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#the dynamics between the two ships are I think fundamentally different in a lot of ways
magneticflower · 4 months
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Six of Crows Duology Ask Meme
I just really wanted one so I decided to make one. It'll be mixed with the usual basic questions and then whatever else comes to mind~
Warning: This will likely contain a variety of spoilers. Read at your own risk.
Favorite Crow?
Favorite non-Crow character?
Were you immediately pulled in or did it take you a minute to get into the story?
What character did you get attached to the quickest? Why?
Any character you didn't expect to like as much as you did? Similarly, is there any character that didn't end up liking as much as you thought you would?
Are there any aspects of a character or plot that you wished had been delved into more in the duology?
What non-romantic relationship dynamic did you like best?
What crow do you think you are the most like?
Do you have a favorite book between the two?
What is a headcanon that you have for (insert character/ship/etc here) that you haven't seen a similar hc about from the fandom?
What is your happiest headcanon for (insert character/ship/etc)?
What is your saddest headcanon for (insert character/ship/etc)?
What fight/action scene was your favorite in Six of Crows? What was your favorite one in Crooked Kingdom? Why?
What is your favorite ship?
Is there any aspect of a character/ship that you think isn't talked about enough?
Got a hill you'd die on about a particular character trait/scene/ship/etc?
Are there any common misconceptions about (insert character) that you think people have?
What scene(s) from either book do you think is rather underrated?
Who was the most compelling antagonistic character to you?
What was your favorite emotional scene for (insert character)?
What was your favorite fun/lighthearted scene?
Is there any parallel between characters or scenes that you think about a lot?
What do you think (insert character) would be like if what had fundamentally changed them into who they are in SOC hadn't happened? i.e. Inej being taken from her family. Kaz being victimized by Pekka Rollins. Jesper and Colm losing Aditi. etc.
What is a backstory detail about a character that you wish we learned more about?
What do you like most about the duology? Anything you aren't particularly fond of?
Was there a plot point/twist that caught you off-guard?
Was there any scene(s) that hit you harder than you expected?
If you could change one minor thing in the duology, what would it be?
Is there any major scene you wish had turned out differently?
What are some of your favorite details in this books?
What moments made you freak out (in a happy or sad way) the most?
What were the most exciting scenes for you?
What character ending satisfied you the most?
Do you think it was necessary for Matthias to die? Do you think that it would have been just as impactful if he sustained life-threatening injuries but still lived? Do you think his story was done?
What are a few of your favorite Kaz moments?
What are a few of your favorite Inej moments?
What are a few of your favorite Jesper moments?
What are a few of your favorite Nina moments?
What are a few of your favorite Wylan moments?
What are a few of your favorite Matthias moments?
What are a few of your favorite group crow moments?
What are a few of your favorite ship moments?
Do you have a favorite minor/background character?
Any character you like that others tend not to be fond of?
Any moment you like that others usually don't like?
Your thoughts on Kuwei? Do you feel any particular way about him? Is he an underrated character?
What type of Grisha power would you want?
If you could have one of the character's non-Grisha skillsets, which one would you like? i.e.. Kaz's sleight of hand, Inej's stealth, Nina's acting, etc.
What character that isn't a Grisha do you think would embrace being a Grisha the easiest? Who do you think would have the hardest time?
Who would you be most afraid to fight?
What crow would you want on your team during a fight?
Who would you like to be put on a team together for a job together and why?
Do you think you would get along with any of the characters well? Do you think there are any that you wouldn't get along with even though you like them?
Any quote or quotes that stand out amongst the rest for you?
What did you take away from reading the duology? Has reading it been impactful to you in any particular way?
What song(s) do you associate with (insert character/ship/etc)?
Do you like how it the duology ended?
Share your thoughts on (insert character/ship/plot point/etc)
This or that: Pit two characters/ships/moments/quotes/etc against each other for the receiver to have to choose between!
Link your favorite fanart(s)! 
Link your favorite edit(s) if you have any!
Link your favorite gifset(s) if you have any!
Link your favorite fic(s)!
Link your favorite SOC related post(s)!
Link your favorite SOC blogs!
Freebie: Ask anything!
Hopefully, these are engaging or at least fun asks for your guys! (also, feel free to send some my way too if you'd like <;3)
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cilil · 4 months
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𝓐𝓝 ~ For my 6666th post, I decided to compile an Angbang appreciation post to (hopefully) spread some joy and positivity for one of my favorite ships of all time. I tried my best to present the things that I love about Angbang in a broad and open manner, so that it encompasses all sorts of takes and welcomes as many fellow Angbangers as possible.
As I will also say at the end of this: You're cordially invited and welcome to share what you love about this ship and/or add aspects I haven't mentioned in this post. Just keep it positive!
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Melkor. Ah Melkor, the man himself, the myth, the legend, a prime example for chaotic evil and our resident devil. Throughout the Silmarillion, as well as Tolkien's other writings, Melkor is busy hating pretty much everyone... except Mairon, it seems. He trusts him enough to let him run entire fortresses and taught him a lot of dark magic, which, as mundane as it may seem, is a lot more productive and friendly than Melkor has been to other people, including those who serve him. I - and I think many other Angbang shippers as well - love the idea that there is this one person in the world whom he actually likes and appreciates.
Mairon. The eponymous Lord of the Rings and general nuisance, enough to make Eru himself intervene twice, the Deceiver, professional pretty boy and peerless perfectionist. No other Maia has come close to causing as much drama, and something tells me Melkor will be proud once he hears about the Second and Third Age shenanigans. Mairon seems to hate everyone as well... except Melkor, with whom you could argue he might be a little obsessed. He's both frightening and hilarious and, for better or for worse, an icon both in-universe and outside.
Great ship name. Angbang is both a handy and memorable ship name and an amazing pun. It sure is a funny coincidence that my (to date) favorite ship all time also has my (maybe forever) favorite ship name of all time. And if that wasn't enough: If you take Morgoth x Sauron as the basis, their ship name is Moron which... yeah. No explanation needed. The stars aligned with this one.
Opposites attract. There are fundamental differences between Melkor and Mairon as characters, such as the chaos vs. order dynamic (as @maironite also pointed out), their goals - Melkor wanted to destroy while Mairon was more interested in getting things to run smoothly, though both were keen on enforcing their will - and their approach to handling situations they find themselves in - whereas Melkor is often impulsive, Mairon is more patient and calculating. You can also create an ice vs. fire dynamic, though they share the fire element (Melkor used to be the Vala of Fire and Ice and is still seen using these two elements a lot). It gives them some additional friction and spice to work with.
Similarities. Aside from their differences creating chemistry, Melkor and Mairon also share a few similarities and things they can bond over to balance whatever conflicts might arise. Both seem dissatisfied with the plans of Eru and the Valar, want to create whatever they wish to create without rules being imposed on them, have a questionable moral compass at best, like screwing people over and have obsessive tendencies (more on that later). I like to think that they can nerd out about about science and magic for hours, which likely became the foundation of their relationship in the first place, and that they also engaged in deep and challenging conversations that satisfied both of them in ways other conversation partners hadn't.
The Fall. We love fallen angels and a good corruption arc. Mairon's origins as a respected member of Aulë's household - who is still remembered for his skill despite his dark deeds - and moments where he could have potentially been redeemed are documented in the Silmarillion and the subject of many interesting discussions and fanworks. However, while less pronounced and presented as far less likely in the narrative, the same applies to Melkor. Even he started out as "good" and his motives, at least early on, are also understandable: He was dissatisfied with his inability to create freely and completely on his own. You could even say he's a bit of a failed artist which... is painfully relatable. As much pain and grief as both of them have caused, it's also tragic that they couldn't overcome their pride and choose a better path, for the sake of others as well as their own, and that Melkor ended up dragging Mairon down with him; both of them would have had the ability to do truly great things if this hadn't happened.
Philosophical aspects. To read Melkor and Mairon as a couple and their fates as a tragic love story creates interesting parallels with other star-crossed lovers in Tolkien's legendarium and raises fascinating philosophical questions. Can evil love? Can love be evil? Could love have been their road to redemption or was it - at least on Mairon's part - his doom? If I had to summarize my personal take on this, I would say that Melkor unwillingly corrupted love by genuinely being in love.
If you'd like to read a (more concise) take on this aspect which also touches on some other things mentioned in this post, I highly recommend this thread by @naruthandir.
There are just so many things you can read into this relationship and themes to explore, which I appreciate so much. It never gets boring and I always find new ideas to have fun with.
Power dynamics. Now, let me preface this by saying that I'm aware that some of you prefer it one way, some of you prefer it the other way, some see the Vala/Maia power imbalance as inherently unhealthy and like to take that as a central theme of their relationship and some prefer to interpret these two has having a fairly equal relationship. However, I'm not here to debate which take is "right" or "better", nor do I have any interest to. I think that, whichever way you choose, it's an interesting concept to play around with. Did you know that Estë used to be a Maia? I honestly think it would be cool if she still was, just to bridge the divide between Valar and Maiar a bit more. Nevertheless, I think we can all agree that especially Melkor isn't interested in what other Valar think is proper or appropriate and that Mairon, ambitious as he is, probably also likes having a Valarin partner/spouse. It's also interesting as a contrast to Melkor's usual arrogance and thinking that he's above everyone, and if you need something to prove that he wouldn't categorically say no to being with a Maia, look no further than his attempt at (forcibly) marrying Arien in other versions of the story.
Kink. Well, we've talked about power dynamics already, so let's not beat around the bush. We have some hot evil gay sex on our hands here. Super freaky too, if that's your thing. This ship is, in my opinion, excellent for BDSM and was what allowed me to discover and enjoy kink for the first time (though, again, none of this is a must if you prefer other takes). You can play with their existing power dynamic, subvert it, have them live out their sadistic urges, have them do elaborate roleplays, make use of all the creepiness and weirdness of the Ainur, particularly evil ones... they even have a convenient dungeon in their basement! There's so much good and sexy Angbang smut out there and I'd like to take a quick moment to thank everyone who wrote these fics that inspired and entertained me for years - and will do so for years to come.
Queerness. There are a lot of gay ships in the Tolkien fandom and fandom in general, but I still feel like it's important to mention this aspect. In fact, if you'd allow me to share something personal: Angbang was my first contact with queer content and, while this may seem strange considering that I am a woman, it also started my journey to discover my own queerness and I will forever appreciate that (I suppose it was "femboy" Mairon in particular alongside Melkor being a raging bisexual disaster - just my headcanon, not trying to push this on anyone - that finally allowed me to break out of compulsive heterosexuality and heteronormativity). I don't know if anyone had similar experiences with Angbang, but, well, I thought if I'm making an Angbang appreciation post, this might just be the time to include it.
Obsession. Melkor is obsessed with all things bright and beautiful, and this might very well include Mairon. As far as I'm aware, him being a fire spirit like Arien and the Balrogs are is fanon, but he's at the very least associated with fire in canon (on that note: kudos to whoever came up with the "little flame" nickname, it's so cute). Meanwhile, Mairon loves power and, as mentioned above, is obsessed with Melkor and his legacy enough to not only continue what they started, but also create a religion all about him. I like to think that both of them are also very jealous, which certainly ended up being the doom of a few innocent bystanders. They're just angry and evil and insane together and it's endlessly entertaining to me.
