#i just realised too many of my otps fit this trope

[theyilinglaozus]

Zhou Zishu!

Anon, truly you are blessing me 💖

How I feel about this character

I hate him. What an asshole. How dare he.

Of course I love Zhou Zishu to pieces! I didn’t expect to love him as much as I do now, but sometimes you don’t pick the favourite characters, they pick you. I just found his character so damn interesting from the get go. 

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Wen Kexing, of course! They are a pair, do not separate (no really. Don’t. They’ll probably kill you to find their way back to the other).

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Chengling (in that ‘grumpy father/master figure who actually truly adores his adopted son/disciple’). Ye Baiyi. Beiyuan and WuXi. 

For a man who was certain he lost everything, Zhou Zishu truly doesn’t realise just how god damn loved he is by so many. He’s fully prepared to die alone, yet there’s all these people from both his past life and those after leaving Window of Heaven that would just want to be by his side even if there was no other way to save him. Curse my favourites being blind to the love around them.

My unpopular opinion about this character

Not sure if it’s unpopular, but I truly wish fandom didn’t try to understate his character or make him out to be just the source of goodness in Wen Kexing’s life. Too often I’ve seen people try to make him faultless, like he’s some saviour for the Ghost Master, but to me that’s such a grossly incorrect interpretation to both their joint story and Zhou Zishu’s own.

Yes Zhou Zishu is a bright point in Wen Kexing’s life - there’s no disputing that. Wen Kexing is very much the bright point in Zhou Zishu’s life, as well as being a main source of finding the will to live on once more. Yet a lot of people are very quick to forget that Zhou Zishu has as much - if not more - blood on his hands as Wen Kexing does. He is not a good person, he is a human trying to be better, to not right the wrongs of his past as such but to correct the path he’s on enough to at least do some little bit of good in the word: enough to benefit those he loves and cares about. Zhou Zishu has done some incredibly terrible and fucked up things in his past, and I don’t know if it’s just a case of the drama not exploring this much in comparison to how it chooses to explore Wen Kexing’s Ghost Valley past or how Zhou Zishu is portrayed in Lord Seventh and the novel of Faraway Wanderers, but I truly wish I saw more of the understanding behind the layers to his character.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Controversial yet brave opinion time here: but the drama ending isn’t my favourite.

I don’t dislike it - in fact, in terms of the drama, it fits well enough. The immortality storyline has grown on me more with time, but it’s not my favourite. I am incredibly thankful we got a happy ending - especially since I’m still incredibly wary of even touching Guardian knowing that it’s err - well not got such treatment - so I will always appreciate the drama for not following the ‘kill your gays’ trope and letting them live a version of their happy ever after.

... I just kinda like the novel ending a bit more and feel like it thematically fits better for them? Two wanderers who have the entire world to explore together, the rest of their lives to spend drinking and laughing and growing old together. They’re not contained to one space, one limitation of season or temperature. I just like that more, especially since we’re told from the very first meeting with Ye Baiyi how isolating and lonely immortality actually is. I don’t want my immortal husbands to have to live to watch Chengling grow old and die before them, that sounds so heartbreaking for them! 

.... And now I’ve just given myself yet another gifset idea, so I better go and jot that down before I forget!

Send a character questions can be found here!

#anonymous #replies #send a character asks #thank you for sending this in for one of my best boys! #even if i appear to have ~ opinions ~ #truly though - every interpretation is each persons own #and just because i may not like or agree with it does not make it wrong!

[lady-plantagenet]

What are your thoughts on Jaime x Cersei, Jaime x Brienne, Tyrion x Tysha, George x Isabel, and Henry VIII x Anne Boleyn? (Sorry for the long list!)

Glad to see someone else feeling charitable and letting me vent my unsolicited opinions 😂. Saved the George x Isabel for the last cause I’m sure it will be the longest lmao!

Asked Via: Send me a ship and I'll give you my (brutally) honest opinion on it: https://lady-plantagenet.tumblr.com/post/627331607624302592/send-me-a-ship-and-ill-give-you-my-brutally

Jaime x Cersei: Despite it’s fundamental flaws, it is... titillating to read. The idea of people falling in love with their own other-gender counterpart is twisted yet so intriguing. I must confess that I am not as disgusted by incest as most people, so bear that in mind. The thing is, Cersei is definitely a narcissist with a lot of internalised misogyny and this ship just feels so justified to her character.

The issue is, and as the books go on, it becomes quickly clear that Jaime’s love is not as deep and as his appearance changes, and they no longer look identical Cersei’s own mental image, Cersei’s love also wanes and then you’re hit with how shallow it was. So I ship these two... but I also don’t because they’re toxic? Honestly, book-wise I am intrigued to see what will happen, if they end up together... or they don’t... either way I’m sure it will be quite a ride. You see, I’m not emotionally invested.

Jaime x Brienne: Oh the Sapphires... Obviously anyone who cares for Jaime’s wellbeing would want him to end up with Brienne as opposed to Cersei. I read this interesting theory recently on how these two don’t actually love each other but confuse their strong platonic feelings of affection for romance. You see, that’s also an interesting take as both characters are quite bereft off opposite gender friendships.

However, I strongly ship them romantically as well, Book!Brienne (hey show as well!) is truly admirable because based on her choice in men e.g. Renly, you can see how she had still not given up on her maidenly fantasies and I just love her for that, because true love isn’t something to which only pretty women are entitled. She in many ways represents salvation for him as she being a true knight in spite of her gender, can veer him back into the path of chivalry. He is most chivalrous around her, I mean, not only because her good conduct influences but also because he performs some of the most knightly deeds by cause of her e.g. rescuing her from the bear pit. I like this ship, it’s a good trope subversion.

Tyrion x Tysha: I find this one of the more heartbreaking ships of ASOIAF, because to me it represents Tyrion’s loss of innocence.

She is a haunting figure because of how small remnants of her memory were enough to pull Tyrion into the toxic relationship he had with Shae e.g. she too hard dark hair and there was music around when he met her. Its one of those weird (as @omgellendean put it in her brutally honest ask tag answer - a character who consists of only a name), but unlike Ashara Dayne, she is not idealised and given this over-the-top tragic story. So this elusive Tysha is an entity by what she symbolises: foregone youth and a sweetness that has no place in the ASOIAF universe.

Henry VIII x Anne Boleyn: As I said in my last ask. I cannot tolerate the romanticisation of infidelity, and that is especially when the male’s spouse is a wonderful woman fit for him and has done nothing wrong. I don’t have strong feelings against Anne Boleyn herself, as I prefer to see her as ‘Anne the Educated and Sophisticated Reformer’ as opposed to ‘Anne the Seductress’. Ugh let me just say... rule of thumb for whether it’s a good pair: Do thousands have to die for your selfish desire to be together? Yes? Then probably not meant to be. Just a thought.

