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#i mean it could also be just that familial relationships make for great drama
diamondpython00 · 1 year
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I was watching videos on Psychonauts 2, specifically on the imagery and meaning behind Hollis’ mind, when I had an interesting realization: a lot of the characters in both Psychonauts games have family-related problems.
Oleander’s initial levels (the brain tumbler experiment and basic braining) don’t have much beyond initial foreshadowing for plot reasons, but meat circus is such a colossal mess of daddy issues that i think it makes up for it
Sasha’s main problems are the death of his mother and the memories of her he collected from his dad’s mind that freaked him out (nooo little german boy don’t use your psychic abilities to read your father’s mind)
Milla’s trauma has to do with her relationship to the children at her orphanage and her failure to protect them, something that while she has moved past, definitely still hurts her. She’s still working as a caretaker of some kind though, and it’s clear that she’s not eager to repeat that mistake.
Gloria was pretty seriously messed up by her mother’s emotional neglect and high expectations, her treatment at the boarding school, and her deadbeat dad. This trauma is only compounded with her mother’s suicide, which starts her downward spiral.
Fred’s problems have to do with his family legacy, literally being constantly berated in his mind by the image of his ancestor. To Fred, he’s failed at being a Bonaparte, and his ancestor has come back from the dead to express his displeasure.
Lili and Raz both have fairly complicated relationships with their fathers - Raz views Augustus as constantly pushing him in acrobatics and outright denying him his interests, while Lili has had to grow up a little too fast thanks to how busy her father is, and expresses some of that frustration with a tough front.
Loboto. (i don’t think i really need to say more. yikes doesn’t even begin to cover it)
Although Hollis’ family is notably absent from her mind, some dialogue from her and her mind’s NPCs implies a very fraught relationship with her parents. She acknowledges to Raz that “family is horrible”, and the maternity ward patients in her mind all express very bad reasons to have kids, ranging from using children as a proxy to having kids because your partner wants them. Couple that with the absence of her parents from her entire mind, and... well, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture.
Compton’s issues aren’t exactly related to his family, but they ARE hereditary. All three Booles in both games have both a connection with animals and some blastokinesis, although most of the issues seem to have skipped Sam. Dogen especially is very similar to Compton - both are socially anxious, get overwhelmed by their telepathy, and accidentally blow up heads when they get overwhelmed. It’s not hard to imagine that Compton’s parenting or influence may have had something to do with Dogen’s issues.
Ford doesn’t exactly have family issues, but boy howdy did he sure cause some.
The seed (heh) of Bob’s alcoholism seems to be related to his aunt’s alcoholism and death. His aunt dealt with her problems by drinking them away in her greenhouse, and now that Bob has gone through very similar loss, he uses the same coping mechanism - drown your issues under a lot of alcohol.
Gristol’s main problem is his overwhelming sense of entitlement, but his father plays a very significant role in his worldview. From Gristol’s perspective, his father ruined the inheritance Gristol was owed, and failed both Maligula and the country with his rule. Gristol believes he is entitled to rule of Grulovia thanks to his father, but also deeply resents him for his failures and is driven by the need to set right what he thought his father did wrong.
Nona, or Lucrecia Mux, had most of her issues brought on by the accidental killing of her sister and the false familial relationship she was deluded into believing was real her whole life. Although Maligula is the manifestation of her problems, Maligula very clearly would not exist if it weren’t for Marona’s death.
And these are just the people who’s minds we explore in some sense or another. There is the exception of Boyd, Edgar, and Helmut, but I’ll address that a bit later. None of the campers or the interns mention much about their family, but we can also infer from the way Loboto was treated that psychics are not exactly looked upon favorably. While certainly not all of the campers or interns have bad relationships with their parents, it is interesting that there is no mention that I can remember of a good parental relationship anywhere in either game. It’s either a bad relationship or it goes unmentioned (like Edgar, Boyd, and Helmut). While I can’t say definitively what this theme of complicated or bad familial relationships is intended to mean, there are a couple theories I have. It could be that Psychonauts is trying to tell us that mental illness is often a result of environment - children raised in non-loving environments rarely escape unscathed, and dealing with those issues often involves confronting that familial relationship. It could be that leaving your family trauma unresolved is very unhealthy: the only families we see recover from these issues, the Aquatos and the Zanottos, do so through honest communication. It could be that blood family does not obligate love, and that chosen families (like the psychic six or nona and augustus) are better because they actively choose to love each other. It could even be something completely unrelated that I haven’t thought of. But what I am pretty sure of is that Psychonauts 1 and 2 are definitely trying to tell us something with the family theme. What do you guys think? Is there something to this?
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skamenglishsubs · 17 days
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Subtext and Culture, Young Royals, Season 3, Episode 4
Last episode ended with Simon coming home to a smashed window, this episode starts the morning after, Simon takes the bus to school, while Wilhelm is anxiously waiting for him.
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Culture: At a high school level in Sweden, there's national tests in Swedish, English, and Math. Like everywhere else, the purpose of these tests is not only to grade students, but to align all schools across the country to combat grade inflation.
Blink and you miss it: Vincent is trying to cheat by looking at Nils' answers.
Blink and you miss it: Vincent draws a dick in the gravel while waiting for the others to be done with the test.
Subtext: This entire episode is overflowing with examples of privilege. For Vincent, and many other rich kids like him, studying and learning doesn't matter, they'll graduate regardless, so he doesn't care about the exam, he only cares about the graduation party.
Cinematography: Even with Felice and friends being completely blurred out in the background, you can still see Stella and Fredrika turning to look at Sara, and then turning their backs on her.
Culture: In the US, a lot of people are using "socialism" as a catch-all phrase which means politics they don't agree with, regardless of its actual ideology. Likewise, in Sweden, a lot of people use "communist" in the same way about generally left-wing politics, which is what Vincent is doing here.
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Subtext: Wilhelm asks Simon if he can reconcile the conflict of dating a royal while being anti-monarchy, but the real question is of course if Wilhelm can reconcile the conflict in himself.
Subtext: This is where the show's political stance shines through, and this argument, that Wilhelm wasn't allowed to choose his life for himself, is the main argument they're gonna use in the finale.
Subtext: Wilhelm is weakly defending the monarchy, but just ends up repeating what his mother told him; it's a privilege, not a punishment, but does he believe it himself?
Subtext: The letter-to-yourself plot is mainly there in order to help August along his redemption arc, but here the show is using it to reinforce the point of the previous scene. Who does Wilhelm want to become? Does he have a choice?
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Culture: In Sweden, Säkerhetspolisen, SÄPO, is the government agency in charge of national security, which includes providing security and assigning bodyguards to the royal family.
Subtext: Note the great use of passive voice here by Farima to avoid taking responsibility for the decision to force August to join the birthday foundation event. She's also expertly bargaining with Wilhelm to get what she wants.
Subtext: We know it was the far-right assholes who posted comments to Simon's videos a couple of episodes ago.
Blink and you miss it: Jan-Olof really perks up when Linda talks about moving to Gothenburg, because that would probably mean the end to the relationship between Wilhelm and Simon, which would solve all of his current problems.
Subtext: Like Farima, he bargains with Linda and Simon to get what he wants, for Simon to stop posting things to social media. It's almost as if their strategy was to do nothing at the start, waiting for things to blow up so they could swoop in, help out, and start making demands in exchange...
Blink and you miss it: The option to inactivate and hide your social media account is right there, but of course Simon has to choose to delete everything, because it will cause more drama and anguish.
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Blink and you miss it: Fencing! Woohoo! I did fencing for five years as a kid until 8th grade or something, but I only did foil, and not épée like these students. I have absolutely no idea where these two are coming from or going to though, where would they practice? Is there a hidden fencing hall somewhere on the grounds that we haven't seen yet? How many kids at Hillerska are fencing? Also, he's carrying a practice blade and not an electric competition blade, so that checks out. Of the three types of modern fencing, épée is unique in that the entire body counts as a valid target, while in foil only the torso counts, and in sabre only the upper half counts. Oh wow, it looks like the gear is now wireless and every fencer carries their own indicator lights. Cool! Back in my day you had to be strapped in with a cord for competitions.
This tumblr is now about French School fencing. Allez! Touché!
Subtext: The narrative is that it's perfectly ok for the crown prince to be gay, as long as he's not gay gay.
Culture: The show keeps saying this, but in real world Sweden it's no longer the case. Supporting los jibbities is viewed as a completely mainstream and inoffensive opinion, on par with supporting human rights in general.
Subtext: Another example of privilege is being in a position to do a lot of good, and then just not caring about it. Simon is fighting for the causes he believes in, so seeing Wilhelm just casually throw it away is extremely disappointing for him.
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Subtext: Unlike Vincent, August is actually a natural leader, someone people listen to, which is why he manages to quiet down the room when Vincent is unable to. Maybe a good quality in a future king?
Subtext: Simon is continuing the argument from before. Wilhelm could have shown solidarity with mental health causes or LGBT causes, but chose not to. However, he immediately decided to join in solidarity with the other rich kids protesting the school rules, which is rather selfish.
Subtext: Colour theory! Sara in purple, because part of the reason she's back at school is that August asked her to? And Simon in yellow, because he sure isn't loving Wilhelm very much right now.
Subtext: Just a reminder that Sara has actually been completely out of the loop since the end of season 2. She has no idea about the school rules, what's happened at home, how it's going with Simon and Wilhelm, or what's happening at school.
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Blink and you miss it: Fredrika is so close to stop striking as soon as she's threatened with repercussions.
Subtext: I keep hammering this point home: The culture is in the walls, it's not something some of the kids made up. The visiting alumni were also hazed as new students and kept it going as third years. Same for the parents of all these kids. They're all part of the system, they all kept the cycles of abuse going, because they want the school to be like that.
Subtext: Privilege is thinking you can get things your way with almost no effort. None of these kids have ever struggled or protested something for real and then not been given what they wanted, so they seriously believed they'd win immediately.
Subtext: Another theme of this season is bringing secrets out in the open. We've all seen August struggling with body dysmorphia and an eating disorder since season 1, but no-one has ever called it out and put words on it, until Simon immediately recognizes it and calls it out.
Subtext: ...while the rich kids are just stuck in denial, because eating disorders is for poor people or something, it's not something that happens to them. And if it did, you certainly wouldn't admit it to anyone else.
Subtext: August tries to jokingly fend off Nils because he doesn't want anyone to know that the letter actually meant something to him, until Nils pushes too hard, and August punches him.
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Subtext: Vincent talked a big game about striking in solidarity, but when they're caught as hilariously unprepared as they are, they're not pooling their resources in solidarity with each other, and instead resort to selling them to the highest bidder. Capitalism in a nutshell, illustrated perfectly by the behaviour of spoiled rich kids. Also, pet peeve, the English word for the currency of Sweden is "kronor", not "crowns".
Lost in translation: They're actually repeating a single word in Swedish, "svikare", which is pretty hard to translate. The verb, "svika", is a bit worse than letting someone down, but not as bad as betraying someone. The adjective, "besviken" typically means disappointed. So "svikare" means a person who is letting other people down, disappointing them, or betraying them.
Subtext: The culture is in the walls of the place, but the kids are also pretty damn complicit in continuing all the shitty traditions. This looks like a game of strip poker or truth or dare that went off the rails and just resulted in more bullying, with everyone joining in.
Subtext: The other girls are upset with Felice because she broke the code. You don't snitch to outsiders, you don't tell the truth, you keep up appearances.