Tolkien's accidental "evidence". This could probably be its own post (which I might do in the future, though I'd do some additional research for it), and I want to make it clear that I'm not trying to "prove" to you that Angbang is canon or anything like that, I just find it funny when canon gives me tidbits that I can use for my "agenda". First of all, there's the infamous seduction line that has singlehandedly spawned countless fanfics and most likely raised a few eyebrows:
"In the beginning of Arda Melkor seduced [Mairon] to his allegiance (...)" The Silmarillion
One of my personal favorites is also the fact that, in the Lay of Leithian, Mairon starts ranting about how cool Melkor is - after only briefly mentioning Lúthien - and gets mad at Beren and the others for not stanning his boyfriend master hard enough. To make sure everyone knows exactly how awesome Melkor is, he later made sure people pray to him and perform human sacrifices which, since even any positive effects it might have couldn't reach Melkor in the Void, was apparently just for shits and giggles and to troll some mortals. Now that is what I call commitment! There's also Melkor's trust in Mairon and his fire spirit kink, but I've mentioned that already.
Aesthetics. Spiky black armor is incredibly sexy. Then we have peak hell and hellfire aesthetics. We have crowns and rings. We have fallen angels and fire and ice, as mentioned above. And we have two incredibly hot (literally) angels kissing. You could make them fuck in an erupting volcano. It's just... yes.
To conclude: We love villains, we love dark lords, evil is fun!
What I discussed in this post is pretty much just everything I could think of, with my friends and fellow shippers giving me a few additional keywords to mention, so there's definitely more. I hope this post made some of you appreciate this ship as well, maybe sparked or rekindled some love for it, and I invite you to add on and/or share what you love about Angbang. However: I'm going to have to politely and respectfully ask you to remember that this is an appreciation and positivity post, so I don't want to see any negativity, complaints about the way other people enjoy this ship differently or shade. Time and place. Alright? Alright.
Love you!
"Whom do ye serve, Light or Mirk? Who is the maker of mightiest work? Who is the king of earthly kings, the greatest giver of gold and rings? Who is the master of the wide earth? Who despoiled them of their mirth, the vain Valar? Repeat your vows, Orcs of Bauglir! Do not bend your brows. Death to light, to law, to love; cursed be moon and stars above; may darkness everlasting old that waits outside in surges cold drown Manwë, Varda and the sun; may all is hatred be begun and all in evil ended be in the moaning of the endless Sea!" Lay of Leithian, Canto VIII
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kataraslove · 5 months
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let’s talk about live action and kataang because i see a lot of anti kataangs using the age gap between aang and katara’s actors to their leverage.
“if they go the kataang route, there can at most be an implied endgame.”
do anti kataang/zutara shippers not realize how much that argument works against them?
if they go an implied route, there will be no ember island players non-consensual kiss. they can no longer call aang a rapist/predator/etc because that scene will simply not exist.
same for the day of black sun kiss. they can no longer state that aang had sexually harassed katara because again, that kiss will not exist.
same for “baby, you’re my forever girl.” they can no longer refer to that scene as a male gaze fantasy (even though it’s not) because that scene will not canonically exist.
same with the ending of the fortuneteller. they can no longer make the claim that katara was under some fortunetelling spell (figuratively) to convince herself that aang would be the one that she’ll end up with.
personally i think the live action will keep scenes like the implied kiss in the cave of two lovers or the dance scene in the headband. aang’s internal conflict in the guru may be when he starts to realize that he cares about katara a little bit differently than he cares about the others.
the teaser trailer demonstrates that aang and katara’s relationship (platonic for now) will be central to the series, just as it was in the original. that’s why we get the shot of the two of them sitting side by side with each other and smiling together.
by the time that they get to books 2, 3, and maybe if they do a book 4 - aang’s actor would have already hit a growth spurt. he’ll be 17 around the time of book 3’s filming and will already be taller than katara. have you seen the kid now? he’s grown quite a bit since he’s done the filming of book 1.
if instead of getting scenes like the ember island players, we get more scenes of aang standing up to sexists for disrespecting katara (“if you won’t teach katara, then I won’t learn from you!”) aang and katara learning waterbending together, aang praising katara, katara and aang connecting together as genocide survivors - I fail to see how kataang shippers lose?
aren’t anti kataangs the ones who state that the ship is extremely sexist towards katara? that aang was possessive and territorial over her the entire time? that the romantic moments were either out of character on her end or one-sided on his? that they would at least support the ship if those moments were removed? but now, when there’s the possibility that those moments could be, suddenly it’s “there’s no way live action kataang will be canon and endgame.”
there’s an opportunity for kataang to be written in a way that antis might refer to as “organic,” an established or implied endgame that will take the course of several years to build, with an emphasis on their friendship first. romance will come much, much later, if it even happens. anti kataangs operate on the assumption that if we remove their romantic moments but keep the same writing as is, that no one will ship them. that everyone will interpret it as a platonic relationship (the way they believe it was meant to be).
which does not work in their favour for several reasons:
the moments in which they claim has fundamentally destroyed katara and aang from ever becoming romantic equals, will be removed. that’s right. get your eip metas out right now, because that scene won’t exist in a few years, baby!
in lieu of some of these moments, we could get more of an emphasis on moments that strengthen and enhance katara and aang’s dynamic, that offer the promise that they will be good partners someday.
assuming that aang’s crush and feelings on katara will be a gradual transition, the arguments of one-sidedness lessens.
by the time we get to the third season, aang will be taller than katara, in addition to having grown older. this feeds the fandom’s heteronormative obsession.
again, i fail to see how this is a negative thing for kataang, especially since it’s so early with nothing but a trailer to make predictions off of. so many of you are always complaining about how you want to see a version of aang and katara’s relationship that’s “organic, without the creepy romance, with an endgame that actually feels deserved.” now that we are possibly getting that version you want so dearly, you cry and preach that it’s the end of kataang shipping once and for all? going off of nothing but their noticeable height and age gap in book 1 (where romance doesn’t even happen)?
it becomes apparent more than ever that it’s never been a matter of kataang’s writing in the series or about katara deserving better, but the general existence of kataang that continues to unnerve you.
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Brett Devereaux made an observation about Dune that I really like: that Paul Atreides and Feyd Rautha Harkonnen were probably raised with very similar values.
This isn't exactly a ship in the usual fandom sense of the word, but I think it'd be interesting to see this explored in an AU fanfic where Paul and Feyd Rautha somehow team up at the end of Dune.
I think what'd work really well for this is a scenario where Feyd Rautha somehow gets control over House Harkonnen and swears loyalty/vassalage to Paul, adding effective control over House Harkonnen to Paul's portfolio at the end of Dune.
I think that'd have really crunchy social and emotional dynamics that'd fit really well with the theme here. Paul has spent years hating the Harkonnens and seeking revenge on them for the death of his father and a lot of the surviving remnant of Paul's own house have pretty similar feelings, and now here's Feyd Rautha saying to Paul "The armies of my house await your orders, my lord," and Feyd and his Harkonnen buddies are now hanging out at Paul's court and hobnobbing with Paul and the rest of his court. If Gurney Halleck and Duncan Idaho are alive in this scenario I bet they'd hate this and there'd be some pretty tense moments when they have to collaborate with their Harkonnen opposite numbers.
Atreides and Harkonnen generals collaborating to plan the Jihad with kinda shitlib vs. MAGA chud vibe tension where the Atreides have thinking of themselves as the side of good as an important part of their self-image while the Harkonnens tend to be more casually bloodthirsty and sadistic but this is arguably more a difference in aesthetics than anything substantive, when crunch time comes they can put these cultural differences aside and collaborate surprisingly easily on shared goals because they're actually fundamentally similar people with fundamentally similar worldviews and values, molded by fundamentally similar institutions.
Feyd Rautha becoming one of Paul's closest subordinates and kind of his friend in a weird way cause they're actually fundamentally similar people and useful to each other.
I think Feyd is supposed to still be pretty young at the end of Dune, so this might work better if Paul is a bit less lucky in his campaign against the Harkonnens, delaying the events of the end of Dune by a few years but ultimately not preventing them, or something like that, IDK.
I think if I were writing this the closest I'd take this to shipping in the common fandom sense is Paul and Feyd end up kind of in a wife-loaning polycule with Irulan, though one that's asexual on Paul's side. Basically at some point Irulan and Paul have a conversation that's basically a more refined version of this:
IRULAN: "Hey, I'm tired of living a life of involuntary celibacy cause you need a political marriage to me but won't have sex with me because of your issues. Can you just wife-loan me to one of your right-hand men if you're gonna be so complicated?"
PAUL: "Fine, sure. The usual rules will apply: keep it on the down-low and don't get pregnant."
IRULAN: "Fine."
PAUL: "Did you have any candidates in mind? If not, might I suggest Utrecht or Hakim?"
IRULAN: "I AM NOT SLEEPING WITH AN UNBATHED DESERT BARBARIAN! ... Feyd is kind of hot, I guess... I'll take him!"
PAUL: "That arrangement would be perfectly acceptable to me. Pending Feyd's agreement, we have a deal. I'll discuss this matter with him tonight, after I've discussed with him the deposition of his house troops in the conquest expedition I'll be launching against the Megara worlds. I think he'll agree."
IRULAN: "Great!"
I have had one or two or three little ideas for a Dune fanfic but have never figured out what the plot would be. I suppose now if I ever actually write a Dune fanfic, it'll probably be about this premise.
I guess in a way it might be fridge brilliance that this didn't happen in the actual books, cause this is a lot like the relationship between Leto II and Farad'n at the end of Children of Dune and Farad'n reads to me as a mirror to Paul in the same way Feyd is, and the arc of the Dune novels up to God-Emperor of Dune is Leto II could do what Paul couldn't bring himself to do, so Leto II being able to co-opt Farad'n while Paul couldn't co-opt Feyd would fit with that.
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rutadales · 8 months
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my favorite ship is currently drunz but i think droolish has some really neat lore stuff (also your art so. yep)
also i’m sure you’ve thought/posted about this but as i was looking over my ask for grammar i. anyways. thoughts about dream/punz/foosh?
:D !!!! c!drunz is really. rlly good. Like "long time no see buddy" rewired my synapses.
C!Dream/Punz/Foolish would have a really interesting dynamic! I think actually working together, c!foolish and c!Punz would probably kinda hate each other because they're such opposites (positive). Like Dream and Foolish parallel each other even in the ways they differ they're just two sides of the same coin but Punz genuinely believes in The Plan he legit thinks the murder and ultimate control are Cool and Good and actively enables Dream's destructive tendencies (all of these things are things I adore about cpunz he's literally deranged I love him).
At the same time Punz also genuinely cares very deeply about Dream and harbors deep seated rage towards the people who've hurt him (see the stream where he tells purpled about the torture). Which puts Punz and Foolish into a very elite club together called "Being Appalled by the Prison Conditions and Specifically the State Sanctioned Torture" The clubs founder is Techno.
