#they actually LIKE each other and there isn't the resistance trope

[annarts05]

Fun Ways to Meet Characters

Thieves stealing important objects from the main characters and then being forced somehow into a found family situation

Saving a character’s life by doing something like taking an arrow/bullet

By losing a bet with a stranger and then teaming up

Gambling with a shifty character and getting really mad at them, only for them to later end up saving the other character’s life

Meeting the other in an arranged marriage and actually liking them (or really, really hating them)

Or having a chaotic dynamic where they irritate each other but they’re equally chaotic, so they become the mischievous duo in the found family

By bickering over the last piece of food at a banquet

Getting hired as a servant or maid, or some other serving position

By accidentally almost killing a character, only for them to join the found family and literally never stop bringing up that first meeting

[wannaeatramyeon]

Can we get lookism boys seeing their s/o for the first time?

Literally love at first sight and maybe their reactions?

Thanks,

Thanks for the ask! I've written a few slightly more fleshed out 'Meeting for the First Time' listed here (Gun, Goo, Jake, Johan). But let's do some other scenario for my usual suspects.

Umm...I actually really dislike the love at first sight trope. But I do like the double-take at first meeting trope, yknow what I'm saying? Here's a mix of everything!

Love at First Sight Double-Take at First-ish Meeting: Gun, Goo, Jake, Sammy, Vin + Taehoon!

Gun Park - Ultra Instinct

Gun is not ashamed to admit that it was the sashay of your hips that turned his head at first. He is a hot blooded male after all.

And then when you whirled around, asking "See something you like?"with a confident smirk and your own jet-black eyes staring back, moments before landing a throat punch.

Well. Gun is a goner. Head over heels, lying-awake-thinking-of-you obsessed.

Maybe he should have gotten a name. But two UI users meeting each other can't just be a coincidence, he must be destined to see you again.

Who would have thought Gun Park would believe in something as ridiculous as fate.

.

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Goo Kim - Reflection

Goo detested you on first meeting. How can such a pretty face have so much venom.

All double-edged and saccharine, nothing to be taken at face value. You even had the audacity to ask if the weapon wielding was compensating for something.

And to add insult to injury, Gun had laughed. Goo didn't even realise Gun was capable of such emotion.

Ugh. Goo does not like having a taste of his own medicine.

As the day dragged on, Goo's obsession grew. It really was like looking into a mirror. Sure this reflection isn't as sexy as his usual. But. It's still pretty sexy nonetheless.

Huh, he wanders the corridors with a sly grin, wondering about you, Let's see how well you can keep up with me.

.

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Jake Kim - Business Unit for Rent

Jake, for some bizarre reason relegated to realtor duties, shows you around the business unit. A long empty store that, fingers crossed, after today would no longer be a drain on the finances.

"All this can be yours for 2 million won a month," he flashes his most dazzling smile. Charming and toothy that he knows few could resist.

Unfortunately, it is completely missed by you as you continue casting an astute eye over the premises.

"Ah look at the state of this. The ventilation system is awful."

Jake blinks, looking at whatever the hell you're pointing at. "It is?"

"And the walls! It'll need plastering and floors completely redone."

"Um. Maybe it has been a while since-"

"I heard the footfall is terrible here. Constantly declining. 23% down on last year?"

Your sharp eyes peer into his and he freezes. Where the hell did you even get those stats? Not even Lua or Jason would know this.

"Well..." he scratches the back of his head, thinking of what to say.

Half an hour later, after a whirlwind of complaints and pointing out flaws, you've signed a 12 month contract for less than half the initial asking price.

Shit, Jake thinks, Jason is going to kill me. Actually... Fuck. This unit had been recently renovated to attract potential renters. And footfall figures? Must be plucked out of thin air.

You completely twisted his arm with your bullshit.

Jake can't even bring himself to be mad, he's impressed. Who the hell are you? He's looking forward to seeing more of you and your smart mouth.

.

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Samuel Seo - Tattoos (let's ignore the timelines here)

Not many people pass Samuel's exacting standard on first meeting, but you do He's frankly impressed with your work.

Someone similar to his age yet already amassing an impressive portfolio with impeccable linework and pristine colouring. No wonder you're booked out for months.

"So," your hands graze over his pecs, all strictly business yet his skin prickles at your touch. "You're thinking of your first tattoo here?"

"Yes."

"Cool, and you want it to eventually be a Sak Yant full body?" He nods. "Ok, it's going to take a while and quite a few sessions."

You give him a smile that leaves his throat dry. "Guess we're going to see a lot of each other."

.

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Vin Jin - My name

Vin holds out his phone and with his most charming smirk, asks for your number.

"Sure," you fold your arms, showing no intention of reaching for the device, "You can have my number if you tell me my name."

"What?"

"I'm waiting," And now it's your turn to plaster on your smirk.

Fuck, who the hell do you think you are. Vin storms into the corridor, ego bruised and mood soured. Ugh, whatever. He has plenty of chicks interested anyway. He doesn't need to-

The lightbulb goes off over his head. Mary must know. She knows goddamn everything going on in this school.

Vin dashes off in search for her, thoughts from seconds ago already completely erased and giddy at the thought of finally getting your name and your number.

.

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Seong Taehoon - Taekwondo

The first oddity is having someone your age show up for their first lesson. Then it turns out it's not your first.

The second oddity is when Taehoon tells you to show him what you got, you execute a perfect 1080 kick.

The last oddity, which really shouldn't be an oddity at all for Taehoon's ego, is that you are a fan of his from his UFC days and you think Taekwondo is the best.

Damn. And all that punctuated with a perfect 90 degree bow and 'Master Seong' too.

If that isn't the perfect way to worm yourself under his skin. Taehoon's going to be keeping an eye on you.

[david-talks-sw]

When 'Star Wars' dilutes the impact of a "Kurosawa samurai standoff"...

It's no secret that one of the major inspirations for Star Wars was Akira Kurosawa movies. The Hidden Fortress influenced the basic structure of the first film, was a basis for Lucas' character archetypes and his use of narrative POVs.

But, really, all of Kurosawa's films were an influence on the making of Star Wars. Including the duels seen in his and other samurai films from the 60s.

Dunno if you've seen a kendo fight, but they're pretty similar.

The duelists size each other up, and there's a lot of mind games going on before the strike actually happens.

If you hold your sword this way, the other guy adjusts his stance.

You move your foot that way, the adversary responds accordingly.

Cinematically, this process allows you to play with a whole treasure trove of elements to build up the drama and suspense. We see this slow-yet-tense approach to dueling reflected all over the Original Trilogy. And we've seen it again in recent Disney-released content.

The perfect and first real example of this in Star Wars is the fight between Ben Kenobi and Maul, in Rebels.

The tension increases more...

... and more until the two fighters move, the music swells...

... and then it reaches its climax.

Beautifully executed.

Dave Filoni's done his homework, it shows, and while it's an awesome homage, narratively it also holds weight. There's a reason why this fight is so quick:

This time, Obi-Wan isn't fighting to avenge the death of his master, he's not fighting to save his own life... he's fighting to protect Luke's. And that means there's no time to fuck about. He'll end the conflict swiftly and decisively, he won't let it come to a prolonged acrobatic fight. So he lures Maul in by making him think he's taking Qui-Gon's form, and strikes true when Maul, increasingly consumed by his own rage to the point of blindness, falls for it.

Again: a wonderful fight and an excellent homage.

Then we get to Luke's stand-off with Kylo on Crait, in The Last Jedi.

An interesting take on the trope, also with meaningful narrative impact. As Rian Johnson writes in the TLJ screenplay:

"This is not like a saber fight. This like an old-fashioned samurai duel."

Here too, the tension gets built up...

... and every time we're close to getting that climax, Luke dodges.

It leaves a feeling of dissatisfaction, which is exactly what Kylo is feeling as he boils with rage.

Suddenly, we do get the climax...

... and a twist. Luke was never actually there. Boom. Those inserts during the build-up phase? If you look at them again they're clues (Luke doesn't leave a mark on the ground, salt doesn't land on his clothes, etc). Luke wasn't engaging because he wasn't actually there, he was buying time for the Resistance to escape.

Okay. Cool.

Next time we see a "Kurosawa" duel... it's here, in The Mandalorian.

Again, a lot of posing, slow movements and patience, as is expected from the trope.

But we know nothing about the opponent Ahsoka is fighting other than her name is Morgan... so no emotional impact, there.

At some point, Ahsoka loses a lightsaber. The apprentice to the Chosen One is struggling against some rando.

We find out later on that Morgan is a Nightsister from Dathomir, and that's cool... but we already know how Jedi-trained folks fare against the Dathomiri.

If you ask me, it feels like manufactured stakes. But that's beside the point. In fact, y'know what? It's fine.

