#romance and exploring differents sides of a media

[meanbossart]

I appreciate how you write Astarion so, SO much. I feel like way too many fic writers infantilize him to a point where I honestly start wondering if I'm the one who misinterpreted him so badly.

I'd love to know more about what you think of his character and his arc. Personally I saw him and immediately went "oh god this guy is gonna be the irritating tumblr sexyman of the year🙄" and it took me until Araj basically to warm up to him. What were your initial thoughts and did they change much while playing the game?

OH thank you so much!!! That's a shame if it's the case, and a little surprising to me, to be honest! While he's definitely written be an aloof jerk a lot of the time, I always found him to be surprisingly mature and introspective whenever he's not dishing out witty remarks. He comes off to me as the kind of person who learned to benefit from seeming dumber than he actually is, overall.

HAHA I had a VERY similar experience, not just towards Astarion but all the characters, really (I really disliked Shadowheart at the beginning, too). I had only seen pictures of him and pretty much expected a vapid character that was being carried to stardom because of a talented VA - and because people go nuts for anne rice style vampires lol.

While I was definitely enjoying his voice lines from the start (Again kudos to Neil) I definitely wasn't expecting much else. He piqued my interest after so devastatingly turning my character down at the tiefling party without me even having inquired, and that's when I, the gamer, was like "well, alright, I GOTTA fuck this guy now" (this is also where DU drow's personality began to come out as you can probably guess)

Obviously, if you have two neurons to rub together you can gather pretty quickly that he's not trying to woo you because you're so interesting and wonderful, so I started getting curious! With that dynamic being so different from what you usually expect of romances in these types of games, plus the charming way in which he is written, I started being won over.

I think what really did it was how gradually his attitude changed when responding to new, mostly trivial dialogue options and doing his greetings as you earned his trust, and ESPECIALLY with how he responds to your tav when you express any kind of fear or insecurity during his romance - which was with a lot of sincerity and confidence in his resolve to support you, and in you as a person, a complete 180 from his usual front - Which, again, makes me all the more surprised to hear that he's often painted with such an immature brush.

And obviously he has a DEEPLY ugly side to him (if you've read ANE, hopefully it's clear that I know this, and that I like to explore it just as much as anything else lmao) but it's very interesting to me how it seem to always come in the form of outbursts, rather than a constant evil-streak, usually followed by a glimpse of self-awareness. It feels very much in line with someone who's actually making a great deal of effort to manage their RAMPANT emotions and going through a lot of internal conflict in the process.

GAH. Yeah if you can't tell by this friggin' thesis I just wrote, I love the way they wrote this character a lot and I was definitely proven PROFOUNDLY wrong in my first impression of him - which, if that's not irony at it's finest I don't know what is.

And as an aside! I also very much appreciate that he's a "queer" coded character who's effeminate (in the Old Homo kind of way, but I digress) and flamboyant, but taken Dead Fucking Seriously. With as much progress as we've made in LGBT rep in media, I still often feel like gay men will only get that kind of treatment for as long as they "Aren't That Gay" (I know Astarion doesn't have a set sexuality - But lets not mince words: stereotypes exist, and he fits into most of them) and as a thin-wristed gay guy who's a little too found of linen shirts, I can honestly say that experiencing a character like that helped me with my own confidence.

#ask #astarion #bg3 spoilers

[commsroom]

as an extension of how hera reads as trans to me, hera/eiffel resonates with me specifically as a relationship between a trans woman and a cis man. loving hera requires eiffel to decentralize his own perspective in a way that ties into both his overall character arc and the themes of the show.

pop culture is baked into the dna of wolf 359, into eiffel’s worldview, and in how it builds off of a sci-fi savvy audience’s assumptions: common character types, plot beats, or dynamics, why would a real person behave this way? how would a real person react to that? eiffel is the “everyman” who assumes himself to be the default. hera is the “AI who is more human than a lot of humans,” but it doesn’t feel patronizing because it isn’t a learned or moral quality; she is a fundamentally human person who is routinely dehumanized and internalizes that.

eiffel/hera as a romance is compelling to me because there is a narrative precedent for some guy/AI or robot woman relationships in a way i think mirrors some attitudes about trans women: it’s a male power fantasy about a subclass of women, or it’s a cautionary tale, or it’s a deconstruction of a power fantasy that criticizes the way men treat women as subservient, as property. but what does that pop culture landscape mean in the context of desire? If you are a regular person, attracted to a regular person, who really does care for you and wants to do right by you, but is deeply saturated in these expectations? how do you navigate that?

I think that, in itself, is an aspect of communication worth exploring. sometimes you won’t get it. sometimes you can’t. and that’s not irreconcilable, either. it’s something wolf 359 is keenly aware of, and, crucially, always sides with hera on. eiffel screws up. he says insensitive things without meaning to. often, hera will call him out on it, and he will defer to her. in the one case where he notably doesn’t, the show calls attention to it and makes him reflect. it’s not a coincidence that the opening of shut up and listen has eiffel being particularly dismissive of hera - the microaggression of separating her from “men and women” and the insistence on using his preferred title over hers. there are things eiffel has just never considered before, and caring for hera the way he does means he has to consider them. he's never met someone like hera, but media has given him a lot of preconceptions about what people like her might be like.

there’s a whole other discussion to be had about the gender dynamics of wolf 359, even in the ways the show tries to avoid directly addressing them, and how sexual autonomy in particular can’t fully be disentangled from explorations of AI women. i don’t think eiffel fully recognizes what comments like “wind-up girl” imply, and the show is not prepared to reconcile with it, but it’s interesting to me. in the context of transness (and also considering hera’s disability, two things i think need to be discussed together), i think it’s worth discussing how hera’s self image is at odds with the way people perceive her, her disconnect from physicality, how she can’t be touched by conventional means, and the ways in which eiffel and hera manage to bridge that gap.

even the desire for embodiment, and the autonomy and type of intimacy that comes with it, means something different when it’s something she has to fight for, to acquire, to become accustomed to, rather than a circumstance of her birth. i suppose the reason i don’t care for half measures in discussions re: hera and embodiment is also because, to me, it is in many ways symbolically a discussion about medical transition, and the social fear of what’s “lost” in transition, whether or not those things were even desired in the first place.

hera’s relationship with eiffel is unquestionably the most supportive and equal one she has, but there are still privileges, freedoms, and abilities he has that she doesn’t, and he forgets that sometimes. he will never share her experiences, but he can choose to defer to her, to unlearn his pop culture biases and instead recognize the real person in front of him, and to use his own privilege as a shield to advocate for her. the point, to me - what’s meaningful about it - is that love isn’t about inherent understanding, it’s about willingness to listen, and to communicate. and that’s very much at the heart of the show.

#wolf 359 #w359 #doug eiffel #hera wolf 359 #hera w359 #eiffera #i still have a lot more to say about this honestly. but i hope this makes sense as an overview of my perspective. #with the caveat that i understand how personal trans headcanons are and whatever brings you comfort in that regard. i think is wonderful #but to me eiffel is one of the most cis men imaginable. and that's a big part of what he means to me in this context. #when i said some of this to beth @hephaestuscrew the other day they said. minkowski missteps in talking to hera based on #a real world assumption about AIs while eiffel missteps based on pop culture assumptions. and i think that's a meaningful distinction and #is something that resonates with me in this context as well

[alzirrx]

So apparently I’m the only person that actually liked the Tyler/Wednesday dynamic, despite a couple things, so I’m about to make an entirely uncalled for essay defending them because I became very emotionally attached in the one night I spent watching this show

To start, I liked how awkward Tyler’s character was right off the bat, because I feel like you don’t see that kind of character type as love interests in much media. A lot of the time it’s overshadowed for the Golden Retriever or Angsty Brooding Type™, and it was really refreshing seeing a different archetype as a love interest. The way him and Wednesday coupled together was always kind of awkward and uncertain, but it felt kinda more real that way considering that’s how a lot of high school romances start out. I really loved the idea of a kind of “baby hold my flower” dynamic between the two, crazy obsessive outcast gf/laid-back supportive normie bf who makes posters to cheer her on during her rampages

On the flip side, once the reveal happened there was so much potential. I wanted his redemption so bad. I wanted him to go back to how he was, while also letting loose more on his more angry feral side while also getting a scene where he got to be redeemed. I was waiting for him to turn to their side any minute, with a speech afterwards about how yes his actions were bad, and while they weren’t his choice persay he just might have enjoyed them, but that doesn’t mean he never liked her! That was all him! Because in all honesty I liked his sweet and caring side contrasted with her cold unfeeling demeanor, although I do see many arguments being made in favor of the serial killer/serial killer stopper dynamic which could be explored

And in terms of canon: the date was adorable, well thought out and showed he actually knew her (like how a scary movie wouldn’t actually scare her: a chick flick would), the way he liked her dancing at the Rave’N, how he always brought her quads, the birthday cake + coffee, all the little sweet gestures of his

(I know that’s only the things he did- but this post is more about him than Wednesday)

I’m fairness, the “I thought you were sending signals” bit felt a little out of left field since she acted the same the whole time, but I’ve learned from experience that if you like someone and you hope they like you back, you can basically turn anything they do at all into a signal

All I’m saying is, ship what you want, but I feel that they worked a lot better than some people give them credit for, and if he hadn’t have been the Hyde they would’ve been really good together, and they still could be

TL;DR, Wednesday x Tyler worked and would also have worked better under different circumstances

#wednesday #wednesday x tyler #wednesday addams #tyler galpin #wednesday netflix

[goingxmissing]

2023 fic reader highlights

thanks to mostlymaudlin for putting together this template. i'm going to enjoy rereading all of these over the next few days and using the floating ao3 comment box, which has significantly improved my life, and increased the unhinged nature of my comments.

Fic that made me laugh

Cool Things to Say to Your Soulmate by @powerful-owl & @love-leah • daniel ricciardo/max verstappen • a collection of soulmate AUs (everything em writes is hilarious, and this is full of heartache, miscommunication, and so many fun takes on the soulmate trope. delightful. haven't looked at geese the same way since.)

2. Fic that made me cry

one step closer and i'm real by @officialmood • daniel ricciardo/max verstappen • time travel, alternate universes (this fic is exquisite, every version of daniel that max meets is distinctly different and broke my heart in a multitude of ways. made my heart twist in the best way.)

3. Fic that gave me a story hangover

all this happened, more or less by multi21 • charles leclerc/max verstappen • social media, canon divergence (so much fun and so inspired! charles is a secret singer-songwriter, told through social media posts and devastating lyrics, le castellet is in my head at any given moment. went with this for story hangover because i thought about it for Days afterwards and then charles literally put his music on spotify. drop the escalier des fleurs content charles!!)

4. Fic I want to discuss book club style

playboy in the grotto by @freeuselandonorris • lando norris/oscar piastri • watersports (the pinnacle of horny romance: gross, filthy, desperate, fond. had to pause reading several times to rant about my favourite bits. need a book club to discuss the wider cinematic universe where they explore more kinks in the most tender way.)

5. Fic that got me a lil flustered

the fire is slowly dying by @strawberry-daiquiris • oscar piastri/mark webber • age difference, mentor/protégé (this is one of the most unhinged fics i've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. oscar is a total menace. scenes in this fic will stay with me Forever. i urge anyone to take a chance on the pairing if you're intrigued and FEAST.)

6. Fic by one of my favourite authors

jump right in by @strawberry-daiquiris • lando norris/oscar piastri • rule 63 (imagine your fiancée muses, 'what if lando was a girl and she'd never had an orgasm?' one day and then a couple of months later she's still working on a 100k+ masterpiece following the 2023 season where a third of the grid are women? i'm the luckiest. this fic is everything and i'm going to be LOST without it when it's finished.)

7. Fic I reread more than once

screen glows in a dark room by @hollywoodsargeant • oscar piastri/logan sargeant • phone sex, sex toys (steaming hot phone sex, not a single word wasted. the first fic i read for this pairing and i keep coming back to it and also the whole apex predator series. HIGHLY recommend checking these out for the Dynamics.)