I think Anne knew her own mind and I like to think her strong beliefs influenced her decision to breach this marriage (no I didn’t think she was her father’s pawn gah I’m sick of that term), but they were ultimately unsuited in everything and it was a passion brought about by Henry’s caprice. My heart breaks when I think on how Anne could have been happily married to Henry Percy. I’m also tried of this whole ‘master manipulator of men’s hearts’ reputation Anne is getting. You do realise refusing to be a mistress was not being a tease as much as it was just being a conventionally virtuous woman..? The girl knew her worth.

George x Isabel: Oh god. I promise to not start writing an essay. As weird as it is to ship dead people, they are my OTP, the main characters of my main historyfanfic, and frankly the most unsung couple of TWOTR. The fact that there are no records of letters or any particularly over-the-top romantic gestures by either of them, just intrigues me more because it was very much a relationship defined in subtle deeds. If you peruse the more academic TWOTR literature you can see all the fine but conclusive evidences of a devoted relationship: He posthumously enrolled her in a guild when he stayed there with his children (months after she died), he was buried together with her and her ancestors not his, how during 1470 he sent her to Exeter for her safekeeping while her mother and sister remained at Warwick and when a siege broke out he (and his father-in-law) immediately rode south to lift it and the amount of expenses and care he put into her funeral. Not to mention, the hassle it took for them to get married: years of trying to get a dispensation underneath the king’s nose culminating in them having to cross the channel.

The thing is, it had a lot of politics behind it and to be honest I don’t find that less romantic. It was one right for both of them: for the wealthiest heiress in England and the handsome younger brother and heir of King Edward - truly no one else would do for any of them. One of the things that grabs me is the medievalness of it all, how they were bound together by what was essentially a plan to reverse the country’s inevitable transition out of ‘bastard feudalism’. You also get a sense of how this marriage despite the ultimate failure of its purpose (to make George King) brought George the chance to establish himself as a major magnate through his wife’s lands which ultimately became his main source of power as opposed to his royal status. The relative peace that ensued after 1472 shows that his status as Warwick’s political heir (as Christine Carpenter put it) did something to placate the disapointment of not becoming king. So the way I see it, Isabel’s death took from him any of the satisfaction and peace she brought with her lands and persona as he once again reverted to his old (even more than before) reckless self. Not to mention the people he executed after her death in his grief believe in her to have been poisoned (most historians believe that’s unlikely).

Aside from that, in a society where pretty much everyone strayed (even Anthony Woodville had a bastard daughter), it is quite heart-warming how the man known for his treachery, happened to be one of the only ones loyal to his wife: no bastards or women were ever linked to his name not even in rumour. As for Isabel, she is quite a shadowy figure but you get the sense she was intelligent because of the care her father took in preparing her as his heir, because of her wealth you get this sense of majesty and significance about her. The two times we can deduce anything about her personality is a true supporter of her husband: once, when deciding to treat with the Yorks behind her father’s back to reconcile George to them, second, remaining steadfast to George when he tried to squirrel her sister Anne out of her inheritance. Based on the homage she paid to her ancestors, she seems proud of her ancestry so it’s quite intriguing to think why she made the aforementioned two choices, endangering her father and sister in favour of her husband. And oh god I’m rambling, I can say even more if you can believe it but I shall stop. Overall, one might think I’m wishful thinking but frankly Anne and Richard are touted as star-crossed lovers all the time and with even littler evidence to support it (not that I don’t ship them, I do). I might be subjective, but the story of George and Isabel’s life is just so compelling...

#🍷❤️ #thank you for asking darling #I know you were being nice about the last one and giving me an oppportunity to gush 😂 #if anyone has anything to say to my rambles feel free to send an ask #or hell if anyone else wants to send me other ships #cersei lannister #jaime lannister #cersei x jaime #brienne of tarth #jaime x brienne #tyrion lannister #tysha #tyrion x tysha #anne boleyn #henry viii #henry viii x anne boleyn #george of clarence #george duke of clarence #isabel neville #gisabel #george x isabel

[nicostolemybones]

for give me a character: annabeth chase & nico di angelo. i love them

Annabeth:

How I feel about this character: in between. Sometimes I love her, sometimes things she does irk me, but that's kinda a sign of good writing- people are flawed and she's a kid. I'm very fond of her though- because I was always the smart kid and it felt nice to have a character be smart without the typical Nerd stereotype or the I'm Not Like Other Girls trope. She's allowed to be flawed.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Percy and Piper 100%. But also I see her with Reyna or Thalia or Rachel or Clarisse and I go feral, I just ship them a little less than I do piperbeth and percabeth. I also have a headcanon for like- a poly relationship (it'll take me a while to explain) because I'm a multishipper with everyone but Solangelo.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Brotp with Nico or Will or Leo because I feel like Annabeth appreciates different types of intelligence. She'll play chess with Nico or Mythomagic because strategy games require intelligence. And she'd talk with Will for hours about medicine because she knows she can learn from him. Also if they watch chick flicks Will cries more than Annabeth does. And with Leo she'll help him out in Bunker 9 and probably go to him for math help because Leo is incredibly smart and it's about time people gave him credit for it.

My Unpopular Opinion about this character: I don't really like the way she treats Percy sometimes. I feel like she undermines his intelligence sometimes, because she's Smarter Than Him, and Percy's intelligence is probably a sore point given his school record, like, it's probably his insecurity and I feel sometimes she could acknowledge it a little more.

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character: more content on Annabeth struggling with her dyslexia and how she feels that conflicts so much with her work ethic because she wants to learn but words are hard and she constantly loses marks for correct answers because of her spelling. And Annabeth discovering audiobooks and Finally She Has A Way To Study Without Getting A Headache And Getting Frustrated so she listens to textbooks and theories and podcasts all the time- even when busy because it helps her focus- and starts her own podcast for other demigods struggling with school.

Nico:

How I feel about this character: he's my favourite. I mean. I absolutely love him. He struggles to fit in and he's struggled with depression and grief and I feel that. Also Nico was the second explicitly gay character I'd come across in literature and that really meant a lot to me even if there were things that could have been done better with him. Seeing him go from rock bottom to finding a family, working through sexuality issues, and finally finding a place of happiness through that gave me hope.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Will. I don't ship him with anyone else personally. Whilst I can see the merits to other ships, I'm attached to Solangelo for many reasons and I love the fact that they're canon and how casually it's mentioned that they're boyfriends. I love their dynamic.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Leo. They're both very much social outcasts who know how it feels to be terrifyingly alone in a bad situation. They both struggle with social interaction to some degree and feel left out. I feel like they'd be awkward at first until they realise they can relate to each other and I can imagine them both sitting down and talking about their hyperfixations or their pasts. Nico would pop by bunker 9 and offer his help because it fascinates him and Leo would learn how to play mythological and d&d to play with him.

