#not sure who the target audience of this one is tbh

[livwritesstuff]

It’s uncharacteristically warm outside for late-winter in Hawkins, Indiana.

It’s 2004, and the whole entire Party is back in Hawkins to celebrate Jim and Joyce’s fifteenth wedding anniversary (it’s actually closer to their sixteenth by now, but they’ve all well and truly entered that phase of adulthood where planning things is next to impossible), and it’s the first time they’ve all been in one room since…honestly, Steve doesn’t even know when. Since Lucas’s wedding in ‘99, maybe.

Everyone is inside unwinding after dinner. Steve can hear them from where he’s sitting outside on the front deck gently rocking the porch swing Hop had installed years ago with one foot, a now-empty bottle resting on the unfinished pine floor by the other.

The front door of Jim and Joyce’s house quietly opens and Steve looks over as El steps onto the porch, closing the door behind her as soft as she’d opened it.

She pauses, her eyes turning wary as they slide off of him and onto the baby girl drifting asleep in his arms (his and Eddie’s littlest baby, Robbie – the older baby, Moe, who’s nearly three so not really a baby anymore, is inside still probably being doted on by all her aunts and uncles).

Even in her early thirties there are so many ways El is still just like the little kid Steve met back in 1984. At the same time though, she’s completely changed.

“Doin’ okay, Ellie?” he asks gently.

She nods.

“It’s getting loud,” El tells him, “Someone put on Jeopardy.” 

Yeah, that’ll do it these days – older and wiser they may all be, but any kind of trivia is still a vice for pretty much the entire Party.

“Well, you’re welcome to join us out here for as long as you like,” Steve replies.

He knows El is a little apprehensive around babies still, same as she is with cats and puppies – really anything small and vulnerable that might have been used against her many years ago, so he half-expects her to go back inside.

But she comes over and sits down next to him on the porch swing anyway and for a while, both of them are quiet.

Robbie exhales a satisfied snuffling noise that tells Steve she’s well and truly asleep.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees El’s hand twitch, like she was going to raise it but then stopped herself.

“Can I?” she asks tentatively.

“‘Course,” Steve tells her, and he watches as El runs the tips of her fingers over the wisps of soft hair on Robbie’s head.

“How old is she now?”

“Three months,” he replies, “Four in a week or so.”

“And she’s…she’s doing…good?” she asks, and there’s something so El in her tone, the same tone she always uses when she’s tip-toeing her way through something that, to her, is foreign territory.

“Mm-hm. She’s good.”

El nods.

“Your daughters are lucky,” she says, her brown eyes trained wistfully on Robbie even as she pulls her hand away. 

Steve thinks he knows what she’s getting at, but before he can ask, she keeps going.

“She’s gonna live her whole life never having to wonder if she’s loved or if she matters,” El says, “She won’t have to wonder because it’s always true. That’s special. I love Hop, and everything I have that is good is because of him, but…I still wish I could have had what you and Eddie are giving her too.”

And Steve knows exactly what she means because he feels the same way, because he thinks about it all the time, every time he thinks about his daughters and the way they are his entire world like he should have been to his own parents and yet never was, every time he thinks about himself and his father and his father’s father and knows it ends with him.

He’s not sure how to put any of that into words.

It’s El though, and he’s never really had to put those kinds of things into words with El, so he decides to just nod and settle back into the porch swing with his friend at his side and his daughter asleep in his arms and the faint noise of the people he loves most carried over them on the breeze of a warm winter evening.

[slavghoul]

Slav, what are some of the changes you would like to see in the concerts? I think you've said this before, but Ghost sometimes kind of threads this line of "you've seen one concert, you've seen them all", which, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with that (look at Iron Maiden, for example) but, with their concerts even being scripted for little moments and jokes, it can get old pretty fast. Maybe the new Papa could bring some spontaneity (I agree with you, I feel like it could be someone younger - crazy to think we're talking about made up guys). Anyway, sorry for the ramble.

It's always going to be scripted to the max, I don't expect that will change. We're already getting like a few minutes of spontaneity per show, which tbh is a lot more than in the past lol. It gets stale, but only for what, 5% of fans who are wild enough to do all the dates on a given tour, or watch every single filmed performance on YouTube? They're not the target audience. Anywho, the changes I'd like to see are maybe more on a visual side. New outfits, sure. But also in terms of stage design. I'm ceeeertain Tobias has got the wildest fucking ideas in his head that probably couldn't be realised thus far due to budget limitations. I don't know what that could be and to be frank I am terrified of the possibilities. But I know it's gonna be an acid trip.

No joke that's what I imagine he looks like at every super serious meeting with important concert-making people

Also, I would like to see Papa play an instrument on stage, even if only as some kind of a running joke. Preferably a guitar. I need to witness him churn out some mean riffs on stage before I die. Imagine he leaves the stage during a song and comes back to blast out a guitar solo? I'd explode

[wakeupthemembersofbylernation]

It is not even that Mlvns are homophobic. I mean, many of the toxic ones are. We’ve all seen them and interacted with them and received hate anons from them. When Noah’s article officially confirming Will’s sexuality dropped during the summer, people were literally tweeting slurs and fantasizing about him being hate-crimed or dying from AIDS. (It’s probably unfair to group Mlvns in with these people, as lots of them weren’t even Mlvns, just bigoted GA members and trolls). But still. It was bleak. There’s a deep darkness within the ST fandom undeniably.

But I’m sure many Mlvns/Byler-antis are the types of people who genuinely have no problem with queer people in real life. When we call them out on their bigotry and homophobia, they get confused and say, “But I have gay friends! How am I homophobic for not liking Byler?” And they mean it 100%. They really do have gay friends. They probably consider themselves allies and yada yada.

The issue is that A) they are deeply heteronormative without realizing it, and B) they simply aren’t the target audience for the show, and as such, they don’t really understand or connect to the themes of the show. The thing is, lots of people, many Milkvans included, are simply normies. Now I love Steve as a character, so this is literally no hate to Steve, but lots of people are Steves. And people who are like Steve: popular, straight, attractive, used to dating the types of people they want, into ‘normal’ interests like sports (not that Steve is hyper into sports, but you know what I mean), likely to go down ‘normal’ paths and live fairly conventional lives like their parents, etc. are simply not the target audience for the show.

Obviously, the show centers on outcasts, nerds, queer characters, characters with disabilities, black characters, etc. Most people recognize this on some level, but they recognize it in more of a general sense like, “Of course the protagonists are nerds/outcasts, just like all the classic 80s teen protagonists. I just love how nostalgic ST is!” And they leave it at that. Because they are normies, they don’t really connect to the themes of the show other than a surface-level, power of friendship sense. They don’t see how Byler is more aligned with the show’s message than Milkvan at this point. They don’t see that the outcast status of most of the characters is more than just a throwaway personality trait… its deeply integral to the point of the show itself and closely connected to the supernatural storyline.

This is because nerd culture is somewhat mainstream now, and lots of “normies” like it too. Star Wars, Marvel, LOTR, Harry Potter, etc. These are all major parts of society and billion dollar franchises, even more so than they were in the 80s. Because of this, people don’t realize that in the context of the world of the show, they wouldn’t have been friends with the Party most likely. It is far more statistically likely that they would’ve rolled with Angela’s friend group or joined Jason’s human hunting squad. Or even if they weren’t outright bullies, it’s far more likely that they would’ve been one of the nameless background characters in Hawkins High, just kind of floating by in a conventionally comfortable existence, entirely oblivious to government lab conspiracies and alternate dimensions. The characters in ST are outcasts in a deeper, existential sense. Society is against them.

And so many people can’t relate, especially to the queer themes. They can’t even see the queer themes. Because the show is not for them. That’s why you see so many baffling takes on the show:

“Will is so whiny all the time, and I don’t like him!”

“Mike was right in the rain fight! S3 is about growing up, and Will was acting like a baby.”

“Tbh I don’t care that much about the Party dynamics. My favorite part of the show is Steve and Dustin being funny together. And my second favorite part is Hopper being a cool action hero.”

“B*lly is overhated! I mean, he’s so hot and misunderstood! He could’ve redeemed himself.”

“I don’t get Byler. It barely seems like Mike and Will are even friends.”

To be clear, it doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy the genre of the show. Being horror/sci-fi, its core fans are a smaller pool of people than, say, fans of The Office or Friends or other popular sitcoms. So the Mlvns who watched it since the beginning probably do have some avant-garde tastes in terms of genre-preferences, since lots of people wouldn’t touch horror with a ten-foot pole. But it does mean they don’t pick up on the themes of the show and the arc of the characters.

