#and of course they're not lesser than romance or anything like that | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

uroboros-if · 8 months

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seeing your rant about how difficult it is to be somewhat rude without ruining your relationships in ifs WAS SO RELATABLE! It doesn’t feel real to be always good or nice to characters to be liked

I’m not saying you should be able beat them up and still romance without consequences but romance/relationships aren’t always perfect and peaceful!!! Disagreements/arguments should be something that can happen without it being at the cost of the relationship itself ugh because that’s normal come on >:| as an angst enjoyer, its so hard to have fun without the character being like “you dont agree with me? perish then”

so I’m even more excited for the game now that I saw your take on it because LETS GO!!!!!! <3

You succinctly explained what I struggled to! 😭

I will confess it's half self-indulgent, because I really enjoy relationships where the two must confront their conflicting ideals! I understand most seek other like-minded people, but what of characters who like to be challenged? Characters who can't help but be attached to someone they shouldn't be?

Even setting that aside, you are completely correct! As long as that topic isn't sensitive to someone and neither party is inflexible, people won't automatically like you less.

So not only does such an approval system lose out on angst potential, sometimes it's also unrealistic. There is truth in it as our opinions of others do adjust based on their actions, and those things add up! However, it's a problem when it's applied to even arbitrary choices, or it unnecessarily severely impacts your approval.

Under the read more is my "theory" on why some ROs in IFs are defined by a dynamic trope (rivals to lovers, childhood friends to lovers, etc)!! 💕

It is difficult, if not impossible for a numerical approval system to qualitatively judge your relationship dynamics; it can only judge based on the weight of each choice. It can't, for example, see you've transitioned from being rude, to softening up to the character after realizing they're not so bad. The game only sees the sum of all your negative and positive points.

Without a way to label your actions by anything but a number, a system that purely relies on numerics is incapable of interpreting the dynamics of your relationship, and therefore customizing future interactions with the RO.

Of course, I think most IFs don't purely rely on numbers. Some do a hybrid in which important decisions are tracked qualitatively and lesser ones are tracked numerically. However, even then, some romance is limited by a baseline approval you must achieve in a certain timeframe, and that leads to pressure to meet that mystery number.

Furthermore, these qualitative "important decisions" often have more to do with the plot than how it defines your relationship specifically -- things like "did you kill their father?" rather than "What were their first impressions of the MC?"

So I believe that without a way to interpret the MC's actions meaningfully, there's only one way to play a romance route. There's only one dynamic with that character, one way the relationship can really be. You can be different genders, have your relationship contextualized differently as the story changes from your actions, but rarely does it dramatically differ solely on personality. Rarely does it examine how your relationship varies from the different ways you interact with that character.

I think it's fine that some characters are like that! In fact, it's realistic that some dynamics don't suit certain characters. For example, it's not possible to have rivals to lovers with Salvatore, because they have no reason to see you as a rival, even if you hate them or try to compete with them.

However, taking Sal as an example, your relationship can vary widely by your attitude towards them. It can be a case of friends who lost touch and regret having lost touch; it can be one-sided, as Sal may view MC as a friend, but the MC is bitterly jealous of them. Perhaps MC doesn't think much of them at all.

That's the kind of meaningful interpretation of relationships I aim for--different dynamics rather than boxing in Sal as the typical childhood friends to lovers. There is no one way to play their romance; it should change as the MC is different.

I see how it's not for everyone, and I acknowledge that it is a Herculean task that may, in time, reveal the full extent of its complexity. But I strive for it because such a complicated relationship is central to the conflict of Uroboros. There is nothing more important an undertaking than character relationships in the IF.

Extremely long theory and rambling, but I am so happy someone shares my thoughts, at least as far as disagreements with the ROs!! ❤️❤️ Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share even more of my opinion, Anon! I'm thrilled you are so excited for the story!

#uroboros-if #uroboros #asks #anon #i adore these asks 🥺💕#meta #interactive fiction

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agathabridgerton · 5 months

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i have to laugh bc i saw someone say mystra "was done so dirty in bg3" like LMFAO the last mystra literally had wizards duking it out with each other to become her chosen or whatever and then it got so bad that eventually one of the mystra's was like "alright this sucks ass now nevermind". and then there was the time mystra possessed a mortal woman and had seven daughters as her with the woman's husband and that fucking killed the woman and the husband abandoned them bc he'd had no idea and then mystra saddled elminster with the youngest three. the wizard fights was how azuth became mystra's chosen and then mystra's daughters (who aren't aasimar like aylin, just very powerful wizards/sorcerers) are also her chosen, though i think two of them are dead now. and she ALSO put elminster through a bunch of bullshit tests and started like right after his whole family was murdered or whatever so like that man can have his cheese from my camp, i'll chew him out later. and like yeah all that was from the first mystra but one of the first things this new mystra has done is wreck gale so i don't think that speaks highly to her character nor is out of line with previous incarnations. she may be "neutral good" but only as it pertains to her portfolio, in my view - she is "good" for protecting magic and the chaos of some actions cancel out with the lawfulness of her stringent rules for the use of magic. AND even if she was basically dead for most of gale's life and they only met "face to face" thirteen years before the events of the game and started dating then, when gale was already an adult, i would still consider it grooming. he was raised in a society - especially in waterdeep bc it's a center of magic - that venerates "good" aligned gods because they're literally irrefutably real. gale was obviously taught to value the weave and hold great respect for mystra, he attended one of the most prestigious academies of magic, and he was mentored by elminster himself. he was in a unique position to be used by mystra as wizards before him had been used - notably elminster himself, but also literally azuth, the patron lesser deity of wizards. (and the letters elminster sends to gale in his origin and if he becomes a god speak to the guy holding so much guilt for being party to the abuse gale faced - that he should have done more to prevent gale's downfall, especially bc he is one of mystra's survivors.) and then azuth's last line in the series of books in bg3 about the gods is literally about forever yearning for mystra. so then gale wasn't even pulling the idea of getting more power out of his ass or anything, someone else was given power/allowed to obtain it to the point of becoming a god in service to mystra. he disobeyed mystra's boundaries for using magic/gaining power, yes, but in his origin when you talk to mystra and say "i just wanted to be worthy of you" or w/e she says that gale was already worthy and just lacked patience. so again he wasn't even told a solid no it may have been more of a "no right now" no. (i say maybe bc atp mystra might just be gaslighting gale, trying to pretend that she hadn't been 100% forever and ever denying him, i wouldn't put it past her.) of course what's taken into account for deciding godly alignment is going to be a bit different than for beings without a godly portfolio. like!!!!! mystra can be dead in my eyes and still have neutral good alignment as a goddess bc for her most of all it's fucking complicated, seeing as she is like... the lifeblood of the realms or whatever. anyways. to end this... long-winded rant. part of what make's gale's story and romance so compelling is that he's completely correct when he says that the gods don't truly care about mortals, that they just cower behind ao. they can't really care bc they forget what it's like to be mortal, they depend on having mortal souls. they are just dressed up devils, dealing in souls. no good is wholly "good." they all have the power to save lives, to change lives for the better, yet squalor remains. it's an imperfect universe. compelling!

