#just a little rant about tropes and couple dynamics

[wanderingteacup]

The art for this couple is beautiful and well done and I’m so happy this novel is getting noticed more and more, do not get me wrong. BUT, I just gotta let out some steam.

Look, I KNOW the BL/yaoi/danmei tropes. I know how it seems to be the unshakeable rule that there has to be a “top” and a “bottom” dynamic that never switches, and that the top always has to be more rugged and tall and wide at the shoulders, while the bottom is the pretty twink. It’s the most common dynamic and portrayal, worn as it is (though I am happy to say I’ve seen a couple good deviations from this rising to the top in manhwa and other media in recent years). The reason why I learned to love this novel so much is that it DIDN’T fall into these basic dynamics the same way while also using them in essence, so I guess the art is kinda making my brain fritz, along with a lot of ppl comparing Fu Shen to Wei Wuxian hahah.

In the book, Yan Xiaohan is honestly the bratty, cunning, scheming and utterly devoted vinegar jar beauty of a “wife” left at home when his man goes to get one drink and talk politics with another dude (yes this happens), who also happily tops his more traditionally “manly” and stoic husband on the regular (while not being a strict top at any point). They are both ok with this, as Fu Shen is never portrayed as “weaker” or less “manly” bc of this (like a lot of BL/yaoi etc. have a habit of doing). Yan Xiaohan also happily opens his arms and demands Fu Shen kiss him and push him down bc ya know he just loves his husband and always wants to get it on everywhere with him (this also happens lol), all the while being fine with carrying on their inside joke of him being “wifey”. He gets compared to a flower and a siren, he gets both a Xie Lian moment and a Jin Guangyao moment with being dressed up and passing as woman for his looks as well as described as being almost the spitting image of his mother respectively, all the while not feeling demeaned by any of it. And while we never see Fu Shen actually topping him, the “sex pollen” bit left more than enough hints that just about everything was tried and tested, so Fu Shen’s “manliness” has never been in doubt in my mind lolol. 

So, in my mind, they’ve always been among the strongest switch/vers energy couple I’ve seen in danmei since the beginning, with Fu Shen deserving to have his own masculinity emphasized and not just shoved into an ill-fitting “bottom” mold. They also break some more of the toxic molds of danmei by being “enemies to lovers” but actually being really heartfelt and domestic and passionately in love for half the book, in the open, making no excuses. Their story of course also has strong themes of morality, politics, goverment and rulers, as well as duty and sacrifice, so just a fully rounded package all around. 

So I guess I just found the art a tad misleading when it comes to their couple dynamics at first glance and felt some type of way about it lmao. Idk sorry about this mini rant, I mean ill to no one and nothing, I just wanted to air out some thoughts I’ve had after reading some conversations about them around the internet hahah. Still loved the art and ofc the books, I hope we get to see more and more art of them in the future bc there’s always room for everything! <3

#golden terrace #danmei #just a little rant about tropes and couple dynamics #quite literally up there among my favourite books so i guess i had to #the art is beautiful but it just looks like they straight up just switched the faces for them i'm sorryyy #fu shen #yan xiaohan

[iwillfightgodandwin]

(Minor spoilers for Renfield. Warning: This in a small rant about Renfield and how people criticize harshly on things that don't need to be.)

As an actor, I fucking love Renfield (2023). There is the beautiful colouring of the movie, the blending of 1930s film techniques with 2020 techniques, interwoven story telling with even little things coming up later, perfectly crafted relationships dynamics and each character has their own motives through the movie.

That being said, A LOT of things I've seen people talk about in the movie is generally negative. People agree that it's a decent movie, but some of the things people have a problem with don't make sense from a film/acting standpoint.

I've seen people say that Rebecca was unnecessary as a character and that her arc didn't mesh with the rest of the movie. I disagree. Renfield needed someone to show him that he didn't need to bow down and he COULD stand up for himself. However, the vampire hunter trope has been overdone. It would be tiring if Renfield teamed up with someone who knew what they were doing. So they gave us a parallel story. Someone who was heading in the same direction with the same goals, but not the same path.

I saw one person complain about how many different genres they stuck into the film. Let me be clear, it's a Comedy/Horror. They added Action into for several reasons. One of the main ones is because in a good action sequence you can get really good comedic bits. I also believe the person made a comparison to Marvel with it's setup. Honestly? It's just the way the film industry is heading right now. More action, more banter, more real in a way. Marvel is just one of the few big ones jumping onto the bandwagon, give it a couple more years, you'll see everyone doing it.

I also saw someone say (negatively) that Renfield was a bit of a thriller as well and to that I say "please google what a thiller is." You could classify 90% of action or horror movies as thrillers.

And to the people who say "what about the drama and romance? Those are in the film too!" Every movie nowadays has to have a romance arc. Trust me, as an aroace, it bothers me too. However the romance in the film never went anywhere. It was basically onesided and was pretty authentically dissolved into a friendship by the end. As for the drama, you try making a movie about toxic relationships without it getting too real.

All in all, there are some thing about the movie that aren't the best. There are some moments where too much was put in, and there were a couple where not enough was. But that's the beauty in film making, not everything has to be perfect, especially in a comedy.

I've noticed a growing trend in the past few years where movies (especially independent ones with a small fanbase) will get heavily criticized. I can barely enjoy movies nowadays without someone talking about how a movie was trash, or how it failed. It's disheartening, not only as a fan but as an actor as well.

I don't know, maybe this is a sign to start making videos on film techniques in movies. Balance out some of the negativity.

