#but my love for this series remains even when my opinions shift about characters or storylines- it's still something so special to me

[yakozy]

It seems like i've been yakuzer blogging for 3 years now 🫡 on to many more!!!!

#ahhhh time to be mushy in the tags #thank you everyone for making beautiful art and sharing it 🥺 #lots has changed in those three years for me personally but lets not get into that #but my love for this series remains even when my opinions shift about characters or storylines- it's still something so special to me #and to many others #found this series in one of the utmost darkest places in my life until now and it becoming a bright spot. now that's the yakuza way #anyways i hope to replay y0 at some point cause details do get fuzzy over time so yea LETS GO ONWARDS AND UPWARDS MY PALS #yakozy talks

[thankskenpenders]

Amy's fortune cards

The Sonic fandom has long been the kind of fandom that takes minor details very seriously, for better or worse. On the one hand, this means fans will really dig for the diamonds in the rough, latching onto fun character interactions, animations, bits of background worldbuilding, and more in pieces of Sonic media that many would write off as "the bad ones." But it also feels like every week another needlessly hostile debate over Sonic minutia erupts on Twitter, whether it's over individual lines of dialogue, fanart that makes Tails' shoes blue, or the ideal length and volume for Sonic's quills.

So it was probably inevitable that a fandom-wide debate would erupt upon seeing Amy's new gameplay style in the DLC for Sonic Frontiers, which takes the once-obscure fact that she enjoys reading tarot and shines a spotlight on it like never before.

I mean:

The thing is, while I basically always try to tune out Sonic fandom bickering... for once, I kind of sympathize with the detractors? Don't get me wrong, I like Amy's tarot stuff, and people on all sides of the discussion are being overly nasty about their opinions, as usual. (Sonic Twitter remains my personal hell.) But when I set aside the hyperbole and zoom out, I do think I understand why some fans are put off by the sudden shift in focus for the character, even if I think it's cool.

It's complicated. Let me attempt to present the cases for and against Amy's fortune cards

For years, I was always one of those fans who thought it could be fun if they played with Amy's tarot reading, or even leaned into some kind of magic with her. Part of that is my own biases showing, but there's just something that makes sense there, especially when you look at Sonic, Tails, and Amy as a trio. (I would argue that's the real "Team Sonic" these days, especially in the comics where Knuckles is more likely to be stuck on Angel Island or otherwise doing his own thing.)

You could argue that Tails is all about logic, relying on science and technology and deductive reasoning to solve problems. But Amy is all about emotion. She wears her heart on her sleeve, is extremely empathetic, and is very prone to magical thinking - both figuratively and sometimes literally. Her origin story has always been that her tarot cards told her it was her destiny to meet Sonic on Little Planet. She's claimed to be able to "sense" peoples' presences - particularly Sonic's. She's the type to believe that The Power of Love is a literal magical force. So, on some level, it makes sense to mirror Tails's science by having Sonic's other best friend believe in magic. And then Sonic is somewhere in the middle, primarily following his own gut instincts but taking advice from both of them as needed. This isn't totally accurate to how their dynamics actually function in canon stories, but I think it's a mode that could work for them.

Going off of that, it's fun to lean all the way into Amy being a magical girl, or even a witch, using her fortune telling as a foundation. Take, for example, this version of Amy from Diana Skelly's old Sonic cast redesigns from before she freelanced for Archie and IDW. This is one of MANY such redesigns for Amy.

Fast forward to the 2020s, and Amy's tarot cards are, in fact, finally getting brought up again in canon. Which is fun! I like seeing that. I like all of the individual stories involving Amy's fortune cards. This is a fun character trait for Amy, a fun nod to old lore, AND a fun storytelling device, all in one. It's really cool that the Sonic universe has its own thematically appropriate arcana, and that the cards are getting made as physical merch. And sure enough, the official card backs and borders were designed by none other than Diana Skelly, in yet another cool example of an ascendant fan leaving their mark on the series.

BUT... when you step back and look at the big picture, I get why some fans find this shift in focus jarring. At the moment, it's starting to feel like every new story about Amy involves her fortune cards to some degree.

The most recent mainline comic arc to feature Amy as the lead character, 2021's Trial by Fire arc, prominently features a sequence where she reads fortunes while camping with the girls. The Origins version of Sonic CD now bookends the game with scenes of Amy and her tarot cards. Sonic randomly mentioned it in a scene in Frontiers. And now, just this week, we got the (very cute, gorgeously illustrated) Amy's 30th Anniversary comic with a story revolving around Amy's tarot cards, followed the very next day by the Frontiers DLC in which she gets a brand new tarot-based moveset. Even her base melee attack now has her throwing tarot cards instead of swinging her hammer. Again, I like all of these individual things, but after years of it almost never coming up at all, it's VERY noticeable that Amy's tarot cards are suddenly everywhere.

To be fair, I'm looking at this from the perspective of a superfan who's actively following ALL Sonic media. Casual fans - especially kids - aren't necessarily going to be reading the comics every month, buying the thousandth rerelease of the Genesis games, or playing the ultra-hard new alternate ending DLC for a game that came out last year. Each of these stories is going to be someone's introduction to the idea that Amy can read tarot, and that's probably part of the idea behind this unified push.

But to play devil's advocate, for my fellow superfans, I understand why it feels like a very minor footnote of Amy's character is suddenly becoming the entire focus of her personality. While Amy has always been said to enjoy fortune telling, that wasn't really a character trait in and of itself, but rather an example of her being a typical girl who hopes she'll be able to find true love one day. It's less that Amy can literally predict the future and more like her using a cootie catcher or going "he loves me, he loves me not" while picking the petals off of a flower. So I get not vibing with this stuff, or feeling like it's being pushed very hard out of nowhere.

What I don't agree with are comparisons like "it's like if they made Knuckles' moveset revolve around him liking grapes." Like, I get it. Ian Flynn loves shoehorning in his little winking references for us nerds, and mentions of Amy's tarot cards were previously on the same level as other random bullet points from old Japanese manuals. But a multifaceted hobby like fortune telling that opens up so many narrative and aesthetic possibilities is obviously very different from having a favorite food. It's ALWAYS been a part of her story, not just a random fact, and there's no reason why the fortune telling can't be elevated to something more.

And, hell, even if it wasn't an established character trait, there's nothing inherently wrong with injecting new ideas into a character. One of the best Amy stories in recent years, the Free Comic Book Day special "Amy's New Hobby" written by Gale Galligan, came up with the idea that Amy's secretly been drawing little comics about her and her friends. Is this based on Lore? No. But it's cute, and helps tell the story of a younger Amy who's still coming out of her shell as both a hero and a friend.

Certain fans are also looking at Amy's Frontiers moveset and using it as evidence that once again the Vile American Contributors like Ian are CORRUPTING Sonic Team's perfect vision of Sonic with their misinterpretations. And like. Come on. Ian does not control the gameplay. He's a freelance writer. The tarot stuff is clearly something that Sonic Team likes if they made it the basis of Amy's new moveset - and, you know, if they keep approving comics and animations about Amy's fortune telling. None of this gets made without their blessing, and lord knows how much they can micromanage shit and shoot down ideas over the most minor of details.

Like, yeah, Amy's fortune telling was probably conceived less as a sign that she Knows Magic and more as a pretty mundane hobby for a lovesick young Japanese girl to have. But you're gonna sit there and tell me that using Amy's tarot cards for more than that could only be the result of a cultural misunderstanding? That nobody in Japan uses tarot card theming and aesthetics (or the general idea of magical cards) for the cool factor? Stardust Crusaders? Persona? The Astrologian class in FFXIV? Cardcaptor Sakura?? Hello??? Do you think Capcom put Gambit in Marvel vs. Capcom ironically because they thought using magic to throw cards at people was stupid? There's tons of precedent for this! It's nothing like Knuckles throwing grapes at people, be for real.

Giving Amy a very magical girl-esque moveset also just makes a lot of sense. For decades her hammer attacks have literally made sparkly heart shapes appear around her. Leaning into both that and her tarot cards in her new moveset makes a lot of sense to me.

But, admittedly... I do think it's very odd that her hammer is treated as a secondary element here, rather than having her primarily use her hammer and adding the cards for extra flair. If hitting the attack button made her swing her hammer instead of throwing cards, I'm not sure we'd even be having this discussion right now.

But the tarot-cycle and Amy riding her hammer like a witch's broom are fucking SICK and I will not concede on this point

The thing is, this whole fortune card discourse is but a small piece of a bigger problem. Amy's been a character who needed some work for ages, but there's basically nothing you can do with her without pissing SOMEONE off.

Years of stories where Amy's crush was her primary motivator and Sonic went "Ew, cooties!" have lead many casual fans to believe that being Sonic's obsessive fangirl is Amy's entire personality. At best people might call her Sonic's Minnie Mouse. This isn't just a matter of Amy having haters within the fandom - venture outside of that bubble and you'll realize that this is how MOST video game playing people seem to see her to this day. I don't feel like this is a fair assessment of the character, but this idea didn't come from nowhere. No matter how much good deeply entrenched Sonic fans may see in their old dynamic where Amy perpetually chases Sonic, this is a very real problem that Sonic Team has to contend with for their leading girl. Of course all those games where the way-past-cool protagonist thought Amy was annoyingly clingy and tried to get away from her made people think less of her.

If new stories were to go back to emphasizing Amy's crush on Sonic a little more, they'd probably be taken as confirmation that Amy's just the girl with a crush on Sonic and that this is her entire personality. Conversely, when the crush is played down, you piss off the hardcore SonAmy fans who don't seem to understand that they're Charlie Brown and Sega is Lucy holding the football. You can't win.

And so here we are. In the absence of what was once her defining trait, now reduced to an occasional blush or wink in Sonic's direction, new stories are trying to mine Amy's past for additional material to work with. Having been a thing fans wanted to see for years, right now we're getting a lot of tarot, but we're also getting reminders of her compassionate nature and her desire to go out of her way to help the little guy. This is an ongoing process. I continue to hope that her bubbly, exuberant demeanor can shine more in future stories. Now, I also hope that the tarot stuff gets balanced out a little better with other traits of hers. But I don't want it to go away. I think it's fun.

This course correcting is far from exclusive to Amy. Knuckles is getting stories that remind us that he's a competent fighter, an experienced treasure hunter, and even a self-taught archaeologist after years of him being perceived as either the dumb one or just the guy who stands in front of the Master Emerald all day. And Tails has been getting some stories reminding folks that he's a capable hero in his own right and not just Sonic's timid kid sidekick.

But no supporting character will ever compete with the sheer number of new ideas Sega has tried with Sonic himself. Like Amy, his Frontiers moveset has also given him half a dozen new superpowers that he never had before, from the Cyloop to air-slicing projectile attacks to his own take on Shadow Clone Jutsu and beyond. He's also been a hoverboarder, a swordsman, a time traveler, an Olympic athlete, a racecar driver, cursed with a Flame of Judgment, imbued with alien power, a fucking Werehog with stretchy powers, and on and on and on.

If Sonic can do all that, Amy can try out using a tarot-cycle.

Anyway TL;DR the REAL problem with Amy's current characterization... is where the FUCK is Amy's bestie, Honey the Cat???????

#tkp post

[the-fiction-witch]

The Rat P2

Media - The Maze Runner Series Character - Newt Couple - Newt X Reader Reader - Y/n Rating - cute + Sad Word Count - 2631

Part One

I sat on the bus, holding Y/n close to me. Her head was resting on my chest, and her legs were over mine. I wanted to let her have more room, but we were short on space. I knew she must have been uncomfortable after being locked up in that cell for who knows how long, especially with our little one. I just wanted her to be as comfortable as possible. As I held her close in my arms, I couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and comfort. Her soft Y/h/C hair, which had grown long and unkempt during her months of confinement, was now in my hands. I took my time, slowly running my fingers through her hair, gently untangling the knots and matting that had formed.

With each stroke, I could sense her body relaxing, as if the simple act of being cared for and tended to be enough to soothe her soul. It was a moment of tenderness and intimacy that I will always cherish. As I leaned down to kiss her forehead, I could feel the warmth of her skin and the softness of her hair. She looked so peaceful, her chest rising and falling gently with each breath. It was a long bus ride, and almost everyone else was asleep, except for Frypan who was focused on the road ahead. Thomas, on the other hand, was wide awake and buried in the phone, scrolling through the countless conversations they had had with Teresa. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking as he read through each message, his face scrunched up in concentration. The hum of the bus engine and the occasional sound of someone shifting in their seat were the only sounds that filled the air. It was a moment of quiet reflection, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for the stillness, even amidst the chaos of our journey.

"You okay?" I asked,

"...Yeah," he nodded flipping the phone closed, "I just... feel like such a dick,"

"You didn't know Tommy," I told him,

"I imagine you feel like shit too?"

"Ohh you have no idea... how much of a dick I feel, I didn't believe my own girlfriend. I let them take her away. I didn't believe her, I thought she betrayed us, thought of her as a rat. The woman I love. I let them drag my pregnant girlfriend away screaming and crying thinking she betrayed us. I feel like an utter asshole."

"Yeah, I am so sorry for how I treated her. And for accusing you."

"It's okay Tommy," I nodded,

"I can't believe I never noticed." He sighed, "All this time, she was telling them everything."

"I don't get why, why would she sell us out like that? Why throw Y/n under the bus?"

"Teresa doesn't like her, never has."

"There a reason?"

"I think... differing opinions and mentalities." He chuckled, "Y/n has always been about making our life the best it can be, giving us the best future we can have."

"Even in the glade," I nodded, "She's always known that's what matters, those of us who are left, the price of one person is never worth it no matter what."

"Teresa is the greater good, that one person is worth the price if it buys something else." He sighed, "She would throw us all into the grinder if it would save that city. I just thought the girls didn't agree but I never thought Teresa would...."

"Neither did I." I sighed, "She ratted us out, to get us back in their clutches." I explained, "Let them know every plan just to let them pick us one one by one."

"She is going to get a talkin' too." He said putting the phone in his pocket,

"Can I watch?" I chuckled,

"Ohhh trust me it will be public,"

When he expressed his idea, I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. However, I didn't want to interrupt his train of thought, so I decided to remain silent and let him continue expressing his thoughts.

When we arrived back at the camp I kept Y/n close giving her tummy lots of little kisses, watching as Vince sorted places for the new kids.

"How are you feeling?" I asked her,

"I'm okay Newt," she nodded,

"You sure honey?"

"Mhm," she nodded,

"How's little baby?"

"kicking away,"

"Did they take care of baby while you were with them?"

"Sort of, had me on a lot of vitamins a lot of tests."

"Okay... can you tell me... what they did to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it Newt," She buried her head into my neck,

"You don't have to tell me, honey, It's okay. So long as you're safe now." I told her kissing her sweet little head, "I promise I will believe everything you tell me, I will never doubt you again for a moment, and I am going to take the best care of you." I told her kissing her tummy,

"Everything I say?" She giggled,

"Okay maybe not 'Everything', I do not believe you if you tell me the ocean is purple or you need to have bacon every day,"

"Awww," she pouted,

"Sorry honey I am not that foolish,"

"Fine," she giggled nuzzling up close,

"Do you... know about the baby?"

"At seven and a half months now, supposedly it's a little boy,"

"A little boy? Awwww!" I cooed, "Our little baby boy," I smiled kissing her stomach,

"TERESA!" Thomas yelled across the camp,

"Ooohh firework time." She giggled nuzzling into my neck as we got cosy and ready to watch,

"You! You were the rat!" He yelled as he walked up to her, of course, everyone came to gather and watch,

"Tom, what are you talking about?!" She protested,

"You were the rat! You've always been on their side!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are don't lie! You've been trying to convince us to turn around and go back, the moment we left."

"Yes, becuase this is not safe for us!"

"Safe! Safe!"

"There are cranks! There are insane men! There is so much out here none of us are safe out here! what sticking around in tents waiting for a rust bucket seems safe to you!" She yelled,

"Safer than with them!" He yelled, "They experimented on us! locked us in a maze! tried to drain us for some dumb cure for some old fart to live another two days! They tortured Y/n!"

she shivered and moved closer so I held Y/n even closer kissing her cheek,

"It's okay honey," I whispered,

"They didn't torture her! she's their daughter and their rat they never hurt her!"

"LOOK AT HER!" He yelled, "You say she isn't tortured!" He yelled, "But you're the rat!"

"I'm not!" She yelled,

"Yes, you are! I have your phone!" he pulled the phone from his pocket and immediately her face went pale and nervous,

"Wh- where did you get that?!"

"So you admit it's yours?!"

"It is my phone but where did you get it..."

"Newt found it!"

