ermmmmm okay so i dont usualllyyyyyyyy make fandom-talky posts but i cant get it off my mind and ive already talked to my friends about it sooooo yk….. here we are.

SOOO anyway i feel like i see a lot of people talk about how katniss and peeta were sort of like. Destined for each other and that they would have still gotten together regardless of the games happening or not and im gonna be real, as much as i love them, i really disagree. 

i just feel that given their circumstances katniss just would not have allowed it to happen. her whole like,, Arc in the story is her becoming able to allow it. even if peeta did approach her, even if she did like him back, she just wouldnt have allowed him to get close, or opened herself up to him, due to that fear she has. this is not a world where she could live a normal life or get married or have a family. she doesn’t have time for love when she has to take care of her mother and sister. she can’t open the possibility of future children in her life when there is the constant threat that they will die, either through the games or starvation. it’s just not something that would happen.

like, i like the concept of soulmates as much as the next person and i see where everyone’s coming from. i Know that there’s some sort of romeo and juliet parallels happening here, especially with the “star-crossed lovers” thing, but, i’d also like to note that a lot of that came from the capitol observing their romance, not,, their actual love. a lot of people bring up the “this would have happened anyway” line, but i feel like that line is still more in reference to the outcome of the games happening.

but, i feel that this doesnt like,, Cheapen? or weaken? or invalidate their love. if anything, i feel that it makes it better, more interesting.

in fact, i’d argue that katniss and peeta are the Opposite of soulmates. i think there’s just something so interesting in the fact that katniss and peeta weren’t supposed to love each other. 

they were supposed to hate each other. they were supposed to want each other dead.

everything about their circumstances was designed for that. they are from a district in which their classes are divided and have spite brewed between them, they went into the hunger games where they were meant to be adversaries, they were meant to resent and kill one another once again after peeta got hijacked.

everything was aligned perfectly so that there would be hate and resentment and bitterness between these two, and they defied all of it. and i think this is the part where a lot of people would then view this as them being soulmates— that no matter the circumstances, that no matter what’s thrown at them, the outcome will still be that they find each other. it’s written in the stars.

however, i feel like it’s actually much more powerful when it’s interpreted that they weren’t supposed to be together. it wasn’t written in the stars that they would find love— they chose it. they fought tooth and nail to be together. and i honestly think this is way more impactful than the concept that they were meant to be.

because they weren’t. however, it’s Their lives and they aren’t going to let the universe control them. they’re going to put in the effort and work to be together in spite of everything else. not only is it a good message in general, but i also feel that it’s especially fitting, for two characters whose world has attempted to revoke their autonomy time and time again, that the person they chose in the end was entirely their choice. and like idk to Me that’s way more meaningful and romantic i guess ??? idk. shrug emoji

Your favorite fanfic writer doesn't know (but would like to)

Let's talk about comments on fanfics. This is not meant as a guide or call to action, just a bit of observations. Personally, I always saw it as impolite to ask for reviews or kudos or comments or likes or reblogs or whatever. That's not a rational point of view, it just reflects how I am. And people actually telling others that they have to leave any of this feedback? I've blocked folks over that. In my mind that's not okay. I'm not announcing a change of that, this is not a policy, just some deep-seated mental issues, but I want to write down some more things that have been going through my mind, from the perspective of someone who occasionally writes fanfics. My previous suggestion in this regard was mostly to write some fanfic yourself and see what happens and what you'd like to happen, because it's genuinely fun and I think you probably have more to say than you realise.

But there's also another point here, and that is that your favourite fanfic writer has no idea that they are. If you're anything like me, then it will seem like the great writers in your fandom are obvious. Also, the last time you bought Blåhajs, it ended with you having to flee a smoke-filled subway tunnel. The great stories and great writers in your universe are facts of nature. You read a story and you think, "this is the greatest thing I've ever seen." A story rewires your brain chemistry forever. You keep coming back and reading that one fic whenever the mood hits you. It feels obvious that this story is great. How could it not be?

It feels trite to say that the author of that fic doesn't know that unless you tell them, but it's hard to really understand the feeling unless you've been there yourself. You write a story, but is it any good? Maybe you get a lot of kudos, or maybe very little, but what does either of that mean? Kudos can mean literally anything from "loved this" to "didn't close the tab in disgust". Maybe you just got unlucky. Maybe you just got lucky. What do these numbers mean? What is a good number of kudos? 1? 10? 100? 1000? Should I calculate ratios? How do I know whether people like this?

In light of this, a comment where someone just said, "I loved this", has an almost incalculable worth. A comment where someone says they read this over and over again, or quotes lines they loved, or something? You can't imagine how valuable that is. A while ago someone told me "a couple of us are talking about this on Discord, we love it and we keep repeating our favorite lines". I thanked them, but I was too polite to say, "really? What are they saying? Which are your favorite lines? How many people are there who love it? What are their names? Which lines are the favorite ones, please, tell me!". Part of me still regrets that, because I so desperately want to know! I don't think it was a public Discord and I never heard from the others on it, but just the idea that they're out there and they like my story was so powerful. (By the way, it's not on any account that's linked from here, please don't try to find that comment.)

Now, I firmly believe that you, as a reader, don't have to care about any of that. I know there are people who disagree with me on this point, very strongly in fact, but I don't think it's necessarily your job to care. It's great if you do, and I think a lot of you do in fact care, that's why I'm writing this. But if you haven't thought about that or don't feel comfortable leaving comments or whatever, that's fine, that's normal, and you are in fact part of the majority. Any well-adjusted fic author has found ways to deal with this. They have learned to love writing for its own sake, or they love re-reading their own fics, or they have a couple of trusted friends who like their work, or ideally all three. Personally I was scared of Discord for the longest time, but it really helps with that. One person who you sort of know going "hey that's neat" can outweigh just about anything else. (Still, there will be days when you post something and you won't get a response and that just plain sucks, no two ways about it.)

But if you do care, if you think it's important that a fanfic writer knows what they mean to you, not because of any concern about the wider unpaid fan creator economy but just because of the way their work affected you, then this is important. Your favorite fanfic writer probably doesn't know and/or believe that they're anyone's favorite, and even if they do, a reminder or learning that someone knew found them will make them incredibly happy. And obviously, all of that applies at least just as much to all the beginners with potential that are out there. So if you're wondering whether it's worth it leaving a comment that says how much you enjoyed something: It probably is. And if you shared this with others and they loved it, or if this is your favourite fic, or if you enjoy how original it is, or how well it does your favourite tropes, or anything like that, the writer is going to be so happy to hear that.

A final aside: This obviously applies even more when it's about fandoms, pairings, subject matter and in particular ratings that are considered a bit embarrassing. Writers who write stuff that, say, happens to be E-rated for whatever reason, doesn't matter, will probably get fewer kudos and comments just because people are embarrassed to have their names show up in the Kudos and Comment sections. If that's you, just a note that it is perfectly okay to comment anonymously, or to create a second separate account for leaving kudos on, commenting on and maybe even posting the somewhat more risqué stuff. Now I'm not saying I have one of these second accounts, at least I'm not saying that in public, but it is an option worth considering.

Yashiki and Mashita: Canon Moments Part 1

I wanted to delve more into analyzing canon to explain why Yashiki and Mashita are canon. Even if they are not outright said. This will be a multi-part essay going over the main two Death Mark games with an eye looking for gay subtext or just pointing out moments that can be conveyed as homoerotic/homoromantic. This will also have my personal bias thrown in so don’t expect it to be 100% by the books. My analysis on certain scenes will be my point of view (and people will disagree with some if not most of my takes. The best thing about how complicated both Mashita and Yashiki are is the various ways at looking at their characterization)

We start with Death Mark 1 where we get introduced to the basic premise. Yashiki and the Mark Bearers are cursed by spirits and have to confront said spirits in order to break the curse so they can live. What is so apparent about our protagonist Yashiki is his inner monologue is full of senses and sensations. From the start he is on his own wavelength how he sees the world. As his inner monologue goes into great details describing the scenes in front of him. Even if he wishes he could ignore the more grisly sights in front of him. This gives us a character that may not have the best social skills or understand how social cues work but he does understand people. He can learn how ones tick with only a couple hours with the hour. It’s this aspect why he and Mashita work so well.

