#[ spoilers: that isn't how you make rice ]

[jollyparaphernalia]

Welcome back to the Kingswap AU Yapping. Todays topic is Party Dynamics

(What's this?) Today we focus in on Clovis (Our swapped King now in Siffrins position). As you can see, his first introduction to the party was a bit of a...mixed affair? Guy's got some anxieties (Don't worry, they caught him later) WARNING: This chatter post i'm just gonna blanket as just being spoilers all around for 'In Stars And Time', and any content warnings that apply to the game also apply here.

First things first before getting into it...WOAH THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE RESPONSE! I wasn't expecting people to resonate so much with the idea, I was maybe expecting a small handful of notes, but seeing people interested and keysmashing in the comments/tags and theorizing makes me very happy! I also appreciate all the asks that have been sent in (Don't worry. I've seen you guys who are curious about how much of a freak Isabeau is re: the Stagemaster. I see you. I love you. I will get to those soon.) But the topic today is focused on Clovis.

Hey Jolly, what's the point of focusing on all this background stuff if this AU ends up in the loops anyways?

It's MY BRAINROT, and I SAY that the Orb Quest and background stuff is ESSENTIAL to the LORE A big part hanging over In Stars and Time is the Team. The Friends. The FAMILY. It is a huge crux of the motivations of Siffrin, and for this AU I wanna sell you on the Swapped King having a place in the party, and how the others bounce off of him and interact with him. It's fun translating someone like The King into a form that is a very different role but keeping some of the themes he comes with.

So, what's the Vibe?

Clovis is an awkward wet dog. He fills a similar niche that Siffrin does, being a semi-forgetful islander who is a complete disaster once you peel back the curtains, and is different in how he intersects with the party.

A small example would be puns. He doesn't make puns - but he ends up being funny anyways

"You're telling me a shrimp fried this rice?" He forgets words a lot similar to Siffrin, and is mortified every time - but he says things so seriously that everyone has a great time anyways.

One on One, you can rank the differences between character interactions on...Do they Like Dogs or Cats More? Siffrin is Cat, Clovis is Dog.

Lets Look At The Most Different Dynamic Compared to Siffrin: Mirabelle.

Mirabelle prefers dogs. She struggles to understand Siffrin, and Siffrin struggles to understand her, and that is the crux of a lot of problems that happen in ISAT, with Mirabelle not wanting to seem nosey with Siffrins secrets.

So, she thrives alongside Clovis. A sad, wet dog she found behind a dumpster. Who is very, very intense and gives off unnerving energy.

Mirabelle leash your fucking cryptid. He's scaring the neighbours.

Clovis is slightly more open than Siffrin (Can't hide behind a hat, after all) and he willingly searched out the Party to join them on their quest to save Vaugarde (Though he's a bit cagey on answering why outside of thats what a knight would do, but thats okay). He's willingly pledged his service, and Mirabelle appreciates having someone who is unambiguously on her side without having to be asked. It also helps that he also seems a little scared all the time, but thats okay. They can be brave together. (She just wishes that he wouldn't put himself in harms way all the time)

Mira also considers Clovis to be a bit of a good luck charm, in fact - she's learned she can take him out to do errands, and for some strange reason...She doesn't get bothered nearly as much by strangers approaching her to talk with the 'Chosen of the Change God'. Going shopping is almost pleasant when he's with her!

Clovis isn't really sure why it happens either. (It's because you scare the shit out of people with your neutral expression, dude.)

Hey, wouldn't that kinda dedication be a little weird for Mirabelle?

Maybe. I'd like to think they're on a weird similar wavelength, with Clovis being so deep in his knightly sensibilities and being so polite to her. Some....secret third thing (It's friendship. Ace for Ace solidarity). Clovis would probably catch onto the papers well before Dormont, but, well. He'd probably not wanna snoop about it, cause that's rude!

(He's some flavour of Ace? You decide. shipping ain't off the table, but that's not the focus for this AU. The focus is pain and the agonies). Much like how in the artbook insertdisc5 muses that Siffrin would travel with Odile the longest, I think Clovis would join Mirabelle for her pilgrimage.

So, what about someone who is more a Cat person?

Like, say, Odile! Great topic change. Clovis steals Siffrin's spot as 'Odile's chosen for Secret Quests' because he's good at keeping secrets, though...Odile has to pay a bit more attention to Clovis when left in a book store or library on his lonesome. Guy just hones in on Headache books like candy.

As seen above with the first meeting, Clovis also keeps a lot of Siff's Sus energy. But considering how easily Clovis tends to cave under Odile's pressure, the idea that he could be an assassin from the Stagemaster is laughable at best. (And also easily disproved, considering how active The Stagemaster is in Orbquest for this AU)

You know how in ISAT proper, Odile's Susquest is incredibly hard to get naturally, and often needing a guide to achieve for the typical player? Yeah that's reversed. Clovis can't act for SHIT and Odile can read him like a book. Clovis going through the House of Dormont and has one innocent conversation with the team and you just hear*Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!* Cats can keep secrets, but you KNOW when a dog has done something they shouldn't have. (Odile probably finds that both funny and charming?)

Now, just cause Clovis can't keep a personal secret, and is potentially easy to read...doesn't mean he isn't cunning. After all...The King in ISAT proper is able to deduce that there's something fucky going on with Siffrin, and is perfectly capable of deception.

Clovis voted 'second least likely to beat someone in chess (first being Isabeau on purpose)' but the truth of the matter is he's probably cracked at that. Probably would also love Strategy Games (And is fucking awful at poker).

He'd also prolly join Odile and Isabeau in smoking a bong and going drinking. They're both prolly delighted at this (Out straight edge little knight smoking and drinking? The scandal!)

So...What's Up With Isabeau And Clovis. Is Isabeau...interested in Clovis like he is Siffrin?

WELL. THERE'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING COMPLICATED HERE.

We can't talk about Isabeau and an AU'd KING and not get a LITTLE bit into The Gender. Even in the baseline material, you can probably write essays on the compare/contrast between The King and Isabeau regarding their masculinity and how it manifests (and in fact, i'm almost sure people have!). Seriously, The King literally chose his title. An explicitly masculine title, with him specifically highlighting the ability to make decisions and force his will onto others.

There's shades of it here, but the villainous side of it is understandably no longer present. Clovis...well, Clovis has a complex relationship to his gender? Unlike Siffrin (who is explicitly said to have never done Body Craft) The King is stated to HAVE done Bodycraft at some point (even if it was to BE BIG), so...Clovis maybe has thought about it (maybe even done it?).

I like to say he's explicitly attached to being A Guy. I'm talking full on 'yippee!' if people call him Sir Clovis. Could just be he's happy to be identified As a Knight...could be something more.

I'll leave the interpretation to you.

But wait! You said it was complex, this seems straightforward?

Well. The second half of it is that Clovis...explicitly wants to be seen as a protector. He doesn't WANT to scare people, he doesn't WANT to be seen as intimidating or weird or strange and intense. He doesn't want the Party to see him as dangerous or scary. ('But you're the good kind of scary!' is prolly what Mirabelle would say, the horror loving fanatic she is.)

Not that Clovis would ever -voice- it, but he so very desperately wants what Isabeau has. And vice versa, Isabeau I think would deeply admire Clovis for being practically fearless when it comes to taking on the burdens of the adventure. Clovis takes things in stride (even if in social contexts he's VERY NERVOUS) and yet...Clovis might be anxious...but Clovis isn't a coward. Clovis knows what he wants to be. If shit hits the fan, Clovis is marching forward, focused and unafraid to use what cunning he can muster to get through the obstacle.

So, yeah, Isabeau and Clovis are definitely two bros bonding over being dudes, 100%. Maybe not super outwardly, but it's there. The whole thing smacks of Gender. They both want what the other got.

Does that translate to a crush from Isabeau that Clovis is oblivious to? I haven't decided yet (I lean towards yes? because thinking about Loop having an aneurysm watching Isabeau be an idiot trying to confess to Clovis makes me happy)

They're friends, at a minimum.

Hey Wait a Second! How is Clovis with Touch?

He's so-so about it! He has the bonus of having his armor insulate him, so, the party will casually touch his armored bits like his gloves and chestplate, but...he reacts about as well as Siffrin is to sudden touch. He'd like it! But. Uh...Well. Not like he can remember a time when someone hugged him, you know? (He'd like a hug, but that would be weird to ask for. Something something knightly distance something something.)

But Wait! There's One More Party Member! What about Bonnie?

(Yes for the timecraft from the Stagemaster, btw, i'll get into it another time)

Eye incident? What Eye Incident? Bonnies right over there, see?

Bonnies all well and go- what? You want them to turn around? Okay...Hey! Bonnie!

Turn around for us!

See? Bonnies fine. Everything is fine. It's. Fine. Maybe we'll get into the tale there another time. (That's not a typo. Bonnie calls him Cloves :) )

get out of here you cheeky twink

Anyways, what's the Conclusion here?

Clovis wants to support the party. Clovis, just a little bit selfishly, wants to be useful to them just a little bit longer, if only to make sure Bonnie gets back to their sister (and so she can yell at him profusely and maybe beat him to death with a hammer)

If Siffrin's mantra is 'i'm fine', Clovis' is 'I can handle it.'

See? He's strong. That's what knights are for, right? Bearing the burden? He can handle it. He can handle it.

SO WHY CAN'T HE HANDLE IT?!

Once again I hope you enjoyed this little journey here, and i'd like to thank everyone again for being so curious about my brainrot (and a big thanks again to the isat discords AU channel for feeding my worms)

Anyways thank you byyyyeeeeeeeee, have Clovis enjoying a parfait

[brucewaynehater101]

Have you ever read a fic called A Medication On Railroading? Because I think you'll like it. Basic summery with no spoilers: Jack takes Tim on a trip to Atlanta and then leaves him in Atlanta so he goes train hopping to get home. Very hurt/comfort.

But it also gives me an idea that I'm not sure where to share. What if that wasn't Tim's first time getting home like that? Maybe the first time was just New York when he was say... 9 years old? His parents took him with them to a Gala and Jack thought Janet called him a car home and Janet thought Jack took care of it. Neither one did and Tiny Tim figured out how to get home on his own. It happens again when he's 11 so he already knows what to do, he studied up in case it happened again.

After the second time, anytime Tim is with his parents he keeps his camera bag on him at all times which has 300 dollars in it that he can use on getting home. Tim also discovers during the second one that trains are *way* better than busses and cabs. He's all alone, just him and the scenery and whatever cargo his car holds. He can Fully Relax. He doesn't have to be the perfect heir, he doesn't have to smile for the cameras, he doesn't have to be quiet or good or perfectly polite. He can scream and laugh and cry if he wants to and no one will ever know! He can sing and curse and throw rocks at things! He can be a *kid*.

After Tim becomes Robin, he never calls Batman for a pick up if he's abandoned somewhere and instead will make his own way home. Heck, after some missions with Young Justice he will turn off his trackers and ride trains home so that he can loudly vent about them without having to worry about anyone ever knowing what he said!

This does become a slight problem when he's 17 and Bruce needs him for something and finds out from Bart that their mission ended a day and a half ago. But Tim never called for pick up. And his trackers are all offline. And he never hit his emergency beacon and *no one can find him*. Bruce totally isn't freaking out. The other Bats totally aren't freaking out. Young Justice totally isn't freaking out. There totally isn't a panic spreading through the super hero community about Red Robin maybe being dead I a ditch somewhere and how both Batman and his team will react.

Tim meanwhile is straight vibing as he reclines on a stack of bags of rice like they're pillows, singing along to some sound track he downloaded onto his MP3 player, having turned the volume to max and nearly screaming the lyrics because it's the one time he feels like he can.

Yes! I love that fic you mentioned. It's really really good. Perhaps I should re read it since it's been a minute.

Also, I absolutely adore the little tidbit you've added. A few things to note that I love about it:

No one else knows/finds out until he's Red Robin

It's a semi-decent coping mechanism. He gets to chill out, vibe, and process. He's also in touch with nature and music during this.

Tim drops his various masks to simply exist for a bit

Tim chilling on some rice bags in a train cart with an MP3 player (not even his phone. This indicates he's fully offline during these trips)

A few additional notes to add. One, this could buff up the canon notion that pre-Robin Tim traveled far to go see Dick at the circus and convince him to become Robin again. If Tim had already done that twice unexpectedly, he'd do swell when he actually plans to do it.

Two, Tim probably created a white noise generator or something to give him totally privacy on his "me trips." This is why Kon and Superman freak out. They can't hear him.

Three, he probably gets covered in grime, dust, and dirt. He's no longer in the pristine environment he grew up in.

Gods. That sounds so nice and relaxing. I'm actually kind of jealous. Just the wind, music, and the slowly changing scenery? Fuuuck.

[cbrownjc]

My thoughts about Devil's Minion right now after Rolin Jones' comments (spoilers):

A meta so thorough, that I first wrote in a post/reply elsewhere, I'm putting it into a separate post, (with some more added to it), just because. And especially since I know I've gotten a lot of followers over the course of Season 2 because of my Devil's Minion posts as well, and I want this all in a separate, individual post for quick reference, just in case.

Fair warning: if you are totally happy and fine about what happened -- i.e. how Armand turned Daniel -- then yeah, what I am going to say here isn't for you. I'm not trying to harsh anyone's vibe, especially if you are just happy that Daniel is a vampire now, okay? This is just about how I feel and see things about it at the moment (particularly regarding RJs comments about it). So if you're not up for criticism, critique, as well as speculation about Devil's Minion right now, then yeah. IMO, just skip this post, please.

Okay. So. Rolin Jones just gave an interview with The Hollywood Reporter and this is what he said about Daniel's turning by Armand:

Jones confirms that, just like in Rice’s books, Armand is the one who turns Daniel into a vampire. “Will we see that moment of turning? No, but Armand finally made a vampire and clearly made him out of spite,” he says with a laugh. “It looks like it was really not a great moment [between him and Daniel], but that connects those two characters. They will have scenes going forward, obviously.”

-- Rolin Jones, Hollywood Reporter, 06/30/24

Okay so, to start. For me, someone who has been waiting since 1995 (when I was 17) for Devil's Minion, for Armand and Daniel's relationship to finally be adapted in some way, I'll be honest. There are only two ways this can go now that I can see at the moment: either Rolin is lying/trolling to hide the truth about all of this, or he is telling the truth and this is truly the way they are going with this.

