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utilitycaster · 1 month

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@notstinglesstoo replied to your post “The thing is, and I haven't gotten a chance to...”:

I saw someone not long ago say cr has always felt like a product to them vs D20 feeling organic and I protected my peace but I did want to ask them if they were brain dead

Oh man I wanted to address this at length because I feel this. My posts have been centered, again, specifically on published journalists picking Daggerheart aprt critically and applauding themselves for doing so despite it being within a couple of hours of its release and therefore any analysis is necessarily going to be based on at best, a skim, when they just as frequently will claim D20 seasons/Kollok are flawless works of genius based on only a partial read, but man D20's got a fandom problem too. (and all of the following comes with the caveat of "I really enjoy D20, and Dropout, and while we're at it WBN and NADDPod which both are half D20 Intrepid Heroes cast, and think Brennan is a particularly brilliant GM, and also it's obvious that the D20 and CR casts are on great terms, and wish the fandom for D20 were more welcoming and enjoyable because I feel it wasn't like this when I first started watching, as a CR fan, in late 2019 and has since curdled into something really weird and bad.")

The first point is the obvious one: technically speaking these are both products. These are performers doing an art form; it is also a portion of how they make their money with which they can buy goods and services. Believing that art is inauthentic when the artist gets paid and acknowledges that is a thing that happens is a fucking libertarian position at best. Like cool, you think only people who are independently wealthy by other means can make art, because it's not real labor, my kid could paint that, etc etc.

The second point is also pretty obvious. I have pushed back pretty hard on the "uwu CR is just watching friends! it's like we're in their living room" mentality among the fandom, which has decreased, thankfully, but like...it did in fact start organically as a private home game, and they decided, when invited, to make it A Show For An Audience. D20 was created on purpose as a show for an audience. This doesn't make it bad or fake - reread the previous paragraph - but in terms of "this is an group of people who really played D&D in this world together even before the cameras were rolling," Critical Role literally is that, and D20 is not.

I think beyond that...my biggest issues with the D20 fandom are first, the level of discourse is abominable. The tag is almost always just shrieking praise and the most surface-level readings possible. I keep bringing up the "Capitalism is the BBEG" mug but it genuinely sums up so much of how I feel; people who want their existing beliefs fed to them as surface-level no-nuance takes. I mean capitalism is fucking terrible but I do not need every work I watch to have a character turn to the camera and say "capitalism is bad" to enjoy myself, and indeed it makes it harder due to the lack of subtlety and grace. For all D20 fans complain about how unhealthily parasocial CR fans can be (and some can be), I find that a lot of the most unhealthily parasocial "how dare they BETRAY my TRUST by having a ship I don't like or not speaking up about every single societal ill" ex-CR fans move over to D20 and then pull the exact same shit; it simply doesn't get called out. Every time D20 fans are like "we don't want to become the CR fandom" it's like "your toxic positivity and unhealthy parasocial behavior exceeds the HEIGHT of what I've seen in CR; the main difference is that CR started in 2015 when D&D was still shaking off the raging bigot dudebros and so in the early days it acquired more of those fans, whereas by the time D20 came around the landscape of who played D&D and watched Actual Play had shifted wildly, and you need to judge September 2018 D20 fans in parallel to September 2018 CR fans, not September 2015 CR fans."

I also feel, and I alluded to this in the post about journalism, and other people have said this better than I have, but the pedestal people have put D20 on does feel like a single...not even misstep, but just, difficult choice that doesn't capitulate to the loudest fans will bring a good chunk of that fandom crashing to the ground. And that includes the journalists. For all the fans of CR can still be obsessed with the cast to an unhealthy degree? The cast and company have put up pretty strong boundaries and have not budged. D20 hasn't, and I think the second they do - and I think it will be for their benefit as a company and a channel - a big chunk of their most vitriolic CR-hating portion of the fandom will viciously turn on them.

#notstinglesstoo #nonrebloggable bc god it's hell week for me i know i've been shooting off opinions bc that is how i blow off steam #but like. i can't have this break containment i got shit to do

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gold-snek-hoe · 2 months

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Hello and welcome to Opinions from an Internet Nobody. Today's essay:

"Ger therapy" is the new "You need Jesus": One Weirdo's Navigation through Cultural Shame

This is a supposedly well-meaning sentiment that is often weaponized against people who are behaving outside of perceived cultural norms. It's a favorite of homophobes who see queerness/transness as a mental illness, but I've been seeing it used to demonize kink (which historically is often linked to queerness), and more generally any "weird" behavior that makes people uncomfortable.

For example, otherkin, systems (especially those with fictives), and people who take fictional characters as partners. Y'know, "weirdos" who "can't separate reality from fiction." And, sure, sometimes there can be a problem with that distinction, but I know as well as you that most internet strangers saying "get therapy" don't actually give a shit about the mental health of those they target. It's code for "your behavior makes me uncomfortable, stop it."

Same sentiment as "you need Jesus."

This has actually taken me a long time to figure out. I've been in therapy for my entire adult life, working through various traumas, severe depression, anxiety, all that. Those were the biggest problems as they negatively impacted, and often endangered, my life. It was only after my hospitalization in 2020, where I was finally put on much needed medication, that I could start to grow into myself.

I changed my name. I top surgery. I came out as polyamorous. I finally got my official autism diagnosis. Now I'm fuckin' married! But... there are still things I'm working through in therapy. Mainly, shame over my "weirder" behaviors. My current therapist has been a huge blessing in helping me accept the things I was too ashamed to admit.

Now, I feel comfortable enough to share.

I'm otherkin. Always have been. My connection to my humanity is tenuous, and I'm sure that's connected to my autism. When mad, I feel phantom horns sprouting from my forehead. I have a tail that swishes back and forth at the base of my spine. In my soul, I am monstrous, and years of therapy has not erased that.

I feel like I'm only half in the physical world most of the time. This doesn't hinder my real-world success (I graduated college Summa Cum Laude, have an IMDB page, and am on my third book), but informs the way I look at the world. There's a whole other universe in my head that hums along with me in my day-to-day. That's part of why I'm so skilled as a writer. To ask me to divorce from that is to tell me to stop existing. Sorry, it's how I've always operated.

Lastly, and this is the one I'm really anxious about, I have a fictional husband. Now, looking at my blog, you might say "yeah, no shit," but I don't just ship myself with him. I mean I practice pop-culture Witchcraft, and the Goblin King is my patron. I mean I have a Labyrinth-themed tarot deck that I talk to him with. I mean I held a ritual to spiritually marry him. Basically, I Snape-wived myself.

And guess what? My therapist isn't concerned. It's not hurting my ability to live my life. I have other interests, hobbies, and goals outside of him, which he actively encourages in all our tarot sessions! I wouldn't be doing this if he didn't support me. My IRL spouse is usually there for whatever magical shit I'm doing, and supports me! Some of my closest friends know, and the only complaint I've gotten is "this guy seems important to you, I wish you told me sooner." Hell, my MOTHER knows and supports me, which is huge, because our relationship was pretty damaged after I came out as trans.

If you have a problem with the way I live my life, when literally nobody else does, take a good long look at why. You don't give a fuck about my mental health. You just don't like that I'm weird.

Tl;dr: My mental health is better than it's ever been since embracing the weird, so leave me and my imaginary husband Marak Sixfinger alone.

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azulaaaaaaah · 15 days

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atla/tlok characters that i think did *it* (but i just can’t prove it)

this is the most unserious post i’ve ever made. (AND I WANT TO PREFACE BY SAYING BY *IT* I MEAN KISSING)

Sozin and Roku

and history will say that they were just great friends…

this is the only one where ill legitimately die on this hill

like i’m 90% sure roku just showed Aang their friendship in the flashbacks to prevent awkwardly explaining to a 12 year old monk that he was romantically and/or physically involved with the person who committed a g*nocide against his people

LIKE CMON WHY IN THE WORLD WAS SOZIN SO PRESSED IN THE BACKGROUND OF ROKU’S WEDDING ??? AND FOR NO REASON?? WHY WAS THEIR FRIENDSHIP SO INTENSE?

sozin i feel loved roku (to an obsessive level) and roku literally dgaf. king shit

Wan and Raava

genuinely what the fuck was going on between these two. like i don’t even have any words

canonically at the very least it was a domestic partnership

S2 korra doesn’t make sense at the best of times. imagine trying to explain the intensity of this pair’s devotion to each other, to someone who hasn’t seen the show- all the while knowing raava is a disembodied spirit practically older than time

she’s the embodiment of everything good and light in the universe and he’s just wan. (and he’s wanough <3)

‘do you think we’re soulmates in every life?’