"Well, Y/n must have been using it,"

"No, she didn't it's your name in the conversation,"

"You can't prove It's me,"

"You're phone. You're name. You're conversation Teresa!" He yelled, "Admit it! You're the rat!"

"Fine! Yes, I am! We should go back thomas! there are so many people we could help if we just go back! All of us!"

"You want to sell us all out for them!" He screamed, "Fine you wanna go back to them GO!"

"We should all go thomas-"

"NO! We are staying here, anyone who wants to go back to wicked can go with you but we are staying here. You! Are not welcome here!"

"But thomas-"

"NOT Welcome here! GO!"

"Fine!" she yelled as she turned and headed to pack up her tent,

Thomas sighed and came to sit down with us,

"How are you feeling Tommy?" I asked,

"... Like... I did something good for once," He sighed,

"I think you did do something good, if she wants to go back to them let her go, You can do way better than a rat Tommy,"

"yeah... at least now we'll all be safer."

As I stood on the boat, I was deep into my work of welding with my torch and wearing a pair of protective goggles. I was concentrating so intensely that time seemed to pass by slowly. Suddenly, I heard someone calling out my name. It took me a moment to register before I realized it was Thomas. I quickly finished what I was doing, turned off the torch and safely put it down. I walked towards the edge of the boat, still wearing my goggles, and looked down to find Thomas standing at the bottom of the stairs. I removed my goggles and greeted him, curious as to what he needed from me.

"YEAH!"

"IT'S Y/n!"

"BABY!?"

"BABY!"

"COMING!" I yelled,

With an urgency that could not be ignored, we bolted down the stairs as if our lives depended on it. We both ran across the camp as fast as we could, our hearts pounding with fear and anticipation. When we finally made it to I and Y/n's tent, we burst inside to find her lying on the makeshift bed we had sorted for her given we needed the space for both us and her bump, surrounded by Sonya and Harriet, who were holding her close and whispering words of comfort to her.

As soon as we saw her, we could tell that she was in the throes of labour. Her face was contorted with pain, and her breathing was coming in short, sharp gasps. Without hesitation, I rushed to her side, taking her hand in mine and kissing her forehead tenderly. At that moment, I felt a surge of love and protectiveness for this woman who was about to bring new life into the world.

"Are you okay honey?" I cooed,

"You think I'm okay!"

"That's fair," I nodded, "I'm here Y/n I promise you I am here," I told her kissing her sweet little face,

As she lay in the bed, writhing in pain, I held her hand tightly, trying to offer any comfort that I could. The sound of her screams reverberated through my chest, and my heart ached to see her in so much agony. I whispered words of encouragement and love, and planted soft kisses on her forehead, hoping that they would ease her discomfort.

Meanwhile, a stern-looking nurse who was Ex wicked but had come to the right arm came to help out, I felt grateful that she was there to take care of the medical aspects of the situation, as I didn't have the faintest clue about what was happening down there.

Suddenly, a loud noise overhead made us all jump. I felt a surge of panic in my chest, and Thomas, who had been pacing nervously outside, rushed out to investigate. A few moments later, he returned, looking relieved but also a little puzzled.

"Newt. We got a problem."

"Which is?"

"They're here."

"Now!"

"yeah..."

"...Shit," I sighed, "Y/n I promise honey I'll be right back okay," I told her kissing her sweetly before I headed out with thomas as the berg landed and out came Ava, Janson and Teresa.

"Tom-" she began,

"Nope." He snapped to her,

"Where's our daughter?" Janson demanded,

"She's kinda busy right now," I told him,

"Let us see her that's all we ask," Ava offered,

"She's busy." I snapped,

"Doing what!" Janson demanded,

"Giving birth!" I yelled, "To our baby so you can get back on your berg and fuck off!"

"She needs real medical attention," Teresa said,

"She's right, she needs real medicine she needs to come with us," Ava explained,

"Y/n is not going anywhere with you!" I told them, "Neither is our baby,"

"We swear we only want what is best for her-" Ava began,

"What is best for her is here. Away from you. That is what she wants to be here, with me."

"Hand her over!" Janson demanded,

"NO!" I yelled,

"Please... she is our daughter, we promise there will be a safe place for her, the baby and for you. Just do the right thing and come with us that is best for her and best for the baby."

"she may be your daughter, but you threw her into the maze, you tossed her away, you tortured her, you. Have. no. right. to see, hear, or be anywhere near our baby, after what you've done to her you think for a moment I would allow you near our baby."

"Give us our daughter!" Janson yelled as he grabbed a gun which he pointed at me but I grabbed my own and pointed it at him, "You think I won't shoot you after you knocked up my daughter,"

"You think I won't shoot you after you tortured the woman I love." I warn him, "You ripped me from my home, you tossed her away, you have tortured all of us, killed my friends, took away any sense of life worth that I had, You took the woman I love from me, you tormented her, and you kept my baby from me. You think for a moment I will let you destroy the only family I have in this world."

"It's the greater good the good of your child and Y/n!" Ava offered,

"...No. There is no greater good anymore, not after what it has already cost us." I told them, "I would let the world burn for her. I could very Very easily pull a trigger." I warn them,

"So could I," He warns,

"And you're keeping me from witnessing the birth of my son, and I am losing my patience." I warn, "So turn around and get back in your berg and fuck off."

"I've had enough of this!" Janson snapped but before even thinking about it I pulled the trigger and he dropped to the ground with half his head missing,

"I am not asking again. Get back in your berg and fuck off!" I demanded,

"Is this really your decision?" Ava asked,

"Yes, it is. And it's final."

"Very well." she nodded heading back into the berg,

"I'm sorry Tom..." Teresa said,

"You are not forgiven." He snapped to her,

She turned around and the two left in the berg, so I quickly gave him the gun,

"Anyone comes back again, shoot them," I told him,

"Understood," he nodded,

As I rushed back into the tent, my heart was racing with fear and anxiety. The sight that greeted me was one that filled me with overwhelming joy and tears. Y/n was lying in bed, her face pale and tired, with the little baby wrapped in her arms. It was a touching and heart-wrenching sight. The girls had left by the time I arrived, so I went over to the bed and sat down beside Y/n. I could see the exhaustion in her eyes as she looked at me, and I knew that she needed someone to be with her at that moment. I put my arm around her and whispered words of comfort, reassuring her that everything would be alright.

"Hi, how are you feeling honey?"

She glared at me,

"Fair enough, sorry." I nodded, "You're safe, you and our little one. You get some rest honey,"

"I need some rest," she nodded, "Thank you newt,"

"You're welcome,"

"You want to hold him?"

"Can I?"

"Of course you can." She smiled handing over our sweet baby boy, I cradled him in my arms, he was so small, so cute, with cute Y/e/C eyes like Y/n's and the little bits of blonde hair like my own,

"He's so perfect, our little baby,"

"Our little boy,"

"I love him already,"

"I do too,"

"ohh uhh, bad news... I shot your father,"

"Oh... I'm surprisingly not upset about that,"

"Good, we have enough to worry about." I chuckled giving the little boy's head a sweet kiss, "He's so beautiful," I cooed, "You have any more ideas about names?"

"I did have one,"

"Ohh?"

"little George,"

"Little George, I think that's perfect Y/n." I cooed kissing his little head and her sweet cheek, "I love you so so much,"

"I love you more," she cooed,

"You rest I'll look after George, I promise I am keeping you both safe for as long as I need to." 

#tbs smut #tbs imagines #tbs imagine #thomas sangster imagine #thomas brodie sangster imagine #thomasbrodiesangster #thomas sangster #thomas brodie sangster smut #thomas brodie sangster #tbs #tmr newt fanfic #tmr newt #newt tmr #tmr newt smut #tmr newt imagine #tmrnewt #tmr fandom #newt maze runner #newt #maze runner newt #newt imagine #newt imagines #tmr newt imagines

[darkartistyt]

I would read that Layton colour essay if you were to write it :)

Hello, hello! Aspiring graphic designer Atticus here to infodump about my semi-basic understanding of color theory in my current favorite video game series

I could probably talk one’s ear off about the symbolism of the colors themselves, but I will instead try to focus on what they mean in regards to the plot and the characters as a whole

Let us begin with our titular protagonist, Hershel Layton

Our favorite lego man has gone through a handful of design changes throughout his life

His palette in this image is pretty simple (I mean, no shit, Sherlock, he’s 5, but still…) A cute little sulfur and white shirt and light blue pants make up his outfit here. Yellow is a color often associated with happiness and, at times, innocence, and that coupled with the brightness of said yellow and the white accent conveys that well, in my opinion. He’s a young child, living a happy life with his family, but after Targent takes them away, we see a drastic shift in colors

This is the outfit he wears when first meeting the Laytons, who will soon become his new family and identity. Notice how dull the colors are, especially compared to Desmond, who is still wearing that same red-orange vest (or at least a very similar one) and a bright red tie. Another thing to point out is the composition of the colors themselves. Here we have an orange button-down shirt underneath a dark colored coat (grey in this case)... now where have we seen that before?

This iconic composition is tied directly with the name Hershel Layton. And Desmond’s palette remains because they have yet to receive their new identity; they are not yet Desmond Sycamore.

Moving ahead through the timeline, Hershel’s colors become a lot brighter, the white returns, and now he has a bright red vest

Sure, it’s not exactly the same, but all (and I mean all) the colors are incredibly similar to Desmond’s and identical in composition. I’m sure it has been stated time and time again how this palette and composition was given to him along with the name Hershel, but it is interesting to note that it doesn’t stop at just the red vest

Red becomes a very prominent color later on, too

His outfit is almost entirely red as a university student

You get it by now; I really don’t want to overstate this point…

ANYWAY 👏

Post Claire getting yeeted through time and space, he starts wearing his coat more frequently as well as an orange shirt. I cannot remember where I saw this but someone made a post saying how that palette was symbolic of how he was at the time; the darkness of the coat, pants, and hat representing his grief and the seemingly oversaturated orange representing his remaining hope, I believe was what they said

And this brings us back to Desmond. Both of them underwent a drastic change in coloration after losing those they loved. Both of them now sport an identical dark brown, which is the same EVEN WITH DESCOLE

Were it not for the lining and shading, the area around Des’s legs would have blended perfectly

The only difference is Hershel has a very bright accent, one that is more than just a dash of red or purple (the boa and mask don't count mostly bc that’s exclusively a Descole thing and not shared with Desmond); it’s his second most used color. He hasn’t fallen as far into darkness as Des; he still has some light in him keeping him from traveling down the same path as his sibling

After that point, though, both of their designs remain consistent, so there’s not much more I can say about them…

Ok Luke time

I think my favorite thing about Luke’s palette is how much it complements Hershel’s

Blue is the opposite of orange, and Luke’s secondary color has always been a pale peach off-white that looks almost grey against the blue, which works with Hershel’s off-black dark brown

For funsies, I put the above image through a reverse gradient filter and snagged some colors to compare

While not identical in hue or anything, the inversions are still pretty close

And Luke has gone through a lot of design changes too

That Luke Blue™ becomes more prominent the older he gets, changing into a much more saturated blue when he’s 14 before his composition pulls a complete 180

Because his color palette stays pretty much the same, there’s not much to say yet on the symbolism of the changes and whatnot. We’ll have to wait until NWoS’s release to see if there is something or if I’m pulling a High School English Teacher

But yeah, Luke is quite opposite to Hershel in many ways, yet they go together extremely well. Luke is energetic, spunky, a bit sassy at times, and is far more outspoken 24/7. Herschel is calm, quiet, almost overly polite, and pretty reserved, always waiting until he has all the pieces in place before revealing his findings and generally not letting many people know about his personal life. They are complete opposites, yet they complement each perfectly, and their color schemes reflect this

And now we get to the fun part… ✨The Villains✨ Specifically Dimitri Allen and The Masked Gentleman

The Future Layton disguise is pretty much just a desaturated Hershel Layton and is way more representative of Dimitri himself than Hershel. It utilizes colors that, while not directly opposite to Dimitri’s design, complement his

Note the blue and red scarves, shift from off-black to off-white and vice versa,  and the red and white roses

Dimitri is our first example of a villain just being a light theme Hershel Layton. He’s reserved, intelligent, forward thinking, creative, and harbors a strong love for Claire. The difference is Dimitri’s “the ends justify the means” mentality. Were Hershel to have that kind of a mindset, I would not be shocked if the story of Future London ends up a reality

And then we have The Masked Gentleman…

Where he lacks similarities in character, Randall’s villainsona makes up for in its coloration. Turning Randall’s prominent purple into an accent separates him from the man behind the mask while the outfit in general is eerily similar to Hershel’s, just with its own Descole-esque spin on it. The hues of their major colors are nearly exact (32 and 31 respectively), blonde hair is pretty much opposite of brunette, and, most obviously, the red and green bands on their hats are compliments of each other. Not only that, but certain parts of Randall’s outfit are tilted down where Hershel’s are tilted up and vice versa, and rounded corners become sharper and vice versa

Putting our boy through a reverse gradient demonstrates this well I think

Could I go more in depth and drag this out even more unnecessarily long than it needs to be? Maybe. Am I going to? No.

Pretty much everything else I could say has to do with little things that don’t matter at all plot wise (aside from maybe kat and flora having warm colors too and alfie being the outlier and blah blah blah) but this is already over 1000 words long and holy shit i rambled so much my goodness

Anyway, excited to pick apart NWoS once that comes out. Just from the trailer alone I can already tell I’m gonna have fun with this one >:]

#ok its not really an /essay/ essay #more just me going on and on and on #it's fine whatever #my dumbass ramblings #professor layton #hershel layton #desmond sycamore #jean descole #luke triton #dimitri allen #randall ascot #edit - i just realised the image of dimitri didn't copy over and hershel got autocorrected to herschel at least once #note to self - don't use google docs for this stuff

[shoujomangathoughts]

Shoujo Thoughts - Banana Fish

I decided recently to rewatch Banana Fish. I have a lot of thoughts on this series (it's in my top three, if not my favorite series) so I doubt I'll be able to go over everything that I could. This will contain spoilers for the series so here's the warning for that.

I won't spend a ton of time going over Ash and Eiji's relationship because I feel that's the conversational ground that others have covered the most. What I will say though is that I don't really see BF as a BL series or even really think that Ash and Eiji necessarily love each other in a romantic way. This series certainly inspired a lot of LGBTQ+ stories but I've always liked that Ash and Eiji's relationship seems to be in some sort of gray area; it feels ambiguous enough to remain interpretable. I don't want to take away from any queer elements that people may like about the story, but I also think it's sometimes important for media to display emotional intimacy between men, as I feel a lot of stories don't let this aspect exist unless they're romantically involved (or sometimes it's the setup for gay jokes). I like that this series kind of walks the line, though I'm sure many will disagree since BF has had a reputation for being a BL especially after the anime and it's modern popularity.

Something interesting about the relationship between Ash and Eiji for me is the "selfish" reasons they seem connected and how that relates to parts of their character arcs. To Ash, Eiji has an innocence that he tries to protect, as his was trampled on at an early age. It's interesting to see this shift, things like giving Eiji a gun in the beginning to refusing him one when escaping Golzine's mansion. This aspect of Eiji also grounds Ash in a sense - conversations they have like when Ash talks about his fear of pumpkins shows a more innocent side to Ash that can't frequently be on display because of everything around him, but it reminds us of how young he actually is (Ibe notices this as well). Eiji's perspective on things and his experiences are so vastly different that it helps balance Ash out. Eiji, on the other hand, sees Ash and his role in helping him as a way to not quit something. He quit pole vaulting after an injury that also led to some psychological barriers, and in some sense he sees the events that take place as a means of not repeating what he believes to be past mistakes. In some ways, it also comes across a little bit that Eiji almost has a hero complex when it comes to Ash. I don't mean this in a negative way at all, but I think it also demonstrates some of Eiji's naivety (albeit still good-natured) by thinking that it would be so easy for Ash to start over. Their relationship obviously has other layers as well, but I've always found these aspects interesting and they're not as often brought up when it comes to the nuance of the how the characters in this story feel very "human'.

Another aspect I want to talk about is the antagonists. I feel as though characters like Dino come across well and as intended, but some of the others don't or feel as though there might be a bit of missed potential. I feel like Yut-Lung didn't quite live up to his full potential; the way he acted in the beginning versus when he was working with the mafia is a bit confusing at times as he used to use secret techniques and trained moves but then ends up in a bit of a damsel situation. His motivations however are solid and show off what his role is well in my opinion. Fox is the other antagonist that people seem to have issue with. While I think his role is fine and does a good job at reinforcing the fact that Dino really does have connections in all sorts of places (and the parallels to Ash being legally 'dead'), his shift into essentially being the "final boss" doesn't work for some and I see why. He wasn't really built up to be that significant so it doesn't feel as satisfying as it should. Most of the other "villains" in the series are more interesting and end up being more memorable characters (Dino, Arthur, Yut-Lung, Blanca).

