Rare Pairs, Crack Ships, and the Joys of Small Fandoms

Honestly, this has none of the shipping rants I've done before. It has nothing to do with throwing a brick at stubborn people who are fundamentalist and conservative, whether they realize it or not. Because these young people literally don't know better than to try to prove themselves worthy of purity through purity culture, that is toxic to them and everyone. 

I mean, it's slightly up to a point. Antishippers would likely still not understand crack ships, and rare ships aren't ever on their radar. They are up on their asses about purity culture, failing to see they are spewing out rot that Christian conservatives spoke all the time about porn, especially LGBT, and sex. 

They don’t do shit about rare pairs because they live in the fridges of the fandom. Crack ships vary in popularity depending on the ship. 

Antishippers want everything to be pure without drama and pain to show they are good people. Crack ships are not just crossover ships but ships that again don’t have any bearing on each other. The characters could’ve died in separate times, and having never ever met, and still be called crack ships. The characters could’ve never met each other in their lives, and still viable because it’s fun. 

Shipping can be as easy as looking hot together, to wanting to scratch an itch on what was known about them, to develop the ship to pure character analysis through romance. All shippers do was watch their OTP fall in love again and again. I sigh with all the small gestures and care from every meaningful love they share, and falling in love. 

Ah, rare pairs, the ones that, of course, get the rare fanfics and fanart that barely last a page, two at best on AO3. 

The videos up there don't exactly display in some form my rare pairs: Akihiko x Minato from P3, Shirlulu from Code Geass, and Kyoraku x Aizen from Bleach. 

All of these convinced me from fanfiction, no less. Yes, fanfics on AO3 that barely took up two pages alone in their tags. 

It's hilarious since reading the fic that got me into Kyoraku x Aizen, the theory of the father-son just doesn't make sense. It makes sense at a surface level that doesn't require too much brain power. It's a theory that doesn't and does make sense, but considering Bleach has ended, I'm happy to have any theories with Aizen's Bankai than any of this. Fuck, Kyoraku is a better match for Aizen than anyone could expect. That is something Aizen's personal enemies like Urahara, Yoruichi, Visords, and Yhwach didn't see coming: that there is a romantic match for Aizen out there in the world that he would happily go into the institution of marriage just so he can finally have him officially as his husband. 

Kyoraku is laidback, but he hides his competence behind an effective facade. Aizen likewise has a facade of calmness and affability, but make no mistake that underneath it all hides someone who distanced himself from his own humanity to the point that he achieved his goal of immortality. His true personality is a fiery and passionate control freak who has issues three times the size of the afterlife with his emotions, including his pride and bonds in general, due to his sheer independence and feeling he should do things alone, and zero troubles with committing atrocities for his outcome. 

Shinji and Kisuke, as much as Aizen admits Kisuke's wit and smarts are equal to his, have too much baggage (normally, I like baggage in ships, but I never shipped Aizen with these guys, even when I was watching and reading Bleach; something about these guys didn't call to me. Notably, UraAi also counts as a rare pair, considering it's 128 fics on AO3, but we still have more than the 31 for KyoAi. I believe the most popular Aizen pairings are either with Ichigo or with Gin, which is more power to those shippers.) and clashing personalities. Aizen needs someone laidback and calming, whereas Kyoraku needs someone fiery and unpredictable. Kyōraku and Aizen felt more plausible. 

Again, this is fanfiction. We can get any pairing we want as long as we write it right. Aizen is a difficult character to write. I simply want Aizen to drop his mask and involve himself more on an emotional level that he couldn’t comprehend. 

Like I said, I do have my preferences, but I don’t ship all of them. If I could find THE Seishiro x Subaru pin for my OTP board, I’m gonna be so happy. It’s the ship that got everything going, so I have to find a pin for that. If a ship calls to me, it comes to me. I wouldn’t be a Dabihawks shipper had it not been for the warehouse meeting after the Nomu fight. 

Getting convinced on a ship through fanworks is no easy task. Like most things, you have to get through the trash to get the gems. Believe it or not, not everyone will be swayed. 

Even today, people stubbornly hold onto popular fanon beliefs that clash or negate the canon. Canon is not the end-all, but for the love of Arceus, there should be a balance, as well as the knowledge that canon has its place and basis in the fandom. 

Sometimes, fanon simply isn't enough or is so pervasive that it damages the actual intent. Fanon Tim Drake doesn't come close to the crazy canon Tim Drake is capable of. Heck, even adaptations don’t even come close to the insanity YJ98 is capable of. Give me my teens with no adult supervision. Even Red Tornado went along with it. 

Rare pairs are exactly that. They have so few crumbs in fanworks that people do it themselves. I’m pretty sure that in one fandom, can’t remember what it was, there was one writer who basically wrote all the fanfics for the rare pair and it’s amazing dedication for such few people but awesome for the love poured into it. 

Heck, there was one Dabihawks writer who was outright surprised by the reception of her Dbhks fics when she wrote for rare pairs before writing for a popular ship. 

I’m not even sure that Kyoraku x Aizen counts as crack shipping when the father-son theory isn't even that pervasive enough to be fanon. I saw YouTube Shorts (I did not actually watch them, but the theory is spelled out by the title), but it's certainly not enough to be a popular theory. Seriously, I've seen more theories that became so pervasive that it became fanon, such as what happened with so many things I'm not a fan of. Even Dabihawks was once a crackship for no other reason than they look hot together as nobody at the time would think of Hawks meeting Dabi as his contact for infiltration or that Hawks would be a spy at all. 

KyoAi counts as a rare ship primarily because of the TYBW arc, where we see them interact at a certain level. Those are crumbs that a shipper can extrapolate and build upon. I mean that aforementioned theory is well known, but that has been called into question, not helped that we know nothing of Aizen’s mysterious past. They have chemistry there that is tantalizing now that I see it. 

Unfortunately, it’s rare. At least ShirLulu has close to 90, but I’m also adding where the ship is included in some capacity. It is not at the crush level, but Lelouch actually sees Shirley as a love interest and pursues her. As for KyoAi, even with the fanfic series I’m into (it would definitely have multiple arcs which include the relationship landmarks for KyoAi, including their daughter's first birthday and their wedding, possibly) wouldn’t even scratch 50. We haven’t reached the canon arcs yet, so until we reach the drama of the canon arcs, the fic will remain in Marked For Later till further reading; honestly, I do look forward to the Zanpakuto Spirit filler arc because that's the most salivating considering Aizen's character development and relationships with others. Akimina is so close to 200, but it's still a rare pair that isn't getting any names on par with SatoSugu or at the very least MiyuSawa. 

The popular ships will always get regular updates on their tags, food everywhere for everyone, sharing in the love of the ship. I know this so well. 

The rare ships, on the other hand, have crumbs, if even that. I also know this. 

Crack ships have zero crumbs, and they go off based on imagination. At least that's a fun place to be. I think the crack ship I am fond of is Jim Hawkins x Melody, the crossover ship from two Disney films, Treasure Planet and TLM2. 

Unfortunately, the one that people would remember the most is Jelsa. I'm decidedly not a Jelsa fan, never mind the fact that I'm not a Frozen fan. I believe the popular one now at the time of writing is Cinderella x Sukuna??? I mean power to them. I don’t particularly care for Disney ships that much or JJK outside of some in that series but more power to the shippers, go and ship to your heart’s content. Outside of confusion upon seeing their sudden art, I just shrugged and moved on with my tasks. I see no reason why I should have an opinion on a measly ship, nor would anyone else, except apparently antishippers who cannot see reason. Even non-seasoned shippers shouldn’t be expected to give opinions on every damn ship in a fandom. I don’t have the time to give a blog post the time and dedication to every ship in a fandom. I don’t think I can make a tier on that level. I care so little about that, I’d rather focus on better stuff than that. Unless a ship caught my interest, I usually don’t care much. I’ve been focusing more on story potential than shipping, which is just a bonus if I love the ship. 

And I still don’t think anyone outside of those who understand fandom gets it. If they cannot understand even a basic ship like Sterek, they are not surviving. 

By AO3 fics from lowest to highest, it's KyoAi, Shirlulu, and Akimina in that order in terms of my rare pairs. 

I should note the caveat that it depends on the size of the fandom, too. Akimina is definitely a rare pair in an extremely popular fandom. Bleach, too, is extremely popular, and we can definitely say KyoAi is a rare pair, never mind that the fics aren’t approaching 40 fics anytime soon. 

It’s just that the rare pair, as it often does, make us feel like Charlie with his Pepe Silvia rant. I'm picking at the crumbs like a bird and trying my best with the fics and fanart I do have. All rare pairs shippers have to deal with that. While they do have the benefit of having fun, the fact is that it's not popular enough. 

