#realistic because it acknowledges how ever changing life is

[autism-alley]

hi originally posted this at the end of a long thread of back and forth, here’s the og post if you want full context but i feel like this needs to be its own post especially bc i keep seeing this argument being made—the argument that the kids (in this case it was annabeth) SHOULD just know the monsters are monsters and who they are and how to defeat them before ever encountering them, that it’s a problem if they don’t.

the problem is not if 12 year olds should recognize a trap when they see one, even if they’re smart 12 year olds, and if that’s realistic. that is entirely beside the point.

the problem is rick riordan wrote a book series whose formula is bringing myths to the modern age and he’s not sticking true to that in the show—percy jackson and the olympians’ Shtick is taking these classic, ancient threats and giving them a new face. these traps work because these kids are not walking into a cave marked with Get Out and getting ambushed by monsters—the monsters are disguised as harmless mortal human beings, in harmless mortal human being places (for the most part) and i think we—and more importantly, the show—are all forgetting the mist, the magic involved here. it’s not just that medusa is a “creepy lady with her eyes covered” it’s that there is ancient magic at work here, magic that, like the systems of abuse pjo exists to criticize, has been evolving and continuing its malevolence for millennia. it’s formulaic, that’s the point. it’s the same trap you’ve learned about all your childhood, the same trap a thousand children before you learned all their childhoods, and still, it works. you fall into the trap. because that’s how generational abuse works. it’s a trap. it isn’t enough to learn monsters exist, what they look like from a second hand story that originated thousands of years ago. if you want to escape alive, you have to adapt as quickly as they do, recognize their face, and ultimately, beyond any individual trap, the game itself has to change. real, generational change.

so. the problem is rick riordan wrote a series with a formula for action that perfectly captures the overarching, systemic conflicts he was commentating on, and then threw that formula out in the show because it was “unrealistic”. i don’t give a damn about realism when it works to the detriment of the story. this is a story about generational abuse, yes, but it’s told through ‘a tale as old as time’ and that’s why it works so fucking well. and when it comes to basic storytelling, if your characters know the threat before they even walk in and you do practically nothing to then make up for the stakes you have removed, that’s a flaw. now you’ve lost the entertainment value for your audience, on top of also lessening your themes.

something else that is so. honestly soul-crushing as a writer and a creative, is that to me this is reflective of the way we are now afraid to tell earnest stories. stories where we care not for listening to the people who want to pick apart fictional, mythical, fantasy stories for not being “realistic” instead of aligning with our target audience who acknowledges reality is not what makes a story. think of your favorite movie, show, book, comic, what have you—has the reason for your favoritism ever been because it is the most reasonable, the most grounded, the most practical out of any you’ve seen? or is it because of the emotion? the way it speaks to you, to your life and the person you are? the journey it takes you on? is the percy jackson and the olympians book series so good because it’s inherently realistic?

the secret to storytelling is, very simply, focus on your story. everything else is secondary. if it’s written well, it doesn’t matter to me that the characters walk into a trap that, to the audience, is obviously a trap. because i can understand how the characters don’t know it, and how the story falls apart if the narrative just tells the characters it’s a trap from the jump. that’s what dramatic irony is—first used in greek tragedies! this is literally a tale as old as time in every sense except for the end—where it’s happy. and it’s not earned if we don’t first see, over and over, the status quo as a tragic trap.

it’s not about if annabeth (or the other kids) is “smart enough” to not walk into a trap, or about if she’s just too prideful to not walk into what she knows is a trap (or any reason that could apply to the other characters), it’s that annabeth, at the end of the day, is a character. she is a storytelling tool for the messages of the narrative. that doesn’t make her any lesser. in fact ignoring it reduces her, because it reduces what she represents. it’s about how rick riordan, or whoever else at disney, has fumbled the storytelling bag so ridiculously hard that they can’t take the simple, effective formula outlined from start to finish (by good ol 2009 rick himself) and adapt it to the screen without answering the most unimportant, derailing, anti-story questions.

#one of the ppl who reblogged the og post said whatever happened to suspension of disbelief and i could have kissed them on the mouth #yes exactly #this new age of audiences who praise ‘realism’ over good storytelling i hate u #‘content over cinema’ i hate u. #i’m not even a screenwriter but any writer can tell you #we’re talking foundations of the craft here #and the worst part is rick already succeeded in the books #if it ain’t broke don’t fix it #where along this path did he lose sight of everything he set out to say? #anyways this is its own post now go forth and do with it what u will #pjo #percy jackson #pjo show crit #percy jackson and the olympians #pjo tv show #percy jackson tv show #annabeth chase #ris raves

[chaosqueery]

I understand the value of showing masc identifying characters having strong emotionally intimate friendships. I really do. But I do get frustrated when people say that they can’t ever turn romantic because of it.

if Buck and Eddie were to get together, it wouldn’t just erase the years a friendship they had before. They had an incredibly close and beautiful relationship, and instead of putting a wall up or doing the stupid “no homo” bit, they leaned into it without question. Even if that relationship changes now, that all still happened and still is just as valuable. Anything that Oliver or Ryan has said about how important it is to hav this relationship between these two characters is still TRUE.

To be honest, we have more examples of intimate masc friendships than we do of two men coming out later in a series/life. If we do it’s usually only one of the guys in the friendship that comes out and, if there is crush there, usually goes unrequited. Because in a lot of people’s minds one person coming out is enough. Those feelings can’t be reciprocated if the story is going to be “realistic”.

And it’s funny that people keep saying sexuality is a spectrum , but when they turn it around on a character like, let’s say Eddie since it looks like Buck’s the one to come out first, it’s “not him though, he’s 100% straight”. If we really all saw sexuality as a spectrum, Eddie figuring out he wasn’t as heterosexual as he thought wouldn’t be considered unrealistic or repetitive. Really, it’s toxic masculinity that keeps men from looking inward and acknowledging that part of them that’s queer. Isn’t that what this whole thing regarding having intimate male friendships all about? Fighting toxic masculinity?

I’m not saying all healthy friendships always have to turn romantic. Far from it. There have been plenty of mm or ff friendships that I don’t ship (not gonna mention here because one in particular is pretty popular and I don’t want to get hate for it on this post when it’s not what it’s about. You can send an ask if curious). It’s just that I fully believe when it comes to Buddie, that if one of them was female, they would be married by now. We’d still get some “why can’t two people just be friends?” Arguments, but 9-1-1 would have cashed in on that chemistry and the fact that they have already set up a little family for them with Chris.

#Buddie #911 on abc #thinky thoughts #buck buckley #eddie diaz #evan buckley #edmundo diaz #911 spoilers #toxic masculinity

[wildpeachfarm]

Tbh the thing that worries me in this whole situation (amongst others) is that it sort of reinforces the impression I’ve been having that nowadays, when someone makes someone else uncomfortable/scared/betrayed/triggers a trauma of some kind… they always assume the one who ‘hurt’ them MEANT it. There’s never this thought of… oh, this triggered me, I should tell them so they know to be careful about this in the future, and in the meantime, I myself should work on figuring out why I felt this way, and if this is something that can change in me so I don’t get hurt this way again.

It’s all only: They hurt me, so obviously they wanted to hurt me, so obviously they are evil and I should shame them and cut them from my life.

Idk, maybe it’s because I’m in my 30s and already acting like a boomer, but it genuinely worries me for our collective future if this is the kids perceive things and how they go through life. No self-reflection, and no desire to communicate to try to fix problems (and take into account that everyone perceives events differently), and a thirst for revenge on anyone who’s ever wronged them…

Just makes me sad.

Yes, there is this very strange way of thinking that has been reinforced by people on tiktok who got a hold of therapy vocabulary (and I have seen people absolutely ruin relationships over it) and its that "everyone around you is at fault for how you yourself perceive situations".

I have no idea WHY that is being told to people or why a lot of young people (primarily on tiktok) have adopted that thought process but its just not realistic to how things work in the real world.

If someone makes you uncomfortable, you can verbalize it to them and they can apologize sure, but if you interpreted it as malicious it does not automatically mean it MUST HAVE been malicious. People need to understand that their perception of a situation can sometimes be wildly out of line with what actually happened objectively. Can you still be affected by it? of course. But you need to acknowledge that and not pin the blame of your perception onto people that in reality, didn't do what you're claiming they did (especially when its something serious like sexual assault)

#i ran this by my psych major roommate to make sure this sounded correct lol #ask #anon #anti drummyache tag

[trans-eddie]

Nancy Wheeler asks her mother what she’s supposed to look for in a relationship, because she doesn’t quite understand the appeal of the whole thing. Not when she looks at her parents together, and the way Karen will barely look at Ted, and her father will barely acknowledge any of the kids unless forced to.

