ahsei thoughts on frazel jason/piper and caleo GO

Okay SAW THIS AND WAS LIE. i need to mswer tjsi and. frazel didnt make me feel thst jason/piper didnt make me feel that CLEO CALEO IT FCUKIGN SUCKS EW I WIL TEL MORE.

ok so frazel is oki cuti coupel i like them theg so sweet like "will u hold my hand in fromt of everyone 🥺" vibes LIKE THE ONEEEE HE GIVES HIS LIFELINE TK HER BECAUSE HE TRUSTS HER SM HE HAS TRUST ISSUES HES SCRED AND TERRIFIED BYT HE GIVES IT TO HER AND SHE PROMISES TO KEEP IT SAFE WHY R PJO BOYS SO FUCKING UNRE AL WHEN WILL I FIND SOMEONE WHO WUD LITERALLY TRUST ME WITH TJEIR LIFE LKKE NKT FIGURATIVELY LITERALLY AMD WJO WUD LITERALLY GIVE UP GODHOOD FOR ME AND WHO WUD LITERALLY JUMP INTO THE UNDERWORLD FKR ME KYS FATE ASS BITCH

anyway

um so jsson/piper NO jiper. hehehehe or better yet pason ehehhehe idk what to fee about them tbh thty lowky give steggy vibes mainly cus jason gives me stvve vibes hes also stronh soldier traumatised asf. :( and piper is js like peggy badass gorgeous beautiful shud be with me i shud be kissing her rn alexa play boyfriend by dove cameron :( and I knwo the futjre i readspoilers so now its js there in my brain can do noting about it

omg this fucjing shitp. shit? ship? who knwos i literally adore calypso okay i love her sm but i just fucking hate it that they made her fall inlove with leo?? like this is wrong (to me) on so many levels a. she was CURSED to fall in love with every single demigod who ever went to ogygia or wtv. and it was devastating obvs that she had to go thru tht heartbreak again and again but !!!! IT WAS LITERALLY NOT HE. FAULT THE STUPID FUCJING DOGS sorry gods CURSED HER CUS SHE WAS. R E L A T E D. TO A TITAN. HOW IS THT FAIR. HOW .

and ir was literally. bound to happen. there was absolutely no way that be it percy or leo or whomstever thw fuck went to that god forsaken island SHE COULD NEVER EVER HELP BUT FALL IN LOVE WITH THAT PERSON SHE WAS CURSED. i js googled it btw in case i was wrong or misinformed BUT NO. SHE WAS CURSED. SHE . HAD. TO Fall FOR THAT PERSON EVEN IF SHE DIDNT WANT TO EVEN IF SHE HATED THEMM how is that fair to EITHER LEO OR CALYPSO??? I LOVE LEO SM HE IS MY BABY I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS?????. this IS SOOOOO REMADORA CODED DONT EVEN GET ME STARTEDDDDD like. it felt liek the author wamted both of them to be in a romantic relationship ANY romantic relationship and then was js like ok well theyre byh single lets do it. NO??? NOOOOOOO AND IF U SAY ooooo bu. they spent like 1000 days on the island tgt they developed chemistry NO BITVH THEY DIDNT. LEO WAS 16 YEAR OLD TEENAGE BOY WITH NO ROMANTIC EXPERIENCE EVER. like tell me u have never ever thought u have a crush on someone of the opposite gender while spending time with them even if u probably didnt have a crush on them??? if u haven't thats fine BECAUSE I HAVE and its Normal very many people go thru that u see perosn of opposie gendrr u R FORCED !!!! TO SPEND TIME WITH OERSON OF OPP GENDRRZ and u think omg ...... do i .... Like? them. WHAT. and u probably dont ur js a loser (like i was , like leo was) who has never spent tiem with someone of tbe opposite gender (wa. raised in an extremely 'conservative' read: boys and girls cannot ever just be normal friends household also wen to all girls elementary and high school , leo was js a loser thsts my excuse for hmm) OKAY GET IT???? THEY DID NOT FALL IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER WHILE MAKING MECHANIC PARTS TOGETHER at least leo didnt AND I LOVE MY GIRL CALYSO AND I LOVE ADORE LEO BUT I FUCKING BET IF CALYPSO WASNT CURSED SHE WUD NOT LOOK TWICE AT LEO HE IS LITERALLY JS A LOSER GUY PATHETIC (ADORABLE AWESOME AMAZING FUNNY BUT SRSLY LITERALLY NAM ONE GIRL WHO TOOK HIM SERIOUSLY OUT OF ALL THE GIRLS WE SEE HIM INTERACTING WITJ IN THE SERIOES) anyway thanks for coming to MY ted talk its MINE dont get offended love yall stay safe muah muah

What are your top five xianxia cdramas? And, on the other end, what are your top five historical kdramas (any time period - I'm not well versed in this to know the various types names yet xD)? Oh, and lastly, your top five drama recs that are the most (generally) underrated? Thanks!

nice!

TOP FIVE XIANXIA (& I'M ALSO GONNA INCLUDE XUANHUAN)

love and redemption. girl meets boy. boy's part of a cursed theatre troupe and part of masochism tango of reincarnation with girl that lasts 10 life times. girl is actually kind of the god of war. crack, gender reversal, gender fuckery at large, feminist and queer friendly. incredible OST. just all-around one of my favorite dramas ever.

lost you forever (part 1). a xuanhuan vs. xianxia, but im not passionate enough about 5 xianxia for this list lol. another drama with gender fuckery. a fantastic FL and beautiful relationship building (and unbuilding) and character-driven story. dont even need the second part for this to be a favorite!!

love between fairy and devil. all those tropes you fucking loved when you were like 13 on ff.net given a lot of heart and near-perfect execution (aside from that ending). awesome characters, beautiful costumes and art direction. super addicting and bingeable

the legends. bai lu playing a powerhungry demoness and acquiring a dysfunctional harem in the process. xu kai looking like a sad blue-haired puppy. a monk that creates an entire demon because he has 1 boner. sismance. i had a lot of fun with this one and pointedly did not watch the last 5 or so eps lol

till the end of the moon. there's parts i genuinely hate and would not watch ever again. there's parts that are fucking incredible. sort of like the main couple, i have a love/hate relationship with this drama but when it hits it really hits

honorable mention: eternal love/10 miles of peach blossoms (xianxia fuckery at its finest weighed down somewhat by tedious side plots and one of the most infuriating 2nd FLs of all time)

TOP FIVE HISTORICAL KDRAMAS

gaksital/bridal mask. set in the 1930s. inverse character arcs between the hero and villain. dysfunctional romance amped up to the nth level. high stakes, high consequences, and a cast full of well-developed and written characters. bring tissues

empress ki. girl crushing and girl bossing her way through two kingdoms, one of the best FLs of all time. with her is a besotted baby enemy emperor and a Noble Good besotted powerless king as she goes from slave to smuggler to concubine to empress. chef's kiss

the princess' man. you want feral wrecks for your male leads? female leads ready to throw down in a parking lot? if you like lovers to enemy (?) lovers and star-crossed romances this one is a must

the king loves. this one's also on my underrated list. the first 4ish eps are a chore, but if you get past them you have the love triangle to end all love triangles, interesting palace politics with a fascinating "evil" empress, and im siwan getting to go a lil unhinged as a treat. it's the definition of an idol drama but gd did i love this and i binged the hell out of it no regrets

mr sunshine. le cinema!!! an interesting time in history (1870s-1880s) with a wide range of flawed but compelling characters centered around one of the most badass FLs of all time. winner of the #1 second lead syndrome contest for me with dong mae. only downfall to this one is i felt negative chemistry with the endgame ship but the show is good enough without it

honorable mention: chicago typewriter isnt on this list because it's only kind of half a historical drama BUT OMG WATCH IT. it's in my top 3 kdrama and while it has a slow build once it kicks off it fucking goes off

TOP FIVE UNDERRATED DRAMAS

the king loves as mentioned above. i think why it has a lower rating is the first handful of eps are kind of a snoozefest and there's a bit of an upset with the romance (which i was 900% for). but it's a fucking fun ride and full of awesome goryeo palace drama adventures

kairos. not underrated, since it has decent scores on reviewer sites, but underhyped? not enough people have seen this one and it's an incredible time-travel thriller that i found way more interesting than other popular dramas of its type like signal

cheese in the trap. the ending's a hot mess, but compared to how some 2020-onward dramas are ending it's poetry. a solid adaptation of a really great webtoon, awesome cinematography, and one of the few dramas ive seen that actually capture the campus/college life experience right

discovery of romance. the emotional cheating element causes a lot of folks to hate it/jump ship, but i love this one (and gd BOTH the fl and ml emotionally cheat ftr he's not innocent in this hot mess). jung yumi + eric mun are one of my favorite kdrama duos and they kill it, and kim seulgi plays an incredible second female lead

when a man falls in love. man people HATED this one but i think it's a blast when you're in the mood for mess + gangsters. if you're into watching fucked up romances with severe power imbalances and the dysfunction that follows, this one's for you. it's not perfect but definitely not deserving of its 6.8 MDL rating (gd!)

PRIDE MONTH, PRIDE CHARACTER 🏳️‍🌈  Why is Callie Torres my favorite LGBTQIA+ representation ? First of all, she is superb, she embodies what I call "Bi Fantasy". For me, she was the first character who, after a process of discovery that was not invisibilized, turned out to be openly bisexual. I felt that she was the first representation of bisexuality on TV  of my generation. On top of that, it's funny, brilliant, ironic, sometimes boring but often interesting. But Callie is also, a woman who becomes a mother, and who is completely lost in front of this responsibility: she is human. She is also a married woman who is going to face different traumas and difficulties in her life: an unrequited love (George), the death of the father of her child (Mark), the amputation of his wife, a very serious car accident, a trying professional trial, complicated divorces... And even with all this, she remains badass. Even with all that, she gets back up (with difficulty sometimes, that's normal).

Why is Callie even more awesome now even though she's not on the show anymore? By the portrayal of the beautiful Sara Ramírez, an absolutely proud non-binary person, a wonderful representation of the LGBTQIA+ community and a person who is not afraid to be themself. 

Don’t forget to not discriminate anyone based on things they didn’t choose (gender, sexuality, love, weight, height, origins…).

