#Or am I just losing it because I'm desperate for more love development

[hausofneptune]

"spicy" takes / unpopular opinions

[astro notes no. 002]

IF IT DON’T APPLY LET IT FLY. everybody’s chart is different, if you have any aspects or placements mentioned in this post that don’t resonate with you, that means the energy didn’t manifest the way that i described due to other influences in your chart (or you being delusional, idk, you decide). also, when i speak on certain signs i'm referring to their archetype and the innate energy they express. just be mindful that there's a variety of ways these energies can manifest from person to person.

disclaimers | masterlist | ask

y’all stay talking about how hard scorpios have it but y’all don’t talk about the struggles capricorns face. especially capricorn moons?? have y’all ever encountered a capricorn moon that wasn’t in therapy or didn’t desperately need it??? they be facing the most insane level of emotional distress and then turn around and pick up more shifts and start studying harder like that shit finna help lmfao

the discourse surrounding 8H synastry is... odd to me. i feel like some people (specifically the tumblr/tiktok girlies) are romanticizing trauma bonding. y’all can talk about how good the sex is all y’all want, but unless you and the person involved have a good amount of self-awareness and are spiritually evolved enough (especially if y'all have your own 8H placements in your own charts), i feel like you’re just setting yourself up to be in a “toxic” relationship with somebody. it could just be my aqua venus talking, but the whole “baring your soul” to someone and developing a possessive/jealous bond with them don't sound fun to me. i would rather perish.

everyone talks about how dramatic your saturn return is but why does no one bring up how traumatic your 12H profection years are? being 23 was literally one of the most unhinged experiences i’ve ever had 

i be tryna advocate for geminis because i know they’re just lil creative mercurial sponges and wanna have enough knowledge to see everything from every side… but why do some of them act like that? and you know what i mean. especially the more “unevolved” gemini placements, they be doing the most insane level of mental acrobatics and be contrarian just for the sake of being contrarian

i have to say this as an 8H moon, i understand what y’all mean when y’all say 8H, scorpio, and plutonian placements usually face a lot of vitriol from others for no reason, but honestly, some of y’all be using that as a justification for being paranoid and manipulative. operating from a place of pain, assuming that everybody is out to get you, and being hyper-vigilant of people’s intentions isn’t the type of behavior anyone should be trying to normalize. let that hurt go pookie <3

i feel like this has been spoken about before but i’ll never understand why water signs are constantly stereotyped as the emotional crybabies of the zodiac but fire signs aren’t? water signs can definitely be sensitive and existential but prominent fire placements will literally lose their mind over the smallest shit and then be cool 10 minutes later… yes i’m looking at you aries

speaking of aries, can we address the way that they’re literally the toddlers of the zodiac and very much so behave like it? idk as a pisces i have a soft spot for them, i love their childlike, carefree spirit, and the way they be throwing tantrums for fun tickles me 

this note doesn’t pertain particularly to signs/placements but astrology in general. i am begging y’all (specifically the people who are newer/beginners to astrology) to use traditional studies as a starting point and to stop taking notes from these tiktoks and tumblr posts. there are astrologers on these platforms who have done the work and studied (love y'all), but there are a plethora who haven’t. i saw a post the other day where somebody said squares/oppositions don’t indicate conflict in a chart and i felt like i was losing my damn mind. i definitely recommend the astrology podcast as a starting point for beginners, chris brennan is amazing and i still find myself re-listening to a lot of his content 

i talked to one of my mutuals the other day about this, but astrology is such an amazing tool, and y’all should use it for so much more than self-validation. y’all do not need to have a certain venus placement to be considered pretty. y'all do not need certain mercury or uranus placements to be considered intelligent/creative. y’all do not have to rely on [insert random asteroid here] to know what your future spouse is gonna look like, when/where y’all are gonna meet, how they’re gonna perceive you, etc. etc. etc. i understand the hype around shit like that is due to social conditioning/constructs, but there are so many more important, relevant things you can learn about yourself through astrology that don’t revolve around "aesthetics"

the girls are gonna hate me for this one, but i don’t understand the hype around lilith. and i say this as someone with a tight sextile between my sun and BML. there’s three versions of it, two of which don’t even technically exist, and then there’s a mean/true version that affects the accuracy. if anyone has more knowledge than me on the subject feel free to give me your input, because i feel like the insane amount of attention lilith gets has to do more with the whole “dark feminine archetype” trend that the tiktok/tumblr girlies love and less to do with its relevance from an astrology/astronomical lens (i feel this way about most asteroids honestly, but we’ll wake up that tea another time)

i don’t wanna get dragged so imma end this here, as always let me know if y’all have any aspects/placements mentioned and tell me how they manifest in your life/personality! and if you have any insight feel free to let me know as well. and don’t be messy. you will be blocked expeditiously. <3

click here to read part two!

#astro notes #astro observations #nepnotes #nepnotes2 #astrology aspects #astrology #capricorn moon #8h synastry #8h placements #profection years #12h profection year #birth chart observations #lilith aspects #black moon lilith #gemini placements #gemini astrology #pluto aspects #pluto astrology #aries placements #aries astrology #birth chart #astro community #astrology observations #astroblr #astrology notes #birth chart reading

[aspoonofsugar]

Hi! Can you analyse "More Than Anything" from HH?

Hi!

Sure! More Than Anything is actually my favourite song of season 1! It is so sweet and very loaded thematically and character-wise!

I have briefly talked about it in this meta, but here it comes a deeper analysis!

LUCIFER AND CHARLIE: DREAMING OF LOVE

More Than Anything has two main themes that come together in Lucifer and Charlie's relationship:

Love

Dreams

The father-daughter bond is rooted in both. Specifically, they express love through dreams. Or if you prefer, they dream of love.

This is explored in the first two stanzas.

Firstly, Lucifer explains that his dreams were broken:

You didn't know that when I tried this all before My dreams were too hard to defend And in the end, I won't lose it all again

And that Charlie is now the only dream left, which is why he will protect her:

Now you're the only thing worth fighting for More than anything, more than anything I'll shelter and adore you more than anything

Charlie replies that it was Lucifer who inspired her dreams:

So in the end, it's the view I had of you That showed me dreams can be worth fighting for

And adds that her dream is for her people to be safe:

More than anything, more than anything I need to save my people more than anything

So, father and daughter are the opposite and the same.

On the one hand Lucifer believes fighting for dreams isn't worth it (my dreams were too hard to defend). On the other hand Charlie insists that it is (dreams can be worth fighting for). At the same time, Lucifer dreams of protecting (loving) Charlie, whereas Charlie dreams of protecting (loving) all her people. Desperation and microchosm vs hope and macrochosm. This is the root of Lucifer and Charlie's foiling at the beginning of the song. How does this juxtaposition develop? Let's go deeper by exploring some imagery present in the song.

LIGHT AND SHADOW

More Than Anything uses a light/shadow motif to express the two main themes:

Love (1): lights and shadows comment Lucifer and Charlie's bond. They both have been hiding parts of themselves (shadow), but throughout the song they show their true selves (light)

Dreams (2): light is a metaphor of dreams and of how the characters relate to them

1- More than Anything starts with Lucifer and Charlie distant and in the shadows.

They are repressing a lot and have no idea who the other is. Still, as the song goes on, they get to understand each other:

All that I'm hopin',now that my eyes are open Is that we can start again, not be pulled apart again 'Cause in the end, you are part of who I am

And in the end they embrace in the light.

