#-> imo. great book btw

[adhd-merlin]

the homoerotic tension between a married man and the loyal friend lusting after his wife

[iwannarunawayandbeapirate]

zolf smith is so relatable actually

today a friend of mine was really rude when i mentioned having read a romance book over the weekend, implying that it wasn't "intellectual" enough and judging both me and the book despite not even having read it

and now i completely understand zolf's decision to leave the london rangers after hamid critiqued harrison cambell's novels

[wuffgang-ameowdeus-moozart]

whenever someone reads a prequel or a retelling and complains about knowing how it will end since the beginning I'm like. bro. dude. bitch. however you prefer to be referred to.

✨THATS THE FUCKING POINT✨

It's about the tragedy of reading all the ways the characters are unknowingly building towards the very same fate they are so desperately trying to avoid.

ITS ABOUT THE BITTERSWEET JOY OF KNOWING THEIR STORY IS STILL WORTH TELLING.

REGARDLESS OF HOW IT ENDS.

if your story is only good when reading through it the first time? if the reading experience is spoiled by knowing what happens?? (pun fully intended) it's not that well crafted a story imo.

Sometimes it's not about what is going to happen. Sometimes it's about reinterpreting the characters. Sometimes it's about exploring themes through a story we already know.

Sometimes the storytelling is enhanced by knowing how it is going to end.

[blightbright]

i think it's interesting to not let Solas kill the ignorant mages (the ones who bound his Wisdom friend) in his DA:I personal quest!

they definitely enslaved a spirit, which is wrong, and Solas disapproves of sparing them, AND:

these are pathetic randos who have literally only ever been exposed to cultural messaging that says spirits are objects not people. they're annoying and they destroyed someone's life, but they are not evil. they were imprisoned for years, they were taught misinformation by their captors, and now they've escaped, they're vulnerable, they got scared of being killed by bandits, and they ignorantly stumbled their way into something they didn't understand by following a book's instructions.

none of that is an excuse and also, in an extremely on-the-nose fashion, being enslaved and forced to kill is what harmed Solas' friend. the Inquisitor doesn't know how directly this parallels Solas' story, but if Inky can come at the mercy choice intuitively, the choice to stop Solas is IMO a very good one, because (like Cole embodying Compassion for the Templar when choosing to make Cole "more spirit") it actively reinforces Solas' inner Wisdom self.

Inky doesn't have to intervene much at all to get Solas to stop btw, literally all it takes is an uneasy "Solas..." and he stops.

IMO, gently expressing uncertainty about his decision to outright kill them reminds Solas, hey, what if you don't have to kill them (which hurts you too, which you were forced to do, and that damaged you)? these people might be teachable. what if you, Wisdom, teach them to never do this again? what if they spread that message to the other oblivious mages they encounter, and many more people learn?

these mages literally cannot learn anything if they're dead. if spared, they're still not the best critical thinkers, but they state this was the first time they'd ever done a binding, and they seem genuinely shocked that they hurt someone by doing it. IMO, they seem unlikely to ever do it again. IIRC Inky can even threaten them in optional dialogue afterwards, and they swear (in a way that seemed earnest to me) that they've learned their lesson.

TL;DR, gently prompting Solas to slow down and consider what he's doing instead of slaughtering people who are cowering in front of him with their hands up, even though intervening makes Solas feel unhappy in the moment, is IMO a great way to reach out to his own bound Wisdom and say, 1) hey, I actually like your truest self, and 2) hey, sometimes people do terrible things... I'll stop them permanently if I have to, but I prefer to first try and see if they're willing to do better.

that's a pretty important message for Solas, for multiple reasons.

[munchy-k]

danmei list that no one asked for (long post incoming)

ok so I've accumulated a pretty decent list of danmei that aren't as well known and I want to talk about them!! so here we go! these aren't in any particular order btw

Nan Chan

an aloof, listless immortal and a very hungry caterpillar fish demon go on an adventure to retrieve a runaway bell 🔔. and also they both have amnesia. CUE ANGSTY BACKSTORY REVEAL!!!! 🔪🔪🔪

I'm sure it's to no ones surprise that this is first because I'm a SLUT for nan chan. if nan chan has one fan it is ME and if there r no fans I am DEAD!! I love this novel so much it has the perfect combination of painful angst and sweet sweet lovin' !! the main couple's relationship makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside 🥺👉👈 (probably because I am a touch love language girly and these bitches be touching!!!) and I LOVE the characters sm. especially my little meow meow Jing Lin and his adorable little stone figure. I live for the interactions between Cang Ji and the stone figure! it may be a little difficult to read the first time around since the plot gets a little convoluted but it all makes sense in the end! 10/10 really recommend!!

How to Survive as a Villain

transmigration plot! rich ceo gets transported to a novel as the villain emperor and gets buddy buddy with the novel's MC so he doesn't get killed. ends up buddying too close to the sun and accidentally becomes the leading lady. drama ensues!

this is another favorite of mine!! this one is another good mix of angst and romance and the MC is so funny and likeable. there are also two cute side couples which is always fun! (one of them is f/f so it gets extra brownie points with me🤭) its also not too complicated which makes it great for casual reading ^^ p.s. this one has an official eng tl now! its being published thru rosmei (like nanchan) so it has to be ordered thru a 3rd party distributor but I think its worth reading 👀

Living to Suffer/ Till Death Do Us Part

living to suffer: ancient wuxia style prequel where the characters meet as a humble doctor and member of a demonic sect and their fate intertwines. this one has a BE

till death do us part: early to mid 1900s setting sequel. the reincarnated characters meet again as a elementary school teacher and rich playboy and face the struggles of having a relationship. this one has a bittersweet ending

THIS...... OK THESE NOVELS... let me tell you something. this made me SOB. oh my god especially the ending of TDDUP. I saw a review saying "I honestly could believe there lived a Shen Liangsheng and a Ch'in Ching, and that they fell in love..." and hard agree because something about this story felt so real?? which made it all the more intriguing and heartbreaking!! its set around the time of the japanese invasion of china and the cultural revolution so it does talk a lot about politics but it wasn't a difficult read imo. BUT BE WARNED! there is a LOT of smut. (not rly vanilla either..) and the relationship does get pretty toxic at times 😬 but it gets better by the end of the book and the toxicity actually does add to the story and character development. if u give it a try please read the prequel (living to suffer) first!

