ship ask meme: Twin Peaks?

(good choice; need to start shifting into twin peaks more for the wonderfulxstrange exchange

otp: cooper/diane. they are everything to me, the mutual pining, the distance, the way cooper talks to her in the tapes, the way they interact in the return?!? simply obsessed.

favorite canon pairing: lucy/andy. they are just such a necessary contrast to literally everything. (also i’ve recently been thinking a lot about shelly/bobby. divorced co-parents that are still in love but can’t or won’t make it work :D )

worst pairing ever: it’s difficult to think of something i can’t get behind/find speculative narrative interest in some capacity. uhh… shelly/gordon as an actual long term relationship (i think gordon would be good for shelly in a one night stand situation, but as an actual relationship? both boring and squicky.)

guilty pleasure pairing: albert/cooper. i’m don’t actually feel guilty about it at all, but i do think it draws more on fandom tropes than what’s actually on screen. which in this case isn’t really a bad thing, a lot of the fic is so good and explores interesting things.

pairing that you want to see more: andy/dick tremayne; i just made this up right now but, yeah. i can be a big fan of hate sex. also josie/harry truman; i’m not super into what we see on screen but josie is almost so interesting, there’s so much untapped potential to explore josie’s interior and how she feels about everything but especially harry.

pairing that everyone likes but you’re like, lol no: i don’t know? i think when i was first reading fic for twin peaks i was surprised by how much audrey/cooper fic there was. and i’m not like, morally opposed to them crossing paths and getting together after audrey has idk… gone off and graduated from college but the idea is kinda boring to me. they’re actual canon relationship, and how it just kind of fizzles out, is one of my favorite things about the original show.

favorite non-romantic pair: shelly&norma!! the parallels with their bad taste in men! the cross-generational friendship!! aaahh! (i could also get behind this romantically in the AU where shelly doesn’t stay at the RR, but i don’t really read romance into their on screen dynamic)

Believe it or not, I am 27 and have just discovered ATLA and I have some questions. Is my feeling correct that most Zutara shippers are women/nonbinary folks and most Kataang shippers are, well, men. I just can’t help thinking how Kataang is written with such a male gaze in mind, while Zutara covers both perspectives. Anyways, I understand why the show ended with Kataang, I’ve read all the big metas, I understand that Bryke kind of sucks etc. etc. But I’m curious what you think about this perceived gender divide since you’ve definitely been around longer lol

Hello! I gotta say, i don't think i have a better perspective of the fandom to offer, since i haven't actually been part of the fandom since maybe 2012? and back then i was a literal child and i couldn't speak English so 'being in the fandom' was mostly just reblogging gifs and reading the zutara fics in brazilian ao3 of the time. I have watched and re-watched ATLA an unholy amount of times since then, and i have read and watched hours and hours of meta and theories and whatnot, but the fandom itself is not something i'm well acquainted with to give a good perspective on.

I do, however, love to talk and love receiving asks, so i guess you'll get my opinion anyway. And everyone knows i'm not usually concise.

First of all, are most zutara shippers women/non-binary and kat@ang shippers men? I don't know. I haven't been in the fandom and i haven't checked the bios of most posts i did see and interact, so i have no idea. The only kat@ang shipper i personally know is a friend of mine, who is a woman. So i won't speculate on whether or not your feeling is correct, perhaps a fandom veteran would be better equipped at answering it.

What i WILL say is that Kat@ang is, in my opinion, much more appealing from aang's perspective than from katara's. She's older than aang, in an age girls are absolutely not looking at younger boys that way, and doesn't show any interest in him romantically through the whole show, with the only exception that comes to mind being their dance on season 3 (easily their best moment imo), and then their kiss at the very last minute. All we know is that Aang likes Katara, and the other way around is open to interpretation at best.

One sentiment I've seen from kat@ang shippers is that they seem to really like aang and what him to be happy, and since he likes katara, they ship the two. That is all well and fine, we support people having fun with their ships for whatever reason here. That is however not a good enough motivation if you are, you know, the creators of a show who were supposed to have some duty to storytelling, themes, and cohesion. So them making kat@ng happen just so that aang could 'get the girl', despite all the ways that weakens an otherwise phenomenal story, is a bad choice that should be criticized. At the very least, in its execution.

So yeah i don't think its wrong to say there's a 'male viewpoint' to kat@ang as it was made in the show, though i wouldn't necessarily extend that to the kat@ng fans in the fandom since i don't know them, and it feels unfair to make that assumption. For all i know there is probably no shortage of amazing fics out there that explore their dynamic much better than the show did.

But though i can't speak for kat@ang fans, there is another group i've seen more often in my metas and video essays journey and talking to male friends throughout the years, what i'll call 'shipping neutral' men. You know the type, they love avatar, they'll spend hours and hours dissecting all the aspects of the story and the themes and the worldbuilding up UNTIL the topic is romance in the show. Then they'll wave it away dismissively saying the show 'was never about romance' and the crazy shippers are 'getting distracted' from the real story and how they just don't care about that aspect. And some of them will say they're fine with Kat@ng because it's canon (and no other reason), some wont have an opinion on any of the ships, except that they're not important and anyone who HAS an opinion on that is just silly.

And HERE i definitely see not only a gender divide but a sexist tendency to disregard romance as less important to any story, and not as an integral part that deserves care and deserves to be well interwoven with the rest of it. It's basically a stereotype now about how zutara fans have all these metas and analysis about how perfectly the ship fits the shows themes and how that would improve the writing (and yes, i agree with all of them) and that's because we know that romance is just as deserving as action, as worldbuildng and whatnot, and that it can be a powerful writing tool to enhance character and plot and themes, and that the way it is done it ATLA is not that. And i think these 'shipping neutral' men's analysis all fall short and even tend to not notice flaws in the story because they refuse to interact meaningfully with that aspect. Because as we all know, romance is for silly girls.

And being honest, i have much more respect for any kat@ang shipper of any gender that is out here being passionate about what they like, writing their fics and writing their own metas and having fun in a respectful way, than i have for men (and people who aren't men) with that dismissive attitude towards the romance arcs in the show.

That was a tangent! But damn i haven't answered an ask like this in a while and its always very fun. Hope i didn't offend anyone lol If its not clear i'm not a fan of ship wars, we stan having fun here. Buuut i also love debating and engaging with the story and that sometimes can get confrontational. There's definitely a space for 'ship discussion' or 'ship debate' that doesn't cross the line to 'ship war', i think that line is 'fun'. We're having fun, right? Discussing fandom and writing is fun, right?

Anyways hope this makes sense, sorry I didn't actually answer your question even though i talked THIS MUCH.

This is merely something I’ve noticed, but there are startlingly few fics for some of my favorite friendships in the Dr. Stone series? 

Ishigami Senkuu and Dr. Xeno?  Prime rival content. Even found family if you so wish! It’s implied that Senku and Dr. Xeno are the only two that are able to work well in sync with each other, coupled with the fact that Dr. Xeno was Senku’s mentor? It would be very good food to have a fic that addressed the relationship between the two and had Xeno act as a big brother/fun uncle/psuedo father figure for Senku who has not had any time to grieve for his father’s loss. Even those who have very logical thought processes are vulnerable to emotion - arguably even more so as lack of experience with strong emotional responses can throw them into an even more emotionally volatile state.  

(Total non-explicit fics on Ao3: 25)  

Stanley Snyder and Dr. Xeno? Yeah ok these two are deffo gay, but all the fics I’ve seen that are written to the standards I hold (i’m picky, unfortunately) have been something like “porn with plot” or eventual smut and things of that kind. Which, tbh, I have no interest in. I’d love to see how these two work with each other, even if it was tagged as a ship. A brilliant sniper and an elegant (hah) scientist - how delightful! Perhaps an analysis on how Dr. Xeno managed to make that beautiful sniper rifle? That would be delicious food right there.  And even if it wasn’t really a plot-driven fic, I would love to see something that explores how their personalities contrast the other. Stanley would likely be more sleek and sophisticated physically (ex/ character design, the way he talks, aesthetic) while Dr. Xeno would have a more refined thought process from which he derives his elegance? Which isn’t to say that Stanley isn’t brilliant himself. I’ve read a few books written by ex military snipers and have enjoyed learning about the training processes and the pure grit that goes into sniping. You really do need to have a sharp mind to be a sniper, which could be a contributing factor as to why Stanley and Dr. Xeno get along so well. There’s so much potential to explore here, and I’m surprised the fandom hasn’t picked up on this opportunity. (Total non-explicit fics on Ao3: 83) Finally, Ishigami Byakuya and Dr. Xeno? wHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE’S ONLY TWO WORKS WITH THIS TAG?! bruhhhh Anyways... These two had met in canon anyways, and as I recall Dr. Xeno had remarked on how Byakuya had somehow managed to balance his kindness with his intelligence? (or perhaps I read that in a fic. i’ve consumed so much content...) Either way the dynamics between the two would be fun to observe as Byakuya tends to wear his heart on his sleeve while Dr. Xeno seems to give out the minimum necessary information for human communication. The things that would be great for the dynamic here are their love for science (or rather Byakuya’s passion for space etc) and Senku. I could easily imagine Byakuya heading to the labs during his off times to get a better grasp on the science behind the space mission (and no totally not because he wants to show his son the very covert pictures he took of the rocket noooo - also that’s illegal lol but shhhhh) and listening to Dr. Xeno chat with the other scientists about parabolic calculations for flight considering the changing temperatures etc etc.  Also did you guys know that in scientific facilities what people are starting to do more nowadays (idk if they did so back then tbh but it’s possible) is to add cafeteria spaces that everyone uses to promote the sharing of information between departments? Although Xeno would likely ignore everything for his work I’m sure that Byakuya would enjoy chatting with the scientist (that reminds him of his son no i will not be quiet about this) and hearing about the current theories and projects he’s working on. This friendship could tie into the first option as well (Senku and Dr. Xeno) because these two would def/ bond over the brilliantly wild child that Senku is.  And for the angst potential? The closer these two would be the more Dr. Xeno would be able to encourage Senku after his father’s passing.  “Your dad would be proud of you” would mean a whole lot more coming from Xeno than just Taiju or Yuzuriha.  After all, Xeno worked with Byakuya at least indirectly and knew him from an adult’s perspective. On top of that, because like Senku, Dr. Xeno isn’t prone to giving compliments, it would have extra value. (Total non-explicit fics on Ao3: 2) Just idk man there isn’t very much content for these at all comparatively. I get that some characters get all the hype but I’d love to see more content for these friendships/family dynamics. Ships are cool and all, but tbh I wish there was more found family vibes in the fandom, especially with such dynamic characters and excellent base content. 

Whatup friend! *sitting in a lawn chair even in the bad weather bc I'm delusional about spring, the weather is not good but the pizza ive got is holding up despite🍕🍕*

Do you prefer fics in jjk to be alternate universe, or canon? Have any favorite ideas you like to play with?

