#people being like 'you have folks who care. it gets better' when you admit something like that is fucking meaningless because

[vagueiish]

no, ha ha, dont kill yourself, you're a valued member of society!

we don't actually care enough to learn about you and become more than polite acquaintances nor do we actually want to interact with you beyond empty platitudes and the requisite amount of small talk to seem polite, so we don't actually know your real value or what you might actually have to offer or anything about you really. and your obvious emotional pain is making us feel bad, so if you could find some other way to relieve it that doesn't involve exposing us to it in any way shape or form, that would be preferable....

oh, but don't kill yourself, ha ha, that'd be bad! because you definitely have worth! and people definitely care about you!

[olderthannetfic]

You know what obnoxious thing I keep seeing in fandom I wish would stop? This absolute need some people seem to have for their ship to be Representation in some way. Shipping is just imagining scenarios between two characters! You don’t need it to be a Special reason or whatever? I have a ship that is popular and people make weird vague comments about how the fandom is racist because both of them are white and there are other ship options that have poc so the white ship being big is a reflection on how racist the fandom is but the thing is…

Look I’m going to be real with y’all the fandom is for the game Detroit: Become Human and let’s just say the two major black characters are basically stereotypes written by a neocon lib boomer in a story that itself is imho…let’s call it tone deaf and corny af rather than overtly racist but yeah. Black folks on twitter regularly mock this game for good reason. It is very much a boomer white man’s idea of the civil rights movement but with robots. The robots sing actual slave hymns. The main character is essentially a light-skinned Martin Luther King Jr (dubbed Markus Luthur King by blktwt lol) and the religious allegories of him as a savior figure are very on the nose. It is bad lol. It’s not that I wouldn’t want to explore the black characters but the fandom is full of young white people singing the praises of this writing while patting themselves on the back about it which is genuinely uncomfortable to be around. Just my 2 cents but the virtue signaling and insane policing around those two characters makes it unbearable to interact with their content it is deeply sanitized and you WILL get death threats if you attempt any nuance or are critical of the (kinda racist imo) way they were written in canon.

The worst part of this is that Markus has a popular ship with a character a lot of people read or interpret as a more soft or femme gay man and you know what zoomers hate? Femme gay men. So obviously this is made to be ‘problematic’ in some way because these people can’t just admit to being femmphobic/homophobic themselves.

Sometimes it’s easier to stick with the boring white characters in the background because they aren’t being closely guarded by stupid reactionary people who are used to flashing their favorite fictional poc characters as tokens of their own goodness and virtue.

--

The pinnacle of this game is that moment when the black lady lectures her son about why they need to run the robot underground railroad to Canada.

I watched some playthroughs. Unsurprisingly, I liked the buddy cops with the good development, not the cringey activism plot with too many foils and not enough development of any single relationship and not the the Women Care About Babies plot.

But if I were going to do something fannish with Markus, I'd write him having a fucked up relationship with his mentor's son post game—the surrogate son who thought the guy was great and the estranged son who knew he wasn't but who has also done a bunch of shitty stuff himself.

It's especially hilarious when tryhards think the problem is not enough people shipping Markus with North as if the slashers are going to be into 1. het and 2. yet another unnecessary traumatic sex stuff backstory for a lady.

Even worse, half the whining isn't even about that Nines fanon nonsense being more popular than Markus: it's about how Markus/Connor would be better than Hank/Connor because old people are ew.

Sorry, children, a lot of people are here to thirst for Clancy Brown and because they'll turn up for any Caves of Steel ripoff. Other Connor ships were never in the running.

[thattimdrakeguy]

Hey,

So if it's not too much to ask, can you give me a summary on the Core Four's personalities? I really wanna know for analysis reasons, I'm re reading all the core 4 young justice and teen titans books and trying to decipher my favorite one.

I can give you the personalities as intended by their creators no problem, Person Newtonote.

Now as you read you might think "Oh, hmm, that doesn't add up with what I've read" when it gets into the Young Justice and Teen Titans books, but that's 'cause different writers write different things, and some writers understand some characters better than others, and some of it is just plain character development, or in worse case writers doing what ever they please 'cause they don't care.

I'll let you judge when what happens.

Onto what you've asked though, I'll try to keep it simple as I can while still being detailed:

Tim Drake:

My personal favorite, that much is likely obvious.

As intended, he is an idealistic young boy, and dreamed of Robin as an even littler boy (he's pretty small for his age). He's clever, and resourceful, and thinks very very highly of the legacy of Robin. It's his heart though that got him his job as Robin, and his compassion and genuine passion for the role of Robin. And he displays what many may call boy scout tendencies. Even admitting to original Robin Dick Grayson that he enjoys helping old lady's cross the road (or something like that.)

Being raised in private schools, without a lot of friends (He's shown having no friends until he goes to public school to my knowledge), he's a pretty naive and oblivious, trusting person. And it's through out his journey's he has to learn how dark Gotham City can get. Though compared to the other Bat-Family members of this era (90s) he's very much the heart and light-hearted youthful energy to it.

His social ability is mostly perfectly fine, he's no complete weirdo. Kid can get friends easy peasy. Easily likable to folks. Endearing. But he has an oblivious side, and can get ahead of himself. Has a habit of getting spiritually adopted by people who instantly want to protect him. Anyone from Batman, to former CIA agents, and even villains. He's just got that babyface on him, and button nose.

He also deals with anxiety in terms of being Robin, being worried that he may be stripped of the job, or let people down, or mess something up. And sometimes that lends him having a lot of insecurities about himself. While having some prior training in martial artists, and implications of having taken gymnastics, also a former boy scout, he still doesn't naturally take to the role like all other Robins around him. Which means he has to try a lot harder to have his keep.

In the Bat-Family in this era (the 90s) he's the heart, and baby to everyone. They're uber protective of him, and take him out of the action when they deem it to be too much for someone like Tim. Within Young Justice he puts on a heavy Robin persona to hide what he's really like. Making himself out to be a more Batman-esque mysterious leader.

When really, he's a dorky, fanboy, who loves Kaijus, Crocky the ??? Crocodile I guess (Basically Barney the Dinosaur), super heroes, cars, Warlocks and Warriors (Dungeons and Dragons), sports, comics, Sci-Fi, fantasy, and cartoons. Self-admitted geek, with some popular interests in there.

Think of Tim as sort of Autistic kind of. He's never officially said to be. But when you read his origin, it's definitely a legitimate way to interpret him. Though I believe his uniqueness is intended to really be molded by Tim's passion, and obliviousness from a lack of parental figures in his very young life.

Tim is supposed to be an optimist, as told by his creator, but to be real a lot of writers seem to forget that, even when making jokes about how he's optimistic compared to others. I think sometimes the writer's own cynism leaks out into him. So remember that...despite a lot of writers forgetting it. Be better than them.

Cassie Sandsmark:

My personal second favorite member, but, please, make up your own mind here.

She's a rebellious teenage girl, and tomboy. She stays up pass curfew to party, but is at heart a good hearted individual who truly wants to help. This comes at odds with her stubborness and headfirst attitude. She hates being treated as a kid. And shows a great deal of intuition and cleverness. She's also a babysitter. Seemingly a good one too.

Her need to prove herself can put itself ahead of her own logic though. And she buts head with her very stuffy mother who doesn't appreciate Cassie's care-free nature. She means a lot to Cassie, and Cassie wants her approval. Cassie's natural being is...very much in contrast to what her mother would prefer though. It's fun.

A lot like Tim she's also shown to be a Super Hero fanboy. For her it's specifically Wonder Woman and the Flash, while with Tim it's basically anyone the writer decides he hasn't met offscreen yet.

Through her journey's she learns to contain herself though, and better use her powers.

Bart Allen:

The most teenager-y teenager you ever seen. He has ADHD, but not the uber-hyperactive, talkative, hugger you see in some more modern misunderstandings of him.

Originally he was pretty quiet. Super popular in his school. Girls loved him and considered him a pretty boy. But in reality he has no social knowledge, because he was raised in basically a video game for two years. He's essentially an alien learning to fit in with human civilization. So he's incredibly reckless without intention. It takes him awhile to truly process the concept of death and related repercussions. So he's sort of dangerous.

He can be quite surly, and mean spirited on occasion. But like most heroes, he has a good heart that comes out in the end. It's just simply the 90s and being Anti-Authority is the norm. His name is Bart after all. Underneath that is a young man who does sweet things when he has it in him.

Just don't think of him like a baby like how a lot of people make him out to be. He's a teen's teen.

Original Bart, like original Tim, and original Cassie, to me, is the best version of the character. The most nuanced, and interesting.

Oh, and minor violent streak on Bart too. Started a fight before, and stuff like that.

He cares inside. That has to count for something right?

Kon-El:

Hot-Headed pervert. Over-confident. Fame hungry. Lady magnet. Stubborn. Head first. Sort of a prick. But again good hearted.

I haven't read him as much as the others, because I don't personally care for him. Then in the early 00s with Teen Titans they decided just to make him an angsty young Clark, which is personally boring.

