#I sort of have a complex of saving men with issues

[applesfeelgood]

I will say it cause rn I feel safe and with enough confidence: I like women not only platonically 😗 in fact I like them more than men

[my-darling-boy]

Good morning, I hope you're doing well.

I just wanted to start by saying I deeply admire your work, and have found it beautiful, emotive and inspiring.

From what I know, you do reenactments in the UK and I've been wanting to get into reenactment myself for a looooong time, but I've always chickened out because I'm trans (ftm, pre T/medical transition).

It's super refreshing to find a trans person in this scene. I was wondering if you had any advice? Whether that's how to find safe groups, how to find costumes that fit, how to maybe start projects yourself. Any advice at all would be deeply appreciated.

The ww1/ww2 periods are really close to my heart and I would adore the opportunity to explore reenactments for these periods of history in a safe environment.

All the best,

🪖

Ah that’s awesome you’re interested in getting into reenactment, it’s a really fun hobby! Don’t think I’ve seen any advice posts for world war reenactors specifically in your situation; I think “modern” military reenactment with this in mind comes with special considerations, so I’ll do my best to give a loose Survival Guide below the cut if you’re wanting to start. This will be Long, but I’ve not seen another resource on this sort of thing from the trans angle so might as well be specific! These are just my own observations to hopefully give you a bit more perspective on whether or not it’s something you’re comfortable pursuing. That all being said…

★ In the case of being trans, especially without medical transition, I HIGHLY advise against doing this hobby completely stealth, it’s just not a good idea. For many events, you camp in the same tent/room with lads your age to men 60+ and may have to change in front of them. Even in the event there is space/bathroom to change, it’s sometimes only a single stall crawling with spiders as a lot of re-enactments are in a little village in the middle of nowhere. If it’s not your own group that could cause problems upon circumstantially finding out, it could be another reenactor or member of the public. If you bind or pack, you have to get the things on and off secretly around so many people you don’t know. Some events are in other countries. For a lot of events, there isn’t any cell service so in the off-chance something goes wrong and you have no one to help you…. You’re Cooked.

★ Transparency to some capacity is best. Whether it’s just a couple group members that know or the whole group knows, someone’s support is your greatest safety net. If you find a group you want to trial, I recommend first shooting an email rather than meeting face to face. Ask if they’re looking for new members, if they already are, that you would be interested in a trial. Add that you’re trans and you want to know if this is an issue, there’s really no other way to ask this. It’s complex, but really they’re not allowed to tell you no on grounds of discrimination, however you can gauge how accepting they are by their response. If they’re suddenly not looking for new members or they play email tag over weeks with no clear answer, pass. Being upfront about it if you’re pre-everything will save you wasting time on groups who don’t want to work with you.

★ Research local regiments/groups you want. Searching near your county may mean you won’t have to travel too far for events, but not always. And you don’t have to stay local, I find groups accept members from just about anywhere in the UK, even outside it sometimes! It’s also good to have some research done on the regiment/battalion you want.

★ Next, big, very important: World War re-enactment is a very Actual Military dominated hobby, and you’ll be exposed to all that entails. I say this to give you a heads up as to the social environment you’re entering into which not many trans people may consider. There’s no way to engage with this area of group reenactment that is completely divorced from the genus of the military as it exists today, even for historical education. The groups I’ve met as well as my own are comprised mostly of veterans, people currently serving, or those from military/first-responder families. In my own observation, world war groups feel more like off-shoot capillaries of the military as opposed to doing something like medieval reenactment or a Jacobite. They are run, funded, and supported in full or part by current/ex military members and organisations. Now obviously it’s not the real military, you’re not enlisted, you’re not going to get court-martialed if you do something wrong! However, these groups try to hold themselves to the same professionalism that you would get if you were actually in the forces cos you’re portraying someone in the military—albeit 1916–who would’ve held themselves to the same standards. There’s fun, there’s jokes, but you stand up so straight on inspection that it’s uncomfortable, eyes front, you never fool around with a weapon, you do what you’re told, and you try to help out every member as best you can cos you’re a unit. It’s a balance between being serious and fun. I know I’m silly outside it, but once I’m on site, it’s time for more discretion. You’re first and foremost an educational historical actor, and as such you’re required to conduct yourself in the public eye as a service member—someone’s ancestor—representing a real regiment that more than likely still exists. This is not a Ren Faire environment. A reenactment group does not exist in a vacuum and neither do the world wars. Not every group is as connected with the Real military as others, but this is just a Heads Up in case interacting with these entities contributes to making you feel “unsafe” in your position.

★ There is also that complicated grey area of how even the most progressive group still exists within a network of current systems which are traditional and affects the way that group must present itself to the public and their Real Military Counterparts they are inseparable from. World war reenacting is still deeply intertwined with current forces and old tradition because the wars and their decades are still within collective consciousness and still hot topics of discussion. Some people really take issue with trans people in the hobby, we all know this, so even as supportive as a group may be, many choose for safety to be on the DL when engaging with other hobbyists whom you don’t know (outside of your group). I personally don’t know any other trans men active in WW groups, though I know they’re out there. That alone should give you an idea as to how Quiet we keep it for safety, even if, bless them, our cis group mates would gladly tell someone off for being transphobic. Though having to be on the DL to anyone outside your group at events for someone who is pre-everything can be anxiety inducing. It’s why I say it’s for your own benefit that at least someone in your group 100% has your back.

★ Lads love teasing each other and will tease you, with love, but don’t be the doormat for anything transphobic. As is the case with the real military, jokes/teasing is an integral part of the camaraderie and as I said, lots of people doing WW reenacting are current/ex military. Short jokes @ me are common, they’re made with love, it’s not transphobic or malicious. While someone messing with you is common cis male bonding, don’t hesitate to tell someone steady on if they go over the line or they’re genuinely being malicious before you go to the sergeant with a formal complaint. It’s usually an immediate apology and then never doing it again. And as said, don’t let transphobic teasing slide. If there is any phobic joke that could fly under the radar to someone not privy, it would be jokes equating you with someone called “Bob” so if you ever hear that one—if you don’t already know what that means—definitely bring that up to someone!

★ A tip for cis male dominated spaces: self-confidence, optimism, and a general good nature will get you far. Being extremely, constantly awkward or aloof from dysphoria or fearing cis men will tend to get you “othered”. It can be hard to be more vocal or confident if you’re anxious not having had many dealings with cis male social groups, but my advice is to try to be as casual as possible, shaking hands with eye contact, going about your business, and Being Normal about guys walking around half naked in the mornings or accidentally catching sight of your mate’s bits. Generally, if you’re not Weird about them, no one’s Weird about you!

★ It’s also a mutual respect-based environment. As long as you’re mature, level, putting in the effort, are quick to learn, friendly, and doing your bit in the group, chances are you will get along with everyone fine and they will get along with you regardless of anyone’s politics or beliefs, which I think is most trans people’s fear for this hobby. Everyone is aware infighting and heated debates over anything can destroy a group or bring harm against yourself or your mates, which is why I’ve found if you simply say you don’t feel comfortable talking about something, people back off cos they respect that. Trans or not, if you’re abrasive or egotistical, just like any social situation, respect for you goes down.

★ People are more than happy to impart knowledge, there are lads who could easily talk for hours about one thing if you get them going so don’t be afraid to ask questions! If you’re nervous about asking someone for help with drill, kit, etc it’s less “How do you not know this?” and more “I’m SO glad you asked!” It’s sort of like having a group of brothers for the weekend, always teaching you something. I find reenactors can never pass up an opportunity to thoroughly explain something (myself included) and sometimes even unprompted will just point to something you’ve got and start telling a story about it. Everyone, even elder members, learn something new every event

★ In terms of clothing sizing, I’ve got stereotypical male proportions (bar my height) so I can’t speak much from personal struggle on this one. Most modern-made reenactment gear is quite amply sized, which is fine if you’re larger but is a pain if you’re smaller. Most groups will have spare kit in diff sizes you can borrow on trialling them, and there are good videos on YouTube to familiarise yourself with all the parts and how to care for them, and of course you can ask me here as well. If you want something yourself, everyone and their mums starts out with Soldier of Fortune these days, and owning your own trousers/tunic of course means you can tailor it if need be. You’re also looking at around at least £600 for a relatively complete kit, but tbh it’s easily over £1000 weapons and extras included.

★ On clothing, maybe it’s cos I’m short, but your grey flannel is your best friend if you have to get changed in front of someone and don’t want them to see your Downstairs. The greybacks are quite long I find, so as long as it’s on, you can change trousers and sometimes even undergarments without flashing anyone.

★ On getting changed: always try to be the first to get ready, it doesn’t look weird, you just look on top of things! Do a bit of recon when you can about changing spaces and the toilet situation cos you might be able to get creative where you change, including in your sleeping bag. It’s good to try to get at least an undershirt and bottom half on before the group wakes up, you easily put on tunic and boots and the rest alongside everyone else. You might even find you just end up sleeping in kit, sometimes we do that. Getting to the toilet first also means you not only avoid being late for inspection trying to sort yourself, but you’re not after the lad with the Least Desirable morning routine (and believe me, there will be at least one, if not more).

★ Though sleeping in the same space and getting ready around each other is usually expected, it’s not mandatory. For some multi-day events, it may be possible to go home and come back the next morning so you don’t have to sleep/change with the rest of the boys. It’s possible to show up to events already kitted and leave kitted so you don’t need to change at all. If you’re all staying in a hotel, you can get a separate room or if everyone is staying at camp, you can stay in a local inn if there is one. If you’re under canvas, you can always bring a separate tent and sleep by yourself. HOWEVER, because sleeping together (and drinking till 3 AM) and getting ready polishing brass or making breakfast is a Group Bonding Experience just be aware you’ll miss out on that bonding if you go off alone a lot or cut events short to go home/come back, if having more bonding is particularly important to you!

★ If you’re binding, it’s worth noting depending on what exactly you’re doing you carry anywhere between 20-50 extra pounds on your person. There is decent physical activity, you are with equipment on your feet for most of the day, and hobnail boots are not the most comfortable. Being in an entirely wool uniform on a baking, humid day in a binder would be absolutely bloody miserable. You would have to take the binder off after all that lest you hurt yourself. Also, if you join a Highland Regiment, it is not a good idea to pack. And I’m not talking about your kit bag. If your Swagger Stick falls out on a demo in front of hundreds of families, there is no coming back from that, there really is no room for Oopsy in that scenario, it’s not worth the embarrassment!

