#i know that he is a non human character and that would be problematic but he is | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lukewarmoverthinker · 2 years

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michael from the good place is autistic michael from the good place is autistic michael from the good place is autistic michael from the good place is autistic

#i know that he is a non human character and that would be problematic but he is #it’s also not cannon so me saying he is isn’t problematic #also i love him and i’m autistic so he is #if you don’t think he is you’re wrong #and ableist #/hj #the good place #nbc the good place #michael from the good place #autusm 👍#autustic

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darkfire359 · 3 months

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I know that some aros/aces are kind of disappointed with Alastor as representation, what with him being an evil cannibalistic serial killer and all. However, I think that Alastor is not only non-problematic aroace representation, he’s actually GOOD rep. Here’s why:

1. Even if you consider Alastor a villain, there are a lot of character MORE villainous than him—often with their sexuality being part of their scumminess. For instance, Adam would be way less gross if he didn’t sexualize all the women around him, and Valentino wouldn’t be able to be nearly as harmful if he were less lustful.

2. In contrast, Alastor being aroace is portrayed *positively*, often actively humanizing him—something extremely refreshing. Rosie knowing Alastor’s sexuality when he’s unaware of it himself is a huge indicator of their friendship. Along with Alastor’s deer-in-the-headlights responses to Angel Dust’s flirting, it also shows that Alastor isn’t as all-knowing and put-together as he can seem. Plus, it’s clear that even if Alastor is manipulative towards Charlie, he’s not being predatory towards her like THAT.

3. Alastor also breaks several stereotypical aroace tropes in a way that’s nice to see. He’s not a loner. He’s very good at understanding people and navigating social interactions. He’s happy to take on a parental role. He puts his hand on people’s shoulders, gives hugs, and happily engages in partner dancing. I’ve seen some people write Alastor as being uncomfortable with physical contact, but TBH I’ve seen him give (and comfortably receive) more physical affection than most people I know.

4. Alastor lets us get the great ace version of the “Your daughter calls me daddy too,” joke. Which i think is WAY funnier than the allo version.

#hazbin alastor #alastor hazbin hotel #Hazbin Hotel #Alastor meta #aroace #asexuality #aromantism

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sophiaforevs · 7 months

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Between the early cancellation of Discovery, Seven/Raffi and Mariner/Jenn being erased in their respective shows, and SNW having queer coded characters but not confirming anything on screen, I'm really afraid that we're entering another "No Gays in Trek" era.

For those who don't know, 90s era star trek featured so few queer characters b/c Rick Berman largely held a policy of not wanting any homosexuality in his shows. And yes, we all remember the handful of episodes that slipped through that addressed it but the fact remains that there were no canonically queer main cast members before Into Darkness in 2016 gave us a five second shot that could be cut when whoever was showing the movie found the idea of two men in a loving relationship disgusting.

Then we got Discovery with multiple queer characters that allowed people to feel seen. And people never stopped bitching about them. The amount of times that I've had to listen to people complain that Adira's only character trait is that they're non-binary despite that literally being a single thirty second scene and never brought up again makes me understand that they very likely don't want to like the queer characters in that show. And it's not that there aren't criticisms to be made about the queer representation in Disco: Discovery Buries it's Gays before the end of the first season. Making your trans characters aliens who already have a history of gender fuckery is problematic b/c it somewhat plays into the idea that queerness is unnatural for human beings. But I never hear those complaints. Only the pronouns. Only the "We get it you're gay but don't shove it down our throats." But I don't want to get too off topic.

Now Discovery is being canceled early. And by early I mean, the writers weren't given proper notice that their show was ending. They were halfway through production and allowed to adjust the end episodes of the season to try to give a satisfying ending.

In Picard and Lower Decks, we got two sapphic relationships ("sapphic" meaning a romantic or sexual relationship between two women who aren't necessarily strictly lesbians) and they were pretty good. People had been asking for Seven to be queer and Jeri Ryan had been playing her as such since her introduction (see again: Rick Berman) and to see her finally get to express that was really healing. Mariner got off to rocky feet when the creators tried to pull a "Dumbledore is gay" where they said she was bi but didn't commit to it, but they she actually got a fairly satisfying relationship in season 3.

But in their most recent seasons, both were completely written out. Seven/Raffi gave us no explanation beyond that they "broke up." They went out of their way to keep them from being on screen together for most of the season. Mattis said in a Reddit AMA that he wanted Seven to be captain and Raffi to be first officer at the end of the season and that Starfleet would have regulations against relationships between the two despite the biggest reason Seven was promoted to captain was that she was a rule breaker. We didn't even get that much for Mariner/Jennifer. Jenn just wasn't in this season except for two background appearances.

And in Strange New Worlds there's just… nothing. SNW is the most recent new show and there's no queer representation. They code Ortegas as gay but don't actually confirm it on screen. There's just… nothing.

And this is how you loose the culture war. The bigots make enough noise that the show that is supposed to be a beacon of diversity doesn't necessarily side with them but they just kinda bow out of the conversation. They decide that it's easier to not bother than to take a stand. And so I and many many queer star trek fans are left wondering:

Does the franchise even want us any more?

#Star Trek #Prick Berman #No Gays In Trek #Disillusionment Trek

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fabuloustrash05 · 28 days

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Some of My TMNT Hot Takes (PART 2) 🔥

Warning: More Opinions

Part 1 Here

I don’t like that in Mutant Mayhem Donnie is not a “science guy” but instead is more of an anime and pop culture geek. I’m not against him being an anime fan (I love anime too) but I wish we saw more of his science and being a tech genius side instead of him just liking stereotypical “nerdy stuff”. If that makes sense.

I don’t like the Punk Frogs (any version).

The 87 crossover episodes in the 2012 series (as much as I did enjoy them & are great episodes) should not have happened. They leave no real impact or development to 2012’s overarching story and just waste time. These episodes could’ve covered more important things that 202 was desperately lacking like like character exploration and character dynamic development. It was just nostalgic fanservice. The arc in S5 specifically would’ve work better as a movie instead of a 3-4 episode arc in the (most likely non canon) final season.

Shinigami being Mikey’s second love interests ruins her character a bit (for me personally). That was a pointless decision that did NOT need to happen. She would’ve been our first recurring female character to not be a love interest, but nope!

People are allowed to like/ship Donnie x April in ROTTMNT (this is coming from someone who’s not crazy about April being shipped with the Turtles).

I ship Yuichi with 2012 Leo more than Rise Leo (still ship Rise Leoichi, but I just think 2012 Leoichi is way more interesting, plus 2012 Leo deserves a good love interest).

The humans in Mutant Mayhem look ugly af (I know that was probably an intentional design choice but still. It looks bad.)

I hate Raph x Casey (any ver). I’ve stated in part one that I don’t like Raph (any version) being in a romantic relationship with human characters and yes, that meant him with Casey. Not only that but Raph and Casey being a couple ruins their whole dynamic and iconic friendship I love so much. I’m all for friends to lovers but they are a line that should not be crossed. Not every friendship needs to turn romantic.

