Tumgik
#hi i'm star and i like Catharsis
oh-no-dume · 2 years
Text
video games these days make me feel more than real life, sheesh
2 notes · View notes
ghosts-and-glory · 3 months
Note
Imma be honest, Narinder deserved purgatory more than his siblings. I'm glad you gave him the fate he deserves, and I'm excited to see what horrifying abomination had taken his place in the cult. (I desperately hope it's Nothing There from Lobotomy Corporation, but that's wishful thinking lol.)
I’m sorry bestie but I’m not the Nari anti you think I am, I just like putting my faves through the horrors™️
In writing tragedy I want moments of catharsis. Narinder is a character destroyed by his own actions and punished beyond human comprehension. I don’t have a desire to write his infinite torture, more to play with the questions the post game leaves me with. I honestly can’t help but read the stories Narinder and his siblings as one of tragedy, where they are ripped apart by their flaws and reduced to play things in the cult.
Honestly what we know about the crown bearers there’s an argument to be made that Narinder has committed the least atrocities. His ass is the only one who hasn’t done a war crime in facilitating a genocide against the lambs. We are never given in cannon what he did to get banished or how the betrayal went so I can only theorize on the severity of his past actions. The conclusion I have come to based on mostly his, ??? (Mystic seller or whatever you call it, to me it’s Kevin) and Shamura’s dialogue is that he did something to attempt to reverse the natural order of things, mostly like relating to death.
I’m gonna ramble cause I’ve been chewing at the bit waiting to be asked about my au. There’s also some art under the cut. Hehe hoho I’ll be so normal with my interests.
Going into my au, that I really really need to name, The Lamb executes Narinder after he’s defeated. Partly for revenge, for their dead family and for damning them to serve the crown, but at the same time they feel empathy for him, as a servant of death they know that to die is to rest. What The Lamb did not forsee was that killing Narinder would damn him to purgatory just as it did his siblings.
I have a early concepts of, who I’ve affectionately dubbed Not-Narinder, with Purged Narinder.
Tumblr media
I don’t wanna divulge too many details on my plans for the au, but Narinder does eventually end up in the cult. After two thousand years in service of the crown, another thousand years in chains, and then a hundred years in purgatory stripped of his senses. To some level the cult grounds are its own prison but does he not deserve a chance to carve out his own life? I will however tease a half written script and doodle of The Lamb and Narinder’s conversation after he’s freed of purgatory.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Unfortunately for me my thoughts and plans for the au go back thousands of years before the plot of the game and then another few thousand years after. It’s like the Star Wars timeline, as in its a big mess.
81 notes · View notes
bonefall · 22 days
Note
I'm thinking of writing a Grey Wing redemption/pissed off fic where Grey is the one who kills Clear Sky/Skystar (a la Scourge) after he threatens Thunder/Thunderstar and another of Grey's adopted kits.
But idk how Grey gets that pissed. Thoughts?
Idk anon I'm gonna be honest, that feels really unlike Gray Wing. I'd say to use Thunder for a plot like that, tbh, the character that canonically makes several loud and angry rejections of Clear Sky's violence.
I don't like Gray Wing but he's very well characterized, y'know? Even at his absolutely most pissed moment in-canon he can only taunt Clear Sky into killing him with his Star Line. He's verbal, not physical.
He's able to land a little hit on people here and there, but he usually requires an entire group to do damage (Tom the Wifebeater and One Eye). Overall he's really bad at fighting. Good hunter, bad fighter. Even before his asthma he was kinda pathetic; killed Fox with a lucky hit, tried to attack Clear Sky over Jagged Peak and got curbstomped
And like, on that "verbal" thing, he's incredibly nasty and catty when he's upset. Barking at Turtle Tail for having the wrong friend, smugly watching Bumble get dragged off, shouting at Thunder several times over various things, the... whatever the hell the Erins thought they were doing with Jagged Peak (i still maintain that gray was actually totally right to scream at him that One Time, fuck u jagged peak).
I feel pretty strongly that his anger is primarily vocal. He's more likely to start yelling than hitting. If it does come down to an actual death match, he's more likely to get turned into tomato paste lmaoooo
So if he ever DID kill Clear Sky, I'd suggest it be an accident or as a result of one of his plans. In addition to his lack of physical capacity, honestly? I think Gray Wing would buckle if he had to make that choice.
He'd have his claw on his throat and be unable to pull down. Might be able to start screaming, "YOU TOOK MY BROTHER FROM ME!" or make a really harsh speech, maybe even cast Vicious Mockery. But I don't think he could ever ACTUALLY do a Yellowfang, let alone a Scourge. Not even if he saw Clear personally kill someone he loves.
If he ever actually did get Clear Sky killed, he'd also, honestly, probably change immensely for the negative. OR AT LEAST needing a long time to recover and accept he had no choice. I can't imagine him being able to live with the "guilt" very well, it would weigh on him. The "gentleness" would melt away as he becomes overall quite miserable and snappish, like he usually is when he's not happy.
(Could be very interesting to give someone else the kill after Gray can't bring himself to do it. Like Thunder jumped in to save his life, but it causes their relationship to fall apart completely.)
Overall I'd treat the premise as more of a "tragedy" than a "catharsis." Not based in anger, but immense pain and frustration.
64 notes · View notes
bonebabbles · 3 months
Text
Chapter 12: the thunderclannining
GOD I love when people call Clear Sky out. It only ever lasts like 5 minutes but it is as euphoric as the brief, blissful taste of a chocolate-covered raspberry gracing your tastebuds.
Tumblr media
"How could you believe that I'm obsessed with being right after all the times I chose not to murder you :( ????"
Tumblr media
"I let you eat food in land that you used to just be able to walk into, even though you're disabled! I thought you were eternally grateful :(((( IM LOSING CONTROL!!"
Tumblr media
"YOU'RE ABANDONING US BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU DESERVE RESPECT????????"
He feels like the world's worst boss and crappiest father rolled into one monstrous fusion.
There's just one problem with all this catharsis; Thunder is still whining about Star Flower, insisting that she's going to betray Clear Sky. It's frustrating because he is wrong.
Tumblr media
Star Flower is a lot closer to another victim of Clear Sky than a manipulator, but the narrative will not ultimately conclude this.
But at NO point does it show her actually manipulating anyone. Not even Thunder. NO she did not "manipulate" and betray him. I am once again reminding everyone that Thunder offered all that information apropos of nothing, against all warnings.
Yet, "betraying" the Clan cats by warning her father of an ambush is so unforgivable that several cats agree she should be chased out of the forest.
All this emphasis on how hurt Thunder is shows that his judgement is clouded by jealousy.
All this Star Flower whinging takes away from Clear Sky being abusive. THAT should be the major issue here. This is an entire book of Clear Sky returning to the same kind of emotional abuse he was displaying back in Thunder Rising, only without murder, and what this LONG AWAITED confrontation ends up spiraling back to is the Father/Son Love Triangle
You can't even get catharsis without some incredibly weird, unpleasant bullshit dripping into it.
Tumblr media
Im glad that Thunder has finally come to the point where he's rejecting the dumbass statement he made when they killed One Eye together, where he was gushing about, "We're not like One Eye and never have been <3" Yes. Clear Sky IS like One Eye-- a weaker version of him, someone who got out-dictator'd and needed to call in the OTHER cats to ambush him and win his group back.
but again this is meant to be his jealousy speaking. Not straight facts. He JUST had a confrontation with Star Flower about her daddy issues and he's saying that Clear Sky fits them.
Tumblr media
CRY ABOUT IT!!!! GET BOOHOO'D LOSER! CRY ME A RIVER AND DROWN IN IT
"I always end up alone waaaaaah!!!" fucking when in your life have you ended up alone? Someone was ALWAYS behind you to hand you a binkie and a safety blanket. When you didn't have a massive group of violent rogues to back you up, the moor cats always took your sorry ass in and clapped at you for doing the bare fucking minimum. People always nonsensically stood by you because the plot demands it, after you get them and dozens of their friends injured and killed
Here comes the binkie and the safety blanket, btw
Tumblr media
In a good series this would have been her intentionally manipulating him, bringing out his worst traits again, encouraging him to be the worst version of himself as he once again ignores all good advice.
But Star Flower never did anything wrong. She never DOES anything at all. She's JUST Clear Sky's controversial wife that Thunder has to "get over himself" about, an item to cause conflict, a mate extra supportive of him because he "deserves" to have someone by his side unlike all the other times where people were by his side.
Tumblr media
The pack of 3 dogs that mauled you to death wasn't enough. I wish they had guns
47 notes · View notes
ifortom · 5 months
Text
Bad Decisions - T.H. (1)
Tumblr media
frat!Tom x Reader - Fake dating AU
Summary: Tom and Y/N, two students with opposite personalities, join forces to solve a problem: they both desperately need a fake relationship to escape different social pressures.
MASTERLIST
W/C: +3K
DAY 0
There is an unknown saying that says that every choice is a loss and that good choices will also hurt. Some may say that the best choices are those that are made calmly and cautiously. Choices made on impulse are the most worrying. Taking a risk without thinking about the consequences and not being sure you can deal with them is dangerous.
But perhaps, thinking too much about a decision to be made is not a good option. Sometimes we need to take risks and be willing to face whatever comes our way. Regardless of the need.
That's why you find yourself on an endless tightrope with only two alternatives: keep walking trying to keep your balance without seeing the end or throw yourself towards whatever can hold you before you hit the ground. That whatever being a brown haired boy with stars in his eyes who you call your friend.
