#validating ocs is something i wish people would do more often

[itzcherrybonbon]

For the Cookie Run fans.

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[Before I start with this ranting essay I'd like to apologize beforehand. I'm really really angry right now. So I'm gonna swear a lot and definitely sound rude. I'm sorry. It's toughness you all need, really.]

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I think it's about time someone talks about one of the greatest flaws the Cookie Run Kingdom has: The problem with shipping characters.

Now, there's no problem with shipping the characters with eachother! (as long as it's not toxic, fetishizing, abusive, minor x adult or incest, like ew, what the actual fuck is wrong with you.)

But here's the problem. Something that really pisses me off about the Crk fandom is how they're so goddamn gatekeepy of the characters and some ships in particular. Like, chill the fuck out. They're just fictional characters, snap back to reality.

For example, Espresso x Madeleine. You people have made me hate this ship with all my heart and soul. No, I won't bash you for shipping it, I'm a nice person and I respect everyone's opinions and boundaries. And I expect you to respect mine, please. Please try and understand where I'm coming from.

One of the reasons I hate this ship is because I don't see them involved in a romantic relationship at all. I only see them as close friends. Plus Espresso used to be so irritated around Madeleine, like- the guy didn't even want to be around him until later on at the end of the odyssey when their friendship started getting better a little. Espresso clearly disliked Madeleine.

Here's the part where I'm gonna sound rude.

The main reason however..is you. Yes you, toxic fans. You all act like Espresseleine is the only thing people are allowed to ship. I've been bashed a lot of times for liking Espresso x Éclair, and that alone added fuel to the fire. And now the damage is done, so next time I get bashed expect me to lash out all my anger at you :)

Hell Espresso can't even be shipped with a woman. Because you people are convinced he's gay-coded. I'm sorry? Did the fucked up Devsisters confirm it? No, no they didn't. This is just something your delusional asses made up and thought it was canon.

No I am not homophobic, I'm literally pansexual myself. So don't even try and bash me. I've actually wanted to ship Espresso with a woman before, him with Chocolate BonBon! It seemed cute to me but then someone told me "Espresso is gay-coded so nah". They know who they are. I'm not mad, just disappointed.

Again, no it isn't confirmed. You all made this up! Let Espresso be shipped with someone else other than Madeleine, goddamn! Ship him with any other character, man or woman! Any gender! Go wild! People are allowed to ship whatever they want, so who are you to stop me? Who are you to bash me??

Mad respect to the actual sane fans, you all are gems. But seriously, let people ship what they want. Don't bash people for what they like and what they don't.

WAKE. THE FUCK. UP. PEOPLE.

THEY'RE COOKIES.

C O O K I E S.

FUCKING. FICTIONAL. C-H-A-R-A-C-T-E-R-S.

People are allowed to ship whatever they want, who are you to start lecturing them when you don't like it? Keep quiet and respect eachother, you wild animals.

"But he's gay!" "But she's a lesbian!"

I'll believe it when Devs say "Haha yes they're gay!", got it? Because so far nothing about the cookies has been confirmed, NOT EVEN THEIR AGES.

And when a ship is confirmed to be canon, again, people are still gonna keep shipping what they want. That's how fandoms WORK.

In conclusion: Please, stop. Stop bashing others for the ships they like, and stop putting labels on the characters and act like you own them. You can't expect people to completely agree with you when you say "Espresso is canonically gay!" "Espresso x Madeleine is canon! >:(("

Like, no. Shut up. Don't act like you own them. I'm getting sick and tired of the Crk fandom, I only stick around to see where the story is gonna go, and also to continue writing my Crk Oc's and roleplaying them. I'm actually scared to interact with other Cookie Run fans, because you all act like spoiled brats when something doesn't go the way you want or people don't ship what you like.

Get a life. <3

[my-favourite-zhent]

Writer Interview

Tagged by the lovelies @commander-krios here and @coreene here

Tagging: @dustdeepsea @thisaccountisagainstmywill @fistfuloftarenths

@littleplasticrat @captainsigge @grossestjay

Questions under the cut!

When did you start writing?

I suppose depends what counts? Where I went to school we did creative writing as early as six. The first stories I remember were Halloween stories I wrote with very unhappy endings.

Writing purely for myself maybe not till high school? I dabbled in a little fanfiction and then didn't touch it again for years and years and then suddenly BG3 and Rugan happened, smdh.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

Just like Krios I enjoy horror novels, although I actually prefer horror as short stories/novellas. If you look at my spotify history you will see a lot of NoSleep podcast and Knifepoint Horror so its definitely a running theme. I could never write horror though, would spook myself too much. I did rather like the tiny horror story in one of the books in Baldurs Gate.

I also enjoy reading low fantasy (low magic, more grit, considerably plucky, ensemble casts) which I think comes across in New Tricks, but in contrast the stories I read have very minimal if any romance.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

Nope, as much as there are many writers I enjoy and at times think "I wish I were that talented" I also don't wish to be a perfect copy of anyone's style because what's the point of that?

I suppose if it was something more like "as funny as so and so" or "world-building on level of such and such" then probably Pratchett, Rothfuss, Sapowski or Glen Cook?

I will literally write anywhere, a lot of my ideas pop-up while daydreaming and I have to get them down when they happen or I won't remember clearly later. So at my desk, in bed, on the couch, on the train, standing in the shoppe, literally anywhere.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Consuming other media. Books, TV, movies, podcasts, etc. Seeing a scene or circumstance and imagining how the characters I write would react under similar circumstances.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Hmm hadn't considered it before but I guess so far: grey morality, class differences (this likely due to my muse being Rugan) and overcoming betrayal? I suppose the last one surprises me a little, I think I might just like the angst of it.

What is your reason for writing?

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

I mentioned earlier I haven't touched personal creative writing since high school, although I did consume fanfiction on occasion. I originally returned due to a frustration at the lack of Rugan content. I wanted to consume, but at the time there wasn't much, compounded by the fact that I did not have an AO3 account at the time so of the few that existed I could only see half. So I started by writing how I thought getting that drink at the Elf Song might go.

After that I got a bit attached to the OC and was inspired by the works of @dustdeepsea to write something with a little more emotional depth. I was prone to daydreaming these sorts of things before but I never put pen to paper till now.

I'm happy any time someone enjoys my work, but I suppose the best comments are when the reader notices the characterization I've been trying to get across. It makes me feel validated that I'm able to write certain qualities without (hopefully) being too on the nose with it.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

Me or my writing? Myself, hopefully reasonable and open-minded. My writing, I hope they find it funny and exciting in turns, I hope it makes people feel some sort of emotion even if negative rather than being boring. I hope the world I've tried to piece together from bits of Forgotten Realms lore feels consistent and cohesive, that the rules and stakes make sense.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Similar to Krios I think my dialogue comes across the best of all my writing, and it certainly feels the easiest to get down.

How do you feel about your own writing?

It seems to change by day and chapter. There are some things that when I write I'm quite pleased, and then come back a month later and am quite embarrassed by. Other things I didn't like originally but actually enjoy quite a bit on reread. I find myself having to just post things I'm unhappy with at times otherwise I won't get on with the story. I jokingly tell myself "we'll fix it in post!" and I have slowly begun some edits of early chapters so it's not a complete lie.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

It's mostly what I think the story needs at the time. There are times where I feel "augh we've been on this mood/theme for too long, the reader will get bored" but I try to reframe it to myself as "is the pacing good? is this scene necessary right now?" and that helps me make a decision that is hopefully a bit more objective. Sometimes we need that information for later, sometimes we don't. I have been known to go back and adjust a thing here or there if the current chapter is missing a bit of set-up and will continue to do so until the story is over. I'm treating it all as a work in progress.