Since it’s Pride month I will try to speak about differents characters I love, who are part of the community LGBTQIA+ Already done :

- Bisexual with Callie Torres (Grey’s Anatomy) : https://i-am-a-bad-gens.tumblr.com/post/687311506524766208/pride-month-pride-character-why-is-callie

- Non Binary with Kai Bartley (Grey’s Anatomy) : https://i-am-a-bad-gens.tumblr.com/post/681975387938488320/greys-anatomy-season-18-alert-spoiler-kai

- Transgender with Adam Torres (Degrassi) : https://i-am-a-bad-gens.tumblr.com/post/687744744005238784/pride-month-pride-character-why-is-adam

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999-Present)

Around the same time that Miss Congeniality was released, one of TV’s most famous crime fighting female characters was introduced to the world through a show that would become revered for its move towards portraying the female detective character in a much more nuanced and complex manner than ever before. That character is none other than Detective Olivia Benson of Law & Order: SVU. Prior to this show many female detectives were still falling into the “one of the guys” or “sexy sidekick” tropes, stereotypes that were still evident and alluded to in Miss Congeniality. However, Law & Order: SVU on the other hand is seen as one of the first shows to start having male characters take a back seat, while strong female characters were given the spotlight. The nature of the crimes being solved on this show (rape, domestic violence, etc.) also paved the way for feminine qualities like compassion to be seen as assets to the female detective and not a point of weakness.

This show and it’s lead character have become iconic in the world of television with the Washington Post even reporting “America’s ideal female television character is Olivia Benson”. According to the survey conducted and discussed in this article “Twenty-one percent of the 1,200 survey respondents named “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” main character Olivia Benson as their favorite female character on television, a finding that held consistent across genders and almost all demographics.” This survey stated that viewers ideal female character would be “independent and compassionate, as well as intelligent, self-confident, strong-willed, beautiful and tough”, a list that essentially summarizes the character of Detective Olivia Benson. It is clear based on these findings that as feminism became popularized and widely accepted in the U.S., more and more viewers were looking to watch these complex female characters in positions of authority. Actress Mariska Hargitay who plays Detective Benson commented on playing a complex female character stating “that part of me, that fierce, badass lioness…We play these parts, we have our little selves, all our complex part of our selves, and we draw that self and yeah, she’s awesome.” In recent years audiences have been drawn to these nuanced female characters and it is clear Law & Order: SVU has played a large role in craving the path for all the future female detective characters we would grow to love in the 2010s and today.

The Last Legacy M4 with a Transgender MC (MTF)

Felix

Ok so if MC is already transitioning/transitioned when they meet Felix and they come out to him he legit does not care it doesn’t change a single thing in their relationship

Felix is a certified trans ally trained by his father

But if they realize their trans after they meet him/were closeted/whatever their situtation might’ve been before he is ready to support them from the get go

Everything must be very hard for MC because for one they are in a whole different dimension and to add on top of that they’re exploring a new gender identity?!

Like I said in my FTM head canon post, he will force Escell to fund their transition no matter how much or how little money they need (if they’re comfortable with it)

You know that one time Felix said that he was “hopelessly attracted” to MC, this is especially reinforced as they transition and grow more into themselves

They come out wearing something gender euphoric for them and Felix has to take a moment to control himself because, my god they’re hot…

In their magic lessons Felix starts talking about divine feminine energy and how much they radiate it

When Scylla starts flirting with MC 😳😳😳

Anisa

If MC comes out after they meet and they’re super nervous and she is completely ok with it, glad in fact that they’re discovering more about themselves

They tell her about stupid transphobia on Earth that does NOT exist in Astrea and she gets so mad about it

It really helps her understand how much of a deep emotional thing transitioning is for MC especially if they started transitioning only in Astrea because they actually felt safe there

If they were already transitioning/transitioned on Earth it makes her think that MC is a badass for transitioning despite stupid societal standards

If they want to medically transition, she scurries to find nearby clinics that offer gender affirming care for them

GIRLS NIGHT SLEEPOVERS WITH ANISA

Painting each other’s nails, doing makeup, having a seance, trying out face masks

Anisa is such an awesome female role model because first of all, she’s a goddamn knight, but she still maintains her femininity whilst doing her job

Her searching through her room to find dresses and skirts that will fit them

Sage

Sage and his pretty transfem girlfriend help me my brain is rotting

If MC is coming out after they meet, no problem at all I think he would actually be so sweet

He’d be like “I’m so happy for you, I’m always gonna love you.”

Him telling them not to worry if anything in their relationship is gonna change because he “knows how to treat a lady”

TRANS!SAGE AND HIS TRANS GF

I’m sorry I’ll control myself

If MC has already transitioned/is transitioning, you already know it, he’s so chill about it when they tell him

Sage coming back to Fanthom with a dress/skirt/whatever gender euphoria giving piece one may desire he found for them, it’s not even be their size but he runs back to exchange it for the proper size

I think he would do this for any MC, but picking flowers for them all the time

Then placing those flowers behind their eye telling them how beautiful they are

Later down the line if they get married he becomes Sage “THAT’S MY WIFE!” Lesath

“How’s my pretty girl doing~” *spontaneously combusts*

Rime

So I’m not sure how Rime went from “I hate MC. They ruined my life” to ally boyfriend of transfem MC who is ready brawl for them at the drop of a hat but were here now

Rime stylizing their new Astrea outfits and he’s GOOD AT IT

He definitely has a knack for fashion bc idk anyone who can pull off a sheer turtleneck with a skirt and sandals and still pull it off

MC having a bad dysphoria day and Rime looking at them and saying “I don’t understand how you don’t find yourself beautiful” and MC being taken aback but you can hear in his voice how genuine he’s being

MC coming out pre-redemption arc like:

Rime: *holding a blade against their throat* Any last words?

MC: *panics* I’M TRANS!

Rime: I accept you but I’m still gonna kill you

It’s Good to Be Bad

I’ve described in previous analyses that I have a strong affinity for villains in fiction, including those by Disney. But like any fan of Disney, there are villains that I love and ones that I deeply detest with every bone in my body. So for my last analysis of the year, I will discuss my five most favorite and five least favorite Disney animated villains, though I also want to list a couple of other characters as honorable mentions to explain why I like or hate them.

The reasons I have for liking my favorite villains are simple, if not somewhat shallow, because I don’t exactly have deep reasons for liking them. Regardless of how evil, sadistic, cruel, and ruthless they are, I like them primarily because they are funny or charismatic. But it’s so much easier for me to list why I hate my least favorite villains, which is largely attributed the kinds of traits they display (most of which I cannot stand in people), their motives for being evil, and how they carry out their evil deeds while showing their evil natures.

This essay has turned into a longer one than I anticipated, so I am adding the “Keep reading” feature. Before I begin, I want to thank my dear buddy and soul sis @minervadeannabond for coming up with this title. Here is yet again another analysis of mine for you to enjoy, sis! 😁😄😉❤️

Most Favorites

Scar - Since The Lion King was the very first Disney film I ever saw in theaters as a child, and the first one I remember well from my childhood, many of my favorites Disney things come from it, including Scar being my #1 favorite Disney villain. Yes, he is a sadistic, tyrannical, narcissistic, cold-blooded murderer, but I think it is because of his cunning, smooth, elegant, charismatic nature and how pivotal he is to the story, particularly with how much he turns out to be a dark reflection of Simba, is why I love him so much. Furthermore, his song “Be Prepared” is my favorite villain song and among my favorite Disney songs of all, further showing how much The Lion King has given me Disney favorites since I was a child. 😁

Hades - Another one I remember well from my childhood, Hades is undoubtedly one of the funniest villains from the Disney animated canon. Although he is as cruel, evil, ruthless, and sadistic as any Disney villain, Hades is also so fast-talking, sleazy, sarcastic, cheeky, and hilarious that it makes it hard for me to take him seriously as a menacing villain. And while he constantly goes into fiery rages and blows his hot-headed top when furious, these help make Hades far more a comical, rather than scary, figure. Heck, when I was a kid, I always laughed, rather than got scared, whenever he unleashed one of his temper tantrums (except when he blows up at Meg with “I OWN YOU!!!”). And James Woods’s performance, especially since he ad-libbed many lines, helps make Hades such an unforgettable and memorable, if not lovable, character. So yeah, Hades’s wisecracking, talkative personality made him a memorable villain for me as a child, and I’ve loved him for it ever since. 😆😂

Ursula - Much like Hades, Ursula is sleazy, scheming, and cunning, yet wisecracking and comical at the same time. Besides her dry sense of humor, Ursula’s eccentricity, flamboyance, and elegance have always been the traits that drew me to her, and Pat Carrolll’s performance of the character is pure excellence. 😉

Maleficent - Despite being an incarnation of pure evil, including with her self-proclaimed title as The Mistress of All Evil, to me, Maleficent is by far the coolest, most badass Disney animated villain of all! 😆👍🏻 Yes, she curses Aurora with no true motive whatsoever, and she’s sadistic, ruthless, blasphemous, and murderous, but her display of her ill temper and dark magic just makes her totally awesome, most especially when she zaps her minions for their stupidity and incompetence upon learning they were only looking for a baby during their 16-year search for Aurora. 😁

Ratigan - Again, Disney has an evil, murderous, sadistic villain in Ratigan, but I love him because he is very collected, calculating, sophisticated, and charismatic, not to mention Vincent Price delivers such a great vocal performance as the character. 😉 What I also love about Ratigan is the moment when he undergoes what is known as a villainous breakdown, which is when a villain snaps and goes utterly crazy. During the film, Ratigan has some moments of losing his cool, but just as quickly manages to become calm and regain his composure. However, upon seeing Basil and Olivia escape from him inside Big Ben, along with Basil having having foiled his earlier scheme to kill the queen and take over England, Ratigan finally snaps, turning from a formal, sophisticated, composed rat to a highly feral, aggressive, savage one. It is the moment when Ratigan reveals the monster within and looks like a true rat, with an aggressive expression, hunched back, elongated claws, and running on all fours. The fact that Ratigan’s breakdown juxtaposes what kind of rat he was for the majority of the film is why his villainous breakdown is my favorite of any Disney villain.

Most Hated

Gaston - I have stated this before in “Bride and Prejudice”, but I pick Gaston as my #1 choice as my least favorite Disney animated villain. And it’s not just because of his extreme vanity, egotism, chauvinism, and arrogance, which are the very traits I hate in people, but because of his inferior, sexist, misogynistic views of women. Gaston is THE walking definition of toxic masculinity, the fictional example of the worst kind of man, the epitome of what men should NEVER be! 😡😡😡 He thinks men are the superior gender and that women are inferior to men, with their only purposes being to serve men and be their sex objects. And since I am a feminist who believes in gender equality, I dislike men who have low, sexist opinions of women, and Gaston fits the profile of what I think is the worst example of such a man. I could go on and on explaining just why I loathe this monster of a man with all my heart, but you can just read the aforementioned analysis to find out more.

