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the-sweet-hibiscus · 6 months

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On the Topic of Christina Strain & SaB

So while browsing the hellscape that is Twitter today, the first thing you see in the Shadow & Bone Fandom, is this exchange between Christina Strain (a producer/writer on the show) and a fan.

And I didn't think this would be necessary to say, but this is EXTREMELY unprofessional on the part of Christina.

But I do want to take the time to look and explain WHY from the perspective of someone who is a professional creative by job description. Christina, openly, speaks about her time as a writer on Shadow and Bone. Which is well within her right, as a creative, many times the appeal of following is for behind the scenes takes, more insight into writing decisions, and generally furthering the interest in a show / property after it has concluded. Especially if the conclusion was incomplete and/or canceled before the full story was told.

So here we have a situation.

The Question:

So the question Merel (the fan) asked was about the obvious sidelining of Alina Starkov, our main character. It's not an opinion that Alina was sidelined, it's been observed numerous times, most recently in this collider article talking about / reviewing the blatant reduction of character for Alina.

Merel's question, originally was about S3. Specifically, where was Alina, was there ever a plan for her? Originally, Christina just said, there was nothing written for Alina, and she had a vague idea of a separate storyline.

To which, Merel responded with the wide-spread rumor that Six of Crows, had been rejected by Netflix three times. For reasons not relevant — that rumor isn't true. But she also expressed frustration, as since the announcement of the show's cancelation, Christina specifically has given an overwhelming amount of attention and care to Six of Crows, while not seeming to have any real passion for the Shadow and Bone property or it's characters. Christina's response starts out professional. She clarifies, Six of Crows was not rejected (aka the rumor wasn't true) and that she didn't have control over that decision, which is true.

Where Christina stops being professional, is the other half of her response.

The Response

Here is where so many people take offense, and find issue. Christina, openly shames the Darklina ship. Which isn't inherently bad, no one is forced to like a ship, however. It had NOTHING to do with the question at hand. Just because a fan likes a certain dynamic, of a ship that at one point was canon, and likes to explore that, doesn't mean that they don't know what they're talking about when they're just asking about the future of a character. Merel didn't ask "Oh, how are you going to make this darklina?" She didn't even mention the ship. The only reason Christina even knew about Merel's shipping preference is because she either went on Merel's page or looked at the "Relevant People" column on Twitter for Desktop.

And now we venture into a much worse territory.

Bullying

Let's take a look at the power dynamic in this exchange.

Christina has 9.58K Followers on Twitter. Merel has 114.

Christina is a producer/writer on the show. Merel is a fan.

Christina has a self-appointed responsibility to promote the petition to bring her show back. Merel is a part of the larger community who supported the show. Christina is 42 years old. Merel is 19.

Instead of, ignoring the second response. Or even just clarifying the rumor and moving on, Christina decides that it'd be best to expose this account to harassment from her much larger base. Who responded in kind.

What was the reason? Truly?

Fans are supposed to only engage with a show if it matches how you specifically view it? They can't have questions, or criticisms, or thoughts? Because what was so mean about Merel's statement? What was insulting that Christina had to bring in shit that had nothing to do with the conversation? The rumor accusation? Is that worth getting attacked over? Is that worth attacking over?

The Correct Response

Move on.

No one would have an issue if the conversation ended a tweet earlier. Christina has over 9K followers, anyone could reasonably assume she was simply inundated with responses and couldn't/wouldn't respond further. Her first statement, was fine. To book fans, it may be frustrating, especially if they believed the rumor, but it was still a calm-ish response.

Merel could've been frustrated and that would've been the end of it. Instead, Christina decided her best course of action was to attack a fan, just because she enjoyed the same ship dynamic as people who were rude to her before. Decided to belittle that fan's interest in her show, bc she didn't like the way that fan interacted with them.

It's childish. It's gross. It's lashing out at someone b/c they want to know why the main character wasn't paid attention to in their show.

Anyway, it's clear Christina has a definitive disdain for the darklina fans of Shadow and Bone. It's clear she doesn't respect the people who support her show — unless they just unconditionally praise it. So that's it then. A disappointing end to Shadow and Bone, and an even more disappointing showing of character from the producers/writers.

#shadow and bone #darklina #writers #fandom culture #fandom things #just disappointed #imagine bullying someone 20 years younger than you bc they like the characters on the show you write

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nerdysleepybunny · 1 year

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Hiii!!! This is my first time making a request on tumblr so I hope this is okay 😓 anyway, alot of my friends have said that I seem so quiet and timid. My parents have also called me out on this so can I have the full score trio with a quiet and timid s/o? Maybe base her off Yuri from ddlc because she's my top kinnie 😅 gender neutral please <333

P.S.

Your tpn posts are so good, I need more 😭😭😭 btw I hope I didn't make any grammar mistakes, English isnt my first language.

Helloooo, apologies this took so long to get to! And don’t worry, your English was great! I sadly haven’t played ddlc but I’ll try my best to do this. And I appreciate the kind words! Thank you so much for the request, hope you enjoy! <33

🩷☁️N E R D Y S L E E P Y B U N N Y☁️🩷

Fandom(s): The Promised Neverland

Character(s): Norman, Ray, Emma

Reader: Gender neutral

TW: None, just fluff!

Style: Short hcs

Summary: TPN trio (separate) with a shy s/o!

Norman:

He enjoys how quiet you are! It’s a nice refresher from how the other children can be.

He knows how easily scared you can be, and has willingly turned himself into a comfort plushie for you! He’ll let you hug him, lay on him, play with his hair, cry on his chest/shoulder, whatever you need, he’ll be there for you!

If you get scared/overwhelmed by other people, he’ll keep you distanced from them (if that’s what you want)! If he notices you beginning to panic he’ll drag you away from the situation and do whatever activity you have in mind to help you relax.

If you get scared from things like loud noises, he’ll allow you to hide away in his chest, and if he knows a loud sound is about to be made, he’ll cover your ears and bring you away from it.

He’ll also sing, hum, or just ramble if his voice helps you calm down. <33

Literally just a teddy bear for you to hold onto tightly when you need it. 🥹🫶🏻

Ray:

You’re shy? Great, so is he! He prefers smaller gatherings anyway, so the two of you will often just hang out one on one. No need to get overwhelmed by others if you’re with him and only him 24/7. :D (this lowkey sounds yandere, mb y’all 💀)

Sometimes you’ll be mid-conversation with someone then your social battery just goes to 0. He’ll immediately notice the change and will instead answer things for you, since at this point he can read you super easily. Just one look and he immediately knows what you’re thinking. He’ll talk for you for as long as you need until you’re recharged enough to take over again.

He isn’t into physical affection very much, especially in front of others, but if you need it he’ll hold your hand or let you play with his hair.

Will also slap anyone that purposefully overwhelms you or tries to push you out your comfort zone. Whoops.

Emma:

Complete opposites relationship pog? Complete opposites relationship pog.

Y’all have such a cute dynamic istg. 😭

Emma is just a complete ball of sunshine, always speaking loud and proud, then you’re just there quietly simping over your brave girlfriend. 🥺💕

You’re just like “Omg she’s so confident I love her sm” and if she notices you watching her with heart eyes? OMFG she’ll point you out and just start bragging about you, talking about how perfect and amazing you are and how you’re the best s/o. And you’re just awkwardly sitting with a hot red face not knowing what to do with all the attention. 😭

She’s good at distracting you from your worries by simply talking away and being herself! You could be rocking back and forth in a corner with your knees to your chest having a breakdown from being so overwhelmed then this mf just walks in and you’re just in awe. 😭

Literally the definition of going from 😭 to 😳

Them tears be stopping so fast when she’s around istg.

She’ll absolutely smother you in nothing but affection. 🫶🏻

#bun writes #the promised neverland #tpn x reader #tpn ray #tpn norman #tpn isabella #tpn emma #tpn krone #bun asks

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theundeadsnake · 1 year

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Stumbled on this blog just now and aah I'm really liking ur writing style!

Was wondering if you could do some headcanons for a mortician reader whose really passionate about the job with eyeless jack, I feel like they might have some common ground there lol

Hell, thank you for the request :) It's a very interesting idea. I had a lot of fun working on it and hope you enjoy my upcoming headcanons. I was hoping to get this out much sooner but sadly until the end of April, my life is way too full of responsibilities. Though I do love writing for this fandom ^u^

Jack loving and being with a reader that’s a Mortician is a very interesting dynamic within itself. Your profession, the passion and the sparkles in your eyes make the bond you two share so much stronger than it would have been otherwise.

There are many ways you could encounter one another. Perhaps, one day you will be greeted with a strange monstrous creature feeding on one of your patients - out of desperate hunger for the flesh of the deceased. A moment full of evident fear on your part. How could you not be afraid? Who wouldn’t be? And to your surprise, that frightening being will reveal itself to have a much more tender, human-like element to itself. Instead of treating you as his next snack, or a witness who needs to be silenced, he will instead attempt to comfort you. Such a wild scenario, you would think to yourself. And yet the creature would seem so sure in his choice. Because on an instructional level, Jack knew, that this well-organized office and that unique look in your eye screamed you to be a kinder spirit with much softer, kinder tendencies.

Or, it may be that a handsome young "doctor" will reach out to you during a conference, seeking to converse with you upon noticing how much knowledge you had to offer. At first, you would be a teacher to him, and he would be your eager-to-learn student. A very fitting dynamic – don’t you think? The passion, interest and knowledge you both share would surely blossom into a great friendship. Over time, both you and Jack would realize that the feelings you both share go beyond the level of friends and eventually you would discover more about his true nature.

Either way, you two are an excellent fit.

He wants you to have the freedom to explore your interest and career. Thus he will do all in his power to keep your life and his world separate from one another.

Expect him to be a frequent guest at your house and morgue, conversing with you and helping you out in any way he can. A fresh cup of your favourite drink, a box full of treats, and a tender touch that will comfort you in times of need. Jack will go all into this relationship.

Your job more specifically brings him a great amount of comfort. Just knowing that you are willingly used to being around the dead, corpse scent and flesh, makes him feel more confident in how you view him, much less concerned about you finding him or his feeding habits to be disgusting.

While he may be a demonic being that has lost most of its humanity, a part of him is still very much the man he was prior to becoming a human sacrifice. A man with feelings, insecurities, and love.

Your career path and passion for your job, as well as his desire and need to learn go hand in hand. The two of you will get into countless topics, everything raging from what death is to how one should show respect for those who were once living. He won’t be able to get his eye-holes off you, and the smiling gape with razor-sharp teeth will greet you every time you passionately express your views and interest.

The two of you have a bright future ahead of you, he just hopes he will be able to keep you safe from his criminal life.

