#and I'd like to see more intense friendships that don't involve the characters getting into some sort of conflict

[13eyond13]

Something I think fiction does sometimes is make sex represent the end goal for relationships so often that if two characters sleep together it causes readers to automatically see them as truly in love / that it would solve all problems for the pair to be together forever, even when that isn't necessarily what the narrative is trying to say / depict otherwise.

I am thinking about this because of Guts and Casca... to me they sleep together initially almost as an act of friendship? A way of experimenting with each other and learning about sex, perhaps of distracting themselves from the person they're both more actually into, and of course also because they do care about each other and maybe are attracted to one another on some level, and want to see what it would be like to try to get even closer together. But I think the story also makes it pretty clear that Guts is more emotionally invested in his relationship with Griffith than with Casca, in what you might call a narratively romantic sense... and Casca is shown sort of seeing the futility of her feelings for Griffith and eventually growing apart from him that way pre-Eclipse, even though she still cares for him the most out of everyone she knows (though I don't think he ever feels nearly the same way about her). So getting with Griffith isn't end game for Casca (and she herself eventually realizes that), but I also don't read Casca as a character for whom getting with Guts is the end game character arc-wise, either. I'm not sure Miura even had a concrete end-game character arc in mind for her, to be honest. I feel as though unfortunately she was written mostly as something to be used between Griffith and Guts rather than to end up having her own fully realized narrative journey in the same way that Guts (and maybe also Griffith) will. I want to see her and Guts as friends and at peace more than I want to see them live happily ever after together as a couple, because I feel like that's actually more how they really feel for one another than anything else. Granted, there's a bit of an interesting ironic twist in the story that happens during the Eclipse, where Griffith (unintentionally?) drives Guts and Casca closer together than I think they might have been otherwise with the trauma that he causes them both (even though I think their relationship is probably something he'd be jealous of and read as more romantic than it actually might be and wish to destroy, simply due to his own insecurities and his own possessive feelings for Guts). But I also didn't really read Guts' reactions in the Eclipse scene as Guts being jealous and possessive over Casca in a sexual / romantic sense - I read it more as him feeling empathy for her pain and desire to protect her from harm / from the darker side of Griffith he maybe knew about a bit better than anybody else. I DO care about Guts and Casca's relationship a lot, and find it one of the most emotionally compelling things in the story. But I don't think shipping them together for a happily ever after is really what I'd want for them, nor something that the narrative was actually trying to work towards / suggest to be the best ending for anybody involved? I don't know if I think shipping Guts and Griffith necessarily is either, particularly because of how irredeemably awful Griffith behaved during the Eclipse... but I DO think the story intentionally hinges more around the Griffguts relationship and their emotional journeys / character developments than it does about any other pair/relationship in the series, and that both of them have intense unresolved feelings for each other that come off much more suggestive and stronger than ones of just simply wanting to be friends. And I think all of these characters are pretty explicitly aware of that themselves even in the story as well.

Haha I don't even know what I'm trying to even say here except to work out some of my own thoughts about the main 3 that I care about, I suppose!

#like it became especially apparent to me when starting to read berserk fic #that the griffguts fics seemed more interesting to me to read than a gutsca fic would #which was weird to me because when i read canon i feel after the eclipse #i was almost more invested in guts and casca having a resolution of some kind #and cared the most about the two of them #but now that im reading fic i want to skip anything thats about getting guts and casca together as end game #and wanting to explore the 'what ifs' involving griffith and guts #and i think a lot of that is just due to how the story is written and what is still left unknown about the ending? #people make griffith easier for me to understand in fics as well #berserk spoilers #p #berserk

[prince-liest]

oh my god…. prince……. you can’t do this to me. you’re saying next fic has vox getting fucked, focuses on vox’s transness (AH), AND ALSO HES ON THE OFF SEE SAW OF HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH VAL?????? ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL MEE?!!?!!????? I THINK I MIGHT ACTUALLY COMBUST. and bc another anon asked abt how alastor views the violence in voxval’s relationship, i have Another thought on the matter. as much as alastor looks down on vox, they can be Very similar sometimes. they are both egomaniacs and very prideful. i don’t think vox, without outside interference, would ever ADMIT that the violence he faces is 1) something he truly hates AND 2) out of his control. he can’t admit he hates it, because then why isn’t he stopping it? that would be admitting to not being powerful enough or strong enough. and hello, 50’s toxic masculinity coming through, he CANT be a victim of domestic violence. he’s a powerful, rich, and important man. it all comes down to perceived weakness. so, the solution is to pretend he’s mostly fine with it. sure, he can act disgruntled and upset in the moment, but i don’t think he’d ever let himself take it seriously. because then he has to start drawing lines in the sand, and what happens then? will val look down on him? will he lose val? yeah, he is not risking that over a problem he mostly refuses to acknowledge exists. and as you said, this is all happening in the setting of hell, where ultra violence IS the norm, and vox himself is excessively violent. it’s the most delicious 50 layer cake of fucked up-ness.

RANT ASIDE THO. i have a question. 2. do you ever plan on having vox interact with the hotel crew outside of angel? ANDDDD what would charlie’s reaction be to their friendship/situationship/ kinda love affair. i think she could add SOOOOO much hilarity and Intense Emotions to this series. not that the boys haven’t been doing their part in that so far. charlie just intensifies everything she does, god bless her. -🌓

The "getting fucked" bit and the trans conversation bit are directly related to and relevant to each other, and frankly I'm just very happy to be out here writing the specific flavors of deeply queer shenanigans that I'm writing, and to have people actively enjoy that. It genuinely means a lot to me that I've strayed so goddamn far out of the bounds of good old top/bottom yaoi archetypes that introduced me to fandom and yet have a wildly enthusiastic audience nonetheless. So, that was my long way of saying that you bring me a lot of fucking joy, anon, hahaha.

As for everything you're saying about Vox, power, and masculinity: YOU! points dramatically at you YOU GET IT! YOU GET IT!!!!!! Everyone just read this, this is it, this is the thing. I have no notes to add. There is a reason that the main point he raises the moment he actually says something vulnerable about it (before he immediately cuts himself off) is a complaint that he's an overlord, so why—?

And with regards to your questions: I'm not gonna lie, my actual planning for 666 is usually, like, extremely by the seat of my pants. I plan nothing except, "Oh, shit, had an idea for the next one. Lesgoooo—" and that's been the case for literally every single installment. It's all just been evolving naturally and building on top of itself. So! I can't say that I plan to have Vox interact with the hotel crew or Charlie, but I also will never say that I'm actively opposed to it.

That said, I do think a lot of this fic is kinda structured around hitting specific topics that come up in intimate settings between Vox and Alastor specifically, with occasional tag-ins from Angel Dust, so I don't really know if there's anything in particular I'd like to write that I think would work better in this series if more characters got involved. But, hey! Never say never!

#ask #personal #half moon anon #long post #hazbin hotel #radiostatic #666 live on air #I do agree with you I adore Charlie and in particular I adore her weird relationship with Alastor #actually before I decided to not make this COMPLETELY unhealthy I had a very very different idea for how to write the rut fic #involving basically Alastor getting pressured and also compulsory allonormativity-ing himself into having sex with Vox #and THAT outline DID involve abso-fucking-lutely everybody sticking their noses into the situation in deep deep alarm #Charlie Angel Husk and even fucking Lucifer showed up #but uh that was also the version of this series that ended with the radiostatic relationship pretty well nuked so #ended up NOT writing the “bad end” edition LOL #maybe one day I'll write it as an AU or something when I feel like upsetting absolutely everyone including myself #my writing #nsft

[yanderes-galore]

Hi! It's me again! May I also ask for a general yandere (romantic) concept of Dr. Don't from Sonic Prime? (Genderneutral)

Due to the nature of the character, I have altered this concept to lean more towards platonic to make me more comfortable, I hope you don't mind. I just can only see him as a platonic yandere.

Yandere! Doctor Don't Concept

Pairing: Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Clingy behavior, Manipulation, Jealousy, Controlling behavior, Stalking, Violence, Forced companionship.

Due to how I see this character I personally can only see him as a platonic yandere?