Thanks for reading this far!

[bunnygirllover45]

hi. this is not a question per se but more like a comment. it is completely unrelated to everything, I just wanted to say thank you. this may sound completely stupid, but I am a trans man and I suffer from chest dysphoria. I bought a binder and even though it made me feel a lot better, but I realized that my chest was not completely flat. before, I was always like "I need to have a flat chest or I die." I still have some chest volume, that is very minimal, but it is there. days passed and watching your oc (the batshit male one, I love him) not having a complete flat chest despite being a guy made me feel a lot more secure on myself.

I've seen plenty of guys that were assigned male at birth (and even ones assigned female at birth but with complete confidence even without a completely flat chest), both real life people and fictional characters, and they have made me more confident. you've helped with that, so I wanted to say thanks.

also. your art is pretty and your style is unique. don't ever stop what you're doing.

sorry for the long text. you don't have to answer this, I just wanted you to read it. I hope you have a very nice day, night, or whatever moment of the day you're on. :)

Oh dear,, this is really cute. I understand this issue a lot, I've been dealing with dysphoria too for years, no matter how much I tried I always felt like I would never feel comfortable in my own skin. I don't wanna get too personal, but I still deal with those feelings every day, sometimes I wish I wasn't born like I was. Let me tell you something anon, gender is a fucking excuse to label things for marketing purposes, you can be whoever you want. I know it's hard not to think "I shouldn't have this" or "My body should be like that" ( I deal with those thoughts often too.) just to fit an imaginary list of attributes a gender should have invented by society that doesn't understand your struggles, you feel like a man? then you're one! It's okay if you still don't like some parts about yourself, hell, I hate some of mine too; do anything that makes you feel better, that really makes you feel like you belong there, in your own body. I'm really happy my art helped you. I hope you have a very nice day too, thanks for taking the time to send me this. And remember, you're handsome! you're valid, you're doing your best, and most of all, you're you, the most genuine and beautiful form of you.

[eddiestattoos]

Writer Interview!

Tagged by @aintgonnatakethis 💙💙💙

About me

When did you start writing?

I mean. Of course I did writing projects in high school but as far as personal stuff (aka my fics) I was 20

Are there different genres or themes you enjoy reading other than the ones you write?

I mean, sure! I got nothing specific off the top of my head but considering my writing spectrum isn't spectacularly broad, I've been sure to have read something outside of my writing topics

Is there an author you want to emulate or are compared to often?

I've never been one to try to copy others. I admire a ton of y'all and wish I could do better at that in some aspects, but I'm not about to take the words off anyone else's paper so to speak

Can you tell me a little about your writing space?

Generally me, my laptop, on my bed. Some kind of music playing. Generally one of my fandom playlists and most commonly on the weekends

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

I honestly... do not have an answer for that. It's a delicate daydream most of the time I guess. My delicate I mean fleeting. I can lose the plot

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and/or places you write

Well I mean technically my mother did get me into the show I wrote my first fic for but as far as where I've taken some of those? Gotta say no

Are there any reoccurring themes in your writing? If so, do they surprise you?

I am a sucker for h/c in any form (emotional, sickfic, injury, etc). Which I mean. Isn't an entire shocker, considering what I've been interested in television and story wise. It's not all my fics but it's around.

About My Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favourite character?

I don't know much about the characters that are consuming much of my brain right now so we won't get into that. So let's talk about Sara Sidle (and Nick Stokes). They have such a beautiful sibling dynamic (and there's a ton of shippers out there who are totally valid I see you). Anyway I've talked about Nick in detail (here). But Sara. She's far from my favourite character on the show but she is a character I've particularly enjoyed writing (especially with him). I have the same vibe with Chloe from Smallville. Very fun to write, not my fave to watch in the first half (and this rewatch I'm currently on hasn't helped)

Which of your characters would you be friends with in real life?

Welp I don't have ocs really so I'm gonna say Sam Carter. I'll join the shopping trips with her and Vala. (I got stuck on this one ok. But she is very sweet I love her we could be friends)

Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

Rodney McKay. More than likely.

Tell me about the process of coming up with characters.

Again, not an oc girly. But if I do add a side character to a story, it's always one that's connected to a canon character in some way (child, long lost friend, kid they mentored)

Do you notice any recurring traits/themes in your characters?

Nothing specific, no. I don't think so

How do you picture your characters?

My loves, my babies, my besties, my friends. I love these silly guys

About My Writing

What's your reason for writing?

It's a hobby, something I enjoy. I decided to start writing the random daydream csi fic one day and haven't turned back

Is there any specific comment or type of comment from readers that you find particularly motivating?

Honestly? Anything positive. Any joy y'all have in reading is joy I take into writing more. Especially with this long sga project I took on. Some days I'm like this is a massive hole I dug and then there's even a "great update" and I'm like thank you thank you thank you

How do want to be thought about by your readers?

I'm just trying my best out there, I hope people enjoy what I write. And I'm open to chatting do come by we can talk we can be friends!

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I think I never lose the essence of the character. I'll always take pride in my characterization skills

Have you been told your greatest strength as a writer by others?

I do remember a couple comments about good poignancy in particularly emotional moments. Which I will definitely take. I do love those scenes and the one in particular is one of my proudest

How do you feel about your own writing?

I love it. Some of it's bad, cringey even. But I am not immune to rereading and thoroughly enjoying my own work

If you were the last person on earth, would you still write?

It's a strong possibility. It'd be a way to keep entertained. And as I said. Will reread.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, do you write purely for yourself, or is it a mix of both?

I mean it's mostly me, I can't lie. But I have done a couple requests. I'm not actively seeking them but it's been fun when I have. But not to sound like a broken record, rereads! I stick to where I'm comfortable and what I'm comfortable putting out there from me for people to see

Tagging @sga-owns-my-soul @hearteyesmcgarrett @ilkkawhat @jencsi @malcolm-reeds-pineapple and any other writers! Do tell if you wish! Consider me your interviewer!

(PS sorry to snag this but there's a handy template for either mobile or desktop here at the end)

[shmowder]

Hiya again!! I’m handing over my last and final Patho character (as of this time of writing in the future who knows?) the trilogy is complete! And I also wanna say thank you for holding this event!! And talk you for being so nice about my silly little guys!! I feel very unskilled in my character writing so seeing you enjoy my character/ideas is incredibly important to me!!! :) without further ado I present the final immune oc!

This one’s name is ‘Mia’ Amelia Mayakovsky is a spirit medium who’s been raised in the town it’s the only place they’ve known but they long to escape, the bones of the town….it feels suffocating they’ve felt this since they were a very small child….this creeping fear that something is on its way it hasn’t found them yet but it’s on it’s way…. Mia is the same age as Artemy they were childhood friends he’s been the only constant companion in mia’s life, their relationship is deeper then just a friend but neither knows how to define it and Mia fears they’ll destroy the relationship if they ever ask for something greater then a friendship. they keep in touch through letters after Artemy left town unfortunately Mia’s letter eventually grow infrequent by the time the events of the game roll around he hasn’t heard from Mia in three months and the last thing he heard from them was that “it’s finally found its way here…..”

As mentioned previous Mia is a spirit medium they have the ability to channel the dead through their body and can hear their whispers Mia is the final bridge between the living and dead this is its own curse channeling spirits is extremely physically taxing to their body leading them to often become physically ill for hours after doing so not to mention the mental strain. Their connection to spirits leading them to take the steppe legends and the mistresses deathly serious and gets defensive if eithers validity is questioned in their presence as they take it as a personal attack on them. Their job actually unrelated to communing with the dead as while they take their mediumship very seriously they take their love for being a pianist far more serious as that’s where their heart lays when they aren’t speaking to the dead.

