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bahrtofane · 16 days

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promises under the stars - jude pov

Jude never meant to replace you. But that's how it ended up isn't it. There's no one to blame but himself, no one behind each and every decision that now has him standing at the end of an aisle, waiting for his bride. A bride that isn't you.

highly highly recommend reading this fic first. or else it kinda doesnt make a whole lot of sense on its own. then come back here. this is kinda like a part 2? kinda

shout out to this anon for this idea ! hope you like it

word count - 2.1K+

watch it - well angst, yet again. pregnancy talks the works. sorry if i used ur name for his wife xoxo. enjooyyy

p.s. - shout out to @anadiasmount for the inspo to create the image at the end ! go read all her stuff yall so good

—————-

He thinks the moment it all comes crumbling down is when he gets word of you getting mobbed. After you've just been to Madrid with him. And he can't do anything about it but send security and hope it doesn't get out of hand.

He expects you to give up right then and there, curse him and wish for him to have nothing to do with your life again. But you don't. You can never bring yourself to blame him. To hate him.

Then comes your whole family suing him for something completely out of his control. Fresh after your father has threatened him, this is just what they need to come after him legally.

It's okay because they don't win. Of course they don't. How stupid do you have to be to try and sue for going on vacation for someone you love. He wants to call you every step of the way. But his lawyer warns against it. So he doesn't. And you’re left in the dark.

Do you even know that they've tried to sue?

He can guess what you're thinking. He knows you too well. You think this is him taking an exit from his life. He doesn't want it to be this way. Maybe its for the best after all he finds himself thinking. Back to the thoughts of letting you go for your good as much as his.

But like most things in life, things get muddy.

He spends his time in a whirlwind of emotions, all leading back to you. He can not go more than an hour without you in his mind.

Even if his texting habits dont show it, he wants to talk to you every second of every day. Do you remember when he would call you to complain about the mundane. When he stubbed his toe, or drank out of his mind, pressing his nose against the screen trying to feel you against him.

Things have changed. He’s no longer the same youthful Jude with a penchant for recklessness. Taking day trips to see you, skirting around paparazzi and your families just to have a moment together.

He misses you, but he’s scared to reach out again. So he remains silent and an onlooker to your life.

Funny isn't it. World class player with more money than he knows what to do with is scared to text you in fear of what your families will say or do.

And yet, he can’t stay away for long can he. His resolve breaks on your birthday. Months and years have gone by. Legal cases are drawn out go figure. And he's been so busy with games every few days and events he can never say no too. When he gets home his bones ache, only finding the strength to clean himself up and go to bed.

When he calls you he realizes maybe it's too late. That waiting for things to blow over have left a gap in your time together. He knows nothing but memories. Your life eludes him. He tries to go back truly, but seeing your story while you're out with friends, smiling- actually smiling. He thinks he better not intrude.

His mother isn't helping one bit. She's come to the conclusion that the only way to move on and get your family off his back for good is to just move on. Find a “nice sensible girl” she says, smiling.

Jude doesn't want to. It makes him sick. Kicking and screaming the whole way about it. It’s not a bad idea in theory. Pretend to date someone. Your family gets off his back his family of yours boom you can be happy together again.

So he can learn who you are again. Find a way into your life. Do you still tilt your head when you're confused? He needs to get back to you. He can't let someone like you leave. He doesn’t just love you, he’s fascinated with the person you’ve grown into.

The thought of you with anyone else makes him sick. He still loves you, and he makes himself believe that the same is true.

If only right.

He meets Kaylie in the dead of winter. At a sponsorship event that he completely forgets about and shows up an hour late to. He looks around trying to find his agent but before he can even say his usual rounds of hellos he spots his mother standing with a blonde who clutches her necklace to her chest while she laughs.

This is the start of his own nightmare.

He comes back around when he knows he has to. After taking his sweet time talking to everyone. He tries to look for help to get out of the encounter but it's already too late. His mother is flagging him down. So he walks over, already sweating.

His mother all but pushes them together.

“What a couple you two are.” she beams, hands clasped together.

He gives a tight lipped smile and tries to wiggle his way out the awkward slew of introductions Kaylie gives of herself. But his mother gives him a look, grabbing into his arm and making stand and listen.

There's a look in his mothers eye, he knows what it means. This is the woman that's supposed to replace you. He feels sick.

——-

Along the way he thinks that maybe this is what's best for him. For you.

His family all love Kaylie. And she's sweet enough.

Nothing like you, dragging him into different clubs while you linked arms to get ice cream at the same time.

He finds it hard to keep up with her. Her life is fast paced, more so than his. Every time he calls she's in a different country it seems, catching flights and going to fancy resorts.

You never minded a quiet night in. Its what you loved, being able to exist with him.

Most of all she doesnt know him. She knows Jude Bellingham. The player, the figure, the celebrity. She doesn't know that he has a bad habit of touching his ears when he's nervous, how his eyes go wide at praise and teasing. How without a hundred reminders and alarms he truly would be late for everything. You always helped getting him to things on time.

When you were both awkward pre teens struggling to make sense of the world, you’d stop by his house to make sure he wouldn’t miss the bus. Sitting next to him on the beaten leather seats, and spitting facts you learned the day before.

He always listened. He still would today.

He doesn't think Kaylie’s noticed anything about him. She spends most of their time together taking pictures and flaunting him around. He pretends it doesn't bother him. Is the peace even worth it at this point?

She doesn't know how much he loves making little daisy chains, how much he loved putting them in your hair when you were kids. You’d throw a fit, but he never missed the look in your eyes when his fingers would swoop down to settle them gently.

Kaylie is beautiful. But she's not beautiful like you. She may have an expensive taste for clothes that allows her to put together a stunning outfit for any occasion, cleavage on display while she pouts her lips and bats her eyelashes for a kiss. Kisses he never gives her. He can't. Not when he knows you wait for him.

Sure she's great by the average man's standards. But she's not lovely like you. You could be in a trash bag and he'd still think you're the most gorgeous person on the planet.

He thinks this whole Kaylie thing will blow over, that he'll be able to get back to you.

And he tells her this.

He goes through the motions, just to shut everyone up.

Sitting her down when his mother isn’t around, “I don't love you. I will never be okay. I'm only here to get my mom off my back.”

And she laughs, flicking her hair over her shoulder, “Okay Judey whatever you say,” bracelets clanking together.

The name makes him want to hurl. “Get out of my house.”

Kaylie has got it in her head that she's here to stay. They've gotten into screaming matches because she's gotten her hands on the spare key and spends her days lounging in his house while he's away. They're not even officially dating by any means.

