#I hope they’re developed more I’m desperate for like an actual story
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
1driedpersimmon · 10 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
Hi, saw the smtvv trailer
My take away is that I hope these girls can now kill people, together 🤝
270 notes · View notes
thecheshirerat · 3 months ago
Text
On TAZ-
Wow that sounds like I’m about to summarize some sort of discourse but I promise I’m not. I guess I’ll say that I really like this show and I will keep listening even if my worst fears come to pass, so keep that in mind!
For reference, I started listening near the end of Amnesty.
I’ve noticed, with the past few arcs- really since Ethersea- the narratives have just… not been fulfilling their promises, so to speak. They’ve been placing a lot of guns that don’t go off. What I mean by that is, the characters are great. Excellent, really. Lady Godwin? HELL YES. Emerich Dreadway? Fuck yeah! And so on! And the settings and premises have been epic- the goofiness and also horrifying nature of Engrave, the mad and thrilling world of Steeplechase- these things are COOL AS FUCK.
and then the actual narratives keep flopping?
And honestly, I notice it most in the endings, because you can really tell when an ending doesn’t land. You feel the sense of disappointment. But with vs. Dracula, for example, I could kinda see leading up to it that the ending couldn’t really BE anything special, because they lowkey didn’t set themselves up for it.
They spent the campaign fucking around in Engrave, finding clues and solving problems and not really experiencing any particularly meaningful character arcs or growth or, idk, forming relationships? So there wasn’t much to pay off, I’m not gonna lie!
Of course it doesn’t feel quite as dissatisfying when you’re in the thick of it, because they’re funny and the stuff is cool and- oh hey! Lady Godwin’s been turned into a werehorse against her will?? that’s got some real potential for a LOT of allegories and exploration of some fun character development! And then it’s kinda played as a joke. And then they do that again and again.
And they actually said that that was a move they made intentionally, in the TTAZZ. I’m not quoting them perfectly here, this is from memory, but I do remember them mentioning that they wanted lighthearted comedy without the burden of real life story stuff. And I get that, honestly, but… it’s not the choice I would’ve made. I do think you can keep a lighthearted tone while also, idk, forming relationships and wholesomely engaging with some amount of emotion. And sometimes going way too deep is funny as a tone shift!
But I digress. One thing that’s also popped out to me is the almost complete lack of any kind of romantic storyline or even references. This becomes obvious if you’re in a fandom because everyone is always dying to ship SOMEONE, and you can tell when people are really getting desperate. I don’t blame them for not wanting to roleplay romance with their family, and I do think stories lacking romance are COOL and SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED!
However if you can’t find ANYBODY to ship together… that may mean you just don’t have character bonds. The growing popularity of the PC polycule is interesting to me; I wonder if it’s partially because
a) none of the pcs have significant relationships outside of their party and
b) even within the party, there doesn’t seem to be much chemistry between any given pair of characters…? I hope I’m making my point well here- the PCs all seem equally close and have more or less the same relationship to all of their compatriots with little distinction, meaning, essentially, no shipping fodder that doesn’t involve just all of ‘em.
Either way, it makes me wonder if I can blame the “Graduation has too many NPCs!” critique. They really stopped giving the parties tag-along main NPCs after graduation, with the exception of maybe.. Urchin? Kodira? Shlabethany? Poppy? and even they get relatively little “screen” time. Steeplechase has great NPCs, I love them to death, but none of the PCs seem to ever have one on one conversations with NPCs or each other that do not explicitly focus on the plot. And I think that’s part of why the characters feel so underdeveloped despite having spent a lot of time with them- because in this character-driven genre, we get very little insight into their feelings or motivations or even their rudimentary backstories.
I started watching Fantasy High recently and it made me realize a couple things about TAZ.
1) Recently, TAZ has sooo few core NPCs, and it’s weird that the characters aren’t doing more one-on-one purely character based scenes. And that makes it really tough to develop them.
2) TAZ is- and I should have realized this before- one of many good dnd podcasts. They’re probably looking for a niche they can master.
And it sounds like they’re trying to get back to that old “Here there be Gerblins!” energy. They’ve referenced it so many times in recent TTAZZes- they wanted to be job-focused, allowing story stuff to happen organically, so they tried a more open world vibe with Ethersea. They wanted to be less afraid to kill stuff, so they tried playing criminals (and were still afraid to kill stuff). They wanted to be silly and light on character, as they tackled with taz vs dracula. Now they’re trying to bring in the silly cartoon vibe with Abnimals. I think they’re trying to make that family-friendly, funny and goofy show their niche. Something other actual plays can’t be better at them at.
And honestly it kinda makes me sad, that they keep trying to go back to Balance while ignoring everything they learned during it. Because I loved Dust. Because I loved Amnesty. Because I loved Ethersea. I loved these past arcs! But they keep doing their brilliant characters dirty for some reason!!! And i don’t know why!!!!
You know that meme about people who ask questions in movies and then the person responds “Have you ever been to a movie before? You watch them and the information is revealed.” There have been so many times in TAZ recently where information has Not been revealed and if they keep doing it the audience will stop bothering to suspend their disbelief, because the trust just isn’t there.
What is Montrose’s deal? What on earth was Carmine Denton’s whole thing? Tell me more about Zoox’s feelings, about Devo’s past, about Amber’s future. Show me how Lady Godwin feels about the body horror that is her life- like, seriously! WHY DID WE HAVE TO COMPLETELY DISMISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS GENERATIONAL TRAUMA IN MUTT’S LIFE FOR A JOKE??
Do you remember in Steeplechase where the boys were getting medical attention or something- i don’t remember, but they were all in one room and only talking about The Plot. And Poppy literally banged on the door (speaking for both Justin and me, tbh) and was like “does anyone want to share any feeeeelings??” and they were like NOPE! and they moved on!!
like. cmon. you can’t just put a character like montrose out there and then leave them severely underdeveloped to the point that what would be interesting in proper context, with audience insight, becomes confusing and chaotic.
I just wish they would take their stories as seriously as we do.
It feels to me like they don’t believe in themselves, and it makes me sad. Maybe they didn’t get the response they wanted from Ethersea and so they’ve been trying to pivot, hoping to recapture whatever it was that earned them a loyal audience.
Again, I love them. They’re so funny and I’ll keep listening until the day they stop making this show, and when it happens I’ll cry.
But i KNOW they have more in them. Remember the “we’ll grow gills” monologue from Justin in the Prologues? Remember Travis’s SOLID acting with Devo? Or his awesome choice to give Lyndon/Beef a clearly delineated work/irl identity? His excellent narration and prose? Remember when Montrose described being lonely?! Remember all those moments where Shit Got Real and you cared??? The nanofather said some dope shit! dracula and victor and sweater dracula had such a wild dynamic! Clint’s acting in Dust 2- I can’t remember the characters name right now- was ASTOUNDING, I genuinely didn’t know he had that in him and it blew me away!
I’m not referencing Balance on purpose, both because the fandom is way to hung up on it and because I want to prove that you don’t even have to look at Balance, or even Post-Balance arcs, to see this kind of good cool stuff!
GAAAAAAAGHHHH!!! I want them to have fun. But also. We’re starving out here.
200 notes · View notes
mshellimagines · 2 months ago
Note
I’m curious… What would you think of Alexander Anderson x Vampire!Reader ? I think the dynamic could be interesting
Hello there!! Thanks for the ask. I’m not sure if this is an opinion or not so I’ll format it a bit differently than my others!
Writer’s Musings: I imagine the reader here (?) as a vampire who’s anything but bloodthirsty. Maybe they’re a reluctant creature of the night, someone who would rather die than harm another living soul. They’d probably view their own existence as a burden—a painful reminder of what they’ve become and the monster they feel they are. A vampire like that might even want to destroy their own kind, as if wiping out the rest of their kind could somehow redeem them. It’s a tragic, poetic goal, one that might even catch the attention of someone as devout and steadfast as Alexander Anderson, maybe To be honest I feel like that’s… The only way this would work? I’ve been thinking about it and the other option would be a devout vampire, but I don’t want to headcanon the actual READER Y’know so I’m going to go with the reluctance idea! It suits most people..right?? :’) I too hate it when writers don’t make it about the damn reader LOL, unfortunately I do have to improvise a bit for this one so I hope you understand!
Alexander Anderson x Reluctant!Vampire Story Headcanons
Tumblr media
You didn’t think he’d hesitate upon seeing you, especially since he’s known to be merciless with vampires. His eyes are sharp, piercing through you as if searching for something beyond the surface.
Surprisingly, he doesn’t attack right away. Instead, he just watches, curious, as you barely lift a hand in defense, almost as if you’re resigned to your fate.
“Are you not going to fight?” he asks, his voice laced with a mix of contempt and something else… perhaps pity? You tell him you don’t want to hurt anyone and that you despise what you are.
He raises an eyebrow, clearly not expecting that answer. “A vampire who loathes itself… now that’s something I’ve never seen.”
Anderson doesn’t lower his weapon, but he doesn’t strike either. Instead, he seems almost intrigued, demanding to know why you continue to exist if your existence brings you so much pain.
You tell him, simply, that death doesn’t come easily to creatures like you. That, despite your wish to disappear, you are bound to this miserable form, cursed to wander a world that doesn’t need you.
His eyes soften just a bit, though his stance remains firm. It’s clear he’s struggling with the idea of sparing a vampire, even one who despises their own nature.
You didn’t think he’d understand your desire to destroy other vampires, but he listens as you explain. You want to rid the world of the monsters that haunt it—even if that means starting with yourself.
“A vampire that hunts its own kind…” he murmurs, a glimmer of respect in his gaze. “Perhaps God’s mercy extends even to cursed souls willing to atone.”
Surprisingly, he offers to let you prove yourself. If you’re truly set on destroying other vampires, he says, then he won’t stand in your way. But he warns that any sign of betrayal will mean your swift end.
From that day on, he watches you like a hawk. Each time you confront a fellow vampire, he’s there, standing in the shadows, silently judging your every move.
You didn’t expect to feel a strange sense of comfort in his presence. His unwavering faith, his strength, even his disdain—it grounds you in a way you never thought possible.
Oddly enough, he seems to develop a reluctant respect for you. Perhaps it’s because you fight with a desperation, a painful earnestness he’s rarely seen in any creature, let alone a vampire.
He starts to see you as less of a monster and more of a tragic figure, a soul trapped in a body you never wanted, fighting a battle you believe you can never truly win.
You didn’t think he’d ever offer words of comfort, but one night, after a particularly grueling hunt, he tells you, “There is strength in repentance… even for those who think themselves beyond saving.”
His words resonate with you, giving you a strange sense of hope, as if, just maybe, your fight has meaning beyond the bloodshed.
You never imagined someone like him—a paladin, sworn to eradicate vampires—would come to care for you, even in his own stern, reserved way.
But with each passing encounter, it’s clear that he does, despite his best efforts to deny it. He sees your struggle, your pain, and maybe, just maybe, a part of him wants to see you redeemed.
