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fitsofdespair · 3 months

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i have hesitated to say anything before now. in part because i removed myself from fandom discourse and really from actively discussing iwtv a year ago. i consider it all a lose-lose situation.

but also because i’m generally of the opinion that black fans don’t need people to be their white saviors, least of all me. black people have never been saved by white people. they were never just given anything when it comes to strides in equality, they fought for it and still fight for it, against constant violent pushback every step of the way. only instead of the good ole’ days when racists just called those fighting for equality uppity, they’re now “bullies” for daring to call you out on your shit after the repeated condescension and the resulting harassment you’ve exhibited towards them.

in this day and age the word bully has zero meaning anymore. i mean come on, melania trump calls people mean about her husband bullies. elon musk thinks he’s being bullied by twitter users, though he clearly holds all the power and is absolutely the problem. its become a meaningless word that goliaths use to call davids because they won’t use the real word they actually want to say. some of these popular blogs are not being bullied, they’re being held accountable for their own actions.

it’s pretty disgusting the number of you who decided to identify strongly with these users that not only fail to question their own racial biases but have gone so far as to suggest black people don’t face racism anymore. this is so fucked. tbh it can be argued in many ways white people, especially in the deep south where i’m from, are inherently raised steeped in racism, even if its not direct. just because your family aren’t ostensibly racist doesn’t mean they didn’t bake their own little prejudices into your upbringing and being raised in your environment didn’t encourage them. even if you don’t see yourself as racist, you have to unlearn all this shit, even if it never once occurred to you that you are part of it. just cause you believe in equality and don’t hate people for their color or cultural background does not make you free of perpetuating microaggressions against them. this applies to fans across the world of course. (like for you white euro iwtv fans, you may say you have no problem with black people but i’ve heard some wild things some of yall have to say about the turks.)

i understand that probably half or more of you are not usamericans. but no matter what environment you live in, no matter where you were raised, there is no excuse for your behavior. just because YOU don’t see racism in your day to day life or are in the more likely situation, too blindly comfortable in your place in society to notice it right in front of your face, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist as a constant presence in other parts of the world or isn’t deeply ensconced in online rhetoric.

so for you white iwtv fans who can’t be fucked to mention let alone defend people you, in many cases once called friend, against the absolute horseshit your current comrades are spewing wrapped up in their nice safe cocoons of victimhood, i hope you do some serious soul searching to figure out if this is who you are, a person too cowardly to call out a friend because it might cost you their friendship. a person quick to condemn others on hearsay because you couldn’t be fucked to wonder am i on the right side of this? and if you do manage to get wise and change your mind, remember its not unforgivable to say, you know what? i was wrong. i wrote in an old post that the hallmark of being a functional adult is changing your views accordingly when you learn new information or even just ruminate on what you know (i myself was a little bitch about ep 5 when it first dropped until i had to sit down and ask myself why i was actually feeling some kind of way about it). dying on a hill is not all its cracked up to be. being told you’re wrong is not always a personal attack and its often an opportunity for improvement if you can be bothered to genuinely hear other people out. an alarming number from all walks of life never figure that out. for my part, i am still learning and hope i never stop learning.

while that sentiments all nice and gooey (i mean them, but i understand its still sacharine to put out there), i am still guilty for not having directly written anything about this until now. and thats on me and i earned any flack i get for that. again, i am more of the mindset that black people don’t need white spokespeople, but that doesn’t mean they'll mind allies. and as a sidebar, going out of your way to say you are rising “above the noise” or “ignoring the drama” is absolutely your right, but it does not make you superior. it just makes you complacent with the status quo. i mean as long as you get to squee!! about anything and everything who cares about other people, right?

#and to be clear since i think some people may be a bit confused: i’m admonishing user nalyra-dreaming and their followers #some people who reblogged seem to not understand that #iwtv #interview with the vampire #alex.txt

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reflections-in-a-critical-eye · 8 months

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as someone who used to be huge bts fan and biased jimin and jk to now really only caring and being excited about jimin and his art feels so horrible to me tbh but i cant help it jungkook especially made me so dissapointed in this second chapter and i lost so much affection for him. i feel like he lost his appeal to me. Jimin however blew me away smf was just beyond amazing and then face and lc with all the art and heart in it ppl making all kinds of theories connecting him to poems, movies, queer ppl and writting essays about his work. I miss that i miss feeling of excitement and love like that with all 7 of them but jimin just seems to have stolen all my affection. i dont wanna be a solo stan tbh but i feel like i will never like bts as i used to.

Your line of thinking is so categorical, which is something very common when we're operating within a fandom. You mentioned lost affection, which indicates why you're feeling like this. It's the emotional involvement that makes us so involved and to feel so strongly about everything they do. And it can be something positive, like you said about Jimin, or something more negative, like your feelings towards Jungkook right now. I think it's easier for us to navigate these conversations once we acknowledge our position and we understand and admit were we're coming from. For example, I know that almost everything of Jimin's work is elevated and given extra importance in my mind because I like him. It doesn't mean that it's false or I made it all in my head, but if I only heard of him vaguely and looked through some of his work, I'd probably say at first "cool dude, he's interesting". And maybe if I was in the mood, I'd look it up more. It's the same as Jungkook fans now defending/celebrating every step of his career in Chapter 2 and they do that just like any other fan of an artist who is deep into a parasocial relationship. (Also, let's no hide or say only a category of fans are like that. Most of us are and we manifest in various ways).

If you want to label yourself as a solo stan, fine by me. Categories can make life easier, but they also limit not just us, but also those we are interested in or we don't really like. To me, this position is not one I would choose and I see the damage. Being so much involved in fandom, from the position of a solo stan, or a particular shipper/supporter or ot7/whatever else there is, can make us obtuse sometimes and more often than not, really mean in an environment in which online bullying is now acceptable. I see what JK solos say about Jimin and I see what Jimin solos say about Jungkook. It's horrible. Not only that, it's predictable because what they say is what is being transmitted throughout their own communities. It's like learning a script, especially when it comes to insults. And one has to be categorical and hateful. Not critical, because that would imply nuance and we know how no one cares about that.

I'm not enjoying the music Jungkook has been putting out in Chapter 2. I'm not enjoying how it's promoted. But to go from there and change my entire opinion seems too dramatic for me. He's not this horrible guy that he's being painted at. Just listen to him talk, watch his wlives. He's still a dork and he seems genuinely nice. I can live with all these thoughts in my head. Like I said, emotional involvement makes us go crazy, but in my case, previous experience with other creative people and celebrities is influencing the way I see things. I have favorite directors/actors that have some films that I consider really bad and so far from some of their earlier good stuff. But the world doesn't end there. It's ok. It's either a phase or they'll go down the hill, but there's still films that I like or I enjoy their way of looking at the world through their art. I like stuff from people I find displeasing, but I can put that aside and only look at the object.

It's the same with Jungkook for me. And if I don't like something, I will not waste my time trying to find excuses for it or defend it just because I like the person.

Just now I saw that clip of Bang PD talking about JK and it confirmed what others and I've been saying since Seven was released. This was Scooter's work, just as 3D and the other songs that will be released on the album. Jungkook in Chapter 2 musically and Golden are now the result of the partnership between Hybe and Hybe America. And it seems that the strategy is to focus on collabs to bring more attention to it, let Scooter gather all the songs and basically set the tone for everything and deliver a recipe for success. Do I wish Jungkook would let himself be convinced to put out a music album by other sort of people and not Bang & Scooter? Yes. But it was his decision and I can only look at the results and say that it's not for me. But I'm talking about it because I have an interest in Jungkook and because I have the right to say it, just like everyone on the internet.

I'm perfectly fine with all of these contradictions, while still expressing some of my frustrations. I won't expect from Jungkook something similar to what Jimin does because artistically they seem to not have that much in common right now, separately. It doesn't mean that I don't consider Jimin's work to have more artistic value. It has and it's something that I'm interested in and to which I pay attention to.

And sometimes, pop music is just pop music and we can simply enjoy it. Theoretically, that's Jungkook's path right now, but given how it came to fruition, the message it sends, knowing what Jungkook is capable of in terms of producing/writing lyrics, then it is disappointing to me. And so be it.

#m thoughts #jimin #jungkook #jikook

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burr-ell · 1 year

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If you're still doing to the choose violence ask game, 8 and 13 for critical role

choose violence ask game

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

Well for one thing, as I alluded to in a previous ask, I don't tend to recommend quite as strongly against watching the Orion Acaba episodes of C1 as a lot of people do, both because I think they've got some really good moments and because I think people sometimes need to get some perspective on what this table being upset with a player actually looks like.

Other than that? I think that—particularly on this side of the fandom—there's a general aversion to even hinting that you don't like Marisha's characters very much. And I completely understand why, but I think it's worth pointing out that it's not 2018 anymore. Campaign 1 has been over for five and a half years. Bowlgate happened before Mollymauk even died, and both of those things happened before many current fans started watching the show in the first place. There is a wide gulf between misogynistic harassment and just not really vibing with someone's narrative choices, and there's an even wider gulf between misogynistic harassment and pointing out a character's flaws to engage with them.