Some of the Chaos Council have a romantic intention towards you, some have a more platonic intention since they're all parts of the same person.

Dr Don't falls under the platonic category for the most part.

He is a collection of the angst Eggman has.

He's addicted to video games, gloomy, and quiet.

He's egotistical, strict, and determined to get what he wants.

When it comes to the Chaos Council I'd like to bring up the HC I made in Dr Deep's concept.

You were originally involved in someway with Eggman before the prism shattered.

Ever since the universe was shattered you had become a servant to the Chaos Council like established in Deep's concept.

All the members are close to you in some way but this time Don't is the more intense one.

Don't expects you to cater to him more than the rest of the council.

He also treats everything like a game.

Like, I feel he would unironically think he has to increase your "friendship level" to be closer to you/hj

He isn't the best at conversation so he is another one who just feels he has to impress you.

Then again... most of the Chaos Council is like that.

He doesn't get why you don't like him at times if he gets you what you wants.

You never look happy serving him.

Isn't he the better member compared to all the rest?

Definitely tries to get you things you like to impress you.

He normally hates any of the Council helping him at times... but he likes you.

Definitely has an attitude when you cater to anyone else or aren't around.

The other members catch him ranting about it to the point that maybe you should just be kept by him more often?

Is clingy but never likes to admit it.

Sure, he can go a few hours without you (he can't).

Don't's opinion towards you is like that of a friend or caretaker.

He likes it when you take care of him and gets attached to the feeling.

He would use robots to stalk you if you are away from him.

So really you are just... never alone.

Even if you try to tell off the robots he sends he just sasses you back.

He also will complain to you until you come back to see him.

Safe to say he's demanding and needy.

He may get violent with his robots if you seem threatened out in the streets of New Yoke City.

So yeah, expect robot body guards controlled by him always around.

Even if you wanted to get away from him you couldn't.

He always has an eye on you through cameras and other tech.

He is reserved but opens up to you at times.

You can tell it's like he cares but has the weirdest way of showing it.

Dr Don't is definitely another example of a Chaos Council member you just have to take care of.

He feels very clingy and requires you to always be around.

You find it exhausting.

But if you tried to get away... he'd follow you... along with the rest of the Chaos Council...

You're stuck right where you are... and he enjoys that.

#yandere sonic the hedgehog #yandere sonic prime #yandere dr don't #platonic yandere

[thrandilf]

while i fully agree with the thesis of your gay best friend mei post (she is often pushed aside in fanworks and her friendship with red son is undersold) but i think you might have gone too far in the opposite direction regarding mk and red sons dynamic?

obviously they dont have as much plot-relevant screentime as mei and red but mk is still important to red son. even disregarding their s1 nemesis dynamic, red son still regularly brings up mk in his conversations with mei during the s3 special, announces his entrance to mk in the mech, and asks about him on meis stream in 401, all of these feel like intentional writing choices to imply he cares about mk (and mei, but thats more implicit with him saying her name and such) more than he lets on

that is to say, i dont think shipping mk and red means someone doesnt value mei and reds dynamic or think its unimportant, just like shipping red and mei doesnt mean disregarding mei and mks bond

i hope this doesnt seem like im trying to pick a fight or anything, i just wanted to put in my 2 cents :v (also tumblr is being shit so sorry if this sent twice)

MK and Red Son are definitely friends, not denying that, but the show doesn't have an interest in developing their specific relationship further past like... halfway through Revenge of the Spider Queen. MK says they should trust him, and from there on out the two banter or work together sometimes, but nothing between them really gets going or more intense

Because after that the majority of the time is spent developing Mei and Red Son's dynamic (which was already starting in S1, 1x08 in particular I'd argue, but it was still minor then).

Her and Red Son constantly get paired up onscreen together in RotSQ, both on the main quest and then in like... every shot possible. The piggyback ride thing is actually a romance trope as well, btw. 3x06 involves everyone, but it's Mei who Red Son touches and has the Samadhi Fire connection with, and even then it's Mei who interacts with Red Son before they leave and she leaves her plushie, and then -insert the special here-. MK comes up in their conversations, as Mei comes up in MK's conversations with Red Son, so that segment's even to me, but then the Samadhi Fire ending is kinda like. Man. That's unique to Mei and Red Son and it got build up. That's something intimate and between just them

Don't get me wrong, I don't think shipping Has to be about who a character values most, because my arospec ass doesn't think that there has to be a One person put above all else. But it often comes across that way in shipping. I guess a fic doesn't have to include people who aren't in the pairing, but it does feel like it skews Mei's importance to MK and Red Son.

TBH, entertaining my own idea of a Most important person, even liking Red Son and Mei together, I think think that MK is more important to Mei than Red Son is, if she had to choose. Frankly I also think both of the boys would pick Mei before each other if they were in a situation where they had to choose, MK as Mei's best friend and Red Son, to me, having Mei as his anchor to the group considering how S3 went. They all matter to each other, but in different ways.

So sure, I don't think shipping automatically means that a dynamic is skewed to exclude or devalue a character, but it sure comes across that way when paired with seemingly ignoring all Red Son and Mei do get together, as well as how often I see people trying to give the Samadhi Fire to anyone but Mei. This is also a fandom where it seems like Lady Bone Demon's nameless male sidekick gets the same amount of content she does, which makes me scratch my head

Like, if Drag-onfruit was m/m, would Red Son and Mei be the rarer pair? Would ppl keep trying to give the fire to anyone else? For me it does read as fandom sexism with a gay hat slapped on. At the very least it's MK/main character bias, even though Mei is the female lead

No one Has to ship anything to be clear, Drag-onfruit isn't canon, but maybe it's because I watched the series all in one go that hitting the end of S3 and imagining going, "Who do I think Red Son is most likely in love with/has the most compelling relationship with? -insert anyone but Mei-" baffles me

I certainly prefer Drag-onfruit where MK is deeply important to both of them, even as a sort of platonic third (1x05 shot down MK and Mei or chimera faster and harder than any other ship known to man for me lmao) and to be fair I rarely engage with Red Son and MK shipping because it isn't my thing for multiple reasons, so maybe there is a lot of stuff out there where she's really given the love and place in their lives that she canonly has and I just don't know it, but the Mei treatment that I see in fandom does seem to be a side effect of said fanon favorite ship which is how I landed on the original post I made about her getting shoved aside to be the sassy bff who's conveniently fanonly a lesbian (for reasons I don't get) so people don't have to consider that she could have a relationship MK doesn't get to have

Maybe I'm a pessimist but this is how I've perceived it. TLDR they're a delightful trio regardless

Thank you for being polite btw, I know this got long winded but I appreciate being able to discuss!

#not tagging with ships bc i dont wanna get in the tags but if it does get in searches im sorry #ask

[misc-obeyme]

Thinking about Lucifer knowing Spanish, and I love the idea that he picked it up on his own (HELP, IMAGINE HE LEARNED IT SUPER FAST BEFORE THE EXCHANGE STARTED ONCE HE SAW MY FILE, THAT'D ALSO BE FUNNY). But if Lucifer ever scolded me in Spanish, I'd fr burst into tears and turn into the biggest goody two shoes 💀 (for at least a few days). Like I already hate being lectured, but something about it being in Spanish just 😭 it feels sooo much worse (maybe because there's so much emotion in the language? Dialect? Very big disappointed mom vibes.)

also IT AIN'T GONNA BE ME CONFESSING, THAT'S FOR SURE. Or if I did, it'd be in the most round about way or by accident (catch me pulling a Mammon like in that car ride drabble.). I am saying it in EVERY WHICH WAY except saying 'ily' outright.

