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feuqueerfire · 3 months

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January 2024 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

A little monthly (spoilery!) wrap-up of all the shows, movies, and shorts I’ve watched or am watching in January 2024, general thoughts, and ranking of them all.

Recommendation of the month(s): Bottoms (2023), so fun

Ranking

Beyond Evil (rewatch)

Bottoms (2023) = Twinkling Watermelon (2023)

Death's Game S1 (2023)

Palm Springs (2020)

Love Class 2 (2023) = Death's Game Part 2 (2024)

Skimmed: Bon Appetit (2023)

Average Rating: 6.75/10 [really quite high! Didn't count my Beyond Evil rewatch and Bon Appetit doesn't have a rating]

MDL Updates - Added to Watchlist:

A section because I’m curious about how many shows I decide to add to my Watch List a month and also the ratio of watching them:adding them.

Rookie (2023) - a Phillipino lesbian movie, saw this tiktok and wanted to give it a try

Bon Appetit (2023) - Originally didn't have this on my list because it has a meh MDL rating but this tiktok of guy 1 liking girl liking guy 2 like guy 1 is fun

Kiseki: Dear to Me (2023) - I've seen it mentioned sooo many times that I thought I'd give it a try.

The Guest (2018) - I haven't yet liked a supernatural/fantastical kdrama but maybe this will be the one. Also apparently it's a good bromance that starts off antagonistic

Through the Darkness (2022) - Also a thriller investigation with strong bromance

My Perfect Stranger (2023) - Saw this Tiktok and ended up watching a few more and idk, it reminds me of 18 Again somehow with like younger version and family stuff

Twinkling Watermelon (2023) - same reason as above in terms of plot, it's also in the same tiktok, and it seemed to be very popular among the kdramas this year

Lucky My Love (2023) - wanna watch it cuz it's a GL but unfortunately people don't seem too keen on it :/ oh well, I'll keep it on hand for when I'm craving a GL

Death's Game (2023) - Hadn't heard much about it until I saw Pocha Playlist podcast covering it but I didn't listen to that episode. Then I find out that Lee Dohyun plays a (reincarnation) character in it and now I'm like hmm maybe + the rating and reception seems really good on MDL.

Last Twilight - hmmm people have very polarizing opinions on the last ep (both the disability aspect but also the general storytelling aspect), so I'm cautious but people reallllly love the first 9 episodes. Just adding it here in case I wanna see what the hype was about

The Worst of Evil (2023) - It's in a lot of people's 2023 favourites lists and it seems like a show I'd be into based on genre

The Dude in Me (2019) - a movie about an adult in the body of a teenager, found it from this tiktok with 18 Again and Twinkling Watermelon.

Our Beloved Summer (2021) - I had had this on my to-watch list for a while because I like a post-breakup story and people seem to love this show but had taken it off because I kept not watching it and heard some meh opinions but now it's back again because in Twinkling Watermelon tiktoks, this showed up a couple times in the tiktoks or comments bc people were mentioning Yi Chan and this guy as green flags and shows they loved etc

I Hear Your Voice (2013) - a 2013 drama lol but the Eun Gyeol/Se Kyeong tease in Watermelon Sugar made me remember that I kinda wanna watch noona romance sometimes, so this is for that time. + it's like mystery/suspence plot I think

Death's Game Part 2 (2024)

Youth of May (2021) - Obviously I've heard about this because I was looking for Lee Dohyun shows to watch after 18 Again but idk if I'm up for a tragedy :< but yknow he's in the military now, so maybe I'll watch one of his shows a year to tide me over. Thought of it again because I saw this tiktok when going through LDH tiktok tag

The Good Bad Mother (2023) - This was another case of "When will Lee Dohyun finally again star in a show I wanna watch?" But I saw like 2 mins of this edit on youtube of dude being 7 and ahh it's humorous (Ik it's supposed to be really heavy and traumatizing actually so I avoided it but idk if there's some levity as well and it's really beloved w the 8.9 rating and stuff maybe I'll give it a try to see Lee Dohyun - esp as he's in the military rn). After all, it's not like I knew 18 Again was show/concept I love like this

Lesson in Love (2022) - (240129) Sometimes you just want an uncomfortable and gross relationship... student/teacher noona (well jiejie?) romance and the comments talk about a plot twist (i saw the spoiler lol) anyway... might watch. Saw it first in this Certified Noonas Coming Up live. The student is an adult irl, so I'm gonna just pretend it's that in the show too. Also side note but he was also in Red Balloon and apparently his sister is a lesbian.

To Watch List At Start Of Month: 49

To Watch List At End Of Month: 62

Removed from To Watch List:

Removing these on June 30 because now that I’m getting into kpop as well, my interest in watching dramas isn’t as high and I know I’m probably not gonna get to these.

Nothing ig

Completely Watched

Bottoms (2023)

Country: USA

Release Dates: Sept 1, 2023

Watch Via: :>

Watch Dates: Jan 1, 2024

Rating: 7.5/10

Overall Impression: First movie of the year! Very, very funny and wacky, thoroughly enjoyed it. Hazel is sooo attractive lol, as is Isabel. Loved Josie being a sweetheart and reluctant to go along with antics except then going in wayyy too hard with the juvie stories lol. PJ was insufferable but like in a good way? like yesss, high school girl who says things before thinking and is an asshole! Also lesbian movies where they kill men is always fun, this time it being an actual funny comedic part. The whole movie was ridiculous and I'm glad.

tags: bottoms 2023

Palm Springs (2020)

Country: USA

Release Dates: July 10, 2020

Watch Via: :>

Watch Dates: Jan 7, 2024

Rating: 6.5/10 [Mar 11, 2024 Update: Decreased by 0.5 stars: 7 -> 6.5]

Overall Impression: In 2019, I binged Brooklyn 99 like 2-3 times and was obsessed with it and then watched some of Andy Samberg's other stuff and added this to the list of things to watch once it comes out a year later and does its festival tours or whatever... anyway it's now 2024 lol but it was fun! A good mix of the romance and interpersonal relationships with the sciency aspects. I was expecting it to focus more on the characters rather than the science or plot and that struck true, though there were definitely a few interesting bits to chew on in terms of worldbuilding. Funny and charming but not life-changing and predictable but not in a bad way.

Rewatch Beyond Evil: Jan 8 - 12, 2024

It's so fun to rewatch because I catch things that I hadn't before, not just about the case but about the different characters and their storylines. Also, all the stuff from 20 years ago that is repeating now which I'm catching onto earlier because I remember things that haven't been revealed in the show yet.

Han Joo Won continues to be way too naive and self-rightous, even if Lee Dongshik really was the killer. His methods are careless and reckless despite trying to seem rational.

Since I'm watching this after a year and it's a show with many storylines, I'm still extremely engaged lol watching this at 1x speed and watching it all when I expected that I'd be skimming through. I also forgot a lot of the smaller stuff and some of the kinda big middle stuff, so it's fun to rediscover them. Ep 7 ending & Ep 8 beginning are a fucking great combo fr even still.

Rating: still 8/10

Bon Appetit (2023)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Sep 27, 2023

Watch Via: :>

Watch Dates: Jan 13 - 14, 2024

Rating: -/10

Overall Impression: Started watching because the guy1 likes girl likes guy2 likes guy1 tiktok was funny but not high hopes for the actual show. Skimmed through this so hard, honestly shouldn't have even watched it because it didn't seem too good from my skimming. The main two characters were cute-ish in the first half of the show and the Yoon Seobin surprise cameo for 2 minutes was fun, but meh otherwise. Skimmed even the main couple scenes in the last 2 eps because random fighting and misunderstandings. Not rating it because I skimmed through like 60% of it lmfao

Twinkling Watermelon (2023)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Sep 25, 2023 - Nov 14, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (paid, so :>)

Watch Dates: Jan 19 - 22, 2024

Rating: 7.5/10

Overall Impression: I'm fucking obsessed with this sort of concept: Parent and child being the same teenage age through some magical concept. It's got a good storyline, hilarious yet touching. I was afraid that they'd make Yi Chan's hearing come back but I'm glad it didn't; it's just something that has to happen to him for no reason the way these things just happen sometimes. The characters were well-crafted and the acting was great. Kinda slow paced, there were certain episodes where I was like nothing really happened, but I guess that's the point of the slice of life aspect in some cases; just watching the characters exist alone and together.I was into the ChCh romance from the get-go and thought they were sooo cute whereas EunEun were a more fun menace pair who I just liked to watch fighting before it gradually became a couple I shipped Very Much. Also, a shoutout to my Se Kyeong (OG, not Eun Yoo) and Chung Ah ship, I can't believe Se Kyeong's first love was her husband instead of Chung Ah. A well-crafted show, good acting, hit some feels and I expect some attachment to it (I'm rewatching and skimming certain parts as I write lol).

tags: twinkling watermelon

Also Appears In: Twinkling Watermelon Live Blogging

Love Class Season 2 (2023)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Aug 11, 2023 - Sep 8, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (paid, so :>)

Watch Dates: Jan 26 - 27, 2024

Rating: 6/10

Overall Impression: I liked the main couple: a younger, insistent pursuer to an older, reluctant hyung who was also his tutor when the younger was in high school. I do wish the random stalker, weird hyung wasn't haunting them for so long though because the premise of this couple is so good. I came around to the second and third couple even though if the show was longer or deeper, I might not have. I was bored by the last 2 eps though, so ehhh

tags: love class 2

Also Appears In: Love Class 2 Live Blogging

Death's Game (2023)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Dec 15, 2023

Watch Via: paid, so :>

Watch Dates: Jan 29, 2024

Rating: 7/10

Overall Impression: Weird to rate just this half-show 4 episodes but really good and interesting, I'm enjoying it a lot. My favourite eps are eps 2 and 4, they balanced a good amount of heart with excitement (for ep 2) and plot progression/answers (ep 4 + ofc Lee Dohyun my initial reason for checking out the show). The 18 Again characters/actors are haunting me with this fr.

tags: death's game

Also Appears In: Death's Game Live Blogging

Death's Game Part 2 (2024)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Jan 5, 2024

Watch Via: paid, so :>

Watch Dates: Jan 30, 2024

Rating: 6/10

Overall Impression: Firstly, fuck the message of the show. In shows like this, where they treat suicide as a personal, moral failure of selfishness and weakness rather than due to systematic issues in society, mental health struggles, or treating the characters with kindness, it's of utmost importance to just roll your eyes and see the story/acting/etc. Eps 1 to half of 3 were interesting and exciting but in the way of "I'm watching a show with murder and gore and people trying to outsmart each other" rather than about this specific show. The ending is... okay, I guess, expected it. In Part 1, Death just left something to be desired for me and this kinda continued here. Don't think I'll think of this show much (except maybe Lee Dohyun?) and the 2nd part didn't have the excellent pacing of the first one. Not as good as part 1.

tags: death's game

Also Appears In: Death's Game Live Blogging

Post created this month: 2023 Series Overview + Stats

#tracking #general bl #bottoms 2023 #beyond evil #twinkling watermelon #love class 2 #death's game

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yeetlegay · 2 years

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hi, genuinely sorry to dump this all on you but also, would love to get your opinion on this!