Unfortunately as the days go on the voices of the dead begin to drive them mad the whispers are constant now they can’t get any peace no quiet, they want silence and for the dead to stop bossing them around but with more people dying each day the whispers only grow louder. Depending on which healers route it is (bachelor and changeling) on day 7 Mia can be found dead in the theater a knife in their chest body surrounded by mourning flowers as if a friend wished to give them a final farewell. upon telling the haruspex this news he’s very not exactly pleased by it. In the haruspex route their mental decline doesn’t occur to such a destructive end instead it’s characterized by altering their appearance such as cutting once long hair into a short choppy mess and giving themself a few piercings, claiming that “This is the only control I have now….the dead control me in every other way now….”

No matter the route Mia will always be gone by day 12 either as they’ve died or because they left town taking an offer given by a certain snakeoil saleswoman who said her ‘friend’ can get Mia a train ride out of town….and Mia’s always wanted to leave the town so the offer is taken and it reverses the roles between Mia and Artemy now mia’s the ones who left town, their relationship really doesn’t get a happy ending it’s more so bittersweet with the promise Mia will come back to him one day that they can start a life together but in the end that’s nothing set in stone sure they love him dearly but what if they make a place for themself in the world? One in which he can’t follow them?

Mia would be just be an Npc plain and simple the healer they help is fairly straightforward they help out the haruspex they feel a obligation to Artemy so they’ll give him whatever aid they can given even if it’s just minor. But everything comes for a price even with loyalty so could he pretty please go find Mia some new sheet music? That one shop still has them! Or if he’s willing to offer them some medicine for their now almost frequently occurring headache due to the dead now constantly speaking to them, they’d be more then willing to give him a gun they “borrowed” no no don’t look at the blood pool in the corner it’s not important…Or he could give Mia a quick kiss that could earn him some ammo for that gun afterall that reputation of his is sure low and so many wish him in the grave? So what’s the harm? It’s just a small kiss. The only place Mia can be found is in either the graveyard, the theater and sometimes at night they’ll just appear out of no where behind the player character claiming that “the spirits drew me to you, they wanted me to warn you but I can’t recall what they whispered”

Mia isn’t very sociable choosing to keep away from others as they don’t understand Social cues, they get overwhelmed by too much social interaction and misunderstands social interactions, they’ve been that way since they were a child, the haruspex can recall whispers from adults talking about mia saying they had some form of disorder that othered them. But mia does seem close with Grace they make sure to frequently check in on her wellbeing, they also appear to be on decent enough terms with Stakh to where they attempt to vouch for Artemy to him unfortunately Mia is awful at vouching for people and only makes that situation worse but they tried! Unfortunately everything is much worse now! This is exactly why they refuse to interact with others!! I also have it said somewhere through their dialogue that they had short lived relationships with Andrey…that ended so negatively to a point where Mia will ask Artemy straight up “Can you stab that bastard for me please? I’ll give you a shmowder if you do!”

Since I included a song for falin last time here’s a few for Mia!!

Don’t fear the reaper by Rose McDowall

Avalon sliding down the cliff by Lauren Bousfield and Alone in the town from the silent hill 2 soundtrack!

-immune anon

Our closing ceremony for the event! The last OC to be featured, what a beautiful way to end it with Mia <3

The idea of a spiritual medium in a world of immortality, talking disease, and living towns with beating hearts is very on brand.

That scene where Artemy talks to the mass grave of the dead in P2 still haunts me. The sky came trampling down as what he thought was the limit of existence was completely proven false in an instant. A simple thread in his pocket allowing his this peak behind the curtains.

I'm glad Mia and Grace have a resemblance of relationship. That kid definitely needs some form of guidance.

But it's also bleak, her witnessing Mia's spiral and wondering if that's the future she's been doomed to as well, that there really is no escape, it will never get better.

And with Mia accidentally making things worse between Stakh and Artemy when attempting to vouch for him—that's very relatable.

If you view all of Artemy's childhood friendships, it says something that mentally ill kids gravitated to him naturally. I mean Stakh with his bpd, Lara with her self-destructive sacrifice and depression, Grief with his depersonalization.

And now Mia.

But it's also impressive how he balances all of them out, managing to be a good friend, grow thicker skin, and always forgive them for the uncontrollable sins of their mind.

There are a lot of instances where someone–who was once loving–is downright brutal to him, yet Artemy immediately brushes it aside and meets them with absolute softness. He knows how to deescalate an emotional breakdown. He'd do the same with Mia.

Thank you for all the wonderful three OCs! I'm so glad I got to know about such vivid and beautifully written characters <3 I got to sit back for a week and enjoy other people's writings.

[ahundredtimesover]

Hello! I randomly found “I want you to stay”, while scrolling, and let me tell you, I could barely focus on something else for about 4 days. I love me a good Jungkook fic.

Besides being a Jk fic, this is such a good story! I love how you portay their thoughts and emotions so extensively. Both of them are so relatable. They made me realize how much I crave for someone that is ready to accept all the love in my heart and how afraid I actually am to open up to someone and accept their love. It’s so hard to do…I’ve been in a relationship for 10 years, that ended last year, and since then, I’ve been questioning myself and tried constantly to make sense of my emotions, of who I am, why haven’t I been enough for this person. Reading your story, I realized that I was enough, however, he did not know how to accept my love and I did not know how to express myself better. I’m thinking how important is to communicate and to be true to yourself, after reading the characters’ thoughts. I guess we’re all living in our heads most of the time, imagining how the other person will react if we say this of that and more often than not, we’re sabotaging ourselves. That’s why I am relating to both of them, I feel like I am sabotaging myself most of the times, as I’m living in my head a lot. It is weird tho, because with my friends I can be open and give and receive love, but when I’m thinking of a romantic relationship, I feel like it would be so hard for me to do that, because when I love, I do it with my everything and it’s consuming. And trusting that someone will not break you is even harder. I’m wondering often if it is wrong or if I am crazy for wanting to give someone everything and trust them with anything…

Until I find my breakthrough, like Ms. Cho and Mr. Jeon, I will redirect my love to other people, like Mr. Ri did.

I honestly cried with them and for them, and maybe for myself as well.

I guess what I want to say is, your story made me feel so much. It’s been a while since I was glued to my phone reading something.

Thank you for this wonderful story! 💜

Hope you’re having an amazing day, whenever you’ll be reading this! 😊💜

You have no idea how much of a sigh of relief this ask feels.

I think what drained me the most about this story was getting into the characters' hearts and minds in depth, and they don't even get themselves! Half the time, they didn't understand what they were feeling. And that was the point, I feel like - we're all complex, walking contradictions, with so many desires we're afraid to admit and so much love we're terrified of showing and accepting. We want things we need to be brave to have, but we want them too much that we don't want to risk our own hearts for them because of how much it'll hurt. That's how I wrote them, and you sharing your story validates this all.

Like you said, he did not know how to accept my love and I did not know how to express myself better (this thought will matter in s2 if I ever get to write it). OC is just like you - full of love for family and friends, but unable to express the romantic kind bc when she loves, she'll do it with everything and it’s consuming. And trusting that someone will not break you is even harder -> that's exactly her reasoning. It's everything she's scared of. And it's so human, so relatable bc these things aren't easy. But we figure it out somehow; we'll have to trust that things will make sense one day, like it did for them.

SO THANK YOU for sharing this and for dropping by 😊 I can't imagine what losing a decade-long relationship feels like but I hope you're feeling better. I'm sending you hugs. I hope this story was able to give you a bit of comfort and clarity. I wish you well always 💜

[dontbotherwiththepronunciation]

16, 17, 8, 25 ?? (i want to ask then all sorry!)