(Of course, many newer fans now are just watching it cause it’s popular, regardless of which genres they typically prefer. This opens the show up to lots of people who don’t connect to anything about the show, not just its themes but also its darker content. A lot of newer fans sound like this: “Like, I just love that Mike was in love with El from the day he found her in the woods, and it’s so cute that El is Mike’s superhero, and Eddie is so cool and badass; I wish he could’ve told Chrissy how he felt, and I’m anxiously awaiting S5 to see who Nancy chooses but I hope she chooses Steve… Stancy 4ever!” This is because Stancy is like every other conventionally attractive couple in media).

I’m rambling, but a lot of people are into Milkvan because of their expectations that “pretty boy and pretty girl go together,” and that’s all there is to it. Finn is attractive and Millie is attractive, and they play the protagonists, so of course Mike and El are endgame. Why wouldn’t they be? This is true for the girls who project themselves onto Millie and see Finn/Mike as a dream boyfriend, and it’s true for the guys who project themselves onto Finn and who would want nothing more than to have a cool, superpowered girlfriend.

This is the way of nature. In a normie worldview, there’s no deviation from this path. A lot of fans basically take The Kissing Booth/To All the Boys I Loved Before and slap a sci-fi/horror filter on it, and they think that’s what Stranger Things is. It’s a cool show where kids fight monsters, and there are normal, heterosexual romances like Mlvn to root for, and there’s a badass superhero main character at the center.

Oh, there’s a gay character too? Well, that’s weird. I mean, y’all already have Robin, but whatever. I’m not homophobic! I’m cool with Will being gay… as long as he stays over there. Oh, he’s in love with Mike? Well, that’s even weirder. Why would the writers do that? I suppose that’s fine, as long as it’s just a little crush, and as long as it doesn’t get in the way of “the main storyline” and my OTP. I’m not homophobic, I swear! I have gay friends!

And they do. And they might not actively be against LGBTQ+ people in real life. They may really be telling the truth. But because they are Steves, this is where heteronormativity comes into play and blinds them. Main couples in shows are always straight, so the cool sci-fi, monster show they love must also be. They’re fine with Kevin Kellers, but queer Mike doesn’t fit the box that they allot to gay characters. So Mike must be the straightest character of all time to fight back against “weird delusional Byler theories” that would “come out of nowhere.” It’s not that they’re actively anti-gay; it’s that they are profoundly closed-minded and have a very myopic view of sexuality/storytelling/their favorite characters/their favorite shows. This is very similar to the XO, Kitty situation and people who were upset that Kitty was ‘suddenly’ bi and had a crush on Yuri.

WHAT?! Where did this come from? I thought I was watching a normal rom-com! I was fine with the gay characters on it who were clearly televised from the beginning! But Kitty? No! Kitty’s my self-insert. How can she like girls too? It must be a phase and be “less real” than her male love interests. This isn’t Heartstopper. The same weird energy is present in the ST fandom.

Byler being semi-canon isn’t seen as confirmation of a love triangle; it’s seen as a disruption to the norm and the foregone conclusion that Mike and El will be together forever and get married and have telekinetic children because the show owes that to them for all they’ve been through. “But why is Will inserted into their scenes?” we ask them, begging them to see reason. “Idk, but he should know his place and stop being a homewrecker and go find a new boy to like. Just leave the soulmates alone. Mike has already made clear he’s straight and that Will is nothing more than a friend. He said it in the roller rink!” This is how heteronormativity works.

That’s why Byler endgame will be so important because it will shatter preconceived notions and open people’s eyes to the beautiful tapestry of humanity. And they will see that this powerful, queer, coming-of-age, love story was right there, under their noses, in their “fun sci-fi monster show” this whole time. *Mind Blown*

[airenyah]

Get to Know Me Tag :)

was tagged by @telomeke, @ranchthoughts, and @callipigio <3

do you make your bed?

not usually. both in my room at my parent's flat and now in my own flat as well i don't have a couch to hang out on and so i tend to spend a lot of time in my bed during the day bc it's more comfortable there. why make my bed in the morning if i mess it up soon enough anyway? i'll only make my bed when i'm trying to feel/look neat (like for example when people who i don't really know come over)

what's your favourite number?

23! elementary school me was veeery creative in choosing this number.... (my birthday is on a 23rd) anyway this number stuck with me and now it's just part of my personality hahaha

what is your job?

i'm a uni student and i don't have a "fixed" job where i'm employed and get money every month, but i have been working at a specific theater every summer since 2022. this year i'm actually the official assistant director. the rehearsals haven't properly started yet, but i've already one or the other task for it. can't wait for june when we're finally starting with the rehearsals!!!!!!!

if you could go back to school, would you?

depends... compulsory schooling that they make you go through from age 6 to age 15?? HELL NO. adult education? catch me taking 434353 courses on 434353 things

can you parallel park?

i don't have a driver's license

a job you had that would surprise people?

i haven't had many jobs in my life and none of them seem very surprising tbh? if you know me, at least i've worked as a graphic designer before, but i don't see how that would be surprising. also, i'm sure that i've mentioned this a few times in my tag ramblings

do you think aliens are real?

i don't think aliens are real but i also don't think aliens are not real. basically, i don't think aliens exist in the way they are depicted in movies, but if nasa came up to me and told me they found some sort of life somewhere else in the universe i'd be like "yeah i'll believe that". the universe is so vast, so it wouldn't surprise me if there really is something out there, but i don't really think about it tbh

can you drive a manual car?

as i said, i don't have a driver's license. but if i did, the answer would be yes. bc as a european you WILL be taught to drive a manual car at driving school. you could also choose to learn how to drive an automatic car, but that's really the exception to the rool. besides, idk what it's like in other countries, but in austria you're allowed to drive manual cars only if you got your license with a manual car. so getting your license with an automatic car limits your options quite a lot

what's your guilty pleasure?

i don't really feel guilty about my pleasures?? i don't always tell people that i'm really into thai bl, but that's less about feeling guilty and more of a "know your target audience" kind of thing.

tattoos?

nope. my brother has a couple of tattoos and he'd love it if i got one (i think he'd like to have a matching tattoo with me), but i can't do needles. but if i ever did get a tattoo, it would probably be something related to sicily. my brother actually has a tattoo of the trinacria

favorite color?

a really shiny dark blue and a really shiny darker red!

favorite type of music?

uhhhh.... good question?? i grew up listening to classical music and i still really like it, but i don't really listen to it anymore. these days i listen to pop music quite a lot? but that's also a very hit and miss for me, bc i tend to get overwhelmed easily with pop music. idk, just show me a song of any genre of music and i'll tell you if i like this particular song or if i dislike it my playlists tend to be full of song i have some kind of emotional connection too, though! so for example, songs that have been in series/movies that i watched or songs that my loved one's have/had in their playlists and that remind me of them, etc...

do you like puzzles?

i don't dislike puzzles, but it's not something that i would think to spend my time with

any phobias?

spiders!! i've had a phobia of spiders all my life. it's gotten a little better now, and how freaked out i am really depends on the size of the spider, where it is, if it's moving, and also how i'm feeling that day. the worst thing that could happen is a spider touching me in any way, so as long as i have enough distance between me and the spider and the spider is stationary, i'm good. i really dislike spiders right above my head, though i also have a phobia of needles. when i was 12 i had to get my blood drawn when i was sick once and i had a panic attack (or something along those lines). i've tried to avoid needles as best as i could ever since... and as a child i also had a fear of vomit. people vomiting still makes me uncomfortable, but at least i no longer run away and hide behind the door of my room hahaha

favorite childhood sport?

i've never been really athletic but i liked swimming!

do you talk to yourself?

in my own flat when i'm all by myself? yeah!

what movies do you adore?

der schuh des manitu is my problematic fave <3 apart from that, i also adore stardust and tangled and the emperor's new groove and i'm also up for marathoning high school musical, how to train your dragon, pirates of the carribean (1-3), and lord of the rings (extended edition of course) at any given point in time

coffee or tea?

tea!!!!! i LOVE tea!!!!! i had a cup of tea only an hour ago!!!! i'm not big on coffee, apart from a cappucino every once in a while which i also only drink when i'm in italy bc i just don't like it enough to spend 3-4€ on it in austria. coffee flavored things are mostly fine, but coffee as a beverage? not a big fan

first thing you wanted to be growing up?

i don't remember the first thing i wanted to be that wasn't a suggestion by my parents. possibly an actress????

tagging @newyearknwwme @moonkhao @visualtaehyun @celestial-sapphicss @cornflowershade @dimplesandfierceeyes @wack-overflow

as always, feel free to ignore!

