beautiful fanon interpretation is DABI HIMSELF BEING A PART OF THE LEAGUE BEFORE HIS REBIRTH. OW. youve got friends to lovers and all the fluff that comes with it (as much as it is being in the commission) dabi and hawks growing up together in the commission only for endeavor to pull dabi out and hawks loses his one true best friend :[ dabi and hawks not knowing how to socialize with other kids but between dabis temper yet caringness and hawks being shy yet a determined bastard, they click LOVINGLY. they bond over shitty fathers (hawks not knowing the extent to his idol OR you can change it up and have hawks despise endeavor secretly but the commission knows hes adored endeavor so he has to suck up the urge to MAIM and KILL the flaming bag of shit because at the time endeavor aint "changing" and he acts EXACTLY like hawkss birth father.) hawks imprinting on dabi his first real friend, taking care of each other through the commissions pains and abuse, sacrificing themselves in order for the other to not be punished. MAJOR ANGST WHEN IT COMES TO DABIS DEATH and hawks loses his spark and throws himself into training to distract the howling pain of his bird side and instincts as he lost a flock member (and potential mate), ONLY TO FIND DABI ALIVE YEARS LATER. the angst of reconciliation to see your love turn yo the darkest sides (dabi being a villain and hawks being a hero both of who they respectively hate) the angst of dabi knowing that without him the commission successfully brainwashed hawks to the point of betrayal on their side and hawks knowing his old beloved is now on the side in which he has to take down and kill (his old beloved truely did die if this is the path dabi went to) THE FRIENDS TO LOVERS TO STRANGERS TO ENEMIES AND BACK TO LOVERS. IM GONE O-(-( ORZ. youve successfully wounded me.

the amount of aus/canon divergent situations you can put these two from those three things TOGETHER or SEPARATE/SOLO, soulmates, quirk accident, princess carry, found family, exes to lovers, role reversal, fantasy au, royal au, cyberpunk au, dystopian, apocalypse, sickfic, honeypot turned non sexual intimacy, highschool au, civilians au, quirk swap, body swap, arranged marriage, actual genuine married couple, kindergarten au, amnesia fics, time travel, time travel fix it fics, space au, star wars au, pirates and mermaids, and the wonderful beautiful amount of crack/crack treated seriously is UDGODLY. hawks pranking endeavor, the lov and hawks playing video games, trophy wife dabi, watching disney movies, coming out at the worse times, "HAWKS/DABI WDYM YOUR FUCKING A VILLAIN/HERO," one or more of the todorokis (minus endeavor) being in the league and dabi hating it but hawks loves it (adores shouto, loves and is terrified of fuyumi, gets along w natsuo, DABI YOUR MOM IS A FALLEN ANGEL), dabis mom being in the league and is a better mom in canon and dabis like what the shit or this is my mom fuckers touch her and your burnt and hawks is like but what about affectionate touching (hugs, headbumps etc), hawks learning to build a pillow fort and experience actual good childhoos activities, dabi walking in on hawks (and maybe spinner and toga) indulging in his avian-ness for the first time, dabi cooking for hawks, hawkss nesting habits, gift giving

am i autistic about dabihawks or am i AUTISTIC about DABIHAWKS

if you read this hold this (jesus /AFFECTIONATE I WROTE A LOT.) thank you and hoping to convert you :D

ANON you fucking FEASTED WITH THIS ONE OH MY GOD!!!! You delivered on your promise and brought over the whole damn MEAL!!

(I love the essay thank you so so much for taking time to pour out your thoughts on this ship!!! Ngl I don’t give Dabi enough credit as a character and maybe this ship is one way to kinda explore that and dammit if I am not more intrigued by them than anything else)

[black-occamy]

I often think that the fundamental problem of HP series is the rapid change from "book for kids about magic and whimsy" into a "dark story for teens that tries to grapple with topics like war and death". In my opinion jkr did really well on the first part and kinda fucked up the second. It is still a great story overall, but... It's not a well-written story. It's not a well-planned story. And it shows.

(If anyone at this moment comes with the idea "you're so full of yourself, OP, could you do better?" Maybe. Maybe not. It's irrelevant to the point I'm trying to make.)

There is a huge difference in approaching "a fairy tale about a boy who lived under the stairs, but was really a wizard and went to magical school and had fun adventures" and "a dark story about an orphan of war, who found himself in mortal danger each year of school, starting at age eleven, only to eventually die to defeat a terrorist".

To me that dichotomy is one of the reasons why the fandom often tries to prove "this theory is better" using canon - because canon in itself is inconsistent and messy, which inevitably leads to difference of opinion and interpretation.

Differences are great. Discussions should be the basis upon which fanon and headcanon grows. The problem starts when someone sees one interpretation as holy. Because there is no holiness here. We're discussing a fairly mediocre book - yes, it made a huge impact on pop culture and many lives (mine included), but it's still just a book (and again, it has many flaws).

As a story, however, it can and should be enjoyed - can and should be interpreted and dissected, and built upon, and it's supposed to be fun for everyone to discuss their views and opinions on it. As long as "we can all agree" not to judge the other party for liking or disliking some parts. It's complex enough to cater to many tastes and imprecise enough to allow vast array of variations of headcanoning.

Disliking or liking any element of the story (mainly characters, but it can apply to anything) doesn't make you morally better. Neither does it make the other person morally worse.

And when in doubt, you can just ignore what you don't like - in the next twenty years it will hardly matter.

[galacticlamps]

DW asks 4, 7, 12? (This *is* a good list!)

4. who’s wardrobe would you steal?

I thought embarrassingly long & hard about this during a slow point at work & came to the conclusion that while there are very many characters who I'd like to steal specific pieces from (and even more that I'd want if I believed I could pull them off), for whole wardrobe I'd have to go with either:

Doctor - Seven (I also think he'd be a great character to cosplay, his clothes look really comfy & are a nice mix of silly & practical)

Companion - Clara (there's no way that needs explaining, is there? just like. a few sizes up, as I am neither as short or as petite as her)

7. which doctor is not necessarily your favorite but is the doctor you’d most like to travel with or the doctor you think you’d get along the best with?

Hmm. I like to think I'd get on with most of them, given time to grow into it like a companion, but right off the bat clicking with? For some reason, my gut is saying 6. (then the next ones to come to mind were 8 & 9, at which point I realized I was just listing doctors canonically proven to put up with americans/people with american accents lol)

Yeah, I'm gonna say 6. I'm the most confident/least worried about potentially getting along with him - I wonder if that's a surprising answer lol

12. what’s a headcanon that’s you forget isn’t actually canon?

(Ignoring the fact that there are probably several I've completely forgotten aren't canon & therefore can't list here:)

a great many things @the--highlanders says about Two-era characters

romantic relationships on Gallifrey being seen as inherently queer in their society?

Ian/Barbara & Ben/Polly as legit, endgame ships (as far as their time on the show goes - I know EU expands upon it, but DW EU is basically just Fanon Plus - which doesn't make it 'not canon' in my book, I just find it funny that there are things we're all in agreement over that were technically never established in the original source material. And again, as @the--highlanders has pointed out, this sets a rather wonderful precedent for what Classic-era romantic relationships actually look like, because honestly speaking, do either of these ships have anything more overtly romantic about them than, say, Two/Jamie or Nyssa/Tegan do, aside from being 'obvious' on account of being m/f? Idk, I find it comfortingly door-opening that this is a show in which you pretty much have to draw your own conclusions about things like that which were blissfully undefined onscreen, even to the point that fans-turned-writers will reference popular consensuses in new material)

Liz Shaw's exit isn't onscreen because she left to go travel w/ a later Doctor who could actually take her through time & space (obviously, they couldn't shoot that in 1970, not having cast the [x]th Doctor at the time)

Time Lords suck at mind wipes on humans (not just for 6b purposes - why else would 10 leave Donna in such a precarious state, if he could potentially save her life by doing it better?)

Part of One & Two's vagueness about their background comes from the fact that they're avoiding using proper nouns even when speaking to people they trust, because they're on the run from a race of reclusive telepaths, and it might be suspicious for their human companions to even have words like 'Time Lord' or 'Gallifrey' in their heads

Benton quits the military after the 3-era characters leave bc he was only ever in it for his pals

[ruthlesslistener]

What do you think about the fact that people genuinely characterize / write PK in fanfiction systematically hunting down / killing stray vessels wandering around Hallownest? or kicking them down from the ramp in the Abyss? like this has been on my mind a lot since this was one of my first fandom impressions I've got from him, which hm.