Though the impact of this duel isn't as great as its predecessors, the whole episode is filled with visual homages to Kurosawa's work.

It makes sense that the duel would be too. Also it's the first time we're seeing Ahsoka in live action, in a lightsaber duel, the hype is real. Let's cut 'em some slack.

So we come to the series Ahsoka... where almost every duel in the the show has the Kurosawa posturing and tip-toeing and... I dunno. I was bored?

Like, the primary purpose of this approach to duels is that it's meant to be suspenseful and intense... and now it's not.

Because we know Ahsoka is gonna beat the crap outta these droids...

... so why even bother faking some semblance of "what's her next move gonna be?" suspense? There's a hole right behind her, gee, I truly wonder.

Oh, you think putting her against an Inquisitor's gonna make us fear for her life, wonder if she's gonna get outta this situation unscathed?

She was wiping the floor with two of them at the same time, a decade prior. At 17, she was killing Inquisitors while disarmed.

Do you really expect your audience to fear for her life in a fight against Marrok?

So we get to the fight with Baylan, and the posturing and studying opponent's next move would be welcome here (two Order 66 survivors, knew Anakin, both well-trained former Jedi)...

... if we hadn't literally seen that same dynamic with Marrok who, again, we knew was gonna die.

No tension was built in either moment, the only thing it achieved was me pressing >> on my keyboard.

It's not captivating anymore, it's just slow and un-dynamic.

Bottom line:

Tributes to Kurosawa are nice. They're part of what makes Star Wars what it is. But c'mon, we get it already.

Lightsaber duelists don't need to tiptoe around each other and change poses at every fight. Because when the actually meaningful duels come up (like the one with Baylan), the impact will be lessened.

The "Kurosawa samurai duel" is artistic and interesting, but it should be used sparingly in order to maintain its charm and not get old and trope-y. AKA too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing.

[the-cookie-of-doom]

Okay guys, you've convinced me lol, here's the gist of the Kim/Porsche idea!

The Kittisawats are a rival mafia family led by Porsche

When Kim is ~18, instead of running away to college, he sells himself to Porsche to be his sex slave. It's surprisingly wholesome.

This happens bc Kim discovers Tawan's being sketchy. Kinn doesn't believe him, so Kim tries to find more evidence, only to learn Korn is also involved (not directly, but he makes it very easy for Tawan to find secrets to sell, and be the snake he is). Kinn doesn't believe Kim about this either, but now he's angry bc Kim is trying to tear down Tawan and their father, while he's blinded by love and respect for both.

So Kim runs straight to Porsche

The conditions for his deal: Porsche gets Kim and everything he knows, as long as Porsche protects him from his father, swears not to hurt Kinn, and takes care of Tawan. Kim just wants to keep his family safe. But he knows he's just become a traitor, and his father won't let that stand. So. He's stuck with the Kittisawats. (It's not a hardship. He's honestly treated so much better by Porsche, feels more free as his slave than his father's son, and isn't that fucked up.)

At this point, Porsche isn't sleeping with men yet. There's some interest but no follow through. But Kim is offering himself up, so like. That's what he's supposed to do, right?? That seems like the thing to do. Because Kim's his sex slave now. So they should have sex.

Neither of them have any idea what they're doing. Kim's being heavily influenced by Vegas' psychotic stories of his sex pets, so that's what he expects from Porsche, and that's the role he's trying to fill. Porsche is just going along for the ride.

(It ends up angsty later bc neither of them actually want this. Or, they don't want it like this.)

Porsche does think Kim is very pretty, which leads to some... interesting situations. Some dubcon gender. Kim is going to play the part of his beautiful demure mistress because he feels like he has to. And it's easier this way, separating himself from the situation by playing this role, changing every aspect of himself down to his voice. (Until he has an identity crisis and a breakdown about it.)

This actually becomes a central part of the fic, but I don't want to spoil the surprise.

After Kim's break down, they start over, establish some boundaries and expectations. Once Kim gets comfortable enough to feel safe with Porsche, and his place under Porsche's power, he becomes an absolute gremlin. Porsche loves it, he's so fun, he's such a little shit.

Another central part of this fic is that Kim has OCD and slight agoraphobia. The agoraphobia comes after he betrays his father, it's a gradual onset. First he's just in hiding, but then Porsche starts trying to make him go out more. He's heard stories about Kim's eldest brother who never leaves the tower, he doesn't want Kim to end up like that. But Kim resists him at every turn, until it's just. Natural for him not to leave. (Chay will later get him outside, but not for a while.)

The OCD has always been there. But Korn isn't exactly a beacon of mental healthy support, so Kim has no idea what it is. All he knows is that he's Odd, that there are certain rituals he has to perform or else he feels like he's going to die, or someone else is, and he's usually punished for it. I don't want to get into all of them here but !!! I've spent the past few days coming up with self-soothing rituals for Kim and they are so good. It's not the usual generic habits like ~clean freak~ or ~counting things~, they're connected to his specific traumas, and they are so. excellent. they make me so happy.

So yeah! There you go! It starts out almost like an arranged marriage trope, Kim sells himself to Porsche, they eventually relax around each other, and they become excellent friends (who fuck, but don't fall in love). Kim uses family secrets to help Porsche get a leg up on his father. Porsche eventually helps mend Kim's broken relationship with Kinn (DubCon brother bonding).

Oh! And while Porsche isn't particularly kinky in this story, Kim is, so Porsche has to learn how to be a good dom for him. Once again the way that happens is very angsty, but it turns out great for them! Kim just needs someone to put him in subspace and leave him there for a while, get him out of his head. It's as close to therapy as he's likely to get.

[randoimago]

Day 11 - Soulmates

Fandom: Nier: Automata

Character(s): 9S

Type of Request: 31 Days of Oc-trope-r

Note(s): I love 9S so much and I hope I did a good job with writing this!!

9S knows that androids have fallen in love with each other. He's seen it on the ship and in the Resistance camp. But he doesn't know if he believes in the idea of a soulmate, someone destined to be with you from the beginning. Humans had them, but humans also had souls. Can a machine really have a soul? He doesn't know.

Yet anytime he goes to the Resistance camp, anytime he locks eyes with yours, it feels like a shared connection. Like his mind and body want to force him closer to you. They want to make him reach out and touch you (something that is very concerning, and he would never want to actually randomly grab someone)

But he's never had a reason to talk to you. he's never had a reason to walk away from 2B to approach you. But his eyes would wander in your direction and more often than not, your eyes meet his. As if you might feel this bizarre connection too.

He gets irritated, acts a bit short with 2B at times. And it's not her fault. She's following her directives; she's doing as the mission commands, and he wants to go to you instead.

So, he does something that logically makes no sense to do. He hacks and destroys the piece of technology you're working on. You don't get hurt, but he sees you jump and feels so much guilt that he is the one that caused that small scare.

The next time they go to the Resistance camp, he's thrilled that you call out. That you ask 2B for help getting specific parts to fix your tech. 9S offers to stay behind. He'll see if he can provide any assistance with his hacking background.

2B hesitates with the idea for a moment, he knows why she does, she might need to kill him after all. But she leaves him alone with you. And that pull, that odd craving-like feeling he has, grows stronger. Is it because you two are so close? He doesn't know, but he hopes it doesn't jeopardize anything with you.

9S looks over the tech, he knows he messed it up bad, but he wants to see what repairs you might've made or hear what you tried doing instead. He reaches for a wire the same time you do and you both touch.

And that pull he felt, that craving? It's gone and now he feels relief. So much relief and happiness like everything is complete and he's running diagnostics because this is so much artificial emotion that he is suddenly feeling from just brushing his manufactured skin against yours.

But you feel it too. He heard your "breath" hitch, he sees you place a hand to your chest, as if you're checking your own systems. And then you hesitate and hold his hand in yours and he feels happy. Not an overwhelming amount when he initially touched you, but happy that you weren't afraid of the initial touch and now you're initiating your own.

There's a shared laugh between you two and he wants to talk about what just happened, but he's interrupted with a message from 2B. 9S gives you an apologetic smile as he responds to her and is a bit upset that she's on her way back.

He continues looking over the tech with you, no longer shying when your hands brush against each other. It's just hand touches, sometimes your arms brush together due to your closeness. And he likes it so much.

2B comes back with the parts you need, and she noticeably sees how much happier 9S is. How he isn't as snappy he had been with her. Although there's some sadness in his eyes that he has to leave your side. 2B says that they still have a mission to complete, but they will come back to see how your technology is doing. That cheers up 9S and you. And before her and 9S can leave, you pull him into a hug.

9S stiffens at first but hugs you back. It's like a breath of fresh air as he feels you so close to him. 2B lightly clears her throat and he pulls away, bashfully. He didn't know if he believed in soulmates beforehand, but he knows that he has found his.

