#not good at writing so forgive me for mischaracterizations

[nobodytriple]

Gumshoe meets Beanix and Trucy

[meanbossart]

[gen] Do you regret becoming popular? In the sense that people mischaracterise your character to be a certain way that he isn't? As you develop him as a character, does it ever bother you that people reduce him to a strict set of traits based on earlier representations before that development happened? I'm curious to know your thoughts!

Maybe I'm too forgiving (nah) but little if not nothing of what I see I really qualify as "mischaracterization" - this is a blog, not a consistent work of writing or visual story-telling like a book or a movie. People might see one comic or drawing and assume x and y - and that's totally understandable and fine. The vast, vast majority of people I interact with are more than anything just curious about it and what the """canonical""" counterpart to their interpretation is. And I love that!

Also, I'm no stranger to the ancient practice of condensing a character down to their weirdest traits for the sake of a good punchline. And I love a good punchline, so I don't mind that either. I cackle every time someone describes my huge scarred up dude as "Babygirl" LOL

The only thing that bothers me is when people misunderstanding my intentions with the Orin storyline I concocted and then turn that into assumptions about me personally, but those are rare and far-between.

If there's two things I resent are A) my art was in a very transitional stage when the butt-grab comic got big, so I just wish It looked more in line with my current style 😂 and B) Chatting with people got a lot harder! I feel bad that I don't just reply to every since ask I get, but If I did that's all I would do. And my DMs are pretty much a lost cause.

Otherwise this has been really fun so far, it's been an immensely creatively fulfilling experience and I don't even know how to express how mind-blowing people's support and excitement toward my work has been.

[justin-chapmanswers]

Do you ever get annoyed with people mischaracterizing your more complex characters like Knofe or Silver? Since both of them can be seen as *bad,* but if people pay more attention to the narrative them and other characters are actually a lot better than they seem at first.

Uhhh. Hm. I'd say not really. Everyone's had their bad moments. And sometimes those bad moments are more significant to some than others. That's life.

I'm always interested to see what people take away from the characters and their choices and how they change. In the case of a character who generally changes for the better, not everyone's going to forgive. But being good isn't done for forgiveness, it's done for, well, being good.

But I guess this is more about mischaracterization than criticism, yeah? Characters are complicated. So I'm fine seeing people more drawn to one aspect of a character than another. If that's what someone's takeaway is, then that's their experience. Even on the II writing team itself, characters can be written slightly differently, even if not easily perceivable. I think if I briefly stepped away from the II team and watched a new episode made without me, I'd easily be able to tell if it was written by Adam, Brian, or someone else. I can do that with some shows, too, but I'll quit elaborating for the sake of not sounding nerdy (Steven Universe my beloved, but that becomes easier cause each writer is also storyboarding and they have distinct styles, oh no I'm elaborating).

But yeah! Characters are cool and flexible and that's kinda the point of them in fiction. We like writing a lot of them to be complex, but unlike real people, characters exist in stories to complete a purpose narratively. And that'll dictate characterization to a degree. So, lil nunanced changes are welcome. And more notable changes, too, why not. I guess I'm thinking more from a fanfic lens more-so than a discussion-of-characters lens, but it's all the key tenants of viewer interpretation being valuable, but it's always a plus to see people, on average, having the intended takeaway. And good on you, trying to see a character from every angle!

[hearts401]

I honestly hate how the fandom treats Michael as a hero and I'm seeing posts about it so I feel a liiiittle better talkign about it

my moots are holding back, i can tell. but hes my favorite so im not. and im a little pissed writing this bc. bc i relate to cc a lot. and seeing ppl mischaracterize not only my favorite character but also someone who reminds me of people who fucking suck drives me INSANE.

so psa, im pissed as fuck and i love michael afton.

First off, he killed Evan. That's obvious. Not only was that literall 100% his fault (NOT WILLIAMS IT PISSES ME OFF WHEN PPL MAKE THAT ALL ABOUT WILLIAM SHUT THE FUVCK UP

he was a bully. yeah he was a kid. yeah he was messing with him. Have you considered he was literally. abusive to his brother. i know the fnaf fandom is scared of using that word to describe him but its fucking true. he was abusive. as fuck. that was awful what he did he wasnt just a bully he harassed him and literally locked him in his room. he was fucking horrible.

and yeah, he didnt mean for that to happen, but not only was that stupid as fuck, i hate any interpritation of "he wanted to be like his dad" "his friends coerced him" PLAY FNAF 4. PLAY FNAF 4. FUCKING PLAY FNAF 4 LOOK AT HIS DIALOGUE AND WHAT HE DOES

HE LITERALLY. EGGED IT ON. IT WAS HIS FUCKING IDEA. WHAT PART OF THAT GAVE "he was coerced" THUSHFUDFUDSIOFDUSOFDSIOS

im trying to be normal

Yeah he probably felt like shit after. yeah it probably was some sort of motivator behind his actions. but lets think. lets think.

fnaf 1 and 2 take place before SL, no? So. if thats true. why didnt he burn those down? to "free the souls?" because it was never about the children.

he burned down the fnaf 3 location to get rid of william. it was ALWAYS abotu william. sure he set the kids free but i reeeeaaallyy dont think that was his intention. it was always about william.

in sister location, did he go there out of the kindness of his heart? no he went there because william asked him too. it was ALWAYS about william. and yeah he probably wanted to help liz, he probably really wanted to help her, but based on his actions, was this really for her? or was it for closure

thats something about michael that i put in shitty brother. closure. he didnt actually want to reconcile with his family, he wanted closure on the guilt he felt. is that 100% wrong? no. its normal to want closure, especially after something like that. but also that should not be his goal

did he apologize? yes. he said sorry. he felt bad, sure. but when you kill someone tehy dont come back. evan deserves to never forgive him ever because that was dumb as fuck and HORRIBLE. IT WAS HORRIBLE. ABUSIVE. ILL SAY IT AGAIN

MICHAEL AFTON ABUSED HIS LITTLE BROTHER FOR NO FUCKING REASON.

yeah. abused. say it with me. A-B-U-S-E-D

not just bullied, not just harassed, ABUSED.

ik we're all scared to say it here but its fucking true. say it with ur chest.

this always came back to william. do i thinkk michael is unfeeling and doesnt care about his siblings at all? NO! I think his siblings drove a lot of his actions. but in the end i dont think he always acted with their best interest at heart. or the mci kids'

and the whole "he wanted to be like his dad" i dont fucking care actually. no seriously sit down beside me and tell me that wanting to be like his dad is an excuse for abusing his brother. seriously come closer i wont bite.

tell me how you think that AS A TEENAGER, 100% AWARE OF HIS ACTIONS, that wanting to be like his dad justifies abusing his little brother. his little brother. who as far as we know, never lashed out, never fought back, never did anything to him. tell me how he fucking deserved that

"Michael was just a kid!" so was Evan. So was Elizabeth. So was Cassidy and Charlie and all the kids who died.

tell me how much michael did that didnt revolve around closure and his father. like i get it, he had priorities, but can we please stop acting like he's some angel working for the greater good of everyone.

it feelslike how ppl treat fucking henry. NO HES NOT A GOOD PERSON PLEASE

MICHAEL IS SELFISH HE'S MESSY HE'S STUPID. HE MAKES BAD CHOICES IN FAVOR OF HIMSELF HE PRIORITIZES REVENGE OVER THE GREATER GOOD HE HURTS PEOPLE AND IT MAKES HIM SO MUHC MORE INTERESTING

oh and also in case anybody wants to pull dittophobia out and tell me how mike went thru that trauma

so did evan. and instead of bonding over that trauma, michael harassed him. ABUSED HIM. wording is important. im sorry for repeating myself so much, but nobody ever tells it how it is. it was abuse.

edit: People seem upset by my wording and honestly? fair. i couldve worded this a lot better but i was tired and irritated and one thing i will clarify

i dont care if u dont see adult michael the way i do. i see him as a selfish obsessive guy whos intent is to fix his family, but plenty of people see it differently and thats okay! /gen

but im not taking back anythign i said about teen michael. because i think to do that is unfair to his character and frankly bullshit. i think its bullshit. and i dont care if you disagree. he was a terrible brother and thats that

but adult mike is free real estate idk idrc abt him as much as teen mike.

