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thefreakandthehair · 8 months

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@eddiemonth prompt, oct 24th: Drama | His Kiss the Riot - Anaïs Mitchell | Magnetic a/n: steddie, pining, mutual crushes, forced proximity, the universal theater kid horror of having to hug your crush on stage [click here for the AMAZING corresponding artwork by @artbean!] read on ao3 + masterpost | tumblr masterlist

Community theater isn’t a far leap for Eddie Munson.

With high school finally far behind him, he’s free to fill his time how he pleases. There aren’t many things about those four cinder block walls that he’d say he misses, but the drama of Hellfire Club makes the short list. So no, it’s not a far leap for Eddie Munson to join the local Hawkins Community Theater.

It is, however, a moon-landing sized leap to find Steve Harrington in the small auditorium when he shows up for Grease tryouts. Sure, Grease is a little kitsch, maybe a bit too on the nose for his first local community production, but that’s all forgotten when he ends up scoring the role of Kenickie and has to rehearse opposite of Steve’s Zuko.

Because of course Steve gets cast as Danny Zuko.

The monsters he’d dreamed up for Hellfire Club were intimidating, but nothing is more horrifying than having to hug the guy who’d been the leading man in most of his wet dreams throughout– and admittedly, even after– high school.

Day after day, take after take, Eddie as Kenickie asks Steve as Zuko to be his second at Thunder Road, they hug, and then pull away to fix their hair and strut off screen for the set change. Eddie can’t speak for Steve, but the flush to his cheeks and awkward hair combing is not acting.

Rehearsal has absolutely nothing on opening night, that first time Eddie finds himself shoved into a too-tight space behind the curtain with Steve. In their haste to get out of the way, Eddie stumbles and catches himself against a wall, turning to find Steve nose-to-nose, braced on one forearm against the same wall to the left of Eddie’s head.

Eddie swallows, harsh and thick, and releases a shaky exhale. “You good, man?”

Steve grins and nods. “Little tight back here, huh?”

“Terrible conditions for the leading man, I have to say.” Eddie whispers.

“Eh,” Steve starts. “I don’t think they’re that bad.”

Eddie’s sure that he’s hallucinated the way Steve’s eyes flicker down to his lips and back up. Wayne always says that Eddie has a knack for seeing what he wants to see, after all.

“That’s your cue,” Steve moves and jerks his head to the stage. “See you back out there, Kenickie.” The motherfucker winks and Eddie’s head spins, his lines jumbled and his steps just a bit off.

Hawkins Community Theater’s production of Grease is a two week commitment, six shows in total, and each one gets better and better. Eddie grows more and more confident with his performance during Greased Lightning, landing his marks with ease and actively avoiding the decidedly inappropriate thoughts about Steve kneeling in front of him on the hood of the car. His chemistry with Rizzo, played by none other than Nancy Wheeler, turns into an honest to God friendship that takes them both by surprise. Hell, he’s even gotten dinner with the cast a few times.

It’s all going smoothly, except that Eddie’s sure he’s going to die before the end of this run. Night after night, Eddie finds himself shoved up against Steve Harrington who must have some sort of bet running to see if he can get Eddie to fold. If so, he’s definitely winning.

In the show’s final weekend, he ends up crammed between a wall and Steve behind the curtain and really, he’s just a man. How much of this can he be expected to take without his head exploding? Or his–

“Nice job out there, Munson. Had me convinced you were actually like, flustered or whatever.” Steve whispers, his lips too close to Eddie’s skin.

He might have imagined it, but he’s fairly certain they actually grazed the reddening tip of his ear. “Oh, are we dropping out of character now? I thought that was strictly forbidden, Zuko.”

Steve shakes his head and leans in closer, intentionally. It has to be intentional this time, right? “It’s our final show, I think we can just be Harrington and Munson now. Or, maybe just Steve and Eddie?”

Steve and Eddie, Steve and Eddie, SteveandEddie.

Eddie's head buzzes, swimming in the combinations of their names. They sound good together, and he can’t be misreading this, not when Steve leans closer still, his eyes glowing with the stage light creeping behind the curtain. Their lips nearly touch when Steve speaks again, close enough for Eddie to feel

“That’s your cue. I’m gonna miss being stuck back here with you, so let me know after the show.”

Eddie nearly chokes and purses his lips. “Are you doing this on purpose to throw me off, Harrington?”

“Just can’t stay away. Munson.” Steve winks again and leans back, making space for Eddie to sneak around him to take his place for the audience.

Eddie warms beneath the bright lights of the stage, but they have nothing on the scintillating radiance of Steve’s eyes on him backstage.

#steddie #steddie fic #steddie fanfic #steddie fanfiction #eddie munson #steve harrington #eddie month #stranger things #stranger things fic #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fanfiction #myblurbs #eddie month prompts

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sgiandubh · 3 months

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Gooooodnight! Did you manage to finish watching the movie after all? What do you think?

Dear Ford v. Ferrari Anon,

Just finished it, after four failed attempts to get into the right mood - local time, 1:45 AM, Thursday morning. As you might know, Cancer people are very stubborn (even pertinacious) people and I am no exception to the rule.

I now totally understand why so many people wondered if I was really watching it, or confessed they could be remotely interested in doing so for about ten minutes, tops. The start is horrifically lackadaisical and I hit stop four times in a row, increasingly frustrated and feeling like a brain scattered idiot. But if you persist, this little movie, eons away from my world, could actually surprise you for the better.

Three tiny things redeemed it from the scrapheap for me: a) the Sixties, b) that Mad Men aesthetics and c) Lee Iacocca. Once this very familiar guy hit the screen, I knew I would be glued to whatever shite happened on it for the duration. Mind you, not the actor (entirely forgettable), but the business honcho whose Autobiography I read by complete accident at around 16. My brain could finally relate to something and start to make sense out of a completely alien, bloody mess. Slowly, excruciatingly slowly, things began to emerge: the script is so fucked up, I couldn't help but wonder what possessed someone as discerning as C to go for it. Other than a ferocious will to be there (anywhere, really), for further consideration, of course.

This is an underdog story through and through, and with a little bit of luck it could have been Oscar material. The reason it isn't so relies entirely on the writer's frail shoulders: I can't be arsed to check whodunit, but that person clearly bit more than they could ever chew. No Christian Bale and no Matt Damon could have dragged that script to Premier League, no matter how hard the effort. And the same person who wrote that Bale presented himself at the TIFF as a sociopathic boor has always deeply appreciated his past stellar performances (Empire of the Sun immediately comes to mind, of course). Seriously, I did and this movie is no exception: he is way better than I would have expected, especially when compared to a disappointing Damon.

What about C, then? In this very Anglo-Saxon sports stew, let's say she is an indispensable condiment, despite the absolute lack of chemistry with Bale and the sometimes formulaic presence, allowing for simplistic and expected dramatic solutions to complex situations. As in S's case, she sometimes drags along her Claire Fraser mannerisms, although less conspicuously than in Belfast elsewhere (or was it because we really don't get to see her a lot?). This particular script left me hungry for more, and not in a good way. She was very much there, she clearly worked very hard for it and yet, it feels as if she were obliterated, for some reason. That film didn't do her justice and scenes like the car tantrum could only give you a sort of nostalgic 'what if' idea:

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Easily my favorite C scene of the whole movie (spoiler: there aren't many at all). But let's be blunt, here: if you have no idea about who C is, no OL mystique to boot and you just watch that movie leisurely, you'd blink twice and miss her. And not remember her at all, perhaps.

Would I recommend it? I am not sure, despite Bale's Golden Globe nomination and two rather technical Oscars (for Film and Sound Editing). It could be me, after all and sports movies have never been my jam. It's a decent way to fill in two hours and a half of emptiness, but not nearly good enough for a re-watch. I'd be merciful and give it ⭐⭐/5. For the Sixties, my Paradise Lost.

Happy, Anon?

#anon #fandom #shitshow

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peoples-problem · 2 months

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Little fic idea that I had yesterday

Idk how people do this but I have seen a lot of people sharing their fics and I wanted to post this idea somewhere bc it might end in nothing

Chimney is a small director that starts from the bottom: some little movies that get as much attention as a family video of a vacation and some that maybe get played on an unknown channel at the worst rating times, but he takes it all as learning and slowly ascending towards something bigger. He isn't expecting to get to the big screen or get an academy award but every time he catches a project of his on tv he can feel like he did something and that's enough for him. This changes, somehow, and it's neither more nor less than thanks to a elderly woman that enjoys her time doing sapping on between channels and finds his tv show and gets so passionate about it that starts recommending it to her friends, another group of elderly women that, statistically, shouldn't do much, until one of the ears that this show lands on is the mother of a very well known online platform for cinema, who, for some reason, decides to give the small little show a shot and ends up as caught up as the rest of the chain that took the rumor of a good program to him. A week later, he contracts the director and offers to upload the entirety of the show in his platform and things escalate from there

Buck is no big actor, he isn't even sure if he wanted to be one before his friend told him he was a natural while reading out loud the new script of his new idea ("I just feel like something is missing, I need a new perspective, read it for me please" he had asked demanded and Buck, like the good friend he was, helped him to get out of this "art block". Apparently, what was missing was himself) but humored him by attending to some auditions with other people and suddenly he was placed as the star of this TV show. It's easy, for him, to get into his character's skin, most of the things he comes through and the stuff that isn't he can figure it out, until, after a whole season of no-love-interest for his character, Chimney decides that it's time to give him exactly that (the renewal for the second season comes with the big platform and a new and expanding viewership that is begging to get the character in love with someone and so they are willing to comply) and there the slight problem that Buck has never been in love with anyone. He doesn't know how it feels, he can't relate to what other people say it feels and every time he tries to imitate what he does see Chimney cuts him out telling him that a plant could have better chemistry with his costar (And, honestly, Abby is great and everything but she's definitely not his type and even if she is good in her acting her tips aren't working for him) than him. Or, at least, that's how it goes until he meets Eddie and starts thinking of him while acting and somehow Chimney complains a lot less about his falling-in-love interpretation