‘’Friend” may even be too strong a word for what defines your relationship with the famous Tom Holland, one of the players on the college football team. Known for his charm and great performance on the field, intelligent, friendly and attentive, these are just some of the qualities that define the boy.
What started as just a pair project on social psychology has become a constant in your life. You and Tom worked hard during class and received a high grade due to your research performance and dedication. But what surprised you was Tom's insistence on staying in contact with you.
No stereotypes but truth be told, you would never have exchanged a single word if it weren't for this project. Despite having already crossed each other's path at times, nothing ever went beyond that.
Today, Tom is curled up on the sofa in your living room with a book in his hands, while you are sitting on the floor with a notebook open on the coffee table. Study dates happen frequently between the two of you. Despite his fame, Tom is very focused on his studies and is months away from graduating in psychology, just like you.
"Can we take that break you promised?" He says without looking up from the book but without reading a single word.
"It's been exactly 20 minutes since we started.'' You said.
"Isn't there a study method like this? You study for a few minutes and take a break?"
"I don't think that's how it works, Tommy" You giggled.
"I'm bored" He says, closing the book and throwing it on the table in front of him.
"Studying isn't supposed to be boring. If it is for you, it means you're not learning anything."
"Seriously Y/N, you can't tell me that studying about catharsis and free association is fun" He looked at you in disbelief.
"Tom, this is literally part of the course curriculum... you should have known this when you signed up."
He huffed and lay down on the couch, looking at the ceiling of your living room.
You even tried to turn your attention to the content in front of you but every 30 seconds he would snort, clearly seeking your attention.
"Alright, you win!" You said, letting go of the pen that was in your hand and turning towards the boy lying comfortably on your sofa. "If my grades drop, it's your fault, and don't complain about yours later." He grinned standing up and sitting down.
"As if there's any chance your grades will drop, smartiepants” You rolled your eyes, sitting on the couch next to him. "I'm hungry. What do you say we order something to eat?"
Just as you thought about agreeing, his cell phone went off. He picked it up off the table and you noticed that it was a video call from Brian, one of the other players on the team.
Tom quickly looked at you who just shrugged. He got up answering the call.
"Where are you, bro?" The muffled sound came from the other end of the line.
"What is happening?" Tom asked while watching his friend, clearly out of control of his cell phone, focusing the camera on everything but himself.
"Bro, the party at Taylor's house, did you forget? Everyone's here. She said she invited you and she seems disappointed that you're not here yet. Where are you?” Tom rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm at Y/N's house." He replied.
"Dude, again? You better be seizing the opportunity and using it to your advantage." Shaking his head, Tom walked to the open balcony door and closed it behind him, making it impossible for you to hear the rest of the conversation.
Even though you know him better now, you also know Tom's reputation around campus. You know that he has been involved with many girls and that he has already broken the hearts of most of them who always expected more from him than he was willing to give.
You also know that most of the kids on the team only think with their other head and not the one above their necks. You know people talk about your friendship with Tom. Everyone thinks you're fucking in secret.
But Tom never took any initiative in this regard. Nor did he show any interest in you in that way, despite the intimacy you very quickly created with each other. There have been a few nights where you shared a bed and even cuddled on the couch while watching a movie. Not to mention the dates you had together but were never named that way.
So everything was always platonic. Two people who understand each other and feel comfortable with each other to share the most intimate moments.
Even though this all happened in just 6 months.
Getting up, you started putting away your study materials, waiting for Tom to say he was going to that party. Surely you lost all desire to study and your only objective from that moment on was to lie in your bed until daylight.
Maybe you could even ask for something to eat and drown your sorrows.
Not 5 minutes had passed and you heard the sliding door to the balcony opening again.
"Hey, did you give up studying?" Tom said looking at the now clean table. His belongings were also already inside the backpack he brought and no longer scattered on the floor.
"Yeah, I thought about going to sleep, actually." Tom looked at you in surprise.
"I thought we were going to order something to eat... then we could watch a movie, that new horror movie you wanted to see just came out."
"It's called Totally Killer..."
"So... what are we waiting for? Would you really rather sleep than hide in my arms when a scene scares the hell out of you?" He said smiling and opening his arms.
"You know I never do that, and if I remember correctly you're the one who has to hide when a movie gets too scary."
"You know that's our secret, don't you?" He said sitting down on the couch.
"I thought you were going to... what's her name? Tina's party?" You said mockingly.
"Taylor, actually. And no, I'm not going there" He said and you sat down next to him.
"Can I know why?"
"You know Y/N... It's Taylor. Taylor Brown."
"Ah, the girl who won't let go of you? I thought she had given up, I haven't heard you talk about her in a while."
Taylor was one of the girls who had created too many expectations after a night with Tom. The problem is that it wasn't just one night. She was one of the only girls Tom almost had a relationship with, they hooked up several times and even hung out together all the time. But just 2 months after meeting you it seems they broke up, with the story that he wasn't ready for a relationship. And since then, Taylor has been looking for any opportunity to be close to Tom.
"She invited me and insisted that I go to the party today. I just spoke to her on the phone..." He sighed, running a hand through his curls. "I don't know what to do anymore Y/N... I made it clear to her that I don't want anything serious but she keeps pushing me."
"Do you want my honest opinion or do you want me to agree with whatever you say?"
"Be honest"
"First of all," You settled down on the couch, facing him, "you shouldn't have hooked up with her at Brian's party two weeks ago. You just fueled the fire even more."
"I was drunk, we kissed. And nothing more than that happened, you know that."
"Yes, I was there helping you when you got sick."
He laid his head back on the couch and closed his eyes.
"I just wanted to take a break from this. I didn't mean to. I don't want to give her hope. I have so many things to think about and a complicated relationship isn't one of them."
Tom is a person completely responsible for his actions. He was raised like this since he was a child. Despite loving football, he knows the importance of his studies and always seeks to improve himself more and more. He still doesn't know what career he wants to follow, as his talent for football was only discovered in his first year of college, but you're sure that whatever side he chooses will be a success. He knows he gets distracted easily and doesn't want to put anything in front of his main goal right now: graduating.
"If relationships weren't something so complicated, who knows..."
"I don't think relationships are complicated... people are." You sighed, moving closer to him and placing your head on his shoulder. "Relationships should be calm and welcoming. Of course, there is no relationship without problems and that's okay. But we are the problem... we are the ones who complicate things.” Tom gently took your hand that was in your lap and intertwined your fingers.
"Sometimes we overthink things. Relationships should be light. Not a weight we have to carry on our shoulders."
"I'm sorry" he said in a whisper as he stroked the back of your hand with his thumb.
Tom knows your story. He knows about the relationship you had that lasted 4 years and you swore it was that once in a lifetime thing. He even met the boy who broke your heart into thousands of pieces and left you to glue them back together alone. He didn't know you at the time, he only found out that your ex-boyfriend was his rival from another university a few months after you met and after he commented on the asshole who almost broke his leg during a match.
You and Sean met two months after classes started at a friendly match between the two universities. He accidentally slipped in front of you while running towards the field and you laughed at him. He flirted with you and promised he would take you out for coffee if he won the game.
His team lost but he kept his word.
It's hard to say when the flame between you went out. And this is something you don't try to think about often. Something inside you changed when Sean decided to leave your life. Maybe the broken pieces of your heart were still lying around, waiting to be fixed.
"It's okay... You don't have to feel about it."
"If I could, I would finish him off."
"Oh, how manly. My savior."
You laughed but soon the laughter was replaced by the silence of the apartment. The two of you continued to sit next to each other maintaining physical contact, Tom held your hand firmly and showed no signs of letting go anytime soon.
That was a constant between you. Even the silence was pleasant. Just each other's breath and presence was enough.
"My sister will be getting married in 2 months." You said.
"Woah, already? That's good isn't it?"
"It seems so." You sighed. "I don't wanna go."
"Why?"
"The last time I was home they wouldn't stop asking me about Sean... even after 5 months since we broke up."
Your family loved Sean. Just like you, at one point they were just waiting for you to announce your engagement.
"Do you need support?" He asked.
"I can't ask that of you"
"If you need me to go as your date it won't be a problem, you don't have to deal with this alone."
"Maybe I'll find a boyfriend in two months. Maybe they'll stop asking me about my ex if I show them I've moved on." You joked.
Silence returned and the two of you remained in the same position. As you closed your eyes, enjoying the calm of the moment, Tom's head was spinning with different thoughts.
That's when he found the solution.
“Y/N, would you like to be my girlfriend?”
"What?" You said scared, raising your head and looking at Tom's profile. "Are you crazy?" You said laughing.
"I meant... my fake girlfriend." He stared at you.
"Tom, you've got to be kidding."
"I'm serious. Think with me, okay?" He said looking at you seriously, which made the smile fall from your face. "You need to introduce someone to your family to forget about your damn ex. And I need to take a break from Taylor and show her that I'm not available."
"Tom... I don't... I don't think that's a good idea." You said, looking at everything around you except his eyes.
"Look, I'm not going to force you into anything... it was just a thought I had given of our situations." He said, settling back down on the couch.
You felt the air in the room change and Tom seemed shy and embarrassed by what he had just proposed.
"Tommy, this could end badly. I don't want things to get complicated between us."
"You know you don't need to, nothing has ever been like that with us. But it's okay, forget what I said. It was stupid, I don't know what I was thinking." He said, running his hand over his face.