#baldur's gate 3 #dnd #rambling #i have no idea (as per usual) if any of this is coherent lol

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cuppajj · 2 years

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How would dating the LL even work?

So you wanna date the Lost Light?

It's true that LL would be a very caring and understanding romantic partner but it's harder than you may think!

First of all:

LL hasn't really thought much about romantic relationships. They've seen plenty in their lifetime, and while they've wondered what it would be like to have a partner(s) themself, they know that 1) they're not a normal cybertronian, and 2) it's not a major priority for them. So expect LL not to have full interest just yet, you'd have to really touch their spark!

LL would not date any of their own crew, as they see themself as more of a guardian figure to them. This goes for anyone who has just become part of it, so you could only date if you're unrelated!

While you can flirt with them all you want, LL would want to know you as a close friend before pursuing anything romantic. If you want to commit to wooing the ship, don't expect it to take just a little bit. You're looking at a couple years of friendship at least!

You'd know them as Lightlost first, and they wouldn't reveal they're actually a titan unless you find out first, or long after you're close and they trust you enough. You'd have to understand why the cartographer is seemingly grappled to a wide radius that encompasses the entire ship.

Like everyone else, LL has standards! They'll warm up to kinder, adventurous, patient, caring, and/or aspirational people faster.

You have a less likely chance of romancing them if you're a human. They're more likely to see you in the same way they do their crew, even if you're not part of it, because of how small and fragile you are! While it's not impossible, it's certainly going to be an even slower burn than it already is.

You have more of a chance if you're almost if not as big as them... so other sentient ships/titans have an advantage lol

But what about once you're already dating? Having LL as partner would come with a lot of perks!

For starters, as long as you're in them, they'd be watching over you at all times (lest you told them not to of course), ensuring you're well protected. While they would still sorta uphold their neutral bias and not step in unless dire, crew/ship-threatening situations occurred, they could be a little more lenient for you.

Warm glasses of your preferred drink are on your nightstand every day when you wake up, after a long night of comfortable sleep with warm air flowing throughout your room.

LL wouldn't be a big kisser, at least not one who holds down for long. They're more of a cheek/head pecker, and this applies to the lips too.

Their love languages are acts of service, quality time, and words of affirmation. They're technically physical touch too, but to a lesser extent. They'll perform tasks in holoform that you might have been worrying about or that you couldn't find time for (such as cleaning your room), and making sure the halls are nice and pearly when you step out of your hab. They'd also want to have time to talk with you about things that interest either of you, as you sit somewhere like in their oil reservoir. You're not opposed to simply speaking to them through a screen/speaker so they don't have to use energy to project Lightlost, but they'd insist they do! That way, you could see all the emotion they'd want you to see.

They wouldn't give you a lot of baby names, mainly just ''sweetspark.'' But they'll use any name you'd want them to use too

The only thing you'd have to put up when dating LL is that they'll sometimes treat you like they treat Rodimus... expect them to ask you if you've finally cleaned your desk, or beg for you to go to sleep because it's 4 am and lights-on is in two hours! And they'll tell you that you need to hit the washracks, too. It's not like they're trying to embarrass you, they just have your best interest and they want you to know that.

Of course, they want you to tell them if they do anything wrong, and they'll understand and apologize.

Overall they're pretty doting!

Unfortunately, you probably couldn't sparkbond with LL, as their spark is too huge and potentially dangerous. You'd have to be content with Lightlost's holographic one.

So with that knowledge... good luck XD i found this ask very cute!

#sentient lost light au #lost light #maccadam #cjj askbox #lovely anon

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eldritch-spouse · 2 years

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Which of you dummies would join a book club ?

Santi would join one that talks about erotic books, he'd read the back of the book to get an idea of the book. He doesn't actually read it. He just let's the dorky humans get themselves riled up discussing the book. He just sitting their planning on how he gonna rail all the little dorks and nerds. When they ask him about the book he describes sensual secen that vaguely resemble the book . Its not right but no one is calling him out due to being highly flustered

I can see Nebul joining one and actually does get into discussion because he actually reads the books. If the book club discusses a book with a master in it. He gets really into and imagines himself as the master of all the little humans in the group. It gets quite because Nebul got little into it and he just plays it off as joking. The group is a little quiet after that.

I could see Patches join one. IF THAT LOSER GOT OUT THE CELERGY MORE AND LET HIMSELF HAVE FUN. He just so happened to join one with a cute human in it.(he actually been stalking them for a month now.) He just so happens to start talking to the cute human and becoming their book buddies really fast because they have so much in common.

Maybe Obie if his crush is in one and their always food their.

I'm not to sure about the rest. But I thought of funny Scenario with Admin. It's silly canon. Never to happen in canon.

Admin in a club meeting discussing the romance of the two main characters.

Admin isn't agreeing with person in the group about a ship. But it's still pretty civil discussion . Krulu appears out now where.

Krulu: Actually your both wrong, clearly Kevin the leader is the better choice for the protagonist. He clearly the superior lesser. 🙄💅

Half of the group dies from shock, the ones that are alive are traumatized crying on the floor or are so shocked they can't move.

Krulu: Oh no, how sad the meeting must be over since everyone is seems to be so occupied at the moment. It's such a shame. 😔 let's go lamb.

Book clubs, huh?

Oh yeah, Santi only reads if it's something made by an author from the lust ring. And even then, his attention span can leave a lot to be desired if it isn't like, the raunchiest thing to ever be written. He brings volumes of filthy eroticas to every meeting, especially anything to do with incubi, so that he can then read nasty passages aloud and interrupt with:

" This is true, we can cum several times. " (Casts lidded glances at everyone.) " The vast majority of us also have slits, as you can see. " (Spreads legs.)

Or:

" Not everyone reacts the same to our saliva and the author explained this perfectly! Does anyone want to volunteer? I only want you guys to have the most immersive experience, of course. "

He will not rest until an orgy is achieved.

