#but if they do they can engage with or avoid tags as needed imo

[tealeafowl]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/47592544

Pairing: almond/deztare

Rating: T

#arumondo #deztare #fanfic #me populating these tags. LOL #i don't really expect any of the boys to come back onto tumblr #but if they do they can engage with or avoid tags as needed imo #also not tagging any gen tags for this purpose

[deeplyridiculouslyinlove]

Okay, my thoughts at the end of book 4! I’m mostly saving these for my own posterity and there isn’t much interesting here in terms of theory or meta or whatever, so sorry to anyone who finds it in the tags.

- I *really* liked parts of this book. Rand’s experience in Ruihdean was very well done, as were most of the parts of the book in the Waste more generally IMO. Exploring Tel’aran’rhiod was very cool. And I liked learning about the cultural norms surrounding women in the other cultures who can channel. I also liked getting POV chapters for some of the antagonists. Basically, anything that was focused more on world building and less on specific characters had me so engaged I couldn’t stop listening. Not an original thought, but the world building in these books is so good.

- It really took me some time to adjust to the versions of the characters in this book, because it feels like some of them take a sharp turn from who they were books 1-3. Rand especially. I think I had been expecting a little more buildup of character growth where he grows into someone new informed by who he used to be and retaining those values, but instead he’s sort of just a different person this book. It didn’t help that I switched audiobook narrators I’m sure, but there is definitely a different tone to this book - for example, suddenly in this book there are “bosoms” everywhere and it’s weird bc like, where did that come from? Anyway, I’m learning quickly that character development isn’t the strong part of these books even though they’re all POV chapters. By the end of the book I was used to the new versions of each character, but I’m a bit sad we didn’t see more of emotional toll the characters are going through so their changes would be less abrupt. Moiraine also had a different vibe to me this book - I’m biased obviously, but I feel like we need a Moiraine POV chapter soon to understand her current arc. Not that I should ask for these books to be *longer* lol.

- I knew the coup was coming and that Siuan would be stilled but I’m still so DISTRESSED by it. In fact I was so distressed that I had to ask my partner if she eventually gets her power back like Moiraine did in the show 😂 I’m so curious if they’re essentially going to do the same storyline twice, or switch up Siuan’s somehow to avoid the stilling plot altogether? And also, I think I get why they used 2x07 to set up Moiraine and Siuan not being on the best of terms if in the books Siuan doesn’t know what’s going on with Rand when the coup occurs.

- Sadly I feel like everything I heard about the poor writing of women that had been the reason I hesitated to read the books in the first place really crop up in this book. Why is every single POV female character (and even some who aren’t POV, like Faile) in love with a male character? And don’t get me started on the weird way that the girls have their clothes change on them to expose them without consent when they think about men in Tel’aran’rhiod - that would NEVER be written to happen to a male character to show his interest in a woman. And yet at the same time they’re supposed to be all in love and weirdly horny now, they’re also somehow all soo childish - what in the world is with Elayne pulling in Thom’s mustaches?? At one point they literally say Aviendha is having a “tantrum.” It’s not just that the book is so straight, it’s also like, weird straight…

- Maybe tied to the above, but it seems like we’re not supposed to like the Aes Sedai (or maybe more accurately, the White Tower and those trained formally there) but I continue to think they’re one of the most interesting parts of these books. Even with the coup! I want so much more from their perspectives. And it seems like Jordan may be trying to make the point that “even if you have only women in power it will also be corrupt and bad because the problem is power not gender” (like reverse patriarchy!), and to the extent he is it isn’t really hitting for me - it just sort of lands for me as “women can’t be trusted with power,” which is one of the oldest tropes out there. Maybe this will improve! I’m enjoying Siuan as a key POV character, although I guess now she’s no longer Aes Sedai?

#dril reads wot #wheel of time #wot book spoilers

[mswyrr]

@eatandsleepwell

#anyway yeah my fav thing about carm is his generosity#he likes taking care of people imo 

100%. That gif set is so great at illustrating that. Though I think it’s also great that can become him thinking he has to take care of everything, do everything, and then coming apart under the pressure of not sharing those burdens. Seeking to take care of everyone, then being avoidant of that intense impossible pressure, and not delegating -- all played into how S2 ended.

Framing it as “I failed you guys” and not seeing that everybody is okay, the team is working together, indicates he’s going to need to go further with this before he realizes what’s happening, the core flaw in his thinking, in trying to be a caring person in such a lopsided way.

And, as we saw in 2x06, that is a pattern Donna engages in too. The parallels to Carmy’s behavior in 1x07 and her locking herself in that kitchen and resenting everyone (wince). By the time we “meet” her narratively she’s 200 miles down a bad path he can still steer away from, though.

I see this in the context of a lot of potential for growth and healing. I love that his generosity and love of caring for others has that dual-edged quality, though. There’s stuff there about community and need for others - both how it can spread toxicity and make us feel diminished and how it can help support us out of that stuff if we allow ourselves to accept that care.

Somebody on Reddit [correction: onpyre said it in this analysis post!] said, after “Fishes,” “oh, it was Carmy who was The Drunk Whisperer, not Nat!” And - yeah. I think he had an experience, from young childhood, of caring and generosity being something that you just gave and gave and gave until it hurt, rather than reciprocity. Because Donna seems like she was, for his entire childhood, an emotional black hole. (To say the least - she demanded her children comfort and reassure her with increasingly disturbing behavior and then punished and hurt them for it. A parent threatening to go kill themselves like that and some of the other shit she did.... (shiver))

(I hope it’s okay I replied to your tags here? I didn’t want to clog the gif maker’s original post with meta)

#carmen berzatto #the bear meta #my meta #the bear #it's important to me that #even in the abusive chef's kitchen #carmy tried to be gentle to the chef who was fucking up #even though he had to know he was going to be made to 'pay' for her fuck ups

[tentacleteapot]

didn’t want to lump this into OP’s post unasked, but the topic of “it’s okay if you just so happen to dislike somebody while still being civil about them if you have to engage with them, you don’t have to go digging for the flimsiest possible justification of your dislike” is something I think about a lot when it comes to tumblr’s relationship with media over the years, honestly.

like, it would be ahistorical and downright dishonest to say that some of tumblr’s reputation for being “a blog site with pvp enabled” doesn’t come from the fact that there are and always have been users on here who felt like they had to justify their dislike or disinterest in a really popular thing at one point. it’s just plain factual that said dislike motivated them to go digging into a creator or actor’s past to try and find something sufficiently negative that they could use it as justification for publicly dumping on something. I know this because I’ve had people say it to me, seen people say it, and I’ll admit to even having thought it myself a couple times over the years (in my defense, I’ve been on tumblr since like 2010, I was much younger then).

“I can finally make a post about how awful this show is and then I’ll never have to see people talk about it again because my mutuals will feel like they can’t reblog things from it” may not have been the exact words that anybody said, sure. but in a time before we had resources for blocking tags and posts we didn’t want to see, the extremely nebulous claim that something was “problematic” (scare quotes intentional, the term as tumblr uses it has ALWAYS been too vague and unspecific to have any real place in actual discourse or critique imo) was often enough to get mutuals and sometimes even tumblr celebrities to boost your post decrying it. and that attitude definitely extended toward people whose posts or typing quirk or overall vibe just… didn’t do it for you.

is that an okay way to act? no. is it the ONLY reason people might feel like they have to find concrete ‘proof’ their dislike of somebody is justified? definitely not. is it the only time anybody feels that way? of course not. sometimes bad people DO have bad vibes, or a show’s writing or an actor’s behavior are subtle red flags that subconsciously warn us not to get too invested in something. but the very specific “once I have the perfect reason for disliking this crafted, I can bring it up whenever I need to or keep it in mind if anybody asks why I’m so rude to this guy or get so mad when I see gifs from this show” mindset is one that’s sadly had a lot of cultivation and fuel devoted to it over the site’s various eras of discourse. unlearning the idea that you have to have a reason to dislike someone and internalizing “I can be civil to this person or neutral about this thing other people like, and avoid them/block the tag for whatever reason I want”, is one of the healthiest things for a person to do.