#renfield #nicholas hoult #nicholas cage #awkwafina #dracula #film industry #internet #movies #movie rant

[catboy037]

long ass rant incoming

goddamnit i just had to block two more sp blogs bc they're anti kyman 😭😭 save me from this hellhole

the narrative that kyman is a proship is honestly dumb. they are fourth graders. how much of a little piece of shit were you when you were younger? both kyle and cartman are capable of growing as people and mending their friendship. they care about each other. they act like they wouldn't care if the other died, but their whole fucking dynamic is that they can't live without each other, therefore the other dying would completely destroy them.

cartman is a misguided, traumatized, mentally ill child who doesn't understand half of the bigotry he spouts. kyle is a little shit with serious temper issues who takes out his anger on cartman because he's an easy target. they're both bad kids, and they're both capable of change. all children are. post covid cartman is such a good example of that.

i don't consider myself a proshipper, but i call shit like i see it, and kyle and cartman's character dynamic is literally the epitome of the enemies to lovers trope in its first stages. they hate each other. they wish the other way dead. they do everything they can to get one up on the other. but, in the end, they are tethered together by a rope that they tied around their own waists. they're dependent on each other. cartman goes fucking insane without kyle. kyle starts spiraling the second cartman gets a girlfriend.

almost every relationship between the kids can be classified as unhealthy. craig and tweek are one of the only canon fourth-grader couples that seem to solve their problems with each other in an emotionally mature way, even if it takes a whole episode to get to the point where they can. and of fucking course couples that young won't be healthy. they're children! children aren't emotionally mature! they don't understand their own brains enough to handle dating someone else with the same confusing emotions swirling around in their heads. hell, even high-schoolers often find it difficult to find stable relationships.

kyle and cartman are not doomed to be abusive. if they would get some fucking therapy and actually talk to each other about their issues, they could have a chance to develop a healthy friendship. a healthy relationship.

anyways, dni if you're just going to be rude or argue bc we don't need that negativity in this household <3

#just because you aren't emotionally mature doesn't mean fictional characters can't be #kyman #sp kyman #kyle x cartman #south park kyman #cartyle

[fellfirst-fellharder-fight]

Round 2: Fight 6

Kotetsu T. Kaburagi/Barnaby Brooks Jr (Tiger & Bunny) vs James T. Kirk/Spock (Star Trek)

Propaganda under the cut!

Kotetsu T. Kaburagi/Barnaby Brooks Jr (Tiger & Bunny):

My silly little guys I don't want to rant your ear off but that dynamic can be agrued either way because they are rival to lovers 10/10 My favourite pookies

I could rant your ears off with the propaganda for Barnaby Brooks Jr. and Kotetsu T. Kaburagi from Tiger & Bunny but because tumblr asks have a character limit I'll try to keep it brief.

(Spoilers for Tiger & Bunny of course)

They're the definition of fell first x fell harder. Barnaby and Kotetsu are of the rivals to friends to lovers trope, they absolutely despised each other at first, but even when they couldn't stand each other they felt inexplicably drawn to each other.

Barnaby fell first, he was the first to feel something romantic for Kotetsu, warming up to him as soon as episode 3 (when they're deactivating a bomb and Kotetsu refuses to leave him behind on principle he smiles when Kotetsu isn't watching) but he fully acknowledges his feelings in episode 8, when Kotetsu takes a direct hit from a dangerous villain to protect Barnaby. This is seen in the post credits scene as he reminisces of the events of that day and smiles to himself alone in his apartment. When they have a fight in the climax of the first half of the season, the only way the conflict is resolved is by Kotetsu going out of his way to put his trust in Barnaby, and after the day is saved, Barnaby finally allows himself to smile in front of Kotetsu.

Kotetsu fell harder. He was in denial about his feelings for almost all of season 1; he is a widow, and through the series he is shown to not have truly grieved his wife's death, and as of season 1 he is not ready to move on and accept he could have romantic feelings for anyone after Tomoe (his wife), and he is also afraid to fall in love again and lose them too. During the second half of season 1, Barnaby is brainwashed and no longer remembers him, believing Kotetsu was the one to murder a person he was close with. Kotetsu tries everything he can think of to make Barnaby remember him, and when it doesn't work he breaks down (crying in front of another person for the first time in the show) and stops fighting back, he kneels down and lets Barnaby deliver the final blow to him...

Luckily for him, Barnaby remembers just in time! They can go back to pining hell!

But not long after (since the main conflict isn't resolved yet) Kotetsu is fatally wounded, which triggers the most fucking glass biting nail scratching absolute fucking insane Technically Not love confession in which neither of them say "I love you" but it's very clear for anyone with two functioning eyes and a couple braincells that it is indeed a declaration of love. I will link it down here so everyone else can suffer with me. https://youtu.be/CWizW_6AgQY?si=UNsyhF-yJX1bT78r

While not explicitly in a romantic relationship, the creators of the show have said the nature of their bond is "Up to interpretation", which (considering the history of the studio regarding gay relationships) sounds more to me like "Everyone here wants to make them kiss so bad but they'll cancel the show if we do"

Sorry if this was too long

(this would take up too much space so for the ver with images you can go check it out here -mod)

James T. Kirk/Spock (Star Trek):

Kirk fell first, Spock fell harder

#tournament bracket #tumblr polls #tumblr tournament #poll tournament #tournament poll #tumblr tourney #polls #fellfirst fellharder fight #usatora #barnaby x kotetsu #tiger and bunny #spirk #star trek #star trek spirk

[fereldanwench]

i finished my rewatch (well, rewatch of s1-s5 + first watch of s6 bc i hadn't seen it before) of lucifer last night so some thoughts

spoilers under the cut

the relationships--platonic, romantic, sexual, parent-to-child, all of them--is the absolute best thing about this show and what keeps me here even when shit gets dumb. the friendship between all the ladies is my fave, but i was extra fond of dan this run and his friendships with amenadiel and chloe were just 10/10. i always liked that he and chloe didn't fall into the hostile ex tropes and were good friends who could co-parent

s3 remains my least favorite and the biggest slog to get through imo, but i still get a kick out of the episode with the undercover sting that has lucifer and pierce pretending to be a couple

s4 also remains my favorite--i feel like it just best encapsulates everything that drew me into the show in the first place

perhaps an unpopular opinion, but i was never a big fan of deckerstar being a fully realized thing. it's obvious that was always gonna be the endgame, but i just like the dynamic between chloe and lucifer a lot more as platonic partners with a little sexual tension and a lot of good-natured ribbing

s6 has some individually good moments, like eve and maze getting hitched--although i saw some people say that came out of nowhere and i respectfully disagree. they're both incredibly impulsive, i think it was very fitting and adorable, and I'm getting teary-eyed again thinking about maze realizing she is capable of loving and deserving of being loved

but anyway the A plot is built off a premise i hate so much: time travel. i loathe time-traveling shit in stories like this, where could it be explained as plausible (and they try, with chloe, i think, pointing out like 'well your brother can freeze time, is this really that much different?' yes, writers-via-chloe, it is, because you used the time-freezing in interesting moments and time travel is all around stupid) but it otherwise comes out of nowhere. and with a fuckin' future kid driving that plot? gross, no thanks

i mean, rory was mostly inoffensive, minus her telling lucifer she wasn't going to the suit fitting and then getting mad when he wasn't there, like girl, you did that one yourself. but if you're gonna introduce a main character in the last season of a show, that character had better be fuckin amazing, and she was not

i suspected i was probably never gonna be wild about how deckerstar wrapped up just because that was like the only relationship i was never super into, but again, the time travel shit is just dumb. I'm just really annoyed at the time travel loop thing being essential to lucifer finding his true calling or whatever and it was nice to see that chloe was always surrounded by friends even after he was gone, but omg what a fucking sacrifice on her part for real. i think it was meant to be a mostly happy ending with their reunion and it just did not hit that way for me. chloe deserved better

but ranting aside, i do still think it's a really fun show and there are so many prime comfort-food-watching moments that were perfect for a little casual holiday viewing <33

