#you have 'this character is canonically straight but the fandom universally rejects that to the point of genuinely forgetting it's canon'

[jupitermelichios]

my favourite sexuality for comic book characters to be is "we made this other character canonically queer because of their relationship with them but for some reason they are still canonically straight"

like wade wilson? mostly canonically queer because of the period where he was married to cable. he was in a queer relationship, so we have to just make him canonically queer. (Yes I know it's not the only reason, I have read all his extremely camp early 00s comics, but lets be real they'd have kept insisting that was all just a joke if it wasn't for Cable and Deadpool).

cable? definitely straight. 100% straight. obviously cable is straight. his relationship with wade is only gay during the & Deadpool, in the Cable part of the book it's very straight. He stands next to a woman sometimes, that's how you can tell it's not gay.

Kitty has, finally, been allowed to come out, but for like a decade, Illyana was canon queer because she dated Kitty, but Kitty was definitely straight and would never date a woman, and no one at marvel thought there was anything weird about that.

[Image Description: a very straight character, interacting with another straight character, in a very believably straight way]

Marvel has way more of these, mostly by virtue of having more queer characters and also chris clairmont (you can never understate the impact of chris clairmont in these matters) but Tim Drake and Kon Kent spring to mind from DC.

I think you could even make a solid argument that 616 Tony and Steve are that, given Tony is out now and Steve, somehow, still isn't.

anyway you don't really get these in any other medium, because they require multiple writers who all wildly disagree with one another to all write the same characters to happen, but i love them, and as much as I want Cable and Kon to come out, I kind of hope this never stops happening in comics, it's just never not funny.

#am i right in thinking one of boostle got to come out and not the other one recently? #i'm not that up on non bat dc stuff recently #anyway please leave your suggestions for other examples in the comments #and don't get mad about the ID #I did an actual ID as alt text #that one's just a joke #cablepool #kitty pryde #what's kitty and illyana's ship name? #i feel like i should know but i don't #timkon #616 stony #these are my favourite comics specific sexualities #and 'this character is just straight up queer but as long as we never say the words on panel no they aren't' is my second #your mystiques and your wolverines #and then finally #in the trifecta of terrible queer rep that i adore #you have 'this character is canonically straight but the fandom universally rejects that to the point of genuinely forgetting it's canon' #which is where gambit and roy harper live #gambit has never done anything that gay on panel that i know of #at least not by the standards of the x-men #he just has the strongest bi vibes you've ever seen #i genuinely forget he isn't bi 90% of the time

[bohemian-nights]

How do Targies unironically praise T@rgaryen blood purity like legit white supremacists and then deny there's any racism there?? Please make it make sense

Honestly liking the Targaryens isn’t the problem(and at this point, I'm pretty sure we all like a Targaryen or two).

Yeah, they undoubtedly have some bad views as a whole, but as long as you acknowledge that their views are an allegory for real issues that’s fine.

We aren’t necessarily defined by the fiction we consume.

However, these fans outright taking on white supremacist talking points about blood supremacy and blood purity with 100% sincerity and then being confused as to why people are calling them racist is a mind trip.

If all you are getting from the books is how special and magical the Targaryen’s are and how they must keep the bloodline pure, how outsiders dirty the blood, and then use that to degrade and mock characters(and harass their fans) who aren’t silver-haired with purple eyes then yeah, you’re a fucking racist.

GRRM is admittedly not the best at handling race(or even certain female characters). He’s an old white man and it shows, but even he didn’t create this universe for you guys to spout out this crap. You are supposed to question things like feudalism and Targaryen exceptionalism not uphold it.

Nettles is a prime example of this, but they want to say she’s Daemon’s kid, or unquestionably Valyrian, and how she’s irrelevant since she’s Black(not to mention deny the racism she faces in the text as well as outside of it) rather than admit that maybe your blood, your gender(she’s a woman too but they always seem to forget that), your social economic status, your race does not define you. You and your actions do.

That all being said, I do think the Targaryen ideology is what attracts people to the house in the first place, but they won’t admit this because that means they have to confront their own biases.

If Targaryen ideology is harmful and you agree with it wholeheartedly what does that make you? How do you view people who are different than you? Who do you view as beneath you? How do you treat people who you view as lesser than you?

Yes this is all fictional, but the language being used is very much based on how they feel about certain groups in real life.

Look I’ve seen people straight up say things like there are too many Black people on HOTD and that the only in-canon Black character should be cut because they’ve met their quota and then cry that they are being (rightfully) called racists.

I’ve seen people say that since Daemon rejected a white woman(Alys) who they view as better than her(Nettles) he would for sure never touch Nettles’ with a ten-foot pole much less love her in a romantic capacity and then cry that they are now being called a racist.

I’ve seen people purposely reduce characters solely down to their race and then cry that they are now being called a racist.

I’ve seen people harass and stalk actual Black fans and then cry and say that they are being bullied when we call them out for it.

I’ve seen people outright use racial slurs then the fanbase brushes that aside to say that the racism is limited to just a few individuals when many of these same people are using the previous arguments and treat real-life fans like crap.

Racism isn't limited to saying I hate n-words and wanting to commit acts of violence upon us.

It’s easier to say you aren’t a racist than to deal with the very real possibility that you are a part of the problem. That you treat people(including fictional characters) who don’t look like you like absolute shit because of something as stupid as the color of their skin. That you view them as so beneath you that we don’t deserve basic respect.

It should be noted that Targaryren fans aren't the only racists in this fandom especially when it comes to Black characters/fans, but they are the most outright hostile to the point where it is utterly ridiculous when they say they aren't racist.

But what do I know? I’m just a crazy hating ass bitch who’s out of her depth and who should shut her trap…

#bnask #bnasks #ASOIAF #I see them trying to hide their hands now but it really is too late #y’all talked too much and showed your whole ass #house of the dragon #hotd #got #ASOIAF fandom #anti asoiaf fandom #fire & blood

[alovelyburn]

I think the craziest part about Griffith in my mind is that he probably would've been the most popular character in Berserk if he didn't assault Casca. Like he's very well written and his motives were pretty understandable. It's just the one thing he solely did out of spite ruins him for people.

I do agree with this - he's the type of antagonist that tends to commandeer fandoms more often than not in most fandoms. Which is why it always bugs me out that people are so hostile to him. I do realize it's the rape but that's kind of difficult for me to fathom for... maybe three main reasons.

First, I just have a hard time understanding people being angry at fictional characters for things that never actually happened. I have long since come to realize that I'm the only one in the universe like this aside from @zombiesgohome lmao but it doesn't make it any easier to fathom for me, I straight up can't understand it.

Second, tbh, is that Griffith didn't even do it, Femto did. One of the things that really bugs me out about Berserk's English-speaking fandom is how ... not even unable but like unwilling people are to acknowledge any difference whatsoever between human Griffith and Femto/NeoGriffith to the point where they just straight up make shit up about Griffith (like that he's a serial rapist and raped Charlotte) in order to support their obviously incorrect theory that he was just a monster from day one. And it's especially weird because this concept - the "Person was different before they were turned into a [whatever. vampire/demon/werewolf/zombie/lich/whatever] and now they're very different" thing - isn't exactly uncommon. And in Griffith's case, we are repeatedly told that he's changed and that his heart is frozen. Even Miura himself explicitly rejected the concept that Griffith was Just Evil (hell he kinda rejected the idea that Griffith is evil NOW). And yet....

They don't care, they ignore the story, they ignore the creator, they somehow imagine that a child who engages in self-harm while claiming that he's fine is actually literally completely fine, or that someone who has an emotional breakdown and self-destructs when left by Guts is just having a tantrum because he lost his toy. They imagine that he's spoiled even though he literally grew up on the street. They even blame him for his own extreme and prolonged torture and it's just fucking weird, I've never seen anything like it in my life. I think this is the thing that I find most baffling of everything in any fandom I have ever been in, and it will never, ever, ever make sense to me.

And third, this has a lot to do with my personal experience in fandoms, but Berserk was literally the first fandom I ever encountered that would have cared about this.

I'm a fandom veteran, you know? When I see people trying to argue that AO3 should ban [insert dead dove: do not eat topic here], it's just incredibly ironic to me because the reason AO3 exists is that Livejournal tried to enforce rules against what would now be considered problematic content and people were so angry that they started plotting an escape from the site. It's also the reason Dreamwidth exists.

So basically... when I first finished reading Berserk, I was genuinely shocked by how hated Griffith was because in literally every fandom I'd been in until then he would've been the most popular character even with the SA. Hell a lot of people would've just used it as a diving board off which to launch their darkfic.

And it's so odd to me that like... so many fandoms were out there trying to infuse into their canon the things that Berserk fans were angry about having to see.

#ask #anonymous #ariel talks about berserk #fandom bullshit

[sinigangsta-ao3]

countdown to the end: 4 days left!

or: AOT FIC WRITERS — LET'S CELEBRATE THE ENDING OF "ATTACK ON TITAN" WITH OUR FAVORITE PASSAGES WE'VE WRITTEN!

+++

If you’re an AOT fic writer and you see this, please join! And let’s celebrate the end of a magical series by celebrating the richness and creativity of this fandom 💕

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One of my fave things about eremika is that, canonically, it’s a love doomed by the narrative. It’s obvious they’re soulmates, but the reality of their lives keeps them apart. My one-shot sequel to “straight/edge,” “chance with you,” was a bit of an exploration on that theme. It’s a sad one, yes, and the series doesn’t have a happy ending. But I’m proud of it because it is real — and, above all, I wanted to convey how transformative love can be, even if we can’t always keep it in the ways we want to.