#daphne.txt #please be normal about this if you add onto this post #I have so fucking many blocked tags and it isn’t out of hatred or resentment or something #or about judging my friends for posting what they want to post #because it’s not like people don’t block tags *I* use either #you can block whatever tags of mine you want that’s WHY I tag things so thoroughly #that and personal organization/archive purposes of course #like you don’t need a crusade or documented evidence to justify disliking something. just don’t be an ass about it to somebody’s face

[eccentric-nucleus]

anyway so i posted another chapter of the TMNT fanfic i've been working on. fun fact by the time i get this full thing posted it will be by far the longest thing i've ever posted on ao3.

it's over here!

further thoughts under the cut.

this story is obviously kind of a deviation from my regular writing (by which i mean, extremely explicit monster pornography) but i've been wanting to write some stuff with actual plots and themes and the like recently, so i guess when nanowrimo rolled around i just dug in. i was thinking of what kind of junk i love to see in fics and just threw all of it together in one big self-indulgent heap and so now it's a wild genre mashup. gotta kill yr internal censor & no better way to do it than to write self-serious teenage mutant ninja turtles romance/drama fanfiction.

there's that kind of chestnut about romance stories where people complain about how 90% of the plot could be removed if the characters actually just talked to each other, right? whoops it's all miscommunications and people keeping secrets for no reason, and that's the dynamo that drives the plot b/c you need some kind of tension, but you don't want the characters to come off as seriously flawed. relatedly, there was that one tweet thread by abbadon recently where he kind of touches on that. gotta have the characters be, you know. nice, good people. or sometimes so evil and over the top that it becomes cartoonish. but actually i think something i really enjoy in romance fanfic is when one or both characters are just genuinely obnoxious people. i mean i don't think i'm hitting that super heavily as a story theme so far, but. more jerks, imo

porn on ao3 vs. plotted fics on ao3 tend to have wildly different hits/comments/kudos ratios, & this is actually my first time being on the other side of it. like porn tends to get lotttts of hits, from people searching by tags or w/e, but not a lot of in-depth comments. meanwhile you will see fics that are like, 200,000 words, 70 chapters, 300 comments, 1200 hits. and it's like oh okay, this has a niche audience. this is somebody actually engaging with the local fandom. i tend to avoid fandoms that are actually, you know, 'active', so i don't really get a lot of that for anything i post. i guess my naruto fanfic kind of got that? people still care about naruto, i guess.

apparently there's kind of an active TMNT fandom on tumblr and like i guess i could link my tumblr in the story notes but i basically never do that kind of fandom enagement. i don't really, you know. like interacting with people. but who else can i tell about all my au ideas????

but with this TMNT fanfic it's very funny to have posted 8 chapters across three months and still have under 2k views. like whatttt all the plotless porn fills get thousands and thousands of hits. the teen wolf story with maggot infestation tagged got more hits than this one, and this has been bumped seven times! but yeah that's what writing a story with a plot gets you vs. writing porn, so, it's not actually surprising it's just funny to see in action.

i mean all that being said, kind of the joke of the initial two chapters of the story is that it's presented exactly like it's just a oneshot porn fic so really maybe the lack of hits is something else entirely; who can say. the mistake of everything being quantified with hits and kudos and subscriptions is that it invites you to systematize data, when actually it's probably mostly just noise & externalities. maybe people just don't like weird turtle dick.

(also if you'll excuse some yelling at clouds, just as an aside, but there are so many chatfics in the fandom (b/c this is media for children and kids these days only talk via chats) and with like two exceptions they're all completely unformatted, just bold names and double-spaced paragraphs between every line, from copying the story in from a google doc or something. please learn how to make a work skin + the css to format yr story like it's an actual chat client. at least get rid of the double-spacing. my story contains like 20 lines of grindr text messages and i still put together a whole custom stylesheet for it. it's not hard!! it looks so much better! you can give characters custom colored text bubbles, which works well since all the characters are already color-coded!! anyway.)

(also lol i do actually have a leatherhead/mikey/raph/slash 4some wip i'm considering finishing, which is much more my standard style. i can't believe i've gotten into teenage mutant ninja turtles. i think i've read like 80% of the extant fanfic on ao3 in the past few months. i really do think the major issue stopping me from getting into it was just that i always found it a little obnoxious that the turtles were always copy-paste palette-swap designs. if it's in black and white and they don't have their weapons in shot good luck figuring out which turtle is there b/c their designs are identical. thank you rise for giving them wild designs even if your toy line was garbage so the show got canceled immediately.)

ANYWAY so the story is actually kind of under-tagged, and in the original post draft of the fic i had way more warnings, but after some consideration i cut a lot of them out. like, if you're reading this fic you are hopefully an adult and you can form your own opinions about the characters and what happens without me having to signpost. and also i read somebody's post that was like, actually i hate content warnings when they're just like "tw: sexual assault. sexual assault happens" and it's like wow that's so vague and open-ended it could mean almost anything, and that looming ambiguity is more stressful than just encountering w/e happens in the full context of the story. obviously this is subjective but there's not really an objective way to present any information.

i mean okay originally ch 1 was gonna have a note like "do your own risk assessment before hosting & having unprotected cloacal sex with a total stranger off grindr. actually don't do anything mikey does in this fic." which would get funnier and funnier as more of what mikey actually gets up to gets revealed

but also the main tension of the whole story is literally just character motivation? you get to see mikey & raph do a lot of things but justifications for why they do them is notably lacking. u gotta figure that out. so it feels kind of didactic to even tag it as like, 'organized crime', not even in 'that's a spoiler' territory although i guess it would be, but in the sense of like, this is a structured narrative that you are supposed to form concepts about. ...so i guess that's exactly spoiler territory, actually. listen i am new to this whole "writing stories with plots" thing.

also i mean it is very funny that i've gotten kind of worried about under-tagging this or it having too extreme content when the fandom is full up on like, serial killer yandere aus or w/e else. 'x is a creepy rapist and he kills his other brothers so he can keep y as a sex toy'. actually this story is extremely tame in comparison.

anyway some people get murdered in this latest chapter of the fic, is what i'm saying.

[ranpd]

(Sitting like a wise old man on a log) okay so call me controversial for this but I HATE DevilDice so much like its so unreal. At first I was just like "ok" when Cuphead was more niche, like it was dumb since I dont think you NEED to ship anything in Cuphead to Like it and engage with it but like whatever right?? But then as it started gaining more and more traction with talk of the DLC and S1 of The Cuphead Show! DevilDice was EVERYWHERE and I personally didn't really understand why people so desperately wanted DevilDice to be real, especially when the Devil and King Dice didn't really have much in common or anything that really told me "oh yeah they NEED to be together", people were just kinda making shit up as they went and like idc if people do that for their ships but because it was EVERYWHERE in the fandom tag, character tags, etc, there was NO way to really avoid it!! And the fact that King Dice's character was reduced to JUST "The Devil's Henchman" and not the respected and even downright intimidating figure the Game made King Dice, it was super insulting...especially when he was HEAVILY based on a Real person (Cab Calloway)!! And how he's kinda reduced to just a joke character that nobody really takes seriously anymore is super disheartening and I'm like "#NOTMYDICE"!!!! I JUST dont think people should have to rely on a ship to care about a source, but thats exactly what like 90% of the Cuphead fanbase does (they couldn't go 1 day without shipping King Dice with Chef Saltbaker!!!) And its super annoying imo...these characters can be completely appreciated without all the nonsensical and bizarre ships and AUs like...yandere King Dice???? Like what does that even mean KING DICE WOULDNT FUCKING DO THAT!!!!!!!