And he keeps finding her in his bed, in nothing but one of his shirts. Giggling and acting coy. He's losing his patience and losing it fast.

“Why did you give her the key.” Jude storms into his mothers house.

She's making tea, swirling a spoon in her mug,”she's your woman isn't she. She needs one.”

“No. She's not my woman and you know that. Everyone that.”

She set the spoon down in the sink, going over to where Jude stands.

“Jude. you need to focus on what's good for you. And she wasn't good. You should be lucky that they didn't win the case. I went and told them about Kaylie and how wonderful she is. Be thankful. “

He's losing his mind. He needs to talk to you.

He gets the chance when he's back in his hometown. And he sees you. He doesn’t think he could ever miss you, not even in a crowd. A rush of people stop him from running right to you. So instead he texts you. For the first time in ages.

Was nice seeing you.

He hopes you can read between the lines, that you still know him well enough to understand what he really means.

I still see you.

For Jude is a coward.

——

You dont reply. He forces himself to go back to what hes been forced to know.

Kaylie is all over him, hands roaming his body. There are days when he gives in. Sharing a bed with her as a cruel demented way to find some sort of release from everything that goes on around him. The look on her face after its all set and done makes him genuinely want to punch something. A look of arrogance, like she's won something.

And to top it all off he's been called up for England. His life gets even busier, if possible. Trying to keep up with it all proves to be grueling.

But light comes in the form of you. In the form of a single text.

Watched you play tonight. I'm proud of you.

You're proud of him? You watched him?

The words bring him to near sobs, the light of his phone illuminating his hotel room while hes getting changed into his pjs. It's completely dark, his personal preference. And hes so happy he would fly the damn plane himself to see you.

Before he can even think of a reply Kaylie tells him she's pregnant. Barging into his room with a little white box in hand. He thinks is some sort of congratulations for the game. Tacky card, maybe a watch.

When he opens it, his world comes to a halt. Its a single pregnancy test.

He wants to cry. He's too young to be having kids let alone with her. It makes no sense to him. He always used protection the handful of times they did sleep together. Each time he'd only cry in the shower trying to scrub off her smell and the feeling of her touch off of him. She's only a distraction he tells himself. Too late for those words now.

It feels so wrong, so so wrong. He was supposed to be waiting for you and here he is sleeping with another woman. Who's now pregnant. He wants to vomit.

He's in too deep now. And he can't be a deadbeat dad.

Thoughts of you get pushed back to his mind while he scrambles to deal with the consequences of his own actions.

When they get back to Madrid, his mother doesnt let him off easy. Screaming at him till he thinks he's popped an eardrum. And yet there's a gleam in her eyes like she's happy it all worked out this way. Doting on Kaylie and rubbing her belly (that's not even close to showing yet), and calling herself grandma already.

The next step is obvious. He has to marry her and make it work.

So he does. An impromptu wedding that happens so fast he doesn't even hear the congratulations from everyone. He doesn't know how to break it to you so instead he posts on instagram and tries to figure out what his life has become.

Jude is nearing 25. He has a kid on the way. He's married. He hates his wife. He hate himself. Can you ever forgive him?

#jude x reader #jude bellingham x reader #jude bellingham imagine #jude bellingham x you #jude fluff #jude bellingham #jude x you #jude x y/n #jude bellingham one shot #jude bellingham fanfic #jude bellingham angst #bahr footy #YAY #i acc got this out in a semi reasonable time frame go figure

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jewishdragon · 25 days

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every time i re-watch FMAB i wanna SCREAM ABOUT IT WITH SOMEONE

i need to talk about the complexity of this show, how the heroes goals change as they gain information about the world, how they make HUGE mistakes and we the viewers learn that we made the mistake of thinking that the main characters were important, that this story was about them, when they are simply the vehicle to deliver the story of a war, a conspiracy, MULTIPLE tragedies including genocides. the show shifts halfway through to broaden the viewpoints, we get flashbacks from the genocide that MOST OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS PARTICIPATED IN (yes the fandom favorites), and its horrific. it's disgustingly realistic even in a world where people casually use magic powers. Can we talk abotu Riza? how she learned that the entire "civil war" was orchestrated by one person who wanted to consume god, and the main characters were like "so it wasnt your fault! it was the conspirators!" and Riza said "No, it doesnt matter who started the fighting, we soldiers still pulled those triggers"

there's SO MUCH more to say i have so many emotions and thoughts about this. About how even if shit was mostly going down in one country, other countries were involved. royals from other countries trying to steal taboo magic, conflicts along boarders that arent resolved, and that if somehow this one country didnt get its shit together its founder and secret leader would consume god and wouldnt stop until it consumed the world.

oh and how that monster who wanted to consume god was created? that history and that tragedy? holy shit i have SO MANY THOUGHTS i cannot say more.

i watched the 2003 FMA, in which the conflict was... smaller, between individuals. it was good but it wasn't as impactful, and it's ending soured it for me. (i did like the lore for creation of homunculi better in 2003 though! and I maintain that position)

#fma #fmab #fma spoilers #fmab spoilers

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meibywabie · 27 days

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Xie Lian isn’t a hero.

I started with TGCF first when I was introduced to danmei, and I was floored by what I read. It wasn’t just boys kissing in ancient china, it was actually about human tragedy and the selfishness of the omnipotent.

The theme of TGCF doesn’t revolve around XL alone. It’s much bigger than that. This isn’t a ‘TGCF is better’ post, but rather, TGCF is different. And it’s different because Xie Lian isn’t a typical human hero.

XL is not a heroic character like WWX, and he isn’t a sarcastic/comedic relief hero like SQQ. And it isn’t because of their personalities. XL is just as selfless as WWX and just as unreasonably punished as both other MC’s. However, when bad things happen to WWX, you know it’s because of his personality. Because of his kindness, his confidence, his wit. It’s simply BECAUSE it’s WWX as the protagonist.

Same with SVSSS. That story couldn’t have happened without Shen Yuan in SQQ’s body. Like we never would have gotten that level of sarcasm, pity, and empathy. And the novel tells you that repeatedly. Everything that happens in the previous two novels does so because of who the main character is.

But when things happen in TGCF, XL isn’t even the center of the conflict. It’s almost always someone else’s fault, someone else’s business, or someone else’s issue he just happens to be present for. But somehow, it always comes back to him. It’s always his job to resolve things.

Unlike WWX, the conflict isn’t his fault. WWX actively pushes the narrative with his actions. He drives the conflict and later becomes it. Whether he’s at fault or not is the point of his story, but for XL, he’s really just incredibly unlucky. He’s tragic in the sense that he’s just being fucked over by everyone in his life. For what? For being…wonderful!?

