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celestiababie · 2 years

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Stay At Home Husband! Mingyu Part 3...

Pairings: Stay at home husband! Mingyu x fem! reader

Genre: Smut with plot, fluff, hint of angst (nothing too bad I promise)

Warnings: Cursing, talks of traditional gender roles :/, getting cockblocked multiple times (once by your daughter), fingering (m), pegging, cum eating, use of the word slut once, reader can't cook in this. Let me know if I need to add anything else

Word Count: 7.255k (this is the longest thing I've posted oof—)

Summary: You try and find ways to give back to your loving husband...with a few trial and error.

A/N: Here's part 3 of this wonderful saga. I had so much fun writing this and I'm actually proud of it which is a weird feeling. I hope it doesn't disappoint those who wanted a third part! Feedback is greatly appreciated! Credit to the anon who gave me an idea for part of this fic!

Series Masterlist

Y/DN = Your daughter's name...I didn't want to just make up a name everyone hated pfft

Ever since your previous rendezvous a few days ago with your husband, he noticed something different about you—or rather: how you were treating him.

You've always been a fantastic wife. He couldn't ask for a better woman to marry, but there were very distinct roles in the relationship that kept him comfortable and at peace. He found purpose in cooking breakfast every morning for you and your beautiful daughter, which is why it surprised him to wake up one morning with a noticeable absence on your side of the bed. The smell of pancakes and bacon confused his brain, making him question if he was dreaming.

But all his dreams included you, so that couldn't have been it.

He made his way to the kitchen, still groggy from waking up. He rubbed his eyes as his eyes suddenly came into focus on your figure, scrambling around the kitchen with a look of frustration on your face.

This wasn't right—cooking breakfast was his job.

Your head raises upon hearing the clearing of his throat, too focused on your terribly made pancakes to notice your half-naked husband standing by the archway. You bite your lip in embarrassment as your husband comes around the kitchen island to examine your creation.

"What are you doing?"

His question causes a pout on your face, his eyes flickering down to your lips, holding back from kissing you since he hadn't brushed his teeth yet.

"Well, since it's my day off...I thought I could make breakfast for you and Y/DN, but they stuck to the pan, and I tried to scrape it off...but! At least we have scrambled pancakes now!" You hope your smile distracts him from the abomination you plated, but to your disappointment, it hadn't.

A noticeable frown forms on Mingyu's face, his eyes drifting off with an unreadable expression.

Oh God, he's gonna divorce me over pancakes.

You curse at yourself as you let your head fall into your hands.

"I'm a terrible wife— I can't even cook one good thing for my husband." You huff into your hands, and another wave of embarrassment runs through your body.

Mingyu's attention quickly turns to you again, letting your words sink in. That wasn't remotely why he felt a little bit upset.

Mingyu loved cooking for you and Y/DN. He was perfectly content with the dynamic you two had. You went to work while he stayed home, taking care of the house and Y/DN. That's how it's always been. But ever since that night in the living room, Mingyu noticed you doing more things around the house. Things that were his job. He couldn't help but feel a little sad and empty, feeling like he was no longer pulling his weight in the relationship.

"You don't need to cook, Y/N. I cook for you, I've always cooked for you, and I love cooking for you," he firmly states with a soft voice, his hands moving to rub up and down your shoulders.

"I know, but I just want to do something nice for once. You always do so much for me, and I never get to do something back."

Your head rose from your hands. A pout still lingers on your lips.

"Is that why you've been doing the dishes lately? And taking out the trash? And cleaning? And doing the laundry?" He asked with a loving gaze, his hands reaching up to cup your face in his warm palms.

You slowly nod as you avoid his eyes, his stare making you feel shy even after years of marriage.

Mingyu briefly smiles at you before dipping his head to press his lips against your forehead. Mingyu lifts you onto the counter, standing between your legs, and he interlocks your hands with his.

" Although I appreciate you wanting to do things for me. I really appreciate the thought. You don't have to take care of the house to take care of me and show me how much you appreciate everything I do. Maybe for other people, those things would feel like tedious chores, but for me, it's nice? I like taking care of the house. And I like making sure you and Y/DN are comfortable. Please don't take that away from me, okay?"

"I'm sorry...I just wanted to be a good wife," you whisper. Before your head can fall to look at your lap, one of Mingyu's hands tilt your chin upwards, forcing you to look at him in his soft coffee-colored eyes.

"You don't have to do all those things to be a good wife or mom. You do plenty to provide for Y/DN and I. Do you think I'm a bad husband for staying home?"

Your eyes widen from his question, emotions flaring up despite knowing he didn't actually think you thought he was a shitty husband.

"Of course not! You're the best husband in the world." You softly hit his chest, feigning offense that he would even ask such a thing.

A proud smile creeps on Mingyu's face, his teeth pressing down in his bottom teeth in an attempt to hide his inflated ego.

"Good. Now let me remake breakfast before our little angel wakes up. And if you really wanna give back so bad, I'm sure we can find other ways that don't include you stealing my precious job," he chuckles out as he turns away from you, setting your abomination aside as he begins to make breakfast as usual.

You playfully glare at the back of his head before a smirk replaces your previous pout. As your eyes scan Mingyu's half-naked figure, they soon place their attention on Mingyu's ass in his boxers, reminding you of your husband's question from a few nights ago.

Admittedly, you had no clue what pegging was when he asked, causing your husband to say a simple 'oh—never mind then.' before dozing off to sleep. But you didn't forget and did some research to know exactly what your husband was into.

And, fuck—was the idea hot.

You slide off the counter and wrap your arms around Mingyu's waist as he cooks, your head resting against his toned back. You slide your hands down his waist, causing Mingyu to tense against you as he feels your hands suddenly cop a feel of his ass.

"Something like fucking you after all these years of fucking me so well? Would that be a good way of giving back, baby?"

Mingyu's breath hitches, a blush forming on his cheeks as he listens to you. He turns his head ever so slightly, giving you a surprised look.

"You said you didn't know what it was—"

Biting your lip, you squeeze his ass before pulling away completely, making your way out of the kitchen, but not before saying, "I didn't, but I do now. Finish up breakfast. I'll wake up Y/D."

You flash him a wink as you sway your hips more than usual, leaving him as flustered as he usually made you.

The next couple of your days were spent with your eyes practically glued to your phone, researching all the best ways to peg your husband. You were woman enough to admit that you lacked expertise in this field, and the last thing you wanted was for Mingyu to have a bad experience because you didn't know what the fuck you were doing.

After spending a generous amount of time searching the Internet for information and ordering a few toys, you felt confident enough to finally put your newfound knowledge into full use, ready to give your husband the most mind-blowing orgasm he's ever had.

Operation: peg your husband was in full effect and running smoothly...

Mingyu's face lit up with pure excitement when you whispered into his ear at dinner all of the dirty things you wanted to do to him while your daughter struggled to use her spoon.

You ignore Mingyu's stare at the side of your face as you reach over to help your daughter eat her food, her adorable smile of gratitude taking your mind off of Mingyu, who was still staring at you with an expression that could only be described as pure desire.

Once your daughter finally got the hang of using her spoon, you lean back into your seat, turning to look at your husband, who hasn't touched his plate since.

"What's wrong? Does Daddy need Mommy's help too?" You smirk as your husband's eyes darken, his pupils blown out as he clenches his fist underneath the table.

The sound of Y/DN's laughter brings the both of you back to reality, reminding you that you shouldn't, in fact, be undressing each other with your eyes right in front of your unknowing daughter.

"Daddy, look! I can eat better than you," your daughter giggles out, reminiscent of Mingyu's laugh, as she raises a spoonful of food to her mouth to prove her point.

Operation: peg your husband was still running according to plan.

After Mingyu cleaned up all the dishes, you read your daughter to sleep alone this time, your husband too busy taking a longer-than-usual shower to get himself all prepped for you. You silently praise your daughter for being a fast sleeper, just like her father.

With your daughter peacefully tucked into bed, the stuffed bear in her arm keeping her company, and the night light shining bright to keep monsters away, you quietly sneak out of her room to make your way toward the master bedroom.

The sound of the shower running is the first thing you're greeted with as you open the door. Wanting to give Mingyu an additional surprise, you quickly change into his favorite pair of red lingerie that fit your body like a glove, hugging all the parts that made Mingyu drool.

You saunter towards one of the bedside tables, grabbing everything you planned on using for the night.

Upon hearing the shower suddenly stop, you scrambled onto the bed, adjusting your bra one last time as you waited for Mingyu to exit the bathroom.

He nearly jumps out of his skin as he spots your body on the bed, clutching his poor heart.

"Fuck sake— I didn't even hear you come in..." He decreases in volume with each word that leaves his lips, his brain trying to take in how fucking sexy you looked.

Red always was his favorite color.

You bite your lip as your eyes trail down his bare chest, all the way down to his v-line, the towel loosely wrapped around his hips leaving very little to the imagination. You'd always love your husband no matter what he looked like. But, you did appreciate how easy on the eyes he was. Long gone was the rowdy yet kind, naive boy you met in your second year of college. Mingyu was now a well-rounded adult who seemed to grow into his looks year after year, aging like the most decadent fine wine.

With a single finger, you beckon Mingyu to you, his towel dropping as he moves to climb on top of you. His lips instantly found yours, pressing them against yours in sync that was perfected over the years. A soft moan gets muffled as Mingyu's hardening cock presses against your stomach. As his lips left open-mouthed kisses along your jaw, down your neck, and over your collarbones, his hips grind his thick cock against you.

His desire for you was evident, but you couldn't allow yourself to get distracted away from what you wanted to do for Mingyu. As much as you loved how his hips and mouth movement felt so natural, it was time to try something new.

" Baby, this isn't a part of my plan. I'm the one on top tonight," you coo out, hands pushing your husband off of you and onto his back with little resistance. Mingyu was a big guy, much stronger than you, which is why the lack of pushback confused you. But with a single look at the desperate look on Mingyu's face, his lustful eyes staring deep into yours, you could tell Mingyu was too horny to have any control over his own body.

"You still want this, pretty boy?" You drag your nails down Mingyu's chest, causing his whole body to shudder at the feeling. He licked over his lip, nodding his head a few times without a hint of hesitation. He wanted it so bad. He's secretly fantasized about playing with his ass but was always too focused on your needs to bring it up and too nervous to try it on himself. But tonight, Mingyu had complete trust in you.

"Please, fuck me," he lets out with a heavy breath, his hips squirming against the bed as his anticipation starts to get the best of him.

A single chuckle from your lips causes his cock to twitch, something about the sound turning on even more. You found it somewhat amusing that Mingyu, your strong 6' foot 2" husband, was begging you to fuck his tight little ass.

"Come on, baby, you know I can't fuck you just yet...I gotta make sure you're all stretched out for me so you can take it like a good boy," you tease as your hand trails lower and lower, nails grazing down his shaft before rubbing underneath his balls. Instantly, your actions elicit a positive response, Mingyu's hips bucking against you as his head sinks into the pillows beneath him.

"Such a pretty boy— Spread your legs for me?" Your soft tone eases any nerves that start to build in the pit of Mingyu's stomach, his legs spreading slightly. You shake your head and guide him to spread his legs a bit more, pushing them until his feet are planted firmly on the bed.

"Just relax for me, Mingyu. I promise I'll take good care of you," you whisper as you lean forward to kiss up his stomach and chest, the man underneath you sighing in pleasure.

Reaching to the side, you grab the bottle of lube you grabbed earlier from the bedside table. You lean back as you playfully wave the bottle in front of Mingyu, a soft chuckle rumbling out of him.

"Let's go over a few things, okay?"

Mingyu nods, mumbling an 'okay' as he waits for you to continue.

"Tell me if you ever need to stop or take a break for whatever reason, tell me immediately. I want you to have a good time, and if you're not, I don't want you to force yourself to continue. I need you to tell me how you feel when I ask. And if you need me to change how I'm doing it, I'll go as slow, fast, hard, and deep as you want me to, but I can't read your mind, so you need to speak up. Got it?"

Mingyu canines sink into his plush bottom lip, biting back a smile from the authority in your voice.

"Understood, baby. And if you're uncomfortable with anything, you better tell me too. I know you're doing this for me, but I don't want you to feel weirded out by anything. We'll stop if either one of us isn't feeling it."

Mingyu briefly sits up to press a long kiss to your lips, not just out of lust but out of love. He lays back down, nuzzling his head deeper into the pillows as he watches you closely for your following movements.

With a deep breath, you pop off the cap of the bottle of lube, squeezing out a more than generous amount onto your finger. It was better to be safe than sorry. You rub the glob of lube between your thumb and two fingers, warming it up so it wouldn't startle Mingyu as your press your fingers against his tight hole, rubbing over it in slow circles.

Your eyes flicker to your husband's face, catching the way his eyes flutter close, his entire body sinking further into the bed. He had no idea how good he looked right now.

Your other hand rubs over one of his toned thighs before a question leaves your lips.

"Feels good?"

You knew it did, you could tell by the look on his face and the way his cock seemed to twitch with every rub of your fingers, but you wanted to hear the words come out of his mouth.

"Mhm— so good, baby. Can't wait for you to fuck me," he sighed, his hips starting to move against his finger, showing you how badly he wanted it.

"Yeah? You think you're ready for a finger?"

You let out a laugh as your husband nods his head against the pillows, the furrow of his brows showing that he was starting to get impatient.

You allow your eyes to focus on where your fingers meet his ass, your mind running through all the information you read online before mustering up the courage to press a single finger against the puckered hole, the lube aiding you as you the tip of your finger sinks into him slowly. Mingyu shifts a bit at the new and slightly uncomfortable feeling of your finger inserting into him. It didn't feel terrible, and he didn't want to stop yet, but it was definitely weird.

The face of discomfort on Mingyu causes you to stop your finger from going any deeper, a look of concern now written on your face.

"Need me to stop?"