[plounce]

Whats your ace attorney fic recommendations? ^_^

HMMMMMMMM well i am a klaviergirl so this is mostly klapollo/aa4 but here are my recs :3

turnabout toast is a lovely post-aa4 nrmt fic with background klapollo. great "people trying to fix their lives" stuff and WAHHHH edgeworth... also a lot of lovely socal setting stuff (<- socal native, weak for it). phoenix being kind of a bastard but not a bad guy, which i think is fun, because it's interesting.

dirty sympathy, also by the above author. CW for abuse: the premise of the fic is that it's a retelling of aa4 where klavier and apollo are behind the scenes of all the cases collaborating to get rid of each other's abusers (daryan and kristoph, respectively), and trying to keep everything secret. it's a suspenseful read and it's like. crazy. auuughhh. makes me crazy. it's prob my fave aa fic but it takes so much out of me to reread

about him - last rec from this author. the only piece of clay terran fic i have any time for. post-aa5 klapollo sweetness with the outsider pov. so cutes

jamais vu - post-aa6 klapollo get-back-together fic where they hook up at nrmt's wedding

turnabout toilet brush - SO FUN. office farce where WAA argue over who broke the toilet brush. good phoenix pov with fun athena & apollo banter. nrmt and background klapollo

in better light - pacific rim au! trucy & apollo siblingisms, with angsty not-married nrmt, a bit of klapollo, and swag k-scientist ema skye

say it to the crowd - various minor character outsider povs on pre-relationship klapollo. i looooooove outsider pov

notes from the underworld - canon-divergent epistolary bad end aa4 au where MVK kills phoenix and maya with his taser in aa1. only reccing the first in the series since the others weren't to my tastes but the first one. wagh

turnabout from within - an aa5 prequel case! really fun. tries to be a bridge between aa4 and aa5 and is a very fun written version of an AA case. aura is there!! minor klapollo! fun aa pun names!

the thing about forgiveness - trucy and klavier talk post-aa4... wah... performers...

youngblood - daryan pov about his and klavier's relationship. very good... sad bc it's from the pov of a guy who sucks and how the love of his life deserves better than him. good stuff. klapollo endgame bc klavier deserves a decent guy as a bf

turnabout runaway - WAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH it's about post-OT pearl dealing with like. the trauma of all that shit with her family as best an 8yo can - by trying to run away to protect mystic maya :( babby... (this one is written by a good friend of mine :3)

there's some more in my bookmarks but it's been a few years since i read them (my aa hyperfixation was spring/summer 2020) so while they're probably decent reads i can't write blurbs

HAVE FUN HOPE YOU LIKE THEM

(anti-recs under the cut. can't resist some complaining)

(also i genuinely have so much hatred in my heart for the fic with the most kudos in the klapollo ao3 tag, it's tagged for them but they don't actually happen in it, it's a nrmt fic that wildly mischaracterizes klavier and makes him into like. an asshole sexual harasser, and the fic barely even takes the sexual harassment seriously? don't read that one. <- DONT LEAVE MEAN COMMENTS ON IT EITHER, the fic's like 10 years old or smth, don't bug the author)

(also i don't like the 100k word fic "custody" bc iirc 1. i didnt like how they characterized thalassa? 2. white ginger klavier??????????? girl)

[mcytblrconfessions]

*sighs in sadness* Ocean Queen Lizzie you were too good a character to be released onto the masses who couldn't characterize you well in fanfiction to save your life :(

The joy your story brought me (self-proclaimed number one Ocean Queen fan /hj) is immense, but it does not cancel out the multitudes of fanfiction flattening you into a hollow shell of yourself who only exists as an extension of the men in your life, clogging the LDShadowLady fandom tag and making it nigh-impossible to fin the (rare) fic in which Lizzie is in-character

And trust me, I know. My experiences are born out of pain and sorrow. Deep in the clutches of hyperfixation, I checked the LDShadowLady tag several times every day for months, no filters. I looked at every fic in the tag, and the backlog of fics. I read every fic in the tag, with only a few exceptions for the most truly unstomachable fic. Even as my hyperfixation loosened, I still checked the LDShadowLady tag often, and scrolled through the backlog. I still read every Lizzie centric fic I can find, and a lot that isn't. I still am on a constant search for good Lizzie fic (please: anyone want to recommend any fics? I'm sure there's stuff I'm missing/missed/forgot to bookmark! she doesn't have to be the main character, just significant!)

I have gazed into the abyss. I have absorbed the scope of it. I have written fic on my own.

And yet: the problem is less with the lack of Lizzie fics, and more with the bad ones, the ones that don't actually feature her in any real capacity, which becomes easy to see once you've read a lot of them noticed the pattern, just a combination of sidelining, of mischaracterization, and mischaracterization by omission, that trap that is so easy to fall into.

I can forgive fandom for this to an extent. No fic writer is perfect, this is about the collective patterns. But after a certain point, it starts becoming harder to ignore: the way she is written into fics only to warp around c!Jimmy (sometimes other male characters) with zero regard for her interiority, her agency, her struggles, her potential, in fics that give male side characters these things.

The way she is ignored varies. Sometimes it is the most blatant examples: she is put in a situation in which multiple canon traits/opinions/experiences of hers would obviously be relevant, but all are ignored except supportive sister. Sometimes it is more subtle: it iisn't a plot hole that her being a supportive sister/caring/"strong woman girlboss" (in the way that doesn't actually give her any agency or depth or plot importance, she's still a flat character only there for support, but actually we only write her as a personw with no interior depth or anything interesting bc she's just so cool and competent and perfect there aren't any problems that give us reasons to focus on her or give her like, a character arc or something) is the only thing that comes up in the au, but the fact that the author didn't find anything else about her interesting or worthy of show, never considered showing her in more depth, giving her an arc, giving her choices to make, the fact that over and over again authors decide that the only reason to show her is if she's supporting a guy, grates a whole fucking lot. Mostly, it is more subtle but once you see it you will never stop unseeing it. I try to repeat it but I just sound like a broken record.

Am I going insane for noticing this when nobody else seems to? I worry that, even being mad mostly at the trend and not the individual writers, I am still somehow being too unfair to them. I check my line of thought over and over. Then, once again, I am reading a fic and I can't stop thinking about how it's another fic in the pattern, and I try to find something that isn't and it takes me pages and pages, and I am so angry again. Death by a thousand pinpricks. Driven insane by a thousand lackluster Lizzie portrayals.

It's hard not to feel crazy. People like the Ocean Queen! People don't dislike her character! She just slowly gets flattened, over and over. Never any interest in her depths. (yes I am ocean punning at a time like this)

I am awash in a sea of misery. Every day I think of her and I wish for a world where people liked her better. Where she was the character with a million fics exploring her potential. I think about it and I think about her and I think about my fic for her and the good fics I've read for her and I open another fic where Lizzie is tagged and I hope.