My Unpopular Opinion about this character: Nico is allowed to be both canon and fanon Nico. He doesn't have to be one or the other. They can coexist. He can be sarcastic and polite. He can be super emo and loudly gay and also be closed off about it. Nico's character means a lot to different people for different reasons. Also Nico is allowed to be happy with his glowy boyfriend whilst also working through his trauma in a healthy way. He can be a complete nerd bouncing around and he can also be serious. He can be uneducated and naive whilst being intelligent. People are complex and multifaceted. Nico can be too.

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character: proper exploration of his trauma and the effects it had on him. Also the physical effects of his trauma like chronic pain and chronic fatigue. Give me Nico training one day then using crutches or a cane the next or skipping training because he can barely get out of bed or give me Nico training in his wheelchair some days doing archery or teaching classes. I wanna see Nico who still struggles with depression and ptsd and trust and self care who is also allowed to be happy. Nico who is struggling with the effects of his trauma who has learned to live his life comfortably and who is learning to open up to people like Will.

[suits-of-woe]

For the OTP asks... f!Edmund & Goneril >:3

1. If you had to change the pairing’s very first meeting, how would you change it?Well their first meeting was presumably years before the play started so idk. For this AU in particular though, maybe not the first meeting, but I’m picturing a young Edmund walking around court with a chip on her shoulder but secretly kind of desperate to find anyone she can who can relate to her and accept her in terms of her sexuality and everything she’s facing and Goneril like…knowing that but knowing that associating with her is only going to make it harder for both of them. So she probably tries to get the interactions with Edmund over with quickly but then the next time Gloucester comes to court Edmund’s been sent away and Goneril regrets not being able to do more.


2. What song fits your pairing the most?I’m notoriously bad at finding songs but I still LOVE “The Tower” by Vienna Teng that you suggested for Edmund in this AU.

3. What is your favorite AU/prompt idea/trope for your pairing?This AU for sure, f!Edmund is so great and I didn’t know I needed that until we started discussing it. I love talking about them so much :) I’m also just a sucker for any AU where they both live and so does Regan and they can actually have a talk and sort out some of their insecurities and mayhaps be emotionally vulnerable.

4. Do you prefer canon ideas or do you have your own headcanons for them?I love canon in all its sexy disastrous glory, but when I’m in the mood for them actually being soft and finding love and comfort with each other, it’s gotta be headcanons. Besides the set-up of the girl AU most of my hcs about their relationship are either post-canon or things they were thinking during canon, but as far as their canon scenes together I don’t really change much.

5. Favorite canon moment of them?I think you said this was your fave too but it’s gotta be 4.2. “Ere long you are like to hear, if you dare venture in your own behalf, a mistress’ command” is just SO MUCH. Dom!Goneril and sub!Edmund is the stupid hill I will die on. That whole scene is just brimming with Power Dynamics and Goneril finally deciding to just let loose and take what she wants, actually embrace her sexuality without fear for the first time. And Edmund just feeling so desired and also actually having someone go after her for once and getting very swept up in the whole thing. That scene is incredibly good.

6. Least favorite canon moment of them?The duel. Which is weird cause I love that scene character-wise for both of them individually, but in terms of their relationship I find it devastating. Goneril having to watch Edmund get mortally wounded and realising this whole relationship that made her give up everything, made her kill her sister, is just crumbling before her eyes and she really is going to be all alone again. And then in realising that she leaves Edmund alone! Edmund who’s spent the whole play desperate for love and affection is just totally without it in her last moments! Fuck!!! Shakespeare why did you do this to me?

7. Favorite headcanon trope/idea? (Your own or someone else’s)Ok I joke but I am actually so into the idea of Goneril being the one who initiates the relationship/is more dominant/forward in general because I think it swaps so many of the expectations they’ve both had to face in such a good way. Goneril’s always had to present herself as this object of desire and reproduction for men, that was how her value was measured as a princess and a wife, and her own desire has always been taboo and tamped down, ESPECIALLY because it’s for women. Whereas Edmund’s considered a perverse bastard, of course her tastes are wrong and vulgar, but she’s supposed to be like her mother, not the real object of anyone’s affection for longer than it takes for them to sleep with her and be done. So Goneril getting to WANT and Edmund getting to FEEL WANTED is my favourite thing.

8. Least favorite headcanon trope/idea? I hate interpretations where Edmund is just using her and Regan for power and doesn’t actually have any emotional connection to them at all. I find it so weird cause if she just wanted to marry a princess Regan is right there! It’s clearly not just about that! It doesn’t have to be True Love or anything but the idea that they have zero feelings for each other is ridiculous. And on a less blatantly wrong note: portrayals where Edmund is the one doing all the seducing. Have y’all read 4.2?

9. Favorite aspect of them/their relationship dynamics?The mutual loneliness…the mutual rejection they’ve faced from their parents and the world…the mutual realisation that maybe they ARE worthy of love and happiness and can find it with each other….yeah.

10. Least favorite aspect of them/their relationship dynamics? (Can be headcanon)Edmund buddy you gotta STOP sleeping with two sisters at the same time. I know it’s about her feeling the need to hoard all the love she can get but it’s so bad hon, you’re hurting everyone involved. If you could just NOT do that you could actually maybe have a happy monogamous relationship??

11. If they aren’t a canon pairing, how would you get them together?I mean they’re kind of canon but them having a functional monogamous relationship is definitely NOT so. My go-to “fix-it” (by which I mean fixing the sad feelings of me, a villain-stanning dumbass) scenario is basically Gloucester escapes with Lear, so Cornwall never blinds him and never dies and Regan has no reason to go for Edmund. The sisters win the war but Albany’s conscience gets to him so he helps Lear and Cordelia get away and goes with them (and also Edgar and Gloucester probs) back to France. Cue a very messy divorce, but at the end of it Goneril’s in full “fuck everyone, I do what I want” mode and Regan’s 100% there for her, so Edmund gets to be her closest advisor and not-so-secret lover, and now that they’re not surrounded by people who treat them as second-class all the time they can actually like…feel secure and be in love.

12. If you had to take them and plunk them into another fandom, what fandom would that be? Why?Hmm I suppose another play where they could be a badass power couple with less interference and tragedy. Antonio and Sebastian from the Tempest have some vibes so you could genderswap them. Could TOTALLY see Edmund like “hey you know how I usurped my sibling? I’ll help you usurp your sibling, and then maybe we can also bang”

13. How hard is it write/draw your pairing? Scale of 1-10.I’ve only kind of tried once (and that was with m!Edmund anyway) so idk…6 or 7 maybe? I like writing Goneril but I find Edmund’s voice very hard to get right, plus I’m always trying to find a good middle ground between Shakespearean English and totally modern language.

14. Is there a pairing that you think rivals them?I mean in-universe it’s Regan/Edmund but I don’t like them nearly as much (and I don’t think they like each other all that much either). If Regan weren’t so grief-stricken and Edmund weren’t so obsessed with holding onto any bit of affection I don’t think they ever would have gotten together.

