#I want to give Hans both romantic relationship but also a family he can be safe with 😭💔❤️

[threebea]

Rewatched Return of the Jedi and forgot how Han and Leia's romance sets up what unselfish love looks like to compare with in the prequels and also gives us context why love can be dangerous for a Jedi.

(Note: this isn't an!dala bashing I like an!dala)

With Han! (Yes! Han the non-Force sensitive.)

Han, we must remember has been out of the loop because of his Carbonite freezing, but even so he wakes up to: someone who loves you. Before that he had Leia declaring: I love you!

He gets very clear signs from Leia that she is in love with him. Like. Very clear out loud signs. In the Ewok village when they reunite they hug.

But he's still jealous of Luke.

So when he finds Leia crying after Luke says he's leaving to face Vader and that he's Leia's brother, his first reaction is jealousy. He gets mad when she refuses to tell him what's wrong. He accuses her of being able to tell Luke but not him, implying obviously she thinks Luke is more important to her.

His fear she doesn't love him back makes him angry.

You can see how it could lead to hate, this kind of situation. Hating Luke and Leia two people he adores because he thinks they're together, which would lead to him suffering unable to let go of his feelings for Leia and Leia suffering from his anger as well. He could destroy all their relationships with his anger, and he's just a normal non-Force sensitive guy.

And Luke and Leia aren't even a thing. He's just assuming! He's letting his emotions control him.

He's about to stomp away with a: bitter forget it! As she sobs.

But he stops! He stops giving into his negative emotions and he goes back to comfort her without demanding answers. He holds her because he loves her. He lets go of his negative emotions and possessive jealous feeling. His love is stronger than his fear.

Then on Endor he point blank asks her if she loves Luke. She answers Yes, not realizing unlike the Skywalkers he didn't get the memo from the Force about the family stuff.

And he is disappointed, but he says he'll step aside. He loves Leia and he's willing to let her go for her happiness.

That's what romantic love without possessive attachment looks like. He loves her. He puts his own initial negative emotions aside.

-

I always wondered why as a kid this was the romance I liked out of all other movie romances. (Usually I hated romance in things.)

At first I thought it was because there's not a lot of emphasis on it, but now I realised when Han has all the opportunities to do the classic Alpha Male stuff, he doesn't. In other movies he would have walked away and let her cry by herself to make drama. Have the stakes higher. They'd get together in the end but it would be after Han does something heroic and Leia throws herself at him or something. Which would make Leia a prize even though she never had to be.

But Return of the Jedi cuts through it. Han comes back, holds her even though she might not love him. That's incredibly powerful. That moment he holds her and apologizes and lets her cry and is there for her despite his jealously. Even now it's pretty refreshing considering the archetype people associate Han with.

And Han doesn't heroically save Leia to win her. They get held up. She has her gun ready to blast their attackers. They smile at each other. That's the moment he says the words I love you out loud. When she is about to save them.

It's obviously contrasted with Anakin and Padme.

Once again it is very clear how Padme feels. They both verbally reinforce their love for each other.

But Anakin isn't thinking of what Padme would want or asking what she would want. Through out the movie he's obsessed with the idea of her death. Letting himself be corrupted and ultimately killing people so that he doesn't have to feel losing her. Unlike Han, he puts his negative emotions and possession of her above his love for her.

And just like Return of the Jedi is different for Han coming back and holding her, Revenge of the Sith is different because usually movies emphasis all-consuming love as a good thing. Love so strong you would do anything to save them is shown as being selfish in RotS because Anakin does it. He does anything and everything. He makes himself unrecognizable.

He will stop at nothing to keep her. And then the moment he thinks Padme herself is the one trying to take herself away from him. When he thinks she's chosen the other side or Obi-Wan or however you interpret the moment and not him, he doesn't let her go. He doesn't love her enough to see her happy, he attacks her. That's what attachment does. It isn't about the love he truly feels for her, it's about the fear of losing her. His negative emotions ruling him. He lashes out and hurts the person he's supposed to be saving because it was about him, not about her. She became a prop. An icon of his fear of loss.

He wasn't acting on his love when he joins Sidious, he was acting on his fear. It is a selfish moment and ends in everyone suffering.

I can see why there was supposed to be more of a love triangle with them and Obi-Wan in the earlier concepts just to heighten the contrast with Leia and Han.

Han accepts that Leia chooses Luke (even though she didn't). He says he'll let her go to be happy.

Anakin accuses Obi-Wan of turning Padme against him (even though he hasn't). He attacks her when he thinks she's going to leave him.

Anakin's love by itself has never been the problem. It's what love so easily can become if darker emotions are controlling you. The Jedi forbid these kind of relationships because of the powers they hold and how easily love can turn to fear, anger, hatred, and suffering. And because they have powers most do not, how devastating that can be. Jedi learn emotional regulation so they don't get overwhelmed and hurt people. Palpatine made an effort to chip away at those teachings by using Anakin's trauma against him and encouraging him to dig into his negative emotions. That he's right for indulging in them and that it's human and normal to do so.

Sidious tries to do this with Luke. He's taking Luke's love for his friends and emotions and trying to get him to strike him. Use his fear to put him on the path to the Darkside. To give into his hatred and violence.

Then Luke remembers the cave. Killing Vader would be to kill himself, just as Anakin had once done. Winning the fight would be losing his soul.

He lets go of his fear for his friends and his hatred for Sidious and he refuses to fight. He sees the only way forward is love. That when Yoda said he must face Darth Vader before he can be a Jedi this is what he meant. In facing Vader he is facing his own darkness.

This is all to say the Jedi teaching doesn't only apply to Jedi. (I mean it's based on real world practices it's not just fantasy nonsense). But it makes sense that it's very important for Jedi.

