#THE FORCE OF SIMPING OVER CHARACTERS WE SHOULDN'T EVEN SIMP FOR | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

shiny-jr · 2 years

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Oh man, just got caught up on all the Vil stuff of the last few days, and we simps be eating good!

So here’s my contribution to the ever-growing shrine: pre-confession darling always being polite to Vil, but a little distant, a little too star-struck to relax around him. Vil starts to wonder if he’s doing something wrong, if he isn’t good enough…

But THEN *dramatic music* darling’s bag falls over somehow, and some little Vil fan item falls out. Nothing crazy, maybe a button with his face on it, or a perfume model he advertised for that has his picture on the bottle. Something unmistakably fangirl-ish.

Darling only notices when Ace or Deuce points it out, then gets utterly mortified when she sees that Vil had also noticed. Stuffs it back in, tries to laugh it off, but can’t get away from the teasing that yeah, even though they’re still new to this world, they couldn’t resist spending some hard earned thaumarks, and that they’ve grown to admire Vil after the SDC.

Can you imagine? I’m sure Vil would be very nice and not too teasing in the moment, but the second he’s alone? Cue all the embarrassing squealing and rolling on the bed he’d never let anyone see. And the SMUGNESS!! Oh, he’ll be on cloud nine for the next few days, randomly smiling and causing heart attacks in the student population.

Even better, now knowing Darling is a fan, it’s SO much easier to get closer, to offer exclusive tickets to his next movie, to invite darling along on his next photo shoot. And any time darling gets embarrassed and tries to refuse, he can just catch their chin in his hand, and force eye contact as he pouts and reminds them that they’re his fan…

Warning: Yandere. Gender-neutral reader.

Characters: Vil Schoenheit.

Summary: Vil being a fucking simp for a fan MC.

Note: Y'all Vil simps have taken over this blog now. ARE YOU HAPPY? Had to write a bit for this because I saw it so vividly in my head. Normally I like to imagine MC kinda oblivious to trends and celebrities of Twisted Wonderland so they casually approach the elegant star Vil like "wazzup" but your idea is pretty fun too. Had to bust out my Vil playlist to write this one. ADDED: I just finished it. Have not edited or checked for mistakes. But I feel like its mid? Like, it’s not bad but it’s not good either. But I didn’t want to keep it in the drafts after completing it and I didn’t just want to delete it either. So I’ll post anyways, even though I’m not happy with it.

Normally the class consisted of the first years, you'd sit beside Ace and Deuce, usually with Grim seated in your lap. Sometimes Jack, Epel, and even Sebek would be in the same class. But this time you were alone, despite the class being busier than ever.

Ace, Deuce, and Grim were caught doing something they shouldn't have been doing, as per usual. And they were promptly sent to see the Headmaster. Surprisingly you weren't called up, probably because you had been in the bathroom when it went down so you were exempt from detention. Jack, Epel, and Sebek made it to class on time, but they had arrived when the only seats left were across the room. Leaving you seated between unfamiliar third-years because of the joint class today. Well, most of them were unfamiliar, not all of them. Seated directly on your left was Vil Schoenheit, third-year, dorm leader of Pomefiore, and celebrity.

Schoeneheit had greeted you amicably with a rather friendly smile and a how are you? To which you responded with your own nervous smile and a polite response. Truthfully, you believe he only sat beside you because it was one of the only seats left, but you'd like to believe it was because he saw you in a good light now. Were you friends? Probably not. Maybe simple acquaintances was a better term.

If you were being honest, he still intimidated you. You could recall the looks of disdain he often gave you and your companions before the audition, then there was his strict nature and the fact that he literally cursed your friends with a cake you were five seconds from taking a bite of. Not to mention his overblot and how his unhinged form seemed to focus on you so intently... Yeah, talk about nightmare fuel. But, you decided to give him another chance at possibly being friends. You knew he was famous, but you didn’t know he was famous enough to draw crowds. Which sparked your curiosity and led you to looking him up. What you found were various films, shows, advertisements, and magazines. He was like the actor Emma Watson, singer Britney Spears, and influencer Kim Kardashian all rolled into one. You still can’t believe you had no idea who he was and you had offered him a bowl of cheap instant noodles when he and the others were staying at Ramshackle. Embarrassing...

You sat rigidly as Vil checked his appearance in the small hand-held mirror, making sure his looks were up to his standards before class began. Uncomfortably you shifted, deciding to occupy yourself by removing your notebook and writing utensils from the bag you kept as a barrier between you and the super star. As you did so, you failed to notice a tiny object fall out of your bag, but he noticed out of the corner of his eye. Curiously he plucked it up between his gloved fingers, about to return it when he took a closer look.

It was an enamel pin, shiny and sparkling. However, it resembled his face. Or, to be more accurate, one of the characters he played in a recent series. It caused him to freeze, processing what this meant before he moved to tap your shoulder and held out his open palm with the pin on it. “You dropped this.”

Confused, you turned your head and raised your eyebrow. That’s when you saw it. Your pin in his hand, the pin that looked exactly like him. Mortified, you quickly snatched it, attempting to laugh it off, but heat only began to creep up your neck when you noticed his smug smile.

Vil propped up his elbow on the table, holding up his head as he remarked slyly, “I didn’t think you were a fan.”

“Ahaha, yeahhhh... Sorry, is that weird?”

“Not at all. I’m a little flattered.” Those amethyst eyes of his were studying you so intensely, watching your every little reaction. “I’m simply surprised. Most people tend to not like that character I portrayed, since they’re a villain and all.”

“What’s wrong with that? I think villains are better than good guys anyways. They always have a better fleshed out backstory or reason for what they do. They’re more relatable, you know? And you did a really good job and making the audience feel for the character! They became my favorite! And–– Ah...” Realizing what you were doing, you shut your mouth. “I mean, you probably get that stuff a lot, huh? I’ll stop now.”

His eyes were sparkling, surprised as his listened. When you paused, he insisted, “No, no, continue! Any and all feedback is appreciated. Besides,” Vil took the pin from your hands, and he lifted his fingers up to the upper half of your uniform where he pinned the accessory on your clothing. Beaming pridefully at the sight of the accessory, with his face on it, on your uniform, he hummed, “You said, I was your favorite, didn’t you? We still have a few more minutes before class. You’ll indulge me with more conversation, won’t you~?”

❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂

Once alone, Schoenheit allowed his bag to slip off his shoulder. It was a long class, three hours to be exact. Three hours... with you. He released a shaky breath, clutching the spot over his heart that was still beating at a faster than average rate. He could hardly believe his luck. When he heard that today there was to be a joint class between first-years and third-years, he instantly began prepping. He put more effort into his makeup, making sure it was perfect down to the exact particle. He sprayed on his sweetest smelling perfume and picked his cleanest uniform.

At first he was worried that perhaps he was doing something wrong. You always appeared so... timid whenever he appeared. You could be joking and chatting animatedly with those pesky friends of yours (which he held a raging jealously towards), but when he entered the room, you would go quiet and avoid his gaze. He questioned and scolded himself for everything he did. Why did he used to look at you like a stain? Why didn’t he realize you earlier? Were his efforts at redeeming himself in your eyes, not good enough? Was it something about the way he dressed? Or acted? Or spoke? All this paranoia seemingly evaporated when he striked up a conversation. For the first time in weeks, you talked to him! And it wasn’t just a little chat about homework, or responsibilities, or school rumors. You spoke to him, about him! He knew by the pin and how you spoke about the series, that you had seen him on the show. You had been thinking about him! It quelled all his worries, as just yesterday he feared that you may have secretly loathed him for what he’s done or tried to do.

As the memory came back to him of what just occurred, Vil clutched himself and squealed. He was already on the bed, rolling around on the sheets and pillows, resisting the urge to simply jump on his mattress and leap with joy! He could vividly recall the way you allowed him to scoot closer to point out some important material in the textbook, as you whispered a witty remark to him which he very quietly chuckled to in order to avoid being caught by the professor, and you even gave him your number! Of course it was to exchange notes and tips, you had said. But he’d use it for so much more than that.

This was good first step, wasn’t it? You had officially bypassed the acquaintance stage and were now well on your way to the friend stage. Then, more than that, by that was all in due time. For now...

Vil stopped his squirming, again feeling his heart that was now beating rapidly. Do you know the things he would do just for your attention? Oh, you truly have no idea of the lengths he would do, just for you. Gingerly picking up his phone, he read over the newly registered number. Your number. Slowly opening up a chat, he was partially disappointed to see it was completely empty. You hadn’t sent a thing. But, if all went well, it’d be full and constantly busy by tomorrow evening. His fingers danced across the screen as he typed out his message, reviewing what he wrote over and over again for any errors, any grammar mistakes, or another way to better word what he wants to say. Finally, after a good five minutes of anxiously staring at his screen, he pressed the send button, and watched the text come up in the chat.

V: [ It was nice to talk to you again. If you’re willing, we should meet again. I got word that Professor Trein plans to have another joint class promptly, and he’ll assign a project so that the first years and third years work together. Would you like to get ahead and research in the library soon? ]

Then he waited. And waited. And waited some more. After ten minutes, he feared he wouldn’t get a response. Had you given him the wrong number accidentally or purposefully? Was he coming on too strong? What if––

Ding!