2012 Karai’s hair looks bad.

Fans often over exaggerate Rise Donnie’s character and badly mischaracterize him in fanfics and fan comics to the point it makes him feel like he’s an entirely different character.

Shinigami should have been revealed to be a villain.

Rise Donnie was just as mean to his brother as fans claim 2012 Raph was to his. Yes, they both do love their families and I’m NOT saying either of them are abus!ce (they’re not), but fans praising Rise Donnie for doing similar things fans criticize/hate 2012 Raph for doing just makes them hypocrites.

Venus does NOT need to be in every iteration of TMNT. It gets kind of annoying when fans keep on saying that she should be in all the other iterations when in truth her presence would not make sense based on the already established canon story. The only (recent) version of TMNT where I think her being included would’ve fit the best and deserved to make her comeback in is ROTTMNT.

The side plot of 2012 Karai being mutated and later getting brainwashed by Shredder was a waste of time and the most boring arc in the series.

2012 April, Donnie and Casey being in a poly relationship does not fix anything with their problematic dynamic and massive flaws with one another. I'm not saying you can't ship all three of them together, you do you! Idc But in reality their relationship would be a train wreck, that's why I personally don't ship 2012 Capriltello.

Renet is probably one of the most powerful allies the Turtles have in the 2012 series.

Rise Donnie would NOT hate 2012 April. He’d go crazy over her psychic powers and want to study them to help her explore them more.

From what I've seen so far, Leo x Usagi seems like the only GOOD ship in the 2003 series (this hot take might change tho).

Raph had the best character arc and development in the 2012 series and changed the most out of the four brothers. Next would be Leo. With Mikey and Donnie have little development (or none at all sadly).

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nicoleanell · 1 year

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I would love to hear your meta on the scene from Renfield with the priest and the vampire hunter, if you’d be willing to share!

SURE, THANK GOD YOU ASKED.

My thing with that scene is it was peak Give Renfield A Hug and also the most irredeemable thing he does in the movie short of destroying some kid's ant farm, and that instantly made me fall in love with him.

I like the fact they made Renfield an aggressively sympathetic character and at the same time not wholly innocent. Robert Montague Renfield is neither a good guy or a bad guy but he deserves to be okay. (Also he may come off way more "sane" as movie Renfields go but he's not a well person lol, and the fact he's in an all-gender support group for abuse survivors very rapidly becomes not so much A Joke as it is the Entire Point of the movie.)

In the flashbacks, it's totes played for comedy and riffing on the 1931 movie and there's a little bit of an "unreliable narrator" vibe to it when Renfield's like, it was good we had great times etc. :))) We don't really know how in control of himself he is or how much he's whitewashing. But then we get the church/vampire killer thing and there's like... the first seed of something more real going on. The movie tells us upfront that the last time Dracula was almost defeated he stopped it, willingly, and it wasn't normal vampire enthrallment stuff as much as a very human emotional choice.

There's some heavy-handed manipulation happening and it's *completely* non-supernatural. They'll lock you away. I'll protect you. I care about you. And Nic Hoult's big woobie eyes hold all the sadness and isolation and genuine hope/desire to be loved, and it's unhealthy attention but there's nothing better out there for him. 🥺 <- emoji rendition of Renfield and also me.

Oh and for good measure his "he really means it this time" internal monologue is 100% meant to sound like toxic/abusive boyfriend stuff he's echoing from the support group, which is A Joke in this movie until it's not anymore.

(Side note, I saw you mention this in another post - the mental institution headcanon is Valid. I would've liked for it to be explicitly in there somewhere but as far as I'm concerned nothing *contradicts* it and it's one of like 3 facts people associate with Spiders Georg over here. So I'll take that crumb that the threat of him getting locked up is just as likely to be in an asylum (again) as a jail. And yikes the legitimate fear of that being WORSE than the hell he's currently in.)

And the second he does the thing, some priest *completely proves Dracula right* by immediately throwing more guilt and blame on Renfield and being like YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYONE ELSE HE KILLS NOW. Which, fair! But also, dude, you're being the opposite of helpful here! Lmao fucking Catholics. He knows this! It's why he can't get out! Of course he chose Dracula and he did it on purpose and he did it because of trauma and it *cemented* him being trapped forever. This is the climax of an entire other movie in which Renfield is probably not the main character but would definitely end up my problematic fave anyway.

SO YEAH. Between that and the reveal he left a whole wife & kid, there's such an interesting theme of guilt/shame on top of self-esteem and learned helplessness issues I was not anticipating in this movie. It's important for him to get to a place of: "I want to blame this legitimately awful monster but I also did SOME of this to myself, and when I can accept that without immediately going into a fetal position, it gives him less power over me."

Does not remove his power completely! 'Cause Renfield 2023 is also not, like, saying that you can just Easily Decide To Leave Your Violent Abuser. But the affirmations about being enough and deserving better and seeking better in spite of having failed or fucked up before are important.

#renfield #renfield 2023 #local-redhead-bookworm

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wenellyb · 13 hours

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Hello, I know you’re new to the fandom so I just want to tell you you two things:

1. You can be mad a Ryan for what he said but believing he only apologised for keeping the job is just projecting. Oliver was mad too and not only him but more members and he didn’t speak to Ryan in years, they’re friends now, that means that Ryan is human and he has learnt, because we all made mistake and we all have to unlearn and educate ourselves.

Also, and please I love Tommy, but it’s also fun seeing how a lot of people (who hates Ryan/Eddie and Buddie) defend Tommy when he was racist and misogynistic when we met him. And he didn’t apologise, we just saw him talking with Chim and helping them and assumed that he did. So, if people can forgive a character and defend him saying “he has grown up and he has learnt and he made mistakes because he’s human and Chim and Hen have forgiven him”, we can say the same to a real human who was also forgiven by Oliver, Aisha and other members.

2. As people said, Roben from lone star (I don’t even know if that’s how you write his name) supports the genocide. He’s also problematic in different ways, and he hasn’t apologised, not even once. In fact, he has done the opposite and he hasn’t taken the time to unlearn and educate himself.

I’m not here to make you love Ryan, but we can learn from our mistakes. And maybe, if you can’t see just that, maybe it’s because you’re not ready and that’s why you’re projecting your feelings towards his apology. Anyways, that’s all! Bye!

Hi Anon!!!

Please don't mix 2 things:

- Tommy: fictional person

- Ryan Guzman : Actual real person

No matter how bad Tommy's actions have been, you can't compare the 2. It's easier for me to believe that a character has grown than a real person even though it happens all the time.

Now that we made that clear, please show me the post of people defending Tommy's past actions, because I'm not saying there aren't any, I'm saying I haven't seen any.

