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.

Journey into Pin Collecting

 

I never expected to fall down this rabbit hole. 

After experiencing things that are normal to pin collectors in the community, I'm still learning. This glossary here is useful. If I never need help regarding designing pins, I refer to this to achieve the best I want.

While I spent over a thousand at this point, I considered myself still pretty decent. I think I gave up a lot of potential pins because I could live without them or put them off till later. 

Honestly, with the pin collecting, I’m getting to know myself as to what themes I subconsciously lean-to. 

I love Nuwa’s art but I wasn’t intending to get any Disney fantasy pins at all until I laid my eyes on the Evil Queen. It's too lovely not to have and now I’m building up a Disney Villain board with Nuwa Yzma being my first FTD preorder. I mean who wouldn’t get Yzma? 

I still like glittery diamonds enough. I still like light designs of my favorite designs in a particular series. 

However, I noticed I tend to pick the goth and dark designs even with the cute and girly designs is a theme even with the theme of characters representing darkness death, and destruction. 

My first Patreon reward was Nuwa Sakura for November. My second and third were Mamobot Dragonair and Califlair's new theme series that will be delivered in February. I refuse to leave those three pin clubs particularly not letting go of Califlair's pin rewards after seeing the two so far. My third was Califlair’s Angel & February reward. 

FTD Yzma is my first ever FTD preorder whereas my first ever Patreon discount was the three Fashion Gardevoirs I've wanted. I haven't exactly had a true Patreon early access preorder from Mamobot just yet. Moon Prism Project Saturn is my first Patreon exclusive preorder as all I seen from the series it’s all in the pin club shop. I don’t think it was ever in the public shop. 

Neuvi Tarot is my first PSS pin whereas the Childe PoP I refuse to give up is my second PSS pin, both preorders. 

My first-ever group presale is the Silvy Moonie Saturn and I need to buy it the moment it releases. I do not know how many spots are there but it’s probably 40-ish given the previous full presale; surprisingly only two so far managed to get full: Riftan and Saturn. I scored a spot as soon as I got the confirmation of the group formation and now awaiting the date. 

I have seen the Mercury presale and already taken off after the first day and probably all of the group members paid already. I have seen early access members paying by other means than this. 

As much as I will be in pin jail for that, as long as I don't spend way more than I'm expecting, I'm okay. Honestly, as long as Mamobot doesn't fail me now by releasing the Eeveelution Crossbreeds Wave 1 in February, then I'm fine. 

Thank god I mostly stick with Saturn and Moon, but the only sometimes is because there is so much that I would buy at one point. 

Getting access to pin clubs is like getting crack to be honest. Nuwa's FTD series and Mamobot releasing early access Patreon open preorders are so bad to me but I know when to pick and choose. I feel like I'm being forced to pick and choose the Eeveelution Crossbreeds but I have to get the ones I know I need as February will be the hardest obstacle to get over. 

Because I'm actually spending not that much by comparison to others, in fact, I think what I'm spending in February alone is comparable to one of my cousins spending on a Kickstarter bundle that included add-ons of specials, I'm only focusing on designs I wanted. Sure I follow over a hundred artists on Instagram, but I'm only focusing on what I can do right now. Heck, I haven't spent anything on Mamobot in January other than getting the monthly reward. 

I'm investing in Califlair as I plan to stay all year. I'm staying in Mamobot and Nuwa's Patreon for obvious reasons. I don't plan to join any Kickstarters even for any ita bag once I manage to scrouge enough to buy an ita bag for my liking. I only joined a DC Kickstarter once and I've fallen down the rabbit down to not join a Kickstarter at the moment. 

Even if the creators are now limiting the LE so as not to create any dead stock, creators are still upping their game all over the place. I have seen pin designs that are just so good and there are some I know I can't pass up comes the preorder date like Silvy Moonie Saturn that I refuse to let go. 

Sure there are some stray pins I'm eying like from PSS and if a design I really love pops up in Discord Instagram or Patreon, it's all up in the air. The only designs that I know I want are up on Mamobot 

And I was right. Mamobot threw my intended budget out the window with the release of Eeveelution Fusions Wave 1 and Moon Prism Project Saturn. I was just lucky I only spent 109 previously including the pin clubs I stayed in but Mamobot revealed the Jirachi one and I really like this reward.  

In February alone, I will wound up preordering two Saturns, one from Mamo and the other from Silvy. They are going to look great in my Saturn shrine anyway so no regrets. No regret buying Wave 1 either. 

I already have two boxes at this point with the Wave 1 plus Saturn and the other was six of Wave 2 Fashion Gardevoirs. I'm pretty sure my 212 order that comes with a freebie pin and a free Mamocard essentially brought up the total to 15 items in total all of which are two inches with one 2.85 with the card being a card so it has to be a Mamobox. 

The start of February and the tail end of January already have been one bad financial decision after another. But those are designs I don’t regret. I cannot regret the upcoming Childe PoP that I have been waiting a long time for. At this point, after February, I’m gonna stick with planned purchases. 

Though with Mamobot’s sets I’m eying, some surprises that would set me off to get the earliest and cheapest pricing I can get. The Saturns could be counted as impulse purchases but they are also planned ones as I told myself that I only want Moon Prism Project Saturn and that PoP. I told myself Saturn and maybe Moon and haven’t stepped out since. 

I prefer to get them at the early bird price rather than later. I’m still spending badly but less. 

Since my budget is way off now, I will see if the Dabihawks zine leftovers and Dark Miku will be released in February to budget for the reward and the other Saturn. Honestly, I also need to see Nuwa's March reward and her FTD release to be sure too. At least I'm gonna score the Childe PoP. 

Mamo and Nuwa usually do open preorders for an entire week with an early bird discount is what I will try to get even after work. PSS always did a 48-hour preorder period only extending if not getting preorders to justify production; she only recently did the IF series as a week-long to have more than one character per month. I hope to see Itto and Kazuha even Tomo. 

I also have to take into account future waves of the Eevee Fusions because I need to buy them as well as Wave 3 of Fashion Gardevoir. I already completed Moon Prism Project Saturn, I just need to focus on Pokemon for Mamobot. I can’t afford another Moon Prism Project when the Eevee Fusions are calling me; I promised myself Saturn and that's it on the Moon Prism maybe with the possibility of Moon/Serenity. 

Again, other than Mamobot and Nuwa, I’m looking at PSS and hopefully, Zupins, the latter of which I hope to open an OP for a design I really want. 

There might be stray designs that would come up that are going to be hard to pass up on my budget. Silvy Moonie Saturn ended up being that and Nuwa Yzma. 

I know PSS will be plenty hard on my budget and no less following over a hundred Instagram accounts when it pops up a design or an in-hand sale I've been wanting for a while. 

To save as much money as I can, I have to see what Mamobot aka the Dark Miku and Nuwa aka the FTD and the monthly reward have to offer as well as any news on the Dabihawks zine leftovers to get certain designs such as PSS' Zhongli while still retaining one paycheck for a design I joined a group for. Mamobot already threw me off budget. Though after the eyeliner weirdness on the finished IF one, I’m wary and now aimed for a Zupins OP. 

I want the Zhongli but have to give up the Jirachi and if Mamobot releases the Dark Miku in February, I would likely have to give up the Zhongli for the time being or even look forward to the in-hand release of it or find another Zhongli. Again, it all depends on so many factors at this rate that the only thing I know I can spend on is the Silvy Moonie Saturn and IF Childe PoP. I refuse to give up the Dabihawks pin and now a Wriolette pin. Those will do great on my OTP board. 

I can give up that Zhongli for Midnightmoon Zhonglis. If there is a Zhongli open preorder for Zupins, you bet I’m gonna buy it. I mean there's a new series supposedly with Kaeya open preorder in January, I don't know what is coming next now that I finally followed her at last. 

Push comes the shove, I have to sell some pins. I'm considering the freebies I don't like and impulse purchases. I'm only going to sell some of my personal collection if I'm gonna make something from it. I'm likely going to sell the Nuwa Cinderella and focus entirely on villains for Nuwa. 