+++

Day 4 - love lost

She tastes like he remembers. Like oranges. Like ice cream. Like youth and springtime and happiness.

He grabs her hands, still gripping his shirt, and tries to push away. He mumbles her name against her lips — a hushed reminder of where they are, of who they are now.

But Mikasa rejects his rejection. She wraps her arms around his neck and fists his hair, slots her lips over his. She pushes into him with a desperation that makes him want to cry — to cry all the tears that he had to hold in over the years.

But he can't cry because Eren knows that his tear ducts have dried up, that he lost his ability to cry when his soul crumbled behind bars. So Eren pours all his sadness, all his mourning, into kissing her back.

With her hands in his hair — longer, duller — and his hands on her waist — softer, fuller — Eren feels like a young man again. Like a young man whose heart leapt into his throat when a girl entered his convenience store. Whose hands trembled when she sat down beside him in her living room, when she talked to him as if he were someone who mattered. Who loved him and trusted him enough to let him love her the way he wanted, the way he wished he could for the rest of his life.

His heart weeps. For lost time. For an alternate life. For his reality: that he will spend the rest of his days pining for a woman he shouldn’t have loved in the first place.

+++

title: chance with you

pairings: eremika, background mikasa x unknown

tags: modern AU, heavy angst, reunion, mentioned character death, lost love, grief, heartache, cheating, sad ending, moving on, closure

summary:

Fifteen years after he involuntarily left Trost, Eren returns and is presented with an opportunity to seek the closure that he and his loved ones were denied.

--

the sequel and conclusion to the "straight/edge" universe

#attack on titan fanfiction #aot fanfic #eremika #eremika fic #tag games

[ancientevangelions]

Evangelion, LGBT+ Rights and Time

It is fascinating how readings of Evangelion have changed over time as society varies. In 2012-2015 (and to some degree even now), vocal shippers would bully others if they chose the "wrong" pairings. Reminder to everyone that you choose to engage with fan content, and it is 100% your choice to harass and bully people over their views. Shipping fictional characters should be fun and a way to engage on a different level with fandom, not an exercise in who has the moral high ground. There are shows I will not engage with because I find the canon pairings to trigger my C-PTSD, but I block those tags. (It's Madoka Magica; the third movie starts a violent fear reaction).

When I first watched Evangelion circa 2010, a Trans reading of Evangelion, though not unheard of, was less common than it is now. I grew up in Northern Alberta, Canada, where we knew what gay, straight, and bi were. Still, everything else was not mentioned until after I graduated high school and moved to a bigger city for University in 2009. This led to me doing a lot of self-discovery. I didn't fully embrace my non-binary identity until I turned 28 for various reasons, including personal safety (that would be spring of 2019, for those wondering). I knew my gender identity differed from others because of the LGBT+ club at University, where I would hang out and learn new terminologies, identities, and what consent meant. Still, until recently, people did not talk about LGBT+ identity outside of these circles, especially not in groups with aging populations. Fast forward to now (2023) on Tumblr, when there are so many differences in opinions and interpretations. I wonder if people my age (or older) watched Eva and considered the characters could be anything but straight and cis or if they were shocked by Maya's love for Ritsuko when it was revealed in End of Evangelion. 90s media had a lot of ingrained homophobia and transphobia. You don't need to look further than popular sitcoms like the Simpsons or FRIENDS to see the LGBT+ community ridiculed for a cheap laugh. Western society was very anti-LGBT, and though we have made gains with marriage equality laws in 2005 for Canada, there is still room for improvement.

When I watched NGE/EoE, It was at the start of LGBT+ identities becoming more prevalent in Western media. I watched the ambiguous interactions of episode 24, and I remember thinking how sad it was that Kaworu had to die. The interactions between Shinji and Kaworu did not appear romantic or wholesome while I watched. It seemed tragic and doomed to failure (like Shiniji's previous attempts at gaining understanding.) Upon my first watch, I concluded that Shinji's desperation for affection led to his attraction to Kaworu. It did not seem genuine, and I saw it as less romantic and more as a deeply tragic episode where a broken boy is manipulated by lies of exclusion and ultimately heartbroken because he is once again betrayed and left alone. This reading was solidified for me in EoE when Asuka confronts Shinji with the line that anyone will do in Hell's Kitchen. Shinji is even more frantic and desperate for someone to love and save him and is once again rejected. Shinji wants someone to give him love and support and to understand and help him. The fear and desperation of being left alone make Episode 24 and End of Evangelion incredibly twisted and tragic. Shinji's arc climaxes with the tragedy of human miscommunication, desperation for affection, and the desire for love and understanding without the act.

Hell's Kitchen (End of Evangelion)

There's so much pain in suffering and loneliness. Additionally, I firmly believe Shinji did not/does not love anyone romantically in NGE/EoE. I am not saying he has no potential to love anyone. He is not there yet in his journey. He may have crushes or interests, but romantic love takes Time, communication, compromise, understanding, and so many elements of vulnerability between two people to establish, form, and maintain that connection. Shinji did not have the time to develop a true romantic bond with anyone and was not in a formal relationship. Yes, he kissed Asuka and relied on her for stability/support. He had deep conversations with Kaworu and received unconditional affection. He trusted and depended on Misato. He was curious about Rei and wanted to help her/know more about her. Still, he never took steps to form a romantic partnership, instead preferring to "keep things ambiguous."

Shinji is still figuring things out. The point of NGE and EoE isn't romance. It's figuring out your identity.

This message of misunderstanding and muddling through your identity is likely why it resonates so much with LGBT+ communities because many of us did have to muddle out our difficult questions of identity. It can be intimidating to navigate so much information, especially if you aren't in a safe environment. It feels similar to being attacked by alien forces in a war zone, except instead of Angels, it is hate-filled views, bullying, name-calling, misinformation, and fear. And instead of Evas/NERV, we have GSAs, outreach centres, online spaces, and supportive people that we hope will help us more than they harm us.

I find an element of cultural difference intriguing in Evangelion (and all Japanese anime to some degree). Japanese people interpret scenes very differently from English-speaking Western audiences. Part of the nuance is lost in translation, cultural differences, and the differences in Time that have passed. I highly recommend reading various semi-autobiographical works such as "The Bride was a Boy" or "My lesbian experience with loneliness." to understand the queer experience in Japan better. There are a lot of differences to sort through when we look at different cultures. Unfortunately, Japan has a ways to go on LGBT+ rights, including access to transgender health care and same-sex marriage (which, at the time of writing, is still not recognized in Japan). My point is that culture-to-culture intent in various media, whether written or visual, will be lost. We can, of course, read interpretations, watch video essays, talk to friends, etc. Still, to draw our conclusions, we often would rather watch the source material as "purely" as well as can without interference from other people. This brings in a final theme from Evangelion. We can never understand anyone 100%; only you can completely understand yourself. So whether you agree or disagree with me, remember these are my thoughts and opinions shaped by my life growing up as an LGBT+ Canadian. So be good to yourself, and congratulations.

#the end of evangelion #neon genesis evangelion #shinji ikari #misato katsuragi #rei ayanami #asuka langley soryu #kaworu nagisa #theory and analysis #thoughts and opinions #opinion essay #LGBT history #cultural differences #If I get anon hate for this I swear...

[arkus-rhapsode]

Do you think Ike is gay and that’s why he friend-zoned Goldmary?

Okay wow that's a loaded question.

Okay I really want to say this right because boy talking about this on the internet I think is delicate in regards to fandom, but in my personal opinion, I don't believe it's "canonical" that Ike is really confirmed one way or the other. He is the only MC to never marry or have the option to marry and I do think the openness of his ending on RD can be read different ways. I know people will bring up his only endings are with two men and then the other side will point at Priam and then everyone will bring up the behind the scenes stuff like the emphasis on Elincia and Ike was more a localization thing, and of course LGBTQ+ themes in in video games have often been subtext back when PoR had come out. Like its a lot, there's a lot of nuance.

I am of the opinion that how you read the character is kinda up to you. I mean I think anyone of any orientation can look at a relatable character in media and in the world of transformative works can explore that with this character. And I am one who will never rain down on "your interpretation is lesser than mine." Like if you were going to ask me, I always read Ike as kinda demiromantic/demisexual. Like he's this very straightforward kind of guy and I see him like not really caring about gender, more he would only feel love with someone who he truly connects with like a Soren or even an Elincia (if we count the localized version). And why Aimee (and Goldmary for that matter) don't really appeal to him. Like I don't see it as obliviousness, but he just would never feel that way for some he just really doesn't know. But that's my interpretation. Once again, Im not saying my reading is correct. I am never gonna attack some for thinking Ike is gay or ace or straight or how you see it. But in like a pure "what is written in canon," its never confirmed so I believe it is open to fans to do what they'd want.

I've said before, I want to see more FE characters particularly portags be bi or have the ability to be with everyone and I was really happy with that with Alear. Like Engage, I want that structure going forward, maybe without the kinda creepy child stuff though. I am happy the localization kinda deemphasized that.

But as for the Goldmary thing, no I think it was just Goldmary is the type to think all men would love her, even ancient Emblems. And you got this guy who is just very direct and blunt and not really seeing her in that way. And she just sorta accepts his somewhat of a response about feeling anything about her. Once again, that's just how I saw it, out of universe the answer is probably just "The writers enjoyed watching Goldmary getting this curt rejection from men which would be a blow to her massive ego."