[the-rainbow-lesbian]

Hi @menalez, you know I thought I was being courteous by keeping quiet about my grievances with you and not airing them publicly but I guess that isn't mutual, if you really wanted to have a conversation with me you could've talked to me on discord, you're not blocked there.

when October 7th first happened I was unwell tbh and very confused, I thought the world went mad when a massacre against the Jewish state and Israelis (both Jewish and Arab but the majority were Jews and they were targeted for being Jewish) somehow made them hateful against Jewish people, even the diaspora, I was also very confused when the "feminists" of the world even the radical feminists remained silent on the mass rape used as a weapon against Israeli women or tried to deny and minimize it. This is gonna sound dramatic but I haven't been the same person ever since because I lost my trust in people, I don't trust anyone who has no sympathy for others based on their ethnicity and nationality.

and when I went to tumblr I saw that you were also sharing content from antisemites, although you tried to distance yourself from it, sure Hamas did kill babies and rape women, but it wasn't as bad as the media is making it out to be, as if there is a number of raped women and murdered babies that needs to be met before we recognize this as a genocidal act by Hamas? I tried to read what you shared and honestly the people you tried to refute (badly) made more sense to me.

I spent a huge portion of my time watching content about the conflict even when I am working, reading about it, talking to my friend about it, I sought out another friend of mine who is retired professor who has visited Israel multiple times to learn from her, I listened to Jewish people and Israelis and also to Palestinians, I shared articles from Palestinian authors and a Muslim woman about the war, I am reading a book by Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of one of Hamas' founders, I didn't listen to the ones who cheered on October 7th which is fair, terrorists and their supporters don't have integrity. so even though you said I "admitted I don't know shit" and I am "willfully ignorant" I am really not, I am not an expert, I wish I could read and learn more than what I am already doing but I work full-time on 5-6 hours of sleep then travel on the weekends to see my girlfriend, so I am sorry I didn't know much about Christian Zionists? I'd rather not run on my mouth over something I don't know much about, it doesn't make all of my other opinions invalid somehow. I've always been the type of person who tries to do at least some research before forming an opinion and being outspoken about it.

you also said I am brainwashed by my country's antisemitism and I am "rebelling" (which is so fucking condescending I am not a child trying to prove a point) but actually I never agreed that the holocaust was good and that Hitler was a hero like the majority of people around me did, even if I had problematic beliefs I would never agree with genocide. it's also interesting that you refer to this rightfully as propaganda but do you know which news channel was funneling this and playing in my house? it was Aljazeera, and you share from them all the time without a hint of scrutiny, of course anything Israel says must be met with scrutiny but anything coming out of Hamas and Qatar is trustworthy even though both are islamofascist that don't allow any freedom of press, very interesting.

so mena, as an Arabic speaker why don't you look into Aljazeera's Arabic websites and articles where they don't sugarcoat the antisemitism for the western audience and share them with your followers? or anything from Hamas' leaders? are you intentionally misleading them or just lazy? not sure which is worse.

I do have sympathy for middle eastern women and that includes Israeli women! Which is why I'll never support an Islamic state, they are the worst for women. There is more going on in the middle east than just western imperialism, not everything is the west's fault and even if it was we should have more accountability and not just overlook terrorism and other problems we have, prophet Mohammad didn't need Zionism or western imperialism to massacre the Jews of Banu Qurayza, which was so horrific I decided to fully become an ex-muslim after reading about it and I was questioning my faith for two years at that time.

You accused me of supporting genocide which is..... wow there is a lot to say about that, but I won't get into it now, you said this isn't in character for me as an "empathetic and intelligent woman" you're right, maybe the genocide accusation against Israel is blood libel and unfounded, because why would I support genocide? have you tried to read anything besides Qatar and Hamas approved propaganda? have you listened to other opinions in good faith without plugging your ears calling them Zionists (as if it's a bad thing to want self-determination and not be a dhimmi anymore) and blocking them?

I don't know where you get the audacity to say that I am ignorant and should do the "decent thing" and shut up, do you have any Jewish loved ones? do you worry about them on a daily basis because of antisemitism and how antisemitic hate crimes have increased to an insane level? I can't go a day without seeing new incidents reported, which you have ignored of course, because the only good Jew to you is a Jewish person who just affirms your beliefs so you can delude yourself into thinking you're a good person, but after that you don't really care, do you think antisemites ask Jewish people if they're Zionists before they harass and assault them? get off your fucking high horse, I don't owe you shit and you have no right to judge me, if anyone should shut up it's you, the rhetoric and the blood libels you share is the same fucking rhetoric inciting the increase in hate crimes, sincerely fuck off :)

[remy2fang]

A.K.I. as Yor Forger SF6 Mod.

I just realized my mod was featured on EventHubs a long while ago. They said some nice things about it. How many times have I been featured on that site now?

When I saw the trailer for the Spy x Family collab, I thought it would be neat to have A.K.I. dressed as Yor Forger. Tbh I wasn’t disappointed that it was only avatar gear. I am a modder after all and I can make what I want. The in-game assets made it convenient to do too. I thank Capcom for that haha. Plus, there are people who are happy dressing their own characters as Loid and Yor.

Of course, I have to include a version with AKI’s original hair style. She looks great in other hairdos, but her original umbrella hair is the best one—it’s the style that defines A.K.I. 💜💜

I know there are people out there that thought characters like Chun-Li (a mod already exists for her by FishBoy), Juri, or Cammy would fit better…but I like A.K.I. more lol. I’m contemplating on making another Yor Forger mod, but it’s not going to be a character that most people wished. I am a modder after all, and I can do what I want 😜😜. But I’m sure there are other modders out there that might be working on a Cammy or Juri version.

That being said, currently there are three SF6 characters that have Yor Forger mods.

1) A.K.I.

2) Chun-Li

3) F.A.N.G (!)

Yes, I did put FANG in Yor’s clothes (and also Loid’s) 💜🥰💜🥰. Wow, F.A.N.G before Juri and Cammy lol 😅😅. I am a modder after all, and…you know where I’m getting at haha. Though unsurprisingly EventHubs excluded that bit. As much as I enjoy some of the articles on that site, I have the feeling that they’re afraid to showcase such content. Like even if it’s not F.A.N.G and it’s on a more conventionally attractive male character instead, they would shy away from it. I can’t blame them. Even though the FGC is quite diverse, it’s still very hetero-cis-male dominated. It’s understandable that they’re afraid of offending their target audience, but I’m sure a number of EventHub readers are more open minded than what the site writers have expected. Or at least that’s what I believe.

Anyway, here’s the download link:

And a YouTube showcase:

Thanks for reading 💜💜

[let-us-cultivate-our-garden]

Hey, I stumbled across your last post addressing the toh blog critiquing fans of belos and how they engage with the show and i'd like to put my 2 cents in as an au creator who has belos featured in my aus.

When I made arofam, I was just goofing around, it was before s2 officially aired and I thought at work one day "oh, belos and this gg kid look like parallels to luz and eda, wouldn't an au swapping them be funny?". I made that au based solely on that, and everything after that was straight up just me trying to work around everything the show was throwing at me and try and adapt it in the au. It became more emotional with time, but it wasn't built on a foundation of trying to make his canon self less bad nor excuse anything he did. (Undoubtedly that goofy au just made me more invested in those characters over time).

Like we didn't even know belos's plans, his abuse of the ggs, his brother, nothing, when I made the au. The show really had to make me work to make belos likable in my au after that.

I say this because it's why it's wrong to always make assumptions about ppl based on what they create or are engaged in. You don't have to like the content yourself, but there's a variety of reasons ppl make aus with philip in a prominent role. Some wanna explore him in unique ways that canon can't, some are intrigued by his backstory and wanna play with that, and some are like me who just woke up one day and thought " Ok, but what if we did a silly with him?".

It would be wrong to categorize everyone into one box, with the same ideals and same opinions. Not everyone will have the same draws but assuming the worst of a fan who likes to play with the main antagonist in noncanon work or personally have different opinions on his execution in the show is extremely judgemental and hurtful because a lot of these fans are just having fun and have very little malicious intent.

If you have criticism of the work and wanna kindly address it to the creator, then sure, they might be allowed to give their opinions on where they were coming from while they're at it in case the work was misinterpreted.

But you can genuinely hurt ppl and creators by throwing them under a " bad person" label without allowing yourself to understand them or their work and why they made the choices they did.

I guess the point I'm making here is, fans engage with the media they like for a number of reasons, if you're going to make accusations on them, at least have clear solid reasons rather then basing it on pure assumptions based on work that might not even really be that deep in the first place or even just the comments of a few fans.

If they're being purposely malicious and awful then sure.