The first character Yashiki meets that is alive is Mary. She seems to be benign and polite. And she puts Yashiki at ease despite the horrible situation Yashiki finds himself in. Not knowing who he is and having no memory either. She at the start is almost an angelic figure who Yashiki looks to for guidance. Only by the end of the game do we find out her true nature and that is malice. She has always been a devil pretending to be an angel. Compare her to Mashita. Mashita hides his good heart under his mask of sarcasm and rudeness. Mary and Mashita are foils to each other at least about their relationship to Yashiki.

From the start when we are introduced to Mary. There’s always been dependence from Yashiki. Yashiki has no clue who he is nor what his name is. He is scared and needs questions answered. And Mary just so happened to be there to answer said questions. He looks at her for what he needs to know. He listens to her and follows her orders. Not realizing he is being manipulated. He doesn’t realize he is nothing but a toy to her until Mary secrets can’t be hidden any longer. Meanwhile Mashita knows he is talented even if he acts otherwise. Mashita trusts him enough to consider him fit to be his partner. He knows Yashiki is his equal. Mary manipulates and takes advantage of Yashiki while Mashita uplifts Yashiki and praises his talents.

Yashiki even at the start is hesitating when deciding to trust Mary. He even says word for word “I decided to trust you”. His intuition is screaming at him to not trust her but he currently has no choice. Yashiki meanwhile didn’t hesitate trusting Mashita fully after meeting him. Even the way Mashita was introduced was very suspicious. Their trust grows naturally. And their trust is stronger for it. Yashiki doesn’t have to say he trusts Mashita for us to know he does. Mashita and Yashiki have a special relationship. Mashita even with his rough mouth cares immensely for Yashiki. So much so that he comes back to save Yashiki numerous times even if he puts himself in danger. He cares so much.

A trait that shows why Yashiki is so suitable for Mashita as a prospective partner (Romantic or not) is shown when Yashiki is introduced to Moe and Tsukasa. Yashiki pays attention to people's expressions and is overall pretty empathetic as a person. Even if he lacks social skills to take full advantage of this skill. The people he meets he knows them well. Even if a moment prior they were strangers. This is how Yashiki clearly sees the good in Mashita so quickly.

The first spirit we are introduced to in Death Mark is Hanahiko whose story we quickly learn is tragic. He was abused for being different and liking feminine things. Whether you see his story more being a transgender allegory or just him being different in terms of not following gender norms. He is Other and was hurt for it. And in Death Mark 2, The first spirit is Hanako of the toilet. Who was in love with her female friend. Both have clear queer themes and I personally do think this says a lot about Yashiki's suspected homosexuality. He does not live in a time where he can comfortably be who he is. People get seriously hurt when they stray from what is considered “normal”. I do think these spirits being part of Yashiki's journey does imply that he is not heterosexual.

When Mashita is first introduced to Yashiki, He looks over to Yashiki and snorts. He already figured out Yashiki. And knows that Yashiki is someone he can trust. Which is why he softens entering the car. Yashiki is worried about how Mashita was just lurking around in a basement suspiciously. It’s not just Mashita that gets Yashiki. And likes what he sees. It took one car ride for Yashiki to understand and trust him. He even says “Some people naturally put others on guard and even if there’s no particular ill will between them that’s the sort of person Mashita is”. He already knows Mashita so well.

Mashita with his brusque attitude also gets under Yashiki's skin in a good way. Yashiki can’t help but pay attention to him. Mashita has a strange charisma despite his rough attitude. It makes it hard for anyone to ignore him. Yashiki even says “I wasn’t planning on keeping a constant eye on him, but he is making it very hard not too”. Mashita is charming in his own way.

Mashita then answered a question that Yashiki had before he could even ask. Mashita knows Yashiki by now. Mashita is naturally gifted at reading people as part of his talents as an ex-detective. Also when Mashita showed he was also marked, he proclaimed it was OUR problem. He already considered himself part of Yashiki’s team from the start. Mashita has always been loyal.

And there’s a continuing trend of Yashiki noticing how Mashita feels by his expressions. When Mashita read the god awful principal wrote. Yashiki already knows Mashita isn’t happy because “That's what he says but he is not smiling at all. His eyes simmer with a quiet anger”. Yashiki pays so much attention to Mashita. So much he immediately clicks that he is suffering the Mark effects when he is.

Yashiki canonically grabbed Mashita wrist to chase after the rabbit inside H elementary. He wants to make sure Mashita is healthy and safe. He by then was already so attached. After Hanahiko was dealt with when Mashita learned that Yashiki still had the Mark he was concerned. And it’s hinted to be the primary reason he stayed for chapter 2. He was worried about Yashiki. Even if he had other reasons to investigate as well.

Mashita to me is personally written as a gay man. Especially how he explains the last bit of information about Hanahiko. “How his mother understood her son”. Despite his rough personality he empathized with the son not being accepted by others for being different. And being hurt by someone that should have protected him not punished him.

In chapter 2, Mashita stays, which surprises even Yashiki. Mary asked Mashita to stay but Yashiki doesn’t realize how important he is to Mashita and is confused why he did. For all his bad attitude Mashita didn’t want Yashiki to be alone. Also sorry but “Mashita got a bad mouth like usual” is very gay and flirty.

Something I noted during this chapter is that Masao Kimura the suicidal man Yashiki and company meet in the first after he calms down tells Yashiki that they should go out for drinks sometime before dying to Shimi-O. What’s interesting is the same chapter at the end Mashita tells Yashiki he would buy him a drink once he survives the Mark business. (Sure that he will find a way to survive. His belief never wavers and they eventually do have that drink)

The fact is even if you don’t bring Mashita along to investigate the forest. He comes to the forest (unmarked at this point) out of his own volition. His own desire to protect Yashiki. He willingly gets marked again in order to save Yashiki. He put his life yet again in danger to save a man he met only a day ago. This isn’t to say that Yashiki is any better. He defends Mashita words in his inner monologue by saying “Mashita didn’t mean it like that. You can only be blunt discussing this”. He is so quick to defend Mashita words.

This chapter is also the first time Mashita pushes a gun onto Yashiki. Which continues onto this series can be seen as a metaphor for Yashiki and Mashita relationship with their homosexuality. Mashita being the more confident in his sexuality the one giving the gun to Yashiki the one more shy and reserved with his sexuality. When Yashiki says he doesn’t know how to shoot a gun. Mashita immediately says “Well, whatever, if I’m there just leave the shooting to me” Mashita is already making himself into someone Yashiki can depend on.

After Shimi-O is solved, Mashita decides to tell Yashiki that he is leaving in the morning as well. Despite what he says I don’t think he is leaving because he doesn’t want to get hurt. Mashita is reckless as a person when it comes to his safety. He mainly decides to leave because he doesn’t want to be a burden that will cause more harm staying than leaving. He can’t do anything more for Yashiki. So he has to leave. And we do know how affected Yashiki is hearing that Mashita is leaving him. What can we say to Mashita is, changed your mind? You’re abandoning me? And I’ll miss you. Mashita reacts a bit flustered if you chose the last two. He either calls you bitter or a creep.

Even when Mashita is lying about his reasons he is leaving. He clenches his fist and really doesn’t want to leave Yashiki to struggle against spirits by himself. But he isn’t an idiot and knows he would become a burden for Yashiki to carry if he overstayed his welcome. He is actually one of the few companions that fully say farewell. Mashita then says “If you manage to escape your death I’ll buy you a drink sometime”. Mashita wants to stay in Yashiki life. And has full trust that eventually Yashiki will overcome The Mark and survive.