Tom had already let go of your hand a while ago and suddenly you felt the extreme need to hold his again. But something changed and it was strange. He had just proposed a romantic relationship between the two of you. What would that involve? Kisses, hugs, dates... sex?
"Still hungry? Shall we order something?" You said trying to get back into the mood.
Tom got up quickly.
"Actually, I think I'll go. You said you wanted to sleep, so..."
Surprised by his decision, you stood up as you watched him put his backpack on his back.
"Ah, okay. So, can we watch the movie another day maybe?" You said awkwardly.
"Yeah, another day" He replied in the same tone.
Normally, he would hug you when saying goodbye but this time he just shook his head and walked towards the front door. He also left without looking back.
What just happened?
After Tom left you didn't do much. The hunger you felt completely disappeared too. You took a shower with the intention of relaxing your tense shoulders and then lay down on your bed.
Despite your attempts, nothing could put you into a deep sleep. Millions of thoughts were running through your head at the wrong time. How did Tom think of something like that? Does he feel comfortable with you on that level? Wouldn't that be weird? What could happen to your friendship? What is the limit of a fake relationship?
At some point during the night you decided to use your cell phone and browse social media.
Big mistake.
Angela, a colleague from a previous curricular subject had posted a series of photos and videos a few hours ago. The first photo was nothing more than a selfie in the bathroom mirror with another unknown girl. The following photos already included the place and people present at the party. In any other situation, you wouldn't care much about a specific photo, but due to the events of hours ago you felt heat rush to your face when you saw a photo of Tom with his arms around Taylor.
In fact, one of his arms was resting on her shoulders, while the other was on the shoulders of his best friend Harrison. Seemed friendly, just posing for the photo. But knowing their history, it's suspicious. So he went to the party after being rejected? Does what you did count as one?
At that moment you felt something changing inside you. Would it be a bad idea? Despite the short time, Tom has become a constant in your life and you know that he knows you like no one else. Still with your head racing, you left your cell phone aside and reflected a little more before sleep completely invaded you.
...
Due to the time you spent rolling around in bed before going to sleep, the extra 5 minutes before getting up became almost 30. You barely missed the first class of the day, and despite the teacher's ugly face when he saw you enter 15 minutes after hours, it was very useful. Lily, a friend, was already saving your spot.
"What took you so long?" She whispered.
"I'll tell you later." You replied smiling slightly.
The truth is that only one thing was on your mind this morning: finding Tom.
The class distracted you for long enough and when the teacher dismissed the class, you were one of the first to leave the room. Lily didn't even have time to ask you anything else.
You made your way through the halls to the courtyard, heading to the football field at the back of the campus knowing you would find your target there.
He was sitting in one of the lower stands. The sun made the sweat dripping off him shine, he had probably already ran around the field a little. The slightly tight uniform left little to the imagination. Some boys from the team were on the field chasing the ball, while others surrounded Tom.
You walked up to him, holding tight to the strap of your bag, suddenly not feeling as confident as before. When you were a few meters away, Tyler, one of the boys spotted you and tapped Tom on the shoulder getting his attention before pointing to where you were.
Tom looked confused but he got up and ran to you.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" He asked.
"Uh, I... I came to see you." You replied embarrassed. What was happening?
"Really?" He said with a playful tone. "I didn't know I was so dear to you" He joked.
"Yesterday you left very quickly and I..."
"I know, I'm sorry about that Y/N. Can we just forget it happened? Forget anything I said?" He cut you off and ran his hand through his hair looking embarrassed.
"Tommy..."
"Look, I need to keep training, the coach might complain and I don't want to get you in trouble." He interrupted you again. "Ah, I think I'm going to have lunch with the boys today, is that ok? We can arrange another day." He was already turning around before he even finished the sentence and fear spread throughout your body.
Was he suddenly avoiding you? Has he felt so embarrassed that the only option he has now is to push you away?
On impulse, you grabbed his hand before he moved further away from you. He turned around and you looked at him.
"I'll do it." You stated.
Tumblr media
A/N: And so it begings! I'm really excited and I hope you like it. Don't forget to tell me what you think, feedback is important!
Tagging: @feelinglikeineedlotsofnaps @un06 @lnmp89 @hoodharlow @let-me-luve-you @erule @smoofine @smile2345 @itsdoni @helen-on-earth @hollands-underoos
103 notes · View notes
see-arcane · 21 days
Note
"a century and a half of him being a cowardly weakling who sometimes cheats" - about Jonathan Harker in one of previous asks I'm sorry, but that's not even true. Jonathan wasn't always some cowardly weakling in media. He wasn't a cowardly weakling in 1970 Count Dracula adaptation or in 1977 BBC adaptation or in that Czechoslovakian 1971  adaptation or in 1953 Turkish one - he was brave and badass in those. And even if you don't like 1992 version, Jonathan was not weakling there either - he was brave, he was badass chasing Dracula across snowy Transylvania with others and even cut his throat, mortally wounding him. It's an exaggeration to claim Jonathan has always been a cowardly weaking in media.
I don't know what specific ask you're referring to and I don't like my odds of sifting through the pile to find the exact quote, but it's a sentiment that's appeared in a few of my rambles before, so I'll take your word that it's floating around somewhere.
First, thank you for bringing up four whole Dracula adaptations where Jonathan Harker is done some justice that have never crossed my radar. The 1970 version has Christopher Lee himself as the Count, so it seems like a promising watch on principle, and I think I vaguely recall the 1977 BBC being mentioned as a hidden gem adaptation that actually brushed closer to the book's canon. The Czechoslovakian and Turkish versions I will trust you on, as my media saturation is drowning in 'murrican schlock. I will even give the 1992 Jonathan credit for letting Keanu have a fraction of Jonathan's character in Coppola's laughably named 1992 fanfiction.
But the thing is, those are five movies. Five whole movies you could point to in a very very very long list of Dracula media. Five where Jonathan is allowed to possess one sliver of his canonical self's character, courage, strength, and ability. I will say the line you picked is one to be rightfully upset about, if only because it isn't right to be angry over 'a century and a half of him being a cowardly weakling.' Fear is part of Jonathan's character.
Jonathan Harker was terrified for his entire stay with the Count. That is in canon. Then he escapes, goes through his magical girl transformation in reaction to Mina being attacked, and winds up beheading the Count. Him starting out afraid is key to his character arc and the catharsis of the climax.
An arc that is--and I will bet money on this--almost entirely gutted even in the four adaptations I wasn't aware of. I know it for a fact in the 1992 film. Keanu was given the same acting directions and script in the movie as you'd give a slice of dry toast or a broom.
Because, as has been the case in far more movies, shows and books with Dracula as a starring role, Jonathan Harker may not necessarily become a coward, but he is always, always gutted. Dracula becomes the dark seducer, now with Coppola's rendition becoming the norm ala 'blaspheming for love,' courtesy of stealing Jonathan's driving passion in the third act. Van Helsing becomes Dracula's badass personal nemesis, courtesy of robbing Jonathan and Mina of that co-owned role.
Yes, Jonathan is sometimes remembered, but it's a coin toss as to whether he gets to A) Participate in the narrative beyond filling screen space, B) Be interesting, C) Be faithful (and not a cookie cutter Victorian Man (c) cliche to poor Mina who needs a REAL VAMPIRE MAN, D) Have any of his importance as one half of the protagonist team with Mina acknowledged without handing everything to Van Helsing. You can only ever have one. If you're lucky.
When people think of the Dracula media of today, or last decade, or the decade before that, and before that, who besides people who have actually read the book would think Jonathan Harker matters as a character? As the guy who opens and closes the story? As the guy who spent two months in captivity with Dracula, as the only person to have actual dialogue with him beyond a single villain rant? As the guy who did not just scratch Dracula's throat, but actively sent him running for his unlife in Piccadilly and ultimately chopped his head off?
The most he's gotten in recent years are the scraps that Moffat tossed him in his latest self insert OCified take on Dracula in his 2020 series, if we ignore the massive middle finger of a send off he gets in the first episode. Or we could look at the 2013 series' lovely depiction of Jonathan (now a jealous prick) and Lucy (an unfulfilled lesbian) having angry-cheating sex about Mina not being into them. Or 2022's The Invitation, featuring Count Ken Doll and his helpers, the elderly Harkers who are also his minions who attack and offer up an innocent girl to his Bride-cult. Or the 1999-2007 comic series of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan 'lol Jonathan Harker is a milksop' Moore, who wrote Mina has his own personal SA fetish stand-in while Jonathan is mercifully off-screen, having ditched Mina because he thought her vampire bite scars were ugly. Or we could give Anno Dracula a read and see Kim Newman's special warm welcome and farewell to the Harkers within the first few pages.
Or we could go back to the beginning. All the way to Tod Browning and F.W. Murnau.
Browning's Dracula of 1931 is, like Coppola's 1992 flick, one of, if not the most immediately recognized version of Dracula there is in cinema. Its climax features Jonathan Harker prancing around a crypt looking for Mina while Van Helsing stakes the Count. (I am being literal. The man is practically skipping. I know, I know, film acting wasn't at its peak back then, but come on.)
Murnau and the very definitely for sure not Dracula with its serial numbers filed off 1922 film, Nosferatu, has Orlok being appropriately menacing and weird at the Jonathan Harker stand-in of 'Thomas Hutter,' who is theatrically terrified--but at least one half of an earnestly loving couple with Mina Ellen Hutter!--and then gets sent away by Ellen on a ruse so she can die tricking Orlok into his death by sunrise.
