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rawliverandgoronspice · 5 months

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hi! firstly, sorry in advance for the long ask. your blog is very thought provoking! secondly, i wanna say i really appreciate all your writing on totk - i’ve kinda deliberately avoided looking at any critiques of the game because, quite frankly, i had a fun time in the moment while playing it and i didn’t want to sully that experience, but your posts have all been quality and have given me a lot to think about with respect to the narrative, its aims, and whether or not “pure, uncomplicated, escapist fiction” is actually a good thing

i digress though - the subject i wanted to ask about, which comes up both in your general “all the consequences were undone and therefore nothing mattered” stance, and more directly in your post about dondons/humanity/morality (specifically the part about “should we trust the bargainer statues that nothing matters? or should we actually care about light vs dark?”) is kind of the age old sentiment that the journey is more important than the destination, and how you think about this in the context of zelda as a narrative, as a defining game in the adventure genre, and now as a landmark in the open world style

in the case of the bargainer statue, i was thrown by you framing “trusting the statues about morality” vs “being moved by the struggle of light against dark” as an either/or - a grimly nihilistic view. in the game (and, i think, in real life), the message is that the ultimate futility of everything does not invalidate the reality of people living their lives in the present, and a positive nihilism challenges us to try and help people and do good in spite of that meaninglessness. this is why the bargainer statues feel so bizarre and un-zelda-like (or at the very least, un-hyrulian. not a bad thing!) - the universe of zelda has always at its core been about how helping other people is a noble endeavor and is its own reward (with gratitude in skyward sword actually manifesting this physically), and the bargainers’ ambivalence flies in the face of this. it’s obvious to us as the player that towns being destroyed and lives being torn apart is objectively bad, even if everyone ends up as a poe in the depths either way, and the bargainers reading as sinister and alien actually reinforces this more than it calls it into question. the quality of the time spent in life matters, even if the ending looks the same

as a game, i think zelda has always been at least as much about the stories and connections you experience on your quest to deal with the big bad as it is about that actual climactic fight. it’s always leaned into the adventure half of “action/adventure,” and in some ways i do think this is what “gameplay before story” originally meant. as you’ve noted, some of the brightest points of totk are the sidequests and characters for whom you can make a small but noticeable difference, and through which you’re driven to interrogate the world and maybe yourself too. and it’s because of these connections that reverting things at the end doesn’t make everything futile and pointless. link is our connection to hyrule, and if the adventure impacted us positively, then we can infer that it impacted link (and to a lesser extent, zelda) positively as well, and that’s worthwhile even if the external circumstances change

a last quick point is that i think the increasingly open world nature of the series also reinforces this - sure you can run naked straight to castle and beat ganondorf without engaging with the game in any way, and you’ll save the day the same as someone who put in 300 hours on the way there, but your takeaway will be completely different, because that journey is the entire point

anyways thanks again for your thoughtful posts and for reading this far if you did!

Heyy thank you so much for perusing my blog and leaving such a thoughtful ask, it's greatly appreciated! <3

That's interesting you took the Dondon post in that way, as it wasn't what I meant at all haha. But I do recognize it was worded in kind of a cryptic way, and left it up to interpretation perhaps a tad too much (see: the limits of subtext), so I can try and make myself a little more clear (and I also think you bring up really good points that completely deserve to be mentioned and that I personally do not mention nearly enough)

What I meant by the "either/or" isn't what we, as an audience should take away as what's important or meaningful, and completely discard the other part as useless. It's not what we experience ingame, and this contradiction is inherently interesting and sparks some degree of conflict (good! storytelling need those and totk is conflict anemic honestly)

What bothered me is that we are prompted, in the game, to see things in an extremely black and white way in spite of an argumentation that maybe, we shouldn't. It's not bad in itself, I even think it's great that we get to question the moral fabric of the world! It's one of the very rare (in my opinion) compelling things about the narrative weaved out for us. But the endgoal of the game still remains the same: find Zelda, and swear yourself/all of your friends to Rauru's ancestral kingdom by using his powers and his guiding hand. Link's role in restoring Hyrule is never even hinted as being a potential question mark, or something we should ponder upon (Twilight Princess did directly question Hyrule in more ways than one, WW is also there, etc). But moreso than in other games in my opinion: we are doing the bidding of a king's territorial war that happened a very long time ago, and the current state of Hyrule doesn't seem to indicate the need for pushing a unified kingdom back onto everybody, or at least it wouldn't be a problem if not for Ganondorf's presence (which in of itself is still arguable as an argument for royal unity, since people would have been willing to band together for the sake of their own communities regardless of whether or not there was a unifying realm --remove the Sage's vow, and I don't believe Link's friends would have let him handle his fight on his own even without having to swear their alliegeance to what is basically a dead kingdom by this point).

My problem isn't the statues; it's that this Light/Darkness framing is only ever questioned when close to them/the Monster Brothers, and the rest of the world is extremely rigid in what is the correct path --but without the added tragic weight that other Zelda games generally have about this aspect (the Sages in OoT being torn from their previous aspect/your own lost childhood, Skyward Sword's Hylia and the way she enacts her plan through people who never had a choice --and that's identified as something bittersweet, not to mention the infamous curse of Demise...)

I do adore what you mention, this sort of "positive nihilism" as a staple of the series. It's never as apparent as in Majora's Mask in my opinion, where getting people comfort and rest is ultimately without consequence as you constantly reset their minds, but it still feels meaningful to have helped. I think BotW did that really well too --where you help people rebuidling life and meaning in the middle of the desolation, making the post-apocalypse hopeful, a place for potential growth and change and resilience and experimentation. In TotK, however, I don't think your efforts are as centered around making sure these people get a future as they were in BotW (except maybe, as you mentioned, in a couple of sidequests --Lurelin's village being one of them, for example). Maybe it's because Ganondorf's threat is not as clear as the Calamity's was, maybe it's because what guides your adventure is to find Zelda first and foremost rather than defeating whatever threatens the peace (treated narratively as a hindrance more than the core problem, even if it is ultimately the core problem --again, the narration/quest design is pretty messy here and it doesn't help matters), or maybe it's because the endgoal is not for people to make their own way into the world, but mostly for the wayward folk of Hyrule to be ushered back onto the glorious trail of Hylian/Zonai's legacy --but to me, the game has a weird agenda regarding Link/the player's role into this world that is generally tangential to his role as a hero and a balancing force in other legends. Here, he starts the game as a knight. His duty is to Zelda, but it ends up overlapping to what Zelda represents in a far more abstract way than usual.

What I think works in TotK in terms of "positive nihilism" is actually Ultrahand, and this gimmick of "world as playground", which I believe is a very clever and engaging way to imagine an open world. There are a ton of little gameplay moments that are yours to shape and inject meaning into; manipulation for the sake of it, the joy of play, and experimentation being rewarded and never punished. To me, this feels the most like inhabiting the world, making it your own, and doing things because they matters to you --and this being enough. But narratively speaking, this is just not really the story being told to us: we are told, us and basically every other NPC, to conform to a plan laid out for us that doesn't ever need to be investigated or questioned --even though now, at crossroad of what the future could look like, would be the perfect moment to do so.

I think what I ultimately tried to point out in that Dondon post is how jarring this hint that, perhaps nothing you do In The Name of Light actually means anything, and this having zero impact on the rigidity of the pupose you are supposed to accomplish In The Name of Light --and the game never seemingly acknowledging that paradox, which made for a (I think, unplanned) pretty oppressive playing experience on my end.

#asks #totk #totk critical #tloz #majora's mask #botw #rauru #thanks for the ask!!#not sure if I actually managed to clarify what I meant haha #I Tried #I do believe Zelda is about the journey yes!#but here the journey is super weird and where it ushers us still feels very off to me #the very fixed destination of an open world presenting itself as uncontroversial when it is so questionable to me (and subtly questioned!)#is mostly where my disconnect comes from morally speaking

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asktheheirofslytherin · 2 years

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That blazed post is giving me serious anxiety and I even cried. Am I really so horrible for liking HP? It helped me in the worst of times and I can't let it go. It'd be like letting go of my childhood friend. Idk why she who must not be named had to ruin it for us. Why couldn't she just stay quiet? I hope this shit is just on Tumblr and not irl .

OOC:

Short answer - You're not horrible. At all.

Long answer - It's nuanced. I know plenty of queer/marginalized/ liberal minded people who are still engaged in the fandom on their own terms. We are out there. We are inclusive and supportive.

Keep in mind a lot of these antis are extremely hurt. Many used to be hp fans and feel betrayed by the creator. They deal with that in different ways. I stopped buying anything that would support her financially, for example. Other people actively try to discourage anyone from engaging. And while I cannot dismiss anyone's individual choices or pain, I can be critical of people who try to control what other people like and how they process things.

Sometimes people compare the creator to Lovecraft, and while there are similarities, this isn't entirely the same issue. Lovecraft has been dead for a long time and you can become aquainted with Lovecraftian horror with the disclaimer at the beginning of the journey. There have been decades of processing and evolution. Many (most) hp fans were lured in and then a bomb was dropped. The creator is still on Twitter. It's harder to ignore. Former fans lash out.

I like Lord Voldemort. The character and fic were a key part of getting through some serious mental health shit in my teens. Also hp was my first real exposure to large scale world building, which impacted me greatly as a writer. So while I've lost connection with much of hp, I'm not letting go of this Volde-centric corner of fandom. And I don't feel bad about it in the slightest.

I think many (mostly younger) people today are (rightfully) horrified by the world and some of the people in it, and are therefore holding each other up to higher (and in many times impossible) standards. Some of these revelations are good. Others - such as fandom purity culture and "your fav is problematic" - is excessive. It's a trauma response, yes, but truly - I am much more worried about people's stances on say - the state of bodily autonomy in the US or the human rights violations in Iran than I am what their favorite fictional character is.

No one should be put on a pedestal. No one. Not your favorite author or celebrity, not your parents or other irl role models, not your partner, not even Mr Rogers. They will let you down. I've let people down in the past. I'll do it again - not intentionally, but that's not the point.

You can't live your life trying to justify your choices to as many people as possible. You can just live your life being the best person you can be according to your ideals. Be kind, open minded and accepting. Set boundaries with people you can't agree with and whose behavior is truly unacceptable. Allow yourself to change over time. Allow others to do the same. And for farts sakes, like whatever piece of fandom you want. Liking a book is not a moral judgement. Being a dick to others about what they like is.

#long post #fandom critical #fandom criticism #purity culture #Harry Potter #please dont let people get to you #you are lovely and valid #and your interests are lovely and valid #jkr mention #she who must not be named #death of the author #etc #ooc

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nellie-elizabeth · 2 years

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Westworld: Que Será, Será (4x08)

It's already the finale, time flies!

Cons:

In many ways this episode almost functioned more as an epilogue, like, it wrapped up elements of the season, but we didn't really learn anything new except that final decision from Dolores. So there were things as I was watching that felt... redundant? Unneeded?