‘bet’

‘wait that’s not what i-‘

Cabbage Merchant and his cabbages (or at least a cabbage)

yeah i’m not touching this one with a 10 foot pole

Every member of the red lotus squad

ah yes it’s my favourite evil polycule

amidst plans to kidnap children and topple monarchies what else is there to do except… kiss.

let’s be real there’s something so inherently romantic about being apart of an elite, vaguely murderous anarchist squad

they all share one exact bed. it’s canon

(p’li somehow big spoons all of them)

The S2 Nomads

these dudes are the textbook definition of anti-monogamy

like they’re obsessed with love so i fully believe that they think ‘it should be spread amongst others’ or some shit

oh to be a travelling communist nomad in a band, wandering the wilds with my wife, and our several partners

they’re somehow the opposite of the red lotus and yet the same. they all share a single bed/sleep area

The dangerous ladies (but all separately)

i don’t ship any of these particularly and yet can still admit that it’s canon

ty-lee and azula have kissed bc azula probably made up a dumb excuse like ‘oh i don’t want my first kiss with a guy to be… erm… bad’

mai and ty-lee have kissed because they both probably have genuine, vaguely deep rooted romantic feelings for each other

mai and azula have kissed to purely spite zuko (and yknow what ty-lee too)

HOWEVER A KEY ASPECT TO THIS DYNAMIC: azula is completely unaware about the ty-lee and mai thing. it’s uh… better off that way.

Hakoda and Bato

i ship this about 50% but like… it’s got to have happened once right? considering all that down time they spent together on a boat away from the repercussions of water tribe society…

also considering they were leaders i doubt the other warriors were in a position to ever call them out on it

like cmoooooooon what’s a little kiss between the homies every now and again?

hakoda is where sokka gets his rizz/flagrant bisexuality from and i can’t change that guys

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morally-grey-girlbosses · 6 months

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Propaganda under the cut.

Doctor Carmilla:

She’s literally the coolest person alive. But fr, she turned her gf into a vampire to stop her from dying of a chronic illness, gf turned abusive so Doc C killed her, fled her home planet and went to space where she was lonely so she created the mechanism, a space crew of immortal pirates. Doc found people who’s bodies broke, replacing one part of them with a mechanism that would keep them alive forever (with consent kind of??). She medically experimented on them and for millennia they roamed the galaxies together on the star ship aurora (a sentient moon-turned-space-ship who is in a loving relationship with one of the mechanisms, nastya rasputina whose mechanism is mercury blood). The doc hated her creations and what they did (mass murder and all that good shit), so she left. She gets such a bad rep in the mechs fandom. People will infantilize the mechanisms while villainizing The Doc. That’s not the story and she realized what she had done to the mechs and left and this is a terrible explanation but i love her sm and i wouldn’t even mind if she turned me into an immortal space pirate.

Catra:

shes a girlboss plain and simple. shes an abused child who lost her closest friend and decided if she couldnt be the hero shed be the villain. she beat up her abuser and became the top commander of the evil army, just under its leader. she tried to kill her ex best friend sooooooo many times. she briefly found solace in the desert but everything came undone and she ended up activating a portal that would destroy the world. she lived briefly in paradise but things went wrong and she tried to kill her ex best friend again. these two are SO homoerotic just to be clear like its genuinely insane. she became consumed by her work and lost her few real connections in the horde. she sent her friend to beast island to die. she hired a hot shapeshifter who betrayed her and her abandonment issues only escalated. shes deeply compelling and sympathetic. she got abducted and joined the evil space empire. she betrayed them. she got mind controlled. her ex best friend saved her. she saved the universe with the power of kissing her gf who was dying of poison. she did a lot of atrocities while she was being the teenage commander of an army trying to take over the world. shes super girlboss. shes snarky as fuck. i love her deeply. vote catra

She qualifies because she is the most morally ambiguous but she did it all out of love for the woman she loves. She's the best there is.

Did not give a SHIT that the evil invading force she worked for was evil even though she 100% knew. Instead of escaping she thought 'How do I make this worse for literally everybody including myself?' and then she did that.

poor little meowmeow who tried to destroy reality bc she has mommy issues. deserves to win bc she is a lesbian and she is so so hot

#poll #tournament poll #round 2 #doctor carmilla #doctor carmilla and the mechanisms #the mechanisms #catra #spop catra #she ra catra #spop #she ra #she ra 2018 #she ra and the princesses of power

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thelureking · 1 year

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I had this idea to make a list of all the games I played in 2022, half as a recommendation list, and half because I struggle to remember when I played what. I have a really bad time ranking stuff, so I'll just list them chronologically (or, as chronologically as I can remember).

Note: Sometimes I dont have a lot to say about a game, but that doesnt mean I didn't like it or that it isn't good.

So, with that being said:

1) Our Life: Beginnings and Always

This game has put visual novels on another level entirely. How must I go on knowing that I will never be treated like royalty by any other game like this did. Our Life tells the story of your friendship and/or romance with Cove Holden, your new neighbor. This Visual Novel remembers an insane amount of stuff you choose, and it can put you in the state of mentioning something you did as a kid that you completely forgot about. I actually really liked how you can go the entire game as just friends, or choose when your character develops romantic feelings. I cannot overstate how well made this entire thing is. Can't wait to play the DLCs and for the sequel to be released.

Absolute recommend.

2) Iron Lung

If you have a computer, you can play it. It is not an option.

Claustrophobic above all, this game captures the pure dread of the unknown, building tension and atmosphere as you travel through this unknown planet's red sea. Highly recommended.

3) An Outcry

Amazing game that I don't see enough people talking about. The first game that made me actually physically ill while playing an alternative route. I don't know what hit me the most, the subject matter or the type of person I played in that route, a person I know exists and maybe I've met, a person I hope I never become. I knew what the game was specifically referencing, but I found it good that it was able to trigger that response on someone who lives in an entirely different place, with different historical events, but with enough similarities that made the feeling of dread and disgust that much real. Its message is clear and loud as it should be, and one that I think maybe now more than ever needs to be heard. I cannot recommend this game enough.

4) Stillwater

Now this is a Visual Novel that I really liked and would have loved for it to be longer, but I love it as it is. It left me wanting more about the world and its characters, and I think that's a good thing. It feels unfair that this is the one I typed the least about, knowing how much I liked it. It's really worth the read/play.

5) The Caribbean Sail

Have you ever wanted to be a sailor or a pirate? Have you ever wanted to grab a ship, sail into unknown destinations, encounter supernatural phenomenons and watch as your fellow crew members die of disentry five seconds after leaving your first port? Because if so, I have the perfect game for you. It's inspired by the Oregon Trail game, and that's literally what the gameplay is like, except on the sea. Which was enough of a selling point for me.

6) Carrion

My child, it has every disease. Loved the concept when I saw the trailer, forgot I can actually buy games now, and then proceeded to do that. Being able to live my fantasies of being a flesh creature that destroys and eats everything in its path was a delight. The creature is my child and I love it very much.

We need more games that let you play as the monster, I'm serious.

7) The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante

This game is both my beloved and the thorn on my side. Who would have thought that in a game like this you would proceed to suffer through life? I said to myself as if I hadn't known what I was getting into. You'll experience loss, you'll struggle to make a name for yourself, your family will fall apart, and you may never kiss your best friend Tommas who gave you a totally platonic ring to commemorate your friendship because the game doesn't want you to.

Or you'll have a different experience than me on my first playthrough.

You follow the titular Sir Brante from the moment of his birth to his last breath, exploring the world he lives in, full of injustices that at times made me go "I do not care about the lots, give me a fucking gun so I can take you to the fucking Twins". There are many branches regarding life paths, the fate of your family and that of the entire city you live in. But don't worry about it now, keep looking at those toy soldiers at the store as a little kid, I'm sure nothing will happen in the future.

8) Princess Maker 2 Refine

And apparently I didn't get enough of walking a kid through life.

Who looks at a game about raising a little girl by managing her monthly schedule and balancing her stats, health and money and says "yes, this is the game I'll play to destress"?

I do that. Don't ask why.

I have only reached two endings, in one my beautiful daughter became the royal painter, her art held as the most beautiful and inspiring in the entire world. In another, my girl made a name for herself by exploring the lands surrounding the kingdom, so fast on her feet nobody could even scratch her; she married a dragon prince and became the teacher of her own fighting school.

And even with all of that, her goddess mother was not happy.

So yes, this is the "divorced dad who got custody" experience.

9) Planescape: Torment

What can change the nature of a man? That is a question posed by one Ravel Puzzlewell, night hag of the Gray Wastes. It is one of the many questions that this game asks, intertwined by the many philosophies it presents. Planescape Torment does not stick to one question, it asks many, and it lets you answer.

It is a beautifully written game, one of the best I have ever read. There is one moment that I do not wish to spoil, but it still sticks to my head months after I experienced it. As a writer, I found myself fascinated by how a certain event was told, all because of the way it was presented.

It feels like an injustice to not talk in length about Planescape: Torment, but I seriously don't want to spoil anyone who hasn't played it yet. A blind experience is fully worth it. All you need to know is that this is the game that made me post for the first time here, two dumb memes for myself and one short analysis that sometimes reminds me that yes, people can interact with it. Shameless link to it here

10) Growing my Grandpa!

If I had to describe this game without saying too much, I would say it's "heartwarming horror". Two words that don't usually go together, but that they perfectly fit here. The story is, like the title says, about growing your grandpa, more like helping a girl grow her grandpa, but still. Strangely sweet and unnerving, I was tense the entire time, and even when I had to replay it to get the second ending (this was entirely my fault, since I could have gotten it way easier) that tension never left.

11) FAITH: The Unholy Trinity

I don't remember how I found out about this game, but I remember waiting patiently for it to get a steam release so I could buy it and play its three chapters all together. The day finally came, and all that waiting was worth it.