Jonathan Harker mincing uselessly around while Van Helsing gets the work done.
Jonathan Harker quailing and afraid, contributing nothing to the Count's (or doppelganger thereof) destruction.
Jonathan Harker, however effete or earnest or able, loses the girl to the dark dramatic seducer.
This was the foundation people were given for this character well before anyone bothered to pick up the book. And much of that audience didn't bother. Same for the generations to follow. There's a reason the Dracula Daily wave has surprised, enthralled, and enraged so many new readers who thought that 126+ years of multiple mediums had to be working from some bedrock of comparison in the book, only to find how much had been erased or warped out of recognition.
I would be here all day if I threw myself into all the comic book adaptations. All the spinoff novels. The entire filmography and its neighboring heap of TV series. Even I'm not dedicated enough to comb through every single page and scene just to be reminded of how routinely snubbed or bastardized this character--and, honestly, the whole cast--is as time marches on and the writers and directors behind new Dracula media become increasingly detached from the actual content of the novel, relying only on pop culture osmosis and Wiki pages for Coppola's movie.
Anyway. I suppose it isn't perfectly fair to say Jonathan Harker has been portrayed as a coward through the century and a quarter of Dracula film, TV, and print in every single depiction.
But there is enough saturation in the trends of contemporary media that any crumbs the 20th century offered to him are drowned out to the point that we need a microscope to find them. And even if we're not talking contemporary?
I think it's telling that the examples you gave, bar what I can't not read as a hell of a stretch with 90's Keanu, form a list of four examples out of 126 years' worth of media.
33 notes · View notes
vespaer77 · 2 months
Note
You just did the impossible. You changed someone’s opinion online. I can see Gale now. Thank you!
Listen, I'd be the first to forgive anyone if they didn't share my feelings. Gale is the worst about filling in the gaps in his story, and I filled a lot of them by suddenly taking an interest... and then going out to the Forbidden Realms wiki pages and doing supplementary reading on Mystra and Blackstaff Academy which made me first go, "Oh." And then, "OH." And then finally, "Oh my god."
It's like the same criticism I have about Star Wars, haha =) In order to know the whole story, one has to have seen x and y shows and read z comic book. Otherwise you wouldn't know that Kylo Ren wasn't actually responsible for the destruction of Luke's temple, which is somewhat critical yet relatively hidden information.
I *hated* Gale in early access. He was my dead last least favorite character. They changed him somewhat in full release (not to mention he was infinitely hotter, lol), but it wasn't until damned near the end of the game when I was like, "Wait... wait a minute." I think that's also why they did to Rolan what they did - in the same place, even. While we were completing Gale's companion quest. Rolan was the clue, the tip off. Another insufferably egotistical wizard. Suffering abuse. They laid the parallel out so plainly and I still walked right past it until Gale read the book and suddenly took a very surprisingly dark turn. And I felt so silly that it surprised me so.
And I was so disinterested in Gale at the time that I saved his companion quest for basically the last. Sort of. I think I did Gortash after him. But I got to watch all the other companions face their abuser and win. I got to help Wyll break his contract AND free his father. I got to help Shadowheart free herself from Shar and return to the open arms of Selune. I got to help Halsin fix his past mistakes and return Moonrise to its former self. I got to help Astarion face his abuser at long, long last and free himself for the first time in his own memory, along with thousands of others. And Sebastian <3 And then I even helped Karlach face her abuser and bring him to justice.
But what did Gale get to do? Where was his freedom? His catharsis? When he faced his abuser, the only thing that happened was her expressing her disappointment that he was still alive, that he didn't choose her above his own self-inflicted demise. And then she subjected him to yet another new pact that still indebted him to her. Because he's a wizard. No matter what he does, as long as he draws breath and casts spells, he'll always be indebted to her. And it just felt so... hollow. Unfair.
it made me FEEEEEEELLLLLLugh things haha! And then I was like, fuck. No, I do. I like this character.
OKAY I LOVE HIM, ALRIGHT? THERE. I SAID IT.
So I unbelievably and totally and with full chest and face understand and respect it. Not every character is going to be to everyone's tastes. If anything? It just proves how well these characters are written. That this team of writers were capable of such subtlety and depth. I'm not sure I could do the same justice to a fictional creation of my own. I'm just in awe of Larian Studios =)
41 notes · View notes
vickyvicarious · 1 year
Note
why are you people hyping up jonathan harker he was fucking useless LMAOOOOOOO
just on the background while the doctors always did actual work and had insight and schemes and godalming and morris used their $$$
meanwhile he just fell on his knees crying I DEFY YOU STARS OH MY DOOMED LOVE
Oh, anon. I know I probably should just ignore you. However, I first of all find this ask very funny, and secondly you are giving me a golden opportunity to brag about my boy, here. I'm definitely gonna take it.
Behold - an incomplete list of things Jonathan Harker has done:
survived for months alone in Dracula's castle, maintaining a delicate balance of not rocking the boat too far and getting killed, but never giving up fully/seizing every chance to try and learn more or find a way out (letters, wall-climbing, etc.)
the only person to harm Dracula (shovel scar) and live (the only others were Renfield and Quincey, both of whom died the same day). the only person to hit him more than once (shovel, cut his coat open, sliced off his head). one of the two people who killed him (sliced off his head if you missed that one)
escaped by climbing down a castle wall and fleeing on foot through mountains full of wolves, without any warm clothes
was the person to recognize Dracula in London, and to direct the group to Carfax
did literally all of the footwork required to track down Dracula's boxes. began this task on his own without being given direction, and was well underway on it before even linking up with the others. (insight!)
bribery! lots of bribery! using his own inherited money at least part of the time ($$$!)
also, lied to/tricked various sources that he was either still Dracula's attorney, or utilized Arthur's status, to get information (schemes!)
suggested to a surprised Seward that Renfield may be reacting to Dracula and is "a sort of index to the coming and going of the Count." (insight!)
was van helsing's biggest primary source confirming what his research said about vampires, as seen in big speech day when he told everyone 'vampires do this (as seen in Jonathan's diary)' like five separate times
was the first to move to attack Dracula on October 3 (at his house not the asylum), galvanizing everyone else into action
um, kinda a big thing that he never considered his love doomed? like. yeah. willing to go to hell/become a vampire himself to stay with Mina. willing to doom everyone else for his love if necessary but never to give up on that. fell on his knees (I'll grant you) immediately... to comfort Mina when she felt unclean. set aside his immediate impulse towards revenge in order to comfort her first.
but also. very much willing to act to prevent such an outcome? urged everyone else to get on the move so he could go kill Dracula for everything he'd done?
nonetheless, didn't put his personal catharsis/revenge above the goal. was willing to take a backseat for the sake of success in the initial plan and just play guard rather than insisting on being the one to stake/behead him.
...honorable mention again for beheading him anyway in the end. Jonathan literally killed Dracula, bud. (fucking useful!)
I love all the main characters, and am not interested in devaluing anyone's contributions. The doctors are very smart (among other things) and important. Arthur and Quincey are very rich (among other things) and important. Mina, who you failed to mention, is extremely clever (among other things) and important as well. Jonathan, surprise surprise... is also all of those things!
And I love him. He's been my favorite character since my first time reading this book long ago. I (don't actually) regret to inform you that Dracula Daily has only increased that love, as well as vindicated it by seeing many other people agree that he's a great character really screwed over by adaptations, and thus even if I were generally inclined to feel upset about these kinds of messages, this'd still miss the mark. Rather, I thank you for the opportunity to reflect on some of the many ways Jonathan was an integral part of this vampire-hunting team.
284 notes · View notes
midnight-in-town · 10 months
Note
Do you think Sebastian is going to end up getting into a serious fight with the bizarre doll "butler" that killed Agni? Agni was perportedly Sebastian's physical match in battle, so if Seb had to go up against stabby mckniferson I think he could still be at an impasse even if the blades don't do any lasting damage. For all we know, Undertaker could have somehow equipped this bizarre doll with weapons that could actually hurt him.
Hey Anon! Sorry for the slight delay! June is finally over.
Soooo, as it turns out, @cielsama14 and I had a recent lil discussion about when the twins confront each other in a final chess match and who their allies might be at this point.
Speaking strictly about who will fight who though, I'm not sure yet. When it comes to Agni's killer, Polaris (= Joker), as I explained here, I think it's possible that Agni was overwhelmed because Polaris has metal/steel/robotic arms.
Tumblr media
Another possibility is, seeing Layla in the previous mini arc, that the current BD star lords somehow had their strength enhanced (which would not be a first in the story, considering characters like Finny, Ran-Mao and also maybe those kids at the orphanage).
Either way, I agree that Agni being overwhelmed was really surprising back then, which is why we all were very moved when he died, because he indeed stood his ground rather incredibly against a demon like Seb. So depending on what the answer is, behind the strength of Polaris, I'd say the one(s) who will take Polaris down can be different characters.
I understand that, since they had a peculiar link (as meaningful as can be when Seb sees humans as grasshoppers), fans would want to see Seb destroying Polaris...
Tumblr media Tumblr media
...However, in the final part of the chess game, Seb might be busy fighting against Shinigami deserters (like UT or others).
If Seb's out, then Finny's strength might come in handy against Polaris, especially since all servants liked Agni very much. Just like Snake, whom I think will choose the Phantomhive household over his old comrades of the circus, will probably join the fight against Joker (if that's who Polaris indeed is) because he'll need catharsis.