Also just as a little add on it really sucks that so much of the The Cuphead Show!/Cuphead Fans went totally Gaga over The Devils and King Dice's VAs/Twitter Accounts "flirting" with each other and didn't even realize that Netflix (a multimillion corporate entity) was totally baiting their audience because they KNOW that'll capture their audience's attention without explicitly doing anything that they're even hinting at. Ok Thanks for coming to my ted talk (gaster sfx) ✌

oh god you know what youre so fucking right. i never really understood the devildice hype? like sure i can see the appeal or whatever. who fucki knows. but the shipping inthis fandom is absolutely fucking insane. the dlc came out and everyone just started shipping random fucking characters. i dont undestnad the bonbaker hyper at all whatsoever. if anything it makes me like violently angry

and yeah the show fucking ruined so many of the characters!!! i know i made a joke about how i loved that they made dice super pathetic or whatever but honestly? i wish they hadnt!!!!! and obvs netflix is just baiting the fans. i know one of the creators confirmed multiple characters to be gay + one nonbinary but like. still.

u r so right 4 all of this 🤝🤝🤝🤝

#take 10 psychic damage #cuphead #me x cuphead discourse in my inbox <3 /lhj

[snowyybear]

I just have a thing for soulmates who save the world(or destroy it) with love/hate relationships...

If you are here on my account, ✨welcome✨ I mainly reblog Bakudeku and Obikin stuff. They, to me, are the most important characters in their narrative archs' and mixing in love adds a complexity that makes my brain bounce off the walls in 2x speed. I create art and fics but i'm not confident enough to share it, yet. There are many other ships i support in here, tags at the bottom, enjoy!!

Here's a spotify playlist for obikin homies.

Side note: Both these ships are very controversial ships in their respective fandoms, and i have learned to find the fun in defending ships which has, weirdly enough taught me patience and tolerance. And so....

It should be known to everyone in media consumer spaces, that shipping is apart of fandom, as well as queer, culture and is usually an act of engagement with source material. It takes a canon relationship and/or world and changes it, no matter what canon may be. It can be any character, whether they interact or not. It can be as cringy, smutty, angsty, gory, and non canon compliant as the person wants. They are fictional characters, normally seen as ideas and concepts to mess with and experiment. Everyone is different with how they interact with media, and fanfiction/Art can range from incredible to terrible like all forms of creation. It's still a passion and form of art that should be respected. Especially kids who engage in this way. I've seen too many get ridiculed and demoralized for what they enjoyed, and they can become jaded and isolated. That being said, of course ships that cross lines, involve pedophilic and incestual relationships. The ships you like and what you consume still reflect real life, and artistic cp* is still cp*. Shipping real people should also be avoided imo, as it can make them incredibly uncomfortable and crosses boundaries of consent. Please don't harass, bully, argue, or even be passive aggressive(i have a fucking huge pet peeve with people going, "this art is cool, but this ship is DISGUSTING-" like say cool art or don't, and move on), if you don't like stuff, be respectful and move on. People don't want negativity, those who comment are just seeking to feel more superior or an argument. Those people need therapy fr. TLDR: Yada yada treat others how you want to be treated. Be nice to kids. Respect peoples art. Don't engage if you don't like stuff. Also please do call out and report CP. Dont ship real people.

#obikin #anakin skywalker #obi wan kenobi #bkdk #comfort #angst

[sitp-recs]

(Perfect artwork for Modern Love, by @cambiodipolvere)

Today is the day of one of my favorite people! And I totally resent @tackytigerfic and Starry for almost sharing the same birthday, god the STRESS 😂 Tacky is my first and closest fandom friend. We clicked together so fast and easy that sometimes it feels like I’ve known her all my life, like we’re two dog moms living in the same neighborhood who happen to read fic in their free time. Despite our conflicting time zones and crazy schedules we manage to chat every other day, tagging and sending each other all kinds of stuff, coming together to cry scream about a brilliant fic we’ve just read or shaking our heads in embarrassment at every other unnecessary bullshit post. Tacky’s bright and wise energy uplifts my spirit even on my moody days, and makes me grateful for her friendship and for this fandom life. Okay so this got long and I had to put the rest under the cut:

It’s such a lovely and precious thing, to have someone with whom you can share every single thought that crosses your mind, your scariest, most embarrassing, petty or disturbing idea, without fear of being shamed or judged by it. I trust Tacky with all my heart to hear me out, share a joke or a piece of advice, even on the (rare) occasions when we don’t get the same perspective - that doesn’t happen often when it comes to Drarry, as we are taste twins!

Tacky my darling, you’re such a good person, and such an incredible friend. Thank you for introducing me to this lovely community, for being my safe haven and your unique self, with so many qualities I admire and feel inspired by: kind, witty, earnest, wise, and so very human. I love your humour and empathy, and your chill yet no-nonsense personality; I love your talent and how articulated you are; I love your passion for Drarry, and how you let this emotion inform the way you navigate the fandom and create for it. And god, but you’ve been creating some of the most beautiful content I’ve seen in these recent years! I’m permanently in awe of your ability to write Drarry in any shape, format or length, transforming even the most ordinary moment into an extraordinary and meaningful piece of character or relationship development. You know how you mentioned yesterday that some authors change the way you feel about a ship in a deep, definitive way? Well, you are that author for me. Your works made me fall in love with M-rated contemplative romance, and also allowed me to fall in love with Harry in a way I never thought it was possible before.

Some people - myself included - got to know you through the fun and intriguing A Lick and a Promise, others through the atmospheric and sensitive Modern Love, others through your contemplative and heartbreaking short form. Each story has its merits and purpose, and all of them share a Tacky trademark: the heartkick factor! Your talent has no limits and goes across different genres and tropes, that you explore with a bold twist full of personality and heart. And even more impressive is your consistency at always raising the bar - every new fic of yours becomes an instant fave and makes me think “wow I thought Tacky couldn’t get better yet here we are”. Seeing how your writing evolves as you find your narrative voice is a beautiful and humbling experience, I feel so lucky!

I’m really grateful for being active in the fandom at this moment in time, because that allows me to read and engage with your brilliant work, and to have you as a dear friend. I can’t wait to see what comes out of your beautiful brain next. It was an impossible job choosing a single fic to rec today, so I decided to do a belated Tacky reclist! Naturally these are my personal and biased must-reads, and I urge everyone to go check these beauties right now. Feel free to include your own favorites too, and don’t forget to leave them some appreciation.

Happy happy birthday my darling Tacky! This fandom life wouldn’t be the same without you. I hope you have the amazing day you deserve!

Between the Power Lines (2020, M, 3.2k)

The road trip fic you didn’t know you needed. I got utterly immersed in the heartbreaking quietness of this, feeling like a witness to an ordinary yet poignant love story. Such tender intimacy, such character development, such lovely American aesthetics with barely any dialogue. This is, IMO, the fic that reveals Tacky’s triumph in storytelling.

Even the Night (2020, M, 3.4k)

This fic has a surreal atmosphere, those Midsummer vibes unbelievably sexy and intoxicating linked to the sensorial experience of fumbling together in the night. Masterclass in tension building, a silky and languid dream-like affair.

Aim for my Heart (2021, M, 3.4k) - Harry/Draco/Ron

One of the most sensitive and stunning portraits I’ve ever seen of a poly/triad relationship, this fic packs so much character and longing! It’s a privilege to watch Ron and Draco’s tentative dynamics through the smitten eyes of the one person that loves them like no one else: Harry.