Don't apologise! It's really nice of you to show interest and I'm just sorry it'll be disappointing because I'm feeling better now, so the self-respect and confidence that comes with the anger is gone and my answers will probably be more boring or bland.

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

Everything relating to the Ironborn. The idea that they are westerosi uber-macho, alt-right, republican, white-trash becomes very annoying and often makes me thing that Luwin's propaganda spread to the fandom. There is also something about the fandom vilifying most Iron Islanders and their culture when they are not that much more different than the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. Rape and slavery/thrall culture is just as present in Northern characters (which we can clearly see on Arya's chapters) as it is on the Islands, with the only real difference being that it's not based on religion. All of the core Greyjoy's except for Asha are often depicted as these uber-conservative, alt-right ignorant, macho, toxically masculine people although there is not a lot of canon foundation on that. Their culture seems to be more liberating to the role of women than most, we even have Qarl's mild gender fuckerism, they are more sexually liberated, the concept of "Iron Price vs Gold Price" is more of an ideological statement (with Victarion wearing a Kraken-helmet that MUST have been tailor-made for him) than a factual way of living, and Balon's cruelty to Theon being less about him wearing a necklace and more about him wearing a chain and coming as an envoy, not a free man. Then again, characters like Quellon Greyjoy and Rodrik Harlaw (and often Alannys, even though based on what little we know of her, I doubt she would fit in this) are seen as pure-hearted, good natured and intelligent people who are enlightened compared to the rest and thus, are glorified by the fandom because they appear to be "less Ironborn" (as in less stupid, reckless and violent) and are falsely considered to have adapted to a more idealised version of mainland values. Tris is also often added to the group above, although he doesn't seem to share their ideologies, he is simply characterised by Asha as "too sweet for the Islands" and most readers seem to take it as such, although this claim is never backed up by evidence. It almost reminds me of colonisers of European descent classifying some of the indigenous groups of the regions they invaded as "civilized" because they had adopted attributes of European culture and the entire dichotomy of the "good Indian vs bad Indian". Really hate that. I don't really like comparing the Islands on itself to indigenous tribes who were colonised (Theon is another matter), but in this aspect...

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

The entire modern AU Theon concept since the characterisation is very often based on this strangely idealised mixture of AGOT-Stark perception of Theon and an exaggerated comical retelling of his tragedies during ACOK without any actual nuisance for the reasons behind those tragedies. It feels very sadistic. Free-loader Theon, Dropout Theon, Unemployed Theon. The repressed homophobic homosexual Theon is the most baffling though and it often seems to be more connected to shipping dynamics rather than canon characterisation (Canon implied he had a threesome (or more) with Patrek!!!!! Why did everyone forget about that?????).

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

I feel hypocritical because I don't do a lot for her, but I wish we had more fan work on Kyra. Until now she is mostly used as a meta type of tool to explore the rules of consent in Westeros and Theon succumbing to his worst impulses during ACOK, and that's valid, it makes sense since she doesn't have much of a characterisation or background story, but I really wish someone would adopt her as their canon OC. I wish we would get to see her as her own failed final girl who has to beg for help to the man who raped her in order to escape an even bigger monster. I know it's an unpopular opinion and that most shippers prefer to see their dynamic as something salvageable or as a more positive and stable fwb relationship and many interpret Kyra as someone who genuinely loved Theon while he saw her as a more or less low-stakes girlfriend (and no hate to anyone who likes any of the mentioned concepts), but personally I would love to see fanworks from her perspective that show us Theon through a more macabre lens. So many fanfics that take place during their escape decide to put Kyra in a position that is similar to Jeyne; she is thankful, clingy and somewhat loving, and as said, I get why people enjoy those. But I like to believe that at the end of everything, when she asked him for help, she no longer loved him, if she ever did. I like to believe she was afraid of him, not that she hated him, simply that she was afraid, how could she not be? I often think about Theon's "On the far side, he had kissed her." and "You saved us." and how there are no descriptions of her response to those things. With Jeyne he describes how she is the one who initiates the physical contact during their escape and he responds somewhat positively, but in Kyra's case we have none of that and it makes me anxious in a good way. I wonder how it might have felt for her. I don't think she would have liked it, she must have been so frightened. Aaaaand I can feel my stomach starting to twist and turn the more I think about it! Time to move on! So yeah TLDR: I would like to see Theon as a villain from the lens of someone whose reasons for seeing him as such are justified. Also we need more f/f cersei fanfics.

25. common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

"OMG guys did you know some sickos ship [underage character] with [young adult character]?!? They clearly didn't absorb anything from the books because George won't endorse pedophilia! Anyway, here is my [another underage character] x [same young adult character] fanfic, it's a soulmates au with fluff & smut <3" or any of the other variations of that. I encourage filtering tags and blocking people, I do that a lot, but I will not tolerate clown on clown violence.

[rejuvenatingbeginnings]

▼ INFORMATION DESK ▼

╰┈➤ Welcome, ###########.

“What is this place???”

- This is one of them classic ask blogs. Particularly for the A-Gang of Pokemon Rejuvenation; Aevis, Aevia, Axel, Ariana, Alain, and Aero.

Ana and Crescent are also available, though more as guest appearances.

Heavy spoilers will be tagged depending on the chapter!

We try to stick as close to canon as possible. With a little hcs sprinkled in, as a treat,

considering we haven’t seen much direct interaction between the gang ingame yet save for a few scenes.

In technicality, a slight AU, but aren’t all ask blogs basically that???

╰┈➤ ASK RULES

- No nsfw. Please. Children are here. Also it’s just Weird. You’ll probably be blocked.

- RP accounts interacting is ok! Just don’t get snappy if something we respond with doesn’t match up with a part of the character’s verse (particularly if OC).

- The general DNI applies. If many people have you on this list, it’s probably for a valid reason!

- Art submissions are ok too but like...? You’re better off just posting regular fanart to the main tag lol. If it’s art for a specific interaction on the blog, that’s ok though.

- Do not spam the inbox. Do not also spam the inbox with questions asking why your question or previous spam isn’t answered yet. Try to keep it to five current asks at a time please! Shouldn’t be too difficult.

- When asking, PLEASE specify WHO of the group you’re asking. I can’t read minds. Sometimes I wish I could. But then I see what some people say just on main and think maybe it’s for the best.

- shipping asks are ok. i guess. don’t try to make it become the focus of this place though.

- do not ask about the next version. We are not giving any answers. It is progressing. That’s all you need to know. <3

╰┈➤ About the characters, I guess!

( All of the gang have all of the Pokemon given to them across all modes. The only canon teams are the Base [NORMAL] Mode teams. The other inclusions are for pure fun. )

--- Aevis (He/him)

BRAVERY. Aevis is a confident young man with a natural affinity for leadership. He does his best to keep the gang together even in rough patches. The type of guy to drop everything to help you out, and always has advice when you need it. He’s on the academy’s volleyball team, and may as well be their ace player! Aevis’s signature Pokemon are Decidueye and Lucario.

--- Axel (He/him)

CHAOS. Axel is the most mischievous of the group, no doubt about it. One could compare him to that of an Impidimp in personality. Always up for a joke, beloved by all. He’s very fond of his sister (who will often be the subject of his pranks.) Due to his excellent acting, he’s actually in the academy’s theater program! One day Axel’s chaos may be his own demise, and he often has some difficulty reading the room, but overall cares deeply for his friends as much as he pokes at them. Axel’s signature Pokemon are Feraligatr and Grimmsnarl.