I don't have a lot of great things to say about him. His solo is very dated, and overtly sexual. Something I have no interest in reading.

He's at his best in Young Justice though, where he isn't written as jail bait by a writer who thought it'd be great if he dated grown women to fulfill teenage boys dreams. Instead you get to have fun with a very flawed character without the distracting perversion...mostly.

Punk styled. Loves dressing like a punk. Until he doesn't. Ruh-roh.

--

Again though, different writers write different things. They catch onto different things more than others, some are plain neglectful, others don't care, some want to change stuff for the sake of it. It's comics, you'll be lucky if it's consistent.

But on my years of studies, all that is what the character's where intended to be by their creators. So a lot of it is a starting pad, but it's also the purest form of them you're going to find.

[loveinhawkins]

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 ao3

Eddie finds Wayne outside, round the back of the hotel. He’s sat on a little bench next to a trellis doing another damn crossword, the newspaper folded across his knees; and it’s almost funny, how he so easily seems to find peace and solitude during the impossible. But then Eddie remembers unplanned nights at the trailer from years ago, seeking refuge from raised voices and smashed bottles—and figures that Wayne’s always been good at carving out quiet moments amongst chaos.

Wayne looks up when Eddie sits down on the bench, too, appraises him thoughtfully.

“You’re looking better.”

“Well, damn, Wayne,” Eddie says, “was I ugly before or something?”

Wayne raises his eyes to the heavens, but he can’t hide the tiny smile tugging at his lips—and, God, Eddie thinks, he’s never taking this for granted again. Lately they’d gotten too used to passing like ships in the night—they had a vague plan to order takeout, watch T.V on one of Wayne’s rare days off, but then Chrissy…

“Steve doing good?” Wayne asks shrewdly, and Eddie nods, says that he’s heading to his house to pick up some of his stuff.

Wayne reaches into his back pocket, brings out his car keys and tosses them to Eddie. He jerks his thumb to the hotel parking lot.

“I’m parked near the front, just bring it back whenever you’re done.” He eyes Eddie, a little grave. “You just take care, all right? Don’t stop for no-one.”

Eddie nods again. Pushes back a tight knot of anxiety. “I won’t. Hey, uh… how long do we, you know,” he glances at the hotel building, “have here?”

Wayne follows his gaze. “Well, they’ve not asked me for my credit card yet,” he says, entirely straight-faced, and when Eddie just huffs a small laugh, he adds, “Government’s stepping in to re-house folks. Heard some of the trailers aren’t too damaged, so…”

Eddie puts two and two together. “People are moving back?”

“Some of ‘em,” Wayne confirms mildly. “The park still needs more work, reckon it’ll be months, at least, before it starts looking like—”

“I don’t think I can do it,” Eddie blurts out. “Go—go back, I mean.”

It’s painful to admit, that he wants to run from the one place that used to make him feel safe. But he can’t hide from it, how the horror is pervasive: how he thinks of Chrissy in the living room, and Steve’s missing tape in his bedroom, and him sinking to the ground in the trailer park, despairing, a lifeless Steve in his arms.

“All right,” Wayne says, like it’s simple.

Eddie bites his lip. “But. Wayne. It’s… it’s your home, too.”

Wayne sighs but not unkindly. He ruffles Eddie’s hair. “We’ll figure it out, Eddie,” and it sounds like he’s saying, You know full well that’s not really where ‘home’ is.

Eddie smiles. Blinks and looks away to wipe his nose with the back of his hand. When he stands up, he takes a peek at the crossword, tuts and says, “Come on, old man, you’re getting slow.”

“You’re a damn menace, that’s what you are.”

“Six across, four letters,” Eddie continues, sing-song, “All you need, to the Beatles.”

“I hadn’t got round to—”

Eddie twirls the car keys round his finger, does a stupid little spin as he leaves, just because he can. “Love!” he exclaims, hand on his heart, and Wayne chuckles.

-

He goes the extra mile in being cautious, takes backroads that he knows will be quiet, makes himself as small as possible in the driver’s seat. The town still feels ghostly, and the very occasional people he does drive by on the sidewalk don’t appear to really notice him, and he doesn’t quite know how to feel about it.

When he pulls up into Steve’s driveway, he glances in the rear-view mirror and sees another car crawling past—like it’s surveying rather than stopping. Then he realises that it’s Nancy who’s driving.

He sounds his horn as quietly as he can, and she starts, waves at him with a significant delay. She gets out, meets him at the front door.

“It’s empty, Jonathan took them all on a grocery store run,” Nancy says. Her voice is too level, like she’s putting all her effort into keeping it like that. “The spare key’s here.” She lifts up the door mat and bends down to pick up the key.

There’s mud all over her boots. Eddie only needs one look to know that it’s from the trailer park.

He kind of wants to hug her, honestly, but he doesn’t know yet what she really needs.

He lifts up the bag he’d brought. “Thought I’d do some laundry,” he says lightly, just to break the silence.

Nancy regards the bag with something like relief, and she takes it from him. “I can start a load,” she says, and then she opens the door and stops, right there in the hallway.

Eddie doesn’t blame her. With the house empty, their footsteps seem overly loud. There’s nothing to distract him from remembering the last time he was here, watching Steve’s forced normality. The clinking of bottles, back to the kids. His voice echoing eerily off the ceiling. You guys trust me, right?

Eddie gives himself a shake, heads for the stairs. “I’m just gonna—Steve wanted some clothes picked up, so…”

He trails off in invitation, looking over his shoulder.

But Nancy stays right where she is. She looks up to the top of the stairs then rapidly pales, a hand reaching out to steady herself against the wall. There’s a faint thump as she drops the bag onto the floor.

“Woah, woah.” Eddie hurries back, grabs her by the elbow. “You okay? You wanna sit down?”

Nancy shakes her head, screws her eyes shut for a moment. “No, I’m—I’m fine.”

“You sure?” Eddie says, uncertain.

She grips Eddie’s arm, breathes. Lets go and raises her head. “Yeah, I’m… I just need.” She picks up the bag again, straightens. “Just need to not—not think for a bit.”

Eddie releases his hold on her slowly, steps back when she doesn’t sway again.

“Yeah, I get that,” he says softly.

She reaches for a door to the left, before the kitchen. “Laundry room’s in here,” she says. Then, matter-of-fact, adds, “See you once you’ve got his things?”

Eddie nods but stays put. “Shout if you need me?”

Nancy softens. “Sure.”

-

In the end, Eddie’s almost glad that he heads to Steve’s bedroom alone, because he ends up freezing in the doorway for almost a full minute.

There’s more ghost-like memories in here. One of Steve’s drawers has been pulled fully out, left on the floor, and it’s like Eddie can hear Erica and Lucas scrabbling, throwing things out in their search for the tape.

Then he thinks of Dustin, his voice cracking; hearing him in the midst of asking, incredulous, “—not even going to look at me?”

Dustin’s furious, watery eyes flash through his mind, as does I hate you, and Steve turning his back, hiding as one tear falls down his cheek—

Enough.

Eddie takes a deep breath. Once he finally crosses the threshold, it’s easier—he does his best not to stop. He focuses on finding clothes that are loose and soft, easier for Steve to put on over a cast. It’s endearing, to see wrinkled t-shirts in the closet, placed close to hand, clearly worn and familiar and comforting.

He has to reach for the drawer on the floor anyway, picks a couple of sweaters in case Steve gets cold. And maybe it’s silly, but his hand lingers on the wooden surface as he does so, touching the impression of where Steve’s hand had been; as if he can somehow reach into the past and keep him safe.

He skims the bookshelf with interest, prompted by Steve’s suggestion. The majority of it is made up of old children’s books—twee collections of Winnie The Pooh and Beatrix Potter which make him smile. Then there’s a volume of poetry that catches his eye, simply because it’s been left crooked on the shelf, like Steve had recently been reading it, before distractedly putting it back.

Eddie picks it up, puts it on top of his little bundle of clothes and takes it with him.

- Nancy’s sitting on a beanbag in the laundry room, watching the washing machine whir, eyes unfocused. The beanbag is a garish red, at odds with the rest of the furniture in the house, marking it as a ‘Steve purchase.’

The washing machine beeps when it’s done; Eddie puts his clothes in the dryer, remembering Steve’s words and slamming the door shut. Nancy jumps in her seat.

“Sorry,” Eddie says.

She exhales. “It’s fine.”

It’s then that Eddie notices she’s taken her boots off; there’s dried blood on her socks. He recalls Wayne saying she looked like she’d been at the trailer park for hours; and he wonders just how far she has walked.

But before he can even tentatively ask, Nancy speaks first.

“I’m—it wasn’t you, I just. I can’t go in his room.” Her voice is thick. “You know, Barb… Barb’s parents, they kept her room ex-exactly like it…” She laughs sadly. “I couldn’t stop thinking that she’d just walk through the door.”