💙💙💙💙💙

*Sits next to you and noms on the slice of pizza you're holding.* Hi friend 💜💜

Hmmm, my preference on JJK fics...hehe

I prefer alternate universe fics, or canon divergence! Those are my favourite types of fics, for any fandom in all honesty! I just love playing around with the different scenarios I can write or read the characters experiencing, and I love the world-building and lore that often comes with alternate universe fics! It makes me so happy :D

Favourite ideas for JJK...hehe. I definitely have a few!

Anything in which Yuuji is dating both Megumi and Sukuna. I love the dynamic between the three of them, and I love playing around with the idea of "Demonic Being Actually Gets Attached To Silly Humans And Will Fight Anyone Who Harms Them". Top tier dynamic, and since it's not happening in canon (at least not at the parts I've read this far) I love seeing it represented and explored in fics! Also, Sukuna has like, four arms. Who tf is gonna tell him he can't have both Yuuji and Megumi?

I am in love with the idea of a Mafia au where Sukuna is a mob boss, Megumi is the son of the rival gangsters, and Yuuji is Sukuna's happy-go-lucky bodyguard who everyone takes one look at and goes "why tf are you in the mob" until they see his strength and then they go "oh nvm yeah you belong here". (What roles do you think would be assigned to other characters?? I'm curious to know...👀👀)

Maki/Nobara. In Every. Fic. I love this ship with so much of my heart. Even if I ship one of them with someone else, I will still have these two together as part of a polycule. It's my non-negotiable. I seem to have like, at least one of those non-negotiables in each series I enjoy lol. (do you have a non-negotiable ship?)

Nanami/Geto/Gojo. I love this ship, especially given the backstory of the three of them and how Gojo and Geto interacted with Nanami during their student days.

All the angst for Inumaki. All of it. Why? Because I adore him. And what do I do with characters I adore? I hurt them. I put them in situations. I push and bend them until they break and show me what they're really made of... You know, like a god. Hehe.

These are some of my top favourite ideas for JJK aus/canon-divergence! What are yours? 👀👀👀👀💜

I agree with your opinion on LBH! Don't get me wrong, I have a ton of respect for MXTX, but the way SQQ and LBH's relationship was written, even in the extras, was horrible. It'd be one thing if that was the point, but SQQ still leaves CQM for him, still sleeps with him, still marries him, etc... and none of this is really treated as a bad thing despite everything. You can only blame Xin Mo so much. And I know it's a danmei, but since the story is all about subverting tropes anyway, I think I would've much preferred it if LBH had actually left on a sort of journey of self-discovery, only to return maybe months or even years later sometime in the extras and see where his relationship with SQQ goes from there before eventually marrying him.

Listen I received this ask ages ago and really debated whether or not I was going to post it and go into my 3-4 big problems with Bingqiu and then inevitably have to follow it up with "but I like LBH" and "Listen, I'm okay with Bingqiu if it's funny but as a serious ship...I have opinions" but I did not want to get into a Debate just yet.

Suffice to say: I agree with you! There are a lot of problems that can't really be excused. Also you saying you think LBH should go on a journey of self-discovery also changed how I decided to frame LBH's arc at the end of my Laments of a Sellout Author fic so THANK YOU! And I agree that it would have been a good solution! Like them getting together and LBH getting over everything happens so fast, there's no build up, and so much of that fast pace serves as a kind of "punishment" for Shen Yuan. Because that's the subversion, he turns the harem guy gay and now he has to deal with it hahahaha (sarcasm). But like, (and I said I wouldn't get INTO IT but....) that's one of the things that I thought could have been handled better. I understood the choice that MXTX made (which I think many people don't) but I think it could have been done differently. Like even just a time skip where SQQ at the end promises to wait for him and we skip to 2 years later at least acknowledging LBH did SOMETHING for his own mental health or whatever. It could have been integrated.

The other thing is that people will be like "oh, so a ship has to be healthy for you to ship it?!" like, for me? Unless both people are evil, like, yeah. But that's me. You can dislike a ship for a lot of reasons. For MDZS I'm not a huge fan of Wen Qing/Jiang Cheng for no real reason. I don't think anything negative or positive of the people who ship it, I just don't see it. No one would say that me not shipping that is a comment on the shippers.

In general, if a person is saying "I don't like this ship" that's not the same as saying "YOU can't like the ship." But if someone is going to say "freedom of speech" applies to shipping (🙄) then it also applies to criticism of that ship. So for me, I like the dynamics of serious ships to be more equal and less creepy. If you don't, okay! You're free to talk about that but you don't need to come to ME and act like I'm stopping you from doing anything. Anyway: Bingqiu is funny though. You have to give it that.

kai from tlok or hakoda, maybe even bumi ii?

hello, my beloved :) jeg siger undskyld (i apologize in danish) for the uh. belated response. work got uh. a lot. and then i got far too invested in sds for my own good anD THEN I MOVED lol aNYWAYS here's all of them as a treat:)

kai

how i feel about this character: i absolutely adore him. i think he has a lot of really good moments--especially when everyone thought he was dead but then he wasn't and rather than saving himself, he risked his life to save the people who, essentially, saved him from a rough life on the streets. not to mention that this was probably the first time they realized people cared about them. like, the group was so happy to see that he was alive, and before he joined the air acolytes, he probably didn't have anyone who would have mourned them. he shows so much courage and passion when he gets invested in something and i love them for it.

all the people i ship romantically with this character: kainora my beloved !!! and like shipping him with pretty much anyone but jinora and maybe ikki would be. weird and kinda gross tbh. but he and jinora balance each other out yet aren't afraid to encourage the other and have fun together and that's just. that's so good.

my non-romantic otp for this character: mako and kai !!! like... they both have a lot to learn from each other and i love them for that. it's after mako realizes that bolin is old enough to take care of himself, he fixates on kai as his younger sibling to try and make up for that and to feel needed and able to protect someone because he sees bits of his younger self in kai. and it's kai showing mako that he doesn't always need to be the big brother, that he can depend on other people but also loving having an older brother figure and not knowing how to process that so they act out because that's all they've ever known... it's messy and weird but it's them and their odd sibling-esc relationship and i love it<3

my unpopular opinion about this character: idk if this qualifies as unpopular but demiboy he / they kai rights !!!

one thing i wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: i wish we got more backstory for him--like, that we learned more about his life as a child and that they explored the mako and kai sibling-esc relationship more but's it's all good--i can always headcanon :)

~

hakoda

how i feel about this character: hakoda my beloved !!! ngl, at first i didn't like hakoda because he seemed like the perfect person for awhile--swt chief loved by everyone, best warrior ever, can do no wrong... and that bothered me a lot when i first watched the show two years ago ??? anywas, i love he now. he's a good dad and the love he has for his kids is extraordinary and heartwarming and i love it and him<3

all the people i ship romantically with this character: bato !!! sometimes i forget that bakoda isn't canon... like... genuinely i forget that it's a fannon ship. that is how deeply i ship bakoda.

kyoda is obviously wonderful too! bakoda just holds a special place in my heart. but i wish we got more kyoda scenes in flashbacks or something because they were adorable.

my non-romantic otp for this character: hakoda & sokka, hakoda & katara are my two biggest ones. i mean,,, that reunion hug at the end of boiling rock ??? like,,, yes that family is everything to me. plus, as much as i love the possibility for great dynamics and healing with hakoda being a father figure to zuko, there are more fics under the tag 'hakoda & zuko' than there are with both watertribe siblings which is just. very sad. so i feel like zuko's possible relationship with him gets more attention than hakoda with his kids. like... don't get me wrong, i love the hakoda and zuko dynamics... but like. sokka and katara...

also hakoda and toph. i feel like they'd get along really well and would be too powerful for this world.

my unpopular opinion about this character: that... hmmm... idk if i have an unpopular opinion about him... yeah, i can't think of any oihgvhj

one thing i wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: i wish we had more scenes with hakoda and his kids, but that's me being greedy. i also wish canon would just admit that bakoda is canon already p l e a s e they !!!

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bumi ii

how i feel about this character: oh boy, where do i staRT !!! i love bumi ii. he is my 1.5 favorite lok character and i absolutely adore him. i wish we got more of him--i do. and that is me being greedy because i think we got more of him than kya ii, but still. he is everything i love in a character--feels useless compared to the others because he can't bend, feeling disconnected an unimportant in his own family because they're all super powerful benders and he's just... he's just bumi ii, the nonbender. acting out for attention because, at this point, even negative attention is better than constantly being overshadowed. and despite the resentment he may feel towards his siblings for being "better" and "more important" than he is, he's still a big brother at heart and would do / sacrifice anything for them.

all the people i ship romantically with this character: no one !!! bumi ii is aroace thank you and goodnight <3

my non-romantic otp for this character: bumi ii & izumi. i just,,, i just feel like they would get along so well??? like. i cannot describe it, but in the gaang's kids crew, they are the best friends. izumi is one of the first people he comes out to as aroace and bumi ii is the first person izumi comes out to as nonbinary. they find solace and peace in each other and understand parts of the other that no one really understands.

bumi ii & sokka also. they have so much in common and they deserve to be besties. bumi ii needs reassurance from someone who understand being the resident nonbender, and sokka needs someone who recognizes and verbalizes that he's amazing and someone worthy of looking up to.

also, naturally, bumi ii & his family. i mean, the sibling relationship was a bit strained, but the three care about each other so much even though they don't get along well. bumi ii is used to looking out for them and taking the blame if kya ii or tenzin did something bad because he wants to protect his siblings the best he can and he may not have magic bending powers, but he can do this. and bumi ii's relationship with aang and katara is definitely better than how they made it seem in the show--change my mind. aang may accidentally give tenzin more attention due to, ya know, airbending, but there is quite simply no way that aang or katara would ever neglect a child as much as the show made it seem. the kataang parents are good parents and i stand by that.

my unpopular opinion about this character: bumi ii has tourette's !!! he got it from his uncle sokka and actually, i headcanon that he actually doesn't curse or say vulgar things a lot because he has some form of coprolalia and always has to curse / say vulgar things against his will, so he does his best not to curse if he isn't being forced. also aroace bumi ii rights.

one thing i wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: i so desperately wish that bumi ii had tourette's in canon... y'all have no idea... i also hate the way that the show had him join the military like ??? that's just weird and i just. did not like it that much ??? so i wish it happened differently. no. you know how i wish it happened? since he has coprolalia, he struggled to find jobs willing to hire him. the other sailors didn't care that sometimes he yelled inappropriate things--it didn't matter to them.

and, lastly, may i suggest reading never been in love (and it's all good) by my bestie @zukkaclawthorne ! it is an aro bumi ii fic about him coming out and it's the content we don't deserve but cherish <3

for the give you a character, Death the Kid?

poggg thank u anon

How I feel about this character:

he's super cool! gender envy galore! wish he had gotten more development tho, especially if it involved fleshing out his relationship with patty and liz more

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

I dont really actively ship him with anyone (there's literally 0 characters in soul eater i ship romantically, there's just ships I hate and ships I'm neutral/"I'd read a fic but I'd probably not get invested" on) sooo yeah

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

mm black star soul and kid...2 himbos and their barely present impulse control.......