15. Which character of the pairing do you like more? (Would you ever pair yourself with them?)I’m for sure an Edmund person — as much as I love Goneril, she’s not top 3 characters in the canon level of fave. And I think my crush on Edmund is well-documented (although less f!Edmund since I’m straight) but that relationship would probably end in my death tbh

16. Which character of your pairing would be the one to break up with the other? Why?I guess Edmund, since she’s the one who cheats, and even though Goneril seems to know about it she doesn’t end things. But realistically I don’t think Edmund would actually break up with her even if she probably should, she’d be more likely to keep hanging on because Affection™ even if things were a wreck. Honestly given how things are in the canon I think both of them would stick around long after it stopped being a good idea.

17. Are they relatable as characters or as a pairing?I relate to Goneril somewhat because Womanhood™ and oldest daughter feelings and especially in this AU having a bad and traumatic relationship with a man that makes you hate him even if it’s not really his fault :/ I don’t really relate to Edmund though, and I’ve never had a relationship similar to their dynamic

18. Did you once/ever dislike one/both of them?Regan was the first sister I loved and I still adore her but for a while that made me think of Goneril as the boring evil crazy sister who was just getting in everyone’s way. Edmund I loved from the start, although at first it was just in the “villain is cool and sexy haha” way, and it wasn’t until I got really into that character that I started loving Goneril too and thinking about how much they have in common and are SUCH victims of their parents and society in general.

19. On an estimate, how many posts have you made about them?Less than 5 I think, this is definitely a niche ship as far as people’s interest on here and tbh I didn’t start fully shipping it until recently. It’s definitely a guilty pleasure ship because their relationship is DISASTROUS but it also makes me feel…a lot of things.

20. What made you decide to ship them?I got really upset thinking about how Edmund canonically died alone and rewrote his death scene so Goneril was there they both kind of…realised how lonely they both were and got to have a genuinely tender moment right at the end. And then it occurred to me how sad their mutual love-starvation is and how much I want them to be there for each other. And THEN you helped me flesh out my ideas for f!Edmund and that just intensified both of their feelings of rejection by the world and Edmund getting to embody Goneril’s sexual liberation and both of them experiencing love in a way they never have before and that just made it even more compelling.

21. Favorite genre for them? (Angst, fluff, etc.)I’ve barely written them but honestly fluff because the main appeal of this ship is giving them both companionship and someone to understand what they’re going through. So yeah, I want them to be sweet and talk about their feelings and work through their issues enough to be a functional couple. Will this ever happen? Unlikely, but I can imagine it.

#ahhh thank you! #love getting to talk more about Them #this went from ironic ship to guilty pleasure ship to full on ship so fast and i'm obsessed with this AU #edmund #goneril #king lear #mine #asks #otp: yours in the ranks of death

[justlikeeddie]

otp meme

List your Top 5 Canon and Top 5 Non-Canon OTPs. Then, tag 10 people to spread the love, and so on and so on…

I was tagged by @rcmclachlan! It’s fun to excavate your fandom history!

This is a GOOD QUESTION in that, y’know. What is a canon OTP? (What is a pairing? What is canon? What is ‘is’?) The answer, for this post, is “whatever made it easiest for me to split these into two sets of five”.

CANON OTPs

Aziraphale/Crowley, Good Omens

This is canon. “Fight me”? No need. Fight Michael Sheen.

Do say: “And when I’m off in the stars, I won’t even think about you!”

Don’t say: Hey, have you thought recently about the fact that Crowley’s snakeskin shoes might actually just be his feet?

Look at an art: A little ancient Grecian collusion by @seraph5

Read a fic: nothing but the wild rain by @singlecrow

Have I written it? In a desperate exercise in exorcism immediately after watching the show, yes: Going Native and Riding in Cars With Demons. And I have about five WIPs in charliekellypepesilvia.jpg frantically plotted notes stages. Watch this space. (For some time. I’m a bizarrely slow writer.)

Flint/Thomas, Black Sails

Do say: “People can say what they like about you, but you're a good man. More people should say that. And someone should be willing to defend it."

Don’t say: I was enjoying the show so much that I ignored the fact they made captain flint gay but to wrap up the series on the notion he would put his sword down to pick daisies with his male lover is just too much to bear. I miss the 90’s

Look at an art: Journey into the Dark by @riisinaakka-draws

Read a fic: Unaccommodated Man by @septembriseur

Have I written it? Yes, although astonishingly, I only ever finished one fic: Some Affair.

Strange/Arabella, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

Do say: “The excitement of it was very much to see how you would look at me. The excitement of life was very much to see how you would look at me.”

Don’t say: HE WAS A MUCH WORSE HUSBAND IN THE BOOK AND HE LET HER DIE AS A TREE (I know. I know)

Look at an art: Padua by @cobbledstories

Have I written it? Not as a foreground pairing, although I do have a very detailed Strange/Arabella/Grant fic that lives eternally in my head in the hope it will one day fit a Yuletide request.

Morse/Joan, Endeavour

Do say: “You mean the world to them. You mean the world…” [trailing off in tears]

Don’t say: You do realise he’d make her miserable and she deserves better? (I KNOW)

Cry at a simple gifset: :′′(

Have I written it? No, happy to let the show itself continue to take anything that Morse might hold dear and crush it into the dirt, no need for me to help.

Jake/Amy, Brooklyn 99

Truly the opposite to Morse/Joan in every possible way, aside from the involvement of law enforcement personnel

Do say: “There’s a typo in this crossword puzzle.”

Don’t say: …Title of your sex tape. (Or anything about Season 6, which I haven’t seen yet.)

Look at an art: Jake & Amy by @ivy6am

Have I written it? No, because Brooklyn 99 is an example of that rare and complete joy, Show That Textually Contains Literally Everything I Want From It And Then Some.

NON-CANON OTPs

Sam/Gene, Life on Mars

My “formative” tag on Tumblr is probably overused, but, like. Extremely. Formative. Truly the ur-fandom in terms of my future trope and fic interests. God bless you, weird mid-00s genre experiment broadcast at a particularly impressionable point in my teens.

Do say: Gene Hunt constructs intricate rituals that allow him to touch the skin of other men.

Don’t say: The ending of Ashes to Ashes is canon.

Watch a vid: There Is Too Much Light In This Bar by AbsoluteDestiny

Read a fic: Tangible/Intangible by @lozenger8

Have I written it? I went back to this fandom for Bent for Yuletide a few years ago, but everything else was written when I was literally 17, so caveat lector.

Merlin/Arthur, Merlin

Genuinely wondered whether I should have included this in the canon list. Two sides of the same coin? Merlin's mum desperately trying to get them together about halfway through the first series? “I was born to serve you, Arthur”? As ever, in thinking about this, I’ve just made myself furious again that this objectively fucking stupid children’s TV show remains one of the most emotionally and erotically resonant pieces of media I’ve had the misfortune to consume.

Do say: “I could take you apart with one blow.”