The gameplay is simple, yet the developers found a way to have me both crying in fear and frothing by the mouth out of anger every time I saw the game over screen (affectionately). In terms of difficulty, I would say the game is easy until it isn't, looking at you Chapter 2 and 3 Final Bosses, you bastards. Then again, I saw people say they struggled in places I didn't, so I would say it depends on the player.

The story is so interesting and it's still marinating in my brain please I need people to talk about how the prologue of chapter 2 and the one note in chapter 3 relate please. The cutscenes are also so well done, and I had to restrain myself from using one as a second picture because I didn't want to spoil any of them.

All in all, a must play, fully recommend it.

And remember:

GARY LOVES YOU

12) Inmortal Mantis

This is a tricky one. On one hand, the game starts off by basically spelling out every action you have to do, and suddenly it goes full on "fuck around and find out" mode. On the other, the game implements some interesting mechanics that I would love to see developed on a longer game, but I am not going to put the length against it while knowing how hard it is to make a game. And maybe being short plays in its favor.

13) Who's Lila?

This game is my King in Yellow. I cannot stop thinking about it. I finished it with all endings and achievements in a day, and it wont leave me alone. It is always there, forever crawling at the back of my head, stretching itself over my brain and weaving my thoughts into a spiral as easily as a spider weaves its thread. It made itself a home in my mind and I won't kick it out any time soon. I played it because the concept of controlling a character's face in place of a dialogue wheel was interesting, and the story and the way it's presented (hand in hand with the gameplay) lured me deeper and deeper. I cannot even describe it without giving it the praise it deserves. It takes full advantage of its medium. Playing this game is an experience that I can't recommend enough, and I'm surprised it hasn't gotten the recognition it deserves.

14) Someone stole MY LUNCH!

This visual novel is pure fun. The humor is so good I found myself reading the entire thing out loud while wheezing. I actually found out recently that it's made by the same people that made Stillwater, which, looking at it now I should have known. It's good and I'm not still over not seeing that one joke coming; well played.

15) MILK INSIDE OF A BAG OF MILK INSIDE OF A BAG OF MILK INSIDE OF A BAG OF MILK INSIDE OF A BAG OF-

... INSIDE A BAG OF MILK is a short visual novel about a girl going to the grocery to buy milk, and the challenge this seemingly small action can be. It is your responsibility to help her through this.

The steam page description perfectly summarizes it: "This is an artistic manipulation with word and form, only then - a game."

#already reblogged with three more games!#game recommendations #our life beginnings & always #iron lung #an outcry #stillwater visual novel #the caribbean sail game #carrion game #the life and suffering of sir brante #princess maker 2 #planescape torment #growing my grandpa #faith the unholy trinity #inmortal mantis #who's lila #whos lila #someone stole my lunch visual novel #milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk #lilium post

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messenger-of-stupidity · 11 months

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Redacted Incorrect Quotes Pt. ?

Haha you really thought my lazy ass was gonna work on WIPs? Nah. Have some redacted incorrect quotes based on tweets I saw, either on the app or screenshots of.

No I don’t care if the dashes are uneven.

Redacted Masterlist

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Angel: *Flirting poorly with Davey at the grocery store* Hey so do you eat food often?

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Sweetheart: Curious George is not a monkey because he has no tail. He is an ape. He will grow into a silverback gorilla and kill the man with the yellow hat in a display of dominance.

Milo: I’m literally just trying to read to Aggro.

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Milo: I love when kittens yell, but their heads are too big so they squint.

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Guy: Roommate broke up with boyfriend that cooks for us. Excuse me while I go die.

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Angel: In 1920 we took children out of the coal mine. In 2020 the most popular game on the market is minecraft.

Baabe: Children yearn for mines.

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*3 AM*

No one:

LITERALLY no one:

Asher, in wolf form: I wonder if I can break the record with how loud I can lick my paw.

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Darlin: If civilization crumbles, I have a little flashlight in a drawer somewhere.

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Sweetheart: Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” is about friends practicing magic but when someone walks in they have to play it cool.

Milo: No. It isn’t.

Sweetheart: *starts singing* The moon is bright, the spirits up. We’re here tonight, and that’s enough. *whispers* This is the part where someone comes in. *Continues pointedly* Simply having a wonderful christmastime!

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Angel: My husband gives people a thumbs down instead of flicking them off when driving. He reports that a thumbs down makes them a lot more angry.

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Adam: I would be such a good “dead wife”. Like, can you imagine how good I would look in a dead wife flashback sequence? Someone make me their “dead wife.

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David: As a kid I thought Simba was crazy for running away after the death of Mufasa. But now watching it as an adult, I get it. It did look pretty incriminating of him leading Mufasa to that gorge. Witnesses saw him singing “I just can’t wait to be king.” A persecutor could do some real damage with that conviction.

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Honey: I don’t like the saying “don’t speak ill of the dead”. It always struck me as disingenuous. People are multi-layered. Yes, I did light up a room. But I also stole my roommate’s milk to make mac and cheese blackout hammered. Let’s acknowledge both sides.

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David, giving a pep talk to the pack: For anyone feeling down, just remember Velveeta cheese has been on the market since 1918. If trash cheese can succeed, so can you. And for anyone who likes Velveeta cheese, I’m sorry. I’m sorry you like trash cheese.

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Angel: Lying awake thinking about the time I ordered a giant magikarp plush from Japan but then got refunded because the plushie got crushed under a shipping container.

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Asher, and maybe Guy too: I’m here if you need moron support. It’s like moral support but I’m stupid.

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David: If I have to throw a party for my pack, it will be breakfast. Not lunch. Not dinner. It will start at 8:30 am so there is a valid reason for no one to come and I can kick them out before noon because I only promised breakfast, not lunch. The introverts will win even if it kills me.

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Milo and Ollie: My cat has no responsibilities, but all day he walks from around the house, from room to room, with this sense of purpose, as if he has a long to-do list of tasks no one asked for. Just a weird small furry dude going about his little cat errands.

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Freelancer: Aww my microbiome fancies some high quality fermented foods, does it? A little kombucha perhaps? I don’t give a shit. I’m a megabiome, I do what I want. I’m having a fanta lemon. I’ll swallow coins.

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Lovely: I would be an awesome drug dealer. Like, can you imagine? *giggles* We don’t have coke, is pepsi okay?

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Freelancer: Math professors be wildin like “a man tossed a coin, find the probability of him getting a head?” BRO WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU GOT A H-

Huxley: I wanna reply back same to my data analytics professor so badly!!

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David, at the pack solstice parties: I, myself, am understaffed at this time.

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Milo with Marie watching Aggro for him:

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Asher: Fuck your zodiac sign, what button do you press when it says “press any button to start”

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elephant-in-the-pride-parade · 2 months

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That Troll Accusing P/T fics and Trek Fic Writers Blogs (Including me) of Racism could be a Right-Wing Bot.

Edit (4/16): I would like to emphasize that i really hope this theory is not true. It stemmed from having had multiple friends and acquaintances in the voyager fandom (white and not) be suicide baited and otherwise harassed with vague accusations of racism over the past year, (for P/T primarily, but other ships and characters on occasion too) yah we did cycle through a lot of explanations. Ultimately our anon(s) being someone with either a malicious motive or an extremely ill thought out and unproductive approach, were the explanations that wound up making the most sense. the content of the anon asks and comments i am refering too has been both vague and painful, and further, never came from a real ao3 or tumblr account. these also came with no evidence based points for the fic writers to work on.

I do not believe this theory below to be anywhere near the most plausible. but it is the only conclusion we could make sense of for a slew of similar anon messages that, at the end of the day, did a lot of hurt without making any concrete points that writers could take action on. By making this analysis, my hope is not to convince you all that a right wing troll is out to get voyager fic writers. Instead, i hope it comforts writers who have gotten similar attacks and helps them to dismiss messages that come with harassment and suicide baiting, rather than evidence based points. And i hope if there are real people behind those anons that seeing this analysis helps them to reconsider the effect their approach is having.

Original Post from 3/2

At first I thought I was paranoid post-2016 and 2020, but now I've been hit a couple times and seen comments on more of the affected fics. And I'm seeing concerning themes.

I make a couple of assumptions here: 1. My anon (whom I will refer to throughout as "The Anon") is the same each time. 2. The Anon is the same actor or belongs to the same group as The Anon troll commenting on P/T and some J/C fics.

The Anon as a Bot Evidence:

1. The Anon accusations are sweeping, but generic. They do not use in-fic textual evidence to justify their comments. You write P/T: You're a Tom apologist. You think Belanna is his exotic wife. You justify your blatant anti-latina racism by casting her anger as an inherent a Klingon trait. You write J/C: You think Chakotay is a noble savage and fetishize him. You write Harry Kim: You're infantilizing him.

These tropes and stereotypes are legitimate concerns that fic writers should care about and should be mindful of. These accusations on the other hand are not legitimate. They are left as guest comments or anonymous asks on fics heedless of the fic content or writer's background or track record. The AO3 comments do not reference fic content. They are repeated across all impacted writers. They target new and veteran writers alike. They target fics regardless of rating.