My unpopular opinion about this character:

mmmmaybe this is just bc I grew up with a sister and mother who have OCD but like. I get that the show makes his OCD into a bit but I wish fic writers put in more effort to try and make it realistic or at the very least not have his friends make fun of him for it/actively make it worse, ya know? like the bit is funny to a certain extent and, though offensive, my sister seemed to enjoy it so like I cant really rag on it too hard, I just think it kinda sucks that his OCD is literally just a bit and doesnt come up unless it's for a funny

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

like I said earlier, more development, but also just wish his relationships with the main cast had been explored more, especially with the guys since those relationships tended to be more soul/black star fucking with him and kid getting frustrated/putting them in their place which like obvs was funny but didnt really create a complex dynamic, it just seemed more friendly than anything else and I'm a sucker for depth in male friendships lol

hello <3 since i got these asks at the same time i decided to combine my thoughts on them in this post. yet another annoying sjw essay from yours truly on this blog 

before i get into these i think i need to preface why im like. i guess overly hyperfocused on a certain unproblematic base (same age au / platonic canon) for them and avoid the ped0philic content like the plague lol

tw for pedophilia ment, rape ment if that makes you squicky. ALSO THIS IS LONG AND RAMBLY

as i’ve mentioned a couple times already, ive been into the ship since i was 12, back when it was very very common to not only post untagged (nsfw) canonverse content of the two in writing and in drawing but also non con and the like, so you can imagine how bad my first impression online was. thinking back on it ...as a child i found it disturbing but didnt really register how problematic it really was?? (i know, but i also lived in the middle of nowhere and had no one explain this to me) 

skip to 2014 aka me coming back to naruto at 17ish and i had kinda become hyper aware of the fact that there was an increasing amount of people online who had come forward with explaining how fictional problematic content, mostly pedophilia, had been used to groom them into starting relationships with adullts. it was also a time where a lot of people didnt believe these victims, not registering how common it was for minors to be online friends with adults who had no boundaries and no qualms exposing them such content. not gonna get into my personal life here but i was lucky to not having gone through this myself. like... it kinda was my first time truly realising how fiction can EASILY be used to manipulate others irl (and yes i will not argue this, if you dont think fictional media can form and manipulate people’s opinions on attitudes, countries, cultures and virtues, pick up a book about the effects of propaganda media at least once please) 

i, being young, still liking the dynamic but not really the romance, would point this out here and there in the fandom and get into fights with grown adults in their mid 20s who assumed i automatically hated the ship(s) and tried to restrict their freedom of speech or whatever, heard everything from the “age of consent doesnt exist in naruto” to the “sasori looks like a child what does it matter” despite people clearly playing on him being older and experienced. it made me so upset that people were just consuming all this content uncritically and exposing children to it tbh?? not really just sos but a lot of minor/adult ships in naruto in general. and thats where i sat down and thought, i do not want to be a grown adult talking down to children that point out how unsafe the fandom is. theyre absolutely right in drawing these boundaries and calling out adults who defend the uncritical consumption and creation of this content. i do not want to consume or create content that predators could use to groom minors, and i absolutely do want to let younger people in fandom know that i am respecting their comfort zones and want them to have a safe and fun experience. after all, naruto is not an adult show and i think a lot of people forget that!!!! i am not perfect in that regard but its something that i, at the age of 23, am very passionate about and strive towards to.

and i guess thats where same age au was born for me and i have been sticking to it ever since. 

so finally we can move to the first question 

aside from the fact that we both dont like canon sos, i dont think it would work out even if i wasnt prejudiced to it anyways. in all honesty, 35 year old canon sasori is not a redeemable character to me, given the fact that he’s easily amongst the cruelest villains in naruto (torturing and killing and taxiderming people for his own fun personal gain, never for a goal that served anyone but himself. how do you redeem having over 300 corpses in your backpack that you felt absolutely no remorse for killing). sasori was legit one of the only cruel villains that didnt had someone else pull the strings, which sends a clear message on kishi’s part, who absolutely loves to redeem villains LOL.

being that old, he obviously had already been very manifested in what he believed in, even if it was shakey, to the point where the first crack in that world view (sakura and chiyo protecting each other) immediately had him give up on his life all together. that, in my opinion, is not a man who’s going to know what healthy relationships would look like, regardless of it being romantic or not. 35 year old sasori to me has the same appeal as an expired can of tuna and he’s probably very happy 6 feet under. he’s supposed to be a failed gaara in that sense that he had no one to look out for him and therefore was never going to experience anything but a bad ending in life. its fine that hes dead honestly, it wraps up his short character development the best IMO.

adding to that, seriously, sakura was obviously interested in knowing why he was that way, and called him out for being seriously fucked in the head, but it’s weird to me that people assume she had any interest in actively rehabilitating him, let alone starting a serious romantic relationship with him. sakura who’s not only very, uhm, immature and straight forward when it comes to her romantic viewpoints also, as a big bootlicker, wouldnt soil her standing in the village by starting anything with a disgraced and far too gone criminal like sasori. shipping that version of sasori with sakura intimately is still going to set her up for a huge power imbalance that would be difficult to handle imo, even if she was the one in the fight ultimately exerting her power over him. i would still look at it and think damn she deserves better than having to play therapist for man like that lol.

additionally, even if you ignored all of this, you cant really ignore that sasori had already known her as a child, and that had been his first and most impactful impression of her. i dont think that sasori would look at 35 year old sakura and see her as a grown woman and not the little green girl she was in the fight. plus, you easily fall into predatory comparison territory between the “childish” and “womanly” and i have seen way too often in fic just being boiled down to her now being fuckable. a lot of of ships do this and i would just like to remind yall thats it not normal for adults to want to start relationships with children they have seen grown up or known as a child when they themselves were fully grown adults. therefore, maybe if sakura hadnt met sasori before it would be less of a problem? but that also obviously defeats the point of the dynamic and the reason he died in the first place. so yeah, it sounds kind of doomed especially if you were to make it romantic. 

WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE SECOND QUESTION

let me preface this that im not fundamentally against age gaps, even if im not super interested in it. after all, colorblind had a 5 yr age gap (with sakura being 21), even if, say, i wrote similar fics today i probably would make it smaller lol. i think it can be handled well if both parties have enough life experience to deal with it, and the author is cautious of where the age gap starts, i think a 10+ year age gap would be fine in a scenario where the younger party (i guess sakura) was at least 25-27ish, meaning she has completed most of her most formative life stages and probably had been in relationships before, meaning she would be able to handle it without having to fear a huge power imbalance. the older the younger party is the less the age gap is going to matter tbh .TsukiHoshino and AngelOfDeath10 both handle age gaps in their fics really well imo, so i do not mind reading about them.

unfortunately, a lot of people in this fandom think making sakura barely "”””legal””””” (18, not even 20 which is hilarious to me because the source material is obviously japanese) because they both cannot stand her being past her “prime years” of being young fertile and fuckable to much older men as well as thinking a 20 year old is automatically old enough to handle that type of relationship. ive seen a lot of unironic takes that believe it will absolve them of callout posts if they throw around age of consent and “shes 18 now suckers!!!” enough lmfao. absolutely hilarious. aging a minor up without aging the adult down seriously reeks of predatory “cant wait until youre 18″ narratives and thats why i find it similarly disturbing as straight up pedo shipping.

ultimately, sasosaku is and will always be a inherently problematic ship in canon, which is why i think it should always be handled a little more responsibly in fandom spaces, ignoring or outright excusing the main problem factor, which is sasori, isnt going to convince anyone that the dynamic in itself is well written and interesting enough to explore in aus, like giving sasori the redemption most of us wanted him to have by aging him down to a point in time where he was still realistically going to allow being positively influenced, similar to gaara. 

so really, what i think is well handled age gap and how most people handle age gap in the naruto fandom are two different worlds at times lol 

tl;dr

canon shippers have never been anything but gross when i was younger and i didnt wanna be like that, even if youre “smart”enough to differenate, actual creeps dont really care and might use your content to blur the lines, sasori isnt rly redeemable so romantic canonverse realistically wouldnt make much sense and is still iffy, age gaps are fine if they are handled well, but given that the dynamic doesnt really need the age gap to still work im not that invested on making that an essential part of my shipping experience.  

thank you for reading and hope this makes sense!

JGY or WWX?

I feel like a fair disclaimer to give before getting to Wei Wuxian is that I watched the Untamed despite, not because of, wangxian! I originally checked out the beginning of the animated series because someone I followed was getting into it, but I already had an inkling that the main romantic relationship in this romance wouldn’t be my cup of tea. The Untamed followed, more than half a year later, really only because I had hit the gorgeous soundtrack on youtube.

How I feel about this character Part of the reason I presumed I wouldn’t be into wangxian was because neither of the main players really spoke to me, and on this account I am happy to have been proven wrong! When I finished the show, Wei Wuxian was probably my favorite character. There's something very satisfying about a surface-level heroic main character hitting his absolute lowest points and starting to be actively harmful to himself and others. “This is all I’ve ever wanted for the class clown type of character”, I think I said at some point. Let it all burn.

I go back and forth on whether I find the flightier parts of his personality charming or annoying, but it’s a spectrum. The Untamed version is my favorite, character-wise.

All the people I ship romantically with this character Nie Huaisang, in the sense that, what with their roles in the plot, it would be fascinating to see how things would play out if this was the main romance, instead. Especially because romance would not be Nie Huaisang’s priority. What would the relationship trajectory even be, teenage sweethearts, ending with a definitive breakup by the finale? I've never sat down with the idea long enough to do anything with it, but sometimes it comes back to me. The main reason I'm into it is because hey, it's the main character & the main driving force behind the story! this is an intellectual puzzle to work out!, but they also had nice, easy chemistry when they were young and seemed to enjoy each other's company, which was something that was... not present in the actual main ship as far as I could see, and apparently my only kink is obvious mutual interest and stability in a relationship. I don't think they really had romantic/sexual chemistry in particular, but hey.

Wen Ning. I just think ningxian is cute. Also has lots of potential for difficult and uncomfortable exploration re: consent and autonomy.

But I think at the end of the day, the only relationship he has that just by the actual shape of it would be something I'd be interested in seeing turn into a romantic and/or sexual relationship is with Wen Qing, which, uh. Yeah. The fond push-and-pull, the two leaders, it’s good stuff. Just a physical relationship during their hunkering together time would be fun, too.