#t: wench watches stuff #shows: lucifer

[so-sleep]

bestie drop the Kris & Ralsei relationship rant and why there's less fandom reception for them because of archetypes. the ppl want to know.

its. ugh

im not tidying it up, ill be putting it off forever (haha krals quest reference. VIBE CHECK)

so, deltarune community, i introduce to you, a half-assed 3AM rant about kris and ralsei.

transcription below, sidebar screenshots, tldr and everything. uh, i recommend reading the post

while i still cannot pass out i figured out what bothers me about the way theyre presented and why platonic kralsei is such a craving that has no material in the fandom to work with whatsoever

we know the susie relationships. everyone cherishes kris and susies friendship. id say it comes first if anything. people vaguely appreciate her and ralsei as well - we had plenty of hangout opportunities for the two, there are even two or three comics about ralsei and his beef with her. friendship content. dynamic exploring

kris and ralsei presentation however includes but is not limited to: dry interaction (choose your flavour: kris/kris as player projection aka the thing everyone did with ch1 ralsei cutesy content), dry interaction 2.0 aka The Sillies/ralsei as sole background commenter in goofyass situations/the normal dude (may or may not include in-game shit), kris' resentment of ralsei (at least theyre getting creative), and finally mushy romantic couple shit and sugarcoating tropes

vc: and you could excuse that with a "oh, well but we dont know anything about ralseis backstory" yet we hardly know anything about susies either. we only theorise of her past related to adoption, being homeless, insert other determinators based material. we factually know very little of her, yet susie has established friendships with both kris and ralsei, even well-written fan content with noelle that is not limited by surface romance but rather the exploration of their dynamic, friends first, partners - second.

as in for either of them being morally gray? susie has no problems with that and i love her, we love her, the_newest_girl sweepstakes log hasnt changed anything. i do have a theory on how that could affect ralsei, though. might contemplate on that.

so susie has all that. kris, their nature still unknown to most, but overall sympathetic with a shade of gray morality (HEEEELLL YEAAA) has the similar spectrum. kris has all that.

with them and ralsei though? its like. not a single plate of them as a dynamic. as actual friends

and honestly its no wonder kralsei is getting rejected from lightner ship/old darkner ship communities

we present no base. no fundamental understanding or interpretation of them

...though i wish id browse through deltarune tag more legitimately and take samples every time i see kris and ralsei on-screen to have a list of categories for each interaction to sort them like legos by shapes and colours.

there was one.ONE comic of them that kept the hopes up. this is why kralsei is stayin alive. that, and tunas scarf thingy. our icon (shhhh hes seepy)

i, uh, dont have a conclusion. i remember writing it because i wish we actually came up with who they are. wish that even they had conflicts and resolutions, similarities and differences, like any other dynamic in the fanon, having multiple headcanons and interpretations.

i just wish we gave them a chance to be friends.

#deltarune #utdr #i guess i can tag this with uhh #safe utdr #kris dreemurr #ralsei deltarune #kralsei #krisei #tdatd

[helpicant-stop]

Superhero AUs and found family for the trope game?

C: Neutral. A good author might be able to sell it, but a bad one will kill it deader than dead.

surprisingly c for both of them! i have a superhero au myself (i succumbed😔) (also if you want to ask me what its about i wilk GLADLY rant about it for hours) but i feel like its so hard to find a genuinely good one like.

most of them just feel so recycled, out of character and uninspired (especially the most popular ones but you didnt hear that from me) although there are some gems i've found like the one from @jinx-blackout-84, an unpublished one from @bewaretheidesofmarchyall and another from a mutual who is sadly now deactivated but trust me when i say it was REALLY good. there could be more but i just forgor😭

as for found family i LIVE for it i LOVE it i LAUGH with it but oh god people just dont know how to write that like. a lot of people just write found family as a regular nuclear family but none of them are related. and like oh my god TOO much sbi like i started off neutral-positive with sbi but now it's so oversaturated and for what!!!!!

wheres my found family consisting of two uncles a big sister a grandfather three 6th-grade children a straight up homunculus and a malewife-girlboss couple from 500 years ago!!!!! (yeah i just vagued the secret series what about it. youll never write a better found family than the terces society)

and people keep making found families out of stuff that does NOT need to be found family like guys come on las nevadas is a dysfunctional vaguely homosexual toxic workplace sitcom not a wholesome found family guys please. there are a lot of dynamics out there that people can expand to that doesnt have to but still can be a found family and people arent taking advantage of it enough!!!!!

nobodys talking about how the big 6 from izombie are a fucked up little found family enough like its so funny. og zombie and her girlfriend* i mean best friend who is the ex-mayor and her strange bisexual boyfriend and his mortal enemy and the homicide detective that hates him and the Actual Former Chaos Killer who is ex-fiance now good friend of said og zombie. holy shit

*[plaintext: girlfriend]

#ask game #asks!! #howdy🐎 #chitter #izombie #{censor bar}'s tss brainrot

[canadiancryptid]

So, I did a poll like a month ago seeing if people wanted to know a little more about me, and then I forgot to actually do anything with it. Completely forgot what sort of things I was going to say but I have a couple things here.