Like, okay, we have another showdown between Charlotte and William. We saw these two fight last week, and this time it's like "hey, round two, with a new winner this time." So it almost made last week's confrontation seem irrelevant, if they were just going to do a round two here. It also stalls out the impact of Charlotte's "death" last week; it's not that we didn't know it would be temporary, but to see her getting back up and getting a cooler more impenetrable body so quickly made the whole thing feel a little pointless.

Then there's Christina making up a black best friend to offer her sage advice? I don't know about that. We basically learn that Maya and Teddy and everyone else we've seen Christina talk to have been figments of her own imagination, her mind's way of processing things so she can wake up and remember the truth of what and who she is. I feel like they wanted there to be some huge impact to the discovery that Christina's roommate was entirely fictional. But I had to look it up to even know this character's name. She had no real personality of her own, so the impact of learning she was fake didn't do anything for me!

Pros:

Despite some problems that stem from the overall pacing of the season, I still did think this was a relatively solid finale.

I haven't talked about the visuals enough this season, probably, but let's just say by and large the visual and special effects go in the "pros" section virtually across the board. It's the uncanny valley horror of Charlotte's skull splitting open on smooth mechanical hinges, it's Teddy inside Dolores/Christina's mind, fizzing out with strange red electrical signals bubbling under his skin. It's the whole opening title sequence, with a synthetic skeleton playing a piano. It's Central Park, it's Times Square, all the strange glitching wonder of the environments and settings. All of that is very cool to see.

I also ultimately enjoyed Hale's fate, that she chooses to pass the mantle, let the story be told by someone else. The pieces of what Dolores once was have splintered into Charlotte Hale and Christina and whatever else, and now we're getting some synthesis, some cyclical storytelling, where as a function of Hale choosing her own end, and Dolores (Christina?) choosing her own continuing, we are seeing how things circle back to the park for which the show is named. It's a cool concept, and it also gives me hope that maybe a fifth (and likely final) season can narrow the scope, keep things where they're more interesting and contained, and give us a satisfactory wrap-up to the proceedings.

While Maya being fictional did nothing for me, I will say that Teddy's presence this season greatly moved me, and the revelation that he's entirely a figment of Dolores's, while unsurprising, was still a bit gut-wrenching. I love the idea of her creating the original park again within the Sublime. It's meta and twisty and circular in a way that this story, a story concerned with the gamification of the human experience, really justifies.

Then we've got the beautiful tragedy of Caleb and Frankie. Stubbs is killed (at least for now) in the escape effort, but an injured Frankie and a slowly dying Caleb manage to escape and get all the way to a boat that is going to take them away from the chaos. But Caleb decides not to come along, given the limited life he has left in his body. Their goodbye is tender and emotional and the perfect kind of cathartic tragedy. What a gorgeous end for Caleb's character, to be able to get this one final dream of seeing his daughter grown up, and be able to help her escape to fight another day.

That's what I've got! I hope that season five of Westworld, should it materialize, will be the show's last. I think this show ultimately suffered from an abundance of ambition, the world-building breaking out of its confinement and taking the story in directions too convoluted to be compelling to me personally. But this season was an improvement on season three, and I think they could stick the landing in an interesting way with one final chance!

8/10

#review #westworld #westworld review

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zolusbian · 2 years

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46, 48, 50, 64? (WCN)

46. If you could only write one type of AU for the rest of your life, what would it be?

canon-divergent/canon-adjacent is probably the one that has the most options! specifically for lacho, aus don't really appeal to me to write them all that much. i have no idea why. i do have a cisswap lesbian lacho au idea that i keep meaning to write, but again, that's basically just retelling canon.

in other fandoms i do also enjoy "regular people"/modern aus.

48. Who is your favorite character to write for? Has this changed since you’ve started writing for that fandom?

i prefer writing nacho over lalo. specifically for what comes next, for example, i put a lot of my own struggles with bisexuality into nacho's character--his rationalizations are the same i used to tell myself. i think he's an interesting and incredibly complicated character whose inner world is full of layers and lies and repression and i love exploring that. also he can be a little bitch, which is very fun.

i have come around to writing lalo pov, too, which is something i struggled with greatly, but i still need some work there.

i also love using (and bullying) domingo as a side character ♥

50. How would you describe your writing style?

the joking answer? "too many similes, not enough dialogue."

the real answer? i write fiction focused on human relationships and human feelings. i explore connections between characters and the ways those can complicate or change you. i focus a lot on characters' interior worlds.

i also try very hard to show, not tell, though i do relax my standards a little bit for fanfiction because we're here to have fun, not write a college essay.

i also like mixing the rhythm. even though i lean towards wordiness and, like, pages-long sentences, i am capable of peeling back and using shorter, more impactful language to adjust to tone.

my primary influences are ernest hemmingway, jhumpa lahiri, tim o'brien, pablo neruda, richard siken and gabriel garcia marquez.

64. If you rewrote WCN now, would you change anything?

i would change what happens between nacho leaving and lalo finding him, specifically in regards to what gus asks of nacho, given what happens in canon. i would probably raise the stakes for nacho, though he needed to be in that place of suspended ennui for what comes next specifically and to have the reunion with lalo hit all the boxes. i would probably also shorten the time, since lalo seemed to not need to go on the mend/plan as much in canon.

i did purposely leave a lot of the in-between stuff vague because it will be expanded upon/more important in the sequel, which will have Actual Plot, and because it wasn't really relevant to what comes next, which was all about lalo and nacho's relationship. but given what we saw in canon, i would probably go a bit more into detail there.

#asks #heoh #writing asks

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tatiekfuji · 7 months

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Revealing the Story of Building from Denny Ja’s 35th Chosen Work: “Apart from the Bomb, I Called Your Name in Silence”

In the world of Indonesian literature, the name Denny Ja is no longer foreign to many people. Denny JA, or whose real name is Denny JAnuar Ali, is a writer, activist, and politician who has contributed greatly to the development of Indonesian literature. On this special occasion, we will discuss one of the 35th selected works of Denny JA, entitled “Apart From Bombs, I Call Your Name in Silent”. In this latest work, Denny JA invites readers to go around in an atmosphere full of mystery and anxiety. This essay poem tells the story of the journey of a main character who must pass through various obstacles and challenges in his life. Through this story, Denny Ja invites the reader to reflect on the meaning of life, courage, and hope. In this article, we will reveal the story of the 35th selected work of Denny Ja JA in more depth. We will explore every chapter and highlight some important moments in the story. The following is an overview of the contents of this article: 1. Introduction Introduction to Denny Ja and the 35th Chosen Work Background Statement of article objectives 2. Chapter 1: Get to know the main character Explanation of the main characters and background The initial conflict faced by the main character 3. Chapter 2: initial trip Description of the challenges faced by the main character when starting the journey Introduction of important supporting characters in the story 4. Chapter 3: Peak of Conflict An explanation of the peak of conflict in the story Analysis of how the main character faces this challenge 5. Chapter 4: Moment of Enlightenment Description of important moments in the story where the main character gets enlightenment The implications of this moment to the character and storyline 6. Chapter 5: Changes in the main character Changes experienced by the main character as a result of the journey he faces Moral message to be conveyed by Denny Ja through this change 7. Chapter 6: Conclusion Conclusion about the story and moral message contained in this 35th Denny Ja selected work Statement about the impact of this work on the development of Indonesian literature In this 35th Denny Ja chosen work, “Apart from the bomb, I called your name in silence”, Denny Ja once again showed his expertise in writing stories that arouse the emotions and thoughts of the reader. Through a story full of mystery and challenges, Denny Ja managed to invite the reader to reflect on various aspects of life and find a deep meaning. Thus, the 35th selected work of Denny Ja JA is not just a mere fictional story, but also a reflection of the life journey of a dedicated writer. Through his work, Denny Ja continues to try to inspire and turn the world into a better place. In concluding, this 35th Denny Ja elected work is a work that should be appreciated and appreciated. Through this interesting and inspired story, Denny Ja managed to present a deep moral message to the reader. It is hoped that this work can provide inspiration and provide positive influence on the development of Indonesian literature in the future.

Check more: Revealing the Story of Building from Denny JA’s 35th Chosen Work: “Apart from the Bomb, I Called Your Name in Silence”

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kayla209 · 1 year

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African-American Heroes in Cinema

Varied representation is an invaluable aspect of cinema. This is due to our desire as viewers to feel seen and have our identities accurately portrayed within fictional works. Seeing characters similar to oneself in media can be affirming and impactful. Representation can also affect society’s perception of a certain group and identity. Many groups have been stereotyped in media and subsequently reinforced negative stigma surrounding these identities. This has been especially true for black characters, who have historically been portrayed in undesirable and offensive ways. This common negative portrayal of African-Americans is one of the major reasons why it is so important to include black heroes in cinema.

While heroes and anti-heroes are incredibly prevalent in media, I do not feel that this concept applies to reality very often. I do not perceive myself as a hero or an anti-hero, I feel that most people fall along a spectrum of heroism but rarely can one be truly classified as “heroic”. The concept of heroes and anti-heroes is a very stark contrast which works great in fiction but does not apply well to reality as most people do not exhibit qualities that make them purely a hero or an anti-hero. Portraying a character of a marginalized identity as heroic does hold value in reality because it can change public perception of a certain group or type of person. Outside of fiction, it does not feel accurate to apply these contrasting classifications to real life. Due to this reasoning, I do not believe that I could classify myself as either a hero or an anti-hero.

The character Django Freeman in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained is the main character and hero of the film. Django Freeman’s role as the hero is solidified as his dedication to Broomhilda is tested through the many hardships that he faces throughout the film. Django Unchained builds upon Django Freeman’s status as a hero through the comparisons it draws to his situation and the German myth of Siegfried and Broomhilda. When Dr. Schultz learns that Django’s wife is named Broomhilda he directly compares him to Siegfried while telling him the legend as he realizes the similarities between both heroes’ situations (46m:32s-48m:32s). Dr. Schultz’s relaying of this myth also foreshadows the trials that Django will face in order to reunite with his wife Broomhilda. The comparison between Django and Siegfried is extremely relevant when discussing the heroism of this character as this direct parallel greatly supports the role he plays as a hero within the film.