Blink and you miss it: Henry won the potato chip auction, happily ate the entire bag, and passed out in a chair, clutching the bag. Mmmm, sourcream and onion.
Subtext: Speaking of closing ranks towards the outside, this also applies to this strike. It would be bad PR for the school if anyone outside found out that it happened, so it's better to solve it quietly and discreetly. Vanessa can trust the kids not to snitch. Vincent is also right, the parents, who are paying the tuition fees, are on their side.
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Subtext: Felice can't be seen talking to Sara, so she checks that the coast is clear, and then drags Sara into a private bathroom to have their conversation.
Subtext: Likewise, Sara was probably Felice's first real friend.
Subtext: Nice little foreshadowing. I would have loved seeing Simon's drawing though!
Subtext: Well, he could have just made his social media private, but the show has to maximize the drama, so here we are, piling on more examples of how Simon is losing himself to the monarchy, that maybe he can't reconcile the conflict.
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Subtext: Erik spent three years living at Hillerska, of course he wouldn't have told his then twelve year old kid brother about all the shit going on at the school. August spent an entire year living with Erik at the school, seeing what went on first hand, so of course he knows a side of Erik that Wilhelm doesn't.
Subtext: August has been trying to keep his mouth shut and avoid Wilhelm, but since they have yet another fight, he decides to drop the bomb about Erik to hurt Wilhelm.
Subtext: Again, the culture is in the walls. This is not something that only Erik's class did, once. It's probably been happening to all the boys for decades. It happened to the current second-year students, it happened to Erik, and lots of students before him who kept this shitty initiation tradition going.
Culture: Let's talk about the gay porn hazing a bit more. To me, this is an urban legend. I heard about it when I was a teenager back in the 90's, but I don't personally know anyone it happened to, or anyone who did it to anyone else. It was always hearsay, it happened to a friend of a friend's brother, or a classmate's cousin's friend or something similar, as is typical of urban legends.
Let's also make one thing absolutely clear: It doesn't work. The homophobic idea behind this shit is that if you are forced to watch gay porn and get a boner, you are gay, and if you don't, you're straight. But that is actually not true, erections don't work that way, and the fear of being found out is quite the boner killer. Also, what if you like guys, but the guys in the porno aren't your type? There's just so many ignorant misconceptions behind this idea.
I've also seen a lot of fan comments that keep playing into this ignorance; that the only reason Nils decided to stop the tradition was because he obviously failed it. Or that the only reason August is against it is because he failed, and the only reason he failed is because he's secretly not straight. No. Remember that the test doesn't work. Nils probably passed, despite actually being gay. August might have failed, despite being completely straight. Regardless of what happened, they both found it humiliating, and that is why they made a pact to stop it.
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emthimofnight · 2 months
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What are Stellar's relationships like with the other main Sonic Co.?
I'll break down a handful of relevant relationships for you!!
Sonic - Stellar's dad
Stellar loves her dad, and is most like him in personality. This makes it so they are usually on the same page when it comes to what they do and don't like, but it also means that there is no one on earth who can annoy Stellar like Sonic can. 😂 As much as she loves joking around with him, sometimes his teasing and sarcasm can get on her nerves. Sonic has truly adapted to his role as an embarrassing dad, so dad jokes are non-stop in the hedgehog household. Even so, Stellar loves Sonic a lot and nothing makes her happier than running all over Green Hill with him! She wishes he'd take her on more of his big adventures.
Shadow - Stellar's papa
Stellar and Shadow are very close, but in a way that is different than how she is close with Sonic. Shadow is a quiet, steady, and responsible force in her life, one that she appreciates greatly. She knows she can rely on him for almost anything, and she finds a great amount of comfort in his presence. Shadow would do almost anything for her, and she knows it. That being said, Shadow can come across as overprotective, which becomes a point of contention between the two of them.
Tails - Uncle figure
Since Tails and Sonic were living together when Stellar arrived, he's always been an active part of her life. Once he got over the drama surrounding her existence, he was SUPER stoked to be an uncle! He was one of her regular babysitters growing up, and she really likes trying to bring out his more playful side. Even so, she finds it a bit hard to connect to him and his interests at times, as she's not very techy. She might not understand all of his brainiac lingo, but she does love all the fun gadgets he comes up with! He actually helped create her skates as a way to help vent her excess chaos energy!
Knuckles - Uncle figure
Knuckles is probably the uncle she relates to the most, as she shares his love of adventure and the outdoors! She often spends time listening to him tell stories of all the adventures he and Sonic have gone on, her eyes filled with stars. She admires him greatly, and thinks he's super cool! The only thing she doesn't get is how he can spend so much of his time sitting around and guarding the Master Emerald. She has far too much energy to be able to sit still for that long!
Amy - Aunt figure
Amy was another of her regular babysitters growing up, which is also how she and Camellia became so close. Amy would come over to visit with Camellia in tow, and the two would spend a majority of the time playing together. She sees Amy as a warm, loving person, and she feels like she could tell her almost anything. She does know not to piss her off, though! Amy is a force to be reckoned with when she's upset! Of course, she's delighted whenever she comes over, and it always helps that she brings yummy baked goods with her!
Rouge - Aunt figure
The aunt she's closest with, Rouge helped Stellar shape a lot of her personal style. She's the rich auntie type, always coming over with gifts and taking Stellar out to have girl time. She is responsible for a lot of the more feminine aspects of Stellar, seeing as she's the one who introduced the world of cosmetics to her. If it wasn't for her, Stellar would have been dressed in oversized t-shirts and running shoes all her life!
Blaze - Aunt figure
Being softer and more reserved, Stellar finds it harder to connect with Blaze. It's not that she doesn't appreciate her, she's just can find her a bit hard to read at times. She definitely exudes that queenly energy, and she can find that a bit intimidating at times. Even so, she's always happy to get opportunities to know her better, and she recognizes she's an empathetic and responsible person.
I should also mention that the only one out of this group that she genuinely sees like blood family is Tails. Everyone else are kind of like god parents or something, haha! She doesn't see any of the other fankids as cousins, basically. She sees them as peers/friends.
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hisui-dreamer · 1 year
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a world without you
Pairing: Leona Kingscholar x gn!reader
Synopsis: When Leona hears the Shroud brothers' plan, he thinks back to his herbivore, and how their existence has changed so much for him.
Tags: spoilers up to Ch 6!!!, established relationship, angst but fluff, drama, bot proofread
Word count: 878
Notes: this can be read as my view of leona's character, so please accept my leona brainrot <3 just some thoughts I had when I read ch 6. also leona might be a little ooc but it's his internal thoughts so I like to think he's more emotional :3
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"It needs to reset before we can start a new game."
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Shocked expressions were exchanged across the room as the implications of the younger Shroud's plan slowly settled on everyone's mind.
Leona couldn't help but think that, if the opportunity had been given to him a year ago, he'd likely have accepted whatever the robot kid was going for.
Leona always felt that he had been cheated in life. Ever since he was young, he was constantly compared to his older brother, who was seen as the epitome of success in their family, the perfect heir to the throne. Everyone would constantly praise his brother's achievements while dismissing his own accomplishments as trivial. It didn't matter that he was working hard to prove himself, that he could wield such powerful magic as a child.
He often wondered why he had to be born, if he was only meant to stay in another person's shadow to make them seem brighter in contrast.
No matter how hard he studied, how mature he acted, or how strong his magic was, it was all pointless. The ghostly whispers of the palace staff continued, and the judging remarks from the council intensified.
He was born as the second prince.
And he was destined to forever be just that—second.
When it finally clicked for him, he stopped trying. Why make an effort in anything, when time and time again, he had given his all only to end up with nothing? They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting different results. Despite what others might say, Leona was incredibly brilliant, with a sharp mind fit to be a wise ruler. He knew, without a doubt, that it was pointless to continue down the road of insanity.
Instead, he continued down the path of sloth, eventually finding everything, the entire world, pointless. He found himself skipping classes and taking naps whenever he could, hiding away from the world where he would never be able to stand under the sun, but at least comforted by the serene embrace of his dreams.
He had wanted to turn the world to sand and start over.
It had been a wild thought, but here the Shrouds were, proposing an entire reset of the world.
Leona's mind raced as he contemplated the consequences of such an ordeal. Indeed, he had always dreamed of a world where everyone had an equal chance to succeed, where people were not judged based on their social status, birth order, or magical ability. A world where he was no longer burdened by the expectations of his family, where he was free to be who he truly was, a world where everyone was given a fair chance to succeed, and where no one was left behind.
And yet, without realising it, the thought of starting over in a new world had left his mind ever since you came into his life. You were everything he had ever wished for but never deserved in a partner—kind, caring, and endlessly supportive, always by his side despite his crude demeanour and harsh words. You showed him that there was meaning to living, opening his eyes to the people around him. He had friends who cared about him, incredible talent that could bring great changes, and most importantly, you, his dearest herbivore who shone like a beacon in the shadowed depths of his heart.
For the first time in his life, he felt truly content with what he had, despite all the flaws and problems that persisted.
He had never cared about resetting the world and losing everything he had to start anew. But it was a different story now.
What would happen to the people he cared about in this new world? What if he never met you? What if everything he had ever known and loved was erased? And what of the memories that he made at NRC with you, with Savanaclaw, and everyone else?
Leona's thoughts drifted to his memories of you, your fierce eyes staring directly into his, determined to befriend him; the quiet evenings you had spent together under the starry sky sharing stories and enjoying each other's company; the way you would instinctively lean into him for comfort; the dazzling smile that graced your face when you spotted him in a crowd.
He made up his mind then.
He didn't want, no, he wouldn't risk losing you. Your presence had given him the joy he had never experienced, the hope for a better day tomorrow, and he wouldn't give that up for anything. He would continue to work towards a fairer world, but he would do so without resetting everything that he had come to cherish.
He had learned to appreciate the people in his life. He had found happiness, despite the unfairness of the world. He knew that he had found something precious in this unfair world—someone who cherished him wholeheartedly for whatever he may be.
No, he doesn't want to reset the world.
"I'll grant you one thing. The world totally sucks as it is. But I don't think your new one would be any more to my taste. So I'm going to stick with this one. It's less of a pain."
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blubffsd · 1 year
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— WORLDS COLLIDE.
summary: It's the world cup final, your boyfriend and his national team reached the final again. But this time he's playing against your country.
note: play "The Great War" by Taylor Swift if you wanna a better experience.
thank you so much @http-isabela for make this with me, this is yours too girl 😋😋
warnings: a lot of drama.
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Mia is in the bathroom of the hotel room looking at the shirt she is wearing. It's the France jersey, with the number 10 on the back and her boyfriend's last name too. At another time she would have been proud to wear it, but now she feels uncomfortable. She knows she doesn't want to use it.
This event and football itself is very important to her boyfriend and it's also important to her. Not only because of Kylian, her whole family has always been related to this sport and her father was a player too.
Her boyfriend's parents and his little brother are in the room too, they're all totally excited and all they're talking about is who could win the match. Obviously they are sure that France will be the winner and they really want it to be so. But Mia can't say the same.
She leave the bathroom under the gaze of Fayza, who noticed her strange behavior today, but didn't want to tell her anything. Mia walk over and sit next to Ethan, and he rests his head on her shoulder.
—Hey, I don't think I should go, I'm very nauseous and I don't think that going to the game gonna be the best, what if it's a virus or something contagious?
—Oh, please. –Ethan laughed– what you have is called nerves, you're afraid to see Kylian play, I understand you.
The fear is actually seeing Kylian win.