Instantly the screen lit up, displaying a new unread message which he hurriedly read.

Y: [ Vil, right? Thanks for the heads up! Sorry for the kinda late reply Grim took my phone to play games. Anyways, yeah, that sounds good. I can meet you as soon as classes are over tomorrow, if that’s a good time for you?? ]

V: [ That sounds perfect. ]

You poor thing, you truly don’t have a clue about what you’re getting into, do you?

❂ ❂ ❂ ❂ ❂

Again, Vil was prepared. He dressed flawlessly and got to the library early in order to have all the books necessary and stacked up on the table. He greeted you with a friendly smile, and you immediately got to work together. The blonde sat across from you, watching as you sketched out a rough look for the presentation that you wanted to show him and ask for his opinion. As he waited, he ignored the open book in front of him and instead watched at the way you focused on the paper, your hand moving with the pencil to create lines and shapes on the sheet. It was incredible that even the simple little things about you could captivate him.

After a moment of watching you with a gentle smile and great intrigue, he opened his mouth, “Do you have any plans for afterwards?”

You paused, looking up in confusion, “H-Huh?”

“Do you have any plans for afterwards?” He repeated. “I mean, after our study session together. Do you have anything planned for afterwards?”

“Oooh.” You shrugged before getting back to the sketch, answering as you finished up the drawing. “I mean, I left Grim with the ghosts but he gets grumpy if he doesn’t get tucked in. The Headmaster said Grim wasn’t allowed out, except classes, for at least two day. But, I might go buy some instant foods from Sam’s shop. Then I’ll lead home.”

“Instant foods...?” Vil murmured incredulously, his smile immediately dropping. All those times he’d spied on you as you ate lunch with your friends, he always thought it was strange that you never ate when he saw you. Despite your company and even Grim eating. But now this? Instant foods? Was it possible that you didn’t have enough money to eat lunch? He was mortified. Swiftly he grabbed your wrist and carefully dragged you out of the library, “Come. Now.”

“Wh–– What?? Where are we going? What about the project!”

“A simple project can wait. Our stuff will be where we left it.” He continued to escort you down the hallways, towards what you recognized was the path leading to the cafeteria. That’s when he spoke again, his tone oddly stern, much different from how softly he spoke just minutes before. “You haven’t been eating properly, have you?”

Your gaze drifted downwards, gazing at the floor as if it were the most interesting thing in the world, in order to avoid his stare. “... Hot pockets are still food.”

“I mean real food.” When there was a lack of response, Vil became angry. Not at you, but at who was responsible. “That wretched crow hasn’t given you a decent allowance, has he? Tsk. I’ll be having a chat with him, but for now...” He led you to the front of the cafeteria, where there was no line. Other few students present were chatting at tables, having a late dinners after their clubs or study sessions. Vil stood behind you with his arms crossed as he instructed, “Order. And I’ll be watching to be certain you have enough on your plate.”

You were quiet, gazing at the pastries, plates, meats, salads, and other delectable dishes past the glass counters. The menu overhead appeared endless, with a huge variety of food and drinks and desserts. It made your stomach grumble. It was a horrible reminder that you had barely eaten that day. You only had a cheap bag of chips that morning. Ashamed, you avoided his gaze once again as you muttered, “Vil, I can’t afford any of this right now...”

“I wasn’t asking if you could afford it. I was instructing you to choose what you wanted. I don’t want your money, you could just pay me back in another manner.” When one of the ghost chefs came over, Vil placed a hand over your shoulder and used his other hand to point at several dishes, “My companion here will have one of these, two of those, and five of that. Yes, that plate right there. Oh, and a smoothie as well. Thank you.” Once the ghost was gone, Vil gazed back down at you. You still couldn’t look him in the eye. Carefully he reached forward, gingerly lifting your head up by your chin so you were forced to look at his eyes. His eyes that were normally so cold and judgmental, gazed at you so fondly. “Why won’t you look at me? Aren’t were close?” He pouted to sell the act. “I’m not about to neglect my own darling fan and let them go hungry. That’d be far too cruel. To pay me back, you can accompany me on one of our days off. Say... to see a new movie in town? Well, do you agree? Or shall I order you more plates and see your time to pay me back grow longer~? Surely spending time with me can’t be that bad?”

#twisted wonderland #twst #yandere twisted wonderland x reader #yandere twisted wonderland #yandere twst #vil schoenheit #twst vil #yandere vil schoenheit #soft yan vil

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timetobeaghost · 2 years

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I would love Mike Wheeler if he was straight, I would love him if he was bi and I would possibly choose that option if it was up to me, but that boy is just so gay, I swear on Dustin's mom!

Let's look at the evidence:

does not want be romantically touched by his gf, who is a cute girl that he really likes. Removing her hands, why?

is not into kissing said gf

can't even imply that he loves her; later is pushed to declare his love to save her and has to force it out under obvious physical pain in a uncomfortable looking scene involving his male love interest.

shows zero romantic or sexual interest in any other girl, woman or feminine character. He even shows demonstrative disinterest as with computer game princess Daphne, Lucas and Dustin fight over, or Max, Lucas and Dustin fight over. There is literally no example of him showing interest that I could bring up.

uses the Star Wars medal ceremony in a story, replacing Princess Leia (who Han flirted with when receiving the medal) with King Tristan....

In a show in which a character makes a whole ass thing out of Mike's sister hanging a poster of Tom Cruise and how that proves what she's into... He has a practically naked Arnold Schwarzenegger above his bed. LMAO Also has some other muscle creature poster. Only sign of femininity in his room is that woman crouching below Conan there. You are not going to tell me she is somehow the point, are you?

Saw someone describe Mike's behavior in the cafeteria as "casually simping for Eddie" and I think that is perfect. We shouldn't forget that involved giggling when Eddie throws food at him, swooning at Eddie during his whole speech and - when Eddie is besides him and touches him - pushing his chest out and basically starting to flirt.

Oh and a then there is all the locking eyes with Will after some soft voiced flirtation and forgetting the world around them, again and again.

Escalating in the most glaced over "kiss me" face I probably ever saw an actor do

On the other hand he said El looked pretty after dressing her up and doing her make up when he was 12... Wait... Is this really a counter argument?

Come on now, be serious.

((Just stole these gifs and pics from everywhere, sry, credit to the makers!! Point out if it's you!))

#mike wheeler #mike wheeler is gay #byler #eddie munson #Arnold schwarznegger #will byers #like he doesn't even have a type #just male #and posessimg a certain je ne sais quoi

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shortpplfedup · 6 months

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Only Friends Character Rankings Episode 11

The end is nigh! Everybody takes a giant leap of faith in the mother of all transition eps, and we end on several cliffhangers of how those leaps will land Will Ray finally get his threesome? Will Nick agree to be Boston's boyfriend? Will Mew move in with Top? What is the actual factual deal with Boeing? WILL CHEUM GIVE BOSTON THE APOLOGY HE DESERVES? Last week y'all were split on who you were rooting for, with Boston and Boeing tied for your hearts. Here's the runners and riders this week.

🔺1. Nick (2)

I'm not sure I'm ready to be anyone's boyfriend.

So many boys to choose from, that's my baby. I chose Nick as my fighter from jump and that was so the right decision. Baby boy is beating them off with a stick, and committing to nothing and nobody in the process. He might be in love with Boston, but he's actually thinking about what 'in love' means to him, after the mess his 'love' caused. He likes Dan, but won't lead him on. Helping Boston with Atom let him see a version of his own feelings and actions that have made him a bit contemplative it feels like, and I'm curious to see what decisions he actually makes in the finale.

🔺2. Boston (3)

But you might be my exception.

Speaking of contemplation, Boston is definitely calibrating and rethinking some of his basic assumptions about life and people. Atom is an avatar of how and why Boston probably landed on his 'I HATE DRAMA' train, while Nick is an avatar of 'oh, I might have conflated people's feelings with 'drama' when they aren't quite the same thing'. He wants to maybe try monogamy, and you know what, that's his right, and he feels safe to try it with Nick. I have a lot of thoughts about how much Boston must trust Nick to take that leap, even on a short-term/trial basis, and I love the nuance in how this has been written.

🔺3. Yo (and Plug) (10)

I should protect my heart first, shouldn't I?

MOM AND COOL STEPDAD ARE BACK TOGETHER! This has been a very tight runner, but I love it. I love that Plug was able to take a deep breath and swallow his hurt over Yo wanting to protect herself. I love that Yo was able to step outside of herself and take a leap of faith that Plug does love her. Using Yo and Plug as a thematic reinforcer has been effective for me, and I hope we get to see them one last time in the finale.

🔺4. Top (8)

I'm gonna make you love me even more.

Force has been doing a thankless job incredibly well playing Top. When I tell y'all I know Tops, big dick swinging Big Men On Campus, Roc Nation Brunch types, successful on the outside but a total mess within, looking for a saviour, convinced that this One Thing or One Person, if they could just get them, it would mean that they're winners and not the losers they have nightmares about being...and Force is playing that so well. The other thing about these types is that the hole inside they're trying to fill is always an empty space, no matter who or what they try to stuff in there. There will always be a next thing that could save them. I've legit never seen this type portrayed this well on screen, and I look forward to seeing where he lands because he could literally go either way.