2. Comments that appear to reference fic specifics go no farther fic tags.

This was harder to catch. But a P/T fic tipped me off last month. It was tagged "Tom & Belanna & Miral". The Anon's first comment on that fic dove in accusing the fic of incest. This showed both that the anon had not read the fic content - they also didn't understand the difference between a / tag and an & tag. (Which also means the programmer of the tag-reading bot or human actor creating tag-based comments is not literate in how fandom ship tags are structured - they may not be a fan at all!)

3. The Anon never replies. Not on AO3 or on Tumblr. (All AO3 comments from "The Anon" seem to stick to the automatically assigned Anon name or use a generic, short first name like "Sam").

Exceptions to this - the rare ocasions where someone sympathetic to the anon replies break from the distinctive patterns of The Anon. Replies come from either burner accounts or guests with more unique names. And these replies are both A - fewer and far between - suggesting they are a different actor - and B - by and large quite serious and thoughtful. I take them to be real people, legitimate fans concerned about racism, caught up in the crossfire.

4. The Anon uses language intended to engender right-wing sympathies and white-moderate anger.

The Anon sent this in their message to me the other day. I will bold the relevant passages.

"You’re the perfect example of the kind of white person who ruins fandom for everyone else, a nasty racist bitch who cares more about their shitty fanfiction than the feelings of actual people of color. Keep using your precious freedom of speech to fetishize brown men I guess

"The kind of white person": This anon has no proof of my race and proof doesn't matter to them. (They have targeted writers of color and white writers alike) They are indiscriminant because they are hoping some of their targets are white women. They are also attempting to out-group white women from the rest of fandom - trying to engender in me feelings of being alienated from my community.

"Nasty racist bitch" "Nasty woman" incidentally is what Trump famously called Hilary Clinton during a 2016 debate. Calling me a racist is there to put me on the defensive (and to alienate me from my coalition) Im meant to feel shocked and disheartened by this accusation. And in a way, keeping this generic serves a purpose. A lack of specificity makes it harder for me to defend myself. "Bitch" is there to trigger my fear/anger response. It is also assuming my gender - again. The anon doesnt care if they accidentally sent this hate to a man or nonbinary person or a person of color. they are betting that at least a plurality of targets will be their key white woman demographic.

"people of color" - while it is correct terminology - is also terminology of the US left/democratic wing. By using this term the Anon is in-grouping themselves with the left - trying again to make me feel like an outsider.

Finally, the kicker is the Freedom of Speech part of this ask.

The Anon is using the concept of free speech here in the same way that the MAGA crowd does, to mean that I ought to be able to say whatever I want regardless of how it hurts others, rather than the legal term's actual definition - the right to critique one's government without being jailed or killed.

By accusing me of caring about Freedom of Speech this way they're not trying to make me feel guilt - theyre trying to hurt me, make me angry, and guide me to sympathize with Republicans. They are using the term this way to push me to think of my fanfic in terms of free speech and thus to agree with Republican freedom of speech talking points. Or if I reject the accusation - to feel torn between Left and Right.

The Anon is trying to sow discord. Theyre employing the same tactics that broke the Womens March movement in 2021, and that pervaded so many Facebook groups and twitter in the last two US election cycles. They are using tactics honed to cleave apart progressives and moderates.

My only question after all those realizations was: why the fuck are they doing this to such a niche group as star trek fanfiction writers.

And then it hit me.

The Anon's Motive: Trek Fic Writers are a Target Election Demographic.

By and large, US fan writers of ships from 90s star trek are women, often millenial and gen x women, many likely to be suburban. And yes - more likely to be white. In short we are part of the same demographic Trump lost in 2020 and needs to either win back this year, or try keep from going to the polls.

You can tell me I sound ridiculous - I think this whole stinking situation is ridiculous. I'm not unaware of how fringe a theory this is. I've been taught to always assume incompetence before malice. And for a while I considered that maybe The Anon was genuine. Maybe they had good intentions and poor execution. I'm sure I could write characters of color better (I am not afraid to admit that I'm still learning. Being wrong isnt something to be afraid of). I wanted this to be the case actually, but I have too much evidence and motive in favor of malicious bot tactics to ignore.

I have tried so hard to think of a reason I'm wrong. Except that all the pieces make sense. No fic / writer specific grievances have been aired by The Anon. They hit the same points every time, again, without textual evidence. They never reply. They chose words that wound and inflame but that never say anything specific about the fic or writer.

And wouldn't it be damn convenient for the Trump camp if a bunch of progressive and moderate US star trek fans decided not to vote because they were disheartened by being accused of racism and felt alienated from the democratic coalition.

This is a niche community. But we likely arent the only targets. And as a friend reminded me tonight, it doesnt take much to move the needle.

#paris/torres #star trek fandom #the troll anon #racism #if you do happen to be the anon the easiest way to prove im wrong is to make a burner account and come talk to me #tell me what parts of my fics you found problematic im really not afraid to hear it

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blazethecheeto · 4 months

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ATLAS PARADOX RAMBLING

dude this book. i need to talk. about it. im going insane.

everyone who hasn't read it, PLEASE DO!!! it's a dark academia book about a bunch of gay silly magic people that join a society and try to kill each other. there's time travel, a big ass polycule, aesthetic scenes, the prettiest writing style in the world, science, philosophy, and fucked family. (opposite of found family).

(extremely chaotic unorganized long rant below, with spoilers. click at your own risk)

FIRST OF ALL WHY WAS THIS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE?!!?!?

i had to power through the first one, it felt long, and unnecessary and like trekking through a JUNGLE with the thickest and most intricate ecosystem that i had to peel back and unravel for hours and hours. only to like move the plot by an inch.

BUT THIS. olivie blake found her footing because this was so good. i am aware the reviews hate on this book and some people don't like it, but personally i adore it and it's really well written.

CHARACTERS

bro they all had such wonderful voices, like they were distinct and unique from each other but not drastically, noticeably different I NEED TO LEARN FROM THIS. six of crows and the atlas six do multi povs so well <3 its like this book was made for me, each character was perfect and incredible and gay and silly and-

reina. love of my life. i look forward to all her povs because the plants are so silly and she's the best character. i said it. she's canon asexual now too YEES. i needed more of her because she was barely in the first one, and they DELIVERED. the juicy plot with her 'god complex' (ily callum) and her feelings getting hurt and learning she actually is lonely and wants friends? she's so wanda maximoff. next book better have her opening up and learning to love people or i riot (and also her killing people and being the badass she is)

parisa always my fave too, i do wish her character wasn't always talking about sex or romance, there were some great moments in this book where she showed off her telepathy powers (the prince in the tower!!) it was awesome. i'm glad they acknowledged that side of her with reina, (oh my god i ship them so much wait till i rant about them-) but dude i still HATE DALTON. SO MUCH. OH MY GOD. every time it's her pov i dread seeing dalton, i wish she could give that up. generic white men should die.

CALLUM. whatever turned him from complex, daunting, and a psychopath last book to janus from sanders sides this book- beautiful choice. he's literally the one sassy wine-sipping gay aunt that feels nothing and everything at once, also extremely mentally ill and depressed. he's SO FUNNY. his povs are fucking hilarious to read, and he quickly became one of my faves bc of how complex he is. i'm not smart enough to decipher and psychoanalyze him but god i LOVE CHARACTERS LIKE THIS.

i don't know what happened but nico is literally one of my faves now too, he's so silly and sweet and kind and i loved his relationships with everyone this book. like him trying to murder tristan in multiple different ways oml. he's my bbg. tristan was hit or miss for me, i did find him interesting but he's not my favourite. doesn't mean i hate him, he's so very british, i feel it radiating off the page. libby my queen my icon, her dream povs were so trippy i loved it- so so realistic to a real dream, that was the most surprising and unique part. also my bisexual queen seducing belen??

i did not like ezra and atlas was a little iffy here and there but tbh the cast was so well rounded and interesting and unique but paralleled each other so well?? THE RELATIONSHIPS. I DONT THINK ANY BOOK HAS THIS INTRICATE WEB-LIKE RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER. they're one big polycule.

RELATIONSHIPS

nico and libby <3 i love them so much as siblings/queerplatonic partners. i don't ship them romantically, because i LOVE how they subverted the eye-rolling predictable ' YA academic rivals enemies to lovers' trope. when i started TAS, i immediately thought they were gonna get together and assumed the worst. but no, they still had the banter and importance in their relationship but without the romance? instead both of them were gay af. it's beautiful. i love subverting tropes so much. they're each other's 'other half' and they're hilarious together.

NICO AND TRISTAN. they were such a highlight this book, it was unexpected but so funny. nico trying to murder tristan and their little talks because 'they're not friends...just coworkers' yeah right, the best friendships start with creatively murdering each other. tristan being droll and chill af, and then nico bouncing off the walls my adhd king.

reina and nico broke me?? like that one chapter where they sparred and caught up with each other and reina was guarding her hurt feelings. DUDE THAT KILLED ME. made me stare at the ceiling for a good minute. their friendship is everything to me, they contrast each other so well. she deserves to be treated better- when they had that projection chapter and she saw that nico downplayed her skills...like she was good, but not good enough for him to care about her. AGGHGH.