After Being Forced to Marry the Evil Star General

a deputy prime minister MC who's powerful, high-maintenance, and hated by the public is arranged to marry a laid-back general who is much loved and praised (but also rumored to be cursed!). this is an arranged marriage + enemies to lovers novel

I'm actually in the middle of rereading this one rn 👀. I think this one is also good for casual reading since it isn't very complicated. in the beginning the interactions between the main couple r rly funny because they just clash all day long lol. its also got a little angst sprinkled in 😎👍 I did see some reviews saying that the MC is not likeable since he does some kinda bad things and he's stuck up but I still liked him idk 😭 I feel like his flaws made him more interesting

Married Thrice to Salted Fish

a doctor MC who only wishes to study medicine (and poison oop) gets arranged to marry a guy whos dying. turns out that guy has been taken over by a transmigrator! transmigrator ML then proceeds to die and come back as someone else.. more than once 😭

if you love a couple that schemes together then this is the novel for you! the MC in this book kinda reminds me of the MC from the book I mentioned right above. (these titles too long man 😅) I found the repeated "reincarnation" plot to be pretty interesting. the interactions between the couple were pretty amusing as well and since the ML is from modern times he randomly uses modern slang. MC even picks some lingo up from him loll

Xiao Jiu

about a 9th prince MC whos trying to win the heart of the emperor's cold and aloof bodyguard! call him the prince of rizz because it works eventually 😎 this is an age gap romance with a smidge of angst and political drama

this a short and sweet story! the ML is described as cold a lot but he actually becomes rly sweet and warm later on so he isn't one of those stone faced characters. I don't have much else to say about this besides "its cute, I like it" 😅

Guanshan Muyu

wife-chasing crematorium story! it's about a outlaw MC who's kidnapped by the very guy who betrayed him. ML wants to win MC's heart back but issues from the past cause a bunch of misunderstandings :( but it is a happy ending!!

man.... I haven't read a wife-chasing crematorium story before this and I was not prepared for the amount of ANGST. basically everyone is miserable for the entire damn time! 😭😭😭 but that's not to say it wasn't a good story!! all the suffering made the ending feel even sweeter 🥰 if you cry easily maybe keep a pack of tissues on hand when you read this 😂

I wrote this in my notes app while reading and I feel like it summarizes the ML pretty well bahaha 👇

"qi yan: my girl is mad at me. I hope I die"

It’s Not Easy Being a Master

transmigrator becomes the villainous shizun in a novel he read and attempts to avoid a bad ending but *gasp* the novels MC (ML) has been reborn with all the past memories!! MC tries to get close to ML while ML is like wtf is going on ! seems like a typical "transmigrated as a villain" type plot until suddenly it's not... 👀👀

this one was rly fun! there's a big plot twist that I found rly interesting and unique! very fresh!! fresh produce!! 🥒🫑🥕🍅 I also like the MC a lot he had a rly silly personality hehe. I think this novel is good for people who like solving mysteries alongside the characters since a lot of hints are dropped throughout

Golden Stage/ Terrace

arranged marriage between a court dog and a general who's become phsyically disabled. everyone knows that the two HATE each other... but do they really? 👀 no, it's not an enemies to lovers, but the other characters seem to think so! 🤭

great novel!! very good!! I love the dynamic between the main couple! they love to banter so their interactions are entertaining. there's a bit of political plot but it's nothing too complicated and the angst is minimal. I also like that one of the main characters is a ambulatory wheelchair user. this one also has a official eng tl now but I'm not sure from which publishing house

Sharing Rain and Dew

MC whos staying in the palace dies a painful death but then gets reborn several months in the past. he spends his time stressing about his impending death but for some reason the Emperor has suddenly become super clingy and doting

this one is very very short, only 5 chapters + 3 extras, but it's quite funny and cute. despite being so short the story is actually pretty interesting? good for a quick, casual read

list over!! I have a few more but this is already too long of a post 😭 I hope someone can find this helpful for some reading recs!

[rococo-sonata]

SMALL THEORY ABOUT BSD CHAPTER 121 ^_^

okay so people are saying that dazai may have been created by the book bcs of that thing atsushi says, i was kinda mixed about it tbh but if we connect it with natsume's character it makes so much sense

we have literally nothing about dazai's life before he's 15. he's a child in the mafia, and it seems like it's all he has ever known. like he was born there. kinda like sigma just appeared one day. dazai is supposed to have parents canonically but did we ever see them or hear something about them more than they're just dazai's parents? it's possible that it was just written in the book that dazai has a family when he was created, but they just don't exist in reality. also all his completely over the top abilities, like the way he controls his heartbeats, his intelligence etc. all his capacities seems purely utilitarian. like he was made to help and be useful. like sigma was.

just no longer human in general. it stands out from every other abilities just like irl dazai was like alienated from others, his ability is a good metaphor for that. so is dazai so alienated and can't connect with other bcs he was made with the book? the fact he knows about the alternate universes too like there is a thing not normal about this guy he can't be human

and that fact would be a great parallel, bcs with what i heard (bcs i didn't read stormbringer), chuuya thinks he's not human be in reality is. and dazai would be the one who's not human in this theory (like his ability name...no longer human...oh mah gah)

and who follows dazai since his 15. and also happen to be an author. natsume!!!! i mean what if natsume is the book's author. he's described as the author of the book that made oda want to stop killing and start writting. that book, maybe it's the book that created dazai. and that would be another parallel. bcs dazai saved oda just like he saved him after.

it's really that phrase natsume said that make me think it may be true

also fyofyo ripped the page it does not mean dazai doesn't exist anymore. he ripped the page. not the book

btw i don't remember if we know who wrote sigma, so if someone can tell me please! if we do not know maybe he was wrote by natsume too? idk

so every mains seems to have something to do with the book, atsushi's tiger is the bookmark, dazai is the main character, ameno gozen is shaped like a pen, sigma is a secondary character maybe??? can't wait for when we learn kunikida is the ink or something🙏/j

maybe i'm forgetting a lot of details and making up things don't hesitate to correct me but it would be so so cool imo