“I suppose…” Karen trails off, thinking hard. “It’s about a trade off. You look for a partner who can support you, give you the things you want, like money or security, and you give back in return what you can offer. Like having kids or cooking meals. Compromise for the best life you can have.”

Nancy supposes it makes sense, and that it’s more realistic than the nebulous concept of “love” that’s always eluded her.

That’s why she agrees to date Steve Harrington. Surprisingly, he’s not without his charms, and he is nice to look at…but most of all, he’s got two things she needs most from a first boyfriend: experience and status. He shows her how these things are supposed to work, and gives her reputation a boost in school; in return she gives him sex and a pretty girl on his arm.

It works up until it doesn’t, when Steve can no longer offer her the support she needs. She’s grown bigger than the need for someone to show her how to have a relationship, or the meaningless status boost that only applies inside the high school; while Steve only seems to want more from her. Steve seems to think their relationship is built on mutual affection alone, and she doesn’t know how to accommodate a misconception like that. Is she supposed to sacrifice what matters to her for an impossible concept like love? It’s bullshit.

But Jonathan, he has other things to offer. Emotional support, in a way she hasn’t really thought to seek before. They’ve been through similar things, share trauma, and he has potential. Goals. The same desire to strike back at the people who hurt them. She can use his skills and drive to arrive at her own goal, and vice versa. They can give each other boosts, share support, and it’s a much more balanced thing than she thinks it ever was with Steve.

But distance grows between them like a chasm. Differences they never truly are able to reconcile, worldviews that clash, and Jonathan’s goals seem to peter out before she’s even started on her own. When the Byers depart to California, she gets a sinking feeling in her gut that things may not turn out well for them. Jonathan no longer meets her perfectly half way how he used to seem to.

When everything with Vecna goes down, her eye strays. Steve is there, and Jonathan is not; Steve is changed, strong and supportive and filled with more depth than he had been before, and Jonathan is changed too - distant and coping poorly through substances, and probably lying to her about something. It’s hard not to think that maybe Steve had been the smarter option after all, the one able to offer her more.

The trouble is? She never really wanted either of them, or the life they wanted to offer her.

Steve talks about his dream of six kids and a winnebago, and it rings hollow to her; it’s so entirely opposite of anything she ever pictured for herself, the dreaded entrapment of being tucked away at home and forced to become secondary to the lives of future children while her husband trudges through his career. Jonathan seems to have abandoned all plans of a future at all, in contrast to Steve’s clear goal - and that equally is unappealing.

She breaks up with Jonathan with the understanding that she’s gone about something very wrong, but it isn’t until Robin starts dating Vickie that she questions the entire foundation of what she thought relationships were all about. What Robin and Vickie have can’t possibly be the practical trade off her mother proposed - their lives are difficult, always in hiding, having to pretend and fake things in public. They could never get married and gain legal benefits, they could never have a family, and neither would have the support of a man in a world that chews up and spits out even the most self-sufficient and ambitious of women. It doesn’t make sense.

What also doesn’t make sense is the way it fills her with jealousy. The way she burns with envy when she sees the two of them, laughing and happy and in love, clearly feeling things Nancy never could picture herself feeling with either Steve or Jonathan, that she never once witnessed between her parents.

It doesn’t make sense how pleased she feels when Robin and Vickie break up, Vickie departing for college across the country, while Robin takes a year off to consider her options while trying to harass Steve into joining her.

It doesn’t make sense how, when she and Robin hang out, her heart beats fast and her mind races in curiosity about what it would be like if Robin leaned down and kissed her. It wouldn’t be transactional; not something she would be trading off, like it always had been for Steve and Jonathan - it’s just something she wants.

It doesn’t make sense right up until the very moment it happens, with Robin’s gangly form awkwardly wrapped around her, tentatively pressing their lips together. Nancy’s pulse races, her head feels hot, her stomach swoops; and it dawns on her, that this. This was what relationships were about, in the end. This feeling that hid itself behind what could be seen, an indescribable but tangible pull like gravity, that defied things like practicality. Robin’s mouth on hers made her see stars, made the pieces align and click together to form the full picture she never could see before.

Robin kisses her, and she kisses back, with a passion and an intensity that she experiences for the first time in her life, and she thinks to herself that maybe love is not such an impossible concept after all.

#stranger things #nancy wheeler #character study #nancy is a lesbian!!! #ronance

[nartml]

"Itachi was a good brother"

"He did nothing wrong"

Sigh

CW: Entirely unorganized, I had thoughts to express and no order in which to do so.

What are some of y'all on? Respectfully, what are some of you guys talking about? Why is this even a debate? Some hardcore Itachi stans need to get their eyesight checked 😭

There are ways to acknowledge a character's tragedy, their impossible situation, the excruciating circumstances they're under, without justifying genocide and inhumane torture.

Itachi was a tool. Thoroughly manipulated by everyone, and exposed to horrifyingly gruesome sights at a young age. He was a tool, which did Konoha's bidding, followed instructions to a T. And yes, the stuff that he's done will forever haunt him. He possibly hasn't known a moment of true peace or happiness in his life. All very tragic.

That said, he still. Well, sucks. And fucked up badly. You can feel sympathy for him –you probably should– and I do too. But the fact that he didn't regret it makes me side eye him.

His clan was planning a revolution, because they were all alienated, discriminated against, victims of unbelievable prejudice and racism based on a bunch of nonsensical bullshit (fuck Konoha btw)

So naturally, when the government mysteriously found out, he was ordered to slaughter all his people –including pregnant women and little kids– mercilessly. And naturally, he did as they asked.

But he couldn't kill his little brother, because apparently "Konoha's orders were not more important than your life, Sasuke, doesn't he love you so much".

So instead of killing him, he makes him relive the massacre of his family a cool 500k times, then sets him up for a lifetime of hatred, pain, anger, bitterness, survivor's guilt and loneliness.

Manipulates Sasuke's worldview, makes him believe that in order to achieve his goal of killing him (something that Itachi set him up for as well btw), he needs to be entirely isolated without any sort of connection to other people. Shows up 5 years later, traumatizes Sasuke some more, tells him he needs to kill his best friend. Yk, all the stuff a good older brother does.

Then some years later Sasuke manages to kill him, just as Itachi wanted, and Itachi ofc pokes him on the forehead, even in death keeping his distance from Sasuke without ever clarifying what it means.

Isn't he just the loveliest?

He's a tragic character with an abundance of issues, who absolutely fucked Sasuke's life entirely, and no matter how much you kick your feet and scream, he's not a good older brother.

"But he loved Sasuke so much"

I'm sure he did; at least in a twisted sort of way. But holy shit, this might blow your mind to smithereens, just because you love someone doesn't mean you love them right, that you're good for them, or did good to them.

Itachi loved Sasuke, but he sure as fucking shit did not love him right, was not good for him, nor did good to him.

"But Itachi was so guilty, it's not like he was having fun when doing all this, he'll forever be traumatized by what he did"

This shouldn't even be up for debate. Feelings, intentions and actions are not of equal importance. The impact of an action you took is more important than your intentions and/or your feelings regarding that action. One is tangible and affects others, the other is internalized and all you.

Itachi's situation was complicated, and there was no realistic outcome where everyone is happy. He was cornered, more or less.

So he held his head down and did as he was told.

Regardless of how he felt about it before, during and afterwards, despite his intentions and reasoning for what he did to both his clan and Sasuke, despite the guilt he feels, it doesn't change the cold, hard reality of the negative impact he had on his little brother and his family's name. Sure, intentions/feelings/reasoning plays a role in feeling sympathy for him, but you gotta hold him fucking accountable for the atrocities he committed.

You could say that he did it for peace, because the revolution would've been bloody, that Konoha had to do what it did to avoid countless deaths, or whatever bullshit arguments y'all want to make. It's inconceivable to me how you can't even hear the wrong in those statements.

Konoha did not do it for peace, there was NOTHING peaceful about any of it, no justification for it. If you think genocide is the only solution to a rebellion that hasn't even been executed yet, then I guess y'all's mindsets are way too fucked up and you should look into it. Konoha most certainly used this coup as an excuse to rid itself of the thorn that were the Uchihas. Because you know what ended up happening?

Konoha, the very government who orchestrated this, ended up then writing Itachi off as living proof of "the curse of hatred", as someone who went insane because of the clan's innate ugliness, that damned, forsaken curse that no wretched member of that family can shake off. Entirely shoved this disgusting, fucked up situation under the mat.

In the end, when it's time to write the history books, Itachi and the Uchiha clan will be registered as vile creatures who were full of hatred and that's how they'll be remembered. No justice was served for them, and that is heartbreaking.

___________________________________________

TL;DR

Moral of the story: Konoha sucks, Itachi was not a good brother and did a lot of things wrong, and the Uchiha clan is a forever misunderstood tragedy.