And though you don’t believe you deserve his compassion, you feel an odd sense of peace when he’s near, as if his presence alone is a reminder that maybe, there is still hope—even for a monster like you.
20 notes · View notes
jade-kyo · 7 months ago
Text
Season 17 post restoration thoughts
Casually skipping 16 and going straight to 17 because lord knows I can’t afford to lose anymore braincells. I genuinely enjoy this season so I’m looking forward to the rewatch!
Ngl jumping straight from 15 to 17 really highlights how absurd this is like bro why is there gods and shit omg 😂
The fates are racist- that explains a lot
Donut my sweet baby boy
You know as much as I hate time travel stories this works way better for a “lets reference and call back to as many previous arcs and seasons as possible” nostalgia trip than Restoration did
Okay while I personally prefer the take that Donut is fully aware of all the innuendos he makes and is doing it to be a little shit I do think it being unintentional is really funny considering the ace Donut thing
“You have me all wrong” “I doubt it.” Donut the master at not getting gaslit
Donut knows Wash’s name is David- meaning Wash must have told all the reds and blues his real name
JESUS CHRIST DONT KILL JUNIOR
Felix is afraid of knives
Man I love it when Dr. Grey sounds like herself
We love insurance fraud
DONUT WASH TEAM UP MY BELOVED
Wash just silently shooting Donut again has me wheezing holy shit
The Wash and Carolina conflict is so freaking good man I love them
Man this season is just genuinely entertaining to watch despite everything- the way I wish we could’ve gotten this character writing with a better story
Oh what’s that a way to reference back to all the freelancers that includes Wyoming and the triplets. The concepts are wild again.
Also it’s just genuinely hilarious
WASH SCREAMING INSIDE HIS HELMET
DELTA OMG I FORGOT HE WAS IN THIS SEASON
I need to find the ost for when Wash and Carolina reunite and she’s saying how she trusts him and doesn’t know why bro this music is so pretty
Seriously I’m enjoying this as a nostalgia trip so much more than restoration
Oh I can feel my inner 15 year old desperately trying to take control of my body and send me down the carwash pipeline again holy shit- platonic or romantic. They’re good either way 🙂
OH GOD THE CABOOSE FEELS AGAIN THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL
Kai I love you with all my heart and soul but you do not disrespect Junior like that
STOP BEING MEAN TO DONUT HE IS DOING HIS BEST
Yes Caboose IS a genius and also my son
Kai messing with Tucker is glorious holy shit is that bit funny I love them
“Time is made of circles” what a nice, funny and succinct callback. Look at those concepts being wild.
Not Tucker dropping the “your mom” bit on Doc AGSKHAKS
HELL YEAH DONUT YOU FUCKING TELL THEM THATS MY BABY BOI!!!
PINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wash might be a competitor with Church for number one Donut Stan
Or simulation headcanon: Church is projecting his liking of Donut onto Wash
Okay but Donut should be in the caves not under the pelican FR PEOPLE STOP FORGETTING ABOUT THE CAVES!!!
Laughs in Spanish
I love competent Caboose and Donut
“My testicles send their regards” has no right being as badass as it is
Love a good Tucker moment- sure wish it wasn’t just redoing his character development that never should’ve been undone to begin with
OKAY BUT TUCKER AND DONUT MOMENT THO???? So good- can’t believe Donut is the “angsty bitch”
WASH AND CAROLINA AKDHAKBSKSHSKDHK
Love them talking about the AI like they’re Carolina’s siblings
Holy shit the voice acting between these two is so good
“If he’s single there’s no hope for any of us” sargington nation rise
Sarcastic Donut my beloved
I said this last time but seeing Church impaled by a golf club, even if it is actually Genkins, is entirely unnecessary bro I don’t wanna see that
THE LABYRINTH!!!
GOD CAROLINA VS CAROLINA AGAJSHKAH FROTHING AT THE MOUTH
Sarges vision is further proof that the correct ending for him is retirement
OKAY I STILL HATE THE LOPEZ VISION LISTEN I GET HE COMES BACK BUT ITS JUST IN POOR TASTE
“Don’t say toodles” LOVE sassy Donut so much
DOC BADASS MOMENT LETS GO
GRIF SIBLINGS MY BELOVED
Grif enlisted reveal you will always be famous to me
I never actually thought about it too deeply before but now that I am holy shit do I love that detail it’s so good and actually reminds me of my own brother who enlisted for similar reasons and regrets it now- seriously Grif enlisting is so realistic, a lot of kids sadly think the military is the only thing that can give them structure and purpose. It’s a great addition to the anti military themes of RvB
And yet- despite all these good red team moments- THEY FUCKING TURNED SIMMONS INTO A PENIS JOKE???? AND A BAD ONE AT THAT?????? COME ON S17 I THOUGHT YOU WERE BETTER THAN THIS THATS SOME S16 NONSENSE
TUCKER CANONICALLY HAS PANIC ATTACKS- the fact they kept his visions so vague is truly a CRIME
“Still got my penis” “what-“ GOD DAMN IT THAT ONE WAS ACTUALLY FUNNY COME ON I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A POINT EARLIER
AND WE DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO CABOOSE- honestly I know they probably didn’t have this arc planned back then but they should’ve used the labyrinth for Caboose to find closure in Church’s death rather than the Time Machine nonsense in s15. I feel like that would’ve been infinitely more interesting.
Carolina vs Carolina MY BELOVED HOLY SHIT I AM FROTHING AT THE MOUTH
OH FUCK THE FREELANCER TRAINING ROOM IM AKDHKAHSKSH THIS SHIT IS SO GOOD
GIGGLING KICKING MY FEET WE LOVE THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP
Caboose gets it!!
GOD THE SLOW PIANO COVER OF BLOOD GULCH BLUES I CANT
AAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH
Man what nice fairly satisfying conclusions to everyone’s arc- don’t we love wild concepts.
Sure maybe it’s not anything super poetic or perfect like 13 but at least it makes sense
Hell I’ve even warmed up to Donut leaving! Bro deserves some him time and it’s not like he said it was permanent or anything… doesn’t that just really hit you in the wild concept 🙂
You know what- this season is genuinely such a delight at times. Im thinking about adding it to my regular rewatch list along with 1-13 as just like a little bonus I can have at the end cause it’s just such fun. Glorified fanfiction! We love to see it- maybe Restoration sucking was a blessing in disguise cause it really gave me a new appreciation for 15 and 17 (but 17 especially). I probably won’t rewatch 15 as much cause being honest I don’t really enjoy it in its entirety as much as 17 but it’s got good moments I love.
Now- I know the logical thing for me to do is go back and watch 16 and then Restoration but here’s the thing… I don’t want to.
I genuinely do not enjoy those seasons. I don’t want to put myself through something that’s just gonna make me angry and bitter just for the sake of giving commentary on them- not right now anyway. Maybe one day I’ll feel like being a bit salty and do it but that’s just really not how I want to spend my time with my favorite show. I’ve already rewatched any clips from restoration that I cared to rewatch and I don’t think any of my feelings on it are gonna change. And I’ve seen 16 enough times to know my feelings won’t change.
Now what I am considering doing is rewatching 1-13 for the 20th time (<- accurate number, I’ve kept count over the years) and continuing to do these thought posts cause they’re good fun to do! So who knows whenever the time comes you’ll probably have to deal with more of my insane ramblings 😂
16 notes · View notes
schraubd · 2 years ago
Text
How To Hack The Law
Do you ever idly puzzle through various ideas for a "perfect crime"? It's awkward to talk about -- you don't actually want to do them, you don't actually want to give anyone a bright idea, but they're still so interesting to think through.
The legal community is abuzz with the story of a lawyer who relied on ChatGPT to do his research and submitted a brief filled with entirely invented cases. ChatGPT just made them up out of air -- complete with names, citations and quotes -- and the lawyer dutifully added them to the brief. When opposing counsel tried to read the cases for themselves, they were baffled because they couldn't find any trace of them. The presiding judge went so far as to contact the clerk of the courts where the cases were allegedly filed, confirming their non-existence. Now the lawyer is facing sanctions; he is begging for mercy on the grounds that he had no idea ChatGPT would lie to him like that.
I know of very few lawyers who have sympathy for this lawyer. But imagine a slightly different case. Let's say that LexisNexis developed a glitch where it invented a case. If you typed in the (invented) citation to the case, it would pop up on Lexis the same as any other case -- name, judge panel, court, reasoning, everything. But the case isn't real; it was a complete invention. If a lawyer came across such a "hallucinated" decision on Lexis, I think we'd be very forgiving if she ended up being deceived and relied on the case in her briefs. Indeed, I actually wonder, in a situation, like this, how long it would take the legal community to figure out that the case wasn't real.
For example: the last case contained in volume 500 of the Federal Reporter (3d) is Jacobsen v. DOJ, 500 F.3d 1376 (Fed. Cir. 2007). That case ends on page 1381. Suppose an enterprising criminal hacks the Westlaw and Lexis database* and adds another case, call it Smith v. Jones, cited to 500 F.3d 1382. To further cover her tracks, the criminal "assigns" the case to a panel of judges who are no longer active on the court, to make it less likely one of them will see it and be like "I don't remember that decision." Smith v. Jones, of course, can be about and say whatever the criminal (or the unscrupulous lawyer who hired her) wants it to. Need a precedent that appears to decisively resolve a contested point of law in your favor? Voila -- the new case of Smith v. Jones is there to meet your needs. Indeed, the diligent criminal could add one or two new precedents per volume on a range of topics, providing bespoke "new" precedent to shift the legal terrain on an array of different issues.
If this happened, again I ask: how long would it take for the legal community to figure it out? If the initial hack was undetected, could one get away with doing this? Certainly, there would still be ways to confirm the cases are not real. If one back-checked the cases back to the clerk's office, one would discover they're vapor -- but realistically, that almost never happens. We take Lexis and Westlaw as proof enough; I'm not sure I can imagine a circumstance where I would try to confirm the veracity of a case I saw on Westlaw or Lexis by contacting the clerk's office. There probably would be some other hints that the cases were suspect -- the lack of citations from other cases would be a significant hint that something is shady -- but I can imagine a crime like this slipping by us for some time. And the longer it goes unnoticed, the more these cases have the opportunity to subtly adjust the overall trajectory of law in a new direction.
It's a scary thought, no? We're very reliant on the robustness and reliability of online databases. If they start to falter, we run into seriously trouble very quickly.
* Note: I assume -- and desperately hope -- that this is difficult-to-impossible to do.
via The Debate Link https://ift.tt/hLkYFA1
96 notes · View notes
eds-gryff · 2 years ago
Text
Dates Out of Duty
Edmund Pevensie x Gender-Neutral Reader
Tumblr media
Okay, despite the pictures, Y/N is GENDER-NEUTRAL IN THIS FIC!! It is the first time I’ve written a gender neutral reader, and also I have been having horrific writer’s block for about two months, so this fic may not be the BEST. I tried very hard, though 😭😭 I’m sorry.
