#this is also a pet peeve I have in multiple fandoms - or just characters interpretations in general

[harmonydiaries]

“but i guess people are fine with it because it’s easier to ignore a character who has been insensitive from the beginning than it is to accept that a kind and easygoing character can have some flaws and aren’t always perfect.” <— CLOCK ITT

oh also, i see a lot of patton hate because "he's mean to logan" when i never saw this kind of sentiment when logan (and roman) was being dismissive of patton and even outright insulting him in s1 and even in recent episodes.

now i love and relate to logan as much as anyone else, but let’s not kid ourselves and pretend like he was perfect from the beginning. he has apologized or tried to make an effort to make it up to patton a couple times, but he still ends up insulting patton and not taking him seriously. so there’s not much progress there but i guess people are fine with it because it’s easier to ignore a character who has been insensitive from the beginning than it is to accept that a kind and easygoing character can have some flaws and aren’t always perfect.

if you’re going to judge patton for talking over logan or revealing his name without his consent (which btw logan didn’t even seem to care about, he never seemed to give that much importance to his name, since he is logic either way) you’re gonna have to judge the other sides whenever they’re being mean as well. criticizing or disliking a character is fine, i’m not gonna tell you how to feel about a character. but it’s the double standards that really pisses me off.

[suzukiblu]

You know I have come to the realization that this is a thing on which I would like to be clear, as a reasonably prolific writer of fanfic with a range of readers who all have very different levels of familiarity with the various canons I have dabbled in: I love a lot of things about [ insert canon here ] and I definitely DO have certain personal pet peeves in regards to "yeah this person definitely didn't read/watch/even-briefly-skim anything outside of fandom" interpretations that I find particularly slanderous or are just Not My Vibe or things like that which I personally just can't get into or enjoy. Like, things that are just not to my taste, you know?

But also, fuck it, canon is a suggestion and fandom's only actual "rules" are "try not to be an entitled prick or actively hateful", as far as I'm concerned. No, no one has to do the homework just to write/draw/meta/post about something they're getting something out of. I personally am too dang old to do any more of the homework than I want to and I am sure as heck not gonna hold anyone else to that standard either.

Imo there is just no reason whatsoever to ever be upset about MORE people getting involved in the fun thing and enjoying themselves with it, especially when we can all zero-effort back-button out of anything we don’t like. I don't care if they're wrong about [ insert character here ]!! I mean, I do, I very much do, it makes my 'tisms personally insane, but unless someone's wrong in like a hateful/sexist/racist/bigoted way, that's their business, not anybody else's! Let 'em cook, people! We don't get better content in our fandoms by getting publicly judgy about and way too publicly INVESTED in how other people in it have fun. Actually, all we get that way is LESS content. Like so, so much less.

Look, it's a process, I'm personally still working on it myself. There's def stuff that bothers or pet-peeves me, and stuff I just gotta skate past without engaging. I just think keeping a little more perspective helps, in these situations.

Also, not telling people things like "hey if you don't read literal DECADES' worth of MULTIPLE monthly-release comics and all the relevant crossovers and events/watch every single episode and movie released since the seventies/listen to all the bonus episodes of this already-over-one-hundred-hours podcast, you don't belong here" helps. Also that. Definitely that.

[ilikekidsshows]

Ok. Something I see in the ml fandom sometimes is really starting to bother me. It's not common, per se, but I've seen it enough times now that I'm about to lose it. But people don't deserve me yelling at them/on their fics, so I'm venting here instead. XD As always, feel free to ignore this/not respond if you'd prefer. I'll try to be vague, but I also understand if this is...too specific.

So. With that out of the way. I get near livid these days whenever I see an 'Adrien as an abusive romantic partner to Marinette' AU. Like to an extent I understand, it's an alternative universe. Non canon. Exploration of a "what if." Don't like don't read, yadda yadda. And generally I just...move on.

But also. At the same time. It just makes me so ANGRY. To know this exists. That multiple people can have the absolute gall to take a *canon* abuse victim. Who is sweet and patient and kind (genuinely, but also because he has to be, if you subscribe to the fawning interpretation). And turn him into a manipulative abuser, the unambiguous villain of a story. (And yeah, I've seen the argument that abuse victims can sometimes go on to become abusers themselves, but that doesn't really justify writing Adrien specifically this way? It's still...grossly out of character? Not to mention a bleak and insulting trajectory for his journey as a victim?)

But even better....they take a character who is canonically being gaslit, more or less, by his girlfriend into glorifying his abuser and downplaying the abuse he experienced (I know the term isn't exactly correct but gdi calling it mere "lying" is also an understatement). And then say, you know what. What if we do a switcheroo! And make that same girlfriend -his- abuse victim instead! Let's once again make it about how terrible *she* has it, because canon doesn't already focus on Marinette being upsette enough apparently. It just...leaves such a poor taste in my mouth???

To be clear, these aren't Marinette salt fics, some sort of weird "see how -you- like it" thing. No, these are "Marinette is a victim who will ultimately triumph" stories, not necessarily written by people who even dislike Adrien (if the stories were explicitly Adrien salt I wouldn't have read/come across them in the first place).

And yeah, I understand fan-fiction is often OOC and/or can be a way to deal with one's IRL struggles. But dear GOD does it piss me off like nothing else when someone chooses the *canon victim* to be the Big Bad that the self-insert character gets to overcome. It's plain insulting, is what it is. Long story short, leave Adrien alone and choose a different freaking character to be the abusive jackass!

....you know, I'm think ultimately it wouldn't bother me so much, if it weren't for fandom's much more widespread tendency to indulge in Marinette wangst and act like she's the epitome of human suffering, often at his expense or while ignoring his struggles. So I guess this sub-genre of abuser!Adrien is the straw that broke the camel's back for me.

Anywho, rant over XD I think I've calmed down a bit, so if you read this, thank you for providing a space for me to vent and I hope it wasn't too annoying!

---

This blog does double time as an analysis and vent blog, so sending in pet peeves is completely allowed and even encouraged. Yeah, like, even if Adrien wasn't an abuse victim, seeing a trend of “abuser AUs” for any character you're a fan of is annoying. When something annoying gets combined with this fandom trend being basically the culmination of things pushed in canon, it turns downright aggravating. 

Because that's really the thing that makes it more than just another case of basic “well, we need someone to mistreat our lead so that she can overcome hardships”; it has its roots in something actually harmful going on in the show and fandom. Adrien's victimhood constantly gets sidelined, or he's demonized for his trauma responses, so a fic trend where he continues the cycle of abuse just comes across as even more victim blaming.

Meanwhile, Marinette's petty grievances are treated as signs of how she's the biggest victim on the block, she's suffering so much more than the literal abuse victims, so a fic having her be literally victimized by the very abuse victim whose victimhood she commandeers in canon is both very expected for this fandom but also really aggravating.