[mdhwrites]

When I watched Amphibia, I kinda had a hard time understanding how certain headcanons were developed in the fandom. Especially Grime being Sasha's 'toad dad' and Olivia and Yunan being Marcy's 'newt moms.'

Like...by the end of the series, I totally bought Sasha and Grime as close friends (heck, they sold me as friends partway through season two), but Grime never gave 'adoptive dad' vibes to me. Putting aside the fact Grime's the reason Sasha spent her first month in Amphibia in a cell, he's also a pretty toxic influence on her, indulging her worst traits and only really improving as a person when he and Sasha form the resistance in season three.

And I'm confident viewers only started the 'newt moms' headcanon because of the episode Olivia & Yunan. Which is pretty ironic, since in that episode, Yunan initially objects to saving Marcy (she didn't even refer to Marcy by her name, just 'the human' XD), and like you said, Olivia explicitly states she's motivated to save Marcy because she trusts her and thinks her intelligence will help them defeat Andrias, not because Marcy is someone she's emotionally attached to.

Sure, in The Hardest Thing, Olivia and Yunan hug Marcy goodbye, so there was clearly some fondness for her by the end, but nowhere near familial feelings. And yeah, maybe you could argue Olivia cared for Marcy since she insisted on being 'gentle' when Marcy was being pulled out of the tank, but that's just basic decency; hardly 'adoptive mother' behaviour.

With all that in mind, why do you think so many got so hooked on the idea of these people being found families for Sasha and Marcy? Did they think Sasha and Marcy both 'deserved' a found family just because Anne got that with the Plantars? Did they just like the idea, even if canon did almost nothing to validate it?

I personally think it's because a lot of people thought Sasha and Marcy's parents were abusive (another headcanon I can't get behind), and believed they deserved to find 'better' families in Amphibia. But that's my take; what's yours?

So there's a LOT here to potentially discuss because you're not wrong in saying that it's a dubious claim. Let's start with just my thoughts on them being found families: I like Grime as Sasha's father figure in works but it is much more a mentor and student relationship but where who is doing which is very dubious. The two need each other but how much one or the other need each other is constantly shifting and it's part of what makes their dynamic interesting. Trying to place a specific label on them is rough and I'd agree that saying that Grime is Sasha's first healthy friendship would be accurate because of the push and pull there.

Yunan and Olivia are great in fanworks as having had a real relationship with Marcy but the show just doesn't support it. Yunan seems to look down on her and barely know her while Olivia is a very normal archtype of the proper, Victorian woman who has to deal with childish antics. Neither are bad characters for it but it does mean that the moment in the end with her hugging Yunan and Olivia is more for the sake of a curtain call than it is a big relationship being wrapped up. They honestly symbolize Newtopia, which Marcy definitely should still love, rather than their actual characters in that hug and I think that works.

Now, why are they called found families?

Well, the first reading for why is honestly what I'd probably put my money on: It's a popular trope and people liked the dynamics enough to want to push it into the box they wanted it to be. Like how TOH is praised for its found family despite the family doing so little together, it's a trope with poor definitions, is hard to disprove and is just roaring through fiction right now so its overuse as a term isn't surprising. The fact that it gets used to describe so many people with just dynamics in general (frankly, it feels like it's becoming harder to write best friends in fiction partially from this) makes me unsurprised that it is getting used here since Anne does absolutely get a found family with the Plantars.

Which does bring a second part in: It makes Sasha and Marcy more important. If they're going on similar journeys as Anne than they totally aren't there to help with the themes and the like, the journey is about them too! It brings them closer to being the focus of the story and as narratively important as Anne which, as we've seen, was a big deal to the fandom. I won't even call this bad, fandom will do as it does, but it does also end up diminishing just how big a deal it was for the Plantars to so thoroughly integrate Anne into their family and then how the Boonchuys recognize that work and accept them readily too. If it's as easy as it had to have been for Marcy, Yunan and Olivia, it kind of cheapens the core thrust of the show, almost like it focused on Anne for a reason.

The last one is... KIND OF what you brought up but I think it's a lot deeper than you frame it. I recognize that nowadays I am an outlier. I literally go and take a walk with my mom every morning, or I'm supposed to, to try and help her be more physically active. My problems with my parents are mostly due to my brain not being able to accept anyone actually approves of me, let alone people who's approval I care about. I am so very lucky to have good parents who I am happy to call my parents and who I am glad to have the support of.

All too many kids, even those not in the LGBTQIA+ but ESPECIALLY if they are, have bad family homes. They dream of being able to escape to a new world that's better than theirs, meet people who accept them for them and let them do cool things and be themselves. Escapism, especially isekai, is EXTREMELY popular for a reason, especially as just the world in general sucks, regardless of your relationship with your family.

So then we get Marcy and Sasha still going back. Them ALL going back because sometimes change is inevitable and not always can you bring the ones you care about with you. It's a powerful message that spits in the eye of that escapism and for a lot of people, that HURTS. Like for as much as I defend the choice, I do understand why so many in the fandom reacted negatively to it. For as much as they potentially didn't care about the Amphibians, they don't want to lose the froggy world that they wanted to live in themselves.

And so we get the projection of abusive parents. We get the toads and newts also being found families because it's so much worse to give those people up in your life than just saying bye to your friends. We get reasons why they should have stayed or at least been allowed to travel between worlds. This isn't even all inherently wrong, especially if you are willing to admit that there was a reason why the show chose the ending it did, even if you wish you could have the one that makes you happier.

Hell, we even see some of that with how people treat angst right here. They want Sasha and Marcy to have abusive parents... Because then they can be told it's okay to reject reality, be given a hug and then move on. Not to explore that abuse but to be given the wish fulfillment of that abuse being met with kindness which is admittedly how you should meet that stuff, please take abuse victims seriously and help them, but life is more complicated than that most of the time.

These are arguments I can understand and sympathize with though. I wish I could see someone using mental illness as now their superpower to be something that makes me happy because it WOULD be nice if my depression made me better than others. I just... don't quite engage with media that way though. It's actually part of what I think makes scripted content harder for me because I engage too genuinely and don't just want a pat on the head and a juice box.

And that isn't to say people who do want that are wrong. I still don't want to be actively hurt by the media I consume. I am still there to be entertained and happy and how that happens will be different for each person. That's part of the joy of life.

So I won't tell people who want Yunan and Olivia to be Marcy's lesbian moms they're bad for wanting that. Just don't tell me that's objectively what happened in the story since analysis and headcanon are genuinely different.

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I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[theizzifromosaka]

Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School

Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School is an animated film released in 1988 featuring the titular Scooby-Doo as he follows his keeper Shaggy to his new job as a Gym Teacher. Unfortunately for the three, what they thought would be an easy paycheck turns out to be a harrowing experience as they misread the name of the school as Miss Grimwood's Finishing School for Girls, when in actuality it's a Finishing School for Ghouls. Who are also girls. Hence why I'm talking about it.

So this film has a suspiciously large fan base for what on the outside appears to be an innocuous Scooby-Doo film, so one of my goals for this review was to try and figure out why that is. So this will be a sort of combo review, the small text will be talking about the film while the larger text will be about the Girls featured in it.

The movie opens up with an adorable scene of Shaggy driving to their new job as Scooby freaks out as magical floating words introduce the main cast. This concludes in the words along with a heavy downpour obstructing Shaggy's vision, so he ends up at the nearby Calloway Military Academy by mistake. This is a great way to establish the setting, these two schools are situated right beside each other.

Correcting his mistake, Shaggy drives to the correct school, still unaware there's anything amiss until Miss Grimwood begins to introduce her students, where in classic Scooby-Doo style Shaggy and Scooby end up running around the school in fear, running into every single monster on the way. Excellent way to naturally introduce Shaggy and Scooby to the new characters, it ends up feeling pretty organic.

Sibella

The first student we're introduced to is Sibella, the daughter of Count Dracula (THE Count Dracula this time). She gets the most screentime of any of the students by a less than slim margin, though honestly there still isn't much to say. She litters her speech with puns, something we learn later she likely got from her father.

She's got an alright if basic design. Nothing that really reads as "vampire" besides her fangs, though she likes fanning her hair out as if it were wings. Her bat design is very cute, it retains her eyes, color pattern and the "tuft" on top of her hair, so it reads very easily as Sibella.

As Shaggy stumbles around the school he eventually meets Tanis, the youngest of the girls at the school who hopes to fill her trophy case with the volleyball trophy traded between Miss Grimwood's school and the Military Academy next door. This element is introduced kinda awkwardly.

The next day, Shaggy is still somewhat on edge but has uncharacteristically become more accustomed to being around the girls. He and Scooby proceed to with little resistance lead the group in a ballet routine, with tutus and everything. The film then cuts to the Military Academy where we're introduced to the boys of the school. Their personalities aren't all that distinct but their dynamic works well.