★ As for starting projects yourself… that’s a tricky one. If it’s like a little reenactment group, that’s a massive undertaking, I could write a novel about that alone and the money and insurance and complex social things that would involve. There are ways you can do solo reenactment for educational purposes, though this requires having a relationship with whatever venue is hiring you such as a museum. While doing a scout or medic would be easy enough, doing a fully kitted infantryman would be a bit harder. If you have weapons like a rifle or bayonet, you need a permit to carry them. Solo reenacting also requires you to know A TON of information, not just about the war, but the surrounding time period give or take 20 years, your entire kit, gear, and loads of other things.

★ In conclusion, as intimidating as this can seem to navigate around cis men as a trans man for (potentially) the first time in a very military, traditionally masc environment…. I think as long as you come into it with the same attitude as any young man would at the time, you’ve got pals to back you up, and you try to be cheery and do your bit, you’re likely to do just fine and have fun! I know reenactment can seem like the straight white old male phobic hardcore conservative hobby, but it is a really rewarding experience as long as you take some precautions, there are some genuinely lovely people in it, eager to pass on their knowledge. If you feel a group is not a good fit, you can always leave, and there will be other groups who will be more than happy to have you. While I can’t say I’ve met any trans men in my time doing it, I’ve at least met some other LGB reenactors who are really lovely and very supportive.

Hope something here puts your anxiety at ease, or at least doesn’t make anything worse! If it’s of any comfort, I think groups as a whole are becoming much more supportive of LGBT+ members. I think the coming generations that are starting to have more active involvement in this area of reenactment look to be making it better for LGBT+ people to participate in historical education and overall hobby engagement.

Cheers! x

[writers-requiem]

Title: A Father's Love

Genre: Marvel, Platonic, Headcannons, X-Men

Pairing: Hank McCoy x child/teen!Reader

TW: None

Parents and their children is a complex relationship that everyone experiences or witnesses to some extent. And Hank is no exception.

Yes, his parents loved him and wanted the best for him, but as shown in the early days of the comics, for all his introspective nature, he isn't immune to wallowing in self pity to the point of ignoring others' pain.

But this time, we're talking about Hank as a father himself, and on Earth 41001, he is a great dad. But here on Earth 8096, we have no relevant information on that. But I will try my best with these headcannons.

For starters, he would be a bit nervous about being a parent. Okay, very nervous.

Given the life he lives, it makes sense. He doesn't want to put you in harm's way just because he himself is a mutant and superhero.

He often stresses over your safety and often makes frequent check-ins even in the heat of battle to make sure you're okay.

He also makes it a habit to give you weekly check ups to make sure your health is in good condition, you're eating your fruits and veggies, the works.

When he isn't worried about your safety, which is when you two are in the same place and you're in his line of sight, he makes it a point to let you have some room to breathe so you don't feel like he's overbearing.

He'd be the one to bring you warm soup, blankets, water and medicine when you're sick.

He enjoys it when you pay him a visit to his lab. Especially when you take an interest in what he's doing and even mentors you in science.

If he found you as a baby, he would sleep on the couch with you cradled in his arms.

If you have trouble sleeping, he'll try giving you melatonin, sleepytime tea and a weighted blanket. And if that doesn't work, he'll ask if you want him to sleep with you.

Gives the best hugs and loves getting hugs himself. Man's a giant teddy bear.

If you were interested, he'd teach you how to train your feet to be prehensile and allow you to hang from the rafters like he does.

If you're really young, he'll do a bunch of tricks that he can do with no issue for your amusement and astonishment.

Does inventory checks to make sure you have what you need.

Regardless if you do or don't have powers of your own, he'll do everything in his power to make extra sure that you feel safe with him and the other X-Men.

If you end up saving his and the team's lives on a mission, he'll be genuinely surprised and utterly proud of you. And if you take the battle from that point, he'll be cheering you on along with the others.

When he introduces you to his parents, they'll love you just as much as they love him.

If you had a run-in with his dark doppelganger, he is livid. Nobody manipulates or harms his child and gets away with it!

If you have a lot on your mind, he's right there to help you decompress and sort out your thoughts one at a time.

If someone insults you for having a mutant father, and you react by using your power to humiliate them, he's not amused but is understanding of why you did what you did.

Will be willing to share stories from his childhood and early adult life. Some of them are informative, others are just for laughs.

You show at an early age that you have a similar knack for science and tech like he does and he is proud to tutor you on everything he knows.

Likes to take you for little trips through the country side or on camping getaways.

The instant you say a swear word in front of him, he knows that Logan had some hand in that development.

Likes to sing you sweet little melodies to lull you to sleep. And he would do it all the time if you were really young.

He's basically your blanket at home during fall and winter. He doesn't want you catching a cold now.

He tried using Gen Z slang, much to your and the other's collective dismay. But you all found out it annoyed Logan especially, so you two use it only when Logan is around to annoy him.

If you asked him how to dance for prom, homecoming, a ball, he would set aside whatever it was he was doing to teach you.

If you had a hard time calling him anything along the lines of "dad" he won't hold it against you. But the moment you call him dad, it takes both of you off guard. But all he can do in that moment is take a deep breath and hug you.

Would definitely take you out for little picnics every once in awhile.

Been a long time since I had done some headcannons like this! Thanks for taking the time to read!

[ghoulfuckersincorporated]

Do you think it'd be possible to rehabilitate Marked Men? If so, how do you think it'd go?

You guys ask such good, interesting questions!

I've been thinking about this one for a bit. Summed up, my answer would be that you could probably rehabilitate them physically enough to remove them from The Divide without them dying, given enough time, but I think that mentally/psychologically they're pretty much gone, so the ethics of doing so are questionable at best.

With the Marked Men, it's established in Lonesome Road that these guys are basically existing in a sort of perpetual "living death" where they consistently have these major traumatic injuries that would otherwise kill them, but they're kept right on the verge of life and consciousness by the insane levels of radiation in The Divide/along the Long 15. They're literally being flayed alive by the high-speed sandy winds kicked up by the storms that plague the area, as in "skin sliced from muscle", and they're constantly getting into skirmishes and tearing strangers (as well as one another) limb-from-limb, which would only result in more injuries.

The root of the issue is that these ghouls are basically radiation-dependent, right? Other ghouls benefit from the presence of radiation (increased healing rate, overall better feeling, energizing effect), but Marked Men need high levels of radiation to even stay alive. Maybe if you slowly, and I mean over a matter of weeks or months, moved further and further down the Long 15 back towards Vegas, really taking your time, you could acclimate them to the lower levels of radiation as well as allow their wounds time to heal enough to no longer be fatal.

But what are the implications for you if you have to remain immersed in all those rads for that long? Who's to say you wouldn't begin to turn into a ghoul yourself? At the very least, you'd be incredibly sick and flying through Rad-X and Radaway at a genuinely concerning rate. And it's not like you can waltz up to one of them and say "Hey, buddy! You wanna come to Vegas with me?" or tell them "I have to leave the canyon for a few days or I'm gonna die from radiation poisoning. Stay here!". They're gonna fight you the whole time and be genuinely quite dangerous when they do it, and the second you turn your back, they'll flee or kill you because they feel instinctually that that's what's best for their self-preservation.

Even if you could get them to a point of medical stabilization, it would by no means be an end to their physical pain (which can literally send you into shock and kill you itself) or the fact that none of them seem to have control of their mental faculties anymore by the time you encounter them. Sure, they demonstrate some minor ability to coordinate themselves, but I see that as more of a "terrified animals desperately defending the fire that saves them all from the dark" than something that teases at more complex thought processes. They don't even use words. Even completely feral ghouls outside of The Divide will sometimes use individual words (granted, those words are things like "Pain!" or "Kill!", but even that conveys some level of ability to understand what they're perceiving and to communicate that; Marked Men don't even have that as far as I recall.)

My theory as to why they would not recover mentally is that, like with the rest of the body, there will simply eventually be pieces of you that can no longer regenerate/heal properly, and they will age and rot as they should, even if ghouls are basically incapable of dying from non-trauma. This would include the grey matter that makes up the brain, and once a certain percentage of it is gone, you will see irreparable changes to that person's demeanor, behavior, and reasoning skills. Marked Men and feral ghouls in general, in my opinion, basically have a form of severe dementia that only occurs in people who survive ghoulification/live longer than the natural human life span.

I think these poor people are tired beyond a level any of us could ever comprehend. I think they're victims of something that should have ended a long, long time ago, and I think all they really know now is fear and pain. In my personal opinion, it's best to quickly and compassionately relieve them of their suffering.

[ctimenefic]

fic writer interview

thank you for the tag @testarossa, this was a lovely indulgent way to spend an evening. @prettydangrotten, @onadarklingplain and @rockyteriyaki, if you care to play I'll put my chin in my hands and kick my feet as I listen like we're in a 90s movie sleepover

How many works do you have on ao3?

22 posted

What’s your total word count?

total word count: 166,741

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

they're all in the Daredevil (Netflix) fandom, and all Matt/Foggy. Let's swap chests today (mutant AU), Invisible Ink (Tattoo Artist AU), A Wizard Did It (um.... Magical Statue AU?), Indelible Ink (Tattoo Artis sequel) and Shampoo, Rinse, Repeat (or how I ruined haircuts for myself for four years). Do you see how I gave myself a complex about only writing AUs?

Do you respond to comments? Why/why not?

I try to! I've been fairly good about it recently. But I've had periods where I've been almost entirely out of fandom, and there's a pile in my inbox that are years overdue replies. And I reply because they make me feel good and I want to appreciate that! Every now and again I sit down an answer a pile from, like, 2020 with a biiiig apology and it genuinely lifts my spirits to do so.

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

dust and ashes. sometimes we process grief on the internet!

but for f1 rpf specifically, well. That'll be either the living and the dead or no second chances, depending on which mid-season driver change devastated you most.