[sandontshengshou]

I’m convinced that even if Jiang Cheng ended up dying and getting brought back as a fierce corpse, OP would just say “hey, pookie bear Wei Wuxian brought him back at least! He’d be rotting in a depression spiral if they didn’t kill him!”

sorry, anon from before, two thoughts and then I'm DONE I promise, one of MY grievances is that antis have weird takes that would be fun if they finished the thought instead of killing it with 'and that's why the protagonist is good and the antagonist is bad' like. be brave! be interesting! like yeah, actually, "JC comes back as a fierce corpse and WWX and wq are so horrified that they go into denial about it like no, this is fine, we can make this work, nobody get upset" would actually be a very fun and fucked up au.

my second, spicier take is that people make fun of 'female-coded male characters' but "family member and doctor make medical decisions for [character] without their knowledge or permission and this is fine -- [character] should be grateful, in fact!" is something you'd hear from the antagonist in like, the yellow wallpaper. I think canon is less misogynistic than that -- I think wwx and wq are implied to understand that they're violating a boundary and it's reasonable to assume that the person they're operating on would be upset -- but it would be fun to see the horror AU where they're completely upfront right after the surgery because they didn't do anything wrong and only a crazy person would be upset.

I am sorry I didn’t see this ask in my notes until today!!!

No but fr even Jiang cheng somehow died horribly during that core transfer, there still would’ve been someone crawling out of the woodwork to say “oh but my baby did his best, it’s not like jc would have amounted to much anyway🥺” and that gets me.

Tbh the golden core thing actually made me like wwx and wq more because that morally grey action really humanised him to me. Wen Qing didn’t do it out of kindness, she did it because she cared about wwx and felt like she owed him a great debt. Another complicated decision!

What makes the transfer interesting in the first place is the moral dilemma and the fact that he was desperate to fix things both because he couldn’t bear to see jc so broken and because he felt crushingly guilty about the fall of lotus pier! It’s that desperation to somehow make things right and save jc that drove him imo, and isn’t that what he says in the book as well? That he couldn’t bear to see jc like that and that he did everything in his power to find a solution?

Like you said, idk why people try so hard to justify their actions when they literally don’t have to? How about we appreciate the character and his not-so-perfect actions instead of moral panicking lol

And the misogyny thing!!! All I hear is “Oh, why would silly Jiang Cheng know what’s good for him, he’s too emotional!” It’s giving 1950s lobotomisation.

” What gets me isn’t even the fact that they did the surgery or that it was bad, it’s the fact that antis say it was a morally correct decision! I cannot believe some people unironically think the concept of basic bodily autonomy is selfish pls-

As for the horror AU, that would honestly be diabolical and I’m currently thinking of all the ways in which Jiang cheng would react to it. The idea of a wwx that’s even more unhinged than in canon frantically explaining what he did to jc like “see! Shidi, I fixed everything for you, I’ve fulfilled my debt and I’ve fixed you and it’s all gonna be okay :DDDDD” and jc just staring at him in absolute horror really is such a concept, I need more of it.

and btw I love when people rant at me, so never say sorry for that!!

[theloveliestfawn]

The tables will turn when it turns out to be Elriel as the unconvential ship and they're the true crack ship. Sarah won't write them because they won't sell. It will be boring

A Mate Rejection wouldn't work out in standalone books (even if they're interconnected since each standalone promises the couple a HEA and each get one book as confirmed by Sarah in her interviews)

How are you expecting the author to write a compelling rejection story for something that wasn't even explored much? Just ask Elain to say the word "No" and that's it? It's a waste of a storyline. It's not interesting. There are no stakes.

Again, the book won't sell. Sarah won't write it Elain and Lucien however offer an "arranged marriage" kind of dynamic since we never had a mated pair who knew they were mates before they were in love

They will have tension and the clash of desires and reluctance between them. Reluctant love can be so good. So what if they're at odds now, it's not like Sarah haven't wrote couples that didn't start on a great foot before (Rowaelin literally hated the sight of each other)

It seems that this anon is crashing out and venting to other elriels as well but I wanna share my thoughts too <3

TW: YAPPING🥀

How can I expect the author to write a compelling mate rejection story which isnt explored much ???? Idk, maybe we just expect the best from her? The author herself has said in an interview that the mate rejecting thing would be very interesting so I hope she's gonna do her best w it.

Its not wrong for you to prefer Elucien over Elriel. We are all entitled to our preferences. But it doesn't mean that our preference is canon.

I don't want to argue about canon w you rn. I want to talk abt why I prefer Elriel over Elucien. In my opinion, Elucien's story will just be the same as the other SJM couples. Arranged marriage vibes or whatever you name it, it still follows the same formula, same route. "at odds now", "not starting on a great foot"... that sounds a lot like Nessian 😃 And lots of other SJM couples 😃

Btw, talking abt arranged marriage, have u read HOFAS, anon? Cus Sathia Flynn and Tharion Ketos seemed arranged marriage enough for me. If you like that trope, Im sure that the author will write their love story based on that trope especially since we will have CC4 "House of many waters" and Tharion being a freaking mermaid would absolutely get his POV and love story with sathia.

Now for the "reluctant love"...well Idk abt that. Elain is just indifferent towards Lucien. Lemme ask you, have u ever had a guy crushing on you, your classmates ship you two, but you arent comfortable with it cus you just dont like that guy, instead you love another guy from the class? yeah, thats Elain's case. She wants nothing to do with Lucien. She wants Azriel.

Look, its no use to fight over this. I would ship Elain n Lucien if she was neutral or show even slight emotions towards Lucien, like hate. But no, she js dgaf abt him lmao.

As elriels, we swoon over thoughtful gestures both Azriel and Elain had done for each other throughout the books and their freaking buildup man...

In ACOMAF, both are neutral with each other. They started on good terms. They talked to each other very well and Elain was comfortable w Azriel. no feelings for each other yet, just civil.

