#well technically love triangle in this case

[miraculousdeservesbetter2024]

#chloenette #chlonette #relationship: chlonette #marinette dupain cheng #chloe bourgeois #mlb shipping #miraculous ladybug #ml #mlb #miraculous tales of ladybug and chat noir #miraculous #miraculous tales of ladybug and cat noir #love square #well technically love triangle in this case #MariBee and Chlonette almost has the same dynamic

[welcometothejianghu]

Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 重啟之極海聽雷/Reunion: The Sound of the Providence/The Lost Tomb Reboot/this thing has too many names

Reunion (I'm just going to call it that) is a 2020 action drama about the most specialest little babygirl in the tomb-raiding world, his two husbands, and the cadre of assorted weirdos they pick up as they try to follow a set of directions left by a dead (?) man in the thunder.

Imagine if someone showed you the Mandalorian, and you were like, gee, that was a neat little sci-fi one-shot! because you'd never heard of Star Wars. That was basically my experience watching this show, having no idea that the Lost Tomb franchise (DMBJ) was even a thing. Turns out that not only is there a whole big continuity out there with these characters, but that Reunion takes place a few years after the main story's resolution. Don't worry, though -- Reunion doesn't spoil you for that resolution. It doesn't spoil you for much, period. Look, DMBJ has a weird relationship to endings, okay?

I have written a more thorough where-to-start guide for DMBJ as a whole, so if you want to consider other entry points, well, that information is there for your consideration. Yet it is my opinion that this is the best entry into the overall franchise, and a fun thing to watch just in general, and I'm here to make my case for both of those.

The rest of this rec will assume that you have no familiarity with the DMBJ series. That's okay; you don't need any. All you need is to trust my five reasons you should watch this.

1. Old Man Yaoi

As you begin this show, you are introduced to the Iron Triangle. That's them in the picture up there. Left to right, you have: Xiao Ge, magically tattooed immortal hottie who just got back from ten years in [scene missing]; Wu Xie, our protagonist, who's just a little guy and it's his birthday; and Wang Pangzi, the literal best.

(And yes, Wu Xie is in his 30s and Pangzi is in his 40s, which is not technically old man anything, but ... look, if you watch, you'll see why I think I'm justified in calling it that.)

They are extremely married. They are a disaster trio of disasters so disastrous that no one else should ever be subjected to their chaos. They're going to make sure lots of people are, though, don't you worry about it. Sometimes those people even deserve it.

However, because the show (tragically!!) decides that Xiao Ge has somewhere else to be like 95% of the runtime, most of the relationship you get to see is between Wu Xie and Pangzi.

I'm saying this now as an old gay nerd who just this year celebrated her 15th wedding anniversary: I have never, never felt so represented in media as I have watching Wu Xie and Pangzi interact. There's a little wake-up song they sing together near the end of the show, and it just ... it packs so much character development into thirty seconds. These boys have been living adjacent lives for so long that they've made up their own little shared songs about the mundanities of daily living. That is just what happens when you marry your best friend and then decide to get old and weird together. Ask me how I know.

Look, if you want to know whether this show is for you or not, watch to the end of the first episode, to the part where Pangzi flips over the table. If your heart is filled with joy (as it should be), keep going.

Love makes a tomb-raiding syndicate family.

2. A fun-filled action-packed romp of nonsense!

If you're familiar with Hellblazer canon, this will make sense to you: Reunion is Dangerous Habits. If you're not familiar with Hellblazer canon, try it like this: Reunion is a terrible place to start because it plays on your extant affection for a character who gains a terrible status effect almost immediately. It's a also great place to start because it throws you right in the action with measurably high stakes and gives you a reason to build that affection very quickly.

I'm also going to warn you right off the bat: The plot of this show got cut to ribbons by censors.

See, the DMBJ books, being books, are allowed to get away with supernatural shit! So you've got zombies and ghosts and curses and monsters and immortality and all your other standard ooky spooky semi-urban fantasy trappings. But the DMBJ adaptations, being live-action, are heavily regulated in their content. This is why, in the early Reunion episodes, our heroes are menaced by human-looking creatures that are actually ancient mannequins made of leather that are piloted, mecha-style, by evil clams. Because evil clams are more scientific than zombies. I guess.

So yeah, the plot of this book already had to get mangled into a more "science"-compliant shape even before it made it to filming. The real problem is that a whole lot more of it got cut after it was all filmed and put together. I have read an explanation of what the actual storyline was supposed to be, and yeah, if you know what you’re looking at, you can see (and hear) the scars where major elements got hacked out with a weed whacker.

Therefore: You cannot expect this plot to make sense.

But that's okay! You're not here for the plot to make sense! You're here to watch some characters you love run around through ridiculous and sometimes beautiful labyrinths, trying to solve puzzles you're never given enough information to understand, all in search of the resolution to a mystery that had half its guts torn out before you got to see it -- and you are here to love it. If you have ever laughed and cheered your way through a Mission: Impossible film without pausing to care too much about the plot holes it’s dodging left and right, you are in the correct frame of mind to appreciate this. Just believe that whatever engaging nonsense the show tells you is correct for the time being and go with it.

You cannot watch DMBJ and care about the laws of physics. You simply cannot.

Do not, however, let me give you the impression that the shoddy plotting is accompanied by equally shoddy performances. A major part of this show’s incredible watchability comes from how the cast is shockingly good. There are some serious heavy hitters among the actors. A major part of why this Wu Xie and Pangzi are my favorite together is the incredible chops both Zhu Yilong and Chen Minghao have, to say nothing of their real-life affection for one another. (See that scar on Wu Xie's neck? That scar is there because Zhu Yilong commits to the bit.) Effortlessly charming Mao Xiaotong turns potentially irritating wunderkind Bai Haotian into a perfect precious weirdo baby. Wu Erbai's entire second-season character arc could have been unintentionally comedic, but veteran of queer cinema Hu Jun sells even the undignified moments as relentlessly tragic. And of course Baron Chen absolutely kills it with...

3. This giant fucking loser

This is Hei Xiazi. That's not his name, but it's close enough. Allow me to do a dramatic reenactment of my watching his first scene:

[camera pans over to him]

me: Ugh, I recognize this kind of wannabe badass character design. I hate his type. He's self-important, hyper-masculine, and just a big jerk, and the show thinks he's soooo cool. Barf.

[thirty seconds later]

me: Oh no. I was so wrong. I love him forever now.

This is because he is (as indicated above) a giant fucking loser. Yes, he's a good fighter who knows lots of things. He's also a wet potato chip of a man. Sure, he can get you into a headlock, but he can also annoy you into submission, and that's honestly more fun for him. My wife has used the phrase “Vash the Stampede-coded” to describe him. My wife is not wrong.

And the kind of ridiculous thing is, being such a loser is what wraps back around to making him cool again. He's a loser because he just doesn't fucking care. His masculinity is the opposite of fragile. You tell him to wear a dress and makeup, he'll do it -- and sure, he'll complain, but only because he enjoys complaining. He has no dignity. He’s tits-out. He's gender. He's the worst and also the best.

Hei Xiazi is a major character in the other installations, to the point where he and his boyfriend (more on him later) even have their own movie. But of course, I did not know this on my first watch, so I kept expecting the show to explain his whole deal. It does not, but you don't really need it to. He sees better in the dark. He doesn't age. He's a thug for hire. There, that's all the bio you need.

One of the things that makes him great is that he is the least sexually threatening person ever. Across all the properties he's in, he spends a fair amount of time with women -- sometimes in very close quarters -- and they are perfectly safe around him. I actually wrote a whole post about it once upon a time (warning for tiny spoilers for a series that isn't this one) wherein I claim that not only Xiazi but Reunion in general is the television equivalent of the shirt that says I RESPECT WOMEN SO MUCH I DON'T HAVE SEX WITH THEM.

That said, this loser does get a sort-of romance plot here -- and honestly, I find it very cute! It's not even the only instance in this series of a bisexual guy in a long-term same-sex relationship getting a girlfriend, and I like that other one too! Look, the handle of my DMBJ sideblog is @katamaricule because I joked that Wu Xie treats polyamory like a katamari, and if you don't move fast enough, you're going to be rolled right up into his gay little cuddle puddle.

This is not a show for exclusive ships; this is a show for inclusive ships. The Jiumen Association is a polycule. You don't even have to know what the Jiumen Association is to know it's true.

4. The power of friendship

This show has a lot of characters.

I'd say the supporting cast is divided into three categories: characters who have been in previous installments, characters who have not been in previous installments, and characters who probably should have been in previous installments (or at least mentioned) but who were only created for Reunion so we have to pretend like we've known about them all along.

There is no way to tell which is which -- which is part of my argument that this series makes a good entry point to the franchise.

Take Huo Daofu. Huo Daofu is a brilliant doctor masquerading as a donut stand operator who treats Wu Xie with all the cold disdain of a man confronting the person who left him at the altar years ago. On the one hand, yes! We do know Huo Daofu from a previous series, and we've known he's both a doctor and a bitch. On the other hand, oh, we have no idea why he's like this about Wu Xie, and we probably never will. The show just treats it like it's for an excellent reason, and you know what, from what you know about Wu Xie, it probably is.

Consider also Jiang Zisuan. One of the show's principal antagonists, Jiang Zisuan turns out to be the brother of ... well, let's just say it's someone whose having a brother really should have come up before this. It has not come up. (And that's even before we get into the issue of his surname.) His stated identity as that person's brother is so bizarre that my favorite interpretation is that he isn't actually that person's brother -- all the flashbacks we see are just his delusions about a relationship he's completely invented. But there's no way you'd know how fucking weird this is on your first run.

Then there's our friendly little support himbo, Kanjian, who shows up to all occasions with two tickets to the gun show and not a thought in that beautiful head. (His name just means "vest," which is par for the course when it comes to the author's naming conventions.) He was a lot more menacing in the last series (where they kept putting sleeves on him, geez), where most of what we learned about him is that you can loan him out to other tomb-raiding families. Now he's a golden retriever with great aim and a slingshot. It's an upgrade.

The trick is, you cannot be surprised when someone shows up and the show treats them like you should know who they are, even when there's no possible way you could know who they are. I mean, for heaven's sake, Liu Sang arrives in the middle of an obvious beef with Pangzi, the origins of which are never satisfactorily explained, while also having a giant do-I-want-to-fuck-him-or-do-I-want-to-be-him crush on Xiao Ge, which is also never satisfactorily explained. Whatever, you just roll with it. He's got good hearing, a bad attitude, and questionable taste in idols. Now you're good to go.

(I should throw in a special note here that Liu Sang is many, many people's little meow meow, and not undeservedly. For a fuller explanation of why that is, please consult this other post I made.)

Part of the fun of this big cast is the adorable interactions you get. All the characters have appropriately big personalities, and the show loves letting people you wouldn’t expect bounce off one another. It’s not your typical action-hero show where nothing happens without the protagonist in the room. There are lots of exciting combinations and tons of charming dynamics! Unlikely friendships form all over the place! Enemies become allies! Allies become friends! Friends become friends with other friends! Some friends become enemies again! You'll need a scoreboard to keep up!

This is not to say the show treats all its characters perfectly or equally -- one of the precious few main female characters doesn't even get a real name, for heaven's sake, and the less said about the brownface racism, the better. It is, at its heart, a dude show for dudes made in China, with all the troubling decision-making that implies. Where it does deserve credit, though, is in understanding that its supporting characters are actual people with personalities apart from their function in Wu Xie's narrative. Sometimes the show just asks "what if [random character A] and [random character B] had to interact?" and has fun considering the answer! Which is almost always a delight to watch, and sometimes even breaks your heart.