(The pain these fics bring me is immense but the joy I feel about the character is greater, at least. Mostly I think about that. Two sides to everything, how unfortunate/lucky)

Ocean Queen I love you.

[a-cilantro-leaf]

god im autistic. [Sodapack Rant]

DISCLAIMER:

- I personally can't judge others for liking or disliking a ship. All of the characters are morally grey in some way, shape, and/or form. - I am not a proshipper at all. I do not like ships that are illegal in an way. Same with borderline abusive AND problematic ships. They romanticise the problem and can cause harm in real life at times. You cannot convice me otherwise. End of story. If you are a proshipper you will be blocked without warning. - Writing toxic/bad/problematic behavior/relations on the other hand is okay. Though only as long as you have done reasearch on the topic at hand and have portayed is as toxic/bad/problematic.

Now that is taken care of, it's onto the rant.

So Sodapack is a good ship. I love the concept of it. Its excellent, chefs kiss. Though Fanon has defintely made an impact on said ship. People tend to forget/mischaracterize/etc each Bryce and Liam.

Brief Reminder Incoming.

(These are my personal interpretations of the canon characters. I am not denying it. However this is as close as I can get.)

Negative Canon Liam Traits:

Selfish

Revenge Orientated

Unintentionally(?) Manipulative

Traumatized

Impulsive

Negative Canon Bryce Traits:

Traumatized

Stubborn

Hot-Tempered

Fickle

Hyper Independent

If Bryce and Liam are together immediately after the events on HFJOne, its toxic. Its a trauma bond.

Liam, whether he does it on purpose or not, is gaslighting, critizizing, and breaking Bryce's set boundries. Bryce's fickle nature causes him to resign his boundries that he sets in the show.

Bryce and Liam need to learn to heal on their own before getting into something like a romantic relationship. Both have suffered and getting into something like that is just asking for unintentional hurt to happen.

So why do I consder it a good ship if all these flaws exist?

It's because people can change and heal. Its just human nature. Both Bryce and and Liam have hurt eachother. One more than the other *cough-Liam-cough*.

Its going to take time to forgive, yes. Hell, you can't just forget what happened either. I know from experience.

However!! If these two were to heal properly? I can see the ship being extremely cute. A friends to lovers type of thing.

Conclusion/TLDR;

tldr; Sodapack is good,. HOWEVER, people need realize that trauma bonds exist and are extremely harmful. Both Liam and Bryce need time to heal from what happened. They have the potiential to be a really cute pair if this occurs.

[shikai-the-storyteller]

UEUEUEUEUEUEU ILL SEND YOU THIS WHILE WAITING TO SEE BOBBYS STATUS.

Dw idm u answering publicly, I want everyone to be cursed w the thought that Rubius is a babygirl and a very bad one at that <3

Honestly I've only read a few explanations of their lore and bits about their relationship but they seem sooooo,,, /pos. Like they have such a fun and silly dynamic that has this air of toxicity and their loves feels quite self destructive bc rubius is kind of a destructive force of nature of a person who has a tendency to hurt those around him, perhaps as a defense mechanism or perhaps out of simply not understanding there are consequences to the things he does while vegetta is someone far too forgiving, he continues to love rubius despite how much he hurts himself, others, and vegetta himself. I'm not saying cubito rubius is an awful person but from what I've seen he is,,, complex. Difficult despite seeming silly. I could be just completely wrong tho LOL I am doin my best I prommy

ANYWAYS IM CHEERING U ON IN WRITING!!! I'd love to talk to u abt them more and learn more abt rubegetta bc like. Look. Theres no way q!vegetta isnt hung up on that demon idc,,,

I'm likewise waiting for the Eggstatistics (which will probably get posted while I'm in the middle of writing this) (EDIT: IT DID) and you gave me the opportunity to infodump so prepare for an essay LMAO

There are SO many layers to Rubius and Vegetta’s relationship (both romantic and friendship-wise), and that complexity makes them fascinating characters to study. I’ve been discussing this a lot in private lately, but I feel like there’s quite a bit of misinformation / misinterpretations of Rubius and Vegetta’s relationship amongst some of the newer fans who might not know some key components of their personality and their relationship dynamic as a whole (which is understandable since the majority of their lore came from Karmaland, and a lot of newer fans only speak English / only watch QSMP), so ALLOW ME TO ELABORATE:

I think of the two, Rubius definitely gets mischaracterized the most (which, again, maybe isn't too surprising since not everyone watched Karmaland and he hasn't been on the QSMP server too much lately). I could go off on a tangent here and list my frustrations about the people who harassed him for his role / his actions during the Egg event / whining about ships to the point where he decided not to log into the server again ‘til the Egg event is over, but that's ultimately irrelevant to this discussion.

“Their love feels quite self-destructive” is a really good way to sum things up, because Rubius is a pretty self-destructive man. Rubius is, fundamentally, a man who is full of love for the people he cares about, but those feelings are in direct conflict with his reluctance to let people get close to him (and his commitment issues). He can freely give hugs and kisses (and more) to Vegetta, but when it comes to expressing his true thoughts and feelings, he’s pretty emotionally constipated. We’ve already seen this a few times on the QSMP server – when Rubius visits on Vegetta’s birthday, he sings him the most beautiful heartfelt love song ever, but as soon as it’s over and Vegetta tries to talk to him, Rubius runs away. Even in Karmaland V, when hooked up to a lie detector and asked about his feelings for Vegetta, Rubius tried to wiggle his way out of answering. Only when the world was literally ending and they all thought they were gonna die did Rubius finally admit his feelings, shouting his confession and his love for Vegetta at the top of his lungs.

(The real tragedy here is that it was so chaotic with everyone shouting, Vegetta never heard his words…)

Although it’s easy to slap the label “toxic” on Rubius, I think that’s unfair to him and his character, as well as his intentions. He truly does love Vegetta with all his heart, in every universe, and he doesn’t want to hurt him, but Rubius doesn’t want to get hurt either. The Meteor shower conversation gives us a clear understanding of that:

Rubius: I don't want to get hurt. I don't want to get my hopes up, and then get hurt. It's happened to me many times before. Especially here in Karmaland. Vegetta: Have you had lovesickness? Rubius: Yes. In Karmaland, everywhere, in real life... I'm already used to getting beaten. Vegetta: That's a pity... Rubius: I just want someone to take care of me, and that's it. I don't ask for much. Vegetta: I'm very protective.

The way I see it, Rubius is afraid of his feelings for Vegetta, because the larger his love grows, the larger that potential for hurt and disappointment gets. Does this excuse all his actions? No, of course not, however there’s a big difference between doing something out of self-preservation (possibly as a trauma-response, depending on how you interpret his character) and doing something with the intent to hurt someone.

IMO, Rubius isn’t a toxic guy, he just needs therapy.

Vegetta doesn’t get mischaracterized quite as often, though I do feel like people have a tendency to put him on a pedestal and minimize the flaws he has. I’m a massive Vegetta fan, but this guy’s far from perfect. He’s self-centered, borderline narcissistic sometimes, and he’s a very prideful man. He’s never left Rubius at the altar, but he’s still had his fair share of “oopsies” and "yikes" in their relationship. One (which I’m surprised people don’t talk about more) is an incident from Karmaland IV where Vegetta, very unhinged and mentally unstable at the time, kidnapped Rubius’ wife Nieves and threatened her with a sword, saying, “If Rubius can’t be mine, he can’t be anyone’s.”

