So, this is my first post, so hello everyone! I don't really know how to properly navigate this platform just yet, but I'm sure I will figure it out, so please bear with me.

Having said that, unfortunately, I've come here today to rant a little on social media about things that make me borderline insane just from listening to. Most specifically, from MTXT's works. (Because if I ever see another wrong characterization for those fictional people I've became very attached to, I'm actually going to go mad.)

(This is not meant to be an attack of any sorts, I'm just a teenager on social media pulling my nerves into writing because who knows, maybe I can finally be at peace then.)

Let's start then!

Xie Lian is not owo small cutie or sum, and if I hear that one time... my man may be short, but he could fight off almost anyone, just thanos clapping people out of existence. He's also very insane and very horny about the Calamity attached to his hip. My guy is pretty smart and also just kinda gives patient auntie vibes (you know, that auntie that can see beyond everyone's bull but choses not to).

And if I already started with TGCF, may as well continue with it. Hua Cheng is a switch and you can't convince me otherwise. (If his Dianxia wanted to top, he would be as elated as he would be if Dianxia wanted to bottom. My man doesn't care.)

Luo Binge being referred as a white lotus and people not knowing what it means ("In Chinese internet novels, the term "white lotus" refers to a character who appears innocent, naive, and pure on the surface but uses this reputation to backstab, blame, or sling mud on others.") (I believe maybe people confuse this with the other meanings of the white lotus, like, actually naive or pure in character, but those are obliviously not what they mean in the chinese novels)

Shen Yuan is Kim Dokja, but chinese (or maybe KD is SY but korean)

Lan Wangji did not like Wei Wuxian despite him being 'evil', he loved him exactly because he isn't evil. I can't stress this enough. If wwx was a actually bad person, lwj would not hesitate to cut his head off and be done with the matter. Whenever I see someone saying something about him liking wwx even if he's evil, I'm slowly loosing my mind, bcz no, lwj is not such a shallow person, to be attracted to someone based purely on looks (and we do know this bcz he loves wwx in mxy's body just as much as he loved him in his original body.)

Now, we're moving into a territory I like exploring. I just want to start this off saying that I don't like Jiang Wanyin. I just don't care very much about him and I find him annoying as a person. With that being said, I'm a little miffed with fellow jc dislikers bcz they sometimes invent some things up about him or such shenanigans. Like. Man, you do not need to invent things to hate abt him, there are already plenty of them. I'm pretty unbiased when it comes to actual judgements about others. I will protect someone if the points made about them is incorrect as much as I will point out every thing they actually did bad.

And the next point is still abt jc (wow, what a surprise) just bcz, honest to god, a lot of his fans are straight up annoying. I've said it. A lot of y'all are hella annoying. (Not to say that there exist a lor of annoying fans for other characters, it's just that jc has a very high number of them) Some of the ones I don't find bad are those that like him just becouse of how bad of a person he is. I can respect that. What I can't respect is another owo he's innocent and traumatized and a tsundere and everything is wwx's fault owo jc fan. Fam, did we read the same book, or has media really rotten our colective brain that much??

(I believe I have more comments on this jc topic, but my brain is starting to hurt.)

And the last one is Wei Wuxian, probably the most controversial character in all of MTXT's novels. First of all, I have to be clear about this, but in all of this post, I'm purely referring to the characters from the books, not the other adaptations. This is important, bcz the adaptations further skewed wwx's image in the fandom.

I have saved him for least because of just how much things tick me off in this fandom when discussing wwx in special.

Disclaimer that I sincerely believe that you should enjoy and do art and fanfiction of characters however you want. If you want wwx to be, idk, a demon that terrorizes people and breaks lwj's heart and then jc comes and saves the situation from the evil patriarch and then french kisses Lan Xichen, then go ahead, idc (Unless you say he's owo, you have no excuse that would allow you to do that unless you're a child, and if you are, then you shouldn't even be here). But I draw the line when people lie about canon characterizations.

And there is just so much misconceptions on wwx's character that I would need an essay just to compose a list of them. They range from huge details that somehow miss people like how their neurons miss firing, to small details, like his handwriting (I believe the novel said it was cursive, not messy, like how almost all the fandom has apparently mutually agreed on. Do corect me if I'm wrong on this, some things are lost from translation to translation)

I will be discussing just some of them here. Maybe I will do another post where I go in more detail, we will see.

ADHD Wei Wuxian. The people that believe wwx has ADHD should probably reread the novel, bcz that characterization comes mostly from CQL. In the novel, wwx is a very chill guy that can stay in one place perfectly fine. I will not go into more details, just read the novel.

Wei Wuxian is the reason for the Jiang's collapse. Bull statement, everytime I see it, well, I go a little more insane. If you know a little politics, you would realize the Jiangs were next on the list for sure. Why, you would ask. The Lans already burnt themselves to the ground. The Nies have a fortress for a sect. The Jins are almost-not-exactly allies with the Wens. Now, guess who is the most unfavorably positioned gentry sect (lakes are not a good strategic spot), with lax protection (how did the Wens just march in like that like what) and a little too carele leader (Jiang Fenmiang really thought the Wens will give them back the swords after that whole disaster that was the indoctrination? Really??). Oh! I think I know who it is! And maybe you guessed it too. Glad we're on the same page.

Now, wwx being the reason why jc lost his core. Very many people already came to their own conclusion on why jc gave himself up. Brotherly affection, suicidal thoughts or just straight up idiocy. Whatever you believe, it's fine with me (but I do have a brother and I can assure you, wwx and jc never really seemed like brothers to me. They are a little too far to the left to be considered brothers, but this is my opinion, take it however you will). So, was it wwx's fault?

We're finally getting into the juicy stuff. The blame game. I hate it with my being, still, as long as I'm in fandoms, I must persist. My answer is yes & no. Did wwx deliberately made it so jc would be captured? Of course not. Did it still happened? Unfortunately, yes. To go deeper, we will look a little at fate. There are some things that are outside of our control. As much as we prepare, some things will still blow us over. So the definite answer is no. Jc made the decision to be seen by the Wens. It might sound callous , but the decisions you make are yours, even if you protect someone's life or not. Wwx did not ask to be protected. In conclusions, it's not his fault.

And that is a very good statement to make, seeing as we got to the core transfer. People often criticize wwx for giving non-consensualy his core to jc. I always thought it as a weird thing to hate him about, but whatever, I still shall address it. I will start with an exemple. If you loved someone very much, and they would die if they don't get, idk, a new arm (maybe think of something less inconspicuous, but you understand the ideea) they would die. You are the single person that can do it. But you're sure that if someone told your loved one that you would give it, they would refuze it. Are you still going to give your arm? Will you let your loved one die? Knowing that you can help?

And for those that say jc was not on the brink of death. He was suicidal. He would not have resisted a week with the shame of inferiority plus all the trauma that the Lotus Pier massacre was, combined. 'Regaining' his core might have actually made him feel better, like he beat the odds, like he has another chance. That's also why wwx never told him he gave him his core. Bcz he knew jc would not take it easy, finding out that all his accomplishments were thanks to wwx's sacrifice. Because jc has a big ego that's clearly evident through the story.

Anyways, let's continue.

Ghostly Cultivation. It's more popularity used the Demonic Cultivation term, but they are not the same think for Christ's sake. Modao Zushi does mean The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, however the title is for click bait. In the actual novel, I believe wwx talks abt ghostly cultivation, not demonic. It was probably lost in translations.

I don't think I need to explain how wwx needed guidao to escape the Burial Mounds, so at least half of my job is already done. Now I go into dangerous territory however, bcz guidao is not expended upon. Still, I would rather listen to wwx when it's about, you know, the path he himself created?

To explain my stance, we would need to go deeper into the novel's points. A novel can have multiple themes, ranging from obvious ones, like love, family, to obscure ones, like, the importance of standing up for oneself (not the best exemple, but I believe y'all understand what I mean).

I'm someone that loves thinking abt MDZS. It's my dearest. So, I tend to analyze it pretty often. And the themes I usually get are things like 'the danger of hearsay and mob mentality', 'the importance of standing true to your ideals', 'the inherit unpredictability of life' and so on, and so on.

Anyways, what does that have to do with guidao? Well, everything, I believe. The MDZS world has a mentality resembling that of the curent China. Or well, the China of when MXTX wrote the novel. If you know some history, I believe you can connect the similarities. What does that mean then?

Wwx is someone that does not fallow the path set by the ancestors. He creates his own. When the cultivators see that, they are revolted. Becouse everything that strays from the 'right' path must surely be evil. And so, after Wen Ruohan, the Jins paint him as the new anarchist, and the rest is history.

Now, I would actually love to continue, but I've been typing nonstop for hours now, I need to stop. I will continue my points in another post, bcz I still have a lot of them.

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day 💐

Hey sweets<3 can I request hcs of Beidou (and Arlecchino if you write for her) finding out her s/o is the lost Princess of Khaenri'ah?

Hey Darling <3 Such a unique request I hadn’t expected myself to write about two of my favorite lesbians (fanon) yet BUT thank you for bringing me the opportunity to. I hope you like it :)

[ request ]

m.list

Ship: Beidou x Feminine Reader, Arlecchino x Fem Reader

CW: angst, comfort, fluff, mentions of death, slight Yandere in Arlecchino's

Notes: Dude ngl my dumbass misread and thought it said oneshots not hcs and i was balls deep into a story when i went back up and was like welp. Shit. LMAODNEKENE

Beidou:

Although the Captain of the Crux Fleet is one of the most accepting and understanding people you know, telling her was giving you so much fucking anxiety

You’d lied to her about your origins, contradicting your promise to be Honest to her

You loved the cute nicknames she had for you, but you couldn’t stand being called her princess anymore with all the conflicting feelings in your heart, plaguing your mind when she used it at night

The time of day that allowed your mind to wander too far from your sanity

It wasn’t a surprise, but a huge weight off your shoulders when you told her your past

Crumbling to the ground of your shared bedroom as she followed suit, cradling your sobbing form in her arms as you babbled incoherently about your trauma

How you were meant to protect your people as Beidou did hers, yet could do nothing but see everyone and everything you knew burn to the ground

you were powerless against the divine holiness of Gods

And you hated yourself every day for it

Constant reminders of your responsibilities as Monarch, the random surges and lust for power and righteousness when you gave orders

Anything from how to deck the ship or the pirate’s positions on the battlefield. You felt that power, it made you feel good. For that short moment you were the Princess of Khaenri’ah, rightful heir to the Khaenri’ahn Throne. Rightful queen of the godless humans and protector of your realm

Yet looking around you..

Ah, right, you were any other person now. Simple and common as the people you protected

Once, at least

Beidou listened to every word, and when you were done, wiping tears away to look at her carefully, you could see the sadness and tears in her own eyes

She understood you, she felt your pain and it made you cry more

From that day forward, she was more gentle and patient with you when out and about in Liyue or Inazuma

Beidou paid more attention and realized the way you looked longingly and sadly from a high point on land downwards into civilization and realized you were reminiscing

And you were eternally grateful to her for all the times she brought you back to the here and now, with her. Not the fire and blood of 500 years ago to a people you could only remember, and nothing more.

She would make your days special and happy, nothing had to be grandiose or fancy, simple things like giving you a massage, breakfast in bed etc

She always did, though the captain made an effort to show you how smitten she was every chance she got

Because unknowingly, that night as she held you protectively as if you would too burn away, she made a promise

That she would do everything in her power to ensure you wouldn’t loose her, and the people you loved

She would protect your kin and take extra precautions when on land

Beidou could not handle to see you so destroyed

She wouldn’t allow it. It would be too much for you

So for as long as you gave her with your heart, she would nurture it until one day she would be too old in comparison to your eternally cursed, young and unwithering complexion to take care of you

Arlecchino:

You were number 2 of the Fatui Harbingers. Quite a High rank, and somehow higher then that of The Knave.