Don’t say: “I could take you apart with less than that.” (It’s been nearly eleven years since this exchange aired on children’s TV and I’m still reeling)

Watch a vid: Alone by sisabet

Read a fic: Past Imperfect by @thehoyden

Have I written it? Yes, although, again, I was a teenager and didn’t really know how to words: Cross You Off My List. I also have a passionately-planned and half-written epic about the ten years of their evolving relationship from boys 2 men (not the band), and its delicate balance between private interaction and public performance, which I thought I was finally going to finish for the ten-year anniversary of the show last year, but at this rate, might be done in time for the twentieth.

Fraser/Kowalski, due South

Do say: “Partnership is like a marriage, son.”

Don’t say: Anything that will wake the Vecchio anon.

Watch a vid: Goody Two Shoes by @laurashapiro-noreally and pipsqueak

Read a fic: Kowalski is Bleeding by @cesperanza

Have I written it? Weirdly way less of it than makes sense for the amount of time that this was my primary fandom, but yes, published some time after the fact: Homecoming and Poles.

Strange/Grant, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

Surprise double-entry for JSMN! Except not at all a surprise, because I am into so many aspects of this book and show that I could probably have filled most of the ten entries with JSMN rarepairs. (Please, talk to me about the criminally underexplored sexy class politics of Strange/Childermass.) But anyway, Strange/Grant was, somewhat to my surprise, my takeaway pairing from the TV adaptation.

Do say: “There are any number of magical things my friend could do to prove it,” while looking like you’re about to combust from how excited you are by the prospect.

Don’t say: HE WENT TO VENICE IN A PUDDLE WITH NO GOODBYE (I know)

Look at an art: Major Grant by erebusodora (technically only one half of the pairing, but it’s just a very nice painting)

Read a fic: Wilderness by @the-omnishambles, ie The First Strange/Grant Fic On The Internet

Have I written it? Yes, went a bit mad in 2015. A peculiarity of the Iberian Peninsula (long, slightly sad); An England that is dead (shorter, sadder); and Sound and Vision (no redeeming features).

Charles/Erik, X-Men

Again… IS THIS CANON. Explain any single thing that happens in any of the X-Men timelines if this pairing isn’t at LEAST unconsummated canon

Do say: “I couldn’t disobey you even if I wanted to.”

Don’t say: Sorry, what exactly was the plot of X-Men: Apocalypse?

Look at an art: A sketch by loobeeinthesky (the watch!!!)

Read a fic: Wisteria by by @columbinepurples

Have I written it? Yes: The Width of a Circle.

In turn, but only if you’re bored and like making a list as much as I do, tags for:

@confusinglyamusingly

@butteronmyroll

@johnnyvod

@the-omnishambles

@sixohsixoheightfourtwo

@cribins

@septembriseur

@itsmapes

@deputychairman

@drawsaurus

(You don’t… have to go into as much detail as this… I think you’re just supposed to say who the pairings are, but listen I’m staying with my parents this week and I have a LOT of tumblr downtime)

#fic #fanart #memes #good omens #black sails #jonathan strange and mr norrell #endeavour #brooklyn nine nine #life on mars #merlin #due south #xmens

[headcanonsandmore]

Luna Lovegood for the ask game?

How I feel about this character:

Luna is my favourite female character in the series, and my second favourite character all-together (the first being -of course- Ron). I love how kind, caring and sweet Luna is, and how she never let the world get her down. 

She’s not a manic pixie dream girl with no flaws. She has a tendency to be a little too open-minded, but that’s fine. 

I’m a bit like Ron in regards to Luna; I didn’t really understand her at first, but I really grew to admire her. 

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Ginny, Ron and Harry (albeit I’m shipping Lunarry a lot less than I used to). 

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

Her friendship with Neville is really sweet, and I like how Rowling (in the books at least) kept them platonic rather than having them become romantic. I just think it fits them better. Plus, pairing them together always reminded me of the “pair off the freaks” trope, which I dislike. Not that I have anything against the pairing, of course; it’s very sweet. It’s just not my thing. 

My unpopular opinion about this character:

Luna isn’t a flawless angel like some many in the fandom see her as (I used to do this too). She has her flaws and negative personality traits. And I think people should embrace that side of her. We don’t want Luna getting deified like Hermione was during the 2000s/early 2010s. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

I personally think it would have interesting if Ron had dated Luna instead of Lavender during HBP. I’m not alone in thinking that Luna had a crush on Ron in OOTP, and I think it would have been interesting to see her feelings evolve over time. 

Not to mention the fact that having Luna as Ron’s girlfriend would have meant avoiding the ‘they’re only dating so they can snog’ coding that Ron’s relationship with Lavender got. 

I think that Luna and Ron could have had a genuinely supportive relationship that would have been mutually beneficial. It would have also showed Hermione that she had to be more forthright in her affections for Ron, and that she couldn’t just expect him to realise she fancied him when she gave him barely any clues that she did. 

I don’t see Luna as just a prop to cause romantic tension between Ron and Hermione. Far from it. I think it would actually be great character development for all characters involved, and would have shown a side to Luna that wasn’t really shown in the series that much. 

I’ve got a fic in the works based on this idea, and I’m looking forward to exploring this AU idea. 

my het ship:

Luna and Ron. I used to ship Luna and Harry more, but not so much now. 

my fem/slash ship:

Luna and Ginny. Really sweet and caring. 

my OTP:

Luna and Ginny, I guess. I like Romione too much to split them up. 

my OT3:

(Luna x Ron) + (Ron x Hermione). I think it would be really sweet. And Romione doesn’t get split up!

my cross over ship:

N/A

my kink:

N/A

a head cannon fact:

Luna had a crush on Ron, which started in her early years at Hogwarts. How else do you think she knew about Ron going with Padma Patil to the Yule Ball?

my gender bend:

Linus Lovegood was a sweet, quiet boy who became friends with Ginny in their second year. He later developed a crush on Ginny’s older sister Ronnie. It was adorable. 

Thanks for the ask, anon!

Ask me stuff.

#ask #ask me things #ask me questions #luna lovegood #did luna have a crush on ron? #did luna fancy ron? #what if ron dated luna instead of lavender in hbp?

[radamazard]

But I’m Weak

What was so wrong with being weak? Not everyone could be ridiculously strong after all.

Nino had always struggled with the extremes of being okay with who he was and what he felt the world wanted him to be. But he never thought that he’d have to feel that way with Alya…

————————————————————————

Nino bit back a sigh, arms crossed over his chest as he listened to Alya drone on and on like a CD that had gotten scratched and played a single sound on repeat for eternity. It wasn’t that he particularly hated listening to her rant. Heck, it was normally pretty inspiring. His girlfriend had passions that burned brighter than Paris itself and he greatly admired that.

But he wasn’t exactly a fan of some of her opinions when it came to… certain topics.