The post I have seen were posts calling out Tommy's past actions but saying he has grown since then , especially he made up with Chimney and Hen, exactly everthing you are saying about Ryan Guzman. You're saying there hasn't been an onscreen apology but with the kid of show 911 is...there are always scenes missing, where we have to guess what happened in between.

And again no!!! Fictional characters are not the same as real people! I love Anakin Skywalker but would hate him in real life (extreme example I know). Moving past Tommy's actions isn't the same as moving past Ryan's actions.

What you can do is compare Ryan's actions to Lou's actions: two actual people.

And take a look at your fandom, that is calling for forgiveness , education and growth for one, but calling for the other one to get fired??

Can you see why I'm annoyed by the double standards?

Especially since Lou's video was taken out of context.

This isn't against you anon personnally it's more a general statement, but fandoms will select whether or not to be mad based on whether the person involved is their fave or not.

So let me tell you the timeline of what happened and you'll let me know when I "projected my feelings about his apology":

1. I saw an interview where Ryan Guzman was defending the use of the n-word by non-Black people adding the classic "I have Black friends..."

2. I reblogged the interview and tagged it "wtf"

3. I received asks telling me about it and how bad it was, and pointed out the hypocrisy of the fandom because they wanted Lou to get fired for his "teasing" comment about Tommy but didn't want the same for Ryan.

4. I pointed out that the apology didn't feel genuine because instead of apologizing right away he, at first, doubled down on what he said.

Mind you, I never told anyone to get mad at Ryan, or ask for him to get fired, I was just pointing out the double standards.

I appreciate yoy sending this, and again, as I said this isn't "against" you I'm just taking the opportunity to share how I see this whole thing.

I'm of course new to this fandom, but I'm not new to fandoms in general, and this is the Sebastian Stan take a knee instagram post all over again. I know how it goes, I'm not surprised by the influx of messages about growth and forgiveness etc... But when those scandales involve people who are not your faves they get feral...

#ryan guzman #eddie diaz #lou ferrigno jr #tommy kinard #911 abc #anon asks #fandom racism #this isn't my first rodeo and everything will be better the day fandom decides to treat their faves the same way they treat others

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skinwalker-bratz · 2 months

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Hello, do you enjoy when people change the creeps? For example, change their race? Height? Etc? Like when I see that with some fanart it bothers me.

Since you are changing the characters and what did you see that needed to be ‘fixed’? I know some creepypasta creators are problematic and not the greatest but at least keep their characters how they envisioned them. Because these fanon characters are dookie to me.

What are your thoughts?

Warning: The text below contains opinions.

For me, I honestly don't care, everyone can have their own view of the characters that doesn't change anything in anyone's life. I myself have my own view of some characters, for example, for me, Nina is black and why not? Because if there's something that bothers me a lot about canon characters, it's that all, if not most, are white, thin and most of them even have light eyes. What I saw most of Canon representation in this fandom was Toby, who is disabled, and Cat Hunter, who is Latino.

Like, you can count on your fingers how many characters are not standard, not to mention their bodies, where everyone is either thin or muscular and tall. The only character closest to being fat that I saw was Tim, but he's not even a creepypasta and he's a real guy, and yet there are people who draw him as a twink. Of course, it makes a lot more sense for them to have athletic bodies since they are all killers or human hunters, but not everyone will be tall and have 0 percentage of fat.

And that's not to mention that everyone is always represented as if they were models and with facial features considered beautiful, even though they have horrible scars and wounds. And let's agree that it doesn't make much sense for the story of most of them since a good part of the creeps were socially excluded, if they were very beautiful that would be different, pretty privilege exists.

But representation in this fandom isn't that great, I don't see many famous artists drawing them in any other way,When the characters' ethnicity, height and weight change, it's usually one or the other and you never see that again. I believe it's because the fandom itself doesn't value this, since I've seen people get hurt when they draw Nina or Jane as black women. Besides, they only give attention to male, young and white characters with an acceptable appearance as i already said in my post on how to create a famous creepypasta oc.

So I prefer to change some characters in my conception to be more realistic, since real people have differences, have different ethnicities and non-standard bodies most of the time. I've never written how I hc the characters but maybe I can do that someday, I know not everyone won't like it, because I won't always see them as young and pretty, especially the guys. Maybe I'll get hate for making them like real human beings 💀

But anyway, this was just another rant from me and I'm not going to express too much of my opinion to avoid getting hate here. because I know that this fandom is run by fangirls and so it's better that way to make more attractive fanfics and smuts, and gain more views with fan art. So just don't take it as an attack or something personal, because it's just my opinion and how I think and whether I share it or not, our life remains the same.

Sorry for the bible here, kisses 💋

#creepypasta #creepypasta fandom #jeff the killer #ticci toby #slenderman #creepypasta headcannons

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ppeonppeonhan · 10 days

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Songs That Remind Me of BL Characters & Couples

@zimmbzon kindly tagged me in their post, prompting me to share the first ten songs in my On Repeat playlist. Highly recommend checking theirs out, because mine is...rather basic. And becauuuuse it's basic, I'm gonna add another layer to this and tell you which BL character or couple perfectly matches the vibe of each song.

1 | "imperfect for you" by Ariana Grande: This one's off her new "please feel sad for me because even though I'm messy when it comes to love I still have feelings" album. I may have listened to this one "on repeat," because it's just cathartic to two-step to these lyrics: "I'm fucked up / anxious / too much / but I'll love you / like you need me to / imperfect for you." What's that? Self-awareness? Respect. I just know Ming from My Stand-In would have the audacity to sing this to body-swapped Joe.

2 | "Acid Dreams" by MAX and Felly: Could not tell you who either of these people are but this song is a snap-worthy bop that got me feeling myself every time it comes on -- probably because it opens with: "You look so good in a night gown girl / freckles on your face / lemme kiss each one." This was clearly meant for my generation, because there is not a single human under 30 in possession of a night gown. But Khem from Deep Night would 1,000% use this song to charm the pants off of someone.

3 | "Toco Toco To" by Dixson Waz: I'm Dominican. And even though I understand Spanish, I cannot for the life of me tell you what this man is saying, but I can assure you it is inappropriate. Rated NC-17 without a doubt. And for that reason, I'd pair this song with the entire cast of Playboyy -- just casually playing this in the background of one of their random, impromptu, midday sex parties.

4 | "Lie to Me" by Meghan Trainor: Obsessed. Not with her. With her music. She has so many non-butt-related songs that are worth a listen. I truly feel like she's underrated -- on par with Ed Sheeran -- and she doesn't get enough credit for it. In this track, she sings: "I don't want the truth / I want you." That sounds exactly like our lovesick boy Nick in Only Friends, thirsting after anti-monogamy Boston like he didn't know better.