Winnie

Winnie seems to be close friends with Sibella. She's got several doglike qualities.

Her design doesn't immediately read as "dog", which honestly I kinda appreciate. She's a furry little creature. Nice color palette on her too, and the torn dress and bow invoke how werewolves are depicted with tattered clothes.

The bizarre rotten food of the school proves to be inedible even for the iron guts of Shaggy and Scooby, so in a cute show of appreciation Sibella springs for a pizza for the two. As the group explores the school's garden a pair of eyes are revealed to be "Venus spytraps", planted by the assistant of a witch called Revolta.

Tanis

Tanis is a mummy and the youngest of the girls at Miss Grimwood's. Despite her youth and habit of sucking her thumb I was glad to find out she's not a token little kid character with matching mannerisms.

She's got a fine design. I really like the eyes poking out of the darkness trope, and her bandage ponytail is a cute touch. I wish there was something else breaking up her design, I guess that's the idea behind the ribbon, but even her dress is bandadges.

The two teams play, both sides using all manner of trick available to them, but in the end it's a narrow victory for Miss Grimwood's school. The trophy is begrudgingly handed over to Tanis.

Cut to the girls decorating for their upcoming Open House, excitedly waiting for their parents as Shaggy and Scooby panick in a similar fashion to when they first arrived. Despite their best efforts, the girls' parents find them with little effort and thank them.

Elsa

Elsa Frankenteen (her actual name) is the daughter of Frankenstein's Monster. She comes off as a bit brutish but is revealed to be decently intelligent.

Her design is a different take on "teenage Frankenstein's Monster" than Frankie from Monster High or Vicky from Monster Prom. She takes a bit more after her father than her presumed mother, though like the other two her hair is also black with white streaks.

On their way out, the parents individually threaten Shaggy and Scooby if anything happens to their daughters. I like to think this is a way to assure the audience this won't lead to the pair confronting their phobias but it's more than likely just setting up something for later.

That night Revolta finally makes her move, siccing one of her minions on Shaggy. After some hijinks with Scooby the Spider Bat successfully infiltrates the school and hypnotizes Shaggy into planning a field trip.

Phantasma

The disturbing prospect of ghost genetics gets brought up as one is left to wonder: is this a dead girl or are ghosts capable of reproducing and aging? Would she even really be a ghost then? Anyways Phantasma is a giggly girl who likes to play the piano and twisting her head too far.

She's completely blue, kinda like how Polly was from Monster High, which kinda makes me wonder if there's some rule I'm not aware of that ghosts are blue. When I think of a ghost the first color in my mind is green, is that just me? Her boots feel slightly out of place and her hairstyle perhaps was a poor choice for a character whose head rotates all the way around but despite those small isssues she might be my favorite design so far.

The next day, Shaggy decides to take the group to a nearby bog, coincidentally the same day the boys of the Military Academy are out for some field training. The girls are slowly snatched up one by one by Revolta's minion the Grim Creeper, with Shaggy and Scooby giving chase and the boys reluctantly deciding not to follow.

At her lair, Revolta plans to permanently brainwash the girls into serving her for life, and Shaggy, more afraid of the girls' parents than of Revolta, is determined to rescue them. Stumbling around her lair eventually leads them to the girls, where the boys of Calloway Military Academy regret their decision and show up to help. Revolta's potion becomes volatile and the group narrowly escape. In classic fashion the film ends with dancing, and a fun gag where more monster girls show up and Shaggy decides he's had enough and resigns.

Scrappy-Doo: The TRUE Monster

So I've completely neglected to mention up until now that Shaggy and Scooby did not arrive at the school alone. I, like many people my age, grew up too late to have really known Scrappy, with my only familarity with the character being his mischaracterized appearance as the main antagonist in the first live action film and hearing older fans talk about how Scooby's nephew "ruined the franchise".

There may or may not be legitimate reason to dislike Scrappy-Doo, but you won't find it in this film. I found the way he idolizes his uncle and is constantly making excuses for him to actually be endearing and though he does end the film with a "rap" it's not enough to ruin the experience.

Revolta

The Witch of the Web is introduced a short ways into the film but constant reminders of her interloping make sure you never forget she's lurking. Her goal of commanding the girls as servants is said to stem from her bitterness towards their parents at having "gone soft".

Her physiology isn't made apparent but she's got four arms and orange eyes. She may not be the most pleasant character to look at but there's enough to like for me to say I appreciate her design.

So if you're familiar with these characters but haven't seen the film it's likely because this movie has an almost suspiciously loyal fanbase. Maybe it aired on a popular TV network often at some point, or maybe it was a cheap home video when it first released? I'm not sure but this film is actually not these girls' only appearance.

I'm not familiar with OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes beyond it's that Cartoon Network show that's crossed over with what feels like just about every other Warner Bros property, and among those crossovers is a single episode where slightly aged up versions of these characters visit one of the characters from the show.

Besides that that's it though. Still not completely sure why it's so popular, though it's a fun enough movie it's by no means my go to Scooby-Doo film, though it might be something I'll go back to once in a blue moon. It's a cute enough little film.

As for the Monster Girl fans, there's something about these girls that have stuck with other people for a long time, and who knows, maybe they'll stick with you too.

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[hurremshiv]

I wonder how much of the 'Madonna Whore Complex' that a certain subsection of the fandom implicitly frames Hürrem vs Mahidevran with is based in the actual framing of the show and how much is based in biased assumptions.

Because on the one hand Mahidevran is ultimately a 'victim' and something of a tragic character. She is also meant to be (and can come off as) a sympathetic and understandable character. After all much like Hürrem she too is facing the threat that the fratricide law poses to her child. However she, and her perception of her rivalry with Hürrem, are both deeply flawed. This is a narrative after all that she's willing to play into, even when the facts contradict it. She is vindictive, petty and every bit as capable of cruelty as Hürrem is if not more. That's not to say she's worse person, she just has different strengths and flaws to Hürrem. She is a caring mother as well, and yet her motherhood is far from above reproach (even though Mustafa really would have done so much better to listen to her). She may be the Madonna in this dichotomy, but she isn't a saint. She is decidedly morally grey.

Meanwhile Hürrem is also petty, vindictive, and cruel. It's easy to see her as the 'homewrecker' who 'ruined everything'. And yet her motives are also understandable. And where the stereotype of the 'whore' in the 'Madonna Whore dichotomy' is as a primadonna whose love is superficial, that´s not really the case for Hürrem. She is definitely something of a primadonna and a drama queen, Hürrem is a genuinely deeply loving person, in spite of how toxic she can be. She is also one of the characters in a position of significant power who is most defined by her sense of empathy. She has a deep and complex psychology, remembering and always staying cognizant of her past. All of which enables her to cultivate some of the deepest and most meaningful friendships we see in the show, particularly in the latter half of the series. And she is a toxic mother, but not uniquely so. Not to mention the fact that she is so willing to put her own life on the line for the sake of protecting her children And where the 'homewrecker' is usually brought down by her own hubris and jealousy, that is not the case for Hürrem. Who has a far more bittersweet ending (SHE GETS EXACTLY WHAT SHE WANTED IN THE BEGINNING, A FAMILY, AND DIES SURROUNDED BY THEM) and whose fatal flaw isn't hubris. So it's fairly clear that Hürrem in particular is a character who deconstructs and subverts the 'whore' side of the dichotomy.

Overall, I do think that the show subverts that 'complex' more than a certain subsection of fans want it to. And a desire to cling onto that specific narrative reveals a certain bias that is definitely worth unpacking. After all the trope itself relies on placing women into boxes based on how they meet certain deeply gendered expectations. And the fact that people can be so resistent to unpacking this idea is definitely something that is worthwhile to reflect on. Overall rather than being steroetypes that get used to control and pit women against each other, these are two women who are are complex, flawed, morally grey, and human.

[howhow326]

Mattholomule is Gus Shadow

Oh boy! I sure do love everything about Watching & Dreaming but I have to say my favorite part is when Gustholomule became canon and that's a thing that happened actually!!! Anyway, it's neat that most of the TOH ships have a sort of opposites attract dynamic: Lumity has the shoujo rivals trope; Huntlow is crushing-watermelon-with-thighs meme; and Gustholomule has the best dressed boy with an unwashed rat-man.

But with I told you that Gus and Mattholomule are more similar than they seem? What if I told you that the two boys are so similar to each other that they are like two halves of the same person?? What if I told you... ehh, you already read the title.

What is a Shadow?