Nebul is usually one to stick to more philosophical books or anything related to astrology, even astronomy or psychology. He won't shy from an erotic romance once or twice however. Though he's likely to go on long-winded spiels about how most of these romances portray a flawed or lackluster interpretation of power imbalances in kink. Or how they're nothing compared to the true symbiosis of master and pet dynamics.

The wraith will likely sit next to the most timid or soft-spoken people and get off by exerting pressure on them. They're silently influenced to agree with him and get subtle praise when they do so, he's already working his magic without them even knowing. Any more dominant-presenting people will be challenged into backing down constantly. He wants to be in charge of the club.

Let's face it, Obie is more likely to eat the books when no one's looking than actually read them. Uhh... What chapter are we on again?

Patches knows every book you like and he's read them all before you. Do you want recommendations? Because the dullahan has at least twenty possible titles you'd probably love. Oh no no, you don't have to buy them! He'll let you borrow his copies, it's the least he can do for someone as cultured as you! Besides, the two of you seem to have similar tastes, how about you ditch this club and he can take you two somewhere calmer to read together?

Whenever you read any book, Krulu is also technically reading it, even if indirectly. He's probably complaining that you take much longer to read than him, which drives the higher nuts. If you do go to any book club, I assure you Krulu's going to be scrutinizing everyone in the back of your mind, and he will force you to criticize mediocre writing in the most possible insulting manner towards the people who enjoy reading it. Human literature bores him to the core, it's a complete snoozefest for Krulu. They'll get bored enough to fuck around with the surroundings, making walls deform or objects move on their own, touching people without them seeing his hands. Anything to speed this shit up.

Agner would love a book club, he's the only one that's normal about it.

#Santi oc #Patches oc #Obie oc #Nebul oc #Krulu oc #tiredidot

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dumbegglife · 2 years

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long blue spring ride anime rambles

the soundtrack is so pretty and tender. so i'm thinking about it again.

i'd really like to see more stories like this, where two people befriend each other in their childhood (a period of innocence) but separate and then meet again years later. except now, they're different people, are older, have gone through hardships that change them, and have secrets to keep. but they meet each other again and want to know the other person again.

it's so simple but so poignant.

even though blue spring ride frustrates me in many ways, i think it does tell a compelling, emotional story about people who've grown apart but come back into each other's lives.

it's so bittersweet to watch kou and futaba evade, confront, close and open to each other again and again.

they know sides of the other that no one else knows at their new school. it's a connection only they have, because no one from their previous schools are present. as an adult, i realize that being friends with someone in their youth is really precious. it's really intimate knowledge of someone, regardless of who they become in the future.

i know the gap in the story is only from middle school to high school, but, i take what i can get.

both kou and futaba are unhappy when they meet again. the story shows that, in each other, they try to find the happiness and innocence they once knew. but they can't, of course. they're different people now.

it's so interesting to watch them both try to do this, kou to a lesser extent, until there's a confrontation. that confrontation is done soooo beautifully. but futaba finally understands that if she truly wants to be friends with kou, she has to want to know him as he is in the present. he's moody and abrasive, but through their conflicts, she recognizes that he is always trying to help and support her. the beloved 'jerk with a heart of gold.' as for kou, i think he accepts futaba for who she is in the present FIRST because ultimately, he comes to admire her first. this is also done really well, i think, partially because kou has surprisingy amount of depth.

kou acts like he's too cool for everything, futaba included. he seems like the more competent one ('good at everything without trying') so futaba feels inferior. BUT IT'S FLIPPED. kou sees that futaba takes action (when she volunteers to be class rep) even if she's afraid. he follows her. his dialogue where he says that whatever she does is better than doing anything 'half-baked' like him is extraordinary to me. it reveals so much about him and why he likes futaba so much, even if it appears he's 'cooler' or more skilled than she is. he's been depressed and burned out for a long time and he's inspired by futaba's optimism and drive to better herself and her circumstances.

even if their relationship can never be the cute, sweet childhood friendship/romance of the past, they come to mutually respect and admire the best parts of each other in their present friendship. they overcome their interpersonal hardships together like this...ahhhhh...

blue spring ride has weaknesses that made it difficult for me to get into at first. most of the side characters are really iffy to me (except yuuri), and i feel that the character interactions even between kou and futaba can be...idk stiff? something's a bit off at times? but i always went back to it because of what its core is about (gestures to everything above). i thought futaba and yuuri's friendship was also really sweet and adorable.

#eggpersonal

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frodo-with-glasses · 2 years

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Hey OP?? I was wondering why u don’t ship Samfro?? Not being pushy- but I was wondering? You draw pretty great art, and I like it! I just had a question. Sorry!

Hi! Thanks for asking! :-D

The long and short of it is that I just never saw anything in these stories that made me think Frodo and Sam have any sort of sexual or romantic attraction to each other. Is their relationship intense? Oh heck yes. Are they devoted to each other? HECK yes. But I don't think that indicates romance necessarily.

There's this idea in our culture today that sex/romance are sort of the “final evolution” of all relationships. This idea says romances are the strongest relationships, and all the strongest relationships are romances. You made it to third base with someone? Awesome! Relationship evolved to a Gyrados! Until then it’s just a lame Magicarp that everyone hates. Friendships are seen as relationships at half strength, like a Rattata that you caught on Route 1 and immediately stuck in the PC to rot. It could have been a romance—it had the potential to be—but you never put the time in to level it up, and now it’s forever stuck as something half-baked and lesser-than.

Not to be unduly crass, but I think that's wrong, and just plain silly!

I think the ancient Greeks had it right when they came up with multiple different words for love. The four biggest ones are philia, which is friendship or brotherly love; storge, which is family love; eros, which is sexual or romantic love; and agape, which is love complete, unconditional, and self-sacrificial, with no strings attached.

I don't think eros is the final form of philia. I think they're completely different beasts! As different as peas and apples, and no apple turns into a pea when it's ripe! If anything, I think agape is the full and perfect form of all loves. When you finally reach that point where it's all in, do or die, and you'd lay down your life for somebody expecting nothing in return—that's the final, fullest form of love.

I see Sam and Frodo's relationship as agape, as evolved from philia. I don't see anything in the story that indicates that they want something sexual out of one another. Tolkien, as a devout Catholic, would have had religious and moral scruples against portraying them that way, and I share most of those. I could go on about what I think was his vision for the story; but let’s be honest, since when has author intent ever stopped us from shipping anything? On a far deeper level, I see myself in Frodo and Sam. I see my own relationships. I see my own friendships. It's something—for lack of a better word—very precious to me.