5. Amazing rewatch value!

And by this I mean the experience of watching this show is remarkably different once you have any understanding of the rest of the DMBJ universe.

For instance, there's a point where two characters are scuba-diving past some submerged coffins, and one character tells the other whose coffins they are. Working only on information Reunion has given you, you're like, oh, that's where they buried the guy who built this creepy place, that's a little weird. Once you recognize that name from other series, though, your reaction is far more, excuse me, they did WHAT to WHOSE corpses?

Or another point where a character you've already met is on a train, and there's a handsome gentleman who just happens to be riding with her. He hands her his business card! Aw, that's sweet, he seems like a nice guy! Well, no, Xie Yuchen is not nice, but he is one of our allies, and he's Hei Xiazi's boyfriend, and a lot of what he's doing hits real different when you have a fuller grasp on why he's doing it and for whom. (Honestly, a major reason to watch Reunion first is so you're not fully and appropriately upset by how your black/pink gays merely have one teeny tiny scene together.)

From the way the series treats the persistent absence of Wu Sanxing, Wu Xie's third uncle, I absolutely, 100% assumed that he was a completely new character to this installment of the series, an extremely long-lost relative that we've somehow conveniently managed to never talk about before now. So imagine my gobsmacked surprise when I went to watch a different series, set much earlier in the timeline, where the opening scene prominently features Wu Sanxing as an actual character in the present-day narrative! ...Well, sorta. Look, there's a lot of fuckery with his identity in earlier parts of the story, and fortunately you need to know none of it to understand Reunion. But when you do, it suddenly makes a lot more sense why Wu Xie talks about someone who was a major part of Wu Xie's adult life like he died when Wu Xie was nine.

AND THE FLASHBACK SCENE WHERE A-NING GETS KILLED BY THE SNAKE, AND YOU'RE LIKE, OKAY, AND THEN YOU WATCH ULTIMATE NOTE AND IT WASN'T LIKE THAT AT ALL look, I know there are kinda reasons for this, different production companies and all, but seriously, what the fuck

All of which to say is that the experience of watching Reunion the first time is, hey, this self-contained romp is a lot of fun! The experience of rewatching it after watching any of the other DMBJ installments is a transcendently wonderful head-clutching avalanche of one moment of recognition right after another.

And here's the thing: You will watch more. Reunion is a gateway drug. If you are interested enough to make it through all 62 episodes, you're going to be interested in watching more. Which is great. The English-speaking fandom needs more people. Come down into the tombs. It's great down here. We've got snakes and arguably unintentional homoeroticism. Join us. Join usssssssss

Are you ready for an aventure?

There are a couple different ways to watch the first half, but there's (weirdly) only one way to watch the second, so for both of them, I'm going to send you straight to iQiyi: Season 1 (32 episodes) and Season 2 (30 episodes).

And just so you’re ready when Reunion is done, here’s how you find the rest of the DMBJ series, in the absolutely non-chronological order in which I, personally, think you should watch them:

The Lost Tomb 2 (AsianCrush, YouTube)

Ultimate Note (iQiyi)

The Mystic Nine (iQiyi, Viki)

Sand Sea/Tomb of the Sea (Viki, WeTV, YouTube, also YouTube)

Also, there's a lot of movies and side series and other pieces that are worth seeing, and even a couple of full series I've left off the list, and you can just slot them in wherever. And maybe we'll get Tibetan Sea Flower someday? Look, hope springs eternal.

They're so perfect. Perfect triangle. Perfect boys.

#dmbj #重启 #重启之极海听雷 #盗墓笔记 #Reunion: The Sound of the Providence #the lost tomb reboot #rec post #i made this

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Gay wrongs tournament, semifinals of the minor bracket

Propaganda:

For Lord Hater and Commander Peepers :

Lord Hater is the self-proclaimed "universe's awesomest evil-doer", an immature, attention-seeking manchild with electric powers and a short temper. He rules the Hater Empire with Commander Peepers as his second-in-command (technically third, after his beloved pet spider-xenomorph, but who's counting), however it soon becomes *very* clear that the cunning, remorseless, hardworking Peepers is the *real* brains behind the empire. Peepers might be frustrated at Hater's incompetence at times and isn't above manipulating him to reach an end goal, but he'd never dream of usurping him because, well, he's really gay and in love with him (as much as he can be in an early-10s Disney cartoon, anyways). Hater might take Peepers for granted a lot of times, but as his oldest friend and closest confidante he's the one who Hater is closest to. Whether it's invading other planets or kicking puppies for fun, these two are *delightfully* terrible jerks and the epitome of gay wrongs. 

Commander Peepers is both Lord Hater's right hand man in villainy AND his jilted stay-at-home-wife-guy (Also in villainy. Hater is really good at getting distracted from productive and efficient villaining.) Lord Hater was the greatest villain in the galaxy thanks to how well he and Commander Peepers worked as an evil team to run the Hater Empire!

Lord Hater conquers planets and is such an edgy bastard. Peepers is the actual brains behind the operation. Peepers is often pushed aside by Hater, they are besties and yet Peepers is always pining for this guy who will never notice. Peepers is so horribly gay for him if you watch the show he wants his stupid boss so bad. Peepers is so scared of him season 1 but then starts yelling BACK in season 2 and has to deal with him like a babysitter or something and yet STILL idolizes him and that’s just such a fun dynamic. His password is H8RNP33PRS43VR (Hater and Peepers forever). They are so evil and everyone fears them and they are villains and they are gay and the side of the fandom that draws them as a married couple that needs counseling is absolutely correct. The fanart of Hater openly liking him back is wonderful but I swear you don’t even need that. They are so gay and villain you have to love them they are

Villains that conquer planets and do evil stuff, my favourite characters, not really canon but they are the best :)

For Wu Zetian x Gao Yizhi x Li Shimin: (propaganda from previous poll here)

They are in a poly and are so morally gray and I love em. The triangle really is the strongest shape

They're gay because they're all bi (literally in Shimin and Yizhi's cases, kinda more implied for Zetian). Zetian and Shimin tortured a man for information (and also because he tortured them first) while Yizhi cooked back in their apartment. They made a plan to destroy their government and take over instead. Yizhi killed his dad because he was talking shit about Zetian and trying to sway his trust in her (it didn't work lmao). Instead of a love triangle (it REALLY seemed like that was what it was heading towards) they all love each other and would (and have) committed atrocities for each other. There's a whole thing about how they're stronger together (like, metaphorically and on the battlefield (Shimin and Zetian pilot a giant mecha together and Yizhi balances them))

They're a canon polyship who are all a bit deranged and down to kill for their goals and/or to protect bae. Two have tortured a man to death together and came home to the third making celebratory cookies for them. 

What's more gay wrongs than trying to take over your country and torturing a man together

#minor bracket semifinals #iron widow #wander over yonder #gao yizhi #li shimin #wu zetian #commander peepers #lord hater

[butchhamlet]

are there any shakespeare retellings you recommend? i really enjoy retellings but it's also difficult to find ones that like. actually understand the source material... i've read your novella duodecimal and really liked it btw! excellent take on twelfth night :-)

THANK YOU SO MUCH WAH... yes, i can recommend some retellings! i keep intending to make a big post with my recs, actually, but there are so many out there that i haven't read yet... so for now here's an incomplete list:

a thousand acres by jane smiley: the first one that came to my mind seeing this ask. it's a retelling of lear set on an american farmstead, and the adaptation is done beautifully and smoothly--it's just distinct enough from OG Lear that you can judge it as a book on its own but also as a lear retelling. and it's sooooo good. it starts a little slow, but the character work is so excellent and it almost made me cry (i will note that there's a pretty hefty cw on this one but... saying what it is is technically spoilers? but feel free to send another ask or message if you want to know up-front)

the last true poets of the sea by julia drake: books that made me have to turn my camera off in zoom class so i could bawl properly. books written for me specifically. this is a loose YA retelling of twelfth night (looser than some of the other retellings on this list) and it's like. perfect. the teenage dialogue actually sounds like teenagers. every emotional beat clubbed me over the head. the love triangle is present--and done really well; it's not present for drama but because sometimes being a teenager is confusing--but more than that this is a book about the relationship between violet and her sibling, and about mental health, and god it makes me CRAZY. also girls kiss in this one

rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead by tom stoppard: i mean. i think most people into shakespeare know r&gad. but in case you haven't read it yet, it's an absurdist play from the point of view of rosencrantz and guildenstern and it's absolutely fucking brilliant. not sure what else to say about this; you've really just gotta read it

teenage dick by mike lew: another play, this one on the modern side--a retelling of richard iii set in a high school, focusing explicitly on disability issues. kind of more a reimagining than a retelling, honestly, but i really like the exploration of r3's themes and also it's fucking hysterical. although i will say there's a kind of jarring tonal shift in this one near the end, so don't go to it for something 100% comedic

american moor by keith hamilton cobb: okay this isn't exactly a retelling but if you've ever read othello you have to read it. you just have to. please god if you've ever read a shakespeare PLEASE. it's a monologue from the perspective of a black man trying out for the role of othello, half-resigned to being pigeonholed into playing that specific role in a very specific way as directed by a white director, but also half-chafing against that resignation, and also exploring the complexities of loving shakespeare as a black man, and it's soooooo so good

exit, pursued by a bear by e.k. johnston: this one is kind of cheating because it's not really a retelling, in that it has next to nothing to do with the winter's tale except that there is a hermione character and a leontes character and a paulina character. i still think it's a very very well-done YA book, though, and one of the only ones i've read that deals head-on with abortion

foul is fair by hannah capin: okay, i will admit i read this one some years ago when i was more into YA, so i'm not sure i would still go crazy over it now, but the plot of this book is that the modern lady macbeth character gets assaulted by a guy at a party and decides to kill everyone who let that happen. and then she does. and idk i read it in two days it felt like being on crack

the wednesday wars by gary schmidt: this one is DEFINITELY cheating, because this isn't a retelling of anything. but if you like shakespeare and you're open to reading historical fiction about a kid in the 60s using shakespeare as a lens through which to understand the chaos of his life (from the vietnam war to his school crush)... it's so good. it made me nearly sob. beautiful book

i'm also a fan of ryan north's shakespeare choose-your-own-adventure books, but those aren't exactly retellings and also the humor will probably not work for everyone. but i like em <3

and finally, i would be remiss not to shout out the fact that @suits-of-woe wrote an INCREDIBLE retelling of the two gentlemen of verona that, like, redeemed the fact that that play exists. if you've read that play and you thought, "wow, i wish this were explicitly homoerotic, or not a rape apologia, or good in any way," you will LOVE macy's book. unfortunately it isn't fucking published yet but WITH YOUR HELP--

#max.txt #feel free to send me recs for shakespeare retellings at any time btw! #i've been collecting a list #i just haven't gotten around to most of the books on it yet #asks

[animeyanderelover]

Anon: Can I please headcanons with Agni/reader/Soma triangle, where both fell in love with a maid of Phantomhive who is older than Soma, but younger than Agni (about 23-26 years old)?

For your information, Soma is 17 years old and Agni is 31 and I just decided that the darling is 24 in this headcannon. Also as an additional information, there is a passage of time in those Hc’s so Soma is at the beginning of those Hc’s 17 but turns 18 as the story progresses.