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

oh god nearly all of them in some way or another, I love a happy ending (in fact there's an ask in my inbox right now that's indirectly about that). in terms of feeling like sunlight after a storm, three's a crowd. the rest are more soft landings after a gentle flight, imo.

Do you write crossovers?

Sort of. I've written MCU fic that crossed over with X-Men before Deadpool got there. And there's some others languishing in my G-drive.

If AUs based on established media count, then yeah, definitely - I've got some (thinly drawn) ideas for Inception and James Bond F1 rpf fics.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I don't think so! if I have, I forgot. I forget many things.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, yes I do. And it's getting smuttier. What kind, um- idk, there tends to be a plot attached, or a plot emerges eventually. It's mostly slash? (Does Rule 63 George count as slash or nah??)

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I have a vague recollection of reading something once that made me go 'hmmmm' but once again, my memory issues save me from recalling if it was actually a thing or if it was a two Dennis the Menaces situation.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No but I had my first podfic made this year! nony podficced positive negatives and don't like a gold rush, which is great because I consider them sister fics.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I am cowriting one right now with @latecomersprivilege. It's about the Australian GP and orgasm denial. Yes, this year's Australian GP. We're so good at meeting deadlines and writing in a timely manner (it's completely my fault).

What's your all-time favourite ship?

Merlin/Arthur, from BBC's Merlin. I only have one Merthur fic that I've let stay alive, but Merlin still occupies such a peculiar place in my life. I watched every season live, I participated in fandom to an extent I probably never will manage again - I loved those boys. I love them still.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

that one enjolras/grantaire fic that was going to be my magnum opus and ground to a halt at 20k. Some folders of my G-docs are cemeteries.

What are your writing strengths?

Worldbuilding, I think. Or, since that's quite a broad term, creating worlds that feel lived in. I'm not necessarily coming up with crop rotations and a full economy, but I think I'm good at suggesting the picture continues beyond the frame of the story. Also, I like to think I have a grasp on rhythm.

What are your writing weaknesses?

length length length. I hit 20k in a doc and my brain stutters to a stop, which means I really struggle with executing ideas that deserve longer. I am also very bad at editing. This is a terrible trait. And I write slooooowly.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I get very nervous about this as a mono-lingual person, because I don't want to end up turning actual languages into catchphrases? But I also want to reflect how our international blorbos speak. I do LOVE when authors make a point of saying someone is speaking in French etc vs English, even when it's translated for the reader, to make a point about intimacy.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

harry potter. scoured that from the internet a while ago

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

I have an elaborate strollonso fic in me. Unfortunately I do have to write the 50k galex fic it's a sequel to first. And, uh, remember what I said about length being a weakness of mine?

What's your favourite fic you've written?

I did a five favourite fics ask a couple of months back, and it mostly holds true, but I think I have to add three's a crowd now, because it kind of snuck up on me as a concept, and I damn near hated it by the end of writing it, and then was embraced so kindly by readers I could actually look at it anew and remember why I wanted to write it. And that's quite precious.

[veryaren]

florimatt blab. pretty much entirely about their characterization (and how often it's freaking. RAN INTO THE GROUND)

they r another ship!!! alongside crap like aesvic WHOSE CHARACTERIZATIONS I HOLD NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART........

everytime Matthias is written with someone's VERY THINLY VEILED desire to bang him I cry. CAN YOU NOT. (this also goes with Andrew!!! as someone tagged on one of my other posts. if u see this ily/p because that is ridiculously real. miserable looking men do not need to be written/drawn like dick will save them! PLEASE)

they tend to heavily romanticize his psychosis (? for lack of an exact term) and his basically nonexistent self worth. they either AMPLIFY both to the max but then make him suddenly stop once Florian comes into his life or just DOWNPLAY it super hard to the point of erasure. (I absolutely understand if it's not mentioned much/at all in smaller pieces/lighthearted fics and such but if you're going to write his issues atleast try not to do it so poorly!!!)

it's so painful to see Matthias' back arched looking up at Florian with his face airbrushed red. that man is twenty four.

ANYWAY. MOVING ONTO FLORIAN. why do people make him out to be some kind of weird backward concept who only ever feels insanity. Like I know that his trailer is intense. He is intense. Most media we have of him so far alludes to his very dubious grasp on morality. BUT JESUS. can we not have him deadass assaulting Matthias?? Or being written like freaking mirai nikki. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK. FOR THAT NOT TO EXIST? How do you sit in front of a device and write that.

as for the way people write his obsessive behavior. i think a lot of people forget that it stems from grief. most of his issues are SCARILY unheathy coping mechanisms he adopted after his parents died. the whole savior complex and miracle shtick.

to write that sort of obsession as if it was just. for no real reason. or to romanticize it as a pull force for a ship is just. icky. YK???? honestly a lot of this is just romanticization problems (i say about the idv fandom for the millionth time) . and I don't say this to mean their relationship HAS to be healthy and perfect. in all honesty neither of them seem to be in a great state of mind to handle a relationship. they are not perfect people at all

but sometimes that's a quality driving point. (and I don't mean that from a perspective of glamorization. more like, when that kind of situation is written with well fleshed out characters it just makes a genuinely interesting story. I hope this makes sense)

IN SHORT. Matthias is a grown man who can absolutely stand on his own as an interesting character with REAL personality and Florian (while having a blurred distinction of moral and immoral) is STILL a person! Not just a violent personification of someone's desire for Matthias!!!!!!!!

thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fiddlepickdouglas]

Disclaimer: This post is an interpretation of some of the Barbie movie's themes and messages, particularly struggles men are faced with. That's its focus. It is not exhaustive of all possible takes or understandings of the film, either mine or others. If talking about men as equal human beings is a problem for you, feel free to ignore this post and then block me. Otherwise, carry on.

One of my favorite parts of Barbie is when Gloria is doing Barbie's makeup toward the end and they're talking about overturning everything that the Kens have done to Barbieland, where Barbie expresses how she just didn't expect her Ken to act out so drastically. Gloria tells her it's because he has feelings for her, hinting that creating Kendom is how he tried to express those feelings and his upset with the constant rejection he's gotten. And when Barbie starts to say she's afraid of hurting him by going behind his back Gloria stops her.

I could praise that moment alone for showing how women need to stop apologizing for the feelings of others, but this is really key: Gloria doesn't trash talk Ken. She states the bad things he did but she never equates those actions with who Ken is, because they're not. I feel like any other film would've gone the route of "He's an asshole/You don't need him/Dump the douchebag/Why do you care about him when he's treated you like this?" (and to be fair I have a huge tendency to go that way myself)

Gloria doesn't even know Ken! But she was right not to immediately act like he was garbage. I don't know if she got that understanding from Barbie herself or just from being a long-term Barbie doll lover and employee at Mattel, but it stands out to me. We even see proof that none of the Kens are truly bad! In the beginning of the film they're just dudes (Just Kens, lol, I set myself up for that)! Dudes that don't even know what they don't know and can't be blamed for it.

Because the truth is that men are not inherently trash and their actions do not come from an innately evil place. Unfortunately for men, especially in the west, society has come up short in teaching them how to deal with and properly express how they feel in favor of power and saving face. Emotions hold bigger weight than they even know, but the modes they've been allowed are generally aggression, romantic passion, and cool. Nothing outside the lines. Imagine trying to sort a giant ball of complex emotions into one of those three things and stay normal.

Gloria understands that the lack of emotional maturity and regulation is where Ken's dramatic tantrum stems from. While she has experience with the patriarchy and knows how to deal with it because of the situation in the real world, I find it fascinating that her character is the one to understand both sides because she also has experience as a matriarch. (I could be wrong, but it seems like she's the breadwinner of the household. The role of her husband I have no commentary on other than que Dios lo bendice, el pobre no se puede hablar español).

So while Barbieland agrees to barely give the Kens back any power (an extremely accurate reflection of what women get in the real world), the film and its characters ultimately don't villainize or punish them further for their wrongs. Punishment isn't always the right action when someone is wrong (insert commentary on Barbie and Ken constantly getting put in jail in the real world vs. no such thing happening in their own). Sometimes it's simply helping them understand what they're dealing with and guiding them through the ordeal step by step.

Painting the Kens as all bad would've ignored what a Ken is. He is a doll just like Barbie. Ken's issue is that he's unloved and the only form of love he has been given to accept is romantic love. What he and all the other Kens begin to discover at the end of the film is self love, which is just as important, if not more.

Now I'm going to rephrase that last paragraph.

Painting men as all bad ignores what a man is. They are humans just like women are. Most men's issue is that they are unloved and the only form of love they've been given to accept is romantic love. What the men of this world need to discover is self love, which is just as important, if not more.

[newx-menfan]

“X-Force # 1 Review”

*Spoilers*

The issue starts with Sage monologuing about the “complexity” of Forge...

We then see Forge, running simulations on his estate (his house was cooler in the 80’s guys…); where he’s questioning his own mutation and using science to heighten it (and apparently using BEAST as his analogy…not the BEST choice considering recent events…OR ANY EVENTS with HANK…but whatevs Forge….)

Sage…isn’t doing well…and Forge collects her from a mental health facility by showing her a new device he created that apparently “targets crisis points”… (aka Deus Ex plot Machina)

They both head to Japan and Betsy and Rachel show up (with the STRICT RULE that Deadpool isn’t invited!)

A new version of “X-Force” is formed.

The city is a dead zone when they arrive at the place Forge’s “eight ball” drew them to. No psychic readings. No animals, insects, signs of life; and some weird biomass goo everywhere.

Something killed the main grid of the building…

And then….

SURGE ZAPS THEM ALL! (Not as cool as the panels of Krakellion’s reveal…sorry, Surge!)

We find out (after a touching reunion with Surge and Forge) that Noriko returned to Japan after Krakoa fell apart to stay with some cousins (Oooohhh! Are we finally going to get a resolution to Noriko’s family drama????) and some weird sludge started attacking the city (“The Blob…Indescribable…Indestructible…Nothing Can Stop It!) 

The goo attacks one of the humans Surge saved and the group tries to fight off the goo while calling in Tank and Deadpool (SORRY Betsy!).

Forge hired Wade for this mission; they fight the goo and get the people away using telepathy…where suddenly a giant goo monster appears (soooo….we really are just ripping off “the Blob” movie…huh?)