I’m having kind of…qualms with kinnporsche since it aired. i’ve been so excited for the show since the first trailer dropped and im not necessarily disappointed per say, i feel like im mostly just trying to understand what i should be expecting from the show?? i think firstly, kinn and porsche’s characters in the show feel different than they were in the trailers (they feel WILDLY different from the first trailer lol) which isn’t honestly a bad thing at all, just again. different expectations. porsche’s character feels the most different; i definitely thought he was gonna be a lot more serious/focused and then gets swayed by his feelings for kinn etc. the thing i never expected was his goofy side (again not a bad thing at all but it leads to my main point which is —> ) i feel like the slapstick comedy of it completely blindsided me and i just dont. get it??? it’s honestly not that the comedy is bad, i just don’t really understand where it fits in. the show is everything it promised to be: great acting, production, styling, plot for the most part, writing for the most part, characters, directing, cinematography, etc everything is such high quality and when they stick to that it works so well but the comedy (specifically the slapstick-ness of it all) always seems so out of place with everything the show is trying to be and i can’t really understand the decision to include it. like these actors are GOOD the directing is GOOD the story is GOOD the production is EXPENSIVE i just (in the nicest way possible) don’t understand why they waste it on like. a few cheap jokes 😶

episode 5 was PHENOMENAL for this exact reason because it finally felt like the show we saw in the trailers. it had so many scenes that just wowed me: the opening scene, the bathroom mirror breakdown scene (which was so reminiscent of the hidden messages trailer), the sex parallels scene, the drunk confrontation scene ALL SO GOOD and showed off exactly what the show is trying to show off: its high quality acting, directing, and styling. i just feel like this episode was exactly what ive been waiting for since ep 1 and i just really really hope they stick with this vibe for the rest of the show it just serves them so so well. again, not hating on the comedy or the show whatsoever and i do not mean to be a stick in the mud AT ALL lol we’ve gotten some great moments from it, but i was just wondering if y’all felt the same or if maybe i really am just being a hater 😅 (also could be - hopefully - worried about nothing and they were just trying to keep things light in the first few eps before delving into the angst lol)

Given that first trailer was by a totally different production company and crew, the final product was always going to be way different once Be On Cloud got ahold of it, and I personally am so happy it turned out that way! You’re right that the first trailer and what we actually got are two totally different things, so I get that it could be hard to adjust your expectations with all the changes made.

As far as the comedy aspect goes, I’m by no means an expert in the Thai film and tv industry or even just Thai culture in general, so I don’t want to generalize too much, but I’ve found that pretty much every series I’ve watched, even the more serious melodramas, will feature some amount of this style of comedy, and atp I’m inclined to say it’s just par for the course! It’s not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea, and if you’re coming from a Western lens the mix of comedy and drama can be jarring at first. It’s maybe less immediately accessible to, say, an American audience or a British one, so there can be a bit of adjustment needed to get used to this style.

I did really like the comedy of the first few eps bc I do think, like you mentioned, that the show from this point is going to get darker, and we needed some moments of levity in the beginning to sort of set the stage and get us used to the characters before they get dumped into all these shitty situations. They’ll need to have those lighter, happier, funny memories when they’re in their darkest moments, and tbh we will too lol.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with not finding the comedy to your taste - what we like is what we like! If you want to keep watching but aren’t jazzed about having the same amount of comedy that we got in the first few eps, then I’d stick it out for a while yet bc I’m pretty confident we’ll be diving into a lot darker and more serious stuff soon with more of that insane acting from Mile and Apo.

#kinnporsche #yeetle asks

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surrealsunday · 2 years

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oh, so you.. watched itsay, what's your opinion on it?? 😳

Hmmmm.... so I would say this was me for a couple days after watching it:

It was... a lot lmao.

It's a very beautiful show. In every way pretty much. Like visually it is STUNNING. The storyline itself is just achingly beautiful and tragic. It's extremely well-plotted and well put together. It's a tight story and very realistic (in both good and bad ways). All storyline threads weave together with various characters having their moments and relationships beyond the central romance are given their due (Teh and his brother killed me). I had issues with the acting but I couldn't argue that the actors didn't give it their all because they very clearly did.

With that said, I wouldn't say I necessarily 'enjoyed' the watch per say. I found it pretty wrenching through and through. It's one of those experiences where I understood why Teh behaved as he did and I felt it was quite realistic for him to do so, and I still wanting to jump in my screen and smack him around for a good long while on multiple occassions. It's largely all angst with very few moments of levity or light (though those moments are beautiful) and there is no pay-off. I know some could argue the 5 seconds at the end being a happy ending are the pay-off but honestly, that's not pay-off to me when you spend five episodes in agony. So that is where it largely fell apart for me.

So yeah, I have mixed feelings. But I see why it is very highly regarded. And whichever anon said they don't even think of it as a BL, I agree. It really doesn't fit and it does stand apart as it's own piece of art. In the end it felt to me like a really good book you dive into, can’t stop reading even though it’s absolutely ripping your heart out, you finally finish and you just sort of feel... empty. And you put it on a shelf and never pick it up again. That is this show for me if that makes any sense. It’s a beautiful work of art and I’m glad I watched and I’m glad it exists and... I’m never picking it up again lol.

#i told sunset about you

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love-fireflysong · 2 years

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Okay okay okay. Gonna try picking this thing back up again, but only one a the first Wednesday of the month basis. Maybe this way I’ll actually have shit done on my stuff to show off lol. Cause my job has got me so fucking busy oh my god that I don’t have time to write or sew or even play games anymore 😭 (and sadly the lack of gaming time is actually the saddest and most depressing outcome for me oops)

But considering I actually managed to post a new fic just this past weekend, I guess I’ll share some more from that nick/abi piece seeing as I’m gonna be starting/finishing that one now that the kiss prompt is finally over!

The entirety of that night had been spent gleefully watching Jacob run around in a near-desperate bid to try and find as much of his clothing as possible. A completely hint and clue free scavenger hunt that everyone had been completely merciless in, doing things like hiding a white sock stuffed in between the towels in the boathouse (Ryan) while someone else (Abi) had hid its match behind the toilet in the girl's washrooms.

With a short laugh that sounds horribly forced in its levity, Nick even admits that Jacob was never able to find one of his t-shirts. He himself had personally stuffed it into a knothole near the top of one of the shorter trees in the woods, and when Nick had gone back to check on the spot the day before camp ended, had found a bird using the shirt as a nest. He goes on to say that he's pretty sure that there's other items of clothes that Jacob wasn’t able to locate either, and (until recently) was sure that people were still going to be finding random items of clothing even years from now.

And cross-stitch update time! Once again, very little was done because I just do not have the free-time to even scrape a single hour out of every day to do it. Gone are the days when I could finish a page in a month 😞 They shall be missed dearly by me if no one else lol. Almost done the page anyways, just REALLY not looking forward to doing the pink in the corner cause I have to match completely different shades of pink together to try and get something accurate.

Maybe if I’m real lucky I’ll be able to finish both the fic AND the cross stitch page this month, but lets be real here. This is me we’re talking about and I am a horrible, terrible person lol.

(And just a reminder, but I’m opening my askbox back up for some fic prompts that I just posted yesterday! So send in a couple if anyone wants a fic or two, cause unlike my main fic, these ones actually have a date in the very near future that I want them finished by so it won’t take me two years to answer them this time I swear lol.

#wip wednesday #my writing #cross-stitching #the quarry #pokemon #god at least i have the next two nights off of work #so i can catch up on both cr and do some sewing #hoping to go to the riverbank and do a bunch of writing as well when i wake up later this afternoon #assuming my bike lets me go of course #things starting to break down and this trip is gonna be both a writing escapade #and a trail run to see how quickly my bike chain stops connecting to the rear tire #hopefully it wont but i'll just have to see I suppose lol

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rikalovesrice · 3 years

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My Thoughts on Trollhunters : Rise of the Titans

WARNING : ALL THE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

Mmmmm. Okay. So I just finished the movie. I’m fatigued as always so this’ll be a bit of a mess lol. Gotta spew the thoughts while they’re still fresh, y’all know how it is.

Right out the gate, I definitely want to talk about the things I loved.

The animation was, of course, phenomenal and gorgeous!

Voice acting was incredible as always

MUSIC SLAPPED

Douxie. I just loved seeing Douxie again and honestly kept my eyes trained on him for most the of movie lol

OK DOUXIE AND NARI SWITCHING?? BODIES??? Definitely didn’t see that coming and I legit started screaming lol

Nari in Douxie’s body is the most precious, chaotic, and wholesome thing like holy cow that was so adorable LOOKIT DOUXIE CROUCHING AND CRAWLING AROUND ON ALL FOURS WITH THOSE NOODLE LIMBS OF HIS I CAN’T --

We called Nari’s mind control and Douxie trying to reason with her!

In the very few scenes they were together, Douxie’s love and affection for Nari really came through. You could really feel how much he cared about her. ALSO THAT TENDER HUG AND NARI’S LITTLE HAPPY SQUEAK MY HEART NO--

Loved Barbara. Always love Barbara.

Walter and Barbara getting engaged

Nomura back in action

Claire being the powerful sorceress she’s become

Loved seeing Aja, Krel, and Varvatos all together again.

NARI VS SKRAEL WAS ALL SORTS OF EPIC AND CRUSHING EMOTIONS.

The way Douxie yelled Nari’s name and ran to her after she died and the remnants of her magic falling all around him, like she was saying goodbye, just *UGLY CRYING*

It was so cool to see Charlie out of his den and flying about like the mighty dragon he is

Loved the Guardians of Arcadia pulling Excaliber out together.

All the gang all going after Bellroc together

YES JIM MY BOOOOOOY

BLINKY DIDN’T DIE

Aarrgh I love you so much

Stuart, what a bro!

We saw a hint of mercy in Bellroc towards the end.

Toby’s death... That was a huge curveball. Jim might as well have cut my heart out with Excaliber as he sobbed over his best friend.

Uh.....um....and.....Er...what else........ .___.

..........Alright so.......It’s about to get a bit brutal from here on out as I talk about the things I didn’t like at all. And the really sad thing is, at least to me, the cons far outweigh the pros in this movie. Because I’m actually having difficulty picking out things I enjoyed, they were so few and far between...which really sucks.

So here we go.

Gosh, where to begin... I guess I’ll go ahead and say this : I’m really disappointed.

Like as I’m here typing this, I’m just thinking, “...That was it? That was the movie?? The big finale???”

So much of this movie just felt....unnecessary. I hate to say almost like filler. The entire intro re-caping the series really wasn’t needed. And then Toby went and restated it all again when he was being interrogated. The pacing, oh my gosh...Guys, the pacing in this movie was not good. The action started and it never seemed to stop. There wasn’t a single moment of rest, of levity, of our characters just being themselves, getting to know each other, being friends outside of the battle. No Reckless Club Segment. No fun, just... I mean Claire and Aja didn’t speak to each other at all. Douxie and Toby hardly interacted. Steve was turned into a gross male pregnancy joke. Jim and Krel barely spoke. Douxie and Aja had nothing to say to each other. Even Aja and Krel didn’t have any moments together. The list goes on. The whole movie was just go, go, go. And it’s so frustrating because there was time for it but it was poorly executed.

Like was the whole break-in to the Chinese Trollmarket really necessary?? Guys, I really found myself not caring. I didn’t care to see this random side quest involving an insignificant new troll character and a Trollmarket that had little to no bearing on the plot. Did I love seeing Charlie, Archie, Blinky, and Claire? Of course! But these scenes were so pointless. So needless. They could’ve written other ways for all our heroes to go after the chronosphere (Maybe we could’ve had Zoe for crying out loud). But instead this vital artifact was the hands of a character we don’t know and don’t care about in a place that turned out to have basically nothing to do with anything.

Deaths. The deaths in this movie. Because of the pacing in this movie, there wasn’t nearly enough time for the emotional impacts to sink in. Nomura? Gone and the only ones mourning her are Aaarrgh and Douxie, who barely knew her. Walter’s death was handled better since we got to see Jim and Barbara actually having a moment to mourn him. The weight of Nari’s death was singlehandedly carried by Douxie, but even that was over before it started. The immense gravity of Toby’s death, which really got to me, was also short-lived to make way for an ending that...I don’t know.

ALSO DOUXIE JUST??? BEING OKAY WITH HIS FAMILIAR, THE ONE WHO RAISED HIM AND WENT THROUGH SO MUCH WITH HIM FOR CENTURIES, LEAVING HIM FOREVER TO BE TRAPPED IN THAT DUMB TROLLMARKET WITH CHARLIE LIKE???

“I hope he’s happy.”

WHAT. THE. EVERLASTING. FRICK.

Douxie’s reaction objectively doesn’t make a shred of sense. Geez, it’s almost like Douxie was expecting Archie to up and leave him someday to be with Charlegmane. Just...what???

What also frustrates me so much is how this movie undid so much characterization and development that happened in Wizards. Or more like all that development didn’t even matter.

What was the point of Steve’s arc in Wizards if he was just going to be reduced to...this?

I was so excited to see Douxie really being a Master Wizard. To see him lead the Guardians of Arcadia alongside Jim. To see him in action as Successor to Merlin and Protector of this Realm.

But no.

Douxie, who had such an incredible arc in Wizards and a character who’s come to mean so much to me in my life, was nerfed and sidelined.