“It’s just- he’s so WEAK, Nino! Like, you’re facing LITERAL Satan here. I don’t think a friendship speech is gonna bring this bitch down. Sometimes you just have to let your fists do the talking, you can’t just…”

Weak. There was such a negative view on that word. To be weak was somehow seen as lesser, as though being unable to fight back was a particularly bad thing. Strength was so ridiculously glorified that it was honestly exhausting to constantly hear about it.

Sure, it was good to be able to defend yourself and fight back if shit went south, there was no arguing that. But what was wrong with wanting to be peaceful? With not wanting to be the one to deliver that first blow?

Nino himself had never been much of a fighter, and he knew he probably never would be. Outside of defending those he loved and cared about, being skilled at knocking someone’s block off just wasn’t his thing. Nor did he really want it to be. That’s what they had the rest of the heroes for, right?

Though he had decked Hawkmoth with his shield that one time….

To be fair, the man had DEFINITELY deserved it.

“- don’t even get me started on his moral fibre. This bitch has the backbone of a liquified jellyfish. ‘Oh, you’re sad about your mean step dad? Sure, we’ll go take him out for ya, it’s not like you spent THREE seasons trying to murder our asses and slaughtering LITERAL CHILDREN. We totally forgive you!’ Like, miss me with that garbage, you just have a weak ass moral code!”

Maybe Alya’s example there wasn’t all that great. But what was wrong with offering people second chances? Not everyone managed to start off as a good person. Not everyone could say their past was clean and that they’d always done their best to be the kindest or best versions of themselves.

Perhaps that one hit hard because Nino knew he hadn’t always been the person he was now.

Once he’d been bitter, been a quiet loner who kept to himself and didn’t bother to help those around him.

Once he hadn’t tried to see the good in others, hadn’t been a person much worthy of friendship.

Once he’d ignored bullies so he’d be left alone, had ignored when people were sad and had brushed off any attempts at friendship people had made.

It wasn’t easy, thinking back to the person he’d once been, who’d been so disillusioned with the world that he’d chose to use music to block it all out, to block everyone out. Of course that had changed when he had met Adrien. The guy was loyal and kind and had clearly been rather lonely, stuck with only Chloé as a friend and alienated by the rest of the class. Perhaps Nino had seen a little of himself in him? Being alone and not knowing how to really make connections. So he’d made an effort, and Adrien and him had been inseparable since.

Not only that, but those that had known him before, that he’d shrugged off or coldly ignored, had welcomed him with open arms. There had been no judgements for his past self, no need to prove himself. They’d simply accepted him with kindness.

How could that kind of forgiveness and empathy be so bad? Why was a weakness in holding a grudge seen as something negative?

“... and you know what? Here’s what frustrates me the most. I know it’s stupid, okay? But just let me rant here,” Alya continued on and Nino barely held back a snort.

“I can take him being a friendship babbler who always tries to talk down the villains. It’s corny, but whatever, it’s anime. I can take him inviting the baddie into the team. It’s a popular trope, I know, and people LOVE seeing the asshole redeemed. But you know what I CAN’T take?” she asked, her lips pursed in a tight and her brows knitted tighter still that he almost feared she’d bust a vein.

“Nope. Gonna have to enlighten me here, babe.”

There was beat of silence, done obviously for dramatic effect that had Nino rolling his eyes in an annoyance that had been slowly building since the beginning of this whole rant.

“The romance. It’s HORRIBLE. There’s nothing worse in a romance story than an unlikable romance,” Alya stated. “He’s so ridiculously weak when it comes to her! It’s pathetic and really, really painful to watch. How that’s anyone’s OTP I’ll never understand. It’s not sweet. It’s not cute. It’s just… sad.”

Ah. There it was. The part he’d been waiting for and dreaded hearing the most.

Because he could understand being frustrated with a pacifist. In a life or death situation you often had to act and act fast. Failing to do so meant the loss of life, and no one could root for that.

He could get why wanting the asshole to have a happy ending was annoying. Not everyone was redeemable and some assholes really didn’t deserve that kindness. Assholes like Hawkmoth, for instance.

But to rant with a flaring passion about how pathetic being weak when in love was? That really stung. It stung because he knew, without a doubt, that he was EXACTLY like that. Nino knew that love made him weak, in so many senses of the word.

It made him weak in the knees everytime Alya smiled at him, like somehow he was all she needed to brighten her day.

His breath weakened whenever she kissed him, her lips sweeter than any confection he had ever tasted.

When those pretty pools of toupe drifted over to him, and Nino could swear in those moments that he was witnessing the sun itself rising in those eyes that hypnotised him with such ease… his heart would skip a beat so dramatically he feared it would become weakened the process.

Not to mention how completely and utterly weak he was to her in general. How Alya’s laugh had him melting, how every little ‘I love you’ had Nino drifting off to his own personal heaven. How he couldn’t hope to say no to her when she came to him with excitement glowing, shimmering from each and every pore.

He adored her to the point of ridiculousness. To the point of weakness.

Was that so wrong? To love someone so dearly that it made you feel weak and defenseless, yet in all the right ways? As though you could afford to be that way, to push away the fears and insecurities to love wholeheartedly.

Why was that a bad thing?

Minutes passed as he dwelt on this, and Nino didn’t even notice how deep in thought he’d been until he felt his girlfriend poking his nose.

“Earth to Nino. You alright there, babe? You’re frowning hard. I mean really hard. Harder than when we saw that sci-fi flick last week,” Alya attempted to joke, although the concern was etched clearly into her features.

“The ending totally ruined the whole dystopian aesthetic they were goin’ for and was a lazy ass ass pull…” Nino muttered, his gaze dropping down to his lap. Yet even with his eyes off her, he could still feel her concern for him, could still feel her eyes on him, worried.

“But that’s not what’s bothering you now, right?”

His head shook and Alya shuffled closer, laying a hand over his clenched fists. Funny, how hadn’t he noticed he was doing that until now?

“... No.”

“Do you wanna talk about it? I think I used up more than my allotted chunk of words for the week, so I’m all ears,” Alya ushered, her voice so gentle and warm that Nino almost felt guilty for his own shit storm of feelings. Here he was, making her worry over a god damned anime rant. What kind of boyfriend was he?

“It’s… It’s dumb.”

“If it’s upsetting you then it isn’t dumb. I cried over burnt fries last week, remember? And you promised that shit wasn’t dumb.”

A weak chuckle escaped Nino’s lips, despite the swirl of negativity that still twisted harshly from deep within him.

“True, but I don’t have the excuse of my body throwin’ a fit over not having kids once a month and messin’ with my emotions,” Nino retorted, to which he earned himself a soft flick to the back of his hand.

“That doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to get upset over that kind of stuff too. You wouldn’t let Adrien call his emotions dumb, would you?” A slow shake of her boyfriend’s head told her she’d won, and Alya had to really fight to keep the smug smile from her face. No, that would only make things worse right now.

“Nah. Of course I wouldn’t…” Nino muttered. “So I guess you’re gonna keep this up until I spill, huh?”