I stayed with my best friend through two years of depression and mental illness and a difficult international move that isolated them far away from everything they knew and loved. I fought time zones and sleep schedules and my own mental and emotional exhaustion to be close to a friend that needed someone, anyone, to care. Does that mean I wanted something sexual out of that friend's body? Of course not! HECK no! I did it because I loved my friend, and because I knew who they were under all the pain and trauma and mental turmoil. I did it because I wanted to see my friend come out on the other side whole and healed and healthy.

I stayed by my friend because loyalty is a beautiful and noble thing; as agape shows, it is a worthy goal in and of itself. I stayed by my friend because I wanted to spend the rest of my life enjoying the unique way they think, the extraordinary view they have of the world, the way their brain and mine bounce off of each other and come up with whole worlds and stories that never would have existed otherwise.

I stayed by my friend because no one will ever be exactly like that person ever again. I didn't want to miss out.

That's the sort of relationship I see in Frodo and Sam. Loyal, stubborn, forged by fire, hardened through pain and sorrow and hardship into something as solid as diamond or steel. Love with no strings attached—no sexual expectations, no romantic entanglements—just love for the joy of knowing and getting to know another living person for who they are in their soul. Friendship like that—friendship that’s cared for, nurtured, tended, and treated with the same weight and worth as romance but as a completely different beast—is an art that's all but disappeared in our modern age, and that's why it's even more important to me that I hold tightly to the few examples I still have.

If you ship SamFro, you're still welcome to interact with my art! I'm not about to scream “get off my lawn!” and wave a cane at you like a grumpy old geezer. I drew these silly little doodles in the hopes that everyone could enjoy the things I made, no matter what we disagree on. After all, if we both like Lord of the Rings, we already have something in common! I just add the little addendum at the bottom of my posts to made it clear where I stand, to create a space where we can celebrate those friendships, and so that people don't misunderstand where I'm coming from.

If you made it to the bottom of this heckin' long essay, you deserve a cookie! I hope this answers your question. Thanks for giving me a chance to ramble about friendships and other things that are important to me!

#asked and answered #long post #my writing #friendship #bromance #the four loves #depression #mental illness #featuring:#frodo baggins #samwise gamgee #my art #fig tree au #in which i wax eloquent about greek philosophy and my own life experiences for WAY too long #beta-read for accuracy by a family member who actually does pokemon

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roccinan · 3 years

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Hello, I’m quite new to this fandom and I was curious as to if anyone else feels the same: I started reading fanfics and was so surprised at the way Martin is portrayed in many fanfics… And then I saw your post on tropes you didn’t like and it listed “dom/sub outside the bedroom”. Do you feel like Martin is too often portrayed as the sub in AND outside the bedroom? Because when I started reading I expected to mostly find fics where they either switch or where Andres is a power bottom but no??? And I mean they’re literally almost each others mirror image so I expected people to definitely write them like equals outside what happens in the bedroom. And obviously everyone is allowed to like and write what they like, but I personally don’t understand why Martin is portrayed so often as “lesser”/“weaker” than Andres (e.g. he’s always the one who cries/has to be comforted, never Andres, Martin sometimes has all the traits of a straight romance novel woman)I feel like Andres often is portrayed as if he is more… powerful, more intelligent, almost superior(?) to Martín which I did not understand. Honestly if either of the two is more intelligent, it should be Martín right? Because he’s actually the one with the degree in engineering (okay sure that doesn’t mean *everything*, but still….). I feel like they’re equals and they treat the other that way, as if both of them are gods, not as if only one of them is. Like I said, everyone is allowed to write and like whatever they want, I was just curious if I’m the only one who feels this way?!Then again, I might just have a very different opinion/interpretation of Berlermo than most people because I’d also expect Andres to be a malewife (I mean look at how he brags about Martin (“greatest minds in engineering”, *looks at Martin*)to Sergio, that feels 1000% trophy husband being proud of his succesful husband’s achievements……) if he had an actual relationship with Martin and I don’t feel like that opinion is shared a lot too lol

I hope this was understandable instead of one long chaotic drabble but either way, #MalewifeAndrésrights2k21

Hi anon! Don't worry- I understood this ask, and I've been thinking about how to answer. Hopefully I'm not leaving out any of your points in my answer, and of course, you don't have to agree with me (or anyone else in this fandom)- we're all equals here! Like you said, everyone has their own preferences and can write what they want- so this answer is just my (and maybe yours!) personal opinion.

LOL I assure you, anon, you are not the only one who feels this way. I actually had similar thoughts when I first started reading berlermo fics- tbh, I read a few before watching s3/4, and the Martin in those fics was a completely different person from the man I saw on screen (in both present and past timelines). I was expecting a likable uwu character, and Palermo was honestly a True Asshole lmao- so obviously, I was much more interested in the latter ;) But it was very hard getting behind um, particular portrayals after watching the show. In fact, I was so disturbed by this 1 fic (don't remember the plot or the author- just how Wrong it made me feel) that I decided to write my own. All I remember was Martin gaslighting Andres repeatedly, and the author acting like Andres was the bad guy?? it just felt very wrong to me.

To answer, yes, I do think Martin is portrayed as a sub in and out of the bedroom too often. Personally, I don't care who submits to who in bed, and there are plenty of bottom!Martin stories I've enjoyed. But it rubs me the wrong way when Martin's also like that in all aspects of his life and what he does in bed shouldn't have anything to do with that. In canon, I also thought that Andres and Martin saw each other as equals, with Palermo literally and metaphorically replacing Berlin. He's not a "lesser" Berlin- he was his equal, his partner. And I think there's nothing wrong with a story where say, Martin lets Andres pick what they're having for dinner or the color of their outfits- but the key words is lets. It's a choice.

There's no solid evidence that Martin just submits to all of Andres' commands because he's too spineless to say no. I've seen some common arguments for their dom/sub dynamic outside the bedroom based on the fact that Martin didn't stop Andres from leaving the monastery in 4x08. But I just don't see it. 1) They were both crying in that scene, not just Martin 2) literally anyone in Martin's position would have been too disoriented to perform some grand romcom gesture 3) Andres made it clear he didn't want anything more with Martin (whether or not this is the truth is up for debate, but vocally he basically said "no"), so unless Martin decided to do something non-consensual to the man he loves/respects more than anything in the world, he literally had no choice but to let Andres walk away. Because the other things he could have done to "disagree" with Andres' choice are NOT PRETTY.

