#this is. i mean i don't read adult fantasy romance for a reason but it was alright!
Photo
2022 reads // twitter thread
A Broken Blade
fantasy romance about a halfling assassin, working for the human king
when a mysterious figure starts moving against the kingdom, she’s forced to investigate by going to the Faelands, and starts to wonder if she’s able to fight back against the kingdom she’s long given up on
#aroaessidhe 2022 reads#a broken blade#melissa blair#this is. i mean i don't read adult fantasy romance for a reason but it was alright!#i thought the writing was a bit bland#i feel like i couldn’t quite keep track of the reasons for the plot going in the direction it did….or why it was allowed to i guess#definitely kept reading halfling as like. the short dnd kind lmao#i would have liked a bit more worldbuilding detail?#i liked that she's 68 too not like basically a teen. though it would be cooler if she looked 68#appreciate the half-caste race allegories from an indigenous author; grounded in irl understanding rather than the often awkward attempts fr#from white authors in this genre
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
So I think I've cracked this moment.
So this moment has bothered me. I've seen several people say this is Crowley breaking up with Aziraphale, but I think it has a different meaning. I think he's saying, "I understand."
Hear me out.
It was actually listening to the song Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy that caused me to have a little epiphany. I love how it's juxtaposed over Crowley rushing back to Aziraphale, indicating that he is the Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy, but there is more to it.
That song was released in 1976, which is a time when being gay or being queer of any kind was deeply frowned upon. Though laws in the UK banning same sex relationships had been lifted by this time, for consenting adults over the age of 21. Freddie explicitly coming out at this time was something that could have ended his career. Freddie danced with the media on this one, hinted but was never forthright and kept his romantic life largely under wraps. This is something that queer people did in general and had to do well into the 90s. They flirted in code, they romanced behind closed doors. They kept their love out of sight.
Much like our Ineffable Husbands.
Editing to add- that the reason this triggered something for me, is that despite the secrecy, Freddie Mercury got up on stage and sang a song about a man taking another man out on a date at the Ritz. Everyone knew. Just no one knew knew. And it wasn't enough to end his career. Much like our Ineffable Husbands. Everyone knows, including them. Just no one says a thing about it.
Which brings me back to A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.
This song is about one magical night. A couple meet, fall in love, feel the magic of their romance, and then as the sun comes up they go home. It is something like a dream that has to be let go with the harsh light of day. But there is hope, because sometimes they can hear the echo of the nightingale. A promise perhaps to meet again.
So I think it is widely assumed that there is more to the 1941 flashback. I tend to concur. I think we will see the origin of why this song is important to them. I suspect the song is about them. They have one magical night, where they are both brave and express their love for each other. But then the sun comes up and they realise that they have to go back to their lives. I think they will acknowledge that the incident with the zombies was a close call, and they need to cool off and stay away from each other. Slow down.
So 1967 is the first time they have seen each other since. They both know how they feel, they're just waiting for the right time. They shouldn't have met at all, except Aziraphale wants to give Crowley the holy water. I think that explains the awkwardness but also their softness toward each other. It's a meeting of lovers, but the time isn't right just yet. No nightingales are singing. That's what Aziraphale means by "You go too fast for me." Not yet, it's too soon. We're still under suspicion.
So the end of season one, the world is not over and our ineffable husbands are free. What do they do? They go for date at the Ritz. You can not tell me this is not a date. Sorry, don't believe you. "The Ritz is the most romantic hotel in the world." It's like their whole selling point. It's why it pops up in the lyrics of Berkley Square, and also in the lyrics of Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy. It's the place where magic happens. And for me, the playing of the song, and the reference from God herself, it's saying the time is right. They can finally be together again. This is their moment.
So Season Two. I've read reviews of season two where people liken it to fanfiction. Neil calls it is a bridge season. I think it's the dream. Not actually a dream, I don't think Neil is that unoriginal. But in the song they liken that one magical night to a dream. It's a fantasy that they get to live until the sun comes up. They get to live their dream for four years. They are together and they are in love but they are still living in secret. They still don't acknowledge it. They're still holding back. One of the themes in this series is timing is everything. Maggie and Nina's relationship doesn't work because timing. The magic trick worked the time it mattered. Timing is important, and the ineffable husbands are bad at it. They should have thrown themselves into this but they were too cautious and they missed their chance.
I think this conversation is when Crowley realises. Not that he is love with Aziraphale, that was established in 1941. But that everyone knows anyway. There is no reason to hide. No one cares that they're an item. Aziraphale has a similar epiphany after his chat with Shax. So they both decide to move the relationship along, but damn do they have bad timing.
Now I am as confused and heart broken as anyone about the final fifteen. And I am certain that there is something that we are not seeing, a trick that we've missed. There are six minutes unaccounted for. Neil says its a continuity error, but he's demon, he lies.
So here is what I think, and why this line "that's the point, no nightingales" is important. At some point during that conversation Crowley catches on. Whether they have a moment of stopped time, or the fact that Aziraphale is acting so utterly unhinged, there is something that happens that we don't see and it clues him in. He is hurt and angry yes, but he understands. What he is understanding is that the dawn came stealing up, and that the interlude is over. The nightingales stopped singing, and they have to go back to work. He gets it and that's how he lets Aziraphale know.
"You're an idiot, we could have been us." He doesn't like the plan, whatever it is. He thinks running would have been preferable, but he is resigned to it.
Then that kiss. One last goodbye just in case the world ends? Desperate longing and years of pent up frustration? I don't think the trick is here. I think this is misdirection. We're all looking at the kiss, we missed the coded message that came right before. I think "No nightingales" may also suggest that this isn't the kiss. The romantic kiss will come later, when the nightingales sing again. And they will, of that I'm certain now.
The song playing in the car, a message from Aziraphale or from the Bentley reminding him to have hope. Two things we know about Crowley. He is an optimist. He loves to rescue his angel. We also know that he is the trusted stooge with the steady hand. Aziraphale will perform the theatrics, he will do the rest. The fact that he waited and didn't just storm off like he did when he was rejected in series 1 tells Aziraphale that he is still here. He's still in this.
That's my interpretation anyway.
#good omens#good omens meta#yup i have way too much time on my hands#and i hate unhappy endings#and will live in denial about this
467 notes
·
View notes
Text
How I Critique Writing (A Loose Collection of Tips)
Someone asked me for insights into my methodology when it comes to giving feedback on writing and I realized I had way more than I could say in a reasonable amount of private messages. Are you someone who I've spoken to about their writing? Did someone send you their work and you don't know how to respond? Maybe this will help? Based on how people react I feel like it might be controversial but it seems to work.
When someone sends me their writing, no matter the size, subject or genre, I:
Take it seriously. It's a generational epic about the Vietnam war and its effects. It's a cute, young adult romance. It's Zim and Dib from Invader Zim realizing they've always been in love with each other. All of these things can be written with earnestness, strength, honesty and skill. It's fucking hard to write and if someone writes a single sentence that wouldn't otherwise exist its worth holding in your hands and examining with the same eye as if you were taking an interesting book off the shelf.