Now of course there is absolutely still misogyny in this fandom and I think we should still be telling people to cut that shit out, but Marisha Ray is an adult woman in her 30's and does not need to be obsessively defended from any and all mildly non-positive commentary. She does not need to be exalted above everyone else and treated like neither she nor her characters can do anything wrong. I honestly don't get how you can do that, even tongue-in-cheek, and not think you're doing her a disservice.

13. worst blorbofication

Ashton. I think a lot of people have really chosen only to pay attention to those moments where Ashton is dispensing wisdom and are ignoring the multiple statements by Taliesin that Ashton's not doing okay, at all. They're not trying to compartmentalize or internalize what they're going through, but just because they're open about what's wrong with them doesn't mean they're not dealing with their issues poorly. Transparency is not the soul of healthiness.

One of the most interesting things to me about Taliesin's characters is that—with the exception of Percy and Molly, apparently, provided you get them both some weed, as well as Kingsley and Caduceus—they'd all hate each other, and all of them probably with legitimate reasons. We see that in Ashton's argument with Percy (where both of them had valid points on the issue no I will not hear otherwise), but I also have to raise my eyebrows at the assertion that Ashton would get along with Caduceus. Because you can't tell me that Caduceus's tendency to treat people like projects wouldn't immediately clash with Ashton's stubborn refusal to be saved, and as others have pointed out, Caduceus "pain doesn't make people" Clay would probably end up seriously pissing off Ashton "there is strength, but there is pain" Greymoore. (They'd also definitely try to pulverize Molly.)

I dunno man, Ashton really gets flattened a lot, and it isn't escaping my notice that fandom opinion of them tends to change purely based on whether or not they're supporting Blorbo or Ship. Which is a damn shame, because Ashton's probably one of the most interesting characters in the party.

#cr discourse #asks #choose violence ask meme

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sandumilfshou · 1 month

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Meta analysis/hypothesis on what is influencing the rise of anti culture

FAIRLY LONG POST.

I feel like antis (as most commonly minors) are stuck in this vicious cycle that has been perpetuated by internet culture over the last 20 years without having the advantage of the early internet etiquette/warnings/safety education that we as millennials and older got.

Kids these days are pretty much online from birth. The internet encourages people to post their thoughts and opinions at all times, often without much thought, and this norm is perpetuated pretty strongly through sites like Twitter and TikTok. So they're posting all of their thoughts and feelings and opinions left right and centre, often without privacy settings turned on, usually on social media sites where anyone can see these posts. And because the internet is a panopticon, unless you are on a private or hidden account, everyone is also able to post their own opinion about your opinion. It's easier than ever before for someone to discuss, argue, reject, and attack other people's opinions. And it's human nature to double down and defend your position instead of coming to an agreement or neutral ground (or god forbid change your mind), especially when tone is difficult to get across via text, and even so when people are often automatically argumentative and aggressive in their initial response (I have been guilty of this many a time).

This is all tied up in what I think for minors is a fundamental misunderstanding of what the internet is. It isn't a safe space, it isn't sanitized for your comfort, and it isn't censored or controlled much outside of strictly R18 sites other than literal illegal content being reported. But there seems to be this view among minors and antis that by default the internet should be safe for them to navigate, and they should not be able to stumble across, access, or engage with adult content (not even necessarily NSFW stuff either). So when they see this, they're shocked and appalled that it exists where they can see it, and because of the above, have been encouraged by the nature of the internet to post their very strong, often underdeveloped and shallow, opinion about it! They do not understand that the internet is the wild fucking west and outside of strictly under 13 sites and parental controls put on them, that it is your individual responsibility to curate your OWN safe space on the internet. Be liberal with the block button! Make use of mute functions! Set your shit to private so people who don't know you can't interact with your posts!

But they don't do this, because they were never taught about the dangers of the internet like we were. I remember when you should never give out ANY personal information about yourself, not even your first name, hell even saying the country you were from was often frowned against. We were taught that the internet is dangerous and you are responsible for keeping yourself safe. Now kids are putting out their name, their age, their country, all of their mental illnesses and neurodivergences and triggers all over the place! (It doesn't help that so many social media sites are encouraging linking your identity on other sites as 'verification', making it very impossible to be anonymous or fully under pseudonyms anymore.) So they think the internet is a safe and fun place to spend their time and encountering any content they dislike is free real estate to have a very loud opinion on, and are conditioned to double down on this when questioned.

This leads to two things that have become pretty rampant recently:

A lack of understanding of basic fandom culture and etiquette

The rise of puritanist views from LGBT+ youth on sexual deviance / morality / kink, and the encouragement of broad censorship.

Cancel culture is so fucking rampant these days. Kids especially are terrified to be cancelled or called out, especially since cyberbullying is so fucking common now. For kids this is often tied up in their real life school interactions, but it is rapidly becoming normal to consider your online identity and interactions just as real and valid as your physical, everyday interactions. Internet friendships are just as strong - or even stronger - as those you have in real life at school, or work, or sports clubs. It's known that people spend more time on the internet now than ever, so more and more of our time and mental energy and space is taking place in the virtual sphere. Being involved in something that negatively affects you like cyberbullying, or being cancelled or called out, or even just labeled as 'problematic' is so much bigger now, and it's not as easy to "just log off" or "just turn off your phone" as it used to be, because SO MUCH of our identity is caught up in online spaces now.

There's this dichotomy where we are encouraged to post all of our thoughts and opinions on the internet where anyone can see them, but cancel culture is also making people - especially kids - terrified to make mistakes or withhold opinions for fear of being labeled 'problematic' or 'siding with xyz if you don't post an opinion that disagrees with it'. There's a hyperawareness of what could be considered problematic behaviour, this strong need to be performatively moral, even if it means throwing someone else under the bus to prove that you're unproblematic!

This all links back to my previous two points. It means that common historical fandom etiquette - things like "don't like, don't read", the term "squick", "YKINMK - your kink is not my kink (and that's okay)" have all but disappeared from lexicon and culture. Where in the past we used to scroll past things we didn't like, kids now feel the need to call it out to prove themselves morally superior and unproblematic. They don't care that most of the time the space is NOT FOR THEM, they ignore all of the 🔞emojis and "MDNI" warnings, because of this fundamental misunderstanding that the internet is not always by default going to be palatable for them. Internet culture has destroyed any sense of 'if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it' which used to be more normal (though that didn't mean people still didn't label every fic with NO FLAMES PLZ!!!11!)

Because of this lack of 'fandom etiquette', because of this misunderstanding of how the internet works and historically has been, because of this instinctive reaction to immediately disapprove of and attack content they viscerally dislike, instead of ignoring it, this is giving rise to puritanist views and talking points amongst LGBT+ youth, minors, and antis. They are literal minors who are literally not even relevant to these conversations and concepts, as most of them are R18, inserting themselves where they aren't wanted into discussions on and posts about things that they consider sexually deviant or immoral. Because they are CHILDREN. Of COURSE they don't like this content!

I'm not a psychologist, but I wonder if developmental phases are playing a part here. Like, when you learn to differentiate concrete and abstract thinking, the ability to understand nuance and separate fiction from reality. A lot of these antis are literally too young to be able to understand some of these conversations, but don't understand this, and don't understand why they should not be involving themselves in these R18 areas that are clearly designated NOT FOR THEM, because "it's on the internet and I can find it easily, so therefore it's applicable and valid for me to have an opinion on this!"

And all of this culminates into what we are seeing now as the anti phenomenon. So TL;DR -

The internet is a panopticon. Everything you post can be viewed by everyone. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone is encouraged to voice those opinions. Opinions now must always be morally superior and unproblematic, or you risk being cancelled.

Minors are coming across content on sites they are on that is not relevant to them, and ignore R18 warnings and MDNIs to insert themselves into these spaces to give their opinion, because they have a fundamental misunderstanding of what the internet is and how it works, due to a lack of internet safety.

This means that common fandom culture/etiquette is being lost, and all of this is giving rise to youth parroting what they don't realise are puritan talking points and arguments against sexual deviance, morality, kink, and encouraging censorship. Which may or may not be exacerbated by the psychological developmental phases they are going through, which could be affecting their ability to understand abstract concepts and nuance, such as separating fictional morality and real life morality when it comes to taboo/dark/kink concepts in fan spaces.

(BTW many of my talking points above are thanks to @rainystudios' amazing academic papers which should definitely be checked out by anyone interested in this.)

#fan studies #fandom studies #fan culture #fandom culture #proship #proshipper #fandom history #fandom meta #fandom

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soursturniolo · 7 months

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I’m confused. You’re against smut but you defend the writers? What side are you on bro

I’d say at this point I’m more indifferent. At first I had a pretty strong stance, but hearing from others and thinking more about it has changed my opinion a bit.

Let’s stop with pretending these 20 year old MEN need babied. It’s embarrassing. They got a mom, they don’t need you mothering them like they’re prepubescent. They’re 20, babes. Probably have had sex. Probably are very aware of the amount of people who find them sexually attractive. Think back to how y’all lose your shit over some veins or when Matt fucking sneezed and his bicep showed a little. They are well aware.