Eddie is a normal guy (maybe I can maintain Eddie's cannon story) who has a son with a dream that he is going to be damned if he can't help come true. Fame wasn't anything that he ever pursued, not even thought about paying attention to, but then he is telling his son that even with his disability he is going to be able to get to be whatever he wants to be, because it might be harder but never impossible, and his son looks at him in the eyes and says that he wants to be an actor and who is him to stop him? He would never ever think about it. So, he does what he supposes is the only thing he can do: support him. First, he takes him to some acting classes, try out if he really likes it and improve himself; after their first little show (a small thing in the local theater to show their progress at the end of their course) Christopher looks at him with stars in his eyes and tells him with all the conviction in the world "Dad, I really want to do this for a living" and, again, Eddie couldn't even think in telling him no. He takes him to every audition he can find and, even though they get very few callbacks, he ends up in some small ads and shorts. It's in one of those that he meets Chimney. It was probably the worst audition they ever had gone to, it wasn't even a big production and they were really specific with the kid they were looking for: Curly blond, 8 to 12 years old, male. Christopher met all the requirements so, maybe, the problem started with his predisposition and high hopes about getting the role but the real punch in the gut was the straightforward disregard he got the second he entered the audition room, one of the auditioners telling him that they were looking for "normal kids" and asking them to retreat immediately, and Eddie kind of lost it. He asked Christopher to wait outside, praying to all gods that he could be able to cheer him up later with the promise that this people didn't know what they were missing or something, and then proceeded to rant all over the auditioners team, getting even close to punch one of them when they kept insisting that his kid's CP was a telling sign that they should be looking elsewhere for a career, when he managed to barely contain himself and leave the room before security was called (this place was one of the most common places for auditions and he would never forgive himself if they get banned and miss any opportunity they can get because of his anger issues) when he come across this Asian man that was trying to calm his son down ("Are you waiting for your dad to come out of an audition? He sounds really passionate, that's usually really good for an actor, it's hard to pretend to be this infuriated" he was saying. "Nah, dad can't act to save his life, he is really bad at lying, I think he is actually really mad because they didn't let me audition" Christopher answered with a small laugh. "Wait, you are the star here? That's great! I'm actually looking for auditions for a kid for my show right now, would you like to give it a shot?")

Christopher gets the role as Buck's character's son. He is adopted on the first episode of the second season of the show, when Buck's character had ended in good terms for the first season (Chimney wanted to end it with a happy ending, just in case it didn't get renewed) and this new acquisition is so game changing that there's a lot to explore there. It helps that Christopher is still a little shy with Buck because both their characters and themselves can grow together as the filming goes on just like their fictional bond does, but by the time they are comfortable with each other they still have a few more episodes of the season and Chimney really wants Buck to get at least a love interest, someone that he can start trying to fit in his new family dynamic of being a single father and leave it a little open to see if it gets the public attention and be able to expand it in another season (and the possibilities of having another renewal are way higher now, with all the popularity they are gaining) but then they have this scene that Buck should "fall in love at first sight" (or at least start getting some interest in a romantic life) with someone and they get stuck. They do so many takes that the sun goes down and, before they notice, Eddie arrives to take Christopher home for the night (he started leaving his son there after the first few weeks of filming, needing to go to work and the team having won his trust with his kid) when they still needed to finish a scene with him ("Sorry, that's on me" Buck jumped even before Eddie could ask for the reason, not wanting him to be mad at Chimney for something that was definitely his fault). At the next day, the story repeats itself a little and when Buck loses count of how many takes they were on, he starts thinking about how Eddie would be upset about not being able to take his son with him because it ended up being too late for them again and, for some reason, Chim says that there's some improvement for the first time after that though. He then starts spending time with Eddie, offering to take Christopher home after recording so he doesn't have to get out of his way to pick him up ("Your house is just a step away from mine anyway, I have to pass close there already, it's not that big of a deal" Buck insisted although he never even know where they lived. Turns out that it was not, in fact, even close to his apartment, but he didn't mind taking the kid there anyway) or because it worked as character study (it was probably the dumbest excuse Buck has ever said but Eddie smiled at him and accepted the invite to take Buck and Christopher's day off playing videogames on him apartment anyway ("it would be weird to invite just Chris so of course you can tag on" Buck joked, knowing full well that he also wanted to spend time with Eddie, Christopher just cheered at the idea). Turns out, his "character study" did work because, not only he learned from Eddie himself how to act like a better fictional dad but he also explored his feelings towards the guy. Admitting that he fell in love with him so fast was a little bit humiliating but adding up to the fact that he was using him to become better at acting was even worse so he kept it all as a secret, especially if one truth came with the other.

Before anyone can notice, Buck is acting like an actual dad for Christopher (mainly when Eddie is not there, like informing the team that Chris had exams and to let him take a few days off to study, keeping snacks around all the time and checking up on him whenever he is free; but also off set, like helping with a school project that apparently covers something he investigated about, going to movie nights and cooking dinner for them in the most domestic thing he has ever experienced, getting groceries and taking or picking him up from school sometimes) and Eddie can't even be mad at him when he just fits so perfectly there, with them, and he is the first person that doesn't make him feel bad when asking for help. When the season is done recording and the excuse of "character study" gets paused until they get (or not, and that actually sound more like a breakup than it should) their renewal, Eddie realizes that he doesn't want Buck away and, suddenly, the thing between them feels too much like love ("Look, I don't know what you did here but I can't even imagine my life without you anymore and it's scary because you are the first person that I feel actually terrified of losing, like you are it for me, like I need you to have house arrest in my house" He said, still not realizing how much of a love confession that sound like "I think I wouldn't mind to be house arrested in your house" Buck said, smiling brightly, and kissing him to seal the deal. A kiss that just sounds too much like "oh, that makes sense" into Eddie's head, like a "It looks like I'm in love with you")

"So, this show has a lot of new actors, your star is on his first acting job even, where do you even get them from?" An interviewer asked Chimney in the premier of the first episode of the second season. "Well, it's a running joke that I just find actors at the side of the road and adopt them to work for me, I met Buck because he is my girlfriend's brother and he was just visiting while I was in the middle of an art block, Chris I found him in a random hallway auditioning for another show and asked him to audition for me instead, then Abby was on one of this fast food places that I can't mention the brand of reading some scripts when I approached her like 'Hey, you an actress? Do you mind if I give you a script and a contact card?' and then she called me back to get an audition; basically everyone I contacted was in a non fashion way but I just followed my instincts and so far it worked my way" Chimney answered (Chim met Maddie when she was with Dough, he was screaming at her on the street and he decided to intervene, he got stabbed for his problem but Dough ended up in jail and she visited him every day until they escalated to boyfriend's at some point after him being released from the hospital)

Idk what to say after this, it was mostly inspired on Ryan and Gavin's relationship and that comment of "that's my son" from Ryan but inside the show and some actors aus I read

If someone likes the idea feel free to use it too! Just send it to me if you do bc I'll love to read if this becomes a thing for someone

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mazeinthemiroh · 2 years

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Hello!

my first request here, i love your straykids reacts <\3 i would like to ask a react from the straykids boys with their yn crush and idol also being on the same program as them 🤕

stray kids reaction to their s/o being an idol

genre: fluff

word count: 0.8k

warnings: none

pls like and reblog if you enjoy! feel free to request anything <3

bangchan

chan finds it easier to relate to you because you are an idol. he's been in this industry for most of his life, and he's had to fight through a lot to get to where he is today. so he likes having a partner who understands the struggles he has been through. chan is so supportive of your idol journey just as you are of his.

when you perform on stage, he looks at you like he looks at the other members; he's so proud of you. he also loves to have you as a special guest in channie's room because you guys vibe so well together and the fans love seeing chan interacting with other idols, whether they know you're dating or not.

lee know

any excuse he gets, he just wants to dance or perform with you. he's always learning your/your group's choreography. like he just has to learn it. when you are on the stage performing he is dancing to the choreography from his seated area while the other members join in the fun too.

he loves having the opportunity to be a co-MC with you. presenting award shows usually means a lot of interactions between you both, and lee know likes finding little jokes and bits to do with you. because you mesh so well together, it's so easy to see your chemistry regardless of what you're doing.

changbin

of course, you are in his close circle of friends before he started dating you, and now the rest is history. you're friends with his idol friends and you all get along really well. they always thought you had a special connection with changbin, and they were right!

he also sees it as an opportunity to collaborate with you in some way, whatever role you may have in the group. he likes to get to know your creative process and wants to get to know your talents on a more up-close level. and when the collaboration is finally released he's super happy and has a new-found appreciation of you.

hyunjin

you are his inspiration. the love songs he writes? about you. the artworks he draws? they're all of you. he can't help but be moved by your music, and be in absolute awe by your beauty. he would have never thought you'd become such a big part of his life. and now you're dating him!

hyunjin can be quite shy when it comes to verbal affection but he always makes a special effort to compliment you and how well you have done in your recent comeback. he recognises your constant hard work and persistence to improve yourself.

han

the members groan every time they hear han belt out one of your songs every two seconds. he's like a major fanboy of yours, it's not even funny. he takes the 'supportive boyfriend' role to a whole other level. he buys your merch, streams your music, and goes to your concerts. you laugh at how over-the-top he is.

so we can gather he's not exactly subtle when supporting you. he stands up, dances and sings along when you're performing on stage at an award show. the fans even hear him shouting your fan chants and of course, the camera almost always pans to him when this happens.

felix

will binge-watch all your content/variety shows. with the little free time he has he figures what better way to use this time to catch up on your content! obsesses over your fancams and he will always tell stay to stream your new song every chance he can get.

and you best believe that his whole fyp is literally of you, which you find adorable. fans realise you both are dating or that he at least has a massive crush on you when he reveals his home-screen of you on a live, completely forgetting that it was a picture of you 🤦

seungmin

on the inside, he's like... on his KNEES begging you to do a duet with him because he's obsessed with your voice. of course, this is seungmin though. he might not dramatically gush over you like hannie would, but you can tell by the way he keeps dropping hints that he really wants to perform with you.