I absolutely love that his one little phrase pissed off the evil emperor of heaven. Like his mere existence is a problem.

It’s an incredible piece of writing that the things that get him into trouble are his altruism. Altruism that is fitting for someone who thinks himself a GOD. But also, altruism that many of us mortals share.

Why CANT he save his people if he’s a god? Why CANT he answer everyone’s prayers? Why is he not good enough or strong enough to resolve this conflict if he’s literally a GOD.

XL is constantly facing issues and asking questions that humanity itself has asked.

Why isn’t god answering me, why isn’t god helping me, why do we have a god at all? TGCF has a commentary that doesn’t limit itself to just XL and the type of person he is in the way that MDZS relies on WWX and SVSSS relies on SQQ.

Those novels are how most novels typically function. You choose a specific type of human and see the world through their eyes.

But XL isn’t human. Not in the way he acts nor in the way he tells this story. He tells you everything he witnesses and it barely affects him anymore. He just has some wise thoughts about what everything means.

But TGCF isn’t asking: what would happen if a kind prince ascended to godhood?

Instead—

TGCF begs the question:

What if you told the story of humanity, not through the eyes of a human, but through the eyes of god.

Xie Lian is god.

XL is 800yrs old, has lived through countless tragedies, celebrations, friendships, betrayals, and he ascends. Again.

He’s been stuck with the burden of immortality and now he’s re entering the place that gave him that burden. He walks into heaven to see new gods, but the same old problems. And the whole vibe he has in this is less benevolent and wonderful and more like a fed up mom who’s tired of seeing the girls fighting.

He sits back and watches these issues devolve and shuffles his way into the conflict by accident. Because he’s the only one competent enough to do anything about it.

XL doesnt react like a human being, at the start of the current timeline, he’s a god.

He’s an 800yr old god. He’s seen everything, learned everything.

We see this prince who thinks himself a god then become one. And instead of learning what it means to be a god so he can help the common man— he learns what it means to be a common man so he can become a real god.

XL goes through HELL. He loses countless times, is left, betrayed, ruined, trampled, destroyed. He is constantly being thwarted by not just people but the very gods he worshipped and the god he himself became. But again— XL isn’t even that big of a personality for us to cling to that alone and see how these things happened to him??

He isn’t boasting about how great he is out of pride and ego, he isn’t rampaging or going mad with power, he isn’t a huge character. But his lack of those qualities is what triggers Jun Wu to ruin him. He wants to see him go crazy, wants to see him struggle. Wants to see his ego and pride. And he’s not the only one!!!

Mu Qing is also incredibly jealous, so are the other gods!!! And Qi Rong, his own family!!! His parents even get upset with him for not doing enough. Everyone saw this kid blessed with so much and started wishing for him to break. And they succeed. He goes insane, he starts killing, he starts wanting to die, he starts losing faith.

But MAN it is just so gorgeous to me that this character is almost…forced to be a main character? Forced to suffer, forced to make mistakes, forced to be a problem. He is so powerful and smart and incredible and then he is made to believe he is nothing. Here is this god who has been forced to feel HUMAN.

And once he finally feels that way, once he finally falls to the ground and loses everything, someone comes by and offers his hat.

And that’s all it takes for a man to truly become a god.

TGCF asks what if you told a story through the eyes of god? It shows you this guy sighing through drama and fixing peoples problems.

And then it goes back and tells you: What makes a man, god?

And we read all of XL’s history. His victories and failures. And it perfectly describes how he’s ascended again. Not out of heroics this time. But out of his pure humanity.

God is a kind, gentle, but confident man who wanders around helping who he can and opening his doors to those who wish to come in. He resolves the conflicts he’s there for, and takes note of those he wasn’t there for. He trudges along holding no grudges and sighing when people make mistakes. He loves selflessly and holds no judgment. He feels strange letting people take care of him but he will take care of you. When he can, and when he has the chance, he will take care of you.

XL is almost born with every book definition of what a god is: kind, selfless, strong, and true. But his story forces him to learn how to be human instead. To fail, die, love, kill and suffer. And when that god was beaten and broken, he was saved by one thing. A human.

That’s how you become a god. And that’s what it means to be one. To be human. To be a good person.

XL couldn’t have been a WWX. He couldn’t have been a staple protagonist with a heart of gold, wit and passion. He couldn’t have had a story with everyone’s conflict directly tied to him and because of him. That isn’t what TGCF is for.

It isn’t about XL himself. It’s about god. It explores the selfishness that comes with immortality, and the selflessness that comes with mortality.

There are other aspects that make it a nice protag story. He falls in love, he’s kinda air headed and sassy. He did have the character and maturity to choose to become a wonderful godlike person but that’s a post for another day. But honestly, if this were a regular novel, it probably would’ve been about Hua Cheng. He lives for love and passion and devotion. He kills and saves and sacrifices, he denies godhood and wins the girl in the end. Now THATS a hero.

But XL isn’t a hero. He’s a god.

MXTX wrote a story that wasn’t about a sheepish prince who lost it all, but instead wrote a story about gods and humans. She wrote what reads like a Greek epic to me. With such hard comments on morality and cruelty. She really hit me with everything I love about literature. And yes I do love MDZS and SVSS but TGCF is different.

Like guoshi said: the gods are human, after all. But XL above them all, is most definitely a god.

#im honestly pretty sure if Jun Wu hadn’t ruined XL’s life he woudlve become like LQQ and been a little stupid LMAO #Jun Wu could never #TGCF #heaven official's blessing #heaven officials blessing #hob #hualian #xie lian