#fire emblem engage #fe goldmary #fe Ike

[btelling]

11 and 12 for The Squib, please :)

Thank you so much for the question!! Another excellent choice!

11: What do you like best about this fic?

I really love the concept. It's a world that, though horrible, I'm always really excited to return to and think about. The divide between the muggle and wizarding worlds was always something that really fascinated me in canon. And the implications of just how horrible it would be to be a squib didn't really hit me until a later re-read when I was older. Because you're introduced to the concept of Squibs through the lens of Filch, who we all hate, and its this joke. Oh isn't it so funny that this man who is so mean to Harry and his friends has to clean up after all the magical kids and can't even do magic himself (which, god, maintaining a castle that large as one person when you can't even do magic is just cruel, no wonder he was so bitter). But when you really start to peel back the layers of it, you would never really find home in either world. How do you settle for the mundane when you know that Narnia is out there, you just can't access it, not really? And then the wizarding world has also rejected you completely. You're a joke. So while your siblings and relatives are all engaging in literal magic you're just what, being an accountant? While the whole family laughs at you at best or outright denies your existence if they're pureblood? And it's the same for Muggleborns. They have to uproot their entire lives at 11 and leave their world behind for 9 months out of the year every year for 7 straight years. How would that not fracture their relationships with their families and loved ones? Muggle technology can't work inside Hogwarts, so particularly as the Muggle world advances, they're falling further and further behind their friends and relatives. They're completely cut off from their past lives. If they want to communicate home, they have to use the wizarding owl system. If they want to catch up with friends over the summer holidays, they can't talk about their schoolwork or too much about their peers, because oh there's the statute of secrecy. They graduate with qualifications in Transfiguration, they're not going to a traditional university. They're not going back to the Muggle world. It all feels a bit, and to act glib about something incredibly serious and awful, forced assimilation. The implications are really awful if you start to dig just a bit under the surface. The fandom jokes and has theories, but Hermione basically all but stops seeing her parents after GoF - one skiing trip cut short in OotP (thanks Harry) and then she's back to the wizarding world. Because that's where her life is. Now what if we turn up the gas and add more tension to this situation? If these worlds that these characters have to straddle are actively at war with each other, but the muggles have a leg up this time? Well, it was just too tempting to pass up.

12: What do you like least about this fic?

I'd say that, and as much as I loved getting to explore their story, I do wonder if I wasn't writing and posting this chapter by chapter with basically a vague idea at best of where we're going next (we're all in this together), if I'd have gone for such an awful outcome for Dean and Seamus. It felt right at the time, to show how directly impacted more canon characters were by this new world, and I got to zoom out and show more of the world (the scene with the wizard at the bar is a particular favorite of mine) all through the story of a half-blood and a muggleborn traveling together and, again, having to straddle these two worlds. But I never like falling prey to harmful tropes, and I do wish I hadn't "buried the gays" so to speak. Justice for Dean and Seamus, they deserved better.

#ask #The Squib #fanfic #harry potter #justice for Dean & Seamus

[melloween-candie]

Request rules

Welcome to my request rule page. 

We will be discussing-

Fandoms I write for

Things I will do 

Things I won’t do 

Due dates/Notes

Request requirements 

Fandoms I will do 

I will write for any anime/tv show that I know of/have seen. 

Here’s a list-

Attack on Titan

Shameless

Danganronpa

My hero Academia 

Demon slayer

Tokyo Ghoul

Haikyuu

Fairy tail

One piece

Naruto 

Baruto

Inuyasha

Swords arts online

Blue exorcist

Arcane

Stranger things

Riverdale

ETC

The list goes on. I fall in love with other fandoms all the time, so it’s hard to keep up with the list. Just request, and if I reject it, I’ll give you a reason. 

This is mainly an anime fanfiction blog, but I’ll still write for other fandoms like

Shameless

Harry potter

Stranger Things 

Riverdale

The Walking Dead

ETC

Sometimes I write stories for video games… Depending on if I’m really into it. Example- 

Danganronpa

Persona series 

ETC

Things I will do

Angst

Yandere

Smut

Lemon

Lime 

A/B/O (Alpha/Beta/Omega)

AU (Alternate Universe 

Head-canons

Flash-Fic

Ship-Fics

images

stories 

ETC

Number one rule - I ONLY WRITE X READERS (Y/N)

If you don’t like it; you can leave :)

Things I won’t do 

Bestiality 

Cross Fics 

Pedophilia

Necrophilia

Incest

Underage sexual relationships

ETC (I can’t really think of any)

I’ll always add a warning to my fanfics. If you want to request something and you think it’s too much, then you probably shouldn’t. Either way, I try to be very flexible with my writing, so if y'all are willing to negotiate, then y'all will see me posting your requests.  

Due dates

I don’t do well with due dates. I try to post at least one thing a week, but I can’t. Promise anything. Writer’s block is such a pain. That's why I prefer writing for fandoms that I’m currently into.  You’ll know what I’m currently into since I’ll probably post about it. 

Note

If the character is originally straight- I'ma write them like that unless requested otherwise. Same with any sexuality. Also, I don't have anything against Male/Reader- I'm just used to writing Fem/Reader, so I'll probably have more Fem up- (Sorry)

Request Requirements

Details matter! Please add every detail you want to see in the fanfic. 

Be nice! (I will block or ignore rude behavior) 

#requests #request rules

[awanderingmuse-ficrec]

What We’re Given (Series)

Fandom: Avatar the Last Airbender

Author: Haicrescendo, @sword-and-stars​

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Violence, Strong Language, Child Abuse, Major Injury, Imprisonment

Word Count:  39,995

Characters: Zuko, Iroh, Sokka, Aang, Katara, Zuko's Crew, Zhao, Song, Toph Beifong, Azula

Tags: Team Avatar, The Gaang, tiny zuko is in TERRIBLE PAIN, acting as a one man representative of the endangered species act, what’s a little rebellion between friends?, iroh just wants to protect his kid okay, there are wild sky bison and they are PRECIOUS, zuko will just straight up try to murder anybody who tries to mess with them, rebellion kickstarted by genocidal horror, rejection of papa-ganda, Ozai is a terrible father, honestly possibly the WORST father, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, things are similar but also very different, War Crimes, hand waving canon, zuko is tiny and full of SADNESS, and so much self loathing, what is self esteem?, we don’t know, uncle thought he’d have longer to work before we got to full treason but here we are, casually beautiful zuko, oops it’s definitely child abuse, zuko is Not Fucking Around, appa is consistently dirty and zuko is salty as hell about it, HOW COULD YOU LET HIM GET LIKE THIS???a rage-filled manifesto as written by zuko, real talk tho appa is like the dirty harriet of sky bison, the crew is ride or die, abide by the rules of hospitality or perish, oops the author can’t help adding fiber arts to everything, zuko is bigger and SO IS HIS PAIN, so is his voice, uncle takes looking after his kid SUPER SERIOUSLY, childhood nightmare fuel, zuko can never remember that his alias is li, and consequently never answers to it, its a beautiful day on the jasmine dragon and you are a horrible son, uncle just wants his precious child to MAKE SOME GODDAMN FRIENDS, hand waving canon because fuck it, zuko has no chill, and is fully prepared to throw hands, baby zuko is full of angst, and very loud noise, mentions of abuse by authority figures, like this fucking kid has literally had his education sabotaged, and he doesn’t realize that that shit is Not Acceptable, zuko doesn’t realize that uncle has handpicked his crew for sass and loyalty, he’ll understand one day but that day is not today, inescapable fiber arts, zuko stress felts EVERYTHING, And Worries, second thoughts on treason but no regrets, zuko’s crew has Feelings, their commander is a casually endearing little monster and they will fight you over him, zuko is everyone who’s ever had to be polite to dickheads in a service job, he doesn’t get paid enough to put up with this bullshit, zhao is a fuckhead, showing love through endless complaining, not much happens but it’s still important, local uncle surprised to find kid needs more therapy than expected, Zuko is trying his best, his best is a little special, bison lite, sorry y’all, Discussions of Past Abuse, zuko is trying really really hard to be good at existence, he’s just not sure it’s working, reasons to not do crime: zuko will definitely steal your ostrich horse, Zuko is doing his best, coincidentally min is also doing his best, they’re handling it very differently, zukoichi the traveling masseuse, even lost I’ll throw hands, this is a fuckboy psa, as written by zuko, song gives Zuko the business, not the sexy business, the ‘hey you’re being pretty judgey and should probably stop that’ business, Canon has been taken out back and shot, the ba sing shitshow, like seriously this shit is a mess, and Zuko is a mess, be gay do crimes, but only if your names are toph and zuko, we loot because we love, if you didn’t wanna be robbed you shouldn’t have been a dick, nothing like vibing instantly with a child-sized lie detector, thank agni for toph, roof crawling for dummies, field trip to the sewer!, just a little casual attempted fratricide between friends, zuko’s sudden realization that he is a massive tea snob, how the fuck did this happen?, aang and his clue-by-four, Zuko’s no good very bad field trip to the fire nation, Ozai’s A+ Parenting, we stan one (1) uncle, Zuko may not know what’s happening but he’s definitely gonna go murder his dad, hallucinations are gr8or they would be if Zuko was actually hallucinating, the entire shits, how that is the eclipse, Zuko is having a Really Bad Day, the crew of the jasmine dragon is ride or die, in which zuko hurts everyone’s feelings just by being himself, the comfort that comes after the hurt, soft death by sky bison, descriptions of trauma, zuko’s crew is ride or die, feelings? in MY fanfic?, this is soft garbage, rip to the western air temple but I’m different, tags are hard today okay?, Unintentional Self Harm

Started out as a “What would happen if Zuko happened to rediscover sky bison while searching for the Avatar?” and turned into something more than that.