The harsh lived experience Django Freeman has undergone throughout his time as a slave informs the majority of his decisions throughout the film. The ruthlessness he exhibits during his time as a bounty hunter and during the infiltration of Candie’s plantation could be considered intense but it is understandable when considering the factors that have led Django to this point. His quest to save Broomhilda becomes partially motivated by revenge as he resents the white plantation owners and the atrocities they are responsible for. This vengeful aspect of Django’s character is portrayed during the scene in which he kills the Brittle brothers without hesitation (35m:56s-38m:05s). Django’s vengefulness is understandable when considering his previous lived experience as a slave. Under Dr. Schultz's guidance, Django is able to harness this anger and utilize it to excel as a bounty hunter and later in his journey to rescue Broomhilda. During Django and Dr. Schultz’s infiltration of Candie’s plantation, Django plays the role of a black slaver. Django has become increasingly desensitized to violence at this point in the film and his playing of this role furthers this point. A moment that particularly stands out in portraying Django’s continued disregard for violence is the scene in which Candie’s slave is mauled to death by dogs (1h:21m:40s-1h:25m:02s). The contrast between Dr. Schultz’s and Django’s reactions during and after this event portrays their difference in characterization. While Dr. Schultz is a seasoned bounty hunter, he can not cope with this gruesome death. He is greatly affected by witnessing this horrendous event as he is plagued with memories of it, which likely contributed to him shooting Candie (2h:04m:54s-2h:05m:25s). On the other hand, Django does not react much when this occurs because of what he has previously witnessed and experienced throughout his life as a slave. The contrast between both characters’ reactions to this moment is interesting as it portrays the dichotomy between them. Dr. Schultz has not been through the same hardships as Django which leads to him being more easily disturbed and uncomfortable with atrocities. Contrastingly, Django is able to take Candie’s horrific actions in stride and use them as fuel for his subsequent revenge.

He also exemplifies the literal meaning of the term “heroic” as conveyed by the Merriam-Webster dictionary which defines heroism as follows, “of or relating to courageous people or the mythological or legendary figures of antiquity” and “exhibiting or marked by courage and daring” (Merriam-Webster). These definitions are not wholly similar but both are easily applicable to Django Freeman as he is closely associated with the hero Siegfried and exhibits many heroic qualities throughout the film. Django’s dedication to his wife and his journey to save her exemplifies his loyalty to her. While I believe Django to be a hero rather than an anti-hero, it is important to consider his violent actions and disregard for certain lives. The importance that Django places on his wife above all else adds to his heroic nature, as he is willing to go to great lengths to guarantee her safety.

Despite Django Freeman’s ruthlessness and violence, he remains an impactful depiction of an African-American hero within this film. His violent actions mainly stem from his desire for revenge after being dehumanized and horribly treated by white slave owners. His dedication to his wife Broomhilda is admirable and also contributes greatly to his status as a hero. The comparison that is made between Siegfried and Django also supports reading him as the film’s hero. The definition of what it means to be a hero is varied but Django exhibits many qualities that are regarded as heroic.

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rayofsunas · 3 years

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## | mini-series masterlists.

warnings for the following series (all): all characters are aged up to be 18+, children, pregnancy, fluff, alcohol use, crack, violence/injuries, anxiety, yandere themes, toxic relationship, valentines, swearing, isekai, real-world + slice of life, camp counselor au. SLOW UPDATES.

just want to note that some of the warnings will most likely be written to the extreme and in real life that is just not the case. this is purely fictional. please do not act on any of the darker themes.

dm or use asks to be added/removed from a tag list!

9.5.21 | baby daddy series; scaramouche chapters 1-3 have been updated to correlate with the 2.0/2.1 updates!

10.15.21 | "heatwave" mini-series will once again be updated ahhh. i'm indecisive...

## | BABY DADDY MINI-SERIES [1/4 complete]

[🍼] KAEYA | 3/3 ✓ - 7.5k words

fem reader, children/pregnancy, fluff, alcohol use, crack

kaeya wants to set a good example for his children, naturally. so he’s given up a lot of things, one being his excessive drinking. but being a knight is hard, despite how nonchalant he seems and he finds himself slipping sometimes... when you find out about it, you’re less than happy and decide spending time with the children would be a good idea for him. he’s more than happy to spend time with the three little monsters, but, he never realized what a normal day was for you when taking care of them.

1 | 2 | 3

[🍼] SCARAMOUCHE | 3/? - 20.7k words

fem reader, children/pregnancy, angst, fluff, violence/injury

scaramouche was always content with it just being you and him. he preferred it that way. but when you find out you’re pregnant, the harbinger throws you out; he did not sign up for a baby. though, after a battle leaving him greatly wounded, he realizes he misses you by his bedside, taking care of him, your softness... scaramouche knows if he wants you, he’s going to need to show you that he can take care of your daughter and accept her.

1 | 2 | 3 | ?

[🍼] CHILDE | [0/?]

fem reader, children/pregnancy, slight yandere, toxic relationship, angst, fluff

childe wants a huge family and you’re all here for the idea of children, though how many continue to be an issue. after two children and agreeing to one more, childe cannot understand why you can’t accept his family values. he’s always had a big family, why can’t you just roll with it? because of this, your relationship is strained and you truly begin to wonder if he sees you as some sort of concubine... he needs to let you know if he does or not, or you’re walking away forever.

[🍼] ALBEDO | [0/?]

fem reader, children/pregnancy, angst, fluff

albedo has always been good with children; he’s raised klee most of her life, and kids seem to love him! but for some odd reason, albedo has trouble coming to terms with your pregnancy and is even more distant than before. you’re worried for him, naturally. why is he so distant? why is your pregnancy so hard for him to accept? why can he accept klee but not his blood child?

## | VALENTINES MINI-SERIES [1/1 complete]

[ 💌] DILUC | 4/4 ✓ - 11.7k words

fem reader, valentines, fluff, crack, swearing

the ever so stoic diluc thought he was being secretive when sending anonymous letters and gifts to you during the week of valentine’s day but turns out everyone in mondstadt knew it was him, though thankfully had tight enough lips to not spill the beans to you. kaeya is of no help, so you go seeking answers yourself.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

## | HEATWAVE MINI-SERIES [0/5]

[🌊] CHONGYUN | [0/?]

gender neutral reader, fluff, crack, isekai, basically chongyun ft. popsicles

you didn’t have much planned this summer, besides playing your favorite video game, genshin impact, and work away in the unbearable heat at a job you can’t stand. but when one of your favorite characters from that very game finds himself in the break room of the hotel you work at, smuggling fruity popsicles nonetheless, your summer has been redeemed as the most entertaining one yet as you try to show him the ropes of the real world.

[🌊] XINGQIU | [0/?]

fem reader, fluff, crack, real-world + slice of life, camp counselor au, xingqiu and chongyun iconic duo we need + love

getting your boyfriend out of his eclectic apartment had always been a hard task, especially in the summer months when he has more free time on his hands; all he wanted to do was spend his days inside by the air conditioner and read dozens of his favorite fiction novels, as well as write about adventures and the unknown. though you have other plans, entirely different from his agenda, which involves you signing xingqiu, yourself, and a bunch of your friends up to work as camp counselors for the summer.

[🌊] XIAO | [0/?]

fem reader, fluff, crack, real-world + slice of life, poet xiao + music major venti, wingman venti? yes

three years ago, your city faced the hottest summer it had in decades and unfortunately, that same heatwave is back, to once again top the charts for the hottest summer ever and beat the previous record. as a broke college student, naturally, you don’t have the money to run out and buy an air conditioner… which leaves you two choices; one, suffer all summer long in your small apartment with no air conditioner, or two, beg your neighbor venti to stay with him until it cools down. you go with the second option, and thankfully, he agrees to let you stay with him and offers you a spare bedroom to sleep in during your stay. but he fails to tell you that the spare room isn’t spare, and belongs to the very unapproachable xiao, who hadn’t left town like you originally thought.

[🌊] AETHER | [0/?]

gender neutral reader, fluff, lumine and aether stay together because i said so :)

aether and lumine were always inseparable, so it made perfect sense that your boyfriend would sink into the dumps after his twin left for a journey to the other side of the world, leaving him behind… hoping to see him in high spirits again, you decided to use your saved mora and take aether to surprise his sister. on your long journey across teyvat, you take part in the many summer festivals from the different nations, collect beach shells as souvenirs, spend your evenings swimming in the sea to cool down and make memories you will hold close to your heart for centuries.

[🌊] ZHONGLI | [0/?]

gender neutral reader, fluff, zhongli is clueless

swimming in the sea, sandcastle building contests, annual sailing competitions, and the sweet taste of ice cream all summer long is what you always looked forward to. your husband on the other hand never seemed too interested in those festivities. and to your surprise, despite being thousands of years old, he’s never once participated in them. you’re more than happy and willing to change that.

[🏷] TAGLIST

@gladly-olus , @kyquu , @craptainlou , @mintydump , @chscklvr , @irisxiel , @minh0ree , @whatishappinesswhatislove , @rrintarou , @sorenthousand , @cvsmix , @nonniechan , @citadelofowls , @aliarosella , @nymbee, @youaskedfurret , @luuluul , @snackgod , @chels-void , @sweetstrawberrybabe , @dreamyeyesandfoggyminds , @aliarosella , @akifiend , @volleybloop , @knb-imagines-blog , @vincralden , @hotashou , @glazeliliess , @cringy-otaku , @val-dongsaeng16 , @chscklvr , @b10h4z4rd , @the-natureofme , @youaskedfurret , @limecado , @volleybloop , @hellokittykuroo , @81-hanna , @majorapandahero , @weightlessrose , @spice365 , @bobabrian , @brokenprogram , @kamisatokatana , @amyfrysk-blog , @moccheeks , @izariichi , @brokenprogram , @rin-sometimes-art , @hadesaedes , @cherry-blosom-tree , @so-uncute , @seaofcinder , noisykawaii , @akashi-seiko , @oikawarc , @fairlady-ying , @scaraslover , @tendo-sxtori , @hanniejji , @macaroniwiththechickenstripz , @wytchia , @kjgycore , @aestherin ,

8.14.21, rayofsunas

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magnhild · 3 years

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gathering some finale thoughts

these were all written on mobile so apologies for any typos

and one more thing just for tumblr, because i’ve gone over it at various different points on twitter- coming from someone who has been hyperfixating on rwby for almost two years, who loves the show endlessly and has it as a reason for living- it is, in the end, just a show. it can mean a lot to you, and so can the decisons it makes. they can affect you greatly in the moment. the human brain sometimes even struggles to distinguish it from reality, and we can get as attached to characters as we do to real people.

but it’s important to remember that it’s still just a show. it can have a huge impact on you, as any well-written show does, but it isn’t the most important thing out there. remember what is real in your life, and what isn’t. remember that, through the power of fan creation, you can even craft your own narrative if you want, or enjoy someone else’s. that’s the great thing about fiction.

and if you don’t like it, you don’t need to. but don’t waste your time and energy on putting that hate and negativity into the world when it’s not important. don’t waste your time making others feel bad, intentionally or not, for enjoying it. if the show is not important enough to you that you’ll hold onto it anyway, it just isn’t worth it. don’t let yourself fall into that trap, as so many others already have. you’ll be stuck there forever.

thank you for reading.

#rwby #rwby spoilers #rwby analysis #blaire rambles

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richincolor · 3 years

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*As is usual with our discussions, there may be a few spoilers ahead, so beware.*

We all were incredibly excited to read Angeline Boulley's FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER when we first heard about it, so we decided to make it our second group discussion book for the year. Come join us!

As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother.

The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, certain details don’t add up and she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into the heart of a criminal investigation.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, but secretly pursues her own investigation, tracking down the criminals with her knowledge of chemistry and traditional medicine. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home.

Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she'll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

[Note: While we will not go into any great detail in this discussion, Firekeeper’s Daughter contains murder, suicide, kidnapping, sexual assault, addiction and drug use, racism, colorism, and death of parents/family members.

You can read an excerpt of the book here!]

Audrey: To get us started--let’s talk about this gorgeous cover! The cover art was created by Moses Lunham and designed by Rich Deas. The first thing I noticed when I got my copy of the book was that the two faces at the top had different skin tones. According to this interview, author Angeline Boulley says that “the different shades of the faces symbolizes Daunis claiming her biracial identity,” which is a major part of the book.

Jessica: The cover is so beautiful. It’s next to me on my desk right now and I can’t stop looking at it. Love how the cover ties into the themes of the book.

K. Imani: This cover is absolutely beautiful! I love the design of the faces looking like a butterfly as well as the bird and bear (I think) and the fire. There are so many subtle images in this cover that you can almost find something new each time. And the colors are so stunning. Like you Audrey, I noticed the faces had different skin tones which I found interesting and made me wonder what was going to happen in the book. Knowing the faces symbolize Daunis’s biracial identity now is powerful and really brings home the meaning of the book.

Crystal: I agree that the cover is gorgeous. In addition to the aspects of her physical appearance and physical identity, Daunis’ cultural identity is also displayed within the illustrations with bears representing her clan. In addition there are the birds like the one that guides her and the sun is in the background too which is from the story of the original Fire Keeper’s Daughter. The faces forming a butterfly is also just brilliant for a coming-of-age story. There’s so much to see. Each time I notice more.

Audrey: Daunis, our heroine, is on the older end of the YA protagonist spectrum at 18. She’s dealing with a lot of upheaval in her life, and things only get more complicated in short order. Something I really liked about Daunis was how often she thought about and evaluated what her responsibilities were--to her family, to her friends, to her community, and to herself. These sometimes complementary, sometimes competing, responsibilities strongly influenced her decisions.

Jessica: You mention the complementary and sometimes competing responsibilities -- that’s exactly it. I loved how her thought process was explored throughout the book in such a thorough and complex way. The way Daunis balances and reconciles the interests of her community with what the FBI wants from her and her quest for justice is laid out really clearly. Sometimes, narratives can tend toward simplistic, binary summations of the issues people, especially from marginalized communities, face -- but that’s just not the case, and Daunis really highlights that. To be honest, I was a little nervous at the introduction of law enforcement and the FBI, given the racism and oppression baked into these institutions, but the way Daunis navigates her interactions with them, plus the way other members of the community tell the truth about these institutions, really played out in such a nuanced way. (I really, really hope that the Netflix adaptation keeps these nuances and hard truths in the show, but I suspect that won’t be the case, unfortunately.)

K. Imani: I enjoyed that Daunis was 18 and on the cusp of adulthood. So many YA novels focus on the character’s high school life but a lot does happen and teens do grow and change a lot in that year after high school. Many have left home for college (that was me) or working full time and they are learning how to navigate a life that was not completely so structured. In addition to having to deal with changing friendships as people move away or just become busy. It’s a unique time and I loved that we got to spend time with Daunis as she was going through this change. She was learning how to become an adult in one of the most stressful ways possible, and sometimes I felt she was a little too idealistic, but I’m glad that she kept her truth throughout and was focused on helping her community in addition to helping the FBI. Her perspective helped keep the investigation grounded in what mattered which wouldn’t have happened if she wasn’t involved.

Crystal: Daunis balances a lot of responsibilities and really tries to follow what she’s learned from elders. She considers how her actions may affect all of her relatives within her family, clan, community, and beyond. Boulley embedded a lot of elder wisdom within Daunis’ inner dialogue such as thinking about the seventh generation when making decisions.

Audrey: One of the things that I really appreciated about Firekeeper’s Daughter was the depth of the setting and the characters in it. While Boulley says that Daunis’s tribe is fictionalized in the author note, it’s clear how much care and thought Boulley put into creating Daunis’s community. It’s filled with people who have complex histories (both within and between Native and non-Native groups), with differing opinions and prejudices and goals.

Jessica: This really highlights how important it is to have stories where cultures and communities aren’t portrayed as a monolith. It’s not just the right thing to do, it makes for a better and more accurate story. I read Firekeeper’s Daughter and watched the TV show Rutherford Falls back to back, which really drove home the power of depicting a community with nuance. (Also, sidebar: Highly recommend checking out Rutherford Falls, which does this really well.)

K. Imani: One of my favorite aspects of Firekeeper’s Daughter were the elders in Daunis’s tribe and how we got to hear many of their individual stories which showed the complexity of real life. I loved that Daunis listened to her elders, really took in their stories and learned from them. Her interactions with the elders greatly contributed to her growing sense of self and her desire to help her community. And this is where this novel being truly #ownvoices shines because of Boulley’s connection to her community that she took great care in making sure Daunis’s tribe felt real and authentic as well as culturally accurate. It was not full of stereotypes but filled with real people who had real lives and real stories. I was drawn into Daunis’s community and really cared about the people that made Daunis who she is and becomes.

Crystal: Like Jessica says, there is a lot of nuance here. When you have a wide variety of characters who are not simply good or bad, the story has more power and is definitely more believable. The people in our everyday lives are also complex and have a story if only we take the time to listen. This is what Daunis excels at with elders and others around her. She is paying attention and trying to connect with people. There is a lot of love throughout the book of many different types. The love is beautiful and yet also has some ugliness too in the betrayals. It’s not picture perfect and that makes it so much more real.

Audrey: Boulley tackles a lot of difficult topics in Firekeeper’s Daughter, especially ones that can hit hard on a community level. Much of the plot focuses on drug use and addiction, of course, but violence against Native women also has a significant impact on what happens in the book and affects multiple characters, including Daunis.

Crystal: Daunis and the other women are examples of the many, many, women who have been harmed in the past and the present. That’s not the whole story though. As Daunis is learning, there are many ways of being brave. Throughout the story, we see many women being strong and brave though at initial glance their actions may not seem to be either of those things. There is bravery in speaking out, but sometimes bravery requires something else. These women have done what they needed to do to survive or help their loved ones survive.

Audrey: Firekeeper’s Daughter has a complicated ending, and it left me thinking about two things. The first was how proud I was of Daunis and her character growth. There were a couple of times where she came across as very Not Like Other Girls (particularly with the hockey players’ girlfriends), but that changed over the course of the book. The second was grief at how many people and institutions failed Daunis and her community, both within and without. Just as one example, even though Daunis is a confidential informant for the FBI, the FBI doesn’t come out of this story as a Good Guy.

K. Imani: I was torn by the ending too. I so wanted justice for Daunis and Lily and for others who were murdered, but on the other hand life doesn’t always have a happy ending and I recognize that Boulley gave us that horribly realistic ending because the fight for missing and murdered Indigenous women continues and the fight for justice for Indigenous peoples. It was a heartbreaking reminder of a very real issue. On the other hand, I was so proud of Daunis as well. She was able to achieve her goals of helping out the FBI while staying true to herself and her community. She grew so much as a character and really found her place in her world.

Crystal: The ending gave me much to think about too. Daunis grew a lot as she worked through this complicated puzzle in her community. She learned much about herself and some of the assumptions folks have about others. I also really, really wanted justice, but unfortunately, would be unlikely in real life with our current justice system. I also found Jamie’s growth to be interesting. He is truly struggling with his own identity as an adopted child with Cherokee roots, but no Cherokee teachings or culture to turn to. I don’t know if a sequel or companion book is planned, but I would be interested in seeing more of their journeys whether their paths cross again or not.

Jessica: Audrey, thanks so much for leading this discussion! Now I have a question for you all -- what YA books by/about BIPOC are you reading right now?

For AAPI month, I’m rereading Turtle Under Ice by Juleah del Rosario. After that, I’m planning on reading The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He, Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth, and Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart! Yes, my TBR pile is excellent. :P

Audrey: Next up on my list are The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani, Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur, and Simone Breaks All the Rules by Debbie Rigaud. I feel like that’s a pretty good mix of genres and authors right there!

K. Imani: Since I’m needing some inspiration for my vampire manuscript, I’m re-reading and new reading some vampire novels. Currently I am reading Fledgling by Octavia Butler then up next is Renee Ahdieh’s series The Beautiful and the sequel The Damned.

Crystal: I just re-read Saints & Misfits and then dove into the sequel Misfit in Love. S.K. Ali is an author that I really enjoy and I am loving it so far. Next up is American Betiya by Anuradha D. Rajurkar along with Love & Other Natural Disasters by Misa Sugiura. I also think my TBR is pretty stellar.

If you've had the chance to read FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER, please join in the discussion below! We'd love to hear what you think.

#firekeeper's daughter #weneeddiversebooks #group discussion #contemporary #thriller

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redoqs · 2 years

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Hey I just wanted to take some time and show some love for you and the absolutely wonderful story you have written, aside from being a genuinely amazing person and being easy to talk to (even if it’s thru anon lol) reading your work is something that I definitely come to treasure reading.

One of my absolute favorite things about sketch is how you’re willing to really explore the readers emotions and how she processes what she’s experiencing and how she’ll reflect on the experiences later on. Even when it comes to “negative emotions” which I enjoy because I have a harder time relating to stories where the protagonists will excuse another characters wrong doings.

Not every story does this “brush it off” thing, but I feel like sketch really takes the time to explore how the reader felt wronged and acknowledges incidents like the necklace breaking, is something she absolutely did not deserve to go through and she isn’t quick to forgive Alcinas harmful actions. She processes everything, even smaller things that were under her control that she could have helped (like not keep pressing Alcina when she’s starting to get really overwhelmed emotionally).

I think it’s absolutely fantastic that you explore and keep us engaged with the readers thought process through these moments and you show how actions that both Alcina and the reader impact their relationship positively or negatively. Obviously fanfics are meant to be works of fiction and authors should never feel pressured to write about topics or stressful emotional scenes ESPECIALLY if it stresses them out/ doesn’t bring them any joy whatsoever! But seeing these emotions processed and discussed in sketch brings me so much joy and relief to read about someone who’s navigating difficult situations in interpersonal relationships and I just wanted to say thank you so much for this story and hope you have an absolutely amazing week ❤️

Anon, I’ll kiss you on yo forehead, quit playin. With consent, of course.

First of all, this got me smiling all wide, teeth and everything. Thank you so much for enjoying Sketch and for the kind words🥰🥰💛💛. I’m really glad that you like the fact that I’m exploring character emotions the processing that comes with it , it’s one of my favorite parts of the story to write—I mean, yeah because I spend every other paragraph describing how reader feels or Alcina when the chapter focuses on her—. I really tried to put a focus on having characters, specifically reader, think, act and react in ways that are realistic and actually fit the situation. It’s why she left the castle when, why she took a while to let Alcina back in and forgive her fully, why she didn’t tell Alcina immediately about the things she was going through, why she has to take a while to think about something before coming to a decision. I enjoy making reader realistic, which includes giving her flaws: being an overthinker, a hypocrite, a little secretive, all of which I greatly enjoy exploring and will continue to explore, especially in these upcoming chapters. The best part about reader having these flaws is her working on them, even if she might have a relapse.