I’m saying I get it.

[ninjaturtlecosmo]

Personal pet peeve of mine when it comes to fandoms; If someone is sharing their interpretation of a certain character, or if they're writing an AU of a certain fandom where they write certain characters differently than they are in canon, I think it's okay to disagree with how they might see or portray that character. However, if in the conversation their response to it is "Did we watch the same show?", or something similar, sometimes I think that can come across as disrespectful, especially because not everyone is gonna share the same view of a certain character or piece of media.

Case and point; Long ago, I was writing my own iteration of Transformers (which I've currently had on an indefinite hiatus for almost 2 years because I wanted to focus on my Star Wars AU), where I was writing about multiple characters from different iterations of Transformers, and one day I was sharing with a now ex-friend about how I was a portraying the DJD in this AU. Basically I was trying to humanize them a little, and.... well, I haven't written about them in a long time so I don't really remember everything I had on them, but from what I can recall, I pretty much made them into bots who would still go after Decepticons who went against the code at all, except they never went after children, or carriers who were pregnant with sparklings, and I remember I had the idea of making them eventually question their work and their loyalty to Megatron (who in my version was a villain slowly losing his mind as the story went on, kind of like he did in Transformers Prime).... and when I shared this with my ex-friend, "Did we read the same comics?" was their response, while they also went on about how OOC my portrayal was, and just..... don't do that, guys. You can disagree with how someone writes characters, you can even give them constructive criticism if they're open to it, but saying you didn't look at the same piece of media just because someone sees a character differently than you or wants to write them differently is just rude, and basically implies they're not reading or watching said media "correctly" or something. Honestly, at the end of the day, fanfic and AU writers are just trying to have fun and enjoy their passion, and no matter how OOC it may be, if someone is enjoying the story and characters they're writing, just let them enjoy expressing themselves.

[robinreflects]

Hi, I want to ask you what are your thoughts on the "mentor/mother figure" tropes that surround Eda and how the show handled them, because to me it fell flat. Sure, Eda does count as a mother figure to Luz and King, and my disinterest in this found family, could be writen off as just that - me being disinterested in them.

I have a small gripe with how the show calls the tropes Eda has in the story itself by the characters naming them, that I get the feeling the writers are telling me how to view Eda and to love her character.

And this more fandom related, but am I the only one who doesn't get the whole "Eda is a Mama Bird" thing? Because outside of Luz and King, the only child she has this mentor/parental dynamic with would be Edred.

She doesn't have many moments with Willow and Gus, even back in season 1. I would say, Willow and Gus have more of that "parent/child" dynamic with Camila.

Eda and Amity do go on a dventure together for the Titans Blood, but nothing about their dynamic screamed "parent & child". The same goes for Hunter, but I will acknowledge that their lack of interactions is because of the cut on season 3.

I know my criticism mostly stems from me not clicking with Eda's character like many fans of the show do, so my view on Eda will differ from theirs.

First off, I totally get not clicking with Eda as a character, even if I liked her. I also know most of my liking of the character actually comes from Wendie Malick's performance, I think she did a splendid job, especially in the more emotional scenes (like the fight scenes in s1 with Lilith). I also knew her as Beatrice Horseman before I watched The Owl House, so seeing her play a good mother figure was very engaging to me. 

THAT BEING SAID, the moment when Luz and Eda’s relationship didn't feel as special to me was when the show was trying to portray Eda in a motherly way with any other kid. I don’t mean just the main team, I mean, if there was a child character, they’d find a way for Eda to mother them. I think this started in season 2 when the show already had a decent-sized fanbase and was making their own interpretations and headcanons for Eda. Mainly the one you mentioned, her being a “mama bird”. Multiple (even background) characters call her “Mama Eda”, which seemed like excessive fan service. Many things like that were done in excess or amped up because the show's fans were responding to it well and a lot of those amped-up/excessive moments felt out of character for Eda. She didn’t even want to take care of Luz in the beginning, that alone would be enough for me to believe she wouldn’t be willing to adopt everything that lives and breathes. 

Willow and Gus definitely have more of a "parent-child" dynamic with Camila, which I think was very nicely done, same with Hunter. I see him having more of a "mother-son" dynamic with Camilla than Eda. The season 3 being cut short is an argument I see a lot, however, if they managed to create this dynamic between Willow/Gus/Hunter and Camilla within the first episode of season 3, I don't see how them not doing that with Eda can be attributed to the shortening, precisely because they had either 2 or 1 season (Hunter I believe met Eda in season 2) to write this dynamic, unlike with Camilla who only became an interactable character with the main cast in season 3, while Eda was there from the beginning.

The "self-aware", breaking the fourth wall-esque humor you mentioned, is one of my biggest pet peeves with the show. Pointing out tropes in the most fandom way imaginable will never fail to make me cringe. Show, don't tell is one of the most basic, easiest ways to make a story interesting, and somehow, for the sake of "incorrect quotes" type of humor, they keep failing at it. A few quotes that instantly come to mind are the "cool aunt vibe" from Collector and "What are those stupid kids doing? Wait, those are MY stupid kids" said Eda herself. Most of the characters are written very quirky, almost falling into the MPDG territory. Often reducing them to one character trait for the sake of, as I said before cheap jokes.

I also have an issue with Luz and Eda’s narratives, in that the writers can’t seem to decide if Eda is the character Luz relates to or Camila is. Camila’s speech about understanding Luz in season 3 felt very haphazard because we’ve spent 2 seasons of Eda and Luz’s narratives paralleling each other in the points Camilla is bringing up. Being unaccepted, feeling isolated, having no one understand them, being seen as dangerous at times, messing up all the time, and not liking conventionality. These points are a big part of Luz and Eda’s characters and are parallels to each other. Camila’s speech would’ve been so impactful, if it was Eda instead, not only because of the fact their stories parallel each other (and this scene was exactly what their storyline was going towards) but also because of the fact that we know Luz looks up to Eda, seeing her as weirdly perfect, exonerating her at times even. Luz, not seeing Eda for who she really is, realizes they are much more alike after the speech, and that Eda understands her.

Thank you so much for the ask! I love talking about this! So if you want to hear my thoughts on anything else, just shoot me an ask! <3 I also just woke up so this might be a little over the place and I apologize for that.

