Weird thought but do you think the movie and stage Queens would have sex with their counterparts? Like Vic and 2019 Vic having fun? Or thats strange? They're different enough I think

This is an interesting ask anon, so thanks for it. The weird thoughts usually make for good questions in all fairness.

I suppose there are two ways to regard this, the first being if the queens both know that the other is them in spirit and the second would obviously be if they are not aware and someone just so happens to have the same name as them (if names are even shared).

It is a bit of strange premise anon, I am not going to really disagree with that. Though strange does necessarily not mean bad. In general, how would it be considered if you are having sex with someone who is technically yourself? I suppose it would be weird to say that I think it is less 'extreme' than something incestuous, but who knows.

There are a lot of points that come to mind with it when considering the similarities and differences that align with both queens. You are right, I would say that the greater significance of the stage queens differ to a large degree from their movie portrayals. At least enough that it would be hard to say that many are really the same fundamental character when it comes down to it. Not in a negative sense, more from the perspective that the movie changed characters and basically made a non-replica / alternate universe of sorts.

Reagardless, I do admittedly have a bit of a hard time imagining something like this taking place, particularly if they know the other queen is in fact them. Given the interconnectedness of the different realms and spirituality built into parts of the musical, I think either queen would consider their counterpart an extension of themselves, just reborn into another life. In the vast majority of cases, it would end there in my opinion. Even from the perspective that they do not initially realize they are the 'same' queen, sharing a name would be another issue. That is clearly a hard thing to avoid, and it would set off figurative alarm bells in either queen's mind. No matter how many cats could be around, it would be very unusual to meet another cat with a name as unique as Rumple or Tanto for example. It would likely hinder anything further because they would figure out quickly that the other cat is them in some way. Rather than banging one out, I think they would have much more pertinent topics to discuss and share first as to why a second form of them suddenly materialized.

Anyway, for the purpose of this answer we are focusing on the premise that neither queen knows the other is them and that names are not brought up or important. Essentially the other queen is completely separate and remains that way in any sense.

If 2019 Vic and stage Vic were to meet, I do not think they would end up fucking for a long time (if at all) after the initial introduction. They are both shyer and more reserved queens that would probably share a deep friendship rather than any physical intimacy. They could easily be ballet partners / friends that support the other in such a sweet and personal way. Beyond that, neither of them are the other's type. Stage Vic likes the quiet strength / care of her mans and the boundless energy of Rumple, and 2019 Vic does not strongly possess either of those attributes. Alternately, movie Vic needs someone to chase / woo her, and it is not so much stage Vic's style. It would be a spontaneous and likely one-off thing if anything happened.

If they were aware they are the same, I think they would elated to hear about the other's life and the friendship would grow to be more like one of siblings(?).

For Rumple, I think it would be pretty quick before they are fucking in the bushes somewhere. 2019 Rumple is very forward and sultry, yet fun and exciting. Stage Rumple would eat that type of girl up (quite literally) as soon as she could, as that kind of energy from a queen aside from herself is dearly missing in the junkyard. On the other hand, movie Rumple would be smitten with the fun little queen that has the nicest ass she has even seen. Likely initiated by 2019 Rumple, they would get up to some mutually agreed upon shenanigans before getting distracted and ending up in a competition as to who can make the other cum faster.

Out of all the queens, if both were actually aware that the other was indeed them from another world, I do think they would still fuck. It is like the craziest masturbation possible, and they would be into that. Life is about having fun with little regard for rules, so what if that other hot queen is them in a way? May as well indulge a bit. Makes for a good story.

For Tanto, I think it could go either way. The tasteful distilling amd amplification of stage Tanto's more fun and outgoing side into her stage counterpart would make 2019 Tanto strangely alluring to the reserved queen. However, I would not think stage Tanto would catch her other spirit's attention easily to be honest. If they were to talk and get along, it could build, but I would not see a sexual relationship starting out quickly at all. If it did blossom, they would definitely share a intense passion with one another. Though, I think 2019 Tanto is too male leaning for it to be destined. Plus, she would be keener to explore with a more 'softer' queen akin to someone like Vic.

If they were aware that they were intertwined manifestations of the same existence, I do think stage Tanto would still be interested in exploring intimacy from a perspective of testing pleasure and spiritual energies in a completely irreproducible way that would come as her fucking herself but not herself. Movie Tanto would not agree to it though.

Stage Cass would be intrigued by the sassy / bossy nature of 2019 Cass, and that would elicit some desire from her. Movie Cass would be intimidated by her stage counterpart at first, but get on board with making a pass at the other brown queen. Meeting with a glint in their eyes, I think their sex would be a power struggle of them figuratively and literally wrestling the other be the top / domme. (Un)fortunately for 2019 Cass, she is not going to win that fight.

If either found out about 'truth' behind the other, I think they would have a laugh at making the universe more powerful with a second Cass. Rather than come together, I think they would both share tips on how to flex their control over others.

With Bomba, the stage queen would be put off by the negative aura of self-importance and 'big' attitude exhibited by 2019 Bomba. It would be a pretty big turn off for her. The movie version would be flirty with the (actually) red queen, but it would be a one-sided interest.

They would not fuck if they discovered they are both the Bombas of their world. Confusion more than anything would stem from it.

The stage and movie version of Deme are so different that I cannot see them hooking up or really even having much of any communication or relationship if they were in the same physical realm. Their personalities and essence are too dissimilar, and their preferences in partners is not close at all. Add to that, that stage Deme is not really all that female leaning as well. It would not really work.

Finding out they are the same individual would not change that, but stage Deme would be happy to hear that somewhere existed her spirit that lived without so much past traumas.

Stage Jenny would scoff at how aloof her movie version is. I do not think they would get along well, and would develop a fierce rivalry of sorts about who is best at baking, tending the mice, and training the cockroaches. Even burning competition would not open any sort of deeply fostered lust for the other in either of them.

Making them aware they are both Gumbie would make a bit of a merger of their rivalry into a iron-fisted rule over the junkyard. There would not be a piece of trash out of place, but 2019 Jenny does not have the discipline as her stage counterpart so they would still squabble.

With Jelly(s), there is so much of a disconnect character wise that it simply would not even be remotely plausible. The only thing that connects them is their name. Otherwise, they really are two separate characters that would have absolutely nothing in common if they were to meet, whether they are aware the other is them or not.

If you think I missed the mark on any of these anon, I do welcome you letting me know what you had in mind.

Part 2 of An Entire Presentation about Bakugo Katsuki for your Discoursing Pleasure

Link to Part 1!

This is Part 2!

Gettin’ right back into it. I’ve written a lot about Bakugo’s visual presentation and obvious genre cues, so now we can start digging into the boy himself.

I could not possibly unpack all of honne and tatemae. In fact, I’d hazard a guess to say that, compared to the grand scheme of all Japanese media, the portrayal of it in BNHA ain’t even that deep or complex. But the fact that it exists at all and has bearing on these characters is worth noting. Actually, this concept is really important to understand when viewing or creating anything set in Japan.

In my opinion, the most important thing to understand about Bakugo as a character (and the greatest compliment I can give Horikoshi’s writing for many of his characters) is that he has more than one motive at any given time. He may not express them all well or completely (this is usually one part “he’s bad at communicating” and one part “he is upholding his tatemae” and sometimes another part “In order to discuss this he would be giving out sensitive information he’s been trusted not to share” and also sometimes one part “holy crap the other people involved in this situation are truly not ready to talk about it! Good luck navigating that, Bakugo!”)

Conflicts born from a character’s honne conflicting with their tatemae is a common theme in Japanese drama. I guess if I were to try watering it down to give an easy example, it’s kind of like when characters have to choose between themselves/what they love and some duty they must carry out.

If you ever think Bakugo is being completely honest on the surface, you’d best make sure he’s not putting on delinquent airs or smiling his most terrifying battle-ready smile. And even then, you’d best think about why he says what he says before you get a good picture. Tatemae, the delinquent thing, a literal hero mask... He has a lot of masks. He uses them all. But he’s consistent even when he switches between them or fails to articulate himself well. It’s interesting to analyze what’s true and what’s an assumption when it comes to other characters’ interpretations of him.

Basically, he’s childish, clever, and tricky, but he’s consistent.

Honne and tatemae are complicated. Obviously. But what Bakugo’s play with these concepts and his delinquent shonen protagonist self-portrayal have in common are their use as tools to express individuality simultaneous to defending and obscuring the self from others. It’s a paradox.

If you are an individual who has ever tried to “pass” in your current life or former life, you probably understand the paradoxical nature of doing such a thing. If you don’t, that’s completely fine. Bakugo is a cruddy teen boy with authority problems who is trying to figure himself out. That’s all you need to know.

However, speaking specifically to the LGBTQIA audience: there sure is a HECK of a lot of correlation between all these factors.

To western readers in the pertinent weeb community, it’s a well-known observation that Goku-esque shonen protagonist types come off as being somewhere on the grey/ace spectrum. This isn’t definitive for any of these characters, but is just something to keep in mind about how certain demographics perceive these characters.

In Bakugo’s case, he is absolutely and completely uninterested in romance or girls, and not even in the “ew cooties” or “that would be embarrassing!” way. His antipathy and boredom with the concept seems sincere. (And if he’s even so much as emotionally interested in anyone, it’s a specific selection of other guys in his class.)

There’s not a lot of representation in media that the asexual and aromantic communities can turn to, so it may as well be found in characters like Bakugo.

While this demographic is not interested in connecting with a queer or queer-coded character because they relate to that experience, Bakugo’s, um, canon relationship with characters like Deku or Kirishima endear him to fujoshi. It’s important to note that fujoshi often (but not always! Not always! The fujoshi community is huge and wildly different in different countries) are homophobic in real life but enjoy the fantasy of two dudes in love for their consumption. The fujoshi view and appeal drawn from the idea of Bakugo potentially being in love with another male character is completely different from folks who are actually part of the community!

Anyway, that’s enough about all that gay shit for now. Back to the questions that really matter.

If you are still calling Bakugo “the Vegeta”, I must repeat: PLEASE call him “the Tetsuo Shima” instead! Please! I love Vegeta, but please let him rest! He has enough associated inspiration and discourse around him!

If you’re still calling Bakugo “the Sasuke” at this point in the presentation, however, you imply I have permission to hunt you for sport. :)

What is victory? What is success? What is a Hero? What makes someone heroic? What does it mean to be the best? What the heck does Bakugo actually want?! Motives are really important when connecting with a character!

So much. He wants so much and yet so little at the same time. I pray he one day receives validation in a way that actually matters.

For those that see through Bakugo’s facades quickly, his motive is heartwarming (and kind of cheesy but in a way I love to see.) For those that may not see through his facades so quickly, it’s fun to try and puzzle it out.

And even then, he can do so with about as much sophistication as a kindergartner writing their name. He’s good at lots of things, but communicating is not one of them.

It’s about the journey, you know? Bakugo’s emotional maturation takes us on a journey.

“IT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS!”

The ending of the Sports Festival - and every ham-fisted “I should be your rival!” overture he makes towards Todoroki for the duration of the arc - will forever be my favorite showcase of how Bakugo always has more than one motive that he can’t express AND how bad he is at communicating in a general sense. Props again to Horikoshi - the BNHA Sports Festival arc may be my favorite shonen  tournament saga ever. Bakugo’s antics in and out of the ring are a major reason why. I think even people who hate Bakugo’s guts could probably agree that his involvement sets the stakes and keeps the energy and drama of the whole thing moving forward.

We love a boy who catalyzes all conflict and causes the other characters to shine by being placed his opposite.

Anyway.

Being able to articulate such a thing is a victory in and of itself! You can do it, Katsuki Bakugo! You can adjust to your society! You can make friends! You can communicate with Deku! You can surpass All Might - whatever that means!

“Is Bakugo gonna win?” Talk about embarrassing if he doesn’t!

Characters in Japanese works often have meaningful names. It’s like a label of what they do or a big ol’ flag over their head signalling to the reader exactly what they are about. While a character’s name can be given to them ironically, Bakugo’s is not. But on its face, it’s a comically blunt name for a guy initially introduced to us as obsessed with being the best to the point of self-detriment. It’s a massive expectation and obligation for him to carry.

The family name Bakugo (large explosion/huge boom/big bomb) isn’t that deep, either. Bakugo is a boy who blows stuff up. Shocker. His given name is the point of interest.

Japanese given names (in real life, in fact) often draw from the names of the parents. Bakugo’s father is named Masaru (which means victory - I’m not going to get into the weeds about why it’s pronounced differently in this context) and his mother is named Mitsuki.

If you put the last character of Mitsuki’s name on the back of Masaru’s, you get “Katsuki”.

 His name is yet another clue that he’s a character with a journey for self-improvement.

For the purposes of this discussion, Bakugo’s concept of “self” can also be “the self as molded by the society of which one is part of.”

His personal social obstacles aren’t only about his relationships with others. He is also grappling with his relationship with himself.

Bakugo will get over himself! You take that little hand, Bakugo! Grab it and never let go! That’s the ultimate victory here, apparently.

At a pivotal point in the series, Deku refers to Bakugo as “someone closer to me than All Might”. For Bakugo to regain that standing and maintain it is an abstract but legitimate way to “surpass All Might.” I’m not saying this is THE singular way to interpret the goal (in fact, I can guarantee that it isn’t), it’s something to think about.

Bakugo authentically wants to be worthy in the eyes of the people that admire him and he authentically wants to atone for everything he’s done wrong.

Speaking of what he’s done wrong.

BNHA does us the service of casting some shades of grey over the reality of Bakugo and Deku’s situation. Cancelling Bakugo over bullying Deku without acknowledging the series’ point that the motive for “evil” and pressures that inspire it are bigger than just one person is, well, reductive.

Besides, Bakugo is more entertaining as a character in part because he is legitimately nasty upon his introduction. Who wants a toothless first-act nemesis that isn’t a threat? That’s boring. That’s so boring. I’m bored.

Also, this presentation won’t go into too much detail about it, but Bakugo and Deku’s status as childhood friends/osananajimi with an early falling out is interesting. It’s an interesting take on the osananajimi trope in anime - particularly in how it alters the understood interpersonal boundaries between Bakugo and Deku as bully-and-victim. Here’s a Reddit thread discussing osananajimi in Japanese media to give you more to think about.

Manga readers’ mileage may vary when it comes to when exactly they believe Bakugo first wanted to apologize to Deku for bullying him, but he definitely wants to do so earlier than when it actually happens in the manga. It’s an interesting internal chemistry to watch him grapple with even if he doesn’t deliver entire soliloquies about it. 

Audience anticipation regarding Bakugo’s apology (and the constant denial of it) is a major source of the narrative tension. Horikoshi does a great job of making the audience care about this moment by making us care about Bakugo and the hoops he goes through to tell Deku that he’s sorry.

Also? Deku shares some responsibility in why he and Bakugo could not communicate for years. Bakugo’s faults are glaringly obvious, but Deku is not innocent, either. Deku is also prone to feeling authentically guilty for inconveniencing others or making them feel lesser. He doesn’t realize he’s done this to Bakugo (he never meant to do so! Deku is naive to many things including the thoughts of others and their perception of him!) and thus it’s Bakugo’s challenge to even start this conversation without making Deku feel bad about it.

Making the wronged party feel guilty is not the best way to deliver an apology.

In fact, Bakugo does the most legwork between them when it comes to communicating. Bakugo leads the way on the emotional development and goes out of his way to support Deku whenever he can without overstepping the tentative boundaries between them. To tie this back to the honne and tatemae discussion: sometimes (only sometimes. Not all the time! Sometimes he is just a shit in sincerity) Bakugo’s bad attitude is a security blanket for them both!

Bakugo is “that one character who is angry all the time”, but manga readers know why! There’s a lot going on to motivate that anger for a lot of different reasons!