Lastly, there's Soma, who also knows how to fight and who initially rescued Agni to have a sparring partner, who would most likely want to avenge Agni if faced with his killer. However, Polaris acted on real!Ciel's orders and, since Soma wanted to become our!Ciel's Agni, I'd rather see him playing a more significant role in the our!Ciel vs real!Ciel confrontation.
Tumblr media
TL;DR for now my bet is more on the Phantomhive servants fighting Polaris together, in order to avenge Agni's death but also to help Snake move on about his previous comrades (if Polaris is Joker), but I could be wrong ! :)
I hope this answered your question? Have a nice day. :D
62 notes · View notes
bitwynn · 1 year
Text
Playlist Clips
These are just short snippets inbetween the main fics and action, like those 4komas in mangas. Although the entire Playlist series is literally just (mostly) snippets inbetween the main action of running for your life away from the "fire nation". Also, yes its not lost on me that the entire thing is VERY similar to ATLA because, while they are running for their lives, a lot of the eps are very chill lol
Blue for Barbara, Yellow/Gold for Zhongli, Green for Wanderer, red for Diluc, Italics is Reader/General, Combined is Everyone. Colors only used for singing parts.
---
"No, no, no-- you don't just move your hand down, you're drawing a heart! Like-- half of one. Here, like this."
Barbara takes a step back, as you demonstrate. You hum as you dance, getting to the mentioned dance move.
"...I wanna know, know, know, know,"
"What is love!"
And with a swish of your hand, Barbara nods in understanding. "See? Just like that." After a moment of silence, she nods to herself.
"What if I do a little something like this?"
She does the move, drawing a half heart in the heart. But as she does so, hydro energy trails after her finger and actually drawing the heart in the air.
"Oh my god Barbara, that's actually perfect!"
She giggles as she waves away the energy into a mist of twinkling stars. "Its all thanks to you, really. I couldn't have become such a wonderful idol and Vision holder without you!"
"Awh, you're too sweet Barbs."
You could almost see the sweat drop form as she says these next words. "Although, I'd preferably become a better idol without the threat of death everywhere we go." "Gomen."
---
You were hauled over Diluc’s shoulder, as you two were running from the Treasure Hoarders you encountered while picking fruits. Wanderer was providing cover as Diluc ran, dark slashes of wind trailing down on the enemy.
But, you really needed these Hoarders off your tail and running while Wanderer wildly blasts air at them won't really do much. Diluc knows this as well, as he tightens his grip on you and puts on his game face.
"Hold on."
And as you scramble to find a good grip, Diluc skids to a stop-- practically drifting as he turns to face them. They couldn't know what was coming for them as Diluc suddenly showers them in a rain of throwing knives. All that was left to do was for Wanderer to finish them off. With a great leap, he jumps onto a tree and starts running on errant branches to reach camp.
Diluc sighs as he hears you start to giggle in his ear. "What is it this time?"
"Na na na na na na na, naaa na na na na na na, BATMAN!"
He sighs again, a smile forming on his face. No matter how much he denies it, he can see the comparison.
---
"Augh, Archons! Even babies can speak better Inazuman than you!" Wanderer was fuming as you sat with him near the fire. "The i in 'sekai' is silent, and its not pronounced like a bird caw, you imbecile!"
You wilt in your seat. "Man, I was just introducing you to a song!"
"Well, the song is in Inazuman! You think I'd just shut up here and listen to your screeching as you butcher my language?!"
Sheepish, you poke your fingers together. "Jeez, I was right to introduce you to this song..."
He raises an eyebrow. "And why is that?"
Looking away, a wry smile blooms on your face. "Because you really are the 'ichiban ohimesama'..."
"I'm going to strangle you now." "Fair."
---
He finds you in the dead of night, tears rolling down your face. He sits beside you, pressing a warm, tiny cup of tea into your hands. You curl up tighter in your balled up position, leeching off as much warmth as you can from your tea.
Zhongli's shoulder presses beside yours as he takes in a breath.
"Leaves from the vine, falling so slow,"
This pries a short laugh out of you, wet and harsh. A small, sad smile graces his lips.
"Like fragile tiny shells, drifting in the foam,"
You sniffle, wiping away some of your tears. "This'll only make me feel worse y'know?"
He hums. "I've found that... the catharsis in the reminiscing of old memories is much better than stewing in your grief." Zhongli looks down into his steaming tea. "Life must go on, even if we're without them."
You take a sip of the tea he brought you. "Do you ever stop missing them?" It's chamomile.
"No."
"Will it ever stop hurting?"
"The pain will fade."
You look at him, tears having dried on your face. "Then... I guess we'll be okay."
139 notes · View notes
roselightfairy · 4 months
Text
End of Year Fic Recs!
Recommend up to 5 series or multi-chapter fics from 2023 that everyone should read (multi-year WIPs count, if the last update was in 2023).
Recommend up to 5 single chapter fics/one-shots (long or short) from 2023 that everyone should read.
Recommend up to 5 fics NOT from 2023 that everyone should read (oldies but goodies).
Recommend up to 5 of your own fics (completed or WIP) from 2023 that everyone should read.
(Thank you, @tathrin, for the tag!)
I think the fandoms here will be kind of all over the place, because I've been in three different places this year (though one of them for the majority of it, sorry about it!). I'm also really having to go through my history - being in rapid consumption mode makes one forget things here and there! Also this turned INCREDIBLY long, so putting it under a cut.
5 series or multi-chapter fics from 2023:
all that it touches to wonder by cynassa (LOTR, Legolas/Gimli) - I've been seeing this fic around for some time and finally got into the right LOTR headspace for it yesterday and it is absolutely WONDERFUL. Politics, pining, cultural exploration, letters, gifts, public spectacle . . . mmm. The kind of fic that's so good it makes me mad.
Mine to Bear by pen_ultimate (Dungeons & Daddies, Henry/Darryl (and others) - a fic that takes the cringe of early-season Darryl and leans SO HARD INTO IT that it is sometimes painful to read but so so so worth it. A no-Forgotten-Realms AU in which Darryl's desire to understand Grant's sexuality leads him to (painfully, reluctantly) explore his own. Unstoppable force (Darryl's repressed urges) meets immovable object (his own stubborn refusal to deal with them). Also this Henry portrayal (and interpretation of his relationship with Mercedes) is amazing.
Catharsis (series) by Diotima_Philosopher (Star Wars, Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan) - This series hits a very specific urge I used to look for in Legolas/Gimli fic but never quite found, and I suppose it makes sense that I'd find it here - in a relationship that is textually (or non-textually) transgressive, a story that takes it to the absolute limit of that transgression. Sometimes you want to rationalize away the taboo elements of your pairings; sometimes you want to create a situation to avoid them entirely; other times you want to push them to the limit: the notion that the relationship in question is seen as not only odd but deviant, absolutely revoltingly taboo in its society. And then just - dive into that and explore the complexity of it, the impossible situation the characters in question face, the twisting line between right and wrong. This story does that deliciously.
if you're on a mission, you've got my permission by allowaykirk (Cody/Obi-Wan, but mostly Obi-Wan/EVERYONE) - This story had me in STITCHES. The thing that struck me in watching the movies, but also mostly the Clone Wars, was how much intense chemistry Obi-Wan has with . . . everyone? But mostly with a bunch of the antagonists? This fic takes that to its logical conclusion and says, well, what if Obi-Wan is regularly sent on missions to seduce information out of various people? For the war effort, you know. The Ventress chapter in particular had me HOWLING. (And them, too.)
By a Sleep to Say We End by @katajainen (LOTR, Legolas/Gimli) - this one became multi-chap this year, and somehow even more devastating in the second one! It's frankly unfair that katajainen has the ability to hurt me like this, but also I want her to never stop doing it. Zombie apocalypse, technically, but this one deals with much more intimate interpersonal challenges in the lead-up to it. Warning for suicidal themes, but if you are okay with reading that, this hurts so so good.
Five single-chapter fics from 2023:
offer it a soul by @willowcrowned (Star Wars, Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan) - This fic ruined me. It was one of those stories that's so upsetting yet so good you're thinking about it for days after and making an absolute mess of yourself in the comments section. There is this emptiness that just echoes throughout a story that is so full - of worldbuilding, of repressed emotion, of feeling. I was a raw nerve all the way through. It's not a happy story, but it is an incredible one.
Soon Enough - by LuvEwan (Star Wars, Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan) - This fic was one of those incredible little moments that makes perfect sense within the canon but that you don't necessarily think about happening! What about people who were related to Jedi, who lost family members they never had the chance to know? And how do you deal with being a Jedi, with someone for whom this lifestyle is well known and expected, and yet you also have people you love within the system whom you also will eventually lose? This was such a quiet little moment, breathless with discomfort and pain, and I loved it.
Look Back, My Love, Look Back At Me! by @tathrin (LOTR, Legolas/Gimli) - I'm such a sucker for myth retellings with these two, and this is an Orpheus/Eurydice imagining - with a twist! I gasped at the end. Tathrin is killing it with these two this year and I'm going to have so much to catch up on when I'm back in main LOTR headspace again.
this is what it feels like, now by @thetimesinbetween (Star Wars, Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan) - Just. The most intimate, emotional, incredibly steamy smut. With feelings! And like - one of those things that acknowledges the nature of the teacher-student relationship without pretending it isn't there, but also lets that be part of the appeal rather than a detraction. I. Um. Read it.