—Come on, Mia. Don't be negative, you'll see that we'll do very well –this time it was Fayza who spoke to her trying to calm her down.
—I can even see the photo of us kissing the cup just like in 2018 –her brother-in-law hugs her by the shoulders.
Why does everyone assume she wants France to win? Mia doesn't know what to do or say, she wants to think of something else so they will believe her and leave her alone in the room, but she knows they won't allow that. Kylian needs her there to feel good, but this time she doesn't want to support him.
Mia stays in the room with her boyfriend's family until it's time to go to the stadium. She leaves the hotel knowing that what is about to happen is not going to be easy.
And that what happened in 2018 is going to happen again, no matter which country she support.
As she walk into the stadium her boyfriend is on the pitch warming up with his national team, he's pretty determined to win today. His ambition doesn't let him think about anything other than the possibility of raising the cup a second time and fulfilling his dream again. On the other hand, her love for her country, her father and the sport doesn't let her think about anything other than seeing Lio win the cup, even if it means that her boyfriend loses.
Mia had even seen several comments on instagram posts from people who expected her to support her boyfriend's country, since it was the place where she lived now. Even several Kylian fans had sent her messages threatening her to support him and not her country.
Mia knows that this isn't a normal football match, it could say that the pride of two countries was being played. And that both the Argentines and the French expected her to support their respective countries. The Argentines because it's her country of birth and she is the daughter of one of the most beloved football players in the country, and even Messi's former coach, also because of the good relationship she has with some players and their families, and the French because she is the girlfriend of their biggest star and they don't want her to distract him.
She feels like everyone is waiting to see what she does but even she doesn't know what she wants to do.
Mia knows that she doesn't want to support her boyfriend's country, she knows that she feels like a black sheep sitting on the side of France and she also knows that now all the Argentine media are attacking her, like in 2018.
Mia knows everything that is happening and everything that she is feeling right now but she doesn't know how to act in the face of it. And it's not very easy to think about that when she has a camera in her face as she sit next to Ethan in the stands, knowing that her dad will be disappointed at the moment he sees her in the Kylian jersey.
Behind Mia are her in-laws sitting, with Jirès and Melissa and on the other side Hakimi and Hiba, who don't stop talking about how very proud she must feel to be about to see her boyfriend be world champion for the second time.
Everything that was happening around her is making Mia very nervous, it won't be long before the game starts and she knows that there are many people in the stands recording her to prove or deny that she is supporting Kylian just by seeing her reactions.
All the people sitting around her supporting her boyfriend are talking but she doesn't really pay attention until she hear her name.
—Right, Mia? –Jirès is looking at her waiting for her answer.
—Sorry, I didn't hear you, what?
—Your father was a player for the Argentine national team, right? –Mia nod– and he never made it to any world finals, right?
—No, but he won World Cups in Argentina as a coach.
She doesn't know why he asked her that, but it made her feel bad. Mia feels Melissa's gaze on her, so she turns to look at her and see her mocking face.
—The good thing is that now you are with a true champion.
What did she just say?
What did she mean by "a true champion"? Was it a roundabout way of saying that my dad was a failure or something? Or did she just want to praise Kylian and chose the wrong words?
Mia wants to believe that it wasn't malicious, but Melissa's expectant gaze on her, waiting for some reaction on her part, makes things clear to her. And she weren't going to let her humiliate her dad like that.
She is about to say something she'll regret later, but Ethan interrupt her saying that the game is about to start.
When the game started and she saw the Argentina players touch the ball, she remembered the times her dad took her to see him at his games or training sessions, the way he told her how proud he was to be able to say that he played for his country, and how he always taught her that she never have to forget where she came from or the difficult situations she went through, because that's who she is.
Mia remembered all the conversations that he and she used to have, everything they used to do before she moved to France, before everything changed.
She can't screw it all up again, so she gets up from her seat to do what she wanted to do since she arrived in Qatar: cheer on her country.
Mia knows that there are many French fans recording her while she sings "Muchachos" or other songs supporting Argentina, she is aware of all the signs that her brothers-in-law, her in-laws and her boyfriend's friends have given her to sit down and shut up, but honestly at this moment she cares in the least.
After a while of shouting to the beat of the Argentine fans, she sits down while she feels the disapproving looks of her boyfriend's family. They are looking at are so badly that it really makes her uncomfortable, but she tries to ignore it.
This is the moment that she and her father had waited all their lives and what they think didn't affect her joy and her desire to support Argentina at all.
The atmosphere in the box is tense after Mia have supported Argentina with the France shirt on, she were too brave to do that.
But obviously everything got worse.
Mia feels how her breathing paused, the whistle blows, it's a penalty kick for Argentina.
Everyone around her is too deep in their own mind to notice her happy face.
The person in charge of kicking the penalty is obviously Lio, she does't know how it happened, the only thing she saw was the ball going through the net of the French goal.
Her body acts on its own at this point. Lio scored the first goal of the game, she gets up from her seat shouting with happiness like the rest of the Argentines.
Right now she doesn't care that she is wearing the France jersey, that Ethan is next to her, or that her boyfriend can see her. Nothing matters now.
Ethan took her arm with a lot of force making her sit again.
—What's happening to you? You're crazy, don't do that again. –her brother-in-law looks at her angrily, with a frown and a glare.
—Ethan let me go, you're hurting me –she raised her voice so he can hear.
But he ignores her words, so in a sudden movement she let go of his grip, seeing that he left the mark of his hand on her arm.
—How dare you support Argentina and then celebrate their goals? You have my brother's number jersey on your back.
—Calm down Ethan, I couldn't help it.
It's my fucking country that scored, what you do expect me to do? Cry?
—Don't do it again.
Mia is about to answer but Hiba grabs her shoulders stopping as a sign to shut up, so she did.
—Enough both of you, silence. Don't make a fuss here. Ethan, relax, please. –Hakimi intervenes this time seeing the tension between the two of them.
—I can't calm down, she's celebrating that we're losing. –he turns to see Achraf and then back to Mia.– What's wrong with you?
She knew this was going to happen and she couldn't be more sorry she went to the game.
—Ethan, please. It was an impulse, let's focus on the game, there are cameras everywhere. –says Hiba trying to end the discussion.
Ethan looks at Mia for the last time and she prefer to remain silent.
She turns to see Hiba and smile at her, as a sign of gratitude for having calmed the situation, but she just nods.
After 13 minutes where Argentina has absolute possession of the ball, Di María scores the second goal of the match.
Mia rises from her seat again, whooping with excitement, as she watches the players from her country hug each other.
This time no one stopped her.
The only thing she thinks about is her father, who could never win the world cup when he was playing, knowing that right now he is probably shedding happy tears at home, almost feeling the cup in his hands.
When her excitement fades a bit, she sit down again, then Ethan tosses her jacket onto her lap, the jacket that's been on his since they sat down. Mia looks at him confused.
—You're a fucking traitor –he yells close to her face.
Wilfried puts his hand on Ethan's chest, pulling him back away from her.
—Stop son, don't do that.
Mia keep seeing his angry face, she never seen him like this.
—You don't deserve the shirt with my last name on your back –he yells even louder.
She feels how her pulse quickens.
—Kylian deserves more from you, it can't be that you don't support him when he needs you the most –Hiba brings her face closer to Mia whispering– Stop doing stupid things, you're crazy. You're wearing Kylian's jersey and sitting next to his family as you clap for the enemy.
Enemy? It's my country, my people, my father and his dream, it's all my life.
—Have respect for him.
Mia doesn't know what to answer so she looks back at the field.
The first half passed, with a 2-0 result with Argentina winning. She is all the time with her eyes fixed on the field, she doesn't have enough courage to look at someone.
Now Mia is sitting between Hakimi and Ethan, both of them mad at her.
She is deep in her thoughts, she doesn't know what to do, her father will be devastated if he sees her supporting France and Kylian will be more than disappointed if he sees her continue supporting Argentina.
It feels like two worlds about to collide, her life in Argentina and her life in France. Her father and the people she loves against her partner and everyone around them. Both sides expect her to be with them.
She doesn't notice that the players have returned to the field until she hear the whistle of the referee starting the second half of the game.
The match continues with France without scoring a goal, the players already a bit tired and making fouls.
But the time came, a player falls in the Argentine area after a push from Otamendi, the referee whistles indicating the penalty.
Kylian is going to kick it.
Mia feels her body tense, everything in her wishing he would miss the penalty. She closes her eyes feeling guilty about her thoughts.
Seconds later she hears everyone around her scream with excitement, she opened her eyes and saw all the French people celebrate, Ethan, Hakimi, Hiba, Wilfried, Fayza, Jirès and Melissa scream and hug each other with excitement.
Mia and Ethan make contact for the first time after the fight, his eyes teary from the excitement and joy of his brother's goal. Joy she doesn't feel.
Her eyes go to the field, looking for Kylian. She realizes that he was already looking at her, pointing at her, dedicating the goal to her. She smiles slightly, feeling completely guilty.
The celebration ended, just a minute after scoring the first goal, Kylian scored the second.
Her body completely tenses up, her breathing stops for a few seconds, it's the same feeling as when she was 8 years old and she saw her dad lose a game. Maybe he feels the same now.
Mia wants to cry and run away, she can't be there.
Everyone around her shouts with joy, Kylian on the field hugs his teammates.
Once the celebration is over, Kylian turns his gaze towards her, her eyes met his. She can't take it anymore and she let out a sob, covering her face with her hands.
—Are you seriously crying? –she looks up and sees Achraf, looking at her with anger and disappointment. Mia tries to say something, but no words come out of her mouth.
The rest of the game was intense, Argentina scored another goal, wanting to avoid another fight, she just lowered her head, put her hands together and mentally thanked for the goal.
Not long after, Kylian tied the game for the second time. Making a goal that, in addition to achieving his hat-trick, would change everything.
Ethan is excited, shouting and celebrating, telling Kylian from afar that he is the best, that he is incredible.
The last minutes of the game were the worst.
Dybala took the ball from Kylian, preventing the tiebreaker at the last minute, making her boyfriend yell in frustration.
The game ended and the penalties came, the players and the referees are preparing for what is to come.
Mia takes her jacket and head to the bathroom, she needs to calm down a bit and be alone. Ethan didn't take his eyes off her until he saw her disappear into the crowd.
Once inside the bathroom she takes a deep breath trying to control her breathing, everything around her is spinning, she is about to have a panic attack.
Mia grabs her phone as fast as she can and send a message to the only person who can help her right now.
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Mia tries to take big breaths to calm her thoughts but she can't. Ethan hates her right now. Hakimi and Hiba are upset with her. She doesn't feel comfortable there at all.
Mia wants someone to understand at least one of her reasons for supporting her country. Although she knows that the simple fact of being her country was enough. But there is much more than that.
She hears someone knock on the bathroom door.
—Is occupied –her voice is shaking.
—Miss Mia? Mrs. Antonella sent us, she said that she spoke with you recently.
She opened the bathroom door to find two security men, both of whom gave her a slight smile and guided her to the opposing team's box.
Mia manage to calm her breathing and her mind on the way to the box, knowing that she would no longer have to deal with the disapproving looks reassured her a lot.
She finally arrive and see Antonella waiting for her, she rushes over to hug her.
—Tranquilizate, ¿sí? No pasa nada –she says while stroking her hair– Ya está.
Mia nods her head and give her a small smile.
—Decime entonces, ¿qué pasó? (so tell me, what's happened?) –she sees the concern on her face.