I’ve heard fans call this character Katsuki “malicious compliance” Bakugo in discussions before. It makes me smile every time.

I touched on it indirectly during the discussion of Bakugo’s individualism presentation and involvement with Best Jeanist, but he really is invalidated at pretty much every turn in the story with a handful of notable exceptions (and when he is validated and praised, he has a lot of trouble accepting it.) It’s just more fuel to the fire. He doesn’t do the nasty stuff he does in a vacuum.

This is a little bit of high-level abstract talk, but I think the association isn’t an unfounded or unique one among genre fans. BNHA explores the idea of people acting as symbols more than once (All Might as a symbol, Shigaraki as a symbol of peace, Bakugo as Deku’s personal symbol of victory, etc) so it’s not too bonkers to apply his character change as an allegory of change for the things he represents (those things being shonen as a monolith and the "base state” of BNHA society.)

But yeah! Bakugo is grappling with a lot and he’s our primary and most self-critical lens of these factors.

Sometimes, in a story, it’s not about what you do but how you do it. Horikoshi has done a great job in portraying this character!

(Also, Lord forgive me for using his given name outside of the necessary example slides about his given name’s meaning. I’m not changing this slide.)

For context, that guy in the corner screaming “YOU MEAN HE’S GOTTEN CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT?!” is, in fact, talking about Bakugo. That’s Neito Monoma, a character who embodies collectivism much like Bakugo embodies individualism, and they hate each other’s guts.

As an older reader, I appreciate that not every little thing is spoon-fed to me. I gotta use my own eyes to read the visual information like the chosen values placement, composition, expressions, and panel placement as well as the text. These compliments extend beyond Bakugo, but Bakugo’s scenes are often places where Horikoshi really shines when it comes to character acting.

You thought I’d already described all of Bakugo’s facades? Nope!

Hi, Asuka Langley Soryu from Neon Genesis Evangelion. I'm so pleased you could join us today for this discussion about aggressive, egotistical tsundere characters who wear red-orange and have complicated feelings about the main character of their series.

Bakugo is annoying. As a sincere fan, I’m telling you that he is annoying. Somehow, he makes it work. It’s part of the package. While he’s not as bad as a moe-style tsundere squealing “it’s not like I like you or anything!” the trope is the same. 

As subtle as some of his storytelling can be, just as much of it is comically unsubtle. Ochako Uraraka seeing right through him and eliciting that look of panic on his face is a personal favorite bit of content.

If you didn’t look into that Reddit thread about osananajimi/childhood friends I linked earlier, here it is again for your convenience.

Before I start with this, I want to point out that there are non-romantic osananajimi relationships between same sex characters in lots of media. There’s also plenty of platonic opposite sex osananajimi portrayals. They follow their own set of similar tropes, but what’s interesting about Bakugo is that he incorporates these tropes as well as the (love interest) girl osananajimi tropes.

Osananajimi relationships are often used to evoke security and safety as well as an idyllic past. Depending on the thesis of the work, the main character generally either ends up in a relationship with the (traditionally Japanese in appearance) osananajimi as a representation of maintaining tradition and honoring the past or they end up with the (foreign-looking, exciting, and contentious, and often a tsundere) girl who challenges the main character and represents the future and the outside world.

Bakugo is an osananajimi figure, but he is also a loud, blonde tsundere who is a catalyst for change and mystery for the main character. In conclusion: BAKUGO IS BEST GIRL!

Speaking of the ladies.

The biggest success of this “girl power moment” is that it has a nice execution, isn’t cloyingly preachy (because let’s be real - Aizawa gives a full sermon over to the audience over this), and doesn’t come off as insincere.

What else? Oh, right.

The translated pages I pulled are some of the most unflattering to Bakugo’s speech, but I’ll be honest: I kinda prefer this part to be translated in such a way.

Go cry me a river, asshole. But only if you build me a bridge and then get over it.

I’m goint to note that Bakugo never refused to save people at any point in the story. The main point of this is that saving people was never his primary route to “winning” against a threat. It’s more that saving people was an afterthought and a functional solution to getting people out of the way for him to kick some ass.

He entered UA High School with the assumption that he was going to be a combat Hero, but learned to be a rescue Hero instead.

Thats’s what it’s all about! Victory over the self!

What, the rude exterior too much for you? Are you still falling into the trap that everything he does on the surface doesn’t have a deeper motive and intentional use behind it?

God bless Kirishima Eijiro for figuring out Bakugo’s tics. God bless Todoroki Shouto for enduring them. God bless Toshinori for, like, recognizing that Bakugo isn’t evil but is instead a stupid teen boy who cares a lot but screws up a lot.

My personal favorite Bakugo manga face is on the top left corner.

I don’t spell this out in the slides, but part of Bakugo’s popularity stems from the fact that he has some of the best background gags. I don’t find him as funny in the anime, but in the manga he consistently makes me smile.

I included some well-known anime shots in here, too. If you don’t appreciate him at his, y’know, all of this, you don’t deserve him on the bottom left. It is my pleasure to mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say, “HE IS THE UGLIEST AND NASTIEST BOY IN THE WORLD AND HE SUCKS!” and then be completely serious when I turn around and scream, “HE IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WHOLE WORLD!” to anyone who says any different. I’m not even referring to his appearance, but his general demeanor. I strongly believe this is always how one should feel about their favorites. This is the correct amount to care about one’s favorite fictional character.

I adore his hero name and I will fight anyone who doesn’t. It’s stupid and self-aggrandizing, gives Best Jeanist the middle finger, and is also points out the fact that he realizes he has “reached enlightenment” after figuratively dying and has ascended to godhood.

Also, his Hero name announcement provides comic relief and an in-story morale boost in the middle of a horrific battle - all while he’s bleeding out on the ground. If that doesn’t exemplify Bakugo’s penchant for redirecting the mood, I don’t know what does. He could’ve just said “I’m still alive!” but instead made the choice to pull a stupid stunt.

Thank you for your time!

A Brief And Concise Summary Of Is Wrong With The ACOTAR Series

I think we can agree that a lot of ACOTAR is pretty iffy. Consider this a very brief refresher.

What's Wrong With Feyre/Rhysand (juxtaposed against Feyre/Tamlin)

Rhysand drugs and sexually assaults her in Book 1

This is "for her own good". Because he "has no choice". Despite the fact that, from what we know of the plot, Amarantha thinks that Clare Beddor was the one Rhysand was diddling, and is only interested in Feyre because Rhysand, "her" man male, has taken an interest in her.

If we extrapolate from this we can figure that Rhysand is the one directly putting her into danger.

Now, let's be clear: drugging someone is bad. Sexually assaulting someone is bad. One could argue there were extenuating circumstances. But if, in such a situation, what your mind goes to is "I know, I should assault this person... for their safety" I have questions about your moral qualities. There were a million things he could have done. He could have done whatever he did to Clare - that is, remove her ability to feel any pain - easily. He could have helped her escape. Under The Mountain, he - while still there unwillingly - has a lot of power, as Amarantha's side piece. Maybe this would have resulted in him being punished- however, he is hundreds of years old and a badass motherfucker, and she is a nineteen year old human girl.

Now, onto Tamlin. Obviously not a lot of people really ship F/T anymore after ACOMAF, because compared to F/R, it's boring. I read another person's post about it, which was very enlightening: they said that Feyre's personality is essentially a mirror. When she is with Rhysand, she's snarky and malicious- because she is "bouncing off" his energy. When she's with Mor she's super feminist and "in awe of her strength". On the other hand, Tamlin is kind of an empty character. He's a pretty boy with anger issues, which should be more interesting than it is. SJM manages to make him bland. Because Feyre has nothing to bounce off of, (a lot of this is from the person's post), she and Tamlin together is mainly just him introducing her to his world.

What Tamlin Does: prevents a skinny twenty year old from going on dangerous missions with him and combat-trained soldiers, accidentally blows up a room with her in it, and, at the end, prevents her from leaving the house.

This is not a Tamlin apologist post. Obviously it was really fucking gross of him to do that, and their relationship was toxic. However, a lot of his abuse stems from their inability to communicate, as well as own negligence. He does not knowingly and purposefully sexually assault her or rape her mind. And tbh, leaving a girl without combat training at home while he goes on missions with a bunch of muscled sentries is... kind of reasonable?

Again: not a Tamlin apologist post. It was abuse. However, if Rhysand is "allowed" to sexually assault, mind-rape, and drug Feyre "for her own safety", why is Tamlin demonized for preventing her from leaving his mansion "for her own safety"?

Another pertinent point: Rhys is never punished for sexually assaulting her. It is brushed off as part of his "mask" or that his hand was forced. Jesus Christ my dudes, his hand was not forced under her skirt. If he has to maintain his gross rapist abuser tyrant oppressor mask... why? Who did that benefit beside him? None of his actions remotely helped Prythian. They were done solely for his buddies - five people safe in a rich hidden city - and no one else, which is explicitly stated.

Finally, the power dynamic is fucked up. Feyre is less than twenty five years old. Rhysand is 500. There is a tendency in fantasy romance to romanticize a centuries year old man with a young girl, because the man does not show symptoms of age, and so it is easily ignorable. However, can we just briefly acknowledge how fucked up it is? Rhys is over five times older than Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein, and other known predators/abusers. She is twenty. That is really fucking gross. She is in a vulnerable position and he takes rampant advantage of that.

If he had wrinkles, liver problems, and erectile dysfunction, more people would acknowledge it.

Let's be clear: I'm not saying writing a book with an uneven power dynamic is automatically bad. For example, in The Locked Tomb series, which is in my opinion THE BEST FANTASY SERIES THAT HAS GRACED THIS EARTH (lol i'm starting fires), one main character Harrowhark Nonagesimus is in a position of power over Gideon Nav, the other main character. However, this is not glossed over or romanticized. Gideon resents Harrow for this- there is a relationship of mutual antagonism, fraught with unwilling familiarity and intimacy from growing up together. They are roughly the same age. While there is a certain power dynamic (in that world, there is a dynamic of necromancer and cavalier, i.e. sorcerer and sword) the "empowered" character (Harrow) emphatically respects her and does not abuse this power, although both would of course deny this, and she does make a show of threatening and being aloof. In short, while Gideon obeys her, Gideon also has power over Harrow, and the idea of what is essentially slavery is not romanticized.

Feyre Doesn't Face Any Consequences For Her Own Actions

Let me present a radical notion: a guy preventing you from leaving his house does not justify completely fucking ruining his country and harming the people inside it.

In other words: Tamlin does not deserve what she did to him.

I know that sounds iffy. We're conditioned to think that if someone is an abuser, then they are the scum of the earth, they deserve to die, torturing/murdering/doing anything to them is completely A-OK. However, here's another radical notion: someone harming you does not justify you doing worse.

Obviously, the effects of psychological abuse can cause you to hurt other people (see: Nesta), but Feyre deliberately and maliciously (oh, God, that insufferable POV of her in Spring Court; she reads like a cartoonish Disney villain) dismantles his country. She uses sexual manipulation (Lucien), torture (causing the sentry to be whipped), and mind-rape (who didn't she do this to? lol).

A summary of the entire first half of ACOWAR: "It smelled like roses. I hated roses. For this capital offense against my olfactory system, Tamlin and the entire Spring Court deserved to burn in hell. I knew exactly what I was doing. I smiled at him sweetly: no longer a doe, but a wolf. He didn't see my fangs.............." *aesthetic noises*

Man. I'm starting to think SJM had a horrible experience at a Bath & Body Works and took it out on the rest of us. Don't do it, Sarah!! I know Pink Chiffon and Triple Berry Martini are way too strong, but don't take it out on an innocent population!!

She steals from Summer Court (there are, yk, other solutions to theft. Like maybe asking politely) and ruins Spring Court. Her boyfriend - yeesh sorry, MATE - does nothing while a dozen Winter Court children are murdered.

Now: moral ambiguity is not automatically bad. Again using The Locked Tomb as an example, in the second book (spoiler alert), Harrowhark has a sort of moral ambiguity. She was raised from the beginning to worship the King Undying as God, and so she obeys him without question. Because of this, she commits a lot of crimes in His name: she "flips" - i.e. kills - the life force of planets, and she plots murder (albeit the murder of someone who tried to kill her first). There is no attempt to justify this. There is also no attempt to paint her as a virtuous and yet also badass Madonna figure. She is desperate, plagued with the "wreck of herself", and the book clearly displays her moral pitfalls. While her POV is of course colored by her mindset, it also is limited by her lack of information, and we as readers can acknowledge that.

BACK TO ACOTAR: Feyre is seen by everyone as gorgeous, formidable, and essentially perfect. Rhys sees her as flawless, "made for him", wonderful, beautiful, blah blah blah. (THEY ARE SO BAD FOR EACH OTHER; THEY EXCUSE AND GLORIFY EACH OTHER'S CRIMES, IT'S SO BAD, GUYYYS). Tamlin is insanely batshit in love with her, or whatever. To the Night Court she's the High Lady. In this way she personifies the Mary Sue character. (Excerpt from the TV Tropes page on Mary Sues: "She's exotically beautiful, often having an unusual hair or eye color, and has a similarly cool and exotic name. She's exceptionally talented in an implausibly wide variety of areas, and may possess skills that are rare or nonexistent in the canon setting. She also lacks any realistic, or at least story-relevant, character flaws — either that or her "flaws" are obviously meant to be endearing. She has an unusual and dramatic Back Story. The canon protagonists are all overwhelmed with admiration for her beauty, wit, courage and other virtues, and are quick to adopt her as one of their True Companions, even characters who are usually antisocial and untrusting; if any character doesn't love her, that character gets an extremely unsympathetic portrayal." Sound familiar?)

There is the Ourobous scene. And yet, paradoxically, while presented as an acknowledgment of her flaws, it is in fact a rejection of them. She sees her own brutality... and instead of recognizing that she has these deep, deep moral flaws and realizing that she needs to grow and be better, she in fact "accepts" them.

Guys: Self love means: "I'm important to me, so I'm going to get a massage today after work", or "heck, why not splurge on some expensive lotion, you only live once" or "you know what? I had a tough day today. I'm going to get that strawberry cupcake". SELF LOVE DOES NOT MEAN "oh, I accept all the war crimes I have done, I love myself". LOVING YOURSELF DOES NOT MEAN ABSOLVING YOURSELF OF ALL WRONGDOING.

It's this refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing that is so grating about ACOTAR. It's so goddamn one-sided. And you can tell that after Book 1, SJM decided to completely change the trajectory simply because of how jarring Book 2 reads compared to the first one.

Also: Feyre is a very, very young girl (compared to the other ruling fey) who did not know how to read for the majority of her life. She has no experience whatsoever in politics. Her being High Lady is not a win for feminism.

Rhysand: He Sucks

First, he is 500 years old. He should be written as such, not as some 20 year old virile frat boy feminist. Fantasy is all the more compelling for its elements of realism, which is a concept that SJM does not appear to grasp.

Second of all, his morals are absurd. He is written as the Second Coming of Christ, as someone who can do no wrong, ever, and his flaws only serve to make Feyre love him more. Anything shitty he does is written as part of his "mask" and she can See Beneath It and knows that it "hurts" him to maintain this "mask".

Fellas, WHY DOES HE HAVE TO MAINTAIN THIS MASK???? There is no reason for it. If A) he does not give a shit about Court of Nightmares (we'll get back to that), only about Velaris, and B) Velaris is hidden/protected from the world, what is he pretending for?

It would not hurt him politically to be seen as someone who cares about his country.

"Pretending" to be "Amarantha's whore" does not in any way shape or form benefit the macro-world that is Prythian. In Amarantha's name, he commits atrocities. He commits war crimes; he systemically oppresses entire societies. It doesn't even really benefit Velaris, because Velaris is already hidden.