The Long Fall (2021, M, 3.6k)

I can’t even write about this tender domesticity without getting a lump in my throat. Best opening scene I’ve read in years, and a refreshing way to approach both mpreg and parenthood, painfully honest and lovely. This became an immediate comfort read for me, and it’s probably one of the fics I revisit the most.

Mortal Frame (2021, M, 6.6k)

This thrilling, fast-paced spy story left me breathless since the first paragraph, gods what an immersive ride! I’m so here for Drarry on the run, sharp and urgent with danger but mellowed by the silent trust and tender intimacy only Tacky can master. Major bonus points for the brilliant take on the Horcrux hunt plot line!

Last Offices (2020, M, 6.7k)

Oh, this fic 💔 I tend to avoid MCD but there’s something so deeply fascinating about body washing rituals that I caught myself mesmerized by this. I just couldn’t put it down, so emotionally compromised I felt. There’s a sort of strange comfort in the heartbreak of doing one last act of service out of devotion to someone. This fic inspired so many difficult but lovely feelings in me, and one of them was hope. Only Tacky could possibly achieve that!

Our Little Life (2020, M, 7.2k)

Inventive and singular, this story hit me straight on the solar plexus and left me speechless as I saw the (clever, magical and bittersweet) plot unravel. Such a fabulous take on alternate universes and all the angst potential behind it. Come and bask in the yearning melancholia of a short yet intricate and perfectly executed plot.

And One to Play (2019, E, 21k)

What a fun and delightful fic, I can’t have enough of pining Harry losing all sense of propriety when faced with a hot, competent and pragmatic Draco. This has fab dynamics, unhinged protectiveness, even more unhinged attraction between two idiots who can’t keep their hands off each other. A must-read for any Auror partners fan!

A Lick and a Promise (2019, E, 55k)

Hot, BAMF Professors carefully balancing a fuck buddies situation while solving a Hogwarts mystery, do we need anything else? I certainly do not. This fic is so fun and intriguing and immersive, with amazing supportive cast and a delicious get together feat secret shagging and oblivious pining. Love it!

Modern Love (2020, E, 61k)

My favorite read of 2020, this fic is a love letter to Drarry and will always hold a piece of my soul. Sensitive, wistful, tenderly aching and so very romantic, this is a Muggle Draco triumph with a superb Harry, exquisite slow burn and a side of suds comfort. I promise it will be impossible to listen to Bowie again without thinking of this love story.

Bonus: five stunning drabbles!

Something in the Way (2021, T, 119 words)

“Up,” he said, and Draco, sick with love, raised his arms above his head and allowed Potter to slide the jumper on him, big hands stroking it flat over Draco’s stomach until they both shivered.

Stir-Up Sunday (2020, M, 300 words)

“I want you always,” he said, tugging again on the fine curling length of it. “Is it okay to say that?”

Whalebone Arch (2021, M, 722 words)

“Are you still not talking to me?” Draco steered Harry towards the crisps. “Do I have to suck you off in the loo to cheer you up?”

Semiplume (2021, T, 923 words)

“Did you know,” Harry murmured, and he put his arms around Draco, fearless. “I’d be your mate. If you needed a mate, I mean.”

Relic Radiation (2021, M, 927 words)

“You’ll kill me,” Harry said, and Draco turned his face towards the darkened sky, lunar pale, his profile some stupid unearthly thing—a flaring blazar, a supernova—in the light from the kitchen window.

#drarry fic rec #Drarry reclist #happy birthday Tacky! #fave

[sistervirtue]

Genuine question, though- why exactly is art being easily consumable a bad thing? I do think it’d be better phrased as “let people enjoy things so long as that enjoyment isn’t at the expense of others”

Also imo hcing the mains kissing is fine just tag it so people who /don’t/ want to see it can avoid it but ik that can be debated

Okay so in part that post was unclear with what i meant

I don't think art should be gatekept from people. I do believe that the idea of "high art" and elitism in who decides what is art leads to more harm than good and as someone who spent a very large portion of the last few years preparing for a career in art and studying art history i think the idea has a few large aspects we need to tackle

1) the commodification. art is pumped out for the masses to be SOLD to the masses. the worst offender of this i think is NFT's; the art of deceased artist, ai-generated asset mixes, etc all being sold as status symbols BECAUSE of the concept of scarcity and the fact that they Cost A Lot Of Money.

2) because of this commodification, art is becoming increasingly sanitized. especially with the internet, and the phenomenon of people's attention spans (and personal time! we cannot discount how capitalist labor has destroyed people's ability to spend time on the things they love) getting increasingly shorter, companies are pushing out shorter, "emptier" content to catch attention quickly. This trend then trickles down to fandom through the use of algorithms; tiktok, instagram, etc all promote very shortform content en masse, and when you produce things en masse to be profitable, you have to cut corners. a lot of artists have said they can ONLY make a following by making fandom content that appeals to the widest audiences possible, and things like "aesthetic sketchbooks" continue to perpetuate the idea that all art has to be clean and easy to digest. we see much less willingness from both companies and fans to engage with dirty, messy, emotional art, and i think as a whole culture suffers from it.

not only that, but especially online, this rapid-fire cycle of consumption leads to echochambers;;; which leads to things like racism on fandomwide scales, misogyny, grooming-- etc. by enforcing the idea that you do not have to THINK about the art and the implications of what you are ingesting and then spitting out, you enforce the idea that what you are doing can never be harmful to other people.

and this is what i mean by the devaluing of art-- while the entertainment industry booms, and fandom has become more relevant and widespread than ever, people don't VALUE what it means for someone to be MAKING art. people dont VALUE the deeper themes that art could be presenting.

and i won't say fandom content cant be deeper art, too. i will never say you can put it on the level of entirely original works, but i would be a hypocrite if i didnt admit ive even used shows i dont think are particularly good to explore a theme they presented in a way that was deeply personal to myself (such as my cult background) because having a base there made it easier to hone in on those details.

and i dont have an issue with individuals headcanoning things and having ships; it is when those things overtake the basic themes, context, or even the PLOT of the story that i find them to be an offense, especially on a large scale. when i initially watched devilman crybaby, i was severely mislead by dozens upon dozens of people about the actual content of the show because of how cutesy-fying akira and ryo's relationship was the norm, and that's just one of many examples. same with this phenomenon of encanto-- this is a disney movie about family. it is made for children and tries to deliver the themes of generational trauma in a way that introduces the concept of healing for generational audiences. (and the criticisms of disney for encanto are not mine to tell but they are out there and are very interesting reads if ur interested, but this is about fandom) but people are obsessed with finding some sort of ship or headcanon to slap on top, in a way that feels like a shallow non-engagement of the text. which is not particularly hard to engage with, given that it is a CHILDRENS MOVIE

#nyc knacks #long post #sorry! its a fascinating topic to me #ok to rb btw #media consumption

[autumnslance]

Being in fandoms for so long yourself, do you have any tips on how to approach fandom in general? It can be so overwhelming sometimes!

Honestly avoid fandom as much as possible. 'Tis a silly place.

On a more serious note, I DO have a draft on staying sane on social media I’ve been slowly making. The main points are about knowing how your social media sites work in regards to tags, searches, cuts, filters, blocks, and mutes, and being liberal with using them for whatever reason you need. In general for this post: limit following counts and be picky about who you follow and why--don't just “follow back” because. Don’t sit in Discords that make you uncomfortable and keep utility servers to those channels needed and mute/hide the rest. I should get around to the rest eventually.

I maintain that sticking to what you love and with friends is better than trying to interact with “the fandom” at large. Especially as a property gets well known and a larger following, the vocal negative 1% seems to get louder and tiresome quickly. Protect yourself and your pals and enjoy what you wish, minimizing stress and drama and hurting real people over what’s supposed to be a shared interest of pretend characters and stories. More specifics of that below.