Yeah, the “brushing it off” thing wasn’t something that I wanted to do. I can’t imagine someone in real life easily forgiving someone who was wronged the way reader was so that’s why it took ten chapters for reader to allow Alcina back in and re-acknowledge her feelings for her. It’s also why I had reader have mixed emotions about Alcina’s whole “eating people to survive thing” because she understands why she has to do it but it doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable, for lack of a better word. I really enjoy focusing on things like that and the emotions that come with it which is why sometimes the story can feel like it stretches and also why people consider the story to be slow but hey! We focus on the emotions and their progression in this story! Way in the beginning of Sketch, I established that reader overthinks so that’s about 60% of the reason why I describe things, emotions the way I do, just to represent reader’s jumbled mind and thought processes. I really wanted to try my hardest to establish a realistic relationship—as real as it can be in this situation—and to hear that you’re enjoying what I’m doing is not only highly motivating but it’s just so sweet🥰

It really means a lot that you’re engaged with this story because sometimes I really be thinking “am I going too slow? Is this boring? Am I taking too long to go through the emotional impact” and that thinking made me kind of move a few things a bit faster than I originally wanted but this ask really does make me feel so much better with what I’m doing and reminds me to take as much time as I think is necessary because it’s my story and I have wonder people like you reading it. So, seriously, I mean this when I say thank you so so much, not just for enjoying the story and how it’s progressing but for taking the time to tell me this. It really does mean the world to me💛💛💛

#this got long but I love talking about Sketch #anon #sketch #thank you🥰🥰🥰🥰

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trashcanfills · 3 years

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Hey hey welcome to this trashy blog! Here’s some stuff to keep in mind if you hang around.

Rules

I don’t take requests but I will entertain any asks that has cool ideas and stuff you wanna share with me.

No rude/racist/sexist/any form of discrimination allowed in my asks because I like being decent and interacting with only decent people. You can ask questions if you dont know or worried abt coming across as insensitive because I believe in educating, but I will call you out if you are doing the above or being an ass in general.

I do SFW and NSFW. Im not exactly to restrictive on who reads my content because I’m aware there will be those who try and find out to sate their own horniness curiosity but please do so in safe spaces and beware because the internet is Not a Nice Place. There are always creeps and assholes about so please be careful.

No noncon, under-age relationships, paedophilia or incest of any kind. Just no.

No scat/vomit/pee kinks, sexualised gore, consensual noncon or sadism/masochism. Not kinkshaming but I’m not comfortable and my writing will be shit. You guys don’t deserve that.

I am absolutely ok with yandere and dubcon. Do specify if you talking abt the yandere version of the character otherwise I will assume it’s just the normal character from canon.

I primarily do Canon characters x Reader, but I’m also open to character x character! However note I will have my own opinions on some ships that might not settle well with you guys, so ask me opinion first before sharing and for that I will warn you, but I will still try my best to deliver me ideas lolololol

Warning: for the darker themes, me writing about them does not mean that I endorse any of it e.g abuse, yandere, dubcon, etc. in real life. This is immoral behaviour that can greatly harm people. There is a clear line that separates fiction and reality. Acknowledge it and respect it.

If you do not like the content from this blog, block and unfollow exists for a reason. :)

Current Fandoms/Characters Open for IDEAS YEEEEE

Overwatch (yes Im still doing this because I love the game even if Blizzard is a fuck up)

Stain from My Hero Academia (because I’m a fucking Stain Simp as you all can tell. Also cus I have not read the manga in so long due to lost interest and Im not sure if I’m picking it up again soo just him for now whelp)

Genshin Impact but im still new to the game and fandom so it will take a while before Im able to write for the entire character cast. So far I can write for the Traveller Twins, Kaeya, Lisa, Diluc, Amber, Jean, Fischl, Klee, Bennett, Mona, Venti, Zhongli, Childe, Xiangling, Xinyan, Qiqi, Kazuha, Yoimiya, Thoma, Ayaka, Ayato, Itto, Heizou

Blog Status: Ask box open but uhhh might take a while to respond because Im still a procrastinator bitch. Will complete the requests that were submitted in my inbox before but again procrastinating bitch.

This post will be pinned and updated for over time so do check it out before submitting any requests. Play nice yall.

#greetings from the trashpile #rules of the trashpile

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apinkblueberry · 3 years

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Fantasy Realism

Is this post just a rant...yes. Am I going to make this post anyways...also yes.

So is it just me, the fact that fantasy is so unrealistic bugs me. Not like “magic is unrealistic” bugs me no that’s fine. No, the fact that a Minotaur only has one stomach and almost every race is built exactly like humans. This may be a thing that only bugs me. I don’t know if this is a thing but if it’s not I’m coining it “Fantasy Realism”. And no this isn’t like Magical Realism because that’s making everyone in a certain plot or area accept magic as a norm like saying “Ah yes that Minotaur is my lovely neighbor and makes lovely brownies” or “did you check out Frank’s new Flying Carpet its got this cool new design too”. Fantasy Realism is saying “I think a Minotaur should have four stomachs and as a result should probably be built a bit chonkier than they normally are” or “zombies through decomposition should look different than just rotting people because of the fungi infesting their brains”. Is this something I only think about or do others or is this a common thing I just don’t know about?

Personally I understand that some things don’t need to be explained. I do not need to know where a fireball comes from nor that it is a hyper condensed ball of gases that when released and come into contact with the air combust creating *fireball*. Some things don’t need to be explained but some things I feel need a bit more realism in them. A lot of people misunderstand me and assume I mean making fantasy realistic, in D&D 5e, absolutely hunger is a real thing but unless I’m playing in a survival game or a game where the DM feels that’s a necessary mechanic I don’t think the fact that I haven’t eaten in three hours should greatly impact all that much. I do feel as though some things should be a bit more realistic, for example, I love in D&D the distinction between recovering things on a short rest, long rest and using something once a day. Short rest implies something is draining (as per the limited supply) but really easy to come back from like a hot tiring sun your short rest is like sitting in the Air Conditioner for a few minutes. A long rest is like helping a friend move so all your muscles feel sore so you need to just sleep for the night. And every day implies it does not run off of your energy but rather an outside force you have no control over like taxes or Midnight. That is a small bit of Fantasy Realism, its a useful mechanic that is somewhat realistic but also makes sense in a fictional setting. It also helps set a bit of cost and helps ground the fantasy. I’m not saying make it all realistic I’m just saying certain aspects would be benefited by bringing more realistic aspects to them.

A lot of this will be using D&D 5e as a basis because its a very malleable platform and I mess around with it a lot. Part of Fantasy Realism for me is also the inclusion of mythology because that means to many people that seemed like a realistic and understandable explanation to something they didn’t understand. Mythology and Folklore tell us a lot about the world and without going too deep or anything like that tell us how people truly in their core interpret the world. The world Turtle, Zeus’ Lightning Bolts or even the Moon Rabbit. By including these objectively unrealistic things our fantasy worlds can feel more alive and can feel like they are more than just a thought that came out of our heads and they can feel like they can come alive. This is the same reason the LGBTQ+ community will fall in love with a series collectively because those characters are definitely gay. It makes the world feel more personal and more realistic, and...I guess the word is it feels more grounded despite it feeling fantastical. It’s the little things that matter.

Part of Fantasy Realism is remembering people are people. Even Hades named his three headed dog Spot. Everyone is a person, no one is above other people and by acknowledging this the actions and decisions characters make have more of an impact. The fact that Hades rules the underworld means very little, but, keeping in mind that Hades is one of the only Greek Gods that is a decent person and doesn’t go out raping and murdering and fucking with innocent mortals gives us context to love Hades and believe he is more than just some ancient guy that was just really into the dead and so they deified him. Context is what is needed to make the great powerful on the same level as the humble adventurer willing to lay down their life to fight them. No one is above morality even and especially in the eyes of Fantasy.

I don’t know if you all will agree but personally I find it important to keep this in mind. Perhaps I’m just wrong and this is too much realism in a fantasy setting but I would really like someone else’s thoughts on this. (My friends swear I’m not annoying them with this but like...how can I be sure) Or perhaps this is an existing thing I’m just not aware of. I would love to hear all of your thoughts!

#magical realism #minotaur #dnd 5e #World Turtle #dnd #d&d #fantasy realism #hades #fantasy #Cerberus #LGBT #lgbtq

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fytheuntamed · 4 years

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I used to see WWX as sunshine incarnated and how it hurt me when I realized that it's mostly just fake and he's really not. I thought he was such a genuine person and when I realized that he hides so much of himself that he's not very genuine at all my heart broke a little and I needed to share my feelings. I still love him though, but it was a huge shock to me that everything I initially fell in love with was actually wrong. I hope this little ramble wasn't a bother.

Hello, anon! First off, you’re not bothering me at all; even if I can’t reply to all of them, I read and appreciate every ask I get. I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling a bit disillusioned with WWX; I know some would say he’s just a fictional character, but I think all of us here can attest to the power fictional characters have in impacting the lives of real people. Your ask made me think a lot about who WWX is, so I hope you don’t mind me sharing my own thoughts on the matter! Just a few disclaimers before I get into it: all analysis is based off of drama!WWX, as that is the adaption I know best, so keep this in mind as you read because I know his characterization varies a bit from adaption to adaption. WWX also happens to be my favorite character from the show, so this could will get long :’) I’m also going to continue on with the assumption that you’ve seen the show in its entirety!

I think one of the most important things to understand about people, fictional or real, is that we, like ogres, have layers. This is just what happens when you exist in a world where different settings with different people bring out different sides of us as dictated by societal norms. Does this make someone fake? I would say no, mainly because I think there’s a difference between acting “fake” and being fake. Anytime I speak on the phone with a stranger I automatically assume my “telephone voice,” which sounds quite different from my talking-with-friends-and-family-voice. I don’t leave such phone calls thinking to myself, “wow, I’m such a fake,” because I know that when speaking with strangers, being more polite than I would be around close friends and family is respectful. I think what it comes down to for me is, regardless of how I am presenting myself, am I staying true to my beliefs and values? This is why I think WWX is in fact very genuine, and I would also argue that it is his genuine nature (once revealed) that attracts LWJ to WWX.

Returning to the idea of people having layers, we must recognize that people are not static; we are constantly reacting to our settings and thus our moods fluctuate accordingly. WWX is sunshine incarnate, but he is also someone who has suffered a great deal over the course of his life. To expect him to smile no matter what is a cruel burden to impose on him, and I believe it is a burden he feels in canon. Because both Jiang Fengmian and Madam Yu impress upon WWX that he must keep Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng safe, that they are the priority, WWX feels compelled to smile and put on a strong facade so that he doesn’t crumble and fall apart, thus “failing” his adoptive parents and siblings. So while these smiles may simply be masks to hide his pain, thus not “real” smiles, they do not make WWX himself fake, but rather (imo) reinforce his genuine nature because his motives are genuine, even if his smiles may not always be.