Something else that I appreciate in this story is the plot device of banana fish itself. The mystery of the drug is far more prominent early on, but I appreciate that as the story progresses, there is no magic cure developed that makes previous characters feel like they only had a case of bad timing. They outright say there is no cure for the drug and the story sticks to that, which is an aspect I respect. People also say that the plotline with the drug ends up taking a backseat, which I partially agree with, but it's also important to recognize that its role changes. At first, it's the core of the mystery and after that's uncovered, it turns into something that is more political in nature. I feel like some didn't like the change in role it had and that's why they say it's not important after around the halfway point. Not saying that the execution is without flaw, but the drug has a role, even if more in the background, throughout the whole series. The moment when Ash tells Sing to let the briefcase go is the moment Ash decides to let the existence of the drug die with the man that was at the head of it all (not to mention all the scientists and whatnot that had already been killed). It may seem unsatisfying, but Ash would rather just let its existence be wiped than deal with anyone else trying to do something with it, not to mention that he values Sing's life enough to help him even at the expense of something he'd chased the whole series, which shows that being around Eiji probably helped him open up and shows that some of his morals are in check.

The end of the series, while being somewhat controversial for some, is something that I still find myself liking. Honestly, the first time I watched the series I expected Ash to die; from the many moments of foreshadowing and knowledge of other mafia/gang series that show many of these people never being able to truly escape the world they're in. The story on a whole is about Ash and throughout the story he found solid people to love and trust, most specifically Eiji and Max (I'd also say he found strong allies in characters like Sing and Cain as well and Shorter was around before the series began). People always say they wished Ash could go to Japan to start over but I'm not of the opinion that an ending like that would suit the series. I've seen the ending being labeled as senselessly tragic or as some sort of cry-bait but I disagree. I know the mangaka made comments at one point about how at least part of her decision to end it with his death was due to all the death he caused, therefore claiming the ending was justified in her mind because of some sort of karma. I understand why people are rubbed the wrong way by this because of how traumatized Ash is, but I do think that's an angle that makes sense as well (keep in mind not all of Ash's killings were in self defense). Ash gets stabbed in a moment where he saw an opportunity to try again and is then reminded that he still has enemies. It reminds me of the look on his face when Dino dies; he doesn't seem relieved like he probably expected he would. Part of this is probably because he doesn't know what to do with his "freedom" because he's never allowed himself to think that far, but I think another part is that even though Dino is dead, he doesn't really feel free. I know some get upset that Ash gets fatally wounded by a "nobody" character like Lao (which some are under the impression that Ash wasn't fatally wounded and merely chose to bleed out due to a missing line from Lao in the anime), but I think it suits what Yoshida was going for and also reiterates the smaller, more petty enemies that Ash made throughout his life. Dino and some of the other big shot villains being killed did not automatically free Ash of being a part of this world. Ash gets to die knowing that there are people who care for him and that's a feeling that he'd never imagined himself having. He dies a person that experienced genuine care for him after having been starved of it his whole life. It comes across that he dies satisfied. I see why the ending doesn't work for some but I've always thought it made sense.

For now I'll stop here as these were just some observations I was making on rewatching the series knowing how I and others felt about certain aspects. I may end up making another post or something someday on BF because the series really means a lot to me. Thanks for reading!

#banana fish #anime #manga #shoujo #akimi yoshida

[boyfridged]

What's your opinion on each of the members of the bats? Do you think that they're becoming too saturated and that the new additions serve no purpose in furthering the plotline?

Also, do you think DC should have ended Robin altogether with Jason's death?

to start with the last question first: it's a difficult one, because in a way, you are asking if dc should have ended batman with jason's death. robin is such an inseparable part of the title. barr once said: "i'm convinced robin is a major reason why the batman strip has had such longevity” and he was right. it's impossible to imagine the series to keep going without robin long-term, which is what makes the reasoning behind killing off jason (which was originally supposed to remove robin from the narrative altogether) so imprudent.

on the other hand, i do hate how the re-introduction of the mantle was handled. there definitely should be a longer gap in-between jason and whoever was to be the 3rd robin. it might seem contrary to what i just said about robin’s presence being crucial, but it could work, because there's a sort of presence in absence, a whole set of hauntings that occur anyway, the memory of jason so tangible that it pervaded the continuation even with new characters occupying this space in the narrative. and i have learned to appreciate the shift in mood brought by jason's death (even if i'm still a firm believer he should have simply never been killed off), so it could be interesting to push this notion of gotham becoming darker and bruce never quite recovering even further.

i actually have a duke-centric wip about that-- tldr: bruce does not take tim as a robin, too consumed grief and not willing to take responsibility for another child; steph briefly tries to take the mantle, but bruce fires her even earlier; however, robin remains a symbol of hope, and we are robin still happens. since batman stopped investigating in the daylight and reverted to a status of an urban legend, duke becomes a self-made daylight protector of gotham.

but, as you can notice in that scenario, i presume that without robin bruce would get... sidelined in his own story, in a way. which i don't think would be necessarily a bad move, because i'd love it if dc let such huge changes to happen. but i do acknowledge that it's just not realistic for this medium/franchise. batman has to remain teh centre, and robin has to be there; i'm not sure a mere spectre would be enough in the end.

so hm. my answer is: no, robin should not end with jason's death, but there should be much more struggle with the mantle and its place in the narrative later on...

re: your first question(s), this is not a precise answer either, but i mostly agree. i reckon rn there are two main issues with the bats: 1. there are simply too many of them 2. and whenever dc actually makes an effort to acknowledge them all, they do it by putting them into a nuclear family like dynamics. additionally, they all get flattened down and there’s no exploration of individual relationships between them whatsoever; everyone needs a quip, a niche, which is the opposite of what they should be as a group; their skillset is intended to be strikingly similar.

moreover, i am (embarrassingly) very conservative when it comes to general themes of batman, and i feel like most of the contemporary batfam characters are way too removed from them, hence offering very little contribution to the mythos. because of that it also seems like dc (and fans) are playing with dolls rather than engaging with storytelling or the kind of social/political commentary that used to be much more prominent decades ago... which also, in consequence, means that (as you said), there's no progress in the plot; and i do not even expect anything radical, because this type of storytelling will probably always rely on preserving a certain status quo... but i'm a firm believer so much could be done at least in the domain of jurisprudence, for example- and it will not happen because it's hard to conduct long-term narrative changes when there's a whole crowd you have to accommodate.

also, each of these characters means there’s less narrative space for civilians and (non-villainous) opposition to bruce.

i will not get into detail about each of bats because it would take me forever and i'm not sure how broad your question is (do you mean only characters who work closer with bruce or every character associated with the symbol?) but if you're curious about particular ones, feel free to ask:)

#outbox

[crymeariveronceagain]

linh

my honest opinion of her:

okay. so here's the thing. canon linh is. not good. when i was re-reading the books, she was the character who stuck out to me the least, meant the least to me, etc. I felt no emotional connection with her in canon, primarily because the way she's written first of all, for a background character, gives you nothing to latch onto, and her personality is constantly shifting. she's a chameleon soul, with no fixed personality or morals, going whichever way the winds of the story pull her, and it's really annoying to me.

HOWEVER. TAKE HER OUT OF CANON AND FLESH HER OUT AND MAKE HER A REAL ACTUAL PERSON WITH A SET WAY OF MOVING THROUGH LIFE AND A PERSONALITY, and she's easily one of my favorite creations in the entire series. I love her so much. Just as long as she's not a girl who could be renamed "hydrokinetic biana" or "asian maruca", yknow? each character ought to be distinct in their own right, and as far as canon linh goes, I feel like she doesn't stick out from the dark like a light she could be.

BUT ANYWAYS I REALLY LOVE THE IDEA OF LINH THATS SOFT AND SMART AND QUIET AND FRIENDLY and moves through life like she's water, passing over it all and shaping it slowly! i love a soft and kind war criminal and murderer who is haunted by what she had very little control over. i love her. i love her i love her. i want to pick her up and hug her. i want to wrap her in a blanket and give her a cup of hot cocoa. i want to kiss her forehead.

who i ship her with:

aww nobody. best little aro-ace. she's the best wingman, and she 100% teases you about your relationship. Equally it's that no one deserves her and that no one in the series matches her well enough for me to be satisfied.

predictions for the next book:

hahah i havent even read stellarlune

she's gonna immediately make up with Tam. Or never speak to him again. One of the two. Either way, it will hurt me as a writer.

She's going to learn some sort of blood-bending and the black swan is going to start taking advantage of her abilities

she's actually the key to defeating the pyrokinetics. actually.

she is going to commit a lot of murder.

Both her and Tam are getting adopted into the Alenefar family and im dying on this hill, if it doesn't happen, or isn't even implied, im actually gonna cry.

She's going to cut her hair. Jagged and short, all the silver taken out of it. She's going to sport a bob and short bangs. It's going to annoy her, but she'll grow it out again. She needs freedom from herself, to wipe the red in her ledger out, and i think a hair cut will be a great way for her to start to let go of all the past sins she's committed. She's confessed, she's done her penance, now i think all that remains is for her to finally, finally, forgive herself.

#thanks for the ask! #kotlc #kotlc linh #linh song #dadwinstan my dear #kotlc headcanons #kotlc theories #kotlc thoughts #ask game #kotlc ask game

[methinmycoffee]

Side character shenanigans

~~Jimmy Valmer~~

Part one? Probably, but you can never be to sure.

Anyway, let’s talk Jimmy. First introduced in Season 5 episode 2 “Cripple Fight” and intended to be a one time character, just a rival to Timmy. The staff liked him so much that they kept him around. His character still needed some major fleshing-out though, and as his character developed, so did his role in the show.

Originally, in “Cripple Fight” he was relatively one dementional . He reminds me of Jamie Grimm from the I Funny book series. Not that funny, sort of stuck up, and a sappy inspirational story. Honestly, I’m with Timmy on this one, Jimmy is very hittable. At least in this first episode. He’s a solid rival that you’re not supposed to root for, especially in the way that the other people in town treat him, and the way he treats Timmy. The population liked Jimmy though, so he was going to stick around, but he had to change.

Just like Tweek and Craig before them, Jimmy and Timmy never spoke of their massive fight ever again. In fact, they were friends throughout the rest of their episodes together. Ironically, Jimmy would take center stage in front of Timmy for the rest of the show, just like he did in ‘Cripple Fight’.

As Jimmy shifted in to the main cast of the show, the largest part of his character, his affinity for lame ass jokes, remained relatively constant. However, all though he was still pretty confident, he was less stuck-up and bossy. His main thing for a while tended to be getting in to extremely adult situations, while maintaining the relative naïveté to what he was actually doing. Episodes like “Krazy Kripples” (S7 E2) and “Erection Day” (S9 E7) are the best examples of this. Though he also took lots of steroids in the episode called “Up the Down Steroid” (S8 E2) but it doesn’t fit quite as well because he knew exactly what he was doing it that one. It was still him getting in to a very adult situation, though.

He was sidelined a lot after that. His next large episode was probably “Fishsticks”all the way in Season 14, but he still appeared in most of the group episodes, where lots character has a couple lines each. He also has an ongoing “rivalry” of sorts with Nathan, but it really doesn’t go anywhere for him, other than affecting him a little down the line in his journalism storyline. His small part in the episode “Quest For Ratings’”(S8 E11) established his love for honest news, which would come back in Season 19.

Speaking of season 19, Jimmy’s back. Mostly without the lame jokes, and with a whole lot more journalistic integrity. He takes the lead on a very confusing set of three serialized episodes about advertising. A little boring, good thing they aren’t totally shifting his character into a generic action movie good guy who goes a little astray but his heart’s in the right place. Oh, wait. Jimmy took a major turn, away from what had originally made his character, and even if you think this change was for the better it was an undeniable change.

He didn’t really go back after that. He also didn’t really do that much for a while. Other than being in the Post-COVID specials as a famous comedian, but everyone did something in those. He most recently delivered some wonderful toilet paper related facts, which brought back his desire to spread the truth and revealed that he wrote an exposé on the toilet paper industry when he was in 2nd grade.

Overall: Jimmy went from “one-off rival to Timmy” —>”a steroid-taking, gang-joining, hooker-banging funny man” —> “incredible journalist with an unquenchable thirst for the truth”. Quite the pipeline. Honestly, I don’t love what they’ve been doing to Jimmy’s character lately, but he was never my absolute favorite. Still, his abrupt character change and his shift away from being a comedian is a little strange in my opinion.

Honestly I kind of want to know what other people think about him. If they saw the change or if they didn’t and if they like it/him. He’s not super popular in the fandom, but I feel like most people have got to have some sort of opinion on him. Let me know what you think, I’m genuinely curious.

#side character shenanigans #Jimmy Valmer #south park #okay #sorry that was a rambley mess #I honestly think that Jimmy had some solid potential but was never really used correctly #I just wanted to track his character because I think he’s had such an interesting shift #I wanted to try and figure out what happened and why he seemed different lately #I might do this again #if I do I’ll start with Clyde I think #he’s also been a little funky lately #let me know if you want to see that too #sorry it took me so long to make this post #I have a longer post sitting in my drafts but it needs to be finished/edited #once again #I apologize for this absolute gramatical nightmare of a post #I hope it’s comprehensible #and I hope you have a good day #<3

[lyesander]

I'm g2b soon so I might not see your answer until tomorrow but since you want to talk Mash and I'm curious: who's your favourite character and why? And what would you say is your favourite season overall?

Incidentally we seem to have a few similar slightly niche opinions lol, I was just saying the other day that I don't take the 11 years of actors aging as diegetic canon and I have a few posts about how frustrating The Price and Your Retention Please are too (though I didn't realize the Korean war hero was in a Japanese uniform in The Price, oof). So I'm looking forward to seeing more of your takes on the show.

I'll admit, I didn't know what a Japanese cavalry uniform looked like until I watched that episode, but it seemed a little off, so I did a bit of digging and yeah, Japanese, not Korean. Which isn't too surprising for M*A*S*H, but it definitely helped shift my general ambivalence towards the episode to outright dislike. It's one of the few that really can't be redeemed for me, even though the concept of Hawkeye trying (and failing) to keep a draft dodger out of the ROK is interesting.

I'm far more indifferent to "Your Retention Please." It's not a great episode, I don’t plan on rewatching it, but that’s just because it doesn’t really do much for me. It reads as a really washed out commentary on military retention (re-enlisting Klinger while he was down on his luck about his ex was kind of laughable to me; predatory enlistment has way more to do with socioeconomics than it does, uh, boohoo my ex-wife is still shitty), but that's it's biggest sin.

The calvary stuff is definitely my biggest costuming gripe, but I do remember at one point Mulcahy comes on screen wearing a collegiate hoodie and I had to restrain myself from yelling "THEY DIDN'T START PUTTING COLLEGE LOGOS ON HOODIES UNTIL THE 60S!" As though that matters to anyone except me, haha.

If you want, DM me the posts you're referring to and I'll send you my thoughts. I've been binging the series for the first time over the past week, and just wrapped up the finale yesterday, so right now I'm still kind of processing.

As for my favorite characters, I usually gravitate towards the leads. Hawkeye's definitely my favorite. I appreciate how overtly anti-military he and Trapper are, while both still retaining a lot of period typical flaws you'd see in most mid-century, white American males. It’s particularly apparent Hawkeye's misogyny, the cognitive dissonance he seems to face when he’s confronted with the fact that no matter how much he hates it, he’s still part of the war effort, etc. But his character development remains fairly consistent for being a non-chronological show.

I really like characters who desperately try to be good people, but still fail in many ways, whether it be through their own, unconscious biases, egos, or faulty coping mechanisms. Putting them in a high stress situation, like war, makes those idiosyncrasies stand out all the more. Hawkeye is full of idiosyncrasies. The episodes that explore his more manic moments are some of my favorites. There are a couple of particularly underrated scenes in "Stars and Stripes" where he's desperately cramming a scrabble board under the noses of anyone who looks at him for more than two seconds. By Depressing News, we see ten seasons worth of trauma start getting to him, but like Sidney said, he'd be crazy if it didn't.

He's also just a very charming, funny person. He holds a lot of love for his friends. Henry wasn’t wrong in saying "Hawkeye's kind of the heartbeat of the 4077th." Which is another interesting side to Hawkeye's character - while he likes attention, he obviously doesn't like people regarding him as someone worth looking up to. It’s why he thrives on goofy antics in post-OP and around camp, but gets viscerally uncomfortable when he’s, say, swarmed by reporters like in “Heroes” or put on a pedestal like in “Fallen Idol.”