5 | "Jealous" by Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, & Big Sean: While it is true that every single person on this track is problematic, including producer DJ Khaled, the swagger is immaculate. Every time it comes on, I, sincerely, close my eyes and just picture BTS's rap line to cleanse the beat. Not gonna miss out on a banger because men are the worst. Anywayyyy, the most jealous character I can think of is Way from Pit Babe, who tried to r-word his "bestie" because he chose a random nerd over him. He fits in well with these clowns.

6 | "Bounce Back" by Little Mix: The only British pop girl group I've ever intentionally streamed is Spice Girls, but the algorithm clearly thought it meant I'd like this group, and the track that hooked me was one that sampled the iconic Soul II Soul's "Back to Life." Instant replay. Someone I think lives and breathes the mantra "You can have me however you want me / however you need me" is the Sultan of Simp, Karan from Cherry Magic (Thailand). Achi could've asked for a kidney, and he would've delivered. But coming in a close second is obviously Rain from Love in the Air. Payu had to practically beat him off with a stick -- no pun intended.

7 | "Body" by Loud Luxury and Brando: It's the buildup to the chorus for me -- come to find out many listens later that it's about a guy who is begging a girl to sleep with him because he's been "waiting too long." 🙄 This one very obviously goes to Yuan from Unknown, who damn near disintegrated Qian's clothes the minute he saw even the glimmer of a green light. Talk about a slow build.

8 | "Into You" by Fabolous feat. Tamia: Back in 2003, rappers used to drop an R&B hit every now and then to remind women that they were romantics. The gaslight kings of the aughts. So in this track, this duo talks about an inexplicable-but-undeniable connection, which only makes me think of Vegas and Pete from KinnPorsche. Those two needed a PowerPoint presentation to explain to their friends and family how they went from hostage situation to star-crossed lovers. But we got nothing -- just good vibes and patricide.

9 | "i wonder..." by j-hope feat. Jung Kook: Do I miss them? Yes. Will I listen to any BTS track that's easy to Namjoon to? Yes. Now that we got that out of the way: This song is about enjoying the moment and not wasting the good times by dreading the future. And that just screams Be My Favorite to me. Kawi just kept trying to time-travel his way to a hetero fantasy, not realizing his queer happily ever after was standing right in front of him the whole time in the gorgeous form of the eternally patient Pisaeng.

10 | "MY HOUSE" by Beyoncé: Not to bring up BTS again, but 👀...j-hope would body any choreography set to this song. Without breaking a sweat. And mother would be proud. On this track, the Queen B speaks of once dreaming of the wealth, fame, and stability she has now, and making sure to only keep positive people around her, because love heals. Sailom from Dangerous Romance would certainly relate to having similar dreams and beliefs, and effortlessly exudes equally feisty bad bitch energy. I still can't get over how he disarmed his bully (and future love interest), Kanghan, by basically saying, "You clearly like me. Shut up." And saying it with tongue.

That was fun. 🤸🏿‍♂️

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lilssea · 8 months

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Okay, let’s talk about what happened today and why I’m going to defend Mew after seeing so much hate on him today. Because, I as far as I saw many people were saying that was Mew’s fault if Sand and Ray were already together in this episode.

First of all: Ray is not stupid, is not be manipulated by Mew. He chose to be with him and not with Sand because he was literally in love with Mew since forever and as we saw in the trailer for the next episode he knows about Sand’s feelings and he is even possessive of him.

Mew and Ray are toxic for each other, do you know why I’m saying this? Because Mew is in a vulnerable state of mind because he already lost himself the moment he knew his boyfriend not only cheated on him but he did it with one of his best friend. A best friend, mind you, who is the exact opposite of him. More extrovert, more a party person and more flirty with way more experience than him. Oh, and let’s not forget that Mew was already vulnerable because he felt that he need to sleep with Top otherwise he thought he was gonna leave him or getting bored so they slept together and had his first time with someone who loved. And who told this? Boston the friends who betrayed him. Mew was already the “good boy”, the “bored one”, “virgin one”, he thought through his friends and other people that he was already a boring person or even a “frigid” one who no one would actually want to have a relationship with.

He thought that Top was gonna be different, Top was trying to change for Mew and he was even trying to make Mew do new things with him without the prejudice of the people that already he had on himself. Now, not only he lost Boston as friends; he now is grieving his own friends group because now he is just tired of being the good boy or be the one who need to be in the right and act like an adult among his friends especially with Ray. When Mew is a boy in is twenty who for the first time had a really deep relationship, in many levels, with another human in a non platonic way and he got really hurt so much that now he just want to be what the fuck he want. Like imagine trying not only to act like you have your own shit together but to be there for your friends and in particular for Ray.

Ray who know what is happening about everything: Sand be in love with him, Mew trying to forget Top with him and what he is doing now? He is just doing ‘Ray’ and do what he do normally so alcohol and drugs. But this time he doesn’t have Mew to scold him about him instead Mew is doing it with him even the simple sigarette’s scene you can see how tired Mew is with his old self and how Ray actually kinda likes this Mew because this one doesn’t reject him anymore as the old one but you can see in the party scene that Ray is jealous. Who is jealous? Sand. He literally ran when he saw Sand trying to kiss the other Freddie and trying to be in the conversation at first plus kissing Sand, say to the other Freddie that he can join him and Sand in a threesome after all of this bullshit you can finally see Sand snapping at Ray saying that he doesn’t belong to Ray so he should go and worry more about his boyfriend (who, mind you, left drunk and high with coke) who now at the same time is throwing up with Top beside him. He is not his second choice and Ray knows how vocal Sand actually he is with his own feelings and actions. He loves, he cares for Ray but he also values himself. And even after that Sand still got Ray’s back when the police came.

You like me, you love me, you are mine

I’m not your second option

How people can still defending him after this episode and telling that he is not problematic? Because he is as well as the all group of friends is. No one is “good guy” because they are people in their twenties with different backgrounds and different lives styles so please stop trying to painting someone as the bad guy only because your favourite is playing that character.

#only friends the series #only friends mew #only friends episode 8 #khaotung thanawat #book kasidet #forcebook #force jiratchapong #gmmtv #only friends gmmtv #only friends boston #firstkhao #only friends sand #only friends top

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lemonhemlock · 1 year

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My all time favorite angle of the Valyrian gods versus the Faith debate, is that a lot of the fics/takes around it by Team Black seem to like the Old Gods (which fair enough, I too like the creepy trees. team stark 5ever) or at least play lip service to it to make the Faith of Seven seem less cool (no one has the vision for how insane fantasy Catholicism can be except for GRRM himself) but also including Targaryen characters being respectful/kinda into the Old Gods, which KILLS me. I blame the wildly non-canonical weirwood in the Red Keep’s godswood in the show. It drives me INSANE. What is that doing there!!!!!! The Red Keep has no weirwood!!! Who planted it there???? You telling me that Maegor or Jaehaerys took the time to plant a weirwood for the Old Gods???? If I see one more fic where a Targaryen marries someone not of the old gods under a weirwood tree I’m going to kill someone.