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txttletale · 2 months

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what is it that makes an episode top 10 bad for you? i ask cuz quite a few on your list don't even click my radar, they're just bland rather than infuriating (for me)

rosa -- spectacularly ill-conceived plot that contrives to have the doctor and friends sit on the rosa parks bus (!). hinges the stakes of its plot on a deeply minimizing and racist view of rosa parks and the civil rights movement

arachnids in the uk -- overwhelming reaction was 'why am i watching this'. episode that made me give up on chibnall who. all the characters potter around a hotel for forty five minutes before realizing that the problem goes away on its own and everything we've watched has been a huge waste of time

spyfall part 2 -- inexplicably makes it so that the only historical figure friends the doctor has to mindwipe are women, throwing s9 and s10's much-deserved critique of nuwho's mindwiping habit in the trash. the first master of colour is a nazi. most racist moment in the show's history. huge letdown of any potential spyfall part 1 indicated

the battle of ranskoor av kolos -- boring. bad. there's no battle and ranskoor av kolos doesnt mean anything. characters walk around with paper-thin motivations. central conflict is stupid and is resolved in a stupid way. sub-childlike understanding of its own morality

the timeless children -- i once heard this episode described as 'the master spends 45 minutes forcing the doctor to look at his powerpoint presentation' and yeah

victory of the daleks -- nothing but nauseating british jingoism and churchill worship until the new daleks get revealed with a bunch of fanfare only to spend their debut story standing perfectly still in color coded order. then amy saves the world because she's Woman and knows about Romance

the crimson horror -- doctor-lite episode about my least favourite recurring comic relief characters until the doctor shows up at which point he's a sex pest

the bells of st. john -- what if phones but too much

a good man goes to war -- like a bad version of journeys end where instead of beloved characters teaming up to save the day its a pirate wh oshowed up in one episode, a blue guy who sold river a gun or something once, and three guys we've never seen before, showing up to resolve the unbearalbe amy pregnancy plot with a stupid twist that goes nowhere and means nothing

name of the doctor -- after half an hour of Going to a Place clara steps into a hole. a lame resolution to the lamest arc in the show's history. i dont care abouyt anything that happens. at this point we're so buried in incomprehensible moffat nonsense that every other line in this episode is a reference to some ongoing arc words or another. like shut up about trenzalore i dont caaaare

#ask #doctor who

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ghooostbaby · 8 months

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i saw season 2 of the adorable little donghua 'no doubt in us' was released and i enjoyed it so much :) the first season was about an emperor and empress who dislike each other but are forced by a spell to swap bodies and as they are forced to live as the other they fall for each other ... although that season did the great crime of ending not just after they had acknowledged they really were in love and kissed and changed back - but a scene later where they're being all awkward and then in MID CONVERSATION the episode just ends and its like "come back for season 2!" !!!!!!!! come on! laziest cliff hanger of my entire life.

but anyway season 2 they do act a bit shy at first but mostly the long misunderstanding season 1 is based on is over and its so NICE to spend some time with a romantic pair AFTER the misunderstanding has been resolved and watch them grow together rather than just have the curtains close. there is So Much interesting bits to focus on in a relationship when they're actually together WHY do so many stories seem unable to try anything but keeping them apart (as they repeatedly betray each others trust to "protect" each other) to give the narrative spice. Anyway, it was really cool to see how they gradually got to know each other and trust each other more deeply, and became more comfortable being affectionate. It felt so genuine! but ESPECIALLY because in the political plot, they are able to come out victorious because they choose to trust each other and work together, even in moments where it looks doubtful, it makes their relationship stronger, the plot more interesting, and the ending more satisfying than pointless self-sacrifice and secret keeping between lovers for no reason i can tell but to bait viewers. AHEM FAIRY AND DEVIL AHEM.

anyway there's also something about ... when the series began the emperor was this quiet, rigid, studious man, and the empress was energetic, likes being outside and doing martial arts, uncomfortable and avoids official duties and navigating social niceties bc she's kind of clumbsy. they both kind of don't get each other, thinks the other despises their way of being and so is defensive against them for that... after their body swap is over they have an appreciation for the other it's like they can become more themselves and more confident in who they are because they are loved. there's this part where the empress bursts onto the scene (pregnant) in armour and the emperor (who can barely hold a sword) is just having a major "😍!! that's my WIFE" moment. and he doesnt want to try to subdue her anymore. i mean the empress also appreciates his political cunning and intelligence blah blah, i think it's obvious who I'm here for haha.

there's some iiiiinteresting very softly gendery sexuality playfulness i think too. first of all the emperor becoming so sweet and silly after the body swap and empress becoming so fierce and grumpy ... i was like, oh. and then there's a whole part where the empress-as-emperor goes to meet with a tatar queen and they go horseback riding, heavy drinking, sparring (all the things the real emperor can't do) and they GREATLY enjoy each others company. then later when the tatar queen comes and realizes the emperor is different she finds out the secret of the body swap, and is just like cool, so the empress is actually my soulmate (implied) then she and the empress spend every day together and seem to be very close. and i just think that's neat! (can the empress have a harem? well actually she kind of ends up with one :P)

also the emperor's brother is typical frivolous, chatty, pleasure-house-going, expert fan wielder, who has a very flirty relationship with the extremely sexy and mysterious imperial astrologer purple man who has robes where the sleeves looks kind of like feathery wings in certain angles?? very good!

#no doubt in us

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thekingofwinterblog · 5 months

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Why Manga Asura does not Work as the final antagonist

Regarding the final bit of the Soul Eater Manga, there is a LOT that does not work.

Crona sacrifice and sealing the moon might sound good on paper, but it doesnt fit the themes of the story. Maka never really managed to hit the final note of her character development that anime Maka did, and at the very end regressed, as she rejected her father out of spite. Kid making peace with the witches was nice, but the manga never really delved into the conflict between shinigami and witches in full and what it truly involved, so the conflict being resolved was sorta half baked.

But one of the things i dont really see brought up that often is how the final villain Kishin Asura does not work. At least not the manga version of him.

He is frankly speaking, a terrible final antagonist for the manga. Not just as an actual character, but also on a thematic level.

Asura as a character all throughouth the story before the heroes encounter him on the moon, has been all about 2 defining aspects about him, two things that has defined his very being.

Overwhelming power, and fear. The Kishin that became THE moster of legend for the Soul Eater Universe, who killed and consumed his own weapon along with two other of Shinigami's Warlords(who may or may not have been great old ones as well) is legendary for his overwhelming power... But also being a massive coward.

Such a coward was he, that he eventually devoured his own weapon, his partner, rather than even risk the possibility that he might turn against him.

On paper, he sounds he is the perfect foil as an antagonist for the Soul Eater protagonist, especially the main character Maka. For a story that is defined by people opening themselves up to others, even despite the pain that might very well ensue from that, to have the villain be one who gave up on everything out of cowardice, and sought ultimate power in hope that it would lead to total safety for him rather than taking a risk on the dangers of life and bonds makes perfect sense.

However, there is a problem.

Namely that while Asura has the overwhelming power down pat, the coward is essentially a complete informed attribute.

While Asura has moments where he is seemingly terrified on the moon, this is not genuine fear. He is simply mocking the protagonists by showing "Fear" and basically saying "oh, how scary" in face of his foes.

It's not genuine fear. There is not a moment on the moon, where Asura is genuinely, honestly afraid of the protagonists.

