#this isnt about anything specific i just was reading something and a character was handled so well for the author not liking them

[noeggets]

If you write a character out of character because you dont like them and make every bad thing happen like they loose their friends I'm not reading your fanfiction bc you are wrong :)

#even if the character is unbearable at least do them the justice of writing them right or say they are doing something not over here- #so you dont have to write them if ypu dont like them #dont just make them act extremely out of character to be hate on cause you are in the wrong if you do that #i am right and i will say it #thats like i dont like Tails so i am going to make him annoying #i may not enjoy tails as much as the next guy but i will do my best to write him as interesting as possible #this isnt about anything specific i just was reading something and a character was handled so well for the author not liking them #that was awesome of them to write a character i could clearly understand they didnt like #talkin

[narwhalandchill]

okay so. skirk thoughts

first of all: as much as her design is still just kind of an ehhh compared to what couldve been, i do think it looks so much better in the actual game. the sfx in her arms and legs in particular helps a Lot imo. still not a massive fan but given i already loved the hair+eyes as well as the general color scheme, im warming up to it. still unfortunate we didnt get something more ambitious but i can live with this lmao

personality wise i actually really love how they went about her? its a little unexpected but skirk really has that abyss autism rizz to her JSJSIDISGFK love it. like this really isnt someone used to any manner of regular human interactions and it shows. i really like how blunt and utterly unfazed she is even when dropping some insane lore bombs bc theyre just peanuts to her. shes just completely unlike any character from any faction weve encountered before and i rly love the energy they gave her

i also found her little ramble about the value of life and death pretty interesting. it almost makes it sound like she considers herself dead in some way? with how she talks about there being no point in holding onto the bonds and remains of dead things and how this personal philosophy of hers is why she never comes to the surface anymore. like huh. whats up with that.

it also really reminds me of how an underappreciated aspect of childes characterization imo is how like. Incredibly insistent he is on staying alive being the most valuable thing? like this comes up Repeatedly in his voicelines. and now we have skirk literally talking about how to live is in itself a blessing. like i am Not buying this being coincidental at all. so unless they physically disprove me in this somehow down the line im taking this as 100% proof that childes high regard for life is Directly imparted to him through skirks teachings. and thats really interesting to think about.

and like. overall im quite happy with this glimpse of her character we have? i have bigger issues with the overall handling of the childe+narwhal+skirk segment of the AQ but those are narrative problems. skirk really stands out as a character and shes just. really fascinating AND funny as fuck in her nonchalance like. what an icon.

the only real unfortunate thing w her appearence specifically i think just has to do with the way her manner of speech and position as a narrator of dubious reliability to an extent is already leading to some. Quite unfortunate misreadings and/or taking the implications of her statements too far at face value. and i just know fandom will latch onto those forever 😭

(& jic i dont mean dubious reliability in the traditional unreliable narrator or like. lying or sth sense. just that her worldview is so alien and foreign to us that it should be taken into careful account before just blindly running off with any particular thing she claims)

like. firstly. the narwhal. ppl really dont seem to be catching onto how skirks perception of it as just a scuffed pet thats a hassle to manage isnt like. actually reflective of what a massive deal of an entity it is (read the boss fight quest item drop lore i am begging. or just wait for me to start narwhalposting JAJSKDK its coming 100%) 💀💀 what it DOES reflect more than anything is what an absolute maniac surtalogi (+ skirk by extension) has to be in order to claim a creature of this magnitude as a PET of all things. its also good to note that skirk herself readily admits both her highly unconventional view on most things AND that her master wont necessarily share any and all information with her - more so what he thinks is pertinent for her to know. her assessment of the narwhal as a nuisance of a task for a disciple isnt really reflective of the ultimate big picture HSJDKDKSK though it is very funny i have to admit.

im just preemptively annoyed and frustrated by it already bc its highkey giving azhdaha all over again where 99% of fandom just dismissed his deeper lore bc they took the storytellers claims of zhongli creating him at complete face value. like to the point hoyo had to literally add a whole segment at the end of the chasm interlude where zhongli more or less directly wink wink nod nods that a career entertainer isnt giving you the most accurate lore on this stuff 😭😭 like please. ive had the tears from among the stars lore fucking HAUNTING me ever since i first read it. its not just a silly pet whale im hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

and secondly. people really jumping the gun on "haha skirk thinks childe weak" when she was... quite literally speaking in past tense JSJSKDKSISKDK thats ajax 14 not the current state of things. while i do agree skirks power level is still way above his to the point i absolutely do think she considers him weak from her standpoint & ways off from his true potential, id also just.... like to point out that she pretty much confirms that her view of his competence has very much changed too? like please yall

skirk, who in all the years post ajax' 3 day abyss trip made NO effort to contact or keep up with him whatsoever and stated that her disciple wasnt worth even speaking to in the past has now LITERALLY voiced the intent to assign him the task of being a messenger between herself (possibly even surtalogi) and neuvillette. and she has made it VERY clear that she views the communication between herself and neuvillette (and traveler too) as one between equals?

this isnt her assigning childe some irrelevant side quest to keep him busy but actually utilizing him for a task she takes at least relatively seriously. like wdym she still considers him the exact same as before 😭😭😭😭 like obviously childes far off from being regarded as anywhere near an equal by skirk bc SHES just that insanely powerful but seriously. to me this is as clear an acknowledgement of his growth on her part as we will get JSJSKDKFKSKDKJ

but alas. everyone loves a "ha ha childe so weak XDDDD" like they just never wanna let that one go. Man

anyway still rly like skirk!!! all im Really hoping for in the future Especially w how i feel the 4.2 narrative while overall brilliant really sidelined and mishandled the potential and gravity of the narwhal side of things is that like. PLEASE let the interlude be the continuation to this 3rd descender n skirk n childe abyss situation i am so fucking tired of khaenri'ah and the abyss order im sorry lmao

also itll be like 4 years before we ever see her in Real action as a combatant but i am already So hype to see that. especially since her powers are so abyssal and alien in nature like thats going to be So gourmet i just know it.

#whew. that eas a bit. #but like im sooooo happy i ended up liking her as much as i did . i really worried i would end up let down somehow bc #skirk has been such a mysterious lore figure in the bg all this time and that by itself builds hype that can end up just falling flat #but im really glad im just even more invested in her situation now that shes finally made an appearancr #just hope we can get at least some interactions between her n ajax sooner than later. #ALSO. YEA THAT WAS A LETDOWN. disciple suits ok its fine but man i wish shed call him ajax 😭😭 hopium she still does when its at his face #rambles #genshin #genshin spoilers #4.2 spoilers #long post

[hanguangbuns]

wei wuxian and his attitudes on his sexuality... and the fandom attitudes towards it in turn

so i guess for my first post ill talk about some discussions of sexuality ive seen floating around, mainly pertaining to wei wuxian's sexuality and how he views himself. this isnt any sort of analysis of the direct text or anything but oh it could be. i dont use a lot of direct references to the text for this post, mostly going on pure memory, so take it with a grain of salt.

one thing i see a TON in fandom and transformative fandom spaces is this incessant need to label a favorite character's sexuality one way or another, whether it be a sexuality the person likes to project themselves on or something else. thats not to say that its necessarily WRONG to do so—i love it when my dear mutuals see themselves in a character i think its very endearing & exciting, and in fact, there had been many times where i did some self-exploration of my own sexuality through characters. the problem i mostly have is when people get heated or even obsessive over something like a label.

i think for so long, there's been this discussion of wei wuxian's sexuality where, though mostly in good faith, comes to a point where you have to wonder if it even matters in the canon context. whether he’s bi, gay, straight, etc... it all comes down to the fact that in the story, they (wei wuxian and lan wangji) don't label themselves at all, and neither does the author. yes there is the term "cut-sleeve", which as we all know, is mostly used, almost in the negatory in the mdzs universe—the origins of the term “cut-sleeve” itself is referred to the story of Emperor Ai of the Han dynasty, who cut off his sleeve so as to not wake his sleeping lover. cut-sleeve itself is an allusion to homosexuality, but not the full label.

so what does this mean? well for starters, on twitter, there has been this lovely thread by twitter user flowerofgusu, who does a detached translation of chapter 111, and noticed a few key things. what i want to focus on is the first tweet, where translation differences are highlighted in that line. i implore you all to read the thread (its short!), because i dont want to trample all over it. but keeping it simple, we can see that there is a BIG difference between reading a wei ying who always thought himself as heterosexual, and a wei ying who just simply never thought himself “in that way”

i think this could open up a lot of discussion on how sexuality is handled in mdzs, and how wei ying’s own attitude toward sexuality is written. the author of the thread noticed that wei ying’s attitudes lines up well with the concept of “demisexuality.” and it makes sense! we know that lan wangji is the only person that wei wuxian has ever come to love intimately, and whole-heartedly. but again, the thing is, its a label, and whether or not it was intentional, we will never know if he is demi for sure. and that’s ok! in my opinion, characters dont have to have labels, and we know that wei wuxian can be perfectly happy living the rest of his life without labeling himself in any specific way.

(side note, now im seriously wondering if a “lack of label” is also a phenomenon of me wanting to project too—personally im someone who doesnt really stick to one, so i wonder if this is also me projecting in a sense. lol)

anyways, my problem with all of this arises because of a couple of attitudes of seen in response to the thread. i wont link it, and honestly i think the issue seems to pertain to the way fandom views characters’ sexuality in general. that discussing how characters might be demi, or acespec, or even just someone with no labels, is met with attitudes of “you’re erasing bisexuality” or “he is gay!!1!”; when ppl introduce the book, its “the main character is a bisexual necromancer!”. these claims are generally in good faith but, the problem is, they are not backed by the canon text either. i wont sit here and talk about other series or other characters, but i know for sure wei wuxian isnt labeled at all. heres what we know: 

that, in his first life, he teased and flirted a little, if only to make friends or get something in return, like food, or a perfume sachet.

he was rumored to be someone who ravishes virgin maidens every night, which no, he didnt. he hung out with some ghost maidens one time and lived alongside some poor farmers in the burial mounds. he died a virgin too

he experiences moments of comphet on few occasions, most notably in xuanwu cave where he told lan wangji “he doesnt like men”—i wrote a bit on this but i went back to read the text in its full context, and wei wuxians proclamation of “i dont like men!” seems to be more of a way to assure lan wangji that he wont take advantage of him, rather than him being so assured of his sexuality. since i dont have access to the original text, let's leave this for another day.

in the phoenix mountain kiss, he assumed that the person who stole his first kiss was a strong, but shy maiden. again, comphet at play, and never considers the possibility of it being a man

in his second life, he plays what he thinks not only how a cut-sleeve acts, but how mo xuanyu acts. when he first wakes up, he plays the act of a lunatic, then attempts to play it up to his advantage when he learns that mo xuanyu is homosexual. not once does wei wuxian himself ever harbor any negative feelings or disgust towards mo xuanyu being gay, or towards homosexuality at all.

in fact, up until the moment wei wuxian starts to fall in love with lan wangji, and when he realized he did, he never once fantasized about him being in a serious intimate situation with anyone, nonetheless even a man! his first life had been a lifetime of struggle, a struggle to conform, and a struggle through war, and a struggle to stand up whats right. whats notable is that although he and lan wangji met only on several occasion, it was enough to make a huge impression on each other—and for wei wuxian tell jiang yanli all about his new friend in the cloud recesses!

anyways the point is, wei wuxian never labels himself, but neither does he ever think about his sexuality in any meaningful way, whether because he “didnt have time”, or because he just simply didnt see the need to. i think the lack of a label on a character, or, really, a person, not only means that they dont care about how to define themselves, but because they just simply dont see the need to. wei wuxian is someone in the latter—he is a carefree person that goes with the flow, and doesnt get hung up so easily over any little thing.

this brings up another point ive thought about a lot—why use these western labels to define fictional characters living in an ancient fantasy china? especially terms where they have only been recently defined within the past couple hundred years. i think there is a lot to discuss when it comes to imposing western views of sexuality onto foreign art and media, especially media that, rather than try to label subjects any specific way, aims to tell a story rather than focus on identity politics. (i think this goes into why danmei itself is pretty appealing to a lot of people—it doesnt focus on the labels of its characters, but rather the characters themselves going “i love this person for themself, and not because im gay”. of course, there could be few exceptions, but generally, it is popular for the main couples in danmei to be wholeheartedly devoted to each other, no matter if they have been in several relationships before, or none at all)

another phenomenon ive seen in the fandom which was subject to a lot of discussion, is “sbwy”, or straight boy wei ying. generally i do think its inherently a harmless concept, and one that can be fun in a comedic setting, and especially wonderful when it comes to things like “coming of age” fics or analysis. the problem is. too many a time have i seen bad-faith criticism of the novel that claims… that wei wuxian was actually “straight” in his first life, and him taking the body of a gay man means he suddenly turned gay and that means mxtx deleiberately wrote this and is homophobic and blah blah blah—

just. full stop. i think at that point, anyone who thinks that probably didn’t read the novel lbr. wei ying was never implied to be “straight” in his first life—like i mentioned, he flirted with girls and generally never thought about himself in “that way”, but the whole point of the flashback arcs were to bring to light certain contexts that the present arcs needed, and to highlight the relationship between wei wuxian and lan wangji at that time. its rocky, but generally, they had a better relationship than what most people thought. we know that lan wangji didnt want his feelings known to anyone, and especially wei wuxian; so wei wuxian himself had no reason to know of it at all. and it makes sense—by the time lan wangji himself realized it, it was much too late, and wei wuxian had deemed him an outsider to his problems. theres nothing he could do to help without overstepping boundaries, so he chose to respect it (generally).

anyways what im saying here is that wei wuxian wasn’t straight in his first life—he just never had any reason to think about his sexuality. he was and is carefree, and i think his attitude towards his sexuality carefree as well. when he started realizing he was catching feelings for lan wangji, his first thought wasn’t “but im not gay!”, it was “oh my god. i might be gay. i might be gay and i might be gay for my best friend and i dont know what to do about it does he like me back i hope he likes me back aakdjklgfdhlkf;ds” (please note that i use the term “gay” loosely, not that im making any straightforward comment on what his sexuality might be, ty) he’s flexible with his attitude towards his own sexuality, not really claiming he’s any one thing, but instead, focusing on the most important object of his desires, lan wangji.