In ACOWAR, theres so much significant scenes that shows how Azriel cared for Elain, how protective he is towards her, how he sees her ( im getting her back scene, truth teller scene, the cauldron made you a seer scene ) And ofc theres thoughtful gestures like Azriel escorting Elain to see the garden. no feelings for each other yet, but Az feels protective and is caring towards Elain.

In ACOFAS, they grow closer. Az literally listens to Elain talking abt her garden plans till 3 am. And yes, more thoughtful gestures like the potato scene and making everyone wait for Elain taking her seat before eating.

In ACOFAS, Azriel doesn't have feelings for Elain yet. IMO he was still pining for Mor. It was stated that he blushes looking at Mor after she gifted him a towel as solstice present.

Then when did Azriel developed true feelings for Elain and slowly move on from Mor?

After Elain gifted him the headache powder.

And thats why in ACOSF, he felt very intensely abt Elain. He spent a whole year post ACOFAS developing feelings for her, thinking abt her, and it was too much that he avoided being bear Elain. Was it ever too much for Azriel when he pined for Mor? No, he could still be near her, be friends with her. But with Elain? No. He had to stay away bcus Elain is too much for him. But even when he stayed away, he would be the first one to act whenever Elain is in potential danger or in any slightly inconvenient situation. He is very protective towards Elain... shadows gathered around the corner of the room like snakes preparing to strike...."What happened to Elain?" ...Elain shouldnt be exposed to the cauldron's darkness n more.

As for Elain, she was never shy towards Azriel pre ACOSF. But in ACOSF, she was shy when she gestured towards Azriel. Why is she suddenly shy towards Azriel? Because she now has feelings for Azriel as well. Az did so many sweet things for Elain and he's hot, ofc she wants him now duh.

And then the grand finale scene for elriel in ACOSF was the charged glance. THERE IS TENSION BETWEEN THEM.

As for the bonus chapter, the "It was a mistake" and "You are to stay away from her" happened. Elain misunderstanding why Az pulled away from the kiss and rhys ordering Az to stay away from Elain RAISED THE TENSION BETWEEN THEM.

Theres too much foundation for Elriel. Can you see how beautiful their relationship progressed? THE TENSION BETWEEN THEM? The author cannot make this buildup just for them to go to waste which she admits that she hates when it happens.

[unhingedromione]

what is your favorite romione fics and what are the ones you’ve written you like the most 👀👀👀👀👀 finding fics on archive have been impossible and a girl is desperate 🌞

Oooh chileeee *rolls up sleeves*

Okay, so I'm listing my all-time favorites below (mostly on FFN since it's been YEARS since I've been plugged into this fandom).

As for my stuff *buries head* this ridiculous ass fic that I wrote when I was FOURTEEN is my main claim to fame (it's trash but also still kinda slaps?). BUT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON A TON OF NEW STUFF. I have six fics coming out this month through the @romione-trope-fest (btw the best active Romione writers are participating in that fest, so you should definitely follow it if you haven't been already! Here's the AO3 collection for the fest.).

ALSO I saw that you are a Renaissance fan. I have one that's 50% done called "Virgo's Groove" (EDIT: it's here!) and it takes place in the seventh book when Lupin announces Teddy's birth. I can share a snippet tomorrow if you'd like 🙂

Okay enough self promo lol. On to my recs!

Seven Simple Years by HalfASlug (FFN): Best Romione missing moments series ever. I think HalfASlug has the best Ron voice. Everything she's ever written for Romione is worth reading.

Moments by Armaysha (FFN): Another missing moments (I'm a sucker for those) that I feel kind of mixed about, even though it's still one of my favs. The writer has a different take on Romione than most of the fandom. It generally works IMO, but some of the choices she made I really didn't understand. But what she did well, she did really, really well.

I Must Not Tell Lies by TMBlue (FFN): I think this is the best one-shot of Romione's first fuck. TMBlue is GREAT at writing Ron and she's like the queen of Romione smut.

Six Foot of Ginger Idiot by Pinky Brown (FFN): This classic is HBP from Ron's perspective. Pinky Brown is another iconic Ron writer. You can't go wrong with anything she's written, but Biscuits (her missing moments series starting in Book 1) starts dragging in the last few chapters IMO.

Australia by MsBinns (FFN): Post-war series, arguably the greatest Romione fic of all time. To be totally honest, I didn't finish it because it does kind of drag. But I'm always meaning to get back into it. Just know that it's heavy.

Love Me Forever by Aloemilk (AO3/FFN): I JUST read this and I can't stop thinking about it. It's a post-war series that has a great mix of angst, trauma, and fluff (lighter than Australia). The slow burn from Romione's first kiss to a full-fledged adult relationship is perfect and the smut is SO GOOD. Reminds me of the time I stumbled upon porn that made me ugly cry (in a good way?)

Not single fics but thesecondself and realmer06 (both on FFN, although realmer06's next gen stuff is also on AO3) are my favorite one-shot writers.

[juno-stuffs]

so my hand slipped and while it did it made me search every nook and cranny of the epic fandom for every single existing wlw ship i could find and made me draw three so far + my ramblings

-- circe x penelope (cirpen/cirlope) (i personally prefer 'cirlope' but that's just me :])

was gonna put this in the "technically doesn't count" section since i first saw this ship with circe the book and not epic. but then i saw an epic version of this ship on tiktok so...fuck it we ball.

i luh luh love this ship in circe (the book). in epic, it's cool. i think they'd be a good duo, romantic or not tbh. also, if you read circe the book and ship penelope and circe in that book, go to ao3 and read the circe and penelope fics. i dunno why, but the writers in that scene are like sappho reencarnates? i dunno, they're great.

(also penelope had more sexual tension with circe than telemachus did in that book fight me /not srs)

-- circe x scylla

BOO!! TOXIC YURI JUMPSCARE! /silly

not the biggest fan of toxic yuri, which is pretty much this ship, but i felt very inclined to include these two. i don't have much to say about them, though, they're just neato. (btw you'll see these two again but with a plus one.) like with circe and pen, there were fics of them on ao3, but only two. if you do want to read them, i suggest only reading one if you aren't into freaky things. because one is normal and the other is like if circe got in on the manwhore au but like worse even by the mw au standards so...yeah. not for the squeamish.

also, if you saw my other scylla doodles, i made scylla's hair more wavy since she was looking a little too much like penelope. also gave her scales n shit so. good for her.

tbh i don't like drawing characters with long black hair, especially straight long black hair since i used to have that type of hair and every time i drew a character with that hair people would go: 'oh is that you' NO. SHUT UP. NO IT'S NOT.

but it's okay because i shaved my head and now i'm bald.