Eddie got an inkling that the disappearance of Barbara Holland was Upside Down related when Nancy came out of her Vecna trance, trembling in Steve’s arms. Before they’d scaled the rope, he’d overheard her whisper, tearful, “He showed me Barb.” Caught when Steve made a soft noise like he’d been punched: “Oh, Nance.”

Now Eddie watches Nancy glance upwards, blinking rapidly, and knows that Barb can never come home.

“I just couldn’t…” Nancy sucks in a sharp breath. “Couldn’t go in there, not when—when he’s not here, this place feels like a fucking museum.”

“He’s coming home,” Eddie says. “He’s gonna be okay.”

Nancy nods slowly. She curls further into the beanbag, wincing as she moves her feet.

They don’t speak for a short while, the dryer churning in the background. Eddie finds a handheld brush in a cupboard, picks up Nancy’s boots.

“Scooch,” he says gently, and they share the beanbag.

Little by little, Eddie scrubs the mud off Nancy’s boots. It’s dried and caked on in places, obviously fresh in others.

His uncle’s voice in his head again: I think she was waiting for something to happen, too.

“Hey, Wheeler?” Eddie says, almost a whisper. “You don’t need to, uh… keep checking, you know?”

Nancy doesn’t look at him.

He thinks of her freezing at the trailer park, clutching a coffee Wayne brought her, stuck waiting, and it breaks his heart.

“Don’t go back there,” he says.

She sighs like she can’t promise that.

Eddie gathers himself. “Fine, here’s the deal.” He waits until she turns to him, expectant. “If—if you need to… don’t go back there alone, okay?”

She blinks those eyes that have seen far too much. “How?”

“I’ll go with you,” Eddie vows.

She doesn’t say anything. But she leans into him, their shoulders pressed together, and that’s all the answer he needs.

-

“Why’d you bring so much?” Steve says with amusement when Eddie shows him the bundle of clothes.

“So you’ve got options! I don’t know how you style yourself, Harrington.”

“Whatever brings out my eyes,” Steve says, deadpan.

“I thought you said your hair was your ‘best feature.’”

“Thanks for the air quotes, man, appreciate it.” Steve actually bats his eyelids. Idiot, Eddie thinks fondly. “Why’re you limiting me to only one best feature?”

“Wow. Think all that hair just hides your big head.”

Steve flips him off—correctly this time. “Pot, meet kettle,” he echoes, and laughs when Eddie throws a sweater in his face.

-

Steve catches him reading the poetry book over dinner. “You can, like, doodle in it or whatever, if you want.” He shrugs. “I’m not precious with it.”

Eddie reaches for a pen, but only to add a tongue-in-cheek note for Steve to find on the title page, signs and dates it: When it was discovered by Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson that Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington had hidden depths.

It’s an anthology, so Eddie flips through it out of order, settling on random pages on a whim. Then several markings in pencil catch his eye.

He pauses. He vaguely recognises this poem from English. Steve has underlined the very end.

I was much too far out all my life  And not waving but drowning.

Eddie stays on that page for a long time—thinks of Chrissy, how he’d only ever remembered her as smiling before she sat in front of him in the woods, picking the skin around her fingers.

Pictures Steve, his inexplicably tender smile in the RV. This bit really isn’t so bad, Eddie.

Steve clicks his fingers, burnt lasagne mid-way to his mouth. “Hey, where’d you go?”

Eddie starts, turns the page. “Oh, nowhere.”

He shuts the book.

[nokingsonlyfooles]

The Dark Secret of Kung Fu Panda, Part 2...

...if you're coming from a place of Western tropes and values, you need to read Shifu as a shitty teacher, or the story doesn't scan.

Oh, and also a shitty parent, a shitty student of kung fu, and a shitty student of Buddhism.

(Sorry, little dude.)

I've already unpacked the teacher part, but all these things are a result of trying to write a story set in China, that both Chinese and Western audiences will understand. They did very well! But there's always a few folks who aren't able to keep up with a complex read like this - and they don't go, "Oh well, this story wasn't for me," they get mad at the characters and the writers.

So! Let's talk more about kung fu, Buddhism, child development, tropes and subversions - and whether that shiny piece of paper Tai Lung was after actually meant something or was just an elaborate troll.

I like to go to TVTropes and read the Headscratchers. For a storyteller like me, it's like playing Narrative Minesweeper. Let's see, did anyone have trouble with this plot point? (click) Ah, not too bad. What about this one? (click)

(Check that link! This is the page for Kung Fu Panda 2! People are really upset about this!)

KABOOM! Oh, man. Okay. Let's plant a flag in that and try to figure out why it blew up so bad.

Something I've seen across stories is that audiences have a really hard time noticing that they are being lied to when characters or narrators say one thing and do another. I think it's a mirage coughed up by the suspension of disbelief required to consume a story in the first place. We see a lot of villains who are supposed to be criminal masterminds, yet to make the plot go they have to behave like utter idiots. We're willing to put up with that, as long as it seems like they're supposed to be brilliant in-universe.

Then Rian Johnson throws a character like Miles Bron at us. The whole point of Miles is we're supposed to roll with the "in-universe mastermind" tropes, but only up to a point. The message of the film rests on the audience's ability to snap out of it, pick up their critical thinking skills and go, "Yeah, this guy never did one smart thing. Just a lot of audacious things, because he's too sheltered and dumb to understand the consequences."

But if you check the Headscrachers for Glass Onion (and if you care to look at any right-wing critiques of the film), you'll find a lot of people groping for reasons Miles is smart, actually. Maybe Blanc just called him dumb to get a rise out of him! Maybe he's smart socially but dumb with business! Or vice-versa! Maybe the film is badly-written!

No, he is very dumb. Truly. And I don't think the film is badly-written. But some people just blow right trough a sign reading "STOP RIGHT HERE, THIS TROPE IS BEING SUBVERTED, THE DETOUR IS THIS WAY" stagger off the path, and wind up dead in a ditch. Metaphorically speaking.

The above Troper - who is upset by Tai Lung's lack of a redemption arc, while expecting a nuanced story where the bad guys aren't all bad - has failed to detect a nuanced story where the good guys aren't all good.

In China, audiences need a stop sign that reads "Actually, the brilliant teacher is still learning and can do even better." This isn't too jarring, especially given the relationship between Oogway and Shifu. Shifu admits Oogway is a better teacher than him, and smarter than him. Even when he doesn't understand the lesson and loses hope of ever understanding it, he doesn't blame the turtle, he blames himself for just not getting it, and prepares to clean up his mess the best way he knows how. For his part, Oogway was clearly trying to get some hard lessons into Shifu's head - up to and including, "You don't actually need me to guide you down the path, you need to start looking around and trying to understand it for yourself..."

"Bye-eeee!"

Oogway is teaching in accordance with Theravada Buddhism, which is basically the philosophical equivalent of trying to get the dog to notice you've dropped the bacon on the ground and he's not gonna get anything by sniffing your fingers.

Tai Lung's return is an emergency situation, and if Shifu's not careful he'll be trying to reach enlightenment from the Spirit Realm (which does seem doable, given that Oogway continues to train and meditate himself). So Oogway leaves Shifu a $50, says, "You will have to find bacon without me," and buggers off. Permanently. And you know what? After three films, it works!

"Ah, you have finally mastered your Pride. Never stop learning, my most stubborn student!"

On the other hand, a Western audience has much less patience for jerk-ass teachers - and while they do have experience with Trickster mentors, it's much harder for them to see where Oogway is coming from, and why he nopes out instead of just being honest when it's important! They need a much bigger stop sign that says, "SHIFU IS ACTUALLY A SLOW STUDENT AND A BAD TEACHER AND OOGWAY HAS BEEN DESPERATELY TRYING, AND FAILING, TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM FOR DECADES." But that's unnecessary and nonsensical in China. What we ended up with is much more subtle and open to interpretation. Some people decided to interpret it as, "Oogway's a troll, Shifu's an idiot, Tai Lung got a raw deal, nobody ever admits any of this, and this movie is stupid."

It's true, nobody ever gets called a troll or an idiot - that would be incredibly disrespectful in China, so that's a nonstarter - so you have to draw your own conclusions based on what they do. We see Shifu having a lot of difficulty in picking up what Oogway is laying down. He trusts Oogway implicity and knows there is always some kind of wisdom being imparted, but he gets impatient and tries to speed up the lesson, or he grabs for the most obvious interpretation and runs, or he just gives up and falls back to something he understands a little better.

Like when he gets sick of waiting for Oogway to blow out the candles and get to the point and he douses all of them with a cool move. Oogway is modeling the behaviour he'd like to see - Shifu really needs to slow down and learn patience. But Shifu responds as if the lesson is, "My Master needs help blowing out candles!" which is just silly, but he's going too fast and not paying attention.

Now watch Po listen to Oogway... and watch Oogway listen to Po! Oogay doesn't run in and go, "We don't have time for this! Tai Lung's coming! Get your shit together!" He lets Po set the pace, reflects back his feelings, and offers a little nudge. Which Po absorbs and thinks about at his own pace, instead of pushing to understand everything as fast as possible right now. Ideally, that's how it should go, but with Shifu this approach has about as much impact as boinking croutons off a brick wall.