This is a series of one-shots. Please subscribe to the series for updates! <3

To Take Care

Zuko finds them at the Western Air Temple, the first that they visit after his banishment. He doesn’t mean to, and he sure as hell doesn’t go looking for them, but he finds them anyway. He bolts out of the temple, past his uncle, past their camp, and runs until he reaches a forested meadow, where he drops to his knees and throws up everything he’d eaten that day.

Or, alternately:

Zuko discovers the truth about what happened to the Air Nomads, and also rediscovers an endangered species.

To Take Pride

It’s a beautiful day on the Jasmine Dragon, the sun is shining, and Zuko has a Bad Feeling about it.

Or,

Zuko’s casual treason is interrupted by the Avatar, who is a child and a Pain In The Ass.

To Take A Break

Zuko’s fire is broken: is it the treason or is it the anxiety? Uncle takes steps to rectify this.

Or,

The Knitterlude nobody asked for

To Take Heed

[“Snap your fingers at me one more time, and I’m taking them off,” Zuko snarls at him after being snapped at once too often. Zhao rubs a hand over his sideburns and eyes him.

“Your uncle hasn’t taught you manners yet?”

“Sorry,” he replies, not sorry at all, “Snap your fingers at me one more time and I’m taking them off, Admiral.” He sees Uncle’s warning stare and shuffles a pace backwards. He hates Zhao and Zhao hates him, and they both hate the stupid game they have to play of feigned politeness when really, they each want the other to drop dead where they stand.]

Or,

Zuko is tired of Zhao’s nonsense, an important talk about surrender is a long time coming, and the Siege of the North is an absolute mess.

To Take Advantage

[Zuko doesn’t tell Uncle goodbye.

He doesn’t think that he would try and stop him, but Zuko thinks that if he has to talk about it, he’ll manage to talk himself out of it. Better to go now before he can change his mind.

Zuko packs light: a change of clothes, some nonperishables, and a few knives go into a wax-lined satchel. He’s about to leave the room when he stops to eye the swords mounted on his wall, and, well.

It’s not like he can go around firebending all over the place, he reasons, and straps them to his back.]

Or,

Zuko’s super fun, solo adventure in the Earth Kingdom.

To Take Cover

[“So,” she says, “The question is: what do we need from each other?”

“I need to warn the Avatar. Someone’s coming for him and he needs to get out of this city.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” Toph replies with the frustration of somebody who’s tried really spirits-damned hard, “Not til he finds Appa.”

“Then I have to find the bison, and then get the Aang out of here. He’s not...he’s not prepared,” And Zuko can’t hold back the note of tightly controlled hysteria from his voice, “She’s going to come for him and he’s going to underestimate her, and she’s going to let him.”]

Or,

In which Zuko goes to a family reunion, commits some casual felonies, and drinks some really bad tea, not necessarily in that order.

To Take Heart

[Iroh looks awful.

He’s definitely been crying and his face looks like it’s never known how to smile, and his whole posture is slumped over like he’s suddenly aged several decades. His eyes (gold, just like Zuko’s) are sharp, though, and filled with something hard and furious.

“How could you have left him behind?” He drags out, voice rough and heavy and mad.]

Or,

What happens afterwards.

To Take Comfort

[Zuko is rocking.

That’s the first sensation he feels upon awakening. It’s a familiar feeling, as is the texture of the knit blanket he’s curled up in, as is the quiet but constant hum of machinery, deep in the belly of the Jasmine Dragon.

...wait.

Zuko bolts upright and flails, once, and falls out of bed with a hard clatter. It’s his bed that he’s been sleeping in for years, and definitely not the cell that he’s been rotting in for the last...he doesn’t know how long. He doesn’t know how he got here. He doesn’t remember.]

Or,

Zuko is not okay. But he can get better.

#atla #avatar the last airbender #zuko #sokka #aang #katara #toph beifong #azula #atla:fluff #atla:angst #atla:alternate time line #atla:pre canon #atla:canon divergence #atla:wani crew #atla:ozai parenting #atla:zuko's scar #wip #20to50k #teen #fic rec

[damnfandomproblems]

WOKE™ people on fandom: if a female character rejects one (01) male character when he flirts with her, is not a sweet little princess, dress - wait for it - PANTS and JACKET and her hair doesn't reach her waist she's SUPER OBVIOUSLY a butch lesbian and it's homophobia to think she can be anything else, even if she has never showed any interest in anyone on canon. No. Lesbian. Period.

Because a straight, bi or pan woman would never ever in any possible reality reject a guy, 100% of the time acts like a sweet little princess and stays miles away from any piece of clothing that isn't girly or revealing.

Such wokeness, I'm in awe.

(Headcanon whatever you want just stop forcing your headcanons down our throats as if they're a universal truth, especially if it's purely based on misogynistic stereotypes. Every woman can reject whoever they want, have no obligation whatsoever to be gentle and docile and can dress whatever they want. The right to choose it is not related to their sexuality. Not to mention how damaging this whole "if she doesn't perform femininity like a true southern lady she's a butch lesbian and you're a homophobe if you disagree" shit is to some trans women)

#ask box submisison #other fans #character problems #shipping problems

[the-ferocious-kittyrose]

My complicated opinion on Keith Kogane

Keith Kogane is definitely one of the more popular characters in the VLD fandom. People love brooding emo bad boys.

My feelings on Keith are... complicated. I definitely don’t hate him. I have a lot of problems with the character but I don’t think I could ever bring myself to actually hate him. Mainly because I kinda relate to him. We both have problems controlling our emotions, interacting with people, and making friends.

And we both have trouble believing there are people who truly have our best interests at heart and won’t abandon us because we’re a burden.

What I do hate is the way his character was written and the way it negatively impacted the characters around him.

There are definitely a lot of factors that contributed to VLD ending up the way it did. But to me, Keith and the writers insistence on pushing him to the forefront was the poison that killed the show.

Ok, before we get into this whole rant I feel like I should talk about the things I do like about Keith.

I like the premise of Keith’s character. He’s half Galra and never really fit in on Earth. He didn’t act like the other “normal” kids so kids made fun of him and adults didn’t want to deal with him. So in order to protect himself from the pain of rejection he would put up a tough angry facade and push people away and reject them before they could reject him.

This is something that really resonates with me personally having grown up neurodivergent. It’s awful growing up in a world that isn’t made for people like you and not knowing how to interact with or connect with your peers. Especially when you don’t know why you’re like that.

You learn to avoid social interaction because it always ends up negative. You put up walls because you don’t feel like anybody understands you or what you’re going through.

I know the writers probably didn’t intend to code Keith as neurodivergent. They just wanted Keith to be a hothead with abandonment issues, but nonetheless, this interpretation means a lot to me.

I also really like his relationship with Shiro. Keith is so used to being left behind and abandoned that when he meets someone like Shiro who’s patient and genuinely cares it’s new and strange. He’s so ready for Shiro to abandon him, even telling Shiro to send him back to the home, but Shiro refuses to leave him and tells Keith ethat he’s never going to give up on him.

It’s also interesting to see how their relationship develops over time. It’s clear Keith trusts Shiro, but you can tell that that fear of abandonment is still there deep down. In S2, Keith tells Shiro that he’s like a brother to him, and then in season 6, he takes the extra step and tells Shiro that he IS his brother and that he loves him. And for someone like Keith, telling their friend they love them is a big scary thing.

And also it’s just great to see a platonic “I love you,” especially between two guys. Don’t be afraid to tell your bros you love them!!!

Now let’s talk about the stuff I didn’t like.

Keith doesn’t have much going for him in terms of personality. He’s just sorta brooding and serious all the time. He does make jokes occasionally but it’s rare. The writers were more focused on making him cool and badass rather than fun.

I always loved the idea of Keith as a cocky carefree asshole who doesn’t give a shit about rules/laws and is kinda rude/aggressive but has a heart of gold deep down and would do anything for the people he cares about. (Just like a cat.)

I would also make him more alien esc. In terms of design I like the idea of Keith having red eyes with narrow pupils and fangs. And also just small things like the way he walks and holds himself. He growls and bears his teeth when he’s angry, his hair puffs up when scared, he’s fast and agile, disappearing and reappearing without making much noise, small things.

Then you have his race and sexuality. I have no doubt in my mind that Keith was intended to be a straight white dude. A lot of people see him as gay and Asian but there’s no evidence for this in canon. Acxa was originally intended to be his love interest and his race was never mentioned in canon. His name isn’t even Kogane in canon. (And the race of the voice actor doesn’t equal the race of the character. If that was the case Shiro, Hunk, and Lance would be white.)

They should’ve totally made Keith Japanese like he was in the original. It would’ve been so easy! Just canonize Kogane as his last name and have the book say he’s half Japanese half Galra. They could’ve also done what they did with Shiro and keep his og GoLion name. Just have him be Akira Kogane. Definitely cooler than “Keith.”

And as for his sexuality, I definitely think they should’ve had Keith be gay. But well get to that Later...

I also don’t like how they handled the whole Krolia thing. Not only was it crazy rushed, but it completely goes against the shows theme of found family.

Keith’s arc should’ve been about overcoming his abandonment issues and learning to accept the paladins as family. But instead they just get rid of the abandonment issues by just giving him his mom back.