[silverwingborn-moved]

Munday - About the Mun v.03

Name // Soul

Pronouns // She/Her

preference of communication // Tumblr DMs. For mutuals, you may ask for my Discord 👌

experience in rp & how long // I’ve been online rping for 12+ years now. Usually I rp as OC’s or my own interpretations of canon characters. I’ve been in multiple fandoms over the years.

platforms you’ve used // Deviantart, Tumblr, Twitter, and Discord. Tumblr was my preferred before all the dumb changes were made (it’s a pain to be a mobile rper primarily otl). I’ve enjoyed returning here however. Discord I use with mutuals.

name of most active muse // Silver, my OC Nephilim on this blog.

best experience // It’s difficult to pick just one, especially with how many wonderful people I’ve interacted with over the years. My most memorable ones will always be with my first online friend and RP partner, @silverfire113 . You welcomed into your incredible worlds and have helped me grow so much with writing and creating characters 💙

rp pet peeves // People that expect to auto ship and/or want to interact for the sake of shipping. Back in the Undertale and FNAF SB fandoms where I rp’d my own versions of canon characters, 7/10 interactions were romantic seeking. Or treating my canon muse like they already knew each other (mostly OC’s). This honestly drove me away from public rping and strictly to Discord for over a year. I don’t mind shipping, I love shipping! But please I’d love for our characters to get to know each other first and build chemistry. Sometimes there are ones that click very quickly, but in the end a discussion between muns is always appreciated!

fluff, angst, or smut // It really depends on my mood. I love a good balance between fluff or crack, and angst. They feed my gremlin braincell and give so much dopamine~ As for smut, ye there are times I’m in the mood for that.

plots or memes // Usually memes are the best place to start with me! It’s free-style writing/improv. Anything and everything can happen haha. I do love a good plot, especially after getting the vibe of how my RP partner and I work together in the meme threads.

long or short replies // BOTH!! I can do crack RP with as short as a sentence or two, to paragraph semi-lit style with detailings. There are days my brain has overloaded and can only do short, and then absolutely flourish and thrive in longer rps. I mainly match whatever my RP partner does.

best time to write // Evenings hours. I’m a night owl and can stay up well into the late morning hours when really into an RP. During the day I’m usually at work or have appointments and chores to attend to.

are you like your muse // The majority of my muses (especially ocs) have some piece of me in them. Normally it’s my goofy humor and adhd, but I will also implement other elements of me. For instance, Silver in her human!verse works at a bookstore. I myself am a librarian. I like to think I’ve given her some of my determined and resilient natures, just to more extreme circumstances.

Tagged: Stolen from @amischiefofmuses

Tagging: @silverfire113 and anyone else who would like to do this! ^^

[junosswans]

Explosion boy-critical rant, or more like a comment on fanfiction's interpretation of him but I'm going to tag it as character bashing and censor his name anyway so that ppl who don't wanna read it won't okie

It's really laughable to me how some fanfics interpret the bullying thing as "I hurt you because if I didn't do so others would have done it 3 times as bad, I was doing it to protect you" and such logic was surprisingly not an one-time thing?? That I've seen in multiple fics??

While there were a few (mostly fics that deviated greatly from canon) that managed to pull this off and make b*k*gou's incentive look at least a little convincing within the fic's context, the majority of them baffled me greatly. The top student in aldera with a whole bunch of minions (<– canon) most definitely did not need to do that to shield anyone. If dude would boldly state that whoever crosses his friend crosses him? no one would dare lay a finger on Izuku, at least not when he's around. But because he took such a leading role in the bullying, people jumped on the train to get included and not become the next victim. If there's one person, just one person in the class who dare to speak against it vocally, you could almost guarantee that it would temper down. That's how the psychology of group bullying typically works (as far as I'm concerned), that a few main bully start shits and others whose fear of isolation outweighed their sense of justice follow suit. Would there have been other bullies who's gonna step into Bak*g*u's place as the lead bully if firecracker boy didn't do it? Almost undoubtedly. But as the school's popular guy since kindergarten, I'm also 100% certain that if he wanted to "prevent others from bullying someone", it would've been as easy as breathing.

Now, I'm not chastising the character with durian inspired hairstyle, because the fandom had gone through that many times (though I might again), but that one would need to put up a better argument if they wanted an excuse for certain behaviours. Because this? This is not a convincing one (but I also feel the need to reiterate that fanfiction doesn't have the responsibility to be realistic, I'm just expressing my irritation at lackluster logic). I couldn't help but feel like some people just... Perhaps got too used to the idea of "boys are rude to you because they like you" or they have never witnessed group bullying situation. (Which is fine btw and I don't wish anyone in that situation) I guess it's just a bit of my pet peeve and if b*kug*u could at least admit it was his insecurities (still much work to do ahead) you could too my dear

Also, just a side note, Bak*go* redemption fics where Izuku tried to convince others that "it's the school that failed him it's not his fault"? Like, I'm not excusing the school obviously they deserved to be burnt to the ground and it did feel in character for Izuku to ask others to forgive mr dynamite, but also have you considered that just in the beginning of the story, in the midoriya origin episode, it was pretty clearly stated that the bullying and name calling started way before their quirk manifested and before they went to kindergarten even. Of course also before the whole "falling into river" shebang. So tbh I have a very hard time to wrap my head around why he would bully Izuku (and evidently others, as we saw Izuku tried to stop bkg and his friends from kicking another kid) aside from being born like *that*, and in general I just find the "his school failed him" argument also lacking in some way.

Anyways this has just been on my mind today and I wanted to rant a bit to someone that's not my sister (who is unfortunately subjected to a lot of my mha rantings while not into it) lol

[guardianspirits13]

Okay so my #1 pet peeve with this fandom, and this is a statement I have seen MULTIPLE times from different people, is "Horikoshi is a terrible writer," and the ONLY evidence they cite for it is Endeavor's redemption.

I have seen this cited as Dabi not being treated like as much of a victim because 'Hori wants to portray Endeavor in a good light so he makes Touya less sympathetic' and that is the most BS take I have ever seen, and these are from people who at least are capable enough of recognizing that Endeavor was abusive (which is the LOWEST bar here).

If you have even a basic understanding of Endeavor's character arc so far, he is NOT REDEEMED. Not in the eyes of his family, not in the eyes of society, and that perception is notably not forced upon the reader.

A lot of authors will try to shove a 'correct' interpretation down the readers' throat, but Hori DOES NOT do that here. He explicitly shows all sides of the issue and not one perception is framed as the 'right' one. Even if you do cheer Endeavor on as a character, he himself recognizes and admits to his flaws.

Which brings me to my second point: unreliable narration. If any single person took the beginning of chapter 291 at face value and did not think that Endeavor would (wether consciously or not) see the past through rose colored glasses, then they clearly are not actively engaged readers.

Even if you did take that at face value, then not even ten chapters later that perception is turned on its head as we get a much more realistic summart of events in which Endeavor is portrayed as a faceless monster. NOTHING about those two chapters paints Endeavor in a positive light in any way.

My point being- everyone percieves stories differently, but when you try and treat that perception as the only objective way to view the story and then criticize the writing whenever it doesn't adhere to that, then you probably never cared about the author's intent and storytelling in the first place and are in no position to speak on it.

*also for clarification, just saying "Hori is a bad writer" isn't criticism. It invalidates your argument of you can't isolate particular elements of a story that you dislike from the overarching natrative.