So it's not too difficult to imagine that Shifu let his pride get the better of him in educating Tai Lung, while ignoring multiple nudges from his own teacher, because he was just too focused on his ultimate goal and going too fast.

In this case, his ultimate goal was a shiny piece of paper his Master rolled up and stuck in a cool-looking temple, all to give some future student a nudge to help them understand, "Self-worth isn't earned or bestowed in this way, it is intrinsic." And Shifu focused on proving his worth as a teacher by trying to turn out a student who was worthy of the scroll!

"Son, I am beginning to suspect you just ain't right in the head."

How can a friend and teacher manage this without stepping off the path of Theravada Buddhism, which a Chinese audience will recognize and expect to remain consistent? The only thing to do is back off, give your student some room to screw up, and nudge him again when he's open to listening.

Unfortunately, that took a very long time. Decades. In the meantime, Tai Lung grew up expecting to make his father proud by earning the scroll.

"What do you MEAN I spent my whole life training and I'm STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH?"

There is something that I was taught explicitly, because I learned how to teach preschoolers: it is super easy to get kids to believe your love is conditional and dependent on their ability to get good grades and perform. Like, you can swear up and down that you love your child no matter what, but if you lose your shit and take them to Disneyland when they make Student of the Month, the kid is going to draw their own conclusions. You know how Tai Lung complains about how hard Shifu drove him to train? You can do that with praise just as easily as with discipline. More easily, sometimes.

In China, that's a perfectly acceptable way to teach a child, no further explanation necessary. In the West, not so much, but the writers can't hit us over the head with how wrong it is because in China, it's fine. So we have to watch and pay attention to how they act.

In the flashbacks, we never see Shifu being anything but loving and supportive, even when Tai Lung rips off a piece of his moustache and causes him obvious pain.

We never see the leopard boy eat all of his dad's bamboo furniture and cause a freakout (presumably followed by apologies on both sides). Young Shifu seems to have two modes of parenting and teaching: "I'm proud of you" and "Wow! Great job! I'm extra proud of you!" the second of which is reserved for punching and kicking real good. If that's all his dad seems to want from him, and the solution to every problem is to train harder and punch and kick better, it's possible Tai Lung's first experience with real failure is not getting the Dragon Scroll. You know, the thing his dad named him after.

His lack of experience with failure is evident in his reaction; he has no emotional maturity, he's like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. Shifu taught him how to punch and kick real good, and did not teach him how to deal with failure, frustration, and a lack of outside validation. That's because Shifu himself is super bad at all those things!

Kung fu is not just punching and kicking and going as hard as you can, it is listening and adapting and approaching situations with open-minded humility. When Shifu rolls up and presents his first student like an art project to be graded, Oogway knows he done messed up. All he can do is nudge them away from a lesson neither one of them is ready to learn yet, and back off.

"Ultimately, my stubborn student, this is my failure, but I'm not sure how to resolve this situation. And your kid is a ticking time bomb, do you not even see that?"

Unfortunately, Shifu's flawed teaching method has resulted in a student who knows nothing but punching and kicking, so all he can do is punch and kick. Real good. "Laying waste" to the village was a late add, to help the audience understand how badly Tai Lung melted down, but it makes perfect sense in this context. If he's not getting the validation he needs for his skill, he'll beat up the whole Valley trying to prove he's the best. And when he gets back to the Jade Palace, no, somehow he has still not punched and kicked hard enough to get what he's after, so he tries to beat up the people standing in his way. Maybe that's how you prove yourself worthy of the scroll!

Alas, it was not. And with a student too misguided and dangerous to teach - yet who still might be able to learn, and help Shifu learn - pausing his rampage for a few decades to allow Shifu some more time to get a clue was the best option Oogway had.

Thank heaven for plot devices!

It turns out, Shifu is capable of improving, through immense pain and suffering. After his failure with Tai Lung, Shifu's despair leads him to fall face first into teaching Tigress with Oogway's method...

...That is, at least he backs off and lets her learn she's going to get no validation from the outside, so she stops looking for it. That's enough to keep her from having a total meltdown when she doesn't get what she wants - it's not a betrayal, it's just par for the course. She goes off by herself, because she's learned to solve her own damn problems (as have the rest of the Five, who follow her), and she almost gets them all killed, 'cos Shifu still doesn't know how to teach humility.

It takes him a few movies - he expects to learn everything through hard work and suffering and so, inevitably, he does.

Just to hammer home how badly Shifu messed up, and how fundamentally flawed Tai Lung's understanding of kung fu is, when Po just hands him the scroll, Tai Lung doesn't get it.

Po is a Mahayana Buddhist. He always tries to enlighten his enemies. When they make it clear they're not ready for it, he'll do what he can to keep them from screwing up everyone else's chance to learn.

So Tai Lung gets yeeted direct to the Spirit Realm. But, it is possible to keep learning in the Spirit Realm, as Oogway and Kai show us in the third film. We just don't see Tai Lung again until the animated series, 'cos no matter how cute he is, he's not the protagonist.

Also, I think the writers can't help but noticed how badly Tai Lung's arc landed with some audience members. There is no good way to address that in under two hours of film. Look how long it took me to unpack it in text!

In the end, the Dragon Scroll isn't meant to be useless, or an elaborate troll from a Trickster archetype. It's a nudge in the right direction. For Po and Shifu, once they slowed down and thought about it, it landed. Tai Lung just wasn't there yet, and showing him that the scroll was nothing but a shiny piece of paper wouldn't have gotten him there, no matter when it happened. But respect to the Dragon Warrior for trying, that's just how he rolls. He's not wrong to try, but Oogway's also not wrong about enlightenment not being a thing to teach.

That's why ya boi gets Oogway's staff, and Shifu ends the film series still needing a little more time to learn.

[legacyshenanigans]

Questions for OCs

These were in my notes and I'd forgotten about them, can't remember for the life of me who/where I got the questions from, but I wanna do them for the boys 🐍🐺

What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?

Marvolo:

Quite a while, he actually rather enjoys doing NOTHING. it gives him time to just relax his mind.

Rowan:

Not too long, he likes a bit of relaxation, who doesn't? But he gets antsy fairly quickly, he doesn't like staying still, he fidgets a lot.

How easy is it for your character to really laugh?

Marvolo:

Totally depends on what's being said/done. He has quite a dark sense of humour, so anything like that, he finds extremely amusing.

Rowan:

Very easy, Rowan has a very simple and often dumb sense of humour.

How do they put themselves to bed at night (reading, singing, thinking?)

Marvolo:

He often likes to do some reading before he sleeps. Depending on...Activities..Happening before bed 👀

Rowan:

Rowan is the type who will just stay awake until he can't anymore, he'll often just drag himself to his bed, or ANYWHERE comfortable and simply pass the fuck out in seconds.

How easy is it to earn their trust?

Marvolo:

Not very, with the circles he's runs in and the kinda people he meets and sees. He knows how folk can be. Everyone is on their guard at all times, making it hard. But once he does have trust in someone, he keeps those people close.

Rowan:

It's not that easy for Rowan either, He prefers to make some form of emotional bond or a friendship before allowing his trust to people.

How easy is it to earn their mistrust?

Marvolo:

Quite easy depending on what's happend I suppose. Any form of betrayal is an instant trigger for Marvolo. He despises that more than anything, and is rarely forgiving of it.

Rowan:

Slightly more forgiving than Marvolo in many ways, but it's still rather easy to earn his mistrust.

Do they consider laws flexible?

(I think it's obvious that both Marvolo and Rowan don't give a fuck about the law haha)

What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?

Marvolo:

As much as they may argue at times, a standard brotherly relationship obviously, spending time with Ominis doing something they both actually enjoy brings alot of nostalgic feelings from their better times as kids for Marvolo, and yeah, he enjoys it, though he'd never admit it.

Rowan:

Being in nature in general gives Rowan those feelings, out on the hunt, taking a walk in the woods, being in his wolf form prowling around, anything like that really, making things out of stuff like animal parts and woods and what not also triggers this feeling from being taught how to do these things when he was a kid with his parents. He likes the feeling, though it's bittersweet.

What were they told to stop doing most often as a child?

Marvolo:

Annoying Ominis (lol). And disobeying his father.

Rowan:

Worrying about and questioning his potential as a Lycan.

Do they swear?

(All the fuckin time lmao, both of them)

Do they lie? Does it haunt them?

Marvolo:

Marvolo frequently lies about certain things, to protect himself, and those he cares about. It doesn't haunt him.

Rowan:

I mentioned this on the emotions post i did the other day, Rowan lies about silly things mainly, like denying when he's broken something even though its obvious it was him, I wouldn't go as far to say it "haunts him" when he does those things, but he does feel a little guilty lying.

How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)?

Marvolo:

Marvolo doesn't like being confused. He'll often just sit there and stare at the person with an irritated frown on his face, waiting for them to explain better.