Respond with curiosity. It's common for critiques to follow a theme of ambiguous disdain. This doesn't work. Delete this. Bad. No. Gross. Guess what? That's not helpful. If you got that feedback, even if you followed it, you wouldn't be thrilled about it. Oftentimes you can take a line that makes you want to say Bad and ask something else. What is this supposed to express? What were you trying to do here? Am I supposed to feel happy/sad/uncertain when I read this? Curiosity can reframe something that you don't think works as a reader and turn it into an opportunity for the writer to look inward and solve their own problem. They might explain what they were trying to do, and if you were to say that it didn't pan out for you they're way more likely to tweak things themselves and feel like they still have control over their project.
Give comments. I've started giving more in-depth comments on the writing people give me depending on how anxious they are about it. If you're a pretty confident writer I'll give a summary of what I gained and what I was left wondering, what I thought and what I felt, what associations it made me think of in terms of tone and other forms of media - stuff like that. For newer writers, especially those who are far more doubting of their own abilities, I go buck wild. And in my opinion notes should be less like Good! I like this! Wow! Nice! (What are you, grading my book report? No thanks), and more like what you think when you're reading a book you're truly invested in. Make jokes about the characters (Not mean ones. I will send bugs to you in the mail.), chart exact lines that provoke physical reactions, even a small one. Can you imagine reading someone treat your work like it has its own fandom on Tumblr? You can do that for someone else.
Fucking have some fucking awareness of the fact that it might not be for you and that doesn't mean it's bad. I'm angry about this one considering the novel a friend sent me last night that they've been too terrified to try and post online, despite it being fucking brilliant. I'll try and calm down. Listen - you read what you like. I mainly read literary and experimental fiction, some poetry, horror and some sci-fi. Not a lot of genre fiction. But I will always be down to read someone's high fantasy story, because even though I don't really like fantasy I know what the good ones sound like. I've forced myself to gain a sense of what someone else would like, even if I don't like it. And I can still critique it. If I'm a builder and I see a house that's painted a shade of green I find sinful for a home (i.e. mint), I can look past that and focus on the state of the walls and the stability of the foundation. You aren't a reviewer, man. You are neither Siskel, nor Ebert. They write for readers, you write for writers. So you don't like historical fiction? Cool, man. Congrats. If someone trusts you enough to give you some to read and critique, you should still do so objectively. If you give it an automatic F because you wouldn't buy it, then you are legally a stinky little trash man. That's just the law.
Ask them what they liked to write and what was the hardest. There's apparently a weird trend on online writer communities that say there are specific rules that all writers need to follow. This is not true. It just isn't. If the dialogue in a story you read is weak, and the writer says they hate writing dialogue and really struggle with it, maybe tell them they don't have to use it. You might change their entire life.
RESPOND WITH CURIOSITY. You see the Ask games where people try and get more detail on the WIP of certain authors. If you have a WIP and I ask you a worldbuilding question that doesn't relate to the direct plot of the story as it exists now, I bet you'd like to talk about it. If I ask if you were inspired by a certain tone or movie, you might know the work I was talking about and feel happy. Or you might not know it, look it up, and feel inspired. I don't think people realize that a critique of new/unfinished writing is not a one-and-done exchange. You are taking part in an isolated process in a way few other people on the planet will. It's not homework. It's. Not. Homework. We spend so much of our time alone just fiddling our hands and making our magic, and in instances like these we share something in one of the ultimate forms of artistic trust. They're taking you into a world that hasn't fully formed yet. Is it cool? Can you tell me about it? Can they?
Be nice. Storytime, friends. In the way early 2010s, there was something on the internet called sporking. It was pretty much a line by line roast of someone's writing - typically fanfic. And I hate to say this, but I read a lot of it. I was 13, somehow untreated and overmedicated, and I was miserable constantly. Just cold in my chest. At one point I had the chance to critique a stranger's story - probably another child - and I essentially mocked the whole thing. They ended up deleting the story off the website. I cannot begin to describe to you the shame I feel about doing this, even ten years later. It burns in my heart and makes me sick to my stomach. If you are a serious writer, especially a young writer, and you insult another writer's craft to their face just as they're getting started - you will regret it. I promise you that. You will think about holding something alive and full of potential in your hands and squeezing your fists until it is just flecks of meat and crushed bone. It will haunt you. Maybe only a little, but constantly and for the rest of your life. So don't do it.
Wow what a grim note to leave on! That's essentially my philosophy on writing critique, do with it what you will. Want to send me some writing to receive this kind of excessive treatment? Cool! I have an email in my pinned post and I'll do that! I'm also down to chat if anyone wants to send me asks or DMs on writing/writing struggles/publishing tips.
#writers on tumblr#writeblr#writing#on writing#writing community#authors of tumblr#actually writing#queer writers#fanfic writing#writing critique#writing criticism#writing tips#writing help#writing resources#writing inspiration#i went crazy on this one didn't i
43 notes
·
View notes
Text
INTERVIEW WITH A WRITEBLR — @theglitchywriterboi
Who You Are:
Sparrow Aiden || He/xe
I'm Sparrow Aiden, I'm genderfluid/a trans guy & bi & mixed. My current favorite book is Flesh Eater by Travis Riddle
What You Write:
What genres do you write in? What age ranges do you write for?
Fantasy, horror, and sci-fi. Young adult.
What genre would you write in for the rest of your life, if you could? What about that genre appeals to you?
Probably like fantasy. I just think it's really fun & you can make your own rules for the whole universe [which you can do for others ofc but still-]
What genre/s will you not write unless you HAVE to? What about that genre turns you off?
Romance. I write romance in my stories, but I don't think I could do that as the main focus, especially not smut [I respect it though, just very much not for me writing wise-]
Who is your target audience? Do you think anyone outside of that would get anything out of your works?
Queer people & queer POC. I think people outside those groups would still enjoy it, at least I hope !!!
What kind of themes do you tend to focus on? What kinds of tropes? What about them appeals to you?
I don't really normally have a theme in mind - maybe death is inevitable & we can't prevent it no matter how much power we have. Also friendship & shit.
What themes or tropes can you not stand? What about them turn you off?
The one character that's always bullied for no reason ??? Like Meg from Family Guy or Jerry from Parks & Rec. It's just needlessly mean, & at least in Jerry's case he is simply trying to be nice & not doing anything :(
What are you currently working on? How long have you been working on it?
A lot of things, but mostly Deaths Diner. I've been working on it since like 8th grade [so like 7ish years ??] & I'm still not close to done 😮💨. Second main WIP is The River By The Hotel & a few years but idk how many exactly. Not near as long as Deaths Diner though.
Why do you write? What keeps you writing?
I really enjoy writing !!! & I've always wanted to be published - not for money or anything [though money would be nice] but because it's one thing to sew it in a document, but a whole different thing to be able to hold it & have it impact other people. Plus I've always wanted to give people joy & if people get that from my writing that'd be very cool - even if it's only one person
How long have you been writing? What do you think first drew you to it?
Since I was little. But the first time I knew I WANTED to be a writer was when I was watching Doctor Who w/ my family & after the intro it said "Written by [whoever wrote that episode]" & I thought that was so cool !! Like someone wrote that & my family & I are interacting w/ it & enjoy it !! [& being a screenwriter would be cool, but it wasn't really for me environment wise so I turned towards writing stories/books & I liked reading anyway so-]
Where do you get your inspiration from? Is that how you got your inspiration for your current project? If not, where did the inspiration come from?