Let me put this in a real-world perspective. This would be like if Donald Trump was suddenly like: "I know I was a shitty president but IT WAS ALL PART OF MY MASK, WHICH WAS TO PROTECT THIS MICROCOSM OF PRIVILEGED PEOPLE THAT I CARE ABOUT". Like: okay? Sorry, or whatever, but I don't actually give a shit. What about the parents of the children who died? What about Clare Beddor? What about the people who were held in slavery, murdered, tortured?

Rhysand: omg it sucks that my cousin Mor was oppressed by this toxic misogynistic culture from the Court of Nightmares.

Also Rhysand: lol whatever, who gives a shit about Court of Nightmares. They all suck. They meanie. Lol what did you say? That there might be other girls just like Mor who are oppressed by this system? Lol whatever. I can't do anything, I gotta maintain my Mask. I gotta sit on this throne and show the entire Court that not respecting women is completely okay.

In summary: by parading Feyre around as his "whore" (!!) he demonstrates by example that it is completely okay for the Court of Nightmares to abuse their women.

A good ruler cares about all his people. Rhysand cares about a tiny tiny fraction of his people: those who were fortunate enough to be born into Velaris.

God, I'm exhausted. Onto Nesta:

The only character who successfully breaks the Mary Sue effect Feyre exerts on her people is Nesta. Her POV for the first half is a joy to read.

Obviously it sucks that Nesta was a huge bitch to Feyre for the beginning of her childhood. However, it was wrong for Rhysand to threaten her- he is a man male with a huge insane amount of power, and it is not okay for him to threaten to bring the brunt of it down on a young girl because she was a bitch to his girlfriend.

I've seen a lot of discourse on the morality of F/R sending her out of Velaris. Here is my two cents:

It was okay for them to cut her off of their money. If they don't want to enable her self-harm, that is their choice. Again, it's their money, even if it wasn't fairly earned (Rhysand born into an enormous fortune).

It was not okay for them to banish her from Velaris with the implication that she was an embarrassment. Let me explain.

If Rhysand and Feyre are talking to her as sister/brother-in-law, then that is that. They have the complete right to express disapproval and try to help. However, they should not be using their royal privilege against her.

If they are talking to her as ruler to subject, then they have the power to banish her from the city. However, a ruler would not give a shit about a random subject getting drunk and having sex. So, they should not be talking her about her problems as a ruler to subject.

I've heard it compared to her being sent to rehab. However, rehab is a system designed to help people with certain problems. It has specialized medical centers and involves therapy. Nesta gets her life threatened multiple times. It is not rehab.

In summary: why did SJM inflict this upon us. Throne of Glass was actually good! GAHHH! After the first few books she completely whipped around and introduced the idea of males and mates and fey and that C is actually A and the quality took a huge nosedive. Sigh.

Final horrible but unmistakable truth: The entire ACOTAR series reads like a bad A/B/O fic. I hate to say it but it's true. We're lucky there were no heat cycles. OH WAIT

how do you see andrastianism being portrayed in northern thedas, especially in tevinter with its entirely separate chantry? is it going to be noticeably different than in past games do you think? looking back, the southern chantry and its templars, specifically, have played an Enormous role in the plots of the past DA games. it’s going to be interesting having a game without them, in a way...

Hello! Great question. This became long so it’s under a cut.

Hopefully true to the established lore and different in the ways and where it’s meant to be. 

I think the most considerable or notable differences will be less in Andrastianism - as in, individual peoples’ personal faiths, their interactions with and conceptions of it, and how they relate to it and it to the world around them - and more in the institutional, organizational differences in the structures of the Imperial Chantry, and how that subsequently shapes Tevinter society and culture.

The former naturally varies between individuals already, as with southern Andrastians and many religions in our world. Our most visible examples of Tevinter Andrastians so far are Fenris (see his banters with Sebastian) and Dorian (see early conversation at Haven). From the little insight we get into their feelings on their faith and their opinions on it, we can see a bit of that variance, and it’s naturally colored by their respective life experiences in Tevinter. Fenris’ faith was never strong; he says it’s difficult for a slave to have faith in someone who abandoned them. Danarius, like a lot of Magisters who own slaves I assume, didn’t allow his slaves religious teaching or access to formal aspects of the faith, in order to deny them a sense of self-worth. Early on, Fenris feels that the Maker didn’t help him and doesn’t care for him or indeed anyone, and struggles somewhat to reconcile that and to square away the Maker’s existence with the ills of the world. Eventually, by Act 3, Sebastian comments that he noticed Fenris in the Chantry one day, praying.

Dorian identifies as Andrastian, but doesn’t “believe in the Chantry”. He thinks both the Imperial Chantry and the southern Chantry are outdated relics desperately clinging to relevance. He acknowledges that this opinion doesn’t make him popular - from that we can infer how his Tevinter peers from his social strata tend to feel about the Chantry, at least publicly. He doesn’t like the... not sure how to phrase it or what this is called, but like the piety-type religious practise aspects? It makes sense, given his personality and story arc in DAI, that he’s someone who would chafe under being told what to do and how to live his life. You can also see where such sentiments would in part originate considering his background (having once essentially been shipped off by his father to an expensive school in Minrathous known for its adherence to strict Andrastian discipline). At the same time he knows that he doesn’t know everything, has feelings of being small in the grand scheme of things (this stuff is an interesting layer to his character, as he usually presents as quite self-assured, sometimes larger than life, and is inclined to refer to his skill and intellectual prowess), and believes in something bigger than him existing, because the idea of there being nothing scares him. 

The latter most obviously shows up in how Tevinter societal structure is flipped, with the elite mages at the top running things. It’s evident in things like how men and mages are allowed to be part of the priesthood as well as in Tevinter social mores - more tolerant views of magic, magical ability as a valued trait, blood magic’s pretty okay, magic widely-practised in society, etc. The Imperial Chantry holds some different beliefs, such as that blood magic was learned by humanity from ancient elves from Elvhenan, as opposed to from the Old Gods, and that the lies of the Old Gods are what was ultimately responsible for the actions of the ancient Magisters that led to the Blights, as opposed to mortal pride. They believe that Andraste was only a mortal prophet, albeit a mage, and even forbid worship of her. And they fundamentally reeeally diametrically disagree with the southern Chantry on the meaning of “magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him”. Instead of ‘mages should be controlled, they’re nefarious’ it’s ‘magic’s great, it should be used for the good of mankind and we’ll do that by having mages rule’. Some of this stuff diverges quite a lot from the southern Chantry, but Dorian does comment that most of the Imperial Chantry’s teachings are the same as in the south “...despite some finicky bits about magic”. 

I’m looking forwards to Tevinter as a setting, in part because of these kinds of differences that it has (speaking here of these aspects of its society, not others). It’s different. It’s fresh. I’m kinda weary of the south, and definitely of the southern Chantry. I’m interested to see these things that are established and referred to ‘in person’, as it were. As you say, the southern Chantry and things associated with it have been at the forefront so far due to its prevalence in the south - it’s time for something new! Beats like “mages vs templars” are well-trodden by now. The interplay between mages and templars in Tevinter isn’t comparable. The role of magic and the lot of many mages in Tevinter is totally different to what we’ve been dealing with so far. I guess my main point in answer to the question of Andrastianism’s portrayal in the north is a bit broad; like, I’m heeere for the new stuff, that interesting setting, and I hope they do the noted differences justice.

Even more minor stuff like: How Dorian had never heard of the Seekers of Truth as they don’t exist in Tevinter (he questioned Cassandra about what they are and wondered if they were some kind of “super Templar”, lol). How there are a lot of Tranquil in Tevinter, but there it’s a sentence handed down by the Magisterium for “abuse of magic” which conveniently has “many interpretations” (the inference being it’s a handy way among the scheming elite to get rid of political rivals). That the Magisters still make sacrificial offerings in rituals, ostensibly nowadays pretending that such things are for Andraste and the Maker rather than the Old Gods. The harsher and more direct political workings of the Imperial Chantry compared to the southern one - like, it sounds like it’s totally normal for the Black Divine to openly slaughter all his enemies after he ascends. Do the templars in Tevinter get chips on their shoulder because they’re basically cityguard Magister-goons and have no real power? Imagine Magisters being confronted by a southern templar NPC’s powers. Imagine the arcane knowledge and mysteries in the libraries of the Tevinter Circles, or going to an Imperial Chantry service and seeing the magic that’s performed at those. What an intense backdrop and sandbox to be exploring. I wanna meet the Black Divine.

There isn’t much currently known about Andrastianism/the Chantry as it is in Antiva that’s specific to there or that ‘jumps’ out, so it would be nice to learn a bit more on that front. Rivain of course is mostly not Andrastian. I don’t know if we’ll visit there in this game (locales like Tevinter, Nevarra and so on feel more likely) but would certainly reeeally love to do so and explore their pantheism and belief in the Natural Order. There’s a lot of really interesting stuff there like their seers, the long-established local traditions, even the Qun. The Anders are super pious - I’m sure if we visit Weisshaupt for example we’ll encounter Andrastians who are more devoted and more dour even than their southern counterparts. Nevarra is where again it gets quite different, and in a ‘potentially quite pertinent since it feels like we’ll go there’-kinda way. Their mages have almost as much power as Magisters do in the Imperium, and the populace has those hyper-specific and fascinating beliefs on death. The political intrigue there, their niche unparalleled knowledge of the dead, their influence on King Markus... more awesome, interesting new shit for a setting.

Not sure if this really answers your question. 😅 Basically I’m really excited to go north because some aspects of it are so different, even in fixtures of the setting like the Chantry and in Andrastian belief. I’d like to see some of the differences ‘northern Andrastianism’ has in action outside of Codexes and “back in my homeland” dialogue, especially in external stuff like societal structure and culture. I’m ready for mage-rule opposite-land for a change (not because it’s good or bad but because it’s different), and for new dynamics and different spins on old worn plotbeats. I can see the Imperial Chantry being prominent in the story and I welcome the fact that the domineering rhetoric around us will be somewhat changed up after three games in the south. Obviously the Magisters dominate the Imperium and they derive that right to rule from the Imperial Chantry’s beliefs/teachings. I’d guess we will be mostly leaving southern Chantry stuff mostly behind, as that allows the writers to keep the diverging ‘the new Divine’s way of doing things’ stuff off-screen. Time for different groups to play big roles, like the Magisters, the Qunari, the Crows. And some revelation about the faith of some description, like that Andraste was secretly a ghast in disguise, wouldn’t go amiss either.

Rebecca: Leaving Hitchcock Behind for Something Darker

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This article contains spoilers for the film and book versions of Rebecca.

Leave it to Ben Wheatley to remake Alfred Hitchcock. The younger British filmmaking iconoclast has been nothing if not provocative with his filmography so far, which includes the disturbing horror-crime hybrid Kill List (2011), the serial killer black comedy Sightseers (2012), the psychedelic, very weird A Field in England (2014), and the unsettling dystopian nightmare, High-Rise (2015). But with Rebecca he takes on not just a classic Hitchcock film, but the master’s sole Best Picture winner. Why not, right?

We’re being facetious, of course. Wheatley’s version of Rebecca (now on Netflix) is not a remake of the 1940 film but a new adaptation of the 1938 novel by Daphne du Maurier on which it is based. Both films are mostly faithful to the book (with a couple of notable exceptions), but Wheatley and his screenwriters (Jane Goldman, Joe Shrapnel, and Anna Waterhouse) coax a moral ambiguity and feminist twist out of du Maurier’s multi-layered Gothic romance that wasn’t permissible in the 1940 film.

“I mean, it’s the same conversation I have about every film,” Wheatley says when we ask him over Zoom what drew him to the project. “It’s like, ‘Oh it’s a comedy. The last one you did was a horror film,’ or, ‘Oh it’s a fashion movie and last thing you did was a family drama,’ or whatever. I try and choose stuff that’s at 90 degrees from the last thing I did every time, and I’ve been lucky enough to do that.”

Wheatley adds that reading the script led him to rethink his assumptions about the story and the Hitchcock film. “What attracted me to it was initially Jane Goldman’s script,” he explains. “When I read it, I was really surprised by it. I felt all the twists and laughed at all the right bits of it. And that surprised me doubly because I had seen the Hitchcock film and I’d read the book. So I thought that was really odd, that I would misremember it in that way. I talked to a few other people and they were kind of like, ‘Yeah, Rebecca. It’s just this beautiful romance, isn’t it?’ And I’m like, ‘No. That’s not the half of it.’”

It’s fair to say that Rebecca deceptively starts off as a “beautiful romance.” In the new film–as in the book and the 1940 version–the main character is an unnamed young woman (played now by Lily James), who is working as a personal assistant to a wealthy older American (Ann Dowd) on holiday. In Monte Carlo, the young woman meets Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer), also rich, who is quite dashing and recently widowed.

The two strike up a whirlwind courtship that results in de Winter whisking the young woman back to his ancestral estate, Manderley, as the new Mrs. de Winter. But once ensconced there, she discovers that the house is permeated with the lingering presence of her predecessor, Rebecca, who still commands the unhealthy loyalty of the mansion’s housekeeper, the sinister Mrs. Danvers (Kristin Scott Thomas). It is here that Rebecca pivots from romance to thriller, with the plot turns and psychological subtexts piling up like the waves crashing at the bottom of the treacherous cliff upon which Manderley sits.

“When I reread [the book], I just imagined du Maurier had written Rebecca as a dare or something,” says Wheatley. “That it was kind of, ‘You like romantic fiction? Well, I’ll write a book that will stop you reading romantic fiction forever. I’ll take the tropes of it, which is the widower and the holiday romance, and the rags to riches, and then I’ll really smash it and rub your nose in it.’ I loved it.”

In the book and both versions of the film, it’s revealed that Rebecca was not the perfect wife and society hostess that she was reputed to be. In fact, she was a cruel, selfish woman who claimed to Maxim on the night of her death that she was pregnant with another man’s child and would force Maxim to raise it as his own, a revelation that leads her tormented husband to shoot her dead. He disposes of her body at sea, but when the corpse washes up a year later, Maxim reveals the truth to his new wife.

Hitchcock’s film, due to the moral decrees of the Hays Production Code that was in existence at the time, had to change Rebecca’s death to a suicide since movies were not allowed to show murderers going unpunished. Under no such constraints, Wheatley takes his Rebecca a step further: The new Mrs. de Winter evolves into a protector of her husband, taking action to clear his name while at the same time fully aware that she is complicit in the cover-up of a murder.

“The moral structure of it is very different because of the things that were missing from the ’40s adaptation due to the Hays Code,” says Wheatley. “So the actual heart of the book is the idea that Maxim de Winter has murdered his wife and that you then side with de Winter and the second Mrs. de Winter as an audience member, and basically root for them to win throughout the rest of the story–which is utterly despicable. But I thought that that felt like a good reason to revisit it.”

His reasons to approach the source material aside, Wheatley knew he might touch some kind of third rail of cinema by taking on a story that the general public remembers as a Hitchcock masterpiece (it didn’t work out too well for Gus van Sant and his 1998 remake of Psycho, which like the original was also based on a novel). Getting all that noise out of his head was the first step Wheatley took.

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“Right at the beginning of the process I went, ‘Oh, right. I’m going to get a kicking for this,’” he says with a laugh. “And then I didn’t think about it anymore and I made the film. I put it right to the back of my head.” But the subject inevitably came up as the director began promoting the film. “I saw the reviews [and it was like] ‘Oh my God. It’s all about Hitchcock.’ But that’s inevitable. It’s fine. The audience that’s there for this movie is a much bigger audience than just the audience of people who’ve seen that version of it.”

Wheatley says he’s less concerned with his movie being compared to Hitchcock’s than feeling as if he did justice to the novel. “I had a lot of questions about filling the shoes of Hitchcock and all this,” he remarks. “It really isn’t about that. It’s filling the shoes of du Maurier. That’s the challenge and the fear of taking a book that is so beloved and so central within a culture in lots of ways and so influential. To take that and balls that up is the problem. The other adaptation is done and everyone loves it. There’s going to be no shifting of that from the pedestal of cinema history by anything I did.”

