#yes I know the characters themselves don't inherently fit

[sarahreesbrennan]

Is Elliot decently muscular and athletic to the people in the Border Camp? Does he realize this?

Absolutely yes, and absolutely no.

Elliot has two superhuman personal trainers. They are intensely motivated by his wellbeing, and he is intensely motivated by his desire to earn their affection.

... He doesn't have to do this, but he doesn't realise that. It was interesting for me to chart Elliot's development over years, both physically, mentally and emotionally. To me his outside is a mirror for his insides, as he grew more socially adept and confident and able to charm and negotiate, but still thought of himself as a social reject even while using those skills, despite the cognitive dissonance inherent. Elliot doesn't realise his deeper qualities attract people's love as he doesn't realise his surface qualities attract admiration.

Being unloved by your primary caregivers in childhood means you carry with you--despite evidence to the contrary, despite your own intelligence arguing otherwise--a deep-rooted conviction you are unlovable. And if you have a prickly personality (with that conviction, it's likely: neglect, like other forms of abuse, does not produce perfect victims) you're going to receive feedback that looks to you like more evidence to back up those beliefs, and you won't see the arguments against it. Elliot is observant as hell, but only sees a certain amount because of his blinkers.

... Also I do enjoy writing characters who are deeply oblivious, and providing the clues for my readers. Every character is a mystery in themselves! And the mystery is both tragic and comic.

To people in the Border Camp, Elliot's less impressive than on our side of the wall: they're accustomed to said superhuman personal trainers, but he is still remarkable enough to be remarked upon by their commander. That's especially significant as many of the 'humans' in the Borderlands have inhuman blood, and thus everyone's approach to 'can a human jump from a tall cliff and land unhurt' is 'that doesn't sound right, but I don't know enough about the capacities of the species to say...'

Elliot's unquestionably seen as the jock of the council course, which would disgust him if he knew. He's picked to play the homme fatale of his school play and put in revealing outfits, and the very night of the school play while still in sexy costume he sleeps with the (widely-considered) hottest girl in school. (Having already romanced the other contestant for hottest girl in school. And then goes on to hook up with the two best-looking boys. Truly a bisexual icon among the beautiful people.) Extremely fit in all senses of the word, and to those of the Border Camp being visibly athletic is especially attractive because it indicates you're more likely to survive.

To those outside the training camp, well, he gets courted by a harpy on sight ('who is that striking gentleman? I must bring him a bouquet of dead rabbits!), propositioned repeatedly by an elf, and kissed by a mermaid during their first encounter. It is fair to suspect that some of his diplomatic missions have been helped out by people responding to him with 'he's not that diplomatic but... that ass.'

To the people of our world, as Jase testifies, Elliot is clearly the product of fairly intensive athletic or military training.

I remember one post that says 'he is so tall and so ripped' and another one saying he is totally jacked and the fastest man alive.

... I endorse them both.

[the-modern-typewriter]

Hello this is a question that came about from watching the new Fallout TV show and a character named Maximus. He’s a relatively neutral character and his arc is very wonderful coming from a writer and big book reader but I noticed that the average viewer doesn’t understand his character and actually hates him… my question is as an author is it okay to make your story more digestible to people who lack perception since it’s the general audience for mainstream media and how do you do that without losing your story? Idk this was probably too complex and a stupid question 💔

Not a stupid question! There are no stupid questions.

Going to unpack this a bit though. (I haven't seen the show.) First some general points, but then some advice on balancing complexity in a story.

So. Some things to get out of the way:

You don't know what the average viewer is thinking. Just because their opinion on a character is different to yours, doesn't mean they lack perception. Do we sometimes have an issue with critical thinking in the modern age? Yes. But we also live in an age where people bring a vast array of different insights and experiences into the stories they read/watch. 99% of the time a story doesn't have just one right interpretation, especially if it is a more complex narrative.

You CAN try to write a story that is more digestible to a general audience, but if you do have concerns about the media literacy of the general population, focusing on providing unchallenging stories is not the fix to that. People learn through engaging with interesting work and having discussions about them - e.g. when they are given the opportunity to. Perception, like anything, is a skill trained with practice. No one's born with it. There's no inherent us/them that can't be changed.

Will you be happy and fulfilled as a writer writing stories that you feel are dumbed or watered down? I know I wouldn't end up writing the versions of stories that I want. Similarly, you probably won't then attract the readers/audience that most resonate with your ideas, because you don't give them the chance.

Generally speaking, people hate being talked down to. As a reader/lover of stories, if I thought a writer was talking down to me and thought I was an idiot who couldn't understand the themes/plot, I wouldn't want to have anything to do with their stuff. It's a horrible feeling, isn't it? It's like being written off before you even leave the gate.

Okay, now some advice: Amazing children's books are a great example of stories that are simplified to appeal and meet the audience where they are at, without losing the richness that makes them resonate and engage readers/audience. However, there are adult examples too. They share some qualities.

These often have:

Clear structure (there are a myriad story structures that you can use to make a story hit beats the reader expects and create a sense of satisfaction, while still giving you room to play.)

High concept story idea/plot (so, stories that can be explained/pitched in a line. E.g. children are forced to fight in televised death matches (Hunger Games), a famous author is imprisoned by a dangerous fan who doesn't approve of his new work (Misery), 'it's jaws in outer space!'). These stories have simple premises that often have wide-appeal, but the stories themselves can be complex.

Engaging main character(s) with a clear goal/agenda. They don't have to all be morally pure, but for an easy win, your character should be likeable/easy to root for. In a children's book, e.g. at the simplest level, these are often also high concept. (E.g. a mouse wants to be heard so is convinced it needs a lion's roar to be loved - The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright)

There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. Game of Thrones was phenomenally popular, for example, but I don't think it's an easy to sink into world/simple set of characters.

Watering down an existing story to fit a different target audience is often not going to lead you to write the best story. This is because it's like trying to fit a triangle into a circle, or make a banana bread into a savoury scone. However, there are plenty of stories with mass-appeal that offer readers a variety of different levels to engage with them, so it is very possible to write a brilliant story with mass appeal. But you work from the foundations up, not from the finished product down.

I hope this helps!

[favvn]

The Conscience of the King: A Closer Look at Humanity and Tools

Initially, this was to be a post using excerpts from Georges Bataille's writings about work and tools as the things that contain humankind's urge for violence paired with how Jim Kirk and Anton Karidian/Kodos view tools and what that reveals about each character. I made the post but kept typing up the meta since this episode has so many layers to examine. As a warning, yes, this is long. I do not know brevity :)

Something that I keep thinking back to is how Kodos/Karidian confronts Jim Kirk for using tools and argues that Kirk's adherence to a society built by tools is not only "mechanized" but "not very human" as a result. Kodos' argument is that humans don't need tools, lest humankind grow weak and accustomed to devices aiding them. It is humankind's struggle against life itself that defines humanity for Kodos as a eugenicist. Only the strong may survive in this scenario, by their own innate strengths. The use of tools and technological developments gives everyone a chance at living, not just those who fit Kodos' ideals, so tools and the progress made with them are to be rejected.

Yet Spock's research into the Tarsus IV massacre reveals that it was "painless," which suggests some tools were used to prevent the pain of death, be it lethal injection or disintegration chambers like those used by Eminiar VII in A Taste of Armageddon.

As an aside, it is possible the official record is incorrect, although I argue against that idea if only because it makes sense for each survivor (be it Leighton, Riley, or Kirk) to speak of the massacre as a butchering or outright murder. They witnessed the events, saw their loved ones die, and were to be killed themselves. It is not so much a bias on their part but their own humanity decrying the inhumanity of Kodos. It would be shocking if they, of all characters, were to not refer to the massacre in explicitly violent terms. (Of course, by referring to the event and naming it as a massacre, the cruelty and violence inherent to it becomes implied, even if pain was absent.)