But sometimes it's really not that deep, some ppl just wake up one day and wanna imagine a swap au with belos or wanted a cooler death.

People shouldn't be crucified online for that.

100% agree with you there! I've stated before that this fandom has a tendency to connect a person's morality to the type of media they consume or how they engage with it. It's really unsettling, tbh.

You don't like AUs that redeem Belos? Or make him a goofy uncle? Or make Caleb the evil emperor?

Then don't read them. You're not the target audience.

In other words...

I hope any and all creators with a Belos AU aren't discouraged because some ninny on the net, who thinks they're the arbiter of social justice, got mad because they decided to have fun with a fictional character.

Fandom is not activism.

Just chill and let people put the old man in a dress.

[empressofmankind]

Things I enjoyed about writing my Crocodile/female!OC smut, in no particular order:

If you had to imagine the walking, talking embodiment of all Buggy's insecurities (imo), I feel like you'd get Sir Crocodile, and that's pretty much how I went into writing him. I set out to absolutely maximize Buggy's: "Oh no, her ex is (insert self-deprecating qualifier) than me". You know, tall(er), confident, masculine, accomplished, infamous, intimidating, actually scary, redundantly rich, pretty conventionally attractive and the scar just adds to the sex appeal. He has a voice like that, and no doubt a way with women? He's even near perfected his control over his devil fruit powers! Absolutely aces the whole Bounty Hunting business thing. Rolls in and out the Grand Line like it's his backyard. He's even better at being Disney-levels of evil! Complete with a better villain laugh. How dare. How dare he absolutely nail most of everything Bugs covets? Poor Buggy. The fact that his girlfriend is technically still married to the jackass is just an extra kick in the gut while he's down, tbh. Basically, if Bugs were a piniata, this is currently my stick of choice to go at him with. I just keep finding new aspects for Bugs to be insecure about and it doesn't matter how often Shivs tells him not to worry about it.

As you know, I wrote the whole thing first in three sits, ignoring most of the limb logistics. And then I went in and revoked hand privileges. That sucked? But it was also kind of fun to then try and either make it work with one hand and/or integrate his hook. Some of the instances actually got far better with it: neck pulling, ahoy! is a big one, hitching up clothing for a close second, but also being casually threatening for no apparent reason (and then for a really apparent reason, omg). Croc seems to lean towards preferring to use his hand, and sometimes he misses having two of them for this and I tried to show that. I mean, I get it - hands have tactile sensation. Plus, we wouldn't want to kill her. Not at this point in the timeline.

God tier banter, if I may say so myself. I specifically enjoy writing (sexual) banter, but I feel like I've outdone myself here. Their beats are also pretty even-handed and so well attuned to eachother, like this isn't their first verbal rodeo, this is the end stage mega evolution of years of practise.

The way Shivs walked into her ex's office with the intention of manipulating him with sex, but did so while explicitly and recognisably wearing her current boyfriend's clothes. Balls of steel, this girl. But, she knew who she was confronting. If he turned out at all amenable to her scheme, he'd want her out of these rags stat. And that was five free steps in the direction she was meaning to go. In addition, I am a firm believer of him being a high-key closeted bisexual and we all know what they say when boys excessively pick on you. All it takes is squinting just right and imagining her with a different hair colour, and that just made me chortle. I am probably the whole target audience for this, but yolo.

The way his pet name use corresponds to his emotional headspace, apparently. I wasn't doing this intentionally, but I noticed during editing. He says 'doll' a lot (a grand total of 14 times, jfc), uses it the way guys tend to use 'babe'. I felt doll suited him, perhaps because I strongly associate it with Noir films, older Bond & Mafia movies, and crime bosses in general. Showing my age there, maybe. Then he also uses 'sweetheart' quite a few times (9 iirc), and I am pretty sure he does so in an endearing manner. Lowering those emotional walls a teeny tiny bit as fondness seeps through. And then, like, once or twice, he uses 'honey'. And, again, I feel like he uses it in an older manner, the way stereotypically a husband fondly refers to his wife. It feels intimate. Like he briefly forgets all of this is dust? I think about that a lot.

Did you notice how she doesn't use any terms of endearment? I did wonder if she had any, but I felt like she wouldn't use them. Not at this point. Not any more. She loves Bugs. She did slip up once though, did you notice? She is the queen of mildly awkward nicknames.

It may not seem so at first pass, and it's certainly not super obvious, but it seems to me like he's trying pretty hard to put Shivs' relationship goals bar somewhere on the roof. He wants nothing and no one to be able to even remotely compare to him, especially not the clown. So he throws everything at this that he can? Which, arguably, is mostly material because that's in his nature and fundamentally how he interacts with and relates to the world and people around him. But you saw how fast he was to gtfo that couch the minute she alluded to any part of this being cheap (Mediocre? Sub-standard? Blasé?). Does he genuinely not want to cheapen the whole thing? Or can he just not stand the idea of her thinking this whole thing is cheap? Or both? I suppose these aren't mutually exclusive.

I like that she can make him laugh, and vice versa. They've got really solid chemistry, dammit.

Two people that just really enjoy smoking. Like, they are Smokers with a capital S. That's a whole relationship dynamic unto itself. I am really pleased with how I managed to actively integrate it into their shenanigans. It was a lot of fun and something unique to them.

The way he just repeatedly fails at trying to engage her in a little girl dynamic. Was that a thing in the past? They had (and have) a fairly notable age difference (7-8 years, give or take). And he takes it so well when she just, doesn't play along or only does so for like five entire seconds, or blatantly wields it against him. Poor guy. Just spank her already, I know you want to.

The way Shivs goes from being mildly nervous and quite determined to: 'Oh fuck, I'd forgotten how good this actually used to be'. Like, been there, done that, didn't end well. But man, it's a mood.

Press F in the chat for the fact that she only had one orgasm in this whole thing, and it barely took the edge off. Jerk knew what he was doing. It's a power play, of course.

Sneaking in background information and then doing absolutely nothing with it. Like the comment he makes regarding both their facial scars. But also every time either of them alludes to their past relationship but doesn't actually tell us anything.

Mihawk is a wine aunt. Even Crocodile seems to think so. I am sorry, I don't make the rules.

The part where he just happens to have things on hand that she either likes (i.e. that specific brand of cigarillo's his company makes) or that fit her way too precisely (i.e. that outrageously swaggy negligee). This dude is not OK. My man, if you still know your ex' dress sizes this well after several years, you need to do some introspection. And maybe see a therapist.

The infamous fancy panties were originally a gift from him, and she evidently kept them these past years? I am not sure what makes me frown deeper: the fact that she still has them, or the fact that he immediately recognised them. I don't think she was necessarily wearing them on purpose? She does really like them and wears them often. RIP those undies. I think she's way more upset about losing them than she lets on. I wonder if she'll accept new one(s)? I suspect she may, something about gift horses. Maybe he figures? Maybe that's the point. A renewal of something. A visual reminder of the casual control he can exert over her when he wants to. It may seem insignificant (she will definitely not overthink it), but underwear is very private and intimate. He's staking a claim even without particularly saying so. But I am sure every other man in the room will figure that one out. (Counting on Mihawk to say it out loud in that bored drawl of his. The Bisexuals Straights Are At It Again.) Doubly so if they're particularly prone to feeling insecure. Poor Bugs. Just take this one lying down, you silly clown. She wants them because she thinks you'll like them and she knows neither of you can gdamn afford anything remotely like it.

Did you notice she isn't truly naked at any point? Partially undressed, yes. A little exposed, also. But not naked. Meanwhile, he's stomping around in his bare ass half the fic. I like how he gave her something nice to wear and then didn't take it off.

At this point, I feel like he gets pants problems the minute she calls him 'sir', no matter the context. Some things just get sexy tainted forever, and there's no going back, lmao.

The unnecessarily expensive details. I had so much fun with those? The layout and details of his office and bedroom, for one. Both their smokes are implied to be well out of Shivs paygrade. Any brands come to mind? Or take the wine, for example. Can you guess which one I am referencing? And the lace - I am from a traditional lace-making area. Handmade lace was and is hella expensive. Don't even start about lace featuring custom tailored designs. There was absolutely no need to throw this much Beli at the nearest wall. But he did it anyway, because he does it all the time.

The way he keeps verbally reminding her of how different things used to be. For the better, in his opinion, of course. Like, are we casually trading favours here, or are you trying something?

On that count, did you notice how often Shivs is actually thinking about Buggy in this? At no point is he far from her thoughts, it seems.

I didn't set out with this mindset, but based on how the whole thing came out - I think Crocodile might miss her (or the idea of her) ? At any rate, I don't think he's OK. You stupid dick. You self-marooned on this island of misery and now it's too late. No changies, no takebacksies.