Rowan:

Rowan seeks clarification. He's often confused, bless his heart haha. "Huh?" "What does that mean?" "What do you mean?" "Dumb it down for me".

What color do they think they look best in? Do they actually look best in that color?

Marvolo:

Black and Greens, and he absolutely suits it.

Rowan:

Red, and he does look rather good in red.

How do they speak? Is what they say usually thought of on the spot, or do they rehearse it in their mind first?

Marvolo:

It's usually on the spot, but he's very good with his words. He has the "gift of the gab" So he's very confident in the words he uses.

Rowan:

Rowan isn't a very good speaker, it's on the spot and mainly blurted out before he has time to think.

Are they easily embarrassed?

Marvolo:

Depends on the situation. Generally? No. But when he's caught during a fragile moment, he does, such as having a cute little moment with MC by other people. He gets a little flustered because that side of him is reserved ONLY for her, and he doesn't really like other people seeing it.

Rowan:

Not really lmao, Rowan is a no shame kinda person, he doesn't get embarrassed often, but talking to someone he really cares about in a romantic way can sometimes make him a little blushy, thus embarrassing him slightly.

What embarrasses them?

(Caught or generally expressing vulnerable feelings, for both)

What is their favorite number?

Marvolo: 6.

Rowan: 15.

How does jealousy manifest itself in them?

(Possessiveness, in both of them)

How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)? 

Marvolo:

If someone has something Marvolo wants, he'll take it. He will make sure he gets what he wants.

Rowan:

Mainly complaining and being moody about it haha. It makes him grumpy.

Is sex something that they’re comfortable speaking about?

(Absolutely, neither of them are shy when it comes to the pleasures of sex and talking about it)

 What are their thoughts on marriage? 

Marvolo:

Never thought he ever would have, until he met MC.

Rowan:

Isn't against it, but he also doesn't really want it for himself.

 What is their preferred mode of transportation? 

Marvolo:

Floo network, or he disapparates.

Rowan:

To be honest, Rowan just likes a good run (often in wolf form) or walk mainly, if it's somewhere far away though he'll allow Marvolo to disapparate with him but he HATES it lmao.

 Do they usually live up to their own ideals? 

Marvolo:

Marvolo is confident in pretty much everything he does, and always accomplishes goals, so yeah, I'd say he feels like he's lives up to what he sets out.

Rowan:

Sadly, no. But it's a personal anxiety thing for him. Even if nothing is wrong and he's perfectly fine, and can accomplish things well, he still feels that niggly anxiety telling him it's not good enough.

 Who are they the most glad to have met? 

Marvolo:

MC. She opened up his world in feelings.

Rowan:

Marvolo, because he gave him sanctuary and friendship when he didn't have anyone or anything for the longest time.

How do they feel about children? 

Marvolo:

Open to having his OWN children. But in general most children seem to find Marvolo scary lmao.

Rowan:

Hates kids. They put him on edge.

If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so? 

Marvolo:

"I like what I like, that's it"

Rowan:

Rowan would say he's Bi.

~

[beautifulterriblequeen]

One thing I've noticed is how some people are always villainizing and demonizing Runaan and Ethari, seeing them as nothing but the worst, most awful parents in the show. Saying things like "they don't deserve Rayla or her forgiveness at all." They don't love her or even care about her at all," "she was never important to them." "She deserves better parents who actually love, appreciate, and defend her." While I admit, in all honesty, that I've enormously condemned both of them for the choices and decisions, how they contributed to Rayla's losses, sorrow, and heartbreak, but I feel that it's way too extreme and way too harsh.

But I also believe that they've been obviously hurting and suffocating from the brutality of their horrendous punishments for their own failures. Because I feel that Rayla will be incredibly unforgiving towards them because at some point, she'll have to deeply process and sincerely express all her harsh, angering, heavy, resentful feelings towards Runaan and Ethari. Maybe during these two years, Rayla has probably convinced herself so deeply that they never loved her nor cared about her, and even if they're effortlessly apologizing to her, pouring all heart and soul into every single apology, her mind tells her things such as "disregard every apology they made, do not believe them nor trust them." "Why should she believe them if they never believed her?" Something along those lines.

Just wanted to give my own speculation because, yes, Rayla's had her mistakes, but Runaan and Ethari had even greater failures and bigger wrongdoings. Because I know that the show will address Rayla, not only confronting her own true sentiments towards both of them, but Ethari and Runaan being hit where it really hurts them them the most: with the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

This is in no way me hating on them. I adore Runaan and Ethari, but I don't want the show to let them off the hook for how they technically abandoned Rayla because they need to be held accountable and responsible for what happened.

In your honest perspective, BTQ, how do they even go about reconciling and repairing their relationship with Rayla? I genuinely hope that there can love, acceptance and forgiveness again, especially from Rayla. It'll be very hard for her, but I believe all 3 of them will overcome this. I have faith in them.

Apologies for the long post. Much love, fam.

Hey, thanks for your honest thoughts. I think we might have different perspectives on the idea of atonement/forgiveness/redemption, but that's okay. Since you were kind enough to share your thoughts, let me return the favor!

At the heart of my perspective is simply this: the more catholic we are in trying to shame and guilt people into admitting they messed up, the less likely they are to ever admit out loud that they were wrong (even if they want to). And that fear of rejection, of being shamed, keeps real change from getting started.

We get to be mad when we are hurt. We get to advocate for ourselves, to defend ourselves. And Rayla might have some feelings about her dads that she wants to yell at them about. But maybe she doesn't. Maybe she's not even looking back, or maybe it's been resolved and we'll see it in a flashback with Ethari or something. We don't know yet. She hasn't really spoken on the topic, and it might take her a while to do so.

The issue of intent should matter, too. TDP is a hopepunk story, and that carries certain themes that I'd love for more people to look for and enjoy:

resilience - as forgiveness or growth

imperfection - familiar to everyone, messier options and solutions

earnestness - folks are just folks, no evil masterminds

good and evil - not a state of mind but a series of choices

community - everyone still cares for their group/others

As we wait for S5 (and the rest of the series) to drop, it feels a little risky to me to pin so much personal expectation on it to deliver extremely specific emotional rewards like this. S5 was written, gosh, maybe a couple years ago? I don't know exactly, but it's been a minute, and we just got S4 - and its expectations - last November. Animation is a really really long process!

I'm content to wait and see what happens next. TDP doesn't work for me, and they don't have to do what I want, and it's too late to make any S5 changes now anyway, so I will take what I am given and appreciate it for the story it is, actually. I love this show, and I respect the people who work hard to create it. And there's really nothing more I feel I need to add to that, so that's where I'll stop.

Okay, I lied, one last thought! Bahaha.

Rayla already knows what it's like to be mistrusted by her dads. She did get angry at them about it.

For about 10 seconds.

Ethari confessed, and Rayla forgave them and had tea with them, snuggled up safe and sound, at home where she was loved.

It wasn't a big deal. They talked about it, they were honest, and they found a way to move forward together as a family. It took 3 panels - a single page - of BH to address it.

If there is a next time for confrontation, it will probably go at least a bit differently, if for no other reason than Rayla is several years older and has matured as a person. But this is her precedent for conflict resolution with Runaan and Ethari, specifically.

If everyone wants it to work out, it'll probably work out. If someone wants to be Right, or to be a Victim, or to make Drama, then that'll probably happen instead. But I covered my expectations up in the hopepunk stuff, so that's what I'm expecting from anything similar: everyone will at least want to resolve their grievances.

[auxiliarydetective]

Friendly Advice

More Lux content? More Lux content. Him and Zoro have my brain in their clutches and they will not let go. This time, we're getting the nice bonus of Nami being... well, Nami. You'll see!

Zoro had to admit it – taking a bath had been nice. It had been a while since he had felt this relaxed. He dried himself off – had he ever used a towel this soft? – and, for once, took extra care in brushing his hair. Not that it did anything. And not that he did it for anyone. Especially not for Jirou, who was still standing in front of the bathroom door, waiting for him to come out. Quickly, Zoro threw on the bathrobe and slippers prepared for him, slung his swords over his shoulder, then went to unlock the door. Just when he was about to, he hesitated, gazing back at the mirror once again.

Finally, he opened the door, only to see Jirou clutching at his chest. The moment he noticed Zoro was out, Jirou straightened himself under slightly laboured breathing.

“You okay?” Zoro asked.

“Yeah,” Jirou croaked. “I’m fine.”

“Kaya said you needed to rest. Are you sick?”

“I’m getting better.” Then, Jirou chuckled. “Are you worried about me?”

“No,” Zoro lied, “I just don’t wanna be infected.”

“Well, you’re in luck. It’s not contagious.” Jirou stretched the ache out of his bones, then nodded towards the door of Zoro’s guest suite. “Come on, let’s get you something to wear.”