Lady Tremaine - If it weren’t for Gaston being my #1 pick because of his extreme sexism and misogyny, I would pick Lady Tremaine. She comes such a close second because her motivations for abusing, oppressing, and being so cruel to Cinderella are petty and stupid, ESPECIALLY because Cinderella never even did anything to deserve such treatment from her in the first place! 😠😡 Lady Tremaine hates Cinderella and is very jealous of her purely because Cinderella so much better-looking and kinder than her own daughters and herself. So they abuse her and make her their servant to make her miserable and unattractive so that they can look better than her instead. Additionally, Lady Tremaine has a deep-rooted obsession to be above Cinderella at all costs that she resorts to lying, manipulation, trickery, and cheating in order to stay above. I particularly loathe it when she manipulates her daughters into tearing up Cinderella’s dress just so that she can appear fair and keep her word regarding her side of the bargain (she says ”if you can find something suitable to wear”, and once it’s wrecked, it’s no longer suitable) while simultaneously making sure she doesn’t have to keep her promise since she never wants Cinderella to go in the first place. All that being said, do these sound like justifiable excuses for hating a completely innocent woman? I DON’T THINK SO!!! 😡😡😡

Claude Frollo - Now if weren’t for BOTH Gaston and Lady Tremaine coming first, Claude Frollo would come on top as well! 😡😡😡 Frollo is without a doubt in my mind the most evil villain in the Disney animated canon. Unlike most Disney villains, he is COMPLETELY devoid of any likable or redeemable traits, making me have nothing but feelings of pure hatred for him. Ruthless, cruel, blasphemous, racist, and evil to his core, Frollo holds a deep-seated hatred for the gypsies and seeks to eradicate them from Paris, making him not only murderous, but genocidal, especially since he seeks to kill them simply out of his own racism, supremacy, and superiority. Throughout the years in his quest to eliminate the gypsies, Frollo murders Quasimodo’s mother by violently kicking her, causing her to fall and hit her head on the stone steps of Notre Dame, then tries to burn Esmeralda at the stake, declaring that she must be killed because she has been practicing witchcraft. After killing the mother, Frollo even attempts to drown baby Quasimodo simply because of his deformity. What makes Frollo even more evil besides doing his deeds is that he is a judge with control over the city, yet he proves himself to be corrupt and hypocritical by violating the laws to accomplish his dark, sinister deeds. Perhaps what makes Frollo the most evil villain of all is that he is in complete denial about how evil he really is. He has a delusional belief that he is a good, religious man doing God’s work by trying to purge the world of evil, when all he really does is twist his “faith” and hypocritically use it for his own evil purposes. What’s worse is that Frollo never once takes an ounce of responsibility for his crimes; he makes excuses to justify his actions, painting himself as guiltless and his victims as the only ones at fault. So with Frollo being such a blasphemous, hypocritical, racist, genocidal, murderous, corrupt judge who never believes he is doing anything wrong and always lays blame on the victims of his misdeeds, I can’t say there is a single thing about him that I like, and I’m happy he met his death in a fiery blaze! 😡���

Mother Gothel - A character I see as being an amalgam of Gaston, Lady Tremaine, and Frollo, the reasons why I hate all three of these villains are also found in Gothel: vanity, narcissism, oppression, mental abuse, trickery, manipulation, dishonesty, hypocrisy, and flat-out cruelty. First of all, Gothel’s vanity, narcissism, and obsession with her own beauty makes her extremely insufferable and annoying, not to mention the fact that she hoarded the flower to herself for hundreds of years just to stay alive shows how incredibly selfish and possessive she is. And due to her selfishness, she kidnaps Rapunzel, hides her in a tower, lies to her about the outside world, and continually mentally abuses, manipulates, oppresses, mocks, and belittles her just to ensure that Rapunzel will never leave the tower and the flower’s magic in her hair will keep her (Gothel) alive and young forever. On par with her narcissism, Gothel is shown to be a very spoiled, childish, immature woman who seeks to always have things her way and throws tantrums or other emotional outbursts when she doesn’t get her way or what she wants, especially the very moment she wants it. Furthermore, Gothel possesses a martyr, or victim, complex, which is shown perfectly when victimizes herself and places all the blame on Rapunzel whenever any sort of conflict befalls their lives and relationship, especially when they argue. So with all these flaws in mind, like Gaston, Lady Tremaine, and Frollo, I can’t find any good reason to like Gothel at all. “Mother Knows Best”? More like “Gothel Knows Worst”! 😠😡 

Governor Ratcliffe - I said above that I hate Gaston because of his bigoted, low views of women, and prejudice is the main reason why I hate Governor Ratcliffe. However, his prejudice is in the form of racism, the kind of bigotry that I hate the most. Ratcliffe displays this attitude towards the Native Americans, considering them savages and seeing himself as better than them all because of his race, which makes him a white supremacist. Besides his supremacy and superiority regarding his race, Ratcliffe is intensely greedy and selfish since he wants to keep any riches found for himself and believes that the Virginia land and anything he finds on it is his for the taking. In relation to his bigotry, he is also quite delusional and self-righteous, which makes him believe that any theory he has is right and he refuses to believe otherwise or listen to reason. For example, Ratcliffe dismisses Wiggins’ correct assumptions on why the Indians attacked the settlers and John’s claim that there is no gold in the lands after Pocahontas tells him this. The hatred I hold for Ratcliffe is significantly less than the other four listed here, but the reasons I gave are virtually like those I gave for Frollo, so I’m confident with Ratcliffe and his place on my list.

Bonus Mentions

Hans - Hans is a villain that I place in the middle between my most loved and most hated villains, because I love him for WHAT he is as a villain while I simultaneously hate him for WHO he is as a character. I have said it to friends and some of my other analyses before, but one of the reasons why I love Frozen is because it took many of the traditional fairy tale elements and tropes used in their preceding films, and turned them upside down. So rather than having another prince as the heroic male lead in this film, Frozen twisted that trope around by making him the villain instead. And when Hans finally reveals his true nature, you realize that he has fooled not only Anna and the other characters who interacted with him, but first-time viewers as well! So while I love Hans for being a villain who keeps his true nature under wraps for the majority of the film and almost gets away with his crimes because of it, I also hate him because of how cold, cruel, callous, ruthless, and sadistic he really is. When he reveals his true nature and explains his plan to Anna, he mocks her intelligence, naïveté, and desperation for love while explaining just how easy it was for him to deceive and manipulate her into being a pawn in his plan to take over Arendelle. Throughout the whole scene, Hans smiles wickedly and sadistically, clearly showing the delight he is getting from tormenting Anna and watching her suffer while he explains his scheme and extinguishes all light sources to accelerate her death. It’s also easy to see his sadism when he announces his plan to murder Elsa, and that he will get even greater joy out of carrying out the act itself (which we see when Hans smiles widely while swinging his sword over Elsa’s head as he tries to kill her on the fjord).

Chi-Fu - While he is not a true villain, and not even evil at all, Chi-Fu is a very detestable character, one whose guts I hate completely because he has the same traits that make me hate Gaston: arrogance, conceit, egotism, bigotry, superiority, and misogyny. Prejudice against women is a main theme in Mulan, and Chi-Fu is the one man whose prejudiced opinions never change. While Shang and Mulan’s fellow soldiers initially hold views that women are beneath men, they learn to change them after Mulan proves herself a capable warrior in the army (even after her disguise is revealed), most especially when she helps save China from Shan Yu’s reign of terror. Despite the majority of his bigotry being aimed at women, Chi-Fu is also detestable because he shows it towards nearly everyone else, except the Emperor. As the second-in-command to the Emperor, Chi-Fu sees himself superior to almost everyone else around him, which enhances his pompous, elitist, arrogant attitude. Because of all these antagonistic traits, I loathe Chi-Fu while I don’t hate Shan Yu at all, even though the latter is truly pure evil and genocidal! 😠😡 It just goes to show that some people who are neither necessarily good nor bad can be even more contemptible that the most malevolent, murderous people.

What I would personally like for Choices love interests as a bi player (Note that this means I can have multiple romance preferences...Yes, that was me being salty at PB):

Slow burns, and I mean, really slow burns. Not even having the option to kiss until 10+ chapters in slow burn. Also, slow burns that are not really based on sexual attraction, but instead, emotional connection until it becomes romantic and sexual attraction (sadly, that means an LI who doesn’t have electrokinesis, but you can do it, PB. I believe in you.)

I know some players are bugged by this, but I don’t necessarily mind the sweet and demure type for the female LIs. But wow, PB really doesn’t do anything interesting with that type, huh? I guess I’d just find it more fun to read if they contrasted those qualities with something unexpected. Like what if she’s stoic, serious, guarded and stand-offish but when you get closer to her, you realize she just gets flustered easily with feelings and romance? What if she seems sweet and kind and shy when you’re romancing her, but she lives for the fight — a “looks like a cinnamon roll, but would actually kill you” type situation. Some LIs I can think of as examples would be Perfect Match’s Sloane and Blades of Light and Shadow’s Nia. Both are shy, sweet and adorable, and complete badasses at what they do (though neither are particularly bloodthirsty, so maybe they don’t actually fit what I described XD).

I also might be in the minority here, but can we have female LIs who don’t have their lives together? I feel like more male LIs get to be, well, a mess and the MC is there to give them emotional support. And I do love the strong, badass women in Choices, but I also want to see female LIs who struggle, who are impulsive, who get to be an emotional wreck, who get to have unhealthy habits, who are unemployed, who are ex-convicts, who are not successful, etc.

Soft male LIs who have a lot of characteristics traditionally associated with femininity. Male LIs who are shy and get flustered easily, who like beauty and fashion and aesthetic, who aren’t domineering, who are gentle caregivers, who don’t have a six pack. Actually, you know that typical demure quality they give to the female LI? That’s rarely ever used for guys. Let’s see that in a male LI.

On the other end, more male LIs who demonstrate healthy masculinity would also be great. For example, Bryce from Open Heart. It’s definitely one of the reasons I found him so refreshing and endearing compared to other male LIs. He’s confident, intelligent, and ambitious. He’s outgoing, he loves his friends, and he shares that love openly. There’s a genuine quality about him, too — he means every word he says and he doesn’t hold back. He’s just full of self-love and love for others and I would love more male LIs like that.

I like it in gender-customizable stories when the LIs are explicitly queer. I guess this isn’t necessary, but it just feels really validating when, for example, a male LI that most of the fandom interprets as straight states in canon that they are attracted to multiple genders or even mentions a past romantic partner who isn’t the same sex and gender as the MC.

More himbos please...

Non-binary LIs!

More Trans LIs — to my knowledge, Bachelorette Party’s Aisha is the only trans LI in Choices (She’s awesome by the way) Edit: How could I forget to include Andy Kang from It Lives in the Woods (He’s also awesome, my god, I’m so sorry, Andy)! Okay, so Choices has two trans LIs.

Asexual LIs

Gender non-conforming LIs

More BIPOC LIs

Normalized polyamorous relationships like in Perfect Match

More wlw covers

More mlm covers and romances

A bit nsfw here...male LIs who bottom. I think they did this in Blades of Light and Shadow if you romance Mal or Tyril with an M!MC.

I’m just going to adopt all side characters from J.K Rowling and Rick Riordan and make them mine.

Like yes Seamus and Dean are together and happily married.

So are Lavender and Parvati and they are awesome and have their own little shop with tea and tea leaves and all that stuff.