Limiting myself to some friends and branching off their recommendations, getting to know folks before hopping into servers or groups, helps a lot. I don’t have to engage with the entire fandom. I tend to hear about random dramas in passing, like a shadow underwater, because I interact with chill folks more interested in simply enjoying an interest, not in making it their entire life and identity and so having to be right or chase clout or whatever over a pretend world and make-believe characters, even if resonates with us.

Don't give too much of yourself away. Don't tell people all the ways to trigger you, or your vulnerabilities. Don't give away locations. Use basic internet safety and anonymity to keep folks at arms’ length as much as needed. You're not obligated to answer every DM, right away or ever. You can make some dear friends through fandom, but a single shared interest is not a guaranteed safe and healthy basis of relationships.

Focus on what you love, ignore what you don't. Yes, you want a healthy level of objectivity and criticism and sometimes you need to vent but overall, fandom experience is much better if you're actually enjoying the things you engage with. Don't force yourself to put up with things you don’t have fun with, but also let others have their fun (even if you don’t think that it is fun, if it isn’t harming other real people and dragging them down it’s fine even if you don’t get it). This can include leaving that fandom when the base material is no longer fun for you, leading to...

Remember that you don't own the characters and story; it's someone else's world, we just play in it. The creators are going to make choices and changes, some good and some bad; learn to accept that and keep fanon separate from canon. Interactions with creators via social media are also usually very surface level and parasocial; just because they make part of themselves visible and accessible, doesn't mean you know them, are friends, or are owed anything by their social presence.

Other fans have other takes; you may not like them, but they're valid. Sometimes those other ideas too can make you rethink or add to your own, make you realize some things you hadn’t considered due to a blindspot in your own experiences, and add to your understanding of characters and story arcs. So be open to others’ ideas. Find those of a like mind more or less and stick with ‘em.

Don’t let fandom ruin a thing for you. If you find yourself surrounded by a lot of negative opinions, especially about something you enjoy, you can speak up if comfortable, but if not, simply stop following/interacting. I cull my following lists regularly, and a lot of times remove people who tend to be negative about things too often for my taste. Their blog/timeline/whatever but I don’t have to interact with it. If I find my enjoyment of a thing souring, I ask myself if it’s due to the actual story/characters/how the creators act, or if it’s due to the corner of fandom I’m in and if I have to clean up and then see how I feel about the thing.

Don't assume the worst of people. I often make myself stop and reread what someone said, slowly and even out loud if I must, to make sure I understood. Go back some posts/threads/pages for context if needed. Some people are just bad at communicating. They may be ignorant of even the most basic of modern social manners, internet etiquette, and so on. English may not be their first language. I tend to assume unintentional oopses until someone makes it crystal clear they mean harm--it's generally easy to tell. Let things roll off your back; they don't know you, really, just the persona you present online. You don't know them and their issues, either, just what little you see. It's usually not worth the hassle and heartache to do more than eye-roll and move on with life.

Others won’t censor/remove everything you personally find a squick or trigger, but do advocate for proper tags, warnings, and hiding the content. Learn to skip past the crap you dislike to find the things you do; you do not have to read or view or comment or like everything. There's only so many hours in a day, and not everything is your taste.

My personal annoyance usually come from how people who engage with questionable content react to other fans being upset, especially when they didn’t take the proper precautions to warn/hide their content based on the site. Anyone who then revels in their “problematic” status and starts making their dark content “to spite antis” has lost sight of why they wanted to make that content to begin with and are acting like brats, IMO. Especially a waste when it can be well written/drawn, even if out of my own comfort area. Don’t do things for spite if you can help it; sometimes it leads to interesting things, but a lot of times, it ends up hollow and a regret down the road.

There’s likely more to this, but these are some general rules I’ve been trying to follow as I get older and realize a lot of time and emotional labor over fiction isn’t worth stress and negativity, but should be relaxing and fun, as the real world is difficult enough. Have fun and make things fun and positive for others when possible, don’t tear others down for the sake of it. Fandom is meant to be a shared interest and love of a thing, after all.

#Fandom #Blogging #About Me #Advice

[klm-zoflorr]

Issues with the Tyzula ship that Tyzula shippers/fics typically avoid

Stereotypical Tyzula Ty Lee: “Azula-san, I completely forgive you for everything you ever did to me or my best friend and have always loved you unconditionally. I will help you become better if it means risking the quality of my life, my other relationships, my sanity, and even my life. I will magically be able to help you deal with your myriad of mental issues as if you always only needed love/affection instead of real medical help. I will always love you even if you don’t really change your behavior or worse, remain the same power hungry bitch you grew up to be. I love you ‘Zula.”

Look, I am not opposed to Tyzula for I actually think that they had a real friendship, even if there was a massive power imbalance, that got fucked up by Ozai’s abusive teachings and Azula trying to act as her sovereign and friend at the same time. But there is a tendency among Tyzula shippers/fics to make Ty Lee forgive Azula way too easily, make Azula not deal with her flaws or make (proper) amends to Ty Lee and Mai, retcon Azula into a soft baby who didn’t do anything wrong other than get abused, and/or gloss over the issues between the two.

For example, If Tyzula occurred pre-Boiling Rock like some fics imply, do you think it would have been consensual? Especially considering that there has been a massive power imbalance (Azula is Ty Lee’s Sovereign) since their childhood that Azula took advantage of even then; Azula forced Ty Lee to join her squad at firepoint; and Ty Lee is deathly scared of Azula? And if it happened post-Boiling Rock there is a massive power imbalance in favor of Ty Lee since the moment Azula “acts up” (it doesn’t have to be a big thing since Ty Lee is scarred shitless of Azula) Ty Lee can either call Zuko to jail her and/or have Aang de-bend her. There are some Tyzula fics that properly deal with, imo, the pre- and post-Boiling Rock power imbalances but most of them just gloss over them.  Not helping is the fact that comics imply that the two never had a real relationship at all and that Ty Lee is still deathly afraid of Azula, willing to chi-block Azula the moment she is anything other than docile. 

Also, how come most Tyzula shippers/fics don’t touch about LOK’s Turf Wars said about Sozin outlawing homosexuality and the implications it has for a lesbian/bisexual Azula? If Azula, who tries to be the model princess in a post-Sozin Fire Nation, can’t even realize that using fear is not a good way to maintain relationships, how would she deal with the fact that she has feelings for girls? Most of the Tyzula fics or headcanons I have read don’t seriously deal with the fact that either Azula is deep in the closet and/or suffering from serious internalized homophobia and would not likely express her sexual preferences in public unless she was in an extraordinary situation or got serious therapy plus years of self-reflection/character growth. Not to mention the fact she would be one of the leading perpetrators of homophobia by virtue of being Ozai’s right hand general/advisor.

So, do I have a valid point about how Tyzula shippers and fics often engage in abuse and/or toxic friendship/relationship apologism? Or I am just being too harsh on a group of shippers that have been vocally condemned by the greater ATLA community and most likely will never see their ship be canonized? And yes, some of my own fanfic works do contain Tyzula so feel free to call me out if I am being a hypocrite and holding people to standards that I can’t uphold.

-----------

This was a very interesting submission, Anon, and I don't think you're "in the wrong" here, even if I don't necessarily agree with you. At least you're polite, so I won't swear at you xD I'll sum up your points for clarity's sake

"Tyzula shippers make Ty Lee dumber and ready to do anything for Azula. They write stories without depth and without adressing the imbalances in their relationship"

Here's my personnal opinion on that: this kind of drama/angst is hard to write, and I don't want to waste my time for 10 chapters while they're angstying over whether or not to love each other. Mental health issues are hard to write too, and I want azula to be happy, so I can just make them dissapear. I completely acknowledge it isn't the most realistic kind of writing, but I don't care, I just want to have fun. I wouldn't pretend it's canon either.