My non-romantic OTP for this character Jiang Cheng. I remember originally being pretty peeved about the fact that the romance (censored or not) is treated as the main focus when the Yunmeng duo is, to me, the real heart of the story. Let Lan Wangji be a supporting character.

I'm not sure if I really want a reconciliation between them, personally, but I want to note that it’s not because I think it would be fundamentally impossible, or because one or both of the characters is genuinely better off without the other. I think it would be very good for them if they managed some sort of genuine healing together!

I don’t want a reconciliation because thinking about their complete and total failure to communicate and consequently never making up makes me experience genuine agony in a very satisfying way. I have in the past gone into people's tags for the two of them and managed to work myself into a sobbing mess within five minutes. It is extremely cathartic.

My unpopular opinion about this character That time when he walks into a Jin party and starts throwing threats 3-2-1, part of me is going “fuck yeah” and part of me is looking at all the collateral damage servants trying to stay out of the way in the background, who never asked to be terrorized by this very powerful man. It’s not something that makes me dislike the character in any way or form, as stated before if anything it just makes him more interesting to me, I just don’t think that it was an uncomplicatedly ‘cool’ moment.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon The man should be actually responsible for his own misdeeds. I’ve heard people say that this was a censorship thing, but I have no sources on that.

And A-Yao gets to go under a read more.

How I feel about this character Continuing down the nostalgia lane, my initial reactions were “this man smiles very deliberately” and, towards the end, “man, fuck the gentry, you should get to win”.

I, hm. It feels sometimes like there are two kinds of opinions that fans have, and I don’t connect with either of them! There’s the “this character is an unrepentant asshole and I’m proud of that, you don’t need to make up sympathetic motivations for villains” which, while I agree that he can justify a lot to himself, just doesn’t ring true to me. I think that many of his actions were either forced by the circumstances, or understandable, or sympathetic and made with decent intentions, or not particularly bad compared to shit that other characters and their society as a whole gets to.

Obviously there are all these breakdowns about the specific acts of altruism that he does that in-universe are rare from someone that high up in power, and those are great, but even without all of that, he was a stable, peaceful, competent ruler who wasn’t doing any large-scale nasty shit after a series of complete nightmares on the throne, and upsetting that long-standing balance should bring about repercussions for several social classes that does more harm than anything he was individually doing at any point.

As for the other take, there’s the “oh no he’s so small and so cute and should be pampered so much” which I don’t... get, emotionally, and additionally it is reaaal hard for me to see the character as someone who either wants or would even particularly enjoy being the one being taken care of. Usually my response is-

There’s that part during Nie Mingjue’s capture in Empathy where he’s just, running the whole show? Like, on one hand it is very important that he’s probably the weakest person in the room, and might lose in a direct confrontation against even the random soldiers standing to the sides, and if he plays his cards wrong or even sub-optimally one of the two big strong cultivators in his vicinity is going to pulverize him, and also aware of all of this at all times and living in low-key terror. But also -- he pulled it off.

If I’m working myself toward some emotional response with “A-Yao small” it doesn’t end with “someone should hold him 🥺” but with “and doesn’t that just make it all the sweeter that he sat on that throne”. (I have two kinks, and the other one is power reversal.)

All the people I ship romantically with this character Only Lan Xichen, really, but there are some tentative side paths to take!

Qin Su, in that the initial attraction would be fun to explore, and then it becomes less about the relationship dynamic and more about the underlying horror.

Nie Huaisang, in a not-particularly-serious, one-sided, never-happened-and-now-it-never-will kind of way. The ideal would be Jin Guangyao thinking of Nie Huaisang as a tiring but cute little brother figure (he doesn't have those, all of his family relationships sans mom take a weird turn at some point! this one sure is about to!), while Nie Huaisang has a lil crush, and then it goes all the way to hell. ...And I know that I set “won’t happen” as a precondition, but I guess if there was a character who keeps the (fierce or not) corpse of the late Chief Cultivator close in an effort to feel alive post-canon, Nie Huaisang is the one I’d want for that role.

Jiang Cheng, because that family unit is so under-explored in canon, and because out of a handful of favorite characters these two are usually my number one, so watching them interact with each other can be fun just because of that. But in my heart of hearts I want Jiang Cheng to stay forever single by choice, and really I'm just here for platonic family shenanigans with Jin Ling. (I've written some of this, but out of everything it's probably the least likely to ever see the light of day.)

But really only Lan Xichen. When I was watching the early episodes and didn't remember the characters well and in my head these two were only “the disturbingly handsome older brother” and “a bit part soldier (lol) from some other sect” I really imprinted on that goodbye scene, like damn, look at these characters who are friendly with each other and showing obvious interest. It's only the circumstances that are getting in the way! If I were to ever read fic from this show, it would be these two. (This was all a counter-reaction to early wangxian haha.) But increasingly it goes to show that what I'm really into is people having mutual and mutually recognized affection for each other, the negotiated part in the relationship being less about whether it'll happen and more about how to go about it. More romances that start with getting together instead of ending there.

I am laughing at my past self here though, after actually finishing the show my thoughts on xiyao were that it was nice that it was both there and stable (until, you know) and unknowable, whatever the shape of their relationship in private they are aware of it and have made their peace with it, and that's all I need to know, and now I'm sitting here with several WIPs, wondering if this is what finally pushes me to start publishing fanfiction.

My non-romantic OTP for this character Lan Xichen. No, I’m not interested in a non-romantic* read on their relationship, yes, I just want him here, too.

Also, the only other relationships of note here are with Meng Shi, Jin Ling and Qin Su, and using ‘non-romantic OTP’ for any of those feels off to me. Meng Shi and Jin Ling are at too much of an uneven level, Qin Su doesn’t reach OTP levels even if the romantic filter is off. Su Minshan and Xue Yang might be a better fit, but again, OTP level is too high. Early-canon Nie Huaisang... maybe.

*non-sexual is fine. never officially getting together w/mutual acknowledgement is fine.

My unpopular opinion about this character I think I already went off, so. The hat is fine, and the hate sounds performative and weirdly ignorant at times. I don't love the Untamed version, but it’s fine and the ones in other adaptations are fantastic, even. The warm yellow-brown combination looks really nice. More of the characters should wear hats, actually! Which I realize is an opinion influenced by historical Japanese and Korean dramas, which are of a different genre altogether (also not Chinese, but hats in official settings are a constant in all of these cultures). Nevertheless.

I wish it was used only post-timeskip in the Untamed, too, though, for more variety in costuming and to further differentiate the pre- and post-timeskip versions of the character.

...................................and a specific xiyao pet peeve also: I am becoming increasingly wary of the... either super common or I just happen to keep finding these, take where he’s some sort of unwilling/particularly hesitant participant in this relationship. Like I went back to watch parts of episode 4 (to figure out why it was that I was so sure Meng Yao would be swinging a sword around in future episodes and my conclusion is: because everyone else was swinging theirs) and even the initial interactions in the goodbye scene are like-

Meng Yao literally runs up to a guy waaay out of his league like “Hello I am bringing myself Forth because I have the audacity to assume you might Personally Want to Know that I am leaving and here are some pretty personal reasons why (gosh you really are lovely)”

Reactions I’ve seen to this: look at the little dude running away from his emotions

Me: w h a t

And then the natural conclusion here is that Lan Xichen is there to love him (with his dick and/or sunny personality) until he’s forced to accept it [serene face emoji] and it makes me. Not enjoy it much.

Ofc this doesn’t include normal human hesitations one might have about... anything and everything in life, really, but when it’s treated like this automatic character/relationship hurdle I’m just hhhh

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon I'm pretty satisfied with things as they stand? Just like the relationship between Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian makes me feel cathartic agony, Jin Guangyao's fate makes me feel cathartic rage. Look at the low-born bastard child go down the stairs of life, one last time!

......Sometimes I have my weak moments and do wish he had gotten away in the end, though.

Trying to semi-organize my thoughts on what exactly I am wanting out of spn fic and hm let's see. If I remember this post in the future, I may update it as I think of/on things and use this for reference so I, also, don't forget lol

Okay so, wants/likes:

Cas prominent. He is my, as I believe the kpop kids say, bias, so he is kind of non-negotiable. Sorry I am just not interested in fics where he is not prominent

Destiel not required but a good plus. Slight preference for intricate courtship rituals over ones where they figure things out ridiculously easy, unless it is established relationship. If the revelation comes too quick and easy then I get taken out of the moment :')

Optional: Angels treating Cas like their baby brother :3 Cas can be somewhat put out by it or not. Actually maybe bonus if he IS, bc they are all angels of the lord and relative by rank and experience, And Yet [whoever] just cannot help but be *points* Baby

canonverse is plus. canon divergence is okay but idk how close to canon I'm looking for, if it's too close to an episode rewrite I may not be into that either

casefics are cool. If it's got that canon-typical vaguely racist sht then pls warn me going in 😔

Found family. Family don't end in blood!!! Spn may forget this but I never will!!!

Any exploration of the whole fucky destiel thematic dichotomies, the whole free will vs destiny shit, stuff like words of prophets are written on subway walls, like.. idk, something that is intricate-rituals-gay and also makes me think of the philosophy of thehuman condition

corollary: slow burns ig?? or like mutual pining? canon typical thinking they are not worthy or that it is something they cannot have? canon typical did not realize until later but even then they have their individual canon-typical reasons for not acting on it, until they do bc it's fic so they can get together for realsies?

trope: Cas and/or Destiel being parents. I read one recently where it was like single dad Cas (to Claire and Jack) and then Dean came (back) into his life recently and I rly liked it

AUs are fine but highly subject to mood so we'll see. I did read a Star Trek-y AU I liked

I'm down for a lot of various other kinds of plot tropes and stuff, tho I want stuff that's more character and plot and less, like, pwp or fuck or die or that kinda thing

trope: curses maybe? I've found a couple curse-focused fics which were interesting

trope: Hurt/Comfort of the Cas whump kind but not necessarily have to be just Cas. But like.. u know when Uriel is beating him up and he looks all bloody and beautiful, or when he flexes his sexy angel powers and transports the Winchesters to the past but then collapses bc he overtaxed himself, or when he had that blanket on when he was suffering from the attack dog spell.... yeah,,,

trope: Anything with like the Winchesters caring about and caring for Cas. I just rly like Cas being taken care of :') pls wrap him in a blanket and pat his shoulder brusque-softly in ur emotionally repressed way Dean

bottom line my emphasis tends to be more on character and plot. I can't do plot without character, the relationships - whether ship or gen - are important to my enjoyment of a fic. I can sit thru a lot if the characters/character dynamics are good and chewy lmao like u can rly sink ur teeth into it