Hell, not even at the very end, as once again he's being sealed away, does he show a lick of fear at the prospect of once again being sealed away in darkness.

Instead he shouts definatly that fuck you guys, i'll be back!

This complete of lack fear has two massive problems.

The first is simply that he's a BORING character.

Manga Asura is a boring villain. He is every single, bland, overpowered final boss that plagues shonen as a genre, withouth anything that makes him stand out from the mold.

As such seeing his conflict with the heroes is basically them beating up on a brick wall... Only at least most villains in this mold does have the satisfying moment where they do break, while Asura remains undefeated, thus leaving no sense of closure.

He has no charisma, he has nothing interesting to say, and he is not particularily fun to watch.

He is basically the exact opposite of his animated portrayal, who was a giant coward... But also had a surprisingly poigaint amount of things to say, having debates with his father during their final battle where the two beings who fundamentally could not understand bravery, tried to give their own viewpoints of what this bizarre thing could be.

And of course, because anime Asura really was a giant coward, and all his fear was absolutely genuine, when he finally breaks down at the end, it feels satisfying on a story level, because we understand how he ticks, and what has lead up to this point.

But it goes beyond just the fact that Asura is a far more engaging and dynamic character in the anime.

There is also the themes which the story embodies, which are explicitly rejected by the manga version.

Asura Looks down on Humanity, regarding them as Shingami's puppets, and scum.

More speciffically, the real reason he looks down on them is because of their, in his eyes, weakness.

When facing his brother, the only thing he cares about when comparing the two of them is strength.

Because that is the metric by which he lives his life.

He sought out strength with the goal of never having to be afraid again. He wanted to be strong to feel safe, to never have to feel fear, ever again, because in his mind, if he was the strongest, nothing could challenge him.

He rejected all bonds because he was scared of the possibility of being hurt.

In other words he is thematically the opposite of all of Soul Eater's main heroes.

He is the opposite of Kid, as a warning of what the Shinigami could become if he gave in to all his worst aspects.

He is the opposite of Black Star, as a man who sought the absolute top, but threw away everyone and everything that ever mattered to him to get there.

He is the opposite of Crona, who's is able to draw strength from one, single bond with another human being that is defined by love between the two of them, hard and painful though it might be at times.

But the single person who Asura is an opposite to is Maka Albarn, who represents absolutely EVERYTHING that Asura has rejected, and looks down on.

Maka is not a particularily strong warrior as far as Soul Eater's powerlevels is concerned. While far, far above the normal human limit in every physical regard, compared to the likes of endgame Black Star and Kid, she way below them in overall combat capacity.

But that is not why Maka is a great fighter. Maka is strong, not because of her base power being stupidly high, but her ability to bring out the best in everyone around her.

This is encapsulated by her abiltiy to bring out the best performance of every single person on her side through soul syncronization... Something she is only able to do thanks to her partner Soul, and the trial and tribulations she went through to get here, including both falling on her face along the way, as well as rejecting her feelings of inaduquacy when compared to the sheer power gap between her and black star.

And of course, her defining relationship in this series, her bond with Crona, is about doing the exact opposite of what Asura did with his own bonds to his partner and father, and comrades.

Asura killed and absorbed 4 of his own friends, and tried to do the same to his father, because he feared those bonds and the uncertainty they had... He rejected the best things in his life because he could not handle the fact that they were not certain things, that they could in fact go wrong... So he sacrificed them in exchange for the ephemeral safety of power.

By comparison, Maka refused to give up on her relationship with Crona, no matter how much logical sense it might make, and how much the people around her migth tell her it was the better option, because Crona mattered to her. The bond they shared mattered to her. The love she had for Crona was stronger than the fear of being hurt.

This is the reason why Maka is the Hero of this story, while Asura the villain.

In other words, even if Maka and Asura does not have a deep and complex relationship like many heroes and villains do, thematically speaking, they are the exact opposites.

Asura represents everything that Soul Eater sees as bad. Fear of others, cowardice, power for the sake of power, and rejecting an uncertain future.

Maka represents everything Soul Eater sees as good. Love for others, Bravery, seeking power not for the sake of yourself but for those around you, and having the guts to embrace the future, regardless of how uncertain it might be.

It is the reason why the anime final fight, despite some hickups and misteps getting to maka's charge up the hill and the final punch, works.

This was the climax of the story, and in the end, the story rejects Asura's claim of ultimate power being the key to safety from fear.

It brought all of Soul Eater's themes together in one, final sequence where Asura's ideals are broken to pieces in the face of Maka's hope, dreams, and love for everyone she cares about, just as decisively as his face was.

One of the Manga's climax's themes, is that Asura was... Kinda proven right by this ending.

The heroes did not in the end manage to overcome him, thus in it's own way, proving his faith in his own power right.

Rather than ultimately stating that power is ultimately meaningless, ephemeral, and not what actually matters in life, Instead Asura's strenght is allows him to live on to fight another day.

This his quest for power, and the sacrifices he made for it... Was actually kinda worth it in the end. Becasuse he was right. His godlike powers DID keep him safe and alive in the end, with the hope of one day breaking loose and continue his onslaught upon the world strong in his heart.

And that is one big denouncement of ALL of Soul Eater's themes, and it's overall message.

#soul eater #kishin asura #maka albarn #black star #crona gorgon #shinigami sama #meta #meta analyis #themes #broken aesop #fear #power #madness #bravery

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pixiecaps · 4 months

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I got back into watching qsmp recently and im confused about foolish and the murder case? what is it and what does it have to do with cellbit?

okay so qfoolish is a detective for the federation. around this time multiple federation workers begin to be murdered daily by an unknown culprit to the federation. i believe like 3 or 4 workers. i vaguely recall the details. the killer leaves behind enigmas in portuguese with encrypted messages and such. and as you may know the killer is qcellbit. he sorta snapped you could say after learning information about his past. qbagi tries to cover his tracks as to not allow him to be caught but heres the thing qcellbit very much wants the federation to know its him but thats another story. cucurucho assigns qfoolish the case of figuring out who was committing the murders because at this point the federation didnt exactly know who was doing it as qbagi did a pretty good job hiding evidence. now qfoolish already sorta had a hunch it was qcellbit based off well. everything about him he was walking around covered in blood (😳) with a sick ass knife. like its not hard to put the pieces together but qfoolish tried to swerve the case to be qbbhs fault because why not and also he didnt really WANT to turn qcellbit in. he does a decent job actually resolving the enigmas himself and has enough evidence to justifiably claim the murderer is cellbit but he doesnt. purgatory happens and i think day one literally while bolas were being team bolas they all like confess secrets and qcellbit straight up admits to being the one who killed the workers and now qfoolish is like FUCK because now he like got confirmation and cant keep ignoring every sign pointing at it being qcellbit. cut to present time the federation really wants qfoolish to wrap up this case and due to the murders stopping while the islanders were away at purgatory it becomes clearer that it is one of the residents. the suspects narrow down gradually and qfoolish in qfoolish fashion decides to do a coin flip to decide who he will blame for the murders. either qbbh or qcellbit. he flips the coin and it lands on qcellbit. he decides he will turn in qcellbit the second he gets the chance. today when agent 18 asks he stalls it a bit but in the end makes it clear that the murderer is Cellbit. so qfoolish probably needs to write his final report closing the case and next time they see cellbit he will likely need to be apprehended. thing is last time they did see qcellbit was in purgatory and none of the islanders know if hes alive right now. so. i think the reunion will very interesting ^_^