Now, some Azula fans are just biased towards her, and like to pretend her canon character did nothing wrong and is purely a victim and is owed Ty Lee's love. I'm not gonna shit on them, in the grand scheme of things it's quite inconsequencial, but I don't think that's accurate.

"Tyzula shippers make it happen even if Azula is still a "villain" and hasn't redeemed herself for her sins"

I can link this to my first point a little, and erase all moral complexity for the funzies while acknowledging it isn't canon. But there's also the fact in ATLA, Ty Lee has little to no redemption arc herself. She just betrays azula, and then the good guys accept her and mai with no problem? We could interpret that as "she was always supporting Aang's cause and hated azula secretly since forever" but I don't think that's very correct, because Ty Lee never shows any sign of it, never talks treason, never helps the good guys while azula isn't looking (unlike mai!). The only thing that could possibly make her betray Azula, in my point of view, is seeing her other best friend almost die to her hands. And even then, it isn't a moral choice. I firmly believe Ty Lee was just as indoctrinated in the Fire Nation's ways as everyone else there. And that she actually supported her nation and obeyed Azula as her commander not only because they were friends, not only because she had to, but because she was loyal to her nation. And the only reason I can see her go to the good guys' side at the end of atla was simply because of self preservation with a side of unbrainwashing from FN propaganda

So, in conclusion, I don't think Ty Lee is a completely good character, and I don't think she has a problem with Azula's crimes.

"There is a power imbalance"

I'm not going to deny that. But who told you all relationships with a power imbalance are inherently bad? They're more likely to be toxic, but they won't always be. If the person with the upper hand is respectuous and nice, everything works out perfectly. It's more of an advice towards people who don't have the upper hand in their unbalanced relationship, and who could get taken advantage of. But Ty Lee is smarter than she looks, and I believe she would know to stay away from that.

Pre-boilling rock, there is indeed problems with them getting together, but they're not due to one of them being toxic. Azula is Ty Lee's princess, and it isn't her fault. She was literally raised to lead. And Ty Lee was raised to follow. We see that despite that, Azula still considers Ty Lee as her friend and gets her in her team in a nice way. But it isn't her fault she was raised in the middle of a war and sees the will of the fire nation as more important than anything.

Additionally, I don't think Ty Lee hated Azula, for the reasons I mentionned before.

Post-boilling rock, I just don't think Ty Lee would be scared, or cruel enough, to jail or unbend Azula for no reason. Because, again, I don't think she hates her.

"The fire nation is homophobic"

As is usual with me, I loathe the comics and don't consider this as canon. It doesn't even make sense, apart from saying "fire nation's evil, they're homophobic now too" to be honest, if anyone's gonna be homophobic it's gonna be everyone, cause there was no gay representation in atla.

Oh, and f*ck this, I hate homophobia, I don't want my fictionnal worlds to have it too. It's dumb as shit and everyone is gay in the Fire Nation. There.

"So, do I have a valid point about how Tyzula shippers and fics often engage in abuse and/or toxic friendship/relationship apologism? Or I am just being too harsh on a group of shippers that have been vocally condemned by the greater ATLA community and most likely will never see their ship be canonized?"

You do have a valid point that some tyzula shippers have the same problem as some azula stans, as in that they put her on a pedestral and say she did nothing wrong. But some also just don't want to bother with that and just want to write fluff, and that's fine. There are way worse things they could be doing.

It is true that Tyzula is kind of a controversial ship, and for this reason I don't think you should care too much about it. Bullying people never help anyone, and criticising tyzula shippers will only push them back in their fandom spaces and make them unable to tell apart genuine, objective criticism and mean bullying.

I don't want Tyzula to be canon, btw. Well. For me canon kinda stopped at the end of atla, so everything is possible after this point lol. Not that I even care much about canon.

You are not an hypocrite for liking tyzula and criticizing it. You can call out the behavior of people in your own community, it's perfectly fine and should be encouraged. I'd pay more attention to your opinion too, because I know you don't just dislike the ship and want to find any reason for it to be "problematic"

I'm gonna put that submission in the Tyzula tag, if anyone in there feels offended by that do let me know. I don't intend to shit on this ship at all. Also, if anyone wants to add points or give me perspectives I didn't think about go ahead!

#atla #azula #ty lee #tyzula #tyzula crit #tyzula criticism #anti tyzula shippers #klm-zoflorr #submission

[azusamifuyu]

Yua Uedo OC Prompt

Courtesy of @muffinrecord ! Thanks for all the content you put in the tag :)

1. What Magia Record character would/could your OC be good friends with?

I feel like Yua would get along pretty well with Momoko! They both have big sister kind of vibes imo! Maybe Tsuruno, I feel like they both have a lot of positive energy that would reflect off of each other if you get what I mean!

2. What Magia Record character would your OC HATE?

Yua *HATES* super self-important people. Going off that, probably Alina. Which is a bit awkward since Alina *is* her boss lol

3. How would your OC feel about the Kamihama Magical Union?

She thinks they’re great! She’s a little worried about how many former members of the Magius are in it, but she doesn’t say that out loud, seeing that she was one herself. She thinks having all the magical girls band together for a common cause can only be beneficial, especially if they’re not up to any acts of villainy.

4. Would your OC have joined the Wings of Magius, given the chance? Why or why not?

She definitely would; she feels solely responsible for her friend Gin becoming a witch, as she was the one who introduced her to Kyubey, and she feels as though it’s her moral imperative to make sure that it won’t happen to her other friends. She doesn’t agree with the Magius at all, but she doesn’t see anyone else with a plan to save magical girls from their fate. Additionally, she feels like she wasted her wish. She originally wished to be able to be with her friend/crush Mari forever, but after seeing Gin die, she couldn’t bring herself to face her. 

5. What would the name of your OC’s witch be? If they were outside Kamihama, what would be a sad story of how they could turn into a witch?

Her witch is named Ryouko! She’s named after a character from Hana Monogatari (Flower Stories), an anthology of 51 short stories about lesbians in Japan. Had Yua not heard the rumors about how magical girls can be saved in Kamihama, the combined despair of seeing her friend become a witch, and knowing that if her other friends became witches in the future, would be too much for her to handle. She would try and go as far away from anyone as possible, so she wouldn’t burden any of her loved ones with the truth that she had become a witch as well.

6. How does your OC feel about Mirrors? Do they avoid it, go there to practice, or want to solve it’s mysteries-- or do they have a different motivation?

She avoids if at all possible. Even if she’s just fighting copies, they feel too real for her to want to stay for long. Fighting witches for real is practice enough. 

7. How does your OC feel about Kyubey? Do they know the truth about where witches come from?

She knows about witches; she saw one of her friends become one. She’s very upset that Kyubey had to deceive her, but can’t bring herself to hate him, as he doesn’t seem to have the capacity to understand human morality. 

8. Your OC just unleashed their Doppel! What sort of inner battle takes place? How do they overcome their inner darkness?

Yua is in a crowded place, usually a concert hall, surrounded by people she knows. She reaches out, but everyone moves away from her. Rather, space stretches out so that she moves away from them. She tries to call out, but chokes on her own words. Her own voice tells her that she is burdening everyone else, so she should make herself useful for once and take on all their burdens. The Doppel manifests itself as a heavy crown that covers her eyes. Any injuries sustained by her nearby allies are redirected to her. She ultimately manages to control the Doppel by accepting that there are some things she cannot do on her own.