Betsy passes out Jean Grey XTAS style after sensing its “hunger” and Rachel shoots Phoenix psychic rays at it. 

We find out the Fujikawa research facility they’re located at is actually owned by Mr. Sinister (Huh- he really is a global entrepreneur! You gotta GIVE HIM that!)  

We learn that the blob is an alien-mutant hybrid bioweapon.

Tank literally throws Wade at the blob (hope the money was worth it Wade 🤣), to use Deadpool as some sort of pill because of Wade’s cancer and regeneration … literally starving the poor Goo Monster to death(Poor goo monster 🥺)

They head to Wakanda (apparently NO closure on Surge’s family then…boo!😐) to stop the next danger.

I CAN’T ever get these QR codes to work on Kindle…so…I don’t know what the “extra” panel was 😒.  (really HATE this idea Marvel)

Review:

People have criticized this issue for being slow,  a generic “by the numbers” x-story, and with little characterization…and I am kind of inclined to agree.

While reading- I found myself tuning out, listening to music while I read, kind of wondering when it would be over, and finding the plot kind of..unbelievable….and going against a lot of previous established canon…

I would compare it to Bishop’s Krakoa mini a year or so back (ironically Surge was in that book too!)- it was a “okay” book… but nothing particularly special or exciting about it. 

There was a POSSIBLY for it to be good…it had great ideas… but ultimately the execution was just mediocre.

I am going to be honest …Forge and Surge are the major reasons I have for continuing to read this series, after a pretty lackluster start.

I never really cared for Sage or the Tessa retcon- she was fine in “X-treme X-Men”…but she’s never been a character I cared much for…

I don’t particularly like Betsy or Rachel together- I hated the recent “Excalibur” book and found their relationship really poorly developed. 

Truthfully- Claremont is the only one who can, in my opinion, write a compelling Rachel. Other authors have always fallen flat.

While I am fine with her being LGBTQIA+ (Rachel’s chemistry with Kitty or even Magma was always better than the forced hetero-relationships they put her in…); I am just not really sold on this couple.

Surge’s moments with Forge were nice- I always really liked their connection and am glad we are seeing more done with it.

I am disappointed we didn’t get Noriko’s past explored more (fans have desperately WANTED a story of Noriko in Japan for a while now!); also I felt like the “cousin” angle didn’t really work since Noriko was homeless initially in NYC and following the dissolution of the X-Men, went to Colorado to find Dani…instead of just returning to Japan to “extended family”…

Overall I just wasn’t impressed.

It’s too bad because there was a time when “X-Force” had some of the best runs on the “X-line”….now it is consistently the X-books worst series and the one people immediately drop 😬.

Theories/Predictions:

Is Forge gonna go “Beast” levels of batshit crazy/jumping the shark??? Only time will tell 😜🤣

[gracemarkss]

my biggest issue with chris carter is honestly that i cannot for the life of me pin down what exactly he's trying to communicate about bodily autonomy and reproductive exploitation. these are clearly central themes of the show and he's got a real preoccupation with women's reproductive capabilities especially. the entire plot under-girding the show is an international government conspiracy in which, in order to fend off an alien invasion or develop military weapons or both, women are abducted, experimented on, and impregnated without their knowledge in order to create hybrid superhumans with weird powers; these women are subsequently tracked and then disposed of via an incurable cancer. i think the show generally frames this as an ultimately fruitless effort, which solves nothing and creates more problems than it solves. this project is evil, medical rape is bad, and what's happened to these women is a terrible injustice. the ends - potentially saving the world, or at least some of it, from some sort of apocalyptic event - do not justify the means.

but then you have small potatoes, post modern prometheus, the william plot. we're supposed to laugh at the woman who genuinely believes she's given birth to luke skywalker's baby. we're supposed to feel sorry for the monster, because all he wanted was a female companion. in both small potatoes and pmp, women who lack the ability to get pregnant otherwise, whether due to infertility or no male partner, are impregnated via rape, and both episodes seem to communicate an "all's well that ends well" message because these women wanted children and they got them. the women in small potatoes thought they were having sex with their husbands; the women in pmp were unconscious; the result was children and that was the goal these women were working toward; everything's find. both episodes have comedic, whimsical tones; neither rapist, imo is truly held accountable for their crimes (even though van blundht goes to prison, he basically gets the last word, and while i find him pathetic i feel the episode wants him to be seen as sympathetic - he's such a romantic, women just won't give him the time of day because he's ugly)

with william, carter obfuscates the reality of his conception and presents the possibility that he is the product of csm artificially inseminating scully while she's unconscious. but scully is another woman who wanted a child, thought it wasn't a possibility, and got one anyway. does it matter that she may have experienced a terrible violation in the process?

idk maybe i'm missing something vital, but i can't figure it out. i can't parse what he's trying to say about these themes that are so central to the story he's writing. rape is bad when it's the government but ok if it's a lonely sad sack guy, especially when it results in pregnancy and the victim really wanted a kid? women should be ok with pregnancy regardless of how it came about?

i feel like carter views women's reproduction as though it's magical or divine and not a basic biological process that exists everywhere in nature (one that in humans does indeed make women vulnerable to exploitation and violence; controlling women's bodies and reproduction results in a great deal of power and that's why governments, cultural institutions, and individual men have been trying and largely succeeding in doing so for centuries - this is a basic aspect of patriarchy). other people have talked about their interpretation of shades of the madonna-whore complex visible in his writing and the hang ups he seems to have around female sexual desire. what's the difference between the women who are abducted as part of the project, who are framed as victims, and those who are violated in sp or pmp, who are framed more as people to be laughed at, and not explicitly as victimized? what's the difference between the men involved in the project, and van blundht and the monster? why are non consensual pregnancies even utilized as plot drivers in these episodes at all? what are they adding? what is he saying?? it just ends up feeling really gross to me.

this is obviously a fraught and sensitive topic. it's just that these themes are so vital to the overall plot of the show and i feel insane that i can't pin down what we're supposed to take away from them, because the messaging imo is so inconsistent and contradictory. maybe there are no answers and this is just a result of sloppy and insensitive writing as a result of the cc and most of the writers room being men and failing to really grasp the magnitude of these topics.

[keepsmagnetoaway]

X-Men 96 (December 1975)

Christ Claremont/Dave Cockrum

After the breakneck pace of the initial revial issues, this is sort of a breather in which some groundwork is laid and some important threads introduced - albeit a breather in which the X-Men fight and kill a demon from beyond time and space, so. This demon arrives in a very funny way: Scott is out in the woods angsting about his failure to save Proudstar and eye-beams right through an ancient cairn that somehow entombed a demon. This is the sort of hazard you should have checked fore before moving a bunch of mutants here, Xavier. Also, this isn't even the first time that Scott's angst-blasting has awoken an underground evil!

Meanwhile all the newbies are training, and Banshee - who is sort of not a newbie, you'll recall, and settling into the role of "elder statesman who isn't the leader" - is wearing an absolutely atrocious outfit.

Nothing worse than being dressed like an idiot when you run into someone you really fancy, but that's what happens when he opens the door to the first appearance of a major supporting character - it's Moira MacTaggert! Here introduced as "housekeeper", but this changes, like, next issue to "genius colleague of Xavier" which is certainly for the better.

This is also the issue that gives us this iconic panel.

Moira has been at the mansion for like an hour when this happens. One sign of a good housekeeper is that she immediately locates the armoury and familiarises herself with the weaponry there. Moira's Scottishness is obviously as cartoonish as Banshee's Irishness but somehow I find it less annoying, Moira's great. What is yon kelpie, though? Well, it's this guy.

This is sick, obviously (in the good way). This guy is just some random demon, there's a bunch of dialogue in the issue that attempts to establish lore for him but doesn't really matter, what matters is how fucking bonkers the art gets. Look at this!

That's fucking amazing! One of the wildest, most ambitious panels published in X-Men to date. There's a view that Cockrum's art is quite conservative but I think stuff like this shows that's just not true. Anyway, the demon is defeated by Storm resealing the cairn while Wolverine fights it off, but in the process we get two fantastic little character nuggets, first this:

And then this:

That's it, in both cases: we learn nothing more at this point about either of their pasts, but it's extremely intriguing and thrilling to get a glimpse of complex, unknown backstories for both of them (and, we presume, for the others too): this, even more than Moira, is the major bit of setting-up that's being done in this issue, the suggestion that all these new characters are already deep and storied, we just haven't heard the stories yet.

[littlespacestarbun]

Hello!! I was scrollin through a tf tag and saw ur post bout, indigenous coded aliens and how the fandom treats them.

I understand what coded means and I think I know what ur talking about? but if ur up to it could u elaborate on the “feral tfp op” bit cause I haven’t been in the fandom too long so can’t find what ur talking bout and I genuinely don’t understand but I would like to. if u don’t wanna answer this, it’s chill obviously.

:3 have a good day m8!