Even when you two began dating, you hadn’t revealed to her why

She, by strength believed to be stronger then you and depending on who you asked, would tell you who was more cunning

The only person who knew of your origins was Her Majesty The Tsarista and Pierro, Number 1 of the Harbingers

It wasn't like you had to tell Pierro, he just kind of already knew

How could The Jester forget the Harlequin who ruined his original plans for Khaenri'ah

Who he had blamed on bad days for the destruction of his nation

You only silently took his anger, you understood it

But Pierro Also knew that you only had so much say in political power

This unspoken beef between the old man and her girlfriend was... unfathomable to her

I mean sure she was not one to like him to begin with but to witness firsthand his distaste for you was...fucking weird

Weather it be lack of skill in digging into your past or because she didn't have the balls to do that to one human she cared about you would never know

Arlecchino decided to put it aside and ignore it, you hadn't told her the truth because ain't no fucking way Pierro just has a bone to pick with the Harbinger a rank below his for no reason

In all Honesty, sometimes she wishes she never found out

It didn't make her love you any less

But it made her weaker

A word that hadn't been in her vocabulary since her joining of the Fatui

She was known and disliked by Childe to have no permanent loyalty to anyone. Her promises and honesty wavered towards whoever benefited her more

Yet when it came to you, she would be the one to act a clown to make you happy, and keep you safe

So when You pulled Arlecchino aside one day after an argument with Pierro who was across the coffin of your fallen friend, La Signora, the fair lady

Arlecchino could not stand it and demanded you he honest with her

To which you responded, more like screamed for her to get out of the cathedral. Though your face was hidden from the rest, she saw your look that meant for her to go somewhere else in order to get her answers

You spoke quietly but with determination

"I am The Lost Princess of Khaenri'ah. I was first in line to my family's throne. I both failed in my duty as monarch and protector of my nation."

She stared at you with wide eyes, her hands curling into tight fists.

"Pierro dislikes me because he believes it is my fault for the loss of our people, i won't blame him. But he too, did not succeed in convincing my father to change the order of things in order to survive. He can't blame me for everything. If I, his daughter and first heir got neglected what did HE think he was gonna do?!" You yelled angrily

Taking a deep breath you apologized and Arlecchino pulled you close after ensuring no one could see you

Oh yeah, your fruity relationship was a secret

not because of homophobia, the fatui could care less who was the Fuckee of choice was to Arlecchino

She just knew that someone would pull some dumb shit in order to either piss her off or for personal gain

The only collective thing anyone in this damn group agreed on was disliking The Balladeer, besides that it was a free for all deal

which meant someone here could harm you to gain acess to Arlecchino's secrets and weaknesses and have no repercussion

a curse and a blessing as a result of absolute authority from the Tsarista to The Fatui

From then on and like never before, Arlecchino would make sure you would not be in danger

Like ever

She held your hands more tightly when you walked down the hall or in public

The Knave pulled your hood closer to your cold-bitten pink cheeks to disguise your beauty

Arlecchino was more on the defensive side when Pierro even dared to look at you the wrong way

You were untouchable and precious

only for her to have and love

Her pretty princess, her only true queen as much as she would have to say otherwise in the presence of the Cryo Archon

You were hers and she was yours

Everyone and everything else could burn to the ground

A thousand more nations could be smothered into dust and Arlecchino would not care as long as you were by her side

and no matter which you were promised to, she would whisper in your ear sweet reassurences that it wasn't your fault. Nor your intention

weather you were the sweet and caring type or as cunning and ruthless as her, she looked at you with a set of wings and a halo upon your pretty head

Hypocritical yes

But as long as your smile warmed her cold days and your safety was most ensured

The world itself could burn down, she held her own in the palm of her hands each night she held your face to her own

As long as her world was safe, nothing else mattered

No one else mattered

I like Bakuguo but his attitude is starting to really piss me off. He's talking about Daku as if he's just ~crazy~ and as if he isn't partly to blame for Deku's toxic self-worth issues. It's infuriating to watch. If Bakuguo doesn’t admit out loud and in front of his friends that his bullying of Deku played a part in Deku's current destructive state and if he doesn’t verbally apologize and reaffirm Deku's worth then I can no longer like Bakuguo's character or Hori's writing.

tbh I don't really know why this is the discourse of choice for people all of a sudden, but this is already the second ask I've gotten about it, so I might as well address it lol.

I think fandom is conflating fanon!Deku and canon!Deku here again. fanon Deku is of course much more sensitive and woobified and has much shakier self-esteem. fanon Deku is the one that turns evil in so many AUs because of Kacchan's bullying. fanon Deku is the one that actually jumps off the roof in so many fics, as opposed to fishing his notebook back out of the pond a few minutes later grumbling about how Kacchan needs to think before he speaks or else he could land himself in serious shit one day if god forbid anyone actually does take his cruel words to heart.

and just to clarify before I get any further, I am not saying this to excuse Kacchan's actions in any way, because what he did was still completely terrible and unacceptable and WAY over the line, and what's more he knew it, too. the bullying was still shitty and horrible and awful, and definitely impacted Deku and made him miserable. I fully acknowledge that, and that Kacchan has a lot of atoning to do for it. this is not a "Kacchan did nothing wrong" post.

but that being said, I don't think canon Deku's reckless self-sacrificing nature actually has anything to do with the bullying. I think they're two completely separate things. canon Deku actually has pretty decent self-esteem in spite of everything Kacchan did to him. canon Deku doesn't think he is useless. canon Deku had a wholeass fight with Kacchan less than 10 chapters into the series in which he explicitly spelled it out for Kacchan that he had a lot of worth, and was going to prove it to him. canon Deku was persistent in wanting to become a hero and hoping and believing that he could find some way in spite of being quirkless. canon Deku never let go of that dream even when no one else supported it. I don't think he would have even given up on it after being told no by All Might, tbh -- we just never got to see how it would have played out because of everything that happened with the sludge monster shortly afterward. but he's not the type to ever give up on something that easily, and we've seen that. canon Deku never thought he was useless, but rather wanted to prove to everyone else that he wasn't.

the drive that Deku has to save and protect others even at the expense of his own safety is something entirely separate from that. he doesn't break his body for others simply because he has no self-esteem and thinks that his own life isn't important. he does it because he can't stand the thought of someone else getting hurt, and knowing that he could have done something to prevent it. it's as simple as that. like, Spider-Man has the whole "with great power comes great responsibility" thing, right? and he doesn't have low self-esteem; he simply believes that if he has the ability to help someone else, then he has a responsibility to help them. it's a personal creed. and Deku is based on Spider-Man. his philosophy is based on that philosophy, which was one of Horikoshi's core influences and is one of the core creeds in superhero fiction.

Deku is self-destructive not because he doesn't value himself, but because he is literally physically incapable of standing back and doing nothing if he knows that he can do something. he's the type of person who sees a car speeding towards someone and leaps in to push them out of the way. NOT because he wants to get himself fucking pancaked by a speeding car, but simply because he can't sit back and watch the other person get hurt without taking action. his body moves before he can think. and that's where the whole "doesn't take himself into account" thing comes in -- the fact that his thought process simply stops at "get them out of the way of the car", and never extends beyond that to "hey, and maybe I should try to find a way to do this that doesn't involve me getting hit in their place." to him, that's simply less important than the first priority, which is getting the other person out of the way.

and regarding that last part, while that may seem like a self-worth issue if he's prioritizing everyone else above himself, I think what it actually is just selflessness taken to extremes. like for instance, when a parent sacrifices themselves to save their child, them placing the child's life above their own isn't necessarily because they don't see themselves as having value. rather, it's that they love the child so much that they place their well-being even above their own. and that's what Deku is like as well. except that in his case he cares about EVERYONE, and so is willing to sacrifice himself for anyone. and that selflessness is his defining character trait, and simultaneously the most admirable and the most terrifying thing about him. it's both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness, which I think is fascinating to explore.

but anyway, so that's also why we never really see anyone thoroughly chewing him out for this behavior either. because the thing is, it is admirable how selfless he is. it's just that there's also a reason why most people are at least a little bit selfish. and that's because too much selflessness will ultimately and inevitably wind up getting you killed. at some point you either have to learn when to put the oxygen mask on yourself first, or else find yourself a loyal group of friends (or classmates) to watch your back, and make sure that mask gets on you when you need it. and maybe help you land the plane too while they're at it.

anyway so that was a lot of rambling, but basically it all boils down to three things:

when Deku berates himself for being useless (for instance at the end of the War arc), he's doing it out of frustration for not being able to push the others out of the way of the metaphorical car. that's the kind of uselessness he can't stand. the sitting-back-and-doing-nothing uselessness.

Kacchan's bullying was terrible, and it might have indeed played a part in Deku's choice of the word "useless" as a way of berating himself in these instances, but he is not the one who gave Deku this mindset of taking himself out of the equation. that's something that was already inherent to Deku from day one. (but that said, Kacchan has a lot of things to apologize to Deku for anyway, so if he wants to add this to the list I certainly won't stop him. he gets mad about Deku's suicidal attitude because it worries him, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he doesn't feel responsible for it. people underestimated his feelings of atonement before 284/285, and I think they're still underestimating him now.)

and lastly, one last important note, which is that Deku's current "saving" mindset isn't wrong, just as Kacchan's "winning" mindset was not wrong either. the lesson to be learned here is NOT that being selfless and wanting to save other people is bad. rather, it's the fact that he's trying to do it alone that's got him all fucked up right now. basically when you think about it, selflessness is really just selfishness on someone else's behalf. which means that in order for Deku to be saved, it isn't necessary for him to change his outlook or his selfless attitude, even if it is pretty crazy lol. rather, all he really needs is a good group of friends who are willing to act selfishly on his behalf in return. protecting each other through mutual selflessness lol. teamwork as self-preservation. hence why the U.A. kids are here now.

anyway so yeah, I think that's everything. sorry this got so long and out of control lol. this is just a very specific nuanced thing that's hard for me to express, but which I feel is very important when it comes to Deku's character. Kacchan didn't unleash Depressed Nomad Deku on the world (or at least not in this respect). but that being said, he and the others will hopefully be the ones to nudge him back on the right course again.

How I’d rate the Gods/Goddesses(riordanverse)

This is my rating based off the way Rick Riordan portrayed them in the Riordanverse. The traditional myths have been taken into account but do not make up my entire opinion. 

Hestia:

10/10 would give my life for this goddess. In all aspects of the word, this goddess is a goddess. I want a novella of her watching over the hearth and watching out for her family and the heroes. I imagine her being a very comforting presence and warm like a hug, and maybe this is me projecting my mummy issues but I just want her to hug me. 

Dionysus:

A solid 7.35/10 for Mr D. Naturally he was a bit annoying, but we were never under the pretence that he he was meant to be anything more than what he provided and I respect that. Him caring about his kids at camp, and staying relatively loyal to his wife is always a plus. And I like his relatively humble beginnings being a hero and becoming a god and then not causing that much trouble in the series. Unlike some other pieces of shit. 

Hermes:

4/10. Mans had no right blaming Luke’s thirst for mass genocide on 16 year old Annabeth. Not cool man. Not cool. He gets the points he got because he did genuinely care about Maia, and Luke, but he lost the rest of them by having a blatant favourite (who literally caused so much destruction). However I do still like his line about family in sea of monsters and never giving up on them. Nice meaning. But he was still a shitty father and only intervened out of self interest most of the time. 