Honestly I think it's the fact they're both disgusted by the torture that would bond them together, again there's like maybe 4 people on the server who treat the torture as the horrific thing it was. A lot, and I mean a lot, of people brush it off.
Still, Foolish is a builder who only strikes back after continuous provocation. Punz is literally a gun for hire. There's some fundamental morals that would clash against each other. BUT at the same time Foolish is very friendly and no one is really off limits from becoming his buddy. He did befriend his murderers after all <3 another element is Sapnap has beef with dream and foolish which is genuinely such a funny connection between them especially since he has no reason to hate foolish he just fucking does 😭
Tl;Dr: Foolish and Punz would have some strong fundamental disagreements about the other but ultimately come together over their collective hatred for how Dream was treated in the prison. Also Foolish is just a goofy silly guy and everyone loves goofy silly guys
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atopvisenyashill · 2 months
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So I came upon your blog while looking through the asoiaf tag and explored it a bit. Would you please explain to me how are you against Targaryen incest, but find Jonsa fine? I’m genuinely curious, as I’ve just started reading the books (I’m half-way through a storm of swords) and find nothing fine about any form of incest, whether it is or not considered as such in-universe. I also find little to no Jonsa moments. Could you help me? Thank you!
okay so first of all i got sent an ask forever ago about what the appeal of jonsa is and i’ve been working on explaining basically where i see the plot going and why it’s thematically relevant and is2g i’m still actually putting it together it’s just doing that in a middle of a reread is tough bc my ideas are kinda all over the place lmao (just like this ask is about to be sorry!) (also once again, sorry if my tone comes across very weird, i swear i reread like twelve times to make sure i don’t sound too snarky and wasn't just vomitting up a thousand words of nonsense lmao!!).
BUT. Well there’s three points to this: what the characters may feel, what i feel about jonsa, and what i feel about targ incest. so first the characters:
I think it’s important to point out that first cousin marriage (and auncle/nibling marriage, esp if it’s a “half” relation) are not considered true incest in westeros and in many parts of our world. rickard and lyra, ned’s parents, are cousins. joanna and tywin lannister are first cousins. jonnel and sansa and edric and serena are uncle/nieces, and you’ll note that when alys karstark comes to jon for help, he is disgusted that her uncle is trying to steal her inheritance and not that he’s her uncle attempting to marry her. i point this out because not only is there nothing legally stopping a jonsa marriage, the characters themselves may also see it that way (as not incest). and if your next point is “well they grew up thinking they’re siblings” my answer is - yes and? One of the influences on this series is Mervyn Peake, who wrote gothic medieval stories, and both incest and pseudo-incest is very much a big part of gothic stories! A lot of the storylines in this world are dedicated to exploring incest as a force of socialization and romanticism, from Naerys pleading to live “as brother and sister” and Aegon insisting “we already are” to Alysanne’s “Alyssa is meant for Baelon” to Jaime’s “he heard none of it" in the sept. I don’t think it’s that far of a stretch to posit that two characters we have POVs for will fall in love and grapple with what that love says about them, about society, about their role in the world - and in fact, about half of Jon’s most popular ships are between him and a female relative. Sansa makes more sense to me because she’s closer to his age than Arya, has a more troubled relationship with him, is involved in the political aspects of the story just as much as he is, and isn’t likely to immediately start setting people on fire after they meet.
Now as for me, basically - i think both types of incest are the result of socialization + extreme trauma, and I fully expect that if Jonsa goes canon it will have a tragic ending. I think Jonsa takes some of the inherent misogyny of targ incest and plays around with it - Jon having significantly less societal privilege than basically every other Targaryen and what that means for Sansa as an heiress - but just because I think an exploration of that dynamic will be interesting, doesn’t mean I don’t expect it to be rife with problems.
because the problem with incest is the power dynamic ultimately, and you cannot escape that power dynamic bc people don’t exist in a vacuum. For all the Starks have some fucked up skeletons in their closet, Lyanna doesn’t show up in Ned’s bed naked and ask him to stop her betrothal to Robert, does she? This is the fundamental difference between targ incest and Jonsa or even Lannicest; Lannicest is rampant with toxicity from both of those deranged weirdos but they feel entitled to each other's bodies because of their own trauma surrounding their tumultuous childhoods (and probably some normalization of incest from their parents and proximity to Aerys/Rhaella/Rhaegar), but no one is saying "Jaime you are owed Cersei's body" or "Cersei your womb belongs to your brother and your brother alone." So I don't feel the need to sit here and go "Lannicest is toxic" like yeah? Clearly, lmao, these two feel like they are so damaged, and made so special by that damage, that they can only love one another, that's not what anyone would call healthy. I don't think it's necessary to sit here and explain that dynamic has abuse problems; it's right there in the text!
"well what about the power dynamic between jon and sansa?" YES WHAT ABOUT IT. that's the point! i'm interested in how a dynamic that is inherently abusive will play out between two people who were raised to believe some types of incest are okay but not others, who are victims of abuse and societal alienation themselves. because at the same time that i condemn targ incest, there are obviously real feelings and genuine care in these relationships and in these people, because again, people don't exist in a vacuum. daemon backs rhaenyra into this corner and then crucially does not kill any of her children because he realizes that's a step too far, she'd never forgive it, perhaps even because he grew to love them (i mean, Lucerys and Joffrey likely barely remember any other father but Daemon!). maegor is a monster who very specifically never harms rhaena's daughters! aemon is a useless pos but it seems likely he had a hand in raising naerys' son to be better than aegon because he could see the harm he and his brother were doing to naerys even if aemon was too much of a coward to actually stop that harm in any meaningful way! the difference, to me, is that jon will see that this relationship built on trauma and grief may be the only love he and sansa will ever allow themselves to feel but it is not healthy for them, and jon will leave! and sansa will realize she is not the impassive, frozen, detached symbol that the men around her want her to be, but a living, breathing person with her own wants and desires and agency, and will let him go!
Ultimately, while i think romanticizing and sexualizing the taboo is fine and even healthy, for me, there has to be some acknowledgement that you are in fact romanticizing the taboo. This is why the shitty dudes in asoiaf work for me in a way shitty dudes outside of asoiaf don’t usually - my general bitching about parts of the narrative that don’t click for me aside, there’s firm condemnation of the people engaging in these behaviors, from cersei sexually abusing lancel to sandor creeping on sansa. just because the narrative also shows us and wants us to feel empathy for sandor and cersei and why they’ve become bad people doesn’t mean what they’re doing isn’t bad. that’s what i like! i don’t want a story that holds my hand and drags me to the moral nor do i want a story that presents a god awful person who is supposed to be morally upright and not mean for us to dig deeper into them!
(this is why i like the pt but not the st of star wars, if you want an example - for all the prequels are um. flawed. lucas has an overreaching story about the effects of war, slavery, and interpersonal abuse that he’s dedicated to, and we are meant to be horrified by anakin choking padme just as surely as we’re meant to mourn their relationship and love for each other when palpatine gleefully tells anakin she’s dead and ani destroys the room in grief. vs like. what were the sequels even fucking doing man).
So the thing here is that I actually do in fact find Targaryen incest interesting while being morally repugnant as a practice, and I'm positive Jonsa will play around with both the morality of incest and the romanticism of it in a way that I find just as interesting, varied, romantic, and fulfilling as like, the Jaime/Cersei(/Brienne/Tyrion) mess or the Daemon/Rhaenyra/Laena/Harwin debacle! I like incest and I also hate it! I contain multitudes!
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lazulite-flame · 2 months
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(ship ask thingy) Aishin ♡
thank you asks HEHE sfkkdskfsf I'll answer both of yours in the same post!
Aizen/Shinji and Gyomei/Sanemi
from here: link
Aishin 😳 (Sosuke Aizen/Shinji Hirako)
Love them SO MUCH they're spicy.
What made me ship it? uhhhhhh LOOK at them good lord. Lovers to enemies. Maybe back to lovers but who knows!! They're extremely spicy, nothing is okay between them, but yet they're permanently and intrinsically tied together. Soulmates but in the most painful awful kind of way....
What are my favorite things about the ship? Their personalities bounce off each other in such interesting ways. Like I said up there, it's fun to think about a ship that is so utterly broken and yet permanently tied together on a fundamental level. And, god, the entire concept of, what if Shinji *had* fully, unwaveringly trusted him back then? Was it his own personality that caused everything to fall apart? Would it have made a difference. The answer is probably no, but he'll never know that and he'll always be stuck in the what if. After all, Aizen is the way that he is :)
Unpopular opinion? Tbh I don't really know what The Opinions™ are like for these two, so I can't really say! Honestly, it's probably that I think Aizen would have some genuine love for Shinji somewhere, even if it's really, really buried and would never come first before anything else.
🔥
Himesane/Sanehime (Gyomei Himejima/Sanemi Shinazugawa)
Can't really say I necessarily ship it, but I don't not ship it either. I'm kinda neutral lakfdksfkdsfkds. I'll semi answer both!
Why I do or don't ship it Honestly most of it comes from just not really being all that invested in Gyomei as a character... I love Sanemi, but Gyomei has always just kinda been There for me. yknow? He has an interesting backstory, but in the present story he doesn't interact much with other slayers besides Genya and even that we don't see a terrible lot of. We really only see him in relation to things that happened in the past. So, I do think it can have an interesting dynamic tho - Gyomei is, well.. like a rock. He's very settled and stable, calm in his meditation and reflection. It's the opposite to Sanemi who is a rabid mangy dog who yells at everything in sight LOL.... I think he'd feel some anger at Gyomei training Genya, because he wishes everyone else would discourage Genya from being a demon slayer like he does, but it just doesn't work that way... and if Gyomei actually gets a chance to get a word in edgewise. he might be able to calm him down. Maybe he becomes the rock that Sanemi needs. Someone who is calm and silent but doesn't take his bullshit either.
Things I like/could like I kinda feel like I answered this up there by accident oops FDSKFSK... I like what their potential dynamic could be! I think I'd like it more if Gyomei was more interesting/involved in general... if I could be more invested in his character I'd be able to see his ships too
Unpopular opinion? I don't know the opinions for these two either 😔 I don't even really know if Gyomei is super well liked.... So in lieu of having an actual answer I'll say uhhhh Sanemi tops 👍
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nebulouscoffee · 10 months
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Troisha and kiradax for the shipping ask game?
YESSS thank you for these picks!!
Tasha Yar/Deanna Troi- ship it
What made you ship it?
I always thought they were neat- they have incredible chemistry, and they really did come off as very immediately and obviously into each other lol. A lot of their scenes together are just Very Flirty! They also play off each other in ways that are quite fascinating, both in terms of personality and aesthetics.
But!! I am being completely serious when I say I only became insane about this ship after reading your 'Skin Of Evil' fic (link for anyone who wants to read it- it's very good) and all of our wonderful discussions and increasingly specific troisha AUs. So, thank you!
What are your favorite things about the ship?