First we need to go over what a shadow is: A shadow is: "an unconscious aspect of the personality that does not correspond with the ego ideal, leading the ego to resist and project the shadow. In short, the shadow is the self's emotional blind spot..." (Wikipedia). In other words, the Shadow is the shadowed side of one's personality, the part of themselves that they don't want others (or themselves) to see. However, ignoring the shadow dosen't make it go away, it just makes it stronger, seeping into one's everyday life as flaws and bad choices. Or in the case of Persona, giant fetish monsters (this is a joke, the persona games actually do a really good job of writing psycho-analysis even without the video game bosses). So, what does any of this have to do with Gustholomule? EVERYTHING!!! Which get's clearer in the next few paragraphs :)

Gus & Mattholomule's backstories

From TOH wiki: "Augustus Porter is the son of reporter Perry Porter, who wants his son to be a master illusionist (there's a source for this but I deleted it so Tumblr dosen't hide my post). Due to his skills in illusion magic, Augustus is one of the youngest students at Hexside School of Magic and Demonics, taking high school-level classes despite being twelve years old. However, due to his young age, Gus was often overlooked and ignored, and he was gullible to the various students that took advantage of his intelligence. The only place where he felt he mattered was the club he led, the Human Appreciation Society. Besides the other members of the H.A.S, the only other student he befriended was Willow Park, who helped him calm down from an illusionary memory with a breathing exercise he remembers to this day."

In short, Gus comes from a history of people tricking him in order to advance themselves (this is in Bold because it's gonna be super duper important for my argument later). Despite that, Gus wasn't destroyed by his backstory because he had people like Willow to help him (also important).

For Matt: "Mattholomule used to attend Glandus High, where he was friends with Bria, Gavin, and Angmar. Due to Glandus's social structure favoring the strong, Mattholomule was bullied by other students, including his three "friends" who had manipulated him. Eventually, he switched out of Glandus and started to attend Hexside, but still stuck around Bria, Gavin, and Angmar due to having nobody else to be his friend."

Just like Gus, Matt comes from a history of veing bullied and used by others. Unlike Gus, Matt didn't have anyone in his corner but himself (and Steve but like apparently adults are weirdly useless at helping their kids witch school problems which is actually extremely realistic now that I think about it).

In otherwords, Gus and Matt have nearly identical backstories, but turned out differently because only Gus had a real friend. And in my next few paragraphs, we find out that the "difference" between them is a lot smaller than it seems.

Something Ventured, Someone Framed

So if you've been paying attention, you have probably come to the conclusion that Gus is "good" person. And while that definitely isn't a bad conclusion to come to, this episode is going to hit you like a truck:

Gus: L-Luz, a-about the ban, I, uh, used my H. A. S. presidential authority to pull some strings. You've been given a full pardon!

Luz: You mean...

Gus: I got the ban lifted!

[Does a little dance when she's gone lol]

Willow: You lied to our best friend and told her you got the ban lifted. That seems like a potential problem to me.

Gus: You don't understand. The members were going mad. They were bloodthirsty. They were touching objects. I had no choice!

Note: instead of saying something like "one of the members is lying to the others" or something like that, Gus "had no choice" because... they were breaking his rule of no touching?!

Now, some people did catch on to Gus behavior and were mad at him for it. I'm not one of those people, in fact, I'm the exact opposite. This episode made me LOVE Gus' character! Before SV,SF Gus was just comic relief that was attached to Willow's hip. But now, Gus has flaws! He can exist as his own character!! He's lying to and mainipulating people like the little illusionist he is!!!

... wait a minute, "...and he was gullible to the various students that took advantage..."; "...Gus comes from a history of people tricking him in order to advance themselves."; "...ignoring the shadow dosen't make it go away, it just makes it stronger, seeping into one's everyday life as flaws and bad choices." This is Gus Shadow: a hurt child that's willing to trick people the same way that other people tricked him. Heck, there's even a name for the exact shadow that Gus possesses: The Know-It-All Trickster (I swear Im not anti gus wtf). From Artofmanliness .com (That name is so much worse than it seems), "The Know-It-All Trickster knows how to charm his way out of trouble. He’s adept at deception and manipulation and will gain the trust of those around him, only to betray it when they least expect it." While this is a lot more sinister than Gus at his worst, it dose perfectly describe what happened in SV,SF: Gus became friends with Luz recently and deceives her at a time when she would never expect it. Although, that description also sounds a lot like another character that shows up this episode (Mattholomule is inside your walls).

Of course, while Gus has flaws, he isn't the same as the people that tricked him. The older kids got their homeworks worth out of Gus and left without taking any responsibility for their actions. But Gus didn't do that, he endanged himself in order to save Luz from detention, and then he took responsibility for the mess he caused. He even saved Mattholomule from detention because "no one get's left behind"! Gus has flaws, but he was able to rise above them during his first focus episode, which is highly impressive for a twelve year old.

Through The Looking Glass Ruins

This episode's plot is interesting in that, while Gus is technically lying to people again, it wasn't even his idea! Gus was the one that didn't want to hang out with the Glandus because "he's just an illusionist" (an idea that Gus Shadow, Matt literally echos) so Luz goads him into hanging out with him in order to build back his self confidence.

Unlike SV,SF where Gus creates a lie that endangers Luz, Luz starts the lie that Gus is a "super witch" and Gus only upholds it to hang out with the Kool Kidz. Basically, Gus did nothing wrong.

Anyway, Gus gets a crush on the Boneghazi girl. Weird. I don't want to spend too much time talking about Bria because she's crazy shaped, but she is the next entry in a long line of older kids that trick Gus and ruin his self confidence. Then, the most important part of the episode happens:

Mattholomule: This is exactly how it was at Glandus. Always Bria's stooge.

Gus: Better a stooge than a clown. Bria was right, illusions are nothing but high-def party tricks.

Mattholomule: Yeah, I used to think that too. [He makes a saw of rock to cut the vines trapping Gus and The Keeper.] But then I met some dork who used his powers to save me from a man-eating detention pit. All I'm saying is, if a dumb illusion can save a jerk like me, maybe it's not as useless as you think.

Replace illusion with "Gus" and this conversation is practically the same. Gus is saying he can't help anyone and Matt is telling him "you already helped me" (the perfect start for the perfect ship).

Focusing more on Matt, this moment is a bit more than just him reaching out a hand or doing the right thing. As I said before, Matt has the same history of people using him just like Gus (it even happens in this episode). But unlike Gus, Matt didn't have anyone in his corner but himself. So instead of staying the victim, Matt became "villain". He most likely joined the H. A. S. with the intention of replacing whoever was in charge by using the same methods that Bria uses, trickery. Matt wanted to be on top of the social ladder through any means nessasary, and when his plan failed in SV,SF he went crawling back to Bria so he could gain some sense of power.

So why does Mattholomule help Gus in this episode? Simple, He's not Bria. Even when Matt tried to walk the same path as his bullies, he could never fully suppress the part of himself that had morals, that wanted to help people. And by choosing to help Gus even though the odds are stacked against them, Matt finnaly accepted that he wasn't a 100% jerk.

Plot twist: Gus is Mattholomule's Shadow. Just like how Matt represents Gus's capacity to become like the people that took advantage of him, Gus represents the part of Matt that was weak enough to be taken advantage of, a good person. There's even a word of Matt's Shadow: a Golden Shadow, the positive qualities of one self that they suppress.

Conclusion

Gustholomule is a deep relationship between two people who are really the same person that walked to different paths. However, it's only through meeting each other and forming a tight bond with each other that these two boys were able two accept their hidden selves and complete the process of self actualization. Truly a magnificent journey of self growth indeed.

Gustholomule is best ship fight me

[the-badger-mole]

How It Could Have Ended

Picture this: a story of a guy frozen in ice being woken up in a world he no longer recognizes. On waking, he meets a girl who is stubborn, strong and caring who takes him under her wing as he adjusts to this strange new world. The boy turns out to be the literal savior of the world, and with the help of the girl, he fulfills his destiny. There are some twists and turns, but in the end they fall in love, and it's a very sweet and satistfying ending, despite the fact that behind the scenes production drama made the last part of the series hit or miss.

Don't worry, I'm not being held at gun point and this is not a cry for help. I'm just talking about Futurama.

It's no big secret that I don't like Kataang as a ship, and I've spent a lot of words on all the ways it was a terrible ending for Katara and for the entire series. Here's something you may not know, though: I don't hate the dynamic that Kataang was built on. The lovable dopey boy and the competent, strong girl falling for each other is a Friends to Lovers trope that works really well if done correctly, and while I hate how ATLA did it, Futurama is one of my favorite examples of this ship dynamic in all of media and fandom.