What is initially in the shadow comes to light. So, Lucifer and Charlie see each other for who they are.

2- Lucifer mentions his past dreams and summons light. However, he throws it away because he has given up on his ideals:

Charlie hurries to pick the light up, just like she is pursuing Lucifer's discarded beliefs with her Hazbin Hotel project. Still, Lucifer stops her and holds her hands. His daughter is his new dream and he is ready to throw everything away, if he can protect her.

This resolution is highlighted in the next sequence:

Lucifer remembers the Elders of Heaven attacking him, then he imagines their weapons pointed at Charlie. Out of fear he drags her away. What's interesting is that Charlie is targeted when she stands in the light, while the moment Lucifer pulls her to safety, she steps into the shadows. The meaning is clear. Lucifer fears that if Charlie takes the spotlight, she will attract Heaven's anger. So, he wants her hidden and sheltered in the shadows. Just like a child. This is why his hug is sweet, but also suffocating:

Charlie wants a different kind of love. She needs the father who inspired her with dreams and stories. Specifically, Charlie remembers a light show Lucifer put up for her on the spot:

This scene is key and it combines the light/shadow symbolism with another motif.

THE UGLY DUCKLING

In their flashback, Lucifer tells Charlie a fairy tale by using light as a medium. The story itself is pretty obvious:

I never dreamed of so much happiness when I was the Ugly Duckling!

A little duck swims in a pool of water, but suddenly grows into a beautiful swan. Lucifer's Ugly Duckling is a metaphor of his situation, as the swan has six seraphim wings and shines at the centre of the universe. Specifically, Lucifer's fairy tale is the inversion of his own story.

Lucifer used to be a beautiful seraphim, but fell from Heaven and lost his family (the angels). He is now stuck in Hell, as a little duck:

Lucifer: Now presenting… the magic-tastical back flipping rubber duck! Haha! That spits fire!

Oh look! Lucifer himself is a magic-tastical duck, who spits fire :P

So, his fairy tale gives a happy ending to his own tragedy. It is a wish. A dream. It indirectly shows how Lucifer has been handling pain and misery by creating. It also suggests that Lucifer puts himself at the centre of his dreams. He is the ugly duckling.

At the same time, Charlie's narration tells us about herself and how she sees her father.

When I was young, I didn't really know you at all I always felt so small But I hеard your stories and I was enthralled Thе tales about your lofty dreams, I listened breathlessly Imagining it could be me

First of all, Charlie states she never knew who her father was. It is implied Lucifer kept his distance because of depression:

Charlie: We just have never been close. After he and mom split, he never really wanted to see me. He calls, sometimes, but only if he's bored or like needs me to do something.

This is highlighted in Charlie's memory too, as Lucifer appears in a dark study room. Not only that, but he is in the spotlight, while Charlie is in the shadow, which is a metaphor of how she felt distant from him:

Still, Lucifer embraces little Charlie and shows her some light. He reveals a caring and idealistic self that Charlie is initially unaware of. And this version of Lucifer inspires his daughter.

This affirms that Lucifer's dreams aren't useless. Sure, they are left unfulfilled, but they still motivate Charlie. They are why Charlie is who she is. Moreover, Charlie is enchanted by a simple story, not a big manifestation of power. It isn't a theme park or a circus or human free will. It is a short fairy tale Lucifer comes up with in a matter of seconds. No matter how small, a dream always touches dreamers.

Secondly, Charlie sees herself as the protagonist of the story. She wants to be at the centre of her father's universe and to make him proud. Well, Charlie is going to do exactly this. She is Lucifer's dream. She will fulfill his ambitions. She is turning into a beautiful swan.

Lucifer's arc starts when he understands this:

I've been dyin' to find out who you are I've been waiting, wanting the same thing Looks like the apple doesn't fall far Took you a while I've missed that smile

The King of Hell has been stuck in his own head, consumed by his depression. This is why he is initially alone and surrounded by mediocre rubber ducks. He can't create anything new because he is too focused on himself. The moment he opens his eyes and looks at Charlie, he finds hope again:

I'll support your dream, whatever lies in store And who could ask for more?

Charlie is his new dream, so he should do his best to help her become who she has the potential to be.

When Charlie is a child, Lucifer tells her a story, where he himself is the protagonist. Now that Charlie is an adult, Lucifer must accept Charlie is the protagonist of her own story. And he must help turning this story into reality. This will be his greatest creation. A duckling becoming a swan. A daughter growing-up.

PASSING THE TORCH

This frame has Lucifer:

Use his light again

Spread his wings

He starts the song by throwing his light away, but ends it by summoning a bigger and brighter torch. Similarly, he starts the episode making rubber ducks out of depression, but ends it with beautiful swan wings.

This metamorphosis happens because Lucifer isn't putting himself at the centre of the universe anymore. Rather, Charlie is his universe.

Lucifer creates a pocket-dimension, which is a bigger version of the fairy-tale of the flashback and has Charlie be its protagonist. He has her play with water, like the little duckling:

And has her fly at the centre of the scene like the swan:

In this scene, he gives her the spotlight, both in how he exits the frame and in how he has the light follow her. Charlie is the swan shining brightly at the centre of Lucifer's world (the circus).

More Than Anything starts with Lucifer desperate and focused on the microchosm. It ends with him finding hope in Charlie, who becomes the key to a bigger and more beautiful reality.

Lucifer's biggest success is that he gave birth to Charlie and showed her the light (dreams), even when he himself felt engulfed by the darkness (hell).

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel meta #lucifer morningstar #charlie morningstar #my meta #asksfullofsugar #anonymous

[jingsyuans]

Honestly, am just falling in love with your Found Family AU, and then all over again... So, I'm just gonna leave this idea here; Jing Yuan taking a day off to slowly introduce the reader and their daughter to Mimi and the birbs that call his hair home and help them get accustomed to the animals. Wouldn't be surprised if Mimi develops a protective instinct over them. Bonus points; when lil one is old enough to wander around with Yanqing on Mimi's back. (coping that Mimi isn't dead in this AU)

I never thought abt how Mimi would be incorporated!!! 😭💕

I love the thought of you being completely blind sighted by it- Jing Yuan is so used to her presence that he never thought to mention it. Imagine being pregnant and already anxious enough visiting the general’s house for the first time, and there’s a lion waiting beyond the door?

Despite how Jing Yuan thinks it’s rather cute when you reach out for him and cling to him so desperately, he does feel bad. He definitely should have warned you, and it was his fault he didn’t think about it. But he assures you that Mimi would not bring you harm-

(As long as she is happy and fed. She is a wild animal, in the end)

Because of your pregnancy, I think Mimi would warm up to you rather quickly. I don’t think she’d understand why you keep scooting away from her when she lays next to you- the lion growing rather peeved because she is resolute to follow you around no matter what. It doesn’t take a lot to gather that she’s trying to keep an eye on you.

You’d warm up to Mimi eventually. Especially after the time that you were helping jing yuan in the kitchen and you were reaching up for a plate and ended up losing your balance. It was all Jing Yuan could do to catch the plate in your hand before it fell on your head, and he could only watch as he realized you were going to fall.

But there was Mimi, right behind you in a flash from where she’d been watching the two of you from behind the counter. She’s a big girl, using her weight from behind your legs to shove you back on your feet. The two of you could only stare at one another, shocked that you weren’t on the ground. Who knew an animal could be so quick and smart…?

This time, you were more than happy to sit with Mimi and let her rest her big head on your belly as Jing Yuan gently but firmly told you to rest until dinner was done.