The contrasts between them- and then, the unexpected similarities. The way neither of them have ever felt like they truly belonged anywhere (not even in their own bodies). The way they both see themselves as "broken" in certain ways (but not each other). The way they both fear loss. The way one of them basically grew up in poverty and has always been invisible to society at large, while the other is from an "aristocratic" family and has always felt overanalysed and dissected... In a sense, one of them joined Starfleet for a more comfortable life with better opportunities, while the other did so to escape a lavish life & suffocating "opportunities"- but fundamentally, they are both empathetic (in vastly different ways) and driven by the desire to help people. They both seek privacy; crave agency & space. Tasha was only around for one season, so I appreciate that they gave her relationship with Deanna importance- they stand up for each other, they admire each other's (very different) qualities and strengths- they even share a few giggles! Which is so wholesome when you think about how Deanna spent most of her youth feeling odd and out of place (being a mixed kid) in Betazoid high society, and Tasha had a violent childhood on a failed colony. I think the space they can give each other as two adults who never really got to be themselves as kids, to like- figure themselves out, and experiment with what all they can and want to do, is really lovely
Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?
... Is it unpopular to ship Troi/Riker/Tasha? I don't actually know enough about troisha fandom to answer this, sorry😂
Jadzia Dax/Kira Nerys- ship it
Yayyy one of my favourite DS9 ships! I got kiradax twice, so I'm going to do Kira/Jadzia here, and Kira/Ezri for the other ask.
What made you ship it?
Once again, the fascinating dynamic re the way they get along despite very apparent contrasts and differences (some of which may even seem irreconcilable- but they aren't, not to them!) Boosted of course by the insane chemistry. I mean, who was normal about that one drink scene from 'Dramatis Personae'? Not me🕺🏾
What are your favorite things about the ship?
*car dealer slaps hood meme* This bad boy can fit so many identity crises in it
Seriously, this pairing is so rich for explorations of both their inner worlds, and their fascinating relationships to their outer worlds! Kira, so fiercely protective of and devoted to Bajor- Jadzia, a joined Trill who never wants to go back home. Kira, aged beyond her years through a harrowing life as a child soldier- Jadzia, aged beyond her years via a 300 year old slug. Kira, the devoutly religious- Jadzia, the Starfleet science officer. Kira, the secret romantic who plays it safe- Jadzia, the unhinged xenophile who leads with her heart. Kira, the "traditionalist" who actually has a history of breaking the law- Jadzia, the "rebel" who actually constructs her sense of self so much around social structures and popular opinion. Kira, who deflects with anger- Jadzia, who deflects with humour. Gosh I could keep listing more and more and more but I don't want this to get too long so I'll just say their fire/water aesthetic thooo and move on hehe
Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?
I understand (and appreciate) the desire to de-centre male characters in fic; especially given that canon was, on the whole, inarguably more invested in male characters & relationships- and it's also very true that once Jadzia/Worf and Kira/Odo got together, both women's screentime started to revolve around Worf and Odo more and more. I also firmly believe Kira & Dax deserved more screentime together in general, so I totally get the restorative value in doing this! That being said, some (not all- but still an appreciable amount of) kiradax content just doesn't feel quite them to me- and what I've realised is, this happens when fic just de-centers the men in their lives so much that now, they seem downright unimportant to Kira and Dax? At which point they start to feel ooc (to me). Like I understand not liking Kira/Odo- but a Kira Nerys that doesn't even think about Odo, like at all, not even in a platonic way, just doesn't read like Kira Nerys to me, you know? She cares about him so much! He's one of the most important and influential people in her life- and he was long before they got together. Same with Bareil, and Shakaar- I get that a lot of people find these characters and/or relationships boring, but they are hugely significant to Kira's arc- & those episodes reveal so much about her beliefs, her faith, her politics, the way she engages with the world, what makes her tick as a person. I feel the same way about Dax- the Klingon stuff is an important part of who she is. Idk, this isn't even something that really bothers me- I still happily read all the kiradax fic I'm vibing with even if it does this! But I have noticed kiradax fandom is not very fond of (or at the very least, indifferent to) Worf and Odo, and I just don't personally relate
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spaceorphan18 · 2 years
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What do your thoughts on this post? themostrandomfandom*tumblr*com/post/164528431495/hey-jj-i-was-wondering-what-is-your-opinion-on what is your opinion on the relationship between Klaine and Brittana? Interesting subject, but I don't agree with this post.
Klaine and Brittana 
The OP’s Nonny asked - what are the dynamics between Klaine and Brittana? 
This is a really interesting question! And something fun to dig into.  
This is going to be somewhat of a response to the post in question, but I’ll preface with a couple of items: 
I respect anyone who works hard at coming up with meta.  It’s not an easy thing to do - and it’s clear that the OP had a deep love for her subject.  I am going to disagree with this post - but I hope that this is taken as a discussion on varying points of opinion, and not as an attack on the OP. 
I do not hate Brittana - I don’t even think I’ll be critical of them in my response, though, across the board, I am critical of Glee’s writing, and in particular, how they handled Brittana’s relationship. 
After reading some of the OP’s other analysis, I found that there are some fundamental ideals that they carry that I just cannot get on board with.  For one, they seem to use Brittany as a vessel to reflect their own distaste for Blaine.  Two - I just can’t get on board with Brittany as some secret genius.  Three - it feels as though the notion of friendship is somewhat literal and reflected upon in a more black and white nature -- which I feel misses some of the deeper nuances you can dig out of the text.  
This post is a reflection of my own opinions, which as always, are subjective. 
Okay guys - get ready for 6500 words about Klaine and Brittana friendship!!!
Klaine, Brittana, and Glee’s Writing
It’s interesting that OP’s reply starts out with a conversation about media representation. I don’t know if it’s necessarily relevant to the posed question or the analysis of the dynamics between the two couples, but I’m bringing it up - because I feel like I remember things differently.  
Yes, Klaine and Brittana were written differently (which I’ll speak more of in a moment).  But they were also marketed differently, too?  Klaine (and really Kurt) was a national conversation in the way that Brittana wasn’t.  Klaine/Kurt was getting national magazine conversations and pieces written about them in Time and EW.  There were (mostly religious/right wing) groups dedicated to hating Kurt/Klaine.  Brittana had a dedicated and passionate fanbase from the beginning - sure, but it was much smaller -- especially when, if memory serves right, Faberry was a much bigger f/f ship -- and one that was teased and somewhat developed more than Brittana in the beginning.  (Upon subsequent rewatches - there is some interesting subtext between Rachel and Quinn in those early seasons.) 
That is not to say that Brittana was lesser in any way.  Brittana was definitely an inspiration to a lot of people.  And since it was written in a much different style that Klaine, it’s another way to represent a queer relationship.  (As an aside - I’m about over this whole Klaine vs Brittana thing.  People can relate to what they relate to - it does not diminish the importance or representation of the other couple.  I may not be invested in Brittana as a couple, but I respect those who are.) 
Back to the writing - yes, the two couples were written differently.  There’s an interesting conversation about how traditional gender roles are reversed when it comes to the couples -- Klaine being the more emotional/feminine based couple while Brittana is a more physical/masculine based couple.  Klaine has a more fairy tale-esque relationship, whereas Brittana starts with the physical and has a rockier time sorting out their emotions.  Brittana is sexy.  Klaine is sensual.  And I could dig into that deeper - but that could be a whole different post.  The point is, the two relationships function as two different narratives, telling two different kinds of stories.  
The other big difference is that I don’t think Brittana was fully developed in the same way that Klaine was.  Kurt, from the beginning was a fully fleshed out character -- and had a world built around him.  Part of that world was Blaine.  But Blaine was lucky enough to become fleshed out himself during the middle seasons, and by the end of the series, their romantic story was composed of two fully developed characters. 
The problem (I personally have had) with Brittana is that it doesn’t feel complete.  The beginning of the relationship felt like Santana’s coming out story (the same way the beginning of Klaine’s story was about Kurt).  But while Santana became a developed character - Brittany remained somewhat of a prop in her story.  And then Brittana stopped being a thing.  Until Season Six.  Their arc was nice in Season Six, even if it was limited.  And the only time during the show that I bought them as a real couple.  
(As an aside - Season Six Brittana, while definitely a way to give fans what they want, does not exist in a vacuum.  It’s used to further along the Klaine plot.  Glee has a tendency to do this -- it started with Wemma and Finchel, and then Finchel and Klaine, and then Klaine with Brittana.)  
Anyway - the biggest issue is the problem of Brittany.  She never really functions as a real character -- in the same way that Sue Sylvester doesn’t either.   She’s used for comedic purposes, meta commentary or as a prop in someone else’s story.  The writers never really let her develop as a fleshed out, functioning person and her actions within the narrative are there to serve the story instead of the narrative being used to fit her character.  Which can make analysis difficult. 
Back to the writing - I do agree with OP that Glee often used the tell instead of show method of writing too often, especially in cases such as how good a teacher Will was (because he was not).  But I’m not sure if I agree with the notion that the show tried to pass off Klaine and Brittana as bffs.  It’s funny, though, I do think that Klaine, at best, were extended friends, but not particularly close.  However, for different reasons than the OP presents.  I think the fundamental differences in personality and interest in their own narrative are really what set them apart.  I don’t particularly see Klaine as distrustful of Brittana nor do I see Brittana caring all that much about wanting friendship or attention from Klaine.  
But overall, beyond having LGBT representation, I don’t think Glee was all that interested in developing a story where Klaine and Brittana formed a close bond. 
So… let’s break down some of these dynamics, shall we? 
Kurt and Santana
I’m starting with Kurt and Santana because they are similarly drawn - they are the more focused on in their relationships, and they have some similar personality traits.  Santana is a mean girl, especially in the beginning, and especially when she’s angry or hurting, but on a deeper level, she keeps all of her real emotions and real vulnerability buried within her.  Kurt is much more outwardly compassionate, but he does have a manipulative and sometimes nasty streak.  I’d say that due to their environments - Kurt having a much more accepting and nurturing home life than Santana - is part of the reason Kurt’s able to curtail some of his more mean spirited tendencies.  
Kurt starts his relationship with Santana on a rocky level - she’s been a bully, and he’s less than intolerable about that -- especially when it’s directed at him -- especially when it has to do with his sexuality.  But even by season 2, when he sees that she may be going through something similar that he’s gone through, he recognizes that he can be the better person.  Meanwhile, Santana is predisposed to dislike anything that she doesn’t find cool -- and Kurt (along with everyone else in the non-popular group) is not cool.  Unlike Kurt, status is important to her, but also unlike Kurt - who can be very self involved, but has a capacity for compassion that most of the other characters lack - she places her own interests before anyone else’s.  
They don’t get a whole lot to do in the first few seasons together, but there are some notable moments -- particularly the end of Season 2.  Yes, Santana does try to manipulate Kurt in her scheme to win Brittany back.  But Kurt uses her using him to get back into the school safely.  While I’ll get into it more later - I do think the two of them understand how the other thinks, and there becomes a tentative respect that grows out of it.  
I don’t believe (starting in Season 2 and growing more in Season 3) that the writers were trying to make Klaine and Brittana as BFFs.  The two couples have just too many differences in personality, interests, and goals to form any kind of stronger bond.  They also don’t really have many crossing story lines.  However - I do think the narrative does try to push gay solidarity between Kurt and Santana.  