Also, I do have an Arranged-Marriage-with-Edmund-Pevensie fanfiction on Wattpad- it’s called ‘Alliance’ and it is a series of four books, so please do check that out!!
-
Requested by @potatosdragon
‘Hi, could you please write an Edmund pevensie imagine x fem reader where it's about the types of dates he would take you on after an arranged marriage. Thank you sosososossososossosooskks much’
It’s not exactly a list of dates like most fics about this scenario are, I wanted to tell a story of the reader and Edmund’s development as well- plus, the date ideas come from both, not just from Ed. Hopefully it’ll be tolerable! 🥲
-
Y/N= Your Name
Y/C/N= Your Country’s Name
Y/P/W= Your Preferred Weapon
------------
Riding Dates
It’s unfamiliar territory, romantic feelings for each other, but Edmund and Y/N both desperately need some semblance of comfort.
The first date, thus, is familiar territory.
He had learnt that they shared a love for horses very soon after the wedding- when he’d witnessed the delight in his then-affianced’s face upon learning that Y/N’s horse was going to come along as they returned to Narnia.
(Their wedding had taken place in Y/N’s kingdom, as per the agreement of the marriage alliance. Neither of them had smiled once during it. It had been their duty, and that was all. Neither had hoped or thought or even imagined that anything more would come out of doing their duty.)
The date is not the roaring success both hoped for- they had hoped, actually, that once they confessed their feelings for each other, things would get as easy as possible- but it’s not a devastating failure, either.
They have fun, playfully bantering with each other as they rode deeper into the woods- banter that Edmund’s horse, Philip, joined as well- and they attempt to, rather clumsily, kiss while on horseback as well. It makes them laugh, and then soon blush, once it turns out that they were quite good at kissing in even inopportune situations.
The problem comes when it is discovered that the path Edmund had chosen led them much further away than expected and when it is found that Y/N had forgotten to bring along the picnic basket.
Hunger and the fear of getting lost plays havoc on romance, and by the time they manage to return to Cair Paravel, the banter has turned to bickering, despite Philip’s most valiant efforts.
And by the time they return to their shared chambers after supper, anything more than a chaste good-night peck is unthinkable.
Bakery Dates
Y/N and Edmund are not very deterred by the less-than-ideal results of their date in the woods, especially since they wake up the next few mornings snuggled into each other.
It’s hard to stay annoyed when you wake up so comfortable and so warm and in each other’s arms- and, one of these mornings, the royals dawdle in bed for a good two hours before forcing themselves to get up.
They miss breakfast- something that’s usual for Y/N, perpetually a late sleeper, but not for Edmund, because although he loves to sleep in, he also enjoys having breakfast with his family- and so Y/N suggests going into town and to one of the bakeries, for the Just King is known to have quite the sweet tooth.
Edmund says yes, quite happily, and it’s hand-in-hand that the pair walk into the town closest to the castle.
They sample cakes and pastries and some things Y/N can’t pronounce but Edmund can with a funny accent- and the employees in the bakery are all aflutter at serving two Monarchs, and that, too, while they’re on a date!
They settle them in a large corner of the bakery, practically forcing every other customer into the opposite corner- despite repeated requests from the royal couple to treat them as regular folk- and they’re given so much sweet confections that Y/N’s tongue, unused to having such large amounts of desserts, goes numb in the middle of a sweet apple crumble. Edmund is having the time of his life, though, biting into a chocolate gateau and a rose parfait and blueberry cakes, and Y/N gazes at him quite contentedly the entire time- and then the gaze turns mutual and humorous and a bit alarmed, when the head baker packs them enough sweeties and desserts and chocolates to last a few decades.
They both are supposed have meetings that day- one with an envoy from Archenland and the other with a Tarkheena from Calormen- but the meetings are later in the day, and they know that the High King and the Queens of Narnia will happily keep the guests busy on the off-chance they are late.
His siblings are more invested in their relationship than they both are, the Just King feels.
As usual, he’s right, and it’s seen just how right he is at the next Ball.
Reading Dates
But before the Ball, comes winter, and with winter, comes the need to stay warm and cosy.
Especially for Edmund, since he does not deal well with the cold at all.
Y/N isn’t used to the cold, since Y/C/N is a warm country, and so they both have more reason than most to stay indoors during the most biting days of winter.
But they haven’t gone on a date in weeks, and Y/N is fearing that they could go back to the aloofness they had regarded each other with during the beginning of their marriage.
Neither of them wants that- Y/N and Edmund care for each other very deeply, and that’s something that even they, expert at denying feelings, cannot deny.
Hence, Y/N hauls candles and blankets and some of the bakery’s sweets in the middle of winter, in addition to asking the Kitchens to bring up some food and warm drinks.
Lastly, Y/N finds Edmund in his study, wrapped in a thick shawl his mother-in-law gave him, and they walk hand-in-hand to the destination.
In the Library, seated on a cosy couch, half-suffocated by thick blankets, Edmund and Y/N hardly talk. They read quietly in the candlelight, occasionally looking up to grin at each other or hold hands again, and even the meal is had in utterly comfortable silence, broken only at the end of it by Edmund’s declaration that they must have a sleepover in the Library.
Of course, both being the bibliophiles they are, they doubt much sleep will happen- it’s far more likely they’ll read and read and read until they fall asleep reading.
But neither will mind that- and so, Y/N climbs into Edmund’s lap, fishes a book from the pile next to them, and agrees.
Ballroom (And a Bit of Stargazing) Dates
Edmund dances well, and since he’s married, he knows that the one to dance with is his consort. He was the one to suggest they consider the Ball a date for he had no wish to spend the event with anyone apart from Y/N.
Y/N felt the same way, and his suggestion was met with an approving kiss.
Still, his siblings have some insane idea in their heads that the relationship between the two Monarchs needs meddling to grow- and their idea of meddling is to make sure no one else meddles.
And so the rest of the guests at the vibrant New Year’s Ball give the two Monarchs a wide berth throughout the event.
It suits Y/N just fine, because Edmund is easily the only one around who offers comfort as well as conversation, not to mention how fine a dancer he is, to make up for Y/N’s abysmal dancing skills. And even Edmund can’t mind, truly, not when he has his dear consort clasped in his arms, and he sees just how bright and soft Y/N’s smile, aimed at him throughout the night, is.
They spend the Ball dancing and laughing, and occasionally tripping, and they are not away from each other’s embrace for longer than a few minutes.
And then they steal away to the roof of Cair Paravel, and spend the rest of night staring up at the sky, with Edmund pointing out the different constellations in the sky, and Y/N speaking of the stories and fables of Y/C/N that were linked to the stars and the Heavens.
Y/N notices that Edmund’s freckles are like constellations. Edmund notices that Y/N’s eyes shine like the Moon. They gaze at each other more than they look at the celestial bodies.
And when the fireworks bloom into artificial stars in the sky, a few metres above them- the couple has their lips on each other’s, feeling something deep bloom in their hearts as well.
.
Things go sour not long after the Christmas Ball. It’s coming up on five years of marriage- Peter and Susan and Lucy and Y/N’s parents and both their countries were extremely frustrated by how long it’s taking for Y/N and Edmund to confess their love for each other.
But the couple is taking it slow. Neither are the type to fall in love quickly- rather, until each other, they hadn’t thought they would fall in love at all.
It is all wholly new and unexpected- for them- and they hadn’t quite believed what was happening when they’d quietly confessed to each other that they had feelings for the other. It was for that reason that there had been an unspoken agreement, after the confession, to do things slowly.
But the slowness was frustrating more than just the people around them- it was frustrating them, too!
Edmund regularly had to bite his tongue to keep from saying ‘my love’ in almost every single situation and at every moment of the day, but especially he’d come across Y/N be in the training field, eyes shining and sweaty skin glowing, perfecting the use of (Y/P/W).
The ‘I love you’ had been on the top of Y/N’s tongue every time the two Monarchs fell asleep while reading in the Royal Library, and then Y/N would be the one to wake up first, watching Edmund in peaceful slumber.
There are bets going on, in both Cair Paravel and in Y/N’s castle in (Y/C/N).
Peter said that Y/N would say it first, being the more impulsive of the pair.
Susan said that they’d both say it together, because underneath all their emotional unintelligence, there was some understanding and wisdom.
Lucy said it would be Edmund, because once he got over whatever fear was keeping from telling the three not-so-little words, he would surely want to be transparent with his consort, despite the possibility of his declaration being unrequited.
Y/N’s parents, for their part, thought that it would be another five years before the word ‘love’ would come into the conversation, and they said they’d announce their bet in three.
The sourness is not, however, Edmund and Y/N’s fault.
They’re doing quite well, actually, they feel, and they blush rather brightly every time the other’s name is brought up.
Then the Giants attacked.
Y/N spoke heatedly, looking with flashing eyes to the rest of the war council, “I’m going to fight!”
Edmund nodded, “Of course you are, darling, but you must stay here. It’s not safe to travel back to your country-”
No, Y/N wasn’t running back home! Of course not. That was what Peter had assumed for an awkward moment, and Y/N had almost thrown a scroll at his face.
“I need to get my army here, and I need to leave now. Narnia needs support, and it is part of our alliance treaty that our countries come to each other’s aid in the event of war.”
Peter stepped in here, “That’s right. Remember, Narnia has lent its troops to Y/C/N whenever minor scuffles at the border occur-”
“Of course I remember.” His younger brother said calmly, though not feeling calm at all.
His consort wanted to go out of Cair Paravel- which wasn’t safe in the least, as the Giants were camped practically just outside their walls. He couldn’t- he couldn’t risk losing someone he- someone he loved so much.
“We both signed the treaty, need I remind you. But then we can send a Raven to Y/N’s parents, they can-”
“I am the Monarch.” Y/N spoke, cutting across the Just King. There was no anger in Y/N’s voice, but it was simply firmness. “It is because of me that my country will be brought into this War, because I-”
Fell in love with you.
But the treaty had been signed long before that. And Edmund didn’t know that fact!
“Because I married you.”
Edmund swallowed. Y/N was right. There was no one else who could catch his tongue like that, or get him to change his mind.
“Very well.” He said stiffly, and looked to where Lucy was standing, already dressed in armour and looking fiercely warrior-like. “Lu, I’ll be going with Y/N, so I’ll ask Orieus if he may patrol with you instead-”
“No.” Y/N said, once against interrupting him. Somehow, Y/N’s hand was now on Edmund’s arm, and there sprung a need in both to clasp each other’s hand tight.
So, they did.
“Narnia needs you, dearest. I’ll be alright, and I’ll be back soon.”
Edmund gazed into Y/N’s eyes for a long moment, and Y/N gazed back.
The war council moved onto other matters soon, but Edmund and Y/N kept holding hands for the entirety of it- in fact, until they reached the Stables where Y/N’s horse was kept.