—No me siento cómoda allá, no me puedo hacer la triste (i don't feel comfortable there, i can't pretend to be sad) –she laugh a little– no quiero volver (i don't wanna comeback there)
Anto smiled at Mia again.
—Bueno vení, vamos a ponerte otra cosa, que te van a decir mufa acá si te ven con eso puesto. (Well come on, we're going to give you another shirt, because if they see you with that shirt they're going to tell you that you're bad luck.)
Antonella goes to the box to look through her things and returns with an Argentina shirt with the number 24.
—No tenía ninguna yo, así que le pedí a las chicas y la novia de Enzo te prestó esa (I didn't have any t-shirt, so i asks the girls and Enzo's girlfriend lent you that one.) –she gives her the shirt and guides her to the bathroom.
Mia walks into the bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror. She knows that if she changes her shirt she betray her boyfriend and that everything would get worse, but she doesn't care.
She leaves the bathroom with the Argentina shirt on and she feels more comfortable and safe being on that side of the stands.
Just as Mia sit down next to Antonella, the referee blows his whistle indicating to Kylian that he should take the first penalty. He kicks and scores, the entire audience celebrates with him. He looks happy.
—Silence –Anto laugh– My husband is going to kick.
Everyone wait for Lio to kick with sweaty hands and heart to the fullest, ready for anything. Antonella was the first to shout the goal, being imitated by all. They all hug each other. Mia hugs Mateo, completely moved.
The next penalty was missed, Dibu Martinez saved it. The silence from the French audience was chilling. Argentina for its part celebrates and praises its goalkeeper. Happiness overflows her.
Her phone was ringing with messages from your father, full of emotion about what is happening. Mia feels her teary eyes, his dream is coming true.
She hears Antonella call out to you and point to the field, Kylian is grabbing Enzo by the jersey. Antoine and Olivier try to calm the situation, while Di María and Cuti Romero keep Enzo away from her boyfriend.
Mia sees Kylian's angry face while Enzo was talking to him, surely provoking him, he points in her direction. She feels her skin crawl when Kylian turns to where she is and looks at her and her shirt.
Enzo doesn't stop with the taunts, she doesn't know what he's saying, but he keeps pointing at her until Oliviar punches him in the face.
Security intervenes and separates them, but her eyes are fixed on Kylian, who didn't move from his place, looking at her from afar, his eyes reflecting pain.
The people around her yell in anger at the interruption of penalties.
Her phone vibrates in her hand, making she looks away from Kylian.
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She stares at her phone for a few seconds, feeling a slight pain in her chest.
Mia gets up from her seat without wanting to attract anyone's attention and lock herself in the bathroom, quite overwhelmed by everything that's happening, and not wanting to face whatever it's going to happen.
She looks at her in the mirror while she thinks about everything that will happen when this is over, she doesn't know what will happen, but she knows that it will not be good.
She hears everyone nearby yelling and you open the bathroom door to find out that Argentina just won.
All hugging and crying with joy.
Her dad's dream came true, the dream that made her wait for him for more than one birthday, the dream that made her dad not go to the hospital when you were born, the dream that forced her to love football to spend time with her dad.
The moment she has been waiting for her whole life has just arrived. And she wants to cry with happiness, her dad is surely the happiest man on earth and she is happy with that. Although she would have liked him to have been just as happy on her birthdays, or everytime he was with her.
Mia leaves the bathroom coming back to reality, all the happiness she felt a second ago gone. She is thinking about Kylian now, she needs to talk to him and try to explain something to him, if she can, but she knows that he won't want to and that no one is going to let her get close.
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Mia feels the tears running down her cheeks, everything she said really hurt her, mostly what she said about her dad, but she can't blame her, although it hurts, she's right after all.
She puts on her jacket, the same one that Ethan had thrown at her completely angrily a few hours ago, and she goes to the exit of the stadium.
She takes the first taxi she finds and go to the hotel, she quickly goes to her room once she arrived and put her things away as fast as she could.
She takes the first shirt she finds and take off Enzo's to put that one on.
She looks for the fastest flight to Paris and buy tickets for the first one available.
She has to go.
She can't see Kylian, she can't look him in the eye.
She brokes his trust in her.
His brothers hates her
His father looks at her with contempt.
His friends do the same, reminding her that everything she did was wrong.
She rushes her steps in the lobby to leave the hotel as soon as possible, she takes another taxi, this time bound for the airport.
She ruined everything, like in 2018.
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note: i really tried my best this time lol
tags: @suzysface @mrswhitethornbelikov
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batsplat · 1 month
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hello i saw in your tags that you don't think people on here get casey stoner and as someone relatively new into the sport i would love to hear your thoughts <3
(context here) okay first of all, this post will be framed as ‘things I wish people talked about more with regards to casey stoner’, rather than arguing against what I think people think
I've tried to come up with a concise response to this ask but kept heading into thesis-length territory. so I decided to write a bullet point list and it’s still… yeah… but well it could be worse. if you, dear anon, wish to read thousands of words of casey stoner lore then please let me know. otherwise, here are just a few things I find interesting about this bloke:
casey has a very complex relationship with the concept of confidence, both in other riders and himself, in the sense that he KNOWS how important it is but also believes/wishes that he specifically is kinda above all that
this feeds into how he wishes that racing were Just Racing and not all this other stuff… not his brain not his body not other racers being assholes on/off track not talking to journalists or doing photoshoots not having to deal with politics etc etc - central underlying tension of his career
he has openly spoken about not ever really enjoying race day, saying the only thing he's missed after retiring is qualifying. very perfectionist, the anxiety, the over-thinking, craving control… all key casey traits
(which also ties in with the valentino rivalry, because valentino obviously adores racing (in particular wheel-to-wheel battle) but he’s also great at all that other off-track stuff)
some very rigid ideas of How The Sport Should Look, which you can see in everything from how he talks about racing standards to the introduction of CRT riders (he had it OUT for them, head hot every time aleix espargaro shows up in parc fermé) to valentino’s influence on ducati and the importance of the colour red
let him have his mean streak! the grim satisfaction in discussing jorge’s 2008 injuries after his early-season arrogance towards casey, the dismissiveness towards dani, some of the wilder valentino remarks (this isn’t a criticism to be clear, alien-on-alien violence is part of the natural order of things)
casey is a classic case of ‘just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they aren’t after you’. definitely a suspicious guy and perpetual underdog 'me against the world' mindset. not to get too psychoanalytic-y, but I reckon this was partly born out of how he had to leave australia as a teenager (with his family completely dependent on him succeeding) because of how the racing establishment down under fucked him over
they definitely were out to get him a lot of the time, cf yamaha and then ducati drama plus the slander from some of the greats of the sport, fellow riders, the media etc etc (particularly egregious in 2009 when he was dealing with his mystery illness and a lot of people said some pretty unpleasant stuff in his absence - here is just one example)
his struggles were constantly downplayed. the chronic fatigue misdiagnosed as lactose intolerance led to people calling him weak-minded, broken, running away from the sport (part of why he was so allergic to the idea his results might in any way be connected to what was going on in his head). add in the undiagnosed anxiety and you have all this invisible strife people wouldn't even take seriously
that being said, he definitely did have a propensity for jumping to the worst possible conclusions
two specific examples: firstly from his autobiography, where he makes the claim that valentino may have been sabotaged in the 2006 title decider and was deliberately given a rubbish tyre to make him lose the championship - to which casey’s response was: “welcome to my world, mate”. he does have a tendency to believe he’s being sabotaged, and is constantly on the look out for conspiracies even when they are… unlikely
the other example is mat oxley talking about his issues with casey in his stint working for ducati, partly based on a misunderstanding:
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something allegedly written about him in 2001!
let’s just say he can definitely hold a grudge
the moaner stoner stuff was definitely nasty, calling him mopey and whiny and all of that, but he also has never shied away from some good old-fashioned complaining (some of this was a bit of a spiral - complaining for good reason worsening public perception of him leading to more reasons to complain)
see also the lingering marc grudge, who probably did play a significant part in getting casey kicked out of honda (as casey has accused him of). whether marquez prevented stoner from racing in 2015 is more of an open question. casey still speaks about how honda made a mistake by only listening to marc (which, again, does have some truth to it)
casey was always very quick to shut down the idea that momentum, motivation, confidence etc could affect his results (unlike that of his competitors) because he argues he was always very rational & clear-sighted about when things were his fault & when things could be blamed on the bike + extraneous factors. he really goes into detail about this when discussing 2008 laguna seca in his autobiography, which he argues had no effect on him psychologically (but was followed by him crashing out of the lead of the next two races)
has definitely spoken more about his rivalry with valentino than valentino has, which probably has also helped shape perception of it over time
on ‘ambition outweighed talent’ - I feel like people almost understate just what a (hilariously) out of pocket remark it was in context. it was rossi’s second ever race at ducati (and the start of his season was impacted by his shoulder issues) - and the rain meant he had a ~win it or bin it~ approach because he knew it was as good a chance as he might get for some time (despite starting from 12th). the move on stoner for second place was at best optimistic, most definitely impatient and at worst foolish - but sort of understandable in that situation, rossi was definitely rapid, and this stuff can happen in the wet. in that sense, it was obviously more a reaction to the manner of the apology (and his frustration with the stewards) than to what casey himself described as a racing incident
stoner made a remark in his autobiography about how rossi had stolen 25 points in a title battle he was never going to be a part of (oof). whether you're obligated to race title contenders differently is already a bit sketch but certainly should not be a consideration for anybody in round TWO
he was forced to publicly retract the remarks, though he doubled down on them to a deeply funny extent in his autobiography by suggesting they were true of valentino’s entire career and that he’d just benefited from a weak era. rossi mostly took it on the chin especially when interviewed about it for documentaries, probably because with something like that you do just need to take the L
it's understandable how it’s become such a defining image of their rivalry (along with laguna seca), not least because of how evocative the whole thing is - rossi showing up still wearing his helmet, trying to make a PR apology stick while he’s been eating nauseating amounts of humble pie at ducati; stoner casual as you like, pissed off about the points loss while still indulging in schadenfreude about how the Great Big Ducati Adventure is working out for rossi
but again, I think it’s funnier because of just HOW over the top an insult it was in that situation (and more broadly how it does have a different vibe to their interactions when they were meaningfully competing, aka 2007-2008)
in conclusion: casey has his doubts and his insecurities and his obsessions and his foibles… a complicated guy in his own right
and a big thing I’d like to stress here is that the rivalry with valentino does benefit from treating them both as somewhat unreliable narrators
I just think he's neat
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ystrike1 · 7 months
Text
Kiss the Bride - By Anchovy (8/10)
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Kiss the Bride is a yaoi webtoon about a selfish, lustful, downright mean, modern-era Duke. He is literally the psychopathic rich guy. He thinks picking things up off the ground is beneath him, but is he a good yandere? Yes. Yes, he is.
Let me save you a ton of frustration. Plenty of people dropped this one, because it's a marriage of convenience story without the wish fulfillment. A Duke marrying a regular person (and a man at that) causes issues. A trainwreck. Ten trainwrecks. The couple actually doesn't spend time together after their marriage, because they're too busy dealing with the drama their marriage causes. It takes awhile for anything romantic to happen, but it's a nice dose of reality. It also makes the yandere part better. It's not easy for the Duke to have his way, and marry his true love.
He's gotta manipulate the press and the royal family (and his unfortunate male Duchess) to do it.
.
Javier doesn't want to have a kid. He thinks his Ducal bloodline should end with him, and he wants to spend a sizable amount of his father's fortune on...small business loans for the poor?