“Yep. So you better hurry up and talk, babe. Because I’ve got aaaaall day and nothing more important to do than listen to you.”

Ah, there she went, saying stuff like that so casually that it made him feel absolutely cruddy about making her worry in the first place. But Nino knew his girlfriend well, and Alya was a woman of staggering determination. If she wanted an answer, she nearly always get it.

So it was with a sigh that Nino finally gave in.

“... I’m weak, Als,” he admitted, in a voice so quiet and small that Alya had to lean in to properly hear it. “I’m not a fighter or strong. I believe in givin’ assholes second chances. Heck, I was one of them! And I…”

There was beat of silence, as Nino lifted his gaze and distressed gold fell upon Alya’s face.

“I’m weak to YOU. You make me weak each an’ every time we’re together, babe. I’m pretty much a living, breathing example of all that crap you hate. I- It makes me…” Nino trailed off, as the realisation of just why he’d been so hurt by her words dawned upon him.

“... It makes me wonder if you hate all that in me. If you hate those parts of me. That you…” That she no longer loved him. That was what he truly feared. Because if she hated those parts that he resounded so strongly with, didn’t it also make sense that she’d fallen out of love with him?

That maybe Alya had just stayed out of pity? Or because she was too nice and didn’t want to break his heart, even if she longed for someone far better than him, someone far stronger?

“... You might not love me anymore?” Nino finished in a broken whisper.

He hadn’t even realised he was crying until he felt Alya’s hand upon his cheek, tenderly brushing his tears away with the pad of her thumb.

“Nino…” she whispered, with such a guilt ridden sadness that only made him cry more. “Is that what you really think? That I secretly hate you? You, my wonderful, gorgeous, kind, loyal, selfless, adorable, brilliant, dorkishly amazing boyfriend?”

There was no judgement in her voice, no teasing or sarcasm or snark. Only a lulling sincerity as she pulled Nino into her arms and held him tight as his silent sobs soaked her shoulder.

“I could never hate you. I don’t need you to be some amazingly kick ass hero with muscles like Chat Noir or a killer left hook like Ladybug. You’re already amazingly brave and courageous… Not everyone needs to be a fighter and you’re the protector this city needs. That I love,” Alya said, her voice gently firm and flooded with a love so warm that it only served to make Nino cry harder.

“I never knew you back when you were an ‘asshole’. I only got to meet you when Adrien did, and the Nino I’ve always known has been the warmest person that I’ve ever been lucky enough to meet. But even if you were an asshole before, that doesn’t mean you aren’t deserving of friends. I… sorry if I gave you the impression that I thought that about everyone. You know I hold grudges and that’s a me thing I have to work on, not a you thing, okay?” She felt Nino nod weakly in her arms, and in turn Alya pressed a feather light kiss to the crown of his head.

“... And I- … I wasn’t talking about weakness like that. Nibuimaru lets Sonshōko beat the living shit out of him without a single complaint! He doesn’t even seem upset by it. It’s like for him, that’s how chicks are. And it’s played for laughs that’s it’s all cute and that kind of stupid shit, like ‘aww, look how weak she makes him!’. That’s not cute. That’s a weak ass relationship based on abuse,” Alya stated, only pausing to hold Nino just that bit tighter or as she felt the shakes of his sobs rock her. It was honestly heart breaking, to know that her ridiculous rant about some shitty anime Adrien had recommended had caused him so much pain and doubt.

“I’m just as weak for you as you are for me. You know that, right? And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s real cute how smitten you are with me, and those stupidly love sick puppy looks you send my way… They make my heart flutter and my stomach does flips like Ladybug on a sugar high… I could never hate that. I could never hate you, Nino,” she whispered, and her aching heart clenched as Nino finally looked up at her, glasses smudged from all the crying, cheeks tears and eyes all red and puffy. What was worse was that desperately hopeful look in his eyes, as though he had truly feared that she no longer loved him and he was clinging to her every word.

…. For how long had these thoughts been kicking around in the back of his mind? Alya didn’t know, nor did she care. Because from this moment on she swore she’d make Nino feel every bit as loved as he had for her, as he continued to do each and every day, even when he was feeling cruddy.

Never again would he have to doubt that really loved him.

“I love you. I love you so GOD DAMNED much, okay? I’m sorry I had you doubting that…” Alya finished, and before she could even hope to verbalise her promise Nino’s lips were against hers in a wet and desperate kiss. It was one she returned full heartedly, pouring every ounce of love and affection she held for the guy in her arms into it, just hoping it would reach him and somehow ease his fears and pains if her words had failed to.

It was minutes later when Nino broke away, a damp yet genuine smile now pulling at his lips, that Alya finally felt that things might be alright between them once more.

“I love ya too, Alya. So freakin’ much,” Nino rasped on out, as Alya pulled him back on into her all encompassing embrace. “You… You really meant all that?”

“Every word of it. So you’re weak. Who cares? I don’t need some macho, masculinely fragile, eternally perfect meathead. You’re everything I want and need, babe. I promise that.”

His heart fluttered with joy and he practically melted into Alya’s arms. In that moment, even if it would take a while to fully squash his doubts, he felt safe.

He was weak. What was wrong with that?

Nothing, Nino thought. Nothing at all.

#Nino Lahiffe #Alya Cesaire #DJWifi #Miraculous Ladybug #Miraculous #Hurt/Comfort Fic

[bushybeardedbear]

A Little Something I like about Plance 2 - Electric Boogaloo. 💙💚

Wherein BushyBeardedBear adds to the “Bi-Lance” discussion and how it relates to his near obsession with this OTP... See Part One Here...

Look at that soft look just look at it!!

So, the TLDR? - IMHO Pidge is best for Bi-Lance.

In the previous post I discussed how Plance, FlirtyRobot, Pidgance, SeaSalt, F*ckPlant, whatever you want to call this adorable ship doesn’t actually give us the LGBT+ rep we want... Well, maybe we just have to squint a little...? In this essay I will...direct you to the link below so I don’t dominate your feed...

This line of thinking started a couple of days ago. My partner was looking through a draft of one of my many unfinished fanfics and said to me... “You’re using that one again...?” “Which one’s that?” I reply nervously. “The idea that Lance liked Pidge when she was doing the Mulan thing...? You really like that don’t you...?” And my partner’s right. I DO really like that idea. It’s my top tier head canon. But the discussion got me thinking. Why do I like it beyond it being cute...? Well, there has been discussion in the fandom regarding Lance’s theorised bi-sexuality probably ever since he shared more than a nano-second on screen with another attractive boy. No shade, I’m guilty of it too in more fandoms than I’d care to admit. It’s a pretty understandable feeling. But there’s also this pic... 