Blaise got a freaking vacation after having to deal with all the drama that he absolutely did not sign up for and when he comes back he’s really chill and it freaks everyone out at first but they get use to it. Just don’t get him angry, he will blow up at you.

All of them get therapy, I don’t care how old they are all these traumatized shits need therapy.

Next gen also gets therapy because it’s not easy.

James Sirius Potter is not a prankster but he does enjoy jokes and he has more of a dry humor.

Fred Weasley Junior is a prankster but he becomes a healer because he wants to make people laugh and heal them. His parents get really emotional over it and still call him their “baby boy”

Hugo Weasley adores reading but it’s mostly fictional and sci-fi and he gets them from muggle book shops. Ron ends up loving them and both will read a series together and argue (in a nice way) about whatever their reading and what they think will happen and stuff. He also gets diagnosed for adhd or something and that opens a whole new world for their family and their magical community.

Molly and Lucy are not twins and Molly is a squib. I read a fic about that but I can’t find it or remember who wrote it. She’s still a badass and adores who she is. Lucy has like mechanical leg but spells were created so that she can still fly on her broom and play quidditch.

Moving on because I can’t remember all of that right now

Drew is a bitch but she isn’t the worst person ever and after having a small breakdown everyone realizes that she’s still really hurt by Selina because that was her big sister who still betrayed her. Drew also can not paint her nails to save her life but she can walk in any heels without batting an eye and she’s tall, this is a tall girl who will wear heels without any shame and it’s the best thing ever.

Malcolm is the biggest nerd of all time. He knows everything about whatever he’s hyper fixed on but this boy can’t tell you anything about Greek mythology because he simply does not give a shit. Seriously, this dude can tell you everything about glue but he repeatedly mixes up gods and goddesses (it just got worse when he learned about Romans)

Clovis as we know travels through dreams and all that jazz, this dude when awake is the biggest gossip and no one (including him) actually knows if what he says is true because it’s from dreams. But he does give the great updates on celebrities and the younger campers love him because he’s the best story teller. He’s also lactose intolerant because I said so and he hates it with his entire soul and when he’s feeling petty he will eat an entire tub of ice cream even if he regrets it later.

Mitchell (son of Aphrodite) cares about what others think of him but he’s also really kind and while he won’t always stand up for himself he will absolutely destroy someone if they say anything about his siblings (and aren’t one of his siblings. Only his siblings can make fun of each other) and at some point he decides to change his entire bed and colors. Like this dude says screw social gender norms and now the cabin is this beautiful disaster and all of them love it. He also once shaved his entire head after one of his siblings got their eyebrows burned off.

After the wars Jake Mason is completely done with everyone’s bullshit. This boy is tired and he have zero fucks left to give. He’s unhinged and is chaotic lawful. He always has an energy drink in one hand and while he respects and listens to the camp counselor and Chiron he once climbed on top of his cabins table at lunch and sat in the middle while eating some sort of candy that he refuses to share.

Travis Stoll and Connor Stoll are not twins. Connor is trans and gay and Travis is bi and cis. Connor is literally one of the smartest people in camp and he had a small side business where he does homework for others (even over iris message) for some stuff in return. He and Annabeth are great friends and scare everyone when the team up. Travis changes a bit in college, it’s been so long since he didn’t have to constantly take care of other campers and younger siblings and at first he has no idea what to do. He’s literally the definition of disaster college student that has no idea how he’s passing class but he is. He’s also great friends with Annabeth but not as close to her as Connor. But the three of them absolutely consider each other siblings since they grew up together and with Luke as their older brother who hurt them.

That’s all for now!

To Anyone Who Still Thinks Piper Isn’t a Mary Sue

Literally every website on Mary Sues: Mary Sues are usually naturally beautiful without trying and they either hate it, try to cover it up, and/or think they’re unattractive, have their looks constantly commented by themselves and/or others, are female, are always being complimented, praised, and/or rewarded, even if they don’t deserve it, have special or unique traits like natural odd-colored hair or eyes, have multiple different characters falling for and/or hitting on them, have beautiful singing voices (usually without practice or lessons), accomplish many incredible feats without any logicity or realism behind it just to make them look brave, cool, smart, powerful, etc., are a huge creator’s pet and will be defended by the author themself if someone doesn’t like them despite readers being able to have different opinions, either don’t have any flaws whatsoever or they do have flaws but they are never called out or even noticed by other characters (aka they could be a horrible person but seem like the perfect angel in other character’s eyes), are always loved (even by the antagonists) and trusted by everyone right away without proving that they’re worthy of that love and trust, are the wish fulfillments for readers (usually younger female readers), are always the brave, selfless, strong, heroic, kind but deadly, beautiful, and smart one at all times, have a super powerful and/or very rare power they didn’t need to train for and was automatically good at without any training and is usually stated in the book/show/movie to have faults but any faults are completely ignored, gets extremely skilled in fighting and swordsmanship with little to no training, get everything they want on a silver platter without putting any effort into it, always get what they want one way or another, gets into the relationship(s) they want (usually by taking that person from someone else), never makes mistakes or ever slips up but can do anything wrong and still be loved by everyone, are a self-insert of the author with the flaws and imperfections taken off or are what the author wants to be, never shows any weaknesses, has a tragic backstory, is typically the one to save the others (usually extremely strong and powerful characters who wouldn’t typically need to be saved in that scenario but the author degrades those characters for the Mary Sue’s sake), is usually spared just for the sake of plot, have an extremely thick plot armor, have random traits that usually don’t make much sense added to them if the author sees them being disliked and/or to make them seem more relatable, gets into relationships of different kinds with beloved characters to make the readers like them, gets a rival specifically made to make them look like the good one and to make the readers root for them, and is seen as perfect in everyone’s eyes. 

Piper McLean: *has naturally beautiful looks and hates it and tries to cover it up, has her looks commented on by herself and others multiple times, is female, is always being complimented, praised, and rewarded even if she doesn’t deserve it, has ‘special/unique’ traits (kaleidoscope/brown-blue-green changing eyes), has multiple different characters falling for and hitting on her, has a beautiful voice without practice or lessons, accomplishes many incredible feats without any logicity or realism behind it just to make her look brave, cool, smart, powerful, etc., is a huge creator’s pet (and Riordan explicitly stated that he liked her a lot) and Riordan retaliates against people who don’t like her on Twitter, has multiple horrible- almost psychotic- flaws, traits, and habits but they’re never called out by other characters or even noticed, she’s always trusted and loved by everyone (even the antagonists and distant, cold, and unfriendly characters like Reyna, Jason, and Annabeth) right away without ever proving herself worthy of that trust and love, is the wish fulfillment for young female readers (beauty, hot boyfriend, perfect life, awesome friends, cool skills/powers, awesome singing voice, everything she ever wants, rich life and famous father, never getting in trouble, loved by everyone, etc.), is always the brave, selfless, strong, heroic, kind but deadly, beautiful, and smart one at all times, has a super powerful and very rare power she didn’t have to train for and was automatically good at that is stated in the books to have faults but those faults are completely forgotten (it was explicitly stated that charmspeak wouldn’t work on- others with charmspeak, people of the same gender, people who weren’t attracted to the charmspeaker, extremely powerful deities, people with very strong wills, and people being persuaded to do the exact opposite of what they wanted to do, and yet it worked on everyone, including Annabeth, Gaea, etc.?), gets extremely skilled in fighting and swordsmanship that she could kill a bunch of harpies and a giant by herself after only a few days of training even after legit stating that she ‘epically sucked’ at sword fighting, gets everything she wants on a silver platter without any true effort put into it (Jason, beauty, swordsmanship, friends, etc.), always gets what she wants one way or another, gets into the relationship she wants by taking that guy from another girl then breaks up with him and gets into another relationship only three months after they break up and he dies, never makes any mistakes or slips up but if she ever did no one would care and still love her (how much do you wanna bet that if she was the one to get possessed by an eidolon and accidentally blow up New Rome instead of Leo, everyone would’ve showed sympathy and pity instead of anger and immediately forgotten about it?), never shows any weaknesses or is even stated to have any, has a “tragic” backstory (not really though), is usually the one to save characters, including characters who typically wouldn’t need to be saved in that scenario (Percy, Annabeth, Jason, all the Seven, etc. and therefore degrades those characters for her sake), is spared for no reason other than plot (like when confronted by Khione for a second time), has a ten-inch thick plot armor, has random traits added to her character to make her seem more ‘relatable’ and liked by the readers but don’t make much sense and are contradictory to her other traits (funny but serious? smart but goes off her heart and gut? kind and compassionate but merciless and badass? insecure but confident? Also- why do y’all think Riordan made Piper LGBTQ+ in the first place?), is best friends with Annabeth and Leo- two of the most beloved characters- and is always on good terms with the other characters who are usually the most beloved characters like Percy and Reyna, gets into a rivalry with a character who was made specifically to make her look good and to make the readers root for her (Drew), and is seen as perfect in everyone’s eyes*

Piper fans:......

Piper fans: pIpEr IsNt A mArY sUe WhAt ArE yOu EvEn TaLkIng ABoUt HaVe YoU eVeN rEaD tHe BoOks????

Me:

My Top 10 Favorite Anime Heroines by DarkChild316

Being a hero isn’t easy, but someone’s gotta do it! And these ladies have shown to be just as capable as their male counterparts. Now I’ve already done a list showing everyone “My Top 10 Anime Villainesses”, but I figured: “Hey the good girls deserve some love too,” so I decided to give you guys my list of my Favorite Anime Heroines as well. So, with that in mind, here’s my list:

#10. Saeko Busujima (Highschool of the Dead): This is an anime that will give you plenty of two things in abundance…boobs and zombies! While it may seem like your run-of-the-mill apocalyptic fanservice anime, among the well-proportioned ladies is this kendo warrior who’s more than capable of holding her own against any foe and would fit right in with even the most old-school samurai-themed anime. When the dead start to walking most of the cast usually reach for a form of firearms, not this lady who prefers to slice apart the undead with the greatest of discipline and precision, whether it be with her signature bokken or her deadly Murata-tou sword. There’s no denying that Saeko’s the ideal companion we’d want on our side for a zombie apocalypse.

#9. Touka Kirishima (Tokyo Ghoul): Living as a ghoul isn’t easy, especially when you’re trying your damnest to retain what little remains of your humanity. Starting off as a cold, yet collected individual, Touka found shelter in both the horrors of her dark past and her constant hunger for flesh in her day job at a café as a waitress which serves other ghouls and as a hangout stop for ghouls. While she grew warmer as her relationship with one Ken Kaneki grew, she’s not without her bestial side, possessing an abject hatred for the CCG after they killed her parents. In a series where everyone seems to be on the edge of insanity and turning into a rampaging, bloodthirsty monster, Touka is one of the few characters genuinely fighting for a chance at a peaceful life.