9 People I'd Like to Know Better Game!

@msbadatnamingthings tagged me in a "get to know you better" game like 2 months ago that I kind forgot about. I had a few questions answered and then it just kinda got lost to the void of my drafts pile like so many other things. Sorry about that, but I'm remembering now!

last song: Deltarune the (not) Musical - The Field of Hopes and Dreams

favorite color: purple

last movie/last tv show: just finished The Ghost and Molly McGee :(

sweet/spicy/savory: savory

relationship status: single

last thing i googled: I think it was something about how the education system works in Minnesota. Trying to work on a fic around a certain character. Probably not hard to guess which one.

current obsession: Infinity Train never went away and likely never will, but I've recently been obsessing over Deltarune again

I also got a couple questions on the original poll from @keliana856! Finally getting to them! Whoo!

1: Lake and the entire concept of the Mirror World. The entire concept is so interesting to me, and I feel like it really doesn't get talked about enough. We get the basic premise of how it works in Book 1, but other than that, most of it is left unexplained. We learn some more from Lake when she's talking to the Flecs and answering some of Jesse's questions, but that's about it. We don't even know if the existence of the Mirror World is connected to the Train or not. Its such a cool concept and I love thinking about it.

Lake is my favorite character in the whole show, BY FAR. Her story is amazing, her dynamic with Jesse is incredible, and her introduction and entire first episode were one of the best things I've ever watched. I love thinking about her complicated relationship with Tulip and what might happen if they ever saw each other again. The finale of Book 2 was the first show that made me immediately want to go on Ao3 just to see more of her adapting to life on Earth. I already loved the show, but Lake and her story were what cemented it as my favorite show.

2: I've always been a fan of the supernatural. Fantasy, Modern Fantasy, mythology, and to some extent Sci-fi. (Still love it, just think I generally prefer the other stuff) It's a lot of fun to think about and see explored in fiction. I was a huge fan of mythology and Rick Riordan's books as a kid, so seeing Percy Jackson being adapted into a show has been AMAZING. The movies were frankly terrible, but that's a rant on its own. Outside of that, I like stories with a mystery to solve and twists that you COULD have seen coming with what was provided but probably didn't. It's fun seeing how communities can come together to find secrets and discuss things. Found Family is another one of my favorite themes. Not sure I need much of an explanation there. It's just an amazing trope to see.

When it comes to video games, I love RPGs, metroidvanias, platformers and puzzle games. I play a lot of different types of games, but those are my favorites. I don't talk about it much on here, but I'm a programmer. I'm still learning, but making games is my DREAM. There are so many ways to tell a story through the medium that you can't get anywhere else. The interactive nature of a game allows for so much exploration of the characters and world at large, and I love it. Rather than just watching the story play out on screen, you get to be a part of it. I love games that get a little meta. Games that make the player a part of the story like Oneshot, Deltarune and Undertale. I like games that take the established mechanics of a game and make it a part of the world. Underhero is a game that does this well. Pretty much every part of the game has some in-universe explanation as you progress through the amazing story. The game is incredibly underrated; I highly recommend it.

So, yeah. When it comes to games, I love stories that embrace their nature as a game and make it a part of the world. Video games are truly unique among storytelling mediums, and I love seeing it used as such. You don't really see any other mediums doing things like that, but it's always cool to see.

In no particular order, some of my favorite stories recently have been: Infinity Train, The Owl House, Steven Universe, Gwenpool, Nimona, Spy x Family, Spiderverse, Fionna and Cake, Oneshot, Undertale, Deltarune, Underhero, Epithet Erased, and the Percy Jackson series as a whole.

I think that's it for now. If anyone has anything else they'd like to hear me talk about, my ask box is always open!

#cryptid says stuff #long post #asks #I guess this is kind of an ask post #honestly my thoughts on a lot of these things could probably be entire posts on their own but that could be for another day #gonna try to get around to this sort of thing sooner #like hopefully within the same month that I say I will #the fic I mentioned in the original poll is still kinda in the works I haven't forogtten about that YET #actually the last thing I googled might have been 'how to get a cat off your lap without making them sad' cause I was doing some pet sittin

[femininemenon]

rant about peter's death

i am so incredibly angry about his death. not because it happened but because it should have a long time ago and because of how it happened.

season one gave us some really good characters as starting points and dynamics. the entire point of season one was that catherine chose her destiny, russia, over the love for a man. it was revolutionary and i don't care what anyone says. that's why i fell in love with the show. (no, not saying women can't have it all blah blah blah, but new media doesn't exactly portray women choosing power or anything over a man lately)

her destiny could only be hers if peter was dead. after all that peter did to her, and everyone else too, we deserved to see her kill him.

i brush s2 off because while it's mediocre at best, it was the pandemic and they also wanted to appease those who saw the chemistry between nicholas and elle (which i did too, just didn't like how it was executed). which, valid, but i would have personally preferred it to continue as one-sided, and maybe have catherine grow fond of him as the father he is to paul. but as a father only. and then not a fake out killing because let me tell you when i got to it at a day's end of binging the show, i wanted to throw my laptop out. she should have killed him in s2. that was her arc. that has always been it for her. that was her progression, the true show of her going from "oh, no violence!!!" to "yes, violence needs to be done." and it's not like they had to get rid of nick - there was pugachev and the possibility of ghost!peter as well.

we didn't need the whole "she changed him!!" trope at all, because peter did lose his spark over becoming a kind of new age man. nicholas was fabulous as always, but the character felt like a wet rag. but fine whatever.

the s3 synopsis set up an actually decent story. peter is petering actually and is like "hey, that's MY line of succession!" because men are men. and then the power struggle between them ensues for real, not in a timeskip that establishes nothing at all. and obviously catherine kills him because that was the point of the show, and she realizes it's what needs to be done.

we actually get to s3 and while i only ghosted over the episodes, i am angry and heartbroken. instead of finally, after 3 years of waiting, getting to see catherine kill that bastard, we get an ice lake accident. a fucking ice lake accident that made 0 sense because we don't even see him struggle (i mean, i guess the petty death of orlo happened this season as well just because they refused to utilize sacha as he should have been).

we see everyone react to peter's death and how it destroys them, especially catherine. georgina, now that she has changed, did not need to mourn peter; aunt elizabeth killed a little dude easily in s1 but you're telling me she's in shambles after this? and catherine... she goes completely mad over a man that abused the fuck out of her, when it should have been a couple of stabs from her and a simple realization that she can do this, the ruling of russia, and just scheming and politics (footnote: never really got the uwu besties thing they had with grigor and peter when it was established in s1 that grigor hated peter's guts but had to stay loyal bc he wanted to stay alive).

i am angry because the narrative should have gone full circle without catherine losing her mind over her abuser (and we get only a brief mention of this in the very last episode) and without succumbing to grief over him.