Bonus: fuck Tobirama "curse of nonexistent wiener" Senju

___________________________________________

To clarify something:

I am not one of those haters who sit on their moral high horse, point fingers and go "They're such a horrible person, I would never do such a thing. Look at me, the angelic good person, I can't even fathom how someone could do this". Shut up, you're annoying, and what you're saying makes no sense, because you quite frankly can't know what you'd do if you were in that character's shoes, and moreover, it doesn't even matter because it's, guess what, not about you. Quit judging how much of a "scumbag" a character is based on your morality without showing any sort of empathy or understanding of a situation.

You can't relate in the slightest (which is good in this case, I wish nobody ever relates to Itachi's situation), therefore your judgement and morals are irrelevant

Specifically talking about Itachi, I don't can't know if I would've done what he did, because I'm 120% disconnected from the circumstances and laws of his reality. If I were in his shoes and in his universe, I would be an entirely different person with different ideals. Same goes for you.

All this being said, I personally feel iffy about Itachi. I have sympathy for him, but I still think he has objectively fucked up very, very badly.

Plus, I am a Sasuke defender to my core and from a purely pro-sasuke standpoint, he annoys me.

I think I rambled a bit off topic at some point, this is a mess

#itachi uchiha #anti itachi #tagging that to be safe #idk if this counts as anti itachi but it's all criticism #no praise to him was given here but i kinda sorta defended him at the end a lil #i had stuff to say about him #pro sasuke #anti konoha #fuck those bitches #anti shinobi system #fuck you too #anti tobirama #can't forget his annoying ass either #some of y'all pro itachis have dirt in your eyes #he fucked up and was a bad brother and you should know it #long post #naruto #i think that's all

[lostcauses-noregrets]

Do you think Levi's ending is a happy ending?Personally i'm not sure tbh, we saw him being really close with Gabi and Falco which is very sweet, It's good to know they're taking care of him . But honestly I still wonder how the rest of his life will look like? I wish we would see more of how he's dealing with grief in this new world where he doesn't have to fight anymore, like obviously he's still helping people as we saw so he still has something to keep him going, but still.

Anonymous asked:

I think what bothers me about the new ending (for Levi) is that isayama kinda portrayed things only in a happy and hopeful light, like he didn't show us any bad days in Levi's new life so it feels kind of unrealistic? Idk how to describe it, but I liked the manga ending more in regards to that I think. Like I want Levi to be happy but it's just hard to imagine after everything that happened, after losing Erwin and everything the manga and Isayama told us how he felt after losing him.

I hope you don't mind me answering these asks together, because they're both quite similar.

For a long time I was really ambivalent about the idea of Levi surviving and living on after he'd lost everyone he cared about and who cared for him, but I'm actually really happy with the way Isayama ended Levi's arc. I'm glad he found a new family with Gabi, Falco and Onyankopon, but I don't believe for one minute that he ever forgot Erwin, or Hanji, or any of the other people he lost. If there's one thing we know about Levi, it's that he is loyal to a fault and that he never forgets.

I'm not sure I agree that Isayama only portrayed Levi's ending in a happy and hopeful light, especially when you look at the way he changed the ending multiple times. The original manga ending, which showed Levi sightseeing with Gabi, Falco and Onyankopon was very cute but it always struck me as being rather incongruous considering the devastation the Rumbling caused. I thought the anime ending was much more realistic where we saw Levi and his found family in a refugee camp with the remnants of humanity that survived the slaughter. And although the setting of Bad Boy is hopeful, with Levi and the others working together to plant trees and restore the environment, there can be no doubt that it must have been back breaking work. Also the story that Levi shares with Gabi and Falco clearly shows that he hasn't entirely escaped the trauma of his past.

I agree that it would have been really moving if Isayama had explored the impact of trauma and grief on Levi's later life, however given that he made it clear he was done with the series, I'm not surprised he didn't want to go there. Thankfully there are plenty of fic writers who are more than willing to explore these themes. The Permanence of the Young Men and A Good Man are my attempts to acknowledge Levi's grief and sacrifice, and his remembrance of Erwin, while still doing justice to his life with Gabi and Falco (I hope). There are many others too; there are 129 Eruri fics on AO3 tagged post-canon that you can explore.

#asks #levi ackerman #gabi braun #falco grice #erwin smith #lostcauses fic #eruri #snk

[themysticnamedfae]

💫 What Have You Lost? How Can You Gain It Back? 💫

Warning - This is a general PAC Reading, take was resonates, leave what doesn´t. No form of divination should ever determine any life choices you do. See this was a little advice, nothing more.

Please chose the picture you feel the most drawn to. All pictures are from Unsplash.

Also this will be brutally honest, do not expect any coddling.

🌕 🌖 🌗 🌘 🌑 🌒 🌓 🌔🌕

🪐Pile 1 - Lanterns🪐

You feel as if you can´t change.

You claim you have tried everything. You claim it is too hard and maybe even that the other people are at fault here. You see when many relationships fail and almost all of them claim you are the reason... well, perhaps you are. If everyone points out the same thing unrelated to one another...

Well you better get to work. And yes, I know, you´ve tried, but you will have to find your own path. Everyone is different. Everyone has different needs and different wants. So you better start experimenting and don´t you dare give up. You wasted so much time already.

Become the person who is actually doing something. Stop talking and actually get to work for once.

🪐Pile 2 - Lightbulb🪐

You see no beauty in living anymore.

Everywhere you go it feels as if you are misplaced. Perhaps your mental health has been suffering a lot lately. But if you are being honest to yourself then you can acknowledge that you´ve made it worse for yourself by being a petty little pessimist. Even if you prefer to call yourself a ´realist´.

Of course, you are not enjoying this life when you do not engage in anything happy. Yes, one day we are all going to die so why not enjoy the limited time you have on this earth? You are not only harming yourself but also the people around you by being so pessimistic and refusing to acknowledge the potentional of joy.

Be the person you claim the world does not have and stop whining like a child who´s lollipop got stolen. You´re better than that.

🪐Pile 3 - Puddle🪐

You have lost the strength to love.

You strongly believe that everyone else seems capable of loving but you. Perhaps you even have been wondering about people just lying to themselves, that love does not even exists. It makes you feel trapped as if you are limited in your life just because you cannot seem to find love for yourself.

You cannot keep complaining about not finding love when you have done nothing to change your situation. Break the circle, break the chain. Do something for what you demand and stop blaming others for your misfortune. And stop letting people in your life despite having had a bad feeling about them in the first place.

You cannot surprise that you do not find love when you keep toxic people around and keep clinging to lost chances.

#tarot #witchcraft #divination #free readings #tarot reading #free tarot readings #free tarot reading #pac readings #pac tarot #pac

[jmdbjk]

Baby Stud Candy

JK still sounded very nasally. I hate it when they have to fight a cold while performing live. Yoongi had to do that too while on his tour.

JK said he felt worse the day of the One Show performance than he felt the day before and he was a little stressed about it but then all of that disappeared once he got in front of Army.

He said promotions were over and some of it didn't go as planned. It felt really limited but he was grateful.

He goes on for a few minutes about singing off key a little and messing up a little during the performance. He knows he can't be perfect all the time but he still had fun even if he made mistakes.

JK wants to have an ease and openness with us. He wants to just be himself and say whatever is on his mind... honesty. That's all he wants with us. Honestly, he's been that way for a while now.

He said if he didn't have that heart, he would just be done with work and just have fun getting drunk. But here he is telling us what he truly wants.

Mr. Unserious.

He apologizes if the sculpture has some sort of cultural significance...

I'm afraid someone in the hotel's housekeeping staff got fired yesterday...

the unseriousness...

He reiterates what every member has said... that after solo activities, when BTS comes back together as a group...

He contemplated again, why do Army love him so much? He said he would try harder to live up to our love that he feels.

He doesn't care. Think what you want. He just wants to be comfortable being himself when he is with us like this.

He reads a comment about growing a beard and he says he has very little facial hair... a true baby face. Which adds to his Giant Baby Villain label.

And now we get to the nitty gritty...

His reply? "Tell me why is that a dirty version? Explain yourself." And he looks a little perturbed at that question. Like about to throw hands or something. Then he says people have different attitudes about what the explicit version means and there's nothing he can do about that.

He went on to say he's been in this business for ten years, please respect his age, and that unless he shows us something new using his own free will to do so, he knows he won't be acknowledged. It's only something HE can do. He has to be the one to set things straight because AS WE'VE SEEN when things are not said clearly and in detail, people will run with whatever narrative suits their know-it-all-glass-half-empty view of life.