“Are you sure you want to leave now?” Edmund queried quietly, as his consort tied some necessities and supplies to end of the horse’s saddle. He’d been the one to have the sense to tell one of the servants to pack for a journey- Y/N was reckless enough to make the journey with nothing useful. “You could leave in the morning-”
“I don’t want to leave, but I have to. Sooner rather than later- you told me once they said that where you come from.” Y/N’s voice was just as quiet.
What if he was right? Well, of course he was right, he always was- but what if the Giants did attack Y/N on the way?
Death was inevitable, it was known- but to die while on the way to help in a War? What sort of Monarch did that?
But the alternative was not helping Narnia. The alternative was letting Edmund and Peter and Lucy and Susan suffer the War on their own.
Y/N turned to Edmund, “Spare Oom, was it?”
He smiled a little, and they neared each other, their arms sliding around each other so they stayed in an embrace for as long as they could.
“Or War Drobe. I’ve heard it both ways.”
He bent his head, and their lips met in a slow, needy, passionate kiss.
“I’ll be safe.” Y/N whispered into the kiss, knowing full well what Edmund would murmur once the embrace broke. “As safe as I can.”
“That’s not very reassuring.” He tried to joke, but it fell flat. They were going to part. Not for long, if they had any luck- but it was war. How often was good fortune found in the middle of battle? “I’ll wait for you.”
“And you best fight in midst of the waiting.” Y/N said- deciding to not ask him to be safe, because he would be. He would. He was a warrior and he was wise- he’d stay alive. “And try to think of better date ideas.”
Edmund smiled in spite of himself, “I’m the one with the good ideas. Yours are more hit or miss.”
Y/N chuckled softly, “Maybe a battle will give me inspiration, then. I’ll think of you anyway- may as well have that thinking be productive.”
“We’ll go on that date the moment the War’s over.” His smile softened, and they kissed once more- one last time.
The kiss lasted another few moments, before they both pulled away- and Y/N climbed onto the horse.
“G-goodbye.” Y/N almost said ‘my love’. “I’ll see you soon.”
Edmund raised his hand in farewell, not trusting himself to speak.
And then, as the horse pulled out of the paddock and just as his consort was almost out of sight- he spoke.
Well, shouted.
“Y/N!” He said, and the horse and her rider both turned.
They weren’t too close to each other, but they were close enough to hear each other.
Steeling himself, and not entirely sure his sanity was intact, he said loudly, “I love you.”
He saw Y/N’s eyes widen, and- then he fancied he saw a smile. His heart was pounding so hard, he was aware of very little except for his heartbeat and his consort’s outline against the sunset.
No- he wasn’t imagining it. He was seeing a smile. Y/N was smiling at him.
But then Y/N tugged on the reins, and the horse galloped away, and Edmund was left alone in the paddock of the Stables.
But at least he had received a smile in exchange for his impulsive declaration of love. It was far better than the rejection he had thought he was sure to get.
Impromptu Dates
Y/N and Edmund did not see each other until the siege of the giants ended two months later. They had news of each other, of course- letters tied to Ravens’ legs and messages delivered by dryads kept them, as well as every regiment fighting the Giants in the north of Narnia informed of what was happening.
And then, in the spring, the Giants surrendered, and High King Peter declared the War won, and he sent Ravens to all corners of Narnia and to the neighbouring lands to inform them of the news.
Y/N had been with Peter during the battles, while Edmund was stationed away, in a part of the land where strategy would be important to win than force. Lucy was with him, but she regularly rode far away to fight other threats that took advantage of the War to attack Narnia as well- while Susan stayed at Cair Paravel, holding down the fort in case the Giants somehow breeched their defences.
But now that the War was over, the Pevensies were to be together again, soon. Very soon, the four hoped.
Sooner than that, though, it Edmund and Y/N that were fated to reunite.
The path that Y/N was to take on the return from Y/C/N to Narnia was, coincidentally, the path that led from the Western Woods to Cair Paravel.
Edmund hadn’t spent the War there, no, but he had gone to check on his domain after it, just in case any of the White Witch’s supporters had come out of the woodwork and had tried to capture the forests once more.
(There hadn’t been anyone in the Western Woods except for one very adorable family of rabbits, and some deer that complimented his choice of swords over a bow and arrow.)
There was a brook nearby, and Y/N had taken off the armour and had washed up in that- not bathing, of course- and had managed to get some drinking water, too, since the water was cool enough. After such strenuous fighting and the wounds afflicted because of it, cold water was a must.
Y/N had decided to keep wearing the soaked tunic, as the wet fabric gave extreme relief to the hot and bruised skin.
As the horse began away from the brook, walking along a path bordered with flowers, Y/N heard something else.
Someone else.
Someone that travelled frequently with the man who had said ‘I love you’ just before their parting- and the man whom Y/N wanted to tell the same to.
It came from a bit far ahead- nearer to the mouth of the brook, where it was more a stream.
Y/N’s eyesight wasn’t the best, but the hearing was- and Philip, Edmund’s horse, had a very loud voice.
“Your Majesty.” The sienna-hued horse’s voice spoke. “Why not a bathe?”
“It’s only half a day to Cair.” Came another voice, and Y/N’s heart soared so high an attack of dizziness came. “I’ll bathe there- and it won’t do to dirty such a clean, pure stream.”
“Edmund!” Y/N shouted, almost falling off the horse.
Climbing properly off her, Y/N ran towards the sounds of the two voices.
”Edmund- Edmund-”
Edmund had his top-armour off, clad in a wet long-sleeved under-shirt, much like Y/N’s, and he had been washing his face and attempting to fill some water into his flash, even though he’d cracked it and water poured out more than it poured in.
At the sound of his consort’s voice, he dropped the flask again, and turned quickly- in alarm and quite a bit of hope.
Y/N flew at him, and they collided together, falling down onto the grass. Their arms stayed around each other, and Edmund kept calling Y/N’s name and Y/N kept calling Edmund’s, though they were clasped tight together, and neither cared that they’d landed half in the water, too.
“You’re here!” Y/N spoke into Edmund’s shoulder, clutching him tight. “What are- how- this isn’t your route-”
“Had to check on the Woods.” Edmund answered, kissing his consort’s cheek.
He was on top, and there was a grin on Y/N's face at the position, and he felt himself blush.
“You’ve been to guide your armies back to Y/C/N, yes? I thought you’d stay home for a few weeks- to rest.”
“I wanted to.” Y/N admitted- as absolutely lovely and beloved as Narnia was, there was no place like home. “But I- I had something to do in Narnia.”
Here, Philip interjected, “Good to see you again, Your Majesty!”
Y/N waved happily at the sarcastic horse, before looking back at Edmund, who was looking curious as he asked, “Official work?”
“Well.” Y/N said, and rolled them around so that their positions revered and Edmund was under. “I had to make a declaration.”
Y/N’s heart was shaking. And there were palpitations. And anxiety. A lot of anxiety. And nerves. And nausea, if one squinted.
But so much love. So much of it. It overwhelmed all else.
“What?”
His question was ignored, and Y/N went on, “And before that, I had to suggest a date idea.”
And then they kissed, beginning too soft and careful- for neither was aware of the other’s injuries- and then ending with gasps and even tighter grips on each other.
Oh, how they wanted to peel off the remaining armour and the wet tunics and make love then and there, having missed each other so painfully much- but Philip was there. They didn’t want to scar him for life- more than they already had. The poor horse had been an unwitting witness to more than one ardent snogging sessions between the two Monarchs- and, in some of those sessions, they had not been very clothed.
It haunted Philip’s nightmares, but it also gave him a lot of material to tease his rider about.
“Was that the idea?” Edmund asked hoarsely, his hand curling into his consort’s hair. He wanted to say those three words again- so, so badly. “A kissing date?”
Y/N’s swollen lips curved into a smile, “Do you mind it?”
“Not at all.” He said, thinking that all the date ideas he had had might have already been beaten- before asking, “But what’s the declaration? If it’s got paperwork, I’ll have to handle it, you know.”
He was very tired. Fighting battles was difficult. Whatever it was, he wanted to get the work done as soon as possible.
“It is a declaration to the Just King. To my darling husband.” Y/N whispered.
Oh, how could a heart possibly feel like it was creeping so high into a throat!? The anxiety was getting unbearable. It was only Edmund’s proximity and his beautiful, dark eyes gazing into Y/N’s that kept an anxiety attack at bay.
“I declare that I am absolutely and besottedly in love with you.”
“Oh.” Well, he certainly didn’t want that over with as soon as possible.
Never, in fact. He wanted it to last forever.
He smiled again, his heart aglow and both their eyes shining, and they pressed their foreheads against each other’s.
“I love you. I love you so much.”
It was the best date ever.
Vow Renewal Dates
A vow renewal ceremony is not a date, Susan tells her brother and sister-in-law repeatedly- but as far as they’re concerned, that’s exactly what it is.
It takes in a lovely meadow of flowers, and they are together, looking radiant and lovely as they gaze at each other- and they hold hands through it all. They tell each other how much they loved each other, and they promise once again to forever be by each other’s side and be joined in the bond of marriage forevermore.
Well, dates usually didn’t have parents and siblings around, but one couldn’t have everything.
They are in love, though. A love they hope would last forever, and if there’s something after that, then even then.
And it may not be everything- but it certainly does feel like it.
-
Thank you for reading!
-
265 notes · View notes
showtoonzfan · 2 years ago
Text
The way NONE of the emotional scenes from Helluva Boss all the way back since episode 2 don’t feel earned at all and instead come off as forced, is one of the things that make me feel worried for Hazbin. One of the main reasons why the emotional scenes or “powerful moments” in Helluva never work is because the characters/relationships don’t have the amount of proper buildup or development to make the scene actually hit the landing and make an impact. There’s just not enough time to really let the audience get used to these characters and relationships because the show wanted to dive into the emotional aspect immediately, right at the second episode of season 1, and it threw everyone off, thinking that this was a turn your brain off comedy show. But that’s not the only issue, as I said the characters themselves just don’t have the proper development or buildup. With how unfocused and sloppy the writing is, characters like Blitz and Stolas always come off as if they’re flip flopping, one moment they’re over the top, goofy and/or mean, and then the next you’re supposed to take them seriously, with the show insisting that they’re good people and care about those around them, despite us not really seeing that. The show suffers from “Show don’t tell”- it expects you to go along with whatever it says despite not showing it or taking the time to develop around it, and the fandom doesn’t care because they’ve already been writing the characters themselves in their head so they just accept the show practically confirming it. I’m seriously hoping that Hazbin won’t have the same issue. I want the Hazbin characters to actually have substance and have a reason to go through something impactful and emotional, have it make freaking sense, and have it feel EARNED. The emotional scenes in Helluva always come off as so half assed to me, if feels like a desperate attempt to be deep and they just fail every….single…time. At the very least I can say that following an emotional deep narrative makes more sense for Hazbin since it’s a story about redemption and follows a main character who’s sweet and trying to do the right thing. I just really hope it’s completely different from what Helluva is because it’s so bad and misses EVERY mark.