#the great spoilers #feel free to send me asks idc. #the great season 3

[ryuichirou]

Hi! I love both your art and character analysis very much. I understand that for you two positioning doesn't change in ships, and I've been curious as to why positioning is the element that sticks.

I don't mean this to come across as critical at all, and hope no one comes after you for this sort of thing. Just for me, and in my irl experiences, those dynamics tend to change from relationship to relationship if not encounter to encounter, and it's a bit surprising you don't see Any of the twst lads as switches.

Or have any dynamics where a bottom would be the more dominant of the two.

I was hoping to understand what people attach to positioning and why it seems important to different cultures and communities as it simply isn't in mine.

Thanks a ton either way!

Hi Anon!

First of all, thank you for approaching this topic with no judgment, I really want to stress how much I appreciate it; I always say that, but we are way too used to people simply arguing with us about it, so it’s great to hear from someone who just wants to have a conversation. And the thing is, we never really think about those things too deeply, so it’s going to be fun to reflect a little bit, I think?

The short answer would be is that this is purely out of our personal taste, based on our own bias.

Like you said, in your irl experiences you tend to see the dynamic changing a lot, and it’s fair, because people really are very fluid in how they interact with people around them. But at the same time, when it comes to romance, there’re people who are strictly bottoms or tops, and we (Katsu and I) are an example for that, and it’s just a matter of preference, in my opinion. And both of us wouldn’t be very into any romantic/sexual scenario in which our positions would be switched, be it with each other or any other person. It’s just uncomfortable and unpleasant to imagine, with both of us not having fun. Besides, it’s also not really that unusual for same-sex couples to have fixed «roles».

And the thing is, we’ve heard a lot of “well why don’t you/they/someone switch it up sometime”, “isn’t it way too heteronormative”, “doesn’t that mean that there is a guy and a girl in a couple?”, all that stuff that we’re really tired of hearing. The fact that someone is more dominant and the other person is more submissive, especially when it comes to intimacy, doesn’t mean that there is “a guy and a girl”, both in real life and in fiction, people are just different and like different things. Continuing with a personal example, I wouldn’t want to be forced to do something simply because “it’s unfair that it’s fixed”, I guess? We can get really defensive about it lol and I can rant about it for a long time, but I think you get my point. So yeah, in a way we are biased because of that.

Also, I want to remind that being a top or being a bottom (especially irl, but also in fiction) doesn’t mean putting someone into the box and expecting them to only act a certain way. There are all kinds of tops, and also all kinds of bottoms, and that’s the beauty of it.

Even with us, we do have ships where the top is somewhat submissive, and a bottom is proactive, clingy and has more power in a couple in general (just not in twst, that’s why it’s hard to notice). But there are certain tropes and scenarios that we tend to gravitate towards more due to a number of reasons, and because of that somewhat passive bottom and an obnoxiously unhinged top is our go-to a lot of times – they just match that specific type of personalities we like.

Another thing is, like you said, the dynamic can change in different situations, and it’s kind of happens with ships too. Not always, but a lot of times, when the positions are switched, the dynamic between characters also changes, and we are kind of sensitive to this lol; for example, IdeAzu seems a lot like AzuIde (duh), but the vibe is still very different. Doesn’t mean it’s bad, just not our cup of tea. They’re basically another couple, where different points of their interactions are stressed and not the ones that we would choose, and same goes for their personalities. In a lot of cases, for us, it ends up being way too OOC, to be honest....

I also don’t think it’s necessarily a cultural thing. In the shipping community that we grew up in  switching isn’t really a taboo either: there are a few people who are strict about it like us, but overall people don’t really overthink these things, I believe? It doesn’t matter to them, and having fixed positions has always been a minority in any shipping community. People from the eastern side of fandoms are usually more strict about it, however. At least I think so, I can’t say for sure.

I hope I managed to explain it somewhat properly, but if you still have any questions, feel free to ask them!

Once again, thank you for your genuine curiosity and wanting to hear our perspective, and it really was a fun question to think about.

Have a great day!

#replies

[undermine-the-instinct]

Hi, this is not an ask, I just want to praise your writing (and maybe rant a little if you don't mind) but I feel like this message of mine is not appropiate to be left in the comments. So I'll left it here, do to it as you will!

I've truly fallen in love, with your Prince!Alhaitham series! I've already read all the drabbles you made and I'm so fascinated with all the stories, especially how you made and write the main couple's dynamics different with each roles of the MC/Reader.

I'm regretting my choice in the poll a bit though, my most favorite after reading all drabbles is the Head Advisor one, and my choice in the poll are the witch with true bloodline just because I know too little about the storylines at first. 😞

Even if I know one changed vote for me isn't going to make a lot of difference in the whole precentages...

As for why I love the Head Advisor one the most, mainly it's as I said, their dynamics. ✨

I've been looking for this kind of dynamics for so long. What caught me at furst is that, different from the other routes, you started the drabble with the Reader already obsessed with Alhaitham but still holding herself back to not cross too many boundaries and still respect his personal space, somewhat.

I frequently read the trope where the ML is cursed/have an unfortunate ability of attracting too much unwanted attention/just don't want the attention, and I get the reason why the MC is made to be an exception to that curse/attraction so the story will progress. But that kind of trope gets repetitive and then becomes boring from time to time.

Also, its not like the Head Advisor is just so obsessed with Prince Alhaitham to the point of neglecting/not paying attention to everything around her. I love it more that you showed a new side, the caring side, of the "King Snake"-villainess, as Cyno put it, around the General. MC/Reader being worried about Cyno's wellbeing is just... 🥰

Oh! And the MC/Reader's cute, a little oblivious side, despite being potrayed as a capable and intelligent person/witch, is just simply endearing and so adorable, and that aspect just added more to her charm. 😍

As for Alhaitham, you potrayed him so well too. Still calculating as ever and his self-control while being affected by aphrodisiacs... ❤️

Maybe this is just my delusion, but the outright kind of evil/manipulative (and hot in this case) implication behind his intention in asking the MC/Reader about the effects of someone else aphrosidiacs on her 😳

And, there can be insinuated a possible scenario of a jealous prince seeing the interaction of his Head Advisor with the General, though this is probably just me being delusional(again).