--- Ariana (She/her)

HAPPINESS. Ariana is very peppy, and very scholarly. Her spirit shines brightly, and her optimism helps to lift the mood of any friend who may be down or such. You might think the pep would make you weary, but that tends to be quite the opposite. She’s always open to her friends who need help, and is on the academy’s cheerleading team! The main organizer of any group outings, whether that be to the mall or wherever else! Maybe she needs to take a bit for herself sometimes too. Ariana’s signature Pokemon are Blaziken and Altaria.

--- Aevia (She/her)

TRANQUILITY. Aevia is a little timid and anxious. She prefers to have her space, or only share it with people she’s familiar with. She gets rather nervous around new individuals-- enough to accidentally smack on instinct or such, apparently. Aevia is insanely talented- particularly in music. She knows how to play the Piano extremely well-- and bake excellently too. She has some issues... but she’s very sweet. Aevia’s signature Pokemon are Samurott and Lapras

--- Alain (They/she)

WRATH. Alain is rather scary to most. They’re rather aggressive to practically anyone at first, but once you get close to them, they tend to soften up a lot more (reluctantly, she may claim.) They are extremely protective of those she cares about, and will quite literally physically fight anyone who harms them. They’re actually rather creative. Their other talents include skateboarding/skating and graffiti art-- and are most often found sitting in silence with Aero. Best to give them their space. Alain’s signature Pokemon are Tazer (Partner-Pika) and Kangaskhan.

--- Aero (They/he)

STRENGTH. Aero is quite studious and cool. Rather laid back. They tend to prefer their space a lot, yet he’s a pretty strong people magnet regardless. People feel safe in their presence, and that is no different when they’re with their friends. Strong and silent, the popularity is to his chagrin. They just wanted to live their life with Alain. Aero took up being the academy’s star boxer, and is the strongest trainer of the group. Strength, however, comes in both physique and heart. Aero’s signature Pokemon are Delphox and Salamence.

--- Ana (She/her)

MERCY.

...

Signature Pokemon; Magne(mite)zone and Magearna.

--- Crescent (She/they)

KARMA.

...

Signature Pokemon; Gothitelle and Roaring Moon

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[imaybelactoseintolerant]

My dumbass wants to do another fic

I cannot for the life of me get game of thrones out of my head. I started watching it again, I've got the books out that I read in high school, and they are battered as hell, but I'm so glad I never got rid of them when I moved.

I looked for some good fics, but because I generally prefer to read oc fics, because I like seeing how people integrate new characters into the world, I'm kind of out of good fics to read. No shade to any fics like I'm about to describe, because I love them and I've read heaps of them, but I just wish there was someother stuff.

A lot of them are a Baratheon oc, which I love because there's so many fun things you can do with it, but it often just ends up being pretty samey across the board, wherein they don't really do anything, coast along with the plot and and just end up falling in love with Robb. I do remember reading one where a girl actually ended up fighting in the war, which was fun though.

I kind of wish people did more Lannister oc's, and I mean the child of Cersei and Jaime, because that is a great source of conflict for the character, because Cersei obviously loves her children, so even though she's an asshole and is super gross, the oc would still love their mother, at least to some degree.

Stark oc's can be interesting, and I think they tend to go in a lot of different directions; I've seen heaps where they get paired with Jaime, some with Petyr, plenty that don't pay attention to romance at all, and others where the oc is Jon's sibling.

I also love ones where they just make the character someone from a House that's basically just background, or someone who isn't even a noble. Going to the wall has a lot of potential, but it's not often it's done with more than simply following the plot, and this character is only adding in a few lines and not doing anything.

The ones I feel are really missed potential are Targaryen ocs. The ones I see are usually self inserts, which are totally valid and can be super fun when done right (I remember a Sansa one that was awesome that I can't remember the name of, and there's a fic called Lion-Heart with a reincarnated Lannister oc that's really good), or they make an oc who basically just takes Daenerys' place in the story. Otherwise, they get placed with the Stark's as a ward, which is an interesting concept and I've read a few of those, but I feel like it can be a middle finger to the massive continent of Essos. There's so much potential for an oc to just go out into the world and do things away from the plot, because really they don't always do much else besides follow the plot if they're with the main characters.

Let the Targaryen oc get a dragon, but don't just hand them the egg. Explore the magic in the world even briefly, or learn it, because it's super under used in fics. Make other randos in the world because it feels weird when we only see characters we recognise when there are so many possibilties.

tl;dr

I just want to read something different, where the oc isn't over powered or hyper competent, and where they add more to the plot than just a few lines of dialogue and falling in love with someone.

Love the fanfics I have read, cliches and all, because cliches are my jam. It's just getting to the point where my desperate brain is like 'just write the fic you want to read.'

If you guys have any good recs, send em through, because I'll read them. Maybe it'll curb my need to write my own.

[kumagorosh]

ina11 x blue lock idea dump bc they've been rotating in my head for too long

real madrid!og!hiroto & sae.

SO LITTLE is known about hiroto he's practically an oc (free real estate babey)

also he died still.

or not! :D

idk hiroto's death could in some way push sae to fix his relationship with rin or something. this route feels too sad esp because i always think of hiroto's death happening RIGHT after sae lost the match against blue lock. like he turned off his phone on his flight back to spain and once he landed it's just all over the news.

i love it.

or: real madrid!yuuichi & sae.

how is it that it's all revolving around people w siblings ties as their main plot points

anri/hitomiko. i like to think of this pair taking set in areori universe timeskip (the kids are in highschool), so areori!kira most probably was recruited into the project as well, and it's when anri went scouting at eisei that they first met

girlbosses with ambitions and severe work-life balance problems and anri is so depraved of validation while hitomiko is so bad at communication so there are SO many things that could go wrong <3

kira finding out his sister is dating the project manager:

also going with blue lock!areori!kira. shidou&kira. they've known each other since kira's delinquent days

often crashing at shidou's place (he lives downtown so closer to his gang activities) (also he'd rather not go back home)

shidou isn't part of his or any other gang but he found him play football somewhere somehow and kira's skill being honed by playing alone interested shidou (who more or less did the same so it's always about who could do [some tricks] best) while shidou pissed kira off so much he would always accept his challenges out of sheer spite

also shidou wanting to play with kira for the sake of it, because he loves football and with no ulterior motives (like winning the nationals like kiyama LOL (ik that was a miscommunication but STILL AJDKA)), affirming kira's wish to have a sincere companion. yeah!

areori!kira&reo. rich people with SEVERE parental issues! (which sanrio merches both collabbed with kuromi!)

actually they need a separate post they are *THE* rotisserie chicken in my brain

or: og!kira&reo where kira plays in real madrid and reo admired him so much for being able to break off of the future his family had laid out for him

blue lock!haizaki also

haihiro skill-wise just SO would survive bllk.

canon!kira basically speedran through blue lock's first selection in the two episodes he played in lol

HAIZAKI&SHIDOU DEVILS OF THE FIELD COMBO 🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝

canon!haizaki is a freak and shidou is an EVEN BIGGER FREAK

haizaki and shidou having the same title n kira's hissatsu being the explosion and shidou's obsession with the explosion whatever that is. there's something in there.

praying for whoever went up against these three in third selection arc

no gouenji. too much of a legend for a project like this i couldn't imagine him being in blue lock ever

debating on blue lock!aphrodi also but the sheer power of chigiri&aphrodi won, people.

blue lock!resistance japan BC THESE KIDS HAD BEEN THROUGH IT YK.

like if you survived god eden and fifth sector's training regime OF COURSE you'd survive blue lock.

also: ego consulted with kageyama (international fugitive) and kudou (coach with dubious (?) past and methods) for the program.

mizukamiya/aiku, for whatever reason.