(discussions of sex incoming)

he was never inclined to seek out gay erotica in his first life, and he was never inclined to that kind of interests, and he was never inclined to sex at all. we know that in his first life, he died a virgin and never felt any kind of desire like that at all. in his second life, he becomes interested in sex—most noteably, interested in sex with lan wangji. lan wangji is the object of his desires, and throughout the entire story, no one ever catches his eye quite like the second jade of lan. he unlocks a desire within himself that he himself has never known, and from then on, hes more inclined to do anything with lan wangji. its exhilarating, its scary, its wonderful, and most of all, wei ying is happy. hes happy and excited and satisfied! wangxian never put labels on themselves throughout the novel, and theyre happy with that. when they realize the depth of their feelings for each other, theres no going back—it feels natural to them, so why go through the trouble of putting labels for themselves?

to close off i wanna say, headcanon whatever you want! whether wei wuxian is gay, bi, straight, demi, whatever, its all up to interpretation! and having civil discussions about it can be fun, and can bring people a whole different perspective than what they thought before. but i think its silly to claim that wei wuxian has to be one or the other, and if ppl hc him being a label you think is incorrect, its morally wrong to do so. in my opinion, i think the lack of putting a label on a sexuality can be really refreshing, and for wei wuxian, it seems to do him just fine.

#mdzs #wei wuxian #lan wangji #wangxian #mxtx #ik this is like very loose and handwavy but im learning as i go along blease bear with me ty<3

[pinkanonwrites]

this isnt me requesting a fic or drabble or anything, and i do NOT mean to sound critical/mean in any way of how youve written Vash, but i think you have an interesting oppurtunity to have Reader find out >> call out Vash on sleeping with his prosthetic on

admittingly, ive never watched any form of Trigun (i only know some things via Pop Culture Osmosis). i just like your romance writing; you are very good at polishing your craftsmanship, it's, again, very good. so ill read whatever (so long as i.. vaguely recognize the property at least). so i dont know if Vash cannonically sleeps with his prosthetic on-- but as a disabled person who has friends with missing limbs, even if the creator of Trigun hypothetically says it's fine that Vash sleeps with it: no, it's not. not in real life. it can cause injuries to the limb and the stump needs to de-stress. that's how real life prosthetics work (and, off-topic, is a detail i really like about Full-Metal Alchemist! they talk about this and show it! a lot! (maybe Trigun does too, idk, again, i havent seen it))

but yeah! idk if sleeping with prosthetics is something canonical to Trigun or if it is something you accidentally assumed (no hard feelings there either way, lots of disabled media accidentally protrays this. Hiccup in How To Train Your Dragon and Finn in Adventure Time are both widely beloved disabled representations and also their creators fuck up sometimes and have them sleep with their prosthetics on. it happens. you live and you learn). if youd like to learn more, there's a youtube channel called Oakwyrm where disabled representation is the main point of discussion (fun fact: they even have a video analyzing the disabled representation in a Barbie fairy movie, that's fun lmao). i would link you the specific videoes id recommend you watch, but tumblr doesnt like anons sending links, so i just recommend checking out their channel (again: they have videos on Hiccup of How To Train Your Dragon, Finn of Adventure Time, and Edward of Full-Metal Alchemist. so there are a variety of resources on their channel about how prosthetics are handled in media. all three of these videos are typically pretty short and fairly succinct. i recommend watching all three and any other video topic of Oakwyrm's that catches your fancy, but im not gonna push you to watch something you dont wanna watch lmao) just wanted to give you that as a good opening point for resource about disability

i do think you having written the Reader seeing Vash sleep with his prosthetic on gives you a unique opportunity tho! (again, this isnt a Request. i know those are closed. its more of an "i dont want you to feel bad and i also dont want you to panic and take down those fics or anything, here's a helpful reminder that theres Other Options and you can use this as a jumping off point for future fic ideas or you can ignore this idea and just Write Prosthetics Differently In The Future", i dunno, its your blog, your writing, im not in charge lmao) you now have a history of the Reader knowing he sleeps with it on and can now potentially write a fic about why him doing that would make sense from a character stand-point. like why isnt he taking care of himself? why is he risking ruining that prosthetic or hurting his stump? does he not typically feel safe enough to be that vulnerable or is it a self-image thing or, or, or...? like, there is oppurtunity there. and it does make sense in some of your fics why he wouldnt-- the sick-fic you wrote recently is one of my favorite of yours ever, and it makes complete sense that Vash wouldn't go the extra step of taking off his prosthetic if there was a chance he'd need to use that arm to help take care of the Reader or if it's over-use is part of the reason why maybe his body runs as warm as it does. its just some spaghetti to throw at the wall, y'know, see if it sticks, scrap it and cook something else up if it doesn't. i dont want you to think im entitled or anything, again, this isnt a request at all. just some proverbial spaghetti to throw, you can feel free to respond via scrapping my pitch and doing your own thing reactive to this correction on how living with prosthetics works. maybe Reader is a techie who Vash visits to fix his prosthetic. i dunno if that's a role already taken in the canon of the show/manga. but hey, whatever you wanna do now that you know one shouldnt sleep with their prosthetic on and have a starting point with research, im sure ill be all for ♡ do whatever you want, its your blog ♡♡♡

but yEAH, ive encountered enough Squirrelly Writers who panic at any sign of innacuracy or problematic aspects in their hard-work where i think me being on the back-foot and going "you do NOT have to delete everything you wrote that is inaccurate to real experiences with prosthetics" makes sense. so i do want to reiterate that: you do NOT have to do that (and, ngl to you, fam, i would feel really bad if you did; i really like your work with Vash, like i said, the sick-fic specifically is one of my favorite fics by anybody that ive read in a while, that shit will be sticking around my noggin). i just wanted to reiterate that. i dont think you are a bad person or that this is immoral or anything. i think its a common mistake and, ill admit, i know squat about that other cgi show you watch with another prosthetic-user, but i noticed this was recurring with Vash, so i thought id gently mention it since i know it is a common mistake people make without, y'know, realizing its a mistake. and if Trigun shows Vash cannonically sleeping with his prosthetic, shame on them, that really sucks, they should do better by him and their disabled audience. but you?? you're just one person writing romance for fun. youre not a corporation with editors who should know to research this stuff before publishing. (or, who knows, maybe Trigun does show Vash taking his prosthetic off before sleeping, i dunno, im a casual fan of YOUR work, i dont know anything about Trigun beyond what i vaguely absorbed via Pop Culture Osmosis due to having been in the anime and sci-fo community in the past. i have no idea if they do or dont do their research. they should. but i certainly dont know if they do or not)

so yeah. just wanted to put that out there so Now You Know and the ball is now in your court as towards what to do with that information now that you have it. im sure ill love whatever you do with it, again, big fan of what you make as is already ♡ lots of love to you and yours, have a good day!!

(scooping up your proverbial spaghetti into a pot for later use in fanfic inspiration)

Thank you so much for all of your kind words! As for Trigun, as much as I love it, it's not the most realistic when it comes to the actual drawbacks and difficulties of having a prosthetic limb. It could be because it's a futuristic sci-fi piece, or the writers just don't want to get into it, or they just didn't know much about actual prosthetic management, but Vash doesn't really make a point to remove his prosthetic intentionally all that often. They've shown him sleeping in it before, and as far as I can remember in the OG anime the only time he didn't have it was when he was switching to a new model of arm.

There could be canonical reasons for that! It could be because of his vague inhuman-ness, or because he's self punishing, or any number of reasons we could interpolate from the OG mediums that they don't succinctly spell out for us. But reasons aside, the realities of using/wearing a prosthetic limb would make very interesting fic writing details, and I'd definitely like to dig into it a bit more in the future.

This ask actually comes at the perfect time, because as I've been working on my Twitch Streamer Trigun AU I've been doing some research on the realities of being a competitive (or even casual) video game player while being physically disabled. I've been doing a lot of thinking and researching on how people with only one arm actually play video games and custom controllers and set-ups and stuff, so while I may or may not go into it in super serious detail in the future I'm definitely going to at least touch on it more than once!

And last but not least, thank you for being so kind and respectful about commenting! I'm more than willing to admit that if I'm broaching a subject I'm not the most versed in I may make a mistake or two, and I'm alright with that! A long time ago I wrote a Stardew Valley fic and mistranslated some sign language, and like you I had a very kind and friendly reader point out my goof-up in a way that didn't mock me or make me feel stupid. I don't mind being corrected at all, as long as people are being nice about it. I'm only human too, afterall.

Anyway, TLDR; Thanks for being so nice, I'd love to write more about Vash's prosthetic in the future <3

#pink chat #anon #long post #vash the stampede

[cupcraft]

to add to the conversation about meta and critical analysis and stuff i just want to say that critical analysis isnt bad in general. Hear me out though keep scrolling if you dont want to read a long discoursey kinda post but its not neg for reference /srs.

NOT A VAGUEPOST! I am commenting solely on trends of things in the fandom since my experience being here since 2020 writing meta since january 2021.

---

many people (like me for example) enjoy writing analysis that is through a critical lens even though we enjoy the narrative and character. Some people enjoy writing through that lens and they dont like that character or narrative. some people dont like the narrative or character at all and it would be critical. i think at least in all my experiences in fandoms is a really normal part of fandom analysis and enjoying a story and is fine! if you maintag you for sure should tag your crit and stuff but in general i think this on the whole isnt bad. Gen really weird cc neg is bad, and theres some other nuance of course but thats not the main pt of my post, but i dont think thats the majority of critical analysis in any fandom including this one we are in here. I just want to stress that people engage in this fandom in various different ways as they do in all fandoms.

I think what is really stressful is the vagueing that goes on. and for the record i am not vagueing anyone specifically by saying that and none of my mutual or people i follow or anyone at all, once again i am commenting on trends ive seen /srs! Like meta has become really difficult in my experience in fear of the neg that comes along with it or the thought that people "hate the dream smp/the content" or "hate cc's" etc because of it or even "cc's dont do lore because of posts like this". And i think that's something that needs to be addressed and talked about because it's something that we're all aware of existing and its definitely been a source of contention i think...

I think reblogging someones meta directly to discuss or add your own points (i always include a pls add on personally!) and or sending that person an ask if theyre willing to is also fine. I also think being inspired by meta to write your own points is quite fine too, those are all really enjoyable parts of fandom analysis.

and to use a personal example i know a lot of people who dont like c!ranboo or his narratives and after the ghostboo caimsey stream i remember there being a lot of discourse. I personally dont block crit analysis or anything bc i usually like to read it regardless, but i remember having a vastly different view of that stream and the narratives! So what i did was make meta about the lore from my perspective without vagueing anyone or have ties to what i read. I just was like "i really liked xyz and heres why" kinda posts. Its also crit analysis and all sorts of meta in general that have helped me change my views of characters or explore new narratives because of the different views i see about it.

What i'm trying to say is that like i think we can exist in a world where fandom crit and meta and noncrit meta and silly hcs and etc. can be enjoyable and cohesive together though i do realize there is some nuance to what i'm saying and this doesn't really handle all circumstances within this discussion.