Mingyu quickly shakes his head, smiling at how attentive you're being.

"No, I'm good. I promise. It's just weird. I'm fine. You can continue, baby."

You allow yourself to trust his words, your finger sliding into him almost all the way before halting again. Mingyu lets out a deep exhale as he tries to adjust to the feeling. After the initial wave of discomfort, Mingyu had to be honest with himself...it didn't really feel like much. He could tell your finger was inside of him, but there was no pleasure.

"Still good, Mingyu?"

Okay, you've got this. Just 2 inches deep, down to the first knuckle. Now all you gotta do is curl your finger up a bit.

"Yeah, I'm good. It does really feel like anything, to be honest with— holy shit, fuck, oh my god."

Mingyu's words abruptly cut off with a string of profanities, his back arching off the bed as you curl your finger just as you read online, nudging against his prostate. It was unlike anything he's ever felt before, his body losing control over itself as a sudden shock of pleasure moved throughout his entire body.

"Shit—are you okay? Should I stop?" You ask in a panic, not realizing your husband's strong reaction wasn't out of pain; it was out of pure pleasure.

Mingyu lets out a whimper as his eyes open to look at you, shaking his head as his hands move to grip the bed sheets.

"No, don't stop. Fuck—it felt so good, baby. Please, please, please do it again. Keep going, please," he begs, desperate for more.

You feel a heat run through your body when you realize how much Mingyu had enjoyed what you did, arousal soaking into your panties. You rub over his stomach as you curl your finger upwards again, causing another strong reaction from Mingyu.

Biting your lip, you began to move your finger in a come hither motion. Mingyu's mouth drops as whines and whimpers leave his lips before he can stop them. His eyes roll to the back of his head as his knuckles turn white from how hard he gripped the sheets. Precum leaks out of his cock, enough for Mingyu to nearly convince himself that he was cumming already.

"Look at you, baby, taking my finger so fucking well. You're so tight, Mingyu. How am I ever gonna fit another finger, let alone a cock, inside you?" You tease, watching your husband fall apart underneath you all from a single finger inside of him.

Mingyu pants, his chest rising and falling quickly as he tries to register what you're saying, too fucked out already to focus on anything other than what he felt.

" Finger—a-another one, p-please," Mingyu practically sobs out. It was safe to say this was the best thing Mingyu had ever experienced. Mingyu absolutely loved fucking you and the feeling of your pussy wrapped around his cock, but this was different. A different kind of pleasure. Something so intense it was almost unbearable.

You dip a second finger into Mingyu's hole as he wishes, stretching him out further than before. You continue your curling motions, the feeling somehow more intense than before. Mingyu's moans grew in volume, a familiar but different feeling forming in his stomach, getting stronger with each push of your fingers.

Mingyu felt lightheaded in the best way possible, his brain turning into mush as he allowed himself to fully immerse himself in the incredible feeling.

"M' gonna c-cum—fuck, s' close," he slurs, his eyes rolling again as he feels his biggest orgasm yet getting ready to burst out of him.

" Yeah, baby? I haven't even touched your cock yet." You were amazed at how much pleasure Mingyu was getting out of this and a bit proud of yourself for being the one giving it to him.

All he needed was a few more good pumps of your fingers.

A little bit more.

Just a bit more.

Knock knock knock—

"Mommy? Daddy?"

The sudden sound of a soft knocking and your daughter's soft voice behind the door takes you out of the moment. You curse under your breath as you pull your fingers out of Mingyu, a whimper leaving his lips from the sudden emptiness, the feeling of release getting ripped away from him. You felt bad, you really did, but you couldn't exactly ignore your daughter, who sounded upset from behind the door.

"I'm so sorry, Mingyu. Let me just check what she needs—"

"I-It's okay, just check on her," he pants out, slowly coming down from the feeling of his almost orgasm. Yes, he was frustrated from the sudden stop, but the guilt of feeling frustrated towards his daughter was instant karma, the feeling turning him off completely.

You quickly wash your hands in the bathroom, grabbing a robe to cover your lingerie-clad body. Mingyu covers his body with a blanket as you open the door, bending down to hug your sniffling daughter.

"What's wrong, princess?"

"H-had a n-nightmare," she hiccups, hugging your body as tight as her little arms would allow her. You turn your head to flash an apologetic smile at your husband as your daughter cries in your arms.

Operation: Peg your husband did not go as smoothly as you had hoped.

It was beginning to seem as if the world, some unknown force, had a vendetta against you fucking your husband in the ass. Nothing seemed to be going your way.

For starters, your work was very demanding, with additional hours to your schedule, which left you mentally and physically exhausted by the time you got home. The pay was generous, but it wasn't worth the time it stripped away from you. The time you could be spending with Y/DN and Mingyu. The time you could be spending fucking the brains out of Mingyu.

Then, you got sick. Maybe it was the exhaustion your body was being put through. Or maybe, it was just because cold and flu season was rolling around. Either way, you got fucking sick, which meant staying in bed all day, using up your precious sick days.

Then, just as you recovered, for the most part, Y/DN got sick as well, leaving you and Mingyu to take care of your little princess until she felt all better.

It was safe to say that Operation: peg your husband was put on the back burner.

Mingyu hadn't complained once. Not when he worked extra hard to prep your meals for your long days at work. Not when he'd run you a bath and give you a nice shoulder rub before you passed out. Not when he took care of you when you were sick. Not when he took care of your daughter.

It frustrated you that you couldn't take care of your husband. Either he ignored his wants, or there simply was no time to tend to them. But, you weren't gonna let this stop you. If anything, the past few weeks were only fueling your determination, ready to pounce on your husband at any given moment.

However, you were more sophisticated than that (not really) and devised a new plan to get into Mingyu's pants.

A sigh of relief leaves your lips as you feel Mingyu's loving hands rub your sore shoulders as he sits behind the bubble bath he prepared for you. Although Mingyu hated seeing how exhausted you've been, getting extra worried, especially after you were sick, he did enjoy the night routine you two had nowadays. You didn't eat dinner with Y/DN and him, but he did spend time with you, helping you unwind.

You raise a hand out of the bath to cover one of Mingyu's before interlocking your fingers, bringing his hand up to your mouth to press a few kisses to his skin.

"That tickles, Y/N," he giggles, trying to pull his hand out of your grasp, but you didn't let your husband escape. Not when you had to let him know what you planned out.

"I have the weekend off...so we get to spend time together tomorrow."

Mingyu smirks at the suggestive tone in your voice, leaning forward to rest his chin on the bathtub.

"Yeah? And Sunday?"

"Mhm, and Sunday. And I know how much your parents have been dying to see Y/DN recently, so I may have told them that she could stay at their place for the weekend. They seemed happy about it."

Mingyu's smirk only grew wider as you spoke. He lifts his head and slowly drags his hands along your shoulders and down to your breasts, submerged in the water.

"We get the whole place to ourselves?" You can hear the excitement dripping from his voice, biting your lips as he squeezes your tits.

"That's right, baby. We have unfinished business to tend to. I still haven't fucked your pretty ass yet. They'll be here to pick her up around 1 pm"

Mingyu lets out a sigh as his mind drifts off to the night you fingered him. Although he didn't cum, the feeling of your fingers was incredible, and it only made Mingyu want more.

It was safe to say that your little operation was back. This time, you were gonna make sure your husband came.

You smile brightly as your daughter waves goodbye to you and Mingyu.

"We love you! Be good to Grandma and Grandpa, okay?" Your husband calls out to her as she gets further away, her hand tightly grasping your mother-in-law's hand.

Y/DN turns her head to nod at Mingyu, letting go of her grandmother's hand to hold her arms over her head in a heart shape before she's placed in the car and off for the rest of the weekend.

Once the car is out of sight, you turn your heels to face Mingyu with a devious smirk.

"Bedroom?"

"Bedroom."

Mingyu scoops you up in his arms as he eagerly brings you into the house, kicking the front door behind him closed. He carries you up the stairs, nearly tripping as you kiss along the side of his neck, your hands roaming across his torso and tugging at the shirt he wore. Luckily, the two of you make it to the bedroom in one piece, your husband's clumsiness not interrupting what you both were craving.

Mingyu was buzzed with excitement since this morning, touchier than usual as he waited to have you all for himself. He planned ahead, taking time to prep himself when he took a shower this morning, so there was no time wasted today. There was nothing more that Mingyu wanted other than a glimpse of the feeling he had last time.

You two touch and grope at each other feverishly, and you strip each other of all of your clothes. You momentarily gawk at your husband's naked body. Sure, you saw him undress all the time, but you were too busy to appreciate your husband's body. You wanted him to know how sexy he truly was.

Mingyu let out a moan as you kiss his chest, bending down slightly to lick up his abs, his knees almost buckling at the feeling.

"Lay down for me, Mingyu," you breathe out, your voice low and seductive, so sexy that any man would listen to you. And he does.

Mingyu lays on the bed like last time, but this time having his feet planted on the bed without your guidance.

You feel a tingle shoot to your core as you hungrily gaze at your husband in full display before you. You crawl between his legs, grabbing a fistful of his hair as you hold yourself up with the other.

"You have no idea how much I've wanted this, my pretty boy. How many times I've thought about bending you over the counter whenever you made breakfast and making your pretty ass mine," you breathe out before dipping your head to kiss along his neck and collarbones, nipping and sucking at the sensitive skin.

Mingyu's cock twitches beneath you as he moans from the feeling of your lips marking his skin.

"My ass is already yours— always has been, baby," he laughs. His hands grip your waist as you continue to kiss his skin, making your way up to his ear to give it soft nibbles.

"Yeah? All mine, baby? You're gonna let me stretch you out like last time?" You whisper in his ear, your voice making his cock twitch again.

Mingyu nods, his hips bucking upwards to rub his cock against you.

"So hard, and I've barely done anything yet. I don't think you're gonna last very long, Gyu," you tease as you lean back, taking Mingyu's cock in your hand to toy with his tip, a single bead of precum leaking out of him.

"I-I've been saving myself for you. I haven't even touched myself since," Mingyu admits as he squirms from the attention to his sensitive tip. You raise an eyebrow at your husband, shocked at the fact that he hasn't had an orgasm in so long.

"Poor baby probably has so much backed-up cum. I bet you're gonna make a fucking mess tonight. Gonna cover yourself in all your cum when I fuck your ass," you pout at him, feigning sympathy, which only makes another bead of precum drip out of him.

You let go of Mingyu's aching cock to reach into the bedside table, pulling out the same bottle of lube as last time. You follow the same steps as last time, rubbing the lube between your fingers and rubbing it along his hole in slow circles.

The speed of your actions was agonizing for Mingyu, his head throwing back as he groaned in frustration.

"Fuck—just put it in already, please."

You giggle at your husband's lack of patience but decide to give him what he wants, sliding two fingers in, causing him to sigh in relief.

"I finger you once, and all of a sudden, you're acting like a slut who can handle more. Don't get too ahead of yourself, Mingyu."

Before Mingyu can respond, a loud moan rumbles out of him, his head pushing against the pillows as his back arches off the bed when you curl your fingers just like last time, hitting his prostate with damn near perfect precision.

"Shit— so fucking good," he moans out, his eyes shut as your fingers prod against his prostate over and over.

Like last time, his cock leaks precum, pooling on his stomach.

You coo praises as your other hand slowly rubs his shaft, your fingers still working inside of him. Mingyu lets out a string of moans mixed with a few curses that slip out of him, his brain foggy from all of the pleasure.

The tight feeling in his stomach causes him to snap his eyes open, his hands darting down to push yours away from him in a hurry.

"Shit—did I do something wrong? Is everything okay, Mingyu?" You panic as you immediately take your hand off his cock and slowly pull out your fingers. You watch as Mingyu pants, licking over his lips before responding.

"I'm g-great—more than great, baby. I didn't want to cum before you got to fuck me," he breathes out, a rosy hue covering his face and chest. Mingyu runs a hand through his hair, noticing it sticking to his forehead.

A deep sigh leaves your lips, relieved that nothing's wrong. You run your hands over Mingyu's thighs as you lean over to press a kiss to his lips, his head lifting from the bed to chase after your lips when you pull away too soon.

"Stay right here, baby," you whisper to him as you get off the bed. Mingyu stares at the ceiling. Sounds of you shuffling around in the bathroom are the only thing heard, along with his heavy breaths. Mingyu turns his head to look at the closed bathroom door, worried about how long you were taking.

"Everything okay, sweetheart?"

"I'll be out in a minute!" Your voice calls out from behind the door as you adjust the strap-on, ensuring it's perfectly secured. You had a few toys of your own that were compatible with most strap-ons but were probably too big of a jump for Mingyu, who only knew what two of your fingers felt like. You were used to having Mingyu's thick cock in you, but Mingyu wouldn't be able to handle one close to his size just yet.

So, you opted for this one. A solid black one that was soft to the touch, curved at the end, came with its own strap and was a decent length and thickness for a beginner.

You turn to look at yourself in the mirror, straightening your back with newfound confidence before you exit the bathroom.

Mingyu's eyes quickly find your figure walking towards him, his eyes catching the toy that was now strapped onto you. His cheeks flush as he bites his lip, trying to hide his excitement as you crawl onto the bed. You bite back a smile of your own as you spread your husband's legs apart further, settling your body in between them.

"Do you want it like this, baby? We can try a different position if you want," you coo out, your fingertips trailing along his inner thighs.

You watch the cogs of Mingyu's brain turn as he thinks about your question. He had done some research himself and knew exactly what he wanted to try first.

"Can I lay on my stomach? I always fuck you like that, so I'm curious what it feels like—and I heard it's a good way to start," your husband shyly asks.

You nod your head with a reassuring smile, helping Mingyu flip onto his stomach, giving you a good look at his ass that you were ready to fuck. You feel arousal drip down your legs as you position yourself over Mingyu. His arms find comfort folding underneath the pillows as he turns his head to the side, waiting for more.