This would suggest that Kodos is not only a hypocrite (tools can be used so long as they serve his goals alone) but that Kodos is also projecting his own crimes and moral failings onto Jim Kirk as a Starfleet Captain. ("I find your use of the word mercy strangely inappropriate [...] You've done away with humanity.") Kodos had to be merciless and inhuman to choose to kill the people he was to govern. (He was not the elected governor of Tarsus IV given his statement in the death summons, "The revolution was a success." He seized power.) When Kodos specifically calls Kirk's mercy into question before declaring humanity has been done away with by Kirk's mechanical society, he inadvertently links the two concepts together: to have mercy is to be human. (This claim is further supported by Kodos' later conversation with his daughter once it is revealed that Lenore has been killing the survivors. He exclaims, "By killing seven innocent men!")

Jim Kirk, of course, views tools as they are: not something to hinder humankind but an aid to help. He argues that society has "armed man with tools," which is an interesting phrasing for him to use. (Consider: "society has given man tools") One hopes the intent is arming for defense rather than murder or war, but with an episode like The Conscience of the King, one which uses Shakespeare to hide the plot in plain sight and extended metaphor to recall the horrors of the Holocaust, either intent can be accepted. Kirk could also be recalling the revolution of Tarsus IV, arming oneself against further despots, or admitting to his own desire to kill Kodos. ("If I had gotten everything I wanted, you might not walk out of this room alive.") For all of Kodos' vitriol to Kirk and the tools of society, it is Kirk who ultimately shows him mercy by not yeilding to vengeance (or to Kodos' goading for it).

It is important to note, however, that Kirk is not above using other people for his personal gain. He puts on the act of a charming love interest for Lenore just to get to her father. Lenore is correct when she confronts Kirk about being used as a tool and referring to his cruelty as a result. Of course, there is a dark irony to this in that Lenore is using Kirk in order to fully close the chapter of Tarsus IV in her father's life by killing the survivors. She's the pot calling the kettle black.

The episode ends with Lieutenant Riley sneaking backstage to kill Kodos during the Karidians' production of Hamlet. Kirk stops him, but it leads to a larger confrontation between Lenore and Kodos, and it reveals her to be the murderer all along.

In what is perhaps the most striking three-pronged twist of irony, Kodos is killed:

He is killed by his daughter, Lenore. ("The one thing in my life untouched by what I'd done [...] I never wanted the blood on my hands ever to stain you.")

He is killed by a phaser gun—a tool of the society he rejects—and a highly mechanized tool at that.

Kodos steps in front of Jim Kirk, the same Kirk who he planned to kill 20 years ago, and takes the shot that was intended for Kirk.

As an aside, Kodos had to die due to the Hayes Code. Evil can not go unpunished according to it. However, I think Barry Trivers, the author of the episode, did a fantastic job to make what could otherwise have been a black-and-white morality tale into something compelling, nuanced, and wonderfully human. (In other words, the layers. Wow.)

One can wonder if the ending is meant to push beyond the limits of the Hayes Code with the questions it raises. For example, did Kodos intend to protect Kirk, or did he assume his daughter would never shoot him? Does Kodos' death change anything 20 years after the fact, when his daughter has killed seven of the nine survivors? How can Lenore Karidian survive yet lose part of her memory, enabling her to forget her father's death and (possibly) her own crimes by extension? How can Jim Kirk live with knowing his life was saved by the man who wanted to kill him in the past? How can Kirk live with knowing the woman who tried killing him has survived and possibly doesn't remember any of it?

The show, of course, does not and will not answer these questions owing to its self-contained story format. In the end, it is up to the viewer to draw their own conclusions as to the humanity of these characters.

[lousymoonwalker]

Why you (probably) didn't like Spider from Avatar TWOW

Social media is ruining the film industry in so many ways I couldn't begin to cover them all. I don't think this is a profound statement, but I want to explore my point in the context of Avatar The Way of Water, specifically with the character, Spider.

A few things that is becoming more apparent, due to social media:

1) General audiences can't tolerate cliff-hangers anymore. They're referred to as "plot holes" now. (Yes, I know lots of movies include actual plot holes, but actual cliff-hangers are getting called plot holes when they're two different things) (and sometimes, the writer of a story will specifically include unanswered questions, because our imaginations can be more intriguing and allows us to play "detective" and discuss, unanswered questions are not inherently bad, sometimes they're quite interesting). This leads to people wanting answers now, right now. We have a question, we search it and can get an answer basically immediately. When we can't find the answer immediately, we get upset.

2) Cancel Culture. - need I say more? (no, but I will anyway). This leads to one giant problem within the context of how social media is changing the film industry. People are actively trying to "cancel" characters, fictional characters or the authors of those characters for not aligning themselves as either a "good" or a "bad" character. Cancel culture is actively morphing our brains to think that if you make a mistake, you can never come back from it. That if you did something wrong, you are "toxic" and irredeemable. I can rant all day about cancel culture, but for now, just think about how it is shaping our tolerance of people. (Also, keep in mind that within the world of literature, film, art, etc. this topic comes up all the time about "morally grey characters" and is never something that is condemned, the only time this is a problem is when it makes its way onto social media sites)

So looking at these two points, we see that audiences don't like unanswered questions and they don't like morally grey characters.

I think Spider from Avatar TWOW is the most perfect example of a morally grey character out of the entire series. At least up to this point.

Everyone, even in the first movie ranges somewhere from either "Good" or "Bad" but, none of them are directly in the middle. I could argue that Mo'at, Norm, Neytiri, and Max are very good. Their intentions are always to be good. Quaritch and Selfridge are very bad. Their intentions are always to be bad. Jake is the most "grey" of all the characters in the original because of his internal conflict between wanting to fit in with the military again by spying on the Na'vi and slowly realizing he loves Pandora and the people and wants to help them. Even though he actively tries to help Quaritch in the beginning, I'd argue that his intentions are always "alright" I don't think he is ever on the "bad" side of the spectrum, although he starts off close to it, by the end, he solidifies himself as "good".

Then we have Spider.

My boy Spider is at the butt of everyone's jokes, all over TikTok and Instagram. The comments section is full of people just absolutely bashing him, hating him, making fun of him calling him a "Tarzan wannabe" and saying that he probably "sheds and smells like a wet dog". People have no sympathy for him, even some of those comments saying how they'll "never forgive him" or simply "hate him".

:Spoilers:

Spider is introduced as this lone human kid on Pandora, who hangs out with Jake and Neytiri's kids and has grown up with them. However, Neytiri has never accepted him. (A lot of people are mad at her about this because they say that he's just like Jake, which I would argue is not entirely correct because Neytiri was going to kill Jake (because she hates and distrusts humans) but Eywa chooses him for some reason and she's compelled to save him).

Spider is absolutely enthralled with the Na'vi culture. He speaks the language perfectly and paints himself with blue stripes. He genuinely loves and cares for the Na'vi despite being human.

Then, he gets captured and meets his dad, Quaritch. While it isn't entirely Quaritch, it is kind of his dad and he only agrees to leave with them on their mission because he doesn't want to be actively tortured by the scientists anymore. (I think that decision is understandable). Then, he gets to be the cultural ambassador of the Na'vi, translator, teacher, and guide as he spends more and more time with the military avatars and gets to be important to them. Then when all hell breaks loose, and he has to translate to a Metkayina village asking for Jake, he is visibly scared and desperately trying to help them and begs for Quaritch to stop terrorizing them. Then they burn down the village and take Spider with them, against his will.

Later, he gets the chance to fight and help in the end battle and he helps to wreck the ship, runs away like twice (?) before being successful thanks to Neteyam. Then is used as a pawn by Neytiri who threatens to kill him if Quaritch doesn't release Kiri. (This whole time, Spider is begging Quaritch to let Kiri go and to not hurt her).

