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ofbreathandflame · 3 months

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stans are actually very funny bc they often time talk themselves into the weirdest corners.

the whole point of criticizing acosf and its handling of nesta's character is to prove the point that sjm...doesn't like nesta as a character. that's is literally THE point - that sjm often abandons her moral themes (abuse, trauma, assault, etc.,) for character's deemed as undesirable or villainous to a capacity - and its through the handling of those 'vilified' (i.e. main character opposed - not even villianous) that we can gauge the extent to which sjm actually believes the ideals of her story. like - it is alarming that the only tolerable, empathetic parts of the a court of silver flames were the moments you could tell where ripped straight from sjm's own life (the hiking, training, mind-stilling etc.,). any actual characteristics about nesta weren't explored...like at all. her relationship with feyre and elain, with her mother, her trauma from her sexual assault, her conflicted relationship with her grandmother, her life before the cabin, her life during the cabin. in 800 pages - i still don't know mama archeron's name. what was life like in the cabin? what did nesta do all day? what was the dynamic? what was going on between elain and nesta?i don't know anything about her and nesta, we don't know anything about nesta's human life, her conversation with clare bedor, her relationship with clare beddor, moments with her dad - not even touching moments with him (and part of this story is her finding love for her dad). mind you we read 800+ pages and we learned absolutely nothing about her.

we essentially read sjm's emotional journey in one part, and a taming of the shrew narrative in another. i think the only way sjm had genuine interest in exploring nesta's story is through essentially self-inserting herself and avoiding the actual plot-points she set up in the first three books. like did nesta have childhood friends? if losing the wealth so drastically affected her life wouldn't she reminisce about it a lot? would she yearn for her mother? who were her childhood friends, how did she function at court?

and the whole point of saying alll of that is to argue the misuse of these topics - serious discussions abuse are only reserved for certain situation, and others its completely undermined in a way that only reinforces the negative ideals to begin with. (i.e. nesta needs to abused bc..." "the intervention was harsh but" - pair that with discussion around what feyre needed in acomaf - and it makes much more sense).

nesta antis often jump between the fact that nesta is so favored that sjm nerfed feysand to 'redeem her' and arguing that sjm secretly does everything in her power to embarrass and secretly laugh at people who like nesta's character. (1) we've gotta pick one or the other (2) in my humble opinion - sjm would have always given feyre a pregnancy plot like this regardless of whether this was nesta's book or elain. its literally so sjm. im shocked people are surprised she pulled the pregnancy as she did.

as with the tamlin discussion we had under this post - i think the story undermines its discussion of abuse with feyre/tam by essentially insinuating that tamlin (when placed in the same victimized position as feyre) should have sucked it up and braved out his abuse with amarantha (and the same with rhysand as well - esp with the deliberate foil of rhysand's 'willingness' v. tamlin's unwillingness). and when we start to have a real conversation ultilizing our own irl analysis and standards we really see how harmful and rather sisyphean the conversation becomes. instead of engaging with these topics earnestly, they only engage in them to prove a point - which is how the issue began in the first place. the whole issue with rhysand isn't the fact that he engages with harmful, potentially villainous positions. no - its that the book wants to prove that tamlin is wrong by justifying rhysand's actions. so even though rhysand and tamlin almost always have the same written and expressed intentions in their abuse of feyre, the book flocks to justify one, and eschews the other. and thats why we get so much reactionary critcism of rhys that is surface: people only admit the problems because they know antis will, not because they actually believe their are issues in the story.

and perhaps im still speaking into a void here but i can tell there's tension between pro stans wanting to have these serious conversations but understanding they can only really introspect so far until the conversation begin to prod at the validity of the topics being brought forth. so stans have to jump between invalidating the romantasy genre ("its just faeries") and treating this book as a serious topic (cue: "sjm put a hotline in the back of the book"). this is also the exact reason why the racism conversations stall (i.e. why inherent superiority is always passively emphasized - despite cc1 + 2 centering human oppresion there is no human in the ensemble cast. despite the fact that illyrian women are the most oppressed - rhys has no illyrian women - or reg illyrians (not his brothers) in his inner circle. aelin 'sacrificing' her human body).

#anti sjm #anti rhysand #anti feyre #anti acosf #anti feysand #anti sjm: nesta archeron #anti nessian #queue0118

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cranberryjuice-posts · 3 months

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I kissed a girl and liked it

Pairings - teenage Abby anderson X lesbian! Fem! reader

An - abby and reader Are 16/17, this is around a year after Jerry’s death and Owen n abby r still together

Tw - reader smokes, making out, cheating (again don’t cheat on your partners)

Synopsis- Abby is a confused young queer girl who doesn’t know if she likes women or not and you being a good friend help her out

Abby was currently hanging out at owens place. He shared an apartment with a few other rookie soldiers but Abby didn’t mind just as long as she got to hangout with him.

At this point it was 2am and Owen was passed out asleep, Abby however was awake. She just silently walked in circles until she heard a nock at the window.

She moved to the sound and opened it where she found you standing. “Hey hot stuff” You teased which made the blonde blush.

“What are You doing here so late” she chuckled and tucked some hair behind her ear. You hardly saw her with her hair down but when you did you made sure to pay attention.

“What are You doing up so late hm?” You asked Back with a teasing grin. “Well I couldnt Sleep” Abby leaned forward on the window.

“Then I couldnt Sleep either” Abby just rolled her eyes at your response. She then noticed you had your backpack on. “What’s with the bag? Are you going out or something?”

You just shook your head. “Nah I’m going to go smoke”

“Smoke? Y/n isn’t it to early for that” she slightly criticized but you just gave her a sarcastic look. “Really? I’m 16 abs I think infected or a scar will kill me before smoking some weed”

“I meant its 2am”

“Oh..”

There was some awkward silence before you just rolled your eyes. “So are you gonna come with me or not”

Abby shook her head “not unfortunately, owens asleep and I’d feel bad leaving him”

“Fuck Owen dude, come hang out with me it’ll be a hundred times better I swear” you spoke with a clear distaste for Owen, abby could never figure out why you hated him so much.

After a few moments abby looked back at her sleeping boyfriend before nodding. “Allright you win” You jumped excited and helped the blonde out of the window and onto the stair case.

Normally Both of you walked down and into the city bellow, it helped that the rookies homes was stationed in an old apartment complex inside the WLF QZ and super close to the stadium so whenever you felt like skipping out you were able to just explore the abandoned city.

This time however you started to go up the fire escape. “Where are you going” Abby yelled after you while pulling her hair back into a braid.

“You’ll see!” You shouted back and continued to climb, Abby of course had no choice but to follow.

Soon you two were up at the roof. You set your bag down and laid out a few blankets some snacks you stole and two rolled joints as-well as your water canister.

Abby took a seat beside you, enjoying the cold breeze the light from the full moon and just the comfortable silence.. the starts were bright and Abby couldn’t help but stare at them wondering if old world had ever gotten to see the stars like this.

You leaned over and pointed to a constellation. “See that constellation there, that’s Hercules and there riiighhhht above it that’s Lyra” looking over you saw Abby’s smile and you gave a content sigh before moving back.

“So.. how’s that book about greek myths you found going?” She asked as you light the blunt. You nodded excitedly and smiled. “Great actually! I can’t believe people were able to think of stories like these”

The two of you continued to talk and pass the blunt around. Abby loved being around you, she would even think more than she liked being around Owen but she would never admit it. She studied how you looked under the moonlight with your cute pj pants sports bra and jacket, the way your hair complimented your face and skin tone and your lips… she looked away embarrassed but you took note.

You softly stopped laughing and put up a face of concern wondering if you had said something wrong “What’s wrong abs?” her cheeks were a soft red. There was some silence and you grew more worried, leaning forward more towards her. “Hey, you can talk to me” you touched her hand with a certain comfort that Abby couldn’t take it anymore

She breathed out gently and leaned on her arm. “Your like into women right”

Confused and taken back you nodded “uh yeah I’m really only into women men just don’t do it for me” Abby took in the information.

“Right.. well I mean I’m with Owen so I wouldn’t know but what’s it like, being with a girl?” She finally looked over at you. You were still confused but decided to humor Her, you moved your hand away and placed it on your thigh. “Uh it’s nice… I mean there’s this certian understanding between both of you that you could never find with a guy, I mean girls are soft gentle you both just want to be loved unconditionally so it’s easier to show that with them… plus it’s funner to kiss them” You threw in the final joke but Abby just nodded.

“Ok..” was all she spoke, Abby looked back to the scenery down bellow.. you gave her a suspicious look before chuckling.

“Abby do you want to kiss a girl?” You teased but Abby shook her head a little to quickly. You laughed and moved to face her better. “It’s ok, your pretty cute so if you really really wanted to someone would”

She just rolled her eyes but eventually made eye contact with you. There was silence.. neither of you made a move but it was clear both wanted to. After a moment both reached forward and kissed each other.

You stood in your knees with your hands in Abby hair. Inhaling she took in your subtle perfume and the cherry chapstick you always wore. Abby grabbed your waist and pulled you into her as you both kissed.

It was different from when she kissed Owen, you followed Abby’s lead and worked with her to make the entire kiss enjoyable. The way your hands ran through her braided hair and caressed her cheek. Abby ran her hands up and down your back with subtle shy touches to your butt which made you laugh in the kiss.

She hated how wrong it was but shit did it feel right. Your soft lips on hers, the way you started to kiss down her jaw and eventually landing on her neck.

Abby gasped once you started to lightly suck on her neck, your new position was laying in-between Abby’s legs with your hands tracing her body. She gently tucked some hair behind your ear while you kissed her and leaned back to give you more room.