Second favorite is probably Charles. Despite being the last of the main crew to become a regular cast member, I think he has the most character growth of anyone in the show. His episodes were definitely some of the most emotional for me, even beyond Hawkeye's breakdown eps. There's something just very poignant about watching Charles be quietly humbled. "Actually no, that thought hadn't occurred to me. That would be interesting, wouldn't it?" and "Those men weren't soldiers, they were musicians" are two of the most haunting lines of the show.

I do like Frank, but my appreciation for him is more as a narrative foil for Hawkeye and Trapper than it is as a character or person. He's very funny, he does a good job portraying what he's supposed to, and he has absolutely no redeeming qualities. At best, you pity him.

Margaret and Klinger tie for third. Margaret’s another character who exhibits a lot of growth over the course of the series. She’s still a bootlicker, but seeing her develop into her own person outside of Frank or any of the shitty men she finds herself tied to is extremely satisfying. I like it when she’s able to pal around with the others. Klinger would have beaten Margaret but I don’t really enjoy his character arc. I understand it, but his gradual acceptance and indoctrination into the military reads as a tragedy to me.

Henry and Trapper tie for forth. Henry takes a very, very slight lead just because he's such an endearing little doormat to me, but had Wayne Rogers gotten his wish and had Trapper become a more fully rounded character, he'd probably win out.

Third and fourth places are very close. I actually struggled with which ones I wanted to put first.

I have surprisingly few thoughts on BJ, for someone who typically enjoys musing about characters with issues. He’s fine, I guess. I like that he’s got a manipulative streak. Sometimes watching the girls fight is enjoyable, sometimes it isn’t. He clearly cares for his friends, but he’s terrible at showing it. He expresses himself through concrete actions, not vulnerability. I really wish Farrell had been more open to letting BJ be the fall guy every now and then, like Hawkeye and Charles. I think I’d have liked him more if there had been any sort of acknowledgment by the narrative that BJ struggles with his own internal biases, because he totally does; it’s just never talked about. I prefer thinking up meta on BJ, but I prefer watching Trapper.

Favorite side character is Flagg. He’s one dimensional, but also a total riot.

Least favorite character is Potter. I went from liking him, to feeling conflicted, to actively disliking him over the span of a day. Go figure.

As for my favorite season, I’m not sure I have one. I pick and choose my favorite episodes. I think the only season I struggled to pull three solid eps from was season eleven, but I honestly enjoyed the finale and that’s like four episodes rolled into one, so I dunno. I wasn’t huge on season ten, either. 

If I had to pick a favorite.. prooobably season three? You start getting glimmers of the more dramatic, character driven episodes, but Trapper and Henry are still there and you have a lot of the really fun, early season antics. Because it’s still, you know, the early seasons. 

I actually do appreciate the tone shift from a thematic perspective. Something, something, losing your innocence, blah blah blah. Not that the early episodes were particularly innocent, but M*A*S*H does a hard swing from satirical comedy to character driven tragedy (with comedic elements) as the reality of the crew’s situation really starts sinking in.

#marley-manson #lye speaks #mash 4077

[kwockxpressions]

Christine Mao

1. Name, Year, Major & Hometown

Christine(Yingxuan) Mao, Biological Sciences, Beijing, China

2. What are you most proud of?

I’m proud of having too many things to be proud of.

3. If you could choose a Sanrio character as a pet, which one would it be and why?

Cinnamoroll. He can be my perfect coffee mate and fly me around the cafes in town.

4. What is the biggest green flag in someone?

Immediately Venmo back one’s own part when you make a purchase together.

5. What’s your biggest ick?

Shaking leg in a row of seats.

6. If you were Kirby, who/what would you swallow and become?

Dialga. It’s cool to have the ability to control time and be time itself. Time is the most precious thing in my opinion and I wish I could pause it so I have infinite time to do whatever I want to do

7. What’s the most embarrassing moment in your life?

Humming on the train with my ear pods on before knowing how loud I actually was.

8. When’s the last time you cried?

The most recent time is when watching the last episode of the Netflix series Beef. I felt relatable to the characters.

9. What’s your most used emoji?

Texting with on WeChat: face with tears of joy Other platforms: Eyes

10. What do you value in friendship and tell me about your best friend?

In a friendship, I think being loyal and sincere is the most important. Friends love you the same even after seeing the part you normally hide from everybody else. They are proud for your smiles and would weep for your tears. In retrospect, I’ve had a lot of friends who give me accompany through a certain time of my life: some of them are periodic and some of them I still remain a close contact with. However, there’s another type of friend who takes up the deepest cabinet of my heart even though we don’t meet or text as frequently. It’s the kind of friendship built on a firm foundation of trust and understanding. We trust each other’s loyalty. Our love never fades in time or space. Whenever we meet, the ambiance between us shifts back to when we first met in our childhood and everything feels like it just happened yesterday. My friendship with my best friend whom I knew in middle school goes above and beyond. Our hearts are connected by our similar backgrounds and the difficulties we’ve been through together when we study abroad in the US. For this reason, we became the irreplaceable piece of each other and our immense loyalty leaves no room for mistrust. When being with her, I feel comfortable expressing my feelings and being my true self. She is the Big Dipper that guides my way and the sunshine that fuels my strength —- the friendship that withstands both space and time.

#yourmomsnooksandcrannies

[bookwyrminspiration]

…I thought Renesmee was part of the werewolves or was like one of Edward’s family members (like his mom or something). Doesn’t she get with the guy named Jacob or something? (And is Jacob an actually important character or no?)

I know that Edward has an egg outfit, the thing about vampires not being able to change forms, and that someone in the family has the ability to see the future. Oh, and that there’s a character named Alice who someone thinks is pretty

I have to admit, I have a bad memory so I don’t remember everything.

I’m sorry for offending you, and the other twilight fans with my lack of knowledge. (/lh)Anyway, I hope that you are doing well.

-⚙️

Oh boy where to even start--you're close, but not quite there. You've got the details, but they're not quite connected. But no worries! I can help with that!

I'll first say it's Emmett, not Edward, who has the thing with the eggs. Which is unique to the movie and not from the books, and is mostly a fandom joke. Emmett is one of Edward's adopted brothers and one of my favorite characters. And Alice, who Roisin (and I) think is pretty, is the one who can see the future--but conditionally. There's rules to it, which are actually really cool and interesting in my opinion

Back to Renesmee: she is one of Edward's family members, she's his biological daughter with Bella, though her name is similar to his adoptive mother's, Esme. Which is, like I said, because her name is literally a combo of Renee and Esme. Bella named their daughter ship names of their parents.

And yes, she is connected to the werewolves as well, which is another very significant thing in book 4. And yes, Jacob is an incredibly important character--he's the other point of the infamous love triangle. Have you ever heard of Team Edward vs Team Jacob? That's typically the one thing non-twilight people know about it, aside from the sparkling skin. I don't even have the space to get into all the reasons why's he's important here. But like, Bella, Edward, and Jacob are the trifecta of Most Important Characters

Alright, buckle up, I'm about to throw a lot at you. In the twilight universe, there's this thing with werewolves called imprinting. When a werewolf lays eyes upon the subject of their imprinting for the first time (they don't get to choose who, it's kinda like a soulmate situation?), their entire world shifts and this person becomes the center of their universe, they are irreversible drawn to and infatuated with this person. They are bonded, and the wolf becomes whoever their person needs them to be, completely devoted to their service.

It is not inherently romantic, as the imprintee may need a platonic partner more than romantic, or a caretaker, etc. And the wolf will fill that role without complaint and completely willing, not wanting anything more than what their imprintee wants.

It is also not limited by age. After a werewolf has shifted for the first time, any member of the opposite sex can be their potential imprintee. Which includes children. There are two instances of children being imprinted on in the saga--first by Quil (no, I did not name myself after him, that was a coincidence) upon Claire, who is a toddler, and second by Jacob upon newborn Renesmee.

This is why Smeyer clarifies the not inherently romantic part, saying that in a situation like Quil and Jacob's case, that's not at all what Claire or Renesmee need from them, and they instead serve brotherly/caretaker roles. However, it is also said that their relationships will change as the imprintee ages to suit changing needs, and at one point the question is raised as to "who would reject that level of commitment?" (paraphrased). Which is in reference to romance, implying that once the kids are older, it's assumed it will become romantic. And yes, even though werewolves also don't age so long as they're routinely shifting and will remain young, that is very fucked up and creepy. It's one of the most discussed, disliked parts of the series, and almost no one's happy about it. Like the entire fandom lives in fear that one day Smeyer's join to write a Jacob/Renesmee book

So Renesmee is a human-vampire hybrid, and she's tied to the werewolves. Which is really important to the plot for a variety of reasons. Werewolves and vampires don't get along, so having one as part of both worlds builds a bridge between them--and on a more personal level, allows a relationship between Bella and Jacob after her transformation, when they'd previously thought they'd never see each other again (because vampires and werewolves hate each other). And finally puts an end to Jacob's pining after Bella, because now he's not focused on her. They solved the love triangle by setting up the third with the other two's daughter...Also, Jacob's former pack intended to kill Renesmee because she's a creepy fucked up half-breed and breaks the truce, but the most sacred werewolf law is that you cannot kill the object of another's imprinting. So since Jacob imprinted on her (mere minutes after birth, there truly is no age limit) she's now save from being killed by the other werewolves.

There's more I could say, and this probably also raises even more questions, but I hope that helps clarify some of it! And that you're also doing well!

#the twilight saga #the twilight renaissance #quil's queries #⚙️ nonsie #a lot of this is just so second nature to me that i might've assumed you knew some things you didn't #or that things made sense when really I needed to explain them more without meaning to #so if that's the case. my apologies! I'm more than happy to explain #jacob also intended to kill renesmee when she was born. because he was mad she killed bella via being born #but then he saw her and BOOM imprinted he could never bring himself to harm her only to be everything and anything she needs #i wonder what its like to read this as someone who doesn't know about twilight #must be pretty fucked up

[mimzy-writing-online]

Writing Toph Beifong, Advice from a Blind Writer

I’m Mimzy, an actual visually impaired writer and blogger who talks a lot about writing blind characters accurately and sensitively. A while back someone sent me an anon asking how to write Toph more accurately and sensitively.

Anonymous asked: Hi there! Your blog has been super-helpful already - I thought I knew a bit about writing with blind characters, but it turns out there was a lot to learn - but this is more specific. I'm writing a The Last Airbender fanfiction, and one of the characters is Toph. I think the fandom has done a fairly good job of respecting her blindness, but what are some things you'd like to see when people write her? I want to represent the character as best as possible; thanks in advance!

It’s taken a while for me to answer because I have a lot of thoughts about it as both a blind writer and someone who has read a lot of atla fanfiction. So here we go:

Before we get started, I want to mention some things: 

One: I have an entire series for writing blind characters that continues to grow with time and the most up-to-date version can be found pinned as the top post on my blog. There will be a time-stamp for when the post was last edited and a long series of links to all relevant posts on the subject.

Here’s a quick link to that post, but again, all you have to do is click my blog url and you’ll find it immediately.

Two: I’ve noticed something amazing about the atla fandom and I would like to thank you for it. I’ve noticed a lot of bloggers have taken to writing image descriptions for both the fanart and memes you post in the fandom, whether it’s OP including the description or another blogger adding it themselves. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a fandom so consistently doing this and that’s incredible. Realizing how many different blogs were picking up this habit has warmed my heart.

I’d like to see writers use her other senses. There’s soooo so much more to her O&M (Orientation and Mobility) than earth sense. 

Beyond sight and earth bending, there’s hearing, touch, smell, taste, sense of direction, hot vs cold, sense of pain, sense of where your body parts are in relation to the rest of you, sense of internal well-being, etc. Before Toph had mastery of her earth bending, she had to have mastery of those too.

Toph also must have very strong opinions about certain smells, sounds, tastes, and textures. Toph is opinionated about everything, and when so much of your understanding of the world depends on senses that most people are ignoring in favor of some other sense you don’t have, it gets frustrating. I’m sure that tree looks pretty but the smell is terrible. Who cares if this fabric looks pretty, it’s scratchy, do. not. like. at. all.

But also in positive ways too. Oh, that flower arrangement looks bland and monochromatic? Who cares, it smells sweet and honey-like. Weird dark cavern with high ceiling and no light? The harmonics are awesome.

Every character probably has a certain sight or image they’re particularly fond of: Katara watching snow fall, or Aang enjoying how small the world looks from up on Appa, or Zuko enjoying the sunrise every morning during meditation. In that line, Toph must have some things personal to her that she enjoys.

I imagine she likes the taste of foods familiar to her childhood, the smell of whatever flowers grew around her home, and the texture of certain kinds of dirt Example: loose dirt probably isn’t the best for seeing, but I think she would enjoy how it feels to run her fingers through it or maybe enjoy the way it softens her perception of the world the same way sighted people like to see colorful, bright lights reflecting off puddles in the middle of rain.

If you struggle with this, that’s okay. I recommend taking some time to think about it for yourself, to find what tastes and smells and textures and sounds you enjoy the most, what makes you feel safe and at home, what brings you comfort, and relate that back to Toph.

In a Modern AU, I want to see Toph have a cane. Even in a Modern AU with bending included in the world building, I think Toph would benefit from having a cane.

The cane has a lot more function than bumping into things. A big part is that it signals to others that you are very obviously blind. Which is a big deal because sighted people are really, really bad at spotting the blind person.

(psst, please stop saying ‘the blank look in her eyes’ because I swear to god it’s been killing me inside for years.)

Also, even in an AU with bending, I think Toph would like the advantage of tapping her cane to create a stronger, more distinct vibration than a small shifting of her weight on her feet. It would have more control.

You could give Toph a guide animal, buuuuuuut, um, Toph is not a guide dog person. Like, there are some people who definitely prefer a guide dog, and some people who definitely prefer a cane, and some who definitely prefer no mobility device at all. Toph does not have the vibes of someone who wants to be both responsible and reliant on an animal when she’s so insistent that she can take care of herself on her own. Toph likes animals, but not that much.

Although, yeah, only 10% of the blind community use mobility devices, so cane and guide dog users are the minority of the blind community, but I stand by the vibe that Toph would love the independence of a cane. Also, it’s almost never ever done. Modern AUs never seem to touch much on Toph’s O&M skills with canes or guide dogs.

I wrote a whole post on everything you need to know about canes, what orientation and mobility is, how you learn O&M, what kind of canes exist, how to use them, how to describe the sensory input a cane gives you, and everything I know about guide dogs from past research.

Honestly, you could give Toph (or any blind character) a cane in any AU, because I fully stand by the theory that canes are a piece of technology that has been invented, lost, and reinvented again and again.

I wrote “I found a piece of lost blindness history” a few months ago after a visit to see my grandparents. My grandmother told me how her blind aunt found a way to write letters by hand to send to my grandmother when she was a child. I speculated on how the long cane has probably been invented and then lost and then reinvented over and over again in history, as well as giving a little history on the growing popularity of guide dogs in the 20th century following World War 1.

About the “blank look in her eyes,” I have a theory to the exact cause and nature of Toph’s blindness.

I know it’s common to think that the milky green color of her eyes is why she’s blind, though I’m not sure how many realize that milky green color is caused by severe cataracts. At least, cataracts is what I assume to be the reason for the color of her eyes. However, people with cataracts still have some remaining sense of light and shadow perception.

Only 9% of the blind community is completely blind, seeing absolutely nothing. The rest have some remaining vision, even if that’s only light and shadow perception or the perception of vague movement.

The percentage of people born completely blind is even smaller.

Toph says that she’s never been able to see, which would lead me to guess that the initial cause of her blindness was a defect with the visual processing part of her brain. I also theorize that the cataracts developed slowly over her very formative years and that she likely wasn’t born with them. For that reason, I think it would have taken a few weeks or months for her parents to realize there was something wrong with her eyes.

Here is a post about the developmental years of blind children and how their life would differ from both sighted children and from someone who went blind as an adult.

What is it like to see nothing?

It’s a concept that sighted people struggle with and I completely understand. I myself didn’t understand the concept of “nothing” until someone explained it as this:

“Imagine trying to see out the back of your head.”

Which, genuinely, imagine that. Try that. Because here’s what I found. There’s no part of my body that can help perceive that. I don’t have eyes there, nor do I have a part of my brain that can process that. Because of this, there is no sense of light or dark, no shape or shadow or movement or depth that I can perceive. There is nothing.

And honestly, it gives me a headache trying to think too much about it.

Toph doesn’t see black, doesn’t have a mental image of it. When people talk about light and dark, Toph has nothing to base the concept on. The closest relation she has to that is silence versus sound, or her earth sense when she’s in the air on Appa versus when she’s on solid ground. But it’s not the same.