He goes on to say he's had the image as "youngest" and he knows we've loved that. But he is not the youngest amongst idols anymore. He admits he lived up to his maknae image but now he wants to break free of that. It's HIS life that HE needs to change.

HOW. MANY. TIMES. HAS. HE. ASKED. TO. NOT. BE. BABIED?

He questioned if he and us could be happy until the end if nothing changed. Realistically, no. But there are those out there who don't want anything to ever change. I've heard people say they wish BTS would make music like they used to do in the first few years... which is antithetical to everything they've been telling us this past year. Things change, people change, everything changes.

JK says he was fearful of trying new things/changing but he decided to stay true to himself. It is unclear to me if he meant we created this circumstance or we created the motivation for him to change.

He says his choices may make some of us uncomfortable and he will try to keep that in mind. He is using his lives as a way to listen to what we want, how we feel, our reactions. He wants us to be honest, to give honest words back at him. He is trying to tell us to grow up and mature along with him. He has said this before.

He wants to feel like he can collaborate with us in some things. That would be cool except for the people who think they can run his life better than he can. But he does have an idealistic way of wanting to relate and communicate with us. This desire of his is sweet and authentic.

He pretty much admits he is just rambling his stream of thoughts to us at that moment.

We should all know that everything is not always a one-sided proposition. That some people might get "hurt" and he never wants that to happen but he has to balance what he wants and what we want. And surely we understand that. I can't get over how frank he is. I love it. I want Jimin to come here and speak to us like this.

He says he is just a 25 year old man speaking his thoughts and though it might not be "broad-minded" (I disagree, he's been very broadminded this live) he wishes us to "get" where he's coming from... to understand his point of view on these things. He's been very tolerant and patient with us.

He mentions why he stopped using Instagram. What he says is that Instragram has its usefulness but it's not as real and authentic as he wants to be. Its true, IG is great for communicating and its strength is visual but sometimes the images or video clips are not really showing authenticity in its whole. It is a very skewed way of presenting things, which is why companies love it for touting their products.

He read a comment for him to just do whatever he wants, but he says he wishes he could, however in reality, who can really do everything they want? He refers to what he's doing as his job. I think people forget that this is his job. And he can't do EVERYTHING he wants, that would also be unrealistic and we should know better.

And apparently he answered a comment that asked if he was drunk... and he said yes and that's why he was saying all this though even if he wasn't he would be saying it anyway because:

He doesn't want to worry about what we think or what the company thinks he just wants everyone to be comfortable with being real.

He says those who don't approve, thanks for being here while you were here but he's going to continue being himself whether anyone likes it or not. In other words, there's the door, don't let it hit your ass on the way out.

He became interested in the bad lighting in the room and all of a sudden turned on the light on the device he was using...

Does this mean he is done sitting in his dark house with only his Mikrokosmos lamp on and the light from the television screen the only illumination in the room? Please?

Right before stepping away to use the restroom he looks at some notes he wrote...

He made talking point notes which is very endearing and also shows he has a purpose when he comes to visit us

... again, he sings while he pees...

Still keeping it real in replying to a comment about how soft his skin looks...

He expressed his desire to meet up with Army, have a drink, shoot the shit... someone says "would you be able to handle Army?" ... ... ... was that a challenge? Thou shalt not challenge thee Jeon Jungkook to a drinking contest me thinks. The man could probably drink anyone under the table. Except maybe Jimin.

He suggests he make a program in which he can converse comfortably with Army ... and he says the company is going "wtf JK"... a JK version of Suchwita but with Army... could be like Jin on Young Ji's Youtube show except JK with Army... see who passes out first:

TMI: Vodka gets JK drunk fast... (files that away in my fun facts)

He goes on to say maybe one day we can get together and talk about it all like the adults we are... he'll just continue being himself even though...

He had other stuff he wanted to say, he thinks he is bad at saying what he wants to get across. He'll say it again next time. lol.

He continued on as if we were saying our good byes ... "tell your parents I said hello (lmao)" and for us to call him, or wait, he'll call us first... let's have a meal next time (I've heard this is a common idiom in casual Korean conversation and doesn't really mean let's go have a meal, its just polite conversation)... but it appears he'll be hard to contact because:

Don't know how anyone could hate him...

Though he'll always be the baby of the BTS family, we now have this bonified Stud Candy walking the bora streets.

So does this mean I can't call him Kookie-pookie anymore? The Bun? Giant Baby Villain?

He came to this live with a purpose. He has seen the feedback over the song, of course he has, he said he was wondering whether to release both versions and then decided to just go for it so of course he was going to monitor the results. He will certainly keep moving in this direction of a more motivated, more forthright and authentic Jungkook in the future. And he's told y'all if you don't like it, it's ok, just step aside while he and the rest of us come on through.

#jungkook seven #bts chapter 2 #jimin basically said the same coming through moving forward #they've learned a lot in how to approach the US music market #the fight continues

[butmakeitgayblog]

I have a "What if" question that might sounds stupid, but I could totally be dumb and didn't catch the answer.

I'm reading your CI snippets and more specific the Bet pt. 2, they're kissing (beautiful moment) and Lexa tells Clarke that she has always wanted her (my heart is a puddle, great) but in the snippet where they fight because of CC (Cunt-Costia) Clarke actually ask a really interesting question: what would have happened if Costia never broke up with Lexa?

And yes, Lexa is super soft and vulnerable in her answer and she told Clarke (one of my favorite moment of ALL times, among all the ff I ever read) that she wouldn't survive losing Clarke (and that's why I think she'll be livid when Clarke does that accident with her car) but she never actually answer the exact question.

She told Clarke that right now she doesn't need to doubt their love because she would never cheat on her because she really loves her (and we know how much does that mean) and she couldn't image a life without her because she wouldn't survive it, but what if Costia never left?

Oo I love a good If/Then

Ok so, realistically, if Costia hadn't broken up with Lexa, they absolutely would've gotten married.

Raven was not lying that the two had been talking about the idea in the not-entirely distant future. And Lexa meant what she said when she told Clarke that she had been happy enough with Cos. Enough at least to choose that path for herself once upon a time. With Costia she was safe, and that's exactly what she wanted at that time. A wife who she more or less loved, who she was generally fond of and got along with, and who she was sexually compatible to. She had no real vulnerabilities with Costia. They had the same circle of friends, Costia had her own wealth and status that only helped amplify Lexa's own. Cos was exactly the kind of girl everyone expected Lexa to end up with, and she was perfectly fine with that.

She probably would've been unfaithful, but not because Lexa isn't a one-woman woman, but rather because eventually she would've felt bored and unfulfilled. Tho that would've been an understanding between them. Costia keeps whatever lovers she feels like having to herself, and Lexa would do the same. They'd be the quintessential Old Money marriage of two people who were together for fun, status, and convenience, with all of the usual bullshit that came along with it.

It would've been a shrewd marriage. A safe one.

One Lexa could never get hurt in.

Clarke would've kept going exactly how she was. She would've eventually straightened up enough to follow her father into finance and investment, and hated every goddamn minute of it. She would've kept on "not doing relationships" and left an even longer string of men and women in her wake. Her life would've been more or less unremarkable, nothing exceptional, beyond being a pitbull in her chosen profession. She would've been extremely successful, but lonely, and still entirely convinced she wasn't worth being loved.

They would've drifted even further than they were to begin with. Lexa - settling into her own little life of nonstop work and playing the doting wife, in between fucking her mistresses after hours and picturesque weekends with the in-laws in the Hamptons. Clarke - drowning herself in work and money, weekends of sex and top shelf bourbon. No calls, no Christmas cards, no visits home to check on the parents. Neither ever really acknowledging that the other one existed, much less having any kind of contact.

But when their parents pass?

When that evil bitch and the dipshit both go?

Meeting again at the funeral?

That'd be the moment that everything changes.

Because Lexa sits next to Clarke at the service smelling like the most intoxicatingly delicate cologne Clarke's ever smelled in her goddamn life. It's feminine, but muskier than she remembers the girl having smelled like so many years before. More mature. She thinks it suits her. But fuck, Lexa's still all legs and sharp jawline and those eyes that just scream of danger. The poutiness of her lips is really hard not to stare at when Lexa sits there so bored it's like she could fall asleep.

There's something comforting in knowing that, even after so much time and knowing how Lexa had spent the years playing house, she still sees through the bullshit fakeness of all this. Just like Clarke does.

What Clarke wouldn't know is that Lexa would've chosen that seat entirely on purpose, though she would've told herself it was just in the interest of annoying her estranged stepsister. Not because the sight of Clarke in her skin tight blazer and short skirt made her heart jump up into her throat like she was 17 again. Not because Clarke looks like the epitome of money and sex. Or like she doesn't give a fuck about the fact their last ties to their old lives are finally 6ft further out of their minds.

