#fence striking distance

[sockpluto]

fence fandom hot take, apparently

listen. idc what anyone says. the novels aren’t that bad. i fucking loved the tiny snippets of wholesome nichoji. i loved the slow burn with haiden. it wasn’t even poorly written. i feel like a lot of people get hung up on it not being entirely canon, or just that it disrupts the flow of the comics or whatever else.

but they’re still good books, and tbh i’d pick that as canon harvard and aiden so quickly. i loved them both so much and i love how the books actually gave insight on aiden and harvard’s feelings and thoughts, as well as seiji’s, not just nicholas’s / a general perspective.

anyways that being said now that i’ve finished everything besides redemption, i need fic recs :3

gimme some fluffy haiden or nichoji pining or smth to hold me over while i wait for all the parts of redemption to come out together, since i can’t figure out how to read it without spending money (bc i don’t wanna spend the money twice)

#fence #fence comic #fence book #fence striking distance #fence disarmed #haiden #harvard lee #aiden kane #seiji katayama #nicholas cox #nichoji #nick rambles about fence #fence fandom #send fanfic

[bichobolitach]

They drive me crazy

#fence comic #seiji katayama #jesse coste #fence fanart #nicholas cox #fence fandom #fence disarmed #fence striking distance #nichoji #seijesse #my art

[nichoji]

My friend asked me to post this here because she loved it! Hope you like it too <3

#fence comic #fence fandom #fence fanart #fence rivals #fence striking distance #fence disarmed #fence comics #fence comic fanart #cs pacat #nicholas cox #seiji katayama #aiden kane #jesse coste #harvard lee #kally jenkins #eugene labao #tanner reed #nichoji

[applesandbannas747]

Sarah Rees Brennan's additions to the Fenceverse were peppered with classism, ableism, biphobia, and racism (what else can I call the erasure of Eugene's Filipino heritage?), but one aspect of it that's at once more subtle and more obvious is Coach Sally Williams's inappropriate behavior with her students, and I need to talk about it. Fence is marketed toward a young adult audience--kids who have teachers, maybe even teachers like Williams...and, hopefully, who know to report teachers like her to someone.

Let me make clear that my condemnation of Williams as a predator is only relating to the novels. In the comics, she's fantastic and badass and caring. In the novels, she takes it too far. There are several instances of her being what I'd call a shitty teacher throughout the novels, but there is a moment in Fence: Striking Distance where she sexually harasses three of her students. Can you think of when?

If you thought of the punishment she issued to Seiji, Nick, and Eugene for failing in a trust fall exercise, you would be correct! I want to be entirely clear here; there is no question of whether that was sexual harassment against her students. It was. Definitionally, it was. That's not up for debate. Let's get into why and fill in some context that makes the whole scene even more disturbing.

Williams issued a punishment to three of her students which involved them stripping. Asking students to undress is in itself sexual harassment (unless you're a chemistry teacher telling someone to get their ass in the 'i fucked up' shower but that's basically the only exception). It is inappropriate and unacceptable for a teacher to demand their student take off their shirt. Williams does. And then dresses them in raw steaks to send running around the woods. Their punishment isn't running. Their punishment is humiliation. And she's made it a sexual thing by disrobing them and dressing them so specifically and strangely. This isn't having them put on a little dunce cap and do jumping jacks kind of thing, this is a bizarre setup that, while not written as a fetish, can certainly be read that way. For whatever reason, Williams decided to have them wear raw steaks and the only real explanation is for her own pleasure--amusement, the characters and readers are supposed see. And the readers are meant to laugh along at this strange humiliation utilizing the partially naked bodies of minors.

Let's talk a little bit more about the raw steaks. The purpose of them seems to be humiliation, and if that's where Williams derives pleasure, perhaps my next points satisfy her goal intentionally. Either way, being made to strip and wear raw meat against their bare body is bound to be a massive trigger to people with sensory issues, body image issues, and eating disorders. The unique blending of unpleasant sensory, nakedness, and food would feel gross to anyone forced to abide by this punishment, but for people with pre-existing issues, it multiplies tenfold. And it is similarly disturbing in a new way to consider those who do not eat meat being forced to wear raw steaks around their necks. There are so many people for which this punishment would be even worse than you'd think at first glance, and it can absolutely be read as part of Williams's design. If you saw reports of Willimas in real life, wouldn't you assume this was intentional?