#pix asks aaaa #anon

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pureleafpeachtea · 5 months

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Im gonna say something about sanders sides.

Because here's the thing. I love sanders sides. I grew up alongside it, i introduced friends to it. But im so, so tired.

Its been what, 3 years since we got an episode? And im not counting the ads, or the most recent aside. 3 years since we got actual content continuing the main storyline.

Its so frustrating. Thomas tells us nothing. No idea what hes working on, no timelines to expect, nothing. We're working with crumbs here.

He keeps putting out ads and i used to be excited about them, because who doesnt love merch for your favourite show? Especially a niche one. Official merch, supporting the creator you love, etc. All great things. But when hes posting ads but no actual content, it becomes less exciting and more... sketchy. Like. I dont like the idea of continuing to sell merch for a show that you havent made in years. It feels cheap.

I have a lot of more articulate thoughts that i will eventually articulate but at this point its just frustration. The show was good, it was really good! It had its flaws but overall its a good show. Loveable characters. Compelling plotlines. At this point i dont think we'll ever see the resolution of romans plot.

I thought they were finally gonna address it, it felt like they were building to it, but then they switched to pattons control issues, logans anger issues, virgils (for lack of a better word) anxiety. And while i like those plotlines, it feels like he got swept to the side, a bit. And Roman was never my favourite character but seeing the way hes treated in the show makes me kinda sad. Like theres so much potential. And if the season finale resolves the orange side and logans anger issues and virgils stuff and then after that we can focus on roman a bit? Then great. But when will that be? 2030?

I loved sanders sides. I still do. But the humour is getting dated, and my goodwill is running out. I dont watch any other thomas sanders content. I dont really care about it, tbh. And im getting tired of waiting for another episode of the sides.

I just wish he would say something. Give us some sort of information about whats going on and what to expect instead of serving us ads and filler and in-character livestreams

Idk. Im just so tired. This story and the fandom deserves better

#not trying to start an argument or anything #i understand that some people still have faith in thomas #and while i dont get how #im happy for you #i would love to just be able to enjoy the show #but everything around it is too frustrating #and also the new asides wasnt very good #which worries me about the quality of the finale #thomas is an incredible actor. i used to listen to the episodes on my old mp3 and i could pick out each character by voice #but i dont know how much of the writing has been him and how much has been joan #and i worry that now that joans gone the quality will take a dip #i guess we'll see #but i just worry. i really didnt like the new asides #ts criticism

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destinysbounty · 2 years

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I think one of the things that made the original series so compelling is how interwoven everything was. Sure, it wasnt always perfect, but each season brought to the table some new connections to the lore, some character growth, some advancements in continuity. Even if a character or subplot only lasted one season, you could still feel their influence on the story several seasons later.

Chen is my favorite example of this. He may have just been the villain of season 4, but his schemes introduced a lot of information about elemental powers, his defeat initiated season 5, and his impact can still be felt as late as season 7 (foreshadowing about Ray and Maya, elemental alliance stuff, etc.) In Way of the Departed theres even suggestions that Chen had Clouse use dark magic to corrupt the Time Twins, leading to their villainy and causing not just the plot of season 7, but also Kai and Nya's whole backstory. Clouse, having returned as a ghost thanks to season 5, is responsible for conjuring Nadakhan and starting season 6.

And on the note of season 5! That season introduced us to the Sixteen Realms and the Realm Crystal, which become important aspects of season 6, and Yang's temple, which became important in DotD and season 7. It also formally introduced Ronin and turned Cole into a ghost, which are *also* major plot details going forward. AND it planted the seeds for Wu's eventual character arc in seasons 7-9. This season's impact expands past itself.

A lot of times, not all the time but often enough, whenever lore gets introduced at some point in the og series, it gets utilized much later on. Captain Soto, formerly a one-off villain from season 2, becomes plot-important in season 6. The Golden Weapon is shot into space in season 2, melted into Golden Armor in season 3, then melted down back into the weapons to defeat the Oni in season 10. The Great Devourer causes Harumi's tragic backstory. Mystake, who started out as a background gag character, became a key participant not just in the show but the worldbuilding and lore. The love triangle and subsequent rift between Jay and Nya doesnt get fully resolved until season 6. The ninja return to the burnt-down monastery in season 6, DotD, and season 7, and eventually rebuild it in season 10.

See what i mean? Everything somehow ties back to itself. Its far from perfect, but there is a solid sense of continuity that connects everything in increasingly complex ways.

I think thats a big part of what makes Wildbrain feel so different. Dont get me wrong, i love Wildbrain and i enjoy a lot of it, but it definitely lacks the cohesion that had seemingly defined Masters of Spinjitzu. A lot of their Wildbrain adventures feel less like installments in a greater narrative, and more like a series of loosely connected sidequests. Exciting sidequests that are usually really fun to watch, certainly, but sidequests all the same.

With the exception of Seabound and Crystalized, you could probably watch Wildbrain out of order and not much would change. If Prime Empire or the Island happened before SotFS, none of those seasons would face any impact from that. They are largely episodic and detached from each other in ways the og series never was. But if you tried to shuffle up the season order in Masters of Spinjitzu, youd have to rewrite a lot of stuff to make it work.

I almost wanna say thats part of why Seabound and Crystalized feel like such a return to form, and why MotM is so well-beloved. MotM introduced us to Lilly, fleshed out Cole's backstory, gave Wu a lil character arc that built on what came before it (Wu feeling useless bc the past few adventures were done without him), and finally gave some kind of resolution to Lloyd's Harumi-related trust issues (not just referencing her, but actually giving him a character arc about it). Seabound introduced us to more lore about the world's history and the backstory of the FSM, gave Nya one of the most compelling character arcs in the whole show that builds on and satisfies her past arcs, even gave her name a backstory that ties into the lore, featured relevant cameos from prior seasons (Vania, Maya, the Keepers), and provided an ending that would have lasting repercussions on seasons to come. And Crystalized...well, i wont spoil anything, but you get where im going with this.