If Rolin is lying/trolling to hide something about all of this, then I'll forgive that lying/trolling instantly once it's revealed that he was. (Put a pin in this.) Having to flat-out lie or troll is sometimes par for the course when it comes to running a show and not wanting to spoil anything about what might be coming up in it. So honestly, if that's what's going on with what he said here? Meh. No skin off my nose.

If he is telling the truth, however? Then I'll have zero desire to watch the show anymore, once I see it 100% confirmed in some way with my own two eyes in some way on screen somehow. (Again, pin in this.) Because I have very much learned my lesson when it comes to TV shows and lazy writing/bad adaptations after Game of Thrones.

Because Armand turning Daniel out of spite is the antithesis of what Devil's Minion is supposed to be for both characters. It is an utter and complete misunderstanding of both characters and their relationship together. It's an utter downgrade of their relationship from the books, and I am not here for it. I literally do not care what "romance" they might later have planned for them if this is how Daniel was turned.

Look. If you are someone who only ever cared about Daniel just being a vampire, then this is all likely fine for you, and that's okay. But not me. Because Daniel being a vampire never was, or has been, the important part of Armand and Daniel's relationship. Not in my eyes and, frankly, not when it comes to the original story. Daniel becoming a vampire is not the important part of the Devil's Minion story. The actual love and romance before Daniel is turned is because it is during that part of it that the actual character development and growth both of them go through from it takes place. Especially for Armand's character.

And that only has any depth when Daniel is human and Armand is forever refusing to turn him because of his hangups about making another vampire.

And Armand finally turning Daniel out of love was a huge step that showed Armand beginning to move forward and heal -- from not only his time in the Children of Darkness cult, but begin his healing when it comes to his Marius issues as well.

Armand turning Daniel out of spite undercuts all of that. It undercuts the whole story. And flat-out guts some of the major depth of the relationship and Armand's character development overall.

Not to mention it makes Daniel no better than someone like Claudia wrt Armand turning him now. Maybe even less than her since at least Claudia got turned out of Lestat's love for someone else. Daniel doesn't even get that? The person who is supposed to be his eternal companion doesn't even get turned by him out of love, an important point to the bond between such Maker and Fledgling eternal companions, but out of hate and spite instead?

Yeah, no thank you.

This is not what I've waited since 1995 to see with these two and the fact their relationship may have gotten treated like this -- if this is true -- utterly astounds me how this show could get Loustat so right (and even upgrade them so beautifully in so many ways such as with Louis' turning) and utterly fail Devil's Minion so badly. Because yes, it's failing them. It's a terrible and, moreover, just a shallow adaptation of Devil's Minion if this is how it really all goes down.

Because there is way more to Armand and Daniel than them just Daniel being a vampire and them finally "getting together." Or at least there is supposed to be. And this ain't it.

(Pin!) Now, with that all said? The fact that Rolin flat out says that we'll never see Armand turning Daniel? Yeah okay, I'm sus on that one. Because really. The only reason not to show Armand turning Daniel next season -- and visually confirm that Armand did it -- is if because . . . Armand never actually turned Daniel in the first damn place.

Or, if he did, it maybe was not fully Daniel.

I mean, you're not going to ever actually show Armand turning his first-ever fledgling (who he's supposed to go on to have a romantic relationship with at some point) after making a big ass deal out of the fact that Armand has never turned anyone before? Ever?

See I know damn well that Armand is being framed as a villain right now. He very much has to be given how the end of the book IWTV and how the upcoming book The Vampire Lestat, goes. Armand is the main villain/antagonist in it. Even in the present day, it is clear Armand hasn't gone yet gone through all of the growth that he does from Queen of the Damned on. So he's still back in his villain-era mode right now. And his post-breakup with Louis mode in the present day. Which is fine, it's how his story -- and the story where it is right now -- goes. I am thoroughly okay with that.

And the very idea that Armand turned Daniel out of spite? Very much plays into that framing-him-as-a-villian state where Armand's character is right now. And will be for the majority of Season 3, which I've already before now suspected and said.

So here is where the speculation on my end of things comes in. Because yeah, not only can I not help myself but because -- until I see this play out with my own eyes -- I'm willing to be reasonable and look at the various ways this all could still play out that doesn't completely gut out the very heart of Armand and Daniel -- as characters and their relationship together. (Or at least not have it be so damn shallow by the end when they inevitably get and stay together.)

So as @nalyra-dreaming can confirm, I gave her a few scenarios that could be behind Daniel's turning weeks ago, when I first suspected it was going to happen (before the screener leaks about it started). In one of the scenarios, I said that if Daniel's vampire eyes are any color other than violet, then that is NOT Daniel's spirit/soul/consciousness in Daniel's body that has been made a vampire.

As the saying goes, "The eyes are the window into the soul." And am I really supposed to think this show got Lestat and Louis' eye color dead on correct but just missed Daniel's iconic eye color? Really? (Because no, I do not find it romantic that Daniel has his Maker's eye color, or whatever. Besides, vampire eye color doesn't even work like that -- the show didn't even do that with Louis and Lestat who are the main, grand romantic couple of the damn show.)

As I said here in this reblog, I stand by my opinion/theory that no way this show gets Daniel's iconic violet eye color wrong, even on accident. I said so weeks ago, before even seeing Daniel's eyes in that final shot in the season finale, and just predicting that he was going to get turned.

No way this show got Daniel's iconic eye color wrong when he became a vampire, not when they went to all the damn trouble creating those vampire contacts and gave Jacob's Louis green eyes to match book-Louis.

And yes I damn well know they could just have Daniel pop up with violet vampire eyes in the Season 3 premiere and there goes all of that, and it really was all just laziness, incompetence, and a mistake when it came to the color of Daniel's eyes in the finale. But right now? I'm treating Daniel's eye color as the equivalent of Rolin saying "Lelio is so boring!" as to the question of why Sam's Lestat was playing Harlequin and not Lelio in the Season 2 theater flashbacks. Something the show changed on purpose and for a reason.

Because we all damn well know that we are going to see Sam's Lestat as Lelio in Season 3, correct? Because we are.

And yes. I know some people really hate the idea of a body swap scenario regarding Daniel, but I'm sorry. At this point, it really is the only scenario out of this whole storyline that I can see right now, that will keep it anywhere close to retaining the heart of the Devil's Minion storyline, especially if Armand really did turn Daniel out of spite here (even though, again, we'll apparently never see that turning to confirm that in full. Uh-huh, okay.).

And two things that I think do set up the possibility are:

1.) Louis says Daniel was turned after he left Armand alone with him. But Louis actually wouldn't know something like that unless he was told since he wasn't there. All we can really assume at the moment is that Daniel told Louis what happened after Louis left the room. And as RJ and Assad said, we'll never see the actual turning. So who knows when the hell it happened.

2.) Raglan James, via those direct messages asking Daniel for "reciprocation" for getting him a copy of the script, with Armand's handwritten notes, of the trial-play. Between that request and the Talamasca publishing Daniel's book, that loops Daniel into the James orbit very much. And ties Daniel very close to any Talamasca going on even more.

And, quite frankly, I've thought since Season 1 that David Talbot's character was out and would be merged with both Louis and Daniel on the show. And Sam pretty much confirmed in his interview with Autumn Brown that some characters from the books will be merged together with others in the show. So, yeah. David's character is very much a character I always thought they were doing that with, and I know I'm not the only one who's thought it before now as well.

And honestly, I can much better deal with some type of scenario in which Armand maybe ends up turning two versions of "Daniel" -- and therefore technically having two fledglings, even though they are kind of the same person -- over what is being put forth about this right now. One turning -- in spite -- of Daniel's body without his true spirit/soul/consciousness in it, and the other turning -- out of love -- of Daniel's spirit/soul/consciousness inside a different body of some kind. (Which I won't go into now, as that is a whole separate long meta if I did.)

Because at least with that scenario then, in a weird way, Daniel being Armand's only fledgling would still hold. 🤷����‍♀️ Along with a few other things that can happen regarding Armand's character growth in between each turning.

But that is it. Because there is no way they can have Armand turn Daniel (as fully Daniel) out of spite -- as Rolin directly says he does in this interview -- and actually keep the heart of the Devil's Minion story and romance now. Not even if the Devil's Minion chase and parts of the relationship happened in the past IMO . . . another thing they are clearly avoiding talking about, btw. Which, at least right now, just tells me that, if we're lucky, we'll only -- once again -- get one episode that flashes back to that time in Season 3. Can't really be helped, since Season 3's primary focus will be regarding Lestat and Lestat's backstory. (As I've said before Daniel isn't even in that book. So whatever we get with him in Season 3 really will just be extra, added stuff.)

Oh, and something else I very much recognize is that Loustat shippers -- particularly book ones -- have gone through it these past two seasons, but now seem to be coming out of that darkness. Maybe now it's time for Devil's Minion shippers like me and others to face the same damn thing now. Because of something Assad let slip a few weeks ago about not getting Armand's full story until Season 4, I think that is how long we're going to have to wait to see the full of this play out.

But I advise right now that if some of you think you can't handle that and would just rather quit the show and binge things later, I totally get it. Waiting two seasons -- basically 4 years minimum -- is going to be a pain in the ass. I already know right now that there are some things I'm not going to have the patience for during the hiatus times in between, particularly this one. (One thing I can already say, at least right now, is that I'm not inspired to write any show-based Devil's Minion fanfic this hiatus like I did during the last hiatus).

But quitting the show altogether? No, I'm not there yet. Because yes Rolin does like to troll. Plus Hannah's tweet. Plus what was said about Devil's Minion at ATX Festival. Plus my thinking, long before now, that David Talbot was always out wrt the show, and the fact that Raglan James is here and Daniel's character has been heavily tied into The Talamasca plotline of the show.

And given everything I've seen this show do wrt it's writing up until now, I just can't fully believe they would really make Devil's Minion this damn shallow and devoid of its depth and heart. And just have Armand turn his one and only canon fledgling and immortal companion out of nothing but spite. When Armand loving Daniel and finally having to trust in Daniel's love for him, as well as his own love for Daniel over his own fear was a major point and culmination of the Devil's Minion storyline.

After everything I've seen these first two seasons wrt this show, I can't think these writers would miss such an important heart and point of the Devil's Minion storyline and romance so completely.

Not yet at any rate.

[jinnaizaemon]

Nintama Rantarou The Movie cheat sheet

We recently subbed the first Nintama Rantarou movie, and since I did a long post commenting on the second movie before, I thought I should do the same for this one! (by the way, we're going to release that second movie soon too. Since we finalized the translation, I'll probably either edit that post then with new screenshots and added comments, or make a new one altogether.)

Beware of spoilers if you haven't seen the movie yet! This time again I'll try to comment through the movie in a chronological order, but there might be some back and forth. Now let's begin under the cut!

This movie came out in 1996 as part of Shouchiku anime eiga taikai, which doesn't have any official English translation so I went with "Shochiku Anime Movie Rally", and refers to the simultaneous screening of multiple animated movies from Shouchiku at the same time ; Nintama Rantarou the Movie, Hamuko Mairu (adapted from another manga of Amako Soubee), and Toire no Hanako-san.

Light body agent The drug at the center of the story is originally called 軽身剤 keishinzai, and for once it has a name which translates literally and keeps the humor of the punchline intact, yippee! The characters used to write it individually reads "light", "body", and "agent/drug/medicine". So light body agent is a very literal translation.

Ming After the Ming Dynasty, it's how China was called in Japan during the 16th century where Nintama takes place.

Saltpeter

As Shinbei explains, saltpeter is an ingredient for gunpowder, and it had to be imported from abroad. It seems saltpeter was mostly harvested in arid regions as it dissolves in moisture, making it unlikely to form in humid climates like Japan. During the Sengoku period (16th century), after the Portuguese introduced firearms to Japan, the demand for gunpowder increased due to ongoing civil wars. As a result, saltpeter became an important commodity in the Nanban trade, Japan's commerce with foreign countries.

Souuur! Shinbei is eating rice balls with umeboshi, pickled plums inside. They add a nice kick to the mild taste of fluffy rice, but if you eat a big chunk or one whole it's indeed really soooour!

Bashaku Bashaku were cargo couriers who used horses to transport goods. Initially an occupation taken by farmers during slack season, bashaku eventually organized into private businesses during the Muromachi period, shown in Nintama with Danzou's family. Because they constantly moved from places to places, they played a key part during Sengoku transporting not only supplies for war but also information, so them being so present in Nintama and Danzou aiming to become a ninja makes a lot of sense. Here you can see a copy of part of the Illustrated scrolls of the story of Ishiyamadera temple, showing bashaku and the way luggage was loaded on the horses. Their attire is similar to Danzou, his father and Seihachi, isn't it? Something I read being pointed out on twitter is that the horses drawn in Nintama are consistently of Japanese breed ; I know absolutely nothing about horses lol so I'll trust this kind, knowledgeable twitter user with this. I recommend you read their thread for more precious information about horses and bashaku!

Summer break I think it's interesting to point out that this movie takes place during summer break. The second movie takes place just after summer break, and the third takes place around September. Making the events of all three movies happening almost back to back!

Hieta Happousai I guess the entire cast misremembering Happousai's name is nothing new. Happousai's name is spelled 稗田八方斎 Hieta Happousai, hieta being spelled with the characters 稗田 for "millet field" and happousai 八 eight, 方 direction, and 斎 celebration/holy, giving his name a meaning like "celebration and holiness from every direction". So his name sounds pretty standard in that it's auspicious and evokes abundance! But it's also an homophone of 冷えた八宝菜 hieta happousai. 冷えた means "cold" (as in, something that has gone cold like a dish) and 八宝菜 happousai is the Japanese take on the Chinese dish babaocai, a vegetable stir-fry. So his name basically sounds like "stir fry that has gone cold"... Likely why Shinbei misremembered his name as Hieta Chingensai, or "cold bok choy". Later in the movie, Danzou calls him 冷えたザーサイ Hieta Zaasai, cold zha cai, a kind of pickled vegetable.