But anyway, this seems very ooc of him, especially since he's more of a passive and negligent kind of person, than a intentionally actively agressive one. What do you think?

I think that its fucking stupid, and I have no idea where people got the idea for it. A really common interpretation of the lore when I first joined the fandom was that PK would hatch the eggs in the White Palace (or, just create them in his workshop like the kingsmoulds and wingsmoulds), train them for a bit, and then throw the impure ones into the Abyss. This was seen as canon by many people and was the prevalent interpretation of the vessel-creating process. Many people also believed that the Path of Pain was a method for testing if the vessels were pure, and that PK would actively throw them into the gauntlet. Which would kind of make sense as agility training for PV down the line, but not as a means of testing out purity, ESPECIALLY since it...doesn't exist in the physical world. The White Palace as we see it in-game is a twisted amalgamation of what it was in the past to keep intruders away from the Pale King's dying location. So all that fanart of PK kicking vessels into buzzsaws is just for memes, not for serious interpretation.

And while I see the potential for angst, it was extremely disorienting for me to see after actually playing the game because there's just...no proof of it whatsoever. Like, I don't even know where the concept of any of that shit came about in the first place, because we explicitly see how the vessel-choosing process worked in the Abyss cutscene. The eggs were placed in the Abyss; the vessels hatched from them, then were called to climb up to the ramp by the Pale King. Said climb is near-impossible for a newly hatched vessel, as proved by challenge runners who tried it without any upgrades, so 99.9% of them failed, likely dissuading many on the abyss's floor. The vessel that made the climb was therefore not only proven to be capable of following orders without question, but also being physically fit enough to seal the Radiance.

We don't know if others made the climb and were thrown back down by PK after judgement, but there's also no proof of that being the case, and the fact that some escaped via other means to be later tested by Hornet post-fall likely meant that PK was aware of them, but decided to let them live on as backup. There is no evidence that he actively hunted them down or was physically pushing them to their deaths- he merely stood by and watched them die. This is ALSO supported further by him gaining a soft spot for the Pure Vessel later on, as it is extremely likely that such a thing was only possible because the Pure Vessel was the ONLY one of his children that he had extended contact with. It wouldn't make sense for him to grow attached to them if he had been actively training and killing his other kids, because he likely had no experience with that particular brand of weakness before them. Remember, the White Lady grows less cold with Ghost the more that they interact with her, as if forgetting the fact that they are a vessel; neither of the Pale Gods were keen on the plan to begin with, and certainly do not seem to have interacted with their own children much, if WL starts questioning if one of them is more than 'just a vessel' after Ghost goes off and collects the Voidheart. They would be a lot more jaded if they had been actively raising and killing that many kids before Ghost and Hollow showed up.

This, like you said, also fits with the nature of the Pale King's character much better than the fanon concept of him, because he is deliberately set up to be an antithesis to the incredibly aggressive Radiance. Where the Radiance is passionate, aggressive, and reactive, the Pale King is reserved, calculative, and passive. She comes flying forth in a rage when challenged by the Knight; the Pale King forces them to go through a grueling, long, twisting maze to reach his corpse, then kickes them out of the Dream shortly after. Where she advanced and killed through aggressively infecting the dreams of the mortals, the Pale King devised a plan in secret to use his own flesh and blood to defeat her, keeping it so quiet that even his five Great Knights didn't know that other vessels had been created (which is more proof that almost all of them were hatched and killed in the Abyss). When defeat seemed close, the Pale King hid himself away to die rather than confront the Radiance himself. Hell, even his plot to kill her- BOTH TIMES- was passive, with the first being him stealing her worshippers out from under her, and the second being a plot to lock her away in an inescapable, unresponsive body until she slowly died from being forgotten. He is the very DEFINITION of a passive ruler, a title that is ALSO shared by his wife, who neglected to care for the kingdom in its dying throes because she was too busy being sad in self-imposed horny jail exile to give a shit. There is no way in HELL he would have actively trained, killed, and hunted the vessels. That's giving far too much credit and ambition to a character whose actions repeatedly point to him being a scheming little coward who'd rather run away from his problems than stand and face them.

So tdlr: its great for angst but is entirely a fanon interpretation with no basis in canon whatsoever, and in fact actually actively contradicts the information we are given in the game itself.

[the-stove-is-on-fire]

Time to retcon this Flynn nonsense.

I’m going to make Flynn into Danny’s cousin who got pulled into a natural ghost portal and went missing at a young age. Heck, lets drop the ‘Fenton’ altogether and make him Aunt Alicia’s son. ‘Walker’ is a pretty popular fanon maiden name for Maddie so now we have Flynn Walker. Things are already so much better. 

His disappearance caused a rift in Aunt Alicia’s marriage because she knows she saw some supernatural bullshit spirit her son away but her husband doesn’t believe it. Eventually this leads to feelings of resentment building between her and her husband ultimately ending in a bitter divorce. Alicia isolates herself and the only family she keeps contact with is Maddie, who believed her the whole time and did all she and Jack could to help find Flynn.

Unfortunately, poor lil’ Flynn never gets found.

This ties in with the show canon and reinforces why the Fenton parents are so dead set on making sure their kids know ghosts are dangerous, and teaching them how to fight ghosts/defend themselves. It would be perfectly logical in this situation for neither Jazz or Danny to know of Flynn since it’s an old, and sensitive subject. 

But what the fuck happened to Flynn??? Hypothetically, anything. Have a ghost adopt him, explore what happens to a human when they die in the ghost zone, have him turn into a feral child, make him a pet, brainwash him into thinking he’s a ghost, make him actually turn into a ghost. The possibilities are endless. 

Allow me to present a nerfed version of Human Flynn that grew up in the GZ with “ghost powers”. Imma have this kid surviving on his wits and the absolute fluke of luck that humans happen to have intangibility there. He manages to stay alive, makes alliances, and eventually gets into learning the traditional methods of ghost fighting like using blood blossoms & ectoranium. He uses his human constitution to surround himself with all manner of things that are dangerous to ghosts a la Alchemist Hermit style and simply lives to the best of his abilities. 

Perhaps in the first few months or even years of being stranded Flynn had wanted to go home. And he sure as shit tried his hardest to get out of this green hellscape. But now? After so many years on his own, growing, learning and adapting the ghost zone has become more of a home to him than whatever feelings of longing linger in the hazy memories of his childhood. 

In conclusion, Fuck Bitch Fartman, Danny has a cousin.

[Edit: Everyone in the Phandom has free reign to use this concept and design to their heart’s content (BUT NOT YOU BUTCH. FUCK U.)]

[lovebecomeshim]

hello! your zutara posting today has finally motivated me to ask this question because I came to atla very late(last year, to be specific) and I Love It Very Much but am 1000% out of the loop as far as why what remains of fandom (at least that I've seen among my friends) is so very strongly zutara. I'm not opposed to it per se I just don't really know what has driven it to apparently be such a popular ship? can you help me understand and maybe convert me a little bit?

Hey!! Your ICON! :D I can try but I’m not sure how coherent I’ll be; however I AM sure someone a lot more competent will be willing to add to this. Either way, I’m glad you asked because my plan was to drag down as many people as possible with me.

*smacks the hood of zutara* this baby can fit so much mutual love and support!

This got so long, I’m so sorry. I don’t know how to put it under a cut on mobile and it already got deleted once so I’m scared to mess with it lol. Moving on.

I’m gonna start this with a disclaimer that im on mobile so formatting is tricky and I’m also really new to atla in that I only completed my first watch through in like 2019??? So some of my info is all just based on what I’ve picked up from Discourse 👀 so anyway the sparknotes version: zutara was wildly popular from the beginning. To the point where the atla crew internally disagreed on which ship should be endgame. (Ex. Bryke [showrunners] asked the writers to rewrite The Southern Raiders to make Zuko seem less ideal for Katara than Aang [which failed, depending on who you ask]; the animation team purposefully created a visual parrallel between Oma and Shu in the Cave of Two Lovers and Zuko and Katara in the catacombs under Ba Sing Se in the Crossroads of Destiny; etc.)

