#﹠﹔ in character. relations. anaïs.

[calliettes-posts]

I truly hope the writers will give Anais a storyline in the future seasons that'll go beyond being Bobbies girlfriend and let her be her own character

[blmed]

LIEBLING, durch jenes übermaß von nacht getrennt ⸺ trigger warnings: miscarriage, post partum depression.

anaïs dumas, dearest lover, we met through colleagues we barely knew from a party; i barely remembered what did he say because you caught my attention from the start. you were standing there, full of hope &. dreams; your eyes were twinkling from the desire to live, which is the only thing i was lacking upon .. i have been through thousands of eyes, oceans of souls passing through my life as if they were shadows at the back of my eyes .. but you were shining, scintillating, because you wanted to live.

liebling, my dearest beloved, you told me about your dreams, your desire to become somebody else on the picture as someone's story carries you to give a life to an inanimate figure; you told me that you want to be yourself, &. become everybody &. everyone––––––something that i was so accustomed &. it gave me a piece of mind; because i didn't have to pretend that i was somebody, even though you thought of me as somebody. you wanted security, a life you didn't have because your family had taught you from the beginning .. you couldn't escape your family; your heritage; your self; &. i didn't mind .. i didn't need to adjust, i was simply becoming.

liebling, my dearest treasure, you told me that you wanted to belong to yourself, whist i wanted to have you for myself .. perhaps i did, or perhaps i didn't. i did love you too much to think nobody should have you, &. i was that nobody too. you did tell me that we should see somebody else whilst still being married because we completely understands each other; what we wanted, what we desired; great affection, as you told me, but that wasn't love as people would say, but it was ours after all.

liebling, my dearest flame, you told me that you were eating for two &. you didn't tell me who the father was. at the beginning, i was angry, upset, &. mad ... how could you be so careless? how could you let somebody to have you, whilst you wanted to belong to yourself? but then again, it wasn't your fault. you didn't want it to happen, but you did want it. something that you could say as yours, as you carry it with your body; as you carried it inside of you; it was yours, &. i imagined myself to be a father––––––&. i was happy, the child wouldn't carry my anger or agony; it would carry your desire to live.

liebling, my dearest sun to the moon, you didn't eat for several days, you didn't sleep for weeks; you didn't live for awhile. it did scare me, it did mortify me. how can a person that was full of life had become so lifeless as i was? you became the shell of past self, someone i didn't know; someone i didn't think i could fall in love with because you were me, &. i were you. i tried to help you, i tried to make you become alive again; but i had never been so alive before, &. without you––––––i couldn't help you &. you couldn't help yourself. we became each other, &. we couldn't become ourselves again.

liebling, my dearest life, you told me that you had become alive again because you met somebody else. i didn't mind at the beginning because i could see that you were happy again; you had become yourself once again. but then again, you were happy because you had come to life by someone else's touch; their love is the kind that makes demands; their love is the kind that makes someone belongs to someone than somebody; the kind of love that we agreed is something we didn't want. but you did want that love, the one that makes you feel belong than become yourself. i did feel betrayed, because you were betraying yourself, but then again, you did feel alive once again .. perhaps that's the true you––––––the person i didn't know, &. won't know because you didn't allow me to get acquainted with her.

liebling, my dearest moth to my flame, you did fly away because you were getting burnt from me .. you did like the fire i had within, but it slowly killed you because i was burning you. i had to let you go, because i knew that you did need me but you didn't want to die because of me. i had to let you go because you were so full of life, &. i was full of death. i did love you, or i do love you; i am not sure now. perhaps i was infatuated by you because you were alive, &. i wanted to taste the life; i was flame that seeks for eternity, but i know i will be extinguished eventually.

liebling, my dearest star in the sky, you did become somebody; someone i didn't know in the silver screen .. you finally become somebody &. i am happy for you, because you have brought life to characters that you can call as yours.

[bowenandjohnson]

stop sending hate to nona and stop commenting on her appearance. she is an actress doing her job, she is not in charge of the script. as i noted in my previous post, hanne has now confirmed that her cousin is now institutionalized due to a psychotic break & it’s related to their continued cannabis use. as the screenshot i shared said, clinicians do agree that there is some connection between cannabis use causing adverse mental affects. however, these connections are still very complex & still not fully understood.

while i understand many people partake in cannabis use without adverse affects or reactions, it’s important to note that wtfock is a show meant to target teenagers and young adults, and it’s important to highlight both positives and negatives of partaking in alcohol and drugs, and what is being portrayed on screen through anaïs, bobbie and hanne is important for young audiences to see.

so please, when talking about the new clips, remember that this is a fictional show, these are characters, and wtfock is supposed to be geared towards younger audiences, who are still finding themselves, and refrain from attacking the actors & the things they have no control over, i.e. the script, and their appearance.

[savmahrthrew]

*Narratives and Rhetoric*

In this entry, I will examine the critical questions: How does this artifact use narrative elements (scene, character, set up of events, time, etc.) to promote a certain ideology or constitute people in a narrative? What is (ethically) productive and/or limiting about this depiction, and is it more productive or limiting?

To investigate these questions, I examined “Epic III” from the musical Hadestown as my rhetorical artifact. The song utilizes the narrative elements of narration, causal relations, and character development to demonstrate the complexity of trust in a relationship in a time of trouble which is overall productive by bringing a historically well-known love story into a modern interpretation.

Hadestown is a musical written by Anaïs Mitchell and directed by Rachel Chavkin that takes the old myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. This myth revolves around two lovers whose love is eventually challenged by the gods. They do not have anything except each other. However, Orpheus must leave to continue his search to complete his song. While he is gone, Eurydice gets ill, and she accepts an offer by Hades, the God of Hell, and Orpheus must go retrieve her. They are free to leave, but only under one condition: Orpheus must walk in front of Euridec and cannot look back once to check on her. He reaches the end, turns around, and she is swallowed back up into the depths of Hell, never to be seen by Orpheus again.  

Foss (2004) explains that narrative is the voice that explains the events of each character to the audience. They tell the untold details that the characters themselves do not discuss. A few notable points of narration are the person who narrates the story. It could be a single character or numerous different viewpoints that change throughout the story. They can be intrusive and all-knowing or on the same knowledge level as the audience themselves. The narrator themself is a character that requires the same level of thought and analysis to determine their unique understanding of the overall story. 

Through the narration, the audience is able to recognize the causal relationship between characters and plot events. Causal relationships are events that happen not only in chronological order but also in effect to one another according to Foss (2004). The cause-and-effect relationship within a narrative weaves the story together, and in some cases, the audience is able to independently obtain the related information without the narration explicitly stating so. 

Palczewski, Ice, and Fritch (2012) explain that myths are a form of hidden social lessons. The authors define a myth as “‘a dramatic vision that serves to organize everyday experience and give meaning to life (123).’” They give a story based on the cultural values and beliefs of the audience, but the framework is surrounded by a single moral that is supposed to be interpreted by its audience. A myth, in this sense, is an educational and entertaining narrative that teaches a lesson through the personal growth of the characters.