Though I'm a bit sad that the Head Advisor route isn't going to be adapted into a fic, I'm already pretty satisfied after reading "Deserving" (supposedly the general ending of the main storyline right?).

Thank you so much for making this masterpiece. 🙏

THIS ASK HAS BEEN IN MY INBOX FOR DAYS BC IVE BEEN HOARDING LIKE A DRAGON AND OMg.....

Thank you for reading my au! You've put so much thought into this review and I love hearing the parts you love! The little nuances, like reader being both this King snake of the court, and yet a person with a crush on the prince but doesn't want to upset boundaries. Asking if Cyno is alright. Or the insinuation of Al haitham asking about other aphrodisiacs 👀👀👀

(Put under a cut bc I started talking about the future of this au and this got long)

I really, really loved this ask! Tbh, when I first started my Prince!AlHaitham drabble, it was just a simple brainrot that got so much traction, I felt I had to keep going. I thought about how could I write my own version of Al haitham, as a prince, and still have him in character.

What would his dynamic be with the reader? Well, that depends on who they are. Which I put a poll about and multiple ideas sprouted in my head. Also, the Head Advisor!reader was also my favorite to write out of all of them, but maybe that's bc of the drama of the scene I wrote out 😅😅😅.

The reason I have a 'canon' storyline is because I have an actual story I want to tell, and though that takes time and editing and planning, I'm excited to be working on it and sharing it with you all! There's this whole au universe I've made up, characters to implement, plotlines (like what is up with alhaitham's curse, hm?) And so much more. Genshin has me in a choke hold so there will be plenty more in the future of this blog.

And do not fret beloved. While I dont want to overwhelm myself, I'm really digging the idea of having different routes for the different reader. Like the general story, but affected and influenced by the different readers ive written about. But that'll be in the future possibly, for now I can stick with drabbles and brainrots 😅😔.

Thank you for the oh so lovely ask! Even reading it days later has me giddy and smiling! Pls stay along for the Prince!Al Haitham au journey!!!

#ask #cicireplies #cicitalks #cici talks #sweet ask #prince!al haitham #my stuff #my writing #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #fic planning #im holding this ask close to my chest and never letting go #taking screenshots and giggling like a schoolgirl #THANK YOU FOR THE LOVELY ASK/REVIEW #cici answers

[foeyayshippingweakness]

(#) people you want to get to know better

I saw it on the (handwavy gesture) timeline thanks to @saltysatellite804 so I'm gonna do it with my usual lack of brevity :)

1) three ships:

1. I also have many a ship so I'll go with the one I brainrotted really hard for over the last few years, yalex (yassen gregorovich/alex rider) my beloved from the series alex rider! [assassin with a soft spot/extremely reluctant teen spy] dynamic, there's a shit ton of parallels between them, the metaphorical ghost that is alex's dad haunting the both of them, lots of angst-hurt/comfort potential, some infamous lines from the book that is nothing short of describing yassen in unneccesary detail or a literal love confession, I don't take concrit, thank you! thanks to the tv series there's been more fics but I would definitely still categorize it as a rarepair. somehow there still feels like there's such a wealth of excellent writing though!

2. next is adayu (adachi tohru/narukami yu) from the hit game persona 4 or persona 4 golden. [super nuanced jaded cop that goes too far/new in town protag who gains friends as a bit of a butterfly effect from said antag's actions] dynamic, yin-yang opposite sides of the same coin or two roads diverged mirrored equals, and definitely the darker accomplice!yu ending which leads to a lot of creative headcanons and whatnot. also a rarepair that within the last 3 years got a couple of excellent new longfics thanks to the various ports! I have an active discord server for the pairing with about 60-ish people total so we're going strong >:3c

3. finally I'll go with the ship that was the first "fandom" environment I participated in, eobarry (eobard thawne/barry allen) in all media forms, honestly. ngl I was kind of... young then cough so I tried not to be perceived as much as possible... I respect past!fel's enthusiasm but that's about it LOL. simple yet delicious [obsessed antag who is ready to ruin protag's life at a moment's notice/heart of gold protag who messes up... sometimes] dynamic that I need to get back into in order to describe it further. as you can tell, I'm all about the "but they're just opposite sides of the same coin" trope because this one's literally the flash and the reverse flash. from what I remember, I adored eowells but was always craving for more OG thawne in the tv series. in fact, I scoured through the recent flash movie trailer like a goddamn madman in hopes of catching a glimpse of the reverse flash, but no dice. did a little bit of ranting about it here and there on various platforms but since there's visible elements of change in the trailer such as kara instead of kal-el or how barry actually talks to his alt!self and doesn't knock him the fuck out or phase him out of existence, there's a chance they're gonna pull the whole barry vs evil!barry shtick again and I'm going to have to have to write self-cest. also again. rooting for suprise thawne in the theater when I go and watch it to reignite this possible flame, yeah?

2) first ever ship - it's not something I actually remember because it was that long ago. I can, however, tell you that the first three ship fic I wrote were hetalia character/reader-insert fics over on ff dot net about eight years ago. they didn't even last half a year before I wiped them from existence LOL but I've not deleted anything after that ‘cause I not longer care to

3) last song - it's still pulled up right now on my device, heh. it's shadow from the album "face the sun" by the kpop group seventeen. it's a gorgeous song, and if you look up the lyrics, they definitely hit too. about accepting the flaws in yourself, fears, shadows, etc etc

4) last movie - I actually rewatched the animated "flashpoint" movie recently because of the new flash trailer, ha. still can't get over thawne walking out of the shadows mid-movie stirring a mug of (?) so casually jsdfhsdkjfs

5) currently reading - like any other mentally well person, I have over 150 ao3 tabs open, so I'll choose the one that's most recent and relevent. the fic's called "something rich and strange" that's (the distortion/martin blackwood) for the magnus archives. take care to read the tags if you click into the fic^^

6) currently watching - not watching anything at all that can't be finished in one sitting because I've been so busy. the only thing I can think of is my once per week saturday blue lock episode. blue lock's a really well animated and cool-looking hardcore soccer anime that I would say is a totally different genre from something like haikyuu. it's about growth and egocentrism and super fun to watch; it's in-progress but there's over 12 episodes out already

7) currently consuming - the last thing I ate was some pani puri and naan >:P

8) currently craving - you don't understand how badly I need to see that flash movie. I need a flash that's a new flavor from the CW's and I also desperate crave for eobard thawne's entire ass character to exist again. if we're talking food, it's a bit too cold for me day after day so a heart and body warming meal of hot pot with lots of greens and root veggies, mushrooms, fish balls with roe, slices of beef and other meats or seafood, various tofus, and a delicious spicy soup base sounds so good right about now but I'd have to pester my roommate to drive me somewhere to grab it... maybe next week heh! another thing might be, hmm, dragon age 4? get in my mouth right now, dreadwolf.

lastly, the (totally optional) tag line: @suzie-shooter, @that1qb, @lastlymatt, @aurastiel, @spicavenius, @kelbrid, @weavingmemories

#what's funner than cramming 20 different medias into one tumblr post #mm im cold and sleepy... #tag you’re it #do it or don’t it’s whatever (meh)

[chaithetics]

❌ + ✅?