It wasn't my day for dinner but you came home sad, and suddenly I'm cooking and it's your favorite dish? Psh, don't mean nothing, I was craving it too. I found a super shiny coin and gifted it to you? I have plentyyy (don't think about the fact I keep shiny coins from the current year in my bag for good luck, and it's the first one I've found all year). I'm spending my last pieces of grimm to buy us a treat to share bc we passed our exam? Well, it'd be wrong if I only got myself one... (true story, spent my last $10 on chipotle kids meals for me and my friend/coworker so we could eat because we were both broke and had two days left to payday)

Mammon will need to grab me by the shoulders and shake me because I would not believe he's into me. I'd come up with an excuse for any evidence that he is into me 💀 He could be like "GET IT THROUGH THAT THICK SKULL OF YOURS THAT I HAVE FEELINGS FOR YOU!" and I'd be like "you wot? you're joking right?"

like I said, I'm denying it to hell and back because it's scary af !! I've only been in love 2.5 times, and the first time I was brushing off my feelings and making excuses. And then one day I had the "Oh. Oh... Aw, fuck." moment and became a mess around them. I've always been wary of romance (my only relationship ended up toxic, and I became more wary lol)

But the same thing happened with Mammon becoming my fave 😭 I was thinking about other characters (along with Mammon) like Levi, Beel, and Dia. But then everything about Mammon made me fall a little more without realizing, even while I was trying to deny it. I'd get asked my fave character, and I couldn't choose, but Mammon was always an option. And one day I had the "Aw, shit" moment. He won me over with his dumbass ways, heart of gold, and terrible bandaging skills.

*head in hands* THIS MAN MAKES ME WRITE ESSAYS BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH WORDS TO EXPRESS HOW I FEEL AAAA

anyway I am excited for the new lessons !! my cards are powered UP ! also I got a sketch and lineart update on one of my comms and 😭🫶 literally wanted to jump around at work because it's so perfect and cute (it's me and Mammon cuddling in bed AND RHEY PUT HIM IN A TANK TOP SND YOU CSN SEE HIS MUSCLRS AKDKD)

anyway. I am. so Normal about this. aha... OKAY I AM SENDING GOOD VIBES, AND HOPE YOU HAVE A LOVELY DAY AND FIND $10 ON THE GROUND TOMORROW (ALSO APPLIES TO ANYONE READING THIS) OKAY BYEEE

- ✨ anon

Disappointed mom vibes lolol. I think that would suit Lucifer really well, actually. He has those vibes anyway, make him lecture in Spanish and it's just even better~

Er. Well. I like when strict characters start scolding people, so perhaps my opinion is invalid in this case. I just find it very funny and it makes me want to tease them so bad.

Anyway, here's my opinion on romance: yes, it's scary af. But it's worth the risk.

Any time you enter into a relationship with someone, especially if there are intense feelings involved, you're taking a risk. No matter what, even in friendship and other such types of relationships. The way to get close to someone is to be vulnerable with them. And there's always the chance that the person you're being vulnerable with will take that as an opportunity to hurt you. But not everybody will. And you'll miss out on the people who won't if you just... don't even try, you know what I mean?

Ehhhh sorry to get all deep on you like that, but I've seen this kinda thing plenty of times in my life. I'm that person everybody tells all their relationship woes to and then I give them advice that they never take. And then it always turns out that I was right all along lol.

I also kinda think it's okay to fall in love with someone but never act on it. Sometimes it feels like I fall in love with everyone I meet. But sometimes you legit fall in love with someone who just... isn't the right one for you. And you know it, so there's no point in trying to pursue anything. And the feelings fade as that person moves on with their life and it just becomes a fond memory.

For what it's worth, I don't think Mammon would ever give up on you. He's not as dumb as everyone makes him out to be. He's actually quite emotionally intelligent. As soon as he finally figured out his own feelings and was able to accept them, he would clock onto yours. And if someone straight up told him (such as one of his brothers), I think he'd keep reaching out to you, keep trying for you, keep doing his best to make it so you're comfortable enough with him to be honest about how you feel~

Anyway, this is just me being a hopeless romantic lol!

Welcome to the Writing Essays About Fictional Characters You Love Club! lol honestly I get so embarrassed about how much I have to say sometimes...

I'm also excited about new lessons! And your commission sounds amazing already!

Sending the good vibes right back to you! May we all find $10 on the ground!!

#I'm sorry I feel like I rambled about love completely off topic here #obey me #✨ anon #misc answers

[sailorzakuro]

Actually I'm going to use this space to put all these thoughts down cos I keep thinking about it and idk maybe someone can relate but although I'm still very much a part of fandom culture (I recently joined the Stranger Things fandom if anyone's at all interested) I really just Don't give a fuck about shipping. Like it's not even like I'm actively trying to not care about it. I truly don't give a fuck.

So for example, I joined the Stranger Things fandom (very late I know I'm sorry I watched the whole series I'm obsessed with Robin Buckley if you want to see me talk about that my twitter is smalltownrobin) and that show is like ships galore, especially with the group of characters I have the most interest in. The "older teens" group of characters (like Robin, Steve, Nancy, Jonathan, Eddie, that lot) get most of that, and I've just never found myself caring. People heavily debating whether Nancy will "end up" with Jonathan or Steve? I don't care. I'm chill with either, I'm chill with none. Even people who ship Nancy with Robin, or prefer Robin with Vickie, honestly I just want Robin to kiss a girl I don't give a fuck who it is. THE STEDDIE RAMPAGE I'm glad it's making people happy but I'm fine either way, and I don't actively seek content for it out. I'd say the only pairing I care about on that show is Robin and Steve's platonic friendship, THAT I love I am obsessed but like. they've already reached the "goal" of their relationship so it's not like there's any official title that the show writers or fans can give to them or take away. It's an easier life overall and I'm pretty happy.

I really don't know what's done this to me, cos I used to LOVE shipping, I remember in high school my friends and I used to have seriously intense conversations about which Fairy Tail characters worked best together. I made two entire videos on why people should ship Cheryl and Veronica from Riverdale (and even now ages after I stopped watching and it turns out they had a 100% platonic fan service kiss I DON'T CARE THAT IT HAPPENED). The point is something's just happened to me since those days and now I just don't care. Maybe it's cos my main fandom is kpop where shipping is Not okay and I don't wish to involve myself in the romantic lives of real people dictating to them what I think they should do with their personal endeavours, but yeah. I don't care. It's not a bad thing if you are into shipping, you know, enjoy yourselves, if it brings you joy and it's not hurting anyone go ahead.

All that being said I still very much care about Thasmin but we're never going to get any more of them now so. fuck.

Did anyone bother to read that I'm sorry 🙃 I know I barely post on here anymore, I converted it to my SCD blog but then couldn't be bothered talking about it so this is kind of empty now. I talk about the fandoms I did talk about on here on my twt so I guess if you're still interested in my fandom opinions go on there? I cannot promise I'll convert this blog to anything to make it active again I might just pop in every so often and rant about something completely random ✌️

#seriously wtf do i tag this with #shipping? #stranger things #i guess so #update?

[witchcraftandburialdirt]

SHIPPING INFO // ANSWER THE FOLLOWING FOR YOUR MUSE SO PEOPLE KNOW HOW SHIPPING WORKS ON YOUR BLOG.

――WHAT IS YOUR OTP FOR YOUR CHARACTER?

If you've been folllowing my blog for more than 10 minutes you'll know my ships as I frequently interact with them on here! Robin has two ships that encompass all of his verses: ― Khada Jhin @curtain-cxll in his league verse and various skinlines ― Danny Johnson aka The Ghost Face @bells-of-black-sunday for his modern verse, his alternate legaue verse (Locum Tenes) and other private verses.

Haruko has 1 ship and that is with Tarhos Kovács or "The Knight" @bells-of-black-sunday for all of their verses.

――HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?

Haru and Tarhos have a 12 year age gap, and Jhin and Robin have about 8-9 years so... I'm very loose about it, as long as everyone is an adult, consenting, and mature enough to be with one another I'm pretty alright with anything.

――HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY ARE CONSIDERED NSFW?

I'm actually quite shy with writing NSFW but my writings with Spuk have really helped me realize that I don't have to be guilty about those topics. Howevever I still am very quick to put "Read More" on the post if I think it might even lead to something spicier. Usually this occurs when kissing starts getting more intense and hands are placed on one another; it isn't so much that I consider it NSFW, but I like to tag what is going on just so people can decide for themselves if they'd like to read it!

――ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?