Bonus features:

eldritch horror angels are a bonus. Give me unfathomable trueform angels, I feel like I don't see that enough

wings* but.... caveat I like my spn wings more metaphysical than literal unless they're literal for a point, but this isn't set in stone either. I'm just... slightly tired of the physicality of the wings I guess. Like it's not the physicality that's the issue, ig, but when it's not treated as metaphysical (as well)

wouldn't mind some good endverse fics to chew on altho that might also make me sad

Cas being cute, a la crazy!Cas (who is.... so soft.... his innocence.. *clutches chest*) or like when Cas and Dean went to talk to that police guy and Cas was like you tell them it's angels and demons warring and he will tell you what he knows, or when Cas was like I'm gonna become a hunter :3, or interrogating the cat, or this is his serious face, yes

Powerful af Cas?? I miss season 4/5 Cas, when he was powerful and self-assured and wasn't "mentally deficient puppy" as Metatron meanly put it Cas. I feel like we get less of that as the seasons go on... I miss Cas being powerful and exuding energy that I'm sure is what had ppl assigning him as top energy. Like yes flex ur sexy sexy angel powers pls. There's one ep where my notes just say "ANGEL SMITE ANGEL SMITE / HEAAALING." Season 6 Cas where he is more out of touch with humanity and more brusque was also intriguing even tho he was like that bc of extenuating circumstances. But him flexing his sexy angel powers sure was sexy

Do not wants :(

Endgame human!Cas. Sorry I like short-lived Cassidy am more into feathered Cas than human!Cas. endgame human!Cas just isn't a good solution/happy ending to me, I don't think Cas needs to change to be able to live happily, and also I like to chew on the like philosophical underpinnings of an immortal/mortal pairing if that does get called into question lol

Human AU* but like asterisk bc I will take human AU if the plot is compelling and/or the characterization still manages to capture that je nais se quoi of canonverse. If they are, like, middle age dads being domestic, as an example, tho, then I can probs do that, I just like.. have limited capacity for career-based AUs for the sake of it, if that makes sense... But character/character dynamics trumps all, like I said lmao.. I've sat thru scenarios/setups that lowkey dealt me psychic damage bc of the nature of the set dressing, bc I checked it out out of morbid curiosity but the way they did the characterization ended up working for me

A/B/O - I am not seeking A/B/O at the moment

Hurt no Comfort - it would make me too sad :(

fics that treat angels like literal physical feathered beings. Idk I just like... want the whole angel thing to be treated more metaphysically. They are multidimensional wavelengths of celestial intent in holy corporate/business attire visages but they are still very much multidimensional wavelengths of celestial intent the ballpark size of our Chrysler building. If the wings are treated too literally I find I start getting bored, ironically. This is ironic bc I'm a slut for wingfic. But with spn I find that a conventional kind of wingfic/angel conception where the wings are just limbs with maybe some slight handwaved dimension-shifting stowing is.. slightly passe for my tastes. Unless it's like a forced manifestation or sth. Just like.. get the metaphysics involved, tie it to angelic grace. Something. Make is racy. But not too racy, the whole wings-as-erogenous-zones thing I'm a bit over too, xenobiology to humans would just be biology to these beings, it doesn't make sense to me to be like "oh they have a tail and it's EXTRA sensitive," like are you suggesting your arm/armpit is an extra special species-typical erogenous zone too?

deaging unless it ties to some other kinda plotty deal somehow ig? Like... I got invested in this fandom for them as they are now I'm not too interesting in unseasoned nibling vers

this maybe goes with the human aus tho that's a slight asterisk but hard line no high school aus. pls I cannot take the psychic damage that would deal to me personal

I have no conclusion even tho I feel like I need one. here's wonderwall? ig I can stumble around looking for reclists and see if anything sticks out, trawling thru tags so far has been a mixed bag

Anyway haha lol, stand-up-style-tone I mean I'm not asking for a lot amirite. Just a nebulously specific set of intricate rituals wrapped around a plot and also found family or something, like you know, just a trifling

since the first step in achieving your goals is to state them aloud, here's a list of aftg fics/ au s that i'd like to write some day

- pre-canon fic from aaron's perspective spanning the twins' first meeting till they're drafted by the foxes and graduate high school. i'm increasingly enamored with aaron as a character as well as with an outside perspective of andrew's actions and i think it would be very interesting to look at the foundation on which their fraught relationship is built and first developed

- even more pre-canon fic. andrew's early life in foster care. yes, we all know about the most... gruesome things that were done to him, but i believe that there is plenty more that has affected and shaped him, especially in relation to my interpretation of andrew as an autistic poc. this would not be a happy fic.

- anastasia au. neil as anya, andrew as dimitri. possibly a plot amalgamation from both the animated movie and the stage show, with changes as i see fit. (no, neil is not the prince of russia). what i find most compelling about this au is the story of neil and andrew as childhood friends and then the angst of having andrew, as an adult, teaching an amnesiac neil how to act like a noble while being convinced that neil is an imposter. good shit

- art school/dance club au. the foxes attend the palmetto school of art at prestigious edgar allen university. they're considered the school's charity cases, and they are NOT friends. andrew is a studio arts major with a concentration in sculpture who works in the campus coffee shop in the mornings and frequents night clubs that employ pretty boys in the evenings. neil is attending college completely on his father's dime, PROVIDED he study what his father wants, despite his desire to study dance and music. going crazy without an outlet, neil takes a secret job as a go-go dancer. look. this may slightly possibly be a result of me having planned to party hardy this summer, then having my plans ruined by the virus :c

- 1950s High School au. the 1950s aesthetics fucking rock even though the 1950s fucking sucked. kinda wanna tackle both. plus, andrew already has that james dean bad boy fast car appeal

- an exploration of mary and nathan's relationship and history. i get that neil's parents are both super taboo and both really really awful people, but i have questions and i want to answer them

- neil never returns from baltimore. in order to keep his deals, permanently, andrew kills riko and tetsugi, and gets over 20 years in prison. when he gets out, he just wants to be alone, but it seems there's a ghost haunting him. this was conceived for MAXIMUM angst, no getting around it. i got the idea from a badacts fic and it has haunted me ever since

- post-canon sexuality exploration fic. i have a real passion for quality sex education and healthy experimentation, and neil very clearly didn't get the chance for either. yet at the end of the books he finds himself in a very intense sexual relationship. i just really want to give him the opportunity to find out how desire works for him and what he likes, on his own terms. i read a lot of fics where neil's desires seem to be completely dependent on andrew's initiaton, and while i do believe that andrew is the only person neil is attracted to and will ever be attracted to, i also want to explore how his sexuality manifests on its own. the vibe i'm going for is, uh, HornySweet (tm), but also with a lot of genuine eductional material. i want this is to be something that offers real information to its readers that may have been inaccessible for a lot of people, on topics like like sexual hygiene, maturbation, and sex toys in a non-fetishy way. this will be very very E rated, but like,, in a very earnest and goofy way because sex and sexuality is neat and cool but it's also not all serious perfect fucking. it's just,, a topic that deserves to be DISCUSSED

- mobster au. andrew, having never met aaron, takes a job for the moriyamas to track down a runaway asset. Neil. upon completion, they make andrew the butcher's apprentice, and pull neil back into the fold as a commodity rather than a person. lots of violence, lots of shady underground dealings, lots of plotting, lots of secrets.

i'm gonna put some more under the cut, ones that i don't feel as strong a drive towards right now or that i haven't thought as much about. if you (yes, YOU) like any of these, or are interested in any of these, or wanna hear more about any of these, or are even inspired to write something yourself by any of these please, PLEASE, say something in the notes, or send me a message, or an ask or anything. ANYTHING. i am stuck inside, all the time, and i am so, so lonely. i answer from hoob-gooblin

- princess bride au. come ON. princess bride is one of the most romantic AND most snarky movies of all time, and andreil literally invented love and devotion sooooooo it's a perfect match. "yes or no" vs "as you wish" kings of consent and communication and unconventional love declarations. also,, he may not be how I imagine andrew, but a young cary elwes in dramatic black pirate getup is DEFINITELY a valid andrew

- hozier au. sometimes,, i listen to an album, and imagine a fic that encompases the whole thing. nothing speaks louder to me than hozier's discography. (also, yes, i am gay). maybe a little bit inside llewyn davis. neil wanders through a small town and takes up some small jobs, but sings his heart out through twisted metaphors once a week in a hole in the wall bar staffed by a very short, dead eyed veteran

- prince and the pauper au. on a stealth recon mission in enemy territory, andrew encounters a local lord who happens to have his face. in a moment of desperation to save himself from arrest, andrew knocks the lord out and assumes his identity. he returns to the castle just in time for prince moriyama to arrive with a shifty-eyed, red-headed handservant in tow. lord aaron of columbia, meanwhile, wakes up on a ship manned by crown traitor and fugitive kevin day, calling him by a name he's never heard before, and then he's in the hands of the guerilla rebel forces that have been attacking the kingdom. i watched barbie princess and the pauper as a child and that movie fucking slaps

- little mermaid/beauty and the beast/bride of the rose beast/ladyhawke au. in a last ditch attempt to escape his father, neil trades his voice and his tail for legs and washes ashore on a small kingdom with horrible secrets. because he cannot speak, read or write, prince aaron employs neil to serve the monster in the catacombs, the prince's twin brother. the twins are under a curse that turns them into terrifying monsters, andrew by day and aaron by night. aaron's affliction is a secret, as is andrew's humanity. this is such a hodgepodge idea lol. did neil also have to be a mermaid for this to work? no. is he? hell yeah

- new york private school/twin swap au. aaron wins a scholarship to a prestigious school that will guarantee him a future, but then he relapses. convinced he just needs a little more time to get clean, he makes a deal with his volatile new brother, andrew, to stand in for him at the school just until he can his shit together. neil and ichirou moriyama have been raised together their entire lives, always under the knowledge that ichirou will inherit the family empire with nathaniel as his right hand. they hate the idea, but they have no way to escape, and now neil is being harassed by ichirou's bitchass estranged brother at their stupid, fancy private school. LISTEN, we as a fandom do NOT take enough advantage of the twin swap possibilities presented to us. pathetic

- post-canon fic where ichirou, realizing that the life of a mob boss is a lonely one, decides that he needs... a friend. however, because of the nature of his work, he can't just make friends with anyone, so he decides to make friends with neil. without consulting neil first. cue a lot of very weird, very awkward coffee dates where neil is convinced he's about to be disposed of, and ichirou just wants to know about his cats. the thing i like about ichirou is he’s a complete blank slate. i can make him a good guy, a bad guy, an ally, the Big Bad

- Kill Bill au. mary survives a bullet to the head and wakes up from a coma over a year later. with nothing left to lose, she sets out to single-handedly dismantle the wesninski circle. good thing she used to be its top assassin

- single dad andrew au. except look, look, stay with me here, okay, aaron is his son, and he's adopted nicky and kevin. LISTEN. STAY WITH ME. JUST THINK ABOUT IT. tbh the idea comes from my interpretation of the andrew/neil/kevin dynamic as distincly parental, then extending that interpretation to andrew's protection over the rest of his family.