🔹5. Sand (5)

Well, someone who's completely my type dumped me for someone else.

YES SAND SPEND THAT MAN'S MONEY THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU ALL ALONG! If he's going to call you a whore whenever he gets mad at you, and you're gonna accept that and forgive him every time, at least reap some goddamn benefits. On the other side of things, we see that Sand's simpness is not confined to Ray; this is just what he's like when he falls for somebody. Boeing reappearing makes that clear. That man cheated and dumped him and he still can't send him packing when he turns up again. 'We can be friends' NO YOU FUCKING CAN'T GUY, THAT MUCH IS OBVIOUS.

🔹6. Mew (6)

You asked for a chance and I gave it to you.

As I said earlier this week, there's nothing wrong with Mew that couldn't be solved by giving him a pair of stilettos and a flogger, and I stand by that. Mew is struggling so hard with the feeling that he has somehow lost, and it's making him lowkey crazy. Top abasing himself and Mew getting to punish him would go a long way to making these two work, if that's what they want. Sometimes kink is 100% the answer to a complicated relationship, and these two are COMPLICATED. So much ego and image is wrapped up in these two's expectations of each other, they are never actually vulnerable, even when performing vulnerability. But one thing kink absolutely requires is vulnerability. I'm voting for Mew to realise his dom desires before the end.

🔹7. Ray (7)

If you say so, then I won't be jealous.

Ray makes a valiant attempt at proper boyfriendism this ep, and it's actually pretty effective...right up until he's faced with the prospect that Sand's squishy centre is more about who Sand is than it is about Ray being extra special somehow. Sand's mom told him: this is how he is with people he cares about. So when somebody Sand clearly cares/cared about, Boeing, shows up, Ray gets a front row seat and he doesn't like the view. How he handles what happens next is gonna tell us whether or not Ray has learned a goddamn thing.

🔻8. Boeing (1)

I just want to be with someone tonight.

There's a definite pattern to the rankings at this point, in that a character hitting the #1 is doomed to take a nosedive in the next ep, and Boeing is no exception. His game remains unclear at this point, but he does give the sense of having had plan A fail and moving on to plan B, taking a not-unrealistic leap of faith that Sand will allow him back into his life. This show has been pretty good about writing real people not cartoon villains, so I'm pretty sure Boeing's got his own human story animating his actions, and I'm curious to find out what it is.

🔺9. Atom (10)

He didn't do anything to me.

Well he apologised and told the truth in the end, even if he had to be threatened to do it, that counts for something...

🔻10. Cheum (9)

What did he do to you this time?

...but if she doesn't apologise for the fucked up things she said to Boston I'm gonna lose it I swear.

#only friends the series #bless this mess #only friends weekly character rankings #i support gay wrongs #only friends #only friends series #bl meta series

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dimiclaudeblaigan · 8 months

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I really hate the inconsistencies that exist just to make SB (and CF technically) work, but also how hard Petra basically simps for Edelgard to the point it deconstructs aspects of her character.

In Houses she mentions her siblings being in danger if she died, but in SB she just doesn't even make any mention of them in this situation. She's just willing to possibly die all of a sudden for someone who never actually treated Brigid like its people were independent (which she could've done at literally any time from the moment she became emperor). She was relatively vocally I guess you could say "good" to Petra, but the way the writing handles Petra's response to all of it feels like Petra's just been brainwashed.

Petra says she would always choose survival and makes a point to emphasis that, but in SB she's completely and carelessly willing to risk her life and possibly throw it away... for Edelgard? Who still has not actually officially freed Brigid? And if Petra were to stop being Edelgard's ally?

"Reconsideration". Because Brigid was never freed and now they're not going to be as long as Edelgard is in charge, because their queen is no longer bending to her will and fighting for her. If she was ever truly planning to free Brigid, Petra's decision alone not to fight for her shouldn't have changed that fact (especially since she supposedly gives her the choice in Houses to fight for her or not, and on non CF routes she does this by sending a letter, to which Petra refuses).

It should, of course, be obvious with this that everything is very not hunky dory between Adrestia and Brigid, but then...

...eh wot hooligans???

I mean sure, if you considered forced vassalage to be "peace" and not being a free people "peace" then sure. But like... it's not a peace her people want and she should know that, but the game tends to do this back and forth with this topic. I hate it though because it makes it come across as being forced into submission and not having the means to fight back is "peace".

I know this game has lots of issues with uh, if you're attacked or if you were defeated by another military force you should submit and be happy about being taken over, and when you can't fight back anymore that's "peace" because nobody's fighting... but uhh... why is that only an issue with the Empire? I mean, we know why - the devs wanted to walk with her and they admitted it! But like... they should still know when they're writing something reeeeally icky.

Duscur doesn't have this problem and they're not under Edelgard's foot. Anything under Edelgard's foot though is treated like they should be thankful for her control and/or invasion(s). That just overall sends a really nasty message. I don't know that the devs meant to do that as far as an Empire, but I do think it's because they went a little hard with the Edelgard bias and somehow forgot what it would look like to an audience playing the game.

It's like they know it's not a good thing but they keep pushing the "Brigid isn't actually free but it's still peace because nobody is fighting" narrative.

Like... I don't care how much you love a character you're writing. You can't tell me that oppressed nations would just call oppressions "peace" or that their leaders would be more than happy to fight and die for the leader of the nation oppressing them. It gets even worse when you get into the racial territory of it, but that's a topic I've already covered so I'm not gonna go over it again here.

#DCB Three Hopes Run #I know ppl have talked abt this before but it's still smth that bugs me and #frankly this game is only a year old so the issues that were present in Houses #now being present again in Hopes means they were not fixed at all in the writers room #as recently as a year ago. I'm glad they went back to normal FE formula with Engage bc of shit like this #And yeah reminder I discuss some of the negative/harder topics here and not just what I like #I don't tag anything like this outside my own tag(s) though bc I'm not interested in discourse #but I still want to be able to talk about this stuff and I do have some mutuals who are interested in these discussions #which I say this bc I have a section of mutuals who don't like these discussions #and a section of mutuals who do want to discuss this stuff and typically the ones who do go into these topics #tend to be on/posting/etc around the time I'm posting this one so I try to balance when I post these things #around the time those mutuals will be on and when the others are sleepingggg zzzz bc I got at least a bit lucky with that!#Generally one side of y'all are awake at once so it works out pretty well #I talk abt things in equal measure with things I love abt these games so if it's just smth that #I want to talk abt then I do with all my little details and stuff bc that's what I do for all FE games #If I don't like smth I'm gonna talk abt it just like if I like smth I will talk abt it

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aquaburst3 · 5 months

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One debate going around on TWST Tumblr is about the OB boys and how the narrative handles them. On one side, we have someone saying that the OB boys' actions towards Yuu are shitty, horrible and traumatizing, so that the game should take time out to have Yuu lash out at them and have the boys "compensate Yuu for their actions". Some people agreed with that OP. One person in the replies of that post even went as far as to say that they quit playing the game based on that fact. On the other side, we have a person replying to that take basically rebutting that statement. They believe that the game shouldn't condemn them for their actions, and that we aren't meant to read their actions as scaring. Another portion of the fandom agreed with them. (No, I'm not tagging anyone for obvious reasons.) Personally, I'm somewhere in the middle between those extremes.

On one hand, we all came into this game knowing that they are based on Disney Villains, right? So, what the hell do some people expect? The NRC boys to be lovable Disney heroes with a heart of gold? Of course, they are gonna be morally grey anime pretty boys, who do some questionable actions. That's the whole fucking point of the game. xD

I also agree with that second OP that expecting "compensation" from people who were dicks towards you is not how life works. Sometimes people are just dicks towards you and you have to move on. Hell, I think characters like Vil compensated Yuu to a realistic amount where they acknowledged their actions, apologized and tried to make it up to them. I don't know what else some people want here.

On the other hand, I think this is one example of a HUGE flaw with the writing —the static characters and them having zero consequences for their actions, including their fucked up ones. Something I noticed in the game for awhile now is that most of the time, it completely brushes off the boys' actions and they get only a slap on the wrist. It's not just in cases of OBs either, it's in general. Almost Thanos Snap your friend? He instantly forgives you. Almost suck out the magic out of people and want to do it to the world? Nothing happens other than "forcing you to live with your guilt". Almost turn people into living puppets? You are allowed to get away scott free without anyone being the least bit mad about being almost subjected to a fate worse than death. You see what I mean? It's fucking laughable and unrealistic. Actions always have consequences, and so should theirs', whether they are based on villains or not. To be blunt, it's shitty writing. Plain and simple. Unless you are writing a flat arc, characters need to change and develop. It can be for the better or worse. But there has to be...something. Otherwise what the fuck is the point of having a story?

You can have both. You can write morally grey teen/young adult characters in a coming of age story AND have them have realistic consequences for their actions and grow and change. The Crows prove that.