The same applies for Martin supposedly standing by and doing nothing while Andres marries 5 times. I don't know what else Martin could have done. He was under the assumption that Andres is straight, and even if he sensed that Andres wasn't, Andres believed himself straight. Martin respected that. He loves Andres, he'd indulge him in anything, but he wouldn't force Andres into anything he doesn't believe Andres wants. It's one of the few selfless and decent traits Martin has, and I'm not fond of it being reduced to just him being a "sub."

That said, I also much prefer it when they switch and I think power bottom Andres is just as valid as top/bottom Andres or bottom/top Martin (and I think of them both as power bottoms when they're in that position lol). Not that fic needs to be realistic, but switching is more common irl than people think. In fact, top Martin is pretty much confirmed by canon, given how he treats Helsinki both when he's being "mean" to him AND when he's being "nice" to him- Martin 100% led their relationship in and out of bed. And he does it so naturally that I think it's safe to say that's how he typically acts with the men in his life.

Hopefully, I'm not getting too far off track from your ask! But I wanted to add on that given how misogynistic both Andres/Martin are and how hard it was for Andres to "accept" his bisexuality in the first place, I think it's more likely that during their first time in bed, Andres would top. imo, He'd prefer to top for a good while until he both realizes that bottoming won't affect his masculinity and his horniness for having Martin inside him gets the better of him. But that's just my personal take. I only bring it up because in that situation, it's not that Martin CAN'T top Andres because of some inherent inferiority complex or weakness, but because he wants Andres to be comfortable. For me, it's less "Martin is too much of a sub to do anything but bottoming" and more "Martin prefers to top but he is willing to bottom for Andres."

Moving on to your other points, I really don't know why Martin is portrayed as weaker than Andres to such a noticeable extent? I assume it's because he's like a few cm shorter? Because people related to the unrequited love subplot and over-projected onto the character? Or over-sympathized with him? I'm probably not the best person to comment on this, since I really don't sympathize very much with either Martin or Andres. The only time I projected on Martin was that time I wrote him dealing with bad customer service lol. I think Martin has an ego in canon that he totally earned because in his words, he's a genius, and that's not something we should ignore when it comes to his character.

As for Andres being powerful and superior and even more emotionally mature sometimes(??!), it just goes hand-in-hand with Martin being written as the weaker one first. It's not always badly done, but it can be offputting (for me) when done too extremely. Like, there's nothing wrong with a good angst or hurt/comfort story, Andres caring for/comforting Martin, etc. I've enjoyed reading and writing those once in a while too. And again, people can read/write what they prefer and how they see things, just like we can do the same! Everyone's entitled to their own interpretation and opinion.

I just don't like it when it's too extreme, when Martin is offensively pitiful and Andres only exists to fix Martin's life and/or somehow being his "tormentor" at the same time. I don't really like this trope most of the time, because it's less a berlermo story and more a story about an overly self-pitying Martin and a cardboard lover with no life or feelings of his own.

And it might just be my personal tastes, but when the power dynamic is so skewed between them (Ex. Andres believes himself a god but Martin believes himself an ant instead of a man) , I find that version of Martin extremely unattractive and don't know what Andres sees in him. In the berlermo dynamic, I believe Andres loves Martin because he sees Martin as his other half and his worthy equal. Without that, I just can't buy into their relationship, and um, a partner who's constantly doubting your love for them or clinging to you every hour of the day is Not fun- if I was Sergio and saw someone acting like that with my brother, I too would encourage Andres to leave him.

Circling back to your point, LOL YES Martin is objectively the more booksmart and intelligent one (maybe Andres is more talented/knowledgeable in the fine arts but definitely not in the engineering aspects). And Martin pretty much built 80% of the Bank Heist, with Andres just being there for moral support or something lol (it's like a project where Martin did all the work and then added Andres' name to it). There's nothing I see to indicate Andres' "superiority" to Martin, nor do I think Andres thinks of himself as superior to Martin (and even if he did, certainly not by That much asdfadf).

"I feel like they’re equals and they treat the other that way, as if both of them are gods, not as if only one of them is." THIS. I completely agree with this! It's how I see it too- they see each other as Superior to everyone but each other, and in Andres' case, he definitely thinks that everyone should worship both his and Martin's feet.

It's like you said- everyone has a different opinion/interpretation of berlermo but that doesn't mean there's a right answer or that just because something is the majority opinion, it's the right one. It happens all the time in fandoms- there's some fanon or headcanon that gets popular, and it becomes the dominant one. It's popular, maybe there's reason behind it maybe there isn't, but most of the time, it's just because 1 person did it- people liked it- so another person copies it, etc. etc. Nothing wrong with that, but if you don't see it, you're not wrong either.

For example, I was really into Kirk/Spock once. When I was looking at fics for the reboot films, bottom Kirk was more popular. But when I looked at fics for the original series, bottom Spock was more popular. I didn't mind either, but those were written for pretty arbitrary reasons, like reboot!Kirk was younger and more immature, TV!Kirk was older and nicer, reboot!Spock was angstier, etc. None of it was actual evidence for anything.

I can at least assure you that everyone, regardless of what berlermo dynamic they prefer, sees Andres as Martin's malewife haha! He's totally Martin's trophy husband more than happy to be malewife eye candy while he brags to everyone nearby about how amazing Martin is. That opinion is very much shared by almost everyone ;)

So yes, #MalewifeAndrésrights2k21, always and forever!

And I hope that my long, chaotic answer makes sense to you too, anon! Have a nice day/night!

#anonymous #long post #sorry if I got a little off track anon!#and hopefully my answer makes sense to you

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orange-waterfalls · 4 years

Text

Say It Back(Part 1/2)

Host x gender neutral!reader

@thekillingjoke-haha ty for the request!

Part 2

A/N: BRO I FUCKIN LOVE THIS ONE. I was on a writer's block and then CAVETOWN MY LORD AND SAVIOR apparently made a song called "Sweet Tooth". I took a lil bit of inspiration from the chorus(hence, the title). You took inspiration from a song, so did I lol. It took me a bit to find the mood for the story, but once I found it I couldn't stop lol. So. Two-parter. Uh a bit of cursing, Rated T. Slight angst for a minute. The names I used are not people I actually know, they're from a random name generator website. Enjoy!

Word Count: 2.0k

Requests are open!

The Host stares at them from across the room.