Now, obviously this isnt the only deciding factor of whether or not a season is good. Seasons 6 and 7 are a mixed bag in terms of quality, yet have very integrated lore and character arcs. But seasons 11, and 12, which many people dislike, are also the ones that most noticeably feel like theyre happening in a vacuum. Any effect they have on later seasons, or any effect prior seasons have on them, is not as significant or immediate as in other seasons.

With the original series, there was a sort of cause and effect, almost. Rebooted caused ToE, which caused Possession, which caused Skybound, and so on. Theres a clear and specific chain of causality, and the sequence of events has a large impact on the events themselves. The same cannot be said of Wildbrain.

Again, i do enjoy Wildbrain, and there are a lot of things i even think it did better than the og. But i definitely feel like it wouldnt be half as contentious among fans if it had the same cause-and-effect plot structure as the og. Like, something in ns11 being the inciting incident for season 12, and something in season 12 causing season 13...you get the idea.

Anyway brb i gotta go rewrite Wildbrain

#i do genuinely wanna rewrite wildbrain but i wanna wait for crystalized to be done first #with the goal of making it feel more consistent with the tone and structure of the og #ninjago #destiny post

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lost-tardis-room · 6 days

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something i've noticed about the difference between good omens and doctor who fandoms rn is that the good omens people are either making funny art or coming up with increasingly unfeasible theories about supposed 'hidden messages' in the show and generally being weird about it going out of their way to say they LOVE EVERYTHING about the show, and the doctor who people are like. damn this sucks.. unfortunately it's also really compelling. oh well <3

like idk the good omens people (generalising here of course) seem incredibly strung up on what Could Be Meaningful and making wayyyyy to much of a big deal out of minor details. and like the show is clever! there are secondary levels of meaning! but not everything is or should be. not everything is a metaphor. continuity errors exist. and the doctor who people (even new fans) are still yknow eating drywall over it but are also like HAHAHAHthat bit was awful. anyways its also incredibly thematically relevant to these other episodes so it's very important you watch it lol.

and i think the difference is that good omens is twelve episodes. just twelve. there's the book of course, which is a different angle than the show, there's the radio version etc. but there's only so much story. and a lot of the version are the plot of the book in different formats. whereas doctor who goes on forever and ever and ever and there will always be more content. so the good omens people are overanalysing the same few moments over and over again because thats all there is, they probably know their content better than the doctor who people, but b/c you only see them in so many Situations, its also easier to begin to warp your perception of them. you only see them deal with a crisis a couple times under very specific circumstances. there are only so many character moments, so things can be blown out of proportion b/c you cant compare it to another similar moment.

but doctor who is infamously long and infamously has a Very large eu so you have a lot more time with the characters to pull together your perception of the characters, even when regenerations and new companions come and go. you simply have more to work with to build your understanding.

like if you compare the 'i just lost my best friend' scene from good omens to any of the 'doctor thinks companion is dead' scenes--crowley reacts like that only once. he is distraught, obviously, doesnt quite know what to do about it at first, doesnt know what's happened to aziraphale--but its a specific moment. bookshop burned down. world is ending. aziraphale Gone. whereas doctor who there's a range of scenarios with a range of reactions--guilt and also hope when bill gets shot and then taken away. anger and denial over clara willingly dying knowing that she must (actually resolved her character arc quite well i thought, though so did hell bent). there are more but i forget. uhm end of s1 second to last episode rose gets vaporised but it's actually a teleport, the way nine responds to that. there's just more to work with!! which i think is why the good omens fandom is so deeply embroiled in arguing over minutiae of character and background detail b/c they dont have anything more to read about them except fanfics (which are obvious a feedback loop in any fandom) and because they only see aziraphale and crowley for such a short time. they cant compare their reactions during times of The Literal End of the World and The Disruption Of Their Quite Nice Life Together And Also Possibly the End of the World to them just chilling.

#idk thats my take on it at least #havent really thougt about good omens much recently but i'm still seeing a lot of teh fandom stuff #had to unfollow a few people though cos. hoo boy.#but yeah.#just something i've noticed #good omens #doctor who #damn this is long sorry. hopefully you see my point

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pixeljade · 1 year

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modern anime fans complain about delays and changes and stuff between seasons but i swear NOTHING can ever beat what happened with Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

This anime was one of THE top anime of the 00's, easily topping the lists of "must-see" anime series. I mean this thing was HUGE in 2006 when it came out, think almost peak Homestuck levels! You couldnt set foot in a convention without seeing weebs performing the ending theme song dance (Hare Hare Yukai if you wanna look it up), and the sailors uniforms from the series were everywhere. This was right up there with Yaoi Paddles and Deadpools in terms of Convention Things, and it had only one season despite having PLENTY of other light novels in the source book series! It was just really well-done. Kyoto Animation, the studio behind it which is now one of the biggest names in anime, got its reputation almost entirely because of it (And Lucky Star and Clannad which came out right after S1 of Haruhi). One of the reasons it was popular was the unique air order of the series, that in its original airing the episodes were out of chronological order, allowing for a chaotic watch that manages to have better flow (at least, many claim as much, ymmv). So fans were divided between watch orders, but season two was inevitable, and indeed, they announced it was in the works...but didnt announce any dates or anything.

But then, three years later, one of the channels in japan announces its re-running the first season, but the part where they say how many episodes they plan to air, they put double the first season's number. FOURTEEN more, to a total of 28! Nobody knew for certain, because like I said they didnt announce a release date, but speculation was that the extra 14 would be season two! Anyways, the first season starts airing in CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, which was, of course, a highly controversial move...But then!!! On the eighth episode, an entirely new one airs, confirming that Season Two is in fact happening, but mixed into season one in a chronological order. Fans proceed to lose their shit.

BUT THEN. The second new episode airs, and its covering a light novel story where the protagonists are caught in a time loop! Fun, right? Except it doesnt resolve itself by the end of the episode. Oh, thats fine, it'll resolve by the end of the next one, right? WRONG!! In fact, Episode Three is the EXACT SAME EPISODE as EPISODE TWO, but re-animated from different angles. This continues for eight fucking episodes, dubbed the "Endless Eight", and the only major difference is in the final episode when they break the time loop!