"ah your voice is really good in this track" or "our vibes would totally complement each other if we were to perform together." all these hints just encourage you to come up with the idea of performing with him because he's too damn shy to ask you himself, bless him <//3

jeongin

thinks you're super cool. he's more of a quiet supporter compared to some of the other members. he likes the fact that your schedule is quite similar to his; that way, he can meet up with you during his lunch breaks or even pop over to practice some choreography with you.

otherwise, i don't think being an idol with have much impact on the way he treats you. i think the real truth comes out about his feelings when you perform for the first time at an award show. just the way his eyes are fixated on you and he looks so utterly and hopelessly in love with you... yeah.

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writing-for-life · 10 months

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Thessaly, Johanna and a weird meta about musical motifs (amongst other things)

Send me asks about everything Sandman-related!

As a little intro: A lot of people in the fandom want to see Thessaly cut from the TV adaptation, or at least see her changed substantially. I am not necessarily one of them because I don’t think it’s always necessary to blur the lines between fiction and reality that way, and I would be alright with portraying her in a similar way as in the Audible adaptation (where a lot of things have already been changed to make her character more palatable to 21st century audiences). It would also make Morpheus look a bit less morally grey (I mean, he falls in love with someone who is essentially a terrible person, knows it and doesn’t seem to give a shit. Then again, he often is morally grey, and people like to forget that ;)).

Having gotten that out of the road: I *do* think that “A Game of You” is hard to translate to the screen. I absolutely love it in the comics, but I think it’s one of those arcs that is tricky to do well for TV. I’d even go as far as saying it might be a dealbreaker for some people who haven’t read the comic/are show audience only, and it might jeopardise a potential S3. Not because of Thessaly or the plot as such, but because it operates on a similar plane as The Doll’s House, which was jarring to a lot of people in S1. And The Doll’s House has a far more straightforward arc and more Morpheus in it—AGoY has none of these things. I’d personally love to see it, but I would also love to see Morpheus’ full arc being brought to the screen, so I am a bit conflicted. I still think, and of course that’s just a personal opinion, that it would be best to just have little bits and bobs inserted into Season of Mists and do the whole Cuckoo arc as an animation, but that’s just me.

@tickldpnk8 and I already speculated wildly about S2, and sole speculation it is, but maybe you want to check out that post. I’m getting carried away here...

After that longwinded intro: Are we going to get Johanna instead of Thessaly?

What I actually wanted to write about is why the longer I think about it (and I’ve been thinking about it since S1, I'm really that sad), the more I can’t shake the feeling that they *will* replace Thessaly with Johanna. And the fandom is totally divided about it—some love the idea because they had undeniable chemistry in S1, others hate it for various reasons (doing Johanna dirty, keeping Thessaly "intact"--you name it).

I personally think it might actually elevate the story because it would make Morpheus look better (*if* that's what we want--I'm not really sure I do), and that’s what show-only-fans seemingly gravitate towards. As already hinted at, Thessaly/Murphy always seemed a rather unfathomable relationship, and it didn’t just make Murph look stupid, but also, as already mentioned, morally grey and not very discerning in his choice of women (hmm, maybe he just isn’t ;)).

Falling for Johanna wouldn’t be any of this. And it would be so easy to show why it went horribly wrong without making either of them look bad, and you could still feel for both of them. If we think about Johanna’s worst nightmare (literally), it’s what happened to Astra. So she would absolutely and unequivocally support someone like Lyta, who worries about her child. And she would do it for all the right reasons, and not because she’s a selfish bitch who just wants a longer life or is generally spiteful.

And it wouldn’t be hard for Morpheus and Johanna to hook up either. They could even leave the original idea intact: Thessaly just dreamed of him, and they started talking in dreams, bla bla bla. We already have the set-up for that in S1. Morpheus took away Johanna’s nightmare. She could just be grateful, relieved, whatever, and dream of him. Done. And we don’t even need to explain that at great length, because in the comics, we never really see them hook up anyway and just find things out after the deed. Although I personally *want* to see them get hot and heavy on screen, but that’s just me having my mind in the gutter because why would you not to show two sexy people with so much chemistry doing exactly that. However, I’ll survive the disappointment if they don’t—just 😂

But it’s not just the plot. It’s also everything we’ve seen in S1. I have already talked about this in other threads, most recently with @orionsangel86, but literally every shot with them in S1 was framed as a romance shot: the proximity, the play on height difference, the camera angles, the lighting. These are deliberate choices, either to hint at what’s to come, or to set up a distraction, MacGuffin, whatever.

Then the mention of “None of us can be trusted.”

Or the RAIN. I mean, I am so surprised no one has commented on that waterfall of RAIN when they say goodbye (or I’ve just not seen it). You cannot read the comics and ever believe again that Morpheus and rain, no matter where, doesn’t hint at terrible relationship outcomes.

Musical themes, oy!

But the thing that really got me was the use of musical motifs, and I am unfortunately showing my background from a former life here because I can never listen to a movie soundtrack without getting analytical about it. Johanna’s theme is called “Johanna & Rachel”, and it would be easy to just think of it as that. And yes, it is a love theme, but it doesn’t just play for Johanna and Rachel. It plays in Morpheus’ and Johanna’s last scene as well.

And here’s the kicker: Dream’s and her theme complete each other, as in: They both have what the other one is missing. They are musically extremely close, but not identical. Let me explain:

If you think of the opening lines of both of their motifs in scale degrees (like 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-(1)), they look/sound as follows:

Johanna (her motif begins right at the start, so I didn't timestamp it)

youtube

1-(minor3)-7-(2)-(1) | 1-(major3)-m7-1

If I put all of “her” scale degrees in a row, they are: 1-2-3-7

Dream (you actually hear his leitmotifs, and their subtle differences, best in his scenes with John Dee):

youtube

1-(7)-(6)-(5)-(4) | 1-(7)-(6)-2 (video is timestamped)

youtube

1-(7)-(6)-(5)-(aug4) | 1-(7)-(6)-2 (video is timestamped)

If I put all of “his” scale degrees in a row, they are: 1-2-4-5-6-7

Morpheus is missing the third (3). Missing the third, which s considered one of the most consonant intervals and DYNAMIC, also hints at his character, but that just as an aside.

Johanna has the third (both in its minor and major form).

Johanna is missing the fourth, fifth and sixth.

Morpheus has them, in various forms (major and augmented—especially augmented intervals are highly unstable and create a lot of friction).

What they share/have in common are 1, 2 and 7:

The tonic (1) is what everything else hinges on. The supertonic (2) is musically fraught with tension and seeks to resolve into the tonic--back to base or a conclusion/resolution, if you will. The seventh (7), both as a leading note or subtonic, is also that: Tension that needs resolved.

So all they have in common is tension that needs to resolve into some sort of resolution.

(And before we are pointing out the obvious: of course both tunes have more notes in it respectively, but we are talking about the main motifs.)

What’s also super interesting is where their overall themes are going. Johanna’s is initially darker, but it actually has a lot of ascending lines and “light” before plunging back into darkness.

Morpheus’ seems a lot more regal (for lack of better term), but the lines are mostly descending. This becomes even more apparent when we are not just listening to the opening theme, but to the several variations of his theme (his presence can be felt literally everywhere, even in Desire's theme).

It just freaked me out majorly the moment I heard it for the first time in contrast. But I like to over-interpret musical stuff because I just hear it so clearly. I *do* believe that composers do these things on purpose, even if just subconsciously, because we can't separate what we know about a character from how we perceive them musically (I do it as well). Of course that doesn’t always mean that it’s exactly the purpose I am thinking of, or that it hints at whatever is to come. My brain tends to run away with these things.

But yes, musically, they are totally "on track", so let's run with it. I'll admit my embarrassment later when this all goes into a completely different direction ;)

(Also tagging @honeyteacakes in this since I encroached on your comments recently)

#sandman meta #sandman spoilers #sandman season 2 meta #sandman s2 meta #morpheus #johanna constantine #thessaly #the sandman #sandman netflix #sandman #dream of the endless #musical meta analysis #wild speculation #like really wild

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shyvioletcat · 1 year

Text

AELIN WEEK: DAY TWO

~ Love Language ~

A/N: We all know that at least one of Aelin’s love languages is physical touch so this DEFINITELY counts. Okay, so this is a another part of I Wish You Would which was meant to be a oneshot but now it’s not. It’s not as good as the first, I will admit, but I think it passes.