[jinanreona]

Ten Q's

1. When are you usually online?  

Never :l  Jkjk lol I’m usually online in the evenings, even if I lurk when I can’t think to write. I’m easier to get to on Discord honestly 😅

2. What verses are you involved in outside of this page?

Other than a model au I have with @poisonedbeauty​ I think most of my other interactions are pretty canon compliant. Though sometimes I think of a dark au in which Leona goes down Scar’s route and takes over his home’s kingdom >:)))  Or even darker au would have been his overblot being worse than what it had been in the story. I also need to make a modern au for him, but that takes more planning!

3. What is your biggest RP pet peeve?

ooc drama and people complaining about how others write. Pleaseeee it’s a hobby, no need to take things too seriously XD

4. Are you drawn to specific types of muses?

I tend to gravitate towards morally grey, smug assholes who do what they want when they want, and take orders from no one. They’re fun to write, especially since most usually have skills or talents that explain their attitude problems. That being said, I’m also a sucker for them talking big game with others, but being soft towards their loved ones (both platonic and romantic wise).

I’ve also written softer characters who have a kind heart and want to help others. So I guess I like having the best of both worlds 😆

5. Are there recurring themes in your writing that people might not notice?

I don’t think so 🤔 Though I guess some of my more loner characters tend to struggle with connecting with people and being honest about their feelings.

6. What are your favorite RP trends?

Group events! But also just characters commenting on dash events XD It’s always hilarious and it’s led to friendships forming between others, it’s awesome!

7. What is your process for starting a new story with someone?

I throw a meme at people or slide into their DMs. Also there’s a lot of post exchanges to get some ideas flowing between us. From there, we can either wing it on how we get from start to end, or we plan it out in more detail (though I prefer the former).

8. How do you feel about duplicates?

Everyone’s interpretation is different, so I enjoy writing with multiples of the same characters. As for other Leonas... I love them! I’m happy to follow or even interact with them >:3 Twin au? Light/dark au? The sky’s the limit!

9. How long have you been involved in roleplaying?

About 6 years now. Though I’ve taken breaks between fandoms to get my momentum back for writing.

10. Is there a muse or verse you wish you could write in, but haven’t?

There’s so many muses I want to write and in different fandoms! Unfortunately, I wouldn’t have time. As it is, even one muse is too much for me when I get too busy irl. Juggling multiple would completely fry my brain. I’d love to write more verses too, but same issue about time 😔 Though I have written experimental characters in Discord, since it’s easier to keep track of threads like that.

-

Tagged by: @mostrohost​ thank you!!!

Tagging: You! >:D

[pastballads]

TEN Q’S

1. When are you usually online?

My activity is sporadic. If I even make it online depends on the weather, my plans or if anything comes up, if my family needs me to handle stuff, if I woke up with neck pain or a headache, and if I’m not so tired that I just decide to mess with video games instead. Doesn’t help that my sleep schedule is also all over the place, but when I’m basically the living alarm clock for my whole family, it can’t be helped much

2. What verses are you involved in outside of this page?

Pokemon is the big one. My Pokemon blog, Cxlxssal, was originally a self-insert I made back when I was 14 that turned full-blown OC through character development. It’s also my oldest active blog, having officially been around for seven years as of May. Other than that, there aren’t any others in different verses that I still operate.

3. What is your biggest RP pet peeve?

It’s mostly the usual pet peeves that most people have, but blogs that put aesthetics over legibility are ones I loathe. Having to strain my eyes just to read something as basic as the rules quickly drains any enthusiasm I may have to write with them. Seventeen spaces between every word, small font on a vivid neon background, mixing colors and font colors in such a way that it physically hurts the eyes to read; the list goes on. I rarely, if ever, follow those people.

Second to that are overpowered muses with no weaknesses or rivals. Got tired of that shit after my stay in the Naruto fandom, and it’s one of the many reasons why I left the RWBY fandom.

4. Are you drawn to specific types of muses?

No, I’m not drawn to specific types of muses. A muse could be an interpretation of the Black Huntsman from Der Freischütz, it could be Goku, or it could be a painfully average man like Connecticut Clark. It doesn’t matter to me, I’ll love ‘em all if they’re well-written.

5. Are there recurring themes in your writing that people might not notice?

If there are, not even I might notice them. Because I usually don’t recognize that kind of thing until way further down the line.

6. What are your favorite RP trends?

I’ve been on Tumblr long enough to watch it go from borderline shitpost-y three sentence roleplay into novella written like an old gothic horror novel. Having me name one favorite would make me drudge up almost a decade of experiences. Mostly due to the fact that I... don’t remember most of them. My favorite trend were the days of anons bombarding inboxes with questions and interacting with muses. For a long time, I found those more fun than most actual threads.

7. What is your process for starting a new story with someone? 

Generally, I just come up with a few ideas for what muses of mine might work best with theirs in terms of interaction. I would work around their interpretation of the character, then offer a muse or multiple muses and throw out ideas that try to subvert typical introductions. If they can’t read my muse pages, I’ll summarize the muse as briefly as I can... even if it often comes out poorly.

Here’s an example. Let’s say that Fillin Theblank plays someone like Tohru from Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid. I would reread their info on her, then suggest something like this; after the apartment building suffers from a sudden power outage, Tohru looks into the cause, finding Kouki after he fried the electrical system from trying to drain too much power at once. If Fillin didn’t know who Kouki is, I would explain that he’s basically an energy-based kaiju in the form of a small outlandish child.

8. How do you feel about duplicates?

Duplicates are great! I mean, more varied and unique interpretations of a well-known canon character, each with their own distinct way of interacting with others? Hell yeah dude, hit me with that!

9. How long have you been involved in roleplaying?

I’ve been roleplaying since 2011/2012, originally starting on Chatzy. After several RP servers I was in died off, I moved here and made a Naruto OC blog... which is hilarious in hindsight, since I never actually watched Naruto. Or read the manga. I mostly went off the wiki and what I learned from a friend.

Oldest blog of mine you can stiff find dates back to 2014, though it’s from my days on mobile and before I learned how to make decent-looking blogs.

10. Is there a muse or verse you wish you could write in, but haven’t?

Verse-wise? It’s specific to certain muses, such as the white dwarf star of lore that is the Fate franchise and a series like KanColle for Claudius due to his obsession with history/mythology, or Girls Frontline for Tino due to his shtick being tech and weapons. However, me adding more verses is a rarity.