Mist fan jutsu The literal translation of kasumi ougi no jutsu. Jutsu stay as is in the script to give the script a little flavor. As demonstrated by Dokutake, a sleeping drug is placed inside a folding fan, so that it can be spread like mist once one is fanning. This technique is used in both the manga and TV anime, and in the various guide books Rakuran/Nintama got the description for this jutsu also mentions deadly poison can be placed inside the fans... scary. Interestingly, looking up this technique online will mostly show Nintama-related results, or websites reporting the same copy-pasted description as Nintama provides. Some people claim it's real ninjutsu, but the sources I've found all lead back to... Nintama.

Five-colored rice Or goshikimai. Now that's ninjutsu that is much more documented outside of Nintama, both in Japanese and English. Different color combinations convey different meaning as a way to communicate secret codes with others. The rice's bright color is so that it isn't eaten by animals. Here's a fun and concise video about it.

Furanki gun The standard name in English is a "breech-loading swivel gun", invented in 14th century Europe. The name furanki is the Japanese pronunciation of its Chinese appellation, fo-lang-chi, itself coming from Turkic farangi. These guns were used in China by the early 16th century then Japan later in that same century (when Nintama takes place), equipped by Portuguese traders.

He's right. I don't like cold udon. Cold soba is okay. Not udon. Yes that's all.

Wolf holes They're called 狼穽 rousei, "wolf pitfall" in Japanese. It's a specific military term unlike the more common otoshiana / pitfall (like the ones Kihachirou digs) that are often mentioned in Nintama, and its equivalent in English is trou de loup, "wolf hole" in French. In reality, trou de loups refer to defense mechanisms around medieval buildings and consist in a series of large, deep pitfalls with a sharpened stake at the bottom (which could be coated in poison to inflict maximum damage). Here, while there are a lot of them, they are too small and not deep enough to be actual trous de loup, on top of missing a stake at the bottom. But because the Japanese script uses a fancy word, we compromised by keeping that specific name but translating it in English so it's easier to understand. The Dokutake guy mentions the terrain looking like a takoyaki pan, here's what it looks like:

Shouzaemon's helmet Kingo asks why Shouzaemon is wearing a suichu suiri, a word specific to ninjutsu to refers to the large helmet Shouzaemon is wearing. It's deep enough to protect someone to the shoulders -- when crossing a body of water, the head is concealed and protected under a pocket of air under the helmet. Takiyashamaru uses one in the second movie (and Atsugi-sensei, practical teacher that he is, is showing us how to use it) :

Mojo, mojo, like Ashita no Joe! The original is konjou, konjou, ashita no joe (guts, guts, ashita no joe), changed to "mojo" to keep the rhyme. Ashita no Joe is a very famous manga and anime from the 70s-80s . I think I'm biased because Shou-chan is my fave from the 1st years but this is probably my favourite scene from the movie lol the way the three of them melt after trying to remove the helmet... so cute.

Hop, step, jump! A triple jump event in track and field. The expression in English is often used in Japanese pop culture for its rhythmicality. Maybe the most famous occurence (esp at the time Nintama's movie came out) was Saijou Hideki's song, Hop Step Jump, which came out in 1979.

Kyokudenshu Again, a specific word which, upon research, returns only Nintama-related results. Since it's specifically used by pirates in universe, I assume this might an invention of the author? Anyways, it's not a standard word the average Japanese listener is expected to know, so it's left as is in the script. Of course, it refers to the flaming balls Rankirishin dodged just before. As explained in universe, kyokudenshu are made of tubes filled with gunpowder, tied together with wires, then encased in a papier-mâché shell. It's set on fire then left rolling down slopes to inflict damage.

The insert song Which also serves as the ending song. It's Kou Shicha Irarenai, by Junichi & JJr.

I feel ancient saying this but just in case... a VCR is a Video Cassette Recorder, a tool to record TV on video tapes. A gag that is very 90s... oh, I miss you, video tapes...

Nintama Summer Dance "Summer dance" is kind of a loose translation since the original word, ondo, is its own thing. Ondo is a folk music genre associated with bon odori, a popular dance practiced during summer festivals. Each music have dance moves that repeat over and over again so that anyone from the crowd can join the group and pick up on the dance easily. In general, there's an elevated platform where professional dancers are dancing and showing everyone the moves, while the crowd dances around the platform while walking in a circle. (the last visual of that ending shows Rankirishin and the kunoichi arranged in a circle around such a platform) New songs in the ondo genre have been composed in modern times, including a lot from popular children anime series, so during summer festivals you're likely to dance the Anpanman or Doraemon ondo at some point. There's one for Gegege no Kitaro, Nintama Rantarou, and probably many more. The visuals of the ending clearly shows the characters performing the dance moves so that they could be replicated during an IRL summer festival. This is why the lyrics of Nintama Ondo evokes summer imagery ; cicada cries, watermelon, and yukata, which are kimono made of light fabric for the summer, especially worn during summer festivals where bon odori takes place.

Okay! We've reached the end of the movie. Phew! You know, I'll let you in a secret, there are some small mistakes here and there that I made because I translated the movie by ear, and my ears aren't good lol (for example, I misheard hikou no jutsu, the jutsu that the kunoichi were supposed to learn. It's supposed to be the Flight jutsu! I made them more hardcore than needed... oh...) But hey, nothing that will make you misunderstands the movie I think... Still, it drives me insane rewatching the movie now, because I had a Japanese subtitle track I could have use as reference all along, but I... didn't notice it. My job could have been so much more easier. Boo-hoo... Well, I guess we'll release a V2 in the future to fix those little bits. Anyways, this first movie is full of life and so good at balancing its large cast ; something that future movies will also be able to do brilliantly... It's something that I really admire about the franchise as a whole. I'm glad we get to watch it with English subtitles, and in a beautiful rip with accurate color palette too. Hope this wasn't too much of a boring read! Again, sorry for my poor English.

[halfarchived]

🗝️ 𓂅 regressor love quinn headcanons ( 1/2 )

cw : death mention, spoilers for you s2 + s3

🥧 . . . Love involuntarily regresses around 0-4. she's especially tiny after high stress, major events. when she slips, she becomes quiet and clingy, often quietly seeking out warmth and physical contact.

🗝️ . . . Forty was the first person to know about Love's regression. she never had to tell him; he knew without an explanation. she once asked him how he knew, and he simply shrugged and said, "it's a twin thing."

🥧 . . . Joe figured it out after Forty's death, when she struggled to control her regression after the stressful events. she kept it completely hidden before, though Joe had noticed some signs. he cares for her in his own detached way -- offering comfort, reading to her aloud.

🗝️ . . . Theo picked up on it over time. unlike Joe, Theo noticed because he paid attention. he didn't need years with Love to see how her demeanor changed when she was overwhelmed. he saw the way she softened, how she'd go non-speaking, and how she seemed to shrink into herself. he doesn't call her out on it, but he subtly adjusts -- speaking more gently, offering small reassurances and hugs, never making her feel like she had to explain.

🥧 . . . when Love regresses, she often goes non-speaking or struggles to string together the right words, so she relies on sign language to communicate. Forty understood it all; Joe takes longer to catch on. while Theo isn't fluent, he can catch on to enough key words that help him figure out what's going on

🗝️ . . . even regressed, Love insists on baking and cooking, determined to prove she's capable. she clumsily measures ingredients, forgets key steps, growing increasingly frustrated when things don't go as planned. if someone tries to take over, she pouts and huffs, arms crossed in stubborn defiance. it's only when she's too overwhelmed that she finally let's someone help

🥧 . . . when Love accidentally regresses at work, she instinctively heads to the basement, where she keeps a small stash of comforting things -- most importantly, her pacifier. the cage, meant for trapping dangerous situations, becomes her quiet hideaway. she's frustrated and fussy when she's trapped someone inside the cage and she can no longer access her hidden pacifier, the thought of leaving behind her precious comfort item too overwhelming.

🗝️ . . . Love will sometimes bake with her regressed self in mind. she prepares soft, comforting treats (fluffy muffins, rice krispy squares, sometimes even cupcakes) knowing that they'll soothe her when she inevitably slips. it's one of the few ways she cares for her smaller side

🥧 . . . she'll sometimes force a small tea party upon Theo -- bringing out the treats she baked that day and a small pot of tea. he humours her, complimenting the baked treats and watching her beam

[savemeafruitjuice]

Ducktales Tickle Headcanons Part 2!!

I am sososo happy to be making content for all of the sillies- so here I am with a part 2 of my first post!! Just an addition with the rest of the family!!

Also, I am posting this without the Scrooge hcs for now because I haven't felt like writing them recently, but I feel bad about not posting. Either way, I still wanted to post this, and I'll make some more at some point! 👍

TW!: SOME SWEARING!! There are spoilers for Season 2 and 3!!

Tags for moots!: @sunsetsandsunshine, @hypermoonlover, @rice-cake-teen10

Tags for others that may enjoy!: @randommusicalfluff, @anxious-lee, @dreamlol1234

If you would like to be tagged when I make Ducktales tickle-content, tell me!

💕 Webby! 💕

Ler-Leaning Switch!! 65-35

Lee:

She thinks tickling is so fun!!

Before the triplets came to live at the mansion, Webby didn't have experience with tickling

She knew what it was, but the idea of having friends to actually enjoy it with was new to her

Definitely a squealer- and a fighter

Her first instinct is to grab onto the offending hands, and turn the tables

That doesn't mean she doesn't like being tickled, but has a slight preference to be on the giving side

Webby will slap and kick and twist, lowkey rivaling how much Dewey squirms

Her worst spots are probably her sides, armpits, stomach, and knees

Isn't suuuper ticklish outside of these spots, but these by far get the best reactions

Lee moods happen on occasion, and while Webby isn't particularly embarrassed to ask for tickles, she can get flustered

Especially asking Lena

The triplets are usually extremely chill about tickling in general, so she was introduced to it in a very supportive light

After befriending Lena, there were some adjustments that had to be made

Knowing Lena isn't huge on physical touch (at least on the surface), the two did have to discuss boundaries

Now, as long as there is consent and the mood is chill, tickles are free-range

Webby has really great self-control when she is aware that the tickling is about to happen

If she's caught off-guard, consider yourself done for. She is ruthless and turns the tables almost instantly.

However, she can pretty impressively stay still otherwise

Is always in competition with Dewey

Whether it be tickle-games, fights, or other competitions, those two are constantly trying to beat the other

Her laugh is very high and bubbly, full of squeals, squeaks, and even snorts

Doesn't typically get tickled regularly, unless it's a tickle fight

The triplets are borderline afraid to tickle her because they know she's gonna get them back

Only Dewey is fearless when it comes to attacking her

Ler:

An evil ler

Tickles people a lot more than she gets tickled

Webby's style is a bit rougher, but she is always mindful of boundaries

Loves using squeezes, pokes, tazes, and raspberries

Mainly will get people in retaliation, either for tickling her first, or just general annoyance

Gets Dewey and Lena the most

When tickling was still pretty new to her, she was in fact not aware that things could be taken too far

She did have to learn the hard way.

Would not stop apologizing to Louie afterwards- she felt so bad

Louie was fine, though. Just a little overwhelmed with it all

Webby became much more careful after that, and always checks in during tickling

Gets ler moods often, and will go to pretty much any of her friends for them

Pins her lee down most of the time

Webby knows all sorts of fighting moves, and while she'd never hurt the people she cares about, she will use her skills to hold them in place

It drives the triplets crazy.

Like, one second Huey is peacefully sitting on the floor, practicing a speech for his Junior Woodchuck meeting

And the next, he is hopelessly stuck on his stomach, with Webby ruthlessly tickling the shit out of his armpits

This happens frequently too.

She's pretty unstoppable when it comes to tickling

Has to be ganged up on to actually give in

Lena and Violet have only made her admit defeat a total of 2 times

Her stamina is really good

Doesn't tease often- she isn't very good at it

On occasion she will say things like "Tickle tickle!" "Ohh, I've got you now!"

Will end with a check-in, then give her lee a hug and some water

🖤 Lena! 🖤

Ler-Leaning Switch!! 70/30

Lee:

Has mixed opinions on tickling

On one hand, Lena grew up under control of her aunt, and never got to actually experience things like tickles until she met Webby

On the other, it turns out that it is actually really fun!

During a sleepover, Webby introduced it as a game to play

Lena was hesitant at first, insecurities plaguing her mind

Like.. should she even be enjoying childish things like this? Was there a purpose at all? What if she wasn't ticklish?

Webby for sure took initiative in dispelling all of those thoughts, because they deserve to enjoy being kids 😌

Surprisingly enough, she is decently ticklish!

Lena will let out a loud ass scream if she's tickled unexpectedly

Her friends think it is hilarious, and will sneak up behind her rather frequently to tickle her

Worst spots are her armpits, feet, and neck

Will slam her arms down and try to twist away when she's getting tickled, acting like she's fighting for her life

Lena has a loud cackle

Rarely has laugh much different than that, but she will snort after a while

She is only comfortable with close friends tickling her, so communication is key to make sure she's okay with it

Doesn't particularly get lee moods, but she is usually up for a tickle fight with friends

Does not have very good self control, and will not hesitate to slap hands away

Will also kick if her ler is in leg-range

Cannot. Take. Teasing.

Gets super flustered and low key crumbles

Lena will be scrunched up, face pink and telling her ler to "just shut up!"

The triplets have only tried to tickle Lena once.

Let's just say they never attempted that again.

Ler:

Like Webby, Lena prefers to be the one doing the tickling

More of a mischievous ler, and isn't ruthless most of the time

When tickling people, she does a lot of scribbling, as well as pokes and sometimes squeezes

Always mindful of boundaries, and asks about what her lee is comfortable with before tickling them

Most frequent lees are Webby and Violet

Likes to tickle as a prank, to convince them of something, or in a tickle fight with a close friend

Lena can hold her own in said fights pretty well, and wins a fair amount of them

However, most of the times she loses is when there are multiple lers

Gets ler moods sometimes, and will usually go to Violet or (rarely, when she's feeling more bold) one of the triplets

Likes going for spots that make people flail, she thinks it's funny

Won't pin her lee down unless she's out for revenge

If that's the case, you're kinda screwed.