8. Fic I sent to everyone I know

side by side in orbit by @glasscushion • lando norris/oscar piastri, max fewtrell/lando norris • cuckolding, voyeurism, open relationships (the concept is rancid and the vibes are UNMATCHED. this was delicious. as i said in my comment: when max feels spit pool beneath his tongue, when he forgets to breathe because he's so into what's happening in front of him. i felt that!!!!! immediate rec.)

9. Fic that made me fall in love with an author

i'll kiss you first by venerat • lando norris/oscar piastri • a/b/o (my first fic for this pairing, i read it on a Very Early train and my brain never recovered. you might be able to tell from my tumblr. me reading this fic over and over like: 😅. still can't see the word 'ripe' and not think about lando being a grotty omega. every fic by venerat is an absolute BANGER. hit that subscribe button, my friends!!)

thank you to all of the wonderful authors and creators who have shared their work in fandom this year. 2023 has been a feast <3

#fic rec #i tried to do this post without commentary but it was impossible #blanket rec for all fics by the authors mentioned #i only wish there had been more spaces but it was such a delight to use the prompts to really think about fics that fit #i've read basically no books and A Lot of fic this year sooooo #can't wait to lose my mind rereading all these!!!! #maxiel #max/daniel #lestappen #max/charles #landoscar #oscar/lando #loscar #logan/oscar #oscarmark #nortrell #fic #ao3 #about me

[buniyaad]

didnt wanna hijack someone's post with the Disk Horse, but I just wanna note that bernard being tim's love interest in 2023 is VERY different from him being a side-side-side character in the early 2000s. i think there's definitely a generational divide on how the relationship's perceived bc there's absolutely a difference between how bernard and tim's relationship is portrayed during their time in school versus in adulthood.

part of reading tim's coming out story in the 2020s with relation to bernard is finally acknowledging that we finally broke tim out of his amber glass. this is also, i will note, a SPECIFIC kind of coming-out-story that won't resonate with folks who weren't living through that specific era of homophobia where the fallout of the AIDS crisis overlapped with the rise of mass surveillance and that post-9/11 grimdark take on superheroes across ALL media. it was a weird fucking time. it also won't resonate with anyone who wasn't "growing up" with tim during his time as robin. now, do you HAVE to know every little thing about tim to accept this piece of character development? no, you don't, but you DO have to take into consideration that tim was locked in the time vault for a veryyy long time and a lot of things, including his on-and-off with stephanie, were part of the status quo for his character long before dc decided to pull the trigger with tim's bisexuality.

but what happens when the forever-sixteen isn't sixteen anymore? he grows up! he gets to reflect! he gets to try new things without being held back by the amber glass. time is the key factor here! if you look at tim and bernard's relationship through the eyes of the robin run of that era, of course it's gonna feel weird! that tim could only really take bernard in doses, bc that tim was as much of an asshole teen as bernard was. with the breaking-of-the-amber, we now learn that tim had to do some serious reflection to get to the point where he could say that this guy he used to know COULD be someone special. if you follow tim's story through the lens of a closeted queer raised in the era of when that robin run was being published, tim's just another queer guy who's finally come to terms with the fact that, that dude he went to high school with who he just ran into at the target might not be so bad after all. he's kinda cute, actually. did he think he was cute back in the tenth grade? probably not, but he's not in tenth grade anymore, now is he?

could DC comics have created an entirely new character to serve the narrative purpose of tim's coming out special? sure. then we woulda had ten years worth of criticism from fandom about how tim magically found a guy superhot and thus dumped stephanie over it, and we would circle back to the same argument about whether tim was a douchebag for dumping stephanie for some rando, and that his bisexuality is an asspull versus 'relevant character development'. either way, it would have upset the status quo. now, is that to say timsteph was never real? no! tim and stephanie talking about his erratic behavior and him coming out to her was to SPECIFICALLY address how him being bisexual isn't meant to downgrade their relationship, or that their love wasn't real. for anyone who's still whining about timsteph not being real anymore bc bernbear entered the chat, i've long stopped seeing it as legitimate criticism bc there are YEARS worth of content with them to indulge in. shitting on a coming-out story and a romance that hasn't even had five real-time years to be explored is just straight up crass and highlights much more insidious problems in the fandom aka the rampant homophobia, quick-to-anger behavior of fans who never learned media or litcrit, and motherfuckers who ride or die for status quo like it'll kill them to enjoy something tangential.

long story short, timbern real and so is timsteph, and one of these days, inshallah bartkon will be real too.

#timbern #tim drake #bernard dowd #stephanie brown #timsteph #real talk #dc comics

[misstycloud]

Yandere superhero! HC

Imagine just running about your ordinary day life and suddenly everything is turned upside down, what you believed to be fiction and nothing more than child dreams became your new reality. Now you had duties and that was to protect the city and its residents from those who wish to harm them. It’s a tough job, one that no one would be able to handle all by themselves.

Luckily you got your trustworthy companion by your side at all times! You two fit together like pieces of a puzzle; managing to save the day hundereds of times. There was nothing you couldn’t do as long as you had each other. You knew each other well-or how good you can know each other without learning the other’s identity.

Secret identities is one of the top rules of being a superhero. It could be dangerous for your loved ones if your enemies got their hands on that sort of information. They would use your family and friends to blackmail and extort you. That couldn’t happen or all hell would break lose if the city’s heroes were captured and defeated.

In the beginning when you and your partner had first been assigned the role of heroes, he seemed fine with the rule of no knowing who the other person were behind the mask, and you were too. There wasn’t any reason for you to want to find out who his civilian identity was.

But then things began to slowly change.

It started with him wanting to stay together a little longer after missions and you agreed, thinking he wanted to discuss things regarding your work. Which is what you talked about originally until the subjects switched to different topics like hobbies, favourite movies, best book you’ve ever read. Just normal easy stuff, not so hard to answer right? There were millions with the same reply as you so there was no chance he’d be able to guess who you were.

He’d only thought of you as a partner and maybe even a friend up till this point, but new feelings has began brewing and he didn’t know what to do with them. Brushing it off as a silly crush he didn’t do anything else than initiate spending more time together to satisfy him. It didn’t last forever and he eventually needed more.

Needles to say, it wasn’t simple to balance the heroic deeds while exploring these foreign emotions, it made things complicated to focus during dangerous events. That wasn’t good, obviously. What if he messed up and the villain got away? Or even worse, someone could get hurt. Someone that could be you. No, he can’t that happen, he must stay concentrated.

Yandere hero, who wanted to respect your secret identity pact but is dying to know who is behind that mask. He understood it was important, however he couldn’t help it. Convincing you to break that promise is impossible, that he saw. Perhaps he can trick you into revealing yourself? You’d probably see through his trick though.

Because of your good relationship and media, it became common for people to ship the two of you as a couple. Which he honestly didn’t mind one bit, especially now that he realises just how deep his love for you goes. It’s almost as if he’d do anything for you. He wanted the citizens to know who you belonged with and that was made sure when those news articles were posted.

You couldn’t believe it. So much stress all because of a single photo. A picture an anonymous individual has secretly snapped has spread like wildfire under a scorching summer day. You and your partner’s relationship status was the city’s top subject; discussed by so many and apparently very interesting to the old as well.

And what the hell was your colleague doing basically enforcing those rumours? If he kept standing so close to you and swinging his arms around you, everyone would think you’re a pair. Which you were not. You already had someone you were interested in, though you’d not had the courage to make any move since a relationship would be near impossible for you right now. Having to run around and help civilians and defeat bad guys, a romance would not be befitting.

So how are you gonna deal with your friend’s recent antics? He’s trying to hold you at the site even after your work is done, ask more regarding personal life, and you actually caught him attempting to follow you when you were leaving to go home. You couldn’t believe it. Why was he suddenly doing all this? You thought you two were on the same side of things, so how come he is breaking all those promises?

Did he not understand why it was dangerous to reveal your civilian identities and people could actually get hurt if the wrong person got their hands on that information. But all he said was that no one would find out. That it would be fine if you two knew each other for real. It would be good for you to be closer, your work would be easier if you trusted each other more, or something along those lines was what he told you.

You did not agree in the slightest. It was a stupid idea and one you would not comply with. He frowned and hissed, “fine!” and disappeared into the night, leaving you alone on the rooftop with the cold winds hitting you in the face. You thought that was the end of it and life would return to normal.

It didn’t. The next mission he was acting coldly towards you, almost getting himself sliced up as he refused to listen and give you any of his time, claiming he’d do it without your help. Like you predicted it didn’t go as planned for him and you were forced to step in many times before he finally accepted he couldn’t do things alone. You were happy that he returned to himself and stopped ignoring you, until he started his shenanigans again and they were worse than anything he did previously.

After missions your partner lured you away to a secluded rooftop were he’d prepared a table for the two of you. On the white table cloth stood a tall candle, a flame dancing atop it. In the vase next to it was a red rose, fresh with life. Apparently he wanted you to enjoy a nice dinner after a hard day, you deserved it. While you agreed on deserving a little rest, it wasn’t with him you wanted to relax and it certainly wasn’t on some date he’d set up.

Feeling somewhat bad for him as you had to turn him down once more, you talked softly to him and explained to your best abilities that you couldn’t. You wondered if you should’ve made up and excuse first but changed your mind as it would be mean to do and you needed to be perfectly clear with him that you weren’t interested in him in that way.

The horrible sensation of regret filled you when his eyes welled up in tears. You expected him to scream at you, maybe even physically confront you. But bawl? No, that was not what you envisioned. Like before he ran away from the scene and you stood there silent in the dark.

When he reached his home, he ripped his mask off and threw it in the floor, punching the wall with every emotion whirling in his mind. He was sad, so terribly sad. What, you didn’t feel anything for him as he did for you? Not even a bit, an inch? Apparently not, as you had stated to him without uncertainty in your voice. He wanted to scream, hit something. Anything to forget his heartbreak. He’d fucked up. What if you wanted nothing to do with him anymore. What if you replaced him with someone new. A new and better partner.

He couldn’t let that happen. Why can’t you understand how much he loves you, the lengths he’s willing to go in your name. He was a bit ashamed to admit it but he was sure that if things stood between you and being a righteous hero, he’d chose you no questions asked. You were just so much more important than those random people he was forced to save on a daily basis.

Despite the rough conversation you two had the day before, he pushed himself to act completely normal; like it never happened. Although you were a bit worried about him since your rejection seemed to have hit him pretty hard, you let it go as he appeared like himself and you couldn’t let that distract you forever. You had a city to protect and you could not slack off.

You just had to hope his sad rejected state wouldn’t eventually turn into something else. Something like anger. Or worse, madness.

#oc #obsessed #yandere #male yandere #possesive #toxic #yandere oc #bad relationships #superhero #hero #city #hero reader #yandere hero #yandere superhero #partner #yandere x reader #yandere hero x reader #power #HC #headcanon #concept #superhero oc #x reader #fiction #Crispy oc #unrequited affection #unreciprocated love #rejection

[shannankle]

My Top Shows 2023

Doing this at the last minute but here goes--the top 10 shows I watched in 2023!

*Note: I rate my shows on a letter scale cause I don't like narrowing it down to a specific number. (S-standout As-Strong Bs-Fine Cs-There's some problems Ds-ooof)

1. Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

This one instantly became an all time favorite. It covers themes about grief and loss in a deeply empathetic and humanizing way along side the supernatural elements. I don't know if it's because I've experienced loss myself or because it's a universal experience, but I love shows like this that help you understand what it means to grieve and heal in a familiar yet new light. It reminded me a lot of Natsume Yuujinchou (another favorite) in that respect.