Kisses up his back and your hand rubbing over his ass, occasionally squeezing at it, causing Mingyu to sigh, his hips squirming against the bed, and his cock rubbing against the mattress.

"Fuck—Y/N, don't tease me," he moans out, lifting his hips to push his ass against your loving caresses.

"I'm not teasing you, baby. I'm appreciating you, am I not allowed to appreciate what a nice ass my husband has?" You said it was all mine, right?"

A shaky breath leaves Mingyu's lips as your words manage to turn him on more, his hips lifting once more.

"All yours— but please fuck me already," he whines, his lack of patience evident."

You chuckle softly at your husband's begging but decide to play nice tonight, reaching over to grab the bottle of lube and coating the toy thoroughly. Your hand spreads Mingyu's ass apart, letting some of the lube drip down onto his hole. You set the bottle aside, still holding his ass open so you could line the toy up to his tight hole.

"Now you know how it feels when you tease me, Mingyu."

You slowly push the toy inside of him, the curved end slipping past the tight rim. The toy was undoubtedly thicker than your fingers causing Mingyu to hiss at the new stretch. You do a quick check-in to ensure he's okay, only pushing more of the toy in when your husband gives you the green light.

Mingyu moaned as the tip of the toy nudged against his prostate, the curved tip instantly pressing against it as it slipped inside him. You soothing rub his lower back as you push the toy deeper inside of him inch by inch, letting him adjust to the new size.

"You're doing so well, baby. I'm almost all the way in. Such a good boy taking my cock," you purr out, shifting your knees on the bed, the toy moving inside of him and drawing out another moan from your husband.

Once you fit all of the toy inside of him, you stop moving, letting Mingyu embrace the full feeling before telling you to start moving.

You slowly start pulling out, your husband moaning at the feeling and letting out an even louder moan when you push your hips forward, the toy nustling deep inside of him. You repeat the same slow thrusts, biting your lips as Mingyu falls apart underneath you.

Mingyu couldn't control the way his body was moving underneath you, squirming at the feeling of the toy repeatedly hitting that spot that made his brain turn to mush. He could tell he could cum from this alone. All the weeks' worth of build-up only made him more sensitive, his body craving a release. He thought it couldn't get any better until you spoke up.

"Should I turn it on now?"

In his fucked out state, his brows furrowed, confused as to what you were talking about.

"T-turn it on? Turn what—" he turns speechless, his mouth falling open as a high-pitched moan escapes him, his eyes rolling back to his skull as he feels a vibration inside of him and hit against his sweet spot.

Oh yeah, and the toy vibrated.

You bite your lips as your eyes scan your husband's frame, more of your arousal dripping down your thighs as he thrashes underneath you from the intense feeling. Precum soaks into the bed as he feels his orgasm building and building with every thrust of your hips. You paid no attention to the tired feeling creeping up on you, your mind too focused on making your husband lose his mind.

"That's it, baby. I bet you can't wait to cum, hm? Gonna make a big mess for me? Maybe we should flip you over so I can watch you cum all over yourself."

Mingyu nods his head to your words, letting out a broken sob when you pull out to help him flip back onto his front. You smile at the glazed look in his eyes and his flushed face, resembling how he looked when he was drunk. But there was no alcohol in his system, the dazed expression on his face a product of the pleasure you were giving him.

You hold Mingyu's legs open with one hand as you line up the vibrating toy up to his hole, pushing into him with ease this time around. Although this wasn't for you necessarily, you enjoyed this position more, loving the way you could watch your husband's eyes roll back, his mouth unable to close as whines and moan of ecstasy left his pretty lips.

You could tell Mingyu was getting close as you thrust the toy into him a bit faster. His breath sped up the closer he got, hands gripping the pillow underneath his head as his entire body shook with the need to cum.

"S' close— fuck! Don't stop, baby. So, so close," he sobs out, his eyes tightly shut as he tries to prepare himself for the orgasm that would come any second now.

Your hand cups his balls, gently fondling them, and that's all Mingyu needs to send him over the edge. You watch in awe as your husband's back arches off the bed, a deep and long moan echoing out of him as thick cum oozes out of his cock, seeming to never end as it pools and drips from his stomach. His whole body shakes uncomfortably, his eyes rolling back as the only thing Mingyu can feel is a warmth shooting throughout his entire body. This was much different than his usual orgasms. The feeling wasn't even remotely the same. You helped him ride out his everlasting orgasm, his body continuing to shake even when he had no more cum left to shoot out.

You turn off the vibrator and slowly bring your movements to a halt when your husband whines about the feeling.

"Too much— too much." His back finally makes contact with the bed again, trying to come down from his high. You stay inside of Mingyu for a few more seconds before slowly guiding the toy out of him, him wincing when the tip grazes his sweet spot.

"You came so much, baby. Made such a pretty mess for me," you coo out, leaning over to swirl your finger in the pool of cum on his stomach.

Mingyu remains silent, still trying to catch his breath, his body convulsing every few seconds from the aftershocks of his orgasm. You lap up some of his cum with your tongue as your husband has just enough energy to grab your face, pulling you up to him so he can taste himself off your lips.

"Have fun?" You ask rhetorically, a dazed chuckle leaving his lips as he opens his eyes to finally look at you, the look of lust in his eye now replaced with love and affection (and tiredness).

"Mhm, thank you, Y/N. I love you," his words come out in a whisper, his voice huskier than usual from all the moaning.

You smile and cup your husband's face, kissing his lips again.

"I love you too. Let's get cleaned up, yeah? I'll make us something to eat."

Mingyu raises an eyebrow at you, not wanting to address the issue with what you just said. You bite your lip as you roll your eyes at him, letting go of his face to run them down his shoulders.

"Fine, I won't cook. But I'll order something for us to eat and just pretend I'm an amazing chef in my head. Is that better?"

Mingyu smiles at you and nods his head, rolling the two of you over to lay face to face on your sides, not paying mind to the cum dripping onto the bed.

"Much better. I wouldn't want to find a way to explain to Y/DN why we have to move out after you set the kitchen on fire."

Your husband shushes your annoyed response with his lips, distracting you from the rude (but believable) words that left his lips.

Damn him and his kissable lips.

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petrichoraline · 5 months

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they should have left august have genuine feelings for day imo like we already saw him kinda disappointed it was not a date with mork... the whole kiss thing felt so wrong they did day (and august too tbh) dirty

to start off, thank you for indulging me with a ltts message 🥰 also I hope this isn't too long, i havent had the time to seriously think about this episode so this is my chance 💓

throughout the episode I began wondering if august was a legitimate contender and the thought bothered me for a few reasons: i had been under the impression the plot isn't really about that; that there would be no space to fit in a love triangle of this size if other conflicts were to be explored and resolved. basically that mork and day would have enough on their plate without august in the picture and focusing on those two would only slow down the development of the main couple. I did find the thought of august's intentions being serious intriguing though, a bit frustrating, yes, but also interesting.

now, I had a bit of trouble understanding your point but im guessing you mean we already saw that day was disappointed the party wasn't a date so we're aware of his feelings and they are not aimed at august anymore? so it wouldn't have been an issue if august just continued liking day because day doesn't like him that way anymore, right? because I get that, it wouldn't have been the first time that's happened on screen haha but also that's exactly why I'm not that fond of the idea. day and august having a mutual crush and that going for a few episodes? THAT I find intriguing, an actual relationship trying to figure itself out while it's doomed by the narrative because it isn't the main romance.

but august having actual romantic feelings for day and stepping aside (because the show wants this couple dealt with by the end of the first half, apparently, and it would have cut him off somehow) would be something both sad and also, in my humble opinion, redundant. I've seen it before, it's just a bummer for everyone involved and I don't need it here.

what the plot actually did was very nice, as weird as it sounds. it gave us a character who loves his mate a lot. I do not doubt that august has strong feelings for day. everyone is pissed at him at the moment, day is hurt because there was pity, mork is angry because there was lack of consideration but that boy cares for day, a lot. i suppose there are feelings of guilt, they were on the court together when day lost his vision and then he didn't contact august for over a year. august probably felt some sort if personal responsibility for day's condition or for his behaviour towards him while they were partners, for the fact day felt he couldn't tell him the truth. so there is guilt and there is pity but also there is affection for a friend, for a partner, for the person alongside which you aimed for your dreams. they have a bond (and im sure people have expressed a lot about their sync and dynamic that I haven't picked up on but a bond is undeniable).

august tried to be a better person, a warm one, someone day doesn't recognise. he tried to be everything he wasn't before because thats what he decided day wants and needs. the night at the bar he was already feeling bad about leaving day to hang. on a side note, while the episode was airing i ran to check whether the cast was there that night and if it was on the same arm. it was. august didnt lie and im paranoid lmao anyways

the scene was crushing for mork and us, sure, but it was also very hard for august. he had had an accident, he couldn't contact day and still went as soon as he could after midnight. when he heard the confession he ran which honestly felt like an appropriate reaction - indicating he was there would make day embarrassed and pretending to come in later also wouldn't work because his partner who recently came back into his life with shocking news after ghosting him for a year suddenly confessed he's in love with him. while he's exhausted and hurt. of course the kid needed time to process what the fuck is going on! and he came back the very next morning, ready to make things right.

the issue stems from the fact he had no clue what right is, his underdeveloped brain told him to be a better friend than before but it went too far off in the direction of that thought and landed at "be what he wants you to be to a T" which includes, well, a romantic interest. and that's just not something you can force but alas, earnest, stupid august tried to check off everything on the "make day happy" list.

that boy ran off crying (I would too if mork glared at me like a maddog but still) because he kissed and got kissed by someone he didn't want such contact with ( the reciprocated kiss was A Lot for him) and then realised he'd hurt the person he wanted to satisfy in every way. his words indicate he didn't intend the kiss to be just one, that he wanted to actively change the way he feels about day, that he considered being his boyfriend. I figure he truly realised that was not an option while the kiss was happening hence why the second one had him running away again.

we know august is impulsive and earnest, his intentions were coming from a good place but he couldn't plan to save his life. he acts with his heart and so he was relying on falling for day till the end with no backup plan. it's either that or he knew before the kiss and intended it to be a single gift and I can't tell which is worse. in any case he was aware of the big possibility him and days weren't going to work out so his actions were majorly irresponsible.

the kiss had me screaming NOO literally and then the second one nearly had me gripping my hair, idek what sounds I made from the beginning till the end of that scene but "felt wrong" is something I can understand though it didd feel wrong but maybe not in the way you mean?

i didn't know nor suspect august's intentions and thought process so the kiss felt real to me and though I was against it as an avid morkday shipper, I didn't think that narratively it was bad. day was done dirty a 100% (though he gets mork acting on his feelings finally so..glass half full..?). let's not forget that mork actively supported day's perception of the situation as flirting - not his fault, that's what august was doing after all - but it's something that made the fall that much worse. day was getting hyped up by mork the way he was by gee ABOUT mork before that. he gets affected by his friends' opinions because he relies on them to read the other's body language and intentions. so there is this feeling of helplessness not only because of the pity that guided august's actions but the fact he couldn't assess the situation himself. so yes, for this and many other reasons, day was done dirty by every definition of the phrase.

but as for august and the plot I'm not so sure. august as a character is, to me, much more interesting as this confused and, frankly, unintelligent young man whose heart seems to be in the right place..? but whose actions are totally misguided than if he were, let's say, a good guy finally acting on his crush after years. I suppose he could've stopped before the kiss and told day the truth and maybe day would be a bit disappointed but definitely more forgiving and less heartbroken..

but then how would we see that day can help mork tame his anger with just a touch of the hand? and we needed an act so grotesque that would lead them to have a conversation that makes mork want to scream "I do not pity you, I haven't pitied you for a second, you are so strong and smart and loveable, i love you, how could you ever focus on a nobody like him when you are everything, you deserve so much more, how could you not know that, why did i ever let him near you, i should have never allowed for this to happen, i love you so much god I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU" (yes thats what those eyes at the rooftop said, idk what yall heard.)

i believe the charm of this scene and this whole conflict is that no one there is acting out of malice. it's just people doing what they think is right. mork stepping aside was not the right move technically but it fits his character and the plot as well. imo august wasn't done dirty, he was made interesting and also he isn't a bad guy. he did some really harmful shit but by the end of the scene i didn't feel an ounce of malice from him. there could still be love between the two but one that's not based around day walking on eggshells and one that doesn't rely on august to be something he is not. when they arent forced by the outside to be in close proximity and make things work, when they can just tease each other comfortably without taking all of the other's happiness and well-being as their own responsibility, thats when they could have a nice casual friendship with a lot of appreciation for the other. i believe him and day would reconcile at some point in the future when day is ready to forgive and august is ready to stop running.

#this turned into an august defense essay huh #last twilight #ltts #morkday #im sorry if i sound too..whats the word defiant? like i am hardly against your points #i think they are very valid in the sense that we all have dofferent views of our beloved characters and we want different things from shows #truth of the matter is that if the story went the way you envisioned it i probably would still like it! im just satisfied with what we got #i say im tired and then write for like an hour jesus #thank you for this again <33 hope its comprehensible im not checking hahah

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aotopmha · 10 days

Text

At lvl 87 Endwalker quests.

The Venat duty absolutely destroyed me.

I was planning to get Elpis done this weekend, but I struggled almost an hour and an half (maybe even twoish hours, didn't precisely track it) on this duty until I, for probably first time while playing this game, turned down the difficulty of a solo duty, and I'm pretty exhausted, so the rest of Elpis is left for another day.

It's a fantastic encounter because it sells you just how powerful Venat truly is really well, but it's another bit of gameplay proof to me that the difficult content of the game probably isn't something that is for me (and makes me incredibly grateful for the lower difficulty options for solo duties).

(At the very least I know progging some of the Savage content and especially Ultimates would probably drive me up the wall.