- fashion au. andrew is a fashion designer and photographer who frequently works with allison reynolds. one day she brings around a short, twitchy assistant who looks like she just plucked him out of an alley. somehow, he becomes andrew's muse. i watch a lot of fashion competition shows

- ghibli. either howl's moving castle (andrew as sophie, neil as howl) or spirited away (?). maybe both idk

- legally blonde au. legally blonde is so good guys

Long Rambling Trigun Meta Discussion 2

I *hate* the reply function in Tumblr. As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t function. It doesn’t even open up a findable page so I can respond, and I can’t directly answer the reply. That’s why I reblog.

So, here’s the next best thing:

tiggymalvern

I don't recall anything like that fic you mention from either canon. It's a lovely idea, if only I could imagine Vash and Knives stopping arguing with each other for long enough to do it.

This fic I’m remembering was surprisingly hard to find, and now I’m wondering if it’s from FF.net rather than AO3. Will share once I find it!

The twins argue while doing it, IIRC, and have very different approaches. Luckily for the humans, in this fic the engineer likes the plant and takes care of it well, given how little is actually known about how to do so post-crash. Even so, Knives almost kills the engineer, but Vash stops him and leaves behind a little journal full of advice and encouragement. 

IMO, I feel like this is something Vash would be motivated to do more than Knives:

-- to repair his relationship with Knives

-- because he feels responsible for the people Rem saved

-- because he wants the bulb plants to be safe and happy

(listed in the order I thought of them)

But Knives would see this as slight progress towards Vash seeing things his way, so he’d go with it. What do you think?

tiggymalvern

I've never been entirely clear on the manga ending myself, and I think Nightow left it somewhat ambiguous deliberately. Vash and Knives are fighting, and then the earth forces attack them both, Livia intevenes and Vash and Knives fly off and

six months later we find Vash in hiding with the people who saved him, because Knives convinced them to, and then Knives plants an apple tree to help feed the peopl looking after Vash, and then he vanishes...

I assume he chose not to stay with humans and just went off somewhere, but it's left open

Interesting! Yeah, I got the sense it was supposed to be deliberately ambiguous, too. 

Many people say that Knives died giving his last energy to save Vash, to the point where I thought that was canon. 

No matter what happened with Knives and the tree, I have questions. If Knives planted the tree before dying or disappearing or whatever, I’d want to know where he got the apple seeds, and if providing the energy to make that tree survive on Gunsmoke killed him. If he turned into a tree (which I thought was the canon, but maybe not?), how? I can see why you didn’t interpret Knives as turning into a tree.

All I know for sure is, if Knives were dying, he’d want to do it on his own terms. Ideally in a way that would express his point and make an impression on Vash. I was going to say that creating a tree doesn’t seem like Knives’ style, but then I thought about the apple tree scenes in the anime. However that tree came to be, Vash would most likely associate it with happier times on the ship. Maybe he’d be fucked up enough to see it as a gesture of love. 

Maybe it was the closest thing to a gesture of love someone as manipulative and self-absorbed as Knives could manage...

tiggymalvern  Knives really is a person with no middle ground. When he believed Rem's teachings, he believed them wholeheartedly, that everything would turn out fine and people just needed to be given a chance. When he rejected those teachings and decided it was all just rubbish, he went maximum speed to the other extreme. Reject ALL humans, not just the individuals who had proven that they suck. And reject as in eradicate, not just avoid... 

I love Knives’ all-or-nothing way of being. Maybe because I know and love so many people with a little streak of that. And it’s so believable. Reminds me of a quote I read somewhere about how a misanthrope is a disillusioned idealist.

Knives thinks in utilitarian terms (”the greatest good for the greatest number with the least possible sacrifice”) as a kid for the few short scenes before he turns evil. He also seems to think in terms of groups rather than individuals (”humans,” “spiders,” “butterflies”). It saves him the grief Vash goes through at coming to know and lose so many people, but it also helps him justify a racist ideology. I love that about him, actually. If I were to write a Knives redemption fic, a key arc would be helping him learn to see others as individuals. I have a few paragraphs of something like that written...

Kids definitely need wonder and to see the beauty in the world, but it's also a good idea to mention the possibility of weird strangers offering candy that are best avoided. For these bizarre new non-human children, those warnings would have been extra pertinent, and maybe would have reduced the shock of what came after. Knives is definitely more mature than Vash in those flashbacks. Like you say, he wants to discuss issues with Vash, and Vash just parrots Rem. 

Agree.

I have a theory. Earth, in Trigunverse, seems a lot like our world, only worse.

I’ve seen a lot of people’s sense of wonder, beauty, fun, and curiosity squished. I was the weirdo in preschool, among other four year olds, for being too much like that. Maybe on Trigun Earth, a bleak place to begin with, that’s the norm. (And destroying people’s wonder/curiosity/etc. leads to depression and the ennui of modern life, but that’s another essay).

Some people, like those who run Waldorf schools, overreact by going to the opposite extreme. The worst, most ideologically rigid ones, deliberately wait to teach kids to read so they can explore the world unmediated by words a little longer. (And will even discourage kids who learn to read early, grr). Waldorf philosophy assumes young kids are basically sensing, feeling, and imagining beings, rather than thinking ones. 

I get the sense that Rem is one of these sorts. She was squashed and made to feel worthless for the way she saw the world. Maybe that’s part of the reason she was so depressed and needed Alex’s help. She’s raising the twins the way she wished she had been raised.

That sort of parenting wasn’t appropriate for a plant, of course. But no one had raised independent plants to adulthood before. No one knew what was appropriate. No one knew how to teach them about danger (or how not to). 

Growing up as a neurodivergent person in the Dark Ages, the only kid with allergies and sensory processing problems, etc., I understand all too well how badly things can go when even the most loving parents just don’t know what to do, and can’t find helpful information anywhere. Where helpful information isn’t just hard to find, but it doesn’t exist yet. 

So as critical as I’m being of Rem, I sympathize with her. She really didn’t have much to go on but her own knowledge and experience, and she bravely did the best she could.

Vash isn't thinking for himself yet, but he's a kid, so that's allowable. It does make it harder for Knives, though, who feels he has to be responsible for them both. 

You know, Knives does feel responsible for them both, and I hadn’t thought much about it and about the implications of that. No wonder he was so frustrated and furious. There’s definitely a sense of “something is deeply unfair and wrong” for a child trying to raise not only themselves, but their younger sibling(s).  Perhaps that’s part of the reason I saw Knives as caring about Vash, in his toxic, screwed up way. 

Plant biology is MASSIVELY confusing, and the more you try to piece it together, the more your head hurts LOL. But I think that's almost the point? ...Leaving the readers struggling to figure out the plants is the human perspective.

What do you think about the anime being so much from a human pov, especially considering that the most important characters in it are not?

Wolfwood is the support Vash needs to learn to control his plant powers among other things, the powers that have terrified Vash for so long that he ignored them. But Wolfwood isn't scared of them - or rather, he is, but not scared enough to abandon Vash because of them. He knows all about Vash, he knows all about July and the hole in the moon, he's seen Vash transform into some weird crazy thing with feathers, and Wolfwood still stays. Wolfwood lets Vash know that Vash's mistakes can be forgiven, and Vash is still a worthwhile person despite them. And because Wolfwood believes it, Vash can start to believe it. 

Between how well you put this and the dynamic itself, I’m...blown away and don’t know what to say. 

– “Vash, take care of Knives.” This breaks my heart because so far … he hasn’t. First he follows Knives around. Then abandons him. Then attacks him. I really do think Vash was trying. He followed Knives around for so long while being so angry with him for what he'd done, and yes, part of that was because he didn't want to be alone himself, but part of it was him trying to follow Rem's advice. 

Yeah, true, he did try at first. I undervalued it because by the time the series starts, that was far into the past and Vash probably doesn’t even remember it, but still.

In the manga, Rem specifically says, 'Vash, don't leave Knives alone,' because I think she recognises that Knives is prone to extremes and needs a balance. 

See, that instruction makes so much more sense. And I think the plants would have agreed. (Well, of course they would. They’re a collective consciousness, after all).

Rem probably also knew it’s bad for anyone’s health or sanity to be alone, and an emotionally unstable twin plant even more so. Knives would be in a solitary confinement of his own making.

Vash tried and tried to get Knives to change; he spent so much effort trying to explain why genocide wasn't the answer. But Vash failed, and eventually he recognised that he was always going to fail. So he left Knives, because he needed a life that wasn't that failure. He needed to do something to compensate for Knives. He took upon himself the responsibility of not only protecting the humans from Knives, but protecting the humans from the worst in themselves, which Knives' actions brought to the surface. And that is one hell of a lot to take on, and not a recipe for a happy life.

Yeah, that’s...a heroic life, but not a happy one. In a way, it seems almost as doomed as trying to change Knives. 

(if u dont wanna start up any shipping discourse feel free to just ignore this ask aha) can i just say ,, i am SO happy to see you bring up how weird rose garden is, and for pointing out that part of it is bc of their age difference. so many people who dont ship it only point to the ozpin thing and take no issue with their ages but like. oscar is 14. he's, imo, meant to be seen as like a middle schooler. its just Weird.

No worries, friend! I worry about tone too when I type (hence the “childish” tendency to use smiley faces, “lol,” etc.) but you’re totally good. 

But yeah, canonical rosegarden just isn’t something I can ever get behind. I might use “kids” at times to describe the group when I compare them to their much older and more experienced allies, but Oscar is a literal child. Do kids explore their romantic and sexual identities at a young age? Absolutely. Grade schoolers come home talking about their “boyfriends” and middle schoolers get all worked up over who’s holding hands or—gasp!—who gave someone a peck on a dare. Or, at times, far more than that. I’m no prude and I’m by no means naive. However, acknowledging that individual exploration happens isn’t the same thing as actively enforcing it, which fandom usually does. When fans talk about Oscar in the context of shipping it’s very rarely in a low-key, healthy, let kids be kids while also dipping their toes into adult topics if they want to way. It’s talking about how “hot” he is in his new outfit, or how well he’d “take care” of Ruby (with clear innuendo). I take issue with his age for the same reasons I cringe over celebrity culture that pressures 15yos like Millie Bobby Brown to dress like a 25yo and wants to know in interviews if she has her eye on any boys. Do middle schoolers and young high schoolers experiment? Of course, but that doesn’t mean we need to frame that as necessary, sexualizing minors in the process. Shipping is a part of that. 