This song uses narration to guide the audience around the complex love situations that surround not only Hades and Persephone but his own love story as well. At the beginning of the song, Orpheus decides to tell the love story of Hades and Persephone to remind them. In it, he sings “And you didn't know how / And you didn't know why / But you knew that you wanted to take her home.” The narrator jumps from character to character throughout the musical, which can be confusing, but Mitchell does an excellent job of keeping the stories distinguishable but interlocked. The narrator of the entire musical is Hermes, but for “Epic III” it is solely Orpheus. In doing so, he is able to interweave his own love story, and he does so in a pleading sort of manner. This line in particular shows how their feelings of love overtook any thought or reason that either Hades or Orpheus has and strengthens the connection between them. When Orpheus first saw Eurydice, he did not know anything other than that he loved her. The goal of his song is to reach Hades and revive his feelings for Persephone in hopes that Hades relates to Orpheus and lets them go. He uses language that keeps Hades in his powerful position while also praising Persephone by calling them “King of Shadows…beautiful lady”. By Orpheus telling the story, he draws upon his own experience to tie it with Hades, man-to-man, one lover to another. In addition, despite the pressure he is under, he is able to keep his composure to compose his message of love without reason.

The overall arching story of the musical is Orpheus and Eurydice’s story, but there would not have been a story to tell if Orpheus stayed silent. In this song, he states “So you opened your mouth and you started to sing.” This is not the first action of their relationship, but the first step that made an impact. Orpheus is the son of a muse, so he expresses himself through song, and his music has the music to inspire and impact others. At this moment, he was at a loss for words, so singing was the only thing Hades, and Orpheus indirectly, could do. And thus was the start of two great romances. 

Through all of this, we hear the story through Orpheus’ eyes. In the musical, he sings and plays by himself. There is a single spotlight and the rest of the ensemble is away from him looking at him. His lyrics sound as if he’s crying, almost wailing in desperation at times. There is little interaction between anyone else, which signifies his strength in his isolation. He has to go alone to get Eurydice, to stand up against Hades, and eventually walk out of Hell. Orpheus is devoted to Eurydice, but they are not able to find comfort with each other. This song is the final stage in Orpheus’ rise to get back what he loves. Though the physical journey still has a long way to go, the change is most evident in Orpheus’ impact on Hades as we see him contemplate letting them leave together. Through Orpheus’ personal view and growth, he is able to rise up and reach out. 

This narrative is overall productive in bringing a story that is tied to a single culture and context in the 21st century. The fact that it is based on a fictional story might take away from the credibility of the truths, such as the ease with which Hades and Persephone approach each other in the end and eventually reconcile with one another. However, when looking at the underlying messages, the audience is able to pull out the lessons that pass the fictional boundaries and are applicable to today’s life. First, love has a way of persevering. Hades and Persephone are still together and are able to rekindle their love after bringing their true emotions to the forefront of their relationship, and Orpheus physically travels through Hell to find his love. Along those lines, Orpheus uses this song to remind Hades of what he and Persephone once were: two young lovebirds. That man is not lost, just hidden deep inside of himself which ties into the second lesson that ultimately, each individual is the one in control of himself. Hades has lost himself, but all is not lost, he is not lost. Hades is able to reevaluate where he is, and what has gotten him to the man he is now compared to the man that Orpheus originally brings up at the beginning of this song. Orpheus uses the power of his song and verse to bring back what once was lost and can now be found.

Karandashev and Clapp (2014) further describe how romantic narratives work by explaining the complexities of love and the ever-adapting definition that this construct requires. Their study looked into narratives featuring love stories, distinguishable among the discourse used. These quotes were used to develop categories to analyze specific themes across the love spectrum. Some of these categories are well seen in the context of “Epic III.” The most obvious is the use of descriptive statements. The intro of this song describes the debut of the romance between Hades and Persephone. Orpheus sings “He fell in love with Persephone / Who was gathering flowers in the light of the Sun/ And I know how it was because / He was like me / A man in love with a woman.” Tied into this quote, Orpheus describes the action of Hades and Persephone being brought together, which is another dimension of romantic narratives. In another sense, feelings are trigger words that automatically hint at these types of narratives, with this case being the lack of thought and reason for why Hades and Orpheus fell in love at first sight because, in love, there is often no line of reason. This song exemplifies numerous qualities of a quintessential romantic narrative. In summary, Hadestown is the basic foundation and only one example of how love can survive through challenges. This is demonstrated through the narration from Orpheus’ eyes, the causal relations occurring after the essential first move in their relationship, and the personal growth stemming from Orpheus and eventually transferring to Hades. Even with its magical characteristics and mythological roots, the main theme of love remains, and everyone latches onto that idea. Everyone has been in love, whether with a family member, friend, or partner, and that love is not always easy. Nonetheless, “Epic III” shows audiences that it is worth the fight and that the trust is worth it. 

Foss, Sonja K. “Narrative Criticism.” Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice, Third ed., Waveland Press, Inc., Long Grove, IL, 2004, pp. 333–343.

“Hadestown.” BroadwayWorld.com, 20 Apr. 2016, https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/show.php?showid=4027.

Karandashev, Victor, and Stuart Clapp. “Multidimensional Architecture of Love: From romantic narratives to Psychometrics.” Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, vol. 44, no. 6, 5 Aug. 2014, pp. 675–699, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-014-9311-9.

Palczewski, C. H., Ice, R., Fritch, J. (2012). Narratives. In Rhetoric in civic life (pp. 117-146). State College, PA: Strata Publishing, Inc.

[loko4koko]

>hello! welcome to my blog c:

>my name is Anaïs, i’m 24 years old and a libra

>i’m black, non-binary, n queer ♡

>i live in the midwestern USA

>my likes include :

>horror films and media

>fashion history and design

>gaming of all sorts (currently playing lots of COD, Fortnite, bloodbourne, sims 4, and RDR2)

>makeup and skincare

>pretentious art house films

>smoking an unhealthily amount

>being madly in love with fictional characters

>baking and cooking

>skateboarding (badly)

>my dislikes include :

>movies that are too long (looking at the titanic 👀)

>oikawa 🫢

>people who are mean to cats

>people who are mean to gojo

>my fictional baes not being real

>games with no character creation

>well done steak and people who eat well done steaks

>if there’s anything else you’d like to know about me, please send an ask! i love to talk about random things, not necessarily just anime/gaming/fanfic related stuff!

>thank you for reading

>have a great day 🖤

[godsweakestsoldier]

for ask meme!

1, 11, 21, 22, & 33

Thank you Casper :)

1: who is/are your comfort character(s)

I would have to say Mary is one of my top comfort characters. I love her complexity and how Toya brought her to life. From a writer’s perspective, she’s got this unique voice that I adore and I feel the most comfortable writing from her perspective. Give me characters who are morally grey and sometimes the voice of wisdom and I will love it.

Speaking of morally grey, Lilith is another comfort character. I love how complex she is and I relate to her in many ways. She also fulfills my need for nonhuman horrors. I support women’s rights and wrongs.

Aside from Warrior Nun, Sun Bak from SENSE8 is a top comfort character. I love complex women and people who hold the weight of the world on their shoulders. I enjoy that they show her struggles with anger and how she mediates it. Finally, my go to comfort character is Myka Bering from Warehouse 13. It doesn’t hurt that she was one of little Anaïs’s awakenings.

11: Favorite extracurricular activity?