If they were minors, I’d feel much more strongly about not writing sexual content about them. But they’re 20 year old, grown ass men. I’m begging some of y’all to take a breather and get a grip.

They literally watch suggestive/sexualizing edits of themselves. They’ve even laughed and said to make them weirder. So I kinda doubt they give a fuck about some silly little unrealistic fics written about them. Now of course, if they came out with a vid tomorrow addressing it and saying they’re uncomfortable with smut being written about them and asking people to stop, then I’d of course respect that and would hope others would too.

And, obviously they were weirded out by reading fics about their own brothers. If you wrote a fic about my sister and had me read it I’d be grossed out too.

Some of y’all who are doxxing and threatening people writing smut are secretly liking the shit. No hate, it’s just the literal truth. So respectfully, be so fr rn. I don’t like ANYTHING without reading it, and I think that’s how most people are too. Just be honest friends.

If you don’t like smut or are uncomfortable with it, don’t read it. Block the creator to avoid seeing it and keep it moving. As other people have pointed out though, thinking logically idk how y’all are finding it without actively looking for it. I’ve never seen it without searching it out, so…

Also, don’t fucking dox or threaten others?? You really think the triplets would be okay with you doing that??

Now of course, when it comes to incest or writing Nick with a fem reader, that’s where I draw the line. Don’t do that shit. It’s disrespectful. And in the case of Nick, disregarding and invalidating his sexuality, which isn’t okay.

That’s the last I’m going to say about the matter.

#sturniolo triplets #opinion

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goldenboygate · 7 months

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I see so many Lando fans screaming, crying, throwing up hoping he'll get a win to "silence the haters" and like …. Lando could win a championship and people would still harass and spread misinformation about him - a win isn't going to change that.

While it would be nice to stop reading "Nowins" all the time, I don't want a win to one-up the haters, I want a win for HIM. He's given so much of himself to this team. He's apologized to them every time he's screwed up - frankly, he's shouldered a lot of blame to defend them when they've screwed up. He's shared his data with his the competitors he'll be compared to first - two different teammates - all to advance the team even if that becomes his own detriment. He defended this team and their shit start to the season, even had his own fans calling him petulant and disrespectful when he rejected Jenson's (who he clearly respects and admires) opinion that staying with McLaren had been a bad decision. Yet this same team, that he spent his first 2 years helping rebuild, spent 2021-2022 essentially carrying on his back, and has spent 2023 being leader of and defending has never returned the favor anytime he's come close to a win. Between 2 different occasions of team orders where he could have likely fought for that maiden win, 2 different strategy blunders including one where he was just given a complete lack of information that somehow every other driver on the grid was given complete information for.

And now we're in a situation where he won't be happy until he stands on that top step. Because this man should not be qualifying P2 at a track the car isn't even strongly suited for and then immediately beating himself up and criticizing himself for it as if that performance wasn't incredible.

And I know that self-criticism is going to continue to happen because the novelty of P2 has worn off for him, he's ready to move up to the next step, but the team clearly isn't ready for that. Hell, the team itself can barely congratulate and support him when he puts on amazing qualis now.

And God I don't even know at this point. He loves this team, he's given everything for them, but I still hope he has the strength to walk away if it comes to choosing between team loyalty and never getting to recognize his full potential. I am and always have been a McLaren fan, but the way Lando has been treated by supposed "fans" for the past 3 years (which the team leadership allowed and didn't really say/do anything to prevent or discourage) and now even the team leadership refusing to rally around him when clearly some of that 2019 "I'm not good enough" mentality is coming back has me wondering if this new leadership team isn't headed in a completely different direction than the one that truly allowed Lando to thrive, both professionally and personally, in 2020-2022.

preach! i know that nothing this man will do will ever make the ef's of social media stfu. i want the win for him. he's put so much into his career, put so much into mclaren and he deserves everything back. and when i say deserve i mean it. cause ppl are always like "you don't deserve anything in f1", well fuck that cause he deserves all the success he can get. he's so good, like i can't keep making dissertations about how good he is (mainly because i'm running out of words 😭).

agree with all of this. love you 🥰

#karenína answers #lando norris

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mykinkyyandere · 2 years

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Did Five and Vanya had romantic feelings for each other?

AO3

⚠️ Just a quick warning. I'm new in this fandom and Viktor Hargreeves is confirmed. But all the discussions were already made under the name Vanya and I couldn't find a new one. So I will go with that name and use she/her pronouns but only because I will talk about a pretty past relationship when he was still Vanya. Like, imagine as if I'm writing this in 2019. At least, I feel like this and I feel like I'm too late. I'm not trying to be disrespectful, I hope I'm doing the right thing. If not, I deeply apologise.

— – -

I'm not going to talk about moral appropriateness here. I'm a dark fiction writer, so it doesn't matter whether I approve of the step-sibling relationship or not. Dark contents are different in real life and fiction. I don't support what I write. I said this many times. This is a problem that almost all dark creators experience. We are often accused of supporting toxic behaviors and relationships, but this is extremely wrong. Before accusing someone, we should do research and educate ourselves about it. In real life, I never support a step-sibling relationship and I strongly defend that it seriously damages family trust and privacy. There is no need to talk about the fictional aspect of it, I believe that everyone is free in fiction and we have no right to shame people. Real life and fictional life are different, we need to comprehend the difference. Here, I will talk about my own views on whether such an attraction actually exists.

— – -

I don't think that Five and Vanya's relationship when they were kids was romantic. Aidan is free to share his theory and opinion, but as he said, it was HIS theory. I understand his interpretation of the story and characters. You can find it on this site. A handful of children who were abused during their childhood years and only had the chance to fulfill emotional support from themselves. In a traumatic life like this, the possibility of developing romantic feelings for their step-siblings is realistic.

Almost every person I saw reacted like, "This is disgusting, it can't be!". But we musn't judge, we must be objective. I'm not one to approve of this kind of relationship in real life either, but the traumatic lives of the characters in the series strengthen the possibility of this theory, and I think it's inevitable. Although we don't support it, it's realistic and possible for children trying to survive their traumatic life to develop romantic feelings, as Aidan says. Now I'm going to talk about whether it really exists from my point of view.

Let's start with something I see as a fact. You don't have to accept as canon a theory explained by the actor who plays the character, which goes for any movie or TV show. For me, to be canon, that information has to be confirmed by the creator. Like, the author, etc. For example, an actor said that his character might secretly in love with his teacher. Until this is confirmed, it's only as much a theory as yours or mine. Everyone has the right to believe what they want and make it canon whatever theory they want. The actor sharing his own opinion can make it canon for you, especially if you're a supporter of that idea. You would be so happy and excited to hear that your favorite character's actor shares the same opinion with you, it's canon now! But this romantic relationship has never been confirmed and will likely never be canon. So you're free to believe there was a romantic relationship or there wasn't a romantic relationship.

Often (depending on what kind of person you are) you get your shit together towards someone who seems quiet/fragile/shy. You don't want to offend them, right? For example, I'm a distant person who don't use bad language. People's behavior changes drastically when they're with me. They know I'm not that kinda person they can talk with (If you're a jerk, it's different ofc. That's why I said depending on what kind of person you are.). This isn't just for me, I just gave an example over myself. Whoever you are with, the attitude and distance you take or give probably changes according their/your personality/age. This is no exception for Five and the others.

As far as I understand, Vanya isn't a sarcastic and argumentative character. She's someone who is trying to cope with her trauma by shutting herself down. There was no reason for Five to be mean or angry with her. I don't find the way he "becomes softer" or "let his guard down" with her as romantic. Five is harsh with people who try to argue or challenge him or who have that potential and who don't listen. But Vanya's understanding and listening side gives him no reason for this harshness. Sadly, Vanya's personality alone isn't enough in someone's behavior towards Vanya. How understanding or caring the other person is, is very important. The siblings' own character builds, and their resentment towards Vanya because of her book, greatly influences the way they talk to her and their behavior towards her. Because they went through something, there is something between them. This breaks the effectiveness of Vanya's character build and others may not hesitate to offend her.

But Five met Vanya after decades. He learned everything that happened in between from the book she wrote. He didn't personally experience the anger of the other siblings had towards Vanya because of that book. Probably he would be angry too if he didn't get lost and read that book when he was still with them. When talking to Vanya, remember that he was 58 years old. She wrote that book, yes. But why would he show an angry approach? Everyone's mad at her anyway, the past is past, what happened happened. He read the book all alone, probably remembering them with a kind of longing. I think he didn't need to be angry while reading the book, because he read it with sadness without his family. He missed them. SO, no, I don't think it's romantic that Five compliments her book in his interaction with Vanya. He may even be glad that she wrote the book. It became a resource that he could fill a little bit of his lost years. I mean, taking the book with him everywhere and using it as a notebook isn't because he used to have romantic feelings for Vanya, but because it's a source of his family.