CW: Smut 18+, a couple of swears.

~~~~~

Rowan was steadily making his way through his third round of edits on his latest book. It was the fifth instalment for his current series and his deadline for submission was starting to get uncomfortably close. He’d been distracted or maybe it could be said one singular distraction instead, not at all an unpleasant one. Aelin was the best kind of distraction he could ever ask for.

Since their… unexpected and explosive tryst at the pop culture convention they’d found more than enough excuses to be together. Some might call it strange how easily they slotted into each other’s lives. All that animosity turned into something just as burning and passionate, but with far better benefits. To Rowan it felt as natural as breathing to be with Aelin like this. He thought the feelings he’d been harbouring were one sided and that Aelin had truly hated him. When it came to light that all her petty quips and barbed words had come from the denial of her own feelings, that had been the best day of Rowan’s life. Since then they had barely spent any time apart, taking the time to explore many aspects of their new relationship. Some aspects they explored more often and thoroughly than others, frequently in his bed or hers. He wouldn’t deny that their chemistry was out of this world.

With eyes fixed on the computer screen he startled as Aelin burst into his study, dressed in one of his hoodies and not much else from what he could tell. That golden hair of her’s was loose, but still messy, like she’d been running her hands through it. What caught Rowan’s eye was the open book she had pressed to her chest. It was one of his.

“It’s me,” she said a bit breathlessly like she’d run from whatever reading nook she’d emerged from. About a week ago she’d turned in her very final draft of her latest book, she currently had all the time in the world to do as she wished. She’d chosen to binge read his books. “It’s me.”

When she repeated those two words and Rowan still had no idea what she was talking about he laughed softly. “What is?”

Aelin rushed forward, holding out the book so it flopped under the weight of all those pages. “This,” she pointed to the black letters on the cream coloured pages. “In here, this character is me.”

He might have been affronted by the physical disrespect being inflicted on his book if he hadn’t just been drastically called out. Rowan turned his office chair with a deliberate slowness, like he was trying to buy himself some time. An unasked for favour from his unconscious mind. “Huh?”

“Don’t play coy with me, Mr Three Time Orynth Bestseller Author Whitethorn,” Aelin was back to hugging the book against her chest. “I’m vain enough to recognise my own imitation.”

Rowan tried his best just to shrug it off. “Maybe your vanity is seeing something that’s not there.”

Turquoise eyes narrowed at him, but rather than arguing the point she started leafing through the pages of his book. And then she cleared her throat.

“She stood there, blue eyes shining with ire as the bright light of the twin suns that caught the golden highlights in her hair. This woman was ready to fight and wouldn’t back down.” Aelin’s eyes left the page and they fixed on him. “Should I keep going or should I dive into the description of her stunning body?”

“You don’t even have blue eyes,” Rowan defended. “And every second female protagonist has blonde hair. More than that even.”

Aelin rolled her eyes, walking forward and pointing the book at him instead of an accusing finger. “My eyes are a shade of blue, you can’t fool me.”

“Fool you into what exactly?” Rowan said, tilting his head up to look at her.

“This is me.” Aelin all but slammed the book onto his desk.

That move had her leaning forward a little, making the hoodie gape at her thighs. Rowan couldn’t resist, his hand reached out, fingers splaying across her soft skin. The touch weakened some of Aelin’s swaggering and she stepped a tiny bit closer so that his hand could slip just a fraction higher.

“You can prove nothing,” Rowan insisted. “And don’t act like you haven’t done the exact same thing.”

The smallest hint of colour bloomed on her cheeks and she crossed her arms defensively. “No, I have not.”

Rowan grinned, his hand sliding down to the sensitive skin behind her knee. It made her squirm. Or maybe that was because he’d turned the tables on her.

“You don’t think I’ve noticed your penchant for silver haired male love interests popping up in your books.” Rowan pulled on her knee, making Aelin stumble forward but he steadied her with the other hand landing on her hip.

“I’ll have you know,” Aelin’s mouth twisted as she tried to hide her smile, “that it is a very popular hair colour for male characters in fantasy.”

Rowan’s voice was full of humoured incredulousness. “Is it?”

Aelin was close enough now that he could rest his chin on her stomach, to look up at her face that was continuing to flush.

“Yes.” She untucked one hand and started counting. “We’ve got Geralt, Thranduil, Legolas…” then her face brightened with a new thought. “One of your kick-ass women is named Ayla, how thinly veiled is that comparison?”

“And there’s the guy you straight up named after a tree with green eyes. But you did change the eye colour there, though,” Rowan added.

“But my point is,” Aelin said, choosing to ignore him now that she was thoroughly ratted out. “You did it too.”

Rowan smirked up at her, pulling on her hip so she swayed. “I didn’t deny it.”

“You… no you just evaded.” Aelin poked him in the chest to prove her point.

Rowan felt his expression turn smug, catching that hand before she could poke him again. “Just think, if you had read my books to begin with you could have figured out my crush a long time ago. You could have saved yourself a lot of frustration and all that extra brain power that went into that teasing of yours.”

“But that would have been a lot less fun,” Aelin’s voice turned sultry and she stepped closer on her own, her free hand reaching for his neck. “Okay, but consider. Would our first time been *that good without all that tension.”

She drew out the last three words.

Rowan nodded, kissing the fingers of the hand he still held. “You have a point. I did enjoy hearing how much you wanted it.”

He heard Aelin’s breath hitch and her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.

“I never would have gotten that out of you in any other scenario,” Rowan said confidently, squeezing her hip for emphasis. “You’re so godsdamned stubborn and I love it.”

That had Aelin grinning. She stepped out of his grasp and she waltzed over to one of his floor to ceiling bookcases running her fingers along the spines. “So, we both did it.”

“It would seem so,” Rowan said, swivelling in his chair to follow her movements.

“Also seems like we’ve been falling for each other longer than we care to admit,” Aelin mused. “It’s got me thinking.”

Rowan leaned back as far as his office chair would allow him. “About?”

Aelin sent him a sly smile before she turned around completely and gave him the opportunity to admire her long legs. He was so distracted he didn’t notice she had a book in her hands until she started reading. ““Please,” she breathed, fingers digging into his lower back for emphasis. His low groan was his only answer as he hoisted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, letting him carry her not to the bed, but to the wall, and the sensation of the cool wood against her back compared to the heat and hardness of him pushing into her front.”

When she was done, Aelin just looked at him for a long moment. Then she very deliberately put the book back on the shelf, exactly where she’d got it from.

“So we’ve established that Celaena is me,” something mischievous glinted in Aelin’s eye as she referred to the character from the book she’d just read from, the prequel of the one she’d rushed in with in the first place. “Does that mean this is a little fantasy of yours? For me?”

Now it was Rowan’s turn to blush. “Um… maybe?”

Aelin laughed in triumph. “That’s a yes!”

Her laughter and his embarrassment had him out of his chair and closing the distance between them. He crowded her against the shelving and the laughing turned into giggles. That sound utterly undid him and he was powerless to stop the way his body was drawn to her. Aelin was looking up at him, her eyes wide and expectant—just waiting for him to just do something.

“You eased your tension with your teasing and taunting,” Rowan said, leaning in a little further. “I had to find another avenue.”

He dragged his hand down the bookcase, right next to Aelin’s body but he made sure not to touch her. She watched fingers dragged over the spines, pages and wood, then as they stopped right text to her hip.

“So what will it be, Aelin?” Rowan said, bringing their faces within an inch of each other. “Will you go back and read my book, or shall I convince you to stay with me for a while?”

Aelin tipped her head up so that their lips almost brushed. “I might be able to be convinced.”

“How shall I do it? Words or with my tongue and teeth?” He accentuated that question by closing the distance and pressed a biting kiss to Aelin’s bottom lip. She’d had so much fun quoting his books, he might as well start quoting hers. That line had always been a particular favourite of his.

Her answering moan was beautiful, and it spiked the arousal that was already coursing through him. There would be no way in hell he’d be able to go back to writing without fucking her first. Aelin would take hold of every thought and moment, and he’d probably just end up typing her name over and over again. And it wasn’t like she didn’t already occupy every other waking thought, but with this need consuming him Rowan would be utterly useless.

“Yeah, that,” Aelin said breathlessly. “Your mouth is what I want, Rowan.”

“Your pleasure is mine, princess,” he told her, another quote, which she traded in kind.

“Do your worst, Prince.”

Aelin laughed breathlessly as Rowan brought their bodies flush, with a rough tug on her hips and his lips descended to her neck. That sound was cut short when his teeth dragged over her neck, replacing the soft press of his lips. Aelin moulded into him and Rowan used that to his advantage. With hands on her waist he guided her backwards, until her back was resting on the step ladder he used to reach the books on the upper shelves. Aelin had gushed over it when she’d first seen it, told him she was getting jealous of his library. She was about to enjoy it for an entirely different reason.

Rowan lifted her just a little, so she could perch on one of the flat steps. It took half a second for her to realise what Rowan was doing, and the way he dropped to his knees was the final confirmation. He ran his hands up and down Aelin’s calves, watching as confidence and lust spread through her—her chin lifted, a pointed foot leading her leg over his shoulder as her arms twined upwards to hold onto the ladder. She looked like a god ready to be worshipped.

As promised, his tongue and teeth teased a course up her leg. Aelin’s composure was lasting but he didn’t miss the way her body shuddered when his fingers hooked into the waistband of her underwear and dragged them down her legs. As his lips travelled higher still, Rowan pushed the hem of his hoodie up. The tension between them went taut, Aelin waiting for him to do something and Rowan considering when he’d put her out of her misery.

He didn’t have the care to wait. Three more kisses up her thigh and then Rowan had her moaning on his tongue. As often as they had found themselves in scenes like this, Rowan was still discovering how he could get Aelin to unravel under his ministrations. So he catalogued every sound, each little moan and sigh as he worked the apex of her thighs. Rowan made note of how Aelin’s fingers tightened in his hair when he flicked his tongue over her clit, the way her leg shook when he sucked hard. And the way her whole body shuddered when he bit at delicate skin.

“Oh, fuck me,” Aelin groaned. “How are—oh!”

A flat lick of his tongue had Aelin writhing and Rowan could tell she was close. He’d learned that much, he could feel it in the way her body was as tight as a drawn bow string. It wouldn’t take much more for her to break. And he needed it.

He swirled his tongue around her clit and that was all it took. Aelin moaned, the sound coming from deep within her throat. Her body shook from pleasure, and she clung to the ladder like a lifeline. Rowan didn’t stop moving until she did, praising her with soft kisses on her thighs.

“Gods, Rowan,” Aelin panted as he stood to his full height. “This might be my new favourite piece of furniture.”

Rowan might have joined in with her laughter if he hadn’t been painfully hard. Watching her come without him was both a curse and a blessing. It was as hot as hell but left him wanting her even more. Aelin must have caught onto his dilemma because this time it was her reaching out to pull him forward by his hips, no hesitation before her hand slipped into his sweats. His hand that slammed into the books by her head nearly sent them flying.

“That feels good,” he groaned, loving the way her hand dragged over the length of him.

“Where do you want me?” Aelin breathed, her lips hot on his neck.

The bedroom was too far, and three out of four walls in this room were covered in books, the last had his desk blocking the way. It was hard to think straight with Aelin’s hands on him, but he needed to answer her question. There was an armchair in the corner where he liked to read. That would be his best option.

Rowan gathered Aelin into his arms and carried her over to that chair, falling into it bringing her with him. They wasted no time, as soon as he was down Rowan slipped a hand under the hoodie, feeling the soft skin beneath. He groaned when he found out she wore absolutely nothing beneath, Aelin swallowing the sound with a kiss.

She started moving on him, grinding down on his hard cock. Rowan’s head fell back, his breath falling into rhythm with Aelin’s movements. “I gotta have you.”

“I know.” Aelin pushed off him, standing between his spread knees. Her hands gripped the bottom of the hoodie, pulling it up slowly.

It was tortuous, watching the revelation inch by inch. Rowan palmed himself through his pants trying to ease some of the strain. When Aelin stood before him, utterly naked and beautiful, Rowan started to ask himself how he got so lucky.

She lent forward, hands bracing on the chair arms. “Am I going to have to dash to the bedroom for a condom, or…”

“Desk drawer,” Rowan nearly barked.

Aelin smirked at his tone, and while she strutted over there Rowan took the opportunity to get rid of his own clothes. He only got as far as ridding himself of his t-shirt and lost sight of her as he pulled it over his head. Just like magic, when his vision was a haze of black cotton, she seemed to appear right in front of him. The foil package was ripped open and the next thing he knew Aelin was kissing him, pulling his pants down just far enough to free his cock.

“Ready, there handsome?” Aelin teased, always ready to unleash some of her sass. It was one of the things that he’d come to really enjoy about her. His brain was currently too lust addled to give that idea some proper thought. If he considered it for long he might say something that might be considered a little preemptive.

“When it comes to you, always,” Rowan said instead.

Aelin went to lower herself into his lap when he stopped her, with broad hands on her waist. She looked annoyed and confused, until Rowan urged her to turn around. He kept one hand on her hip to guide her and the other ran up the bare skin of her back to the nape of her neck. Aelin arched into his touch, sighing heavily at the first brush of the head of his cock through her folds.

“Please, Rowan,” Aelin gasped. “I know you need me.”

Those words were his undoing and he tugged Aelin into his lap, fully seating himself inside her. They both moaned at that blissful, intimate contact, the feeling was something Rowan would never tire of. Aelin lay back on his chest, a hand sliding into his hair to give her something to hold on to. Rowan wasn’t idle either, touching everywhere he could reach before resting on her breasts.

“Gods, yes,” Aelin breathed as he started to play with her hardened nipples.

“You’re perfect,” Rowan said onto her skin, twisting a bud between his fingers—just shy of pain.

His reward was a sudden jerk of Aelin’s hips and a sharp tug to the strands of his hair. Once she started moving, she couldn’t stop. Rowan timed his thrusts with the rolling grind of Aelin’s body—kissing her shoulder, her neck. Neither of them could keep quiet and the room filled with their sounds of pleasure. Rowan felt her inner wall tighten around him, making him bite down on the soft skin at the juncture on her neck and shoulder.

“Don’t draw it out, I won’t last,” Aelin told him.

That was more than enough reason for Rowan to take what he needed, that of course included Aelin coming on his cock. A hand snaked over her body, down her toned stomach right to where he knew his touch would make her come undone. Rowan’s finger drew quick circles around her clit, making Aelin cry out over and over again until she finished on a throaty moan.

Rowan kept her steady, chasing his own high with languid thrust as he helped Aelin ride out hers. He let go, release rushing through him, his body sinking into the plush armchair as his cock stopped pulsing. Aelin was limp against him and the sounds of her soft breaths is what brought him back to the present.

Aelin hummed, the sound was one of contentment. “I think I just got some inspiration for my new book.”

Rowan’s laughter shook both of them. “Will you dedicate it to me so when your next heroine gets laid in a library your readers know who to thank?”

“That’s not such a bad idea,” Aelin said. “Everyone should know just how lucky you are.”

With a hand on her chin, Rowan tilted her face so he could kiss her—long enough that Aelin was breathless when they stopped. He took a moment just to appreciate how truly lucky he was to have this beautiful woman to call his. A thumb brushed along Aelin’s cheek and Rowan kissed her again, then said, “I’ll be sure to do the same.”