REINA AND PARISA. NOW THIS. THIS HOOKED ME INTO THE BOOK. i ship them so bad guys. they parallel each other and are both hot and enemies to lovers and wlw slow burn and- look. reina is asexual, therefore the only person to truly see and understand parisa for who she is, and not be influenced by her body. like that one projection. she can help parisa understand HERSELF and who she is past her sexual desirability. how to love someone again. romantically. then, on the flip side, parisa can help reina see and understand OTHERS. reina only sees people as one trait, cut and dry- without any of the complex feelings. parisa is a telepath, she knows how to read others. THEY CAN BOTH HELP EACH OTHER AND LOVE EACH OTHER IN WAYS THEY NEVER COULD HAVE OMFDADJFLSKJADFL- also reina pinned her against a wall and they want to kill each other and every time they interact i scream into my pillow-

'You can't love anyone right?"

"I've met very few people worth loving."

*throws myself off a building*

now we just gotta play the familiar game "IS IT DELUSION OR IS IT JUST SLOW BURN" and find out whether their insane chemistry pays off in book 3.

the nico parisa scene was actually sweet ngl, even though i don't ship them. the whole callum and tristan thing was so bitter exes situationship coded and i ate every second up. especially that last conversation. AND OFC. GIDEON AND NICO?!!! AAAAA THEY WERE SO CUTE THEY'RE ENDGAME I SCREAMED WHEN THEY KISSED DUDE THEYRE SO-

PLOT

now for the actual plot. this book has so many interesting subjects and philosophies and debates i'm not smart enough for this. but past all the aesthetic glamour, it's science, time travel, dreams, multiverses, fate, reality, and the complexities of the human mind. and my god it's fascinating as fuck.

do i have any idea what they do in this society?? NO. am i entertained? YES. especially that whole explosion paradox to bring libby back to the future. the whole powering the connections via aurora borealis? the whole debate about being gods? i love it. i love it.

alright im so sorry for that rant, i gotta go now but DUDE I LOVE THIS BOOK NO MATTER HOW WEIRD IT WAS

#the atlas six #the atlas paradox #fandom rant #long post #jesus HOW MANY WORDS WAS THIS #this was long #parisa kamali #libby rhodes #nico de varona #reina mori #tristain caine #atlas blakely #callum nova #nicogideon #reina x parisa #tas #my faves #mine

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ashsostrange · 7 months

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i’m (not) sorry to say, but miles is better off by himself.

idk if i’ve ever written a post this long, but i got energy tonight. y’all have been sucked into the black hole of shipping, so let me ground you and remind you of this amazing thing called being single. i’m gna talk ab margo and gwen, but mostly gwen bc she’s obv miles’ (main) love interest. i’ve said more than enough about why miles and gwen don’t work/make sense. if you wna be enlightened then feel free to click the links.

thoughts on ghostflower: here!

reblogging a moot's post w/ added thoughts: hereee!

i love ranting so let’s get it! 😛

i don't have much to say about margo bc sadly, she's barely there. what i will say though is that as cute as miles and margo would be together, there’s one more movie left lol. the third movie’s gna be busy as hell. there’s literally no time for romance, and to rush miles and margo (two people who just met) into liking each other in, like, a three hour timespan would just be terrible writing. plus, we all know she’s there for some bs having to do with miles nd gwen, which is literally soooooooo very lame, words can't describe. one, where are you finding the time to cram in jealousy/all this angsty romance mess when miles’ dad is ab to die and the universe is ab to collapse bc of a nigga that looks like the lovechild of a cardboard box and a cow?? two, is this really all margo is here for?? to make gwen jealous or “help miles realize he’s in love with gwen” ?? shameeee, like summer said. 😐 i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: margo could be SO much more than a disposable love interest!!!

gwiles/ghostflower fans, i’m going to tell you something that will make you upset. i said i was coming for you and i meant it 🗣️‼️

before you yell at me and push smoke out of your ears, i need you to put your right hand on your chest and close your eyes. you feel your heartbeat? good. now, count to three while taking deep breaths and remember that none of this shit is real so you’d look stupid af trying to attack me. 🙃 some of y’all are getting TOO comfortable being unnecessarily disrespectful and ion like that lol. don’t try it here bc i’m on another level of not gaf!

listen, even if (when?) gwen and miles team up to save his dad, it won’t change the fact that gwen was keeping some hefty info from miles, yo. she was smiling in jeff’s face and cracking jokes like she didn’t know he was bout to die. y’all gotta be so very real with yourselves. you wouldn’t wna date, let alone be FRIENDS with someone who kept something that big from you, regardless of the circumstances or lack of ill intent. one of the most important people in your life concealing the fact that you’re about to lose another important person in your life is insane.

i’m aware that gwen didn’t tell miles about his dad because she genuinely thought it’d cause mass destruction if he saved jeff. thing is, even if miles knew that, i think he’d still feel betrayed. that’s 100% valid because this is his dad we’re talking about. he just lost his uncle not too long ago, too. i wouldn’t blame miles if he never wanted anything to do with gwen again. i wouldn’t blame bro if he got sick to his stomach every time he saw her. it’d be justified, bc if he never followed her that night, then he wouldn’t have had the chance to save jeff.

my point is that you can be a “good person” and still fuck up bad enough to make someone never wna speak to you again. miles is a sweetheart so he’ll probably forgive gwen. my thing is, miles forgiving gwen doesn’t mean the two of them are obligated to be friends again. they can handle it maturely, go their separate ways, nd never speak again. it’s really not even gna hurt y’all cuz it’s the last mf movie anyway??? 😭😭

if it isn’t clear by now, i don’t want miles and gwen together at all. they have no business being around each other frl 🙃 not as friends and definitely not as lovers. like, sure, that one scene where they’re swinging/talking on the bank was my absolute fav. it was cute. i shipped them before i really thought about it. that scene is still my fav, but my adoration for it isn’t gna stop me from keeping it real.

i really don’t care what anyone says or how in love they think these two are, this isn’t a “forgive and forget” situation. if the writers truly wanted gwen and miles to be involved romantically, then not only should they have structured their dynamic better, they shouldn’t have made gwen the person she was in this movie. love, love, LOVE redemption arcs because it’s a reminder that we're human and we're flawed, but you can’t redeem yourself from that. sorry. (not) i say miles should leave that girl alone 🤷‍♀️ leave all potential girls alone ffs.

in conclusion, it’s okay for miles to be single. he's 15 anyway, it's not like he'll die without a girl. i’m the suckiest sucker for anything to do with romance, but characters in film/animation don’t need to have love interests for a project to be considered good. if you feel like it does, then maybe ts you’re watching just sucks, lmao. a girl and a boy can be friends without one having feelings for the other, or both of 'em having mutual feelings. (in the media idk ab irl..) it’s time to stop forcing ts. please.

and it’s okay y’all, i promise you. it’s okay if miles and gwen don’t end up dating. it's okay if they reconcile and stay friends. it’s okay if they reconcile and don’t stay friends. though unlikely, it’s also okay if miles doesn’t forgive gwen at all! resolutions like these go to show that you can “forgive” someone without letting them have access to you anymore. that’s what miles needs to do. straying away from the “happy ending” everyone is expecting would be nice. it’d be a different approach and a realistic way to complete the franchise. (i’m not just saying this bc i love angst)

but before the gwiles (ugly ass ship name btw) fans start throwing up and telling me to end my shit, it’s 99% unlikely that anything i just stated will actually happen. we’re more than likely getting a kiss between miles and gwen, nd that’s bc the writers are probably high off the same dope they were on when they wrote gwen sneaking in thru miles’ window, j for his parents to be way more calm about it than any other normal parent would be. i could say some more about certain scenes but that's for another night.

miles doesn’t need to be with anyone. especially not gwen when it comes down to it.

oh and i HATE peter b. fuck that nigga. he was nun but an extra in this movie and i know he’s an opp in the next. 🙎‍♀️

that’s all! if you read allat then thanks, cuz i wrote a lot. if you're feeling angry, then go for a walk. this isn’t a place for any typa criticism bc i am right, therefore, i am not requesting confirmation. 🙌 i said what i said. have a good night.