Things are complicated once the baby is born. While you’ve come to trust and love Mimi, she’s a very big and strong animal and you’re wary to bring her to Jing Yuan’s. I imagine Jing Yuan and Yanqing want to help as much as they can once the baby’s finally here (they were the only ones you had that could help, really)- but it was definitely a bit tiring as you couldn’t bring the newborn to jing yuans quite yet for this reason.

But once shes a few weeks along, still fragile but not as fragile; and Jing Yuans been bringing a few of the babies things to his place for Mimi to scent and grow used to, you’d finally be able to introduce them. I imagine Mimi had been quite anxious the whole time you were away as well, Jing Yuan mentioning how the lion would pace around the front door and was a lot less inclined to eat as she usually was. (Look at that, you even have mimi wrapped around ur finger)

I love thinking about mimi being obsessed with the baby 🫠💕 riding on her back is so cute, she’s the only one allowed (and the correct size) to do such a thing. I imagine the first time you see Mimi chuffing at the baby and nuzzling her with her big nose, you would probably melt right then and there 😔

#jing yuan #jing yuan x reader #baby au #hsr x reader #reader insert #jing yuan reader insert #x reader #hsr jing yuan

[tossawary]

I'm re-reading PINTWILF and was suddenly wondering: considering how dense Shen Yuan is on SVSSS, how long do you think it will take him to realize Binghe has like, feelings, feelings for him?

I think he'll have to have it spelled out bluntly for him. But not necessarily because he's completely oblivious to the fact that he and Binghe are close and affectionate with each other in a "more than friends" way? I think by the end, even when he's still gently, jokingly encouraging Binghe to flirt with women, he'll have suspicions. Or... maybe... "he'll have hopes" is the better word?

See, one of the things I personally really like about MXTX's works is that while the protagonists are a little (or a lot) romantically oblivious sometimes, they're all capable of being very clever and observant, and I get a really strong vibe that their obliviousness is actually partly denial/disbelief that they would actually be allowed to have this thing (this person) that they come to really, really want. They often can't bring themselves to look at the idea directly. They know but also can't even bring themselves to think about it, because the rejection would hurt them too deeply, and rejection feels inevitable, by the world if not by the person they love, so they might as well blind themselves to the possibility of happiness.

It's a remarkably queer element that I vibe with on a personal level. It's also just one interpretation of things. Which is why, for example in MDZS fics, we get the spectrum of Genuinely Completely Oblivious Wei Wuxian to a Wei Wuxian who is so, so in love with Lan Wangji for so long but can't fully believe LWJ would ever like him back and, more importantly, doesn't want to "ruin" LWJ with everything that he is. (I am personally partial to interpretations which lean more towards the latter. I like obliviousness just fine, I like mixes of both, but the angst of love being known deep-down, but feeling unspeakable, being unthinkable, is delicious to me. The pining is so good.)

Now, Shen Yuan is a very different character to Wei Wuxian, just as SY is a very different character to Airplane. My personal interpretation is that each of the MXTX protagonists perform this "defensive obliviousness" in very different ways, to very different degrees, and for very different reasons. (I mean, for some of them, we're dealing with "loving me back would ruin your life and I love you too much to let you do that" and others are dealing with "if I reveal my love/lust to this person and they're not open to it, they might kill me for it".)

I actually went into SVSSS (SPOILERS) feeling really wary of the teacher-student angle, but my impression of their time together as teacher and student was that Shen Yuan's feelings for Luo Binghe were genuinely platonic. And while I make jokes about Shen Yuan being oblivious to LBH's feelings for him, he had a lot of really good reasons for thinking that Luo Binghe wanted to kill him at first upon their reunion. I think any romantic/sexual feelings only started to develop for SY upon their reunion and only became fully realized even later. My personal interpretation of Shen Yuan is that he's asexual (he reads as sooo ace to me), probably gay but possibly bi-romantic, sex-neutral or sex-favorable. (Though I also think that, in SVSSS, even married to Binghe, he still probably personally identifies mostly as "straight with an exception".)

I'm losing the thread of where I'm going with this because I'm desperately trying not to write like five different meta essays here.

In PINTWILF (SPOILERS), Shen Yuan is already in a different situation to SVSSS. Shang Qinghua is SY's mentor-figure and openly queer, openly in a relationship with a demon, and SQH has at least told SY that marrying all those wives in PIDW didn't make LBH happy. I can't remember if SQH ever directly hinted to SY that LBH might be into men, but the other family members aren't exactly 100% discrete or subtle about their teasing. Shen Yuan has a lot more space to get comfortable with his own queerness and LBH's queerness, though he has a lot of internalized homophobia to get through (and misogyny, my goodness, sometimes in SVSSS I really wanted to bop him on the head for his behavior around women even if he's simultaneously mocking the sexist tropes).

But there's still Shen Yuan's self-confidence and self-image to contend against. Even when he's not mentally slotted himself into the role of "teacher" and "betrayer", he's still had the time to mentally slot himself into the role of "older friend" and "confidant". Shen Yuan seems to view himself as a kind of boring person and he likes it that way, so while he would be happy to have Binghe as a partner, he likes him so very much, he can't quite shake the feeling that Binghe could do better and so it's best not to read too much into it. He's honestly happy enough just being friends (or so he tells himself) and doesn't want to "make it weird" unless Binghe takes the first step.

#marichromatic #ask tossawary #spoilers #pride is not the word #shen yuan #bingqiu #tossawary svsss #tossawary mdzs #wei wuxian #wangxian

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Yeah, Scobie's chapter on Diana is an interesting one. It's all over the place so you just want to tell him 'Get to the point, man!'

I should quote everything you said. So agree. OS, MM, and H are so desperate to have a corner of Diana's .... I don't know what to call it - her shine, all the things the other anon wrote about her - that is their entire focus where she is concerned. She was an icon then, she is an icon now, and they all three want that for themselves. Without even having a clue what it was made of. And none of the three have even a corner of what she was made of. Not even her negatives.

While I'm sure CC would love to see her memory banished, her son, the one who really knows her and who actually protects her memory, will never allow that to happen. I am sure that one of his early acts when he is King will be to return her HRH. He actually loves her for who she was. The stuff you said OS wrote about the Bashir interview - the whole point of the revelations was that Bashir & Co. worked hard to bolster the feelings of paranoia she genuinely developed. The whole interview was a product of that. That was William's point. But at the end of the day, it wouldn't have mattered what William said. The three would have twisted it. William is brilliant for never getting near anything those three do or say.

When she was young, MM was obsessed with Diana. She would give anything to be Diana and all that entails. H is still 12. And OS is fame and power hungry. They use Diana's memory to try to get what they want and end up just tarnishing it. I will be SO glad when they all disappear from center stage. So sick of the whole lot.

Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if Meghan lobbied hard to get some of Diana's charities and patronages, but was told 'no' and that played a part in who she hates/why she hates the BRF. I really can't wait until there's more time removed from Megxit and Meghan's reign of terror to get the real stories.

Charles does seem to have become a bit more kinder to Diana's memory as the years have gone by, especially more recently. He does have experience losing a loved one tragically and unexpectedly (vis a vis Dickie Mountbatten and Hugh Lindsay) so he was able to support William and Harry somewhat at the time of her passing but I don't think he truly grasped how difficult it was for them to lose Diana until he lost his own parents. I think that gave him some perspective, but that could very well be my own wishful thinking.