I can just sell the Nuwa Link and Nuwa Cinderella next month or this month for some quick cash. Unfortunately, I have to sell them but it’s for funds and I can part with it. 

I didn't want to sell the Nuwa Link after seeing the sample but if I have to. 

I am cautious about Silvy now, especially after seeing the Sakura, Syaoran, Venus, and maybe Riftan. Pluto did turn out great as does previous turnouts like Luna and Serenity. The skin for Sakura and Syaoran turns out too dark and the coloring is off from the original art so it didn't translate the shadowing and bright lights as it should've done. As for Venus, the hair splays to the side whereas the flowers on the left are on two levels. 

I know pins are artistic interpretations of the original art and aren't one-to-one but at least try matching. The worst I saw was somehow just changing the colors outright and UV printing exclusively to the exclusion of everything that could be done to make look good. I have no idea what happened to that pin in particular because it's so changed and so disappointing that it didn't try to match. 

Mamobot is great with Pantone and his pastels always turn out great. 

All I know about Sakura is that when presale buyers in the group noticed the darker skin, it was too late to ask her to change it because she already put it into mass production at that point. What I can say in the end, the pins are pretty but overbaked or have slight inconsistencies that might detract if noticed just enough. 

They are still pretty pins but I just hope that she doesn't stray too far from the original art to match it in some way in her later pins. I have not seen a production sample of Mars yet.  

Her style of shadows and bright lights can work but not always so I hope Saturn turns out great. I know that she always uses effects to raise the price extremely that she and her business partner exclusively sell expensive pins. 

At least her other series are doing fine. 

Pin mails have been a pick-me-up treat. Finally receiving the first pin mail of February certainly makes me happy. I’m waiting for the Dragonair and Fashion Gardevoirs to arrive especially putting the Dragonairs side by side. In March, it’s the Nuwa Link and Califlair again. Unless the largest Mamobot preorder comes in late March, I’m happy. In April, there would be a lot of packages. 

Again, preorders and pin rewards. 

I don’t know about in hands yet but I hope I get the Dark Miku and Dabihawks pin. Those are priorities at the moment as in hands. Maybe the Wriolette pin but that’s not a priority. 

Future preorders would be Eevee Fusions Wave 2 and 3 complete sets (since there are 9 in total, there’s gonna be three waves about 185 at early bird pricing so two more to go) and Fashion Gardevoir Wave 3 some pins (I must get Mew and Florges). It’s very rare for me to want to have the whole set and the Eevee Fusions put me over the edge because every design is too good not to have. 

I knew one of these days I would be spending close to 200 or just a little 200 on Mamobot as I will use the discount codes when I can if only to save money. 

I really like freebie stickers. It's either of the designs I didn't like enough to get as pins like the two Fashion Gardevoir stickers I have of the original and the Butterfree design. I actually like the Butterfree sticker well enough but does it ignite a feeling of FOMO? Just a little but not enough especially in the month I'm prioritizing certain pins. I've seen the pins I didn't buy in better lighting and it looks good but not enough for me to buy it and keep it for life. To be honest, I'd rather get the Sylveon Fusion with Beautifly rather than the Butterfree Gardevoir. At least that would fit in nicely with the Goth Pokemon board I'm basically designing. I tend to be drawn to the relatively dark designs of Mamo's art because it's for my inner Goth lolita soul hence the Dark type Miku. With some exceptions, I'd prefer some Shiny designs over the original. 

Even if the Dark Miku isn’t going to be released in February, I still have to go and basically practice for its eventual drop so I can grab and go but without buying the practice item. 

Pokemon will always be my biggest collection by far. Again, Mamobot is piling that up. 

I haven’t collected CCS and other magical girls in a while. I’m considering MonocacyBottomPins’ upcoming Syaoran or Tomoyo whereas I bought two Saturns in one month. However, there’s Meg I’m looking forward to. I am keeping my Disney collection as small as I can with Nuwa, Mamobot, and maybe some extras. I’m hoping that Nuwa doesn’t release an FTD I want in February because for Mamobot, I am focusing exclusively on the Dark Miku for in-hand drop whereas focusing on preordering for the ones I wanted even if again it would set me back 185. I haven’t heard anything about the Dabihawks leftovers as the last round of shipping batches has yet to be announced nor have the leftover sales been announced; all I know is they were shorted an item. In fact, I have no idea which item was shorted and there is still no news of delivery batches sent of the remaining packages. 

My Digimon and shounen collection is so tiny. Disney is only inching just as much as Sailor Moon through Saturns and whatever comes up. I'm keeping an eye out for any interesting Saturn/Hotaru Tomoe designs that might come up from reliable pin makers. I love Saturn's OG costume though so I kept an eye out for that too. 

My love for magical girls is mighty but I haven't decided on any CCS lately, only Saturns. Pokemon is my priority more so than anything interesting that might be up for Nuwa's FTD series. If it’s like Jasmine a design I can live without, I can skip. If not, we shall see. If it’s Alice, I’m in trouble because she can do youthful characters. I preordered Yzma so quick as it’s the quickest I did for Nuwa notwithstanding the drops for Mamobot because I will be fighting. I can’t be cart swiped for the Dark Miku. 

Like I collect and love Moulin Rouge, but I don’t collect all Disney crossover with it. I prefer to see Satine and Christian than having characters in those roles.

Thankfully I'm not trying to collect that much Disney, only the designs that interest me though I would love a Yzma from Mamobot. 

Honestly, it helps that I'm already picky so I usually just pick up designs I actually want to keep forever. I aim for preorders from very reliable pin makers who fulfill orders and preorders in an orderly manner. Honestly, Mamo and Nuwa are like machines more Mamo as his customers get preorders earlier, and if something is late, he’ll let us know as it took nearly two months for me to get the Dragonair. Even then, getting the rewards is still timely as we can get it the month of or within one to two months. 

Califlair is also reliable because her pins are tiny and single-layer unless they are on the bigger side. Unless something comes up, she gives news in the newsletter. 

The drama with Different Distractions with Jessica admitting to it was just awful, especially with the rumors against reliable pin makers or those who make so many orders in a month but barely show the manufacturing process. 

In fact, one creator I’m following had a lot of uploads on pins that people haven’t seen yet on the updates. The only thing missing is the Mars pin. 

I don’t follow scammers or those that take years. Unlike Hederahelix who has artisan pins made, they are always on time and never ever take as much time as Man on the Moon or Nyxxi. I would like a HederaHelix pin one day but I feel justifying one hundred for a pin is too much for me. Still, if I somehow scored a preorder because I can trust them, others I feel I can’t lest it falls through as one case I saw where it took a year to refund. Hederahelix can take up to two years for their most complicated pins but will give updates. 

My rule of thumb is to affordable as long as I'm willing and able to be selective for creators. At the moment, I'm a dedicated customer of Mamobot foremost with Nuwa closely behind. I cannot afford Califlair unless I spend a bulk on her once a year so it's best for my budget that I stay in her pin club. 

Most designs I do want are concentrated on Mamobot with some stray designs that are often out there.

I prefer to stay in Mamobot and Nuwa's pin clubs for the foreseeable future as they are often the most affordable and accessible. The open preorders they do are like heaven for a newbie like me. 

Honestly, thank god I'm not a massive Sailor Moon and Disney collector. I never bought from Different Distractions and thank my lucky star I did not when I have been eying others within my budget. I didn’t have any thought of buying from Silvy and Lavender until I saw Saturn. 

Seriously, again Saturn especially if it's a design or a line that I would've like such as Mamobot's Moon Prism Project that is Patreon pin club exclusive then I have to get it. I have zero clues about Mamobot if he's going to release the second wave of the Eevee fusions next month because late March at the very least will be the preorders sent out for Wave 1. 

I know that Sailor Moon, Disney, and Pokemon are enough to create a whole category for pin/sticker clubs. Silvy has a whole Moonie Club while Poroful has Pokemon Food tier club as examples. Noddiart has SM and Disney categories as well as Ghibli is another example of a dedicated fandom club. 

If you really like the artist and you really like the characters of a particular fandom in their style, then go for it. 