The biggest reason that Fry and Leela's relationship development succeeds where Katara and Aang's failed is that the creators of the show seemed to actually care about Leela and her story. Fry and Leela's relationship develops in a way that takes them both into consideration. We get why Fry likes Leela, but we also see why Leela likes Fry. Leela's feelings matter. Leela is shown thorughout the series to have an attraction to Fry, but resists because Fry isn't mature enough to move their romantic relationship forward for most of the series run. Leela isn't made out to be the problem because of it. Despite the fact that Fry is a genuinely good guy, it's made very clear that Leela isn't wrong about him. Their relationship advances only as Fry becomes more mature, and Fry isn't maturing so that Leela will like him. Yes, she has the effect of making him want to be better, but there is never a point where Fry throws his development in Leela's face and expects to be rewarded with her affection. He hopes she'll like him back, but he doesn't demand it (also note that by "becoming more mature", Fry didn't have to stop being Fry. He was just more aware of how his actions affected others and acted accordingly).

Let's compare that to ATLA, where Katara's participation (such as it is) in her romantic development is very passive. When she rebuffs Aang's advances, our sympathy is supposed to be with Aang. Even in the end, where she initiates the kiss, that moment isn't preceeded by any discussion of her feelings or why she's decided she wants Aang. There are two moments in the show before the end where she could be argued to be showing any sort of romantic interest in Aang, in the end of the Fortunteller, and in the dance, and in both cases, it's not clear that Katara actually feels anything romantic for Aang. Her feelings are also never followed up on in either case. It doesn't need to be because Katara's feelings in this relationship don't really matter to either the writers or to Aang. She ends up with Aang in the end because that's what the script demands, rather than a natural progression of their friendship.

How the hero views his love interest is also handled very differently in ATLA and Futuram. It's very clear from the beginning that Aang likes Katara. What's made equally clear is that he likes her because she's pretty. Really think about all the moments where he's shown a romantic interest in Katara. It's all framed around her beauty, not who she actually is. Even though Aang should absolutely have understood a lot of what Katara was going though, it never comes into play in how he veiws her as a person, even when it really should. Katara and Aang have a very surfacy relationship. Katara takes care of Aang and she is a good friend to him, but she is either seeing Aang the child in her care, or Aang the Avatar. He is never Aang, the person she turns to when she needs help. In turn Aang sees Katara, the beautiful girl he has a crush on, and when she deviates from that view, he gets uncomfortable (i.e. his reaction to Katara challenging Pakku's sexism, or her wanting to go after Yon Rah). Aang doesn't understand Katara's pain, or her desperation to see the war ended. These are two characters who on paper should actually have a lot to connect on, but they don't make that connection, and the result is a very lopsided relationship where Aang persues Katara as a prize, and Katara gives in because he's the Avatar. Katara's wants are irrelevant.

Fry and Leela, on the other hand, share a deep connection that isn't just based on physical attraction. From the first episode, their bond is based on the way they relate to one another's struggles. While, yes, it is clear that Fry thinks Leela is attractive, they connect over a sense of feeling out of place and lonely in the world they find themselves in. Leela is an orphan who (she believes) comes from a whole different planet. Fry is 1000 years away from the world he knows and everyone he has ever loved is dead. They understand each other in ways the rest of the world doesn't, and they help each other carve their own path. One of the most poingnant episodes of thier relationship is X-Mas Story when Fry spends part of the episode feeling sorry for himself because he is lonely and misses Christmas with his family. Then it's pointed out that Leela is feeling even worse because while Christmas is a reminder of what Fry doesn't have anymore, for Leela, it's a reminder of what she's never had and she expects never will. Fry goes out of his way to make Leela feel better, not because he hope she'll fall for him (at this point, I don't think Fry is even that serious about liking Leela romantically yet). He did it because she's his friend, and he can empathize with her lonliness.

There's never a moment where he demands Leela's affection in exchange for the things he does. Fry saves the world, several times, over the course of the series, but he never makes that transactional. He doesn't try to leverage the fact that he is the only person in the universe who could have done what he did to even get a date with Leela. Although he does plead with Leela several times to give him a chance, Fry is also willing to back off when he's rebuffed...It's really messed up that we live in a world where that's a rare and attractive trait in a man, but here we are.

At the end of the day, Fry respects Leela. He has feelings for her and would like those feelings to be reciprocated, but had Leela refused him, he would have let her go. And we get a few opportunities to see that he would let her go. Leela has a few love interests over the course of the series, and while Fry doesn't necessarily like it, he steps aside and let's Leela do as she pleases, even if it means he might not ever get to be with her himself. Aang, on the otherhand, was ready to go into the Avatar State over the mere suggestion that Katara wanted someone else. Rather than give Katara the space she specifically asked for, he pressured her for the response he wanted, and physically forced himself on her. Aang wouldn't step aside like Fry and let Katara have every chance to be happy, even if it wasn't with him.

By the time Fry and Leela get together, they have a deep understanding of each other, both the good and bad. Fry has worked on himself so he could be the partner Leela needed without any expectation that she had to pick him if he did the things he was supposed to do anyway. Leela in turn was able to let her guards down and trust Fry would see her vulnerability for the gift it was and handle her with care. In contrast, by the time Katara and Aang get together, Aang has proven his feelings matter more to him than hers. He's proven that Katara can't trust him with her vulnerabilites, and he's disrespected her culture several times (remember the time Fry literally threw himself into a toxic lake and got "mutated" so he could support Leela after she called him out for being insensitive?). Aang is the king of "girl, lower your standards!" Mike and Bryan could stand to learn a thing or 15 about building a romance from Futurama.

[deramin2]

If we're going for the definition of Christmas being "Movies that happen around Christmas where that setting frames some of what's happening in the broader narrative," then I have 3 gay Holiday movies to check out.

Directly Holiday Movies:

Bros (2020):

Romcom, 115 minutes

Bobby Lieber is a successful New York City queer history podcaster, failed children's book writer, and rejected screenwriter, who's just won a community award for Best White Cis Gay Man. He announced he will be the first curator of a new national LGBTQ+ history museum in Manhattan.

His new coworkers are deeply passionate about the work but also squabble over everything, escalating it with intra-community discourse squabbling about who's the most oppressed and therefore should be the person that gets what they want. As someone in Very Online queer communities I can't emphasis enough how accurate and real this is and is very well-handled as an affectionate joke from within the community. The subtext is that they aren't wrong and what they're experiencing is real and needs to be factored in, but also they're stopping anything at all from actually happening that could materially help their community because they're too caught up trying to perfect the details.

He prefers Grindr hookups to romantic relationships. He regularly hate-watches Hallheart movies while secretly longing to be truly loved in more than just passing.

Bobby goes to the launch party for his friend's new queer dating app. There he meets Aaron Shepard, a hot but boring estate lawyer and they hit it off and kiss. They ultimately meet up again and the romcom unfolds in unconventional ways.

Bros both play into the romcom genre and resist it, especially how it erases what queer relationships are really like even when the characters are the same gender. It's a queer movie really made for the queer community and not the straight gaze. It's our jokes for us. It has some of the funniest sex scenes I've ever seen. The ending is absolute perfection. Overall extremely funny and intelligent movie.

Holiday connection: Bobby and Aaron celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas together at one point.

Spoiler Alert (2020)

Medical Death Memoir, 112 minutes

Based on the memoir 2017 Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies by Michael Ausiello about his partner Kit Cowan dying of cancer after being together 14 years. (The movie tells you this is the end at the beginning.) It's basically in 3 acts.

Act 1, is a romcom about how Michael and Kit met at a gay club, and instantly connect. It's about the comedy of trying to integrate into each other's lives, insecurities, and weirdness. Like Michael's secret all-consuming fandom. This is the first long-term relationship either of them have had.

Act 2, the relationship 12 years into it and where they are now.

Act 3, Kit is diagnosed with cancer and they reconcile with mortality and running out of time.

This is a very poignant film about love, lost, and how relationships are never as perfect as movies and TV make them seem. One way or another they all end, and you have to reconcile what all those feelings mean. It's about the string of platonic and familial relationships that come along with romantic ones and how important that love is, too. How our networks hold us together. It's about forgiveness and making sure you really talk to the people you care about while you can.

Respect if you can't handle another film about queer medical death. But it's nice to have one that's not about AIDS. It's also a really good study of the reality of cancer for anyone. I found it to be a really powerful film that made me come away wanting to actually live my life.

Holiday connection: Christmas is Michael's favorite holiday that fills him with magic and wonder and the passage of time is marked by Christmases.

Holiday Movie Adjacent:

Big Eden (2000)

Romcom, 117 minutes

One of the first gay romcoms ever, and hugely influential. This isn't a holiday movie, but it's directly engaging with most of the tropes of Hallmark movies, so I think it deserves to be here.

New York City gay artist Henry Hart suddenly leaves his home and career to go to the remote mountain town of Big Eden Montana to care for his ailing grandfather Sam after a stroke.

Through the church gossip he hears his high school crush Dean Stewart has moved back to town with his boys after getting a divorce, and Henry realizes he still has feelings about him.