Will agree to team up with Webby to tickle-attack Dewey on occasion; it makes the poor kid loses his mind

Lena likes to tease a lot

Makes snarky comments, and has no trouble saying the word 'tickle'

I imagine that whenever she learned to harness her powers, that became a way to hold whoever she's trying to tickle in place

I mean, she used it to make her friends float, I don't think it's beyond her by any means 🤷

Definitely a force to be reckoned with, though it's all in good fun 😊

💛 Donald! 💛

Lee-Leaning Switch!! 60/40

Lee:

Oh yeah, this silly uncle definitely loves tickles, whether he'd admit it or not!

When they were kids, he and Della would get into tickle fights all the time

To be fair, it was mostly Della attacking her brother, but that's besides the point.

Donald is quite literally the embodiment of the bag-crinkling laugh

You know the one I'm talking about??

That is his laugh. There is nothing else it could possibly be /silly

Worst spots are probably his stomach, knees, hips, sides and armpits

Really really ticklish everywhere. It's kinda wild.

Would get obliterated with tickles daily in his childhood

He thought it was the most embarrassing thing in the world, but Della insisted it was anything but.

Okay, I live for the siblings- they definitely got into an atrociously large amount of tickly shenanigans together

So many battles were fought over tickling. It was just a daily occurrence.

it didn't stop as they got older either

Seems like the type to double over as soon as the tickling starts

Straight up folding in half like a lawn chair- it's over for him.

If he's standing when it happens, just scratch that. He isn't anymore.

Doesn't get lee moods often, but they do happen

After Della left, he started getting them a lot more frequently

The lack of physical affection was a bit of a shock. He didn't realize how much he'd cherished the little moments with his sister

Eventually, Donald got somewhat used to it, focusing his attention on raising the boys.

When she returned, there was a lot of lost time to make up for. Della made it a point to tickle the crap out of her brother whenever she could. (not that Donald was complaining)

Gets tickled the most by Della and Dewey, though he is much more embarrassed about the latter

His blue nephew loves to cause mischief for seemingly no reason

Donald could be peacefully cuddled up with him, when suddenly Dewey whips around and decides to just latch onto his sides- His uncle's reaction is so crazy, how could he not?

Still, despite his general weakness to tickles, Donald is still capable of turning the tables when necessary.

Ler:

A pretty nice ler 😋

Has a gentler style, with fluttering, scribbling and little pokes and prods

Now, he does tickle more roughly, but that's usually reserved for his sister

Mainly tickles his boys, he thinks it's the cutest thing in the world

Gets them relatively the same amount, but more often then not, it's Dewey who needs attention.

Will tickle people in retaliation, just to play, or to get someone to calm down (It's Dewey).

Pays attention to body language, and never pushes past his kiddo's limits

Delights in tickling each of his nephews, and has favorite little things about their reactions

Donald loves how Huey will throw his head back in laughter when he gets a bad spot, twisting around to try and get away.

He loves how Dewey will lay sprawled in his lap, wiggling about, but barely fighting back as he scribbles at his belly.

He also loves how Louie will get all worked up in anticipation as soon as he knows the tickling is coming, only to cuddle with his uncle afterwards, huffing with red cheeks about how "unfair he is".

Gets ler moods sometimes (slightly less than he does lee moods), and will usually make an excuse to tickle one of the triplets

However, if he's in a rougher mood, he'll go find Della and attempt to wreck her shit

It's risky, because she can super easily get him back, but Donald tries anyways.

Doesn't really pin his lees down. To him, dodging the flailing limbs is half of the fun

Teases in moderation. Donald will usually wiggle his fingers over a tickle spot before actually getting it, and he also makes funny sound effects to keep his lee in stitches

Afterwards, will give whoever he was tickling a hug, and a check in to make sure they're okay

Overall a very sweet and silly ler! 💗💗💗

🤎 Della! 🤎

Ler-Lean!! 80/20

Lee:

Alright, Della is a huge ler

Buut, being ticklish is in her blood- she is definitely weak to tickles!

Her laugh consists of loud cackles, snorts, and maybe a scream if you catch her off guard!

Della's response to tickling is to go on the offense

She'll slam her arms to her sides, and then almost immediately make attempts to tickle her ler back

If she can't turn the tables, she'll curl up and stay defiant until she cracks

Worst spots are her underarms, sides, knee, neck, and calf

While Della is ticklish in other places, those have a better chance of disarming her

Isn't embarrassed about being ticklish, though sometimes she'll deny it just to mess with people

Della is extremely hard to defeat when it comes to being tickled- she's got some crazy stamina

If she's aware that she's going to be tickled, depending on who it is, she's likely to try and convince them to leave her be

Although, if it's Donald, she'll go and just attack him first 🤷

Gets tickled the most by Donald and Dewey, but it still isn't often that she's on the receiving side.

As for lee moods, she doesn't get them a lot, but they happen every once and a while

When she is caught in one, she doesn't really ask to be tickled.

However, she will start more tickle fights than usual, being a lot less vicious in hopes that the other will gain the upper hand!

Ler:

Oh ho ho, you best believe that Della is the biggest tickle monster known to mankind!

During her childhood, tickling her brother was one of her favorite past times

She would constantly surprise him with tickles, to provoke him, initiate a tickle-fight, or just to tease

I lowkey see her as an older sister, so she has probably been a menace to Donald his entire life 😁💕💕

Absolutely loves turning people she loves into laughing messes, it is one of her favorite things in the world!

Has a rougher style, but she is willing to tweak her methods to better suit whoever she's tickling.

Will sneak up behind her lee and taze sides, squeeze, poke and scribble- basically anything she can think of!

Della also uses raspberries, as well as tickly bites and kisses

After she got back to Earth, she was trying to cram as much fun and games into her kiddo's lives as possible.

Would come up with all sorts of games to play with her sons, especially tickly ones

Will chase the triplets around as she acts like a monster, then tickle them when she catches them

Has a wild monster persona, and is absolutely ruthless

If you ever see her teaming up with Huey, just know that whatever peace that may have been known in the household is forfeited (no seriously- that is a duo made in hell and I need to write for it)

Tickles her boys in all different ways too!

Will tickle Huey to calm his nerves, and is usually a bit more gentle with him (unless he asks for more)

Sometimes after a particularly hard day, Della will cuddle up with her eldest son and scribble away at his sides until he's relaxed

It is the sweetest thing ever, and both of them love spending time with one another.

Will tickle Dewey pretty sporadically, and gets into a lot of little competitions with him

In my first set of headcanons, I said that Dewey spent time trying to find out if his mom is ticklish

After he learned that yes, she is in fact very ticklish, the two started to get into some crazy tickle fights

Della will also play try not-to-laugh games with him, use it as revenge for something he does, or just flat-out tickle the shit out of him for no reason and say she's 'training his endurance'.

Will tickle Louie pretty frequently, and loves to baby him while she does it

Della will scoop him up and go on about how cute he is as she pinches at his sides and gives him raspberries

It drives Louie nuts, because it's so ticklish, and he literally can't get away, plus the teasing makes it a thousand times worse.

Della also made it a point to tickle her brother as much as possible after she returned from the moon

Donald argued at first, telling her they were too old to be doing things like tickling one another

As the older sister, and therefore wiser, she insisted that none of that is true.

Keeps boundaries in mind, and always makes sure her lee is comfortable with what she's doing beforehand

Overall a very fun (although evil) ler!!

[palmettoshenanigans]

Aftg is really a Shakespearean tragedy. I’m learning about Titus right now and just.. Nora really checked all the boxes for a Shakespearean tragedy

Hello Anon Bestie, I've returned from war with my essay as promised! Okay, quick and dirty Betty Crocker Box recipe for a Shakespearean Tragedy (nuance and academic rigor not included):

A person with a flaw that can get em killed - spoiler: it gets em killed. (Tragic Hero + Hamartia)

Ghosts, witches, gods, oh my! (Supernatural Elements)

Good deeds go unnoticed and bad deeds go unpunished and everyone dies, hero included (Tragic Waste + Lack of Poetic Justice)

Look Anon Bestie, I took pages of notes, and I was almost going to talk about how everyone's Hamartia (Ambition, Devotion/Loyalty, Power, etc) were just functions of Love where Exy was the conduit everyone had in common. I even almost talked about the importance of how everyone's Deep Wounds had their origins in Parents (sins of the father, parental neglect and attachment, parents as one's first lesson on love). And THEN I almost talked about how neither villains nor heroes are born, they're made and the personal decision to remake one's self in the aftermath of the forge that shaped you-

But fuck all that honestly. All I care about here is the classic Tragic Hero and Tragic Waste hooplah. "The hero dies in the end" and all that.

I know what you're probably thinking, "But Tragic Waste doesn't apply to AFTG because the Tragic Hero doesn't die in the end! Neil is alive and so are all the Foxes!" I get it, I do, but here's my take. The Tragic Hero isn't Neil.

It's Nathaniel.

Which immediately brings me to my opinion on how AFTG manages to have a Supernatural Element as well. "But AFTG takes place in the real world!" stop interrupting me- listen- Neil isn't fucking real. He is not a real boy. Pinocchio in his wood state is more real than Neil is. Andrew knew Neil wasn't real from the fucking jump and was on that boy like white on rice. Nathaniel knew Neil wasn't real - how many times did he try to hold back his home grown Smart Mouth A La Attitude Problem for the sake of his store bought Meek and Mild disposition? AKA how many times did he suppress his Material because it would ruin the integrity of his Form? From page one our Tragic Hero was Nathaniel Wesninski trying to survive blah blah blah pretend to be Neil blah blah blah leave Nathaniel buried in Baltimore with his father yadda yadda roll credits- Throughout the entire first three books Neil Josten starts basically obtaining Life and haunting the narrative. He was a painting that triggered the uncanny valley, he was a statue that seemed like it was gonna reach out and touch you, he was a mask that accidentally welded itself to your face like that one movie from the mid-90s. Nathaniel is trying to beat this fake-boy back with a stick while also keeping his name but it doesn't fucking work that way. Neil wanted friends. Neil wanted Exy. Neil wanted a home. Neil wanted to stay. Nathaniel? He could have had friends and a home and Exy in another life. But Mary rewrote history and said "Put on these masks. Hide, Nathaniel. These masks will help keep you safe." And it was working tbh. But then one of them came to life. And our Tragic Hero died to make room for him.

Whoops.

There's nothing fancy about my arguement here, only that AFTG really does fulfill the Shakespearean Tragedy format, Supernatural Elements and Hero Dies and all. Anyway, here's a couple excerpts from my notes that didn't make the cut in my final essay: "The tragedy? All the villans are dead. Drake, Riko, Nathan, etc. But the ghost will forever haunt the house (flashbacks, nightmares, triggers, scars) and those who remain inheret the ruins they didn't raze (Ichiro, Exy)." "The hero dies and the villain dies but both good and evil still prevail so catharsis is bittersweet and yet that's what makes it the most realistic."

[kitorin]

journal.

in which, itoshi rin's midnight writing exposes what he's kept concealed from you.

contents. itoshi rin x reader, 2.878 k words, fluff, angst (in the past), itoshi backstory spoilers (mixed with a few headcanons), 1st person rin pov for a bit (journal entry), regular highschool au

a/n. is this my best? no. but is it the best i have for today? yes. happy birthday to rin <3 after assignments are done i'll definitely rewrite this (i gave up on proofreading)

10 / 09 / 2023 : SUNDAY, 12:04 am - 3:21 am

Solitude has never been a foreigner.

In fact, he's quite a familiar individual, an old companion that never seems to leave.

Even before Nii chan left for Spain, solitude was still there for me. During class I wouldn't utter a word to anyone else unless necessary, and contrariwise for said classmates. People still spoke to me; just not to the extent that they'd know what my favourite foods were, or what I liked to watch in my free time, not even bothering with it. I've never been invited to hang out with anyone after school, or been to someone else's house (not that I particularly cared, I was just sure that I was the only one).

But I was okay with it. I didn't want, or need anyone else when Nii chan bought me ice blocks, giving me the bigger piece as we'd watch the sun's warm hues bleed into the sky; the saccharine iciness contrasting how warm is was to be swallowed by sunlight together. Dad took us fishing a lot, he's always been well acquainted with the sea, taking us to locations well populated by bream; my favourite. On our way home we'd harvest kelp (Nii chan likes it in rice, salted) and take photos together on our yacht, admiring how the sun greets the world farewell, sinking into the aquamarine. Mum makes amazing food, I'm constantly astonished at how she manages to memorise every preference, from my love for ochazuke to being able to pour the perfect amount of tea; the rice never becomes too soggy (even I can't pour the exact amount I like). Solitude was close to me, but my family were closer.

There's a lot I could say about them, they've done more than remember what I love and ensuring I was happy; I'm thankful they've delivered the right for me to be comforted, to have a shoulder to cry on, to be able to freely ramble on about whatever fascinated me.

I've always been happy, even if I'm alone outside of the walls I call home. Because whether I laughed my heart out or sobbed to the point I couldn't form a coherent sentence, I'd always come home running to my family. Nothing can beat dinner; where we all relish mum's food, ask each other about our days' and offer solace or advice when necessary.

I miss that. Terribly, to the point my heart aches.

I knew that Nii chan's departure to Europe (Spain, to be exact) would change a lot. I'd have to score without his guidance, walk home alone and buy my own popsicles. Dinner time would have one less soul to laugh with, and home would have one less to embrace.

I just never expected it to be painful change. I never predicted that his return would result in losing us entirely. I didn't think his homecoming would cause my immortal resentment towards the snow, or how my eyes prickle a bit at the mere thought of an ice block. I'd say it was the worst thing that had ever happened to me, separation from him following it on the list of my worst experiences.

Solitude avoided me at home, but wasn't enough.

One time on the way home, I was overhearing the team's conversations (nothing particularly new really) and it was a discussion about the future. It was honestly surprising to find out only some of us intended to become soccer players; Nagi would rather stream or compete in professional gaming, Kurona wants to study marine biology in uni, and Yukimiya wants to give acting a go along with his modelling career. Even Isagi has a plan for if professional soccer isn't an option. He said he wanted to help others achieve their dreams if he fails to do so himself.

I remained silent as always, but had a lot more thoughts racing through my mind. Retreating to my room immediately that night, my first thought was to lie in bed, to neglect the clips I planned to analyse, to ignore muscle training for today and to slack off a bit. That's when I realized how sad the life I was living. I was sad because I was reminded of my reality.