And maybe youre a person who crit analysis stresses them out and it ruins your fandom experience. I think this is very valid but i think in fandom spaces we need to find ways to curate our own experiences. i'll admit some lore discourse has stressed me out too but i generally dont engage with it or i start ask games or hc games or i write unrelated meta or things just to avoid it. I dont have a lot of solutions for this other than: tag discourse and crit in maintagged posts, ask people you are mutuals with or follow if they can tag something (though there is no guarantee someone will and thats a okay!! you may need to block this person or their personalized blog tags for lore analysis), and or do what i do and write meta about how you did love a stream and why and start new discussions. Though i'm not sure of any other solutions off the top of my head, so i'm happy to hear more solutions.

The reason i'm writing this post is because of the crit analysis = you hate a cc and you just hate the narratives and you dont love the dsmp at all and you hold them at too high a standard etc etc etc kinda mindset i've seen since like late 2021. Because i don't hate cc's or the narratives. if i did i wouldn't be in this fandom, i woudn't write meta or engage with the content at all. and the vagueposting that i've seen is very discouraging to see at the very least especially as i've noticed how things have evolved since 2020 fandom.

I'm not sure if this is a good post, or if it adds to the discussion well. Tbh im afraid this will start discourse in itself which isnt really the point (though i tagged it that way for blacklisting...). This post is intended to help our fandom space be more cohesive to allow people the space to take narratives where they want (with nuance of course!) and for people to curate their fandom experience how they want too.

So as i always do with meta please add on, please send me asks about this. Reply. correct me even!! though i have turned off rbs because im kinda nervous for such a large discoursey style post being rb-ed around. All i ask is just dont vague me or sc this...like my anons are on i'm happy to discuss this and vagueing stresses me out which should be obvious from me writing this whole post.

because i want us to have a healthy fandom experience if we can and I see how stressed out its made me and many people on dsmp.blr during lore discourse days/analysis moments/etc.

let me know your thoughts <3!

#discourse #fandom discourse #cup.dsmpblr #not crit or neg just kinda opening up the discussion #not a vaguepost #long post

[caelumsnuff]

you have a lot of complaints and criticisms for mostly everything erik does, do you enjoy any of the storys? not every piece of media is gonna be how you like and some things are gonna get handled differently than what you'd prefer, long as it isnt problematic then like whats the problem?

I wasn’t going to at first, but i think i'll actually assume good faith with this ask and respond to it genuinely.

I understand why you would think I don't like anything about his content. I’m not here to gush about his characters, or talk about my fanfic ideas, or make friends with other people in this fandom; I made this blog exclusively to complain about it, so that’s going to be the majority of what you see on here, me complaining. And if i'm being honest, critique and criticism, or just complaining about the media not being as good as it could be, is a normal part of being in fandoms. This is a part of fandom culture, one that is just somehow remarkably absent from this fandom, which is still very surprising to me.

You're right about one part of this ask. No, not everything is going to be written exactly the way i want it written, and thats because I didn’t write it. But again, complaining about writing, and brainstorming how things could have been written, and even retconning the writing of the content is a part of fandom culture. Do you know how many fan rewrites i have seen and read in my day??? This is just A Thing that people do. 

There are plenty of things that i enjoy about Redacted’s content, im just not usually here to talk about them, but I guess ill take this chance and do it now. I think Redacted has a beautiful voice, and it has been really fun to see him get better at using it in these past two years. In my opinion, the improvement he’s made is kinda remarkable. In the first videos of David’s, he was just using a grumpy tone of voice, but now he’s able to push his voice down into that lower octave and add vocal fry, and it’s gorgeous. He’s gotten better at using accents, which you can really tell with Sam (how he sounded in his first appearance versus now), and the emotion that he’s able to convey with his voice is something i admire (as someone who talks with a very flat tone most of the time). I even think some aspects of his writing are genuinely good. He writes characters that are easy to fall in love with, including the “bad guys” (Regulus, Marcus, my beloveds), and i think a few of them even have complex personalities. And like, yes, i did complain about the way the d(a)emons are written, but only because they’re part of a racism allegory. I still love even them, there are very few characters that bore me or that i hate. And I have said it before on this blog, but i think Redacted’s writing really shines when he’s diving into dark territory; When he is writing gaslighting, and manipulation, and darker content like that he excells and that’s when i think he has moments of genuinely good writing. I also think the man is good with words, he writes beautiful, emotionally impactful lines sometimes. This man is good at writing and delivering lines in a way that makes my heart beat a little faster. Every once in a while i might slip into a post how much i love a character or plotline or aspect of Redacted’s writing, but like i said, im not here to talk about all this, so i don’t do it often.

I really am confused about the last part of this ask though, because half of the things im talking about are ‘problematic’ (as much as i hate using that word). Like…… the entire reason i made that post specifically about the racism allegory is because it is ‘problematic’, its downright offensive and quite frankly racist. The only reason I refused to use the word ‘problematic’ in that post because i think its dismissive for just how bad that allegory is. There’s also a reason i didn’t explicitly call that allegory racist in that post, because of the way this fandom is and how it has a tendency of idoling Redacted. I didn’t do these things to avoid invoking emotional reactions, and i figured that my point would come across without me doing them, but apparently it didn’t for some. I keep talking about and bringing up the bridging SA allegory because its also offensive, and quite dismissive to victims of SA. I keep talking about all of these things he has put in his videos, the racism allegory, the bridging SA allegory, the possibility of Marcus/Love being an allegory for anything, for a reason. Because they are offensive, and thats the problem with them.

Now not all of the things I'm talking about are ‘problematic’, some of them are just the previously mentioned changes that I would make to the writing. Not that these things are bad in the same way the SA and racism allegories are, but some of them are just subpar in terms of writing quality. Again, critique like this is a normal thing that people in a lot of fandoms do.

I'm clearly not the only person to feel these things, but with this fandom the way it is, people don't often openly talk about things wrong (using this word loosely) with the content. There’s this strange idea that has become very popular in recent years, and its that if you have any complaints about or can critique any part of something you're engaging with, that you hate it and should stop consuming it. This idea is so prevalent in this fandom and it’s honestly ridiculous. I have been watching Redacted’s videos for two years, and even though they have dropped in writing quality, I’m invested and I want to see him get better again. And it's not even like this isn't a thing that a lot of people do when they get really into something, this is the exact reason people sit through 8-14 seasons of a show even long after the quality of the writing has gone to shit. I very clearly enjoy his videos enough to continue listening through them, and i’m going to keep doing so. 

With all this said, I am also going to continue posting my criticism/critiques in the main tags when I write them with intent and seriousness. My posts that are just “waaaaahhhh my poor little meow meow’s writing sucks” aren’t going to be in there. If seeing either of these types of posts is going to ruin or otherwise negatively affect your experience, I do politely ask that you do us both a favor and just block me. 

I hope this answered your questions. Thank you for the ask anon, have a nice day

#anon #ask #redacted asmr

[robynrileyart]

tell me the most obscure fact about the first two ocs that come to mind

I LOVE YOUUUUU omg thank you

eddie is a writer and even though it's not a HUGE part of the novel that i've written, it's a huge part of who she is. maybe this isnt very obscure after all but i havent mentioned it before so you're getting it!!!!

she is extremely embarrassed about the hobby tho (same) and doesn't like talking about it. her hobby embarrassment is worsened by being surrounded by friends who either are not interested, don't even want to talk about literature with her let alone her own characters, or she doesn't feel comfortable with them knowing about it. she is a shy person and feels the mortifying ordeal of being known more than anyone else in the novel.

but then this new guy, hector, walks into town and things get out of hand and suddenly her books are his books, and his infinite knowledge on all things linguistic is coming in handy. his interest in the arts and in literature specifically from the stance of a talented story-teller/orator, is so fresh and precious that she immediately takes a shine on him. when he is down about something, eddie reveals very much against her will (it's too easy to talk to hector sometimes) that she's something of a writer. she tells him to keep it a secret, and he is both very touched to have been trusted with such a secret fact, and very excited to hear more. they will have in-depth conversations about characters, tropes, and the purpose of stories in the first place. he comes from a background, as an immortal person (she doesn't know it tho!!!) of using fiction as a means to escape from the real world. it doesn't matter if literally two thousand years have passed and he is still walking on this earth, achilles and patroclus are still there. the great poets, the philosophers, the novelists. eddie might not know the extent to which he relies so keenly on a good story, but she sees that trait in herself.

eddie has always used fiction to escape as well. born to contented parents who impress upon her their own fears of not living beyond means, not reaching too far because they were afraid of falling, she has lived in the same house all of her life. the same house, the same jobs to do, and the same people around her. she might have gone to the city to meet society had not her mother died and her father needing her around more to help with the shop. in this period, she throws herself into reading absolutely every book she can handle. her aunt funds it, also leaning on books as a means to cope with her sister's death, and eventually eddie gets the idea that she'd like to write, too.

but she needs it to be perfect first try. she just doesn't love any of her characters. she doesn't hate any enough to be useful, either. it is not until she meets hector who discusses morals, ideals, tropes, cliches, and more with her that she is able to fill the gaps she had been missing. hector also helps her with practical lessons on structure and formatting, and the concept of multiple drafts, eddie, my darling, why on earth did you think that austen just freewrote everything and then sent that to the publisher? eddie is no great intellectual, but she has become a fairly good writer despite the fact she has not ever really finished anything. she has been observant forever, and enthuses her book with a passionate love for life and for people. eddie only ever writes one book, but it gets to be moderately popular in america and is read somewhat in europe, too. this, spoiler, doesn't happen in my novel. it takes too long and would not be interesting to read perhaps? idk. but she WILL do it.

*

i've been thinking a lot about hector's accent lately after, tbh, watching interview with the vampire (amc) interviews of jacob (who plays louis) talking about how his character's accent changes over time. hector's love for literature extends to a very intense interest in learning about other people and their lives. he wants to know about what it was like to be raised anywhere. he learns as many languages as he has the means to, and spends years dedicating ALL of his time to perfecting one, then reading books in that language, and then he might move to another. hector is spartan, so he spoke ancient greek first (i think thats what they spoke anyways). he typically spends long periods of time in any one location, with the most being his time in greece, in english monasteries (speaking latin mostly), and in america.

the america one is the one i know most about because it's literally the period of my book. so. before he moved to america, he lived in france (with enyo! for literally like a YEAR. they're both immortal and she cannot live with him for more than a year?? girl get real). he is one of only a few french speakers who come over and does speak english with a slight french accent. then when he loses his wife (not eddie!!!) he is fed up and becomes a recluse. he stays in hiding for about a hundred years give or take, during which time he returns to his extensive language studies. but he doesn't talk to himself that much. his mixing of languages, in addition to not having anybody around to chat to, results in a strange tint to his accent. i'm actually........ just now wondering if he spends enough time in those 100 years of solitude around americans or if his accent would just be vaguely english when he meets eddie........... oh no......... i've got to rewrite all his dialogue if he's suddenly an english guy. omfg............. he probably is........ tbf i have a lot of rewriting to do anyway because hector in the first draft uses a lot of slang and things whereas someone who has only read books for 100 years probably wouldnt use it, and he also wont have any american colloquialisms because he wouldnt view himself as american. oh my god i am so glad that i started thinking about this THANK YOU

#asks #spiritingawaytoanime #love you vic THANK YOUUUUU #lore #eddie jones #hector jones #ancient west

[probably-haven]

after binge reading i have come to a new revelation: I’m not a fan of most Xiaoven fanfics

Don’t get me wrong, I love the ship and its one of my favorite to think about.... but most of the fanfiction for the ship just- doesn’t sit right with me for a number of reasons. 

Disclaimer: these are personal opinions from my own taste and are in no way an attack against any authors out there, because frankly fanfic authors are great and not like i could do better lol. As these are personal opinions, I acknowledge here and now that a number of people disagree and that they are under no obligation to change their opinions in any way as it is not and never will be my intention to tell others what they should be thinking That said- read at your own risk if you want- meh, anyway-

time to share some opinions that have been on my mind lately

The biggest reason.... is how they handle Xiao. And I don’t even mean mischaracterization because Xiao is such a complex and yet simultaneously simple character that as long as you’re somewhere in the range of “Xiao vibes” it’s really hard to write him out of character because of his complexities. What I mean is something that i actually completely agree with as being accurate to his character. In nearly every single fanfic I’ve seen, there is some element of idolization that Xiao has for Venti, or for the sake of reference, Barbatos. He tends to think himself beneath Barbatos and/or indebted to him, whether that be because he’s an archon, because he saved him, or simply because of Xiao’s tendency to dehumanize(yes i see the irony in that word usage) himself.  This by itself isn’t an issue but its often how this trait of his is treated.