The ship was popular enough that Bryke actually chose to display zk fanart at a con for the sole purpose of mocking the fans, but that’s neither here nor there. The entire episode Ember Island Players, while a love letter to/parody of the whole show, was an opportunity to address zutara’s viability as a canon pairing (while, again, mocking zutaras for romanticizing that catacombs scene). Point is! It’s always been popular but with it not being endgame, there’s got to be something that’s given it staying power.

And that’s honestly got to do with three things: their dynamic, thematic cohesion, and potential.

(You know what... you know what, it’s four things. The fourth is they’re so aesthetically pleasing together and individually. Like, they’re just good looking people [specifically when they’re grown but they’re also cute kids] and that absolutely doesn’t hurt) (but it’s not the Point, it’s just nice to point out sometimes)

The dynamic is hard to get into without also looking at the canon pairings, but I think I can do that without unnecessary bashing. It’s just that part of the magic of zutara is really highlighted by what they give to each other that their other relationships don’t.

First off, it’s classic enemies to (would be) lovers. The absolute truest form of it. It’s not too different from how CS started out: a rogue antagonist with a job to do—but no personal vendetta against the future love interest—who is deeply and emotionally invested in his personal storyline (revenge/redemption) with little regard for how it effects other people after his entire life and genuine good nature are marred by suffering, and a fierce warrior girl with a strong moral compass and her own personal investment in stopping him (protect her family and save the world doing it). Obviously frustration and animosity grew between them by the nature of them being on opposing sides, but that just lends itself to the sweetness of their later reconciliation.

The thing is that while they’re wildly different on the surface (he’s a hot-headed prince of a fascist regime who is trying to capture the Avatar to please his father; she’s a nurturing daughter of the chief who is trying to protect and train the Avatar in order to topple his father’s throne) they find out that they have so much more in common both in their experiences and their personalities.

(What follows is an excessive use of the word “both” and I’m sorry about that)(I can edit it. I can do that. That IS an option............)

They both have an innate sense of justice that they are determined to see done (zuko, at the war meeting, sticking up for the Earth Kingdom kid when the guards torment his family, choosing not to steal from the pregnant couple despite his circumstances, abiding by his word to leave the SWT should Aang come willingly, etc.; katara, literally.... at any point). They both have pretty one-track minds at accomplishing certain goals once they’ve put their mind to it, regardless of a lack of support in that endeavor (it goes without saying I guess, but zuko’s entire hunt; katara’s determination to get the earth benders to fight back, her determination to absolutely destroy Pakku until he agrees to teach her, etc.). They both lost their mothers at young ages. Their worlds are war-torn and traumatizing to them both, if in different ways, but that ultimately forces them to grow up too quickly to be wholly independent individuals. They both have issues with their fathers (for WILDLY different reasons, but). They both hold extreme prejudices that they need to learn to overcome (which ties into thematic cohesion)(bit like Lizzie and Darcy in that way but magnified by a million). They’re both extremely emotional and empathetic—which can and often does result in loud outbursts. Katara’s a bit better adjusted and can temper her anger for longer than S1 Zuko can, but they both feel that anger deeply and have no compunctions expressing it (Katara is, usually, more justified, particularly in S1. Again, S1 Zuko is severely maladjusted but at the point when they could’ve feasibly become a couple, he’s so much better off with the way he carries himself). They both struggle with feelings of inferiority in their bending abilities when confronted with prodigal benders like Aang and Azula, but have the work ethic required to double down and become two of the most powerful benders in the three remaining nations. This is a little more minor but it is a parrallel that appeals to some shippers that they both have these alter egos in the Painted Lady (notably fire nation coded) and the Blue Spirit (water tribe coded) that are pretty different from who they are day-to-day and are useful in accomplishing a purpose that they as themselves cannot.

(I’m.... I just realized that this could potentially get very long. Should I have made a slide show with bullet points??????)

Anyway, similar. I know there’s more but there’s literally so much to love about zutara that I’ll drive myself a little crazy trying to compile all the ways they’re similar. (Just gonna say that at this exact moment I went back to add more similarities.... so okay then)

Once they’ve reconciled, we see how all of these things only lend themselves to a deeper intimacy together than they share with literally anyone else. There’s a steady partnership that positions them as the mom/dad of the gaang, while also providing the support necessary to allow the other to not have to carry so much responsibility. A lot of zutaras will point out how zuko is actually depicted doing the more domestic chores that are normally relegated to Katara once he joins the gaang, since the others in the group are two 12-year-olds and sokka. The one that sticks out the most is how he makes tea for the group and then serves them, while Katara is able to just relax with her friends around the fire. Fanon expands upon this a lot to Zuko helping with the laundry or the cooking or whatever else needs doing since he, as a once-refugee, is used to doing his own domestic tasks. Before Zuko joined, Katara was the one mothering everyone, sewing for them, cooking for them, etc. She’s always tending to the needs of the group, and that includes emotionally. She does the emotional labor for the gaang 99% of the time, but when she’s the one falling apart, she’s usually doing it alone and without the comfort that she normally provides for others. Until Zuko. And that’s before they’re even friends.

Which is WHY people romanticize the catacombs of Ba Sing Se so much. Katara is verbally attacking Zuko out of her own righteous anger but also her own prejudice when Zuko, surprisingly, chooses to be vulnerable with her. He’s been on a journey that’s opened his eyes a bit, but he’s never actively chosen to expose the rawest parts of his past to anyone. But for some reason he chooses to do that with Katara of all people. While she’s yelling at him. He sees her humanity, and for once can look past his prejudice and empathize with her. And this time, when she breaks down, she gets to be comforted. Katara normally talks about her mother when she’s trying to explain to someone else that she sees and understands they’re pain, as a form of comfort to them. Here, Zuko uses the exact same tactic. He sees her and he understands. And for zuko? He’s not being shut down. He’s allowed to articulate his pain regarding his mother without being ignored and made to internalize it, and he’s allowed to process how he feels about his scar out loud without being told that he deserved it. And then he lets her touch his scar, something we’ve seen him actively avoid before. He’s completely open to her and she’s completely open to him and all it took was one five minute conversation. She was about to use the little bit of Spirit water that she had, that she was saving for something Important, to heal the scar that still daily causes him pain just because they had, somehow, connected.

Plus there’s the whole parallel to the star-crossed lovers forbidden from one another, a war divides their people—

And then zuko messes up, he regresses, he gets what he wants and he HATES it. And the sense of justice he had as a child has been restored to him against his will and he can’t think of anything he wants to do more than the Right Thing, so he joins team avatar. Before he does that though, we get to see his relationship with Mai, which is where comparison really comes in. And what we see is Zuko, fresh off of his encounter with Katara in the catacombs, trying to be emotionally honest with Mai... and getting shut down and dismissed. Which is just how Mai is and it’s fine, but not for Zuko. Still, he keeps trying, and he keeps getting ignored or scoffed at or yelled at. Which is really a larger symbol for how he doesn’t fit in his old life anymore, but again that’s about thematic cohesion. He tries to articulate his anxieties about returning home, he tries to make romantic gestures, he tries to explain how morally conflicted he’s feeling—and Mai diverts to some kind of physical affection to shut him up and a parting comment that is pretty much always, in essence, “I don’t wanna talk about this.” So they don’t. On the other hand, once zuko and Katara are friends, we see him again emotionally distraught and caught up in his anxieties about facing Iroh, and it’s Katara who comes to him and listens to him and comforts and encourages him.

Similarly, we have Aang clamming up and getting uncomfortable whenever Katara shows any negative emotion, usually resulting in him making excuses or running away. Or, in the case of the Southern Raiders, lecturing her on how she needs to just let go of her anger about her mother’s murder. People have talked this episode to death and usually better than I ever could, so imma... keep it brief. There’s a serious disconnect between Aang and Katara in his ability to empathize with Katara and her needs that has her tamping down her vulnerability and amping up her anger. He tells her that he was able to forgive his people’s genocide and appa’s kidnapping (petnapping? Theft??), which is blatantly not true but also not an entirely equal parrallel to Katara’s situation, and continues making these little remarks throughout the episode. But it’s Zuko that Katara opens up to. It’s with him that she’s able to talk about the most traumatic day of her life, and it’s with him that she’s able to get the closure she needs, cementing their bond as friends and partners. This disagreement between Aang and Katara is then... never resolved. They just never bring it up and hear what the other is saying.