Of course Wheatley wasn’t the only one dealing with the ghosts of adaptations past. His trio of leads–James, Hammer, and Thomas–took on characters first embodied on the screen by Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, and Dame Judith Anderson.

“With Lily, we talked a lot about the agency of the character,” says Wheatley when asked how he approached each actor about their roles. “But there’s the aspect of the book where you don’t know if you believe what the first-person narrative is saying. She says she’s very weak, but at the same time her actions are strong. So is she slightly self-serving in how she talks about herself? And is the whole truth there?”

He continues, “That’s the craft, I think, of Lily James’ performance, trying to be nervous and terrified, but also not capsizing the movie by being irritating or being too confident or strong.”

Kerry Brown / Netflix

As for Hammer’s portrayal of the equally enigmatic Maxim de Winter, “It was more the other way around of taking someone from the position of being completely in control and being like a matinee idol and then just destroying them over the period of the movie,” Wheatley says. “But then as usual, the film is not shot in chronological order. So it’s an absolute nightmare to track all those kinds of performances. But that’s basically what we talked about a lot.”

When it came to casting Mrs. Danvers, perhaps the most iconic of the story’s three leads, Wheatley says he was “totally” enraptured with the idea of the great Kristin Scott Thomas taking on the part. “This version of it is a kind of more sympathetic Danvers,” he reveals. “I think that had come out of reading it and going, ‘I feel like she’s the moral center of it in many ways.’ There was a lot of quite complicated emotional stuff that she had to do–to go from being stern to being vulnerable, from beat to beat to beat. And I think that it took someone of her kind of pedigree to be able to do that.”

Whether viewers come to the new Rebecca with their own memories of the book or the original movie, or tune into Wheatley’s version with no preconceptions in mind, the director thinks that a new version of the story, some 82 years after the book was first published and 80 since the release of Hitchcock’s film, could have a different impact on new generations of viewers experiencing it for the first time.

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“I think every film that you make is putting the film through your experience of the moment,” he explains. “So I think that there are things that are happening now which become more pertinent, and there’s also general universal truths. The idea of, what is your history of your own partner? How do you deal with the jealousy of that and the obsession? What would you do in this situation? How do you compete with ex-partners? That kind of stuff. It’s also a tale of privilege, of someone who can float through life because they’re good-looking and rich, and they do what they like and get away with murder.”

Rebecca is streaming now on Netflix.

The post Rebecca: Leaving Hitchcock Behind for Something Darker appeared first on Den of Geek.

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alright, so. i beat remake last weekend, but i didn’t want to come out with my newfound yufi information + meta right off the bat. i think this is an appropriate time to do so now, though. naturally, i’ll tag as spoilers, but if you need anything else, let me know.

also, my verdict? i am so glad i went into this blind, without any hype or expectations or people from fandom whining about it. yet again, i am so happy + i had an incredibly joyous experience.  this game fed me + also took over my life in a way i’ve not been possessed in some time so like......... good for it.

also no, i truly don’t miss hearing everyone’s hullabaloo +  i don’t wanna hear ur complaints of “ it didn’t say when part 2 is ” so like miss me with that. 

also warning: if u didn’t know already, fandom is WILD towards y.uffie for some reason and i also addressed that, so like if you’re from vii fandom u might seriously wanna read this bc... it’ll be pertinent to u understanding my feelings behind it.  i did address some questionable topics like the underaged oversexual portrayal + beastality that’s popular for her and i am NOT HERE FOR IT so if u came for that................. issa no from me dawg. when i say unbearable.... i mean it. fandom grossed me out. y’all wild.

anyway. thoughts below !

some things that were CONFIRMED for me were:

> midgar is lax around its anti-wutai rhetoric in its most important parts ( namely, hq, wall market, and avalanche ). for propaganda’s sake among the common people, it stands to create a united front. but in consumerism & in strength, they consider the wutai equals just as anyone else. 

see: tseng in the turks; madam m in wall market; the supplier for avalanche.

i would even argue that sector 5 / wall market is the safest place in midgar for wutaians, given don corneo’s obvious fetishism ( and that really............. isn’t saying a lot ).

i’m not going to entertain that it’s an “ admiration for culture and architecture ” in true weeaboo fashion given that of all positions he could give madam m to hold, her duties are to screen women that would be appealing to his aesthetic and to run a massage parlor where the highest bidder gets to have a happy ending. she is literally the “ asian parlors are actually fronts for brothels ” stereotype except in this sex trade, all women go to don corneo. i will have no apologists in this house. 

i have more developing thoughts on madam m like how she might be doing the sex trafficking part in her own self-interest / as a type of self-preservation, like the don might say “ well if u don’t want to be a wife then u better find some for me ” but... 1) this isn’t the post for that and 2) that logic does not explain why chocobo sam and andrea rhodea are also apart of the ring. but in my opinion, you can tell she’s not crazy about it bc as soon as aerith mentions it to her she becomes so wildly upset that she breaks character. i don’t think she’s a sell out. i think she’s an exploited and fetishized woman in a tough place, and i feel for her.

despite this, it’s clear that because of his obvious ‘ preference ’ they’re [ wutaians ] held at a higher standard ( i.e., he doesn’t dispose of madam m immediately like he does with every other woman who is unfortunate enough to meet him ), so i’m willing to go out on a limb and say despite the high amount of shinra foot traffic that goes through wall market ( and we know this bc everybody who is everybody from SOLDIERS to Turks go to honeybee inn ), a wutaian would probably be fine there.

> wutai is the strongest world power by natural means. without SOLDIER s & g programs, midgar’s biggest claim to fame is to reach first-world status as a metropolis by siphoning mako via its reactors. without its reactors, the whole town would either be: 1) slums, like below the plate; or 2) as common as every other area in the nearby vicinity ( i.e., kalm, costa del sol, nibelheim ). by siphoning mako energy, midgar truly is unnatural, so... hm... 

corel could have been a contender ‘cause they use fossil fuels ( and look at how successful gold saucer is! ), but the failed reactor really threw them out the loop. costa del sol + icicle inn are both partially shin-ra owned / managed, so i’m not counting them.

> infiltrating midgar / shinra isn’t difficult. nor is navigating throughout the sectors. while there is the mention of the ID scan on the trains, we see this is not applicable on foot ( freely able to walk through sectors 5, 6, 7, and 8 as party; jessie + co are able to go above the plate to go to her parents’ house despite already being listed as AVALANCHE and that their fake IDs had already expired ). given that yufi entirely travels on foot because of her airsickness / motion sickness, she’d be undetectable. also note that the first 59 floors of shinra hq by stairwell are not monitored... and neither was the front door, so she could easily sneak in whenever the need called for it.

> established multiple points of contact between rufus + yufi ( and by extension, the turks + yufi ). i’m really going into this in the next section ‘cause... their dynamic became so much more interesting. but we already know that at minimum, there was contact bc she had the phs rufus had provided to godo + was using it to communicate with zack for treasure.... but let me hold off on this bc there’s one more thing i want to add here.

regarding the turks: it’s established that even if a person is someone of interest to shin-ra, they won’t necessarily act on attacking or abducting immediately ( see: aerith ). we already know they’ve known yufi since she was a child, and if they’re working with rufus they’d know what she looked like as she aged, so the excuse of “ she looks different than when they worked with her in wutai ” is out the window. it’s more than likely that they’re enabling her to continue her business with rufus + have probably assisted her with not being caught. 

> yufi’s clothes are absolutely normal for her age. it always annoyed me that somehow tifa’s clothing was like considered “ impractical but acceptable ” because she’s a legal adult and because cishet men were too drawn to the boobies to complain. but then yufi was either like HELLA sexualized as a minor ( the amount of ecchi / hentai that exists of underage y.uffie despite there being of-age content [ i.e., her portrayals in advent children + dirge of cerberus ] is.......................................... ridonk ) OR she was like hella slut-shamed and i’m out here like.... hello??? what kinda anti-wutai rhetoric is this? anyway. i’d like to call attention to kyrie, who looks like she’s wearing like 60% of y.uffie’s dirge of cerberus outfit. if anything, this only reinforces that yufi’s fashion choices are.......... legit normal, age appropriate, and anyone who wants to argue otherwise can shut the fuck up.

if you’re really gonna ask “ how come her shorts are unbuttoned ” like go check your privilege. the short answer is probably that rufus stole all of her damn belts to make into his coat. the long answer is that a youth traveling the world SOLO she is probably slim on money to be frequently shopping for clothes ? and the clothes that are available in the slums vs on the plate are probably not great quality ( idk if y’all have ever shopped at a freesized open market before but like... buttons pop off INSTANTLY sometimes and those seams will tear if u stretch the wrong way. like fast fashion but like........ hella wild ). she could find better clothes above the plate, but given the anti-wutai rhetoric up there... probably not a wise choice. 

since you’re looking at her outfit anyway.. can i bring your attention to her sweater, and have you note that it’s made of the same material as cloud’s? i.e., she’s wearing shin-ra/SOLDIER brand quality? ( need further proof that it’s SOLDIER? zack and angeal wear the same one ) probably gotten from either a trip to hq or........ someone on the inside............ but obviously cropped to fit her. she might’ve even had it for some time. now let’s keep looking.... i’m willing to bet the latter, and here’s why! ( prepare for galaxy brain time )

now for standard SOLDIERS, they’re assigned colors. we know third class / infantrymen are blue; second class are burgundy / red ( think kunsel ); and black / dark blue for first class. don’t nobody wear green.... in this whole damn universe.... as a main character.... except child y.uffie. HMMMMM. here’s the sweater again to compare. 

i’m just saying.

now, the ideas INTRODUCED to me were:

> there is only one AVALANCHE, but it is splintered into different factions.

now i always wondered like, how come they just picked up the name AVALANCHE when it was established already. like idk i don’t think people would be like “ ah yes we’re the n.azis and we’re different than the other ones, but we wanna evoke the same fear ” u know what i mean?? usually u would carry the same ideology... but it was always so apparent that barret held different views and goals than elfe, so i was always so confused.

but not anymore. now it’s established that they’re the same group, begun in midgar + just carrying out different methods of “ fuckin’ shit up for the shin-ra ” over the last 10 years, spreading the word about the danger of reactors + it’s suckin’ up the lifeblood of the planet to anyone who would hear. now that makes sense. in the same chapter that this is established, however, they also claim...

> yufi as a benefactor to AVALANCHE.

now this shit had me like AAAAAAAAH. now there is no damn way you and i played the same game if u didn’t see this. they literally say “ AVALANCHE is being provided weapons by someone to fuck shit up, in return for all the materia in midgar. ”

who would want all the materia in midgar? HMMMMMMMMM.

> with that point established, let’s go back to rufus + yufi having multiple points of contact. so i already introduced the idea that rufus clearly has to have contact with yufi bc he’s the one spouting all the secrets to shinra treasure via the PHS. and yufi has claimed ownership of the phone by literally labeling it as “ treasure princess ” so there is no question that he thinks he’s talking to godo versus yufi. 

but we also know that rufus is the person behind AVALANCHE. my man has TIME on house arrest, obviously. we also know that he’s on house arrest in junon, not midgar. now, if he’s out here giving them logistics like places to go to spout their rhetoric, and yufi is providing weapons ( remember, wutai is the strongest power by natural means, and apparently hq is free real estate to explore, so she’s got multiple ways to provide gear without it being an inconvenience to her ), so it’s.........pretty obvious to say that the way she would go in connection to AVALANCHE would be through rufus. also, remember she has bad blood with AVALANCHE because of their actions in wutai, so... she’s not gonna be keen about them anyway. it seems much more practical for someone who already views them ( and tbh, lots of people ) as tools ( rufus vc: “ i own you ” ) to accomplish one’s tasks to help her connect with meeting her own goals ( “ all the materia in midgar ” ).

this would also explain why yufi is found hanging outside junon.

if you opted to grab her outside nibelheim... you might argue that it’s because nibelheim is obviously suspicious + truly the evidence at how shady shin-ra is, given the whole place was rebuilt + is filled with actors to hide the fact that the whole place burned to the ground + was once the site of jenova + currently remains the site as hojo’s secondary lab + other secret, vincent valentine with the protomateria slumbering. she could have been tipped off by rufus as “ there’s another treasure here ” but like... there’s no way she would have known it was vincent. even zack is like “ idk wtf is happening here so i’mma leave this alone. ”

also, i love that rufus uses “ heir to the throne ” verbage, which is so akin to yufi also being “ heir to the throne ” & look at them: spiteful children rebelling against their useless ass dads to create new world order + to destroy the old shin-ra company.  i love that for them.

so in conclusion........ this game FED ME. god i wanna play it again and again. i beat it on normal and got everything except 1 treasure and 1 task from chadley. i also need to do all the combat simulators. but given i did what i could in.... 3.5 days, i’m not too upset by it. this game has so much replay value and... i can say i’m glad i bought it twice.

g.amestop give me my freaking shinra badge i’ve damn well earned it.

oh and two more things going forward:

> nanaki continues to sound old as hell. which duh, given advent children. but u know how they established him as a young teen in the og + so it made sense for y.uffie and nanaki to be friends ‘cause they were mentally the same age? i don’t...... see how that works now. 

also.....y’all could have missed me with this shit already but STOP SHIPPING HIM WITH YUFI. NOW UR ONLY ARGUMENT IS GONE. STOP. i saw some art of nanaki & y.uffie fucking in the tags + floating around google and i was like....... WHY!!! and then there’s also weird hybrid art like what if they had a kid or something and i just........  STOP.

i have flashbacks of when i first started writing on tumblr + how i was bombarded by furries wanting to fuck bc of this. like deadass king dedede from kirby. later on i also saw sonic & even alligators ( not an alligator man.... tho i did see king k. rool + donkey kong as well........ i hated y’all for a hot minute ). it’s not even “ monster fucking ” it’s bestiality and I’M BEGGING YOU TO STOP. y’all can truly MISS ME WITH THIS.

however, u know, bigby wolf + everyone from castlevania could easily get it. stardust platinum where ya at. if i had to pick it would be....... more humanoid than a penguin or a “ lab rat dog ” u feel? 

> i am not crazy about y.uffentine. look. i know it exists. i know it was big bc fandom was like “ optional character ship ftw! ” + then dirge of cerberus came out and y’all went wild ( to be fair, i get it, it was the only ship outside of NANAKI and BEING KIDNAPPED/ASSAULTED BY SHINRA SOLDIERS AS A CHILD that people could feasibly comprehend for y.uffie for some reason............................................................... it was an actually “ NORMAL ” person........ ) but like. i’m sorry. it’s not doin it for me. i’ve seen like two other y.uffie blogs out here that actually stick to canon so like if u want your y.uffentine that bad, like maybe ask them. but please don’t ask me. 

ok i’m done for real now! thanks for reading !

magic headcanons in the sanctuary ‘verse

Or, I have come to a point in my fic where I needed to stop and write down the rules I’ve found myself establishing for How Magic Works. 

Disclaimer: This is not an exhaustive list, as I assume Loki has magic and abilities that have not yet been explored in canon; therefore, some of these headcanons may be subject to change. They also may be subject to change depending on if I change my mind, cause sometimes it be like that. 

Note: “Canon” refers to MCU canon. I understand that Loki may have more abilities in the comics but that incarnation of Loki isn’t pertinent to my fic portrayal. 

Cut for length.

1. Canon Abilities 

superhuman strength, durability, speed, stamina

cold immunity 

regenerative healing factor, longevity of life 

master sorcerer: illusion manipulation, presence concealment, shapeshifting, mental manipulation, conjuration, telekinesis 

other skills: genius level intellect, master tactician, expert combatant, mastery of spear and knife, expert piloting and marksmanship skills.  (Source.) 