And after he read how bad Vanya felt as a kid, I think he felt the sympathy of a 60-year-old man when he talked with her and his approach to her softened inevitably because of this. After all, Vanya wrote the book, reflecting how she sees others while expressing her own feelings. We know that Five is controlling, ruthless, and rational, but he's a human after all, and he must have been pretty close to Vanya. Vanya described him in her book as her sole confidant. I think for the sake of the old days and probably being the only sibling he could talk to without being annoyed, he controlled his behavior when he was with her.

Vanya told Pogo how she left the lights on and made him a sandwich in case he would come back, but I think it was purely because of her grief over the loss of her maybe the closest sibling. Making sandwiches and leaving the lights on, telling Pogo how much she miss him, doesn't mean she had feelings for him romantically. And she said those things so casually, anyway. I didn't see and get any romantic vibe. Vanya was like that because of her kind personality and her closeness with Five that the other siblings don't have and only she has. We can tell from Vanya's speech, behavior and book that they had close relationships, but I think it's wrong to interpret them as romantic.

If your own brother disappeared, you'd leave the light on for years and make sandwiches for him. Being adoptive doesn't change that. It's normal for 7 step-siblings to act different and not feel equally close to each other. One sibling doesn't care that much, but the other one thinks about him all the time. It's not an excuse to romanticise their closeness. I think it's disrespectful to make a romantic sense of any intimacy just because they're step-siblings.

As I said, it is important to remember that Five is a man nearly 60. He's being soft with her, probably for the sake of the closeness they've shared as siblings in the past. It would be insufficient to rely solely on Vanya's confessions to Pogo and her book to interpret what's between them romantically. I see no "I used to like him" effect in Vanya's behavior. I don't think it's a romantic proof for Vanya to take care of Five's wound. Of course she would be concerned about Five's wound and would like to take care of it. Of course she would say "I don't want to lose you again". Five would of course go to her to talk, of course he would treat her more kindly and perhaps a little more expressively. And all this for the reasons I mentioned above. I don't think there is any romance between them.

I talked about the series. I didn't read the comics yet. But according to my research, there is no romantic relationship in the comics either. Actually, they say they don't really interact at all, she's close to Diego instead.

⚠️ READ HERE

#five #five hargreeves #number five #vanya #vanya hargreeves #hargreeves #viktor hargreeves #the umbrella academy #umbrella academy #five and vanya #number seven #five x vanya #tua #tua meta #the umbrella academy meta #five hargreeves meta #vanya hargreeves meta

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doll-elvis · 11 months

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I don’t get the ginger hate. She was only 20 or so when she was with Elvis and they weren’t even together that long. It’s not her fault he died! Her book about him is pretty nice.

I have gotten tons of asks this past week or so, and im currently trying to answer all of them so I apologize if I crowd your dashboard with these 😭

thank you so much for the ask and I honestly think her book might be in my top five because it proves so much of what people have assumed about Elvis wrong. Particularly about the last year of his life because prior to reading her book I had thought Elvis was completely desolate and couldn’t find any joy in living and after reading her book I was heartbroken because I realized he had so much he still wanted to do, so much to live for, he wanted to grow old and be there for Lisa Marie more than anything, he just didn’t get the chance.

and I have talked about this before, but I really like Ginger as a person (give her a chance and watch one interview, I promise you will like her😩) and I truly feel bad for her as she has been the target of so much unnecessary hate for decades by both fans and others that knew Elvis, and what is sad is that I believe most of the hate from those knew Elvis came from jealousy…

Like Ginger Alden said in an interview that the reason there was so much friction in the group was because of all the inner jealousy

People were quick to anger when Elvis gave attention or spent money on someone that wasn’t them. I mean Elvis literally punched Charlie Hodge in the face and made him bleed after he got angry he didn’t get a new car when Elvis had bought Kathy Westmoreland one 😭

Elvis spent a good chunk of the last year of his life around Ginger and her family, even sleeping over in her bedroom on some nights, and of course he spoiled them with gifts like he did for everyone, and the group did not like that

But to be completely honest I was once a very avid “ginger hater” myself, and if you are currently someone who doesn’t like her I’m sure you have your reasons and I don’t judge you for any opinion you may hold

however if one of the reasons you hate her is because you believe she called the enquirer the day that Elvis passed away I strongly strongly encourage you take a look at this article and read it with an open mind because it debunks that rumor

now I’m not saying that she was elvis’ soulmate or that they were the perfect match. They were incompatable on many levels (I think Ginger especially had trouble showing physical intimacy and Elvis was someone who need tons and tons of it) and like many have said I believe Elvis became fixated on her because of what she represented and reminded him of. He expressed on many occasions that he knew he was getting old and he was worried he wouldn’t ever find “the one” so when Ginger came into his life I think he clung to her because he believed he wouldn’t find anyone closer to what he wanted

Like you said Ginger met Elvis when she had just turned 20 years old and I find it crazy that people expected her to be able to adapt and learn his ways when no one ever prepared her for that lifestyle

people can just be really unsympathetic to the women in his life- I know we all love Elvis but could you imagine having to get on a plane with a bunch of people you don’t know, leave your family behind, and be thrown into the very crazy and fast world of Elvis while also having to know how to take care of him when you never have had to take care of someone before?

also I have seen some mention that she deserves hate because her mother sued the estate and while I don’t defend that, I also don’t see anyone mention that Linda Thompson was considering suing because the estate was going to take back the house owned by her parents that Elvis paid for 🤧 I think it’s unfair to hold Ginger to standards if you aren’t going to hold everyone else to them also

#thank you for the ask!!#elvis presley #elvisaaronpresley #elvis #elvis history #ginger Alden #elvis asks

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gorogues · 10 months

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Ya know… I’ve thought about it and I think the Rogue’s being straight except for Pied Piper is really important, in my eyes. Cause of the message it sends. The Rogue are manly men and horndogs. They love money, women and beating the Flash. There issue with Pied Piper has to do with him dating a Cop and helping the Flash. I may not have read a lot of Rogues comics but I believe I’ve seen enough to gather, that the Rogues don’t give a 💩, that Pied Piper is gay. It doesn’t matter to them. Like… from what I’ve seen they never mention him being gay. I see that as true acceptance. That’s what equality is right there. Pied Piper isn’t treated differently and he’s still family to the Rogues. They’d stand by him and fight for him if needed. Him being gay will never change that. To them… Pied Piper is just Pied Piper.

If we changed the rest of the Rogues to being Gay or Bi. That important message goes away and I’m not okay with that. Cause no matter what’s going on in the world. I don’t want people with different sexual preferences to be treated differently. I want them to have respect. Cause everyone deserves respect.

Anyway this is just my personal opinion and you guys do you. 😁

I kind of agree and kind of disagree; I'd agree more if the comics had truly dealt with the issue of Hartley's sexuality and the Rogues' feelings about it, but they mostly haven't. In general I strongly dislike the New 52 Flash comics and its interpretations of the Rogues, but one thing I did like was that it was stated -- although not really shown -- that the Rogues were in fact fine with it when Hartley came out.

But prior to Flashpoint, Hartley didn't come out to the readers until after he'd already left the Rogues, so the subject mostly wasn't addressed. It's possible that he came out to them behind the scenes when he was still a Rogue, but if so, we don't really know that. And their track record with acceptance before Flashpoint was generally poor. Evan was repeatedly homophobic towards him, Roscoe was homophobic to him once, and then the hot garbage that was Countdown made James relentlessly homophobic to him when previously James had been the most accepting. And the thing is, even the other Rogues who didn't say anything shitty don't seem to have defended Hartley or told the other guys to shut up, so they were all kind of complicit…except James, but he'd been mostly estranged from the other Rogues anyway.

It's complicated by the fact that the Rogues are hostile towards Hartley for becoming a hero for and his general outspokenness, so who knows how much they were genuinely homophobic or how much they were just trying to hurt him in any way they could. (It's my opinion that Roscoe was just trying to rile him up to walk into his trap -- he says as much -- but that doesn't change the fact that he did it and it was shitty. Similarly, Evan may have been acting as he did in response to an attempted sexual assault in his youth, but that also doesn't excuse being cruel to Hartley.)

So the subject has been kind of a mess, is what I'm saying. That said, I don't know what the current status quo is (now that New 52 continuity has been mashed together with pre-Flashpoint continuity), and I'd be thrilled if DC would address this and if we could see that in fact the Rogues are fine with his sexual orientation and just have a gripe about him reforming. Modernizing them for modern times.

#demonbirdsforever #words

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tavtiers · 1 year

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Classpecting Blog Active!

I have decided to rework my entire blog & character classpecting system. Not only have I subscribed to a new classpecting order during the year or so I’ve been inactive, but I am changing the way I’ve posted my character classpecting in the past.

1. NEW CLASS OPPOSITES & ACTIVITY ORDER

I’ve overcome my stubbornness and accepted that the opposite of a Maid is a Sylph, opposite of Page is a Knight, and opposite of Heir is a Witch. This changes my previous activity order and my entire Google document with every possible god tier and description *sobbing* (I spent a whole year on the thing).