It’s canon that off screen they went out for drinks. Mashita did promise him he would buy him a drink after Yashiki survives the whole Mark business. This is the first inclination that they spend time together out of the cases. They actually like each other's company. It’s canon that Yashiki is closest to Mashita and Daimon. In chapter 6, Mashita admits he wants Yashiki to join him in being a private detective. Yashiki is talented and skillful when it comes to spiritual matters. Mashita already knows how good Yashiki is. Even if Yashiki's bad self esteem doesn’t let him see that fact himself.

Mashita comes in annoyed and complains about Yashiki telling Yasuoka about his office. Now he is drowning in spiritual requests even if Yashiki told Yasuoka in order to help Mashita with his new career. They bicker like an old married couple. Yashiki by now knows Mashita scarily well and even comments “Did he just hesitate? Mashita?” Because he knows Mashita never hesitates without cause. Mashita always is impulsive whenever he has a goal to achieve.

Mashita then stares right at Yashiki and tells him to take responsibility. Very normal heterosexual behavior from our grumpy detective. I will say this chapter setting is a love hotel in the red light district. This lends more credence to Yashiki being implied he is gay. As it’s normal for gay men to have their trysts in such hotels out of the public eye. A point I will go back later on, but Mashita (which is implied to be more comfortable with his sexuality) is bringing Yashiki to a love hotel of all things. Mashita is the one ordering Yashiki to investigate. Mashita is the one that is telling him to explore.

Yashiki even in his inner monologue says “This isn’t going to do anything good for my reputation” which to be fair in context is more about the fact he is an old single man in the middle of the red light district. But if looked at an angle where Yashiki is a gay man. This could mean he is scared of others finding out his true sexuality and his reputation suffering for it.

I will also note that Hiroo and Daimon along with Yashiki and Mashita are there at the start of the case. The four of them are waiting outside the love hotel. Daimon and Hiroo who is practically outright stated in Death Mark 2 to be a couple. And Yashiki and Mashita who are heavily implied they are together. The two canon “couples” are standing in front of a love hotel.

Speaking of, the whole CG in the dirty smoking area has Yashiki pay too much attention to Mashita smoking. The amount of attention Mashita receives in his inner monologue is concerning. I will also note that the way the CG is drawn is that the two men are closer physically to Yashiki. Showing that there’s a level of emotional distance between Hiroo and Yashiki. We later know that Daimon and Mashita are the two mark bearers closer to Yashiki. This shows that Yashiki is more distant in general with women. Yashiki in general is closer to men than women. And the relationships with men are much more emotionally close than the likes of those he has with women.

Yashiki shows again that he knows how Mashita ticks. He bluntly says that “He like that to everyone. He didn’t mean anything by it”. He defends Mashita to Hiroo who was rightfully angry by his rudeness. Not realizing that it’s clear that Mashita treats himself differently. Mashita is more kind when it comes to him. Yashiki doesn’t realize how special he is to Mashita though.

And later on in the chapter, when Mashita comes back to help. Mashita and Yashiki enter the love hotel. Almost like they are a couple looking somewhere to stay the night. Mashita treats Yashiki gently in his own way and says “Calm down. Take a deep breath” when Yashiki rightfully had a panic attack because of the horrors. Mashita made Yashiki listen to him and calm down. When possessed shou gets to the scene, Mashita shows how good he is again. Mashita shows he is always there to protect Yashiki. By the end of the chapter, Mashita literally saves Yashiki from falling to his death. Mashita is so worried and angry and he says “Idiot…Try putting yourself into my shoes”. Mashita cares so much about Yashiki. No one can say otherwise.

Mashita again shows how much he pays attention and demands he be the one that will drive. Rudely pointing out that Yashiki's hands are still shaking. They are also each other's foils. Mashita believes the dead shouldn’t interfere with the living and Yashiki to his core is sympathetic to both spirits and the living. This has been my first part of the essay. The second half will be death mark 2.

Aren't you worried that another billboard will result in even more people harassing fans which will cause a significant decrease in people engaging with the fandom. I think you guys are shooting yourselves in the foot here in terms of morale and you should probably stop and just refund the money. I don't want an influx of people in my inbox again and I think that is the general consensus among fans. the first billboard was a pr nightmare the second one will have even more diminishing returns. Please if you are involved in the save ofmd crew reconsider your plans and if not reconsider shilling for them

Hi Anon! I appreciate you writing in! As I've mentioned in my previous post, I'm mostly here for supporting the renewal effort by spreading information. I realize it probably looks like because I'm forwarding information from saveofmd that I'm a decision maker. The SaveOFMD team does vote on various initiatives (for example I'm currently on a Taika Appreciation project, and helping suggest charities to support) so it's not just the billboard going on in there. They are one of the initiatives going on in the SaveOFMD Crew. To address your question:

"Aren't you worried that another billboard will result in even more people harassing fans which will cause a significant decrease in people engaging with the fandom"

To be honest, I'm not, but that's just me. If that's something you're concerned about, that's entirely valid. For me, what I've found is that, nothing I do online, in any fandom is going to be accepted by every person. I choose to continue discussing things with people who are willing to be positive, or at least have constructive and are willing to work through things (like I try to). The way that I like to look at it personally is, there are always going to be people who harass us. Being a queer woman, I've had that problem my whole life. What matters is how we as a fandom, or individual deals with it. If I go out on the street in mens clothes because they're comfortable, and I get made fun of by someone, or called a slur (which has happened many a time) does that mean I stop doing what I'm doing? For some people, they choose yes, for me, I don't. If someone is harassing you friend, 1. I would recommend looking for support in your other fans. 2. Block them if they aren't willing to compromise, or you don't have enough spoons to deal with them. No matter what we do, someone is not going to like us, that's just the way the world works.

In regards to:

"I think you guys are shooting yourselves in the foot here in terms of morale and you should probably stop and just refund the money."

I'm happy to pass on this suggestion to the billboard team (again, I'm on the server for other purposes so I don't usually get involved in that) but I'm more than happy to recommend it for you on your behalf.

In regards to:

"I don't want an influx of people in my inbox again and I think that is the general consensus among fans"

I 100% understand the want for not having your inbox flooded. Might I recommend you set some boundaries on your blog? (This is coming from a place of love, I promise I'm not being sarcastic). If you don't want people talking to you about this, or continuing to ask, I'd just recommend stating that in a pinned post (and/or turning anons off-- I've had to do this before to set a boundary) To the second part of your statement: "I think that is the general consensus among fans". I would have to respectfully disagree. I've heard much more excitement than I've heard hate regarding it (and I have heard some negative feedback for sure, but I'd say it's 10% concern and 90% for that I've run into), but perhaps I'm not following the right people (so it could be a bias on my part). If you'd like to send in another anon request and forward me to some places where I could find more people who are upset, I'd be more than happy to read through to see what the concerns are.

I try to be sort of a liaison between the fandom and the various renewal efforts going on (including save ofmd crew), so I'm more than happy to pass on information and provide the concerns to people who are headlining that particular initiative.

In regards to:

"the first billboard was a pr nightmare the second one will have even more diminishing returns."

Can you please provide me with a little more information regarding this? From what I saw in every platform online, the billboard was a PR success in terms of getting noticed by studios and media. There was some backlash among fans / other efforts around the world that thought "the billboard was a waste of money" but the specific purpose was to raise awareness and did get us (the fandom) recommendations from David Jenkins on where to focus efforts. And that's not to say that bad PR didn't happen. Specifically I know a lot of people were upset because "why pay for a billboard when you can help palestine". I will continue to repeat myself in this particular situation because I think it's important. 1. We are allowed to have things we love (everyone in the world is) 2. We are allowed to fight for those things if we feel the need/ability to do so. 3. Just because a fan supports a billboard, doesn't mean they aren't supporting Palestine, or any other efforts going on around the world. 3.5: Many of us don't show what we donate to for privacy reasons, and because we don't feel the need. The purpose of donating to Palestine for example is very different than the purpose of donating to a billboard (the billboard is meant to get attention) and Palestine is too, but my/anyones donating to help people in Palestine doesn't get attention because the attention is already there. The problem is in the leadership in all our countries literally not doing anything to stop the genocide happening there, despite constant reminders. --- BUT THATS A DIFFERENT STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY. 4. We are allowed to have silly little things that make us happy because otherwise life isn't worth living. <TW: Death/Trauma>: I grew up in VA during 9/11 the DC sniper all within my high school years (and one of my friends parents were murdered by the dc sniper). </end TW: Death/Trauma> I say this not for pity, but to point out that I've lived through enough trauma in my life, and gone through enough to know I have to have my silly little things in my life that make me smile, and WE ALL NEED THOSE for our mental health. If someone else doesn't like that, that's their problem, not ours. Please don't let their inability to cope affect your ability to do so.