And then time restarts and I can’t help but wonder why any of this mattered at all. What the heck was the freaking point of the suffering, the loss, the pain, the growth, enduring and overcoming so much, the friendships and family spanning across three shows... All gone. Starting all over. Undoing everything, except what Jim went through. As much as I love Jim, I didn’t think he’d be the only character I’d be getting closure for at the grand finale of this entire franchise. But that’s what happened and I really hate it.

Just...all in all, this movie wasn’t satisfying. Not to me. It had its good moments. But not nearly enough. The comedy was misplaced and fell flat. The climax was sorely anticlimactic and didn’t hold a candle to Eternal Knight. The writing, the direction, characterization...For some reason it was all lost and confused and none of it felt right and so much didn’t make sense.

I’m not at all upset with the writers, though, because they still pulled through and did what they could. When the movie did something right, it was beautiful. The things I loved about it I truly adored. No, I’m not upset in the least bit with any of the creative team.

I’m upset with Netflix. I’m upset that Wizards was robbed of the seasons it should’ve had. I’m upset with big cooperations stifling creators. I’m upset that this’ll be it. This is the ending we got and nothing can be done about it.

Aaron did say there’s every possibility for the franchise to continue in some capacity, and I’m hoping for that someday. Because so much, too much, has been left unanswered. So much left to be explored that couldn’t. But until then....I guess this is it. This is what we get.

Now, I want to remind everyone that this is my own personal experience with the movie. These are all my opinions. If you enjoyed every second the movie, that’s wonderful! And who knows how my thoughts will change upon another viewing. But in the meantime, Rise of the Titans really missed the mark for me. I wanted found family badassery and fluff. But nope. Just fighting and heaviness and no payoff. It’s such a letdown...a real shame.

But yeah...Thanks to any and everyone who read to the end of this haha

I still love Tales of Arcadia. It’s a series that has blessed and inspired me so much as an artist, writer, and as a person in general. I do want to keep making ToA content for a while. Cause this movie isn’t the end. Not my ending, at least.

I’ll continue to hope for more Tales of Arcadia in the future (a Douxie spin-off series please Lord pleaaase). We shall see. Until then, fics and fanart fixing this mess galore haha

Until next time everyone! God bless!

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nanso · 2 years

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I feel cheated out of seeing what I at least think of as the quintessential Kate/Anthony dynamic. They were a lot of fun eps 1-3 and then just miserable until the epilogue. Where’s the playfulness and the levity? They could’ve found some way to have them at least joke or make light about the ridiculous situation they got themselves into but it was just constant angst and longing and I got tired of it. I think it really handicapped Simone and Jonathan showing what they’re capable of as actors too - she is very expressive with her eyes, and I really saw her constant anguish (over Anthony, her family…) despite being very self-possessed. Simone has good comedic instincts too. She would’ve done well with the zany, freer side of Kate we rarely saw (ascot? Pall mall? The mud scene I guess?)

I just really wanted to see them like each other? Be friends? Happy? Enjoy each other’s company… not just eye fucking and yearning. I still wish we’d gotten some version of the book where they marry earlier so we could see them be domestic and just exist alongside each other. But if not, the show might’ve cut some of the Featherington plot in the finale and showed us more of them post marriage, beyond the (admittedly perfect) epilogue scene.

Sorry anon, I think you might have sent this a bit ago - I'm not always the fastest on asks!

I thought their book dynamic was definitely there for eps 1-3; and was 110% there in the scene/dialogue before they go at it in episode 7 - like that sparring was PEAK them and I loved it. The writer of that episode is a Hollywood veteran which...may have something to do with that. Generally though the interactions between Kate and Anthony in like episodes 4 and 5 for in particular leaned heavily on him talking - not her, so that's kind of a bummer even if JB is phenomenal. All that said - their exchange at the Featherington Ball in episode 8 where she says he was the first one she found to steady her - and he does his flirty 'how many fingers' moment - I'm not sure I'll ever recover from that. SUCH TENDER FLIRTING. I AM RUINED.

Simone does have great comedic instincts! And we definitely saw that in the first half of the season before we hit angst city. I'm very into angst so I was ok with that lol - but I do wish there had been a more consistent tone and pacing to the season and the dearth of that, I believe, can be attributed to the editing/post-production timeline.

I'm okay with not having as much married!Kathony honestly, especially since we know we're gonna get that in season 3. If you follow me, you've already seen what my issue was with the season so I shall not rant about that again lol.

#asks #bridgerton #kate x anthony #kathony

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zigsnose · 2 years

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have you played every LI route in twc? if yes how would you rank them?

Yes! But ranking them?? Aw man here we go :/

1. LT

I played this route first, and the emotional rollercoaster alone makes it top tier for me. But it's all the little things too... like the longing looks? The juxtaposition between how A and N show or don't show affection? A sacrificing themself for N's happiness? N's initial cluelessness and then slow realization that something is going on? Amazing. And with the bold/shy flirt options for both, the various options for when you have to choose between them, and the detective's customizable personality, it feels like there's endless ways to play this one route.

I've never seen a love triangle in a supernatural story where the two "competitors" aren't sworn enemies. A and N's friendship dynamic makes it all the more j u i c y and I'm dying to see how that whole mess turns out.

2. N

My detective is Agent Sewell's right hand arm man. She is Agent Sewell everything. She's their confidante, their best friend, their silly rabbit. Seriously, their route is such a feel-good experience. I love how quickly they can go from sweet to spicy then back again, and how they're so assured and open with their feelings for the detective. At the same time there are still things they're hiding from them, which is unexpected and adds another layer of complexity to their character.

(And Nat in particular is just 🥺🥵🥰)

3. M

Dumbass (affectionate). Absolute hornball. Pairing them with a detective that's the exact same way, or complete opposite, is super fun to read. I really like their gradual development from rude and uncaring to soft and loyal, and how they don't even know what it is they're feeling yet, but don't attempt to deny it or push it down (except for that bakery scene in the last demo but nvm).

10/10 can't wait to see their aha moment.

4. A

A is legit the endgame in my main playthrough but their individual route is so frustrating lol. Playing the LT first kinda skewed things for me because I placed most of the reasons for them holding back their feelings on their friendship with N, but I understand now that they have a lot of other baggage that has nothing to do with N. In most slow burn romances I've read, the other character's hangups are known upfront or revealed early on, which makes the wait more tolerable, so not having the details yet is hard.

Their route is like the written form of the "trust nobody, not even yourself" meme and I'm looking forward to when they finally put the gun down 😔

5. F

Listen, friends-to-lovers is an awesome trope and I'm usually here for it. I think all the angsty-angst from the other routes spoiled me for this one though. I was missing a lot of the drama in their route, but I also get that it doesn't need it. Characters can like each other without there being some major obstacle in the way, and I think that's what makes this route special, as well as necessary since the other routes already provide plenty of drama for those who want it. That being said, some parts of F's route didn't hit with me, and I definitely need to replay a few more times to narrow it all down.

I do like that even though F is the most overt with their feelings, you still get to see them be nervous around the detective. The fact that all they wanted was to be chosen, and for the detective to be happy had me saying "awww!!" out loud, multiple times. Overall, I just really appreciate F as a character and the levity they bring to the unit. I hope they and the detective get to stay happy and nothing bad ever happens to them again, because it's truly what they deserve.

#ty for the ask!#didnt mean for the answer to be so long whoops #this game is so good it's hard not to talk forever about it #zn ask #the wayhaven chronicles #twc

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thevoilinauttheory · 3 years

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The Funeral

[ FFxivWrite2021 Prompt 29: Debonair ]

[ Content Warnings: passive suicidal ideation; death and blood mentions ]

[ Just want to note here... that this started as one thing and ended as another and don’t have the energy to change it because it ended up being so long lol I wanted to try something different, but then it went *way* different, so. Uh. Here you go! 😂 official video not posted due to the fact that it was flashing enough to bother me, so it might bother someone else. ]

youtube

“He’s a strange one, that’s for sure. Have you seen him ever show an onze of emotion?” “He may be the eldest, but do they really think he’d be the best heir?” “He’d run the family into the ground, if given the chance.”

He could hear them through the walls, the jabs at his character. How dare they? Was he not the perfection the rest of the noble community sought? Or was it his perfection that made them think as such? His ears twitched. Someone was coming, and by the weight of the footsteps…

“Cedre, Mother wishes to speak with you.” Sylvain gripped at the hem of his shirt - nervous. All of his siblings were intimidated by him. All of the people he would call his friends did the same. Cedrenaux stood from the bench he sat on, waiting for his parents to call him in. This gathering was supposed to be one of levity, other houses joining them for a single night of enjoyment. It was always too bright in here. The bright blues, the bright reds, the bright violets and whites and lights. Dear gods, the lights. He spoke no words to his brother, passing by him in some furied silence. Or, what Sylvain would think as he passed by.

“Cedrenaux, dear! Look at you, dressed to the nines~.” His aunt was the first to applaud him - for what, exactly? He never knew. All of them praised him for some unholy reason. “Well, it is only proper for him to be dressed so.” His mother was a walking contradiction. Doting, and yet, not so easily impressed. She brushed some of his stray hairs down, the wavy near-curls springing up to their own liking. Despite the fact that he was old enough to do so himself, old enough to speak for himself, he did not. “I want you to meet this lovely girl,” She turned him towards a beautiful woman, slightly older than him; fair skin, chestnut hair, what wondrous green eyes. “This is Cassandra Babineaux, under House Dzemael. Cassandra, this is my eldest son--” “Cedrenaux. A pleasure.” His voice was dry, it said anything but. He offered her a formal bow. “You two are to spend much time together, in fact, why don’t you get to know each other a bit more now?”

“Cassandra is to be your bride, Cedrenaux, you must compose yourself well.” “Yes, Mother.” He stood still as his mother fussed over his appearance, brushing lint from his shoulders, straightening his jacket. While it was infuriating to be coddled like a child, he let her do her thing, letting out a short sigh when she stepped away. “While this marriage is arranged, you two have gotten along so well - we thought it best that you would propose to her in a traditional fashion as well. I am certain it would mean a lot to her.” “Yes, Mother.”

He couldn’t stand her. There was always something off about the woman. To be married to her was going to be a long road, one that would likely never end - not until he was at the end of his days. The temptation was there - death would be far preferable, but he knew that his family needed this. After the accurate accusation of his grandmother as a heretic by the Dzemaels - his mother’s mother, worse off - they needed to make amends to the House. To prove that just one was enough. Once his mother left him, he took himself to the closest mirror. His hair was tied up in a bundle of wavy curls, not quite untamed, though no less annoying. He pulled the band from it, letting it fall loose; using his fingers to comb it out. Princely, straight from a faerie tale - that’s what Cassandra had called it. Disgusting.

“Cedrenaux?” A soft voice peered through the door, nervous and shaking. “Isabelle, is something amiss?” “N-No, not… not really. You look upset.” “...I am.” “Is it the marriage?” “...” He nodded slowly as he strode to the door, opening it fully for his youngest sister. She was easy to talk to, she had no room to judge anyone else, nor did she have a habit of doing so. “It’ll… be okay, I think.” Cedrenaux shook his head. “No, it will not. I do not like her in the slightest.” “But you got along so well…” “Because I was forced to… I do not want to marry, and especially not her.” “Why is that?” “Aside from a bad feeling…? I… I cannot say.” He muttered to himself, eyes to the floor, a crack in his usual expression. “...I simply do not like any aspect of her.” “Have you found another lady that caught your fancy?” “....” How was he supposed to answer that? He opted for another shake of his head. “No. I have had no interest in any of them. I have been putting my focus into my studies.” “I see.” She needed no other words to explain, she only smiled. “It’ll be okay. I can feel it. In the end, it’ll be okay.”

“I… am at a loss for words.” “Cedre, dear, please, I didn’t mean--” “Did not mean…? For what? To take on another man, force him into marriage? We have two children, Cassandra - that something like this happened is beyond me.” “You’re not… leaving, are you?” “Your kind are not wont to change.” “B-But.. the kids-” “Are in your capable hands. Perhaps you will no longer find your eyes wandering when you are pressured to do the job I have been doing whilst you were galavanting about with another man. The poor sod better be thankful he got away when he could.” “...Not without stealing the better half of our funds…” “Of your funds. Good riddance too.” “Cedre y-you sound so…” “Pleased? Gods be, I am. I had been looking for years for a way to get you far from me.”