Aside from the larger themes, you have a distinct directing style, quirky sense of humor, well-rounded cast of characters, and excellent acting (the lead actor was also in Your Name Engraved Herein and he's just as standout here). In addition to all that, the show gives us a main trio of characters whose strengths are deliberately not their wits. This is used for humor but also to make more meaningful points about connection, empathy, and different ways of thinking (yes, I headcanon the main trio as neurodivergent).

Rating: S+

2. The Eighth Sense

This show! Another piece that is deeply rooted in exploring trauma and loss. This time within the framework of a romance. I'm usually pretty hesitant with stories that bring disability into romance, especially mental illness. There's a tendency to lean into the idea that love cures all and other not so great tropes. The Eighth Sense does a great job balancing that line, giving us romantic beats without wading into them uncritically. In the end, healing and love are things we choose not something guaranteed, but there's still an immense hope in that. I'm an giant sucker for shows that tackle both queer and crip experiences with nuance and grace, and the Eighth Sense hit that mark for me (so much so it even had me writing a little meta). On top of that it has beautiful cinematography and visual choices.

Rating: S

3. Moonlight Chicken

A beautiful show all around! P'Aof constantly knocks it out of the park with every show he directs, but I felt particularly strong about Moonlight Chicken. I adore the way it centers on themes of home and community. It even inspired some meta and a bit of personal reflection for me on what it means to choose home as someone who is queer and disabled. The show gives us the messiness that comes with navigating new and old relationships and somehow also the simplicity of it all. And of course, the show includes a Deaf character and handles his story with nuance and clear care.

Rating: S

4. Shadow

Singto, Fluke, and Fiat in a queer horror show--sign me up! It wasn't as scary as I expected, more psychological (which is good because I am so picky about what types of horror are too much for me vs what I enjoy). I loved the way the show played with time and reality and drew upon various religious practices to create a unique atmosphere. I also adored the attention to small details that make the piece ripe for analysis. I will probably be eyeing clocks and tech in many shows to come. It's also a show that is bringing up themes about queerness, mental illness, domestic violence, and historical trauma. I'm continually drawn to pieces that are queer and crip, so I suppose it's no surprise that this one drew me in too.

I know this show was divisive, about as many people thought it stuck the landing as didn't. I happen to land in the former category. I adore media that makes me stop and think, and given the amount of meta the show had/has me writing, I'd say it well and truly tickled my brain. The show didn't always go where I most wanted or expected but I think that challenged me even more to really think about what the show might be trying to do (my thoughts on that here, spoilers though).

Rating: S

5. Our Dining Table

Japan does a lot of things well, but I'm particularly fond of their slice-of-life. Our Dining Table fits right in there with food and found family at the center. It's warm and cute, but has a depth beyond it's soft exterior, delving into loss, loneliness, and what it means to be fully seen by those around us. All of this tied up in a queer bow. It was easily the show I was most excited to watch each week when it was airing.

Rating: S

6. Mysterious Lotus Casebook

Another one I fell in love with this year! While it has plenty of tropes, cutting through the core of all of this is the growing friendship between the main trio, especially between Li Lian Hua and Fang Duo Bing. Their relationship and personal growth as characters was really beautiful to watch, on top of it just being a fun show with a great balance of humor and drama. Plus Fang Duo Bing's mom 😍

Rating: S

7. One Room Angel

Another solid entry out of Japan. As much as I love Japan's bright slice-of-life offerings like Our Dining Table, they also excel at stories that don't shy away from heavy or complex emotional themes. And I'm noticing as I tackle this post that I really resonate with heavy themes. One Room Angel has it's lighter moments and own quirky humor. But it also tackles depression and suicide as it explores the journey of finding enough connection and meaning in life to keep moving forward.

Rating: S

8. I Feel You Linger in the Air

I Feel You Linger in the Air was such a beautiful show! I'm so happy we got a historical thai bl this year and that it was so so lovely. I really liked last year's To Sir With Love but it does have it's Lakorn/soap style that is a bit more of an obstacle for me. IFYLITA certainly has it's drama, but it feels more tightly drawn. Throw in a little time travel and beautiful love scenes and it was a delight to watch.

Rating: S

9. My Beautiful Man S2, Eternal

When I watched the first season of My Beautiful Man I liked it but wasn't exactly sold. I read a bit of meta from the community which changed my tune a bit. But it wasn't until watching season 2 and Eternal that something really clicked. I immediately went back and watched season 1 after finishing the film and oh boy did I fall in love. Not only do S2 and Eternal give us great character growth and forward motion to Hira and Kiyoi's relationship, and they feel like a natural expansion of the first season in the best way possible. What can I say, I love the whole series!

Rating: A+

10. Kiseki: Dear to Me

Kiseki: Dear to Me feels like an outlier to me. It's hard for me to put my finger on just what made it click for me, but I was so into it when it was airing. I recognize that plot wise this show is a bit of a mess, but at the same time it hit something just right in my brain. Perhaps it was the emotional intimacy the actors portrayed? They did a fantastic job drawing me in. Apart from that I couldn't take my eyes off of Ai Di's impeccable fashion choices, and the many many cameos were quite fun.

Rating: A+ YMMV

A few close contenders:

My School President (S) *split airing 22' and 23'

Tokyo in April Is... (A+)

Laws of Attraction (A)

Bed Friend (A)

The End of the World with You (A)

Me, My Husband, and My Husband's Boyfriend (A)

If it's with You (A)

Our Dating Sim (A)

Love Tractor (A)

The Warp Effect (A) *split airing 22' and 23'

The New Employee (A) *split airing 22' and 23'

La Pluie (A-)

Midnight Museum (A-)

#i completely flaked on doing one for 22 #but this year I made it just in time #80% of these are queer pieces #my top shows #my top shows 23 #my posts #bl series #oh no! here comes trouble #the eighth sense #moonlight chicken #shadow the series #our dining table #mysterious lotus casebook #one room angel #i feel you linger in the air #my beautiful man #utsukushii kare #my beautiful man 2 #my beautiful man eternal #kiseki dear to me

[funnylovepuppis]

I should probably shut up about it because there is so many other people talking about it. But I can't stay silent about it. I can't stress enough how upset and uncomfortable I am with being here in buddie fandom right now.

As a bisexual myself, I agree with the importance of its representation in mainstream media. Especially when it comes to male characters, who are really low in static speaking. We can all agree on this, and hopefully, we can all see it. I'm really thrilled about Bi Buck's journey and about finding his happiness. He's not fixed, he just found out about his other sides he never knew they were existed before. As @m3r1m4r5u333 said in their post, bisexuality is not a personality, just a small piece in whatever color that is a part of many more pieces of soul. Buck, like many real-life people, is trying to figure out himself. I honestly don't think that self-journey will ever stop, not just on sexuality but on many other things. That's how living is, right? So yes, it's very exciting and kind of carefree for him, and I'm truly happy. He deserves it big time after all that he has been through. And I really think that Tommy is genuinely the right person for him at the moment.

But aside from me being bi, I'm also demisexual. Honestly it's more than that for me, because besides the need for emotional connection before sexual intimacy, I need some degrees of emotional connection before even getting into dating. So as you can see, I'm very much attached to Buck and Eddie relationship. I'm mostly finding myself a lot in Eddie's character. I do feel a lot of pressure on starting to date someone nowadays. And I'd probably be single for a long time because that's kinda how how people go to date. You meet someone you like and interested to explore the romantic dynamic and that someone is a completely stranger to you so it's kind of scary and stressful.. I'd rather be someone's friend and then lover..

Yes, best friends have a different kind of love than just two friends. That doesn't necessarily mean that it must have a romance subtext or under the surface, especially when it comes to two people of the same gender. And sure, all the things related to buddie are open to interpretations and any ways that people who see it differently are pretty legit.

We can argue about why things are the way they are. I can acknowledge that Eddie is not in the same emotional place as Buck, and it can be taking a long process for him, if at all, to realize his own feelings about himself and Buck. But at the same time, I can say that although it seems like Buck and Eddie communicate in a very healthy way, there's a sense of underground miscommunication that leaves both of them scared to make a move or talk about their deep feelings and observations on their own relationship. Because what they have is great, so why ruin it for a good change, right? And there is lots of evidence that saying buddie are partially soulmates. Having back from each other. Their reactions are when the other one is in a dangerous situation, such as the firetruck, the wall, the shooting, and the lighting strike. The will. The family moments of Buckley-Diaz. Going to each other's home as a safe place. The teasing from surrounding people about them. The jealousy. Their parallels to other couples on the show/

I guess I'm trying to say to the people who are feeling like some people are not very happy about Bucktommy because they are not appreciative of the new queer couple or the very fact that it's B-Buck canon. I understand the need for bi-representations and am happy to see that. It seems very worth the long wait for this. And yet, I want to say, give buddie stans time, including me. Because our feelings are legitimate and matter, too. It may come as rude or not excited about Bucktommy, but I think this is coming from being afraid and uncomfortable with how quickly many people from the fandom are shifting from Buddie to Bucktommy, even if they still believe in Buddie Endgame. Give us time to fall in love with this couple and connect with them. Give us time to warm up for them. Give us time because we have been attached to Buddie for 5 long years. We have been memorizing all of the episodes, plots, and quotes. Writing for 5 years, Buddie fics. Making beautiful gifsets and fan art.

Thank you for reading this if you have reached this far. 🩷

#buddie #bucktommy

[the-ellia-west]

Hello! Just came to drop by and ask about your current WIP, TCOT! I've seen your prompts for it and I want to properly know more about it. Sorry if it has been explained in your masterlists but I can't seem to find a solid explanation and decided to go here instead.

So! What is the story about? Who are the main characters? And what do they look like? And anything else you want to share about it?

Thank you so much for the Ask @justalittlebuddy

And I didn't really ever make a thorough explanation of it. Just a small synopsis, which only explains like the first 7 chapters?

So Here, a massively long ramble about TCOT, what it is, the conflicts, the characters, and everything.

Alllllrighty!

Here we go!

Explanation of the plot and general premise

TCOT is meant to be/ I'm hoping to make is an about 8 book Series of low fantasy setting with high action, high stakes, romance subplots, and way too much drama.

It's meant to be a basic War-centered fantasy story with good vs Evil with tons of interesting side plots and characters that make it its own interesting and unique project.

Main plot has never been a strength of mine, so I stole one from stereotypical children's media and twisted it into my own thing, adding way too many branches until I turned it into a tree.

The Story is meant to be a pitchfork shaped plot with An underline of the war plot while exploring the psychology and character arcs of all my lovelies in depth.

Now I probably accidentally re-explained that like 4 times as I tend to do, but whatever, Its general structure goes with the heroes down on their luck finding more ways to fight back against the Villains until something works. Other than that I can't explain without spoiling like the 17 consecutive character arcs that interweave to make the story what it is.

All I can say, is Kasi's shift from a seamstress to a warrior, Xhaazi's mental shift from a Jokester to a fighter, Chrin's shift from a nervous seer boy into a powerful influence, Sokuna's shift from a defender to a leader, and all the villain's arcs, that I can't say anything about unless Major spoilers. :]

The Characters

TCOT's main focus is on its characters and their arcs as already stated, There's multiple species, trauma, murder, magic, and morals thrown all about like party confetti in this series.

I can't say a lot about their arcs, but each and every one of them goes through some transformation into something completely different from what they were at the beginning, and This list of characters has an incredibly important arc which weaves together to create the big main plot:

Kasi, Xhaazi, Chrin, Sokuna, Marril, Shyre, Viasaki, Kila, and Geon

I will give you a parapgraph about each because I'm feeling talkative

Kasi

Kasi is a young Outlander who lives outside the walls of Feyrama's Capital City of Terefin with her father Julan and her twin brother Xhaazi. The twins never knew their mother and Julan doesn't like to talk about her. Kasi is a hothead with strong emotions and a tendency to throw-things-first-ask-questions-later. She's fiery and passionate, but she also has extreme emotions in the opposite directions, as in she gets overly excited sometimes, breaks down crying at minor inconveniences, or has panic attacks. But she's gotten good at controlling herself and seeks solace in her loved ones and her job.