-- athena x penelope (bro i don fukin kno)(penna? that's just a name)(a name that gives marker brand but whatever)(athelope sounds like/looks like someone tried to say/spell antelope and fucked up)

a little break from circe. i love my girl circe but damn bitch, don't gotta collect all of them. you in epic, not pokemon. circe is in like 90% of these (i'm not fact checking that). probably since she is the female character with the most screen time, save for athena. even so, not only is circe more appealing to the sapphic gaze, she is easy to put in a wlw setting whereas athena is difficult to put in a romantic setting period. but when athena is, it's typically with a woman, so

found this one in an odysseus x tiresias fanfic on ao3

...

anygays. yeah, they can weave together and shit. penelope would love owls imo but maybe that's just me.

also they're both kind of gray themed characters? eh, actually, i dunno, penelope just gives gray but, again, that might just be me.

if we wanna get into odyssey (which tbh i don't really wanna do since I prefer separating epic and odyssey), athena blessed penelope with sleep often, which is sweet. she also did that to odysseus but this ain't about him right now.

i have a little more but i was too lazy to take a pic of it so. i didn't.

anywompwomp, more to come. (also if you have any wlw epic ships, crackship or not, maybe one of the characters aren't even in epic, send an ask and i'll probably doodle it too :])

[salvadorbonaparte]

2024 in Films - Part III

I watched a lot of stuff again, some even for grad school.

August

Lola Rennt (1998) - banger soundtrack and editing

Vertigo (1958) - the most boring of the Hitchcock films I've seen so far

A League of Their Own (1992) - makes me want to watch baseball

White Men Can't Jump (1992) - did not expect jeopardy to be so important in this film, also loved the fashion

The Fall Guy (2024) - my mum loves the original series so we had to watch this and I had an amazing time

Blinded by the Light (2019) - the dialogue is strange at times but a banger soundtrack (obviously) and some amazing editing, very uplifting and I watched this on my flight to the US btw

Good Will Hunting (1997) - I watched this during my first week in Massachusetts before starting grad school here

Alien3 (1992) - this film says so much about gender, actually

Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears (1973) - taking lots of liberties with Texan history and also surprising homoerotic subtext

September

Causeway (2022) - a film that I originally only found meh but then kept thinking about all the time

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) - equally blood libel as the og with an added bonus of cycle of violence, might write an essay about this

Sleepaway Camp (1983) - another horror film that says so much about gender and I could write an entire essay about it

My Best Fiend (1999) - Werner Herzog must be studied under a microscope

We're All Going to the World's Fair (2021) - not as good as I saw the tv glow imo but asking some important questions about online communities and reality

Jacob the Liar (1974) - the film felt a little too empty but I also don't want to say something negative because I am still angry about a bad review I saw

Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson (2024) - absolutely transformed the way I think about stand up comedy

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) - the old lie dulce et decorum est pro patria mori

The Shock (1923) - as ableist and racist as you expect from the 20s but with a great performance from Lon Chaney

Trap (2024) - I actually really enjoyed this, even though I was waiting for an even crazier plot twist

Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll (2014) - a documentary that nearly made me cry

Hudson Hawk (1991) - technically a rewatch but I need to speak my truth and it's that I like this film

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) - I have so many issues that this would take an entire post or even conference paper

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians are Coming! (1966) - had me in stitches half the time, I love a good cold war comedy

The Bone Collector (1999) - spooky!

Monkey Shines (1988) - also horror and gender but also silly

Death in Venice (1971) - boring :/

October

UPSIDEdown (2013) - I watched this one twice, once with the director, also had lunch and coffee with him, I had an issue at first with how child protection service is portrayed but that part is apparently real, also he cast a neurodivergent kid, which is awesome

The Master (2012) - I love when men are also poorly trained attack dogs, also can you imagine sending that guy to the cult from Midsommar? Also still haunted by Philip Seymour Hoffman

Like Stars on Earth (2007) - neurodivergent kids need neurodivergent role models!!!

The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum (1975) - I have so much to say about this tbh

Farewell Disco (1990) - at first I found this kinda boring but then I was also enchanted by the inclusion of Sorbian culture

The Kangaroo Conspiracy (2022) - just read the books

November

Srikanth (2024) - fairly standard biopic, meanders a bit but solid soundtrack and performance

Innocent Witness (2019) - this one impressed me so much I recommended it to multiple people, also I'm an autistic person who is besties with my lawyer so bonus points for that, I could talk a lot about this too

Hunt (2022) - Probably less confusing if you know more about Korean history, fun plot twist and imo some homoerotic tension

Scarlett Innocence (2014) - tbh I didn't even watch the whole thing because I don't go for erotic thrillers, I just watched the scenes where Jung Woo Sung is a poor little meow meow

Inseperable Bros (2019) - some dialogue was a bit awkward but that might have been the translation, I like that this was about interabled platonic relationships

Remember You (2016) - the first plot twist is predictable as hell but the second one hit me in the face like a brick

The Childe (2023) - Kim Seon-ho has the range (creepy and babygirl) (covered in blood and coughing up blood)

The Good The Bad The Weird (2008) - not only the best western I've ever seen but also one of the best films I've seen this year at all

Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (2002) - very unsatisfying, but in a good way

As We Were Dreaming (2015) - the German answer to banlieu films, a film about the reunification of Germany from a different perspective than you're used to, despite living decades later and in the west I feel like I know these characters

Transit (2018) - the anti Casablanca, a double exposed picture of past and present, a Kafkaesque limbo of bureaucracy and loss of identity

Berlin Alexanderplatz (2020) - long, confusing, too smart for me and I still couldn't stop watching it. There's something very queer about this film too.