My new order is:

Muse, Sylph, Page, Seer, Heir, Rogue, Bard

Maid, Knight, Mage, Witch, Thief, Prince, Lord

2. POSTING CHARACTER CLASSPECTS

I’ve come to realize that one of the reasons people can have wildly different opinions on a fictional character’s god tier is because they have different interpretations of the character. It’s not always a disagreement about the classpects themselves. For instance, if I see Harry Du Bois from Disco Elysium as a Bard of Void and someone else sees him as a Seer of Doom, that doesn’t mean one of us misunderstands Homestuck. It means I see HDB primarily as someone who destroys the unknown whereas they see him as someone who knows misfortune. The character has both of these elements within him, I just view one as more pronounced than the other. That being the case: All character classpecting is accurate! Fluttershy from My Little Pony can be a Thief of Rage as much as a Bard of Space as much as a Maid of Life. This is a bit of an exaggeration but it comes from the fact that art is up to interpretation!

It ties into my belief that all classes and aspects exist on a spectrum. So each opposite pairing of class and aspect can be represented by the numbers 1-10.

(Muse) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 (Lord)

(Sylph) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 (Maid)

(Space) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 (Time)

(Void) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 (Light)

etc etc.. The bold in the chart indicates where a person fits along the spectrum. This character is a Muse of Space so Muse and Space are the numbers that they are closest to. However, they are also somewhat closer to Sylph than Maid, and Light than Void. So Sylph of Light is another classpect down the chain for them. To put it simply, I am a Page of Life. If I was not a Page of Life I could see myself as a Muse of Breath or Sylph of Space. I just don’t identify with these classpects as strongly. The same can apply to characters! It all depends on how far along the spectrum you see them being.

A lot of this may seem like a no brainer, but I do think it needs to be said. Classpecting (especially of fictional characters) can lead to arguing when disagreements spring up, and that’s no fun for anyone.

All that being said: From now on, when I post a “character classpect” I will state that it is their ‘hypothetical’ god tier. I will also include a brief description of the god tier from my perspective (but not a character analysis or defense of my position because I don’t have the time for that).

3. GOD TIER PERSONALITIES & A PLANET GUIDE

Lastly, I have two god tier systems that I have been using privately and extensively. I am wary of sharing them but I feel like my posts will be missing a big chunk of what’s going on in my head otherwise.

One is god tier personalities. This is a cheat sheet I’ve developed of matching classes and aspects into singular personalities to use as reference. The matchings aren’t perfect and don’t fit a logical order, but are useful nonetheless.

They are: Sylph of Space (The Mother), Page of Hope (The Believer), Seer of Light (The Scholar), Heir of Life (The Child), Rogue of Heart (The Free Spirit), Bard of Rage (The Revolutionary), Maid of Breath (The Escapee), Knight of Doom (The Defender), Mage of Mind (The Genius), Witch of Time (The Harbinger), Thief of Void (The Spy), and Prince of Blood (The Promised)

So as a Page of Life I would be the Believer Child, defined by confidence and growth.

The Planet Guide is more complex. I have analyzed the canon Homestuck planets and have noticed a (debatable) organization system that relates to the god tiers.

It is my belief that all Quest Planets contain something pertaining to the players class and something to their aspect. The aspect side of planets is much more all encompassing, but the classes are specific.

I will likely make a separate post for this but to put it simply:

Muse & Lord are unknown. Sylph = Shine, Page = Earth, Seer = Flow, Heir = Shade, Rogue = Cubes, Bard = Both Aspects, Maid = Underground, Knight = Haze, Mage = Thought, Witch = Clarity, Thief = Treasure, Prince = Both Aspects.

So as a Page of Life I would need something on my planet pertaining to Life and something pertaining to Earth. An example of a viable Quest Planet would be: The Land of Pebbles (Page = Earth) and Overgrowth (Life).

#classpecting #character classpecting #god tiers #god tier planets #god tier analysis #long post #my post

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beth-march · 2 years

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Hi! this is out of my comfort zone really by doing this, but I needed to say something and you're the first account i thought couple help! but i've been a confident mileven shipper for years now. i've been able to handle backlash through reason, i've never worried about b*lers, let alone paid them much attention. but after volume two, everything shifted. between the hate mike got at the start for merely voicing the love he's had for the girl he's always loved, to the 180 of people strongly believing he's gay for Will again, it's just incredible. it's inescapable. im mostly observing twitter, which i'd say was a reasonably good place for milevens. it's now turned into a whole other world. infiltrated by kids who claim to want rep, which i fully support as a queer person myself, but who do it in exchange for misogyny and ableism. people who claim to love el yet want her heartbroken. and while this post is a rant, it's also one of concern, and id love to hear from someone as reasonable as you. im firm in my beliefs and my love for mileven, but the duffers have always loved their fan service, and this is unlike anything i've seen since fandoms like Sherlock or Supernatural. Essentially, my question is, do you think the duffers will give into this fan service? clearly the reasonable answer would be no, you don't ruin a 4 season build up like mileven for the sake of fan service. But id be lying if I said the sudden influx of B*ler shippers and the likes they've been getting isn't shocking. So what I'm trying to say is, as Mileven shippers, do you think we need to be worried for season 5? I can't believe im evensaying this; i wouldn't have thought it feasible even a year ago, but the public response is almost intimidating. All the best, and sorry for this dump!

Hey! I’m so happy that you decided to reach out despite it being outside your comfort zone, and I’m touched that you decided to ask me. No need to apologise whatsoever <3

Twitter is fun in that there are some really adamant Mileven defenders on there, but it’s also a deranged swirling cesspit of truly startling volatility, so yes, I understand why you’d be intimidated seeing what goes on over there. Especially given the absolute confidence that hardcore B*lers apparently have in an eventual endgame! It’s astounding to me, how much faith they have. I understand why this vehemence from so many people - making tweets that garner tens of thousands of likes - could make anyone’s faith waver, especially given the Duffers’ history of fan service.

But, I’m still not worried. I’ve never been worried. I know that you’re not really worried yourself, but I understand needing a second person to say that they’re not worried, either. And I’m not! It doesn’t matter how popular that ship becomes, the Duffers are going to stick to their guns when it comes to Mileven. They wrote Mike's monologue themselves. They said in a recent interview that they already know how the show ends and they aren’t going to be influenced by other opinions - they also said “we can’t please everyone”. So that’s a precisely comforting quote for your worries, whether or not it directly applies to By*ler shippers (I wouldn’t be surprised if it did).

If you need some more assurance, just consider where Season 4 left off, and the fact that Season 5 is the last season. In these final eight or nine episodes, the characters are going to be very busy trying to save the world. There isn’t going to be time across those episodes to not only break Mileven up, but also to suddenly have Mike go through a complete and utter change of character, come out as queer, and confess out of nowhere to wanting to be with Will.

It would be very bad story telling, and the Duffers are literally better than that. Their canon romantic relationships are all excellently written - Mileven, Lumax, Jopper and Jancy are all so, so good. So carefully developed, with such good payoffs. If B*ler was going to happen, we would know about it by now. It would not be hidden in subtext - see Vickie and Robin, and Will’s sexuality, which have all been explicitly addressed.

When it comes to our Season 5 endgame, Mileven shippers have one enemy and it’s the possibility of the death trope.

#belle answers asks #mileven #mike x eleven #el hopper #eleven #mike wheeler

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bigskydreaming · 1 year

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Okay, hmm. Which of these unfinished posts to tackle first:

1) Fanon depictions or hot takes in isolated cases have never been the problem, there’s room in any fandom for just about any take no matter how flattering or unflattering it is to a certain character (with the exception of takes rooted in racism, rife with microaggressions, etc - those things are always going to be indefensible and not what I’m discussing here). I just mean in terms of: no character will ever have universal appeal. There will always be people who look at your favorite blorbo and have the most wtf take on them where you see only charming blorbo-ness.....blah blah skipping stuff on account of not trying to write the actual whole post here....stuff about how the problem only lies when enough of those instances of a singular take add up until it reaches a tipping point where this take is the first and most consistent thing anyone new to the fandom or source material sees.

Compounded by the fact that people have a PROBLEM w/changing their minds on fandom stuff, even when its relatively innocuous in and of itself - because as a society, so many of us have internalized this weird belief that admitting that your first impression or opinion on something might have been the wrong thing to go all-in on is somehow a weakness or deficit to your image, even if your first impression or opinion was literally just formed by skewed information that meant you were NEVER going to have an opinion to the contrary until you got a chance to see counterpoints or attain more information that clarifies...oh this is not a ‘the Earth is the third planet from the sun’ type of factoid, this is just like...somebody’s opinion, man.....

And so we get this totally unnecessary phenomenon of people doubling down on stuff - even stuff they themselves don’t think is a big deal or worth getting worked up over in any other context - more because ‘can’t have ppl thinking I endorsed a Bad Take’ is the issue motivating them than ‘I believe so strongly that Jason Todd was bullied by Nightwing that I will go to WAR, I just know it IN MY SOUL OKAY.’