Santana steps in to help Kurt against Karofsky (in 2x17) - not really out of the kindness of her heart, but because Karofsky is a jerk… and gay solidarity.  Then getting into Season 3 - Yes, Kurt (and Blaine) tried to help Santana in her coming out in the name of gay solidarity.  Santana does lash out at them - but she’s having a pretty shitty time of it, and I think that Santana’s irritation with Kurt (and Blaine) here is more about that then it is about them personally.  Later on - also in the name of gay solidarity - Santana helps Kurt take down Sebastian.  
I don’t believe that Kurt or Santana are becoming BFFs here - but there’s a mutual respect between a gay man and a lesbian, but more so - between a couple of glee club members who recognize similarities within each other.  
The last thing in Season 3 I’d like to mention is the prom episode -- and Santana’s lashing out at Kurt (and Blaine) about not going to the real prom.  This has waaay more to do with Rachel’s pity party, and Santana calling her out on it than it has anything to do with what Kurt and Blaine are up to.  
When we get to Seasons 4 and 5 - the dynamic changes! A lot!  Honestly, once Santana moves in, they become almost siblings like.  (And honestly, I love the dynamic.)  Kurt starts to enjoy having Santana around - watches marathon TV with her, buys her a body pillow, gets her to join a band, and while yes - the whole feuding thing with Rachel becomes difficult - Kurt truly doesn’t want to be in the middle of it.  While Kurt may not always disagree with Santana’s life choices, he finds her dynamic person to be around, that often spices up his somewhat boring life.  Meanwhile, Santana begins to grow fond of two people she wouldn’t have normally liked in high school.  Sure Kurt and Santana might bicker a bit (re: the band or Isabelle’s ballet night) but, again, it’s like siblings, and they do tend to enjoy each other’s company more often than not.  
One key thing I want to mention is The Quarterback - because I think it holds a very important element of Kurt and Santana’s relationship.  They both deal with their emotions inwardly, and Kurt recognizes in Santana - through all the lashing out and the unkindness, that she is deeply hurting.  Because he has a tendency to lash out and be unkind when he is hurting, too.  That auditorium scene, where Kurt gives up Finn’s jacket, is key.  They bond in that moment in a way that they don’t with any other character.  There’s an understanding between them that they can both be allowed to hurt and be vulnerable with each other, because they understand what it’s like to put a shield up against the world.  No, I don’t think this makes Kurt and Santana BFFs or anything - but I do think it layers on a sense of respect that they’ll continue to have for each other -- even if later on fighting dissolves into sibling territory.  Santana mentions that Kurt (and the other glee clubbers) are family - and at the end of the day, even if they aren’t sharing every aspect or moment of their lives together, that sense of family never goes away. 
So - rewinding to Season 4, and Santana’s comments about Kurt hooking up with Blaine.  Does this make her a Klainer? Well… not really.  I think she considers herself Kurt’s friend, she knows bullshit when she sees it, and will call him out.  (Plus, she was a bit bored, and loves to stir up trouble.)  There’s a cut moment from the Season 4 Finale where Kurt exclaims he doesn’t know why he’s crying at Blaine’s song - and Santana straight up tells him it’s because he’s still in love with Blaine.  
So… does Santana care about Klaine? I don’t think she has any emotional investment (I’d like to argue - do you have emotional investment in your friend’s relationships more than wanting your friends to be happy?) - but I think she won’t allow Kurt to lie to himself about his feelings, and will call him out when necessary.  She’s supportive of him when Blaine proposes, and likes to tease him about having a fiance when he’s talking to Elliott.  She likes that Kurt is attempting to lead his best life, and she’s supportive of that.  (As an aside - during the episode that does not exist - Previously Unaired Christmas - she does try to help him move past Blaine, by getting him a creepy doll head…but the intention there is that she wants him, ultimately, to be happy.)  
Likewise - I think Kurt is decently respectful of Santana’s choices as well.  (I’ll discuss the Brittana angle a little more in a moment with Brittany) but during Seasons 4 and 5 - he’s happy for her dating Dani, and really has zero comment about Brittany, but we don’t know what he feels because the narrative never seems to want to explore that.  
So… let’s talk about Season 6.  Because there’s something that I think the OP from the ask is missing the point on -- hard.  Kurt interrupting the proposal.  Kurt is, genuinely, supportive of Santana and Brittany as two of his long time friends.  He doesn’t disrupt the proposal because he dislikes them - or their love.  He disrupts it because he sees them going down the same path as he and Blaine, and his own issues, and his own failure of a relationship is staring him in the face.  It has zero to do with how he feels about Santana, Brittany, or how he sees their relationship, and everything to do with -- if he supports them, then he has to recognize just how truly he fucked up when it came to he and Blaine.  It was deeply inappropriate, and he does later recognize that.  
And then Santana says a lot of shit back.  Now, I don’t personally agree with all of it, nor do I think the writers regressing Santana to mean girl status was the best of choices, but it is in her character.  And -- it’s less about not liking Kurt then it is wanting to punish him for ruining her romantic moment.  Santana doesn’t really do romantic moments very often, and she really doesn’t appreciate Kurt dragging in his baggage and stomping on her moment.  So, she calls him out on it.  
And like siblings, they get over it.  By the end of the episode, they’re laughing with each other again.  Because like a sibling relationship - you fight, it can get nasty, but at the end of the day, you still do care for the person.  Kurt’s going to go on to help by being supportive of the Brittana relationship (as seen in What The World Needs Now) and help plan and prepare for the wedding (as seen in A Wedding).  
As for the wedding itself - do we really believe that Santana is okay with Klaine crashing her wedding?  Well… kind of? No, I don’t think the writing of this episode is all that great, and I don’t fully buy Brittana, in general, having a traditional type of wedding.  But I’d like to give Santana the benefit of the doubt of growing up, and understanding that not everything has to be about her.  She loves Brittany (and clearly Brittany has been planning this coup for a while) and ultimately wants Brittany to be happy.  And if her younger brother wants his happy ending, too, sure why not.  It’s all a love fest? 
No, I don’t think Santana wants to spend every anniversary tied to them but this ridiculous bond.  But I do think she’s now old enough and wise enough to understand she does want other people in her life to be happy, too.  And really, Kurt feels the same way.  I don’t think he has any lingering need to become attached at the hip with them, but is happy for them, in the way that he’s happy for himself in finding his happy ending. 
Kurt and Brittany
Kurt and Brittany have, perhaps, one of the more unique relationships on the show.  And this is, perhaps, where I differ the most from the OP of that original meta.  I just don’t see Brittany in the same light as they do, so my take is just fundamentally different.  
The thing about Brittany is that she seems to seek out and want to make a connection with every person she comes across.  Why? I honestly don’t know (beyond the originally dumb, sluttiness joke that they writers were trying to write her as).  But something interesting happened when Kurt went through his ‘trying to be straight’ phase.  Brittany became his first sexual experience.  And unlike all of the rhetoric that surrounds your first time/love/etc when it comes to this show (eyeroll), I think Kurt and Brittany bonded in a different way.  Brittany sees something in Kurt that she sees in herself -- the fact that they are way very different from what society deems as ‘normal’ -- that they are, in fact, both (as she puts it) unicorns.  
Kurt is pretty dismissive of Brittany in the early seasons.  She isn’t mean to him in the way that Santana is - but Kurt does have a judgy side, and has a tendency to look down on anyone who isn’t at his level.  Brittany is really on a level by herself, (and is okay with that) but it’s not something Kurt’s at all interested in.  Like most people, when it comes to Brittany, he nods his head and goes along with it, and moves on to whatever he’s dealing with.  I think the fascinating thing, though is that Brittany wants to collect him, too - hence the dynamic we get in Laryngitis - where she reaches her goal of wanting to be sexually intimate with him.   No - they don’t have sex, but Brittany is satisfied, and Kurt gets his experimentation that he wants to try out, and that’s that.  
Kurt and Brittany don’t really interact during season two -- though Brittany is sympathetic towards Kurt during his various plights.  She makes him a homemade card when Burt is in the hospital.  And recognizes that Kurt’s had something traumatic happen to him during the prom episode. 
And then there’s all the unicorn stuff in Season 3.  Brittany understands, emotionally, that Kurt had a rough year prior - and notes that he held his head high through it.  Much later, Brittany is going to admit that she saw Kurt during this time period as someone to look up to.  The thing that Brittany does for him is gets him to recognize that being a unicorn (and being different) really isn’t all that bad if you’re accepting of yourself.  And not only does he start to do that -- he sees her in a less dismissive light.  He doesn’t understand her still (I don’t think anyone really ever understands Brittany) but he has a layer of respect for her.  And I think that’s where their bond comes in.  
And a few episodes later, even in defeat of the election - Brittany congratulates him on remaining his unicorn self.  That strange bond that they formed back in season 1 is there, and now that Kurt has respect for Brittany, there’s a general sense of understanding between the two of them.  
And then… we don’t get much else for a long, long time.  Brittany gets sidelined as a character, and there’s barely any interaction between them for the rest of the season.  And then nearly zero interaction until Season 6.  It’s hard to make a commentary on characters who don’t really get to interact.  
I was going to mention Kurt’s feelings about early Brittana here - but it’s hard to come up with anything distinct.  I don’t think that he has feelings about them as a couple -- outside what I said above with Santana, and his initial intrigued thoughts in early Season 1.  He is so caught up in his own world, in his own demons, in his own love interest, and in his own story, that what’s going on with Brittany and Santana doesn’t really register any more than pretty much every other couple and pairing in Glee club.  
And likewise, Brittany (or Santana for that matter) are really interested or even aware of Kurt and his own romantic relationships.  And that neutrality is… fine?  I mean, Brittany barely gets screen time to even acknowledge her own relationship with Santana, let alone comment on anyone else’s.   And then Kurt and Brittany virtually do not interact throughout Seasons 4 and 5 - so it’s hard to draw any kind of conclusions from any of that.  (I will say - there’s the finale of Season 5, but mostly Kurt’s annoyed with the writer being around, and his own issues with Blaine - Brittany’s weirdness is just another /thing/ he has to deal with, and it’s not, more or less, personal.) 
So… let’s talk about Season 6.  
First - there’s the proposal, and Brittany’s talk with Kurt afterward is much different.  Like Santana, Brittany won’t mince words, but she is much more compassionate towards him.  Her advice is essentially not to move on from Blaine, but to not stop living his life even if he still has feelings -- which is something she had to learn to do after she and Santana broke up.  She’s using her own personal experience as a way to help Kurt with his issues.  
She’s not for or against Klaine -- because that’s not really how friendships work in this care -- she’s for her friend finding happiness even when the outlook seems bleak.  And she wants him to live his life, like she did, because wallowing in self pity and regret isn’t a way to live.  And Kurt respects her enough to take that advice.  
This is also the scene where we get Kurt apologizing.  Because he does recognize that he interrupted their proposal for his own personal drama - and that ultimately, if two people are finding happiness with each other, he’s not one to stand in the way of that.  He’s happy for his friend(s) and ultimately, does want them to achieve something he couldn’t with his own relationship. 