Xhaazi

Xhaazi is Kasi's twin brother and a jokester, younger by an hour, and very easily excitable. Just like his sister, Xhaazi has a tendency to feel emotions very strongly, but he doesn't let life phase him and tells jokes to cheer up his friends and family as he loves seeing others smile. Their approval is everything he wants and more. He's upbeat and excitable, enjoying silence as well as loud places. He loves spending time with others and will help wherever he can in any way he can.

Chrin

Chrin is a very powerful young seer boy, who is related to secondary nobles through distant family. But no matter what happens, Chrin is all sunshine and smiles, seeing the silver lining on every cloud and keeping a level head in even the worst scenario, a stark and well-needed contrast to the twin's extreme reactions. He cares for everyone and just wants his efforts and love to be appreciated, as well as to help create a better future for himself and everyone he loves.

Sokuna

Sokuna is an adult shade who ran away from the other shades to protect her daughter from the ruthless training and bloodshed that comes with being a soldier raised from birth. She does everything she can to make a happy life for herself and her daughter in a world that hates them, trying to see the sun between all the rain.

Shyre

Shyre is a young noblewoman and Heir to the third most notable family in Feyrama, the family in charge of negotiations and Trade. She is kind-hearted and well-meaning, though a little naive to the true problems and violence of the world. Shyre can be categorized as a chronic optimist with a lot of passion and not a lot of street smarts.

Now... onto the villains...

Geon

Geon is Less of a villain than he is... actually I don't know what he is. Geon is a Prince who is the bastard child of the Roselite king and an Ahelite Sorceress (Ahelites are an Elven servant race) Born blind, he was shunned as inferior in every possible way by everyone except the only legitimate son of the King and Queen, his older brother Damian. Goen is kind, compasssionate and soft spoken, with a tendency to go against orders and isolate himself because no one in the palace besides his mother, Damian, and his assigned Aid Trissa, care about him. Well at least he's like this until... Shit happens.

Marril

Marril is a paid Assassin. He is also a Hitman. But mostly Assassin. He was cursed at a young age to serve the Shades and their king, and has been trying to scramble free of its torture for years. Guilt-stricken and angry, he is rude, callous, and generally a menace to people he doesn't like, he uses sarcasm and violence as coping mechanisms. He is formal, but a very generally angry person with a lot of trauma who just kinds of needs some help and a cup of coffee.

Viasaki

Viasaki is the First Lieutenant under Tias and The Vessel, controlling a battalion of soldiers. He is a strategic genius who uses most of his time to care for misfits and lost soldiers. But despite his empathy, he will usually follow orders without question. He wavers between his own thoughts, and listening to the voices in his head, while sometimes being controlled by The Vessel. The only thing truly keeping him anchored to reality is his utter hatred of Kila and Tias.

Kila

Kila is Tias' Warrior, also known as the second in command or most trusted of someone with high rank, you only get one, if one of your soldiers volunteers and proves themselves worthy in skill. Kila is worthy and works to stay worthy no matter what. Worthy of status, worthy of love, worthy of a home, worthy of not being thrown out of the mountain at any second, worthy of not being hit for doing a bad job. Kila is a raging perfectionist who sees the world as the strong and the weak. She is a chronic people pleaser and hothead who like to do things her way even though she tries her best to be the perfect servant.

(The only reason she doesn't try to please Viasaki is because she sees him as weak)

Anyway, those are my lovely babies, time for

Conflict

All of the Conflicts from TCOT come from the characters and circumstances

But the main ones are these:

The Main Trio really Fuckin' hates Marril

Viasaki and Kila CANNOT FUCKING GET ALONG

and

Y'know, war

Each book will be structured around a specific character, and developing their arcs, some will get multiple, it's just generally the arc that gets the most progress, and the character that has the most POV time.

Book 1 is basically an intro and set up for everything, but I love it, and I can't wait until we get into the real meat of this shit.

Anywayyyyyy, Book 2 is slated to be a Kasi book, #3 is planned to be a Viasaki one, and I'd have to find my google doc for the rest.

Anyway, thank you again for the ask and this chance to ramble! This is the premise and characters of TCOT! I hope you enjoyed and You'd want to read it!

(Also, if anyone wants to draw these little losers or look at Physical descriptions of them, I am trying my best I swear to make those.)

#creative writing #fiction writing #writing community #writer things #writerscommunity #writers on tumblr #writeblr #writing #writers #writer #the cursed one's throne

[cupofteainme]

I've been so happy with queer representation in Young Royals. I also have notes. Here are some musings about season three.

We didn't get to see many ripple effects of Wille coming out in the show, but trust me, the world changed the moment he held that speech at the end of season two.

Nils and Stedrica

Nils found the courage to come out to his best friends. We don't know how much he was directly affected by Wilhelm. The common struggle with restrictions and the the graduation seemed to tighten the bond between August, Vincent and Nils. Honesty was a strong thread of the season. Wille's confession inspired students to come forward about iniations, later even August yelled at people to stop arguing and to just be sad about Hillerska closing—to be honest about their feelings.

We can make a mental leap and say that Nils was affected by these events and found his courage to be more honest. He also complimented Wille on his bravery and asked the prince if he regretted coming out and Wille answered with a firm no.

I liked how Nils said that he 'sleeps with guys'. You could see how hard it was for him to tell him friends. In season two Nils uses the word 'gay' about himself to Wille. I like how YR shows how people can use different definitions of themselves in different situations or choose to be unlabeled. I got a feeling that this was a huge first step on Nils' journey to accept that part of himself.

Stella and Fredrika are minor characters so they didn't get much screentime regarding their romance. Them ending up together was motivated by something the show explored in season two with Simon, Marcus and Wilhelm—jealousy. While I enjoyed Rosh being frustrated with her gaydar, Stedrica's arc left me wanting. In season two, Stella told Sara that she hesitates to make a move on Fredrica in fear of losing her beast friend if they break up later and things get awkward.

In season three we weren't shown what made Stella feel like she and Fredrica have a good enough chance to succeed in their relationship to put their friendship on the line. It's a shame. I would have loved to see some character development.

The audience is introduced to the sexual side of Stedrica straight after the white party when emotions ran high, Rosh was there to hit more on Stella and the teens were drinking and partying their hearts out. At the time of Stedrica's hook-up Wilmon were broken up, demonstrating exactly what Stella was afraid of—losing the other person completely. We can say that Wilmon didn't set up an encouraging example for them.

Even though Frederica's face looks blissful with Stella, I'm left wondering, am I supposed to read their kissing as a passing fancy that they can play down as part of their friendship again. ("every girl makes out with her best friend while drunk")

I was hoping for some connection to the main story with their arc. It could have been something with honesty, one remark from Stella to Madison for example: "I can't keep lying to my best friend."

Choosing the foundation

Queer matters were lifted to the table and discussed in the scene where Wille needs to pick his charity. Good for Simon for encouraging Wille to use his platform. I especially loved hearing that Wille knows how his love for Simon is changing the world. Not bad for a sixteen year old who's been out of the closet for five seconds.

Let me say this clearly: Queer people don't have to represent a group they identify with, not even Crown Prince Wilhelm. A young person's identity is rarely so strong yet, that they have the strength to carry the public's negative reactions. We saw how much online hate hurt Simon. He and Wille both have the right to protect their identities and relationship. Simon deserved better help with his social media.

Wille told Simon in season one that he doesn't want to say anything (referring to the sex video). At the end of season two, Wille took it back in his speech, but his attitude didn't change. It was a part Wille wanted to keep as private as he could. Over time, Wille could talk about both his mental health and his queerness more openly and in a way that would affect change. He has time to do so when he grows up.

I thought that the pressure for Wille to use his queer identity for good press would have come from the monarchy. It was mentioned once when Farima talked about new royalists and then dropped altogether.

I don't know why YR wanted to differ from the real Swedish monarchy in this instant and rule out LGBTQIA topics as political, when in real life the Crown Princess has taken a stand for them. (Plot reasons, duh, but it's irritating. I was under the impression that for example the amount of LGBTQIA rights and the discrimination LGBTQIA people face are on the same level in real life Sweden and in the YR universe. When one detail doesn't match, it makes the whole foundation wobbly).

That said, LGBTQIA rights don't exist in a vacuum. Sport and health foundation is a brilliant and super topical place to advance non-discrimination and inclusion in sport. Wille could advance LGBTQIA rights without drawing attention to himself when he's underage, perhaps still figuring out his identity and in his first relationship with a boy.

I can't stress enough how impactful it would be to have a queer Crown Prince (or King!) patronage a sport foundation. We can see that the pictures in the launch event of the foundation are taken with diversity in mind. Even if this is a PR strategy on the Court's part, people far removed from the court are going to work in those charities every day. And what do people think about when they see Wille's name and title associated with the foundation? The answer is not a straight boy playing football.

I hoped that YR would have shown in more concrete way that Wille understood the positive impact his queerness brings to people. We got a moment like that with Simon on the First of May when he was asked to take a picture. He got to feel like a role model. Wille could have had a similar encounter at his birthday or even at Hillerska. I feel like the show very carefully avoided to give Wille any good experiences related to the monarchy.

Is there homophobia at Hillerska?

There is a disconnect in how much hate we see Simon get, how Wille is not allowed to support queer rights versus how casual and obvious being queer is to Hillerska students. We saw girls at Hillerska openly kissing next to August in season two. Nobody batted an eye. The students of Hillerska knew it was Wille in the video and there was gossip but no negative reactions.

Young Royals seemingly treats queerness as a neutral or positive thing—even the biggest bully Vincent is not a homophobe and supports Nils when he comes out. Simon's parents are cool with their son being gay. Wille gets personally no backlash after his speech (or at least we don't see him be affected by it as Simon is).

Season three paints a very gloomy picture in contrast. 1. Simon gets mostly negative comments online. These comments hit to where it hurts, into the intersection of Simon's identities (latino lover) and his aspirations with music (chacing clout). 2. Queen Kristina falls sick straight after her son comes out. 3. Erik took part in homophobic hazings that were a tradition at Hillerska.

We don't get to see instances of this homophobia in the school or in the interactions between students except in s2e4 in 'Wille to the table' scene when the Forest Ridge boys celebrate Wille kissing Felice (and conforming to the heteronormativity). It tells us that being straight is the preferred option.

Young Royals claims that homophobia is in the walls, it lives in traditions and institutions. I partly agree. Homophobia needs also people to survive and everyone at Hillerska was shocked and appalled by the hazings. That made it kinda feel like YR put homophobia on-call for plot reasons.

Where is my big scandal about homophobic monarchy?

The journalist in Sweden might have had a keen interest about the disappearance of their Queen from active duties especially when it coincided with Wilhelm's historical coming out speech. Any accusation about the Queen's homophobia would have been devastating for the Monarchy in a country where support for same sex marriages is over ninety percent. (Go Sweden!)

Media would also have a field day about the hazings and their connection to Erik. It's very recent history. The media would wonder if Erik was a victim and/or the perpetrator. No way there would be radio silence. The burning question would be if the freshly out-of-the-closet Crown Prince suffered from homophobic hazing as well.

In season one, Wilhelm had to give a statement about a video he denied being in. In season three Wille has just come out and it turns out that his school has messed up homophobic traditions, the Queen is unable to perform her duties and it's confirmed that somebody filmed the Crown Prince with another boy and uploaded the video. There is nothing 👀

Queer up!

Wille's character is not only queer for loving Simon but queer in the broader (queer theory) meaning of questioning the prevailing conditions by bringing in new ideas, like in season one: 'What if I just want to be with him and not say anything?'

Wille never had the tools to question his position morally or academicly. At the same time he always knew what he wanted at the emotional level. Simon helped Wille with these questions. They had talks about the monarchy and Wille said he was learning from Simon.