Well… less ‘stares’ and more ‘keeps his head facing their general direction’. Even so.

They are beautiful. Even with the loss of his sight, he knew they were beautiful. On the inside, at least. He smiles in content as he hears their angelic laugh from across the room. Bing is making jokes again. The Host might’ve been jealous if he were a lesser man and if he weren’t so focused on how their happiness made him happy.

He doesn’t very much understand what he is experiencing. He’d seen movies, he’d read books, he’d listened to songs. He knows what love is. He knows it well.

What it feels like, however, was a completely different ballgame.

Host more focused on his work than on romance. Besides, he just doesn’t like people. He wanted to fall in love at times, but he just couldn’t.

Y/N on the other hand makes him… feel things. He’s not sure if it’s love, he just knows he really enjoys everything they do.

He doesn’t even care that they barely talk to him anymore.

Well… he cares, obviously, but…

You understand, don’t you? Good.

“Host? Hooost. Host!” A voice calls from his side. He hums in response. Bim rolls his eyes and leans back in his chair. “Have you been listening to me for the past ten minutes?”

“No,” Host answers flatly. Bim smiles when he looks over to where Host was facing.

"So you've finally realized you have a crush?" He teased. Host raises his eyebrows.

"Finally?"

"Oh, yeah. We’ve known this, Host, it's really obvious." Host furrows his eyebrows.

"We? What does Bim mean by ‘we’?" They hear footsteps and turn towards the front.

Y/N standing in front of the two, a small, awkward smile on their face.

"Hey," Y/N greets softly. The Host is frozen in place.

"Hey!" Bim says, a wicked grin on his face as he sees the effect on Host. "Didya need something?"

"Yeah, um… Bing told me to ask you where Wilford would be…"

"Oh, well I know nothing about Wilford. I don't think anyone does," Bim explained. “But Host here knows everything, so…” Host turned to Bim angrily. He turns back to Y/N when he hears them clear their throat.

“So, uh, Host?” They ask. Host has to keep himself from shivering at the sound of his name.

“Hm?”

“Where is Wilford?”

“W-Wilford is d-down th-the hall… uh, t-to th-the right f-from the b-bathroom…” Host stutters out, voice cracking once or twice. Y/N smiles and nods in thanks before remembering Host is, in fact, blind.

“Uh, thank you…” They laugh, embarrassed. Host tries to give a small smile. His face isn’t used to that yet, so he settles for a nod. They walk away, and he increasingly becomes more sad and more embarrassed as their footsteps fade away.

“Wow,” Bim laughs, “For a narrator, you can’t talk very well, can you?”

“That is not true, the Host can talk very well…” He pauses, “When he is not around Y/N…”

“Oh, so it’s just them, huh?”

“Yes, they very much affect Host and he isn’t quite sure he likes it…” Bim smiles at Host. “What is the problem with Bim Trimmer?”

“There’s no problem, Host, I’m just happy for you!”

“Why would Bim be happy that Host cannot speak correctly?”

“Because you’re in love, dumbass!” Host would have found the insult very… well… insulting if he hadn’t become distracted by the previous phrase.

‘Because you’re in love’. Was Host in love? He wasn’t sure what that felt like.

There was Serena Munoz in kindergarten. They dated for a couple days. She didn’t like how he read constantly, and decided to break up with him. Host wasn’t in love with Serena. He wasn’t even sure he had a crush on her. Maybe he dated her just because she asked. It didn’t affect him when they broke up.

Then there was Jesse Snow in the sixth grade. He was nice. Trumpet player in the band. They liked to read together in the library at lunch and after school. They recommended books to each other and even wrote a couple stories together. They sat next to each other in math and passed notes in cryptography so the teacher wouldn’t understand. They would, though. But Jesse was scared. Two boys dating in middle school? Not the best for his image. He probably got teased or called gay(which he was) and that’s why they broke up. He liked Jesse. He was sad when they stopped talking. But he didn’t think that was love. It was more of a ‘like’ than anything.

Then Asa Holmes in his senior year of highschool. They were really different. They had blue hair, but he could see the natural-brown in the roots. They wore a lot of black and spikes and chains. They listened to punk rock and heavy metal. Host liked the heavy metal more, so they listened to that more often. They did homework together at Asa’s house, and Asa would start dancing halfway through and it kind of annoyed Host, but he also found it endearing. Then they graduated and promised to keep in touch, but Asa just… couldn’t. Host understood, and they stopped. He was disappointed, but he wasn’t in love with them.

Is this what love feels like? Is it a weird feeling in your stomach when you look at this one person? Is it your heart racing when you see them laugh? Is it hyperventilating when they come over to talk to you? Is that what love is?

Oh.

Oh no.

Host is in love.

Y/N had managed to weasel their way into the dark and lonely place in his soul and fill it with hope and joy and love.

And, oh, how he absolutely loves you.

And what the hell is he supposed to do about that?

“Uh, Host?” Bim calls after 20 minutes of silence from the writer. “Are uh… are you okay?”

“No,” Host answers instantly.

“Uh… why not?”

“Because… Host is in love…” Bim is quiet for a second and Host worries he’s gone Deaf as well. But Bim lets out a loud laugh that startles Host.

“Bing! Get your ass over here, you owe me $30!” Bim yells. Bing groans and drags his feet over to them, mumbling as he takes the money out of his wallet. Host begins to zone out, all the noise around him fading into nothing.

Host was… in love. What was he to do? Tell Y/N? No… he couldn’t. They might hate him. They might think he’s awful. They might stop being around him completely. He couldn’t handle that.

So, what was he to do?

“So, what’re you gonna do?” Bim asks, as if reading Hosts mind. “You’ve got to tell them of course.”

“No.”

“No?” Bim scoffs, “Wha do you mean, ‘no’? You have to tell them, Host!”

“Hos does not have to do anything. Host is content with watching from afar.” Host explains. There’s a pause.

“That’s goddamn creepy, Host,” Bim states. Host frowns. It is a bit creepy.

“Host cannot tell them,” He whispers. Bim, finally seeming to understand, sighs and leans forward.

“Look, Host, I know you’re scared. I know this is unfamiliar territory for you, but…” Bim starts. Host leans a bit towards him, wanting to hear what he has to say. He may treat the man like he’s annoying, but ultimately, Host cares about his opinion. Bim sighs again.