Another thing to note here is the needless escalation of the punishment to the crime. Eugene's meant to catch someone in a trust fall but turns to try and catch someone who's actually falling--Nick and Seiji being the reason and the faller in question. It is for this crime that they are punished. And, yeah, good time to talk about how your behavior can cause real harm to others (hell, it's a great metaphor for trying to learn in a rowdy classroom--reacting to the rowdiness/trying to calm it and sacrificing the thing you were doing to manage it), but an appropriate consequence would be an apology from each to Harvard. It was not a malicious or intentional attack and didn't warrant a punishment at all beyond natural consequence. Williams took this opportunity to enforce a major punishment that is entirely unrelated to the behavior nor is it beneficial to fencing the way running suicides is. Why change the terrain to the woods? And if you want to argue for the woods, I'll even give that to you. Why require bare chests and raw meat? Those conditions in no way add anything but humiliation. And, arguably, to Williams's pleasure.

I know it's 'not that deep' -- or rather, I know it wasn't meant to be. I know that this scene was not crafted with the intent to frame Williams in such an unsavory and upsetting light. I know that to assign intention behind the sexual harassment may seem presumptuous. But if this was happening in real life? Those intentions are almost guaranteed, even on a deep 'unknown' level to the teacher issuing such perverse and power-proving punishments. It doesn't matter if it wasn't written to be that deep, it has some seriously gross undertones.

Bottom line is that Williams used her power over children who were under her charge and protection to have them undress and endure the press of raw, bloody meat against them as they ran through the woods. That's not funny. That's sexual harassment.

#fence comic #fence novels #fence striking distance #jackshit #jacksalt #fencessay #i saw a post on this scene and realized i was being unpleasant in the tags so made my own post #so as not to be ruining OPs vibe XD #I found it esp funny because i just finished my yearly 'hey dont molest children' training #and its just a video being like yo please dont ask students to undress or touch them #it seems like a pretty reasonable expectation to have #But no #That was asking too much of Williams ig

[ionlydrinkhotwater]

Baby Nicholas Cox being introduced to his older (barely) half brother Jesse Coste

FENCE by @c.s.pacat and @johannathemad and @sarahreesbrennan

#fence #nicholas cox #jesse coste #fence comic #fanart #fence fandom #fence striking distance #fence disarmed

[seijikatayama-stan]

I know the comic is from Nicholas POV so we don’t really talk about this much but Seiji is literally the main character of a romance novel at this point like my mans is just trying to fence and now he’s in a love triangle with two half brothers— that’s some Hallmark shit right there

#fence comic #seiji katayama #nicholas cox #fence fandom #nichoji #jesse coste #fence striking distance #fence: rise

[smallbirdy]

I'm a bit sad bc just realized that the fence novels are not canon, as it's quite obvious bc they don't fit anywhere but they have some very cute scenes (the thing about seiji's watch, nicholas saying that being friends with seiji is like winning gold and others), so those will be canon for me

#fence #fence comic #fence striking distance #fence disarmed #seiji katayama #nicholas cox

[sukimccarthy]

Bro💀💀💀💀

#even eugene knew it #fence comic #fencecomic #fence striking distance

[kwockwoc]

ok, everyone? please take a moment to appreciate Seiji putting his watch on. thank you

#fence striking distance #fence comic #johanna the mad #seiji katayama

[happygirl2oo2]

I'd Lie - Taylor Swift (Haiden's version)

[For clarification- the person mentioned before each line is the one singing it about the other, so if a line says "Harvard:" in front of it it means Harvard is singing it about Aiden and the other way around]

Harvard & Aiden: I don't think that passenger seat Harvard & Aiden: Has ever looked this good to me Harvard: He tells me about his night Aiden: And I count the colors in his eyes

Harvard: He'll never fall in love Harvard: He swears, as he runs his fingers through his hair Harvard: I'm laughing 'cause I hope he's wrong Aiden: And I don't think it ever crossed his mind Aiden: He tells a joke, I fake a smile Aiden: But I know all his favorite songs

Harvard & Aiden: And I could tell you Harvard: His favorite color's green Harvard: He loves to argue Harvard / Aiden: Born on the seventeenth Harvard: His sister's beautiful Aiden: He has his father's eyes Harvard & Aiden: And if you ask me if I love him Aiden: I'd lie

Aiden: He looks around the room Aiden: Innocently overlooks the truth Aiden: Shouldn't a light go on? Aiden: Doesn't he know that I've had him memorized for so long?