Interesting that you mention Harry being still 12. I read a paper once that theorized celebrities are emotionally stunted at the age they were when they became famous, and boy does that ring true for Harry. I'm sure he knew he was popular growing up because of all the cameras around him, but he probably became aware of just how famous he was at age 12 with Diana's passing and he got the double whammy of fame + tragedy. Fortunately William got him therapy so Harry was at least able to mature to mid-twenties, but then he met Meghan and he regressed back to 12 years old in some gross Oedipus fairy tale.

There's no excuse for Meghan and Scobie. Like the another anon pointed out, they just leeched onto the same host to resuscitate their dying careers.

#ask #sussexes

[overshelter]

REVIEW: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System

WARNING: Contains numerous SPOILERS, so CAUTION!

Okay. What can I say about this baby? I am simply OBSESSED and FOURTEEN for Luo Binghe. He is without a doubt my protégé, my precious, my everything! I would give my soul, my ass, my dog... EVERYTHING FOR HIM AND NEVER SORRY!

You may think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. He's just a baby who needs a lot of love and a few therapy sessions. And, okay, maybe a few Love Yourself lessons with Kim Namjoon... I'm getting off track, but AGAIN...! Obviously, he's not my only favorite thing about this story. I love Shen Qingqiu. Like, SO MUCH! He has an extremely fun, attractive and captivating personality. Even if that personality is represented more internally, and externally, he's just trying to keep a poker face. Yet he's still that protagonist who will make you laugh at REALLY dubious moments – Mountain Maigu, I'm looking at you! – and make you question your own sanity because of it. But that's precisely why you simply can't help wanting to continue. Nor can you forget the fact that SV is very gripping when you realize how deep it goes into the characters' emotions. Especially, for me, when we see one in particular. Luo Binghe has a psychological journey that is the equivalent of a rollercoaster ride. He's broken, he's breaking and then getting back on his feet, only to fall a little further. It was really painful to get to the final chapters and see how clearly destroyed he was. How hurt, lonely and desperate he was. There were moments when I really just wanted to pick him up and smack that dear author. But, well... there wasn't much I could do. At least she didn't trick me and it was a happy ending. Well, I've already talked about the main couple – more about Binghe, but what can I do if I just love him so much? –, now I'm going to bring up another topic that I loved. The fact that SV is a great satire on novels with studly protagonists with a harem, where everything can be summed up and solved with sex. Mo Xiang Tong Xiu hit all the right notes here, bringing situations where it was possible to feel the criticism with an almost cruel veracity. The Maigu Mountain scene was undoubtedly the highlight of this satire. Because in it we have a Binghe completely fucked up emotionally and psychologically, without any conscience, with a fucked-up sword controlling him and a Shen Qingqiu who thinks that the whole situation can be solved with sex. Just because that's "common sense" in this kind of novel. And what really resolved everything in the end was the dialog. Something very simple, right? Simple, but difficult to execute. Even more so when you've had an eternity of misunderstandings between you and the other person. And that's precisely the situation BingQiu finds himself in almost from the start of the novel. And, of course, with a little extra help from the system that seemed obsessed with making everything worse. Honestly? I'm shocked at how smoothly and well things turned out. It could have been worse, believe me. Well, apart from that, another thing that stuck with me was the writing. God, I could drown in this shit and I'd still be begging for more! MXTX has a writing style that is really extremely captivating and that doesn't let you go once it's got you! Even more so thanks to the fact that you can REALLY feel the development and growth of the relationships between the characters. Both with the main characters and the secondary ones. Some may not get much attention, but you'll definitely still feel captivated by them at some point. The comedy here is also pure gold! I remember losing my breath and choking up several times while reading... So, to sum up... Read it. READ SV AND JOIN ME IN THE CIRCLE OF PROTECTION FOR LUO BINGHE!!!

#luo binghe #svsss #shen qingqiu #mxtx novels #mxtx #mo xiang tong xiu #the scum villain's self saving system #novel #bingqiu #novel review #novel recommendation #danmei #gay #book review #book recommendations #scum villain #mxtx svsss #yaoi #yaoi bl #shen yuan #luo bingmei

[crispy-chan]

a guide how to not f*ck over your writers

hello, i am joining the bandwagon with my own two cents on how tumblr interactions have gone from shit to lower shit.

first of all, let me just stress how much i appreciate readers who interact with fanfics. you guys are the true mvp's and i applaud you for doing god's work. (also let's be real a significant portion of those readers are fic writers themselves).

second of all, i want to say that i'm not trying to be “ungrateful” or sound like a prick, i just see so many writers leave this site because they feel unappreciated, alone or they think that nobody enjoys the fics they work hard on.

honestly, there were/are times where i think if this is even worth it. i get so much enjoyment from this, it's a hobby that allows me to be creative, to escape reality and have a little fun. yet i feel like what i'm doing is just good for nothing since it seems like people are allergic to me on this site.

it truly means a lot to us when you guys interact. it doesn't even have to be much, just a short comment, but it can still make our day

now onto the ways you can support your fave writers:

1. interact with the fics -- comment, reblog, send asks. trust me, you can't go wrong with this one. don't be afraid to send an incoherent wordspill or type out that essay in caps lock where you go nuts about your favorite scenes, comment on the characters and their development or compliment the author's writing style. again, i guarantee you'll receive answers that are similarly incoherent as the author tries to not lose their shit bcs what the fuck? someone is finally interacting with my stories

2. recommendations -- you can rec fics to networks for various events, send your recs to your moots or maybe even to fic rec accounts who accept recommendations. even by reblogging - you're already basically doing this. it can make our day when we see that someone recommended something we worked on to someone else :)

3. interaction -- usually, most authors on here wouldn't mind more asks that don't even have to be about fics. you can ask how their day was, talk to them about a favorite book/movie/song literally whatever. i feel like i don't really have much to say on this topic cause i don't really get these types of asks :} but yeah, i think most of us would feel really touched if people wanted to talk to us outside of our writings. note: if you're shy, you can go on anon :> it's there for a reason :P

4. criticism -- now be careful - this one is tricky. you should first make sure if the person is okay with you giving some constructive criticism. if it isn't mentioned anywhere on their page/at the bottom of their fic, just ask. i for one wouldn't mind hearing things like “just a suggestion but i think you could work on your descriptions more” or “be careful - you often use the same words in one paragraph” etc.

lastly, i wanted to stress that you shouldn't force yourself per se to do these. nobody wan't your feedback if it isn't genuine. i just feel like people think “oh well if i won't comment, i'm sure somebody else will-” bullshit! that's the problem here. this mindset is what has to change. if you want the writing community to not wither into dust, you'll have to give something. in this case it's interactions and feedback.

i won't go into the details of how long it takes to write but as someone who writes primarily long fics, i can tell you it's extremely time consuming. and i spent the past fifteen minutes typing this post instead of working on yellow wood @_@

so yeah, this is a desperate cry from me. i'm hoping that if you're a silent reader/serial liker who doesn't leave feedback, you'll learn something new here. thank you for reading so far and i hope you have a lovely day <3

#i'm just.... tired #writeblr #stray kids imagines #kpop imagines #stray kids fluff #bts imagines #bts fanfiction #skz #ateez imagines #kpop scenarios #sorry for dumping those in the tags i just want this to reach people #stray kids smut #bang chan x reader #hyunjin x reader #lee felix x reader

[k-s-morgan]

Hi Katrin, hope you're doing well!

Already posted a more elegant comment on Ao3, but I had to get this out of my system.