But, for many viewers the nail in the coffin was when he saves Quaritch from drowning. He has seen the destruction caused by Quaritch, even if he doesn't know Quaritch's full history, he knows he burned down villages, staged the killing of a Tulkun, was willing to kill Lo'ak, Tuk, and Kiri all in an effort to hunt down and kill Jake.

But, I think the key moment was during the stand-off between Quaritch and Neytiri. For the first time in Spider's entire life (keep in mind he's like 16), an adult (a parental figure) stood up for him and showed genuine concern for him. Whether you like it or not, Neytiri has never liked him and Jake has never went out of his way to make him feel welcome. But now, in the heat of the moment, Quaritch, this big bad military man, stops what he's doing for fear of Spider's well-being.

Between the wreckage, Spider and Lo'ak were trying to find Jake. But, Spider happens upon Quaritch, who is at the edge of death. Then this, sixteen-year-old kid, sees this man just went out of his way to save Spider's life a few minutes before and now this man is about to die. Spider had to make a split-second decision and he made it. He saved Quaritch from drowning, then immediately leaves him and joins the Sully's.

I think Spider's intentions change from "I love the Na'vi, I basically am Na'vi" to "This father figure isn't too bad" to "I get to be helpful and important to someone" "oh no, what are you doing?" to "you saved my life, I'll save yours"

I CANNOT, overstate how much I love morally grey characters, they are so much fun to analyze and there's nothing worse than a plain "static" character. Give me a dynamic character with conflicting motivations. The reason I think Jake never went into the "bad" intentions side was because he genuinely was blind to the Na'vi at the beginning, but the more he learns, the more his actions reflect the newfound love and respect. Whereas Spider knows all about the Na'vi, and he loves and looks up to them, he was basically raised by the Sully family. I'm sure he is smart enough to understand that the humans and military avatars are "bad" with bad intentions. So when he starts to give into that side those intentions start to shift and his character becomes more and more grey.

And people on social media simply cannot compute. Cancel him! people cry. Screw him! He's the worst character ever! I can smell him through the screen!

People don't like that he did some bad things so the masses cry out, "bad! Bad! He's a bad character"

I'm not saying that I absolutely loved him, but I did like his character and I think he'll play a bigger role in the next film. He's a conflicted 16 year old, dynamic, character. I'm excited to see where his character goes from here.

But please, stop letting social media trick you into thinking that people are "good" or "bad". Not a single person on this planet can be accurately described as simply "good" or "bad". People are dynamic.

And for the love of everything, just because you don't have all the answers handed to you on a little silver plate, doesn't mean that the story had plot holes and is objectively bad. Unanswered questions and cliff-hangers can be very effective if done well.

People are fighting to not have to think on their own and form their own thoughts and opinions, because what if my opinion isn't a popular one or is the wrong one????

We don't know what is going to happen with Spider, but now, we can theorize and discuss until the next film comes out.

Anyways, I won't tolerate Spider slander anymore unless you can formulate an actual genuine reason to not like him besides, "he's bad", "he sucks", or "I bet he stinks".

[mdhwrites]

Why Do Modern Isekai Like Slavery?

So the easy answer here is that it allows the MC to treat a girl like complete shit and she still has to suck his dick. That it's part of the power fantasy. However, that's the easy answer. That's treating these authors like they're just trying to find an easy answer for fetish bait and for getting to the tropes that their audience likes. I don't find that useful analytically. So, for now, we're going to hang that up and talk about shudders for a moment the narrative utility in a fantasy story of including slavery. God I hate some of the shit this will make me have to say.

I do want to be clear: Slavery is bad. Absolutely terrible. There are few worse things you could to a human being. I would personally argue that killing another human being is less inhumane than slavery. I feel like I should make this clear because I am going to talk about, from a storytelling perspective, how acknowledging slavery in your setting can be useful, especially for these sorts of stories.

With that out of the way:

Any fish out of water story, which ALL isekai inherently are, need a few things to make sure our protagonist doesn't just wander around for a couple days before dying of lack of food or pissing the wrong person off. Those things, though this list is not comprehensive:

A basic understanding of the world, or at least someway to be stopped from breaking common knowledge on accident.

Something that can help them survive in this new world.

Something to help them not go crazy

If we address MODERN isekai's tropes directly, we could also add "Must be a love interest" to this because these are harem anime trying to not have the stigma of harem anime. This actually does add an extra wrinkle of:

4. Isn't going to fuck off when they get the protagonist to safety or when they choose to do things like go fight the demon lord or whatever.

So you need adhesion. That moment in a romance title where the two people aren't just potentially interested in each other but stuck. Something that makes sure that no matter what happens, the starter town farm girl nuts up and shuts up.

A slave girl, genuinely, fits ALL OF THESE. They can be a constant companion who is always on their side who also has a familiarity with the world and has lived at least some amount of a harsh existence and so likely knows something about surviving in this world. The fact that they can't go anywhere or question you inherently adds to this adhesion. Even if it's an isekai protagonist who frees the slave girl in question, they'll just go with the angle of "I owe you my life and so I pledge it eternally to you."

Put a pin in that last part. We'll get back to it.

It also accomplishes a lot of things outside of just this narrative utility for our protagonist mechanically. It also allows for worldbuilding and character defining. Does he just buy the slave like in Shield Hero? Well, he's kind of a bastard then and he's a bit more anti-hero because he's willing to help the slave trade. Does he instead kick down the door, slaughter the slaver and free the girls? Well, you get an early moment of being a badass and unarguably the hero. In both cases, it also opens the door for both author and audience to claim that this is 'dark' fantasy because they're tackling real atrocities like slavery!

Rolls eyes out of the back of his head.

It's incredibly efficient storytelling... and it's also really fucking lazy. Slavery is the poor man's option here and requires you to just acknowledge slavery as the selling of people and not its wider contexts or even the wider traumas of anyone who has even been threatened to be enslaved. It is a very callous, very utilitarian way to use the trope which is kind of terrible for something that actually happened.

Remember that pin? Yeah, that's just a character deciding to enslave themselves rather than being officially enslaved which... What? Who the fuck chooses that? Now yes, an argument can be made of "If I don't stick with you, I'd die," but that's STILL the argument of the slaver as well. That they're too far from home, or that their home is gone, and so they HAVE to behave until they can have a master who will take care of them. It is just another prison. But that's NOT useful for the narrative purposes being exploited here and so we just go with some fantasy 'life debt' bullshit which immediately obliterates really any attempt to claim you're dark fantasy. REAL dark fantasy has the hero free the slaves, them look at him like "Okay, what now motherfucker?" and question how he's now going to keep them alive because at least the slaver was doing that much. Or when he tries to make them work for him, they will bring up the arguments I am because if he actually gave a shit about them, instead of posing virtuously, he would help them get home and back to their own live. They wouldn't force these people to just be an extension of themselves because 'dark' fantasy interrogates the tropes of fantasy and how they ACTUALLY might play out because fantasy worlds are always a place of grand cruelties and injustice due to their commonly very violent nature.

The point to all of this is that at the beginning of this, I discarded the meta or marketing reasons for the use of the trope. The problem is that modern is isekai is so poisoned in so many aspects that even if you discard one explanation of laziness and poor writing... You just run into another. That's why these shows have the reputation they do. Do they sometimes manage to be better? There's too many of them not to have exceptions. The rule though is that the writing is bound by genre law to be as abused and warped as the author needs it to be to just get the story done.

And that's bad for everyone, like always. See you next tale.

======+++++======

What's extra funny to me is that if you wanted to not have the real world baggage and actually make the life debt thing maybe work, there's a really easy answer: Highway rescue. Someone is accosted by bandits, the hero saves them but OH NO! The wagon that's destroyed already had all their stuff so they need their savior's help further and if they will help them live, they will do anything for them. There you go. Just as easy but you don't look like a creepy dick of an author who is exploiting real world tragedies without actually acknowledging what they do to people.