Blah blah blah more stuff and then the point that the more we open ourselves up to pulling back on the throttle when it comes to relatively innocuous fandom takes....the more the racist and harmful takes become a lot more in focus, harder to distract from or defend, etc. Because ppl are always gonna dig their heels more in when told ‘hey this take you endorse is racist and here’s why’ versus ‘hey this take you endorse has a counterpoint you literally just might not have been aware of to even consider before now.’ And thus the more we as individuals train ourselves to be open to changing our minds on the ‘does it really even matter tho’ stuff, the less ppl have to throw up as a smokescreen to distract from the truly harmful takes they’re less inclined to admit they were wrong about. Aaaaand also....the more we train ourselves to be like ‘okay this doesn’t have to be a big deal that I was wrong about this take’....the more of a red flag it raises to OURSELVES when we find ourselves surprised by how intensely we push back against ‘maybe I was wrong tho’ on a point that SEEMS like it should be innocuous. Because those are almost always the points where....yeah there’s probably something we should unpack there.

I swear that’s not the whole post. Maybe it was. I don’t even know. Wow I literally can not condense an opinion to save my damn life, can I? Even to summarize. Sheesh.

2) Why the Uncanny Avengers fundamentally does not work as a concept and thus I really hope they’re not bringing it back....not because of any opinion I have on the Avengers, which is booooo, but also not the point.....but because....the very nature of it undermines the premise it claims to have. The concept has always supposedly been about combining X-Men and Avengers on the same team as a solidarity thing and thus Avengers doing more to support mutants and how they’re viewed by the public....but the problem is....the book, the concept, is rooted more in the Avengers brand than the X-Men brand when it SHOULD be the exact opposite.

Because as it stands, so long as the book feels and is marketed more as an Avengers title but with X-Men, rather than an X-Men title with Avengers....it will always carry the implicit undercurrent that the win for mutants here is being associated with the Avengers name and reputation will lend X-Men legitimacy and elevate them in the public’s esteem. Except the public’s esteem and regard for the Avengers is absolutely rooted in a long history of scapegoating mutants as problems while ‘human heroes’ are the solution....thus its systemically exploitative in nature, with the Avengers tangibly benefitting from being the non-scapegoated while the X-Men are scape-goated....and you fundamentally can’t dismantle a social inequity by trying to bootstrap another group to the level you only have due to an existing system of exploitation, regardless of whether or not you had anything to do with putting that system in place. Not even the point. Its just....you can’t forge true equality by raising other groups up to your level, when it requires stepping on the backs of others to reach that level in the first place. You have to get on the same level by stepping DOWN from the elevation you only had due to advantages over other groups that are wholly artificial and you should have never had in the first place.

And thus it just flat out doesn’t fucking work to ‘help mutants’ by having a few X-Men get to benefit from the Avengers’ limelight and public appeal.....so long as on a large, systemic scale....Avengers are still seen as the ‘good kind of superhuman’ whereas mutants are the untrustworthy flip side of that coin. All you’ve actually done is said ‘see? Mutants can be heroes too!’ which.....no. What are you even doing. How do you think that is possibly doing anything. What was the point. Omg stop. “Watch us achieve equality in real time by patronizingly allowing a marginalized group to share our stage so long as we still retain all the social power, call the shots, set the agenda, etc.” LOL nah.

If you ACTUALLY want this premise to have any legs at all, you have to invert that. You have to do something like Avenging X-Men, where its X-Men who have the numbers, call the shots, set the agenda, are surrounded by THEIR community....and the Avengers that are there as allies in a fight against Orchis or some other attempted mutant genocide, there to lend support where the X-Men say they need it, etc.

3) Post that’s basically just an analysis of a list I arbitrarily came up with of some of the ways problems in a source material intertwine with and exacerbate various fandom trends and vice versa. Like for instance:

a) Conflicts between characters in the source material, where there’s a disproportionate scale to the conflict because its been inflated solely for the added drama. Basically...how often do major conflicts central to two characters’ dynamics (and those of those characters’ fans)....like how often do they originate in fights that only ever rose to the level they were treated as being at in a show or book....because the writers amped up each character’s reaction to the nth degree just for the added drama as a shortcut to raising stakes when ratings are down...rather than because these reactions and the scale they happen at genuinely fit and arise from established characterization?

And thus by extension, how often are fans trying to make certain scenes ‘work’ in accordance with a character’s established character arc, when the pieces don’t fit because it was the writers who deviated from their own narrative, taking a detour for a short dramatic spike that they don’t INTEND to have lasting or altering effects on longterm character arcs....and yet, that happened anyway?

b) How always reframing how we view a source material through the lens of non-canon ships can skew fandom reception of various character actions in an eagerness to view them as motivated by things the writers did not actually write in subtextually. With the acknowledgment that interpretation is always subjective, how often do not-so-great-takes or interpretations of shipped characters interactions end up romanticized SOLELY because shippers are so eager to frame the relationship as exceptionally deep and romantic....thus necessitating that even some very bad interactions be reframed as still proof of romantic feelings.

And this is a problem not because ‘ships don’t have to be perfect or between two people who are good for each other, sometimes the dysfunction is the appeal’.....like, I get that. And its true. And not the issue. The issue’s more when we get ‘shippers have reframed a moment that might have been MEANT to be badly received by fans but now has been given a pass because if it WAS viewed as critically as it was meant to be, shippers would have a harder time coming up with ‘evidence’ that their ship is obviously right there and the writers just aren’t getting it or giving it to fans.’

Like I just mean.....sometimes a fight between two men is evidence of sexual tension and repressed romantic interest, yes. But sometimes a fight between two men is because one of them is being a fucking dick cuz he’s on a power trip and yet fandom has rewritten this to be evidence of their endgame ship’s deep and profound bond and are henceforth interpreting every interaction these characters have based on a premise the writers literally just did not lay out for those characters at all, and thus from that point on fandom and the source material are not even actually aimed in the same direction even while referencing the exact same sequences of events.

Did I basically just mash up the missing pieces of three entirely different posts into one new post instead of just.....writing them into the actual proper posts? Why yes, yes I did. Apparently it was just easier to get out that way. The proper posts will be forthcoming once I edit the right parts into the right places and wrap those up.

But I mean. But in the meanwhile.....here’s whatever this is, I guess. LOL.

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hopeflowr · 7 months

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Sorry, I love you . Changlix Fanfic

Chapter 7

Felix stared at the letter colored with black dots and a crescent shape in the middle of it. He knew who it was the second he saw it. The moon gave it away. Felix's heart fluttered and he fell onto his bed so he could read the contents of it. Would the man have changed his mind? Did he feel the connection Felix felt? His eyes took in all the words as quickly as possible, eager to know if any of his questions would be answered.

Mister Lee,

It's been some time since we last saw each other. Have you guessed who I am? I suspect not. I dare say you are quite oblivious. I find that oddly comforting these last few days.

If I should be honest with you, I never intended this game of yours to last long. Truthfully I took it with a grain of salt at first. However, after our last conversation, it seems that from now on I must take it seriously. And yes, I have had the pleasure of speaking with you. Multiple times. You'll find I am a lot closer than you may think.

You should know I still strongly disagree with the idea of love at first sight. You've yet to change my mind that it exists. Although I do believe that infatuation is an emotion that stems from curiosity. Shall I admit I may be intrigued by you? You are an odd man. To postpone accepting Lord Han for the likes of me, It's illogical.

I bet you'd argue that nothing is logical when it comes to the matter of your heart. I agree. The unconscious act of letting my barriers drop proves it. It's irrefutable evidence. I think a part of me could be putting more effort to trick you into thinking I am someone else, but I seem to genuinely want you to find me. I hope something in this letter will give you a start.

I can't force myself to confess who I am. Shame or self-consciousness, I hope to discover what pathetic fear is holding me back. In the meantime, I hope you are successful in finding me, and I hope you won't be too shocked when you do.

Sincerely, Midnight

Midnight. Felix held the letter close to his chest with a joyful giggle. Midnight, like the time when they had first met. Midnight, like the color of the sky above them. His heart yearned to reply to him. There was no way he could. He had to find him to do so.

His eyes searched for clues in the letter. He said they'd talked before and that he was closer to Felix than the farmer might think. They must have had a recent conversation. Most likely at the beach as that was where he had socialized the most. If he thought back to their first meeting, Midnight told him he'd be keeping him at arm's length. How could one be close but far?

He sighed at the puzzle he was trying to unfold. A knock on his door startled him up into a sitting position. Mister Bang peeked in with a smile. "Would you like to take a trip to the Seo Estate with me? I've business to attend to with Lady Seo."

Felix smiled politely. "I'd be thrilled."

He wasn't lying. Not entirely. He did want to see the place where Changbin lived. After the day before, he found he didn't hate the man. He didn't like him either. It was a complicated feeling he harbored for Changbin. He tried not to dig too deep into it and followed Mister Bang out of the house and toward the stables.