I'm a mere myriad of distinguished achievements, though a hideous attempt of replicating genius Itoshi Sae. I'm a collection of formidable accomplishments, basking in the spotlight of glory and honour. The trophies and awards adorning my room prove it, standing tall with pride and flaunting my hard work.

That didn't mean anything. I had remained in a constant cycle of training, eating, and sleeping. My teammates were just as ambitious yet still worked hard on other things; Yukimiya enjoys modelling and Reo has a passion for economics, That must've been where I was lacking.

That's how I ended up writing again. It was an attempt to break out of this cyclical torture of constant training and sports.

I don't know how I remembered it, but I found my notebook from primary, all the stories messily scrawled yet legible. Scarlet adorned narratives birthed from child-like imagination, eulogising the prose, even though I almost flinched out of embarrassment.

Flipping through the pages, I had found the paragraph my teacher left me, insisting that I keep writing. Obviously, I never did. After getting into soccer I ignored everything school related, and would've found words on a page foolish anyways.

Many years later, I finally followed that advice.

The end result wasn't pretty. I paused a lot, struggled a lot, and almost gave up, a lot. It may have been hideous, but it was mine. A piece birthed from curiosity and memories from the past turned into another attempt. Another attempt morphed into extensive reading, I wanted to observe what was considered worthwhile or meaningless.

Writing rewove the early nights into late night reading, fully immersed in the author's thoughts translated into prose. Reading was the push to giving academics a go. Academics pulled me out of the endless cycle of soccer, there was more to life than training and diet regulation.

Books I can read. Words I can write. Exams I can study for and sports I can practice. Weights I can lift and competitions I can train for.

But to be loved, is so difficult.

It's not like an exam that you can study for and simply memorise the answers to. Or a match that has the security of a referee and reinforced rules. It's not something that can be guaranteed with a mentor.

People treat Isagi to his favourite whenever he has a bad day (he likes kintsuba). People advocate their favourite novels to Yukimiya and Chigiri, even going as far as memorising their preferences to curate their recommendations flawlessly. It must be nice, for someone to invest that sort of effort in you, even if it's simply remembering a hobby.

As my peers savoured the allure of love, estrangement and desolation constantly haunted me; a pest habituating the sleepless nights where I try to escape with a cup of coffee that's long gone cold.

It's lukewarm, praying for another's attention, care and love, to be hungry for one's time. I pathetically plead whoever manipulating my fate to provide me some sort of human connection. I shouldn't be so hopeful of others, yet I find myself dying of curiosity; what would it be like for someone to remember my birthday? Or tell me about the horror movie they adored?

I despise solitude's clinginess. But I hate how it makes me sob endlessly when no one watches.

I have myself. I have my thoughts which I've transcribed to oeuvre. I have the pile of books resting on my bedside table which sleep alongside with me. I have the trophies and awards I've won, I'll always appreciate my own talent and diligence, even if playing soccer brought me so much pain.

I think I'm somewhat pretty. I find my prominent eyelashes special to me, it's something unique to both me and Nii chan. My physique isn't too bad, either. I like the way my legs look, and my shoulders as I dry my hair.

I've always been proud of myself. I've always been enough and I always will be. Just not for others.

That's why I never expected my bond with solitude to be severed so easily. Especially because of y/n out of all people.

I still don't get how it happened. The oblivion to their presence became a peculiar first impression. An odd first meeting turned into abrupt yet regular greetings amidst hallways. Soon, I was sitting with them in every class, passing notes during tedious lessons and discussing our favourite media on the bus ride home.

Before I knew it, passionate rambles about books turned into watching movies together in my room. Whenever they greeted me their friendly wave was replaced with a tight hug, passing notes in class were accompanied with subtle kisses on the cheek.

Our relationship as friends was reimagined to lovers.

Something must've possessed me to blurt out the stupid crush I had on them, and I thank whatever drove me to do that. As awkward as I was it doesn't compare to the skip of my heartbeat when they accepted my feelings.

It's been almost a year since I met them, yet I still feel hot whenever they hold my hand, and flush red at every compliment they whisper. I still find myself stuttering sometimes whenever they're showing me a new outfit they've styled.

I love the way they smile, the creases of joy that adorn the outer corner of their eyes, and how they squint with glee and the sweet, melodious laughter that accompanies it; how breathless they sound whilst laughing. The expression they wear when deep in thought fascinates me, even if it's midway through an exam or them simply observing a video Bachira sent them. I adore their late night thoughts they text me at 3 am, the fatigue itching my eyes seem to evaporate when I notice their name on the notification. I treasure the notes we've scrawled on spare sheets of paper, they're still in between the pages of my books.

Even now, they're sleeping soundly in my bed, arms wrapped around the plush I bought them; I keep getting distracted by the sight of them so relaxed, chest rising up and down with each breath.

I would die for them. Because now I don't need to pretend to be invested on my phone to look less lonely. Now, I don't need to put my bag on the seat next to me to make it look like I sit alone by choice. I don't have to persuade the teacher to let me do group projects alone, or have to observe others with jealousy. Someone defends me from disparaging comments.

Because now, I'm not alone.

7:15 am

THE ENTRY COMES TO AN END, AND EMBARASSMENT DUSTS Rin's face a faint tint of pink. His eyes avoid contact with yours— as he waits for your input his latest piece.

"Well? What do you think?"

You're not sure where to start. You've always known about his strained relationship with his older brother, and how his friendship with his teammates wasn't the same in the beginning. But he never explained it in detail; you wouldn't've guessed that he had some sort of chionophobia, or even cried because he felt so secluded from others. The thought of him concealing his tears and pain from the rest of the world made your eyes prickle and sends your heart racing miserably.

"Doesn't matter—" He reaches for the notebook, closing it and tossing it onto his desk. "Forget it, you didn't see anything." He plops backwards again, head hitting the pillow and groaning as he covers his face with his forearm. "It was shit anyways, I'll rip it out and toss it later."

"It wasn't."

Rin stays silent.

You lie down, mimicking his current position and cup his cheeks with your hand. "You'll never be alone again—, I promise you that." Your voice falters ever so slightly, the thought of his pain makes you feel weak in the knees and sick to the stomach. "You're more than enough, you always have and always will be. You don't need anyone's validation to be beautiful, you never did."

Rin sighs, "I'm only like that because of you." Yet something seems to throb in his heart, the small but overpowering part of him that insists he requires another's approval to be important— someone finally proving that wrong.

"That's not true."

"Yes it is, our classmates still loathe me, so do people who barely see or speak to me." There was no lie in that; but it wasn't Rin's fault. "Yoichi and the others only spend time with me because of you."

"I was only the push for them to speak to you, you know they've always cared, they were just too nervous to speak to you. As competitive as he gets, Yoichi really admires you, to the point he gets so heated and ends up rambling about your skills." That's a secret that was supposed to remain in your private messages, but Yoichi doesn't need to know.

Satisfaction momentarily appears on Rin's face at the thought of his rival's great respect, though it doesn't last very long.

"He's my teammate so it's expected... everyone I speak to at school seems to have something against me, even our English teacher." The mistreatment at school is undeniable, it's not exactly bullying but there's no respect or human decency in how people behave towards him.

"Rin, love, you've done nothing wrong, hate isn't always rational. There will always be people who can't stand seeing others more successful, and that's not your fault."

"Really?" His eyes light up; despite having a sophisticated and cold demeanour all the time, he looks like a child again, hope dances in his wide eyes.

"Really." Your fingers take advantage of the opportunity and pinch his cheeks gently. "Don't listen to all those stupid rumours and assumptions, idiot. I'd fight anyone who tries to hurt you and win every time."

When your fingers let go he immediately kisses you, and it leaves you breathless; the way he pulls you in flexes his well toned biceps and his hand supports your head.

"Thank you." Rin whispers, pulling away a bit. "Thank you for appreciating me. Thank you for everything." It's a rare occurrence for him to sound so frail, same goes for the tremble of his bottom lip.

"Of course, I love you more than anything."

"I love you too." It's escorted by a peck on your nose, and a soft expression sculpted on his face.

Before Rin can throw a blanket over the two of you again, you interrupt.

"You shouldn't throw that entry away." You still haven't forgotten his initial intention with it. "I don't get why you think it's shit."

"It's rushed. And it's just me waffling on about my feelings and the past. There's no proofreading, and it's rushed. It's not even complete either."

"That's the whole point of writing, no? It's the expression of our words and thoughts." You reach towards his desk to pick up the notebook. "Not everything has to be written in one sitting, too."

Rin doesn't bother stopping you from looking through the notebook at this point. "It's still stupid. It's just that I had the urge and motivation to write in the dead of night."

"Well. I like it."

Rin's stoic expression crumbles, revealing the bashful side he keeps concealed from the world. "Then that's good enough for me." The red on his cheeks tell you that you've won the argument.

You turn back to the entry page, impressed with his barely legible yet pretty handwriting. "You should've slept instead."

"I don't get tired anyways." He's quickly betrayed by the yawn clawing out of his throat.

"Liar. Why would you stay up writing so late... your sleep is important you know?"

"Because you are love itself. I won't get a wink of sleep if it means I can think and write about you instead." Rin's pulls you in again, tossing his notebook elsewhere as he leans in. "I promise I'll finish that entry, no— I'll write a book about you one day."

"Writing this, writing that, sleep first dumbass." A smile tugs at your lips as you pull Rin back into the position you were cuddling in a few hours ago. Even though you were the one who slept a lot more, fatigue itched your eyes, and a yawn spilled out too.

In response, Rin tosses a blanket over the two of you, whispering good night as you begin to nod off a bit. He should rest too, he has training tomorrow and has to go to the gym as well.

The Itoshi Rin from before would've slept immediately. In fact, he wouldn't've stayed up in the first place, let alone date someone. But the Itoshi Rin now instead stares at you, admiring each and every feature of yours. You're his savior, the luminescent moon irradiating his world, guiding him away from the grasps of solitude and embracing him with love instead.

Tagging: @yuzurins (yumi you inspired this fic btw lol)

© kitorin : do not repost, plagiarize, change, or translate

[canirove]

Rice, Rice, baby | Chapter 19

Author's note: Btw, do you get the title of the story now? Big spoiler 😅

Previous chapter | Next chapter

Masterlist

"Liv, congratulations!" Harry Kane says when he sees me.

"What?"

"The baby!"

"Oh, that" I chuckle. 

"Come here, let me give you a hug. You are already showing!"

"Yeah, a bit" I say with a shy smile.

"When Kate told me I couldn't believe it. Our little Liv is having a baby! I'm sure your dad is over the moon. His first grandchild!"

"He…"

"And Alex? How is he?"

"Declan."

"What?" Kane says with a confused look.

"I must go, I'm sorry" I say, starting to run. "Dec! Declan! Declan, stop!"

He had heard Kane. He had shown up behind him out of nowhere and he had heard everything. Fuck.

"Declan, please!"

"What" he says, abruptly stopping and making me clash against his back, catching me before I end up on the floor. "Shit, Liv. Are you ok?" 

"Yeah, yeah." 

"Are you sure?" he asks.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Ok" he says, still holding me. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Declan…"

"You didn't waste your time."

"Declan, listen…"

"I'm sure Alex is over the moon.”

“Dec…”

“He's always been in love with you and now he finally gets to be with you and even start a family.”

"Declan, can you please shut up!" I say, raising my voice. "We need to talk. But not here, come" I say, grabbing his hand and taking him to one of the offices.

"So? What did you want to talk about?" he says, leaning against the desk in the middle of the room while I do the same against the door. Though I'm pretty sure his heart isn't beating as fast as mine is. And not only because of how nervous I am. How can he look even more handsome than the last time I saw him? 

"It's yours."

"Uh?"

"The baby, Declan. It's yours."

"What?" he says, standing up so fast that he makes the desk tremble, some of the things on it falling to the floor. "What do you mean it is mine?"

"Yeah" I shrug, biting my lip and trying not to cry.

"Liv… How… This… I…" he says, running a hand through his hair and starting to pace around the office. "Last camp? It had to be then, we didn't… Shit."

"Yes" I nod.

"Why didn't you tell me, Liv? Why does everyone know but me? And why do they think Alex is the father?"

"It's complicated."

"Is it?" he scoffs.

"Yes, it is."

"Then please explain" Declan says, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the desk once again.

“At first I was feeling very tired and thought it was stress because… you know. The previous months hadn't been the best. When I told Kennedy about it she said she had felt the same when she was pregnant with Leo and the thought crossed my mind, but I brushed it off. After that I started to get nauseous and my period wasn't coming, but I kept telling myself it was just stress. Then after Christmas one of the team's doctors ran some tests because I had promised Madders that if I kept feeling unwell I would do it, and…”

"And you found out you were pregnant."

"Yes."

"Did you know it was mine back then?"

"Of course I did" I say. "I haven't been with anyone else since I met you, Declan."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Because… Because…"

"C'mon, Liv."

"Because I was scared, ok?" I say, not able to contain my tears anymore. "This wasn't part of my plan. Being a mum was something I always dreamt of, yes. But not now and not like this, not alone."

"You are not alone, Liv."

"I know. But you have moved on. You have a girlfriend now, a serious one, you are happy together. I didn't want to ruin that for you." 

"So you thought that not telling me and saying that Alex is the father was the best choice?" he laughs.

"No, I… I was going to tell you."

"When? When the kid turned 18?"

"No! I just… I'm sorry, ok?" I sob. "I'm sorry if I've done everything wrong, this isn't easy!"

"Liv… Liv, hey. Liv" Declan says, walking towards me and hugging me. "It's ok, Liv."

"No, it isn't! This is a mess!"

"It's ok, Liv" he says again, kissing my head.

"Alex found out because he heard me talking with Madders about it here at work, but he didn't tell me that he knew. And then at my father's birthday party he… he…" 

"It's ok, Liv" Declan repeats while caressing my hair, his touch making me relax a bit and stopping my body from shaking like crazy with every sob. “Tell me what happened.”

“His mum always makes lasagna for big events and I love it, it is one of my favourite dishes. But the moment I smelled it, I threw up. It was so bad that everyone showed up at the kitchen, asking what was going on. My dad said that I should go to the hospital so they could run more tests, I refused to do it, and that's when Alex threatened me and dropped the bomb.”

“He did what?” Declan says, moving me so I am looking at him. 