I know a lot of people love Krolia but I don’t feel like she should’ve been introduced in anything other than flashbacks. Because Keith’s mom isn’t really that important. The show is about found family and friendship, not blood relation.

You can definitely have Keith learn about his mom and his family, but I feel like giving him his mom back was too much.

Personally, I always headcanoned that Kolivan was Keith’s grandfather or just a close friend of Krolia’s, and when Keith showed up at the Blade’s base Kolivan recognized the blade as his Krolia’s. Keith could learn about his mom through Kolivan telling him about her, how she was a great person and warrior who died fighting to make the universe a safer place for her son.

Another thing I didn’t like was the whole Keith leaving the team for the Blades thing. I know why he did it, he felt like the team was gonna reject him, he wanted to be more useful, and wanted to learn about his family, but I feel like you could’ve touched on all that without having him abandon his team.

One of the biggest problems with the show is that they did a bad job at establishing the paladins as friends, they feel like coworkers more than anything, and I feel like Keith being absent for two seasons contributed to that.

And his absence is hardly addressed. The team forms Voltron perfectly without him and no one ever says they miss him. Keith doesn’t even seem like he missed them after being gone for two years.

And a lot of the weight was taken out of that Keith v Kuron fight by the fact that Keith and Kuron hardly interacted.

That whole thing amounted to four things, Keith meeting Krolia (which I don’t think should’ve happened), them finding the colony (which was a dumb plot I don’t think should’ve happened), Keith aging up two years (which was weird and unnecessary), and Keith meeting Kosmo (which is... complicated).

I don’t think this plot was necessary. Keith should’ve stayed with his team.

Then you have his relationship with Lance. I know people are very sensitive about this topic. People have very strong opinions about whether or not Keith and Lance were intended to be romantically coded.

Personally, I do like Klance but I don’t believe they were romantically coded. I think if you want them to get together some things would have to go differently.

For example, the bonding moment. In canon, Lance tells Keith, “we make a good team.” I don’t see this as referring to him and Keith. I think he was talking about the whole team. If you want it to be about the two of them, I feel like it should be Lance telling Keith something like, “ya know, you’re not so bad after all,” and then Keith smiles and responds, “you’re not so bad yourself.”

Another example could be the scene where Lance comes to Keith with his insecurities. (Whether it’s as a leader or a friend.) This scene was weird in canon, Lance comes to Keith for advice and Keith basically tells him to just stop thinking about it.

I would prefer if Lance brought up to Keith how he doesn’t feel like he’s good enough or that he doesn’t have, “a thing,” and Keith is completely dumbfounded like, “what are you even talking about?” He goes on about all the good shit about Lance. Talks about how Blue chose him, how he’s a great shot, how he’s good at dealing with people, meanwhile Lance is standing there in shock as Keith says all these nice things about him.

Over all you would just have to develop their relationship more. More meaningful interactions. And if you want the relationship to be romantic you would have to establish that early on. Establish that one or both has romantic feelings for the other in like S1/S2 because if you wait too long it’s gonna feel forced/out of no where.

And then... you have the Black Paladin arc... I’m gonna be real with y’all, this is the arc that killed the show for me, for a few reasons.

One, even ignoring the whole quintessence bond thing, it makes no sense for Keith to be the bp. He doesn’t fit the role. I adore Shiro but choosing Keith as his successor was a dumb move. I get that he saw potential in Keith but they’re are fighting a war, there’s no room for favoritism.

Shiro should’ve chosen Allura as his successor. Not only does she have actual leadership experience, but you would only have one paladin in a new Lion instead of three.

If a lifeguard breaks his leg and can’t work, he should choose an experienced swimmers to take his place, not his little bro that’s still in water wings in the hopes that it’ll teach him to swim.

Two, Keith being the bp doesn’t help his arc. Keith’s arc is about overcoming his abandonment issues and learning to be a team player, he doesn’t need to be the leader for that.

VLD should’ve been about the paladins growing into the best versions of themselves they could be. Their development shown by unlocking new abilities in their respective lions, new forms for their bayards, and new Voltron bayard power ups. They shouldn’t have to change lions and themselves.

Keith and Red have a strong bond and work great together. Keith and Red are both temperamental, unpredictable, and have issues with trust. Keith having to fight to get Red to trust and open up to him mirrors how others have to fight to earn Keith’s trust and get him to let down his walls.

It would’ve been interesting to see them grow together. Keith has no emotional connection with Black.

We never even get to see them bond. Keith just suddenly becomes the “perfect” bp/leader because he got over his mommy issues

Three, it’s a MASSIVE disservice to Shiro’s character. Shiro put all the work in earning his position as the bp, he literally fits fought Zarkon on the astral plane to earn her trust, yet Keith is the true bp? What?

It sucks. Sendak told Shiro that a monster like him could never be a paladin and the writers went and proved him right. Hell Shiro didn’t even get to kill Sendak, Keith got that too.

And don’t tell me, “but he got the Atlas!” REALLY!? A massive Deus ex machina that required absolutely no effort from him to acquire!? Filled with a bunch of rando background characters no one gives a shit about!? You’re totally right, that 100% makes up for it.

I could go on and on about how the treatment of Shiro in this show (and fandom) is blatantly ableist but that’s a rant for another time.

It sucks. I want to like Keith! He had the potential to be an amazing character but the writers just kept on trying to turn him into something he wasn’t and it ruined him for me.

They kept trying to turn Keith into the main character and ignored that ALL the paladins are the main characters. It’s an ensemble cast! You don’t have to have everything come back to one guy.

#voltron #voltron legendary defender #voltron legendary discourse #vld #vld critical #keith kogane #keith vld #red paladin keith #klance #krolia #black paladin shiro #takashi shirogane #vld shiro #black lion #red lion #galra #galra keith #blade of marmora

[thescreaminghat]

Now that all of Riot Games Arcane has Been released.

I would like to take about a recurring issue in fandoms and in culture on general Misogynoir Misogynoir is misogyny directed towards black women where race and gender both play roles in bias.[1] The term was coined by queer black feminist Moya Bailey, who created the term in 2010 to address misogyny directed toward black women in American visual and popular culture.

Arcane has a new character named Mel a member of the Piltover council, and member of Piltover most influential family.

Sense she was introduced the fanbase has been speculating about how she is evil, secretly a Noxian Spy, or even LeBlanc a white women known for illusions (which sense having sex with someone if they think your someone else is rape, isn’t something Riot wouldn’t touch.)

And she is differently not hundred % noble and trustworthy. Asking Jayce to learn how to do realpolitik. But that was to help him navigate the council.

And how she was “seducing” Jayce away from Viktor a popular MLM ship. With a scene of her and Jayce having sex was put together with Viktor coughing off blood.

But neither Jayce or Mel knew Viktor was terminal and dying, and once Jayce heard he was dying he went straight to him. When Jayce came to Mel for advice she told him he should spend His time with Viktor.

The reaction to Mel shows https://stitchmediamix.com/2021/10/10/fandom-misogynoir-bingo-card/ Lots of spaces here, how shes evil, how she and Jayce aren’t good together.

I totally agree that there are people who are feeding into the "misogynoir" lens of Mel by using "shipping" (in this case) as a smokescreen. I do feel that it's a double-standard for some viewers to characterize the black female lead in a series as popular as Arcane as "evil/manipulative" or "insincere/not deserving of empathy because she has her own goals," when characters like Swain (whom I also like both in terms of characterization and design) essentially get a free pass among the fans despite embodying the extreme end of the kind of intrigue and political machinations that people criticize Mel for participating in. Mel's in-universe actions should never be used to "justify" the misogyny and racism of those kinds of viewers.

Personally, I really like characters who are morally more ambiguous, which is one of the reasons I like Arcane, because no one is really "wrong", and they view what they are doing as "right"/have legitimate reasons to understand their actions as being the best option in the circumstances they are in.

I really like Mel's character arc, especially where her ambitions come into conflict with her personal morals (aka she has always rejected the violence and conquest symbolized by Noxus and her mother, but still desires power through diplomacy and, as you said, realpolitik, all of which comes to a climax when she realizes the way that Piltover and Silco have been pushing and pushing Zaun is going to lead to civil war). She is also quite sympathetic, because she has her moments of vulnerability and reflection that make her arc relatable as well.

To be frank, I don't really care that much about Jayce/Viktor being canon, because after watching the entire series I think that what we got in terms of their dynamic was already well-rounded and believable, and the primary reason why I like Viktor as a character isn't because he's "attached" to Jayce as a potential love interest, but because he's always been a comfort character for me, long before I knew that Arcane was gonna be a thing---yes, I do shitpost about "The Breakup" between Viktor and Jayce, and I think there is something to be said about Riot's reluctance to confirm a MLM couple that isn't just some background extras (e.g. I have no idea why TF and Graves are not just canonically married, but that's a whole other story), but I don't agree with those who characterize Mel as somehow "lesser" or "bad" because she has her own motivations.

There's also the issue of framing a black woman as part of the "oppressive elite" when we already don't have as many well-developed black women and women of colour in popular media with central roles in the narratives at play, so I do think that that is another point of criticism for how her character is being portrayed in the series.