~~~~~

Tags: @fucking-winchester-trash // @literary-licorice // @galyxsy // @tangledraysofsunshine // @highqueenofelfhame // @3am-reading // @soup-that-is-too-hawt // @aelinfire-bringer // @nalgenewhore // @highladyofthesith // @http-itsrebecca // @sleep-and-books // @alifletcher2012 // @westofmoon // @sleeping-and-books // @ttakeitbacknoww // @armixers-unite // @mariamuses // @chocolate-eating-bitch-queen // @velarian-trash // @queenofxhearts // @heroesofterrasen // @highladyofstoriesandmusic // @empire-of-wildfire // @camerooonchiu // @crackedship // @lowhangingtreebranches // @over300books // @yourwhisperingshadows // @thesirenwashere // @tswaney17 // @impossiblescissorspeachpaper // @cat5313 // @judelovescardan // @flowerspringsea // @chaoticskyy // @the-regal-warrior // @fanfictrash3000 // @blueeyes425 // @starseternalnighttriumphant // @bamchickawowow // @thehuntressofmoon // @giorgia-the-trashpanda // @flora-and-fae // @thereaderandfangirl // @illyrian-bookworm // @chemicha // @meltalgel // @gay-book-nerd // @that-odd-puzzle-piece // @i-love-all-books // @in-love-with-caramel-macchiato // @girl-who-reads-the-books // @hizqueen4life // @the-third-me // @1islessthan3books // @bestmelle // @cursebreaker29 // @b00kworm // @superspiritfestival // @aesthetics-11 // @maastrash // @mynewdreamwasyou // @the-last-apprentice // @charincharge // @firestarsandseneschals // @scarznstars // @absolute-dissapointment // @thesurielships // @df3ndyr // @trinitybailey2003 // @gwynethhberdara // @booknerdproblems // @larisssss // @sevenfreckles-for-sevenloves // @rolltide7 // @scandinavianromantic // @tillyrubes10 // @starwarsslytherin // @minaidss // @paytin77 // @jesstargaryenqueen // @anntheintrovert // @starbornvalkyrie // @loudphantomdragon // @woollycat22 // @claralady // @perseusannabeth // @fangirlprincess09 // @maddymelv // @sierrareads // @more-espresso-less-depresso-xx // @jlinez // @lysandra-ghost-leopard // @rowaelinismyotp // @pullnpeeltwizzlers // @anne-reads // @jadeaffliction // @gracie-rosee // @elriel4life // @rowaelinrambling // @tothestarswholistentodreamers // @thenerdandfandoms // @castielspelvis // @swankii-art-teacher // @grandma-noob-lord // @vanzetanze // @highlady-brittney // @story-scribbler // @linguine-panini // @pastasiren // @surielandiareendgame // @silentquartz // @live-the-fangirl-life // @whimsicallyreading // @goddess-aelin // @littleboxofthunder // @empress-ofbloodshed // @booksbqueen // @rowanwhitethornisbae // @charlizeed // @feysand-loml // @aelin-queen-of-terrasen // @alyx801 // @amandaswallowtail // @louiseleblancdiggory // @abookishfreak // @danibutterr // @thegreyj // @lizzyfirebringer // @endlessdaydream // @magnifique1807 // @s-uppertime // @rowaelinscourt

#aelinweek #aelinweek2023 #rowaelin fanfiction #i wish you would #it's a oneshot is the biggest lie of my life

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negrowhat · 15 days

Text

City Boy Log Thoughts Pt. 2

For the ep that dropped today...I wrote notes.

I found it interesting that we saw Jaejun only apologize to Yunje. I found it even more interesting that he did it over the phone vs. in person. I think Jaejun felt it was better to do it over the phone so Yunje wouldn't have the opportunity to "overwhelm" him again. It was his safest option to draw that line in the sand over the phone. Almost like addressing whatever chemistry they had going on wasn't worth an in-person conversation because in the long run it wasn't that important to Jaejun.

After the bike riding and the boys were standing by the fence, Jaejun put the tiniest bit of distance between himself and Jihan and Jihan noticed it immediately. He is very attentive to Jaejun's body language. I didn't have any thoughts on it, just something I noticed.

I like that Dongseop didn't push his feelings onto Jihan after being firmly rejected. When Yunje asked him who he would choose to teach him how to ride a bike it was clear he wanted to say Jihan but instead he said Yunje or Jeonggyu. He's not going to step over that boundary again because Jihan is still his friend and he respects him even though he doesn't like Jaejun.

From this ep I see that following men who wander off alone seems to be something Yunje does often. He followed Dongseop the same way he was following Jaejun every time Jaejun wandered off alone. In that same scene we also got to see Dongseop deploy his oh-so-effective damsel in distress routine. He did it with Jihan (pretending to hurt himself when they were cooking and also pretending to be too drunk to walk so he could sneak in a kiss under the radar) and now he's pretending to fall and hurt his ankle to grab Yunje's attention.

I enjoyed watching them flirt but it was clear that they were not ready to even try to approach the idea of possibly dating each other. Yunje pulled himself back and mentioned something about when Dongseop found the right person that person would be lucky and Dongseop agreed.