"Please if you are involved in the save ofmd crew reconsider your plans and if not reconsider shilling for them"

I made a post earlier tonight regarding this situation. Here's the post so I don't have to repeat it again (and other people dont have to read it again here!) Just like any fundraiser, or watch party, or really anything in this fandom, if people choose to be a part of something, that doesn't mean you or anyone else has to. There are people who put money towards cameos, and I know some people think that's wasteful, but that's not up to them, it's up to the people who want to put in for cameos. I'm not a huge fan of EdIzzy fanart (I know, gasp) but if I see it on my tumblr I just scroll through it. I don't tell people not to make it, or make them uncomfortable for doing it. If I may, I would suggest, since the billboard is something that you dont support (and anyone who feels this way)-- 1. feel free to provide feedback, which you have, and I'll forward that on for you, and then 2. move forward and scroll past. The Save OFMD Crew, just like anyone asking for people to join on cameos isn't demanding you help, it's offering it in case you want to join in-- the answer to that can totally be, "No".

Alright anon, thank you again for the feedback. I appreciate you reaching out, and I'll bring these concerns up with the team in the A.M. (for me). Hope you have a good night and things end up being a little calmer for you in your inbox. To others: I will probably get more asks tonight (I already see the numbers going up in my inbox lol) but I'm gonna wait til tomorrow to answer them because I still have to finish the recap AND do another hour work (and its already 10 PM here) so if I don't get back to you tonight---please know it's not because I don't want to talk, it's just cause I'm running out of hours in the day :)

I'm sorry this sounds hypocritical, but I like fizzarolli more than stolas even though the two were changed over the course of the series.

The reason why I forgive Fizz is that unlike Stolas, he is a character who CHANGES AND DOES SOMETHING.

He has his character arc about being himself and getting away from people who hurt him and also about forgiving and understanding, he moves the story, he is a character who faces his problems and tries to do the best he can, which It makes you feel satisfied with his character when he achieves something.

He has real relationships with others that you are interested in learning more about, like Blitz and Ozzie.

None of that can be said about Stolas, in the last few episodes he has done absolutely nothing and sometimes his presence in the episodes feels unnecessary, he doesn't have a character arc and doesn't really do anything significant to grow as a character, we could see him being more time with his daughter or making more friends or partners, but not the only thing the series does with Stolas is just pity him. It doesn't help that he is absolved of all wrongdoing that made him able to give him more development as a character.

The problem with Stolas is that he has nothing to learn or change, he is a character who did the right thing from day 1. and a character who doesn't have to change is a waste of time.

Fizz did more than just Stolas in 2 fucking episodes, he reconciled with Blitz, he understood the whole situation and forgave him, in the other episode, he decided to face Mammon in a spectacular concert and that he doesn't have to change to be enough for the people who he loves He talked to Ozzie about his insecurities and confronted them.

That he did stolas in the last episodes? Well he was kidnapped and tortured and he didn't do anything in the entire episode. He just cries and makes sexual jokes. and then he bounced back out of nowhere in the next one.

In oops he was only there to help Asmodeus with some papers and ask him to give him the crystals and nothing more, he did what he always does, get sad and that's it. He shouldn't have been in that episode.

These are my reasons why fizz is much better than stolas as a character. I want to know what you think. I know this is not a question but I wanted to give another interpretation of the character of Fizz.

Hiya, I see where you're coming from and absolutely respect it But I will also slightly disagree because Fizz is now ALSO someone who has done nothing wrong from day 1 and doesn't drive the plot forward. The only thing he kinda did to drive the plot was to tell Asmodeus it was okay for Blitz to receive a crystal. I guess he has an arc but it kinda comes out of nowhere in season 1, Fizz's personality for S2 doesn't feel like it did in S1, it doesn't feel natural. He went from an arrogant popular gremlin who likes to make fun of people and dislikes children to an abused sweetie who likes to inspire children. I see it as a retcon of his personality, I personally can't see it as a proper arc because of that. And the reason why I'm not interested in his relationships with Blitz and Ozz is because the show is about Blitz and IMP, not Fizzarolli. He's kinda stealing the show here, his relationship to Ozz was supposed to be Blitz's relationship with Stolas- why wait another season+ for Stolitz to get over their weird drama when you can just consume OzzXFizz content ? but yeah I will agree 100% with you that Stolas most of this season has been the most useless. Fizz does actually feel like he's part of the story of the episodes he's in.

Something that I've noticed for a while now, and something that's honestly become really irritating for me, is that people have suddenly apparently lost the ability---or maybe just the courtesy/empathy---to filter their fandom experiences and leave people alone.

I've just seen @antianakin's recent post of them responding to someone who didn't like that they posted about hating Anakin, and it just reminded me of all the fucking comments and reblogs I get about people seeing posts where I'm critical of a character, or a show, or something the fandom does---and, instead of just blocking me and moving on like a normal person, they feel the need to express how much they disagree or think it's stupid that I've decided to make a whole fic/post/whatever about how much I hate or am critical of that one particular thing.

And it's not just me!

Plenty of my mutuals and the people I follow, and tbh plenty of the Pro-Jedi/(x character/show) critical people who I don't follow but whose posts I see, have responded to countless comments and reblogs and asks from people who won't just fucking filter their content. It's always-

"I don't see why you felt the need to make a whole post about this." - a response I've gotten many times on some of my anti-Anakin posts.

-or-

"I think it's ridiculous that you're just writing a whole fic to bash a character." - a response I got to me being critical of Ahsoka in the Ahsoka show and my anti-Anakin fic ideas.

-or-

"Why do you want to make a whole event just to express your hate of one character?" - a response I got to me pitching the idea of an Anti-Anakin Week, so us that hate Anakin could blow off steam.

Like...are people being fucking serious?

I haven't been on Tumblr for a very long time, not even a year yet, but I knew as soon as I got on this hellsite that---if I didn't want to see certain content---I needed to filter the tags and block the people I didn't like.

I don't understand why so many people can't just fucking do that.

It's not like we're not tagging our fucking posts properly or purposefully trying to make people who disagree with us see our stuff, we're just posting our own shit in our own spaces!

And, ironically enough, those people who often come on these posts and complain about us making them---namely anti-Jedi people and Anakin Stans---are apart of the same group of people that literally will not tag or purposefully mis-tag posts so that the rest of us with the tags blocked have to see it!

This has probably been an issue for a while on Tumblr and I just haven't been around long enough to remember, but holy shit can everyone just start blocking people and filtering tags instead of making your discomfort everyone else's problem?

Guess what? I also like stuff in Star Wars, and it makes me upset when I see critique or hate of that stuff too! But I also understand that not everyone likes that stuff and that it's not their responsibility to cater to me---it's my responsibility to make sure I don't see that shit. The only responsibility anyone else has is to tag their posts properly, the rest is 100% on me.

So can y'all please get with the fucking program?

Filter your tags.

Block people.

