#GET A GRIP YALL

[ahfuck-why]

after one too many posts and fics, i have to say this.

the reason lan zhan likes the rabbits, is because they were given to him by wei ying. yes, the rabbits. the whole ass rabbit colony in the cloud recesses post 13 years is because of the og rabbits, that were given, gifted, to lan zhan by wei ying.

its the same as him keeping the flower he'd stolen from wei ying (along with his first kiss) for more than a decade and a half, preserved and well taken care of. its the same as him keeping jars of emperor's smile in the jingshi.

i fully belive that if wei ying had not given lan zhan those rabbits that lan zhan wouldn't have had that much of an interest in them. its all because of wei ying.

but wei ying, that dense motherfucker, barely remembers that he's the one who gave lan zhan rabbits in the first place and because lan zhan is absolutely obsessed in love with him he's held onto everything about those rabbits forever.

its wei ying who thinks lan zhan, ice prince second jade of lan lan wangji, mr tall handsome and stone cold, secretly likes bunnies. dense as a blackhole wei ying doesnt connect the dots that lan zhan likes those rabbits because he's in love with wei ying and wei ying is the one who gave them to him. - and the fandom takes this at face value.

please. i beg. stop making rabbits lan zhan's special interest or pets or favorite animal without wei ying's influence. this is like the harry potter fandom making chocolate remus lupin's favorite food and half his personality.

i get that the idea of someone like ice bitch supreme lan wangi liking soft cuddly small animals is very cute and attractive, i do. but its incorrect without acknowledging the why and the how he likes them, vis a vis the influence wei ying had in this regard.

[miltonworshiper1]

I love how people here make dnis instead of blocking it's like saying no you can't sit here at lunch while they sit down right across from you

[uswnt5]

Christen - we are grinding

Christen - we are coming for you

Tobin - in the gym with Christen 24/7

Tobin - I’m not done playing

Gos - nope she’s not rehabbing since she hasn’t explicitly said she’s rehabbing

I did not say she isn't rehabbing.

[sugarbear2001]

I hope Chappell Roan keeps making horny songs about lesbian sex. If the straights can have filthy sex songs so can sapphics.

[ember-glade]

Does the white knighting and accusing trans women of being pedos remind you of anything else mayhaps? Perhaps maybe the fucking 1940s?

[bruciemilf]

No offense, but people who disregard Bruce's no killing code and boil every rogue/criminal into an irredeemable melting pot kinda worry me. " death is easier than rehabilitation " lmao way to sound like a fucking cop

[hauntingofhouses]

We all already know Mizu and Akemi are narrative foils. But you know what? Lemme just say it, here's what I think:

Taigen and Mikio are foils.

Not necessarily to each other as individuals in the way that Mizu and Akemi juxtapose each other, but mostly in the contrast between their relationships with Mizu.

I've covered specific parallels between Taigen and Mikio in other posts I wrote; but as the number of parallels I'm noticing between them keeps piling up, I'm compelled to just compile them all in one post. So! This is, thus, the post in question.

First of all, let's look at their similarities.

1. Their status in society is the same. They are both samurai who lost their honour and have dreams of reclaiming it.

2. They are also both diligent as they strive to achieve this goal, they both care deeply about their work, but here as they begin to contrast, as the work in question and way they go about their goals is different:

For Mikio, his work is in taming and rearing horses; in order to prove himself, he must tame Kai—a willful and strong horse—and present it to his lord. For Taigen, his work is in sword fighting and martial arts; in order to prove himself, he must kill Mizu—a willful and strong swordsman—and present her dead body to his lord.

In the parallel above, not only are Taigen and Mikio contrasting each other, but Mizu and Kai are placed in comparison as well. And of course, Kai is Mizu's horse, and represents her. Which is why, when later, Mikio sells Kai off, it represents the way he is tossing Mizu (and their relationship) aside.

From there, the rest of the details of their character begin to contrast and juxtapose each other more clearly. So let's look at those differences, shall we?

Their backstory:

Mikio was a great samurai who was banished. A somebody to a nobody. Taigen was a fisherman’s son who rose to the top. A nobody to a somebody.