Aphrodite:

2/10. I hate how low I have to rank her. But my god did Rick do her dirty in his depiction. Just the misogyny, the lack of depth, and the untouched potential she has as a character, as a goddess, THE OLDEST GOD/GODDESS and Rick really made her throw rose petals around the battle fields on one of (what was meant to be) the biggest fights of the riordanverse. Absolute robbery. If I’m not mistaken as well, she was a huge contributor to the issues and obstacles percabeth went through and we do not Stan. HOWEVER, I love her as a goddess normally, and what she could represent if she’s written properly. 

Hephaestus:

8/10. I have no qualms with this man. I too prefer the company of inanimate objects to people and get stressed about social interaction. And I too have mummy issues. So me and Hephaestus are on the same page. Let this man tinker away in his little bunker. He never went out of his way to make things harder for demigods, and was helpful when they came to him for help which I can also respect. (Point deduction because it was on his land that Bianca died…if I’m not mistaken). 

Ares:

-12/10. This man was introduced as a bully, and gives off the vibes of every phobic, known to humanity. I do not vibe. I do not agree. I do not stan. ALSO his motorbike seat is apparently made from "Caucasian human skin”!!!!!!???? We as children never questioned this? We just went sure aight move on?! Please this man has the biggest small dick energy if I ever saw it and I despite him so much. Mans was also never helpful. Ever. I don’t think. I think Mars was better than him though so I’ll give him that. 

Artemis:

9.99/10 all hail queen of the lesbians. Mad respect to this woman. In what she stands for, who she protects and in her actions. She’s what I embody when I stand up for myself in fights and when I speak to have my voice heard. I like Rick’s depiction of her and I love seeing her and her hunters pop up in his books. Would love a couple books on the hunters and their adventures. Also I love archery. And I’m biased to the moon because I love the night so she gets extra points for all of that too. 

Apollo:

Prior to Trials of Apollo 7/10, after TOA 9.90/10. Yes it’s a big jump but my god did Lester grow on me. Prior to TOA he was pretty average. He was funny, always provided a good laugh to the plot and was always helping the demigods which I loved. But I know he’s an asshole full of himself so I can’t give him any higher than that until he had some character development, which we got in TOA (specifically after Burning Maze). And I really like who he is now and the type of character Rick shaped him out to be. In the myths he’s a big creep, and I still stand by that idea, hence why he doesn’t get a full 10. 

Athena:

3.5/10…ughhh I hate to say this. But part of it is the same reasoning I gave about Aphrodite. I just have so many issues with the way she’s portrayed and it’s not accurate to what I believe in my heart she should represent. And as a child of Athena, I feel like Rick then did her entire legacy dirty. She has her moments, but since I can’t even fully recall one right now, it just proves my point. As a goddess as a whole though, what she represents is everything I aspire to be in life. She’s my entire aesthetic of hard work, creativity, and strength and grit, without taking away of being a powerful female. Zeus’ lead strategist like shit, Rick could have done so much. But he did not. And I am thus sad about it. 

Demeter:

6/10. I have no issues with Demeter. Kinda boring. I think that’s what most of the fandom thinks as well. She just didn’t get enough screen time or development. I have no attachment to her. I think the powers that she has, and has passed on to her kids is cool though so there’s that. But in the series as well she doesn’t do much. She also (initially) doesn’t fight in the battle of Manhattan so maybe I’m slightly bitter there. But yeah, i’m indifferent. 

Hades:

8.99/10 Okay so hear me out I know this man gets so much bad rep in the myths and that’s part of why he doesn’t get a full 9. But I really really love the way he’s depicted in the riordanverse, especially with his entire arc with his kids/specially with Nico. Like literally one of my favourite quotes In the entire series is “my children are so rarely happy, I would like to see you be the exception.” Out of the gods listed here (and excluding Dionysus), he acts like a genuine parent to his kids and tries. And like there’s issues, sure, but he works on them. And since so much of the first series is about how the gods are neglectful, seeing him change and seeing him fight for Nico is my everything. 

Poseidon:

7.1/10. Honestly this feels too high considering mans was nearly If not just as bad as Zeus in keeping it in his dam pants. His points come from treating Sally like the queen she is, and trying with Percy (albeit too little too late but I can see the minimal effort). That being said, he’s really shitty in the myths so I can’t really give him anything higher than this. He’s barely a dad, and sees Percy more as an ally than an actual son or human being that needs attention. I like him more in Fanon and the way that I write him lmao because I humanise him. But I won’t lie he’s dilf material, and I still like rick’s depiction of him. 

Hera:

3/10 I’m surprising myself with this rating because tbh I might even push her to 4.5 just because she’s so consistent in her own goals and agenda, and that perseverance is very admirable even if it was at the cost of some of my favourite characters. She was very much two faced though and fucked around stuff that she should have stayed out of. Her hatred for literal children though is a bit problematic. I have no attachment to her but I admire how much she just wants a family. However she just really needs to assess how she approaches that since it’s a bit messed up.  

Zeus:

-5/10 I really don’t Zeus, his character, him in the myths, everything about him. He gives off the vibes of a man who abuses the power that he was given. And I don’t like that. It makes me uncomfortable and I don’t like him at all. His treatment of his children, of the demigods, and the way he governs Olympus. Not a fan. I could rule Olympus better and I’m a mentally unstable, serotonin deficient 20 year old with a hyper fixation on greek mythology and Minecraft. However despite not liking his character, I think Rick does a great job at depicting him accurately to how he was in the myths. 

So now that my thoughts are more gathered

I loved season 2, the humor was pretty spot on other than the potty jokes, I am glad that the most of the characters were explored in a little more depth, the interactions, and of course there are things that I wished were different but....

Buuut...

Why did they basically give Vanya... all of Klaus’s powers...?....while giving him 0 powers...?Like I know he is no longer sober because of Dave which is a whole other story.

But even the ending fight scene he gets caught by ghost when falling whilst drunk (sober?)....why didn’t they just give him his levitation powers like in the comics?

I know he’s the “fuckup useless one”...but for real why even have a superhero character if he is just going to suddenly just conveniently not be in or disappear every fight scene and have no development torward strength or weakness? Why couldn’t he and Vanya have different types of telekinetic powers? They both could levitate....Why is he basically just a normal person? Vanya suddenly has full control of her powers, (memories or not I guess) and there is Klaus who seemingly fought against his training can’t develop his powers the near 2 decades he has been away from Reginald?

He never asks for help from the ghosts, never sees any ghosts although that is his fear and power, never talks too them. His little trip to the after life still has not been explored. And the whole bringing back to life thing that Vanya has been a fanon Klaus power since he is the door of life and death it was kind of mind blowing that they gave it to someone else....like they might as well have given it too Diego or Luther I was so shocked.

Like I really fell more in love with Vanya this season and I’m happy she is apparently over her family fucking her entire life over and they are over everything she did to them....but was there such a big power imbalance in the comics? And the fact that she was the one who got closure with Ben instead of Klaus was kind of like “a big woah” for me to take in. The brother who has been with him for so many years is suddenly gone and there is no shown moment of “oh Ben saved me using the powers you apparently gave him and now he is gone btw, but oh don’t panic”....And I’m happy Klaus seems to have relief Ben “Is in a better place”....I’m still kind of processing Bens “storyline”.

The fact that Klaus was in the 60s for 3 years was never discussed...the fact that he somehow got hundreds(thousands?) of people to follow him is never discussed...and what he did and said to gain that “following” other than to do a parlor trick...

The Dave plot line was just kind of heart breaking and it didn’t go anywhere... Like couldn’t he left him a letter or some shit? Like that whole situation felt like it was also just to further Dave’s plot line and from what I have heard Cody Ray Thompson kind of got uncomfortable with the sudden attention he received from fans so I really doubt he is ever going to be in the show ever again, which breaks my heart but I understand.

I don’t know, I feel as if everyone was kind of baited into thinking Klaus was going to get a power upgrade and a storyline with everyone using his face for promotion... Instead he is just used to push Bens storyline further which I guess is fair since that was Bens past role?...I guess that I just assumed that he would play a bigger role since everyone was being so quite about what Klaus was up too in the 60 other than fight with Ben and be a cult leader...and hey I guess that’s all he did and no other development and that’s why there was no in depth discussion in interviews of Klaus. He was hardly in the show.

Well I’m done with my hyperfixation ramble but tell me how y’all feel.I am trying not too be mean and I love all the characters! I’m just questioning some of the choices of the creators. I don’t want a big wave of sudden hate for the show cause that just hurts everyone involved. And hey it’s not my show.

Chuuya & The Port Mafia [meta]

[ WARNING; LIGHT NOVEL FIFTEEN SPOILERS/MANGA SPOILERS] This is just my opinion and It’s been stewing in my brain for awhile. The resurgence of uwu fanon Chuuya gave me the strength to spew it all out When fifteen first came out I answered a question (that I can’t find now) about Chuuya and him wanting to leave the Port Mafia or being unhappy (I can’t remember it exactly) and while I stand by most of what I said there are a few things that have changed since translations came out and I was able to look more in depth with what happened. Of course bones absolutely fucked up the entire 15 novel I don’t even consider the two-episode story canon but that’s another conversation. I was under the impression Chuuya was not forced into the mafia in an obvious way, more that Dazai tricked him into it. Which he did, BUT Mori leveraged the sheep against Chuuya saying he would kill them unless Chuuya joined. At this point Dazai had shoved the idea, that came to be factual, that the sheep no longer trusted Chuuya. That was Dazai’s plan all along. Why? Because Mori promised to show Dazai how to kill himself painlessly if he gathered intel on Arahabaki and convinced Chuuya to join the port mafia.  Current canon Chuuya is content with being in the Port Mafia. I stated before that he was happy, and while I think he is satisfied with his position and his life protecting Yokohama (he has offered his life up twice in canon to save the city, not the Port Mafia) I believe he has settled.  The Perspective of Fifteen He joined the Port Mafia by force in order to protect the people he cared for despite them turning against him. Mori leveraged The Sheep’s betrayal (orchestrated by Dazai) knowing the type of person Chuuya was even as a teenager. Chuuya felt he was at fault for The Sheep betraying him and Mori preyed on that weakness with the help of Dazai sewing the seeds of doubt in Chuuya’s head beforehand. Chuuya vows his commitment to the Port Mafia because that is the only choice he had. Feeling guilty about The Sheep Chuuya took it upon himself to be better and to learn how to be a leader despite what the Port Mafia had done to him. It took me awhile to figure out why Chuuya would become so loyal to the people who literally ripped apart is only family on purpose, and then I realized it is because Chuuya only blames himself for it.  He doesn’t blame the Port Mafia or see it for the nefarious backstage puppeteering it was, at fifteen he has already put high expectations on himself because of his power. He was supposed to protect them and he failed, so they no longer trusted him.  The argument that the sheep used Chuuya is a bit ridiculous to me because Chuuya openly offered up protecting. Chuuya cares deeply about the sheep they were his first family. They all protected each other, but yes Chuuya was the main source because of his ability. Dazai pointed out the sheep were using Chuuya as a ploy to play on the emotions Chuuya was feeling since he was already searching for the truth about himself and knew he was Arahabaki before Dazai did. The Port Mafia ‘uses’ Chuuya in the exact same way, if you’re going to stick to that argument for the sheep.  Dazai wasn’t coming to ‘rescue Chuuya’ from the sheep. He manipulated Chuuya away from them using Chuuya’s own insecurities then twisted them against him to further isolate Chuuya thus giving Mori the room to swoop in and have Chuuya in his ranks rather than fighting against him. Mori then baited Chuuya with information about himself that he rightfully deserved without having to be the Port Mafia’s singular line of defense. Why was Mori so focused on getting Chuuya on his side rather  Because. at 15, Chuuya could decimate a large portion of the Port Mafia. Chuuya is a powerhouse without full reign of Corruption. It was tactically smarter to have Chuuya as an ally not an enemy. Under Chuuya’s rule if he were allowed to grow without the constraints of the Port Mafia The Sheep could have become a very strong enemy fighting for territory against the Port Mafia. Current Canon Perspective Like Kouyou, Chuuya is powerful enough to leave on his own. But for what? Mori did an irrevocable job at ensuring Chuuya’s only relationship/’family’ was the Port Mafia from fifteen on. Isolation is a powerful tactic and one Mori has been seen using time and time again. As did the former boss. (Example; Koyou).  Chuuya is content. He’s always had criminal tendencies given he grew up on the street and would have probably formed his own strong organization with the sheep if there was no other interference. But Mori made sure Chuuya was blind to what he could have out in the world and kept Chuuya’s blind loyalty in a vice grip. Chuuya settled for the Port Mafia because to him there was nothing else. He cares for his fellow mafia members and subordinates because that’s just how Chuuya is. He’s caring and soft-hearted despite the violence and chaos he thrives in.  Will Chuuya ever leave the Port Mafia? Probably not, unless something happens in the way it did with Odasaku & Dazai. But, in order for that to happen Chuuya would have to have a deep relationship with someone however his dedication and workaholic tendencies make that a very, very low chance especially with Mori still sitting on the throne. . 