Leave the rest of us the fuck alone.

so one of my other problems with babyjack is that the fandom just seems to have this sort of collective cognitive dissonance about it, in almost any context or discussion. like this post as probably my only standing example (bc it’s the only one to have gotten traction), there are all these tags about how babyjack leads to bad dean criticism, or how it’s nice in aus but they want canon complex jack, and like I’m not entirely disagreeing with that, but it is so fucking frustrating that people are still ignoring the actual problem with it and either only focusing on the most surface level issues that personally affect them or their corner of the fandom, or making up some point of acceptability for it that frankly isn’t theirs to make.

it’s the autistic experience of our struggles never being seen or cared about until they become other people’s inconveniences, and our voices being used to say something else entirely. when the main takeaway of that post is how the fandom’s treatment of jack being in a way he’s explicitly shown to hate being treated directly mirrors autistic people’s struggle for autonomy in the real world, I really do not need you to make it about how it makes your golden website boy dean look like a big meanie pants, okay? that’s definitely a part of it, but it’s not at all what we are talking about, and it 100% should not be the only reason you care.

and especially when the other takeaway is how this is just a smaller scale issue that comes from autistic infantilization, the absolute last take I want to hear is that you find that infantilization acceptable as long it’s an AU or something else separated from canon. believe me, I’m beyond glad more people actually prefer canon complex jack—like, I don’t think you guys understand that that is legitimately a rarity to find here— but the thing about babyjack is that the concept itself is inherently ableist, and directly relies on his complexities (and the representation he means for us) being removed and erased so that he can even exist in the context of those AU’s. It feels very… ‘have your cake and eat it too’ to me.

I’m trying not to sound angry or accusatory, but I am also tired of having to force civility on a problem that’s pretty much just an open secret thar everyone collectively ignores and beats bushes around solely because they prioritize #domesticdestiel over all. I mean, do you guys even hear yourselves sometimes? Like half of it just boils down to “Autistic infantilization is always bad, except for this one context where it makes my ship look domestic and redeems my blorbo,” and it’s getting really fucking annoying to have to constantly explain something that is not only painfully easy to understand, but is understood and actively ignored, and still play nice so that somebody out there might listen.

So many people will say they like canon Jack and want more of him from the fandom, and I more than agree, but motherfucker you have a blog! You have the tools! Be the change you want to see! He doesn’t have to be your fav or your blog thesis blorbo, but if you want it, you are literally fully equipped to make it! Write some meta, draw some fanart, whatever. Better yet, you could even stop engaging with and perpetuating content that actively pushes down on what you want and, I must reiterate, is actively harmful and ableist. If you want domestic silliness go right ahead, but you don’t need to resort to ableism to do it.

I don’t think I’m asking too much or asking rudely, and frankly I don’t even think I owe niceties to anyone when it’s a problem that has been openly ignored for 6 years and holds plenty of bearing in the real world concerning my identity and community and shit we face constantly. Outside of our screens, we are constantly fighting for autonomy and recognition and representation, and even to be seen as people. Online spaces, especially fandom spaces, are a huge source of escapism and support that we wouldn’t get otherwise. So for the love of god, please stop bringing that fight here.

Maja, can I just say how much I agree with you, and every point you've made. I honestly saw the bullying from the beginning of this whole thing, and I never, and still don't, understand it. I think it's people's way of hitting below the belt, and I don't think that's okay. I understand that people are exhausted with this entire situation, and I don't blame them for being exhausted.

I think the fandom has been through a lot with this situation, but I always saw blogs on here going after his looks, and saying demeaning things about his appearance, and it honestly left me disgusted. A lot of blogs actions and aggressiveness has left me disgusted. I understand calling out someone's hypocrisy, but the amount of meanness is just so unnecessary to me. It's gotten to the point where I just don't visit a lot of blogs anymore because that kind of hostility has just become way too much. There's no need for it, in my opinion.

It's why your blog is one of the very few I read from time to time. No matter the asks, you answer them strongly, and respectively. You give valid points, but you never turn things hostile, and I've never seen you bully Chris, or anyone. All that ridiculing his hairline, or his skin, or his teeth...it's uncalled for. I get people are angry for their own reasons, and I'm not saying that whatever anger or hurt they feel as a result of this situation is invalid, but I don't think people realise that to go that low, and to have that kind of nasty reaction says a lot about them as people. You can make your point of why you don't agree, stand strong in it and then just move on. There's no need to be so crass.

I've never believed in wishing harm on people, I just don't understand that kind of immature behaviour, and I just think there's really no need for it, because at the end of the day, people will eventually reap what they sew. But I don't think he's a bad guy. I just think he's a guy who got a little too comfortable in his lifestyle, foolishly and blindly trusted a lot of no good intention people around him, and made a mistake.

And this isn't talking about what's come out about her, because that kind of stuff I definitely don't agree with either, and it needed to be called out, 100%. But those of us who are on the side of PR believe it's fake, and we have our reasons and evidence for why we believe it's fake, so we state those things, and leave it at that. The other stuff is just wasted breath. And let's be honest, when this is over, these people are all going to go their separate ways and life goes on. It's a brutal, sad fact, but we can't deny it's a fact nonetheless.

I know people might read this, and think I'm taking up for him, and you know what, that's okay. We all have our opinions; at least I presented mine in a respectful, non-hostile way. But I do hope, once all of this is officially done, there can be accord again. And I know the people who want to hate on him will disagree with me, and that's okay too, but I do hope things get better for him down the road. Call me foolish, but I just don't agree with wishing harm or bad things on people. It's not a personality trait of mine, and I refuse to make it one.

Thanks Maja for letting me say my views on the matter. Keep doing what you're doing on your blog, because it's a great example of what a mod should be.

I agree with you. I get that people are exhausted and so tired of this situation that they decide to leave. I also understand if they can't support him anymore. I get it. However, bullying him because of his hairline and teeth is so unnecessary. These things aren't something new; he's been like this for years, and people didn't seem to care about it until he got involved with Alba. Or at least I didn't see it. Seeing some people talk about this and reading a few emails in my inbox about his appearance make it look like people only mention those things because they are mad at him.

I think holding him accountable is really important, and calling him out for hypocrisy and for being associated with people like them is also important. However, his physical appearance has nothing to do with the situation. Bullying him for how he looks is so unnecessary and unkind, and it makes it look like all the other concerns are just brought up from jealousy, which is not true.

I also don't think he is a bad guy. Was he stupid to get into this? Yes. Was this whole thing a terrible idea? Yes. I think his fears and insecurities got him into this situation. That, combined with him thinking he can trust those around him and that they would want the best for him, and the poor partner choice, was the perfect recipe for disaster. And as you said, I also don't want to baby him; however, saying that he's lied about everything in the past 20+ years is, in my opinion, a huge reach. If he was anything like Alba and her friends, we would"ve known about it before she was in the picture. Nobody can pretend to be someone for that long. Nobody can hide their true selves for decades. And he wouldn't always be able to play a role on sets, either.

I guess this whole situation is really hard, because I get that people are disappointed; we all are. I get that people are mad; we all are. But I do think some people take it too far.

Some thoughts on this shipping discourse

I have already expressed MULTIPLE times how much I hate drama, so this is probably gonna be my last post on this topic. In the future, I might post less, not at all, or often but with only positive stuff. I just don't know if I can mentally handle being on here for much longer. Anyway, here are some thoughts:

Trying to convince Tkkrs they are wrong is not going to work.

I would like to challenge anyone here to think of a time when someone ACTUALLY changed their opinion on something after an online argument. Can't think of one? Exactly. Humans are stubborn, it's just part of who we are. Especially online, nobody is actually open to changing their opinion on things. We argue just for the sake of arguing.

And, we have to remember that Tkkrs are JUST as confident that their ship is real as we (Jkkrs) are. It may be stupid, but as a former Tkkr I would know (I had just joined the fandom and I was young, don't blame me for falling for the Taekook bs). Anyway, when I say I was confident in my belief that's an understatement. Eventually, I did stumble across Jikook, and the story is actually very funny. Again, I had just joined the fandom and hilariously, my mom was starting to get into BTS too. One day, she stumbled across a Jikook video on youtube, called me in the room and showed me, saying "look how in love these two are". I was hesitant at first (still being a tkkr at the time), but I watched it with her, because she was my mother; someone that I knew and trusted. If some random person online had sent me the same video and told me to watch it, I wouldn't have. I would be pissed and ignore it. My point is, to convert me from a Tkkr to a Jkkr, it took my own mother showing me a video, and explaining to me that with her almost 60 years of life experience, she could tell they were in incredibly in love.