Muse-wise? Lemme tell you, having ADHD is a bitch because every single time I find a show or game I get invested in, I spend over a week trying to purge the idea of adding one of the characters to my blog. Last month, it was Soma Cruz or Julius Belmont from Aria of Sorrow. Before that, it was Kat from Gravity Rush, the Necromancer from Castle Crashers prior to that, and my take on the main character from the MMOJRPG Onigiri. Hell, I’ve even thought about bringing back Algol from Soul Calibur IV as a muse recently.

~~~~

TAGGED BY: @inxtricabilis​ (Thank you, my dude!)

TAGGING: @caestusvulpes​, @monmuses​, @dcviated​, @musesnetwork​, @eliteimperialism​, @kemikorosu​, @madamhatter​, and anyone else who wants to do it!

[waifuofbath]

For the ask meme: Lara/Block. (Yes, I hardly need to ask whether you ship it, I just figure I'll give you the chance to rant gloriously about it if you want to.)

First of all, I thank you for this chance and I apologize for how belated this is!

Whether I ship it or not: Circa 45 fics in ao3 can attest that I do, Your Honor.

Why I ship it or not: I think it is the proof that they can both rise up from their situations, and find not only solace in each other (after all, they were the two people who knew Captain Ravel the best, they are the ones that are going to feel his absence more acutely. Yes, even if Block was the one who sent him to his death, he is genuinely going to feel that absence too.), but become better versions of themselves. They will learn forgiveness (towards the other in the case of Lara, and towards oneself in the case of Block), and this learning of forgiveness will help them move forward. Because yes, they are two characters extremely stuck in their current situations, one way or another (One in her depression-mourning state, and the other trying to change things for the better and seeing that the more he tries to change them, the more they stay the same. And maybe, leaning into each other can help them see beyond their current personal hellholes. Also, I like the idea of them getting to know each other, and, specially in the case of Lara, understand that the whole situation with her father isn’t as black and white as she painted it. (Mostly in the case that Block seems a person with a conscience. A man who is trying to make things better and found himself between a rock and a hard place)

(Plus lbh they would look cute as heck together in any iterations)

My opinion on their canon potential (chemistry, canon interactions, etc): Well, I’ve never let something as canon stop me when it comes to ships but they do have canon potential. 1. The whole situation with Captain Ravel 2. Lara being one of Clara’s bound and Block being Clara’s champion. (And friendly reminder that Lara is listed in Clara’s list as Lara the vengeful. So her reason for being there is BLOCK BLOCK BLOCK). And since I know that whoever reads this is going to say that this is only reasons for violence from Lara to Block, ah guess what, this is my interpretation of a canon that is extremely subjective and that allows for multiple interpretations. (And tbh, a girl can dream but I frankly doubt that we would be getting anything more than what we get in canon.)

My opinion on fanon interpretations/fandom around it (Favorite widespread hcs, pet-peeves, etc): I had sorely been considering not answering to this part of the ask . But efff it. Adding this under a cut:

Aside from a few people that I count among my LaraBlock family and people who might not have anything to do with the ship but whose opinion I respect, the consensus in most of the fandom regarding this pairing makes me laugh.

Because HURRDURR LARA MUST KILL BLOCK BECAUSE GIRLPOWER AND FEMINISM HURRDURR HOW DARE YOU WRITE ABOUT THEM ENDING TOGETHER.

First of all, as pointed out in the previous point: This canon allows for multiple interpretations. So yes, yours is valid, mine is valid, but I dare you to do something:

READ FURTHER INTO THE TEXT FFS.

And when I mean read, I do not only mean "read what the character says and take it at face value" which is something a lot of people in this fandom tend to do and think they are doing extremely deep analysis for some reason. Take into account the circumstances of the character. Think of who they are interacting with (you as in the player and you as either Daniil/p1 Artemy/p2 Artemy/Clara, and yes the Artemys count as two different characters). Think of what the other characters tell you about that character.

TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THEIR ENVIRONMENT AND THE FACT THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE THE SAME THOUGHT PROCESSES IF THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES WERE DIFFERENT.

Again, Lara is a deeply traumatised woman (guess what, mourning is not an easy process and it is also one of the reasons why I ended up sympathising so much with her) in an extremely stressful environment. Taking her words and theories about Block at face value is extremely simplistic.

Specially when he turns to be something... Quite similar to Lara. He is a man at a breaking point, who is trying his best to help and change things (specially in P2, need I remind people of his pantomime with Mark????), and seeing everything crumble around him.

He is not the monster Lara has painted in her mind. He's actually one of the few characters of Pathologic that I would qualify as honorable. (specially in P2, which is the version I have fresh in my mind. P1 is a whole other thing. And!! Block in Changeling route is even another thing. He's pass the breaking point and we see the extent of his breakdown. It is uncomfortable af, specially considering that he is putting all his faith in a teenager, but that is a story for another day.)

We never know what actually happened with Ravel. He could have been an upstanding dude, someone who had been trying to change things withing the Army, a Block 1.0, if you will. (That is, coincidentally, the view I espoused in one of my very first fics). He could have been an actual monster that genuinely needed to be stopped.

But then again, IMHO those people who are like YASSS QUEEN MURDER HIM do not take into account the actual consecquences this act might have for Lara.

(and yes I have just linked to an essay of mine. No shame.)

(Also, I do enjoy fics that tackle the subject of Lara murdering Block, believe it or not. Only those of certain people though.)

Now, this being said, I have to say that I am extremely amused at how baffled people were at LaraBlock entering the most popular pairings list in ao3 (guess what happens when you actually go and create content for the pairings and characters you enjoy). AND also, at the fact that someone thought that not liking the ship would be an actual cancellable take.

The Power that the LaraBlock family has, the intelligence that the LaraBlock family has, the clearance that the LaraBlock family has, the access that the LaraBlock family has, the influence that the LaraBlock family has, the profile that the LaraBlock family has, the international implications that the LaraBlock family has.

[renaerys]

This is a multi ask question. 1. How did you get into the reds? Like what made them stand out to you that didn't for the other two ships. 2. Do you have any color crack ships? 3. I know in BTM you had Blossom xBoomer develop a bond and become good friends so do you think you'll have that brotp development for the others? I know Brickx Buttercup couldn't stand each other in the story but would they get along in a future fic of yours. Or exist in a headcanon. Or any of the ppgxrrb being friends with a different counterpart. 4. What's your pet peeves in this fandom? I have plenty but that's a post for later. What traits are the characters given that you hate? Tropes you wish would die? Tropes you wish were used more? 5. Can you explain why Dexter is used a lot in this fandom?? I'm aware that there was a comic by bleedman where Dexter and Blossom were a couple I believe but aside from that I'm confused on why he's in fics. Was there a crossover episode i missed?? I like Dexter and loved Dexter's Lab but can we just keep him in his show. His presence in the fandom doesn't really fit imo.

Wow okay, long ask! I think they must have changed the ask character limit recently, which is great. It’s nice not having to send multiple asks. Thanks for numbering, the lawyer in me is extremely grateful for the organization! ;)