——

You two laid on your backs, your head was laying on Abby’s chest and her arm was around you. Neither daring to speak of what you two had just done. Would owen be mad if he found out you two made out yes, yes he would but if he didn’t know then there’s no way he would mind right.. right.

You felt Abby pull you closer and you just chuckled.. sitting up you kissed her cheek before her lips softly. “Common, let’s get you back before your sucky boyfriend wakes up” you joked and started to pack up, mainly you wanted to leave because you knew you loved Abby but there was no way she would love you back.

You dropped Abby back off and helped her into the window.. silently looking at each-other you finally turned and left to go back to your place, Abby gripped the window seal and watched as you walked away, she wished she could regret what you two had done but deep down she knew that was the best kiss she ever had..

The following day at training you avoided Abby not wanting to make things awkward even though you knew that was the last thing to do to not make shit awakard.

Abby sat down exhausted and Owen followed. He tried to lean over and kiss her but she just pulled back putting a hand on his chest and giving a small smile. Owen rolled his eyes playfully and looked down confused.

“Where’d you get that” he touched her neck gently rubbing the hickey you accidently left.. Abby paniced and cleared her throat.

“Oh uh it’s just a bruise, some kid was throwing rocks and it hit me in the throat” Abby lied, Owen however put on a more serious look. “Damn.. just be more careful ok”

“Yeah ok” Abby reassured him. He kissed her cheek but little did he know she was looking behind him and at you.

——

A week later Abby broke up with Owen.

Abby - *kisses y/n*

Abby -I’m a homosexual.. IM A HOMOSEXUAL😢

—

#Spotify #lesbian #wlw #abby anderson #abby anderson x reader #abby the last of us #abby tlou #abby anderson tlou2 #the last of us fanfiction #the last of us #tlou fanfiction #tlou

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rejectedfables · 6 months

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While the source material clearly intends Xue Yang to be read as an orphan (perhaps orphaned so young he has no memory of his parents), I think it’s underexplored in fandom that he never ACTUALLY SAYS that his parents DIED, but rather that he was a child without parents.

"He had neither dad nor mom nor money" (via the official english translation)

I think there's something in here worth exploring about the possibility that Xue Yang was abandoned by his parents.

Perhaps he remembers one or both of them and/or the event, perhaps he does not but just has a sense of it having happened, perhaps he has no memories of it at all but it still psychologically impacted his development.

Just about every character in the story can be better understood by looking at how they were raised, and Xue Yang is CERTAINLY not an exception.

There are myriad ways to interpret his childhood (though none of them stable, safe, or cared for), but I have been thinking a LOT lately about how being abandoned by his parents could have shaped him into who he later became.

His behavior in the Villainous Friends extra (wherein he, seemingly arbitrarily, breaks things and antagonizes people and then specifically challenges Jin Guangyao about paying for damages) COULD be interpreted as acting out in a way that's common for children and teens with a history of abandonment who are testing the waters of just how much their new guardian/s will tolerate. This sort of behavior can be a self fulfilling prophesy as well as an attempt to prove to themselves that their expectations of rejection or punishment are correct.

If Xue Yang has only ever known the world to be a painful place where people reject and abandon him, then that's how he expects the world to continue behaving. If suddenly someone defies this expectation, it is simultaneously a fascinating and wondrous thing, and also a threat to his worldview. After all, if THIS person can be kind and care for him, then why didn't anyone else?

If JGY, who at this point is essentially just his handler, can be unconditionally patient with him... then why couldn't others have been patient with him over much less? And why couldn't his own parents, who had considerably higher responsibility to him, be as patient as JGY?

It's much easier to push and push and push until you break the patience and prove your cynicism correct, than it is to grapple with those painful questions. And after all, Jin Guangyao had an exterior force (Jin Guangshan) requiring him to show patience. And once that force was removed, so was Xue Yang. This, perhaps, felt as much like validation as it did betrayal.

There might be a parallel to be made here, too, about how JGY was and felt betrayed/abandoned by his father. This in common might be something that they bonded over.

And of course, as always, there's Yi City.

Xue Yang expects Xiao Xingchen to abandon him, and his elaborate “revenge” was at least in part in preparation for that anticipated betrayal. He "knows" he will be betrayed and, perhaps unlike what happened with Jin Guangyao, he intends to be ready for it this time. Ready to punish Xiao Xingchen the MOMENT it happens, or ready to convince him not to betray him after all (what is "We're not so different, I'm not uniquely evil, you're ending our life together because you think you're better than me but look! Look! You and I are the same now" if not a deeply misguided and utterly desperate plea?).

At some point he starts hoping it just won't happen, and stops needing the “revenge” plot. When it starts unraveling before him, he tries for understanding first. What is "Hear my story, THEN decide--" if not begging to be understood?

Of course it doesn't work.

Xiao Xingchen doesn't even kill Xue Yang, either; he goes Away. Goes where Xue Yang can't. If Xue Yang is read as having this particular trigger, Xiao Xingchen's suicide may feel like abandonment all over again.

Perhaps Xiao Xingchen NOT killing Xue Yang becomes a parallel to Xue Yang's parents abandoning him to suffer alone instead of keeping him or killing him. Or else maybe Xue Yang's mother DID try to kill him (drown him or left him out in the cold) and he just managed to survive, in which case Xiao Xingchen NOT trying to kill Xue Yang puts him a cut above even Xue Yang's own mother/parents.

Final thought:

While I find Xue Yang's lack of familial connection to the rest of the cast compelling, I also find "what if" scenarios fascinating to explore, and "Xue Yang was abandoned by parents who might still be around during the story" does create some fascinating opportunities for fic.

Such as:

What if Xue Yang was yet another illegitimate son of Jin Guangshan? What if he knew but Jin Guangyao didn't? What if Jin Guangyao knew but Xue Yang didn't? What if Jin Guangshan himself knew? That would really put the insistent protections into a very weird light (is there a heart in there? Or did he think he could string Xue Yang along like he did Jin Guangyao? Or was Xue Yang blackmailing him?)

What if Xue Yang was the illegitimate son of Chang Cian? It certainly puts a spin on that entire scenario. Little Xue Yang has another reason to want to please this man, and a further reason to feel betrayed by the abuse. Chang Cian not even recognizing him. Xue Yang taking revenge on the entire family because they ALL wronged him in a way he can't articulate. Because they got to live the life he could have if he'd been wanted.

Certainly none of this is canon, but it's not TERRIBLY far beyond the bounds of canon either, and makes for some juicy food for fic.

#Mdzs #mo dao zu shi #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #the grandmaster of diabolism #Yi city #Xue yang #mdzs meta #yi cheng #xue chengmei #xuexiao

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nyaagolor · 1 month

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What are your thoughts on Apollo Justice (the character)?

OH BOY. OHHHHHH BOY. I have a fever and some free time lfg.

So honestly, I think part of the reason I love Apollo so much is because he runs parallel to Phoenix but also counter to him at the same time. I always saw Simon and Athena as the successors-- in terms of ideology and job and all that other stuff-- to the Phoenix-Edgeworth dynamic and status rather than Apollo and Klavier. Athena and Simon, to me, feel like extensions of the arcs of Phoenix and Edgeworth + the vibes of the original trilogy. Apollo and Klavier ( who I will not talk about bc we will be here all day)? They're the antithesis.

Apollo Justice The Game directly foils the original trilogy in so many ways, but I think even on a more base thematic level it runs counter to a lot of the ideas that we take for granted about the original trilogy, and because Apollo sits at the center of this, the things I love about the game are encapsulated in why I like him. There are a ton of themes in the ace attorney trilogy-- support networks, faith, trust, the truth-- and Apollo is defined by their limits, their failures, and their absence. He is let down, kicked around, defined by abandonment and betrayal and distrust. Apollo is defined by everything that Phoenix is not, and bc of how the timeline goes we don't really get any retribution for that, just a steady march forward, and I think that gives me a lot to think about with his character

Phoenix's arc right from Turnabout Sisters is about the building of a support network, and the ways that developing this support is integral for when things go wrong. We contrast Phoenix with Godot, Maya with Dahlia, and see how people left to stew in their resentment can chase vengeance to dark places (wow I wonder who also does this after the death of a dear friend leading to a crusade of misplaced revenge that almost leads someone they care about being killed.). With Apollo we get to stand on the precipice of resolution, but the important part is we don't get it. Apollo's life falls off the rails, and he's the one left to pick up the pieces.

We see through him how our trust can be betrayed by people of good and bad intentions, and the lingering consequences that has on one's ability to not only trust the people around them but themselves. And yeah!! That's why I adore him so much-- he's tested not by the possibility of failure like Phoenix often is, but climbing up from the reality of it. It's less "how do we make our way out of this mess before it goes nuclear" and more "things are already destroyed-- where do we go from here?". It has more of an element of recovery than prevention to me, and I think that's a fascinating avenue to explore in stories like these. Apollo pushes the envelope of the themes of the narrative and the characters-- he is the epitome of what it looks like when things fall apart, and it gives him and the trilogy characters something to reconcile

A lot of people have complained that Apollo barely feels like the protagonist in his own game, but that's honestly a huge part of the reason why I love him so much. He's defined by the spaces between, the limits and failures of things we had up to this point taken to be true, and left with a pretty limited degree of autonomy through it all. He's pushed around and puppeteered by people who mean well and those who don't, and I feel like a major theme of AA4 that I love but don't often see talked about is "what does it mean to have autonomy-- and by extension, control? What does it mean to take it back? What does it mean to lose it, and what does it mean when you'd do anything to keep it." Most of what I said is only partially resolved bc AA4 is... a game. A technically finished game. but!! Because it eviscerates our expectations of the franchise so thoroughly AND leaves open so many avenues, it makes Apollo and the rest of his crew some of my favorite characters because there's so much you can think about and do with them!!

also he's like. An insect to me. <3

#apollo justice #ace attorney #meta #mod vex #ask #im sick rn and I'm Tired so I didn't edit this

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fruitsofhell · 5 months

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Yall, its time to ramble about visual/environmental storytelling cause this is silly article is driving me insane.