Imma just list a few ways I’ve seen this be handled within Xiaoven fics. - It isn’t handled, it’s just there and accepted as a part of who he is in the story - It isn’t handled but his trait is treated as source of humor within the story - Venti(and others) roll with it (finding humor in it, just cant change it, encouraging it, making jokes about it, etc.) - Venti takes advantage of it(whether accidentally or purposely) - it’s actually addressed(by Venti or someone else or the narration- can go a number of ways, but just- even a brief reference to the fact that its not a good mindset fits in here) - savior!Venti(Where venti disagrees with it but the way it’s written gives off “god among mortals” vibes- like he’s just being humble and truly is above him in reality) - its the focus of the story  - not directly addressed but shown to be destructive.  - they chose not to not include this in the story’s characterization of Xiao(just saying that this is valid ahead of time) Theres others but i have a lot already.  Note that I tend to read more ‘serious-toned’(idk if that makes sense) fics so that may skew my perception

Now there’s a few that i have issues with on their own- both instances of it not being handled, Venti(and others) rolling with it, Venti takes advantage of it(purposely(and without good intent)), and savior!Venti. Xiao not only has this trait, but he is unfamiliar with what is normal in relationships or emotions as a result of isolation and inexperience. He is also either not aware of or not concerned with what is considered strictly “healthy.” Combining these makes for a rather dangerous combination and just accepting it as “oh he’s just like that, it’s who he is” or making it out to be something funny- It’s not wrong or bad by any means necessarily, and I could still possibly enjoy it to an extent depending on a series of different factors, but its- not as often.  Even in the case where I do enjoy reading it however, I would still feel uncomfortable sharing it with or recommending it to others because in the first instance it feels like normalizing a destructive and dangerous mindset, and in the second case it does the same while simultaneously making a joke of it. It’s the same deal with Venti or other characters rolling with it, but that’s probably gonna be mentioned later too. Not to say that this is a “wrong” way to handle it, that it makes the fic bad, or that authors even are normalizing anything by doing so, just that in my specific instance- not a fan. 

I’ll get to the others when i talk more about Venti, but for now: It’s the focus of the story. I think I saw like... 2? where the story was like- focused on this and why its a problem which- power to them, address those real world problems like a boss- but also i wouldn’t actively seek it out or anything- like, good job, but doing so just leaves it open neutrally for other factors to decide how good a story i think it is. 

not directly addressed but shown to be destructive. You’d think i wouldn’t like this- but frankly in fanfiction not everyone wants to address every character flaw verbally because it can through off story, narration, dialogue, and general flow to do so. This can be with an event, an action, a dialogue, a mere comment, making it actually fit into the it’s actually addressed category except that its- subtle enough to make its own category. plus i live for show not tell- in everything- its a thing. im- very much a fan of when the fics do this but the subtlety is easy to miss and its not common so- 

It’s actually adressed- doesnt have to be a lot- just mention anywhere or imply anywhere that maybe idolizing someone as a god and savior and being in a relationship with them while having little knowledge of standards, emotions, relationships, or healthy behaviors in general- maybe isnt the smartest idea in the word. (”Call me Venti, not Barbatos” by itself is not enough to fit in this category tho as a note)

-

Now lets talk about Venti...

uh.... those who have followed me for awhile will probably already know this but... I have a lot of opinions on Venti and a pretty- “niche(?)” perception of his characterization that isn’t shared by a lot of others- so I don’t actually read as much Venti fanfic in general as you might expect because I often end up disagreeing with how writers portray him, which again, in no way is their characterization wrong, but- “their perceived truth” conflicts with “my perceived truth” and by extent so does the characterization, though neither is any more correct than the other from an objective point of view, if that makes sense... but anyways now that that’s said, moving on before this becomes a philosophy lecture, as fun as that would be for me.  I’ll try to keep my “perceived truth” out of this for the first bit. 

Venti’s response to this: 

He rolls with it: this depends on the mood of the fanfiction. If they dont put a lot of stress on that trait of Xiao’s it totally fine but if the trait seems to be a major part of Xiao’s character, it seems like normalization once more. (more on this later)

he takes advantage of it purposely: if its an AU or something and Venti’s like a villain(i saw a few) then- villain venti isnt my cup of tea but i have no qualms. If they don’t portray Venti in a negative light while having him take advantage however that’s a bit uncomfortable to read for me because it feels like normalizing taking advantage of that mindset as well as the mindset itself. However, i did see a number of instances of Venti using it as leverage for like- self care- which i definitely have no qualms. Xiao: [insert probably destructive idolizing statement about being indebt] Venti: How bout you pay me back by actually sleeping for once smh or other variations are okay and depending on the vibe are actually a really fun dynamic as long as it doesnt turn into romanticizing or normalizing it, y’know?

Venti accidentally taking advantage of it.... I love angst- and in most of these theres a sense of guilt when he realizes- and i just think thats a lovely way of addressing the dangers of such a mindset for both sides. As long as it doesn’t keep repeating to the point of romanticization its totally cool to read in my eyes(not irl ofc). If Venti never realizes he accidentally took or is taking advantage it feels a bit like normalization, and if he does but just- doesn’t care thats- a rip.

savior!Venti...... i- i hate. the story giving off vibes that Xiao’s mindset is technically correct while Venti oh so humbly tells him to treat him as an equal like the wonderful and charitable person he is.... i just- no. of course thats over dramatizing it- I think the main thing that gives it this vibe is when Venti doesn’t seem either concerned, surprised, uncomfortable, or otherwise have a negative feeling towards Xiao’s mindset. Just- it makes the whole thing weird in my eyes when Venti doesnt really seem to have his own reason to oppose the mindset idk- 

-

fact time!

Venti is the god of freedom. His backstory is freeing Mondstadt from a god’s tyrannical reign. His origin is a windsprite, just another breeze bringing changes for the better. His form is a nameless boy who played an instrument and then died, thus failing at his only dream and only ever accomplishing anything because of the help of others. He slept for a thousand years after the archon war to avoid putting Mond under the rule of yet another tyrannical god. He only even became a god because Andrius chose to let him. He wouldn’t have even had that chance if the nameless bard had survived, he’d remain just another wind while his friend ascended to godhood. Venti sacrifices his own power for his people’s freedom. 

now that I’ve laid out a number of canon facts, time for opinions:

Venti has little to no desire to be seen as a god. He thrives in, comes from, and emphasizes a lack of superiority in quite nearly everything. The first Ragnvindir, who canonically turned his back on Venti after Decarabian’s fall, likely did so because one- he anticipated power would corrupt and Venti would soon become just another tyrannical god, two- he suspected Venti used the nameless bard in an attempt to rise to godhood, or three- idk insert other possibilities to acknowledge again that i could totally be wrong.

Look me in the eyes and tell me Venti wouldnt trade godhood for his friend in an instant. His godhood was only granted to him because his friend died and could easily serve to constantly remind him of what could have been and what he lost. Venti takes no enjoyment from being seen as superior and in my opinion, I feel that it could actually make him largely uncomfortable when his divinity and abilities as an archon get involved-

also self promotion for my favorite posts- check out #archon war era venti if thats interesting to you

so anyway Venti rolling with it or making jokes about it just doesn’t sit right with me.- 

-

Okay! enough talking about that mindset!

idk- i have... a few/lot of other gripes and stuff or just things that kinda throw off the vibe for me but that’s the main one plus my general personal pickiness when it come to Venti fanfics- but this has gotten long enough already- 

idk i just felt like rambling about it and i haven’t done a long post in a while so-

again, I love the ship and its actually one of my favorites- just the fanfic isnt my thing..... that doesn’t mean i don’t still love it and come up with a whole ton of brainrot and ideas on it tho lmao

#genshin impact #genshin xiao #genshin venti #xiaoven #genshin barbatos #opinions #discourse #? idk ill tag it just in case #dont mind my constant backtracking and justifying and repeated disclaimers- #i just have a crippling fear of being cancelled lol

[antiloreolympus]

10 Anti LO Asks

1. you know whats also bad about the red eyes? not only do they look awful on persephone's pink color, they're not even a unique feature? like we've seen hades' eyes go red, we've seen eros' eyes go red, and ares' eyes are ALWAYS red, so even this idea its her "unique queenly trait" doesnt even hold up?? because we've seen it on other characters before?like at least the blue glowing eyes looked unique and even gave her a possessed, otherworldly look, something with the red eyes just dont have.

2. The faces in the latest ep (not fastpass).... Ew

3. I saw someone praise lore olympus art, specifically the ones where Apollo is playing his lyre and Daphne is covering her ears while her hair is split in two (yuck! Bad decision looks awful) so we can see Apollo, the one where she transforms into her hibernation state (weird perspective, chin and neck, I think, also what the hell was that supposed to be?) and the last one before cutting to Thanatos (which, I admit looks a little better that the other but I still got distracted Apollo's arm among other things).

Now, Rachel is a professional artist like 15-25 years older than me (I dunno her age) drawing one of the most liked webtoons.

I feel like I'm nitpicking or being too harsh or crazy because I think it is a little terrible and this person thinks it's amazing and I know art is subjective and all but like the difference of opinion is jarring. I am by no means a professional and my art leaves a lot to be desired and I guess I don't have incredibly high standards (or do I? I'm second guessing). Is it really that good?

Because I know that Smythe commits more than a few anatomy atrocities. I wanted to redraw a few panels two years ago and I noticed a few things that Don't Work Like That.

4. ok but that other anon is right. we shouldnt have to go off old tumblr asks or random tweets to understand what's going on and who the characters are. rachel doesnt realize you have to actually write whats going on, not putting the readers on a scavenger hunt trying to figure out what they're even reading.

5. im honestly surprised LO hasnt ruined more mother figures at this point. maybe maia will be next and depicted as neglectful and hermes is only the way he is because hes acting out to be noticed by her, maybe dione will slut shame aphrodite, who knows, the possibilities are endless when its about ruining every mother figure to prop persephone and hera up and to avoid giving the characters actual personalities that isnt dependent on mommy/daddy issues.

6. I hate the clothing choice for Daphne in run for your life. It felt like she was drawn in a sexualized manner when she shouldn’t have been because she was running away from a r*pist. Like she almost had a nip slip, we almost got her ass, it was like Rachel was trying to fit her butt and chest in a lot of the frames like some video game with the token woman character. Like if a different dress was choosen or how she made Daphne tie the dress, I just feel like Rachel can’t draw outside of pinup sexy that well. Like sexy is fine for sexy scenes but running away from a r*pist is not sexy. (I probably sounded really lame, but the way Rachel presents the story in a feminist way but can only draw one way in not even the same style is annoying)

7. Things I think would have been better for the story instead of focusing so much on HXP

-Expanding on Minthe’s and Hades beginning of their relationship (he couldn’t of fallen for her since she didn’t laugh at him and when she yelled at him said it’s not your fault but you have the hat I think that would have added to his character more to see him more than a 40 year old who hits on barely legal)

-Leto’s kidnapping of Demeter. Both we/are close with Hera, and probably know or each other or may have been friends. Like I wanna know how Leto kidnapped her but also how are they interacting since they probably know each other and Demeter probably had Hera’s back when Hera ended their friendship.

-Ares return to Aphrodite. We don’t get to see much of her character but we know this is something she’s wanted, but they way it was handled was so flat, We assume Aphrodite told Ares that his gf slept with his father to save their son but we don’t actual read any words between the couple. And then they’re living together. I wanna see how they actually interact and stay together like their better moments. Like how well did he settle in, did they talk about how long he left for or is he mad like come on that’s something interesting but I feel like RS can’t write outside of HXP

-the deal with Echo. Why do people think Echo could possibly be Hera’s gf if she’s her assistant. Yeah they do dirty work together BUT I didn’t get a wiff or sexual tension or anything. Was it that she was there with the doctor? It just seems like Hera is that CEO trope who has the assistant always by her now.

-a little more of Pysche and Aphrodite friendship. Like Pysche says Aphrodite is lonely (and we can assume a part of that is Ares) but also because she “doesn’t have many friends” so why not a solo scene of just the two of them being actual friends. Like what did Aphrodite say when she brought back a purple nymph that was gonna help them with their work.

-Hermes not talking about Persephone. I feel like that 99% of what his character is and then just a little bit of himbo. 

-Maybe Thantos and Minthe started flirting/hooking up. We’re they friends first or flirts first? Was it after Hades and Minthe got into a fight or something else? What did Thantos like about Minthe and what does she like about him? Why did she stay with Hades with Thantos was there (it’s not like she wanted to be queen of the underworld) How did Thantoas and Thetis meet and become friends? Idk if I was seeing two guys and one of them actually liked my friend I might consider leaving Hades for him. But again hades did have the power to control everything in Minthe’s life (job, home, everything) I do like Daphne and Thantos But I feel like the transition could have been better if we knew more, but again RS can only focus on one thing and that’s HXP.