69 notes · View notes
nikibogwater · 2 years ago
Text
Aight, y’all know the deal by now. I’m someone who takes stories way more seriously than I’m probably supposed to. I revel in a good emotional shake-down brought on by an epic tale. Time to put on my Sentimental Goggles and really dig into this latest Zelda game, and see if I can explain why I feel it has the darkest and hardest-hitting story of any in the series so far. TotK Spoilers begin below the cut.��
To start, we must acknowledge the precedent set by Breath of the Wild. BotW, despite being set in a post-apocalyptic wilderness teetering on the brink of destruction, is very much a story about hope. Zelda even says as much during the game’s opening: “You are the light--our light--that must shine upon Hyrule once again.” In the midst of a devastating catastrophe, one little seed of hope survived--Link. BotW follows this little seed as it at last blossoms into a force that is powerful enough to defeat the Calamity and put Hyrule back to rights. It’s a pretty straightforward and feel-good plot, even if it does have its fair share of bittersweet elements.
The thing that makes Tears of the Kingdom so effectively dark is that it begins by mercilessly ripping away that sense of hope that was a constant in its predecessor. Everything Link and Zelda fought for is undone in an instant. Hyrule is in even greater peril than before. This is no longer a tale of a budding seed of hope, it’s a frantic, desperate scramble to preserve what little remains of their world. 
Throughout much of this story, Link’s biggest motivation is reuniting with Zelda. While he serves as a light for Hyrule as a whole, Zelda has always been a light for him, and for us as the players. I don’t think it’s too much of a controversial statement to say that BotW’s iteration of Princess Zelda is the most well-developed in the series to date. Zelda has always been the heart and soul of the series, but this is especially true for BotW because she is no longer just Link’s partner in destiny or childhood friend. She is a fully-realized protagonist with a character arc that endears her to us as the players. She isn’t just important to Link, or to Hyrule at large. She’s important to us. Which is why I felt a legitimate sense of grief and despair when Link discovered that she couldn’t be rescued this time. No joke, there were a few minutes where I actually wanted to stop playing after seeing the final Dragon’s Tear memory. 
Breath of the Wild’s story is a statement of hope. By contrast, Tears of the Kingdom’s story is a question, one that most of us don’t want to even consider: What do you do when hope dies? What do you do when your light is taken away from you? The answer is perhaps as merciless as the question: you just keep going. Even if there is no Zelda waiting for you at the end of the fight (at least as far as Link knows), you still have a job to do. You still have to face the dark depths and the nightmares that dwell within. You still have to fight, even when it seems like there is no chance of winning. 
In this way, both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom feel like more than just games to me. They’re the kind of story that I carry with me into the real world. The kind that I look back on when I need to feel hopeful, or push through my own dark depths. Sure, it’s not a masterpiece of literature or anything, but it was a story that resonated with me all the same, thanks in no small part to TotK’s commitment to embracing the dark and the hopeless. There are times when it is enough to be reminded that I am strong, that I am capable of overcoming any challenge set before me. But when that challenge is no longer a puzzle or a personal flaw--when it’s say, grieving the loss of a loved one or longing to return to a happier time, it is just as comforting to be told, with brutal honesty, that yes, this feels hopeless. This feels like it could never possibly turn out alright in the end. But you must keep going. You must fight until you find your hope again, even if it can’t be the same as it was before. After all, that is what it means to be the light--their light--that must shine upon the world once again. 
35 notes · View notes
natimiles · 5 months ago
Note
hello dear Nati I hope not to bother as ever but I am too into Mina and Roger these days please tell me more how do they meet ? what was the thing/moment that made one another realize that yes they are in love with the other ? and above all what kind of gifts they would give one another ? which is their favourite hobby and kind of dates ?
I want to know ALL about them I ship them already soo much I can't wait to see more of them and of their story. 😍😍🙏🙏
Hiii, Julie! Sorry it took me a while, I was organizing the thoughts, hehe. A chance to gush about Roger and Mina?? Definitely not a bother! HASOUHEHUASOEA.
Okay, so… Mina is the MC. So she ends up in Crown by accident and becomes their Fairytale Keeper. She starts helping Roger with his research, he asks her to be his human subject, but nothing that would kill her, ahsehasoeusa. She also helps him to take care of the others when they’re injured, so she’s kinda his assistant. Which means, she’s in the basement with him all the time.
A tension grows, Roger kisses her, and she’s pissed. So she goes back, kisses him so they’re even and leave. And after that they start to casually make out. She always had a sort of interest in him, something about him intrigued her. And same for Roger about her. After a while, Mina notices she is developing feelings for Roger, but she knows he doesn’t really believe in love.
I have this scene in my head where they’re all having a meal in the dining room, talking about random things, how things are going for her in Crown and stuff. And then Harrison asks if she has romantic feelings for Roger. Mina lies and says “no” and her face is desperately asking Harry to not say anything about it. But he’s a little shit and he says “it’s a lie”. It’s silent for a moment… And then Mina wants to beat the shit out of him and someone needs to actually hold her back, HASUEUHASHUOEA. I wanna write it someday, I need to play a little more with the idea, and how it ends. But this is what makes them talk about feelings, and how they end up together. So in the end, Mina isn’t so mad with Harry anymore, HUASUHEASU.
For gifts… Mina has a sweet tooth, like I said hehe. She also likes books, cooking and baking, playing the piano, and butterflies. Anything he gives her related to these things, she’ll love. Like a cookbook she wanted, a new music sheet, some accessories or a new dress with butterflies… She likes plants, but she can’t take care of them, so she’s not a fan of receiving flowers. She would love chocolate flowers though, HUASEHUOASESA. Of course, she will love anything Roger gives her.
For Roger, she would give him new medical books. A new pair of boxing gloves, or some other thing he can use while boxing so he can think of her while doing it. Some rare beers he can taste. And even cooking and baking his favorite things so they can eat it together.
And for dates, they like going out to have a nice meal. Mina doesn’t drink, but she can happily sip her juice while Roger drinks his beer, HUASEUSA. Picnics in the garden, window shopping in town, taking Ale to a walk. He’ll even accompany her when she wants to watch Liam’s new play. He’s more patient and devoted than most people think, in my humble simp opinion.
Thank you for asking all this! It also helped me to decide some things, HUAHSUEASHUO. I’ll definitely write for them, I just need to finish some things I’m currently doing hehe
2 notes · View notes
unusual-raccoon · 2 years ago
Note
Hi! It’s me 🌚 I had a thought I just had to share. I just finished zooming through all your Frank and Billy stuff (fantastic work as per usual) and my mind decided to work over time to produce this: modern JaceLuke but they have to do a mandatory military service as part of inheriting their titles. They’re supposed to be kept out of danger, but Otto has friends in high places and they get posted to some pretty fucked up missions. Cue them developing the same kind of codependency we see with Frank and Billy. Like can you imagine the angsty power of Jace killing Otto or Aemond the same way Frank does to Rawlins with Billy (Luke) observing? “God damn, Jace. I love to watch you work.” I’m sorry, I love DJ Jace and soft fanboy Luke, but I also gotta feed my need for angst. I know the Frank and Billy dynamic/history doesn’t really match, but I love the idea of modern JaceLuke going feral for each other. They def have the same “us against world” energy that Frank and Billy have. Thoughts??
My lovely 🌚 anon, ur actually so brilliant! JaceLuke, but like a Brank AU??? Genius. Even if we’re just stripping the dynamic down to ‘us against the world’. Certified killers JaceLuke is very funny, but also plausible? Luke already got that dawg in him, Aemond can testify.
I’ve had an idea that’s not necessarily a modern AU, but like a ‘on the run’ vibe, in which the King (Aegon or Aemond take your pick) has placed bounties on the heads of former princes. Aegon III and Viserys II (and possibly even Visenya?) have already been given asylum and secreted elsewhere as legitimate full-blooded children. However, the Strong boys are targets that receive little kindness. Cue them being forced to live on the run and killing whoever tries to stop them, concocting a backstory à la Rickard Thorne and Maelor in the books.
Their simple story (A/B/O time?) for Joffrey’s sake. Jace is his father and Luke is his mother, and should anyone ask, his father is a BETA. Wanted posters would include the fact that Jace is an Alpha.
At first they wander the roads and are easily mistaken for no more than bandits, especially Jace. He is the eldest, and by rights as defended his brothers the most.
On the road, before settling in a small fishing village so Joff can rest a bit easier and Jace can find a job to bring a little money in that doesn’t involve selling stashed (and rather incriminating) family jewelry.
Their saving grace actually is their “common looks” their dark hair and dark eyes make their seemingly unremarkable. Three bits of hay in a haystack.
Small ficlet under the cut
Jacaerys can feel his brother’s eyes on him as he cleans the blood from his seax, a stolen seax, one that Luke had lifted off a hunter that had happened upon him bathing.
His shoulders ache, he’d moved the body. There was no moving the pile of blood that had since soaked into the soil. Another sellsword looking for wealth with the heads of three little princelings.
Lucerys scoots closer, a hand falling easily upon Jace’s knee. Joffrey was sleeping. They’d given him the last of a the roasted hare that Luke had caught a few days prior.
Jace and Luke had found some dried salmon on the sellsword, amongst other things. His brother pushes another salted strip of fish into his hand.
“You need your strength.” He says with earnest brown eyes, teeth catching up his lower lip, “We, need your strength.”
This made the seventh man he’d killed for them. A dagger through the throat. The second one in a sennight.
Luke’s fingers curls into the filthy fabric of Jace’s trousers, ragged nails prickling against his knee in desperation.
Jace nods and takes the fish, tears the leathery meat between pointed teeth - teeth he’d soon need to file if he ever hoped to pass for a beta.
They settle down beside the fire, beside Joff. Their little brother whined in his sleep, instinctively nuzzling towards Luke. Their brother hushes him, rocking Joffrey gently in his arms
“Jace,” Lucerys calls gently, barely a whisper above the small starving fire that subsists on twigs and damp leaves.
“The next one that comes after us - I want do it.”
He sighs against his brothers nape, as he cradles Luke to his chest, and Luke cradles Joff.
“Mother would’ve killed for us,” he says gently, “I should be able to do it too.”
He cannot fault his brother’s thinking. It is true, regardless of how unsavory. Princes resorted to being common cutthroat’s.
“The next one,” Jace agrees, breath visible in the night air. Feeling as Luke shifts gently closer.
Lucerys could have the next mercenary that came their way, it would be his brother’s first kill. Their last kill, however, would be the miserable uncle that had made criminals of them.
13 notes · View notes
Text
@10holmes Thanks for the 'Get to know your fic writer!' ask! :) As my answer got lengthy (of course), I thought best to make a separate post. Answers are under the cut.
Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?
I like both, but I tend to lean more towards one-shots. When I get a bug for a story, I’m kinda desperate to get it down asap so multi-chaptered fics are harder as they take more time and planning and, especially, patience. That said, I really enjoyed writing The Prisoner of Jinlintai and The Tamed and was really surprised I managed to write – and finish! – such long, multi-chaptered stories. I hope I can do so again in the future 😊
Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?