Snowbind the Stars by katajainen (LOTR, Legolas/Gimli, Legolas & Gimli) - Love, love, love a queer-ambiguous portrayal of these two, and katajainen's prose is such a dream, as always. The loneliness of homecoming when something you never knew you needed is missing . . . but the promise of finding it again, eventually.
Five fics NOT from 2023:
Okay, this one was hard, because again - I've had a whole fandom's worth of fic to catch up on this year! It was hard to narrow it down to just five, but I'm going with some that really stuck with me:
Desert Bloom by canis_m (Star Wars, Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan) - This fic is everything I could possibly want from a Force Ghost-roommates premise, an absolute gem of a fic that is perfect in every way. Vignettes from Obi-Wan's time in the desert and his training with Qui-Gon to release his own consciousness, in which he has to reveal some of his own feelings that have lived with him all the while. I find it incredibly in-character and plausible and such a gentle, slow unfolding and healing.
Crystallize by torch (Star Wars, Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan, a very little ship implication at the end) - This is such an atmospheric fic, quiet and slow as the remote snowy world on which it takes place. It is also a fic that fully solidified my understanding of Obi-Wan's relationship with the concept of relationships, a very married-to-duty sort of thing which precludes romance as a matter of course. This fic is just a slow meander through various aspects of Jedi life and expectations, the nature of love, and the ways that a master and padawan can learn from and with one another in the most personal ways. And yes, there's a slight turn to shippiness at the end, but only in the mind of one character and not in a way that detracts from the revelations unfolding throughout the story.
A Duel With Fate by psocoptera (Star Wars, Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan) - Speaking of fics that RUIN me. This was my first understanding of what a time loop fic can look like and how it can be absolutely devastating. This story left me feeling off for days, and I mean that as a compliment. Proceed with caution, but also - guh. Do proceed, if you can. I can't even rec it well because of how good it is.
How to Grow Vegetables and Alienate People by Meggory (Star Wars, Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan) - Add me to the list of zillions of people who loved this story, but it caught me in just the right place. I've been feeling the void a lot in the last several months, downtrodden by work and expectations of life, and this fic STARTS with the premise of one character being forced to take a three-month leave of absence from work? And then getting into gardening and connecting to the world and falling in love? The most glorious escapist modern AU I've read in - maybe ever? I made @thevillainsmustache read it, too, even though it's not her ship, and now we both sigh over it regularly at home.
Into a Dozen Pieces by Temve (Star Wars (Master and Apprentice), Qui-Gon/OC, Qui-Gon/Rael) - So many canon authors love to do this thing where they imply a love interest in a character's past. Generally I don't love it, and for all my adoration for Master and Apprentice, I didn't love it there, either - but Temve took those brief mentions and spun them into an absolutely enchanting story of young gentle Qui-Gon falling head over heels for the first time and having his heart broken by the Jedi Code - but healed, at least a little, by the others within the Jedi who are there for him. Highly, highly recommend.
HA PSYCH I'm doing an unauthorized sixth! A Thing of Flesh and Shadow by MlleMusketeer (Star Wars, Qui-Gon-centric with some background relationships) - This fic is only barely not 2023, so I dunno if it counts as an "oldie," but I think everyone should read it! It's an amazing Qui-Gon AU, in which Dooku resurrects him during the Clone Wars and tries to manipulate and abuse him into becoming his new apprentice, all while Qui-Gon slowly realizes what's going on and struggles to escape. It's got gorgeous philosophy, incredibly well-written emotional and physical hurt, and I just love every second I spend in this Qui-Gon's head. I'm praying there will be more, eventually, but even if there isn't, the fic is a wonderful standalone.
And now . . . 5 of my own fics from 2023:
Only Through Surrender (Star Wars, Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan): Qui-Gon lives, and the whole timeline changes.
Lessons in Intimacy (Star Wars, Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan/OC): Exploration of Obi-Wan coming into his sexuality, and what romance and sexuality might look like in a Jedi context.
Driven to Do (Star Wars, Anakin & Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan/OC): More sexually liberated Obi-Wan and scandalized (legally married) Anakin.
Anchor (Star Wars/Clone Wars, Ahsoka/Rex): The follow up to the absolutely devastating Clone Wars finale.
The Unassisted Physical Training and Self-Defense Circle (Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan): The one in which Qui-Gon's participation in an illicit padawan fight club leaves him with a lasting physical reminder.
This was so much fun! (It also took me more than an hour to do, but I enjoyed every minute of it.) Tagging @katajainen, @deheerkonijn, @unnamedelement, and anyone else who wants to do this!
24 notes · View notes
naranjapetrificada · 2 months
Text
Fanfic Friday for better or worse
It's another somber Fanfic Friday for those who love the gay pirates but I'm in whatever stage of mourning that "defiance" fits in. Recs at the bottom, and have two paragraphs I badly want to keep in my AU WIP's chapter 2 but might have to get bumped to chapter 3 if this draft gets any longer:
Beyond his appreciation of a good story, Ed doesn't have all that much time for gods. But given his impending journey south, he's started developing a kind of reverence for tradition. It sits in the part of his body designated for things like faith and dogma, which until fairly recently had been pretty hollow. Whatever organ or muscle occupies that space now has got him staring at the sky a lot lately. Not as much as one of those ascetic shamans of legend – people who glared at the sun till their vision burned away or spent nights on their backs in the steppe grass, scrying the stars for divine messages – but certainly more frequently and more thoughtfully than he ever has before.
One clear night last week Ed had even sought out the north star to make a vow to the Weaver Maid as she teased the threads of fate with her clever fingers. He had felt a little silly, until he remembered that it was his grandmother who first told him the Maid’s tale of longing for her beloved herdsman until their annual reunion in the eastern sky. Ed went to bed that night tugging on a thread of his own, long and unbroken, stretching back to whoever it was that told his grandmother the story, and whoever told that person, and whoever before that.
I'm still here, you're still here, and we're still keeping these characters and their story alive, even with our weirdest and least canonical AUs. No emotionally bankrupt executive can take this from us, or from the characters we've come to love.
ps since I think (?) Fanfic Friday is actually supposed to be about making recommendations, can I suggest that if you're feeling tender about all this, you might try some fics to help you find some comfort or catharsis or things to ponder? Or possibly just something that's incredibly, blood-glucose-skyrocketingly sweet?
13 notes · View notes
mirror-to-the-past · 2 months
Text
So, I stopped liveblogging after a bit, because I just got absolutely lost in the EVERYTHING that was the OMORI Concert, but holy SHIT. What did everyone think of it? Any favorite pieces???
As I previously mentioned, "Trouble NEVER/ALWAYS" leading into "You Were Wrong. Go Back." was NUTS. The way that the orchestra made it so hype, you'd really think it was the introduction of an evil galactic overlord, rather than some guy throwing a tantrum after his girlfriend broke up with him, haha!
I can not emphasize enough how their rendition of "Trees..." tremendously altered my perception of the song. I liked it a lot before, really, but it wasn't particularly moving to me- just peaceful. This version of the song was so. wow. I struggle to find words for it. Same with "Sugar Star Planetarium" right afterwards. Fucking. Gorgeous.
Also putting "Just Leave Me Alone" and the rest of which I shall now call the Hooligans Suite, as they meshed it together in such an epic and cohesive way, after "Where We Used to Play" was just diabolical. I FELL OUT OF MY SEAT I WAS SO SURPRISED BY THE LOUDNESS, LOL. Speaking of the "Hooligans Suite" the guitarists just. URGH I LOVE THEM. This concert was way more metal than I expected, and I LOVED IT. The entire "Just Leave Me Alone"-"Cram It Wad"-"It Means Everything" was insanely epic, I felt like my heart stopped. Just like Space Boyfriend's theme, using the other Hooligans pieces as buildup to the main boss theme was so, so good. Did Aubrey and her gang such justice, like. I just felt so happy for my girl.
And then they put "Home for Flowers (Empty)" right afterwards, lol. If anyone's curious about how I looked after that sudden mood shift:
Tumblr media
I'm now thoroughly on board of loving World's End Valentine now, because the instrumentation hurts my head less now, with this version, haha.
I am ADMITTEDLY a bit bummed that they didn't perform "Poems in the Fog" and "Forest Frenzy," as I can visualize Music Engine's style for those pieces so well, and I know it would be soooo beautifulll... but oh well...
I'm plesantly surprised that "Swirly 1000x" made the cut!! Very underrated piece, only used for one fight but godDAMN does it hit hard. The guitar 🎸🎸oncccee agaiiin. Crazy.
Also I knowwww it's not the most amazing piece in the world, but the jazz section of The Last Resort could have opened so cool with "Hanging With the Boys" right before that, but it's alright, I'm not gonna lose sleep over it.
The way I laughed when they jumpscared us with the organ for the first time because GoldenVengence was important enough as to demand the need for such a stately instrument, lol!
Can we talk about the clarinet in "Underwater Highway" because oooooghhh bleeeeh dead upon impact. It was so wonderful.... I love that piece already, but they made the descending notes so magical, and tranisitioned into "Squall" so beautifully.
You know what I AM gonna lose sleep over? THEY DIDN'T INCLUDE "H20:HCL" in the underwater section!! That piece is so beautiful... 😭😭
I think I blacked out and entered a trance-like state with everything from "See You Tomorrow" to "Truth." Somewhere within that period, wine and a tissue box appeared magically at my side, lmfao. Small comment in the midst of everything else that was That Section of the concert, but I'm so glad they kept "Gone," because that piece is so necessary for me, within that whole climactic sequence. It just oozes catharsis, it HAS to be included, no matter what.