Zoro looked him up and down one more time, then started walking in the indicated direction. What a weirdo, he thought. After turning maybe two or three corners, indicated by Jirou only by a simple “left” or “right” (and a tug on Zoro’s robe when he had told him the wrong direction – he definitely had, otherwise Zoro wouldn’t have turned the wrong way), the two of them reached a very large dressing room, walls and ceiling covered in clothes racks and hangers, multicolored lighting all across the room. Luffy was sitting on a stool in the middle of the room, and immediately spotted his friend when he entered.

“Hey, Zoro! Jirou! What ’cha gonna wear?”

“Something black,” Zoro murmured, still trying to process the sheer amount of clothes and colors in this room.

“How edgy,” Nami remarked from behind the dressing screen.

“Sorry,” Jirou shrugged, leaning against the doorframe, “I gotta wear my uniform. So, I’m gonna be just as edgy.”

He had unbuttoned his jacket and loosened his shirt collar a little. Zoro took his sword belt that was slung over his shoulder and leaned the weapons against an armchair before flopping down into the very same seat. At the same time, Nami stepped out from behind the screen in a black dress and a black jacket with a sparkly floral pattern.

“How’s this?”

“Still Nami,” Luffy said.

“I said I’m wearing black,” Zoro complained.

“I hate you guys,” Nami scoffed.

“The jacket’s a little baggy on you,” Jirou threw in, just before she was about to head back behind the screen. “And the sparkles won’t look good under the chandeliers in the foyer. We tried something like that on my old uniform and it didn’t work.”

“You had sparkles on your uniform?” Zoro questioned.

“Only for a few days. Then we went back to just black.”

“I feel kinda bad for Kaya,” Luffy remarked out of the blue. “All this stuff… all this space… it’s gotta make a person feel… lonely.”

“Rich people don’t have the same emotions we do,” Nami explained as she was flicking through the clothes along one of the walls. “This stuff doesn’t make her feel lonely, it makes her feel important.”

Jirou chuckled. He walked over to join Nami, putting his hands in his pockets. “Y’know, I used to think that too. But Kaya’s just a girl. She’s not one of those rich folks you know about. All of the bling in this house? Her parents’ taste. Most of the rooms in this house she doesn’t even go to. Especially the East Wing, but that’s another story.” He grinned. “Back when she was younger, we’d play tag along the halls to make the house seem smaller whenever Klahadore wasn’t home. Of course, we can’t do that anymore, but… it was fun.”

“See?” Luffy called out. “Usopp likes her, Jirou likes her… I’m sure we can work out a way to get that ship.”

“No way,” Nami mumbled. “Rich people don’t stay rich by giving things away.”

“Which one do you want?” Jirou asked.

“The one with the sheep’s figurehead,” Luffy beamed. “It spoke to me!”

To this, Jirou laughed. “Well, aren’t you a special one... I know that ship. Caravel, white railing, grinning ram as a figurehead. I think Kaya would let you have it, but you’d have to get past Merry and Klahadore first.”

“Who?”

“Merry. He manages the family’s finances.”

“What does the butler have to do with all of this?” Zoro grumbled.

“Well,” Jirou sighed, “he likes to give little nudges to Kaya. Sort of like a substitute parent. But he’s my boss, so I can’t say anything about it.”

“He’s not here.”

“Yeah, say it!” Luffy encouraged Jirou.

“Sketchy,” Jirou then said. “That’s all I’ve got to say about that. Sketchy fellow. I don’t trust him. But he pays me, so who am I to complain? – Listen, if you want that ship, I’ll put in a good word for you, I promise.”

“As if that’s going to work,” Nami chuckled.

“Wanna bet?” Luffy asked.

At the prospect of gaining money, Nami smirked. “What are the terms?”

“I bet I can convince Kaya to give us that ship.”

“And when you can’t?”

“We go with your plan.”

Before Luffy could say anything more, Nami covered his mouth. But too late. Jirou made a smug noise of suspicion.

“Well, well, well, what do I hear…? Watch out. Don’t try anything or I’m holding your swordsman hostage.”

“As if you could do that,” Zoro scoffed.

Jirou grinned, strolling over to Zoro to stand between his legs, towering over him slouching in his seat. “Try me.”

“I bet you would like that, wouldn’t you?” Nami teased.

Immediately, Jirou went bright red and whirled around, looking back at Nami.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” he called out, pointing at her in accusation and walking up to her until his finger almost touched her nose.

“Nothing,” she chirped, then threw a metallic, orange-colored shirt at Zoro.

“Go behind your fucking sheet again before I get mad at you.”

But Nami just smirked. “Your temper is almost as bad as Zoro’s. Help me pick a dress then.”

With an exasperated sigh, Jirou picked a dress off one of the racks and tossed it at her before sticking his hands in his pockets yet again, practically fuming. But then his eyes fell on Zoro, and his brain stopped working. The swordsman had thrown off his robe and was putting on the shirt Nami had given him, his muscles on full display.

“Hey, quit staring.”

“Then don’t change in front of me, you freak!”

▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄✼▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄

Taglist: @starcrossedjedis @oneirataxia-girl @daughter-of-melpomene @supermarine-silvally - let me know if you’d like to be added or removed!

[marginaletchings]

Personally I feel like the rushed pace of Hazbin is more of an indictment of The Industry of making shows, especially animated ones, rather than of Vivzie and the crew.

There are also some issues I have with some interpretations and expectations people are having, like… Media also has its logistical limitations, especially “alternative” (subversive) media and media spearheaded by women. I personally would much rather they use their time wisely, even if payoff and key character moments aren’t always earned, than waste multiple episodes doing slice of life in an 8-episode season. (Looking at you, Steven Universe.)

I also don’t think y’all understand the limitations of the process of animating (in terms of time, manpower, budget, etc) —but also of how they may not have been able to get signed on with A24 and Amazon if they didn’t have big name actors going with it.

Y’all act like this is just Vivienne stomping around being a mean old Karen, when in reality, that is not how creative productions work. There is so much we don’t know but everyone is content to condemn the series largely based on emotional reactions, assumptions and too often, bad faith. It’s not even done airing yet.

Hazbin Hotel has its flaws—cram packed pacing being the main one—but as a huge fan of animated shows, who grew up in the 90s, to me it is a damn breath of fresh air. Do I wish they’d stop and just let us feel something more often? Sure! I’m sure Viv and the crew do too, if Helluva Boss is anything to go by.

Criticism of a creative work is valid, but only when it takes into account how that thing is actually made and most importantly, the context in which it exists. If you ignore those two things, your criticism is always going to ring hollow and come off as shallow and uninformed.

Shockingly, opinions aren’t always constructive criticism, and some folks seem to have missed that distinction.

EDIT: Would also kindly like to add that as a survivor of SA, abuse, depression, Husk and Angel’s song in ep 4 did not come across as victim blaming to me. Self pity and self hatred lie at the root of self destruction, and no matter how much you’ve earned the right to sit in that mire, admitting that you’re in a fucked up place is the first step toward acceptance and the path to healing. When you’ve been hurt, you grieve, and Angel was in a stage of denial and depression.

Sometimes, the only way to break through that powerful fog is for someone to tell you, yeah, shit is fucked up and you’re an absolute disaster, but you are not alone and I am here with you. I personally would rather have someone just be honest with me instead of spouting some saccharine nonsense. People always talk about how there’s a better place beyond what I’ve walked through, but I hated that, because it offered no honest assessment or comfort for me while I was still in the thick of it.

You can be so hurt that you’re lost in the pain and misery and you lose the perspective you need to hold onto any kind of hope. Husk offered him that hope, and without engaging in the Suffering Olympics. He was open and straightforward and genuine. No more bullshit.

And Angel doesn’t need bullshit, he needs honesty and people that care about him, who will be there through whatever comes next.

But that? That’s just my opinion.

[reine-du-sourire]

Yo yo, what's up fam? It's ya boy, Victor Frankenstein, live and direct from my lab, where I'm about to flex my mad skills and show you how I'm about to create life, all on my own!

First things first, let me give you a quick tour of my setup. Got my Bunsen burner lit up, got my test tubes poppin', got my electrodes sparking, and you know I gotta have my beats bumpin' in the background, cuz I gotta get in that zone, ya dig?

Now, let's talk about the real reason why we're here. I'm about to unleash my latest creation, and trust me when I say, this ain't no basic B. This creature is gonna be next-level lit, and I'm the one who's gonna bring it to life, all thanks to my mad scientist skills.

I'm talking about using some serious biotech swag to piece together body parts and organs, and then using some dope-a** lightning bolts to shock it all to life, ya feel me? This creature is gonna be the baddest dude on the block, and he's gonna be straight-up grateful to me for giving him this gift of life.

So if you're ready to witness some major-league sorcery, then keep it locked on this livestream, cuz I'm about to drop some serious heat. And when this creature is finally up and running, you better believe he's gonna be hella lit, all thanks to yours truly, the one and only Victor Frankenstein, in the building!

Yo, hold up, hold up. Looks like my boy Henry just stepped into the lab, and he's looking kinda stressed out. What's good, my dude?