Hiking, specifically backpacking, is my favorite activity. I grew up on one of the major trails in the United States, so I’ve always been on the trails since I was young. There’s something profound in sitting with yourself and with nature. I eventually want to hike all three major trails in the US.

21: Something you’ve kept since childhood?

I have a little stuffed animal, a cat, that my eldest sister bought me when I was born. It’s been with me through various heartbreaks, two universities, and an apartment. It’s missing an eye because of an old dog, but it’s still good.

22: What type of person are you?

I would like to say I’m kind (fuck the word nice) and understanding. Basically a people pleaser. I care deeply about many things and I enjoy helping people. I would rather see the good than the bad in people. I also enjoy long walks on the beach ;). Hopefully, I answered this in a decent manner.

23: The last adventure you’ve been on?

I just got back from a punk concert earlier this morning. Driving the interstate at one in the morning is a unique experience. However, it was one of those small all age venues which local bands. I ended up hanging out with an old professor of mine. Highly recommend Flatfoot 56 and the Huntingtons if you’re into punk.

[emmroose-draws]

The City of Enochia

Evan has been followed by a symbol all his life. When his uncle’s mysterious disappearance pulls him and his cousin into a new adventure to find the origin of this symbol, he meets Daniel, a young teacher at Oxford University. Together, they begin a quest that they might be more involved in than they realize. 

As I'm writing down the stories, I thought I might add some things about the different characters in the story.

Evan Rigas, birthday March 13th, 1987. He was born on the island of Kos, Greece, where he grew up. He’s a recently graduated archaeologist who has been raised by his aunt and uncle after the mysterious death of his parents. When his uncle goes missing in search of a mysterious symbol, he enlists his cousin’s help to find the answers that have plagued him all of his life. He recently separated from his fiancée Donna, and has a big love for musicals.

Daniel Matis, birthday March 13th, 1987. He’s the youngest teacher at Oxford university, having a doctorate in theology and ancient languages. He has an older brother called James, and a twin sister Anaïs, who has disappeared in the search for a mysterious symbol. When his student Keith Rigas and Keith's cousin Evan come knocking at his door to find out more about this symbol, Dan takes this opportunity to find out where his twin might have gone to. Dan owns an appartment in London, where he also keeps his office. Dan identifies as non-binary, but has yet to come out about it. Despite that, he doesn't particularly care about what pronouns are used.

Keith Rigas, born December 4th, 1988. He was born on Kos, Greece, and he’s the cousin of Evan. Keith is currently enrolled in the university of Oxford for archaeology. He’s a student of Dan’s and the boyfriend of Devangi. Despite his current relationship, he’s been a bit of a heartbreaker in the past. Because of his exceptional looks, he’s often described as the ‘Greek God’ by his peers. He’s smart, but short-tempered.

Elín Amonssottìr, birthday May 12th, 1986. She’s the adoptive daughter of the world famous treasure hunter Amon Martenson. She’s a childhood friend of Dan’s, but disappeared after a misunderstanding between the two of them. She’s a plant biologist and has been trained to survive in the wilderness by her strict father. She's from Iceland, but usually resides in England.

Anaïs Matis, born March 13th, 1987, is the twin sister of Dan. After coming out as trans, Anaïs has taken a step away from her strict family and probably hasn’t seen them in years. She studied history and is well-trained in multiple languages thanks to her twin, Dan. She disappears during a search, without leaving any clue as to where she’s gone to. 

Devangi Baral, born January 23rd, 1988, is a theology student of Dan’s and Keith’s girlfriend and classmate. She’s a transfer student from India and is really excited to have adventures of her own. 

Thomas Rigas, born May 5th, 1961, is Evan’s uncle and Keith’s father. He took his brother’s loss hard and when he stumbles µ onto their journal from their last expedition, he intends on carrying it through and find out what they were looking for. He eventually disappears without another word, leading to Evan and Keith having to look for him across the world with only the journal to lead them. 

Carla Da Silva, born December 8th, 1962, is the aunt of Evan and mother of Keith. While she and Thomas divorced and she’s not related to Evan by blood, she still took care of him like a son. She remarried years later and now owns a resort close to a beach in Kos, Greece.

Charlotte ‘Lotte’ Rigas, born August 18th, 1985, is the cousin of Evan and sister of Keith. While she used to go on adventures with them, a car accident has left her paralyzed from the waist down and unable to join them on expeditions. She returned to her home in Kos, Greece, and teaches history. She’s married to Ryan Hastings. 

Amon Martenson, date of birth unknown, is Elìn’s father and a ruthless treasure hunter with no fear of getting his hands dirty - in the wrong way. It is thought that Amon was the one who got Evan’s parents killed for getting in his way, but so far he has never admitted to it. 

Benedict Rigas, born April 16th, 1956, was Evan’s father and starting treasure hunter. He met Ellie on a short expedition and the two fell in love almost immediately. He died when Evan was very young, possibly killed by Amon. 

Ellie Vermeer, born January 16th, 1956, was Evan’s mother and a former student of Amon Martenson. After realizing that his methods were too cruel, she quickly moved away from his side, eventually leading to her demise when Evan was only about four years old. 

The archangel Daniel and her unnamed lover. They are recurring characters in this search for the symbol. According to the legends, Daniel rescued many people after the eruption of Vesuvius. In modern day, she's often referred to as Daphne.

The mysterious symbol that they are investigating.

[princepotatosack]

here is my character sheet for bloodbound mc!!!

notes below :-)

i love this mc. she is such a shithead and what this country needs right now is shithead representation. #representationmatters #mycultureisnotyourcostume

unrelated (?) but something about her look screams wasian to me. i decided she is half vietnamese and half french, born to french immigrants who moved from nouvelle-aquitaine to the united states. they probably moved to be professors or something at like a foresty gothic architecturey college. i picked bryn mawr cause its an elite university on the east coast that has a silly name. it sounds like growling when you say it which is vampire related so thats how i justified it<3

ok i just realized i unconsiously chose her name cause it sounds like the name of the composer of the hit broadway musical hadestown, anaïs mitchell. but MY anaïs's name is pronounced à la française (ah-nah-EES mi-SHEL) so DONT👊 GET IT👊 TWISTED👊!!!!!!!!!!

when writing her parents names my mind claw reached into my mind claw machine and snatched up the first random old-ish french names and they were aline (from the song by christophe) and serge (serge gainsbourg)

her birthday is august 4 because her personality is very born in august. and of course the most famous august birthday and the first date i thought of is the 4th, la jour de la nassaince du célèbre Baràque au Bâme

[lungos-liwayway]

They Should Be Dead: A Collection of Works by The Living

Early on during the quarantine, I suddenly had more time to indulge in media. After a few months, I’ve notice a pattern, so here it is: a list of shows and stories that all have living dead people. 

TV Shows

Ghosts (BBC) -  The series follows a collection of ghosts from different historical periods haunting a country house while sharing the house with its new living occupants. This is a great show with well written plots, characters, and stories. I find it appeals especially to the queer and neurodivergent community.

What We Do In The Shadows - The series follows 4 vampires in a mockumentary format. If you like those shows where fiction meets real historical events, or just plain vampire humor, this is for you.

Pushing Daisies - The series follows a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch, an ability that comes with stipulations. Together with his formerly deceased childhood crush Chuck, private investigator Emerson Cod and co-worker Olive Snook, Ned uses his abilities to solve murder cases. Perfectly pleasing visuals, an interesting premise, and REALLY relatable for all of under quarantine. Lots of yearning.