“He said he was doing what was best for me” I snort.

“For you? How is sharing something so personal and without your permission what is best for you? I’m fucking killing him the moment I cross paths with him.”

“There is no need. I punched him.”

“You what?”

“Yeah” I shrug. “I've been boxing with Micky to let go of everything I have been feeling and…”

“Wow” Declan chuckles. “So Alex told everyone you were pregnant and that he was the father?”

"He did. And suddenly everyone was cheering and congratulating us while I was trying really hard to not punch him again and to process what was going on."

"And you've kept lying about it."

"I've wanted to explain everything, to tell the truth. But he keeps telling me that it will only break everyone's hearts, that this is for the best, that you've moved on, and I…"

"You've let him manipulate you."

"I… I have, yes" I say, starting to cry again. "But I just… You should see how happy my dad is, Declan. Like, he told me he had always hoped that Alex and I would end up together. And even though I keep telling him and everyone else that we aren't and that it was just a one time thing… I don't know. It is too much. And I've been feeling so many things, both physically and emotionally that I… It hasn't been easy."

"I can only imagine… But things are about to change" Declan says, cupping my face and wiping away my tears. "Because that is my child, and I'm gonna take care of them."

"What?"

"If you let me and are ok with it, I want to be there for you, Liv. For both of you" he says. "I know I probably don't deserve it after the way I hurt you, but… I want to go to the doctor appointments with you, and be there when you buy their first outfit, and their car seat, and read all the books, and attend as many classes as I can to learn how this works and how I can help you and just… be there for you."

"What about your girlfriend? What will she say?"

"Don't worry about her. You are what matters now, Liv. You and the baby. Let me be there for you" he repeats, resting his forehead on mine. "Please."

"Yes" I hear myself saying.

"Yes?"

"Yes" I repeat. "I want to do this with you. Together."

"Together" he smiles, making the butterflies in my stomach wake up again after a long time. “May I?” 

“Uh?”

“Your bump. May I touch it?”

“Oh… Yes, of course.”

“Hello, little one” Declan whispers, they way he is smiling while caressing my belly making me cry again. But this time, they are happy tears. Probably the happiest since I found out I was pregnant. 

[msnikkimoneypenny]

My Stubborn episode 5 Spoilers from the novel

So after Khun Tune apologized to Jun. The note on the food basically said Stop sulking already cuz I don't know how else to make it up to you. June shares the snacks with everyone in the office obviously.

Knowing that Sorn gave Jun that big ass bag of sticky rice, Korn's messy ass gave Jun the label of 'Sorn's Kid.' From there anybody starts associating June as Sorn's Kid. This is why Penny was asking June all those questions. So even when Phut is asking Jun to buy coffee, Phut says he is just joking cuz who would make Sorn's Kid do all of that in the coffee scene.

PS: This in the book is when Penny starts to throw side eye at Jun and act coldly to him. ...

So there is no more Phut making out with anyone. But...

Sorn is giving Jun happy endings on a consistent basis in the emergency stairs but Sorn isn't getting off. Only Jun. Hence why he is so horny during move in day.

Fucking while Thai was calling them. Thai called Sorn's phone. Sorn's phone was too far away. No answer. Then Thai called Jun's phone and he did answer while they were fucking. Then the same dialogue. Only difference is they did finish while Win knocked on the door.

[someaholic]

Introduction:

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[knightotoc]

Just finished IWTV book, so now I can say the differences between the book, movie, and show. The movie is quite accurate to the book, while the show is more original. I love them all quite a lot, but I think the show is my favorite since it's the most romantic. Long post with spoilers below the cut.

book:

The depth of Louis' interiority, especially his thoughts about religion, can only be found in the book. I am also ex-Catholic so this is high-key my shit. Especially knowing Anne Rice went back and forth later in life. I can relate. Louis wants to talk about his feelings with other vampires, but Lestat and Claudia aren't interested, which is the main reason Louis is attracted to Armand. Where is the Brideshead Revisited crossover?? Louis get in a bisexual love triangle with the Flytes for me🙏

I learned in the Matt Baume video on Anne Rice that she wrote IWTV while grieving her daughter, who died of leukemia just before her sixth birthday. This feeling of grief, reflected so clearly in Claudia, is the most moving and unique aspect of the book, far more than anything between the adult characters.

One reason this feeling is watered-down in both adaptations is that in the book, Claudia is only 5/6, the age of Anne's real daughter. In the movie she is 10 and in the show 14. Of course it would be impossible to find a 6 year old actress who could act with the maturity of an 80-year-old woman. But the character is even more pitiful and bizarre as a little child than as one nearing puberty.

In the book, Lestat is shown to have survived the murder attempt pretty early on, and he keeps jump-scaring Louis and Claudia on their adventures. I prefer the movie's version where they hold off on this reveal. Though of course I always love to see him, lol

In the book, I got the impression that Lestat and Louis are both bi, but Lestat prefers men and Louis prefers women. Still, their motivations aren't driven by sexuality in a straightforward way. For example, Lestat's ideal prey is a young man, because he loves to destroy their potential. Louis feels something like love for a few women characters, because he feels empathy for their misfortunes.

The adaptations soften/change Louis' status as a slave-owner; in the movie, he frees his slaves, and in the book he just flees. As much as Louis is a soft-hearted quasi-feminist, defined by his guilt and regret, he is still racist and close-minded in most ways. This seems realistic to me.

I did think it was interesting and cool that the enslaved people can tell Louis and Lestat aren't human, while the other plantation owners and even Lestat's dad have no idea. But we don't get their perspective, just Louis' racist assumptions.

Yeah in the book Lestat has a dad! It is rather confusing since Lestat explains nothing, but it creates some great melodrama. I guess I have to read the next one and hope for a backstory reveal.

Fun spooky detour into Eastern Europe! I hope the show goes there in season 2.

Louis and Armand's discussions are really cool. I especially loved Louis' monologues after Claudia's death. There wasn't room for these discussions in the movie, but I feel like it'll be a main focus in season 2 of the show.

movie:

Like I said, the movie is impressively accurate, and a beautiful work of art on its own. The best innovation is holding off on the Lestat reveal until almost the very end. This makes it look like their murder attempt really did a number on him, and it took decades and decades of rat-eating to even drag himself out of the swamp. I like that.

The movie also has a more exciting and ridiculous ending, in which Lestat attacks the reporter in his car and drives away to Guns N' Roses. The book ends with the reporter hurrying off to find Lestat himself. It's funnier and more awesome if Lestat is the one driving the plot and the car. Pleased to meet you :D

"How avant-garde." Best line in the movie, and it's not from the book!

Since the movie cut out most of the minor characters, there isn't as much evidence for Louis' bisexuality. Louis seems more like, gay but closeted. And Lestat seems more like, gay but misogynist, so he'll prey on women just for sport lol.

I'm a Fight Club guy so I love that this is, like, a reverse companion movie (this time, Brad Pitt is the pushover in a dangerous gay duo)

show:

This is the only version that is clearly gay. But this dynamic is the same: Louis wants to talk about things, and Lestat does not. In this case, the focus of these discussions is not vampirism or religion but their relationship. Louis points out that he is gay and Lestat is bi. Perhaps it's just because I saw this version first, but this is my favorite version of their sexualities. The show simply spends more time with this dynamic, and how it affects everything, including their interracial relationship and openness in society.

In the book, Lestat is a talented but soulless musician. He can play anything, but without heart. In the show, music is Lestat's one genuine connection to humanity (even if this connection just leads him to kill musicians who don't impress him). I believe later books go more into Lestat as a musician, so I'll have more thoughts on this later.

Since the reporter is cynical, old, and dying, this creates a much more compelling conversation within the framing device. He holds Louis to task with a forcefulness that rivals Lestat. It is a clever way of modernizing the story, since Daniel references their last interview in the 70s (when the book was published), and you are meant to wonder which version is more truthful.

Since Claudia is 14, she can pass as an adult, and she is able to go on her own rather disastrous adventure. It is exciting, terrifying, and sad, and a welcome addition for this character, though it is much different than the book's helpless, heartless Claudia.

The Catholicism in the show is flashier, but not as interesting as the book. For example, in the book, Louis is haunted not just by Paul's death, but Louis' failure to meet Paul's faith-driven monetary demands. In the show, Paul's ideas seem like more of an annoyance. Maybe there will be more religious doubt in season 2, but I don't really expect it.

In the book, it seems like Louis and Claudia throw Lestat in the swamp since it's faster and more thorough than fire. In the show, the oven they use is a major plot point, and Louis can't bear to put Lestat's body in it because he still loves him. Instead they throw Lestat in the trash, which is one of my favorite tropes (see: Maul in The Clone Wars, Soldier 1998). This is just one of the many ways the show complicates and deepens Louis and Lestat's bond.

I feel like the show is more believable and has more deepness in general, since it's a smart retrospective on an old franchise and a response to decades of vampire fun in pop culture. For example, in the show Louis has volunteer humans to feast upon, and it's very "safe, sane, and consensual," versus the universally predatory relationships in the book and movie. Because we all know now that if vampires were real, and they were hot and rich, they could get all the blood they want without hurting anyone. An ethical vampire like Louis isn't impossible anymore. Compared to other billionaires, he's a pretty decent guy.

So, I'd say the book has the most profound perspective on grief, the movie has better structure, and the show has the most complex romance.

[berriblossom]

Ad astra abyssoque! stumbled across your blog just a couple of days ago, and I really enjoyed your writings, especially the last couple of Papa Zhongli things. They were super wholesome, especially the second part with with the reader being an Illuminated beast, and I was hoping to make a request relating to that little series actually.

Basically, Zhongli has to go out and assist the Traveler on a quest. And because no self-respecting father would take his into such a potentially dangerous situation, he elects to enlist big sis Ganyu or big bro Xiao to babysit the reader while he's away. Imagine Xiao teaching the reader to fly in their swan-form? Aaaah, it'd be so cute!

Zhongli x Gn Child! Reader | Zhongli is an anxious parent + Xiao and Ganyu bonding moments and Zhongli story quest spoilers.

[ Ahhhh!!! Another request!! Thank you so much for the greeting! Please keep these coming. I love Papa Zhongli!]

✄---------------------------------

It was a relaxing morning, as it began. Zhongli made a fresh cup of tea, and he made you breakfast. You ate your porridge at the dining room table, humming to a little song you heard in the harbor. Today was going to be peaceful and relaxing. Today was Zhongli's day off from the funeral parlor. He sat down beside you, humming your tune too, while drinking his tea.

Ah yes, a splendid day indeed. Maybe you two could go to the park? Or maybe go for a nice walk around Liyue Harbor for a stroll. However, Zhongli was happy he had a day to spend with you, his sweet adorable child-

That was until the traveler and Paimon practically broke down his door about needing him for a hidden and old domain they needed him for. Zhongli spat out his tea once he heard something about missing miners from the chasm. Although Zhongli was going to tell the traveler to speak with the Millelith around the chasm, however seeing them beg him for his aid like last time, he couldn't really argue. Especially about situations as weird as such.

As Zhongli was thinking about his options, your little hand tugged on his pinkie finger. Zhongli glanced down and met your gaze. You have grains of sticky rice stuck to your face, and held your little rubber ducky plush. But your eyes looked a little sad. "I thought today we would spend it together Papa...are you going to be busy again?" You looked down in your chair, Zhongli felt his heart crack. You'd been waiting for a day to spend with him. A whole day with your Papa, he had been busy with the parlor and the recent events of the Rite of Descension for Rex Lapis. Zhongli didn't notice how busy he was now that he was a full-time parent.

Zhongli gestured at the traveler for a moment alone with you. Dragging Paimon off and away for his privacy while Paimon was talking about your rice porridge. Zhongli brought you into his lap as he apologized to you, your little tears and sniffles broke his heart. He kissed them away while hugging you close. "Papa is so sorry my sweet swan. I didn't want to ruin our day, Papa will make it up to you, he promises." You nodded and wiped your tears saying you were a big kid and shouldn't cry. Zhongli could see right through the statement but didn't say anything. When he agreed to help the traveler, Paimon suggested something.

"Why not get someone to watch them? Paimon thinks you could as Hu Tao?" Zhongli almost had a heart attack at the statement. "I respect Ms. Hu Tao a lot but not enough to let her handle my child for a day."

"What about Baizhu?"

"He has QiQi I believe to take care of and it would be too sudden to ask him."

"Madam Ping?"

"She had YaoYao and Xiangling along with Yanfei, plus Ping isn't as lively as she wants to be for [name]."

"What about Childe?"

"No."

The sound of the word could shake anyone to the core. The amount of rage and fury within a single word was enough to convince Paimon to stop suggesting people. Finally, the traveler spoke for a good person.

"What about Xiao and Ganyu? You mention before [name] has met them, plus they are Adepti. Who better to watch them?" At the mere mention of Ganyu's name, you started kicking your feet in Zhongli's arms. He could tell you wanted to see her more. It had been a while since you two saw each other. Plus Xiao was a yakasha, he was agile enough to watch you and protect you. Cloud Retainer did mention you needed more time with your Adepti counterparts. Who better than those two?

Zhongli continued thinking before coming to a point.

"Fine, Ganyu and Xiao will work."

Traveler and Paimon cheered at finally they could get Zhongli to help them in their little mystery mission. But Zhongli continued. "But, let me take [Name] to Jueyun Karst and speak with those two first. If they are busy then I must decline the offer and stay home with [name]." The pair nodded.

Zhongli placed you down as you asked if Paimon was a rubber ducky too or a pretty birdy like your aunt Cloud Retainer as Zhongli went to get you a little baggie for your hangout with Ganyu and Xiao. After a few more minutes he packed your little bag.

It had a change of clothes, some snacks, water, and juice. A bedtime book, in case he can't get home in time. And a little Geo pin. The Geo symbol was an idea made by my Cloud Retainer, she gave you and Zhongli the pin after your last visit. A little item similar to Cor Lapis, that doubled as jewelry to security. It was able to find your location easily since it was pure Geo energy embedded into it from Zhongli's fingertips. He approved of such in case you got hurt while he was at work.

He placed the pin onto your shirt gently, with a little snap! It was done. You held your bag while you and your Papa walked out the door to head to Liyue's mountains in search of the two Adepti. The traveler waited back at the harbor for Zhongli to return back instead. By late morning, Zhongli was able to pinpoint Ganyu and Xiao. Luckily, they weren't too far away.