Though considering some pin club tiers sometimes have limited spots so there will be spots to essentially fight for. 

Of the creators I'm currently buying, Mamobot and Nuwa are basically crack for a newbie. Again, relatively affordable if you can be selective. I can't afford to stay out of planned purchases now. Nuwa creates great designs so I would like to set aside money for them but it depends on the design. Yzma won over my heart less so her Jasmine Red. I love Yzma so I have to get her never mind that Nuwa drew her absolutely gorgeous. Her art on Alice is nice but no dice in keeping it forever. I can see myself keeping the Evil Queen, Vanessa, and Yzma forever. Yzma has the honor of being my fastest FTD and in general pin preorder yet. To be fair, getting the Moulin Rouge pins was fairly fast too as I want to keep those forever. 

As for ita bags, I’m even more pickier. It was only recently I wanted an ita bag and it was a Mehrak ita bag too. My Genshin pins which are still in the production phase are limited to three. I love Kaveh and it should be appropriate that I should get another Kaveh pin. My first Genshin preorder was Kaveh amusingly so it’s fitting my first ita bag is Kaveh-themed even if it’s gonna be a Genshin bag in the end due to my pickiness even with my OTP pins. Getting Velkia pins is a must and obviously go great with the bag. Now the pins turn three to five with the Velkia pins that I have to get both of. My second Kaveh and first Al-Haitham. I haven’t gotten a Zhongli yet! I don’t know if that’s comical or just haven’t found the right one. 

I still haven’t done up my goth Pokemon board mostly because I don’t have the centerpieces and lots of others. They are Mamobot-only designs. For example, my much-needed Dark Miku and the darker colored Eevee Fusions (Sylveon fusion with Beautifly for example is such a need especially would look great on the goth Pokemon board). I can't build a board just yet without those and their specs. 

The Disney board is what I'm trying to keep relatively small. I have no clue why I had a Disney Villain board even when the Evil Queen started out that Disney collection. Still have no clue how to go about that especially when I don't know if Nuwa is gonna release more designs I like. Yzma was the last FTD I liked so I hope to see more. Again, I'm not planning too big a Disney collection. It was Nuwa who kicked it off. 

As always, there are artists commissioned or otherwise who won’t do certain fandom stuff. David J Brunson, an exclusive artist for the Pin Hut and Pinchantress, refused to do anime after only doing 2 Demon Slayer designs for the former, as he considered the medium perverted; what to note was his outburst to someone asking about them was unwarranted and really shouldn't be said to make anyone feel unsafe in the community so Pin Hut and Brunson apologized in a post acknowledging he knows nothing about anime with the latter taking down the story itself. He took time off after that to reevaluate himself and from what I saw, he doesn't have many stories other than previews of his art. Penguchan refused to do any Hazbin Hotel designs as she dislikes the show. 

Just because they are well-respected artists in the pin community does not mean they will get on every trend or like everything. There are other fish in the sea. 

However, as anime is very popular as well as any current hot topic fandom that arises from anything popular, there are other fish in the sea. If you want detailed hot waifus and husbandos, you can look elsewhere. Heck, some shops have NSFW artwork for pins. 

Just a heads up and really a sensible thing though these artists have to say that. Anyhow, Mr Brunson is the permanent artist for two people so his commissions are coming in great for his profits as he’s primarily a Disney fantasy pin seller. 

I still have no clue why I got myself into an expensive hobby. Combined with ita bag/display case/shadowbox, my spending on pins is considerably less than others. I would know considering the pin discord server I’m in prominently, it doesn’t even scratch the surface. My big money spenders usually goes to four people now: Mamobot, Nuwa, PSS, and MintyxPins now that I joined her HSR club. 

There are designs I simply cannot leave thus it had planned even before my bank account is treading closer below the needed amount that I would have to pay a waiver. 

Sure, there are pin makers I follow so I can get varied art of characters. Been eying a couple Genshin pins from Putorblue. If anything, those threw me off. 

Like Genshin, I’m trying to narrow down characters I like. For Genshin, it’s Kaveh, Childe, Neuvilette, Zhongli, and a little bit of Alhaitham and misc characters. Yeah, female characters in Genshin have potential but it’s really hard to when I’ve been burned too many times by it even when these ladies can be well-written at times. After Signora, I'm just waiting for Arlecchino to get me the bad crazy villain with potential that can be fulfilled. After Raiden Shogun, I felt too burned to get future Archons including Furina and Nahida which didn't convince me enough to collect them. Genshin, can I get my evil villains or morally ambiguous women like Ruan Mei or Sparkle, I'm begging? I don't want waifus, just my villains. 

For Honkai, it’s Aventurine, Dan Heng, Dan Feng, Blade/Yingxing, and a bit of Dr. Ratio and maybe Firefly and Acheron. Again, the ladies can be well-written but it’s just hard after being burned by Genshin’s writing of women and unwillingness to take potential. 

Hunk designs I’m not drawn to since hunks aren’t my preferred type. Any Haitham and Ratio pins are under that many hoops for me to consider. I think what got me was Ratio’s weirdo and fan service combo whereas Alhaitham as a foil got me. 

Choosing to collect ORV after getting the Dabihawks pin is for my sanity. ORV became one of my favorite pieces of literature ever. It’s just best for my sanity and wallet I get it after I get my only MHA pin. 

I'm already planning to collect lots of Honkai pins after all. I'm not collecting Boothill in the same way as I will not be collecting Itto. Genshin has a whole lot of likable characters but I'm going to specifically aim to collect only characters I know I'll keep forever. I'm just hoping to see more Ratio and 

Getting pins of one of my fave books of all time is a thing I need to have because I don't know if ORV is going to get the MXTX treatment with the books translated. The webtoon is made into comic books that you can buy and translate so I would take what I can get. 

Zines

 

Zines, you heard about them. 

In the past, they were cheaply produced and distributed for free or cheap. There is rarely ever any merch added to them. 

The point was to spread the word and to reach the community in a way that is easily distributed. 

Nowadays, less so. I feel that unless the fic is uploaded into AO3, I cannot read shit except excerpts. I want to take part in the community that I dearly love but because of the priceyness, I can't buy it easily. 

Okay, so zines nowadays are essentially booklets instead of cheaply made and distributed. 

A reasonable price for a zine is 5 or less. More than that is not a zine. In fact, it’s best to get it free even as I read free zines before. 

This isn’t gatekeeping or imaginary semantics. It’s about the exploitation of punk amateur production values to induce creators to work for less and eschew of formal guarantees and protections they are entitled. Best of all, they are accessible to the community for cheap. 

I made the exception of getting the Dabihawks Lunar Flare zine because multiple of my favorite Dabihawks writers and artists are on there and not much more. The creator was out front admitting it was for profit. If it wasn’t for the sheer fact that they gathered the best of the best of the Dabihawks community, I never would’ve looked at it twice since I prefer to read mine for free or cheap. 

Once leftover sales opened up, fanfics and fanart that were created for it began spilling for free so yeah, these people want the fandom to at least have that much even if they can't pay for it. I wanted the zine and the pin and that's it. I can look at the pretty art on social media. 

I do not plan on creating a MHA or a dedicated specific pairing board. Having OTPs is enough for me as well as having an expensive Hawks figure. Just putting one Dabihawks and multiple SatoSugu is enough for me whereas I’m putting the Timkon pin with the other DC pins because of how rare I found Kon. 

Fuck, I’m not creating a Haikaveh or a Ratiorine board entirely. I rarely get sets unless I really like the art of them. Hunky guys typically aren’t my cup of tea (still don’t get when Touya got the time to work out?? I wasn’t planning to collect MHA that only a zine pin satisfied me but even from a story standpoint, why the hell is Touya that way?? I get Hawks but not Touya.) so it will take something interesting for me to collect them. I want emphasis on Ratio’s weirdo behavior for one thing. I love Haitham and Ratio but they are buff guys and buff guys aren't something I usually collect or bother to collect. I've preordered a Haitham (a Velkia one but that's one required and I wanted a Haitham for a long time that Velkia is perfect) so I'm just waiting for Ratio pins that just make me want to make their forever homes. Even Itto suffers from this. Buff guys aren't for me, only bishies. 