#8. Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist): Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye is undoubtedly one of the best female anime characters of all time and for good reason, she is truly the perfect soldier. As both an Amestrian State Military’s officer as well as Colonel Roy Mustang’s bodyguard, Riza Hawkeye is a dangerous sharpshooter and firearms specialist. From the outside she can seem strict and even a little cold, but those close to her know that there’s much more to her than her strict no-nonsense attitude, including a courteous nature in the presence of her allies and a desire to protect those she holds dear. Beneath the strict persona is a kind soul who understands the difficulty of carrying a heavy burden and let’s not forget…she’s a true badass in every sense o the word!

#7. Erza Scarlett (Fairy Tail): She went from child slave to arguably one of the strongest mages in all of Fiore. All while battling against S-Class mages, terrifying demons, and even her own psychotic mother, now that’s dedication folks! Forced by her possessed childhood friend to build the Tower of Heaven, she manages to escape her captivity and make her way to Fairy Tail, where she would soon rise to become one of Fairy Tail’s youngest S-Class mages and one of the most truly badass fighters in Fairy Tail’s ranks. With her magical ability known as Re-Quip, she has an unlimited number of weapons and armors at her disposal, each possessing their own devastating abilities. She’s a stoic warrior with a soft heat and a dark past, and you can bet your ass that she’ll fight to defend her Nakama to the bitter end.

#6. Ryuko Matoi (Kill la Kill): Her choice of armor may be a bit on the revealing side but going against this rebel isn’t the smartest idea if you value your life. You’re not likely to find a more stubborn soul in this absolutely whacky series and trust me…NONE of these characters are on the subtle side of things. In search of her father’s killer, Ryuko takes up the sentient life-fiber uniform Senketsu, and openly battles the dictatorship that is the Student Council. Stubborn as hell, Ryuko will always stand up to anyone who gets in her way, no matter how badly the odds are stacked against her. How can you not love someone with that kind of drive!

#5. Saber (Fate/stay night): Before she became a hero in the endless Holy Grail Wars, Saber was actually Artoria Pendragon, known throughout history as King Arthur, the mythical King who united Britain. As the Saber-class servant, Artoria generally tries to hide her identity in battle by using an invisible sword. When pushed, she can brandish Excalibur instead though, a sword she wields with unmatched skill and can do long-range attacks as easily as close-range. With her holy sword, and her “Mana Burst” ability, she is one of the most powerful Servants. Saber is loved by fans worldwide for good reason: she is kind, valiant, and fierce, all traits that make for one divine heroine. None would mind putting the fate of the world in this blonde beauty's hands.

#4. Mikasa Ackerman (Attack on Titan): Attack on Titan's Mikasa is one of those reserved, stoic characters who doesn't speak very often and seems to be stuck in her own head. After all the trauma she’s experienced living under the looming terror of Titans and the carnage she witnessed while part of the Survey Corps, not to mention the brutal murder of her biological parents by criminals, it would be difficult to come out unscathed. Perhaps it’s endurance that is one of Mikasa’s most relatable traits. Despite her often-cynical comments about the world around her, she manages to retain her humanity. Mikasa herself said, “This world is cruel. And yet... so beautiful.” The stereotypical boy-saves-girl gender roles that play out in media are also very much reversed when it comes to her relationship with Eren, which is a refreshing and welcome change of pace to see, though her protectiveness of him seems a little unhealthy at times. On top of everything mentioned, she’s also totally ripped.

#3. Asuka Langley Soryu (Neon Genesis Evangelion): I just couldn’t leave out Neon Genesis Evangelion’s Asuka Langey Soryu from this list of awesome female protagonists. Asuka is a classic anime heroine and remains beloved by fans of the show to this day. Asuka is an American teenage girl who serves as an Eva pilot for the Evangelion Project and pilots the Evangelion Unit-02. Asuka was raised in Germany and often swears in German. She was a child prodigy with a college degree at only fourteen years old, but definitely has her human flaws. She has a temper and is obsessed with being the best at everything she does. Despite these flaws, Asuka is hilarious in her own way and has the kind of confidence and pride you rarely see in a young girl. She knows she can do her job well and isn't afraid to tell you about it. Asuka is relatable in that she is stubborn and often has a hard time properly expressing her feelings and vulnerability to others. Her eventual nervous breakdown shines a light on her humanity-- she is not a perfect person and she is still a child forced to do a job that no child should be forced to do.

#2. Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell): Major Motoko Kusanagi is one of the primary protagonists of the popular Ghost in the Shell franchise of manga, films, and animated series. Motoko is a cyborg who works as a field commander for Public Security Section 9 on the Japanese National Public Safety Commission. Motoko is a very physically strong and incredibly intellectual who that is quick-witted and an excellent hacker. But put a firearm in her hand, and she’s especially deadly. As a child, Motoko was comatose following an airplane accident. After her health began to steadily decline, her consciousness was put into a  "full-body prosthesis,” an augmented-cybernetic human body. Motoko causes us to question exactly what makes us human. She is an emotional, stoic, strong woman who fights for the citizens she protects, yet she lives inside an artificial body. But her greatest use is as a platform to speak on the nature of humanity in a technological age. She's a human mind that has been stuck in an artificial body since childhood, and her life and trials bring up the age-old question, "What does it mean to be human?"

#1. Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon): You really can’t have a list of awesome female protagonists without including everyone’s favorite schoolgirl superhero: Usagi Tsukino from Sailor Moon. Usagi is the embodiment of an empowering female in anime in her fearless display of conventional femininity without any implied weakness. Usagi is your typical teenage girl who is all about her friends, food, and cute things, while simultaneously being a badass heroine who cleanses the streets of evil. In the original manga and anime, Usagi was portrayed as reluctant to be a superhero and would often run away from fights and be a crybaby. However, through her careful character development, Usagi becomes a brave, reliable, and confident person who cares deeply for her friends. She becomes a better version of herself without stereotypically “shedding” her girliness. Instead, her femininity becomes a defining feature of hers, deconstructing the idea that being girly makes you weak. On the contrary, Usagi’s girliness makes her funny, relatable, and a good role model for young girls. Usagi set the template for a generation of female heroines for generations to come, and it’s for that reason why she’s well-deserving of my #1 ranking on my list.

So that's my updated list, what did you guys think about it? Love it, hated it? Go on and tell me what you think and let me know who your favorite anime heroines are. See you soon!

Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/darkchild316

So this is basically PMD x Kirby

(Here’s a key: pink is the name of the character, green is the Pokemon they chose, blue means male, pink means female, purple is the description of design changes)

So, before I explain who gets who, Adeleine sets up a few rules/guidelines for everyone.

1: The couch. Adeleine and Ribbon live in a cottage on the outskirts of town and therefore have a small house. When everyone’s there, she has a set seating system: tall people (DDD, herself, Daroach, etc) have to sit on the couch or in the general back. Short people (basically everyone else) sit in front of the couch and around the floor (she gives them pillows and floor seats of course)

2: No repeats! It’s to help her remember and also to not cause confusion or arguments. Nobody gets to have the same Pokemon as someone else (the only exception being if they plan to evolve them into a branching evolution, like Gardevoir and Gallade in the Ralts line)

3: Personalize! Everyone gets to add design changes to theirs (cut ear, different patterns, accessories, etc) to make them their own! They also assign genders to theirs and if they can’t decide, dice are rolled. Odds for male, evens for female (they can choose not to, but the vast majority were like “yeah whatever let’s just give them a gender”).

Ok onto the actual Pokemon

Adeleine: Chikorita, female, wears a scarf (part of the in-game story) and has a multicolored head leaf! Also had a small crystal hanging from her neck!

She saw the design and called them a “tiny dinosaur with a big leaf” and immediately decided on them. She loves them to death and thinks they’re the cutest Pokemon on the planet.

Ribbon: Fennekin, female, wears a scarf (part of the in-game story), has fur that is more pink than red, and wears a huge red bow! Also has a small crystal hanging from her neck!

Couldn’t choose the same Pokemon as Adeleine and thought Fennekin looked beautiful (she was even more excited when she saw the final evolution). She also has a type matchup with Adeleine and absolutely takes bullets for her to keep her from dying.

Kirby: Eevee, female, white fur is tinted pink, has blue eyes instead of brown, and wears bunch of colorful accessories like bows, bracelets/anklets, and collars!

Couldn’t decide on the gender and the dice rolled female! He doesn’t care and loves his Eevee!!! He likes how soft they look and how they have different evolution!! It’s like his copy abilities!!! He’s stuck trying to figure out what to evolve them into tho.

Dedede: Piplup, male, wears a big robe and hat, body is a slightly darker and more vibrant blue, and is a little chubbier!

He convinced Adeleine to take on a more difficult dungeon request for this (she got a big dinner at the royal table and got to stay the night in one of the royal rooms out of it though so it was worth it) and after a near 2 hour run and almost 3 game overs, she got it. Dedede only wanted it because it’s the only penguin Pokemon in the series and he wanted a big penguin like himself!!!

Meta Knight: Ralts (Gallade), male, wears a mask like his own, has more jagged blades, and wears a cape!

Only picked them because they saw Gallade and said “yeah that’s gonna be me” and didn’t wait for an answer. He likes their arm blades and the fact that they have a mega evolution (even BIGGER blades!!!!!!! A big tattered cape!!!!!! Badass looks!!!!! What’s not to like!!!!)

Bandee: Karrablast, male, wears a blue bandana, body is orange instead of blue, stomach is cream instead of orange, and has a tiny spear (this is later removed when they evolve)!!!

They saw Escavalier and got super excited!! Double spear arms!!! Armored and tough looking!!! They like how tough they look and 100% chose them for that reason only (although the Pokemon kinda grew on them over time). Not ultra tough right now but they’re getting there!

Marx: Sableye, male, gems are basically mirrors, wears a jester cap like his own, and has only 2 claws instead of 3!!

He likes how fucking creepy they look and how their mega evolution has teeth. It’s a very specific detail they will absolutely drill into why they like them so much. They also like how powerful they can be if used correctly!

Gooey: Goomy, female, body is shades of blue instead of purple, has a tongue that noticeably sticks out!!

He originally wanted Ditto but then they saw Goomy and felt a certain kind of love for them. He also couldn’t decide and the dice rolled female! He likes how the name is similar to his own and how they’re goopy like him!!! They’re also super squishy and he is too!!!!!!

Rick: Dedenne, male, tail is shorter, body is similar in color to him, has beans!!!!!!

He likes how they’re kinda hamster-esc!! They have electricity too which is hella cool. They look kinda soft to him and he was mildly upset over them not having paw beans and demanded that Dedenne be given justice by having them drawn in (Adeleine totally agrees to this). He likes to think they’re mega soft like himself!!!

Kine: Magikarp, male, slightly flatter, blue instead of orange, larger fins!!

He couldn’t choose a Pokemon and eventually just settled on Magikarp because he thought they’d be ok. Didn’t realize they evolve into such a big Pokemon until they saw what it looked like in one of the dungeons. The keep bragging about how powerful they’re gonna be when they finally evolve, but nobody is taking him seriously because he can only use 1 move as of now and hasn’t reached a point where he can evolve yet.