#creepypasta headcanons #creepypasta #eyeless jack #eyeless jack x reader #eyeless jack headcanons #ej headcanons #creepypasta headcanon #creepypasta eyeless jack #x mortician reader #ej creepypasta #ej #creepypasta x reader #eyeless jack creepypasta #request

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kimium · 2 months

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What are your favourite things about Chrobin (FEH) as a ship? Feel free to expand as much or as little as you want in terms of details! 💜

Aw, thanks friend! I'm super excited to answer this question! For anyone who isn't aware, Chrobin is the name of a ship from Fire Emblem Awakening (Chrom/Robin). They also appear in the mobile game, Fire Emblem Heroes (FEH).

Note: When I talk about Robin in general, I use gender neutral pronouns (they/them). Unless I'm talking about a specific Robin from FEH.

I also have spoilers for Fire Emblem Awakening here.

Let's get started!

Reasons I love Chrobin

I think the core reason why I love Chrobin so much is summed up nicely in this post HERE (not my post). I highly recommend reading it to understand the full picture, but in general:

I like Chrobin because it wasn't intended to be "canon" yet recently Intelligence Systems (I.S.) seems to be pushing it as a "heavily implied canon pairing".

I think it's so funny that within the game proper I.S. strongly intended/hinted that Sumia is Chrom's "canon wife". Yet in recent material for Fire Emblem Awakening (in Heroes), this perspective has shifted drastically to focus on Robin. And that the first time we as a player base saw this "unofficial shift" was in the Valentine Banner with Duo Chrom.

Now, I know the logical answer to why they paired Duo Valentine Chrom with Male Robin is because they didn't "want to suggest a canon pairing with Female Robin". However, when past Valentine Duo units HAVE been canon couples/ very strongly hinted canon couples (such as Alm/Celica), there was no way the fandom was going to sit and go "yeah, this is 100% heteronormative". Nope! Instead I saw fanart for months after that banner's drop with all the gay Chrobin dancing across my dashboard.

However, the cherry on top is how it seems I.S. is leaning into Male Robin/Chrom HARD. I'm still not over the Engage paralogue, I.S. They're spirits. Together. In a Ring. Are you kidding me??

Also, I love how I.S. simply isn't separating Chrom and Robin. Look at our most recent example is with our new Young Awakening banner dropping tomorrow. I.S. is once again did NOT separating Chrom and Robin (this time a duo unit with Female Robin in lead). I hope this won't be the last time I.S. strongly "suggests" Chrobin because I'm loving this.

Love is presented as both a character flaw and strength regarding Chrom's death at Robin's hands.

Due to being a strong Chrobin shipper, every time I think about the bad timeline, I want to scream my feelings out to the world. Chrom dies by Robin's hand only because they're possessed by the Fell Dragon, Grima. There could have been other ways to kill Chrom, I'm certain, but the implication that having Robin do it was the most efficient way to do it? That Chrom would never see that coming because of the trust, loyalty, love, and devotion to Robin?

(Or what about Lucina? If Robin is one of her parents this means Lucina willingly travelled back to the past knowing she has to kill Robin. That's the entire point of time travel is to stop the apocalypse. The only way is to kill Grima's vessel AKA Robin. Yet, she can't do it.)

Are you kidding me, I.S.?? I need to scream into my pillow all my feelings.

They always had chemistry (my opinion) in their supports, but Heroes and Engage only added more.

Look. I walked into Awakening blind and I 100% firmly believed in my first play through that Chrobin was end game. I thought their relationship dynamic was interesting and clearly charged with "they are more than just friends" energy. We add in the Duo conversation/dialogue from the Awakening Valentine banner + Engage's entire paralogue with them?? I'm looking at I.S. like I'm looking into the camera from The Office.

And there you have it friend. I know I have other reasons why I like this ship but here are my core reasons. I hope you like this answer!

#personal #replies #fire emblem awakening #chrobin #my thoughts and opinions

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just-antithings · 2 years

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All these people saying to go outside and talk to "normal/real" people make me laugh. I talked with my friend who is more vanilla than vanilla extract a while ago about fanfic stuff and outside of that she is basically entirely offline she doesn't participate in fandom she doesn't use social media or tumblr or any of this stuff. We just got to talking and she brought up some 'problematic' ships from Teen Wolf that would get someone fucking roasted on tumblr for even mentioning let alone straight up saying this is my favourite ship to read and I just love the dynamic between the characters. I came out of the conversation so happy to finally talk about this stuff with someone without fear because I knew she got it and subconsciously knew before she even said anything we've been reading buddies for years she gifted me one of my first large books back in grade 3 and we've traded reading suggestions ever since both of us where pros at both separating reality from fiction and deciding if we where reading something that was to much for us from a young age because we both read well outside of our recommended age range and had to exercise our own caution deciding if we could handle something or not, my reading tastes often skewed slightly darker than her but we both knew that if we brought up something absolutely vile that happened in a book we'd read it was not a positive judgement on the action being a good thing in real life because that's just not how books work and we knew that I read detailed torture scenes fresh out of elementary a character was threatened by two grown men while she was lost trying to get back to the group after they'd beat up her travel companion and the men where not subtle about their intentions if they got their hands on her I knew that I was mature enough to handle that and draw a line in my mind between fiction and reality, and finding someone else my age who learned that young on the same books and talking about fiction with them was a breath of fresh air after the bullshit I see on this website do often. Long story short the "normal" people these antis keep talking about think proship ideals are perfectly fine, my friend reads massive age gap (minor and an older adult) enemy to lovers fics my mum who's nearly 60 thinks that it's silly to believe that what a person reads is a reflection on what they think is moral antis need to take a deep breath and exercise their critical reading skills and then come back to the table and maybe we can start having a civil conversation.

I love that for y’all

#mod erin #ask #torture mention

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hxzelwallflower · 6 months

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⋆˙⟡ Knowing your partner well can

potentially make writing together a lot easier

Name: - Bravo.

Pronouns: - she/her.

Name of muse: - Eileen R. Roosevelt.

Preference of communication: - Dms are good as long as we're following each other. I do have a Discord, but I'm very selective of who I give it to since I'm easily overwhelmed and have days where my social battery is low. Don't get me wrong I love talking and writing random scenarios, but during the work week my brain is extra smooth.

Experience/how long (months/years?): - My very first roleplay was with my best friend back in 2009, when "P.ictochat" was still available for the N.intendo Lite. I didn't start engaging with the public until mid 2012-2013, where I was introduced to platforms like Y.ahoo M.essenger and D.eviantART. While I originally joined T.umblr back in 2017, I never got involved with the rpc until December of 2021. I've been just about everywhere from old Y.outube comments, S.kype, T.witter, and even MSN. In total, I have fourteen years under my belt.

Best experience: - A T.witter thread between my current muse, (Eileen) and a Mafia!Fell Sans that wound up becoming one of the biggest slow burns to date. For two years me and my friend dragged out their relationship, deconstructing and piecing them back together to create a long-term ship that finally set sail two years down the road. They were one out of a handful of people from the Undertale community that really gave me a confidence boost, helped me improving areas of my writing as well as becoming some of my closest friends.

RP pet peeves/dealbreakers: - I'm chill when it comes to this community, very few things annoy me and I tend to blacklist whatever characters or fandoms I won't engage with. However, jealousy towards roleplay partners or vague posting is something I do not tolerate. Same goes for people who actively display passive aggressive behavior, or drag others into drama they have no involvement with. This community is a safe space for folks to come after a long day, whether to let off steam or just kick back and relax, nobody wants that negative shit.

Muse preference (fluff, angst or smut?): - Casual conversation is my go-to for days I don't feel like writing more than a couple paragraphs, it's always fun to see where things lead and get a feel for the others literature. 'Course fluff and angst are loved all the same, though recently I've focused more on domestic scenes of just day to day habits with a little of both sprinkled into the mix. I'll be honest though it's been, several years since I last wrote smut. Nothing against it I just, don't really think about it much since I prefer to explore character dynamics with something softer. My muse in general is soft, and it's extremely rare she gets put into a situation like that.

Plots or memes: - I'm a hoe for plots, but the easiest way to kick things off is to meme your way. I tend to approach people with questions about their muse if they're from a verse I'm not familiar with, and you're more than welcome to do the same! Eileen is multiverse for a reason, and while some of the more primary ones are listed on her carrd she does have a few that aren't on display.

Long or short replies: - Somewhere in between. I tend to mirror my partner's writing to make it easier, long as there's one paragraph for me to work with I'm not picky.

Best time to write: - There's never really a "good" time, but your best bet is on my days off. (Sun-Tue), I try to dedicate a few hours among my schedule to drafts or social media so they don't pile up. My activity is spotty enough, so don't take it to heart if I don't respond to you right away. I always draft things.

Are you like your muse: - In many ways, yes. While I'm more educated in sign language than French that's one thing that separates me from her. We do share alot of sensory/neurological challenges on a day to day basis, the need to keep our hands busy whether it be with a toy, with work, or other things as well as becoming short with people when we're overstimulated.

tagged by: yoinkus from @/lultimagoccia , now you do it weenie!

#- ; This is a long one fellas so sorry about that #- ; Like a thief in the night I vanish #- ; OOC #- ; Bravo's outta pocket

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squirrelwrangler · 2 years

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The Fandoms of Princess Findis (10)

Part 9, Part 8, Part 7, Part 6, Part 5, Part 4, Part Three, Part Two, Part One

The monster of a fic started back in 2017, celebrating my self-indulgent love of creating crossover fusions, in-jokes, and worldbuilding. Princess Findis is an author, and her latest creation is Voltron. Interlude Part 1

…

A week later, in a cozy tea room illuminated by sunlight flooding through a large stained glass scene of a deer frolicking through a summer-green meadow, Findis updated Heledir on what she had dubbed the ‘Flying Lions Five Adventure”. Her hands held the porcelain teacup between her fingers, rocking the nearly empty cup back and forth as she watched Heledir eat. “I have the prologue outlined, the capture of Arno and the two family members, then the jump to the present with the three pilot-knights. I think there needs to be a scene to establish them as friends and their skills before they discover Arno’s return and mount the rescue mission where they run into Red Knight. If I keep the student apprentice angle… I could have them practice skills on a regular boat with an instructor present. That happens, yes?” Findis sighed. “I am not researching sailing lessons. Uilon took me boating once, and I puked before we left the harbor. I warned Fingolfin, and he repeated my folly. Only Finarfin has the stomach for waves.” Findis’s small grin expressed her evident pride at the natural-sounding usage of her brothers’ Sindarin names. Heledir would have clapped for the payoff of her practice, but she would not have appreciated his sarcasm. And he was enjoying this fruit custard. “During the rescue of Arno, there will be a quick sequence to show off Red Knight’s combat prowess, and that he carries a knife. Finrod gave me the idea; he will have the knife as an heirloom of his missing mother, and there will be an identifying craftsmanship to the blade and a gem in the hilt by which his uncle shall recognize him. Kidhunadad, or something like that, for his name. Maybe a second shorter non-Khuzdul name?” Instead of answering herself, Findis tapped the side of her teacup with her fingernail loudly. “Names are so frustrating.”