My primary focus is Kaveh and Aventurine with sprinkles of Haitham and Ratio. Love Zhongli, Childe, and Neuvi but I’m even more pickier. I collect other miscellaneous characters so they are there but cluttered. Kaveh is just growing a collection at this point because I really love his character so much that is not healthy. It’s about 3 preordered pins with one Haitham and an upcoming Haitham from Putorblue. I got about 3 Saturns and an upcoming Saturn preorder in June. Need to see cutematter Saturn and others in order to make it since I’m planning to get the Aventurine anyhow. I only got 3 chibi PGSM pins and that’s all I have to declare my love for PGSM. 

I collect every single character of ORV because ORV isn’t that popular and small by comparison. There’s a difference. I can find lots of Genshin and HSR’s popular characters whereas I can only find the main three and their incarnations and Biyoo and Uriel. With the exception of Punisher which I cannot find a pin of, ORV just makes me start a collection later due to that fact. 

I don’t collect ALST and Solo Leveling no matter how much I like the series. My priority is one of my favorite books of all time. At least fans have food, ORV fans likely won’t have the chance of their fave book officially published for a while if at all. Would we see an upward of pins once the movie comes out in 2025? I hope so. Korean movies are well known to be good so I hope the ORV does go over well. 

I'd rather have all of the fanfics and fanart that are supposed to be free and cheap for zines to be available to see and read after everything is done and over rather than having to pay for that is not really a zine in the end. 

Again, the only reason I got the physical zine is because of the sheer fact that the zine itself gathered the best of the best of the Dabihawks community. 

They are essentially art books that aren’t accessible to the rest of the fandom. Fans are either building a shrine of manga or figures rather than having an art book of their fave OTP. 

Worst yet, they also have appealing merchandise. Finding pins of ORV is so slim I was forced to rely on zines. I was also lucky that ORV pins are still available as overall ORV isn’t Solo Leveling popularity. I can only find two ORV kickstarters and that’s it. Starting the ORV collection with that scene is a great banging start. 

Very rarely do I see a zine pin be presold separately from the bundles. 

I was freaking lucky that I managed to find a pin maker who was willing to make ORV pins due to me following as many creators as I can. I was damn lucky that I managed to get the Velkia Haikaveh pin set (ordered separately but are a set regardless because they were supposed to be released during Valentines' but pushed back to March and April. Really, because I was collecting Kaveh as a major point at this point, I hummed in interest but kept an eye out for the story just in case. When I recognized Velkia's art style, it went from tiny interest to need because I've been trying to get Velkia's art as pins for a while now. It's definitely in my forever home pins though most of my pins are typically.) as much as I did due to following a prominent pin maker that allowed an open order on those pins. 

Preorders for pins are taken as nicely for me since I'm so used to fanfiction not updating for a long time. At least fanfiction is a hobby whereas pin businesses are small businesses and thus I have to research businesses that sufficiently fulfill my order reliably. It does help that I have a Mamo discord which is my main pin discord. 

It's preferable for me to secure a spot and I have a tendency to hyperfocus on a pin preorder period so I can get it. 

It was a bloodbath during the Dabihawks zine release but I secured what I wanted due to my quick training from Mamo's in-hand releases. 

Now popularity in a general fandom does not always translate to the pin community. There are famous anime that are talked about that rarely if ever get pins. Take Monster but you hardly ever find fan-made pins. 

Anime pins are expensive with Shounen being regarded as the stock market hilariously. Disney and Sailor Moon pins are more expensive than others. 

CSM pins aren't as in demand now as during its hype. The fandom all but died but there are still people who are fans who collect stuff from it. 

What I paid for my expensive pins typically would give me looks. Had they been sold for retail, they would've averaged from 30 at the very least. Even official Disney pins are around that frame upon release; it's only after everything's sold, that it's upsold for much higher due to its scarcity. 

I really don’t want to pay over 100 for one hunk of metal. Unless it’s really worth it or I can work up my feeling to get a HederaHelix pin, I usually don’t spend that much unless I really want the pin. 

My family is already judging me for my purchases. What I purchase doesn’t scratch other pin collectors’ collections. 

I’m usually picky and buy to keep therefore I usually judge by whether I really want it or not. For example, I was considering Witchxing Chimera Falin but decided against now the release of other Falin Chimera pins. I’m just going to wait to see future musical installments since she did Phantom of the Opera. The only musical I ever collect is Moulin Rouge so hoping for that. 

My monthly purchases do not scratch even those who buy at a higher rate than I. The sets I buy are typically from Mamobot so it’s rare for me to get them. I got the Velkia HaikAveh because it’s Velkia. I’m very happy to get the set not just because of Velkia but also because of 4.6, it felt right. Now I’m on the hunt for another set or a pin that got both of them. 

From the beginning, I only collected what is best for me, concentrating on my planned purchases from Mamobot which took up a lot of my budget frequently. The final set of the Eevee Fusions and another of the Fashion Gardevoirs as well as the Project Voltage until later this year. I’m still debating getting which of the new Pika Spooky designs outside of getting the stickers of the old designs. 

The small businesses have that much pricing due to the effects, size, etc that it raised its price up. Mamo and Nuwa are far more reasonable with their pricing but still I followed pin makers who have daily 100 or just scraping 85 for the lowest grades. Really the highest I ever spent in one month was just a little over 500. 

Nowadays because of the economy, people aren’t spending too much on pins and focusing on certain characters. Even in the previous fandoms and outright medium of anime, people are focusing on what they want. 

Yeah, there are pin makers who focus on extremely detailed PoPs and large pins with lots of detail effects and mechanics that are costly still. The Venn diagram of pin makers who throw effects at the wall to see what works and pin makers who don't really think what looks good on enamel pins vs printed art is a circle. 

In fact, I only read zine fics after the fact when they are uploaded on AO3. If they were uploaded at all. 

I refuse to get a Twitter X account for the sake of my sanity. I got myself an Instagram if only because I need to see accounts. In the end, I end up participating in pin community like C2C groups. 

However, in the pin community, due to small businesses and how easily they can be ripped off or lose money, it’s easy for people to feel personal. In all my nearly two decades-long fandom curation, I never witnessed more arguments and boiling unreasonableness to the point of hatred almost, dragging innocent people into the crossfire. I’m mainly just there trying not to read the stories. In the end, good intentions have the road to hell, and unreasonable anger is felt in the pin community. Due to my research, I know which shops are definitely to avoid and to make sure I get into something that is reliable and gives updates. 

I have seen way too many pin makers complain about customers' complaints. It's too commonplace to see these rants alongside the rants of people who felt they were ripped off or lost money and weren't even refunded. Customer service is part of the deal of business. Why are you treating your customers so poorly when you could just have highlights or a separate account for progress alone? So unprofessional and mental gymnastics that it's fine to be unprofessional in what the end is a business that concerns money and products that can lead to fraud and thievery in the worst case.  

Considering how pins exploded during the pandemic, it's much easier now to see when a pin isn't put into production or not paying the rest of the money for the pins they made where delays can't no longer be blamed on the pandemic. The issues of cut-and-run makers are rampant with so much theft and fraud that these guys are either unprepared for the workload of a pin maker and overwhelmed due to excessive preorders or just shut down or criminal fraudsters thieves just made it clear there is a thin line to prepare for this line of work. Apparently, it's much easier to take money rather than make pins. 

The other ones that got overwhelmed and just disappeared are unprepared which the buyer usually doesn't see. All the cost for production and other additional effects is overwhelming. They treat it as a hobby and not an actual business with customers who need to see where their money is going and when they are going to receive the product. 

I have seen this even in a previously well-respected Disney fantasy pinmaker no less. He used to create pins that go for a lot in the pin community. Now after his divorce, he just vanished and doesn't respond to customers' concerns at all to the point that customers at this time could freely discuss now. 

If you are planning to go into pin-making, just understand there is a workload that we buyers don't see at all. Be prepared to spend a lot of money or lose a lot of money if you do pay for production for official arts and the like. 