[zeciex]

It's totally fine to be disappointed in a story and change your mind about it or the main character (truth is no author will satisfy every single reader out there and that's fine) but telling the author how much you dislike the OC??? Just unsubscribe and find another fic to read if the character is bothering you this much. There are over 1500 Aemond/OC fics on AO3, surely that user can find something that suits their tastes much better. Sorry for for barging in but I really can't stand when people are throwing a tantrum in the comments section of a fic because the story doesn't go their way or the main character doesn't act according to their wishes. Maybe that user could've taken some more time to write a more detailed comment had they truly wanted to make a valid point about your character or to give out some constructive criticism but the way they did it screams "I hate it and I'm going to let the author KNOW about". At the end of the day authors are real people who are writing fics for FREE, they don't owe anyone anything and shouldn't write their story under pressure from certain readers.

Its one of the two spanish readers that I received multiple comments from a few months back. It started at chapter 1 and then comments all the way to around 12, but they only stated how much of a hypocrite Daenera is and how annoying they found her, or how she was wrong for her view on things.

(This got long, sorry)

It was made very clear that they were Team Green Stans, and the toxic ones at that. Nothing Daenera could do would ever be right in their eyes, and nothing Rhaenyra ever did was right either. In the early chapters its very clear that Daenera is influenced by being the SISTER of Luke and therefore defending him when Aemond lost his eye. And because she's a bastard she's even more hated.

Narratively, we follow someone who's clearly Team Black because she's literally Rhaenyra's daughter and she loves her family. I very consciously made her biased the same way I make Aemond biased. They call her a hypocrite, but never point out that literally ALL of the characters are hypocrites... They are flawed and they are biased in their views of one another.

When I write for Alicent, I try to make it clear what she thinks of both Daenera and Rhaenyra, and make it clear that her view of Daenera is affected by her view of Rhaenyra. I have sympathy for her character and find her really interesting and complex, and I try and do that for all of the characters. For Daemon, for Fenrick, for Aemond and Aegon. All of them.

Often time I make a narrative decision depending on the character I write for, and I try consciously to be sympathetic towards them and figure out why they're doing the things they're doing or why they think the way they think.

Daenera is flawed. People lie to themselves, and people are hypocrites. Daenera thinks she's dutiful, but she has continuously tried to control what duty she upholds. She is dutiful as in marrying Boris, but she is also reckless and going against duty by having an affair with Aemond. Aemond thinks himself honorable, but his honor can bend under his own desire. He is dutiful, yet he is selective of his duty. He wants what he wants, and often grabs for it IN SPITE of what duty calls for.

It's fine if you don't like my story, and I admit, it's not for everyone. But that's just how it is. There are people who are with me on this journey, and they can get off whenever they want. I never understood the reason to leave criticism or mean comments. If you don't like a story, you can click out and say 'its not for me. It's for somebody, but not me.' and find something else better suited for their tastes. There's also another level to their comments, since they're in spanish, a language I don't know AND they seem to know each other because they refer to each other and makes note to individual conversations. It feels like walking past a group of girls and they all stop and stare at you and then they giggle and make fun of you, but you don't know, you just know something is off.

It reminds me of the time some of the Aemond writers got notified that there was a discord group that was solely made to make fun of other peoples work and picking it all apart for shits and giggles. It's mean girl energy and I'm not having it.

They can think whatever they want about the story, but it's not for them I write, it is for you and those who wants to be on this journey.

I do take constructive criticism, and I'm always up for hearing how the story is translated to the readers because as the writer, I know everything and something might be lost that I'd want to make up for.

This got longer than I expected, sorry. But also thank you for your comment! And for your support! It really does mean the world to me <3

[thetwstwildcard]

https://twstbullshit.tumblr.com/post/691408290248359936/nukababe-professional-digital-artist

Hey Lizz, as an artist can you please please share this to spread awareness ?

Oh um... Wow... That's.. Disappointing??? I have no idea who they are(the tracer, apparently they're in twst but I don't see their stuff-) but I feel for the "base" artist... I'll tag this as discourse in case people want to ignore it but I'd be dishearted and hope you will never have to worry about stolen art. I'm gonna rant (as I often do) in an artist's view but I'll put it under the cut.

But important. Don't attack the tracer!!! Be decent human beings!!! But do tell them to not trace bases that need to be paid for. Using bases is fine but PLEASE only use free to use bases and/or credit the artist. Just follow artists wishes.

Also I generally hate "drama/discourse" but art theft is a serious issue in the art community so I have choice words. Especially with them apparently being big????? But this is more to all art thieves. Yes stealing a base is art theft (if against the artist's rules)

Let me make it clear that it is fine to use bases, hell I have used bases. However, it is only okay to use F2U bases. Please do not steal P2U bases. I know a lot of artists on here, I think we all would be devastated to see someone trace over our art and call it their own. Tracing art is a valid step of the art journey BUT say that you traced or used a base. Follow an artist's rules and respect their craft. If you use a base say that, or link it. There is no shame in it. But there is shame in stealing art and claiming it's yours. Those line up too well to simply be referencing. That's traced.

It's disheartening to see that apparently this has gone on for a while (art style changes) but no one has realized or if they have they kept silent. If I was the original artist I would feel betrayed. I have had ocs stolen before and I have friends who have gotten their art traced. It sucks!!!

Also apparently this person also copied raffle prizes, I get raffle prizes can be hard sometimes but for the sake of supporters please only use art you've made (or F2U bases if the artist allows) as your supporter can get in trouble for using traced art and you never want to harm people who support you. If you do, YOU AREN'T SOMEONE WORTH SUPPORTING. CARE ABOUT YOUR FOLLOWERS BEFORE YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CLOUT!!! (sorry... It annoys me when people will put others in possible danger for self satisfaction).

Besides the tracing, the art has potential??? The person seems to have skill but stealing from others isn't okay!

Ugh, I'm so often disappointed in this fandom but this is something that genuinely pisses me off. Artists work hard and fans treat artists like shit. I reached out to the actual artist and they're looking into if they can see if the person paid for the bases to use (and if they paid then its fine. But if not, that is theft!!)

I won't say don't follow this person because that's rude and controlling. However, support them in changing. Don't support an art thief. They look like they have potential, but stealing art will stunt their artistic growth.

Bases are important to use, references are important to use, you can even use actual people as references for drawings. All that is part of making art. But say that you used a reference (if it's done by another person) or that you used a base (especially if that's all the original artist asked for)

And for heaven's sake, DON'T STEAL BASES OR ART!!! ARTISTS NEED TO SURVIVE!!

I feel even worse because the artist seems very nice and they are also from the Ukraine... They need the money and support. They don't deserve to have their hard work stolen only to have someone else get the attention.

Be a person worthy of a following. Set an example. Be a decent human being.

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

Emotional abuse is NOT to be normalized.

Hello everyone! Anon from the “

I’m a victim of emotional abuse

” post. And today I’m going to explain my story of the emotional abuse I went through. 

My story begins as a lot do, online. I was about 10 years old so I didn’t know what were red flags, and what relationships I should avoid. I had a very toxic friend group back then that enjoyed self deprecation and honestly bullying each other, me included. We used to do the cringe roleplays children do and making cringe oc’s. I met someone we’ll call Rin. 

Rin didn’t bully me like the others in the friend group and very often came to me for opinions, and over all talking without making me feel like utter garbage. I ate up all the praise, all the love and support Rin gave me. However, even as early as friendship, they would get angry at me if I did stuff they didn’t like and would sometimes ignore me, sometimes verbally assault me into apologizing for things I really shouldn’t have. 

»»————-————-««

For context, Back then I was both unmedicated for anxiety and I was going through a harsh time with my aunt and cousins living with us. When I was 6, my drug addict uncle committed suicide and I’d been living with them for about 4 years by that time. (No, my parents nor aunt told us he committed suicide. at the time, don’t worry) They made my life HELL, constantly getting me in trouble and generally putting me down. 