There’s a fic called The Portraits of Ember Island that has a line that so completely sums up the heart of the matter for why people love their dynamic. For context, zuko has woken up early to help Katara with the cooking and they spend the whole time just letting one another talk, and zuko stops to ask why she always just lets him talk. And so she stops to ask why he’s always helping, and it goes as follows:

There’s just... so much mutual support! Trust! Intimacy!! And it just continues like that from the Southern Raiders on, listening to each other, advising each other, watching each other’s backs! And then! Literally saving each other’s lives!! I will never be over the last Agni kai. Not ever. Zuko may have been willing to jump in front of lightning for anyone, but he actually did it for Katara. And in a show, that’s the thing that really matters. It’s a fulfilled trope usually exclusively applied to romantic pairings, and it ended up applying to Zuko and Katara. And then she ran out into the middle of a fight with tunnel vision just to get to him.

Also!! Also Zuko pushing Katara out of the way of the falling rocks at the Western Air Temple!! And Katara catching him as he fell from the war balloon that he fought Azula on!! Before they’re even getting along, they’re the ones reaching for each other. They come to this place of equal ground, as partners, who watch each other’s backs, call each other out but still listen attentively and understand, and provide the support that the other has been sorely lacking up until they knew each other (whether that be from lack of effort or lack of understanding from others, or an unwillingness to accept it for themselves).

Then, trailing along under the surface of this, we see the themes of the show totally embodied by Zuko and Katara as individuals and in their relationship to one another. There’s a YouTuber, sneezyreviews, who has a, like, 2-hour explanation on why she not only loves zutara but also believes that their endgame would’ve actually elevated the writing of atla to new levels particularly because of thematic cohesion and resolved character arcs. It’s the zutara dissertation I never knew I needed, and it’s funny and eloquent and effective, so I’m just going to sum up her section on thematic cohesion to the best of my abilities and then link it for whenever you have the time. And I HIGHLY recommend it, especially if you want a full understanding of what makes zutara so great and gives it such longevity.

Guru pathik has a line that goes something like this: separation is an illusion; things that seem different are just two parts of the same whole. Iroh also tells Zuko something similar: balance and strength are achieved when the different nations come together and influence one another and celebrate what makes them each unique. And this lesson is a massive central arc that both Zuko and Katara go through, moving past a black-and-white, good guys-vs-bad guys, us-vs-them mentality and into a greyer, more nuanced view of the world. Zuko sees the fire nation from an entirely new perspective and while he still loves and hopes for his nations future, he surrenders his blind loyalty to them in exchange for an unflinching loyalty to peace and love. Katara too had to come to terms with the fact that cruel people exist in the earth kingdom and water tribes, while some fire nation citizens are just regular, kind people who also need and deserve to have someone speak on their behalf. And this is honed in directly on how they view each other. They grow in their individual journeys to be open to the humanity in the other and then, once they’ve found that, they’re able to grow more in compassion for others in a beautiful feedback loop. And this is all matched in the symbolism repeatedly and intentionally associated with them in canon: sun and moon, fire and water, yin and yang, Oma and Shu who found love despite their warring nations. Their individual arcs are completed in each other and complement the themes of atla beautifully.

The canon pairs... just don’t. Which, again, is fine. But the very things that give atla longevity and popularity are anchored in zutara. Kat@ang doesn’t accomplish this. They’re... nice. Sweet. Especially when you erase a good portion of their interactions in S3. It could’ve been just a sweet love story. (Personally, the dynamic between toph and aang accomplish the same thing that zutara does, with complementary personalities that fulfill the theme of opposites blending in harmony) M@iko, on the other hand, is less sweet but I think wasn’t even supposed to last. Zuko’s relationship with Mai seems to represent his relationship with his old life as a whole. He can’t be emotionally vulnerable, he’s goaded into abusing his privileges, his agency and opinions aren’t respected. They just don’t have common ground with which to discuss anything that matters, so they don’t. As far as themes, the relationship doesn’t fit with atla. It’s zuko returning to and sticking with what is (on the surface) like him, what’s expected. Fire nation with fire nation. Fluid water bender with the flexible air bender. Like with like, separated from what is different and challenging and complementary.

And all of these things combined of course lead to the potential for the ship. I don’t know how familiar you are with the post-atla canon but... well, miss “I will never turn my back on people who need me”, miss “I don’t want to heal! I want to fight!” ends up living quietly in the SWT as a designated healer who turns a blind eye to the water tribe civil war happening right outside her front door. Which can be fine! People change! Some people just wanna stay inside. I just wanna stay inside! But the potential future for zutara is so much more satisfying, with Katara becoming the most unconventional Fire Lady the uppity old cads who are stuck on the old ways have ever seen. Fanon has her serving as a voice for the other nations within a kingdom at the point of its biggest political upheaval, as a confidante to Zuko who can actually help him while he’s trying to figure out how to move forward and make reparations. They have the opportunity, together, to accomplish what they both have set on their hearts to fight for: positive change that lends itself to harmony and balance. And the steambabies! A popular headcanon is that their firstborn daughter, the crown princess, is actually a waterbender, which causes such an uproar among the people who are adamantly clinging to the old ways. It’s just a future full of potential to be forces for good together, full of trust, intimacy, joy. The exact era of peace and love and balance that zuko announces that he intends to ring in with the start of his reign as Fire Lord is, again, magnified by the very personal zutara relationship. And we love to see it.

tl;dr zutara isn’t for everyone. Some people just don’t vibe with it. Some are nostalgic. Some love the canon they grew up with. Some have been disappointed for years. Some just see themselves in other characters and want their happiness instead. Whatever the reason, that’s fine. But for me, I love the way these two, from the moment they give each other a fair chance, are able to lower their walls and prejudices to see the other for the kindred spirits they are. They see each other’s humanity, and their response is to pour out love and support and compassion. I love that they’re a power couple in battle. I love the symbolism and, honestly, soulmatism that colors their every interaction. I love that they embody the whole storyline of atla in their relationship and how it develops, which is notably why their seasonal arcs always culminate in each finale with how they relate to one another. I love that zuko adopting a waterbending move is what actually saves his life and then katara’s. I love the chemistry! And I love the future they could’ve had, instead of the ones they were given.

So, in conclusion: I just think they’re neat and I hope you do too, at least a little bit. Even if it’s just respectfully from a disinterested distance cause you do you. And now here is the video I mentioned. I’m sorry this post got so long and then I gave you an even longer homework assignment, but I can’t recommend it enough. She says it all better than I can.

[scullymurphy]

Hi scully, there’s a bit of a small debate about Daphne on the server, we’ll not a debate mitre people having different pov’s on how her character is coming off. Could you do one of your lovely character analysis of Daphne to help us get a better read on her?

Ahh thank you for this chance! I have seen the discussion in the server and I do have thoughts. Putting a disclaimer in place that of course people take what they interpret from the story and no interpretation is right or wrong -- even mine!

OK so DAPHNE! I think a lot of what she's about as a character comes from growing up as the healthy older sibling of a very ill child. My understanding of this situation is that a lot of the resources naturally go to the sick child, which can leave the healthy one(s) kind of blowing in the wind. But let's let Theo in Bending Light chapter 24 explain it to us:

"Daphne and I grew up together. Our families' estates are near each other and our mothers were close as girls. She was my only friend. Through some very rough times. And I was hers. Neither of us have very good fathers. So we were together constantly. Outside as much as we could be—almost feral, to be honest—what with my mum dead and Daphne's consumed by Daph's younger sister."

And then after Hermione asks who Daphne's younger sister is and what her illness is Theo says:

"Nobody seems to know. Although there were many years where the family's whole purpose seemed to be to find out. Made poor Daph a bit of an afterthought."

So that tells you a lot of what you need to know. Daphne grew up almost neglected -- running wild with Theo (they once ran away for four days and no one even noticed) until she was 11 and shipped off to boarding school for nine months of the year. And her family (despite Lucius Malfoy's snobby dismissal of them) are upper-crust English purebloods -- not the most emotionally open or supportive. And my sense is that any emotion they do have has been expended on Astoria and an almost obsessive search for a cure to her condition.