Seer!Airplane + Harem AU

Brain: Let’s give SQH a Harem :D

Me: SQH doesn’t know what to do with himself, he wouldn’t know what the fick to do with a harem :|

Brain: :D of course, the man doesn’t realize he even has one.

Me:... wut

Brain: And here is the totally new AU drabbled and noted out for how it happens~

....

So, my brain gave me this, so I hope to infect others with it as well.

Ever since Airplane (Shang Huan), was young, he’s always had strange dreams and an interesting ability with words and languages. Not to mention just how he always seemed to know certain things, simple really, like how he knew to bring an umbrella one sunny day that wouldn’t remain that way, to even what paths to take to avoid the bullies in his life. He’s grown this way, never noticed it was strange or unusual, and with parents more focused on tearing each other apart and ignoring any memories of when they were together, Airplane figures it’s just like the rest of his anxieties and worries, though at least the knowing can get him out of being beaten up or a perfect sale at the supermarket.

(The nightmares aren’t worth it; nameless amounts of people, that if he looks too hard at, he can know their entire backstories and futures no longer possible, cut short for blood and sport and greed.)

It is only one day, with desperation and hunger biting in his being, dreams stolen and ruined by others (And how was it, did he know this was still the best outcome? What could be worse- no, don’t ask that, it could always lead to ruin that question-) that Airplane, with only his little talent for script writing and his nightmares to aid him, starts to write, hoping for just enough money to get dinner eventually.

It... proves surprisingly popular. Just write what he dreams, maybe embellish here and there, take out that part, work around here, and just ignore that certain event and hey, this story is surprisingly coming together well. Are there a few plot holes? Sure, but considering the literal mass grave of answers for those holes, Airplane is content to leave them like that (pleasedon’tmakehimwritethatseeingitwasalreadyhorrifyinghedoesnotwanttoreliveit).  

Things are going good; all his hospital bills that his father’s insurance doesn’t cover have been paid, his rent money has already been turned in, and hey, he even has some extra cup noodles. How can life get any better? (thedreamscouldstop-)

And then the world turns strange; weird creatures have started to be discovered, strange flora has been unearthed, and natural disasters seem to not be so natural as once thought.

Not to mention just how people have changed as well; or if they were ever regular people at all. Some seem to turn feral, no mind to think with as they act like zombies all of a sudden, supernatural feats of strength suddenly coming about...

Strangers suddenly flying about on swords, letting loose great shows of light...

Airplane ignores it; it’s all he can do. (Thereisnothingtobedonebutwait.) He codes for his story, makes some noodles to enjoy as he reads some comments, and naturally dies. (right on time)

Airplane is admittedly taken off guard when he actually wakes up, back in his crappy little apartment, terrible bruising all up his arms (therearesomanypathssolittletime), when he looks around and sees the change in the world.

And he knows; his stories are no longer mere words and nightmares anymore, but now combined with his waking world, now and forever.

- Read under for more notes and such on this world~

So, basically, Airplane/Shang Huan has been dreaming of the world where his stories takes place, the PIDW world, and using it to make money because he is a desperate little gremlin. (Now, with his powers, he can see multiple paths, and all, but he doesn’t see everything, especially if he himself changes fate, making the paths shrink and become a little more hazy.) 

So one day, his world and PIDW world merge, causing countless calamities and disasters, even as the world heals and blossoms under it all. See, what happens is that when Bing-ge’s Harem finally turned on him and all (I don’t know if this is canon or fanon but it fits), Bing-ge in turn used the Wrath of the Heavens, which is not something even the craziest of Heavenly Demons would do if that says anything, which wreck a whole bunch of shit and mashed a few planes of existence together.

A lot of people died because of this... and yet, a lot of peeps were brought back because of this as well. Airplane did in fact die because of being electrocuted, but because of that, the energy left from the WOH merged with it, ending up kickstarting and powering him up instead of killing him outright.

And it is a very good thing SQH got that power up; he is going to have so many nightmares about it, but being able to manipulate, control, and use electricity and lightening are what ensure him survival for a good month before his city is made livable again. (He would do worse to survive, has done worse, what is a little electrical trauma in the name of his life?)

And look, even his intuition and foresight seemed to have greatly improved! Yay? (Nay so many n i g h t m a r e s)

He’ll be fine, he can walk it off. But as it is, Airplane starts to be rather... lucky with some of his finds.

-

Ironically, it starts with a man dressed in pale blues, eye tired and ever so dead, blood covering his fancy fantasy robes, a familiar crest/symbol (To Airplane) stitched over where the heart would be. A Traitor abused and used up, nothing left but rock bottom and yet still willing to dig if it meant living. (Oh, how that rings familar~)

Airplane has seen the past of Shang Family’ Honorable Third Son Shang Shaoqing and the future of the backstabing An Ding Peak Lord Shang Qinghua. Airplane knows that this is a desperate man who has done all he could to survive, with the mind like so many steel traps and mazes to dig around in...

Airplane saves them, avoiding a slow death the man would have had, earning him gratitude and suspicion all at once. The Writer doesn’t care, he just knows that having this guy on his side is just a logical choice; the man not only has more insider knowledge then anyone else in the world, but even knows how to use it.

On Shang Qinghua’s side.

With all the karmatic debt I have, I can not avoid this Life Debt... but once I pay my debt, I am gonna blow this popsicle stand.

Huh, this guy is actually kinda useful, maybe I should stick around

OH FUCK WHY DOES HE HAVE HEAVENLY TRIBULATION LIGHTNING?! HE NEEDS TO START CULTIVATING STAT

WHY IS THIS MAN SUCH A DISASTER?!?! NOW I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF HIM AND MAKE SURE HE DOESN’T GET HURT.

*Airplane tenderly taking care of his injuries, nervous smile on his face even as it is so soft* “You didn’t have to take that attack but... thank you for having my back” SdndejnejdbbhjD no, you have no right looking so cute, fuck why is this happening?! 

.... This man is a fucking Seer... Actual, full blown, Doomsayer Seer, Not the Succubus Soothsayers who can just see little things, no, actual, can literally effect the fabric of Fate and Destiny Seer.... Fuck his life, he probably owes this guy even more now...

*Shang Qinghua snarks in response, only to get equally snarked in reply* .... I won’t say I’m in love...

Fuck, if anything happens to his disaster of a Seer he will go on a massacre and then probably become a demonic cultivator to revive him...

 So yeah, over the course of maybe a few months, Shang Qinghua has regretsTM and Airplane gets an actually loyal bodyguard... Meanwhile~

Airplane: -Sigh- As nice as it is to have Shang Qinghua around, it won’t last forever; once the man pays back his debt, he just leave (like everyone else).

And then time for drama! The two get separated by unsteady space rips, Airplane having enough time to yell out a safe place for them to meet again before they end up on opposite sides to each other. So now, not only does Airplane have to work on surviving, but on the (hopeful) reunion between the two.

Cue Airplane’s next ‘Lucky Find’

- 

Airplane hears the sound of sword and spell before he ever actually sees anything. Looking over the top of his nice ledge, safe enough from from any ‘friendly fire’, the young man feels his eyes widen when he sees who is fighting.

A beautiful, tall man in cream and tan colored robes, the ashen brunet directing their sword around them, using their other hand to throw out talismans when too crowded. And oh, how the mob surrounds this tired, too kind man, so weary for lost, all his grief stricken love no where to go in the lost of his family. (Oh, how jealous one can be, that someone got that love, no matter how fleeting it was in the end)

Airplane taking in Mu Qingfang, a healer forced to be a killer, a man with so much heartbreak in his soul, even as he determinedly live on, that shattered heart still wanting to help as much as it could. The Seer takes on how the other will die here, nothing left at all of such a heart, and in the end, Airplane helps, letting loose lightning upon the mob as he does.

Just makes sense, to have a Healer with you if you can.

On Mu Qingfang’s side:

This man is terrifying, how does he have tribulation lightning at his command??? but he did save me there, it’s only right I accompany him until I can pay it off (not like I have other things to do)

I am very, very grateful you saved me, but can you for all that is health PLEASE REST?!

Oh to the gods, how is a disaster like you alive? No, don’t eat that!

*Airplane, a tired smile on his face as he shows off some potent healing herbs he found* “I managed to find them, a little tricky but I was wondering if you can make use of them, maybe? I remember you saying you were running low and all.” .... damn his heart for being weak to sincere care and actually thoughtful gifts.

*after a terrifying nightmare, Airplane nearly bleeding from his screams, eyes so haunted and terrified even as he clings onto Mu Qingfang* “Please, I-I I just don’t want to be alone right now... please.” bjhbdjd shit, how can he say no, letting the other cling to them as they finally fall asleep. (Do not think about how cute the other is, cuddled up against him)

...A Seer... a fully realized, Fate altering, Destiny denying Seer... Gods, that explains so damn much... Maybe he can make him a Dreamless Night tea? would at least help with headaches if nothing else.

And so, over the time they have together, Airplane has unknowingly received the care and affection of one powerful as heck healer, who can and will be willing to cut a bitch if it means they have to.

But on Airplane: *le sigh* ah, once they feel like I’m well enough, they’re probably go back to trying to find their Martial Brothers and Sisters.... I’ll at least help them as much as I can...

Now, they don’t get separated: which is good, considering this next er... ‘Lucky’ Find.

-

They feel the temperature drop before they ever actually see the cause. Warily, the two men look to each other, but with no other way around it, move forward through the incredibly icy landscape.

It does not take them long to find the cause of it.

It is a Demon, Skin pale with a ghostly blue tint to their skin, beautiful snow white antlers branching out from their hand, ice collecting on the ends to make them even more deadly beautiful then before. And yet, for all that deadly beauty, are those ice like eyes, backdropped in the night sky look ever so tired, so betrayed (like always)

Mo Bolin, formerly Mobei-Jun is not one who has nothing left, but his willpower is draining, trapped as he is between the cursed artifact before him, no hope to escape it unless someone is willing to help.