Wait...he sounds like a great guy what's going on?
Javier has made ending his line his mission in life, so he decides to rope his only "poor" friend into his problems.
The royal family is forcing him to get married, so he decides to go ham. Just absolutely wreck shit. He actually messes with the economy it's nuts.
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Jaewon is a gorgeous tennis player who lives in Spain. Javier's country. He attended a fancy tennis training camp with Javier and a bunch of future pros a long time ago. He was the "poor but skilled guy". Javier was impressed by him, and he needs a contract Duchess.
Why?
Well, the royal family is traditional. Affairs are fine but divorce is not an option. Divorce messes with messy things like money and honor.
Jaewon is literally the only person Javier is willing to partner up with for life, even though he has not seen Jaewon in years.
This lights a fire in him, and he starts to make a plan. A plan within a plan. Does he explain anything to Jaewon? No lol.
He is literally so insane that he doesn't care if he's platonic or romantic with Jaewon. If he has to give up his lusty bachelor life it's Jaewon or nothing. Which is completely absurd because Jaewon isn't even his friend or anything.
Jaewon is shocked when he gets a blunt, short "marry me for the money I know you want some" proposal.
Like.
Buddy. My guy. Dude. You had an epiphany and you realized you would marry someone. You've been banging supermodels for a decade, but the royal family pressed a gun to your head and you immediately decided to go grab this one guy. You could have told him that romantic junk and skipped half the plot, but whatever I guess. Being nice to your one true love is overrated.
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By the way Jaewon isn't an athlete anymore. He injured his leg in a car accident so it's over. He uses weed to cope with the pain. He has no money. He's gay and he developed a crush on Javier long ago. He's still got feelings, because they did have a secret relationship. A weird one where they never discussed their feelings.
They literally snuck around at night to hang out at tennis camp.
Let me explain.
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Things got crazy back at Rich Boy Tennis Camp. Javier offered to buy a French village for Jaewon. Not villa. Village. The two men also started playing tennis together at night. Both of them kept it a secret from their friends as well, because they enjoyed spending time alone together. They did it every night. They started going on day trips together and skipping training...it's a whole thing. The other campers actually do start to assume they're gay.
In a panic Jaewon denies he is gay and he says its gross.
Javier says the same after he hears Jaewon's outburst. His heart has been broken, but he moves on. Javier is too good at hiding his emotions, and he's not a nice guy in general. Both men go into the closet....kinda? Javier isn't gay. He's bisexual. He doesn't get with other men after Jaewon because he's a public figure, and being a womanizer is perfectly normal for the 1%.
Also Javier lost to Jaewon at tennis on purpose so Jaewon could have the prize money, because he's poor. This hurt Jaewon's pride terribly.
Their communication issues worsened, and the two men never reconnected until now.
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Jaewon has a crush, but he's not some scrub that will just bow and do whatever Javier says.
He demands a divorce like 8 times to get Javier to change his behavior and uh...it works? It gets the job done.
Javier offers him endless money in exchange for the marriage, but Jaewon needs time to adjust.
By the way.
Quick pause here.
Javier firmly believes Jaewon isn't interested in him. He just wants to give Jaewon castle access, and go straight back to his phonebook of emotionless lovers.
Jaewon is like...no...you have to help me get used to this life. No lovers for at least a year. Teach me how to be a Duchess.
Javier agrees, but he has his own orders. No more weed. Jaewon will be treated by a private doctor instead.
They sign some paperwork. Then the men are married, but the royal family doesn't want to recognize the marriage. They must wait for a formal answer from the palace.
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I think alot of people dropped the story right here. Isabel. One of Javier's many flings. She is his secretary. Before he married Jaewon suddenly she was his partner. Then the second he got married he cut her off cold turkey.
This woman tries to ruin Jaewon's life. Not just his marriage.
Javier wants Jaewon to be comfortable, even though he says mean things. Isabel is supposed to be taking care of Jaewon, while Javier deals with backlash from the royals.
Jaewon doesn't move into the palace. He stays in his tiny apartment. Why? Isabel doesn't move him in. Isabel also speaks other languages with Javier in front of Jaewon, so he can't understand what's going on. So....uh...he doesn't move to a safe place.
News of the wedding breaks out.
Reporters swarm around Jaewon.
He's in actual danger.
Jaewon has to threaten divorce AGAIN just to get Javier's attention. Javier thought elite security guards had been placed outside of Jaewon's residence. The issue is Isabel was in charge so....the guards hired are worthless.
Jaewon finally moves in.
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Jaewon and Javier finallllyyyy start attending events together. Everyone is amazed. The Duchess is a male commoner, but he is really handsome.
One of Javier's business pals, Keyar, immediately starts flirting with the Duchess.
So, what happens?
Javier is originally not jealous. Just a bit bitter, but he thinks Jaewon has no interest in men. So Keyar's comments about Jaewon will never be reciprocated. All of his flirting is meaningless unless Jaewon starts to like it.
Keyar tries to "win a night" with the Duchess with a tennis match too.
(Yeah)
When Javier needs allies later he enlists Keyar to care for Jaewon, after his fractured knee worsens and political issues flare up. He does it because he knows Keyar is one of the few that will never harm Jaewan.
It ends with a kiss.
Javier tries to ruin Keyar financially when he steals a kiss from Jaewon.
(Like dude...boundaries...if you put up clear boundaries this wouldn't have happened.)
Also Isabel gets fired in one scene. It’s hilarious.
Jaewon says "her or me?".
He snaps his fingers and Isabel is escorted out.
It's awesome, but a bit late.
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This is Alfonso.
Jaewon's friend and weed dealer.
This was a turning point.
We find out that Javier is quite jealous. He has eyes on Jaewon literally all the time. He assumes Alfonso is a romantic interest too. He won't listen to reason.
He demands a complete cut.
No contact with Alfonso ever again.
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So, what is the plan here?
An abstinent couple?
Jaewon finally admits he's gay.
The married men finally start sleeping together.
The stakes somehow get even higher. Remember those loans??? The funds allocated for the poor???
Yeah they're part of Javier's plot to marry Jaewon for real, and keep all of his money.
The royal family, obviously, tries to reject the marriage. Javier neglected Jaewon in favor of work to sew seeds to keep their marriage binding (forver remember no divorce allowed because tradition). He put on a show, from day one. He became a public LGBTQ+ ally. He doted on his Duchess in public for months. He also used the press to make Jaewon famous. He hid Jaewon's face from the internet and reporters, until the handsome beauty of the Duchess became a gossip sensation.
He declares that he will give up his title and cash to marry Jaewon, in front of the world.
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They can be honest, finally, after almost a year of marriage.
The dominos begin to fall.
The entire loan investment project was all Javier. He lied and said he had other investors, but if he's not Duke the poor don't get their money.
He moves back into his castle with his husband.
He's a rude bastard, but he does always win in an entertaining way.
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bloggingboutburgers · 3 months
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First of, I'm a big fan of your work. I love your comics and art and was happy to hear about the engagement 😁
As for my question, I love writing stories and creating OCs/characters. In your recent comic you called out that the only ace/aro rep always seems to be "the creator said so on Twitter" (a problem with a lot of rep. in media).
So I was curious, if I wanted to create an aroace character (and write a story with them), how could I naturally show them being aroace? Do you perhaps have any idea?
Thank you so much for the kind words!^^
Arguably my complaints are ironic because I myself haven't done proper aroace rep in my own fiction thus far – though I guess I'm compensating for that with my current comics, haha 🙈 But also, I've said it before and I'll say it again cus I'm annoying like that – Bojack Horseman did it, in my opinion, so that gives the rest of the media less excuses I guess.
So, again these are my personal views, and they're possibly demanding, but this would be my checklist for ideal aroace rep:
The aro/ace character needs to... BE a character. Actually have arcs, that matter within the story. Whether they're about being asexual or not doesn't really matter as long as THEY matter as a character.
...Ngl I feel they need to matter BEFORE they're revealed as aro/ace too, and obviously after. If they don't, they'll just feel like a placeholder who's just there to tick a box to me.
The fact that they're aro/ace needs to be addressed and not pushed under the rug or left up to interpretation. Leaving things up to interpretation will have so many people interpret them as allo for sure (just like in real life). And conversely, saying they're aro/ace may spark some curious questions and possibly awkward conversations (just like in real life). (...Again tbh Bojack Horseman was great at doing it naturally. The confusion from the ace character themself, the ace character's friend assuming they're gay because yeah that always happens, the MC having a friendly yet clueless "haha you're lucky that'd save me so many problems if I didn't have sexual attraction"... I could go on.)
By that I also mean... Actually NAMING the orientation at some point. If it's not named people who consume the media and don't know such an orientation exists will be none the wiser. (I'm guilty of that myself tbh. In one of my webcomics I had an alloaro character but never had the orientation mentioned within the story, I left it at showing he has sex and him having a conversation with his family explaining he doesn't have a favorite person because he just can't, but I feel like that's not enough, and I've been feeling a bit bad about it.) A good way of bringing that up fairly naturally would be to have the character figure out their orientation within the story, as a way to have the audience learn alongside them; but it could also be played for drama, which I don't think I've ever seen and would like to dabble with myself at some point – like, imagine you have a friend you hold dear who's key to your personal development and suddenly you find out they see you as sex / romance prospects and not as a friend like YOU do? That'd be crushing but that could definitely make for a good conflict. I should try writing that. I'm rambling anyway. Bleh.
Another thing that, to me, is key to the aro/ace experience is that the character may have some moments of questioning their place in the world. Our world is obsessed with sex and romance and fiction exacerbates that to the point where some characters barely even exist if they don't have romance. This could range from "Do I NEED to even identify myself as something" (again, Bojack Horseman did that great) to "Friendship is the most important relationship to me but not to my friends, what if they all abandon me once they find the one person they consider 'more important'". I dunno. I feel like there could be some interesting storylines there. I definitely would love to dabble into that myself a bit more, though I lack the time and talent – those concepts and the lack of things that are done with it live in my head rent-free.
...Actually I feel it could be good to show aro/ace characters as full of heart (if it fits their personality), having their own feelings and emotions outside of the usual romance spectrum, to show that they're just as human and compelling as the other characters. (...AGAIN Bojack Horseman did that great imo, I feel bad that I'm only ever quoting that show but that's still the best example I can ever think of.) Like – betrayal, loneliness, grief, kinship, literally ANY other form of love than romantic love... We feel all of those too, and those deserve to be addressed in stories just as much (if not more) than the pining or simping that's kinda everywhere.
Oh yeah and speaking of being human... Yeah, human. We need more human aro/ace characters. Making it so that only the aliens/gods/demons/robots/whatever are ever allowed to be aro/ace only serves to dehumanize these orientations.
...IIIII think that's it. I might be forgetting some things I'd wanna add on later but I think that covers everything that would make for ideal rep in my own opinion
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bridgetoesoteria · 4 months
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🥰Timeless Love Reading 💟💗
Heyy back with anotha one! ➡Poll correlates with the piles⬅
Hope it resonates :)
Collective: For everyone I am getting the message that its time to break out of limiting beliefs. It may be time to face some fears or other things you have been avoiding.
I'm using a deck that I very rarely reach for these days. It was my first deck and I loved it! But it reminds me of someone who ended up really hurting me so I avoid it. But today I felt drawn to it for this reading and realized I didn't want to let them taint my life any longer.
I feel that everyone is being called to do that in someway. Take back your power in love and start controlling the narrative more.