There is also a great deal of secrecy and keeping up appearances around Astoria's illness. I believe it's canon that it's a family shame to have a blood curse, (could be wrong, could be fanon, not going to look it up - lol) and so everything around it is hushed up. Daphne knows that towing the line means barely ever speaking about it and constantly downplaying it, which is why she doesn't say a lot about it. Also, she doesn't know much about it because her family keeps her in the dark. A lot because of the shame thing, some because of her being gone at school most of the time and some because she's a bit of a black sheep.

I've gone to some pains in FD to show that Astoria is like her mother, elegant, petite, well-dressed, quiet and with traditional pureblood manners (even if her interior life is quite different!), but Daphne is very much not. She grew up wild with Theo! She wears muggle clothes and listens to muggle music. She annoys Pansy with her muggle t-shirt collection! She fought with her mother over her NYE dress. She's kind of dry and level-headed. Wants to do a Potions apprenticeship after school rather than marry a proper pureblood boy and settle down. A bit of a rebel, which I think puts her a little on the outs with her very traditional family.

To me, Daphne is a what you see is what you get type of character. She's not trying to hide who she is or what she wants (very much unlike her sister). She's direct and bold, but also a little naive. And she's been hurt badly by the person she loved the most (and Michael), so she's also cautious and pretty vulnerable. I don't see her having a lot of ulterior motives for things or being a tricky person. When she says something, she means what she says. I think all of this is what Theo loves about her so much too. And Pansy -- who loves her as a friend. She inspires deep love in others.

So yeah. Daphne is someone I'd like to be friends with, I think. We could jam out to Nirvana and do chemistry experiments together. And I'd definitely want to borrow her clothes. 😆 Thanks for reading this far if you've made it! xoxo ~SM

[rhaenyra-first-of-her-name]

So what's your issue against Sansa since you like to reblog from antis who literally make up flaws about her and call her "evil" for literally being a CHILD in the first book. She made mistakes but one can't forget that she was young and naive and didn't understand what was going on with the Lannisters and what they were really like. But in later books she understands more and is growing and changing, but you guys still want to blame her from the first book and not give her a chance? really?

Right off the bat with the accusations.

With Sansa? Very little tbh. It's her stans. It's their blatant dishonesty that irks me.

I happen to like canon Sansa far more than her 'popular' fanon version. Canon Sansa is a complex, nuanced and interesting. Not the the most interesting but interesting.

I sympathize with her and her difficult circumstances.

But I didn't even say anything about Sansa as a character in the post that probably brought you here. But since you went through my blog and asked, let's roll with it.

I am afraid that I would need receipts and proofs of that bcoz I have never reblogged anything that made up Sansa 's flaws and called her 'evil'. I have neither personally done so nor my mutuals and the people I happen to follow. If you want a proof of anything I am saying, I would be glad to show you.

So are at least half of the characters in asoiaf. So are Dany, Arya, Jon and Bran.

But apparently only Sansa gets an excuse about being a child. Not Dany. Not Arya. I have heard what Sansa stans say about Dany and they don't seem to care that even Dany is very young and just 2 years older than Sansa. Arya is even 2 years younger than Sansa but nope.

Yes, she has made mistakes like the rest of the characters but her stans are the ones who try to whitewash everything so excuse me if I am mad about it as I rightly should be.

Sansa 's mistakes include bullying her younger sister. I am sorry but I condemn bullying even though I take her age into account. It also includes her general disregard for other people (Mycah, Arya, Jeyne, the Vale knight who died in the Hand 's tournament, Jeyne 's father, Jon) so excuse me that it bugs me. It should.

Betraying her family is there too. Not to forget, she's currently poisoning her cousin and a child- SweetRobin

Yes, she's growing and getting better but that doesn't miraculously vanish her past mistakes. This doesn't work like algebra for me. She is yet to acknowledge most of them.

Not knowing who the Lannisters were is on Sansa. Not just her age. Arya is younger and she knew. By the time Sansa betrayed Ned; the Trident incident had happened, Lady was killed on Cersei 's order, Joffrey swung a sword over her sister's head and Ned had been attacked by Jaime Lannister in the streets of King's Landing. Jaime killed three Northmen.

Even her father's arrest didn't break her bubble. They called her father, a traitor and she took their side. They killed her friend's father and she still believed them. If it took Joffrey killing Ned to break her bubble, she has no one but herself to blame for putting herself in that situation.

It's a fact that Sansa choose two people she hardly knew over her own father.

If there was anyone else at Sansa 's place, the fandom won't be so forgiving.

But tbh I have more of a problem with how this fandom doesn't want to acknowledge her mistakes and flaws rather than what Sansa did herself. It's very infuriating.

How do people expect her to grow if they don't even want to acknowledge her flaws and mistakes?

When apparently they're very capable of doing it, in case of Arya and Dany. To the point of exaggeration.

The double standards and hypocrisy of her stans is appalling.

A chance you say, Sansa had a chance for four more books now and I am yet to see her acknowledge her part in the downfall of her family. I understand her difficult circumstances and that's why I am not expecting something drastic from her in that situation. But a mere acknowledgement in her own mind would be deeply appreciated and that's the least of she can do.

As to why I or other people bring up the first book the most, it's for two reasons. 1) That's when she did her biggest mistakes and these are not something you can ignore. 2) that's also the book she has most agency in. When characters have agency is the time they're most judged for. People/ characters are judged more for what they do, than what they had to do.

The last thing I would say is this: understanding her flaws and actions, including her mistakes, is a wildly different concept from justifying them.

I hope this answer is enough. I might be up for further discussion if it's kept civil.

[bookwyrminspiration]

waitwait so ive been thinking of these ships (both platonic and romantic) for a little while and...

keefe/marella and keefe/dex/biana???

for keefe/marella:

i feel like they'd vibe with each other. they're both dealing with things intricately tied with their identity but still out of their control (marella's pyrokinesis and keefe's legacy) and i feel like they might find some common ground in that.

and marella is very observant, and very reeled-in, but she tells it like it is and if keefe is off getting extremely reckless ideas (like running away again) she wouldnt hesitate to call him out on it, and to sit him down and work with it. and keefe is a very easy-going person to most people, and he wouldnt judge marella for her ability or for her mom's accident. they would be good for each other, i think.

and another weird thing they have in common is that they've both been personally mentored by fintan, which i feel like is something most others wouldnt understand and something else they could bond over (it's all about the complicated relationships with authority figures, huh)

for keefe/dex/biana:

i just think they're neat.

- pyro

(also, yes, i am aware, how dare i put marella in a straight ship. (not directed at you quil specifically more so just. yeah))

hello pyro!! it's super cool to see we were on about the same page with some of the keefe/marella reasoning, as I intentinoally didn't read fully through this one before answering the other (I didn't want to influence my answer and just repeat what I'd read from you). yet we ended up with similar ideas!

for keefe/marella:

I know they're both seen in canon and fanon as these loud, boisterous, feisty personalities, but I think any relationship between the two of them would be the calm, quiet, understanding kind. the way Marella was reserved when talking about her mom feels more defensive than offensive when it comes to her personal life and problems, similar to how Keefe avoids talking about himself by literally not talking by shifting the attention to another (usually back to Sophie). I think they'd have a relationship that was very respectful of each others' boundaries, the kind where your partner sees you struggling and if you ask them not to pry then they'll leave you alone about it (as opposed to comforting your partner about it and giving it attention, which is also a valid way to deal with things).

and yes!! Marella is observant and we should pay attention to that more! She didn't just accidentally learn all the gossip in the Elvin world at the tender age of 11/12. she knows things and has opinions on them and isn't afraid to share them upfront--she told Sophie to her face as soon as they met that she didn't like girls and why, to use as one example. Keefe, on the other hand, isn't dense, but he's more of a stubborn, this is the only way I can do things kind of person--tunnel-vision, so I could see them balancing each other out. Keefe has the focus and narrows things down, but Marella makes sure it isn't too extreme and that other options are given the attention they deserve.

oo I hadn't even remembered the Fintan thing. Despite Keefe not being a pyrokinetic, I'm positive there are elements of his mentoring style that can be applied to both of them. Also just the experience of having close, one-on-one (or nearly one-on-one) contact with someone with such an awful reputation. Of working with someone you hate and playing nice for the sake of knowledge, possibly compromising your own values for a gain that others might not see as worth it. Neither of them really wanted to, but were put in a situation where they didn't really have a choice. Keefe could've left the Neverseen, yes, but that was more complicated and risky than dealing with those lessons. Marella didn't have to agree to the training, but she had to make the hard decision and realization that she could easily loose control and that there was literally no one else she could turn to.