There are also times when he smiles and acts extremely cocky in front of others, only for this facade to immediately fall away the moment he is alone/out of the public eye. One of my favorite examples of this is in episode 26 when he questions Jin Zixun about the whereabouts of Wen Ning. The entire time he is there, he exudes a cocky disregard for formality and the established hierarchy, even going so far as to say, “If I, Wei Wuxian, want to kill someone, who can stop me? Who would dare to stop me?!” Once he has the information he needs and turns to leave, however, we immediately see the cockiness fall from his face to be replaced by one of...remorse? I’ll let you guys decide for yourselves.

[gif credit]

I think it is worth noting that his facade fades once he looks at LWJ, because LWJ is one of the few people at this point in time who WWX respects, and whose opinion of WWX still holds value to WWX. And so again we see that WWX’s outward behavior does not seem to align with his inner feelings. Look at the situation that WWX is in, though. He is just one man, albeit a powerful one, going against the biggest, most powerful clans. If he shows an ounce of weakness, they’ll eat him alive. And so in order to stay true to his beliefs, WWX puts on a show. In episode 25 we also see WWX put on a show of shooting many arrows simultaneously while blindfolded. @cal3ris made an excellent post on here stating that WWX was not just doing this to show off, but that he was ensuring the temporary safety of the Wen prisoners by pulling off such a feat so as to ensure no other cultivator would attempt the challenge after him. In situations such as this one, it works in WWX’s favor that the vast majority of the cultivation world believes him to be nothing but a showoff with a big mouth. And of course, there is a part of WWX that does enjoy being in the spotlight! Especially if someone he wants to impress is watching~

At the beginning of the Gusu days flashback (ep 3), we see WWX before everything goes to hell. He’s constantly smiling, goofing around, and is a genuine gremlin of a lad. This is real! He’s a teenager in the flush of his youth, he’s with his beloved siblings, he’s smart and talented, the list goes on and on. For people who don’t know WWX, he comes off as a shallow person with no real depth who thinks of nothing but goofing around all day. For those who know WWX intimately, like Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng (though he’s less vocal about it), they know this is not the case. The point is, WWX doesn’t care what people think about him. He doesn’t care because he knows who he is and what he stands for. This is a huge part of who WWX is as a person: “I don’t care if they slander me, as long as I have a clear conscience.” It is also one of the defining things that connect Wangxian to one another, which brings me to the point of LWJ being someone whom WWX hates to deceive, because he greatly values LWJ’s good opinion of him. We see how much it pains WWX to put distance between himself and LWJ, but we also see that WWX is willing to do so if he believes it is for the best. In episode 20, after being reunited with Jiang Cheng and LWJ, we see WWX purposefully push LWJ away with cold precision. Once more he plays his role with practiced ease, but we see his mask fall as he watches LWJ walk away.

WWX goes from this:

[gif credit]

to this as soon as LWJ isn’t looking at him:

[gif credit]

Having just returned from the Burial Mounds, WWX is very unstable, both physically and mentally. For the past months that he’s spent in the Burial Mounds, survival has been his priority. We see this instability and the signs of PTSD manifest quite a bit throughout the Sunshot episodes. In episode 20 Jiang Cheng hugs WWX, who honestly seems at a loss as to how to respond. In episode 20 we see LWJ step towards WWX, who immediately steps back. We also see WWX shrink away from Nie Huaisang’s touch. This is incredibly telling because WWX is someone who likes physical touch and proximity. He’s constantly putting his arms around Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang and constantly puts himself in LWJ’s personal space (much to LWJ’s initial chagrin). I believe WWX’s behavior post Burial Mounds comes from a desire to protect himself from those around him as well as those around him from himself. [apt gifset here] Nothing about this WWX is fake to me. He is acting differently here because he is different. Trauma does not define a person, but it does change a person. Post Burial Mounds WWX is a different person, but he has not lost what makes him him, which is his strong commitment to his beliefs and morals. For WWX during this time, I don’t believe he has the emotional strength to relive his trauma to those closest to him, so he settles for brushing them off with excuses and yes, fake smiles. This also ties into WWX’s habit of internalizing his own struggles so as not to burden those around him. Hopefully at this point a clear pattern has revealed itself: no matter how WWX presents himself on the outside, he never compromises his beliefs.

After being resurrected in Mo Xuanyu’s body, we see a WWX who is far more reminiscent of the carefree teenager back in Gusu. We see WWX slowly heal from the traumas of his past life and we see him begin to smile again, not because he needs to, but because he can’t help it. We might be tempted to look at this WWX and think, “ah, this is the real him,” but I think this does a disservice to the complexity of his character. The point is, it’s all WWX. The pranks, the smiles that crinkle the corners of his eyes, the creativity, the cockiness, the way his laughter bursts out of his body at times and at other times comes out like a sigh or an afterthought, the way he looks out for the juniors, and both his quiet and loud rage are all what makes him who he is. Certain aspects may be muted at times, but that’s to be expected. WWX is by no means perfect, but I would say he is painfully genuine. Just think, would LWJ feel so strongly about him if he weren’t?

As I feared, this got way too long and I probably rambled and repeated myself and got off track, but it’s fine…..

#the untamed #wwx #wei wuxian #wei ying #ask #anon #Anonymous #does this count as meta? pretty sure it's just me blabbing about how valid wwx is lmao #also DUDE why is tumblr putting the read more in the ask and not where i want it???

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thejustmaiden · 4 years

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Fiction and Real Life Go Hand In Hand

This blog goes out to all those pro-Sessrin fans out there who refuse to acknowledge the very real effects fiction can have on our world and vice versa. I highly encourage other Inuyasha fans who defend/enable these shippers to read this, as well. I assure you, by no means are my intentions here to stir up trouble. Honestly, I just want some good healthy discourse for once if that’s not too much to ask. If you do decide to engage, please be mindful of that and treat others with respect and I will do the same in return. All in all, the goal of this blog is to exercise my right to speak out and be critical about content I believe to have very potentially detrimental repercussions. I ask that you not attack me or insult me simply for stating an opinion. Thank you!

It’s like the title says, meaning fiction does matter. Where do you think we get ideas for all the stories we tell? Where do we draw inspiration from in the first place?

Real life, that's where! And yes, always with a touch of imagination! Long story short: fiction matters because real life does.

Allow me to elaborate.

Shippers of the Sesshomaru x Rin (Sessrin) pairing say it's not fair of us to throw around serious accusations or use certain deragatory terms that suggest such awful acts like child grooming or pedophilia because of the harmful implications. One of their reasonings being that some people IRL have actually lived through these traumas, so we shouldn't dare to assume they're comparable since one is just fiction and the other is not. But this isn’t about which is worse than the other, because they’re both super problematic. All we’re literally doing is making a link between grooming in real life and grooming in fiction. They mirror each other. Same issue; different mediums. We’re not undermining any one’s past experiences with grooming or the like, nor are we prioritizing fiction to diminish real life abuse. They’re both awful in numerous ways and that’s all we’re trying to say. In fact, if anything we’re attempting to demonstrate just how crucial this correlation is between them. In order to protect past victims and prevent future ones, we must remain vigiliant of the content we consume, and yes, sometimes that means we have to challenge it too. Just because it’s widely-viewed does not make it widely-accepted or well-received. It is paramount that we educate ourselves on how to be more critical of some of the harmful tropes and images that are still way too prevalent in mainstream media. Sexualizing young and pre-pubescent girls is way more normalized than some of us even realize. It’s sad but true that Sessrin is just one of many examples. I know it feels like society has failed us in a lot of ways, but it’s never too late to re-evaluate and re-learn better and more improved ways of viewing and processing information presented to us.

Our mission: Let’s not show our kids that grooming or any other form of abuse are acceptable if they may ever come to experience or encounter it themselves. Be it the real world or on screen. Deal?

There have been a number of occasions where real life victims do speak up against the Sessrin ship and express how extremely uncomfortable it makes them feel by what it represents. The problem is that it’s becoming more evident now that many of their fans will dismiss anything purely on the basis that we pose a threat to their ship and nothing more. What it comes down to is they have no real leg to stand on and cannot possibly top any of what we have to say so instead they simply disregard it. Our inconvenient truths don't fit into their ideal *cough* OOC *cough* narrative so they just choose to be willfully ignorant. It conflicts with their fantasy, so rather than present a sound argument of their own, they flat-out reject it and offer no plausible back-up behind their reasoning besides "I don't interpret it that way." GUYS, CHILD GROOMING IS NOT UP FOR INTERPRETATION.

Just because you so desperately want your ship to come true does not mean you can up and decide to redefine a word so that it caters to your stance. Remind yourself that these are complex AND objective terms that we have no right to fiddle with to serve our own selfish purposes. This is why we can conclude that there's no debate about Sesshomaru's actions towards Rin embodying child grooming.

I apologize if any of my words are triggering by the way, so please feel free to take a break and return later if that’s more suitable for you. it's just really important that everyone in this fandom comprehends the extent in which Sessrin going canon is catastrophic. And no, I'm not exaggerating; I'm simply speaking the truth. Shippers justifying these horrible acts- yes, even in fiction- is usually due to the stubborn refusal to hear us out. No offense to anyone (just stating facts), but more times than not antis like myself feel as if we’re talking to a brick wall when we interact with Sessrin peeps. They go in circles and never expand on their perspectives.

Just a head’s up: THIS GETS LONG. Stick with me. :p

Just look at their take on the Inukag vs. Sessrin relationships for example. This isn't a question of age gaps, this is a question of physical/emotional compatibility. Inukag are the same age mentally wise regardless of one being demon and the other not, whereas Sessrin is not and never will be, and yes, even once she's an adult. The thing is we have debunked this time and time again, because they’re not the same and therefore not comparable, but for some reason these fans won’t drop it. Nothing has changed in their argument, yet they’re persistent in bringing it up. I choose to not go into more detail, since like I said, you can find it around everywhere. I just wanted to touch upon it briefly to prove a point. Maybe it will come up again later in my blog though!

Where was I earlier? Right, child grooming! Haven't you guys realized that what you’re doing is precisely what child groomers do to make excuses or deny any grooming took place at all? (FYI: I’m not accusing you of being child groomers yourselves.) “They reciprocated so the feelings are mutual" is a typical groomer response, but of course it varies. More often than not, victims of grooming aren't even aware they've been groomed until much later. That's how manipulative groomers are that they can legitmately convince you that maybe you're wrong in questioning their motives. Perhaps in the victim’s mind that because one huge indicator of grooming never actually took place it technically cannot constitute as grooming. They start to doubt themselves even though their intuition is telling them something’s off. They should just ignore it then since it can’t possibly be grooming if that one particular thing never happened, right? Wrong, grooming isn’t strictly this or strictly that. It's much more complicated and multi-faceted. This is why the “but Sesshomaru left Rin in the village” point upsets me greatly. HE WAS STILL INVOLVED IN HER LIFE, Y’ALL.