Even in rare pair fandoms, there'll be famous fics and authors that are only known to the fandom. Some are the result of one being there to write them, and couldn't draw them. I admire the dedication of rare pair writers, where they are truly the ones baking the bread to the hungry small base or no base at all, considering some I've seen are on a canoe or a paddle boat alone in a lake. 

Non-seasoned shippers or worse normies wouldn’t understand the difference between a popular ship to an actual crack ship. Seriously, the answers of Sterek, Zutara, and Wincest show that these normies wouldn’t survive mild weather in summer fandom. Seriously, here I am knowing the popular ships, and they see it as crack ships. By Arceus, at worst, they don’t see shipping as fun but as some sort of lab experiment for research from the outside. 

Ships certainly aren’t the be-all end-all of fandom. Again, shipping can happen for various reasons, but seeking validation from the creators isn’t the way to go. Shipping is fun. 

To devolve a piece of entertainment to shipping is pretty sad. Given how focused I am on stories, it's a given that I would love them and their themes. 

Fandom is about a community brought together by a piece of media one loves and shares. Shipping is just one part, but it shouldn’t take over as much as one seeks validation for their headcanons that somehow in their mind overtook canon. Seriously, I see people decry canon just because their headcanon isn’t canon, instead of either ignoring it or accepting it and evolving their headcanon, they decide that it doesn't make sense with their fanon. 

It’s not substituting with interesting ideas, but rather forcing in where it shouldn’t with no balance or effort to understand to be transformative. 

I hardly ship anything nowadays unless it’s within my purview, does it shoot up, such as Joongdok. Look at me watching Bleach and you hardly see me ship anymore than Death Strawberry and KyoAi. I certainly don’t need canon validation. You can just write the damn thing. 

I feel off recommending rare pair fics since all writers from rare pairs are trying their best to feed their small, hungry base, but at the same time, they are so small and deserve all the support they need. If I could convince you to ship them through these fics that did to me, then here's to hoping that you can enjoy them. I think I'll be better off recommending the fics that got me shipping them and the fic I'm currently reading. For KyoAi, it's an ongoing series. 

Besides, getting into rare pairs or small fandoms will humble people who had spent time in popular fandoms. There is nothing more humbling than just having a small group discussing and making fanart and fics for the series with all the passion and love, without all the drama of a huge fandom that you feel people visibly spend time on. Yeah, all fandoms have their disagreements, but since it’s small, they have to acquiesce. 

The Galavant and Schmiga-(doon/go) series is this for me. Nothing is more than sharing in the love of the musical comedy series that is cut too soon. Not even Crazy Ex-Girlfriend could've saved them even though I love CEG too. However, it doesn't help that people barely know that those series existed in the first place. I knew that it existed from YT ads. I mean, even Blue Flag is unlikely to get an anime adaptation because of its LGBT roots, but it's still a small fanbase. The fics in total at AO3 are 70. Galavant on AO3 has 321 fics. 

Even with Daiya no Ace and KHR, both reasonably sized fandoms, are considered medium-sized by comparison to truly larger fanbases. MiyuSawa is without a doubt a very popular ship, but by comparison to even the most popular influential ships or ships that people at least heard of, Daiya no Ace ships aren't that widespread by comparison. 

On a side note, since I'm not gonna find pins on the smaller fandoms I'm in (I already accepting I won't find any pins from them the moment I was putting down a list of potential collections and they were an immediate no), I am forced to find separate pins for KyoAi if I want them to be on my OTP board. But for now, Seishirou x Subaru is the foremost one primarily because I can put that collection in the backburner and that would be hardest to find, so I guess I could find others, but definitely not my rare pairs at the moment because I don't have money for two pins. I paused my Cinderella collection until I got Abigeyedowl Ever After Heart first before getting original/adaptations. I would love Abigeyedowl's Cinderella 2015 if they ever consider making it because I need something to represent that. 

What shines doesn’t always need to be seen by Nai_asobrab:

Reborn from the Shadows: Aizen's true motivation was absolute control. Having power was not enough; it was essential to shape beings, manipulate lives, to create something that was entirely a product of his own will.

Yet, as his cold eyes observed her, a shadow of disappointment clouded his thoughts. She was not perfect.

"No... not perfect," he thought, a silent whisper laced with subtle bitterness. Hinamori had indeed been shaped, but not from the beginning. Her mind and heart had already been touched before he intervened, formed by other hands. She was an incomplete vessel, a useful tool, but limited.

Perfection... True perfection would be something he had crafted from birth, something pure and malleable, like clay in the hands of a sculptor. A life that he could shape in every detail, free from external influences, without prior marks. A life that existed solely to serve his design, breathing only to fulfill his will.

A child.

Twilight of Truths: Aizen Sousuke sat on the engawa of the Eighth Division’s traditional house, watching the garden bathed in pale afternoon light. Nearby, Sayuri played on a mat, laughing as Shunsui entertained her with clumsy but charming fan tricks. To anyone looking, the scene was idyllic—the picture of a harmonious family. Yet, within Aizen’s mind lingered a restless void.

He had always had plans, intricate schemes that bent situations and people to his will. Even in chaos, he thrived on direction, on the clarity of his goals. Now, for the first time, he found himself adrift and unanchored.

Now, he lived on autopilot: caring for Sayuri, addressing trivial matters with Shunsui, and occasionally advising his companions. But beneath it all, he felt like an actor reciting lines he hadn’t written.

"Is this what normal people do?" he murmured, gazing at the sun’s reflection in the calm garden pond. "Do they simply... exist? No plans, no goals, just moving moment to moment?" 

Mini-Review: I'll probably put this in another fic recs alongside my other OTPs, but considering this is focused on long-time OTPs, this rare pair fic recs still count as the same, even if they are only one fic out of everything. Given the small base, I believe anyone can jump in and consume the limited food we even got in the first place. 

It's still ongoing and very long, considering it will tackle arcs way later in the series. Also, whatever theories I said are on a previous post I made, so I won't do it here. I barely said what I liked about the fic. 

If you know my preferences, you know why this fic made Shunsui Kyoraku and Aizen a compelling ship. I'm hardly a friends-to-lovers type, hence why I'm not all over those types, even though some ships could be called friends-to-lovers that I do ship, even though there are several factors I don't count them. 

Technically, this could be called a work military romance, with both of them as captains, one of them more technically high-ranking due to him being the choice of the new head of the whole military. Heck, Aizen didn't even choose him because he was the next Commander, or because he could use that inner circle to his advantage. He realized it afterward, but I do think by then, he had fallen hard for Shunsui. 

Shunsui might not be as crazy intelligent as he, Urahara, and Mayuri, but he's intelligent and perceptive enough to impress with their verbal sparring, giving him a challenge. He recognized that Shunsui hides behind such an effective mask that it starts to affect him. Their chemistry is really good as a result of Shunsui giving Aizen both the challenge and the love he longed for. Shunsui could get under his skin that Urahara cannot do in those terms of closeness. 

Urahara is always adaptive to these plans because his chess game with Aizen is complicated now, particularly since Aizen became Shunsui's husband. Even if he is essentially demoted to Vice Captain, he still has major influence as the future Commander's husband. Ironically, it's better and easier to convince Shunsui of anything lax than his husband, who is learning to relax and take things slow. 

A major part of it was a character-centric approach based around his relationships with others and his character development with major therapy and friendship. 

And it's not just Aizen. It's Momo, Shuhei, and anyone who has a chance of getting character development. 

It’s like Icarus’ Dilemma, where characters get character development and their paths change as a result of a character getting what they needed. 

Yes, it’s Mpreg, but that only sets the stage where Aizen gets the love, friendship, and therapy he needs. Sayuri is her own character, growing throughout the story since her conception. 

Given the expansion of the whole series including some fillers, I'm considering to build a progress review of it. 

New Game+ by EmpyrealFantasy: Given a chance to start all over again, will Minato be able to make a difference in his future?

[When you start a New Game+, you retain your levels, your inventory, and the items that you get from maxed Social Links. This stands to reason that the memory would remain for the MC as well. What if gameplay wasn't linear…? An exploration of what a New Game+ could really mean.]

Review: This is the fic that got me into the ship. I read the FF.Net first version before the AO3 edition added new stuff. 

Our protagonist and Akihiko had been distant. Friends as we can say hang out together with the rest of the group but never quite alone. Reload fixed that but obviously not enough to get the ship out of rare pair. Shinjiro x Kotone is still far more popular. 

I don’t quite put down my finger why exactly I love it and why it started my love for the ship, but the chemistry of the two, as well as what Akihiko does, was so amazing. The path in which we see the characters change from canon allowed for such good. 

I think that it has well-written changes as well as the development of the main pair vibed with me so well, it remained a favorite. 