Simon was the catalyst for Wille to find his voice and to figure out what he wants his life to look like. More than that, Simon's character allowed the viewers to look into the life of the rich and powerful through queer theory's lens: questioning, revealing, challenging status quo.

Whatever direction their ways ago after the ending, Wille's and Simon's love will continue to make a difference.

#also gay sex is holy #long post #young royals analysis #young royals #young royals does queerness so well #stedrica #nils young royals

[get-hamilton-on-your-side]

I've been seeing posts like these going around lately, and I don't want to start Discourse™️, but I do think it's an interesting conversation to be had.

OP mentions that this is a sentiment occurring in younger viewers, and I think there are lots of reasons for this response. I'm in my early twenties, and growing up, romance was pretty much guaranteed for any book/movie/TV series with a YA audience, even if it wasn't specifically in the romance genre. There were largely popular romance series, of course, (Twilight, The Selection, etc.), but romance was also integral to several series NOT centered around romance. The Series Which Shall Not Be Named ends in a hetero utopia, where basically every member of the original crew grows up, marries each other, and all have kids. Almost every main character of Rick Riordan's series experiences a committed romantic relationship, with the exception of Reyna, (although she's mostly a side character throughout HoO) and Meg (who is a god, and an actual child). The Hunger Games has fewer romantic pairings, but the marketing for those movies were very dedicated to the "love triangle" narrative between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale.

The dedication to establishing romantic relationships does appear somewhat differently for male/masculine and female/feminine coded characters well. For example, I've seen multiple series have a sort of "7th wheel syndrome" where one member of a friend group is made fun of and/or left out in some way because they're the only one not in a relationship. Shows like The Big Bang Theory majorly have this problem, where every character's main goal in life is to fall in love and have a family. In TBBT, Raj has major dating troubles and actually ends up settling for an arranged marriage because his friends are all married and he doesn't want to end up alone. Riordan's HoO series, once again, paints Leo as a tragic figure for being the only single person on the Argo II, but his self worth is finally in tact by the end of the series when he saves the day and gets the girl. Fez in That 70s Show is regularly made fun of for his inability to get a girl. It's not lost on me that many of the male characters in these situations are POC.

While male characters are set up with a last-minute shoehorned romance, female characters (particularly white women) are often given a love interest planned from the beginning. I love Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles but I was kind of dumbfounded by the end because every one of the 8 major characters ends the series in a committed relationship. Every single Disney princess up until 2012 had a prince (although, this has since changed---the only princess post-2012 with a prince is Anna).

And then, of course, you have the plethora of sitcoms that end with every character (or at least every main character) happily in a relationship. New Girl, Parks and Rec, Friends, The Office, The Good Place, Ghosts (US). Even shows like Phineas and Ferb assure the audience that the couples stay together when they're grown up. Almost every Marvel and DC superhero has a love interest, and most action heroes have a girl to save.

Don't get me wrong, I think many of the romances in the media I've talked about so far are good, well-written, and well-established. But based on the previous track-record of shoehorned romances, that is a concern I have about shows like Stranger Things (I won't talk much about The Bear because I haven't seen that show). Stranger Things has highlighted friendship as a major theme in the show, but as the characters have grown older, they've explored various romantic relationships as well. Many people online have already discussed how they fear relationships will be shoehorned in at the end of Season 5, since it is the final season. Ships like stancy, where it's clear that they wouldn't really work well together. I agree with Maya Hawke's sentiment about delving deeper into her friendships. It has been established that she has a crush on Vickie, but we've barely seen them together, and in a show that has to balance SO many different characters, I'm not sure it would serve the show well to put Robin in a romantic relationship. (There is, of course, another conversation to be had about how minority characters are presented in romantic relationships in media. Lesbian relationships are less commonly found in media and they can be really important to some viewers. My agreeing with Hawke is just my 2 cents as an ace lesbian. Other users have also mentioned that when it comes to The Bear, it can be harmful to perpetuate that a Black woman character shouldn't be in a relationship with the main white guy. I haven't seen the show and I myself am not Black, so I won't weigh in on that aspect, but it is another thing to consider in this conversation).

With romance so prevalent in media, it makes sense that our generation is taking a steep turn in the other direction. We've been shown all our lives that romance and sex trumps friendship in importance, but that's not how many of us actually live. Younger people are having sex less. I'm 22 and I'd say half of my friends are not currently in a romantic relationship, and many of them aren't looking for one. I know plenty of adults as well who are happily single, not looking for any more romance in their lives. Even the way people are experiencing romantic and sexual relationships is vastly different from what is shown on TV as there are more openly queer individuals, queer platonic relationships, and polyamory is becoming more prevalent.

I'm not an expert by any means, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. This is all based on my own observation and there is still a lot of media out there that don't have romance as a focal point, media like The Lord of the Rings, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Letterkenny, Bob's Burgers, Reservation Dogs, What We Do in the Shadows, Derry Girls. Shows like Doctor Who have characters in romantic relationships, but the romance is never placed above friendship with the Doctor. The amount of romance in a piece of media also relies on the genre it's in. I've mainly been discussing comedies, science fiction, and action, but other media such as horror, for example, treats romance and sexuality differently.

Still, showing romance, sex, and innuendo in media isn't counterculture, as is suggested by that second Twitter post. It's almost everywhere you look (and lots of kid shows/movies even include those kinds of jokes, as is shown by the amount of videos I've seen titled "I Didn't Get This Joke as a Kid.") I know we're on the internet so people don't care if they hurt other people's feelings, but acting like people who want a little less romance are immature or stupid can be hurtful. There's room for all different types of relationships.

TL;DR, I think a lot of people are just tired of media treating romance and sex as the most important relationship you can have with a person. We're not saying no media should have romance or sexuality or innuendo in it. It's just that as media diversifies, I think it's important to diversify the types of relationships highlighted as well. There's room for romance, sex, and friendship in media, and I don't think people should judge others for wanting positive representation of friendship.

#romance #aromantic #asexual #i'm just tired of shoehorned romance #tv #media #books #movies #bringing this convo over from twitter because that site is a hellscape i don't have enough characters there and i hate making threads #also tumblr understands me better than twitter #let's keep this conversation respectful though #multiple things can be true at once

[emjayewrites]

Flashin’ Lights In A Midst of Darlin’ Nights (4/?)

A fated encounter in The City of Lights changed the lives of an actor and singer forever. And with those darlin’ nights comes even more delights.....

Synopsis: Will Poulter can count on his hands the amount of times he’s been rendered speechless, yet that was until he met singer-songwriter EmJaye. He soon finds himself speechless and dazzled every time he’s in her presence. For Mahalia-Joy, Will hooked her in with his quintessentially British banter. However, in this ruthless industry, a couple needs more to hold onto besides quick laughs and simple awe.

Pairings: Will Poulter x EmJaye (Mahalia-Joy Washington)

Warnings: cursing, adult content, mentions of drugs/alcohol. (Rated 18+)

Taglist: @vargskelegore, @pocfansmatter​, @afro-hispwriter,  @unfriendlyblkhotti3​, @sarcasticmrfox​, @blackpearlbutterfly​, @melancholymelanin, @mochachocolatteyaya, @goldentriostan, @multi-culti-girl​, @chaneajoyyy​, @mauvecherie-writes​​, @4ftwonder​, @jasmindaughteroftheworld​, @valkryienymph, @colorfullydone, @earl-aive​, @queenshikongo3​, @blackreaderatrisk, @pulparindos, @cocobutterqwueen​, @xsweetdellzx, @certifiedlesbianbaddie​, @realhotgurlshit​,   @aieshawilliams2001, @imatrisk

A/N: I do not know Will or his family personally. This is solely fiction and any similarities are coincidental. EmJaye was previously mentioned in a Yahya fic, but her character arc is completely different/changed to fit this fic. If you would like to be tagged, please comment or DM me. Enjoy this chapter.

P.S. I made a slight change to the timeline (don’t you love fanfiction and the ability to shift stuff?). Will made an appearance on This Morning in Late July but it now happens in early August. 

San Diego, CA & London, UK  — Late July/Early August 2022

The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow across the hotel room. EmJaye stirred, slowly opening her eyes, and she turned to her side and found Will, still lost in the land of dreams, his face framed by tousled hair as he let out peaceful snores A contented smile tugged at the corner of her lips, silently admiring the man who was steadily capturing her heart.

Careful not to disturb him, she gently slipped out of bed and made her way to the window. Below, the city of San Diego hummed with life outside, yet within the confines of their premium suite inside the InterContinental, there was a serene stillness. EmJaye took a moment to soak in the quietude and privacy, her mind filled with the events of the previous day and the newfound reality of their budding romance being exposed to the world.

The image of the paparazzo's snapshot, capturing their stolen kiss, flashed in her mind. She couldn't help but feel vulnerable. Their private moments had now become public knowledge, a topic of discussion among fans and media alike. But amidst the whirlwind, one thing remained certain — the burgeoning fondness between her and Will was genuine and steadfast.

Lost in her thoughts, EmJaye was brought back to the present when she felt a pair of strong arms encircling her waist from behind. Will had awakened, his sleepy voice filled with warmth.

"Good morning, beautiful," he murmured groggily, his lips brushing against her cheek before he placed butterfly kisses along the column of her neck.

EmJaye leaned into his embrace, finding solace in his presence. "Good morning," she replied, her voice a tender whisper.

They stood there for a moment, wrapped in each other's arms, finding comfort in the silent understanding they shared. Suddenly, she turned to him, their eyes bore into one another as their lips soon met in a tender dance, a union of adoration and longing. The kiss began softly, a delicate exploration, but soon ignited into a passionate flame. Their mouths moved in perfect synchrony, the rhythm of their hearts echoing with each touch.

EmJaye melted into Will's embrace, her fingers instinctively tangling in his hair. Their bodies pressed together, a testament to their desire, as the room filled with the intoxicating scent of their shared ardor. Their kisses deepened, filled with lust and she eventually felt Will's stirring arousal.

Halting their fervent makeout session, Will gave her a meek smile although his eyes still blazed with intense yearning. "We can stop if you want. I'm perfectly fine with waiting."

"I know," she said, letting out a scoff. "You've made that quite clear after our first date."

His hands caressed her arms, his fingertips rubbing small circles into her skin. Bowing his head, Will's gaze softened as memories of their first meeting in Paris consumed him. "That night was crazy," he stated. "I was tempted to but-"

"I was under the influence," she interrupted and Will nodded. "But you didn't say anything afterward; completely swept it under the rug."

"To be honest, I didn't think that I should've brought that night up again. No one wants to be reminded of rejection."

"True," was her only reply.

"Whenever you're not intoxicated, just understand that I'm ready for whatever," Will tells her as he cupped her chin. The seriousness and deepness of his tone made a bolt of electricity course throughout her body. "You have no idea how weak you can make me. It took sheer willpower for me to walk away that night."

Emboldened with this revelation, EmJaye's eyelids drooped in intrigue and coquetry. "Really? Little ol' me makes you feel like that?"

"You do," concurred Will gruffly. "I don't think you have any idea."

"Show me."

Her taunt caused Will to elicit a growl; it came from the back of his throat and sounded primal.

This fuckin' woman will be the death of me, Will's thoughts uttered right before he unexpectedly lifted her into his arms, making EmJaye yelp in surprise. Her body nestled against his, fitting perfectly in the curve of his embrace as he carried her effortlessly to the bed, dropping her with a soft plop.

Their eyes connected as he slowly lowered himself onto the bed, his knees meeting the softness of the mattress as he moved toward her. Each movement was deliberate, like a predator stalking its prey. He moved with a tantalizing slowness, savoring every moment, as if time had become an afterthought in this intimate dance.

EmJaye watched him intently, her heart racing in sync with the rhythm of his approach. She felt a magnetic pull, drawing her closer to him, her body responding to the silent invitation. The intensity of his gaze never wavered, his focus solely on her, as if she were the center of his universe. Finally, their paths converged, and Will hovered above EmJaye, his hands lightly grazing the soft sheets beneath them with his face inches away from hers.