Tw: Yandere themes, toxic relationship, possessive behavior, obsession, clinginess, delusional behavior, stalking, overprotective behavior, manipulation, guilt-tripping

Taglist: @lovley-valentine7 @leveyani @chxxz

Falling in love with the same s/o

🍛​🤜​You are bound to get acquainted with both Soma and Agni, considering that Soma likes to spend time with the young Earl which would be the fastest way for you to meet the duo as well as the case where you would see those two the most. Soma in that case would be the one who would fall for you first without a single doubt, absolutely enamored with you and everything you do. Really, it isn't hard to notice that he is head over heels for you as he is talking about you nonstop and likes to follow you around. He is distracting you from the work you are supposed to do and this is where Agni decides to hold his prince back to give you time and space to finish your chores. He understands that you need to do your duties and that Soma is for the better or worse just hindering you from working as efficient as you normally could. Agni is also just as aware that all of Ciel's servants are extremely skilled and dangerous even if they may not look like it on first glance. You are no exception.

🍛​🤜​Whilst Agni has yet to fall and has sympathy with you, Soma is far more entitled than that. He is angry and frustrated whenever Agni has to pull him away from you and he is almost acting like a bratty child at times, awfully spoiled. Yes, he knows that you are technically the servant of Ciel and not his own but he still wants to spend time with you and your chores seem to be constantly in the way. Can't you just let someone else do them for you or just drop them and spend some time with him instead? Soma is very distracting and it only because of your patience that you seem to be able to skillfully blend him out whenever you are focused on your tasks, much to his dismay. The young prince hates to be ignored, especially since he has even been neglected by his biological family since he had so many siblings. He is whining, complaining and even forcing himself in front of you just so that you have to look at him with a frustrated pout on his face, upset that you ignore him as often as you do.

🍛​🤜​You receive presents, flowers and much more from Soma as the young prince seems to already have the wedding planned for you two. Being delusional truly can be a blessing and a curse at the same time as he even informs Ciel about this spontanously. The young lord is in his office working on some documentaries when Soma suddenly slams the door open and a flustered and apologetic Agni follows him and urges him to think it over again. Yet nothing can stop Soma who slams his palms on the desk and blurts out in Ciel's face that he plans to marry you and that Ciel will have to let you go because Soma doesn't want his wife to work for someone as a wedded couple should spend all of their time together. So bold and confident is he that Ciel chokes on his own saliva for a couple of seconds before he gives the prince a flabbergasted look. The entire household finds out about it within the same day as Soma walks around and declares to all of them that he's going to marry you. Agni is the one who is left apologising to everyone, including you.

🍛​🤜​You get quite close to Agni due to all of the commotion that Soma causes as he is the one defending you against his own prince. He is loyal to the young prince of course but he knows that you work for the Earl of Phantomhive and respects your own wishes. He promises you that Soma is a good person but just very easily caught up in his own daydreams and you can truly see that every single day where Soma follows you around like a lost puppy and tells you about what clothes he wants you to wear, considering which color would suit you best and even brings you jewelry he wants you to wear on your wedding. So ecstatic is he about it all that he even wants to marry you two times considering that you grew up in London and he grew up in India. You can plan the second marriage in England if you want to. Agni can only silently thank the heaven that you are as patient and considerate as you are as you could have easily broken Soma's heart multiple times by now, although somehow Agni doubts Soma would stop even then.

🍛​🤜​Agni's obsession is honestly a slowburn and barely noticeable to the point where he himself doesn't even notice. You spend time with Soma because you like him in a way you would like a friend, you reject his proposals and Agni can only tell his prince exasperated that he should respect your feelings yet Soma doesn't believe you when you tell him that you don't see him in a romantic way. You're just hiding your feelings because if you wouldn't feel the same way he does, why do you still spend time with him? As Agni is busy holding Soma somewhat back from his delusional love, he himself barely realises that he starts growing feelings for you too as both of you also spend a lot of time together and even do chores together when Agni offers his help. Soma offers to help too because he doesn't want to feel left out and doesn't want Agni to just hog your attention but he most of the time only ends up giving you two more work. Soma never learns though so the cycle repeats itself again and again.

🍛​🤜​Agni is much more subtle than Soma, which is admittedly not that hard, but still. His creeping obsession is expressed in his growing protective feelings over you despite knowing that you are very capable of protecting yourself and by the time he comes to realise what has happened, it is already far too late to stop himself. He feels guilty though as he knows that Soma is already a bit overbearing for you and the last thing that you would want is him acting the same. Agni is much more practiced in his own self-control though which is why he holds himself back and that becomes even more apparent as soon as he is aware of his own emotions. He almost grows more distant to not make another burden from you and instead likes to observe from a few steps away but at the same time he also feels bad when you approach him and ask him if something has happened as you have noticed his change in behavior. He doesn't want to give you the impression that it is your fault after all.

🍛​🤜​Soma and Agni are pretty capable of sharing but Agni just doesn't have the courage to tell you nor Soma about his feelings. He feels guilty for admitting that he has fallen the same way for you as Soma has and at the same time he doesn't want to take your time away from Soma as he knows how much Soma adores and loves you yet he also feels guilty for keeping this from the both of you. It is a quite complicated situation Agni finds himself in and he spends days and nights pondering how he could tell the both of you. he actually decides to tell it to you first as he is worried that Soma would react too dramatically. He knows that you will react to it in a calmer way than his prince would and he actually apologises to you for his own feelings. Soma, as expected, is reacting very dramatically. Above all though he is disappointed that Agni hasn't told him about it before and has instead kept it a secret from him. Whilst Agni reassures his prince that he won't try to steal you from Soma, it is actually Soma who makes the decision that Agni should still spend time with you.

🍛​🤜​Agni has been nothing but loyal to him after all. At least Agni balances out Soma's clinginess and delusional thinking as he can hold the young prince back from being too overwhelming with you. The age difference will also have some influence as you tend to treat Soma like a young boy due to him being younger than you and whilst Soma is definitely spoiled and acts like a child at times, he still insists that you see him as a man and stop thinking of him as a boy. Agni on the other hand at times feels more inclined to protect you because he is older than you. Soma is very open with his adoration as he literally worships everything you do but it is worth mentioning that for Agni you are also something more than just his love. You have given him a new meaning to a new life that was given to him by his prince and whilst he isn't as physically touching or as verbal as Soma is, he does a lot of quiet gestures to show you his eternal love.

#yandere black butler #yandere kuroshitsuji #yandere soma #yandere soma asman kadar #yandere agni

[that-ari-blogger]

One Last Hurrah (I'm Not That Girl (Reprise), As Long As You're Mine)

Those who are familiar with my blog will know that I don't particularly agree with the concept of genre. I think it is restrictive, and the dynamicism of storytelling makes it less important for writers than the general public is aware for.

Wicked backs up my claim, I think. The opening number is a booming epic that Glinda switches to a more quiet tragedy, at which point the first act becomes a love story set in a boarding school. The second act mirrors this, slightly, crashing in with a full scale war that Glinda again pushes back to a love story. That same love story and love triangle then takes precedent in act two. Until it abruptly doesn't.

As Long As You're Mine is the finale of the romance arc of this story, and it centres around enjoying the life you have before change takes effect. Although, the romance is a love triangle, Elphaba and Fiyero get a song, but Glinda? Where does her romance end?

With Elphaba. The love story of this musical ends with Glinda thinking of Elphaba.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD: (Wicked, Dead Poet Society)

"Don't wish, don't start Wishing only wounds the heart There's a girl I know He loves her so I'm not that girl"

Well gee, this looks familiar.

This is an interesting case of thematic association. Because on it's own, I'm Not That Girl (Reprise) isn't really that important or interesting. It's a nice melody about unrequited love, which is heartfelt and everything, but not really saying much.

But the word's "on it's own" are doing a lot of heavy lifting in that paragraph. This song is the reprise of an earlier number by the same name, and that means all of the meaning from that song gets carried over to this, and it gets to give its own take on those themes, which is interesting.

In the internet world of oversimplification and memes, one will probably come across the idea that teachers overanalyse things. The "the curtains are blue because he likes the colour blue" joke. The weird thing is, this joke is correct, but it misses the point entirely.

Yes, overanalysing media is exactly what folks like me do. Technically, you don't need to engage with anything more than the baseline of what you have been shown. If your takeaway from blue curtains is that the owner likes the colour blue, go for it, nobody is stopping you, and that is perfectly reasonable. The key, is that that approach is not inherently more or less valuable than an overanalytical one.

I will wager that blue curtains will evoke a certain emotion in you. Maybe they are a deep blue, like the night just before dawn, giving you a tired, more chill vibe. Maybe they are much lighter, like the sky, giving a more youthful atmosphere. Or maybe they do not match with the rest of the room at all, to comedic or unsettling effect.

The point I am making is that subtext exists, and you don't have to dwell on it, but its a vital part of how communication works. It's also usually a majour factor in engagement. So, at the very least, acknowledging it will help you understand why you do or don't like certain stories.

Once again, I turn to PBS's Wicked In Concert and recommend the versions of these songs from that. This version of I'm Not That Girl (Reprise) is sung by Gabrielle Ruiz, and is really good.

For the moment, however, I'd like to conduct a thought experiment. Imagine that Wicked is actually happening. This is a world where people spontaneously break into song and this isn't weird.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to make up a song once, let alone mimic a song that you were not present for?

In universe, there is only two ways Glinda would know this song. Either she overheard Elphaba pining, or Elphaba sang it to her. Take that as you will.

Exiting that thought experiment and back into overanalysing things because it is fun. I have another post about I'm Not That Girl and it's thematic implications (link), so check that out if it interests you, it will form a background for what I am saying here.

Essentially, I'm Not That Girl is the Jolene of musical theatre. It is a song about resignation, but it's core idea is this: Elphaba doesn't think of herself as beautiful or deserving of love. The person she associates with those qualities is Glinda herself. The song is essentially a biromantic heartbreak, when both of Elphaba's love interests love each other, and she can't bring herself to break that for either of them. That is the meaning ascribed to this song and these notes.

Now, Glinda sings the same melody, and it is suddenly flipped. She realises she has been outplayed in the romance game, but she can't bring herself to break it apart for either Fiyero, or Elphaba. The audience doesn't need to hear the same song again, just the highlight reel to let them know that these same emotions are being felt.

The song then cuts off, and is replaced by a much more active, much more passionate number, As Long As You're Mine. The meaning of which has been summed up best by my flatmate. "Reject society, bonk in a hedge".

That is kind of the entire point of this song, though, isn't it? Living in the moment in total freedom. It is proof that Elphaba isn't crazy, that there are others who see her dream, and that even if this goes wrong, the story will end with her happy.

Full disclaimer, I am asexual, so I cannot comment on the more intimate subtext of this song. I am aware it is happening, but I would rather stay away from the specific thematic significance of that, if that is ok.

The transition of this song comes through that repeated low note. It is hammered, like a war drum, and it drives home that urgency and collision of the two plots. This is the moment in which the musical goes from a romance to an epic, and that rhythm is a threat of what is to come.

Although it is notable that the swaying melodies of Elphaba and Fiyero overpower this drum, their love holding off the inevitable. Specifically, the instrument hitting the note changes from a piano to what my, admittedly lacking, musical knowledge thinks is a bass guitar. (Music scholars, please correct me on any of this). That change means that the heavy beat becomes distorted and stretched, as if time is stretching out.

"And just for this moment As long as you're mine I've lost all resistance And crossed some borderline. And if it turns out It's over too fast I'll make every last moment last As long as you're mine."

Would you look at that, there is even explicit lines in the song about stretching time out and seizing the day. Carpe Diem.

Dead Poet Society is one of the greatest films ever made, and that isn't just my Robin Williams bias speaking. Despite some elements that haven't aged well, the film is truly heart wrenching and has a meaning pretty similar to As Long As You're Mine.