I came up with the title post-fact. Maybe it's his thoughts, not hers?

[silent-sanctum]

The Part 3 Dilemma

I have one of this random thoughts of mine and it's about one of the complaints about Stardust Crusaders

"I dropped at Part 3 because the plot dragged too long" "The Monster-of-the week trope made it boring"

Personally, I don't mind it (thanks to Jotaro's presence tbh). But I do understand why others feel that way. I feel like the reason Araki decided to stick with that set-up is because for one, it's a shonen series (a.k.a a manga who's targeted for young boys), and two that it's because it's his way of experimenting with a new power system.

So, you can't really blame a guy who wanted to test things out in the beginning rather than to focus on writing a more engaging story, more so when him knowing that the introduction of Stands and their powers was able to bring him the most commercial success.

But from a writer's perspective and someone who watches a lot of shows, I think what made SC such a sludge to get through is this part's lack of subplots.

What do I mean by that? Let me explain:

"A subplot is a narrative thread that is woven through the media to support the elements of the main plot. A subplot can build out the conflict in the main plot or it can be a vehicle for a secondary character's storyline."

Essentially, it's a method of fleshing out the story more by introducing the audience a side story to either tackle a theme that's related to the main plot or develop a character more to better understand their purpose in the story.

Now let's look at Part 3

The central point of this part is that a big bad has returned to wreak havoc on the Joestars and the world and it's the heroes' job is to get rid of him once and for all. It's odyssey-based where we get to see the guys go on this journey and fight the bad guys until they reach the final stage.

But because this part involves just that- the fighting bad guys part- for 40+ episodes, it bores the audience because of how repetitive it's becoming. There's nothing else it has going on for it to keep the audience engaged.

There's a significant lack of subplots to enhance their journey to Egypt.

Compare that to the other parts…

Part 4: A slice-of-life/murder mystery plot that focuses on the stories of its residents (e.g. Koichi's development, Okuyasu's family issues, Yukako's obssesion, Rohan's antics as a mangaka, Josuke's bond with Joseph), before tying them into the main plot in the second half (e.g. Reimi's murder, the involvement of the Stand arrow, focus on Kira's mind as a psychopathic serial killer) Part 5: Got to look into the past of each of Bucciarati's crew: Giorno and Bucciarati's childhood, Mista's pre-Stand user life, Abbachio's past as a cop, Diavolo and Trish's dynamic, Fugo's history with his anger issues. There's also the involvement of the Stand arrow, brief focus on La Squadra's perspective, etc. Part 6: Explores the characters of Ermes (seeking justice for the death of her sister), FF (their path of finding their identity), delving deep into DIO's psyche about "attaining heaven", Weather Report's history with Pucci and Perla, and the estranged bond between Jolyne and Jotaro.

This is Araki improving his craft but when we compare that to Part 3, we can see that P3 only got the "fighting enemies until we reach the boss" plot going on. And that's tedious to get past.

Sure we got one subplot going: Polnareff's quest of avenging the death of his sister.

His purpose of joining the Crusaders in the first place was to find the killer. It's been tackled for more than one episode and in the process, we see him form rapport with the allies he made while still sticking to his mission, allowing the audience to connect to the Frenchman more (even to the point where they start to joke that he's the main protagonist instead of Jotaro)

But what of the rest? What of the development of the other Crusaders?

Kakyoin and his past as a lonely child born with a Stand?

How Avdol met Joseph, and what his motivation was to continue working with the latter?

Maybe a subtle foreshadowing of Joseph's infidelity or how he's doing in New York prior to the quest?

Heck maybe even a background as to why Jotaro turned to delinquency when in the past, he's seen or viewed as a regular happy child who does well and is active in school?

Instead, what we got is Kak's past revealed as a last minute attempt to make us feel sympathy for him as he's dying, Avdol died without much going about him, Joseph is just there to be the secondary Jojo, and 3taro is most of the fandom's worst version of Jotaro because at a surface level, he's seen only as a rude standoffish teenager who does not emote for no reason.

We don't get to connect with the Crusaders as much or as deep because we don't know them outside of "we're here to defeat the big evil" and a bunch of fighting.

tldr: Not enough character development because there's too much of the "beat the bad guys and win"

I don't know. It's just my personal take because usually when I consume media, I tend to get hooked onto the story when there's mini stories that fleshes out the overarching theme.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk

[punkitt-is-here]

As someone who grew up with g4 from the beginning (and was 17 when it ended), I like what you said about FiM slowly appealing to the adult fanbase more and more. The result is that the show kinda...grew up with me instead of letting me grow out of it.

The show evolved from simple episodic narratives to a grand one meant to answer adult fans' worldbuilding questions as my developing brain slowly wanted more to chew on. Meta episodes about fandom would come out when I myself would be getting more involved in fandom. The main characters themselves would go from acting like children in adult roles to acting more like fully-realized adults with issues that older me would better empathize with.

Idk, I think what people call 'jumping the shark' is more often just a show evolving and responding to feedback. Indulging fans isn't necessarily a bad thing either, and it's always infinitely better than the shows that live only to tease and spite their audience. (*cough*Supernatural*cough*)

yeah I really like this take; the show was already on for long enough that the initial target audience would have grown up regardless, so it makes plenty of sense for them to shift with their audience as well. nothing wrong with that, tbh. that's probably why i like seasons 4-5 more because at that point the show was pivoting older. Seasons 1-2 will always be out there for folks, thats for sure!

[raayllum]

How do you feel about the depth of the world building, and the target demographic and "realism" of the fantasy? The world and show is whimsical. It's targeted to a diverse audience, yet deal with some deep emotions. It's not aligned with human nature. Kings, queens, and generals don't charge in the front lines. Melodasies and fart flowers don't make a lot of sense, but they're entertaining concepts. I feel it's a sketch of the world that lets you focus on the core story and relationships.

I think there's a few things to keep in mind with TDP, specifically

The type of worldbuilding that typically gets included in fantasy

The type of worldbuilding that gets included in similar shows of its ilk (Steven Universe, She-Ra, The Owl House, and other contemporary kids' shows)

For fantasy, I'd say that TDP's worldbuilding is probably more 'shallow' due to the fact its a TV show, and the two season novelizations notwithstanding (which are already packed full of plot and written for a younger audience), it is much, much easier to do detailed worldbuilding in narrative fiction than visual media. Visual media can get away with communicating visual worldbuilding and splendid visuals, but in order for us to learn history or culture or anything along those lines, it almost exclusively has to come with dialogue, which is time consuming and you have to make sure the scene is still engaging; you don't even have the room to info dump a paragraph or two the way you could get away with in a book

So TV show worldbuilding, I'd say TDP is doing its best, considering its runtime and that worldbuilding is absolutely a priority. The expanded look at Xadia and Sunfire elf culture was one of my favourite things about S4

But in comparison to other kids' shows out there that are airing, or have recently aired? TDP is on a whole other level I don't think will be matched anytime soon. ATLA probably has a leg up on cultural worldbuilding (which also makes sense given the run time and nature of bending) but even then, there are plenty of things we know in TDP that we don't know in ATLA, such as history that goes hundreds and thousands of years back, local laws and judicial systems outside of one Earth Kingdom town, what more than one type of culture conducts as a funeral rite, etc.

Of the three other examples given, I think SU has the best worldbuilding, but we still don't really know what the Gem colonization of other planets was like. TOH develops some worldbuilding ideas, but never really wholly takes them to fruition, and even when I was more favourable to She-Ra while it was airing, worldbuilding was never a strong suit or seemed to be a focus of the series. Which is fine, as not every fantasy show wants to prioritize worldbuilding, but damn if I don't love it when they do, since it's one of my favourite parts of the genre as a fantasy reader and writer

And there are definitely kings, queens, and generals who have fought on the front lines in the past; it was expected for them to be involved in warfare. Melodaisies and fart flowers aren't grounded in a worldbuilding need, but neither are our silly real world equivalents of something like say, kazoos and whoopee cushions, that exist for no real reason other than that they're Fun and can be made by human hands. (And there are flowers, and even stink bugs, that do emit smells in nature.)

TDP definitely prioritizes a Top-Down approach in terms of writing from theme first and foremost and then weaving things in as they need, which they've acknowledged. The show, understandably as a story and something operating under story constraints, is more than willing to place plot and theme over logistics, but most stories are, tbh. So I think the sketch is detailed, but the focus is on how the characters interact with each other (and the theme accordingly) and the world is largely built around it - there's a reason it's not a world with a whole bunch of other continents, after all, simply because it didn't need to be. If you're interested in more thoughts in this vein / how TDP constructs itself, I'd recommend checking out this meta I wrote here <3

[anonymoushouseplantfan]

The mail online, whilst the online version of the daily Mail, is the biggest online newspaper in the world - in terms of daily views. It’s number one and has been since 2014/2015.