Their kisses were filled with a hunger that could not be quelled, a yearning for connection that consumed them both. Will's lips explored every contour of EmJaye's mouth, his kisses ranging from soft and tender to demanding and intense. EmJaye's hands roamed over Will's back, her fingertips tracing the curves of his spine, igniting shivers of pleasure along his skin. Their bodies pressed against each other, a delicious friction that only fueled their passion further. Their kisses became a symphony of desire and urgency.

Steadily, their clothing disappeared into a pile on the floor, and they found themselves in nothing but their underwear. Will paused to do a thorough once-over at EmJaye. She laid beneath him like a goddess in her matching lingerie, the white lace of her bra and thong was ethereal against her skin. He licked his lips in contemplation, his growing need for her increasing with every waking second, and he kissed her. Will's hand ventured down EmJaye's side, his fingers gliding over the fabric of her bra. At that moment, his touch encountered something unexpected — a slight metal sensation against his palm. His curiosity piqued, he broke the kiss and gazed into EmJaye's eyes.

"You have nipple piercings," he murmured, his voice filled with a mixture of surprise and intrigue.

EmJaye smiled, her eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief. "Yes, I do. I have a few hidden surprises."

Will's fingers gingerly explored the outline of the piercings, feeling the subtle adornments that decorated EmJaye's body. He marveled at the delicate yet bold statement they made, appreciating the way they added an extra layer of uniqueness to her already captivating presence.

But it didn't stop there. As their lips met once again, Will's hand wandered further, tracing the contours of EmJaye's exposed skin. And there, on a particularly tantalizing curve of her hip, he discovered the telltale lines of a tattoo. His fingertips gently grazed the inked design, tracing its intricate patterns.

EmJaye's breath hitched slightly as she felt the touch of his fingers on her tattoo, the sensation sending a shiver down her spine. It was a piece of art etched onto her skin, a representation of her journey, her passions, and her story.

Will's mind couldn't help but drift back to the events of the previous day, he couldn't help but marvel at how quickly things had changed. With the world knowing about his and EmJaye's budding relationship, thanks to the intrusive paparazzi and their relentless pursuit of a story, he knew that their lives would never be the same. Yet, in this quiet moment, inside the sanctuary of their hotel room, all the chaos of the outside world seemed distant and inconsequential. The weight of public scrutiny and expectations lifted, replaced by a sense of ease and comfort that only EmJaye's presence could bring.

With calculated and fluid motions, Will's hands gingerly stroked her legs until they came to the apex of her thighs. Hooking his forefingers into the waistband of her thong, he removed them from her body at a leisurely pace.

"You're so gorgeous," he whispered, completely enthralled. Her legs were wide open, and he noticed her vagina glistening with her arousal. Fusing their mouths, his fingers trailed down the length of her body, and he slowly inserted two of them inside her moist depths. The warm, collapsing caves of her womanhood embraced him, taking his fingers deeper as he stroked her delicately.

"Will..." she mewled at the friction, making Will sigh breathlessly.

"My gorgeous Mahalia," he crooned to her as he kissed her neck tenderly, “you make such lovely sounds.” 

“Will....I’m-I’m a-almost t-there...don’t st-stop...”

“I won’t, sweetheart,” responded Will as his pace increased, the pad of his thumb toying with her clitoris, and causing her back to bow into an arch. “Fuck, you look so good. You’re so wet for me.” 

With his hands, he pleased her, placing her closer to the edge. As much as Will wanted their bodies to be entangled in the sheets, he also knew how stressed she was and he wanted to give her some respite. And that's what he did, bringing her to a release, groaning as her inner muscles contracted reactively around his fingers over and over again until she finally burst with a soft moan and expletive. 

“Fuck...”

Will's lips grazed across EmJaye's face, leaving a trail of gentle, feather-light kisses. He started at her forehead, placing a soft peck as a gesture of affection. Moving downward, he traced the bridge of her nose, savoring the warmth of her skin beneath his lips. His mouth then wandered to her closed eyelids, bestowing gentle kisses upon each one, and settled at her cheeks, cherishing the smoothness of her skin and the taste of her natural sweetness.

"Good girl," he praised, his voice husky and deep, pulling her to her side to cuddle. Her body continued to shake with the aftermath of her orgasm, yet Will held her tightly against his chest, gently rubbing soothing circles on her back. His fingers glided over her skin with a gentle touch, creating a calming sensation that melted away any tension she held.

EmJaye nestled comfortably against him, her body relaxing with each tender stroke. The rhythmic motion of his hands worked its magic, lulling her into a state of peaceful relaxation. Her breathing became steady and serene, her body sinking into a state of deep calm. The room was filled with the soft sounds of their breaths, the only audible reminder of their presence. Will continued to rub her back, maintaining a steady rhythm, until he felt her body surrender to sleep.

As EmJaye peacefully drifted off, Will pressed a tender kiss to the crown of her head, staying there for a moment as he relished in the intimacy they just shared. 

     __________________________________________________________

EmJaye and Will found solace in the tranquil oasis of their hotel’s rooftop pool. The sun's rays danced on the water's surface as they swam, basking in the warmth of each other's presence. It was a haven away from the chaos that enveloped the world, where they could simply be themselves.

A radiant smile illuminated EmJaye’s face as she playfully splashed her feet in the pool, relishing the cool water against her sun-kissed skin. Ever the attentive one, Will watched her with adoration, his eyes tracing the curves of her body, the subtle tattoos peeking out from beneath her swimsuit. 

EmJaye floated effortlessly through the water, her body moving with graceful ease. Will, unable to resist the allure of her presence, joined her, their bodies intertwining in a dance of playful affection. Laughter echoed around them as they splashed and frolicked, cherishing the simplicity of their private paradise. Leaning her head against Will's chest, his steady heartbeat lulled her into a state of tranquility. His arms wrapped protectively around her, providing a sense of security amidst the whirlwind of attention. The poolside oasis cocooned them, shielding them from the prying eyes and probing questions.

But even in this idyllic sanctuary, the world had a way of seeping in. Will's phone  rang with notifications, drawing his attention away from their blissful respite. With a sigh, he hopped out of the pool, dried off his hands then reached for his phone to unlock it, only to be greeted by a flurry of messages from friends and family and notifications from various gossip accounts on Instagram and Twitter. 

EmJaye, sensing the change in Will's demeanor, peered over at Will, her brows furrowing slightly. She knew the realities of being in the public eye, but that didn't make it any easier to see their personal lives dissected and analyzed by strangers. 

"What's going on?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

Will's gaze met hers, his eyes reflecting a mix of emotions. "It's nothing, really. Just the internet doing what it does best: gossiping and stirring up controversy."

“Just like they have assholes, everyone has an opinion,” joked EmJaye, treading closer to Will and leaning on the pool’s coping. “What’re they saying, if you don’t mind me asking?” 

Will ran a hand through his hair before joining EmJaye once more, taking a seat close by, his legs dangling in the clear, shimmering depths. The gossip mill buzzed with speculation, particularly focused on their racial differences. EmJaye, with her gorgeous brown skin, and Will, with his striking blue eyes and dirty blond hair, became the subject of intense scrutiny. Will's jaw clenched, his fingers gripping the phone tightly, as he absorbed the range of opinions that scrolled before his eyes. The internet was an unforgiving place, where judgments and stereotypes thrived. 

“Not so nice stuff,” he finally answers. 

“Do I even want to know?” 

“Just narrow-minded people being assholes.” 

EmJaye drew nearer, settling in between Will’s legs, feeling his warmth envelop her in an embrace. The weight of the hurtful comments hung in the air, but EmJaye refused to let it consume them. She traced circles on his hand, her touch gentle yet firm, grounding him. “Let’s just focus on us from now on and block out everything. I think that will help in the long run. We can’t let outside forces come into our space.”

Will's tense expression softened as he gazed at EmJaye, grateful for her understanding and unwavering support. He took a deep breath, exhaling the negativity that had clouded his mind. He knew all too well that the relentless scrutiny and hurtful comments could take a toll on anyone's mental well-being, and it was important for them to establish boundaries to protect their mental health. "You're right, Mahalia. We can't let them define us. We'll limit our exposure to those hurtful comments and won’t engage in toxic discussions."

EmJaye nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "Exactly. Now, let’s focus on something more appealing.” 

“Such as?” 

A mischievous smile played on EmJaye's lips as she leaned in closer to Will, her voice barely above a whisper. "How about we create our own oasis of happiness right here, right now?"

Will's eyes sparkled with anticipation as he caught on to her playful suggestion. He mirrored her smile and gently brushed his fingers along her cheek. "I like where this is going. I’m surprised that you’re still up for anything after the eventful morning you’ve had.” 

Images of earlier that day flooded her brain. “What can I say? I'm a woman of boundless energy," she replied, her voice laced with seduction.

“Indeed you are,” said Will, his voice deep and husky. He pulled her closer, their bodies melting into each other as they reveled in the connection they shared. Their lips met once more, a fiery and passionate kiss that ignited the air around them. 

Will touched her body with a gentle yet firm caress, exploring every curve and contour. EmJaye's skin tingled under his touch, her senses heightened by the intensity of their desire. They moved together, their bodies in perfect harmony, dancing to the rhythm of their shared passion. Their hands roamed freely, tracing paths of pleasure along each other's skin. They reveled in the sensations, the heat and electricity igniting a fire within them. EmJaye's breath hitched as Will's lips trailed down her neck, leaving a trail of soft kisses in their wake. 

“Do you want to go back to our room? I’m sure other guests wouldn’t enjoy seeing us fuck in the pool.” 

Arching a brow, EmJaye stared at him intently. “Oh, so we’re fucking now?” 

Will gave her a half-shrug. “Listen, at this point, we might as well, especially how I’m giving you these orgasms back-to-back.” 

“You motherfucker,” she teased, nudging him in the abdomen. “You’re getting so cocky nowadays.” 

“Maybe you’re just getting to know me, sweetheart. I’m always like this.” 

"Is that so? Well, I guess I'll have to keep discovering more of your... impressive qualities then."

Will chuckled, his voice filled with anticipation. "I'm all yours, sweetheart. Let's head back to our room."

They disentangled themselves from their heated embrace and made their way out of the pool. Hand in hand, they grabbed their belongings and towels before walking back to their room. EmJaye couldn't resist the opportunity to playfully tease Will, which made him smack her backside lightly, eliciting a surprised squeal from her. 

"Consider that a taste of what's to come," he whispered in a deep baritone.

Inside their hotel room, the air was charged with desire, their lips reuniting in a passionate kiss that spoke volumes of their longing and hunger for each other. Clothes were shed with an urgency that belied their desire to be skin against skin. As they sank onto the bed, their bodies melded together, a seamless union of pleasure as time seemed to lose meaning as they explored each other with fervor, their moans and sighs filling the air. 

Will’s mouth charted a sensual path down the column of her neck to her rib cage before landing right back at her chest. He tasted her breasts, his teeth teasing her nipples until they hardened to ripe dark points. Will relished in her taste, loving how the mixture of her flesh and the metal from her piercing drove him mad with lust. He continued to kiss her there, sucking and biting and ultimately leaving hickeys in his wake as he made his way down to her mound, inhaling the essence of her femininity. 

A swathe of heat swept down her body and she writhed beneath him, moaning his name with her pleas. He desperately craved to taste her, to feel the sheer tightness and wetness of her inner depths on his tongue. In the tiny oasis of their hotel room, he had the opportunity to truly discover every crevice of her body with no intrusion from the outside world. 

Placing a kiss along the inside of her thighs, Will slowly parted her womanhood open with his fingers, burying his head deep, his rapacious tongue cradled her sensitive flesh. He held her tightly as her hips bucked, holding her in place as he feasted on her. Slowly, his right hand trailed upwards, exploring the curves of her body and the firmness of each of her breasts, toying with her pert nipples while the other separated her folds, increasing the pressure of his tongue on her clitoris. 