I would like to examine the way the show tried to describe Toph’s earth sense, that black void with ripples of white stretching from her feet and outwards. Television is a visual medium so of course their explanation of Toph’s earth sense would be visual, but that’s not what it’s actually like in her head. More accurately, it’s like touching the back of your head to something and feeling what’s solid behind it and what has more give. A wall versus a pillow for example. Slamming your hand on a flimsy table and feeling it rattle under your palm. And for someone so adept at using that sense, she feels not just the table surface under her palm, but the individual rattles down the four legs, how uneven those rattles are because the legs are carved decoratively instead of solid planks, and how the foot of each leg bumps against the ground, and how the floor vibrates in response to the impact, which she feels in both her feet and hand. 

About Toph’s Relationship with Her Parents

It’s not something I see touched on much. There’s been a lot of focus on Zuko and Azula’s relationship with their parents and the abuse, as well as exploration of Sokka and Katara’s trauma with losing their mother, and Sokka looking up to his warrior father while Katara struggles with her abandonment issues.

Please don’t take this as a critique, because there are a few valid reasons for this and I would like to give you some insight on how to explore Toph’s relationship with her parents.

For starters, the show had a lot more reason to focus on Zuko and Azula’s parents, with Fire Lord Ozai being the primary villain and Zuko’s greatest abuser, and Azula’s dependent worship of her father in response to Ursa’s neglect and favoritism of Zuko, which was likely Ursa’s response to Ozai’s favoritism of Azula. Their parents are huge driving motivators for why Zuko and Azula make the decisions and mistakes they do, why they are at one point in the show the villains themselves. (And why I think Azula should get a redemption arc and some healing.)

Katara’s trauma of losing her mother and blaming herself is a huge factor in both her response to the war, her relationship with her bending, and her motherly nature with her friends. The show has to explore that. Just as it has to explore Sokka’s problems with toxic masculinity in response to being the man of his village, and his desire to be a great warrior and leader like the father he idolizes. 

The show needs to explore that to make the plot move forward, and it benefits from these being two sibling sets with different responses to their upbringing and different sibling dynamics, setting them up as foils for each other.

The show also wouldn’t benefit by giving Lao and Poppy Beifong more screen time. Their established character were two nobles who kept as far out of the war as possible and prospered monetarily for it. Poppy was polite and demure and Lao liked to lead the conversation. Unless the gAang decided to return to Toph’s home, those characters had no reason to pop up anywhere in the show. And if they did, they would be a hinder to Toph and her part in the plot as both Aang’s earth bending teacher and as the greatest earth bender in the world, tossing Fire Nation soldiers eight ways to Sunday. 

So truly, I understand that there’s not a whole lot of canon material (comparatively) to go off of when developing this, but I will offer some insight on what is there in canon.

Toph’s relationship with her parents is explored in that it maps out why Toph doesn’t want to be mothered by Katara, why she wants to prove how independent she is, but there’s very little on screen interaction between Toph and her parents.

Toph deeply loves her parents. I think that plays into why she doesn’t want Katara mothering her, because she has a wonderful mother at home who she loves and wants to better understand her, but she had no friends growing up and no older sister, which are the roles she needs and wants Katara to fill. If Toph wanted a mother figure, she would have latched onto Katara. Look at how Zuko never sought out another mother figure but did find a father figure in Iroh as he began to heal from his childhood trauma and separate his self image from his father’s acceptance.

Toph is in a complicated situation, she loves her parents but the way they’re raising her is hurting her in the long run. But Toph can see that their actions are because of their immense love for her. She can see how they would do anything for her. While she never had any examples of how other noble children were treated by their parents, who might have been distant or disinterested or always away for their social and work lives, she was remarkably loved by her parents. Her father put careful thought into her tutors and checked in on her progress. Her mother feared for Toph’s emotional state when she was kidnapped (even if she was incorrect about how Toph would respond), showing genuine empathy for her daughter.

I think their over protective nature became the love language Toph best understood them by, and part of her reasoning for not revealing how capable she was, was because she wanted to keep experiencing that love and care for as long as she could. But it’s not a love language she would put up with from anyone else.

I would like to point out Toph’s genuine excitement to see her mom again in the season finale of Book Two, how badly Toph wants her mom to understand and accept her for who she is.

My thoughts on what Toph can’t do: read, swim, see in the sand, fight things mid-air.

For how incredibly powerful the show makes Toph with her earth bending and the O&M she taught herself through it, they do touch on some of her weaknesses when they come up and find a useful way to showcase them.

The Serpent’s Pass was an excellent example of Toph’s vulnerability in water. From her fear of not being able to see on Katara’s ice bridge to not being able to swim and needing Suki to save her, Toph’s weaknesses putting her in danger added to the excitement and “sitting on the edge of your seat” feeling while watching the episode without turning her into someone who was helpless. She was just in a position where her normal defenses were useless.

Just like the earth benders in the metal prison in the ocean, or Katara having little water in the middle of a desert where her friends needed that water to survive more than she needed it to fight, making her vulnerable later in the show when the insect-wasp things attacked. Just like fire benders being weaker at night, or powerless during a solar eclipse, or a sighted person being lost in the dark. Those were just situations in which the tools you were accustomed to relying on could no longer help you or were taken away.

The show was clever in that it didn’t make her inability to read a direct threat to her safety, but rather as a clever plot device for her to be alone when the sand banders attacked and have to choose between fighting them to save Appa, or holding back an entire fricking building by the tiniest spire on its very top from falling into a void leading to the spirit world. It also showed her weakness to not being able to see or fight as well in sand. Which the show later made an effort to show how she’d improved on that problem in Book Three when she was surrounded by nothing but sand at Ember Island.

Like improving her ability to see in the sand, I would like to see a character teach Toph to swim, or at least float, so that she never feels helpless again. If she took the initiative to improve her sand bending so much, I’m sure she would have learn to swim eventually.

And on the note of reading, I’ve seen some speculation on how Toph could learn to read, whether it’s through using ink that has some percentage of earth mixed in, or developing the sensitivity to feel out the different weight, consistency, and texture of ink on paper. 

I would like to bring your attention to Louis Braille, the blind Frenchman who invented Braille while studying at  the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles, the world’s very first school for the blind in Paris France (established 1785). Previously Louis was learning to read through a method in which each letter was pressed into the paper to leave an imprint that someone could feel out with just their fingers.

Louis Braille concluded that raised lettering was impractical because-

1.       It is difficult to read, the letters had to be printed in huge font to be fully felt out and printed on thick paper.

2.       Thick paper means higher quality, more expensive. Larger font means more paper is needed for a single text.

3.       This made it inaccessible due to expense and the sheer volume of a text.

4.       If today’s Braille books are hard to access and giant compared to traditional books, I can’t imagine how inaccessible those raised letter books really were.

The subject of Braille, the start and controversial near downfall to  Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles were discussed in a post about writing a blind character during the Victorian Era.

I’ve heard others complain in the past about fantasy universes in which a sighted person invents a solution to allow the blind to read, when the most effective and longest lived method was invented by a blindman over two hundred years ago and is the standard taught in schools today.

And while I couldn’t easily explain it or how it works because I can neither read Braille nor speak Chinese, I can tell you that Chinese Braille exists and works only slightly differently from the Braille western languages use. So, again, modern AUs especially would benefit from enabling Toph to read Braille and use a computer and phone with screen reader.

But just as easily you could choose not to have her learn to read but rather have sighted people read things aloud to her. Whether it’s in a professional setting as an adult having an assistant who reads and writes for her, or as a cute, fluffy little moment between Toph and another character. Both are just as genuine to the blindness experience.

Blind Jokes

If you ever get around to reading my post about blind jokes, I’d like you to remember that it’s primarily written for people writing original characters and that Toph canonically makes blind jokes, so to take away from that would not be true to her character.

Does Toph’s Earth Sense Negate her Blindness?

It’s a question I’ve seen raised before and discussed by both abled, disabled, and blind people. There are multiple perspectives on it, but my own take on it is that Toph’s earth bending does not negate her blindness, but rather functions very much like the process of learning to use a cane.

She had a tool, a teacher, and she learned to use that tool. Instead of a cane, it was seismic perception and her teacher were blind badger-moles. She spent years learning to earth bend as they do and then continued to take it to new heights as she explored fighting with it on her terms against sighted fighters.

Come to think about it, I would love to see Toph teach another visually impaired or blind earth bender who to see and bend as she does.

Is Toph Good Blindness Representation?

This question was posed to me in the comments of my master post, and my answer was something like this: “Toph is good representation, but she can't be the only type of representation we get. She's the best we had 15 years ago, but there are a million ways to nuance the blindness experiences. Toph's experience being born blind, having very over protective parents, being a small girl in a patriarical and wealth influenced society, having no friends growing up. Those are all great aspects of blindness to show, but there is so much more to explore. As for her blindness and whether or not that's negated, that's also nuanced. She has limits, she's not all-powerful, but she is the best earth bender hands down. More or less, I love Toph, she's a great character, give me like a million more blind characters who are completely different from her.”

I want to see accurate and well-written blind characters become much more common in modern media, and that’s why I started this blog. So if you decide you want to write your own blind character from scratch, feel free to come back and look at some of my other stuff.

End Notes:

I want to thank the anon who sent the original question because it never occurred to me how much the atla fandom would benefit from a post like this. 

You should follow my blog. Along with advice about writing blind characters, I write general writing advice and answer questions about writing, college, plot development, character analysis, and living with blindness. I curate writing advice from fellow writeblrs, write my own image descriptions for writing memes, post about mental health and working/living with ADHD, disabilities outside of blindness, and LGBTQA+ topics. 

#avatar the last airbender #toph beifong #atla toph #atla #blind character #writing advice #writeblr #fanfiction

[avnkin]

Shake On It [ d. malfoy ]

Author’s Note: I originally planned on posting this as just one long fic buuut instead i’m going to do a mini series, ya know torture you guys just just a lil bit (gif is not mine) also I got all the information about the potions and the ingredients from harry potter wiki and of course I do not own harry potter or the storyline/characters.

Word Count: 8k

Summary: There’s little to nothing Draco values more than his reputation so when he sees it slipping, he’ll do anything in his power to catch it.

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader

Warnings: angst, foul language, some bullying and asshole!draco.

This is an AU so all the information doesn’t exactly line up with the hp storyline for example it takes place in sixth year but there’s no Voldemort so Dumbledore doesn’t die etc.

You’d never been much for the ‘social scene’ you just didn’t find enjoyment in the same things your classmates did, so you never really had a big friend group, your only acquaintance having been Irma Prince… The librarian.

That was until your second year when Hermione Granger came into your life like a ray of sunshine brightening up the dark loneliness that had consumed you your first year.

She introduced you to Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, although you were never as close with them as you were with Hermione you still couldn’t be more grateful for your newfound friend group, especially since you now didn’t have to endure Draco’s and his fellow Slytherin classmates torment alone.

You were and had always been an easy target for Draco and his entourage since you never really stood up for yourself, instead choosing to ignore how he continuously called you ‘a blood traitor’ for hanging out with ‘the likes of Hermione’ which you never understood, how was someone different from him just because they didn’t have magical parents?

It was a well-known fact that Draco’s father Lucius Malfoy was the cause of his attitude towards muggle-borns, you truly believed that man didn’t have a kind bone in his body.

You remembered once when you’d arrived at platform 9¾ after your third year Draco went to greet his parents and whilst Narcissa (his mother) gave him a big welcoming hug, embracing her son after not having seen him for many months Lucius simply stared down at him with a glare that could only be described as disgust and disappointment before turning and walking away without as much as a greeting to the platinum blond.

Still, that didn’t excuse Draco’s foul behaviour, he was old enough now to have his own opinions and morals and he didn’t seem to be planning on changing them anytime soon.

You were now in your sixth year and unsurprisingly nothing had changed, Draco was still the same arse he’d always been, but as the years went on it was getting progressively easier to ignore him since you’d gotten so used to it.

It almost felt like it had become a part of your daily routine for him to yell something degrading in the hallways, mostly directed at you or Hermione or whatever Gryffindor he felt like bullying that day.

Intently focusing on the potions book that laid opened before you, you carefully followed the detailed instructions, not wanting to get a single thing wrong since you needed at least an outstanding in this class to keep up your average.

The last part was to add: ‘One drop of Unicorn blood’

You grabbed the flask that contained the silver liquid and as steadily as possible you leaned the bottle over your cauldron, letting a small drop slip past the edge and into the black water, but as you began leaning back Pansy Parkinson ‘accidentally’ bumped into you causing the entirety of the bottle to spill into your potion.

You glared up at her as you watched the black liquid turn sickly green instead of sparkly blue as it should. She shrugged her shoulders innocently, before walking back to the station she shared with Draco who greeted her with an amused smirk before turning back to his work.

“Try not to think too much about it” Hermione’s comforting voice sounded from beside you. “I’m so sick of those two” you argued pouring the remaining containments of the cauldron into a sink, now having to start the entire potion all over again.

“I know, I am too” Hermione frowned glaring at the two Slytherins who didn’t even bother to look over at her.

“Miss Y/L/N weren’t you nearly finished a couple of minutes ago?” Professor Slughorn’s voice could be heard from behind you as he looked over your shoulder, an unimpressed look on his face.

“Uh- yes sir it’s just I accidentally put too much Unicorns blood and had to start over again” you lied looking into the now-empty cauldron before you, glaring at Pansy once you heard her quiet laughter from the other side of the classroom.

“Well alright, but I’d hurry if I were you, I’m afraid you’re running a bit short on time” he smiled before moving on to the students sat in front of you.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Hermione frowned once Slughorn was out of earshot, you gave her a knowing look having had this conversation with her on more than one occasion.

Tattling on them wouldn’t change anything it would simply make their torments increase and you didn’t need that, especially with the N.E.W.T.S coming up you didn’t want anything distracting your studies.

Despite having been interrupted by Pansy you managed to be the only one who brewed the potion right and the displeased scowl placed on Pansy’s face as she watched you get praised by the teacher and the rest of the class was nothing but amusing.

Once you were finally dismissed, you were walking alongside Hermione down the long corridors leading to the Great Hall when someone again bumped into you causing all the books you’d been clutching between your arms to go flying towards the ground and you along with them.

“What a klutz” you heard the familiar squeaky voice of Pansy Parkinson, you hurriedly got back up onto your feet whilst Hermione picked up the remaining books that had sprawled all across the stone floor.

“You did that on purpose” you growled charging at Pansy who cowered away from you as you neared her but once she noticed Draco was watching she stopped dead in her tracks, a side smirk resting on her lips before she tilted her head to the side.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about” she innocently smiled before walking around you and back to Draco who held an emotionless expression on his face as he walked with her down the hall.

“Bitch” you mumbled underneath your breath just before Hermione came running up to you. “Are you okay?” she faintly smiled before handing you your things.

“Fine” you deadpanned before the two of you began walking back down the hallway again.

Once you’d made it into the Great Hall you immediately spotted Harry and Ron a smile on your face as you took a seat next to Harry, and Hermione the one next to Ron the previous events being long forgotten as you distracted yourself with the comforting company of your friends.  

“Since when did Y/L/N and Potter become so close?” Draco’s face held a scowl as he watched the two of you interact from afar, he truly didn’t know why it bothered him, but for some reason it did.

“Why do you care?” Pansy replied as she began shifting in her seat to move closer to Draco who almost instinctively moved away causing a bright red tint to appear on her cheeks as she hurriedly moved back to her original seat.

“I don’t” he simply replied tearing his eyes away from you and Harry as he began playing with his food.

“You know what I think” Blaise raised an eyebrow as he daringly stared Draco down, “I think Malfoy’s gone soft” Blaise finished, the words earning loud snickers from the students sat next to them.

Draco’s stomach churned in anger at the words of his best friend throwing the boy a nasty glare before turning back to his food, but Blaise didn’t intend to stop there.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed you never pick on her anymore and you always get really defensive whenever- “

“Shut the hell up Blaise” Draco commanded and even though Blaise knew he was skating on thin ice, Draco’s fury only seemed to egg him on further as his eyes wandered towards the Gryffindor table to look at you.

"You know what Malfoy since you claim you have no feelings for her at all I dare you to break her heart"

"What?" Draco questioned genuinely confused at his friends' statement. "Make her fall in love with you and then dump her" Draco looked over at Pansy who seemed almost giddy at the suggestion, of course she'd be happy about this.

Draco thought about it for a moment, he knew that if he didn't do this he'd never hear the end of it, and keeping up his 'I don't care about anyone but myself' attitude had served him well over the years so as he weighed out the pros and the cons it seemed the cons were outnumbered and without a second thought he reached his hand out to Blaise.

"You've got yourself a deal" Draco spoke as they shook hands "and when I win, you'll be my personal servant for the rest of the year" Draco finished as he pulled his hand back causing Blaise's cocky facial expression to quickly drop.