Dead Like Me - George dies early in the pilot episode and becomes one of the "undead", a "grim reaper".  The show explores the experiences of a small team of such reapers, as well as the changes in George and her family as they deal with George's death. I’m not sure if the show employs edgy humor but I like it. It is slightly nihilistic in tone but the way it connects the experiences of life with the reality of death is a really interesting take. It’s perfect for teens and young adults. Also, Mandy Patinkin. 

The Good Place - Eleanor Shellstrop, a woman welcomed after her death to "the Good Place", a highly selective Heaven-like utopia designed and run by afterlife "architect" Michael as a reward for her righteous life. This series has everything: dreamlike scenes, nightmarelike scenes, philosophy, EAT THE RICH, genderless she/her icon Janet, good characters, accurate representations, and an all-around touching story.

Santa Clarita Diet - The series centers on husband and wife real estate team Joel and Sheila Hammond whose normal, boring lives change dramatically when Sheila shows symptoms of having become a zombie. The bewildered family seek a cure for her condition while dealing with its consequences. Wild family goes on the time of their lives because their mom has become a zombie. It’s great. They kill n*zis and a cop and eat them.

Star Trek - too many Star Trek episodes have the “oh no they died! anyway...” premise and aside from the idealistic paradise Gene Roddenberry pictured, death and resurrection are large themes in Star Trek.

Books/Graphic Novels/Short Stories

The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya (by @reimenaashelyee​) - A two-volume Eisner-nominated graphic novel set in 17th century Istanbul and 18th century England, about a carpet merchant's reconcilitation with faith, love and home in the aftermath of his death by a vampire. It’s a great story. I’ll be telling this to everyone who will listen: the graphic novel is engaging and insightful, life cannot get better than this graphic novel. (Also: ACE REP!) Also by the author is The World in Deeper Inspection which explores the setting and premise of other characters.

The Shadow of The Wind (by Carlos Ruiz Zafón) -  Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer's son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julian Carax. But when he sets out to find the author's other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. Magical realism abounds, it’s sinister, it’s beautiful, it’s a perfect book about dancing the line between death and life.

The Graveyard Book (by Neil Gaiman) -  Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a perfectly normal boy. Well, he would be perfectly normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the world of the dead. Great book about growing up and leaving childhood. 

The Book Thief (by Markus Zusak) -  It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still. Featuring Death themself as the omniscient narrator, the story intertwines with books and stories of life and of survival. It’s a sobering book but important to read.

May Day Eve (by Nick Joaquin) - Magical realism, time travel vibes. But most importantly, myth, enchantment, the Devil, passion, everlasting love. There’s a reason why this is required reading for Philippine colleges. I cry every time I read it. 

Movies

Night at The Museum Trilogy - Night guard in charge of museum. Exhibits come back to life, wacky shenanigans follow. The only downside to this is that they visited the British Museum and not one of the exhibits screamed “I DONT BELONG HERE! TAKE ME BACK!”

The Book Thief - I would say it’s a faithful enough adaptation of the book.

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan and The Search for Spock

The Lovely Bones - astounding <3 ik she’s dead but letting her breach the curtain between life and death? Good shit.

What We Do In The Shadows - The mockumentary that started it all. Once again Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement are geniuses. And correct: all vampires know is be bisexual eat hot virgin and fly.

Musicals/Plays

Hadestown- Retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice. Folk type of music, features great talents and songs by Anaïs Mitchell. The story is good, it touches on capitalism, progress, labor, and love.

Indecent- Play exploring the play "God Of Vengeance" which was cited for indecency on Broadway for its themes and indecent acts committed by the actors. It begins as a play brought by several actors who rise from the ashes of the Holocaust and gradually extends to the multiple characters they become. I find this important for anyone interested in queer Jewish history.

I really like media focusing on death and life so recommend some and take some from the list!

ADDITIONAL NOTE: I have a really bad attention span but these stuff somehow get my brain. They're good.

[olivemac]

1300 miles | chapter four | b.b.

Summary | Bucky Barnes is adjusting to civilian life, living in Brooklyn, visiting Sam in Delacroix when he can, and trying to figure out what he wants. When he meets Jo Landry, the tattooed lead singer of a New Orleans-based band, he thinks he might have found the answer. Too bad they live 1300 miles apart.

Time Frame | post-TFATWS

Pairing | Bucky Barnes x fem!oc

Rating | explicit

Warnings | mentions of combat-related injuries, alcohol use, tattoos/body piercings, coarse language, gay male character, bisexual female character, recreational/medicinal drug use (weed), pet names (doll, pretty girl, Sarge), smut [f/m, mutual masturbation, fingering, oral sex (f receiving), PIV, slight dom!Bucky, praise kink, very slight somnophilia], minor angst, and all the romance tropes/fluff because I'm a sucker for it; more warnings to come; 18+ ONLY, minors DNI

Tags | @mrs--barnes

Citation | Vernon, Justin, Dessner, Aaron, Mitchell, Anaïs. “Latter Days.” How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last? Jagjaguwar/37do3d, 2021.

A/N | This only took 800 years to finish. Sorry for the wait. Hope it’s worth it. Xoxo

A/N, pt. 2 | Made some very minor edits to the previous chapters – nothing that changes storyline, etc.

series master list | AO3 link | full master list

🎶 1300 miles playlist 🎶

_____

previous chapter

_____

After breakfast, Bucky returns the borrowed motorcycle to Sam and grabs his backpack from Sarah's house. Sam only badgers him about if for a few minutes.

"So, you're abandoning us for Jo?" he asks Bucky teasingly.

Bucky grunts in reply. "It's not like that," he says.

“I get it,” Sam shrugs. “After eighty years, you’re finally getting some.” Bucky glares at him. “Just remember, bros before hoes,” Sam concludes, laughing and clapping Bucky on the back. Then he adds, "Don't tell Jo I said that."

Bucky's been debating how much he should reveal when he finally says, "I really like her, Sam."

Sam smiles. "Good," he says. "You deserve someone who makes you happy."

Bucky returns the smile.

"Come on," Sam says, "I've got errands to run in town. I'll drop you back at Jo's place." Bucky tosses his backpack into the bed of Sam's truck as Sam tells him, "Just remember, we promised AJ and Cass we'd take 'em out on the boat on Saturday morning."

"I'll be there," Bucky says.

_____

Bucky stays with Jo for the next two days, wearing sweats during the day while he lounges in her apartment – something he isn't used to, just lounging – and sitting alone at the end of the bar at night, watching her serve drinks with Danny.

They're inseparable for those 48 hours. There's an impending deadline – a sense that they need to fit everything they can into the next few days before Bucky returns to New York.

He slips out of her bedroom Thursday morning, still smiling from the night before, to find her practicing yoga in her living room. Bucky stops and leans against the wall to watch Jo move from one pose to the next, his eyes lingering on her hips and backside. When she moves into downward dog, she spots him from between her legs.

“Morning,” Jo says, sinking deeper into the pose and working to keep her feet flat against the mat. She notices the smirk on Bucky’s face. “Enjoying the view?” she asks.

His smirk only grows. "I am."