------FP Spoiler/Mention------

8. FP SPOILERS— I’m done. I’m really done. We called it. We FKN called it. They got married behind the readers back, Demeter didn’t respond to the question as she actively avoided it and time was up, Apollo is somehow involved in the trial- THIS WHOLE THING IS A MESS AND IM TIRED OF HOPING THAT IT GETS BETTER. Four FKN years of this??? I’m done with this Webtoon even though I’m FKN stuck in it. I’m so FKN done.

9. Fast Pass spoiler (kinda) OH MY GOD, I JUST REALIZED THE POMEGRANATE PIN IS JUST PASTED ON EVERY FRAME, NOT EVEN RE DRAWN FOR PERSPECTIVE, NO, JUST COPIED AND PASTED, REGARDLESS THE OUTFIT ANGLE AND LIGHTING, IT'S HILARIOUS!!!I mean, I knew the art was decaying, but this just made me laugh out loud of how bad it looked.

10. persephone’s pomegranate pin just looks like a giant fly that landed on her and won’t leave LMAO

#anti lo #anti lore olympus #lore olympus critical #lo critical

[sawtual]

wow thanks! that was a really in depth post about it you make good points! when I played I definitely got the sense that monika had encouraged sayori to kill herself and I didn’t get the sense of any remorse when natsuki or yuri died or got fucked up but I guess u do make some good points there about how she was just trying to make them less desirable rather than kill them. I’m new to the game and the fandom so im not super familiar with everything yet but is there anything in the canon or lore that points away from monika having pushed sayori to commit suicide or is it mostly just fan theories and personal readings? either way thank u so much for answering!

yes i can absolutely find you some info on that!

there's quite a bit of information hidden within the games files, so I'm kind of assuming if you're new to the game, that you might not have seen these things? so ill dive into them too!

I'm gona do this under the cut so i can like, dissect things from the game !

(also i found stuff thats specifically pointing away from her meaning actual harm/death for Both yuri and sayori, jsyk)

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.txt (discovered in game files during act 2)

“All I want is for you to hate them. Why is that so hard.”

not, all i want for them is to die. she doesnt want to kill them. she wants to separate us from them so we are with Her, not them. things spiral out of control, but it was never her intention for things to get this bad. ntm its repeated over and over in this game how badly monika wants to die. she's hanging on by a thread, keeping on only because she wants to be with us, to be in contact with reality. this leads to really unfortunate circumstances but i really strongly believe everything in the text alludes to the fact she did Not want things to get this bad

ACT 3 INTRO:

(im copy pasting a transcript of the monologue here, but this is taken from the very beginning of act 3, which you can see in this video starting at 25:56)

imo this is all the proof needed to show that she really had no intention of ‘killing’ sayori and yuri. things spiraled out of control far beyond what she was capable of handling. 

her goals with making sayori more depressed and yuri more obsessive were, in here words “to just try to make them as unlikable as possible”. she didnt want her friends to brutally die!! she loved them q_q i feel like a lot of people really dont look at this specific part of what she says and take it to heart. its very telling for her character and important for understanding what she does and why she does it

ACT 3 MONOLOGUES:

sayori's hanging (cw: graphic descriptions of suicide)

dialogue of importance:

"I was thinking about Sayori earlier... I still wish I could have handled that whole thing a little more tactfully."

+

"Come to think of it, it was probably less 'changing her mind' and more just her survival instincts kicking in." "So you can't really fault her for that." "It's easier to think that she probably wouldn't have changed her mind anyway, right?" "It's not healthy to think about the things you could have done differently." "So just remember that even though you could have saved her, it's technically not your fault she killed herself." "I may have exacerbated it a little bit, but Sayori was already mentally ill." "Still, though..." "I wonder how things would be if you and I just started dating from the get-go?" "I guess we'd all still be in the clubroom, writing poems and having fun together." "But what's the point when none of it is even real?" "I mean, it's the same ending either way, right?"

ok so whats important here, is monika is essentially using us, the player, as a mirror in act 3? the things she says i believe, very strongly show her sense of uncertainty in her actions, and her fears of what if she could have done something else??

"even though you could have saved her, its technically not your fault she killed herself" reads SO much to me like shes trying to comfort herself with this, she doesnt want it to be her fault. nothings real, sayori's a character in a game. but she wishes so badly they could have just been normal girls living together.

happy end poem

OK SO LIKE. this is actual proof of Why she does everything she does. she's scared if she reaches out and tells us she's trapped in a game, we'll stop playing, we'll kill her. she tinkers with the game, trying to make herself look the best, trying to make us choose her, and nothing works. and this leads to her becoming frustrated and scared, and screwing with the game more and more desperately trying to do anything to save herself.

if you recall, in act 2, she gives you a poem which bluescreen the computer. this was actually an attempt she makes to escape the game q_q she never wanted to kill yuri, she never wanted things to escalate like that. she wanted to get out but she had no idea how to program her way out of the game, resulting in everything crumbling around her, and her friends dying.

my own route

hang on this one genuinely makes me so upset.

it very much relates back to how in the conversation about sayori's suicide, she's still clearly thinking about how things could be Different. shes thinking about how they could be normal. "I may not have needed to take such drastic measures to be with you. Maybe the rest of the club would still be around..." , and then immediately trying to convince herself it doesnt matter, and that she doesnt care.

its so so obvious shes hurting and she misses her friends. the additional "i really dont (miss them)" at the end really shows that shes desperately trying to convince herself that it was worth it, that she did everything she should have, and her friends dont matter. but they clearly do matter to her. she loved them (she couldnt even delete them if u recall)

also another important part about this monologue, a lot of people say she killed the other girls out of jealousy, but this shows thats not true??

"I think I would end up forcing you onto my route anyway." "It has less to do with me not having a route, and more to do with me knowing that nothing is real."

this wasnt because shes 'in love' with us. she wanted to be close to something real, something tangible. she's clinging onto us, the player character, like someone lost at sea with a piece of driftwood, doing everything she can to stay afloat

wine

ok this isnt on the surface level as important as the other ones, but literally look at how she talks about this memory.. she misses them so much and talking about this memory she clearly cherishes brings her so much joy. she doesnt belittle any of them, she doesnt talk down on them, she’s just reliving this memory because it makes her happy 

I HOPE THIS HELPS?? im sure theres a few more things im forgetting, but i did my best to scrabble up everything i could to show how monika’s not an evil mastermind, shes a scared girl who didnt realize what she was doing and when things got too bad, she did her best to fix it, only for it to get worse n worse

edit: oh heres the proof that monika always loved the girls and never actually deleted them

:’)

edit 2: haha.. um ouch

“It’s not right for me to miss things that weren’t even real in the first place.” shes forcing herself to try and ignore her feelings for the other girls

#asks #anon #ddlc #monika #oh i put warnings in the post but also #suicide mention

[hacawijo]

Azriel never said he was entitled to/deserved to be with Elain, those were Rhys’s words. Azriel said it didn’t make sense for two of the brothers to be with two of the sisters and not the third. Obviously it’s not the healthiest reasoning, but I think he’s reasoning in order to explain his strong feelings for Elain and to make sense of the powerlessness and envy he feels. Imagine pining after someone mostly unavailable and ultimately uninterested in you for 500 years, then finally finding someone else who makes you feel a lot of things and gets you better than maybe anyone else AND who is into you just as much as you are into them (he smells her arousal folks, Elain is super into Azriel and has been forever - literally fight me, I will give you receipts) and then to be forced to watch that person be essentially claimed, against their own preference, by someone else. Also, since when is it not absolutely certain that a fantasy romance ship is happening when someone expressly forbids it for political reasons??? That is such a classic trope!!

Azriel can’t catch a fucking break. How could you not have all of those feelings and then feel like fate screwed you when that person’s two sisters are destined for your two brothers? It’s a rationalization ADDED ON to the feelings he already has for Elain, he doesn’t have feelings for Elain because he thinks he’s entitled to her, he hopes that fate is showing him that his feelings are not in vain (AGAIN).

SJM herself said that she’s sprinkled breadcrumbs about Azriel’s story for a long time, which also makes me think Gwyn isn’t endgame because she’s such a new character. The moment between them in the bonus chapter actually reminds me a lot of Cassian’s moment with Emerie in ACOFAS. A lot of people predicted that he might be torn between her and nesta, but really it was just a way to flesh out that character outside of Nesta’s narrative. It seems more like SJM is trying to incorporate Gwyn into larger parts of the story and as more than just nesta’s friend. Perhaps what we need to glean from his interactions with Gwyn are the things Azriel values, and the personal growth he might go through, in a vocational sense, in the next book.

It makes him happy to make Gwyn happy because he ultimately cares very strongly for people who have suffered and survived and thrived. Cassian cares about what happens to the illyrians, Azriel doesn’t - the Valkyrie (to an extent) and the illyrians are Cassian’s mission, Azriel doesn’t have anything like that, yet. Azriel doesn’t like the violent things he does for the court, and that is probably part of why he feels so unfulfilled and lost. The most valuable things he has done have been the type of thing he did in saving Gwyn at Sangravah and training the priestesses with Cassian. This is all rooted, of course, in the suffering he witnessed his mother go through. All three of the illyrians are defined by the violence and wrongs done to their mothers, and two of them have found ways to make relative peace with those wrongs. Azriel has begun to and has done much to help wronged women and children and people, but I don’t think he’s had his Aha! Moment yet in the way that Rhys and Cassian have. His interaction with Clotho feels like an indication of his greater purpose, an alternative concern to his romantic woes re: Elain.

I’m not saying this means that Gwyn ISNT involved in a romantic way in the next book, but I think it’s hasty to assume it’s romantic just because Azriel has a meaningful, connected moment with her. Think about Manon and Elide or Feyre and Lucien, two friendships that bridged a lot of characters together and that could have gone in a romantic direction but didn’t. She tends to do that more with friendships than romantic relationships I think. I also think there was a clearer indication of Emerie’s interest in Mor than Gwyn’s in Azriel (I know there’s more interaction between Azriel and Gwyn, but Emerie is clearly into Mor when she says she doesn’t come around Windhaven anymore), and it seems almost as tidy to have Azriel and Mor end up with the other two Valkyries as for Azriel to end up with the third sister. Azriel, Mor, and Cassian are very nearly as much a sacred trio as the Illyrians. Also, I think it’s more likely that Mor will end up with Emerie because she hasn’t had a real romantic interest be yet revealed (the only thing I can think of is Viviane’s younger sister, but that was also superrrrrrrrrr subtle and I might have read too far into the text) and SJM pretty much never decides to start those in the course of one book (of which this extra Azriel POV chapter would be a part).

I also just want to say that Elain has been consistently uncomfortable with Lucien. He gets her the gloves for solstice, and it’s because he has a fundamental misunderstanding of her as a person. He sees her as something delicate to be sheltered and protected from thorns and elements, but that’s actually one of the things Elain loves most about gardening, and is probably how she wishes she could live her life if given the freedom and confidence. In the Feysand chapter, Feyre specifically mentions the gloves that Lucien got Elain and the consequences of Elain not wearing them. On the surface it seems silly because she hurt herself, using the gloves makes total sense, but Rhys and Feyre are actually talking about Elain as someone who is growing and who actually likes to get dirty and FEEL things. It would make COMPLETE sense for Elain to be with Lucien, he’s her mate and he’s courtly and traditional (for a high fey, anyway) and it would be very politically tidy. But maybe this new, changed Elain just doesn’t want that anymore. Maybe she thinks Azriel’s scarred hands are beautiful because they’re nothing other than what they are, and she’s not afraid of having her own scars (I.e. the thorns).

I don’t know for sure that it’s a great sign that Azriel got Elain jewelry. That could be an indication that he sees her beauty and delicacy similarly to the way Lucien does, and certainly he is protective of Elain. BUT think it could mean something different because it was juxtaposed with the pearl earrings that Lucien gave Elain. They were plain, we’ve never had any indication that Elain is interested in pearls or even regular jewelry. SJM OBVIOUSLY put much more thought into the description of the necklace and AZRIEL OBVIOUSLY put much more thought into his gift for Elain than Lucien did. He thought about Elain and what she means to him and gave her something that appears gently beautiful and informal but is even more lovely when someone PAYS CLOSER ATTENTION TO IT, as Azriel always does with everything, and especially Elain.

just can’t imagine SJM having anything that is awkward and at best uncomfortable and uncommunicative turn into an endgame relationship. Elain and lucien have no passion, neither sexual nor antagonistic nor romantic. All of her relationships tend to involve a pretty instant attraction and ongoing tension with tiny little moments sprinkled in from the get. Elain is only ever uncomfortable around Lucien. On the other hand, she is innately comfortable with Azriel pretty immediately (again ask for receipts and I will give them).