I’m SO defensive of the weirwoods because I know none of them have delved into the fucked up human sacrifices that likely created weirwoods plus the rich symbolism that they create (hello Sansa in the Eyrie, I love you), the erasure of the North-South religious and cultural divide, and acting like the Targs would be so cool with the Old Gods for no reason is driving me nuts.

I just hate the show’s weirwood tree, it makes no sense. I will never find peace as long as I keep seeing scenes from the show set under it.

(Sorry for being insane in your inbox again )

Don't worry about it, your inbox drops lead to interesting discussions! 💚

Totally agree with you on the Old Gods & the unsavory blood ritualistic imagery (like hanging entrails from the branches of weirwood trees). I mean, it may sound heavy metal, but if we're supposed to be critical about religion,* this should definitely come under the magnifying glass, too. As is the super creepy idea that Bloodraven is spying on everyone using the weirwoodnet and manipulating historical events like that.

I also don't see why Targaryens should be Old Gods fanboys either - what could they possibly gain from this? It's such a fanon interpretation, because the old religion doesn't have any organized structure that could act as a political actor. There's this projection happening, because Christianity has flaws IRL and a fraught history, when people encounter its fantasy equivalent, they automatically think any other religion is better. I'm waiting for Cult of Starry Wisdom acolytes to come out of the woodwork and preach how much better Nyarlathotep is than the Seven Gods puts together.

As for the godswood in the Red Keep - Ned tells us it has an ancient, huge oak. That kind of tree can only grow like that over a very long period of time. There's no mention of a weirwood in KL that could have been cut down; also I don't think you can plant weirwood trees? Else I think people would do it more often in the North. I honestly think it's there just for nostalgia reasons for the audience. Though I wonder if George agreed with this addition and why. Maybe the lack of a weirwood in KL was an in-universe limitation he imposed on Bloodraven's power?

*at least that's what they think they're doing, by writing all these critical essays on how problematic the Faith is, but they never bother to do a comparative analysis with the other religions available in-universe. Or they peddle their own headcanons as fact, like how supposedly Valyrian society would have been so much less sexist than Faith-worshippers, ergo their religion should reflect that.

#faith of the seven #and i say all these things as an atheist lmfao #a godless wanderer on earth!!!

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lilacofficial · 10 months

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Okay so this is going to be a really long post and yet I know I won’t be able to say everything I feel and clarify everything I feel or don’t feel but all I ask is that if you have questions about how I feel that you ask them with kindness and respect and I will reply will kindness and respect. I don’t like the new Lizzie design. Technically I feel like it’s the third Lizzie design since the first one was that thumbnail. Even the second design I wouldn’t like as much if it didn’t look more like me then the first one. Representation is important. Seeing yourself physically or otherwise in media is amazing and great for everyone. The problem I have with a lot of people’s ideas of representation in the JRWI community is that it feels very token-y. Representation DOES include people with really dark brown and black skin and people with dreadlocks but that is NOT the only type of representation aside from your average white character nor should it be. I am not blaming Grizzly or @OrganBean who helped him with the Lizzie redesign or anyone who has helped him with any of the characters. Lizzie still looks awesome and that art is incredible. There’s no debating that in my mind. I also did genuinely like the first three drafts that Grizzly made.

Personally I think it’s more the, not fault but I can’t think of the word, of viewers who feel entitled to change aspects of the world of Mana. I am not Grizzly and I don’t know the intent he had or now has, if it has changed due to backlash or changed not due to backlash, but I really enjoyed Mana being this place that didn’t have human races involved in it. The races of Mana being the DND classes and not being races and ethnicities like the real world like black, white, mixed, Asian, Latino, First Nations people, Middle Eastern, African, etc. me. I’m not saying that he’s saying that it is like the real world because of having more then just white people in it. Non white people should be in fiction just as much as white people and I wholeheartedly believe that but I don’t think it should be forced upon a creator. Again I am not Grizzly nor do I know Grizzly so I can not say that he did feel forced. What I can say is that as a viewer it has felt forced. I’m really happy with all of the new characters and representation but I really wish Lizzie hadn’t gotten a third redesign. Technically I wish she hadn’t even gotten a second redesign but either way I don’t like it. The only reason I like the second one (the animated Lizzie for example) is because she looks more like me and I understand that that is the reason a lot of people like the new redesign and how ironic that is. I just wish that instead of redesigning Lizzie, the first or second time, that the redesign of her was someone else and not Lizzie. With the whole, “but what about people who feel more seen and represented by the new design?” I raise you, what about the people who felt seen and represented with the first or the second one. I know I definitely did with the second one. I had and have a real connection to Lizzie as a character and even though I was a bit confused and honestly annoyed when the second redesign of Lizzie came out, since I was already planning my cosplay of the first design, she did look more like me and it made me happy and more comfortable and excited to cosplay her. Now I feel like I can’t cosplay her because it would be problematic. I mean let’s be honest, I should probably not wear a dreadlock wig. <----(This is a dig at myself about how bad I would look with dreads.)

This is no where close to all my thoughts on it because I believe the whole thing is more complex then I personally could put into one post and also I’m not great at talking about how I feel about things. Long story short, I really like that we are now seeing more diverse characters in Riptide but I don’t think Lizzie should have been re designed. At the end of the day though I am not Grizzly and I can’t speak for him or how he feels but if I were him and made these changes due to pressure and entitlement of fans I would never confirm or deny it. I don’t see the need to change characters we have already met and become familar with and that some of us felt represented by instead of, understandably, wanted to see NEW yet diverse characters which seems to be what a lot of us want, myself included.

#jrwi #jrwi riptide #sorry for any typos I will look at this later and see if I need to fix anything #jrwi lizzie #STAN CAPTAIN ELIZABETH LAFAYETTE #I really wanted to cosplay her and now it seems wrong #lizzie redesign #Captain Lizzie

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world-cinema-research · 1 month

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Dead Poets Society Blog Essay

By: Jillian Arnold

A quote from Mr. Keating, “We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion.”

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I first watched Dead Poets Society when I was sixteen years old for my sophomore year English class. My assignment was to find a monologue to memorize and record myself presenting it, as it was COVID during the time. As I was searching for speeches, I came upon one by Robin Williams and since he was in many movies from my childhood I thought, why not look into it? I chose that speech for the project and decided to watch the movie to get to know the speech better. I ended up loving the movie and it changed my life with its outlook on life and movement to seize the day. Unknowingly, I was the same age as the boys I connected with and would continue to grow with them as they remained the same age.

Dead Poets Society was released into theatre on June 2nd, 1989, and was both a critical and commercial success. The movie earned $95,860,116 domestically and $235,860,116 worldwide, making it the fifth highest-grossing movie of the year when it only had a $16,000,000 budget.

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During the release of this movie in 1989, George H. W. Bush was sworn in to become the 41st President of the United States.