A few whispered jibes and morbid jokes to follow a few predictable insults would have them smiling. Because some things never change, even when so much else has.

And those insults would turn into plans to meet for coffee and coffee would turn into a lunch. A lunch spent actually talking like adults. Like strangers, but not quite, who are actually taking the time to get acquainted. Catching up about where they've been (despite them both vaguely knowing through the grapevine in one way or another) and what they've been doing. Who they've been doing. Comparing notes and unfortunately shared notches on their individual bedposts, though that subject dies quickly in lieu of just shameless flirting.

Because some things really never change.

That lunch would become lunches, would become meeting up whenever the hell they feel like. Visits to each other's offices and dinners spent behind closed doors, just the two of them locked away. All it'd take is one wrong look and the exact right thing to say, one too many touches that linger, and they'd be shamelessly fucking on every surface that would hold them.

Except unlike the trysts and flings they've had over the years with others... it's never just sex. Never. Not with them. And Lexa admits that one night, after months of lunches and dinners and stolen trips away together that they each blame on work, when she really realizes just how deep in fucking trouble she is. When she admits that this was why she didn't let anything happen when they were younger.

Because everybody has always been just everybody.

But Clarke?

She's Clarke.

That's when they both realize Lexa needs to find a really good divorce attorney. And that Clarke needs to get the hell over her fear of commitment.

Quick.

#anon #cruel intentions au #🥰🥰🥰 thank you and I'm so glad you like this story #i know it's polarizing and all so it means a lot when people like it #they're our lil fucked up babies

[readychilledwine]

I think Y/Ns reaction was just underwhelming. I don’t agree with you saying people just don’t want a ‘mature response’ you can give a mature response while also expressing how hurt you are and how theres no chance between the two of you. I think it’s realistic to be upset and give someone a piece of your mind and it doesn’t make you immature. Especially if you were mated for 350 years. I’m not trying to be rude I just don’t agree with your statement which is why I even said something in the first place.

I'm struggling to find a single comment where something constructive like this was given in the first place. We'd be having a very different discussion if it had been. Comments like "that ending isn't it" or telling me I ruined my own one-shot versus something like this are two totally different people to deal with. I hope you can see that from my perspective.

This I can turn into a discussion and explain why I made the choice I made. The other things are rude and closed-minded, and comments like that tell me there's no maturity there for me to work with.

You are correct. A sound and stable person is able to have a heavy discussion of "what you did really sucks and there's no possibility of us ever getting back together in the future," I did not write a sound and stable reader. I wrote a reader who is going through PPD, and one of the big side effects of postpartum is what we loving call "mom rage." Reader was not in a healthy place to have that discussion with Azriel. That's why I don't have her acknowledge his apology. I have her changing the subject.

I also didn't have the reader explicitly telling him off because she is just learning he didn't even know about their child, and it would have gone against what she was wanting. She wrote to him, despite his cheating, wanting him to be involved in their child's life. Her priority is her baby, not her and Azriel's relationship. That's why I made sure to include the line that she knew there was a lot they'd need to talk about, and the line where she bluntly tells him they are coparenting, not back together.. We got a glimpse of his groveling, their talks, etc, not a full resolution. I apologize that was underwhelming, but it was about writing consistency. Reader's focus throughout that piece is her child. She was doing what she felt was best for her child. Not her or her feelings.

It also, to me, was the only way to write the fic while keeping the request in mind. I personally would not go back to my baby daddy if he cheated on me. I would, however, work on a relationship and forgiveness with him. The request wanted a full-on happy ending where they were together. I found a meeting in the middle ground situation.

#elizabeths.updates #discussingHereWithoutYou

[mandaloriandragontrainer]

The Problem with Rayllum

Here is my promised salt post about my issues with how Callum and Rayla's relationship and individual characters were written in season 4. I know a lot of people really enjoyed the season, so please feel free to skip. I have no idea how long this is going to be since I intend to ramble until I've gotten all the Big Feelings off my chest. I still love the show (arc 1 will always be one of my favorite stories), and I adore these two and their precious relationship... it's one of my top two OTPs of all time. I want to see them happy, but I also want their characters done justice.

First off, a lot of my issues could potentially be resolved by what happens in season 5 onward, and I truly hope this is what happens. I want to be able to look back on season 4 and see it as part of the whole picture, even if I seriously doubt it will ever be one of my favorite seasons (right now it's for sure my least favorite). I went in with a lot of hope and faith in the writers, and I'm going to be watching season 5 with a lot more caution.

For starters, Callum. This sweet boy was dealt a devastating blow that fundamentally changed him as a person, but 4x01 makes it abundantly clear that he's still deeply in love with Rayla, to the point that he can't even be happy on his own birthday because of how achingly he misses her. When she abruptly reappears in his life, his reaction is realistic. He's cold and distant and makes it clear he does not want to talk to her. If anything, he seems annoyed that she showed up. But as he says later on, the two emotions he immediately felt were happiness and anger. We see the former at the very end of the finale, but basically none of the latter. Instead, he spends the entire season icing Rayla out, turning down her multiple attempts at getting him to talk with her. And I can't help but wonder why. Does he not want to get angry at her? Because boy, he needs to. He has EVERY RIGHT to be furious with her, for leaving him behind and never letting him know she was okay and then randomly popping up in his study in the middle of the night without so much as an apology (more on that later). This is what I expected and hoped for going into season 4... that he would snip at her for a while, leading up to a confrontation where all the Big Feelings come out. He needs to let himself be angry, to shout and scream and let out two whole years of hurt, because I'm not convinced Rayla understands just how deeply she wounded him. But instead, he just seemed... indifferent, if not mildly irritated by her, ignoring her flirtacious remarks (or icily shutting them down) and turning away her efforts at a conversation.

Speaking of Rayla... GIRL WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN AND WHY DID YOU JUST NOW DECIDE TO COME BACK!?!?! I'm honestly flabbergasted by how they approached Rayla this season. Through the Moon and "Dear Callum" were such lovingly crafted looks into her psyche, and all that just fell flat on its face. I still really loved seeing her this season, but they did not address the fallout of her decision at all, and she seemed more or less unchanged by it. In "Dear Callum," she expresses her belief that she very likely may not come back, and despite how desperately she longs to stay, she cannot return until she knows for certain that Viren is dead and therefore Callum is safe (that's another issue... she says she was after "revenge," but TTM and "Dear Callum" show that her main motivation was protecting Callum). But she never found Viren, or any proof of his demise. So why come back? Why go two whole years and then randomly decide to give up? The first words out of Callum's mouth after her name are, "Why are you here?" She offers no explanation beyond, "I came back." Girl why? What happened? Why did you change your mind, when your self-appointed mission isn't complete? Especially when, as far as I can tell, she doesn't understand that what she did was wrong. That's why, despite acknowledging that her leaving was painful for Callum, she doesn't apologize. Because in her mind, there's nothing to apologize for. She did it because she loves Callum, therefore it's right. But then again, why apologize to Ezran and not to Callum?

That's another reason I think Callum needs to fully express his anger at Rayla, not only for his own healing but to show Rayla how wrong she was, that he may be safe physically, but his heart has been shattered beyond repair. That he's no longer the same sweet, open-hearted boy she left behind entirely by her own doing. She seems to have some awareness that she tossed their relationship away ("We had something so special"), but for the most part expects to pick up where they left off, hinting at wanting to cuddle him and go on walks alone and receive his attention the way she used to (kind of strange, considering how terrified she was in her letter that he would hate her for this). Ezran even acknowledges how much she's trying to get things back to they way they were. But she can't, not without understanding the gravity of her actions. I need season 5 to demonstrate how Rayla's journey changed her, because right now it seemed to have very little impact. Again, most of this can be fixed by future seasons, if they take the time to explain just what happened to Rayla during her time alone and what motivated her to suddenly return. And I'm decently confident it will, since clearly there's going to be a lot of Moonfam drama going down.