Those words were heartbreaking to anyone who would hear them - and a relief to the one who said them. Cedrenaux finally felt a weight off of his shoulders. Such a relief to breathe out. “Since we are on that topic, I had never liked you to begin with - we were only together thanks to our parents.” “L-Love, I--” “Do not address me as such, lumping me in with the Brume rabble you called your lover. Of course, I side with him - the abuse you have fed both of us.” “You would punish our children over this?!” The shock wore off, it turned to anger. “Hm? I am sorry, did you say “our”? No, no. They are your children now. You can disclude me from the picture. Of course, I did already speak to them. They are old enough to understand how rotten you are, and thankfully, old enough to know how to ruin the rest of your days. Of course, in the end, you will have wonderful heirs to your house and name. Seeing as I taught them as such.”

“What would your mother say once you came home? She’d be disappointed, angry. She’d make you come back.” “Oh, do not worry. Your backstabbing name will be littered upon the ears of others, I am certain my mother will be just fine with it.”

“Please, wait! Wait, I have evidence!” Cedrenaux tried to push his way past the Templars which guarded the Vault. Guarded the trial - the trial against his parents. He held above him the papers, the ones that showed their innocence. “They are not guilty, you must hear me!”

“Lord Voilinaut.” One of the clergy approached him - a tone that made his heart sink. She took the papers from him, a slight twitch of shock. “I apologize, my lord, but you are too late. Their sentence was held a quarter of a bell ago. These papers, however -...” She shook her head. “This would not be enough, though I will see to it that these are filed properly so that no future mistakes will happen.”

“Y-You… admit… it was… a mistake?” He could feel it, it boiled under him, made his skin itch. He bared his teeth in a scowl, words sharp with his shouts. “You would murder for your own sakes?! They were not guilty! If I could find the evidence, why could you not have?!” The Templars struggled to keep the young lord from attacking the clergywoman, having to catch him by his collar and arms. “I apologize, my lord. I do not oversee the investigations, but I shall apprise them of the situation so that no others will have to face an injustice like this.” Cedrenaux managed to settle himself, composing with a sigh. “...Very well… so long as it does not happen again. You will regret the next time it does.”

He could hear the papers burning in the room she had left to.

“I apologize for the inconvenience, sir. If I could ask a favor of you…” An Elezen, far taller than he - though who would not be? Even the hyurs in the city were taller than him. Dressed in nobles’ clothes, light hair, fair eyes. “And you are?” “Tristan.” “...Tristan.” “My… full name is rather long, and this moniker suits me well.” “I see, and what can I do for you?” “...It…” Tristen looked about for any passerbys. “Perhaps we could sit over here, it… concerns a rather personal matter.” He gestured to the gazebo of the Voilinaut’s estate. Cedrenaux nodded, leading in taking a seat.

“I… have heard many things. I would clarify if they are true or not, and if they are… perhaps you could listen to my plight. I have heard that upon your divorce with Cassandra, your parents were tried for heresy.” “...That is true. You know of Cassandra?” “I know that she is behind it - ah… I know… from personal experience, as she has done the same with my family. They are currently in a gaol awaiting their sentence.” “How do you know?” “...She screamed at me as such when I pushed myself from her.” “You were…?” “Also married, yes. At the time you were.” “You certainly do not look the part of the man I had found her with. Do you mean to say she was doing as such with three individuals?” “I am, yes.”

Cedrenaux folded his arms over his chest, inhaling sharply. He closed his eyes to think, ears twitching to the sounds of other gossip from down the road. “...And what favor would you ask of me.” “That I may remain in your estate as a guest, until I am given my home back after the investigation. I am without one, currently.” “....” He wasn’t keen on sharing his home with strangers, especially since they were in the process of moving furniture out; sorting through paperwork and memories. How could he not lend aid to another who has shared this pain - who will share this pain. He knew that Tristan would not see his family again. Cedrenaux nodded slowly, bringing a bright smile to Tristan’s face. “I thank you, sir,” “Cedrenaux.” “I thank you, Cedrenaux. For your kindness.” He shook his head. “...Do not worry of it. My family will see to it that you will have a place to stay. Do excuse the mess.”

With a heavy thud, Tristan had his back trapped against the wall. Such brashness was rewarded with the second heavy emotion he had shown - first anger, now… Cedrenaux sputtered under his words, some semblance of fear on his face as his fingers clutched into the hem of his own shirt. Tristan let out a bright laugh, that perfectly playful smile. He was so forward, how could anyone act without shame - or at least thought to their actions. Or, perhaps he did think it over and--

“You’re so adorable like this!” Tristan pushed off the wall to let Cedrenaux have some breathing room. “L-Like what? What do you mean?” Despite the blatant display of emotion, and the catch of his teeth on his lips, his voice still stayed dry and even. “C’mon, I know you’re not that much of an idiot.” Silence. There was no response - he definitely was not that much of an idiot, still--

“Why?” “Why not?” He was nudged with an elbow. “The moons I’ve stayed here, you have shown nothing but care and kindness to your family - and myself. Of course, not everyone would call it that, but… you really are adorable.” Tristan leaned forward to pinch his cheek. His smile faded as he lowered his voice. “You have a lot of qualities about you that no one else does, something the rest of Ishgard needs. You exude safety, protection, you’re diligent - strong.” His smile came back with something softer. “They don’t see it, but I do.”

“...” Cedrenaux looked down to the floor - he was tense from the surprise, but it was relief that came from his breath. “Thank you.” It took a bit, a little moment, but he smiled. Nothing as bright as the man’s in front of him, but it existed. He took a careful step forward, hesitant, like he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing… but he wrapped his arms around him, tucking his head into Tristan’s chest. “....” He smelled of Starlight - he wouldn’t forget that. Pine and cinnamon, a fresh fire, winter air. It was… it was comforting. It reminded him of the times he could truly be a child with no worry of others’ thoughts. “...Thank you…” His voice was soft now, afraid to speak aloud. Gods, if his siblings saw him.

Even Tristan was surprised by the forward action on Cedrenaux’s part, but he wrapped his arms around him, holding him close as he placed his head atop his. “Just one night?” “...Just one.”

One night turned to moons - moons of a fleeting emotion.

“Is Lord Tristanaireux in? We received word that he would be staying with your house.”

Several Templars were at their door. Cedrenaux knew exactly what that meant. “The investigation is over then? Should he return home?” “...He is, yes.” Their hesitation said otherwise. He saw that too. “Is that right, then? I will escort him then, to make sure he arrives safely.” “There is no need for that, we will-” “I do not trust you. After the last time, I refuse to.” “My lord, we have found relics of heresy amongst his belongings. He needs to be turned in--” “You would lie to me, on my estate?” Cedrenaux’s voice got low, deep, something dark.

“A-Apologies, m-my lord…” “Leave. Come back when you have hard evidence that it is his, and that it was not planted by you nor anyone else.” “Sir, you will be tried, too, if--” “Learn your battles, boy.” The Templars at his door were armed, and yet they made no moves against him. As if they truly were afraid of just him alone.

“Lord Cedrenaux, is aught amiss?” Another lord from the Dzemael house, when would they leave him alone? “No, in fact, these kind gentlemen were here to let me know that my friend is allowed to return home. ...Yes?” His glare pierced them. He made these fools stand straight, near threatened into admitting so. “Is that so? I had heard just the opposite. Are you housing a heretic, Lord Cedrenaux?” “On baseless accusation. Show me the evidence, and I will turn him over.” “The Vault is already in the possession of the evidence, s-sir…” The Templars spoke up again. “Then tell them to show me.”

His continuance on their argument was cut short, with Tristan looming over his shoulder. “What’s going on now?” “Back inside, now.” The sound of his voice turned to urgency, he was thankful Tristan understood - the man took a hefty step back, just before the sharp cry. “Grab the heretic, now!” Without so much as a second thought, the Templars trampled over Cedrenaux to seize Tristan from the hallway - dragging him out to the streets as he kicked. “Let go! I know naught of what you speak!”

As Cedrenaux found the strength to pick himself up off the floor, his eyes turned to the door - to the road - to the people across from his home - to the smile of the woman standing there. Her.. this was her fault. “Tristan!” His boots skid along the stone as he broke into a sprint. “Cedre!” The sound of his name was cut with a cry and grunt, a chained elbow smashed into his face - thrown into the ring in which the trial was being held. “Stop! I beg of you, please think before you act!”

It felt like the trial held for his parents, another mistake - another intentional mistake.

“The evidence was planted, my lords!” “By who.” They spoke to him, they addressed him. Gods be, he had a chance. “Cassandra Babineaux. She admitted to accusing not only his family, but mine as well, of baseless heresy. I had word that investigations would be thorough.” “What motives would she have to do this?” “We are both her ex-husbands, having committed adultery against us both - she seeks revenge for our leaving.” “Have the guard fetch this woman then.”

He could hear it, the sigh of relief from his love.

“I do not know what you speak, my lord! Why would I take the risk of being accused, myself? If I had planted it, I would have had the evidence on me at some point!” “Anything for revenge… first my grandmother, then my parents, now this…”

She lied through her teeth, she lied, and they both knew.

“Lord Cedrenaux, why would you accuse this woman of--” “Why would you believe her words over mine? Do you think me a liar, my lord? I have stood by and watched countless of my family die at your hands on false accusations - the truths brought to light, and still, you would do this?” “Why would you accuse me? I have found my love, I do not need yours nor his!” “Be- Because… I saw that look on your face, when I was on my way here, that smile of yours.” “Can I not greet you on the street?” “...” His jaw clenched. “Not when you just witnessed this man being dragged off.”

“Lord Voilinaut.” “Check her home, then, if you dare will! There’s plenty more evidence to plant, isn’t there?! One at a time, you will pick off those I love… who next, then? Sylvain? Valera? Isabelle?” He saw the corner of her mouth twitch at the mention of his youngest sister, that little detail. “Snake, impudent hag - you would harm such an innocent girl for your petty spite against me?!” Everything in his body could not stop him from lashing out, jumping on her in an instant - he only landed a single blow to her face before the Templars snatched him away from her.

“Calm yourself this instant!” The loud thud of a hand against the table snapped him from his rage. “You would conduct yourself in this manner, Lord Cedrenaux? Your accusation of your ex-wife is paranoia, that she is out to get you - she has clearly moved on. We will consider your evidence null.” “N-No, please! Do not harm him! He is innocent!” It was the first time he had ever cried, even as a baby; he screamed, but never shed a tear - he choked on his sobs. “Please…” He would resort to begging if it made it so, he sunk to his knees - he did not expect to hear the scream so close to his ears, so loud, it took up the room. He heard nothing else. The thump of the body on the floor, the spill of blood. The tile was stained with it.

Even as the room cleared, he did not move - he could not move. He cried, coughed, sobbed, screamed and yelled and begged what gods there were to make it stop.

In the end, all he could do was make certain that his family was safe.

#ffxivwrite2021 #prompt 29 #debonair #i could've done a number of prompts with this word #but if the first thing that came to mind was maximiloix's family #then imma make an excuse to write about them #hi #have cedrenaux #the second eldest of nine #i lied in that one prompt about sylvain #cedre's my fav next to maxim #i probably need a tag for off prompts like this lmao #history will be written #works for now #also #since he's mentioned like in the background #about: Maximiloix Voilinaut

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flying-elliska · 3 years

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Shadow and Bone Season 1 Review

Ok so I got distracted by a need to watch all of Ben Barnes' filmography (lmao) but here is my review : It was really fun to watch and it was clearly made with love which is already the main thing with YA fantasy, which is often turned into a soulless moneygrab when put on screen. The actors were GREAT. I did think that the Crows suffered from being mashed up with the Shadow and Bone story, but they were still a highlight. I also think it was a bit rushed, esp. when it came to Alina's training. The costumes were beautiful, I want a kefta now. Plus the crossover fanfic interactions btw the SaB characters and the Crows were just pure joy. Also Milo, obviously <3 I'm in hyperfixation mode so here, have an essay :

The "Shadow and Bone" Characters :

- Jessie Mei Li !!!!!! She really made me like Alina so much more than in the books, she absolutely is the 'human embodiment of literal sunshine' and she was a joy to watch. Her character's arc is cliché but her acting is so expressive and endearing, I really felt for her all the way through. (maybe I'm biased bc Jessie talking about her ADHD and seeing her thrive at the same time is like!!! i love them they deserve all the best.) I like that they made Alina more proactive - even though she does make some stupid decisions... but I just don't understand people who put that down as bad writing, like ??? have you ever met a real person who only makes wise, good decisions ?? a character like that would either be at the end of their story or just in the background because that makes them static. The things with the maps in the beginning does a good job of illustrating how she is just this one girl making rash, erratic decisions out of fear and loyalty and doesn't have a sense of the bigger picture, caught in the tide of bigger events. It works for her character. When it comes to the choice of making her half-Shu, I do think it really makes sense re: her character feeling like an outsider but I do understand the criticisms that the microaggressions felt too relentless and one-note. I am really looking forward to them introducing Tamar and Tolya and hopefully connecting to them over her heritage in a more positive way.