"Fine but when I win, you have to do my homework for Defence Against the Dark Arts till we graduate" Draco rolled his eyes but nodded as he let his hand fall back into his lap.

He stared at you watching as you laughed at something Harry said and couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt knowing what he was about to do, but he shook the feeling away engaging back in the conversation of his friends, pushing all thoughts of you into the back of his mind.

The following week Draco still had yet to make his move on you. He was brainstorming ideas as he made his way to Potions, none of them good enough to follow through with but when he’d finally made his way into the classroom, he went to walk over to Blaise like he usually would but instead he found himself staring at the empty seat next to you.

He looked over at Blaise who was already quizzically staring at him. Draco mouthed a ‘watch this’ in return before he made his way towards you, grabbing a hold of the chair next to yours he stared down at you before asking.

"Is this seat taken?"

You looked up from your book turning to greet who you thought would have been Harry or Ron but instead, you were met with a pair of grey eyes you were not expecting to see, your mouth slightly parting as you stared wide-eyed at him.

"Yes actually-" you began but he had already sat down before you'd been able to reply, placing his backpack on the floor below him.

You raised an eyebrow at the blond, to which he replied by smiling over at you acting as if him sitting there was the most normal thing in the world.

"Do you mind?" you finally managed to choke out as he turned to face you.

"No, not at all" your eyes went wide at his words as you frantically began looking around the classroom for Hermione.

Once you made eye contact with her, you gave her a pleading look silently begging for her to help you, but she only took a hesitant seat next to Neville shrugging her shoulders indicating that there wasn't much she could do.

You grabbed the handle of your backpack beginning to stand up when you felt a hand wrap around your wrist preventing you from moving any further.

"Seems like all the other seats are taken Y/L/N" you frowned at his words turning your head to look around the classroom and sure enough there wasn't a single seat available.

You glared at him before ripping your hand out of his grasp and reluctantly sitting back down.

"Good morning" Slughorn's voice could be heard as he made his way towards the front of the classroom.

"Today we'll be working in pairs so whoever you're sitting next to is your partner for this assignment" your eyes widened in horror at his words as you glanced over at the Slytherin clad boy next to you.

"You're going to be writing an essay on the properties of Moonstone and its uses in Potion making" why did he have to announce this assignment today of all days?

You again looked over at Draco who seemed to be smiling, why was he happy about this? You placed your head in your hands as your mind began to wander, this was probably some stupid plan he and his friends had made to get you to fail the class.

"Professor" you eagerly raised your hand "is it too late to change partners?" you asked, silently begging for him to say no so you could work with Hermione or anyone else for that matter.

"Well I'm afraid everyone else seems to be taken Miss Y/L/N, I'm sure you and Mister Malfoy will be just fine together" you felt a flash off anger as you turned to look at the boy sat next to you.

"I swear if this is your idea of some sort of sick joke Malfoy, I'll hex you into oblivion" you threatened not daring to break eye contact with him, smirking once you noticed his taken aback expression.

"Y/L/N calm down, It's not a joke? You're the best at Potions in our year so I wanted to see if you'd be willing to work together but doesn't look like you have much of a choice now" he shrugged his shoulders; something was definitely off about this.

"So, you couldn't just ask me before we got to class?" his eyes seemed to widen a bit as he thought of a response but you continued before he had the chance to say anything "because I would have said no" and with that, you turned away from him pulling a piece of parchment out of your backpack along with your quill so you could start planning the next few weeks.

As it was nearing the end of the class you and Draco hadn't spoken a word to each other since you'd shut down all his attempts of starting a conversation, not having been interested in anything he had to say.

When class was over you handed Draco the piece of parchment that had a very detailed description of what his part in the project would be, so you'd be able to spend as little time together as possible, although he seemed to be quite displeased at this beginning to protest that you should work together so you'd get a better grade.

"I'm not spending any more time with you than I have to Malfoy so if you'll excuse me" you stood up pushing him out of the way before making your way to Neville's station where Hermione stood shoving her books into her bag.

Once you finally reached her you grabbed her by the arm, quickly pulling her after you out of the classroom. Ignoring her protests until you finally reached an empty corridor, void of any students and teachers.

"Please tell me you saw all that" you pleaded as you let go of her arm.

“You mean Malfoy?” Hermione replied, “yes Malfoy! He’s acting like we’re all of a sudden, the best of friends? Like he didn’t just call me a ‘blood traitor’ last week” you exasperated a scowl on your face.

“I think that was Zabini” Hermione acknowledged making you furrow your brows your mind wandering back to the encounter and sure enough she was right, Zabini had been the one to hurl the insult.

“What does it matter who said it, he’s one of them!” you protested, angrily turning to look at Hermione once you heard her stifled laughter from beside you.

“This isn’t funny! I’m stuck with him for the next- who knows how many weeks on this stupid project” you complained letting your head fall back as you let out a groan.

“Its okay Y/N don’t worry… I reckon he just fancies you” Hermione teased wiggling her eyebrows as she lightly nudged you in the shoulder.

“Have you gone mad?” you practically gasped although you couldn’t help the unfamiliar heat that began rushing to your cheeks at her words.

“Merlin Y/N you’re blushing! You like him?” you frantically covered her mouth as you noticed students beginning to fill the previously empty hallways.

“Would you hush! And no! I do not like Draco Malfoy, I could never like someone like him” you hissed your anger only growing once you noticed the same smile still linger on her lips.

“Whatever you say” Hermione jokingly sing sang, and in response you lightly hit her across the head with a piece of parchment you’d been holding unfortunately not getting the results you wanted since it only seemed to be egging her laughter on more.

“Alright calm down you lunatic I’m only joking” Hermione frowned rubbing the spot on her head you’d begun repeatedly hitting her, “you better be” you hummed, again pulling her after you as you two began walking down the hallways blending into the crowd of students.

“You know I can walk by myself” Hermione frowned once you’d found yourself standing out in the courtyard, your eyes searching for your two other friends since when you had Potions they had a free period which they spent most of their time here.

You finally spotted them sitting on a bench below a large brown oak tree, Seamus and Dean stood in front of them.

It was now Hermione’s turn to pull you away and in mere seconds you were standing next to the four Gryffindor clad boys who all turned their heads towards the two of you.

“Hello” you smiled before looking over at Harry who had already begun scooting over gesturing for you to come and sit down next to him, to which you happily obliged.

They all greeted you and Hermione before continuing their conversation about the upcoming Quidditch game they had against Slytherin next week.

“Yeah well Malfoy hasn’t caught the snitch when competing against Harry once, so I think we’re going to be okay” Ron assured Seamus who didn’t seem to be all that convinced but still began to make his way back into school Dean following behind him shortly after.

“Speaking of Malfoy” Hermione knowingly smirked at you before turning towards the two boys.

“Hermione no-“ you began but it was already too late, “seems he as a little crush” and there it was, you inwardly face palmed feeling the now-familiar heat in your face as you turned away from the confused glances of your two friends.

“Malfoy fancies Y/N?” Ron seemed to be more disgusted rather than confused as he scrunched up his nose.

“Hermione first of all I’m going to kill you! And second of all, he doesn’t like me! He just wanted to be partners on some stupid assignment in Potions” you assured them.

“And you said yes?” Harry perplexed.

“No! Of course not, he- he didn’t give me much of a choice” you rambled scratching the back of your head before glaring over at Hermione.

“What? He forced you to work with him?” Harry again furrowed his brows, “No- or well he sat next to me in class and I couldn’t move anywhere else since all of the other seats were taken and when Professor Slughorn arrived he immediately announced that we’d be working on our essays with whoever sat next to us” you began rambling, causing your three friends to share amused glances, unbeknownst to you.

Harry seemed to understand slowly nodding before claiming him and Ron had quidditch practice pulling the ginger boy along with him out of the courtyard, leaving just you and Hermione.

After a few minutes of silence, you turned to face her, “I think I’m going to go to the library, care to join me?” Hermione shook her head at your words pointing at the book she had just opened already beginning to make herself comfortable on the little bench you’d been sitting on.

You rolled your eyes “suit yourself” you breathed out offering her a small wave as you stood up, which she returned before you began walking back into the crowded hallways.

As you neared the library you began to hear footsteps behind you, smirking since you thought Hermione had changed her mind about joining you.

You turned around expecting to see your best friend but instead, you were met with Draco who now stood still a few feet away from you.

“Are you following me?” you crossed your arms raising an eyebrow at the boy.

He shook his head now walking towards you “just wanted to see if you’d like some company and since you’re heading towards the library we can work on our essay”

“So, you were following me” you accused but before he could answer you continued, “I thought I already told you I’m not spending any more time with you than I have too so if you’ll excuse me” you turned your back to him continuing your way to the library.

“Your loss Y/L/N” you heard him teasingly call after you making a smile appear on your lips which you tried to the best of your ability to contain.

-

Your next Potions class was one you’d been dreading, knowing that the people who were paired together on the essay had also been assigned to sit next to each other, very much to your dismay.

Professor Slughorn had asked all of you to join him at the front of the classroom so he could show you a couple of the potions you’d be brewing for the next couple of weeks and of course the one you’d be working on today.

“And this one right here is-” Slughorn was abruptly cut off by the sound of the classroom door swinging open. You quizzically looked past Slughorn’s shoulder and furrowed your brows at the two boys who had entered.

“Harry?” you asked a bit louder than you intended to causing the attention of the class to turn to Harry and Ron rather than Professor Slughorn.

“Ah! Harry my boy I was beginning to worry, and you’ve brought someone with you I see, what’s your name then?” Slughorn asked, brightly smiling at the two Gryffindors.

“Ron Weasley sir, but I’m dead awful at potions- a menace actually so I’m probably just gonna-“  Ron’s voice wavered as he began to turn around but Harry quickly put his arm out in front of him pushing him back into the classroom.

“Oh, don’t be silly, we’ll sort you out! There are some books in the cupboard over there if you need them” Slughorn pointed towards the end of the classroom where Ron and Harry quickly began fighting over the last book in there.

You and Hermione both gave each other confused glances before your attention was back on the Professor stood in front of you.

“As I was saying I’ve prepared some concoctions this morning. Any ideas what these may be?” you quickly raised your hand Hermione copying your actions as Slughorn’s eyes wandered between the two of you before he eventually pointed at you.

“Yes, miss Y/L/N” Slughorn stepped out of the way as you took a step forward towards the two pots that rested on the table.

“This one is Veritaserum a truth-telling serum and that one over there is Amortentia the most powerful love potion in the world. It’s rumoured to smell differently to each person according to what attracts them” you smiled proudly at yourself before taking a step back towards the other students.

You heard Pansy scoff causing you to quickly turn around to glare at her and just as you did you saw Draco elbow her in the side whispering something in her ear before shaking his head at her actions.

You quickly looked away before Draco’s eyes could catch yours since you felt the annoying feeling of warmth rush up into your cheeks and a smile replace the frown you’d indented to direct at Pansy.

“Very good Miss Y/L/N” Slughorn smiled before beginning to tell the students that whoever managed to brew an acceptable Draught of Living Death would be walking out of the classroom with one vile of Liquid Luck.

You quickly walked over to your station Draco following in suit behind you as you both turned to page 10 on your ‘advanced potion making’ books.

Your eyes wandered over the page before you spotted the instructions.

1. Cut up one Sopophorus bean.

You frowned down at the text as you glanced between it and the bean, it didn’t look like it was meant to be cut, and your suspicions were right as you began noticing your fellow classmates struggle around you.

Your eyes widened as Draco’s bean came hurling at your face at an ungodly speed, you practically had to throw yourself to the floor so it wouldn’t hit you in the face.

“Bloody hell Y/N are you okay!?” Draco panicked as he rushed to your side offering his hand to help you up which you ignored to distracted by the fact he’d called you by your first name.

You quickly got up onto your feet still ignoring his outstretched hand. You’d never in all your years at Hogwarts heard him call anyone by their first name, let alone you, a Gryffindor he’d hated since the first year.

“What did you just call me?” you asked although it came out a bit harsher then you intended it too. You didn’t mind that he was using your first name you just found it incredibly odd especially for someone like him.

“What, Y/L/N? that’s your name isn’t it” he was acting clueless as he walked back around the table to attend to his potion.

“No, you said Y/N” you raised an eyebrow as you watched him grab another bean now simply resorting to ignoring you, whatever you thought, brewing this potion was more important than what name Draco decided to call you.

As you continued to observe the students around you, you noticed Harry grab a silver knife and slowly press it onto the bean. You mirrored his actions and to your delight, it worked.

“How did you do that?” Draco could be heard from opposite you as he furiously looked between the instructions in his book and the crushed bean in your hand.

“Crush it don’t cut it” you shrugged, your finger traveling further down the page and stopping at the second step.

2. Pour in 250 fl.oz. of Standard potioning water and add 5 oz. of African Sea Salt to the beaker. Set the beaker aside after all the water has been added. Be very careful not to shake or move the beaker now.

The rest of the lesson had gone by in a flash and even though you felt like you’d be the one rewarded with the Liquid Luck, it ended up being Harry and you couldn’t help but wonder how the hell he managed to brew something better than you.

You remembered Harry continuously failing all his Potions classes never getting more than a poor or an acceptable on any of his assignments or tests.

After class you immediately cornered him, and it didn’t take long for him to confess to the book he’d found. Property of the half-blood prince it read and as you flipped through the many pages it had all the ‘correct’ recipes to every single potion you’d be brewing throughout the term.

“I knew it! You’ve always been dreadful at potions” you finally felt at ease knowing that Harry had only won you by cheating, shaking your head as you placed the book back into his arms.

“Hey! I am not ‘dreadful’ at potions” he imitated you his hands making air quotes at the word dreadful, a laugh slipping past your lips as you remembered a certain incident from when you were younger.

“Oh really? Don’t you remember third year when Snape told us to make a shrinking solution and you poured it all over Hermione-“ you began but Harry quickly cut you off.

“Alright! Alright! You’ve made your point now shove off I don’t feel like listening to this story right now” you threw your head back in laughter as you thought back to a tiny Hermione who hadn’t spoken to Harry a whole week after the incident.

“Doesn’t seem like you’re doing a great job with Y/L/N, I reckon Potter’s in there more than you” Blaise sounded amused as he came up behind Draco who was watching yours and Harry’s exchange from afar.

“Don’t worry Blaise, I’m only getting started”

Later in the day you, Harry, Ron and Hermione had all decided to take a little trip down to Hogsmeade for a much needed break from your studies.

“No sit beside me” Harry insisted as the four of you made your way into the Three Broomsticks, you gave him a confused glance but nevertheless dragged the chair out from underneath the table and sat down next to him.

You went to ask why but quickly managed to put two and two together once you noticed professor Slughorn sat at the bar, a beer in his hand as he talked with one of the other professors.

“What’s your deal with Slughorn?” you questioned as Harry began waving the professor over. “I need to get into the slug club” you furrowed your brows but before you could question it any further Slughorn had arrived at your table.

“Ah! Mister Potter lovely to see you, you as well Miss Y/L/N” Slughorn smiled completely disregarding Hermione and Ron who sat opposite you.

“Likewise, Professor” you smiled as he and Harry began talking about something you couldn’t be less interested in, instead your eyes began to wander around the small tavern until they finally landed on Draco who was already staring intently at you.

“You’d be welcomed to Y/L/N” your gaze diverted from the platinum blond towards Slughorn who was smiling brightly down at you. “I’d love too!” you agreed having faintly heard him mention a christmas dinner.

“Wonderful! Look for my owl” you couldn’t help but let out a laugh at Hermione’s face who seemed to be more than distraught that she hadn’t received an invitation of her own.

“Oh, how silly of me Granger, I hope I’ll also be seeing you there” Hermione’s face lit up at his words as she repeatedly nodded, Slughorn awkwardly looking over at Ron before speaking, “good to see you Wallenby”.

You were finally able to let out the laugh you’d been holding in as Slughorn exited the tavern. “Oh, shut up Y/N” Ron frowned crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back into his chair.

When your laughter had finally died down you offered to go and order your drinks since the waiter had yet to make an appearance at your table.

“Four butter beers please” you smiled at the worker as you leaned onto the bar going to turn around but instead you were met with a black suit your eyes wandering upwards to see Draco towering over you.

You cleared your throat causing him to take a step back, “anything I can help you with?” you questioned as Draco stood motionless in front of you.

“Yes, would you like to join me?” Draco asked gesturing to an empty table at the far end of the tavern. You looked over to where he was pointing causing you to quickly spot his friends who were all sat at another table, their eyes set on you.

“Uhm- I think they’d loved to join you” you pointed towards them causing Draco to quickly snap his head in their direction, making them all quickly turn to each other acting as nonchalant as they could.