On top of that, are you aware that this is the exact same kind of predatory mindset pedophiles use to describe their infatuation with children? They'll say things like, "I don't see them as an adult and a child. I see them as two people with a soul connection." Okay no joke, I wish I was lying, but that is literally a point one pro-sessrin fan on here recently used to defend this ship. It both astounds me and terrifies me that they don't see the glaring similarities they share in common with actual pedos.

Alright, I want to quickly return to what I was saying earlier about fiction's impact on real life. (Sorry, I’m a bit of a scatterbrain!)

The characters and their worlds in our stories that we dream up and bring to life are nothing short of awe-inspiring and magnificent if we so choose them to be. If it wasn't for our imaginations, stories like Inuyasha would have never come to exist. Fiction provides us an amazing outlet where we are given the opportunity to express ourselves and explore its infinite creative possibilities.

But strip away all the demons and magical components of this show we all love so dearly and what are we left with?

At the very core, Inuyasha is a story that's very reminiscent of the human experience: love, camaraderie, a sense of purpose, and much more!

So perhaps we got a full-fledged dog demon like Sesshomaru, but does that necessarily mean we can't relate to him or understand him simply because dog demons don't exist in the real world? Well, I hope that's not how you view it or else you're missing the whole point of why humans create stories to begin with. We create them to make better sense of and thus connect with the world we live in. And when you really think about it, our stories are just a celebration of life- both our struggles and our triumphs. Now I'm no philosophy professor, but I'm pretty sure they'd say I hit that nail right smack on the head. ;)

All shitty jokes aside, the whole reason I’m mentioning this specific example in the first place is because this recently came up with another Sessrin supporter. That supporter tried to defend the ship by stating that we aren't allowed to use Sesshomaru as an example to judge by since his kind don't exist in the real world.

Now if it isn't evident already, this "it's just fiction" argument is a popular go-to stance many Sessrin fans will resort to once they've run out of ideas and are metaphorically backed into a corner. The funny/sad thing is that they seem to sincerely believe this is strong enough evidence to defend their ship with, but per usual, they fail to see how hypocritical that would be. I’ll clarify soon down below.

Seriously, since when did we decide that fantasy- or any story genre for that matter- stopped reflecting the real world we live in? I mean, we humans are the ones writing these stories. Our human influence is bound to make an impact in some capacity. In fact, we want it to!

Obviously none of us have ever met a dog demon like Sesshomaru, because how could we? Let me tell ya, this is gaslighting at its finest! This is a fictional story with fantasy elements, so of course there will be beings and creatures in their world that don't exist in our own. Does that somehow translate to the fact that nothing from the story of Inuyasha can be applied to our own personal stories or that there aren't meaningful messages to be taught and learned?

So on the flipside, if they're not screaming at us "it's just fiction" for the hundred billionth time, then they are, believe it or not, doing the reverse and comparing it to real world history. One instance of this is how they tell us we're making a big deal about something that isn't real, but go right ahead and use the history of feudal Japan to support Sesshomaru's decision to court (aka GROOM) a young girl because that's how it was done back then. And so, your point being?? It wasn't right then just because it was legal, and it's most certainly not right now. This is how all of their arguments go by the way, where you'll constantly witness a cherry-picking approach. It's agonizing to endure contradiction after contradiction in their arguments filled with nothing but holes in their logic.

I'd just like to add that if we're overreacting to this fictional ship like they love to say we are then technically so are they. They tell us things like "grow up" or "nobody is telling you to keep watching," yet fail to realize they're reacting just as fervently as we are but just on the opposing side of the same damn argument. I find it interesting how they're as invested in this show but pretend they aren't then STILL have the audacity to say it's only us who care this much!? So thank you Sessrin shippers for further proving our point that fiction is more than capable of affecting reality and the people- YES, US- who reside in it.

It's insane that people act like pedophiles and other creeps don't enjoy entertainment too like the rest of us. Believe it or not, they look just like you and me most of the time. Yes, that means they can easily pass as a “regular guy” if they so wished to. My question to you is how do you think pedophiles will take it when they discover others- underage fans more specifically- who dig the same kinda media they get off to? Maybe not in the exact same way, mind you, but there's a thin line between them when you really think about it. I mean, what other explanation is there for why literal pedos on the internet have been known to sneak into pro-sessrin group chats here on Tumblr before? (Thankfully, they were later kicked.) I know that for a fact! It's almost as if the universe is trying to tell them something they refuse to listen to elsewhere. Hhmmm I wonder what that may be.

I imagine it’s possibly one of the hardest things to admit out loud and to themselves, but I can almost guarantee you that most of these Sessrin shippers who are victims of CSA and who still see no issue with Sessrin must be living with some sort of unresolved trauma caused by the very abuse they claimed to have undergone. It's been proven that victims who do not seek or properly receive the help and treatment they need in order to address and live with a traumatic experience such as this are more likely to perpetuate that very same abuse themselves in some way, shape or form. What if in this case fiction is enough for them, but who's to say it won’t eventually manifest itself in other more dire and far-reaching ways? It's not like we haven't seen this vicious cycle before, and I can promise you that Sessrin won't be the last. LET'S STOP NORMALIZING & GLORIFYING THE ROMANTIZATION & SEXUALIZATION OF CHILDREN. Fictional example: Usagi Drop. Need I say more? Real world example: Woody Allen. Again, need I say more?

Bottom line is that Sessrin shippers don't want us to think too critically about this ship of theirs, because if we dig too deep then they're forced to face the very troubling implications this pairing really stands for. Of course they'll never admit to them, because instead they rather double down and grasp at the same old straws as long as it means their precious ship is protected at all costs. Screw everyone else if that's what it takes, because they'll threaten to burn down legit buildings in real life if that ensures Sessrin goes canon! (True story, this happened on Twitter.) They’ll taunt and bully anyone who disagrees. Even if all you literally say is that you don’t like the ship, they’ll gang up on you. Tell them about your past experience with being groomed? They’ll laugh in your face. I wish I was kidding, but I assure you I am not. And they say we're ridiculous and taking this way too seriously? Yeah...

The typical behavior of a Sessrin shipper demonstrates an overly aggressive front since they're usually on defense mode anyway. They only want to ship their sick ship in peace in other words. But just because neo-nazis have a right to spew their bigoted ideology, doesn't mean we don't got the right to punch them! Freedom of speech doesn't equate to freedom from consequences. And Sessrin shippers wonder why they got so many haters. Just sayin'.

Their presence on other platforms like Twitter and Reddit are some examples of how delusional and unstable some Sessrin fans are capable of becoming. Even recently, an anon here on Tumblr sent Richard Ian Cox (English VA for Inuyasha) a totally uncalled for ask telling him that "sessrin is love and there's nothing he can do about it." (That's not verbatim, but if you're interested I'll link you to it.) It appears they discovered that he didn't like Sessrin based on how he had been replying to asks, and just for that reason alone they thought they had the right to harass him. For simply stating his opinion, y'all. They didn't even have the decency to show their face either. Talk about immature and cowardly!

Just yesterday (or was it the day before?) a fanatic Sessrin user on Tumblr- who’s also been known for hateful remarks on Twitter but those tweets have of course been deleted since then- went out of their way to not only lurk in a group chat they don’t belong to on here but to then proceed to harass a few of us in there. They had the guts to take screenshots from that group chat, tag us in posts on their page regarding what they read in there, and without our knowledge or permission went ahead and actually blogged them?? I mean, who calls out people behind their backs while they're just minding their own business?? It worries me how unhinged and out of touch with reality some Sessriners are. Not all of them, but a whole lot of them.

It seems all they are doing is looking for trouble, as they just can't stand how much we hate this ship. So it's more than okay if they love on their ship but it's not okay if we don't and we should just keep our mouths shut. But since when do Sessrin fans have authority over our opinions? Even if they were officially canon, nothing is ever gonna change our opinion. Now when they actually do decide to participate in discourse with antis, you'll see them fishing for excuses to bow out. How they normally go about this is by fabricating a way to blame us antis for their exiting a conversation as if we're being the irrational ones here.

There’s no denying that some antis can also be overly blunt or aggressive (nobody is saying we’re perfect here), but speaking for myself, I know I would never make such nasty comments about other fans and their personal lives. And honestly? It would make me feel like shit talking bad about someone I don't actually know. Nah, I won't stoop to that level or give haters that satisfaction. I may not attack them as people, but that doesn't mean I can't attack some of their messed up ideas that threaten to distort how we should or shouldn’t perceive certain dangerous situations and events. Seeing as how for me this is more than just a matter of opinion- it's a moral responsibility and even an obligation.

I know it's difficult to remain civil when things get heated and people start taking things personally- yet more proof that fiction impacts our lives- but that's the only way any of us will ever have constructive discussions about serious topics like this. Unfortunately, Sessrin shippers, from what I can tell, are incapable of engaging in real discourse for the most part. They may be vocal but that doesn't mean they can pack a punch. I’d really love to be proven wrong someday.

Okay, moving on! If they're not involved in some big-time gaslighting then they're using their infamous strawman argument approach.

Sessrin fans’ sole purpose isn't really to defend their ship, per se, but rather to deflect and antagonize. They like to mislead in order to shift the focus/blame onto their opponent or something else that's not related so that they can stray from the main point.

Take the drama CD for example. It's officially NOT considered canon, right? But that hasn't stopped many fans from referencing it anyway so let’s too consider it for a moment. The point is that they use its "existence" whenever convenient then deny it or downplay it whenever it’s not. So on one hand, it's plain as day that they celebrate it as proof of a romantic future for Sessrin. But then later once we point out to them that Sesshomaru is essentially confessing to Rin that he will wait for her until she's of age, they'll brush it off and quickly add that they didn't interpret the scene that way and leave it at that. I mean how else would you interpret it? And if it's not a proposal of sorts then why exactly are you bouncing off the walls about it to begin with?? If that's all it means is nothing then why are we even talking about this?! You see what I mean here??! And somehow we're the crazy ones?

Let me to be frank with you. If you haven’t listened to it already, this proposal he offered her sounded like a declaration of love in a multitude of ways, which is wildly inappropriate since Rin was only 12 at the time. Signifying that Sesshomaru was/is indeed grooming her. Well, that is if you choose to recognize the drama CD. Nevertheless, whether you do or not, I personally hate that this non-canon satire is even associated with the Inuyasha name to begin with. Ugh.

Intentional or not, Sesshomaru made a deliberate decision in that moment to tell a little girl- and not just any little girl mind you but a girl he's taken in under his care for a good year- that he would wait for her if she so chooses once she's old enough.