- Mal in the books was one of the most annoying YA characters I've ever come across, so I really liked that they made him much more of a loyal, devoted friend. I found his relationship with Alina cute, it really gives us the sense that these are two orphans who found a home in each other, childhood best friends (and potential sweethearts) separated by war, two army grunts and ordinary people caught up in the wheels of power and war that usually crushes people like them, it's a great way to introduce the dynamics of their world and it's a trope that always makes me emo. It felt a bit too one note to me, though, and too heavily on the nose, like Mal's only personality was his attachment to Alina (and his resentment towards the Grisha) and too much of her emotional arc also relied on him. Them hitting us over the head with the meadow scenes felt like pure telling instead of showing and it ended up being super repetitive and kind of annoying. I am willing to like this pairing, but I wanted more scenes of them just having conversations about things and really understanding why they like each other beyond the whole childhood friends bond that we're asked to accept exists at the beginning. So I hope there's more depth there in next seasons.

- Ben Barnes!!!! Just jksdfhgkdjghdf. I'm not a big villain stan usually and I hated the Darkling in the books but DAMN his performance is just amazing. They managed to make him more sympathetic and human while at the same time making clear the stuff he does is deeply horrible. There's the Magneto-aspect of 'well clearly his methods are fucked up but he's addressing a terrible injustice nobody is doing anything about' that makes it very tempting to root for him ; and again, well, like, Ben Barnes is so hot and charismatic it feels uncomfortable (which I guess is part of the point lol). His loss of humanity is, up to a point, understandable, brought about by despair, loneliness, grief and a sense of powerlessness - living so long he starts to see other people as disposable, losing so many people he stops caring, seeing over and over how hate never seems to stop, etc. It's a logical explanation for going insane.

But the hunger for power is also very much present as a motivation and this ambiguity is there constantly. Does he maybe come to genuinely care for Alina or is it totally bullshit ? I think he does, he's just so fucked up that it comes out as possessiveness and a need to control her. He wants Alina to be his equal but he's incapable of treating her that way. It's tragic, in a sense, but the show doesn't excuse his actions either. Like his monstrosity is a product of this world full of injustice, yes, and that warrants some compassion, monsters are always a symptom of their environment in some ways and dehumanizing them completely is an excuse ; but at the same time, he sabotaged his own cause anyway the moment he started to treat other people like things, as he does with Alina, because that just perpetuates the cycle of violence and hate. At some point he started feeling like he was the only solution and he was owed power for his sacrifices, and he's using his cause as an excuse. When Alina came to him, there was a possibility for redemption, taking down the Fold, and it's a test because there is finally someone on his level of power. But instead of seeking to remedy the power imbalance between them, he made it worse, by lying to her, manipulating her, etc, and the antler collar is the ultimate sign of this.

I love those scenes towards the end (the antler-based body horror has big Hannibal vibes, so messed up). I like Alina telling him they could have had this, that she had compassion for him and his cause, that they could have worked together, and he's the one responsible for screwing it up and this time his claim that he's the misunderstood victim ("Make me your villain") appears delusional and self-serving instead of somewhat justified. The almost-lovers to enemies vibes, the sense of lost potential, and the angst of the whole 'oh you could finally have been loved by people, too bad you fucked it up !', very juicy. There is this fundamental idea that power/respect/love is not something you are owed no matter how good your intentions are or because you're strong or you have suffered or you're willing to commit horrible drastic actions, you have to keep proving you deserve it, and trying to claim power without responsibility of care turns you into a monster. The thing with the stag was an excellent metaphor of the fact that there's things you can't take, they have to be given to you, and the wonderful power there is in understanding that is what allows Alina to harness the stag amplifier's power. This is really when she escapes his grim utilitarian outlook and a different way forward and owns her own power fully on her own terms.

Anyway I hope Alina gets to beat the shit out of him at some point that would be very sexy but I'm also looking forward to see how their arcs parallel and diverge from each other as Alina starts to grapple more with the implications of her power and the harsh dilemmas of war and her own dark side. I want to see him become scared of her, and I feel it will be more visible than in the books where he just has this cold aggressive facade all the time. This one feels a lot more openly emotional which is just a lot more interesting.

- As for the other characters ; Zoya mostly made me sad. The actress has the perfect vibes but I'm not sure I love their take on her character so far, it does make sense in terms of the later books - that she has internalized prejudice regarding her mixed-race heritage, that she is jealous of Alina because of how hard she's fought to get where she is and Alina kind of takes it away from her, etc. But I would have liked to see a bit more of her being badass and sharp-tongued in a clever (even if mean) way instead of spending most of her time being rejected by men and being racist towards Alina. I did like the ending though, of her actually seeing the monstrosity of the Darkling in action and the mention of her aunt. And her brief bonding with Inej was great, just because it was badass but also maybe because it could be a part of Zoya learning to accept her Suli heritage in turn, maybe not right away but in time, when thinking of that part of herself, she won't only think of her parents' ruined marriage and all the pain it caused, but also of that badass and brave acrobat girl who went toe to toe with these really scary monsters without even having any powers and !!!!!

- Also Leigh's cameo was so cute and as an aspiring writer this is just such wish fulfillment

- I honestly think that having the Crows there actually made the S&B story better ? Not only in terms of the much needed levity breaks but also in terms of themes. For instance, Matthias and Nina's story gave us a really raw and visceral view of how the Grisha are hunted. And Inej's relationship to Alina really gave us a sense of what Alina actually means to people who believe in the Saints in a way that doesn't feel just like 'ugh those superstitious people' because we know that Inej's faith is part of what makes her who she is and a person with morals, and something that saw her through the worst moments of her life. It feels so special that she got to meet Alina and given a sign that maybe the world is not completely shitty. And Alina's kindness towards Inej really gives you a sense that she might be, or become worthy of that belief in time, or at least that she wants to, that she's figuring out her power to really touch people's lives might be a good thing, and that she's starting to accept this responsibility more fully. And her arming Inej is a nice parallel to that. I'm very emotional about this scene, because one of the first things we see of young Alina is her taking out a knife to defend Mal from the bullies, because she's protective and brave, but she's also aware the world is a shitty place, and so her giving that knife to Inej is a sort of spiritual transmission and recognition of sorts, that she trusts Inej with that fighting power, that she'll use this knife to defend herself and her loved ones and not abuse it. It's so interesting. And a counter point to the Darkling's fucked up relationship to power that Alina might at some point get afraid she'll replicate. That you could see Alina trying to gather followers and using people's admiration for her like he did but instead she sets them free and empowers them. It's great. And I feel that when Inej takes to the seas, she'll think about Alina. (I do hope somebody tells her Alina's not dead at some point though god). Girls giving each other knives is my spirituality, honestly.

- And I also noticed an interesting parallel between Kaz and the Darkling in terms of being two emo dudes who like to wear black, are prone to violence and have a thing for two very powerful women they think are special and want to have at their side, but of course, they go about it in very different ways. The Darkling comes at it from a place of power while Kaz comes from a place of utter powerlessness, first of all, and he understands why it's important to set Inej free. Him spending the entire season trying to earn enough money to pay off Inej's indenture is the opposite to the Darkling putting that collar on Alina and while I do have issues with how the show portrays him, I do love that. Love is about setting the person you love free !!!! And that confrontation scene was so powerful, when Kaz tells the Darkling Alina was tired of being a captive ! Drag him !

- As for Genya, I liked the actress and her chemistry with Alina, but I'm not sure they did a great job of making her arc very clear, for instance what it means for her to get that red kefta, her relationship with the other Grisha, etc. Her and David are already very cute though. Also very much looking forward to see where that goes.

So yeah I think they did a great job with this bit actually, I enjoyed a lot more than I think I would and even though it is a very tropey story, there's plenty of depth there too.

The Crows :

- I'm a bit more nitpicky about this because I care about these characters so much. I think overall the problem is that the SaB story in the books happens on this massive scale with enormous stakes, and that next to that the Crows' issues feel less important ; it's like their impact is distorted by the gravity of the much larger story. Like for instance, Kaz in the books is very much at the center of everything, this larger than life trickster figure who knows and controls almost everything by sheer cleverness, and he has this sense of allure and mystique that can't happen here, and so his aura just shrinks. On top of that they're not on their home turf. Being introduced to these characters before they've reached their full levels of badass is weird - there is a reason why prequels generally happen after the main stuff, because they count on the love you have for these characters at their full potential to make you interested in their story when they were less badass and interesting. So I had several moments where I was like 'oh this feels wrong'. Tbh the idea that they would even volunteer to kidnap Alina in the first place, what with Inej's backstory, feels kind of wrong, esp since they had no idea of what would happen to her if they succeeded.

- But I still enjoyed a lot of it though, especially the fact that they were this force of chaos in the midst of this bigger narrative that's a lot more self-serious. The bits with the train, or the circus acts were very clever. A lot of the best moments in the show happen when they come to disturb the other plot in unexpected ways. I'm still dead over the whole 'Alina jumps into their carriage' scene, that was fucking gold. The team up at the end !!!! Alina and Kaz making a deal ! Inej stabbing the Darkling !!!! Them stealing the Darkling's carriage !!! They don't give a shit that the story is supposed to be super dramatic it's great.

- Jesper is the one character they completely nailed from start to finish and he's probably my favorite part of the whole show. He's very funny without being reduced to the role of comic relief ; he's just so! damn! cool!!!!!!! I honestly feel this is a thing they actually did even better than in the books, or at least Six of Crows where I felt Jasper kind of disappeared behind Kaz and they insist a lot on his flaws and issues. So before we dig more into those problems I love that they gave him time to be this ultra badass who saves the day several times ; while at the same time, hinting at further developments like his powers or his gambling issues. Kit Young is just perfect, confident without being arrogant, a bit cold when it comes to crime while at the same time being so obviously caring with Inej - I loved their friendship, that was so sweet. My main criticism is that they should have made it clearer he was bi because there are already people calling him gay and that's very annoying. I know some people had a problem with his hookup and like...I can see it's a bit of a cliché...the charming badass bisexual adventurer....it's a trope I kind of love though lmao and the scene itself felt kind of cute and fun. He's not the only person who is shown to have an active sexuality and he's also not the only queer person around and we know he's going to have a more substantial romantic arc later so eh. On a larger note I loved the little casual hints of completely normalized queerness - Nadia thirsting over Zoya, Fedyor and Ivan, Poppy, etc. Having grown up with fantasy where queerness was either completely erased or very tormented and problematic, this was refreshing as hell.