They also meet each other pre-cauldron, Lucien is literally like, “she’s my mate!” During one of the most traumatic and dissonant moments of Elain’s life. Remember how much Rhys DIDNT MAKE FEYRE’S LIFE OR TRAUMA ABOUT HIM???? He waited FOREVER to tell her about the bond, was pretty certain he could never be with her, would have been happy to never tell her and just have her be happy. Cassian was pretty sure of the bond with nesta and did not come close to mentioning it until they declared themselves together forever. Rowan and Aelin were also terrified to admit to each other that they were mates, again because they worried what it might do to negatively affect the other. But there’s Elain, fresh outta the cauldron, they all heard her screams and saw her terror and despair, and the first thing he says is “she’s MY mate.”

Also want to be clear I’m not trying to hate on Lucien. I mentioned above that Lucien is used to being pretty courtly and traditional, I think he was raised in the autumn court and has a very traditional understanding of what the mating bond means. I don’t think he is ever trying to claim Elain because he’s inherently trying to ignore her wishes or control her, but because he feels that bond and believes in the fact that it is sacred. Elain was born human, doesn’t really understand the significance of mates the way Lucien does. Of course she wouldn’t have a matching reverence. Elain is used to love and building trust and a relationship with someone over time and with patience. Which is exactly how her relationship with Az progresses.

Really think about Elain and Lucien, what about them seems compatible? He plays the game, he’s clever, his specialty is in people and he likes to have repartee with those he’s close to. Elain is pretty much always herself, she doesn’t change to suit her company, and she frankly doesn’t seem to love figuring people out. She loves being with the people she loves, but the politics of people don’t interest her - nature interests her. She’s kind in a way that Lucien would probably probably find boring in someone who isn’t his mate. In ACOSF, nesta is constantly thinking about the difference in her relationship with her mother from the relationships her mother had with her sisters. She makes it really clear that Elain never knew how to handle people in the same way as nesta or any courtier, and that she wasn’t really all that interested in intrigue or politic (which is why their mother was never interested in Elain). Elain and Lucien do not understand each other and do not understand the other’s passions or motivations. I like Lucien, I don’t love him the way that some folks do, probably because I never really got over his failure to feyre in ACOMAF, but I do want him to be happy. I think he can’t give Elain what she wants or needs and vice versa.

Lastly I want to talk about symmetry and fresh narrative. At this point, mating bonds are pretty played out. SJM has set a lot of groundwork re: the fact that mating bonds are NOT always perfect, and are NOT always happy. Rhys talks a lot about his mother and father. They were very unhappy together; they did not understand each other. It sounds like Rhys’s father was a politician and Rhys’s mother was wild and raw and genuine. This is part of the reason he waits so long to tell Feyre about the bond (and obviously he doesn’t even get to tell her, she finds out on her own). I am definitely not trying to say that Lucien is like Rhys’s father, he’s not, he’s a much better person, but I do think that the differences in Rhys’s parents’ values and passions mirror the dissonance that can be felt between Lucien and Elain as well. I think all of the wind was taken out of the relationship before it started because Lucien named Elain as his mate so quickly- it was really unearned. It is so EARNED in Feyre and Rhys’s story and Aelin and Rowan’s.

I think the idea of choosing love over nature is actually extraordinary. Elain, who has never really had a choice in her whole life, will make the most subversive and difficult choice of the series by rejecting her mating bond. And Azriel, who has never believed himself worthy of good things, will be chosen over a mating bond because he is so extraordinarily deserving of happiness and love and to be truly chosen as someone else’s paramour even beyond the influence of a mating bond. Is there any greater narrative validation of Azriel than that???? SJM writes grand, dramatic cosmic payback for her characters, and this would be a crowning achievement in that vein.

As for Lucien, what he has needed is a way out of the lines he’s always been expected to live in. He was never at home in the autumn court, he was never truly at home in the spring court, and despite Elain, he is definitely never at home in the night court. Lucien’s love, the thing that made him more happy than anything else in his life, was inherently unconventional, and then the convention he lived in destroyed it. Letting go of Elain and the mating bond will be the best way for him to reject the rules that have confined him for his entire, mostly miserable life. Elain will choose Azriel, and Lucien will choose to let her go, not just for Elain but also for himself. I’m willing to bet he might even give up his immortal life to be with Vassa and Jurian. Obviously that whole trio’s dynamic is still pretty murky, but I THINK he seems to be into Vassa (hell who knows - maybe he’s into jurian). Certainly he is happier with them than he has ever been anywhere else (tamlin was Lucien’s dear friend, but Lucien was also fucking terrified of him), and maybe it’s not and will never be about romantic fulfillment for him. That being said, that seems unlikely given SJM’s tendency to pair off her characters.

As for people being mad about the sex stuff...... have we not been reading the same books? Cassian and Rhys have both made it clear to Feyre that Az can get it, he hasn’t been chastely pining for Mor his whole life. Nesta also specifically confirms in this newest installment that Elain is not a virgin, hello bread crumb set up. Elain and Azriel are both sexually active adults who are sexually attracted to each other. Why should they not be able to have agency over their own sexuality in the same way as all of the other characters? Because they’re shy? Because they seem nicer and gentler?

I think it’s actually really infantilizing to make Elain a victim/inactive participant in her solstice interaction with Azriel. Sure, narrators aren’t always reliable, but SJM always uses the fey scent as a story device to confirm sexual interest and initial/general consent for the reader without suspicion or misinterpretation. I. E. Nesta and cassian both had really warped understandings of how the other felt about them for a lot of ACOSF, but they always came back to knowing for certain that they were sexually attracted to each other. That is something that SJM makes pretty freakin clear in most situations. I don’t think that Azriel thought anything that was darker or dirtier than anything Rhys or cassian has thought about feyre and nesta. In fact it was definitely less kinky than how cassian and nesta often thought of each other sexually before they really got together.

Also, a lot of elain’s reactions to Lucien in ACOWAR remind me of mor’s reactions to Azriel throughout the series. You could tell she was feeling some type of way, but in reality it was guilt and sorrow that she couldn’t return his feelings, not that she was tortured by her love for him. I feel like when Lucien goes to the continent and Elain displays emotion about it it’s more about the fact that she feels bad she doesn’t feel more for him even though she does feel the bond. I’m sure it was really confusing for her. Elain’s reactions to Azriel, though, remind me more of the little snippets of interaction between Aedion and Lysandra before they had more POV in the ToG series and also those between cassian and nesta in ACOMAF and ACOWAR before THEY had POV chapters.

Wow so yeah here’s my dissertation. I hope someone out there reads this and is like YES THIS IS WHAT IVE BEEN TRYING TO SAY, because I love when I find posts like that.

#azriel #elain archeron #acotar #a court of silver flames #elriel #elucian #nessian #nesta archeron #feysand #feyre archeron #rhysand #morrigan #aelin fireheart #rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #theories #sarah j maas #azriel bonus chapter #azriel pov #acomaf #acowar #throne of glass #azriel and elain #analysis #literary analysis

[thebadbatch]

The Bad Batch - Oneshot requests

Requests = On Hold.

//You can still put requests in and they will be written! But I will take a little time getting to them! I just got my first job! (yay! Bad Batch merch here I come-) So things may be a little chaos until I get into a routine of when I can write etc! :3 Ily all so much and I love your requests! So don't be afraid to ask away! Each time there's a request I'll add it to a specific writing list I use and I'll write them in order of asks :3 Tysm for your patience!//

To request you can leave a message and i'll happily customize it to how you want if none of these prompts are something you want to read! But if theres something here you'd like to read, even a mixture of options, then i'll happily write that for you! :) Don't forget to add the pronouns you'd like me to use! If they aren't Specified then i'll use they /them! :D As many Characters you want can be included in the oneshot! And any prompt can be used within whatever category you'd like - just specify. :3

//Unfortunately I do not write smut! This may change in the future but until then I'm unable to write it!//

Characters

Hunter

Tech

Crosshair

Echo

Wrecker

Omega

Rex

Prompts - Romance

It's you! It's always been you.

What do you mean you're out drunk? Why do I have to get you!

I need you here with me.

I'm busy but anything for you, Meshla.

Stay with me!

Kisses in the rain

Cooking and romance

Sightsee with me

I'm falling for you, y/n.

You still need me, right?

Marry me

I want you to be mine, just mine - nobody else's.

What if I woke up and you were no longer here?

First date

I'll protect you until my last breath, Mesh'la.

Prompts - Sad

You can't leave me!/Oh yeah? Watch me!

Our final moments

I'm afraid you'll break

You died in my arms, never again

Why not me?

Kill me but please leave y/n.

Why can't you just leave me!

Loosing you is the worst pain i've ever felt.

Where do your loyalties lie?

I can't live without you so I wont live.

Prompts - Angry/Jealousy/Protective

Why are you talking to those regs?

Just be mine! Not theirs!

I'm sick of you leaving me.

Do you want me or them?

Never disobey my orders again.

What makes you think they love you more then I do?

Stay with me, Kriff them!

What did you say about y/n?

Back away from y/n or I swear to maker you wont live to see tomorrow.

Let me take care of y/n, I know what to do unlike you.

If I catch the people who did this to you, and I will, I'll make them kriffing pay.

Back away from y/n, now.

Why do you keep leaving me?

Let me protect you for once.

I can't handle the thought of another person loving you.

This is just a scratch i'm fine!/This isnt just a scratch y/n!

I could have lost you.

Prompts - Fluff

Please, just hold me for awhile?

There are billions of stars, but you're my favourite.

I'm afraid of storms

I don't feel too well

I'm feeling down

Make me smile?

Let's explore!

I cant stop Crying

I cant Sleep

Prompts - Scenarios

Drunk

Unwell

Hurt

In love

Storms

Nightmares

Anxious

Upset

Day out

Night out

Arguments

In danger

Mission gone wrong

Birthday

Anniversary

Random

#Prompts #the bad batch #bad batch #Clone Force 99 #x reader #Hunter #Crosshair #Tech #Echo #Wrecker

[wolfboyvirus]

How well Arcana characters can read/write

(Im bored as shit yall)

Nadia:

The best reader and writer in all of vesuvia, can read the longest word to ever exist without hesitation and writes in the smoothest cursive youve ever seen. Sometimes she writes things on your skin like "my love" or something while yall r cuddling and if it was a normal person it would be great but all the swirls and curves just send you to heaven its fucking therapeutic. And, i forgot to mention she can read and write in like 3 other, way more complicated languages, and normally she isnt the type to brag but that is a serious achievement right there so how is she not gonna be like "oh of course i understand [insert language]. I can write in it too. Its rather easy, if im being honest." (insert smug smile)

Julian:

Is average at reading, nothing too special, but he's canonically the shittiest writer to ever exist. One time someone actually mistook it for genuine chicken scratch. Tbh he only learned to read and write because he needed it so he could do doctor-y things. However, he's fully aware that his writing is shitty so if you ever offer him any tips ("hey maybe make your o's by drawing a circle instead of a sloppy infinity sign") he will definitely take them.

Asra:

Before your death he couldn't really read or write at all but when he realized you had to relearn everything he learned all the shit so he could teach you. So now he's actually pretty good at it. Just a little under Nadia's skill level when it comes to reading, and his writing is just good enough to be actually readable (for you at least (he doesnt give a shit whether or not others can read his writing he just needs to make sure you understand it))

Portia:

She only just barely started learning a while back, so she's at the level of a 4th or 5th grader rn, but with time she's able to read literally anything. Unfortunately bad handwriting seems to run in the family since she's almost as bad as Julian. She's trying, just make sure to remind her that she should make a line straighter or a curve curvier every now and then and she'll be just fine. Also has a little trapdoor in her cottage leading to a little basement with a ton of books and paper she's dedicated specifically to her studies and there are cushions everywhere with patterned letters printed on them.