I won't argue for if the game should have had more constant and involved cutscenes like Robobot or Star Allies, but what I will say is that this game is VERY rich in story through the world design. The Forgotten Land as opposed to say the Land of the Sky in TD or the entire galaxy of Star Allies is like, DROWNING in writing and narrative. It builds so much mystery and intrigue through the theming of every world and even individual levels, with exploring both how the people of the land originally lived and how it's being reclaimed by nature and the animals.

I think the closest things maybe is Robobot and Halcandra in RTDL, the former having great little designs that key you into WHAT Haltmann is doing and what makes it so toxic. Halcandra though is the ultimate grand-daddy, the contrast between it and the Lor, and Egg Engines and Dangerous Dinner is full of theming and clues about the nature and history of the planet. AND THAT IS STORY, THAT IS WRITING! Especially when compared to say Star Allies, where most of the levels of the levels are just ye average Kirby themed fluff with little to say about the Jamba or the state they've left the galaxy in. But when you play through the casino levels of Robobot, as well as delightful theming and level design, you see that Haltmann is erecting literally the most predatory entertainment centers imaginable. When you step off the sleek futuristic Lor into the scrapyards and wastes of Halcandra, you get fun intimidating final worlds, and a good grasp on *why* the people who made the Lor aren't around anymore, and may even start questioning why Magolor made such a great fuss of dragging you to this horrible place. Music is also deeply important to this storytelling. Each of the factories/towers erected in ever world of Robobot's theme is a remix usually of themes related to older mechanical levels, subtly clueing you into where Haltmann go their technology from. Outside the Lor rather than the comfortable motif of Green Greens is this almost comically suspicious and disoriented theme once you're stuck on Halcandra and returning to Magolor with more doubts about his words. The final level inside of the volcano house a theme that is teasing the twist to come, and the theme for fighting Landia before the big reveal is less triumphant, and more majestic and pensive. Possibly trying to evoke more hesitance than confidence, even if most people wouldn't catch on to that on a first run.

But the cooler thing, is that while Robobot has this cool theming at key levels, and RtDL does at the end, this type of shit is pervasive ALL throughout Forgotten Land. Every world and nearly every level is a unique, well thought-out set piece! You get to see abandoned towns, cities, malls, stores, factories, resorts, and an amusement park, each which serves as more than just a fun location, but a clear picture of the world and the state its in. This intent is made clearer through the music and tone that goes out of its way to not highlight the destruction of these areas but their beauty, wonder, and mystery through the eyes of an clueless animals and our favorite pink alien. The abandoned Alivel Malls theme is a track as upbeat and peppy as what must've played over it's speakers in it's hayday, because the hustle and bustle breathed back into it by the animals and Kirby just exploring this mysterious complex is just as lively. The theme of the Everbay Coast is peaceful and sunny despite the Holine ruins because it's as part of the scenery to the animals and Kirby as the picturesque palms and sands. And Wondaria!!!!!!!!! OMG WONDARIA WHERE TO EVEN BEGIN WITH EVERY FUCKING LEVEL AND THEME IN WONDARIA!!! THIS IS WHY I CAN'T TAKE THAT CLAIM SERIOUSLY - y'know when I cried at Forgotten Land? In world 3. Not because of a cutscene or a line of dialogue, but just from the sheer emotion the setting evoked in me. The sweet, laid-back, starry-eyed wonder that it expressed from Kirby mixed with my own sense of nostalgia being aware of what that place was, and how beautiful it was to see it rediscovered and adored by Kirby and the animals of the Forgotten Land. It evokes such a strong feeling of bittersweetness, of existential dread comforted by the knowledge that the simple joys and memories we create places like amusement parks to share will continue on as long as there is life in the world. And unlike some of my musings about past games, this was explicitly intentional. What truly brought the tears to my eyes was remembering an interview where the devs were explaining how they were trying to keep the tone light and Kumazaki said specifically they wanted to evoke peace and beauty rather than loss.

LIKE THIS IS WRITING! This is storytelling, this is intention. It's just subtle, but not at all unimportant, and it ties into the more overarching plot. It raises the question constantly of where the people went that is answered by Forgo, and expresses the dichotomy between the simple innocence of the animals compared to the ambitions of the people who abandoned them and that is now possessing their leader. It creates stakes for Elfilis and Forgo's intentions to destroy everything so beautiful and pure about the current world, but as it absolves the current world of guilt, it puts into perspective JUST HOW LONG Forgo must have been locked away that things changed so much. And as softly as the exploits of the original people are portrayed by the game, knowing their treatment of Eliflis and Forgo as a thing of entertainment and tool for innovation is sickening placed in contrast with it. Like back to Wondaria, the way it shows how much space travel must have pervaded the imagination and escapism of the people either before or after Forgo's arrival is insanely smart. And it gives me chills in the best way seeing Kirby run around images of cartoon aliens from a civilization who would never meet him. Of Kirby, Elfilin, and Bandana sticking their head into a cardboard cutout of an astronaut meeting an alien, with the text "wish you were here" above in a script they don't even understand. A SCRIPT THE WRITERS MADE FOR THIS GAME SO THAT THEY COULD ADD MESSAGES LIKE THAT INTO THE WORLD FOR KEEN PLAYERS TO NOTICE AND MAKE CONNECTIONS. Like it's insane. The dedication the Hal Labs has to stuff like this is maddening! It's so sweet and heartfelt and crafty, I'm so pissed off how little respect it gets because people don't understand visual storytelling!!!!! Saying Forgotten Land is light on story is preposterous, it might just be one of the most finely crafted stories the series has had to date, and is just a really solid piece of science fantasy writing in general honestly. It is packed with environmental storytelling that drives me Up The Fucking Wall, Man.

#kirby #kirby and the forgotten land #katfl #elfilis #forgo #kirby lore #shut the heck up #media analysis #GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH (i love kirby)#im in my “writing is more than text” essay warrior era #this is part of me collecting stuff for a bigger essay though :3c i just got so distracted by this take #also i started this cause i though this article was from a bigger outlet than it was #so now i feel like my intensity is unjustified but idrc cause as i said: warrior essay era #OO ALSO I MISSED TALKING ABOUT THE LATER WORLDS #THE CITY IN WINTER HORNS FEELS LIKE A BIOME THE DELAPADATED RESORTS OF WASTES ARE NOW OASES IN A DRIED UP TROPICS-#-AND THE FUCKING CITYSCAPE OF REDGAR FLOODED WITH LAVA IS LIKE ITS OWN PART OF THE MOUNTAIN ITS SO BEAUTIFUL #its a fun twist on the typical final lava world that also gets to do double duty with evil industrial looking shit ARGFDSH so cool #tag talking

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tarochimochi · 3 months

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Winner Gijinka redesign! I like to think they swap between the skirt and pants depending on the challenge.

Uh I don’t know why I thought their old design was ever okay to bestow on human eyes!

Cut below the entire design process (it’s gonna be long)

So I knew immediately after finishing my Loser design I wanted Winner to be the opposite of Loser. Which ment no warm colors, no vest sleeveless thing, no sunglasses, esc. I wanted them to be 80s inspired to match my Loser’s 70s Inspiration! I wanted them to parallel Loser by being so different but the same at the same time. So I wanted to do alot.

I think very clearly with the first ever winner draft (on the right) I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING LOL. I really don’t like it now looking back and it really doesn’t feel like Winner to me. I think just to show how old this is, this was before I even made established age headcanons so I also had no idea how older I wanted Winner to be.

That age headcanon list will probably be shown at another time, I think I showed it once on instagram after somebody asked.

The one on the left I did right after I finished my Loser design and oh my god I also really hate it looking back. I had this idea that Winner’s hair could be the opposite of Loser’s hair where instead of being from like brown to blond and lighter blond it would be the opposite and oh it looked horrible to me.😭

I think also at this point Winner was still just black and not biracial

Now here are what I would call my “Stuck in design hell”. Characters I struggle with immensely when creating a design I think fits/I personally also like for them. It doesn’t mean I have no ideas, some of them I know exactly what I want to do with them but can’t figure out how to emulate it. I ended up abandoning Winner for awhile because they were giving me so many problems because I set so many restrictions for myself which weren’t exactly working.

So then we got this.. I tried to force myself to finalize their design on the spot… bad idea.. worse idea I could ever fathom. I don’t like any of these designs and plus the way I draw now has changed since I made these designs. I had an idea that Winner’s arm could also be translated as one of those super cool arm grabber toys from the 80s which I don’t know, maybe I’ll bring back?? Depends on how I feel about it after focusing on writing more Winner central stories and exploring Winner more as a character and talking to people who really like Winner.

I should also note the inspo for Winner in the fluffy coat and overalls came from the fact that when I was in the movie theater, I saw a kid wearing black overalls and periwinkle jacket and went “HOLY SHIT WINNER TPOT.”