She walks her hands across the mat to meet her feet and stands. Before she can turn around, Bucky is behind her, his front pressed against her back and his hands on her hips.

"Best part of the twenty-first century," he says, "is skimpier clothing." His thumbs rub upward across the soft skin of her exposed belly until they're moving beneath the band of her sports bra.

Jo laughs and turns in his arms. "Not the medical or technological advancements?"

"Nope," Bucky says, "definitely this." He pops the band of her sports bra with his thumbs, then pulls her even closer, one hand sliding down her back.

"Breakfast?" she asks.

Bucky hums. "I'd rather eat something else," he says with a smirk, leaning down to press a kiss against her neck.

Jo laughs loudly. "No," she exclaims, "you can't expect sex after you say something so cringeworthy."

Regardless, she lets Bucky lower her to her yoga mat and hover over her prone body.

"You were saying?" he smirks against her lips before kissing her.

Jo hums and snakes her arms around Bucky's neck, pulling him closer. His lips move across her jaw and collarbone down to the tops of her breasts. Bucky pushes her sports bra up carefully to reveal her breasts before taking a nipple between his teeth. Jo scratches her short nails across his scalp and holds him to her chest. He worries his tongue over the hard peak and around the barbell ends on each side of her nipple.

“Bucky,” Jo sighs, arching her back.

Bucky smiles against the skin of her stomach as he kisses lower. He likes hearing his name on her lips. After not having control of himself for so long, he likes that he has this small amount of power over someone else, this ability to make Jo fall apart so easily.

He peels her leggings and underwear down and off before lowering his face between her thighs. He blows warm air across her cunt, making her tremble.

"Open your legs a little more," Bucky says, pressing his large hands against the inside of her thighs. "Good girl," he praises as her legs fall further apart. Jo sighs again as Bucky looks up at her. "You're beautiful like this, doll," he says. Then he licks a thick stripe across her folds.

Jo keens and her back arches off the mat. His tongue meets her clit as his hands grip her thighs, holding her open. Jo reaches down and cords her fingers through his thick hair, pulling slightly. Bucky moans against her cunt and continues to circle his tongue across her clit before sucking it between his lips. Jo rocks her hips against Bucky's face, and he reaches up to take her hips in his hands and guide her movements. She pulls his hair again, harder this time, and Bucky grunts. He alternates his movements against her clit until she's coming hard against his face.

"Bucky," Jo moans, her mouth falling open.

Bucky pulls back and slides up her body. When he kisses her, she can taste herself on his lips. She snakes her hand into his hair and holds him close against her mouth, kissing him deeper.

"Favorite meal," Bucky smirks when they finally break apart.

"That's it," Jo says, laughing and pushing at his shoulders, "leave. Get out. Go." She points to the door.

Bucky laughs. "You wouldn't," he says, with mock hurt in his voice, as his fingers tickle against her sides.

Jo squeals and squirms against his onslaught. "Fine, fine," she shrieks, laughing, "you can stay! But no more of that!"

"What? No more of this?" Bucky laughs. He rolls onto his back, pulling Jo on top of him to straddle his face, and rips another two orgasms from her before he finally releases her, helps her redress, and follows her to the kitchen to start breakfast.

_____

In the late afternoon, before the bar is set to open, Jo takes her guitar out onto the balcony to practice. After a while, Bucky sets down the book he was reading and joins her. He watches cars and pedestrians pass below them on the street while Jo plays a song with a sleepy pace and melancholy lyrics on lost innocence. Bucky thinks it sounds pretty in Jo's soft tone.

Stacked yourself against the odds

Talking back to an act of God

You and your clever mouth

You were laughing when the lights went out

When Jo finishes and sets her guitar aside, Bucky pulls her chair closer to his and leans in to kiss her, cupping both her cheeks softly in his hands.

"What was that for?" she asks, smiling.

Bucky shakes his head, then says, "Sam said you had a record deal."

"So, you and Sam were talking about me, were you?" she teases.

Bucky looks sheepish, but Jo just smiles.

“Yeah, I had a record deal. Years ago. In Nashville. Then Danny got hurt, and we didn’t know for a while if he was going to make it or have long-term complications or what. So, I came home. He got better. We bought the bar. I still get to do what I love, and I get to be with the people I love,” she shrugs.

Bucky can sense a "but" coming.

“But…Danny blames himself for me not following my dreams. When the truth is, even if he hadn’t gotten hurt, I would have come home. I had an ex tell me once that I'm only happy when I'm failing." She rolls her eyes.

"And now?" Bucky asks.

��I’m just waiting to fuck this up,” she whispers.

Bucky snorts. "If anyone is going to fuck this up, it'll be me, doll," he replies. "I'm a 107-year-old ex-assassin who can barely use a smart phone and hasn't dated in eighty years."

Jo cocks her head to the side and says, "We could fuck this up to together?"

Bucky smiles. "Deal." Then he kisses her, his hand cupping the back of her head and his tongue sweeping into her mouth.

_____

When things are slow at the bar on Thursday night, Jo grabs her guitar and plays an acoustic set for the small crowd of regulars. Bucky watches from his seat at the end of the bar top, nursing his beer. The thought that this is somehow all too good to be true, that he doesn't deserve Jo or any of this, creeps back into his mind. He takes another sip of beer and clenches his vibranium fist, willing the thought away. By the time Jo's eyes sweep the bar to meet his, the thought is gone.

He follows her up to her apartment after closing time, and when the door is locked behind them, he pushes her up against it, his arms on either side of her head, caging her in. He takes a moment to admire her, her green eyes shining with a mixture of amusement and lust. He leans down and nudges his nose against hers, his breath soft against her lips.

“You gonna be good for me, doll?” he whispers.

Jo nods.

“Say it,” Bucky says, his voice dark.

“Gonna be so good for you, Buck,” Jo whispers.

Bucky smashes his lips against hers, rough and demanding. Jo moans into Bucky's mouth. His kiss is all teeth and tongue, and his hands wander to her hips and down to her thighs to lift her into his arms. He doesn't stop kissing her until he has her on her bed.

Bucky presses hot kisses against Jo's neck, then tugs her faded Nirvana t-shirt up and over her head. The rest of their clothes follow quicky until they're both naked. Bucky kisses between the valley of her breasts and licks at the tattoo beneath her sternum before taking one nipple into his mouth. His flesh hand comes up to pluck at the other nipple, and Jo cries out. Bucky pulls his mouth from her breast with an obscene pop and scratches the stubble of his cheek across her tender flesh.

Jo's hands thread through Bucky's hair, and she tugs him back up to her mouth for a kiss.

"Thought you were gonna be good," Bucky mumbles against her mouth. Jo whines. She can feel him smirking.

His hand comes up to graze against her cheek, and he kisses her softly, taking his time now. He's demanding, but gentle, and Jo feels as if every inch of her heated skin is on fire. But she wants more.

"You can be rough with me, Sarge," she whispers.

"Yeah? You like it rough?" Bucky flips Jo over onto her stomach. "On your knees," he growls, pulling her hips up.

When she's on her knees in front of him, he uses his flesh hand to push her chest further into the mattress. His vibranium hand holds her hips in place as he slides into her without warning. Jo gasps and shudders.