It mostly comes randomly, but anything tbh. Sometimes its from a movie or show, sometimes it's from a book, sometimes it's just a "Hey, wouldn’t a story about [X] be interesting haha… Wait that's actually amazing-".
The inspiration for Deaths Diner actually came about through the latter. My brother jokingly said "Haha, we should have our own show" & me being a dumb 8th grader was like "WE SHOULD !!!" So I started scripting it. Then I realized our lives aren't interesting enough to have a show based off us, so I added ghosts, then one thing lead to another & long story short it's absolutely nothing like our lives [But I think it's still really cool-].
The inspiration for The River By The Hotel is also [very loosely] based off my life too. Basically as a kid my brother & I WOULD go to hotels to visit our mom & at one there were two kids. My brother & I did go over to the river area w/ them. The stuff that didn't happen was all thr paranormal monster stuff. [But that was brought on because when we went home my little brother told me he almost fell in, so I was like "What if he did & the river was actually a portal to another world ?"]
What work of yours are you most proud of? Why?
Probably Deaths Diner. I'm still on the first draft & while it's nowhere near done, I've worked so hard & long on it, it's like my baby. I can't wait to be finished w/ it though so I can start the second book in the series
Have you published anything? Do you want to?
I haven't yet. But I really want to !! Hoping to publish something this year or next year
What part of the publishing process most appeals to you? What part least appeals to you?
Most appealing is being able to get a physical copy of my book, because it's like "Yooo I did it !! I actually did it !!!". Least appealing is probably the critics. I know even the best books & the books I love have people that don't like them, but still. It's daunting publishing something you spent so much time on because of the thought people might despise it.
What part of the writing process most appeals to you? What part is least appealing?
The actual writing is most appealing, because its fun to write, the editing is least appealing. Mostly because I get in my head about the quality & get stuck trying to fix everything - even when there's nothing to fix [or nothing major]
Do you have a writing process? Do you have an ideal setup? Do you write in pure chaos? Talk about your process a bit.
Kinda chaos. I just write when I feel like it & I'm a bit of a pantser [maybe more like a plantser though] sometimes, especially w/ a series, I know the majors stops [like we start here, then this happens in the middle, then the end happens. But how I get there I don't know & even w/ the stuff I do know its like a loose idea.] but w/ stand-alones I normally don't know that. I have some scenes planned, but other than that I have zero idea how the book will end
Your Thoughts on Writeblr:
How long have you been a writeblr? What inspired you to join the community?
A few years now. I wanted to join to have a place to share my writing & to make friends w/ other writers
Shout out some of your favorite writeblrs. How did you find them and what made you want to follow them?
Aaaa this is so hard I really like all my writeblr mutuals/friends it's hard to pick but Uuuuuuhhh- @jezifster, @daisywords, @writing-is-a-martial-art, @athena-anna-rose, @penspiration-writing, @caligraphyzev, @writingpotato07, @writewithfire, @pen-of-roses, @e-lisard, @ashen-crest, @the-finch-address, @cryptid-s-wips, @chrismerle, & so many others !!! I don't know how I stumbled onto all of them, but they're all cool people & cool writers
What is your favorite part about writeblr?
The community & event
What do you think writeblr could improve on? How do you think we can go about doing so?
I don't know tbh
How do you contribute to the writeblr community? Do you think you could be doing more?
I think I could interact more. I'm very forgetful so sometimes I forget to reply to stuff or post things. I try to share others writing & stuff
What kinds of posts do you most like to interact with?
All kinds, other people's writing & short stories, peoples replies to tag games, etc
What kind of posts do you most like to make?
Updates about progress
Finally, anywhere else online we may be able to find you?
On twitter: @WriterGlitch & on Instagram: @TheGlitchyWriter [though I'm most active on tumblr]
11 notes
·
View notes
Note
Hello. So uh. I recently read The Vampire Armand, I've read a bunch of books after that, but there's this one thing in it I haven't been able to get out of my head and need to talk to someone about.
There's this one scene, before Armand becomes a vamp and he's with Marius. And Marius wants him to study or whatever, and Armand doesn't want that, and Marius like wips him. And it's described in great detail and Armand both dislikes it but also seems to enjoy it on some level.
And oh my god, it's obviously (BD)SM, right? And I don't think I've ever before read actual kink in an actual book. It was soo good.
And I felt so strongly that like this is written knowing that this is BDSM. It's written as someone intimately familiar with how impact play feels. And it made me feel seen.
And I also want to know if others also felt so strongly about this scene. If people thought about it like this when the book came out.
Anyway, thanks for being a target of my rant.
Hello!
You're in good company; many of us have a similair reaction to this scene and for good reason. Anne Rice wrote...a lot of kink. I haven't read her Sleeping Beauty books myself, or her Witching Hour books, but I know enough about what's in them, plus having read almost all of TVC, to know it's obvious that Anne is a kinky mofo at least on the page. And that's a good thing! Because books and art are a safe way to explore even the most taboo aspects of kink and sexuality.
Imo, Marius and Armand go through the dance of a recognizable romance novel BDSM or D/s dynamic. What I mean by this is a power exchange relationship run through the filter of a fantasy love story. People who was well versed in real life BDSM know all about consent, safe words, SSC, all that, but when it comes to fiction, we have a space where we can bend and play with those rules.
Marius is master, this is certain. He purchased Amadeo, he literally bought him. IRL we know this isn't an aspect of real BDSM but it plays well to represent the power imbalance on the page, same as Harlequin romance novels with Fabio on the cover as the pillaging Viking bringing back an unwilling war bride. This variety of forced marriage/relationship is a very old and common trope.
And we see that Amadeo takes to it well. He loves Marius. He welcomes the love Marius gives him. He loves him even as he's being disciplined. And that includes being whipped and punished. Punishment is a common aspect of a PE relationship, and this mirrors that concept in, again, the fantasy romance unfolding on the page. Antis like to point out that Amadeo isn't consenting to this and he's a victim, but once again that's why I'm reiterating that this is a *fantasy romance*, a historical one at that, and our real world ideas of what proper consent looks like don't apply here. This book is written for adults as an escapist fantasy, a rescue fantasy, just like people have been reading for decades.
As somebody who is in a type of PE relationship, who has always desired such a dynamic and who has been reading about practice and the community for 15+ years, I'm with you. M/A speaks to me, and it's kinky elements are a feature, not a bug.
INb4 someone tells me I'm promoting abuse, throws around the P word, insinuates I'm toxic and don't know what I'm talking about.