As a side note, this film has a lot more similarities to Wicked than you think. It's about challenging unjust rules, and forging your own path. It's a film about personal freedom, essentially. Although it ends less than happily. It also has about the same amount of queer subtext as Wicked.

In any case, the central thematic of "Carpe diem, seize the day" tells its characters and its students to take life as it is, and live it to the fullest. It is about making the most out of limited time. Quite a lot like As Long As You're Mine.

The ending of Dead Poet Society is a tragedy. It ends with the death of a student and the loss of the teacher's job. But it also ends with hope. Things change in Dead Poet Society. The Latin teacher shifts up his lesson, the boys actually learn, and the "Oh captain, my captain" scene is synonymous with looking at the past and making the future better because of, and in spite of it.

That's a familiar ending, isn't it. The main character dies, and the people in their life resolve to make the world better because of the life they lived. In Wicked, the death isn't permanent, because this is a gospel and no main character in a gospel can ever stay dead for more than a few days.

That motif of making time last is reflected in the music as well. Each stanza has a squash and stretch thing going on with the formation. The triplet brings the three notes within together and plays them faster than is normal, making them feel like they are stumbling over each other, falling forwards, until that held note at the end evens out the pace. Things are moving quickly, but it is a conscious decision. to slow down.

Those held notes also create a feeling of clarity in the music. Once again, music knowledge ain't my forte, but to me, this seems like it is working in a similar fashion to key frame animation. Each held note is the crux of the phrase, and the rest is just making up the difference.

Which means that there is a neat little progression going on here. The first phrase, "kiss me too fiercely" contains two, a B flat on "fierce" and an octave fall to another B flat on "ly", as Elphaba tries to fly away, but is brought back down. Then there is the F on "tight", and the E flat on the latter third of "believing", before the stanza links back to B flat for "tonight".

This, according to google, forms a B flat chord with a suspended fourth, which loops back on itself to form a stable, self-enclosed sentence that descends to keep itself together.

The second phrase operates within the same notes but changes the inflection slightly.

That last note creates an upward inflection to prepare the audience for the chorus, rising into it to set up a crashing theme of power and freedom that... doesn't arrive yet.

Instead, we get the same notes repeated, mostly. It's a quiet moment, an E flat that rises to an F for "borderline", then to a high C for "fast", before resolving back to F and then down to a lower C.

Ok music scholars help me with this please. The sheet music that I have found for this song (link) claims the second part of "fast" is a C flat, which my piano app tells me doesn't exist. Any clarification on this would be really nice.

In short, this is understated, and this isn't the first time we've heard an understated first chorus in a Wicked love song, is it? That's how the first chorus of Defying Gravity sits, before Glinda joins Elphaba and pushes her to new confidence.

Which leads me back to my point. Elphaba relies on other people, she needs Fiyero to comfort her, but also to prove she is right. That's the moment she is cherishing.

When Fiyero joins in, he literally makes the song more hopeful by changing the key signature from E flat majour to C majour. He is more graceful and easy with this. He is the rock that Elphaba is anchored to and that supports her.

As such, that final chorus looks like this:

"Just for this moment. As long as you're mine. Come be how you want to, and see how bright we shine. Borrow the moonlight, until it is through. And know I'll be here holding you. as long as you're mine."

Freedom. Come be how you want to, I'll be there to support you. This is a musical about dreams and reality colliding, and this song is the victory lap of things going well. One small dream has become real, that being the desire for love. And if one is possible, what else can Elphaba do?

On a related note, if Fiyero is the rock that grounds and supports her, what might happen if he is taken away?

FINAL THOUGHTS

Bear with me. Chord analysis is new to me, so if that was completely false, please let me know. As a behind the curtain thing, this blog exists as a place for my hyper fixations to breathe, but also to help me learn more about this whole analytical thing. So, any advice from people who are more knowledgeable than me would be greatly appreciated.

You may note that I didn't talk that much about Fiyero, and there is a reason for that. Honestly, I don't think Fiyero's character in the second act of this musical is that interesting. I'm sure there is lots to talk about with him, but to me, he has been reduced to "love interest for the main character", which I find less captivating as "jock on the verge of an existential breakdown". That's just my opinion.

Next week, I will be looking at No Good Deed, the first true clash of dreams and reality, and Elphaba's breaking point. So stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

#rants #literary analysis #literature analysis #what's so special about...? #wicked #wicked fiyero #wicked elphaba #wicked musical #wicked the musical #elphaba #fiyero #as long as you're mine #wicked is a queer story #dead poet society #robin williams

[chirpsythismorning]

Noah promoting Byler was very likely something he was TOLD to do... so let's talk about it.

I see a lot of people hating on Noah, Finn and the Netflix accounts in general for hyping up Byler.

Noah especially has gone out of his way to say he ships it, but I don't see anyone talking about what has always been so obvious to me.

The reality is, Noah would not say a word about Byler, at all, if it was something he knew was not going anywhere. In fact, if that was truly the case, I think he would be prohibited from it.

With how bad queer-baiting is, I think the Duffer's definitely would have protected him from getting backlash for it, by telling him to avoid humoring Byler at all costs.

Instead, we see Noah not only acknowledging Byler and saying he ships it (numerous times), but also liking/commenting on Byler related posts, even going as far as to steer questions towards Byler in a positive light, as if he's trying to convince us that this is something more of us should open our minds to.

And this just REAKS of the Duffer's trying to warm people up to Byler, and with the only person that can do it at the moment.

Since Will is now canonically in love with Mike, this means that the actor playing him, saying he ships it outright, doesn't exactly qualify as a spoiler.

Now, Finn or Netflix being outright about it, would be a major no no, because it would be a spoiler for the character who plays Mike to say he ships Byler (his stuttering response to Byler happening is still iconic), as well as for the official accounts to throw out M*leven entirely and throw in Byler fully. The show is still technically in limbo with this love triangle. Which is why we see Finn and the Netflix accounts putting an effort to promote both M*leven and occasionally Byler, because although they still want to keep things a surprise for the most part, they definitely have an obligation to start giving at least some hints.

(I think it's also funny that David Harbour has a record for just sort of saying whatever he wants when it comes to spoilers. Like the whole "he likes someone else in the group" moment was definitely not planned and everyones reaction was visibly just shock because they all know they're not allowed to talk about this, but because it's David whose taking the lead they all just follow along with him amused.)

Otherwise, besides the main key-players, it's still something they probably want to keep under-wraps until season 5 is right around the corner. They are indeed stuck in limbo right now.

Just thinking realistically in terms of them preparing for endgame in season 5, it makes sense that they started to kick things off in season 4, in a way that's still really impartial, because as time goes on, the shift to Byler will be a lot easier than if they just went from nothing to everything all at once.

This is why it also makes sense for them to still promote M*leven, seeing as there may only be a little time left for them to do so.

But when we start getting official updates and bts and leaks and then eventually promo for season 5, I think it's very likely Will and Mike are going to be heavily associated with each other just as much in promo, if not more, than they were in season 4. And let's be honest, they were promoted A LOT together (there isn't a m*leven poster/billboard for s4 that I know of...).

With all the backlash they've got for queer-baiting, them going all in with Byler again would be a good indication to me that they are indeed going that route and we can start clowning indefinitely.

#byler #stranger things #byler season 4 #byler proof #byler evidence #byler st4 #mike wheeler #will byers #mike x will #will x mike

[elegantwoes]

Its time we start propagating that third tier side characters like Ygritte and Val, and history figures like Lyanna, Alysanne, Rhaenys and Naerys are the ones being given relevance when we draw parallels between them and a POV main character, also called a central part of the books by the author himself, Sansa Stark. She was created first and is the princess archetype of the story so all the apparent things Sansa stans 'steal' from these characters 💀💀 belong to her first and foremost.

Technically Lyanna shouldn’t be included in there because she isn’t a history figure, but the rest I absolutely agree with you, especially on Naerys. Like Sansa is the only person who even mentions her for the first few books. And Sansa is the one who draws parallel with herself to Naerys and wants her husband to be like Aemon the dragon knight. Like George RR Martin is hammering down that Sansa is the character who has any form of narrative connection to Queen Naerys and the romantic pair Aemon/Naerys is (almost) exclusively tied to Sansa’s romantic storyline. Sansa also deals with an Aegon the unworthy in Joffrey. He even flat out says he wants to be like him and have multiple women:

("A king can have other women. Whores. My father did. One of the Aegons did too. The third one, or the fourth. He had lots of whores and lots of bastards." - Sansa III, A Storm of Swords.

Sansa says she’s Queen Naerys and Joffrey says he wants to be Aegon the unworthy. The only one missing in this equation is an Aemon the dragon knight figure. Now who could this person be? Well I can think of someone. A young man who frequently screamed he was Aemon the dragon knight in his childhood in Winterfell. We got three people saying they are a historical figure that conveniently are stuck in a love triangle. The fandom can deny this till their faces turn blue, but clearly Sansa/Jon are a Aemon/Naerys pair.

And even though George RR Martin is extremely obvious in his parallel still certain people try to take this and make it all about their favorite character and favorite ship. If there ever was case of ‘stealing’ a parallel and storyline then this falls squarely in that category, but antis will never admit to this, because if they did they would be admitting that Sansa has something desirable in their eyes that they want to give to their faves.

Naerys will never be remotely similar to either @rya or D@ny. At most D@ny looks like Naerys in terms in looks, GRRM flat out said that, but he also said that’s where the similarities stop. She may look like Naerys in appearance, but personality wise Naerys is described to be timid and Dany is fiercer. And @rya has zero association with Naerys.

The character who shares the most similarities with Naerys will always be Sansa. Another character who is like Naerys is Cersei, but in her case it’s foil. Cersei is her darker counterpart. She does the very thing Aegon accuses Naerys of (cheating and passing her child as his). Elia Martell is also very similar to Naerys (fragile health, reproductively abused, and humiliated by husband. Rhaegar literally does what Aegon IV wanted to do). Perhaps one could argue that Margaery has a small similarity to her too, since she compares herself to Naerys and Loras to Aemon, but that’s it. There are no other characters like Naerys. Especially not the characters whose fans desperately try to steal this parallel and storyline.

#answered #sansa stark #kinda jonsa #anti dany stans #anti arya stans

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

ok well someone has to ask it how does aftershock work with geo in the picture now

.........WELP. Hmm. I suppose this one's long overdue, huh?

The long and short of it is, Legacyverse is and always was planned to end at a specific point in the timeline. Everything that happens in DR and beyond simply just doesn't apply to this universe, even if I and others entertain certain 'what if' possibilities anyway thanks to recency bias and mere curiosity. As there is no Geo nor any explicit love interest for Cole in the former series, it's still free game for me to throw this random pink guy at him instead, and I have no plans to change what I already, well, planned.

And that's that!

...of course, that being said, I doubt that's going to satisfy you. It doesn't satisfy me, in any case T-T)/

gaaaaaaaaaaaah I am. so full of conflict. *lies on floor*

I know at the end of the day it's my story, it's just a story, I can do what I want, bla bla bla...but I haaaaaaate blatantly going against canon, especially for something that isn't a plot hole or weirdly time/placed or comes off as out of character for the situation, and while there's technically no contradictions if I stick with my initial plans and don't even touch DR, it still feels...kinda unintentionally bad, or at the very least, like, intrusive? Somehow? Even if this was all in motion 2-3 years before Geo was even a thought. But. Y'know.