Heledir hummed in agreement and speared a slice of fig with his dessert fork. Inspiration plucked at his mind before he could raise the piece of fruit to his lips. “Ketil. For the second name. It’s one of those old Hadorim names, and the mouth-sound is similar enough.” Heledir pointedly did not explain the name’s meaning as he chewed fig and then poured himself more tea.

Undeterred, Findis continued her recap of the outline. “The first lion ship that they discover will be the Blue, in a hidden cave with a small stream. The eyes glow when the chosen knight makes contact with their lion. Blue’s Lion takes them to the hidden castle and the Princess, and from there she gives them the maps to Green and Yellow on separate islands, splitting the band into two parties. Black is at the castle already, and Red will be the one captured and held by the Dark Kingdom. Nargun. Finrod is working on compiling names for me, but he suggested the name for our villainous kingdom.”

“Nargûn,” Heledir corrected. “Some of their vowels sound like our archaic forms.”

“Nargûn Túrinasta.”

Heledir nodded. Findis placed her teacup on the tabletop, staring at the dregs for answers on the deep mysteries of plot development and flow of pacing. “Pidgeon and Arno to find the Green Lion - thus they can have the private conversation about how and why she has disguised herself as a boy and the hunt to find her missing father and brother. Establish that arc and character dynamics early. A battle for the party retrieving the Yellow Lion, to have plot variance, but also to seed the reluctance of the Yellow Knight to engage in combat and …Ketil’s brashness for it.”

Technically the avian theme was adhered to, Heledir thought sheepishly, because of the spiraling of hawks on the high thermals of air reminding some long dead mortals of boiling water.

“Which artist has chosen to take the project?” Heledir asked.

“Elenwë’s younger brother, Hernostalë.”

Heledir almost choked on his desert. “Hernostalë! He has more technical proficiency than the artists that your family commissions for royal gifts- his composition skills, the way he shows movement as if the images were alive by song, his use of color and how light reflects- by the stars how did you convince Hernostalë Handion to draw this tale?”

Findis giggled. “He liked the idea of giant metal lions.”

Heledir’s fork clattered against his plate.

Covering her laughing mouth with both hands, Findis leaned back in her chair, green light from the stained glass window hitting her face and turning her complexion into that of a mermaid - or the nausea that she endured when on a ship.

“Hernostalë,” Heledir muttered in a mix of awe and envy.

“He has drafted a few pages if you wish to see them,” Findis offered with a sly smile, reaching to the large porfilio of hard leather by her feet. Heledir shoved the plates, teacups, and kettle to the side of the table to give Findis room to open the portfolio folder and display a stack of papers. Carefully she turned each one over. The drawings were black-and-white ink with minimal cross hatching and shading to give a cursory amount of depth. A blue stamp of a stylized cornflower in the top right corner of each page proclaimed them the property of Handë’s publishing house, which Heledir might have surmised without the maker’s mark by the fine quality of the paper, of uniform texture perfect to hold ink and weight to not crease or tear easily. Edrahil would drool over such paper quality, but then his dearest friend had been raised by calligraphers. The first image was that of the giant metal lion towering over five small figures. The cave backdrop suggested itself only in a trio of squiggly lines, the lion’s share of the drawing’s detail invested in the five small figures and the looming seated metal lion. The segmented blocky nature with visual joint hinges and gears instead of a sculptural smoothness conveyed that the lion was a tool instead of an artistic object.

Heledir smiled. His design was no longer an outline but detailed and realized as if a true object - and he suspected that an articulated model had been crafted to have something to pose for angles.

One the next page was a detailed illustration of all five characters crammed into the helmsman's cabin of the lion-ship. Seated like the driver of a carriage was a young man with a long face shape and almond eyes. The artist creatively made the equivalent of reins or ship’s tiller a pair of marionette crossbars, conveying the puppet origins. The other four characters, each recognizable from Heledir’s sketches, clustered closely around the pilot. More panels on the next pages. A series of funny faces and contortions as the Blue Lion galloped through the air, the cramped confines creating the same effect as shoving an entire battalion into a chariot. A small panel of the aerial view, the lion small and high like a hawk on a thermal. A leap through the clouds, parting like a trout breaking the surface of a lake. A floating island, a castle overgrown by trees with a lion’s face above the grand door. The five looked up at the castle with an awe that Tuor would have recognized.

What little liquid that might have remained in the kettle on the table had lost any remaining heat as Heledir finished his perusal of the sketches and watercolors. The final sheet in the portfolio had been the only artwork not connected to the Five Lion project; instead it was a watercolor of the full cast of one of Findis’s earliest novels, the sports-themed work. Amidst blooming fruit trees bathed in Tree-light the various young athletes looked towards the viewer, the colors delicate yet rich. Findis commissioned it as a personal gift to hang in her guest quarters at the Valmar palace.

Heledir lingered on the penultimate sketch.

“Who invented the amalgamation of the lion-ships into a giant armored man?”

“It is absurd,” Findis drawled, “I think my note about the lion-spirits coming from one source garbled my intentions. I have no idea how it is supposed to work or where the faceplate comes from or how the hands form. It does make one-on-one duels easier to draw.”

Heledir flipped through the draft pages once more. “I like it.”

Findis sniffed.

#my fic #silm fic #the meta fan findis stuff #hernostale is a ref to yusuke murata #next two nterludes are the callote introduced something findis wished wasn't written and then the shipwar stuff

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bloody-wonder · 2 years

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the game of kings: a queer reading

hello, tiny fandom! i bet you thought you'd seen the last of me :D but nooo i have been quietly re-reading gok once again which brings the total amount of the times i’ve read it to an impressive 3.5 (0.5 is bc this last time i read it in russian but then re-read all the lymond scenes additionally in english bc i couldn’t help myself🙈). i have also read laura caine ramsey’s guide as well as every piece of secondary literature on the lymond chronicles i could get my hands on which makes me a nerd an expert and today i decided to grace you with a kind of post i honestly wish someone with a degree in literature and queer studies would have written instead but since such a person hasn’t volonteered so far we’ll have to make do with what i’ve scribbled in here. this post was inspired by my irl friend who has been buddy reading gok with me almost entirely out of free will and who informed me that she “doesn’t see the homoerotic subtext”. we then had an enlightening conversation that revealed differences in understanding of what subtext actually means and provoked many thoughts which i just had to write down somewhere. i’m fully aware that by posting this on tumblr i’m preaching to the choir but please bear with me, especially given that i’ll be talking not only about lymond’s relationship with one pathetic maladroit nincompoop but with mixt and subtle christian as well.

i tried to keep this spoiler free for the rest of the series but one or two vague things might have slipped through. also, i couldn’t be concise if my life depended upon it so it’s basically a whole treatise, you have been warned😬

sooooo i do hope it is a truth universally acknowledged that lymond cronicle gay. but in what way is it gay exactly? especially the first book which doesn’t have robin stewart, gabriel, jerott and marthe, not even danny hislop, and is very subdued in its references to same-sex love and desire in comparison to the later installments - where does it store its queer subtext? in this essay i will undertake the noble mission of finding out :D

a couple of introductory remarks before we start: first of all, i’m fully aware that assigning modern labels to historical personalities and fictional characters in historical settings is Bad and so i tried to refrain from it as much as i could, except in cases where i do it for comedic effect. but secondly, i do hope you will grant me some licence since i’m not doing historical research but instead something more akin to literary analysis (the horny kind). in that sense, while we can’t assign a label to lymond since those didn’t exist in his time and the very understanding of what we call queerness was entirely different, we can however compare him to a number of similar fictional heroes and see that some of his behaviors are far from typical, they are pretty queer in the broadest sense of the word, and to me this quality constitutes a very important part of lymond’s appeal. which is why when i say stuff like “a straight man would never do that” i am only half joking😏

part one: will scott and gay subtext

fine so let’s read queer, let’s look at the textual Evidence. firstly, one of the most entertaining things about lymond in the earlier books is his flirtiness and in gok will is his primary target

sure lymond does it in order to tease and provoke but one doesn't prevent the other. besides, flirting and pointing out will’s good looks including his red hair (for which lymond clearly has a thing and you can’t convince me otherwise) as a teasing strategy is. a choice. not to mention all the petnicknames and terms of endearment with various levels of innuendo which are so manifold and suggestive i had to compile them into a separate post

secondly, there are some. ambiguous scenes and phrases, such as

this is right after lymond figuratively brought will to his knees after the hume caste mission and maybe it’s just bc i find power dynamics hot but i think that this passage is worded in a *certain* way and once you see it you can’t unsee it. i admit this one is a bit of a stretch but the other ones are absolutely not.

for example, the famous scene at the ostrich is brilliant bc you can interpret it either way - will expects to have sex either with one of the girls OR with lymond (or both? does our boy willy expect an orgy? do i underestimate his kinkiness?), the ironclad arguments in favor of the latter being 1) it’s much more fun and juicy and 2) i don’t think will’s a virgin at this point (he just came back from his study sojourn in paris and i doubt all he did there was study) and his inner monologue in this scene indicates he’s about to do something new and exciting such as gay sex with a man he has an angry crush on. in any case, his disappointment at not getting laid is cute and lymond’s sarcastic reaction is hilarious bc he clearly can read will like an open book and so he intentionally pranked him bc toying with people is his love language.

another example of "dunnett didn’t have to write it like this but she did bc she wanted us to ship them and who am i to disagree” comes up during their fight after the margaret lennox fiasco

interesting... why did you need to stress that, lymond? once again, you can interpret it as lymond being self-deprecating and ironic (”i’m such a lousy cavalier that i only fight women bc they’re the only ones i can hope to win against”) OR you can look at this sentence in the context of the scene in which he and will are quarelling like an old married couple and lymond even draws a parallel between how his bitter ex margaret gets on his nerves and will’s bitching AND lymond explicitly points out that will’s “admirably pretty” for the umpteenth time (in his defence, he’s as drunk as a sailor) - in which case the meaning of the phrase may be something along the lines of “i get involved only with women” - which would sound like a confirmation of lymond’s heterosexuality if it weren’t pointed out so entirely unprompted and in such defensive a manner. the gentleman doth protest too much

and that, my children, how subtext feeds on ambiguity. but i’m not done

bc sometimes the carefully composed subtext can in a way become text if the characters acknowledge it in-universe. the way this happens in gok is characters drawing parallels between will scott and all the women lymond allegedly seduced. richard does it

lauder & co do it multiple times during lymond’s trial accusing him of cultivating “associations both natural and unnatural”, “enticing” and “corrupting” will in the same manner as they believe he did with christian and mariotta and forcing lymond to defend will by describing him as “a normal, lively youngster” (lol i wish will had been there to hear this insightful assessment of character)

hell, even will himself does it after lymond is captured and brought to threave castle and christian reveals their acquaintance in an attempt to save him - and in such a petulant manner too

stop being jealous, will! the master has two hands!