I have absolutely no issue with saying that I'm very picky when it comes to shipping any of my characters, I can generally pretty quickly pick up when characters have chemistry together but it takes time for me to be invested and keep interest. Robin has a lot of complexities that tend to not work well in shipping situations and Haru is....an experience. So I tend to be very selective with shipping, there's only a few exceptions to this like how me and Spuk have a lil Frank/Haru thing going on despite Haru being shipped with Tarhos, its a one-off and fun and since most of my ships are with Spuk anyway well...I feel comfortable to explore that with him without worrying about "Ohhh but Tarhos!"

――WHO ARE OTHER CHARACTERS YOU SHIP YOUR CHARACTER WITH?

quiet cough nightbringer yasuo and whatever-bringer robin are pretty fruity ngl

Haru gets along really well with Durkos, Sander, and Alejandro! While I don't view them as romantically involved with eachother (thats a convo I'd have to have simply bc I never considered it) I do know that they deeply care for eachother and have had some sexual encounters.

――DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?

I generally like to confirm with my shipping partner that they feel the same way - just because I can see something doesn't mean they do, or vice verse and that's completely fine. While chemistry is, mostly, extremely obvious in a lot of cases, I still just prefer to confirm it.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?

To be completely honest I'm so horrible with shipping that I didn't even realize people really shipped things within the game; particularly since Riot isn't the best with making new champion interactions. I enjoy my mutuals ships, frankly, but I don't know if they would ever be something I would have thought of without them. Although a ship I DO love and absolutely delight in is GaloLio from Promare!

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU?

I realize I probably sounded super professional but IN ACTUALITY if theres chemistry please feel free to reach out! If you're enthusiastic about it and the chemistry is there then I'll feel comfortable! I love talking dynamics even past romantic shipping, so if you want to do a friendship or familal bond I'm down for talking about that too!

tagged by: @agonizedembrace @misstantabismuses @saviourofzaun ((thank you!)) tagging: I'm REALLY late with this but @bells-of-black-sunday ♥ and @sxlemnity @piltover-sharpshooter @arkyn-iceborn-vindication @the-flame-blade @thegoldentigress @noxfortid @magicshadowkitten

#mun speaks #dash games #phew this took a while

[baebeyza]

Megastar for the pairing ask

Thank you ~

You know, Starscream and the MegaStar pair are the reasons why I got into Transformers in the first place. Watched some videos on Starscream, learnt about his dynamic with Megatron and thought: “Sounds interesting! ~”

I enjoy dynamics with some hostility, they tend to be way more intense than friendly dynamics and getting feels is what I am here for!

And I did get what I was promised and I still like it a lot, though after watching a lot of shows I actually only really like in G1.

Their G1 dynamic is a lot more nuanced than people give it credit for:

1. They have this whole Starscream wanting to kill Megs 2. They have episodes in which nothing bad happens between them and they work together just fine 3. They have this rare moments where you’d think they actually like each other 4. Starscream sure does shine as a second in command bychallenging Megatron, giving his opinion and whatever 5. They have Megs being fucking mean on his own, but also as retaliation

Comparing it with their bullshit with other shows:

TFA: 1. Starscream tries to kill Megatron and Megatron reacts in kind And tbh, that’s it

TFP: 1. Starscream tries to kill Megatron 2. Megatron tries to kill Starscream and doesn’t do it 3. Starscream becomes loyal at some point 4. Starscream is afraid of Megatron

Now the thing with TFP is also that a lot of their dynamic comes from Starscream while Megatron himself doesn’t contribute much to it. He’s simply being himself and Starscream acts and reacts, it’s kinda one-sided.

And TFA is almost just Starscream tryna kill Megatron, we barely ever see him doing anything else and we never see him as the second-in-command either.

Compared to those shows G1 just has more to offer in terms of interesting interactions. And it’s not as one-sided as TFP, Megatron contributes to their bullshit a lot more. Also they seem on much more equal footing in G1 - where TFP Starscream usually cowers before Megatron, his G1 counterpart is way quicker to challenge his leader, criticize him and question his leadership and decisions.

Not that there arent moments in G1 where Starscream is afraid of Megatron, but even then it’s not as extreme as in TFP.

Don’t get me wrong, their dynamic is a mess in every case, but the interactions in G1 are just more compelling to me thanks to it’s variety, and therefore it has more room to explore and play with.

The question as to why Megatron never fired or killed Starscream in G1 is something I find important to the dynamic as a whole, because as far as I can tell, that is what a lot of fans like to explore and it’s what the writers of shows to come explored as well in their attempt to make their shows make sense.

And that is what I wanna do when shipping (romantic or non-romantic), explore the relationship of two or more characters based on what I am given in canon!

And G1 just gives a lot of room here!

As for other shows:

I always see Megastorm from BWII as a version of Megatron, so I can go with it here too: Here the dynamic is different in that Megastorm isn’t the leader of Predacons, but Starscream still has a desire to kill him and take his place as second next to Galvatron.

This dynamic is noteworthy in that Megastorm has way less power over Starscream, especially when Galvatron is around. Then they do seem more like equals than in any other version. It also helps that Megastorm seems much younger than Starscream.

If you want a dynamic about these two in which Starscream doesn’t get any beatings, this one doesn’t have any! They still try to kill each other at least once, but apart from that nothing happens.

Personally I am more neutral towards BWII in general and don’t ship them here, because while the dynamic is different, it’s not as intense. And both have more meaningful dynamics with other characters anyway. (Megastorm with Galvatron and Starscream with BB. Starscream and BB are fucking adorable btw, another reason to watch the show when you love Starscream.)

Prime Wars really doesn’t have much to offer tbh, I admit that Starscream was kinda done dirty in that show. They really could have done more with him than just make him be the plot twist for shock value. 

Though I did like this exchange:

Megs: “Should have killed ages ago!” Starscream: “But’chya didnt!”

Aaaand last but not least, Cyberverse!

Just gonna repeat what I said about MegOp: I am not a fan of this show and therefore ship nothing, also I hate this version of Megatron with all my heart </3

#transformers #ship asks #megatron #starscream #megastar #transformer posting #transformer rant #btw I am not saying that friendly dynamics cannot be intense #I just dont see it happening a lot #my experience with media is that writers don't write much friendship when characters are friends and it feels kinda lame #and I'd like to see more intense friendships that don't involve the characters getting into some sort of conflict #Anonymous

[whitewolfandsongbird]

I have to wonder why Geralt seemed to connect with (or like) everyone in the show BUT the one that supposed to be his best friend (besides maybe everyone else Geralt was supposed to dislike, which was beside the point). Like, that was the narrative that the show seemed to give. Even Nivellen was introduced as a 'friend', and it was implied they haven't even seen each other for 13 years (which mean Jaskier possibly knew of him too even if he wasn't involved in the event, he and Geralt was supposed to have been 'adventuring' together for more than 20 years!).

S2 reunion kind of fixed that, but there was a little agenda going on there, with Geralt trying to find Jaskier because he wanted information on Yennefer, as someone who last seen her before Geralt. Even after the apology (that Geralt did while still on his high horse, take that as you will) something about their relationship still seemed imbalanced. It was like S1 started with the love (platonic, romantic, however you wanna read it) entirely going on from Jaskier's side and maybe slightly, a little care from Geralt since he wasn't an inhuman monster that would let a human that haven't tried to kill him die. And S2 picked up from the breakup with the love still heavy on Jaskier's side, with the breakup song and how he jumped into Geralt's arm not long after he appeared. He did gain his self respect tho and his love was different from S1, more aware and guarded, I guess? While Geralt did say he missed Jaskier, so there was fondness, but there still wasn't much shown and compared to the intense heartbreak moment, it seemed like it's still imbalanced?

If I'm seeing this in positive light, it's possible that Jaskier will grow into himself and not need Geralt as muse. If what he told Yennefer about muses leaving him was allusion to Geralt leaving him, then S3 could be him affirming that his muse could be everything else he needed singing, a 'new destiny' so to speak. Or that S2 already hinting, with his Sandpiper thing and Dijkstra being his benefactor. S3 may have songs sung by Jaskier that aren't about the white wolf, in which case I guess I'll admit to 'growth'.