Since I don’t collect P4P outside of ORV, I am decidedly not the best person for that due to my own pickiness. I’m too picky. Because there are so many Kaveh to choose from, I only pick out the ones I know I cannot live without. I’m still gonna collect him even after I fill up the ita bag. 

Y’know after getting into the same hyper fixation levels since Kaveh with Aventurine and noticing my link with Hawks, yeah, give me blond self-destructive morally gray or in Kaveh’s case good at the very least alignment with issues and a complicated relationship with their foil. While I don’t think Aventurine is Ratio’s foil, there are still some parallels to be made such as the god’s eyes on them and such. 

I’m a sucker for foils complicated relationships hence shooting up to OTP levels quick. I know when I see a foil relationship. Even without the popular Dabi is a Todoroki theory, I just know Dabihawks is like Shizaya and Suzululu from the flashback alone. I know my preferred ships well. Heck, when I finally got to Sumeru, after meeting Kaveh and Alhaitham's story quest, I knew immediately that this was the ship for me more than Zhongchi which I still read. Just to note, I missed how the fandom reacted to Haikaveh so Ratiorine is just what I needed. Considering my obsession with ORV, it's understandable about that too. Give me self-destructive fictional men who don't know love or have felt love but fear/feel they don't deserve it now. 

I’m getting way off-topic. Zines!

There are cases where a zine is just stopped. Back when I was able to access Twitter, I remember an infamous case of a mod using funds gathered for a Genshin gacha and was kicked off as a result. 

Zines need a lot of care at least in the days of not cheaply-made ones and there are loads of scandals more than misused money. 

It’s a great way for popular fan writers and artists to get together to create an art book really. Again, it’s not a zine if it isn’t as cheap as dirt. 

Again, there is so much money at stake if these things don’t go into production correctly. 

In the current zine time, too much money is poured into this since it’s a for-profit generally. 

At least they are upfront about that. 

At least the creators have some claim of power instead of their shitty entitled fans who cared more about their own profit. 

Sometimes zines might be the only chance you can score a merch from a popular fan merch maker. 

I think I’m just gonna get the Ratiorine merch for the zine precisely since it has both Velkia and Lushiette, the latter of which is hard to secure. It was difficult scouring if Velkia had any collaborations with pin makers so it’s a relief that I got the Insomniapins Velkia Haikaveh set. 

It's better for peace of mind that if you are planning to get some merch from a fan artist who just quickly sells out. If there is a zine out there that has them on there on the merch front, get theirs! 

Zines are often preorders til a certain month. So yeah, if you want to get a creator's work, then it's better to get it that way. 

The zines of today are not zines but artbooks with accompanied fics. There is great merch that went with it. 

Zines demand so much time and effort certainly in these times when it could’ve been solved by giving to the community in its free state at the cheapest. 

While I would like some physical zines then and there, my main preference would be the merch. I’m getting Lushiette’s merch one way or another. 

I would like zines to go back to the cheapness so that it can be easily accessed. Sure, everything will be released after the leftovers but it'll be a year at least. That is nothing compared to fanfics updating after so long. 

If it was a year at that, I heard cases where the printed zines weren’t produced in over two years. I was lucky enough to be near zines that have dedicated parts to show everything. 

I’m so used to fanfics not updating for a long time that preordering pins and waiting for 3-6 months from reliable pin makers (or pin makers who used to be reliable and big in the community backed out due to stress and just ran with the money; since it’s a long time now, Pin it on Magic and Archibald pins are just disappointing considering their pins are now sold for cheap now or DSS in comparison to how they were sold before they left a disappointed base of customers). 

I'm not hammering against these artists who want to make artbooks of their fave ships and characters but it's not truly a zine if it's that expensive and only applicable to release to the wider fanbase during leftovers for the entirety of the reveal. 

Enemies-to-Lovers vs Rivals-To-Lovers

 

Just a brief note, my interest in MHA is still shot. Between the lack of regular updates even though the Dabihawks tag now has just past 10000 works on AO3 and I just can't skim through and nod with the direction theorized by people who know the characters best, I just can't be interested. 

When I'm far more interested in just making Hawks and Dabi's Palaces and Dungeons and Endy's Palace, fuck even the Madam President and Nagant (all of them certainly have palaces as their goals/causes do distort their reality very much) and I have more fun creating Hawks' Shadow than I thought I would have, the Dabihawks tag is something I just look at odd times now. Aside from the Bachelorette series and the Moulin Rouge AU, I could barely read through any other because as much Dabihawks is my MHA OTP, the general interest in MHA was pretty much killed that usually sustained the ships I like and until I get back on it, I don’t know when or how. 

Besides, I'm in the Stranger Things Steddie and Pokemon fandoms again. Pokemon draws me back like a moth to a flame. I'm teetering back on Persona given what I just said but it's a teeter as I'm just having fun with imagining little scenes and especially the Shadows eviscerating their real selves in front of the kids, heroes, villains, and the Persona characters at the scene. 

I can't believe I have to put this as a separate post. I cannot believe people can't tell the difference between enemies and rivals-to-lovers ships. I cannot believe people just can't understand the basic concept of enemies. 

I was utterly exasperated by the completely stupid reaction to Dabihawks and Akeshu. It's as if people don't understand the basic concept of enemies much less enemies that can reconcile and understand each other. 

It's as if they never experienced popular ships from other fandoms when MHA and P5 had yet to exist. Have they experienced Suzalulu, Shizaya, and Lawlight?

I want to throw those ships to those people's faces and say that Dabihawks and Akeshu's popularity is expected and it's nothing unusual. 

Legitimately, I question these guys even trying to contest Dabihawks and Akeshu when from all my years in fandom Dabihawks and Akeshu is nothing different from Suzalulu, Shizaya, and Lawlight. 

For Godoka's sake, Lelouch killed Euphie! 

To make true enemies-to-lovers, there has to be a power balance. If one side tried to kill the other with the other not trying to fight back, then it's actually abusive. Both sides have to fight each other be it with scathing remarks or with physical fighting which is attempted murder at the very least. 

Akeshu got Akechi trying to kill Akiren certainly but at least Akiren is a far better fighter and can outsmart him. While here Akechi is the only one who would do the killing due to Akiren’s Thou Shalt Not Kill, Akiren can fight back and won’t take it lying down. Akiren won’t kill him but sure as hell will give him a fight that will have Akechi reeling. 

In that Dabihawks fight, it was remarked by Dabi that sentimentality tripped up Hawks because if he wasn't so distracted by Twice Hawks could've better fought off Dabi. Hawks fought back even though it's pretty obvious Dabi won that fight only based on brute force, concentrating on Hawks' wings and just monologue. It was still a relatively equal fight even though Twice got the bum end of the deal. 

Because that's the point when Horikoshi is making these two foils fight each other. They are equal. 

It was remarked upon by Dabihawks fans that had the two not concentrated on their personal missions and been honest with each other, the life of Twice would have been averted as well as many others because those two would work better together if they want to be together. 

This is the same case for Suzaku and Lelouch. Lelouch knows full well that he and Suzaku are better working together than apart and we see this in canon. The first time we see Lelouch and Suzaku actually work together albeit from opposite sides, they are spectacular. 

Both sides are too principled and have to compromise for them to work. 

As much as I see Hawks siding with the League fics and I like that, there’s just no way unless Hawks meet in the middle with Dabi. Hawks won’t go full villainy just as Dabi won’t go quietly for many reasons. Hawks have to let go of some but not all of it. He wouldn’t sacrifice thousands of lives for his own selfish wish even though he so badly deserves it; he doesn’t want to kill Twice but at the same time he can’t listen to the everyday distresses of the normal people joining PLF because the mission and the need to prioritize the needs of the many. I wonder if he spent more months he’ll adapt possibly. He’s been groomed so it will take a lot to break out of if he even wants to process anything at all, just pushing away potential bonds for the mission he has been spending the last 15 years dedicating himself to just as Dabi spent the past decade on his. Their missions have been something they dedicated so much of their time to so it will take a lot for Hawks and Dabi. That’s on top of their issues. The only way Twice can possibly be saved is if Hawks and Dabi chose to be emotionally honest and compromise. 