this Evidence is already vast even without me going into will’s complicated and ever-evolving feelings towards lymond, including but not limited to admiration, hero worship and desire to surpass, envy and frustration, anger and disappointment, mistrust, lots of confusion, remorse, and finally, in their last scene together, “enslaved eagerness” and delight (big Gay). lymond dismisses all of it as a kind of teenage idolization which will is going to outgrow (although the readers who continued with the series know that that’s not true) bc lymond firmly believes himself unworthy of love and interprets every kind of love people show him as some other convoluted emotion. as for myself, i think this intricacy, this ambiguity and openness to interpretation are qualities dunnett put there on purpose and they are meant to intrigue and invite us to make connections. if gok had been written today it would’ve definitely been accused of queerbaiting of some sort, but since it wasn’t we can just live in peace and enjoy the homoerotic subtext. speaking of which.

the aforementioned friend said that in her opinion lymond has nothing but “fatherly feelings” towards will which led me to believe she must think my gushing about the homoerotic subtext of gok must mean that i think lymond lusts after will or smth. and like, no? i mean i do ship them bc dunnett left me no choice but. this is not what subtext is about?

are will and lymond gay / bi? was lymond attracted to will sexually or romantically? did will want to have sex with lymond? these questions miss the point bc they are too direct and the beauty of subtext lies in its subtlety - the art we’ve started to lose in recent years as queer rep far too often takes the shape of throwing around labels but not depicting experiences they’re meant to represent with any subtance or nuance - which is why dynamics that can’t be described in one word like that of will and lymond are fascinating to me and i think the liminality of this relationship, its inherent ambiguity and resistance to being defined are part of the appeal. if you don’t reduce the queer aspect to the surface-level observation that their tension didn’t result in anything explicit (which like, people in general and these two people specifically have many reasons not have sex even if the attraction is there) thereby proving them to be straight once and for all, you can interpret what they had in any way you like and that’s what makes it compelling and fraught with meaning and queer - as in “peculiar” but also potentially as in “if lymond didn’t automatically friendzone everyone who might develop feelings for him he and will totally would’ve banged” or “i don’t wanna assign modern labels to fictional people in historical settings however not in a million years would i believe lymond isn’t queer”. in conclusion: it’s about the vibes👌

that being said, despite the possibility to interpret lymond and will’s relationship any way you like which is sufficiently provided in the text, the interpretation depends entirely on who’s doing it. like, i’m sure my esteemed colleagues on tumblr caught each and every nugget of gay subtext dunnett wrote or alluded to or thought about briefly in the summer of 1960 but my friend, my mom, some (many?) og lymond fans just don’t see it or choose not to. this is not the case with lymond and christian’s relationship which is universally understood as romantic - on the one hand, bc we live in a heteronormative society and have been taught by media to think that any relationship between the opposite sexes must be romantic by default and any woman in a male-dominated story can only occupy the role of the love interest, and on the other hand, bc dunnett did rely on certain tropes that date back as far as chivalric romances and the very invocation of those tropes signals to us the presence of a romantic relationship regardless of whether it’s actually there or not. all this to say, i personally believe dunnett only invokes those tropes to subvert them.

part two: christian stewart and platonic love

during lymond’s trial harry lauder sums up his and christian’s relationship in the following way: “an honest, gentle and virtuous girl, a young girl of open and innocent years, betrothed to a fine man, who fell into the power of a practiced and powerful seducer, appearing to her in a guise both insinuating and irresistibly romantic”. now, the readers know that this can’t be further from the truth bc christian isn’t naive or excitable and lymond is a gentleman, but what i’m interested in specifically is how jarring the difference is between what lymond stands accused of and what his and christian’s relationship actually was like - as compared to the case of will who after all was, in a sense, led astray, who did display that “emotional instability” bishop reid describes so vividly, who, even if he wasn’t seduced and driven to anything “unnatural”, still in the broadest sense corresponds to the narrative the prosecutors present in court. christian however doesn’t bc her and lymond’s relationship wasn’t anywhere near what people are led to imagine when they find out about the manner in which their secret meetings took place.

by virtue of being a relationship between two people of opposite sexes set in the 16th century lymond and christian’s interactions are much more ceremonialized and less casual than, say, between lymond and his brothers in arms. at the same time, since lymond believes christian doesn’t know who he is, he doesn’t feel as much need to perform a certain identity in front of her which leads to a much more honest and genuine relationship - one that is entirely chaste, devoid of innuendo and filled with banter which, while not lacking in intensity compared to lymond’s banter with will scott, is much more amicable but definitely less passionate. an affair of minds, if you will.

in a different story our romantic leads would’ve fallen in love as soon as they met but in this case there are few indications that they develop anything resembling romantic feelings towards each other at all. we aren’t privy to lymond’s true thoughts or feelings but even from outsider pov he doesn’t strike me as a lovestruck man. there’s no pursuing the lady in order to have the pleasure of her company nor are there any melodramatic love confessions at the deathbed - a trope that one could expect these characters to engage in in a different story.

does lymond flirt in a similar equivocal way he does with will or maybe even make advances? in fact, there’s only a handful of times in all of their dialogues where romance is touched upon at all. the most evident of these few instances in my opinion is the following exchange after agnes herries’ wedding which is obviously conducted in a humorous tone

the rest are mostly implications of the poetry lymond quotes - and very subtle implications at that. for example, this is how the author of nowyouhavedunnett blog interprets lymond quoting a single line from the clown's courtship to christian during their inchmahome meeting

The whole poem is a proposal of marriage. Francis would not have lightly chosen to quote this poem at this moment. He is the clown, the fool, as he says, and this is as close to courtship as he can allow himself to come. He is telling Christian, obliquely, that if he were free to come every day to woo and win her, he would. But he cannot and he will not. (x)

and this is how they interpret lymond referring to himself as a "joyless jeweller” during christian’s death scene

Lymond is in full self-flagellation mode, saying he has been a "joyless jeweller up to the last, exquisite drop from the crucible." The phrase "joyless jeweller" comes from a medieval English poem, Pearl. It expresses the deep despair of a man who lives while the one he loves resides "glad and bright/In Paradise, of strife unstrained...." (x)

while i wouldn’t presume to contradict any of these interpretations, i have to say that last time i read gok along with ramsey’s guide and even then i could hardly understand the connections. do you see what we’re required to do here? we’re invited to interpret the romance into lymond and christian’s relationship (if it’s something we’re interested in doing, that is) much in the same manner as we’re invited to do it in will’s case (although i must admit the stuff lymond quotes to will is much more explicitly flirty and doesn’t require an encyclopedia to comprehend). the romantic hints are there but they are buried deep under all the references and require lots of rigorous interpreting. the difference between will and christain in this respect is that with will the romantic subtext is much more obvious but, depending on the reader, much more readily ignored, whereas with christian it’s hidden very deep and yet we still view lymond and christian as lovers by default bc of all the reasons i’ve cited above. i would argue however that the subversive value of gok lies in the fact that there’s plenty of room for them not to be viewed as such.

during the trial lymond says that there was nothing but friendship between him and christian (whereas his line of defense in will’s case is “this youngster is entirely normal and not gay at all”) and that it was enough for him to be ready to sacrifice his life in exchange for her freedom, no matter how ludicrous it may seem to lauder. obviously, lymond would never claim anything else publicly bc christian’s virtue is at stake, but even so i don’t think he’s lying. it’s said multiple times that christian would go to the same length for any of her friends as she did for lymond and it’s stated at least once that lymond would give himself up in exchange for any of his men should they be captured bc of him (to say nothing of friends and family). i think this allows for a much more noble understanding of their charactes than if either of them did what they did just bc they were in love.

as lymond remarks, lauder and the jury might find ludicrous the fact that his actions were inspired exclusively by friendship - and that is ofc bc the society we live in is not only heteronormative but amatonormative as well, which means that in the hierarchy of human relationships romance is placed at the top and all the most profound and overwhelming feelings and noblest gestures are associated with romance. many people subscribe to this view, either consciously or not, and i, for one, firmly believe that we should strive to deconstruct it in any way we can. christian indeed has feelings towards lymond and the more their relationship develops the more intense those feelings get - but the thing is, intense feelings aren’t always romantic in nature. as an aroace person i can assure you that you can experience all the spectrum of what christian felt towards her mysterious friend without being in (romantic) love with him. her emotions could very well reside in the realm of agape and philia - a kind of heavenly, altruistic love that becomes more and more personal as she gets to know lymond better. and i think ascribing a romantic sense to lymond calling christian “a woman with a familiar spirit” would be very limiting.

that’s what i find alluring about their relationship - it is a High Romance but not as in “a tale of romantic love” and instead as in “a fascinating story about a marvellous adventure” that happens to be centered on friends instead of lovers and elevates friendship in that imaginary false hierarchy of relationships by being just as grand and dramatic, sweeping and beautiful as often only romances get to be.

so. can lymond and christian’s relationship be described as a romantic involvement? would they have married if christian had survived? just as in the previous case, these questions miss the point in my opinion bc they try to force what they had into a box - specifically into a heteronormative one - whereas their actual relationship is much more undetermined and ambiguous and, if you look at it through the aspec lens, queer.

this ofc is not to say that there’s not enough evidence to interpret their relationship as a good old traditional romance and to answer those questions positively, but merely to draw your attention to the fact that dunnett wrote these relationships in gok in such a way that, once you think about them outside of the constraints of gender roles and sexuality norms, leaves plenty of room for interpretation and queer reading - not just in the case of lymond and will scott but also, despite it not seeming as intuitive, in the case of lymond and christian.

i’d hate to end this on a serious note so here are some selected suggestive quotes from the one and only prosecutor for the crown

if wishes were buttercakes, mr. lauder, beggars might bite :)

#the lymond chronicles #francis crawford of lymond #will scott #christian stewart #the game of kings #tlc mine #lemond meta #whispering gallery can contact me anytime

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matan4il · 2 years

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Hi! Just want to drop in and say I love everything you do for the fandom :) I'm admittedly not a very active poster on the Buddie tag despite being a big shipper, but am an avid lurker and your metas and responses always make me smile. Just wondering, (sorry if this has been asked) do you think Eddie is aware of B/L kiss and everything that went down after with TK? Or do you think that's a conversation we'll see unfold on screen? Thanks again, hope you're having a good day :D <3