For the longest time I genuinely thought that line came from a fanfic or something, then I stumbled upon the clip one day and I was just like:

Anyways

In Karmaland V, Rubius became very close with a little alien child named Titi. He took care of Titi like he was his own son, and despite his attempts at emotionally distancing himself early on so he wouldn’t get attached, Rubius wound up caring a lot for him.

Then Titi died.

It was basically Rubius’ worst nightmare come to life – he’d let himself get close to Titi, he’d loved him unconditionally and let Titi into his heart, and Titi’s death utterly destroyed him. Everyone in Karmaland was affected by the death, but Rubius took it especially hard because of how close they were. Rubius was hurting badly and resorting to terrible coping strategies to deal with the pain, and Vegetta…

Well. Vegetta wasn’t very nice about it.

There are a lot of ways we could interpret Vegetta’s actions and words during this time – maybe he’s not super sensitive when talking about death since he’s probably some kind of demigod, maybe he speedran the grieving process, maybe he thought brutal honesty and direct action would help Rubius “snap out of it” sooner. However you see it, ultimately it did a lot more harm than good for Rubius’ overall mental health.

I bring these examples up not to paint their relationship as toxic or negative, but rather to express just how complex it is. Because, despite all their mistakes and drama and heartbreak, at the end of the day, Rubius and Vegetta still love each other more than anything else. Even towards the end of Karmaland V when they were quite literally on opposite sides of the battlefield (one supporting Quackity, the other supporting Luzu), their true loyalties lay with one another. When Rubius was hit by an enemy, Vegetta defended him with his life, and when Vegetta was hurt, Rubius did the same.

Yes, Rubius doesn't really know how to handle healthy relationships, and yes, Vegetta tends to forgive him too easily, but that doesn't erase the love they have. The key we need to remember here is that Rubegetta is a telenovela that sits squarely in the romcom category. They may wander into other genres and tropes from time to time, but they will always gravitate back to one another. Whether you define that as fate or soulmates or just sheer dumb luck, the facts remain and the love is there.

PHEW anyways that felt good to get out, I have so many thoughts on Rubegetta so I appreciate the excuse to rant. I'm always happy to chat about these two! :D And you're so right - Vegetta is so smitten for that demon, I hope he gets to meet the angel too. I hope Rubius comes back soon so Vegetta can see his Osito Fiu Fiu, but in the meantime, we'll have to keep wishing and praying just like Vegetta...

(ALSO THANK YOU the current chapter of that dang Rubegetta fic is kicking my butt rn because it's the only chapter I didn't outline and life events keep interrupting me when I try and work on it, but it IS getting chipped away at bit by bit! I hope folks enjoy the outcome when it's released :D)

[coffeechaos01]

Currently getting ready for a small form of self-torture. I have issues. Lots of them. One of them being Gotham War and it fills me with a rage.

I swear the writers are trying to get me to hate it so bad I have to write an alternate ending and recreate some of the plot more than I have to just so I don’t roll over in burning hatred.

Like there’s gotta be limits on some things, moderation if you will. If there’s a wordlessly uncrossable line, Gotham War just crossed a 4-way intersection illegally. Completely uncalled for.

Like I don’t see how this could ever improve or have the relationships Bruce broke come anywhere near healing and it should be a crime to just ruin years of trust like that.

Like um, no sir when I asked for tea I didn’t mean this kind.

(And yes I know that last panel is from a completely different scene with Scandal Savage. But also, he’s so horribly hurt look at him ;-;)

Like I’ve seen a few comments like “Bruce is dead to me because of this” or something along those lines.

Me personally, I’m never forgiving the writers for mischaracterizing him so bad. He’s not a good father, yeah, but he’s not fucking abusive to his kids.

Like WFA is fantastic and I love it. It’s my personal go-to when referring to characters and their relationships. And it’s healthy and so sweet and caring and then you have Gotham War. Two completely different writers, two completely different reactions. Like please don’t say “I’m never forgiving Bruce” when it was purely because of the writers.

If anyone needs me I’m crying angry tears until I get a comic other than WFA that consistently characterizes Bruce as anything other than an asshat.

[pastel-twilight]

I hated Neku for choking Shiki tbh. Shiki should've forced Neku to take his underwear off as well as his shorts as revenge.

Very random thing to drop in my inbox, but I understand the distaste for Neku after that. The situation wasn't exactly black and white, however, and I'll dump an analysis you didn't ask for under the cut (since the writing is so good and deep, I can't resist not keeping it brief).

What I will say in Neku's defense is that while he didn't know Shiki very well, he knew the Reapers were out to get him and she could've been luring him to his demise in secret (Uzuki did the same, didn't she?). It's easy to manipulate others when you paint yourself as someone who only wants to help while staying quiet about your own thoughts and motives. You can give others a false sense of trust, which was later shown with Joshua. Didn't do Shiki any favors that, as she herself acknowledged, she wasn't open about why she kept using her phone despite them being unable to contact anybody / only being able to receive messages from the Reapers. Neku was aware that she was being a hypocrite by hiding something before Uzuki said a word, hence why he blurts, "And you yell at me for keeping secrets!" and thinks, 'She's covering? What else does she have to hide?' later down the line. Shiki also knew far more about the Game than Neku when they started, which could've raised suspicion that it was something she'd been part of for a while.

While the underwear thing could've been funny to some, I'm glad Shiki didn't do all that. Not only would that kinda be sexual harassment (which is wildly out of character for someone as polite and modest as Shiki), but it'd show that she's the type to hold grudges (which goes against the fact that she's super forgiving - sometimes naively so). It'd paint her flaws in more of an ambiguous light, and the fandom already tends to mischaracterize her.

All in all, Neku's not a bad guy, but one who struggles with letting people get close to him out of a deep fear of it harming him later, which is amplified by both his amnesia and remembering the vague feeling of having a close friend suddenly die. Shiki's not a petty gal, but one who struggles with miscommunication that ends in situations not getting any better, which is proven by how she's outwardly fond of Eri even if she's inwardly hurting after their "falling out." Both characters are deeply troubled, but those problems didn't prevent them from improving and befriending each other. That's amazing.

[idkwhoaphextwinis]

I feel like I'm the only person who didn't enjoy The Substance (spoilers ahead).