Characters Reactions to Canon Fics and Fic Recs

 

I don't have much fondness for these types of fics. These characters reacting to canon fics are often repetitive instead of doing something. Often these characters are trapped in a dark room or somewhere with the canonical media for them to watch and read. Very rarely they are allowed out of that so it's often a good thing that these characters are actively trying to change amidst watching/reading/playing the canon events they have access to. 

I'm big on stories, particularly if a story is so well-written about the meta of the story they are writing hence why Princess Tutu is in my top three favorite magical girls series and why ORV became one of my favorite stories ever. It’s to the point that when it comes to my favorite stories in the world, I’m more so focused on grabbing the books or getting things that better tell the story in pin form. 

Particularly if they know enough about the main characters to realize the guy they are following has loads of potential. 

I wholly recommend Advanced Release wherein Sephiroth received the original FFVII in his mail and began playing it with his besties Genesis and Angeal only to discover that it's not an inside job but rather a scarily accurate game that foretold the future. Little did they know whatever insanity and stupidity they deem is actually true to what Future Cloud who gave them the games can testify. 

They aren't the only ones to receive a game, however. Reeve received Dirge of Cerberus, the Turks are hilariously playing Before Crisis on their flip-phones, Zack got Crisis Core, Tifa got the light novels, and who knows got the movies? The author has noted that one person would not be the only one to receive a game or novel as seen with the Turks so it’s likely the main cast will get the scoop. Future Cloud is maximizing the people who can save the world and it’s only a matter of time young Cloud learns about this. 

All the while tiny young Cadet Cloud Strife found himself with interest from everyone who played the games. The Turks think of him as an interesting NPC who definitely made an impression on them while not knowing the reason why he made an impression in the first place was because he's the main character, Sephiroth and soon enough Angeal and Genesis begin to see the potential in him. Zack outright declared that he would be stronger than all of them combined. Considering they haven't seen the ending of the game where Cloud killed Sephiroth and in the movie where Cloud killed him again, all they see now is potential. Genesis probably will see Cloud having the potential to be the strongest magic caster that is not a Cetra. Tiny Cadet Cloud has no idea what is going on where his idol is offering him mentorship, Turks offering him a spot, why Angeal is treating him so kindly, and Zack wants to be besties with a random cadet. Confounded but ecstatic.  

I guess that's what Cloud gets as the Planet's chosen Champion because tiny Cloud has no idea that's his destiny. He's the main character so he's basically chosen to have so much potential to be the strongest man in Gaia with his sword and magic skills. 

Cloud doesn’t have main character syndrome obviously as he’s the main character who just happened to be chosen even if it might not look that way. He’s stubborn and self-loathing yet his wishes were granted in the most awful way possible. 

I just wonder how much young Cloud is going to get heckled moving forward now that a lot of people are growing more aware that he’s extremely important. 

Given that only Sephiroth met Future Cloud, I wonder how Tiny Cloud would react to Future Cloud, someone with so much power and capable of killing Sephiroth twice. 

I wonder if anyone from Nibelheim should survive this and learn about this including learning Cloud became Sephiroth's protege for no other reason than Seph seeing potential in him that Seph could see that Cloud even beat them and indeed Cloud can defeat him when Angeal and Genesis cannot. 

I wonder how the fan clubs would take this because this is Sephiroth after all taking on a random cadet for no reason other than Seph saying he saw potential in him. Seph can't exactly say that other than potential, he knows what Cloud would become just by meeting his future self because again Seph can be defeated if only because Cloud is capable of such a thing. How would fans take Seph's eventual dethroning of the strongest man by Cloud, his protege who is both impressive in his swordsmanship as well as magic? 

Honestly, anyone who didn't think Cloud would make it would see that with the right guidance, Cloud could become the Planet's Champion he was always destined to be. 

To be fair, Sephiroth, Angeal, Genesis, and Zack are training him up to be stronger than they could ever be, and not least they got evidence of just how powerful Cloud could be by his future self and the canonical events they saw. 

There’s still so much story left. We haven’t even gotten to Cloud’s actual mentorship yet, nor has he even told Zack about the light novels. We haven’t seen what Hojo plans to do to Cloud. Genesis has yet to know about Deepground. 

Heck, the Turks got their game in one go so they have to know things now and further investigate the Vincent case. In a comment, the author comments they will once they get to a certain scene with Vincent. 

Everyone who has gotten a game or a piece of media relating to FFVII should know by name that Cloud is the main character at this point and side-eye him basically as young Cloud just thriving under Seph's tutelage with added help from Angeal, Genesis, and Zack in their effort to make him the most powerful man that the Planet has literally chosen as their champion. 

Honestly, what about characters not in the know about the games but still knowing confidential details like Kunsel? Kunsel could potentially play a larger role than in canon wherein he acts as the tutorial guide. Kunsel has been portrayed as a Turk-like SOLDIER but how would he react to these events after the mission he had with Seph? Kunsel would want to leave Shinra after all after learning the dreaded secrets. However, he would never see Cloud coming after the mission. 

And what about the process where Cloud is just thriving under the tutelage of Sephiroth, Angeal, Genesis, and Zack? From what seems like a mediocre infantryman's fast learning turning him quickly to potentially the most powerful magic caster and swordsman who might have the chance of defeating the Silver General and indeed he can and will lest they stay and watch his spars against his mentor? What about Cloud just vibrating as he creates the fusion sword and uses that against Seph in the future? The Omnislash and its eventual versions until Cloud creates his ultimate sword? 

There’s confirmation and honestly, it’s a fact that Cloud will find out about FFVII. He already has an inkling with Tifa but he has no idea why he is suddenly the biggest target among the higher-ups at Shinra. 

And that's one of the top examples of characters watching/playing/reading the series that do something beyond knowing the future. It's dull and repetitive just from watching reactions. Sure, it's fine from isolation but when you're not doing something like Peggy Sue their timeline, then what are you doing?

Take another Final Fantasy example, this time entry number 15. 

The Basis of Reality has Ignis be taken to another world entirely where his world is but an entry of a popular series much like how Future Cloud grabs the consoles and games from our world to give to those trusted in another. 

Ignis found out several truths as well as the game forcing and glitching to make way for a new ending or in the same track depending on the change set. 

Now they haven't played the game since the beginning. If anything, they only watch some cutscenes and learn secondhand information from the gamer herself. They play some portion and learn some game mechanics so they can become savvy enough to write their golden ending. 

At least they knew the future and reacted to canon appropriately by actually changing things instead of just reacting. 

Not least they can see the visible changes in their extended absences and the visible glitches. 

At least these guys know they are living in a video game world so Noctis and Prompto used their video game know-how to level against the rails and ease towards a golden ending. 

Now, these two fics are essentially fix-fics when fics that contain the trope of characters watching canon have not been done to fix their future. 

The closest I see in this kind of trope even happening was a series summary of a Twisted Wonderland fic series where the Overblot villains became a strange group of friends after what they had watched and even then, in the main body, the TWST characters are still mainly locked in a black room with the game in front of them. 

Very rare I've seen these characters keep secrets of these canon franchise material and try to fix it. 

Heck, I doubt I would see a fanfic of the MHA cast, UA specifically, try to matchmake Hawks with Dabi after seeing their sizzling sexual tension at that meeting because to them, they are heroes who shouldn't get into illicit relationships with villains and this is well before character development. Because in the eye of the law, heroes getting together with villains is very bad. 

Though the idea would be planted and they don’t know every time they read and watch the interactions before the betrayal, the sexual tension is striking. 

Anyhow, can’t we get more creative works with the characters interacting with canon and changing it at the same time?

The two Final Fantasy fics above had them interact with all bases of the franchise, some more then others regarding how far along they are in their designated media. 

They are even changing it even when they haven’t finished it. Cloud is Sephiroth’s protege! The chocobros saved Ravus’ life! 

Just do something if these characters are gonna know the future! 

It’s repetitive if it’s just the reactions. There isn’t any creativity. 

I mean it wasn't much to the TWST fic series either. The summary events happened after they watched the events so I have no clue other than working together to get Yuu home and Grim his goal, I don't know how else other than maybe changing the events that went on like the Ghost Bride and everything else. 

But we still have to get through the watching first. Sure there are intervals of taking breaks albeit not much since they can’t leave. 

Probably expecting too much as fanfiction is a medium, most times there aren’t good writing and you have to sift through the piles of uninteresting to get to the interesting. 

You can find your typical tropes in fanfiction. In fanfiction, it’s the fun of imagining these characters in these scenarios. 

The non-fandom people who try to entice random people through tropes not realizing they are literally tropes and what makes fanfiction. The Harry Styles fanfiction to original literature pipeline is so stupid. Why the hell would it attract these girls into reading these when these guys just advertise fanfiction-like tropes? 