I was not the only person affected by Robin Williams’s powerful speech in this movie. It was well-received by audiences, scoring 92% on rotten tomatoes. This movie appealed to the audience with its message of carpe diem or to “seize the day.” According to Dead Poets Society: A Summary by Faith Lord, “The story portrays a teacher named Mr. Keating who has come to an all-boys school that is steeped in tradition with boys who are expected to follow the rigid and unyielding expectations of their parents regarding their education. Keating's unconventional methods use poetry to help the boys regard their identity and desire with his lessons from literature and poetry.” This intended message reached out to the people who are stuck in a cycle doing meaningless things to them and to be an independent man who seizes the day and don’t let their life fly by them. The producers relied on reaching their audiences to have them connect with the film. They didn’t need big action scenes or a love story to touch people’s hearts. Another appeal to the audience was the famous actor Robin Williams, who starred as Mr. Keating in the film. As a beloved actor at the time, his improv and humor brought people happiness and made them laugh at previous films, making people want to see his role in this film.

The film does have some problematic elements for viewers that stirred some controversy when the film was released. The first is its outlook on suicide. Near the film's end, the character Neil Perry is forced to withdraw from his beloved school to military school and has to quit theatre, which was his newfound love. His last act was putting on his thorned crown from A Midsummer Night’s Dream before shooting himself. This suicide could’ve been seen as his last rebellion and could be praised biblically, but that may not be the case for all viewers. This glorification of suicide can cause more harm than good since suicide is the second leading cause of death for people. Another problematic topic could be the film’s issue with queer baiting. Although this may have not been an issue when the movie was released to today’s viewers, it may be a more current issue. There is a heavily alluded LGBTQ relationship between Neil and Todd in the film but there is no confirmation. This baiting takes away from the representation of a minority and can take a toll on the viewers in the community since they don’t see themselves reflected in films very often.

This movie is an unconventional movie with its deeper meanings and its non-blockbuster-type plot. The plot of this story isn’t conventional and doesn’t have an outlined story, rather it follows the ups and downs of boyhood and their struggle to break free from the status quo.

I chose this movie to write about for the first assignment of the class because it was a movie that stuck out to me growing up and I knew I would be passionate to write about it for this assignment.

When I first watched this movie, I didn’t see its problematic themes, I just loved the poetry and the outlook on life. After watching it this week and doing research on it, I understood its themes and why there were problematic topics. I never knew when I first watched it that it was such a huge film and is famous, but now that I’ve rewatched it I know that it is. Overall though, I still really enjoy this movie and it’s a go-to watch every time. I love the characters and see myself in them and can find solace in them. I have taken the movie’s main message, “seize the day,” and it has allowed me to find the things I love right now. If I hadn’t taken that step and seized my day, I wouldn’t have joined my love of theatre nor taken the time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Finally, a quote from the movie, “The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”

#Youtube

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a-slut-for-smut · 9 months

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Nanamin deserves better than Mei Mei

Don’t forget how creepy she is towards Ui Ui

Ya know, I really wish people were more willing to think critically about the stories they consume vs taking every at face value. Sure, when you see something questionable in a story, question it, but immediately writing off the story/story element as “problematic” just because you don't like it or triggers you is such a disservice not only to the storyteller but also yourself by stunting your own media literacy skills.

As ive addressed why NanaMei pair well in previous asks, i'll focus more on the controversy revolving around Mei Mei because its something i really want to get off my chest. The more i think about the arguments made against her the more i get these puritanical and anti feminist/non-conformist vibes from them and its really concerning to say the least.

She's Greedy/Selfish

Yes, shes money hungry. She shamelessly honest with what she likes and what she wants; she has a personal code/credo and stanchly follows it and its hard not to respect that energy. She's motivated and grounded in a way that seems out of place in the 'sorcerers must protect humans' fantasy world, but in the real world? Of course we'd look out for our own self-interest/preservation- shes as real and relatable as they come. She's logically driven (vs emotionally) and honestly if she was a man i bet the fandom wouldn't blink an eye (and prob would slobber all over him) but as always God forbid women have a strong sense of self and refuse to conform to the patriarchal ideals of what a woman should be.

THAT panel

A lot of the fandom screaming in*cest & p*edophile for this panel and i'll admit not surprised it raised eyebrows but not really reading this as sexual. Yes theres nudity, but body language makes it pretty obvious if nudity is sexual or not and well, its not- and how the first thing fandom thinks is "omg they f*cked" because shes topless or whatever is very telling. It's not a stretch to think she would be comfortable with nudity and a sense of propriety seems out of character with someone as shameless as her. She probably splurges on 1000 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets with all the money she makes, who wouldnt regularly sleep nude on those?

As for UiUi its inferred he used his CT to escape/save their lives directly before, all the more reason he would be tired. Mei Mei even apologies for waking him, implying his CT exerts him and he should rest for the day. Ui UI’s “oh my how shameless!” is said in surprise, indicating he probably blacked out after his CT and woke up fully clothed in bed with her, NOT that he’s tired from having a wild night banging his sister 🙄

I wonder about the japanese dialogue and if there is any nuance/context lost from the english translation, but I interpreted her "Do you not like me that way" was in reference to the shamelessness of her personality, essentially asking him "do you not like me the way I am?" and not her nude body because the translation used "that way" vs "this way", the latter being suggestive. And the fact that they shared a bed to sleep didnt seem OOC given their close familial dynamic.

Sibling Relationship

Its established in-universe that they are "calculating", so naturally they work very much in tandem as far as motivations go and re-enforced from what we seen in their battle tactics. Clearly Mei Mei is offense and 99% of the time can handle any issue on her own, but for that 1% she cant? Thats where Ui Ui steps in.

Ui Ui would never be in danger if Mei Mei is around, and fandom seems to ignore this fact when they say Mei Mei manipulates him to self-sacrifice himself (and her crows) for her benefit. If Mei Mei is fighting and her life's at risk, yall think Ui Ui (or the crows for that matter) stand a chance?? Maybe if he could teleport away himself which is what his CT suggests, but who really knows, and more importantly would he even consider abandoning his sister from what we seen?

I see it as a failsafe CT, only to be used in emergencies since it drains him considerably as Malaysia scene suggests- which is why he wholeheartedly waits (and binding vow) for permission from her to use it, not as a form of control or abuse or simply to please her, but to know if/when as accordance to the battle strategy mapped out by her. Shes shown as a tactician/extremely logical when it comes to battle and will use whatever is at her disposal to win if it means self-preservation (even if it means abandoning the battlefield altogether). Her loyalty is to herself above all.

And her asking “are you willing to die for me” is literally asking consent- she is asking, 'this could be the end- will you do what’s necessary for me to win this?' To which he resoundingly concurs, seemingly out of devotion but realistically if she dies where would that leave him? It’s as natural a response as one could be- in nature mothers will fight tooth & nail to protect their offspring, but at the cost of her life? What would be the point??? Offspring wouldn’t be able to survive without her, they’d be good as dead.