This would've been the case for Dabihawks as well had Dabi and Hawks just been honest. 

At this point, I have no idea what Dabihawks canon relationship even is. While some Dabihawks shippers hold out for the childhood friends theory, I have a preference for the chance-meeting fate kind of thing. That the two people destined for each other have their paths crossed coincidentally and fall hard for each other. Seriously, what is the point of that tear at the corner of Hawks' eye?! Is Dabi crying too?! We know Tokoyami and Dark Shadow cried but the subtlety of the tear on Hawks and the possibility Dabi is crying then just throw everything for a loop. What is Dabihawks canon relationship to the point Hawks will cry when he's preparing himself to die?! He sure has hell not crying the other times he's preparing to die in the case of the AFO fight at Gunga Villa ruins. We didn't see little Keigo cry himself! Except for again a subtle moment in the flashback when he saved the bus full of people. 

I feel like a BXG all over again. Just what kind of relationship does the canon Dabihawks even have to have Hawks cry when he knows he's gonna die then and there when at other times when he's preparing himself to die, he didn't cry, implying that Hawks was hurt and upset by Dabi specifically?! Are they friends? Coworkers with benefits? Lovers?! Just what kind of relationship do they even have, Horikoshi, what did you intend to have?! For fuck's sake, Hawks is the first person to learn Dabi's true identity, not the LOV or Endy or Shouto. Why are Hawks adamant Dabi has to be someone and not some random person? Why does Dabi say Hawks wasn't looking at him, the looking motif attached to the Todorokis? Why is the conversation so loaded now looking back with the tear that throws everything off? 

We could say Hawks was crying then because Keigo was pulled through the shattered mask of Hawks. Because the fight started out as Dabi vs Hawks but ended with Touya vs Keigo. Or crying out of pain because of you know. 

Regardless, he's crying in a scene he was going to die when in others he's not even crying. 

I was fine with the two divides of Dabihawks shippers wherein one camp is adamant there is no way there is a bond between them because they are far too focused on their missions with all the paranoia and suspicion while the other camp is adamant there is a bond that is having a divorce right now. Now it's likely with that tear and possibly tears from both sides, there is a bond but what kind of relationship?

This entire relationship is just ambiguous. Post-canon, I’ll rather see them develop a healthy friendship while still keeping it open-ended enough. Just a hint of a platonic friendship. Again, they can understand each other as do Togachako, DekuBaku, and DekuShiga. Again, even in canon, Togachako is going to end up having a platonic friendship too. It's very unlikely we're gonna get more than friendship. Besides, ship fixes are found in fics, not in canon. Again, if you have been in fandoms as long as I have, ship fixes are better found in fics than in canon. Why bother canonizing or insist it should be canon whereas shippers are drawn to the potential relationship and wish to explore it? Yes, I do agree that if it’s canon, the story potential will be upped coinciding with the themes and characters, but at the end of the day, it’s non-canon and whatever potential with the ship is best told in fanfiction.

I don't mind if Dabihawks won't meet again as long as their foil storylines conclude satisfyingly though it seems they will be in the Dabihawks divorce 2.0 for at least for that but afterward who knows. Individually, it's fine. On the other hand, Hawks had to confront Dabi about the wings at the very least. 

For the love of Godoka, boiling it down to hate just because one tried to kill the other makes no sense. You are allowed to not ship them but say there is no way because of hate instead of being enemies. They’re enemies. The relationship is ambiguous but I always have disdain for people who just can’t see these two are foils who can understand the other. 

Hawks don’t hate Dabi and we don’t know Dabi for Hawks but Dabi hates Hawks after the fight because that’s of the trauma, Dabi responds with overpowering emotions of hate. Dabi kept saying he doesn't care about the LOV when he does. Dabi has a tendency to say he doesn't care about somebody and does care. 

Why are ShigaDeku, DekuBaku, and Togachako fine in understanding each other but not Dabihawks?

You know what, I'll throw my Dabihawks headcanons at you!

After much healing together and learning who Touya and Keigo are together, they lived together in this private beach house. Either they run away together and lived in another country or it's post-war where they are living on one of the coasts of Japan. Keigo works as a paramedic after retiring post-war while Touya works as a writer/artist/potterer because he would rather not destroy but create something with his hands without his fire. Just to be clear, they are already a married couple via elopement that they spontaneously have without considering anybody: the Todofam insisted on a vow renewal years after. They were already married before Rei and Best Jeanist married though this one depends whereas Rei and Best Jeanist married first before TouKei post-war while TouKei would marry first before Reijeanist in the running away scenario. Regardless, they are still the first of the Todosibs to marry. Yes, Reijeanist has surprisingly ensnared me though Dabihawks remained my OTP with Spinneraki in 2nd place. The kids though at this point are in a polyamorous relationship because I can't choose at this point. Rody and Toga are not helping, throwing them in this salad. 

As a couple, TouKei likes to annoy each other as much as they annoy the family. Not helped the two are dramatic and the Todofam has to deal with it. They are annoying as fuck. 

If I have to see Dabihawks to another ship, it would be Gomez and Morticia. Honestly, it’s a dynamic I like: scary, very sexual, devoted, in love, and romantic. In the Hawks chooses Dabi* or the happily ever after scenarios, this is what Dabihawks becomes openly, not caring that their PDA disturbs both sides though the villains had time to adjust though not without mental scars while the poor heroes have to witness especially Endy. Endy, the loser, has to watch his son be touchy-feely with a former colleague for their love was a chance encounter fateful meeting that turned the UST into ever investment of a relationship that they will be attached to the hip. After Endy, it would be HPSC, particularly the madam president. Ohh, how I would see her face that Hawks is now openly affectionate with his lover now husband, not giving a shit about her. 

* As much as I like Hawks getting selfish for once and choosing Dabi while Dabi becomes selfless as he waits for Hawks to make the first move, it’s incredibly unlikely Hawks would choose not to kill Twice. If there is a work that showed Hawks choosing Dabi, it must come to an understanding of all the ramifications of averting the war and running away. If that fic is the only fix-it in the author’s mind, let me say that other fanfics that showed Hawks choosing Dabi before Twice’s murder and remaining in character are limited and I would like her take on that. I will not be pleased if it’s the only canon fix-it that she is ever going to write even when she admitted that she personally does not see any world where Hawks didn’t murder Twice and saying that Dabihawks will get back together regardless while also admitting Hawks choosing Dabi for once selfishly while Dabi becomes more selfless for waiting for the first move is her favorite flavor, whether she is talking about the talk where Hawks admitting he belongs to Dabi or just kissing him as the first move in the start of the romantic relationship or fuck even the different choice of instead of the murder, find another way to stop the war I do not know but I am not pleased. When I never once had any Dabihawks fics come close to my bookmarks, I would like to see other fix-its that take different routes. After her friend’s fic teased the other choice for that one shot, I am left wanting that fix-it when other fix-its are not to my tastes. Godoka, I sound entitled but when the selection for Dabihawks flavor is limited, I only found one fic that takes a lot from the author and had Hawks choose Dabi because I know that author admires the other author. Just anything at all that has that choice because another fic got so close but I need the next chapters to see if they’ll make it to my bookmarks. Seriously, while other fics mention the selfish choices, they never once touched on the Twice issue if at all. Considering canon Hawks is increasingly reaching a breakdown and slowly growing insane from his issues, Hawks is simply not self-reflecting and self-destructing in his toxic martyrdom. I’ll make sure he’ll self-reflect because the three Wild Cards will see nothing less than growth as they know Akechi and even Adachi did. I’m pretty sure Hawks’ Shadow is simply little Keigo wanting his real self to just look at him and reflect, overwhelmed with emotions that Keigo won’t let out. Oh, Hawks’ Shadow is delicious in both his Palace and his TV world Dungeon. I’m sure the three Wild Cards will be these therapists as they are authorized psychiatrists to help him through his PTSD and trauma he refused to acknowledge, and just turn away from. I’m sure Minato might see little of himself in him. Oh, I’m sure to write that these adult Wild Cards will ask thought-provoking questions through sheer charisma and will say Hawks will choose the terrible option because of the lives of many even if he can’t save the other person while also saying Hawks need all the help. Of course, they can’t sound invasive but their concern is so mighty that they, Tokoyami, Dabi, and the LOV will break his fortress walls for him to choose something for himself for once. They might even suggest other heroes who could break his walls down. Because breaking down the walls are far more necessary for him to grow as a person, the Wild Cards know the potential for growth there. 