- Inej and Kaz...my faves... They have a kind of relationship which feels so rare and unique in terms of what exists on TV and while I don't feel they entirely replicated it, the core is still there - the mutual respect and building of trust, the longing, the repression, the trauma, etc. One thing I really like is their arc around faith - in the books, Kaz is dismissive of Inej's faith in ways that often feel really shitty and I like that he learns to be more respectful of it. It's very much linked to hope/survival ; Inej keeps this token from her parents and she hopes to find them again ; Kaz tells her it's no use and she'll survive better if she gives up. He believes Alina is a fake, while Inej wants to believe that myths can come true and there is hope for good things in the world. Kaz comes to accept that Alina is the real deal and, out of respect for Inej's faith, to stop pursuing her. I loved the bit about Inej struggling to kill as well - it's the dilemma of what her survival and that of the people she really cares about are worth in such a shitty world - her compassion is a good part of her but so is her survival instinct, and that's the part Kaz represents - that even after she's been through hell, broken in unfathomable ways, even if she gave up all hope and faith in the world, even she becomes dangerous and ruthless to survive, she will still deserve dignity, and to be treated better. And meanwhile she is willing to break her principles, which she holds so dearly, to save him, when he's never had anyone who cared for him like that - enough to keep him alive. That bit in the church !!!!! God !!!!!! Bye !!!!!!! And then him basically calling her his own version of a Saint, that he doesn't believe in miracles but he does believe in her !!! It's very emblematic of their whole arc ; he empowers her to survive in a ruthless world and loves her at her most dangerous ; but he loves her laugh too, he finds her a ship and her parents, he honors her capacity for love and hope even when he can't share it. And she sees that he's capable of doing better, that he's worth caring for. This whole thing kills me honestly and I can't wait to see where they take this next. I'm not mad they're a bit more soft and obvious than in the books, Kaz would just have come across as an an asshole otherwise.

- That said, there are bits of how they introduced their backstories I don't like. I get that making it so Inej was still tied to the Menagerie gave them a very powerful reason to want to kidnap Alina beyond greed so that they wouldn't look like very shitty people. But in the books Inej is terrified by the idea of simply seeing Heleen or the Menagerie and the way they have her interact with her feels weirdly casual and dismissive of her trauma. Also, in the books, the fact that Kaz had to convince Per Haskell to buy Inej's contract through a lot of effort, that he wasn't the one holding that above her head either, made the power dynamics more palatable. I especially disliked the scene where Kaz says he won't free other girls because just Inej is special, it makes him look like he has the power but he's just too much of a callous asshole to do it, and that he just freed Inej because he liked her which is absolutely not what their relationship is about at the start, it's a lot more about seeing Inej's dangerous side behind a facade of powerlessness and relating to her, in a sense, and this scene made it all feel cheap.

- Also, what was that about Inej having a brother ? Not a fan of that either. I'm afraid they're going to make her story all about finding what happened to him, and that's 1) too on the nose similar to Kaz's story and 2) it kind of cheapens her own arc, a female character realizing that what was done to her was wrong, reclaiming her own power and dignity and then making sure it doesn't happen to anybody else, harnessing her personal experience to save strangers, that's so powerful - making it about a family member at first, especially if it's about revenge, it's so much more simplistic and unoriginal and the perspective really annoys me.

- Also not a fan of Per Haskell not being there because he's a very important part of Kaz's evolution, so I hope he shows up eventually - and the way they introduced Pekka Rollins was kind of like...weird and out of place. I just found the Crows' introduction scenes stilted and not as cool as they should have been - well, Jesper and Inej were very cool, but we needed to see Kaz in action first, we needed to see why he's such a menace before we see him flounder later, and I just...I don't know exactly but it didn't work for me. Also this is a very petty thing but I wasn't crazy about the Ketterdam sets, I know this is probably a budget thing but in my head it looked like this incredible mix of Amsterdam and Venice - specific locations in the book directly remind me of parts of Amsterdam I know very well - and instead what we got felt like this very generic London-ish fantasy setting....so boring. Also a lot of scenes that felt to exposition-y. I don't mind that Kaz was a bit softer than in the books, like many people have said some things work in books and don't work on a screen, and you need to make the character's inner dynamics more explicit. But I do agree that, at the same time, he should have been more ruthless towards people outside of his group. Loved that scene where he faces the Inferni though, and how well they illustrated his disability and aversion to touch.

- I don't have that much to say about Nina and Matthias ; I'm still not super sold on the whole 'haha misogyny!' thing and I dislike that so much of Matthias' change of heart relies on the fact that he finds Nina hot. But I did think that the actors had enough chemistry to make their scenes together interesting and cute ; I loved the waffle scene. Even though it's disappointing that they didn't find an actress who was more clearly plus size for Nina, I still think Danielle does a good job bringing her bold, unapologetic energy. I'm really looking forward to seeing the Crows as a whole team.

So yeah, even though the season didn't feel like a perfect, coherent whole, it was just a lot of fun and I really hope they get renewed. In particular I feel like tying the first trilogy to the Crows' story could create such interesting parallels in terms of themes, about power, the cost of survival, hope, trauma, etc etc

#shadow and bone #shadow and bone netflix #grishaverse #six of crows #leigh bardugo

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authenticcadence18 · 3 years

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Hey, Cadence. Sorry to trouble you with this, but I was wondering if I could get your advice on something. Your work (particularly the Phineas & Isabella stuff) never fails to bring a smile to my face, and I would like to write something similar in tribute, but, well, I’m not entirely sure how. You manage to make them just so sweet and easygoing and trusting, which is a welcome and pleasant distraction, but I don’t think I’ve ever learned how to have a relationship like that in my life so I worry it’ll come off too forced. (Actually I end up freezing up when I try, stupid as that sounds.) Is there anything you might recommend?

(No obligation to answer, and beyond and apart from all that, really do love your work.)

hey, anon! First of all, thank you🥺💕. I’m honored that my writing makes you smile and that you want to write something like it. Your worries are not stupid whatsoever! Writing characters in a relationship can be hard, especially if real life has not been kind in that regard :(. I will try to do my best to help!!!

When I write Phineas and Isabella, I pull inspiration from a few different places! I’ll talk about them, and hopefully that helps!

I’ve never been in a romantic relationship, but I DID have a big crush on a friend when I was younger, so I pull from those blushy, awkward experiences at times (especially when writing them as kids!) when I write them. I also like writing Isabella and Phineas in the kind of relationship I’d like to have someday. When you go out to write them (or any other characters in a relationship!) you can ask yourself, “what are things I think are important to a relationship?” and incorporate that into your writing to make it feel authentic to you. For me, a few of those important things are mutual respect, consent, kindness, levity (like, being able to joke around and be silly) and friendship. I might not have relationship experience, BUT I’ve experienced watching other people going through relationships AND I’ve thought through the kind of relationship I want. If you’ve done the same, you can apply that to your writing!

You can also get tons of inspiration from episodes of the show! I pull SO MANY IDEAS and bits of dialogue from canon. That can be a great place to start from! You could always take a Phinabella scene—like, the ice cream date at the end of “Happy Birthday, Isabella!” and write about what the characters are thinking. That could help you get into their heads! (And it would be super adorable.) Other sources of inspiration can include music, other movies/books/shows, fairy tales, common tropes. The possibilities are endless!!!

If you like to draw, sketching out scenes can help you work through emotions and ideas too!! I’ve done that with CHFIL. Even if the sketches are rough or “bad,” they can be very beneficial!!!

In general, I use Disney movies/media as a gage of whether or not moments would feel natural in canon. I always like to say, “If Rapunzel and Eugene could have done this (be it in Tangled or Tangled the Series), Phineas and Isabella can do it too!!” 😂 Rapunzel and Eugene in general are a GREAT example of a healthy and affectionate fictional couple, I love writing Phinabella in ways inspired by them! Forehead kisses, hand holding, hugs, ALL OF IT, YES.

Finally, I’d say it is SO TOTALLY OKAY to be cheesy and/or “forced” in your writing!! Writing is a process, and often lines won’t just come out sounding perfect as soon as you type them. It took me months to write the “Big Kiss” and confession in chapter 9, and it changed SO MUCH in that time. The first take I wrote in August 2020 was alright...but the scene it became by December 2020 was SO MUCH BETTER. Also, don’t be afraid to joke around with yourself and be informal while writing! Like, here’s a work-in-progress line from chapter 11 of Can’t Help Falling in Love: “Phineas stopped in place for a moment, having been struck with a realization while taking the crumbcake out of the oven with oven-mit wearing hands (THIS SOUNDS SO BAD BUT I’LL WORK ON IT IT’S FINE).” Acknowledging that a line of dialogue or prose doesn’t sound as good as you like is very freeing!! Sometimes, you just need awhile longer to ruminate on the line and figure out how to make it sound exactly like you want :). It’s also totally fine to write something like “Ok, so I want Isabella and Phineas to hug here and I want to emphasize how relieved and happy they are, say something about warmth, idk” while working on a fic. If you know the general idea of a line of dialogue or even an entire fic, write it down! Even if it sounds “bad,” it is helping you with your process, which means it is actually really good!! And it is also totally fine to ask for help! Idk what I’d do without my beta @youruinedmylifebynotbeingreal! She’s read every chapter of CHFIL and given me insight and suggestions on so many things, and sometimes I flat out say “hey idk how to word this, help me” 😂. Sometimes you just need an outside perspective! If you ever want to bounce ideas off me, I’m here!!

Okay, actually, one more thing: sometimes I’m not always in the mood to write romance or fluffy stuff. After all, I’ve NOT been in a relationship, so sometimes writing characters that are can hurt a little. You can explore any hurt or uncertainty in writing as well (I posted a short fic recently that does just that), and you can also write stuff that has nothing to do with romance or anything at all!! There is far more to life than romance, you know? And it is also totally fine to do something else. Draw art, play music, fold some laundry. If you are writing for fun, there’s no deadline! The right words and mood will come in time. I wrote a lot more last year because I needed to write to get through a difficult time and give myself something soft and fun to focus on. This year, I’ve been spending more time with art (and I’ve been a little busier). Writing is a little more tiring now, so I’m not writing as much, and that’s totally okay!

More than anything, you have to write for you. As sweet as it is that you want to write a fic in tribute to things I’ve written, if that is the only reason you’re writing, it might frustrate you or make you feel burned out. I for one hate expectations, so if writing ever becomes an expectation for me, it isn’t fun anymore☹️. I usually find that writing is the easiest when I don’t put pressure on myself to “write to post” or “write what’s popular.” I genuinely try to just write for me, to write things I want to write because they’re fun or cathartic or whatever else! That’s how Can’t Help Falling in Love started out, I didn’t expect many people to read it, and well....it turned out far better than I could have anticipated, lol!

Thank you again, anon! I hope this helps. And if you have any other questions or thoughts, please feel free to reach out💕

#🥺💕#anon #omg i have an ask!!#cadence rambles #long post #writing things

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coinofstone · 4 years

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3x12 The Coming of Arthur pt 1

The title is such low hanging fruit I feel bad cracking a joke about it.

It's a quest episode! I love a quest episode. Srsly feel free to send me any and all Merthur quest fics. I can't get enough 😂

This is the episode responsible for the lovely Leon fanon headcanon that he's immortal. Always handy in an Arthur Returns fic.

Uther: you must go on this mission alone

Arthur: *brings Merlin*

I do love Merlin being being a smart alec and nagging Arthur while packing. Excellent banter.

Arthur said

Arthur threatening a young boy like this is such an ugly and uncharacteristic action it makes me angry.

Merlin tending to Arthur while he's sick and injured 🥺

Also I'm sorry but Merlin shows fuckin Gilli his magic but he's hiding it from fuckin Gwaine while Arthur is suffering? Silly.

Cenred's massive army makes me wonder if it's a result of his tolerance of magic or lower standards than the knights of Camelot, or some combination of both.

Poor Leon, though. He's just got back from near death in that forest and Uther sends him right fuckin back in 😂

Looks like they snuck in to Camelot via the dragon's cave. I doubt that was the intention but I still approve 😂

Knowing he's on a suicide mission, Arthur gives Merlin an out, knowing he'll never take it, knowing he doesn't even want him to: he still presents him with the choice.

How come literally everyone else gets a crown that fits them but Arthur walks around looking like he's wearing hand-me-downs?

Morgana might be evil but she looks damn good on a throne.

3x13 The Coming of Arthur pt 2

There's a post going around Twitter about ppl who nitpick at TV shows... this comment falls into exactly that category 100% but I'm sorry, I cannot just ignore the fact that Morgana's got these massive banners and an entire army's worth of uniforms, I mean look:

Every guard with the sigil on his uniform and half a dozen banners in the council chambers alone. That's to say nothing of the ones outside. I mean look at the sheer fuckin size of these things:

Look how tiny the ppl are next to em! They've gotta be at least 15 feet long, at least. Where did they come from? Were they all magicked into existence? Who designed that sigil? What does it represent? Is it Gorlois' banner? I HAVE QUESTIONS.