The boy is getting slurped like a human smoothie next chapter, isn't he? 😭.

There is no way he is going to find out Sebastian's real name at this point in the story, so the only option I see is for him to lose, not just the game, but nearly all of his blood too.

Although this makes me all the more excited to see how everything actually plays out. This sounds like an interesting game, and my secret wish is that Randall is given the role of murderer because his attempt would be personal, but also quite desperate. Would he do it? Would he not? Who knows.

All of this rambling is to say that this chapter inspired so many ideas and predictions for the new game and I am buzzing with excitement. This should be the first game I am present to see unfolding since I started reading this fanfic, so it is twice as meaningful to me :).

As always, thank you so much for all of the work that you put in to writing these chapters! The skill you have in writing and your love for your works is palpable!

Adding to my previous ask, the hints!!! About the other contract!!! Wonder how Ciel will feel once he realises that the second contractor was right under his nose at the tea shop.

His favourite tea shop, no less. With the coldness of this chapter, and the revelation that Sebastian can no longer distinguish his soul from anyone else, will he be under the impression that S is replacing him, giving everything he appreciates to another? Now that would really be the equivalent of rubbing salt into a fresh wound :').

Pair this with the amazing snippet you shared, where they meet for the first time face-to-face, and Ciel's first thought is that the other boy is more attractive than him. Ouch. Not that Ciel himself knows why he feels the way he feels, but this will certainly make him hurt that much more. The layers!

--------------

Hey, thank you so much for your amazing comments! "Human smoothie" - haha, I love it!And I'm also excited that this is the first game you'll see develop in real time :D I hope to update relatively soon.

I cannot say who'll win the game, but there is going to be a twist that neither Ciel nor Sebastian (and from what I see, nor my readers) can predict :D I hope it'll be surprising and satisfying both.

The other players are going to be tempted for sure, and Randall will perform the role he's given whole-heartedly.

Oh, and I'm so pleased you've realized that Ciel ran into Sebastian's second contract! He'll have a belated realization because the boy he saw in the tea room is not immediately on his mind, but once he has it, he won't be happy. This situation will hit him so much worse because of Gremory's spell because when Sebastian is acting like this, it will feel like he's replacing him, even though he made this contract with the drastically opposite purpose.

Thank you so much again for your reviews! Hope you'll enjoy the second part.

#my fics #sebaciel #black butler #kuroshitsuji

[lai-mar]

Can't wait till this blog is old enough so posts start showing in main tags, but for now, a salty lil rant

Shipping aside, I'm surprised by how Laios + Marcille even as friends doesn't get as much fan attention as I expected considering how heavily the series focuses on their development? I consider Laios to be the protag and Marcille to be the secondary protag but I can see the argument for the two of them being dual protags especially starting from around Thistle's house arc / Marcille becoming the dungeon lord. The protagonists are party members who bond over losing and finding a loved one. They save each other multiple times and live with each other in the end. They get copious amounts of screentime together and separate. They clearly care for each other and love each other (in whatever way). And there's no forced romance.

Before I read the manga, I saw all the yuri on my TL and was like YESSSSSS I'M READING THIS FOR THE YURI WOOOOOO and finished the Red Dragon anime episodes like "wow that was soooo good and gay. Let me go on Tumblr to see what people are talking about— people are shipping Marcille and LAIOS??? Probably annoying straight people who cannot conceptualize a friendship between a man and woman 🙄". So I started out with a squick for the ship. I think the fan perception made me believe F/M is canon and anything else would be like queer erasure? Except I later learned no ship is canon and was genuinely confused when the manga started giving us L/M crumbs (like the succubus chapter) because I thought the shippers were pulling this ship from thin air lmao.

The more I read, the more I was like.... "okay.... why are they kinda... okay I get it now... why am I.... oh shit... I'm really in it now" and I apologise because I really get it now 😭 and it baffles me to see people who have seemingly finished the manga going "Laios and Marcille have NO CHEMISTRY their only line of connection is through Falin". Like, okay, maybe that was how they were at the beginning (but I would argue they have chemistry even from the first few chapters), but that's the POINT and we get to see them evolve and get closer because they both love and miss Falin. Laios moves on from being "Falin's brother" and Marcille moves on from being "Falin's friend". L+M know about each other's deepest, subconscious desires. Marcille lives with the siblings at the end. No matter the bond, they are the two most precious people to her.

I was still squicky about romantic L/M even at the succubus chapter (which I know is probably the starting point for a lot of shippers) but THEN THE RABBIT CHAPTER. And after that when the Canaries found Marcille and she immediately jumped onto Laios I was like "Oh fuck. I'm really in this now fuck fuck FUCK". (Nothing makes me get into a dynamic more than having an initially squicky reaction because I'll need to have a strong enough conviction to overcome the squick LOL)

Anyways. Seeing people being annoying and pissy about L/M only made me like L/M more 🤡 because at least the shippers appreciate their bond. I'm a little desperate here. Even their platonic bond is kind of a rarepair in the English fandom 💀

I'm so glad the anime is going at the pace it is now because this is only the beginning of the L+M development!!!! The anime onlies will understand later!!! I made the same mistake and judged too early and I'm sorry!!!! So many anime L+M moments and panels and crumbs yet to be seen 🥺

Anyways. Laios and Marcille's bond is absolutely central to the plot and character development. But I wouldn't have guessed that if I didn't read the manga and just based it off fan attention.

#mine #salt #once again my duo with copious amounts of screentime and canon support is seen as a rarepair in the fandom lol #even as just a platonic duo that doesnt 'threaten' other ships #'theyre like siblings' 'theyre siblings in law' ok sure but before that they were fellow party members and companions and FRIENDS IN CANON #after the end of the manga they are no longer solely defined by their mutual connection to falin!!!! (arguably this started midway thru) #besides. for shipping. people can have two hands #also in my mind laios had a squish / platonic crush on marcille #[clears throat] i love it when and a man and a woman are friends. sometimes their bond compels me more than- [THROWN OUT OF THE DUNGEON]

[selfshippinglover]

Here's a pic of my Sona for reference and I'll try to draw up a Marty(my Morty OC) one soon: (commission by: (sorrel paws)

i am scared but i am desperate! Time to punch my anxiety into outer space! Fuck it I wanna rp! Rick and Mortty time! Any characters! I don't have a Rick OC but I have a Morty one I'd love to develop :D Love to use my insert! Every Rick ever my beloved! Oc's and other self inserts very welcome! Let's explore the multiverse together :)

i'd prefer to use pm/dms since it's all in one spot and easier to keep track of. Can rp on here or Discord.

Know that I'm working part time so answer times will vary but I have the next two days off so I'm very avaliable rn!

Feel free to just dm/pm if you're interested!

Morty Oc details below:

~Marty

~ Pronouns: He/ They Xe/Xem

Sexuality: Pansexual demiboy with more of an attraction to men

~Age: 20(present)

Family: Rick(dead) Summer(dead) Beth, Space Beth, Jerry, Uncle BirdPerson

Dimension: RK-977

Backstory: A normal Morty all things considered. Has a space grandpa that drives him nuts, goes on adventures, and ends up in a big stand off with the Intergalactic Feds. Things go wrong and people get hurt leaving him and the survivors of his family running throughout multiverse as wanted fugitives.

Family relationships:

Rick: There were ups and downs, bad nights because of alcohol and drugs, and some fucked up things here and there but Rick always put Marty first and has "died" numerous times for his sake. They didn't always see eye to eye on things but his love for Marty was never in doubt. Believes there's no one that can replace his Grandpa Rick.