I think that's a recurring theme for the both of them: not really having choices in their life, just the illusion of them. We can come up with a million different options for either of them, but the fact of the matter is hardly any of them are gonna be better, more feasible, or something they'd actually do.

for keefe/dex/biana:

There's so many elements to this!! I'll just briefly touch on a few because your ask was mostly about the previous ship.

Keefe and Biana have that element of childhood friends and knowing each other for so much longer than most of the others. They watched each other grow up and manifest and knew each other before everything went downhill. I think they could have that bittersweet feeling of connecting over the past to build a better future.

Dex and Keefe have this positivity that i've talked about before, just this enthusiastic support for each other. Keefe loves Dex's ability and the things he can create, and he himself has said that they'd make a great pair, and unstoppable due capable of causing mass chaos. And Dex doesn't really have anyone else that casually supportive of him--it different from his parents (specifically his dad) who saw it as evidence that Dex was amazing and used it to shove it in the faces of the people who'd doubted him. Not that that's bad, it's just different. And Keefe has a whole hot of drama and discomfort going on with Fitz and Tam, so it's nice to think of him with someone without a bunch of complicated history and just like a friends to lovers arc.

and then there's Dex and Biana, two people who are historically invisible to the rest of their group, working from the background yet playing essential roles. I don't know if I've talked about them before but I think they could really vibe well together. They're both siblings (in different directions but similar nonetheless) and had to force themselves to be included. they're also both in Team Valiant, which could be an opportunity to bond. One thing I keep thinking is that Dex being around Biana more often might boost his confidence, just seeing the way she carries herself, but I don't want to get distracted with that.

overall: these are both excellent ships!! there's so much to them to explore and I think the connections you've made are really cool, so thank you for letting me add my own thoughts and opinions!!

also I think it's funny how I said id be brief and then wrote three more paragraphs

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

From @ednamrenee 's comments that are way too wonderful and insightful to keep to the notes only and I'll try to go point by point with this since there is so much I agree to with this (excuse the messy thoughts as I go)

Lol, and I enjoy hearing the perspectives of those who have a harsher take on JC than me. 😂 I agree with you re: CQL, it definitely didn't seem to know where to put JC's character, which is a shame because he's a very interesting one. I don't mind if CQL-onlies want to that to that version, media consumption being a very personal experience and all that, but if I have to read one more interpretation like JC thought the life-debt between WQ and him was paid..

I do think that it's a detriment to the adaptions closer to the novel and the AU that CQL is to be so heavily tied together into the western fandom. Since they are so different from each other they really can't be compared to each other. The characters are not alike which lends to the very out of place interpretations that become so heavily popular.

...when he got her out of prison, I'm gonna go insane. Never mind that it's not what happened in novel canon (or even donghua canon, I don't remember about the manhua), never mind that it was an added scene to go forth with the one-sided JC/WQ thing, never mind that even if it had been canon, it in no way balances the life-debt JC owed the Wen siblings (and I'm not even considering the golden core transfer, we can't hold over him what he doesn't know).

In terms of the debt he owed even with the awkward romance they tried to make, if it was "payed back" it does not excuse him from essentially hiding that away and letting it be buried under the calls to exterminate all Wens. It does not erase the fact that they had helped, and he chose to just not expand upon this when their safety was at stake out of, I suppose, petty jealousy of Wei Wuxian (I really don't know what CQL was going for with his resentment towards Wei Wuxian since he'd had that since he was young. But, it also makes whatever love he did have for Wen Qing and Wei Wuxian so much more shallow then it was in the novel and starkly more cruel for a character they tried to humanize while keeping the novel points skewing the themes of Jiang Cheng as a character.

It just feels like a sorry understanding of life-debts and that's why culturally huge thing, so...no? Don't do that? It's fine having JC not pay much attention to the debts. It makes him interesting, it makes him coldly pragmatic over valuing even things that his own culture holds dear. It's a great trait, and even a good one for a leader maybe. I am up for JC deviating for the norm when it's about such virtues while WWX sticks to them, and JC wasn't exactly sneering...

Yes! This is Jiang Cheng as a character at his simplest and why I personally find him fascinating! He is pragmatic and cold to a fault that works well in the cultivation world MDZS set up, however, it doesn't work the same in CQL when you have the boogyman story of the Yin Iron as the root of all bad instead. The character actions no longer line up with the theme of the original work since so much emphasis is placed on a piece of metal ruining everything instead of the cruelty of humans alone.

...at the mo dao until it put him in a politically delicate situation. That's fine! Interesting character traits! But like. Fanon perception more often than not strips all of these from him and that's just unacceptable to me. I'm not even going to speak of the entire genocide thing, despite knowing about the innocence of the Wens and how they're just feeble old people and women and children.

The bleed over of CQL trying to make Jiang Cheng softer in his youth made headcanons with no true base for it in his behavior as an adult a lot more muddied. As an adult in any adaption, he's not really shown to have any positive sort of sentimentality towards Wei Wuxian. Certainly with Jin Ling in CQL it implied heavily that he did hit him just like Madam Yu to Wei Wuxian, where at least in the novel he was just... a very aggressively, unkind, cruel uncle that spoiled his nephew and gave in with that cycle of negative action over progressive action (The massive narrative mirror between how Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji raised a child left to them suddenly). He was not sorry for the hand he took in killing the Wens, he blamed them for taking his right hand man away and putting his sect, in what he thought, was unneeded trouble, morals be damned like his mother. Like she had said about Lan Wangji and Jin Zixuan, they stuck their head too high and they brought death upon themselves for talking back to a higher power for acting on their kindness over politics.

(Lol, this got long, sorry!) I absolutely agree that in terms of interpersonal relationships, Jin Ling is the only one with whom Jiang Cheng can begin to grow. The thing about the Yunmeng brothers is that whatever was between them is now tainted by bad blood (quite literally) on both sides, both of them have hurt each, knowingly or unknowingly. Both of them are a source for mental stress for each other, that's canon for any adaptation.

I understand the urge to want a rosier, I guess, take on this. I'm more used to the novel interpretations and neither ever really use the wording of being like family, or brothers, this was left to Jiang Yanli specifically calling Wei Wuxian her brother as the only Jiang to do that. The barrier of their social class is still a backbone of Jiang Cheng's possessiveness in thinking Wei Wuxian was his to order about as a sect leader twisting the innocent promise Wei Wuxian gave. But both don't associate anything positive with the other anymore. Wei Wuxian certainly isn't sentimental for Yunmeng Jiang as a home when he is resurrected or Jiang Cheng. He was planning to run off in the opposite direction of it to start as someone new! That does not read to me as pining or love anymore for the past (and I've written a piece before how CQL sanitized his longing of Lan Wangji solely by replacing it with Lotus Pier want and Jiang Yanli as a parental figure).

Can we not act like "ohh it's just miscommunication, they're both just dumb and horrible at feelings". It's not that simple. MXTX establishes this painstakingly, and just loving someone has never been the point. YZY loved JC too, she still managed to mess up his head. Love isn't the point, which sounds very hurtful I know, but it's also true. Reconciliation after all this bad blood takes a huge amount of emotional labour on both parts.

I can not reiterate enough that love was not the only thing needed between the Yunmeng siblings. None of them really ever understood each other and had different wants. Jiang Cheng never understood Wei Wuxian and his fascination of Lan Wangji out of discomfort. He did not accept whatever was going on there and later used it as shaming fodder. Both have done an unforgivable disservice to the other and really, nothing can mend old hurts as bad as they were. The kindest option is to leave each other alone and move on with a happier life for the self. The codependency of this is more than disturbing when used in reconciliation material especially for Wei Wuxian who was never that and is the one who actively asked for Jiang Cheng to move on, because he does not have the will to extend the effort of rebuilding a relationship anymore. It's a very human response to a broken relationship and not cruel, it just is a realistic view of a bad relationship that always ended for the worst when they tried to talk. Their own ideals are nothing alike and clash, they are not what the other needs and Wei Wuxian by the end of the novel is ready to leave it and move on with others without Jiang Cheng.