#arcane #mel #jayce #viktor #your ask is answered! #i like ur comments because they explain why i felt uncomfortable with how ppl framed mel #like shes got her own goals but ultimately jayce is responsible for his own actions #why is the woman of colour being held responsible for the white guy's decisions #decisions that ultimately led to a kid being shot because he wanted to be a macho guy #mel has her flaws but she isnt a villain by any means

[musette22]

no attack to you because I know you're still bitter about endgame which is valid but stop using the word straighwashed. I ship stucky but Bucky has only ever dated women in comics and the mcu and that's real. the situation with the "straightwashed" word is that some people are really turning it into a "wanda situation" in which they're saying that they changed basic things about Bucky when that's not true. they're attacking the character and sebastian for things that arent real, which never were. again, bucky has only ever dated women in both comics and the mcu. our headcanons really have nothing to do with real canon

Hello! Thank you for sharing your concerns, I appreciate it. I’ll admit that ‘straightwashing’ wasn’t the best choice of words here, though mostly because we have to be careful with terms like that because using them callously might diminish their value and impact in instances when they’re really applicable. So my statement was a little too bold, and it’s good that you pointed that out. But let me try to explain what I meant in a slightly more nuanced way, because I do feel strongly about this. I’ll put it under the keep reading tab though, because of course it’s long lmao

So, first of all, let me say that I’ve never read the comics and I don’t know original comic Bucky well at all, so everything I’m saying here is with regard to MCU Bucky, or at least the character as it was re-invented/re-introduced by Ed Brubaker in the Winter Soldier comics, which was then adapted for the big screen by the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

I understand what you mean when you say that MCU Bucky was posited as straight, but I some reservations about your use of the word ‘real’ here. I get that you mean ‘canon’, and on a surface level, canon Bucky is indeed straight. But if you even so much as scratch that surface, you’ll find plenty of reason to wonder if maybe he isn’t actually completely straight after all, right? It’s what drew a lot of people to ship these two characters together, you and I included. That’s subtext, and a lot of it was put there or endorsed by the creators themselves (Ed Brubaker himself even supports the reading of Bucky and Steve as romantic, so that says quite a bit, I think). Subtext is ‘real’ too, and so is homophobia, sadly, so they deserve to be treated as such, in my opinion. A romantic reading of the relationship between Steve and Bucky was frequently hinted at, initially even encouraged, and then violently shut down by Marvel/Disney when it became too mainstream of an opinion and it didn’t suit them anymore, and even started to present a real issue for them in terms of distribution to certain parts of the world. In a nutshell, that’s what led to Steve’s ending in Endgame, because Captain America (at least the MCU one, that brings in the money) cannot outwardly be anything other than straight, or he would be rejected by a significant part of their audience. That’s more or less what I meant by the word ‘straightwashing’, although ‘straightened out’ might be more accurate here.

Whether the same thing is happening to Bucky’s character remains to be seen (more than it already did, I mean – remember “Dot”?) and I’ll wait until the whole show has aired and we know exactly how they develop Bucky’s character in it before I make any more bold statements about it. I read an interesting take today that suggested they may have actually dropped a hint at Bucky being bi in this first ep (also, note how they’re like “there are even entire blogs dedicated to this pairing!” And then actually link to @steveandbvcky’s amazing tumblr blog lol). I’m pretty skeptical about this take, because even if they’re right and that really was a hint at Bucky being bi, I doubt they’re going to be exploring that any further, and only people “in the know” will have even picked up on that. It’s easy enough to ignore, and it’s very clear the date was with a woman, so in that sense Bucky is still Straight, to all intents and purposes. So while it could be an act of what you might call fanservice and we’ll probably gratefully lap it up anyway because we’re starved for crumbs and representation, if this is all it is, then it’s even more meaningless than Gay Joe Russo. But again, I’ll reserve judgement on all this until the whole show has aired and we know exactly what we’re working with, because maybe they’ll redeem themselves! (one can only hope)

Let me also just make it clear that I in no way support or endorse attacking the actors for their portrayal of these characters in a way that we’re not entirely happy with. They’re just doing their job, they’re on Marvel’s payroll – and even if they just don’t personally view the characters in the same way we do, that’s valid and fine as long as they’re not actively homophobic or anything like that. I also realise that fandom has a tendency to ‘demand’ certain things they want to see and throw a tantrum if we don’t get it. 

But I really don’t think that’s what this is. It’s more than that. Marvel has a notoriously bad track record when it comes to LGBT representation (although they’re working on that in the next phase, apparently) and in this day and age, that really won’t fly anymore (it never did of course, but you know what I mean). Moreover, read any given article about Bucky, or the relationship between Steve and Bucky, and 8 out of 10 times you’ll find some sort of acknowledgment of a romantic reading of it. It’s that apparent and pervasive. So I don’t think that being disappointed and frustrated with Marvel/Disney reinforcing a ‘just bros being bros’ reading of Steve and Bucky’s relationship time and time again since the end of Civil War (the movie, not the historical event) is outrageous or unjustified. That’s basically what I’m sick and tired of, and what led me to make a disparaging comment about not being surprised if Bucky were being ‘straightened out’ again.

P.s. A few people have mentioned Arnie Roth too, which could be a good point too although I don’t know enough about it to comment on it, but I’ll leave it to you.

#stucky #anti endgame #fws opinions #minnie answers #Anonymous

[lauraluna98]

Why Little Witch Academia didn’t need a new season

A thing that I find pretty common among the great majority of the LWA fandom is how most persons want so much a whole new season for the anime even with the ending that was more likely a conclusion ending than a cliffhanger to another season or more adventures

To be honest when I firstly entered into the LWA fandom I was thinking that this wish for another season was more like a meme or something because of a ending like that, why did people want so much about a new season? But I’m not going to say about that because I already know the reasons most people want

Here we are with 14 reasons why there’s no need for a new season and I’m open to see if someone has a answer to that and why is better to just leave the show the way it was

1- The ending is already a conclusion

I have already said about that but here I am to say it again just to clarify this. The ending was something that put a conclusion to everything that was a “problem” on LWA World plot, they solve everything, like the tension among witches and politicians, the humans starting to think that magic is cool, the “Spirit bomb” like kinda of power which beat the main threat and everyone sees that, now the whole problem with people who doesn’t believe in magic is solved on the anime

2- The show is written to be simple

A thing that I find a lot when people say that they need a new season is that the World of LWA is very complex and well build… And well, they’re right, but that doesn’t mean they would have a proper writing to be a completely masterpiece for a lot of seasons, the intention is only to be about Akko fulfilling her dream and this part is already done, remember that this is a Studio Trigger anime, the writers there aren’t that good and most of the animes have the “Don’t give up” message and is written around that

3- Its a waste of time and money

This isn’t a secret to anyone that LWA has one of the most beautiful and well made animations in the world and its all handmade, now imagine to do a whole season with 24 episodes like the one we already have just think ho w much frames they would take to make with the same level they did with the anime and how much time and money they needed to bring just to pay the animators just to make a whole new season for an anime that already have a proper ending just because some fans wanted. Animations tend to have around 30 frames per second, now imagine a 22 minutes episode

By the math we have 30 x 60 x 22 = 39600 frames for each episode and if we multiply by 24 episodes we have an 950400 frames anime

Imagine doing almost a million frames of a concluded anime that has a pretty solid story because the fans want while they could use all the time and money to focus on other shows and even release one that is as good as the show you love so much

4- They need to change the ending

Nice now they want to have a new season, but here we are, how they need to keep the plot keep going, they have a completely “it’s everything fine and done” ending, a conclusive final to the series, with all of the things solved, they would need to bring something to the plot happen without being forced or nonsense and even more complicated than that. Is that they needed to maintain with the same simple written and the whole message of “Don’t give up on your dreams” and the whole motivational writing, they would need to change what happened to the ending to bring a reason to the plot to happen

5- You want Diakko

I’m a Diakko shipper myself and I know pretty much that the LWA fandom is about Diakko and Diakko is the thing in LWA fandom being what it is and I know that the fandom want a new season to the Diakko happen

And don’t say “No, no you’re wrong we don’t want the romance we want just the new season”

Don’t be an Hypocryte, you guys want the Diakko a lot and what if the season comes out you guys are going to post parts without context saying “OMFG DIAKKO EZ REAL LOOK HOW THEY ARE GAY” like the Diakko already do with the Official arts without knowing that Official art ≠ Canon

And I pretty much know that what if came out people would complain saying “NOOO THE DIAKKO ISN’T HAPPENING THIS SEASON IS TRASH AY WANT ANOTHER” and I pretty much know that the Diakko is gonna be a huge queerbait if the show have another season, they would tease a lot and in the end they would simple “Screw you we don’t want romance” The producer has already stated that they don’t want romance

So don’t have the hope that Diakko will be canon, is sad to say that but is the true, at least isn’t another season of queerbaiting

6- “But Akko story is finished and they want to explore other characters like Amanda or Diana”

No they won’t going to explore Diana and Amanda story, since both already have their time to be developed and to be honest LWA is Akko even tho she’s not that well written character, LWA is about her, she’s the main character and the one who make the plot happen, like everyone changed because of Akko and that’s it, Akko is the main character and they aren’t going to simple put Diana or Amanda as the main characters even if they are more liked than Akko sometimes, they didn’t have the weight and aren’t as addicting as Akko and I’m saying that being a 100% Diana stan

“But the director and the producer said that on a interview in the past”

Yeah and a interview confirms that Akko is lesbian too

Oh for the nine lesbian witches, I need to say that you guys are picking a interview and putting out of the context to just being a reason to be right into a discussion even tho the context could be another. And I pretty much know that they could say that to be more like a concept idea rather than really making a second season focused on Diana or Amanda

For Amanda we have only that manga story about their parents and she wanting to be expelled from Luna Nova since she hates magic, but then she starts to like the magic because of Akko

For Diana we have more and most things are already done for her to the point of even Daryl being less asshole with her, but we mostly could have an story about her childhood and how she overcome her nerf (plus giving Bernadette an husband ewww), how did Daryl side of the family start to hate Bernadette’s side since is already shown that Daryl didn’t care about Bernadette (she simply sell everything that Bernadette want to keep) and she simply let their daughter and even her bully Diana for liking Chariot, but even that we don’t have a proper longer story, this is a story that could fit well on an 50min OVA, nothing more than that.