In the books, Dandelion was introduced as someone who was already famous, already comfortable in his skin and knew exactly who he was outside of Geralt. It's possible the show wanted to expand on Jaskier's growth to this, from someone whose fame intertwined so intertwined with Geralt to someone who stands by his own, outside of his relationship with Geralt.

For the sake of parallel though, I'd like to see Geralt showing more adoration and saying more affirming, sweet things to Jaskier as he did in the books as Jaskier himself grow independent. That would actually be sweet and the 'male friendship' they deserve. I'd still prefer the books, but at least ot'll make it better since there's a Journey and Hardship to get there, spanning however many seasons (definitely beyond 2) that may need. HOWEVER, I'm not gonna hold my breath for that happening since there's only 8 episodes per season and so many characters and stories to tell. And the Geralt x Yennefer development and Ciri.

Sigh..... Honestly, S2 yennskier felt more bros than the supposed bros. They felt healthier and more equal, more reliable even. I didn't even like her in S1, I was so weirded out by the magic orgy (did those people consent? Is this a brainwash thing? I don't agree with brainwash thing. But she's FL, aren't I supposed to like her?) And the Djinn that bound them together (soo, are they in love? Under influence to love? I like free will. Are they REALLY in love?)

(When I watched S1 I was coming in totally blind, haven't read the book nor have I played the game. I just saw a lot of Witcher 3 mods when I was playing Skyrim and got curious since it seemed really popular but wasn't in the mood to commit to playing the game, especially since it was '3', meaning there was 1 and 2, and if there's continuity I'm someone who liked to play chronologically, so to the show I went)

Anyway, yeah. Wasn't into Yennefer in S1. As a character, her backstory did seem rough, but I was kind of rooting for her with Istredd. They seemed to have a good thing going on at first. Then she also did the mind thingy on Geralt, Before the djinn wish got revealed, so in my eyes their relationship just seemed to be on such an unhealthy start. Then the djinn wish was revealed, and that was probably the only time I liked her in S1 in regards to her relationship with Geralt since her reaction was so visceral and utterly in line with what I thought about it. And also one of the time I utterly disliked Geralt outside of him screaming at Jaskier.

Liked her much better in s2. Her friendship vibe towards my fav bard probably helped a lot lol. Also liked her with Cahir. Honestly, I think she was the only character who was nice to Jaskier the entire season. Besides Geralt, kinda, but he doesn't count.

But, the Yenralt? Yeah, still not feeling it.

(Haven't read all the books, but it did read better in the books and I can see why it's the OTP. For the show, however? Haven't felt any so far.)

(Also this rant have gone away from my initial thought, sorry about that.)

#the witcher netflix #geraskier #the witcher #geralt of rivia #jaskier #yennefer of vengerberg #the witcher spoilers #yenskier

[punz4lyfe]

I think Pokemon Journeys has too much happening. Along with the possiblity that they're too dedicated to certain things.

The show seems determined to focus on Goh, but because of his goal, most of his Pokemon are a basic "Caught and Forgot". They don't have personalities and are disregarded.

With Ash, his team is becoming a bunch of fan favorites, which I'd probably enjoy if they got some extra focus. Other than Lucario, nobody seems to have deep personalities.

I think Journeys changed the fomula, by giving us characters that we see consistently. Before, we only saw the core group and Team Rocket each time. Everyone else was recurring, so we were only expected to get so attached. The sbow doesn't know how to develop characters outside of the "Heroes" that you see almost every single time.

Plus, I'm a little disappointed we haven't seen a lot of Galar, since it might be my favorite Region.

(Sorry for the Rant)

Your rant is totally fine and you are 100% entitled to your opinion! No worries at all!

You do make a great about Journeys' excess of plot points. Like when it first began, it seemed to promise what was exactly in the title: a big grand journey across the entire world of Pokemon. (which was fitting for Ash, as that was what he said he wanted to do at the end of Sun and Moon) When the show began, while he got the established goals for Ash and Goh, we didn't really a great, big journey, as the two and Chloe mostly stay stagnated at Vermillion City and usually only go to other regions when Cerise tells them to. Then we were promised a see a bunch of cool legendaries, but only got like a few Galar ones, Mewtwo, and Suicine, and then suddenly we're now focusing on Project Mew. It definitely feels rushed and a bit unfocused, like if the writers themselves can't decide what to focus on in Journeys.

While I don't mind Goh's goal as a whole, you're also right in that it's played out to be a little too basic. It really is just a catch-and-go sort of thing and only a few of his mons actually have personalities. And even then, episodes featuring them are a dime in a dozen. Plus, little thing, but I'm gonna be super pissed if we somehow go through the rest of Journeys without Cinderace and Inteleon interacting once.

Ash's own team also needs improvements. Dragonite now only appears for big intense battles, Gengar is basically Baraka and Weiss Schnee levels of jobber tier, Lucario needs an actual personality, we need more demonstrations of Sirfetch'd's character, and Dracovish is almost completely forgettable. And they need to interact with each other more, something that's been a staple for Ash's teams since the beginning! There's nothing that's even close to a semblance of friendships similar to Bulbasaur and Squirtle's, Oshawott and Pignite's, Hawlucha and Noivern's, or Lycanroc and Incineroar's, which considering Ash's current mons, is a huge missed opportunity. It would just be perfect if Dragonite hugged everyone who joined or if Lucario and Sirfetch'd were intense sparring partners... something promised in the last intro sequence.

It is a shame how shafted Team Rocket feels this series, especially since they're stuck with one of the worst characters in Pokemon Anime history: Gaslighter Morpeko.

For the series sake, I'm hoping there will be more Galar focused episodes from here on out, as there are still plenty of landscapes from the games to explore (and that involves DLC as well mind you) and many new mons and Gym Leaders as well.

#asks #pokemon #pokemon journeys #anipoke #pokeani

[xaren-jo]

i'm gonna talk about slayers ships, because this is my blog and nobody can stop me.

gourrina - the big otp. i love these two, on their own and as a couple. i just love their dynamic (and the size difference), how they goof off together, how well they work as a combo in a fight, how they poke fun at one another, and just how obviously they mean the world for each other even if neither has the guts to come forth with their feelings yet. when gourry got dragged off by hellmaster and lina ran after him, stumbling, crying out his name as if her heart was torn out? when gourry went after the golden lord, screaming lina's name like a man gone mad, demanding her back? gives me goosebumps and steals my breath every time. they kissed, dammit, it's canon.

xelzel - the rarepair that stole my heart. i blame tsutsuji for this. not the most obvious one, and i don't think any romantic pairings with xelloss make sense anyway, but i can see these two having an arrangement of sorts. a brooding, grumpy guy with a lot of baggage and a demonic entity that feeds on negative emotion? they are both very much morally grey characters, too. this could be so wonderfully fucked up. or just wonderfully different, depends on how you spin it. i'd like to see them make it work.

xelloss/zelas - why isn't this more of a thing? it needs to become more of a thing yesterday. borderline incestuous, power imbalance, eldritch monstrosities going at it? hell yes. sign me the fuck up.

and now for the stuff that doesn't do it for me, from the most popular to the least.

xellina - i can see why people are into it, the anime stoked this fire as well with a few suggestive scenes. but i personally don't think lina would go for that, she knows exactly what xelloss is; and neither would xelloss, as that would be mixing work with pleasure. even after yet another adventure is over, lina is such a trouble magnet, you can bet their paths would cross again, and if they were involved, it would make for a messy situation. i do so love their interactions though, they have this unique understanding between them and some mutual respect.

zelame - amelia has an obvious crush on him in the anime, but i'm not sure if it's reciprocated on zelgadis' end. i get more of a big brother vibe from him. still, they are so in sync in a fight, they are a joy to watch. and they have perfect camaraderie off the battlefield, too. i love that scene in try when they get lost looking for valgaav and take a pause discussing their tea options, hehe.