They are an artsy couple. They love Van Gogh's art and decorate their house with it. There are shelves of books all over the house. They go to museums and planetariums often yet just as much homebodies to relish in a quiet day together. They love stargazing as they chose their house for that reason, far from the city so they can see the stars. They love slow dancing together. Touya, a hopeless romantic, gave everything a romantic can take and give to Keigo who is just as much as a romantic. 

They love nicknames for each other; it was when they were Dabi and Hawks, that they use as words of affirmation when they couldn’t say the words they desperately want to tell each other. 

Touya to Keigo: birdie, pretty bird, songbird, little bird, (turtle) dove, angel, Kei. I have seen Altair used but not too often. 

Keigo to Touya: ‘ouya, Tou. I saw Nova and nicks relating to stars but I never saw a lot of it. 

All the normal stuff like dates they never were able to go before or were out of their reach before as normal life was denied to them, they went happily, having a date day every week. All those cheesy dates you see like apple picking dates, kayaking, you name it. They tried it because they wanted it.

It took Rumi - then dating and later marrying Fuyumi - time to warm up to Keigo who is vastly different from the hero mask he portrayed in the past. She had liked Hawks which Keigo made explicitly clear was a mask and not the real him. A lot of the heroes, Hawks' sidekicks, and Tokoyami took some time to adjust to who Keigo is after having Hawks since his debut. Keigo is an introverted quiet gentle introspective personality who listens thoughtfully with a lopsided true smile and hyena laughter who wants to help and really doesn't want to deal with the trappings of the hero life he hated before, making them realize that he truly did hate the life he led as Hawks. Part of the reason he fell so hard for Touya Todoroki was that he sees past the mask and seriously affected him and just wants Keigo as Keigo wants Touya. It took them a while to learn just how much he hated when he offhandedly mentioned Dabi back then declared he would’ve burned down the HPSC HQ for him as one of the most romantic things he ever said to him. I mean it shows them two things Hawks was fucked up to see an act of terrorism as a romantic gesture and Hawks hated his life back then. 

Unlike Tokoyami and Jeanist who make a face upon seeing Touya and Keigo so affectionate initially (Hawks just won't stop visiting him to the point of having an equivalent of a conjugal visit post-war because Hawks went back to him! The guy who almost killed him and gave him the most brutal injuries he ever have! And he went back to him! To poor Tokoyami and Jeanist’s dismay.), Shouto took to it gladly since he was very supportive of it once he learned of TouKei's weird lovers status; he took Hawks' lie that he didn't know his brother at his time infiltrating rather well as he'd want his brother to be happy. Then again the honest conversation he later had with Hawks was eye-opening on Hawks’ interest in his brother. Hawks made it clear there was no honeypot scheme because flirting with Dabi never ever crossed his mind even as a part of his hero mask. Hawks said Dabi flirted with him first that took him off-guard which Touya corroborated; Hawks did admit trying to use the flirting charmer persona on Dabi but Dabi was never interested in that kind of flirting as he prefers Hawks giving him sassy and witty flirting, giving as much as he got and just won’t take shit from him kind of flirting. Sleeping with him and later being domestic with him that his love for Touya was something Keigo ever have for himself and learning to keep it. 

Heck yeah, when they were Dabi and Hawks, they were fuckbuddies in a weird relationship, falling in love but using each other for their end goals. They are both Demi Homo and had casual sex before but stopped because all the talk of sex and booze and parties filling the void isn’t doing it for them which is all the better for them as they could concentrate on their goals. When these two met very much attracted to each other and have sex, it was holy shit because this was the sex they were told about. They are very sexual because there are few places they hadn’t had sex in Hawks’ old penthouse, Gunga Villa, and their home. Poor Natsuo who still knows his eldest brother well doesn’t want to know about his brother and his brother’s husband’s sex life even though he is far more likely to know. They’re the type of couple to have a few to several rounds of sex in one day. 

While I don’t like mentioning Enji near my Dabihawks, his reaction to Hawks sleeping with Dabi and knowing him intimately than just the sex was spectacular, especially upon learning about their dates, elopement, and life together after the war or after they ran away together. The only two people who even visits him were Fuyumi and Shouto and the latter was sporadic at best. First, one of his coworkers married his son, then another married his ex-wife, and another married his daughter. 

About Rumi x Fuyumi, they didn't meet until after the PLF war and before the start of the second one. At this point, Fuyumi has yet to know about Hawks' true relationship with her eldest brother; it wasn't until after the war or after her brother revealed that he had no plans to stay in Japan in the runaway scenario, that she and the family learned it. Though they are still happy nonetheless that Touya and Keigo found each other. 

Unlike Touya and Keigo's spontaneous quiet elopement in which they invited nobody and an intimate vow renewal ceremony years later as both ceremonies are private, Rumi and Fuyumi have a proper wedding, which helped Rumi has the fortune to spend. It's on the semi-formal side as Rumi just dislikes formal stuff. 

Okay, I'm digressing. 

Enemies are enemies. Opposite sides. An attempted murder at the very least. Opposition with massive dislike or even hate, refusing to join the other. Hell, think Beatrice and Benedick who never got over each other yet don't like each other with all their verbal prowess and wit to snap back. Both sides have to be equal only if both sides have at least taken lives in the past or fought on equal footing. 

Both Dabi and Hawks aren't entirely good people. They both had taken lives and had sins to atone for. Hawks is a government assassin who probably killed when he was 15 and in black ops when he hit his teens. 

Similarly, Lelouch and Suzaku explicitly kill people. We see this onscreen! They explicitly want to make up for it in R2. 

We know with the Port Mafia everything, Dazai and Chuuya killed. 

I like my pairs of assholes. It's nothing unusual in the grand scheme of things when both sides preferably had done terrible things. Please Luffy had done terrible things by basically allowing the escape of criminals in Impel Down loose after his breakout. I love Luffy but I know that was just terrible. 

Why can’t you see the eroticism of attempted murder and betrayal? It’s the point of enemies. A lot of my ships have this whether it was each other or someone close to them. 

There has to be a power balance. 

It's not just being terrible people. It could be using each other that helps level the playing field such as in the case of Dabihawks. Dabihawks shippers know they are using each other thus equaling the balance between them just as Dabihawks are in this weird relationship they can't name but are in love yet they are using each other. Hawks won't even deny it but Dabi would have to admit that he used Hawks too. 

What tips the balance into actual abuse is what makes abuse, ya know. Not fighting back in any way is one such thing. The other cannot be a doormat just to bend over. There must be antagonism there at the very least. 

Rivals are different. They aren’t trying to kill each other. Sabotaging each other or cheating is likely from those on the side who want to do that. They want the honor of having that prize. They’re aiming for that accolade. At best, it’s respect even begrudgingly. 

Rivals that do try to kill will cross that line into enemies. 

See the difference. 

Enemies should be on opposite sides with their different ideologies. With understanding and empathy, they could either reach a compromise or something to achieve a happy ending. Enemies should at the very least attempt to kill the other if that’s a viable option. 

However, there’s a difference between that and enemies-to-lovers ships that just isn’t possible. Like, hey, there’s this white conservative man and indigenous progressive woman who is depicted as such. There’s no way that’s possible unless it took the white man to admit fault because there’s no compromise here. It’s one thing about state policy but about the -isms about the world that is where they won’t compromise. 

Just I saw that and I was WTF because there is no way. Seriously, Stede x Ed has a better chance as the series actively examines the layers in which their race, class, and queer experiences impact the relationship. That other relationship needs more than romcom good feels. Stede x Ed is a romcom but we see that actual movie irk is still needed. Just as Mary and Stede were able to reach an understanding so can Ed and Stede. 