The ride there was as friendly as ever. Mister Bang held about as many stories as the sky held stars. He never lacked something to lift spirits with. Felix appreciated it. All the same, he got quite tired of the fact that he couldn't defend one of his opinions. He was too scared to upset the man. He found that he felt that way for everyone in Wolford, save for Midnight and Changbin.

Mister Bang went off to find Lady Seo as soon as they arrived. Felix couldn't comprehend the fact that Changbin was married. He felt bad for her. Had she done it for status and comfort? It wasn't so odd for a woman to do that. Felix was the abnormal one, saving himself for true, undoubting love. He peered into one of the rooms curiously just to scope the area out.

He was surprised to see a familiar figure sitting on a stool facing a piano. Changbin. He was playing some familiar sonata. Rachael may have played it before. Felix watched as his fingers pressed different keys. His body swayed from time to time to reach a further note. He was good. Alluring. The piece suited him.

Slow yet declaring. The higher pitches sounded like his tone when he got angry. Felix smiled to himself at the comparison. It was ridiculous. That was Seo Changbin; a ridiculous man. When the sonata came to its end, Felix knocked on the door with his knuckles. Changbin turned his head, a startled look shooting across his features for a moment before he composed himself.

"I thought you held detest for me, Mister Lee," he spoke.

Felix strolled over to the piano where Changbin sat. "Detest is too harsh a word to describe my feelings toward you, Sir. Infuriated would be a better pick. You infuriate me," he told him, fingers brushing against the wooden instrument.

"And yet you stand beside me of your own free will."

"Not completely. Mister Bang has come to see your wife. I merely tagged along to get a view of where the unpleasant Seo Changbin lives."

Changbin reeled back at his words. "My wife?" he inquired with a grimace.

Felix raised a brow at his disgusted appearance. "Lady Seo."

"My sister," Changbin corrected.

Felix's eyes widened. "I see. I apologize. I just assumed."

"Yes, you have a habit of doing so," the elder remarked. He shook his head and pulled down the block of wood that was made to cover the piano's keys. "I assure you that I am in no relationship with anyone. I find you won't have a hard time believing that."

"I frankly feel bad for the woman you end up marrying."

"Man," Changbin said as he stood from his piano. "The man I marry."

Another shocking reveal. "I seem to have captured you in a different light."

Changbin hummed as he strode across the room. He stopped at the door, eyes locking on Felix's. "You said you wished to see the estate. Will you come?"

Another strange act of kindness on Changbin's part. Felix had expected him to lash out at his prior assumptions but he had kept himself thoroughly under control. Felix followed him and they made their way outside of the manor. It wasn't Jisung's home with lavender fields and decorative fountains on either side of the doors. It felt much more natural.

A herd of cattle was kept behind a dark brown wooden fence. Jisung had painted all of his white. It felt untouched. All the same, it felt a lot more like home. Simplicity was appreciated in Felix's case. He much preferred it. Seeing the cattle, Felix jogged over to the fence and stared at them as they grazed. They were fluffier than most he'd seen. They were a mix of black, brown, and white. All solid colors.

Except, there was one little one that had a different coat. It had a cream-colored base with a black patch on its back. Its ears were brown and over its eye was a dot of the same shade. Felix dropped his chin onto his arm with a smile. "He's unique."

Changbin found himself by Felix's side, arms hanging over the fence. "He arrived two weeks ago."

The calf rose its head from the ground and its ears flicked away the flies around it. Felix watched as it started making its way over. Changbin slipped around the fence and gestured for Felix to do the same. He did so and his smile grew wider when he saw Changbin squat down to greet the cow. His hand gently rubbed his wet nose and the fluffy area around it.

"He's beautiful."

"His name is Hase. It means bunny. "

"But he's a cow," Felix stated.

Changbin's ears lit up pink and he huffed. "I'm not good at naming."

Felix chuckled and rubbed the calf's ears. He gave a little moo and Felix awed at him. "You even name your cows. I'm starting to think you see humans as slightly less valuable than your cattle."

The elder glanced away. "I do. Hase is much better than a human. That of Wolford's selection, anyway," he said.

Felix rolled his eyes and continued to play with the cow until Changbin suggested they continue. Felix noted that the pink on Changbin's face from the day before was still there. Sunburn, no doubt. He turned his gaze ahead of them and focused on the road they traveled. "Is showing me around troublesome for you? I was surprised when you offered."

"You wanted to explore. I'd rather do it with you. Who knows what havoc you could cause." Felix laughed at his words. He should be getting angry but he was far too happy that day. "You seem delighted."

"I apologize for the lack of response to your ridicule. I find I am in too good a mood to be angry today," Felix returned, his eyes moving back to Changbin. The man was already gazing at him with a curious glint in his eyes. "Say, do you think me to be oblivious?"

Changbin snorted. "Painfully so."

"How do you figure?"

"I wonder," he teased. He refused to answer. Felix pouted and shoved him lightly. Changbin reacted by sending him a sly smirk. The younger gave up quickly. "I expected you to storm off by now."

Felix had too. "A walk may help me conjure up some ideas about a certain something weighing on my mind, and I find that you are the only one in Wolford I can take my thoughts to, as ludicrous as that sounds. I am mixed with frustration and joy. You are the only one I can even remotely consider taking the former out on if I feel the need. I fear I'll break the hearts of the people of Wolford if I utter anything but praise."

"Should I be insulted that you do not care to break my heart or enlightened that you feel comfortable enough to take your temper out on me?" Changbin replied.

"I did not think I of all people could break your heart. I thought my opinions meant nothing to you," Felix countered.

Changbin stayed silent. He didn't say anything. Which confused Felix as he always had a remark. Changbin was a card game. A gamble. Either he was horrendously rude or he was being witty in a strange way that almost seemed kind. Felix peeked at him from the corner of his eye as they walked down a hill. His features were calm and his brown eyes glimmered from the sun's reflection.

Felix was reminded that he was pretty. Perhaps even more than Jisung. The thought disappeared as a creek came into view. His eyes fell on Changbin's hand which he had outstretched for him after stepping onto a large stone. There were a few others that helped create a path to the other side. Felix gave the man a hesitant look.

"You won't shove me in, right?"

Changbin deadpanned at the question. "I am not a child."

Felix smiled and placed his hand in Changbin's with that. He stepped onto the rock carefully so he didn't slip and fall. Changbin waited until he was stable before turning and moving on to the next step. He helped Felix follow. His hands were smooth and his attentive gaze sent a strange sensation through Felix's chest.

For a second their eyes locked and they stood still, bodies close so they didn't fall into the cold creek water. Changbin's gaze was soft on him and his expression was one Felix had never seen before. It was gentle. He was startled by it. So much so, he did the most absurd thing he could ever think of.

He pulled his hand back from Changbin's. . . And then he shoved him into the creek. His eyes immediately widened at his action. He was shocked that he could do something like that. Especially when he had just told the other not to do it to him. He watched Changbin's eyes set into a harsh glare as water dripped down his face.

The creek wasn't deep. His body had submerged but only because he landed on his butt. He was soaked from head to toe and Felix was the cause. He covered his mouth with his hands. "You look surprised," Changbin growled.

"I don't know why I did it. It was unconscious. You startled me!" Felix stuttered.

"I didn't even do anything!"

"You were being nice. I got nervous!" The flame in Changbin's eyes dissipated and his eyebrows raised at the confession. Felix could have sworn he looked shy but he couldn't trust his mind. Not after pushing his enemy into a creek. Felix snorted suddenly. Changbin was sitting in a creek drenched all because of him.

"I dare say, you look good down there. Do you believe in Karma?" He started giggling as Changbin rolled his eyes.

Changbin raised his hand for Felix to take. "Help me up. I think I sprained my ankle," he ordered.

Felix's laughter seized and he hurriedly grasped the man's hand. Worry settled in the pit of his stomach. Had his actions caused Changbin pain? He'd feel horrible if so. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed Changbin's frown switch into a smirk. "You put a lot of trust in a man you dislike, Felix."

The elder yanked him forward and he yelled out in protest. It was too late. His body splashed into the cold water with a yelp. The chill shot up his system and he shivered in response to it. After the initial shock, he turned his gaze to Changbin and shot him a severe glare. "You arse!"

"Says the one who pushed me first. This was payback," Changbin argued. The smirk on his face fueled the anger in the younger.

"I take back what I said earlier. I absolutely detest you, Seo Changbin."

The man's smirk grew into a genuine grin and he laughed out loud at the declaration. A real laugh. None of those sarcastic chortles or a restrained scoff. Changbin gave a true laugh. It burst out of him as easily as a witty comment. "You wouldn't be the first and you certainly won't be the last, Felix."

His laugh was high-pitched. Somewhat like a giggle but less constrained in his throat. Felix's fury fled in an instant and he matched his smile. Their predicament was humorous. They were so set on hating each other and yet they found themselves in a creek arguing childishly like it would reverse time and change their actions. Not to mention, Felix's hands were on Changbin's shoulders to keep him upright and his knees were on either side of Changbin's.