2. Canon Abilities not included in Wiki

Teleportation.      -  Loki knows how to get from one realm to another without using the Bifrost. In TDW, he pilots through a portal; in Thor 1, however, he’s shown to simply appear and disappear              from places without a ship or any other devices. I interpret this as his being able to go back and forth between places with teleportation magic, similar to Dr. Strange’s portals (Loki’s portals are visible only to Loki). 

Invisibility.        - When Loki visits Thor in Thor 1, he’s invisible to everyone except Thor. I interpret this as Loki having the ability to cloak himself when needed, hiding himself either entirely or just from certain people.        - It’s also canon that Loki knows how to cloak himself from Heimdall’s gaze. 

Ability to handle infinity stones.      - Phyiscally, Loki can pick up the tesseract with his bare hands, store it in his pocket dimension, and use it as a teleportation device.      - It’s canonically stated in Avengers 1 that Loki has been taught the power of the tesseract. Loki also sent the reality stone away at the end of TDW, implying that not only does he have knowledge of/understand what the stones are and how they work, he also knows they are too dangerous not to be separated at all times. 

3. Magic and Asgard: My Interpretations of Canon (Plus Shit I Just Made Up) 

Asgardians as a race are all capable of magic.       - Thor 1 establishes that magic and science are one and the same (Thor, Thor 1).       - Additionally, “ Asgard is millennia beyond you in our pursuit of science and knowledge” (Lady Sif, Agents of Shield).       - Therefore, I interpret that scientific magic is something all Asgardians have access to and know how to use. 

There are two types of magic: scientific magic and gifted magic.        - Scientific magic is more technological, used for things like engineering, medicine, transportation, etc. This level of scientific development is such the norm in Asgardian society that most don’t even consider it magic at all. One doesn’t need any magical talent to use magical technology.        - Gifted magic, on the other hand, is more like an internal energy; Asgardians are born with it (so are Jotuns; it’s like how both species are very long-lived) and are capable of developing it (though many don’t).        - Those who choose to harness and practice the art of magic are the sorcerers (or seiðmaðrs, or witches, if you like). They are mostly women and their brand of magic includes spellcraft, illusions and trickery, transmutation, telekinesis, etc. Gifted magic is the type of magic that is generally scorned by the warriors when practiced by men.        - Loki explains it like this: “Magic was an inherent ability in Asgardians, interwoven so closely with their scientific developments that sometimes it was hard to distinguish the two. That said, it took hard work and great skill to become a seiðmaðr. Practiced by many, but mastered by few, his mother used to tell him. It was like dancing; anyone could move to the rhythm of a song, but dedication, practice, and a natural, ingrained talent were necessary to make it an art” (Sea, Ch. 9).       - This is why it’s possible for Dagny to have the potential to learn and become a sorcerer herself. In short, it’s not like the Force, where only certain people are capable of it. It’s more varied than that. 

Some Asgardians have very unique magic that cannot be learned.      - Some sorcerers are also “seers,” who have the ability to see into the future. Frigga has this ability, and Thor has the potential for this ability (as shown via his dreams of Ragnarok and the infinity stones; I think he thinks those prophecies were tied to Ragnarok, and doesn’t realize it’s a power he specifically can develop).       - Loki, notably, does not have this ability and makes it a point to say so, which is the basis of my interpretation that this particular skill is innate in some and not others, and can’t be learned.       - Heimdall, of course, has the ability to see all of the universe at all times. This is his gift from the norns, and cannot be learned.       - Thor’s lightning powers and ability to control the storms were also a gift from the norns (not to Thor specifically, but to the firstborn son of Odin). It can’t be learned or transferred; it exists solely in Thor.       - Finally, there is the Odinforce, which is strictly a tool of the kings of Asgard. When it gets low, it must be replenished by the Odinsleep. (Source.) My interpretation is that the Odinforce is the most powerful magic that exists, second only to the power of the norns.      - In later chapters of Sea, I plan to explore how Thor now also has access to the Odinforce, but he doesn’t realize it yet. 

4. Loki’s Seiðr

Loki’s magic is tangible energy.       - The more developed the sorcerer, the more tangible that internal energy becomes. I imagine Loki’s seiðr, at this point, to be so developed that it’s like a chemical. It rests in his core and flows through his veins; it’s an intrinsic, physical part of him, like a limb or an organ or blood.         - Like any energy source, the magic can become depleted. If Loki overexerts himself (usually by pushing himself to his limits or attempting a spell that requires a lot of magic), not only does his magic become inaccessible while it “recharges,” but because his magic is physically a part of him, being without it makes him terribly ill. He experiences symptoms such as nausea, exhaustion, headaches, etc. His mother referred to this condition as being “spell sick.”         - When he is spell sick, he can’t do advanced magic at all. He may be able to muster up enough energy for rudimentary spells, at the risk of making himself even sicker.       - Being spell sick does not affect his natural enhanced abilities, such as his strength or durability.

Loki’s magic responds to extreme emotions.        -   In TDW, after finding out about Frigga’s death, Loki clenches his fists and everything in his cell goes telekinetically flying. I interpret this as his telekinesis going haywire as a result of his extreme distress.       -  Likewise, when his emotions are beyond his control, the magic lashes out because Loki is no longer capable of controlling that energy. This is why lights and machinery shattered when he had a panic attack, and why little mage lights appeared everywhere when he was having sex with Brunnhilde (bc it was a particularly emotional encounter).        -  Extreme emotion can also fuel Loki’s magic. Spells and abilities can be performed at a more powerful level when Loki channels things like rage, grief, elation, etc into it. 

Some magic is visible to everyone; some is only visible to Loki.        - Some magic, of course, can be seen as it’s being performed. Mage lights, electricity, fire and ice magic, and so on - these are all things that everyone can see.        - Other magic is, again, energy - it flows, it ebbs, it gets tangled up, it hovers in the air. This type of magic exists on a level that can’t be seen except by those who know where it is. Loki, of course, knows where it is. He can also “pull” magic out of a bespelled object. In Sea, Dr. Strange enchanted a bracelet to bind Loki’s magic; Loki was able to visibly pull the magic from the bracelet in order to access it and set about dismantling it. He likened it to unraveling a ball of yarn. 

Miscellaneous.         - Some magic can be performed without a thought, like telekinesis or conjuring; other magic requires incantations and/or physical objects to work. The more advanced the spell, the more complicated the process.          - Loki has a veritable treasure trove of magical components, such as potions, charmed objects, spellbooks, and so on. He has several pocket dimensions and has been squirreling things away for years. A lot of his resources were lost on Asgard, but Loki has plenty more than anyone realizes hidden away. 

I’m pretty sure this is everything I’ve come up with so far, but I might make this its own page on my blog so I can add to it later. 

ARTHAS’ RP PLOTTING CHEAT-SHEET!

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mun name: Frost

OOC Contact: Ask/IMs. Discord if we’re close.

Who the heck is my muse anyway?

   Arthas Menethil is the Lich King of the Scourge, which means that he is the tyrannical god-emperor of various undead creatures (zombies, ghosts, wights, vampires, and Frankenstein-esque monstrosities just to name a few). He was originally a heroic, benevolent man before falling to evil and deciding he liked it down in the dark.

   In addition to his Scourge, he is worshiped and obeyed by an assortment of organizations of various living beings, and even a certain pack of werewolves. He is the most powerful necromancer in the world, and has aspirations of killing everyone to raise them as subjects for his kingdom of the dead.  

Points of interest:

Fall of the Lich King happened, wherein he died after Frostmourne was shattered. Bolvar was the Lich King for a while. Kel’Thuzad eventually found and stole Arthas’ body before resurrecting his lord, and they gallivanted around Azeroth during the Cataclysm, trying to find the shards of Frostmourne and stay out of public sight. Eventually (in MoP) they make their way back to ICC, kill Bolvar, and Arthas is the Lich King once more.

My portrayal of Arthas borrows heavily from Rise of the Lich King in addition to Warcraft III and Wrath; I more or less ignore what Chronicles says about him, because I prefer the way that Rise explored his struggle between humanity and inhumanity and it gives me a bit of content to work in regards to building up an idea of who Arthas was in life, and how that stays with him in death.

The Lich King is a god(ish) and Arthas has the ego, power, and cult to back up that mentality. He can and has murdered dozens of heroes with little more than a wave of his hand; is capable of resurrecting ancient, powerful entities to serve him in undeath; grants “blessings” upon those who earn his favor; and possesses an empire of slavering monsters chomping at the bit to do absolutely anything he says. ‘Human’ is not the word for what he is anymore.  

And Arthas was once a man; no matter how hard he has ever tried, no matter what he’s done to himself or to anyone else, Arthas is still plagued by the vestiges of his humanity, which often manifests as him taking a special interest in certain individuals: Jai.na, Andu.in, adventurers, and (negatively) Syl.vanas for instance. As a result, his reactions to people are sporadic: he might show surprising lenience or tolerance for acts of defiance and opposition should the perpetrator tug on the right heartstring.

Arthas has a daughter whom is generally his Deathlord in the pertinent verses. Her status as his daughter is relatively common knowledge post-Wrath of the Lich King, and is a contentious spot for him.

What they’ve been up to recently:

WARCRAFT: Arthas has been (quietly, quietly) aiding in the repulsion of the Burning Legion from Azeroth, for he despises his old demonic masters and has no intention of losing his world to them. He is also busy reestablishing the Scourge as a power to be feared, and returning Northrend under his control. With the conclusion of Legion, he is now focused upon rebuilding his kingdom after the Burning Legion trashed it again and also I’m paying zero attention to what’s going on in Battle of Azeroth so idk any way to really integrate him!!! Also we’re gonna just ignore everything that kickstarted Shadowlands because fuck that noise.

SWTOR: Darth Necrolis, once a promising Jedi Knight, now an insidious Lord of the Sith, seeks out the eldritch knowledge of Darth Nihilus and even the Emperor, Vitiate, in his quest to obtain immortality. Although, gifted with the frightening ability to bind Force ghosts to himself, one wonders if his search is redundant at this point.

Where to find them:

WARCRAFT: Northrend in general, and Icecrown in particular, are the Lich King’s usual haunts, along with other Scourge strongholds such as the Plaguelands or Naxxramas. He may also wander through areas of present note because he’s a curious lad. (Aka the current expansion’s region: Broken Isles for Legion, Pandaria for Mists, etc., etc….)

SWTOR: While Necrolis can generally be found nearly anywhere in Imperieal space, Dromund Kaas and Korriban are perhaps the safest locations to catch him. He may also be within his citadel on the wintry planet on Northrend.

Current plans:

WARCRAFT

RESTORE THE SCOURGE: We trashed his kingdom last time we took a gander through Northrend, and he’s hard at work not only repairing what we broke, but reinforcing it. To that end, he seeks to otain new resources and sources of power. Azerite, for example…

CORRUPT THE KNIGHTS OF THE EBON BLADE: Particularly from Legion onward, the Lich King has his eye on Acherus and its denizens, subtly setting in place plans to turn the world against him and leave them no recourse but to return to the Scourge.

KILL EVERYONE: Self-explanatory.

SWTOR:

CRUSH THE REPUBLIC: Jedi are nerds and he WILL stuff you into a frozen space locker.

OBTAIN IMMORTALITY: He’s going to end up devouring a planet a la Vitiate, I feel.

BIND MORE FORCE GHOSTS TO HIMSELF: More ghosts = more power = good.

BECOME THE NEW EMPEROR: You’re not a real Sith Lord if you’re not trying.

Desired interactions:

SCOURGE AND CULTISTS: What’s a king without his kingdom?

ALIVE: I don’t write a lot with or about Arthas prior to his fall, and I really should. It’s a fun exercise in trying to show those hints of the boy who will be king, and the boy who might not have.

DEATH KNIGHT: Back when he was still on Ner’zhul’s payroll and edging the line of being a little too human in his monstrosity.

POST-RESURRECTION: OR Arthas “Matthias Lehner” Menethil wanders around Azeroth trying not to get caught out as Arthas Menethil whilst hunting down the erstwhile remnants of his shattered sword.

THWART HIS PLANS! I don’t think I have any real developed antagonistic relationships on this blog which is a shame.

SWTOR - LITERALLY ANYTHING: Pls, I’m begging you, indulge my SW love.

Offered interactions:

MONSTER DAD: Arthas adores inhuman abominations and eldritch beasts, whether they were Once a Man or were never mortal to begin with, and he’ll adopt (”adopt”) any and all at the drop of a hat.

DEAL WITH THE DEVIL: For the low, low price of your immortal soul, all your dreams can come true if you just make him an offer. Or, better: he makes the offer to you.

ANNOYING BYSTANDER: Arthas loves to just show up and talk shit at everyone around for no apparent reason, it happens in canon and it happens on this blog all the time. Let’s see you try to kill that big evil demon while the fucking Lich King is off to the side reading a magazine and criticizing your talent choices.

“JOIN” THE SCOURGE: Fight the Lich King! Die to the Lich King! Get resurrected as an atrocity against life by the Lich King!

Current open post/s:

   No.

Anything else?:

    I’m very slow and prickly, but in the way that grandfather spider in Spirited Away was, so don’t worry too much about it.

Tagged by:  reposting ‘cause it’s been a while

Tagging: this was. a lot.

The Monsters of In/Spectre Are Everywhere, Even on the Internet

  As a kid, I was both enamored with and totally terrified of supernatural monsters. That sentiment primarily came from my religious upgringing, but anime was also a factor, which I'll blame on early exposure to the 80s Vampire Hunter D OVA. Live-action movies played a role, as well. I cowered at the TV any time I stumbled across trailers for Francis Ford Coppolla's Dracula (thanks for the nightmares, Gary Oldman). There was something far more disturbing to me about a vaguely 'realistic' depiction of the supernatural, performed by actual people, more so than any hand-drawn renditions of ghoulish beasts. It amplified my fear that those scary beings might be more real than I wanted to believe, and I was terrified of encountering something demonic. 

  Unlike my terror-fueled childhood visions on this topic, In/Spectre shows humanity to be far less impotent in this regard. Humans in this series can regulate, create, and destroy the supernatural, and are even capable of becoming (at least partially) mystical creatures themselves. However, In/Spectre is nuanced enough to avoid making this a one-sided narrative gimmick: paranormal beings are not completely helpless or disempowered by humans. Rather, the show depicts an intriguing interplay between humans and the supernatural; a fluid dynamic with checks and balances on both sides. In/Spectre offers a unique depiction of supernatural creatures, which makes for a refreshing and gratifying viewing experience.

Did I mention the show also uses the aforementioned themes to touch upon some important real-life topics too? Wanna know more? Then keep on reading, and be aware there will be spoilers after the first section!

  The Basic Premise of Kotoko's Character

                         The very premise of In/Spectre's protagonist Kotoko offers a unique portrayal of supernatural monsters, and how they connect with humans. Episode one reveals to us that 15-year-old Kotoko lost her right eye and left leg in order to become the Goddess of Wisdom, an intermediary who helps investigate and solve pressing issues faced by spirit beings. Essentially, Kotoko helps regulate the spirit world using her own human intellect. You'd think the realm of the dead would find and choose a ghostly, non-mortal detective to deal with their own problems, right? Nope. In/Spectre provides aficionados of all-things-paranormal a unique, satisfying genre-twist by making spirits seek guidance from a human protagonist, upending the usual narrative trope where humans are the ones looking for preternatural counsel.

As with all things in matters of art, though, it's probably debatable whether or not Kotoko is truly 100% human considering she was granted such a lofty status by the spirit realm. But if she does possess superhuman abilities of some sort, she has yet to display them. One of Kotoko's charms is that she uses her natural brain power to find her way out of dicey situations, even when she's talking to a giant river snake or up against something as fierce as Steel Lady Nanase. And this lack of preternatural powers is what makes Kotoko physically vulnerable to the spiritual creatures she deals with. That's where her more questionably-human 'boyfriend' Kuro comes in as a balancing co–protagonist.