All over the place! From the original canon, from memes and gifs online, from meta and headcanons other fans share, from songs, from dreams… Sometimes ideas just spring unexpectedly but fully formed into my head. That moment of inspiration is always exciting – but then it’s got to be transferred to paper, which is harder :D
how do you write emotional scenes? Do you ever feel what the characters feel? Do you draw from personal experiences?
I think emotional scenes are ones I struggle with a bit. I often feel my writing ends up a bit clunky and melodramatic! But I try to put myself in the characters’ shoes and imagine how they would feel in that situation, their reactions to other characters’ words and actions. I think though, however unintentionally, my own personality probably seeps into the characters to a certain extent, which I know is not ideal! Particularly when I write Xue Yang, I often think I hold him back too much when he would probably fly wild ���
Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?
Hmm, probably either Priceless or Life Imitates Art, as they’re both a bit taboo!
How do you spend your time when it comes to fanfiction? Are you primarily a fic reader, writer, or a perfect 50/50 split of both?
Hmm, it varies from time to time. Sometimes I binge fics and don’t read anything for ages, sometimes I’m so caught up in the stories in my head that I don’t read anything at all. But probably on balance, I’m primarily a reader. There have certainly been long periods of time in the past when I’ve barely written anything at all but have devoured loads of fics. It just happens that more recently I’ve developed an obsession with The Untamed and have had the time, energy and inspiration to indulge in writing again (which has been a joy!).
Does anyone in your personal life know you write fic? if not, would you tell anyone?
Only a very small group of irl friends know I write fic. I discovered fanfic in my teens, started writing it myself in 2012 and never told anyone about it until last year. Sometimes I see on tumblr people saying their mum or their sister etc read their fics and I’m always amazed – I think that’s wonderful! I can’t imagine telling anyone in my family about the things I write – let alone allowing them to read it! Esp the explicit stuff :O I’d die of embarrassment lol. And they’d probably die of shock!
Do you have a favorite scene you’ve written from The Prisoner of Jinlintai story/chapter?
Ooh, difficult question! I think there are lots of parts I really like from TPOJ, I’m pretty proud of that story (if I may say so!). I think chapters 25 & 29 are particular favourites, probably for similar reasons – ch25 is the first time XXC stays overnight in XY’s room, they’ve got frisky before but this time there’s more emotion behind it, and it’s preceded by XY actually being concerned about XXC and taking care of him. And in ch29 we get a glimpse of XXC being concerned about XY when he’s late back from his work, and then the scene when XY arrives back and finds XXC asleep in his bed, all calm and peaceful and beautiful. And XY is kind of struck dumb, surprised to find him there, unsure of his own reaction, but in the end just crawls into bed and falls asleep with him in his arms. I envisaged that scene so clearly in my mind, saw XY walk slowly and cautiously through the darkness, all alert, and then suddenly stop at the sight of his bed, his eyes widening, his body frozen, his fingers twitching, wanting to touch… And then I really like the last paragraph of that scene:
The room was so quiet and still. Xiao Xingchen was warm in his arms. Xue Yang held him carefully, as though Xiao Xingchen was some fragile thing that would break if he wasn't careful enough. He felt strange; his heart was still doing some weird fluttering thing that made it slightly hard to breathe. Maybe he was just overtired. He brushed his lips against Xiao Xingchen's neck and closed his eyes.
Now I've waffled on way too much about myself lol :D But it was fun, thank you! <3
3 notes · View notes
constantvariations · 2 years ago
Text
V9C4
Finally here after several hours of a dnd session zero, so this whiplash is going to be interesting
Post Ep: not as infuriating as the last episode but still missteps at pretty much every turn. At the very least we can say there’s been character “progression”
God Ruby’s voice is so damn bad I thought it was a literal child calling for a cat. Why does she sound more mature at 15 than 17?
Did we really need a close up of the cat piecing itself back together? We already know it can do wacky things with its ugly gradient body, so why the emphasis here? I doubt it’s foreshadowing for a permanent bisection
“Nothing we’ve tried has gotten us any further.” Ruby. Darling. Babe. You’ve tried walking to the tree. Nothing else. It’s not the cat’s fault you can’t think of something else besides Scooby Doo hijinks with the looping sections
What the hell is Yang now? She hasn’t been fun or quippy since Beacon but now (and that one spot in V8) she’s suddenly Joss Whedon with a dash of Hulk rage? And I can’t recall Weiss ever having these kinds of facial expressions. Judgmental commentary, sure, but this feels like she’s 3 seconds away from saying something into the camera like this is the Office
“Just because [the cat] doesn’t want to go back to the tree doesn’t mean we can’t lure them there.” That’s... a curious choice of words. Why “lure?” You lure someone into a trap or an ambush, not ask someone to be a guide. Why wouldn’t Blake use the obvious direction of “we can make a deal with the cat because they’re curious and want information we have.” You can’t really call someone a hero when their instinct is deception of a potential ally who’s already saved their asses for no real reason
Are they going to be losing the cat the whole damn episode? Is that going to be the running gag? I fucking hope not. Ruby’s voice is absolutely obnoxious this episode
She’s talking to the cat like he’s a literal toddler. And it’s acting like a toddler with an ipad. Someone put me down like Old Yeller please
Which of these idiots thought lampshading was a good idea? Like, congrats! You recognize the flaws in the story you wrote! How are you going to fix them 10 years too late? You can’t wink, wink, nudge your way out of shitty writing that you so desperately defended and clung to despite all the people giving actual constructive criticism
Why are all of them so tired of the questions? Surely, each of them have something they’d be ecstatic to talk about at length? Ruby with the progression of weapon development, Weiss with her plans to improve the SDC, Blake with other stories she’s read or how the White Fang came and fell, Yang with stories about Ruby when she was younger. There’s so many possibilities when you have a genuinely curious audience, yet they went the lazy route of “har, har, no one cares about anything” again
Was that bridge made of legos?
Okay, this is the second time the roles of acres have been mentioned. Exactly what does that mean? Do these roles serve a central purpose? The tree seems to be at the center of Wonderland, so are the acres serving the tree in some way? Is harmony throughout the different factions pivotal in keeping Wonderland in wonder instead of despair? What could this possibly mean for any themes or character arcs? It doesn’t seem like the areas thus far have resonated with any of the team, and they left behind Penny’s halo sword, the only thing that’s been even somewhat emotionally compelling, so I’m struggling to understand why Wonderland is set up like this
Love how literally nobody asks the obvious question of “are you okay?” All we get is Yang’s “Rubes?” (has she ever called Ruby that before? I can’t recall) and Blake’s logical deflection and Weiss whining yet again. You’d think for a season that cut away from the bloated cast to focus on the main characters they would, I don’t know, focus on the main character
This is the least Little has talked the entire season. Please keep the cat around more so this shithead will shut the fuck up. Also, Little deadass pointed to where the cat went and y’all don’t immediately follow? Are you trying to get lost?
Okay. Not gonna lie. The caterpillar’s design is dope as shit. The triple eyes in that gorgeous green. The pointy mouth that moves like a skeleton’s jaw. The two-toned wings. The antennae and little spikes. The collar and vest. That ~voice~ Fucking A+ The only thing I’m side-eyeing is the accessories. Hopefully I’m wrong - I’ll be the first to admit I’m not well versed in Indigenous cultures - but the coloring is very reminiscent of turquoise which was an incredibly significant mineral to Southwestern Native American tribes, most commonly associated with Navajo, and Caterpillar’s jewelry designs reflect this as well. My quick google search for this specific design mostly ends up being “hippie aesthetic” which does take inspiration from Indigenous aesthetics, so I can’t really say for certain which one crwby looked at for the design. Given the Medicine Man trope and the herbal smoking in the OP, I’m not holding out much hope
“Growgurt” sounds so damn gross please never say it again
They are really hammering this “who/what are you” thing directly into your eardrums aint they? I’m not entirely sure how this answer affects a recipe, but go off I guess Also, note how Caterpillar gets just the bit exasperated and Yang’s immediately in a fighting stance. The others are afraid, for some cocksmith of a reason - all homeboy did was grumble, what y’all scared of? Did y’all suddenly develop RSD? - but this bitch at half a foot is ready to throw down
Caterpillar is speaking philosophy 101 and these idiots are acting like he’s speaking ancient greek. I hope he poisons the lot of them
“This is how a king winds up a prince.” Does that imply that the prince was genuinely the king that played Alyx but he’s somehow reverted back to a toddler? That raises way too many questions I have no care to even ponder
This far in and we have no idea who or what Caterpillar was to Alyx. Not even a whispered expo-dump, which would be stupid easy given that most of them are tiny. Yet Blake, upon seeing the smoking, is like “we gotta dip” which so par for the course in every episode thus far. This better not be crwby’s attempt at an anti-drug message or I swear I’m gonna toss a fridge into space
Oh christ on toast the Beacon outfits don’t deserve this slander
“You could just be human or just a cat.” Once again, weird phrasing. Like, yeah, it’s clarified that it’s about trying to bring peace between humans and faunus, but why wouldn’t you phrase it in a way that sticks closer to that sentiment rather than acting like she has the Yamato and can carve out what she doesn’t like? What would it even mean to Blake to “just be a cat?” Would that mean living in Menagerie forever with no worries about humans? Would she turn into an actual cat? She just has fucking cat ears man, this is so overblown
Wow, these “I know who I am” speeches suck ass. They’re so vague and InSpIrAtIoNaL I’m wondering if this is supposed to be a mature cartoon or a reading of those posters they put up in school halls of cats in trees with the quote “hang in there!”
“I’m the granddaughter of a hero” bitch who? Who is this mysterious hero? If someone doesn’t know or watch the Remnant expo-dump series, they don’t know who you’re talking about Weiss! You can’t bring up something in the main story if the context is shoved in a spinoff! Also, “daughter of a villain.” Babe, your father was a clown at best and a business major at worst. Villain is not a title he deserves “I will not be defined by my name because I will be the one to define it.” Uhhhhh exactly where in this redefinition is compensation for the lives stolen by your family company? Have you thought of that, Miss Heiress? When your name has that big of an impact, I don’t think you get to be the sole decider. Also, you have siblings who might want a say in it too
Still pissed that the whole “Missing Summer” arc was shoved onto Ruby, who was what? 2? 3 years old when she left? Ruby talks to her gravestone, sure, but as for memories or stories, she hasn’t had a single one. This entire thing falls flat because there was 0 buildup
“You’re supposed to be helping others find their way, but you’ve lost your own.” WHAT WHAT WHAT THE FUCK. Jesus on a toaster strudel can you not villainize every single person who slightly questions uwu precious Ruby? He literally helped the other 3 cement themselves, why doesn’t that count? Sure, it was against their will and all, but these girls clearly need some goddamn help if they can’t answer a basic question like “what is a huntress?”