The Crows from Six of Crows parallel the NRC students in a lot of ways. They are both in the same age range. (Even though, I think aging them up to be in their 20s and early 30s in the show was a smart move, since you can buy a guy in his late 20s being a powerful gang lord over a teenager. I think that's part of the reason why aging up the NRC boys to be 20-somethings in university is so popular in this fandom. It's much easier to buy Azul as a 20-something owning the lounge, for example. But that's besides the point.) Both have morals and care about a select few while being rather questionable. Both have done some VERY fucked up actions. For example, Kaz pulls out a guy's eyeball at one point. One key difference is that the Crows are more dynamic as characters and have actual consequences for their actions.

For example, Kaz is a hardened criminal who only shows his softer side to a select few. However, at the end of Crooked Kingdom, Inej, the woman he endlessly simps after and cares about a lot, says that she needs time away from him, joining a crew to find her lost family. The reason why he did this? Because he was emotionally constipated and needed to work on his issues more before getting into a relationship with her. That is a very real consequence for his actions and how he treated others. Hell, the way I interpreted that bit is that whenever she came back, she would be more ready to be in a relationship with him. (We would've gotten that in a SOC series. Thanks a lot, Netflixs!) There are plenty of other examples like that in the series. The group doesn't instantly let in Mattias into the fold thanks to him hunting down other Grisha before, tension forms between Jesper and Wylan thanks to the love triangle between them and Kuwei, etc.

The game could've done something like that. Have them still be morally grey people, but have fallout for some of their actions and have to earn their redemption. Do more things like what happened to Vil in Book 6...but have it actually make sense and not a stupid deus ex machina to make Malleus look like a Gary Stu. (God, the whole "Vil turning into an old man thing was fucking stupid.)

Plus, these guys are based on VILLAINS, so you'd think that characters like Ruggie would be more angry and want revenge. The fact that they quickly forgive and forget makes no sense in that regard as well. Hell, I'm still surprised that Ace, Leona and Vil never got mad at Honest Fellow or called him out in the new event. I thought they would try to kill him for what he did given the fact that they are based on villains. That's what the Crows would've done.

While, yes, I think part of this is due to the game's design as a gatcha. Plus, they want to make the boys as appealing to the player as possible in order to entice them pay more, so that includes not focusing on some of their deeds. However, I also think part of this is due to Yana herself.

During the 2020 guidebook interview, Yana said that she honestly believes that the boys' only appeal is that they are "bad" and they should always remain that way. So part of the reason why the game doesn't focus on that is because calling them out and having them change would go against her own mentality as a writer, because "character development=bad" to her, which hampers the story on all levels. That's why I think the light novel was able to dive into this aspect—Yana's not behind it, somebody else is. So, yes. Yana shares a chunk of the blame as well as the head writer, and is yet another example of her being a terrible one.

Another problem is that Yuu's lack of presence and blase attitude towards everything. The aren't phased by anything that happens to them in the narrative. It's not just the OBs either, but in general. On the first night, they have a GOOD night sleep despite being thrown into another world. When their home is destroyed in Book 6, they simply don't care. Like...what? Who acts like that? They have no impact on the events and mostly act as an observer, being more like the Crew in The Office than a fucking character. Hell, my toothbrush has more of a presence then Yuu! Again, it's shitty writing.

So, yeah. I think the side wanting these guys to be paragons of virtue or to make them repay Yuu for their actions is asinine. But at the same time, I think that Yuu's unrealistic responses to things, the character stagnation and them not having any real consequences to their actions is holding the story back. While I don't think the characters should beg for forgiveness from Yuu or go to rehab or something stupid like that, I think they should have some setbacks as a result of their actions that they have to work overcoming instead of moving on to the next boy. This should be a coming of age story, so that's a basic requirement that Yana is intentionally not meeting thanks to her own stupid mentality.

#twst negative #twst critical #aqua rambles #twisted wonderland

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aemondsbabygirl · 10 months

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Ooh I love this! Thanks so much for the tag @boundlessfantasy

Rules: What are some of your favorite tropes and AUs? To make this more fun tag someone or send this to someone else to see what theirs are.

Enemies to lovers: a shocker I know. I'm obsessed with the idea of seeing someone at their worst and loving them despite everything. I'm a goner for the duo who hates each other until one of them is hurt; if the line "who did this to you?" is in a fic/book, you can be sure I'm going to read it. Especially if in the end, the enemies become complete simps for each others.

Forbidden love: the classic romeo and juliet, with families who are rivals, or the characters are from very different economic backgrounds. Relationships that shouldn't happen but they can't stay away from each other (although I don't really like older!man with very young girl because I've been groomed by a 25+ years old man when I was 16, and it's triggering sometimes. I'm okay with it if the girl is over 20).

Angst with happy ending/Hurt comfort: I love pain. It makes me so emotional and invested. Give me all the miscommunication, arguments, hurtful words etc... And part of me loves it, because I absolutely love the groveling that comes after.

Angst with no happy ending: I would even go as far as kind of cheating (but preferably not all the way) because then the groveling is unmatched. In the case of some big offense like cheating; I prefer no happy ending for the couple. Although I've never been cheated on, I don't condone cheating and would never forgive it. But I love reading about a man desperate and living with regret and the oc not forgiving him. Bonus points if she makes him watch as she gets with someone better than him.

Best friends to lovers: a classic but so good, ain't nothing better than being best friends first. Add in some angst with bad timing, seeing each other date other people, suffer in silence until one can't take it anymore. I'm all for it.

BDSM dynamics with a Dom. Not an abusive asshole, a real Dom. Serious, strict, completely in control, but also caring with a soft side. Because I am such a sub.

Forced proximity: fake date to a wedding, only one bed, forced to work together etc... It's close to enemies to lovers though.

Any Fantasy AUs: I enjoy modern day stories but I absolutely love a universe that is different from the one we live in. That's why I prefer fics set in the "original" AU over modern fics (say like set in the harry potter world, or game of thrones world, etc..)

I realize that, that’s probably all the tropes haha! I loved this so much!

I tag @barbiegirlaemond @babyaemond @toodlesxcuddles @arcielee @aemondtragaryen @qyburnsghost & @khaleesihel

(No pressure tags, of course, feel free to ignore)

#tag games #boundlessfantasy

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zestrya · 10 months

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just finished reading tokyo revengers and boy oh boy.

mild spoilers ahead:

first of all, mikey is so bitchy, goddammit bro, just accept their help. i cried everytime he would insist on pushing takemichi and the others away, like bro, okay, ur curse's strong n all, but what's wrong with at least talking with them damn it! u fucked ur best friend face and ur brother died, but that's all the more reason to look for someone to lean on. he knew takemichi would try to help him no matter if he said what was happening or not, so couldn't he at least make it easier by opening the game with him.

his mentality about strong is all fucked up, for real, before he goes on about his life, he should seriously look for a therapist.

n let's not forget about shinichiro, honestly, just a pitiful guy out there who's a little messed up in the head, I'm just wondering how he didn't get worse than he already was, after watching so many people die and even killing someone with his own hands just to try and save his brother and the people he loves, honestly, he's another self sacrificing guy just like takemichi, just with a few more screws loose. didn't have to suffer through all that, tbh, but without him the story wouldn't even exist.

then.... sanzu, dude, i prefer to not talk about, so I'll just say: therapy, it's good for the mental health. a sob story indeed, but fuuck, i wouldn't go anywhere near this guy if i saw him with any sort of cutting weapon in hands. actually, scratch that, I'd NEVER take a step into this guy field of vision. he's hot tho.

the shiba siblings... I'll just pass as: taiju is one hell of a crazy fucker. bless.

koko, dead people don't return and u shouldn't be giving the cold shoulder to your friend like that. honestly, i cried so much at inupi fight at the end, he's such a baby, he didn't deserve all that, neither of them.

kazutora..................... our local psycho. damn, i don't know what to say about him, dude gave me such a huge impression, but i think that's just me liking freaks with droopy eyes. seriously tho, he was one of those that got caught in mikey's karma like a bitch, besides, how tf do you even kill someone a shift the blame to someone who's, like, never asked for you to steal nothing.

baji got swept under the rug so many times i don't even know what to expect anymore, he's so fucked up i honestly pity him a little, still, even when he's one of the characters i wasn't particularly fond of, he's one of the quirkiest among the founders bunch, and definitely, hes not easy to forget since chifuyu makes sure to remember about him every damn time.

and chifuyu to close, for now at least, basically he's a simp. jk, man, was he one of the characters that evolved as the story went on, i got a little pissed at his attitude sometimes, but he's the man to get your back, too bad his spotlight on the last fight wasn't too big, but i like that we can see how much he takes after takemichi, never giving up as long as there's someone who's still standing, in this case, our precious time leaper. he's definitely the right choice to be narrating the last chapter.

and just remembering all that I'm crying all over again, definitely it wasn't something I'll regret reading, and will probably be rereading after some time, it won't be the same feeling, maybe i won't even like it as much, but i can't deny that i got attached.