Somewhat unrelated but in this design Winner also became Biracial because @/exitstudent was like “Oh Winner feels afro-Latino to me” so I changed my headcanon almost immediately. This is why I probably shouldn’t have put my race hc chart out so early because my opinions get swayed so easily PLUS I changed a few things around. (Nothing to major, Snowball and Spongey are Wasian now, Donut is Dutch, put Bomby back in Blasian, Gaty is Finnish)

I also had the idea that instead of Winner having highlights (because I highly doubt Winner would go out of their way to highlight their hair) their greying really early on due to stress and poor genetics probably. Another cool parallel to Loser about how Loser’s hair is something he essentially paid for Winner in a way earned theirs. Loser also bleaching pretty much all their hair would also be a cool symbolism for how he’s not the truest to himself while Winner’s still having almost all their natural hair color is symbolism for them being way more true to themself. But that’s for another day to explore.

I tried to interpret Winner’s shape as being kind of like fuzzy fleece on their jacket and I tried to make this work so bad but I really shouldn’t have. I was just all over the place with the colors too.

After design a bunch of the other characters and finding and discovering new ways i like drawing i quickly figured out why I was hating Winner so badly.

It was everything 😭

So after actually after researching 80s fashion instead of half assing it to make it obvious. I drew up these two concepts.

My first realization was “Wow that fleece is ugly as shit.” So I realized I had to stop trying making the fleece work, kudos to anyone who can. But away from the negatives, I really did love the big black Jacket and the legwarmers (I am a sucker for leg warmers so once I put them in them, it was over for me) Something about the headband also struck me because previously I out a strict “no head accessories rule” but honestly? It really just had to be not sunglasses so the headband stayed.

With some color rework and some help from my qpp (Shout out to her, she doesn’t use social media.) We were finally able to get the current design shown!

I guess if I learned anything from this, people should make gijinkas also based off people they know and see in day to day life. Some of my favorite gijinkas are based off people I know. Like Match being an Afro-Chilean Jew is because my friend who actually introduced me to BFDI was a huge match fan, and an Afro-Chilean Jew so I was inspired to make Match look almost identical to them. With Winner I pulled inspiration from alot of popular Black celebrities in the 80s and Chile again because of said friend 80s.

Thanks for reading this whole kuffuffle here’s some bonus doodles!

Yes Winner is going to crush Loser and Clock, stop them.

The last winclock one may or may not be a reference to something.

Now who’s next? Honestly just whoever people want a ref of next, I think I’m a little burnt out from doing now 59 characters and drafting more currently I think I need a break. Although I’m definitely gonna redesign Clock’s outfit, I’m really starting to dislike it. Until next time bye bye!!

#bfb #bfdi #tpot #battle for dream island #battle for bfdi #battle for bfb #the power of two #my art #tpot winner #winner tpot #bfdi winner #winner bfdi #neps.pawprints #bfdi gijinka #gijinka #humanization

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zsakuva · 1 month

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How do you come up with so many intricate plots and characters? They seem so… human? I’m very surprised you don’t read much! I guess what I’m asking is, what’s your creative process? Do you take inspiration from aspects of yourself, or is it more of a form of escapism? When you write your plots, do you imagine yourself as the character, the audience, or both?

Another thing that truly amazes me and makes your channel stand out a lot is the way you give the listener a voice. It feels like each listener is so different and unique, and *actually* interacts with the character. It also feels like you’re never spoon feeding us information? All the questions do get answered, but it’s different style imo. Usually, in most ASMR RPs I’ve heard, the speaker will repeat what you said verbatim, (eg. “You think XXX?”, or “You want me to XXX?”), and the frequency at which these types of phrases are used makes it *seem* like a RP. Of course, it’s a challenging medium - the audience needs to know whats going on somehow, but you manage to achieve the same in a much more subtle way. It makes me wonder how long you spend planning out your content haha.

Final question, do you prefer to type or handwrite your plans, scripts, etc? I’ve always preferred planning on paper, even though it’s a bit impractical haha. Also, would you mind showing us your handwriting? I think it says a lot about a person! There’s the stereotype that people usually have a certain handwriting that corresponds to their major/occupation, and if I remember correctly, I think you studied film? I’m just curious hehe. No pressure, of course!

Sorry for sending you an essay, I hope you have a restful and comfy Friday!

Thank you!

Honestly, I don't know how I do it myself considering my memory is absolute shit! Though I don't read much, I learn about characters through other mediums such as television shows and movies. I'll try and break this down for ease of reading!

~My Creative Process~

When making a character or series, it all depends on where my initial inspiration began. For example, with Niall, I wanted to create an M4M series exploring a character who carries trauma of being forcibly outed, betrayed by someone he confided in, and how those events affected him through his adult life. The core of Niall's story was confronting fears that manifested due to the Listener's actions in school, and finding that there was a way to heal, albeit slowly, and a hope to love despite external animosity. Niall exists because I wanted to tell a particular story.

With Zaros, he first came about because of The Noble Trials plot. I knew that he would be different from other characters, so I'm using this series as a means of testing my skill with a new editing style, story format, and new world setting. Although it's more work, I have the most fun with The Noble Trials and making its lore (though I'm always a sucker for that)!

I go into creating characters with the belief that they are all extremely flawed. Whether that be by nature or nurture, there will inevitably be some slew of events in their pasts that shaped the way they act in the current timeline. This also extends to the Listeners so they aren't rigid, boring, and an empty shell. Characters can clash, but they can also change with and for each other. A good example is Isaac's story. He was scarred by his past, and was willing to confine Pickle in the house if it meant not losing someone he cared for again. Pickle was also scarred with abandonment and instability, wondering if they would ever find a home. Isaac gave them a place to belong, and Pickle gave him consolation and courage to face the unknown.

When I write, the character's actions must reflect the backstory in which they were crafted, so I always need to dive into their heads.

~Listener Dialogue~

This requires much more thought to make interactions seem authentic, but there's a fine line between repeating words verbatim and not alluding to any sort of context. I dislike repeating the Listener's words so I try to indirectly insinuate what they were saying whenever possible. If I can do so with SFX alone, that's a bonus! But when scenes contain heavy dialogue, it can be difficult to get the message across without being heavy-handed with repetition, unless that's the purpose of a specific moment.

~Handwriting vs Typing~

I always handwrite my outlines! On some occasions, I can start and finish a script without the help of one, but my workflow tends to include writing an outline of some kind, and it has to be done on paper! I feel like the ideas manifest quicker that way.

However, I always type my scripts. It's much easier to edit, share with other voice actors, and there's a level of professionalism in formatting that motivates me to write more!

Here is an example of my writing. This screenshot was part of a Twitch stream!

#zsakuva #sakuverse #audio roleplay #boyfriend audios

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tloubraininfection · 1 year

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I can’t stop thinking about the reunion scene between Joel and Tommy for obvious reasons (that smile Joel gives him, the tears in his eyes, my god), but I almost love the background of that scene more. I love that Ellie and Maria have the same look on their faces. There is no happiness or joy, it’s a strange mixture of fear, jealousy and pain. We know Maria has lost her family and Ellie has never known hers and I doubt there are many families out there that survived for this long. Yet here they are, the Miller brothers, clinging to each other with such affection, there is this gravitational pull between them. For a moment it`s just them. And that must be terrifying for both Maria and Ellie.

For Maria, assistant district attorney, it’s like seeing her nightmare personified. The boogeyman of her husband’s past. I wonder who came up with the “Tommy was only following Joel” philosophy. Was it Maria? Trying to reconcile her love for Tommy with the truth of his past? The truth that was in contradiction with everything she`d believed in her whole life? Or was it Tommy, spinning his story in a way that made him look better? Made it possible for him to start a new life?

It was never supposed to happen, Joel was supposed to be a distant memory of Tommy’s past, not a Sunday dinner guest. But hes here and suddenly Tommy belongs to him again. And she knows what Joel`s capable of, she heard the stories and she know what a strong hold he has over Tommy. Ultimately she’s right to worry, Joel attempts and succeeds to steal him away from her.

For Ellie it`s shaky ground from start to finish. She sees Joel, who was only hers for a few month embracing another person, and not just any other person. A family member, blood family. Where does that leave her? Suddenly gone is the optimistic, chatty goofball. Everywhere they went she was all over the place, exploring and curious. Here she loses her footing so fast, she feels out of place. And what do scared teenagers do? They crank the brattiness up to 11, wanting to appear bigger, scarier, louder, but it’s just a front.

You can see how panicked she gets when she has to stay with Maria, she says “Joel” and there is so much fear, there is “please don’t leave me” written all over her face. She doesn’t want to lose sight of him, because what if he never comes back? Safety of this strange, normal town feels unsafe, in a true kid fashion she can feel things changing. And she is a very emotionally intelligent kid, she senses things immediately. Some of it is probably inherent to her character, but I can’t shake the suspicion that a lot of it is a trauma response. Traumatized kids often become hypervigilant, they detect even the smallest changes in the people around them, cause their survival depends on it.

The verbal sparring match between Maria and Ellie is fun, but hard to watch. Ellie refuses to listen, she`s defending Joel, but she can’t help to have her own fears reinforced. That’s why even when she gets taken care of, taken to the movies to enjoy herself, she can’t relax. It’s too overwhelming. She feels unstable so she looks for Joel, because he is her center of gravity, only to have her worst fears confirmed. He`s ditching her, leaving her, abandoning her.

In the end they`re both right and they both lose.

#how is this show so good?#i just cant stop thinking about them #tlou spoilers #the last of us spoilers #tlou hbo spoilers #the last of us hbo spoilers #joel miller #ellie williams #maria miller #tommy miller

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mysteriouslybluepirate · 6 months

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hi bestie saw ur post and im kinda curious about this since it's something not a lot of ppl are talking about next to ed's arc and izzy's death and all— what do you think about how they handled stede in the finale? I felt like a lot of the "incompetent wannabe pirate" jokes undermined his progress this season and also him deciding to stay at the inn with ed felt odd as he expressed he wanted to be a pirate and sail the sea. just wondering what other people think about that

[Oct 31, 2023]

Before we get into it, you are allowed to enjoy this show! My past (and next few) responses WILL be negative, but you aren't wrong for agreeing or disagreeing with most posts. Thanks to all the people who have already sent in messages! I can't wait to respond!!