There are so many questions about those last 20 seconds that I don’t even know what to do with them. Let’s just sum it up with “what the fuck”
14 notes · View notes
alparlaboratories · 2 years ago
Text
My OCs Masterlist
I got tired of having to look through my mess of a computer to find drawings and other stuff about old OCs and characters I might wanna use in the future, and I’m bored right now so I figured I’d make a list with all of my important OCs, or at least the ones that mean the most to me.
These are not ALL of my OCs, just the main ones for their respective stories/campaigns. But there’s still a lot, lol. Also I’m not counting Niss for this list, even if she’s an OC in my heart. You can learn more about her in my pinned post anyway.
(Note: Art is either made by me, my partner @pastlight or has been commissioned by various artists)
1)
Metchi
Tumblr media
You know how parents say they don’t have a favorite child? Well I do and it’s Metchi. ‘What if someone decided they wanted to do good purely out of spite and had pretty much everything stacked against them?’ I asked myself. ‘What if she was also a grungy trans girl who has no fucking clue what she’s doing and is constantly bickering with the deity inside her head?’ was the next question. And from that, Metchi was born. The willpower to burn a hole through Mt. Coronet yet the resources and energy of someone who considers cigarettes the most effective breakfast.
2)
Tumblr media
Nico
He’s my PC from our current (in hiatus) Pokemon tabletop campaign. A Lumiosian street artist and Sky Trainer who enjoys throwing himself off of high places and being completely fucking incomprehensible to all who meet him. The only neurons in his brains are dedicated to serving looks, calling the wind to his command and delivering the most unhinged takes on the nature of human happiness he can think of.
3)
Tumblr media
Tulip
‘I would like to make a tragic character whose obsession with the truth will inevitably lead her to ruin’ I thought. ‘Oh, fuck’ Tulip replied. Out of all my stories, hers is currently my favorite from a writing perspective, and I owe a lot of that to Tulip herself, always willing to push and push until something pushes back, because it’s what she thinks she owes to the people who were just as unfortunate as her. And I love her for it.
4)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Hope and Hunter
These two come in a package deal. ‘Small town life-long friendship’ is something I’ve been meaning to try my hand at writing for a while, and though their story is at the very beginning, I like them quite a lot already. A lot of my personal history with friendships and growing up into your twenties is imbued into them, though they are cooler and dumber and more than willing to take those things to their natural extremes.
5)
Tumblr media
Ska
Protagonist of my yet in-progress, unnamed visual novel I’m working on. She’s a sheltered Fae changeling with a death sentence hanging over her head, and a desperate desire to do as much stupid shit as possible before something ends up killing her. She has a bat and absolutely sucks at using it, and she’s hopelessly in love with both of her best friends. I love her deeply, and I hope I can share her with everyone soon.
6)
Tumblr media
Shadi
Absolute trash human being, possibly the worst woman in Sinnoh, lover of drama and shadow magic and also Dark Souls. What if an older sister was allowed to be as evil as her little heart desired? Well, that’s Shadi. Obviously there’s more to her, but I like making fun of her. I think she’s a funny character on her own right, except when she’s doing horrible shit to my other OCs, which is often. In any case, she’s one of my favorites to write for a reason.
7)
Tumblr media
Eatos
Eatos is... weird. They don’t have a set story, they kinda bounce around a few of my works being mysterious and off-putting and tricking people with smoke/illusion magic. They exist in the same universe as Ska, and in that world at least they’re a human with the power of a Fae artifact. I’ll get more of a chance to develop them someday.
8) (Really old drawing, I didn’t even have a tablet back then lol)
Tumblr media
Shadi... 2!
Yeah I have a few characters named Shadi, I just really like the name. Anyway this particular Shadi may be my first actual OC, back when I was... fuck, I dunno, fourteen? I don’t know how relatable this is, but she’s the OC that made me think ‘I’m gonna write her story and become a famous fantasy author and write a bunch of books and-’ and you know the drill. That didn’t quite end up happening, but I don’t regret it much. I did write a book, but my creative goals right now are very different from back then, and I’m happy with that. One step at a time. Still, I care a lot about Shadi for basically getting me into writing fiction, and someday I hope I can write a story that’ll serve as thanks for her.
9
Tumblr media
Cole
PC for another Pokemon tabletop campaign that unfortunately never progressed much. Which is a shame, because I like this guy, even if he’s so hard to relate to sometimes that I have trouble writing him. He’s nn ex League/army man who now lives peacefully in Pacifidlog alongside his Electrode called Maradona. He loves dogs to a comical degree (the only part about him I understand) and spends most of his time drinking beer, wishing he could drive fast vehicles and helping out Darya, his neighbor and aspiring contest star.
10)
Tumblr media
Machi
Uh... yeah, we’re getting into the really old ones. I don’t remember much about Machi other than she was a hired killer and lived with a guy who did all her murder planning for her because the pay was good and he hated his job that much. It was from her story that Eatos came forth, so it’s a shame that they ended up being so much more interesting to me than Machi. I still like her, though.
11)
Tumblr media
Tala
Listen, we all gotta have an edgy OC with a sword, and Tala was mine. Another PC for an even older Pokemon tabletop, maybe even THE oldest. I went around from loving him when I created him, to despising him a few years after and now kinda liking him again, just because he’s so ridiculous in his drama queen ways. He almost rivals Niss in that regard. But yeah, cool sword, tragic backstory, crabby personality, the works. What do you want from me? I loved that shit when I was a dumb kid.
Anyway... there are more of them, but these are the main ones I remember. Of course there’s also Reiko and Percy and characters like that, but they’re different kinds of OCs, and I already posted about them before.
No point to this post other than to have them on here for future reference.
4 notes · View notes
kithtaehyung · 2 years ago
Note
*sighs* ryen ryen ryen…
WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT OMG 🤕😮‍💨🤧
- ok so first of all i must be a bit 3tan-brainrotted because tell me why i woke at 6am sharp and the first thing that came in my mind was the new chapter:&,!/‘d 🥴
- jk has a fucking audacity like…i get he’s desperate and full of remorse but reader has move on/start to finally move on and he’s throwing her back into those old memories :((( idk i don’t think that’s fair towards them
- besides i don’t think he still love them in the same way he loved them during their teenage years like they broke up before their twenties and those are the years where you change and grow the most…i think his love is the same way as reader described with the worned jeans parallel etc etc
- i was really touched by bro :(((
- im glad the backstory for bro and reader was developed during this chapter like the dynamic between them is much more understandable, have you always have that kind of family problem in mind for their personal story when you started to develop the characters?
- SO HERE COMES THE GUILT AND PAIN :D sobbing crying throwing up right fucking now like when reader understands what yoongi represents to bro im just…jfc..this is going to get ugly so fast when their relation is out… i appreciated the moment of clarity by reader when she’s like « oh if yoongi can do all of these for me when we’re not even together then i can’t even imagine for my brother during college»
- THREE FUCKING MONTHS KDKFKD no wonder they trashed the desk after such a long time lmaoommg’fnf
- the aftercare, sobbing crying screaming AND throwing up again the whole speech by reader in the car about how she missed him…yoongi snapping up omg’fkd and the whole cuddling and humming and shedding tears im just 🥺🥺 my babies 🥺🥺🥺 just wanna build a bubble or shelter for them to live in in peace 😞
- BTW HOW DARE YOU GIVING US PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION AND A FUCKING KISS AGAINST HIS CAR WHEN THEY’RE OUT ⚰️
- you know what i thought of when i read the last part about oc coming home and bro waiting for them ? that damn spoiler about someone/bro (??) telling « it’s about yoongi. isn’t it. » DDBSKDKDKDK ryen gdi
- and now i think i should’ve voted for the whole story with the 30k etc like i’m addicted i think and i cannot wait to see the following for this damn cliffhanger once again how dare you
i’ll probably reread this a dozen times more during the weekend except sunday because i have a second date with that same person ☺️
rest well and hope to read more soon 🫶
-📀
CD PLSSSSSS oh my goodness, love. thank you so much for this wonderful commentary! i got my own things to say under the cut so let's gooooo
WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT OMG 🤕😮‍💨🤧
LMFAO
ok so first of all i must be a bit 3tan-brainrotted because tell me why i woke at 6am sharp and the first thing that came in my mind was the new chapter:&,!/‘d 🥴
nooooo way. wait really?! that's too much for me to handle i'm biting my fcking fist dsklfjdskljf what an honor!
jk has a fucking audacity like…i get he’s desperate and full of remorse but reader has move on/start to finally move on and he’s throwing her back into those old memories :((( idk i don’t think that’s fair towards them besides i don’t think he still love them in the same way he loved them during their teenage years like they broke up before their twenties and those are the years where you change and grow the most…i think his love is the same way as reader described with the worned jeans parallel etc etc
love these commentaries on jk and reader! it's so hard to have something like that happen.. especially if it happened when they both were far from mature enough to handle it. you have a great ass point about the formative years, too! wow i actually really like how you approached that whole section. this shit is why i love hearing from y'all forreal!
i was really touched by bro :(((
man i love that man.
im glad the backstory for bro and reader was developed during this chapter like the dynamic between them is much more understandable, have you always have that kind of family problem in mind for their personal story when you started to develop the characters?
YES! i'm so happy you liked their backstory build. it was necessary to flesh out so that we could understand where they're both coming from, as painful as that was to finally say. this was my plan for awhile, but gosh it was still hard to really write.
SO HERE COMES THE GUILT AND PAIN :D sobbing crying throwing up right fucking now like when reader understands what yoongi represents to bro im just…jfc..this is going to get ugly so fast when their relation is out… i appreciated the moment of clarity by reader when she’s like « oh if yoongi can do all of these for me when we’re not even together then i can’t even imagine for my brother during college»
GOD I KNOWWWW like damn. yoongi's choice was so jarring at first, but when we get this background on bro? it makes sense and brings a whole new wave of guilt. it isn't just "we don't wanna get between them" anymore, it's more like "shit... we could potentially destroy something much bigger than we thought." and like,, knowing what we know about yoongi? he hasn't had the best time before reader showed up..... so.... yeah.
THREE FUCKING MONTHS KDKFKD no wonder they trashed the desk after such a long time lmaoommg’fnf
LMFAOOOOO YEAH I WOULDVE BEEN THE SAME.
the aftercare, sobbing crying screaming AND throwing up again the whole speech by reader in the car about how she missed him…yoongi snapping up omg’fkd and the whole cuddling and humming and shedding tears im just 🥺🥺 my babies 🥺🥺🥺 just wanna build a bubble or shelter for them to live in in peace 😞
the way i want the gd same! the aftercare scenes were some of my absolute favorites to write, and i even saved them for last so that i could finally breathe after working on the rest lol. they're as much of a relief for me as the writer as they are for y'all and the characters. i'm so proud of reader for the car thing! bc we've seen them finally say something in basketball, but i think this was even better.