I love complicated pairings with tension and making their divorce everyone’s problem. I love pairings that are definitely foils and therefore compatible. The intensity in OTPs is my bread and butter. Like, Joongdok hit everything and surpassed even my intense OTPs through sheer weird intensity. Do you know you gotta be deranged to surpass Wangxian, right?! 

Do you see me falling for every ship that has this trope? I love complicated pairings the most hence why Honkai ships rapidly go up the ranks of OTP levels that only a few Genshin ships ever had. Even though I like Zhongchi and still read them, it's still not too close to the OTP levels that Haikavetham rapidly reached the endpoint and became an OTP. Joongdok shot up the ranks so quickly that it rivaled Dabihawks on its pace which Dabihawks got me in at their flashback meeting after the Endeavor battle with the Nomu. 

While ships have always been subjective, you do not see me falling for every ship that has that trope. 

It's a trope that in fanfiction is used as an imagination playground for characters they love. 

Fanfiction is its own medium that is unlike original literature. 

If that was the case, I would've been a Reylo fan, right? Nope, I am so not and not the least that these characters are so badly done with one of the characters is a white boy Neo-Nazi who shouldn’t been the focus at all or even be written into existence at all. It’s not even one of my hated ships EndHawks or simply uncomfortable for me like NaruHina. Reylo is designated as an annoying ship, pesky enough as a fly when I’m forced to deal with them in troves in the pin community. At least I sufficiently filtered out any EndHawks on Instagram for my peace of mind. Reylo I can deal with because I don't bother getting it into the way I did MHA hence why Endhawks ended up the way it had whereas my refusal of interacting with any SW Sequel Trilogy led me to see Reylo as a pesky fly. In the pin community, NaruHina and Reylo are extremely popular so I just gotta deal less so if I’m forced to deal with EndHawks which I quickly filter in all social media. It was sheer dumb luck that I saw the hashtag but not the picture in an account because I knew I saw an NSFW EndHawks pin from another pin maker which gave me psychic damage so I quickly figured out how to filter out anything regarding EndHawks. If I was on Twitter/X, then I’m gonna be in trouble unless I follow someone’s advice to get them out of my Dabihawks feed but I don’t have one because I refuse to be on that platform. 

I’m the ship and let ship, having been in the fandom for nearly two decades. I don’t bash ships as I already explained in previous posts about my feelings about certain ships. Interacting with ships that give me lots of annoyance would not do me good in actually curating my fandom experience. I refused to step on the grounds of ships I don’t like or care for for the sake of my sanity. I already suffered an Endhawks share on an instastory once and my brain broke so again for the sake of my sanity, it's better for me to even unfollow someone who would show Endhawks on their feed than have to see more of it. 

There are also ORV and Alien Stage fics that do have enemies or higher beings in power watching the series too so I don’t know what will change. All I know is that Secretive Plotter won’t be able to snatch up Dokja ASAP until maybe they leave the scenario. But even that's debatable considering the case of when Dokja will realize his feelings for his Joonghyuk over his obliviousness. Again, he'll learn who the fuck is Secretive Plotter in the first place anyways. 

From what I have seen of the ORV fic, there is an intention to show everyone this. If you know, you know. I don’t know how the fuck are going to change things because the reveal shows that it’s supposed to change things.  

I don’t know what will change when they finally leave the liminal space but at least we know there are changes. 

The ORV fic is Dramatis Personae and the ALST one is spectating our future. 

However, I do not know much of the latter fic to say that it will diverge outside of why letting the oppressors in on the future too? Let's hope and see something done because even in canon, I have yet to see how humans can reclaim their world from the aliens. 

For what it's worth about canon character watching canon, I have yet to see much that isn't just mediocrity.

Pokemon AUs and Crossovers Fic Recs

Pokemon AUs are really malleable. You can drop whatever crossover into the said world or fuse it. It’s one of my top AUs to catch my eye alongside Cardcaptor AUs. Like, I’m mostly eh on popular AUs like a coffee shop, modern, and mafia. 

The fun part is the selection of Pokémon teams. For nearly every fandom I came across, I saw fans put together Pokemon teams. 

Developing Pokemon teams for fictional characters is fun. Most of them have themes. For example, I saw a team for Wei Wuxian being Ghost Pokemon or yokai inspired teams like Ninetales or Absol. Another would be Lan Wangji with his Flying Pokemon, specifically Altaria. Not surprising given the cloud motif. 

The Pokemon world is an open sandbox for headcanons. I have my headcanons on how trainers manage to maintain their livelihood as trainers with their bank accounts and so forth. 

Step To The Left: In one world, the Tenth Generation escapes to the world of Heroes. In this reality, they flee to a world of Pokemon. 

This one is more comedy-based with the point of having these KHR characters react to the world around them. Unlike the other crossover fic the writer did for KHR, this one was happier and they could go under the radar because the Pokemon world is far more accepting of weirder things. 

Ryohei screaming Extreme and having training montages every morning? Normal. They got extraterrestrial Pokemon like Deoxys. Which is recorded in the Pokedex. Gokudera must be awed, knowing that for the people in this world, aliens are true and even lived among them in the form of supposedly the Cleffa and Elgyem/Beheeyem lines. And that's not getting into dragons. 

Hibari being a Pokemon Master team build cute Pokemon with his fighting skill to match theirs? They got Legendary Pokemon capable of wreaking havoc in their world due to their connection to it. For the love of Arceus, they got Celebi and Jirachi, a fucking time-traveling and a wish-making Pokemon respectively. Mew is the original Pokemon created after and by Arceus in-universe. On another note, Hibari is now the Pokemon Protag, competing against trainers and bad guys alike in his trek to become a Pokemon Master. 

What makes it hilarious is that only Gokudera, Fuuta, and Hibari are the only ones who actually look through the Pokedex. Meaning they know what Teddiursa and Magikarp evolve into. The Magikarp part is in which only the people in the Pokemon world and the three aforementioned kids know it when the rest of the people at Takesushi don't. Magikarp is not normal, Tsuna and Tsuyoshi! A normal Pokemon to choose as a starter or even a second Pokemon would be an Eevee or a Caterpie even! I'm sure after the Gyarados incident, they will be careful about it, helped by the fact they could look it up anytime and the daycare is filling up with many different types. 

I mean they are interested in learning new things to adapt like seeing Pokemon in everyday life. Training isn't the only thing used. Breeding, Doctor, Researching, etc are common in regards to Pokemon. I can see Gokudera considering going into Pokemon Researching and studying under a Professor of his choice. Since he's basically living in the world of UMAs, he would want to learn more up close. I like his Eevee to evolve via Friendship or Love which means Espeon, Umbreon, or Sylveon. Since Sylveon is taken by Hibari, he can have Espeon with the Psychic skills to help with his research. 

As for future Pokemon for Hibari, I can see catching Corsola as one of his many Water Pokemon. Maybe it's because my Misty love is going, but it fits with his image of the adorable Pokemon team builds. About three of his team are pink - Sylveon, Wigglytuff, and Skitty. I can see him picking sweet-based Pokemon - Milcery, Slurpuff, Vanillite, etc - since they look non-threatening but he will train them. I can see him getting Goomy and Swablu for one of his many Dragon-types (maybe it's my love for Swablu there since, in my headcanon, May eventually catch the Swablu she befriended, and why not? Maybe Swablu after talking to the flock went off to find her in the Johto region after her trek to Sinnoh). I can actually see him catching more Fairy and Normal types since most cute Pokemon are there. 

Because Hibari is so gosh darn happy in the Pokemon world. It's his dream come true. Animals including the fucking God of the world are capable of fighting and the many competitions in the world required training them to battle each other! And I think he really has no regrets about leaving Namimori to Kusakabe and his disciplinary committee. 

The Pokemon world is really a place he can abandon his Namimori for. I can see him getting all those special transformations like Mega Stones, Gigantamax, and Z-Crystals.  Maybe consider sending a Gyaradosite to Tsuna because he evolved a Magikarp without training. And Gokudera would like to research there too since most transformations rely on bonds. I'm sure he could find academic papers and videos by the Professors as they discuss them. 

I wonder whether or not Dino, Shouichi, and Spanner would ever go to visit via Byakuran. I can see Dino getting both Ponytas later evolved into Rapidashes - Kantoian and Galarian. Shouichi getting Psychic Pokemon and Spanner getting machine-based Pokemon. If Bianchi was there, she would love the Poison and food-based Pokemon a lot. 

Outsiders: When Louise attempted her summoning, the last thing she expected was being brought face to face with an angry God. Now forced into an unknown world vastly different from her own, she must prove herself to be the very best like no one ever was. 

I enjoy outsider POVs a lot. For the Pokémon world, outsiders tend to be in awe albeit dubious about the fact children as young as ten are allowed to roam the world. Ten-year-olds in the Pokemon world are more mature and likely to know basic stuff to travel the world on foot if they can. 