“You look so good taking my cock like this,” Bucky praises. His grip on her hip tightens as he guides her back and forth over his cock before holding her still and slamming into her, setting a swift pace. Jo keens and her walls flutter around him.

"Harder," she gasps.

"What do you say?" Bucky warns through gritted teeth. His right hand moves upward to tangle into her hair, wrenching her head backwards.

Jo whines, "Please."

When he pulls himself almost completely from her body, then slams back in, Jo's eyes roll to the back of her head, and she sobs. She's consumed by the feel of him.

Bucky leans across Jo's back and whispers in her ear, “You’re doing so good, pretty girl.” His right hand slips down beneath her body to toy with her clit. "Fuck, you're so wet."

Jo cries out, and her body shakes. Bucky feels the way she tightens around him.

“I got you," he whispers against her ear, "I got you.” His soft tone clashes with his rough movements and makes Jo’s head spin.

Jo comes with a cry of his name, and it sends Bucky over the edge. His vibranium hand whirs as it clenches her hip, holding her still as he spills inside her with a low groan. He falls onto his side, pulling Jo with him and holding her tightly.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asks, his voice soft.

“Not at all,” Jo replies, squeezing his hand.

He presses gentle kisses against her shoulder until she slides from the bed to clean up. Then he slips into a dreamless sleep.

_____

Jo wakes Bucky up Friday morning with soft kisses across his jaw.

"Hmph," Bucky grunts, not ready to open his eyes.

"Danny and I are going for a run," Jo says. "Do you want to join us?"

Bucky cracks one eye open to look at her. "Why?"

"Because I like you, and I like spending time with you," she says, rolling her eyes.

The corner of Bucky's lip pulls up and he opens his other eye. "No," he says, "why are you going for a run?"

"Not everyone has the metabolism and stamina of a super soldier, Sarge," she says, poking him in the ribs. “Some of us need the exercise.”

"What's in it for me?" he asks.

Jo rolls her eyes again before answering. "You can run behind me and stare at my ass in tight leggings."

Bucky hums and slides his vibranium hand down Jo's back to cup her left buttock.

“How long do we have until this run?” he asks, letting his other hand trail up and down Jo’s right side.

“Half an hour,” she answers.

“Good,” Bucky says, rolling her onto her back and hovering over her as Jo laughs.

They end up being a few minutes late to meet Danny.

When they finally emerge from Jo’s apartment, Danny is standing at the bottom of the stairs with Greta. Jo reaches out and scratches the dog behind the ears.

“Morning,” Jo greets Danny.

Danny yawns before responding, “It is indeed.”

“Late night?” Jo asks.

Bucky doesn’t hear Danny’s response. He’s too caught up watching Greta sniff his vibranium hand. When she seems satisfied with her inspection, Bucky strokes the top of her head. There was a dog at the small farm where he stayed in Wakanda, and it was nice to have the company at night when his brain wouldn’t shut off and he kept reliving everything he had done as the Winter Soldier. He wonders if maybe he should get a dog. Or maybe a cat.

“Hey,” he hears Jo say from beside him.

He turns his head to find her watching him curiously.

“Where’d you go?” she asks. “Looked like you were stuck in your head.”

Bucky shakes his head and give her a reassuring smile. “I’m here,” he replies.

“Good,” Danny says, turning toward the door, “Because we’re not gonna take it easy on you on this run, Barnes.”

Bucky sees Jo roll her eyes and smirk behind Danny’s back.

“Oh yeah?” Bucky says. “How far are we running?”

Danny’s smirk mirrors Jo’s. “On Fridays, we run until we're hungry, and then we stop for beignets,” he says.

And that’s just what they do. They run three miles in the park before heading to a local cafe. Jo grabs a table for them on the patio while Danny pops inside to order after insisting on paying; Bucky joins him to help him carry their orders. Outside, Greta laps water from the cafe’s outdoor dog bowl, then curls up at Jo’s feet and waits for Danny to come back.

When Bucky and Danny join Jo at the table, their arms laden with plates of beignets and fruit and coffees in to-go cups, Bucky sits as close to Jo as he can. She's wearing an olive-colored sports bra and matching leggings, and she shivers in the cool early morning air. Bucky hesitates before shrugging out of his hoodie and handing it to her. Jo's smile and the sight of her dwarfed by his sweatshirt is worth exposing his arm in public.

Bucky's phone vibrates from the pocket of the hoodie Jo is now wearing. She pulls it out and hands it to him. It's a text from Sam: "Don't forget about Saturday morning."

Bucky responds, assuring Sam he'll be there, and sets his phone on the table next to his plate. Jo glances down and snorts.

"Why is Sam your phone background?" she laughs.

Bucky purses his lips. "He thought it was funny. And I haven't gotten around to changing it. I'm good with tech when it comes to covert missions, not," he holds the phone up, "this."

Jo laughs again and takes the phone from his hand. She holds it in front of his face to activate the facial recognition, and then opens the camera app and takes a picture of the two of them.

Danny reaches across the table for the phone. "Here," he says, and their breakfast shifts into a photoshoot that leaves them all in stitches from laughing so hard at their own antics. Even Greta gets pulled into some photos. At one point, Jo pulls a piece of hair from her ponytail across her upper lip like a mustache, and, for some unknown reason, Bucky suddenly thinks it's the funniest thing he's ever seen.

He probably has a hundred photos on his phone now, just from breakfast. He watches as Jo scrolls through them, and when he sees one of her laughing with her head thrown back, he says, "That one." Jo smiles and shows him how to set it as his background. Bucky takes his phone from her and looks at the picture again. It's perfect.

They're almost done with breakfast, and Bucky has forgotten about his bare arm when a teenage boy approaches their table.

"Hey man," the boy says to Bucky, "You're Sergeant Barnes, right? You work with Captain America? That's so cool, man," he says, barely taking a breath. His excited energy reminds Bucky of Peter Parker. "That shit with the Flag Smashers in New York," the kid continues, "that was crazy. You're, like, a real hero, man."

He moves closer to Bucky to snap a selfie, then holds his fist out, and Bucky knocks his own fist against it, hesitantly.

"Thanks," Bucky mumbles, not used to the praise.

"Tell Captain America it's cool he looks like me," the boy says, pointing to his skin, before heading inside the cafe.

Jo just smiles at Bucky, watching the blush creep down his neck, but Danny says, "You should start charging for pictures." Jo rolls her eyes, and Danny laughs. Bucky can see the similarities between the two of them, and for a moment, he misses his own sister.

"Ready to head out?" Danny asks, breaking Bucky from his thoughts.

"Yeah," Bucky says, standing, "yeah."

When they're two blocks from the bar, Jo slows down.

“My legs are sore. Carry me?” she pleads jokingly, and before she can argue that she was only kidding, Bucky's bending down in front of her and pulling her onto his back, guiding her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Jo laughs.

"You're going to spoil her," Danny says, but Bucky just smiles.

Inside her apartment, Jo pulls off Bucky's hoodie and returns it to him.

"Looked better on you," he says and kisses her gently. "I need to head back to Sarah's," Bucky continues. "Sam and I promised AJ and Cass we'd take them out on the boat tomorrow morning, bright and early."

"I'll drive you," Jo responds, and she's grabbing her keys before he can protest.