Airplane sees this demon, this man who he greatly admired and aspired to be like, able to stand on their own and keep standing no matter what, no matter what the world came at them with, no matter the misery that had twisted a previously loving and warm child into the hardened, determined Warrior before him.

Letting his Lightning destroy the Artifact, the world weary youth takes the demon’s face in his hands, letting those icy night eyes look into his lightning bright ones, Mu Qingfang quiet but his sword at the ready behind him.

It will not be needed, as his Seer powers go to work.

“You find so much betrayal, just seemingly never able to escape it.

You soul has had so much darkness and hurt just let sit.

You Fate is said to be a cruel one for a cruel being,

Hurt, fear, blood, Ice, and broken bonds and dreams are all I am seeing,

I do Not agree.

So, From this wicked Fate I will set you free.” and as those eyes stare into each other, Mo Bolin can’t stop how he gasps, hand going to his heart, feeling lighter then he has in years.

Meanwhile, Airplane faints, having healed a better Fate for the former Mobei-Jun draining him good.

On Mobei-Jun’s Part

 sdhkhbfwkkjdejdehjdehj Why? Just Why? What’s the reason the Seer did that?

Well, considering what he did, Mobei/Mo Bolin will have to find a way to pay the other back.

...Why is this Seer so Cute? He wants to pet it. (note: hitting will make the Healer stab him)

*Airplane, tired out from a long day having to fight through a bit battle, smiling in thanks, help Mu Qingfang with patching everyone up* “You know, I really admire you; your strength and determination to always do your best, no matter how many people try to tear you down... I wish I could be like that.” wait what, no, you’re perfect like you are, you little gremlin seer. (Mu Qingfang agrees.)

*Airplane, suffering from a Fever, which means he has to cuddle with a certain Ice Demon to cool down* “Ah, sorry for troubling you like this, my ideal man, but you are so cool... *snuggles* .... Damnit.

Like, Mobei-Jun/Mo Bolin knows Airplane can kick some ass already, but by the ancestors does he love seeing this little disaster of a man just wreck everyone around him.

So yeah, add one very smitten Demon Lord to the roster~ :D Oh, the loyalty was hard earned, and there is no way Mobei-Jun will be willing to part, even as he has to share with a Healer and whoever this Shang-Er they will be seeing soon.

For Airplane: ah, so cool to see my Ideal Man, but of course there is no way he’ll stay by my side forever, what with all the things he probably needs to do.

 and this is all I got for the Harem on my side: now for the dynamics with each other:

Mobei-Jun and Mu Qingfang:  the demon respects the healer greatly, and since they are both quiet peeps they don’t have much conflict. as for the Healer, after his sect got destroyed, he’s had to do a lot of things to make sure him and his surviving disciples lived, so he’s not too against demons, and Mobei-Jun is very useful in fighting, so for now they cool.

Both when they see Shang Qinghua; ... D:<

On Mobei-Jun’s side: his little traitorous spy just had to be back and be that Shang-Er close to Airplane. He does not like this, wants to smack the other around, but that would upset Airplane So he just glares. Shang Qinghua is not happy with this arrangement either, fully prepared to curse the other out and everything, but not going to stir the pot up more then he has to.

On Mu Qingfang: .... his backstabing martial brother is alive, but the thing is that Mu Qingfang and his disciples wouldn’t have lived if it wasn’t for the other; Shang Qinghua had saved them, transporting them away from the bloodshed that was about to happen. On Shang Qinghua’s part, the Healer was the only Peak Lord to give him any damn respect and care, so he of course gave him an out along with his own peak disciples; he pays back debts. 

(This is ironically the reason he got killed by Mobei-Jun, because he saved those disciples)

So, there is much drama for a while, the three having big shouting matches and discourse, but these guys will turn into Enemies to Frenemies to Salt Lords and then to the Airplane Protection squad... because when these three get together and agree on something, well, you just combined the only competent people from PIDW together~ 

And they all love Airplane :D

Thank you all for reading the insanity of this, I enjoyed writing it out~

Ask game: how would the MCU writers have done Ada Stark dirty? 💀

okay first off I’m VERY sorry it’s taken me so long to like, get to doing asks — summer semester is kicking my ass right off, and I’m in a bit of a slump. Thank you so much for sending this ask and being so hype for my OCs

AND OKAY, THIS IS GOING TO BE A DOOZY. like, under-the-cut kind of doozy because I’m going to run down the sins from each movie (not in like, listicle format cos I got lazy after the IMs lol)… or well, the Ada related sins, the normal sins would take 800 years to list sdfghjmk. (also, spoilers for the oc/fic)

IM1: surprisingly, I think this one would deal with Ada the best (and not only cos she’s not in it and would be only mentioned in dialogue and flashbacks). pushing past y’know, military propaganda (as we literally have to do in order to engage with the mcu on ANY like story-level, because if we didn’t it would all tie back to that) IM1 and 2 gives tony a lot more layers (good and bad) and CREDIT than many other mcu movies, as well as all the other characters too.

IM2 + IM3: nothing plot-wise, but I DEFINITELY see them alluding to Tony having been not the best dad all the time, as a way to humanize how shit Howard was. Which, no, Tony would’ve been a good dad.

Getting into кукла(Doll, what HYDRA turns Ada into) just on the whole as a character, they would sexualize her a lot more. Like what they did with Natasha, and have her missions and skills be more Natasha-esque as well (not that that’s bad for Natasha, but it’s not кукла). Less brutal inspiration taken from the Winter Soldier, a lot more from the Black Widow program. Like, кукла has done those kinds of undercover missions and “honeypot” missions but not as much as being deployed as a weapon.

Her blankness and detachment from personhood would be changed to, again, being more like Natasha and using masks and fronts. кукла doesn’t do that — if it’s not an assignment, she’s very much fanon Winter Soldier blank slate type of deal: no opinions, no complaints, no personality. She can and will masterfully play a character, but if that’s not the directive or not needed for completion of a mission, she won’t.

They would also give her more of a conscience following her slipping out of the full HYDRA control. She doesn’t have that either. The entire circumstance of her escaping HYDRA would be changed because J*ss Wh*don nosedived with AOU and AOU doesn’t even HAPPEN as shown in кукла’s fic. They wouldn’t have her kill Wanda, either — Wanda would be injured, but not die, and that would come back as a point of contention for Team Cap especially later on, that кукла tried to kill her. Also, they’d give her some of the shit they gave Natasha about ‘feeling like a monster’ for being infertile — not the monster thing, but making кукла care about kids and that possibility at ALL, they’d make it what she stuck on the most when dealing with having her life and future stolen by HYDRA.

Honestly, in this fic, Bucky changes so much too because I really do love a lot of the fanon work dealing with the Winter Soldier and it’s SO au that it’s hard to mesh with like, what the mcu writer’s would have done. But… less of a bond between кукла and Bucky/the Soldier (Civil War adjacent), because she hunted him down after escaping and she’s there when Steve finds Bucky.

MUCH less focus on her finding her own identity, much more on how everything about her affects Tony and the Avengers. They’d make her less powerful too. Not only strength-wise but her mutation — they’d make her less of an equal to someone like Wanda (because in the mcu Wanda really is just SO powerful). They’d also cut the infinity stone related mystery, because they really just fucked up the whole Thanos motivation thing (in her fic, it’s the courting death motivation, not the mcu motivation… the mcu motivation is so dumb). Also, they wouldn’t have her be the one to Snap to defeat Thanos (I’m fuzzy on a lot of the later plot, but if something like Endgame did happen it would be кукла who used the gauntlet) because they’d still kill Tony sdfghjk.

Honestly, it would all tie into the inconsistent characterization and motivation of ALL the characters in the MCU, and how the plots of the movies really did devolve the bigger the mcu got.

WOW I'm sorry this was really rambly and all over the place lol. If you have any like, specific stuff you wanted to hear about that I missed PLEASE don't hesitate to send another ask (I promise I'll try to answer faster SDFGHJ)

send me an oc and i’ll tell you how the writer(s) would do them dirty if they were canon

EPIX/Rise of Skywalker Reaction Post

So, I got back from seeing EPIX this morning, and I figured I should get all my thoughts down!

Everything spoilery is behind a cut, and this post is also tagged with the spoiler tags I’ve listed here. If you want me to add any additional tags, let me know and I will to this and any future EPIX posts.

Okay, so, before I really get into this, I should mention two relevant contextual things that probably strongly impacted my feelings on this movie.

I’m not super-invested in the sequel trilogy. I love (most of) the characters, I’m not really into the story that’s being told with them.

Given where TLJ left us, I went into the theatre expecting something between A Trainwreck with Some Delightful Moments and A Delightful Trainwreck. Basically, it was going to be a Hot Mess and I knew it, but I was pretty sure there was going to be something to love, even if the film as a whole didn’t delight me (which, honestly, is even where I stand with TLJ, which remains my least favorite film of the series). And, you know what? I got exactly that. A Sometimes-Delightful Trainwreck. I’d say it’s even towards the upper end of that Delightfulness scale.

All right, moving on to actual thoughts. I’m trying to focus on the positive here, mostly because I did overall enjoy this movie, but I also had some Problems with it.

I’m gonna talk about Kylo Ren first, mostly because I want to get this out of the way. I will say that--when I first saw TFA, I thought I could be interested in this character. I thought they were gonna maybe go the burnt-out gifted kid route with him, which would be hella interesting to explore for the child of Heroes like Han and Leia, and the Legacy he had to live up to. Obviously, they didn’t, and while the direction they went is certainly topical, it’s not super engaging, at least to me. I know it is to some people, and far be it from me to harsh anyone’s squee, but he basically doesn’t do anything for me. I personally don’t find him particularly interesting or intimidating.

Basically, I don’t particularly care about Kylo Ren. (I don’t know if I’m quite at the point where, as my roommate puts it, I aggressively Do Not Care, but the Not Caring is definitely a thing.)

Anyway, that disclaimer aside--his arc was okay, I guess? I mean...I think my general feelings on the subject are not that it felt phoned-in, exactly, but that it was mostly there because the writers thought it should be there, rather than it flowing organically from the character(s) involved. It also felt rushed, but that goes back to a problem with the movie as a whole that I will get into later in this post. But, given that, the actual beats that were involved in said arc I thought were effectively done. The bit with Han in the wreckage, in particular, was nice.

As for that Kiss though.

...I mean. I’m actually kind of pleased that the end of the film left the romantic threads dangling? It gave me plenty of OT3 feels (though I felt like, especially in the first third or so, the film was leaning more towards Rey/Poe and Finn/Rose, but there was some later stuff that seemed to hint at the full OT3 with a question mark on where Rose stands.)

But I do have a problem with the fact that the only on-screen kiss between Major Characters was between Rey and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo. That being said, I can backfill/justify it in that...you know how some people headcanon that Luke’s initial crush on Leia was some sort of “There is a Connection Here that I Cannot Name and it’s probably supposed to be Romantic given our ages and genders and presumed lack of other relationship so let’s go with that?” Between something like that and the fact that he just gave up his life for her in a very literal way (side note: the Force has always been New Powers as the Plot Demands; but the healing thing was a) if not actually in a canon novel at least strongly implied and b) ALL OVER fanon so even if I had a problem with Random Force Powers suddenly occurring I wouldn’t have an issue with this one; the Force Diad thing was ~handwave plot device~ sure fine whatever). ...anyway, given all of that, I can backfill it to a way where I don’t hate it (i.e., if he’d lived, I don’t think it would’ve been followed up on very much/they would’ve settled into a non-romantic relationship of some kind, whatever that might’ve been). Except that it’s the only one, which kind of leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Then again, he did immediately die, so...yeah, I can live with this. I don’t like it, and I don’t think I ever will like it, but I don’t hate it either and it’s not a dealbreaker for me.