  Kuro: To Be (Human), or Not to Be

                         After being forced by his family to eat both mermaid flesh and a Kudan (a yokai that dies after predicting the future), Kuro Sakuragawa transformed into a hybridized being: at once a person yet also non-human, capable of resurrecting himself after being killed, poisoning yokai with his own body, and seeing and choosing future events. As someone more on the supernatural side of things compared to Kotoko, Kuro makes for a great character contrast to Kotoko's decidedly human intellectual strengths. The multi-episode battle with Steel Lady Nanase serves as as a prime example: Kuro brutally goes toe to toe with the beam-wielding monster, while Kotoko goes online and uses her mental prowess to try to eliminate their ghoulish enemy. In/Spectre certainly knows how to use its two protagonists in complementary and compelling ways. 

  Another point of interest is how Kuro's family acts intentionally diabolical, in a way that makes them crueler and more fiendish than any monster in the series. The Sakuragawa family's willingness to brutally deceive their closest kin by feeding them yokai flesh stands as a sharp contrast to other recent fantasy-based anime, such as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, where demons prey on human flesh for sustenance and power. In/Spectre alters that: humans consume demons in the quest for wealth, fame, power, and the ability to predict the future. This thematic alteration also takes shape in how spirits view Kuro. Most of them find Kuro absolutely terrifying for a variety of reasons, a likely one being his ability to poison yokai who eat his flesh. Compare this plot element to most supernatural media, where the humans are usually the ones deathly afraid of demonic spirits/ghosts/fill-in-the-blank.

Kuro and his family add another layer of depth to In/Spectre's narrative repertoire, by making humans a frightful and comparatively crueler presence in contrast to the monsters in the series. In terms of a real life takeaway, the actions of the Sakuragawas offer a stark message: the exploitative pursuit of personal power can transform us into creatures who are far more malevolent, and more demonic, than any supernatural beast or spirit.  And now for my final example...

  You Can Blame Everything on the Internet

The Steel Lady Nanase arc is In/Spectre's meatiest story thus far. Beginning at episode three, it traces the mysterious alleged death of a controversial popstar named Nanase Karin, who died after a steel beam fell on her one rainy night. A faceless, ghostly version of Nanase Karin appears, and uses a metal beam—similar to the one responsible for her death—as her murder weapon. The internet deems her 'Steel Lady Nanase.' The truly fascinating part about this arc is the explanation behind Steel Lady Nanase's existence. Kotoko reveals that the ghastly creature is a 'monster of the imagination,' created and manifested physically by the collective imagination and will of millions of people (a collective will manipulated all along the way by Rikka, who alters future events just like her cousin Kuro does). More than anywhere else in the show, this is the best example of human reality dictating the supernatural. Spirits seem to exist on their own elsewhere in the series (such as a spirit from a person who died), but Steel Lady Nanase comes into existence primarily through the internet's collective belief in what turns out to be a lie. Plenty of supernatural fiction features beasts who exist and act completely external to—or separate from—human behavior, words, etc. In/Spectre forges its own distinct take on the aforementioned trope by featuring a supernatural monster who is permeable to—and in fact created by—human imagination.

  Unfortunately, it turns out that conjuring a murderous monster into existence comes with some problems. The fictive Steel Lady Nanase goes on a rampage and starts killing actual humans, and even though people are fearful of her, the only way to destroy her is by undoing collective belief. It takes Kotoko's sly wit and penchant for fiction to unravel the Internet's certainty of the ghoul's existence. This plot point displays an unfortunate truth pertinent for our current digital age: any Internet lie told convincingly enough and believed by enough people can evolve into 'monsters' that affect the 'real' world (Internet leaks and rumors in all their forms are no trivial matter). It makes the truth about anything difficult and nigh-impossible to uncover when millions of people have access to, and share, countless discussion posts, news articles, memes, and alleged 'facts' without vetting the information first.  From the central plot, to the characters, to the way it addresses the Internet itself, In/Spectre tackles the connection between humans and the supernatural with sparkling finesse and originality. Instead of settling into well-worn tropes of how humans and spiritual beings relate, In/Spectre carves its own path and narrative trail to great success.  What else about In/Spectre intrigues you when it comes to humans and the supernatural? Let me know in the comments below!                              

By: [email protected]

a comprehensive meta post ;

DEATH HABITS:

-        Deviates from canon in that Kenny does not go through the “birth” process as described; his body is recycled and healed, almost like he has been given a brand new one.

-        Wounds and scars do not tend to last. Sometimes if he has suffered a particularly bad injury it will take moderately longer to heal, but even if he does not die, he does not maintain any physical damage.

-        The space between death and rebirth takes longer every time he dies. The time it takes depends and varies based on how bad the death is. For instance, if Kenny is stabbed and dies from that, it may only take him a few days to come back. However, in the case of a more brutal death, it could takes weeks, or months.

-        It becomes very apparent the older he gets that Kenny is not necessarily immortal. He could eventually die, and stay dead. Every time he suffers an “incident” it is a gamble on both how long it will take for his body to mend, and if he will be given another chance at all.

-        When injuries are bad but not quite bad enough to kill him, if he is suffering too much then he will often times just finish the job himself.

 PHYSICALITY:

-        Has a tongue piercing, two eyebrow piercings on his left brow, a septum piercing, and size 2 gauges. He used to have his nipples pierced but they got infected, went septic, and killed him, so he ended up taking them out. Truly tragic.

-        A stick and poke tombstone can be found on his right ankle. Currently he only has one actual tattoo, located on his right thigh, and it looks like this.

-        Keeps his straw blonde hair fairly short, cropped around his ears with slightly shaggy bangs, and sometimes shaves the sides down. He doesn’t do this commonly, though.

-        Of an average height, even well into his adult years Kenny does not gain much weight. Between constantly working out on his own time and a fairly healthy diet (as he gets older, anyway), he stays rather slim and toned.

-        A light smattering of freckles can be found stretched across his nose and the apples of his cheeks as well as on the tops of his shoulders, but nowhere else on his body.

 MYSTERION:

-        Unlike in the series, Kenny does not reveal his identity as the vigilante to anyone. THIS IS VERY PERTINENT TO MY PORTRAYAL, SO PLEASE KEEP THIS IN MIND: if we have not discussed prior that your muse knows that Kenny is Mysterion, then they will not know. His superhero counterpart remains very much a secret.

-        “Supernatural” abilities: inadvertent memory manipulation (only those he has an extremely intimate connection to remember his deaths, otherwise they forget), health regeneration, heightened physical strength.

-        Weapons he keeps on his person consist of a handgun, a small blade, and a larger dagger. He is a self-trained expert at aiming, and is also incredibly agile/limber. He is quick on his feet and taught himself how to do a variety of flips, rolls, etc. when he was younger to eventually be used while crusading. He also carries firecrackers around to disarm and distract.

-        As he gets older Kenny makes gradual changes to his costume until it looks almost entirely different. Reference will be included here as soon as I can find it again. This, of course, does not take place until he is in his mid-late 20s, roughly around the age of 27.

 VICES:

-        Smokes. A lot. He tries to calm down on this when he’s older, but it is something he struggles with more than he’d like to admit.

-        Though he is nowhere close to being an alcoholic, when Kenny starts drinking, he has an extremely difficult time stopping. He binges, but the vengeful hangovers he gets usually remind him why he doesn’t do it on a regular basis.

-        Sticking close to canon, Kenny does have a pretty toxic relationship with sex. I DESPISE the trope of Kenny being a whore, however, so the adjustments here are simply that he chooses a partner and has an excessive amount of sex with them rather than sleeping around.

-        Has strong suicidal tendencies, because of how weird his concept of death is. Sometimes he’ll kill himself just for the sake of doing it. This is by no means healthy, and is not included here as some sort of glorification or romanticization.

 PERSONALITY:

-        On the goofier side; in most cases, Kenny tries not to take himself too seriously. He seeks to make his friends happy, and to make sure that they never question how much he cares for them.

-        Determined, dedicated, stubborn, and hardheaded. When his heart is set on something, the relentlessness of Kenny is a legitimate force of nature.  

-        Fiercely protective and loyal. Because he grew up in a horrible home environment, he aspires to be everything that his parents were not. In his younger years, he questions his ability to be committed, but the truth of the matter is that he cannot be anything but. Even in the case of casual circumstances he is not capable of juggling multiple partners.

-        In the vein of protectiveness, Kenny does anything and everything in his power to be a nurturing presence in the lives of everyone he encounters. His selflessness leads to a lot of him being taken advantage of, but he honestly does not mind. Kenny’s sense of self worth is not all that high.

-        Despite the fact that he suffered horrible emotional and physical abuse Kenny only expresses aggression in the form of putting criminals down. He does have a temper, but he refuses to take it out on anyone undeserving of it.

Aegon Targaryen, First of His Name

Born in: 27 Before Coronation, at Dragonstone Name Day: 20th day of The Third Moon Royal House: Targaryen Position: Lord of Dragonstone (Prior to Coronation), King of All Westeros, Shield of His People, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm, Lord of Dragonstone

Personality Aegon, raised on Dragonstone, has a fascination with the world beyond what he’s already known, particularly The Seven Kingdoms, prompting him to visit new places before even his conquest. Thus, he has a keen talent for geography, prompting him to often want to engage in lengthy discussions about the far-away places he has read about. Living on Dragonstone for as long as he has, Aegon grew up with limited interactions, only ever knowing the servants that his father’s house had accrued, his siblings, and his rumored half-brother Orys, the latter of which was his best friend. Thus, to outsiders, it often seemed like the Targaryen’s heir was a antisocial type who didn’t socialize, even with the child nobles who occasionally visited Dragonstone, failing to make friends with them. However, his limited scope of friends was often thanks to his elder sister Visenya, whose domineering attitude often prevented Aegon from making many connections outside of their home in their earlier years. Naturally charismatic, however, Aegon was often able to convince others to take his side, and come off as likable to those who met him, and likely would have had many friends if not for Visenya. But by his 20th name day, Aegon was seen by many as a hardened commander and warrior, cultivated by his isolation. However, this is primarily a facade used to intimidate his elder sister in their marriage, and in actuality, Aegon is much more kind and gentle in private, particularly with his sister Rhaenys. Faithful, however, once Aegon is married to his sisters, having taken both, Visenya for the sake of duty, and Rhaenys for the sake of passion, he remains staunch in his fidelity, never siring any bastards. This, in tandem with his natural desire for honor, and understanding that loyalty and fealty are qualities more becoming of one than things such as strength, resulted in Aegon not only being fiercely loyal to his allies, but kind to those who would bend the knee to him before causing more bloodshed than due. After all, one doesn’t have as much a need for allies who are only somewhat stronger than the others, but have no regard for the lives of their men, or the oaths they swear, when a man who is somewhat weaker holds all oaths and values life. After all, Aegon had dragons, and had little need for the strength of others, to a point, in his eyes. Aegon’s interest in governing is nominal, at best. He never had a talent for things such as court diplomacy, or the day-to-day affairs of running a kingdom. What Aegon does have a talent for is military strategy, rallying men behind his banner, and striking such an imposing figure that others wouldn’t dare betray him once they were behind the Dragonlord’s banner. But, as a pragmatic man, he understands his weaknesses, and often seeks out allies to help compensate for them. A key difference that makes Aegon distinct from other lords, and later kings, is his care for the smallfolk. Those who do not have power, through either military might, strength of arm, political influence, or even a dragon, are seen as those to be protected under Aegon’s rule, not to be taken advantage of and forgotten. Thus, the king’s justice under Aegon’s rule is always quickly established as fair, and not without rules and rites that allow the accused to defend themselves from potential lies. He instituted practices such as trials, and even trials by combat, allowing smallfolk this option, though later generations would make it a right of the noble.

Appearance Aegon is a man of imposing stature and build, standing above most others, with the same almost unworldly beauty as others of his homeland. With short silver-golden hair, and arcane purple eyes, and a square jaw, some say that Aegon seems like a hero ripped from the pages of old legends. The crown of Aegon Targaryen is a simple Valyrian Steel circlet, inlaid with square-cut rubies. As well, on the battlefield, Aegon will often wear scale-inlaid armor, designed to emulate that of his dragon’s hide, which he often wears in battles that he intends to ride Balerion, as the armor is quite effective for defending from arrow-fire. However,he has often been known to put scales over his plate and mail armors too, wearing these only when the situation called for it. Aegon often also wears his house’s colors on his cloak, as well as some sort of dragonic sigil, if not his house’s actual coat of arms, upon his clothes and armor too.