Context: Rin was 16 when i was 10. 

»»————-————-««

One day I was doing our daily playing games with the friend group and Rin when one of our friends, Rose, Told us we’d make a *great* couple. By that time I had some feelings for Rin, we’d voice call occasionally, to me they weren’t a stranger. Rin had agreed and in hind sight I was kind of pressured into the relationship. 

All of the behavior I mentioned before, where they would get pissy whenever I did something they didn’t like or get nice when I did something they *did* like got WORSE. It’s nothing like what media presents, because when people wish to manipulate you they will without hesitation. 

Rin began threatening bodily harm, showing me cuts if I did something vaguely wrong. They would tell me I was worthless without them. That if I’d “Only just listen to me I could make you the best girl ever!" 

They found it funny when I’d get squeamish over topics, continuing the conversations and saying that if I’d just tell them that I’d like it then they’d stop. 

One day when I was 11, it just got too much for me so I said we needed to break up. You wanna know what Rin did? 

They threatened suicide. They told me if I left them they’d kill themselves. That I was all they were living for. That I was the love of their life and if I left them it’d be my fault if they killed themselves. 

I was 11, I didn’t know any better about the situation but I knew I didn’t want them to die so I stayed. I stayed in the relationship. I tried 3 more times to break up with the same result. the same threat of Suicide. Sometimes with photos. 

After that original threat they began getting s*xual. They began mentioning we should meet up IRL, despite us being several states apart. They began describing what they’d do to my body s*xually when we met IRL. They told me that if I didn’t want to fulfill their fantasy’s I was a bad SO. That I should only exist to fulfill their wants and *their* needs. It didn’t matter what I wanted.

when I was 12, I finally had an out. They had been stabbed and sent to the hospital. They weren’t online so I took the chance and broke up with them when they couldn’t do anything about it. They tried when they got back but I was long gone. 

Now normally Media presents this as when a trauma victim starts healing and returns to perfect normalcy. That isn’t the case. Its been at least 4 years since I left them, since I got out of that situation, but I still have the fears. Have the insecurities. I still hear their voice telling me I’m worthless, That I’d be better off a trophy on their wall. That since I’m not their perfect ideal woman I should just shut up and be the best wife to the next man that decides I’m worth their time.

my anxiety’s voice, once a always changing one *became* their voice. I’ve healed, I’ve moved on from the abuse but their voice haunts me. Their Abuse has left mental scars that will NEVER heal. 

This is why having Mental Abuse of any form be normalized is horrible. because it means more people like me will go through situations like these. and not be allowed to escape because we’re "over reacting”. Because we’re “just in hysterics. it’s perfectly normal!" 

this is a serious issue that shouldn’t be brushed under the rug. Miraculous Ladybug is the WORST offender of normalizing Mental Abuse I have ever seen. because I KNOW the red flags. I have trained myself to see them. To protect myself. 

Normalizing normal little issues is fine. But mental abuse? never. NEVER should ANY form of abuse be normalized because it means more victims will appear. This shouldn’t even be a thing but here I am. Having to fight for people to realize this isn’t a thing that should be just accepted. 

TL;DR: My first ex threatened to cause bodily harm when i was 10, and when i was 11 threatened suicide for me daring to try and break up with them. I escaped when i was 12, only barely. Now my anxiety has taken their voice and haunts me to this day.

If you’ve read this long, thank you! and have some

kittens

for what I just made you read. Thank you for your time. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First of all, I want to thank you for your bravery in coming forward to share your experience. I am so sorry you had to go through this. Nobody deserves to be treated this way.

Second, you still raise a valid point. 

Media in general tends to downplay emotional abuse and parental neglect, a good example being Monica Geller’s relationship with her parents from Friends. Almost every episode featuring Monica’s mom showed her being insensitive to her daughter and constantly belittled her while undermining her achievements like prioritizing Ross’ new girlfriend over Monica’s weight loss in a flashback. Even if it was unintentional on her part, it still damaged Monica’s psyche, and this kind of treatment was always played for laughs.

The fact that even shows today tend to downplay mental trauma shows that people don’t really understand the kind of damage it can cause.

The way Chloe’s relationship with her mother is portrayed is a good example. At least Friends is targeted towards an older audience so it could be enjoyed in a morbid way by laughing at Monica’s misery, but at its core, Miraculous Ladybug is aimed at children. Children will see Chloe bonding with her neglectful mother and see it as normal, as a good thing.

The fact that Astruc still doesn’t get how bad Chloe’s upbringing was shows he doesn’t get mental abuse either.

You need to better understand mental trauma before actually trying to write it. Otherwise, you end up depicting mental abuse in the wrong way and give viewers the wrong impression of it.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

On the ‘I am not Starfire’ thing, it’s more about the background that people are pissed about. Starfire is a beloved character in DC, an absolute angel and a bit naive (also a warrior princess), but the comics made her a diva who isn’t such a good mother to her gothic daughter, claiming they’re too different to understand each other, even though Starfire is close friends with Raven, a literal hell spawn with heavy gothic vibes. In almost ever form of media Starfire is in, she has a relationship with Robin/Nightwing, yet he is completely gone in the comics, which is unusual to say the least. And in the old comics, the two already had a daughter, who is a complete 180 of the new one. The first daughter also only showed up in one short series, but people adored her and wanted more of her, creating lots of fanart and AU’s for the family. The new daughter Mandy, however, is a tad unlikable, wallows in self-pity, is too negative for her own good, and she looks suspiciously like her writer, almost too identical, like one would treat an OC.

Point is, people are pissed the writer managed to sell and publish her self insert fanfic as official material, completely wrecking the one thing people have been looking forward to.

I want to say I respect your opinion and your view is valid.

Okay so I should iterate I am a fan of Starfire. Always have been since the airing of Teen Titans on Cartoon Network. Robstar and BBRae for life. And I agree with what you are saying about Starfire.

I saw the trailer for the comic some time back and thought it wasnt for me. Forgot it even existed, then saw it just EXPLODE on Youtube.

It kind of annoyed me how many videos were actually about this. And you can tell the ones that were click bait for likes and likely didnt read it as well as the the ones that defend it staunchly just to hate on the people that criticized it. Just made me really sick of the whole thing.

There are a bunch of comics where they take beloved characters and make them act in f***ed up ways. DC and Marvel have done it so often that at this I pretty much figured that this was just another grain of sand. Besides it isnt part of the main timeline anyway so it was much less harm then... OTHER pieces of media that came out recently

But yes, if I read the comic and saw all of what you described I would be mad/annoyed with it. And I think those that have that criticism are warranted.

Also I did check to see what the author looked like and she looks 'very' similar to Mandy. (I WISH I was kidding.) You were not kidding about it being a self insert.

I am honestly not even mad. She got DC to okay her self insert fanfiction. That is pretty Damn funny.

But yea, the best thing to do is not give it anymore attention. People will see bad reviews and then journos try and use it to insult the readers that insulted them and it just becomes a bloody mess.

I aint gonna read it, so I dont plan on criticizing it or Praising it. I was just tired of the culture where people just bad mouthed or shamelessly praised something because they were told about it and not actually forming the opinion themselves.