So, let’s talk about the Wedding episode where things get… a little weird.  When do Brittany and Sue start conspiring to get Klaine back together? Was it Brittany’s idea or was it Sue’s? And does Brittany really mean the things that she says in her speech?  It’s hard to answer any of these questions because we just aren’t given enough to go on in the episode.  
I will say this -- I don’t think, like the OP of the original meta thinks - that Brittany is doing all of this to appease Sue so that Sue will get Santana’s grandmother to show up and… idk, the meta is really convoluted and I found it hard to track.  I do think Brittany’s intentions are sincere - that she does genuinely care for Kurt (and Blaine) and wants them to be happy in the way that she and Santana are happy.  Do I really buy any of this crazy double wedding stuff? Not really.  But I do think that it’s not out of character for the two most meta, non-characters on the show to pull something out of left field.  
At the beginning of the episode - Brittany is ribbing Kurt about his new bf (Walter) being old, and in the script, comments that he’s probably jealous that she and Santana are getting the happily ever after than he and Blaine didn’t get.  I don’t think she’s being obtuse, and I don’t, as she says, believe that she finds it hard to track the relationship.  I think she’s being intentionally manipulative.  It’s hard, though, to say what the writers were really going for - since we don’t have an ultimate catalyst scene for Kurt to go running back to Blaine.  Was it Brittany? Was it something else? Oh man, this episode is a mess.  
There had to be some premedatativeness to all of this -- there are cutouts and tuxes and rings and I suspect a forged marriage license - so whether it was that day that Sue decided this was going to happen, or way out when Brittany was setting up Blaine and Dave’s ridiculous rainbow apartment, they both knew going into the wedding that they were going to have Klaine go down the aisle, too.  And I just don’t believe Brittany (or Santana) would do that if they didn’t truly have positive feelings towards Kurt and blaine.  
But I do believe Brittany’s sincere when she gives her speech in the barn.  I do believe that she looked up to them as something possible back in high school.  And I do believe, in her own, odd, Brittany way -- she feels a connection to them, and wants them to be happy.  They are all unicorns, in a way, and not only does she like to collect people, she likes to imprint on them, and share something sacred and special in her own unicorn Brittany way.  And this whole convoluted double wedding thing is just that.  
I think also - this is reflected in Brittany’s comments at the end of the episode when she reminds them they all have the same anniversary.  No, I don’t think they necessarily all want to hang out with each other all the time or anything, but I do think Brittany believes in that special, unicorn connection that she forged with Kurt way back in Season 1.  And now they have a connection for the rest of their lives.  It’s kind of sweet, in a strange way.  
I will say - one thing I really liked is Kurt and Brittany walking down the aisle together.  It’s weirdly a full circle moment.  I think there’s a lot of love and respect between the two of them - and while I don’t think Kurt still really understands Brittany, he appreciates her uniqueness.  And Brittany, in turn, is grateful to have that long lasting connection.  I really doubt that they’ll spend a whole lot of time together in life, but they’ll always have this moment.  
Blaine and Santana
The thing that is hard about doing any kind of Klaine/Brittana analysis is that the characters just don’t share the screen time for long enough to have a lot of fleshed out opinions.  One has to make a lot of assumptions based on personality traits, and the little scraps we get here and there.  
Possibly, the weakest corner of this square is Blaine and Santana, who get barely any kind of screen time.  Blaine started out very much a product of Kurt’s story - and barely had interaction with the New Directions during Season 2.  At the very end of the season, Santana comes in with her moment against Karofsky (as I said earlier - gay solidarity), but that’s about it.  Everything Blaine probably thinks and feels about Santana at this point stems from what Kurt has told him, so if anything, he’s probably neutrally reserved around her.  
At the beginning of Season 3, Santana seems to be a bit antagonistic towards him.  But that seems less about her personal distaste of him, and more about her being in a bad place in life -- dealing with coming out as well as feeling like she always has to take a back seat to Rachel Berry.  No, she isn’t very nice - but he takes it in stride, and seems to recognize that this is just how Santana lashes out.  He probably did learn from Kurt not to take it very seriously.  
Then there’s the Michael episode (and to a lesser extent On My Way) - where, in the name of gay solidarity, take on Sebastian together.  It’s kind of a missed opportunity not to throw Blaine and Santana together more -- there’s a fascinating dynamic here! Santana dislikes Blaine’s constant optimism and dogoodedness.  And Blaine isn’t fond of Santana’s cageyness, particularly in his direction.  But I think when you place them with a common goal they’ll use their differences as strengths to get things done.  There’s a possibility there that the writers really never tried to explore.  
And then we move into seasons 4 and 5 where they cross paths a few times, but have very little meaningful interaction.  I think, though, at this point - they’re used to each other via their friends circle.  I think Santana’s accepted Blaine as an annoying little brother - somewhat the same way she feels about Kurt.  And I think Blaine is smart enough to see past her antagonistic veneer, and can see there’s sincere warmth inside her.  
Blaine’s role in Season 6 is much more limited - and we don’t see his interaction with Santana (or Brittany) to the same extent as we do Kurt.  Still - he seems supportive of the relationship.  He does what he can to help in What the World Needs Now.  And seems to enjoy and accept the romance that comes along with A Wedding.  The unfortunate thing is that Blaine isn’t given a whole lot of room to reflect on everything that is happening in his own relationship, let alone what is going on with everyone else.  
(As an aside - I also like Blaine and Santana walking down the aisle.  It does make me think of those missed opportunities to flesh out this relationship - they look great together, and it’s a spicy possibility when you think about it.) 
Anyway at his core, Blaine is a people pleaser and a romantic, and ultimately, thinks of them decently enough to want them to be happy.  
Blaine and Brittany
Look, here’s my thing.  This is where I’m just going to completely disagree with that original post.  Brittany may tell it like it is, and be rather blunt with people.  But I believe at the end of the day, truly, she loves everyone in the glee club like family -- she’s even the first to say so back in season 2.  So, I don’t buy that Brittany disliked Blaine in any capacity.  And, while I shouldn’t assume anything, it feels more like the author is trying to project their own feelings about Blaine onto Brittany.  
During seasons 2 and 3, Blaine and Brittany get, nearly, zero interaction -- with the exception of performances.  They do a lot of dancing together - can we really make anything out of that? Maybe? I suppose we can say they’re formidable enough as classmates to want to do performances together.  Then there’s the whole Prom/hair gel thing.  I just don’t see this as a personal indictment of Blaine and his choices -- I think this is one of those weird Brittany-isms.  
During Season 4, we get some interaction between the two of them.  And it’s really not hostile at all.  At the beginning of the season, the two of them are seen sitting together during and after school (The New Rachel, The Break Up) possibly commiserating that their partners are now far away.   Blaine can fall into neediness, and with Brittany feeling the same way, I can see the two of them forming (a somewhat sad) bond out of this.  And even while Brittany is his adversary in the elections, she still takes the time to push Sam towards Blaine - as she recognizes the value of friendship.  
Interestingly, there isn’t much commentary on either Klaine or Brittana at this point.  Blaine seems pretty supportive of Sam as Brittany’s partner (even if he does think they’re weird).  And Brittany is well aware that Kurt has begun dating Adam (as she tells Santana) and mentions that it’s a good thing to continue on with life after a break up.  I don’t think it’s that Blaine doesn’t care about Santana nor Brittany about Kurt, but again, there’s a mutual respect that your friends are going to date and break up and move on - and at the end of the day, you want what’s best for them.  
There are some smaller background moments between the two of them -- most notably, Brittany giving Blaine a kiss on the cheek at the end of Dynamic Duets.  Like she does, ultimately, with everyone, I think she wants what’s best for him - and is happy to see him come alive again.  And at the end of the season - she tearfully exclaims that he’s like a brother to her.  No, they probably aren’t close, but they respect each other through the shared friend group, and ultimately, they’re two people who like to see others happy.  
There’s not a whole lot going on in Season 5, mostly because Brittany is not around.  But I will say - I do find it hilarious that Brittany is more than fine when the writer for Rachel’s show implies that the fictional versions of them hook up.  Like I said with Kurt, Brittany likes to collect people - and she would be more than happy to collect Blaine.  
(As an aside - I do believe if there was one character who would truly embody the spirit of poly relationships it’s Brittany.  She’d date everyone at once and/or be fluid with who she’s sleeping with, and she’d be fine with that.) 
And we’re back to Season 6.  One could make the argument that Brittany decorating Blaine and Karofsky’s apartment is her screwing with them - and this is the time when she starts working with Sue on trying to get them back together.  Or you could argue that Brittany really would decorate everything in all rainbow colors.  I’d believe both versions.  I do think, though, that she sincerely wants to help Blaine as she wants to help Kurt with her honesty.  
Likewise, while we don’t see it much, we do see Blaine being supportive of both Brittany and Santana during their little arc.  And a lot of what I said earlier with Kurt can be copy and pasted here with Blaine.  I don’t think Blaine projects his baggage onto them, and finds the whole wedding romantic, and is very supportive of a queer couple getting married.  But unfortunately, we see so little of his point of view that we don’t get any concrete answers to a lot of these meta questions.  
I will say this - I think, how Kurt and Santana are similar, we have some similarities with Brittany and Blaine, too.  I think they’re both empathetic (in their own ways) and both want the best for other people.  Even though Brittany can be more confrontational and biting in her approach, they both are eager to help the people they care for.  And I think they do recognize that in each other.  I also think they both like to have fun, and for the most part (as seen in background scenes and such) are playful with each other.  I don’t think that Blaine finds Brittany as weird as everyone else does (though she does have her moments, he’s much more accepting of it) and I think Brittany is quick to accept Blaine, even if she sees that he has faults.  
Conclusions
So… are Klaine and Brittana friends? Well… yes and no.  I think both couples have a solid, familial respect for one another.  I don’t think they’re hanging out every night with each other, and I still think their personality differences and life trajectories send them in different directions.  
Blaine says at the end of the series (to Sam) that Brittany and Santana are people they see once he and Kurt are back in New York.  I think that after they’ve grown up, and gotten past a lot of their high school hang ups, both couples understand and respect each other on an individual level.  I think there’s a fondness among all of them, but I don’t think that any of them in pairs, or even as a foursome, seek each other out very often.  There’s a bond there that they can recognize - from growing up queer in a small town, from going out into the city at the same time, from getting married and sharing a wedding day that’s always going to be there.  But I think each pair is happy in their own worlds as well. 
I can see Klaine spending more time with Rachel and Jesse and Mercedes and Sam on a more frequent basis than with Santana and Brittany - because those bonds are already more built in and more secure on a friendship level. 
But at the end of the day, like a family, they all do love each other.  And once every five or six years, on their anniversary, they’ll have a private dinner together to celebrate those special bonds that only they have.  
Could it have all been written better? Sure.  As so many things in Glee should have been.  But I don’t think that the show was trying to force the two couples into some kind of strange - BFF roles with each other.  I think, with the wedding, they were ultimately trying to kill two birds with one stone.  