I want to say that I appreciate the uniqueness of the film, both visually and story wise. Fargeat did a good job of organizing an incredibly complicated concept and got some really sick shots. I think both Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley were great, however I felt that the film often used the very conventions it was was fighting against and was incredibly unclear in the mechanics of the substance itself. I was disappointed when the film used Elisabeth's older body as a horror gag, using the physicalities of an aging person as both a punchline and an object of disgust. The movie did this often, using the main characters' and their bodies as a way to get a laugh or to make a spectacle. The entire point of the movie is the ridiculousness of these youthful standards, but the movie did absolutely no work to fight against the standards themselves, and if anything -- perpetuated the ideals through countless visuals of Sue contrasted with what was supposed to be a gross (old) Elisabeth. I don't know if I'm misreading it, but I was severely disappointed. In addition to misusing visual tools, there was also zero character development for either Elisabeth or Sue. I understand it would be difficult to delve into character if the film was shorter, but it was 2 hours and 20 minutes of one note characters. It felt as if all these women cared about was how they were perceived by men, and rather than putting the blame on the men who made them feel that way, it felt as though we were supposed to think the women were stupid in the choices they made. That being said, Sue evolved into more of a villain as the film went on, but I think that was a mischaracterization and a missed opportunity to write a nuanced character who was thrust into the world purely as an object of desire and fame. Dennis Quaid's character, although meant to be a satirical TV executive, fell incredibly flat due to his repetitive nature. The repetition of his lines in her head were done horribly, making his delivery seem funny rather than hold the weight it clearly had over both Elisabeth and Sue. Elisabeth and Sue both ended up dead for the standards which attacked them, but he was only embarrassed because of the live destruction of the monster. Also, I was confused by the fact that the two selves did not share a consciousness. It might be my own ignorance, so forgive me. Maybe it was commentary in itself to be purposefully vague, but it seemed as though they were living completely separate lives, they just had to rely on one another to share time properly. This may have also been a commentary on how easy it is to lose control, but I was still confused by this choice. The only thing bounding them together was the fact that one was a variant of the other, and that perhaps Elisabeth lived vicariously through Sue. The finale of the New Year's Eve show went too long and fell incredibly flat for me. I think it would have been far more radical to have Elisabeth live the rest of her life as the old woman and seek fulfillment in other areas of her life, in or out of the spotlight. If Elisabeth found a way to regain some sort of autonomy, it would have said a lot more about how we have the power within ourselves to chose to not let our appearance define us. Although maybe I'm partial to happy endings, Monstro-ElisaSue felt like a haphazard ending which asked the question "what is the most shocking way we could end this movie so that we can make one little audience member (me) throw up in the AMC bathroom afterwards?". It didn't fully wrap up the story for me, and felt really stupid. I understood the throwback of the boob growing in the middle of her face, but again that is so stupid and self-involved. I'm glad there are movies out there that are weird and different, but it didn't feel like an apt criticism of the anti-aging industry for me. I may also be biased because it hit a little close to home, but I am also so tired of watching movies in which women are put through such horrible things in the name of horror, art, commentary, and plot without any character development.

[sunshinechildskywalker]

CHALLENGE ANSWER EVERY QUESTION

Hey, friend! Oh boy, buckle up! I'm a writer so prepare for a long ass answer lol. Here we go...

For most controversial character, if we're referencing all of Star Wars, I would say Kylo Ren (this blog focuses on pretty much everything other than the sequel trilogy- in my mind, they don't exist lol). My personal opinion is he's kind of a little bitch lol, but I appreciate the idea that he's sort of a reverse Luke and Vader situation. In L&V's case, it's the son turning the father back from the dark side, and in Ben Solo's case, it's the father (I wished) turning the son from the dark. *Ask me about my Kylo Ren potential rant lol.

My most unpopular opinion I would say is I actually really love Jar Jar Binks lol😅 I see why people dislike him, but I think he's sweet (and quite possibly a Sith Lord🤪)

Tumblr is my fav fandom pocket for sure!

Endor! It's funny, I actually live in a very wooded area irl, so when I would watch ROTJ on summer nights with the windows open and listen to the crickets chirping, it felt like I was really there🥰

I love me some good Luke and Vader father & son hurt/comfort, and anything Skysolo! If anyone reading this writes these kinds of fics, feel free to message me links to your work!

Favorite story element is hands down Luke's character arc and him saving Vader through compassion and forgiveness. I could go on, but then this would be a REALLY long post lol😆

Sure do! I won't link just for sake of it being kind of confusing- some of the songs take some explaining and some are just from my own fics lol, but some tops songs include "Spectrum" by Muzzy, "Isle of Flightless Birds" by Twenty One Pilots, and "illicit affairs" by Taylor Swift (bonus: see my fanvids for some of these here!)

Favorite Star Wars meme is the "and your pal friendpatine"- that one still makes me giggle snort after all these years🤣

Favorite piece of content is and probably always will be Return of the Jedi!

I get a lot of merch from a local comic book store and some from Comic-Con! I have a few Pops, some figurines, and an Ewok backpack, among many other things😁

I relate to Luke the most- I consider myself a compassionate person who leads with my heart, and I tend to be quick to forgive (sometimes to a fault). But hey, maybe I'll save someone from the Dark Side someday😆

My comfort character is 100% Luke. His compassion and willingness to see the good in others inspires me to do the same irl. He's seen me through the good, bad, and ugly in my life, and I don't know where I'd be had I not clung to him. In other words, he's my son😆

Sequel trilogy? Garbage. Absolutely not canon and never will be to me. Basically it boils down to mischaracterization and trying to undo essential parts of the Originals. I've shed actual tears of disappointment and anger over those movies. I'm happy for the people who can enjoy them, but I will never be able to.

I love the Luke & Vader community! I love being a part of something so inclusive, wacky, and fun! I know I can always reach out if I need something fandom-related or just want to pal around with like-minded people. Shoutout to all my L&V fans! A part of the fandom I don't enjoy is the incest between Luke and Vader that somehow seems to creep up in my AO3 from time to time.

A Star Wars blog I hope will follow me is @kaelinaloveslomaris if she ever followed me back or read my work, I would actually shit my pants.

The short version of why I fell in love with Star Wars is Luke's character arc and him saving Vader, and in turn, Vader saving Luke. The long version? Well, I'll post that another time when I'm feeling sappy🤪

Yes! I went to opening night for TLJ (unfortunately lol) and TROS (also unfortunate lol). I was thoroughly disappointed by both, but I also got to see Solo on opening night and that was a blast! I will say, the energy at all three was unmatched, and it was fun to be around other Star Wars super fans irl😁

I sure do write fanfic! My AO3 is here 😁 You will find a lot of L&V hurt/comfort, angst, etc, and a little Skysolo!

I absolutely loved the Obi-Wan series- seeing Obi-Wan duel Vader ("Anakin is gone. I am what remains."😭), everything about little Leia, Reva, Hayden Christensen's return, just EVERYTHING! I especially loved when Obi-Wan told Leia in what ways she was like her parents. I've seen this series at least four times and that part gets me every time😭

Yes!

Thank you SO much if you read through all this chaos- I hope you learned more about me and got a better look into my perspective of everything!

Want to answer these questions yourself? Find the original post here!

[andreabandrea]

i really love post-game headcanons where frisk refers to flowey, either jokingly or seriously, as their best friend. their dynamic is so interesting to me, like. flowey feels like anyone who sees him and knows his secret will only want to have asriel back, but frisk never knew asriel. on the other hand, they know flowey - and flowey is the only other one who knows what it's like to save and reset.

and that gives frisk a connection that they don't have with the rest of their friends and family. even though in the true pacifist ending, things are all fine and dandy now, there could very easily still be trauma of like - every monster trying to and succeeding in killing them (except papyrus, who just beats them near unconscious and throws them in a shed). and if they did any neutral routes, they might have killed also, and nobody knows about it or remembers it except them. even despite killing and being killed, just the trauma of resetting and being forgotten and starting over several times could weigh on a person - granted, frisk is a very determined person, but still.

i think the concept that frisk doesnt want to change flowey, but instead meet him where he is, would be intriguing to flowey - and in some circumstances, i could see that being enough to convince him to come to the surface - and this has always been more interesting to me than "saving asriel"-type endings. some things can't be taken back. trauma can't be erased - but you can still move forward with your loved ones by your side.

i think frisk and flowey would help each other heal. frisk initially tried to run away from the surface for a reason, and maybe not a good reason - asriel implies maybe they were trying to end their life by climbing a mountain nobody returns from. flowey has a whole load of trauma that i surely don't need to elaborate on - but i will anyway.