Extremes, I do want to give a try because they generally seem less time-intensive and lenient. I won't *completely* exclude tougher stuff, but at the very least I know that kind of content would get unfun fairly quick for me because of what it is by nature.)

It's the orbs that got me with every class I tried; just couldn't get enough of them in time, but as said, I'm pretty grateful for the 'easy' button.

With this out of the way, I think there is actually a good amount to say about all of the lvl 86 and 87 content up to the solo duty.

It can be actually summed up pretty easily: it's all just a lot of characterization, but it is characterization for a bunch of different characters and essentially an entire culture. More than any other zone, I think it is the motivations and perspectives of the characters that matter the most.

You've got the friendship between Emet and Hythlodeus, the father-daughter relationship between Hermes and Meteion and as I see it a student-mentor (maybe?) relationship between the WoL and Venat.

Between these are less focused dynamics like Venat teasing Emet or the cute budding friendship between the WoL and Meteion.

Then we have the individual characterization for all of them, too.

But before I fully go into them, there is a pretty big general thought I have about Elpis:

It is fanservice.

It is such unquestionably, blatantly, unflinchingly obvious fanservice that it should bother me so much more than it does.

For crying out loud, the entire portion of the story starts with Emet filling you with his aether. They're fully indulging the Emet simps.

But it is also substantial and thoughtful every step of the way, and I think really well told, so I really like it.

So, I'll get into exploring all of the characters in their basics. You could probably an entire massive post about every single one of them, but I just want to go into them in the most concise, simple way for now.

I'll start with Emet-Selch. I think my favorite part about Emet in Elpis is how he reacts when he learns about his actions in the future.

He cannot comprehend how he could be so disrespectful towards the sacrifice of his brethren, while all across the questing during the zone, his actions especially show just how much he cares about the well-being of the Star and his brethren, and that is the exact reason why he ends up doing what he does.

The reason why everything happens is because of who he is as a character. It is fantastic character-based plot writing, which is kind of a trend across all of Elpis (and happens to be probably my favorite type of writing, I love it when things happen because of who the characters are).

It is delicious Greek tragedy fodder.

Next, I've talked a bunch about how I no longer think character arcs are the be all and end all of good character writing and I think Hythlodeus is probably the best example in FF14.

He is just a super fun and likeable good (tease-y) friend. And he doesn't need to be more as a character.

(And everyone loves him!)

Obviously he has much less time on screen than everyone else, and he would probably get old after a while if we had him for a bunch of expansions, but I think he is proof that all you need for a great character is a likeable base personality.

His teasing dynamic with Emet is super fun and his presence only emphasizes why what Emet does and believes in the future makes sense.

Next are Hermes and Meteion.

The more I think on it, the more I feel like they're the thematic core of the story. And both are also carrying another type of narrative I love: stories about feelings.

Technically you can argue all stories are to some extent about feelings because stories are kind of there to make you feel.

But to me Endwalker is specifically about mental illness, more specifically perhaps about depression and despair and overcoming it.

It's fascinating, every time I even type about these ideas, I feel an unease, as if it shouldn't be a big deal, as if I'm making a mountain out of a molehill but also as if I was judging people for it. I feel there is still an unspoken stigma to it.

But it is a very serious issue. I myself have struggled with these thoughts, and though I luckily have found my answer and have gotten better, I still see and feel that judgment and disapproval directed at anyone who is suffering.

"Just stop being sad!"

"It's not that big of a deal!"

And in that sense, I feel Hermes is probably the most real of all of the characters in Elpis.

Is he the anomaly for essentially experiencing depression? Is he the anomaly for not agreeing with the norm of just discarding animals, thus other lives on a whim? For not seeing death as "beautiful" as his culture does?

As someone who has been there, dismissing or simplifying Hermes' struggle rings false to me. This is what mental illness does, what depression does. Mental illness makes everything bigger, creates tunnel vision, so Hermes can't see the good around him and so turns to look for purpose elsewhere.

I remember seeing a video title along the lines of "Hermes should suffer more" or again talking points about him "just being sad" and while it might have been for clickbait purposes, I think I've seen sentiments along those lines a bunch of times and I feel like many people just miss the point of his character and maybe even have this opinion towards him because of how they view emotional struggles like this.

Obviously stuff like this is super personal and hits different for everyone, but fictional characters are also not real people; they serve a narrative purpose and in this case Hermes represents someone going through this kind of struggle.

Among other things, he is a general thematic symbol, an idea within the story.

Even if he had the most awful ambitions imaginable, what message would further torturing a character going through this kind of emotional struggle ultimately send?

The idea of fantasy as a filter exists for a reason; were it real life all of these characters, even the more heroic ones, would be morally abhorrent.

But fiction allows us to explore some of these heavy ideas within its safe framework. And you're not obligated to like art like this, either. I just think that's the brand of fantasy FF14 is going for and I fully read most stories within this framework and really enjoy them.

I don't need characters to be morally good for a story to be good, but I actually do also think Hermes is a pretty good example of a narrative distinguishing between the sympathetic and antagonistic parts of a character's actions.

You're not empathizing with him wanting to destroy the world. The entire point is to just understand where his perspective came from. That is the framing I see.

But again, a text can have many reads. In the end I just disagree with a bunch reads on Hermes.

But to move on from Hermes, I think if Hermes is the most "real", Meteion is probably the most tragic.

She is by nature essentially an empath. If Hermes is the adult suffering from mental illness, Meteion is the child feeling the consequences with no say on the matter.

Meteion feels what Hermes feels and those are often negative feelings; and when he sees Meteion suffer from it, he in turn feels guilty. And Meteion suffers from that in turn.

Hermes very clearly cares for Meteion, but he also ends up using her for his own ends just like the other ancients do creations. His entire reason for creating Meteion was for his wish to see other civilizations to be fulfilled. It's selfish. Hermes is not immune from his culture's principles.

And while it hurts him to hurt her, he still does it. It's a crazy good complicated relationship.

As I said, I think there is so much more to say, but I think I'll move on to the final pair.

Truth is, I'm not 100% sure what to label the Venat/Azem/WoL relationship because while teacher-student is a strong sense I get, I also get a very strong "simple friendship with a fellow traveler" feeling out of it.

I can see why the Emet/Hythlo or Emet/Azem/WoL ships are so strong, but I never got that sense out of Venat.

And I don't see the parent/child parallel that strongly either despite all of the mommy jokes.

I need to think on that more.

But what I do love, is characters that *love* the world.

Who unconditionally, fiercely love it.

Life is a miracle to her and so she aims to protect it with all of her being.

And she didn't use to think that way. It is the pursuit of knowledge that lead her to that conclusion.

And to me, that makes her a fantastic meta parallel to me as a player because that is how I grew to see FF14 as I saw more of its story and then got to eventually play it.

Because at first I wasn't interested in doing any of the side content, only the main story, but as I went on I became interested to the point of wanting to do the blue quests, then yellow quests, then tribe quests, and any of the side content.

My plan for Dawntrail is to really take my time and really take in literally all of it, down to eventually the least significant yellow quests.

It'll take time, but that is my eventual aim with the entire game currently.

I grew to love this story, this world and all of the characters in it.

I'm not sure if this is the meta intention with Venat, but that is how it worked out for me as a player.

"Has your journey been good? Has it been worthwile?"

She asks and while my most immediate thought is "gotta get that audience survey in there", a split second later, all can I think of is "yes".

At this point I have about 700+ hours in the game and the only bit of content I've disliked is traversing the ARR, HW and a bunch of the SB zones.

But going back to Venat, I like that despite being so graceful in image, she has fun and joy in her.

Her being the previous Azem is very fitting in that sense and is another aspect of her character that makes me view her as a adventuring friend.

My overall thoughts about Elpis so far are really that I love how well-defined the characters and the relationships between them are; it is a feast for someone like me who loves character-centric stories.

I look forward to what is coming next; really nearing the final stretch here and I look forward to covering it as I go through it.

#Final Fantasy XIV #Final Fantasy 14 #FFXIV #FF14 #FF #Final Fantasy #Endwalker #EW

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amethystina · 3 months

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Your metas are as fantastic as your fics! I have two questions about the show that I'd love your input on! First what do you think You-Han thought about Ga-On in the bus scene in the first episode beside what you mentioned already? Yeah he doesn’t care for heroics much but he's also so dismissive of humanity and its cowardice and greed, and here's Ga-On risking his life twice for strangers including a criminal, doing the opposite of what people Yo-Han condemned for the fire did. Was any part of him impressed? And second, I'm confused on this, did adult Yo-Han realize that making Sun Ah jump from the window was a shit move or did he think it was ok since she was a thief and tried to set him up and he thought she likes him for his money? And did he ever realize that she had real feelings for him fucked up as they were? He's so dismissive all the time of her it's hard to say, but he also seemed to be offended when Ga-On asked if he was playing with her feelings. Thank you again you're the best.

Thank you so much! I had a lot of fun writing those metas and I'm a little sad that I haven't had the time to write more because I have so many scenes and concepts I'd like to explore. But it's difficult to find the time in between everything else.

ANYWAY. Moving on to your questions!

To be honest with you? Aside from what I've mentioned already, I don't think Yo Han felt or thought much about Ga On during that scene except how he might be useful to him. Like, sure, maybe some small part of him was impressed by Ga On's quick response, but even if he'd take note of Ga On acting unlike most people would in that situation (and unlike the people during the fire) he's also jaded enough that he'd probably explain it away as naïvité. That Ga On just doesn't know better. Or maybe even that Ga On does it because he wants to be heroic. Which obviously isn't true — Ga On's actions are genuine and not just for show or to get attention and praise from others — but Yo Han doesn't know that. Because he doesn't know Ga On at this point. So I think he's just... neutral.

Also, I think Yo Han was too busy with other things to really stop and consider his own feelings about Ga On's actions. Like, I think he focused more on "Oh, this young man is very idealistic and reckless — how can I use that?" rather than just admiring Ga On's bravery.

Like, he's already way, way past reacting to the situation and has gone straight to plotting how it can be useful to him. Especially if you consider that this is the day when his revenge plan is finally being set in motion. He's probably razor-focused on that, not Ga On or whatever he's feeling about said young man.

It's just too soon for him to see the goodness in Ga On and actually give a damn about it? (but he certainly will later — and then he'll start yearning) At this point in the story, I think Yo Han would view Ga On as any other piece on the board — and a pretty insignificant one, at that — that he simply needs to figure out and control.

Well, except for the part where he looks like Isaac xD

If Yo Han had any true emotional reaction to what Ga On did that day, it's probably directly related to Isaac, not Ga On as his own person. Because, again, Yo Han doesn't know Ga On yet. Maybe Yo Han even saw some parallels between the two in that moment, considering how heroic Isaac was during the church fire. Like, not only does Ga On have his face, but he'll brave danger to save others, too.

But, all in all, I think Yo Han just... didn't care all that much about Ga On? Or, well, he cares, of course (enough to intervene and stop the bus) but Ga On really isn't all that important to him here. So I don't think his thoughts and feelings about him were all that significant, either, except, again, in what ways Ga On might be useful to him and how he reminded him of Isaac (which Ga On would no doubt hate if he knew xD)

As for Yo Han and his relationship with Sun Ah, that's a bit trickier. Their dynamic is very, very intriguing and I can't quite decide how I want to view it, but I think I've settled on "playmates" xD

Because Sun Ah is the closest Yo Han has come to finding an equal. Someone who can understand his games, can play by his rules — but also invent her own when she feels like it — and keep him on his toes. Someone who can challenge him and push him to stretch his limits.

Which I think Yo Han found to be pretty fun at first, but he eventually realised that maybe having an equal who's exactly like you isn't necessarily a good thing — especially judging by his behaviour towards her. Like, he enjoyed their games, sure, but he didn't like when she started making assumptions, trying to weasel her way into his life, or tell him what to do.

Because that's what Yo Han does and he clearly doesn't like it when the shoe is on the other foot xD

(Like, for real: if you think about it, Sun Ah used very similar methods when she attempted to woo Yo Han as Yo Han used to woo Ga On (including the kidnapping). But those are methods that don't actually work on Yo Han because he's, well, Yo Han. They did work on Ga On, though x'D)

I do think that Yo Han was genuinely attached to Sun Ah to some degree (the moments after she shoots herself in front of him show that), but he's also pretty flippant about her feelings for him, yes. And I think that's because he thought those feelings were based on a foolish childhood obsession she couldn't let go of. Which, considering his unsentimental disposition, probably made him view them as pretty superficial. Kind of like you'd patiently nod along when a child declares that they're going to marry their cool, older cousin when they grow up? The feelings are real, but they're also founded in something that's not, so he doesn't take them all that seriously. If that makes sense?

And yes, I think that adult Yo Han intellectually knows that he shouldn't have made her jump out of that window when they were kids, but he also doesn't regret doing it x'D

Because it's all a part of the game. I mean, no matter what Sun Ah says, I don't think she jumped out of the window because she loves Yo Han — she jumped because she wanted to prove that she could. Basically calling him on what could have been a bluff, but they're both so stubborn that of course it wasn't a bluff. But she couldn't back down at that point, could she? She didn't want to, because that would mean he'd win and could say that she didn't love him as much as she claimed.

It's all just a big mind game, basically, where they're constantly trying to outsmart each other and call each other's bluffs.

Even the part where he's so dismissive of her feelings, I'd argue. Because, clearly, she enjoys chasing him and so the fun would end if he gave her what she wants. He's playing hard to get, basically, just because he can. Just because he wants to see what will happen if he does.

Which I think is why he reacts the way he does when Ga On questions him, because Ga On clearly doesn't understand the rules of the game. If Sun Ah didn't want Yo Han to use her feelings against her, she shouldn't have given him that as a tool for him to use. And she's smart enough that she wouldn't do something like that by mistake so that's basically permission in Yo Han's eyes. Nothing is sacred, and all that.