Most of the other problems I have with this film come down to structure and pacing. In that, thanks to where TLJ left us, this move had to do so much to bring the story to any kind of cohesive end, and not enough time to do it in. Trying to squeeze too much plot into too small a space.

(I actually had the same problem with ROTS initially--although that was more due to the PT having pacing issues as its Primary Narrative Flaw; TPM was way too slow; AOTC actually had good internal pacing but couldn’t quite make up for it; and then ROTS was as a consequence of that really rushed. Meanwhile, with the ST, I feel like the writers are relying on “it’s all there in the manual” a little too much, so not really...trying as hard, if that makes sense? To make it all connect within the film, I mean, as opposed to depending on people going into other/outside/supplemental material to connect the dots (still not as bad as the Prisoner of Azkaban movie on that front, but it’s still Bad; and, like, all film versions of novels leave some stuff out, just look at the LOTR films; but POA left out a key plot point and that--is a rant for another post. Back to EPIX). It’ll be interesting to see what kind of deleted scenes come out, or if it’ll grow on me in future watchings. Not that it’ll ever become a favorite, I don’t think, but it might improve in my eyes.)

Anyway, basically, a lot of this felt rushed or like...introduced but not really addressed/wrapped up in any kind of satisfactory fashion? Kylo Ren’s arc in particular, as I’ve mentioned before, plus the Threepio stuff felt rushed and non-consequential, and also with Rey’s arc to an extent (it...again, all the beats worked for me/I thought it was fairly effective, but it really needed two movies to pay off as well as it could have). ...I mean, there are more plot threads I could probably mention here, but those are the three that stuck out the most.

Also, this movie needed More Rose :( I LOVE HER and she was barely here!!!!!

Another thing I would’ve liked to see is...okay, I really liked the Overlapping Voices bit, but it would’ve been nice to have more Presence from the ghosts? Like...there’s a bit at the end of season 1 of Sailor Moon where she’s in the Final Battle, the other four have died (or just been left behind, if you’re watching the English dub), and their ghosts show up and place their hands on hers and lend her their strength? A visual cue like that would’ve been great and helped the arc feel more complete. Especially since Palpatine had all of his predecessors/Sith ghosts backing him in a more visible fashion. But, then again, that’s a Personal Taste thing and while it would’ve, IMO, made that moment better, not having it doesn’t make it worse, if that makes sense?

(Also, the credits moved too fast for me to track, but I definitely saw Qui-Gon Jinn listed, though I don’t recall hearing him, and I definitely recognized Anakin/Hayden Christensen and Mace/Samuel L. Jackson and Obi-Wan/Ewan McGreggor (and Alec Guinness I’m pretty sure?) and obvs. Yoda/Frank Oz when actually listening, but I couldn’t identify the other voices--anyone have the full list? Was Ahsoka and/or Kanan and/or Ezra involved, or was it restricted to movie-only Jedi?)

But...yeah. Apart from the Kiss being very ....:/ for me, most of my identifiable problems with the film is stuff like this.

I think the other thing I want to talk about in detail is the Rey Palpatine reveal.

So, up until this movie, I was actually in my corner flying my tiny but determined Rey Kenobi flag, and the more I think about it, the more I like Rey Palpatine for some of the same reasons? Like...I don’t remember everything I’d thought through about Rey Kenobi, but it had to do with the cyclical nature of Star Wars, and bringing it back where it started--and we get that with Rey Palpatine, in a nice arc, healing some of the damage her grandfather did, both to this family and to the galaxy as a whole.

That being said--those of you who know me and my fic projects know I’ve been writing a child (daughter) for Palpatine for quite some time now, and I have no intention of stopping, lol. Am I going to take this/Lavinia’s (presumably) half-brother into account in future projects? ...probably not. But I am looking forward to/hoping we get a novel or something about him and Rey’s mother. Because that is actually a story I’m interested in--why canon!Palpatine chose to have a kid, and how said kid managed to break away and got to this point. [...y’know, I actually think Rey Kenobi’s background/thread of descent would be less interesting to me? Since I subscribe to the idea that a) Korkie Kryze is Obi-Wan’s biological son; and b) Obi-Wan had many Friends With Benefits throughout the galaxy and figuring out exactly which one Rey descends from carries less weight for me.]

...okay, I think that’s all the Detaily Bits I want to get into, so here are some bullet points of things that really stuck out to me, in no particular order:

Bawled like a baby re: everything involving Carrie Fisher. Just...yeah. Miss you Space Mommy.

LANDO! I loved his entrance, I loved him adopting Jannah at the end, I loved all of it.

Chewie’s fake-out death was also actually pretty good/well-handled. I mean. First Boom happens and I’m like DDDDDDD: but then I remember how people reacted to his death in Legends and I’m like would they really do it and then DELIGHT.

HUX. Okay. I never really cared about this dude before, and honestly I still don’t really care about this dude but at the same time, those of you who know me know I have a Thing for double-agents and defectors and I LOVE THIS WHOLE ENTIRE PLOT THREAD. I LOVE THIS SHITHEAD TURNING TRAITOR FOR THE MOST VENAL REASONS AND STILL BEING A BAD GUY/EVIL/AN UNREPENTANT JACKASS. THIS WAS PERFECT.

(Also Finn shooting him in the leg instead of the arm as requested was DELIGHTFUL)

SPEAKING OF DELIGHTFUL gotta love Zombie Skeev Palpatine Unliving His Best Afterlife. Was he as Delightful as he is in ROTS or ROTJ? No. Did I still enjoy every minute of his scenery-chewing nonsense? You bet your ass. So happy, Ian McDiarmid looked like he was having tons of fun and honestly what more could I have asked for?

The whole scene on Ahch-To was just *chef’s kiss.* Use of Yoda’s theme with the rising X-Wing, Luke being snarky and kind and beautiful, him emerging from the fire with the saber...just loved it.

LEIA HAD JEDI TRAINING AND HER OWN LIGHTSABER. BB!MARK HAMILL AND BB!CARRIE FISHER’S FACES.

LEIA TRAINING REY. REY CALLING HER ‘MASTER.’

USING THE BOND TO ARM KYLO REN okay like I said I have Mixed Feelings about the arc as a whole but that moment was SO COOL.

Poe’s ex-girlfriend was pretty great, ngl.

JANNAH AND EX-STORMTROOPERS YESSSSSSSS

HINTS OF/SHREDS OF EVIDENCE FOR FORCE-SENSITIVE FINN GIVE THEM TO ME NOW.

D-0 was pretty cute!

All of the Badass Finn.

Also that MOMENT where Finn runs up to Poe like “I NEED TO TELL YOU A THING” and Poe is all “I NEED YOU TO FIGHT WITH ME” and Finn just interrupts himself to thank Poe and they have that “General” “General” moment and it’s SO CUTE I’m love it.

The entire thing at the Lars farm at the end. Just. Burying the lightsabers, seeing the twins’ ghosts, claiming the Skywalker name, Rey having her own saber now. This movie was a Hot Mess but it definitely ended on a high note.

...that’s pretty much what I have for right now. I will probably have more thoughts after discussing it with other people/seeing it again (because I will be seeing it again). But overall...do I like it? Well, it’s Star Wars, which I love and which frankly always has some Super Dumb and/or Frustrating Stuff, and the things I disliked weren’t bad enough to Ruin It for me, so yes, I liked it. Is it my favorite Star Wars/good for a Star Wars movie? ...not really, no. It did have some gorgeous moments, but it doesn’t really hang together. Like the rest of the ST, it relies way too much on It’s All There In The Manual and, between that and the fact that TLJ didn’t do the work necessary to set it up, the movie felt rushed and a little bit...I don’t want to say hollow, maybe shallow is a better word? I mean, I know this is Star Wars and It’s Not That Deep (but the ground is soft and I’m ready to dig or however the quote goes), but this felt particularly shallow even for Star Wars. Like...cotton candy, fairly good/tasty but a little bit prone to melting away and with very little substance holding it together. On that level, I’d actually probably rank it around Solo (which, let me say, I really like)--so, better than TLJ, but still A Hot Mess of a movie. But I enjoyed myself, and I think overall my feelings are middling-to-positive on it. Even if...honestly, even like less than four hours after the movie ending, I’m already forgetting like half the plot points...? Like I said. Cotton Candy.

What did/do you guys think?

Lords and their Knights: When FE Chivalry Goes Gay

@mwritesink prompted me to write about my favorite tropes in FE and how they evolved over the course of the series. I already crossed a few others off in an earlier post, but this one is a particular favorite of mine where M/M romance in this series is concerned and one I felt had enough examples to constitute a piece of its own. Let it not be said that this is merely the gay variation on the well-worn heterosexual romance trope of a lady and her knight (ex. Eirika/Seth), because negotiating the fundamental power imbalance in this type of relationship takes on different dimensions when both parties are male. I draw a closer comparison to courtly love, which in the traditional sense is also socially transgressive (being adulterous) and not consummated via marriage or other public means...which in FE terms means an S support and possibly a eugenics baby. A vassal in love with his lord rather than his lord’s wife is not only cutting the female intermediary out of what can already be a very homoromatic scenario, but it’s directly tangling together a kind of martial romantic love and ideas about what knighthood/vassalage even is or ought to be - two topics FE loves to explore. I’ve therefore compiled a few of the most notable examples of this trope across the series to talk about in more detail, because if one is willing to be liberal with subtext there’s surprisingly quite a few to pick from.

(And yeah, this is also in part because I like hot rich men who take orders, and this series already has plenty of gay or otherwise ambiguously non-straight mages, thieves, archers, and their ilk without my help.)

The Sad Gay Knight: Quan/Finn

This one I’ve talked about before in a fair amount of depth, from my hopes for how a Genealogy remake will treat Finn to speculation on just what Quan got out of this relationship besides a devoted retainer and (we may assume) a nice piece of ass. The summary here is that Finn’s love for Quan supersedes anything he’s shown to feel for any of the various women he can hook up with and quite frankly astonishes in its ramifications for the future of Leonster and Thracia as a whole. It’s poignant, adulterous (but Ethlyn’s probably ok with it?), and messy as all hell once you factor in whatever’s up with Glade and whatever Lachesis wasn’t feeling about the whole situation. It is also, naturally, very sad; Finn loses his lord when he’s only around eighteen, and with their kingdom collapsing around him and the entire continent consumed by war he dedicates the next twenty years of his life to raising Quan’s son to be the king Quan himself had wanted to be. And for all his labor he apparently derives no lasting satisfaction, spending his epilogue wandering around the Yied desert and at last returning only to (possibly) pen the history he’s helped to make. 

Finn is the embodiment of knighthood loyal unto and beyond death, and that paired with all the romantic and erotic subtext surrounding the two of them - Finn as Quan’s treasured favorite, his catatonia after Yied, the obsessive polishing of the brave lance that Quan gave to him, his inability to satisfy women in some vague way - makes them the defining example of this trope in Fire Emblem. I look forward to seeing how remakes will handle them; Finn’s presentation in Heroes is definitely cause for hope there. As for the issue of yet another story in media of gay men beset by tragedy and death, I did draw up a long headcanon on the technically crack pairing of Diarmuid/Tristan that specifically plays into the lord and knight trope while also allowing Finn a chance to pass his experiences on to a later, happier generation. IS is free to take notes, just saying.