Hi Nonnie! Awwwwww, thank you so much for saying so! This week has been rough with some disturbing medical news, and next one is going to be really difficult trying to juggle that with the busiest week of the year at work, and NGL, I’ve been feeling low, so this is an absolutely lovely thing to hear. *HUGS*

Oooh, that’s a good question! Normally, I would say Eddie def does know, because those two clearly tell each other everything. Even what we don’t see them telling each other on screen, we’ve been shown stuff that indicates that they shared the info off screen. But in this case, I think Eddie might not know this time, mostly because of the timing. The kiss happens when him and Buck seem to have a bit of a disconnect as Eddie walks away from the pub at the end of 511, and they spend 513 in separate spheres. By the time they come together again, it’s because Eddie is having his breakdown, and at that point, I don’t see Buck burdening him with this information. And in 514, he seems way more interested in Eddie’s well being anyway. However, we might find out that at some point after the end of 511 and before the start of 513, Buck did tell him off screen. The main thing that makes me think this might have happened is Buck spilling the beans to Maddie as soon as she’s back. It’s just a reminder that this man is such an open book, he finds it difficult to keep things from his loved ones, even the stuff he’s not proud of. I would love to see him tell Eddie about this, if only for the amount of sass and roasting Buck would get from his husband. Am I convinced we’ll see it? We only have 4 eps left to go, and they need to cover more of Eddie’s recovery to the point where they’ll be able to let him rejoin the 118 before s5 is over. So my tendency is to think they aren’t going to cover that, but on the other hand, it could allow Buddie a moment of normalcy again after the breakdown, where their familiar dynamic of Eddie fondly making fun of Buck comes back. Basically, I go back and forth. I mostly think the show, once things fall apart with B/T, will treat it as if Buck has told Eddie at some point about the kiss off screen, without making it clear whether it happened before or after the breakdown, but a small part of me isn’t fully convinced they won’t use it for a bit of lightheartedness between Buddie.

Does this make sense? Sorry, I feel like a mess and like my answer is a mess. But I hope it still helps a bit. Thank you again for your kindness, lovely! You have no idea how much it matters! xoxox

(I got an influx of asks, I WILL answer all of them, but it might take a sec. If anyone wants to check whether I've already answered theirs or to read my replies, here's my ask tag. Thank you! xoxox)

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archived-kin · 3 years

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caught in a twin courtship

note from kin: i’m going to be honest i only really wrote this because the title is fun to say, so it isn’t as cohesive as i normally would have wanted to make it

(this is an au where the twins aren’t separated by the unknown god! instead, just their world-hopping powers were stolen, and that’s why they’re journeying to find said god - to get their powers back so that they can go home. i’ve also excluded paimon since i kind of forgot about her while writing this haha)

(this doesn’t follow canon at all since reader and the twins just kind of start wandering about after the dvalin incident rather than heading straight for liyue oops)

fandom: genshin impact

character(s): gn!reader, lumine, aether, diluc, venti, jean

pairing(s): aether/reader/lumine

warning(s): i don’t think so??

genre: fluff with a little bit sprinkling of angst

you first meet the twins in the aftermath of the stormterror battle. it isn’t a glamorous introduction by any means - it’s pretty unflattering, actually - but it definitely makes a powerful first impression.

the group - aether, lumine, venti, diluc, and jean - are on their way back to mondstadt city, making small talk here and there, but mostly just walking in silence.

then they hear a yell in the distance.

jean and lumine both drop into a battle stances, venti leaps to hide behind aether with a very unmanly squeak of fear… but diluc, who arguably should have been the most alerted by this occurrence, just gives a resigned sigh and pauses.

a split second later, a figure comes speeding up to the group. you barrel up to diluc and immediately punch him square in the stomach, yelling “why didn’t you tell me you were going after stormterror?!”

aether and venti both give matching gasps of horror at the blatant disrespect, but diluc only shakes his head and catches your fist as it goes for another blow, this one aimed at his chest, and chastises, “calm down, i left a note.”

“i left a note,” you mimic, an absolutely awful impression that has you sounding more like a mosquito than the darknight hero, “fat lot of use that is when you aren’t even telling me where you’re going!”

diluc evades another jab at his arm and firmly sets his hands on both your shoulders, effectively anchoring you to the ground. you contemplate swinging your feet at his knees and knocking him over, or maybe shocking him with your electro vision, but ultimately decide that you might as well try to preserve what little dignity you have left in front of those three people you’ve never met before

so you stop with a defeated sigh and turn to face said three people to introduce yourself

it turns out that you’re diluc’s cousin and he’s been having to baby-sit you for the last few years after your own parents left on a ‘business trip’ to snezhnaya that they’re still not back from

you’re pretty sure they’re dead, killed by the fatui, and you say as much during your introduction without even the slightest sign of distress, which is a little unsettling

lumine’s first thought is that you’re quite the interesting character, what with the casual way you treat diluc, and how you don’t seem to question whatever situation lead you to meet in the first place

aether’s first thought is holy shit, they’re cute

one twin greets you in return with a lot more enthusiasm than the other, and venti the bard wastes no time in asking whether you have access to good master diluc’s wine storage

(you’d be shocked by the audacity if you weren’t just as bad as him when it came to shamelessness)

strangely enough, the fact that aether likes you so much actually makes lumine more wary of you than she was initially

aether trusts too easily, and from experience, that usually leads to disaster - and your flippancy regarding your parents’ apparent probable deaths rather inclines her to think that you might be a very dangerous person indeed

the three of you don’t see each other for a couple of days after that - you and diluc leave for dawn winery together, while the twins depart with venti to wrap their whole situation up, and jean returns to her duties in mondstadt city

all this time, apparently unbeknownst to even himself, aether keeps finding ways to bring you up in the middle of conversation

you’d only spoken to him for a few minutes and somehow that as enough to get him absolutely fascinated

lumine would be lying if she said she wasn’t still curious about you as well, but it gets annoying after aether somehow manages to mention how ‘mysterious’ your black cloak is in the middle of a conversation about why mitachurls are able to randomly set their axes on fire

luckily for these two, they happen to run into you the very next day!

you’re in the middle of taking out a ruin guard stomping around the thousand winds temple - a ruin guard that the twins had been meaning to take down themselves, which is why they’re here in the first place

at first they move to help you, only to stop short and watch in awe as you plunge down at the ruin guard from atop one of the enormous pillars, your polearm held steady in your grasp as your entire body seems to spark and glow with a deep purple electro energy

the sharp blade of your polearm goes clean through the top of the ruin guard’s head and shatters its core, and it sinks to the ground with a massive thud that echoes around the temple ruins, massive wooden limbs twitching and jerking as the last of your vision’s energy disperses from it

aether and lumine are basically star-struck

from there you spot them and call them over for a conversation, show them how to take apart a ruin guard’s circuits to get at the good parts, and somehow end up agreeing to journey with them across teyvat in their search for an unknown god who stole their abilities to hop from world to world as well as their apparent true power that allows them to wield all seven elements at once

the details are a little lost on you, but what you’re hearing is that you get to go on a cool adventure with a cool gal and a cool lad, so you’re pretty much all for it

diluc isn’t too happy about you up and leaving without so much as two week’s notice (partially because he has literally no friends apart from you and he’d get lonely without his little cousin bothering him all the time) but you simply tell him to deal with it and go anyway

(you do give him a big hug and promise to visit, you’re not heartless)

from then on you, aether and lumine become a dynamic trio like no other

it’s actually pretty damn spooky how well the three of you end of working together

aether and lumine had long since formed a style of fighting that meant they made up for each other’s weak spots and could attack in perfect sync, but then you come along and somehow manage to make their already pretty flawless formation even better

is it witchcraft? they honestly don’t know

considering you fit so well into their battle strategies, it follows that you’d also slot perfectly into their every day life

lumine is cautious at first, wondering if your presence would disrupt her and her brother’s long since pre-established routines, but you fit in so naturally that it’s as if you were there all long

maybe it it’s this that makes both twins slowly start falling for you - the comfort of being beside you and the familiarity that you bring are things that they struggled to find, being trapped in a world far from their own with no way to get out, and they unknowingly latch onto you like drowning men clutching lifebuoys

aether is the most obvious about his feelings - he starts waking up earlier just because he knows you do, sitting beside you as you stoke a campfire and keep watch for any approaching monsters, making quiet conversation as lumine continues sleeping. he tells you stories about his adventures in other worlds, including an encounter with a rather bigoted individual who is the reason that he keeps his hair so long while lumine’s has been cut short

he even starts taking his hair out of its braid before he goes to sleep so that he can ask you to braid it for him when he wakes up

lumine is a lot more subtle

she finds excuses to stand closer to you when, deliberately brushing her fingers against yours when handing you something. she listens far more attentively to you when you speak than anyone else, and she smiles far more in your presence, hanging onto your every word and gazing at you so intensely that it’s almost unsettling

of course, the twins notice each other’s feelings pretty easily

at first neither acknowledges it - it’d be far too messy for both to accept that they’d both fallen in love with the same person, let alone actually admit this to each other

but it gets to the point where it just isn’t ignorable anymore, and finally the twins decide to talk

it’s about as civil and sensible as they could hope for with the subject at hand, and they eventually decide to talk to you about it

and so, we come to an ultimatum. what will your choice be?

if you reject both, it’ll be hard to continue adventuring with twins who can’t look in your direction. neither resent you, of course, but the atmosphere has become so stifling that they can’t even make eye contact

it’s as if an enormous gap has opened up between the three of you. the twins are avoiding each other as well, unsure of how to handle the fact that they’re both in love with the same person and have now both been rejected by that same person. if anything, they should be becoming closer out of solidarity, but it seems that they can’t stand to be in each other’s presence as much as they can’t stand to be in yours.

the three of you still work together as seamlessly in battle as you did before, but once the final monster has been cut down and your weapons are sheathed, that connection seems to disappear again.

it’s aether who finally breaks the stalemate. he starts trying to start conversations as the three of you sit awkwardly apart from each other around a fire, and while the first few attempts end in stony silence and an awkward cough on his part, eventually you begin replying with some semblance of the humour you used to

from there things only improve - the three of you come to a silent mutual agreement to leave this behind you, and soon you’re all laughing and joking as you used to

lumine and aether both know that they cannot force you to love either of them, and they respect your choice. if anything, they’re the ones in the wrong for springing something like this on you so suddenly, and they start to feel a little guilty that they were essentially pressuring you into making a choice that you were never obligated to make

so they return to treating you as a dear friend, just as before. things are different now, of course, but they can only be grateful that you continue to travel with them and stay by their side; this situation doesn’t make them love you any less, even if you don’t love them in the same way.