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

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

A Twitter you can follow too

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

[wulvercazz]

grimmichigrimmichigrimmichi >:3333 (pairing meme)

heheh okay- so shiP IT ofc 😂 .. but here's the answers;

What made you ship it?

so... I have a very specific list of qualities I look for when it comes to my favorite male characters. And Grimmjow fit them all 😂💕

When I first watched Bleach the only thing I shipped was IchiRuki, bc naturally that was the only way to go for me tbh, but then Grimm appeared and I was obsessed. When it comes to otps for me, first I find a fave character, then I consider the possible pairings. Not any other way. And with Grimmjow... well the only option for me was Ichigo tbh.

Not to discredit any other Grimmjow ships, I've done a few of them myself, but with how passionately these two throw themselves at each other I truly couldn't look any other way. Lol

So tldr; Grimmjow's got slut potential and I dig that, and they're too into each other for me not to see "gay" plastered all over them 💫

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

Hmmm 🤔maybe how inherently feral it is, canon-wise. Also how harmonious their overall designs are together, there's nothing nicer than a pair that looks good together, at least as an artist. Also how easy they are (for me at least) to write/draw; I have a hard time focusing on one thing for long enough to get good at things (hence the many AUs lol!) so for me to have a ship I draw constantly for more than four years now... is truly astounding lmao. They helped me grow soooo much so they hold a dear dear place in my heart just bc of that alone.

And because of that last one: how easy it is to apply AUs to themmmm ;w;<33333 I can legit think of anything and make an AU out of it and not struggle too much to find the perfect place for them in it.

And also,, sort of fave sort of least fave- that it's not an overly popular ship in general (ik it's popular in the Bleach fandom itself, but rather; not popular like a ship from BNHA or JJK). Why; bc I get to have my quiet space where I draw all the ideas I want and yet have had verY few people throw insults at me for some of my darker stuff 😂 Bigger fandoms I've interacted with (as a viewer mostly) have had issues popping up left and right, people getting upset over dumb shit and letting that grow to huge proportions, "antis" everywhere... yeahhhh no thanks 😖

but also-- it gets verY quiet at times specially for someone who's so picky. Like, if I could find a fandom space like the exclusive bottom Bakugo enthusiasts I followed on twt (and even bought a whole zine about) but for GriMMJOW??? WOOF😭💕 so yeah,,, love-hate situation on this last bit lmaooo

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

A few 😂😭 everyone who's followed my art for a certain amount of time can probs tell how the 'tism really affects how I enjoy ships lmaoooo I have to enjoy them a very specific certain way so... that means I don't partake at all on a good few of the popular tropes for the ship. Some I can think of rn; damsel-in-distress!Ichigo, overly hurtful!Grimm (although this one is more old fandom I think 🤔? I remember, in a lot of fics back then, Grimmjow was portrayed a lot as this violent rapist adgdfddfdff not for me lmaoo), ofc top!Grimm, Grimmjow acting all macho relationship wise, and too much angst (I think this ship (and Ichigo in general lets be honest) can call for a lot of angst in fic so I totally get it- but ...meh, if it's not romaticized/sexualized angst, idc for it adgdfgf I don't like it when they actually suffer 😭)

OOH OH! ALSO --- making them OOC in AUs CAN be great actually (to me at least). I know a lot of people (not just here, but in any ship/fandom/etc) don't love OOC characterizations of their fave characters/ships (hence why it's a tag we use tbh) but I personally love that at times??? I won't do it all the time and all over the place... but AUs where there's space to make Grimm less violent? or Ichigo less friendly/loving??? While still within their canon character potentials--- hecC yes. >:)ccc

Also ofc; that I wish it was still common to tag ships as top-bottom like it is with HoEn/EnHo (bnha), VK/KV /trigun, KRBK/BKKR (bnha) etc or at least tag it some other way along the ship.... it would be sO much easier to filter out stuff i don't want to see instead of having to mute/block a whole person I would still love to see stuff from.

BuT I am aware most have no preference whatsoever lmaO so... yeah nothing I can do there except not follow people pfFFF 😂😭 (and wait until I find peeps with similar tastes aasdfs)

[beggingwolf]

The "I'm his dog/he's my dog" line is SO compelling. May I offer sid/Tanger? Or I think Geno would HAPPILY be Sids dog

the issue with geno is I don't think he's consistently rabid enough. he's a hard worker, and he snaps and loses his shit sometimes, but there are also moments where he deeply wants to be lazy/uninvolved/not-a-part-of-this-bullshit-thank-you

although that is a very valid way to be a dog (hello greyhounds) I don't think it works for a "he's my dog" relationship. what those need is an inherent power imbalance that is often, but not always, created BY these characters as a part of their identities—like, they CHOOSE to be that guy's dog, it brings them satisfaction and pleasure—and MOST IMPORTANTLY those relationships need a deeply unhinged guy who is going to let someone else be the sole moral guiding light in their life. those relationships are the best when one guy's a weapon and the other guy holds the trigger under his finger, you know?

and sadly I just don't think geno has the right precise type of attitude for that. he likes making decisions for himself (after reading the room a bajillion times to suss out what everyone is going to think of his decision and weighing the scales in his head), and he likes saying stop when he wants to stop, and he likes provoking reactions and hiding behind someone else to take the heat [in this case, hiding in the showers to avoid talking about his great game].

the thing about geno is he doesn't like tension, he likes performance. a good dog/owner dynamic is about that tension. geno wants to get upset, be loud, do something dangerous, and then storm off with the camera on him while stewing in a bit of healthy shame about it all. he's all about catharsis, baby. the simmering tension of an animal and the person holding its leash is all tension, no resolution.

a dog character needs to have no control. they are an animal, they are ready to bite, maul, maim—they have no interest in playing coy or being sly and choosy in their deployment of power. they just want to be a knife. they want to bite. their whole thing is needing a collar and a leash and someone to hold it. and it's an HONOR to hold that leash, but the dog will still fight against it sometimes. they're a dog, after all. they're not well-trained. they want a steady hand. they want someone to tell them "no," and to tell them "yes." and they want to fight against it. and you're never really gonna know who truly has the power. the owner controls the leash. the dog LETS itself be leashed by the owner. without the leash, who are they to each other? why do they bind themselves to each other this way?

geno chooses to be loyal to sid every time he has the chance and it makes him such a tempting candidate for the dog position, because that unwavering loyalty is undeniably crucial to the role. where he stops fitting the mold is he will sometimes wrestle that power back and take over and start making all the decisions just how HE wants to. and that kind of agency just isn't allowed to a leashed animal.

you know who IS going to hone themselves into a weapon and then place their hilt into sid's hand?

kris. kris is. kris does.

[cookinguptales]

Okay so... clearly people want to make sure I saw the Hanged Man imagery in 5.05...

Putting aside that I think it's very funny that this is apparently what people associate with me now, the reason I haven't really talked about it is because I'm not really sure what I think about it.

Yes, I saw the post. Yes, I saw the imagery while I was watching. But what does it mean? It's not that I don't have any ideas; it's more the opposite? I'm still not 100% convinced that all this is being done on purpose (though... it's certainly starting to feel more pointed the more it happens) but if it is being done on purpose... god, it could mean so many different things.

I talked about what The Hanged Man means a bit in my WWDITS tarot series, but it's one of those cards with a lot of different implications, and it's hard to know whether these things are being applied to specific characters, the overall narrative, etc.

So... some possibilities that immediately come to mind:

Colin Robinson as The Hanged Man. He was one of the characters I seriously considered for this card, so like. I get it. Particularly in s4 he seemed trapped in a sort of transitional period, and he still doesn't quite seem to have his path figured out. Like he's said himself, he just kinda keeps on truckin'. CR as Hanged Man could be alluding to his feelings of alienation from both humans and the other vampires. It could be a reference to his looping existence that prevents him from ever fully moving forward. It could be a reference to his meditative journey of self-discovery. This could go a lot of ways, tbh.