Thank you Nonnie!Appreciate you! Such great, interesting questions that I had to really think about my answers!

❌= I really struggled to think of tropes I won't write, I don't like writing angsty (other than grief-adjacenty ones lol) and jealousy pieces, but I will write them, they're just not as enjoyable to me and take a lot longer and more out of me if that makes sense? Other than that the only other ones I can think of are things like dub-con and toxic/unhealthy dynamics.

✅= I really had to think of this one! Such a great question! Funnily enough though I did notice something a couple of days ago that relates to this! I was reading some of the fics I've posted which I basically never do as I hate reading my pieces and the more I do it the more I end up not liking the fics (I read one of my Stewy fics a couple of days after posting and have struggled every day since not to delete it). But I noticed almost a reference/callback between Don't Let Me Go and Covert Conversations THAT WAS COMPLETELY UNINTENTIONAL. In Don't Let Me Go (which is probably my favourite one, I only want the best things for the lovely nonnie that sent that request in) when reader is breaking down in the church she talks about drinking wine to calm her nerves and that there's bound to be wine around as it's a Catholic church and Connor essentially is like "I don't think you can do that/I don't think there's wine here for you to drink." and he's stating this to her in such a simple but empathetic way. Then in Covert Conversations, she curses in the Church and Connor understands why she's saying it and validates her feelings but essentially says "I don't think you can say that in here." It's such a weird little connection but I quite like it, it's canon that Connor's very much a father-figure older brother and has such a soft spot for his younger siblings and I think they often come across in such simple yet deeply empathetic and validating interactions physically and verbally. So I feel like it does that and there's something about it happening with that in mind in very similar scenarios, the empathy, validation, element of emotional distress. I love writing those characters and I want it to feel as natural and realistic to them as possible and there's just something about a loving older sibling. Gosh that turned into a rant! Sorry Nonnie!

More generally, I think interesting family dynamics and a bit of an element of grief often appear. Interesting family dynamics makes sense with Succession but it's definitely there in other fics I've done like the Tommy Miller series (to be finished, I am so sorry for those delays, please forgive me besties) and it was something I will explore in the Dieter Bravo series (when I get back to that, again, sorry besties). But as a child of trauma I relate to it a lot and it's something I ironically really like writing and focusing on in my Succession fics.

If you any others have noticed any themes/connections, I'd love to know. I'm genuinely interested in that haha! I hope this provided something interesting to read! Thank you for sending this ask in and I'd love to discuss this more and hear any of your thoughts/questions 💗

#fanfic #fanfiction #writing #writing questions #stewy hosseini #dieter bravo #tommy miller #joel miller #pedro pascal #arian moayed #tlou series #succession #requests #requests open #chaitheticsasks #stewy hosseini x reader #stewy hosseini x roy reader

[gillianthecat]

I was just trying to come up with something that used the clothes sharing trope, and here it is! (I settled on Takara-kun to Amagi-kun, which is adorable about it)

Codependent besties! 💜 (of the not in love with each other subtype)

Is Pai interested in Fah? That would be much more interesting then just being a gossip! Go Pai! I hope you at least get to be a faen fatale, even if you don't get your man.

Echoing what many have said before me: Why does the whole world seem to revolve around Fah! I adore you Ping and Tap, but please talk about something more interesting, like the intricacies of insurance policies.

Sher!!! That once over and dismissal! I love you.

Aw, and you're trying to wingman Price and Gear. Your wifey codependency is undermining that, but I appreciate the intention and effort.

Sher, the way you flirt! You're kind of a mess and I love that about you.

Ooh the dynamics here. I don't think Prince actually wants Sher, I think he's just surprised to see him actually seem interested in a guy for real. And maybe a little hurt that his codependent bestie is pulling away.

But I don't think poor Gear realizes that. Does he think Prince and Sher are a couple? Is he just confused by them? Is Prince interested in Gear back? So many questions that we might have answers to if people on this show talked about anything besides Fah! </end rant>

Anyways. In a different show the intersecting emotional entanglements of all these characters could be quite juicy. Like why Ping is obsessed with Fah's love life - that could be another interesting codependency, or a sign of him living vicariously though others, or something. But I suspect here it's just cause the show needs everything to be focused on Fah. Sigh.

Sher is falling for Fah despite himself, and we all know it will lead to heartbreak. I love watching characters' walls breaking down, just wish it was for a better reason.

This lap nap is cute though. And I wish I could gif Ping's reaction.

I think in just going to not read the subtitles when Pink and Tar are onscreen so then I can enjoy their cuteness and pretend they're getting excited about stamp collecting or something fun.

I appreciate the care around covid prevention that keeps the classroom mostly empty, but it does take away from the verisimilitude.