Using Sun and Moon Tarot + The Afro Goddess Clear Vision Duo
Pile 1: Summer
4 Card Spread: The Lovers, 3 of Cups, Queen of Wands, and Princess of Pentacles. Bottom of the deck is Ace of Swords.
I'm getting a pretty bright and cheery energy. So either this is where you are or where you are headed. Yay! Love to see it 🥳 I'm bumping some Amy Winehouse right now. It always makes me feel so sultry. That's kinda the same energy I am getting from your reading.
I think you will be going out and having a great time. You will be re-discovering your sexuality. You will truly be "feeling yourself" (no pun intended!). Some of you could be getting frisky and I see the possibility of children, so take precautions if you are not ready for kids. But for others, if that is what you are hoping for this is a good sign. Some of you may be looking to expand your families.
For others, I think you will have a suitor that comes forward and makes you forget about the past. It looks healthy and honest. (This doesn't mean trust blindly. Always maintain your boundaries and trust your intuition!). Its possible they could make a proposal like asking you on a date, asking to make it official, or something else. Seems like there is romance and mutual love ahead ♥
TL;DR: You will definitely be feeling yourself, if you aren't already. Rightfully, so! What's wrong with confidence. You might be feeling a little hot in the pants *wink wink* so take precautions if you are not looking to get pregnant. You might meet someone that is a good match. Still make sure to trust your intuition and maintain proper boundaries. These are important ingredients for any healthy relationship.
Oracle: Sensei + Passion
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Hopefully, you can see the images. Look over the messages and take what resonates with you. You will know its for you by the way it makes you feel.
Yeah... I know what I'm talking about when I said I saw some spicy energy in your reading. Luckies! I am also getting a bit of a marriage vibe.
Pile 2: Autumn/Fall
4 Card Spread: King of Cups, 6 of Wands, Ace of Cups, and 2 of Pentacles. Bottom of the deck is The Emperor.
Jamming to Miss Independent by Kelly Clarkson. Go listen! It may have messages or a vibe you resonate with! Omg and now Brokenhearted by Karmin is playing. I remember when I thought this was Cher Lloyd lol... anywayy..
I am getting such good energy for this pile! I love it. You could be romantics at heart. I am getting a free spirited energy. You don't let heartbreak keep you down and jaded. You always find a way to come back out on top and open your heart again. That is seriously impressive! Its not easy or common to be that resilient! (In case you're wondering, my phone is now playing Drama Queen (That Girl) by Lindsay Lohan). Go you! 😊🙌 If you aren't here right now, this is a sign that you can get there! Manifest it!
I do see someone coming in. They give me kind of goofy energy but well-meaning. They might have more serious intentions than you think or they could have a serious side. I do feel like the ball will be in your court in some way. So just know everything can go the way you want it to. I think this can apply to love overall. You're in a very attractive energy.
If you are going through a heartbreak, you will get over it. I don't mean that in a dismissive way. It just feels like you will start to snap out of it almost. The pain may linger but you will find ways and people to distract yourself.
Some of you are wondering if you should reconcile with a certain person. I see them thinking the same thing. You both feel the same way but probably don't show it. This is probably more of a communication problem and difference in love languages. If you do decide to get back together, try to get to know each other in a more light hearted way. Focus on the moment for now, instead of the bigger picture. Maybe get one of those "couple's questions" type of decks from Amazon.
Some of you may be trying for a baby and I see positive signs here. Make sure to really tune into your empress energy. Know that you have abundance interwoven in your energy and DNA.
TL;DR: Some of you may be experiencing some friction with a partner or may be newly single. You will feel like going out and doing you. I see that you and this other person may struggle with communication and understanding each other. Take some time apart to cool off. Don't make any impulsive decisions you will regret later. If you choose to reconcile, focus on getting know each other for who you truly are. Maybe do this in a light hearted way with some couple's quizzes/games.
Oracle: The One of Wonders + Oil and Water
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I'm definitely getting some kind of love-hate vibe. Someone you can't live with but you also can't seem to live without. I knew I was getting an LGBT vibe when I started this reading. I think some of you in this pile could belong to the community. Whether you are single, or going through a break with you partner, I see you dusting off the "freakum" dress and wildin out. Maybe you feel like you deserve this. You've earned the right to have some carefree nights.
Hey, I'm not going to stop you. If you like it, I love it! Go ahead and get it out of your system. Just be safe my dearies. Remember you might end up having a veryy honest discussion with a partner/love interest so don't do anything you might not want to share.
Pile 3: Spring
Off the Bat: Before I even began shuffling I was getting a kind of scorned feeling. Some of you may be thirsty for some kind of revenge. That's kind of funny because I have been wanting to do a "Get Your Lick Back" reading 🤣🤣 But I didn't know if that was too messy for the first week of 2024.
4 Card Spread: Queen of Swords, The Chariot, The Magician, and The Devil. Bottom of the deck is 6 of Cups.
I think you will be taking more charge in your love life. Its like you have a fire under you that's driving this energy. You could be experiencing some kind of heartbreak or toxic cycle.
You will probably be hearing from this person or reaching out to them yourself. It will be up to you what you want to do with this situation. You could take them back and have passion but its likely that you will realize you have outgrown this situation. I think you have learned a lot about this person and you are ready to put up better boundaries.
Some of you could be leaving this person. You may not trust that they are going to maintain whatever change they are showing you. If you do know this person to be toxic and hurtful, you are making the right choice.
Regardless of your specific situation, I do think with the Chariot and Magician in the middle of your reading, you have the power to manifest whatever you need. Harness whatever surge of passion or energy you get and use it to go after what you want. Some of you will manifest communication after a fight or about a fight or betrayal.
For others I see your relationship improving. I think more effort will be put in to try and protect your foundation. It feels a bit scattered for some reason. I think your intentions are in the right place. Perhaps you would benefit from couple's counseling or something similar.
TL;DR: You will have the choice to end a toxic relationship or cycle. Some of you may find that you have outgrown a person or situation. You could manifest communication from someone that reveals some kind of truth. For others, there is a commitment to protecting what you have built with each other. If you fall into that group, consider couple's therapy! Ball is in your court no matter where you fall.
Oracle: Oil and Water + The Librarian
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Read over the information for each card. I think the messages meant for you will jump out at you.
Lift Me Up by Rihanna and Demons by Imagine Dragons may have some messages you resonate with. Also check what the year of the dragon may mean for you
Pile 4: Winter
Off the Bat: I am getting a lot of air energy! I also turned off all my music and stopped sipping. Some of you could be moving into a pretty serious energy. You have priorities and don't want to waste energy on nonsense.
4 Card Spread: Page of Swords, King of Swords, 10 of Swords, and King of Wands. Bottom of deck is 10 of Cups.
Some of you could be dealing with a break up. If it hasn't gotten to that point, there may be a lot of cold energy between you and your partner or love interest. Perhaps they want to act single and keep you a secret and you just aren't cool with that? Or perhaps they have a secret of their own. I am picking up on some kind of immature and selfish behavior. I almost want to call it ridiculous. So maybe that is how you feel. Others of them may be burying themselves in work to get over some kind of pain. Whatever the case, you are not feeling emotionally fulfilled.
You feel comfortable putting a pin in things. Even though you may feel quite compatible with this person in a lot of ways, there is something missing. I feel like there may be lack of emotional availability from both sides but it could feel like they don't see you at all.
You may find yourself walking away with a heavy heart. I am seeing you represented by some very powerful cards! The Queen of Wands and High Priestess! This person may not have acknowledged your worth but that does not mean it isn't there. You have a lot of inner strength and power. Your mind and intuition are sharp. If you know you can do better, go out there and manifest it!
TL;DR: You may be kicking an unfulfilling person or situation to the side. If you are not being recognized and cherished by your partner, I think you already feel that it is time to go. You definitely have the energy to attract what you deserve. No more settling. You are walking away to get your mind right.
Oracle: Parted Paths + The Dependent
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I hope you can see that. Please take read over the messages from each card and take what resonates.
Thank you everyone for stopping by. I hope it resonates. I've never done pick a card style readings before.
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~K
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kazz-brekker · 2 years
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hotd episode 7 thoughts
let me tell you, i have been anticipating the funeral drama in this episode for WEEKS and it absolutely did not let me down.
as always i am happy that we got to see some of the dragons but i would have loved even more. where is syrax! i want to see her all grown up!
i’m glad we got the velaryons mourning laena, but it really did make me wish that we’d gotten to see more of her alive. laenor is clearly grieving his sister, but i honestly don’t think they ever had any significant scenes together.
corlys and rhaenys with their grandchildren was really sweet, i especially loved seeing rhaenys comfort rhaena and baela at the funeral.
helaena targaryen continues to be a weird little girl and i support her!
i love the idea of making aemond care more about helaena than aegon does, it’s a good characterization bit and also incredibly evil (cannot wait to see Certain Events that happen as a direct result of aemond’s actions utterly ruin their relationship).
why was this episode so dark. i could see everything but it was really gray :(
however i did like the part where everyone was standing around awkwardly after the funeral, the interpersonal drama was delicious.
matt smith and emma d’aracy have great chemistry, all the staring they did at the funeral made me SO impatient for them to actually interact, and their conversation on the beach was fantastic. 
loved getting to see them confront all their thoughts and feelings about each other that have built up over ten years. i’ve always found their relationship compelling to watch even though it’s obviously. you know. incestuous. it’s just fun to watch! and i feel less “step away from the underage girl” now that rhaenyra is older.
i know harwin strong is dead and never coming back but i’m still glad that we got to see jace mourning him and rhaenyra talking about their relationship.
a brothel …. a shack on the beach … daemon i am literally begging you to bring rhaenyra somewhere actually nice on your next date.
the scene of aemond claiming vhagar was both funny and awesome, the visual of this tiny little kid riding a huge old dragon and screaming his head off was hilarious but the moonlight dragon ride was very cool.
truly family solidarity as exemplified by the targaryen-velaryon kids is when your cousin that you just met for the first time that day wakes you up in the middle of the night to tell you your uncle stole her dead mom’s dragon so you go beat him up together!
i like the added detail that rhaena was planning to claim vhagar, it adds even more betrayal to aemond taking her instead.
is house of the dragon actually an extended psa about the dangers of giving young children knives? maybe so!
mom rhaenyra looking after her kids and making sure they’re okay is very important to me :)
honestly, i felt pretty bad for aemond in the big confrontation scene, he was kind of a jerk to the other kids but it can’t be fun to get yelled at by your dad when you’ve just lost an eye.
i absolutely LOVED the tension in that scene and the way that it built and built until alicent just went for it and tried to stab rhaenyra. characters going completely feral and unhinged in the BEST and alicent dropping her mask of cordiality and screaming at rhaenyra was so, so good.
viserys your parental favoritism is reeeally showing…
the scene between rhaenyra and laenor was wonderful, i’m so glad the show made it clear that even though they have their differences and have been basically forced into a marriage together they still care about each other and their kids a lot.
loved that larys was like “hey alicent want me to stab a kid’s eye out for you? :)” and alicent was like “no dude i’ll actually TELL you when i want you to kill someone.” she’s learning!
there were 3 dragons when the boat was sailing away, does that mean helaena has already claimed dreamfyre?
when rhaenyra and daemon started talking about getting married i was SO worried that i was going to see them engage in some not chill behavior together and kill laenor so i’m glad that didn’t happen.
i do have to respect this show for avoiding another bury your gays by having laenor fake his death but. uh. is anyone ever going to tell corlys and rhaenys that their son isn’t dead?
the valyrian wedding between daemon and rhaenyra was really cool but tbh i was kind of laughing at them passionately making out with tongue in front of their kids.
i say this every week but i am VERY excited for next week, looks like we’re in for even more family drama.