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beanghostprincess · 6 months

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would you do platonic ships???? 👀 nami x luffy and nami x sanji. i think luffy and sanji would both be very supportive of nami after she comes out as a lesbian. every time a random guy tries to hit on nami, luffy runs and screams “SHE’S A LESBIAN!!!!” luffy is way too honest but he’s got the spirit

you're asking me literally the best things ever!!! i'm gonna kiss your forehead c'mere--

i'm INSANE for platonic ships. most people don't often pay attention to the beauty of nami's relationship with the guys (especially with sanji and luffy) since they're always being shipped romantically with her. they make me physically unwell. they're so so so important to me. if i could talk about platonic sanami and platonic lunami all the time without it constantly being seen as shippy, believe me, i would be the most annoying person on this site.

btw, i literally choked on my drink while reading what you said about luffy yelling "SHE'S A LESBIAN!!!!!!!!!" because it's so damn real and canon and it's so fucking funny to picture him just- running from one side of the room to the other while yelling that,, he's so protective. maybe too intense about it, but yeah, he's got the spirit!

luffy and nami's relationship is actually really important to me personally because her story and background really resonate with me. i cried so damn much watching arlong park,, not gonna go into detail here, because you all know how important their dynamic and relationship are in canon, but they make me ill. nami spent years without having any friends because she didn't let herself trust others and even less, let herself deserve to have friends. and luffy just appears like a motherfucking ray of sunshine and helps her get out of that toxic and harmful situation she's in. she's herself with the crew. she can be rude and harsh sometimes to keep them in place and yet they still see her as the sweet, fun, caring girl she actually is. she is a thief and a menace and a bit of a bitch (in the BEST sense of the word) and they all know she's always going to be there for them. and she knows they're going to be there for her, too, always. the fact that luffy is always looking after her and protecting her no matter what? the way the first thing that always comes to his mind whenever they're in danger and he has to leave, is to tell either sanji or zoro to look after her for him? it makes me want to curl up and sob. it's not that he thinks she's weak, it's that he knows her fighting style is more to defend herself or others only when needed, and he won't let her be in danger like that. she's the brains, he's the captain. that's HIS navigator. i love the platonic possessiveness of it all. i love them clingy and sappy and holding each other whenever they are sad and always supporting each other. currently, i'm watching wci (everyone knows this because i'm the most annoying sanji fan so ofc i won't shut up) and the fact that she didn't run away when luffy told her so and stayed with him to fight?? the way she stays with him after the fight with sanji???? they are so,,, i just love them so damn much i'm gonna cry. and this is just the example i choose NOW because i'm in a wci mood, but i could talk about them for hours.

i love platonic clingy lunami. i want him to hug her like a koala. i want her to kiss his forehead when he's asking for attention. i want luffy to come to nami when he's feeling bad about something. i want nami to fix the straw hat while he sleeps on her lap. i want them to sleep together and cuddle and-- that scene in punk hazard where she casually feeds him???? that was so cute (this happening while the kids where literally crying makes everything funnier lmao). they understand each other so so well and they're both so protective of each other,,, it's INSANE. it also has to do with the fact that the romance dawn trio will always be at least a tinyyyy bit more personal and intimate than the others, being the first crewmates and all. never forget strong world for giving me so much lunami content. luffy loves her so damn much,,,,,,

she puts luffy in his place whenever he's acting a bit too stupid and he supports her no matter what. i think that's beautiful. because she's always labeled as scary when she gets mad (i mean, understandable) but he still sees her for who she actually is. and it's,,, so,,, so beautiful,,,

and as a lesbian??? i'm not gonna go into detail as to why lesbian nami is important to me because then i wouldn't shut up in ages, but she is so so so so personal to me. and luffy would be so damn supportive of her it makes me cry. in fact, i love the headcanon of the monster trio being all protective when it comes to men flirting with her. because she might know how to handle men to get what she wants, but sometimes guys just fucking suck and they will try to have their way with nami,,, and uhhhh that dude will probably end up dead. don't flirt with nami if you're a boy because you'll probably most definitely die in the hands of these three protective boys.

besides, there's nothing more personal and intimate than the friendship between an aroace and a lesbian. mutual 0 attraction to men, and full room to act clingy without it having to mean anything. i love them to death.

and yeah,,,,, sanami. platonic sanami. don't get me started on platonic sanami, i might actually die before being able to finish writing this whole thing.

i just,,, they make me,,, they make me so happy,,, i,,, cuteness and happiness overload,,,

i hate that i can't talk about them without people thinking it's romantic. I DON'T WANT THEM ROMANTICALLY I WANT THEM TO BE CLINGY AND SUPPORTIVE OF EACH OTHER IN A VERY PLATONIC HOMOSEXUAL WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

there's nothing more powerful than a lesbian and her golden retriever simp who's also a wet cat and would do anything for her. and oh! turns out the guy is actually very very genderfluid and bisexual and has so much trauma regarding gender and sexuality comprehension that she needs to help him get out of that mindset.

tl;tr: sanji bi trans is so repressed he needs a lesbian to help him.

the vinsmokes fucked up his mindset so much and tbh zeff's views on masculinity (love him tho, he's a great dad) didn't help either. but it's fine because nami is there to help him!!!! her!!!! them!!!! any pronouns sanji, woo-hoo!!!! ivankov would be proud. (projecting my genderfluid lesbian ass in this whole thing lmao)

anyway, the thing with platonic sanami is that i think they're perfect for each other. he simps for her but not only because she's pretty, but because everything nami is. he's constantly talking about her brains and strategies and he knows how fucked up her life has been and how strong she is. he admires her so so much,,, and tbh in my mind, where transfem genderfluid sanji is a thing, they admire her bc that's exactly how they want to be (using all pronouns here for her bc why not, c'mon). and nami might be a bit uhhh tired of sanji's behavior, but she loves him nevertheless. she went through so much during wci, watching sanji fighting with luffy and having to witness it??? when she slaps him in the face and doesn't use 'sanji-kun' like she always does?? it killed me. it hurt worse than a fucking breakup. and then she tells him that she won't let him go away again, and,,, it broke me. she cares so so much for him. she knows he's had a very fucked up life too. they make me go insane. he respects nami and cares about her opinion the most, and i'm tired of people always seeing their relationship as "funny simping guy x mean girl" NO!!!! SHUT UP!!! THEY'RE BEST FRIENDS AND THEY LOVE EACH OTHER SO SO MUCH!!! THEY DESERVE TO BE HAPPY TOGETHER!!!!

forever thinking about how the code for the fridge is nami, robin and sanji's birthdays combined. they literally just- sat together and thought about a code. and they're the only ones who know this. it's so cute,,,

he respects and admires nami, and nami understands why he acts the way he does. and it's,,, so beautiful,,

i think that once she's helped him figure out his identity, they'd be even closer. i'm a sucker for clingy platonic relationships, as you can see, and them finally being able to be clingy would make me so happy. i enjoy sanami fanarts and content only bc i see them like that. they're so real. lesbian/trans bi solidarity.

also, we talk a lot about usopp and nami being gossiping besties, but i think nami and sanji would be the same. they judge you from the other side of the bar. they talk shit about you. be scared of the judgemental gays.

thriller bark. whole cake. skypiea. they have so many moments there,,, they make me so happy. whenever sanji saves her or whenever he's worried sick about her? i die. people die. it's me i'm people and platonic sanami kills me every time.

and you haven't asked me about these but shout out to usopp and zoro also being nami's protective besties. they all love her to death. don't hurt nami, you'll probably die.

#this is so long i am so sorry #honestly that's on you for asking me about my fav platonic ships /j /lh #god i love them so much #nami #black leg sanji #monkey d luffy #platonic sanami #platonic lunami #one piece

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blackfemmecharacterdependency · 10 months

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They Should Have Never Given You the Word “Queerbait”

It’s been 5 years and I’m still thinking about this, so now I am going to vent a bit. I hate when there is a Black female protagonist who is queer coded and seemingly in a slow burn setting, and the viewers flag it as queerbait and disengage.

I feel like I have seen so many shows where people can take a character who is never even suggestively queer and nit pick even the smallest glimmers to validate reading them as such and they will be able to ship and create and support all of the ways this is a queer character and trust the writers to possibly give more.

But, when there are Black women in these areas, it falls down as soon as they aren’t given overt displays of wlw actions. I said its been 5 years, because I’m specifically thinking about Kiss Me First, but I also want to hit on Crazyhead, while I’m here because I feel like it got paid the same treatment in this regard. And both of those shows had such good writing, and as a Black queer woman WITH mental illness, both of these characters spoke to me and seeing them have potential for love stories for wlw stories was so rewarding, only to see the journey get bashed and the shows get cancelled.

So. Let me talk a minute. Starting with Kiss Me First. If you haven’t already watched it, you probably aren’t going to, so I’m not sparing potential “spoilers,” as I’ve said, its been 5 years.

Kiss Me First centers around this dynamic of an orphan, Leila, who recently lost her mom and is getting attached to a woman, Tess, that she met in this computer universe, who she also has befriended irl. Leila and Tess start off with some mystery, as you can’t tell what Tess’ intentions are for this woman, but you see very early on that Leila doesn’t necessarily trust people that are in Tess’ life. When Leila realizes that the person who Tess seems to care about the most is a dangerous and manipulative person, she does everything that she can to protect her.

The criticisms of the show were that people were “queerbaited” with the relationship between them because of the romantic and sexual relationships that these characters had with men and not with each other...

This is what is frustrating to me: So much of this series is realistic, INCLUDING the story arcs where these women are in relationships with men that don’t really serve them best. Real life queer people frequently have relationships with partners that they don’t really belong with before finding the love that they had been seeking. But, the moment it happens in media, especially with a Black woman, it is unbearable for audiences. They gotta see her eating box, or it ain’t real.

And it’s aggravating, because there is this fairy tale happening in which Leila literally is on a quest to save Tess. She knows that this guy is dangerous and her entire goal becomes making sure she rescues Tess from him. He lifts Tess on a pedestal and makes her feel like she is the most important person, but he is actually an abuser and preying upon this group that idolizes him, so Leila spends episodes working to get Tess out of his grasp.