Hello! i do not mind elaborating at all!, as an native fan its a topic i don't get to speak on much so thank you!, (sorry in advance this is going to be a bit long),

to start with coding bipoc as aliens, robots, and other non-human creatures is a complex issue of itself, and it can harm bipoc people as well as to uplift us depending on the writers intentions, background details and of era of times of equal right movements,

the topics of coding bipoc as not human vary from person to person on our own lived experiences as bipoc, and i personally have many issues with coding bipoc as not human which are solely negative, the few positve were expections due to bipoc making them or simply them having some sort of positive effect on me instead of bad,

back onto the feral optimus issue, here's my point of view as a native fan,

optimus has personally been this one sort of "oh he's like us" coded indigenous character who's in a good light for me,

unlike every other coded indigenous alien in media i saw as a kid,

optimus prime is one of the few indigenous coded characters in tf as a whole, the others aren't very good due to many factors (thunderclash, wheelie, the combiner team victorion) or vague enough white fans ignore them even being coded at all or other things (omega, beachcomber, ironhide)

for me optimus was the first indigenous coded not human native person i saw painted as a hero,

he was seen as good for having his indigenous culture, beliefs and morals, it wasn't something which was used as making him evil and bad in the story, like a lot of indigenus 'rep' i had to see as a kid

that feeling is something hard to explain but i hold onto with tight hands because of how good it did me as a kid,

its why i have such deep emotional pain with how he's treated by white fans in all stories but tfp was some of the worst of it i had to see by far,

tfp optimus is full on indigenous its in your face with each moment,

to his back story, internal struggles and complex views of him from other characters (with himself and jazz being the only ones with unbias views due to being bipoc themselves),

his very writing feels like the story of a native person who made it out of force assilation and regain his cluture only to be forced into fighting for his rights again against someone who was orignally an ally, trying to assilate him into another opressive ideal,

with this in mind it makes how the jokes of tfp optimus being feral started worst,

alpha trion saying he was diffcult, he didn't fall into order right for his time not around Iacon culture, this is painted as a bad view to have by optimus,

yet the fans took this to mean because optimus lived a tribal life before that he was wild, he ran on all fours, sleep like an animal and needed to be saved from such a wild life to name some of the worst (others include nsfw and its gross),

there's a ton of aus and fanart, fics treating being indigenous to mean, he needs to be fixed, or ones painting being indigenous struggles as not real or small world issues,

these views are deeply intergrated anti-indigenous beliefs, if you look up the wild/savage native man trope and you'll see many racist movies, novels and comics painting native men as beasts who steal white women from white men, or even kill them and r-pd them because indigenous people are as savage animals,

which fall in line with how feral optimus is made with white fans, they treat his indigenous coding as fetish and use him not being human to disconnect the racism in their fanon, aus, fanart and fics,

but that disconnect only exists for them, fans of color see it clear as it is, feral optimus as a fan idea exists because of people being racist to bipoc, the concept is racist rooted in racism and race fetish spaces,

feral optimus prime stuff as fan content has been dying since we've called out on it more but its shows up from time to time and the fandom still suffers from treating bipoc coded characters badly, as a whole which i'd to touch on at some point because people don't see the issue much, and the people we kind of keep to ourselves to keep a sense mind while playing robots ha….ha,

I hope this at least gives some light onto the issue and answers your questions! not many bring it up so being able to explain it was an experience!

thank you for taking the time to ask and i hope you have a lovely day! hopefully this wasn't too wordy and made sense,

[constellationcrowned]

Is there a particular character that you write that you feel deserves more attention? Do you as a writer have a 'type' or trope you're the most drawn to? Out of your cast of characters, who's the best prepared for a crisis? The worst? Who has the best singing voice? Who could be really good at it with some practice? Who has the weirdest hobby, like does someone grow flowers to make their own paints and dyes?

How would (blorbo of your choice, my pick is kariom) react to 'You're just like your mother and/or father'?

((Slapping this under a read more only because I have to answer multiple questions and I might be....wordy. Might.))

Is there a particular character that you write that you feel deserves more attention?: From a general standpoint (and in the interest of just being frank) all of them do considering this blog is incredibly fuckin niche and getting engagement is.....difficult. Not that I'm going to let that stop me, obviously.

Coming from a place of bias personal standpoint it'd be nice for my oc Sishel to get more attention if only so I can flesh him out more, finalize some things, etc.

Do you as a writer have a 'type' or trope you're the most drawn to?: As is the case on my other blog I am heinously in love with sad, damaged men; especially those struggling with what makes them 'human' (or not human, in certain special cases) and how that shifts their perceptions about the outer world and their own internal world. All of the muses on this blog are walking a fine line of some sort---some realize they're on it, some don't---likewise some know that it will kill them to remain/keep walking but, for a variety of reasons, circumstances, etc, refuse to step off said line. I've always loved complex characters that are far, far, far removed from a mere black and white view and I get that in excess here for every character and I love that.

Out of your cast of characters, who's the best prepared for a crisis? The worst?: Sishel is best prepared for a crisis Not only was he trained for such things for one his perspective in a general sense is broad and as a result he's hard to truly surprise. He's not the only one well equipped to handle things, obviously, but he's one of the best.

The worst prepared? Kariom. Sometimes. His dependency upon those he trusts---Flynn, Bo, Milosh, etc---can potentially (if not drastically) hinder him in regards to figuring out, ultimately, what to do during a crisis if they're not actually there beside him. He has a tendency to go from point to point, one thing to the next, and so on, in a very narrow view until the wider issue becomes more manageable which can easily be both a good and bad quality. He won't give up when there's a problem in front of him---and that saves him often, his determination is one of his strongest assets, after all---but he might be slow to act initially or doubt himself if he's alone, stressed, undergoing a shuffling or suffering from do-de, etc.

Who has the best singing voice? Who could be really good at it with some practice?: Kariom is one of the characters with the best singing voices---a talent only further helped by the fact that his head is nigh constantly filled with the various songs and voices of the stars to the point where (provided he's not being hurt by those same voices, that balance is one of his walked upon lines) he'll even try to sing and/or hum them aloud himself, not only as a way to remember them/potentially write them out later, but to share them with others.

In regards to a muse being good at singing with practice Flynn doesn't need it, per se, but you will practically have to pull teeth to get him to sing for you in the first place. If he does it without much fuss/coaxing/begging it's generally for a special occasion like Tigla-Dera or a Rite within the clan that might call for it. Sometimes he sings while he works---usually he just hums while working the field but sometimes he'll sing to the plants and crops---but that's usually only when he knows he's alone. He used to sing to the kiddo when he was little, he even taught him a few songs that he could, at the very least, hum along to if the words were hard to remember.

Who has the weirdest hobby, like does someone grow flowers to make their own paints and dyes?: The Traveler's collection thanks to her 'job' somewhat falls under this; considering she's close to an masterless melalo and yet her explorations, documentations, experiments, and crafting go far beyond mere spiritualism or mysticism and as a result ends up being incredibly physical/tangible in nature. Melalo are hands on too, obviously, but there's a quality of alchemy to the Traveler's work that marks a clear division between the practices.

She's very, very, very hands on with her work; be it for herself or for someone else that she's trying to aid in some way, and that has led her to witness some very astonishing and nightmarish things (to say nothing of how she ultimately interacted with said things) and as a result her 'collection' can be seen as 'strange' by someone viewing it from the outside. Flynn, Junyver and Mares would certainly appreciate it. The distance between benign and pleasing to stark and deadly is incredibly thin with her. And she doesn't know when to stop.

How would (blorbo of your choice, my pick is Kariom) react to 'You're just like your mother and/or father'?: For a multitude of reasons I can't answer this in regards to Kariom (yet) but if you were to say this to Roui---specifically in regards to his father, Churi---he would not take it well in the slightest. Roui would be deeply hurt for the most part; especially when you take into the account the work he puts forth in order to avoid the pitfalls that plagues his entire family line (with incredibly mixed success mind you; not to mention some of the toxicity he doesn't seem to realize that he's already internalized), and saying something like that without keeping his efforts of growth in mind can and will set him off. Roui is working hard to better himself as a person first and foremost and his primary associations of his father are steeped in feelings of pain, abandonment, etc, and are, understandably, hard for him to see past much less reconcile. Yet. It doesn't help that he practically refuses to talk about it in an honest or open way because he's afraid of being judged and misunderstood by others.

He would respond more positively to being compared to his mother (although she too has some rather stark issues that Roui was (and still is) negatively impacted by) especially she's actually present in his life and that gives them the opportunity to repair their frayed relationship and move forward in a healthier and closer way.))

[yuexuan]

[Review]顶端优势

Title: 顶端优势 Top Edge

Author: 空菊

Length: 77 chaptersTag: Modern, cyberpunk, amnesia, age gap, scifi

Summary [taken from novel updates]:

Waking up from cryo sleep, Shen Siwei received an urgent mission: to disguise himself as a noble negotiator and enter the occupied area under the disguise of negotiations, investigating the background of the leader of the refugees, Klet. He thought that his noble identity would serve as protection, but little did he know that those refugees had no limits. As soon as Shen Siwei entered the war zone, a group of men sorted him and imprisoned him. Outside the cage, someone threw coins at Shen Siwei, asking him to strip naked. Just as Shen Siwei’s killing intent grew stronger, Klet finally appeared and put a stop to his subordinates’ misconduct. And then… he himself paid one dollar to buy Shen Siwei.

The mission was progressing slowly, so Shen Siwei sought guidance from his superiors.

Shen Siwei: Can I directly kill Klet?

Superior: No. Find a way to gather information by any means necessary.

Unable to retreat or resist, Shen Siwei was firmly held by Klet, the thug leader. In his heart, he killed this rogue leader countless times, but on the surface, he had tears in his eyes and tried to reason begging: “Please let me go.”

Klet remained unmoved, his voice deep and hoarse: “Behave yourself, and I’ll let you go.”

Not long after, Klet saw Shen Siwei, who handled guns better than him, and realized that this was not a weak beauty but a humanoid weapon.

Klet (gong) x Shen Siwei (shou) Fierce Beast x Carnivorous Flower

Reading Guide: Cyberpunk background with traces of post-apocalyptic elements, no interstellar involvement.

Novel | Novel[translated]

Comments **contain spoilers* :

A short love story between a modified super-soldier suffering from two-times amnesia and the leader of the refugees, how they found each other every time, how MC forgoed his own (implanted) beliefs to place his trust in ML, and how they eventually overturned the existing ruling. 

The basic premise of the story: With the degradation of the environment, humankind was faced with the challenge of surviving off a limited amount of energy. This prompted the release of a law to prevent new births. 25 years ago, Shen Siwei and his team were sent on a mission to kill one of the new births. However, he let the kid go instead and was caught in an explosion, resulting in major injuries and being put into cryo sleep. 25 years later, he was awakened again, in a heavily-modified body. Parts of his memories were erased, in order to render him more obedient to his superiors.

Shen Siwei was sent down to the lower levels to investigate the leader of the refugees: Klet. Little did he know, Klet was the kid he saved and in the course of meeting Klet, he discovered the heinous plans of his superiors, ultimately leading him to rebelling against them.