Given certain recent news that I won’t go into for fear of spoiler territory, this image suddenly has a lot more attention within the fandom. In particular, the discussion of Lance’s sexuality. Now, cute as it would be for Hance, Klance, Shance, Latte etc. to become canon, as long as they were all handled respectfully and lovingly for all involved, I just don’t personally see them fitting the character growth Lance has been given so far. Feel free to respectfully disagree, because I’m not anti any of your shipping preferences you ship what makes you happy. This is just my opinion, #shipandletship In the last post on this subject, my focus was essentially Lance unshackling himself from the concepts of toxic masculinity and how important a message that is for men young and old to see. Setting aside the idea of conquest, bravado etc and becoming a more nuanced, thoughtful and ultimately complete human being.

You know what fits that narrative really well? Loving someone regardless of what they are and more down to who they are. This wouldn’t be something new to Lance either. Just look at the early seasons of his being the incessant flirt-machine. Was he ever turned off by the idea of a non human being? Do you honestly think a particularly cute xenomorph would have been off the table? Seriously, if Lance had met this...

...do you think he would have cared about the silicon skin, the acid blood, the secondary mouth (ok maybe the secondary mouth for making out...), the barbed tail...? Or do you think he would have just taken one look at the smile, the figure, and been all over her like a rash...? Or at least given the winning smile and the finger guns. And now, as his character has developed into caring less about the physical and far more about the person within, learning to put aside his feelings of romance into being a better friend and person, do we really think he’d suddenly be hung up on the same sex or gender identity of his own species? I’d be tempted to say Lance may not simply be Bi, but given his utter lack of concern about alien species, he may well be Pansexual.

And this is where the Crush on Pidge at the Garrison comes in. Maybe Lance never even realised it at first. Maybe he did and just didn’t or couldn’t act on it, giving the barrier early Pidge always put up...? Just consider though. Even presenting as a male, even with the cold barrier up, Lance sought Pidge out, Lance raced ahead at Pidge’s behest toward certain danger, Lance cared deeply about Pidge’s reassurance of his decisions, valued Pidge’s intellect and took a genuine interest in what Pidge did and who “he” (as Lance saw it) was. Even waking from a coma just to save “him” from death at the hands of Sendak. Y’know. Like a friend does...

Or like a friend desperately reciprocates as a form of narrative parallel...

Now sure, this is all speculation on my part and all of those instances can easily be discarded as “just friends” if you like, that’s the wonderful thing about media and it’s polysemic interpretations. But, friends only or friends to lovers trope, they do show at least a connection, on that much we can agree. Connections can develop. Connections can deepen. Connections can be re-evaluated with the benefit of hindsight. So, perhaps one day we’ll see Lance reflecting on both how cute Pidge Gunderson was to him and how cute Katie Holt is to him now. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful message for Lance, grown as a character, to love someone beyond skin depth, beyond sex or gender, and purely for the person they are...?

And who fits that role better than our favourite Green Paladin? IMO, nobody.

Now you two hurry up and realise it already!!

#bi-lance #vld lance #vld pidge #plance #pidgance #flirtyrobot #seasalt #pikelevar #voltron legendary defender

[nomtheburritos]

Why representation matters

The moment you realise each year has been defined by an otp, their ups and downs and you learned so much from it that it changed your life forever:

2013: S.S Endurance 2014: Ellie & Riley | Korrasami 2015: Pricefield 2016: My own life! 2017: Sanvers

I know these ships are all f/f but believe me, each of these has been the reason I could get further into understanding myself.

Lara Croft has been my fave female character when I was a kid and teen; she was the coolest; a tomboy, an adventurer with plenty of skills, making a name for herself without the need of anyone else tagging along. Her relationship with Sam in the reboot was the reason I started feeling that “shit, all these things I’ve felt before - maybe I’ve been lying to myself all this time…maybe I’m not straight at all…but how do you define not caring about people’s genders and falling for the person and personality instead?”

Ellie Williams was further proof girls could be powerful and meaningful on their own. She survives the apocalypse, is a 14 yo badass and she inspired me to always fight for what I felt was right - my calling in life. Even if it didn’t happen in the end! And her story with Riley brought me joy and tears alike, knowing how much they meant for one another but also, how it never made it a big deal of their sexuality because the feelings and subtle gestures were all making their affection for one another clear from the start. Ellie and Lara were also the reason I became an archer.

Korrasami was going hand-in-hand with me accepting my sexuality. I saw these two badass ladies do all these amazing things and ultimately, even after years of waiting, they could let their life start properly and together. Asami didn’t stop caring about Korra when she was broken and needed healing - she gave her time, patience and when Korra felt better, they could start as if they never separated in the first place. It was so inspiring… I cried for days about the ending. It has changed my life for the better forever. I knew that things could sometimes take time, that not all starts were flawless and full of joy and also, that two women together were a force to be reckoned with.

Pricefield saved my life in a way, giving me a fandom and friends to love deeply…man, I’ll never be able to express how much their story, the depth of it all, means to me. It came to define the best part of my life, which by the way started with me wishing to drop out of Uni and almost ending that way too. Their story, love and determination is what had me pushing. For a while, Life is Strange was the only thing but ultimately, it led me to friends so dear and a relationship with a woman so wonderful I’ll never, ever, know how I came to deserve that. I just know it allowed me to take risks and steps toward my own happiness, ultimately the best months of my life, and my coming out to my parents. This ship was also the reason I seriously pushed myself to draw more and become a better human artist!

And now, Sanvers is happening. Supergirl is creating a healthy, realistic relationship between two adult women and their nearest and dearest. It is giving a valid reflection of how people feel in these situations, both Kara and Alex + Maggie alike and my god, I’ve never recognised myself in any series more than I have in this one. I love it more than I can express and I’m just so happy kids get to grow up knowing the values and love that stand as a base for this show.

I’ll be honest: I know that romance and/or being in a relationship isn’t for everyone. I don’t want this post to be gaycentric or anything. What I mean is; representation in media is so, so important! No matter if it touches upon sexuality, mental issues, gender identities, family problems or introduces a variety of dynamic characters of different skin colour, ethnicity and religion or the lack thereof. It’s important to show that everyone is different, that there isn’t a mold that we all need to fit. So many teens get to grow up finding themselves in popular media more and more often - but it’s still far from perfect. However, we are perfect just as we are and we shouldn’t need to feel pressured to be somebody else just because that’s what the world likes to watch on TV.

Tropes are an issue. Lack of variety in shows is another. Ace/aro characters are barely anywhere to be found and neurodivergent people are made to look like some freaky monsters while in reality being just as awesome, important and caring as the neurotypicals - just needing understanding from people who don’t feel or struggle the way they do!

Representation, guys. It matters. Proper representation saves lifes. It gives people hopes when they can’t make their lives better at the point in time. It helps them understand themselves. It educates people about people if done well!

Fucking sprinkle that stuff everywhere, it doesn’t hurt the media - it makes it popular and loved.

And if you read it all - thank you for taking the time

#long post #representation #media #supergirl #life is strange #tomb raider #the last of us #legend of korra #mental illness #sexuality #gender identity #important things