38 notes
·
View notes
Text
writeblr intro!!
hi hi!! i'm helena/danger (she/her) and i'm new to tumblr but i saw a bunch of people doing writeblr introductions and wanted to join in!! i'm a bit shy when it comes to reaching out but if you interact with me at all i will like. 100% respond!!! ok here goes!!
about me
i am a:
adult,
lesbian,
ADD haver,
third culture kid,
hobbyist reader,
psych major,
avid dog enthusiast,
wannabe artist,
horror movie fan,
ecology nerd,
and, as you might have guessed,
a writer!!
i'm not incredible at it but for some reason i cant stop doing it so here i am!!
favorite genres/niches
fantasy mostly!!!
i like to think i like plot but honestly i'll like anything if the characters are good enough
HUGE mythology and folktale fan!! i have very strong opinions on how to incorporate those into a novel tho, so only ask about that if you dare!!
surprise creepy concepts and crapsaccharine worlds are like my favorite of all time. i 100% support lying about the contents of a project to keep that twist extra shocking!!
romcoms might not be my favorite but im a sucker for cute couples, especially if they are LGBTQ+
psychological horror is excellent, one of my favorites (even if i'd never dare to write it)
depictions and representations of mental health is probably the thing that's most consistent throughout my work? maybe its just the psych major talking but i find that stuff endlessly fascinating
i've lived in various places overseas for most of my life, so i enjoy stories set in unique locations absolutely DRENCHED in culture!!
current projects
i feel a bit awkward sharing these because again, i'm not a great writer, but i like reading about other writeblr's projects so i figured i'd give other people the option of seeing mine! warning for pretentious titles for very straightforward and basic concepts
WIP - flowers that mean "we'd miss you" - a short story I wrote while testing out subtext, character dynamics and prose!! the basic run-down is that a boy wakes up in the hospital and now he and his friends have to navigate a very difficult conversation. the subject matter definitely requires a content warning, and it has a few gaps i still need to fill, but overall i really like the direction it's headed!! out of all of these projects, it's probably the one i have the least issues with.
in the ataraxis of aftermath - this one is a novel i wrote for NaNoWriMo 2020! it is post-apocalyptic with elements of fantasy, slice-of-life, and romance, specifically lgbtq+ romance. it's about a girl exploring what remains of her flooded city when she suddenly finds another survivor. despite the genre, this novel is very slow-paced and calm, relying more on the character dynamics and emotional journey of the protagonist instead of traditional story beats and plotlines!! i finished the whole first draft that november (and without any real outline to guide me, so altogether it's a bit of a mess), and i plan on rewriting it after i finish the two following projects!!
WIP - the owl's wish - originally intended as a short story for just a friend and i, this project is quickly expanding into a full-on novel!! it's a haikyuu!! fanfic, but i've been told that the story is well enough removed from the show that it can work even if you don't that context. the only summary i can give without spoilers is that it's about an owl spirit with amnesia who finds a friend, and together they set off to get their wishes granted by the mysterious Lady of the Yellow Springs (but it's about more than that, i promise ;) ). it's set in ancient japan, and i referenced a few traditional fairytales when drawing up the outline, but otherwise it's a completely original folktale that can hopefully be accessible to anyone who picks it up!!
WIP - currently titled ouroboros paradox - this is a novel i am currently plotting, so honestly i'm not so sure how much i can say!! this is a fantasy novel coming from my intense passion for large creatures, horror elements, and norse mythology. as far as i know now, the story will follow two protagonists in the city of jörmungandr - one from the past and one in the present - as they try to navigate life, religion and ethics in a world where murdering living beings lengthens your lifespan. i plan on finishing my outline before this november, so i can try to hit 50K for nanowrimo this year!!
where to find me
Instagram, Wattpad, Art Fight, AO3, & Toyhouse! If you would like to read my writing but don't have a Wattpad account, i've linked the google docs directly to the titles :)
and that should be it!! if you read this far imagine i am giving you a very firm handshake with very watery eyes. if you'd like to reach out, ask questions, or share some of your story tidbits with me, please do!! i'd be so happy to reciprocate however you'd like :) have a great day!! drink some water!!!
#writeblr intro#wip intro#writblr#writeblr#writers on tumblr#lesbian writer#looking for friends#looking for mutuals#im very shy but if you want to reach out like at all i 100% will#like im 110% serious i love writing friends i'd be so happy to make more mutuals#even if you want to just ramble about something you haven't been able to like... hmu bestie i love listening to that#not even kidding let me be the audience for your passionate speeches i am begging you#helena says stuff
285 notes
·
View notes
Note
if it weren't for one of the Valkyries being a possible love interest for Azriel we wouldn't have seen this much hate toward them istg... or maybe even worse bc they're women.
Saying that it's unrealistic to win a blood rite when you only had trained for 9 months while reading a fantasy book- wait scratch that A ROMANTASY is crazy imo. Like honey none of this is real, faes are. not. real. and on top of that the main plot is about the romance, the books are not here to give you logic!! How this is unrealistic while Feyre a 19 years old human girl killed a fkn giant wyrm with some piece of bones and mud is completely normal to you but you go around and say its unrealistic for Valkyries win the blood rite?
Or how they call the Valkyries goofing around with the house, childish and unlikeable while half centuries warriors having snowball fight is not childish or cringe?
I mean this is what happens when they only read the books for e/riel scenes while is none existence in acosf... they should enjoy them while they can cuz they're not gonna happen anymore. Watch something like this happens with CC3 bc they're only reading it for a none canon ship and when they get disappointed they blame it on writing and sjm...
(ps: I love both Bat Boys and Valkyries silliness and I believe in my high lady and the first Valkyries in centuries🫡)
I agree that there wouldn't be quite so much negativity towards certain characters if Gwyn were not set up to be an Az love interest. And you're right, there is a lot said about the Valkyrie's friendship and their accomplishments as a result.
The only thing I will say is that there's maybe a few valid points being made and I'll get to them in a second, though the problem is their agenda against Gwyn makes their arguments look more petty than coming from a place of interest in actual debate.
This is a fantasy book and wild and crazy things happen so them winning the Rite should be entirely plausible for that reason alone.
I think the problems come in when you look at the history of the Rite. Illyrian boys, at about 11 years old, are taken away from their family's for years and years to be trained all day in an extremely grueling and sometime violent manner.
I've seen some say that the girls were able to make it through the Rite because they had Cassian's training but he is the general of the Illyrian army's. If his training methods made it possible so that three adult females with absolutely no training prior (no exercise prior), can spend a few months training while still running a business (Emerie), working in the library (Gwyn and Nesta), in an encouraging environment rather than a punishing one, and become elite warriors in exactly the same way Rhys, Cassian, and Az did then why is that same kind of training not being pushed for in Devlin's camp rather than taking young boys from their homes? And if the moral of the story is that "friendship" is what got them through, then why aren't Rhys (the HL of the NC) or Cassian (the general) demanding that Devlin make changes to the training program to encourage more comradery and teamwork? Isn't it in their best interest to train the best warriors to protect their lands? Training them in what is clearly the most efficient way?
I've also seen some say Briallyn fixed it so Nesta won which is what made this Rite different from the bat boys but does that then make their win a true win if there was manipulation involved? I think the overall message is an amazing one while the execution left something to be desired as that particular storyline raised a lot of valid questions.
I don't begrudge the Valkyries their win at all, I think they are a fantastic addition to the series but I can see how it does seem a bit backwards, knowing that a few select adult females were taken under Cassian and Az's wings while allowing the children of their court to be forced at such a young age to train and placed under the care of Devlin who seems like an asshole.
With that said, maybe this will be SJM bringing about a new era and changes will be made to the Illyrian training program as a result. Maybe Devlin will be taken out and Az or Cassian will be put in charge of training the male Illyrians (which I think would make a great storyline for Az) while Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie train the females.
16 notes
·
View notes
Text
Still on my YA/fantasy/romance kick…
Delicious!