Wicked (2024) - I haven't seen the musical but went to see the film with my friend (and her family) and physically went 👀 to her every time something gay happened. I'm sorry I doubted you Ariana Grande.

December

Fly Me to the Moon (2024) - I watched this on a terrible transatlantic red eye flight and it entertained me. Unique concept but predictable execution

Debbie Macomber's Dashing Through the Snow (2015) - shout out to the Jewish biker guy handing out free puppies

Round and Round (2023) - Actually a really fun Hallmark holiday film?? And a nice twist on the time loop genre??

Wicked Little Letters (2023) - Very fun to watch on new years eve while tipsy

[goldenivy0]

It's NOT that simple!

For every time I see a comment saying "I hope Lucien and Elain can be extremely happy together in the future, he deserves his HEA after everything he's been through and Elain too", I also see someone answering "What do you mean? He can have his HEA even if it's not with Elain, and Elain can also have her HEA with someone she chooses for herself" (you know who they're referring to with this lol).

Well... yes... but at the same time not really?? To what extent would that be a true HEA for the two of them? Elucien's situation and E/riel's situation are two completely different things. Rejecting a mating bond with your fated mate is something completely different than ending a situationship (yes, that's what E/riel have at the moment, a situationship... and a shaky one may I add).

In SJM's world, finding your mate is the peak of fulfillment when it comes to your romantic life, she believes in soulmates and the fated mates trope is a focal point in all her works.

What I take from this: finding your mate is a blessing and having a mating bond with someone makes you have such a deep connection with that person that any other romantic relationship you might have with another (even if it's a whole marriage!) is insignificant in comparison. So yeah... imo this just further proves this notion that there's nothing greater than a mating bond in SJM's universe. Having a mating bond with someone and experiencing it with that person is the happiest of HEA there can be, according to text SJM wrote herself.

Why would you want Elain to experience just a standard HEA (with Az or anyone else) when she can have the happiest of HEA with her mate (who is a great guy btw, so don't try to compare their case with Tamlin's parents or Rhys's parents cause that's bs)? And the same applies to Lucien and Azriel. Don't tell me "Oh BuT ElAiN sAid ShE DiDn'T WaNt a MaTe" cause my dear friend, right after that Elain also said she didn't want a male and Azriel is a male. A male she was willing to kiss and whom you claim she's in love with. So I just wonder, if she apparently changed her mind about that, who are we to say that she didn't or can't also change her mind about not wanting a mate?

You're telling me that Elain shares a mating bond with Lucien but she will simply ignore that to be in a relationship with Azriel without ever asking herself "what if"? "What if I had given me and my mate a chance?". Azriel will never ask himself "what if I find my mate one day"?? You're telling me that SJM will write a book where Elain is SO in love with Azriel that she won't even look at Lucien with whom she has such a deep connection that's unlike any other?

When we compare Lucien and Azriel's situations individually, they are NOT the same. For Lucien, if Elain rejects the bond, that's permanent! There will never be someone better for him than Elain, his mate. There will never be a greater connection for him with anyone else than the one he lost with this rejection. For Azriel, if Elain ends things with him, there's still a chance he'll find his mate (people speculate he already did but that's for another day), there's still a chance he'll find this person with whom he will share a connection so deep that it makes whatever he felt for Elain seem insignificant (canon lol).

When it comes to Elucien, it's a whole mating bond that's at stake, a pull that they will both feel for the rest of eternity even if rejected, and that's why so many people wish things to go well between them, that's why people want them to find their HEA together. Just like @olenvasynyt once said, let's not treat Elucien's situation as if they were part of some tinder blind date that went sour. PLEEEASE 🙏🏼

[jumpinginmuddypuddles]

Ok hear me out because why does the great gatsby and scum villain go so well together? I watched the broadway production (amazing btw) and was listening to the soundtrack. If you know, I got to ‘only tea’ and was like why is this the most LBH thing i have ever heard?

Therefore an au was produced. It’s not strictly accurate to TGG purely because the book itself is kind of lame and boring and i do not support f*tzgerald 

So, gatsby is clearly luo binghe, and daisy is shen yuan. Luo binghe went to war five years ago (aligns with both books, ha) and when he got back to his sweetheart, he realised he’s married to some rich guy. Probably for this it would be like yue qingyuan or something, sorry king. As a result luo binghe dedicates his life to getting super rich (even by backwater means) and buying the house across the lake from yue qingyuan and shen yuan like a siren call. 

Originally i thought shang qinghua would make a good nick, writer and all, but i also like the idea of liu mingyan as nick, getting dragged into the mix because her brother knows shen yuan quite well and luo binghe needs her to arrange a little get together for them. If you’re following musical canon, i also think sha hualing would make a good jordan, so we get some background mingling as a treat

Anyway so sha hualing introduces liu mingyan to luo binghe after she’s living in his cottage trying to make it writing novels. Luo binghe asks her to arrange a meeting between him and Shen Yuan (shen yuan thinks he died in the war and had to marry for security) and they have an affair obviously.

Since yue qingyuan is tom, i think it would be interesting if the person he was cheating on shen yuan with is shen jiu. Maybe shen jiu is the brother yue qingyuan originally wanted to marry but because of some unfortunate circumstance he ended up with the ‘wrong one’. We’re making yue qingyuan way less abusive in this au compared with canon to TGG. he’s a cheater. We don’t need to add abuser on top of that. He’s probably just neglectful. Shen yuan is defo aware of the affair with his brother and since it was a marriage of convenience i doubt he gaf. 

Anyway there’s a bingyuan affair, i’d also change the ending because I don't want shen jiu to die. I like the confrontation in the musical the most (made to last is the best song on the soundtrack imo) so i’d include where they all fight and luo binghe and shen yuan leave. Only shen yuan doesn’t HIT HIS BROTHER with luo binghe’s car.

And without ‘myrtle’s death, there’s no risk of an avenging ‘george’ (i think would be qiu haitang) to shoot luo binghe. Everyone would divorce and get with their appropriate s/o with a happy ending where no body dies and Luo Binghe quits the black market.

Liu Mingyan writes her book, Yue Qingyuan marries the right brother, a lot of parties and a lot of drinking and roaring 20s. The end. 