But it's precisely because that Cole went so long without a love interest that I said 'what the heck' and went for it! I know Cole doesn't ~need~ anyone to be happy, but as I've said in previous posts, given many of his (albeit rather few) character beats—fears of abandonment, fears of being forgotten, feeling 'other' from the rest of the group at times, being a naturally good parental figure, being motivated by having someone/something to protect/defend, literally saying in Quest for Lost Powers that having loving people around him, family, is what keeps him grounded–...having one person consistently dedicated to dispelling his insecurities, enhancing his good qualities, and ensuring that he has the family he needs and/or wants for himself (separate from the other ninja or not)...I always thought Cole deserved that much ;w;)/

And, lo and behold, the show finally agrees too!

(And that's not even tapping into the Gay or Not to Gay argument. My Cole is Demiromantic, thank you. ...Just with slight male preference)

...but. Like. What am I supposed to do now?!

Poor Jesse, hasn't even had the chance to worm his way out of one love triangle, and now his future marriage is already in distress with another. Guy can't catch a break in his life T-T)9

I mean, my god, I doubled down and gave these fools a DAUGHTER—how dare I dare to dream—only for two months later to get ran over by a truck with a new found family for Cole?! With children he adores and cares for and protects with his heart and soul?! With a husband-like figure to love, admire, and cherish Cole as he deserves?!

Of course I love this turn of events! It's exactly what *I* was gonna do! :V

Although I didn't even see Geo as a potential interest at first cuz all the subtext totally went over my head (and I thought Cole was just being Cole, on god lmao) and then I'm bombarded with 'LOOK THE POWERS MAKE A HEART!' 'LOOK AT THEM STARING INTO EACH OTHERS EYES!' 'THEY SAID THEY NEEDED EACH OTHER' 'I THINK THEY'RE FLIRTING HERE' and then I'm like....'aight I see it now. Not that whole heart thing, but yeah, there's something there, but it's probably not going to get much focus lmao'

...and the Season 2 swoops in with rose-colored glasses flashbacks, Geo absolutely remembering things way more romantically than they actually were lmfao, A DAMN FAMILY PHOTO, all the little implications of what went down during the years present together, "WE CANT BE A FAMILY WITHOUT COLE", Cole whooshing in all dramatic and cool to save them, them praising each other for good work with their powers, Cole making a little seat of earth just for Geo, and then ofc all the EXPLICIT handholding and DEFINITE loving eye contact (like holy smokes the way Geo always look at their hands in disbelief every time Cole reaches for him how has no one yelled about THAT one ehhhhh?!? aaAAAAAA) and then the Bonzle hug and forehead thing and oooooh don't even get me started with the "...my OTHER family" line gaaaaah and oh my god the season's only half overrrr

Not Pictured: Jesse lying cold in a ditch

(I mean I have the excuse that Cole legitimately thought Jesse—and potentially Cam if she exists—died in the Merge and that's why he let himself start to move on nor made an attempt to look for anyone and it has been several years...but now in this scenario he's got one family he's obligated to, one that's been his family for the majority of his life, and one that he found for himself and doesn't want to be apart from!)

(And I know all these people could just be different, disjointed members of one big group that Cole considers his family regardless–And probably the concept I like the most! Down with nuclear family labels! Let people just be loved without necessarily fulfilling a niche role!—but it's been a point of contention that some people already think he's moving away from his 'old' family in favor of the 'new' one (whiiiiich I do disagree with, but I can see where these people are coming from given how... disconnected Cole has been with current events that aren't related to The Finders. But that's neither here or there, and probably subject to change in future episodes/seasons —hopefully—juuuust thought I'd mention it while I'm on the soapbox)

Anyway, back to the matter at hand:

*shakes Jesse to the sky as he makes a wobbly foil sound* WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS NOW?!?! Do I truly continue to bother, knowing what unexpected pain *not* caused by me lies in wait for him?! Do I forge on anyway, knowing that it's fruitless in the end?! Do I simply ignore the good fortune that I know canonically comes for Cole further down the line beyond the scope of my reach?! Abandon a precious plotline I put so much prep into to maintain the sanctity of something else good that I do genuine enjoy and appreciate the existence of?! Am I just overthinking and overinvested?! Help?!

Well. *claps hands* Let's weigh our options! We cooooould—

Kill Jesse Off Before The Merge (Extreme, but very doable. A clean way to get him out of way, becomes further tragic backstory/motivation for Cole, and then there's no conundrum with Cam's potential existence. ....Except I don't want to, and this would probably cause a riot lol)

Directly To Polyamory (...which would be totally fine if a) Jesse wasn't Jesse, b) this was something everyone involved was on the same about beforehand and not just as an afterthought, and c) couldn't be interpreted as Cole merely going for an easy fix to a problem he's smack in the middle of. Polyamory is not a fix-all bandaid for every love triangle!)

Just Cancel Aftershock Then (SHUT UP IM IN TOO DEEP ALREADY)

Aftershock Breaks Up Before The Merge (Writing on Impossible Mode??? Okay??? Besides, if this happened in the Cam!Route, Jesse would be sooo bitter it would NOT be pretty—)

Just Kill Jesse (NO)

Aftershock Breaks Up After Reunion After The Merge (Probably the most "logical" route but also the most painful, cuz holy smokes Jesse following in his terrible father's footsteps of becoming a divorcee and subsequently single parent like his mom (which happens in Book 5/NS4, heyo), and Cole following his own (mostly) absent father's footsteps in not being entirely actively present for his daughter's formative years after a tragic event, and Jesse once again being picked over for another person only worse because he had something to actually lose this time, and who knows how this would all affect Cam—what kind of a story ending is this, who WANTS this?!

Aftershock Resolves Issues and Stays Together, Cole and Geo are in a QPR, and Now All of Them Co-Parent 3 to 4 Children? THAT–wait...you know what, I can get behind that one. At least until Cole and Geo smooch on screen or confess undying love or something

...But That's Still Technically Polyamory—AND YET one that doesn't cause issues with Jesse's character or any of the relationships within. And we can always use more QPR rep. Plus, this is just for Legacyverse; Cole and Geo can totally gay it up in canon and I will root for them \(*-*)/

...but, this would require writing a whole story to work out the specifics. Because, my ideas get specific. Especially with Geo and his labels. Something maybe about 15 chapters long, taking place during DRS2P1, with Jesse as the anchor character. Maybe some flashbacks, some angst, some fluffy being parent moments, some tension, we get to formally meet Cam, a Miranda and Harleigh cameo, a hopefully happy ending, and even a playlist (which I have never done for a story before, and I almost cried while doing so).

Totally theoretical, though.

(though I promise I'll update Book 3 first. I finally finished the second rework of the Main Outline, woo :V)

Anywaaaay, I'll probably address some of those asks above with more specific answers later down the line, but I am flattered and distressed at the amount of concern for Aftershock. I...kinda thought people would stop caring with the Advent of Geo, honestly. Not that I'd blame anyone ^^;

But, either way, I am committed to my vision, all while loving this new direction for my boy Cole <3

#legacyverse #aftershockshipping #lostshipping #info tag #long post #ninjago spoilers #legacy spoilers #ninjago dragons rising spoilers #cole brookstone #oc: jesse marvell #geo #oc: camellia marvell #cole x oc #oc x canon

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: Triple Sec by TJ Alexander

4.5/5. Releases 6/4/24.

Vibes: healthy polyamory, front and center genderqueer rep (from a trans nonbinary author), slice of life in the best possible way, BOMB ASS COCKTAILS

Heath Index: 7.5/10.

Ambitious high-end bartender Mel Sorrento has been in a rut since her divorce. Enter the vivacious, brilliant Bebe... who happens to have spouse. Quiet, reserved Kade doesn't have a problem with Mel dating their wife, however--because Kade and Bebe are polyamorous. Mel's never considered the lifestyle, but her instant connection with Bebe makes her willing to give it a shot. But when her dynamic with Kade begins to shift into something entirely new, she must confront what she's actually looking for in a relationship, and how much this new opportunity for love really means to her.

UGH. YES. This is how you do a contemporary romance that, at the end of the day, is a slice of life character piece. Triple Sec is not about shocking you with plot twists and over the top dramatics (and that's not a critique--often, I'd say that I prefer plot twists and over the top dramatics). It's just fucking good writing with great character development and romance. It's also one of the more realistic contemporary romances I've read, which is honestly so refreshing. I truly believed that there were grown-ass adults figuring out their shit.

Quick Takes:

--One thing I love about a triad romance (and while this is the most realistic one I've read (I say having never been in a polycule or a triad more specifically), I do generally enjoy reading about the complexities of both figuring out a three-way relationship and developing the different "segments". While I've read some that begin with love triangle elements, that isn't the case here. Though they aren't without expected hiccups, Kade and Bebe have a very healthy approach to Bebe's beginning relationship with Mel (and later Kade starting things with Mel as well).

I feel like in less capable hands, the degree to which Bebe and Kade communicate and deal with jealousy would seem overly sanitized or boring. Like, they begin the relationship with Kade sitting in on Bebe asking Mel out and everything, just to reassure Mel that there isn't any cheating going on. But like... it's NEVER dull. It never feels expected, or like these people are perfect. (I mean, they aren't--Mel has some struggles and stumbles when beginning her journey into polyamory.)

--Part of what makes that work, I think, is the contrast in the relationships. Kade and Bebe have been together for almost a decade--they know what they're doing, and their lived-in love reverberates off the page, even though the book is entirely from Mel's third-person perspective. (Kade calling Bebe "love" constantly, despite seeming kind of frosty? Swoon.) Bebe and Mel have this immediate chemistry, full of fun and fire. And Kade and Mel sort of like... I felt an automatic sexual tension, but I also think that Mel was a bit too "new" to their dynamic to super sense it. This is probably not going to make sense to anyone but me, but I got this kind of like... Darcy and Lizzie vibe? Kade was never as prickly as Darcy, but I definitely felt like Mel was in that "WHAT. BUT THEY DON'T EVEN LIKE ME???" space.

All of it worked to me. I mean--I won't lie. I was a little partial to Mel and Kade's dynamic, because a) I like it to be a little difficult and b) Kade was my favorite but everything is great.

--Let us expand on Kade being my favorite. I really appreciate a "still waters run deep" character. Kade is that. They seem remote, but they have so much feeling and passion rumbling under the surface, and Alexander throws them into this situation with Mel that is sooooo tropey and fabulous and reading as the feelings spilled out of them was just pitch-perfect.

This does happen somewhat later, so you technically spend a lot more time with Bebe and Mel together on the page. However, Kade has a such presence, and they're constantly sort of like... looming in the background. And because of that, the slowly bubbling tension that Mel doesn't even fully register for a while is so HOT. I mean. Kade is also so hot. I was ABOUT them. Again--love Bebe and Mel, together and apart, but WHEW.

--This is completely an aside, but I do think the cocktail competition and the highlighting of the art of making a great cocktail was really cool. It made me both want to learn how to mix drinks (to the extent that I can) and try something new. These types of details make a contemporary romance way richer, and they're appreciated.

--I think it's really important to show books that are both incredibly romantic and sexy and approachable. Again, I've never been in a polyamorous or more generally non-monogamous relationship. I can't attest to have truly realistic this book is. But in general, I loved seeing a romance in which the relationship part started fairly early, showing negotiations, showing boundaries, showing rules. I mean, really, monogamous relationships should also be subject to rules and negotiations and boundaries. We should normalize this in romance. Things change. That HEA does kinda take work in some stories, and that is more reflective of real life.

Speaking of the HEA... I so appreciated that both Kade and Mel had been in very serious, very intense relationships in the past. Kade's openness and honesty about how their past partner did offer them things Bebe couldn't (and Mel can't either) was so refreshing. It's not that they necessarily need someone else to come in and take that space (though the rules do allow room for new partners--we don't see anything happen beyond the triad in this book). It's just a reality. No one person can give you everything, and that doesn't mean that every person needs to be with enough people to comprise "everything". If that's even possible. It's just something to accept, no matter what your relationship preferences.