I also enjoyed watching Jeonggyu shoot his shot with Dongseop. We don't really know what they did the night they slept in bed together. Dongseop doesn't seem to remember and Jeonggyu seemed to be a little touchy that morning. Jeonggyu knows Dongseop is still a little brokenhearted about Jihan but he uses the opportunity to kiss the boy anyway. At the very least to show Dongseop that he is very much interested in him. It seems Dongseop has prospects and there might be a lil love triangle on the rise between him, Jeonggyu, and Yunje. I look forward to that.

I found 2J's make up interesting. Not because of the actual dialogue but because of the descriptive text on the screen. The parts that are written on the screen to kinda fill in the gaps of what's happening between the unclear dialogue. One of them said "Jihan always takes the initiative" when Jihan is about to apologize. And then after Jihan says he's sorry the text next to Jaejun says "I'm more sorry."

It makes me wonder if Jaejun confessed and apologized to Jihan off camera. Because why else wouldn't he verbally apologize unless he either A) didn't tell Jihan about kissing that dude because he didn't feel he needed to or B) told him off screen after it happened.

But I feel like if Jihan had known about it prior to his apology he would've been wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy more upset than how he appeared in this most recent ep. Jihan is a jealous boy and we've seen how angry he gets when another man approaches Jaejun and we've also seen him warning Jaejun to not be so inviting towards other men who clearly have intentions. So it's a strong possibility that Jihan doesn't know about the kiss.

BUT at the same time I just feel like it really could've been a creative decision to not include that confrontation on camera like they didn't address whatever was going on between Jihan and Hyosang in the shower because much like real life, some conversations just don't happen in front of an audience. I fear that could be another situation we won't get anymore context on.

Also unpopular opinion about these messy boys, Jaejun specifically. I think Jihan and Jaejun's relationship is just green enough to forgive the things that Jaejun has done BUT only if Jaejun actually talks about, owns up to, and genuinely apologizes for how he handled this whole situation with Yunje, Dongseop, and Jihan.

Also for the love of gawd I hope 2J learns how to communicate beter. I think Jihan should've told Jaejun about Dongseop's advances even if he didn't view it that way he still found some of Dongseop's actions weird. The kiss and the conversation he had with Dongseop about Jaejun should've definitely come up.

I think part of the reason Jaejun was acting so stupidly with Yunje is because he was picking up on Dongseop's attraction to Jihan and it might have come off to Jaejun that Jihan was aware of Dongseops advances and was just not doing anything to stop it.

#city boy log #cityboy log #jihan x jaejun #2j

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duckiemimi · 9 months

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i really don't wanna be that person but what is your thoughts on gojou with utahime as a pairing? like no hate to anyone that likes to ship them but i just don't see the significance in this relationship, especially since it feels like a reach when they try to compare utahime with geto for example, saying they have similarities supposedly, which?? utahime in general is like a typical girl from a manga that people seem to project onto because she has this tsukkomi vibes or something? like the whole dislike towards gojo is disregarded and treated as a joke despite adults in jjk are obviously capable of putting aside their distaste of one another to work for the greater good if goals aling. i honestly think these two work better as allies because they have rather sibling like type of dynamic. and i didn't mean for this to get so long and overboard but i needed to share and i hope you'll have some thoughts along the way because i really enjoy your theories and metas. have a good one :)

before i start, disclaimer: if you like gojohime, by all means, ship it! there’s nothing wrong with shipping two characters you think go together, so as long as you don’t pick unnecessary fights about it!

now let’s start.

i think i don’t see the appeal in gojohime because i see no chemistry between them. they’re professional coworkers who might even be acquaintances once in a while to me.

i think what i truly dislike, though, is how utahime is portrayed in the ship. if a woman says she doesn’t like a man, then she doesn’t like a man! but even through a reader’s standpoint, while these are fictional characters in a story we can find wholly knowable because they are readable (unlike in-real-life humans), there is no evidence to suggest that utahime even likes gojo. they work well together and that’s it.

i think because we don’t see much of utahime in the story, it becomes easy to see what isn’t there. most of her on-screen interactions with gojo, if not in tepid professional manner, are fiery, with her becoming defensive and quick to anger. i think many shippers read this as utahime becoming flustered and perhaps they see her as the quintessential “tsundere” who shows affection through irritability. if anything, though, i think we should consider the fact that teenage gojo used to blatantly call her weak and it’s definitely affected their dynamic as adults. utahime could still be a little resentful, and i don’t think gojo realizes this.

you also have to remember that gojo isn’t the most likable person (not character) in the series. nanami is not entirely fond of him, and neither are most of his students. they care for him, and they might love him, but he’s not an easy guy to get along with. it isn’t just utahime who finds him “annoying.”

as for the geto and utahime comparisons, they make me giggle a little. is it because geto is objectively the closest person to gojo, and that’s how shippers wished it was for utahime, or is it because they both have dark hair? besides the fact that pre-defection geto and utahime have a sense of duty as sorcerers (which also differ, by the way; their motivations were completely different), they have absolutely no similarities. where did this argument even come from?

i think it’s important to realize that you can ship characters without grasping at barely-there evidence. you don’t owe anyone your ship’s canonicity. you’re allowed to like a ship even if two characters have never even interacted with each other. of course, different people are bound to perceive the story differently, so i guess as long as you don’t pick fights, do whatever you want!

#jjk #gojo satoru #gojo #iori utahime #utahime #jujutsu kaisen #asks #gjhm

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nakianshuri · 1 year

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I keep seeing well-meaning posts about wanting Steve and Jonathan to be friends, and I might have felt that way at the end of season 1. But since then it’s been a no for me.

I think Argyle is a great friend for Jonathan to have. However, Jonathan has only ever been interesting to me in his family relationships, which the show has neglected since that first season. Would have been interested to see his reaction to Bob’s death and confront his biases about people since he seemed to have dismissed Bob as being too normal or whatever in S2. He probably also resented him for dating Joyce and perhaps inserting himself in their family dynamics.

Would in theory be interesting to see his reaction to Jopper, which I assume would also be met with hostility for similar reasons, or how he interacted with El being around.

So there are interactions that I think could be enlightening to see that center Jonathan.

Jonathan and Steve, however, feels like it could be repetitive? Every season, Steve has to redeem himself to someone or show that he’s not at heart an asshole. It would have been great if in a very different season 2, Steve’s redemption arc started with Jonathan and if the show established some kind of basis for mutual respect and perhaps friendship between them that would have been an nice wrinkle to the love triangle at that point.

That’s not what happened, and instead we see Steve grow through Dustin and being the “babysitter,” and with Robin and learning to deal with rejection while becoming a good friend to her. We even seen this a little with Eddie, who explicitly says Steve’s a better guy than he thought, and with Steve learning to get along with Eddie after thinking he’s a freak. We’ve seen this arc 3 times in really compelling ways imo.

Some people say Stancy is character regression, which I disagree with because both characters were in a way reintroduced to each other after being apart and changing.

However exploring Steve and Jonathan after 4 seasons of no interaction feels like regression to me bc I don’t think Jonathan has changed, nor has his point of view of the world. It potentially leaves Steve in an atoning position we’ve already seen him in, and although he loves Nancy, he hasn’t exhibited any hostility toward Jonathan for season 2. So potentially any animosity that arises might be from Jonathan’s side, and I’m just not interested in that at this point. I’m not interested in him realizing Steve’s changed either because we’ve done that already three times already with other characters, too. So it’s St*nathan not Stancy to me that feels regressive.

I hope I’m wrong and there’ll actually be some great interactions between the two (bc the actors might have some great on screen chemistry) or that they mostly stay in their corners as usual and engage with other storylines.

#steve harrington #stancy #I’m just going to label it under these tags since I’m not trying to engage in any hostility with fans of the other characters mentioned #stranger things

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alittlefrenchtree · 5 months

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Oh? Tell us more about Nick and Taylor's chemistry please. Curious Anon here! What do you mean by how interested you are in the nature of it and how it reflects on screen? Please elaborate 😊

Ok, so.

I don’t want my words to be misunderstood or lead to negativity so I might be extra cautious with things I’ll be saying.

Where to start?

After my first watch, I remember saying *I think I like them better as BFF than as soulmates*. Six months down the line, things have obviously changed but I feel like there’s still a sense of that in few of my favorite scenes to watch, such as the New Year Eve party, the infamous turkey scene or the coffee in Paris scene. They’re flirty but we’re still closer to the start of the relationship than the end of the movie.

After my first watch, when I eventually stumbled into a few videos of them as Nick and Taylor and saw them as they are, I said oh. right. this is what I’ve seen shine so brightly through the movie.

So, that was me a few days in the fandom.

Obviously things are a little bit more nuanced now that I had time to watch and think more about everything. Because their chemistry also work in scenes where they are definitely not friends. Sex scenes were definitely not a problem since they feel right in all of them and there are also scenes through the second half of the movie where their chemistry is perfect for me. I love the.. pontoon? (No idea how it’s called) scene. Even if I wouldn’t put it in a list of my favorite, it’s probably one of the most beautiful scene of the movie. I love the piano scene as well.

But there is also a whole segment of the movie where they've kind of lost me in terms of chemistry. And writing this post is making me realize that most of the scenes I’m talking about are actually scenes that happen in a row: from the moment Alex storms into the (fucking) castle to Alex leaving all the way through the V&A scene. I guess I was waiting to feel things I haven't really felt. Not everything fall into Taylor and Nick’s responsibility obviously (I could pinpoint blocking and writing and editing), but these were moments the chemistry should have crossed the screen to wreak my heart and didn’t really.