Also if I were out in the dating world, I know what pick up lines if borrow 😂
But joking aside, this passage basically reminds me why my fiction reading consists of: fantasy, romance, 18th/19th century novels, and YA, with some historical novels (either epic and/or with romance) thrown in.
What I like in my fiction, and what contemporary adult non-genre fiction so rarely gives me is an epic narrative. I don't necessarily mean a big war or w/e, but I want to read about heroism (even if it ends tragically), and incredible love (even if it ends badly), and not the grubby grey mundanity so many contemporary adult non-genre novels love. It is not any less one-note to have a world that is small and miserable and navel-gazing than an epic fight to save the universe set-up, but also aside from whether it's realistic or not - I want to read about something exotic, something with huge stakes, something that isn't just looking out of a window because I can look out of a window myself.
There is a reason that a big exception to the above-listed limitation on modern novels for me are magical realism writers (Jorge Amado is one of my Top 5 writers of all time and Mark Helprin is a rare English-language novelist in this genre I like), or those trading on absurd with amazing sense of style (PG Wodehouse) and why I will so rarely read any novels in contemporary setting that aren't fantasy.
The never-ending stream of I am a divorced professor hooking up with a younger woman/I like to buy shoes and hot men love me despite my lack of personality/this is a story of me and my three sisters as we discuss boring stuff about our mother is just BORING.
I honestly think this is why the YA market is so big. Sure, teens like it. But also plenty of adults like me do too. I want love to die for and battles to save the world and all that other wonderful stuff not "narrative of how my family and I moved to Hoboken." Can you made mundane interesting? Yes, of course. But it requires a lot of skill, that most of the writers of such books do not possess.
27 notes
·
View notes
Note
hi how do you cope with stans having bad takes and their overall illiteracy and refusal to critique the misogyny homophobia and racism in Sarah’s works and continue to elevate her popularity when there are better authors who could do with her fame
Unfortunately the extreme fans of sarah janet's work are not alone in declining to put thought into the media they consume. I try not to engage directly - that usually ends badly. Generally I just mention I don't care for her work and move on. If they press me I say why.
Also I just generally try to recommend better books tbh. If someone says they like tog because they like that celaena has more than one love interest and doesn't end up with the first, I go 'oh! You may like Tamora Pierce. Most of her heroines have more than one love interest, and she also has stabby ladies!'
'I like the worldbuilding' may I interest you in the books of pellinor in this trying time, or The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
'Fantasy romance' I admit I usually lean more fantasy than romance in my reading, but I DO enjoy Blackmantle despite a couple of issues, because 'rightful part-sidhe heir reclaims her family's throne and eventually has to rescue her foreverlove from death after which they live forever!'
Dark fae romance: daaaaark is a bit of a misnomer (for the romance part) but the Toby Daye series has fae galore and a stabby kickass heroine who solves a lot of her problems by punching them in the face. Her stepmom is a mermaid. One who punches people in the face. It's a thing. The High Mountain Court isn't exactly dark either but it has fae and sexy romance.
Anyway my point is this: I am of the firm belief that a lot of people find sarah janet's work compelling or original because they haven't had the chance to read the books she works from (and I don't even in this instance mean the Suspicious Similarities). I think, and have found, that ALMOST ALWAYS (*almost*) the fans of hers who start reading other things start drifting more towards those other things. I genuinely believe this is the true reason bloomsbury wanted to publish her work in YA: YA readers usually haven't been able to read as many books as adults who read, and can therefore be offered less original things without noticing.
I don't mean 'oh lol kids don't know what racism is' but I do mean that, at least in the US, media literacy is being hardcore removed from the curriculum. It is a skill that needs teaching and practice, not an innate talent that some people Just Ignore. If people are given a wider range of things to read, they will start to see more patterns and question why some books do this while others don't.
And I think that Bloomsbury and Sarah Janet herself, in managing her books and writing as they would a brand, are deliberately driving what is (questionably) called 'tribal marketing' and encouraging an 'us vs them' mentality. You'll note similar marketing tactics with apple products.
42 notes
·
View notes
Note
i think the reason which makes me angry about acotar & its fandom as a whole is the double standard that exists in the fanbase. rhysand sexually assaulted feyre? 'it's a dark romance so you should go read your vanilla stories & also he did it for her own good'. but when someone says 'well, if it's a dark romance, surely we can have a tamlin redemption arc 'cause he & rhys are the same 'cause he was also protecting feyre 'for her own good'', they'll come at you with pitchforks about how feyre needs someone who is 'feminist' to have a 'healthy relationship' with. like WHICH ONE IS IT??
i am in the hannibal, killing eve & interview with the vampire fandoms. i do like me some mutually toxic relationships that makes you look through characters psyches & pick apart motives & themes.
but acotar goes for this weird stance in its own morality that it doesn't make an ounce of sense. it would've made sense if feyre had left tamlin even if they had a healthy relationship to go join rhysand & then the story could've had a darker turn there. that could've been the basis of a dark romance. or feyre & tamlin's relationship being built on the same lines of toxicity & feyre betraying/hurting tamlin to join rhysand because she wants more power. & tamlin be an equal adversary for them (not antagonist). then the story be continued from there. give me moral ambiguity so that i don't know who to root for. these kinds of things happen in adult high fantasies all the time.
but sjm chooses to compare two equally bad (or 'morally gray', as the stans love to call it) characters and be like 'see, this one is better!!' but if someone points out that they're equally bad you have to watch them do all kinds of unnecessary mental gymnastics & say 'b-but it is a dark romance with dark themes & it's adult!! and rhysand is MORALLY GREY!!! if you can't handle it don't read it!' or the argument of 'it's fiction & they're fae!! you can't apply real world morals to it!!' like sure but where is the CONSISTENCY???
Hey Anon! I could've sworn I answered this. But apparently I didn't.
I can't stand the justifying of Rhys' deeds. Dark Romance books don't feel the need to do that. The guy doesn't need the justifications and hero framing. The books are thrown around as feminist or empowering. The point is that the relationship is a toxic dynamic. Maas has said in interviews that she writes healthy romances. She views this as a healthy relationship.
You know what's funny? The road to hell is paved with what? Good. Intentions. The best villains are people who meant well but had evil methods to achieve that goal. Rhys did x______ because it was for....? Doesn't matter, still did it. Thanos (in the movies) killed half the universe because it would create more resources for those left. Good intention. Horrible idea considering he had the power to create more resources.
You're right that there were so many other angles this could've gone to make it better. Personally I believe the best idea would've been to just have them grow apart. Cuz that happens and it wouldn't have taken Tamlin being abusive to do. Feyre could've fallen for Rhys knowing what he did was wrong. I'm sorry but there was no excuse or justification for working for Amarantha. Rhys should've been punished. However that would mean more work than comparing a retconned Tamlin to Rhys and made Feyre actually flawed.
Ugh... this series... so glad I'm not buying anymore of her books. You know, it's so weird how easily impressed I am with books that do the bare minimum effort to be decent after reading these.
#anti sjm#anti acotar#anti rhysand#anti feyre#anti feysand#anti sjmaas#sjm critical#answered asks#ask box#send me asks#ask me anything#ask holly#my asks#thanks for the ask!#anon ask#ask
73 notes
·
View notes
Note
feel free to skip if you're uncomfortable. I saw your post about the things you don't support in writing but what are your thoughts on things like rape-fic or CNC?