Leon isn't someone I've ever been particularly attracted to, personally, but his defiant shout of "Long Live the King" in the face of Morgana's threats, is sexy as hell.

Depressed Arthur is such a mood.

So. Gwen. Originally in 3x12 when Morgana essentially invited Gwen into the fold (insofar as a Queen's servant can be), it seems to be a set up, because Morgana has been treating Gwen like shit for ages, why would she suddenly want her friend back? Especially since Morgana knows something is going on between Gwen and Arthur - there's no way she believes that they were actually under the spell of some random sorcerer, that just doesn't make any sense. So you kind of assume - or at least I did - that Morgana is keeping Gwen close knowing that she'll be useful as bait or a hostage, just essentially as a person of value to Arthur. She's known Gwen for too long to actually believe she'd cross Arthur, there's just no way someone as machiavellian as Morgana doesn't see Gwen's 'loyalty' as a simple survival tactic. All of this is to say, when Morgana and Morgause eavesdrop on Gwen's conversation with Sir Leon, Morgana is just like, 'welp, she's betrayed me. Guess I'll kill her in the morning.' as though she was actually expecting Gwen to do anything else?!?! Like, why? It would've made so much more sense to just cut that line entirely and go straight to something like

Morgana: it's as we suspected, she's betrayed me

Morgause: yes, now she can lead us straight to Arthur

And it would've made so much more sense than the weird sort of purgatory they've implied where Morgana changed her mind about Gwen very suddenly the night before she took the throne. It's not a super important detail in the overarching story but it's another example of how carelessly their story has been handled.

Me rn:

I do love that they made Freya the Lady of the Lake, and that she kept her promise by telling Merlin how to defeat the army of the dead.

How Merlin really sees Kilgharrah:

Gwen really is the smartest of all of them.

I do love that Merlin's first undead kill with excalibur is entirely an accident lol

The subtext between Morgana and Morgause is really gross. I haven't said anything before because I generally don't approve of ship shaming but the not so subtle subtext gives me the heebies.

This is such a great shot

Everything about it, his woman at his left and his man at his right, his romantic rival opposite him on his wife's side, as directly opposite her as possible at a round table with an uneven number of placements. It's a really beautiful shot, fitting for an equally beautiful scene. It's a very moving scene, the music really adds the exact emotion you'd expect for this moment we all recognize... and I feel like the knights' oaths are very well matched. The snarky part of me wanted to make a 'call me maybe' joke about Percival, but he's so sincere I just can't do it. The moment of levity added by Merlin's banter with Arthur is really, really well paced. Honestly I think it's probably the next perfect, iconic scene since Gwen and Arthur's first kiss. Hats off to this crew.

(Don't worry dear reader, I'm sure I'll get back to complaining shortly)

Santiago is so dreamy. I'd share his bedroll any day.

I like that despite all the talk of equality and doing the thing Uther wouldn't approve of, Gwen still worries about the company seeing her and Arthur kiss. Like, he's planning an insurrection with a bunch of commoners and two dudes who've been officially banished from Camelot, but she's internalized the classism and the rules of royalty so deeply that even amongst friends she instinctively keeps their relationship hidden. I'm not sure how intentional that was but it's brilliant.

The fight big fight scene with Merlin just barely missing the cup while the knights are cornered, and Gaius showing up like the brilliant deus ex machina that he is, honestly makes the previous budget-slashed episodes more bearable. Because this really is great, even knowing it's great at the expense of those others.

Morgana's screeching is eerily similar to Aithusa's.

I wonder if they knew they were getting renewed for a fourth season when they wrote this. Because you know, it really could've worked as a series finale as well. An open-ended series finale, but a series finale all the same.

As a Queens kid, I cannot explain to you the joy it gives me to watch Arthur and Merlin just chillin on the steps to the castle as tho it were a stoop, which I suppose, in a sense... it kind of is. Ahhh youthful days.

Commentary is Jeremy Webb and Julian Murphy.

And this kids, is why we're watching with commentary! They've just explained that Morgana's sigil is supposed to symbolize the Rowan tree that's supposed to be at the heart of the Isle of the Blessed. That suggests she designed it herself, so there's at least one of my earlier questions answered.

They talk a lot about how Emila Fox was very pregnant when they were filming her in this season, and they shot entirely around it - and I can't help but feel anger toward Joss Whedon and his 'handling' of Charisma Carpenter's pregnancy during S4 of Angel.

One of them called the round table scene 'curiously moving' and I think that is really fitting. They'd had this in mind for about two years, which is probably why it's so extraordinary. That's a great gestation period for a scene as iconic as this.

One final tidbit: the sword in the stone was filmed in France, and made it back to Wales intact. I guess nobody wanted to take it out. That's kind of an interesting thought, like a little set superstition or something. It's kind of cute.

The DVD extras/special features will get a separate post if I feel I have comments worth sharing.

#bbc merlin #bbc merlin spoilers #merlin #merlin spoilers #merthur #3x12 #bbc merlin 3x12 #merlin 3x12 #3x13 #bbc merlin 3x13 #merlin 3x13 #the coming of Arthur #the coming of Arthur part one #the coming of Arthur part two #the coming of Arthur pt 1 #the coming of Arthur pt 2 #i cannot believe that's the actual title of this episode #onceandfuturerewatch

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livayl · 4 years

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misery illuminated by a beautiful sunrise

Story is about: Two new OCs called Jon & Hunter. A beautiful spring morning in the mountains getting interrupted by illness that results in a fit of desperate, rapid fire male sneezes. And a mess warning for the sneezes and some descriptions. Excuse any typos, this is written as an one-shot because my creativity is an elusive *** these days. xD Also not sorry because I can´t stop converting my normal OCs into the sneeze-universe. lol

Jons cerulean eyes were closed. Blonde, feathery lashes rested on his bronzed skin above sharply curved, gaunt looking cheeks. Exhaustion-bruised lids twitched and fluttered whenever the breeze brushed it´s chilling kiss over them. It´s cool touch tasted as clear as it was perfumed with all nuances an early spring morning up in the mountains could offer. A bouquet of versatile fragrances just awakened by the first rays of warming sunlight. The scenery in front of the two men was bathed in all the newly found, flourishing glory only spring could create. A light hued golden, illuminating the pleasing dark that had manage to veil Jons sluggish mind and blurred his sight. The soft shadows that had helped to cushion all the growing signs of illness that had kept him awake for the last hours. A night spent restless, breathing through cracked lips as his nose was too stuffed to be cleared by the fresh air. Clothes clinging onto him tightly. Damp, and uncomfortably veiling a body coated with sweat. Too hot and yet shivering violently buried under a too thin blanket.

Jon pulled his hat a bit deeper. Squeezed his eyes shut with a painful groan in an useless search for shelter. He furrowed his slanted brows until the tired frown in between them deepened even further. Thick curls in the color of ripe grain spilled out with the change of posture. The negligent bun now gradually loosened more and more by the insistent tuck of frosty morning wind. Newly freed curls now tumbled around the angular, yet finely chiseled face. Danced in the air with much more levity than Jons heavy body could have mustered. It all created an appearance that would have been pretty looking in it´s deeply tanned glow if not tarnished by a rough night without sleep. - And that deeply irritated look that kept plucking at Jons facial features.Twisted them into something more unpleasant that revealed the discomfort he was in. His full lips shook, crinkled and then finally parted for a big yawn that was hastily smothered into his gloved fist. "Hey man, don´t fall asleep on me." Hunter called out and nudged his shoulder. "I´m not sleeping. Just resting my eyes. Too bright." Jon answered with a tired grumble and it wasn´t even a complete lie. The rising sun stung and blurred his gaze. Radiant and too dangerously close to tempting him to a very much not welcomed reaction. Crisp air bit into Jons already sore and flushed face and yet did not manage to cool his overheated skin. Just was enough to make his eves water, nose run and throat and chest hurt simultaneously. Well, maybe those things weren´t completely the weathers fault. At least Hunter did not seem to be affected that badly. That guy had the audacity to appear almost cheerful when he handed him over a big mug of steaming coffee. That look really did not go well with his grizzly bearded face. Or maybe it would have complimented it nicely if not for each of Jons sore muscles screaming loud enough to drown out anything else. It was becoming truly trying to not get lost in his misery, let alone hide said unwelcome state of being successfully. "Thank you. Sorry, I did not mean to be grumpy." At least he had not meant to let it show that obviously. Jon sniffed for the myriads time on this still young morning. A wet, thick and increasingly wretched sound. Then pulled off his gloves to lace his bare hands around the pleasantly warm mug. The steam did not help to stem the flow that threatened to trickle out of his increasingly tingling nose but the warmth was more than welcome. "You look like shit." Hunter remarked while sipping on his coffee with a way too jovial grin. How did that guy manage to look that alert already when Jon himself could barely blink without inducing a migraine? "Yeah. And I´m still so much prettier than you." Jon replied but the joke got lost in another sniff. Sharp yet gurgling and very urgent sounding this time. And definitely enough to ignite the spark of irritation that had been buried deep in his sinuses for a while. Long enough to have been dulled to a constant, present irritation that now, very suddenly, demanded Jons full attention. "Fuck- H-hheh-hold on." Jon gasped out and bit down on his full lower lip to give the rising need a stalling counterpart. He hastily handed over his mug. The motion fluent enough to avoid spilling the hot liquid even when his face was already contorted with an obvious outcome. Jons lashes fluttered under tightly drawn, crinkled brows for an entirely different reason now. His slender, tear shaped nostrils elongated even further with a wide, irritated looking flare. Pulsated back far enough to reveal the shiny, fluid wetted septum twitching above a curled upper lip. The whole exchange did probably not last longer than a few quickening heartbeats. Still Jon felt like fighting that merciless sensation for much longer. It was almost too late. The need was too pressing to be held off even a second longer when Hunters fingers brushed over Jons. And that damned mug was finally handed over. His face had contorted to an expressive, snarling grimace that spoke of more urgency than any verbal warning could have. It was only a shivering, gasping inhale later that the desperate expression was hidden behind steepled hands. Then Jons whole upper body bent down with a series of frantic, rapid fire sneezes. Each fittish release made him crumple over his lap even further and yet none seemed to bring the much needed relief. Each sneeze was wet and productive, yet almost tumbling over one another with barely enough time to take a breath to fuel the next. Gradually getting even smaller, winded and breathless until the last were repressed to squishy, nasally sounding stifles: "hhAH-YIZSSHue! -IZSCHuh! -KSHih! -kzsch! -izschuh! -hdxt! -ndgt! -hah-kdxt! -ndch!..." The exertion had left Jon dizzy. His sky blue eyes were clouded over, gaze hazy with tears. His hands were covered with thick spray that appeared even hotter against his chilled skin and the fresh air. The wind was not the only reason for Jons fiercely flushed cheeks. Or the furiously blushed nose that was still hidden behind fingers that were both strong yet delicately built. And also more than capable of hiding his embarrassed expression which was definitely the biggest plus at the moment. "Unnh...Don´t say anything..." Jon more pleaded than said. His voice was now obviously slurred with congestion and hoarse with whatever nasty illness he had been tried to fight off all night. "Didn´t mean to say much. Except: Bless you. Here." Hunters big, calloused hands appeared in front of Jons burning face and stuffed a plaided handkerchief in between his fingers that were now shaking visibly. Jon could hear the smile in the other mans deep voice clear enough to imagine his thin lips part behind the coarse, reddish-brown beard. A gentle smile that would crinkle the corners of verdant eyes crowned by those ridiculously long, coppery lashes. One that always manged to warm him up far more than the brightest morning sun. Dammit. "Thank you..." Jon said and this time his voice was muffled by the comfortingly soft fabric and chased away by a long, crackling blow.