Gusts of ecstasy consumed EmJaye and she tangled her hands into his hair. “Baby....oh my G-God,” she moaned, moving her hips to the rhythm of his tongue as he ate her as if he was a starving man. “Please...please...y-yes...” 

Emitting a cry, her body began to shudder as she reached her pinnacle, her orgasms overlapping themselves. 

“What a good girl,” noted Will against her thigh, savoring her juices on his tongue. As expected, she tasted incredible and he only yearned for more. Lying beside her, Will played with her breasts, caressing her pierced nipples as EmJaye’s breathing began to regulate. “I enjoy making you feel like this, sweetheart. You don’t understand how happy it makes me.” 

Propping her chin on her elbow, she turned to face him. “I’m definitely enjoying it, but don’t you want to feel the same way? I can—“

“There’s no need,” Will interrupted. “Besides, I can wait. I’m as patient as they come.” 

Her face scrunched up in confusion. “Aren’t you tired of getting blue balls? I just want to make you feel as good as you make me.” 

“And you will,” he says to her as he tucked a strand of her behind her ear. “I’m focusing on you at the moment. I love exploring your body and giving you pleasure.” 

She gave him a tender smile, her heart swelling with gratitude as relief washed over her. Although she’s only been with two other men besides Will, her desires were overlooked or dismissed, not to mention that her pleasure was not being prioritized. Knowing that Will saw her as an equal partner, both in and out of the bedroom, made their shared moments of intimacy that more special.  

“Thank you, baby.” 

Will beamed. “You’re welcome, sweetheart. Now, bring your sexy self over here.” 

Growling, Will snaked his arms around her waist to cuddle and EmJaye couldn't help but giggle at Will's playfulness, feeling a surge of warmth and affection as he pulled her into his chest. As they cuddled, EmJaye let out a contented sigh, basking in the safety and comfort of Will’s arms as they relaxed in their small slice of peace. 

  __________________________________________________________

(Several weeks later)

Will sat in his dressing room at This Morning, mentally preparing himself for the upcoming segment. Part of his new role consisted of promotional tours and press junkets. And although he wasn’t opposed to doing this, with the world keen on his relationship with Mahalia, he felt indifferent. At least he was able to discuss not only his time filming the new Guardians movie, but spreading awareness to one of the charities he supported as well. 

He was grateful for those three days in San Diego with Mahalia as well as the nights they’d spent together in bed, exploring each other’s bodies. Will enjoyed that special time, getting to know one another better. And despite them not having penetrative sex, he felt closer to her than ever before.

Out of the blue, his phone buzzed, signaling a new voicemail. Curiosity piqued, he unlocked his phone and pressed play to listen to the message.

“Hey, sweetie! I’m in Budapest with Zendaya right now, visiting her on set...I hope you don’t mind...just figured it seem like the best decision since the only thing I’ve got going on right now is finishing my album. I can pay half of the rent or whatever if that helps. I don’t know...I miss you a-and I just want to be around you, and I was wondering...would it be too much to ask if I could stay with you for a month or so?"

A mix of surprise and excitement washed over Will as he listened intently. Mahalia’s throaty voice carried a sense of determination and hope that resonated deeply within him and echoed in his brain.

“I just want to be around you...I miss you...”

Will's heart raced as he absorbed her words. The thought of her coming to England and staying with him sent a wave of happiness and nervousness through his veins. He glanced at himself in the mirror, a smile slowly spreading across his face. This unexpected turn of events felt like a sign, an opportunity to deepen their connection in a whole new way.

Completely reeling from her voicemail, his cheeks puffed out as he exhaled a held breath, the anxiety of it all clearly getting to him. He’d hoped he saw her in the next few weeks in London for a date or two, yet spending so much time with her, albeit great, was unexpected. In the back of his mind, he felt as though they were rushing too fast, however, he understood from personal experience with ex-girlfriends how critical those first few months are, especially with his hectic schedule. And Will couldn’t deny the magnetic pull and chemistry he had with Mahalia. He wanted to build something with her, and from the conversations he had with his family and friends about her, everyone in his circle supported him.

Plus, being under his roof gave them the privacy they so desperately needed in order to grow their relationship. With a grin on his face, he composed a text message to her:

Will: Hey, beautiful. Just listened to your voicemail, and I can't even begin to express how happy it made me. Yes, absolutely, you can stay at my place while you finish recording your album! No need to worry about expenses or anything like that. My home is your home, and I can't wait to have you here.

He pressed send, his thumb hovering over the screen for a moment before finally letting go. The message flew across the digital space, carrying his genuine affection and support to Mahalia.

“We’re ready for you, Will,” announced a producer with a kind smile, bringing him back from his reverie.

Following behind the producer, Will placed his phone on vibrate and pocketed the device in his jeans.

Will sat in the comfortable chair, surrounded by the bright lights and cameras of the This Morning set. The hosts, Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary greeted him with warm smiles as the interview began.

"Welcome back to This Morning, everyone. We have a very exciting guest joining us today, the talented actor, Will Poulter!,” Alison announced.

"Thank you for having me," Will replied, returning their smiles.

Dermot leaned forward, his voice filled with curiosity. "Now, Will, we've heard some incredible news about your upcoming projects. You're set to make your debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Can you give us any hints about your character? "

Will chuckled, feeling a gentle flush rise to his cheeks. "Oh, I wish I could spill all the details, but you know how tight-lipped Marvel can be. What I can say is that it's a dream come true to be part of such an iconic franchise. I'm incredibly excited for everyone to see what we've been working on."

Alison leaned in, her eyes sparkling with intrigue. "We can't wait to see you in action, Will. And speaking of exciting news, congratulations are in order. You've been nominated for an Emmy for your outstanding performance in your recent project. How does it feel?"

Will's smile widened in happiness as he reminisced about getting the call from his agent. "Thank you so much! It's truly an honor to be recognized for my work in that particular role. I poured my heart and soul into it, so the nomination means the world to me. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such a talented cast and crew."

“So, Will, there have been some rumors swirling around about someone special in your life, a certain singer-songwriter by the name of EmJaye. Love her music! Care to give us any clues?” asked Dermot.

Will's lips curled into a playful smile, and he looked down for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He knew that his fans were eager to know more, but he had always been a private person when it came to his personal life. However, a mischievous glint danced in his eyes as he decided to indulge them, but only a little.

"Well, I must say, there is someone who holds a special place in my heart," he said, his voice laced with a hint of mystery.

Alison raised an eyebrow, sensing the intrigue. "Oh, really? How did the two of you meet?"

Will chuckled softly, a playful twinkle in his eyes. "We actually crossed paths at a fashion show. It was one of those chance encounters that you never expect but end up being truly life-changing."

"And how are things going between you two? Are you in a relationship?" added Dermot.

Will's smile grew more enigmatic, his eyes sparkling with a mixture of fondness and secrecy. "I've always been someone who prefers to keep my personal life private, and that won't change. But I will say that I'm grateful for her presence."

Alison couldn't help but press further, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Will we see any collaborations between you two? A duet, perhaps? I mean we know you can sing from watching The Score!"

Will's lips curved into a playful smirk. "Well, you never know. We're both passionate about our respective crafts. But for now, we're just enjoying each other's company."

“Well, it sounds like exciting times ahead for you, Will. We can't wait to see your debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and, of course, to hear more about your blossoming romance. Thank you so much for joining us today,” noted Dermot.

“Thank you both for having me. It's been a pleasure.”

As the interview wrapped up, Will couldn't help but feel grateful for the opportunities that had come his way. From his upcoming debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to the recognition of his talent with an Emmy nomination, his career was flourishing. And alongside it, he had found someone special in Mahalia, a person who brought joy and inspiration to his life. With a smile on his face, Will looked forward to the future, ready to embrace the adventures that awaited him both on and off the screen.

________________________________________________________________

Mahalia: “Thank you so much, Will. I really appreciate it. I’ll probably get to London by the end of this week. I’m on my way to dinner with Z and Tom – Hey, Will! What’s up, mate! – Z and Tom says hey. Yeah, I’ll call you soon.”

Will chuckled at Mahalia’s voice message as he hurried inside the cozy pub, his breath slightly labored from rushing to meet his friends after the whirlwind of his interview on This Morning. Kola and his visiting Maze Runner costars, Chris Sheffield and Dexter Darden, were already seated at their usual corner table with pints in their hands, their laughter and banter filling the air.

"Hey, sorry I'm late, guys," Will said, sliding into the seat next to Dexter. He placed a bag from Selfridge's on the table, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

Kola's eyes widened, a mischievous glint in his gaze. "What's this? A Selfridge's bag? Will, you've been shopping?"

Will chuckled, his cheeks tinged with a hint of bashfulness. "Well, you know, treating myself a bit."

Chris raised an eyebrow, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm. "Treating yourself with fancy shopping, huh? Don’t tell me, more sneakers?"

Dexter joined in, a smirk dancing on his lips. "Knowing Will he probably got some Nike’s."

Will laughed, shaking his head. "Nah, not this time. Mahalia is staying over at my place, so I got some things for the house."

His friends' mouths dropped open in disbelief, their eyes wide with astonishment.

Kola finally found his voice. "Wait, hold up. Mahalia? As in the incredible musician EmJaye? She’s coming here? Staying at your place?"

Will nodded, a warm glow of pride illuminating his features. "The very same. We've been spending a lot of time together, and she needs to finish her album."

Chris let out a low whistle. "How the fuck did you pull that off? Holy shit!"

Will shrugged modestly, a gleam of happiness in his eyes. "Sometimes, life surprises you. We just connected on a deeper level when I was in San Diego."

Kola's curiosity got the better of him as he eyed the Selfridge's bag. "Alright, spill the beans, Will. What's in the bag?"

Will's grin widened mischievously. "Extra towels and I...uh...got...silk pillowcases."

Kola smirked, unable to resist a well-timed joke. "So, Will, did you google 'what to buy when a Black woman stays at your house'?"

The table erupted in laughter, and Will playfully rolled his eyes, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, you lot. No, I didn't need to google anything. It's about making her feel welcome and comfortable, no matter what."

Dexter clapped him on the back, chuckling. "Well, I have to hand it to you. You're really going all out."

"Well, well, our Will has certainly grown up. Who would have thought he'd be playing the role of the perfect host? We're impressed, man,” noted Chris.

“I’m still surprised that you’ve pulled her!” Kola stated in astonishment. “Like how? You grow some balls quick, eh?”

“Fuck you, Kola,” Will responded in jest, throwing a used napkin at him.

“What?” Kola laughed, holding up his hands in innocence. “I’m just asking the questions that everyone wants to know. Not to mention, you refuse to give details and you promised me you’ll kiss and tell.”

“I’ve never said that.”

Just when Kola was about to respond, a waitress walked to their table.

“Can I get you anything?” she asks, placing a hand on her hip.

Will flashed a charming smile at the waitress, his demeanor unfazed by her slightly standoffish attitude. “I’ll take a pint of Guinness, thank you.”

The waitress let out an exasperated sigh, her eyes narrowing with a hint of annoyance as she jotted down his order. "Fine, one pint of Guinness coming right up."

She then turned on her heels and marched away, muttering something under her breath. Will exchanged amused glances with his friends, their laughter echoing through the pub. Despite the waitress's sour demeanor, the camaraderie and joy among the group remained unshaken.

Kola couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, looks like she's not a fan of our Will's charms."

Will shrugged, his grin undiminished. "Can't win 'em all, right? But hey, at least the beer here is good."

In the midst of it all, Will couldn't help but feel grateful for the genuine connections he had with Kola, Dexter, and Chris. They were there for him, teasing him and cheering him on, just as they had always been.