Biography Aegon Targaryen was as the second child, and first son, to siblings Aerion and Valaeon Targaryen at Dragonstone. Born during the peak of an exceptionally brief, and harsh, Summer, this was taken to be an omen that the fire of the Targaryen line burned furiously in the infant. As a toddler, Aegon often played in Dragonstone with his elder sister Visenya, and Orys Waters, a boy who was often rumored to be the bastard of Aerion Targaryen. However, it was often the case that Aegon would be hurt while at play with Visenya, often as a result of being ordered, or goaded, into doing something foolish. By the age of five, Aegon was tutored in the arts that are commonly expected of a noble child, such as heraldry, swordplay, archery, history, tactics, riding, dragon riding, and the like. Being that the Targaryen house had not much of a penchant for sorcery, or an excess of individuals in the household with a talent for it, it was a small disappointment that Aegon displayed no particular skill in the art of magic either. However, this was assuaged by the fact that Visenya practiced the mysterious arts somewhat, though she lacked a great amount of information to rely on when studying. Aegon often practiced swordplay with his elder sister, though he was often on the losing side, as Visenya was more skilled and experienced than himself, and even going into puberty, the eldest Targaryen won more often than not. Though this bothered Aegon, it prompted him to sharpen his mind as well, often studying the tactics and battle strategies of others from a great many books, and pouring over geographical maps and information on as many places as he could. If Aegon was going to be skilled at commanding, he had to at the very least be able to outfight others strategically, if he couldn’t consistently defeat them with the skill and strength of his own arm. Over the years, many nobles, knights, and the like would visit Dragonstone on diplomatic missions, attempting to navigate and negotiate allegiances, trading deals, and such, affording the boy great opportunity to meet many strangers from far places, hearing of the wondrous lands that lie beyond his home. By the time of his 16th nameday, Aegon had become a strapping man, who was now seen as a suitable heir to the Targaryen name, and a proper master for any dragon of his choosing. As he was considered the primary heir, Visenya was not allowed to select her dragon on her own coming of age, and thus the opportunity was given to Aegon to select the dragon he wished to bond with. Aegon immediately chose Balerion, the great black dragon who was not only the largest and strongest of the creatures, but also the one that Visenya had been eyeing for the previous half-decade. This left Visenya to receive Vhagar, and Rhaenys to Meraxes, though the latter was to wait until her own nameday. Not long following his passage into adulthood, Visenya and Aegon were married to each other, as was the tradition. However, Aegon and Visenya were very familiar with each other, and the young lord held little love for his openly contemptuous and domineering elder sister. Instead of solely taking one wife, Aegon married his younger sister Rhaenys as well, holding a deep passion and love for the girl that was reciprocated. Within the first few months of his marriages, Aegon clearly favored Rhaenys over Visenya, though obligation and duty required Aegon to lay with his older sister more often, until she bore him an heir. As a result, Aegon generally spent about 3 nights with Visenya, for every 1 he did with Rhaenys, and arrangement that he didn’t find the most agreeable at most times, as marriage had done little to improve the two’s dynamic. Though, the comparative scarcity of getting to see his beloved made those magical nights all the grander for the two Targaryens. By the time he was a quarter century old, Aegon was approached by envoys from the free cities of Pentos and Tyrosh, fearing the attacks of the encroaching Volantis. They wished to forge an alliance with the last of the dragonlords, who they believed wielded the power to force back the invading Tigers of Volantis. Flying to Pentos almost immediately, much to the dismay of his sisters, neither of whom wished to have their husband fly off to the East in some foolhardy rescue mission of the foreign fools who couldn’t properly protect themselves. Before he actually reached, Pentos, Aegon elected to take the scenic route to the city, having only seen The Arbor in The Reach, as well as Oldtown’s Citadel, with his elder sister when they had first been bound to their dragons. Visenya had kept Aegon on a short leash during this trip, however, and the young man felt that he hadn’t had the opportunity to really experience these places. Deciding to fly first to Lannisport, as advised by Torus Lannister years before, Aegon dressed in fine enough clothes, but bid Balerion to keep a distance, so as not to oust the young Targaryan’s secret to the smallfolk. As a cloaked young sellsword named Aaron Blackfire, Aegon met many people in the city, and spoke to many of them regarding their feelings of the nobility. While many were largely indifferent to what was going on, beyond the prominent scandals of the time, there were a few who were deeply dissatisfied, feeling that they were servants of whatever nobleman or woman happened to be near, and that they were little better than indentured slaves who relied on these nobles’ good mood to stay alive, and not their own people. Particularly, there was an old blind man by the name of Hendrick who spoke words that would stay with Aegon forever, “People’s lives aren’t a game, we aren’t pawns on a chess board to be compromised and sacrificed in the favor of a small advantage, and the other side’s pawns are no less important.” Feeling the impact of these words, Aegon flew to Pentos, meeting with the city’s prince and magisters. While his potential allies were insistent that Aegon destroy not only the fleet of Volantis, who were ready to invade Lys at any time, but fly to the city itself and burn it to the ground with Balerion’s flame. This was not something that Aegon was willing to budge on, however, and he stayed for nearly three days, fiercely arguing that he’d only use Balerion if absolutely necessary, and not to potentially harm any smallfolk, if he could manage it. Eventually, a compromise was reached, and in exchange for an army that he planned to need for a future military endeavor, Aegon would destroy the entire Volantene fleet before it had an opportunity to attack. It was a brief attack that came in the early hours, with black flames practically engulfing the men of Volantis. After this, Aegon promptly returned to Dragonstone, planning his next course of action. Over the years, Aegon had developed a fascination with Westeros thanks to the books and stories he read of the lands. However, he saw a flaw with the current infrastructure. With it being seven kingdoms, not only were they weaker as singular forces, but they also lacked the ability to care for their people properly as a whole. Kingdoms that had scarcer resources during the Summer suffered during Winter, and were forced to attack those that had more plenty, while those that were weaker in their military might were often subjected to attacks from savage tribes and raiders. Ultimately, this would make for a weaker force in the event that a threat greater than any of them would come. This belief only grew stronger when he had sent an envoy to The Storm King Durrandon to turn down the offer of marrying his daughter, and he received his subject with one hand less. Sending his ravens to the lords of Westeros, after consulting with his councilors and wives, Aegon declared himself the king of all seven kingdoms. With this declaration of intent, Aegon made himself the threat, in order to drive home the point to the rest of the gentry. With this, he had a wooden table commissioned in the shape of Westeros, painted to match the land precisely, but without the lines of the seven kingdoms. Aegon had this detail withheld as a reminder of his goal. Landing at the mouth of The Blackwater, Aegon constructed The Aegonfort, which served as the seat of his command during this war. However, it didn’t prove terribly necessary, as with his army, his three dragons, and his two sisters, Aegon was able to subjugate six of the seven kingdoms within two years. Aegon dates his rule as starting when The High Septon declared him king in Oldtown. Realizing that as a king, he couldn’t do everything, Aegon created stations such as The Small Council, and Hand of The King, to assist him with making decisions and ruling justly, while also having his wives take a hefty portion of the responsibilities that came with governance, something that Aegon had long felt he didn’t have the knack for. The first Hand of The King was Orys, who now had been given dominion over The Storm King’s old lands, and took the noble name Orys Baratheon.

Star Wars Fic Recs - The Funny Genre

All of these fics have made me laugh literally out loud, and I’ve definitely reread each of them. Fic summaries plus my own two cents are included.

Lost and Found by TackyPenguin

Padawan Skywalker has misplaced a droid.

Everybody’s very dynamic here, and their portrayals range from tongue-in-cheek to outright, gaspingly hilarious. Welcome to the club, Obi-Wan, you’re going to make a great parent master.

King of the Race by isaakfvkampfer

Chancellor Palpatine was abducted by surprise and the one-man cavalry coming to his rescue turned out to be none other than Anakin Skywalker.

Everything goes wrong in the best of ways. This is also the first fic I’ve read where Palpatine is a suitably sympathetic character (it’s a nice break from the Ultimate Powah shtick, to be honest). Poor Anakin, but really not in the way you think.

Displacement by missmollyetc

A moment in the exciting lives of Waxer, Boil, and Adenn Squad. What could go wrong?

I feel like maybe I should feel bad about laughing at their panic, given the conclusions they jump to, but... nah, nope, I laughed so hard I had to immediately re-read it and savour the dawning horror. Troopers at their disconcertingly adorable, here. Waxer/Boil and Codywan, in pertinent vague.

There's Coffee in That Galaxy (Far Far Away) by lost_spook

Janeway's quest for coffee lands her on a desert planet somewhere in another universe, and still minus a proper caffeine fix. What she needs now is someone who can help her out with both problems...

Star Trek: Voyager crossover, but really you don’t need to know too much of either canon. Caffeine fix solved? Check. Good conversational partner found? Check. A little economic toppling and creation of bad days for bad people? Check.

Diversity Index by Semianonymity

For Star Fever! This is a fic set in the same universe as the wonderful Dogmatix and Norcumi's A Star to Steer By.

Averages for the diversity of species on Earth range five million (a conservative estimate) to twenty-five million (generous) to one trillion (unlikely, but provides a degree of scale.)

Ecosystems as they are presented in Star Wars tend to have exceptionally limited flora and fauna. A planet can have under 50 species, or under ten species, with half of those species found on other planets as well. Compared to Earth, the trend is a fraction of the genetic diversity, and a flexible attitude towards introducing exotic species.

Some scientists of varying species and disciplines end up talking about that, at length.

Stargate SG-1/Star Wars fic crossover (I did actually go read A Star to Steer By afterwards, based on this fic). It’s admittedly a bit high-brow in comparison to the usual selection of topics in fandom, but if you’ve managed to pass high school biology then you’ve got the gist of the botany discussed. The slack-jawed shock on both sides, as well as the science puns and the OCs, is definitely worth trying this one out.

Homework, Ostensibly by mylordshesacactus

Somewhere in the galaxy, there is a concept of free time.

That place is not the royal palace of Naboo.

Teenaged girls being teenaged girls, and it’s an utter riot - especially when it’s a royal household. And, you know, horribly neglected homework. There’s multiple things to laugh at in this fic, and the tone is overall so cheerful that the humor is even funnier.

under cut because long!!! this is roughly a discussion of like, children’s media (or something propped up as children’s media/parodying a kid’s show) being depicted with grimdark and/or mature content or w/e. I both agree that these ideas are often completely unoriginal and boring and stuff and bad. but also it can be done right and have plenty of merits. and in saying that, that’s not what my fic is trying to do as well though

I think I’m edging (relatively) closer to looking like a little bit of a hypocrite if I agree with the notion that portraying characters from children’s media in dark situations tends to be boring/unoriginal/edgy and I don’t know how to, fully express how much that I... well for one thing that’s not.. what I ever really want to go for. many of those kinds of portrayals are generally irreverent, wildly OOC, edgy for the sake of being edgy, purely for shock value. Sometimes the person doing it doesn’t rly know anything about the source material beyond the most basic surface level, and it furthermore can be boring if it doesn’t offer any meaningful commentary. ofc those things don’t usually intend to offer meaningful commentary, they just want the shock value of something like “haha the SMURFS but VIOLENCE/ADULT CONTENT, wild right???”, and they achieve that very basic goal, and it can be boring. it doesn’t tell us anything, it’s just, shock value and that’s it.

Ok I mean... it DEPENDS, sometimes (plenty of times) I actually find the Subverted Kids Show trope incredibly enjoyable, but like, hm. some ways of going about it are more tasteful than others. I guess part of that is personal preference though I do think there is a small amount of objective guidelines involved too

and you can still make insightful commentary on a text aimed at children through a Subverted Kids Show Format while having the characters be ooc! Robot Chicken smurfs (which I will discuss more in other posts) for me oscillates between making a surprisingly good commentary sometimes and mindless (but fun(ny)) scenes to, very tasteless/bad scenes that don’t do much imo. well its goal is to be funny and that’s it I guess, and it hits that goal some of the time

I guess the exact opposite of the surface-level shock value joke can also be super boring though. a text/theory that takes itself super seriously and tries to explain to you how Actually This Kid’s Show Dark! can possibly be even worse. e.g. “characters in kids show are just trapped in purgatory/it’s all a coma fantasy!!” or whatever. But I think, part of what would make a thing like that Bad is a fundamental misunderstanding of core parts of the canon and/or a... lack of regard for canon in the sense that you’re really willing to sit here and write of everything that the characters have ever been through as being Meaningless because it was all just one character’s dying memories? that completely robs the text of its power. Like saying Homer’s been in a coma since like season 5 of the simpsons. As a certain podcaster that won’t be named said because I have, a lot of bones to pick with them lol - there’s something so redundant and pointless about saying “everything that’s happening in this fictional show isn’t real”. what does it realistically.. add, kinda thing.

But I don’t think there’s cause to be automatically dismissive of anything that tries to.. approach children’s media from an angle where you can construct it as being just a little bit more sombre than it looks like on the surface or something? idk. because there can be worthwhile things to explore that make interesting commentary on the text, where you NEED to introduce less-than-happy concepts to derive them. (Sometimes the kind of commentary that deconstructions try to make is, not so good and misses the mark, although it’s not always the case.) there’s one argument against this which is like, Why can’t you just let kids have things? It’s not that deep. You’re trying to put a sinister spin on something when... it’s just not necessary. Why add to the darkness of the world. let people, especially kids, just have this bright and pure thing.

And I completely agree with that sentiment, honestly. The smurfs are good, happy, innocent, that’s the way they are and should be, don’t try to take that away from kids or people. Like 80%-90% of my enjoyment of the smurfs is all about that, I’m in full agreement, I just want happy little innocent elf society adventures and I’ll be happy. Although. It’s not like smurfs was always happy. there are plenty of tearjerker moments in the show, plenty of disasters and bad things happen to them (that they readily overcome by the end of the episode). and here I guess you also have to avoid patronising kids in thinking that only happy and nice stuff can be for them. as in, the smurfs does have really sad and upsetting moments but that Obviously doesn’t make it Not For Kids.

I think that in addition to that, slightly darker themes can be explored and exposed under certain extreme circumstances if smurf society was subject to it. And I think this in no way invalidates their tranquil, happy status quo and good nature as a society as we know it. Also it just so happens that my inspiration for fic happened to revolve around negative ideas instead of positive despite me, in fandom, just enjoying the positive/light-hearted usually (I think?). whoops. but these kinds of outside-of-canon things don’t do anything to the canon, canon stands as it is. I try my best to stick as close to canon as possible kind of, as a kind of canon purist, haha, in terms of characters and realistic reactions.

another thing is, for a positive kid show like smurfs, to have something really bad happen might seem off, but, one of the things I want(ed) to explore is “if x thing happened, how would the characters deal with it?” (I think this point will be, more pertinent to the next smurfs fic I have lined up once I finish the current one I’m working on. heh, heh, heh.)

I mean really bad stuff happened in the cartoon but it was never too extreme and it was resolved by the end of the episode normally. so for something long-term... yeah.

I also think occasionally I’ve done like. stupid smurf stuff that is kinda ooc over the years. and part of why is I think something happened where I was so anti-doing that that it kind of looped back around to the point where I Did it because, of course, I acknowledge how far-removed from canon it is that it therefore doesn’t mean anything, or something like that. and It Amused Me. and sometimes shock value smurfs at least done Somewhat tastefully is amusing to me too for that same reason because (if) it’s harmless fun or something

now this whole thing I’ve written up is mostly general thoughts and not actually much related to my fic. just, writing the fic has got me thinking about this kind of stuff so some of it is vaguely related. But fundamentally I don’t want my fic to be super dark. in fact, there are many very dark storyline paths that I could have taken which I actively chose not to, because those paths were not what I wanted this story to do. I just want it to be a fic where the smurfs experience a lot of hardship that they struggle to overcome, and I want to keep it very closely aligned to canon where I can, while other stuff changes, with.. time. Like yea there are definitely some dark elements though haha. But I’ve read some dark smurfs fic and haha.. don’t think mine really shapes up.

Like this whole post might sound like me being defensive or something, but it’s not because the premise of my fic isn’t “Edgy Grimdark Smurfs” or anything like that, and therefore that’s not a concept that I need to defend for my fic. and I don’t need to be on any kind of defense because nothing anyone else has said has prompted this post, haha. I didn’t set out to write Dark smurfs fic, I set out with an idea of some challenges the village could face and followed through with how I thought the village and its inhabitants would/could react to them, or some of the possible ways the village could react to them. And IF the results turn less-than-smurfy, I still follow up on them if I think it is realistic to the canon for it to happen and an interesting path to explore. Like I’m not really taking the world and adding/forcing dark elements in, I’m bringing out underlying currents that I already saw present when observing the society in the cartoon. Maybe I added some stuff to flesh things out, but the core ideas I bring out have basis in the cartoon imo. Anyway yeah like 70% of this post isn’t related to my fic, just kinda general thoughts type thing as I said lol.