First and foremost I think I will never write them or read them. I am a rape-survivor and though I have managed my trauma well I am not in a place where I want to see or interact with it in literature or media.
In terms of whether or not they're ethical? That's a grey area. Context matters pretty heavily when depicting those topics and there is definitely a way people do it that is toxic and perpetuates harmful misconceptions about sex and consent.
To a point you can argue it's like BDSM, the people creating and engaging with these scenarios are adults writing about other adult characters and they retain control over the fantasy so there's no actual consent being violated. Though I certainly think there is a conversation to be had about why these fantasies are so prevalent, especially among women. There's also an issue with the predator characters sometimes being intentionally or unintentionally racially coded but that requires its own separate conversation. It also makes a difference if the writer is identifying with the predatory role vs the victim role which is also it's own conversation but I think for the purpose of this ask I'll focus mainly on female consumers who identify with the victim as that is the most widespread scenario in fanfic and the "romance" genre.
Take this with a grain of salt, I haven't really done a lot of research into this so most of this is speculative and based on conversations I've had with women who enjoy this kind of content. I could be way off in my observations but I noticed common threads in all of my conversations.
I think genres like smutty "bodice rippers" written by and for women don't have widespread popularity for no reason and the reason is rooted in internalized misogyny. It's a symptom of generations of women feeling ashamed of their sexuality. The main appeal of these kinds of narratives seems to be that the female protagonist has little to no control and is therefore not responsible for initiating or perusing any kind of sexual gratification. She remains passive rather than active, through that passivity she can retain a sense of moral purity and even innocence. Why do those things matter? Because historically and even in some sense currently, that is the measure of a woman's worth.
I've spoken to women who say that they inexplicably feel a sense of guilt if they take a proactive role in the bedroom and I find that more than a little troubling tbh.
In most of these stories the female protagonist is not given power because power would mean she could be held responsible for her own debauchery. It opens her up to criticism, slut-shaming and accusations of "asking for it."
In summary I don't think there's generally anything wrong with kink but I think it's beneficial to examine where the kink comes from and why a particular fantasy or kink is widespread. Fiction is shaped by reality and consumers of fiction are obligated to some extent to understand what they are consuming and why they are consuming it. At the end of the day all I ask is that people engage critically and be willing to unpack whether what their consuming is in itself harmful or a symptom of a more widespread harmful ideology.
12 notes
·
View notes
Note
Re romantasy and kingdom of the wicked I totally feel you. It's always annoyed me that when women write fantasy about women it is like, automatically assumed to be YA and now with TikTok we see this weird trend of YA books written for adults not kids. A very similar thing happened with Lightlark where the first book was defended by saying it was for kids, and thus wasn't supposed to be good (which...lol) but then the second one was super Horned Up in a way that obviously was not for kids. Just make it for adults from the beginning! Adult fiction isn't scary! I feel the same about NA--why are we acting as if Adult fiction can't be written with a lighter tone? And this is not to say that YA can't have sexual content. Imho it can but that content should be written with the audience in mind and many of these books simply aren't for teens despite the label. Sorry this kinda got away from your post but I wanted to echo that im seeing what you're seeing!
No I'm glad you brought this up!
Honestly, I think that much of the fantasy romance discussion is so colored by a confusion regarding the audience. For many years, a lot of publishers really thought that the only way to sell fantasy romance or romance-adjacent fantasy was to market it as YA. I think that part of this was because, prior to that, there was a real sense of fantasy being a (nerdy) man's space. Like, women enjoyed it, but they were more a bonus than the audience, in the mind of publishing. I don't think they thought of women as the people reading GRRM or Brandon Sanderson. Certainly not Tolkien.
Whereas I believe the YA boom was often attributed to teen girls--and I say that because there was a surprising lack of YA fantasy with male protagonists, at least when I was reading it. Or solo male protagonists, at least; you might have boys thrown into an ensemble, but if there was a solo POV it was usually a girl. And of course, part of this was an extension of looking down on the female audience, right? This isn't "real" fantasy, it's for kids! Despite the fact that there is of course, thoughtful and well-written YA fantasy.
Then, as it had been happening with Twilight (and everything YA, but I think with Twilight it became this very recognized deal) adult readers became a huge part of the conversation. And I say this as an adult who read YA fantasy primarily for years--I don't think there's anything wrong with that. But I do think there has been a real issue with YA in general being taken away from its original audience. Which is a big reason why things graphic sex have become more prominent in YA. The voice of the adult reader is overshadowing the voice of the teen. (And of course, adults often have more free income to spend on these books--especially as ebooks have become so dominant. A lot teens have e-readers, a lot of them can read on apps, but many of them do not have independent bank accounts they can link to these products, which means they can't buy as freely.)
And while I think it's totally fine for adults to enjoy YA, I don't think it's okay for adults to speak over the primary audience. If you're upset that the teen books aren't giving you the adult content you want, content I think is absolutely fine to want when you read... Grow the fuck up and read adult books. Like I did lmao.
The thing is, for a lot of those readers that's going to mean transitioning to romance, because romance gives them the things they want--it's commercial, it's focused on relationships, it has sex on the page. But for a while--during the YA boom at least--I feel like there were certain authors singled out as like. Above it all. Like they were doing Writing whereas romance has long been seen as... just writing. If that. And I think a lot of readers bought into that.
(So did a lot of writers, for the record. Romance writers have drama, absolutely. But Jesus lmao. The high-handedness of YA authors on Twitter can be something ELSE. Like people, you're writing commercial fiction like all the rest of us. You aren't any better and your drama is not any more impactful.)
So, yeah. I'm glad to see fantasy romance for adults becoming more of a thing, because I personally feel that many authors probably wanted to write for adults, but were pushed to age down by agents and publishers. (Understandably, for agents.) But the transition can be tricky, because I do think the automatic assumption many readers still have is "fantasy with kissing" = YA fantasy. I saw Kerri Mansicalco on Insta being like "we are trying to be very clear that these standalones are adult". To me, these Kingdom of the Wicked books read as soooo adult lol. And it almost seems like you can read the transition in real time. Which is so interesting.
5 notes
·
View notes
Note
Hi Cossette! I've been spending the last few days gathering some 2024 media releases that I hope to check out this year and I'm looking forward to (to name a few!):
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
The Mars House by Natasha Pulley
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
and ooh! I'm also very intrigued about Allison Saft's upcoming adult debut!! I hope it will be good 🙏
I also prefer standalones! While there are times where I'd love to revisit my favourite worlduilding + characters, I tend to find the storytelling & character development more properly fleshed out within a standalone (comparing to books within a long series).
That's totally valid! It certainly took me some time to get into Alix E Harrow's writing - not that's it's poorly written (it's very artfully written), but it's pretty dense and the story pacing is on the slow side. Also as much as I enjoy taking notes / annotating beautifully written prose, I feel you effort required to analyse the writing 😅
Speaking of The Starless Sea, the aesthetic / vibes of the book reminds me of Taylor Swift's Midnights - very atmospheric and with a strong focus on storytelling. I've been meaning to make something showcasing parallels between songs from Midnights & sections of The Starless Sea since late 2022 (this was pushed back for various reasons), so I was very happy to post the edit today :D
If you could assign your favourite books as music albums (based on thematic / aesthetic similarities), how would you pair them up?