Muriel:

Actually can't read or write at all. Completely illiterate. He grew up homeless so he didn't really have anyone to teach him (except Asra but he didn't know either), and even after he ran away from the coliseum he didnt really need to learn. But, at a certain point you send him a cute love letter while ur traveling somewhere and he's like "wait i want to know what this says" so he learns the entire alphebet and like 37 words until you come back a week later and help him out. The only problem is that he has no concept of spacing or writing small so he can write "i lov yu" and it would take up the entire page. And the worst thing is that he finds he actually kind of likes writing and wants to keep a diary so he had an entire box of books full of writing thats slowly getting smaller and smaller and its actually a great way to track his progress but the amount of money you've spent on paper makes you wanna die. But it makes Muriel happy so who cares about bankruptcy right

Lucio:

He's barely any better than Muriel tbh. He sees you reading a book one day and he asks what its about (he doesnt like books but if ur interested in it then its probably good) and ur so focused on the story that you just show him the cover so you can keep reading and he's just like "...i cant fucking read that lmao" and you have to teach him because he starts to feel left out/insecure. He grew up in a tribe surrounded by violence and didnt really need to read and write to be a good mercenary so he had no incentive to learn. He only knows a few words because even though he usually got others to do work for him he did have to handle certain responsibilities as the Count of Vesuvia. So like he knows how to sign his name and initals and thats it. He really really wants to learn cursive like Nadia because it looks fancy but you actually dont know cursive so he needs to settle for normal writing like everyone else oof. He still prefers picture-based books but now he can enjoy that awesome novel u were reading :D

#the arcana #headcanons #julian devorak #nadia satrinava #portia devorak #asra alzanar #count lucio #muriel #nobody asked for this but #like i said i was bored as shit #also these headcanons don't take the heart hunter post cards into account so keep that in mind

[more-than-a-gentleman]

How Nami acts depending on who she is with at the time...

To be honest, I had this as a draft for quite some time but with the release of the new chapter I decided to post it now. So, In honor of Nami’s magnificent moment in chapter 995, this post is Nami centric.

Nami has been a really interesting character since the start. Unlike characters like Luffy, Zoro or Ussop who are almost “Monotone”, pretty much act the same the whole time, she changes the way she acts or thinks depending on who she is with at the current moment.

Another main point to mention is that when it comes to the Captian, all strawhats are the same in terms of having absolute faith in him. Whether they think that from the start or during the situation, the absolute trust must be there.

Ussop in Alabasta, Zoro in Thriller Bark, Sanji in Zou and now Nami in Wano Chapter 995. There are more and many others already posted these moments. I will do one for Chapter 1000 pretty soon.

But when it comes to the crew members between themselves, things change... some are closer than the other and so on...

So I decided to analyze Nami’s behavior with members that she was in danger with to see how she acts and what her thought process/ emotions could be... and this time two characters stand out that bring the best out of her.

1- The Captian Luffy

When she is with Luffy, she tries to be the “brains” she knows Luffy is an idiot so she always tries to think of ways to give him an advantage for him to work with.

In skypiea, first he tells her to head back to the ship because she is in the way, and she does just that without thinking twice or looking back. But then in the Ark, she fails to find a solution to give Luffy an edge on Enel, and her whole thought process is how to escape. She could’ve held her clima tact and did something with it, but while Luffy was on board Oda decided to make Nami sit back and watch even against an extremely powerful opponent Enel (cuz if they were fodder then there is no need for her to fight to begin with).

In WCI, this time she was able to provide support to Luffy by making the biscuits wet and brittle, but she did not fight. She went into kingbaum’s mouth because it was a safe place.

In summary, Nami wants to provide support to Luffy by being smart and from afar, enough to stay out of the fight. Like the others, she knows Luffy is tough therefore she doesnt worry much about him (I am not saying at all, of course she does worry, but only in extreme conditions like any other member)

2- Zoro

With Zoro, she does her best not to be involved in any way. She does not hesitate to disappear.

In Whiskey Peak, she orders Zoro to do all the fighting for her while she does nothing.

In Alabasta, once the enemy appeared, even though there was a woman, she disappeared instantly. She left them for Zoro and ran away.

In Fishman Island, after hearing about Arlong and Jimbei from Hordy. She vanished leaving Ussop and Brook with Zoro to fight. Camie even asks if it was okay and Nami didnt mind at all.

In summary, Nami does not want any part to do with Zoro’s fights.

3- Ussop

Of course... our famous duo. With Ussop, they are always scared together. They expect things from each other at the same time. When in the clear, they succeed because they are comfortable and safe, but when in danger they fail because of fear.

In Little Garden, basically that moment explains everything. They want the other to be dependable.

In skypiea, we have the most famous duo fight, where they are both scared as hell and fail miserably against Enel.

In Punk Hazard, we have two moments where when they are alone they failed against Ceasar and Ussop was disappointed to see Nami who was in Sanji’s body. Then we have when they were far away and safe, so they were calm and collected and their teamwork worked.

In summary, Nami with Ussop will be comfortable and effective if they were safe and far but weak and scared when in the frontline.

The sad thing is... like I said I had this post before ch.995 but I wish they proved me wrong now😅.

4- Chopper

With Chopper, she acts in two ways. She tries to be the mature one and tell Chopper what to do, and other times in a pinch she acts like she does with Ussop.

In Enies Lobby and Water 7, their moments are not like the others (in term of danger level) but we can see she is telling him what to do.

In Punk Hazard and Dressrosa, she was terrified and metally weak. She was in no shape to fight.

In WCI, she is back to being the mature one by explaining to Chopper what to do.

In summary, Nami will try and keep her composure when she can, but loses it when things become dangerous.

5- Brook

With Brook, we didnt see much of Nami and Brook together a lot but basically he is a mixture of Luffy and Zoro. But Brook himself acts like Nami and Chopper when they are scared.

In Zou, she asks Brook to take care of the enemy. At first, he got rid of them but when they came back she sat back and watch. And she does mention that his company is more troublesome than his worth😂.

In summary, Nami would sit back and watch but will help if he get immobilized just like she would do with Luffy, Chopper and Robin because of DF abilities.

6- Franky

With Franky, I couldnt find a moment where she acts a specific way when he is around. I am aware of the moment she calls him “Big Bro” in Wano but it is not the same like being in frontline long enough with him for her to think or act a certain way.

Now, there is a reason I left these two characters to the end. This is what I mean when characters are closer to some than others.

7- Robin

With Robin, again we dont see them in the frontline much. Since back in Skypiea, they keep splitting up and Nami and Robin never stay in the same team.

There was the Davy back fight team, but it was a game not like the others.

In Wano, we can see that they depend on each other to keep watch of each other’s back.

In summary, this is expected since they are the only two women on the crew. Nami feels confident enough while depending on Robin for support and she would do the same.

9- Sanji

Unlike with Luffy, Nami never sat back and watched during major enemies. She always looked back and didnt want to leave. She knows Sanji uses his brain unlike Luffy so she never thought of using tricks and strategies. Whenever he was hurt or about to get hurt, she will pull out her clima tact without a second thought even if she was terrified seconds ago.

Unlike with Zoro, Nami never left Sanji behind on her own, he was always the one to tell her to go ahead. She forgets that she is on the frontline and doesnt run away. When he tells her to stay in a safe place she shows up anyway.

Unlike with Ussop, Nami never gets soo scared she becomes practically useless. She depends on Sanji but not entirely. She wants to but doesnt expect much from Ussop but she can count on Sanji everytime.

Unlike with Chopper, in dire situations she doesnt need to be the mature one since Sanji gets serious when he has to. She might ask for favors but it doesnt sound like an order like she does with Chopper, since she decided for him to be the temporary Captain of the small group when Luffy isnt around.

Unlike with Brook (Luffy, Chopper, Robin), she doesnt need to worry about him falling in the sea since he doesnt have DF powers. He doesnt cause her trouble during fights.

Similar to Robin, Nami always wants to stay side by side. She knows he will have her back and she wants to support him too. It never happened since HE never let it happen, since he doesnt want her to be in danger and get injured because of him.

We have seen time and time again that Nami considers herself weak and fragile. Yes, she does head to combat when she has to but she prefers not to. She wants to stay far, she wants the others to handle business.

But when it comes to anything to do with Sanji whether he is there or not... she somehow gets courage out of nowhere, she decides to head into the frontline on her own, she will claim that she is tough and strong. She forgets about far or close enemies

In summary, when Nami is with Sanji, she doesnt have to worry about anything except for ways to support him. She is at her strongest, bravest and most confident side.

What makes this interesting is when it comes to Robin, it is a given. As the only two women in the crew, that is to be expected, but why is Sanji the only one who is different in terms of bringing out the best of Nami? Why is he treated different than the other 2 monsters? Why is he treated different than all the other guys?

A quick note: I tried my best to include all Nami’s moments with the others (preferably alone) and re-read all of them but if I missed any then I am sorry about that😅. This here is why Nami is one of my favorite characters in One Piece, that is how I always saw Nami but if I made a mistake or overlooked something again I apologize but I doubt it will change what Nami’s character is about.

I dont know what will happen in the future (obviously) but until now, this has been the case. She might break one or maybe all the things I mentioned, but after 900+ of this right here, this has to mean something....

#nami #sanji #one piece #sanami #sanji x nami #sanjixnami #sannami #vinsmoke sanji #black leg #cat burglar nami #kuroashi no sanji

[vodid]

(sup I'm tossing this your way with no explanation aside from *feels*, and it sorta devolved into more well thought out thoughts later on turning this into a full ass ramble that may or may not make sense???)

Mmmmmm ok so I have a sorta plot bunny with Jazz being under the effects of some sort of mind altering drug and is paranoid as shit/coming across as very deadly to any threat he perceives, and doesn't really recognize anyone around him.

And Prowls just there talking him down and reasoning out his paranoia (not once making him feel like what he's going through isnt real, and is listening to what the other is saying/doing what he wants) until he feels safe.

(low-key wanting to make this their first meeting; neither Jazz or Prowl are as highly ranked as they would be one day. Early days of the war, with so many unknowns and doubts and horrors all around- because it is all knew to them. Not knowing what is safe anymore and just constantly running.

In most iterations Jazz comes from a civilian background where Prowl comes from some line of law enforcement. Prowl would be specifically trained to help de-escalate a situation and in both first aid as well as phycology/therapy enough to recognize what's going on.

And maybe i change my idea midwriting this ask and give Jazz undiagnosed PTSD, that flares up really badly after a long stint of undercover work, who's been trying his damn hardest to hide any sorts of there being anything wrong with him. Because to him there's worse shit going on everyday around him and bots all around him are dealing just fine (lmao they're not), so he just has to toughen up. Jazz is the life of the party! Nobody needs whatever he's going through (and he doesn't even know what's going on, he just thinks he knows how to handle things). Prowl catching him in a very catatonic state of mind after instigating a fight in the common room and fleeing before anyone can call him out on anything.

And like, it's shitty and there is a lot of tough mental health hurdles but it ends with Prowl and Jazz just being there for each other and helping each other out. (And it doesn't end with Jazz being magically being fully healed, but learning healthy coping mechanisms and managing his mental health better. AND still becoming Optimus's right hand man with PTSD.)

Like. Sorta want to dive into something that, at least from what I've seen, hasn't been touched upon much in the fandom; mental health at it's toughest and most non cinematic ways? The ups and downs that come along with it?

I've seen Jazz characterized as a bot with many masks- start taking them off then what?

(I also remember a sorta popular fanon Smokescreen who was the Arks therapist? I'm taking that and rolling bby; let's get some therapy for these bots.)

(ahaha noooo this isn't after reading a 170 ch fic dealing with so many similar topics from another fandom and being like ah yes. This but in transformers!)

(but on reality yea this plot sorta is from that fic. It dealt with so many mental health things, and it was heavy. But it was also so good? And properly researched. I kinda want to write this just to get these ideas fully flushed out)

i don't know whats more impressive, the idea or the length of this ask. how did you not run out of characters?????? you are magic

i love the headcanon where jazz isn't as okay as he seems, that he masks his problems and suffers alone. that he's the strong shoulder for many, leaving very few bots for him to turn to when he needs a shoulder. and perhaps that bot isn't someone who ever relied on him before, who has been their own shoulder (if that makes sense) prowl is a strong and composed commander, everyone turns to him when things go awry. the same may apply for jazz's mental health

on a side note about the fandom, i would love to explore mental health in my work, but i'm not someone who understands it very well. i don't even understand myself that well, and i'm sure some long-time followers can confirm haha i have seen a few fics touch upon mental health, including ptsd, but you're right. they're few and far in between

i think it could make for some very good character development (in terms of jazz going from suffering alone to seeking help) and angst/comfort. if you're gonna write this, i say go for it. do as much research as possible and go ham

i'd love to read this if it becomes reality

[lunatic-fandom-space]

Comparing RWBY and YGO DM: The Handling and Evolution of Themes

Hey! Its been a hot minute since I last posted anything RWBY-related but Im laying in my bed right now and Im sick and bored so I guess we're doing this. Today I will do my best to analyze what I percieve to be the main themes and messages of both of these shows, or more specifically, how theyre handled narratively. Im mostly focusing on that part because, while these series do have similar themes and messaging, they are still a few things in which they are wildly different. And with that, lets start with this essay-post-thing!