Quick google search says over 50% of its daily views come from outside the UK - noting the large audiences (and different home pages) they have in India, Australia and The USA.

So I wouldn’t say they’re targeting the British tabloids through the Mail - who themselves have become a little too reliant on social media to find stories, especially about the royals. For example, everything Kate has done in the last week, especially anything that has wound up as a gif/TikTok video has also been an article on the Mail online.

I would however say that they have a habit of “targeting” British papers depending on what they’re trying to accomplish.

For example The Sun newspaper, who up until 2018, were the most purchased daily newspaper and still sell around 1 million copies daily in the UK. Since leaving, H&M have either leaked or granted exclusive access to the sun on the following stories;

Megixt - they blame the family for the leak. Dan Wotton who broke the story claims it came from the Sussexes.

Invictus - pretty sure they allowed the sun to have photo access at the last games in the Netherlands.

Lilibets 1st birthday photos.

The Sun’s royal reporter Matt Wilkinson was getting all the Sussex info for a while; then they switched to Jack Royston at Newsweek (which tbh here in the Uk, I’m not sure how many Brits actually read Newsweek?). Jack flipped around the Netflix docuseries/book.

Since QE2’s death/funeral they’ve been buddying up with the telegraph - but more reputable here in the UK - started with the whole “Harry not allowed to wear uniform/sad that his epaulets were left off during the grandchildren vigil” and continues to this day.

So there is targeting the British press, but like everything with these two, which journalist/reporter/paper will change with whatever they’re trying to project/accomplish.

Good points. However, I don’t think they are really “targeting” the UK papers. I think the UK papers are the only ones that are willing to print their leaks for free right now. If they want US coverage, they have to pay for it and they don’t have the money right now.

That’s why their pap pics are now on TMZ. What with their lawsuits and loss of status even the Mail isn’t paying for her pics.

[theintrovertbean]

About Dorian and where I stand

I think it's time I voiced my actual opinion of Dorian. Partly because I need to write this down for myself to better understand my own feelings, and because of some of my posts, it might be hard to understand where I stand. Nowadays, I know it matters. Yeah, I gave it a chance. No, it didn't make me a Dorian enjoyer, but even though it makes me cringe sometimes, I don't think it's the worst thing to ever exist.

Disclaimer: This is my opinion to which everyone is free and more than welcome to add their own. I will address both good and bad things about Dorian, and I am going to criticize it. I also have to add that while I've been playing The Arcana for five years, I was gone for a while and missed out on a lot, especially the part when Dorian bought the game, so I'm not your all-knowing narrator. This is not a personal attack against anyone, whether they have a positive or negative opinion about Dorian. No drama here, just opinions and even some advice. Now let's begin.

I think the concept of Dorian is good, but it could be much better executed. The company makes some questionable choices, like now with the 3D figurines or when they posted those tales of the M6. I think the vast majority can agree that those tales felt like a living nightmare. That's certainly what they felt like to me, and I would prefer to ignore their existence. With the figurines, their quality is the issue. We do want the figurines, and we'd love them, but they don't look right, and I hate to say this because someone put effort into creating them (because, apparently, they're not AI-generated). Plus, I think it would be nicer if we could choose to get them painted. I'm aware that painted versions will be available too, but it would have made more sense to release both versions at the same time.

There are nice people on Dorian, I've met a few, so I don't think that liking Dorian automatically makes someone a bad person. It's simply not everyone's cup of tea. In many cases, for very understandable reasons. However, the people I actually communicated with were (and still are) very friendly and supportive. And tbh, there's no harm in enjoying the content that gets posted there. Unless it's something that promotes problematic ideas.

When I wanted to post a story there, I got loads of help, which I'm very thankful for, but some things make me wonder if I want my content to be put on Dorian. Ultimately, I've decided to do it, and I'm about to release the first episode. I know there are people on Dorian too, who would like to read some good Nadia content (not sure if I'm the right person for that, but there's no harm in trying). However, this is not a decision that I made lightly. I spent a lot of time wondering if I should do it. It's a personal moral compass thing, plus I know that there are people in my following who don't like Dorian. No, I am not going to abandon my blog. Everything I post on Dorian I plan on sharing here as well, one way or another. Right now, this is more of a test than anything else. And if somehow I end up becoming rich from the Dorian money, I can spend it on Arcana merch (/jk).

Dear Dorian, Arcana main 6 boobie mousepads when?

Seriously, my main goal is to spread the gospel about our goddess Nadia, wherever it may be, and I've had a few people encourage me to bring some content about her to the Dorian platform to show the Countess some love. But, know that when it happens, it's not because I'm such a big fan of Dorian. On the contrary, I'm quite critical of it, and anyone who has ever spoken to me knows that too. Anything I post on the Dorian platform will be purely out of my love for Nadia, my fellow simps, and the joy of creating.

Now, let's talk about Dorian's target audience. It's definitely not me nor the vast majority of The Arcana fandom. From what I've noticed, most of us are young adults, but Dorian is more attractive to people who are around their thirties. The adult adults. No hate to those people, hurting you is not my intention, and you did nothing wrong. It simply feels like Dorian is less focused on us younger people, partly because we are not very likely to pay them any money. However, an adult with a stable income is more likely to afford digital currencies. I understand that Dorian needs money too, or else they wouldn't be able to pay their creators, but it would be nice if they could do something in favor of the young adults as well.

Connected to the target audience, I have some things to say about the heart system too. If someone isn't familiar with it, Dorian uses hearts to unlock paid scenes. They use it for spicy content as well, but it's not exactly the best way to keep minors from accessing them. Yes, there are minors on the Dorian app too, I've seen a few. As soon as someone downloads the app, they get free hearts and they don't even need an account. Dorian is a social media platform with streaming features and by joining/starting a live stream, users are able to access all paid content, spice included. Having spicy content is not the issue, but making it so available is. I know, I know, places like Play Store and App Store allow this, it doesn't go against their rules. But, look into your heart, and ask yourself if it really is okay. If it's possible, I'd like to encourage Dorian to at least make their users (whether they are registered or not) confirm that they are over the age of 18 or let them add their date of birth when they use the app for the first time. This way, they could add a feature that automatically hides adult content from underage users. It's not much, but I know some people who would feel better.

There are things on Dorian that I genuinely enjoy, like the current event, The Arcana Love Quest. I've seen people say that it divides the fandom and makes it seem like one person is a much better fan than the others, but as someone who actually participates, I don't feel that way. However, I get where these come from because it does seem off from the outside. (Rip Nadia guild, we didn't make it to the next round, but it was fun.)

Now the "negativity". There have been countless people who voiced their opinions about Dorian, and they often didn't speak too highly of the company. I didn't see it myself, but from what I know, there was even something about comments getting deleted by Dorian and people getting blocked. Of course, there are people who simply hate. In those cases, I understand they want to shield themselves and pretty much everyone else from witnessing those vulgar remarks. However, civilized, constructive criticism isn't something they should censor or ignore. It's impossible to satisfy everyone, but they have to try and listen because even though criticism doesn't always feel nice, it's for everyone's benefit. By listening to what people say, Dorian could improve.

The Dorian app itself tries to be too many things at once. Instead of adding new features, I think it would be better to make it more stable and easier to control because it can get glitchy and confusing at times. However, I have to give their support team credit because I had issues with the app myself. I filled out a ticket, and they solved it for me. They were civil, kind, and responsive, so I really can't complain about that.

And about what they're doing to the official The Arcana app. It's upsetting, I know, but since Dorian owns it, we can't blame them for advertising themselves on it. Some people make a living by working for Dorian and/or posting content there and that is something I respect because this is literally how they pay their bills and put food on their tables. However, it's starting to get out of hand and anything more would be too much. Like the Dorian app, it wants to be too many things at once. To make the "Tales" button smaller than the Dorian stuff next to it is something that doesn't sit right with me. Also, half of the "Dailies" page is now about Dorian. There's also an entire page for streams, which is kinda unnecessary because if I want to watch a stream, I'll use the actual Dorian app for it anyway. Also, as soon as I open The Arcana app, I get like, three pop-ups about Dorian, which honestly reminds me of using illegal websites for watching movies.

There is also something else I wish to say. We can't blame Nix Hydra's mistakes on Dorian, and we can't expect Dorian to post content like Nix Hydra did. As I mentioned before, Dorian is a social media platform. Yes, we got Arcana tales once, but that's not what Dorian is for.