I am an Izzy fan first and foremost, but how a show handles it's protagonist says a LOT about how it handles it' characters overall!

TLDR for this post: In any character-centric media, explore your characters as characters first. Develop your plot around them and their arcs. Don't treat an ensemble cast as faceless props for the story you're trying to tell. Stede's arc is weird because Stede is shoved in places where it feels like he doesn't fit anymore.

Creating a narrative focused on central character conflicts can work. This is how S1 was written. Stede and his actions directly lead to revealing truths of the world that push the plot forward. This worked because I'd argue the strongest part of OFMD overall is its characters. S2 misses out on this strongest aspect by only referencing its characters when it needs something from them.

S1 We went from Stede killing a guy-> The Act of Grace. S2 Stede tells a guy he shouldn't be an idiot and leave behind a calling card -> burning down the Republic of Pirates and killing Izzy. S2 doesn't feel as tied to Stede's arc of growing into a pirate. But Stede isn't the only person this has fucked over.

Each crew member has their role established from S1, we fans know how they work as a family. But in S2 most of the cast can be swapped out interchangeably unless its something that features this side character NICHE (Wee John in drag being good with fabrics, Roach being a cook).

Sadly, by focusing on the larger Zheng vs. Military arc, a story our characters BARELY caused, the audience misses out on potential character development. Instead of our characters facing the consequences of their actions, our favorite side characters are used as faceless narrative tools. This is largely why the crew was abandoned this season unless they had a romantic side plot. Seeing The Revenge sail off in episode 8, it feels like we barely care about them at all anymore.

As seen from @the-buttspie 's comment, even Stede's arc isn't left out of the firing range. His characterization in episode 8 is constantly thrown back and forth between 'Captain doing his best' and 'Village idiot' if the scene needs it.

Analyzing WHY I started to dislike Stede post episode 4 is FASCINATING, and I feel that digging all the way back to the beginning is a smart way to look at his character growth this season.

FRAMING: Stede's early story get's fucked over pacing-wise because his storyline happens side by side to that of Ed/Izzy.

Any dramatic moment is cut short to show just how much the other crew is NOT about to die. Every time I watch S2 with a new person, for episodes 1-3, they'll comment on how much they don't care about Stede's plot. Which is not a thing you'd want for your protagonist in a season of TV that's only 8 episodes long.

Stede goes through a really strong arc from S1 to the start of S2. For the first three episodes of S2, he puts the needs of his crew before the needs of himself. Literally making sure his crew is safe before going down to see Ed's corpse. I genuinely enjoyed how Stede stepped up for his family. How he doesn't blame the Revenge crew for killing Ed, realizing that yes. Ed is the love of his life and also a man who has seriously hurt so many people.

Eps 4-5: From that we see him trying to talk it through with Ed. While both of them aren't telling the whole truth, it's a good start! We're midway through the season, so we should expect things to get fleshed out more soon.

Until Stede decides 'I'm going to bring a man that tortured my family for 80+ days onboard less than 24 hours after my crew voted him off' Yes. Stede loves Ed to a stupid extent, but this starts the trend for Stede to be dangerously selfish this season using his power as captain to overwrite the want of his crew, a habit of his that partially gets Izzy killed.

I really enjoyed Stede in episode 5, and for me, this felt most like the Stede we recognize growing into a real Captain with hints of who he was. I think it says a lot that Stede still misses his layers and silks. That he craves the softness he used to have in the form of that cursed jacket. But as soon as Izzy is like 'you idiot, please listen to them, they will mutiny' Stede gives it up!!!! He's grown. He's listening to Izzy, he's talking with his crew! This episode did the one thing I wish the season did more of, show the reunited crew just living their lives.

This is where Stede stands out, it lets him be a bit more of a leader to the crew. Let him find his groove again. I loved it!!

Now: Killing Ned Low.

Stede choosing to kill Ned Low is the first time Stede killing someone counts. Yes, he burned down the ship French ship. But this is the first time the audience is supposed to care. I think this moment WAS in character and a really important moment for Stede. He chose this. This wasn't up to crew vote, Ned insulted Ed so fuck him, he deserves to die. Ned walks the plank, also referencing historical Bonnet's tendency to do the same thing.

This is where both Ed and Stede make an in-character mistake, having their first time after the rush of 'oh shit, I'm still alive, and I'm hurting and you're here too'. They don't regret their first time, clearly, they both enjoyed it, but both of them can't ignore what fueled it. Stede has had 3 episodes to re-establish himself with his crew, and now has very little time for the rest of the season with them to show off his growth. That's why, after the party, we don't feel like this show is showing off a family anymore. Even when reunited, they barely feel like a united front.

But from this point on, I personally feel that Stede should have toned down the humor a bit and act like he did in episode 3. Well, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself so-

Episode 7: Stede enjoys being popular, following in Ed's footsteps. He holds his ground against Ed, and overall this feels like a natural progression of his arc from episode 5. He knows what he wants in life and Ed not communicating is genuinely frustrating for him. Him being heartbroken and trying to fight Zheng like she's Izzy is one of the few callbacks I feel that works. As it compares a Stede who was supported by his crew, to this Stede who feels totally alone. I loved Stede this episode, only to be disappointed by-

Episode 8:

Where Ed is allowed to have his silly moments in private, I feel that Stede fluctuates between silly and serious WAY too much for us to take him seriously. Stede's response to Ed telling him he loved him being 'I know' also felt off to me.

"You're not a dick, life's a dick" This line is frustrating to me as it's Stede's response to Ed apologizing. Genuinely apologizing for his actions in the previous episode. This could have been a moment for us to feel like Stede and Ed were a united front but Stede's constant joking and not taking shit semi-seriously. Yes. He feels more comfortable around his family which is amazing.

But I can't help but point out how Stede chooses to go along with a plan the rest of the crew doesn't like. What NARRATIVE purpose was there for Stede trying to sell the captain? He has money, clearly. With the loot they still have, and a future alliance with Zheng.

Stede fucks up. His choice a plan that gets Izzy killed. The writers sacrificed Stede being a competent Captain who cares about his crew into what is described as a 'suicide mission' to push Izzy into his rushed death. A disservice to both characters.

ONTO:

Stede abandons piracy

I'm not shocked they did this, not after the other flubs of the episode, but I hate that it wasn't a conversation held between Ed and Stede.

They could cut the stupid joke about Ed being bad at fishing at the beginning and have these two idiots talking about their issues. Maybe establish that, yeah, piracy is a lot, and they deserve to settle down and get to know each other. Even if they return to the sea, this frames it as Ed finally finding peace and Stede getting pulled along, going against his character growth this season.

I'm surprised that they're setting this up now and not at the end of Season 3. Hell, I used to think S3 would be focused on Ed and Stede avoiding/faking their historical deaths. Given all the bullshit they'll have to clean up to wrap up all the loose ends established this season- S3 will be VERY Ed/Stede focused, I think the crew will still be inserted in without care or arc. Characters like Jim and Oluwande will be prioritized as they are in a relationship before our nonromantic characters like Wee John and Frenchie.

Stede and Ed's relationship, the driving force of the plot, still falls flat because after everything it still feels like puppy love. They've spent at most two months in person together, and two weeks in a serious relationship. I don't really feel convinced that they actually love each other. Ed still doesn't know that Stede was kidnapped at the end of S1, or why he struggles to talk about his feelings. Ed still hasn't talked about why he feels he needs to leave piracy, or his issues feeling like he doesn't belong anywhere in life. Their habit of running away the MOMENT things get hard just makes me not care about them.

I blame the size of the Izzy fandom on the fact that if you don't buy into the leads, there's almost nothing left here to sink your teeth into. The moment the show seems like they'll talk about it they hard pivot.

I hope S3ep1 happens after a LONG time jump. I want these fuckers to be snippy like two people snowed into a cabin for months. Sick of each other and bitching back and forth like no tomorrow. S3 is about genuinely breaking down their walls. Until then, I'll stick with Izzy, the Canyon, and his depressing version of this reality.

#stede bonnet #I'm a bit worried this post will reach all the Stede fans directly and they'll feel attacked. Please don't feel that way!#I genuinely enjoyed where he was going until episode 8 where Stede seemed emotionally distant the entire episode #I just wish Stede had more impact to his own central story #ofmd critical #ofmd meta #ofmd season 2 #ofmd s2 spoilers #stede bonnet critical #IDK if thats a tag #stede critical #?#ofmd s2 finale #ofmd s2

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works-of-heart · 1 month

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"Elain said her home is in the NC. That's where her family is. Do you really think she'll leave her family for some male she doesn't know or like?"

Have you never left home to pursue your own desires? Do you think Elain cannot leave Velaris to find her own home, but still have her second home with her sisters?

The NC will never be where she belongs, but that doesn't mean leaving it means she abandons her family. She can always come visit them, I'm certain she'd do anything to protect Velaris because that's where her family is, but that doesn't mean it is her "home". Time and time again it's shown that she doesn't thrive there. She's unable to really prove herself aside from the times she pushes others to allow her a chance.

So much of Elain is said to be tied to spring and sunlight, not shadows and night.

"But she's helping people on Velaris with their gardens, she's doing what she loves to do, in Velaris."

And then what? Is she supposed to just live her life as a gardener in Velaris forever? It sounds like so many people who want Elain to stay in the NC, just see her as a means to stay with Azriel, who won't even let her do anything because it's "too dangerous." Does that sound like a life worth living?