It was the last scenario you'd think to find them in. Felix's eyes ran over Changbin's face. It was close enough to the point he could see his reflection in his eyes. His eyes fell to his lips without his consent. He'd never seen them fixed in a smile before. It was a troubling sight for Felix. He didn't want to admit that being this close to Changbin felt weirdly good.

He was attractive up close. When he wasn't saying stupid things he was easily one of the most tempting people Felix had ever seen. The feeling was only made worse when Changbin's fingers brushed a few wet locks of Felix's hair behind his ear, forcing him to look up and into his brown eyes. They were inviting him to a staring contest. One he tried hard to refuse but lost to in the end.

Changbin eventually pulled his gaze down to Felix's lips. His heart became startled again. It wasn't right to be there in that moment with him. Felix had Midnight to think of. He had Jisung to think of. He couldn't sit there and stare at the lips and eyes of his enemy. They hated each other. Whatever was being shared between them at that moment was wrong. It shouldn't be happening.

Felix scrambled up to his feet in a panic and made his way to the bank. When he climbed out he pointed at Changbin. "You—" he faltered when he noticed the curious look in the other's eyes. "—stay."

"In the water and catch a cold?" Changbin questioned.

"I don't care. Drown," he stuttered like an idiot and whipped around, his arm moving up to cover his flaming cheeks. He sped off back to the manor with a thudding organ in his chest. He was just angry. That's what it was.

#changbin #changlix #lee felix #jilix #seungjin #regency #regency era #jane austen #love triangle #changbin x felix #enemies to lovers

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queerrocket · 1 year

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Hi :) sorry to barge in. I promise, I mean this in the gentlest way possible and I am only writing because I initially agreed with you and then changed my mind. - This is about saying in the tags that 'it's-fine-to-skip-nine's url is incorrect.

Because, like obviously, when I first read the url, I disagreed strongly, just like you did. Nine is amazing and their season should be watched and OBVIOUSLY you shouldn't ignore it by starting with series 2 and never going back to it.

But that's not what the url is about. The concerned blog has a pinned post which explains it better than I could, so check that out for context if you like. But the take away is: by now nuwho has become large and long. And people start watching at all different stages. Telling newcomers they have to start with series 1 or that they are fake fans if they haven't watched it, does more harm than good. It might discourage people from getting into the fandom and antagonise them.

And according to the blog and in my opinion, it is completely fair to start with series 5 or series 11 or even series 8 or anything in between. (I actually started simultaneously with series 10 and 3 but that's another story and maybe not the best idea.) As long as you go back eventually and appreciate series 1 and the ninth Doctor.

The url is about allowing people into the fandom at any stage, and not actually saying that the ninth Doctor is worth less or series 1 worse than any other season.

Hence, I just felt like I should defend it's-fine-to-skip-nine because they're lovely. I think there is a lot of truth to the url, if you understand it like it is meant, but I completely get how you would mistake it for something else. I mean, it did happen to me too.

I hope you're not mad at me for this? Because I really love seeing you in my notifications and I enjoy your takes. And also your reaction made me mostly happy. I just think the blog gets a lot of similar messages and I hate to imagine how that feels. I mean, I would not keep a url like that that can easily be misunderstood but I totally get their point and I understand why they want to share the thought.

So I felt like something needed to be said and maybe it's not always them who have to defend it?

(also your icon is gorgeous 😍

Thank you so much for explaining, I’m not at all mad, I love seeing you round too <3.

Honestly I just saw the url and kept scrolling so I appreciate you pointing this out and I completely agree. My own first episode of who was season 8(? I think) and I recently recommended my friend start at season 5 (I just think the eleventh hour is a brilliant ep and a great introduction to the show), because op is definitely right, who has stuck around for so long in large part because it’s constantly renewing itself, you can jump on the train wherever and whenever you like. Which is something that’s pretty bloody important when the shows been around for 60 odd years (and ideally going to be running for another 60 years).

Their intended message is lovely and I’ll dig a little deeper next time before poking fun. Fuck gate keeping and fuck calling people “fake fans”.

It’s entirely lovely of you to defend them and thanks again for the message. (I’m in love with this pfp if I ever change it know that I’ve lost all sense)

#dw

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aerislei · 1 year

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rwby volume 9 spoilers / conclusion / thoughts. seriously there are spoilers below the cut I warned you.

First I want to say if you're looking for hard criticism you're in the wrong place. I also want to say I will 100% just block anyone who wants to bash rwby/the volume/etc.

That out of the way, I will concede that there are things I wish we'd seen that we didn't, etc, but this was a Really good volume in my opinion, and I genuinely think people who are calling it filler weren't paying attention.

This volume was a much needed breath of fresh air - for us, and for the girls (+jaune). It gave us a little space from Salem, room to confront some interpersonal issues and come back stronger.

This volume is equivalent to that arc in most anime where the protag spends a shitload of time training bc they got their ass beat, only the "training" wasn't exactly physical.

Ruby finally breaking under the Weight!? Incredible. Loved it. Tore my heart out. And the horror I felt when neo!jabberwalker just had her pinned down and she saw all those horrible things??? -chefs kiss- her explosion? completely understandable! like did they deserve it, no but like neither did Ruby.

The pain was so real, so visceral, the moment between the sisters. Yang's older sister "hey" as in "hey you're going too far" was perfect. Jaune blowing up at Ruby! I wasn't so sure about it at the time, bc I was frustrated about him taking center stage from ruby, given how often that happens. But it was an IMPORTANT moment!

God I loved it so much, and then Ruby bolting off, because she Knows in her heart that Jaune was right, neo was after her, and staying puts them in danger but also she was so angry and hurt and she knew if she stayed it wouldn't get better??? man. MAN.

I will, however, be seeking emotional damages from RT over the Neo fight because Holy Shit. No right, there was no right! Them all taunting her! And saying those horrible things! And beating the shit out of her- I just. I was like, sick, through the entire episode. It hurt so much. But it was also so well done??? As in, the perfect series of knives to break her down.

Also loved the touch of like the illusions changing shapes after Ruby cuts down oscar while trying to defend herself from oz. I just- god. Clover becoming Qrow? Reminding us that Ruby doesn't really know what happened to him? Nvm Jaune and her team and- god.

And her team gets there, and god ruby may not even realize they're *real* and not more illusions. But it doesn't matter. The quietly defeated look she gives them while basically maintaining eye contact and drinking was just. horrifying. The discovery that the cat was doing this all along? That Jaune was right? maaan.

Every time Ruby started to talk about things, Something Else happened. Every time her team tried to ask her if she was okay. Something happened. They tried, I'm not going to say they didn't. But it was so well orchestrated. I had to rewatch to see all the little bits of the cat deliberately pulling attention. And like the only reasons he rly saved them from the caterpillar was to make sure ruby didn't actually ascend??

Also that scene. W/ the herbalist. Was so beautiful. Like, getting to see how far her teammates have come and how strongly they feel about their answers, compared to when they were originally asked a similar question all the way back in mountain glen. They could have had anything they wanted and they chose themselves as they were without hesitation. In contrast to Ruby, who knew back in mountain glen what she was and what she wanted, but now unable to fully accept that she can still be those things because she has 'failed'.

The grappling with their choices in Atlas, and how it had to mean something that they got all those people out, but not really knowing what awaited them in Vacuo.

I know there's a lot of criticism about the suicide allegory and i can... understand why. But I also think that the way it was handled is better than most people have given it credit for. Ruby chose herself. Given the option to set down everything that hurt, everything that was too much. She chose to pick up her burden and carry it herself.

Which brings me to why. To summer. To what she saw. The blacksmith had asked her to imagine the woman who might wield a weapon, and asked if ruby could feel the weight of her. But then Ruby sees summers weapon and reaches for it, and for just a moment, she sees the last night her mother was home.

And at first she is (rightfully!) angry and upset, because what she saw doesn't line up with what she'd been told. Summer lied! Raven knows something she never told them! Maybe the lesson is that she should just give up.

But it isn't, and after a moment Ruby realizes that too. The lesson is that no one is perfect. That the ideal she was setting herself against wasn't real. And it never could be! Because she (and her mother!) are human and people make mistakes.

And it was so, so good to see Ruby piece that together and choose herself. To find her feet. To be able to help her team in their 11th hour fight against the cat so that they could all go home, together.

And like RWBY has done a good job in the past of having a character have this moment of things looking up, and stepping forward, but it's never actually been the end of the arc, and I'm confident that when we get volume 10 we'll still see Ruby grappling with the issues that brought her to her knees in volume 9. She still needs to talk about things. She still need to learn to ask for help. But we saw that with Yang - when she finally left home to rejoin the fight she wasn't perfect yet, she wasn't back to 100%. She was better, but she wasn't back to her old self.

We'll see the same with Ruby, I'm sure of it. (and Jaune too!) We'll see them keep struggling and growing. This season was the beginning, was their first steps on the road to some semblance of recovery. It wasn't the end of the journey.

There are still a thousand things I want to say, including SO much about summer but I think im going to post this and write that separately. Ahahaha.

#rwby #rwby volume 9 spoilers #I have been almost completely unable to think about anything else since this volume ended #holy shit

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