So we have that Akko story is already over so a new season isn’t needed to happen

7- The nine witches and Chariot’s past

This is another thing I’ve seen some persons saying that there’s some things that they could well develop like the nine witches and Chariot’s past

And I’m going to be clear here

Do they need?

Are you guys going to watch it?

They could fit the whole Chariot’s past with a 53 minute OVA

The Nine witches they could fit on a OVA or even with an 9/10 episode season but how did they would develop a story about them? They only have Woodward and Beatrix (and maybe Jennifer) the other seven (or six) are unknown they didn’t think to give names to her they only think to put hats on the headmistress room and just to mention that there’s nine witches who founded Luna Nova

And I don’t think that would be as addicting to watch with the fans as an new season that would be a sequel with Diakko queerbait (I would love to see it)

Just see the LWA fanfcitions

Mostly are just Diakko, you can count on your fingers on how much LWA fics are made about Chariot’s past and the nine witches together, even the kudos could be counted on the fingers and even that fics are some of them written with that both concepts being the main story and even when they put that being the main plot you could simply count that with just one hand

So yeah would be a waste of time and money doing things about the nines and Chariot if nobody was going to see it and even if they see this isn’t gonna give any profit to the show

And I say it again

Did it was needed?

LWA is about the whole journey about Akko becoming a witch like Chariot and is written to be about that even with the whole complex universe with a lot of concepts.

8- We could get Gainax’d

Well before it was Studio Trigger it was Gainax

We all know that

And we could simple get trolled in the whole anime

Or with a worst ending (than the one we already have)

Or with a completely Queerbait get trolled

making everyone straight, Diana have a boyfriend which was Thomas from the OVA appearing again, giving shitty generic episodes (like beaches and hot springs and I need to say that a hot spring episode could kill Trans headcanons? Making all characters explicit Cis), Akko and Andrew are together (for the happiness of the Ankko fandom), all that in the ending of LWA, or even killing everyone at the ending, etc

Gainax/Trigger isn’t good at ending of their shows (just see how they rushed to finish LWA plot) and LWA is the least worst ending

9- Manga and light novel are out of question

Nobody was going to buy a expensive light novel which came out only in Japan (and maybe in English) or a Manga because this is a Trigger show, Trigger shows are made to be only anime and the Manga is made by other creators based on the original one, so they are official but not canon (or canon in their continuity)

And why pay a mangaka to do an alternative story which the fans aren’t going to consider canon ?

10- Fanfiction

This is simple, you guys want a new season? Go read it

Made by fans

Fanfictions aren’t only NSFW shit with all that kinda of things that make the people reject the humanity and is gross forbidden to the society

No

Fanfictions are fanmade stories

And isn’t that hard to find one with a solid plot and a well developed story than the original LWA show

This isn’t hard to find and there’s even some AU’s which explore more than just the original universe like ones that they made with no magic at all, some about the past, some even longer than the whole bible (like mine), fixing the plot holes or even making the characters more human, well developed and likeable (like Hannah). Or even a more mature plot where the characters say curse worlds talk about more mature stuff where they can’t in the original or even about LGBT themes more deeply than just teasing

“Oh but I would prefer an official than a fanmade story would feel better”

Well you have your preferences

But I’m here to also give just one advice, the Official plot wouldn’t be as good as fanmade plot since the screenwriter has passed out and even they hire one to be on her place it still isn’t gonna be as good as the original show or fanmade plot. Studio Trigger shows aren’t knowing for writing but for their good animation

Just stop with your prejudice against fanfiction think that is only about teenagers writing about smut, because this is just stereotype about fanfictions while there’s some written by adults and even teenagers who can give a proper plot even better than the original show and think even more that they are doing that for free, you’re getting a book with awesome things of your show plus an awesome story where the writer put their commitment, time and effort to do it (I’m writer myself and I take like 6/7 hours a day to write a chapter of my stories to reach the word count and keep the daily updates)

11- Another shows and proper game adaptations are better

Just leave the anime alone and want more shows with this kinda of stuff or even a proper game adaptation (not that crappy Chamber of Time game), with a better gameplay, more addicting to play and stuff like that

A proper game would be very welcoming

They already have an awesome world to develop a game if they hire a proper team to make it they could do a proper game not that early ps2 era graphics crappy RPG

12- An OVA or an Extra Episode is better than a whole season

This contradict a little about my arguments but I’m going to say that is better to just do an OVA or an Extra special episode rather than a 10+ episode season or even a 25 episode season like the original part

Even tho would be just a generic and relaxed special since there’s nothing more to develop in plot after the ending rather than a Slice of Life special

13- This will create the “At least we have it” type of fan

If the season isn’t as good as the original, some people will complain and say that isn’t as bad and at least we have it

And to be honest I hate that type of fan

Because they like every single crap made by the corporation but not for real, they just lie saying that is great and at least we have it some even contradict to the point “oh its bad but at least we have it and look these separated moment is good and compensate the shit the rest of the show is

Or if the show is average they will say everything to make everyone think that is a masterpiece

And this type of fan is what the creators love because they could make the anime being crappy written and there still persons who would still give money and will like and some of them would say to the others which complained saying is bad that isn’t bad as they say.

14- Wouldn’t be that good

This is the final argument I have and I say that would be just average or just bad or simply not as good as the original one

They don’t have the plot to continue the story and keep going

So will be a forced plot to make a reason to the story happen

With an Generic villain with an generic reason to be evil

And Now I finish with 14 reasons why LWA didn’t need a new season and is just better to leave the show alone

#LWA #LWA JP #LWA 2nd season #New season #LWA New season #akko kagari #Diakko #Little Witch Academia #Little Witch Academia new season #3rd season #2nd season #LWA OVA #LWA discussion

[strangertheory]

Why do you think some fandoms are most likely to be heteronormative than others? There are plenty of fandoms in which the queer headcanons/ships are the most popular ones, but when it comes to some fandoms like ST the heteronormativity is really strong, like people denying Will being gay despite it being obvious and of course the fact that a lot of people overlook the chemistry between Mike and Will in favor of Mileven

I think the creators of Stranger Things are intentionally writing a story that on many levels involves characters discovering things about themselves that they weren't aware of before and learning how to reject society's expectations of them. Because the story is being written so that we as the audience are witnessing this process alongside the characters and from their own perspectives the hidden and repressed truths in these characters lives are not made evident to fans from the very start. I believe that those revelations, whatever they might end up being, are part of the story itself. But for there to be revelations, there must also be secrets.

The surface of the story is crafted to be, at first glance, not especially unconventional. But I believe that the writers of Stranger Things want to take us all on a journey that turns our expectations upside-down and in order to do that they can't show their hand too early on. In order to surprise fans with future plot twists the writers must first set the stage in a way that on the surface seems conventional and predictable until they decide to subvert our expectations and reveal something new about the characters and the universe that they are creating.

Stories which have more obvious queer representation and culture from the very start are often not hiding their intentions as much because their storytelling and marketing goals are different. While we do indeed have many popular series these days with overt and decently-written queer representation, the catch is that for marketing purposes those stories are (very rarely) setting out to truly surprise people when the characters are revealed to be lgbtqa+. Yes, some fans were allegedly still surprised that Adora and Catra got a very open and canonical queer romantic arc in She Ra Princesses of Power, but the series itself was not subtle in its marketing or subtle in the context of its creation. It aimed to have widespread and universal appeal and offered a well-written story with loveable characters that I believe anyone should relate to, but not a single person I know chose to watch that series and went "I expect all the characters in this colorful rebooted cartoon fantasy story created by a queer creator to be straight."

Stranger Things, as a story that is constructed to not only explore "strange things" but also subvert viewers’ expectations cannot achieve those goals by showing its hand from the start. And because of that, there will surely be people watching the series who might end up believing that they were "tricked" into following a story that they had hoped would conform to their preconceived expectations about the world and the way that they believe stories and characters "are supposed to be." But I genuinely see the Stranger Things narrative as being a multilayered, mysterious, metaphorical, emotional, and oftentimes intentionally subversive and "sneaky" story. But the trade-off is that there will always be people that either do not see those hidden layers in these types of stories or angrily reject them because of the cognitive dissonance that they feel when confronted with ideas they are uncomfortable with.

In short: I think Stranger Things is planning on subverting viewer expectations and surprising us with a lot of plot twists that include characters realizing that they are lgbtqa+, but since the writers cannot succeed at surprising viewers without some misdirection there are (unfortunately) plenty of fans that are still sitting very comfortably in their narrow-minded perceptions of certain characters since the story is not over yet and much still remains to be explored and revealed.

#subverting expectations #stranger things #stranger things theory #stranger things analysis #heteronormativity #cisheteronormativity #stranger things is queer #byler

[bubblesthemonsterartist]

*cracks knuckles* Clearly I’m going straight for the Blackout. 