She's wanted to travel, to see the continents, not to stay in one place for all eternity, unable to do anything. I don't know why everyone allows Feyre and Nesta to go out and find themselves, to find their chosen family, but Elain MUST STAY AT VELARIS WITH HER BLOOD FAMILY.

I much rather read about Elain going out and experiencing her life the way she wants to. Being in the sun, being out in nature (as per SJM'S own words) and finding her own chosen family.

It's true that her sisters and nephew is there, but let the girl explore and see if maybe there is a place out there for her first. Let her make friends that aren't tied strictly to the IC, and before anyone makes judgment about who she wants to be with, let her decide that on her own. Everyone is so fast to say she will never want anything to do with Lucien, but she hasn't had enough time with him to even make up her mind.

Hell, damn near every time he's around they have the entire IC staring them down. I don't know about you, but I can't feel free to be myself or have deep conversations with someone when I'm being watched like a fish in a tank.

That's just my feelings on the matter anyway. Every time I see that argument, it's like, "she hasn't even had her story yet and people just say she's perfectly fine and content where she is."

#elucien #elucien supremacy #pro elucien #elain x lucien #pro elain #pro lucien vanserra

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notbecauseofvictories · 6 months

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Halloween Week of Horror (Games)

It’s that most horrible time of year, and I've decided to explore the spooky world of text-based games. My list of games is cribbed from this post and this post.

GAMEIFY HORROR // DAY 1 // DAY 2

DAY 3: singing from the far side of the hill, leave house, contrition, familiar, jagged bone

singing from the far side of the hill

about a trans woman, homeless after a bad breakup, who rents a stranger’s spare room. it’s a decision she comes to regret.

Yet another game with no images, just red-and-white text, that nevertheless managed to be hyper-realized---I could practically see the slightly shabby, nevertheless neatly kept house, the old-fashioned door, the disconnected telephone, the medicine cabinet stuffed with empty pill bottles. I loved that it ended with the protagonist running from the law who won’t understand, something she can’t even properly explain.

Also, (spoilers!) the image of Kathleen deepthroating the doorknob---which is perhaps the closest she can get to abusing her beleaguered daughter, who did not want to be a son---will stay with me a long, long time.

SPOOKY LEVEL: 5/10, it trips into the bizarre and surreal and horrific, but isn't particularly frightening

OVERALL GRADE: B+

leave house

Unfortunately, I had to give up on this one. A very cool concept—you enter an empty, abandoned house, poke around----but after 5 minutes stuck on the stairs with no clear route forward, I gave up. In theory I approve? A haunted house you are literally trapped in, running up and down stairs, trying to escape the loop, is a cool concept. In actuality, it felt frustrating and sudden and somehow still muted.

SPOOKY LEVEL: 0/10

OVERALL GRADE: C

contrition

As a priest, it’s your job to listen to your parishioners’ darkest secrets and absolve their guilt. But when a sinister stranger comes to the confessional one Halloween night, you realize it’s your soul on the line.

I'm sure everyone reading this will be shocked to learn that nothing gets me where I live quite like the nexus of Catholicism and horror---and this game exploited that mercilessly. Is the stranger who turns up in the confessional an infernal agent? Is he the devil himself? Or is he just a malicious sort of manipulator, quintessentially human, hiding behind the confessional screen?

(Are you saved? Are you damned? Will you ever know?)

Since I'm the target audience for this kind of story, it landed beautifully. I do think that nature of the sin shared was something of a misstep---though the way the priest reacts, how he covers up the sin once discovered and the harm he does to protect himself, was much more compelling. Also, I liked the ambient noises, and thought they were well-utilized.

SPOOKY LEVEL: 3/10, uncanny but not horrific

OVERALL GRADE: A-

familiar

You are a familiar. Your mistress has some requests for you. Help her complete her ritual, or pay the price of failure.

This game is simple, even straightforward: fetch what your witch-mistress asks of you, even if it requires violence. It's an interesting premise, with lots of room to sprawl out, and the places/people you encounter---the sleeping town, the lovers in the restless woods, the old woman on the mountain---are lovely to imagine.

That said, it felt underdeveloped. An intriguing concept and a couple different paths, but largely static; not as immersive as I wanted the game to be. I did like that, if you refuse to bring the witch what she asks for, the story ends with you ripping her heart, and gaining your freedom. A little touch of righteous violence.

SPOOKY LEVEL: 2/10, exclusively for the violence

OVERALL GRADE: B-

jagged bone

A branching choose-your-own-adventure horror game about transformation and perspective.

I found this one a little difficult to immerse myself in; I made the mistake of choosing the wrong "path" from the outset, and so was on my back foot when it came to understanding what was going on. That said, I did genuinely like it—a mix of inexplicable horror, family, and house-as-locus that worked for me. I played through a couple different narratives (the game made it easy for that end) and all of them were horrible and effective, if not quite as incisive as I wanted.

(Though the monster at the heart of the story is deliciously imagined---say whatever you like, but I'm always weak for a fucked up deer.)

A very respectable effort, even if I wanted more from it.

SPOOKY LEVEL: 3/10, and then mostly for the scenes where you have to fight the monster you encounter

OVERALL GRADE: B

#GAMEIFY HORROR #the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind

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freshlybakedspiderbread · 8 months

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ive always wanted to talk a bit about how i feel about the connection between Yukari and Merry because i love the endless parallels and thematic connections (like everyone else on the planet 😁), but wondering if it was ever 'worth' it since i may just be spouting a lot of what is already considered 'common knowledge' among hifuu aficionados. Not to mention i think my thoughts on it are somehow both really messy but also crystal clear. 😐 Well whatever! Its my own head anyway so i'll try not to worry and am gonna attempt to elaborate even if just a little on this post, which may not be entirely coherent due to sleepy, post-medicine fatigue.

i feel like over the years i may have started to become reflexively more 'against' yukari = merry fandom, although 'against' is probably too strong and its much more complicated than just "i dont subscribe to that theory" because thats not even entirely accurate!

it is of course a classic and really cool idea of the Merry one day becoming Yukari has been and continues to be thoroughly explored by many many fans for moving, tragic, bittersweet, or thought provoking work. I love Absolute One-Way Street, and also Dream and Reality among many other works like it 📖

but i also think its a little stiffling to think of that as the one and only story to tell about them? Now its possible that the sentiment im about to express isn't actually common and im actually just making up a person to respond to, but i think taking the teasing connections between Yukari and Merry and treating the idea of them being the same individual as the absolute obvious truth is a bit of a limiting perspective.

Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinions and headcanons! but i want to make a case that when it comes to touhou and especially hifuu in particular, there's also a richer (and possibly deliberate on the author? who knows!) point to treat it more abstractly.

Maybe they are the same person. Maybe one day Merry becomes Yukari, or Yukari becomes Merry. Maybe they're different people. Maybe they come from the same lineage. Or maybe one is a clone of the other grown in a lab or made with a magic spell.

None of that is as important to me as the the roles they serve in their stories. touhou has always had themes about the gap and the bridge between fantasy and reality by taking place in a world where fantasy seeks refuge from reality, and hifuu goes much further in that theme by taking place in a reality that has completely left behind fantasy. That parallel is really cool to me and its embodied perfectly by both stories having a purple-clad blonde girl with the means to poking their toes into the boundary between fantasy and reality.

In the fantastical world of touhou, one serves as gensokyo's powerful (if frustrating, shady, annoying, disagreeable) protector with allies that she watches over (and sometimes manipulates) with her great power, all to preserve their little wonderworld. And I think its sooo compelling how zun introduced hifuu in the music cds and designed a very similar-looking character, who lives in a stifled reality lacking in imagination, mostly spends her day chasing after even the smallest traces of dreams with a partner whose own small logical world expanded with infinite possiblities upon their meeting...

In the last few cds, Merry's powers may be growing stronger and i get why feeds the implication she's becoming something other than human. But my take on that has always been its more of a sign that she and Renko are already outliers in their world simply for daring to believe there is more to the world beyond facts and logic. I dont expect their story (assuming zun ever brings them back. we havent heard what theyre up to since 2016....) to ever end with both or either of them becoming a youkai or vanishing to gensokyo, because frankly that wouldn't serve any purpose for the themes hifuu has been about, which is embracing fantasy while living in a world that has abandoned it.

trying to remember what my point with this post is.... Oh right its that I think all these themes about the nature of gensokyo or the state of reality in hifuu are only made richer when you think about how they contrast with one another. And by extension, I think Yukari and Merry are both richer if you think of them as conceptual and thematic counterparts in two different stories on the opposite end of a similar spectrum, before thinking about what literal or objective connection they might have. Subjectivity definitely means more than objectivity in this case!

#touhou #hifuu #yakumo yukari #maereverie hearn #< - my personal take on merry's name btw n_n #keep thinking i could use a tag for when i just ramble about touhou but at the same time its freeing to just let it out and about #like yeah my rambling can just occupy the same tag as all the fun pictures on my blog. thats fine!

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deadsnothere · 1 year

Text

Fallin' For Ya!

Synopsis - confessing to Cynthia through song?

Based off the song: Fallin for Ya! - Teen beach movie

The longer version this is based off of more

Masterlist

WARNINGS! - gay people

Request - No!

Word Count - 5k (with part two not sure who long this part is)

Speak Ali! - I spent three days on this 😍🫶🏼 there will be a part 2 and maybe 3 but most likely just a 2

Riding away from a man in a car on Cynthia’s Motorcycle, is not how I thought tonight would go-

You may be asking “How the fuck do you end up running away from a man in a car after you explored an abandoned car shop to makeout with your kind-of girlfriend." It's a long story, but since you're on this tag on tumblr..i'm assuming you have the time.