But, at the core of it, I also think that Yo Han's dismissiveness comes from the fact that he doesn't actually want her the way she wants him. He never did. He finds her entertaining and probably feels a certain kinship to her since she, again, is the closest he's found to an equal — someone just like him — but that's not as important to him. He's more focused on his revenge and taking care of Elijah (and securing himself a doe-eyed sugar baby). So yes, he likes the games and the challenge she presents, but she's not what he's looking for.

And he kind of gives up on that whole thing entirely after she killed K, threatened to kill Ga On, and just threatened Elijah in general. That's when things stopped being fun and there's no coming back from that.

Basically, I think that Yo Han and Sun Ah are very similar in how they think and behave and while that makes them equals in many ways — and means they can play a game that is quite literally on another plane than we mere mortals may understand — that's also their downfall. It would never actually work between the two of them because they're too similar. The push-and-pull would never end and, sooner or later, they'd tear each other apart.

If you compare Sun Ah with Ga On (because of course we have to) he manages the most vital part — which is to challenge Yo Han intellectually — but is also caring and responsible enough to back down when things are about to escalate beyond what's manageable. He'll go soft and warm and basically ask: "Is this really what you want?" And, sometimes, Yo Han actually seems to realise that "Uh, no, it's actually not. Let's try that again."

Which makes a huge difference not only for the longevity of their relationship, but also how much Yo Han ends up wanting it. Because, clearly, despite all the darkness and sharp edges, he does want love and softness. And, deep down, I think some part of him always knew that Sun Ah couldn't give him that — but Ga On can. And so that's who he chooses to woo.

(not me turning almost every ask into an opportunity to gush about Yo Han and Ga On and how they're perfect for each other)

ANYHOW. I hope that answers your question on some level? Tbh Yo Han and Sun Ah's relationship has too many nuances for me to sufficiently summarise it here (much like Yo Han and Ga On's relationship) but my suggestion is to see them as playmates. Like, just assume that almost all of it is a part of them trying to outsmart each other. And there are no rules because they're both certifiably unhinged.

So yeah! Thank you so much for asking! Though I must say: it might just go to my head if people keep asking me for my opinion on stuff like this. Like, does this mean my opinions actually matter? Oh my xD

Take care, darling 💜

#Amethystina Replies #Anonymous #The Devil Judge #I would honestly write a lot more meta if it wasn't for my imposter syndrome #It's fine if people ask me for my opinion like this #Then my brain thinks it's okay #Because it's someone ASKING me to speak up #But if I try to just write it for the heck of it?#Some part of me always questions why I think my opinions would be worth sharing #And surely I'll say something stupid #Which is very annoying #But that's my brain for you

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seventeenlovesthree · 2 months

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If you were chosen to continue the Digimon Adventure 2020 story, what headcanon theories or ideas would do you have for the series going forward?

What you want the Digidestineds next great adventure to be? How would you want them to grow and develop as characters? And how would their relations evolve? Especially how do you imagine Tai's relation with Sora and Izzy would develop? (I love the three of them soooooo much in the 2020 series!)

If it were to take place right after the end of Digimon 2020?

Oh, if only I HAD that power...! I had already outlined a few aspects here before, but for completion's sake, I can elaborate again, because there are several possible scenarios I would like to see:

1.) Give me a slice-of-life-anime with the 8 being somewhere between 12 and 17 and have them go through some Tamers/Ghost Game-esque adventures in the real world. I had written a love letter for how much I adore episode 31 of OG Adventure structurally the other day and I would really love a series with the same vibe. Since the first season of the reboot was more plot-driven, this second season would primarily focus on their personal stories/backgrounds/family lives with Digimon-related shenanigans affecting technology and their everyday lives in the process. Giving every single character time and space to bloom. We would also learn more about the Crests and how each kid was chosen in the first place - I don't NEED reincarnation theory to be confirmed, but I would really like some more breadcrumbs into a satisfying explanation as for WHY THEY were chosen specifically in "this timeline" and how exactly the Crests came to be.

2.) I also had an idea based on a dream I once had, additionally furthered by the last episode or rather the "epilogue" that was presented there: I had outlined the idea here as well, but basically, it'd be about dividing the cast into primary and secondary squad (to allow more focus on singular characters in a shorter number of episodes) and have the former actually go gate-hopping and exploring the different worlds out there. It's a more self-indulgent idea, as it mainly focuses on the dynamics between Taichi, Koushirou, Sora and Mimi, but I couldn't keep the others away completely either. So I haven't fully utilized the idea yet...

3.) An interesting idea that was brought to my attention recently was the idea of making a season revolve around Taichi disappearing due to the gate-hopping. Since the first season basically revolved around typical Shounen protagonist Taichi Yagami, the second season would be about the others gate-hopping as well to find him. I haven't thought this one through yet either though...

In terms of general character development and relationship dynamics, I would be happy to actually see more about their individual selves, their flaws and worries and how they get along - or don't. It's really difficult to put a finger on how exactly that would look like, because I absolutely cannot blame the creators of the reboot for being "careful" on how to depict the characters beyond some general tropes. We've known these guys for TWENTY FIVE years and Tri already tried to tackle some things that were different, while still resorting to predictable outcomes without much depth we had already seen several times over - without intending to change the status quo too much. I obviously don't want to see perfect happy endings for everyone, but things were missing in the reboot so far that made the original characters so charming - and the reboot HAD the chance to elaborate on different outcomes here.

We already saw Jyou going for a more leadership-esque route, which his OG self actively didn't choose. So how would that affect his relationship with Taichi, who naturally got the leadership role again? How about Sora having a semi-peaceful relationship with her mother this time, so she can actually be experimental AND also choose to be a vital part of the group? What about Mimi coming from a rich family that provides technological gadgets - how would her knowledge on that influence the way she communicates with Koushirou? Would she try to be competitive for example? Show me more insecurities, show me how they'd actually challenge their Crest meanings? Show me a Hikari who rebels against her brother, show me a Takeru who takes charge, show me Koushirou being honest about his back story to the others (LET US KNOW IF HE IS EVEN ADOPTED IN THIS TIMELINE OR NOT), show me Yamato being vulnerable or try to be more humorous and failing at that! Show me Taichi having flaws! Again, I don't NEED him to be depressed AGAIN, but he has to have something he is insecure or unsure about.

As for Taikoura's relationship, once again, there are several ideas I could see, all shipping aside. One of them is the very self-indulgent "Team Light are actually connected mentally now and can sense and feel when the others are in danger" soulmate scenario that may affect how they interact with each other...

... In more general terms, I do need them all to spend more time together. If you take the ideas 1 I outlined above, they would go through their daily lives together, visiting the same school, etc. So of course Taichi and Sora would focus more on their passion for football as they promised in season 1 and, as mentioned above, Sora might still feel weird about "growing into herself", but she would be more comfortable about experimenting. Combining her tomboy-ness with a more feminine side and exploring that further (and in an ideal scenario deepening her relationship with Mimi in the process, because the reboot did NOT focus on that yet AT ALL). And I want Taichi to be supportive of her in this!

Taichi also made a promise to Koushirou that they would explore the other worlds together - which may also apply to idea 2 I outlined, because I need them to have an OWG-esque partners-in-crime relationship in which they go on cyber adventures together. And in both idea 1 and 2, they would have to balance their daily lives and responsibilities with that. Meaning, this would be a great opportunity to actually see Taichi and Sora learn about Koushirou's home life - he might still try to hide it from them, but I'd want a huge chunk of the story to focus on them trying to get something out of him (gently of course!), having him explore his own identity in the process as well. Showing him that the bond he developed with these two (and the others too) does not just exist because he is "useful" to them, but because he really means something to them.

I obviously also want Koura to bond more with each other - not only over their shared affections for Taichi and because they want to figure out if he is actually hiding something behind that unshattered mask of positivity... Maybe in this timeline, I can finally get them to become canonical fashion buddies, who knows?

Edit: A very important aspect I forgot is that I want and need new Jogress and branch evolutions between the different characters! BE EXPERIMENTAL, TOEI, IT'S GOOD FOR MERCH AND SHIPPING.

#personal #my two cents #taikoura #digimon adventure 2020 #digimon adventure:#digimon adventure reboot sequel #long post

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kiraridertime03 · 4 months

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Talking Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #1

So, Spider-Man, right?

(FULL SPOILERS FOR ULTIMATE SPIDER MAN (2024) #1, BY THE WAY!)

I want to have full disclosure here. This is my first Spider-Man comic. Most of my Spider-Man content came, before, from different adaptations. I mean, there was a period of my life where I didn't like Spidey, but that was in the unholy era of Ultimate Spider-Man (2012) and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), two adaptations I am not a fan of. But I love the Tobey films, I love Spectacular, I even really like the Tom films. However, I am by no means a Spidey expert. I have heard the woes of modern Spider-Man comics, you know.

However, I did get excited when I heard of this new run, mainly because of the writer, Johnathan Hickman. Of all the American Comics I've read, a ton of them have come from Hickman, oddly enough. My first event comic was Secret Wars (2015), which sold me on him as a writer because, despite it being a multiversal event, it still worked on a small scale, on an emotional level. Then, though I didn't have time for the main books, I felt really fulfilled in reading House of X (2019) and Powers of X (2019). It is oddly compelling as an introduction, setting up this really interesting new status quo. Therefore, hearing he was writing a new Spidey book, I was intrigued. I knew about the other new Ultimate Universe intros he wrote, I just wasn't as hooked at them as the Spider-Man book.

It starts off promisingly. After giving a quick recap of what happened before to help explain things (which is simple yet necessary) recap, we spend most of the issue just learning about Peter. You know, he's a dad, however, unexpectedly to me, it focuses much more of its time on Peter's relationship with Uncle Ben. I don't mind too much, though. In creating an alternate universe, you want to discuss things that are different from what you can write in the main universe, and given this world's premise, this seems the most interesting. I fully didn't expect the Old Man Yuri, though.

This does lead to some endearing moments with J. Jonah Jameson, though. I love the moment seen above in particular, it really shows that, while abrasive, Jonah has a good heart, and cares for Peter. However, most of this helps to reveal concerns both JJ and Peter have been having about Ben's well being. Well, because May is dead

That teensy weensy, itty bitty tewwowism mentioned in the recap comes to a full head, as it turns out May died in it, alongside Norman Osborn, seemingly. They all go to this really interesting wake, headed by Matt Murdock, now a Priest, and Harry, who gives a heavy speech about it. He seems particularly scarred by these events, which I hope is explored further in later issues.

After this, we get a bit more plot as JJ and Ben storm out of the Daily Bugle as Kingpin tries to influence them in a way the two don't like. But as Fisk leaves, we meet another character, The Goblin.

I like this suit, and looking at its subtleties reveals the interesting merger of Stark and Oscorp, which can lead to interesting implications to the future. This also builds some mystery to their character, as they bomb the Kingpin... Intriguing. I am actually really excited to see where this goes, as it is likely that, if this is Harry, he'll be against Spidey due to his links to Tony Stark alone. However, this seemingly more heroic bent is an interesting use of this new universe.

Well, anyways, we cut back to Ben and JJ on a date...

They're actually talking about a new business, forging a new journal based on not lying. They have a really cute dynamic, and I hope to see more of them in future issues. However, from here, the issue pivots. The first half was mostly focused on establishing the Status Quo. Peter is married, Ben's alive, May isn't, so on and so forth. From here, though, things get more interesting.

Seeing Ben going forward in his life so bravely, Peter begins to speak on his mid life crisis. He starts asking about a longing, a desire for change. In this, Ben plays his usual inspiring role, but in a completely new context. Rather than great power and responsibility, it's more about seizing the day.

It continues to another scene of him and MJ, where they discuss the same thing. However, there seems to be a more specific focus to it. This scene, while important for Peter's character, also gives a brief moment to really build Peter's domestic life. With the pacing of the issue to this point, there hasn't really been much of this, but I also see there wasn't really much time, so it's good that it is here, if anything. However, MJ seems fully supportive of whatever it is as Peter leaves the room, we get a brief flashback.

This is were things get weird and multiversal, as Hickman tends to do. Peter learns of the whole, "Maker stole the future" thing, giving Peter the promise of his proposed future, if he will take it. We then get a brilliant scene where we watch as he gets bit, and becomes Spider-Man. There's this brilliant edit, which I'll link below, that really adds the gravitas that the moment has, taking it to the extreme.

Overall, this series seems to be about lost potential. Other people have noted this, but it is, incredibly, both a story that is metacontextually interesting, as well as emotionally resonant without that.

Look at it. On one end, this seems to be addressing the image of Spider-Man's Stagnation. It fells, with this, that his married, developed life, and his Spider-Man life were split with OMD, and this book seeks to make up for lost time. It also hits hard in a modern context, as many people's prospects have felt a sense of stagnation as well. It's brilliant, and an interesting direction to take this Peter's character. It leaves me excited to see where this book takes his character next.

Overall, what I can say about this book is that it feels like a great pilot. It gives me a good, brief taste of the characters, sets up the world, and builds intrigue, both in Peter's character and the purpose of the Goblin. There isn't a ton of Spider-Man, but all things considered, that's the least important to sell here, as people have gotten used to Spidey based action. We'll get time for it later, I'm sure.

If anything, I wish we got more time for meeting with the kids. We get a bit of them at the start, and I don't think there was really time for it in this really packed issue, but it is a tad disappointing. Here's hoping for some in the future.

Overall, a really strong, interesting issue of Spidey comics that will hopefully build into an all timer of a run.