As for the Rayllum relationship, I was initially upset that there was no romance, especially with how it was hyped up in the marketing and after reading so many wonderful fics. After sleeping on it, I realized that's not my problem with it. It makes perfect sense that they wouldn't be ready to snuggle and kiss again yet. Most of my issues stem from the points addressed above, that Callum treated her so coldly instead of telling her how he felt and that Rayla expected to resume their romance without an apology or explanation (and dang, it was painful to watch him reject her, like a knife in my heart). A lot of their interactions were just... weird, as Soren put it. She sweetly tells him he was the best thing that ever happened to her (while he sleeps), then just... leaves and doesn't show up again until that night. Why? Where'd she go? What was she doing? She didn't think it might traumatize him to leave again while he slept, right after she came back? Lucky for her it didn't... which is even more weird. Callum doesn't even acknowledge Rayla's absence, or that she ever came back at all, upon waking up. She could've left for good again. That could've been the last time he ever saw her, and he's completely unfazed. Again... so, so weird coming from the lovelorn boy in 4x01. But one thing I just can't accept, that future seasons can't smooth out, was that when push came to shove, Callum let her go. Rayla sees Viren. Her worst fear, that impossible fear that drove her to abandon Callum for two years in the first place, is realized. Viren is alive, and this time, Callum knows it too. It makes sense to me that she'd go after him... this is her chance to complete her mission, to protect Callum once and for all. What doesn't make since, what I seriously doubt ever will, is that Callum lets her. This time, he knows she's right. He saw Viren with his own eyes! She's not chasing after a ghost, but a very real and very much alive dark mage who she nearly died fighting before. Yes, I think he was right to give her his blessing to fulfill her mission, but not in letting her go alone. Without him. He just got her back after two years! Two years of not knowing if she was dead or alive! Two years of misery and pining and feeling like his heart had been torn from his chest, and he just lets her do it again! This was his chance to prove to her that she was wrong, that they're stronger together, that they always have been. That she can't keep leaving him and breaking his heart, even if she thinks it's what's best for him. Particularly when there's a very good chance she could die. Callum has always called her out on her self-sacrificing tendencies in the past, but this time, when it matters most, nope. He lets her go without any argument. And then, he breaks down and sobs over her blade, believing she died in her efforts. Which was very sweet of course, and a much-need reassurance of the depths of his devotion to her, but honey??? You let her go, you let her run off alone to what would've been an impossible battle. What did you expect? I fear that had Rayla not gotten the coins, she would've continued chasing Viren and company instead of returning to the group, making it all for nothing. She's right back where she started.

There you have it. Most if not all of my salt over Rayllum in season 4. Thankfully, the season ended with Rayla wrapped in Callum's arms again, and the implication that he's ready to talk to her. But as much as I ravenously desire them to get back to the sweet, romantic, pitifully-in-love couple they were before, I need them to TALK. I need it to happen ON-SCREEN. I need Callum to vent all that heartache and betrayal, and I need Rayla to apologize, really apologize, and assure him that whatever they have to face in the future, they will face it together. I don't want Callum to forgive her while she thinks there's nothing to forgive, I don't want him trapped in an endless loop of abandonment and heartbreak, and I don't want Rayla left pining after the love of the man she's so hopelessly devoted to while he lets unspoken emotions continue to fester.

Let Callum voice his hurt. Let Rayla own up to her mistakes. Let them talk. Let them work through all the pain between them. Let them save each other's hearts and grow back into the precious love they've found. Please do my Rayllum right again.

#and give rayla a proper arc #oh and if they go with 'we're better as friends' and stick with it I'm quitting the show #because they ARE friends #they’re best friends who are in love #and the love they have doesn’t just go away #the dragon prince #the dragon prince: mystery of aaravos #tdp season 4 #tdp critical #callum #rayla #rayllum #callum x rayla #fandom salt #mando ramblo

[kyouka-supremacy]

Hello there 👋

Can you talk about why you feel the way you do about the female bsd characters? (including the female characters you like) and while I don't think the author doesn't know how to write female characters I think the biggest problem with the female characters is that they're underutilized and barely have much screentime ( the most one we saw recently having screentime currently in the manga is teruko)

Hi!! I love you all SO much but seriously I don't have the mental stability to talk about why the bsd female characters are badly written ahah. Here's my best attempt at it:

I hope it's enough for me to say there's a female / male characters proportion of like 1:10, and no female character has any real repercussion on the plot– literally. Besides from Kyouka and Lucy and maybe Yosano? you could hypothetically erease every other female character and... Realistically, nothing would change. That's just how much irrelevant all but three female characters are, and there's already very few compared to the rest of the male cast. The four main / most popular characters are all males. Dazai is openly sexist and it's just kind of there never to be addressed. Akutagawa is repetedly violent with his female coworker and it's treated as a gag (like you DO realize how repulsive it is to write a character who is obsessed with her abuser and never be intentioned to elaborate on that because I guess that's what women are supposed to do according to author? Like. okay). But honestly the main issue for me is how each of them literally gravitates around another male character. God, it's SO annoying. And I mean every single of them!!! Every. single. Every single!!!! I struggle to come up with even one exception to the pattern. Kyouka has Atsushi as her savior, Lucy has Atsushi as her savior, Higuchi is obsessed with Akutagawa, Naomi is obsessed with Jun'ichirou, Gin literally exists because of Akutagawa, Alcott is just there to aid Fitzgerald, Margaret's only role in the story is to save Hawthorne, Elise is just expression of Mori. Teruko is a person in the body of a child who literally drools over her 50-something superior, like we hadn't as a society come to the common agreement that the “not as old as she looks” trope was disgusting pedophilia apologism like ten years ago (but it's okay though, because pedophilia was established to be okay in this manga at like, chapter 15 or something) (is this the good time to bring up that time Aya asked Kunikida out? No? Okay let's just collectively pretend that never happened). Do I need to go on? I haven't read Gaiden, but do I really need to read it to know Tsujimura gravitates around Ayatsuji? Oh wait, I was just remembered about Gaiden's full title: Bungou Stray Dogs Gaiden: Ayatsuji Yukito VS. Kyougoku Natsuhiko, and if that doesn't speak of the consideration author gives their female characters, I don't know what does. It's just– no female character is ever going to have their own novel. No female character is ever going to be protagonist. They'll just keep being treated as they've always been so far, like flat and personality-less disposable plot devices.

Now. I love Yosano's backstory, I really do- I think it was the best executed arc of the manga, reading those two chapter still gives me chills. But you do have to acknowledge, Yosano herself has no agency in the entire arc development. It's okay, she was eleven, it's natural; but she is just tossed one way to the other by other characters. That, and I can't stretch it enough, is not a bad thing on its own; not all stories have to scream #womanpower to be good stories. It's a good story. But you need to acknowledge it does nothing to empower female characters' role in this manga; it just speaks once again of it being a systematic problem, how author can't write female characters like they were masters of their fate if their life depended on it. And it's not that just because there's one (1) mini arc that happens to have a female character as its protagonist, author knows how to write female characters with depth, or agenda, or an objective, or personality, because... They clearly don't.

Like. I probably became annoying by now but like. When was the last time you found any bsd fan whose favorite character was a woman? When was the last time you found people describing themselves as a Lucy kinnie? If you ask me, it's not a matter of fans' fault for overlooking female characters; the female characters in this franchise are meant to be overlooked, because they're abysmally less stretched out and complex compared to their male counterparts– because male characters are distinctive and unique, while author can't go outside the range of one-dimensional femme fatale, letal woman (Yosano, Kouyou, Teruko, Christie, Gin / Lucy / Elise too to an extent) and woman who's just there to obsess over a male character (Alcott, Higuchi). But do not fret, because author will sometimes go outside that scheme by making a letal femme fatale who also obsesses over a male character! (Naomi). Also this

(Have you ever wondered why I never talk about Beast Gin? Yeah.)

Okay but you see the problem here? You see how it's impossible to make the same kind of argument for the male characters, because they're all diverse and various and multilayered as much as their little screentime allows? Higuchi doesn't exist outside Akutagawa, Lucy doesn't exist outside Atsushi; but it's not like you can say the same goes the other way round. That is, crossing out the various parallels drawn between male characters, but that only speaks more of how precisely curated male characters are, while all female characters... I'll be honest, aren't written as people. Author really sounds like your average Washington Post best selling psychological thriller author of the week that writes women like an alien species from another planet. It would have spared me having been writing this whole post for an hour (two hours? Which is definitely not the time I wanted to spend on this, man) if only author would have formed the thought, at the start of the serialization: “perhaps! Perhaps I should write women as people instead of writing them as female characters (whatever that means)”. Alas, we ended up with the infamous Naomi description from Untold Origins (what the fuck. who in their right mind would ever think of writing something like that. what the fuck.)

Now, I know if you're here reading this you most definitely like bsd. It's okay, really. Unpopular opinion, but people are perfectly allowed to like things that are flawed (and this is a big flaw). What's extremely important, seriously, I'm on my knees begging you, is to be critical of the media you consume. All kinds of media. Even if you end up disagreeing with me on this matter, really!! Just be able to tell apart the things that make appealing a series for you from whatever kind of agenda / worldview the author is pushing through, and peacefully acknowledge you can like something despite it having issues (because bsd has issues). I don't know who needs to hear this, but someone definitely does: “I love s/kk!!” “the bsd storytelling has many compelling aspects!!” and “I recognize the bsd writing has flaws some of which actively harm an already disadvantaged part of society” are statements that can and should coexist, and if anything - and I know you hate to hear this, I'm sorry, I'm sorry - it should be kept in mind when deciding to support the franchise by buying its products.