I also loved that Kade was kind of like--yeah, this could end. How many things are really forever? But we love each other when we love each other and make each other happy and that's good. I mean, I think some people will categorize this book as one with an HFN versus an HEA--personally, I'd kinda disagree with that. But either way, I really loved seeing a romance that validated the idea that like... A relationship ending doesn't mean it wasn't VALUABLE.

The Sex:

HOT HOT HOT. Technically speaking, there are three full sex scenes in this novel. Every single one of those scenes went HARD. We have sex in a public space, we have LICK! IT! UP! (as in cum) the strap is indeed taken out and used to great effect. It's great. I loved it. I also liked and overall agree with Bebe's philosophy regarding sex and how people often tend to switch up their "out of bed" personalities compared to their "in bed" personalities.

(Also. Kade is a dirty talker. What can't they do?)

A super queer, super sexy, super bubbly contemporary romance with a heavy emphasis on character development and love story that really sold me on the "love" part. And on a personal note--I have a trans nonbinary person in my life who is much loved, and I so appreciate them having someone like TJ Alexander to see out there, creating art and leaving a mark.

Would highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#romance novel blogging #romance novels #arc reviews #netgalley #book recs #book reviews #book recommendations #books

[obsessed-small-penguin]

Leosagi/Leochi in Musicals

I have noticed that some people are putting the Epic Musical associated with ROTTMNT (Mostly revolving around Leo). I just have to say, I haven’t listened to the Epic Musical, but my God why hasn’t anyone done Leosagi in other musicals 😭. I haven’t watched many musicals, but here are some suggestions (that no one will use 💀).

Musicals That Can Fit Leosagi/Leochi

Hamilton - Historical Musical about Founding Father Alexander Hamilton

I’ve seen people using this in other fandoms. For this one it’s mostly Casey and Future Leo. But to include Usagi:

“Helpless“ - The roles technically don’t matter, but Leo could be Eliza (because he has a lot of siblings and also is blue) and Usagi could be Alexander. Usagi’s friends could be Laf, Muligan, or Laurens. Very wholesome song! It could also be reversed with Leo as Alexander. His brothers would be Laf (Donnie), Mulligan (Mikey/Raph), Laurens (Mikey/Someone Else), or Aaron (Raph/Donnie) if this was the case.

“Satisfied” - For some Angst, Leo or Usagi wouldn’t be Eliza 💀 (or if people ship Donsagi, idk the name, then this is a perfect song LOL)! Usagi could be Angelica and Leo Alexander or vise versa. (Context: Angelica and Eliza are siblings, Angelica is the oldest and likes Hamilton. However, she sees her sister Eliza likes Alex as well, so Angelica sets Eliza and Alex up and the two are getting married. Basically, a love triangle)

“Congratulations“ or “First Burn” / “Burn” - This is just to cause more Angst and rub salt over the wound to match with “Satisfied”. “Burn” is basically Eliza and Alexander breaking up because of “Say No To This” when Alex has an affair.

“Dear Theodosia“ - Can be used for the headcanon of Jotaro as Leosagi’s kid & Aaron Burr as Cassandra which would make Theodosia as Casey Jr. 

“Blow Us All Away” and “Stay Alive (Reprise)” - Used as the above. Jotaro can be Phillip (Alex and Eliza’s son). Or maybe replace the son as Casey Jr. Either way, could be a fun idea.

In The Heights - Hispanic musical with people who have a dream and struggling with identity/poverty. (Idk how to describe it).

This musical can be use for those fans who like to headcanon the Hamato children knowing Spanish. There are 2 couples in this play (Benny and Nina | Vanessa and Usnavi) that could fit Leosagi and there is a musical and a movie (I prefer movie audio since it sounds newer than the musical since that’s kinda old).

“The Club“ - Just for funsies. Leo/Usagi getting jealous that the other is gaining a lot of attention on the dance floor with other men (Imma assume Leo aka Vanessa is on the dance floor).

“Blackout” - Follows right after the previous song. Only part that would fit here is an audio most might have heard. The whole “You barely even danced with me” and then “Don’t make me laugh, I’ve been trying all night, you’ve been shaking your ass with half of the Heights”.

“When You’re Home“ - Could be wholesome with using Usagi as Benny (since there’s no confirm race) and Leo as Nina (Afro-Latino and half Japanese moment? Black Hispanic and half Japanese?).

“Sunrise“ - This is only in the musical version, but it’s so cute!! Takes place after “Blackout” where Nina and Benny found each other and stayed with each other. Nina teaches Benny some Spanish. “Well how do you say kiss me?” “Besume” “and how do you say hold me?” All of that. And also a moment where Benny is scared that Nina’s dad is going to know that Nina is with him (Nina’s dad disproves of Benny). Obviously, Leo is Nina and Benny is Usagi.

Bare: A Pop Opera - (TW: Self-harm also Drugs) Gay musical with two boys struggling in a Catholic Boarding School. They are secretly dating, but one wants the come out and the other doesn’t because of his strict father (also he has a twin).

I really recommend this musical, it might be slow but it can get you in your feels. Btw, it’s a sad musical (Trigger warning). Honestly, any songs can fit because it’s literally a gay story. Also a theater Romeo and Juliet play they are doing. A play within a musical.

“You And I“ - Listening to the lyrics ummm, Leo fits almost TOO WELL with being Jason 😂 Jason is the one with a twin named Nadia (who believes she is fat and she harms herself). Their dad is rich and Jason is the favorite sibling. Anyways, Jason is Leo and Peter is Usagi. This song is an introduction to how they are together (always being in secret and having to pull away when people are around).

“Plain Jane Fat Ass“ - Twin moment with Jason (Leo) and Nadia (Donnie). Angst or Hurt/Comfort with the two.

“Best Kept Secret“ - Self explanatory

“Ever After” - THIS SONG OMG. So Leo and Usagi are having a heated argument and it’s tense and pretty sad.

“Wedding Bells“ - Angst. Usagi imagines Leo with another person.

“See Me“ - This is gonna have to change, so Peter is trying to come out to his mother, but she is clearly trying to ignore it. So This could be Leo being Peter and Splinter being the mom.

“God Don’t Make No Trash“ - Sister Chantelle (I didn’t spell that right. Anyways this is definitely Mikey aka Dr. Feels) and Peter talking about sexuality (kinda).

I don’t know who can be considered as “Father”. Maybe Draxum or Big Mama.

“Bare“ - Hurt, no comfort between Peter and Jason.

Be More Chill - Awkward teens who are trying to be cool so they take a pill (From JAPAAAAAAN) and they are controlled kinda.

Main character, Jeremy, likes this quirky girl named Christine, so he’s trying to be cool to get with her. If you heard the audio (”I’m waiting for my porno to load”) then that’s this musical. I did see multiple Donnie animations (and a Leo) with the song “Michael In The Bathroom”. Yeah that’s this musical. Maybe Christine (Usagi), Jeremy (Leo), and Michael (Donnie).

The Idea: I included this musical mainly because the whole idea if that teenagers are trying to be cool by taking a pill that (roughly, hard to explain) has a person in their head who “helps” them be cool (in actuality, a douche or a player). With the headcanons of The Krang still in control of certain Turtles, I thought well maybe instead of inserting something like “Mind Raph”, just make the person in the head (aka a Squip) just the Krang 😂 (Same can be used for BeetleJuice The Musical)

“A Guy That I’d Kinda Be Into“ - Pretty cute song from Christine (Usagi).

“Be More Chill Pt. 1″ - Basically when the Squip comes in. Like listen and imagine the Krang behind the voices trying to manipulate people 💀

“The Pitiful Children“ - Basically a ‘world domination’ song. So just Krangs.

Heathers - Basically the movie.

This potentially fits the 2003 Leosagi more, I have no idea. At least, if we make JD Miyamoto. TW: Murders, Explosives, E.D., Suicide, Drugs/Alcohols, and attempt S.A.

“Beautiful” Or “Candy Store“ - The roles (based on colors) are Chandler (Raph), Duke (Donnie), MacAmera (Didn’t spell that right, Mikey), Kurt & Ram (The Foot Dudes? Bebop & Rocksteady), Martha (Todd? LOL), JD (Usagi).

“Meant To Be Yours” - Please, I need Psychopathic Usagi or Leo, I’ll take any 😭

Heathers: The Musical (2022), another version of the musical with some altered lyrics and added songs with a bit new style of musical form. “I Will Never Shut Up Again” - Wonderful song for Duke, would like to see an animation of Donnie (I like villain songs, lol).

“Seventeen“ - Wholesome song, hurt/comfort kinda, where Usagi and Leo are singing about having a life together (and not a life of being murderers).

I would add “Dead Girl Walking” but this fandom seems to not do much NSFW stuff with this ship, so I’ll exclude that song along with “Blue” as a suggestion.

#rottmnt #tmnt #tmnt leonardo #leo x yuichi #leochi #leoichi #Gay Leo #leo x usagi #leosagi #musicals #Idk if i should tag the musicals #I used both Yuchi and usagi because it could be interrperate both ways #if you think about it #heathers #bare a pop opera #serious listen to that musical #hamilton #miyamoto usagi #yuichi usagi #jotaro #be more chill #in the heights #suggestions or headcanons idk what to call this

[azdoine]

Bright Christmas

Childlike wonder does not persist at standard temperature and pressure. Growing up is the process by which it evaporates, as you convince yourself that it never existed in the first place.

The first snow of winter isn’t beautiful; it’s a nuisance that blocks the driveway.

Your toys never meant anything; they were only answers to craving.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re naughty or nice; only what the world’s coffers hold for you.

Santa Claus isn’t real; there are only lies to children and games grown-ups play.

But there still exists a joy which will never thaw, grace impossibly preserved.

What has Saint Nick brought you for Christmas this year?

Pick two.

Protoclay

A lifetime supply of foundation. Each morning, you receive a random new LEGO set, still fresh in its packaging and wrapped with a little bow. Sets can be delivered which never made it to release, or were created by fans, or are no longer in production, or which never existed at all. But you’ll never receive the same set twice.

All of your LEGO pieces respond directly to the power of your imagination. Even when following an instruction guide, your creations will grow stronger as they’re assembled, so long as you care about what you’re making - bricks snapping together at the joints with unreal precision, toy models that don’t fall apart unless they’re deliberately dismantled, clever assemblies that work as intended.

Used as a channel for your own creativity, the pieces only grow stronger, permitting the construction of impossible objects. A boxy plastic triangle that cuts food and can be cleaned like a metal knife. A LEGO armchair that feels soft and gives way like stuffed leather. Futuristic industrial machinery made out of Technic parts. A magic staff that shoots mighty fireballs from its translucent red core. There are no fundamental limits to the quality and potency of what you can assemble; only what you can convincingly translate from idea to reality.

Memento

A letter to eternity, bound within a diary. Simply pressing a point into the surface of its endless pages will see it well with ink or glue or crinkle with embossing, and a stylus hangs from the end of its long bookmark. Nothing committed to this scrapbook can ever be removed, but the strange sheen of its paper grants clarity enough to avoid unforced errors.

By your status as the master of the diary, it grants you knowledge of its contents as if each word was memorized. But its greater power is the preservation of more than memory: all historical information scribed within traces a shadow of the time in which it was still true, pale moments which can be dredged forth and cast as shadows upon the changing now. Victories recorded may be synthesized and re-enacted, wizened performance sustained with the intensity of youth. Entire spaces may eventually be locked in an eternalist present or superposed with their ancient history - the only limit to this power of manifestation is your total will to defy entropy.