a lot of flowey mischaracterizations stem from the reader taking his words at face value. in new home in the no mercy run, flowey expresses that he's emotionless and nothing but a heartless killer. a lot of fics tend to write flowey as nothing but a perfect calculating killing machine because the readers believe him. but his actions tell a different story; flowey loses his patience with the whole "i'm here to teach you about love" act if you dodge his bullets three times - it's childish, in a way, because he is a child and he's mad that he's not winning at this game. flowey clearly expresses sadness, anger, and in the no mercy route just a bit after new home - fear. (the way i've written it in the past is that he's constantly disassociating from himself and the world by portraying his death and trauma as part of a game, and the way he deals with emotions is filtered through this ptsd-like view, but i dont want to act like i'm the best flowey writer in the world or anything, i've also made a lot of mistakes).

regardless, flowey is, at the end of the day, also a child like frisk. he wants to seem scary to them, and in the no mercy run, he's trying to sound cool and appeal to "chara" - that's why he acts the way he does. it's like a child trying to scare another child or act tough for a beloved sibling.

flowey has also done terrible things to frisk; they're not exempt from the list of monsters that tried to and succeeded in killing them. and although i think all the other monsters can and would be helpful and healing toward frisk and flowey, there's something valuable about a bond like - "we went through this together." if frisk can forgive someone like asgore who succeeded in killing 6 humans, killed them a handful of times, and also made them kill him, i think frisk can forgive flowey.

this comes down more to headcanon, but i think the way that frisk and flowey would interact in this post-game scenario is that, like. flowey would never admit weakness directly. he would feign disinterest in the surface and its denizens, but only because he's afraid. afraid that people wouldn't want him around. afraid because he doesn't know what happens next and if he deserves to see it. afraid of what he could do. but if he, soulless that he is, ever did try to do anything harmful, frisk is the one person who could easily stop him. (not that they would have to - flowey only killed out of boredom, not out of a real enjoyment of it; with so much to do on the surface, and no reset as a failsafe, i can't imagine flowey starting to kill again).

i think frisk would be able to read between the lines about when flowey is hurt and upset and try to comfort him without making him feel weak. we see frisk's kindness and mercy scare and upset flowey once (post-photoshop flowey fight), but those aren't normal circumstances - flowey hadn't grown as much then as he has by the end of the true pacifist route. i think, with time, flowey could come to accept he deserves to exist as he is and accept kindness, and show it in his own way

without the ability to reset (barring the true reset), anything that happens from now on is permanent. flowey in the game relies heavily on his knowledge of past resets; without that, he's forced to admit (albeit if only to himself) that he's not as smart and powerful as he likes to claim. it's a scary new world, and the future isn't written, but i think flowey would be willing to face it again with frisk - someone he always wished he had as a friend.

[natsmagi]

hello!!! I've read your post on natsumugi and how the fandom mischaracterizes their relationship, and I totally agree! One thing I really enjoy about enstars is that it actively shows characters who may have had toxic/unhealthy aspects to them/their relationships genuinely improve and grow (ntmg and shumika are some great examples to me) and it saddens me to see people demonize that bc this game showcases characters as flawed human beings and that they still in the end deserve love and support. My ask got pretty long, hope it's alright ^^;

FOR SURE!! and like i had mentioned in another post, a reason why enstars showing these toxic/unhealthy aspects of characters and their relationships is because of how deeply it can resonate with people! im sure many of us have done things we regret, and many of us can sometimes feel like we're monsters unworthy of love and forgiveness for what we've done, even if in hindsight the thing we did wasnt that bad. and so it makes me really happy to see these toxic and unhealthy traits i know so many of us can relate to be tackled with such a good amount of nuance and care. the writing of these topics feel so real. and it just makes me really happy because ive never had a piece of media where i feel THIS seen in it

which makes it suck all the more when the characters you love and/or resonate with get mischaracterized or demonized. it is unfortunately inevitable with any piece of media that shows a persons more corrupt actions, so all we can really do is hope that people look a little deeper into the text to learn, or to simply not speak so confidently on characters you know little about

[dkniade]

do you have any ships (or if not, best genshin character dynamics) (from welcometoteyvat)

I’ve had this in my drafts for quite a long time and since I’ve written up the answer already, might as well post them

——

I like a few ships but I don’t think I’ll necessarily make (much) ship content myself. Most likely I’ll just write platonic stuff haha. I do have lots of platonic character dynamics I like too. 

Seems like this is gonna be long since I got inspired and wrote some snippets, and there are quite a lot of dynamics. I also have some fic recommendations here and there. Allow me to ramble about them, haha

Spoilers for some backstories ahead!

Characters and Pairs

romantic ship: Albether, KaeLuc, XiaoVen, KaeBedo, AlbeLuc

platonic dynamics: Nameless Bard and Venti; Shenhe and Yun Jin; Kaeya and Tartaglia (main team); Il Capitano and Tartaglia; Venti and Albedo; Kaeya and Bennett (main team); Albedo, Dorian (Subject 2), Fellflower, and Rhinedottir

For ships—

Albether. 

It’s fun to see how two people not of Teyvat find each other and understand each other in this quiet yet intelligent way. Albedo’s curiosity towards Aether is nice to think about. And Aether’s kindness will surely reach Albedo’s lonely heart as well, even if he doesn’t understand a lot of what Albedo is saying. Aether is the heart and Albedo is the brain, so I think he can teach Albedo what it means to be a human, patiently, and Albedo might actually listen seeing that they both are “peculiar” people, as he puts it. Plus, Paimon can join in on the conversation too. I wrote a (platonic) fic around the themes of understanding and heart vs brain, emotion vs logic.

“Clear Sediments Beneath Loneliness”

KaeLuc. 

The two have a ton of tension and complexity in their relationship. I feel that before they even start exploring the romantic side of it, they should make up and forgive each other and themselves first… Diluc should be nicer to Kaeya and give him some positive attention… The dude needs love… 

But since they’ve been partners for so long before Crepus’ death and they still kept working together after it (e.g. during the Black Fire Incident in the manga), generally sharing information to achieve their goal of protecting Mondstadt, I think they’ll be even stronger if they make up and start to work together publically again. Come sunshine or rain, Mondstadt is in good hands thanks to these two. They should also work on their possible fear of the rain and each other's elements. 

But you know, conflict is what makes stories interesting, so I’d love to see how these two personalities clash and compliment each other despite everything. This pair’s got a lot of potential in a lot of genres.

Fic recommendation. I like comforting quiet fics where characters talk about their feelings. A while ago I read “Hazy Days (Bottled Up)” by imitationicarus, a Kaeya and Diluc (relationship up to interpretation) hurt/comfort fic with 1867 words. It takes place in Angel’s Share, where Kaeya has anxiety and is hearing voices, and Diluc comforts him in his own quiet way. While I don’t read fics very often, it’s still one of my favourite Kaeya and Diluc fics because of the dialogue and inner thoughts. Here’s an excerpt:

But Kaeya would not release his fragile guard so easily. “That’s a good story you’ve spun there, but I’m afraid that’s not true. I just like the flavor.”

Kaeya met Diluc’s gaze, and for the first time, he saw something there—a fire, flickering embers not hot enough to burn, but hot enough to keep warm. To help survive in a harsh and bitter winter.

(Though, I admit, I’ve been avoiding Kaeya and Diluc stuff lately ‘cause of exhaustion and just wanting to see something different, haha)

XiaoVen. 

Recently I realized that “outcast and storyteller” dynamic I like so much is basically XiaoVen lmao. I’m not very familiar with Xiao’s character (haven’t yet gone through his quest), so apologies if I mischaracterize him… But I think Xiao’s distrust, vigilance, and darkness contrasts Venti’s friendliness, peacefulness, and overall lighthearted personality very well. 