Some highlights:

In general, I’ll say this is a fun read for the drama and if you don’t read too deeply into the details. As a whole the story is coherent and has a fair amount of twists and tensions. There is also a lot of potential for a complex worldbulding, dwelling into issues such as classicism and environmental inequality (they are, however, just surfacially explored though). For example, the nobles imposed stringent regulations on the amount of energy that commoners receive and established rules constraining new births, all in the name of maintaining harmony. The imposed illusion of homogeneity, however, is fragile, especially when it is revealed that the nobles themselves do not adhere to their own rules. 

The main characters are also entertaining to read about. They have some fun side quirks: for example: Klet likes Spongebob and has a tattoo of Shen Siwei on his chest, the latter of which was often mistaken by Shen Siwei himself for a gorilla. This became a point that Shen Siwei teased Klet a lot about later on. Also, did I mention that Shen Siwei has a knack of ending up naked in front of Klet? Just 20 chapters in and he was already in his birthday suit 3 times.

Given the weird modifications that Shen Siwei received (i.e. strengthening of the skin, changing hair and eye colors) versus the superman-esque genetics that Klet has, it is truly a ‘your freak match my freak’ pairing. 

I do find it awesome that the author used apical dominance as the concept behind the structure of the society. That being said, silly me kept on wondering whether the title of the novel ‘top edge’ had to do with the plant hormones auxin or gibberellin lol.

Now to the reason why I say one shouldn’t read too deeply into the novel…

For one, Shen Siwei is a terrible actor and absolutely sucks at undercover jobs. He revealed himself immediately on his very first mission. It’s almost frustrating to read at parts because the novel made him out to be some highly skilled soldier, but in reality he just sucks at his first job. It is a wonder why his superior didn’t recall him immediately (maybe because Mo Lin isn’t the brightest around either). 

Certain details also didn't make sense - for example, Mo Lin thought about imparting Shen Siwei with the ability to change his eye and hair color, but didn’t think about changing his mask, which was a dead giveaway to Shen Siwei’s identity. Also, it’s reaaaaally hard for me to imagine that no one discovered that the deep sea monsters only attack light sources and that Klet was the first one to find out by accident. Just from an ecologist’s POV, it’s incredibly unbelievable and possibly the most immersion-breaking moment in the entire story. 

There are many similar moments where if you really start parsing the logic of the story, it doesn’t hold that well. I find it a much better read if I just focus on the drama and stop thinking about the details.

[red-dead-scribbles-ff]

Precious Scars | Sneak Peak

Here's a blip from my upcoming Arthur Morgan/Female Reader fic!

Story Summary: A robbery gone wrong, a since ended - mostly physical - relationship with the Van Der Linde Gang's enforcer, a new array of body-image issues that you've never had to deal with before… You've got your work cut out for you. Faced with questions about the future and your place in a Gang of outlaws, the complexities that come with an on and off relationship with a wanted man leave much to be desired.

Story warnings: implied/mild sexual content, violence, medical trauma, friends w/ benefits relationship (is that a warning? lol idk)

Warnings for THIS blip: implied sexual content

WC: 2,900 approx

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UPDATE: FULL CHAPTER HERE

The sound of heavy, winded breathing occupied the tent. Second only to the wind that howled outside; the soft flaps of canvas that belonged to the tents that circled the small encampment was most welcome. 

You were particularly thankful for it, but your mind was torn on whether or not to care as the buzzing warmth that radiated throughout your body occupied the forefront of your thoughts. You began to catch your breath while the both of you wind down.

“God damn,” The sound of Arthur’s voice brought you back down to earth as you felt a somewhat coarse fabric swipe along your stomach a couple of times before the man sighed heavily and molded his body back down against you. You could feel the light layer of sweat upon his chest, as well as the racing of his heart that closely mirrored yours. 

He began pressing wet, lazy kisses along your jaw, ear, and neck.

“You’re gonna be the death of me.” He mumbled.

You turned your head to the side, knocking it lightly against his as you brought both hands up over his bare shoulders, carting one through his hair to scratch along his scalp.

“You’re making me less- and less excited- to go into town tomorrow.” You mumbled through breaths, feeling a smile growing on your face as you closed your eyes.

“Think,” There was a pause from him before he continued, “Think Grimshaw’ll notice if you didn’t show?” 

“I think she’d notice the lack of money made tomorrow,” You offered, chuckling alongside him. “So, yes, I think she’d notice.”

“Mmph,” You felt the vibration deep in his chest as he settled down into you more; his bent arms on either side of your head no longer supporting him now as he rested upon you with a deep sigh.

You didn’t mind. It was nice in a way; it helped ground you and calm you down in the following minutes.

Arthur always took care of you when he called on you. 

There was a sort of spoken rule within the Gang that the men weren’t really supposed to be intimate with the ladies. At least not too often. If they needed the itch scratched, they were to go into town on their own dime. 

While the rule wasn’t exactly set in stone, Susan had made it clear she frowned on it, as you were supposed to save your strength and best hours for the johns that would actually be paying. 

What you and Arthur were was… irrelevant. You were both lonely in your own ways. You wanted a man that had enough decency to make sure you enjoyed yourself too. And Arthur, well, he was more than willing to fill that role. 

And as far as what Arthur wanted, you knew he wanted something more. You were just a temporary filler, someone to absorb the baggage until he found someone for the long term handling.

Your mind toyed with the thought, eventually feeling the need to speak up. 

“Have you gone to see that woman in town yet?” You continued to cart your hands through his hair, playing with the brown locks as you thought over the topic.

“Rmph…”

It was the only response you got out of him, and you eventually found yourself smiling as you tried to adjust yourself while still under him.

“Arthur,” You spoke up again, being careful to keep your voice down. The vast majority of camp should be asleep, and you wanted it to stay that way.

“Mm.”

“Did you go see her?”

“No,” He grumbled.

“Oh… I thought she was cute,” You offered the statement, hoping to evoke more from him.

“Too innocent.”

“Innocent?” You chuckled, feeling his head move against you as you did so.

“Mm- yeah.”

He breathed in deeply before lifting himself a few inches, bringing his head down so he could trail a line of kisses along your collarbone.

“Meaning?”

He chuckled deeply, nipping at the corner of your collarbone before kissing in between the two. “She’d never have me,” He mumbled before continuing down further.

“Hey, you don’t know that.” You gave a halfhearted tug on his hair to get him to look at you, if not to at least deter his statement.

“Trust me,” He placed a kiss between your breasts before meeting your eyes for the briefest second, continuing, “I know.” He chuckled before proceeding with the path of kisses back north.

“You always say that.” You shook your head, letting it fall back against the flat pillow beneath you.

“And I’m usually right.” You caught the slight cock of his head as he continued the kisses back up to your collar bone before continuing up your neck.

“Honey, mrph-” You went to look up, Arthur’s lips connecting with yours before you could voice your comment.

You kissed him back for a time, bringing both of your hands down to his face, running them along his scruffy jaw before bringing a couple fingers around in between yours and his lips.

He chuckled as you put space in between.

“Compared to the men I see, you're a catch.” You made clear, both amused but also a bit flustered when he laughed quietly and shook his head.

“I’m serious, Arthur. You have so much more on them, its not even funny.”

He leaned his weight onto one bent elbow, grabbing your hand with his before pushing it down into the cot with a hum as he leaned back in.

You huffed and leaned back to allow him to continue.

“Most of ‘em aren’t murderin’, no-good outlaws I take it.” His tone fell low as he voiced the question, his breath tickling the side of your jaw before the rub of his scruff brushed against it.

“No, worse: most of ‘em are married, drunks.” You deadpanned before shaking your head, eyes on the tent above you. “They don’t hold a candle to a cowboy like you,” You chuckled as you ran a hand through his locks again.

“Maybe I should take you with me t’go see that girl. You’re sellin’ me pretty damn well.” He met your eyes with a grin, causing you to roll your own. 

He breathed deeply as he turned his attention back down to you, nosing the side of your jaw before settling himself back down against you.

The full weight of him on top of you was… oddly nice in a way. For the few minutes that you’re able to retain your breath that is. You knew he’d eventually get too heavy and you’d have to ask him to move.

You had little problem doing the work with the johns in town. But one thing you weren’t particularly fond of was when they would lie down with you after finishing. By that point you just wanted to get the money and get them out of your bed.

Arthur was an exception though, and he knew that well. You joked that he was your- special client. That's all it was after all. At least that’s what the both of you had agreed upon. Just sex. Nothing else. You each had an itch that, as you both discovered, the other had a unique ability to scratch. Two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Arthur desired more intimacy - and someone he trusted to be intimate with amongst other things - and you simply desired a competent man every once in a while. 

It worked. You remained good friends, and nothing more.

Tempting a deep breath, you scrunched your nose when you found it difficult to get enough air in. 

“Arthur, honey,” You couldn’t help but chuckle, “you’re crushing me,” You tried to remain quiet as you took a gentle tug at the hair on the nape of his neck. 

“...sorry,” He grumbled lazily from where his face was buried into the side of your neck. 

Seconds passed before he began to shift his weight to the side, off of you and to the side of the cot before he pushed himself up onto his bent arm.

“S’okay,” You smiled.

Your eyes found him for a time before they traced the curve of his jaw, down his neck, and over his shoulder. Giving it little thought, you lifted a hand, tracing a finger along the line of muscle in his upper arm, and down along a couple of scars adorning his forearm.

You loved the imperfections that decorated his body. Each told a story. You loved inquiring about them, tracing them with your fingers, and placing gentle kisses upon them when Arthur allowed you to. He needed it: The reassurance.

Something you noticed after the two of you became intimate was the occasional tell that he was self-conscious. Whether it be leaving himself clothed sometimes during sex, or gently taking your hand away if you were tracing the scars and blemishes that adorned his skin, you weren’t naive to the fact. 

You were a woman. 

It was the essence of your job as a working girl, that you do your best to cake yourself in so much paint that any imperfection in your skin was invisible to the wandering eyes of men.

“What is it with you?” Arthur breathed under his breath before a chuckle rumbled deep in his stomach.

You couldn’t help but smile as you continued to trace a couple more marks before tracing down his knuckles, “What?” You mumbled quietly.

“They’re just old cuts and scrapes healed over,” He responded.

“They all have their stories though,” You countered his response as you met his eyes. “Each one; a paragraph, a chapter. Each one’s added something. They’ve made you who you are.”

“...Uh huh.” He was trying to hide a smile at your passionate talk.