Summer: A bitch of a sister but one hell of a partner. Marty and Summer were often tasked with taking care of one another on adventures as well as tag teaming. They fought on and off and generally kept a distance at school, Summer did her best to raise Marty despite the circumstances.

Jerry: He and Marty are talking and seeing one another occasionally. He got a divorce with Beth and has been living on his own sense. Stays in that shitty apartment taking odd jobs here and there while trying to make time for his kids. He still has some feelings for Beth but doesn't do anything about it since Beth seems to have moved on. He hopes that he can be a better father to his kids, and maybe even a friend to Beth.

Beth: Divorced Jerry awhile back and went to work taking care of the kids herself, Beth has been doing the best she can do. Jerry can't usually pay the child support so she's stuck working full time at the horse hospital. Tired, hurt, starting to get a drinking habit, and in fear of losing her kids love, she spends as much time with them as she can and leaves Rick to care for them when she can't. She's still processing the divorce and trying to figure out what she wants amidst the war.

Space Beth: A Beth that has been with the Resistance for years before meeting Marty, she ends up on the Smith families doorstep while laying low. despite being there for a short time, she quickly takes a liking to Beth and her family. She is the reason that they end up being pulled into the Feds line of sight in the first place. She's spent most of her life fighting and she continues you to with the addition of the Smiths.

Uncle BirdPerson/BP: Another Resistance member and one of the first to join in the efforts, Marty met BP through Space Beth. They started out on uneasy terms since they just crashed on some strangers couch for awhile to hide from the FEDs. Come to find out, he knew Marty's grandfather and was friends with him when they were younger. Deciding he's trustworthy, he adopts BP as an Uncle figure and frequents his house. BP ends up telling Marty everything he went through with his grandfather and grows close to him.

#IMMA KICK MY OWN ASS INTO GEAR #CAUSE I NEED TO FEED THE OBESSESION #BITES MY OWN ARM #rick and morty #rick and morty rp #oc x canon #morty x canon #morty x oc #oc x oc #looking for rp partner #looking for rick and morty rp partner #any rick and morty character #Marty #Marty oc

[teeth--thief]

Thoughts on Sasha Korol? I think your response on him will be particularly interesting.

-R

Particularly interesting, you say? Is that a code for I'll add extra sass and shade to my answer? If so... you're probably right =D I'm kidding, I always try to be as subjective as can be... except for all the times I'm not subjective and settle for bullying. But I'll be kind this time... or will I?

Let's practice some armchair psychology on Leonid Toptunov's best friend, shall we? ...And by that I do just mean let's look at him a little more seriously than I usually do.

Whenever I say that I don't fully believe or trust him, I don't mean to attack his character - I do think that either his age or something else entirely (underlying mental issues, most likely related to trauma from the accident and subsequential events that unfolded afterwards like, oh, you know, losing his best friend and colleagues) must have taken their toll on him and so I do treat him like a sort of unreliable narrator. When your brain has barely had the time to finish fully developing and suddenly, overnight your life is in shambles, it's to be expected that you're not exactly going to act in the most rational of ways...

I don't want to say that, even when keeping all that in mind, Korol still seems slightly... odd to me... but, well, he does. For example, from Midnight in Chernobyl (from a bit about Yuvchenko):

(...) Natalia scoured the city for scarce and expensive ingredients to keep up his strength. She brought black caviar sandwiches to his bedside; his friend Sasha Korol came to visit and insisted he try ketchup instead. But Yuvchenko proved unable to eat anything, and he was placed on an IV.

What do you mean he basically tried to medicate his friend with ketchup?? I have... many questions... Is ketchup more nutritious than other foods condiments? I have a feeling this was out of sheer desperation to not lose another mate...

The whole bit about him not wanting to go with Toptunov to see the test because he was reading a medical journal is also, quite frankly, laughable. I wasn't aware that the magazine has a cool down and will disappear once you put it down, brother. Just say you were feeling kind of lazy that day, there's no shame in that.

Judging purely from his interview with Kupnyi, he seems to have lacked that burning passion for science we always see Toptunov described as having. Which is... just fine. You don't have to choose a job in a field you're super passionate about. I just thought it was worth mentioning since he seems to have had an attitude of well, it might as well be physics when choosing a career path. Anything but being sent to Afghanistan with the army (perfectly understandable).

He was most likely just as capable as Toptunov when it came to work, given that while Lyonya decided to become a SIUR, Korol stayed on a lower position by choice (or so he says), choosing a different path, basically.

He certainly made himself useful right after the disaster happened by everything from continuing to work on site to informing the families of the workers about their loved ones being transported to Moscow ect etc. Good deeds all around.

While he did not attend Toptunov's funeral (he was... on vacation... :| ), he attended someone else's not too long after:

Pictured closest to the grave (some speculated he's the other guy in the light shirt, second from the right, but I think otherwise, the shadows on his face have... a distinct look... I think.)

I will NOT comment on the fact that I think his relation with Lyonya was very close, closer than what I normally associate with typical friendships because I know fuckall about good relationships, so... who am I to judge.

I'm pretty sure that because of him there's a bit of confusion about who Toptunov's girlfriend was - not that it's an important piece of information TO YOU - but it's significant enough to consider. I won't get into that here, though, this is not about the fact that because two people mention two seemingly different women, it seems as if he had two girlfriends (good for him, I wish I had two girlfriends... one would also be more than acceptable).

Same with the whole "fight" he reported Toptunov as having with the tutor during uni - I don't know how, if he was apparently indeed involved in what happened after - he could have misremembered that while remembering other details about it. Unless he's misrepresenting what happened on purpose, that is, but that's also a questionable hypothesis.

I think that's that when it comes to my general "overview" of him... If I remember anything else later on, I'll make sure to add it to the post in a reblog or something.

#file: special interest: chernobyl #file: ask! #asker: @atomshchik #chernobyl

[h0n3yk1tt3n]

1 + 65 pinkberry?

1. Historical AU + 65. It's Not You, It's Me

At first my head kept coming back to a medieval setting with some royal x non-royal thing going on (which would still technically qualify as historical but kinda feels like its own thing) BUT DAYS LATER IT'S FINALLY HIT ME

Consider... Salem Witch Trials (if not in Salem then in a fictional town)... but Chloe is actually a witch. (Im bringing in fantasy elements into this version of history bc yk, skepticism abt witches even being real leading to "wait I know a witch??") She lives off in the woods doing her own thing away from everyone else when Brooke happens upon her for one reason or another.

Chloe is naturally aloof at first, because of course she is, but Brooke finds a way to bring her walls down, because of course she does. What starts as small talk while Chloe collects herbs slowly turns into long chats over tea, then eventually losing track of the hours and an insistence to stay over for the night, I'm not sending you out into the woods alone at this hour, one night wont be any trouble, etc etc.

Naturally the two grow fond of each other as time goes on, but around this time is when all the witch fear-mongering goes on back in town. Brooke is naturally terrified because what if they accuse her of being a witch?? How would she be able to disprove such claims?? Chloe would no longer have anyone to visit and keep her company. What if she just moved out of town and in with her?

Chloe avoids this line of discussion as best she can, but Brooke is adamant. She's terrified at home, she adores Chloe and finds she wants to spend more time with her than anyone else in her life, she doesn't see why she can't just move in. And Chloe? She knows by now that she's developed feelings for Brooke and doesn't want to put her in danger by associating with an actual witch, never mind all the false accusations rendering the fear all but moot. There's no right answer. There's nothing that Chloe can do to keep Brooke safe and there's no way that Chloe can express this to her.