I'll be finishing this one by here, maybe i'll do another going step by step on my fav characters, but for now all i will say is.

the finish may have been lazy or forced? maybe, but i wouldn't have it any other way. for our crybaby protagonist and his legion of gangster i wouldn't anything more than the happiest ending, even to the more lunatic ones yes taiju/sanzu, i'm looking at you. they already suffered enough, they paid their prices, so at least that ending was a moment of respite to then.

i almost forgot, but what the heck where the first gen even doing in the middle of the kids fight? like.... wakasa and benkei, aren't you even ashamed????? you guys retired years ago. dude, the fight left them, but they haven't left the fight it seems.

#tokyo revengers #tokrev #tokyo rev

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vivithefolle · 2 years

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I think one of the main things that really irritates me about the Canary Incident in Book Six is that it could’ve been used as a way for Hermione to learn that while you can feel hurt, it’s not okay to physically take that hurt out on someone else(which I think the fic Golden Bullets touches on). But instead the narrative treats that scene as either humorous/Ron deserved it when in reality- as much as I disapproved of Ron’s behavior before that scene- it didn’t warrant any sort of reaction like that. There are 19 years between the last chapter of Book 7 and the epilogue, so I really hope that somebody called Hermione out on that sort of behavior eventually and she learned to grow out of it, because reading that Canary scene years later is pretty…yikes tbh🤷‍♀️

You're right and you should say it.

Honestly, the thing that makes Hermione even more detestable to me is the post-canaries. Like... okay, right, let's just, let's say it was a "regrettable childhood incident", "one instance of abusive behaviour but that's just the one when abuse is a pattern so we shouldn't judge her too harshly", ok, ok, it's just one teenage mistake, teenagers hit each other and are idiots, yeah! Ok Hermione faced no consequences for the canaries but that doesn't mean she hasn't learned a lesson, maybe she did so off-screen, we know how much Rowling likes to develop her female characters off-screen (hi Ginny), so yeah Hermione can totally have learned it's not ok to attack people-

‘Could’ve been worse. Remember those birds she set on me?’ ‘I still haven’t ruled it out,’ came Hermione’s muffled voice from beneath her blankets, but Harry saw Ron smiling slightly as he pulled his maroon pyjamas out of his rucksack - Deathly Hallows

........................... Ron. Ron my darling. Ron my beloved. Ron my beautiful boy. Ron my sweetest summer simp RUN HOLY FUCK RUN.

And, of course I don't condone Ron's behaviour while he was upset with Hermione hiding her involvement with Krum. I understand he felt betrayed and to him, dating is practically being married, so he thought he'd lost his chance, and so he lashed out at everyone and was being a total asshole as a result. But... yet, I can't help but see the way Rowling piles on the crap to make it so Ron blows a fuse. First she forces him back into the role of "haha loser Ron scared of playing Quidditch" when he'd have normally outgrown this thanks to the victory at the end of Book 5 (yes, it's "realistic" that his progress isn't streamlined, BUT THIS IS A BOOK. BOOKS DON'T OBEY THE RULES OF REALITY.), and he'd gotten over his jealousy of Krum at the end of Book 4 (but Rowling still poked fun at it in Book 5 before dropping it halfway through, ok why not) BUTT suddenly it's resurrected out of nowhere just to force Ron into a bullshit romantic jealousy plotline and... UUUUGH I hate HBP so much, and yet with all the bullshit Rowling forced upon Ron's character in that book he still comes out looking better than Harry "guess I'm not gonna help my friends at all cuz I have better stuff to do" Potter and Hermione "physical abuse is okay as long as it's the girl who does it!" Granger.

#vivi answers #hbp #half blood prince #ron weasley defence squad #ron weasley defense squad #harry potter #hermione granger #hp meta #hermione granger critical #hermione critical

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rovelae · 3 years

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Why Saiouma isn’t toxic

(CW: in-depth discussion of abuse, discussion of rape/noncon)

Disclaimer(s): This is an intellectual discussion, not a screaming match. If you’re here to argue with facts and evidence, I don’t mind debating with you. If you just want to throw a tantrum because I like something you don’t, I’m going to tell you to take a Xanax and go to bed.

I’m combining the terms “toxic” and “abusive”; though they aren’t technically the exact same, they’re similar enough for the purposes of this essay.

This essay isn’t meant to convince you to ship Saiou. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. But it’s not right to scream ‘abuse’ where none exists; it hurts fans and content creators, and it “diminishes the importance of that word and it reduces [it] to something volatile and stupid.”

To begin with, we have to identify what makes a relationship abusive. The way I define it, an abusive relationship involves manipulation, an inherent power imbalance, and/or physical or sexual abuse. Most of the hate-posts I’ve seen paint Kokichi as the abuser and Shuichi as the hapless victim, so that will be the focus of this essay.

1. Would Kokichi manipulate Shuichi for personal gain?

There’s no denying that Kokichi is a manipulative person. He’s a liar and he did some awful things in the game. No one’s saying he’s a morally white character. But it would be wrong to say he’s entirely evil, either.

I’ve already covered in this post why Kokichi can’t be said to lie for personal gain, but I’ll quote a bit of it here.

“The motivation [behind Kokichi’s lies] isn’t self-serving—he’s motivated by a desire to end a death game and stop anyone from having to go through what he and his friends have ever again. The smaller lies, though, like lying about his favorite foods? It would be annoying to be tricked like that, but it’s way too much of a stretch to label it psychological abuse.”

We know that Kokichi’s DICE organization has a moral taboo against murder. We know he hated the killing game, to the point where he orchestrated his own suicide in order to ruin it. And almost every time Kokichi lies in the class trials, it’s either for comedic relief or to push the cast toward finding the culprit.

“But Chapter 4!” you protest. “Kokichi manipulated Gonta into killing Miu!”

My response is threefold:

- Miu started it. Kokichi wouldn’t have done anything at all if his life wasn’t in danger and he wasn’t desperate.

- It’s wrong to think that Gonta is incapable of making his own decisions. Kokichi may have influenced him in that direction, but Gonta actively made the choice to kill Miu—his own avatar confirms it at the end of the trial. (See also: Impytricky’s “Gonta Gokuhara Character Analysis: When a Genius is Treated like a Child”)

- Kokichi felt terrible about what happened in Trial 4, to the point where he begged Monokuma to execute him along with Gonta. He didn’t need to do that, and it throws off his whole “I’m the mastermind” act just a few lines later, so we must assume he was being honest about that. It’s clear that he doesn’t enjoy hurting others.

If that’s still not enough for you, consider: desperation, and, by extension, the killing game, brings out the worst in people. We can’t accurately judge a person’s character if all we have to go off of is the worst parts of them. Would Leon have killed Sayaka outside of the killing game? Would Hifumi have agreed to help Celestia kill Taka? Would Gundham have killed Nekomaru?

So, would Kokichi manipulate Shuichi for personal gain? No. His whole character is motivated by a desire to help the others, and his lies are either manifestations of that motivation or harmless pranks meant to entertain.

2. Does the Saiouma ship have an inherent power imbalance?

Shuichi is, by his own admission, weak. Kokichi has a strong personality and likes to be in charge. That doesn’t mean that Kokichi doesn’t respect Shuichi and his opinions. In fact, each class trial is packed with evidence of Kokichi listening to Shuichi’s point of view and respecting his intelligence. For instance:

- Kokichi sided with Shuichi during scrum debates 2, 3, and 4

- Kokichi pointed out most of Shuichi’s lies during the trials (and back routes), but in most cases, didn’t fight him on it

- Shuichi is the only character identified as “trustworthy” by the white board in Kokichi’s room—i.e., Kokichi trusted him to at least be on the right track in the trials.

Kokichi is also shown to care about Shuichi’s feelings in the game, like when he told him he’d rather bring Kaede back to life in Chapter 3, because it would make Shuichi happy. To reiterate: he wants Shuichi to be happy even if it means they don’t end up together. That says a lot.

Additionally, I already mentioned that Shuichi is weak, but it’s important to realize that he isn’t so much of a pushover that he’s entirely incapable of standing up for himself. Look at his interactions with Miu, for example: he sharply told her that “I can wear a hat if I want” when she made fun of him for it, and in her FTEs, he refuses to eat the hygienically questionable food she made for him.

Shuichi’s kind of a simp and tends to get roped into things, yes. But he’s able to stand up for himself—especially after Chapter 6—to the point where he wouldn’t enter into a relationship unless he wanted to. If you think Kokichi would somehow be able to force Shuichi to be his boyfriend, you have no faith in Shuichi—and Chapter 6 proves you wrong.

So, is Saiouma inherently imbalanced? No. Kokichi respects Shuichi’s feelngs, intelligence, and opinions, and Shuichi’s a stronger character than he’s given credit for.

3. Would Kokichi physically or sexually abuse Shuichi?

One needs only to look at Kokichi’s Love Hotel event for the answer. While the Love Hotel isn’t canon to the game’s timeline, the characters are still in character— that is, Kokichi and Shuichi are acting as they normally act.