Harvard: He sees everything in black and white Harvard: Never let nobody see him cry Aiden: I don't let nobody see me wishin' he was mine

Harvard & Aiden: I could tell you Harvard: His favorite color's green Harvard: He loves to argue Harvard / Aiden: Born on the seventeenth Harvard: His sister's beautiful Aiden: He has his father's eyes Harvard & Aiden: And if you ask me if I love him Aiden: I'd lie

Harvard: He stands there, then walks away Aiden: My God, if I could only say Aiden: I'm holding every breath for you

Harvard / Aiden: He'd never tell you, but he can play guitar Aiden: I think he can see through everything but my heart Aiden: First thought when I wake up is Aiden: My God, he's beautiful Aiden: So I put on my make-up and pray for a miracle

Harvard & Aiden: Yes, I could tell you Harvard: His favorite color's green Harvard: He loves to argue Aiden: Oh, and he kills me Harvard: His sister's beautiful Aiden: He has his father's eyes Aiden: And if you ask me if I love him Harvard: If you ask me if I love him Aiden: I'd lie

#ok just #hear me out #fence comic #fence #fence fandom #fence comics #fence striking distance #haiden fence #haiden #aiden x harvard #harvard lee #aiden kane #fence disarmed #taylor swift #song lyrics

[cynosurus]

One of the favourite lines my brain likes to quote to me:

Seiji Katayama, world's most unexpected class warrior

from Fence: Striking Distance by Sarah Rees Brennan

#fence comic #fence striking distance #striking distance #sarah rees brennan #c.s. pacat #seiji katayama #Seiji Katayama world's most unexpected class warrior #capitalism #fence

[bichobolitach]

Seiji’s milkshake really does bring all the boys to the yard…

Its been a while since I did anything fence related 😭 I teased Massimo and disappeared off the face of the earth immediately. I got my hand injured in january so I’ve been on a break til not too long ago and I remembered him,,, he’s funny I swear

#fence comic #seiji katayama #jesse coste #nicholas cox #fence fandom #fence fanart #fence disarmed #fence striking distance #oc #mlm #original character #while the other two are distracted #he strikes!! #bc why settle on a love triangle #Seiji doesnt have enough problems methinks

[pretty--in--purple]

fence went off when they took the stereotypical asocial sports prodigy and made him a well-meaning introvert with autism and a special interest in fencing

nobody’s doin it like them

#absolutely unparalleled #fence comic #seiji katayama #fence striking distance #fence disarmed

[foxfren]

I swear to gosh the sports fiction genre has a death grip on me ever since reading All For The Game, like???

#fennec speaks #fr catch me reading about soccer and fencing #i have little interest in either sport #the stories thus far are very compelling tho #all for the game #running with lions #fence #fence striking distance #if anyone has any sports fiction recommendations #lemme know in the comments or smth #pls #pls i need the stupid little sport stories (endearing) #spinning the genre around in the microwave of my head as we speak #no bc #it’s just #there’s just something about it #the drama #the rivalry #the tension #the training arc #when they inevitably win in the end #the satisfaction of it all #(sighs dreamily)

[applesandbannas747]

WAIT. GUYS. I FIGURED IT OUT.

The Fence novels are just Aiden’s dream.

Think about it—Nick and Seiji acting like 9 year olds and Eugene being a side character with no personality but ‘bro’ and Harvard being the most admired and perfect person in school… it all makes SO much sense if you consider that it’s AIDENS perception of them all and his fantasy of getting together with Harvard

#fence comic #fence novel #fence striking distance #fence disarmed #Aiden Kane #jackshit #and actually all the Seiji’s dad shit makes sense too. Aiden projecting his daddy issues on someone else and not knowing how real healthy #parental love looks like #and Nick being stereotyped as poor and stupid #man I’ve cracked the code #and it’s not canon because rise never makes mention of any of it #no wonder everyone is OOC because Aiden doesn’t give a heck about other people and doesn’t even LNOW his teammates personalities jsfkaha

[themundanemudperson]

okay so my school is doing a fencing workshop tomorrow, and i'm excited but also a bit nervous. like i will do my best to make the king's row team proud (or at least do something that wouldn't make seiji extremely dissapointed. brb gonna go read as many of my favourite fence fics as possible to absorb as much fencing knowledge as i can

@applesandbannas747's fics here i come

#fence comic #fence striking distance #fence disarmed #nicholas cox #seiji katayama #nichoji #harvard lee #aiden kane #haiden #jesse coste #eugene labao #eugesse #bobby rodriguez #dante rossi