In conclusion, The Arcana is cursed like Lucio's wing. Do I regret giving Dorian a chance, tho? Honestly, no, not really. At least I have seen both sides of the coin. Dorian is not the worst, but there is a lot of room for improvement. My advice is to listen to not only the praise but the constructive criticism too. There is potential in Dorian and if they did a better job, then maybe they could turn other people's and my head too. For now, I remain somewhere in the middle.

[theomnicode]

Looming tragedy

Oh a sudden thought hit me...

We saw how much Saitama broke when Genos was killed in front of him, right after we established that he cared for Genos with the core touch scene right?

Well.

We just established that Genos is infatuated with Saitama. He likes Saitama-sensei very much so.

Not that it wasn't very obvious anyway, but hey, it's down on actual words now.

You know what that means... and why romeo and juliet is really categorized as tragedy.

I have a sudden feeling it may be time to check out Genos side of that tragedy. Because he is making multiple deadly assumptions with bunch of the heroes here and operating on the false premise that Saitama is infallible and cannot be outplayed. It does not appear that he has told Saitama any pertinent information that should concern him either. He doesn't want to worry Saitama with nitty gritty details because Saitama is so strong he wouldn't need to know all of this anyway and Genos thinks he'd be fine anyway.

He puts all the eggs in one basket that Saitama is all they need in countermeasures against God.

(Oh hello Genos Edward scissorhands, it is nice to meet you chapter 172 Cover, all eggs in one basket)

But we as audience know that you cannot just rely on one person to bail out everyone. World doesn't work that way, you need people to help you out.

That would just make that one person with the capability to oppose the enemy and who everyone relies on have the biggest target painted at their back.

Prioritize this person's takedown and suddenly enemy's entire foolhardy plan falls like deck of cards. Play for the win condition and take out the General.

And we know OPM God knows his worst enemies well. He calls Blast by name and he surely knows by now that Saitama is the Abominable fist that opposed God.

Deadly mistakes, which are sure to cost Genos. Big time, when those rose-coloured goggles are ripped off and he remembers that Saitama is still just a human and his spirit, his emotions, jus as exploitable as anyone else's. Unfortunately, he seems too infatuated to see this obvious flaw in his battle strategy because he's not thinking logically and coolly.

Genos: It's about the way the protagonist judgement worked in the movie. Even if he had to go somewhere else, in that situation he should have quickly evacuated his family, friends and the heroine. That would have been the best decision. The way he did it, anyone would see what was his objective.

Saitama: Well... It's a movie. In any case, precisely because he had someone to protect the protagonist didn't give up and tried harder until the end, right? That's where the excitement is after all. Genos: I see... but, if he was in real trouble the enemy could have seen that objecti-

We joke that Genos is the real shonen protagonist of the series...well...

Kinda making a piss poor job that your supposed countermeasure can actually do their job right and has the tools and protection required to remain as a viable countermeasure option, by not telling him a single fucking thing, eh?

Kind of classic isfj mistake to make that because he has the details and has planned thoroughly, so he knows the best course of action. Naturally.

He's not the only one making that same mistake, because King too relies on Saitama a ton to bail him out and it already cost him is life once when Saitama did not. He got specifically targeted by one of God's minions because he baited it and made himself a threat.

OPM God got front row seats to check out exactly who Saitama is, what makes Saitama tick and has no misunderstanding about the importance of Saitama as a target and his scale of power. He got all the surveillance data he needed.

TBH if I was OPM God I'd just honestly stop sending useless footsoldiers and take matters to my own (invisible) hands if I wanted to destroy someone who proved themselves to be a mortal God. But that's just me though and I can't say I'm good at strategy games, but it would be pointless to throw down all these useful pawns for slaughter if Saitama can just kick their ass anyway, before Saitama himself is taken out. Brute force won't work, so more guile is needed.

Too late for Genos to evacuate anything now though.

[kimjeonej]

A Murderous Performance (Foolish Crew Band Au pt1)

Amidst the vibrant colours and loud music of a packed concert venue, the four singers—Socksfor1, Tbhhonest, Laffengas, and Joocie—were preparing to perform their latest album, titled ‘Fooling Around’. The venue was bustling with activity, from security guards pacing the aisles to fans eagerly waiting for the show to begin. As the band took the stage, the energy in the room was palpable. With each passing moment, the crowd grew more and more excited, eager to see the four performers in action. For the four of them, this was just another night on the road, but they knew that every performance mattered.

But as they launched into their first song, something felt off. The stage lights seemed to pulsate with sinister energy, and the crowd's cheers turned into murmurs of concern. Socks noticed Tbh's microphone cutting out mid-song, and as he reached over to adjust it, he felt a sudden jolt of pain shoot through her body. The next thing He knew, He was lying on the stage, blood surrounding his stomach as he stared up at the shocked faces of his bandmates. As Socks struggled to comprehend what had just happened, he heard Joocie's voice announcing the news to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, we regret to inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances, we will have to cancel the concert," he said, his voice shaking with emotion.

Suddenly, the sound of sirens filled the venue as police officers burst in, sirens blaring. They quickly cordoned off the area around the stage, sealing off any potential exits, as they launched a full-scale investigation. With the concert cancelled and the audience dismissed, the remaining members of the band were left to grapple with the shocking reality of what had just happened. Laff was the first to speak up, his voice shaking with fear. "Who could have done this? Why would anyone want to hurt him?"

As the investigation continued, the other three soon discovered that they were not the only ones targeted. In the chaos of the concert, they learned that some of the guards were also killed during the process of trying to kill Socks. As the gravity of the situation set in, the remaining band members realised that they were at the center of a murder. Fear and desperation began to grip their hearts, and they desperately tried to figure out who could have possibly done such a thing.

As they sat in silence, an unexpected knock at the door interrupted their quiet contemplation. It was the local detective, Blazerious, who had been assigned to the case. He offered his condolences for their loss before getting straight to the point. "We believe that this was a targeted attack," he said, his voice laced with emotion. "Someone wanted to silence you three for a very specific reason. Do you have any idea who would have wanted to hurt you guys?"

The band members looked at each other, each searching for an answer. A tense silence hovered over the room as they struggled to form a coherent thought. Suddenly, Joocie's eyes flew open, as if a lightbulb had just gone off in his head. "I think I might know!" He exclaimed, barely able to contain his excitement. "I remember hearing one of the security guards talking about a fan who had been behaving oddly at the concert. They said the person was acting nervous and kept following us around."

The detective's eyebrows shot up in interest. "Do you remember what this fan looked like?" Joocie shook her head. "Unfortunately not; no one was sure who they were.". The detective nodded, seeming to sense that they might finally be on the right track. "We'll get right on that, Joocie. In the meantime, I suggest that you all lay low and stay safe. This case is now our top priority, and we'll do everything we can to bring the killer to justice.". With that, the detective said his goodbyes and exited the room, leaving the band members to ponder their newfound information. They realised that they had a long road ahead of them, but they were determined to see this through. After all, they had their fallen friend to honour and justice to seek.

The crew tried to solve this case by themselves, while Detective Blazerious helped by giving them clues that his team found and by also doing his research. They couldn't fathom that anyone could have such a personal vendetta against them. "We need to be careful," said Laff. "Whoever did this clearly has it out for us. We should stay together and try not to go anywhere alone." The other two nodded in agreement. They all knew that they needed to be on high alert. It was a frightening reality, but one that was necessary.

As the weeks passed, the tension only grew thicker. The band members constantly felt like they were being watched, and they were jumpy at the slightest sound. They had all but shut themselves in their hotel rooms, terrified to leave for fear of being attacked again. But their nightmare was far from over. One night, as they were all fast asleep, they were suddenly woken by the sound of glass shattering. They bolted out of their beds, their hearts pounding in their chests. Tbh walked out of his room and saw the other two outside. “You guys heard that too?” His friends nodded, looking in the direction of the sound.

As they made their way towards the source of the noise, they were horrified to find that their hotel room had been broken into. The window was shattered, and their belongings were scattered all over the floor. In a state of panic, they quickly searched the room for signs of the intruder but found nothing. They couldn't help but wonder if this was the work of the same person who had previously targeted them.

Their fears were confirmed when the police arrived on the scene and informed them that the break-in was likely connected to the previous murders. They explained that the intruder had left behind some markings that only a killer would recognize. The band members were horrified. They knew that they were running out of time and that they needed to find the killer before it was too late. After the police left, the crew decided to stay up at night to continue their research and try to solve the mystery. They scoured the internet for any information on the murders and reached out to their fans to see if anyone had any information.