Brooke is scared and confused. "Why can't I just live here with you? How is it any more foolish than staying in town and waiting to be declared the next witch? What am I supposed to do? Do you care for me so little that I can't be with you indefinitely?!"

"It's because I care about you that you can't stay!" Chloe finally tells her. She tells her that she's fallen for her and that it puts her in just as much danger to be with a woman than it is to be clocked as a witch. By which point Brooke wonders, "Am... am I a witch?? Have I cursed you have such feelings for me because I can't control my own for you? How could I have put someone I love in such danger for my own selfish gain?! I can't believe it, I'm a witch! I'm a horrible person and I've forced you to love me because nobody else has dared to do so! I deserve to be burned at the stake! I'm the only one that actually deserves it!"

Chloe grabs her hands in a desperate attempt to make her love stop saying such horrible things about herself. "It's not you, it's me!"

#open ending bc hhhhh #asks #mj says shit #be more chill #chloe valentine #brooke lohst #pinkberry #writing

[tabithatwo]

Ella Purnell I'M IN YOUR WALLS..... I WANT THAT MOMENT WHERE SHAUNA GETS HER BACK TO BE IN THE FINALE PLEASE GOD. LET'S MANIFEST IT. YOU'RE SO RIGHT THEY ARE SETTING IT UP. THEY HAVE NOT JUST DROPPED THAT STORYLINE THANK FUCK I WAS SO WORRIED THERE FOR A SEC. JACKIE HAUNTING SHAUNA IS SO UNBELIEVABLY CRUCIAL IT CANNOT LITERALLY JUST DISAPPEAR IT WOULD MAKE NO NARRATIVE SENSE WHATSOEVER!!!! I need to calm down but I do think, even if I dislike the creative choice due to my Jackie Bias, that it does make sense for Shauna to temporarily lose the ability to hallucinate her after cannibalizing her and thus feeling the absence of her physical body. Jackie is inside her now but she can't see her so it's not as easy as projecting that false image of her being alive onto her corpse like she was before. Actually kind of excited to see what will allow Shauna to conjure her up again.... In my mind the Jackie we've seen thus far truly was a hallucination because she was so clearly vocalizing Shauna's subconscious desires BUT I desperately want them to actually communicate. I want Shauna to see Jackie and have a conversation with her and for it to genuinely feel like Jackie's ghost. Need Jackie to be tangible I miss my girl so bad. I know she's got shit to say LET HER SPEAK! I know you might not answer this ask but I'd love your thoughts !!!!

ELLA HAS BEEN TRYING SHE'S BEEN LIKE HEYYYYYYY YELLOWJACKETS LET ME OUT OF MY CAGE I WOULD LIKE TO PLAY JACKIE TAYLOR MORE which is why it is so frustrating to me like DAMN i am in the walls of the showtime execs who didn't wanna pay for her ass and/or showrunners who didn't wanna use her WHATEVER. my biggest fear is the lack of her presence (ella or not!) in 2021 HOWEVER i think that this show is very WILLING to do a thing i don't love but need to get on board with i guess, which is completely reshape the way the adults interact with things based on what we're seeing unfold in 96 (nobody come explain narrative storytelling to me PLEASE i beg you, i've learned to give so many disclaimers that i Understand Things now cause BOY do people want to educate you, i understand pulling focus to a theme i pinky promise!!! i just think that, partly because of all the other characters and storylines they crammed into 21, they shift to a degree that Lacks The Level Of Character Continuity That I Desire, okay it is a personal PREFERENCE, if you don't care about that i am SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!!!!) sorry anon, for the obligatory pls know i understand things aside. NOW 96 jackie. yes yes yes agree!! meat shed jackie that we've had was hallucination, with near 100% certainty. i think that if they're planning on delivering on all the threads they start to unravel in this show (which doesn't always happen in any show so i am cautious in my optimism) they have got to do something with 1x10. the cabin guy presence in the dream realm is really a firm suggestion that there are ghosts happening. laura lee can be written off as a dream they would have, but he is NOT. now i DO think they're putting way too much effort into this dream realm to NOT have it be developed or mean something, and i think that the separation between everyone else in jackie's death dream and cabin guy and laura lee coming in and welcoming her is pretty concrete. there is...whatever the fuck the uncanny valley versions of the yellowjackets are (i think they're "it" playing tricksy games personally) and the Actual Dead (cabin guy, laura lee, jackie). SO ALL THIS TO SAY yeah. i think there is real potential for them to pick up that thread and establish ghost jackie. i think there is also potential for her and shauna to communicate. i think PERSONALLY (no one come to my asks to tell me this is stupid i literally cannot handle you today okay give a girl a break i beg) that there's a very good chance that by the end of the show shauna in the 21 timeline sees/communicates with/(joins?) ghost jackie, whether she gets to see her in 96 tl or not. these are my thoughts they have diverted maybe from your point and if so i am so sorry lol along those lines i have RAGING adhd, so when you say i might not answer i hope it isn't because i haven't responded to an ask you've sent me before but if it is i promise it isn't personal! this goes to anyone else too, like i really have 17 things happening at once at all times and i drop the ball sometimes lol but know that i love to hear people's thoughts <3 <3

#asks answered #jackie taylor #shauna shipman #jackie x shauna #yellowjackets

[missnobodymadness]

OC in 8: Yabuza Myline

Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using dialogue without other details about the scene, but you're free to include those as well!

I was tagged by @jayteacups to do this and this is such an interesting idea for a tag game! A warning though: English is not my first language, I'm trying my best to translate them and I am sorry for any bad spelling, feel free to correct me, I'm always open to improve my english.

Anyway, I am picking my Naruto OC, Yabuza Lee Myline, for this game, mostly because she is one of my best developed characters, I hope that's okay, considering that the person who tags me is more into the AOT fandom and all. :P

_______________________

"When you are raised in the shadows it's easy to lose yourself to them, you learn to love the darkness and slowly find comfort in it, you ignore the light on the horizon because you are afraid of the unknown, suddenly that light fades and you finally become one with the shadows"

"My hands may be the ones covered in blood as we speak but the reality you refuse to see is that I am not the one standing proudly over a thousand dead bodies"

"Don't give me the privilege speech when you are all living up there exploiting those who stand below you, not once did I felt any privilege or pleasure in serving your opressive system and I will never bow to it. Take my words as you wish, they will only feel like a threat if you perceive them as such, so, how it's gonna be?"

"How many more dead bodies will be needed for the great countries to understand their system is broken?"

"The interesting thing about history is that, if you pay attention to it, you will notice we are nothing more than animals trapped in a cage, always repeating the same behavior but once we realize the key was always on the lock, instead of picking freedom we always pretend it is not there and repeat the cycle again."

"Shall I remember you that my daughter is the only thing keeping my wrath away from you and your wife? The Hokage must be really desperate to send you."

"Tell me, Naruto, did your parents deserve what this village did to you under the watch of the Sandaime after sacrificing their lives to save Konoha? Abandoned and outcasted, while your friends lived in cozy homes and had food on their plates, you were surviving on spoiled milk, how can you not see that you were also a victim of their system?"