#My fic #my OC #Jon #Hunter #sneeze #illness #mess

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toneelspeelster · 4 years

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een klein leven/a little life theatre play review

someone asked me for a review on the a little life (een klein leven) stage play, and since i’ve seen it just today - here it is. i have a feeling it’s gonna be long.

now, one thing you have to know is that i think a little life is supremely difficult to translate into any medium. it’s very much a stream-of-consciousness experience, with flashbacks back and forth and imagery that i think wouldn’t at least work at all in a television or film adaptation. i think the best way of adapting it is theatre and this play did confirm that thought. it’s very close to the book language wise, and although i read it in english - i recognised literal passages in dutch. they translated long passages detailing each character’s background in long monologues and didn’t make it too difficult; it was all rather minimalistic. this play felt like reading the book. i think theatre is the only medium that explores the idea of “tell a lot, and show” a lot, whereas television benefits from “show, not tell” more. that said, i do think it’s kind of necessary to have some knowledge of the novel when watching this play. the flashbacks back and forth and still included, so when we think we’re done with brother luke after caleb, he still reappears.

now, the play is set in the middle of a huge auditorium with tribunes on either side. what i found most striking of it is that they didn’t really change a lot of the sets, rather, everyone’s place was clearly there through the entire play. to the left were jb’s studio with his paintings (actual paintings! kinda ugly tho), malcolm with his miniatures (he was building them throughout the play), to the right were andy’s treatment room and harold’s kitchen (harold made actual dishes throughout the play that he distributed amongst the audience); in the middle, in the picture you can see willem’s space: a chair with a telephone and scripts (the actual script of the play was there! the actor was marking andy’s lines, lol) and lastly, most poignantly, since all of the characters had their space which made them happy.. there was jude’s: a lone faucet in the middle of the stage, surrounded by a red floor.

now for the characters: there were rather little changes (you only got to know willem had a deceased brother at the very end, all of the wives and girlfriends were cut) but the most important i think are:

- jude is portrayed as way more angry and sarcastic at times than i remember him being. but then i do think that’s the consequence of bringing it to stage; the extremes need to be pronounced. he kept screaming his lungs out for brother luke and later willem not to leave him (amazing scene was when he kept screaming willem don’t leave me, but then turned around and actually interacted with willem and told him to go with a smile on his face). his sarcasm actually brought some levity too as he had quite funny reactions sometimes (even when they were heartbreaking). jude only had 1 costume change into his suit and then was in it for the rest of play, which was striking, his white shirt kept getting redder with blood (they made his cutting very visual. luckily i was close and saw he was just cutting into small blood patches but damn) and it drying up. it was a visual reminder that in essence, things didn’t change for jude; others did get costume changes to reflect the changing times. for jude the wounds were always there, bleeding to the outside, to his shirt.

- ana, his social worker, keeps reappearing as jude’s conscience sometimes. he talks to her often and she replies. she’s the voice convincing him that willem isn’t the same as the rest of the men he’s been with. she’s the voice telling him to run when dr. traylor starts his car. she’s looking out for him, even after death. she also sometimes serves as a narrator, especially when jude tells willem about his past.

- luke, caleb and traylor were all portrayed by the same actor (who is one of the best stage actors in the netherlands, mind you). he only changed little things about his outfit. i thought this was a fucking inspiring move - it only emphasises the fact that all the men hurting jude throughout his life; they are always the same kind of man. it doesn’t really matter who they are, it matters what they did.

- jb’s storyline was entirely the same as in the book (except for talking about his family) but the actor was great, especially heartbreaking when the guys try to intervene during his crystal meth addiction and he mimicks jude’s walk. terrible. malcolm, as in the book, was completely underused. andy was good, harold was sometimes a little off like the actor wasn’t having his day? but i loved his cooking and him bringing it around. they finished on his “and i try to be kind to everything i see, and in everything i see.. i see him”.

and then, the portrayal of the abuse and love jude experienced:

not going to lie, this was very visual. they made it clear from the beginning that they were going kind of for realism; the cooking, the actors were actually smoking weed on stage and drinking beers, jude actually cut himself and it had to be cleaned up every time. the actors portraying jude and luke, caleb and traylor had some intense scenes together and jude was nude multiple times (the caleb throwing him outside on the pavement scene especially was horrific). although the sexual abuse is visualised it is done so very suggestively though.

the chemistry between the four guys was great and willem (maarten heijmans) and jude (ramsey nasr, also a famous dutch poet) were as expected amazing. willem was always kind, always supportive. after a few hours of horribleness, the night of jude telling willem everything (flashback to dr. traylor happened here) ended with willem dancing for jude, trying to cheer him up (doing the worm and all) and it was so so so sweet with jude crying but cheering him on, and with willem convincing jude to dance with him a little and they just hugged and hugged. willem was very tactile. you could see jude felt very loved in that moment.

unfortunately, it came to an end when willem died. for a dialogue/monologue heavy play this was where jude stopped talking, the only one on stage just sitting in his chair. and oh my, they had willem - after delivering his final moments - come back and wash his hands and move a vase of flowers without speaking; as if jude was imagining willem still being around sometimes. heartbreaking.

as was the case in the book, the stage play ends with harold’s perspective, and the interesting idea was that harold and jude were on stage, until the moment where jude killed himself, when a huge black square thing that was hanging on the ceiling slowly moved downwards and obstructed the audience’s view. when lifted again, only jude’s wheelchair remained.

in conclusion, a 3,5 hour tour de force of theatre. i had some inklings of things i would’ve done differently (sometimes ana was a bit too much there for my liking but she was also the only woman on stage lol) but overall this was a great adaptation. knowing ita and the popularity of the play i am going to assume they will tour this adaptation internationally eventually. they are actually doing it in paris in june already. can’t imagine that being the end. if you love the book, you will love this adaptation.

tagging @poetrysocks @ivory-in-rapture @canonicallyanxious bc i know you people were interested!

#een klein leven #a little life #a little life stage adaptation #hanya yanagihara #theatre review #international theatre amsterdam

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celtics534 · 4 years

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Behind the Scenes of Fic Writing: 30 Questions for Authors

This is such a cool tag! Thanks @breaniebree

What was the first fandom and/or pairing that you wrote fic for?

Hinny, all the way! It wasn’t good, but it was Hinny.

Do you participate in any writing events or challenges throughout the year? If so, what do you like about them?

I tend to participate in them semi-often on SIYE. I find them a good way to get some creative juices flowing with a topic or subject I wouldn’t have thought about on my own.

Do you write fics from start or finish, or jump around?

I go chapter by chapter. I would confuse myself too much if I started writing chapter 5 but then headed over to chapter 12. Also, I kinda don’t plan everything that far ahead. Which I’ll explain more in the next question lol

Do you outline before you start writing? If so, how far do you stray from that outline?

I do a quick overall base of what I want to do, who the enemies are, important moments I really want to happen, but I never do a full outline. A lot of the time I will have something planned for 5 chapters in the future, but no idea how to get there. I let inspiration strike me and go from there.

What is the perfect environment for you to write in?

A hot cup of tea, music playing softly in the background, and an empty house. It’s perfect when everything is quiet except for my music and my mechanical keyboard.

If you’re really concentrating, how many words can you write in a day?

Hmmm. I’ve never tested myself but I think the most I’ve ever done is 10,000 in one day. I wrote two chapters of “Only the Best” in one day and I aimed to make every chapter in that story at least 5,000 words. So I’d guess around 10,000.

Which part of writing do you struggle with most?

Editing. I hate re-reading my work only looking for flaws. If I were to re-read my work I’d want it to be for enjoyment and nostalgia, but alas in order to find enjoyment in the writing it needs to be edited well lol.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, share a song that’s been inspiring you lately.

There is this live version of Can’t Go on Without You by KALEO that I love. Actually I’m listening to it right now. I listen to it at least once when I’m writing.

Do you prefer to write AUs, canon divergence, or canon-compliant fic?

AU”s all the way! I love taking a different world than the original and trying to fit everything into this different situation. I love Muggle AU’s the best for some reason.

Do you enjoy writing dialogue, exposition, or plot the most?

Dialogue is so much fun. Trying to come up with a witty comeback or heartwrenching final line is so intense and interesting.

If you could only write angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your life, which would it be?

I love me some fluff. Like sometimes I go out with every intention on making things angst, and then they turn int fluff lol.

Is there a trope you haven’t written yet but really want to?

I don’t think I’ve done a “forced to share a bed” fic and that could be fun

Is there a trope you wouldn’t write if it was the last trope on earth?

Does slow burn count as a trope? I just can’t handle waiting so long for my ship together lol

If you were stuck on a desert island with only two characters, which would you pick?

Ginny Weasley and Hermione. Hermione because she could get us off the island somehow, and Ginny because she and I would have a great time cracking jokes while we helped Hermione.

A Hollywood producer tells you that they want to film just one of your fics. Which fic would you want it to be?

Hmmm. I think I would dig a film of Doom Days or Covert Love. Both have everything needed for a movie. Action, romance, and twists you don’t see coming lol.

What is your most underrated fic?

I wouldn’t say I have any underrated fics because they always are so much better received than I ever intend… that being said, I would love if more people read Doom Days

What fic are you most proud of?

This goes back to the last question. I spent so long planning and plotting Doom Days and I am extremely happy with the way it’s come out.

What is a line/scene you’re really proud of? Give us the DVD commentary for that scene.

Well because I don’t want to give to much away I’ll show off this once part.

His lips curled with forced levity.

I love the word levity and I really wanted to use it and then I thought about how when I’m making a bad joke in a bad moment I always smile to make people understand how I truly feel. Such a simple sentence brought me so much pride.

Who is the easiest/hardest character for you to write about? Why?

I find that I struggle with Hermione. She’s so much more… straight edge than I tend to focus on, so I have a hard time adding her into stories because I’m afraid I won’t do her justice.

What’s your favorite minor character you’ve written?

Right now it’s Prue from Covert Love. She is my own created character and I’ve had so much fun crafting this backstory that revolves around.... Things I wouldn’t talk about here ;)

What is the one fic that got away?

It hasn’t gotten away yet! I can still write it…. But when I was on a volcano in Spain I saw an adorable meet-cute and I really wanna make it a Hinny meet-cute. I just need to dedicate time… which I never seem to have lol

Have you cried while writing a fic?

Ummm…. I don’t think there have ever been tears but I was hit hard while writing the argument between Harry and Ginny in Covert Love.

If you had to remix one of your own fics, which would it be and how would you remix it?

Hmmm. I think I would have to say Only the Best because I would have liked to add more hints towards who was the culprit. I don’t think I put out enough clues so the reader could have had a chance to figure it out on their own.

How did you come up with title for Covert Love?

I knew I was going to be focusing a lot on the undercover element in this story but the love aspect was also going to be huge so I looked up words that meant undercover and really liked Covert. And it’s also a play on words because Harry and Ginny need to keep their love covert from everyone so Harry doesn’t get in trouble ;)

Which idea came to you first in Covert Love?

It was literally just the general idea of Harry being undercover and falling in love with Ginny. The idea to have her be under his protection started to form as I explored ways for them to meet. And when I decided to have him be unable to tell her about his job… I knew I had something I would love creating and working on. I knew I would have drama and so many intense moments I would be so proud of the story, which is always my goal.

Which part of Covert Love was the hardest to write?

The moment where Harry and Ginny fight because he didn’t tell her about his job. I knew the discovery scene was going to be vital and it always hurts to write Ginny and Harry fighting. So it felt like a lot of pressure and I think overall it came out really well!

If you were ever to do a sequel to Covert Love, what do you think might happen in it?

Hmmm… well I don’t have any plans on doing a sequel at this time, but that’s because I haven’t finished writing the first one yet :P

In Covert Love, what is a happy, post-fic headcanon you have about Hinny?

Harry and Ginny getting to stay together when everything is said and done… maybe a kid or two that love quidditch as much as their mom

A word that describes my WIP

Strive. Everyone is striving for something, even the bad guy. It all comes back to the person and their goals and how much effort they are willing to put into getting what they want/need.

Tell us an idea for a long fic you want to write in the future.

Well… I haven’t started it at all and the research will take a while, but I wanna do a Muggle AU treasure hunter fic. Harry is a treasure hunter who is out searching for a famous lost treasure. While out on an adventure, he runs into a wild red head who is somehow roped into helping Harry. They hate each other at first but fall in love with each other as the adventure goes on. Also, there is another hunter out for the glory of finding this treasure and they have to deal with that crazy bloke and his men. If you’ve played the Uncharted games you’ve seen the format and I’d love to do something with it! Let me know what you guys think!

#writing #hinny #tag

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