The issue is that it isn’t only age of consent we’re concerned about regarding this pairing. What Sessriners fail to see is that this grown male authority- her vassal, her guardian, her adoptive father, or whatever you wanna refer to him as- is basically making a move on this girl he had in his company for quite some time. There's no sugarcoating that. Us antis call it how it is, and I'm sure as fucking day other people who don't watch the show would most certainly agree that the Sesshomaru/Rin bond is filial. Set aside those rose-tinted glasses of yours, and going by everything we’ve been delivered in the manga and parts of the anime (and NOT the drama cd), there are literally no hints that indicate a blossoming romance between this adult male demon and this small human girl he’s taken under his wing. You can imagine them all you want if it pleases you, but that doesn’t mean they’re there. Adult!Rin is a figment of your imagination, nothing more. The idolization of this pairing is pretty disturbing seeing as all we have to go off of in canon is Child!Rin. There have only ever been sweet and innocent moments passed between the two, which is why I’m positive that an unbiased viewer or an outsider would state their dynamic resembled something akin to a father-daugther relationship. I would bet a shit ton of money on that, believe you me!

Rin's inhibitions are low because children are naturally naive and don't know any better. Remember, she adores and trust this man with all her heart, so why would she think any of this so-called grooming is not normal behavior. (I only say “so-called grooming” because I don’t think Sesshomaru bringing her gifts in the village has to be a romantic thing.) Or how would she ever be able to understand that she’s being taken advantage of if she has no previous experience with it? Maybe if she was present for that time Inuyasha and the gang scolded Miroku when they had learned that years previous he had supposedly proposed to this young girl in the village they were visiting, then Rin would. And he didn’t even assist in helping raise her but look at how they reacted! How is this any different than Sesshomaru hooking up with Rin later? It’s actually worse in Sessrin's case. Do you honestly believe that Inuyasha and the others would take kindly to this?

It's not uncommon and considered harmless for young children to have crushes on adults, after all, but the adults in these scenarios should never resort to using and abusing the position of power they held or continue to hold over this child for any reason whatsoever.

What I'm trying to get across here is that no matter how you spin it, Sessrin can NEVER be deemed a morally acceptable pairing. Like ship what you want, we're not saying you can't ship Sessrin. What we're saying is this:

STOP referring to their bond as "pure" and not expect backlash for your grossly inaccurate statements. Just admit it's toxic, because it's extremely harmful to many viewers- and not just victims- to pretend and suggest otherwise.

Please remind yourself of the very real canon fact that Rin traveled with Sesshomaru and they established a bond all while she was just a girl. Oh, and he saved her life too many times to count, not to mention brought her back from the dead TWICE. This is why I don't care much for your counter argument "that dynamics can change over time," because although that's true, like with everything in life there must be standards we adhere to. Exceptions to rules, if you will. Our own basic morals demand it.

For instance, it’s normal that some childhood friends begin to like each other as more than friends years down the road. Nothing wrong with that, because that's a natural and healthy occurrence. Now you cannot apply this to an adult and a child for obvious reasons, but what you also cannot do is apply this to an adult who met and knew another adult while they were still just a child. Why? Well, because it'd be like betraying and perverting that former child's view of you. They were never your equal because your established dynamic resembles that of one an adult posesses with a child even once they've grown up. Think about it this way: it's in the same bracket of family members or family friends who've watched you grow up and mature into an adult. Then later just because they're all grown up, does that mean that those children "are not off bounds" - that's quoting a Sessrin shipper by the way- to these certain family members and family friends?

If you're still struggling to grasp this, I urge you to take a moment (or all the time you need!) to really put yourself in that child's shoes and self-reflect. Would you truly be alright with a family friend you haven't seen in years (but sorely missed because they used to occasionally babysit you) just someday coming back into your life and then very inappropriately flirting with you or even making sexual advances on you? (Sorry for the run-on!) Or even worse, can you picture this happening to one of your own children??! Seriously, ask yourself that and sit with that for a while and really take it all in. It’s not fun, I know, but if that’s what it takes to help you finally understand then please try and practice more ways to utilize your self-awareness in the future. It’s for everyone’s benefit, not only yours, I promise! You'll also find it makes it tremendously easier to empathize with others.

I got news for those fans who don’t view Sesshomaru as a father figure to Rin. The title we give him doesn’t hold as much weight as a lot of us are making it out to be. Let’s try to be neutral here and stick to the hard facts, shall we?

*Sesshomaru is an adult male authority whose protection Rin is under*

*It’s safe to assume that Rin has grown attached to him and maybe even looks up to him*

*They care about each other and the other's well-being*

*He has has played a crucial part in her supervision and care for a significant period of time (yes, even if it’s just passing a message along to Jaken)*

Not so random anecdote: In an Inuyasha episode I recently revisited, Sesshomaru had just rescued Rin from Kohaku who had been possessed by Naraku and was ordered to kill Rin. Anyway, at the end of their scene you can hear Jaken ask out loud, “what should we do for dinner, Lord Sesshomaru?” And that’s about the most domestic thing I’ve ever heard come out of his mouth. They’re such a family dammit and nothing will ever change that!! <3

This is precisely why I could never in a million years view those past students of mine in a romantic light. I don't care how many years have passed, it's just not possible for me. Just the idea of pursuing a romantic and/or sexual relationship absolutely repels me.

Speaking as a former teacher, you don't need to be a parental figure who's around all the time in order to have great love and affection for a child. I would've done absolutely anything in my power to protect them even though they weren't my own. Then again, I did consider them my children in a way even if wasn't in a familial sense. Does that make my love for them any less unique? No, it's just different but not inferior. When you stop to think about, it really doesn't take as long as you may think to establish rapport with a person, particularly children. Connecting with a child is almost instant (but of course some are more receptive than others), and once you do make that special connection one can only make with a child, a strong and overwhelming need to guide and protect them kicks in almost automatically. The unconditional love an adult feels for a child is powerful and constant, and nothing should ever change that. As much as some of you really want to believe otherwise, that feeling doesn’t just go away because they turned 18. In your eyes, they’ll always be that kid.

I get it, sometimes when we escape into these fictional worlds of ours, it's difficult not to project our own wishes and desires onto certain characters. I don't blame fans for picturing themselves with Sesshomaru- I know I did haha- but never once did I self-insert myself as Rin. I know she's one of the biggest catalysts for his character growth- if not THE biggest- but how and why does that need to turn romantic? There are other antis who I have spoken with on this. They informed me that they used to live vicariously through Rin and ship them together, as well. As they got older, they later learned how weird and twisted this ship actually was. That's what's supposed to happen, y'all, you're supposed to grow out of that fixation.

Now take your mind out of the Inuyasha universe for a second and hypothetically (or not hypothetically if you have kids) answer me this: if and/or when you ever have a child, would you genuinely be comfortable with the idea of them dating and eventually marrying their father’s best friend who was also there to witness them grow up? Be honest please.

I highly doubt you would want that- or at least I hope not. You see, that's another MAJOR point I've made a few times already and yet you Sessrin shippers continue to avoid the question. It's pretty obvious it hasn't been rhetorical either. Ignorance is bliss?

Finally, I’d like to address one more point. It seems there is a HUGE misconception and I'd like to clear it up real quick. That is Sessrin shippers misinterpret one of the issues we have with this ship. They chalk up our complaints of Sessrin being canon (which is a LIE, nothing has been confirmed yet) to us just being salty because that somehow means our ships aren't or won’t be. I assure you, readers, other antis and I will attest that this ain't about dumb shipping wars, this is so much bigger than that!!!

I noticed recently that some Sessrin fans have even begun calling us Karens lolol like if anybody is a Karen it's them! This ain't about some mere difference in taste, this is very likely to have LONG-LASTING NEGATIVE EFFECTS. Sessrin going canon is a very harmful message to send viewers and children/teens especially. So if anything, it’s these shippers who are being the entitled ones here thinking that the fact we don’t support their ship is the worst thing in the world. NO, THE REAL PROBLEM IS CHILD GROOMING. GET OVER YOURSELF.

Out of nowhere, some of them even started assuming all us antis were white, which in their books is also equivalent to Karens or even white supremacists somehow?? Those aren't one in the same, but it's easy to make it appear that way when the US is currently tackling major systems of oppression and racial injustice. Because to them, all antis must be from over here. (Yes, I'm American. But no, I'm not white.) How else can anyone explain not shipping Sessrin, right?! Somehow they have it in their heads that ALL of Japan and surrounding places are super approving of this ship, and that everyone else isn’t because of their upbringing and “Western way of thinking.”

To give you an idea of what I mean, look back at what I talked about earlier with their incessant mention of Sessrin vs. Inukag. Because THIS is another popular example of how these shippers present their side and then ignore all the facts. Many fans have already proven how fucked up and inaccurate it is to label whole countries and cultures. It’s like they simply think mentioning it makes it count even though we’ve discredited their points over and over. Nah, you got to back it up with good reasons that support your side of the argument. That’s How To Have An Argument: 101. So at the end of the day, all they're actually achieving in doing is making dumb and entirely unrelated accusations based on nothing just to lead to deductions that are equally unfounded. Nothing at all is accomplished but more gaslighting and hurling of insults on their part = a complete waste of time for antis = an excuse for them to peace out early from the conversation & that’s what they wanted all along

We’ve reached the end (finally! sorry for all the rambling!), and I hope those of you who stayed till the end or read enough can take something positive out of this. As many Inuyasha fans are aware, there will be a livestream with the VAs for Sesshomaru and Rin coming out within the next few hours. We don’t have all the details yet, and afterwards we probably still won’t. I’m not just talking about Sessrin here but about the sequel in general. Whatever happens, please just remember to be kind to one another. If you don’t think you’re capable of doing that, then it’s best you vent and fume elsewhere. Easier said than done, I know, but just try. Throughout this blog, I admit there were moments where I got frustrated and took some jabs at Sessrin shippers. Please believe me when I say that I do not and would not ever wish any of you ill will.

Inuyasha was such a huge part of my childhood, and I’m not gonna lie, I’m anxious as hell that Sunrise will ruin one of the best things I loved about this show. So pardon me if my reactions are too visceral for your liking. haha Also, like the movies and the drama cd, this sequel is not in fact canon. Therefore, for those of you who disagree or who still plan to enjoy this new series, respect the fact that some of us fans will definitely “cancel” it if we feel that’s what we have to do to come to terms with it and move on. Fans have that right, after all. Why should we get on board with something if it’s so uncharacteristic of and unrecognizable from the original source material? If all this is some sort of cash grab of Sunrise’s doing, then count me out. I truly hope that this sequel turn outs being a lot more promising than a lot of us are expecting. I’m begging you, Sunrise, I wanna believe you’re better than this. Please and thank you!

By the way, if you’re interested, feel free to check out my two other blogs on this same subject. Click here and here. The last two screenshots do not come from something I’ve written myself. If you’d like to read more from where those came from, let me know and I’d be more than happy to send you the links. Okay, bye for now. Peace out and stay safe, everyone!

#inuyasha #hanyo no yashahime #anti sessrin #sesshomaru #rin

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