BTW HOW DARE YOU GIVING US PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION AND A FUCKING KISS AGAINST HIS CAR WHEN THEY’RE OUT ⚰️
LMFAOOOOO i meeeean yoongi was pretty far around the corner if it took seven minutes to get to him, but YEAH. MWAHAHA.
you know what i thought of when i read the last part about oc coming home and bro waiting for them ? that damn spoiler about someone/bro (??) telling « it’s about yoongi. isn’t it. » DDBSKDKDKDK ryen gdi
I AM SAYING NOTHING!!!!! i can't believe you remembered that though omg??
and now i think i should’ve voted for the whole story with the 30k etc like i’m addicted i think and i cannot wait to see the following for this damn cliffhanger once again how dare you i’ll probably reread this a dozen times more during the weekend except sunday because i have a second date with that same person ☺️rest well and hope to read more soon 🫶
thank you so damn much! nahhhh the 30k would've taken me all the way out lmfao. this would've taken SO much longer if we waited. i think this gives everyone time to breathe! an intermission of sorts, or like when an episode ends on a cliffhanger ahahah.
read as many times as you want to! thank you so much for reading so soon, and i hope the second date goes/went very very well :D happy to hear about it, too!
3 notes · View notes
astralbooks · 2 years ago
Text
Lucha of the Night Forest by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Tumblr media
Read: 23/03/2023 - 25/03/2023
Rating: 3/5
Rep: Latinx coded setting and cast, lesbian main character, sapphic love interest, f/f relationship
CW: drug use & addiction, child abandonment, child abuse & neglect, threat of sexual assault from an authority figure, on page death, death of a parent (in backstory), fantasy violence, kidnapping, imprisonment, possession, very brief reference to suicide
Review:
Lucha lives in a town on the edge of the Bosque de la Noche, the Night Forest, taking contracts to hunt the monsters within in order to make ends meet for her and her younger sister whenever their mother fails to come home. When Lucha discovers a magical power within herself, she makes a desperate deal with a mysterious figure only she can see, grabs her sister Lis, and flees into the forest along with a girl who worships a goddess who, according to forbidden myth, opposes the figure that Lucha’s deal is with. As Lucha sets about fulfilling her end of the bargain she gradually comes to understand what exactly she’s gotten herself into, and has to decide how far she’ll go to save the forest and the rest of the world.
A lot of this book is set either in or near the forest, and it was a really cool setting! Lucha’s abilities mean she can effectively communicate with the forest and all that resides within it. Whether the forest is willing to listen to her is another matter entirely, and her control over her abilities and the stability of the link between herself and the forest is something that Lucha struggles with throughout the book.
Something I thought was really interesting about this book was the exploration of the fallout of having been failed by a parent. Lucha and Lis’ mother isn’t there for them, succumbing to addiction instead, meaning Lucha has to take responsibility for her and Lis’ well-being from a very young age and directly leading into the book’s inciting incident. If their mother had been there for them, they wouldn’t have needed to flee. Lucha is angry at her mother for all of this, which is understandable. However as the book goes on she comes to understand her mother’s actions a lot more. I liked how Lucha’s perspective on the situation develops, and I liked that this doesn’t end up swinging to the other extreme and being a case of the abused child forgiving their parent simply because they’re their parent. Nuance!
A key theme of this book is the outright rejection of fate and destiny. Lucha could be seen as a chosen one, but it’s strongly established that she’s a chosen one because she chooses to step up. She could choose not to. She has that option. She’s not the only hope the world will ever have, there will be others with her ability and she could leave the situation for them to resolve when their time comes. I thought this was an interesting take on the chosen one trope that I’m sure people will enjoy!
I liked the note the romantic relationship between Lucha and Pax was left on, but I can see why others might not like it as much. If you like your books to finish with a neat bow and a happily ever after then this one’s more open ending might not be for you.
Considering how important the relationship between Lucha and Lis is supposed to be, and how much of the story hinges on it, I would’ve liked to actually see more of it. The biggest interaction we see between the girls before things kick off in earnest is a fight, and then due to plot reasons they don’t ever get to just exist and interact with each other as they naturally would. I think their bond would’ve been more believable and hard hitting if we’d been able to see more of them actually getting along and being sisters. Similarly, there’s an antagonistic character near the start who’s said to be an old childhood friend of Lucha’s, but the rare sentences we get about their childhood friendship isn’t enough for the reader to feel the true weight of the betrayal that Lucha must be feeling. I just wanted a little more depth from these relationships.
If you’re looking for a book with a creepy living forest or with a unique approach to the chosen one trope then consider checking this one out!
Thank you to Make Me A World and TBR and Beyond Tours for having me on this tour! You can find the full tour schedule here and the rest of my tour stop here
2 notes · View notes
cielsosinfel · 2 years ago
Text
reading log
Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon: I got half-way through this before I had to put it down. It starts off very strong- young girl escapes a Black supremacist religious cult compound where she was married to the leader at 13, has twins in the woods, has to navigate survival when the cult is after her, she has cult trauma, and on the other side is an anti-Black society. But when her kids are grown up enough to start talking (at... three years old... full complex sentences, which probably gets explained later on) the pacing gets... so frustrating. And I don’t always agree that “show, don’t tell” is a hard rule a writer has to follow for their book to be good. But this book is ALL TELLING. It does that thing, where instead of showing you character-building and relationship-building scenes, it just gives a sentence or two saying “yeah this happened” AFTER introducing a scene where that information/development is relevant. Once the babies are grown up enough to hold full conversations, there are these constant asides explaining their personalities, but it has no relevance to what they’re saying/how they’re behaving in that scene? And things they did while growing up, and how they interact with each other and their mom, that we never actually see. Just a sentence or two saying “this happens/happened.” This is like most of the book by the point I dropped it, it felt like.
There’s also just a lot that stretched my suspension of disbelief to breaking point (the MC abandoning her literal infant children in the woods, where she has been trying to keep them safe from a would-be murderer hunting them down for weeks and months, so she can go fuck a stranger, and it’s never like... discussed that her babies are just out there for hours alone...)
I might try it again later and push through... I really liked the author’s first novel An Unkindness of Ghosts, and short stories published online... But this just be a case of one single book by a good author not working for me lol.
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling
THIS ONE I WAS OBSESSED WITH And i prattled on and on about it on Twitter and Discord... I might just collect things I’ve already said there lol
This is a Sci-fi cave horror story, where our MC is Gyre, a woman desperate to make enough money to get off her backwater mining-dominated planet and find her mother, who vanished without a trace years ago. To get that money she lies her way into a highly lucrative caving expedition, claiming to have much more experience with professional dives than she does (that is, 0.) This is extremely heavy with atmospheric and psychological horror in the best way. Also it’s canon gay in the most fucked up way and I’m obsessed. The further into the cave Gyre, and the reader gets, the deeper both get into the fucked-up web of manipulation and deceit being spun by Gyre’s employer, Em, a  woman who she only knows as a cold, distant voice over her suit’s speaker systems, and who is her only connection to the surface.
The progression of Gyre and Em’s relationship is sooooooo fucking good, and impactful, and SEXY AS HELL. Em is terrible. She is hyper-controlling, with no compunctions in straight-up hijacking Gyre’s suit, forcing drugs into her system and effectively taking control of her body, for her own good. Em is also a huge woobie... just a huge woobie whose coping mechanism is manipulation and gaslighting. Even as they come to understand one another’s issues and actions and horrible personality traits, there’s never a moment where the tension is gone, where the reality of how terrible they both are is. Gyre, rash and belligerent and slowly losing her grasp on reality the deeper into the cave she gets, keeps looking for those moments where Em stops being a monster and always gets her hopes up, that finally, finally this is Em at her best, finally Em has let go over everything that makes her behave the way she does. But obviously its not that simple. Obviously Gyre is continuously disappointed. 
The ending just blew me away and was better than anything I could have expected. It’s a book about two women who go through complete, utter, excruciating hell together, psychologically eviscerate one another, rip into the sinews of each other to tear one another apart, and then come out unable to separate themselves from each other. Their relationship is full of hate, and pain, and fear, and distrust, and endless pools of grief, yet also this intense co-dependent love forged from countless near-death experiences and having only each other to rely on. It’s so hot. It’s whump central!! Jesus christ. I really do not know how to describe it in words that truly capture how good this book was. I also really don’t want to spoil it but it feels inevitable. Please just read this if you want women being horrible to each other while losing their sanity in haunted caves.
Also ehehe. ehehehehehehehe. 
Tumblr media
Slow Damage (cw for n s f w/ noncon discussion)
This counts as a book when its a 60 hour long visual novel. Actually I only completed two routes (Taku and Madarame) and am halfway through Rei’s and am takig a break. But it counts. I think this is actually my favorite Nitro+chiral VN for overall plot; the story is extremely engaging and I’m enjoying bits and pieces being revealed as I go through each route.
Also I LOVE the translation/localization SO MUCH. You can tell how much care was put into choosing just the right words to get across characters’ personalities and relationships into English, while also making it very enjoyable to read. And I LOVE the choice to translate Rei’s fem neesan vibes into Valley Girl-wannabe club queen vibes, so much. The way he and his friends speak really bring me back to my days hanging out with fems and queens in gay bars/clubs, it all sounded so naturally written and like a lot of care was put into it.
There’s some word choices that made me go ???? but overall I think this is one of the most smoothly translated and localized visual novels, or any Japanese media, I’ve read. The twitter drama complaining about the translater being horrible was dumb as hell, okay lol. 
But I also think it’s one of my least favorites in term of actual erotic content lol... Somehow it feels EXTREMELY tame? Like, there’s dubcon, there’s guro, there’s yandere kidnapping petplay, there’s forced drugging, there’s a lot! But none of it lands right or like... goes as far as I’d expect it to... it feels like a lot is being held back. Maybe N+C games were always like this, and it’s just less impressive to me now that I’m an adult and not in middle school? IDK.
Taku’s route especially was disappointment cus he’s the only DILF Towa gets to fuck, and is explicitly the daddy kink route. But his good and bad end just left me really cold. Madarame got to me a lot more, because his entire thing is noncon petplay and caretaking and eye trauma kink, which is like, my entire fucking jam, hello. But it felt so emotionally EMPTY... I think that’s generally my issue, is Towa is a protagonist who doesn’t /care/ about anything, who is emotionally numb, and who is such a masochist that he doesn’t even react when people force themselves on him, he actively enjoys it. N+C is usually noncon kink central so a protag who just loves everything anyone does to him doesn’t hit. Madarame route was also nice because Towa FINALLY showed emotional reactions of fear and anger, but then it like fizzles out near-immediately as he just goes along with everything Madarame does, because Towa just does not care. I did end up liking the Madarame bad end though, there’s that!!
I guess I just realized the big appeal for me in N+C games is the poor pitiable protags who are terrified for their lives and being terrorized, and Towa is like, impossible to put in this position, because he is the world’s most extreme masochist...  Also I really wanted more with the other DILFs in the game (Toono, Sakaki) but even when Toono has Towa held captive, forced to crossdress, and forced to pretend to be Toono’s lover to freak out Taku, nothing happenssssss whyyyyyy there’s so many opportunities for fucked up shit that go nowhereeeeeee
ok thats my horny brain review of Slow Damage’s first two routes, thanks for your time
1 note · View note