9. Kaede is inside a witch’s barrier and needs saving! How does your OC help? ...Or does she not help?

Yua hates fighting, and would want to destroy the witch as fast as possible. However, her usual method of, “Hit it with a huge fireball” isn’t quite the safest when there’s bystanders nearby. In that case, she’d either try her best to get Kaede to safety and then go all out on the witch, or engage it in close combat with her rapier in order to not cause any collateral damage.

10. It’s Chapter Ten, and the fight against Walpurgisnacht beings. What is your OC doing?

Yua realizes how much she fucked up by joining the Magius after seeing the sheer power of the witch. She does her best at making amends with all her friends, and then gives it her all when fighting Walpurgis. She has just enough stamina to stay standing until the end, when the combined efforts of Kamihama’s magical girls beat the witch. She and Mari start from the beginning and promise to never fight again.

#Yua Uedo #magia record #magireco #pmmm #madoka magica #magia record oc #this was really fun to do!

[nothorses]

That "traumatized by AMAB people" ask was one of the worst things I've read and has made me physically angry. This sounds like "uwu validate my TERF opinions" bullshit and I don't believe that anon was talking in good faith but assuming they are, why specify AMAB people? How are you judging who is AMAB or not? Sorry you're so fucking disgusted by us man-ish trans women but maybe keep that to yourself.

I mean, yeah, it sucks to hear and it sucks to read. You’re absolutely right. I debated deleting the ask for a while, because I don’t really want to subject anyone to that kind of rhetoric, even if it’s coming from a good place.

But also, I dunno, I try to assume good faith here. It doesn’t really matter to me if the person I’m responding to on this blog is actually here in good faith- sometimes it’s just a good opportunity to say something that I think should be said. I’ve deleted a lot of asks, ignored a lot of replies, and blocked a lot of people I’ve responded to because I just don’t see value in engaging with them.

I’ve also tried to interpret a lot of wild things in a good faith, because sometimes, I think there’s value in providing a middle ground and a productive path forward.

You have every right to never, ever want to share space with someone who feels that way. imo, someone who does feel that way has the responsibility there to either keep it to themselves, or remove themselves from spaces so you & other transfems can be in them safely.

But also like, folks can’t really control how their brains make connections in the first place. Clearly, internalized transphobia & transmisogyny are at play there, and they have a lot of work to do. In the meantime, it sucks for everyone involved.

I’m kinda just glad they came to someone who’s gonna tell them it’s a shitty situation and they need to grow, even if they never decided to be stuck where they are in the first place. Rather than, like, TERF blogs- who’ll validate their feelings 100%, tell them never to change, and twist them into a far worse person for it. I hope it’s an indication that they’re looking to change for the better. If I’m wrong, I hope someone who feels a similar way sees that & takes it as encouragement to change for the better.

Either way, I’m sorry you saw it. I tried to tag it so folks could avoid seeing it, but I know not everyone blocks tags, and it’s still hurtful. There’s no excuse for the things they expressed there; only explanations, and hopefully a path toward fixing the situation.

#transmisogyny tw #transphobia tw #Anonymous

[canonicallyanxious]

Weird ask. But. How do you stop yourself from getting super invested in fandoms? (for example: druck is living rent-free in my mind. It takes up like 70 percent of the space in my head/thoughts, I am sure of it)

considering i am notorious for spiraling intensely over fandoms i am maybe the wrong person to ask this question sdkfnskdjnfsk but i am going to try my best to be helpful anyway bc i do think this is a really good question everyone in fandom should probably consider at one point or another!

so right out the gate i want to say that i don’t think there’s anything wrong with being really invested in fandoms if they’re a source of comfort and joy for you! like i feel like there’s a certain stigma that comes with being a Fan but i firmly believe there is nothing to be ashamed of in what you find yourself most passionate about.

having said that i do think it’s incredibly important to establish healthy boundaries when it comes to engaging with fandom. Bc imo fandom should primarily be about having fun and enjoying the things you like, and if it gets to the point where your fandoms start giving you a lot of overly negative feelings compared to positive feelings [e.g scrolling through the tag starts causing you a lot of anxiety] or it starts to seriously impede other areas of your life [e.g ability to focus on school/work] that’s probably a good sign that you need to take a step back [in my personal experience, ofc; ymmv depending on your own experiences and such!].

So here are some things i do to help establish healthy boundaries with fandom, and again ymmv because different things work for different people but just to give an idea of some of the things i try to do to keep my relationship with fandom healthy:

[cut bc i can never not answer asks with a whole ass essay apparently]

Making sure i have other things to turn to in my free time rather than just fandom stuff. For me right now that includes cooking and playing video games, things I’m not as emotionally invested in but that lets me take a break from scrolling through tumblr or whatever when i need it. like as invested as i am in my fandom interests i am not just my fandoms, who i am as a person is not defined solely as being a Fan of things, and i find it kind of important for me to remember that.

Making friends with people who have diverse interests. I met a lot of my current internet friends through OG Skam fandom and now almost none of us are in all the same fandoms but we’re still very good friends bc we’re able to talk to each other about things not related to fandom, plus since we all engage with fandom in similar ways we can still relate to each other and have similar perspectives on things and such. i have to tell you there’s very little i find more fun than going completely unhinged in the messages of someone who has no fucking clue what i’m talking about to be answered with their unhinged rambles about something i know absolutely nothing about lol mutually supporting each other’s trashpiles is an A+++ activity

Curating my social media spaces to make sure i avoid spaces i know will probably cause me negative feelings. there’s no shame in following/unfollowing/blocking as you need to imo, like it’s good to be exposed to diverse perspectives and opinions but i think it’s also good to know your boundaries and not actively seek out stuff you know is going to piss you off or upset you. as i said i think fandom should primarily be about enjoying yourself, you know? And i’m not going to enjoy myself if i’m constantly reading things that upset me. so i’d rather keep my distance and do my best to do my own thing! for me that’s one thing i really try to get from my relationship with fandom - at the end of the day it should be something i do for me and for my own enjoyment, you know?

like really at the end of the day i just want fandom to be an enjoyable thing for me so i really try to make an effort to engage with fandom in the way that i want and not how i feel like other people would want me to engage w/ fandom. because ultimately i think no matter how you engage with fandom or how invested you are what matters the most is that you feel in control of your own experience and you have the agency/freedom to set your own boundaries that work for you!

Not... sure if any of that is actually helpful or if i’m just talking out of my ass akdfnskdjnfs but let it be known that i tried. if any of my followers have any other thoughts feel free to comment, i’d love to know what people think of this topic!

#answers #i clearly have a lot of thoughts and not many of them are coherent #and really i have no idea if this is actually helpful #but it's what works for me and that's pretty much all i have the authority to speak on lol #Anonymous

[ayy-spec]

Arospec Awareness Week Ask

1. Where are you on the aromantic spectrum?

I identify as demiromantic, but I also use the term gray aromantic and sometimes aromantic.

2. What are some other labels you have tried out?

I used to think my romantic and sexual orientation worked exactly the same so I identified as abroromantic for a while and at one point identified as only liking girls. I don’t clarify the gender of my attraction with labels, but I have been romantically attracted to 3 people in my life and they were 2 guys and a girl, so I think I could be attracted to people of any gender.

3. How long have you identified as aro-spec?

I definitely identified as alloromantic ace-spec for a while before questioning being aro-spec, so that was probably when I was 19 or 20? So 3 or 4 years.

4. How old were you when you first heard the term?

I heard about the term aromantic when I was in high school, probably 14 or 15. I heard about the terms aromantic spectrum, demiromantic, and gray aromantic later than that but not by much.

5. Are you sam or non-sam?

I use the split-attraction model (SAM) because I feel like my romantic orientation works differently than my sexual orientation. I am demiromantic and abrosexual gray asexual. 