“If you don’t tell them, you’re going to regret it. Trust me I know…” Bim pauses, and Host begins wondering who hurt him. “But, these are your feelings, Host! You can’t keep them bottled up inside you forever. It’s unhealthy. You need to tell them and if they like you back, great! If they don’t, that’s too bad, watch ‘Dirty Dancing’ on repeat and eat a tub of ice cream like the rest of us.” Host tilts his head a bit.

“Host cannot exactly watch--”

“Oh, you know what I meant, smartass!” Bim laughs and Host smiles. He does know what Bim meant, and he undrstands. He just needs to say it. How would he say it?

‘Hi. I like you. Say it back.’

That’s a bit too forward.

But forward is what Host does. It’s who he is, he can’t change that.

He’ll just say that to them when they come back.

Y/N walks back into the room where Bim and Host are. They’re wearing different shoes, he can tell. Are they wearing different clothes as well? Why would they be?

Wait…

“Wow, hey Y/N! Who you dressing all nice for?” Illinois says from somewhere else in the room. Host is pale. He doesn’t want to know.

“Well,” Y/N chuckles, “I’m glad you asked!”

No.

No, no, no.

“I’m actually going out for lunch.”

“Really? With who?”

Stop.

Stop!

“It’s ‘whom’.”

“Fuck you, Google. Y/N, spill.”

Don’t.

Please, don’t.

“I’m going out on a date!” They finally finish. The room is completely silent. Not that Host would hear anything with the ringing in his ears.

He felt bad. He felt so bad. He hated this… feeling. He was so upset.

“Well, don’t all talk at once…” Y/N jokes awkwardly. Bim finally decides to take pity on them.

“Wow! Didn’t know you had it in you!” He teased. “Congrats!” The other egos joined in in a chorus of congradulatory phrases. Host was silent.

“Well, I better go. Wish me luck!” They said, practically bouncing out the door. Everyone said goodbye to them, and the door finally closed. Host could feel everyone’s eyes on him. They all knew. The all knew. And he didn’t until he was too late to do anything.

Typical of him.

“Host…” Bim starts. Before he can say anything else, Host shoots up and makes a beeline for the bathroom. No one calls after him, no one tries to stop him, no one does anything, He is grateful for that. He just wants to sit and wallow, and that’s exactly what he plans to do.

Host heard a soft knock on the door.

“Host?” Bim asks quietly. “Host, it’s Bim. Are you okay?”

“No,” Host whispers. “Host is not okay. Why would Host be okay?”

“Well, uh… you’ve just… been in there a while. I figured you’d have gotten a bit better…”

“Host has not.”

“Oh…”

Silence for a moment, and Host thinks Bim will leave. No matter how much he may try to seem cold, he does enjoy the man’s company.

“Don’t worry. I’m still here.”

Host lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Bim?” He hears the other man shift so he is sitting out side the bathroom door.

“Yeah, Host?”

“Do you think Host is worthy of love?”

“Yes.” Bim said immediately. Host waited for an explanation. He got none. He supposed that’s just how it works. Sometimes you don’t get an explanation.

“Bim?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think that Y/N could be in love with Host?”

“I think… you shouldn’t bet on it.” Host’s shoulders fall. “But, I also think that there is a possibility and you should tell them soon before they fall in love with someone else.” Host brought his head up. Bim was right.

Y/N was going on a date. Presumably, their first date with this person. Dates are used to figure out if someone is in love, or gives an oppurtunity for someone to fall in love. There was still time. He still has time.

Host swings the bathroom door open and Bim hits his head on the floor.

“Ow! Dammit, Host!” He cursed. Host couldn’t feel bad. Not now.

“Host needs help.”

“With what?” Host turns towards Bim, who pulled himself to his feet.

“With getting Y/N to fall in love with me.” Host heard nothing for a second. Then, a chuckle from the gameshow host.

“Alright,” He sighs, “What do you wanna do?”

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hir-nin-thranduil · 4 years

Text

RPing The Elvenking

"Elves marry for love, or at least with free will from both parties, typically early in life. Monogamy is practiced and adultery is unthinkable.[3]:229 By their very nature, they are "seldom swayed by the desires of the body" or influenced by lust.[2]:211 They marry only once for it was ruled by Manwë that, "'since the Elves are by nature permanent in life within Arda, so also is their unmarred marriage.'"[4]:225 Finwë, first High King of the Noldor, was an exception. After his first wife died, from passing the majority of her life into Fëanor,[5]:237 and refused to be re-embodied, Finwë was permitted to marry again. This was pronounced by Námo as the 'Doom of Finwë and Míriel'.[4]:226" (Reference: http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Elven_life_cycle)

Since 95% of my RP requests revolve around potential romance, I thought it important to post this blog. To be clear, I’m not trying to imply that I won’t write love stories and the like. If we can't live out our fantasies in Roleplay, than where can we?

My purpose is to forewarn any interested parties that it's not going to be easy. Not only because of the Lore posted above, but because Thranduil has heaps of emotional baggage. The death of his wife shattered him...and Elves can literally die from grief. "For the Elves die not till tile world dies, unless they are slain or waste in grief." (The Silmarillion). I think The Elvenking found the will to survive, not only for his people and his kingdom, but more importantly, his son.

That being said, it's damn hard for me to imagine that Thranduil is in any hurry to put himself in a position where that could happen again. Plus, there is the shadow of his late wife to consider, his obvious love and devotion to her could cause him to feel that he’s betraying her memory. There’s also a great deal of guilt because he most likely feels responsible for her death. This is of course my own brain dribble. I don't believe his wife is even mentioned in the original lore. But according to the films she died as a prisoner at Gundabad. If anyone doesn't think he feels responsible for being unable to rescue her, then they just don't know Thranduil.

Why do we think he's so obsessed with reclaiming the Gems of Lasgalen? Sure, they're heirlooms of his people and probably worth quite a lot...but Elves aren't greedy or concerned with material gain. These gems were basically stolen from him when he commissioned a necklace for his wife....and in his mind, they sort of represent the last link he has to her - particularly that necklace. He couldn't rescue her, but perhaps he could rescue those gems. It’s symbolic and psychological. It is for this reason that I believe he is willing to go to war over something like this and risk the lives of himself and his warriors.

That's also probably why his grudge against the Dwarves is so intense that he refused to help during their time of great need. He warned Thror of "what his greed would summon" (AKA: A Dragon). So he probably felt that they got what they deserved. Plus I really don't think Thranduil is in any hurry to go up against another dragon after the injuries he suffered in the past.

Since he was somehow unable to rescue his late wife, he may also feel that he deserves the loneliness and isolation that he now endures, simply because he could not/did not save her. Which is another reason he may choose to actually deprive himself of the solace he might find with a new lover.