WHICH MEANS. KyoAni dropped the second season, UNANNOUNCED, mixed in with season one in an unpredictable manner, and OVER HALF the "New" episodes were the SAME. FUCKING. EPISODE. ON REPEAT!!!! By far, this was THE BIGGEST season two troll in anime HISTORY and NOTHING in even your worst anime fears could come CLOSE

#anime #suzumiya haruhi #suzumiya haruhi no shoushitsu #suzumiya haruhi no yuuutsu #melancholy of haruhi suzumiya

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ravenbloodshot · 1 year

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Jaemin- Nct....Red + Green Flags

❤

He can be quite fake and deceitful, like the type to take business opportunities away from friends and not give a crap about how it affects them. He may have shady business tactics that he uses

Hes also quite stubborn especially when arguing with others. May not ever want to back down or seem like hes the one in the wrong, he may even agree to resolve a conflict by shaking hands and being done with it, but still hold resentment towards the person/the situation.(like when your mom makes you shake hands with your sibling after an arguement, you do it but in the back of your mind your still thinking "yeah whatever, fuck you"

He likes to instigate fights between other ppl as well, like telling a out of context story to a member cause he knows it will get that member mad at another memeber. Then, when a fight ensues he likes to act like the mediator as if he actually wants the fighting to stop. I wouldn't be surprised if he genuinely enjoys watching ppl fight (fists and with words), he may like watching boxing or wrestling

He plays a background devil's advocate most of the time, creating problems for others just for the fun of it or to steal those opportunities from them

He may have a lot of unnecessary loyalty to SM, like do whatever they ask him to do and enforces their rules on other members. He may even snitch to higher ups in the company about the happenings of his members

He's vulgar and has high sexual desires. He has some sort of oppa kink or daddy kink, that he may get off on getting women to say it to him. Like I know oppa has a traditional and innocent meaning in korean culture as well but he may disguise his sexual gratification he gets from girls calling him oppa with making it seem like a traditional name/role he plays

💚

He has a strong aura and presence so bullies/people that like to start shit typically dont try Jaemin. He may even have a reputation of someone that doesnt take others shit, so even older ppl respect and treat him like an equal

He may have an ability to fit in, no matter the age group around him. Like he can chill with the hyung line of nct (as a whole) and they wont even remember/consider that hes quite younger than them.

Also, I see that even as a teenager he would've been a repellent to bullying, like ppl really just dont try to fuck with him. And he knows this. He probably used this to his advantage even to help others, like if his friend was getting bullied, around him the bullies wouldn't even try to attack his friend nor Jaemin himself. (Reminds me of movies when a handsome, intimidating loner invites a meek, bullied kid to hang around him bc he witnesses the attacks on the kid. And when the bullies see him and the meek kid together they leave them alone)

He really is knowledgeable and has a yearning for more knowledge about the world and just his environment. He can take a backseat approach when conversating with others, this makes ppl feel as if they can say whatever to him. And he actually remembers very well what ppl say to him, even with fans, he could extensively remember things fans say or look like and can surprise them when he brings up old memories of them.

Probably was a good student in school, he would also be pretty great at learning languages and others culture. He doenst turn his nose up to things different from what hes use to

Hes quite down to earth and generally a chill guy, not much gets him out of his element (he has this slow, surfer guy energy that reminds me of Exo Sehun)

He really likes kids and is good with them, he can be very sweet and caring to them.

He can be a great caretaker overall, even for older ppl. He would do good in a situation like that.

#kpop readings #kpop #kpop tarot #leo sun #nct dream #nct #nct jaemin #jaemin

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aplpaca · 10 months

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Hey hi howdy hi if you have like a list of queer fantasy books you liked would it be alright if you shared them? i’m so low on spoons but would love to read some happy stuff if you’ve got any recs, all good if not! was just curious!

OK so I've got a couple things, but depending on what you mean by "happy", some might count and some might not, so I'm gonna group them by like "Happy/Feelgood" for the really sweet stuff vs "I wouldn't say they're "Feelgood' kind of warm-fuzzy, or at least they aren't entirely that, but they're def Hopeful at their core". (i tend to lean more towards things that have Angst even if the core is hopeful. i could list a lot more in the Mixed But Hopeful section, but i tried to stick to ones that felt more 'energetic' in tone, if that makes sense)

Feelgood

House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. Lonely man gets assigned to assess the "safety" of a boarding house for kids with supernatural powers and learns to enjoy life along the way.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. Trans latino boy performs a magic ritual to prove himself to his family and ends up having to help a ghost move to the afterlife. This one is YA, so might not be your thing but I thought it was really cute and fun. Does include some elements of transphobia, but the overall tone of the story is cute and heartfelt, and the transphobia bits are resolved positively. Lots of emphasis on self acceptance and family.

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. Orc woman retires from fighting and opens a coffeeshop. This one didn't particularly do it for me, but I know a lot of people like it so you might also.

Hopeful at their Core

Witchmark by CL Polk. Mage who works as a doctor meets a mysterious man and ends up investigating a murder while trying to help his patients suffering from a mysterious illness. Deals with abusive family backgrounds but is overall pretty lighthearted/energetic.

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell. Arranged marriage in an intergalactic empire gets complicated when half of the pair's previous relationships and potential criminal activity come to light. Feels pretty fanfic-y (i say as someone who doesnt really read fanfic, so take with a grain of salt) in a fun way. Deals with past relationship abuse, but isnt graphic and is overall pretty lighthearted and fun

The Last Sun by KD Edwards. Disgraced Atlantean noble and his life companion/best friend/bodyguard get hired to search for a missing person, only to get entangled with a legendary monster connected to the fall of said noble's court 15 years prior. YMMV with this one cause it deals with a lot of heavy stuff like abuse and sexual assault and gets pretty dark at points, but at the same time the series is really funny, the banter is so good, and it has some of the best and most fun found family dynamics going on in like anything I've read or watched. Like those 2012 avengers fanfics where all the characters live in the same house and do shenanigans except its actually canon and also they can say the fuck word.

True Love Bites by Joy Demorra. Disabled werewolf captain takes a job on an island and grows close to a vampire nobleman. Things get complicated when a mysterious woman shows up with news that the world's magical wells are dying. There's an explicit version and a fade to black version depending on which youd prefer. Explicit version has a red cover and the fade to black has a blue cover (I personally read the blue cover version). I want to gnaw on the characters (esp vlad) like a dog with a cocaine chew toy

#books #book rec #sorry this took like all day to answer i was at work and then i was getting groceries and formatting is easier on desktop than mobile

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