Even should every other part of yourself be destroyed, you may choose to linger as a timeless memory within the pages of your diary, suspended and composited in the apex of your life.

Velveteen

A boon companion - or the boon companion, rather. They may be the treasured friend you loved the most, now awakened and quickening, or something new entirely, the toy you never had. In any case, a stuffed animal, a figurine, a doll, a childhood companion brought to life in your arms. In all respects, their personality is compatible with your own, their loyalty assured without the flaws of obedience, their love for you untainted by misunderstandings.

It would be a mistake, too, to regard them as a mere animated object now that they’ve surpassed the circle of representation and become Real. Their forms and powers flow straightforwardly from their nature, simple but overwhelmingly effective in their domains; a teddy bear who commands a healing sleep and an aura of protection against evil, a doll with supernatural beauty and mastery of all things even remotely related to housekeeping.

Though your companion may be a person and take human shape to walk with you in the daylight, they still belong to a different order of life, reproducing through the exchange of love rather than biological DNA. If you and your companion ever both come to love another companion-toy as much as you love one another, then it may become Real too, no lesser than its predecessors.

Hexahedron

The root of all brainteasers. Its form shifts wildly and without warning, taking new permutations  on the order of minutes or days - or even sooner, if you should ever solve one of its iterations with time to spare. Twisty puzzles, wire puzzles, puzzle boxes, burr puzzles, puzzle locks, puzzle rings, jigsaws… almost anything tactile enough to hold might pass through your hands, shapes rising and falling in a spiral without limit.

Each time you successfully solve the Hexahedron, it will open your mind to paradoxes and arcana, revealing some quantity of information in a random domain related to the puzzle that preceded it. Lore mastered in this fashion can include procedural skill as well as declarative knowledge, and nothing you learn this way will ever harm you or be forgotten.

The harder a puzzle is and the less time you have in which to solve it, the greater the quantity and quality of useful information you can glean from it; at the highest levels of gnosis, the Hexahedron may even grant you knowledge of functional spells and rituals. There are no fundamental barriers to stop you from sharing this preternatural knowledge with the world at large, but others will struggle to understand what esoterica you effortlessly comprehend.

Abstract

The fundamental implement. This edutainment kit consists of the materials to introduce you to a profession or hobby in a fun and easy way - an Easy-Bake cooking set, a set of Nerf guns for play-fighting, fake fossils to excavate from National Geographic. But it’s not limited by concession to practicality or lies to children.

As you continue to learn, your resources will only grow, and your tools will only increase in fidelity. Equipment that once was only an imitation will become capable of handling the real thing, diversifying until you have everything you need; handbooks of toy problems will teach you more adroitly than college textbooks ever could, guiding you along a road where each step is, if not easy, then at least as clear as the first one.

Where your skill in your chosen hobby or profession surpasses normal human limits, you may use your tools to wield it with increasing applicability and at increasing scales - a painter who uses art of surpassing beauty to argue, churning pieces out at a breakneck clip, an electrician who wires entire cities, shaping strange coils to channel the flow of traffic within it. There are no fundamental limits to what you can accomplish beyond your ability to learn.

Ouroboros

The circle of completion. A basic train table, marble run, or other looping toy set with room to grow. Just as a closed circle implies an interior, so too does your toy circumscribe a place - an otherworld within to which you can open portals to and fro at will. You are the ultimate master of the Ouroboros, and none can gainsay your right to control its circulation and borders.

The interior of the Ouroboros is a macrocosmic reflection of its exterior, a series of closed spaces moving and interlinked in greater cycles. There’s already room enough inside to live there in a pinch, but as you continue to add to its exterior, its interior will grow - each train car or marble either adding a new chamber, or being consumed to increment the scale and magnificence of a chamber that already exists.

Beyond a certain threshold of grandiosity, spaces within the Ouroboros can develop increasingly supernatural qualities: a library train car that gathers cursed tomes, a bathing world that swells with healing waters. There is no fundamental barrier to exploiting these spaces for power in the outside universe, but all advantages are ultimately derived from the use of resources within, albeit renewable ones.

Mantle

The distinction between man and beast. A few tokens of clothing for the winter and the seasons to come - perhaps socks or a scarf, jeans or jacket. Just wearing it already confers benefits based on its nature as clothing, above and beyond what mere clothes make possible - bolstering your willpower with justified confidence, flattering your body so acutely as to push its physical limits, protecting you from the world like a suit of armor.

With an exertion of will, you can choose to don your gifted clothing more completely, as far removed from an ordinary person wearing clothes as a person wearing clothes is removed from the naked. A masque donned as you move through the world becomes a sword to overturn it, permitting the flowering of aesthetics into power: a biker with a chariot of fire, a streetwear super-hacker, a goth commanding the darkness.

Should you mix your outfits and regularly wear another article of clothing together with this set for a year and a day, you may allow some of this stylistic magic to rub off on it. There’s no limit to the number of enchanted articles you can collect, and if you find something new that feels truer to wear, its potency in your hands will be increased to match.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Whatever your presents, know that they are a blessing true, treasures that shall never be lost or destroyed, only well-loved and shared as you please.

But there is another gift that must be given before winter’s end, and a burden that must be accepted.

Is it yours to carry?

If you know, in your heart of hearts, that duty comes before joy.

Open the mystery box?

[cosmicalart]

Trope grading game

Thank you @artsyunderstudy and @hushed-chorus for tagging me in this.

Actually took me a little bit after work to fill this out as I don't usually think too heavily about why I like a trope, and sometimes I'm in the mood for a specific trope and will look for those tags exclusively, but most of the time I'll read anything that isn't a big nope for me.

Rules: How much do these tropes affect your decision to click on a fic?

-10 -> very dissuaded 0 - don’t care either way +10 -> very enticed nope -> if it’s a hard no and you’d never click on a fic with that tag or or you even have the tag blocked or you’d insta click out of the fic if it wasn’t tagged Bonus points for explaining the rating and whether it’s conditional.

Age gap: -9

I wanted to say nope to this one, I’ve never really been in a ship/fandom that had any major age gaps, but ones with larger gaps or when one person is barely legal (18-20) it just puts me right off and gives me creep vibes. However, I didn’t give it a nope because there are some smaller age gaps that are fine, like Penny and Shep, if I remember correctly she’s 19 and he’s 22 when they met, an age gap like that is fine

Codependency: +5

Kinda hard to explain this one, it changes with the context but I do lean more towards being enticed

Obsession/Possessiveness, jealousy: +5

In cases like Simon and Baz, yes, 100% into that, but when it gets toxic or violent then I want nothing to do with it, there is nothing romantic about that

Opposites (grumpy/sunshine etc): +3

As long as that's not their defining trait, then I do enjoy seeing different dynamics where the characters balance each other out, plus I find even relationships irl tend to have some opposite differences to balance them out

Enemies to lovers, Enemies with benefits: +10

Absolutely, I eat this shit for breakfast, but it does have to be done right (like Snowbaz) they have to bond and actually fall for each other, not just be physical attraction and that's it, you can’t just have the characters hating each other and literally trying to murder the other only to turn around and bang it out

Friends with benefits: 0

I’m indifferent, I mean if it ends with them being lovers and there's some angst then hella yeah, but if it’s just friends banging it out for no reason and then happen to date because of it then no thank you

Sex to feelings: 0

As someone who is demisexual, this is a bit hard for me to grasp, but that doesn’t mean I won’t read it, sometimes I’m just really in the mood for smut and this can have the potential for some good hurt/comfort

Fake dating/relationship: +9

Now I really love this if done well, and I have read some really good Snowbaz fics with this premise and wish there were more (I may attempt to write one myself but idk if I’d be able to do the trope justice), but it can sometimes feel a little surface level and frustrating in the “why don’t you just communicate and everything would be better” kind of way

Friends to lovers: +6

This can be really fluffy, or extremely angsty and I’m down for both

Found Family: 0

I like the concept in theory, especially for Simon, his friends are his family (and once he learns about his actual family them as well) but I see this as more of a platonic thing and not so much as a romantic trope, and it can a lot of times be used to gloss over the trauma from biological family when found family isn’t some magic bandaid

Hurt/Comfort: +10 For everyone who’s read carry on, do I really need to explain this one

Love Triangle: 0

Depends on the ship, technically there was a love triangle between Agatha, Simon and Baz. I like it in a more light-hearted way where no one gets hurt

Poly, open relationships: -5

I’m perfectly fine with open relationships, and certain situations get a pass (Someone wicked for example) but I’m pretty monogamous and when reading a ship I usually look just for those two characters. I will say in previous fandoms I have read really good poly relationships so I might read it

Mistaken/hidden identity: +5

I think this would be a funny trope that could be done more, if done right. I have read a few wrong number texting fics that I will count as mistaken identity and they can be great

Monsterfucking: +5

Depends, I have to be in the mood for smut and it has to be written well because it can very easily turn me away

Pregnancy: -9

Again, another one I wanted to nope on, I click out of anything with mpreg; that just isn’t my thing, if it’s a hot couple or the pregnancy is through surrogacy or something then I have no problem with it.

Second Chance: +10

I need this, this works with hurt comfort. Break-up fics destroy me so I need a second chance trope to mend my heart

Slowburn: +10

No explanation needed

Soulmates: +5

Can be really cheesy which is fine, but if it’s cheesy and just not written well then I have a hard time getting into it, but when it is done well then I love it.

Tags under the cut

I already tagged a bunch of people this morning for wip Wednesday, so I'm just gonna tag a few and leave this open-ended to anybody who wants to try

@cultofsappho @bean-mints @ionlydrinkhotwater @larkral @vkelleyart

#snowbaz #carry on #tag game #writing tropes #character tropes #romance tropes #ao3 fanfic #fanfic

[hecula-propaganda]

Every interaction between Hector and Dracula

or the two's feelings for each other :)

Prelude to Revenge

A place to cling to...

The ability to rebel and blaspheme against the Divine Providence Is accepted without blame A place where we are allowed to exist.

[We] respectfully obeyed, to cling to.

Why yes, I am perfectly normal about Hector and Isaac clinging onto Dracula because he's the only thing they have in this world :')

I'm not sure if Hector is speaking also on Isaac's behalf or only for himself, but I choose to believe it's the former because it makes sense.

But what's important here is that they are in the same position. It's easy to imagine Isaac, irrationally loyal and perpetually insecure, latching onto Dracula. But even Hector, in his icy pride, did the same :) he cared. Just not to the point of self-nullification.

And also look at that. Dracula gave a piece of his power to Hector. In the game itself, Zead says that the Devil Forgemasters are "suffused" in his magic (or "Devil Forgemasters are always with my Master's power" in Japanese). Part of Dracula is literally in them.

“What did he wish from me, that he even rebelled…? Unforgiveness is my nature. The more precious things are, the more they resist and are lost…”

I've spent enough words talking about that one word, 惜しい :)

Of course, this happens right after this lovely scene:

“Please, I beg of you I am human too!”

“My nourishment is human life and mistakes. I will disappear when humans perish…”

There’s no need for me to be chased away The disposal of my body Can’t even happen here... Anywhere...

So, hm. First you gravely injure your rebellious general without even listening to his concerns, then you wonder why your precious thing doesn't love you anymore. I don't think Kojima intended for him to look like a stereotypical abuser, but that's the vibes I get. it doesn't help that this is more or less his attitude with Alucard...

It is said that my former master was destroyed by the wielder of the holy whip. However, the devastation of the human world will not end...

Nothing major, just for completion's sake. This is the only time, as far as we know, that Hector calls Dracula his "master".