[incorrect-riordanverse]

watched ep 3 & 4 of the pjo show. here are random thoughts:

ep 3

ive said before that ive put off watching the pjo show after episode 2 because the pacing seemed like a rush of getting from story checkpoint to story checkpoint and it never sat in one place long enough to actually grip me. episode 3 started off like that too, before the trio went on the quest. i only started to really like it when they were on the bus together and more of their dynamic was shining. theyre so funny bru.

i like all the acting but leah jeffries and aryan simhadri are CARRYING SO HARD. its like they took annabeth exactly how i imagined her out of my head and plopped her on screen and im so shocked at the accuracy??? her attitude and side eyes and sass is perf. and simhadri’s grover is insane because (dont come for me) i actually like the show version of him better than i did in the book 😭 perhaps reading him was rocky and i interpreted him wrong but seeing him on screen makes me SO attached to him. like in the books he always seemed like a sort of third wheel and annabeth and percy were outshining him so much but he’s actually slaying the show. i love him lots.

i like the dichotomy between percy and annabeth. their dynamic is already so juicy, especially with how they view both their godly and mortal parents. you can see some of their fatal flaws already shining through UGH i love them

i like medusa WAY more in the show. she seems so menacing yet classy and much more multifaceted. my only complaint was that she died way too quickly. there was so much build up in tension only for her to get one-tapped and it was honestly disappointing.

LIN MANUEL MIRANDA SPOTTED 🫵🫵

dialogue was great in this episode, btw.

ep 4

dream sequence went so hard -> “just breathe mummy ☺️ you’ll always be here 😁” *cuts to percy alone on a desolate plane where she is, in fact, not here*

sighhh sometimes i forget these kids are just twelve and theyre literal BABIES and percy just misses his mum 🙁

annabeth exposition time. a comment on all the exposition— there’s always something each episode but i think the show is doing a well enough job of not dumping everything in a way thats spoon-feedy to audience or in a way that makes viewers feel overwhelmed. theyre breaking information up nicely (imo).

echidna is slaying so hard. sorry but the villains are actually eating the whole dish up. mwah no balls.

its giving “im not a monster, im a mother” 🔥

fight scene annoyed me again but at least the mother of all monsters wasn’t ONE TAPPED. but i was annoyed because the monster was not thrashing him around as much as it had the opportunity to and it was giving plot armour im so sorry. might be cause of budget or target audience/rating though idk. the commentary of the show seems more mature however.

anyways yurr those are my observations. i like these last two eps more than the first two so maybe i should let this series cook.

remember to pirate this show if ur gonna watch it!!

[writingmia]

i really liked your pjo headcannons post. i thought it was interesting, since most people always put physical touch as some of the main ll for the characters, esp leo n percy. do u have any other headcanons for either of them? it can be generic things, like what they would do with a s/o, or it can be weird shit idc? i swear ive read lit every single post to exist on tumblr n i need more

Oh my god thank you so much! This is so sweet. I'm surprised my first ever post is doing as well as it is. I expected to pass as pretty unnoticed in the beginning. I do have a lot of headcanons for the characters, but I'm going to do Leo in this one since he's my absolute favourite

Note: I haven't read the HOO books in a while, but I just finished my reread of PJO, so if any 'headcanon' is actually canon, please just pretend that I'm Uncle Rick himself.

Warnings: none

Leo Valdez Headcanons - loves sweet&spicy. If that's an option in the menu at the restaurant he went to, he will absolutely get it. He's kind of obsessed with it to the point where one might get worried about his taste buds

- if he had to choose between sweet and sour, he would absolutely pick sweet any day. That's not really the best considering he's very ADHD, even for a demigod and his intake of sugar doesn't really help much, but he just loves sweet. He doesn't care if it's chocolate-type sweet or sugar-sweet, he just likes it. You can bet that when he comes out of Bunker 9 after a long day, his tongue would be all types of colours because his 'meal' for the day was whatever candy was in his stash of sweets

- now if you made the choice between sweet, sour and spicy, he would struggle to pick

- he hates coffee. he's simply not a coffee guy. he thinks it tastes nasty, since we established he loves anything sweet and coffee is definitely not sweet. and he doesn't need it anyway, he's hyper as is. if anything, coffee makes him more tired

- i feel like he would get pretty into anime if he tried watching it. from the trending shonen, chainsaw man would be his fave, but in general he would be such a fan of one piece imo. he is that person who has unironically watched the whole thing like three times - he feels guilty when he isn't doing something productive since he feels this need to constantly be creating something, but he also loves to just get distracted by something and do his own thing for hours, even if there's no 'productive' outcome. so he 'wastes' his time and feels guilty the entire time, but the enjoyment he gets out of it evens out the guilt (what do you mean i'm not projecting on my favourite character... at all...)

- secretly a good singer. piper once caught him singing in the shower and then dragged him out and forced him to sing out loud because she was not expecting such an angelic voice to come out of him

- his go to karaoke song is 'cake by the ocean' by dnce

- i feel like he would learn how to play the guitar and he will be shockingly good at it. like he learns a song so fast and because his fingers are always doing something and tinkering with things, this is the perfect way for him to get his energy out while also having lots of fun

- i also feel like he would purposefully not tell anyone he learned the guitar and one day he just whips out this new talent of his and everyone's like '????'

- honestly, leo is just good at everything. if he wasn't a hephaestus kid, he would be a son of hermes, because he is such a jack of all trades. he is incredibly intelligent (which is canon, btw, and if it's not yes it fucking is have you seen the guy, he is borderline as smart as Annabeth, if not smarter, just in another flavour), but also anything he attempts to do, he succeeds in. he can draw, he can play the guitar, he can sing, he absolutely is a great dancer. you would expect he sucks at cooking but nope, there he goes, making a gourmet meal like it's nothing. he isn't much of a fighter, but if he needs to hold his ground, he can. he's just so versatile, you can barely catch him off guard with something he can't master in a few hours

I fucking love Leo, can you notice this from my post?? Anyway, I got too lazy to edit this after I wrote it, so if it's not grammatically perfect or things don't make sense, apologies and please let me know. I will post more headcanons because I frankly have too many. And a lot of AU ideas. I'm preparing one rn actually so... stay tuned? Maybe follow if you're interested in seeing more shit by me. - mia

[lgkavanagh]

okay i've got ~thoughts~

(mostly good thoughts)

(sunrise on the reaping spoilers below)

Covey:

I really enjoyed that Haymitch was in love with a Covey girl. It was great to get to know another Covey member, and to see how they’ve acclimated into District 12.