if you choose lumine, aether will be understanding. the twins have been each other’s only support for longer than they can remember, and as the older brother, he’s well used to giving things up for his sister.

he’ll still be friendly and amicable, but he won’t seek you out as much as he did before. he starts braiding his hair by himself again, and stays in bed as late as he can every morning so that he doesn’t have to be face to face with you. just because he’s accepted this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt.

sometimes, when the sky grows dark and you and lumine have long since fallen asleep beside each other, he wonders to himself - why is it that he has to give everything to his sister? he’s given away so much, so why couldn’t the universe let him have this one thing?

but he knows, deep down, that this is nothing to do with the universe - you simply fell in love with someone that wasn’t him, his sister at that, and he’s struggling to come to terms with it.

he wants to hate you, hate lumine, hate the relationship that the two of you have formed, but he just can’t. he loves the both of you in different ways that are just as important as each other, and he can’t stand to lose either of you. he’d rather throw himself off of starsnatch cliff.

so he’ll smile and bear it, even if it’s a battle to keep himself from breaking down every time he sees the two of you lace your hands together, off in your own little word, so near and yet so far from him.

if you choose aether, lumine will become cold. at first, that is. she’s never been as empathetic as her brother, always holding grudges and developing dislike much more easily. it had taken a lot for her to open up to you in the first place, and now that you’ve rejected her, it’s going to take a while for her to return to the same camaderie with you that she had before.

lumine does not begrudge aether for being the one you chose. if anything, she’s glad - aether is always putting her first and himself second, and she’s happy that he has someone like you, who lights his eyes up in a way that she’s never seen before.

but our hearts often betray our mind, after all, and lumine can’t help but scowl and turn away every time she sees her brother wrap his arms around your waist or press a kiss to your cheek. despite her best efforts, all she can think is why? why did you have to choose him?

she can’t bring herself to hate you, though. as much as it feels like her heart is threatening to split down the middle when she sees you smile and is reminded of something that she cannot have, there is an equal joy in the fact that her brother can be with the person that he loves so dearly. if anything, the two of you deserve to be happy together.

lumine would never do anything that could take that away, and so she forces herself to accept it. it takes several days of tentative conversation and barely held back tears, but eventually the two of you seem to return to the way you were before - all friendly jabs and light-hearted banter and little jokes exchanged over crossed blades.

but lumine knows that your friendship can never be quite the same as it was before. she’ll forever be holding you at arm’s length, terrified to let you get too close lest you see how much your presence affects her. she can’t let you know how much she loves you because she will never be the one who links hands with you as you walk down a long, winding path, or the one who holds you close under a darkening sky filled with stars - because that person is aether, and she would sooner die before she takes her brother’s happiness away.

if you refuse to choose, the twins will be at a loss at what to do. they hadn’t considered this scenario - that you had somehow come to love both of them.

the confusion becomes joy soon enough, though. they realise what this means - they both love you, and you love both of them! isn’t this perfect?

neither are particularly thrilled at the concept of ‘sharing’ you with the other, so to speak, but in the end they both equally want each other to be happy as they want you to be, so the logical conclusion is that they both become your partners.

they’re not too sure how this should work, nor what sort of label to put on it, but they come to you tentatively with the idea anyway

to their joyous surprise, you agree!

and from then marks the point of no return…

aether is definitely the clingier of the two. once he realises that he’s allowed to show affection and be close to you for no particular reason, he won’t stop - it’s as if he absolutely has to be holding your hand or be standing or sitting as close to you as physically possible. he’s always buying you souvenirs at every place you stop by, scaling trees to pick apples for you when you mention a craving for fruit, presenting you little treasures that he’s found with all the pride of a golden retriever.

lumine is a more subdued kind of partner, preferring to demonstrate her feelings with little things like making your favourite food for dinner or bringing you sprigs of flowers that she’s secretly been collecting in order to present you with them. of course, that doesn’t mean she isn’t physically affectionate at all - she presses perhaps even closer to you than aether when you sleep beside her, and somehow her hand finds yours at every opportunity she has.

the twins clash every now and then, as siblings often do, except that you’re usually caught in the middle. their arguments are little more than playful squabbles, though - things like play-fighting over who gets to hug you first after a well-fought battle, or who gets to hold your hand on the way to the next village (you have to step in and remind them that you do, in fact, have two hands)

in conclusion: why choose one when you can have both and prevent the unchosen from having endless amounts of angst?

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact imagines #genshin aether #genshin lumine #genshin traveller #aether x reader #lumine x reader #traveller x reader #fluff #love triangle #kinda??#just a little angst #as a treat #genshin diluc #genshin venti #unedited

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darkcircles4lyfe · 3 years

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retrospective & predictions

Since we're on a hiatus week (between 320 and 321) I feel like waxing poetic about the depth and growth of bkdk for a bit. Especially because it seems like we’re right on the edge of their biggest development yet, I’m getting the urge to lay all my perspectives and insights I’ve picked up from others out on the table. This is ultimately only my subjective interpretation of subtextual material in canon, though. If you’ve never quite understood what people see in their dynamic and you’re actually open to hearing me out, maybe from this you can at least see where we’re coming from. And if you don’t like my takes after all, well, we’ll see who’s right in the coming chapters, won’t we? What I have to say can be taken platonically or romantically; I appreciate both.

putting it under the cut, since it’ll be long:

At the risk of projecting, I want to start by examining a couple things based partly on personal experience.

From many different directions, I often hear people expressing that Deku’s persistent attachment and admiration for Bakugou is baffling at best. Despite the bullying, despite Bakugou’s loud, rude, and uncompromising personality, he still puts effort into their relationship and frequently describes him as amazing. It seems like Deku himself is aware of this as he’s said things along the lines of how he’s difficult, BUT... etc. Although I don’t think it’s exactly that Deku finds Bakugou’s personality hard to be around, but that he’s deliberately expressing patience for Bakugou’s emotional turmoil.

I have to say I know what this sort of patience is like, as I went through it with someone I love. I only chose to put up with their behavior because I decided the possibility of what our relationship could be was worth it. I wasn’t blind or submissive to how they treated me, and I wasn’t coerced. I simply expressed myself and established my boundaries while still allowing them the opportunity to join me in my world once they got over their own hangups. And guess what? It worked out in the end. That doesn’t mean there aren’t circumstances where it’s better to cut ties, but I want to stress that true reconciliation is possible sometimes. I used to worry that other people around me thought I was delusional for seeking it, but what really helped was my therapist reminding me that I’m smart and strong. So I think Deku deserves to feel the same. In a way this is his whole mission in life, his approach to being a hero as well as his personal relationships.

Let me also be clear though that I don’t mean Deku is only tolerating Bakugou’s personality, his mannerisms, the parts of him that will likely never change. I’m drawing a line between those things and his emotional state (they so rarely align anyway, but I’ll get to that later). In fact, I think Bakugou’s general attitude is part of what Deku admires. This is gonna be hard to explain without inserting personal experience too, sorry. As a writer myself I’ve noticed I’m drawn to writing characters that are brazen and bold and don't mind telling people off. Really it’s because I operate in the world in the polar opposite way. I try not to draw attention to myself, I’m quiet, and I’m a people-pleaser. People who project confidence, especially in an impolite sort of way, fascinate me. It’s good to take cultural context into account, too: I've heard people who’d know better than me that part of the reason Bakugou is the most popular character in the Japanese fandom is likely because he contradicts a lot of their social norms. His disregard is refreshing and cathartic. I can speculate that Deku has a similar point of view based on what he thinks but does not admit about Bakugou being his image of victory and how this sometimes makes him mimic Bakugou’s speech and mannerisms:

There’s also the bit in this fight where Deku realizes he's the only one able to receive Bakugou’s emotions. This is because he’s the most intimately familiar with him and his situation, but I think there’s another layer. Deku, as we know, has a self-sacrificing tendency, and in the current chapters we’re seeing the worst side of that. But let’s also not forget that to an extent, it can be a positive trait: resilience. When it comes to Bakugou, he has an almost comical ability to dodge the potential fallout of his outbursts. The example we all jump to (and fight about..) is how in ch1, apart from the initial shock of Bakugou suggesting he jump off the roof, the most he reacts is to criticize him for saying such a ridiculous thing. However, I think their interaction post- sludge villain is a lot more interesting:

Note two things: 1, in his head, Deku is practically making fun of how Bakugou’s acting as he stomps away without waiting for a reply. It doesn’t faze him. 2, Deku thinks, optimistically, that he can now focus on a different career choice. This is astonishing really. Up to this point, none of Bakugou’s attempts to put him down have worked; he just kept pursuing his dream. The only reason Deku concedes in this moment it because for the first time, he has been shown that he really couldn't do anything in a fight against a villain. All Might told him he couldn't be a hero (although he’s literally about to take that back in the next few pages lol) and the other heroes at the scene gave him a lecture about it too. It was those experiences, and not Bakugou’s words, that truly affected him. And when All Might tells Deku he can be a hero after all, it’s not thinking of Bakugou’s bullying that makes him sob and fall to his knees, it’s the memory of his own mom never telling him those words he so desperately needed to hear. Having spent most of their lives together, Deku must have been aware all this time that Baukgou was influenced by larger societal forces rather than a core judgement, so he didn’t take it personally. He separated the person from the action, and because he’s resilient and patient, he is thus equipped to handle Bakugou’s emotions. It’s a testament to his maturity and emotional intelligence, really.

But I can almost hear some of you saying, “that doesn’t mean Deku should have to be the bigger person here!” Correct! Just because Deku is perfectly alright bearing all of that, doesn’t mean atonement-era Bakugou sees it this way. We can track his awareness of Deku’s care and selflessness as follows-

The bridge scene, when they’re little kids: Bakugou conflates Deku’s heroism with pity, and subsequently thinks Deku is looking down on him because Bakugou’s own insecurity makes him defensive.

The Sludge Villain, and also Deku vs. Kacchan Part 1: Bakugou witnesses first-hand how easily Deku jumps to risk his own life, but still thinks he’s being looked down on.

The Sports Festival: Bakugou fights Uraraka and recognizes her endurance strategy and refusal to give up as very Deku-like. He’s half right. He thinks Deku advised her in the fight, when in reality she just mimicked Deku because she admired him. I want to draw attention to his very sober comment about her not being frail. It’s a great endearment of Uraraka’s character and Bakugou’s respect for her when others didn’t take “fighting a girl” seriously, but it also reflects on his opinion of Deku. Deku isn’t weak either. He never was.