This time, Louise was reverse summoned instead. It was kept ambiguous whether or not Saito was supposed to be dragged there or if he even was one. 

Now with Henrietta joining them, it's all the more fascinating a fic. 

While I likely won't bookmark the story until at least I see more of Henrietta's path because we won't be seeing back at Halk for a long time, it's in the lead above those in my Marked For Later. Icarus' Dilemma is in my Marked For Later to see updates. 

I like the exploration of the Pokemon world. While the show had shown not just battling but also coordinator as a viable route as a competitive route should go that route, the fic is dedicated to worldbuilding and showcasing the bond between Pokemon and humans. 

As a fact, the world of Pokemon is designed for travelers so public transit is free. It's understandable why when trainers are such a large faction with the League and all. Tourists will have an easier time not spending the most ridiculous amount of money to travel. Even a cruise ship for trainers is considerably less expensive. 

It’s still a capitalist world where monopolies are very frequent. Even with well-intentioned guys, I think there aren’t enough laws in place to prevent them. Yeah, Silph is great he is our primary inventor of modern things but then we get Cosmos who runs so many things. 

It’s still a utopia despite its problems I think people are far more willing to solve the ills of the world or at least prevent stuff from repeating again. It still has its own history while still paralleling our world. 

Platinum Pirate: "Looks like we're going to be partners from now on. Together, we'll see all this world has to offer." When Incumbent Champion Lucas was called in to investigate a mysterious buildup of psychic energy in the Solaceon Ruins, he didn't expect his wish from so long ago to come true, in potentially the worst (or best) way possible.

An OP crossover which is surprising really. The modernity of Pokemon clashes with the golden age of piracy steampunk of OP. 

While OP has its own BS medicine, it's still not Pokemon medicine in which medicine could heal flesh wounds of any kind. It might not cure cancer but it's enough for an emergency patient. 

I wonder how long this story will last? Would Lucas go to the New World before the Strawhats or he’ll go home before the time skip? 

Lucas and his team are comparable to Warlords and on par with Vice Admirals. They can hold their own against Admirals. 

I’m pretty sure Lucas and the team won’t take kindly to Akainu. Hey, one of the authors of This Bites is assisting this author with this fic. I don’t like Akainu either but I really want to see it just because TB left on the cliffhanger about Punk Hazard and the Fleet Admiral thing. Godoka, OP is so juicy and the changed stuff in TB and this fic will be so awesome. 

Lucas and Co changed a lot. Crocodile escaped. 

Honestly, I want to see how the Pokemon world wrecks the One Piece world. Arceus has been hinted at for a while now and holy Godoka, I want more minds breaking.

Call Out The Difference: After Ingo's impromptu journey to Hisui (and back again), the Subway Masters has had enough of space-time shenanigans for a lifetime. Unfortunately, they're due for another set, in the form of an entirely new universe crashing into theirs. One without Pokemon. On the other side, the Avengers are definitely not ready to face the Masters of the Battle Subway and the chaos of their world.

I'm not a huge superhero fan. Though I technically kept up with MHA and T&B, I haven't been up to date with the MCU since Spiderman No Way Home with the return of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. I haven't seen most of Phase 4 outside of the only Spiderman movie on that phase. The only other thing I saw was Wandavision. 

That said, this fic is a good entry for people who don't know that much. I only have basic knowledge of what happened in the first Avengers movie and I was able to pick what happened so far in the textual information the author gave us. 

I enjoy a world that only knows the Pokemon world as fiction suddenly crossing with just as technologically advanced and more open-minded due to having lived with them for so long. The culture clash was interesting, seeing as we're only getting twenty chapters. 

Just to be clear, the MCU got a wholly different Pokemon franchise with anime first then the games created later. Apparently, they got up to Unova but not much farther or close to Nimbasa. That means they don't know the craziness of later series including PLA's battle styles. The games universe doesn't have Ash Ketchum and Pikachu isn't as popular which means it takes place in-game, not in the anime universe. 

Honestly, I don't want to spoil it. Just read it. 

Algorithms, AO3, and Fanfic Recs (and Censorship)

 

I don't think making fun of kids growing up on social media depends heavily on engagement and don't know how to search for what is good for them without others' help. 

Now, I think fic recs are dearly needed in this climate. I'm still looking for Heartstopper fic recs posts for some time now as I recently got some good Legolas x Gimli fics recently and I'm currently reading this long fic. 

Fic recs are so good for me. An easy fic recs for me was to look at the bookmarks sections should I like the author or to see their Tumblr. 

That's why it's so easy for me to go searching for any fic recs posts on any media I'm currently into. 

Yes, there are lots of stories out there. 

Think of AO3, FF.Net, Livejournal, Spacebattles, and other fanfiction sites as libraries. Because that's what they are in the end. Libraries. 

Summaries and tags are there for the most part. 

Godoka, if kids of today think AO3 is hard to navigate, then imagine kinkmemes. You'll lucky to find a Delicious link page for everyone unless you are basically obsessively memorizing the page and section of a kinkmeme. Kinkmemes are like Jenga where these prompts are hopefully or not answered. 

Alongside FF.Net, I still search for fics on Livejournal and now Spacebattles. 

I'm not a social media person. Even now, as an ARMY, I mostly use my Tumblr. 

I'm so used to searching for fics that AO3 was an easy transition. 

AO3 doesn’t need engagement. 

Most fanfic writers I have seen don’t care much about engagement, just wanting to tell a story. While kudos and comments are nice, it’s something that is just isolated within the fic itself. 

Fandom in itself had been severely affected by the ‘content’ of the social media landscape. We’re basically The Menu the fandom experience of creativity and community. The fandom shared a love for whatever pop culture and the little subset of fans of a fanbase just bounce off each other for a particular ship or piece of media that was released slowly. Now binging and quick bites of content reduced art and community. And it went as far as affecting fandom. 

All fandom is a shared love for something. That’s why the algorithm for AO3 is antithetical to fandom. 

Fans shouldn’t be forced to create piece after piece just to maintain relevance in a fandom. They’re not creating but pumping out for approval. What fans want to share is a love for something. Something as simple as a ‘that’s so good!’ is enough of an encouragement as opposed to pumping out products like a machine. 

The point is a never-ending fandom because that’s the point. Not because there’s nothing left to be released does not mean that fans cannot still create. It’s steady and fun, not stressful. Somehow it’s consumerism rather than personal entertainment and community bonding through a common interest. 

It doesn't mean that fandom can't adapt to the new environment but when people are casually dropping series after it ends and no content is coming out of fandoms to the point it's called a dead fandom just for the series not having anything new coming out of it after it ended. There's a difference between a rarepair / minor fandom that didn't garner the fans to create and dropping after the series ended and not even thinking of making what happens in the potential. Really, I'm not even in the Genshin Impact and MHA fandoms right now but even I check them at odd times alongside Code Geass, Haikyuu, Daiya no Ace, and Durarara fics. For fuck's sake, Katekyo Hitman Reborn is still going strong to this day. 

What fandom usually does is gather after and in between episode/chapter releases to socialize, theorize, and create. 

Heck, even companies starting to release in pieces rather than the whole thing even Netflix does it by chopping up seasons for example. Though that might force making the finales even worse just to make it feel like a season finale. 

Fuck, you can use the top comments or kudos section on the AO3 as fanfic recommendations. Yes, the diamonds in the rough in the lesser-reviewed fics won’t be seen but the point is still there. 

If you like a particular author’s story, check out their other works, their bookmarks, and their gifted works in that order. If you notice in my AO3 bookmarks, I have several fics from several authors in multiple fandoms. I’m picky about what I like so it’s the ones I like best that are in my bookmarks while others from the same authors I just appreciate but no dice. 

Kids, please understand that I’m trying to help you. While I wasn’t there for the debacles of Livejournal as I was in 6th to 7th grade at the point aka I was just starting to explore fandom outside my books, I was there for the Tumblr fiasco. I know my fandom history as it’s interesting to learn. 

Please learn fandom history and it’s easy to search: read the summary, check the tags, use the filters, and use the search engine. If you like a particular story, check the author and if they have bookmarks, check their bookmarks because if you like the content of what they like, then what they read is similar.

Go find fic recs. TVTropes has one alongside having a fanworks page if found. Ask for fic recs on Tumblr or anywhere that is fan-related really.  

Learn why fans were frustrated with the loss of Tumblr's NSFW and now Twitter's with only logins to even see the NSFW and even then fans still go to other sites so they can publish their NSFW. Why AO3 is considered the last bastion of creativity that allows so many things to be told.

It’s an archive, a library with warning tags. 