But character wise - I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility, or at all implausible, that through growing up, these four characters who are vastly different from each other, could become friends.  And ultimately - family. 
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rokasachiko · 1 year
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My Favorite Ship Dynamic | An Essay
Recently I've found that I'm very interested in a relationship, where two characters fall in love with each other but due to internal conflicts aren't able to get together without a lot of angst and growth.
My two favorite ships have these elements in them; The conflict is specifically caused by the (usually negative and/or one sided) ways they'd interacted in the past, and the ways they resolve the conflict through the realizations of their relationships, usually with a happy ending.
As in, "maybe everything isn't immediately perfect, but now they can pull through together" kind of happy!
It can be a real slowburn, (one ship is decades long and still not together) but it's worth it to see the ways they develop for and because of each other.
Props if it starts off a bit one sided at first, where it takes time for Person A to reciprocate Person B's feelings. That can also be incredibly interesting to watch!
I've probably rambled enough, but as this dynamic and the two ships I've seen it with are all topics I'm passionate about, (especially as 2x4 is a rarepair) I really wanted to go in depth about why I'm so interested in this dynamic and all it's potential, since I'm not always able to articulate my thoughts like this.
And that's why BkDk and 2x4 are my two favorite ships. No seriously.
As someone who values conflict in fiction, whether its platonic or otherwise (usually the latter for me,) I find watching dynamics involving it incredibly interesting, especially between people as fundamentally different as Gordon is to Edward, or Katsuki to Izuku, and the ways their views of each other change and pull them closer as a result as they undergo their own arcs.
I've had these thoughts ever since I finished Season 3 of MHA, and Katsuki's apology to Midoriya.
I think the culmination was slowly getting back into TTTE and stumbling upon 2x4, which slowly and then rapidly grew on me for the same reasons BkDk did. Up until recently I hadn't had the ability to word out exactly why I was so into these ships, but once I figured out what elements I liked so much about them, I decided to get this written down and share my thoughts. If anyone was willing to read this to the end, first off, THANK YOU!!
And second off, I hope my feelings came off clear as I intended. Have a good day!
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For the ask game....favorite ships? Fandom you constantly have in mind but don't have much to say about? Least favorite bsd character (if you're comfy with answering this)?
Hello!
Hmm… I’ll be honest, I’m pretty open to ships but I don’t actually actively ship an awful lot. Half the time I’m just “oh that’s kinda cute” or “oh I can see that”. I find most of the time I’m just really invested in the dynamic and whether they kiss or not is kind of irrelevant to me? I also love a good strong platonic bond too. But then every once in awhile I get so completely invested I actually surprise myself. Anyways, are you asking me about bsd specifically or any ships? I’m assuming bsd, so that’s mainly Dazai and Chuuya, Ranpo and Poe, and Higuchi and Gin. Soukoku has me in a chokehold which is so weird. I think the last time I shipped something this hard was middle school… it’s near canon in my brain that Dazai was crushing on Chuuya, which I find weirdly endearing because it’s such a stupid cliché teenager thing for a character who sees himself as fundamentally different from most human beings. Get rom-com troped idiot. However, I’m weirdly picky about the dynamics… I think I’ve just found more skk stuff I vibe with by virtue of it being more popular? I’m really picky about Higugin but I think that’s because I just have very specific headcanons for Gin… And I like Atsushi and Akutagawa, and Atsushi and Lucy too but I waver between platonic and romantic all the time on those… Oda and Dazai also exist in this weird grey zone where I do not want it to be romantic but I also strongly vibe with a crush on Dazai’s end to the point where it’s kind of semi-canon in my mind - no matter the form it takes, this is my favourite dynamic in the entire series and nothing makes my heart clench more than these two. They 100% love each other to bits but it’s not a romantic dynamic to me. Do you feel me? I also think Fukuzawa, Mori and Fukuchi are really funny in a messed up way in any combination, but I wouldn’t necessarily consider that actually shipping them? Tecchou and Jouno are also incredibly funny to me but in a vastly different way - but again, I’m fine with platonic or romantic. I like that there’s a consensus that Yosano and Kouyou would be fascinating… but honestly I prefer it platonic. Same with Kunikida and Dazai - I love them so much as a partnership and their bond is so important to me but I prefer it platonic. Oh! And of course I enjoy Rimbaud and Verlaine as doomed almost-lovers. See, this is tricky because this all sounds very basic but I actually enjoy a lot of different dynamics… I’m just really indifferent as to whether or not they are romantic.
You know, when answering about my favourite shows before, I realized I completely forgot to mention Lucifer and Good Omens… I love those shows a lot but I find I don’t have a lot to say about them I suppose? I also love Great Ace Attorney but I find it hard to write meta on it for some reason… even though I love it a lot. I adore Undertale and Deltarune but I have little desire to engage with the fandom. :/ Persona 2 and Hatoful Boyfriend I don’t talk about a lot because I feel those are very niche in a way? I don’t know if a lot of people know those games… but if someone enabled me… I could… I could talk about them… 👀
And I know this is a bit lame anon but I don’t know that I have a least favourite. I find them all really fascinating to explore and while it’s natural to hate Mori or Fukuchi for what they’ve done I’m actually pretty invested in them? The only character I can think of is maybe N. Dude sucks and I’d absolutely take a steel chair to his head on sight. But even then, that’s least favourite from a like/dislike perspective. He’s still interesting as a character. I will say that I think Louisa and Mark were a bit disappointing to me though, and I would’ve loved more to their characters, as right now I think they’re kind of bland for who their inspirations were? I guess they just don’t interest me as much, but that just makes me love them more because if the author won’t make them interesting then I sure as hell will in my brain.
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flowisk · 1 year
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Charasriel and Friskriel!
first: thank you :) Charasriel
What made you ship it?
oh man. so much! everything about it! not in a world without you speech gets me... the whole asriel not being ready to say goodbye speech...
ironically, no mercy route probably made me ship it extra hard because of how much dread is injected into the dynamic there - i felt extremely bad about that route, but fascinated.
after all these years it's you i promise i won't do anything to get in your way, i can help maybe it would be okay if we just lived on the surface the two of us...
asriel's obvious obsession, and the rockiness between the two despite how close they were... that's fascinating.
2. What are your favorite things about the ship?
oh man, so many things about it!
I think charasriel is very obviously my peak 'go to' ship - it is very obviously what I love condensed into this. thing. I love the mourning, I love the codependency, I love all the different interpretations of their dynamic and different ways you can read certain things - and how you can never know EXACTLY how it went down which allows you to keep tackling the same moments from different perspectives. kind of like turning a little piece of trauma in your hands over and over again, kind of like flowey/az does haha. I love how asriel and chara are Bad Kids and things go the worst way possible and how they're both entirely different fascinating characters who Have Similarities But Differences. i love how different routes of the game lead to entirely different information on the characters and their relationship. there's so many tiny little pieces of insight to collect about their relationship, but it's all fractured from where you're collecting it.
it is the most pure and distilled codependency ship. you can write about things going wrong in so many ways. i'm a sucker for codependent childhood friends, and here the codependent childhood friends are super plot relevant and serve as this... backbone to every event, even though no one is aware of it.
3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?
man i try not to complain but I actually AM a little picky about fanfic, so - genre of fic where Chara is Always Right. if you don't know the fic I mean, it goes like this... asriel has flaws (correct) but asriel is spoiled. chara is right because chara is a victim and has seen the abuses of the world. asriel is wrong because he is Spoiled and probably neurotypical and anyway none of what chara did was that bad anyway- - asriel is a simple sweet kid. always innocent. always morally right. always says chara that's wrong! - chara is a simple sweet kid. they just loved gardening. they are super sweet. they never wanted to hurt anybody!
basically i don't like when either side is painted as wholly innocent and flat because it's not how i read either character, but i also don't like when the story paints it as chara never doing anything wrong to asriel either. it's a complex dynamic that 'seems' simple
Friskriel
What made you ship it?
ironically, very similarly to chasriel, it's the not in a world without you speech. and then... the speech at the end too, where he acknowledges he's projecting and frisk's differences.
I mean... asriel is projecting obviously, and I think both that similarity and Recognizing the dissimilarities are both interesting things going on with that relationship.
i'm also... hm. I think a lot of people play very nice Frisks! but I always imagine Frisk did do things sometime to see just what happened. it's tempting right? so I always imagine a Frisk who could fundamentally understand Asriel, and an Asriel who can do similarly
2. What are your favorite things about the ship?
ahhh so one thing I really love is that... a lot of what's shared between Frisk and Asriel is stuff basically no one knows about. there's this bottle of secrets between them. Asriel is aware of what Frisk has done during time loops, and Frisk is aware of Asriel's true identity and what no one else knows about him as a character at the end of the game. there's also... so much potential for time travel shenanigans, and playing around with life and death. basically two kid characters rewinding time endlessly.
i love time loops. i love the idea of characters who wrong others and then get used to being able to just rewind to fix it. i love that flowey and frisk are the only two characters who can really bond over this together... this game both of them have played with each other, specifically
3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship? hmmm... definitely another case where frisk and asriel are often made too nice for me! i think a lot of separation of asriel from flowey as an identity happens as well, and so you end up with a lot of characterizations where it's like... the character frisk spent the majority of the game with isn't even really... IN the interpretation of the character fanficwise. I like some flowisk labelled fics, but tend to not get the bite I want out of friskriel labelled fics. asriel is... a brat! that's why I love him
basically, comes back to the fact that without injecting a bit of flowey in him, asriel is a character who doesn't have a lot of character meat to me
frisk is someone where i think every interp is valid, but interps of frisk where they don't do everything right first go are more interesting to me
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hi mitch <3 how are u doing :] what are ur fav merlin/stranger things ships ??
hi <3 I’m doing a bit better than I was last night
I’ll start with stranger things bc I really only have two: steddie and lumax. I like other ships but there are none that are my favorites.
(ronance is great but nancy needs a break in my personal opinion)
I’ve read a couple of great steddie fics that I liked. it’s just not a show that I watch for romance or ships.
minus lumax I love them they have my whole heart. if max isn’t okay I don’t know what I’ll do
NOW MERLIN
so obviously lancelot/gwen. love them <<33 I get emotional thinking about them
but a new ship that I discovered while researching a fic for an entirely different fandom: arthur/gwen/merlin
obviously I started out as a arthur/merlin shipper (who didn’t?) and arthur/gwen. I never really shipped merlin/gwen BUT I actually love the dynamic between the three of them. especially once arthur is king, gwen is queen, and magic is legalized (shut up a guy can dream) because merlin is definitely court sorcerer. POWER COUPLE.
specific dynamics:
merlin/gwen is soulmates. they understand other on a fundamental level but they also recognize that there are things they will never understand and they are there for each other nonetheless.
merlin/arthur is enemies to lovers. they both overcome their own prejudices. they love to the point of ruin. they would let the darkness consume them if it meant saving the other.