#ultimate spider man #comics #review #spoilers #This feels a tad rambly #spider man #Excited for Ultimate X Men #Ultimate Universe #jonathan hickman

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thatswhatsushesaid · 1 year

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So I'm ngl I followed you because my partner really likes jiggy and I am trying desperately to like. Care more about him and enjoy him because of this. I didn't read through the whole post about life debts and nmj (who for the record I think is an asshole, but an interesting one, given his complete inability to see in shades of grey morality), but I did read the reblog you added comparing some of jiggy's actions to wwx's, which I actually found really interesting. Since wwx is my poor little meow meow, I'm wondering if approaching jiggy through the lens of their similarities etc might help nudge my brain more into liking him, so I was curious if you had any recommendations for like, good meta posts or gifsets or fics that get into this more?

I suspect that part of my problem is the novel is just my least favorite adaptation even though I dislike a lot of the plot changes that cql and the donghua did, because it's hard for me to read through, but I can overcome that. Probably.

hi hello!! I know we have chatted a bit already via messages, but I am so, so, so happy any time someone expresses any interest in developing a more comprehensive understanding of jgy's character.

user meta

in terms of linking you to specific bits of meta about parallels between jgy and wwx, it might be easier for me to just direct you to specific users who have written extensively on narrative parallels in mdzs in general: @xiyao-feels has written meta based on several close readings of the text and often highlights the importance of where jgy-specific events are situated, and this often includes callbacks to things that wwx has done, too. if you're keen on deep dives into what makes jgy tick and text-based explanations for why he does the things he does (and why his options are extremely limited), you should also check out @fincalinde's meta. fincalinde and xiyao-feels both ground their analysis of jgy (and xiyao lol but you don't have to read the xiyao meta if you aren't keen on it) in what we're presented in the text, so if you're worried about reading analysis that relies too much upon 'fanon,' that won't be a concern here. @confusion-and-more is another user who writes similar text-based meta along similar lines.

fan media

I tend not to look for good parallels in gifsets, but this one by @henshengs probably draws the most powerful, bittersweet parallels between wangxian, xiyao, and the relationship between lan wangji and lan xichen's parents. it's from the donghua rather than the drama, idk if you have a preference on that front.

the fic series it's worth it every time by @fincalinde (roquen on AO3) is by far the best series imo for digging into jgy's core motivations for doing the things that he does, and it also has the benefit of hewing extremely close to events as they unfold in canon. again, it's xiyao, which may not be your thing, but imo understanding the xiyao dynamic is pretty crucial to understanding jgy, too.

...okay!! I think this is a good place to get started? I will see what else I can dig up for you, and like I said, I have a few other bits of meta in my drafts atm that are focused specifically on wwx-jgy parallels and comparisons, so once I finish and publish those, I'll ping you about it. 👍

edit: ooh, editing my post to add a link to these two pieces of wangxian and xiyao fanart by @hawberries which are intended to be viewed side by side for maximum heartbreak.

#mdzs #mdzs meta #jin guangyao #xiyao #he did crimes??? good for him 😌#warms my heart to hear from ppl wanting to better understand jgy

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altschmerzes · 11 months

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Other people have mentioned this too, but something I really enjoy about your fics is how you write the different team dynamics, and the friendships Jamie has built with all of them. Your younger!Jamie AU is definitely going to be a really interesting take on all of this, and I was just wondering - what relationships/interactions between Jamie and the team are you most looking forward to writing?

thank youuuuuuuu wah i'm so glad you enjoy that aspect of it!! it's one of my absolute favourite things to write about, i love pulling the lesser focused-on players into it particularly. like i said the other day i'm really, REALLY looking forward to thierry and richard's upcoming scenes in 'the same story' especially.

YEAH THAT'S GONNA BE AN ADVENTURE FOR SUUUURE. obviously there's like. ted and roy and company, and Everyone's got stuff in here, but there's some particular stuff i'm looking forward to as well. i've always been extremely invested in jamie and dani's dynamic and this au is gonna be a very fun version of that - particularly the trickshot competition from 1x06, which i'm doing an au version of! there's some very interesting stuff going on with jamie and sam too. the bad ground their relationship starts off on courtesy of jamie is obviously very different here, given that jamie is like. y'know. fifteen and has zero power here this time, he's not on the team, he has no real 'status' to speak of and no sway on other people. but his like..... being a jerk to sam and the others (which he is! because if he wasn't a horrible little brat it would not be like. true to the character lskdjfs this is an au version of the narrative but he's still Who He Is.) is still impactful and a significant demoralizing factor when ted first arrives. it's more that it takes the shape this time of jamie sort of.... representing, in their eyes and particularly in sam's, the wider community and how they're feeling about the team. it feels like the community itself is sneering at them, which isn't. helpful.

(plus he's a sort of. element of the place that's indicative of how badly things were being run under the joint leadership of rupert and cartrick. there's a lot that goes into 'what had to go wrong here for a teenager who works part-time as basically a handyman is just allowed to Be Like This and nobody really bats an eye' and a lot of it is down to 'rupert didn't care and set a standard of not caring about Anything pretty much and cartrick thought it was funny in a pathetic circus clown sort of way')

SO yeah there's a different vibe but some very interesting ground there with his like. difficult relationships at first, particularly sam.

i'm also looking forward to writing julie and leslie higgins and how they're feeling about/interacting with the whole thing? also, and this might be a weird pull, but michelle has a fairly small but significant role in this au wrt jamie specifically and i'm actually really looking forward to that.

and finally there's a whole like..... this is a lesser element of the fic that sort of orbits the general plot and established characters but i sorta needed some peers for jamie to have, particularly given a lot of his worse behaviour in the front half of season 1 was directed at his teammates/peers. so that didn't quite fit when he's in such a different role, so there needed to be a context for that, and for his subsequent major apology/amends stuff (which is still gonna happen with the team, he's gonna apologize to them for how things went, but it's a smaller deal and an easier process given he's a kid and he couldn't really. do much to them in this situation.). that's where the park kids come in! i decided to build him a little group of teen friends that he has from school and that he hangs out with all the time in the park ted walks through every day to get to work. one of them is one we already know through a few encounters with ted, shannon, who gets built out a little more into a more Present character, and there's a couple other kids i just wholesale made up to flesh out his peer group more (for fun and profit, their names are dean, asher, and eleanor). shannon is the one we're gonna see the most of and they're not a major part of the plot by far - i know people get like..... twitchy with non-canon characters lmao - but i'm excited about the role they DO have and i think it's gonna be pretty fun.

#gav gab #gav answers #long post #oh my gd that got so long im sorry #basically: EVERYONE? EVERYTHING? ALL?#fic: wriggle up on dry land

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dustjacketmusings · 9 months

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Bookclub thoughts: two for one

Cold-Hearted Rake and Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas

I wasn't going to do a bookclub thoughts for Cold-Hearted Rake (CHR because I'm lazy) because I just enjoyed it and had nothing much to say. I have a lot to say about Marrying Winterborne (MW) though, and these books are almost impossible to separate. Which is my first major criticism, I don't think these books are fully enjoyable by themselves. CHR spends a lot of time in the second half setting up Helen and Winterborne, at the expense of the main pairing, and Winterborne is such an ass in the start of MW so i dont know how he's likeable without the previous book.

The family dynamic is easily the best part of both books, with the romance complexity suffering by comparison. I didn't mind this in CHR because setting up the family dynamic was so core to Devon and Kathleen's personal arcs, whereas Helen has an arc outside of her family dynamic.

As I said previously, I enjoyed CHR immensely. They are both such angry bitches who fight over nothing 😂. It truly is an excellent rivals to lovers. But I also appreciated that it takes place at a family home, with no balls or socialization. This is a side of historicals that I see less and it was interesting. Kleypas also flexes her researching chops with all of the widow details and mourning requirements. It kept the plot from being repetitive by introducing something new. In this sense, Devon starting an affair with his cousins widow was a different relationship dynamic. They get married eventually, but it's nice that Kathleen was in a position where she could have an affair without risking her livelihood.

And I do think that the various aspects of female independence were important for my enjoyment or dislike of either book. Kleypas takes a fairly unflinching view of the ways historical society was harsh on women, but she doesn't always make efforts to combat it. Or care to. It's a very different book to identify the double standards between men and women and have the FMC demand her due, as a modern woman might. There are people writing those books but Kleypas doesn't. She does keep her FMC's in character for the time, which I usually appreciate, but sometimes puts them at the mercy of the patriarcy, which I don't appreciate.

CHR focused extensively on the ways Kathleen was bound by the rules of widowhood; she would be forced to mourn a man she'd been married to for three days, she lost portions of her property to the estate, and her fortune now rested in the hands of the unknown cousin. For all that she might be allowed a discreet affair, she lost more than she gained. And Devon, for his part, acknowledged this and was as kind as he could be given the situation. Specifically, he couldn't give her back her horse since the estate had no money and it wasn't done, but he deferred to Kathleen on his training prior to sale.

By comparison, MW highlights the vulnerability of young women in society and then has it be a test of affection. Helen approaches Winterborne privately, which risks her reputation, and then agrees to sleep with him, which ruins her reputation without question. I'll give this scene credit in that it's a bold inciting incident, but it puts a bad taste in my mouth. Kleypas makes it clear that Helen is at a disadvantage just existing in the same room as Winterborne, yet he still demands she sleep with him "so that she could never leave". And she agrees, making a leap of faith because she trusts him (or is too naive to be suspicious) and it pays off. I don't dislike romance characters making grand gestures or trusting their partners, but it's disappointing that Kleypas has her heroines do it in a more detrimental way than she ever makes her men. It's true, Helen can't ever leave winterborne now, but it's fine because romance. This isn't fundamentally the same as winterborne's grand gesture of writing Helen into his will, because he isn't actually at risk for this, it's just his empire.

AND ALSO. THE WILL THING NEVER COMES UP AGAIN. After the indecent proposal, Winterborne realizes he's put Helen unnecessarily at risk (no shit?), and decides to write her as his sole benefactor immediately. It's a boss move, I'm not gonna lie, but it made the previous scene even more confusing. At one point Winterborne goes "I have no idea why I insisted we bed" and I'm like dude I super don't know either. It's almost like kleypas wanted the initial scene to be exciting and then literally bashed him over the head so the reader would like him again. And then he never tells her that she has the best life insurance policy on the planet, which ruins the gesture.

Helen purposefully ruining her respectability is a theme of the book, I'll give Kleypas that much. For as much as I don't like the initial scene, it rounds out her arc very nicely... but not in a way that makes their romance look good. She starts out by deciding she wants to marry winterborne for honestly very flimsy reasons. She's never met another man, she just thinks marrying him will be exciting and fulfilling. There are a few points early on where Helen notes how strongly she feels for him that distinctly reads like a teenagers first crush. I don't find their relationship very compelling in the first half because it mostly reads as two characters in love with love but not each other. They have bonding moments and real connection they just act super infatuated rather than recall any moments of depth. All of this makes Helen seem way younger than she needs to be. And then the actual book plot kicks off and Winterborne is at most an accessory for Helen throwing away her reputation because it's the right thing to do. She truly grows by the end of this book but I don't feel like they grow romantically.

Winterborne, by contrast, gets no arc. After hitting his head and deciding his will, he mostly exists to provide Helen with gifts and dick her down. He hates this one guy, of course, but it's just there for helens plot and not something he needs. The biggest growth for him is that he's no longer dreaming of the blue blooded babies Helen will give him (ew) which he only thinks about for a second when he's being an asshole. In fact, that whole plot point is pretty much dropped only to come back in his big speech. There's set up in CHR that he wants upward mobility and his engagement to Helen, but he spends no other time wooing aristocrats, and almost all of his screen time is championing equal rights for workers, donating to charity, and rescuing orphans. Dude clearly does not care what the aristocracy think of him so it loses impact.

I will say that premarital sex is handled differently between the books and its odd. CHR utilizes the pull out method and a no strings attached affair to establish spice in a historical setting. It works well enough, until Kathleen rides Devon and he climaxes inside her. And doesn't blame her for it (ha ha bridgerton). The threat of a baby from this one event is enough for them to eventually get married. Meanwhile, MW thinks about babies... sometimes. It's a bit of a dropped ball in a book about illegitimacy, not gonna lie. There is the initial sex, and Winterborne thinks of Helen possibly becoming pregnant from that when he does the will thing. Helen, meanwhile, wants to wait to get married until she's out of mourning, and when confronted with possible children adopts a "we'll cross that bridge if we get to it". Considering they continue to use no birth control, the "if" feels more like a "when" that never gets addressed. Not even when Helen decides to leave on her own. She just never thinks about her possible pregnancy, even when it's referenced as a way she might trap Winterborne into marriage. It was an odd missing plot point in a book that's kind of full of them.

For all of my bitching, MW has an excellent final speech. It's something sorely missing from CHR, but alas. Can't have everything

Edit: CW the word g*psy is used once in MW. It's probably period accurate but serves no purpose

#booklr #bookclub thoughts #lisa kleypas

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lawtistic · 1 year

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i need to talk about the death note jdrama SO BAD. and ive been reposting and replying to stuff but it isnt enough to satisfy me so here I am.

I said in a repost that i like to see the jdrama as it's own independent work of art. it works and its good. it's another death note adaptation at it's core, but i like to see it as more than that.

spoilers ahead

i'd like to get the things i dont like about it out of the way first, so i can brainrot about the rest without hesitation afterward.

i didn't like the whole mello being some haunted possessive doll that had a split personality with near. it was random, odd, and i overall didn't like it very much.

misa's annoying, but she's bearable, i guess.

now, onto the things i like.

the characters are not tied to their originals. they're their own independent characters with different dynamics and it makes the characters easier to connect with. in the original, you weren't supposed to connect with the characters, you're just meant to watch them and immerse yourself, and in the jdrama, you can do both.

light has a backstory this time, and it works. in the original, he didn't have a tragic backstory, and that worked as well, and i did like that, i still do, but i also enjoy what the jdrama did with him. light wanted to be a police officer as a kid, but when his mother was murdered and his father was too focused on catching her killer rather than being there for his kids and being present at her death, light lost all hope in that. he wanted to be better than that. because of this, he becomes emotionally distant from his father and their interactions are awkward. (this also sets up a great scene later but ill get to that in a minute shhhshhhshhh) he's a lot more empathetic and genuinely caring than he was in the original, when he only cared when it was convenient. he has friends, he has hobbies, and it still doesnt take away from him being kira, just because the jdrama sets it up differently.