You halfheartedly push his shoulder in amusement before you look away, bringing your hands to your stomach.

The brush of his fingers, and then his knuckles, across your arm slowly brings your eyes back to him. You follow his actions with your gaze as he runs his hand along your arms, and then back up to your face.

You met his eyes as he brushed along your cheek and he breathed out quietly through his nose.

“God, you are beautiful.” He murmured.

You smiled, despite hearing it from him on multiple occasions, as well as from men in town, there was something so different that you felt when it came from him. 

“Perfect,” He supported his head with the heel of his hand, his upper body supported on his bent elbow as he looked you over.

“You’re a little dramatic for someone so self-deprecating,” You raised an eyebrow as he rolled his eyes and slid to the side so he was on his back next to you.

It was a bit of a squeeze on the one-person cot, but the closeness was acceptable to you.

Reaching over with your opposite hand to him, you ran a finger over his chest, knowing full well he’d begin flinching at your light touches as you grazed over the hair on his chest. You chuckled as you watched the muscles in his torso tighten and he finally swatted at you.

“Woman-” He grumbled in a whisper as he caught your hand soon afterwards and brought it to his mouth, placing open mouth kisses along the side of your wrist.

You watched him quietly as he did so. You often didn’t mind the intimate displays, especially when you were both a bit more preoccupied with each other’s pleasures. But afterwards, you felt it weighing heavier on you as he continued to lather you with affection and tender gestures of passion.

You found yourself whispering the statement not long after the thoughts gathered in your mind, “I should go.”

His actions slowly came to a stop; lips grazing over your arm before he placed one more kiss that lasted noticeably longer than the previous ones he’d placed, and then let go.

“If you insist,” He nodded and sat up to allow you to more easily get off the cot.

He’d offered you the option to stay more than once. You, on the other hand, knew that probably wasn’t the best idea. You’d never turn down a good cuddle now and again, but falling asleep next to him carried a different kind of intimacy. One you drew the line at, and he respected overall.

You swung your feet off the side and grabbed your chemise from where it had been thrown over his clothing chest. 

You could feel the rustle of the cot as Arthur was sliding his union suit back on; it had been discarded rather carelessly at the bottom of the cot somewhere.

You slipped your chemise over your head, pulling it down your body and over your legs hastily before standing up.

“Well, Mr. Morgan.” You sighed quietly, bringing a hand up to lightly scratch the back of your head and neck before giving him a smile.

He’d since laid back down, his hands behind his head, one leg bent upright on the cot he’d now since occupied the middle of. 

“S’been a pleasure, as usual.” You gave him a curtsy, much to his amusement as he grinned and reached for you.

You caved, allowing him to take your hand as he pulled you a step closer to his cot. Turning your hand over, he placed a kiss on your palm, chuckling at the involuntary tug you gave. 

He knew damn well his facial hair tickled many spots on you, your palm being one he’d discovered.

“Thank you,” He grumbled quietly before meeting your eyes, still keeping his hold on your hand. 

The level of depth you always saw in his eyes afterwards was almost overbearing at times. He felt this odd sort of indebtment to you every time, and it showed in the number of times he felt the need to thank you for having him- like he was a big enough burden to warrant the amount of expression of his gratitude. 

It made you chuckle, but also brought a recurring tightness to your chest. If you could have but a minute to see him for how he saw himself, maybe it would answer all the questions you held about him.

You gave him a smile and squeezed his hand that held yours before letting go. You felt the split second hesitation as he let go of your hand in turn.

“Don’t hesitate to call on me again, Mr. Morgan.” You whispered as you approached the opening to his tent. Looking over your shoulder, your smile fell slightly at the sight of Arthur looking at the opposite side of the tent.

“Arthur?” You whispered.

“... Don’t go.” He finally muttered quietly, eyes still away from you.

You clenched your jaw and looked down briefly before grasping the closed tent flap.

“Arthur,” You sighed quietly. “You know I-”

“Come here,” He turned and reached over, grasping your arm. He quickly pulled you away from the tent opening, causing you to stumble down to a seated position on the edge of the cot.

“What?” You quickly looked at him and then again the darkness of the tent before looking at where his eyes had been.

“Thought I heard somethin’, but…” He started before looking around again.

You both listened quietly, waiting to hear anything further when the light crunch of grass and twig came into hearing range.

“You good to take the next shift, Javier?” 

“God damn it, Marston.” Arthur sighed before sitting up further.

“Sure thing, brother.”

You huffed under your breath, your posture slouching as the boys got caught up in conversation somewhere outside the tent.

“They’ll… Probably be there a while.” Arthur grumbled, lying back down.

“I assumed.” You responded under your breath before looking around and then back down at Arthur.

“I promise I won't bite. Well- I won’t right now anyway.” He opened his arms to you with a cheeky, lopsided grin and you couldn’t help but smile back as you looked away.

After you stubbed out the last whispers of reluctance in the back of your mind, you let yourself get back on his cot, lying parallel to him, you turned over so you were partially on your stomach, your face resting off-center of his chest.

You felt the warmth of his arms wrap around you and allowed yourself to bask in it, if not this one time.

“Don’t let me fall asleep.” You made clear, lifting your face from his chest to meet his eyes. 

“Ain’t gonna promise you nothin, but I’ll try.” He responded, eyes already closed. 

You sighed quietly before resting your head back down, getting comfortable. You closed your eyes and tried to conjure up a way to occupy your thoughts for the next fifteen or so minutes when you felt light touches against your cheek. 

“Hm?” You cracked one eye open to see Arthur looking at you as he stroked your cheek with his knuckles, and then traced your brow and cheekbone with a finger. “What’re you doing?” You whispered quietly, closing your eyes before opening them again. 

“It’ll help me stay awake, jus’ let me.” He responded. 

You watched him for a little longer, admiring the relaxed set to his features; how the tightness of his brow was gone, and his eyes and slightest smile showed warmth you rarely saw during the day. 

It was a part of him you knew very few people saw, and it warmed your heart to know that you could help bring out that side of him. At least until he found someone else to do so indefinitely. 

You finally sighed quietly and closed your eyes. “Just a few minutes more… Tops.” You mumbled. 

You felt the soft touches continue as he switched between stroking your cheek, to tracing a finger along your features. 

“Stay as long as you want, darlin’.”

If you want to be tagged when the fic is posted, please don't be shy and let me know! You can comment, PM, or send in an ask!

Please lmk what you think of this! I'm still new to Reader fics, and open to discussion and suggestions if ya'll got any 😊 also maybe just seekin a lil encouragement that this is at all what anyone would read or be interested in?

FULL CHAPTER HERE

[blackswaneuroparedux]

A man like Verdi must write like Verdi.

- Giuseppe Verdi

Verdi was the first to admit his music wasn't the most technically challenging in purely academic terms: "Of all composers, past and present, I am the least learned," he said. But did that stop him writing some of the most beloved, heart-wrenching tunes, with melodies that have inspired over the centuries. Indeed it’s hard to think of anyone apart from Wagner or Mozart who could occupy the pedestal that Verdi found himself upon as one of the best composers ever. I love listening to Verdi but none more so whenever I find myself traveling in Italy. And why not? Verdi’s music and his legacy is woven into the tapesetry of the country’s history of reunification.

Born on Oct. 9, 1813, the composer’s output far outpaced many opera creators before and after. But what is most fascinating is that his works endure to this day. While some of his greatest works have always held a spot in the operatic canon, spots that have never been threatened, lesser known operas from decades ago, such as “I Due Foscari,” “Giovanna d’Arco,” or “Atilla,” have suddenly found themselves unshakably fixed in the modern canon. Even composers of the past that are getting revivals of sorts can’t quite claim the same status.

So what makes Verdi’s opera so enduring and ever-fascinating? Throughout history, many of his works have often been criticized for their melodramatic plotting, much of which lacks narrative consistency. Exhibit A: “Il Trovatore.”

And yet, here we are. Verdi remains king of the opera world. Here are some reasons why.

While there is no doubt that some of Verdi’s characters are among the greatest created for the opera stage (see Otello, Falstaff, Filippo, Nabucco, Simon Boccanegra, the Macbeths, Rigoletto, Gustavo, etc.) there is also no doubt that there are many stock characters layered throughout his works, particularly in the early ones. And yet, can one ever claim that Verdi overlooks a single one of them. They say that there are no small characters and Verdi certainly follows this idea.

Moreover, his villains are never truly one-sided. The great antagonists of such operas as “Atilla,” “Don Carlo,” and “I Vespri Siciliani,” are more than just men on vengeful rampages and the likes. Instead, Verdi always reveals more than one might imagine and actually makes us not only empathize with these characters but actually sympathize. Even the hateful Duke of Mantua is loveable to the audience because of how Verdi infuses him with an infectious melody.

In keeping with the theme of strong characters all around, there is no doubt that much of the appeal for Verdi’s operas is his strong women. Obviously, he has his share of damsels in distress, but none of the Verdi operas feature passive women sitting around for men to save their lives. Due to the context of his plots, the women in his operas are often forced into situations where they don’t have complete control, and yet we see them constantly shifting the balance of power in their favor. Violetta is probably the greatest of Verdi’s heroines, but one cannot overlook such women as Luisa Miller, Odabella, Abigaile, Lady Macbeth, Aida, Amelia (in “Un Ballo in Maschera”), and Azucena and how wonderfully complex they are. It is no surprise that the greatest mezzos and sopranos in history have, at some point, taken on and championed Verdi’s operas.

Verdi’s melodramas remain so poignant because they tend to be so relevant. Unlike many other composers of the time and since Verdi’s own life as a political figure is showcased tremendously throughout his operas. His ability to see how a figure struggles to balance his personal and public lives remains an issue for people of all professions. And the great tyrants and even benevolent leader of his works, are often shown with their failings. Just look at the guilt-ridden Macbeth or King Filippo, both lonely men who in their aims to maintain power have lost their connection to other people. Or Simon Boccanegra, a man thrust into a position of power he never wanted and forced to take on the consequence of that choice. We see people battle for liberation on one end and see oppressive regimes try and enforce their ways of life. We see an examination of the horrors of religious institutions and yet we ultimately see a reconsideration of man’s relationship to a higher deity. Man and his position within society is almost always at the core of Verdi’s works.