Also, I don't control my muses...they call the shots. I honestly can't guarantee much of anything...except perhaps angsty feelz and lots of sarcasm. My advice? Well, The Elvenking is over 7,500 years old. There's probably almost nothing he hasn't already seen and done. Most of his life is probably a blur of repetition. Conventional Beauty alone just isn't going to cut it....I mean, he's surrounded by other gorgeous Elves all the time. If a character has any hope of attracting his attention and interest, they're going to have to be unique and/or stir something deep within his soul.

Also...I know there are a lot of people who like to imagine Thranduil with a human lover. As I mentioned earlier, the grief from losing his wife nearly killed him...so why would he ever choose to go through that again...particularly with someone who's guaranteed to die? "A hundred years is a mere blink in the life of an Elf"....his words, not mine.

On the flip side of this, if anyone is curious about why I AM willing to lorebend and write romance/erotica with Thranduil in spite of all the evidence against it's likelihood:

Well, Elves are meant to be incredibly wise and much more advanced than other peoples of Middle Earth, therefore I'm inclined to feel that they're probably more progressive than their Old Fashioned Christian creator originally intended. I of course, say this with the utmost respect and admiration for J.R.R. Tolkien and his legacy. He's one of my personal heroes, and as you can clearly see, I'm a huge fan/nerd.

As we all know, Peter Jackson and his crew took plenty of liberties and bent/broke the original lore. The Elvenking we know and love from the films is quite different from one we read about in the books. He's also inspired by Thingol, and to a lesser extent, Fëanor (the Gems of Lasgalen were said to be loosely inspired by the Silmarils). Anyway, as a fellow writer/creative person, I guess I feel justified in doing the same as long as it is in the interest of good storytelling and fun RP, while also within reason. I enjoy writing romance as much as anyone else.

There are obviously purists and others who would disagree with me, and that's fine. This is just my personal stance. Feel free to contact me with questions or concerns.

Thanks for reading.

P.S. AUs are an unconventional method of writing romance with Thranduil. This blog refers to when I write him strictly canon.

#Thranduil #tolkien #leepace #lee pace #roleplay #elvenking #romance #TheHobbit #the hobbit #LOTR #rp

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tortuga-aak · 7 years

Text

Women have been shut out from directing for years — and now they're making the best movies in Hollywood

A24; Warner Bros.; STX Entertainment

Women are shockingly underrepresented in Hollywood, directing just 4% of major movies.

It's important to note the industry discrimination as the context of the widening sexual assault and harassment scandals in Hollywood.

Despite that, women are producing the best movies of the past couple of years.

"Lady Bird" and "Alias Grace," out this weekend, are emblematic of that.

With the Harvey Weinstein scandal leading to numerous sexual harassment and abuse allegations throughout Hollywood, it's important to note the context in which all of this is taking place in the movie industry.

If you look at the numbers from 2016, women are shockingly underrepresented despite comprising the majority of moviegoers. Women represent just 4% of directors of the 100 top-grossing films, 11% of writers, and just 19% of producers. And the figures from 2016 actually declined from the previous couple of years, despite a louder conversation about women in Hollywood.

The discrimination appears to be so extreme that the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission began investigating the situation under the Obama administration, with pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union.

All of this also takes place at a time where movie studios want to get as many butts into theaters as possible. And though major movie studios still aren't hiring many women in top roles, Netflix (with its powerful data engine that sees what audiences like) and independent studios (less beholden to conventional wisdom) are releasing the best movies and shows of the past couple of years.

A24

This weekend alone marks the release of the movie "Lady Bird," the directorial debut of writer-actress Greta Gerwig, and the miniseries "Alias Grace," which was directed by Mary Harron, written by Sarah Polley, and adapted from the novel by Margaret Atwood. They're two of the most critically acclaimed projects of the year. "Lady Bird" has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes right now with more than 62 reviews filed and even got a positive notice from legendary grump Armond White. "Alias Grace" is at 97%, and will surely be binged heavily this weekend.

And that's just one weekend. Later this month, Netflix will stream "Mudbound" directed by Dees Rees, which was one of the most celebrated movies at Sundance earlier this year. Last year, the Maren Ade-directed "Toni Erdmann" topped numerous best-of-year lists and was ranked by IndieWire as the best female-directed movie of the decade so far, while "The Edge of Seventeen" was one of the best teenage coming-of-age movies to come along in years.

The big studios deserve some credit as well. "Wonder Woman," directed by Patty Jenkins, has repeatedly broken box office records and now stands as the highest-grossing superhero origin movie of all time. And Kathleen Kennedy is at the head of Disney's LucasFilm division, which produces the "Star Wars" movies, though she hasn't hired a female director yet.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Why do female directors seem to have a higher batting average? Well, when you ice out half the population from telling stories, you miss out on a lot.

With "Lady Bird" and "The Edge of Seventeen," for example, we seem to be in a golden age of movies that grapple with women coming of age. "Lady Bird" stars Saoirse Ronan as a high school senior who calls herself "Lady Bird," fights with her mom, and tries to get in with the cool kid crowd. In the hands of a lesser director, it would by just another quirky indie movie. But the details that Greta Gerwig imbues make it poignant, sharp, and hilarious. "The Edge of Seventeen," likewise, is a funny and touching story about a teenager who gets upset when her friend starts dating her older brother that succeeds because it's being told from a woman's point of view. Both movies don't see coming-of-age as intertwined with romance, but as a quest to understand oneself.

Other recent woman-directed movies are also successful because they offer a perspective rarely seen in cinema — even when they're widely discussed. "Mudbound" has its finger on America's pulse with its approach to racial conflict, "Toni Erdmann" looks at globalization and family dissolution from a female young professional's point of view, and "Wonder Woman," of course, is a superhero movie about a woman for once.

Sony Pictures Classics

The movie industry's kindness to women ebbs and flows. It's been eight long years since Kathryn Bigelow won a directing Oscar for "The Hurt Locker," the only woman to win the award, and not a single woman has been nominated since. If anything, given the reporting on the scandals plaguing Hollywood, it's only become more clear that the industry's problems are more deeply embedded than anyone could imagine.

So in this context, it's important to acknowledge that some of the industry's best work is being made by the people who have the deck stacked against them. Studios simply need to give them the opportunity to make it.

NOW WATCH: Everything we know about the mysterious SR-72 — Lockheed Martin's successor to the fastest plane ever

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