L is a lot more genuinely rude and abrasive. he's a neat freak and while he doesn't keep all of his original quirks, he develops his own unique ones. he's constantly drinking some plastic pouched liquid that not even the characters know the name of (but for my sanity im assuming its those applesauce pouches) and, semi-similarly to the original, lways has to have his feet up on something. when something gets on his shirt, he has watari change it immediately, into a newly ironed duplicate of what he was just wearing, and he does this in front of people in professional situations without caring whatsoever what that could mean for him. he's less socially inept and a lot more snarky and close with the characters, even jumping in the school showers with light on campus at one point to tell him he thinks he's kira. he's also actively maintaining a close relationship with near and mello nd contacting them regularly.

the scenes still hold up, and so does the plot, and yotsuba arc is much shorter and more captivating. it brought the mystery back to it after back to back rewatches of the original, because i had zero clue who was supposed to be higuchi this time. light comes up with his own independent plans entirely different from the original and misa actually has plot relevance.

speaking of misa, she's okay. she's a lot more ditsy and annoying but her overall absence made up for it. she's a jpop idol this time in a band named ichigo berry (i think) and one of her concerts serves as the location for a major plot point and her relationships with different characters makes for some stellar comedic moments.

one of my favorite scenes is the scene between light and soichiro at the beginning of yotsuba arc. soichiro genuinely thought light was kira and he did miss the development and repercussions original soichiro had from that, but this could be excused by the distance between them. regardless, their distance pays off. light, with no memory of the notebook, begs for his life at his fathers hand (misa isnt present but shes also under surveillance, capable of killing, and aware of the situation and honestly thank god because her presence in the scene would have made it so much less impactful) when it's revealed he isn't kira, light breaks down. soichiro tells him everything, and light apologizes to him, melancholic because of the distance, and what he feels like he's put his father through. he vows to take down kira, vows to eliminate his and pay his father back from the turmoil he was surely feeling. soichiro kneels down and hugs his son, tears streaming down light's face. the music is beautiful and the credits roll, panning out to a view of them hugging on the dirty ground in the distance. it was a great impactful scene that greatly setup their relationship to come.

Now, the question everyone's been waiting for. is the jdrama just as homoerotic, despite the dynamic and character changes?

yes.

yes it is.

and here's a list of all the times that got me to say this

for some reason, light's actor could not keep his eyes on L's face and there was a constant of him just looking L up and down very slowly

when they first meet, not only does he look up and down, (something L visually notices and follows his gaze) he just stares at him. he barely utters a word to him. for a good few minutes and just spends a very long time looking at him very intensely, i could hear careless whispers playing. there is a girl standing kind of in between then and she's just looking back and forth at them and it's very funny

in the same scene L whispers something in his ear and light just slowly fixes his gaze on him yet refuses to turn around

they look at each other, just, a lot. whether they're sneaking glances at one another or full on smiling when their eyes meet, theyre just always looking

the shower scene. light also looks him up and down in this scene. that says enough in it of itself

at the concert scene L not only pulls the "you're my only friend" crap and light just looks completely in awe, but also, at the end, L gets dangerously close to his face, turns around and walks away, smirking, and light collapses to his knees. (im aware theres context but i dont care)

the tennis scene isnt special by any means but it just reeks gay energy somehow and i dont know how to explain it

light takes a bullet for L (however this happens in yotsuba arc) and helps him off the ground after its revealed that theyre both fine

the handcuff scene. i dont care if lights on the verge of tears and desperate that scene was fucking gay okay

THE BLUE SCENE. after L takes down the cameras he sits there and practically begs light to confess, and it feels all too genuine. light seems tempted to give in, to tell him everything, and he appears almost reluctant as he tells him he isn't kira, and L just stares. he tells him "...and then i met you, and for the first time, i became interested in a person." they have a conversation where L reveals how he's going to catch light and light is helpless to stop it, and then they start saying this:

L: from my perspective, you're just a hopeless, stupid murderer. light: L... L: ...and you were my only friend. i wish we could have met some other way.

L then slowly walks past him and then if youve watched the jdrama you know what happens after that

you could say L was annoyed with misa because she was annoying but i see it as jealousy he was jealous guys listen to me im telling the truth

after L's death (im aware hes acting but shhhshhh) light runs over and desperately holds his body close to him, screaming, saying it was all his fault, and holds him close enough to where... yeah

yeah.

anyway this is all i have to say, thank you for coming im sorry this was all over the place, i dont have a coherent thought process

#also i got tried of writing halfway through so i probably subconciously gave up trying to make sense #death note #light yagami #deathnote #l lawliet #fandom #lawlight #jdrama #death note jdrama #i love this jdrama way too much #i walked into it expecting to just not like it but low and behold #also i love matsuda #he doesnt change that much and thats fine hes perfect just the way he is #i love jdrama matsuda #touta matsuda #matsuda

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picklepie888 · 2 years

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Dracula (1931) movie review by someone who's been reading Dracula Daily

So, a few days ago I watched the 1931 Dracula film. The one with Bela Legosi. I had actually seen the movie before several years ago, but I didn't remember very much of it, and of course I hadn't read the book back then. Now that I've been doing Dracula Daily, let me give my thoughts on the film. SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE AND IF YOU'RE NOT CAUGHT UP ON DRACULA DAILY

The thing that made me the most mad about this adaptation is that Lucy's storyline is just glossed over. Like, she appeared in literally one scene, and then in the next the doctors are over her body and declare her dead. That's it! No emotional impact whatsoever! Lucy has maybe two minutes of screentime at most, and her death does not effect the other characters at all. It's like she was an afterthought on the writers' part. Like they're making the script and someone was like 'oh wasn't there like that one girl that Dracula kills? Maybe we should mention that somewhere.' 'Ok, Joe we'll get a girl off the street to do the scene before lunch.' It was so infuriating! In the book, Lucy's death was the driving force that lead the main characters to hunt Dracula down. She was so beloved by all the characters, but here??? She's just another nameless victim of the vampire.

Ok, now that I got the factor I hated the most out of the way, I'll bring up my second most hated. Mina's entire character has been reduced to the typical damsel-in-distress archetype. She's no longer the courageous, intelligent, gender nonconforming woman she is in the original story. Instead they made her the same helpless, screaming woman that they show in every horror film in the 30's. Just about every scene she's in, she's crying or screaming her husband's name or being under the complete control of Dracula. She has no agency, and she doesn't do anything to drive the plot forward. My point is the female characters were done dirty this movie.

Arthur and Quincey are completely omitted. No fun cowboy or rich some guy shenanigans to be found here.

Jack Seward is an old man, and about the same age as Van Helsing, which completely changes the dynamic between the two. Instead of having a teacher-mentor relationship with a very strong familial bond, instead they just sorta act like business partners??? Like, if I hadn't read the book I wouldn't have any idea that these two were supposed to have a close friendship. Also they made him Mina's father for some reason???

Bela Lugosi as Dracula and Dwight Frye as Renfield were by far the most entertaining aspects of the movie. Lugosi does a legitimatly good job portraying such a creepy and otherworldly character, and I can see why this is his most famous film role. And Frye's performance as Renfield, I'd argue is even creepier. He makes a very good madman. But as good as these actors were, my biggest gripe is that their characters got WAY too much screentime. The filmmakers decided to give all the spotlight to the villains when they should've focused more on Jonathan and Mina. Or, ya know, LUCY!!!

As for Jonathan, his character was fine I guess. They kinda watered him down to just the concerned husband who has to save his screaming helpless wife. At least he actually cares about Mina, and they didn't make him a heartless douche like in some adaptations. Still, he's pretty bland, which is sad because he had such a rich character in the book.

Van Helsing was also fine. He was basically the only character who moved the plot forward. His interactions with Dracula were also pretty cool, and the two had the sort of nemesis chemistry that became iconic in later adaptations of Dracula. Still wish they had given that same kind of chemistry with the other characters.

The sets in this movie were great! The castle at the start of the film is like something out of a nightmare, and it sets the mood for the whole film. There's also the lack of a music score, which makes the film all the more unsettling. I'll give the filmmakers props for that.

I did not care for how they did Renfield's death in this movie. They still had him betray Dracula to protect Mina, but they had him die begging for mercy and pledging his loyalty to Dracula. They made him die a coward instead of fighting the bat bitch himself like a Chad. RIP Renfield, you did not deserve to be disrespected like this.

The pacing of this movie was really weird?? The runtime is under 80 minutes, which is no where near enough to cover all the plot points from the OG story. So they just kinda move from one plot point to the next w/o much of a transition. Like the whole thing with Lucy. And even Dracula's attack on Mina happened offscreen and was only mentioned by the characters later. I really wish they had made this a series of movies instead of compiling everything into an hour.

Overall, its a fine movie on its own. But as an adaptation of Dracula? Awful. At least there's no Dracmina romance subplot in this version. But they basically watered down every character to fit a horror film archetype, and put way too much focus on the villains instead of the main characters. 4/10

#dracula daily #dracula #dracula spoilers #movie review #dracula daily spoilers #bela lugosi #jonathan harker #mina harker #lucy westenra #abraham van helsing #jack seward #rm renfield #dracula adaptations

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itsjustalark · 9 months

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@seeingteacupsindragons

" I hope you don't mind me breaking that ask up into smaller chunks to respond to instead of actually answering the ask in my inbox. Sometimes people send me really long things, and then I know having it on my blog and then having to read my probably accordingly long answer is not going to happen, and I just. Feel bad about it."

Mind? Hell no. I'm honoured that you've decided to give me the time of the day at all. It is completely fine with me and thank you for letting me konw. Next time ill make sure to post on my blog and just tag you.

"Tiadane's not actually a boy; this is made clear relatively early on, and he's not picky about pronouns because his home doesn't have a good concept of things like "gender" and "lots of gendered pronouns." I tend to alternate what I use for him when not in the book, and even in the book he shrugs off a couple "she's." And there's actually not any romance in that one; Tiadane and my deuteragonist's relationship is platonically weird in that one. I don't always like writing romance, but I usually have a deuteragonist running around because I just like paired character dynamics a lot."

I'm really sorry for just asssuming Tiadane to be a guy. On the other hand I love when fantasy worlds explore cultures that dont have the same understanding of gender as us. I feel it isnt done enough and where it is atempted its never done with the enough care.

Also when I said 'relationships' I didn't mean them as explicit romantic ones. I'm a big fan of interesting dynamics and I dont believe they always have to be romantic to get me interested. There are so many ways humans interact with one another. That is whats most facinating to me.

"I'm actually not super great at worldbuilding, either. I tend to do it as little as possible and only when I need to; a lot of my current revisions are fleshing the worldbuilding out. And now that I'm focusing on, a lot of the results are good, but it's often just sort of not really the most fun focus for me. "

I'm also not an intricate world builder and cant even imagine going to the flora and fauna level of detail. My points of interest in world building is societities. How they function different from our and how they effect the people living in it accordingly. I build my worlds around my characters becaude i also feel that a fleshed out world only gives more depth to the characters.

Glad to know your world building is going well. I cant even imagine the revisions i have to make one i finish first draft as ive completely given up ingraining the magic system as part of the characters perspective and how it effects their thing cause it was gettjng to complicated. So i will now have to add all of that stuff later on.

"What I shared was actually the query; queries and synopses are different in the publishing word. Basically, my query is supposed to sell people on making it sound interesting, so I'm glad it's working for those functions for now. It still needs to be edited some more later. "

Oh I didnt know that. Still new to all the publishing jargon but always happy to learn more.

"Tiadane's book originally came from playing too much Smash Bros and staring at Pit for too many hours in a row. And then I just typed some random shit to get some words out when I was stuck revising something and not having fun, and started writing this introduction to his world."

I love how we writers get ideas from the most rediculous of senarios.

"I am a very character-focused writer and have had recurring problems with getting a plot to attach correctly over the years. I think Tiadane's book is the first time I didn't have (too) many issues with one by the time I sent to to a CP, and I'm still ripping a lot out to replace it with something better. "

I also write character focused works. Characters are why i read books. I dont reallyenjoy plot heavy books. Every aspect of plot, fleshing out the world or magic i enjoy because it makes tge characters feel more real and elps highlights the themes if the book.

"Each of my fantasy worlds (I also write sci-fi sometimes, and some stuff just...set in our world) has its own magic system. I don't know how writers just have The One for tons of stories. Large universes to play in can be fun, but so is making up new stuff every time."

Also, would you mind telling me about your magic systems? I love that stumm. It facinates me how maging systems ingrain themselves into a story. When i was first materializing my story it was set in a normal world but my mund was like: no no no this story need a magic system and an exploration of the chosen one narrative even though back then it didnt have anything to do with the main plot. But thats me cause i love over complicating thing for myself.

#reply #writing

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automatonkisser · 1 year

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1, 2, 7, and 13 for the infinity on high ask game? for dottore!! :] —cephalophoricboyfriend

hiii hey thank u!! :]

1: "Thriller" - Briefly summarize the dynamic for your ship. What’s one of the main things about it that personally makes it special to you?