It’s important to note that Kokichi is the only character who backed off of Shuichi after Shuichi either appeared visibly uncomfortable or told them to stop. Kaede asked for Shuichi’s consent and was given it; Angie, Himiko, Kiyo, Miu, and Tsumugi all took advantage of Shuichi in some way or another; and the rest just didn’t have sexual connotations. Kokichi made advances on Shuichi, noticed that Shuichi was uncomfortable, and immediately backed off.

“But wait!” you cry. “Just because one character didn’t rape the other doesn’t mean they have a good relationship!”

Of course, and that’s important to realize, too. But recall that the purpose of this essay isn’t to convince you to ship Saiouma—it’s to prove that it isn’t abusive.

Keep in mind that this was Kokichi’s fantasy— he would have been able to do whatever he wanted to Shuichi with zero repercussions, and Shuichi probably wouldn’t even remember much when he woke up. And still, Kokichi chose to stop the moment he realized Shuichi wasn’t on board with what was happening. That says a lot.

And what about outside the game? We know from the Salmon Mode ending that Kokichi is desperate for someone to “figure him out.” He’d be very careful not to jeopardize his relationship with someone who genuinely wants to understand him.

And Shuichi does genuinely want to understand him:

So, would Kokichi physically or sexually abuse Shuichi? No. It’s just not in his character.

“But what if Kokichi was lying about EVERYTHING IN THE WHOLE GAME?” you yell. “There’s no way we can trust anything he’s ever said ever!”

If every Danganronpa character was polite, kind, open, and honest, 100% of the time without fail, the game would be incredibly boring. If that’s the kind of media you’re into, I’d recommend something like Reader Rabbit or Winnie the Pooh. Danganronpa is a murder mystery, where characters hurt and betray and lie and actually kill each other. You can’t trust anyone; that’s the whole point.

So I advise you to go back through the game with an open mind and try, actually try, to use reading comprehension skills to understand the characters. Examine their motives, think about what they might be feeling when they make the decisions they do.

Danganronpa is not the kind of game to spoon-feed you easy-to-swallow characters. You have to pick them apart yourself.

As for everything Kokichi has ever said possibly being a lie? Maybe. Maybe every character is lying to you. But if you hate Kokichi just because he’s dishonest, then it follows that you have to hate Rantaro, Kaede, Shuichi, Kaito, Maki, Himiko, Kiyo, Miu, Tsumugi, Kirumi, and Kiibo—which, at that point, why are you even a fan of the game?

And if you deny everything Kokichi said just because you think it’s a lie…

In conclusion

You can dislike Saiouma because it’s not your thing, but it’s wrong to spread hate over abuse that doesn’t exist. Hating and attacking people for having a different opinion than you won't magically sway them to your side. If you can't articulate your points in a way that doesn't antagonize, you probably shouldn't be talking. People like what they like for a reason, and spitting on what they like won't make you any friends.

And throwing around weighted terms like “toxic” when you just don’t like something? That makes YOU the toxic one.

#Rov talks #a lot #Saiouma #abuse mention #rape mention #character analysis #I doubt that the people who *should* read this *will* read it #so this might be more of a vent I guess #Feel free to reblog/quote/repost with credit #References: users oumakokichi; impytricky; and chibigaia-art #The first two do great meta pieces #and the last spits more fax than an office

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fayeimara · 3 years

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Meant To Be Series || One For Every Billion

Episode 2. Next Time, Make it Up Twice

*Both Written and SMAU parts this episode*

"I'm in love with soba, oh my god!" You're still relishing the meal you just finished as you walk with Toshi and his friends to grab some boba.

Tendou chuckles, "I think you only like it because of that character in your favourite manga."

"ONE of my favourite mangas, thank you. But yes, he's so cute just quietly eating his soba for lunch. Like, I'd definitely love it just for him, but I did actually enjoy it."

Semi smiles at your excitement, "You should try it hot too, it's different."

"Yes, yes. Of course, I will at some point but I'm soo full right now I can't think of more food."

"Do you not want the boba, then?" Toshi looks over at you seriously but you're already smiling and shaking your head.

"Of course I do, that's not food, Toshi!"

"Oh okay. I'll help you pick something light if you want."

"Thank you!"

The door chimes as you walk into the shop but you pause just inside to check your phone when you feel its persistent buzzing. You had updated your twitter and your friends are giving you grief over the picture of your lunch. Yeah, yeah, you wanted to try it because you simp for icy hot boys, so what? It's good to try new things.

You're firing off a reply to their sarcastic (read: jealous) comments when the door chimes again and then you're stumbling because something just knocked into you.

"Ow- shit!" That's not your voice. You don't think you've made a sound but you don't recognize that yet.

What you do register first as you're falling forward is how you're grateful because it's definitely not the hard door that hit your back and head, and you're lucky because you really shouldn't have been standing right there. Then you realize you're about to fall on your face because your hands are frozen clutching your phone. Just as that thought flits through your head faster than your lack of a quick reaction, you strangely find yourself floating before you can face plant on the floor and thank god because, ew, germs. Also, potentially ouch.

You're a little thrown off so it takes you a moment to realize you didn't make like another one of the characters in that particular manga and develop a float quirk. No, there's a toned arm that's caught you around your waist and now you're more than just a little thrown off.

You're sure you're blushing in embarrassment as you're carefully set right side up and turn to apologize to the owner of the savior arm.

"I'm so sorry!" You hear an apology at the exact same time it flies from your own mouth and you pause because you're melting into chocolate eyes that are probably as wide as your own.

Wha- You're looking up into the face of an angel! But no, really, omg it's a seriously cute boy. And why do you want to touch his hair??

He does look like he's genuinely sorry but his face relaxes as both your eyes hold and he smiles (quite charmingly), before calmly responding first "It's my fault, so I really am sorry for knocking you over, pretty girl. I was walking backwards and didn't see you there."

You raise your eyebrows, stuck on that for a second and accidentally blurting, "Who walks through a door backwards??" in genuine curiosity before your eyes widen, "I mean, no, but it's not your fault either! I'm the one that stopped right in front of said door, I really should have just moved up before checking my phone."

His hand reaches up to rub the back of his head in that way that really makes guys look cute when they're a little at a loss for words. At least that's what you think until he says, "Maybe we can make it up to each other, if you haven't ordered yet?"

"Oi!" An irritated voice calls out from behind him, "Can you let the rest of us in before you start flirting?!"

He lets out a light laugh before moving aside and two others cute guys enter. Like, what's with the air in Miyagi?!?

"Sorry Iwa-Chan, but I needed to make sure this angel didn't get hurt falling (for) because of me." He winks at you but you're a little lost in thought because you're thinking about how you like the way he talks. It's a little like he's singing at times and maybe it's because of his melodic voice but either way, it's pretty cute. You're going into overload and you have to consciously stop yourself from holding your hands to your cheeks. You really hope you're not still blushing, ugh.

You meet eyes with the intense one and like, hello, hi, I'm here for this vibe. The guy meets your eyes before quickly flicking his away. But then you swear he makes a conscious effort to bring them back to rest on yours and politely asks, "I hope you're okay?" You're smiling in reassurance when he adds, "This idiot is trouble on legs, so I'm sorry for him."

You burst out laughing and they're looking at you in surprise so you just shake your head and explain, "I think my friends have said the exact same words about me. No, we're all good, I really appreciate it."

And thank you, mother, for your own charming smile because all three boys blush but don't look away.

Point to pretty boy #1 though because he regains his composure the fastest and pouts, "Iwa-chan is so mean to me, angel, please don't listen to him. If I do accidentally cause trouble, I swear I'm good at making it up."

"I don't know if I can say the same?" You smirk but he grins.

"So let me make it up then, and buy you some boba?"

"Oikawa." Ah, there's Toshi, a little late for backup but you guess you did fine without a wingman.

Wait, wait. The pretty boy's smile dims and he's looking over your shoulder at where your cousin's voice came from. He's straightened up and his posture kind of yells belligerent attitude.

"Ushiwaka-chan. Tell me Miyagi isn't really this small." Wow, there's a bite in his words but like, you're liking it. What can you say? You're a fan of hidden depths.

"I am surprised to see you as well. Not as surprised as when I heard you truly chose another school over Shiratorizawa."

Okay, hmm, you're looking over at the friend he called Iwa and he's rolling his eyes, so clearly there's tension.

The pretty guy, who you're guessing is Oikawa, drops his smile completely. "Well, that was fast. Nice chat, but if you'll excuse me, I was in the middle of a conversation with a new friend."

"You know Y/n?" Toshi's at your side now and sounds pretty surprised but it's not as amusing as your new friend's reaction when he looks back and forth between the two of you in a sort of disbelieving realization. What dots is he connecting, exactly? Because, you'd like to know.

"Y/n, huh? I- didn't realize you had a girlfriend..?" He's questioning hesitantly, good boy, no jumping to conclusions. Just get your feet wet, I guess.

"We're cousins." You and Toshi end up talking at the same time like twins or something and it's a little comical.

Oikawa's mouth drops for a split second before pursing his lips and addressing you, "Well, I guess I can't hold family against you. It's not like you chose him as your cousin."

You let out a wry chuckle with an equally dry grin on your face, "But I did."

"What?" He's blinking down at you in confusion so you elaborate just a little.