And, never apologize for long thoughts! I love it! This is why I very much enjoy interactions on here that are productive. Seriously I am a Jiang Cheng fan, I am just not into the gum drop sweetness for reconciliation. They are a disservice to him and his end that can better him without the crutch of Wei Wuxian there, which is exactly how his resentment spawned in the first place. He has a chance to do better by himself on his own terms, that doesn't need to be ruined with a codependent bond that had been forced and very one-sided in the end and remained as that for 13 years.

[backslashdelta]

Becky my beloved <3

how are you?

I will be asking to rank all Kurt ships you can think with as much of an explanation as you want ✍️

hope your day is going well 🧡

Myle my beloved <3

I'm not too bad! Kinda stressed over work this week, but it could be worse. I hope you're well!

I don't have a ton of energy to go all out with explanations (I wrote this and then gave an explanation with every single one but shhhh). In lieu of the amount of detail I'd like to provide, please accept these links to previous things I've posted about my opinions of Kurt ships:

Kartie/Kody, Puckurt/St Hummel/Chummel, Kelliott/Kadam/Hevans/Kandler/Kalter, top 10 (now outdated)

I also once posted a tier list of my Kurt ships so feel free to take a look at that! It also may or may not have changed since. My top 3-4 are pretty solid, and after that things can vary quite a bit based on how I'm feeling at the moment.

I'm going to limit this post to pairs rather than poly ships because then there would just be far too many combinations...

ANYWAY. Ranked list of Kurt ships under the cut :)

Kurtbastian. I don't think I need to explain myself, but this dynamic is absolutely everything to me. The intensity, the drama, the sexual tension, everything they are is just so so so perfect for each other and I love them.

Kelliott. I love Kurtbastian because they're a great story, but I love Kelliott because they feel real. If Kurt Hummel were a real actual person, I would want him to be with Elliott Gilbert.

Klaine. The ship that got me into fanfic. That being said... I think I love them more for the fandom than for their canon relationship at this point. Which is totally fine, since basically all of the ships I love are due to fandom if not my own personal thoughts on the characters involved <3

Puckurt. Pansexual!Noah Puckerman in love with Kurt Hummel and willing to defend his honour? Not giving a shit what people have to say about him because He Loves Kurt and he won't be ashamed of who he is and he's just So! Proud! Of his boyfriend!! And Kurt just rolls his eyes and tells Puck he can take care of himself and Puck just looks at him and smirks and says "I know you can" and then they're making out against a wall in a locker room and... I'm gonna stop before I get carried away, but. Yeah. Puckurt my beloved.

Kadam. I'm sometimes guilty of forgetting about them and I'm so mad every single time because they are so cute!! So good!!! Like PLEASE ADAM IS A SWEETHEART and Glee did us so dirty by not giving this relationship a real chance.

Wert. Wesley Montgomery needs to be defended at all costs. This is based solely on fanfiction, and most of that is my own fanfiction lol I accidentally wrote myself into shipping them and now I can't stop.

St Hummel. This would be the most chaotic relationship imaginable but oh god would it be funny as hell.

Hevans. They are very very sweet and the fact that Sam wasn't bi is a crime. Sam clearly had such a high opinion of Kurt throughout the entire damn show, and they should have been together.

Chummel. Mike is a sweetheart. I'm having visions of very hands-on dance lessons that very quickly veer into not-quite-dance-lessons-anymore because Mike is getting right up in Kurt's space to help him move and... well, you get the idea.

Brokurt. Brody deserved better then the show gave him. And he's also so clearly not entirely straight. Let him have a fling with Kurt PLEASE.

Kartie. They would be sweet. I'm not a HUGE fan of Artie but I do think he could be a good boyfriend, and I could imagine him and Kurt being really supportive of each other and their talents being very complimentary.

Kandler. I don't think this would work long term, but I think Chandler is such a fun character and it would have been neat to see where this could go. Maybe a fun little summer fling to boost Kurt's confidence, you know? They part on good terms, go their own ways for school at the end of the summer, if they ever run into each other back home they're friendly and give each other a hug.

Kurtofsky. I'll be honest; I used to really hate this ship. I don't hate it anymore though. In canon? Ehhh, still don't really see it ever happening. Fanon, however, I could see it. And the art that I've seen is gorgeous. I could see this moving up over time; the more I think about it, the more it grows on me tbh.

Kalter. I actually don't hate this. Don't love that Walter lied on the app, but he was upfront on their first date. And I don't think he was taking advantage of Kurt, and the age difference doesn't really bother me (it's not idea especially considering Kurt was still not that long out of high school at this point, but given it's television and he was made out to seem older I can let it slide). I think this was a fine little short relationship and neither of them were all that invested in it, but I don't like... actively enjoy it or anything haha.

Kooper. Honestly the level of awe/obsession/whatever that Kurt had for Cooper upon meeting him turns me off this ship a little bit. I don't hate it or anything, I just don't really see it. Absolutely give me brother-in-laws Kooper ganging up to tease Blaine, though!

Kody. I am very much pro slutty Kurt trying to get it on with a sexy man, but I just... this particular man gives me the heebie jeebies, you know? It's just Not It for me, sorry.

Kinn. No hate to anybody who does like this ship, and like I get it, but a) they're canonically brothers and even in a verse where they aren't I still can't put that aside, and b) I don't really like Finn as a character do I don't enjoy thinking about him and Kurt together romantically. I can enjoy some fanon brotherly Furt content, but that's about all. My apologies.

[ladyaryawolf]

I hate when people insist that Arya is ugly, I bet Arya is going to be really pretty in the books when she grows up, training with courtesans and all that, and the only ones that called her horseface in ghe past were Sansa and jeyne and it was only because Jeyne was jealous of her being the daughter of a high lord (they were just children being petty)

as for Lyanna (she is not one of my fav characters) she obviously was pretty but I dont think its her beauty what Rhaegar saw in her, he just needed a a woman strong enough to carry his third child and fulfill the prophecy because 'the dragon has three heads', something his wife couldnt do.

I think we need more fics in where authors acknowledge the truth, that Arya is going to be a beautiful queen in the books 😌

Arya is pretty. Like a sweet chid you see running around the park, but would rather be playing with "swords" and with another boys, and getting dirty and messed up in the process than playing with dolls. This is why she is described as wild and always having a messy hair. And as we are talking about a feudalism age, this is the main reason she is mistaken as a boy and not being "a proper lady". We have to remember she is 9 in the beginning, she didn't passed through puberty. She doesn't have a defined body. If any girl at this age dress as a boy and act like a boy is expected to act, no one will blink an eye.

"Arry" is a perfect exemple of this. Catelyn saying someone would mistake her as a boy is also a prof of this.

She didn't fit in this social box of "how a woman/girl/lady should behaeve", and that is the main reason they have the idea Arya is ugly and why Arya herself believes she is ugly too. She was surrounded by a stereotip that expected her to act on a certain way she didn't fit in. We have this even nowadays.

Exemple: I am out of the stereotipe. I am not skinny, my body shape is different from the girls we always see being desired and glamorous on Instagram. Not interested in "girly, feminine" things, tools and blah, blah, blah. I may be beautiful and gorgeous, but I dont feel that way because I am not like these girls. In Arya's case it is her behavior that is "out" Got It? It is a social construct that impacts how we see the world and ourselves. It is very interesting. (Yeah. Yeah. I like sociology and psichology. Process me.)

But yes. I am pretty sure Arya is growing from a young girl to a gorgeous woman in the next two books. There is so many hints of that in her chapters... Unhapilly sometimes in sad and creepy circunstances like we see in Mercy. That chapter was just creepy and disgusting and triggering as hell. But also appears in positive ways like when Ned compares her to Lyanna, Lady Smallwood saying she is beautiful, etc, etc.

And is also really satiafying to see she getting more self steem with her looks while growing up when she suffered with that her whole childhood. The famous *glow up*. Have you ever read/watch the Ugly Duckling? That is the feeling.