“But I’d much rather spend time with you” you felt a weird tingly feeling at his words but nonetheless you didn’t dare act on it your eyes going to your friend’s who were all staring quizzically at you.

“Sorry I- Uhm I can’t I came here with them” you gestured towards your table Draco’s eyes following in the direction you pointed before they were back on you.

“Well alright, but you owe me a date then” he winked before turning around and going back to join his Slytherin friends.

Your mouth hung open as you watched him walk away, did he just say date?

You power walked back towards your friends hastily taking a seat next to Harry who already had his eyes glued on you.

“What the bloody hell was that?” Ron asked as soon as you’d fully sat down.

“Oh- Uhm, he just wanted to ask me about our assignment” they all looked skeptical at your reply but didn’t question it any further another topic quickly consuming your table.

“Do any of you have a date to the Jingle Ball?” Hermione’s question rang throughout the table, causing both boys shook their heads and you along with them, in all honesty, you didn’t expect to get asked so you’d probably just end up going with Harry like last year.

“Guess we know who Ginny’s going with” you giggled gesturing towards her and Dean who were currently taking a seat at a table not so far from yours, their fingers wrapped around each other’s.

“I’d like to leave” Ron shifted in his seat uncomfortably as he stared at his sister and who he had once considered a close friend. “Honestly Ron they’re only holding hands” Hermione rolled her eyes.

“And snogging” you added on as Ginny connected her lips with Dean’s. “Yep that’s it we’re leaving” Ron stood up grabbing the coat that hung on the chair beside him.

“Oh come on we haven’t even gotten our orders yet!” you protested as all your friends began to stand up, maybe you should have joined Draco before.

“Fine” you huffed once you noticed they had no intention of staying any longer. “Why don’t you just ask Malfoy to come join you, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind” Ron teased causing you to quickly hit him in the arm.

“Shut up Ron!”

Once you’d all made it back to Hogwarts you and Hermione separated from Ron and Harry since they claimed to have yet another quidditch practice although you figured it was code for going to scout possible dates for the Jingle Ball.

“So, what did Draco really want earlier?” Hermione gave you a knowing look as she lightly bumped you in the shoulder.

“It was so weird he-he said that I owe him a date” your voice was hesitant as you turned your head to look at Hermione who didn’t seem at all surprised.

“Well, now you know who you can go to the Jingle Ball with” she stated matter of factly causing your eyes to widen as you gaped at her.

“Hermione, I love you but have you gone mad? Me and Draco? I don’t think so” you denied but there was still the lingering feeling of hope deep down in your stomach that you tried with all your might to suppress.

“Well he obviously has a thing for you, and I mean he’s not too bad to look at”

“Shove off”

-

You had been actively avoiding Draco ever since the Hogsmeade trip, something about the entire ordeal just felt weird to you, why was he all of a sudden so bold about his apparent feelings towards you when a couple of weeks ago he wouldn’t even look your way.

But it seemed your luck had run out since he now stood in front of you, hand outstretched as he leaned it against the stone wall preventing you from continuing your way to your Transfigurations class.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something” Draco breathed out. He was getting desperate, it was unbearable, the teasing he’d been receiving from his friends once they’d noticed he wasn’t making any progress with you, and he knew if he didn’t do something soon he was going to lose the bet.

“Well can it wait? I need to get to class” you huffed watching as he pushed himself off the wall to come and stand in front of you, causing your body to turn with him, your back eventually colliding with the wall behind you.

“I was wondering” Draco smirked placing a hand next to your head as he leaned in closer towards you, you now only realizing how much taller he was then you as you found yourself craning your neck upwards to meet his eyes.

“Would you like to be my date for the Jingle Ball” the words made your stomach flip and you felt the sudden urge to let out a squeal, but you somehow managed to keep yourself together, taking in a deep breath before you took a step forward his hand slipping from the wall your faces mere centimeters from each other.

“No” you stated watching as his eyes went wide, clearly, he wasn’t anticipating that answer.

“If you want me to even consider going out with you after all the shit you’ve done over the years, you’re going to have to work for it.”

He watched your ascending figure before you fully left his sight and when you did he angrily kicked the wall cursing underneath his breath, he was used to getting everything and anything he ever wanted without as much as a snap of his finger so this was something he wasn’t used too.

The stakes were high, his entire reputation was on the line and he did not intend to give Blaise the satisfaction of being right or his housemates a reason to tease him for what would probably be the rest of his life.

All the girls at this school would practically fall at his feet, why couldn’t you be like those girls? Make this easy for him, not once in his life had Draco Malfoy had a real challenge when it came to girls but now it seemed the tables had turned, he was going to play your game and he was going to win.

-

It was now the day of the Slytherin versus Gryffindor quidditch game. You, Harry and Hermione, were all sat in the Great Hall watching as Ron entered in his Quidditch gear, helmet, and everything.

You had yet to tell Hermione about Draco asking you to the ball since you didn’t really know how you felt about it yourself and also because he probably wouldn’t be asking you out again, you having let him down quite harshly.

You glared over at the Slytherin table once you heard them beginning to yell things along the lines of ‘Ron you’re a loser’, ‘he doesn’t stand a chance’ and ‘nice hat Weasley’.

“Ignore them, Ron, I know you’ll do great” you reassuringly smiled up at your friend as he took a seat opposite you, his face contorted in worry as he looked over at the Slytherin table who continued to laugh at him.

“Yeah, thanks” he gulped once he turned back to face you, this had to have been the first time you’d ever seen Ron leave his food untouched.

“You look dreadful Ron” Luna’s voice could be heard from the other end of the table, your eyes widening as you looked over at her, “Is that why you put something in his drink” she finished, the last part of her sentence directed at Harry.

You looked over at the boy sat next to you and faintly managed to see a glimmer of light before it disappeared fully into his pocket.

“Liquid Luck?” Hermione sounded from opposite you and you finally managed to put two and two together.

“Are you mental Harry? You’ll get in so much trouble if you’re caught” your eyes widened as you watched him pass Ron the cup of pumpkin juice he’d poured his one vile of Liquid Luck into moments ago, well according to Luna at least.

“Don’t drink it Ron” Hermione scolded, before you both gasped as you watched Ron without a moment’s thought chug the remaining juice in his cup.

You watched intently as his frown was turned upside down and he slammed the cup back onto the table, a sly smirk now playing on his lips.

“You could be expelled for that” Hermione pointed out glaring at Harry who innocently smiled at her before shrugging and stating that he had no idea what she was talking about.

“Come on Harry we’ve got a game to win” Ron’s sudden aura of confidence was radiating off of him as he quickly pushed himself away from the table and began exiting the Great Hall.

“We’ll see you guys there?” Harry questioned as he looked between the two of you also beginning to stand up.

“We wouldn’t miss it” Hermione assured him as you both watched him awkwardly wave before he turned to follow Ron.

“This is going to be interesting”

-

Loud screams and chants began filling your ears as you watched the two teams make their way out onto the Quidditch pitch, you and Hermione quickly joined in beginning to clap and cheer as you made eye contact with Ron who looked as ready as ever.

A particular blond seemed to have caught your eye since before you knew it Madame Hooch was announcing the start of the game causing you to snap out of your trance, when you looked back at Draco he was already smirking up at you making you quickly look away as your cheeks turned bright red, pulling your Gryffindor patterned scarf up over your face in hopes that he wouldn’t notice the crimson colour.

“Seekers shake hands!” you watched as Harry and Draco walked up to each other clasping each other’s arms before Draco retorted something in Harry’s direction causing him to quickly pull his hand away from his the game now officially beginning.

It had been almost an hour now and so far Gryffindor was in the lead the score being 23-45. You were beginning to think you’d lost your voice but nevertheless you still raised your hands high in the air and cheered Harry on as he dove towards the snitch with Draco hot on his heels.

You anxiously began biting your nails as the two continuously bumped into each other both their arms outstretched as they neared the golden object.

“Come on Harry” you whispered the anticipation was killing you, but you didn’t have to wait much longer since the two boys suddenly crashed into each other sending them both flying off of their brooms and hurling towards the grass below.

You gasped as you stood up beginning to lean over the railing to get a better look at the two seekers who now both laid on the grass clutching their stomachs, but you widely smiled once you noticed a familiar shimmer coming from Harry’s hand.

“Yes!” you screamed as he carefully sat himself up raising the golden object up into the air for the rest of the stadium to see. Your happiness was quickly replaced with worry once you noticed the Slytherin boy laid next to Harry wasn’t moving.

“Is Malfoy okay?” you frantically shook Hermione as you pointed down at him but Hermione paid you no mind her eyes trained on Ron who was proudly raising his hands in the air as it was announced that Harry had caught the snitch.

Since everybody seemed to be too caught up with themselves you again leaned over the railing before screaming Draco’s name hoping it would at least capture the attention of someone from his team so they could help him.

You felt a wave of relieve wash over you as you watched his previously limp body turn over before he placed his hands on the grass pushing himself to sit up, the hand that wasn’t holding him up immediately going to rub his forehead.

He sent a glare Harry’s way before he grabbed his broom and began storming off the field his teammates following shortly after, for some odd reason you began to feel bad for him as you watched the disapproved glances from his fellow Slytherin’s being thrown his way but you decided to push the feeling away joining in on the celebration of your house.

Once you arrived at the Gryffindor common room a celebration had quickly ensued the hollering of Ron’s last name began sounding all around the room as you began clapping in rhythm to all of their chants, you and Hermione watching as Ron got pushed in the middle of the crowd.

Before you knew it a girl you didn’t know the name of had wrapped her arms around his neck, harshly pulling him down to meet her lips, you gasped as you faintly remembered a conversation between you and Hermione where she’d admitted to harboring a crush on the ginger boy.

You quickly turned to see Hermione pushing her way through the crowd and out of the common room. You began following her but quickly lost sight of her as you tried your best to squeeze through the teenagers who had now begun lifting Ron into the air.

“Hermione!” you called out but it was impossible to hear anything over the celebrations so you gave up on calling out to her simply resorting to pushing the students that stood in your way.

Once you finally managed to reach the door that led out into the hallway you frantically pushed it open beginning to search the corridors for your best friend.

When you rounded a particular corner, you came crashing into a much taller figure then yourself sending you flying towards the ground at the impact.

“Watch where you’re goin-“ the familiar voice of Draco Malfoy sounded from above you but stopped once he made eye contact with you. “Y/L/N?” he questioned before reaching his hand out to you which you accepted letting him pull you back up onto your feet.

“What are you doing out here, shouldn’t you be celebrating?” there was a defiant malice to his tone as he scowled in the direction of your common room where chants could still be faintly heard.

“I could ask you the same thing Malfoy” you raised an eyebrow since you weren’t anywhere near the dungeons where the Slytherin common room was.

“Just needed some air, some people aren’t exactly thrilled with the outcome of today’s game” Draco shrugged causing your stomach to drop slightly at his obvious disappointment. He sat himself down on a bench a heavy sigh leaving his lips as he let his head fall back onto the wall.

You slowly sat down next to him carefully contemplating your next words. “Not that it would mean anything to you but I thought you were really good” you tried to comfort him as you watched a faint smile appear on his lips before he turned his head towards you.

You didn’t realize just how close you were to each other until his eyes quickly looked down to your lips and back into your eyes. You suddenly remembered why you were out here in the first place, your thoughts traveling back to Hermione who had disappeared only moments ago.

“I’m sorry but I really need to go, uh- I’ll uh see you in class” you excused yourself before standing up and continuing your search for your best friend, but a hand wrapping around your wrist stopped you dead in your tracks as you were turned back around.

Your eyes slowly travelled up from Draco’s tight grip on you and back into his icy grey eyes. You carried a confused glance on your face which Draco seemed to notice since he quickly let go of your wrist.

“Thank you” is all he said before he swiftly turned back around and began walking down the corridor, disappearing out of sight.

next part

#draco malfoy series #draco malfoy one shot #draco malfoy x reader #draco malfoy fluff #draco malfoy angst #draco malfoy imagine #draco malfoy #harry potter x reader #harry potter imagine #harry potter #hermione granger imagine #hermione granger #ron weasly imagine #ron weasley #tom felton imagine #tom felton #slytherin #gryffindor #hufflepuff #ravenclaw

[snow-in-the-desert]

Dramione Recommendations

Ok so, 2020 has been A LOT but on a personal note one of the most surprising things to happen was me discovering Dramione fanfiction and becoming unashamedly obsessed with it. I really didn’t see that coming but I’m here now and I’m here to stay. 

I think I started reading in the Dramione fandom around mid July last year?? (In all honesty I’ve lost any true sense of time’s progression at this point so I could be well off the mark with that) And I’ve decided to compile a list of all my favourite fics I’ve read so far. Why? I really just want to gush over all the amazing writers I have found through this fandom because y’all deserve it. 

Side note: If any of the authors actually sees this post just dm so I can buy you coffee or post you writing supplies or something idk I feel like that’s the least I can do for all your amazing work x

Remain Nameless by @heyjude19-writing

Ok I have to start with RN because this fic is pretty much the sole reason I decided to create an account with A03 or a tumblr or just decided to get involved with this fandom at all. 

I headcannon this story hard. But I think even if you aren’t a fan of Dramione you should just read this because it is so unbelievably good and well written and poignant and Draco’s sarcastic personality in this is truly a thing of beauty in this - I relate to his inner monologue’s on a deep personal level. 

I could rave about this story any time, any day of the week, just ask me. In fact, maybe I’ll just start a HeyJude19 fan club to fulfill that urge.

There are so many elements that I love but for the sake of brevity, RN is a beautifully told story of Draco and Hermione finding love and healing in a post-war HP setting. Heyjude19 had the very special ability of making me want to simulatenously laugh, cry and swoon with the power of her words. Just stop what you are doing and go read it now if you havent already, ok?  

I also really enjoyed reading Bells on a Hill, Beers, Potions and Unwise Notions and A Shift in Focus, if you are looking for smaller fics, definitely give these a go. They are all funny and heartfelt stoires that will make your tippy toes wriggle with glee. 

The Rights and Wrongs Series by @lovesbitca8

The Right Thing To Do, All The Wrong Things and The Auction are the holy trinity of Dramione writing. I have christened it thus, so mote it be. And frankly I’m not interested in any other opinion than that one, thank you very much!

After reading this series I don’t think I’ll be able to look back on the orginal HP books without thinking of Hermione’s and Draco’s memories of their time at Hogwarts in these fics as anything other than strictly cannon. 

So many things to love about this series but I think one of the major highlights was Hermione and Draco’s use of occlumency. LoveBitca8 created such beautiful visuals with how occlumency works as a magical practice and seeing Draco and Hermione so devoted to eachother to the point of safeguarding their inner most feelings to protect eachother was unbelievably romantic and poetic. 

Also the smut is divine ;)

Manacled by @senlinyu​

My heart will never be the same after reading this story. Like I actually can’t think about this fic without getting a lump at the back of my throat. I have never felt so emotionally ruined after reading anything, compared to the likes of this fic. Just please, please read it. To badly quote HP, reading Manacled will make you suffer but you’re going to be happy about it.

The flashbacks are a rollercoaster in of themselves but the way Hermione inadvertently refers to them when she is still in a state of memory loss was so heartbreaking to read. My heart still aches for them both. Also its a truly satisfying to see Draco and Hermione written in a way were they are both so fiercly protective of one another. They make my insides go soft. 

I also really enjoyed Snow Fall, Now Is A Gift and All You Want by the author but to be honest anything written by Senlinyu is always thoroughly enjoyable and worth a look. 

The Erised Effect by @adaprix​

Ada is QUEEN of dramione smut but ‘The Erised Effect’ is top tier. Its equal parts funny, romantic, sentimental and oh so sexy. Ada really knows how to build and build on sexual tension and doesn’t disappoint on the final delivery. I’m a big admirer of her writing style and just veraciously read whatever she posts but ‘The Erised Effect’ is just golden. A must read. (Also Pansy’s sexual fantasy in this story is a visual I don’t think I’ll ever be able to remove from my brain so thanks for that Ada)

Also quick side note: Adaprix’ stories were the first I read when I was looking into this fandom and it was enough to get me hooked on the pairing from the get go so I have that to thank Ada for too. I remember devouring all the stories she had posted to A03 and when I was done I was like... now what am I supposed to do with my life?? And that’s basically when I began to look deeper into the fandom and thus the course of my life in 2020 changed for the better. 

Some other stories I love by her are Break for Me, All My Sins, The Big 4-0, The Fucklust Series and The Flat in Bath. 

Clean by @olivieblake​

This 6th Year AU where Draco and Hermione work together on a class assignment and end up falling in love had me feeling all kinds of ways when I read it. I almost don’t know where to start but I think one of the stand out things for me was how immersed I felt in reading it. 