P.S. Yes!! I love the album & vinyl artwork for Kali Uchis' new album and I hope you have the chance to listen to Orquideas later this year! (and I hope you all the best with the 365 albums challenge 💖)
hi jennifer!!! i have an arc of a tempest of tea, but i don't know if i'll get around to it before publication date 😭 i'm really intrigued by the premise, but struggled a bit with the fantasy in we hunt the flame (i struggle a lot with fantasy/have to be in a very specific mood for it)! i haven't read any of katherine arden's stuff, but have seen a lot of it on the internet over the years; maybe i'll check it out!
i feel like a common question i see on bookstagram is "what's your favorite series" and i always struggle to answer this because i am just not a series girlie! i think the few favorite series that i love (that aren't duologies) are probably either the raven cycle, or series of romance books that are set in the same universe but follow different characters so they essentially operate as standalones! i wish i was a series girlie, but i just ... am not one. i actually just put alix harrow's ten thousand doors of january on hold on libby — it might work better for me as an audiobook! sometimes i do better with fantasy via audiobook than physically reading it, for some reason.
i saw your starless sea/midnights gifset and am obsessed. i know i've told you this before but i loveeeee your gifsets so much, especially the ones where you find parallels between things!
oh this is so hard! i feel like it's easier to assign specific songs for me, rather than entire albums to books, but here goes:
beach read: honorable mention to emails i can't send by sabrina carpenter (title track) for january's relationship with her father, but unsure of what album would fit january/gus best!
normal people: i think either sam fender's seventeen going under, or noah kahan's stick season? i think both albums have a similar theme of being homesick and also home sick, which i feel like plays a big role in the plot of normal people!
honey girl: i feel like paint my bedroom black by holly humberstone? like the themes of growing up / moving away / being lonely / figuring out your life?
the starless sea: maybeeeee evermore but this does not feel like a good fit to me still!
les miserables: ... going to cheat here and say the les mis cast recording
i'm still stuck on portrait of a thief, and book lovers though! what about you? what book/album pairings do you have in mind?
2 notes
·
View notes
Note
I didn't follow Otonapre too much up until the last three episodes, but your overview on it was a joy to read. 🥰 Also thank you for being supportive about Nozomi and Coco getting married unlike those ungrateful fans on Twitter (I will still name it as such and not by its current name please and thank you) They did nothing but call their romance gross, go extreme raeg mode anytime they make 🥺😢 faces at each other and name Coco strong derogatory words.
Also knowing you, you're going to love the Otona Maho Girls Precure sequel up to 11!
My MahoGirls comrade~! *hugs* Happy New Year! 🥹
It's always so nice to see a message from you in my inbox (along with that icon of Nao, hi Nao-chan~💚).
Thank you for taking time to read my post 🥰
And god, y'know as person who's cut off almost all their social media recently (I really only login for like 5 minutes a day to check on a few official accounts, merchandise announcements, keep up with certain news and to blog occasionally), I'd like to suggest limiting your exposure to these toxic platforms for the sake of your sanity.
Especially Twitter (who are we kidding? it's always going to be Twitter :P) because that place just keeps getting worst on top of already being infested with the vilest of scumbags.
Not saying that tumblr is any better cuz it's not but yea, Twitter is still the worst, bar none.
Also a reminder that a bunch of faceless randos who hide behind anonymity will never be worth your time, emotional health or your eyes. Chances are they're a bunch of radicals or delulus who haven't truly experienced enough of the real world to be able to separate their crazy paranoia fantasies from reality.
There's a reason Otona Precure is aimed at adults and not the unhinged shippers or anti-shippers or whatever.
I mean, what is there to gripe about here? Coco is the primary target of the bashing simply based on the shallow fact that he's a man and older than Nozomi. That's it, nothing else.
They don't take into account that he's not the type of person to take advantage of her, that nothing over the PG-13 rating happened between them since the moment they met in the original seasons (because this spin-off is still attached to Precure series and you know the writers are responsible enough to not allow any sort of explicit content in the story).
Nor do they care that his proposal is the very first time he's ever confessed his feelings to Nozomi (and vice versa), who IS a full-fledged woman and more than capable of making her own decisions and choosing her own happiness.
Haters wanna hate because frankly, they're not good at anything else but projecting all the worst parts about themselves onto a harmless piece of fiction. Why else would they hang on social media all day with nothing good to say?
Anyways, yes! I am so excited for Otona MahoGirls and I might just blog it! 😁
Here's hoping it'll be just as good as Otona Precure and that we have something good to look forward to in 2024 cuz we really, really, really need it, ok? 😭 (pray for Palestine, pray for Japan 🙏)
#also sorry for taking so long to reply#i'm in the middle of moving and was sick all week#replies#otona precure
3 notes
·
View notes
Note
I wanted to say thanks for this blog. One of the biggest “problematic” types of ships I’ve read and written since I was even 11-13 was adult x children characters. It was a way for me to safely explore sexuality as a kid who got crushes on adults (teachers, celebrities, fictional characters, etc) without actually pursuing dangerous relationships.
Romantization of forbidden relationships in fiction, reading loads of vampire romances as a kid, and so on were all escapist fantasies for me, and they still hold a big place for me.
The renegade teenager being romanced by the wiser, has-their-shit-together older vampire, the chosen one teen hero attracted to the older elf mystic whose maturity and world view changed their life, a younger character taken care of by an adult character through intersecting familial, platonic, sexual means as a way to wade through my own feelings without having to put myself through ridicule or danger.
It’s more helpful than not being allowed to explore it at all, similar to the way fundie Christians talk about abstinence as the morally pure thing to do.
Fiction helps explore fantasies, intrusive thoughts, personal histories, and more. Not that I think there has to be an overall Morally Correct reason to consume darkfic or problematic ships and the like, but antis loooove bring ableist towards trauma, neglect, mental illness, let alone it’s deeply insulting to compare the real exploitation of children to some teen who has a crush on Louis from Interview with the Vampire.
In addition tons of anime, for example, has teen characters, and if a teenager finds them attractive they’re either bullied for writing them fucking, or bullied for aging them up to fuck. Which then forces a teen to out their real age to a bunch of strangers online to prove they’re Morally Allowed to find lines on paper attractive. Antis make fiction hostile towards anyone who isn’t an adult. Ironically the opposite of their goal.
Firstly, you're very welcome! I'm glad you're enjoying your time here, and thank you for sharing your experience!
Secondly, say it louder (y'know, for the ones plugging their ears in the back)!
Thirdly, when you say "Antis make fiction hostile towards anyone who isn’t an adult," I very much agree. And I think it's a very specific range of adult they strive to cater towards since ageism is something I've seen (though thankfully never personally dealt with!): 18 to 21yos. Being on the younger side of Young Adult means:
they're still young enough to hide behind the shield of "minor" because eighteen and nineteen still have -teen in them (but lbr that doesn't stop some 21yos from claiming they're still minors)
they're chronologically old enough to access Restricted material without needing to lie (I imagine this takes off some guilt or shame)
but
they're not mature enough to handle the responsibility of curating their own experience, coming out of a time when the adults in their lives would take the initiative to sequester themselves away for the safety and benefit of everyone, not just minors, so instead of doing the same and paying it forward, they think they're gaming the system and doing better in their crusades to rid the world of X, Y, Z
If you're older than that, you's a pedo, you sketchy as shit, your mere existence is a scary threat, not even sorry, stop playing online and go pay taxes or something. Silly adult, the Internet is for kids!!!!!