The T-Birds, and The Pink lady's, all sat at two tables in the Frosty Palace. We were just laughing and talking about the campaign until I had to go on stage. Shy Guy had his arm resting on the back of my chair. Until Cynthia moved his arm and replaced it with her own, she gave me a wink and continued talking with the boys, while the ladies were drawing little posters. She was helping but got a bit distracted by the T-birds. Now I was in her place finishing her cute little drawings- and giggling at the stupid jokes she wrote on it.

Shy Guy was looking a bit sad, probably from Cynthia flirting with me. I feel bad but at the same time, I can't help that she doesn't have feelings for my brother. I wish she had feelings for me but no matter how gay she looks I'm not sure she's is. All of her flirting has always been a joke, she had to tell the entire gang that.

My thoughts were interrupted. “Hey Alias, are you ok?” Jane looked worried. “Oh yeah of course- why?” She furrowed her brows and tilted her head, responding carefully. “You're crying?” I HAVE TO BLINK- I FORGOT ABOUT BLINKING- My hand touched the one small tear that dropped out of my eye and I blinked a few times to bring the moisture back. “No no! Oh my- I'm fine I was just zoned out.” Jane nodded and smiled, Less worried now she went back to her poster.

When I turned back to the poster in front of me Cynthia was drawing again. We were practically face to face. She grinned when she noticed I was looking at her. “What? Think I'm gonna let you out do me on my own poster-” She was teasing, so I poked her cheek.

Looking at the clock on the wall, I stood up. “Hey, where are you going?-” Cynthia grabbed my hand and placed it on the poster board. “I have to go up to sing Cyn- it's 7:30 isn't it?” She opened and closed her mouth looking a bit like a fish, before finally answering. “Oh- yeah it is, you can go ahead-” She let go of my hand and continued staring at me as I walked up the stairs of the stage.

Originally it was me and five other girls- now it's just three. I smoothed down my polka dot dress and waited patiently, while the other three got to their mics and gave me a thumbs up. “Hello Frosty Palace! It is me, your Thursday night entertainment, Alias Foreman!” I gave the crowd a second to die down on clapping, hearing the T-Birds and Pink Ladies yell my name, Cynthia's voice sticking out the most as she whistled. “Tonight, me and my girls, Maria, Kt and Lain! Will be singing a song I wrote for a very special somebody.” The crowd roared up in "oooh"s, I looked over to the group, a few of the T-birds were tapping Cynthia's shoulder in a congratulate manor, she was confused but smiled at me anyways making eye contact. Behind her Shy Guy was looking back and forth from me to Cynthia and staring with a sorrowful smile. I smiled back at him with as much sympathy as I could muster on stage. “This is “Fallin’ for ya".” The band in the back started playing the music sheets I'd given them when I arrived at the shop a few hours earlier to practice.

“The day started ordinary, boys walking by.” l turned my head from left to right slowly like I was following the “boys”. There were people dancing with partners or friends and some alone but either way they all looked to be having a good time. “Ooh Ooh” - “It was the same old story, too fresh or too shy.” I kneeled down, booping Buddy on the nose and smiling sarcastically sweet. “I’m not the kind to fall for a guy who flashes a smile.” I looked down at Buddy one more time, waving him away from the stage. “It goes on for miles.” The girls and their angelic voices sang from beside me.

“Unusually swoon, but i'm over the moon!” I dramatically laid a hand on my forehead. “Cuz he was just too cool for school!” - “and now I’m fallin’ for ya!” We had a little dance on stage, we’d snap with the left hand by our head and with the right by our hip and keep changing them along with the beat.

“Fallin for ya! I know I shouldn't but I-“ I sang it with much more passion than i’d normally put into a song. my eyes were closed and as Cynthia said “I was practically making out with the mic” but it still didn't feel just right. Something is off, but I can't tell what.“-I Just can't stop myself from falling for ya! Fallin for ya!” The girls were looking at me surprised, I haven't sung like this in so long, most of it was a song someone requested or something I felt like doing that day- and even if this doesn't feel right, it feels good.

Looking out at the crowd there were people smiling with their lovers and friends. But the only smile I cared about was the bright one Cyn had on her face right now and it only got brighter when I looked at her. “Can't hold on any longer and now I'm falling for you.”

Again dancing to the music in the background, spinning one of the girls, giggling and going back to our respective mics. “Now we're going steady, he's the cat's meow” I hated having to replace the pronouns, it sort of felt like betrayal. “Meow Meow” I tore my headband off and shook my hair a bit to stop the headache that started to grow. “He says I'm a Betty and we paint the town.” Cyn always called me Betty jokingly ‘cause someone at a coffee shop didn't hear my name and called me Betty instead. I think that made her catch on to who the song is about, because once she fully processed the line, she went bright red. “ooh ooh” The girls were watching me, well more like me and Cynthia. They weren't making it obvious but I knew they were watching us.

“I'm not the kind to fall for a guy just cause he says hi,” My eyes wandered around the crowd, mostly kids from Rydell Highschool but also parents or older customers who come to watch me sing. “when he's cruising by” Maria, Kt, And Lain were the only people I trusted enough to tell I was a lesbian. We all ended up finding out we like girls, and jokingly (and secretly) called ourselves the first gay high school singers. The only other person who knows is Shy Guy. “He's ready to race and I'm catching his gaze” I winked at Jane and Olivia and waved to them. Cyn makes a little frowny face. “They’ll go on like this for days!” They all knew I liked Cynthia, but only the girls teased me about it. Shy Guy tried his best to be supportive but I think he would’ve liked it if it were another girl I had my eye on.

“And now I'm- Falling for ya, falling for ya” All four of us sang in harmony, the more me and Cynthia stared at each other the more right it felt to sing this song. “I know I shouldn't but I-” I felt like I was confessing to her on this stage, and that's exactly how I wanted it. I wanted her to know how I felt but also have plausible deniability if it doesn't work out well. “I just can't stop myself from- Falling for ya, falling for ya!” I loved her and wanted to scream it across rooftops in New york, but “My kind of people” aren't accepted in this world. At least that's what Ma says. “Can't hold on any longer and now I'm falling for you.”

The girls have this word they made up that goes well with the song “Shoop”, they repeat it four times each lyric and I love it so much because if it were used in real life it would be so stupid. “It feels like I tumbled from another world” I placed my hands on my shoulders and dramatically shook them. “Into your arms and it's so secure!” Cyn still held eye contact with me, Practically hypnotized as I sang. “Maybe I'll stumble but I know for sure, head over heels I'm gonna be your girl.”

The music continued for a short break. We had about a minute to run down the stairs, drag some people onto the dance floor and get back up to the stage. All four of us quickly ran down the stairs, I went to Shy Guy and Cynthia pulled them both up and dragged them down. Cyn grabbed onto me as I tried to leave, twirling me around, I smiled and pulled Shy Guy into her, giving him a wink and running back to the stage. It hurt a bit, but I wanted him to at least make a move with her if I couldn't.

Once I got back onto the stage we still had a few seconds to spare, so me and Maria were twirling together on different sides of the stage, laughing and giggling at the stupidity and ecstasy we were feeling…until it went sour and my foot was a little too close to the edge of the stage, I fell off, landing in someone's arms. Jonathan, Maria’s brother.

Fuck how do I cover this- how do I cover this?? Cynthia was running over to me as fast as my brother would drop his arms away from her. he had a defeated look on his face. “And now I'm falling for ya, falling for ya I know I shouldn't but I-” I hate to say it but the entire time I was staring at Cyn while I was being held in another man's arms. She was looking over me while John was holding me bridal style, but of course she was trying to wrangle me out of his arms at the same time. “I just can't stop myself from falling for ya,” When John set me back on my feet and Cyn went back to dancing with my brother, which she didn't look too interested in, kept looking back at me. I kept my grasp around John to make it look like I was looking at him but really she was the one who I couldn't look away from. “falling for ya, Can't hold on any longer and now I'm falling for you.” As the music died out, and the crowd started cheering, I was still looking at her, punching my brother's arm in a “you're a bro!” kind of way while they danced, I hated it.

I wanted to be the one dancing with her. John pushed me away from him, smiling at me awkwardly. “Thanks for catching me-..bro?” We both started laughing at how stupid I sounded. "Platonic?" I nodded, thanking whatever god for listening to my prayer. "Platonic." We did a short little hand shake, high five and walked away from each other. I went back to the stage, Lain handed me my jacket and gave me a pat on the back. “See you at home Ali?” I nodded, and gave her a hug, the other two had quick plans they needed to make it to, so they had already left.

“Tell mom and dad Cyn is bringing me home on her bike.” She rolled her eyes and laughed at me. “You know how much they hate that motorbike.” I smiled and pinched her cheek. “But they love the girl who drives it.” She swatted my hand away. “They aren't the only ones-” I pushed her away from me. “Shut up-” Both of us finally walked away. (I gave her the bird and she stomped away.)

“Alias!” I heard a voice calling me, her voice calling me. “Cyn! How’d you like my song?” She smiled brightly, Shy Guy depressingly making his way back to his seat. “I loved it! Who was it about!?” She was wide eyed and staring at me, eager to. “Well who do you think it was about?” Cynthia looked around and pulled me down to whisper in my ear. “Was it about me?-” I pulled back, looked her in the eye and with as much confidence as I could muster, nodded a silent yes. To my surprise, she was ecstatic. Bright red and practically jumping for joy. “Do you want to ditch these losers and get out of here- I heard there's an abandoned car shop somewhere outside of town.” This time I nodded rapidly, still trying to get my thoughts together. “Yes- yes!” She grabbed my hand and pulled me back to the table. “Hey! Alias has to be home soon so- me and her are going to get going.”