As the night drew to a close, the group made plans for their next get-together, already looking forward to the adventures and laughter that lay ahead. They were a tight-knit crew, and as they said their goodbyes, they couldn't help but feel fortunate to have each other in their lives.

With Mahalia's upcoming stay at his place, Will pondered on the prospect of sharing his home with her, of creating new memories together, igniting a spark within him that burned brighter with each passing moment.

TO BE CONTINUED.....

#Flashin’ Lights In A Midst of Darlin’ Nights #will poulter x black character #will poulter x black!ofc #will poulter imagine #will poulter fanfiction #will poulter fanfic #guardianofthegalaxy3 #adam warlock x reader #adam warlock #gotg3 #will poulter x emjaye #emjayewrites

[honeydew-wecantwo]

anti-fujoshis weird me out so much , cus like you try to ""protect"" gay people from ""fetishizers"" so much they find themselves becoming homophobic in a way, themselves

like do y'all not realize that treating romance manga with straight couples normally, but being entirely too weird about who gets to read romance manga featuring gay couples does nothing but push people away from, well, engaging in media featuring gay couples??? not to mention that it locks people from exploring their gender and sexuality through media ??? is that the end goal here ???

and dont even get me started on anti-fujoshis immediately writing off any media written by asian people with a gay couple in its main plot as "fetishizing"... cus like wtf is the argument that "yaoi" is the impure bad side of the genre, and "boys love" is the wholesome good side.. like theyre the SAME WORD describing the SAME GENRE in two different languages???

#antis are just weird about EA people in general bro #pro fujoshi #proship #proship safe #antis dni

[cassiopeiasara]

ALOTO Reflections

So I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to think of how I want to phrase my thoughts post finishing the season and I can’t promise full consistency or coherency but there’s something I want to explore and praise so much that my rambling be damned. So as my girl Issa once said, I go into every show like

Y’all I had such low expectations for Max’s storyline. I’m a fan of the original movie and I thought maybe they’d expand that minute with those black women to idk 5 in a few episodes then pat themselves on the back for a “diversity win” BUT THEY DIDN’T DO THAT!

Forewarned there will probably be spoilers ahead. Listen, I love period pieces so much and as a black woman, I’m so used to it being about nothing but our trauma as if one of the defining characteristics of Black people in the US isn’t finding joy in the most unimaginable circumstances. And beyond that, I’m used to seeing us portrayed as one dimensional as if we don’t have our own community and struggles and layers. 

Instead of those maybe 5 minutes I expected, we got Max and her place in a family who experiences a wonderful amount of success and status. I fucking love that her mom Toni not only owns her own business but it’s a beauty salon. One of the epicenters of black femininity specifically. I love that this is the legacy she wants to leave for Max and the fact that it won’t work for Max. Not only is there the very obvious fact that baseball is Max’s dream but also she interacts with her gender expression (as a fucking stud be still my weak lesbian heart) in a way where being in this very specifically defined feminine space would be stifling. BUT ALSO! That salon is home. Max won’t let a stranger cut her hair, she goes to her uncle because she needs the connection that exists in her family and her community. AND THEY SHOWED US THAT!

Clance, dear Lord, my beloved Clance. They gave Max not just a funny sassy sidekick but a woman who is supportive, hilarious and a vintage blerd (black nerd for those unaware). Also we get that lovely conflict of Clance being so stressed out about her housewarming because she doesn’t have the success of the Chapmans. Her place is still being established in her community. I just don’t have the words for how fucking rare that is to see portrayed in a lot of media much less in a period piece. Also all those instances where Clance tries to hold Max back because she knows the dangers of losing your shit in front of white folks. It’s an ever present force in both of their lives and the way they remind each other and protect each other, I could just sob. 

ALSO! I’m so beyond thrilled at the romances between black folks. Max’s parents are adorably and disgustingly in love and we don’t get that often enough with our legacies of families torn apart and violence (which are very real but it’s not all that exists). We also get Clance and Guy. I LOVE GUY. He’s so sweet and loves Clance so much and they are so wonderfully supportive and vulnerable with each other. AND WE GET TO SEE IT! Then Max, my wonderful wonderful Max gets to navigate two different avenues; one in which she’s a secret side piece of someone who doesn’t fully see her and one in which nestled in the safety and community built by her uncle she gets to meet a woman not in the dim shadows of a secret but in a bright light of joy where she presents in a way where she’s finally found comfort. And Bert and Gracie, my gosh Bert and Gracie, they’re like a queer version of my favorite aunt and uncle and they give Max a place and hope and they’re SO IN LOVE.

Honestly this was all beyond my wildest dreams and while I find myself grateful, I’m also in a place where I’m like it’s what we deserve. In fact we deserve whole shows like this in any period of time because we’re worthy and see what beautiful stories we can be?? Anyway, I’m going to go back to sobbing and probably rewatch this show a few more times. 

#max chapman #clance morgan #a league of their own #a league of their own spoilers #aloto #aloto spoilers

[sunshineneedsaplacetokeephernsfw]

Once upon a time I found vampires as a boring option as a monster fucker/lover. Mainly because I just saw them as pale humans who drink blood and had yet to see a piece of media take full advantage of the differences between humans and vampires and all the interesting things a vampire/human relationship could offer.

Mainly because I hadn't seen a lot and only exposure was a few posts in the teratophilia tag that didn’t sell me. But having recently consumed a piece of media that sold me on just how interesting a vampire/human relationship could be and all of the fun things that could be done with it. (If you've seen my blog at all recently, you know exactly what I'm talking about)

So since my adhd brain won't shut up about all the things that could be done with it, I will ran about the things that can be done with it here.

Sorry that it's probably disorganized and certain words might be repeated a lot. This is just me writing down all of my thoughts.

First of all there's all of the different features of vampires that different tellings of them offer. There's the obvious stuff like fangs and drinking blood to survive, sunlight being harmful to them, being able to turn into a bat, them being immortal. And there's also some things someone might forget at first like not being able to see them in mirrors, or even garlic being harmful to them. Maybe these things wouldn't be that useful to consider when writing a smut oneshot, but they are small details that would effect their life and interactions they might have with a human.

Like, maybe the human is inspecting themselves in the mirror and the vampire sneaks up behind them and whispers "Boo". The human jumps before laughing and playfully shoving the vampire away but leans into their touch after they snake their arms around the human's waist. Or maybe vampires can't be seen in pictures, much to the human's dismay because they want to remember what the vampire looks like, so they teach themselves to draw so they can draw what the vampire looks like and can always look back at that picture.

Or them trying to figure out what to do when they realize the vampire will outlive the human by a lot.

Or since vampires are stereotyped to live in gothic mansions (at least from what I can tell), lean into that gothic aesthetic. Or have them live somewhere else and lean into the aspects or aesthetic that would come with that.

But my favorite thing of all about vampire/human relationships is the dynamic and potential power dynamic or imbalance that could present.

Of course, if someone wants to write a healthy romance, they might not want to lean into that. But it could still be done in an interesting way of the characters doing their best to figure out how to have a healthy relationship and communicate with each other if they see something that could potentially become an issue and come up with a solution.

The fact that they rely on blood to survive and are much stronger and faster than humans immediately introduces a predator aspect to them which could create an interesting dynamic between the vampire and what they would usually consider food.

And even then, the abilities that make vampires so much more stronger and dangerous to humans could lead to a feeling of superiority over humans in vampire society and make it even more difficult for a vampire to interact with a human without treating them as food or a pet, or simple amusement. But humans and vampires still have the same mental capacity and ability to make connections, and potentially long for someone to be with. And how those two sides could mix or collide or be at war with each other.

It would be interesting to see how the relationship starts off like with the vampire only seeing them as a future snack or amusement, and how it slowly changes as they interact and then the journey of how it blossoms into a legitimate romance. Or it could be an exploration of the toxic elements and power imbalance in the relationship and how it effects the characters (like in Castlevania how Lenore legitimately cares about and is attracted to Hector, but still treats him like a pet in some cases).

Of course, you don't have to write vampires like this. Your world building and the ways vampires see or interact with humans could be completely different and that's okay, just make sure to explore it.

And obviously not all vampires will act the same, each will have their own personalities, ways they decide to feed, and how they decide to interact with humans. You could have a world where most vampires despise humans, but have a vampire that's never interact with much other vampires and tries to live in hiding amongst humans instead and does their best to gain their blood through methods that won't hurt others. Or maybe if there's a vampire that doesn’t realize they’re treating their human friend like a pet. Or a vampire that plans on keeping the human around until their bored or hungry, but end up developing actual feelings along the way and can't imagine a life without them (which could either develop into a sweet love confession or them becoming even more possessive).

Overall, I just really like it when vampire/human stories really explore aspects like these. And stories when it would be impossible to switch out the vampire with a human without the story not making sense.

And while the main dynamic I talked about is very good for dark romances, it's also really sweet if it's about a love so strong that it overcomes all of these obstacles any vampire/human interaction would come across

#my writer brain going brr for 800 words #monster lover #monster fucker #writing #my thoughts #teratophillia #vampire #another thing I thought of that I didn't feel like writing above is how strength played a factor in human dynamics #and how because in the past being strong was important it led to societal power imbalances between men and women #that only became more and more ingrained in the culture and people's minds #I could be wrong about this but I think this is how it probably went #and only as technology grew and decreased the need for strength in everyday life did things start to become more equal #but it took a lot of work to fight for these changes #and even today we're still experiencing the effects of some power imbalances #and we're the same species! #but that was just my worldbuilding brain looking to some real world examples #of how something like this could effect relationships and dynamics

[part-time-pixie]

Plot twist - I say Chloe’s love interest in the winx AU…. Should be Kim….. 😱😱😱😱😱

Beauty and the beast but they’re BOTH beauties AND beasts in a way???? Chloe can be… Chloe and Kim can be kinda dumb.

BUT

Kim could help Chloe learn to care about people and be more social and make friends and be loyal, while Chloe would help Kim be more aware of his impact on others and he can USE “pushing his weight around” for his cause.

I know a lot of people don’t like the Chloe/Kim ship, but I think with their friends supporting them and the fact that they’re in separate schools in this AU (so Kim has to learn to be his own person without Chloe leading him around by his nose and Chloe cant just use Kim and has to learn her own life lessons on her own as well) would really make for an interesting set up for a good Chloe/Kim foundation.

I don’t see a lot of that ship. But pairing Chloe with Kim still leaves you with a lot of other pairing options. Or you could also just leave some people single - not everyone HAS to be paired up! That’s another thing I don’t often see explored.

And I don’t mean something like Alix being aro/ace, because I do see that fairly often. I mean just having someone choose to be single. They COULD be in a relationship, but they’re not interested in anyone at that point in time, or they want to focus on themselves first, or their career, or they’re just not interested in a relationship right now. It would be interesting for a side character to be in that position. I know that shipping is fun for the main characters of course, but maybe someone like Max, Alix, Zoe, or Sabrina may choose the single life! 🤷‍♀️

Sorry this got long lol

Can you tell I LOVE and am super invested in your winx AU already 😅

AHHH I LOVE THAT

^ actual princess in this AU

Honestly the best part about AUs to me is to explore different dynamics!! Even if I'm personally not a huge fan of a ship, it's still fun to throw characters into all kinds of scenarios and see what happens ✨ and the Chloe/Kim dynamic would work really well here, I agree!

And I also think it's nice when characters in media choose to be single (which is why I liked Frozen and the fact that they didn't give Elsa a love interest dsfds). This is actually something I feel like fits for Luka, too!

I enjoy picturing AUs like visual novels tbh, where each character has different romance options and we can explore their love stories together 😂 or their single lives~

ALSO PLS DON'T EVER APOLOGIZE FOR LONG MESSAGES I LOVE READING THEM AND I GET SUPER EXCITED SO THANK YOU !!

#💌 #au: winx #ml winx au #miraculous ladybug #chloe burgeois #kim le chien #doodle #💐