The widow Thayer offers to help cook for Henry and Sam. The meals are delivered by shy Native American general store owner Pike Dexter, who's been harboring a crush on Henry since high school. He's been ordering Henry's fine paints for him. The general store has a flock of old men who spend the whole day gossiping there.

Widow Theyer's cooking is dreadful 1950s white bread Americana stuff. Pike decides he wants to make things nice for Henry, so he teaches himself gourmet cooking and makes increasingly elaborate meals. Then more romcom stuff happens.

One thing I love about it is that Henry, Dean, and Pike are closeted. Henry and Dean both express fear about coming out. But everyone in the town is friendly with the open hardware store lesbians. As their being queer becomes more obvious, it's shown that everyone around them would actually love and respect them and would appreciate being let into their inner lives. It's outside societal conditioning and outdated assumptions that's made them scared. In 2000 this message was a big deal. Everything else we had was tragedies about how society hates us. This resisted all of that.

This movie leans into a lot of tropes with so much love and sincerity, but also interrogates them and makes them queer and really has something very intelligent to say about how we deserve to be viewed in stories. Gay Hallmark films attempt to recreate stories like this on the surface, but lack any depth or real queerness and just end up being a warped straight parody. Seeing the real deal makes you really see what absolute garbage lesser films are.

[theycallme-thejackal]

My favorite trope: Joel being forced to witness blissfully happy Midge and Lenny.

Pairing: Joel Maisel & Mei Lin, Lenny Bruce & Midge Maisel Rated T

It's been a tough year.

Mei's residency has her incredibly busy, meaning more often than not, Joel is left home with the baby - or worse, alone. He misses her. He misses his really smart, tough, beautiful wife.

He goes to a comedy club in the hope that it will take his mind off of missing her. Maybe a couple drinks and some laughs will make him feel more like a human and less like a shell. Make him feel less like going to the Button and flirting with the new very cute waitress he hired.

He didn't expect to see his ex-wife with her boyfriend.

He knows Lenny was on tour for a few weeks somewhere out west, but he didn't realize he'd come back already. They're sitting at a table toward the edge of the crowd watching the comics and occasionally whispering to each other, laughing at some of the jokes but not at most. They seem to laugh more with each other than at the comedy on stage.

They look really, really happy.

At one point, Midge lifts her hand, brushing her fingers through Lenny's hair tenderly. It's not like they're necking, but there's something about the affectionate gesture that makes Joel feel like he's intruding on something incredibly private. He looks back toward the stage.

A while later, he sees Lenny cross the room, headed for the john, and Joel finishes his drink, heading the same direction.

"Can I ask you a question?" He asks a few minutes later, entering the bathroom and finding Lenny at the sink.

The comic looks at him in the mirror. Usually Joel would expect him to joke, but Lenny just says, "Shoot."

He takes a deep breath. "How do you do it?" Lenny furrows a brow, and Joel moves to the sink. "You're a pretty famous guy. Women probably flirt with you a lot when you're on tour, right?"

"I wouldn't say a lot, but sure," Lenny answers, grabbing some paper towels and drying his hands.

"How do you..."

"Resist the urge to do a little more than flirt?" The younger man nods slowly. Lenny rubs his jaw in consideration. "If I start talking about your ex-wife, you're not gonna deck me, are you?"

"Just...keep it vague?" Joel requests.

Lenny laughs quietly, tossing the paper towels. "Flirting with other women isn't nearly as fun for me as flirting with Midge. Because I love her. And I'd rather do six months of shows in fucking Siberia than do anything to hurt her. I mean, I kicked dope for her."

"You did that for Midge?" Joel asks, surprised.

"Well partly. She wasn't the only reason. The point is - " Lenny gestures toward Joel " - no roll in the hay, no morphine high, no blonde bombshell or cute cocktail waitress is worth losing the best thing that ever fucking happened to me. Is Mei the best thing that ever happened to you?"

"Yeah, but she's never around! She's always at work, and I - "

"You ever consider talking to her?"

Joel furrows his brow. "What's there to talk about? She works, and I can't - "

"Jesus, Joel, talk to your wife. Tell her you miss her." The older man claps him on the shoulder as he heads for the door. "You'll be surprised by how much easier things get when you actually communicate."

--

"What are you doing here?"

Joel holds up a paper bag. "Thought you might need a pick-me-up," he offers.

Mei smiles, leaning against the nurses' station and taking the bag. She looks inside, and her smile widens at the sight of the spring rolls. "Pork?"

"What am I, an idiot?" Mei quirks her brow teasingly, and Joel shakes his head with a soft laugh. "You got a minute to talk?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just - " He notices the nurses and stops. "Is there somewhere we can talk privately?"

"Sure," she answers, leading him toward the doctors lounge. "What's going on?" She asks, sitting down and opening the bag.

"I miss you," he admits as he takes the seat next to her. "I'm ridiculously proud of you, but I miss you."

Mei sighs. "I miss you too, Joel. This has been a really hard year for us. Residency is kicking my ass."

"I know you miss Charlotte when you're here, but I was thinking maybe the next time you get a couple days in a row we could...I dunno, maybe get out of the city? Just the two of us. Spend some time together..."

His wife exhales, looking a little relieved. "That sounds really great. I love Charlotte, but I could definitely use a couple days off without being woken up by her crying. I'm exhausted."

He smiles. "Okay. Just let me know what your schedule looks like, and we'll plan something. Or I will. Or Ma will."

"Your mother is not planning our romantic, relaxing getaway."

"Then I'll do it," he promises, leaning in and kissing her softly.

[teruel-a-witch]

Saw you wanted some asks and I love your thoughts so here you go! I picked #22 and #8 you can do both or your favorite or whatever😊 Picked them mainly because I thought they could be interesting but also because a lot of the questions were obvious for Steve or Danny. One of the best parts of having a 10 season show is that we learned so much about the characters and their mannerisms/ habits that it's easy to know how they would react in hypothetical situations. In mcdanno's case its usually because we've seen them together in similar situations before 😅

aw, i'm flattered you find my ramblings interesting, and I totally agree, it does seem like a lot of the answers would be obvious because we have so much data (although there are always ways to twist a typical trope)

22. takes pranks too far.

okay so this one is tricky because my first instinct is to say steve because he is a tall child who enjoys being a little shit and annoying danny because rattled danny is extra adorable. plus, he was in the navy and the pranks military boys play on each other can be brutal. i'm sure steve and his seal buddies got to some pretty crazy stuff together (which could also be how they got their nicknames). one of the funniest stories my dad told me from his compulsory military service was when he and 3 of his buddies got back at their roommate for the crime of snoring by lifting his bed with him in it and carrying it to the communal toilets, where he was discovered in the morning by the squadron commander still sleeping. and i'm sure it's tame in comparison to what steve could have gotten up to.

but the thing is danny isn't just one of the guys, steve actually wants danny to like him, and pulling on his metaphorical pigtails is one thing, but doing something that would make danny so pissed he stops talking to him is another entirely. except maybe in the beginning where he doesn't know what the limits are he could go too far, but as he learns the boundaries of their relationship i think there will be lines he won't cross.

danny is more of a sarcasm/making fun guy than a practical joke guy (salting the cake that one time was OOC enough for him that steve didn't expect it), but even he obviously feels kinda bad when steve thinks he's genuine, so i don't think either of them will deliberately hurt each other. there's just so much love between them, the gentle kind, that i don't see them pulling deliberately cruel pranks on each other.

it would be fun if they got into an all out prank war, tho. although, potentially with disastrous consequences because they are so competitive, so i guess the only way it could get too far if they are both pushing each other's limits.

8. makes the other late for work.

before they are a couple it honestly can be a number of mundane things but that's not what we are here for 😏 after they get together, well, i'm gonna answer with a graphic

it's gotta be steve, who can't resist danny and danny can't resist him

people get murdered in oahu almost every day, but they still got years to make up for, the dead can wait :p

which one of your OTP ask game

[quaranmine]

ok ok that last characterization post that i reblogged made me start thinking about common tropes to hermitcraft and why that might be?

because i mentioned the whole responsible dadmin xisuma thing. and i think that's because people naturally want to be able to have someone In Charge in a fic. it's easier to write that way. but it's also an effect of worldbuilding in minecraft--the admins have special privleges that normal players don't have, and in a world where plots often have to do with "code" and other hybrid computer-y jargon, it stands to reason the admins must be powerful right? and with great power comes great responsibility lol.

it's also more entrenched in the fandom since this idea of admins being powerful has spread into being a common headcanon for multiple smps. I see it the most often in Hermitcraft, but I don't know if it was actually popularized in hermitcraft or if it's a remnant from older smps in the fandom. either way, the "admin is a powerful person" thing has spread to other fandoms (dsmp being a big one)

I also think one reason the Watchers continue to be so popular is that they fill the niche for a Big Bad in a hermitcraft story. Hermitcraft is more "difficult" to write plots for because most of the conflict has to come from an external source, which a lot of the time we don't have lore for (however moon big was a great source of an external issue) Because all the hermits are good guys, right? Most people tend not to write another hermit as the antagonist. Doc used to be put into the antagonist position a lot, which I honestly hate in earlier hermitcraft fanfic--I don't think he's evil, and most of the time it's not done well at all and is just insulting to him as a person.