Many people talk about the Major Arcana as a journey, and The Hanged Man appears about halfway through when a break is needed to self-reflect, reassess, rest, etc. It can allude to feeling "stuck" or like you can't find a place where you fit. It's a highly liminal card, which -- again, it can go a lot of ways. If this is being applied to the overall narrative, is this an allusion to the halfway point? To the last few moments of internality and thinking before everything goes to shit? To the fact that a lot of characters currently feel "stuck"? To the way that no one can quite find a place for themselves anymore?

If anything, in this episode in particular, it feels like The Hanged Man might refer to Guillermo. He's hovering between two states, human and vampire, and he definitely feels trapped there. He feels trapped by his physicality (unable to use and control vampiric powers but still being burned by the symbols/people that used to protect him), trapped by his decisions (The Hanged Man is also occasionally used as imagery about punishment), and feels utterly stuck. He currently cannot move forward and does not know why. He's being forced to reconsider a lot of the driving beliefs and goals that have propelled him this far, and he's not necessarily liking what he's discovering.

Can this refer to the characters as a whole? Most of them feel like they're at a midway point in their current journeys, still feeling out information but currently unable to put it together in a way that makes sense. Nadja investigating her curse/Antipaxon family. Laszlo investigating Guillermo's change. Guillermo living through that change and investigating ways forward. Nandor being deeply suspicious of a change that he can sense but cannot make sense of. He doesn't even know what to investigate. All of them do feel a bit stuck, not just Guillermo and Colin.

Could this be an allusion to the way that vampires are liminal beings in this show? It's made incredibly clear in this episode that they don't really fit in anywhere and have this trauma of knowing that any "home" will last only as long as they keep their secrets. They have this trauma of knowing that there is no place for them, and they exist outside all accepted societal boundaries. They hang between worlds, and the lives that they've built are kind of inherently temporary. They're kind of constantly in a waiting period, aren't they, and they never know how long it'll last. Guillermo is only just now understanding what he's going to have to give up to join them.

Speaking of which, The Hanged Man is also a sign of sacrifice. This is a lesser-used reading, admittedly, but still very common. Is it a reference to the way Colin Robinson wanted to stand and fight, even if he had to sacrifice his life? Is it a reference to Guillermo sacrificing both of his families to his ambition, and really quickly coming to regret that? I worry a little bit about how this particular reading might come back to hurt us all later.

Honestly... these are my initial thoughts, but it's really just the tip of the iceberg. The Hanged Man is a card with a lot of different meanings attached to it, and it could be applied very broadly to the cast and overall events of the season. I have a lot of ideas, but like... it's hard to know where to direct them!

in conclusion

[nokaru]

Friend! Do you have any songs that remind you of Umihebi and/or Torou, together or individually??

Oh my darling you have no idea...sorry this took so long I got tired ahhh

I made this playlist ages ago, it's still in my drafts here too - never got around to actually posting it BUT it's here! I dub thee UmiTorou playlist: toxic gfs commiting crimes

I'll go about this the same way I would with other playlist posts so here are selected few with some commentary and lyrics ^^ putting it under read more

girl in red - You Stupid Bitch

Don't bite your lip or grit your teeth Just count to ten and try to breathe You stupid bitch, can't you see The perfect one for you is me?

need i say more? this is so UmiTorou. I see this song from Torou's pov, trying to chat up Umihebi after there was something between them already. (bonus points for girl in red and the beat)

Beabadoobee - The Perfect Pair

You ought to know that I think we're one and the same I don't think we could help it No, I don't think we could help it We don't talk much Guess 'cause nothing has changed And I'm not sure I like it And I'm so tired of fighting

perfect pair they sure are, also Beadadoobee's voice is giving UmiTorou if they were lo-fi. Something about being obviously bad for each other but also so so perfect for this one person only.

AURORA - Cure For Me

I run from the liars, the fuel on the fire I know I created myself I know I can't fight the sad days and bad nights But I never asked for your help

You got hurt No, we don't belong together So you took the love from my arms Into the arms of yours But I don't need a cure for me I don't need it

This one reminds me more of Umihebi and Torou individually (but also as a couple) - esp the "I created myself" line. I love evil women and implications they are the way they are because of nobody than themselves. No man involved for backstory, I am who I am because I chose this kinda deal.

The Brobecks - Visitation of the Ghost

You think that I don't know your game A pretty, pretty, pretty little face Despite every book and every little kiss you took She'll take your place

Umihebi to Torou, while they still danced around each other like they are not obsessed with each other sigh.

CRAWLERS - Come Over (again)

Take her name out of your mouth You don't deserve to mourn You just love the attention Or do you get bored? You like the power you have Hope you get caught in the law Do you think that you're happy? Just wait 'til you're sure

This is actually one of my Umihebi character songs cause it fits perfectly with my OCs and their relatioship with Umi + Umi origins. Basically Umihebi getting kicked around for her arrogant behaviour part 1

Mitski - A Pearl

You're growing tired of me You love me so hard and I still can't sleep You're growing tired of me And all the things I don't talk about Sorry, I don't want your touch It's not that I don't want you Sorry, I can't take your touch It's just that I fell in love with a war Nobody told me it ended And it left a pearl in my head And I roll it around every night Just to watch it glow Every night, baby, that's where I go

UmiTorou rocky relatioship 0.2, they are both complicated people (one more than the other) and they just CAN'T talk about it. Over their dead bodies.

The Dresden Dolls - My Alcoholic Friends

I'm trying hard Not to be ashamed Not to know the name Of who is waking up beside me Or the date, the season or the city But at least the ceiling's very pretty Should I choose a noble occupation? If I did I'd only show up late and sick And they would stare at me with hatred Plus my only natural talent's wasted on my alcoholic friends

Torou song right there!! Yes, maybe a bit cheesy but just listen to it...its so Torou and Obi coded. While Obi might have chosen the noble occupation, Torou (mind you not inherently evil) can't see herself as anything else than what she is now. She won't let go of her current life, just the thought of losing the freedom of it makes her sick.

Epic the Musical - My Goodbye

You are reckless Sentimental at best That's not a teaching of mine You've grown soft Your dead friends can attest Put your emotions aside You're a warrior Meant to lead the rest I don't know where I went wrong But I warned you And you failed the test

Umihebi getting kicked around by my OC for development part 2 (after getting arrested !!gone physical!! :0)

Chappell Roan - Pink Pony Club

I'm having wicked dreams of leaving Tennessee Hear Santa Monica, I swear it's calling me Won't make my mama proud, it's gonna cause a scene She sees her baby girl, I know she's gonna scream God, what have you done?

this became crazy Umihebi centric so this one is purely Torou song. I mean Chappell was made for her come on now...why Pink Pony Club? It's the vibes + my wife iilfal's fanfic about Torou's backstory (tho only vaguely). Also the line "I'm gonna keep on dancing" is so Torou and her lay-back personality. She would be the bomb in any club.

[nyxknocks]

So, Rashomon was not whatever I expected it to be. Though, I don't really know what my expectations were in the first place...

This style of story telling is always fun for me. It's very Clue-esque in the way you get everyone's side of the story and how it always favors themselves to look the best or the one with less blood on their hands. The characters are... interesting. I don't think a single one of them is good, but again that's the whole point, isn't it?

The line about how the demons there fled because of the ferocity of man pretty much tells you what this story is about. Humans at this point are all selfish, acting towards their own gains and for their own wants with little care for others (the assault, for one). Everyone makes a point to center themselves in the tragedy, that while yes this man did die, they are also a victim (and I mean yes she is there is absolutely no doubt of that) of other circumstances.