And I don’t know about their filming schedule exactly, but my guess is that maybe at this point they had fell (too much?) into that friendship/banter energy off screen, and it had leaked a bit on what they were doing on screen. Which did great for some scenes and a bit less for others. Because learning that the coffee scene was the first one they shot made a lot of sense with the rightness of their energy there. Alex and Henry have obviously known each other for a while, but, in many ways, the scene feels like a first date. And since this was the first scene for Taylor and Nick, they naturally were exactly where they needed to be. With the shyness and the tension, but that urge to know each other and just start whatever they were starting as characters and as actors.

So yeah. This isn’t me saying they haven’t any chemistry or haven’t enough of it. They obviously have, and it did help for the majority of the movie. But, for me, there were some moments, when the nature of their chemistry off screen might has made the process of hitting the right spot on screen more difficult. I don’t know.

And I do believe that seeing or not seeing chemistry in people is the most subjective thing you can think of. I’ve seen people melt over the chemistry shared by two people who looked (for me) like they never met in their entire lives and I’ve also seen the opposite so, you know. All opinions are valuable in this context and nothing is an absolute truth.

And if you’re wondering why I didn’t mention the night scene in Paris: I have another ask about it, so we’ll have plenty of time to discuss at length about it. Just probably not today 😅

And once again, thank you for the question 🙏💜

#alft asks #i'm not sure of how much i want to tag this actually #i do love the movie i promise 😅

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sizzlingpatrolfox · 9 months

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Deleted an ask that was wondering why Jimin only ever recommends straight movies. My initial reaction was to reply that no gay I know watches or loves gay movies.

Right now, more than two days later of deleting that ask, I'm still thinking how no gay man I know loves gay movies 😭 This is not about Jimin anymore but about my Personal Opinions and Feelings as well as a general commentary about Life. It just got me thinking that gay men I know would probably say fight club is their favorite movie before even saying something nice about call me by your name.

They do love women in pop tho. That's a very well stablished stereotype for a reason.

As crazy as it might sound, the target audience for movies about gay men is... literally women lol. A huge % being STRAIGHT WOMEN, at that. They're the main audience and they're the ones who spread it all across the internet and make the movies/shows known to other people. There's a reason all those gay movies that have come out in the past 5 years-ish are so "male written by a woman" because that's exactly what they are lol. Written by women, for other women.

I like women but I don't like 95% of movies about lesbians, either. They're all BAD and BORING. Like portrait of a lady on fire? ZZZZZZ or the best thing about blue is the warmest colour being Adele's face and some of their promo photos:

Bottoms is not even meant to be a serious a movie and it's, actually, a better movie about lesbians than most of the "critically acclaimed" lesbian movies.

They try so hard when in reality all we want is just How to Lose A Guy in Ten Days (objectively an awesome movie) Lesbian Version. OHHH and the chemistry. If you've watched how to lose a guy in 10 days you know what I'm talking about. The sparks 💘 These actors in gay roles don't have any chemistry at all between them. As good looking as some might be, they couldn't sell me a pen with their on-screen chemistry.

Chemistry doesn't even have anything to do with sexuality. Straight men can have lots of chemistry between them too. Joe Locke and Kit Connor are both queer but to me their acting is bland and uninspired. While Timothy and the other guy are both straight and I actually liked their chemistry on cmbyn.

My favorite movies haven't changed in 20 years, and pretty much all are straight movies. I didn't watch heartstopper when it first came out because I thought the actors were ugly and I only ended up watching it with a friend when we were both drunk and awake at night (it's a really cute show tho 10/10 for a quick, drama-free, leisure watch). Some of the lesbians movies I've watched, I also watched only because they looked attractive to me. Sometimes it's just okay to want to watch two pretty people kissing and that's it. I won't even get into the fact that gay roles (whatever the gender) seem to go only to straight actors, and maybe, just maybe the content is so bad because the acting is also bad.

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tsukimybeloved · 11 months

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I didn't even wrote any actual story here, one day I will but I need to say this.

How come that in 5 SEASONS and 1 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL they couldn't portray a healthy or decent relationship between Marinette/Ladybug and Chat Noir/Adrien and ruin their characters the more it kept going while THIS MASTERPIECE

Literally did EVERYTHING right.

From the characters (Marinette and Adrien) personality, the way they interact with each other, Marinette not being confident in a bully kind of way but actually standing up for herself, Adrien trauma caused by his mom death and his father having this kind of Disney villain vibes (it reminds me of Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog) mixed with the Phantom of the Opera and he have a more interesting personality as a villain.

Also the rivalry and when they start to "fight" each other on the rooftoops literally made me feral, pretty much like this.

This movie literally did what the show couldn't do with the story and characters to make it good and you can't change my mind, even the relationship with Alya and Nino is cuter because the interest is there from the start, everything felt so natural between the characters interaction and their chemistry (both Alya/Nino and Marinette/Adrien) was so good I wanted to cry.

I gave up on Miraculous (show) because of how Marinette suck (stalker, obsessive, creepy, pretty much a mary sue who might not be rich but is still spoiled and never actually learn her lesson or always gets what she wants even when she shouldn't) and how they ruined my favorite boy Adrien (from starting as a boy who just wanted to make friends and experience the world to become somewhat of a brat, somewhat of a bad person and spoiled too who act childish because he got rejected), this movie in comparison to the show is way better and I'm glad they fixed all the problems from the show and the crush from Marinette side for Adrien is just way better, also Alya doesn't encorauge her stalking tendencies here.

I loved how they didn't make the Chat Noir/Marinette scene when they are both heartbroken and just made them reject each other in different "forms" like in the show and quickly move on from who they loved because the other understand the pain.

Maybe it looks better than Marinette x Adrien or Ladybug x Chatnoir but at the end of the day it's still the same people using different names.

Whatever issue they had with one person (example Ladybug not liking Chat Noir and the arguing after the rejection) will mix up with the other (Adrien) and change how you've seen that person until now completely, so in the end making Marinette fall in love with Chat Noir after rejecting him as Ladybug and making Chat Noir fall in love with Marinette after being rejected by Ladybug and him "rejecting" Marinette as Adrien is just a messy thing to do in my opinion.

Making them just reject each other without making Chat Noir fall in love with Marinette and vice versa is way better for when they actually discover each other identity because there isn't the same mess as in the show.

It's also true that Chat Noir was salty towards Ladybug at the rejection but he still did his job instead of complaining, sure he had to be called by Plugg and I still don't really like how he ignored the call for help because she rejected him, but he didn't know it was something way worse than the usual.

It still doesn't make it right but at least he didn't let the rejection take completely control over himself like in the show.

Chloe relationship with Sabrina and Marinette.

Sure it didn't gave the same development as in the show since she had less screen time but even there they did it surprisingly well.

At the end of the movie the two are actually somewhat friends with a friendly rivalry, Chloe doesn't try to stop her from getting to date Adrien.

I remind you that at the time Adrien was still thinking about Ladybug, Chloe backed away and let Marinette date Adrien despite she made clear since day one that she wanted to date Adrien, she clearly saw something that Adrien didn't notice in their relationship and she backed away to let them be together with the "threat" of taking him away from her next year, but it's obvious she won't.

Also despite she isn't exactly nice with Sabrina she still care as she's seen helping her after the attack with Hawk Moth.

Sure it still isn't a major character improvement since it happened off-screen but I can't really blame them since it's not a show and they didn't have time to focus on all the side characters.

Still at the end of the day Chloe was good and she didn't stop Marinette from talking to Adrien and let them be happy, because as I hope all of you know if you love someone you wish for them to be happy, even if that happiness means that you aren't part of it because they love someone else.

As for Hawk Moth himself, super cool, actually scary and feels like a actual threat compared to the show.

Also Gabriel still did suck as a father but at least he had emotions, the way they animated his expression, his pain, how you could clearly see the obsession of bringing his wife back having effects on him (you can clearly see him getting worse with time and he looks like a complete mess) instead of the show where you can't even tell the obsession is taking over him since he always acts the same way until he suddenly doesn't and decide to attack the city was amazing compared to the show.

In the movie the visuals for that were so cool, the music actually made it feel scary and the visuals too made it look actually dangerous and Hawk Moth didn't felt pathetic as a villain, he actually looked scary and dangerous.

Also the way they portrayed him and Adrien family relationship and how broken it was, how Adrien actually was affected by it and how you can see him actually care more than he does in the show was just amazing.

I still can't believe that in one hour they did better than 5 whole season and a special.

This kinda give me hopes for the other two seasons coming out but at the same time I'm afraid to expect something from it, it might even get worse XD

I want to specify something, as I already slightly mention it's true that the development for certain characters or ships lacked compared to a 5 season show, but here we are still speaking of a movie with a time limit that might never get a sequel.

Still if you tell me that Marinette/Ladybug x Adrien/Chat Noir have a better development in the show than the movie, the door is right here.

If you prefer them ok, that's your business.

However you can't tell me that stalking, creepy behavior, obsession is better than a somewhat rushed but with actual chemistry relationship between the two love interests.

I remind you that despite us adults/older than 8 years old people are watching this movie/show it's still mainly aimed for kids to watch.

I'm not here to do the "but what about the kids" kind of thing but this time I have to.

Miraculous the show suck because it teach that stalking, being creepy, not asking for consent and being possessive is good and that love happens for dumb reasons such as someone letting you borrow something, in short basic kindness.

Not to offend anyone but that's literally the concept of a Yandere.

The love story in the movie might be rushed but at least it doesn't portray a obsessive crush, it portray a normal crush between two middle/highschool students (depending on which dub you watch the show) which is kinda awkward because it's the first crush but also really sweet and innocent compared to the obsessive and unhealthy version in the show.

Does the Ship have more moments in the show?

Yes.

Does it make it good?

Absolutely not, the relationship in the show suck so much I can't even watch one episode if not the ones in which Adrien act like his episode 1 self (still kinda unsure but excited to make friends), when he becomes Chat Blanc or when they focus on characters that aren't Marinette (like Nathaniel and/or Marc focused episode, Juleka and/or Rose, Luka and/or Adrien etc.)