1. Theres something we need to adress first

Okay so, before we can really talk about this, theres something I feel the need to clarify here: Neither of these stories was "planned from the beginning".

Now, I dont think a story being planned from the beginning or not nesscessarily makes the story any better or worse by default, however, it is still important to acknowledge because the way the story is planned is going to affect every facet of it. Things are not going to be foreshadowed properly, things are gonna be set up only for nothing to come of it, the story might drastically change directions, characters might act differently, etc, etc.

And, this is bit off-topic but, it's much better to just admit that the story was not planned than trying to pretend that it was. Like, there are a lot of reasons why I tend to be so forgiving towards YGO even though its not very good, but one of them is definitely the fact that, as far as Im aware atleast, the guy who wrote it isnt pretending to have had this big master plan all along and neither is the fandom. With RWBY on the other hand... yeaaaah, its kinda the opposite. From what Ive seen of RWBYs fandom, there seems to be this pretty popular narrative that everything was planned even though it clearly wasnt. Thats pretty bad and honestly lowers my opinion of the writers so much more than if they would just admit to not having a proper plan.

Like, I initially consumed YGO like this: Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters, Yu-Gi-Oh (aka Season 0), like, a quarter of the Yu-Gi-Oh manga (I still havent finished it)

In all three of these we have the character of Yami Yuugi, or just Yami. Broadly speaking, he is an ancient egyptian gamer spirit who lives in a magical puzzle that has not been solved for 3000 years until this highschooler named Yuugi Mutou comes along and solves it, thus setting him free and allowing him to possess Yuugi and have access to the vague magical powers of the puzzle.

In Duel Monsters he's perfectly fine most of time, morally speaking. There is an instance of him almost murdering a guy and its a bit unclear what exactly happens to those he mindcrushes but overall he's very much a pretty good guy. In Season 0 most of what he does is set up these games for bad people, where they will go insane no matter what they do. From how I understand this whole Shadow Game, Penalty Game stuff, if you lose a Shadow Game, you get violent and intense hallucinations and you will always cuz yknow, gamer spirit. But if you try to cheat, which most of the bad people do in this show, you get violent and intense hallucinations as a punishment.

Since the two anime are generally considered two different continuities, its perfectly fine that Yamis characterization is wildly different in both of them. But in the manga both of these characterizations appear, basically one after the other with no real arc or consequences, for that matter. Why is that? Simply put, someone thought it was a good idea to try to turn an episodic, very slice of life-y light-horror manga into a more traditional, more plot-driven battle shounen. From what Ive heard, it was apparently largely because of network interference or something, but the point is, it changed directions incredibly drastically with little planning and everyone knows this and I can understand that for the most part.

In RWBY we have the character of Blake Belladonna, who, in the first 3 volumes/seasons atleast, was this aloof, more toned down loner-type character with a pretty strong sense of justice. She's an in-universe marginilized racial minority and she clearly cares about racial injustice. The way its initially framed makes it seem like she had a very hard life and no stable support system, which is what eventually pushed her to join a Civil Rights group/Terrorist organization (good god, the Faunus subplot is so awful, I could write a whole essay about it but Im already de-railing rn so I'll just save that for later).

Then, in volumes 4-5 it turns out her father is actually like, the mayor or chief of this island-place called Menagerie and she grew up in this big mansion with multiple guards/servants. Oh and also, apparently "space is a commodity" on there, so theres that. She still retains large parts of her personality but she's kinda like, worse somehow I think. I cant really describe it in a meaningful way but I hope you get what Im saying anyway. Then in Volume 6 she confronted her emotional abuser Adam (sorry for not mentioning him sooner but yeah, he was like, her abusive boyfriend, which is something that a lot of people disagree with but I wont really say anything about it either way because I dont really feel any specific way) with her friend, Yang, and ended up killing him.

After all that, she pretty much lost the rest of her personality, as well as her arc about all the Faunus stuff. She just kinda became the meek, generically nice, recovering abuse victim. Why? Well, the actual reason is that they didnt plan out shit and are just kinda flying by the seat of their oversized clown-pants and if they and the fandom just admitted it, I would have less of an issue. I still wouldnt be as forgiving towards RWBY as I am towards YGO because the crux of the issue, for me, is just that I dont particulary like RWBY but also like. Do you really expect me to take MKEK seriously as writers after admitting to not have a timeline because iT wOuLd CaUsE pLoThOlEs?

However, since they want us to believe that everything was planned out from the beginning, the explaination would be.... Idk, they deliberately butchered one of their main characters?? Because.. they hate her?? Maybe????

So yeah, that was quite a detour however, I would like you to keep this mind going forward.

2. Themes of the Early Series'

First, what do mean by 'Early Series' for both of these shows respectively? Well, for YGO that would have to be Season 0 or if youre reading the manga, everything pre-Duelist Kingdom. Basically, the part of the series thats a episodic, very slice of life-y light-horror series.

For RWBY that would be the first three Volumes, also known as the Poser-Era. Back then it was just kinda an action series that took place at Anime Warrior Academy (also known as Beacon) with some pretty bare minimum worldbuilding, character-driven plots and developments but now its more of an epic high-fantasy story with more of an emphasis on plot as opposed to just action.

The themes and messages in Early YGO are kinda vague, very confusing to me and if you were to follow any of it literally that would be pretty bad. For now Im just gonna say the main themes are Friendship and Identity and mostly focus on the Identity aspect.

Now, it took me a little while to figure out RWBYs deal but I think the main themes for Volumes 1-3 are also Friendship and Heroism. Once again, I'll mostly focus on Heroism and touch on Friendship more briefly later.

I dont have much more to add to YGOs themes right now, so I'll briefly go over Heroism in RWBY.

In RWBYs setting there are these man-eating monsters called Grimm that have basically infected the planet. In order to deal with that, they have people called huntsmen and huntresses that kill them and protect people. Theyre trained at special academies like Beacon and go on missions there and stuff like that. Our four main characters, Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang, are training to become huntresses and one day they go on this mission to clean up a grimm infested city block with one of their teachers. Obviously, that takes a long time so they have to camp out in one of the empty houses. Weiss, Blake and Yang cant sleep because theyve been thinking about this question that their teacher asked them when they were fighting grimm: "Why do you want to become a huntress?"

They have a heart to heart and we find out about their motivations; Weiss wants to bring honour back to her family, Blake want to distance herself from the White Fang (that terrorist organization I mentioned earlier) and as an extension from Adam, Yang wants to have a life of adventure. They also talk about why Ruby wants to be a huntress and it turns out that she judt wants to help people. Unlike the others, she has no motivation besides that. We're meant to listen to that and look at her as a sort-of personification of Heroism: kind, but not naive, strong and most of all, selfless. The others on her team are not portayed as bad for not being like Ruby by any means but we are clearly meant to admire her the most out of all of them.

Okay, now comes the part Ive been looking forward to the most:

3. How did these themes evolve in the Modern Series'?

Alright, before we can really delve into the way they evolved in YGO I'll have to give you a brief summary of the character progression. At the start of DM, during the Duelist Kingdom arc, Yami Yuugi is just that; A darker Yuugi. Hes more confident, bolder, his voice is deeper, hes somehow taller, more ruthless, all that good stuff. Notably, he doesnt actually seem more skilled than Yuugi even at the start of this story, but he's still dependent on Yami. Yami on the other hand, has no identity of his own or even hints at one at this point. He's just The Other Yuugi.

Then during the Battle City arc, they find out that Yami was actually a pharao prior to being sealed in the puzzle, he just didnt know because of amnesia, I guess. So now they need to find out his real name and then send him to the afterlife because hes meant to be dead, but not before saving the world from being swallowed by darkness, which is also a thing they have to do now.

Then we finally get to the Memory World arc, where Yami, Yuugi and the rest of the gang astralproject to ancient egypt via puzzle magic. Yami is trying to figure out what the hell is going on and who all these familiar people are, while Yuugi & Co are trying their best to help him. Then some weird shit happens and it turns out that all of that is not just Yamis sealed away memories, but also a giant D&D Shadow Game that will destroy the world if Yami loses. So now theres Pharao!Yami who is still clueless on the metaphorical and literal playing field and Player!Yami, who is kinda controlling himself now? I guess?? Yamis opponent, The Spirit of The Ring, has something similar to that going on where hes both controlling and properly participating in the game. So Player!Yami is now fighting against Player!TSoTR, Pharao!Yami is now fighting against Thief King Bakura (who is like, the human, ancient egyptian version of the Ring Spirit) and Yuugi is now fighting against Yami Bakura (who is like, the human, modern japanese version of the Ring Spirit). Yuugi gets Yamis real name, he and the gang go over to Pharao!Yami and tell him his name, meanwhile Player!Yami is also somehow helping as well and they defeat the Ring Spirit, thus saving the world. Then they travel to modern Egypt, the Ceremonial Duel happens and Yuugi wins, sending Yami to the Afterlife where he can finally rest and that was the series!

I originally wanted to recount the stuff that was going on with the Ring Spirit and his host as well because they parallel eachother, but this summary is already far too long and I think youll get the point without me needing to explain any more.

My point here is, that the story went from being vaguely about Identity, maybe? to being very clearly about Self-Discovery and Learning to Be Independent. I think this is a very good way to evolve the messaging of your story. How does RWBY track on that?

Well, uh... its not great. I will acknowledge that they have tried to introduce new themes and ideas since, even though I wont really be talking about them in this post. But yeah, the whole Heroism thing really regressed.

Like, I didnt explicitly say it when I was explaining grimm earlier, but theyre not going away. The grimm have always been there and people who sign up to become huntsmen and huntresses are effectively signing up for a job that will never truly be done, no matter what they do. Characters like Ruby and even more minor ones like Phyrrah have shown us that that doesnt matter when youre a hero. No life isnt worth saving, no grimm isnt worth killing, no criminal isnt worth arresting. Then, in volume 6 they find out about Salem. Salem is the Big Bad of the show, shes immortal, controls the grimm and is supposed to be very powerful.

What do our heroes do? They give up. Sike! They were just mindcontrolled by monsters or some shit, of course they didnt give up their mission (which is to bring an Important Macguffin to a city called Atlas, sorry I didnt mention it)!

But then they arrive in Atlas (which is llike, a city thats floating over another city called Mantle) and yknow, they do some plot stuff thats not really important right now until the city gets invaded by Salem and this big grimm army she has.

What do our heroes do? Well, Ruby, Weiss, Blake and some side characters are chilling, drinking tea in a mansion and Yang and the B Team were actually trying to do something, but even those efforts seem incredibly minimal.

Oh wait, I also forgot to mention that Ironwood (a fairly minor, vaguely antagonistic character up until now) wanted to lift Atlas even higher to save Atleasian civilians from danger while leaving Mantle vulnerable to Salems invasion.

What would be the most heroic thing to do?

A) Let Ironwood lift Atlas, get as much support as they can down to Mantle and save as many Mantle civilians as they can from the invasion

B) Prevent Ironwood from lifting Atlas but then split up in order to protect both Atlas and Mantle civilians

C) Prevent Ironwood from lifting Atlas and then dont do anything else

Congrats! If you choose C, you think exactly like the writers!

And I just

This is so mindboggling to me, I feel like I shouldnt even have explain how this is bad. And like, it wouldve been so easy to actually make them seem herokc through their actions, to make it seem like they did try but no.

I have never seen a central theme be this botched, how in the world did they do that? Why did they think it was a good idea for Ruby "The Embodiment of Heroism" Rose to sit in a mansion doing nothing, no planning, no organizing just ..... God, how are they this bad? Like, this doesnt even have anything to do with it being planned in any way, this is just straight up incompetence

4. Very briefly touching on friendship

The friendship is awful and its not solely because they all have the same opinions. They barely interact with eachother outside their designated pairs which leads to it all feeling incredibly hollow. Theyre also practically indistingushable from one another now, which is a shame because it wasnt always like that. Like, I dont think the characters were that well-developed in earlier volumes but they were very well-characterized. But now we've gotten to a point where you can literally copy and paste one characters dialogue onto another and literally nothing changes, it really sucks.

5. Some closing words

Damn, this took way longer than I thought it would and now Im pretty exhausted. I have no idea how yall always write these but props to you! I feel like this ended up a bit rambly but overall, Im pretty proud.

Please let me know what you think of the points I brought up! Id also really appreciate some tips on how to get better at these longer posts because I am planning on writing more in the future (not the near future, probably but yknow).

Thats all I have to say for now, thanks for reading!

#rwde #rwby critism #anti mkek #yu gi oh #ygo duel monsters #yu gi oh analasis