2. The first time we meet them on-screen:

Mikio is an adult. An older man. Mizu's superior in age. He is Mizu's to-be husband. A love interest. Taigen is a child. A young boy. Mizu's peer in age. He is Mizu's bully. An antagonist.

3. Their maturity and growth:

Mikio is mature, but stuck in his ways. Taigen is immature, but capable of changing and learning.

4. Their overall attitude:

Mikio is generally relaxed, easy-going and unfussy. Taigen is uptight, irritable and severe.

5. How they talk to and conduct themselves around Mizu:

Mikio is aloof, soft-spoken, and serious. Taigen is obnoxious, brash, and sarcastic. Mikio is quiet, speaking only when spoken to, even when Mizu turns to smile at him and shows openness to be near him. Taigen is loud, talking while others are silent, even when Mizu turns from him and shows no interest in conversing with him.

Mikio doesn't show much of who he is to Mizu throughout their marriage, despite their growing affection. Taigen openly shares his traumas and life story to Mizu during their brief alliance, despite their mutual antagonism.

6. Their external vs internal selves:

Mikio is calm, gentle, and considerate on the outside. Taigen is hot-headed, rude, and selfish on the outside. Mikio is cowardly and deceitful on the inside. Taigen is brave and loyal to a fault on the inside. Mikio tells Mizu that he wants to know and see all of her. But he scorns and betrays her, the woman he loves. Taigen tells Mizu that he wants to duel and kill him. But he endures torture to not betray him, the man he hates.

9. Their hair, a symbol of their honour:

Mikio's topknot is untied by Mizu during their spar. This humiliation occurs in private, the two of them alone in a rural location where no one can see them. Taigen's topknot is cut off by Mizu during their duel. This humiliation occurs in public, the two of them being watched by many others in the Shindo Dojo.

10. Their power dynamic with Mizu:

Mikio believes he is Mizu's mentor. He teaches her to throw knives, how to ride and care for horses, and about the tactical benefits of using a naginata. Taigen believes he is Mizu's equal. He views Mizu as a samurai like himself who received all the same teachings he did, and who possesses the same values.

11. Their perceptions of Mizu:

Mikio sees Mizu's feminine side first. He sees her as sweet and gentle, but also clumsy and incompetent. Taigen sees Mizu's masculine side first. He sees her as terrifying and deadly, but also strong and skilled.

12. The way they approach sparring with Mizu:

Mikio only spars with Mizu once. As the fight progresses and she is beating him, he tries to put a stop to it. When she teases/provokes him, he starts taking the fight personally and seriously, finding no enjoyment in it. Taigen spars and brawls with Mizu all the time. No matter how many times Mizu beats him, he doesn't back down. When Mizu challenges him with a chopstick, he is eager to compete with her and gladly rises up to the challenge.

Mikio and Mizu's one and only spar is a friendly match; Mizu is smiling and having fun while he grows increasingly frustrated. Taigen and Mizu's last-seen spar is a playful wrestling match; both him and Mizu are having fun and laughing.

Mikio cannot deal with Mizu being better than him, so he scorns her and walks off, avoiding her thereafter. When Taigen cannot deal with Mizu being better than him, he follows her to observe her moves and continues training in hopes to eventually beat her. After being bested by Mizu once, Mikio leaves her and sells the horse he'd previously gifted to her. After many times losing to Mizu and fighting alongside her, Taigen commends her and admits she is better than him.

13. When Mizu pins them down in a friendly spar:

Mikio sees Mizu's whole face objectively. Taigen stares at Mizu's mouth and eyes.

Mikio gets angry when she kisses him, throwing her off of him and snapping at her, calling her a monster. Taigen gets aroused, apologising, so she pulls herself off of him.

14. Mizu's blue meteorite sword is a reflection of her soul. She believes most are undeserving to face it, let alone hold it. And on that note:

Mikio is the first person (chronologically) that Mizu fights against using her sword. Taigen is the first person (we see on-screen) that Mizu fights against with her sword. Mikio is the first person (chronologically) to ever hold her sword, as she passes it to him, letting him wield it. Taigen is the first person (we see on-screen) to ever hold her sword, as she passes out, and he picks it up and carries it for her.