Do they walk into a library or a bookstore expecting an algorithm and warning labels? I don't think books have trigger warnings at all. 

The books I want to read don't have warnings on them for certain. 

I have seen a warning on Witch Hat Atelier tankoban about that sexual harassment chapter but I don't think it's an overall thing I have seen so far. 

I know this because books are still the love of my life. I have a backlog of books as well as an entire history in my AO3.

AO3 basically asked you with the yellow banner that it’s content for adults and if you are ready to read it again. Because it is your decision at the end of the day, even with the fic in question having all the tags and warnings on it complete with the summary. 

You curate your own experience. Complaining and deliberately seeking out material you aren’t supposed to read is just you throwing a tantrum.

All those fics have a place to exist alongside the best fics. You don’t get to decide what kind of fics to even exist. 

AO3 has been called the last bastion of creativity for a reason. 

Do not think for a second you are special just because you think you know shit.

All you are showing about yourself is a spoiled brat who thinks they know better than the older women who literally built the superstructure of the fandom itself. 

Why is it so hard to ask for fanfiction recommendations? 

Fanfiction recommendations are a thing that should still occur. Not only older fanfiction is getting harder to find, but their presence is also nil compared to the recent work. 

An archive is an archive. With a functioning tagging system, it is used the filter and search the designated fanfiction. However, it will take longer aside from just knowing the basics. 

It’s an archive. An archive dedicated to saving fics from defunct sites because have they ever experienced just how many fics are lost from so many sites and just how many fanfics had been impacted by lawsuits even during the time when they just started to circulate as zines? An archive for the saving of fandom history that has been lost or could have been lost. 

Do you know how important that all art that is just used to create not be sold in capitalist institutions that are for the rich to see and discard how they want to see, disregarding the creativity and the hurdles that marginalized groups don’t have a chance in displaying their work due to the so-called style or have access or people doing what they love but no one appreciates it at the time or the drive to just create and not monetize? For historians, the voices of the ordinary are literal gold. I’m not a historian but Godoka, seeing historical ordinary voices, outside of the rich, educated, or well-known, are fascinating. 

There are professional official archives for anything that are archived by people with advanced degrees who are paid to be there. AO3 is no different. It’s an archive of creativity from ordinary people who made no profit from basically doing regular fandom activity. Even something as the author’s note with the mundane or crazy life mentions is so significant to a glimpse of life out there. AO3 is the Library of Alexandria. 

Do not let anyone think otherwise because they bought into capitalism and the fact that not everything is for them and not everything is about them. 

Fanfiction is important because of the creativity, happiness, and community that can help people feel and get through the day. All fanworks are!

Fuck the elitist bs! All art is important even if these antis cannot see shit from their elitist puritanical bs.

Because on top of this, they display appalling misogyny, seeing only white women as the only ones who ever use AO3 and that women’s hobbies especially those over thirty are lesser and what they and their moral authority declared what women should be doing instead. Wow, not even thinking about intersectionality there! No women from the LGBT and WOC while saying that white feminism trumped everything while degrading white women at the same time! 

The History, Marked For Later, and Bookmarks are frequently used. I personally used the Bookmarks as the FF.Net Favorites equivalent and what made it better was the private as well as the Rec heart. Depending on my fanfiction, you can find the Rec heart prioritized over the normal bookmarks. 

While I would like to filter the History too, there is only so much I could do to find what fics I was reading for. 

AO3 is still in beta and still has lots of work to do. I mean there were periods where the fics I read didn't make on time to the History page until days later as a result of the problems with the server. 

I don't want an AO3 Wrapped or an algorithm. My current reading history is between me and whatever higher being. 

I will be redoing fanfic recs after so long. First up are Pokemon AUs and crossovers!

I can’t believe we got to the point of pro-censorship people climbing the ranks on OTW. It’s just sad to see the younger generation puritanical in ways that show they are too in the healthy ships.

*snorts* Given the NSFW romanticism of daddy issues that is so prevalent in EndHawks, I doubt the younger generation isn’t any less shy. Just selective oblivious. 

I don’t give a shit about EndHawks shippers and refuse to set foot on their grounds; seeing fanart gives me psychic damage because I can skip fanfiction about them but fanart is still art. I don’t want anything to do with that ship after seeing the implications and what it would mean for the characters, especially Hawks. 

Anyways, it’s clear that the younger generation is puritanical to horrifying degrees. 

Yes, you can tell stories without resorting to offensive shit. However, said offensive shit can provide good writing if you know how to write it tactfully. 

This tactfulness doesn’t seem to register. No exploration in their land. Apparently, after dealing with terrible execution, these things must never be discussed or be put in black and white.

Because even when people want villains of the sympathetic and redeemable, somehow the irredeemable and just bad are wanted yet seen as uninteresting. People want bad for evil’s sake but it depends on how the character is written. 

I mean Puss in Boots The Last Wish showcased the villains in different lights and well-regarded. 

What these guys up their ass about censorship showed is a lack of creativity and critical thinking. The point of a villain is usually the kill because that’s what a villain does. 

Censorship is bad. They want no creativity and critical thinking that had been so prominent in literacy. As a book enthusiast, that is a big no to these guys who want censorship even more on fandom grounds.

They are showing they know nothing of fandom history as all they want is to be pure despite people telling them it’s their own job to curate and just look at the damn tags. 

They aren’t doing anything worthwhile with their tantrums and crusades. They showed ignorance and a lack of common sense. 

The internet ain’t their babysitter. When regular YouTube is better for kids than actual YouTube Kids, then that says everything. And let’s not get into censoring words. That in itself is horrifying and showed an unwillingness to discuss. I refused to be censored so I’m happy to use them freely than be forced by this domino effect of censorship that began in TikTok. Horribly dystopian and offered nothing but a lack of human discussion regarding the human experience that is needed in a society that already refused to discuss these topics in a healthy way. 

Using words like unalive to censor basic human experiences like death, sex, and even terms for oppressed minorities is horrifyingly dystopian just because advertisers and corporations demand it. Young people and grown adults see it as normal and getting used to not talking about any of those topics without going around censors is a problem. It’s unsettling hence my refusal to bend down to those censors. 

Censorship is just bad. No matter what, history had shown how much it stifled in the name of morality even though all those people showed nothing but ignorance. 

Looking at you, Mary Whitehouse. Yeah, these Puritans of today in fandom spaces are Mary Whitehouse of fandom. If people who fight stupidly against ships existing instead of ignoring and letting others have their fun are foolish, these guys are idiots against all types of fun and imagination. 

I’m not a big horror fan but even I am aware that the horror classics should be appreciated. On an aside note, horror movies should be nominated and appreciated by the so-called superior film award shows that just go after biopics which is already dubious enough. You won’t see me watching a horror flick alone or with anybody but I understand the classics. 

I mean I'm moreover a romance genre fan than a horror fan. Please when romcoms had been denigrated and seen as fluff than anything of substance. Still popular so much that queer filmmakers are trying their hands at it as queer characters can lead a rom-com. I mean the last rom-com I heard was Fire Island, the queer Asian cast Pride and Prejudice romcom. Bros are the mainstream romcom that people are supposed to know when I wish people look at Fire Island instead. 

Anyways, censorship is not good for lack of better words. Nobody should censor creativity in fandom spaces just for these guys' so-called morality and moral panic. They don't seem to understand basic exploration and tactfulness on top of it. 

All I just want for them is to not throw spoiled tantrums and expect the internet to clean up that mess. With Elsagate's ominous return and many veterans and actual mature adults pointing out that even AO3 asked one last time if you seriously want to read something that only adults should see, then I'm wondering just how far they'll go just for their puritanical censorship. 

Fanworks with all the disclaimers are essentially theft. There was no need to add disclaimers on AO3 though. 

Fans particularly queer fans stole them and basically have a field day with them. It’s basically about certain fanbases, the shipping is about the dynamics in relation to the media and personal preference. Ship wars are about arguing who is the better match which is not as fun to witness as simply ignoring and reading. Ignoring ships that you don’t like instead of invading other ships’ spaces is better than seemingly doing your best to be superior in any way possible. 

This is literally no different from the public domain and the various mythologies we got of Western superheroes. There are official fix-its in comic book canon as well as what-ifs. Just because fans don’t profit from it does not negate that it’s a creative art in a community devoted to it. Just because women from all walks of life see it as a hobby does not negate the very idea of fandom. The significant difference was that commercialization and capitalism separate from fans' will to create. 

Without women being the first to push Star Trek and the Beatles, the men really wouldn't have taken a second glance at it. And even then it's the men who so-called legitimatize them (to the point the Beatles changed their look to appeal more to the male demographic whereas BTS attempted no changes and was always grateful to ARMYs for the opportunities) when female interests are often trashed. Pop culture media like Supernatural and Sherlock owed much of their popularity to women and these shows returned the favor by belittling these women including the shipping tendencies. 