Coo: Hoothoot, male, body is purple instead of brown, has spiked feathers on his head, has a softer and fluffier appearance!!!!!

It’s an owl. He wanted to be an owl. He reeeeaaallly wants to evolve because Noctowl looks way cooler but he’s fine with what he’s got for now!!! He has a speed based build because he can fly very fast :)

Dark Meta Knight: Noibat, female, monochromatic colors with some red mixed in, mask with a scar, tattered wing membrane!!!

Purposefully decided on having a femal because he thinks it kicks ass a little more (also he loves his adopted daughter and decided that would be badass too). Built like a fucking assault tank but with speed. He absolutely leads the charge when he’s playing and takes every fucking hit possible if it’s aimed at his daughter. Gloats about his badass evolution and how fucking sick it looks despite having not evolved yet.

Daroach: Sneasel, male, wears a cloak and hat like his own, has yellow and longer claws!!!!

He didn’t like any of the existing rats and said “lemme get a thief pokemon” and settled on Sneasel. They have a team called the Squeak Squad and it’s comprised of his Sneasel and the squeaks own copies of the game! They play together in their free time and Daroach had Adeleine grab him a Sneasel so he could play on her copy too.

Magolor: Inkay, male, wears a blue cloak like his own, has yellow eyes!!! (The cloak doesn’t really fit until Inkay evolves)

Physically couldn’t choose and then someone showed him Inkay and he said “oh! I fucking hate them.” It was only until they showed him Malamar that he said “oh they look like they’d backstab someone. Perfect.” He likes how fucking ominous they look and how they would 100% be a supervillain given the chance. His Inkay is a good guy tho don’t worry.

Taranza: Joltik, male, has tiny fangs and little horns that grow out when they evolve, wears a cape, has little gloves on their hands!!!

He wanted Flabebe because of the flowers but was told someone already took that one and decided he’d take a spider Pokemon! Almost settled on Ariados but then saw Galvantula and got super excited. He likes their fuzzy look and thinks they are a lovely Pokemon!!

Susie: Gothita, female, eyes are gradient blue with no pupils, has pink accents on the head, more modern appearance!!

She couldn’t find any pretty ones with tech on them but liked Gothita! She thinks they look ok and Adeleine was nice enough to invite her over for PMD game day so she joined in. Her Gothita is surprisingly beastly and is a heavy hitter! However she also gets her ass kicked really fast because Gothita isn’t built for up close heavy hitting.

Zan Partizanne: Shinx, female, wears the same clothes as her, has more yellow on her!!

She really liked how Shinx looks. Tiny electric kitty puppy thing! She wanted to name it after some kind of thunder deity but wasn’t able to (she probably had a name for it tho). Speedy little powerhouse who looks adorable. Continues to tell Adeleine that she’s only doing this to repay her debt (and also for insulting her hairline) but is really just enjoying herself.

Flamberge: Fletchling, female, wears the hat and ribbon-like shawl, has spiked feathers that stick up a lot like her hair, more vibrant red!!!

She fucking loves this little bird. Like. A lot. Something about them is just so awesome to her. Maybe it’s because it evolves into a giant fire falcon but who knows! She just loves them and cherishes them with all her heart. BEGGED Adeleine to recruit them and managed to convince her (she had to offer up making her a cool sword to get it. Adeleine accepted the deal almost immediately because cool ass sword).

Francisca: Vanillite, female, wears the hat and shawl, has more vibrant blue, ice cream part is the same color as her hair!!!

You know exactly why she chose this one. Ice cream baby!!!!!!!! She thinks they’re lovely and wants a plush of them super bad (they don’t make them yet but merch happens eventually!). She jokes that they have an ice cream stash they live in.

Pitch: Pidgey, male, green in color!

He got to join in after the other animal friends told him! He’s good friends with Adeleine (all the animal friends are) and she let him pick a Pokemon! He doesn’t play as much because he has to use his little feet’s but he does his best!

Nago: Glameow, female, body is orange and the ears are brown! Eyes remain closed instead of open to reflect his design!

He wanted it to be a girl just because. He says it’s because it resembles his girlfriend a teensy bit (just in coat color really) and he loves her a lot. Little bastard cat causes trouble on adventures and purposefully runs off to look for the stairs by himself without any incentive from Adeleine.

Chuchu: Frillish, female, wears a small red ribbon and has a more vibrant pink body!!

Couldn’t choose originally but settled on Frillish because it’s the closest thing to her. Nicknamed it frilly and likes to cause problems. She’s got a pretty decent move set and knows how to kick ass with it tho so she makes up for her trouble with that.

Queen Ripple: Flabébé, female, wears glasses and has black ear frill things, wears her crown, and wears her dress!!! Flower is white!

She gets to play too!!!!! Adeleine offered to let her have a Pokemon and she plays though wireless connection! On a very rare occasion, she makes a trip out to Popstar for a week or so and gets to play during then! She has a lot of fun and adores the design for Flabébé so damn much (plus it’s fairy type and that makes her very happy)!!!

Insecurities

Pairing: Sokka x Gender Neutral! Reader 

Warnings: None

Summary: Being a non-bender in the gaang isn’t always easy but your best friend Sokka always has ways of cheering you up. 

Word Count: 2017

A/N: This is my first A:TLA fic! I hope Sokka isn’t OOC but please let me know if he is so I can write him better in the future! 

__________________________________

No matter much you insisted to yourself and everyone around you that being a non-bender didn't bother you, it was a bold faced lie. You hated it. 

Back home, it hadn't been an issue. In the little earth kingdom village you hailed from, bending was forbidden because the fire nation had soldiers there that would imprison any earth benders. Even those who had the gift didn't tell anyone so you never felt different or less than. 

But now that you were with Team Avatar, as Sokka liked to call it, there were constant reminders about your lack of powers.

You sat on a rock on the bank of the river you'd all camped next to, staring at the point where the string of your fishing pole entered the water. It was your job to provide food tonight and after much begging from Sokka for “real food”, as he called it, you found yourself trying to fish instead of forage. The sun was beginning to set, still in the pale blue stage of descent. In a little creek that split off, Katara moved smoothly, guiding water into the air with ease as she practiced a new move she'd been working on. 

Toph was just lying against a rock pillow that she'd willed up into just the right, perfectly comfortable (for a rock) form, shade being cast down on her from another sheet of rock she'd bent into a half tent form. Having secretly been a standing champion in an earth bending fighting ring, beating full grown men five times her size at the age of twelve, she seldom felt the need to practice. 

Zuko was being Zuko. He stood off away from everyone in a clearing of dirt at the edge of the woods, practicing perfectly posed movements as he tried to force more and more power into the fire leaving his palms. 

It wasn't until Aang swooshed past you on a ball of air, sending your hair and the fabric of your clothing blowing in the wake of his pure youthful laughter, that the weight of your insecurities really hit you. 

You sighed, setting your makeshift fishing rod down and wedging it between two rocks. You scrunched your knees up and rested your chin on them, imagining what your life would be like if you had been born with such power. "Hey, you okay?" Sokka appeared from seemingly nowhere, coming up from behind to sit beside you. 

You perked up and tried to shake off the painful thoughts and shrugged, "Yeah, I'm good." You lied with a smile. 

"Please tell me you caught something. I am dying for some meat. We've been eating nothing but berries for days and I think I might die." Sokka begged, plucking at the string coming from the rod. 

You smacked his hand away and reprimanded him, "You're gonna scare the fish, idiot!" 

Yours and Sokka's relationship had always been full of sarcasm and insults but always from a place of love.  As the only non-benders, you often found yourselves paired up for everything which gave you a lot of time to develop a pretty solid friendship. But your idiot, meat obsessed best friend should have known better than to disrupt your fishing. 

Sokka put his hands up in defense, "I'm sorry! I'm just hungry, okay?!" He whined, plopping his face into his hands in 

As he sulked about the hunger you all shared, you looked over, your attention drawn by Zuko's groan of frustration. A tree he was facing was slightly charred but it was clear that he had intended to cause much more damage. He was distracted and frustrated but those seemed to be fairly frequent emotions for him.

Sokka noticed the unusual silence between the two of you and glanced over, chin still on his palm, and noticed you looking sadly at Zuko. He knew very well though that the look wasn't longing for Zuko himself but rather his powers. It was a feeling Sokka was well familiar with himself, "I know how you feel." He began simply, knowing you were reading each other's minds. 

You knew exactly what he meant. It was an unspoken bond of frustration that was only ever brought up verbally when someone underestimated your competence as fighters but it was there. "Do you ever wish you could bend?" You asked, looking over at him.

Sokka leaned back, his usual air of casual cockiness fading into a more sincere version of himself that didn’t shine through as often, "Not so much anymore. I mean, when we were younger, Katara was the only bender in our village so I guess I was jealous that she had this amazing power and I didn't. But I think now I've come to accept my place in the group. Katara and you are the brains. Zuko, Toph, and Aang are the brawn. And I'm the beauty." He put his hand under his chin like a child trying to pose cutely and he pulled his "cutest" face (although you weren't sure if that's what you'd call it - more like cheesy).

You chuckled a little bit, your tone becoming a slightly lighter, "Well, if you could bend, what kind of bender would want to be?" 

Sokka chewed his lip and thought for a moment, "I think I'd stick with my roots and be a water bender. What about you?" 

Your brows furrowed, "I don't know… I mean I know I'm from the earth kingdom so I should say earth bender but I just… I don't know! My whole life would just be rocks. I mean, don't get me wrong, the powers are amazing and definitely one of the most powerful as far as I'm concerned but it's just rocks. Everything is rock." 

"I know exactly how that feels! My whole life has been ice! Everything is freaking ice! I lived in an igloo made of ice!" Sokka spoke animatedly, flailing his arms around to further his point. 

Normally, you might have giggled or rolled your eyes at his dramaticness but instead you became more enthusiastic about your words as well. "Exactly! I mean I lived in a wooden hut but we used to take trips to Omashu and everything is just rock! At least the air kingdom and fire kingdom don't just have air and fire for everything." 

"You know what?" Sokka asked, putting his hand on your shoulder, "They may have superpowers but you know what they don't have?" 

You raised your eyebrows, waiting for him to continue his sentiment. "A kick ass boomerang or a freaking awesome bow staff!" He finished, whipping out his boomerang and using it to point to your bow staff that was leaned against the rocks beside you, your main weapon of choice. 

"Aang kind of has a staff." You interjected, rolling your eyes to look over at your friend. 

"No, Aang has a magical flying stick." Sokka was clearly unamused by your attempt to fault his logic, “Just accept the fact that you’re cool too!” 

His compliments made your cheeks turn red and you laughed, “Yeah, I s’pose you’re right. I am pretty awesome.” 

Sokka’s arms went out in triumph when you finally admitted your true value, “Exactly! Besides, we’re better at hand to hand combat than them too.” 