One final note is that like... I'm sorry if this comes off as pretentious but I seriously feel like people have NO idea what media with well written female characters look like, because for people to even question bsd being sexist is just insane to me (in the way: do we really need to to talk about it, isn't it obvious like ten seconds in the show??). And this is probably the least good place to advertise things, but please do yourself a favor and read The Promised Neverland and learn what well written female characters read like.

#bsd #bungou stray dogs #Me writing this: I guess this is why everyone hates political sciences students uh #Following up: Why Romanticizing Mafia Is Actually Very Bad (no click bait ‼️‼️ ) #Also since I brought up tpn: do you really think that it's a coincidence that the manga with incredibly well written female characters– #and a socialist agenda who was in the top ten Japan's yearly best selling franchises for the entirety of its four years serialization– #got an insulting two seasons anime adaptation that completely narrated another story from the manga‚ a live action movie and THAT'S IT #While series like bsd which didn't even enter the top 20 selling franchises like? Ever? are at their tenth year of serialization– #an excellent four seasons (and counting) anime adaptation five spin-off manga one of which has its own anime– #nine novels as many stage plays and two movies? Do you REALLY think it's a coincidence? #anti bsd #For blacklisting purposes ಥ_ಥ #I know there's some people who won't like reading this but let's be honest... That's probably the people that need to read this the most ;; #bsd analysis #Of sorts... #mine #people asks me stuff #This post contains the several reasons why Tumblr can't become like Twitter namely 1) author in question has Twitter #2) Tumblr is anonymous so people can't send me personally death threats #3) It's Tumblr so people won't send me death threats at all (... Hopefully) #Also I'M SO SORRY I know I have dms pending I'm just the worst at answering them 😭😭😭 #I swear I'll do my best to get to them eventually ;;;;;;

[fyorina]

(uh, this is rlly long im so sorry qwq)

OMG THAT LAST CHAPTER HAD ME FEELING SM CARINA U CANT DO THIS TO ME !!!! LITERALLY THE FIRST FEW PARAGRAPHS IN I HADTA WALK AROUND BC I WAS SO OVERWHELMED I LOVED IT SM !!! N THOSE LAST FEW LINES. DONTDOTHISTOME I S A W THE "BEAST AU COMPLIANT" TAG ON UU IM GONNA SOB MY EYES OUT DURING IT I JUST KNOW !!!

gonna leave some of my fave few lines n my thoughts abt them from this chapter (ok these arent all of em, bc if i put all of em it'd be the whole 50k words of this series SO ITS JUST THIS CHAPTER)

"because how could he possibly belong amongst people who are so unfailingly good that it makes his tainted heart stick out like a sore thumb?"

STOP NO DONT DO THIS TO MEEEEEE throughout the whole fic u perfectly captured his thought process n how he denies his own capacity for change n how he HAS changed from when he was 18 BUT THIS LINE MADE ME TEAR UPPPPPP

"He is so completely and irrevocably in love with you that Dazai doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to live in a world without you. The thought alone makes his skin crawl and his chest cave in."

self-explanatory

“Are you calling me ugly?” 

u gorgeous, gorgeous man ilysm yes you look like a rat but i'll swaddle u up in blankets n clean u up

the whole graveyard scene. DO YOU WANT ME TO CRY HELLO

“You were a kid, Osamu. You’re not some incarnate of evil for ending up where you did, you were failed by all of the adults in your life,”

ok nvm crying this hit me like a truck

"Humans cannot live without a heart, so if he’s to give you his, it’s only fair that you give him your own—though realistically, yours has already been his for a long time."

i feel like this mightve been ur fave line, but if it wasnt IT STILL IS MINE BC OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD QWQ

ranpos lil rant was so funny he's literally me frfr

“Yeah… ha, look at us, in jail at the same time! Couple goals, huh?” 

i giggled

PLS READER INVITING EVERYONE JUST TO AVOID GETTING INTERROGATED UMMM RELATABLE LMFAO

these are just some of them BUT JUST IN GENERAL, UR WRITING IS JUST MAGICAL ITS EVERYTHING IVE EVER WANTED TO READ N I LOVELOVELOVEEEE THIS SERIES N ALL UR WORKS (n u /p) SM !!! I CANT WAIT FOR UNREAL UNEARTH, I JUST KNOW IT'LL BE AMAZING !!!

RED HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU NOT TO APOLOGIZE I LITERALLY ADORE YOU IM GOING TO WEEP OMG

honestly the first scene of dazai’s pov was one of my favs to write because it pisses me off so much whenever he’s excluded from the ada panels in the manga fjsjdjsjjd so i NEEDED the opportunity to hit home that that is his FAMILY idc what asagiri says the ada is that boys family and he deserves it 🥹🤞

UGHHHHH STOP BECAUSE WHENEVER I WRITE CANONZAI ITS SO HARD TO KEEP ON THAT THIN LINE OF HIS INABILITY TO ACCEPT HIS OWN GROWTH WHILE ALSO HAVING HIM ACKNOWLEDGING ODA’S LAST WISH FOR HIM SO I REWROTE SO MANY OF HIS POVS SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE I FELT LIKE I WASNT GRASPING IT ALL PROPERLY

the graveyard scene was one of the 3 scenes i started writing for 🥹 i literally was weeping when i finally got to it

AND ALSO THE YOU WERE A KID LINE UGHHHHHHHH BRO when i tell you that’s something that i literally want to scream at him and shake his shoulders like he was FOURTEEN WHEN MORI BROUGHT HIM IN AFTER HIS ATTEMPT !!!!! FOURTEEN !!!!! HE WAS A BABY IT MAKES ME SO SAD WHEN HE FRAMES HIMSELF AS SOME IRREDEEMABLE MONSTER WHEN HE ONLY TURNED OUT THE WAY HE DID BECAUSE HE HAD NO ADULTS IN HIS LIFE SETTING HIM ON THE RIGHT TRACK ugh im gonna weep again i will always be dazai’s #1 defender, i will fight him himself idc he was only a lil baby :’)

oh my god fun fact i actually almost deleted that line about the heart, i don’t even know why like i was rereading it right before i post and i second guessed myself because i was like ‘i don’t think it rlly flows’ but then i decided against removing it because i liked the line in general SO IM WEEPING AGAIB

bro ranpo needs a promotion for real the headaches this man must get because of people not listening to him 💀

HDOSJDJSJDJJD THE COUPLES GOAL LINE WHEN I TELL YOU I SNORTED WRITING IT HELPPPPP I WAS GIGGLING SO HARD

RED ILYSM IM BUNDLING YOU IN THE SOFTEST BLANKETS AND GIVING YOU A FOREHEAD KISS

i’m so excited for unreal unearth like honestly it’s my pride and joy, i’m so pleased with how my beast!dazai characterization has come out so far and i’m hoping everyone else is going to like it too 🥹 if not ill simply die HAHAH JK JK JK no but really i’m so very excited for it

#ᡣ𐭩 carina’s love letters #ᡣ𐭩 from user: cheriiyaya

[the-badger-mole]

What are your thoughts on Azula redemption. Like if it was done properly and she got all the help she needed. Because honestly it's hard to find good Azula redemption takes without them being stans or something

I've talked about this before (here for instance), but I don't really think Azula needs the kind of redemption people seem to want for her. I think a transformative arc would fit her better. Like, yeah, she changes, but she's not necessarily redeemed through it. First of all, I don't think she'd ever be completely sorry about what she did, and I think that's a baseline requirement for a redemption arc.

Second, in my opinion, too many of these "redemption" arcs for Azula focus on her reconciling with everyone, and I just don't think that's realistic. I see her reconciling with Zuko and maybe Iroh, but beyond that, I don't see Ty Lee coming back (I actually like to think that she found her happiness far, far away from Caldera and the messiness of court). I could see Azula not wanting Mai back. Zuko's friends don't owe Azula anything either, so it bothers me a bit when I see stories that start with Azula being best friends with everyone with no explanation or acknowledgement of how odd it is. Especially when the stories are within a year or two after the war ends. The problem here is focusing so much on the trauma Azula went through, there's no focus on the trauma she caused. And she caused a lot.

Like, A LOT.

She contributed to Zuko's years long abuse, she controls Ty Lee through intimidation and forces her into service, she pimps Mai out to get Zuko in line (although, it seemed like Mai was into it, so this might be iffy?). Then there's everything she did to the Gaang. All of this before you dig into what she was like before she joined the hunt for Aang. This is my own personal theory, and not one I necessarily expect to see in fics, but I'm 100% sure Azula did a lot of damage even before she left the Fire Nation. Intentionally or not (and tbh, it probably wasn't intentional), it's pretty heavily implied in the show that Azula has a body count off screen, and those bodies were friendly fire (i.e. Azula has killed and injured people from the Fire Nation). Beyond that, Azula seemed to enjoy what she did. I know she was victim of abuse, but she was also an abuser. Just like a bully being abused at home doesn't automatically absolve them of being a bully, Azula has a lot to answer for. None of the people she harmed are required to welcome her in with open arms.