The gasp I gasped when we found out that Tam Amber made THE Mockingjay pin?!?! Love that detail, it really continues to tie everything from Ballad to Sunrise to THG together.

Where the HECKY DIZZLE was Barb Azure?? I don’t think Haymitch mentioned her having a spot in the grave, but she didn’t seem to be in District 12 either, it was just Clerk Carmine and Tam Amber. I’m guessing it was meant to be implied that Maude Ivory was Lenore Dove’s mother who died in childbirth (which 😭 btw) so where was Barb Azure?

Speaking of the gravesite, do we think this confirms anything about Lucy Gray’s fate? Do we think Covey found her body? Did she return to 12 then die a different way? Did they just never find her, so they made her a stone? Honestly imo this just adds to the mystery, but that’s always what Lucy Gray was anyways, a mystery.

Beetee:

Okay when Ampert first met Haymitch and said that he was excited to tell his dad about it, I literally “aww”ed out loud and read that part to Joe. I thought it was just so sad and sweet that he was so sure he would make it home.

So when we found out about Beetee…my HEART! I put it together about a beat before it was explicitly stated and my heart just SHATTERED.

The whole potato thing was a little weird…I don’t think I ever saw the point?

I love seeing that the resistance/rebellion was alive and well even back then. I wonder what exactly Beetee’s goal was with sabotaging the communication system?

My heart continued to break at the mention that his wife was pregnant again…surely that poor kid ended up reaped as well, there’s no way they let Beetee off the hook.

Mentors:

Wiress! Mags! I was so stoked to see them!!

Loved getting to know Wiress before she was Nuts. Also loved hearing about her Games. Leave it to her to outsmart the Gamemakers without even trying.

Mags really is just the best, isn’t she? I’ve seen posts and discussions about how this series really hinges on the fact that in a country like Panem with such an oppressive and abusive government, loving and caring for others is the most radical thing you can do. And Mags is the embodiment of that. Caring for her victor when he had to watch his own Games back, sending Haymitch gifts of ham hock soup and strawberry ice cream, caring for him as he mourns Louella, volunteering for Annie…she is the best.

I wonder how Haymitch feels when he hears Wiress called Nuts during the third Quell, knowing that her descent started with her torture after his Quell (or at least that’s the implication I got).

District 12 Tributes:

I love Louella. That is all.

Wyatt is such a cool character! It never occurred to me that betting would take place in the Districts as well as the Capitol, but that makes perfect sense. Also I’m pretty sure he’s the only District 12 tribute we’ve seen die on the first day of a Games, right?

The whole Lou Lou thing was insane! And it was so interesting to see how they dealt with the death of a tribute before the Games in this book compared to how they deal with it in Ballad.

Do we think they sought out a girl who looked like Louella, or did they take a child from a rebel family and just hard-core surgically alter her? Because I know Haymitch and co think that she was the child of criminals/something along those lines, but the chance of those stars aligning with a girl who looks almost exactly like Louella? I dunno. I think the Capitol just ripped a girl from her family with no warning or excuse. They need their Games to be a success at any cost.

Maysilee was a standout character. Learning about her and figuring out her motives was such a great element of this book. Using silverware to drive home her humanity to the Capitol? Using her skills to help the other tributes with their tokens? Collecting accessories that can set her apart from her twin? Ugh, love it.

Propaganda:

I fell for it, I really did. Any time Joe and I talked about this book, I talked about how we pretty much already know how the Games went, since Katniss and Peeta watch the videos in Catching Fire. As the story went on, I wondered if Suzanne Collins was deviating from that. Nope! Just drives home the thesis of the story.

Plutarch being so heavily present in the story was something I kind of side-eyed at first, but it makes more sense as I think more about it. Who better to feature in a story about propaganda?

Gripes:

I’m just gonna say it: Effie did not need to be there. I love a callback, I love a reference, but that one was a bit of a stretch to me. I really enjoyed her sister though lol.

Snow’s presence was…I don’t know, a little off? Like I feel like he should have been in the book way more, or maybe even just not at all (just him working “behind the scenes” more or less). Yeah we saw a poisoning/recovery first hand, and then that started the rolls and milk motif, but honestly I could take that or leave it. Lenore Dove dying by poison though was heartbreaking. Also his projection about Covey girls was funny.

Minor, but I always got the impression that the nickname “Careers” was a District 12 thing, or at the very least a District thing. Seems weird for the Capitol/Games to acknowledge that nickname, since it implies those tributes have been training, which is illegal.

Haymitch:

Okay his reaping being illegal and rigged? Love that. What an interesting detail! Although I was surprised they didn’t take Mr. Donner’s bribe to save Maysilee and then put Lenore Dove in her place. Maybe taking a bribe sets a bad precedent.

Some people are rolling their eyes at the fact that Haymitch and Katniss’s father were friends, but that seems natural to me? Like they were boys who were the same age (or close to it) living in the Seam, is it really that far-fetched that they would be friends?

He calls Katniss sweetheart because she reminds him of Louella 🥺

I love that Haymitch was kind of like a prototype Katniss. I wonder if District 13 was involved at this point?

All the foreshadowing to his eventual drinking problem…beautiful. I love the detail of him being a bootlegger who doesn’t drink (until he does).

The Epilogue was, I think, very touching. Yes, it is true that holding on to Lenore Dove for so long is not a healthy way to have dealt with things, but that’s kind of Haymitch’s thing- dealing with everything that has happened to him in a decidedly unhealthy way. And he’s made peace with all of that in the end! He makes sure her memory (and the memories of the others he’s lost) lives on in the memory book, and he's succeeding in stopping sunrise on the reaping. In my opinion, it’s a beautiful ending.