Nobody's gonna listen to a random person's opinion on line. At least, not with an open mind.

2. We're just giving toxic people the attention they want.

More than 50% of what I see on Jikook Tumblr recently is answers responding to toxic people's posts, whether those people are tkkrs, antis, or solo stans. Because we answer all their stupid questions, more of these people are coming out of the woodwork to share their own stupid opinions. And then it's just a toxic circle.

Even though it may give you some satisfaction to roast random strangers on the internet (I even enjoy reading roasts by jkkrs sometimes), it's really not worth it. We're just giving them the attention they want. If we just ignored them for a while and didn't answer their questions or respond to them, they wouldn't go away, but we would definitely see less of them on here.

Also, aren't we kinda being hypocrites? When tkkrs leave hate on Jikook posts we all get together to hate on them (which is justified) but we seem to have no problem when jkkrs leave hate on Taekook posts. I know it's different because Jikook is real and taekook isn't, but again, we're not going to convince them by leaving hate comments. We're just gonna piss them off more. Honestly, I think the only thing that would shut tkkrs up once and for all is if Jikook came out with their relationship, and we all know that's not going to happen, at least not anytime soon.

Ok, I think that's the end of my rant. Please let me know if you agree with me or not. If you disagree, I totally understand. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I'm just sharing mine.

ALSO 3 more things:

1: please feel free to send me asks! I will respond to ALL of them as long as they are not toxic.

2: does anyone know any platforms where the Jikook community is welcoming and nice? It may sound stupid but I think that's what I really need right now. I have no BTS friends and would LOVE someone to talk to about them.

3: let me know if you would like me to stay on here. I'm almost definitely not gonna post any more stuff about this drama, but I will 100% post more cute and wholesome Jikook moments if y'all want me to.

I love you all, thank you so much 💜

sorting tlou2 characters into hogwarts houses because i’m bored and cbf to finish the fics i have stared 😀

i'm getting back into my harry potter era becuase i've been bingeing all the movies before they leave aus netflix tomorrow 🥲

pls ignore any grammatical mistakes i truly just could not be bothered to properly edit this

TWs: mentions of killing but just within tlou2 plot, nothing heavy

ellie williams - slytherin

ellie is 100% a slytherin IMO and i’m tired of everyone saying she's a gryffindor. she’s incredibly ambitious, driven, cunning (uses her own intelligence and skills for personal gain, i.e. tracking abby and killing all her friends), ruthless (in the aforementioned killing), self-reliant (rejects help, oftentimes from joel, i.e. at the dance), and brash, all of which are big traits of slytherins. we see her cunning, ambition, and drive particularly in her drive to kill abby, and ellie's disregard for the people that get in her way (i.e. owen, mel, nora).

abby anderson - gryffindor

in my eyes, abby is definitely a gryffindor. she's brave, stubborn, can oftentimes be blunt, and is not one to back down. i know some people argue that she'd be a slytherin because they have an idea that abby = evil and evil = slytherin, but i disagree. abby has drive, but it isn't pushed to the extreme like we see with ellie. abby also has a pretty solid moral compass, with the exception of killing joel, but i would argue she was haunted by grief from her father's death. i think, in general, she understands what's right and just, and tends to act accordingly, rather than choose pretty self-centred actions like we see ellie do.

dina woodward - ravenclaw

i was tossing up between ravenclaw and hufflepuff for dina, but i settled with ravenclaw because i think it just makes more sense. dina is rational, logical, is an observer rather than someone who acts, and she doesn't jump into things on a whim - we see this when tommy visits ellie and dina at the farmhouse to try and get ellie back on abby's trail - dina is rational in understanding that continuing ellie's revenge quest will get them nowhere and leave them with more blood on their hands.

joel miller - gryffindor

joel was a really hard character for me to sort, because i think he has traits from both gryffindor and slytherin. ultimately, i ended up in gryffindor, because i think, especially in the first game, joel shows his bravery and stubbornness to leave ellie with the fireflies. while joel's killings might be more slytherin, as they are quite self-serving, they weren't intentionally so, unlike ellie's.

jesse - hufflepuff

jesse's a hufflepuff to me. he's hardworking, honest, compassionate, practical, and dependable. jesse is loyal, and determined to protect the greater good. i see this especially when he tries to get ellie to go with him when they suspect the sniper in seattle is tommy, and make sure he's safe (where ellie stays to track down owen and mel, jesse finds tommy).

tommy miller - gryffindor

i put tommy in gryffindor because not only is he loyal, especially to maria and joel, but he's also very brave and definitely stubborn. i do think he's a little brash, like ellie.

lev - hufflepuff

lev was definitely a bit harder, but i landed on hufflepuff because of his drive to do good. i can see this in him especially when he calls off abby from killing dina. he's loyal, especially to his mother (despite everything), yara, and also abby once he begins to trust her.

yara - ravenclaw

yara is very rational, analytical, and intelligent, hence sorting her into ravenclaw. she's also very emotionally intelligent, especially when it comes to lev, and i noticed this in how she talks to abby.

owen moore - hufflepuff

i put owen in hufflepuff because he's got a very strong moral compass, diffuses confrontation, is generally good-hearted, and very practical. he doesn't jump into things irrationally and is loyal to his close circle.

mel - slytherin

mel is realistic, determined, and quite assertive in what she wants, hence slytherin.

i hope all this makes sense! pls don't hate on me if you disagree 😅, but my comments are open and i'd love to hear what you guys think!

also i used this image for sorting info...

Do 8, 10, 21 and 25 for the Bloodborne fandom. I am curious

(Asks from this ( x ) meme)

8) common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

It is kind of a hard question, because opinions are opinions! They are not supposed to be right OR wrong! I suppose that some of them do fall on the territory of lacking perspective, and in that case I'd say insisting on how Yharnam is Victorian London! To be honest, again, everything in Bloodborne is off-brand and Yharnam has several inspirations, but like... there is the Czech clocktower, there is off-brand Nikola Tesla with his inventions, names like Micolash an Iosefka, and there is Polish language on the graves in Hemwick!

Yharnam is as Slavic as you can get come on fdsjdffds

21) part of canon you think is overhyped

Hard to tell, sometimes it feels like almost nothing in the fandom gets enough attention on the contrary! I am not sure if this is just the small fandom problem, or the problem of the source material being too good, but no matter what aesthetic, lore piece or character dynamic got a lot of attention it ALL feels deserved! I used to think that maybe Choir was getting "too much" attention and eclipsed the rest of the covenants in fanart, but again, 1) they ARE interesting and appealing enough and 2) the sense of one hyped thing 'robbing the spotlight' from another is usually a mistake, people are naturally drawn to what they like and if it didn't exist it is not like all that attention would 'instead' go to more neglected bits! In other words, everything in Bloodborne deserves its attention AND more!

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

Kinda tired of the complaints about how Maria and sometimes other female characters are drawn! Not because they are not true, but because they never will REACH their target audience! People that draw Maria with big hips and tiddies and no hint of strength simply do not GO on the websites like Tumblr or Twitter! I don't really see the reason of recycling this complaint specifically in the spaces where people that do draw female characters like this will not even receive this feedback. I can't be 100% free from hypocrisy on this one though because I also sometimes vagueblog rather than addressing what I disagree with directly (in my defence though usually it happens because I physically can't message the person fdhhfds).

But basically, it feels like people have trapped themselves with the whole "never offer unsolicited criticism" mentality and thus can't post criticism UNDER those inaccurate fanarts. The 'treat others like you want to be treated' can and WILL be a bitch, so we're left with frantic posts about how this or that character should be drawn, in the place where everyone already draws this character accurately, so it gets jarring! I am an asshole that will go in people's DMs about drawings to tell them that Henryk's skin is not so pale, that Damian/Yurie/Henriett/etc have grey eyes and not blue and that Malenia is NOT built like Barbie doll so maybe this is why I do not understand the point?