And apparently, women’s hobbies relating to fandoms are even more denigrated. Women over thirty shouldn’t be participating in fandoms but instead, be spinsters according to these people. 

When older women are the reason for the superstructure that is the fandom in the first place. Zines? Women. 

Fandom is supposed to be fun with many fires going on behind. 

The whole thing with the puritanical tyranny going on with Gen Z is annoying and shows a lack of fandom history and lack of common sense and media literacy. All they want is to be ‘good’ in the eyes of the society that is demanding better rep for BIPOC and queer people. What they don’t seem to understand is the nuances of proper tactful exploration. 

Fandom is supposed to have fun with canon more or less being prompted for imagination. Whatever implications or whatever extrapolated from teeny tiny interactions or none at all is what is supposed to happen in fandom to have fun. Canon just provides the basics but does not mean that in itself the end-all-be-all that I see nowadays. 

Fanfic Rec: Ash Connection and The Road You Choose

The Ash Connection: A string of violent attacks at the hands of a mysterious Pokemon has caught Lance and the G-Men off-guard. Little about the motive is clear, other than Ash Ketchum is somehow the factor. His friends and rivals must confront an important question: Is he really the fabled Chosen one? Set during BW. Multiple pairings, including Pokeshipping, Contestshipping, and Ikarishipping.

Review: This is a series and the reason I left that part up there not linked because the last part isn't out.

I adore any fanfiction that has Ash as the Chosen One in some form or another, either by examining it in a similar fashion to Tales of Symphonia or just straight up asking why. This fic takes a creative route about faith in the Chosen One. Do people believe it or not? Melody certainly believes it and made a point to tell the G-Men flat-out.

The pairings don't detract from the writing at all. If anything else, it seemed more like icing, something that doesn't necessarily make things sweeter but there just fine as decoration. Makes me wonder what kind of cake I'll have for my wedding. Or I could do things creatively with the wedding main dessert course. I would prefer not to make anybody's allergies to act up.

Now, this makes all the movies canon. I want to comment on the movies that were released later in the Pokemon anime mainline: given that Legendaries and the occasional Mythics have been such an intrinsic part in the actual storyline of the main anime, I doubt Sun and Moon would have a proper movie despite its potential. While technically filler, I don't bother much about it since well I wonder how they are going about the Legendaries and Mythics in the Pokeani. Besides, making them canon is very easy just like making Baron Omatsuri canon for OP.

Okay, I know it isn't canon but it's just so good and one of few horror films I'm willing to pop in and have in my possessions. And I have seen body horror in Japanese media. A lot.

The Road You Choose: Since there are only individual stories, I'll put it up instead. Rewrites of movies with the exception of the last really big one which basically builds upon the Legendaries and the Chosen One's responsibilities.

Not the best but it's the best I can come up with. You would have troubles with the links too because there might be more.

Like the fic above, this is more about there is an actual Chosen One who has responsibilities given to him by birth from the Legendaries. The golden Ho-Oh, whom Ash initially thinks was just an image from a rainbow, watched over his first steps into the world.

It has similarities with Ash Connection but that is where the similarities end. It involved Legendaries and Mythics who had control over their element. It also adjusted game canon too. Y'know the Articuno in Seafoam Islands... Yeah, but that's not the Alpha one. The Alpha ones are the Orange Archipelago's Elemental Islands. Okay, that needs explanation. Alphas are the massive ones that are telepathic for the most part and lives in important places in the world. Think the Tree of Beginning and the aforementioned islands which held the flow of the world in its hands.

I really adored how the Legendaries are portrayed. They are gods that harbored frightening power. And to kill them is a big mistake because, with one killed, they are likely to throw off the balance of the world. They are the most powerful beings in the entire world. You can still catch the lesser ones though. They're just not as powerful as the Alphas and catching them won't mean the end of the world. I mean just look at Tobias. I adore creationism in fiction and adore anthropomorphic personifications of abstract concepts. Give me that and I'll drink that with gusto.

I also liked just how flawed the characters are. Paul, for example, is worried out of his mind for his brother and of course, things like morality wouldn't be a concern when there's an apocalypse far worse than the weather destruction nearly six years ago.

I wish the Try Guys continue this series. I know it would take a lot of work, getting judges and kitchens. I want them to try making macarons because I know just how difficult it is. Even my cousins who love to bake wouldn't dare touch even a recipe because of its difficulty. Custard slices, whatever was on the technical challenge in GBBO because this is the point of Without a Recipe. Challenging recipes that the Try Guys try to make. Hey, the Try Guys are basically in the technical challenge in GBBO...without a recipe and only the ingredients they have in their reach. And have the power of experimentation. Looking at you, Eugene and Zach. I kinda expect Eugene to add alcohol in his baking from now on.

Despite this somewhat taking after The Great British Bake-Off if only in a spoof, I can see traces if someone did really well they won't show it. I know this because after I watched a few episodes of GBBO, it became obvious. This is why I was able to guess Eugene at least got a high score on his since the video didn't seem to focus on him too much beyond his mistakes. Yeah, even when I know Eugene is drunk, I can tell he would at least earn not a star for the effort like Ned but rather a star for creativity and doing better than everybody else. Like Ned, Keith tries but still has something painfully basic. Like he knows but he didn't seem to go out there like drunk Eugene. Think of it as a beginner basic stuff with little experimentation. Eugene experimented and seemed to manage well. Zach on the other hand... I would not do what he does in his cooking. Even without a recipe, he didn't seem to have the palate to compensate. His pie was barely edible while his friends made passable pies. Zach, dearie, I hope you manage to create something decent next time. Your experimentation

Progress Review: Thieves Can Be Heroes

You people already know my opinion on the Persona series and MHA so let's go forward!

FFNet. Summary: Izuku Midoriya thought he was down on his luck the day he was convicted of a crime for trying to save someone. As if being Quirkless wasn't enough, how he was supposed to be a Hero with a criminal record? As it turned out, fate had another plan for him.

So basically the Persona series happened in the world of MHA but also in the very same Persona-verse. Because the Persona-verse goes space-time continuum level of madness.

While there are certain canon divergences (Shiho staying and the Illegals' activity), it's still P5. Major events will still happen.

Barring the Kaneshiro incident probably since, in the MHA-verse, the yakuza are gone. Literally with Chisaki's arrest. Maybe Chisaki or a Hero would up being one of the major targets instead of on the ranks of Madarame and Shido.

While the P5 calendar of events has to stay in a strict schedule from the targets to the social link to the Christmas Eve Apocalypse, I don't know what the Illegals and the MHA would do.

Additionally, by the story's end, please add the Shadow Operatives. The Shadow Operatives could be a Hero Agency but a strange hero agency at that since they picked those who only have not quirks but rather have a Persona. And they combat the supernatural when others like All Might and Eraserhead could not. Think of them more underground than even the underground heroes and villains like Eraserhead. And they don't even score on the board or anything. Every one of their workers has a day-job but has so much experience in fighting Shadows and the supernatural that it's a given they are far more likely to take on gods than All Might. And they are saving the world far more frequently than these heroes just fighting criminals who used their powers for the wrong reason.

Listen, Nyarlathotep could and will destroy everything All For One worked for in a second. I know it because I saw how he is during his appearance. Messing with All for One's mind would be so easy for him.

Well, Izuku...Be glad that you are part of Persona 5 than any other Persona flagship titles.

If you were in the original Persona, you will fight against the Snow Queen AKA Nyx and temporarily Nyarlathotep with Kandori. You were stuck basically in one city because it was cut off and new heroes could not come in to save.

Because if you were in Persona 2, you will fail to save the Earth from Nyarlathotep. Because you aren't part of the adult team that did save the Earth from being destroyed...

Onto Persona 3, you would save the Earth certainly but at the cost of your own life. The thing about P3 was accepting one's death while living life to its fullest extent. I'm sure you don't mind sacrificing your life to save the world and acted as the barrier between Nyx and Erebus but goddamn it's playing right into your self-destructive habit of saving people at the cost of yourself. Minato/Makoto knows this and did it too but never at self-destruction. Izuku must learn self-preservation, not to kill himself for the greater good which would go against the theme of P3. He must live while accepting death. His acceptance of death is not like Akinari or Shinjiro or Ken or the rest of SEES.

While Persona 4's protagonist survived, he's in high school. UA is a high school and I don't think Yasogami High has a hero course. I don't think Gekkoukan High has a hero course, no matter how rich it is. In fact, I don't see any Persona-user in any of the flagship titles choosing to become public heroes when they had other interests. It's not that they aren't heroic but because it's simply isn't them. They are good and moral people certainly and had standards. They would save people, regardless of one's history and will treat people with human decency. You might be saving the town from a serial killer and later the world from a god but I doubt you would want to stay like this. They had dreams and hopes that they can achieve on their own merits.