As far as their dynamic, there is clear affection from both sides- Mei Mei is more playful while Ui Ui is reverent. Ui Ui adores her, not atypical of a much younger sibling, but especially so given how accomplished Mei Mei is. It's stated that she inherited their weak family cursed technique, but rather than be solely defined by it, she trained herself to the maximum physical limit, THEN mastered her so called "weak" technique into one of the strongest out there (probably why she acknowledges Maki as a promising sorcerer, she sees herself in her).

If that isn't admirable than i dont know what is, and if GOJO of all people respects her, then thats saying something. But while he respects her and acknowledges her strength, does he trust her? Probably not, not like he does with Utahime who is supposedly "weak" in comparison. And i personally like that dynamic- despite not trusting her to "do the right thing" and expecting her to be self-serving, Gojo knows/respects her as a person and fellow sorcerer. Gege gives us layered interpersonal relationships between multi-faceted characters and yet so many are quick to reduce them to a single trope and its a little sad honestly.

In conclusion, yall need to relax on the pearl-clutching and have a little more perspective by all means hate on her if you dont like her but at least hate her accurately lol

#mei mei #jjk mei mei #jjk meta #jjk spoilers #jjk analysis #nanamei #nanami x mei mei #mei mei jjk #jujutsu kaisen #jjk

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raayllum · 11 months

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...? so if we swap out the immortal character for say, I don't know, a 60 yr old, someone older than both Viren and Claudia and maintaining the same power imbalance and you still don't see the difference shipping a 60/unspecified middle aged person versus a 60 yr old/19 (met at 17) yr old then I don't know man - like I get it yada yada it's fiction I don't care for them either but to pretend one isn't more problematic than the other, for like common sense reasoning, is a little silly

I don't know how to tell you this, but age gaps 1) aren't inherently bad and 2) what can make them bad/worrisome is the power imbalance, typically between men in their late 20s and girls in their late teens, that the age gap can bring in terms of maturity, life experience, and manipulation tactics. All things that Aaravos has over both Viren and Claudia somewhat equally. He's been more outright manipulatory towards Claudia, but he also quite literally has Viren's whole ass life in his hands to treat like a toy. So it kinda evens out there, if you ask me

Also will reaffirm in my tags: I grew up reading greek myth. Aaravos is literally thousands of years old, yet appears to be like, maybe in his 30s-40s (it's hard to tell because no visible signs of aging, but he's definitely more adult than young adult leaning). And if you grow up reading greek myth, gods are banging mortals left and right under extremely or outright non con situations (hi Zeus and Apollo in particular). I also read "Wuthering Heights" (one of the most fucked up quasi-half sibling relationships ever) and "Jane Eyre" (18 yr old girl and her 40 yr old employer) while getting my degree in how fiction can, or when it doesn't, influence reality, how views on age gaps and even incest has changed in society and fiction over time (the Victorians idealized a lot of weird stuff but we also get a lot of their moral hangups regarding sex in general).

Aaravos is not like a '60 year old man'. There is no real world equivalent. This shit happens every single time there's a vampire or god or angel or mortal shit (which errs towards teens, bc YA, but is also there in Adult fiction) but like. You think that immortal being is cognizant of a human being 15 vs a human being 30? You think they have any solid comprehension of what that lifespan is like? You think Aaravos gives a shit as to Viren in his 40s (which, how would death aging work anyway?) vs Claudia being basically 20 when Aaravos is thousands of years old?

TLDR; I get that age gaps on a base level can make people uncomfortable, but that sort of reading requires and engages with zero critical thinking skills, because it's the power imbalance that that kind of age gap can help facilitate that's the issue, not solely the age gap itself. Same as to how most toxic/unhealthy relationships, regardless of the ages of people in them, also have power imbalances, because that's what makes it unhealthy. And the unhealthiness of the ship can sometimes be precisely why people like it, even if it isn't my cup of tea, but I don't have to get up on my moral high horse about it

I think it's a little silly to buy into rhetoric that pushes far right conservative moral panics, sorry

#thanks for asking #anonymous #i'm too old (23 lmao) and too queer (trans & ace) for this shit i think #shipping #fandom nonsense #like wuthering heights is Fucked Up with no age gap in sight man

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stormblessed95 · 1 year

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Hi Storm!

I'm obsessed with your book recommendations and just read aftg and loved them... do you know any other books like them?

Ah yes! I've recommended some of these before, but I'll include them anyway as "gives similar vibes but probably isn't as problematic/toxic as AFTG and yet still as wonderfully amazing and made me fall in love with it" list. Queer characters, character driven, slow burn, angsty at times, happy ending, achillean book recommendations....

(Andriel from AFTG in fanart above)

Icebreaker by A.L Graziadei

Seventeen-year-old Mickey James III is a college freshman, a brother to five sisters, and a hockey legacy. With a father and a grandfather who have gone down in NHL history, Mickey is almost guaranteed the league's top draft spot.

The only person standing in his way is Jaysen Caulfield, a contender for the #1 spot and Mickey's infuriating (and infuriatingly attractive) teammate. When rivalry turns to something more, Mickey will have to decide what he really wants, and what he's willing to risk for it.

This is a story about falling in love, finding your team (on and off the ice), and choosing your own path.

Tropes: Sports Romance, Rivals to Lovers, found family... I mean it's basically just reading about a depressed bisexual hockey prodigy in a Rivalry and romance with his teammate.

Content warnings: Abandonment, Anxiety, Depression, Tricholillomania, Alcohol consumption, Drug use mentioned, Suicidal Ideation

Quote I Love: "I hate you" "Prove it"

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Tropes: Paranormal Adventure novel, forbidden love, found family, high stakes, going on a quest, human sacrifice, tall dark and snarky (mlm side pairing)

Content Warnings: there is a lot, so here is a link to a detailed list

Quote I Love: “When Adam kissed him, it was every mile per hour Ronan had ever gone over the speed limit. It was every window-down, goose-bumps-on-skin, teeth-clattering-cold night drive. it was Adam’s ribs under Ronan’s hands and Adam’s mouth on his mouth, again and again and again.”

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

Ox was twelve when his daddy taught him a very valuable lesson. He said that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.

Ox was sixteen when he met the boy on the road, the boy who talked and talked and talked. Ox found out later the boy hadn’t spoken in almost two years before that day, and that the boy belonged to a family who had moved into the house at the end of the lane.

Ox was seventeen when he found out the boy’s secret, and it painted the world around him in colors of red and orange and violet, of Alpha and Beta and Omega.

Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his bloodred eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces.