Pretty Blond Twinks and the Men Who Love Them: Perceval/Elffin and their lasting influence

Moving on from Jugdral, I’ve got to say that I’ve really been sleeping on the original gay Elibean duo. Before Raven and Lucius (but chronologically after, because these games are out of order) there was another feminine young man with long blond hair beloved of a severe-looking warrior. Binding Blade gives us the bard Elffin, who in another life was Etruria’s Prince Mildain and Perceval’s liege. The Knight General takes Mildain’s alleged accidental death about as well as Finn takes the death of his lord and lady; he turns grim and humorless, and without a dying dream to guide him he follows the command of the corrupt revolutionary faction of Etruria with little protest. It takes learning that Mildain is alive and in Roy’s army for Perceval to drop the halfhearted Camus routine and switch sides, and the strength of his fealty not to his nation or even to his king but to the prince he’d thought dead is absolutely touching in the moment not to mention incredibly useful since the guy is one of FE6′s best units. 

Binding Blade doesn’t give anyone but Roy and his harem paired endings, but there’s still a fair bit to be gleaned from their support lines, both what is in them and what isn’t. Perceval and Elffin each have supports with women, but nothing remotely romantic - Perceval’s support with Larum is particularly amusing since he clarifies that her, ahem, dancing does nothing for him. Also worth noting is that neither of them can support with Clarine, even though one would think they’d make fine romantic choices for her given their statuses and physical resemblances to her beloved brother. Their own support line is quietly intimate. Elffin has changed since his near-death experience, and Perceval is still struggling to accept that their relationship can’t be as it was, that in fact for the time being they can’t now be a knight and his prince. Perceval also frets over Elffin’s refusal to see his father the king, and he later extracts a promise from Elffin to come home to Etruria after he’s done traveling the world as a bard, in one of the series’s several instances of writing what sounds like a marriage proposal in ambiguous terms. Per Elffin’s ending, he’s only gone for a few months after the war, so their promised reunion isn’t long delayed. I’m interested to see what a remake would add to their relationship, because as it stands Perceval/Elffin has an established romance arc that deserves a paired ending or at the very least more suggestive epilogues.

Further compounding their underrated signficance, it’s not too difficult to trace a line from Perceval/Elffin to a number of other M/M pairings in the two later GBA games and in Tellius that present some variation on this theme:

As mentioned above, Raven/Lucius is physically similar and performs a nearly identical gameplay function, with the pretty blond waif again responsible for recruiting his surly but protective boyfriend from the ranks of the enemy. 

Gerik/Joshua meanwhile borrows the character of the end of their support line and turns it into a genuine paired ending, with a prince incognito recruiting a swordsman to come work for him. They being who they are however, it’s all handled a bit rougher, with Gerik being impressed by Joshua’s “swagger.” Take that as you will.

Ike/Soren may be the defining seme/uke dynamic in Tellius’s overflowing fount of queer subtext, but Tibarn/Reyson smashes that trope together with this one and FE’s power couple unit archetype plus a dash of whatever the avian equivalent of furries is for wholly unique results. Although both of them are technically royalty, only Reyson is a prince by heredity whereas Tibarn presumably became king of Phoenicis by beating the crap out of any rival contenders as most laguz prefer to do. One can therefore read shades of a courtly relationship in Tibarn’s decision to zealously take up the cause of justice for the Serenes massacre in Reyson’s place. Combine this with Reyson’s characteristic edge that even Tibarn is forced to rein in at times and their relationship comes off as surprisingly more egalitarian than the sum of its parts. Oh yeah, and blond waif dancer + premade OP unit with ludicrous physical stats and movement again.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the conflict of the Tellius games Zelgius -> Sephiran explores what would happen if a gay Camus archetype chose instead to dedicate himself to an antagonistic lord. Sure, you can still recruit Sephiran via a convoluted and unintuitive process, but Zelgius is doomed no matter what.   

They Can Say It, But They Can’t Do It: Awakening and Fates

Ugh. If I must....

I’ve made no secret of my ambivalence toward FE13 dragging the series into open acknowledgement that same-sex attraction is a thing that exists, handled as it was with a lot of explicit homoerotic denial and an assortment of cheap gay panic jokes and...whatever the hell Victor and Vincent are supposed to be. Chrom/Frederick, hot though it may potentially be in fanon, is one of those jokes, making a parody out of a knight enamored of his lord and leaving it to mean absolutely nothing since Awakening’s relationship endgame is invariably S supports for time traveling eugenics babies. FE has taken cracks at the overly dedicated knight before - see just about everything involving Kieran from Tellius, up to and including his overzealous devotion to his superior officer - but Awakening plumbs the depths of Frederick expecting Chrom’s nude image to raise the army’s morale. Just..what do you even say to that, apart from the awkward sputtering that comprises most of their support line?

FE14, for all its stumbling steps toward something less completely offensive, fares little better in this particular regard. Leo/Niles is a deeply troubled albeit thought-provoking callback to the subtextual lord/knight relationship, one where it’s hard to imagine them finding a healthy way to navigate the power differential. Then there’s Ryoma/Saizo. It’s nothing special in localization, but the never-localized festival DLC involves Saizo’s ardent desire to warm Ryoma’s clothing in his cleavage. That sounds like absolutely normal behavior for a servant and not a rehash of Frederick’s shenanigans, uh huh. Fates may indeed be said to be slightly better about playing palpable homoerotic tension for drama rather than comedy...but only slightly.

Paving the Way for an OT3: The Deliverance

This is, incidentally, yet another reason to appreciate Echoes for doing so much to redeem the 3DS games in the realm of (male) queer content. Yes, there’s a large and unaddressed divide between the openly gay and very modern Leon and the heavily subtextual faux-historical queerness of the Deliverance, but taken independently the two presentations work for what they’re each separately aiming to be. Among Clive’s gay entourage are not one but two men who’d dearly love to be the knight to his lord, and Forsyth’s strong desire to put Clive on a pedestal evokes the earlier spoofs of this kind of relationship precisely because Forsyth is that kind of vassal, the kind that would read Ribald Tales of the Faith War and cry like a heavily erect virgin bottom getting his first taste of dick at the brief interludes of tender manly love between Quan and Finn. He’s played for comedy just as much as Kieran or Frederick are, and yet Echoes comes across as less down on the concept as a whole for several reasons, being that

1) Python’s snark over Forsyth’s attraction to both Clive and Lukas is genuinely funny, much more so than when it’s the object of these affections quietly groaning his way through them,

2) Lukas is also there, and his desire to be Clive’s beloved knight is not played for comedy at all but is allowed to be unrealistic and unsatisfying because Clive will never get it,

3) everyone wants to screw Clive for some reason, not just his subordinates but also his sister and the estranged BFF who dies in his arms...and the guy is shown to be unworthy of all of them, and

4) all the characters involved are allowed other avenues for romantic attraction outside of a lord who’s just not that into them. Forsyth has Python, Lukas has both of them as friends and possibly more later, Clair has Gray (...at least he’s not her brother?), and Fernand has a bad rebound that goes to hell in the manner of Zelgius and Sephiran but at least ends with him getting to reconcile with his former friend before he dies. 

The setup for the Deliverance’s overarching queerness is a bit strange as it rests on all these characters somehow finding Clive attractive, but nonetheless it makes for an unexpected and refreshing critique of the lord and knight trope, given a situation where the lord just isn’t that into it and in fact doesn’t seem to realize that he can be into it. It’s a good reminder that this isn’t a particularly good dynamic for a stable and lasting relationship, and that as hot as it can be it takes more than impassioned one-way devotion to make it work in the long term.

The good news if you’re into this kind of relationship like I am is that it’s a trope with some life in it yet. Echoes came at it strong, and prerelease information on Three Houses suggests a few possibilities for this dynamic in that game. I’m especially keeping my eye on Dimitri and Dedue, whose relationship appears to contain echoes of the original duo of Quan and Finn. I highly doubt there will be anything on the level of S supports acknowledging this type of attraction, but I’ll settle for some suggestive A supports.

I know when talking about our love of Sakura in fandom a lot of us specify that our love is often more grounded in fanon than canon. A lot of people take that as us confirming that she’s a Mary-Sue self-insert and completely dismissing us. I’ve been doing some thinking about what exactly Sakura means as a character to me—is it her canon characterisation or an ideal that I’ve built up in my head? I’ve thought about it and figured out my answer.

Both.

We can all agree that Naruto as a series was really drawn out, bloated with filler, and experienced a significant drop in quality over the years. I often felt that the writers were always seesaw-ing with Sakura’s character as well. It was very frustrating to have her take one step forward and two steps backwards all of the time. They’d give her a badass moment, then later incapacitate her or make her completely irrelevant for the next. They gave her this core conflict of loving Sasuke, but it didn’t really change/evolve/develop that much throughout the series, which when you think about it is very unrealistic. 14 year olds are emotionally volatile, it’s very strange for her to have never felt enough doubt or resentment to significantly influence her feelings about him, or have her not question any part of her feelings. Hell, I would’ve loved SS being endgame if they had gotten a confrontation or fight to clear out their feelings with each other. Why characterise Sakura as this hotheaded character, but never let her show genuine anger towards Sasuke? Studio Pierrot would have Sakura snap if Naruto so much as breathed wrong around her, but Sakura can’t harbour any anger over Sasuke trying to kill or hurt her because she ‘loves’ him? A consistently characterised Sakura would have lashed out at him when he was putting her down during the Kaguya battle. Or maybe told him off when he said he was going to be Hokage. Actually, that would have been the perfect time for her to have snapped at him for everything he’d done. It would have been the perfect moment for her to have said “who the fuck do you think you are?” or something. Because despite her infatuation with Sasuke, she’d also want to support Naruto and his dream. Sasuke strolling in and claiming that dream as his own, after all he’d done to Naruto and her? This could have been a tipping point for Sakura, a moment for her to finally stand up to him and tell him off. Part of her character development should have been taking him off that pedestal and really trying to understand him as a person, not an ideal.

Also, Sakura’s status as the girl who the main hero boy secretly loved but she loved the bad boy, earned her a lot of contempt from the primarily male fanbase that identified with Naruto. These fanboys tended to take her character’s negative moments and amplify them, projecting their idea of the popular girl that rejected ‘nice guys’ and chased after assholes that treated them like shit onto her. They also crapped on her character for being ‘useless’ despite the fact that all the other main characters were prodigies with bloodline gifts and demon powers, and given ridiculous free power ups like candy throughout the series. There was a lot of bad blood in the fandom towards her, primarily from male fans (and female fans whose ships she got in the way of lol).

But I don’t feel like the Sakura we see represented in fanon is 100% something we made up and are projecting onto her. A lot of us have high regard for her fight with Sasori. Despite having happened in the anime in 2007, for many years this fight was the one big thing we had going for us. We finally got to see Sakura shine as an individual character without being overshadowed. There was no Naruto to save her, and no Sasuke to make her cry and collapse. We saw this amazing strength, how her character had grown leaps and bounds from the Sakura we had seen in Part 1. To me, the Sakura we saw in this fight is basically the canon base of her fanon characterisation. Most fanfics roll with the premise of Sakura being able to develop further beyond this point, a ‘what if’ scenario for her character where she wasn’t sidelined from that point on or made irrelevant or demonised over meaningless shit (like her fake confession to Naruto that had no consequences whatsoever lmao).