But yeah anyway, "See You Tomorrow" and "Crossroads" just emanates the warmth of evening in summer. Those songs are laced with something magical, because I can see the orange of sunset so palpably in my mind's eye whenever I hear those pieces. Sweat on my skin, old t-shirts with fruit juice stains on them, other kids shrieking in the streets, being afraid of my neighbor's loud dog, getting pricked by thorns after walking into the forest- that's what those songs sound like to me. I don't get too nostalgic for the past much, but those songs make me feel like I'm a kid again. This rendition captured them perfectly.
Also wow, Basil, I see you and "A Home for Flowers (Daisy)" in the orchestral version, sounding like you jumped directly out of a Ghibli movie. I see you. T_T
Ha-ha-ha when the lights dimmed during "You Must Carry On" I didn't start freaking out at all..ha-ha-ha. What? I would never break out into goosepimples and jitters. Ha-ha-ha. Full body shakes who? I don't know her.
When "OMORI" started playing, a few others in the house who had never played the game and knew little to nothing about it stopped talking amongst themselves and came to watch the TV. It's THAT POIGNANT. I'll be honest, I love love love "DUET" as much as the next OMORI fan, but the song that makes me cry upon hearing it every time was never DUET, it was this one. DUET is a warm resurgance and appreciation for the things left behind, with a slight twinge of regret. "OMORI" is just pure, raw pain. And the string section didn't let me forget ittt hahahaha.
Tears were shed, people (me) were shaking, etc. etc. THANK YOU KAWAI KOTA for your amazing work in acting as Sunny's role amonst the violinists and concertmaster, your solo violin work and passion fully recaptured my feeling of playing the game for the first time, biting my nails with anticipation and heartache at whatever was happening next. Same goes to Kawamura Noriko for her work on piano, just... aaaaaaa!
Also bo en jumpscare!!! I love and respect that one individual in the audience who yelled "hands...!" during "My Time." It's honestly cruel for live orchestra to have the rule of "be silent during the performance!" because I would've had a vein popping if I was there from wanting to sing along so bad. I MEAN. IT'S *THE* SONG. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SING ALONG TO IT. Lucky for me, I was at home, and got to tipsily sing along to the lyrics from muscle memory, lmao.
I was expecting the choir that I saw filing into view to be for "My Time" that ended up playing later anyway- "Tee-hee Time" was a welcome surprise and amazingly epic!
Anyway that's about it from the top of mt head at the moment!! Please yell at me about what you thought of the concert- I stayed up late, went to sleep, got up again, and am still vibrating about it, lol! This has been the best part of my year so far- no joke.
ALSO WOOO OMORI MANGA. Can't wait for ENG translations- if this adaptation gives Sunny more explicit character voice, I'm not going to shut up about it ever. I won't shut up about it anyway, but I'll be not-shut-upping about it even more.
16 notes · View notes
aihoshiino · 7 months
Note
What are your thoughts on how onk is handling ruby recently
So I've been rattling my brains about this since long before this ask – since the chapter 123 leaks dropped, if I'm honest and I think I'm at a place where my feelings are "I understand why these choices are being made, I just don't like that these are the choices they went with".
(I kind of talked about this elsewhere last week, by coincidence, so sorry to anyone about to see me repeat myself LOL)
As someone who really, REALLY loves Ruby, it feels like there's been a consistent failure to properly center her and give her focus and interesting things to do since around the start of Tokyo Blade. Black hoshigan Ruby (as I've mentioned in a previous post) was a really interesting and exciting opportunity to dig into Ruby's trauma and darker feelings that OnK is comparatively quieter on. But with the benefit of hindsight now that the arc is over, it's clear that the whole thing was just a plot cul-de-sac - if I were feeling particularly uncharitable, I would go as far as to call it filler to waste time until Aqua was back in revenge mode. She might not ping back to white stars until 123 but black hoshigan Ruby essentially ceases to be relevant once Aqua is back in the picture until she can be used to serve his arc again.
And the frustrating thing is - I was so, SO fucking excited to see how Ruby was being handled in the start of the movie arc! It felt like we were building up to a really fantastic examination of Ruby's relationship with all three of her mothers, and the way toxic motherhood in general trickles down and poisons someone for long after they're out of the environment of abuse. The incredibly strong and vivid depictions of Ruby literally triggering and retraumatizing herself by engaging with material that depicted Ai's own abuse and the way it dragged back memories of her own abuse and abandonment were so powerful and so scary - her pain absolutely overflowed out of every single page and the care and tenderness with which it was depicted made me feel so deeply for Ruby. This poor, poor girl who has been in so much pain for so long and has done her best to be happy and strong but is at last reaching her human breaking point - it was so fucking good!
The arc we were promised for Ruby at the outset of the movie arc was, no joke, exactly the sort of thing I had been hoping and praying for Akasaka to do for her ever since I got back into the series in April. I really, genuinely thought this was finally going to be Ruby's time to shine and achieve some meaningful healing and catharsis.
And then the arc completely switches tracks to be about Aqua instead and all we've gotten from Ruby since is incest bait and her simping over her brother.
To be clear, I am 100% aware I am being disingenuous here and that there is way more going on than my eyerolling dismissal of it, but I'm trying to get across how it feels for me as a Ruby enjoyer VS how my Themes And Characterization And Narrative brain logically understands what is going on.
It absolutely completely makes sense for Ruby to be behaving this way right now. Gorou was the first and only person in her short life as Sarina to make her feel safe and valued and cared for and having the miracle of their reunion granted to her after she was sure she'd lost him forever and just as she was at emotional and mental rock bottom? That shit was GUARANTEED to turn her brain into soup and Ruby developing confusedly romantic and unhealthy feelings for Aqua vis-a-vis projecting Gorou onto him when she is so desperately in need of comfort and support is maybe not pretty or flattering, but it feels honestly, authentically weird and messy and uncomfortable. Oshi no Ko's willingness to portray character relationships with enough of that honesty to just let them be weird and fucked up and icky and unhealthy sometimes is something I really, really appreciate about it.
My issue is not that this plot point has happened to begin with - my issue is with how it's been framed. This is partially exacerbated by the manga's schedule getting FUBAR'd just after this reveal dropped and thus forcing us to stew in what I imagine is still the relatively early stages of this new status quo for maybe longer than intended, but we have gotten little to no serious examination of how Ruby actually feels about any of this. Almost every interaction the twins have had since this reveal dropped has been incest bait jokes. The fact that Ruby was in the middle of a massively overdue bit of character development that was finally all about her and her feelings only for that to get thrown to one side in favour of her being all uwu oniichansensei and being treated like a comic relief character is just so, so deeply insulting and betrays such a huge lack of respect for Ruby and her feelings.
The relative shallowness and childishness of them is, I think, intentional and accepting this uncritically as yummy ship bait is clown behaviour - we are playing around in this space specifically to soften us up for when the twins finally have an open and honest confrontation about this, but all that means is that for the time being, I am being asked to laugh at and vicariously enjoy Ruby's unhealthy, fucked up feelings born from her deep trauma and to be perfectly frank that just leaves me feeling fucking insulted.
As a survivor of the little sister incest anime boom and a fan of Revolutionary Girl Utena, I simply have no patience for a series that purports to take itself and its characters seriously then turns around and plays sibling incest for nudgewink laughs and ship bait, especially when it has derailed and, in the short term, superseded and ruined what was shaping to be an exciting and deeply emotional character arc for a character desperately in need of focus.
36 notes · View notes
denimbex1986 · 3 months
Text
'The British director on the power of crying and how he crafted his heartbreaking new film, All of Us Strangers.
Andrew Haigh is a veteran of film and television, having directed projects including Weekend, 45 Years, Looking and The North Water. His work is defined by an expert eye for detail and profound sensitivity – in All of Us Strangers, he excavates familial and queer trauma to create a powerful, tender, ghostly romance, starring Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy and Jamie Bell.
LWLies: Every person I’ve spoken to about All of Us Strangers has had quite an intense emotional reaction to it. How aware of that potential are you when you’re making a film?
Haigh: It’s funny, because I used to get emotional writing the script, and then making a film, there are moments when you feel the emotion that’s coming back at you. I’m a pretty emotional person, I’m constantly crying. But then when I watched the assembly that Jonathan [Alberts, editor] had done, I was a wreck. And I know that he’d been a wreck editing it.
The more you work on a film, for months and months, you aren’t sure. You wonder if you’ve got rid of the emotion within the piece, if you’ve ruined it. When the film was finished, I hoped that people would have a reaction to it, and that it would feel like a genuine emotional reaction rather than a manipulative one.
I wanted to unpick the pain that we all carry around, in the hope that at the end, there is some catharsis. I find crying so cathartic. Every time I cry my eyes I feel so much better. I remember when Jonathan was cutting the dailies, and it was just one of the scenes about halfway through, of Harry and Adam in bed talking. I came in and Jonathan was just in floods. I said, “What’s the matter?!” It wasn’t a big emotional scene but he was a wreck.
I think that’s representative of how grief works, too. Sometimes it’s the small things that set you off, and it’s not always the things that make sense. 
It’s always the little things, and it’s the same whether it’s grief or anything in your past. I think grief is not always just about someone you’ve lost, it’s about things that you’ve lost. It’s time that you’ve lost, it’s relationships that you’ve lost, it’s love affairs that you’ve lost. Our whole lives are essentially dealing with time moving on and us losing things. I wanted the film to be about that – so the mother is just as upset that she has lost the time with her son because those things are so fragile. I’m a pretty melancholic person, and so I often think about all of those little moments in life that have been so important and are now just distant memories. They are essentially ghosts.