10) worst part of fanon

On Kinn’s ending

I have seen people say that this was a sad ending or a “false happy ending” for his character arc, and I’m going to try and express why I very much disagree with that.

It’s true. Kinn didn’t choose this life. As the second child, he had dreams once. Dreams that are now ironically being lived by Kim. But I want to emphasize one thing clearly: when Tankhun had his incident, that path became lost to him permanently. He can’t leave his family behind and he would never do anything to hurt them (like faking his own death to escape). Sure he thought about staying lost in the forest, but it was just that. A thought. (Will get back to his feelings in the forest in a bit.) He has a complicated and unhealthy relationship with his father, sure, but he does love him. And he loves Tankhun. He cares about his people. So he can’t just vanish. But that has always been Kinn’s tragedy. And it was never going to magically go away. The irrevocable fact that he lost his childhood dreams for good. And as much as it makes my heart hurt, I like that about him. That he cares about his family. That he’s a responsible person.

Now, I think that looking at Kinn in his role as head of the family and going “poor boo boo doesn’t want to do this, he hates every second of it :((((” is a major disservice to his character and strips away several layers from him. You see, I’m not convinced that he 100% hates it. He’s just too good at it. It’s the way he holds himself, the way he talks, the look in his eyes. On some level, I think he likes the power and authority.

So let’s look at his arc this season. You see, I don’t think that Kinn’s issue with his job was ever the murder or violence or any of that stuff. What I mean is, I don’t think he’s bothered by a guilty conscience at all. He grew up in it. The thing that was slowly eating him alive about his position was the loneliness. The lack of balance in a hard world. The not being able to trust anyone. Not having anyone to be himself with. Kinn closed himself off from everyone around him, had sex without feelings whenever he felt the urge, and became a hard man. Because that time he opened himself up to someone, he got hurt. He got hurt, and his family was put in danger. His people were put in danger. So Kinn decided, never again. He locked his heart away, and became the facade of cold mafia leader. And he was so lonely. Starved for tenderness.

Then comes Porsche. And Porsche basically turns his world upside down. His carefully crafted exterior doesn’t take long to crack. And after a rollercoaster of a first month, Kinn drops his guard completely in the forest. There we finally see the real Kinn at his most pure. No obligations. No one to pretend for. The two of them talk about their dreams and grow close, and a part of Kinn never wants to go back. Part of him doesn’t want to be found. Part of him wants to run away with Porsche in that moment when he lets him go. But again, he can’t. It was never an option.

So they go back, and Kinn realises that he took a part of the forest back with him. He can still be himself. With Porsche. He can be his dorky, cheesy, loving, soft self with Porsche. He learns that it was never about a place. He has found his freedom in Porsche. He can have softness in a hard world. He learns to let himself be cared for. He learns to trust. He learns to balance his duties and his love. All with ups and downs. And he grows so much.

As for their vacation at Porsche's place in episode 12, I don't think Kinn truly believed it'd be forever. I think he understands how much his dad needs him as head of the family, and he was using this to get Korn to make it up to Porsche in some way. And Kinn was willing to stay away from home for as long as it took to make it happen. It doesn't much matter to Kinn where he is or for how long, as his happiness isn't tied to a place.

Kinn will always have to bear the burden of his responsibility. But he won’t have to do it alone anymore. Porsche is by his side now. And no, not under him because he’s “minor family” head. They were very clearly in stating that they’d become one. They’ll do this together, side by side. Orchestrated by Korn or not, I think it’s beautiful. Because he’s underestimating them. He doesn’t understand how deep their bond really is. And Kinn has been slipping from his grasp. Throughout the season, we saw Kinn not listening to him, going against him. Choosing Porsche over him.

Kinn and Porsche have each other’s backs, and I think they can take on the whole world together. And Kinn will never be lonely again.

crazy that good omens would spur another phase of religious deconstruction, but like, it really has helped me reflect on what i believe and if my actions match that.

i was raised mormon, and i still practice. i go to church every sunday. i teach children in sunday school. when people ask, i am so good at playing the part of a faithful member. heck, i'm going to BYU, where i am going to have to keep playing the part for the next few years.

but i was thinking about how aziraphale lives in this state of cognitive dissonance. what he believes and what heaven believes are fundamentally different. yet he can't seem to accept that heaven might be wrong. he can't fully step away.

and i finally forced myself to think about what i believe.

i don't think i believe in satan. i don't think i believe there is a jesus christ that died for my sins. i don't think i believe in adam and eve. i don't think i believe that the bible is 100% factual. i don't think i believe that joseph smith was a prophet. i don't think i believe that the book of mormon is scripture from god. i don't think i believe that the temple rituals are required to go to heaven. i know i disagree with the mormon church when it comes to sexuality and gender. i myself at queer, and i can be excluded from church activities - and upper levels of heaven - for acting on that.

the only part of the church that i agree with is their message to do good and serve others.

but all the things that make the church unique? i either don't believe or i don't agree with.

but i have stayed.

i still "practice."

i still teach others that it's true, even when i don't think that.

because it is so hard for me to fathom an existence outside of this church, even though i don't really believe in it. it is easier to play the part than to try to exist outside of the world i have known, carving my own path. when i have been taught that leaving the church was to damn myself... it's one or the other. there is no grey.

and i understand aziraphale on such a personal level. i want to cry just thinking about how much i see myself in him. i know what it's like to try to justify everything. to want to believe, even when you really don't. to be too scared to leave, even when it feels so wrong.

i don't know what my next steps will be, but i am grateful for go2, aziraphale, and neil gaiman for helping me on my path to hopefully being more true to myself.

vil is so "no talking stage. mutual obsession and you see god in my eyes or die a painful death." and rook is "all day talking stage about how obsessed i am with my most specialest girlfriend now cheer for her or ill blow this whole building up" and it's like yea man. shit. i see god in vil's eyes too. he haunts me. hate it when gnc men make me homosexual.

This is so accurate actually??? I’m working on smth for Vil rn and I’m trying to find a balance so I can convey that kind of 0 to 100 commitment. I keep going back to that line of his in book 5 about how he has no interest in strong arming people into bowing to him and how he prefers it when people do so on their own accord. Vil wants unwavering loyalty, but he also wants to be treated like a person rather than a two dimensional character. He just wants you to see him as the most perfect person to ever walk the earth- and that’s where seeing god in his eyes comes in. He needs to know he can trust you, not just because you’ve got some flighty crush on him- so does everyone else, get in line- but because you’re enamored with his whole being. This means being honest and upfront with him when he does something you disagree with, as well as refusing to shy away from hard truths he has to hear. He doesn’t want you to kiss his ass- honesty like that is a good measure of loyalty, and a foundation for any sort of relationship when he has millions of people obsessing over him. He needs to know you really mean it. It’s complicated, I guess. To me it seems like Vil would want you to level the playing field and treat him like any other person, but then choose him over everyone else in the world because you find him to be so perfect (all his baggage included). But I feel like the mutual connection and respect would be a start for the inevitable mutual pining. Vil is observant by nature and brutally honest to a point- if you reciprocate that without any sort of prompting, he’s going to take to you once he’s sure you’re not trying to get something out of him (just as he took to Rook). You’ll have to know him well to see that he’s in love with you. His affection comes in ways like hard truths big and small, inviting you to do extraordinarily mundane things with him (working out, a quick brunch, etc.), and cosmetics he’s formulated just for you. It’s exceedingly normal for the longest time- he has to know you won’t get bored of him, that you aren’t just interested in his public persona. If you know him that well and still fall head over heels, if you still find god in his eyes? Then he floors it. Or rather it‘s difficult to floor it when the two of you have already so deeply entangled your day to day lives. When did you two get this close? When did you learn so much about him without him telling you outright and Vice versa? Nonetheless it just escalates from there, because then Vil really wants to pick your brain- that mutual understanding gets far deeper far faster once the safety brake is disengaged.