#fahlanruk ep 4 #liveblogging fahlanruk #fahlanruk the series #fahlanruk #gillianthecat liveblogs bl

[how-bout-i-tell-you-anyway]

marvel relationships i NEED more of

1. shuri and ross (mini-rant below)

2. okoye and tchalla

3. okoye and shuri

4. okoye and m'baku

5. just more okoye with everyone

6. bucky and ayo

7. maria hill and fury

8. talos and fury

the way they go from this…

…to this. the evolution from enemies both driven by survival and fear to the respect for their mutual devotion to their peoples. the unlikely friendship forged by a beautiful and unexpected understanding. the little jabs and teases reminiscent of their past conflicts. the final evolution to close allies and even friends. BEAUTIFUL

9. fury and goose

10. goose and other shield agents

11. shuri and banner

12. valkyrie and thor

13. yelena and kate

14. yelena and barton

15. yelena and adoptive dad/red guardian

16. talos and his wife

17. rhodey and sam

18. steve and howard stark

19. drax and mantis

20. rocket and nebula

21. loki and mobius

22. mobius and sylvie

23. mobius and b-15

24. wanda and maria rambeau

25. darcy and woo

26. just more darcy with everyone (especially uptight authority figures)

27. thena and gilgamesh

the mutual respect. the inverted dynamic of calm built guy and dangerous warrior woman. the way that thena cares about him more than anyone else and that gilgamesh knows that she can take care of herself better than any of them but looks out for her anyway. the pure platonic love

28. more thena with everyone

29. sersi and sprite

30. druig and makkari (romantically, duh)

i don't even think i need to explain this one, but… the only-sweet-and-soft-for-you trope. the way he teases her so gently and takes note of her passions. the way her kindness is the only thing that seems to penetrate his anger and lashing out. how heartbroken and furious she was when she thought he was gone. and of course their fucking CHIN TILTS. literal favorite marvel couple

obviously i love most of these equally, but the friendship between shuri and ross literally makes my day every time i think about it.

he immediately realizes he was rude and backtracks and it's so clear that he acknowledges and respects her abilities as a literal genius.

also they're both so loyal and such good people. and so fucking FUNNY together. sunshine and sass except the old white guy is the sunshine and the young teenage girl is the sass. fucking INCREDIBLE

i am dead set on them being besties/pseudo-father-daughter and no one can change my mind.

note: i haven't seen moon knight, spiderman nwh, or dr. strange mom yet so no spoilers pls

#marvel #marvel cinematic universe #mcu phase 4 #mcu shuri #everett ross #general okoye #m'baku #t'challa #bucky barnes #mcu ayo #maria hill #nick fury #goose #mcu goose #goose the flerken #talos #skrull #agents of s.h.i.e.l.d. #bruce banner #valkyrae #thor #thor odinson #yelena belova #kate bishop #clint barton #hawkeye #mcu rhodey #mcu loki #eternals #drukkari

[booksandwords]

Turning Points by Megan Linden

Read time: 1 Day Rating: 4/5 Stars

The Quote: I freeze. The Eyes Guy. Oh my God. It’s the fan’s worst nightmare: your idol finding your on-line corner of the world where you sing their praises with different degrees of explicitness. — Tim

Turning Points is a well-balanced collection, worth reading. The couples are different in their makeups dynamics and settings while working with subversion of tropes in some of the stories. I got this free as part of a massive ebook giveaway right around the time it was published. I really wish more authors would do this, bring together their novelettes or novellas into a larger piece. Perhaps like Megan Linden did with an exclusive or new work in there. It allows for a better sampling of the author's style, an author may get more fans if they can see the author's various styles in a single affordable collection.

Open Endings

Real story is, don’t do this to yourself. I told you, no matter your reasons, serving the country, helping people, waving the flag, whatever, it’s not worth it. Find a better way. — Cole

Open Endings

is a slight subversion of the military trope. When we meet twenty-one year old Matthew he's about walk into a recruitment office, he just wants a place to belong. In the office he meets a jaded military man, Cole, who gives him the most unusual advice for the genre "My advice? Don’t do it.” (also the above quote). It's so unexpected when you read it at first but it suits Cole. The epilogue is not what I expected. Though there were always two options. It is a wonderful story about being comfortable in your own skin and figuring out what makes you happy in the world. Matt has an undeniable sweetness. Cole hit most of the marine tropes but given the brevity this piece that's fine with me. Together they are fire which I kinda didn't expect really, though I should have.

Tremors of the Past

“Good,” Derek said and realized he was completely serious. He didn’t want Hayden to be anything other than the guy who would shout at him in the classroom and trip over his own words trying to speak faster and faster as if he couldn’t wait to get to the rest of his rant. Derek had never met anybody else who would piss him off so much and make him respect them at the same time. — Derek

Derek and Hayden were a little surprising to me, also has a bit of subversion of tropes. I liked all of it, how it started, the relationship progression, Derek and Hayden's chemistry and the plot, such as it is. What I didn't like so much was the ending, not so much for Derek and Hayden HEA/HFN is almost guaranteed in these stories. It's more to do with the injustice or disrespect may be shown to Patricia and Candice. I kinda feel they both deserve a bit of an I told you so moment at that last breakfast to Derek and Hayden respectively. Rather than we just don't see them again. I know Tremors of the Past is very short but it feels like there was a better way to handle the ending rather than a bit of a dead drop. That is not to say I didn't enjoy the story overall, I did. I just feel something was a little off at the ending.

Impossible to Resist

@notquitespiderman: Word of advice? Never drink w/ @mandyandalbert, @cooperyup, @tangledtriangle and @ticktuckerboom. #ComicCon #CCWillBeTheDeathOfMe — Tim

Tim and Josh's story is the new story in the collection (the other three were published in 2015-16). Impossible to Resist feels very much like something that Megan Linden will pick up later. Particularly given the line "That’s the end of Tim and Josh’s story (even though, yes, their arc is just beginning!)." which concludes the section. This plays with one of those fantasy things all fans have thought of in the deepest parts of their mind. What would you do if you met your favourite celebrity or idol at a convention and they liked you back? Would you act on it? Would you compromise your relationship boundaries for them? What is interesting is the perspective, it's written in the first person combined with sns posts which feels unusual. Impossible to Resist feels right though. I really hope there is more of these two.

Running of the Edge

“You are my son, and I love you more than anything, but for fuck’s sake, how can you still be so stupid?” — Paula

When I was reading Running of the Edge got total Kiera Andrews meets Riley Hart vibes. Andrews has written 3 figure skating novels and Hart has written lovers to adversaries and back more than once (if you haven't read His Truth I really recommend it). The story itself is good. It uses the tropes and female characters well. Paula and Andrea the ladies of the story, feel like they are respected here more than in Tremors of the Past. Paula and Andrea are Eric's mother and his skating partner respectively, Paula is also Liam's co-coach and someone he is still close to. Eric and Liam were dating but Liam wanted to be out and Eric wanted to stay in the closet, essentially most of the story is them sorting their s*** out. While Liam and Eric are okay as characters but feel a bit, cookie-cutter athlete. It's made by the women. I really appreciate the stying of the epilogue.

#booklr #megan linden #turning points #short stories #read 2022 #ktreviews #book review