Besides, Persona-users are different from Quirk-users, mainly that it's not a power that anyone can get like candy. You quite literally had to be broken to have potential - the more visible the mask, the visible the persona. A persona is a mask to protect yourself. To be an actual Persona-user, you have to accept the darkness in your heart and have your power that darkness instead of the darkness powering you. Additionally, Quirks have a limit, Personas don't. Sure they had a limit on the stresses of your mind - SP/HP but they are easily revivable with items and spells while you basically had to wait out until everything's in order because Quirks are biological functions. I literally fought one boss in P3 for nearly three hours. I was just damn lucky I was efficient with my items and SP. Sure, there is 20% of the population who won't have quirks but if and only if they were broken, then they have potential. There is a major difference between gaining a Quirk and Persona; in one of them, you must literally be broken...while the other is a biological function.

For example, Aoyama would have potential and he would certainly accept his Shadow in one try instead of rejecting it because from what I saw from him, he won't even deny it since he was willing to talk about it to Deku. Normal people like Ojiro and Sero won't have any potential. The entire staff at UA won't have potential, not Aizawa nor Nighteye... Probably Nedzu would have potential but I have serious misgivings about him, namely of his misanthropic behavior and that he could be the traitor if the traitor theory is indeed true. I think All Might would have potential, just by the fact he's wearing a mask. Of Class 1-A, those who have potential will be Aoyama, Kirishima, Deku, Bakugou, MINETA, Asui, Jiro, and Ashido. Probably add Ochako and Iida depending on the masks they wear. Momo, as much as I love her, puts up a mask for some time but I doubt she has potential the same way her supposed love interest Todoroki has - listen, I'm not a TodoMomo shipper in the slightest but ship whatever you want. I'm a happy Tododeku shipper alongside Kacchako since I find that pairing more appealing than IzuOcha. Shinsou will have potential too.

Hell, in DRRR, Izaya and Shizuo would certainly make the shortlist of having potential; I am absolutely certain if I place them in the Persona world, they would undoubtedly have potential. Kadota and Tom will not have potential whereas Simon will. No matter how badass I find you, Dotachin, you would never ever had potential the same way Izaya and Shizuo has.

Izuku, you have no clue what is waiting for you in this world. Considering PQ2, you would be meeting other Persona-users who would use mythological figures from Greek to Japanese to Chinese. You have yet to meet Aigis, a humanoid android capable of emotions. It dropped right into the uncanny valley but she's just as real as Morgana and Teddie. You have no clue you just collided with gods or godlike beings at all, demons certainly, but gods or godlike ones like Igor and the Demiurge. You have no clue about the Great Seal and the multiple apocalypses this world even has. Persona-users are the only type of people who can fight against the godlike beings, not the Heroes. Not even All For One would be able to stand against godlike beings who can quite literally kill him on the spot and I do mean on the spot. Nyarlathotep could manipulate his darker tendencies and unleashed on the world what All For One can do worse than he was usually doing. Nyarlathotep could also kill All For One easily. Philemon can do the same as does Igor. Demiurge could also kill him, Izanami could kill him, Marie could kill him...  As gods, they are basically higher than any human, even a human with a longevity Quirk or multiple strong quirks. Nothing could kill them barring the destruction of humanity itself.

Yes, this world has apocalypses in the past...near multiple times for utter destruction but absolutely in one case...where if you were a teen and helping Tatsuya and the gang then...you will fail.

Listen, it's one of the things that make you a Persona-user and stopping an apocalypse at the hands at one of humanity's gods is one of them.

Like for Heroes, you stopping crime, petty or otherwise, although I doubt that they'll be able to stop the crimes that are still there in the real world and would still happen in a world with superheroes. Look at DC/Marvel where corruption amongst the populace and police are still viable.

But the end of the world shit where you have to stop gods from destroying everything. Yeah, Quirks could work but won't make a dent, unlike the Personas where the enemy is more likely to have weaknesses. Quirk-users would tire themselves out.

Let's go onto the world of BNHA.

Hmm... how can I say this? I think to some extent, it's quite dystopic.

For starters, Quirks are raised to a level. Yes, there is good equality for LGBTQ+ individuals - see Tiger of the Wild, Wild Pussycats - but there is the same discrimination. Just look at the bullying at Izuku and the posturing of Bakugou for starters. The Quirkless was bullied for something they can't control and those with 'heroic' quirks are raised up.

Not to mention, something that would fit right in with P5: the Hero industry. There are people who undoubtedly are not heroic by any means, taking it as a job than an act of heroism or using it for other means. Think the Heroes as...not as pros but rather as an auxiliary police force.

Even if Endeavor is not one of the Phantom Thieves of Heart's targets, then a Hero should be one. Since the Yakuza is all but gone in the series, then the Phantom Thieves' target instead of Kaneshiro could be a Hero.

Analyze the Hero Industry. If in the story there are corrupt cops, then they'll be corrupt heroes all the same. The canon of MHA practically had corrupt heroes and treated the job as a job.

Just because they are working against villains does not mean they are good people. The Phantom Thieves had their flaws but like the rest of the Persona-users, they are good people.

Hell, analyze the industry. Crossovers like the CCS crossover and Conversations with a Cryptid did it.

Now consider UA: it's basically a military school. While police schools are self-contained and they don't go to war against people who can bloody kill them in an instant... I don't think a majority had a license for teaching. Some of them can be good teachers like Aizawa and Midnight...but at the same time, they are moreover soldiers going to war against an invisible enemy.

Yes, there will be people who used their Quirks in criminal activity. I am not even going to talk about the League of Villains nor Chisaki in any form in this since it's pretty obvious.

I want to think about the pro Hero industry as an auxiliary force like I seriously wanted to. All Might helped stopping everything he sees including a robbery. However, these Heroes don't seem to know what is there to take about the know-how of policemen, particularly Japanese police.

The Japanese police force has lessons on how to interact which the pro Hero industry clearly did not demonstrate well in that regard. Some might be good with kids - All Might - but others not so much. They can take what it means to be on the field of pro Heroism but in terms of how the Japanese police do their work, they don't know shit.

The Japanese police learned theory lessons. From what we saw from UA, there are normal classes on top of training such as heightening their Quirk's limit/exposure. No lessons on interactions with victims or other necessary lessons that other take. I'm pretty sure they had Hero-related projects in the classes but something like teaching students to calm victims - something that apparently they had to know instinctively - is something that never appeared as appropriate classes. In comparison, Koro-sensei's classroom seemed downright normal because at least he only made sure they were trained in the arts of assassination for his murder and nobody else. Sure they can now defend themselves which is great. But he never wants them to use their new skills for anything but his murder. Nagisa even went on to teach with the sheer exception of his murder.

Sure, UA is teaching these Heroes about their powers but do we see theory classes on how to treat children or victims? Somehow, it must innate for them to even learn the dang thing. Saving them from a dangerous situation is one thing but it's another to reassure them without making them panic. Having kids learning to rescue traumatized victims from their horrible situations - I seriously wonder if I can pretend to merge any of the SMT worlds with MHA so I can see just how ineffective the whole Hero industry is when it comes to the apocalypse - and expecting them to already know. Deku literally had to learn on the job. Sure he and Togata are great with kids but he nor Togata are truly equipped to even go about a police operation that required superhuman powers to combat, not children.

These UA Heroes think they can sniff the traitor in their midst. Listen, just because they are Heroes does not mean they have the skills equipped for that level of investigation. Get the Japanese Special Defense - until it is a national threat, use something like the police force to sniff it out. Even the Persona series does this because the supernatural stuff is usually in that area and does not require national attention particularly for what looks like murder or rumors becoming reality or what just looked like people admitting crimes. Just look at Detective Conan where the Special Defense and the FBI are digging up dirt for the BO. I would totally understand the supernatural stuff where the police nor the nation realized what is happening. But when there is something like a traitor, don't get Heroes, get agents to infiltrate with the necessary skills. I'm more likely to trust Detective Conan's FBI/CIA/JSD over the Heroes any time of the day.

The over-reliance on overpowered spectacular Quirks is also a problem. Now it's probably Aizawa was in the same place as Hitoshi Shinsou and the probable cause of having a new test in mind of different Quirks.

Heroes are raised to another status altogether. Sure they are some good ones with All Might being worshipped for his genuine human decency but there are others who just had the quota.

Now MHA is all about what makes a hero.

I just don't trust the Hero industry in MHA. Yes, there are good heroes who deserve praise for common human decency like All Might but there are others who are not Endeavor or Captain Celebrity. I'm far more willing to trust the vigilantes in MHA than I will the Heroes.