OKAY i. didn't really think my relationship dynamic w him would turn into anything particularly deep at first because. i just found him attractive but couldn't and honestly STILL can't really imagine him in any sort of "traditionally" romantic relationship (but then again neither can i imagine the same thing for myself/any of my s/is so. it works out i guess)....so originally the whole thing pretty much starts out w dottore taking interest in "studying" silvio and his behavior/desires as a human, partially because he hopes it might help him to find a way to make lady francine laugh, partially because he's just...a little curious. similarly, silvio's life used to be rather dull so someone powerful & dangerous like dottore taking interest in him (for whatever reason it may be) and spending time with him is exciting silvio. aaand i kinda thought that would be the gist of it, just two kind of messed up creatures taking interest in each other for rather egotistical reasons involving some additional homoeroticism but as it is........i ended up liking dottore way too much so i'm now also constantly thinking about the ways his and silvio's relationship could develop, and the ways in which they would change alongside and because of each other. i'm not really sure where they'll end up yet, but i think that's probably what makes it special to me - it's all about both of them figuring out what it even means to be human, what it means to care about someone (maybe even more than you care about yourself) and who they are & have the potential to be outside of who they believed they were predetermined to be. also it's about devotion it's about cannibalism it's about the eroticism of the machine it's about gay evil clowns it's about th

answered 2 here :]

7: "Thnks fr th Mmrs" - How would both of your lives be like if you had never met each other? How different would it be?

this one's kinda funny for me to think about because....i originally planned on shipping silvio with two other characters (who i still love very dearly but i'm having a hard time focusing on anyone besides dottore at the moment <3), and while he essentially had the same backstory (getting taken in by the midnight circus as a child and growing up around the automata) in this scenario, he eventually realizes he isn't content spending the rest of his life there and ends up leaving with said characters...which might just have been what he'd done had dottore not started taking interest in him. i mean, silvi was never too keen on going back to human society, but he was also painfully aware that his true place wasn't among the automata either and that he wasn't living a very fulfilling life, so he might have tried finding his luck elsewhere - especially considering he saw the majority of the automata get destroyed during the sahara battle, so the midnight circus he knew was kinda done for anyway...and the only thing that would have really interested him would be saving his own ass.

(also i guess TECHNICALLY their very first meeting took place when the automata destroyed silvi's home town, but dottore barely paid any attention to him at that point and only really became part of his life much later. but if we're going with that, silvi probably just...would have grown into a regular, semi-well adjusted human being and never got involved with anything concerning the main plot had the automata not come to his town lmao)

as for dottore, he probably just would have met the same fate he did in canon and stayed dead after getting destroyed </3 i like to think silvi actually played a part in saving him and convincing faceless to repair him (and i know canon kind of implied that he was beyond saving, which i do think makes sense but unfortunately i love him so i'll have to ignore that part), because while not being in love with him at that point, he had still grown attached to him and refused to just leave his body behind in the tent.

13: "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave" - Between you/your s/i and your f/o, who has more life experience?

i'd say they're both probably equally (in)experienced in different ways - dottore is a ~200 y/o (i'm too tired to look up the actual timeline of canon events right now but he's. old) automaton built to fulfill his one purpose, and while the automata do seem to have some knowledge of human culture/history, they don't really understand anything pertaining to human emotions (or at least they're convinced they don't because i believe they are a lot more emotional than they claim to be) and have never made any of the experiences most humans would consider to be "essential" in some way. but of course that's measuring things by human standards...when it simply comes down to how long they've been alive and what they might have seen and done during that time, dottore probably beats silvio in experience.

silvio also grew up on the street and mostly just fought for his survival before getting taken in by the midnight circus. after that, he grew up pretty much completely sheltered from the rest of humanity. he never really formed close relationships of any kind with other humans, and just like the automata, he doesn't feel like he truly understands human emotions & desires very well - although as a human he obviously still experiences them (even when he's in denial), but he isn't very good at dealing with them and actually considers most of them a weakness, leading him to wish he could be more like the automata..

SO UH YEAH not sure if that answers the question actually, it's a little difficult since they're different kinds of beings who'd probably have different ideas & definitions of what life experience means to them in the first place....so i'll just say when it comes to anything related to navigating love and relationships they're both equally hopeless lmao.

#sorry if any of this is incomprehensible it's really late and i should. be sleeping but i really wanted to answer this @u@#s: eat your heart out 🫀#letters 💌

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armentas · 5 months

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Ok ok ok considering I have an actual (though very basic) outline written for Haven's new concept, I need to give very major updates and eventually update my pinned post.

The details:

Haven is now going to be a second person perspective piece of interactive fiction!

Haven's new plot: You, as Heather, find a way to go back in time after the suicide of your older brother, Beau — both to relive your brighter childhood years, and to try to prevent the circumstances leading up to his death. Meanwhile, Beau's starting to get a nausea-inducing sense of deja vu... Focuses on suicide prevention, balancing taking care of yourself versus others, and the lie that is nostalgia: no matter what you think, you don't actually want to be a kid again. Additionally, it will have a mechanic to mimic what it's like living with an anxiety disorder, and 4 different endings, one meant as the "canon" ending. Lord help me.

Ever since I first became a writer, I've generally assumed that even once completed, I'd just keep all of my stories private, outside posting some info and excerpts online. With Haven, it's different! Since it's a game, after all, I do fully plan on making it public, that way others can play and enjoy! I might be in the beginning phase right now, but I'm still SO pumped about all of this. It now has me considering my other projects becoming public when they're complete, too. We'll see :)

In Haven's previous concept, I was working with some extra characters: Skip, Milo, and Josie. The issue with them is that they kind of had their own story going on that didn't relate much to Haven's plot, so they do still exist, they're just being given their own WIP. I haven't developed much about it yet since it's low priority, but Skip's the main character, Milo's his love interest, it's largely about their baggage and growing dynamic as delinquent kids in the early 2000s, and the story's currently called The Day You Left or TDYL for short.

New(ish?) characters and WIP! (Celio and his backstory are old and repurposed; Finn is new.) Once again, not too developed yet, but here's the general concept I'm working with: Loosely Victorian esque theocracy fantasy world. Filler title is The Tower. Celio is a priest hiding a lot of baggage, Finn is a poor religious scholar looking to learn. They become romantically involved in secret, eventually developing an unhealthily codependent relationship while simultaneously only really manipulating each other for their own ends. Lots of murder happens, very doomed by the narrative — Celio's run from the guillotine stopping as Finn lovingly coaxes him back to it. My sort of controversial opinion on media is that I don't care for fantasy most of the time, and honestly? I'm not too great at writing it either LOL, so this will definitely end up an experiment to see if I can successfully stretch the required creative muscles, or if it'll just be another plot tossed to the side. At the very least, I really love Celio as a character and his so painfully clear, inevitable fall from grace. He's probably the most complex character I've ever written, and he only really suits a fantasy plot, so it's worth trying to do him justice!

And, finally, Delora and Stasia are still doing about the same, living their best lives. If you don't count the misery I put them through, of course.

#whew i think that's everything! four wips in total!#pray for me lol #ramble #i'll go ahead and tag all my chars too because why not. they're all relevant here #heather tag #beau tag #erin tag #erin's still in haven she's just not in the very immediate plot #skip tag #milo tag #josie tag #celio tag #finn tag #delora tag #stasia tag #olive tag #same situation for olive #i have too many characters.

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imthepunchlord · 2 years

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If you ask me, the problem with romance in a LOT of media is that is less about the characters actually showing love to each other and more about pointless drama.

It's a mix of pointless drama and sometimes making it weird, specifically with shows that aren't made initially with the idea of having romance as a major focus. I am going to go off so I'm putting the rest under cut.

When a show is built up starting out as an adventure, being suspenseful, and largely working off friendship and group dynamic, romance isn't always so easy to include and shouldn't always be included. Especially if you're including it later with platonic dynamics set up. If you really build up and grow the platonic relationships, depending on how you do it, people will strictly view that as platonic love and convincing your audience that this is romantic can be harder and really throw them off and make them unhappy.

The best example of this is Avatar the Last Airbender.

The romance in the show, at least in my opinion, brings it down enough that its not a perfect show. And that's because of how they went about it and how they incorporated romance. Aang and Katara do not have a good romance. If they were always planned from the start, the creators went about them in the worst way as Katara was more set up as an older sister/mother-figure to Aang. Someone who he can turn to for comfort, support, and reassurance. That in of itself is not an issue. What is the issue is that we never see Katara really turn to Aang for that same support. She gives and provides for him, but he doesn't provide and give back.

It doesn't set them up when you have one giving all the emotional support but the other doesn't offer it back. This is a more acceptable dynamic when Katara is set up to be more of an older sibling who is there to support her family no matter what. But romantically, when they're meant to be equals and partners, its off putting.

And you know, narratively, they did have a chance to change up their dynamic to make this romance between them more believable. In the fortune teller episode, they could've changed the dynamic between Aang and Katara, with her less doting on him and treating him more as an equal. But, they didn't. And the writing is self aware enough of the issues of this romance that they don't have Katara happy about Aang kissing her without consent. She's upset and confused which tells me she largely didn't consider Aang as a potential romantic partner. And then you get that ending where they are happy together now despite not talking it out and you're just left kinda baffled at this romance.

The romance was not worth it. And you know, they could've made Kataang work and not change up too much of the show. Cut back on that romance and offer up teases and sprinkles of it, and when the show ends, reveal that they got together later in life. Give them a chance to mature and grow and view each other in a different light. Kataang I would've been more accepting of at the idea that they got together later in life instead of as soon as the show ended.

To me, that is the ideal romance for a show that's not initially built to focus on romance. You hint and tease the possibilities, set up your dynamic in a way that it can be believable and more accepting. But don't make anything really official. When your show largely focuses on the platonic dynamics, you run a great risk of your audience viewing your intended match as siblings instead of potential romantic partners. And doing an official romance just throws everyone off.

The only exception to this is if you are going in, knowing your match, and you can build the dynamic up in a way that romance can be believable. And take care to not have it share the season's plot. Personally to me, romance in best in small amounts, especially for a show that I'm going in to see the adventure and story.

And there are shows who have done this well. The ships may not be my favorite, but it doesn't throw me off when they become a couple. Nor does their romance take over. They're given the right amount of time and focus, just enough, but not overstaying their welcome.

Trollhunters pulled this off. Jim and Claire I can believe becoming a couple. And their scenes together weren't unbearable. And their romance didn't take over the over all story or took too much focus away from the story.

Callum and Rayla worked just fine in The Dragon Prince. They got attention, but they didn't take up half of the season with their romance. My only nitpick honestly was them speedrunning the ship in s3, but that's more of a personal nitpick as I'm more of a slowburn girl. Not opposed to it, it was just quicker than I would like.

And there are others but I can't think of them atm.

But either way, yeah, romance can break a show, SPECIFICALLY when the show is built around not having it as a major focus. Not to say it can't ever be done, it can, but you really got to be careful about how you go about it. You got to know for sure what match you want to do, you got to be mindful of the dynamic and interactions, and you need to sprinkle in hints and build up. That way when your match gets together, it doesn't throw everyone off as their previous interactions came off as a sibling dynamic. And definitely don't have the romance take up like, half of the season's focus. That overcompensates and you're ramming it in your viewers face and too much of it is going to lead them to hate this canon ship you want everyone to accept and love.

And on the topic of Camp Cretaceous which stirred up this topic, yeah it's not a good romance, and from what I've seen a huge majority are very unhappy with it. And finishing the season last night, yeah I'm of that majority.

Brooklyn and Kenji isn't my initial pick. Over all, I was neutral to the idea of them, but narratively, expected Brooklyn and Darius to be more likely. For the past 3 seasons, they worked off each other the most, and felt like equals, and they were both unofficial leaders of the crew with Brooklyn readily stepping up when Darius was absent.

And with Kenji, specifically with Brooklyn and Darius, he felt like a goofy older brother figure who didn't have things figured out, but he was going to try his best. And on Kenji and Brooklyn as a ship, it was not built up well. The most they interacted was s1, and the 2nd after that season was the yacht episode which had Kenji pranking her and Darius, leading them to plan to team up and prank him back. And with this, I saw Brooklyn and Kenji as a sibling dynamic. Yes, he flirted with her in s1, but I didn't take that as serious flirting. He just did so as he saw her fitting into his social circle and was working off expected social cliches.

So when s4 comes in shoving it into my face at the very first ep that there's romantic undertones between them; yeah it was jarring. And as the season went on, I was reaching a point of hating this ship and this romance. This romance that literally took half the season's focus and it was becoming unbearable because of all the attention.

And to me, the worst thing about this forced romance, is that it changed up what made this show great to me.

For 3 seasons, we have 6 characters who are very different to each other, and they took great care to always mix up the groups. If there's an adventure, you're never going to get that same duo or trio or group. One ep is Sammy, Darius, and Brooklyn. One ep is Darius and Kenji. One ep is Yaz and Kenji. One ep is Sammy, Yaz, and Brooklyn.

Yes, there are more major duos and trios, but ultimately, it never took away from this formula to mix it up, have them work off each other so it's not constantly always the same 2 or 3.

But, not this season.

In their push of this romance, I could count one 1 hand how many times they had split up Kenji and Brooklyn. They were to always be close and touching and literally tied to the hip and with it was a loss of the group dynamic and making it interesting to see how these characters could work off each other. And I guess they were aware of how much Darius was a threat to this ship as they made sure to keep Darius far away from the group and have Brooklyn only work off Kenji and Yaz who for some reason is all for this ship.

It really felt like this season was written to circle around this romance and would change up characterizations and bend over backwards for this romance, whether it was a good idea or not, and lightly set up s5. The plot of s4 ultimately didn't matter too much, the romance mattered far more. Enough so that it takes up half this season's attention at least. I could also see 2/3's of this season's attention even. I'm not entirely sure on that. It got to a point that I was skipping forward whenever I got to Brooklyn-Kenji scenes cause I just had enough.

So to me as a writer, this was absolute writing torture to watch.

Romance can easily break a show and man did it break it bad. This really was the first season of Camp Cretaceous that I felt more tired and exhausted than hooked and filled with suspense.

It really needs to be like a Writing 101 for tv shows to be wary of romance, especially when its not part of the major focus of your show.

#ask Punchie #Punchie rants #long post #romance salt #atla salt #kataang salt #camp cretaceous salt #camp cretaceous spoilers

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