It feels like a nod to what we discussed about the shifting of blame. They are culpable to some extent to what happens (the assault, a murder, what have you) but it's not their fault, they were forced to. Just like how the government forced their hands during the war. But I hate linking everything around this time period and also from Japan as related to the war, because it feels reductive and small minded. But in the 50s its hard not to think of the impact the war hand, especially since Kurosawa had to deal with everything during the occupation.

Tajomaru had to assault her because she was beautiful, and then in his account he had to fight the samurai, he didn't want to kill him.

In the wife's account, she fainted after the samurai is freed, thus absolving her for whatever befell him, but she made a point to mention that even if she did kill him in her black out state (which she does not admit to) it was because he looked upon her so horribly after the assault. (Very Chicago).

The samurai's account is the most confusing, because it's told through a secondary source and also he is the one who died, so.

The woodcutter lied at the inquest or whatever because he didn't want to admit he saw the whole thing happen. Likely because he didn't want to get caught up in the blame game and also to hide the fact he stole from them. Again, selfish.

The ending can seem hopeful, with the priest saying the woodcutter restored his faith in humanity or whatever, and maybe I'm just jaded but if he lied once he can lie again. How do you know for sure he has 6 kids at home? You have no proof! You just gave this random dude you met in this husk of a building a baby you just found! Obviously it's meant to be taken well, because the literal imagery of the rain and clouds moving/stopping to let the sun in is like a ray of hope being cast on the people/story being shown. A bit of proof that humans aren't all inherently selfish and self-serving. Mildly hopeful, I guess?

I never realized the Rashomon effect was named after this and that's embarrassing. Like I said, it's one of my favorite styles of story telling because you can see things from so many different angles and still end up wondering just who is telling the truth. It really allows you to strap in and focus on the story because you become invested, trying to untie the narratives while also having your own thoughts/opinions reshaping it to fit your own narrative. It's really sneaky how it happens and its satisfying every time, because you never know, not really.

Also. Best part of the movie.

I also like how you can see the slide cut or whatever it was called. So Star Wars. The whole beginning gave me Twilight Zone deja vu. Genuinely love that aspect.

[surpriseroundtellyourfriends]

I’d love to hear more about your thoughts on Solomon

oops. this turned into a long-ass essay about racism, financial morality, and child programming, so I'll put it under a readmore. click at your own peril.

oughhh ughhhhh thinks about Solomon and gets ill.

I've given my Ben 10 racism speech before so bear with me if you know me and you've heard this before. (if you haven't: yes, you read that right, my Ben 10 racism speech.) listen listen listen. okay, so.

as someone who was raised as a conservative, homophobic, capitalist christian who fully held onto those beliefs and acted on them for a long time: it means the WORLD to me when I see an objectively terrible, morally awful person portrayed in a sympathetic light.

and it makes me want to KILL A MAN when I see a "sympathetic racist" (or capitalist, or homophobic, etc.) and the reasons they're supposed to be sympathetic are so laughably stupid that it ends up encouraging the idea that all bad people are intrinsically bad and cannot be redeemed.

the most common bad "sympathetic racist" character I see is "their family member was killed by a member of the group they despise. therefore, they hate that whole group."

that is NOT how ANY form of discrimination—including financial discrimination—works. I don't have a fear or hatred of long-haired boys because my stalker ex who tormented me for years was a brown-haired boy. even children can grasp that one trait of a person does not necessarily correlate to their other traits.

discrimination—for the vast majority of cases—happens due to child indoctrination. when an impressionable child is told, over and over again, that a certain group is inherently "bad" or "flawed," and told to exercise caution or hatred towards that group, a precedent is set. that child will likely be sheltered from good interactions with the targeted group, and therefore, any experiences they have of that group will be negative.

growing up, they will rub elbows with the targeted group a bit more, but they will already have a strong belief that has been "confirmed" by their tailored experiences. if they have any good experiences, they will cherry-pick information and repackage any positive feelings as "an exception" or the targeted group "deceiving" them, or even "having some good qualities but being bad/flawed at the core." they may avoid any future experiences with the group to avoid cognitive dissonance—effectively sheltering themselves like their parents sheltered them.

the reason I call this my Ben 10 Racism Speech is because Ben 10 is the first show where I ever saw a good depiction of a sympathetic racist character. we meet this one alien is a eugenicist, whose race believes they are the ultimate lifeform and that all other species are inferior. obviously, he's an antagonist. but Ben tries to befriend and help him, over and over, even when he refuses help. finally, when the alien loses an arm, Ben uses his powers to implant a new one on him. the alien assists Ben in getting back home—but refuses to go home himself, as he believes he is now "contaminated" (having DNA from another species inside of him) and is unfit to go back to his planet.

he literally tries to stay in a desert where he will die because he is so conditioned to think of his race as superior, that he is not immune to the racism. when a helpful medical procedure changes his own DNA, he thinks himself a lowly, disgusting creature fit only for death.

what does this have to do with Solomon?

well, Solomon certainly isn't a self-hating racist. (that would be Michelle.) but he IS—inarguably and unequivocally—a prime example of a monster who was raised to be a monster.

Solomon was literally raised by, and around, demons in hell. he was taught that mortals, especially the poor, were only designed to serve greater beings such as himself. in fact, the whole reason his family moved out from hell was because they were at the bottom of the social ladder there, but the top of the ladder on earth. he was taught that this was just the way things worked. he was trained by his father to one day kill his father, and consume his ashes, and that one day he would lay an egg and do the same.

he was taught these things as a baby. he has been raised his whole 17 years of life without contact to humankind. in fact, it's kind of astounding just how friendly he is on his first day of Valor Academy, even if he DOES see everyone else as "lesser than" him. he seems very strongly to desire a friendship and companionship that hasn't been provided for him at home, but he doesn't exactly recognize that friendship and companionship—the things he wants—necessitate equality.

but then he meets Benji. Benji, who—as far as he knew at the time—was an orphaned pauper boy with nothing to his name. quite literally at the bottom of the social ladder. but Solomon likes Benji. he's witty, he's funny, he knows a lot about the world. Solomon likes being around him. and Benji starts working to reform him. forcing him to volunteer at a soup kitchen. taking him out of that sheltered state and making him actually meet other humans, mortals, poor people.

and then.

then he meets Vika.

and Vika is a character I could do a whole other analysis on, but by god is she a bad combination with Solomon. because on one hand, she tells Solomon just how wrong he is, she's loud and brash and not afraid to state things as they are without coddling him.

but on the other, she refuses to take off her rose-tinted glasses about the slave colony she grew up in. she frequently refers to it as the best time of her life, as a perfect society, as something to be emulated. because she, too, was indoctrinated into a lie, and told that Donovan King Jr was their savior. and even if she no longer defends HIM, she still defends the slave colony.

and when she repeats that rhetoric, it re-activates Solomon's programming.

someone who didn't grow up with rigid doctrine, especially for such a length as 17 years, can probably never hope to understand how hard it is to break out. pathways in the brain are physically etched to rearrange morals, indecipherable from what might be "common sense" to someone else. and like the Winter Soldier, sometimes just one key phrase or story can set someone back years by triggering old programming associated with feelings of piousness or guilt.

Solomon was raised to be the worst kind of person on earth. and he wants to be better.

but god, is it going to be a struggle to get there.

[miliwritesnow]

Hot Take?

We all know what an x reader is. It's a story made to cater to an audience who wants to put themselves into a story--- and stories do this by leaving the main character's name blank (or the abbreviated "your name:" Y/N) and making details about this character vague enough to fit anyone reading it. These changes include, but are not limited to: leaving character characteristics for readers to fill in, using neutral they/them pronouns, avoiding any imposing details, etc.

In short, x readers only ever serve the purpose of a temporary placeholder for a character. In many cases, these stories should only exist as one-off imagines or scenarios without specific substance. And yes, I'm aware that my definition of these types of stories may fall short, but to keep things brief, consider my definition of x readers when you read my hot take:

X Readers aren't good stories.