In the end, they aren’t IN a queer relationship, but she has absolutely freed Tess and Tess is helping her to escape being framed by the enemy. They are “friends,” but if you have a queer eye, and are not racist, you’d be able to see that this is and was the entire time a fucking love story between these two women! If anything, they tossed in some dudes for the straights to pay attention. I’m livid every time somebody suggests that Kiss Me First is queerbait. To you, but not my Black, gay, bipolar ass. I loved it. I wanted to see them flourish. I wanted to be given the payoff, yes. But, I loved being able to see a beautiful love story between two fucked up people who were side by side at the end.

This happened in Crazyhead, as well.

Raquel is a target for an apocalypse and do you know how Amy saved her and the world? By telling her she loved her and giving her a kiss that brought her back from the brink of destruction...

Now... I will admit, the writers did a “no homo” type thing at the end... but the homo in me seen the homo in thee, so I wasn’t bothered by that.

I just think that it is an unfair measurement, to expect everything to be served up for you in order to support representation, and not being able to detect subtext or to envision the potential coding shows a huge amount of privilege. I adore the fact that so much queer content as of late gets spoonfed to you, but I also enjoy a slow burn, and it’s not right that Black queer women rarely get one because you give up if there’s not an automatic tonguing and huge declarations. And in the cases of these two shows, there were very clear expressions of love and several moments of intimacy, but I guess they needed to trib for true love.

Anyways, I love Kiss Me First and Crazyhead, and I consider them representation FOR ME.

#Kiss Me First #Tess x Leila #Crazyhead #Raquel x Amy #Nesha Rants #black queer representation #black female characters #commentary #Tess KMF #Raquel Francis #Simona Brown #Susan Wokoma #Disability Pride Month

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s0lar-ch3ri · 9 months

Text

what if i just rambled

like ik people have thoughts that they cant get out but what if i became so autistic enough that i understood the blorbo and- fuck it lets talk about a jrwi character again (spoilers obvi)

i couldnt choose between ollie and jay but i feel like ollie i got more to talk about for so ill do him first then jay cause they feel very connected for no fucking reason

so i think everyone acknowledges that ollie is just a kid but he really isnt just a kid? like he semi has the mind of an adult from the usage of the compass, because it didnt just mature him physically, but mentally too. from what i can guess, it was slow and unnoticeable until it was too big for ollie to know how to handle. thats when ollie was a kid.

yet ollie adapted, and while he really was 12 for that time still, he wasnt a kid. he grew up for a bit, he was an adult. and thats what scared him. because we all have been scared of growing too fast. so when ollie had that hit him like a truck, he didnt want to leave bed and shit. yet he became the adult his body reflected. sure, he never was fully an adult, but thats because hes not just an adult, hes still a kid.

and after he had adjusted to it, he got to have it for a couple more days. then it was gone. all the growth was now unnecessary and he didnt know what to do again. yet he didnt handle it like he did the first time. he thought about it. and again, he got over it. yet he didnt let go of what maturing so quick taught him, and hes still grown after. because hes something in between an adult and child, yet its not a teen or something.

another thing to note: ollie didnt have a say every fucking time. when he aged up, he didnt ask for it. he asked for a way to get him home and maybe it brought out another desire ollie had inside him by using it so much (touching on that more later). when ollie adjusted, he didnt ask to. he probably just wanted to curl away in that blanket and hide, because it was scary out there. yet somewhere inside he thought earl was right (earl calls him a baby or smth because he just keeps on staying in bed) and forced himself to adapt the new adult body. and when he was aged back, he didnt get a say. chip just decided it, thinking thats what ollie wanted. and he did, he did want to be a kid again. yet he wasnt ready yet. but when would he be?

so why do i bring up so much his lack of input? because it sounds similar to how he got onto the albatross. he first was taken from his home, then working with marshal jon, then working with the albatross. now being so amazed by the sea yet scared of its dangers hes been accustomed to quite a bit now, soon enough hes going back home and has to act like he didnt have the most terrifying and great adventure of his lifetime (another detail i wanted to add is theres no way jon and ollie didnt encounter some form of sea monsters or danger after being out at sea so long, we jsut arent told anything about it so yeah extra trauma thoughts).

so to me, ollie's lying (like his dad aka chip would /j). to me, ollie's desire wasnt just to return home. i doubt it was more then just a whiff of a thought that loomed in ollies head. because yeah, he wanted to go home, but not yet. he wanted to be on the ship longer, but not jsut that. he wanted to be able to help his friends. he didnt like seeing his friends come back beaten and bruised, yet being in the corner doing nothing. and he was told by chip that when he was older he could hang out with them on the ship again. so ollie, unknowing of consequences that could happen, wishes for not just a way home, but a way to help. i literally could write theory shit for this cause its not just thoughts for once! niklaus has said that the people's desires can twist from their greed, and maybe ollie didnt realize his greed (or the amount he was asking to be brought real was "greedy" and ollie didnt notice) so it twisted his desire (it being the compass), thus why niklaus doesnt understand what happened with ollie, because accidentally beign greddy can happen, or being greedy in the eyes of another.

i literally dont think ill have the motivation to wrap this up yet so ill do so later

#jrwishow #jrwi podcast #jrwi #jrwi riptide #jrwi show #just roll with it #jrwi spoilers #jrwi oliver #jrwi ollie #jerwee supreme

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charmixpower · 1 year

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let's GET this bread give me Skloom vibecheck give me rivusa vibecheck just bc i'm nice and i wanna gibe you the excuse to talk abt them and then for the sake of being selfish give me roxyselina vibecheck

-@parola-di-winx xx

NOVE!!!! Hiiiii

I am literally the only Sky liker (apologist, stan, defence lawyer) that doesn't give a fuck about Skloom

Firstly I'd like to say, Sky stans I'm sorry I don't like Skloom I'm still one of you I pinky promise

Okay likeeeee have you ever thought about Skloom is built on both Sky and Bloom looking at each other, imagining a perfect person and future that literally can't exist based on internal fantasies, projecting that on each other, and getting together based on that?????

No, wait, listen

Sky and Bloom only know lies about each other when they first get a crush on each other, and they both get a crush on each other immediately after meeting and barely having a single conversation. Like??? That's just a bad start.

When they find something out about the other that doesn't fit their preconceived notion they both physically leave the area. Both of their personal issues match up perfectly in being conflict avoidant. Like Bloom obviously isn't Valtor 2.0, and Sky has assassins after him and some of the world's worst parents that let Diaspro stay kidnapped just for an attempt to manipulate Sky. Like, if they would have a single conversation before running

In s1 they're first kiss is a hallucination between both of them. You can say neither of them made a move because they're shy, and that's kinda the point??? Evidence that most of there relationship is in there head

Bloom is stupid jealous of Aisha in the beginning of s2, and gets mad at Sky for being jealous for the rest of s2. As someone who's easily jealous with a best friend who is easily jealous, I usually mutual jealous behavior chills out both parties because they're fears of being abandoned are unfounded. UNLESS ITS NOT ABOUT ABANDONMENT AND IS ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE!!! THATS SUSPICIOUS!!! THATS WEIRD!!!

I'm not going to bring up Bloom thinking Sky's Valtor state was real because girl as the self confidence of dirt, this is nomral for her

Anyways they should break up!!! They're relationship is built off of what they imagine the perfect partner to be like and this perception is very not good for both of them!!!

But they stay friends bc they care about each other

This ship is so important to me because it's like the basis of both of their "LIVE IN REALITY YOU DUMB FUCKS" character arc and I love that for them

Certain fandom interpretations are super cute too

Also s5 is what s4 is Rivusa to Skloom. Don't ask

THEE OTP

SHUT UP SHUT UP THE DISASTERS ARE HERE!!!!

ITS ABOUT FINDING LOVE AND CONNECTION WITH SOMEONE WHO CAN UNDERSTAND AND LOVE YOU FULLY, MENTAL ILLNESS AND ALL, AND LOVING THEM BACK

ITS ABOUT SUPPORTING EACH OTHER THOUGH THE BAD DAYS AND GETTING HELP

ITS ABOUT LIFTING EACH OTHER UP DURING THE GOOD DAYS AND CELEBRATING THE HARD WON VICTORIES EVEN IF NOMRAL PEOPLE CAN ACCOMPLISH THEM EASILY

ITS ABOUT SEEING SOMEONE LIKE YOURSELF AND LEARNING TO LOVE YOURSELF THOUGH THEM

I can go in forever

They are THEE BPD couple, do not argue with me. Musa is sooo bipolar and Riven absolutely has borderline personality disorder. Musa WILL start crying randomly and cuddle Riven until the mood swing passes, and Riven trusts her to send her texts about everything that's going on and see if he's reacting like a normal person

Yes I AM projecting, thank you for asking!!!!

The relationship between two people who experience mood swings can be so important

THEY ARE GETTING HELP AND TAKING LIFE ONE DAY AT A TIME TOGETHER!!!!! SHUT UPPPPP AGH!!! THEY ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER TO GET THEREPY AND SHIT!!!!!