Getting into the circle of Jueyun Karst, Ganyu felt the ex-Geo archon within a few feet. Zhongli held your hand all the way up the mountains before you ran off to hug Ganyu. She accepted your hug happily while laughing with you about the sudden surprise.

"WoW! What a surprise, hello little swan! How are you [name]?"

"Papa said I get to spend the day with you! He said he needed to do something super empor....important!" You smiled as you tried to pronounce it correctly, Zhongli held your bag as he apologized to ganyu about the surprise visit.

"Sorry, something came up, and I was out of options around the harbor. Could you and Xiao watch [Name] for a day? Hopefully, this won't last all day. They have a set of clothes, snacks, juice, and water inside the bag." He handed the bag off to Ganyu as she took a peak inside. Your blanket was inside it, too.

"It's alright, Mr. Zhongli! Me and Xiao can watch them, matter of fact, he was just here... Oh! I know, [name] why don't you call big brother Xiao, huh?" Ganyu leaned down with you to cup your hands around your mouth to help you be louder. Of course, Xiao wasn't that far away. He dashed as soon as he knew Zhongli was around Minlin.

You cupped your hands and started shouting.

Within seconds, the Yakasha stood before you, his menacing aura disappearing as you clung onto his leg while rambling about duck racing, shopping, and story time. Xiao confused as he saw Ganyu smirk at him, Zhongli greeted and wished them luck as he walked down the path toward the rope bridges waving goodbye to them. You said goodbye to your Papa, not crying because strong big kids don't cry. Ganyu laughed as you clung to Xiao. Rather than a scowl of scuff, he just patted your head while mumbling something under his breath.

"XIAO! BIG BROTHER XIAO! XIAO, BIG BROTHER WHERE ARE YOU! DO YOU WANT TO PLAY? YOU CAN HAVE MY RUBBER DUCKY BLANKIE!"

"We should get heading to the harbor first, I need to drop off some documents and some deliveries before taking a day off. Is that okay? [name]? Xiao?" As much as Xiao hated the idea of walking into the harbor, he saw your eyes light up about exploring. Without a second thought, he agreed.

The journey to the harbor was fun enough. You held hands with both Ganyu and Xiao while singing little nursery rhymes. You told me about how your Papa had to fish out your rubber ducky out of the jaws of oblivion(the toilet). For the walk down towards the bustling harbor, Xiao became worried if you were fighting demons along with your father. If so, he needs to drop by your house on his patrols more often. When you reached the harbor, Ganyu let go of your hand to go off with a purple lady.

"Hold onto Big Brother Xiao's hand, okay? Don't let go, and don't run off, okay? We'd hate for you to get lost." She smiled and pinched your cheeks while hurrying off with the purple lady quickly. Xiao felt tense as he held your hand.

Looking around, you saw familiar faces, like YaoYao, Madam Ping, Ms. Yanfei, and big sister Xiangling. You wanted to run and call for them, but Xiao's strength beat you to it. He held your hand tightly.

"No running off.." He repeated Ganyu's statement. You felt a little sad as his tone seemed angry but stayed silent. Xiao stuck near the railing of the wooden ramp, when entering the harbor like glue.

His eyes kept scanning the area. Luckily, not too many mortals were around the both of you. Quietly, Xiao lifted you up and started swaying you, mainly to keep you quiet and also to make sure you weren't bored with him. He wasn't naturally good with kids, unlike Ganyu, who could just find ways to keep you entertained like it was normal. He had to really think. Xiao knew you liked ducks... maybe he could capture one and give it to you?

By the time Ganyu got back, she had brought some little ice cream cones for everyone. [Favorite Flavor] for you, some almond vanilla for Xiao, and a regular vanilla and strawberry swirl for herself. You all sat near the commerce guild before going back to Mount. Hulao.

The walk back was quick, Gabyu helped you climb the peaks, and Xiao made sure you both didn't fall.

"Wow, I'm on top of the world!" You shouted, Xiao couldn't help but pat your head and offer a small smile. The peaks of Liyue mountains were one of a kind.

While enjoying the serenity of the moment, you turn and look at Ganyu.

"Big sister Ganyu?"

"Hm? Yes? What is it [name]?"

"I wanna fly like Aunty Cloudy!" You puffed out your cheeks while demanding to learn to fly.

"HUH??? Who is Aunty Cloudy??" Ganyu leaned down while trying to keep her composure. Flying??? At your age?? You can't even pronounce certain names yet or even certain regions of Liyue.

"They mean Cloud Retainer. They want to fly like an Adeptus." Xiao stated blanky. You were jumping all around repeating, and you wanted to learn how to fly.

However, Xiao kept your hand tight in his, his grip strong but not too tight. After a while, you tired yourself out and were promised to be taught how to fly another day. Ganyu helped you back to Jueyun Karst and set the picnic blanket up along with some simple snacks from your bag Papa Zhongli gave you and some little tea cups she picked up in Liyue Harbor.

Xiao is holding his cup by your orders, with the pinkie finger out too! You all enjoyed your tea party and then played knights and dragons. Ganyu is running after you while Xiao was trying to catch you.

You also did some painting, you painted a flower, Ganyu a mountain, Xiao some rice fields of Qingce.

By the time Zhongli came to get you, you weren't holding your ducky plushie. You were holding onto the hands of your Adepti siblings. While you all were napping away the time. He saw Cloud Retainer in the distance and decided to sit at the table with her and enjoy some tea.

He'll take you home when you want to wake up, for now he had to catch up with anither old friend too. This time, his life and the traveler's isn't in immediate danger.

[frickingnerd]

dating jake marshall

pairing: jake marshall x gn!reader

tags: spoilers for jake's backstory, wholesome fluff, established romantic relationship, angst (jake worrying about reader's safety)

jake seems like a laid back guy, who doesn't care about much, but this is just how he presents himself

he actually cares a lot, about the people he loves and especially you!

he's a very determined and caring person, but you're one of the few people who actually gets to see this side of him

after the loss of his brother, he doesn't want to lose anyone else, which leads to him being a overprotective of you, always having an eye on you, just to be sure

while jake seems very calm, he can get really upset, if you put yourself in danger. he lashes out at you, for being so reckless and careless, only to quickly feel bad for yelling at you

he doesn't want to lose you! he's so desperate to keep you safe, that sometimes his emotions just get the better of him

he always apologizes right after and you can always see he's genuine! he's been through a lot and those wounds just haven't properly healed yet…

jake isn't a good cook, so he can only really make rice and pasta, with some premade sauces. so most of the time, the two of you get take out for lunch and dinner!

you occasionally visit jake at work, bringing along some sandwiches or a bento box you made!

while at work, he always shows you around and he'll let you wear his cowboy hat, as he just loves how it looks on you!

[number1rizgukgakstan]

FHJY EPISODE 17 LIVEBLOG

Spoilers under the cut

Adaine trying to relax for her friends is so sweet I love her so much

ANKARNA FACE REVEAL??? ANKARNA FACE REVEAL!!!

Fig wrote a song so banging she managed to reach out to and touch her God. I love her so much.

The way she's trying to reach out to Ankarna is so sweet to her. The fact they're bonding over their girlfriends being out of town is insane.

"You have always known" GOES SO FUCKING HARD. BRENNAN LEE MULLIGAN YOU HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!

What Fig does to Ruben is lowkey wild when you think about it. What are you doing to that poor guy. What did he do to deserve this.

BRITISH KRISTEN FUCKING GOT ME AGAIN holy shit. K2 you are in my head what is up with you???

WHY IS EVERYONE HELPING HER DO THIS? They're all absolutely deranged I love it.

EMILY AXFORD'S LUCK IS FUCKING WILD. I LOVE IT.

This whole scene is so crazy what the hell is happening

Jawbone is so fucking sweet I love that man so much. He's so great. I love how much Kristen is concerned for him and how close they are. Jawbone's amazing <3

Murph's face while Kristen talks to Bobby Dawn is SO FUNNY. They're great.

Brennan Lee Mulligan how dare you make me cry about Bucky Applebees right now.

AYDA LEFT FIG A TON OF ANCIENT MUSICS I'M CRYING SO HARD. INCREDIBLY SICK BASS FROM YOUR GIRLFRIEND MY BELOVED

Fig talking about her future made me so happy,,, the kids are alright.

DID AYDA LEAVE HER A METEOR SHOWER??? OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD HOLY FUCKING SHIT I LOVE LOVE. BRENNAN LEE MULLIGAN I OWE YOU MY LIFE. I have NEVER in my ENTIRE LIFE HEARD ANYTHING AS ROMANTIC AS THAT MESSAGE. I AM OVERWHELMED WITH EMOTION. And the ending was just fucking great. "You are not going to believe how much my dad spent on this jet ski" absolute peak comedy.

The foreshadowing of Fig leaving the group is a little sad, but like. You know what? Fig's great. And wherever she goes I know the Bad Kids have her back :)

SHE WRITES AYDA A LETTER [sobs] These two ARE true love!

"A DOG RIDING A HORSE, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?" destroyed me.

PORTER IS EVIL!!! FIG IS VINDICATED!!!!!! FUCK YEAHHHH!

Ankarna and Cassandra's fascinating relationship will haunt me forever. And the fact that Ankarna fell before Cassandra also haunts me. holy hell

AHHHH THEY WANT TO KILL ANKARNA :(

FUCK. YES! Is coming back to fucking bite the party in the ass. Kristen Applebees you have to pull a nat 20 out of your fucking ass

Kristen's bid for president being the key to stopping the big bad evil guy is absurd to me. I love her so much

I love Emily Axford so much. She always swings to the fucking fences with her acting and I love her so much.

GOD I LOVE PORTER he's so fucking evil he's great.

Riz is so smart and Murph's luck has been INSANE. That whole scene had me WRACKED with emotion. His insane spy shit fucks so hard this is so cool.

"AYDA, AYDA MARRY YOU" FUCKING. I LOVE HER SO MUCH

BOBBY DAWN IS IN ON IT, FUCK YEAH

HOLY SHIT. HOLY SHIT! GOD OF WAR ANKARNA??? INSANE

BAKLAVA IS REAL??? BAKLAVA IS REAL!!!!!

PORTER WANTS TO BECOME GOD??? DUDE. THE FUCKING HUBRIS.

The final battle's going to be at Fabian's party isn't it??? I'm so excited

This group has such good chemistry and they're such good friends and I love them SO MUCH

Riz's ability to case a fucking joint is ABSURD. This man is BUILT for this shit and it's great to see him do the shit he's best at.

The RatGrinder's Plan as its laid out now is so scary, and I CANNOT WAIT to see how this all plays out. Aguefort picked the WORST time to go on fucking vacation.

FUCK SHE WROTE PORTER'S NAME ON THE TEACHER EVALUATION. FiG NOOOOO

THEY HAVE TO KILL THOSE FUCKERS. Maybe the RG's just need therapy but you just need to KILL THOSE FUCKING TEACHERS.

"WAIT, NON-STUDENTS CAN'T VOTE?" KRISTENNNNNNN

Fried Rice Dimension in the Garage, losing it.

"this is too easy" god Murph you're so right this is too fucking easy

FUCK THEY PUT THE CLOUDRIDER IN FABIAN'S FUCKING HOUSE.

THE BEER PONG GAME WAS A RITUAL? FUCK! OISIIN GOD DAMN IT I WANTED TO ROOT FOR YOUUUUUU

"Oh, My Mom's Gonna Kill Me" FABIAAAAAAAN THATS SO FUNNY.

[alteregomp4]

Lets talk about Lestat and Gabrielle relationship...

HUGE TRIGGER WARNING: for talks of incest. and spoilers for The Vampire Lestat I guess, but once again... talks of incest.

FYI: In no way am I trying to villainize Gabrielle and if it comes off that way that is not my attention as she is also clearly a victim, I view her as such and her story is an interesting one to also dive into especially with the aspects of gender and how society sees gender identity. But we should also acknowledge that victims can sometimes become perpetrators unknowingly sadly, especially due to external factors and deep seated trauma stemming from childhood or events that have happened to that person that are clearly established in the book The Vampire Lestat and throughout the whole series even if unintentional on Anne Rice part. And once again, this is just my point of view and how I interpreted it. I truly just wish people would approach a topic like this with nuance, seriousness, and finally respect as most of the time in the books these subjects are not.

Possible controversial opinion since people love joking about it and even want it in the show which I think that's rather odd to do or want since like you guys do know that victims of this actual stuff exist as well as the fact they could be consuming said media for multiple reasons but I think people in the interview with the vampire/the vampire chronicles fandom especially book readers and ESPECIALLY those that are also Anne Rice d riders should realize that the relationship between Lestat and his mother was and is emotional incest... something that is not often talked but just as harmful as overt incest. It is also very codependent but I will just be high-lighting the convert incest here, though the two overlap a ton in these types of relationships.

This is something that affects someone for life and isn't really that funny and something that shouldn't be seen as sexy like it has been in media recently due to House Of The Dragon plus some other things that's came out in recent years, it's quite gross how normalized it's getting to find it hot because incest of any kind affects not only the development of the child but how they handle their personal relationships after they've grown. Something that is very clear in Lestat's character throughout the whole series.

I do not think me picking up on this is far fetched since the term was coined in the 1980s by psychologist Kenneth Adamswhen (I will be pulling stuff from a interview he did about the subject which I will link as it's a interesting reading) when people first started looking into the subject and the book came out in 1985, though knowing Anne Rice she just probably had a fetish for this thing as it often appears in her books which is whole another thing on it's own. It appears a lot doesn't excuse btw since the topic of abuse of any kind is not handled well. (also before people start saying that these books are gothic fiction and that incest is a staple of the genre still doesn't excuse it in my opinion since there is better ways to handle the topic than make it obvious fetish work. Yes, art is supposed to make you uncomfortable and I actively consume art that does exactly that to the consumer but there is the line that can be easily crossed when dealing with certain subjects if you at least don't treat them seriously and with care like they need to be.)