Hogwarts is captured really well, you get a good sense of class atmospheres, character nuances and behind the scenes of events that happen in HBP but from a Draco and Hermione’s perspectives. It’s well executed and intricate tapestry of a fic. With an excellent plot twist ending! 

Also Hermione and Draco’s relationship in this is equal parts fluffy and smutty and it just ticks all the right boxes that you want to see for those characters ;)

Breath Mints / Battle Scars by @onyx-and-elm​

The angst in this one is just *chef’s kiss*

God I love this fic. The way Draco is portrayed is very true to his defensive and tetchy character in the original books but he is also given so much more depth. The way his diary entries are written are just so well executed. It’s a true testament to the author’s creative writing skill. And I LOVE how even though Draco is clearly in such a messed up place, he still has a basic level of self respect and dignity that he won’t tolerate being used or undervalued in his relationship with Hermione. 

Yep, I really love Draco’s characterisation in this one if you can’t tell.  But Hermione is also well written too. Her stuggles and trauma of returning to Hogwarts after war is described in a believable and grounded way. And my heart definitely ached for them both. I just wanted to wrap the pair of them in a big fuzzy blanket and tell them that everything will be alright. 

WANDS OUT! by @persephonestone​

This murder mystery / Dramione / Theo x Harry / AU crossover is everything I didn’t know I wanted until I read it. I felt like I was picked up and plonked right into an alternative dimension where all the characters of HP are just living it up in an Agatha Christie novel. 

It’s a funny and clever story that I found refreshing to read amongst all the other fanfics that are usually cemented in the HP timeline or universe. Theodore Nott in this fic is perfection he should be written like this in every fic from now on in my opinion. I couldn’t stop giggling any time he had a scene in the story.

And the ‘only one bed’ trope in this fic is 10/10. I don’t want to give spoilers but ohmygod. It hits all the right notes. 

The One With Technical Difficulties by cassielassie 

Cassielassie has an excellent three part series of Dramone called ‘The One with...” but I have to give special credit to this story in particular for one main reason. ELEVATOR TROPES. I can’t get enough of em. I think I have my early childhood viewings of NCIS to thank for my obsession with elevator tropes they just do something to me that simply cannot be explained with mere words. The palpable sexual tension of being in a broken down elevator with an ‘enemies to lovers’ pairing, a heated arguement breaks out followed by a discovery of mutual feelings and a romantic embrace...

Eugh. It gets me everytime. And this fic is no exception. I loved it for all the reasons I’ve already stated above but also for the attention to detail in Draco and Hermione’s careers makes this one particularly immersive. The dynamics between them established in this one-shot are convincingly portrayed and the chemistry between them is so undeniably hot. 

The Light is No Mystery by @masterofinfinities​

Yooo if you want to read a dramione fic that is a deep dive into Pureblood culture and Post-War recovery but is also a perfect allegory for discrimination and today’s political landscape of moral grandstanding for votes then look no further than this one. 

This story has a bit of everything. Intrigue, mystery, ptsd and recovery, enemies to lovers / secret relationship, government conspiracy and humour, to name a few. I eargerly await every update to this story and am anxious to know how it ends!

The Eagle’s Nest by HeartOfAspen 

Finally! A fic that gives me the Ravenclaw representation I crave. I think I could recommend this fic on the lore depicted of Ravenclaw house alone. ‘The Stacks’ and Rowena Ravenclaw’s own ‘come and go room’ are just such cool details that I could see being real in the HP universe. 

This fic is so cosy and makes me feel like I’m just popping back into Hogwarts for another year. You get to see all the usuals like prof. Mcgongall, Nearly headless Nick, PEEVES, Hagrid, as well as learn more about minor characters from the other school houses. The story follows Hermione going to her day to day classes and there are interesting concepts about magic and alchemy that are explored. 

Draco and Hermione’s relationship in this one is of course very fluffy and heartfelt. But it’s the attention to detail that really makes this fic outstanding and the experience of reading it feels fleshed out and true to HP universe.

A shorter fic by HeartofAspen that I recommend is one called Set in Stone, it has an adventurous, Indianna Jones vibe to it, that I am so down for. 

Teachable Moments by @purplesugarquills

In this fic Hermione is an innocent little virgin determined to learn everything about sex. And Draco Malfoy is her tutor. If that isn’t enough to get you on board then I don’t know what is. Both Heartfelt and Steamy. PurpleSugarQuills writes smut so well but it’s the progression of their growing attachment and the nervous treading of new uncharted waters of romantic relationships for both of them that just adds a whole other level of feels to the story. Also chapter 9 is like reading poetry - its so good. Eugh just give it a read if you haven’t already.

Les Pèlerins by @pacific-rimbaud

This story is high art. It’s transcendent. Reading this story feels like the emotional equivalent of standing around a hundred glowing fairy lights, sipping hot cocoa and being wrapped in the loving embrace of a s/o. I can’t speak my praises highly enough or even become passably coherent in my words when I try to articulate a review. 

From the very first paragraph I felt like I was just whisked away on a Parisian holiday and I’ve never even bloody been to Paris but damn it if this story didn’t make me feel like I was there. The writing style is just so tactile and intense it’s like I could feel the cold winter air brush against me as I read it. Eugh I just completely fell in love with the story and the writer. 

New Year’s resolution. Read everything PacificRimbaud has ever posted online. 

#This post is the online equivalent of me thrusting a pile of books into your hands and poking at you until you every single one #A behaviour I may or may not already be prone to #dramione #fanfiction #fanfic recommendations #I think I may have missed a few but I think I'll try to make a habit of gushing over new writers as I find them #Doing this just satisfies a deep inner urge in me to just compliment the everloving shit out of writers #who made my life a little more bearable with their words

[alltheworldsinmyhead]

ON FEYSAND’S PLOTLINE IN ACOSF

              !!!!MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE WHOLE ACOSF!!!!

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Let’s be honest for a while, okay?

ACOCF had potential to be SJM’s best book, if not for any other reason then because of the sheer idea of it. Coming-of-age, healing story of the most complex and polarizing character she has ever created set in the time of peace, away from the familiar setting (according to the later changed concept which still remains in the snippet at the end of ACOFAS), development of her arguably most feisty and angsty love story... It could be her absolute trumph. Even with the change to stick to Velaris instead of exploring the Illyrian culture of the Mountains and with the added conflict of the Mortal Queens and Koshei, it still could work quite well. 

It didn’t. For many, many reasons, but the most important one, in my opinion, being the feysand pregnancy plot. 

Nothing about this plotline made sense. Not a single thing. From start to finish, it was an absolute disaster from the character-writing POV, from the narration POV, from every single context of it. It broke the rules of real-life logic, it broke the rules of this fantasy world setting and it completely exposed that Rhysand, while not a bad guy, is a pretty terrible partner, even worse ruler and an absolutely terrible contender for the High King title. 

Let’s break this whole mess down (and expect this post to be mammoth-sized. it’s not my fault, though, write to SJM if you have any complains):

1) Feyre, 21, decides to get pregnant, even though less than a year earlier, she expresses the delight with not being forced to bear children to her new mate and told him herself she wants to wait a while and enjoy her life with him. Feyre decides she wants a baby though and Rhysand goes along with it, even though he is aware how young Feyre is and how hard her life has been up until this point. He wants a baby too much to have an honest discussion with Feyre about it, to stop and wonder what is the reason for her sudden change of heart, to reassure her that they have a lot of time ahead of them and don’t need to rush. No. She mades a sudden decision to have a baby after A YEAR OF MARRIAGE and not much more of being turned fae, JUST AFTER having her whole world put upside down, having received a completely new title and responsibilities, surviving the wat and being mated. Great. 

2) Feyre decides to get pregnant and Rhys goes along with it less than a year after the end of the bloody war. It is politically a delicate time, everyone is still not sure how the balance will shift, some countries don;t want to sign the peace treaty, etc. There are a lot of enemies and a lot of turmoil remaining. But sure. Let’s have a baby. Perfect time to add yet another target, another weakness that can be use by the Mortal Queens, Beron or whatever else with malicious intent towards the Night Court. 

2) Feyre gets pregnant after approximately a year of trying. I know healthy people of reproductive age for whom it takes ages more than this. Fae’s pregnancies are rare af and precious and happen once in a blue moon, but ofc SJM broke the world’s rules for her darling Feyre. And again, for Kallas and Vivianne who are also expecting the baby, even though it has been a maximum of 3 years since they’ve mated. 3 years is also not a particularly long time to try to have a baby for those who have issues with their reproductive systems like Fae women. Thank you, next. 

3) Rhys has unprotected sex with Feyre in her Illyrian form when she conceives, even though he knows full well having a winged baby would kill her. He does it anyway, for shits and giggles apparently. They probably have sex in the sky above Velaris, for all we know. 

4) The baby has wings. Now, the whole explanation with Illyrian wings being bony (bc they resemble bat wings) and Seraphin ones being more flexible (bc they resemble bird ones) is so insanely stupid that it takes around 3 seconds to wikipedia this shit and find out it’s exactly the opposite. But okay, the baby has wings and Feyre will die while giving birth, along with the baby. Madja forbids Feyre from turning into an Illyrian to carry the pregnancy because it MIGHT hurt the baby. Now, remember, Feyre conceived while in Illyrian form and then turned into High Fae. The baby survived it just fine. The baby MIGHT be hurt by Feyre turning .... but it will FOR SURE die if she stays High Fae and Feyre will too. Idk about you, but I would take the risk of MIGHT instead of FOR SURE. Especially when she is already in labour and dying. Cauldron or Nesta or idk who alters Feyre’s pelvis after the baby is cut out of her for no apparent reason but to allow feysand to make exactly the same mistakes later on. How convinient. And Nesta also alters her own pelvis bc god forbid she won’t be able give Cassian babies like the little useful mate she is now. She should’ve probably done it with Elain too, just in case she decides to fuck Az in the future, because fuck consequences and fuck the stakes in the story that make the readers actually CARE about characters bc they know the author may actually kill them and not save their life every fucking time.  

5) I don’t even want to comment on the fact Rhys hid the true danger of this pregnancy for Feyre and their family went along with it. It is absolutely disgusting. And Nesta telling her and that being condemned as the act of the ultimate cruelty which is a final straw to break her self-loathing back.... is abhorrent. It made my sick, actually, phisically sick. There is no justification for it. No at all. And the fact that they did not even consider abortion sends a message that I really don’t want to think too much about it. Feyre was 2 months along when they learned the baby is winged. 2 months. 8 weeks. It wasn’t a baby yet, let’s be honest. They could’ve at least discussed it. She - oh my god, I cannot believe SJM wrote it this way, I’m gonna be sick. 

6) For the entirety of Feyre’s pregnancy, they have no plan to really help her. Labour plan? Haven’t heard if it.  They have money and power and access to the healers of the whole land. And did not figure out how to stop her from bleeding out after a fucking C-section. THIS WORLD HAS MAGIC AND THEY COULDN’T STOP HER FROM BLEEDING OUT AFTER A FUCKING C-SECTION. Didn’t even ask Thesan, the High Lord of Healing, to be present. Cassian had guts hanging out of his stomach and survived. Az was fucking slashed apart in Hybern and survived. But yeah, Feyre was on a brink of death after a C-section. Great, Sarah. Keep it up. Let’s force the thought into young girls’ heads that labour is the most lethal thing ever, why not. 

7) Also, for the entirety of Feyre’s pregnancy, Rhys keeps quiet about this idiotic bargain. He, as far as we know, doesn’t make any plans for the moment when him and Feyre and possibly their baby are dead. If they died and baby survived.. who would take care of it? Does Rhys have a conversation with his family about it? NAH. Doesn’t write any sort of plan how to keep the Court going, doesn’t inform even the closest of his co-workers how they should proceed to act after he’s gone and his and Feyre’s power go to god-knows-who. Their deaths would mean a sure chaos for the weakend and fragile Prythian and the Night Court especially and yet nor Rhys nor Feyre make any sort of preparations for it. Rhys doesn’t tell his brothers or Mor or HIS SECOND IN COMMAND they will all soon have to somehow manage without him. He was about to just leave them to their own devices and told them in the last. possible. moment. 

And this man - this man is, according to Amren, the best candidate to handle the whole country? To unite it? This fool who makes idiotic bargains, who thinks first about his cock and his own selfish desires and considers his subjects and his responsibilities as a High Lord last and least important of all? Who has so much trust in his wife, in his High Lady, the mother of his son that he doesn’t tell her she will almost surely die on a birthing bed because it MAY UPSET HER? 

This plotline was the straw that broke my back. ACOTAR, at it’s heart has always been a ya fantasy with added ‘spice’ and I was willing to bend my critical-thinking skills in many cases and forget and forgive many smaller idiotic issues in this series. But this? It is not idiotic. It is massive and stupid to the point when it becomes insulting to the reader. It was a plot straight out of a bad fanfic, not something that should be in a published book written by someone who writes for a living. You could even argue that Twilight has handled this toxic trope better.  I have wasted my money on this book and thinking about it will always be painful for me. So yeah.

ACOSF could be great. Ended up quite pathetic. 

#acosf #acosf spoilers #a court of silver flames #rhysand #feysand

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

Idk if your still accepting episode asks so sorry if your not but.

James and the bootlace? (Or whatever the bootlace ones call? I think it's that but I can never remember aha /LH)

Ah, so, I'm pretty fond of this one!

Seems to be a minority opinion (judging from endless Twitter discussions). I've consistently seen "James and the Coaches" ranked among the worst episodes in Season 1—but, really? Ugh, why?

I don't really mind James the Red Engine (the "worst Wilbert Awdry book," as many have claimed, including Awdry himself), and I actively love the S1 James arc. Allcroft made an excellent call once again in combining one of the weaker RWS stories with another, and, as a result, this is probably the best of the three S1 James episodes. (I know lots of people like the following one for showcasing Jamesian determination, and that's cool too, but for sheer narrative structure "Coaches" leaves it in the dust.)

This was one of my top-tier eps when I was a kid. Season 1 James is so emotional and exciting and dazzling; I kind of dislike how he was portrayed afterwards as "irritable asshole supreme." He is such a nice rich character in this season. So up-and-down-y. Yes, he can be a right bastard (to Toby, and to the poor broken coach in this very episode), but it is also so clear in this season how sensitive he is to everyone's opinions, how ambitious he is for glory, how crushed he is by failure. I'm not saying the rest of it excuses the times when he screws up; just, from a character perspective, he is so much more relatable and interesting.

Also, his red paint was indeed very eye-catching and his theme song was super catchy. That definitely helped.

This episode remains a great example of how Season 1 could both do character arcs and let characters fall out of focus? I love how in this episode the narrative shifts from mostly-Thomas to James, I love how Gordon and Henry drop out of sight altogether, I love how Thomas is barely there (but he is there in a natural and useful small role, not shoehorned in—love his two lines so much! he's in the role of "encouraging the newcomers" that is used in later, non-RWS seasons, but he still remains so charmingly in-character and self-important here, not bland at all). Getting to pan over to James, with Edward as deuteragonist plus a focus on some human characters, is just such a great change in pace. In thes early days the show feels like such a terrific combination of "episodic" and "serial" TV.

Gotta love how this is one of the stories that end on an unhappy note. Season 1 was great at this sort of variety! It's not even an "unhappy ending" following a formula used a lot in the early Classic Series of "engine fouls up, gets scolded by FC at the end." Here James starts by flying high, gets scolded in the middle, fouls up, and at the end has regrets and has already "learned his lesson" without needing to be chastised by FC at all (even though it's coming, lol). There's something just so nice and natural and not-so-samey about these early stories. I adore the variety. Adore it.

Also, props to James's crew in this episode, they are so underrated. "Well, where is the bootlace coming from?" asks the guard, like THIS is the biggest objection to this bit of DIY audacity. Love it! And of course Jeremiah Jobling is a one-hit wonder.

Overall, to me it's one of the best "overeager new engine disregards sound advice and gets smacked down by hand of fate" stories out there, and the adaptation is easy on the eyes (and ears) to boot...

(don't say it don't say it don't say it)

... lace.

#... i really appreciate the detail of james smiling as they pass the field where he had his accident? #season 1 is fantastic you all* are just mean #(maybe not all of you but i hear it denigrated too often on Bird Site) #(it may be simple but if it hadn't NAILED the models and sets where would we be now?) #(also it feels SO REAL on an emotional level) #ttte #this is ttte #thomas the tank engine #james and the coaches #ttte season 1 #ttte episode talk #ttte screenshots #(as is by now the tradition) #ttte james #ttte edward #ttte thomas #jeremiah! freakin'! jobling! #priorities on the island of sodor