It’s been three years since that fateful day—and the boy is back. Except now he’s a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

Tropes: Found Family, Alpha Male, jealousy, revenge, troubled pasts, Boy next door, Clumsy with a Crush, wait for me, own voices gay

Content Warnings: Abduction/hostage, Ableism, Age gap, Assault, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse (parental, past), SA (mentioned), Sex scenes (graphic), Torture, Violence

Quote I Love: "My future,” Joe said, “is Ox.” Ah god, that made me ache. “Is that so?” Mom asked. “How do you figure?” “He’s really nice,” Joe said seriously. “And smells good. And he makes me happy. And I want to do nothing more than put my mouth on him.”

Check, Please! By Ngozi Ukazu

Check, Please! is a comic about hockey, queer romance, and the frequent baking of pies. And you can read this one for free! It's online and free on the authors blog here, including a link to the where the start at the beginning of the story. It's super cute!

Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations. The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince.

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

Tropes: Forbidden Love, Enemies to lovers, royals, secret relationship, love letters, celebrity romance, heroes with titles

Content warnings: Addiction, Alcohol, Anxiety, Blackmail, Cancer (mentioned), Death (parental, mentioned), Drug abuse (mentioned), Forced outing, Grief, Homophobia, Invasion/violation of privacy, Neglect (parental), Panic attack, Politics, Racism, Sexual abuse, Sexual harassment (mentioned), Sexually explicit scenes

Quote I Love: "Should I tell you that when we're apart, your body comes back to me in dreams? That when I sleep, I see you, the dip of your waist, the freckle above your hip, and when I wake up in the morning, it feels like I've just been with you, the phantom touch of your hand on the back of my neck fresh and not imagined? That I can feel your skin against mine, and it makes every bone in my body ache? That, for a few moments, I can hold my breath and be back there with you, in a dream, in a thousand rooms, nowhere at all?"

Running with Lions by Julian Winters

I haven't read this one yet, but it's on my TBR as a gay sports Romance that sounded really cute!

Also, ao3 is a goldmine of amazing fics for the AFTG fandom. Like top tier beautifully done fics. AFTG is a great sandbox for fandom honestly. So definitely check that site out if you want more too.

#achillean book recs #storm book recommendations

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orionsangel86 · 11 months

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I think part of the reason Morpheus is often headcanoned as asexual in this fandom is a combination of people projecting (which is totally valid) and that there's a significant portion of the fandom who hasn't read the comics and only has the show to go off of. In my opinion, in the show he does have strong ace vibes. Much less so in the comics, but it's a lot easier to headcanon a character as ace when your first introduction to them gives you strong ace vibes. So there's probably a good number of people who still headcanon him ace even after reading the comics.

Personally, I just headcanon him as queer. My reason being that if you have a being that is basically the subconsious of all humanity averaged together, the odds of that person being straight is probably low.

As for there being discourse on his sexuality in the fandom: if there is discourse, I've missed it. Though there very well could be discourse on a side of the fandom I'm not in.

This is an interesting viewpoint bearing in mind I have been discussing the exact opposite opinion in a separate post in which we theorised that the show has played up Morpheus' sexual allure...

Without wanting to overspeak here, as someone who is not asexual and therefore cannot speak for that community, I think it is part of a wider cultural thing within fandom that people who are queer and in particular asexual and/or aromantic, tend to relate and imprint rather heavily on characters who tend to be non-human. I think there is probably an interesting psychoanalytical reason for this but its probably a bit too deep of a topic for me to tackle on a Sunday evening.

Dream is just the latest in a whole batch of non-human characters that often get depicted as asexual in their fandoms. I'm thinking characters like Aziraphale and Crowley from Good Omens, Castiel from Supernatural, The Doctor from Doctor Who, Spock from Star Trek, to name a few.

I can therefore understand why fandom may view Dream this way, even though canonically it isn't technically the case. I don't think there is any harm in it persay, though I think fandoms need to be careful about constantly headcanoning non human characters as ace because what does that say about real asexual humans? Asexuality is a human characteristic at the end of the day, and I wonder if this is just the latest in the trend of queer people in general being made inhuman and "monstrous" which goes all the way back to old hollywood monster movies.

I personally don't pick up any ace vibes from Morpheus in the show. I'm not really sure what I would be looking for regarding "ace vibes" anyway because its just simply a lack of sexual attraction, and I think both episode 6 and episode 11 make it quite clear he experiences sexual attraction, at least in my opinion and interpretation. If its his inhuman element that makes him appear asexual I'll be honest I find that a bit problematic, and I would ask asexual fans to also look internally as to the reasons why they associate inhuman qualities as asexual qualities. Of course if there are qualities he is presenting that can be compared to a lived asexual experience which don't relate to his inhuman nature at all then that is different, and I would like to know more about that since it is an interpretation I do not see and would like to read about.

My viewpoint is that he is quite a sexual character even in the show, and I thought this before I threw myself into the comics and audiobook. Other than episode 1, in which the show does a wonderful job of not sexualising or objectifying him outside of maybe Alex's gay awakening, even though he is completely naked throughout, once he has his clothes back on the show leans into the sexual chemistry he has with every single cast member to the point that its basically an in-fandom joke that Dream is a bit of a slut (affectionate).

Even in the cast interviews, this "Dream is a slut" viewpoint was already known about and acknowledged (thank you Kirby and Mason) so its not exactly a secret that the show is playing up the sexual elements even if currently they remain in subtext. Personally I doubt they will remain in subtext for very long and I think future episodes will quite likely lean into Dream's sexual allure and bring it more into the forefront. I am very curious about how they will adapt Tales in the Sand for instance, which is the only time in the comics that Dream has sex within the panels rather than "off the page" and since that version of Dream won't be portrayed by Tom Sturridge, I do wonder if maybe the show will decide to give us more Dream sex scenes - there is certainly an opportunity to bring Calliopes praises to life in the "show don't tell" manner, and we have yet to discover what they are gonna do with the Thessaly situation, or whether the intense sexual chemistry he had with Johanna Constantine will come to fruition.

I also can't not bring up Dreamling fandom here, because if my experience in Dreamling fandom has taught me anything about the general fandom opinion of Dream, its that the show has clearly encouraged an interpretation of Dream where he wants to climb Hob Gadling like a tree. Fandom hasn't giffed that particular smoldering heated gaze from 1789 20million times for no reason. They giffed it 20million times because it is fucking HOT and sexual and arousing and is the first indication we have in the entire show that Dream himself experiences sexual arousal - because he sure as hell looks aroused in that scene.

As always YMMV and everyone is gonna have different opinions and interpretations and they are all valid in their own ways. I dunno if there is actual discourse I just saw a few comments and wondered if there was. If it helps I also headcanon him as queer, because I think heterosexual is a much smaller limited box to try to shove such a grand and unknowable concept into. I doubt a creature such as Dream would ever limit himself to only one specific type of being, even if that is all the comics were willing to show us of his sexual and romantic history.

#dream of the endless #the sandman #sandman meta #sandman analysis #my opinions #ymmv #asks

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