ENJOY, FRIENDS. FOR YOU, I THROW IT UNDER THE CUT

Under 1000 Words

take my burdens (and bury them deep) by @thelionshymnal​ Rated M Nothing makes me happier than a fic of my favorite BroTP, especially when Obi is offering to disappear Kiki’s dirty dealings. Content warning for attempted sexual assault and Obi doing what he does best: getting rid of the body.

A Fic That Got You Involved In Fandom

Seven Suitors for Shirayuki by @sabraeal​ Rated T Look. You all are just going to have to accept that there is a certain generation of this fandom that was dragged in, kicking and screaming, by this fic. I wanted to diversify by saying something else managed it, but no. It was the fact that this story was stuck on chapter five for MONTHS that made me vibrate until my own fic fell out. XD

Made You Laugh Out Loud

An Extra Rise Before Dawn by @sabraeal​ Rated G I don’t often worry that I am going to pee from laughing so hard when I’m reading something, but this one definitely does. In one spot in particular. You might be able to guess it. It is simultaneously an incredible sweet and incredibly funny fic that hits all the right notes for me.

Favorite Trope Reversal

Fussing with Firedrakes by @leewritingrecs​ Rated T 1) Dragons. 2) Damsel in distress is no damsel and she is NOT in distress thank you very much 3) Kiki is a DRAGON 4) Obi is cursed, and 5) DID I MENTION D R A G O N S ???

Fic That Made You Friends With the Author

The Wide Florida Bay by @sabraeal​ Rated E I had to think about this because while I read Seven Suitors first, this was the series that made me start sending anons and eventually made me join tumblr where I proceeded to endlessly play the ‘what if’ game with Jen. CLEARLY this is where our friendship was forged.

Action-Packed Fight Scene

Agent, Parts I, II, and III by @infinitelystrangemachinex​ Rated T Like Jen, I was positively torn, because both Andi and Sarah do fight scenes SO WELL, but Agent ultimately won out because there is just something so delightful about Shirayuki flailing and clinging to Obi like a cat that doesn’t want to go in the bath while arrows zip all around them

Edit: Screw it, I’m reccing them both

Republic of Tanbarun by @claudeng80​ Rated T An action adventure series where romance is involved but is by no means the focus. Zen and Obi adventures abound. Politics galore. And some masterfully done slow-motion to quick motion fight scenes that I L O V E D

Gen Fic

Fugue in Three by @infinitelystrangemachinex​ Rated G Ryuu casually destroys Obi and Shirayuki by breathing as they count down the days until he comes of age. Technically this fic has a romantic pairing, but it is by no means the focus of this fic. If you don’t agree, you are welcome to meet me under the Big Oak between the hours of 12 and 4 for a duel.

Missing Scene

Like Brothers Do by @claudeng80​ Rated G Obi is clearly Kiki’s annoying big brother and handles Mitsuhide’s rejection in the best way he knows how. Also read: Mitsuhide gets what’s coming to him. (ง'̀-'́)ง

Canon Divergent

We work at the mall by @kaedix​ Rated T With how many AUs we got floating around this fandom, I was hard pressed to choose a favorite. But there is just something so sweet and wholesome and American teenager about this. It just latches onto you and never lets go. (Also the gang all work at my favorite places in the mall when I was growing up. What’s not to love?)

Steamiest Kiss

Were Hearts Not An Unknown Country by @sabraeal​ Rated T LOOK. SOMEONE was going to have to go dig this out of the rubble of her compilation fics and it might as well be me. Also the birthplace of the much loved AnS fandom practice of solstice kissing.

Contains Your Favorite Headcanon

The road to Clarines is Gravel by @codango​ Rated E Not the focus of the fic as a whole, but like, Torou and Obi are siblings. GALAXY MIND EXPLOSION. I mean, I loved that so much that I wrote a pre-canon fic of this fic. Additional note totally not related to the bingo square: I will ALWAYS be here for positive sex worker representation in fics. Fair warning, though, this is the most unfair AU in existence because the brain screams that it SHOULDN’T WORK and yet by some sort of writerly sorcery, it DOES. PLEASE READ IT IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY.

Wept Real Tears

let it make you by @thelionshymnal​ Rated M It’s not every day that someone manages to write a fic that makes me stare numbly at the very first line for a solid 15 minutes, big fat tears rolling down my cheeks, but Hymn did it. And then she somehow managed to kiss it better. All in 1100 words.

Free Space

AnS Role Swap AU by @owlsshadows​ Rated M This series has it all. Shirayuki as an assassin. Obi as both a royal bastard and a pharmacist. A mysterious meeting out in the woods where it makes you question whether Nanaki and Obi are two different people or the same. Also Zen having some very conflicted feelings regarding his royal authority and how he can choose to handle rejection.

Edit: Since I’ve already doubled up once, let me double up again, I have so much love to give and not enough space to give it!

Blizzard by @nebluus​ Rated T This is one of the earliest fics I read in this fandom and it remains to date one of my absolute favorites. Obi gets hurt protecting his Miss and a blizzard rolls in. Thankfully they find a cabin where Obi, who is definitely on his death bed if no one finds them and SOON, proceeds to still fuss over his Miss. Best scene: When he warms her hands with his. Also the second chapter is all sorts of delightful domesticity I IMPLORE you to please read it and soon.

Favorite Fan-Made OC

All Pain Will Turn to Medicine by @sabraeal​ Rated M All y’all should’ve seen these coming from ten miles out. I fucking LOVE Herr Anda, the cantankerous little bastard. And Jen knows this because she designed him specifically with me in mind. Academic catnap >:|

AU That Made You Find the Source Material

All Knotted Up by @sabraeal​ Rated G Admittedly, there are a great many AUs out there that made me look up the source material, but this Tangled AU is the most recent because I finally got on Disney+. And yes, Mitsuhide is the horse. Ryuu may be Pascal a little bit, but Mitsuhide. He’s The Horse. XD

First AnS Fic You Read

Loyalty by Evelyn Fiedler Rated K+ (which is basically G on AO3) My one and only ff.net rec from my earliest days in the fandom when I was combing for absolutely any content I could find, begging the fandom to help me decide if I was down for Obiyuki and all that it implied and this author most assuredly delivered.

Favorite Minor Character

Undertow by @jhalya​ Rated E The fic itself is a space odyssey of sorts. One mission among many where humanity attempts to colonize Mars. However the real selling point here, if you didn’t know, is Lord Seiran. He is a delightfully eccentric billionaire who clearly always wanted a large family, judging from how easily he fills out the adoption paperwork.

WIP

Caulk dirty to me by @leewritingrecs​ Rated E Have I mentioned I love the sex worker trope? I. Love. The. Sex. Worker. Trope. Also Obi is clearly divine at all of his jobs. Shirayuki already got to experience his skills at one of them. I wait with BAITED BREATH for her to experience the other :3

Canon Compliant

Thicker than Blood by @infinitelystrangemachinex​ Rated G In the aftermath of the death of King Kain, Izana and Zen must decide on which path they will take moving forward. Amazing fic. Unfinished, but a wonderful look into the dynamics between the Wisteria brothers and their absent mother.

One-Shot

Worth his Weight in Rice by @claudeng80​ Rated T AU set in an Edo-adjacent Period where a disease has wiped killed off a significant portion of the male population. Resulting societal shifts occur. If you go into the comments, I have a couple of pages worth of reasons why I love this AU, but what I appreciate even more is how you have an absolutely perfect oneshot in this fic. It is a well-translated universe where we get a delightful clear, beginning, middle, and end, all in 5k. NOT an easy feat. Please enjoy.

Rare Pair

the fog pushing through my mind by @thelionshymnal​ Rated E Obi/Yuzuri, friends with benefits. Two pining idiots with some sore feelings decide to get stoned and take comfort in another warm body for the night. I just really enjoyed the casual intimacy of the encounter and how this is clearly neither of their first experiences with a one night stand. Neither of them are going to make it weird in the morning, they just need to take the edge off, ya know? Additional bonus for Obi being ready to stab the dumbasses who made Yuzuri feel like she was a weirdo in her past.

AU You Took a Chance On (And Now Love)

Lightning in a Bottle by @jhalya​ Rated M I mean, if Jules is gonna play dirty by making Obi the hot fish man running around without his shirt on 99% of the time, then of COURSE I’m going to enjoy Deep Blue Sea. It’s, like, one of my favorite movies now.

Favorite Trope

Moonshine Phantom by @leewritingrecs​ Rated T We got a murder muffin who ALSO used to be a sex worker? Sign me the fuck up, I am 1000% here for this. Also all the showgirls who clearly love their coworker and only want him and his adorable wife to have the best. They may have never heard of her before, but she looks sweet, and they all have a silent agreement between them that if she breaks his heart, they’ll cut her.

Fic That Gave You a New OTP

What the Heart Wants by @sabraeal​ Rated G Haruto/Mukaze. An attempted kidnapping and subsequent rescue makes Zen and Shirayuki painfully aware that their parents have had, at some point in their lives, sex. Izana may not be happy about someone banging his mom, but is HE rather pleased at having a new sister. >:3c

Pre-Canon

The Wolf in the Woods by @krispy-kream​ (YES I STILL HAVE THIS BOOKMARKED) Rated G Everyone knows that I have very delicate food feels and this ALMOST went under the Wept Real Tears category, but I like to spread out the crying as much as possible XD Shirayuki finds a boy at the edge of the wood and decides he needs something to eat. Filed under: Guaranteed to wreck me in 500 words or less.

#ansficbingo #akagami no shirayukihime #snow white with the red hair #PLEASE ENJOY ALL THE PRETTY FICS #I LOVE THEM ALL AND HOLD THEM DEAR