Parental themes are more prevalent in Verdi’s operas than they are in any other composer before or since. In many ways, these relationships are among the most poignant in all of the composer’s oeuvre. The reunion between Simon Boccanegra and his daughter Amelia is among the most beautiful moments ever scored. Ditto for Rigoletto and Gilda’s series of duets that develop their relationship throughout the opera. The ambiguity between Manrico and Azucena is a rich portrayal of love and hate in a mother-son dynamic. And there is also a truly tragic dimension to the relationship between Don Carlo and his father Filippo, who actually prefers his friend Posa to his own son. Everywhere you look, these relationships and the themes they highlight are revealing and ever-fascinating.

Of course, probably the single greatest reason why Verdi’s art endures to this day – his music. He composed some of the greatest music ever written. Any Verdi opera, even his lesser works, is one stream of endless melody after another. Even his recitatives are hummable. This makes for dynamic emotional experiences with the composer constantly finding new ways to keep the audience engaged. “Il Trovatore,” which I mentioned in the intro, endures because of the three above reasons, but mainly because it is arguably the greatest example of the composer’s melodic wealth and imagination.

His final opera, “Falstaff,” doesn’t have as many “memorable” melodies as some of his earlier works, and yet the opera has just as much or more abundance of melody than any of his other operas. It’s just that Verdi has developed tremendous skill at this point that he has fused his gift with witty dramatic ability. Falstaff never wastes a note, which holds true for many of his other greater works.

One thing that makes Verdi’s music so wonderful is how he constantly plays with the limits of structure. More than any other composer, a look at his career progression showcases a man constantly looking to better himself. And by the time we get to “Otello” and “Falstaff” and compare them to “Oberto” and “Un Giorno di Regno,” there is no doubt that he has achieved that emphatically. The latter two operas test and surpass the limits of what Italian Opera signified, taking time-honored clichés showcased in those first two works and transforming them into dramatic gestures. Is there a drinking song that so wonderfully depicts increased inebriation the way “Otello’s” does? Or is there a more hilarious use of the A-B-A aria structure than the 30-second “Cuando era paggio” from “Falstaff?”

Verdi’s opera endures because it remains a discovery for those working in the art form today. And it will continue to do so as long as the art form is alive and well.

[aitarose]

AOT BOYS IN LOVE ISLAND

⤷ characters: eren jaeger, jean kirschtein, armin arlert, levi ackerman, erwin smith, connie springer, reiner braun, bertholdt hoover, marco bott, niccolo

eren would be the type of contestant that’d come off extremely strong at the start, knowing full well of what the show entails—and ready to make any type of connection that could conclude in success.

he’d be the third or fourth contestant to walk into the villa, on the very first day. there’d be about two to three women that’d step forward for him—so he’d definitely get his pick of the bunch. 

however, throughout the season his confidence would start to waver—he’d get overwhelmed with the concept of being filmed 24/7 and wish to have his privacy back. 

there’d definitely be a few breakdowns on his part, solely from the stress of making vulnerable confessions of feelings and emotions in front of the entire world on film. 

that being said, he’d still manage to find someone that relates to him on a deep level that he can walk out of the villa with. the two of them would end up self eliminating—believing that it’d be more effective to build there connection within the privacy of their own homes. 

jean wouldn’t be the immediate heartthrob on the show, but would end up stealing not only the contestant’s hearts—but the viewer’s as well.

he’d be the first to walk into the villa, and literally no one would step forward for him—not because he’s unattractive or anything, just because they wanted to keep their options open and not jump at the first person they see. 

his first couple would be a friendship couple and he’d be best friends with that woman throughout the entirety of the season, they’d be connected at the hip in the best platonic way possible. 

but about halfway through the season, he’d be called to go on a surprise date with a new contestant and they’d just hit it off right away. like this person would be his perfect match and the viewers would be ecstatic for him.

i full heartedly believe that he’d be the one to win the show, obviously choosing to share the $50k with his significant other—there’d be no doubt in his mind that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with them.

armin would be the contestant with a completely open and vulnerable heart. he’d be open to any connections and relationships, just solely focused on the bonding aspect of it all—wishing to have a great summer and find some real friendships. 

he’d be the person that’d stick through their first coupling throughout the entire show, finding that connection extremely valuable and not wanting to let it go.

challenges would be a breeze for him, like this boy would win a majority of them due to his knowledge of strategy and complex thinking—he’d find loopholes to each riddle and physical struggle, just showing off his intelligence in every way. 

however, casa amor would be a big blow to him. he’d feel so secure in his couple that he wouldn’t have that serious conversation of where they’re both at, and his partner would end up recoupling in the other villa. 

he’d be completely blindsided and end up self-eliminating soon after—not having the energy or time to take on an entirely new connection, believing that that person was it for him and that the villa would have nothing else to offer him. 

firstly, i don’t think levi would ever be a contestant on a reality television show, let alone a dating one—but in the off chance that he did so happen to be on love island, it’d be because hange signed him up for it without his knowledge.

he’d be the lone wolf type of character, just living his own life—not interacting with any of the other contestants unless they’d come and approach him for conversation. 

there wouldn’t be very many connections for him—probably only one if i’m being honest—and it’d be with a sort of bubbly type of person, one with good morals that wouldn’t be afraid to break him out of his shell and show him how to enjoy his time in the villa. 

while he’d be wary of a romantic relationship, he’d end up falling for his partner extremely hard and would find himself protective and somewhat possessive of them—just to make sure that he wouldn’t end up losing them to someone else. 

considering all of his doubts, he wouldn’t make it to the final four—probably only to the casa amor point, before being eliminated by viewer vote. however, he’d be amazing at challenges. 

sexy dilf erwin would be a bombshell entrance in the villa—the kind where he’d be waiting in the hot tub balcony for his chosen date partner, just sipping wine and relaxing in the bubbles with his one arm resting on the side. 

he’s very charming and would manage to sway the attention of a majority of the villa, men and women alike—and there’s no telling the shenanigans he’d get up to with the friends he’d make in there. 

this man would be the cause of inborn relationship drama, but wouldn’t be involved directly—rather the type of drama where he’d be discussed but not actually have any say in whatever the matter was. 

his placement would be around the top six or seven, just because he’d be so sought after that there’d be a hard time finding someone who he really connects with—since he’s trying his best to give every suitor an opportunity to try it with his sexy self. 

he’d also have the thickest cockney accent that you could dream of—or a really really posh south london accent, like pinky up tea drinker and everything. 

connie would be the fan-favorite contestant. he’d be that guy that absolutely no one stepped forward for and be the pity party right off the start, but manage to sway the audience with his natural humor and amusement.

he’d be the king of friendship couples, like he’d be the villa’s safety net for contestants who wouldn’t have anyone else to couple up with, and would secure their places in the show—without ever harboring any real feelings for those people. 

casa amor would be his time to shine, he’d be living his best life in the other villa and have all the girls on his arms—with a wide variety to choose from and connect with. this is where he’d meet his perfect match. 

coming back to the main villa with this partner, all of his friends would be extremely happy for him and just excited that he was able to get the experience that he signed up for. 

him and his partner would end up in third or second place—though they’d be a fan favorite pairing, they just wouldn’t have had enough screen time to win the show completely. 

reiner would be the shock contestant that’d be revealed after the first five couples were matched. he’d run into the villa with full confidence that he’d be able to snag one of the beginning contestants with ease.

however, that confidence would soon fade by his own insecurities and emotions—the fear of being unwanted and alone catching up with him in the worst possible ways, causing him to have a small breakdown before the coupling ceremony. 

but he’d still choose one of the contestants, not having any real connection with her other than the first conversation—and that couple would completely crumble beneath him. 

he’d get eliminated soon after by the following recoupling ceremony, and sadly wish his friends goodbye with a tear running down his cheek—it’d be extremely emotional despite the minuscule amount of time viewers would get to know him .

that being said, he’d still leave an impact on the season as the contestant who just couldn’t catch a single break.

lil ole berty would be the contestant that everyone looks over, contestants and viewers alike. he’d be that nice background guy that everyone is fine with, but often forgets he exists—which really puts a stunt on his time in the villa.

he’d be in a safety couple, one where him and his partner are loyal to their connection, but not head-over-heels interested in one another. just two people who are attracted to one another with no real bond. 

challenges would be a bit of a struggle for him, just the competitiveness of it all and the pointless wonder of the whole ordeal—the show in general wouldn’t really be something up his ally.

him and his partner would end up getting eliminated early on to halfway through the season by an islander vote. it’d be a this or that couple elimination and only about two couples would vote to save them, causing him to have to pack his bags and head out. 

twitter would have a field day with memes though, his sleeping positions would be trending all over the love island hashtag every night. 

marco would be the nice guy contestant. the one that’s the boy next door kind of character type that everyone would love and see as the voice of reason and peace. 

he’d be somewhat of the villa’s therapist, if that’s the appropriate word, and would always be there to lend an ear to any islander who’s having issues in their couple or just problems in relation to the show’s process and journey. 

his encouragement would make him a fan favorite with viewers and allow him to make it fairly far into the season—probably past the casa amor point and nearly to the family segments. 

he wouldn’t ever be in a totally stable couple, always having to take on the stress of the other islanders and never having the opportunity to really focus on his own time and relationships. 

but he’d gain a massive following and get a shit ton of brand deals after the whole show is over. 

niccolo’s love island experience would be different from all the rest, as he’d be one of the casa amor contestants—there to sway the main villa’s relationships and connections with a mere four-five days of conversation.

he’d end up stealing the hearts of the women and finding a person that matched him on a deep level—with not only his good looks, but the way he manages a kitchen as well.

the main boys would love him and immediately see him as one of their own—enjoying his company and how he’d make everyone a full course meal every single morning right as they woke up to the automatic bedroom lights.

the viewers would also be a little obsessed with him as his pairing would just be lovable in all ways—the look in his eyes being one of pure adoration and love, nothing falsified or phony—just absolute infatuation.

i feel like he’d snag a fourth place win, happily in the final four, yet still not quite there. overall, secure and safe within his couple—and excited for the future of him and his match.

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