Your head wavered side to side as an expression of unsureness swept over your face, “Eh, I don’t know about that. Have you seen Zuko with his swords?” 

“Shut up!” He whined, exasperated, “If you’re going to keep being like this, I’m going to stop trying to make you feel important.”

Your mouth fell open a little bit at his last comment, “Are you saying I’m not important?!” Obviously, you knew that wasn’t what he meant. He’d been your best friend since you joined the group so you knew that Sokka valued you just as much as you did him. But still, as such an easy target, he was so much fun to pick on sometimes. 

Your best friend quickly backtracked, “Not that you’re not important! Just- agh! You know what I mean!” His face fell dramatically and his arms dropped to his side, finally stilling from their usual expressive flailing. 

You reached over and grabbed his arm in reassurance, laughing at his flusteredness, “I know what you mean, Sokka! I’m just kidding Gosh, you’re so easy to pick on.” Sokka groaned as you pulled him in close, giving him a side hug. “Thank you for trying to help me feel better. I know that we’re a vital part of the team and that we have specialties that others don’t. I just can’t help but feel insecure sometimes when everyone else can bend the elements to their will and we can’t.” 

Sokka leaned into your touch, awkwardly side hugging you back while you held onto his arm, “Yeah, I know. Me too sometimes. But then I just remember how awesome I am and then I feel better. You should try it sometime” He let you go and pulled his boomerang out from behind him, inspecting the sharp blade with a cocky smirk you knew was just there to mask his insecurities. 

“Maybe I should.” You pondered his words as you leaned back against the rock you’d used as a back rest while you fished and looked out at the setting sun’s reflection on the water. Mentally, you took notes of all the things you were good at. Sure, Katara could move water, Toph could fling rocks, Zuko could conjure fire, and Aang… well Aang was the avatar. But you were a master fighter, capable of taking down ten men with your bowstaff alone. Not only that but you were highly skilled in hand to hand combat. Since your father had been a high commanding officer in the vigilante brigade in your village against the fire nation before he was arrested, he’d instilled a lot of knowledge crucial to survival, on and off the battlefield. Things like scavenging and foraging, making shelter and weapons from next to nothing, battle strategy, natural healing remedies, and keeping a good head in combat were all things that came naturally to you. The bender’s didn’t have that. 

Yes, they were amazingly gifted and talented people but they relied on their abilities for all things. You were able to do almost just as much, if not more, without the powers. Sokka was right: you two were total badasses. 

When you looked back at him, he was sharpening his blade on the rocks and then held it up to the light to inspect it, repeating the process a few times. An idea popped into your head and you looked over at him coyly, “Y’know, Sokka, we are total non-bending badasses. But we don’t know who’s the best non-bending badass.” 

Sokka side eyed you suspiciously, “Is that a challenge?” 

You sighed and leaned back, stretching your body out to show how little you were afraid of him, “Yeah, I think it is. Unless, you’re scared you’ll lose.” You taunted, knowing the rise you were getting out of your best friend. 

Sokka was well aware of what you were doing but he couldn’t resist the temptation of a little friendly battle. “I’m not scared!” His voice cracked, making his comment harder to take seriously, “Just be warned. There’s only gonna be two hits. Me hitting you and you hitting the ground.” He stood up, cracking his knuckles and back as he spoke. 

“Oh, is that so? Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is Water Boy?” You stood up too, grabbing your bowstaff and stamping it firmly onto the earth beside you. 

He grabbed his boomerang and gripped it tightly. He stepped closer, his nose almost touching yours as he locked you into a glare-off, a twinkle of friendly competition in his vibrant blue eyes. You knew that friendly competition was sure to come with a “friendly” amount of scuffs and bruises to both the loser and the victor, though you were positive you’d be the latter of those two. 

Sokka nearly growled as he spoke, raising his eyebrow in challenge, “It’s on.” 

An Appreciation Post for this God-tier series :- Bloodbound

The story is just amazing, it's got a wonderful concept an awesome setting and it's a complex story which if I may say is really really well written.

The Protagonists and Antagonists both have a deep character and complex personalities.

Powerful Villains like Rheya Apostolous, Gaius Augustine, Xenocrates, etc. all have got their own back stories and reasons why they are the way they are.

It tells us that even the most evil of people are victims of their own conditioning and circumstances and they weren't just born evil.

Redemption of Gaius Augustine is one of the best in all of the choices app, the character all in all is a fantabulous one, kudos to the writers, you wrote this Vampire King perfectly.

Rheya Apostolous is a strong character as well, an awesome backstory an amazing development, I just wish she got a bit more screen time as well as a redemption arc, she deserved it.

Coming to the Protagonists, Kamilah Sayeed, Adrian Raines, Jax Matsuo and Lily Spencer all have got great personalities.

Kamilah Sayeed is my personal favourite, She's one beautiful, badass, and a character full of wisdom with great development throughout the 4 books. Not to mention all of her dialogues are really great. She's easily one of the best characters choices writers have ever written.

I love her story starting from an Egyptian Nomarch to a great Vampire Queen.

The MC too has a great great storyline which is a treat to read. Her journey from being a naive employee to realising she's a bloodkeeper, descendent of Rheya and Demetrius, dying once then being resurrected, exploring her psychic powers is all so well written and MC's journey is incredible to witness. She's one of the best MC's in choices universe.

Side characters like, Priya Lacroix, Adam Vega, Serafine Dupont, Lester Castellanos, Nikhil Banderjee (I think choices writers got the surname wrong coz its Banerjee) all have different and interesting personalities and make the book much more interesting.

The story all in all isn't very predictable and has got new twists and turns every now and then which just makes it even more better.

You can really enjoy the book without spending a lot of diamonds but you sure will miss out on some really important storylines. But tbh the portrait fragments are worth spending diamonds on.

The portrait fragments in all the 4 books are really great and ngl they took away all my diamonds also their artwork is beautiful, here have a look :-

The soundtrack is brilliant and gives you all kinds of feels. It's really really nice and compliments all the scenes very well.

The artwork was less in this book as compared to the recent releases but it was great.

A few problems with this story are as I mentioned above if you don't buy a few important diamond scenes you might miss out on essential plot points.

The book could've done greatly even if it had a gender of choice option. Genderlocking it wasn't necessary.

Killing either Jax or Lily was absolutely unnecessary and if it was done just to increase the shock value it is really stupid and unfair. It would've been way better if they weren't killed off.

Also as a lot of people wanted the route wherein MC ascends godhood and causes destruction should've been available and players shan't be asked to restart from the checkpoint it might've made this book extremely unique and it would've been ironic that MC became that at the end which she was trying to defeat and despised.

In future I'd love to see this series revived or something along the same lines being made that ain't just for VIP players. Pb did serve great stories with awesome concepts earlier they can do it now it and I hope they will.

All in all it's a great book one of the best books in choices even. It's a must read if you enjoy adventure, a bit of horror and a classic vampire fiction. Also it's really worth spending your diamonds on, you won't be disappointed.

These are my personal opinions on the series, no offence to anyone who disagrees or has conflicting opinions.

Thanks for reading 😊

Hey i see that you made book commentary sometimes and Im trying to get back to reading so I wondered if you do some recs for great female protagonist? You really don’t have to of course but thank you so much if you do :)

Ooooh what a great question I love it ! That said it also really depends on what type of protagonists you like, haha, because that can be super subjective. But here are a few cool, complex female protagonists I love :

- Noemi from Mexican Gothic (Silvia Moreno-Garcia). My fave book last year, a twist on the gothic lit trope of a young woman arriving at a creepy old manor full of secrets, Jane Eyre vibes but in Mexico. Noemi is confident, frivolous and very sharp-minded, flawed but ultimately badass, which she needs to survive the horror she's landed in. I loved that her lust for life is presented as an advantage when faced with a family of creepy European eugenists who hold her cousin captive. I just loved her inner voice in general, and the book is big on female solidarity and the importance of women being believed and trusting themselves.

- Lyra from His Dark Materials (Philip Pullman) My fave books as a kid, also very readable as an adult. Lyra is wonderful, half-feral, resourceful and very unruly, which serves her well when she's faced with a child-abducting authoritarian church. Her special talent is the ability to make-up stories on the spot to get herself out of any sticky situation. It's such an important message for little girls, that you don't have to be obedient all the time, especially when the world is after you. The series really doesn't do justice to her spirit.

- Jane from Jane, Unlimited (Kristin Cashore.) This book is just so cool. It's a modern riff on Jane Eyre (lol notice the theme) and also a choose your own ending thing, where the book splits at a point where Jane has to make a decision - each ending becoming a different genre (sci-fi, fantasy, crime, horror, romance) and highlighting a different side of her character, which is such an interesting take on the idea that our choices make us who we are. I need to reread it.

- Vasya from the Winternights Trilogy (Katherine Arden) Another feral weird girl (another theme here) in this Russian folklore inspired medieval tale. She talks to horses and sees spirits and sticks out like a sore thumb in her little peasant community ; she's free spirited, reckless, stubborn as hell, and refuses to be cowed by the gender norms of her society (but not in that fake YA kind of way where it makes things too easy for her). She's also deeply kind and compassionate even as she goes through some really awful shit. I love her a lot and seeing her come into her power is awesome.

- Immanuelle from The Year of the Witching (Alexis Henderson). She lives in a fantasy version of a Puritan cult and is somewhat of a pariah because of her mother's involvement with witchcraft before she died. She's very brave and very caring, but also very much a product of her society who was taught women are meant to be subservient. She has to unlearn that and she keeps struggling between her need for independence and truth, and her need to be loved and fit in. It feels very real and very compelling (and also scary, since this is a horror book).

- Tiffany Aching, from the Tiffany Aching Series (Terry Pratchett) She is a witch in training and the books follow her from age nine to her late teens as she grows into her job, befriending a family of rowdy, chaotic miniature fairies. She's down to earth, practical and clever, and her calling is caring for people even when it's difficult or not very rewarding. These books are really a comfort read for me, funny and warm and full of wisdom.

- Diane, Duchess of Tremontaine and Ixkaab Balam from Tremontaine (Ellen Kushner and others). This is a prequel to the Riverside series (fantasy without magic but full of queer people, also awesome) centered around two women who are two equally complex forces of nature : one is a scheming duchess who came from humble beginnings and hides her cleverness behind her beauty, the other is a disgraced trader's daughter who becomes a spy to preserve her family's fortune. The whole thing is written as a serial with episodes by different authors, there are 2 seasons so far (I need to catch up with the last one) and it's a lot of fun.

Honorary mentions to the Six of Crows duology (fantasy heist + gang of misfits found family) and the Diviners series (1920s New York but with magic and grisly murder) who have ensemble casts with great female characters. There are probably others but these are the ones that come to mind right now....I feel like I need to read more non YA books....