Oh yeah also it’s like - I want my fic to still remain mostly in-tune with the show, I want to do my best with that. I don’t want darkness-induced apathy or for it to feel like it’s too far out of line from what is plausible. in-tune with the universe and the characters, but exploring stuff you wouldn’t necessarily pitch to young children at the same time type thing. And I’m not going out of my way to do that, moreso I’m not imposing that restriction on myself in terms of what I write. I’m tryin’ my best, haha. like, setting out to write grimdark fic is fine, but it possibly requires a different audience and authorial approach compared to what I feel is the approach I want to encourage for my fic. both approaches and writing styles are valid, just different type thing. I’d hate to turn people away if they’re not into grimdark stuff when it’s not what I was going for or w/e

Hello! Your addition to the ari post was rlly enlightening. As someone who is Asian from Asia, I’d like to know more about the usage behind yellowface beyond caricaturization in media. Could you point me to some lit about it? Tried finding some online but to no success…

hi, anon! i’m glad my comment brought you to looking into it more.

tbh, it’s been a little bit since i’ve had access to lit about specifically yellowface (the last i learned/researched specifically about it was in undergrad, which was nearly a decade now)

so as a starter, here’s the short blurb about it from the wiki page (link):

and some of the most pertinent sources referenced in that wiki article:

"Yellowface: Asians on White Screens"

Vanishing Son: The Appearance, Disappearance, and Assimilation of the Asian-American Man in American Mainstream Media

"Monitoring Asians in the American mass media"

separately, there is also the specific page: Examples of yellowface, which also has sources that can be read through. since they're in response to specific instances of yellowface, none of these are likely to go deeply in depth but many will likely include explanations of what constitutes yellowface & some history of yellowface.

for a general look at physical appropriation of cultures of color, google "my culture is not a costume" -- this is a phrase originated in use by many universities in the late 2000s through early 2010s (when i was in undergrad) to discuss how often yellow/black/red/brown-face was (maybe still is? again, i'm not in academia or undergrad anymore) used in american college partying culture. it caught enough steam that teen vogue also did a series of videos discussing it and there's also several articles by major american news sources discussing it across the years. it appears the first majorly reported use of the concept was by ohio university.

another good starter resource on asian american discrimination in general, who has often discussed the rift between how asian stereotypes affect diasporic (usually american) asians vs asians in asia: Angry Asian Man — the blog/website (link) & the twitter (link). phil yu (the blogger) tends to approach things with a lot of humor, which sometimes lacks nuance, but is an approachable resource

finally, i think an important thing to note here, which i only slightly discussed in my original comment -- the term yellowface (like blackface, brownface, redface, etc. b/c these terms are all linked to how poc have been portrayed in usually north american & european cultures) was originally meant to specifically reference portrayals of east asians (And southeast, i'd argue, since ppl tend to act like viet/thai/khmer/lao/indo/filipino/hmong/etc ppl are just a subcategory of east asians) in media, usually film & stage. this is where we'd have to have a more thorough discussion about the impact of media portrayal in how actual people treat other everyday people in their lives. it's also harder to find specific literature on that, because the average person isn't academically documenting all media they consume & how that therefore impacts their treatment of others, or even how that affects their concepts of self -- recent academic scholarship has started shifting towards considering how the dominance of whiteness as central to the american experience creates an inherent egotism to whiteness, even without direct racist depictions of poc. ie whiteness in media essentially proliferates white 'main character syndrome', to borrow from current memes. And then, building further on that, the average person whose idea of fun involves trying to dress up as other (stereotyped) cultures, isn't about to be a willing participant in being studied or documented for actual academic research. bc trying to convince them to talk about it points out that what they're doing is possibly a source of negative attention, which then leads to them doing everything to detach themselves from the act -- i have personal first-hand experience with this, since my undergrad focus of study was in the history of racism in the united states (focus mainly in the early to mid 1900s, roughly world war one to civil rights movement)

i hope this helps you with things to read or can act as some starting points to learn more! if any of this also leads you to further questions or down into different related topics, totally feel free to check in 😊

pride month day 21

author: daisys-quake

rated: m

pairings: bucky barnes/steve rogers; steve rogers/peggy carter

word count: 1674

summary: After the war, Steve finds a way to make all his pieces fit together.

a/n: a note on the rating: i’m going by the ao3 scale here, and while this is by no means an explicit fic, it’s more overtly sexual at certain points than anything else i’ve written. i’ve read racier fics with t ratings but idk, i’m just trying to be safe. anyways. no smut or anything, yall know i don’t write that. enjoy the fic.

“We can’t do this forever, you know,” Bucky says into the darkness of the hotel room. Steve wonders briefly if he can get away with saying nothing at all, with pretending to sleep, but Bucky rolls over and his eyes are practically glowing in the darkness as he looks at Steve, and Steve gives up on the illusion before he even tries it.

“I know,” Steve says, his voice empty. Of course they can’t keep this up. He knows it. They both know it. That doesn’t mean Bucky has to say it.

“We’re gonna get caught someday,” Bucky continues. Steve looks up at the ceiling and closes his eyes, not bothering to hide the pain that fills his face.

“What’re they gonna do?” Steve asks bitterly. “Throw Captain fucking America in prison for sodomy?”

“Throw Steve Rogers in prison for sodomy,” Bucky says, a sort of biting anger in his tone, cynical and harsh. “And do their damnedest to make the world forget Captain fucking America ever existed.”

“Wouldn’t mind the second bit,” Steve mumbles. He’s tired. He’s so thoroughly tired of this—of playing best friends (practically brothers, the world calls them; as if there’s anything remotely brotherly about their love) in the daylight and meeting in shady hotel rooms at night, of keeping deadly silent when they fuck, of leaving marks only where no one else can see them, of sneaking out before dawn and driving home alone to different parts of the city. He can’t shake the feeling that if he wasn’t Captain fucking America, none of this would be such a big deal. Oh, thoroughly illegal and highly dangerous, absolutely, but not like this. Not this carefully balanced, hellish game of pretend.

“Yeah, you would,” Bucky says with a snort. “You can’t lie to me. You couldn’t put down the shield if it killed you.” Despite himself, Steve smiles.

“You’re probably right,” he admits readily, because as much as he hates being who he is sometimes, he’s made a difference. He’s saved lives. He stopped Hydra. Captain America isn’t about him, as much as the media seems to disagree. It’s about the people who are saved.

Steve rolls onto his side, meeting Bucky’s gaze in the darkness of the room. It’s nearing four in the morning. They’ll have to leave soon. Bucky meets his eyes unwaveringly, and they stare at each other in a way that would make Steve uncomfortable with anyone else (with the exception of Peggy, of course), but instead feels…intimate, really.

Bucky is smirking at him.

“I love you,” Steve says suddenly, and Bucky’s smile fades.

“You can’t say that,” he mutters. His gaze slips away, focusing on the wall over Steve’s shoulder. “You can’t…don’t say that.”

“Why not?” Steve says. “Gotta say it before it’s over. Like you said, we can’t do this forever.”

“That’s why you can’t say it,” Bucky says roughly, flopping onto his back. He doesn’t look at Steve. “Because it’s gonna be over someday, and then what the hell am I supposed to do, knowing that?” Steve leans over, pressing a kiss to Bucky’s shoulder, only inches away from where Bucky’s arm ends in a stump.

“Remember it,” he says quietly. Bucky doesn’t answer. They lie like that for some unmeasurable span of time, before Bucky shifts, looking towards the curtained window, where the predawn light is beginning to creep in around the edges. “We should go,” he says, looking back at Steve. “You first?” Steve nods. He always leaves first.

Steve stands, slipping out of bed and retrieving his shorts. He dresses quickly, efficiently. He used to be terrible with buttons, but the war had gotten him used to dressing in under a minute. He leans over the bed after buttoning his shirt, kissing Bucky one more time before he turns and walks out the door.

The drive home is quiet, unbearably so. He doesn’t turn the radio on. As uncomfortable as the silence is, it would feel…disrespectful, almost, to break it.

The drive takes nearly an hour. By the time he parks the car and unlocks the door of the tenement he shares with Peggy, Peggy is already awake, sitting at the table with a cup of tea.

“Good morning,” she says as Steve walks into the dining room, setting down her newspaper.

“Morning,” Steve says, interrupting himself with a yawn. Peggy smiles fondly at him. She isn’t wearing makeup yet, and he takes the opportunity to lean down for a kiss before he has to risk lipstick marks. Peggy hums in satisfaction when he pulls away.

“How is James?” she asks as Steve divests himself of his coat. He hangs it up and sighs heavily, considering how to answer the question.

“Unhappy,” he says eventually.

“More than usual?” Peggy asks. Steve laughs a bit, but it’s weak, tired.

“Yeah,” he says. Peggy doesn’t pry, but she doesn’t exactly need to. One inquiring look is all it takes for Steve to slip into the chair across from her and start talking. “He’s real worried about getting caught. I get it, you know, but he’s—he’s talkin’ about ending it. Us.” Peggy sets her tea down.

“Oh,” she says, very softly. Steve nods, his throat suddenly tightening up with emotion. He leans forward, setting his elbows on the table and burying his face in his hands. “Oh, Steve.” Steve hears Peggy stand, stepping around the table and slipping her arms around Steve, pulling her head into her chest and resting her chin on the top of his head. Steve takes a deep breath. It takes a tremendous effort not to cry.

“I don’t know what to do,” he mumbles when the feeling of impending tears has faded a bit. “I don’t—I can’t lose him, Peg.” Peggy strokes his hair gently. It’s growing out, much longer than it had been during the war, perhaps a bit longer than it should be, considering that’s he’s still in the military, but no one is about to tell Captain fucking America to cut his hair. Besides, Peggy loves it, and Bucky is endlessly fascinated by it.

“I know,” Peggy murmurs, kissing the top of his head and holding him tightly. Eventually, Steve’s breaths even out, and his chest loosens, and if his face is maybe a little wet when Peggy lets go of him, she doesn’t say anything about it.

“How can you be so understanding about this?” he asks, the words slipping out before he can stop them. He’s never asked before, not once since he started this complicated thing, sharing himself between her and Bucky. He’s asked if she’s okay with it, if she hates him, if she hates Bucky, but never how, never whether she’s disgusted with him for it.

“I’m not,” Peggy says, and Steve’s heart jumps with fear. “I understand that I love you, and I understand that James loves you. I know that you love both of us, but I don’t understand how and I never will.” Steve opens his mouth to say something, to defend himself, to beg for pity, something, but Peggy rests a finger against his lips in a gentle rebuke. “I don’t need to,” she says softly. “Do you hear me, Steve? I don’t need to understand. I look at you now and you are happier than you ever were with just me, and I’m happier with you than I’ve ever been, and James is as happy as he ever is, even if he’s too damned stubborn to say it. I don’t need to understand why. As far as I’m concerned, this whole thing is the best idea you’ve ever had.” Steve smiles.

“Better than getting myself captured by Hydra,” he mutters. That had been a particularly harebrained scheme of his towards the end of the war, just after Bucky had lost his arm, when Steve was full of rage and impulsiveness that he didn’t know what to do with. Peggy had wasted no time in telling him when she caught him trying to sneak off on his own to do it, and looking back on it, Steve is pretty sure she saved his life by doing so.

“Certainly better than that,” Peggy agrees, smiling back. She kisses him quickly. “Now, I think you’ll find it pertinent that the rooms next door have just opened up.”

“Really?” Steve says, frowning. “Miss Jones moved out?”

“Got married, apparently,” Peggy says. “But I didn’t bring it up so we could gossip about the neighbors. I was going to suggest that James move in.” Steve is speechless.

“Move in?” he manages to repeat after a moment. “Next to us?”

“That is what I said,” Peggy says, smiling. Steve slowly breaks into a grin.

“Bucky,” he says again. “Moving in next to us.” Peggy nods. “And you’d be okay with that?”

“Do you think for one second that I’d keep quiet if I wasn’t?” Peggy asks. That’s a fair point. Peggy has never failed to call Steve out on his bullshit. It’s one of the reasons he loves her so damn much.

“That sounds…” he shakes his head. “That’s a dream come true, Peg.”

“Thank me later,” Peggy says, waving a hand dismissively and returning to her chair at the other end of the table. “Go call James.” Steve leaps to his feet, practically running for the door to the living room where the phone is. He stops halfway there, spinning around to plant a kiss on Peggy’s cheek.

“I love you,” he says quickly, turning and heading for the door once more.

“I love you, too,” Peggy calls after him, and Steve grabs the phone with an irrepressible grin.

It won’t last forever, in all likelihood. It will probably end in tears and anger and the little family Steve has built for himself will burn itself to the ground.

But God, right now, with a wedding ring on his finger and its partner on Peggy’s, with Bucky’s dogtags around his neck and his around Bucky’s, Steve feels like they’re all going to live forever.

my ao3

a note on the portrayal of polyamory in this fic: i’m not poly, and i haven’t written anything involving poly relationships before. all relationships are messy, especially polyamorous relationships in post-war america, but if you think i horribly misportrayed something or wrote something in an offensive way, please shoot me a message so i can do better in the future :) thanks for reading!

Blog Pinned Post *Long Post for Mobile Users*

{{So because mobile-tumblr makes links not work so well, this pinned post is going to be here for all the muses, rules, and pertinent information on this blog. It’s long which is why it’s under a readmore and I’m sorry that it’s so much to read but it’s the only way to make things easily accessible it seems...

So without further ado: 

Muses (list subject to change so take a peek every so often)

TWD: 

Hershel Green

Daryl Dixon

Michonne Hawthorne

Glenn Rhee

Simon

Rick Grimes

Abraham Ford

Annalise Landry (OC)

Jaime Anderson (OC)

Other Media: 

Bobo Del Rey/Robert Svane (Wynonna Earp)

John Henry “Doc” Holliday (Wynonna Earp)

Yondu Udonta (Guardians of the Galaxy)

Kraglin Obfonteri (Guardians of the Galaxy)

****Note that ALL muses are canon-divergent so keep that in mind. Will make workable pages for all of that at a later time as well.*****

Rules: 

Hello and welcome to this RP blog! Before we jump into any interactions, and I certainly hope that we will do so, there are a few things I wanted to let you know beforehand so please, please pay attention because if it seems like you are not following these guidelines then I will unfollow. I have too much going on right now to be stressed because people aren’t paying attention.

General (AKA all the usual things we all do/do not want):

Do not godmod which means that unless your character can control mine by means of abilities or whatnot let me decide what they do or how they react to an action taken by yours. Please don’t “suppose” what my character may or may not do. I will in turn do the same in regards to yours. It’s just common courtesy.

Please refrain from sending anon hate whether it be that you don’t like the portrayal, the ships, etc. This is done to relax and enjoy and that’s not helped along by someone with a bad attitude. If you don’t like something than please unfollow. It’s simple more so because it doesn’t really matter what you say; it’s not going to change how this character is played or what ships are found here. So there is that.

As mun and muse(s) are of age, there may be a mix of SFW and NSFW themes on this blog though the NSFW themes will be tagged and more often than not under a readmore so that you do not have to read it. I figured that it was best to let you know ahead of time. For some this only goes for gory, violent type threads.

In addition to this being an adult space: I am a little uncomfortable with minors following me. Now it’s not to say I won’t interact but I will be very careful.

I will tag things to the best of my abilities but know that if you need something specific tagged then feel free to let me know. You can do it on anon as well. And I will tag it. No further explanation needed.

As this is an RP blog I would prefer to be followed by RP blogs for the majority (because I’m not sure why a personal blog wants their dash cluttered with RP threads), however I make exceptions for blogs that have their RP blog as a side (just let me know who you are)

Another note: There are a few problematic choices here and I shouldn’t have to point out but I will that mun does not equal muse. What they say and do are not a reflection of me. And there are tags to block so that you do not need to see anything pertaining to them. So please do not give me grief over it because it will result in you being blocked. 

Interactions:

Take this as your blanket allowance for memes if we’re mutuals. I don’t care if it makes no sense and if we need to make a crack!verse just for it. Anything you want to send in, I’ll make an attempt at answering. Just make sure in the event of multi-muses on this blog please specify a muse or one will be chosen at random.

All RP formats are welcome. I tend to be more the para rp-er when I’m in a mood and the occasional icon when I can manage it but I’m open to all lengths so long as I have something to work with.

This blog is multi-muse, and OC friendly. My only request is that for fandoms that I’m not familiar with that you give me a little patience with that universe.

Know also that I love to talk OOC on various platforms such as the IM system here or Discord which you can have if you ask. I just think that writing with someone gets so much better when you are talking and getting to know each other.

On the subject of replies; RP-ing is a hobby and I will be the first to tell you to take your time and answer when motivation is good. Don’t ever feel pressured to respond if you’re not feeling it or the muse. I do ask that you give me the same courtesy as well.

As for thread-dropping; I am absolutely okay if you are no longer feeling a thread. Just let me know. I won’t ask for an in depth explanation because I would rather write threads that we both enjoy.

HC’s are my own interpretation of this/these muse(s). That being said; if you like or agree with it then you are of course welcome to reblog.

I do ask that unless you are involved in a thread that you do not reblog it.

Shipping:

Blog is multi-verse and multi-ship so all ships will be in their own universes and not overlap unless discussed.

Ships are done based on chemistry with muses and all types of ships are welcome not just romantic ones. And for some muses that’s best as those are the only ones they are looking for currently.

In conclusion:

I’m pretty sure you’ve read this and at least once rolled your eyes but that’s okay. I just wanted to put this out here for your consideration. I may add and change things around as this blog forms so I would definitely suggest looking in every now and again though I might just post a notice that things have changed. Regardless, welcome to this blog and I hope that we can have fun RP-ing! No, I didn’t put in some code word that you need to send me. I’m going to trust that you will do as I asked and read this because I asked. If not…*shrugs* I’m not your keeper. I can’t make you abide by these rules. But what I can do is unfollow you. And I will.