And ah, very fair question. In terms of the age difference, that (to my mind anyway) changes dramatically depending on the ages of the parties. Oscar and Ruby I believe are only about three years apart. For adults that difference is negligible. A 33yo dating 36yo? I can’t think of anyone I know who would take issue with that. However, that age difference means something else entirely when you’re dealing with minors and those with wildly different life experiences: 

The sophomore in high school is going to look at the middle schooler and go, “They’re still just a kid. Being in high school is way different from being in middle school.” 

The freshman in college is going to look at the sophomore in high school and go, “Date a high schooler? What? No way. I’m practically an adult and they’re barely out of middle school.” 

The second year graduate is going to look at a college junior and think, “Why would I date them? I’m an adult out in the work force and they haven’t even graduated yet. It only became legal for them to drink a few months ago!” 

Now obviously there are exceptions. I’m sure plenty of people could flood my inbox (please don’t lol) with examples of that high school/college pair that was the most romantic thing ever, etc. The point though is that when you’re that young your life changes very, very fast. 2-3 years means a lot. It’s the difference between hitting puberty or not. Being able to drive or not. Getting to drink or not. Being a legal adult or not. Being in the workforce or not. Experience and development changes radically from year to year. It’s only when you start hitting your 20s that experience has the chance to plateau and many of those power dynamics fall by the wayside. 3 years between a 14 and a 17yo just means something fundamentally different than, say, 3 years between a 40 and a 43yo. Even the numbers resonate. 14 reads as “child.” 17 reads as “not quite an adult.” 

So yeah. Personally, I’m (passingly) interested in two kinds of non-canonical rosegarden: the sort where they’re kids, they’re cute together, and it’s non-creepily implied that something might happen when they’re adults, or they’re aged up enough that things like being minors and age difference are no longer a concern. For me, I’m more comfortable shipping it then because the context has changed. The fic has created a situation wherein that ethical concern no longer is an ethical concern. 29yo Oscar and 32yo Ruby are two consenting young adults who now have the emotional maturity and freedom to decide who they want to be with. 

001. Precure in general. 002: HikaLala. 003: Himari Arisugawa? (not all of them, just what you would like to answer, if any at all)

PreCure in general

Favorite character: Emiru Aisaki

Least Favorite character: this is… highkey unfair and for no good reason but that Towa girl. I’m like 2 episodes away from the violinist princess getting redeemed in Go Princess PreCure but I stan Yui so hard that in my eyes, Towa is the reason that Yui isn’t able to become the Princess of Music & Art

5 Favourite ships (canon or non-canon): Emiru/Lulu, Haruka/Kirara, Hikaru/Lala, Nozomi/Coco, Haruka/Close but there are more but these ones with the most interesting story or dynamic

Character I find most attractive: don’t at @ me but I think Close (and Shut) are both gorgeous as all hell (I like thots apparently)

Character I would marry:

Character I would be best friends with: Emiru!!!!!!!!!!

A random thought: where is all the fic ;w;

An unpopular opinion: I really liked how the Homare has a crush on Harry plot was handled. Maybe it’s because I remember/was in Homare’s position once (16/17 year old me was hot for teacher lol), I really liked how she found closure for herself without having to confess her feelings. I dislike how vehemently fandom will deny that this plotline even took place because I think young girls, who will develop crushes on unattainable/older men, need to be shown stories of how to handle those feelings without placing themselves in danger of being preyed on.

My canon OTP: Akira/Yukari (look, if the dub had to ungay them, that must make them canon)

Non-canon OTP: gonna give this to Ichika/Himari because I shipped them before Emiru was introduced I’m p sure so they get seniority privileges

Most badass character:

Pairing I am not a fan of: tbh I think I can give most precure ships a chance but I did see some Smile PreCure ships where I’m ehhh on. I only like Nao/Reika from that set. all the others should stick to being friends.

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): I think this goes without saying but Hana. Saaya, and Homare got super screwed over by Hugtto having a lot of Emiru/Lulu subplots. Also, Yui. She should have gone PreCure.

Favourite friendship: I mostly read said friendship as romantic but Emiru and Lulu……… they’re best friends oh my god

HikaLala

when or if I started shipping it: hmmmm middle of episode 1; definitely cemented by the end of episode 2 lol

my thoughts: I wrote a meta on them so I have a lot which mostly boils down to a lot of great symbolism between them gives them subtextual evidences, they hold hands a lot canonically so that’s cute, and it’s just a great ship

What makes me happy about them: Hikaru gets an alien girlfriend aND ITS FANTASTIC

What makes me sad about them: the Hikoboshi and Orihime parallels between them heavily implies that sometime in the future, they will separate and they will only have miniscules chances of continually/regularly seeing each other thereafter ;v;

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: me, who owns a lot of property in the hikalala fanfic tag on ao3, jack and shit, babe!

Things I look for in fanfic: anything which accentuates Lala’s alien-ness

My kinks: look… Lala can generate electricity…. that gives a lot of stimulation play scenarios but mostly… nah

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I like these ships a lot - Hikaru/Yuni, Lala/Yuni, and Lala/Madoka

My happily ever after for them: they go off traipsing the universe, exploring. Hikaru takes after her father and writes a book on her travels whilst Lala uses the information to update the Saman Planet AI because I’d love to see a plot twist where the AI isn’t quite as benevolent as Lala trusts it is so she takes it upon herself to remedy it (using the Rainbow Planet Tragedy as a catalyst for said goal or as foreshadowing towards it)

Himari Arisugawa

How I feel about this character: I was expecting to fall totally head over heels in love with either Aoi or Yukari since their animal motifs are both feline and I’m a major cat person but instead, Himari managed to steal my heart before either of them got the chance. I super relate to her and see a lot of myself and some of my struggles (particularly in social situations) in her. so yeah. I love my squirrel daughter.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Ichika

My non-romantic OTP for this character: no one in canon springs to mind…  which brings to mind something else… so this is out of the left-field but I had a dream once where Spectre met all the KiraKira PreCure A La Mode girls but it was Himari whom he bonded the most with in said dream (kind of “I’ve only had Himari for five minutes but if anything happened to her, I’d kill everyone in this room and then myself” type situation or maybe its more comparable to the reaction image of the samurai dude (spectre) with the cat (himari)). anyway long story short, her and spectre because if one favourite character makes me happy then two makes me even happier.

My unpopular opinion about this character: she is the best girl of KiraKira PreCure A La Mode.

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon: can’t remember if this happens or not but I swear KiraKira forgot at some point that the girls gained animal characteristics (so, in Himari’s case, her superspeed) so I would have liked to see that explored more. also in a kind of Tokyo Mew Mew twist, I would have liked to see Himari (and by extension, all the girls) deal with their new animal natures in their civilian forms too… like, this might be too lore heavy for PreCure but I would have liked to see Himari (and I guess this applies to all the girls) deal with becoming “part fairy” (just like Pekorin and Ciel had to deal with becoming part human). TLDR: more Squirrel characteristics from Himari, please!!! because I am a furry!!!!

My OTP: Ichika/Himari

My OT3: i don’t have any but if I was at gunpoint, the options I suppose I could live with are Rio/Ichika/Himari (gee, Ichika, who let you have a girlfriend AND a boyfriend) or Aoi/Himari/Ichika because apparently Aoi/Himari is a semi-popular ship???

For 002, Ritsu and Misa

send me a ship, a character, or a list of 5 characters

002 | RITSU

How I feel about this character

hmm, gotta be honest, it’s been a while since i last read an MP100 manga update, so these thoughts aren’t gonna be reflective of how i might feel about his current characterisation in the manga. regardless, regardless… here goes. 

let’s just say that i never particularly liked him when i watched the anime adaptation. the big cleanup arc lost a bit of its nuances when it was translated to the screen, so at first all i thought was wow, Ritsu’s actually a little bit of an ass and a pushover. but then i read the manga, and then rewatched the anime, and suddenly it clicked. he’s not aloof because he’s an asshole, and he doesn’t make friends easily because he’s a private person that can’t trust people with his emotions, like the other side of the coin that makes Mob an emotionally-repressed person, but because of the childhood traumatic experience he has with Mob. and just, generally growing up with a sibling that’s by all accounts mentally ill in a sense. i can’t relate to the specific circumstances he’s in because i’m an only child, and my parents aren’t mentally ill or inadvertently abusive, but the bit about not wanting others to know your true emotions is kinda what i’ve been doing for the better part of the last 5 years… 

and then, the whole thing about being the kind of model student you are simply because that’s what others have expected you to be, that’s also A Mood. i kinda gave up the ghost after high school but the funny thing is i was a prefect at some point, and even though i was progressively swearing more and more like a sailor behind closed doors, and i was growing more and more restless about certain institutional traditions, i still put on an act for the disciplinary teachers because i’m a girl, i get scholarships every year, and that’s expected of me if i want to keep being perceived as such, lol. (well, not wanting to disappoint my parents is another major factor, but that’s why i never said ritsu was a 100% relatable character, just one that is relatable enough for me to project a bit onto haha.)

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

i don’t, really? i mean, Riteru (Ritsu/Teru) is an interesting dynamic to explore in fanfics and headcanons, but they’ve pretty much never interacted in canon lol. so it’s not exactly OTP material for me. (i also don’t really get Ritshou tbh, i don’t think their interactions have been given as much depth as Teru and Mob’s, so i don’t actually ship Ritshou.)

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

hmm i don’t think i have any BROTPs for him. next question.

My unpopular opinion about this character:

well i already said what i said in q1. i used to think he’s a bit of an ass haha. still do actually, i think he’s kinda classist in the way he thinks he can just kick delinquents and other less fortunate members of society to the curb? hmm idk, this boy makes me conflicted.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

well i saw a comic circulating here where basically he talks it out with Mob and they expressedly forgive each other for the things that’s happened in the past, and i’d like that in canon.

my OTP:

isn’t this kinda a redundant ques? refer to “all the people i ship romantically with this character”. i.e. i don’t have an OTP for him.

my cross over ship:

??? none

a headcanon fact:

i like the one where he keeps a spoon on him at all times. wait, that’s canon, right? then idk. (i mean, i had an hc at some point about how Shou actually keeps a cactus named Ritsu, but that would be a Shou hc, not Ritsu hc, hhhh)

002 | MISA

How I feel about this character

well, i’ve only written several meta about this girl, whatever would make you think i have opinions about her /s

well, just to sum it all up briefly, like most casuals i started out finding her character a bit meh. not very well-written and pretty misogynistic in design (as in, she is clearly moulded after a terrible stereotype and the fact that she is the one fem chara with the most screentime in Death Note. OHBA SHOULD BE ASHAMED). but well, shortly after i finished DN the anime, i recalled the things i learned in my Feminism literary theory unit earlier that academic year, and i wrote this meta; and although i didn’t necessarily agree with these potential interpretations just yet, i could start to understand that she is much more than your average kawaii yandere. 

later that year i started a module called Transnational Feminisms, which not only dismantled the idea that there is only one way of being a feminist / writing feminist characters, it also helped me understand i shouldn’t even limit myself to reading her character from Western feminist values (so, beyond De Beauvoir, Sedgwick, and Judith Butler). i should consider, obviously, the cultural contexts of gender expectations in Japan, etc. i have yet to write an actual post about this but yeah, i do have some follow-up thoughts to that feminist meta i wrote, and the long and short of it is that, considering the social context she is honestly a character with a subtle, subversive potential that Ohba probably didn’t even recognise.