[ailuronymy]

hi grey! i can’t even begin to find the right words for how much ailuronymy has meant to me, and just how much it’s added to my life over the years. it’s the reason i started using tumblr way back in early 2012! i came into your blog as a 13 year old curious about traditional naming, referencing your naming guide for all my oc’s, but my experiences here became so much more than that. as a kid, i definitely looked up to you (i thought you were very cool; still do!), and this blog was genuinely enlightening to me.

the critique you shared on the misogyny and ableism in the writing of warriors stuck with me from a young age and really opened my eyes; i started being very critical of that in writing. i wouldn’t realize i was disabled until years later, but when i did, i remembered that you were always on my side in that way—you stood up for us. i remember you once said that weed (heh) wasn’t a valid prefix because the plants may be “weeds” to us, but they’re still individual species of plants, and now here i am, memorizing plants i see out in nature, plant identifier app always at the ready and checking out books about flora! i probably would have always thought of them as weeds without you. once upon a time, it was ailuronymy, too, that introduced me to messybeast, where i dove head first into a special interest in cat coat and eye color genetics that ive had ever since! i look at the world through such a different lens than i would have otherwise, and it truly enriches it.

a long time ago, you commented on someone’s submission saying that there was no such thing as “biologically male” or “biologically female” and that anatomy is not inherently gendered. as someone who had just realized they were trans, and had never heard someone say that before, that just... changed everything to me. it was a game changer for my dysphoria, and something that still comforts me 8 years later. i never let anyone use those words to refer to me again. as a trans person, you made me feel supported—like you were always in our corner. someone that i had respected and looked up to for years stood up for me, and i felt seen.

and while i’m not much of a writer myself, i’ve always loved hearing what you have to say about the subject. if anything ever did inspire me to write, it was the advice and thoughts you shared about it here. you’re one of my favorite writers! the warrior cats fics you’ve written had a profound impact on me emotionally and i wish the books themselves could come close. i remember enjoying the tallstar’s revenge one so much, having not read the book, that i decided it would stay as the definitive version of it in my mind simply because i adored the worldbuilding. your interpretation of the warrior cats universe will always be a joy to read, because there is so much careful consideration behind it. it really comes through on the page, and you can feel it.

all this to say: thank you, grey, for all of the love you’ve poured into this blog. i wanted to tell you the impact you’ve had on my life, with even the most casual things you’ve said. it has all mattered to me, and it always will. it’s hard to say goodbye, but i’m excited to see where you go next, and i’ll happily be following solacefruit! you’re an inspiring and delightful presence in this world, and i know i would be the luckiest student ever if i had you as a teacher.

It was difficult to know how to reply to this message, because it’s one of those times where it feels like I can’t do justice in a simple “thank you”--but there’s also no way to really capture everything that I would like to say, so: thank you. 

There is so much here that I’m grateful you’ve shared with me. I am so glad I could be a supportive voice for you in times when that was something you needed, and I’m glad that what I’ve said here resonated with you and brought you solace and comfort and insight into your own experience. 

I’ve always tried to do what I thought was right by people here. And I think I often missed the mark, and made mistakes, and there’s a lot I wish I could redo in ways that were more inclusive and kind to begin with. But I am very very glad that, despite all my own imperfections during my time running this blog, that I was able to do so much right by you. That alone would make ten years of work worth it. 

I’m very proud of you. Being “different” in any way is an incredible act of courage, but not one that many people--queer people, disabled people, people of colour--get to ever opt out of. You have to be brave because if you want to exist, that’s what it takes. But I still think it’s something that should be recognised and honoured, and I am so glad that you’ve been able to discover so much about what brings you joy during your time reading Ailuronymy. It’s really something wonderful to know that this blog contributed in some small way to you becoming the person you are.

Thank you for telling me. Take great care of yourself. <3

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Do you have any advice on how to write a therapy scene? I’m struggling to figure out how the therapist would talk, like how to make them sound professional and like they actually know what they’re talking about.

I write Dr. Berger and Dr. Rosa Martinez as essentially amalgamations of therapists I've had who I really clicked with, and who click with my OCs in a variety of ways. One thing that I do is hit on a couple of points:

1. Empathy. A good therapist understands that a client who doesn't feel listened to and who thinks their feelings are being dismissed or ignored is not someone who is going to be able to do the work or move forward, because why keep working with someone who doesn't listen to or believe you? So empathetic statements are good. For instance:

Character: I just feel like it's pointless to keep trying.

Therapist: So, it sounds like you really feel like your efforts to reconnect with your mother are hitting dead ends and you're the only one putting in the effort here.

Note that the therapist doesn't outright say "Oh, your mom sucks". Instead, the therapist is validating the emotions and feelings and exploring the root of them, giving the patient something to bounce off of without outright telling them what they are feeling. The client might reply with, "Yeah, exactly!" or "Well, not really, my mom is trying, I just feel like it's not doing any good" and both give the therapist a path to move to.

Dr. Berger opens by immediately asking Danny what he would like to be called, goes with Red when he asks and doesn't push him on it, and gradually shifts over the time they see each other to asking him if "it's a Danny day or a Red day". This gives Danny control over what she calls him and puts him in a position of feeling safe in therapy because he knows that his needs and wishes are taking priority even as they work through some immensely painful stuff.

She also validates his need to start off sitting on the floor, and works with him over time to sit up on the couch - but she doesn't force it, and accepts those days that he needs to be back on the floor again. She gets that his progress isn't perfect or linear, and doesn't shame him for it.

2. Professional distance and boundaries - your therapist is not your best friend, and shouldn't be too personally involved in your life. Ethical codes heavily discourage any kind of relationship outside of the therapeutic one. So there will be a professional distance alongside the overall friendliness and willingness to listen. This is part of trust-building, with the client knowing the therapist is really there just to help them.

Antoni benefits from Dr. Berger sharing her own spouse's death and what it was like for her as a widow. She shares that bit of information, but it isn't used to undermine her professional distance from him or boundaries, simply gives him a bit of knowledge about her, when he is uneasy with how much she knows about him.

Otherwise, she doesn't really share about herself, because the focus is on Antoni.

3. The work is gradual.

A 'big breakthrough' in a single session isn't super common. What usually happens is slow progress, and it won't necessarily be linear, over a period of time. And it won't necessarily be a therapist pushing and pushing and pushing to "force" the client to face something.

Some clients want that push, but others don't benefit from it and instead are far more in need of a safe space to talk things through, someone to bounce thoughts of or to help them reframe or look at something from a different angle they might not come to on their own.

Think about your OC and whether they would invite a lot of advice/reframing from a therapist, or if they would benefit more from simply working through the thought on their own.

4. The most important point is to do your research.

Look up what an initial therapy appointment looks like, what the therapist is likely to ask and talk about, and find people talking about their own therapy experiences. Read! Read up on it!

You can also find youtube videos designed to help people with different issues on how to prep for therapy, such as anxiety, depression, etc.

Look for those and see how there might be a difference in the therapy journey depending on what you are seeing a therapist for, and take that into account.

I went to therapy at one point for a while with the specific task of working on my fear of flying. My partner has gone for his ADHD. The two of us had very different therapy experiences because we had pretty different issues that needed addressed at the time.

5. Don't be afraid of medication.

This is going to be short and sweet, but suffice to say - medication is often used alongside therapy, and it's a tool. It takes a while to get dosages right in most cases, so nothing will be immediate, but don't be afraid to write a recovering whumpee taking medication to help them with, say, the physical symptoms of their PTSD alongside going to therapy for it.

Nate ends up on antidepressants alongside going to therapy. Danny has anti-anxiety meds he takes as-needed. Chris is medicated for his ADHD and also attends sessions with Dr. Berger. While we haven't really gotten to that yet, Jameson is going to end up on medication as well, on a temporary basis officially, to help him get back on an even keel as he moves forward after hurting Jake.

Medication can be misused, but it's like a hammer - in the hands of a craftsman, a hammer can be used to build. In my hands, it will probably only end up breaking my own thumb.

So don't be afraid to have your fictional therapist keep medication in mind as a potential tool to help their patient. But read up on the specifics of the medications that might be used, and their effects, side effects, etc.