If you're younger than that, you's a baby <3 a smol wittle helpwess bean, pure and clean, and must be protected from the big bad kinksters and the scary sketchy adults uwu!! Or, as Gretchen puts it:
You're new and you don't know things
You need good friends who can tell you what to think!
Or, as Chandler says,
You can join the team (or you can bitch and moan)
You can live the dream (or you can DIE alone)
You can fly with the eagles or if you prefer
Keep on testing me and end up like her!
Sometimes I'll see talk about proshippers "grooming" the underaged into "joining their side/liking problematic content" or some shit, when the reality of it is that a) bad people have the potential to be everywhere, and they are, and b) whether or not you’re open about the stuff you like in fiction has to do with your level of security. Because everyone likes things, everyone has different reasons for liking those things, but whether or not you share either depends entirely on whether you feel safe enough to do so. I've yet to see a single person of the proship mindset shaming another for liking/not liking incest, age gap, dubcon/noncon, or any works in which these elements appear, because they themselves aren't a fan. Because we understand everyone has different preferences, without restriction, and so long as no one is actually getting hurt we're good. Drawing blood is not the same as blood being drawn. Antis, on the other hand, will not hesitate to shame and call out those for the crime of liking something they deem unjust or impure by dressing it up as the noble cause of protecting the poor innocent children who can't save (aka think for) themselves, and the fear of being a target to relentless harassment for something so inconsequential as liking a show/character/dynamic is what keeps them cowed. Who wants to live like that? That's stressful as shit! The paranoia, the energy it takes to keep up with that? Exhausting! I'd much rather be in a house full of weirdos all doing their own thing than a house full of "normal people" who won't hesitate to throw you out if you step a toe out of line.
And then, when antis grow out of that age range, they start justifying why it's okay for them to still like the things they do as the chronological physical adults they were so afraid of becoming, because they're doing it correctly.
They're consuming responsibly by sending death threats, rape threats, suicide baiting, or doxing.
They're warning people about the dangers of consuming X, Y, and Z by labeling everyone who disagrees with them degenerates who get off on it/THEIR trauma specifically despite being an Internet rando at best and part of a friendship circle at worst.
They're not lewding the dragon loli they're sending CSEM/CSAM of real children to real volunteers on one of the biggest fanfiction archive sites on the Internet, and that's not even touching how they got hold of it in the first place.
They're blocking people they don't want interacting with them after provoking them of course so they can play the Wounded Gazelle Gambit because clearly they've done nothing wrong, they were just trying to start a civilized discussion and the proshitters went feralsavage.
Whoo, this was a lot. Thank you for sending this in, and I'm sorry I took so long to post and I went on for so long lol. Keep shipping! Indulge! That's what the media's there for!
Happy Heathers Day!
#proship#proshipper safe#proshippers please interact#anti anti#antis dni#antis don’t interact#anti harassment
32 notes
·
View notes
Note
So I'm only dipping my toes in "interview..." fandom and I might be swinging on hornets' nest here but
Why is Armand/Marius such a popular ship? Wasn't Armand like 15 when they met?
Woooo ok now this is an ask, Anon, and one I'm excited to answer!
I'm going to preference this with warnings though. Talk of Marius/Armand always leads to talk of Marius/Amadeo, which is discussion of consent, underage sex, historical changes of behavior, abuse, rape, and physical punishment. Just to round out the categories.
Yes, Armand, or Amadeo as Marius named him, was 15 when Marius bought him from a brothel and yes they were immediately lovers. Marius and Armand's relationship is between a fifteen year old mortal and a 1500 year old vampire in the body of a 40 year old man. Get that clear and out of the way.
Now as to your question, why do people ship it? Well. A lot of reasons. Let's start with the fact that TVA I. The Venice years is written as a love story. It's a romance. And I know some people will point out that it can't be a romance story, it's noncon/dubcon/statutory etc. But that doesn't mean it's not a romance. Romance can be and often is full of Proeblantic Content. Let's looks at just some of the romance tropes M/A hits on-
Teacher/Student. Tale as old as time. It's a very basic erotic fantasy, the older man, the one in authority, the one who will guide you and teach you and look after you. Marius is teacher to Amadeo, in the ways of art, history, language, culture. The power unbalance is implicit in this kink
Rescue Fantasy - another common one, as much emotional as physical or sexual. So many people who live in absusive homes or relationships or live with the trauma of that abuse fantasize about someone coming to take them away from it all, be it a pirate captain, a Viking warlord, or One Direction
Incest- like it or not incest is a hell of a kink. Everyone's mom got off to Flowers in the Attic, and there's been media for ages that deals romantically with incest. Angel Sanctuary comes to mind. Marius refers to Armand as his son and raises him as one in many ways. It's another part of the taboo power play.
Whisked Away- this is the one talked about the most in fandom circles and it's related to Rescue Fantasy. This is the captured bride, the arranged marriage, the sold to a king, the harem, the war bride, the sex slave. "Oh I can't let myself enjoy my body and my desires but what if someone stole me and made me and I had no choice?"
"ok but he's 15." Yes. But again none of that negates the previous things. And in fact it only draws me to another point- he's also not real. He isn't real. Armand isn't real. Marius isn't real. All of this is fantasy make believe and in Make Believe land you can do anything you want. Really. You can.
I think people forget that TVC is not a series written for teens. I know a TON of us read it as teens, or younger, many admit to reading it TOO YOUNG, but the fact is these are adult works written for an adult audience and such books, especially romance and horror and historical novels, often contain taboo material and not just taboo material that is explicitly condemned. Because it's assumed that the reader, as an adult, doesn't need the disclaimer to their fantasy to know it's not ok in real life. And this is *fantasy*. Vampires are not real either. I always have to wonder if people would be so upset about M/A if Marius was 1500 but physically 16 or 17. That's still not a child, that's still an immortal creature, but it's one that wouldn't set people off so much. And like. They're Vampires. They simply don't see age the same way. Even Lestat says he could make a child fall in love with me. It's part and parcel with their age.
Why do I ship Marius/Armand? Because I come from an abusive home full of religious trauma, because I was unwanted, because I had no parents who wanted me. Because I was struggling with my sexuality and gender at a young age and stories like these were my favorite fantasy. *Fantasy*. I knew this thing wasn't real but the fantasies helped me escape and it still does. Because I know that fantasy and reality don't have a one to one equal affect. Because I'm an adult and I interact with other adults who also understand this trauma and why we deal with it this way. Because their story is beautiful and horrible and romantic and tragic and dark and glittering and attractive and terrifying. Because they are fucking AMAZING characters in an amazing story and I love that.
Loving this kind of relationship is not new or novel but being so confused about it and anti behavior is.
45 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
mylillyquilt
It's going to be a long road...
denkisdarling
Untitled
imagine-fe
soft jugdral propaganda
viagra586
제목 없음