"Victor, what the hell are you doing? You've been in here for days, subsisting solely on ramen noodles and caffeine. That's not healthy, man. You need to take a break and eat something real."

Yo, chill, Henry. I'm just trying to get this creature up and running, you feel me? I can't afford to take a break right now.

"But you can afford to give yourself a heart attack? Come on, Victor, you're better than this. You need to take care of yourself if you want to create something amazing. And besides, your breath smells like garlic and soy sauce."

Okay, okay, I hear you. Maybe I have been neglecting my health a little bit. But you gotta admit, this ramen is fire, right?

"Yeah, I'll admit that. But it's not exactly a balanced meal. Look, I'll order us some real food. We can take a break, eat some veggies, and then get back to work, okay?"

Aight, fine. You win, Henry. But only if you get us some sushi. And make sure it's the good stuff, none of that supermarket crap.

"Deal. Now let's go before you collapse from malnutrition."

Haha, you got jokes, Henry. Alright, let's bounce. But don't worry, I'll be back soon, and this creature is gonna be straight-up legendary, you hear me?

...

What's up, people? This is Henry, coming at you live from Victor's lab. As you can see, my boy Victor is knocked out cold face-first in his sushi, probably from sheer exhaustion.

I tried to get him to go to sleep earlier, but he was too stubborn for his own good. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and end this livestream for him. The last thing he needs right now is to be broadcasting his sleep-deprived ramblings to the world.

But don't worry, folks. Victor will be back soon, and he'll be fully rested and ready to show off his latest creation. And trust me, it's gonna be something special.

Until then, take care of yourselves, and remember to get enough sleep. It's important for both your physical and mental well-being. This is Henry Clerval, signing off.

[queen-simia]

lrb: honestly all of this and more has me nervous about the two leads and their relationship in the upcoming comic. folks who know me and my particular leanings will be kinder, I know, but once it escapes containment, all hell may break loose

thought barf below the cut

I already know Virgule will probably be polarizing. he's pansexual by nature as an incubus (when sexual energy is your food, it's best to be omnivorous, knowhutimean), which I already foresee as Problematic™... and he's technically genderless but identifies as masculine, though I write him harder on the camp/femme side. all that plus the fact he's an inhuman being (a demon, to be specific) adds up to poor Virgule potentially being a hate lightning rod ("she should know better as an ace! aces get coded as robotic/inhuman all the time, why would she turn around and do the same to gncs and pans if she claims to care so much???").

the funny thing is, Virg's camp and charisma are all based directly on the stage persona of a straight cis man: Dylan Charles Germick (Planet Booty's front man). and that persona is played as fully sex-positive and lovingly as possible, and is derived heavily from Prince (who was straight *and* very genderfucky, as you know). so, it's not like Virg's character background lacks nuance or is just "lol them silly sex-hungry fairy boys~" but I can easily see how critics could jump to that conclusion

and there's a not-insignificant plot point early in the story that involves consent and boundaries that Virg starts out on the wrong side of (and also introduces the possible interpretation that his feedings may involve dubious consent). thaaaat's gonna be fun to deal with~ 🙃

but again! it's not just for salaciousness! it's to establish a strong part of the dynamic between Virg and Sonrisa re: trust and expectations. could it be done differently? ...not really, given the context of the story and the characters' natures...? it's something I've agonized over in the years I've been developing this story, trust me. :p but it's definitely something I know will be a sticking point when it comes out. maybe it'll cause a fall-off in readership, maybe it won't, but I've been online long enough to anticipate the worst

sorry to say it's stuff like this that had me wondering at several points whether I should bother at all. but, I'm stubborn and vain enough to want a story centered around a short, fat aroace woman that doesn't view any of those traits as negative that I'm going to do it anyway.

tbh I already know having Sonrisa be fat is going to attract loads of mouth-breathing chuds—already inoculated against that 1) from First Contact's 4chan reception of my buff strong-featured Femshep, and 2) lived experience as a fat chick. that funnily enough will hurt less than any potential queer audience blowback. I guess because while it's undeniable I'm fat, my relationship with queerness is much more tenuous.

I already feel like I'm treading on toes as not just an aroace (who, like our bisexual cousins, are already regarded as Schrodinger's Queers), but a demiaroace who seems to prefer mascs ("why don't you just admit you're straight, gawd"). thing is, my lived experience is very much *not* heteronormative, to the point where I've cried and had depressive episodes over possibly having to marry someone I don't love just to survive... and that was *before* I knew asexuality even was a thing. I've experienced medicalization of my lack of sexual attraction. I've lied about my orientation to avoid awkwardness, both socially and medically. I have more in common with your flagship queer identities than I do with straights... but because the four people I've fallen in love with—and only one of whom I've actually had sex with—over 43 years of life happen to be cis men, it still doesn't feel like enough.

so I guess I fear if I tell my story in a way that offends people who are "worthier" queers than myself, I'll have proven myself even less deserving of inclusion than before.

fat-shaming? used to it, next. betrayal of found family? utterly shattering.

bah. still gonna draw my dumb comic. just... still pretty nervous about it, I guess.

[secret-third-thing]

Were there any things you did for past eris weeks that didn’t work out like you thought they would? Were there things that worked out better than you had hoped?

I can only speak for last year cause that's when I took the reins. The amazing and wonderful @lucienarcheron can speak about previous Eris weeks <3

Improvements:

Last year we announced pretty close to when the event would happen... I think end of June? Or maybe In July? Only two months to prep can be tough, especially if folks are inclined to put together art commissions and have to compete to get slots with an artist. This year I tried to get Eris Week on the @maased-out calendar early (check out their events if you haven't already - it's so cool they keep track of things!!!)

Last year we did creator highlights - which we will do again this year! We're changing how we highlight people this year though, specifically regarding which fic/art we showcase (we want creators to pick their fav eris content instead of it being purely nomination based).

Some highlights:

The Eris voice actor surprise went over WAY better than we thought! Though i can't listen to it, b/c I get SO flustered.

Also we saw an uptick in New creators which was AMAZING and I'm hoping we can continue being a welcoming space for folks who are new to writing fic or making art etc. I'm seeing more Eris content too, and I'm trying to get those reblogged when I see them in the tags.

And of course the og Eris folks are huge pillars of this community. Their support has meant the world to us. I learned after the fact that folks rallied to get content together and that was so fucking generous of them to do, esp since we (the organizers) were stressed AF <3

I'll admit at the time I was cranky cause I thought people assumed we would fail and it took like... a good one month of me recovering from what wound up being severe depression to understand everything was out of love/care. (Mental illness really does something to you). I try and pay it forward now.

[cookinguptales]

Shit, the post about the podcast and accessibility just came up on my dash and my heart fucking *shattered* when I saw who it was. They're the only group of content creators that I've ever seen be respectful of my neck of the woods, and finding out that, despite their diversity in cast and characters, and the research they put in to be respectful, they didn't even care... I kind of feel like I've been gut-punched. I'm so, so sorry that they let you down like that. I'm grateful that you shared your story.

Oof, blast from the past. Forgive me if I’m a little terse in my response here; I’m currently on vacation and uh. Frankly, that whole thing was a deeply stressful experience.

I guess I’ll just say that they did reach out to me and try to make things right. I did go to the live show despite some misgivings. The seat that the venue saved for me made it impossible to see most of the stage, so… that’s the cripple seats, I guess. I can’t blame the podcasters for that part, nor can I blame them for the intense mistreatment fans of the show sent my way for daring to post about my experiences (someone signed my fandom email up to a bunch of spam lists, for christ’s sake) but like. The whole experience really did sour me on the show for good.

I do agree that part of what frustrated me so much was how much they sounded inclusive on the podcast. This wasn’t like You Must Remember This, which still illegally charges disabled people for access to the podcast (by paywalling the transcripts) or shows that engage in casual ableism. I really did expect better from them, which is why it hurt. I think it’s also why I still have a more emotional mental block where the show is concerned now. It’s just… not fun for me anymore.

I also grew up in and out of Appalachia and… being honest with you, I didn’t have great experiences there. (A lot of my extended family lives there and they are uh. Extremely religious. Their communities messed me up some growing up, particularly regarding my queerness and disability.) So I was kind of finding healing from some of that through that podcast and… well. I guess it didn’t feel very healing anymore lmao.

I did grow up around the concept that the disability I was born with was a punishment for my parents from God, and that my role in the community was to never complain and generally be an opportunity to inspire others through God’s grace, etc., so I’ll admit some of the responses I got from the community about how I should sit down and shut up and be grateful for whatever accommodations able-bodied folks felt like giving me were… kind of triggering, being honest with you. Like, again, my presence was just a particularly annoying burden for “normal” people and I needed to be quiet and know my place. That demanding “special treatment” from fine upstanding folks who didn’t deserve my bitching was something that had earned me all that hate mail.

Not my favorite month on the internet! 🙃

So uhhh yeah, these days I’m not… in the fandom anymore. lmao. That said, I appreciate your kind message. Kind of nice to get some sweetness in a torrent of shit.