_____

Bucky returns to the bar on Saturday night with Sam in tow. Jo's band is playing, and the smile she gives him from the stage when he enters the bar makes up for Sam's constant teasing throughout the day. He likes watching her like this. She’s free, uninhibited, beautiful. Too good for me, he thinks. The thought has been creeping in more and more lately.

Later that night, after Sam has left and the bar has closed, Bucky lets Jo lead him up the stairs to her apartment and into her bedroom.

"Let me take care of you," she whispers, running her fingers beneath his t-shirt. Bucky nods and allows her to strip his clothes off before he helps her out of her own. Jo maps each scar on his body with her fingers and her mouth, and Bucky's heart swells at her tenderness.

She pushes him backward onto the bed and tries to take his cock in her mouth, but Bucky stops her. He's not ready to give up that control just yet, worried he won't be able to stop himself from being too rough with her. When she straddles his hips and sinks down on his cock, he holds her hips with his hands and guides her movements. He guides her own fingers to her clit and watches as she falls apart above him before flipping her onto her back and driving back into her. When he comes, it's with a shout of Jo's name, and he drops his head against her shoulder, panting.

As he holds her while she sleeps, the thought he's been having – that he doesn't deserve this – returns, and Bucky lays awake brooding.

When Jo wakes on Sunday morning, Bucky is gone.

_____

next chapter - coming soon

[calliettes-posts]

Would you rank the skam wlw seasons? and could you justify the rankings? I am interested in your opinion. sorry my english :)

Your English is fine! And sorry for the late reply, I just finished s2 of skam españa so that I can answer this properly

1. Fatou (Druck s6)- now this is me being completely biased, but watching Fatous season live honestly was so life changing, I've never seen a black main character be so portrayed in a beautiful and caring way in Germany, and I honestly adore Fatou. I love that her season didn't deal with a coming out, but that she was already an out and proud lesbian, and I honestly LOVE how they portrayed her and Kieu Mys culture. For me, when it comes to black sapphics and sapphics of colour, I feel like they always make their culture a point of conflict, but with Fatou and Kieu My, their sexualities and culture could just coexist without any problem, and that is so special to me. And I absolutely love Kieu My, I love how well fleshed out she is, how we learn more and more about her throughout the season, and how she's more than what she portrays, how she just wants to be seen and not have to be perfect and please everyone all the time, how much pressure she puts upon herself just to make everyone happy, and so much more, I also love how they used her social media to document how and when exactly Kieu My stopped performing and started ro just be herself. Also back to the culture, I loved how they referenced Fatous, Kieu Mys and Avas cultures, it felt like it was made for bipoc watchers, and not to educate the white audience, and that is what made it so authentic imo, because as a black person, I don't need explanation for certain things, like for example when ava explained how mailin behaved at the protest, I immediately understood why she was bothered by it, and so did fatou, and that was realistic, its the small things, but that made me relate to the characters so much more, or when fatou face timed her relatives and relied on her dad to translate to her, these moments are so special to me. I also love the symbolism throughout the season, from Kieu My being the axolotl and Fatou the tortoise to the astrology references to Kieu My being the ice queen and Fatou the warmest person ever, how well they complemented etc etc. Also: " Kieu My, du bist so schön. Ich hab mir ne Liste gemacht an Dingen die so schön an dir sind. Wie du zum beispiel immer deine ohren hinter deinen haaren versteckst, wie du so eng mit deiner Familie bist, und dass du so krass gut mit Horrorfilmen bist. Aber am meisten lieb ich wenn du lachst. Weil dann seh ich dich. Und wie viel liebe in dir ist."Like hello???? Also, the entirety of Sonntag, 13:28, and how they related and bonded with each other through their experiences of being a child in an immigrant family. Generally, I love how much care was put into this season, and that's why Fatous s6 and kieutou will always be on top for me. Also, it's the remake where I don't need any translations for lol

2. Anaïs (Wtfock)- now I know the writing has been disappointing since ep7, but honestly, I am sosososososo grateful to have Anais as a main character in a skam remake. I honestly love her, I love how loyal, caring, and kind she is, and there's nothing that could make me hate her, like that's my nigerian sister, I honestly never thought that we'd get nigerian sapphic rep, and I'm so here for it. As for Anobbie, I love how their development was shown from ep1 to 6, especially ep3, that ep felt like it was straight out of a rom com, from anobbie fleeing together from that Fries place and getting closer to the subtle flirting of Bobbie, to Bobbie looking out for and helping out Anais at the party and with her friends drinking away her dads alcohol, to Bobbie opening up to Anais about her dad and showing her the place where her fathers ashes were sprayed, to Anais and Bobbie getting closer, to Anais arranging a date meeting with bobbie, to Anais playing "I'm gonna make you love me" and making Bobbie dance with her, to Bobbie finally kissing her, like it was so beautiful to watch. Also, I love how anobbie complements eachother and how theyre exactly what the other person needs, Bobbie makes Anais feel free and able to stand up for herself and feel like she's herself, and Anais makes Bobbie feel safe and provide a sense of stabilty, they really adore eachother and would go to great lengths to protect eachother, and I honestly love to see it. Also they reminded me a lot of kieutou, and alone for that they're high on the list. Also, just like Kieu My, I love how fleshed out Bobbie is as a love interest, she's such an interesting character that you want to know more of, and whether you love her or hate her, you pay attention to her, that's how interesting she is and im so here for it. And after druck, they're the remake where I need the least amount of translation for lol

3. Cris- (skam españa s2)- I just finished watching it, and omg, crisana literally invented gay staring, from their first meeting their eye contact was so insane, it got me giggling and kicking my feet lol. I really liked the season, I loved how reassuring and supportive Cris friend group is, how they were there for her every single time she had problems with Joana, and generally they seem like such a sweet friend group, and now i see why they're most peoples fave girl squad. As for crisana, they were so cute, I love how much they adored eachother, and I really love how reassuring cris was with joana at the end, telling her that she won't run away and that she'll be there for her. I also loved howbwe could see just how much cris cared for joana, like she cried in almost every single clip after joana disappears. honestly sometimes forgot that this was an evak remake lol, but I think it did the OG justice

4. Lola (skam france s6)- I don't remember much from lolas seasons except that it was veeeeryy dark, and that she could never catch a break, like why did they make her suffer so much? I feel like her and Maya could've had more development because their relationship felt rushed to me, but they were really cute, and I really love the scene where Maya draws on lola while she's laying there crying, it feels to intimate and special. Also, just like Bobbie, Lola is a polarising character, and I love those types of characters, especially female ones

5. Maya (skam france s9)- this never happened, mayla are still happily together while they work on their issues through proper communication, lola never broke up with Maya, and they still have their tattoo together

But honestly, this was so disappointing, the first time a LI got a season, and then we don't even learn anything about the LI at the end, it feels they just made the season to have an excuse to break up mayla, but we already knew that

[nolabballgirl]

Hola! I think Sascha and Lou were introduced to break up the constantin screen time. I think the writers took note that some of the audience wouldn't want to see constantin at every turn so they created 2 new characters as a buffer. And as much as i love to see these exciting and new characters, I just feel that after a long hiatus, i'd prefer to spend time with the more undeveloped characters that have been on the periphery since s5. Like Finn or Yara.