To my 72 years old badass grandma - and all the badass grandmas out there

I was able to visit my grandmother during the last holiday season, and discussing with her reminded me of what an incredible person she is. If you hadn't guessed it yet, I'm gonna proceed to list as many reasons as I can remember to back up this statement.

- My grandmother very lucid and realistic - not the kind of person to have prejudices. She hates it when old people (people her age) call young people lazy, incompetent, or cheaters. To her, they're hypocrites. Her yoga teacher had another class of old people, and they always came in late and left early. Some at the university she sometimes attends refuses to pay the fee because "they don't participate to enough for it to count" which is nonsense - if you don't pay, you shouldn't participate at all. She adds that those are the same type of people who critizes young people. What's more, herself would do a friend's math homework and her friend did her english homework in exchange back in school. She's not enough of an hypocrite to call out others for doing something similar. My grandmother says if she was part of our generation, she would use electronic devices a lot too - and let's be honest, any other person would too. My grandmother has a beautiful critical mind and she doesn't take your bullshit.

- Since my grandmother didn't have IPhones, and that her family wasn't exactly rich, she only had one thing to occupy her time as a child : books. So she read. A lot. Once, when she was attending an all-girls school, a teacher told her and her classmates that Zola (a well-known French author of the late 19th century) wasn't something young women should read. Thus, my grandma and her friends started to read all of his books. My grandma is a feminist. She believes men and women should be equal, because no matter their gender they are people all the same. That's why my father and his brothers got to play with dolls when they wanted to, for instance. Women aren't objects, and virility is ridicule!

- We had this conversation about the LGBTQ+ community this Christmas. She can't comprehend how people can reject their kids for being homosexual. And she is especially well placed to say that, given the fact that my uncle is. She told me that when she was a kid, they were told being gay was a vice - and somehow, she was still able to accept her child - but is it that much of a surprise? Love isn't supposed to be conditionnal - , to understand that being gay wasn't a choice but a fact. Today, science explains that sexuality isn't a decision but part of our identity - yet people still refuse to accept this reality. And while I will admit that grandma is most likely an atheist and thus not misled by religion contrary to others, I will however point out that my great grandmother (her mom) also never had a problem with her grandson being gay. Despite being a devout catholic. (I mean she observed Lent - in her own way : no chocolate! - do you know many believers who really do that?)

- My grandma is also doing her best to be environmentally friendly, and went to a climate march the day after my own first protest. She's involved in charicative actions as well.

There are probably many other things I could have told, but here are many reasons why my grandmother is one of the best persons I know!

In honour of my badass grandma, and all the other awesome grandmas (and grandpas) out there.

everythingthatsgoingon, signing off.

P. S. : You're all very welcome to share your own stories too!

ao3 homestuck literature roundup

ok so honestly some of the most impactful pieces of literature I’ve ever consumed... have been fanworks for the web comic Homestuck. while fanfiction in general has the potential for greatness, and there are definitely some non-homestuck works out there i that i’ve enjoyed, Homestuck has a unique potential for spawning creative, original and daring stuff! and there are so many new fans who didn’t even experience the first wave of ao3 webcontent. sadly the site has not proved archival quality when it comes to preserving content, and many fics I’m linking feature broken links/images or have been orphaned by their authors. I’m posting only what I consider to be Good Literature. these are pieces of writing that have struck me, haunted me, and made me cry. Thank you to the writers, and please enjoy! the full rec list is under the cut >:)

old but gold

The Serendipity Gospels by urbanAnchorite (tzm) M

What is there to be said about The Serendipity Gospels? this illustrated fanfiction epic is a true classic. The use of Homestuck language and troll terminology on this fic is exploited to its utmost poetic potential, and every sentence is lyrical. While the story itself is original (and extremely well plotted!), events from the plot of Homestuck are echoed throughout, and it makes for a really satisfying read. This fic was published before Gamrezi was something that happened in the webcomic and gamzee had his downfall, if you’re hesitant to read it on account of the Gamzee<3<Terezi tag. Both of them are extremely well characterized. man... serendipity gospels gamzee is the best gamzee you can find on the market. definitely better than canon gamzee. And the pairing really works. The sad part is that this thing was supposed to be in three acts, and only two have been published. Since 2013... this shit sucks. i want act 3 so bad i’d commit heinous acts to receive it >:0

Cities in Dust (shit let's be hardboiled) by Cephied_Variable T

I’m not finished reading this yet but by now the ao3 handle Cephied_Variable has become a household name. This fic is... heterosexual. and where there were once illustrations, now there are empty white boxes. But the noir setting is played juuuust right, the soundtrack goes hard and it’s really fun to play the music in the next tab while you read, the writing is amazing (obviously) and... not to spoil anything, but it isn’t as much of an AU as it seems. really wish i could see the illustrations, bc the story is told through chatlogs like the source material.

Rule #2 by universe_c E (you can skip the sex scenes tho)

A super imaginative take on what Earth C might have been like. this fic was published while the comic was still updating, so earth c was a very distant possibility in the minds of fans, and in this work, all the players (every single troll, dancestor, human and cherub) are dropped on an uninhabited planet as an entirely new species with varying levels of godpowers, and they have to build civilization from scratch. It’s such an ambitious idea, and it was pulled of brilliantly! the author has more fanfiction online in that takes place in this universe, as well as selections featuring pairings such as Caliborn/Kurloz, an unexpected delight, and GamTav, a charming holdover from simpler times. This story in particular however focuses on Caliborn right after he passes through the gate. He doesn’t have a very easy time adjusting, poor guy. The narrative follows him as he rage-flees from his emotions to nonlinear points on the timeline of Universe C. Along the way he meets the family who he will someday love, learns about the civilization that will develop on their planet, gets laid, and matures a whole lot as a person. This fic is just.. really amazing. Read it!!!

Lost Teeth Like White Jewels by roachpatrol, urbanAnchorite (tzm)

Ok, so roachpatrol used to be a really big name in Homestuck fanfiction, but her stuff has... not aged well, and generally she is regarded (or at least she is regarded by me) as a pedophilic porn peddler, and she’s written a lot of nasty,  scandalous smut. but you don’t have to read that stuff! This fic and this fic ONLY (don’t even read the other ones in the series, bro) is just a really nice soap opera. Bodices are ripped, eyes are gazed into in close proximity to an ocean. And the hemospectrum has been inverted. All in all, if you want something dramatic and romantic to read on a rainy day, this fic is where it’s at.

signalbeam is an author that wrote a lot of lesbian fanfiction in 2012. I haven’t personally read all their stuff but it’s all f/f and it’s fun to browse :~)

****DIRKJAKE CORNER******

a thousand years by venusianEye (orphan_account) T

Everything’s set for the surviving players to pass through the gate and claim their Reward... the only problem is, dirk has lost the will to live and is in some kind of mystical coma. Jake is the only person who can save him, by venturing into his mind-palace and solving puzzles that serve as metaphors for everything Dirk can’t express. It’s kind of like inception wrt to the dream mechanics, but the author uses folk tales as settings, and it’s all very poetic, and very well done. this author deleted her account. i watched all the drama. however all her work is still online on the orphan_account. she wrote this series (people who like dirkjake and artistic pornography, give it a read!) and also a medievalstuck au i remember reading and loving, but cannot for the life of me seem to find :( it was about eridan and kanaya and it was good. rest in peace, venusianEye! 

A Spark, A Flame, A Fire by callmearcturus E (one skippable sex scene)

The best kingdomstuck ever!!! \(^o^)/  ugh this fic is everything... the author has another kingdomstuck dirkjake multichapter novella online that is also very good, but this one’s my absolute fave :,] the strilonde fam is so cute, and dirk&jake’s blossoming romance (oh, yeah, you BET it’s an arranged marriage AU!) is so romantic it literally makes me clutch my chest and sigh. also the writing and worldbuilding are just IMPECCABLE. another lovely romance for a cozy night.

***JOHNKAT CORNER**** 

remember johnkat? well,. it’s good.

General Vantas Gets Hitched, or, The Limits Of Bilateral Diplomacy: A Black Powder Romance by JumpingJackFlash M

another arranged marriage fic! seriously, when it’s done right, there can be nothing better. John is the king of Skaia and Karkat is a political insult disguised as a peace offering. No better way to ruin your chances at diplomacy than offer an arranged political marriage between the literal king and a mutant military grunt who isn’t even the right gender. But... what if the king accepts??? omg guys they fall in love... and everyone’s a badass. another notable johnkat offering from his author would b Hurricane , wherein everyone’s punks and dave and tavros are gay rappers. there’s also Space Bro and California Dreaming , which feature karkat/sollux and eridan/equius respectively, and are humanstuck au with vague game memories and are both very sweet and romantic <3

The Only Recipe For Lasagna You'll Ever Need by urbanAnchorite (t_ZM) G

Oh man.. this one’s just really cute.

No Quiet Sleeper by cest_what T

The premise of this fic is a stable little timeloop, so homestuck i could cry, and what occurs therein is extremely adorable :3c

modern fanfiction (post epilogues)

Pilot Light, Pale Rapture by purplebard G

Excellent post-epilogues Jade fic! The writing is beautiful, it’s a really genuine and melancholy work. A masterpiece in JadeDavepeta. I also give a blanket recommendation for all of this author’s fanfic -- it’s deeply original and flawlessly written, every piece!

House of Dirk by IMAC T

If you haven’t read House of Dirk... seriously, read House of Dirk. It’s a modern classic. A dadaist, genre-reconstructive, trope-subverting and absolutely hilarious MASTERPIECE!!! and the characterizations are pitch-perfect. this fanfiction can be cited as the spark which ignited the roaring inferno of Dirk/Caliborn shippers who can now be found online ^__^

mare in ossibus nostris dormit (in our bones sleeps the sea) by liobi

Just some really awesome scourge sisters :,) i love a nice romp through troll mother planet, and this is a flawlessly executed no-game AU.

JADE ROUTE by spicyyeti/muthahomestuckah T

Not technically a fanfiction, because this is 100% a comic, but if you want to read about Homestuck characters in a way that is engaging, innovative, touching and hilarious, you gotta read Jade Route! It’s the best thing that happened to jade since squiddles! the art is REALLY GOOD the characterization is REALLY GOOD god.. i love jade route.

BONES OF BLACK MARROW by oxfordRoulette E

an innovation in dirkjake pornography. this fic will make your head split open, and most of it is pornography of an exceptionally raunchy color. Basically, Dirk summons a demon (Jake) for stupid reasons and it fucks both of their lives up. Incredible work with formatting by the author, seriously who can even code like that, and i love the magical mechanics :) it’s very well researched and it really tears both Dirk and Jake to pieces psychologically. through porn. 

Timaeus, Testified by sendificating NR

another fic that uses experimental formatting. It’s all about Dirk and it’s REALLY SO AMAZING.... a detailed and inventive psychological opus. 

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Also.... i write fanfiction. sometimes. can’t vouch for the quality but i would be remiss as an author if i didn’t plug . well, that’s all for tonight, folks! hope u find something to read!