1. I love the Reds’ dynamic. Everyone interprets it differently, but for me it’s the “dark edge lord I’m-great-at-life prestige whore with deep-seated emotional insecurities but a good heart that wants to put in the work to improve and be better” type shipped with the “confident, courageous no-nonsense HBIC who is emotionally intelligent but wholly and vocally not taking responsibility for your toxic masculinity/emotional baggage bullshit” type. They challenge each other to grow beyond their flaws and shortcomings while highlighting/mirroring some of the same fun or positive qualities in each other. It’s a true match of equals. Other ships I like with this dynamic are SasoSaku, IzaNamie, Zutara, and RivaMika, among others.

2. I like Butchubbles, Blossoomer, and Bersoomer. I also ship Boomike and Robbles. How about just Boomer x Everyone??? He’s perfect, case closed, let’s all go home.

3. Brick and Buttercup will have a friendship arc in the BTM sequel. It’s like a friendship between two people that blooms because they realize they hate all the same things, which imo is the only true basis for a lasting friendship. I’ll also be further developing Butchubbles and Blossoomer friendships because I love them dearly. 

4. A few, but the biggest and most annoying one to me is the unrepentant bad boy asshole Brick who never apologizes for his behavior, who is loved and/or admired by everyone in spite of (or, alarmingly, because of) his bad boy assholery. It is depressingly ubiquitous in this fandom in particular. Narratives that endorse this behavior by him and either forgive it blindly or worse, glorify it, make me want to claw my eyes out. It is perpetuating, reinforcing, and rewarding the idea of toxic masculinity, the “I can fix him” trope, and the “not like other girls” trope because his love interest and no one else can magically change him for the better. Ladies (and gentlemen), taking on a person’s emotional baggage and doing the work for them while also acting as the narrative’s tool to absolve their bad behavior without ever exposing, correcting, and changing it is objectively TERRIBLE. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s romantic. It’s nothing but toxic, sexist, and gross. It is a trope that needs to die in a fire. It is the reason I specifically wrote BTM Brick’s arc the way I did, to fight against this awful trope. Thank you, next.

5. Not sure. I’ve heard of that comic that uses him and ships him with Blossom, but I’ve never read it so I can’t speak to it. I imagine the reason he is included in fics is because Dexter’s Laboratory aired on Cartoon Network at the same time as PPG, and they had some crossover in staff (e.g., Gendy Tartakovsky worked on both shows). There are some Easter eggs in the shows that reference each other, for example, a couple PPG episodes where Dexter is shown to be a student at Pokey Oaks in the background. We can consider them all as part of the same universe in a sense. I don’t really have much of an opinion on his inclusion as a character in fics, but I can understand why some people might not like it. Crossovers are not for everyone, and if he’s just used as shipping fodder, that in and of itself can be executed poorly. I’m sure he can be used well too. Just depends on the story and the writer.

[akrona]

Image Captioning/Alt Text Tips

I've noticed providing image captions has started to take off, and this is fabulous. Internet accessibility is an important issue (and a pet peeve of mine) and it's not talked about enough.  So please understand that this comes from a place of utmost love and support when I say:

You need to make your descriptions much shorter.

It's recommended that you limit descriptions to 280 characters (not words, characters). This is the same length as a single tweet. Obviously there are exceptions - if you are transcribing a screencap with a lot of text, you need to include all of it, and long comics or collections of many images may require more text - but otherwise, try to stick to this rule and only include the bare minimum.

Drawings/Comics

For most images, you should just state the name of the character(s), their expressions, their actions, and any dialogue or text. This shouldn’t be more than a sentence or two. For multiple images you can give one sentence each, and for comics preface each description with a panel number. 

 Please don't describe what the character looks like unless it is directly relevant to the purpose of the image. Not only is it a waste of your audience's time, it's distracting, which makes the caption less helpful. I don't need to know that Lup has short blonde hair with red highlights unless the post is about her haircut, and including extraneous information makes the caption harder to understand.

I know the impulse is to make it so that the reader can imagine the image 100% correctly (especially in a fandom where characters' physical appearances are up for interpretation), but captions are not meant to be an exercise in visualization for the audience. They're there so that people who can't see the image can still understand the post.

If you're having trouble figuring out what's relevant information, try imagining that your friend in the other room asked what you're looking at. How would you summarize it? You probably wouldn't go into detail about what everyone's wearing, the background, etc. It's also good to keep in mind how people typically browse tumblr. Your audience is probably scrolling through relatively quickly, looking for posts that interest them, not stopping on any post for more than a few seconds. They shouldn't have to spend more time reading a caption than they would spend looking at the picture.  

Memes

If you're posting a meme, you should put the common name of the meme, and then the text and/or any edits made. Ideally, googling the name you provide should provide the correct meme in the first result, so people who are unfamiliar with the meme can find it. For example:

[ID: Drake Like/Dislike Meme. Drake dislikes: "Multiple paragraphs of captioning" Drake likes: "Short, concise descriptions"]

[ID: Screencap of the results for a Google search of "drake like/dislike meme". The first result is "Images for drake like/dislike meme" followed by a dozen example images of the meme.]

If you don't know the name of a meme, or there are multiple similarly-named memes, just provide a brief description. Ex:

[ID: Photo of a smiling woman feeding spaghetti to an excited-looking cat. The woman's face has been replaced with my(@akrona’s) avatar. The cat is labelled "You". The spaghetti is labelled "Image Captioning Wisdom".]

Other Notes:

If it's a fandom image, please include the fandom, especially if the characters do not have unique names. I am literally in three different fandoms with a character named John, please tell me which John it is. Besides, I follow plenty of people who post content for fandoms I don't care about, and it's nice to know to skip these posts right away.

Please never use Zalgo or any of the other 'fonts' you can get from generators (like this one). Not only are they completely unintelligible to screen readers, when trying to read it screen readers will start spouting a bunch of gibberish that can last several minutes. 

If you post a screencap of a tweet or website, please include a link to the source. This is not only useful for screen reading (the website of origin is often more friendly to accessibility tools) but also a polite thing to do. Don't steal people's tweets for notes! It's rude!

For further reading, here are some sources:

WebAIM Alternative Text Techniques Harvard University Online Accessibility How to Set Up and Use Screen Readers *

*I would highly recommend trying out a screen reader just to see what it’s like. But I do want to remind you that captions are not just for screen readers. They’re also good for those who use larger text sizes, need different fonts (either for dyslexia or light sensitivity), or have a bad internet connection and cant load images. Describing the expression of a character can also be helpful for people who have difficulty reading facial expressions.

[fanfictionlive]

Things I love about Fanfiction!