Shippuden became extremely drawn out, the Naruto series lost a lot of its direction, and Sakura became another victim of the series. There have been many moments both in canon and filler, that were extremely frustrating to watch as a Sakura fan. I’d be thinking ‘Sakura had this massive face down with a member of the Akatsuki and took a sword through the abdomen, but this random character kicks her and she cries and clings to Naruto?’ It just felt weird and inconsistent. They’d have her look strong and smash things to sell her as this ‘strong female character’ but then leave her with tied hands when shit was really going down (usually so Naruto could play Jesus and because the fanboys didn’t really care for Sakura’s development anyway). It became even more frustrating when Studio Pierrot started putting in filler of Sakura being bullied for having small breasts and pitting her against Hinata.

I know this post is all over the place, but I just wanted to air out my thoughts about fanon Sakura vs canon Sakura. Fanon Sakura does have a basis in canon Sakura—we take all of her defining moments, fights and core values from canon Sakura. Where fanon Sakura differs from canon Sakura is her being more consistent, being able to grow beyond her few cool moments, and basically ignoring the shitty flip-flopping and sidelining her character was subjected to in the main series.

glory/exiledcyborg!madison LIKE FIRE AND WATER (and also like. let madison help the railroad todd. pls)

WHIT BRINGING THE QUALITY RAREPAIR FEELS FOR A SPECIFIC WORLD STATE AND HC THAT WE BOTH SHARE!!! :D

When or if I started shipping it. Okay, Glory/Madison was always good because Yes Good, I love them, and then you got me into cyborg!Madison because why would Kellogg be the only augmented Wastelander that the Institute would have tested out? And then it evolved into more feels and just argleblargle bury me in feels!!!

My thoughts: Madison is incredibly disillusioned with the promises of both the Institute and the Brotherhood— better world her ass, she’s seen what’s happened when people start using the ends to justify the means, believing that their power gives them the right to authority. After escaping the Institute, she meets Glory and just! Instant sparks, chemistry, both of them knowing that intellectually they have no reason to trust one another but bonding anyways. Some discussions on what it means to be human, robot, or somewhere in between. The idea that they’ve been essentially living past each other, cycling around in action and reaction without even REALIZING it, because wouldn’t the unexpected arrival of a Wastelander be a big enough distraction that Glory could have escaped? They’ve resurrected themselves over and over, renamed and reclaimed and god I just have feels here.

What makes me happy about them: Sparks, chemistry. Clashes of ideology and value, even if they have shared goals: biggest example being that Glory wants to completely wreck the Institute, sees no value in the research or facilities that were acquired and constructed using synth labor, but Madison believes that to destroy it all means that all the suffering and labor would have been in vain. I also think they would have absolutely phenomenal smut.

What makes me sad about them: lack of content, which I admit is my own fault too? :’)

Things done in art/fic that annoys me: I am gonna repeat my beefs about how Madison gets demonized in the fanon, but I also hate any fic where Glory dies. I know it’s canon, but fuck canon. (Also I am fully aware that someone can probably write an angsty Glory ship-fic where she dies and it’s probably an objectively good fic, but it’s not the fic or content I am interested in. It would be like trying to recommend a good pepperoni pizza place to me if I hate pepperoni!!!)

Things I look for in art/fic: Look, going with the Fire and Water theme I just… I love overblown, dramatic, pseudo-poetic and vivid iconography. I love the passion, the spark, the chemistry. I love how they are both complete badasses in their own elements, and how they play to each other’s strengths while covering each other’s weaknesses. I want that sort of harsh push-pull and the ways that they push each other to be stronger, better, and to remember they are allies even when they have conflicting ideologies.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Hot dang I gave you a big list of ships for Madison already, so time for Glory! I can (and do) happily ship Glory/Desdemona as my other top NPC/NPC ship for her, but I also love Glory with F!Survivor, Chase, Magnolia, Fahrenheit, Cait, and/or Marcy Long.

My happily ever after for them: Wreck the Institute, ride off to Far Harbor, more yelling about science. Using their shared expertise to build up Acadia and the Railroad. ;)

What is their favorite non-sexual activity? Arguing. :P More seriously, I do think they would argue a lot, but they realize very quickly they have to set some ground rules so their arguments stay constructive rather than destructive. They also spend time looking up prewar monuments and tourist sights, because all jokes about Railroad tourists aside, Madison has a lot of curiosity about the world that came before and Glory might initially balk (“why does it matter, it’s gone”) but Madison’s interest would spark her own and they could have some interesting scavving expeditions at the library! Plus I just think it would be cute that they’d give each other tourist mugs or bobbleheads from historic sites.

(Send me a ship!)

Vrvrvrvrains for the meme! If you haven’t seen it, then arc v!

[I’ve been watching it and while I have been enjoying myself so far, I’ve had no reason to be passionate about it yet, so... I’ll be doing both :D

Vrains

❤ Favorite Male: Yuusaku. Him not being a whiny idealist, but instead cynical and not having any of the bullshit of the hypocrites trying to talk over his head and paint him as a poor pure victim as they try to force their ideals on him (read: Akira) makes him the first YGO protag I’ve liked after Other Yuugi, which... doesn’t mean that Konami can’t still screw him up completely. He’s really refreshing and I'm also glad he didn’t turn out to be the pathetic awwwwwkward loser (who, deep down, is just a poor pure cinnamon roll child) a lot of YGO fans wanted him to be before Vrains started to air- people who are now disappointed and writing one Yuusaku hate post after another lol Most importantly, though, I am really grateful how respectfully the writers handled his backstory.

❤ Favorite Female: Aoi. I’ve been having a couple of issues with her writing - all of which are related to Akira, whom she just completely outshines and the ‘idealized YGO sibling’ trope is just very unfitting for these two imo, but... All in all, she is absolutely GLORIOUS. I love the differences between her online and offline self, she is capable without the need for cringey ‘feminist goddess’ tropes, and her archetype is to DIE for!! I really love her brand of entertainment dueling too - as unlike Yuuya, she is very open about being selfish and doesn’t try to paint herself as the purest and most selfless martyr when she simply wants some ego-stroking (unlike Yuuya).❤ Favorite Pairing: Yuusaku/Aoi. The official name of this ship sucks, so I won’t be using, but goooooooooooosh, this protag x main girl ship could become even better than Faithshipping used to be in the first half of 5D’s O.O I just... really want them to interact more - especially outside Link Vrains. And form a meaningful bond! That being said, while Yuusaku/Aoi IS my fave Vrains ship, I’m not nearly as passionate about is as I am about any of my fave Arc-V ships ^^’ It is just... while the setting is interesting and everything, what will always be missing for me is the context of a war story and child soldiers lol❤ Least Favorite Character: Akira. He’s a disgusting hypocrite and incredibly pathetic - and to make it worse, an immense letdown too, given how my immediate reaction to first seeing his design was “OMGGG, GENETICALLY ENGINEERED HOSTAGE LOVE CHILD!!! Pleaselethimbelikehisfatherspleaselethimbelikehisfathers O.O” Well... no wonder Shun and Reiji disposed of him in a different anime when their experiment turned out to be a disgraceful failure lol❤ who’s most like me: I cannot relate to any character on a deeper level (which is also part of the reason for my lack of passion about Vrains so far), but I suppose I’m somewhere between Yuusaku and Aoi....ish, though again, not really lol❤ most attractive: I was going to say Akira but EEEEEK, NO! >.❤ three more characters that I like: I don’t have any ^^’ The rest of the cast has been pretty lackluster to be so far tbh ^^’

Arc-V

❤ Favorite Male: It’s a tie between Reiji and Shun, though only before Konami forced the writing staff to butcher them. Their minds are absolutely beautiful, their pre-retconning selves BOTH had the most intriguing kinds of backstories with a LOT of potential, and their cards, too, used to be super badass and rich in meta at the same time. 

Reiji is the very best intelligent INTP character I’ve ever seen (there are... few portrayals of INTPs that are not disgraceful tbh), his way of dealing with the entirety of his pre-retconning family is outright fascinating, and I just LOVE how Reiji, despite being an INTP rather than an INTJ, is actually the biggest asshole of all YGO rivals, and he’s still being dignified about it and maintaining an air of politeness. His subtle jabs at mentally feeble and hypocritical Yuuya, too, are too glorious to be true, and I still can’t believe people still interpret his words as genuine praise and admiration.

And Shun... gooooosh, the subtlety of the way his intelligence used to be written never fails to make me pause and marvel, and the same applies to the way it is clear that Shun is the one to control his anger and wield it as a weapon, rather than being controlled by it, which is what is usually being done with characters of a similar type. And how prideful he is as he’s fighting a hopeless losing battle for three years makes me want to cry for and admire him at the same time.

Also, they are handsome - drop dead gorgeous, to be exact, and their perfect voices are going to be my death one day O.O

But... yeah, I love these two characters more than my own life, and they both deserve so much better than what they’ve been getting from Konami and their awful fanbases alike TT__TT❤ Favorite Female: ...If I can only choose from canon, then Serena - up until her half-assed ‘redemption’, with the addition of some later scenes that were still good. But if I can be self-indulgent too... I really love the idea of a Kurosaki Ruri worthy of Shun and written in the tone of season one, in which Arc-V was still completely set up as a war story. Canon Ruri, though... I want that abomination to burn and 90% of her deck pisses me off and makes me cringe too.❤ Favorite Pairing: H-O-S-T-A-G-E-S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G. One day, I will make a more detailed post about why this ship is too good to be true and why it would not only fix all flaws in the writing of both characters, but also make them shine in the best way possible by exploring their strengths and flaws alike AND showing off the full extent of their minds’ beauty.To make it short, though, these two could learn so much from one another, provide one another with what they’ve been deprived of, and have the most fulfilling and mentally stimulating discussions. And Shun and Reiji are 110% mindmates too.Also, it is a very aesthetically pleasing and ‘hot’ ship *cough*❤ Least Favorite Character: It’s a tie between Yuuya and Ray. Yuuya... I wouldn’t even mind him, did the writing not change all laws of the universe to make the fate of four dimensions depend on his fragile mental state though blatant retconning, deny the validity of everyone else’s values, views, and needs, and reduce every other character to a mindless plot device with the sole purpose of worshipping him. It is... stomach-churning tbh, and there is absolutely nothing meta about each of his flaws being glorified as he’s depicted as The Most Selfless Martyr eveeeeeeeer. He was pretty well-written in season one, though, interesting as a character and also remarkably refreshing, but... urgh, his writing should’ve continued on the path of him having to adapt to his circumstances rather than the entire universe being retconned for the sake of Yuuya getting away with and being worshipped for remaining stagnant and delusional.As for Ray, her asspull existence that I will never acknowledge is an insult to 10+ characters, my faves included, and the main reasons for her introduction were to 1) Make Reiji and Shun’s battle about YUUYA instead 2) Deprive the bracelet girls of their agency and purpose beyond being plot devices and damsels because oversimplification rooooocks XX___XX3) Turn Leo, who was originally set up as a capable MAIN villain into a poor pure misled cinnamon roll and a pathetic grieving father, making absolutely everything Shun and Reiji fought for, endured, and sacrifice amount to absolutely nothing and that... is insultingTo add insult to injury, the fanon version of her is even worse as she’s without fail a blatant self-insert and/or a gross SJW feminist power fantasy - and she is always used to degrade the more complex characters, who were meant to exist from day one, even further- especially Reiji and the other bracelet girls. So yeah, keep that asspull plot device away from me >.

❤ who’s most like me: Reiji and Shun; I’ve never related to a fictional character to this extent, and season one of Arc-V gave me two of them - just to take them from me later in the worst fashion possible❤ most attractive: Again, it’s a tie between Shun and Reiji. They are both so handsome it should be illegal O.O❤ three more characters that I like: Yuuto, Yuuri, and Rin

Thank you sooo much for sending me this!