(doesn’t mean i agree with canon’s treatment and portrayal of mental health issues when it comes to Misa though. Ohba can choke on his poorly researched and unqualified understanding of trauma.)

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

NOT LIGHT YAGAMI. people i think that Misa deserve: Rem, and Sayu. probably others as well, but Rem and Sayu are the only ones i can conceive of who canonically do / will care about Misa on a personal level.

(but honestly tho Sayu is pretty gay for Misa in the TV Drama)

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

hmm. her friendship with Mogi i guess.

(it’s not necessarily an OTP tho since i don’t have much feelings about their dynamic, but he’s good for her.)

My unpopular opinion about this character:

well, even though she’s a unique and subtly complex character, she still has issues. she was manipulative towards Light, there’s no question about that. in a twisted way i don’t think that, as long as Misa upholds her canon beliefs and attitude about love, she will find a partner in anyone other than an emotionally-distant and manipulative (in a different way) asshole like Light. i think a lesser partner would have caved to her every whim and demand. (that’s why actually, even though i think she deserves somebody that will love her back, i do not wish to actually make Misa/Sayu canon. Sayu deserves a healthy relationship.) 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

well, depends which canon we’re talking about here. as i have mentioned time and time again, @casuistor and @mikami both wrote an analysis on how, unlike manga!Misa, anime!Misa is actually more cognizant of the one-sided nature of her relationship with Light. so if we’re talking solely about anime canon, then i do wish she’d have seen that Light is not worth her time!! and get Rem out of the “friendzone” before she dies for nothing, please.

my OTP:

Remisa, duh.

my cross over ship:

none. (i rarely get ideas for crossover ships tbh, so unless there’s a well-written fic that can convince me of the dynamic of a particular crossover ship, i’ll just stick to my high school concepts of Wayfire and Howellight… hmm yeah very subtle about your own history in the RPF community Eugenia)

My Theon Centric Pairings: A Game of Multishipping

So I keep getting tagged to list my 10 ships from 10 different fandoms or 5 OTPs from 5 different fandoms. But the problem is I don’t really have any hardcore ships in any other fandoms- So, I made this instead. A detailed explanation no one asked for of all my Theon ships. (I may be Multishipping trash- but at least i’ll always have my OTC, Theon Greyjoy)

My Joint OTP (yeah I said it): Throbb and Theonsa

Well you guys know that I have totally gone down the rabbit hole of Theon ships BUT- I have developed an OTP (or TTP- Two True Pairings) and that is Throbb and Theonsa. Shipping BOTH Throbb and Theonsa seems to make an incredible amount of sense to me- because Robb, so tragically, IS dead… (cries forever) and I see Theonsa as a natural progression from Throbb. Both Sansa and Theon loved Robb and idealized him in a way. However, when it comes down to it, I think Sansa and Theon have much more in common with each other. And so I think the Theonsa ship is beautiful because in loving each other they can learn to forgive things about themselves since they are so similar and have been in such similar situations.

Throbb (Most Tragic Ship/ also my “across time and space they will always find each other” Ship)

(gif by @bericdondarrion)

This one hurts the most because of the death and betrayal the guilt and the tragedy of it all. But it remains one of the most beautiful ships of all time in my humble opinion. I also feel like there is often echos of Throbb in all the other Theon ships I am into.

Theonsa (The Most Hopeful Ship)

(gif by @greengableslover)

This ship is so pure and beautiful and I hope that they end up together. I really do. They are my endgame ship. This is also the ship that first brought me to Tumblr. Theonsa trash 5ever (as the kids say)

Theyne (Sweetest Ship of All Time)

(gif by @lochiels)

So yes this is the purest sweetest ship of perhaps all time. I love Theyne. The reason I love Jeyne so much with Theon is because she is the only one in the books or show who sees him as Theon- not as Reek or a Turncoat. Not someone to distrust or fear or be disgusted by. Just Theon- that handsome boy she used to watch in the practice yard. It is her complete genuine acceptance of him that I believe helps him reclaim his true identify

oops.. I guess that was Three True Pairings… Okay so you’ve read my Big Three ships that I think should could be canon. Come under the cut to follow me deep into the rabbit hole of Theon Shipping

My “We Could Have Had it ALLLLLLLLL” Ship: 

Greythorn

I’ve always thought that Theon and Margaery could TEAR IT UP as a couple. I don’t think she would have wanted to marry him because of her ambition but they could have been amazing lovers- or just BUDS. They both are called out for smirking and smiling- they could have shared the slyest of smiles you guys! She could have soothed his self doubt and he’d have definitely benefited from her strategic mind. And it would have been interesting to see her in a non-politically motivated relationship. I mean seriously, if you don’t want to see the king and queen of sass take over Westeros then I just have to ask, what is wrong with you??  Even Alfie agrees

My “I will go down with this ship” Ship:

Theolyn (of course)

Well, if you follow me you know that every Thursday I talk about how much I LOVE this ship. It is total crack and I admit it- but Catelyn and Theon have a lot of parallels and I just LOVE the idea of Catelyn, who has always done her duty, having this torrid love affair with gallant slut pirate, Theon Greyjoy. It’s just such an interesting dynamic to explore- and I just love the older woman/ younger man thing. Plus Theon has a thing for MILFs in book canon. Wasn’t the first woman he slept with married with a child? And the miller’s wife… And he was even more attracted to Asha (pretending to be Esgred) when she lied and said she was with child. Mothers just turn him on. It is known.  

My “I Wish I Could Quit You” Ship: 

Greysnow

(gif by @asbraveasrobb)

Oh man, this would be such an intense and passionate love/hate kind of ship. The characters have so many parallels and similarities. Both outcasts, both known as “turncloaks” in the book. Both have heavy resurrection themes in their storyline- but they are also complete opposites in many ways- which would make this an incredibly dynamic ship. I just hope Greysnow gets more love after their big confrontation in Season 7 (and I hope the scene evolves Brokeback style with punches being thrown and wrestling because they just can’t DEAL with the love they feel for each other, and then all of a sudden they are making out…. Well, a girl can dream anyway, right?)

My Two True BroTPs: 

Thasha/ Theyara 

Seriously, I would watch an entire series of just these two! They have such an incredible bond- especially after not having the opportunity to grow up together and having such an messed up reunion (largely due to Yara/Asha let’s be honest.) Being with Yara is the only thing that made Theon punking out on The Dream Team okay for me lol. And when people say that Yara is going to die in the show or Asha in the books- that is NOT OKAY people- because I need these two together forever as power siblings. I need it for my SOUL. 

(gif by @5by5brittana)

Thyrion

(gif by @princegrisejoie)

Okay so who doesn’t want to watch these two get drunk and talk about their appalling childhoods? Seriously Tyrion and Theon have so much in common. Before everything went down, they could have been drinking and brothel buddies. Now after everything they have gone through, I think they could be incredibly close allies and friends. I think they could help each other in so many ways. I know that their interactions with each other hasn’t gone very well up to this point, BUT! Has anyone noticed that Tyrion is the only character who acknowledges how fucked up Theon’s situation with the Starks was? And he also acknowledges how that must have effected him growing up. I think there is much more understanding to be found in this  relationship and I will never give up hope for this BroTP becoming a reality. 

My Dream Team:

Brienne, Pod, Sansa, and Theon

Like, do I even need to say anything about this guys? I was SO PUMPED when Brienne + Pod ex machina rode in to save the day- and for a brief, BRIEF moment of time (curse you D&D, curse you!) we had this incredible dream team. They are the dream team that got away you guys… *cries

My OT3 (The Angsty Threesome you had no idea you wanted)

GreyStoneSnow

 top gif by @stephenarkley , bottom gif by @baelerion

Okay, I am only half serious about this but oh, I can’t even with these three- there are so many parallels within their stories, they all have such chemistry with each other, they are the embodiment of Tyrion’s “cripples, bastards, and broken things.” And seven hells, the HUGS! THE HUGS!! Is there any trio of characters who can give better hugs? The answer is no. No one gives better hugs than these three. Come for the dragons, Stay for the hugs (and GreyStoneSnow) ;)

***** Honorable Mentions *****

Most Fucked up Ship: Thramsay*

(gif by @tehnazzy)

*I don’t think I can rightfully call this one of my ships since it makes me feel like curling up into a catatonic ball in the corner of my room and never coming out. I really don’t want them together AT ALL- BUT… it is still an incredibly fascinating ship because thinking about it reveals a lot about both Theon and Ramsay… And this incredibly toxic, intensely disturbing, stockholm syndrome ship has also inspired some really illuminating and psychological Theon meta and fanfic. Reformed by DoubleBit is a really brilliant modern AU fic about the psychology of their relationship (which bonus, also has Throbb and Greysnow it in!) So even though I do not technically ship them- I do find it very interesting to think about.

“Swamp Trash and Squid Boy”  (Theera || Theon x Meera Reed)

This ship is entirely blamed on the beautiful RPs of @ladyoftheneck and @slysmiles / @drownedandflayed-archived-deact Check out some of their lines- they are adorable together, trust me. 

Thegritte (Theon x Ygritte) 

And this ship is blamed on the lovely RPs of @theredheadwildling-deactivated2 and @slysmiles / @drownedandflayed-archived-deact and also on this great fanfic, Iron and Flint by VagrantWriter Ygritte and Theon actually share a lot of cultural similarities and they challenge each other in very interesting ways.

Thod

(gifs by @iheartgot)

Last but definitely not least, I give you Thod. Again, this ship is blamed on someone- @lordhellebore for her beautiful fic, Don’t do so well alone. I’m not sure if Thod is necessarily her intention- the fic seems to be more about the beautiful beautiful friendship developing between The Dream Team and a wonderful psychological portrayal of Theon’s struggle and journey from Reek to Theon (which of course didn’t end when he saved Sansa.) But the fic does depict Pod caring for Theon and even singing to him at one point. My heart! And when you think about it- Theon is Pod’s Knight in tattered rags shining armor. And could you IMAGINE- this ship, Pod and post Reek Theon. It would be so PURE

Well thanks for going on this journey of shipping madness with me- in retrospect, I feel like I should have just typed:

There Ain’t Nobody I Won’t Ship Theon With

and left it at that.