It’s strange, I’m currently going through a lot of video footage from when I was a kid, so I’m having a very similar experience. It brings up so many strange emotions, excavating the past. Thinking about the people that aren’t in your life now.
Yeah – and the emotion that you have for someone once they are gone, whether that’s because they’ve died or they’re just not in your life..that emotion is still there. It’s strange how that works. Fear doesn’t last the same way. No other emotion does. But love is always there. Somehow it’s both a little bit cheesy and kind of magical at the same time. Love is the thing that remains.
Were you familiar with Taichi Yamada’s novel Strangers before you were approached about the project?
No, I hadn’t heard of it – Graham [Broadbent] and Sarah [Harvey], the producers, sent it to me. They knew me, and they asked what I was interested in doing, so I said “I’m kind of interested in doing some kind of ghost story.’ Even though this isn’t that exactly. But they sent me this very traditional ghost story, and the thing that I loved was this idea in the novel of meeting your parents again. I thought that was a fascinating way to start looking into love, grief, parental responsibility, all of those things. I very quickly knew I wanted to make the love affair between two men, and I didn’t want the ghosts in the story to be malevolent, in the way they sort of are in the book.
I felt like, Oh God, I can finally talk about queerness and family in a way that I think is very complicated, and do it within a way that these two things can be interconnected and wound up together. I feel like that is a thing about being queer. It is complicated within a family dynamic. It’s getting better every day, although not for everyone. But it was certainly so complicated for me, growing up.
I’m interested to know how much you thought about the connection between All of Us Strangers and your previous work, particularly 45 Years and Weekend, because there are overlapping themes. 
Yeah, and I don’t mind it being sort of repeating, because I think my interests are always my interests. So the things I’m trying to articulate, I’m often going back on myself to try and find new ways to express something I’ve looked at before. I quite like that idea. But my biggest concern, actually, in the beginning, was that people were going to think this film is just Weekend with Ghosts. But even though I don’t think the film is that, everything that you do is always in relationship to what you’ve done before. For me anyway. It’s like picking up a conversation, there’s something that you’ve already sort of talked about, but you realise you want to talk about a little bit more, and in a slightly different way.
You’ve talked a little bit about bringing your own personal experience into the film. How do you find that process of weaving your own personal experience into an adaptation?
Yes, I felt like I had to. For some reason, I felt like I didn’t want to make the film unless it was personal. There was stuff I wanted to talk about in terms of queerness and how I feel about family and its complications, what it can mean to be a child and a parent. I wrote a lot during the pandemic – I kind of threw myself into trying to make it feel as close to something I understood as possible while making sure it wasn’t autobiographical. So there’s lots of me in it, but there’s also lots of me that isn’t in it. When I gave the script to people, they’d said “I feel like you’ve written this about me. I feel like you’ve told my life story.” Whether it’s about the loss of parents or the separation from family, or whether it’s about queerness…they’re taking something from it. And that was always what I hoped that it would feel like. It’s personal to me, but I want it to feel personal to everyone.
You have such a wonderfully curated collection of 80s music in All of Us Strangers. Was this directly plucked from your own experience?
Oh yeah, those choices were definitely personal. I love The Pet Shop Boys, I’ve loved them from their first album onwards back in 1985, and Frankie Goes To Hollywood. If you open the vinyl now, it’s so gay! You pull out this bit of paper, and they’re wearing like leather underwear and you’re like “How did this exist in 1983?” Those songs were so important to me. But pop music in general is a way for especially repressed British people to express themselves – the old pop songs especially expressed the things that we can’t say in very blatant terms. I think weirdly my politics was forged by pop music. I listen to a Housemartins song now, and I can tell they’re a bunch of socialists, you can feel it. Everything was passionate in those days, especially in pop music.
The film begins with a sunrise and ends with a night sky which lingers, and I loved that parallel. How early did you have that ending in your head?
I think it was there from the beginning if I’m honest – but I’m also aware that the ending won’t work for everybody. For me, it’s like I needed the ending to transcend a sense of reality. When I was a kid growing up I genuinely thought that I would never be able to find love. I couldn’t even see spending my life with another man as a possibility. And I wanted in the end to make love have this almost cosmic importance. Like the idea that love is so fundamentally important and enormous. Someone said something to me that I hadn’t quite realised – stars die billions of years ago, and the light is still there millions of years later. It’s like we said before; love is this thing that can be long gone, but it’s still there. And you can find it again. And again. And again. It’s always there.'
10 notes · View notes
letstalkwhump · 11 months
Text
Let's Talk Whump
Welcome to Let’s Talk Whump, a series of interviews that spotlight the amazing people in our whump community! I’m Malice and I’ll be your host today. 
Here today to talk all things whumpy is the fabulous @wildfaewhump!
Welcome to Let’s Talk Whump! Let’s start with a fact or two about yourself!
Hello! I'm Vic, and when I'm not inflicting agony, I am a professional musician! I've been gigging professionally for about 12 years and I absolutely love it. Music is my lifelong love and I am so grateful to be able to make it such a big part of my life. 
And onto the good stuff! What does whump mean to you? 
To me, whump is a mechanism of catharsis, both for creator and reader. The huge, heavy emotions and terrible events our characters endure offer a safe way for us to explore those emotions. 
It's also just a whole lot of fun. Who could say no to seeing a beloved character writhing in pain? 
And how did you find the whump community? What made you want to join?
I found the term "whump" through fandom! The fics I liked were increasingly labelled with it, and from there a bit of tag scrolling led me to the OC whump community. I realized that people were *sharing their writing* and it was all over for me, I was hooked. I made a whump sideblog and started (terrified) to tell the story of a captured fae. Shoutout to @clockworknightmares, who was one of the first people to find my early pieces and introduced me to the heady dopamine of getting an ask! I've been here ever since, and I am so grateful to all the wonderful people who make this community such a vibrant oasis of creativity and shared passion. 
Do you think your view on whump has changed since you first discovered it?
I have certainly had my eyes opened to a whole host of new experiences! As far as tropes and whump style go, lately I find that I'm drawn to more interpersonal-style whump, whereas when I started I was doing a lot more societal and outside forces whump. I love both types! 
And your favourite whump trope? 
WING WHUMP. ahem. I mean: I love nonhuman whump a normal amount… 
Other abiding faves include: whipping, impalement, really fucked up power dynamics, stalking, recorded whump, ooh and epistolary style writing!
Winged whump is so underrated! Do you mind sharing a favourite piece you've written? 
This piece holds a special place in my heart. It's the third in a five-piece arc, and they're all linked at the top of each piece. In this arc, Iesin and Talvos are separated by the wreckage of a landslide, and in the midst of this devastation experience kindness instead of hate and rejection. Specifically, in this piece Talvos hears a truth-tale spoken to the stars about him. People in the area he grew up believe that telling stories of each other will carry their loved one's memory to the stars, to be held there forever. Having been ostracized by humans for so long because of his mate Iesin, he has lost that access to his beliefs and his community, but this piece gives it back to him. 
Another favorite of mine is this Lourdes piece. One of my strongest writing devices is to take a metaphor (here, maple trees and their syrup) and see how seamlessly I can weave it through an entire piece. I did a pretty good job of it here, I dare say. 
I love the Lourdes piece. The vibes are delicious! Do you mind sharing your writing routine?
Here's where I wish I was more consistent. I would love to have a writing routine, but my schedule doesn't allow for it at present. 99% of my writing is done on my phone in snatched moments between other responsibilities, but when I do get the chance to sit down and take my time, my favorite way to write is to take a long morning at a coffee shop and just let myself flow. 
And do you find that somethings are easier for you to write than others?
My writing strengths lie in pretty prose, extended metaphors, and conveying emotion. I like to think I'm good at catching a reader up in the flow of a piece. Now, trying to write more than three or so people in a room? Hard! Too many limbs and hands and voices to manage! 
Give us a sneak peak! Is there anything you're working on at the moment? 
I am rotating Lourdes, my Romantic Boxie, in my mind like their own special microwave right now. They are. So fucked up. I'm finishing up concert season irl so I don't quite have time to write yet, but this summer I hope to make some good progress on all of my current series! 
Do you have a joke or pun you would like to share to spread some smiles today?
How about a picture of my basset puppy! 
Tumblr media
He’s so cute! Give him a hug from me! Is there any writing advice you’d like to share?
Read like a writer. Read as much as you can, and look at the mechanisms of what you read. What writing devices does this author re-use? What is it about their prose style that draws you in? What makes this author's characterization stronger than that one's? The more you read, the more you pay attention to what works and doesn't work in writing you encounter, the more you hone your own craft.
Shout out time for your favourite writing/whump blogs, bffs or people who've inspired you. 
Oh goodness there are so many wonderful whump blogs! I know I'll forget some. @for-the-love-of-angst, @ashintheairlikesnow, @clockworknightmares, @justplainwhump, @just-horrible-things, @highwaywhump, @flowersarefreetherapy, @caramelis, @pigeonwhumps, @redwingedwhump, @tormentum-ab-intra, and so many more! 
Finally, is there anything you'd like to add?
Be kind. It's the hardest and most worthwhile thing in the world to do, but simple kindness can change everything.
Thank you for joining us, @wildfaewhump !
And to all you folks at home, have a whump-derful day!
39 notes · View notes