Just that there are enemies that won’t compromise. Dabihawks can compromise as they are foils and can reach an understanding. That other het ship is unlikely to happen. 

Just to be clear, when -isms are at play and the conservative side refused to see their wrongdoings and privileges, then it’ll get ugly. This is more than just people breaking up relationships with anyone over political views. If you are being an ass to these people who just want to be treated as an equal and have enough of your privileged bs and calling you out for it, then you are an ass. If you are being an asshole in general with no provocation and refused to have basic human decency, then you are an asshole. Instead of looking inwardly, these guys would pretend the issue is ludicrous and avoid accountability by saying the opposite is too sensitive and talk smack as soon as their backs turn. They would be happy to say not all whites and not all men when exactly they have privileges. Using one privilege is better than admitting no wrong. 

Honestly, speaking of heterosexual enemies-to-lovers, it's still far more accepted. Not me, I don't want heterosexuality in these kinds of ships. 

Yet it's still relatively more accepted. 

While ships as a whole had been lampooned, heterosexual ships escaped the scrutiny the homosexual ships did. Even Allurance fared better despite the terrible writing. Even canon pairings in shows like SVTFOE are still better received even when they are lambasted for bad writing. 

Honestly in those situations, people complained about how ships ruined the writing as the romance plot tumor. They are still heterosexual ships so unlike the queer ships that got explicit art, they aren’t lampooned or tried to make as clean as possible. It’s the homosexual ships with explicit art that is the target. 

Seriously, Dabihawks had it existed around the time of Suzalulu people won't even blink. Now, people argue against it because it's now 'toxic' which is laughable, people are unable to get past the enemies part when they clearly did for Reylo, and the purity bs. 

I'm not all enemies-to-lovers, particularly if it's heterosexual. I wasn't interested in Reylo especially when I'm far more concerned about the entire whole trilogy and every part that is just going wrong. 

Darklina is still fucking accepted when it's obvious it's a grooming situation! Reylo is accepted because it's fucking heterosexual! 

These are enemies-to-lovers ships that are generally accepted and fared better than Dabihawks and Akeshu. Apparently, in the latter two, people are unable to get past the enemies. 

All I ask is would they accept enemies-to-lovers if it's heterosexual? Or is it shipping that is the problem? 

Because nobody argued against Reylo outside of being a ship from what I have seen. I have hardly seen enemies or even fucking purity be put forward because apparently, Rey is a girl boss and Ben is a traumatized white boy. 

Because queer enemies-to-lovers ships are far more toxic than heterosexual enemies-to-lovers ships. Because all queer enemies-to-lovers are toxic over Darklina and Reylo. 

Enemies are all about ideologies, compromises, and physical altercations that inevitably will hurt each other. 

Listen, there is a major difference between Dabihawks and Harringrove. Dabihawks are foils and can help each other as we can see the other foils are also doing. Harringrove and perhaps even Steddie began as enemies. However, Harringrove, while having foils as well as Billy foils Jonathon as well, had one major difference: understanding as in knowing each other so well that they could know themselves more and making each other happy and better. Billy cares not to understand his foil outside of lusting after him. He cares not to understand Lucas or anybody in Steve's circle when Steve cares so much for his kids and it was Max who threatened him and he actually kept his damn promise. Really, it seemed like Billy avoided Steve and the kids after the events of S2 and they returned the favor by trying hard to ignore his existence. He made no effort to understand nor change himself for the better except keep at a distance. 

Steddie, wow, we can see the change in the interactions we do get to see and the implications. King Steve and the Freak never interacted but heard about each other, regardless of their misconceptions blocked out potential. Though Robin and Dustin definitely acted as buffers, if they interacted before, it would be icy as Steve wouldn’t take to understanding the socioeconomic statuses he took for granted. Steve unfortunately knew more about classism now than his ex-girlfriend. 

Yeah, I am not letting go that Nancy insulted Jonathan with the Oliver comment. Wow, way to make the endgame couple so poorly handled. It’s not even the first case the Duffers handled romance incorrectly as we do see Jopper with the crazy lady by Hopper after the S1 comment. No improvised kiss was enough to get that taste out of my mouth despite knowing Jopper is an endgame. 

In the scenes we do see, there are a lot of positive emotions as we see Steve reassure Eddie and Eddie assuring him back and in their final scene together, Steve worried for them both and trusts Eddie with Dustin’s safety. Their views of each other were destroyed and Steve was just as protective of Eddie as Eddie was in awe of him. 

This is what I mean by understanding each other and making each other happy and their best. 

For the love of Godoka, any antis trying to say the fucking obvious ‘they hate each other, why ship them’, fuck you and your self-righteous ass. You are helping nobody, neither the shippers nor yourselves. 

Shipping is fun, not activism, you dumb idiots. Let ships be ships and don’t try to dissuade. 

I already said my piece about EndHawks and I refuse to touch their grounds. You do not see me invading EndHawks spaces to say that they shouldn’t be shipped even though I do think their existence is a horrid ship. Trying to invade these ships and say the fucking obvious as if you can’t use your imagination other than whatever it is and try to imply the ship is bad because you’re unable to get past enemies… I have seen this so many times in Dabihawks with the antis invading the spaces that it’s just annoying. 

The antis are annoying and add nothing to the conversation. At least in Dabihawks spaces, I don’t see a lot of Dabihawksers invading other ship bases to prove a point. If anything, the Dabihawks antis want to prove a point while the shippers just want to be left alone. 

Just leave us alone. 

I have seen antis invade spaces where they aren’t welcomed simply because they want to be right. In spaces where people want to have fun. 

Shipping is fun. Antis invading ship spaces of ships they don’t see or hate is just annoying and prove nothing but their lack of imagination and trying to be right in a fandom where fun is the point. 

I have been in fandoms for nearly two decades. What antis say means nothing in the face of my fandom experience. What they say means nothing. 

Enemies are not rivals. It’s not the same. 

Rivals. It’s obvious what rivals differentiate from enemies. Rivals are in the same field aiming for the same goal. 

That’s so easy. 

Rivals are Contestshipping, Appealshipping, Comashipping, and Palletshipping to name a few. Those are rivals even argumentative ones but don’t hurt each other the way enemies do. Sure they’ll use cheats but they won’t kill the other.

Why is this so hard to understand? 

The most famous rivals to lovers ships are from Ace Attorney, Narumitsu and Klapollo. Narumitsu has gotten chance childhood friends thrown in there. 

Seriously, those two pairs aren’t trying to kill each other. Teasing each other yes but no death.

Really, Jessie’s initial cheating, Harley’s sabotage, and Paul’s hardness are rival behavior. Fuck, Edgeworth and the von Karmas’ intimidation are rival behaviors than the actual attempted murders on the part of Dabihawks and Shizaya. Those guys are actively trying to kill or ruin the other. 

It’s not the same. 

People seem to lean more on the rivals side of things in the ongoing war against any critical thinking or are unable to look past enemies. 

Enemies won’t be looking to a tea party and picnic. Well unless they want to poison them or try to threaten them somewhere they have power. 

At least with rivals, we get to see those begrudging outings. Fuck, we see Harley with his rivals when we do get to see the Hoenn coordinators. 

Rivals that cross into enemies are trying to actively kill each other at best.  

Why is it so hard to comprehend the difference? 

Of course, it comes down to antishipping vs proshipping, shipping wars with new paint, and just as annoying. I refused to take sides on a nonsensical war that just has new paint on it. 

I agree misogyny has a large part in popular mxm shipping and queer ships but that’s another nuanced conversation about the overall genre in relation to women, both real life and fictional. Fuck, I have seen inoffensive ships twisted into pretzels because a character seemed ‘minor-coded’. I won’t discuss it here because it’s tiring when I keep giving the same advice and I’m not the best person to discuss that even though I read queer and shounenai. 

I’m basically an oldie in fandom. I know how to curate and how to ship without going into all that nonsense. No, I won’t make a post discussing that when it’s just so stupid. 

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.