Deku vs. Kacchan Part 2: Deku finally corrects him about the whole looking-down-on-him thing, and Bakugou is informed that Deku’s selflessness is in fact the reason All Might chose him. Since Bakugou had been in search of what he himself was “doing wrong” for All Might to favor Deku over him, he now has to reconcile the fact that selflessness is a heroic trait, and moreover something he lacks. This is also possibly the first time Bakugou is able to see his past actions toward Deku as bullying since he previously thought it was more mutual. Additionally, Bakugou can now link Deku’s selfless behavior to what he perceived as pity/contempt, and realize that Deku has been giving him A LOT of grace. Maybe too much. Maybe more than Bakugou deserves, and definitely more than Deku should have to. Holy heck- now Bakugou has to figure out how to live up to all the faith that’s been placed in him.

Subtextually, we can see Bakugou’s feelings about atonement reflected in the Todoroki family:

1, Shouto is another example of Deku growing a friendship using his selflessness (since their fight in the sports festival) and their relationship is being acknowledged here where it hasn’t been in Bakugou’s situation. Perhaps Bakugou is wishing it could be so simple for him, to be able to thank him for being his friend like that. Deku saying the pleasure is all his also probably calls to mind how a mere apology from Bakugou would probably be dismissed because that’s just the kind of accommodating person Deku is. Bakugou has to operate more quietly in order to actually make up for their past. I personally don’t interpret this scene as Bakugou being jealous of Deku and Shouto’s friendship, exactly, just the lack of emotional baggage. Side note, Deku and Fuyumi are kinda similar in their desire to repair relationships. I like that she’s the one to give him some credit.

2, With the common terminology, this can be interpreted as Bakugou receiving a model for atonement, one that is about action, and nothing to do with receiving favor or forgiveness. It’s a sense of duty.

Many of the above sentiments are repeated in the flashback conversation between All Might and Bakugou right before Bakugou’s sacrifice.

Bakugou acknowledges his bullying and that it happened because of his own insecurities, but aside from that, it’s interesting he neither confirms nor denies All Might’s suggestion that he’s trying to atone, or that Deku doesn’t see it that way. All Might is a bit of an unreliable mentor sometimes, but I don’t think he’s misreading here. Rather, Bakugou is displaying his tendency to hold back when talking about things that would make him really emotional. Besides, admitting to what he’s doing kind of defeats the purpose. He isn’t seeking acknowledgement. All Might has gotten to the crux of the issue here when pointing out that Deku doesn’t recognize the atonement, likely because Deku doesn't think Bakugou even needs to atone. Am I reading into it too much to say Bakugou looks wistful at this? It’s kinda frustrating sometimes trying to interpret Bakugou’s actions because he’s so paradoxical. Loud and in your face, but also extremely reserved. Sometimes I feel like I’m grasping at thin air, but hey, being hard to figure out is part of his intrigue as a character. The simplest way to look at him is to assume that unless he’s really showing vulnerability, he’s probably deflecting and hiding something.

Speaking of Bakugou’s tendency to to hold back emotional stuff, there’s his apparent lack of issue with Deku calling him Kacchan. Maybe to begin with, in his warped perception of things where he thought they hated each other, Bakugou saw it as Deku’s way of getting back at him for calling him “useless,” and didn't dare give any indication that it actually bothered him. However... consider how betrayed Bakugou has appeared when he was noticeably thinking Deku was looking down on him- the bridge scene, and the beginning of their first year at UA when he thought Deku was hiding a quirk all along. He looks shocked and hurt. That kind of emotion couldn’t be invoked by someone Bakugou didn’t actually care about his relationship with. “Kacchan” comes from a long time ago, before their relationship was strained, so it’s connotations are pure. Maybe somewhere deep down, Bakugou has always been hoping that Deku’s continued use of the nickname was not simply a matter of habit or teasing, but a vestige of friendship they’re both clinging to, and Bakugou himself was too afraid to admit to himself that he felt this way about it, so he mostly ignored it. (These are not original thoughts I am having here lol, this is a common interpretation. I’m just laying everything out like I said.)

And now we turn to the current situation. Personally, I’ve been looking frantically back and forth between them wondering who’s going to break down first (Deku vs. Kacchan Part 3, this time it’s just a fight to get the other person to cry? ha.) Both have looked like they’re approaching a breaking point for some time. Also, I’ve addressed this before, but I think it’s significant that Bakugou is no longer wearing his mask with his hero costume, in contrast to Deku recently donning his own. It feels symbolic of Bakugou about to be upfront about how he feels.

The question is, what is it going to take to get Deku to accept help? If you ask me, Deku has dug himself so deeply into the I’m-doing-this-for-everyone-else’s-safety-and-smiles hole, no common sense argument can possibly reach him. By the end of 320, Deku’s mask is off, and we can see how desperate he truly is. But he has not cried, yet. I predict we’re going to see a bit more of his defiance, this time on full display on his face as the remaining class members and his other friends take their turns. But then I think Bakugou has to be the one to break down so Deku can witness his actions having the opposite effect he intended. People have been pointing out that Deku is currently ignoring Bakugou, and oof, that’s gotta be intentional. Regardless of what Bakugou says, it’s going to be wrapped up not only in his understanding of Deku’s self-sacrifice, but also the betrayal Bakugou feels at being ignored/left behind that ironically echoes his previous perception of being looked down on, as well as a need to express how much he cares about Deku before it’s too late. He must show that the two of them are inseparable because they both act to save each other without thinking, and both feel like losing the other would be like dying themselves. All Might may have been right when he told them they could learn from each other after Deku vs. Kacchan Part 2, but he didn’t fully realize that idea by making sure they stuck by each other for support and balance.

I can’t wait to see what it’ll be like when they do finally get to that point, totally in synch and in tune with each other. They’ll be a powerful force no one is quite prepared for. Who knows when that will be, or even which chapter will be their big showdown, but I know the day is coming.

To speculate even further, I think the 2nd user is going to be really important really soon. And no I don’t mean to suggest that the 2nd user is Bakugou. But I do think their resemblance is key. Okay this is gonna be convoluted...

See how 2nd is the only one still standing? I think that’s symbolic of him withholding his quirk. Deku may not even know what it is at this point, let alone have unlocked it. Given that 2nd approves of Deku’s strategy at this point, it seems odd for him to withhold his quirk based on lack of faith. I think if his quirk was something that would help Deku in combat, he would have shown it to him already like the others did. So what if those gauntlets of his are support items that are meant to make up for his lack of a combat-oriented quirk, rather than to augment it? Mind you, I still have no idea what his mysterious power might be, but I’m dead set on it not being explosion-y. Regardless, I think 2nd looking like Bakugou is more about aiding some grand visual parallel, so! You know how 2nd and 3rd were probably intending to do away with Yoichi but 2nd changed his mind as soon as they made eye contact? This is really a long shot, but I wonder if 2nd’s quirk has something to do with that exchange. Maybe it’s something psychological, or some 6th sense about people he meets. So... in that way 2nd’s quirk could play a role in bkdk reaching a deeper understanding? Idk! But it could be significant at least that 2nd left Yoichi’s question about why he reached out to him unanswered.

One more thing- while I was gathering screenshots I found this. I think “you’re the last one I’m telling” might be foreshadowing for Bakugou revealing his hero name to Deku and it being a Big Deal:

As for other lingering threads in the overall plot right now, such as the UA traitor, Stain, whatever Tsuyu is apparently about to do, All Might’s car maybe in the background of the last page of 320... man I have no idea. All I know is there’s literally 320 chapters’ worth of build-up to this confrontation that can’t be interrupted.

See you next week <3

#phew that was a lot #I just wanted to show how things are aligning #I know a lot of this has been said #bnha manga spoilers #bnha 320 #bnha 321 #mha #bakudeku #bkdk #bakugou katsuki #midoriya izuku #bnha meta #lin speaks

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this-is-an-open-letter · 2 years

Note

It’s not that Linstead were toxic and unhealthy. These days words like toxic are used to define whatever thing we don’t like and it’s not appropriate. It’s that if we really look back to the earlier seasons and how the couple was written and built, we are able to see all the red flags. It wasn’t a good couple. And it’s fair to say that Erin was the main responsible. I’m not saying Jay was a saint but I’m also saying that he had the patience of a saint. Erin as a character was a mess, a never ending drama after drama that were never not once followed by a somewhat resolution. In every aspect of her life. She wasn’t a good character either. People can like her that’s fair, but she’s not. From an objective pov she was self centered, mostly in her relationship with Jay. She wanted him around only on her terms and conditions, she was the only one to have a say in their relationship. She treated him like a puppy and the moment he stepped up and wanted some space, she wasn’t on the same wavelength. She also took him for granted, knowing he had a crush on her and wanting to challenge Voight. Linstead spent more time apart than together, that should tell everything. But mostly, like you said, they never resolved things. They never had a discussion, a conversation about their problems, they always put them aside because they weren’t capable of handling it. And if Jay was the one who tried to push their limits to overcome their troubles, Erin was the one who always left. Till she left for good, not replying or answering Jay’s calls telling him that she was leaving. I think they would have never worked/lasted even if Upstead hadn’t happened because the problem here is not Hailey. The problem has always been Erin. Until she doesn’t work on herself she won’t be able to be with anyone else.

I agree with that first sentence that we use Toxic to define whatever we dont like. I think that word gets tossed around too frequently in this fandom that you’d be hard pressed to find a single character without a toxic trait.

Erin wasn’t a fleshed out character and that’s at the hands of the writers. I feel weird talking about the character like she’s real because she’s not and most of the time what people don’t like about Erin is more a reflection of what they don’t like about Sophia and again she was playing a character that she did not write.

In terms of Linstead the relationship was doomed from the beginning because they had Erin used it as a way to go against Voight as some weird power move (why ANY man feels they can tell a women who she can and can’t date, is a gross and demeaning character to trait). But on Jay’s side he also went along with it despite Voights rules. Let’s also not forget when Erin found out Jay was married instead of talking about it he packed a bag and moved out of their apartment. This fandom likes to put all the blame on Erin because people like to hate Sophia but no one acknowledges that Jay kept secrets and didn’t fight for the relationship anymore than she did. Not to mention his unresolved PTSD that he also did not open up to her about. That relationship was a two way street where neither of them treated each other or themselves in a healthy way so the end of the relationship felt needed because they would’ve likely never survived if the dynamic they had continued.

The basic truth is that Erin wasn’t a fleshed out character and had Sophia remained on the show maybe they would’ve fleshed her out, gotten her some help and created appropriate boundaries with Voight. But for me, Voight’s relationship with her was also a trigger and traumatic for her. That’s kind of Voights MO he ruins everyone who comes into his life.