How I would approach a transformative arc for Azula would be to tell the story over a span of years- well into her adulthood, and probably into middle age. The only one from the original show she would have a firm relationship with is Zuko, and mostly because he insists on seeing her every so often. Katara, who is obviously married to him, would tolerate Azula for Zuko's sake, but things would be cold between them, and Katara would understandably want to keep her children at a distance. Iroh would forgive her, but wouldn't be super inclined to force a connection between him and his niece. He would support Zuko's efforts, though. Azula wouldn't live in Caldera. If she doesn't end up imprisoned after the war, I think she would end up semi-exiled to one of the outer islands of the Fire Nation. There she would build a new life for herself, and rediscover her humanity. She might come to regret more of her actions, but I think ultimately she'd end up absolving herself and not really care about making amends to anyone outside of Zuko (and maybe Iroh. Maybe).

Personally, I'm not super interested in punishing Azula, but I want there to be heavy consequences for her actions. I want the validity of people not wanting her in their lives to be acknowledged. I want to see how she navigates her life post war after losing everyone and everything. I want to see her carving out a place for herself that doesn't have much, if anything, to do with her life in Caldera. If she can make amends to one or two people from her past, that's fine, but it needs to take into consideration that she hurt them, and not just be them accepting her back because she "wasn't herself", because she was herself when she hurt them. I want Azula's redemption arc to be messy and imperfect and incomplete.

Well, either that, or I want to see her go full power trip and try to take power from her brother in an epic and tragic final battle between the siblings, because who doesn't like Shakespearean drama with elemental magic, amirite?

#atla #azula #azula's redemption arc #no one owes azula anything #and i think her next #THE YEAR OF CONTENT!!!!

[dirty-bear-rick-sanchez]

I don’t think I have massive amounts to say about this new episode that hasn’t already been said better by someone else but I’m very autistic and incapable of shutting up about my special interests so here we go anyway

I love the exploration of Beth’s character through her two selves and how we get to see things that are the same/intrinsic to both Beths but also how big some changes are even from one split essentially.

I’m glad we’ve got confirmation that Rick has also fucked other Ricks because you cannot tell me that Rick of all people wouldn’t have done that. Also I love that he reassures Beth that it’s OK and tells her he’s done the same.

Rick and Jerry canonical bonding/drunken shenanigans is my favourite thing

Also Rick just pissing about with Summer and Morty is great as well

Also Summer and Morty’s little discussion about both seeing and trying not to think about the Beths

I know a lot of people didn’t find this episode funny but I actually really did? I might be in the minority here because I honestly also found a lot of parts of the infamous sperm episode funny when I know others hated it so maybe I just have a very stupid and childish sense of humour but I love the Beths sneaking around to not get caught, Summer and Morty being traumatised by what they see, the ‘ultra-realistic video game’ just being realistic in ways no one wants it to be, Rick and Jerry getting drunk and getting tattoos, Rick arguing with Morty over the controller, Rick trying to make Summer and Morty have a normal dinner within earshot of the role play uostairs

Also I know a lot of people weren’t keen on the ending (not the post credits stinger but the ending threesome) because they felt like it was ‘I have two wives’ thing but personally I felt like it didn’t come across like that too much since the episode was focused mostly on Beth and her relationship to herself and her as a person? And we’ve had Beth and Jerry have a threesome with Mr Nimbus before, as well as Rick calling out Jerry for asking which Beth was ‘his’ in S4, which Jerry also acknowledges here ‘Beth? My Beth? Well not my Beth but’). Also with Jerry’s father enjoying being cucked I honestly took it much more as Jerry enjoying being cucked and the Beths getting into the roleplay.

And speaking of the post-credits stinger, I love the receptionist telling Jerry that they don’t allow Jerrys to fuck each other and him then sneaking off to find another Jerry in the alley only for them to have an extremely chaste kiss and handshake and thank you. The most Jerry interaction ever.

Overall I really liked this episode, I found it funny but also liked that it did explore some more serious issues (Beth’s conflicting thoughts on things/the differences between the two Beths, Jerry being manipulative and acknowledging it and apologising) and also the little slice of life moments with Rick and Summer and Morty.

#rick and morty #rick and morty spoilers #rnm #rnm spoilers #bethic twinstinct #rick sanchez #morty smith #summer smith #beth smith #jerry smith #selfcest #rickcest #bethcest #jerrycest #space beth #home beth

[greenerteacups]

That reminds me of why I really dislike that the epilogue exists.... other than the fact that it's totally unnecessary and adds nothing of importance to the story, it actually portrays, in my opinion, a strangely stagnant and therefore bitter (imo) ending for these characters I truly loved through my childhood and teens... Like, the fact that they just...stayed the same... married the person they started dating in school (regardless of actual compatibility)...the same friendships and enmities.... I just remember reading that epilogue and immediately rejecting it cause I found it weirdly depressing and it also kinda felt like the author was kinda forcing the characters into a certain destiny beyond what was necessary, which sounds really weird but I do think there's a point where, as a writer, you have to let the story go and leave 'what happens next' to the readers' imaginations.

there's a reason for this, i think. i actually happen to like a lot of the endgame couples — i think that harry and ginny being straight-out-of-school/married-young-in-wartime sweethearts is cute, and makes sense for their characters. i like the idea of them naming the kids after harry's parents, Sirius, and Luna (Obvious Exception Notwithstanding!!!) because it ties in with the themes of family/love transcending death and also happens to be a real-life phenomenon that young couples do to commemorate the wartime dead! i think it's great that neville's a herbology professor — it's an ultimate triumph over Snape to become the exact opposite kind of teacher, one who offers support and understanding to slow-learning children — and although i hate what happened to Lupin and Tonks, the idea of Harry raising Teddy as his own son/nephew/younger brother/Unidentified But Beloved Family Member in the same way Sirius probably would have raised Harry, if he had the chance. it ties in very well with "healing past wrongs" as an underlying motif for the next generation.

and you know what, fuck it, i'm not ashamed to say it: I like the Third Gen kids. they are good character concepts and they have hints of interesting story arcs! I like the idea of harry's oldest son being this ridiculously high-energy, sociable, nosy-ass Fred Weasley type popular kid, because — yeah, that's what both of your parents are! of course you're like that! and I really like the idea of [REDACTED MIDDLE CHILD NAME] being a Slytherin with strong moral values, because that's an arc that frankly should have happened in the original books, and it reads like a graceful acknowledgement of how the author mishandled Slytherin House (even if it's kind of dissonant with their behavior in the Battle of Hogwarts, but whatever). Lily we don't have much to go on, but she reads a bit like a young Ginny if she were less shy. but none of that quality changes the fact that these characters shouldn't exist.

authors coming to the end of their first work have trouble letting go of it, especially when that work is long. (even though it was her seventh book, Deathly Hallows was the first time JKR ever had to actually end a "story" as such). they're scared of leaving something out, and I think these long-range time jumps are a reaction to the desire to hold onto these characters as long as possible — to delay the inevitable goodbye, and claim authorship of as much of their characters' lives as possible. the problem is that you don't want to undo the happy ending they've just earned, so you can't realistically portray the tensions and breakups and conflicts that would happen if the characters were left to develop naturally for nineteen years. which is why the epilogue feels false to me.

and the funny thing is, for fans of the "canon" epilogue ships, ending it after the Battle of Hogwarts wouldn't change anything! it's ironic, because in theory you'd want an author to confirm that your pairing gets a big happy wedding, but when a ship is endgame, it's assumed that they have a "happy ever after" anyways. we don't read Percy Jackson and assume that he and Annabeth have an acrimonious divorce in their 40's. we don't wonder (at least, not as serious analysts of the text) if Arwen and Aragorn need to get couples counseling. maybe they do, and maybe they would, but that's not relevant to the story that's being told, and the way the narrative frames it, the "ending" of their story is itself the end of the line for their pairing. the moment you stop writing, they exist in perpetuity as a loving relationship, and you don't need to tell us they get married! they have been immortalized as lovers! harry and ginny would be THE endgame couple of the series whether or not we knew their children's names. they are each others' destiny.

and the end of the day, the problem with the epilogue boils down to this: either their story ends at the battle of hogwarts, or it didn't. if it didn't, then it looks like you have another book to write. and if it did, then it's time to take your hands off the wheel.

#greenteacup asks