I’ve never found a trope that I think perfectly describes arthur/gwen. they are “we make each other better”. they see the person the other is when no one is around. there is no hiding things from the other. they see right through.
wow that was a lot longer than I thought it would be but there it is
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regenderate · 1 year
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Say more about Rose and Yaz, I think you're onto something
I'M RIGHT. THIS IS THE THING. I'M RIGHT. like i don't know i feel so deranged sometimes but i literally am right. (and also who cares if i'm deranged it's doctor who fanfiction and i'm having a good time)
i mean okay so like full disclosure i've written extensive fanfiction with a number of different rose&/yaz relationship dynamics. at some point last year i had a real unhinged spiral about parallels between the two (uhh i have a post about it here. i don't really think thirteen was written that way on purpose anymore though, i was a lot more optimistic about the specials when i wrote that).
but like... okay so of course i'm deeply attached to both of them as individual characters. but my interest in their dynamic i guess started as just... noticing that yaz fits the same archetype as rose (19-year-old woman, bored with her job, meets the doctor, falls in love) and wanting them to meet and talk about being with the doctor. and then my unhinged spiral last year ended with me being like "okay so they both spend their early 20's looking desperately for the doctor. what if they met during that time." and at that point i didn't really ship them romantically, but i thought that just by virtue of both being in love with the doctor, they would each understand something really fundamental about the other, and between that and just being really really lonely/touch starved they would find a connection.
but then it's like... okay so like. rose is really emotionally intelligent and open. i would consider that to be one of her main character traits. and she expresses her attraction openly too, for the most part. like it takes her a long time to verbalize her love for the doctor, but you can see it in everything she does. and yaz is a lot more reserved/repressed in that area. so putting rose into the equation helps her open up, helps her relax a little bit, and also forces her to express herself, because rose will straight-up be like "so you're in love with the doctor" and then yaz has to deal with the fact that yes she is very in love with the doctor.
and then i think in a lot of ways i see yaz as very steady. like of course she and rose will both run into danger at a moment's notice, they are doctor enjoyers, but i think yaz has sort of a logic to her that i think makes her very stable specifically for rose, if that makes sense. and like i think she's also very emotionally intelligent but in a very different way. so like she's someone rose can rely on for support, she's good in a crisis, etc.
and they give each other a level of understanding that she really needs from someone-- yaz sort of gets that from dan, but like… like do you ever think about how rose and yaz both canonically ran away from home as teenagers? i think about it. i think they have a lot in common that they don't necessarily get from anywhere else. like i just feel like they see each other in a way neither of them is necessarily used to. and they can be open with each other in a way they kind of can't be with anyone else, up to and including the doctor, because with the doctor (and to be clear i do hardcore ship both of them with the doctor) there's still this sense of uncertainty, like they don't know where they stand, they don't know whether or not the doctor even does romance like a human, etc, and there's this sort of barrier (i mean also like. the doctorrose is gay meta is relevant here too, because part of why that barrier exists is that the doctor does soooo much repression). but with each other they can express themselves, and there's a lot they just understand without expressing it.
and then also i think it does give them both space to exist without the doctor/outside of the doctor. which of course they can do without being shipped with anyone (one reason i love the rose tyler dimension cannon audios is they showcase rose's character and growth without the doctor), but like both rose and yaz are so strongly associated with the doctor that i think it's fun too to step back and say "yeah that's cool but what about this other dynamic?"
of course with doctor who there are so many different dynamics to explore, and honestly i find most of them to be really fascinating. like you can put any two characters in a room and i will find something to go full unhinged blorbo brain about. but of course rose and yaz are both really dear to me as characters and i think about them often. separately and together. and i do maintain that they stabilize each other in a really interesting (and arguably healthy) way.
if you are. interested. i am going to link a few of my fics too that explore their dynamic/illustrate my personal thought progression. i feel like linking my own fic here comes off as insufferably self-centered but like the fact is if you want me to say more you might be thrilled to hear i have already said like tens of thousands of words in fic form. and i think too it's something that like... it's easiest to explain by just. showing examples of how i think their dynamic could play out naturally. i guess because when i first say "yaz/rose" i feel like it sounds like it comes out of nowhere but if you put them both in a story and give it enough buildup i think it's easier to understand? but of course then i have to convince people to read tens of thousands of words of fanfiction about it. anyway:
this is the first one where i was like. yeah yaz and rose should meet and possibly be friends
this is the one where i was like... okay yeah they'd be friends but let's see if thasmin and thirteenrose can exist in the same space (spoiler alert They Can)
this is the one i wrote after my super unhinged brainrot where they meet while yaz is stranded in edwardian era and rose is dimension hopping
this is not the first thirteenyazrose i published but it is the first thirteenyazrose i wrote. it's also part of the series in which i established disabled rose but that's... a different post.
this is the human au i'm currently posting weekly in which i have yaz and rose already knowing each other long before they meet the doctor. i have another au with similar dynamics but it's nowhere near being ready to post, i just rotate it in my mind every so often.
so yeah that's all. thank you so much for sending me this ask i literally could rotate them in my mind forever. like. i really really could. blorbos
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thegirlwhowrites642 · 2 years
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Can you please tell the moment when you realized that hinny is endgame? AND when did you fall in love with them individually and as couple?
I wish so much I could tell you! Unfortunately, I saw the movies before reading the books but I'll tell you my history with these two characters and this ship.
I'm part of the old side of GenZ so during my years of elementary school the movies were still coming out, a lot of my friends watched them but for various reasons I never did. When I was fourteen I decided to remedy to that, mainly because it felt like I was missing out on a too fundamental piece of pop culture. I think this is relevant because I was older than a lot of people were when first introduced to HP so I had a better understanding of story structures and characters. Also by that age, I had already published a couple of short stories and I was writing a book, so you know, I knew my way around creative writing (I'd like to specify that English is not my first language so do not judge my writing on what I post here XD).
When I first saw the movies, the couple I got into was Ron and Hermione, they were pretty obvious from the very first movie, and their dynamic was fun.
For Harry and Ginny, I had an inkling with CoS because otherwise there wouldn't have been any reason structurally-wise for Ginny to have a crush on Harry, though the movie is way less obvious about it. In the books, only an idiot after reading CoS wouldn't have at least a strong suspicion that they eventually get together.
But then Ginny kind of disappeared and I confess I forgot about her. By the time I watched HBP (I watched all the movies in like two weeks), I just assumed Harry wouldn't get with anyone which honestly was fine. That Cho wasn't going to be an endgame love interest was quite obvious. Imagine my surprise when hinny came out. I think I said something along the lines of "why is this happening?". In the movies, it really came out of nowhere. It's not like I hated it, or I wanted to create a hate blog for the ship, it just didn't make sense. I would have been perfectly fine with Harry being alone. Obviously, Harry not ending the story by finding the love of his life, married with children, in the books would make no sense and completely go against both the structure and the themes of the story, but movie!Harry is a different character. Also, I didn't like Ginny at all, which is quite ironic now obviously.
So, I had watched the movies. I liked the story and it was an interesting world, but there were a lot of things that didn't make sense even plot-wise. This brought me to start watching a series of videos by an Italian YouTuber who explained pretty well the differences between the movies and the books. The funny part is that I considered him like an HP genius for a couple of years but now I know a lot more than him, anyway... That was when I discovered how much cooler the books were and especially the HarryxGinny pairing, I was completely fascinated, they were one of the main reasons why I dived into the books.
Reading the books was not only what sealed for me the ship HarryxGinny but also their individual characters. A lot of people who have only watched the movies love Harry but I don't understand why. He was reduced to an average main character without an actual personality, basically a shell for self-inserts. If he were a girl I can assure you he would be a lot less popular.
Maybe because I'm a writer myself, but one of the reasons why I always loved this pairing, besides the fact that they are perfect for each other and I love their individual personalities, is the writing technique used to write them into the story. JKR true passion is not fantasy literature, it's crime literature. And she wrote Harry and Ginny like a crime story. The clues are everywhere in the books and yet so easy to overlook for the average reader, you think you got it but then there's the whole Cho thing that diverts your attention, and then boom! The masterpiece, the criminal is captured, Harry realises, it was Ginny all along.
Again, if you are someone familiar with story structures or simply an attentive reader it was obvious from the start, the simple fact that the main family of the story has seven children, and only one is a girl and she's just a year younger than Harry should tip you off. But still, a very interesting technique for a love story.
In terms of fanfictions, I always loved the Potters. Let them be Harry and Ginny or James and Lily. The AUs where there are all four of them are my happy place on earth. For a lot of years, I read more jily simply because it was an interesting intellectual exercise trying to imagine their story from the details left in the books, I already knew Harry and Ginny's one. But the marauders' fandom really disappointed me in the last few years so I shifted full hinny which has the very relevant advantage of making me analyze the actual books and not work on mainly just speculation.
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grissomesque · 9 months
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Your response to that post about the Tom and B’Elanna scene in Memorial was interesting to me because I always thought it was very in-character for their dynamic, if maybe a little exaggerated. Tom is always brushing B’Elanna off for his interests and B’Elanna is always letting herself be worn down by him. But you’re right that they wouldn’t treat other people that way. I can’t see Tom treating Harry or Janeway that poorly and I can’t see B’Elanna putting up with that behaviour from anyone else. It’s a big part of why their relationship reads so much as two people who aren’t very compatible putting up with each other because they don’t think they’ll ever do any better to me, they act different with each other than they do around other people in a way that makes them both actively worse. Anyways, I totally respect your opinion on ignoring that bit of canon I just wanted to share my two cents :P
Yeah and that's not untrue, it is typical of their relationship, but is it typical for Tom? Like I said, I ping-pong back and forth between 'these two people make each other the worst versions of themselves' and 'they would not do that' because, I mean, look at the arguments in defense of the P/T wife-guy dynamic. Tom does enough right with B'Elanna for people to ship it. So he is often enough a good partner that when he's not, it stands out in a way that I don't think feels totally organic (that is: no one is always at their best in even the healthiest relationship, but this feels actively uncharacteristic.)
So for me it's that I look at his character overall, watch him with Harry and Janeway and even Tuvok!, and I think, that's a good person, genuinely trying his best. Then they pit him against B'Elanna and make him do things that make zero sense to me. This is usually, it seems, less about Tom than it is intended to make a larger point about B'Elanna's capacity for vulnerability, which I feel could have been expressed in one million better ways than just making her boyfriend be a dick to her. But because I understand that to be the writers' intention, I then also understand it to be willfully OOC for Tom. That they just didn't care.
But on the in-character for their dynamic side of things, yes, I think their relationship is toxic. I think we see very little other evidence that Tom is as shitty (on the whole) as he is in Memorial, and I think we see a lot of good in Tom, even with B'Elanna (Blood Fever! Workforce!), that is hard to square with some of his worst behaviors. But absolutely people can act wildly different in toxic relationships with their partners than they do with anyone else.
I'm comfortable with both things being true - that the relationship is bad and that the writing is also bad. Depending on the mood I'm in, what fic I'm writing, etc, I might lean more one side than the other. I do love Tom, though, so the only thing I wouldn't say - this is just me, and it has a lot to do with my personal lived experiences - but I wouldn't say that Tom is a fundamentally bad person, as I've seen some people argue. But I do understand their frustration with him.
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