[agardenandlibrary]

The Shadow Rising: chapters 15-19

Remember the Doorway to the Danger Zone? Yeah, it's time for Mr. Low-to-No Impulse Control to see what's up! The door takes Mat to a strange place, weird rule of 3 thing going on, fae rules, etc. Mat falls victim to the classic blunder: the desire to ask follow up questions.

The answer he gets boils down to: "Go to Rhuidean." it's his fate. 

ALL ROADS LEAD TO THE AIEL, LET'S GO. 

The place starts crumbling around them and they hustle him out. He gets carried out like this:

while Mat is cursing out the doorway, Rand steps out, followed by Moiraine. Shoulda coordinated better, kids! Turns out the fae-Doorway creatures were speaking the Old Tongue. Mat understood them perfectly. No one admits to what they were told and they all go their separate ways.

Perrin is ready to GTFO. He goes to Loial - only to find Faile got there first. She made Loial swear an oath to take her to the Ways so Perrin can't leave her behind. I feel like this is a "please never get other people involved in your mess" moment. It's really shitty of Faile to put Loial in the middle. It's shitty of Perrin to decide to leave her behind "for her own good." The only good bean is Loial, who did not consent to be involved in your weird foreplay and is, in fact, uncomfortable.

Everyone else is also packing. Lan busts into their room and is like, “Hey, why’d you lead me to believe you were going back to the Tower, when you’re actually going to TARABON, PLACE OF AWFULNESS.” Nynaeve’s like “I never SAID I was going back to the Tower.” Practicing Aes Sedai trickery on Lan, which is kinda shitty. Lan's very worried about them (but mostly Nynaeve) going to Tarabon. He really really wants to go with them, but he’s bound to Moiraine. They make out in front of Elayne and Egwene, who are, in order, interested and embarrassed. 

Meanwhile, Moiraine and Thom do their little dance of the Game of Houses which they are both good at & we get references that Thom probably (definitely) killed Moiraine’s half-brother who was w/ Morgase. Given that her half-brother was a bag of dicks, Moiraine doesn't care, except that it gives her some leverage over Thom - she wants him to go with Nynaeve and Elayne to Tarabon to help them. She'll give him the names of the Red sisters who Stilled his nephew in exchange. He's torn - he's been trying to help Rand stay out of Aes Sedai clutches.

Meanwhile meanwhile, Min's getting antsy in Tar Valon. Gawyn is being a little shit, nearly blowing Min's cover because he's trying to figure out where Elayne + Egwene are. Galad is reading the Book of Mormon Children of Light propaganda. Galad... no... 

He's like: "It's got good stuff" → the stuff: "be as boring as possible and enjoy nothing." Min sees Logain crowned in glory & freaks out.

RIP Sahra - but it is kind of funny that there's a farm upstate for the Aes Sedai to go retire at.

The Perrin + Faile Train leaves the station w/ 3 Aiel on board. Faile's like "he's trying to keep me from my rightful place" and I'm like, girl, what the fuck. You two are definitely into each other but you’ve never actually, uhhh, talked about this. As they're leaving, the Stone rings & there's a big earthquake situation – Rand doing something. They make it into the Ways.

Elayne and Nynaeve are on a boat! The Sea Folk are cool.

OH –  the various prophecies of the Dragon are giving big uh missionaria protectiva from Dune vibes. it's the heat prophecy. Turns out the Sea Folk have a prophecy that means they'll help Elayne and Nynaeve for free. Okay, sure. On one hand: v interesting to see all the different ways cultures have interpreted the Dragon Reborn. It really shows his importance across the world!

Then we get the Randquake again.

[ofduskanddreams]

10, 13, 24. Give it to me ROUGH

Well, you asked for rough. Buckle up because you knew what you were doing feeding me these specific ones MB.

10. worst part of fanon

There are a lot of ways I could answer this one... I think I'm going to (take the meta route) say that my least favorite part of fanon is the tendency of shippers to bend characters out of their canonical forms in order to make them "better fit" the ship so, over time the fanon character simply becomes "the character" in the mind of the fan.

Everyone does this to some degree, it's inescapable. Especially because, at least in this fandom, many of the characters people are interested in are the ones who have not yet been main characters (Lucien, Mor, Elain, Eris, Azriel, Gwyn, etc.) Naturally, you have to read into them, flesh out their characters, and explore their potential in order to write about them. And, if you're writing a specific ship, of course you're going to draw parallels between the characters being shipped.

Where it becomes the "worst part" is when people get so stuck in their fanon interpretation of the character that it blatantly disregards the canon... but they don't seem to care that it does? This part always confuses me. Maybe it's because I'm relatively new to fandom spaces but, in my opinion, I feel like fanon characterizations can reach a point where I no longer recognize that "version" of the character. At that point, to me, they aren't the character anymore but someone's OC. I've spoken about this in regard to some of the fandom's heteronormativity when it comes to writing Eris as a part of the Azris ship (read more about this here.)

13. worst blorboficiation

I'll be honest, I had to look up the definition of this one and the internet seems conflicted on what it means. For the purpose of this question, I'm going to interpret "blorboficiation" as when a fandom takes a character and adores them to the point where they often overlook the character's potentially unsavory sides.

Clearly the answer is Azriel. I love him (I'm saying this as a very pro Azriel person) but canonically he is a mess, not even a hot mess, just a mess. He's done a lot of shitty things, he's emotionally immature, and has what I suspect to be a boatload of unhealthy coping mechanisms. That's just to name a few.

Azriel is allowed to be dark and messy. That's the part of his blorboficiation that bothers me. People often smooth over a lot of his faults (I'm not exempting myself, I've done it in the past but I try not to do it now) in order for him just to be the tall, dark and handsome alphahole. Like... if you're going to love Azriel then love all of him and do it honestly. There's nothing wrong with enjoying a morally gray, rather fucked up character. Just please don't try to pretend like he isn't.

24. topic that brings up the most rancid discourse

Really anything that calls people out on their prejudices. I feel like that's where things tend to get super toxic. Folks need to learn that criticism isn't a personal attack and, if they do take it as an attack, then that's just confirming that they are prejudiced because they feel a need to defend themselves. It's not fun to admit when we're wrong, or when something we've done/said has caused harm. But listening to criticism, acknowledging the harm and apologizing for it, and working to dismantle that prejudice is a far better use of someone's time than getting into a fight on the internet that usually only ends up hurting more people in the process 🤷‍♀️

[astroyongie]

Okay i might be a little late to this but i was reading through your posts that i missed since last month cuz I haven’t been online and i feel like there are probably people who need to hear the things I’m about to say.Also I apologise in advance for an extremelyy long rant

So my best friend has an almost identical replica personality to changkyun and let me tell youuu about this type of people.When in relationships with people they don’t have very deep feelings for they don’t really care about their partners side and don’t wanna be tied down,but when they love you they LOVE you.And this doesn’t go just for romantic relationships. They are very genuine with their affections and would literally give you their heart their efforts their time their money their everything like yes they do the cooking yes they do the cleaning lmao.And that’s precisely why they rarely let someone in because they know they get down BAD.They hide their vulnerability.Out of fear that people will use it against them and hurt them because you can actually hurt them soo easily when they care about you.However they do have a tendency to keep their very intense emotions deep inside and then those emotions after being bottled up for a long time explode seemingly out of nowhere so definitely the type of people to show up drunk at your place at like 3 am to confess how much you mean to them.Or you recieve a random text of them saying they love you and you’re like whut but they probably been thinking about how they didn’t show you their love enough and got scared you might leave or something lol.They brag about how they won’t loose their independence and won’t ever be tied down by anyone but what they need and yearn for is the exact opposite.They want all the sappy stuff even though they would rather die than admit it.They built their walls hiigh around themselves but ohh how they wish somebody would penetrate them. And I didn’t hear those things from my bestie either lmao I understood them by observing her as these people never express how they are feeling so i 100% agree with you that they need a very empathetic person since they don’t voice their emotions so there could be a lot of unnecessary misunderstandings,so if you’re someone who needs a lot of verbal validation and have to have everything spelled out for you these folks are definitely not for you.

Changkyun too wouldn’t be insensitive to his partner crying or being upset if he loved them,he would probably still feel uncomfortable when they’re emotional or crying because he wouldn’t know how to react and he would probably definitely avoid them in that moment but he would feel very bad. Definitely wouldn’t straight up apologise unless he really went overboard but would definitely not just let it be either,he would try to show you he’s sorry indirectly by buying you food or a gift or just coming up and hugging you or doing something you love.The people that know him always say he’s very caring and soft and the members even said he was the most romantic member.

So dont worry monbebe changkyun is not a bad person and he’s completely an asshole in relationships either lmao. Both kyun and my girlie are fake bitches who be hiding their mega softness

And you who are dealing with similar people,I know they are hard to understand but don’t worry they probably care about you a lot more than you think you just have to dig deeper to see it.💗

thank you so much for sharing this !!! <3 I honestly think that you explained the whole situation better than I could <3