"Toshi. I did choose him, actually." You're highly amused at this point and you like having the advantage, so you're going to leave it at that.

He does try to push, though, you think it's curiosity since that is a pretty odd statement. "Like, to spend time with him, or acknowledge him or something? I won't hold that against you either, angel. Family first, that's sweet."

"Uh.. no." You just smirk and his eyes narrow as his head tilts. Yeah, he knows you're definitely messing with him now, he's just not sure how.

It's all good though, because Toshi's timing is on point now, "Y/n, I hope you don't mind but I picked you a drink I thought you might like."

You look over to him happily, "Really?"

"Yes.. you said that would be okay previously?"

"Of course, Toshi, I really appreciate it!" You look over at Oikawa with a sweet smile, "It was nice .. having you run into me, I suppose. I didn't get to thank you for - or maybe even take you up on - your offer, but I do appreciate it as well. So.. thank you, pretty boy, but I can't be rude and ignore my friends that I'm here with today."

He follows your gaze over to the table your new Shiratorizawa friends have grabbed for all of you. They're chatting casually but clearly looking over though you don't quite know why.

Oikawa looks a little conflicted and disappointed when you turn back to each other, so you add, "Feel free to run into me again and maybe then we can make it up to each other twice."

You can literally feel your trademark playful smile on your face so you know that's what pulls his own begrudging smile in response. Works like a charm, but it's genuine.

He studies you for a moment, "Then I hope Miyagi really is small, so I can hold you to that."

Then he looks back at Toshi with full force attitude so it's time to step away. As you walk away you hear his friend Iwa say something about telling his mom he swore. And when you hear that musical cadence of his reply but not his specific words, you can't help but look back.

They're up at the counter and his friends are ordering but, oh wow, he's just leaning back against it... looking right at you. Ahh, caught. He smirks at you, but clearly he was looking too, so you just return his smirk with a raise of your eyebrow and make sure you're the first to look away.

Leave 'em wanting more, it's a good motto to live by.

The rest of the afternoon is chill, you rejoin the Shiratorizawa boys and they explain the dynamic between Toshi and Oikawa in the most hilarious way so you're all just teasing him and laughing. You realized at some point during their explanation that you'd heard of this guy from Toshi a couple times and never thought much of it. But now.. he's a real person to you so you're definitely a little more interested beyond your cousin's innate desire to pull together an overpowered team.

Tendou also makes you recount the entire encounter from near face plant to Toshi's interruption before Semi and Soekawa have enough and decide to move on. It's even better, they have you laughing so hard and your sides in stiches from retaliating with funny stories about Tendou and Toshi or Coach Washijo impressions.

If you said you didn't end up glancing over at another group seated several booths down during the time you were there, you'd be lying. If you said you didn't connect with warm brown eyes every time, that would also be a lie. What you really couldn't say is if you enjoyed your boba or not because the butterflies that took residence in your stomach were the only other thing you noticed until you left the shop.

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Masterlist

Behind The Scenes!

-Y/n really gets along with Semi but he reminds her of a certain someone

-She and her friends are night owls which is how they're able to respond to her so fast at even 2am or 3am their time (EST)

-We all know the show referenced right? (If not, I would highly recommend watching Boku No Hero Academia/My Hero Academia)

-The angel/devil theme might be played on a lot, her school is literally Ashwood Devils and her national league is Aurora Angels

-I like to think the characters who make those comments or use those terms in application to Y/n all realize the irony at some point, even if it's not explicitly written out in the story

A/N: I realized I forgot to add the first pic (the twt about all the Shiratorizawa reactions) to the end of the last chapter, which is where it was supposed to go. So, even though, I'll go back and fix that, I'll also add it here for anyone who's already read that chapter. Sorry guys! Once again, thanks for bearing with me while I figure out the social media stuff. Feel free to point out any mistakes to me too! Sometimes I'm creating this stuff when I haven't slept 30+ hours so... there's bound to be things I miss or get wrong :)

I also changed 'Extras' to 'Behind The Scenes'! Same concept for small thoughts that might supplement the story where you're currently at and provide background or additional commentary but renamed to fit the theme a little better, I guess. What do you guys think - does it even matter? Do you guys read any of this or just here for the fic and skip by? Genuinely curious to know (:

Aaand, didn't think I'd need this but you made my day:

Taglist: @delusivist

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irandomblogfulb · 3 years

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FATE: What happens when you get a bunch of middle aged white guys to adapt a cartoon for girls

Well, I just went through 6 hours of fate and I have a lot of opinions on it. Yeah, this is going to be long (slightly under 3k words) so putting it under read more and obvious spoilers.

PSA before delving right in:

1) Yes, I will be comparing to the original. Any comparisons are not through rose-tinted nostalgia glasses. There are parts here and there that I genuinely think were done better in the cartoon on a writing standpoint.

2) This is purely my opinion and overall negative. Don't like it? Don't read. I'm all up for discussion but I don't want another person crying to me about how I “ruined” their experience of the show.

3) If you like Fate then good for you. This isn’t me bashing people who like it.

I've spit it up into sub sections just for my own convince.

1. The problem with the 'I'm not like other girls' trope

This pertains to the entire Bloom-Sky-Stella love triangle. I wasn't as pressed about it compared to other winxers (and I loved Stella's and Brandon's relationship on my rewatch). In fact, I was okay with it. But then I sat down and watched the show and there's a lot of underlying problems with the love triangle. Particularly pitting Bloom and Stella against each other for Sky's affection.

Now this part of the love triangle I already didn't like. Correct me if I'm wrong, since I dropped the OG Winx after season 5 but the Winx while they did have their conflicts and arguments, never fought over a boy. I really appreciated that from the cartoon so seeing that live action would fall into that trap – I was mildly annoyed at that. Then it hit me. It's Bloom and Stella.

The seemingly ordinary girl vs the pristine princess of Solaria. If the title didn't give it away, you should get the point by now. Others have already called it by now but the "I'm not like other girl's" trope in itself, while seemingly feminist is actually misogynist. Saying the more masculine type of girl is better than the feminine is inherently misogynist. Stella, the prime princess, girly and feminine, is villainized by the love triangle. Sky's and Stella's relationship is toxic and Stella's overt co-dependence and jealousy are already big fat red signs - but Sky's and Bloom's relationship is built on how she's "different". Bloom isn't like Stella, she's "real".

2. Am I supposed to like Riven?

As the title puts it, wtf am I supposed to feel about Riven. Is he supposed to be a good guy? Do I root for him? Is he morally ambiguous? Because holy shit compared to OG!Riven, this guy is diabolical and much much worse! OG!Riven is an asshole and he teams up with the trix but his arc was very simple and easy to understand. He joins the bad guys, distances himself from the good guys, the trix betray his ass, he self-reflects in the dungeon - escapes and redeems himself. Net!Riven is so bad to the point where you can't redeem him and the writers don't even try. Freddie Thorp is good in his role. (however, he definitely doesn't pass for a 17-year-old. He's 26 and it shows) and he actually makes the cringe dialogue work. But he's way too diabolical and downright predatory. The scene where he forces Dane to gulp down his spiked drink - it’s worse seeing it than reading it. That grossed me out more than the gore.

What makes it worse, nobody properly calls him out. Beatrix kinda does on his homophobia – “Homophobic bashing by GIF” - and Sky does chastise him, but they still tolerate him. It is kinda funny in a way Sky has a whole ass arc about how he's enabling Stella's problematic behaviour by still dating her after she blinded her friend but doesn't realize he's doing the same for Riven.

The only person that really puts her foot down with Riven is Terra and nobody takes her seriously about anything she says.

Everyone is very laissez-faire around him and that's not how you respond to your friend being problematic. (Hey, kinda like the other girls sans Aisha are with Bloom!) Everyone surrounding Riven is so disgusting and the notion of him supposedly being a good guy is very hard to buy into. His whole relationship with Dane has a section of it’s own because there’s just a lot to unpack.

3. Stella I am so sorry

I'm also in the majority hating how they've tarnished Stella. Basically, they turned her into the stereotypical rich bully with mommy issues.

I get that Stella has an abusive mom but that’s no excuse to be a total bitch to her roommates. And no, her roommates shouldn't accept her back with open arms. And she doesn't even redeem herself - the girls just accept her back after her mom pulls her from Alfea.

And this is also another issue with the writing were the characters suddenly just change their opinions on a whim. Suddenly Stella likes the winx, suddenly Terra misses Stella even though having that girl literally gives her anxiety. Suddenly Aisha's on Bloom's side in the end.

This isn't me simping for the cartoon out of nostalgia. I was mostly okay with the idea of Stella and Sky hooking up. But Looking at it from a creative standpoint - looking at the source material, and the many paths you can take this character, the best thing Brian Young and co. can think of for her was turning her into the stereotypical rich bully that we've seen time and time again? No deconstruction no meta take, it's played out exactly how you’d expect it.

Again, this isn't me simping for the show. Purely from a creative standpoint Stella was such a major let down. There's so much to the character and Brian Young took the easiest, saturated path.