6. Do you wear a white ring?

No, but I do usually wear a black ace ring! I haven’t been wearing rings since the pandemic however because it’s just another thing to clean. I’ve been considering getting a white aro ring.

7. Are you out?

I don’t have a straightforward answer for that. It doesn’t come up a lot, but I’m definitely not in the closet and I do talk about it sometimes. A big reason it doesn’t come up is because I don’t think about romance that much lol.

8. What are some aro headcanons you have?

I’m going to make a post about this later this week when I’ve had more time to think about it, but my 2 biggest aro-spec headcanons are Amethyst from Steven Universe being aromantic (and asexual) and Fitzroy Maplecourt from The Adventure Zone: Graduation being demiromantic (he’s canonically asexual).

9. Are you romance favorable, indifferent, adverse, or repulsed?

I would like to try out a romantic relationship! I don’t know how I’ll feel about it until I’ve actually tried it, but like I said I don’t think about romance very much, I had a boyfriend in high school for a few months and I wasn’t very into it, but I also didn’t like him like that anyway.

10. Are you in a qpr? Do you want one?

I’ve never been in a queerplatonic/quasiplatonic relationship but I’m not averse to the idea! If I met someone and felt like that would be a good fit for us I think I would go for it, but I’m not actively seeking one out.

11. Are you in a romantic relationship? Do you want one?

I’m not currently in a relationship. I’ve tried dating apps a few times but nothing ever came from it, plus it’s hard when I rarely feel attracted to people based on a quick look at a picture and bio. I don’t have a lot of opportunities to meet people my age either. I would like to be in a romantic relationship, I think. I’m also open to polyamory so I could see myself being in more than one romantic relationship.

12. Tag at least one aro-spec blogger on tumblr to help grow connections

I’m going to tag @acespectips and @arospectips ! acespectips is a blog run by arospecs who experience sexual attraction helping out questioning ace-specs, and arospectips is its sister blog which is run by acespecs who experience romantic attraction helping out questioning arospecs!

13. Do you know any facts about aro history?

Unfortunately, not very much! I believe that the word aromantic was added to the Merriam Webster English Dictionary in 2020 (might have been 2019?) and I know that quite a few aromantic terms were coined on the AVEN forums. 

14. What piece of media that you like has a canon aro-spec character?

Unfortunately I don’t have a lot of arospec representation in stuff that I like. I loved Steven Universe when it was running and Peridot was word-of-god canonized as aroace, but imo her aro-ness was not really explored. I use the Choices app a lot and there’s an aroace character named Zephyr in the Elementalist series. Jughead from Archie comics seems fun, but I’ve never read the comics.

15. What’s your ideal friendship?

I don’t have any specifics in mind. As long as we get each other and can communicate, there’s a lot of ways I have friendships with people!

16. Did you have a good discount chocolate day? (the day after Valentine’s Day)

I did not partake because I only go to stores when I really need to right now, and I didn’t really need anything that day. 

17. What are some issues you have faced from being aro-spec? (if you’re comfortable answering)

I have trouble understanding romantic relationships a lot of the time, and the rules relating to them. I don’t understand why people decide to stay in relationships where they’re not happy or fight a lot (this is not about abusive relationships, just ones that don’t seem to be working) so I have had a lot of trouble trying to help out friends who are having problems related to that. 

It’s also been very frustrating when I was actively looking for a relationship on apps, because it seems clear that most people are able to determine whether or not they would be open to dating somebody very quickly in a way that I can’t. I honestly wish that I wasn’t a-spec, but I don’t dwell on it and I’m not ashamed to be the way I am.

18. What are some positive experiences you have had from being aro-spec?

I like the online community I’ve found! I love that I’ve been exposed to so many different lifestyles and kinds of relationships that I likely wouldn’t have known about if I didn’t engage with the a-spec community. I’m glad that I never went through a phase of being super preoccupied with dating when I was a teen. There’s a lot of problems and drama that comes along with romantic relationships that I’ve been able to avoid as well lol.

Questions Source: @swords-and-aros

#asaw2021 #ask game #long post #og text

[typinggently]

While scrolling through the tag I’ve seen your post about the casting choices for The Batman , where you said you hope they won’t downplay the costumes (particularly the riddlers) and now I’m curious what your opinion on them is now that we’ve seen a trailer? Cause on the one hand it’s clearly not the classic costumes but on the other ‚riddler and catwoman but they’re on a budget‘ is kind of. A choice.

Sweetheart! Thank you for your question!! Honestly, I’m just buzzing about this whole topic and it was a delight to sit down and force myself to put my thoughts into words.

I have to admit that I usually avoid trailers because I always fear that they’ll give away the scenes and I won’t be as excited when the film rolls around but this time I simply couldn’t help myself, I had to watch it 🦇♥️ Also I get super swept up in the action when it comes to those things. Things go “boom” and “flash” and I go “ahh” and “wow”, I’m very easy. Didn’t even recognise Colin Farrell.

But all that aside - I rewatched it just now and Catwoman definitely looks great. The whole “I hope they keep the costumes from the comics” concept doesn’t really apply to female characters in the same way, anyways, I just thought to myself after revisiting that thought. Their original costumes are usually just sexualising, sometimes to a ridiculous degree. I have no problme with that being toned down a little for a more “realistic” feel. (And since catwoman’s costume isn’t particularly flashy and kitschy to begin with, I feel like it’s rather easy to not miss the mark completely, if that makes sense?)

But with men, there’s this whole “we can’t have any fun” vibe. Or, alternatively, “we can only do the joker”. (By the way? I actually really liked how completely off the shits the L*to-Joker costumes were. That was so fun imo, it was completely ridiculous.)

Regarding Riddler - I mean, I do get that they’re going for a more “realistic” look but I have to say, I feel like it might work really nicely. I’m still sad we apparently don’t get any green :( But also, I could imagine that they have to avoid the Joker-isms, and thus decided to go for a look (and maybe a general vibe) that isn’t as clowny-hysterical. Thus no skintight suits and big questionmarks. I didn’t really consider that when I made that first post, I think. And also - they do probably feel the need to set themselves apart from the Jim Carrey Riddler, too. So it all makes sense from a costumee director’s standpoint, I completely get it. And from the little hints we did see, we might not have lost all of the funkiness. I love his handwriting. I love the card.

In the end, I feel like it all comes down to vibes. How well composed is the universe, how do the different elements fit together. Which sounds so abstract but basically, I just judge things by how exciting the world they present is. And in this context, I do like his costume, because it has such a gothic, pseudo-realistic vibe to it? It’s the same with Bruce (I could scream) - the eyeliner?? But also - the cape really did it for me to be honest. It seems to be light fabric, which for some reason has me out of my mind. The contrast of his chunky boots and the light fluttery, useless cape has the same vibe to me as Riddler’s “realistic” get up with the coat and gloves topped off with? is he wearing those diver’s goggles?! what is that? Realism but make it slightly grimy and off the shits?! I have to say I could definitely get excited for it. Rip to my dreams of funky green outfits, but if this is a Noir Batman (in contrast to, like, the polished-functional, high-tech Nolan Batman), I could 100% get excited about it. Which is to say, I’m already excited.

Also can I just say that Mr Little Miss Sunshine seems to be so nice for that role? I’m really buying it, just based on the trailer. I’m excited for it, his voice is so nice.

Really, now I’m even more excited? Who knows what the actual film will be like, but I’m 100% willing to just let it do its thing and give it a chance. Let it play out as a spectacle, that’s all it really is in the end <3 🦇

(also please feel free to tell me what you think!!!! I'm always scared I'll soundlike an instagram influencer begging for engagement by asking questions but I’m genuinely curious <3)

#DC #batman #battinson #anon #ask