Music is a powerful thing, so I want to see the two sitting on top of Juejun Karst, looking down at the stone forest and Liyue Harbour in the distance, with nothing but the crisp sound of a Dihua flute piercing the misty air. Or maybe Xiao can sit at the balcony of Wangshu Inn on a night with the full moon, and a cool breeze would blow through his hair accompanied by the sound of a flute somewhere. I like the idea of Xiao and Venti spending some peaceful time together under the full moon.

KaeBedo. 

How could I forget, haha. Two highly intelligent knight captains of Khaenri’ahn descent, yet one deals with lies and the other deals with the truth, both withholding vital information about themselves and having serious issues on abandonment and receiving love. Kaeya thinks if he tells the truth about himself, he’ll be rejected and abandoned, while Albedo thinks if he doesn’t find the truth about the world and himself, he’ll be rejected and abandoned. Now if they trust each other and find in each other a confidante… 

“Kaeya, you know I seek for the truth above all else. I won’t force you to tell me if you’re not ready, but if you’d like someone to listen… I’ll be here.”

“Haha, reliable as always, Kreideprinz. I’ll consider your offer. You, on the other hand… Let me tell you a secret.”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s not necessary to offer your everything in the pursuit of affection. We… are all flawed in our own ways.”

“Hm. I’ll keep that in mind.”

They even have similar colour schemes (indigo, black, white, gold) but with different ratios to reflect their morals and personalities: Albedo’s dominant colours are white and gold, Kaeya’s dominant colours are black and indigo… Plus, all the Khaenri’ah star motifs on their outfits, and the symbolisms in their eyes. Kaeya’s got a star-shaped pupil and Albedo’s eyes reflect the symbol on the alchemy table. They also have a lot to hide from their respective Pyro-affiliated sibling/sworn sibling, so that’s another thing they can bond together over, I guess? 

I have another fic recommendation:

romantic slow burn KaeBedo, “Casading (In a good way)” by Hubbleablubble, with the headcanon of (trans man) Khaenri’ahn Royalty Kaeya. Subtle hints are scattered across the fic but once the dots connect, there was a lightbulb moment for me. At 14009 words, this high quality slow burn fic from Albedo’s point of view absolutely ripped my heart out with its elegant wording and unsaid thoughts. 

You’ll find Albedo’s winding trains of thought, Kaeya and Albedo slowly getting to know each other, a beautifully described fight scene, moments of quietness and emotional intimacy here and there, and heartfelt internal monologues. Here’s an excerpt from around the beginning:

He hums his thanks, and nearly starts when he looks up to meet his fellow captain’s gaze.

He’s never seen him this close before. A lone star blazes in a pool of blue. It burns into him, the affable twinkle belying a cold intensity. Albedo’s mind supplies him with an image of Rhinedottir, who’s eyes, while a baleful bronze, were much the same.

Oh.

Well. He supposes there may be more to the quartermaster than he’d assumed.

AlbeLuc. 

Alright so this one was specifically due to @/brotato_chibs and @parvaillust on Instagram for making lots of nice AlbeLuc art. (Please check them out! Chibs also does a lot of Albedo in general along with Subject 2!) Rather than forcing romance onto the two, their AlbeLuc is portrayed with mutual respect, stability, and kindness (though not without some friendly teasing). It’s very cute… 

I like the sense of formality from both Albedo and Diluc… It’s a very quiet but stable kind of trust, knowing that despite their pasts, they’ve found someone they can rely on. Of course, if Albedo is corrupted and goes against Mondstadt, I don’t think Diluc can take that seeing he’s already gone through a betrayal from Kaeya…

ALRIGHT NOW FOR NON-SHIP DYNAMICS— There’s a lot! Please bear with me!

I like platonic versions of the ships I just mentioned, but also—

Nameless Bard and Venti.

When I say “outcast and storyteller” I mean I’m very weak for the idea of “I’ll tell your tale for all to hear so you’ll always be remembered” and I think these two started that love for the trope. Symbolism and remembrance in names is a very meaningful topic for me… I like that the nameless bard doesn’t have an official name, so fans can come up with whatever symbolic names they’d like. The idea of Venti taking his friend’s appearance to “travel the world in his name and image” and the whole “when they praise the Anemo Archon’s name, it’s you who deserves it all, not I” is also very dear to me. 

Recommendation: This comic by @popping-greenbean’s expresses that pretty well, featuring a shapeshifting Morax, subtle expressions, and flowing pencil strokes as free as the wind.

I want to see Venti write ballads praising his friend… But speaking of, here’s another recommendation:

The Venti fan song “Last Words” by Circus-P, featuring Fukase and Len Kagamine. The tale of a young bard, of fallen tyranny, and of the bright lure of freedom carried on by the archaic winds. Stay until the end of the song for a surprise. I’m pretty sure this was a huge push in my starting the game. Here’s the refrain:

May the winds carry forth

My soul when I’m gone

May the harsh of the storm 

Never linger for long

May the birds ever fly 

Where their journey leads them

May the lands and the skies 

Be ever blessed with freedom

Shenhe and Yun Jin.

Outcast and storyteller, Liyue immortal/mortal version. More legends, more isolation, more faithful storytellers. When I first watched the PV for “神女劈观” (”The Legend of the Girl Who Split the Altar”, officially known as “The Divine Damsel of Devastation”) I nearly felt like crying over the music and lyrics and visuals, especially at the extended chorus which I didn’t expect. I’m weak for extended choruses with a key change and new lyrics… I can’t really say much about the characters’ dynamics because I don’t know them well, but the idea of a Yun Jin who holds onto tradition while wanting to append a new verse onto an old tale to give Shenhe the happy ending she deserves is very nice… Also, I like that visually, Yun Jin’s design is very colourful and eye-catching while Shenhe’s design is more black and white and gives off a more solitary air.

Kaeya and Tartaglia.

The potential they have together in my main team because of their high positions in their respective organizations and their clashing personalities of hidden agendas vs head-on fights is interesting! A scheming and manipulative strategist amidst the ranks of the (at least outwardly) righteous Knights of Favonius contrasts the confident and outgoing warrior within the shady ranks of the Fatui, but it just wouldn’t be as fun if they both take the style of their respective organizations… They’re both “outcasts” from their organizations, so maybe they see their colleges in each others’ personalities, in a way. Though, I wonder would Kaeya make a better Fatui Harbinger, and Tartaglia, a Knights of Favonius Captain, haha… 

Tartaglia: Ah, Captain Kaeya! I’ve seen him in battle. His mastery over the Cryo element is truly amazing. But instead of using that power, he always hides behind the scenes, thinking about whatever plans he’s got in that head of his… I can never understand him well. Whatever. I’d gladly fight for him, whether he needs me on the front lines or not. As long as he doesn’t directly oppose the Tsaritsa, I’ll follow him into battle anytime.

Kaeya: Tartaglia… He’s willing to follow my plans, no questions asked. How interesting… But he is rather impulsive. Still, he’s quite obedient towards me… for a Harbinger. I wonder, just how far is he willing to go for the Tsaritsa, and how far is he willing to go… for me?

Il Capitano and Tartaglia. 

Something about a lower-ranking Harbinger being eager and going (in Capitano’s POV) “Pwease fight me, s-sir!!” to the menacing-looking Harbinger in a helmet is so funny to me. It really puts into perspective how much Tartaglia stands out against the rest of the Harbingers in his methods and personality! And how he’s the youngest.

Venti and Albedo.