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What are your thoughts on Frederick and Nichole?
Short Answer: I like them. I think the depth they will provide to Tamarack's story will be fascinating and I look forward to seeing them both grow as characters and begin rebuilding that relationship as parents as well as apologizing for being such lackluster ones.
Long Answer:
The Baumann family drama makes me unwell. It really is providing something we haven't really seen in the OL universe. We have family drama, don't get me wrong. We have Cliff and Kyra's divorce and co-parenting, and if you get the DLC for Step 3, you even learn about the full details of that divorce and the terrible foundations their relationship had.
We never get to see Baxter's parents but we know from his own words that they're not the best people. He also admits that if weren't their son, he would never be on the receiving end of the grace they've extended to him.
But we've never had something like Tamarack's family dynamic. We've got parents and grandparents in the picture! As a couple, Frederick and Nichole are solid. They chose one another, they just also less-than-intelligently chose to have a child before wrapping up their academic careers.
And I think some of the reason Frederick and Nichole are so divisive as characters is because of how realistic it seems. Dorothea shoving all the blame onto Nichole, Frederick finding his parents and keeping up with them a chore, Ernst's passivity all but co-signing his wife's views on their daughter-in-law and Nichole mixing up her priorities in her pursuit to prove herself to herself and the rest of the world. Then you have Tamarack wrapped in all of that when she never asked to be.
The independent but lonely wild child. The wild child that grows into someone with none of the confidence she had as a 10 year old. And who truthfully feels like no one really cares about her, especially not when she actually needs them (that is unless the player becomes a source of comfort for her).
It's one big mess that needs to be solved.
Frederick and Nichole interest me because of the way their minds work. They wanted Tamarack and wanted to have a family they felt would be better than the ones they came from. I think there's a lot of realism to be found in that. Plenty of people have kids whether planned or otherwise and go 'I'll never be like my parents!' only to end up exactly like their parents or maybe even worse in some ways.
But since this OL, we all know things are going to work out. Every other character with a bit of family drama gets a happy conclusion.
Cliff and Kyra are great co-parents.
Baxter is low-to-no contact with his family.
So I think we can all rest assured that the Baumanns are going to reach their own happy conclusion. It might not be perfect and realistically those who dislike each probably won't just start kicking it and being all kumbaya with one another. However comma, the end result will be something a lot better than what it was.
Tamarack's obviously never going to go back to living with her parents because the game is taking place squarely in Golden Grove but her relationship with her parents' will get better. Everyone in the Baumann family is going to grow in their own way and as a collective and I look forward to seeing that.
If everyone had super great families in the game, don't get me wrong we could still have compelling and moving characters but having varying familial dynamics makes the game more interesting and less static. Everyone's got their own thing
Aside from Tamarack having a gorgeous design, her family's dynamic is probably a huge part of why I can never give the girl a run where I'm mean. The most I do is click on a mean option to see what her reaction will be before rewinding to the option I actually want.
Like I said, I'm physically incapable of being mean to Tamarack, it's a curse.
Meme Answer: They're both hot. And complicated.
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blueteller · 6 months
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Do you have more character analysis on og!Cale and how his relationships are with the other characters? Before and after transmigrating
Well, I'd love to, but..... here's the thing. For all the hype about OG Cale – and I'm definitely a member of that crowd, don't get me wrong – there isn't actualy... much about him. That is actually canon, I mean.
In fact, despite being one of the most popular characters in the fandom, OG Cale is only present in the novel for less than three full chapters in total (655-657), and all of them are spent mostly discussing how the war in the TBOAH timeline went down, not OG Cale's personal relationships.
Everything we know is all told through KRS!Cale perspective, who mostly just makes guesses and some pretty inaccurate assumptions. Sure, there was some stuff on how OG Cale treated his family in the TBOAH novels; but because "Nelan Barrow" did not really know the actual reason behind OG Cale choosing to act like trash... It's all extremely vague.
Nelan Barrow goes like: "OG Cale yelled at his servants yet never actually hit any of them, respected his father but kept distance from his family, and the closest person to a father figure he had was Ron Molan whom he treated like a human being". And that was basically everything, without any context added.
Ron had all of one flashback about OG Cale comforting his father after Jour's funeral. No explanation about Deruth's second marriage, about Basen – not even that they're not biologically related! OG Cale himself stated that "no matter how hard he tried to act like trash, they wouldn't kick him out", so that means the whole Henituse family did love OG Cale unconditionally. And also Ron and Beacrox were visibly quite tired of his nonsense by the time Cale transmigrated. But beyond that...
Well, to be fair, there were some minor characters sprinkled here and there who had a connection to OG Cale, before KRS!Cale got to meet them. There was Hans the butler, who was kind of scared of OG Cale... before he loosened up completely around KRS!Cale. And also there was the Eric Wheelsman, Gilbert Chetter and Amiru Ubarr trio; who were OG Cale's childhood friends because of their connection as North Eastern nobles. There was also the unnamed niece/OG Cale's reincarnated mom, and some Korean characters came up in the extras. They're all great characters, but... all of their relationships with OG Cale were exactly as one might expect: they're confused by OG Cale, yet overall like him (because for all the "trash personna" he did, OG Cale was never actually a bad person).
...Not much left to be said here.
And regarding the 20 years of war in the TBOAH timeline... OG Cale could be a biased narrator like Cale himself, but it sounded like he wasn't really anyone super important. He saw the confrontation between Choi Han and the White Star from the sidelines, not as someone close to the "main hero". He was just a soldier in the background of the battlefield. I doubt he talked to Choi Han even once.
Look, overall, most of OG Cale's relationships can be deduced or estimated from context – like the fact that despite his terrible reputation, no one who knew him actually hated him all that much – but in true canon, there's nothing much going on regarding his bonds with anyone aside his family. Yes, we can headcanon all kinds of drama based on Choi Han's violent actions in the beginning of TBOAH, followed by him leaving with both Ron and Beacrox without them saying goodbye to OG Cale... But that's all fan theories. In the TCF novel, OG Cale is a complete mystery for over 600 chapters.
...Which is probably why fans are so obsessed with him. Fleshing out OG Cale's character is super fun. No wonder there are so many Twin AUs, hahaha!
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I saw you're opening request! Can i have a self-aware au for the yandere savanaclaw boys, where fem reader says "i wish i can enter in your world, so that i can marry you"
I don’t really do genders in requests so this is neutral.
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Self-aware au
I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!
WARNINGS: Yandere themes, kidnapping, unhealthy relationship, imprisonment, violence, murder, abuse, obsession, class systems, inequality, marriage
Leona Kingscholar/Ruggie Bucchi/Jack Howl-“I wish could enter your world to marry you…”
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My poor man over here is probably not having the best sight on marriage
I mean, it is totally normal in kingdoms with older customs that royalty gets married early so that the bloodline is guaranteed to continue so I wouldn’t be surprised if his brother married very young
(And look at Checka. Thats not a baby but a child. Who knows how early they had him)
But let us set the scene for “the drama”
He was just standing there, basking in your gaze whilst talking to your vessel, Yuu…
Something about not wanting to get involved in Azul schemes…
Then you suddenly are just staring at him
And here he thought he was the creepy one with seeing you in his dreams all the time, imagining how it would be if you would only belong to him…
Cue to him not answering to what Ace just said
Oh? You want to know why? Well you just said “I wish could enter your world to marry you…”
The redhead is actually getting worried for his seniors health, seeing how the dorm leader is looking like he could pass out any second now…
What a sight to see!
But yeah, he won’t recover from that so easily
Tries to be all suave and pretend like he is sleeping whilst in truth he is screaming in his head
He is not disliking what you said.
Quite the contrary but imagine someone of his caliber of obsession who is not the biggest fan of marriage suddenly gets that dropped onto them
But you seem to want this. Seems like he needs to talk to the dorm leader of Diasonia (*gasp* what does he want to do??!) and get you into their world. He will make sure that you have a comfortable life in luxury… just him… and you… and him… and the corpse of that fool who dared to look at you for too long….
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I think his sight on marriage would neither be negative nor positive?
He already takes care of the people in the slums so I doubt that a family (even if it’s just you two) would be something he would be against
Only downside would be that marriage can be quite expensive but let us talk about that when the time is right
So our the hyena was just trying to get away from Rook who eyed his tail like he was ready to take the pelt off of his tail, for “le foulard” or whatever…
And then suddenly he hears a few certain words… “I wish could enter your world to marry you…”
You see, there is class difference between Leona and him. Leona is admiring you, you who gave the King of Beasts a chance and in return for him to grant a chance to the lowest of the low, the hyenas
So his admoration for you is on a whole other level
If you were to ask he would make “le foulard” himself
Mhm totally not gut wrenching…
But what can he bring to the table? Yes, he may be good at doing work of all kinds but in the eyes of most he is nothing more than a lowly, dirty, useless hyena from the slums
From that point on he is trying even harder to earn money, take care of everyone and now even to climb the ladder up as well
Whenever he returns home he is also having that distant look in his eyes, imagining how it would be to have you here
But then again, he is a lowly hyena… nope, he might appear like it’s not bothering him but in truth it does hurt him somewhere in there
But when he talks to the kids in the slums and tells them stories about you they have changed
Before… that he was always saying how just you were and how great it was that you didn’t see people as who they were born but rather as who they are on the inside
Now he is getting that gentle tone in his voice, telling them of kindness as well
Oh what he would do have you with him… Maybe in another life outside of the slums…
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Since Jack is from the Shaftlands his view on you is a completely different one
The people from there don’t see you as someone so lax like someone who is fighting for equality
In their eyes you are perfection... which means that you are also that on his
The good thing is that he is not a perfection or beauty fanatic like Vil and Rook
So... the whole not-so-healthy thing is more passive than agressive
Also, I can see him wanting a partner in his life
Don't know why, I just know
So here he was, doing sports... and then faceplanted into the ground, taking a shrieking Vil with him
Had he heard you just right??! You wanted to marry him??!
Ring the bells! Get the cake and be ready to never see the light of the sun again, yes, we are going that route
If only there was a way to get you to him
Maybe, and I use the word “maybe” very lightly here, he overheard a certain group of people in green talking about a way to get you into their world
Mhm, the house you will spend the rest of your life in is already prepared and the only thing missing is you
He is ready for that peaceful life in the middle of the woods with some children and if you have to adopt them then that doesn't make any difference
He just wants the picture-perfect life, ok? White fence, a kid (or two), a golden retriever and the happy parents
Now don't jump out of line though! Otherwise he has to “fix” you again and you know how much he hates to hurt you
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candygalaxyyy · 1 year
Text
I realized something very important about msp and the screenwriter/director’s choice in building the plot. And episode 10 is a great example.
As i was rewatching the brilliance that is episode 10, I thought to myself if this was any other standard bl it would have gone differently. A tumor is such a serious matter, especially when it’s your mother, the only immediate family Gun has, he’s only 17/18 and he lost his father at a young age in such a sudden way. So of course he is going to be upset or even mad when his mum keeps this from him. And Tinn being in on it too, because in a relationship being open is so important and trust/honesty is everything.