Wait! Before you condemn me and reach your pocket for stories are good xreaders, hear me out! I have several reasons for thinking this make sure you go through each one before leaving a comment!

Lack of Substance

The problem is that authors can't justify the many scenarios readers are placed in, so they sort of just have to make them happen. There's no context that carefully leads up to a scenario where the reader and character of interest do the thing that they do. The scenario is simply just there.

And sure, it's nice to imagine in the meantime, but when you take a step back and think, many times you can't fathom a reality where such scenario actually happens. The character of interest doesn't display their usual characteristics, and then they're also made to do things out of the confines of their personality.

Characters have to change in a story to meet this scenario. Their personality must morph and develop especially in romance, to be more affectionate and loving and comfortable with each other.

Given context, maybe there is a world where Bakugou smiles and laughs beautifully, a world where Midoriya confidently flirts with a girl, or a world where Todoroki isn't boring (sorry), but if you see these words without that proper context, it's outlandish and fails to stay true to their character.

Catering to Wide Audiences

Here is the biggest problem. Xreaders try to cater to as many people it can and will ultimately fail to do so, because in reality, people are different and you can't cater to everyone.

And because people are different, authors are caught in a bind when they're trying to tell a story but have severe limitations on what the main character can say or do or think.

The thing is, when you think of your favorite character, you know inherently that if their character is fleshed out enough, it's unavoidable that they will have their own preferences when it comes to the people that attract them. When people fall in love, it's important that the story explains the characteristics that make them fall in love in the first place, and as you know, when you start getting too specific, suddenly, half of the readers don't fit into the mold you've made for them.

You can see now where this is going. Suddenly your favorite character is falling in love with the reader for absolutely no reason (or worse, for a reason that doesn't make sense to the character). The author has no choice but to continue with the story to force the scenario to happen, and we loop straight back to my first point!

Why Good Xreaders Aren't Xreaders

Now I know what you're thinking. "Story x, y and z doesn't do that!" And that's true. There are many stories that follow an xreader format where the reader has an elaborate story, background and personality that makes sense for the character they're being shipped with. I know this because I've read such stories and have fully enjoyed it!

But at that point, isn't the reader just an OC without a name?

When I read really good xreader stories, I can't help but wonder if the author had a specific character already in mind, and just replaced their OC's name with y/n for the benefit of the tag or to attract readers, and there's nothing wrong with that! It's a good way to make sure your story gets read, and even I'm guilty of trying it out. In fact, dabbling with one-shots and scenarios have led me to making the exact same decisions to make a character ambiguous for the sake of readers.

But it's also because I tried out this medium that I realized its limitations, which is why I submitted this hot take on my blog.

Lessons, Takeaways and Further Discussion

While making scenarios of my own I learned that I really didn't like the xreader format as much as I thought I would. While it can be enjoyable to read, when you look at such stories closely, there's really nothing special about it in terms of writing. It can make the character of interest outlandish and ooc, or even force a certain narrative that doesn't quite fit.

But, in exploring the medium I at least got to learn that writing xreaders isn't conducive to improving storytelling, and that authors shouldn't fall into the trap of trying to cater to every reader that sees their work, because ultimately it is extremely difficult to do so. Instead, make your own character. Think about what your favorite anime character and love interest would like, what characteristics they need in a partner, and simply make that character for them! It's more fun to create the context and be the change that they need in order to have a happy love life (or a toxic one, if you're into that).

Ultimately, even as I lay my thoughts out I still have a lot of questions to the people who read this genre of writing, and I want to leave this blog open for discussion.

What makes xreader stories appealing to you?

What do xreader stories do well and why do you think they exist in the first place?

Do you agree or disagree with this take, and why?

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts!

[raymend]

yes im making this post again because ive discovered again that 90% of my self doubt is absolutely incongruent to my real actual views on the world. what i mean is that...

for example i dont think anyone should be measured by their productivity or ability to work long hours that's insane. except for when its me? that's stupid!!

i can only pick it apart by being like Okay but this is 1. capitalist and 2. inherently ableist .

That^^ is the one way ive figured out how to continually question and work on internalized shit because it stops being about You as an individual but rather how that mindset can affect people without realising it. and i feel like this is especially important 4 ppl unlearning internalized homophobia n transphobia stuff (AND body image etc) where your internalized (now externalized) issues can absolutely trigger other people..

longer example under the cut i kept going sorry. tw transphobia

i think back to that tumblr funnyman w the crazy transmed rant (cant find it. dont really want to i remember it being pretty upsetting lol) about how he was mad that people want to see trans(masc) characters because he himself hates himself for being trans a lot & wish he was born a cis guy.. because when he was called out for it he said it was just a vent post? and even if the original posts werent full of veryyy misgendering language it would still be a weird post to make to an audience of impressionable trans kids, that being trans is some kind of mistake or problem .. it feels very irresponsible to say that, knowing the self hatred that can come along w the simple act of existing as trans and feeling different to others but then seeing someone u look up to talking about it like that..

i think especially now when state governments are doing so much homophobic and transphobic shit its more important than ever to be there for the younger members of the community and to work on your own internal biases so that you don't transfer them to the next generation. being trans doesn't have to suck that bad: it's not you that's the problem it's our transphobic society n government, and i think that's really necessary to hammer in.

i think trans doomerism is like so intensely vile because of the way that it thrives off of attacking other people (fat, gnc, poc, etc) for making it embarrassing and weird to be trans (Unlike Us Normal People Who Hate Ourselves) when its not their fuckin fault???? Hello i fucking hate optics nerds can you shut the fuck up and have empathy . Who do you think your enemy is . some neopronoun using mfs or the UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT !!!!!!!

and i used being trans as an example because it's the easiest to illustrate but my overarching point here is the fiona and shrek thing . YOUR negative thoughts, seemingly about just yourself, when externalized, OTHERS will extend that logic to themselves even when you don't intend it, and that's something that can be easily contributed to by societal issues & the isolation u can feel by not fitting the cishet white abled mold

[luna-rainbow]

I always wonder why the mcu keeps trying to push their peggy carter oc,like I understand characters aren't always going to be comic accurate and can be changed for better or worse. But what the mcu did with peggy is so weird to me

Staring off with the fact that she takes inspiration from a nazi spy , they even said so themselves she just doesn't take inspiration form Cynthia tho most of he likable traits are from other characters as well.

Going back to the Cynthia glass thing it's also uncomfortable that this peggy is also an alternate version of captain america even though they call her captain carter you can't escape the fact that she's supposed to be an alternate version of captain america.

I can understand wanting to make an alternate version of cap but why would you use the character that you've stated has taken inspiration from a nazi spy to represent a Jewish symbol who was made to fight nazis and for the oppressed it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Thanks for the ask and sorry for the late reply!

I think the superhero genre, much like the Japanese equivalent of the shounen genre, is about power fantasies. That doesn't necessarily make them inherently trite or egocentric, though. A sensitive and knowledgeable writer can construct a power fantasy for marginalised folks, even those they are not a part of, and that's what people are asking for when they talk about "representation". People from all walks of life deserve an inspirational story and a power fantasy to project onto, to say that despite the barriers placed by society, it is still possible to fight against the restrictions and carve out a special identity for yourself. In a lot of the better written superhero stories, their powers are presented as something that is both a blessing and a curse/threat, and the story is about them accepting that difference and turning that into something good - as opposed to, often, their villains, who turn that into something used for bad.

And I think that's the key difference. Comics/manga are written for kids/adults who feel like they don't fit in (maybe manga especially, because of how suffocating Japanese society can be about fitting the norm). The fantasy lies in social odd-balls embracing their own uniqueness and doing good in spite of the world shunning them.