Hear me out. Albedo is a talented artist, Venti is a bard whose appearance honours the Nameless Bard, put the two together, and I’m sure the artist and the model would get along. And the Traveler or maybe Master Diluc will pay for the portrait.

“Oh, the talented Master Albedo! Won’t you please draw a portrait of me?”

“Of course. But… Why the sudden request?”

“Ehe, isn’t wanting to see a portrait of me sketched by the best artist of Mondstadt enough of a reason?”

“‘Best artist’… You speak of me too highly, Master Venti. But very well. I will do a sketch of you.”

“Is it ready? Lemme see!”

“Here. I tried to capture the effect the flowing wind had on your braids and cape. As always, the winds are ever changing, so I couldn’t sketch out all the details. Please forgive the looseness of—”

“It’s beautiful… You’ve truly captured his— I mean, my visage well.”

“Is that so…? Your form is elegant, Master Venti. I merely sketched down what I saw.”

“You did a great job. I’ll treasure this sketch, Master Kreideprinz~”

But at the same time, the God of Freedom and a homunculus from the land of sinners who had little autonomy for most of his life… It could be a comforting thing.

“Kreideprinz, the one born from chalk… Your Art of Khemia is formidable, and of course I grant the people of Mondstadt the freedom to do whatever they’d like, but…”

“I understand. Should I lose control one day… Can I ask you to stop me?”

“Well, let’s just enjoy the present peace, shall we, Albedo? Your freedom is yours. What would you like to become?”

“…”

“Is the great chief alchemist at a loss for words?”

“I’m afraid… I don’t know the answer to your question. I’m sorry.”

“No, it takes time to find who you are. Some people are still searching, to this day.”

“And is that allowed?”

“Of course. Everyone should live their life the way they want to live. To live for someone else’s dreams… can sometimes be a painful thing.”

“…”

“What’s on your mind, Kreideprinz?”

“I didn’t know I was allowed to do so.”

“To do what?”

“To live life… for myself.”

Kaeya and Bennett (main team).

Here’s the thing. I think Kaeya sees a lot of his younger self in Bennett (misfortunate, casted aside from his peers, has father figures, self-deprecating while lifting others up, etc) so I believe he’d be a great team captain and encourage Bennett, telling him how important his role in the team is. They’ve got pretty similar swordsmanship in their Normal Attacks too, so I like the headcanon that Kaeya taught Bennett swordsmanship too. 

Bennett makes self-deprecating jokes and Kaeya finally realizes how he might’ve been to others when he slipped up and made jokes himself in the past, so in that sense, he can care for Bennett and indirectly improve himself and his confidence.

And now, angst. Bennett brings misfortune, right? He’s a Pyro sword user who blames himself for rain, right??

Kaeya. Pyro sword. Rain.

Now imagine the fear and panic that surges through Kaeya as the sight of a blurry figure with a flaming sword in the rain triggers his past trauma from his Vision fight against Diluc. That’s what I’m talking about!!! He panics, he steps back, he tries to cover up with jokes, but Bennett senses it and internalizes the blame onto himself. The hurt. The misunderstanding. And to a kid nonetheless, not Kaeya’s own peer.

Kaeya, how are you gonna react to this conflict in the rain for the third time? And how are you gonna mend it?

Albedo, Dorian (Subject 2), Fellflower, and Rhinedottir.

DID YOU THINK I WASN’T GONNA TALK ABOUT THESE FOURRR HHH cries

The setting and ideas stirred up by Shadows Amidst Snowstorms!! Hear me out!! The one-sided rivalry between Albedo and Dorian as the unknowing perfect version and the “failure” prototype… THE WAY THE REVEAL WAS FORESHADOWED IN THE STARSILVER QUALITY LINES AND ALBEDO REPAINTING THE TRAVELER’S PAINTING OF PAIMON IS SO GOOD. THE SYMBOLISM. GOD I love it.

And Rhinedottir… DAMN IT, RHINEDOTTIR. THINK. What did she have to do for Albedo and Dorian to turn out like this? A highly intelligent recluse who fears rejection, and another one who straight up refers to himself (under the guise of talking about Starsilver quality) as useless??

“There’s something I’ve always wanted to ask you, but feared rejection and disappointment…”

--Albedo, “Something to Share”

“Useless things should be disposed of at the outset.”

--Dorian, “The Snowy Past”

…Y’know, a lot of things can be interpolated from a character’s well-written dialogue, both in what they say and what they leave out.

[lavenderspence]

(anon with the controversial opinions about spencelle, postprison!read, hotch and dating,.. again)

You’re actually so sweet for answering all my yapping!!

I didn’t even realize the low blow for the Aaron one, I‘m so sorry 😭, it might be my tism and not being able to be great at conveying what I mean without sounding mean if you get what I want to say?

anyways I completely agree with your take on writers can take a character and write them in the way they want! On the flip side I still believe there are more canon ways and more fanon ways to write a character, and writing a character ooc to fit a certain idea is ok! Like I know it‘s kind of one of the biggest compliments to get ,,oh you write xyz so in character“ but at the end of the day, as you said, writers should enjoy to write a character as they like!

I just have a slight problem with it if they kind of..complete overwrite certain traits? And not in a way where I send hate or whatever, just in a way of ok this irks me so I‘m either gonna block or simply scroll, while I do believe we should call out writers if they e.g write a lesbian character as a non-lesbian one or an autistic character as an allistic one if that makes sense!

Then again we should not reduce a character to only one of their traits, idk I just think there should be less..shame about not writing a character 100% canon but also on the other hand acknowledging that there is this fanon version

I probably make zero sense and maybe you won’t even get why it‘s so significant to me, it’s just when I‘m hyperfixating on a topic/character it‘s unreasonably frustrating to read about mischaracterization but again I keep it to myself or, like now, tell you about it as a controversial opinion!

But what really shocked me is you not shipping jemily!! Jail time!!! /j

Anyways I was yapping again and thank you actually for taking time out of your day to answer!!

hi babe! I'll forever and ever answer any and all yapping, so no need to thank me🤭💕

well, he is my husband, so it was in fact a low blow, but I'll forgive you this time 🙄 (you didn't sound mean, I promise, I'm just joking around it's all in good fun!)

I do think it's amazing when a writer makes the character seem like he's plucked straight out of the show/movie, by writing him to a complete T because it does allow the reader to feel even more connected to the fic itself.

I'm going to be completely honest here again, and I hope I don't catch any negativity, but as someone who really cannot read autistic traits, most of what's associated with spencer I take as full on personality traits for him without any association. I would actually love it if you shared a bit more about how you see his autistic traits portrayed, or maybe what specifically you associate with. I don't really know how he's been portrayed in my own writing thus far when it comes to those specific traits, I'd love to hear too, what youve noticed.

I think at times it depends a bit on the concept of the idea of the fic itself, if it would be well placed to touch on those traits (I do hope I'm making sense without sounding ignorant or something). like at times, a fic is so fast-paced or incredibly specific, you can't really touch or figure out where the mention of those traits fit.

I absolutely think both should meet in the middle, and there should be a level of understanding when it comes to, like you said, conon and fanon. I find it a little bit entitled at times when I see hate about it, when you take into consideration the amount of spencer fics out there, and how you can find something to satisfy your need/craving, and skip whatever you don't vibe with. I think there's a place for every idea, every fic, every person, and every opinion, but the main thing is to always be polite about it.

jemily...I'm sorry, I really don't see it. maybe in evolution, with the s17 scene, and in "200" when jj is being tortured, but not much else😭😭

and please don't worry about yapping, this blog is always a safe space to do so, or be controversial 🤭