Despite their best efforts, they were no closer to finding the killer. The weeks turned into months, and the band members began to lose hope. They were exhausted and felt like they were chasing a ghost. “It’s really no use, isn’t it?” Laff complained, putting his head on the table that had all of the research papers. “We can’t give up yet; we have to find out who killed Socks…” Joocie tried to persuade his friend. Tbh was busy making some coffee for himself and his friends, so they could stay up late yet another night. “I swear, once we find whoever did this, I’ll burn their entire collection of whatever they like." Tbh mumbled to himself, Joocie and Laff were slightly concerned about the sentence but decided to let it slide.

“I’m starting to think that Blazerious isn’t even doing his detective work; he’s a known detective for being the best, solving crimes, and finding murderers. Yet it's been 2 months, and he hasn’t said a thing to us.” Joocie claimed, but he hoped that his suspicions were false. Laff sighed, “Alright guys, we have to get back to work…”. They kept staying up for several more nights, hoping one day they’d find the killer.

But then, one fateful day, they received a strange package in the mail. Inside was a cryptic note, warning them that the killer was still alive and watching their every move. The band members felt their hearts pounding. The band members held their breath, their eyes glued to the note in front of them. They had spent months searching for any sign of the killer, and this was the first real lead they had.

The note itself was short and to the point, simply telling them that the killer was still out there and that they were monitoring every move. The last line of the note, however, shocked them to their core. It read, "And remember, not everyone you trust is someone you should trust."

The band members couldn't believe what they were reading. They looked at each other, their hearts heavy with the weight of the situation. They began to question everything they knew. Who among them was the killer? And how had they managed to keep it a secret for so long? They sat in silence for what felt like hours, each lost in their thoughts. Finally, Tbh spoke up. "I'm hoping they didn’t mean it was one of us, because I wouldn’t be able to face it if it were one of you guys all along…” He says, his breathing is unstable and his hands are covering his face. Joocie placed a hand on his shoulder and sighed, "I... promise you, it would never be one of us…” Joocie looked at Laff. Laff nodded, not wanting to put any more pressure on the youngest. Joocie then pulled Tbh into a hug and placed his hand-covered face on his chest. “Hey, I promise, we’ll find whoever killed Socks. But for now, let’s go home, okay?”

Laff nodded in agreement. They knew that they needed to trust one another to find the killer, but it was slightly hard for Tbh. They spent the next few days locked in their hotel room, desperately searching for clues or any signs of the killer among the security guards, managers, stylists, and other staff. But no matter how hard they looked, they couldn't find anything that stood out. As they sat in silence, their nerves on edge, they felt a knock at their door. They exchanged nervous glances before cautiously making their way to the door.

As they opened it, they were met with a group of police officers and detectives, led by the local chief of police himself. The officers looked grave, and the band members knew something was seriously wrong. They opened the door to their dorm widely, letting Detective Blazerious enter their dorm with the chief officer. The chief stepped forward, his voice steady but firm. "We've had a breakthrough in the case," he announced. "We've determined that one of your staff is the killer, who placed a cyanide poison on Socks’s drink, causing him to die right away.”

The band members felt their hearts sink. They had known this was a possibility, but hearing the confirmation still hurt them deeply. "Who is it?” Laff asked, deeply worried about who it was. The chief took a deep breath before answering. "I'm sorry to say, but the killer is unfortunately—” He was cut off by the sound of a gunshot. The crew heard it too and looked back at the chief, only to realise he was the one who got shot.

The chief’s body dropped dead on the floor; around his waist, it was covered in blood. The three looked at the detective for a complete answer, but they noticed even he was shot. They thought the same thing and ran away from the area. As they ran, they saw that almost all of the police officers were also shot, leading them to run too. They ran as far as they could from the dorm, not wanting to be found by the killer. They stopped at a cafe where they always hung out, wanting to take a break before continuing. They got a place to sit and just sat there for a few moments until Tbh decided to break the silence. “We can’t just stay here! All of our research is back at our dorm! If we leave it there, what if the killer destroys all of it?!” He shouted.

Joocie and Laff looked at each other before Joocie answered as he side-hugged the younger one, “Hey, it’s not that we don’t want to go back. It’s just that... you saw what happened there; if we go back, who knows if we'll be next?". Laff agreed, “Listen, we’ll go back to our dorm tomorrow, but for tonight, let’s just stay in a hotel and hope that the killer doesn’t know where we are.”. Tbh sighed, looking down. He pulled his legs up on the chair and hugged his knees, wanting to cry. “I’m tired of this... I just want to go back to performing for the fans, I just want to go back to living a normal life…” He complains, burying his face between his knees.

Joocie rubbed his friend’s back, trying to comfort him. “We’ll get back to that life, alright? But for now, let’s just lay low until we’ve discovered who the killer is.” Laff says, he pulled out his phone from his pocket and tried to find a nearby hotel where they could stay for the night. They had to stop being artists until the case was solved, but for now, laying low would be the best option for them.

[that-left-turn]

But they did pull the ratings with towl l+3 ratings matching those of the series finale (3m) while having the biggest streaming numbers thus far. Considering how AMC is back to their Sunday's main show having 300k live viewers and how instead of directly having repeats of ep4 of towl like they're usually doing they put an episode of DD to surf on towl's success, that says a lot. I love both pair of characters so i don't understand this need of bashing or undermining towl (smelly boots really?), just sounds bitter tbh. Danai/Andy and Richonne have been all over sm during the whole run making people who never watched the show subscribe to see them so I'm pretty sure AMC is figuring out a way to keep them around. At the end of the day one show's success benefit the whole twdu, cause more people decided to watch the other spinoffs after towl

This ask is in response to a parenthetical on my post, but I suppose I could explain my logic. First, though, I want to point out that the driving force of my argument was that all the characters are important and there's room for everybody. I wasn't bashing anyone and I have utmost respect for Danai. I said that Rick's fans who turned up for what they expected to be a rollicking action adventure were disappointed.

Now, to the points in the ask. TOWL had relative success. AMC is doing poorly over all and TOWL performing the strongest out of a bad slate doesn't make for objectively good numbers. The spinoffs are part of the same franchise, on the same network and these are not cheap shows to produce, so the studio needs to see a ROI on all of them. AMC doesn't make money unless curious and casual viewers keep watching the shows and they're positioned differently, so the expected viewership doesn't overlap beyond hardcore TWD fans who watch all the shows. That's a very small group.

It's very common ahead of releasing an important show (to the studio/network's bottom line) to buy engagement. The buzz you see about a show is often staged to create the appearance of success. More people will tune in if they think others are watching it. This is industry standard and not specific to TOWL. If a studio is worried that the numbers won't be strong enough to recoup costs, they will spend quite a bit of money to make it look like something is doing well.

A normal studio—AMC doesn't have the best track record for fiscally responsible decision making—doesn't try to find ways to keep expensive and reluctant actors on board a project that doesn't make money. Reluctant actors mean more money to make them sign. FX is always expensive, but genre shows in the scifi/fantasy space are more so. You have the whole spectrum from physical fabrication to digital effects on a TWDU show. It's a large crew, multiple units and it's a mobile production, i.e. one that shoots on location. Big cost. If live numbers can't get above 1M, the studio is definitely not seeing ROI.

That said, I'm happy Rick and Michonne's story arc got its long awaited closure and that Richonne fans enjoyed the show. (I'm not very romantic so the act of smelling someone's well-used footwear might be lost on me as an expression of love, but I do apologize if anyone with a shoe fetish felt disrespected by my turn of phrase. It was not my intention to offend anybody.) I don't feel bitter at all that fans got to watch a show they had anticipated or that they loved it. All TV shows should be satisfying to their audiences and I hope DC and TBOC provide the same level of joy to their fans.

Studios just have to make sure that the target audience is large enough for a healthy profit margin—that was the point I was getting at in my original post. AMC needs to capitalize on all their talent to grow their market share (which is ridiculously small). They can't afford to alienate potential customers by ignoring half their leads: casual viewers won't know who's in the shows and fans, who buy merchandise and are more inclined to open their wallets, will get offended by the snub of their personal favorite(s). That's bad for business and why there shouldn't be any "big 3" (or 4 or 5) posts made by official social media accounts.

All six lead characters are important for TWDU longevity and AMC's financial health. It's the one IP the studio actually owns, (everything else is under license or spaghetti thrown at the wall). The different characters appeal to their own segments of TWDU's potential audiences, so in any post that promotes the whole franchise, AMC and any relevant production companies can't create tiers or rankings if they want to optimize ROI. It looks unprofessional and it's discourteous to the talent, which shouldn't be the basis of any business relationship. After all, these people are the face of the operation, those who make the studio their money.

Thanks for the ask, anon 💝