Rhaegar and Lyanna? Well. I don't have much strong feelings about it. And my feelings are contraditory the most part of the time. I basically liked this tragic love story D&D created, because I like tragic love stories. Cliche. Don't judge me,please. But yeah. If we get out of the fanfic - where Lyanna was old enough and willing and in a a compleatly selfish way she run away to marry a Prince that was madly in love with her, and she was madly in love with him kinda Romeo and Juliet - and see the reality/canonic content we have untill now, I totally agree with u. I don't think Rhaegar loved her. Actually Canon!Rhaegar is far from my fanon!Rhaegar. He was obcessed with a prophecy, and kidnapped, raped her, (Lyanna was 14-15. She couldn't consent), so he would have the "third dragon head". We can't forget what he did to Elia and her children(not his. He failed as a father. Father is the one who raises and protect, so yeah. So fuck Canon!Rhaegar), that is completly unfair. Elia deserved better than this. Rhaenys and Aegon deserved better than this.

In other words, fuck anyone who says Elia knew and consented with Rhaegar's actions.

(I told you. I have contraditory feelings about this whole thing)

While Arya being Queen... I believe there is a chance of her being crowned at certain point of the saga, but I dont see her ending as Queen. I believe she will end as a princess or a Lady of some castle. Be it Stormsland or Winterfell I dont have any idea. (I want her in Winterfell.) Maybe part of the King/Queen's Council. But yeah. I would really appreciate more fics that explores that part of her story and characteristics.

Arya's ending is tied with so many other arcs. Dany', Jon', Bran's especially. So it is complicated to say by sure. The five Key players's future are tied in some intricated way and as we are entering just now at the climax of the saga, we don't have enough information to take a clear conclusions of neither of their destinies.

Wow. This was hard to write. So much vacabulary i didn't know how to write, or the right way to express myself. I hope it isn't confusing. Anyway

Thanks for the ask, anon.💞💞💞💞

[buckskinblues]

There’s a certain type of echo chamber that’s particular to fandom that I’ve become increasingly aware of and that I think most people don’t even recognize as being a negative thing because it’s dressed up as all fun and games. At least they’re not self-aware about it but to outsiders spectating it’s usually quite obvious. Because it’s an echo chamber based around liking something or being attached to a particular idea and that’s not necessarily something that’s bad per say. After all it fosters a sense of community in many instances. And a lot of what I say on here boils down to “to each their own”. The poison in the well comes from people engaging solely with those ideas and taking them for granted (or fact, if it’s something like an AU or headcanon or meta theories they spent hours, weeks, and months coming up with). The problem I see is that people become increasingly hostile to these ideas or opinions being challenged because they’ve spent so much time propping it up and believing in it with other fans who have also spent much of their time propping it up and they spend all of their time with each other in this bubble. Even if the challenge comes from the source material they’ve based their identity around. It eventually becomes less of a fun exploration in the transformative aspect of fandom and less imagination play and more a law they think everyone should follow...even canon itself should. After all it’s self-evident, it’s obvious, anyone worth their salt knows and if you don’t adhere to such ideas, well, you must have ulterior motives.

It’s becoming less and less a group of people who just happen to like a certain idea and more and more a group of people who grow increasingly venomous towards anyone who doesn’t toe the line. They’ve grown so attached and dare I say dependent on these theories and headcanons and alternate universes that they feel deeply wounded when someone doesn’t want to play along.

It’s how you get people who insist that two characters who are simply friends (or rivals...or neither) in canon are totally in love, like in love love, and if you don’t see it you must just be conspiring against the ship for nefarious reasons. You’re a bigot of some shade or have a rival ship you’ll screw over any canon chemistry, evidence, and subtext to get to. After all if there wasn’t anything wrong with you then you’d be all for it! Or know that dynamic isn’t good, it’s this one that’s better! When the reality is that the characters are in fact just friends and they really are seeing what they want to see and projecting. And it’s fine to ship something that’s not canon and never will be. That’s normal. That’s the vast majority of most ships. What’s not normal is getting irrationally angry when someone else doesn’t like it or support it. The same goes for anything else, like a headcanon. And it’s how you get people that become unwelcoming to newer fans because they get mad at them for not knowing everything about the source material and for “just not seeing it”. Whatever it is there’s to see...or imagine up.

It’s ironic because these same people will go on about preference and subjectivity and interpretation but they really just want to create an environment where their ideas are accepted and spread but no one else’s are. And god forbid you think canon is actually better than any fanon’s hackneyed version of any given character.

TL;DR some people in fandom are downright delusional because they’ve gotten so attached to ships, headcanons and the like that anyone who doesn’t agree or play along is seen as a threat instead of just someone with an opinion.

[fantastic-nonsense]

Do you like James's attitude? Rich, narcissistic boy, who attacks everything he doesn't like, Lily said no, and as a rich boy, he didn't stop until he got it and after that, behind her back, he kept teasing, for fun.He is the closest thing to Draco, but Draco has his abusive father, at least. I am Lorena, greetings.- PS: When the Author, I will not mention her name, was benevolent with Snape or any of its main characters?

I have soooooooo many thoughts and opinions on this ask, and I COULD theoretically make a huge long post showing how you’re wrong in basically every respect, but since I uh....just can’t summon up enough effort to care, you get angry bullet points instead of thoughtful meta:

I’ve been a Jily stan since I was in middle school. I am now 24. My perspective on their relationship has drastically changed as I have gotten older (what 10-year-old looks at a relationship the same way as a 24-year-old, after all?), but my love for it has not. This isn’t new. This isn’t novel information about me. If that makes you uncomfortable, you’re welcome to unfollow.

People are allowed to grow out of being an asshole, especially if those behaviors occurred when they were literally a teenager. God knows that if everyone remained exactly who they were in high school the world would be a much worse-off place.

Am I excusing James’ actions? Absolutely not. They were terrible, but uh....importantly, those actions were treated as terrible by the narrative. Harry is horrified by how his father acted, and rightly so. And then Sirius and Remus assure him that he grew up and grew out of it. This isn’t that hard to understand.

Also just saying I have absolutely zero problem forgiving a 15-year-old for being an arrogant jerk and a bully but growing out of it into a better person, especially given that his “vicious schooldays rivalry” is with a boy who gave just as good as he got but promptly refused to grow up and be mature about it later. Snape aimed a cutting curse at James’s neck in that flashback by the lake. “Levicorpus” is a spell Snape created. There is absolutely zero chance that James just happened to know how to use it on Snape that day at the lake without Snape using it on him at some point before that.

We get ONE GLIMPSE of 15-year-old James being an absolute dick while asking Lily out on a date, where she said no and he textually took her at her word. There is zero textual evidence to support the idea that he “didn’t stop until he got it” or that he refused to stop asking her. Fanon is not canon.

All of this fanon that surrounds the relationship between James, Lily, and Snape is just that–fanon. We have a very tiny window into their relationship before their relationship was even a thing, and people can change a lot in two years. All we know about their relationship is that they started going out in seventh year after James “deflated his head,” “stopped hexing people for fun,” and “grew up a bit.”

The difference between James and Draco, TEXTUALLY, is that James canonically:

a) risked his life and did something highly illegal simply to make a friend’s life happier and easier, 

b) aided his best friend in escaping from a toxic and abusive household, 

c) didn’t regularly use racial slurs towards persecuted populations

d) re-evaluated his life choices, acknowledged that he was being a bully, and GREW THE FUCK UP freely and of his own accord,

e) fought in a war for the sake of what was right (protecting a persecuted population) even though he could have totally sat it out or joined up with the Death Eaters because he was a pureblood, and

f) went out to face Voldemort with the absolute surety that he would die on the off-chance that his wife and child would get away and live. He had zero hope for himself but chose to selflessly die to help others escape. That tiny snapshot is more than enough to convince me that James did major growing up. 

Meanwhile...Malfoy quite literally tried to two-time both sides during the Battle of Hogwarts by convincing each side that he was “really on their side” so neither side would kill him.

You want to talk to me about how he’s “close” or “worse than” Draco Malfoy???????? Okay. Come back when you’ve actually read the books and taken a look at how Malfoy acts, loser.

Like, James had a friend facing bigotry and he became an illegal animagus to help make that friend’s life better at a high potential cost to himself, and then joined a war effort to protect people facing bigotry.

Snape had a friend facing bigotry and he called her slurs & joined up with the bigots.

Malfoy came from a family of bigots and wholeheartedly embraced that bigotry until he had a direct, in-person window into the legitimate terror that said bigotry inspired and realized he was in over his head, at which point his response was not “defect and join the other side” but “work on the Bad Guy’s side while trying not to particularly help or hurt the Light Side’s efforts.” 

End of contest. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.