I will say that I think this fandom chooses not to separate the character from the relationship. There’s zero sympathy for what Erin has gone through in her life. Her mother was the furthest thing from one, she passed down alcoholism to her daughter not to mention the constant changing on men in her life. She was so far gone by the time Voight found her and gave her a new lease on life and she made something of herself. She became a cop, a good one so much so that the FBI wanted her. But if we can acknowledge that all the characters at some point or another made bad choices or did something wrong but have had the time to grow from it, we have to assume that Erin would’ve too, or at least hope for it.

For myself - this fandom is too obsessed with shipping that we’re willing to forego character growth in favour of relationships. I love Upstead and seeing them together but you know what I would love more? To see Hailey and Jay (frankly the whole unit) going to therapy and talking about their traumas and finding solutions. So frankly all the characters have issues they need resolve and we’re seeing the worst of it through Kim and Adam who is borderline portraying the same wish-y washy attitude that Erin did.

You make a lot of great points and I think if we can all acknowledge the writing being the issue we could all have more sympathy for the characters and what they’re going through. And as I said in my previous post - there’s way to many variables to determine what would’ve become of their relationship. It has to start at a character level. And I think if we’re really honest we can also acknowledge that every character on the show currently is far from perfect but we’re not blaming them the way this fandom does Erin, we’re actively wanting to see a proper and healthy resolution.

Also maybe this is beyond the point - but Erin and Jay had to go through what they went through to become different people than who they were. We dont see that with Erin but in season 5 Jay was a hot mess, I’d argue as reckless and unhealthy as Erin had been in previous seasons. But he got through it because Hailey told him to get help and he listened (we’ll never know why he did but its a great footnote to the early stages of their relationship). We’re sympathetic to Jay’s growth which we only acknowledge is because of Hailey, which negates all of HIS hard work to get better and be better.

#Chicago PD

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beevean · 3 years

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SEGA and its most recent Sonamy side – more canon than ever

[Translator’s note: this article was originally written in Spanish by @latin-dr-robotnik]

Hello again! Today we’d like to discuss about something that’s been happening recently, and probably taking Sonic fans by surprise: what is going on with SEGA and its stance about Sonamy?

At the beginning of this year, to celebrate the 200 articles on Seaside Hill Paradise, I finished what I call “the Sonamy trilogy” of articles that I started in 2018 and which cover different themes, such as:

SEGA and the eternal issue of the Sonic-Amy dynamic

“I love you” – Forbidden words in Sonic

SEGA and the eternal issue of “Sonic’s girlfriend”

The idea was to offer a more-or-less complete analysis about the many facets of their dynamic in the last 27 years; a dynamic that, you may have noticed, is not that easy to pin down, and that we’ve been updating almost regularly (although I also intended to investigate on other dynamics, like Knuckles and Rouge’s for example, and write about them). Generally speaking, in these articles I don’t draw objective conclusions about the status of the ship in canon (despite the fact that the available information tends to confirm it in various occasions). I also like to repeat myself and say that shipping is supposed to be for fun, not for tearing each other’s hair in that black hole of misery that is Twitter, but recent events left us slightly perplexed, and this is why we’re here once again.

We left the status of the Sonamy canonicity with these two peculiar instances back in August: Sonic mentioning his “girlfriend” in the Japanese version of Sonic Battle, and the Twitter account of SEGA of Europe saying Sonamy is their “favorite videogame romance”. Now, let’s recap a bit…

Sonamy in Sonic IDW... Round 3

[SPOILERS ALERT FOR IDW SONIC #14-#35]

In 2018, when IDW just started, I decided to study a little how the Sonamy dynamic worked in this new universe. To our surprise, the comic didn’t waste time in dropping its biggest bomb, in one of the cutest scenes we had seen in ages. Since the very beginning, IDW proved that it didn’t intend to deceive those fans that looked for a bit of development of both characters.

I wrote an article about it in June 2019, and it coincided with the beginning of one of the most infamous arc I’ve seen in a Sonic comic for a long time: the Metal Virus Saga. The question is, what has happened since then?

Well, in 2019, with the same accuracy of an aimbot, I said “We’ll probably see some new interactions between Sonic and Amy sometime around IDW #20”. And wouldn’t you know, as misery and tragedy settled in that arc, it was exactly around IDW #20 that we saw some Sonamy interactions: both exhausted, to their limit, with a Sonic that couldn’t even touch Amy to soothe her pain, due to him being infected with the virus.

The arc developed like this in what felt like an eternity, to finally conclude in one the most absurd ways in Sonic history. But it wasn’t a complete disappointment, as, after months and months of asking and discussing on the internet about how much Sonic and Amy deserved a hug at the end of the arc… it actually happened.

Since that moment in IDW #32, we shippers thought that it was what both of them deserved after so much time spent separated and pushed to their limit to survive, but also that after the end of the arc everything would go back to normal. However, what we didn’t know was that the Sonamy train had no intention of stopping, not in IDW, nor anywhere else.

A recurring detail in IDW Sonic is that Amy’s tail starts wagging every time she sees Sonic, as if she was a happy dog. I swear, it happens every time.

Come IDW #35, once again we have some hugs and bits of dialogue between our hedgehogs. For sure, the question here isn’t their relationship itself, as it was for IDW #2, but rather the issues this arc is slowly dealing with. But it’s really nice to see them again, sharing that closeness that they’ve had in the comic since the beginning– be it with some gestures of affection, a wink, a gesture, a private joke.

My favorite image is the first one, Belle’s reaction to seeing Amy hugging Sonic. It’s like she’s thinking “oh, is she his girlfriend?”, and she wouldn’t even be wrong in thinking that.

It can’t be denied that IDW Sonic provided us the conversations and the emotions that the games seldom do. Certainly, the comic has its share of issues and it’s not really a story that I personally follow for its own merits (it’s more because it’s still Sonic, for my interest for things like this, and Belle’s existence… whom I already ship with Tails, sorry not sorry), but what it does well it does really well.

For now, we have to see how IDW Sonic will follow the development of the characters, especially in view of the closure of the current story and beyond. And we may be done with this part of the article, but there is still a lot left.

Sonamy in merchandise

Taking us completely by surprise, recently SEGA launched, in collaboration with Hot Topic, a series of Sonamy-themed t-shirts. No, seriously.

So many people told me this as soon as the voice spread (you know who you are, thank you guys for thinking about me <3), and I can’t help being still surprised that this is actually a thing. T-shirts with lines like “You’re my favorite”, “Love in the fast lane”, and my personal favorite, “S&A Forever”, with drawings of Classic Sonic and Amy… in SEGA-approved products. I don’t know if you realize how much of a big deal this is, even more than “Celebrate the 25 years of Sonic’s girlfriend” from 2018.

One of the things that surprised me the most (aside from how explicit they are in officializing the relationship, and the fact that there are still 2 months left before Valentine’s Day 2021), was the decision to use Classic Sonic and Classic Amy. I tried to understand this decision by analyzing the simplicity and easiness with which the Classic designs convey a message (let’s not forget that Classic Sonic was so iconic because it was specifically designed to convey his expressions without words), besides the fact that they’re inherently cuter than their modern designs. There’s also the controversial aspect of post-Adventure Sonamy, with all the dubbing and weird interpretations that the fandom made over the years… By comparison, the Classic design are a much simpler choice.

What is actually going on?

Well, let’s take a step back and think about what we just saw. The way SEGA has been recently trying to push Sonic and Amy in front view (and for the entirety of 2020, based on the articles I mentioned in the beginning) tells us the harsh truth we all have to accept sooner or later: Sonamy sells, and it sells a lot.

From a strictly business point of view, the ship is so iconic and popular, with fans and detractors alike, that it would be absurd for SEGA to ignore the chance to print these two characters and get a load of money. As I said in my 2018 article, despite the fact that in Japan Sonic isn’t as big of an icon as it is elsewhere, they know pretty well that Sonic + Amy = love, and they have huge amounts of merchandise to back it up. It’s in the West that because of different cultural values, of which we’ve already talked about, along with some internal resistance, left this aspect of the franchise a little on the side. But they’ve been trying to fix it… and how…

Let’s not forget that a decade and a half ago Sonic Team seriously favored Sonamy. They officially said it, Sonic X was their purest view of Sonic they had at the time.

Outside of the business perspective, I believe we’re facing the moment that we’ve been waiting for: it’s time they’ll establish once and for all the dynamic of these two characters, following more closely the original Japanese vision of Sonic. I said many times that, in trying to change canon, the West, especially SEGA of America, did nothing but confuse fans and generate more discussions than needed, by introducing different data and portrayals that contradict the canon established by Sonic Team.

We’ve talked about Unleashed and emotional support, about Sonic X, about the major moments that opened the door to interpreting this dynamic as something more. We don’t threaten at gunpoint those who would rather stay away, but we respond to those declarations that still try to violently discredit the simple fact that Sonic and Amy, who are most of all close friends, form in some measure a couple that, even with its imposed limitations, manages to captivate fans and not fans everywhere in the world. Even the Simpsons used it as a joke, and that says a lot.

What the future has in store for us.

Unless something else happens in this last month of 2020, this is the most complete compilation I can offer at the moment about the status of Sonamy in the fandom and in the official canon. Yes, canon.

It’s impossible to ignore the signals. As you may have noticed, I’ve been considering Sonic and Amy as an official couple, with its clarifications (for example, that at the end it’s more of a friendship, that it’s not a romantic relationship in the most explicit way, that it’s more of a personal perspective to justify a more mature vision of the relationship in the future, not right now), but nowadays I think that SEGA has spoken loud and clear. I think canon is ready to negotiate the idea that Sonic and Amy, apart from being excellent friends who would risk their lives for each other in a heartbeat, have something else on their hands (probably the other’s hand). This won’t automatically translate into a kiss, or a complete love declaration (although Sonic X came close…), or a commitment to a formal relationship like we know them in real life. SEGA canon affirms that Amy is “Sonic’s girlfriend” and nothing more. Outside of that detail, they still pretty much function as friends interacting with a little flirting here, and a little Sonic running away there. It’s the basis of their dynamic, now enhanced by the fact that SEGA is giving us a clearer message.

I think that this all may culminate in a game or an animated series, but I wouldn’t completely count on that. It is good to recognize how far the official position goes on this issue, but at the same time I want to reaffirm that there are things that are better left in the hands of the fandom, and in the meantime that IDW or any other continuity gives us hugs, winks, gestures and words of encouragement, we as the fandom will take care of exploring other avenues and hypothetical scenarios.

This is all I have to say on the matter for now, and I hope you’re happy with this wonderful Sonamy experience we’re going through – I certainly am. See you next time!

#sonic the hedgehog #sonamy #amy rose #translation #long post #whew #this one was a doozy #but super interesting #thanks again latin for writing these long ass sonamy posts

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