actually this could be a wonderfully messy situation, bear with me for a second - this is amelia's first love, and we know how intense she gets. that girl doesn't know how to stop sometimes. zel is awfully fond of her, but her infatuation makes him very uncomfortable and he tries his best to ignore any hints she drops in order to preserve their friendship (and his sanity). an especially lovely scenario would be if amelia finally corners him and confesses, zel gets tongue tied and words his rejection poorly, and from there, a lasting misunderstanding begins. amelia thinks they're an item now, so she tries to do couple-y things with him - takes his hand, drags him along on one of those silly swan rides, gets very hands-on with him. she is understandably confused and a little bit hurt when zel shies away from her affections; and he, in turn, thinks she's being pushy, ignoring his wishes and breaking his boundaries. eventually they row, feelings are hurt, accusations are made, and their friendship is in danger of being permanently damaged, so lina and gourry have to step in and untangle the whole mess.

somebody please write this.

anyway, on to the next big one.

xelfi - again, i can see why people ship them, but their dynamic does nothing for me. xelloss would probably enjoy messing with her some more after darkstar's defeat, but i don't think filia would want someone who almost extinguished her race around, even though they did arrive at some kind of understanding by the end of try. some of the fanart is very pretty though.

zellina - again, reminds me how my friends used to be super into this while i shipped gourrina in secret, hehe. there's zero romantic tension between these two in canon, but that never stopped anyone. i think zel and lina are the kind of best friends who'd who'd die for each other, but they also need breaks from one another once in a while. they're both sorcery nerds and the brains of the team, but lina is loud and raucous, prone to silliness, while zel is more withdrawn and introverted and tries to maintain an aloof facade. they drive each other nuts sometimes. you know what, scratch what i said, this is a great dynamic and it needs to happen! gourry/lina/zelgadis would also be great.

whew, silly rant over. i missed some stuff that i have no real opinion on, but it still got long. amazing.

#slayers

[ljf613]

Because I've been on a PJO kick the last few days, 001, PJO

Send me a fandom and I will tell you my:

(I'm just sticking with the OG series, because if I start bringing HoO and ToA into it, we'll be here a while.)

Favorite character: Uhhhh....... Annabeth? I guess? Or maybe Hestia.

Least Favorite character: Hmmmm...... it's been a while, but I think I thought Katie Gardner was kind of annoying.

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Wasn't a huge shipper at the time, but let's see....... Percabeth, Sally x Paul, Clarisse x Chris, Silena x Bekendorf, and, umm, Grover x Juniper? Maybe?

Character I find most attractive: I don't know, dude, it's not like I can see any of them.

Character I would marry: Honestly, none of them, really. Demigods have way too high of a mortality rate to want to get involved in that. Sally had the right idea-- so, Paul, I guess?

Character I would be best friends with: Probably Annabeth-- as I've mentioned, passionate people are so much fun to be friends with.

a random thought: When I first read the series, I thought the Hunters of Artemis sounded super cool, but the older I get, the more unappealing that kind of lifestyle actually sounds-- constant traveling? Being stuck as a teenager forever? Never getting married or having kids? I think I'll pass.

An unpopular opinion: Not really in the fandom enough to know what opinions are and aren't popular-- would saying I kind of like Clarisse be controversial?

My Canon OTP: Percabeth

My Non-canon OTP: Don't think I have one?

Coolest Character: Most of them are pretty cool, but I'd probably have to go with Rachel-- takes a lot of guts for a powerless mortal to throw a hairbrush at the lord of absolute evil.

Most Epic Villain: I thought Prometheus was really interesting.

Pairing I am not a fan of: Perachel.

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): I feel like Silena could have used more development. Her arc was interesting, but it also felt very out-of-the-blue-- I'd have liked to see some more build-up there.

Favorite Friendship: Percy and Tyson. Or Percy and Nico. Or maybe Percy and Grover?

Character I most identify with: Ehhhhhh........ can't think of anyone. They're all so passionate and intense and athletic and I'm so..... not. Maybe Nico-- I totally vibe with his arc of nerdy kid to being angry at his sister to wanting to protect her to getting mad at the person who let her die to running off into the woods and doing whatever it takes to try and get her back.

Character I wish I could be: You could not pay me enough to be a halfblood or anyone related to that mess. I'll be one of those mortals who fell asleep in book five and woke up after everything was over with no knowledge of what happened.

Ask me about my fandoms!

#pjo #thoughts #ask me stuff #in case you couldn't tell #it's been a while #since my last pjo reading #i should reread them again #thanks for the ask! #all queued up

[holy-fate-worse-than-death]

Okay, hear me out

The Outlaws re-form but it's just Jason Todd and Harley Quinn running around like chaotic bisexual messes working on their unresolved trauma and identity issues, while Poison Ivy is the Tired Lesbian Mom Friend™ trying to keep them all together.

So here's the set-up:

Via Roy's connection to Killer Croc (and yes Roy is definitely alive in this one, fuck you Tom King) Roy and Jason end up working with Harley and Pam.

It's supposed to be a one-time thing, but when Roy hangs up his quiver to be a Hot Single Dad™, Jason finds himself in need of some help, and he doesn't really have anyone else to ask.

This ties into the idea that Jason combats his social isolation by somewhat accidentally forming teams (eg Outlaws 1.0 and 2.0) that are meant to be short-term alliances but inadvertently become like family.

Ideas I have about this AU:

- Harley and Pam are absolutely canon. Not just queerbaiting where they're a bit too close to be friends. They kiss, they call each other "girlfriends" and Jason is absolutely beating the shit out of anyone who says anything remotely homophobic

- Harley and Pam definitely encourage Jason to admit his feelings for Roy (which they know about before Jason does), and eventually there's a lot of Jason and Roy being perfect gay dads

- Harley and Pam definitely babysit Lian at some point when Jason needs Roy to come out of retirement for a mission that only he can do (which also doubles as an excuse for a whole lot of sexual tension, e.g. "I miss spending time with you"-type stuff), and although Roy is incredibly skeptical, it actually works out really well

- Not only are Harley and Pam great babysitters, Roy feels empowered to start working on tech for the new Outlaws and he works as their own version of Oracle; gathering intel, sending them on missions, etc. This is kinda similar to the role he took on in Red Hood/Arsenal (2013), and it allows him to feel a sense of purpose and connection to his superhero days without feeling like he's neglecting Lian. (It's also a great excuse to spend a lot more time around Jason, if you catch my meaning)

- I know some people really don't fuck with the idea of Harley and Jason interacting, but I actually think it would work really well. We already saw somewhat of a precedent in Red Hood/Arsenal (2013) when Jason was trying to connect with Duela Dent (AKA Joker's Daughter). He's able to be compassionate towards her and connect with her despite the fact that she's literally wearing the Joker's rotting skin as a mask

- I think a similar relationship between Harley and Jason would be really healing for both of them, because it allows them to be people who form relationships that aren't necessarily decided by their trauma. I think there were absolutely points in Jason's life where he couldn't have been friends with Harley, and points in Harley's life where she couldn't have been friends with Jason, because of how much they remind each other of Joker. But Jay and Harley being able to have that friendship, and find common ground in other aspects of their identity (in the case of this AU the fact that they're both LGBT+ and don't adhere to Batman or the Justice League's moral standards), means that they've moved beyond their trauma and don't always see the Joker in everyone

- Obviously there'll still be initial growing pains, but I don't think the focus of this story should be on the Joker or any clown-related trauma. At a certain point, trauma just isn't a personality trait and it certainly shouldn't make up the majority of either Harley or Jason's personalities. They're both so much more than that

- At some point later in the story, however, there would be a situation were Harley and Jason come across the Joker and have to fight him. There's an unspoken tension because Jason is worried that Harley is worried that Jason can't handle it; and Harley is worried that Jason is worried that she's going to go back to the Joker. But they're in such an intense situation that they have no choice but to trust each other and trust the friendship they've built, and in the end they save the day because they were able to do that, which strengthens their friendship even further

- Pam routinely makes good points about radical environmentalism, and there are throwaway gags about how -- while the Outlaws primarily do the vigilante work that's too dirty for the Justice League -- they also occasionally break into animal testing facilities or sabotage coal mines/big businesses/other environmentally-damaging institutions