Once super-powered concepts hit Hollywood, the meaning changes. The writers are now (in general) people in positions of influence and affluence. They are confident in who they are, and in fact, they yearn to stand above the ilk. The power fantasy completely changes flavour - instead of an outcast learning to be happy with who they are, it is now about how a "normal" person gains something special that elevates them above the boring average folk.

The problem is - the former is usually sensitive to the struggles of marginalised folk ("we are different but we can be amazing"), while the latter is ignorant and self-serving ("I am amazing because I am not like other girls"). And because of the type of fantasy it is, it is not interested in exploring power as a potential flaw or a burden, it is simply about the celebration of strength.

This is all a long-winded way of saying, yes, PC is a power fantasy for a particular group of women - the middle-classed, primarily White, well-educated women, who do not want to be like other girls. She had to be made special at all costs - the private school/college education, the brother in MI6, the Howlies, the boxing champion, the directorship, and now finally the serum and the shield.

The implications didn't matter because the writers didn't care. She's their hero, this is a fantasy, and who cares if she recruited Nazis on her way to the top or that she wears a colonial symbol on her chest. Who knows, they (the writers) may even think of that as representation of her strength.

Remember how I said earlier how the heroes take their powers and make it into something good, while the villains use their strength and use it to do something bad? Welp.

[steveharrington]

While I agree with you that a lot of Punk Steve content is heavily out of character, i don't think the concept itself is. Like, Steve getting to break out of the box he's had to fit into his whole life and finding comfort in that otherness is really compelling, and i don't think would be inherently out of character? More than that, it really isn't unusual for young queer people who are first coming to terms with themselves to also break out of other societal standards for a while as they find themselves and who they really are in this new context.

i mean yeah obv i know young gay people may explore other subcultures and break out of societal norms, but gay people also aren’t this amorphous group that are all going to like and enjoy the same things. i just don’t understand what about steve’s canon personality and behavior indicates at all that he would suddenly turn to the punk scene and be like “ah yes this suits me” yk? and i know people headcanon that steve’s polos and his athleticism are all a product of his parents expectations of him etc but that’s never really canonically said. as far as we know from four seasons of content, steve chooses to be a little prep who cares a lot about maintaining his hair and listens to soft rock and i don’t think that discovering his sexuality would necessarily initiate this complete and utter shift in his personality and the things he likes. again this is just how i feel about it, i’m not telling anyone else not to like the niche of punk steve yk at the end of the day he isn’t real so go crazy but i really do think the root of the trend here is just cramming steve into a character archetype that nicely compliments eddie rather than letting him be his own person

[marylanesworld]

You know, it's not the first week I've had a rather strange feeling after watching The Lost Boys. I myself really adore the VTM universe, and therefore it was not difficult for me not to compare with which clan the four boys themselves would be associated and (which is no less important) which sect they would belong to.

So please don't take this seriously, I just love these two universes and it is very difficult to make me shut up, I must tell about it!

(𝓪𝓵𝓼𝓸, 𝓘 𝓪𝓹𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓰𝓲𝔃𝓮 𝓲𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓱𝓪𝓼 𝓪𝓵𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝔂 𝓫𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝔀𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓷 𝓫𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓾𝓼𝓮𝓻, 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓲𝓷 𝓪 𝓭𝓲𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓮𝔁𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓭𝓲𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓬𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼. 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓵𝔂, 𝓘'𝓿𝓮 𝓷𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓭𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽.)

𝕯𝖆𝖛𝖎𝖉 - BRUJAH!

No, I'm serious. Despite the fact that in his image he may seem quite restrained, he also has his own impulsiveness and rebellion. Yes, not all representatives of this clan are reckless adrenaline racers with rude behavior, but David fits this clan like no other. His dedication and loyalty to his principles and (just as importantly) his pack is one of the defining elements of the Brujah. Their leadership qualities can only be compared with the Ventru clan. Brujah will always protect their fellows regardless of who they are and what clan they are from. Until you cross their path.

𝕻𝖆𝖚𝖑 - Toreador.

Say what you will, but his persona LITERALLY screams it, I'm not talking about his style in clothes, hairstyles. Representatives of this clan are quite big supporters and evaluators of absolutely any creativity. They are charismatic, charming, their energy can be recognized even without meeting face to face. And this is almost all that I personally saw in this character. He quite easily comes into contact with Michael (although in the film itself quite little attention was drawn to the topic of relations between him and other vampires from the pack (not including David)), which is also inherent in Toreadors (unlike other clans, representatives of this are more socialized to people ) + he is clearly a music connoisseur more than anyone in the group. I don't know how else to say that he gives off the vibe of this clan, sorry (lmao), just agree with this fact.

𝕯𝖜𝖆𝖞𝖓𝖊 - Gangrel.

Perhaps this is explained by his "quiet" nature. Representatives of this clan are more like introverts and asocials and rarely come into contact with strangers, but are very loyal to their pack and feel more comfortable among it. They don't like to talk a lot, they look too lonely. However, thanks to some of the headcanons I've met here in the open, I've been assured that this clan is the best fit for Dwayne. They are agile, no less strong than the same Brujah and connoisseurs of paraphernalia that is more related to the pagan or folklore style (this can be seen in his jewelry, in particular, you can highlight his earring made of wolf fangs, which in particular means as a symbol of "courage and strength" and more commonly used by hunters), which is also the signature style of the Gangrel clan.

'𝕸𝖆𝖗𝖈𝖔 - it's more interesting with this because I'm still not sure that you can attribute his character to this particular clan, but... Malkavian.

I know that maybe it sounds a little strange, but his character is no less a mystery to me, and maybe it was this fact that made me come to this conclusion. The representatives of this clan have a mysteriousness, a kind of strangeness, and what is no less noticeable - obviousness. Watching the film a second time, I also noticed Marco's habit of biting himself, which may indicate his nervousness at some points. Maybe it's not accurate, but since I'm a fan of "biting my own lips", I made this conclusion about his person. Malkavians always seem like "angels with an innocent face (unless the vampire is completely consumed by his insanity)" which I also noticed in Marco. Seriously, I want to adopt him (lmao) because he seemed like such a cute puppy until he showed his fangs (I still want to adopt him). Also, this fact for me was no less served by his outfit. Seriously, I'm in love with his jacket, the style of which literally screams originality and originality. And this composition is so chaotically combined that it almost makes up all the chaos that is going on in Malkavian's heads + his no less charisma and look say something significant about his restrained madness.

ᴏғ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ, ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴀʟʟ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴍʏ sᴘᴇᴄᴜʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍʏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢ, sᴏ ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏᴏ sᴇʀɪᴏᴜsʟʏ. ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴏᴜᴛ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟs, sᴏ ɪᴛ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ sᴍᴀʟʟ ᴘᴏsᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇʀᴏᴇs.

Now, as I said, let's move on to the question of the sect in which the boys could participate. And the first thing that came to my mind at first: 𝘼𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙨.

This is explained by their energy, where they do not often think about the consequences of their own actions, preferring to act more + representatives of the Anarchs are rebels against the rules of the elders, and for boys, the object of rebellion is Max (their sire). One way or another, but in the film it is noticeable even despite the fact that the interaction between the boys and him was limited.

However, after the scene with the food, where the boys presented themselves in their own nature in front of Michael, I had another option - 𝙎𝙖𝙗𝙗𝙖𝙩. Let me explain: Anarchs, although they are rebels, follow the main rule of the Masquerade - not to stand out. Of course, their behavior could indicate that they "had a tooth" on the local surfer team for a long time, but even the Anarchs are careful and try not to succumb to their own Beast (which is what distinguishes them from the Sabbatites). Sabbat representatives do not shy away from their own nature, seeing people only as food and nothing more. Human suffering for them is fun, fun for their immortal life. There is no need to argue - the death of surfers was truly brutal.

It would be fair to classify them rather as Anarchs, despite this fact. After all, they are too sensible to be just killers. If they were real representatives of the Sabbat, they would have ignored Max's request and simply killed Michael in the hotel at the first meeting.