15. Then, last but not least, in Fowler's fortress, when she is drugged and in pain, she hears Ringo's voice in the dungeon. She then follows it to an open cell:

Mizu first sees Mikio as a hallucination, the sight of him haunting her and causing her to lose her grip on reality. Her eyes glow a surreal blue to represent this. Her Mama appears then and says Mizu's name accusingly.

Mizu then sees Taigen, but he is real, the sight of him a relief and grounding her back to reality. Her eyes return to their normal blue colour to represent this. Taigen looks at Mizu weakly and says her name softly.

Then, later, when facing Fowler, her revenge awaiting her, she instead chooses to follow her conscience (represented by Ringo's voice in her mind), putting aside her vengeance for a time, in order to save Taigen.

So that's basically all the ones I've noticed so far, but even then, I feel there's already so much that forms a contrast between these two.

What makes it especially incredible about these juxtapositions is that Mikio was Mizu's husband, the man she had fallen in love with, the one person she had ever been intimate with, the man who made her begin to accept herself, to put down her desire for vengeance and instead live a life of peace and happiness.

So for Taigen to have so many parallels with him... Do you see what I'm saying here!

Not to mention that Mizu clearly already has some burgeoning attraction to him, as indicated by how she thinks of him when asked about her desires. And Taigen clearly has shown interest as well (see: him getting a boner after their spar, him holding her hand and telling her, "We're not done yet.").

And on the topic of speculating future possibilities of this relationship, this post by @stromblessed has pointed out yet another parallel between Taigen and Mikio:

Mizu promises Taigen to meet him for their duel in autumn. Mizu fell in love with Mikio and duelled him during autumn.

With all that said, I do believe Mizu and Taigen's relationship is definitely hurtling towards something. But whether they will actually end up together in a sustainable relationship and have a happily ever after? Well, that is a whole other story; we'll just have to wait and see.

[septemberadical]

@inkdrunkfool I would rethink the proposition that Lovecraft's works "aren't considered dog whistles for hateful ideologies" as they very much are. As noted in the article, Lovecraft's writing and themes are very much racist, informed explicitly by racism in fact, and are still being reproduced today in Lovecraft Country and taught uncritically in colleges and universities.

I'm pretty happy my Harry Potter money has gone to support JK Rowling to build a rape crisis center, help hundreds of women escape the Taliban, and helped a woman who has donated so much to charity she lost her billionaire status.

But sure, let's keep kidding ourselves that a domestic abuse survivor who said men can't be women is equal to an evil racist who said about Hitler quote "I know he’s a clown but god I like the boy!"

[lunar-years]

People hating on maisie on her happy eras tour 15 second tik tok clip I need everyone to back the fuck away from her please and thank you :) like damn you people are miserable

[squeakadeeks]

this is what happens behind the scenes when i have to display a costume while i'm not having a fun Emotional, Physical, Spiritual, or Vocational time. this song came on my playlist naturally and. yeah.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

I saw @qourmet's young madam lan art, and knew what I had to do.

[sinofbisexuality]

I just have to say, about the new season of misfits and magic, we are not talking enough about the fact that K would have taken off their VR headset to realize they're wearing Evan's raincoat.

[losinqdogs]

the thing lay still

[m-ete0ra]

—————Beachside Dreams: The Start of Forever —————

It’s the wonderful @bunnions BIRTHDAY YALL (July 13) so from the bottom of my heart I wish her the happiest birthday, CHEERS 🥂 To one of the prettiest, kindest woman I’ve met. And you should celebrate her too!!!

She commissioned me a a little bit ago and when I heard the idea it hit me just right in my heart, loving partners and a romantic love story and I am super excited because it challenged me once more, but I also feel like I could make someone’s wish come true on their birthday 🥳 because she deserves the world and more on her special day💕🤲 

And of course is it a m-ete0ra commission if you don’t find the Easter egg!? Find it if y’all can! Hint: it’s hidden in the background…. Or is it…

[maddiekinard]

Why are we arguing about tommys age who gaf buck is a grown ass man

[dustykneed]

good boy, darlin' (spones spice ahead!)

full view here on my ao3!