- There are regular cameos from other grey-area vigilantes (e.g. other former Suicide Squad members) and this story really tries to delve into the complexities of morality and why people do things that appear "criminal". It's mainly about dispelling myths and reducing stigma surrounding things like criminal behaviour, mental illness and addiction

- There's a cameo appearance from Killer Croc that deals with addiction and redemption, especially through Roy and KC's friendship

- KC is just so fucking proud that Roy is a dad, and there's probably a cute moment at some point along the lines of, "I may be a croc, but these sure aren't crocodile tears"

- Because this is my AU and I can do anything I want, I'd also like to see this story involve Dr Victoria October. I love her so much, she's one of the most underrated characters in all of DC, and I feel like a snarky, middle-aged trans woman would really round out the gigantic queer mess that this story is

- They come to Dr October for advice in a case that involves biomedical science of some kind, and it's meant to be a one-off. But then Jason gets injured a couple weeks later and Harley and Pam don't know where else to take him

- Victoria and Basil (Clayface) are definitely still dating in this one, and occasionally the Outlaws will team up with Basil for a case (although he's mostly in retirement while Victoria tries to figure out how to stop his powers from causing his brain to deteriorate like in Detective Comics (2016))

- Between Roy and Dr October the Outlaws end up with better tech than Batman a lot of the time

- Victoria is absolutely horrendous with kids but regularly finds herself having to discuss plans and gadgets in person with Roy, so she ends up sitting in his living room surrounded by children's toys, sipping tea and resisting the urge to glare at the adorable, gurgling baby in front of her

- She gets left with Lian at one point while Roy runs off to save Jason's ass, and it basically goes down like this:

- Croc loves babies and the first time Lian sees him she cries (Croc probably sneaks up from the sewers to talk to Roy about something while he's out for a walk with Lian in one of those cute chest harnesses you use to carry babies). Croc is so hurt that she's scared of him

- As she grows older she stops being scared and ends up fascinated by his shiny scales and big pointy teeth

- I'd also like Lex Luthor to be involved in this at some point. I'm thinking that maybe this could slot into the New 52 canon pretty well. Maybe the Roy in this story is the "real" Roy and the one that died at Sanctuary was a LexCorp clone. I'm also just really into this idea because I like Roy's robot arm and I think portraying those types of disabilities is really important and cool. Plus, it separates him from the other archers in DC and kinda epitomises the fact that he's the "tech" guy

Okay that's all I can think of right now, but this AU is basically my OTP + my other OTP + my other favourite characters

... Guess this is another fanfiction I gotta write lol

#jason todd #red hood and the outlaws #rhato #harley quinn #poison ivy #pamela isley #ivyquinn #harlivy #roy harper #lian harper #jayroy #killer croc #victoria october #dr victoria october #clayface #suicide squad #dc #dc comics #my headcanons #my posts

[mistwraiths]

4 stars

Dani and Eden Riveria come from a long line of dragon slayers, they're used to keeping it a secret and constantly prepare for the day to slay their own. What Dani isn't prepared for is when she comes across a dragon and ends up with a soul-bond with it. Soon, everything she thought is upended. Meanwhile, Eden is soon surrounded by sorcerers and is soon given her own interesting choice, but the cost is high. Each sister is on a different side and neither is willing to give an inch.

This was such a fun read! I love dragons and I'm not a huge fan of contemporary fantasy, so I was curious to see how this meshed together and if I would like it. I really enjoyed it! The book sets up everything a little slowly but within no time, things are happening and it goes quickly all the way to the end.

To get the big thing out of the way first, let's talk about dragons. For a book involving dragons, dragon slayers, and a soul-bond, there's a surprisingly little amount of dragons and dragon time. I was a bit disappointed. We are told about how Dani and Nox need to strengthen their bond but we really don't get to see anything about that. The instant connection and oneness was pretty cool but honestly I would have liked to see that relationship develop more on page than them growing inherently close. I really liked Nox's prickly attitude and while I wish we got to know Zephyr more, I liked what we did see.

The side characters were awesome. Kieran, Tomás, Sadie, Analise, James, Frankie, Nate, Calla, Alder and many others all distinctly felt unique and had purpose on the pages. I would honestly love to read about Analise and James falling in love and becoming bad ass dragon slayer parents. I loved the friendship Tomás and Dani had, and the very rocky road Sadie and Dani navigated awkwardly for awhile.

Dani was a great character. I loved how fierce she clinged to her normal life, and yet was fully capable. I liked that she technically wasn't sure if she wanted to do the family legacy thing. I loved how she was openly bisexual and it was accepted and a part of who she was. Her desire to help not only those who hurt her, but her sister who lost herself and dragonkind was great stuff.

Eden was a bit more of a tragic character but I loved her as much as Dani. It's easy for us as readers to see the trouble coming but I understood why Eden took the steps she did. All that anxiety and self-loathing and self-consciousness, and Dani always being the shining star took a toll on her. Her love for her sister and her want to help and protect her was always there. I love LOVE that Eden ended up finding her own way on her own through her choices. I love that not everything is perfectly ended. And I loved the remark that Dani flung at Eden, that Dani achieved everything through Eden pushing her. I actually loved Eden's ending more.

The betrayal and the rush of that conclusion were absolutely intense. And I liked how the book ended nearly similar to how it began. I loved that there was some open-endedness on some parts and I'd LOVE seeing more of these characters but I think this is only a standalone.

#fire with fire #destiny soria #steph reads #steph's book review #book review

[lizzybeth1986]

Note: Since this post is about group scenes, and Book 2 is still ongoing, I will be updating this essay as and when a group scene appears in the book. As with Book 1, I will be concentrating mainly on the portions that include Liam.

ETA: COMPLETED

--

Bathhouse/Spa Scene

Technically the spa is free - the part that costs diamonds is crashing the “boy’s” side and getting to spend time with your LI if you’re going for Drake or Liam. It also gives us some great insights into Maxwell’s past, by revealing his hippo tattoo.

Like Liam, Maxwell appears to have been very close to his mother and remembers her fondly for the unconditional support he recieved from her (calling him her “little hippo”, telling him that hippos were strong and tough). Both Liam and Maxwell have similar backgrounds - privileged upbringings that nevertheless had its negative effects, lost their mothers at a young age, and as adults they cling to those memories in varying ways.

The scene then diversifies into time spent with Drake/Liam, depending on who the reader ships. The encounter with Liam can go two ways - one is the romance option: a massage followed by some stolen kisses (the MC still manages to kiss him if she so chooses a few minutes later, even if she doesn’t choose the massage), and the other, more neutral option: asking Liam about the “raising a barn tradition”. I’d like the elaborate on the latter, because I believe it raises some very interesting points.

Today I’d like to talk about Liam not in respect to his relationship with the MC, but instead to his relationship with the reader. Whether one chooses him as an LI or not, he is our main link to this fictional kingdom. He is the reason our character gets the opportunity to travel to Cordonia in the first place. Book 1 is about his social season. Throughout the series, we see Cordonia through the eyes of someone who is completely new to the place (the MC), and in that position Liam (as Cordonia's future/current king) is our main source of information to truly building a worldview of this place.

Now, all the prominent characters in their own capacities help the MC understand the country. Hana, Maxwell and Bertrand help us understand the rules, norms and conditions of high society within the kingdom (for instance, making us understand how important apples are to the economy), Drake gives us a unique perspective of the royal court through Savannah’s experience, Olivia in her one diamond scene gives us an insight into Cordonian history that will prove to be important later.

But Liam, in his capacity as Prince and then King, gives us an insight into the heart of the country, its culture, why it is the way it is, why things happen a particular way here.

At the Masquerade, he elaborates on the importance of the social season, warns us about the fierce competition, and reveals how dangerous instability within the royal family can be.

At the Regatta, he recounts the history of the boat race, and talks about Cordonia’s ties with its neighbours. Sharing this historical tidbit saves the MC a lot of embarrassment while dealing with the press.

At the Forgotten Falls, Liam narrates a love legend. This may not have much to do with Cordonian politics or the court, but love legends are part of a country’s cultural fabric.