So I saw a post that got me thinking - there have been a few posts recently talking about our pet peeves and the things that turn us off from a story or a writer, but I haven't seen much love and positivity going around recently. So I thought we'd throw some positive vibes out in to the 'verse and see what happens!

So here are some of the things that I love about Fanfiction. I hope you'll join me and share some of yours!

-----

I love going on new adventures with old friends. Whether it's a slice-of-life fic or a high-action fic, I love seeing my fictional friends face new challenges.

I love that I already know the world I'm in and most of its people.

I love that fanfiction can introduce me to characters and lore that I didn't know before! (For context: I'm a Kingdom Hearts fan, and I honestly didn't care one whit about characters from the prequel games until I saw how much the fandom loved them, and that's what made me take an interest in the supporting games.)

I love seeing new writing styles and coming across new words and phrases that I've never used before.

I LOVE THAT IT'S FREE! I tend to use the £1 Per Hour rule to assess my purchases - if I spent £10 on something, am I going to get 10 hours worth of use out of it? Am I going to play a £40 game for 40 hours? Am I going to wear those £25 jeans more than once? (It's not a perfect rule but, hey, it's gotten me through most things.) If I was going to apply the £1 Per Hour rule to fanfiction, I would be broke. (Well, I am broke, but you get my point.) Fanfiction has taken hours of my life - as a reader and, more recently, as a writer, and it didn't cost me a penny.

I love the people I get to meet! From other fandom fans to other authors and just other story enthusiasts. I now have my very first penpal on the other side of the planet because she enjoyed my story and I replied to her reviews. Now we message several times a week about multiple fandoms and about our jobs and our families.

I love seeing other people's interpretations of my favourite characters. I love seeing when someone else's interpretation lines up with mine, but I also love when someone can give one of my Cinnamon Rolls a new spin!

I love enjoying other people's imaginations. There are stories that I have read which I never could have dreamed of. The stories are wild and wacky and wonderful.

I love that I get to share my imagination! This is a recent one for me, but since I finally bit the bullet and started posting my first story, it's been amazing. I've had a handful of reviews and kudos, but even just seeing those first few views come through. They're reading my story. They are reading my story! I can't talk about my fandom with my friends, but I can share my ideas with all of these people!

I could go on, but I've already hit you with a wall of text (if you read it all, thank you and well done!)

What are some things that you love about fanfiction?

submitted by /u/AoifeUnudottir [link] [comments] from FanFiction: Where Magical Ponies battle Imperial Titans https://ift.tt/2DzlscL

[silenced-desires]

Hello! Can I ask something? This isn't meant to be offensive or anything, just something out of curiosity! It's one of my big pet peeves when people describe or draw Freed 'cuter' or 'softer' as in less masculine than he is in the series or less mature looking and more boy-ish than he looks in the manga and I was asking myself if this happens accidentally or on purpose? I know you can only speak for yourself right now but I was wondering about this since your new drawing is an example for this?

Not really any offence taken, but I am going to give a serious answer to this.Forgive my crappy English…. And my flawed sentences.. I’m Dutch (and tired)And please realise… this is my opinion on this matter.You don’t have to agree. (Also read all the way through, to fully understand what I’m trying to say here.)  Masculine.. or feminine.. these are words that are conceived by a society who’s goal it seems to be to label people neatly, and everybody who falls outside of a certain label, or is moving more towards another label, is “wrong”, and “weird” and “scary”, etc.If we have to use labels I think everybody can be neither and everybody can be both.To me, Freed is just Freed. I don’t really see him as masculine or feminine..I just see him as a really versatile character, that has a lot of different sides to him that I like to explore as an artist.I think Freed is epicly strong, and I’ve drawn him as such multiple times.I’ve also drawn him with much sharper features and a big smirk before, because that is also a part of him that I see.But that doesn’t mean that he can’t be cute and soft sometimes.. So just because this drawing that you were talking about, was “softer”, “cuter”, that doesn’t mean that this drawing 100% defines him, it was simply an interpretation.And Please realise… I am a fanartist, I’m not getting paid for any of this (so far…..;_;)The reasons why I draw are: to give shape to my own ideas, imagination and emotions, and to hopefully make other people happy in the process.Sometimes I’ll draw something that I don’t really like, but I know other people like. And sometimes I draw something just to indulge myself :3 (I think I can be allowed, since nobody is paying me Not to..)And sometimes I simply try new things, for the fun of it, and I’ll see how it works out.Drawing to me isn’t just a way to make my followers, or Fairy tail fans, or Freed fans happy…. That’s not my job.. Drawing is a way of expressing myself, and sometimes I do that by drawing goofy stuff, and sometimes it’s angst, and sometimes it’s cutesie stuff.In my opinion, as long as you don’t draw toxic stuff, (like abuse.. just for the fun of it.. or non-consentual relationship stuff.., etc.,) artists should be free to draw characters however they like. Just don’t purposefully damage people with your work!And since I don’t see “softer, cuter” features as something evil/toxic/damaging, I don’t see why I shouldn’t draw him the way that I do.And it’s not just Freed.., I drew Laxus with a pink bow, just for the fun of it. Because I see that as innocent fun, and random silliness. At the end of the day.. I draw Freed how I like.. and be glad of that!Let me explain~!:If we start to get a bunch of restrictions, on how he looks, what he’s like, what he wears, how he acts, etc. we will NEVER get past the Very restrictive Canon.. and Fanartists/writers might as well just stop…Cuz the Canon isn’t giving us much. So we all just fill in the blanks in different ways, and our followers can choose whoever’s interpretation they like the best! Meaning: If someone likes my art: like, follow, reblog etc.. If you don’t:…. scroll past it…. block me?… honestly…. just…. leave….?Or if you’re passionate enough.. become a fanartist/writer yourself, and Show the fandom YOUR interpretation of certain characters/events/stories, etc. (the more the merrier?)

Example to put this into perspective:Picasso drew people reallllllly weird… are we also going to discuss this with him?..(we can’t.. he’s dead..) that his paintings arn’t masculine or feminine enough, or don’t abide by “set rules”?… or do we accept that he had a different interpretation on how to draw people.. horses.. whatever??*(am I comparing “myself drawing fanart” to Pablo Picasso….. plz no!! @_@) I don’t like Picasso his later art.. so I don’t look at it..  If someone doesn’t like my interpretation of something, don’t look at it..One thing he did really well though:he had his own interpretations; the older he got.. the more he stopped following the masses.. cuz if everybody drew things exactly the way they are…. wouldn’t that be really boring??TO summarize: The way that I draw Freed, or anyone/anything really…. is simply an interpretation. :)Holy shit.. I am apparently not a woman of few words…. Sorry for the long story.. But I hope this clarifies my opinion on this matter And I hope this answers your question: It’s on purpose :)

[faithandfairies]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svWoaRWStMU)

Oh.

I’m watching Lana’s panel and I get it.

Huh.

Lana is getting bored with answering the same questions every single time. Hell, I’m getting bored hearing the same questions. Not that I’m sure that I would have any better ones. Although I did tweet some different questions at Yvette Nicole Brown last year for SDCC of which one sort of got asked in a form, which I was very happy about.