I also noticed that Gun may have felt insecure (or possibly threatened) by the fact that his mum and Tinn kept this secret from him (which are valid feelings). Mostly because he says things like: “stay the hell out, she’s my mum”, “I’m your son yet i had no idea you were sick”, “what did he do for you?” and “why are you adoring him so much?” (He doesn’t even say Tinn’s name because in this situation he’s an outsider, he’s not her son or family member). And at this point Gun doesn’t know that his mum knows about Tinn and him or about all the sweet things Tinn has done for his dream. So him being confused/insecure/upset is warranted because he only has his mum. He is possessive of his mum, because they only have each other and her trusting someone else who isn’t family with such a important thing is puzzling for Gun (even more with him thinking she doesn’t know). And the best part about all of this is that both Tinn and Gun’s mum knew it would upset him, so they came prepared for his reaction. Gun’s mum explains everything to Gun instantly and makes him realize how deep and true Tinn’s love is for him, plus she emphasizes that this type of love is rare and must be cherished. Tinn doesn’t get angry or hurt by his reaction, he understands it and even reassures him that he would react the same way.
GMMTV could have easily used this to create tension for drama and conflict. They could have thrown in some trusty miscommunication, a heated conversation where people say or do hurtful things, a gateway to the ‘cursed ep 11 breakup’ and they could have milked the f out of this conflict. But they didn’t!!! Instead they turned it into a touching episode about love, friendship, family and being thankful for the people around you. They used it to highlight six things:
1. The beautiful relationship between Gun and his mum. They rely on each other, care for each other and love each other. They are mother and son, they are family.
2. The deep and pure love Tinn has for Gun. It is unconditional. Tinn did all these things for him without expecting anything in return. He just wants his crush/now boyfriend to be happy!
3. Gun realizing that Tinn is precious and he means much more to him than he lead on. That this is not some little high school relationship, it’s much deeper and heavier than that. So deep that he comes to the revelation that he’s only singing his song for Tinn and not the competition.
4. Gun’s mum supporting her son in everything whether it be his dream or love life. And the growing mother-in-law and son-in-law relationship between her and Tinn, like this woman already trust him with her life. She’s planning the wedding as we speak.
5. Their friends are amazing. Tiw constantly supporting his bestie and giving him advice. The chinchillaz boys comforting and hugging Gun on stage when he finds out his mum his safe and the surgery went well.
6. TINNGUN ARE THE HEALTHIEST, SWEETEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL SWOONWORTHY BOYFRIENDS IN BL HISTORY.
‘My school president’ is truly a gem and GMMTV hit the jackpot with GeminiFourth. Case closed.
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lilyginnyblackv2 · 1 year
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The Name of Kyutaro’s Cafe is “Mistletoe.”
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Yadorigi (ヤドリギ・宿り木) means “mistletoe” in Japanese.
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I’m bringing this up now, because the new interview that went up on the official website (which will be linked to in the comments below) is with Kyutaro’s VA. It makes me believe that Kyutaro is going to get some focus in this week’s episode, which means that a lot of things are pretty open to exploration, given the fact that Kyutaro has some level of knowledge about:
- Miri and Misaki
- Rei’s Past & Situation (He mentioned that Rei knew how hard it was to leave an organization, likely implying Rei left his father’s organization)
- Ryo Ogino & The Death of Yuzuko
Any of these topics could come into play in Episode 8 (we may even get multiple topics overlapping and connecting to each other).
I found the VAs view on the relationship between Miri, Kazuki, and Rei to be rather interesting. He sees the dynamic less as “Parent - Child” and more as three siblings. I don’t necessarily agree with that myself, but it’s always intriguing to see others POVs on things like this. I do agree with Kyutaro’s VA when it comes to Buddy Daddies being a “human drama” in which ‘the characters grow up by overcoming the challenges and themes that are imposed on them.” BD really is all about the characters first and foremost, which is why I like it so much. I tend to be drawn to shows that are character studies with some action and drama thrown in to spice things up a bit.
This post is a bit long, so I’ll be placing the rest of this under a Read More.
Anyway, wrapping this back around to “mistletoe.” I’m sure you all are thinking about the way mistletoe is often utilized in many modern day medias (especially in the USA) - kissing under a mistletoe and its ties to Christmas in particular and the holiday season. Buddy Daddies first episode takes place on Christmas Eve, a very couples focused holiday and day in general in Japan.
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But, for children around Miri’s age, there is a bit of a family aspect to Christmas. Toddlers in Japan will likely believe in Santa, and toddlers and children will likely get a gift or two.
But this time frame when Santa is real and kids get gifts is very short-lived in Japan, usually by 1st or 2nd Grade there really isn’t a belief in Santa  and the family focus is shifted away from the holiday once children start reaching pre-teen years. This is talking very generally and about children who have two Japanese parents, rather than ones that may come from families with mixed nationalities where one of the parents may come from a country where Christmas is a family focused holiday on level with New Years in Japan. 
So, I do find it interesting that Buddy Daddies chose to pick a holiday that, in Japan, is more often associated with romantic relationships, rather than familial ones, but turn their focus on the very fleeting time frame when Christmas does have a bit of a more familial air about it. 
But, at the same time, we have the imagery of Kazuki visiting The Mistletoe Cafe alone the day before Christmas Eve:
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Then Kazuki and Rei meet Miri on the job, on Christmas Eve, a holiday usually reserved for couples, but which is made family focused in Buddy Daddies through Miri and her desire to see her Papa, and with the beginning of Rei, Kazuki, and Miri becoming a family (though none of them know it at the time).
And then visiting The Mistletoe Cafe with Rei the next day after their job, which is on Christmas Day:
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Something which is a very rare occurrence in general for Rei (to be out and about in general, not just at the café).
Of course, mistletoe has symbolic meanings to it as well. It can also mean “surmounting difficulties” and was viewed as a plant with healing power to the Celtic people. It has also been associated with fertility, good luck, and great blessings. Kazuki and Rei learning to heal and gain some good luck back into their lives through the arrival of Miri (a child) fits into these themes well, especially since they “gain” all of these things through a job they received at The Mistletoe Cafe. 
The Japanese kanji for mistletoe is made up of the kanji 宿 (yado・ru) , which is used in words associated with inns, dwellings, homes, and even pregnancy. The other word is 木 (ki), which means “tree.” This fits because of how mistletoe make their “homes” in trees and shrubs, and this all fits with Kazuki and Rei turning their house (which is a pretty dangerous place for a kid at first) into a home.
And, finally, mistletoe is a parasitic plant.
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It’s also a poisonous plant, specifically if you eat any part of the plant or if you drink tea created from the plant or its berries. So, rather an appropriate name for a café that is a front for a hitman organization. 
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Anyway, that’s all. I figured I’d share this bit of information since it looks like Kyutaro’s character is going to get more focus in Episode 8, though without a preview out yet, I can’t say this with too much certainty. Just a hunch based on the interview being released (usually there is some connection made between the interview they release before the episode and the contents of the episode). If anyone has anything else they would like to add to this, please feel free! :D
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Here's MY thoughts on the love island the game's seasons, for no reason other than I want to:
Also because the majority of the people following me are here for OM! & I want to drag more people down into the litg hell with me :)
Season 1: why is everyone so bitchy for no reason????? Talia & Jake are okay but other than that it's meh... don't really like the art style either
Season 2: Immaculate. Chef's kiss. They hit a high they never reached again. Somehow managed to balance the drama & the found family aspect and created a dynamic where you can actually believe everyone is friends and having fun even if sometimes they try to kill each other. Characters are flawed but generally decent people who are allowed to grow throughout the season. You get the option to make MC a bi gym-bro who can devour an entire cake in one sitting and bench press her partner. There's a reason this got two sequels.
Season 3: It's fine ig. Short and kind of boring. Nothing much happens. AJ is so cute though she almost makes up for it.
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Season 4: Honestly a close 2nd favourite. We get a lot of character backstory and like s2 it touches on some serious issues. The season with some of the funniest moments/lines of dialogue - multiple moments where I just laughed out loud. I'm still only half way through it but the "villain" is just straight up mean for no reason and doesn't get any character development like the characters in S2 but makes up for it by having some of the funniest interactions with other characters and I was so sad to see her go. Also the season where I desperately wish MC was allowed to be in an open relationship till the very end and finish off the season in a polycule with every other islander who was in the love "triangle"s of the the season because this was the hardest season to pick a LI - Najuma is just all around amazing, Bruno is sweet & funny, Tom is so pathetic* MC & Thabi's friendship is also the best thing? It's great seeing a platonic relationship that is as loving (if not more so) than the romantic relationships. It's literally:
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Season 5: Psychological horror. The producers said 'hey wouldn't it be funny if we torture this woman on national tv' and then committed to the bit. My memories are hazy because even though I only played it earlier this year it upset me so much I did my best to block most of it out but also I'm 100% sure there was actual galighting happening. Don't know why MC stuck around till the end because all she's gonna be able to use the money for is to pay for her therapy. Anyway I think MC should have been allowed to brutally murder everyone, she deserved it <3
Season 6: I liked the concept but I think they should have utilised it more. I'm still right at the very beginning (around ep 9) and I KNOW the general consensus from everyone who has reached the last eps seems to be that Amelia sucks MAJOR ass. But look, this is the first time a game has given me a MC with a canon family member who is also part of the game so in my opinion Amelia could commit war crimes and she's still be the most precious little uwu ever because I'm activating MC's insanely overprotective oblivious to all faults ""big"" sister mode
Edit:
*I just played more of S4 and holy shit someone needs to get this man away from his parents and also maybe get him some therapy jfc
Edit 2:
** youcef, mc & valentina helping tom figure out he likes flowers and pink and tie-dye clothes and makeup and being complimented and called pretty and getting hugs is getting to me okay his parents better watch the show and see their adult son finally discovering himself and what he likes instead of what they think he should like and finally being able to let loose and have fun without worrying about what others think of him and finally being happy and they better get some sense knocked into them OR he should go to therapy and realise that no matter how much he loves his parents their love and regard being so conditional to the point that he's hidden his entire personality and is now so extremely self-conscious of it whenever it does manage to peak out, that he nearly cries on national tv after a practical stranger compliments those hidden bits is not good. Also the man has some of the most insane repressed queer vibes???? What do you mean he sees a canon nonbinary person wearing a floppy hat and is reminded of the floppy hat he loved as a child that his father threw away and replaced with a baseball cap and then when he "lost" the baseball cap his father bought him the exact same one again
Edit 3:
*** i was 100% sure i was going to get mc to stick with najuma (dorky mischevious goth who is so so bad at flirting hello!!!?) but i got caught by "sad & shy with serious self-worth issues hidden badly behind an overconfident exterior (who blushes & gets flustered easily because he so rarely receives genuine praise/compliments) experiences postive regard for the first time and loses his shit" for the third fucking time
Edit 4:
Okay but why does Dylan get (rightfully) called out by everyone in S4 for all the bullshit he does to MC from blatantly lying to her to not listening when she says "No" But in S5 when Suresh (admittedly, more subtly) pulls off the same shit no one says anything, even MC's "friends" don't believe her.
In S2 when Luke/Henrik gets a little too forceful after MC says no, he gets called out by MC's partner and immediately apologises
In S4 when Dylan does the whole "stop pretending you don't want me" routine after MC rejects him multiple times, the rest of the islanders band together and basically chase him off the island
In S5 when Suresh pulls literally the same thing from the very first episode itself but none of the other islanders believe MC, and Suresh keeps getting to do this until almost the very end while also managing to constantly play hot & cold with MC and chase away all of MCs other romantic interests
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