Dream SMP on the other hand is EASY to write antagonists for. c!Dream is the obvious Big Bad in the story, but due to the nature of interpersonal conflicts on the dsmp, whoever the antagonist is can depend purely on who your characters are. It's easy to write conflict because the server has a lot of conflict. there isn't necessarily a reason to bring in outside forces when the characters generate enough antagonism on their own to be interesting, and if you do want a plot like that, there's canon avenues for it (i.e. egg plot can easily be turned into one that gives the server a common enemy, etc). Even on Empires, it's easy to write interpersonal/political conflicts due to the way the story is setup.

For Hermitcraft, the server doesn't have a lot of serious conflict between hermits. We may have the civil war or mycelium resistance or the S9 king plot, but there's always an ultimate understanding within the fandom that everyone is friends. they're on the same side. I do see people writing hermitcraft conflicts and storylines in a serious way, but it's not as common as it for these conflicts to be written as all in good fun. So, enter the watchers, which are beings just vague and powerful enough that you can do whatever you want with them, and they make a really easy threat for the hermits to face together, normally without make one hermit do anything bad lol

Life Series provides a lot of interpersonal conflict, but it also works within a structure that it very easily interpreted as being forced. Most people tend to interpret the players as being forced in some way--either trapped in a loop, lost their memories of their friends, lost their ability to think straight due to magicky bloodlust, etc. There's few works where everyone just like. genuinely turns on each other without something else going, which makes total sense given that these people are good friends everywhere else. thus, watchers was another common interpretation in life series, even well before martyn canonized it for his pov

ummmm i sort of lost where i was going with this, except for maybe an analysis of the fact that hermitcraft's found family/friendship dynamics lends most of its fanworks into being situations where everyone faces some sort of external force. which in turn influences what tropes and headcanons are common in the fandom. and it's not just watchers it's also the prevalence of possession plots (skulk? mycelium? the jungle?) and other things that provide a Common Enemy or influence a hermit badly in a way thats not Actually Their Fault

[vesperewrites]

Hi, I don't know if using your ask inbox as a 'Lucemond Fandom Confessional' is appropriate but, I wanted to give my two cents if that was okay? As someone who has read and written in this fandom since season 1 wrapped up, I think a lot of people forget that the reason as to why Lucemonders were in their 'Golden Era' wasn't actually because the fanfictions were all that diverse or the great masterpieces that they remember. It was because we were all experiencing and reading them collectively/commenting and raving about the same popular ffs. It was the experience of true fandom mania that elevated those times. There were maybe 20 (at most) authors writing since the beginning who built the fandom and only a few of them, some of them I see you've listed on your other post, who have stuck with the fandom. And even then, they've been on the brink of leaving due to all the unwanted, pushy anons or readers who overstep. I think nostalgia really has influenced certain readers to keep the same attitude from those days and be resistant towards new authors by giving the same old 'Well everything is a/b/o and I don't like that.'. It's really not, and if that's the case, write something you want to see. I used to navigate the fandom fine when there was less than 1k works and didn't like that tag as well, so I'm pretty sure filtering out tags and utilizing ao3's system is really what prevents readers from finding anything new or discovering a trope/plot that isn't the usual Lucemonder's thing. Readers and writers alike have gotten so accustomed to flocking the most popular or recommended fan fiction at the moment (which is no problem, I do the same thing) that they forget to actually try and check out underrated work. Not commenting or supporting is what's really killing the energy of this fandom, not the a/b/o trope or the new wave of fic writers (who have been really good by the way, @Mooniepond and @nocturnal_pollinator being just two off the top of my head, which is why I genuinely believe these people aren't actually looking). Also, your takes and writing are divine, I hope this mouthful finds you well <3

Hi anon,

Yeah, it's a bit strange given the tone, but I'm doing my best to approach with reason. I'm the one choosing to engage, so I don't mind, right now.

And yes, I agree with you. I just replied to the other anon about this take of fandom explosion that goes into it (also huge thanks to @jojodacrow again for helping me word things). There appears to be a certain nostalgia attached because of the growth in fandom and community.

Yes, a lot of people are still here! At least, I think so. I don't know who's a fandom oldie and who isn't, so I'll take your word on it.

And I completely agree with you in writing/creating/drawing the things you want to see. That's how I got started here.

There is a valid longing in wishing for "oh more of this trope please!" or "ah, I want more cis M/M!" That's understandable, and I feel that too. But to the folks saying this over and over as a complaint, I ask: is luc_m*nd the only ship you read for in HOTD? Is there another fandom? Or are the fics already there with the intricate filtering system, but you don't want to read it or like it for whatever reason? Something to consider, I suppose.

There is something to be said about underrated work and giving new things a chance (I'll post my thoughts on this later) But yes, I agree that less comments have equaled less engagement. There's an expectation for interaction, which is quite an interesting shift for me, in terms of fandom culture in general. I'll put that in a different post as well.

I agree about commenting culture somewhat. I can't speak for other writers, but I didn't have high expectations at all for my fic. I was blown away actually. I expected maybe 10 people max for a non-smut fic, but I had lovely comments on each chapter and was very happy.

The thing is, I think people should create for themselves first and foremost. If a writer is relying on heavy validation from readers, I don't think that's healthy either. It's okay to want comments, interactions, kudos, but very concerning when you're placing a ton of weight on obligating people to read your work. I feel like there's potential jealousy at play among some writers as well, but that's as an outsider looking in and noticing that behavior from before.

I appreciate the take, anon! :] thanks for sharing and ah, thank you >< you are very kind. Thank you for the recommendations of the writers, anon.

[rollercoasterwords]

hey I don’t want to pick on you or anything I just have a couple of things for you to consider re: your post about never criticizing fic/fan works in public and your responses to that anon. I completely agree with you wrt stuff like prose or characterization. But in terms of something like racism, I will say that as a Black person, I find fandom in general incredibly resistant to seeing any fandom behaviors or tropes as being driven by racism. Privately approaching someone who you may not have a relationship with and who is almost certain to be some degree of defensive or hostile is a big ask. I just think of all those posts I see about how hard it is for people to even comment positively on a fic they loved. We all know it’s hard to approach someone to talk about their work, even if it’s positive! and it seems like an unfair burden on poc for us to always be expected to overcome that reticence so that people aren’t offended/embarrassed by the public critique of any racist content in their fan work. I think that critiquing these racist tropes and behaviors (even using specific works as an example) can actually be an act of community because we’re discussing how to treat each other better and how to acknowledge that fans of color are also reading and viewing and our experiences matter also. Like the point of calling out racism isn’t to shun and disgrace everyone who has done something racist (which is everyone in the world) it’s to help people stop being racist and to show racism is not tolerated or acceptable. Just another perspective for you to consider! I know you’re not like the arbiter of fandom and you’re not responsible for what other people do. Thanks for reading!

i do not feel picked on don't worry!! i really appreciate this message i actually feel like this helped address some of my questions re: differences in posting publicly vs taking it to the fic writer privately when it comes to like. how draining/how much of a burden either of those things can be.

i definitely get what ur saying here that going directly to the fic writer just. is not always going to be the best option for an individual trying to figure out how to address racism in fandom. and while i personally tend to err on the side of addressing issues privately, i agree w u that discussing them publicly can be just as much an act of community + education. i think where my wariness comes from is that i have seen a lot of call-outs that are more witch-hunts where it is sort of burn-them-at-the-stake vibes, and that's more what i was responding to when i made my original post.

but i think the flipside when i talk about things like being in community, assuming the best in each other rather than the worst, etc is that it all needs to be going both ways. so like - when addressing issues, starting from a place where we assume it's misinformation and not intent, but then on the flipside for writers who are having something in their work pointed out as problematic, i think it's important to assume that the people pointing that out to u are (as u say) also coming from a place of community + trying to help educate, not just putting u on trial to humiliate u. like, none of this works if it's not a two-way street. and so i get how seeing writers frequently become defensive or hostile when having their racism called out is gonna mean u develop different tactics for addressing racism--like, that makes a lot of sense.

anyway, thanks for taking the time to send me this message! i feel like it helped me understand a bit more of what that anon might have been getting at; definitely gave me some things to reevaluate when talking broadly abt how we address issues in fic. while i do think that, generally speaking, it's best to go to the writer first, there are definitely situations where that isn't going to be the case + i don't want to act as if there is always one correct set of steps to follow in addressing issues!