They're both so insecure that the fact that the other one feels the same as them loops back around to being secure

I could go on about them forever but I love them so much!!! These two being happy together is such a uplifting story, you ARE more than your mental illness!!! S3 golden kingdom, s4, and s6 on don't exist ❤️ and will NEVER be forgiven by the mentally ill community

I have not seen s6 yet nfjsdn so I have no clue about Selina's real personality

1) they're both alt girlies and I fucking love that for them

2) the idea of Roxy going to CT, pissed off at being made a authority figure with a bunch of responsibility, meeting and kissing fuck all authority Selina is cute and I love it

3) THEY ARE GOING TO SUPER HELL IN YOUR VERSION NOVE!!!!!!! "I love you" *gets eaten by a deep sea fish* frothing at the mouth ect ect ect ect

4) I'm very open to it and nomral about the fandom version of it I prommy

#winx club #winx musa #winx bloom #winx sky #winx riven #winx roxy #winx selina #rivusa #musa x riven #roxy x selina #rus chatters #asks #ask game

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moregraceful · 8 months

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Hi Kasper!!! Are you writing for Time Begins? If so, may I ask for a teeny tiny sneak peek? 😳🫣

If not/also, it is clear you love the Giants most and I don't blame you but what are your favorite non-Giants ships, or Giant/non-Giant ships? And what do you love about them?

Hope these are interesting enough!

Oh bless you I love to share unedited snippets of fic that will ultimately go through an absolute chainsaw massacre of rewrites...under the cut below

But first, non-Giants ships!!! I have many. This is going to reveal an INTENSE Blue Jays bias. I've been banging the drum for more Bo Bichette/Vladimir Guerrero Jr for like. years. I love them so much they're so tender and they look so good in each other's arms. I'm also powerfully crazed by the fact that Lourdes Gurriel Jr wanted to dom Bo Bichette so bad. Why was he so up in Bo's grill. Why do people see Bo Bichette and all their blood goes to their dick. Also why is no one kissing George Springer??? I think Vladdy should kiss him. I mean I think the whole team should all kiss him but Vladdy specifically should kiss him while they eat their stupid wonderbread sandwiches. Also though I am not a scholar of the old men on that team, every time they cross my dash they're doing something bananas gay. Love it. Blue Jays scholars please educate me on your old men! Basically whatever gay juice they seem to be spiking their gatorade with up there in Canada: it's good

I also very fond of Gunnar Henderson/Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles....chosen one 4 chosen one, it's SO good. Also they're huge and hot and Baltimore is such an interesting town. what more do you need. let them go on dates doing weird shit and eating ice cream!!! Also very fond of Chris Davis/Adam Jones for insane reasons, and Manny Machado/Jonathan Schoop for normal reasons.

My one Yankees mutual has found better things to do than spend her life on Tumblr (I miss you Rhi 😭😭) so I am sadly not as keyed into whatever those gay fucks are up to as I was but I have a special place in my heart for Kyle Higashioka and Gerrit Cole bc their arranged marriage is insane. Also, we are always on team Hapa. Also need someone to tell me if Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo are anything bc the pregame meal commercial is lodged in my brain like a disease you get from drinking river water, but since I have zero remaining Yankees mutuals, I have no idea what's up.

AND FINALLY, ENDING HERE SINCE THIS IS GETTING LONG, I am very fond of my friends across the bay the Oakland Athletics!! I saw an insane headline yesterday about the A's playing at Oracle while their stadium is being built in Las Vegas. This was, to be clear, the most deranged thing I have ever read and it will never happen because Larry Baer would kill David Kaval and John Fischer in real life -- HOWEVER, the idea of the Baby O's interacting with the baby Giants because they would share a stadium and presumably clubhouse made me howl like a dog. First of all, Tony Kemp and Mike Yastrzemski would be great co-parents (they're in love, they're in love, and they DON'T care who knows it) and I think their combined power could right the sinking ships of both teams. second of all, I need to see what happens when you mix traumatized Oakland rookies with Giants rookies who are being forced to play Kaplerball. I think it would literally be catastrophically horny. the teams would invent several new mental illnesses. the amount of doubleheaders would have a horrible effect on San Francisco's water supply. I honestly think we'd get a like California Hockey situation, where you come to the Bay Area and get your ass kicked by both teams, who meanwhile lose every single away game they play and are at the bottom of their respective leagues. It would be so good and so bad and I don't think the teams OR the fanbases would ever recover. The whole thing is very we found love in a hopeless place. What would you do, if you were Casey Schmidt, and you met Lawrence Butler? You would be so horny, and so uncool about it.

Anyway thank you for asking!!! and sorry to m pindergarten specifically and only, if she read that last paragraph

Excerpt of my very neglected Time Begins fic:

Blake almost bails on Casey to hang out with Sean but when he floats the idea past Sean as they all dress to leave, Sean stares at him in disbelief. “Don’t be an idiot,” he says.

“Why? You’re my friend.” Blake doesn’t get the look on Sean’s face. He just wants Sean to feel better.

“So is Casey,” says Sean. “Stop making him feel bad.”

“You feel bad now,” protests Blake.

Sean stands up. He towers over Blake while Blake is sitting with one of his shoes half on. Sean puts both hands on Blake’s shoulders and bends down. “Blake,” he says very quietly. “It is Pride weekend. Casey is asking you to get a beer with him on Pride weekend.”

“Oh,” says Blake. He blinks. “Oh, okay. I thought Pride weekend was a couple weeks ago but I guess that explains all the lesbians I saw this morning when I walked to the grocery store. Like, Dyke March, because it’s Saturday, right? So he wants to get a beer with me on Pride weekend, which is meaningful. I guess.”

Sean presses his forehead against Blake’s. “Don’t squash his joy,” he says. “Not today. Not this weekend.”

He cups the back of Blake’s neck. “Or I’ll tell Craw you made Casey cry,” he says sweetly.

Sean straightens. Blake makes a face. “You’re supposed to be my friend,” he says. “You’re not supposed to give me a shovel talk.”

Sean flicks him in the forehead. “I got a hot date tonight. Don’t text.” He swaggers off.

“Don’t call me for a ride home because I’m busy tonight,” Blake yells after him. He puts on his shoes.

#the fic is suuuuuch garbage and i need to edit it so bad but i am trying to yeet as many boxes out of this house as i can #before my new job starts next week. so every single fic i'm working on is having a nice restful stay in the garden for a while #my lakehouse fic likely will not get finished....alas lol. after i finish time begins i gotta throw all my energy into my fth fic #i have created a nightmare situation for myself beyond mortal comprehension but hey! at least i have dental insurance again #this post is a hot fucking mess my god but again the only person i'm apologizing to is m pindergarten. sorry m 😔#cage replies #anon

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z-mizcellaneous-z · 1 year

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Alright, Zay, first! How are you? Hope you're doing good!! ✨️

Second, for the ship ask, how about SeroRoki?

heyo kiya! i am surprisngly alive (i stayed up until 5 am rereading fanfics and then my mom woke me up at 8 am to help with breakfast lol). hope that you're doing well <33 /p

and now:

SEROROKI

Who’s the cuddler?

Todoroki, 100%. Once he is first exposed to physical affection (platonic in the beginning with friends and whatnot) he begins to crave it constantly. He's actually insatiable. When him and Sero get together and Sero is like "oh yeah i dont mind physical affection" Todoroki basically fuses with him at that point, clinging onto Sero like a koala almost 24/7.

Who makes the bed?

Todoroki. I like to think he's a very tidy person who can very easily fall into certain routines. Sero on the other hand has the take of "im gonna mess it up again anyways, why bother".

Who wakes up first?

I'd say Sero. I feel like he'd be the type to have a sleep schedule so fucked up that he'd find himself waking up pretty early. He also likes to wake up before Todoroki when they're sleeping in the same room together to shamelessly stare at Todoroki (his gaze is still a bit too intense for Sero to stare into for long periods of times, so he enjoys these quiet moments of tender fondness).

Who has the weird taste in music?

Todoroki. His playlist is literally any and every song anyone from class 1a has mentioned ever, which leads to going from a sad heartbreak song to screaming for three solid minutes.

Who is more protective?

They're equally protective of each other, though Sero is more protective in the emotional "protecting your feelings/heart from the cruelty of others" aspect, while Todoroki is more protective in the physical "protecting you from bodily harm" aspect.

Who sings in the shower?

Sero. I'd like to think he's a pretty decent singer, but doesn't like to show it off at all. Except with Todoroki, of course. During some of their cuddling sessions, Sero will hum random songs that always have a very soothing effect on Todoroki.

Who cries during movies?

Sero. Todoroki would be the type to go "they aren't real people, so these experiences aren't either. there's no need to get upset" while Sero sobs over Bambi's mom.

Who spends the most while out shopping?

Todoroki. He's filthy rich AND the youngest. Man has little to no sense of what is considered too expensive; he simply finds the highest possible quality product and buys it.

Who kisses more roughly?

Sero. I think in terms of kissing and any more "heated" aspects of physical affection, Sero is much more intense with it, while Todoroki's just trying his best to not accidentally set off his quirk.

Who is more dominant?

Sero. What about him *gestures at Todoroki* tells you that he'd top/dominate ever?

My rating of the ship from 1-10.

Even though they don't have that many moments in canon, their dynamic in canon-compliant things is so

SEND ME A SHIP AND ILL TELL YOU:

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