ANYWAYSSSS LMAO I DIDNT. MEAN TO SAY ALL THQT ???? I JUST WOKE UP HAHA ??? THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORDS ANON HEHE HOO !!! YOURE INSIPIRING ME!!!

I am also so very homosexual for gnc men!!!!

Is Twilight really okay?

So I see tons of folks bring up how they are feeling sus out by if twilight is truly okay

No. He’s not okay, yet.

Warning: discussion of illnesses and injuries.

I get why folks are quick to be Sus of how twilight is. I will sort of explain this the best way I can. Using my own personal experience of what going okay. But note I am not invalidating anyone feelings on their thoughts of twilight and his finally seeming to be recovered.

I can say, I think he was given as much healing as they can provide him. He is not fully 100%. He probably got enough healing he can get. Over time it will heal more. However he is most likely poisoned by dink’s blade. But his wound will never truly heal. He will suffer from it till he last days. Something a lot like what Happened to Frodo in the Fellowship of the Ring. In the end Frodo does die once their task was completed and evil was banished from the land. I suspect this how it will got for Twilight.

More on a personal level, I suffer from chronic pancreatitis*. So I sympathize with how Twilight must be feeling. The aches and pains are unimaginable. However I kept going. Weakness can be strengthened slowly at my own pace. Which what he will have to do. You don’t just drink a potion, get heal with a life spell and can be spring chicken. It takes time. As we can see. There will be a struggle and frustration at every corner cause you want to not be a burden to anyone and be able to function the way you use too. The trauma of it will over time heal as well. He will have to relearn to do things. He won’t be able to fight the way he has done. Rest and recovery is a must. Not pushing too hard. Twilight and Time being related- they both share a stubbornness. So emotionally he will lash out a bit (or not). So I sort of get how Twilight must and will feel.

I know people are quick to be like “angst, angst, angst.” But I think people don’t understand there’s something much deeper to a wound that won’t fully heal, but heals enough. It will be a chronic thing for him. Could he maybe get turned into a puppet for dink and turn on the chain. Maybe, but let’s be more logical and see it as he just won’t be fully healed. However he will continue to fight till their adventure ends and dink is defeated properly. So you are all valid in not trusting him being okay. It just may not be how angsty as you think. Just simply he will never be 100% and that now his struggle will be to learn to handle is medical situation and work around what he can and can not do any longer.

He will still be a down tight magnificent fighter, good hearted gent he is. How just now in a new phase in his situation where he will have to come to terms with his limitations. Which mentally is often hard to come to terms with. For me, I can’t eat a lot of my favorite stuff and knowing when I need to take it easy. Something along those lines. It’s an emotional, physical and mental journey. Which we will be watching as the comic progresses.

That’s my take on how he is and what we will expect as the comic progresses. More then welcome to disagree and think more into things. This just my own view of where things may go.

[* Chronic pancreatitis is similar to acute, but in this case, the inflammation is long-term and won’t get any better. In fact, over time, it tends to get worse and lead to permanent damage.

Chronic pancreatitis will often develop after an episode of acute pancreatitis has already occurred.

]

I don't ship kataang, nor any ship in atla, so when I say this I'm talking from more of a platonic perspective, but I really don't think Aang was trying to push his beliefs onto Katara as much as people think in TSR, just like Zuko didn't push her to violence. Aang shouldn't have said it how he did, but when he and Sokka said what they said, they didn't say it because they thought it was necessarily wrong, but because they knew killing someone would not help katara (although Sokka and Aang are very different here considering, especially considering Katara is Sokkas sister), and we find out later in the episode that revenge wasn't the suitable option for her. Yes, Katara wanted more than to just confront Yon Rha, but I don't think Aang was demonising Katara when he said she was like Jet. This part is really all up for interpretation, but Jet died a noble death and Katara mourned him personally, he was a child taken over by revenge after the grief of his parents and village, and Katara, Sokka and Aang all saw how it ended for him. And in the end, they don't stop Katara. They let her go, even if they're scared she might end up killing him, but even if she had, they wouldn't have shut her out. Aang himself had several instances in which he would have taken several lives (sandbenders) if katara hadn’t stopped him. That’s why he says, “I’m proud of you,”, not because shes proud she went by what he said, because katara arrived at that moral decision on her own, without the influence of external sources. That was all her- it wasn't Aang, it wasn't Zuko, or anyone else. Neither Aang, nor even Zuko, are forcing her to do anything as much as people say, or trying to force their opinions and wants on her. I definitely think that the point other anon said about the fact Aang physically can't get revenge is a good point- it means that even if he wanted to, he couldn't understand Katara fully because its impossible for him to be put in that position since everyone who attacked the air temples is dead by time. But that's the thing, everyone in the group has experienced different things, and that doesn't make it that they're supporting someone less or more because of it. Sorry if this was long, I just have a lot of thoughts on this

I think one can read TSR's interactions both in a friendship and in a relationship lead-up light, but it can 100% be read just in a platonic light. While I don't agree with all your interpretation, I do agree with some of it, which is part of the joy of fandom. As I'm sure you can tell, I also have a lot of thoughts on that episode (all the show, really), so having a lot of thoughts yourself is always welcome.

I do read Aang as trying to at least get Katara to see his point of view on the idea of confronting Yon Rha, but by reading that, I have to ask myself, Why? Why is he trying to get her to see things from his point of view? The most logical answer I can come to is because he wants her to agree with him. I don't even know if Katara doesn't see it from his point of view, because she never explicitly says—what she does say is that she knows he "wouldn't understand," which indicates to me that she, at least, very much feels that he isn't trying to see things from her perspective. I think that's where the bigger conflict comes in, and why she gets so mad, especially when he compares her to Jet. This is where I have to somewhat disagree with what I'm reading as you trying to argue: Katara knows Aang isn't referring to how Jet died in Ba Sing Se, he's referring to Jet's quest for vengeance against a (colonized) town of Fire Nation people. Coupled with that is the fact that Jet manipulated both her and Aang into helping him get things set up to destroy the town, with the intention of killing all its inhabitants.

Just like it's not a 1:1 comparison for Aang to compare losing a very much alive Appa to Katara essentially witnesses her mother's murder (which is a script-writing question I have: why in the world would Aang be written to say that when he could easily have said, "My entire culture was wiped out by the Fire Nation, I know how it feels to lose everyone you love," instead. That boggles my mind), it's certainly not a 1:1 comparison for Aang to make about Katara, wanting to confront a specific person who did her direct harm, to Jet, whose rage was directed at anyone of Fire Nation origin or descent.

I do agree that Aang says, "I'm proud of you," because he thinks she chose not to kill Yon Rha and instead forgive him because of what he said, but he's wrong. Katara chose not to kill Yon Rha because of herself, and she certainly did not choose to forgive him, which she explicitly tells Aang. Like I said, she ultimately is swayed by neither Aang or Zuko, and that also includes her final decisions about Yon Rha (both to not kill and not forgive him). Saying things like, "[Aang] and Sokka said what they said . . . because they knew killing someone would not help katara," is exactly the issue here as well. They're assuming they know what's best for Katara and what she needs, instead of allowing her to make that decision for herself. (Also, Aang does absolutely think killing someone is wrong, which we see is his very big conflict with the entire group regarding how to deal with Ozai, but you are right in that Sokka doesn't view it as wrong.) But again, that's likely why she gets mad at Sokka, too—because he's assuming he knows better than Katara what she needs and what's "best" for her.

And, having those different opinions and perspectives and conflicts isn't inherently a bad thing itself, but it is bad when Katara is seen by the audience as being in the wrong somehow and Aang in the right because the narrative never addressed it and/or the creators tried to push their own agenda of the scenario in commentary when that isn't reflected in canon. (I'm not trying to imply you're doing that here, but I mention it because I've seen many people cite that as a reason in their argument.)