But yeah, I think it’s really good to watch old panels to see which questions have already been asked. Because a lot of the panels are available online after the fact. So when you’re there at a panel in person, you represent all fans and it’s great if you ask a question that hasn’t been asked before so all fans benefit from learning something new about the characters and actors.

Then again, they’re paying to go, following these actors around the world, and I’m not, so maybe I don’t have a say. They get to ask whatever questions they want as long as they’re not being disrespectful.

BUT and this is a big BUT

Lana also knew the “Sleep with, Marry, Kill” question was coming. It seems like Rebecca warned her, which I think is a good thing. And I think she tried to deflect by saying she’d already played that game.

And funnily enough I understand her frustration. Because her frustration isn’t really that fans are asking the same questions, I think, even though that does bore her I believe. But I think her frustration is because it seems that people are asking certain questions and sometimes turning it into multiple choice so as to limit her options in order to get certain answers.

Like with the above question. “Emma, Zelana and Rumple” as answer options, really? I mean, really?

Zelena is her sister on the show. And Golden Queen is unsettling on the show, I believe that “romance” was  explicitly written that way, even though Lana and Robert Carlyle’s dynamic is great.

Her only viable option is to say “sleep with Emma”. Which, I get it, I’d like to hear that too, but not through manipulation. Which is what this looks like.

One of the reasons I love Lana, even though it’s not the main reason, is that she chooses to support Swan Queen because she wants to. Or at least actively chooses to. FREE WILL. Despite all the flack and death threats and shit I hear she gets, she still does it.

And I know the moment she doesn’t or says something that seems to go against that *Humongous sigh Swan Queen fans feel shunned by the one person associated with the show who seems to accept them, us. The them, because I don’t feel shunned, the us because I am a Swan Queen fan.

I’ve thought about this. Because I know it’s a big deal in the fandom.

I don’t feel shunned because, well, because I really don’t give a rat’s ass whether the show and the actors support the Swan Queen ship or not. Well, I mean I do, because it’s nice to be acknowledged, but at the same time I don’t. Because if they don’t, oh, well. Unless they butcher the characters in show. Which so far, for me the writing makes sense although the promotion sucks. But anywhoo, I think I’d only feel shunned if I was personally at a CON and Lana or someone else I looked up to associated with the show dissed me personally because of what I like. Part of what I like when it comes to this show being Swan Queen.

I also don’t feel shunned because as I said, I feel like people are purposefully manipulating Lana into giving the answers they want so they then can say later “Lana said this and she supports that.”. I might be interpreting it wrong, but that’s what I’m getting. And I’m heavily against that. Heavily. It’s one of my pet peeves. And even if Lana’s character is manipulative on the show, that doesn’t mean you get to use manipulation on her. It’s her job to act Regina/The Evil Queen that way, you know.

And thirdly, even if Lana actually hates Swan Queen and Swan Queen fans and all her fans and is just doing this because she feels it’s part of her job or something-I’m not saying that’s what she’s been doing, mind you, just giving you a unlikely worst case scenario,-in the end  it doesn’t take away from the inspiration she has been for so many people, it doesn’t diminish the hope she’s spread throughout the years. For some just seeing her play Regina, fighting, persevering, being strong, not giving up, has been a reason to go on themselves, I’m sure.

So how she actually feels? It doesn’t really matter. You know why else? Because she still has the sense to treat all of her fans with the love and respect they deserve. And that’s what matters. So how about we return the favor?

(In class the other day-I’m a medical student, btw- we were talking about treating patients whose life choices we don’t agree with. Murderers, rapists and sadly LGBTQ+ fell into this category because there are people who don’t agree with the existence of LGBTQ+ people basically, even though it’s not a choice. I would also like to add that sometimes even when certain things are a choice the choices are often still limited and people tend to make certain choices out of necessity, because of their circumstances. But anyway, my teacher said something that I wholeheartedly agree with but is sometimes easier said than done. She said, when it comes to treating people who need help, your feelings don’t matter. This person is trusting you, putting themselves in your hands, It doesn’t matter whether you don’t agree with their life(style) choices. It will be your job to treat those that need it, counsel those that need it. And your prejudices don’t matter. And the people, they’ll feel it if you’re prejudiced against them. So it doesn’t matter how you feel, but that you’re able to put your own feelings aside to do your fucking job. She didn’t say it exactly like that, I’m paraphrasing, but that was the gist. She also said that if you can’t do your job, send the person to someone who can.) 

Lana has been trusted with this character that is Regina when it comes to bringing her to life. Through the relationship her character has built with Emma, Swan Queen was born and she has also been trusted with Swan Queen. Especially evident during CONS. And she has delivered. She didn’t really have to since the show has never acknowledged this ship outside of writing, acting and directing choices, but she did anyway. I don’t know why she did it, but it matters. It made a difference. And so the last thing she deserves is to be manipulated into saying things she doesn’t want to. If she chooses to it’s fine, but manipulating her into giving answers she clearly doesn’t want to and then fans publicly showing their disdain when she doesn’t give the answer they want to hear. Going so far as to turn against her? That’s kind of low. Maybe I’m wrong, I don’t know. But this is what I’m thinking.

Someone even said “Sleep with Emma” and then she said something like yeah, I know that’s what they want me to say. Is it bad that I’m secretly delighted she didn’t give in? She just said that she was giving the same answer as Bex, which is anticlimactic. Ha! Like I said, I would have loved to have heard it too, but not like that. And when you’re being manipulated, especially publicly, it’s very easy to give in just to please the crowd, but I’m glad she didn’t.

And maybe I’m blowing things out of proportion and the person who asked this question didn’t mean anything by it. But there are people who are capable of using Lana’s words against her. And even when they don’t, once something is out of her mouth she can’t take it back and everyone will interpret it however they want, including me, and she can’t really control that.  And I’m not against her being mindful of that. Because she’s the one who has to deal with the fallout.

And she can’t really win, because if she gives an answer that is “in the favor of Swan Queen fans” she runs the risk of alienating none-Swan Queen fans. If she gives an answer that doesn’t come off as completely Swan-Queen friendly she runs the risk of alienating Swan Queen fans. Phew. It’s like a minefield.

(I know people were mostly angry about the Hook answer, but I’m not even there yet and this happened so.)

Anywhoo, so I stand by my “Lana Parrilla is a gift” statement.

She’s a phenomenal actor, she seems like a hard worker, a genuinely kind person, an inspiration to a lot of people including me and she has the sense to acknowledge all of her fans publicly and treat them all with love and respect. In spite of the backlash and even without the consistent public support of others associated with the show. So again, how about we treat her with the same love and respect, hmm?

Also, letting Lana and Sean read messages written to them out loud made something that should have been sweet weird.

They should have let them read those messages for themselves and then had them thank the people who wrote them out loud. And if the rest of the fans asked to hear the message too and the actors wanted to share, then it would have been okay.