She let go of my hand. We kept looking at each other, smiling. Olivia was the first to speak up. “Did you two finally figure it out?” ..What? “What?-” Jane next. “Figure out that you like each other,” Cyn gasped, slapping Jane's shoulder. Jane looked offended, the bird brains and Olivia started laughing, and Nancy was rolling her eyes at the pinning. “I didn't tell her yet!-” Jane was smiling, hiding behind Olivia. “I'm sorry! I thought she knew because of how you were acting-”

Olivia rolled her eyes smiling at them both. “Go have fun you two- We’ll see you at school tomorrow?” Cynthia grabbed my hand dragging me off the platform. “Yeah yeah! Expect us both with a few new accessories!” She was walking backwards pointing at her neck and winking to the table, getting some whistles back from the T-Birds and a- “Hey that's still my sister!- I’ll kill you Cynthia-” -from Shy Guy. I hit Cyn in the head, Obviously flustered by her comment.

We got outside quickly, Throwing our Pink Lady jackets and our helmets on, climbing on the back of her bike. I clung to her waist and made sure my skirt wouldn't fly up. “You good back there pretty girl?” Her voice was a bit weary, like she was afraid to use the name. “I'm good, Hit the road!” I pulled the goggles to my helmet down, grabbing onto the sides of the backseat as my handles and letting the wind hit my body, just enjoying the feeling.

PT.2! Fallin' for ya

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pigeonwit · 5 months

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hi pidge! i was wondering if you knew of any canon era fics where davey and jack grow apart/jack goes to santa fe/separate/whatever and reunite sometime in the future?

... you know i could've SWORN i did, but i actually don't? which is a shame because jack leaving for santa fe, regretting it, and coming home in shame but knowing exactly what he wants and davey staying in new york, desperately wanting to welcome jack back but refusing because he knows how much jack can hurt him and won't risk it again, all set against that backdrop of period typical homophobia and keeping up appearances is a really cool idea. maybe davey actually did resign himself to living purely for his family and is close to settling down with a nice girl in a cushy job he hates, but has convinced himself its worth it for the sake of not letting his heart get broken again. what was he thinking, right? and it'd be so interesting to see how jack goes about rebuilding his friendships not only with davey but with everyone else he left behind. because i can understand people like race and crutchie feeling abandoned, but itd also be a great way to explore how jack was forced to grow up before he should've and how stressed he was acting as the leader to 100 boys at the age of 17.

that being said i feel kind of bad leaving this with just saying 'sorry no, whoopsies!!' so i'll recommend the two (technically three) fics that immediately came to mind when i was wracking my brain for anything that kind of fit this description. behold:

favorite crime by @we-are-inevitable (side bar this took me too many attempts to find again because i kept spelling 'favorite' the british way) - jack and davey engaged in a secret relationship which jack ended out of fear that due to his success with his political cartoons, they'd be under more scrutiny and thus more likely to be found out, leaving davey behind. they do TECHNICALLY reunite in the future but the story isnt meant to have a happy ending; instead you get a really achingly poignant story about love, fear and the consequences of both. the prose is gorgeous and the characterization is (in my opinion) the most solid in the fandom. jack's absence from daveys life is like a scar across the fic and you really feel how it affects davey to have such a permanent pain everpresent in him - but also having the memory of it nonetheless. its probably not the comforting fluff you're looking for but it IS a beautiful fic and if you're in a good enough place to read it, i recommend it!!

keepsakes (and trinkets) by @livesincerely - this is modern era, but it fits the bill almost perfectly. jack and davey were together but jack got a job offer in santa fe, causing a misunderstanding of davey wanting to support jacks dream while wishing he'd stay and jack not wanting to pressure him into uprooting his life while wishing he'd come with him. after finding davey while back in new york for a visit, they finally confront each other and all those old feelings come back to the surface. it's one of my favourite fics; i'm a big sentimentalist and i love the idea of keeping an object tied to a person for so long that you eventually dont even realize how much of that person is still in your life, still clinging on to the edges, not quite letting go. i love the idea of not even realizing how much a person is still clinging to the edges of your life until that person is THERE and suddenly oh, its unavoidable. all those little keepsakes and the memories attached are still there. you can try to get rid of them, but at a certain point that person has touched so much of your life that you dont even notice it. its just everywhere. i love that shit. im obsessed with that shit. it's one of my favourite go-to comfort fics when i need a little mental treat.

if anyone has any fics that DO fit this request in its entirety please let me know, because i would like to read them!

#fic recs part three! yay :D #i was brave and actually tagged people this time instead of doing the old @/ trick be proud of me #fic recs #fic hoard #newsies #javid #javey #ask #anon

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parachutingkitten · 6 months

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I have two sins that somwhat cohenside:

As a Cole stan for life I despise the Cole is gay HC and have had to abandon the tag because of its prevalence. Lavashipping is a NOTP and of all the art and edits I've seen polluting my Cole tag I still cant see any chemistry or dynamic between them besides they are both attractive. All the ninja ships are incest vibes (not just the gay ones. Looking at you Braincellshipping) to me as they treat eachother and call eachother brothers but at least there was tension and chemistry between the old days of Bruiseshipping. Lava's prevalence online had me quit for a long time as I couldnt understand why it randomly gained such traction and then showrunners made the dumb idea to try and bait fan perceptions in crystalized. I see cole as somewhat aromantic (although the term is mostly meaningless and used to describe anyone who is uncmfortable or disinterested with romance without analysing the deeper psychological reasons that might be the case) but he obviously wants to be a father and I don't see how any of his defined traits attribute to being the fans gay stand in besides the fact that fandom always has the urge to pick one to be the LGBT mascot and create content that isnt there simply for their own self indulgence. I like Coliel (if anyone remembers Seliel) as it leans into Coles obliviousness to advances while it shows off his honorable and protective personality. I don't find Cole particularly coded LGBT in any of the seasons up until Dragons rising, which the episode focussing it was badly written and OOC.

My other "sin" I suppose is I disown ALL of DR for being a horrible soft reboot that does everything a soft reboot shouldn't: messing with preestablished lore in an attempt to prop up these random new characters as just, if not more, powerful than our protagonists. The new writer has a horrible track record with character ensemble shows like TMNT 2012 and its a worthless slap in the face continuation of an ended series. The diologue is horrendously tacky and most jokes dont land. The push by the writers to add in fan characterizations and expand the lore beyond whats established is lazy and uninspired. There is so much left to explore in Ninjago the way it was. We never went to most of the continent but why try to write compelling stories and dramas with an already defined map when you could throw everything out the window and make your own sandbox, shoehorning it into Ninjago regardless on how ridiculous it looks and feels.

*exhale* alright. I lot to get through here.

there is nothing wrong with not HCing cole gay, especially if you seem him on the aro/ace spectrum. I'm in the exact same boat. And just because there are very prevalent gay interpretations of the text does not mean you have to adopt them, or watch them with that subtext in mind. The true potential episode can obviously really easily be read as a coming out allegory, and a lot of people have latched onto that. And good for them!

But it's just as easily read as a story about defying your parent's expectations for a career path- especially if that's something you can relate to. I think the episode works even better in that respect (cuz that's kinda more directly what it's about, but also) because it adds in this layer of also respecting the place where your parents came from and make their living with. Honestly, I didn't see any gay coding on my first watch through of that one dragons rising episode. I saw Cole's relationship with Geo as much more of a mentor/mentee thing, probably because he's typically taken on a father role. I thought Geo and Sora had more chemistry honestly, with that one scene where their bonding over rejection. That's the beauty of media, multiple interpretations! It sounds like you're letting the fandom color your viewing experience, and that's your problem. The crystalized kai/cole stuff can just as easily be read as brother shenanigans. Don't let fanon make things canon for you if you don't want them to.

I'm on the same page of not shipping the core 4 together. The early seasons were directly focused on their brotherhood in my view, so I get it. But, let's not begrudge people their imaginary LGBTQ rep. As far as I understand lavashipping took off cuz it's the only gay pairing of the main characters who could still potentially be canonically shipped together. Jaya and pixane are pretty set in stone, and lloyd is pretty much off limits. But kailor is very iffy in canon, and cole has never had a love interest. And even if I don't ship it, I can see the value of people having some level of hope that the show might give them some rep. But again, none of this means you have to ship it or feel bad for not shipping it.

Second, you've got some unique opinions on dragons rising. Cool. I don't think you're completely invalid or anything, but I do think some of these opinions might be a little biased?

You're mad it brought back the... finished tv show? The show that finished with crystalized? The worst possible ending of the show? Honestly, it wasn't that much more conclusive than other seasons. Ninjago has always struck me as an evergreen property- a world with endless adventures in it. To begrudge future stories for existing seems a little selfish to me. Ninjago should be a property that new kids can get into for years to come. I've got some problems with what dragons rising has done. I don't think the merge was the best way to go. I hate how needlessly small it makes everything feel. I think sora is a little too chosen-one-y. There are things to criticize here. But it's pulling a lot off. I think it's balanced screen time between old characters and new characters pretty well. It's established a fairly unique identity for itself, which can be a real struggle for sequel content. Again, I think you're coming into it with a distorted fandom lens which is making you hate it more. Not to say that you're wrong, but you're feelings associated with your opinions may be a little exaggerated.

if you have a sin you would like to confess, please direct it to @ninjago-sins

#ninjago #asks #thanks!#give me your sins #let go of the hate in your heart #dr is letting these characters keep living #and i love it for that alone

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