Media Factory manga

Unlike with the PtR manga, I need to talk about Isaac here, because he can't be separated from either Hector or Dracula.

i swear that the mf manga is a long long draactor propaganda, the love triangle here is insane

Isaac is the one who warned Dracula of Trevor, and the one who begged him to be sent to kill the Belmont. And yet...

Hector was sent instead. Hector was the one deemed worthy of facing such a big threat. Look at Isaac's eyes. He's so not happy about this blow to his fragile sense of self-esteem.

And Dracula once again puts Hector over Isaac, by ignoring his concerns, ordering him to go find the lost General and leaving himself unprotected well technically there's death but no one mentions him here. Even Isaac's own underlings aren't so convinced by the Lord's actions, and they chalk it up to sheer favoritism, which triggers poor Isaac. Everyone knows that Hector is Dracula's specialest boy :)

Of course, this line matters much more in Japanese:

In case you're wondering, there exist other words that imply unfair favoritism and nothing more, such as 依怙贔屓.

Now, unlike with 惜しい, it's a third party that uses 可愛がる. But then this means that Isaac's underlings were sitting there, joking that Dracula loves his Hector so very much... within Isaac's earshot. Bro. No wonder he found the first excuse to kill them off 😂

I said enough about this nightmare in this post. It's hard to judge where memories end and inner feelings begin, but I do believe this has actually happened, and I chose to interpret this scene as Dracula leaving Hector behind, a display of both humiliation and favoritism.

(I also choose to believe that this episode happened some time before Dracula ordered Hector to kill Trevor. Ah, if only Isaac knew...)

Kinda interesting that Hector's last thought as he's about to die isn't for Isaac, but for Dracula :) could it be the power of the Curse seeping inside him? oh don't worry honey, this is far from the last parallel you two have...

Nothing major, but once again confirmation that Hector "got closer to Dracula" than Isaac did. Whatever that means, beyond the acts of favoritism we have seen...

When he's sealing away his dark powers, made strong by Rosaly's love (the proof of which he's holding in hand), his mind goes to Dracula again. I'm still emotional over this. He felt joy at serving Dracula, at being "recognized and needed" :')

Curse of Darkness

Hector, who has spent the entire game calling all the men kisama (except for Zead, whom Hector trusted and so called omae), refers to Dracula as anata, a neutral-polite pronoun. Zead and Julia call Hector anata, and Isaac uses it for Dracula in PtR, which speaks of the amount of respect it can convey.

It is not your (あなた) place to judge the worth of humans.

However, his lack of any kind of honorific and body language convey disrespect. While he's not being aggressively antagonistic, he is not even remotely intimidated by him anymore. It's been three years since they've last seen each other, and Hector has changed immensely since then. Plus, at this point he's just too tired to give a single shit lol.

(in English, Hector calls him "Lord Dracula". Actually, Trevor is the only character who simply says "Dracula", but of the other characters, two are devoted to Dracula, and two might simply respect the Count's power. What is Hector's reason? Does he still respect his former master, to a point?)

I also love the way Hector humiliates Dracula as a last kick in the teeth. He uses his own Devil Forging powers to transform the curse. Look at the first pictures I posted here: that power was given to him by Dracula. Hector was the best student of the two. He is using Dracula's own power and teachings to free the world of his influence. He's not the only protagonist who defeats Dracula with his own powers, Shanoa did the same and it is poignant in its own way, but with Hector it simply is more personal.

(and, you know, you can steal his throne under his nose :P)

Dracula, of course, can humiliate Hector as well if the player isn't careful :)

yeah you know this was coming. Just sayin' that of all Belmonts and affiliates, Hector is the only one that he attacks like this. Bet that curse tastes good.

#hecula #hecula analysis #don't know if i'll put it on main #but i think i've been thorough #castlevania

[sterlingarcher23]

-Elumax - Patterns - Rhymes -

A very important element of both Elmax and Lumax are the patterns/rhymes within Stranger Things. There are real patterns for both ships that are complementary to each other.

Because we are heading for a poly relationship which will be like no other, not a love triangle, a poly. That's why they wear this: El & Lucas are equals.

These are there since Season 2 with El and Max meeting and Max is using Luca's binoculars while he's standing next to her. The amount of elements seems overwhelming but it's technically pretty simple and they have a darkness/daylight cycle.

Here's a cut of Elmax so far:

Both patterns have slight changes in the third cycle or verse, meaning that there will be a 4th cycle/verse in order to rhyme/for symmetry reasons.

Each season gives us another line of the poem, so since these look similar to a quartain with a cross rhyme (peotry was not my strength in school and this was also a long time ago).

So, yes, the patterns are rhymes, it's a poem.

"Rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds"

Both patterns also give us a timeframe for things to happen, meaning that in Season 5 El & Max meet again in Episode 2(-3) in the mind-world and with the skateboard (that's why they showed us this memory in S4) and Max will use Lucas's binoculars again from an elevated position when both are alone in Episode 4. (Which also tells you at that point: Max isn't blind.)

The patterns are:

It is interesting how the slow motion is used in dark and gloomy scenes, it almost feels like a dream moment.

Note that Max looking to the left and right (especially in S3 & 4) is only possible due to the camera angle, so she's actually looking straight forward.

Obviously even these patterns depend on the story and events but the events basically are repeated and rhyme as good and accurate as possible. Based on when these patterns happen, how and in which constellation, tuey not only structure the events in terms of moment in time/season and the weight it has to the scene and characters, they reinforce a specific feeling you associate with them.

We do know that the Duffers like to parallel things, however rarely is there talk about real patterns or mirroring effects that are also constantly used.

Anyway, these poems are unique and wether or not certain aspects of these patterns were intended already in Season 2, it is noteworthy that they started then when they actually mapped out the character arcs. The tiny changes in the 3rd line may also indicate how the focus is changing. Max being the initial focus in the Elmax-pattern in S4 and Lucas looking at Max, so that we follow his line of sight to Max, is also very telling.

The "follow the line of sight", left to right and it's mirrored version is used often in the show, mostly it is done to tell the story or foreshadow events, highlight certain aspects on a subconscious level.

The Elmax-pattern wasn't something I discovered myself ; the basic events happening was noticed by others I only found put that there is a specific rhyming scheme in them. In other words: these patterns were noticed by others as well.

So, the basic stuff is import before I get to the really heartbreaking and also beautiful stuff, a crazy concept that's in Stranger Things from the start because:

Even though they wanted to kill off Eleven in Season 1, they put in hints that she likes girls.

Oh, and, yes Max is partly inspired by Mad Max but that's a story of it's own.

PS: my guess is that the Episode numbers do play a role here and adding them equals 20 in both cases, so you can make an educated guess what the episode numbers of Season 5 will be.

#elmax supremacy #elmax nation #elmax #elmax my beloved #elumax #Lumax #max mayfield #stranger things

[orionsangel86]

Trope Game

Thanks to @marlowe-zara for tagging me. This one looks like it could be both fun AND controversial lol!

Rules: How much do these tropes affect your decision to click on a fic?

• -10 -> very dissuaded

• 0 - don't care either way

• 10 -> very enticed

• nope -> if it's a hard no and you'd never click on a fic with that tag or or you even have the tag blocked or you'd insta click out of the fic if it wasn't tagged

Bonus points for explaining the rating and whether it's conditional.

Age Gap: -5 depending on context

If its human. If the age gap involves one party who is either a child, a teenager, or a young adult, and the other party is much older, then I'm not gonna read it. If its a Twilight situation where a 200 year old vampire is grooming a teenage girl, I'm not gonna read it. If however, it involves an immortal billions of year old character, who looks like an adult human, and their lover is a consenting adult human, then age gap is meaningless. (Aka Twilight wouldn't have been creepy if Bella was in her fucking twenties or older okay)

Codependency: 3

I mean I don't really care if it's a theme or not, but codependency tends to be a huge element in the canon for most of my ships - see Crowley x Aziraphale, Dean x Cas, Nandor x Guillermo. etc.

Enemies to lovers: 7

Yeah this is good. This is fun. We love a good enemies to lovers trope!

Enemies With Benefits: 6

Prob wouldn't read a long fic about it but an under 5k porny one shot hells yes!

Fake Dating/Relationship: 4

I used to enjoy this in Destiel fics specifically where it was canonverse and Dean and Cas had to pretend to be a couple for a case. I loved that. But outside of that specific ship and context, I dunno if I'm all that bothered. Depends on the summary and the general context.

Found Family: 8

So long as we aren't talking Avengers fanfiction lmao. It works really well for those certain fics where loneliness is clearly a contributing factor in the protagonists issues.

Friends to Lovers: 9

I mean, its basically my fave dynamic in canon so of course I'm gonna love it in fanfic.

Friends with Benefits: 3

I mean, I'm a romantic, so I prefer fanfics to at least hint towards the pairing developing more, so if the fic is clearly just a friends with benefits trope with no hints for possible future development I might be turned off. If its a trope as part of a wider story arc though I'm all for it (love those GOmens fics where they've secretly been friends with benefits for centuries but they are both idiots who are also madly in love with each other - ooh same for Dreamling actually)

Hurt/Comfort: 9

I eat that shit up. lol

Love Triangle: -5

I'm not gonna read it unless the summary is really compelling.

Mistaken/Hidden Identity: 0

Meh, it's unlikely to swing me either way unless there are other tropes included to entice or repell me.

Monster Fu... Relationship: 4

I don't mind it. But only in certain contexts. It's not my kink, but I'm all for Monster Fucker fics where the trope could realistically fit the pairing. (Dreamling does this well actually, It's the first pairing I've come across in a long time where I think it works because Dream is canonically quite monstrous when he wants to be.)

Obsession, Possessiveness, etc.: 0

depends on context, summary, and other tags. I'm not that interested in this trope either way on its own.

Opposites (like grumpy x sunshine, etc): 9

I can't help it i'm a slut for this trope. Just look at GOmens, look at OFMD - then again its more like aesthetic opposites than personality opposites. There has to be a "meeting in the middle" ultimately.

Poly: -3

Sorry, I'm a monogomous bitch and I like my ships to be the same way (except for those slutty slutty vampires actually)

Pregnancy: -9

Usually a hard nope. But I didn't give it a hard nope just BECAUSE there was that one Dreamling fic that I read which actually worked really well because it was technically a magical pregnancy that didn't include any actual biological childbirth, no one was actually pregnant, no ones body changed to accomodate a baby, and no one had to go through the process of physically pushing a baby out of their body. But yeah pregnancy and childbirth of the human kind are complete nopes for me. I will not read pregnancy fics - whether mpreg or regular preg or anything else. I don't wanna hear about pregnancy, or labour, or anything like that. its just a huge squick of mine.

Second Chance: 0

Meh. Its not gonna influence me either way

Sex to Feelings: 4

This is alright. Friends with benefits that develop feelings yeah? So like what I was saying above. But it was overused in romcoms in the early 2000s so Its gotta be compelling to pique my interest.

Slowburn: 6

I like it, but I like it when the pacing is decent. If its glacially slow I might get bored. If its slow burn because the fic is 600k words and they only get together in the last 10,000 words I'm likely to get annoyed with it. It's gotta be real good at keeping the story interesting, keeping the drama going, and keeping the sexual and romantic tension on point.

Soulmates: -8

I don't like it. This is all those soulmate AUs where it'll be something like "you are born with a tattoo of your soulmates name... etc" I dunno why it just doesn't compell me and I prefer stories where the characters come together despite the odds.

Tagging: @so-i-grudgingly-joined-this-site @tickldpnk8 @just-cosmere-fan @academicblorbo @notallsandmen and anyone else who wants to play. No pressure though!

#tag games #fanfiction tropes