"The worst kind of blind is the oppressed who follows the steps of the oppressor"

__________

Tagging anyone who would like to join! :D

#tag game #naruto oc #myownposts #mylinenarutooc

[esther-dot]

Lyanna and Elia death actually hit the readers with emotions. Both were innocent who died because of others actions. We get to know about them more from their close families and friends and we sympathize with them. The way Ned, Oberyn and Doran mourn them leaves impact. Ned tore down the tower of Joy and commit treason to protect Jon. Oberyn risk his own life to seek justice for his sister. Yet same can't be said about Rhaegar because the people and his family has no real connection or emotions with him. Viserys never really told Dany about Rhaegar being a brother. Dany is obsessed with the idea of Rhaegar who she don't know. Jon Con who is obsessed with him had no real connection with him.

(prev ask)

They really do! Martin did a very good job conveying horror and grief over their fates. I won’t insert the quote about Elia, it’s so deeply disturbing, and the image of her babies before the throne… devastating. Everyone talks about Ned's trauma for a reason, even though we're books past his last breath, his memories of Lyanna's death, his inner torment, they're haunting.

Tbh, I'm gonna happily hate on Rhaegar regardless of where Martin takes things, so I have to really work to be unbiased. But, when I look at certain elements that pop up in Jon’s chapters that are meant to reach back into pre-canon and bring Rhaegar into the story, I’ve evolved how I read it, and don’t think Martin was writing Rhaegar as a sadistic fuck. I have to think, given the contradictory pictures we're given, that Martin is writing about what he repeatedly has written about. What do we do with people who are several things, different things, all at once?

The Hound saves Sansa, then threatens her life. Tyrion is a villain who chooses to not have sex with Sansa because he can't ignore her fear. Jon sees Ygritte weep over a song and the fate of giants, smile at him, and then callously murder an innocent man before nearly killing Jon. Martin believes in what I’ve called “expansive” characterization. They characters are multifaceted not to make us ignore one side, but to ask us to develop our ability to feel fear and compassion, to feel warmth and a chill, to find things to love and hate in the same place.

I admire that and think it's crucial not only to fully enter the characters' worlds and POV, but to be able to embrace the anti war theme. The books have so much more meaning when I accept that I love Ned, I believe the Westerosi were right to overthrow the Targs, but from Dany’s perspective, she is right to despise Starks. Her family was killed. To have Targs and Starks alike think of what Elia’s babies suffered with horror, even while they are on opposing sides of the war, that’s the truth about the war, isn't it? What we're meant to find at the heart of it all? It is tragedy for everyone. That’s what makes the series anti-war, it has to avoid glorifying violence, not just say it’s sad to lose—it must still be awful to win. When Maester Aemon mourns the death of his family, desperately wants to save Daenerys, I am meant to feel the tragedy in this, listen to the pain on both sides.

(I mean, I'm hardcore anti targ and all they represent, but I'm talking about what I believe Martin ideally wants)

As much as I believe Jon will have strong negative feelings about Rhaegar's choices, horror even, I can't imagine that Martin will write Jon's feelings as entirely one-note. He's gonna introduce some conflict, he always does. We don't yet know what that might be, but when I was rereading the Mance meeting, saw how Mance and Jaime both had a connection to Jon's central struggle, realized how the Rhaegar-esque aspect of Mance was associating Rhaegar to it all...well, I did entertain the thought that Rhaegar's actions can be read as a parallel to Jon's theme:

"Then Lord Eddard is a man in ten thousand. Most of us are not so strong. What is honor compared to a woman's love? What is duty against the feel of a newborn son in your arms … or the memory of a brother's smile? Wind and words. Wind and words. We are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our great glory, and our great tragedy. (AGOT, Jon VIII)

Obviously, this is primarily about Jon, I expect it to play out in Jon’s story, but it does sound Rhaegar-esque. Jon might have been that baby to Rhaegar.

That would mean we condemn him for how he failed Elia and the babies, his kingdom, that Jon would still that horror, but would prevent Jon from being able to completely despise the man, as he too has felt torn between vows and love.

(insert my caveats re: prophecy baby, being very much at peace with Rhaegar bleeding out etc)

The pain comes in with complexity, and I think that’s what Martin wants even if I’m personally unmoved by it.

#anti rhaegar #r+l=j #dot chat

[aletterinthenameofsanity]

Writing Amy Pond & A Different "Doctorification"

I'm not gonna lie- I appreciate the arc that the show had going for Amy when they weren't actively messing it up/contradicting it/writing borderline unwatchable episodes (y'know, the whole losing faith in the Doctor/growing up/choosing a life outside of the TARDIS thing), but I am having so much fun teasing out Amy's characterization in this fic series. This characterization of her that is highly based in how she acts specifically in The Eleventh Hour/Beast Below/Vincent and the Doctor, this sort of kindness with an edge, the girl who can figure things out because of her empathy and her ability to think outside the box.

We always think about Doctorification in sort of "dark" terms in this fandom, especially when it comes to the example of Clara. Like, these characters who find themselves becoming these more dangerous, ruthless version of themselves, like with Martha and Clara and Davros' whole "Children of Time" speech in Journey's End. (And I do like Clara's corruption/obsession/ruthlessness/mutual-codependence-until-it-destroys-them arc, trust me, even if I find it a little weak in places- it fascinates me.)

But what I am finding when writing Amy is that she's getting this sort of "Doctorification" arc. There is something buried in her backstory that has always struck me as desperately lonely (outside of the one-episode Mel reveal), this kid who was considered "mad" or just a "troublemaker" by everyone she knew and yet instead of letting that make her resentful to the world, it just made her kind. (Sounds familiar, doesn't it?)

And the character arc I'm writing for her is about her learning how to use her kindness/empathy to save the day, especially when it comes to her developing relationship with the TARDIS and how she connects with it on a level really only seen with the Doctor. She's already "flown" the TARDIS twice in this series (though it was nearly entirely the TARDIS who did the flying itself) and was the one to figure out that Idris was the TARDIS, because of the connection she's made with the TARDIS itself over the years, this sort of love and understanding that passes between each other due to being mutual "thieves"/"mad"/lonely/having care/love for the Doctor.

It's about how she can pick locks, which I know is a detail only mentioned in the Beast Below but I think that it points not just to the fact that Amy clearly got into trouble as a kid, but that she is clever in a way that the show didn't always let her be. She can think outside the box.

And I think it's these three things: loneliness, kindness/empathy, and cleverness/thinking-outside-the-box that I think are allowing Amy to sort of get her "Doctorification" arc in the middle of her other arcs involving her relationship to River and her romantic relationship with the Doctor/Rory.

And I really hope I can pull off something cool with it in the middle of balancing the Doctor's arc (especially as he becomes Thirteen), Bill's story, River's story (and the associated Clara story), and Rory's arc as well. It's a bit harder to juggle it all when they're not all pointing in the exact same direction (as they were with the Master arc) but I'm doing my best to pull it off. There might be slightly longer gaps between updates (maybe three days instead of two) at times, but right now it's really shaping up. I've just got to maneuver all the pieces into place.

For now, we have a reunion fic to get to and maybe some proper flying lessons for Amy and River- they've earned it by now, don't you think?

#doctor who #amy pond #eleven x amy x rory #rory williams #eleventh doctor #aletterinthenameofsanity #my fics #fanfic #ao3 #amy's doctorification arc #I wanted to see a...nicer doctorification arc #if that makes sense #not to say that Amy isn't going to get to get mad/make some big decisions/take charge #writing progress #writing process #listen I have some feelings about early amy pond #and at this point she might be ooc from the show but i can't bring myself to care #she's literally lived over a hundred years at this point that's gonna change a person somewhat