hi, Anon! thanks for your ask! yes, so i agree that's definitely one possibility for the introduction of sascha/lou. i also think the writers thought it would be easier for the audience to empathize with possible mistreatment of sascha/lou by ismail vs. ava/other characters of color. and finally, to possibly introduce a love interest factor.

but it gets me thinking about skam seasons and friendship dynamics and the unwillingness of seasons to shake up or examine the core friend groups to any satisfying degree. perhaps because the writers don't want to sully or create conflict and alter audience perceptions of "the best friend groups ever" or however the audience nostalgically thinks of these groups. for example, think of all the sana seasons where the main conflict has always been external (be it random racists, britt, pepsi max/bcu, kas(s)im, etc.) and we never get any real discussion between sana/vilde or sana/girlsquad about their behavior. same with skam france and the seamless acceptance of not only tiff but louise/anaïs into lamif without any real reckoning of their past horrible behavior.

which is why i thought the cashqueens conflict from s6 was such a fresh take because we got a honest, messy, and all too relatable examination of what happens when you don't just gloss over or accept when your friends have messed up (like sana/lola, etc.) but actually call them out on it and get into why what they did was so hurtful. now that storyline was controversial and didn't play well with parts of fandom, so i'm not surprised that the new writers may be taking an easier path with ismail's season; using external characters to take the brunt of the conflict; and soft backpedalling away from ismail/ava. anyway, it is what it is, but let's see.

finally coming back to your ask, i would love to see more fleshed out storylines with some of the peripheral characters like finn and yara. here are some possibilities:

finn:

okay, i'm not saying we need to have "scenes from a marriage" part two or anything. 😅 but there are different dynamics at play when you have an established couple that would be interesting to explore. we know zoe and finn have had their ups and downs.

i guess the storylines with kieu my's parents were cut for time, but would love to see a separate storyline with finn and his mom. we've gotten several mentions so far.

what's finn's puppy up to these days?

yara:

okay, there HAS to be a reason for the original jünglinge team to make yara's IG private. so i do hope that whatever the reason is that these new writers don't drop it and we get into it eventually. i mean i really want all this build up to pay off!

the west tends to lump a lot of ethnic diasporas together, including all of asia as one monolith!, so would love a discussion between kieu my, finn, and yara about this. and would love to learn more about yara's thai heritage!

[lovelygirlinbleu]

Anaïs said some dumb stuff but after stalking her insta page I feel like she's a very interesting character. And I never noticed that she's a little artist? (So there's no way I'm not interested since I relate to creative people)

Now I kinda hope that the rumors are true and that we could get Anaïs and Redou as the next mains 🤞🏿

[pristina-nomine]

So, Working on a Song! Needless to say, I loved it.

First of all, Anaïs Mitchell’s writing style: you can clearly tell this is a person who’s not used to write prose as much as poetry, there are all this little bits of evocative imagery sprinkled here and there, it’s charming. (Maybe all books by songwriters are like this? I don’t know)

A thing I found surprisingly interesting: the evolution of Orpheus. Frankly, I thought that, right before Broadway, someone went “Ok, we need to make our protagonist more relatable” or worse “Our protagonist is too much a revolutionary, we have to soften him” and they made some quick changes and done. But apparently it was a problem since NYTW, an years-long struggle. (I was starting to find particularly resonant the idea of Orpheus starting as this wide-eyed boy, all caught up in idealizing the gods, then experiencing first hand how there is absolutely nothing to idealize and starting a revolution, so I was glad to see Anaïs expressing this sentiment)

Another thing is the light shed on the Hadestown early days. I was surprised to see how many plot points from the musical were actually taken from the original Vermont production! I’m especially referring to the whole ‘Hades keeping Persephone in the Underworld and ruining the seasons’ situation; given that there is basically zero references to it in the album, I always assumed it was added in NYTW to give more depth to their characters; turns out it has always been there. As was the concept of cosmic love (which is a thing Anaïs seems to be really passionate about, I should have kept track at how many times these words appear in the book) the idea of Orpheus and Eurydice meeting, falling in love and losing each other because it’s just bound to happen, again and again. Being a sucker for space imagery, I went crazy with the constant references to stars and planets (that love duet with the constellations! ah!).

Finally, the ending of the book, which is the ending of the musical, which is the ending of the album, which was the ending of the play in Vermont, that honestly got me teary-eyed because of the repetition and meta-storytelling of it all. Such a wonderful work of art.

[sanaseason]

I replied to a post before about why Tiff being the Season 7 main in relation to the storyline she was given made sense, but honestly I’ve changed my mind. While it is infinitely easier to use an established character than introduce someone new as a main, it’s certainly not impossible, and given that they were using Basile as a part of Aurélien’s friend group anyways, making this a season about Judith or even Aurélien himself would not have been super hard. Furthermore, if you really wanted a pre-existing character with a pregnancy storyline and a necessary redemption arc in relation to their integration to La Mif, Anaïs is right there. 

[empyrealarc]

◈ for gam!

Send me a ◈ and I will respond with 3-5 scenarios I’ve thought about or could see our characters in! @soulcluster

1. GREEN GIRLS GOTTA STICK TOGETHER! In one aspect of reality, since forfeit because of reality splintering and reforming, it was the Guardians that freed Ana'Hira from SWORD and re-acclimatized her to the world. Among the team dynamic, Ana would've quickly taken to seeing Gamora as a sibling. A teacher, a badass, a hot girl with a sword.

They'd go from being another Skrull soldier & the last Zen-Whoberi to... something more.

"I'm going to teach you how to fight so you don't drag us down."

"Thank you, Gamora... I appreciate y-"

"DODGE!" and then Ana gets punched.

2. LEFT HAND OF GOD! After the unity of Ana'Hiras, when all her aspects merged to form the Verdant Divine, Ana began styling herself as a goddess (no relation) she began seeking aid. Servants, Beasts, Criers and Warriors all... but what she truly sought were 'hands'. A Right Hand to act as her love and understanding, and a Left Hand to strike the wicked down bring peace through strength.

Who better to be the Left Hand of God than Gamora? The deadliest in the galaxy, a warrior of the soul. Ana would seek out her 'old friend' and try to appeal to her, try to find a means to convince her to help save reality from itself.

"You know I've killed would-be conquerors before, right?"

"Of course, my love! That's why I came to you first~ Care for a boba?"

3. THE RAMONE SISTERS! I have this very undeveloped but very high energy chaotic AU where Ana'Hira is 'Anaïs Ramone', a year 11 Cheerleader at 'Saint Dash High School' and honestly? Let's just throw Gamora in there, fuck it.

Older sister? Year 12, or maybe she's working as a teacher's aide during college courses. Their parents are never home, so they live in a big mansion in the hills and just run things. Anaïs is trying to be queen bee at school but Gemma is already past that. She's so cool she doesn't even have to try, and it's weird that they're sisters cause they're so different... until you see them in action.

Ana's the best actress in town, Gem's an Olympic hopeful for fencing. They're both absolute legends!! But don't talk to them. They don't want to talk to you.

"I'm throwing a party this Saturday, Gem! Big to-do, everyone's gonna be here... so you can't be."

"Fine, I already made plans with Thaal, anyway. If any of your socialite friends go near my room, I'm gonna kill your stuffed animals."

"That's reasonable and fair. Wanna get donuts after school?"

"Sure."