Obviously there's nothing wrong if you prefer the show, I've been there even if not with Miraculous.

I just don't agree with how the relationship is portrayed as romantic despite all the red flags in the show and the one in the movie might lack a lot of moments but it's still healthier than the one in the show and the characters are actually good.

However as I forgot to mention, this is just my opinion on the movie and show when compared to each other.

I'm not forcing anyone to agree with me and I respect your (whoever read this) opinion if you prefer the show, I don't agree with it as personal preference but I won't force you just because it's not what I like, so if you want to write why you disagree with my opinion feel free to do it, I don't dislike listening to other people point of views but I won't lie, I "gave" the show a lot of chances to redeem itself and I reached a point where I can understand, respect and listen to your opinion on why it's good but my mind won't change idea that easily/at all or agree completely with it, at most only partially.

It would be useless to lie and say that I agree with it when I most likely won't.

#miraculous ladybug #chat noir #ladybug

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annamarielabeau · 2 years

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MCU Phase 4 ships I hope to see have some outcome.

Druig/Makkari-My favorite Marvel ship EVER!!! Like, seriously I want someone to love me the way Druig loves Makkari. Barry Keoghan and Lauren Ridloff just have amazing chemistry, need I say more. Whether it’s in a movie sequel or prequel series I just hope to see more of them being a power couple, working together more, I just want them to have more screen time than they did in the first movie, they’re so sweet!

Sersi/Ikaris and Thena/Gilgamesh-If there’s ever more Eternals content, I would like to have a prequel series about the Eternals time on Earth to better understand the characters and the relationships. Ikaris and Sersi included. I was moved by their little moment at the end of the movie but I just want more of them to understand the severity of the scene a bit more. Thena and Gilgamesh, I tbh only see as a purely platonic friendship, but if it wasn’t that works just as well. Again with a prequel series of some kind we could see more of them together and understand the reason why Gil chose to take care of Thena. (Plus Don Lee did say he signed up for more than one Marvel project so.....)

Sersi/Dane-They were very cute together, whatever is in store for them I’m on board 100%!!

Xu Xialing/Katy Chen-I don’t really ship these two but I can see it work. One’s the love-able dork and the other is just a bad-ass. Friends to lovers, yes! 100%

Maya Lopez/Kazi Kazimierczak-Like Gil and Thena this could very well be a platonic friendship or a romantic relationship. (The scene when Kazi is patching up her wounds tho and how Maya dressed up when she went to fight him like?!) Either way they definitely have a history together. As shown in the deleted scene for Hawkeye, I’m not sure if he’s actually dead. (95% sure he is) Whether or not he is blah blah I want to see maybe one flashback scene of them in the Echo series or how his death affects or affected Maya.

Thor/Mighty Thor (Jane Foster)-Love and Thunder wasn’t one of my absolute favorite phase 4 movies ever but I liked this “remedy” of their relationship. The “Our Last Summer” monologue was so funny and served as a great way for the audience to understand the importance of their love etc. Jane is obviously dead, died a warrior’s death, she’s now in Vahalla. I don’t know how but at some point I just want Jane and Thor to reunite, even if it’s just for a moment.

Wong/Sara-Not too many people know about this one I’m sure and Sara for those who don’t know Sara is the one who destroyed the Darkhold, then sacrificing herself. Again with the platonic or romantic relationship question. I think it can be seen as either of them. They might have had some history together. But the moment they had together before Sara sacrificed herself and how she touched Wong’s cheek, so sweet!

Doctor Strange/Clea-I don’t know anything about them in the comics other than at some point they get married and Clea is Dormammu’s niece. But if they get together, I’m down, I kind of just want Stephen to be happy.

Peter Parker/MJ Waston-These two are so cute!! They deserve the world. I don’t think they’ll ever be together again which is probably for best since for the moment, they seemed to have set up a Tobey Maguire Spiderman self discovery arc for Peter. But somehow I’d love to see MJ and Peter reunite.

Kamala Khan/Bruno Carrelli-Now Kamala Khan has a few potential love interests as she does in the comics. I’m not getting ahead of myself, there’s only been one season so far, (season 2! season 2!!!) I’m team Bruno. But if they ever get together, I’d rather see more of their backstory and more of them together.

King Valkyrie/Captain Marvel-This ship has been around for a while and I know there has been a rumor of Valkyrie being in The Marvels because of the deleted Insta post, posted by Zenobia Shroff. I’d wouldn’t mind this at all. Kevin Feige said “Every King needs a Queen” I want to see more of Valkyrie’s bisexuality expressed.

Loki/Sylvie-I mean I don’t care either way if they end up together, I’m not uncomfortable that they’re their both Loki’s, they’re from different universes so, not that bad? When it comes to their future, I don’t see them actually end up together, for Loki season 2, they’re probably just going to ignore their history and work together, maybe flirt a bit a little on the way.

Jack Russell/Elsa Bloodstone-I sensed a bit of romantic vibes between them, I have no idea when or if we’ll ever see them again but I kind of just want Jack to show up and see Elsa again while she’s basically creating a new legacy of her family’s name and stopping monster hunting etc.

Jennifer Walters/(She-Hulk)Matthew Murdock(Daredevil)-Whatever happens for these two crime fighting lawyers, I’m down. They had amazing chemistry in the show and I liked it because Jen met someone who made her happy.

Ayo/Aneka-I didn’t know this but they are a couple in the comics, this is briefly represented in the movie. Like Ayo saying “I told you not to bring the daggers” and then Aneka kissing her head towards the end of the movie. I just want to see more of these beautiful warrior women enjoying their lives in their lakefront house. Make it happen Disney Plus!!!

Shuri/M’Baku-There’s not a lot of hype around this ship, some fanfics. After seeing Wakanda Forever I just felt some romantic vibes between them. I don’t see them becoming anything. But I just liked throughout this movie Shuri and M’Baku are just these two leaders doing what’s best by their people, Shuri is struggling and receives some council from M’Baku. Even if there’s nothing romantic between them I still appreciate the respect they have for each other.

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kdramacrybaby · 1 year

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Alchemy of Souls (2022)

Season 1 + Season 2

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Historical

Synopsis: When infamous assassin Naksu finds herself cornered by enemies, she performs a forbidden spell called the Alchemy of Souls to switch her soul into a different body. Her soul ends up in the body of a blind beggar with no powers, so suddenly Naksu has to survive without her strong magic. She meets Jang Uk, a young mage who wants nothing more than to learn spells, but with his energy channels blocked, he is unable to do so. They strike a deal - she teaches him all she knows, and he will help protect her. Their lives are now forever entwined, and their actions will have great consequences for the world as they know it.

Episode info: Season 1: 20 ep. | Season 2: 10 ep. / Runtime around 65 minutes

Lead cast: Lee Jae-wook (Jang Uk), Jung So-min/ Go Young-jung (Naksu),Hwang Min-hyun (Seo Yul), Yoo In-soo (Park Dang-gu), Arin (Jin Cho-yeon)

Link to watch: You can watch on Netflix or Dramacool

Drama rec masterlist | Drama rant thread (beware of spoilers)

I want to start with the good things for this drama, because despite what I might complain about later, I actually loved this drama!

The world they build - the lore, the magic-system, the locations - is fantastic. Absolutely magical and I would gladly accept any other seasons, spin-offs or whatever else they would give me in this world (not gonna happen, but I can at least dream). I do wish we actually saw a bit more of the magic happening, but I do also understand that special effects aren't cheap, and they used a lot in this drama.

Mostly, the special effects were absolutely gorgeous, though whenever there was heavy use of a green screen it became a lot more... idk, obvious? Didn't really ruin it that much for me, but there were some scenes that ended up looking somewhat goofy because it was so obviously green screened. Everything else, however - perfection.

I adore the characters in this drama - some were better developed story-wise than others, but in the end, I really did care about them. Season 1 did the best at this, where season two kind of lost its focus at some points, so I felt less connected to the characters in the end. (And I'm very sad about it). There were some character decisions I didn't really agree with later in the story, but I can't touch on that without spoiling, so you'll have to read my rant posts linked somewhere above if you're curious.

Now for what bugged me about the drama - the overall story / writing. They created this world with so much potential, and instead chose to spend most of the time on different types of love stories. So much of - this person likes this person, but that person likes another person, only that person likes... and so on. It was exhausting, and it felt like the involved characters never actually moved on or dealt with these feelings in any way. Someone pines for a person in season 1, still pines in season 2 and then never get a satisfying resolution. So even with all that focus, they still didn't get it right.

They never did actually specify that all of these people had romantic feelings for each other, so in theory they could be just platonic, but there were definitely romantic undertones that I really could have just done without - they brought absolutely nothing to the story.

The story was overall better in season 1, as they made some decisions in season 2 (especially later in the season) I really do not understand or like. I feel like they had so many opportunities to create this huge fantastical drama, but they tried to do so many things at once, that none of the things were actually good in the end.

Also, the main couple was never actually my favorite couple, and already there the drama is doing something wrong, I feel like. The vibes were just not there for me - the actors were amazing, and the chemistry good, but the writing and the story just didn't do it for me. (They were cute, don't get me wrong, I just didn't cheer as much for them as for some of the other background couples).

I guess what I'm just mainly trying to say, is that I feel like this could have been my favorite drama of all time... if they had just actually created a better story in this world.

The very first episode is dark and intense, and I was so hooked, and then the tone just switches completely to light and humor - and while I don't really mind after watching it as a whole, I feel like they didn't really nail the balance. They wanted to be both dark and light so bad that they just overdid both.

All that said though, I have given the drama a high score, cause even with all these things bothering me, I had a blast watching it - and the score is mainly for the world building and the characters.

If you like fantasy dramas, you will definitely like this one!

#alchemy of souls #alchemy of souls: light and shadow #kdrama #kdrama review #kdrama rec

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