4. That one scene with Bloom's parents

You know the one. Mike unhinges Bloom's bedroom doors and Vanessa cusses out and insults her child like a petty teen bully. Forgetting how utterly cringey that scene was, you can't have her mom go batshit insane on her child, then act like she's this loving parent that cares so deeply about her daughter. Screw that! Vanessa deserved those 3rd degree burns! She invaded her daughter's privacy. Bloom didn't even do anything wrong!

I can't buy into this narrative of Vanessa and Mike being loving parents when they do something like that. Seriously who thought that was okay?

5. Pity Parties for everyone.

I already discussed this in Stella’s section but I don’t like the “it’s okay for me be a shitty person because my life sucks :)” narrative Fate tries to pull. They did it with Stella, Bloom, Riven.

What I liked about the first season of Winx Club is Bloom’s arc and her character as a whole. Because while she went through shit, from the Trix, to finding out she was adopted, her existential crisis, not feeling like she belonged, losing the dragon flame, she went through a lot. She didn’t throw a pity party. She didn’t whine, bitch and complain. She allowed herself to feel upset, took it as it is and tried to make lemonade out of lemons. And I respect that.

Net!Bloom is agrevating. She does some dumb, reckless stuff but it’s excused because she’s the protagonist? She let the war criminal out, the school gets taken over by the bad guys because of Bloom. Faragonda fucking dies because she let the war criminal out! The burned ones attacked the school because she let the war criminal out!!! But no, Aisha’s villainized for calling Bloom out because Bloom’s existential crisis is more important then anything else.

Getting to Sky, he isn’t as bad as the others. He doesn’t become a shitty person because of his problems. (Though lowkey flirting with Bloom while he hooks up with Stella is uh not good.) But he does come across incredibly whiny. Because of the cringey dialogue and the unnecessary swearing I can’t take his speech on opening up to Bloom seriously. I laughed throughout the whole thing and Bloom leaving his unconscious body there was the icing on the cake.

One of the few characters that deserved a pity party is Terra. She’s very much like OG!Bloom in a way. She is bullied by Dane and Riven, has body insecurities, anxiety, nobody listens to her and at most only tolerates her. Despite all the crap that is thrown her way she still reminds humble, kind, and respectful. And she is one of the few characters that deserves more support than what she got out of the season.

5. Bloom, Aisha, Tokenism and their awful relationship

I’m going to be upfront, their relationship sucks. The core of their dynamic is what Aisha can do for Bloom. It’s very one-sided. Bloom only goes to Aisha to help solve her problems, which Aisha gladly does – but when Aisha disagrees with Bloom or says something Bloom doesn’t like, Bloom suddenly goes off and Aisha’s made to be the bad guy. Even though she’s right? And Aisha has her own problems as well, shown to also struggle with her powers. But nope, that’s pushed to the back burner because Bloom needs help.

I am all for creative freedom. I can stomach Stella x actual Sky. I can stomach turning Stella into a rich mean girl. I can stomach the dark academia aesthetic but what Brian Young and co. did to Aisha is just plain racist. Screw the “it’s an adaptation” excuse. Turning this character who had a rich storyline and was a princess into a white girl’s magical negro who fixes all her problems is racist and by definition tokenism. And by whitewashing the other two characters of color, making Aisha the only poc in the group – that’s the worst thing you can do to her.

And frankly we need more black princesses on screen.

6. Dane and the homophobia of the show

Towards the show’s climax it’s revealed Dane is helping Beatrix because she accepts he’s “different”. Not only does this go back to my pity party rant but like bruh,

1) Beatrix never really did anything for Dane? She hung out and smoked with him a bit, but that’s all. You’re telling me Terra wouldn’t accept Dane? Beatrix never helped him and he never really opened up to her about his struggles.

2) Nobody else, not even background characters bully or harass Dane for being “different”. It’s only Riven, the guy he’s crushing on. The whole falling in love with the bad boy/abuser trope is bad in a hetero relationship and that still stands for a gay one. And I know damn well if Dane was a woman half of the shit Riven did to Dane wouldn’t slide.

It makes no sense for Dane to side with the bad guys when Riven’s the one bullying him and Beatrix is complacent in the bullying. Oh, and having your second black* character who’s also lgbt+/potentially questioning be a villain? Not good.

I’m all for gay and poly rep, but not like this. If Stella and Sky’s toxic relationship is going to be called out for what it is, why not Dane’s?

*Idk if Theo Graham is light-skinned black or biracial so I’ll just refer to him as black.

7. The plot

It’s very predictable. Personally, wasn’t fond of the ‘twist of a twist of a twist’ style of writing. The story tries to be nuanced and deep but it’s not. Common sense is treated like a big revelation. Not trusting the war criminal you barely know isn’t as big of a take that the writers try to make it out to be.

8. Everything else

· Beatrix is fine. No Icy but did like the gothic bookworm aesthetic.

· Sam is just there to be Musa’s love interest and provide some dumb drama between Musa and Terra. I thought they’d go the Edward/Bella root – Musa’s drawn to Sam because she can’t sense his emotions for some reason. Nope, they just get together for the obligatory make out sessions. Don’t care much for the relationship or the character.

· Since the powers are all elemental shouldn’t there be classes purely for an elemental? Classes purely for fire fairies, etc?

· Musa’s powers are confusing. If she has no control over them and they are “always on”, shouldn’t her eyes constantly be glowing purple? Very wishy washy. Sometimes they overwhelm her and other times she has complete control. Her character is just there for plot stuff.

· Terra is one of the better characters but can’t enjoy her knowing about the whitewashing. Why can’t we have a plus sized character just exist and not have body issues?

· Sky doesn’t feel like a prince. Characters treat him like his dad is a war hero and not the King of Eraklyon. There was a point where I thought I misheard and thought his dad was just a war hero and not a king.

· Why try to justify Rosalind’s war crime if she’s going to be the big bad anyways?

· The way the characters treat death/act around death is very weird. Musa and Terra see a pile of dead bodies and they’re unreasonable calm. Especially Bloom an “ordinary teenage girl from earth”, reacts very nonchalant when death and war crimes are brought up. Doesn’t help the show tries to push this “they’re kids fighting a war” narrative.

· Can’t buy into the girls’ friendship. The Aisha/Bloom dynamic is centred on what Aisha can do for Bloom. Bloom only cares about herself and only goes to her friends to help with her problems. Most of Musa’s and Terra’s interaction centre around Sam. Stella didn’t care for the girls until her mom showed up and pulled a 180. The girls were quick to turn on Aisha when she sided with the adults.

· I have no problem with technology existing but why do they have Instagram, Tiktok and Tumblr? The otherworld is a completely separated from Earth, why do they have the same technology?

9. Brian Young, what do you mean by mature?

I grew up on the 4kids dub before transitioning to the Nick dub for season 4 and 5 then dropping the cartoon for good. So naturally on my rewatch of the cartoon I decided to go watch the RAI dub since I heard it’s more accurate and 4Kids are infamous for their horrid localisations straying too much to the source material. Upon finishing season 1 and currently watching season 2, a few things took me by surprise. For one, the cartoon is surprisingly dark. The schools are at war with the Trix and their army of Darkness, Sky almost dies in Season 2, Riven almost dies and the Trix thinks he suicided, it’s heavily implied in Season 2 Darkar murdered some of the pixies, the paedophilic undertones of Bloom and Avalon’s relationship, the list goes on.

When the interview with Brian Young came out, he said Fate would be a mature take on the cartoon. And I wondered, what did he meant by mature? Was he going to delve deeper into the darker aspects of the show, or did he mean he was going to have the girls swear and have sex? Watching Fate, I found my answer.

If you take out the gore, swearing, drug and alcohol usage from the live action, the maturity is on par with the RAI dub. The difference is in the presentation. This is what sucks about the mentality surrounding live action remakes. Because the OG!Winx was colourful with glittery transformations , was super girly and overall had a positive upbeat tone (not forgetting 2D animated) - it can’t be taken seriously. You have to strip all that, the colour, the kindness, the femininity in order to be deemed mature.

10. Wrapping up

I went into Fate expecting the worst and honestly, it wasn’t that bad. There were things I liked about it. The show looks pretty, and I did like what they were trying to do with Sky’s arc. The actors did what they could with the material. Freddie Thorp made the cringe dialogue work and Abigail Cowen proves she can carry a show as the lead.

Fate is your generic, YA, dark academia show. It follows all the tropes of the YA genre to a T. If that’s your niche, then you’ll love Fate and I’m not bashing anyone who liked it.

For me, as a creative, it doesn’t capitalise on the strengths of the source material. I’m not asking for Winx Club again, as I’ve reiterated, I’m all for creative freedom. But Brian Young, Iginio Straffi, whoever worked on this – they could’ve created something new, innovative, something that stood out from the hordes of other YA shows. They had good material in their hands! But what I got - I’ve seen before, and I’ve seen it done better. That’s a major disappointment.

As a winx club fan, don’t bother watching this. It’s a very diluted version of the Winx. In trying to capture the interest of the adult fans who grew up with the franchise – Iginio showed how out of touch he is if he thinks this is what they wanted.

#fate the winx saga #netwinx #back on my winx club bs #long post #this took me like 4 days to write

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