Their relationship is not enmeshment, something people confuse emotional incest to be and often mix the two up. But their relationship fits so many boxes of emotional incest that it is maddening I have seen no one else bring up the subject and just chalk it up to plan ole incest because of the kissing as well as blood sharing symbolizing sex for vampires in these works. (Which I have huge criticisms on how vampires are in the series plus I may be biased to not see kissing as inherently sexual due to being aroace and by the time the kisses happen Lestat has already faced stalking, literally being kidnapped by a strange man who had been watching him as well as talking to him through his mind referencing the fact he was known as wolf-killer plus having corpses that looked just like Lestat in a tower that Lestat had to stay in, turned Lestat against his will then watched said man kill himself after becoming a vampire, and sexual trauma from said man as well. So it is not surprising to me that Lestat would seek out some sort of affection from an older trusted figure in his life, even if it is negative and harmful. Most victims do this unconsciously or because the trauma makes them feel like this is the only way they feel like they can seek out validation and affection from others.)

"Any time there is physical sexual contact, and that includes things like inappropriate kissing or touching, we’re talking about overt incest. Basically, you’ve moved past playing a role and into being an object. It can be both, of course. When that happens, usually the overt incest lasts a much shorter time than the longer-term surrogate partner role. I should also state that in cases of overt and covert combined, it isn’t uncommon to see the victims involved as adults with incestuous fantasies – mother and son or father and daughter stuff online, or power differential relationships where a boundary is crossed. Or their lovers tend to be much older or younger, so much so that the age difference raises some people’s eyebrows. So, the incestuous dynamic is played out in some way."

"Frankly, I try not to draw too fine a distinction here because there is definitely a blurry line between things like sitting too close and making a child uncomfortable vs. kissing that child on the lips too long. Either way it feels icky. And the result might be that even though nobody touched my penis or breasts or vagina, when my lover tries to kiss me, I withdraw. That withdrawal is your evidence that something happened that was inappropriate and not welcome."

In the book we are shown things that check off boxes on known clear signs of emotional incest, and this is the first few pages of the book when Lestat first starts talking about his up-brining. Before I list five signs that I think fit and how I see Lestat and Gabrielle relationship as well as explain why I feel that way but let us learn what emotional incest aka also known as convert incest is.

"Covert incest describes a relationship between a parent and child in which the child feels more like a romantic partner. Typically the parent is motivated by the loneliness and emptiness of a troubled marriage, so he or she turns the child into a surrogate partner. There is not necessarily any kind of overt sexual touching, but the relationship feels too close for comfort to the child. The boundaries are such that there is an incestuous feeling. The child feels used and trapped, the same as with overt incest."

"Later on, covert incest victims tend to continue functioning in the role of a surrogate partner where they’re overly enmeshed with the parent [or] over-involved as a caretaker, even though they may have long forgotten the icky part that was present early on — usually during adolescence. As adults, instead of feeling icky, they might just feel frustrated, angry, obligated, and way too involved. This type of enmeshment is very common in terms of the adult-life characteristics. Basically, enmeshment describes the nature of the ongoing relationship; covert incest defines the earlier sexual inappropriateness."

In the first few pages after the opening of The Vampire Lestat once he begins to work on his novel we learn that his home life as a child and upbringing was not great to say the least. An abusive father, living clearly in poverty, brothers who couldn't care less if Lestat lived or died, and finally a mother who was often emotionally absent, avoided showing physical affection towards her children, and that also hindered her children's skills of being able to read as well as write out of spite because of the unfilling marriage she was forced into as well as life that she had to have because of being a woman in 1700s society.  Also I feel the disconnect she has from motherhood and being a mother affects her relationship with Lestat from the start as it is clear that she lives vicariously through him due to him having gotten most of her features and traits unlike his brothers, also because of her own struggles with womanhood as well as how society sees has always seen women and what it is to be a woman.

This situation is just brewing for a codependent relationship to happen, especially between mother and child as it's clear they both hold resentment towards the father. A simple codependent relationship can quickly turn abusive especially in a household like this and most of any kind of abuse that children can face is commonly more likely to be from family or people they know than strangers.

The five signs I wanted to point out that really struck me of fitting the two (only doing five as this post is already so long and I do not feel comfortable on trying to score points on it like how psychologists do for cases like these as I am clearly not one.):

Talking about sexual encounters or even dreams of one with your child: Gabrielle in page 39 of the book shares a dream she has of basically having a train run on her by the whole town, this is just after Lestat has opened up about his fears and nightmares he has of killing his brothers and father like he did to the wolves earlier in the forest. That he isn't the same Lestat he was and has come back as a killer instead of her son. He is still in the bloody clothes that he killed the wolves in when she shares this.

"'You know I imagine,'' she said, looking towards me again. ''Not so much the murdering of them as an abandon which disregards them completely. I imagine drinking wine until I'm so drunk I strip off my clothes and bathe in the mountain streams naked.'' I almost laughed. But it was a sublime amusement. I looked up at her, uncertain for a moment that I was hearing her cor-rectly. But she had said these words and she wasn't finished. ''And then I imagine going into the village," she said, ''and up into the inn and taking any men that come there-crude men, big men, old men, boys. Just lying there and taking them one after another, and feeling some magnificent triumph in it, some absolute release without a thought of what happens to your father or your brothers, whether they are alive or dead. In that moment that I am purely myself. I belong to no one." - Page 39, The Vampire Lestat

This is something really weird to just open up about with your child, especially after they open up about their fear of harming others and feeling like they aren't the same person they were after a traumatizing experience. I understand that she was trying to relate in a way about how she also feels these types of feelings towards Lestat's father and brothers but I full on had to put the book down out of pure shock that this was written right after a character was talking clearly about intrusive thoughts with your own ones that inherently sexual in nature, especially to your own child for that matter.

Sharing responsibility for adult decisions such as finances, employment, or where to live: Lestat and Gabrielle are the sole providers for the household. Lestat being the one that often brought in food due to finding comfort in hunting after being taken out of church as Gabrielle provided him the tools like his pet mastiffs, guns, and horse while Gabrielle was the sole reason they had any sort of money in the first place due to coming from a rich family, often selling her own jewelry to help get gifts for Lestat and just have money for the family. With this she also helped him run away to Paris with Nicki.

Because of this Lestat and Gabrielle have been sharing sole responsibility for adult decisions in the household and especially financial ones, which no child should be or feel responsible for.

Missing out on child-appropriate activities such as extracurriculars or time with friends: Lestat life was sheltered. To the point he didn't know how to write or read till he went to the church to study under the priest. The only friends he has had outside of his family up to this point are the people at the church, his dogs, the traveling theater company, and soon Nicki.

"I loved the monastery school. I loved the chapel and the hymns, the library with its thousands of old books, the bells that divided the day, the ever repeated rituals. I loved the cleanliness of the place, the overwhelming fact that all things here were well kept and in good repair, that work never ceased throughout the great house and the gardens. When I was corrected, which wasn't often, I knew an intense happiness because someone for the first time in my life was trying to make me into a good person, one who could learn things. Within a month I declared my vocation. I wanted to enter the order. I wanted to spend my life in those immaculate cloisters, in the library writing on parchment and learning to read the ancient books. I wanted to be enclosed forever with people who believed I could be good if I wanted to be. I was liked there. And that was a most unusual thing. I didn't make other people there unhappy or angry. The Father Superior wrote immediately to ask my father's permission. And frankly I thought my father would be glad to be rid of me. But three days later my brothers arrived to take me home with them. I cried and begged to stay, but there was nothing the Father Superior could do. And as soon as we reached the castle, my brothers took away my books and locked me up. I didn't understand why they were so angry. There was the hint that I had behaved like a fool for some reason. I couldn't stop crying. I was walking round and round and smashing my fist into things and kicking the door. Then my brother Augustin started coming in and talking to me. He'd circle the point at first, but what came clear finally was that no member of a great French family was going to be a poor teaching brother. How could I have misunderstood everything so completely? I was sent there to learn to read and write. Why did I always have to go to extremes? Why did I behave habitually like a wild creature? As for becoming a priest with real prospects within the Church, well, I was the youngest son of this family, now, wasn't I? I ought to think of my duties to my nieces and nephews. Translate all that to mean this: We have no money to launch a real ecclesiastical career for you, to make you a bishop or cardinal as befits our rank, so you have to live out your life here as an illiterate and a beggar. Come in the great hall and play chess with your father." - Pages 20 and 21, The Vampire Lestat

"When I woke up the next morning, she was gone and so were all the players, and my brothers were there. I never knew if my friends had been bribed to give me over, or just frightened off. More likely the latter. Whatever the case, I was taken back home again. Of course my family was perfectly horrified at what I'd done. Wanting to be a monk when you are twelve is excusable. But the theater had the taint of the devil. Even the great Moliere had not been given a Christian burial. And I'd run off with a troupe of ragged vagabond Italians, painted my face white, and acted with them in a town square for money. I was beaten severely, and when I cursed everyone, I was beaten again. The worst punishment, however, was seeing the look on my mother's face. I hadn't even told her I was going. And I had wounded her, a thing that had never really happened before. But she never said anything about it. When she came to me, she listened to me cry. I saw tears in her eyes. And she laid her hand on my shoulder, which for her was something a little remarkable. I didn't tell her what it had been like, those few days. But I think she knew. Something magical had been lost utterly. And once again, she defied my father. She put an end to the condemnations, the beatings, the restrictions. She had me sit beside her at the table. She deferred to me, actually talked to me in conversation that was perfectly unnatural to her, until she had subdued and dissolved the rancor of the family. Finally, as she had in the past, she produced another of her jewels and she bought the fine hunting rifle that I had taken with me when I killed the wolves." - Pages 34 and 35, The Vampire Lestat

Alternating feelings of love and hatred for your parent(s): This is shown in the first book as well as in this one, but now we get to see these feelings he has towards his mother rather than his father as well as brothers.

"She was silent for a while. And as I sat there, looking past her at the fire, I wanted to tell her a lot of things, how much I loved her particularly. But I was cautious. She had a way of cutting me off when I spoke to her, and mingled with my love was a powerful resentment of her. All my life I'd watched her read her Italian books and scribble letters to people in Naples, where she had grown up, yet she had no patience even to teach me or my brothers the alphabet. And nothing had changed after I came back from the monastery. I was twenty and I couldn't read or write more than a few prayers and my name. I hated the sight of her books; I hated her absorption in them. And in some vague way, I hated the fact that only extreme pain in me could ever wring from her the slightest warmth or interest. Yet she'd been my savior. And there was no one but her. And I was as tired of being alone, perhaps, as a young person can be. She was here now, out of the confines of her library, and she was attentive to me. Finally I was convinced that she wouldn't get up and go away, and I found myself speaking to her." Page 25, The Vampire Lestat

"And she almost laughed herself. Maybe in her own quiet way she was laughing. Curious moment. Some almost brutal sense of her as a human being quite removed from all that surrounded her. We did understand each other, and all my resentment of her didn't matter too much." - Page 27, The Vampire Lestat

Your parent(s) turned to you, instead of their partner or another adult, to unburden any feelings of emotional distress they experienced: Gabrielle is only open and shows any emotional towards her children if it is Lestat that she is talking to, she is closed off to everyone else in the household but him due to own her contempt and feelings around of being a wife and a mother. He is the first and only person to be told that she is sick and dying, that she doesn't expect to make it through another winter at best. This is a lot to put on anyone at any age, especially someone who is your child and after they have opened up a bit as well as their own traumatizing event.

"I made some little anguished sound. I think I leaned forward and said, "Mother! " "Don't say any more," she answered. I think she hated to be called mother, but I hadn't been able to help it." - Page 27, The Vampire Lestat

"I just wanted to speak it to another soul, " she said. "To hear it out loud. I'm perfectly horrified by it. I'm afraid of it. " I wanted to take her hands, but I knew she'd never allow it. She disliked to be touched. She never put her arms around anyone. And so it was in our glances that we held each other. My eyes filled with tears looking at her. She patted my hand. "Don't think on it much, " she said. "I don't. Just only now and then. But you must be ready to live on without me when the time comes. That may be harder for you than you realize. " I tried to say something; I couldn't make the words come. She left me just as she'd come in, silently. And though she'd never said anything about my clothes or my beard or how dreadful I looked, she sent the servants in with clean clothes for me, and the razor and warm water, and silently I let myself be taken care of by them." - Page 27, The Vampire Lestat

"I began to feel a little stronger. I stopped thinking about what happened with the wolves and I thought about her. I thought about the words "perfectly horrified, " and I didn't know what to make of them except they sounded exactly true. I'd feel that way if I were dying slowly. It would have been better on the mountain with the wolves. But there was more to it than that. She had always been silently unhappy. She hated the inertia and the hopelessness of our life here as much as I did. And now, after eight children, three living, five dead, she was dying. This was the end for her. I determined to get up if it would make her feel better, but when I tried I couldn't. The thought of her dying was unbearable. I paced the floor of my room a lot, ate the food brought to me, but still I wouldn't go to her. But by the end of the month, visitors came to draw me out." - Page 27 and 28, The Vampire Lestat

"She did not laugh often. She could look profoundly cold. Yet she had always a little girl sweetness. Well, I looked at her as she sat on my bed-I even stared at her, I suppose-and immediately she started to talk to me. "I know how it is, " she said to me. "You hate them. Because of what you've endured and what they don't know. They haven't the imagination to know what happened to you out there on the mountain. " I felt a cold delight in these words. I gave her the silent acknowledgment that she understood it perfectly. "It was the same the first time I bore a child, " she said. "I was in agony for twelve hours, and I felt trapped in the pain, knowing the only release was the birth or my own death. When it was over, I had your brother Augustin in my arms, but I didn't want anyone else near me. And it wasn't because I blamed them. It was only that I'd suffered like that, hour after hour, that I'd gone into the circle of hell and come back out. They hadn't been in the circle of hell. And I felt quiet all over. In this common occurrence, this vulgar act of giving birth, I understood the meaning of utter loneliness." - Page 24 and 25, The Vampire Lestat

Finally to conclude this post, this is just my point of view on their relationship and how I interpreted it but I really hope the show handles something like this with care instead of making a joke out of it or making it seem like a normal vampire thing since that's what Anne Rice did. I would love if they went at with this angle of emotional incest or even just a strong codependent relationship between mother and son as I feel like it could open a lot of great conversations on the topic as bring it more into the spotlight which could lead to others realizing their not alone. But we'll see when season three is released.

Important links:

Kenneth Adamswhen interview

RAINN