At the ruins, he talks about history and how his father views his place in it, and wonders what mark he will leave on his kingdom.

Here, after building the barn, he briefly touches on Cordonia’s agrarian roots, but more importantly, helps us understand that the start to a new couple’s life is a community effort in Cordonia - that not only are the couple or their families part of raising the barn, but also their friends, neighbours and peers. Whether this applies to all, or even some, aspects of Cordonian society, is something we may only learn over the course of book 2.

Liam, in telling us these stories that don’t seem to important in that moment, allows us to chart Cordonian history and culture, and gives us an insight into the way the country works. He is our source of information for many of its cultural anomalies, and gently guides the MC - who cannot always relate to their way of life - into knowing how to tackle things and what to say.

In a sense, Liam is our Encyclopedia Cordonia 😂

The MC’s Journey

I’m just going to leave this bit of dialogue here:

MC: When you put it that way, I'm not sure if it's an amazing advanture or something I'd barely survive.

Liam: Most great things in life are a little bit of both, if only metaphorically.

If this isn’t a summary of what the MC’s entire story in The Royal Romance is, I don’t know what is.

Fondue Party Scene

This scene takes place in Italy, during Madeleine's bachelorette party celebrations and after she has thoroughly humiliated Hana. The purpose of this scene, therefore, is to cheer Hana up and make her feel less of a failure than she already does.

As with the Truth or Dare sequence in Book 1, Liam doesn't feature in this sequence, possibly for two reasons: a. Possibly kingly/political duties, and b. He also happens to be the fiance of the bride whose bachelorette party it is, making it even more unlikely that he will be close by, unlike Drake and Maxwell.

However, he does feature in a childhood story Drake tells us, of the two playing hide and seek in the palace as kids. This story highlights Drake's competitive nature (not coming out of the laundry chute for hours because he didn't want to lose) and Liam's tendency to panic/worry when he cannot find people close to him.

This is possibly a trait that has followed him to adulthood, if his appointing of Drake as the MC's bodyguard is any indication.

Camping Scene

The camping scene takes place as a breather for the group, coming right after a charged sequence where the MC gets to ask Queen Mother Regina about her involvement in the plot and learns about her filial relationship with Adeleide. The MC needs time to come to terms with these revelations and arm herself for the next confrontation, and the rest of the group need to be away from court drama. It is Drake, the camping veteran, who suggests exploring a campsite.

Liam is more relaxed and himself in this sequence, watching his friends tend to a stray lizard and offering help to set up the tents. While helping the MC with hers (if she so chooses to let him), he talks of going camping with Drake often enough that he would have to know how to build a tent and fend for himself if he had to survive. Later, he tells her about getting lost while camping, and being found by Drake afterwards. This sequence helps us understand two things about Liam:

1. The Liam - Drake dynamic. Liam jokingly tells us, early on in the book, that Drake "never lets me get away with anything", and that that is his favourite thing about him. Liam sees Drake as someone who keeps him grounded, and as a person who has had his back when he has needed it, such as the boat rescue and the lost-at-camp story. Later in New York, Drake buys Liam a compass as a wedding gift, hoping that if Liam is to ever feel like he will lose his way, the compass will remind him of who he is, and what he hopes to achieve.

2. It also gives us a glimpse into how truly lonely Liam can be sometimes, and why he holds his friendships so close to his heart. Liam is the only one in the group known to be so intensely involved in court, and he can find no genuine friends there. Maxwell is involved only to a certain extent as is Hana, and we aren't completely sure yet how involved Drake is, even though he may be more involved than he lets on.

Liam cannot trust easily. He has learned long ago that there aren't a lot of people he can genuinely rely on. So he holds on to the few friends he has like a drowning man to a raft. He needs this group as much as they need him, because he knows these people care for him as a person and worry about his well-being.

Shanghai Panda Reserve

The group scene at the panda reserve begins with a scenario where only Liam is allowed inside the enclosure, given his privilege as King of Cordonia. If the MC and her friends convince Xinghai to let them join him, this scene is unlocked.

This scene does not have any specific signifcance like the Night Market scene later on in the chapter, but is more of a fun activity involving cute animals.

Liam, particularly in this sequence, shows his characteristic ability to communicate well with animals: introducing the group to Yue Yue and Yang Yang, happily carrying them around, predicting correctly that hunger may causing their change in mood. Liam's ability to connect with animals is a recurring theme in the books: he is shown speaking affectionately to the horses in the stable just prior to the Fox Hunt in Book 1, cares for the MC's horse (if she buys it) while she is gone, has an instant connection with the corgi when they meet in Paris - to the point where he is able to train him for the proposal in New York and is adored by the pandas in the short time that he is there.

Coney Island

The trip to Coney Island takes place shortly after the MC's name has been cleared, and is planned as a way for the group to celebrate the MC's victory over the scandal that nearly ruined any chances of her staying in Cordonia. This - along with the Beer Garden sequence - are meant to lull the characters into a feeling of false security, a feeling that everything has been worked out and they don't need to worry anymore. But even in this relaxed atmosphere, there are signs that things will soon take a turn for the worse.

The most prominent part of this sequence is the scene in the fortune telling booth, where each of our main characters get varied fortunes. The most confusing so far is Liam's, which is the only one written in the form of a verse. We will explore what this fortune could possibly mean in a separate essay.

Liam confesses to wanting to go to the circus/carnival from time to time, but tells the MC later at the Ferris Wheel that he had "only hoped to see the circus, not join it. My youthful rebellion had its limits". Why is this particular statement interesting? Because his older brother Leo, in RoE Book 3, relates to us a story of how he desired to be part of the circus as a young boy, and how Liam wanted to be his assistant. Yet here, Liam tells us that he was more comfortable with enjoying parts of it rather than actually joining it. In a lot of ways, one can see the circus as representative of the world outside Cordonia: while Leo feels trapped in his role as Crown Prince and desires freedom from it, for Liam it is a part of who he is. The outside world represents everything Leo could possibly want from his life. Liam, however, is happier with having freedom in small doses - his joy lies in simple moments where he can shed his role for a while, but not completely because in being King, being protector and guardian of his country, lies the core of his identity. It may not have been a role he may have always wanted, but one cannot deny that it's who Liam is. So while Liam may enjoy thr circus/outside world from a distance, he may never truly be a part of it.

Other moments involving Liam include him joining the others in a high-striker competition (and reaching only the halfway mark), a cute childhood story about how he used to give titles to all his soft toys (when one has the power to grant titles, why let it go to waste?), and an offer to buy cotton candy for everyone. I see the last as his way of caring for the group: he tends to match Hana when it comes to looking after them, individually and together (an example of this would be him ensuring that Drake is well-taken-care-of when he goes to play pool in Paris, and his offer to help build tents).

Beer Garden

The Beer Garden sequence is seen as the last chance the group will have to interact together before the Finale, and is seen as a breather they take before the Homecoming Ball the next day. Almost half the court makes an appearence here, including former ladies-in-waiting Kiara and Penelope, and noblemen Neville and Rashad.

Much of the scene is provided to the player for free, even allowing us time to have a chat with Bertrand about what happened in Paris. The sequence is extended if the rest of the group manage to convince a reluctant Liam to stay back and enjoy the festivities, and involves plenty of drinking and dancing on a table.

In this sequence, we see Liam preferring to be a distant observer who isn't very keen on dancing alone. He tells us that he is not altogether comfortable doing so, which comes as a surprise (considering the MC remarked that he was an excellent dancer during their first waltz together).

This is similar to how he acted at Drake's birthday party at the American bar in Applewood: he has to be pushed to "show a move" during the celebrations, and seems more comfortable doing a slow romantic dance with the MC. Here, too, he needs the MC's encouragement to climb on the table and dance along.

This reminds me of a dialogue said by Madeleine during her bachelorette, when the court ladies explain to her that this is their first time at a club. We don't all have the luxury of engaging in such gauche behaviour. Liam would have been brought up in a similar manner, perhaps with even more stringent restrictions. It would not be altogether surprising if his inability to dance outside of choreographed waltzes requiring partners has more to do with not having enough opportunities to let loose very often.

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