This is also why I prefer the release viewing order. It gives a lot more context to the prequels that can get lost in the shuffle. Rather than trying to make prequel concepts fit for the OT, OT concepts are actually being expanded on in the PT. Looking at it the other way around is working backwards from the true starting point.

Tl;dr: Han shows what love without attachment looks like.

Thanks for coming to my blorbo talks.

As always YMMV.

[restinslices]

I don’t know if I requested this already but how do you think the Lin Kuei bros would react when each of them got their first gf?

It’s 5am but I’m avoiding sleep cause sleep paralysis been kicking my ass recently so here we are. I didn’t know if you were imagining a certain age or how detailed you wanted it so they’re all at different ages

Bi-Han

Bi-Han doesn't have that much experience when it comes to dating even if he's the oldest brother 

Growing up he was taught to mainly focus on his clan since he'd be the next Grandmaster so naturally dating is something that was at the back of his mind 

When he got his first girlfriend he'd probably be older. So he's mature when it comes to handling himself but he's not mature when it comes to romantic relationships 

I think the first week would be the hardest because he's both nonchalant but also worried if that makes sense

Nonchalant because he doesn't physically show any emotion besides disdain but also worry because whenever he hears about new relationships, people are always so giddy. They're glowing. They're jumping up and down and are cuddled next to their partner all the time. 

Bi-Han though? He doesn't do any of that. He's not sure what he should do and since he doesn't know, it makes him worry that maybe he made the wrong choice. Maybe he took the bit of affection you gave him and ran with it and it went outta hand 

After that first week though, he still wants to be with and around you so he starts to relax and realize he just reacts differently to things 

Some things he would struggle with since this is his first relationship. He'd struggle with the idea of being around his partner so often. Does he enjoy your presence? Yeah. But he also wants a lot of alone time 

Idk how long his first relationship would last. He gives me both “we're in this forever” and “forever isn't realistic” vibes. 

I honestly don't think he'd change much, which probably has a lot to do with the fact that he's a grown man. He's past all the intense teenage emotions. 

I don't even think his partner would notice a difference tbh. He trails behind you more but besides that, he still acts like your friend Bi-Han which isn't necessarily a bad thing 

Because it's his first relationship, I don't see him initiating things like physical touch that much. I think his partner would have to either ask or hint at it 

Cutsey things just don't come naturally to him. 

Is he happy about his first relationship? Absolutely. He just doesn't see the big deal with certain things like hand holding or other romantic expectations. Honestly I can see that being the cause of his first relationship ending depending on who it is but if it's someone that's on the same wavelength or understands lack of affection doesn't mean lack of love then I could see it lasting forever. 

Kuai Liang 

Kuai Liang was probably the first to start dating 

Does he have responsibilities? Yes. But that wouldn't stop him from experiencing certain things, even if he had to do it sneakily. 

He was a young teenager when he finally got his first girlfriend. She was apart of a nearby clan and although he was told many times not to focus on women, he couldn't help it. 

It was a simple friendship but it turned into something more. A secret relationship no one could know about

I think Kuai Liang would be happy to finally have a girlfriend. It's something else in his life that gives him happiness besides his family. 

Also this is a teenager so he's geeked as fuck. He tries to appear all calm and cool but it wouldn't really work 

Would always try to sneak away to see her. He wants to spend as much time with her as he can. Half of it is because he's a teenager, half of it is because he genuinely likes her. 

I also think he likes exchanging gifts. It gave them both something to remember the other bye

As a young boy, he wants to tell everyone but because of circumstances, he can’t. Besides that though I just honestly think he’s happy waking up everyday knowing he’ll see her even if it’s only for a few minutes.

She was a break for him. He's always the mediator between Bi-Han and Tomas. He always had to train hard so he could assist Bi-Han when he became grandmaster. When he was with her he was relaxed. 

Enjoys the company that comes with having a partner, even if a lot of the times he's too busy to see her 

He knows he doesn’t know much about relationships, but that’s ok. Life’s a journey and he’s willing to learn and communicate for this girl

Considering it says “first relationship”, that means it doesn't last 

I think the reason would be they eventually get caught. His dad has a tighter leash on him and she's sent to a different area her clan occupies 

He wouldn't take this well but there's really nothing he can do

Takes him awhile to get over even if it was some silly teenage romance according to others. 

Tomas Vrbada

Tomas gets into his first relationship in his late teens to early twenties

I can see him telling Kuai Liang immediately and asking for advice 

I can see it being a friends to lovers kind of thing. She's an earthrealmer in the know about all the realms and stuff and knows Madam Bo. Tomas is easy to like so they become friends then he asks her out on accident 

Tomas, like Kuai Liang, would be happy to have a significant other. He'd like having a girlfriend because this is his person. He became a Lin Kuei because the grandmaster felt shame about his clan murdering Tomas’ family. To Tomas, that's not him actually wanting him. It's guilt 

Having a girlfriend though means she's with him because she loves him. She actually likes him and chose him.

Very proud boyfriend. He’s surprised he has someone to call his and thinks she’s everything 

He's younger so he's not really confident which I think would show. He constantly wants to be around her out of insecurity. He's worried that she'd leave and find someone else 

He thinks he’s not good enough for anything

Can we blame him? He has Bi-Han constantly making him feel shitty. Sure he’s not the only reason Tomas is insecure but he’s not helping

He's also paranoid about anyone else he loves being hurt. People get hurt, he understands that but he cannot say goodbye to someone else prematurely. Especially someone that makes him so happy

Since it's his first relationship, he doesn't know how to properly communicate these feelings 

He genuinely likes this person and wants to be something serious. The problem is all this hovering and worry could cause problems in the relationship and lead to it ending. 

His solution would be trying to change himself 

Letting go is not something he wants to do. This person makes him happy so why should he? He could definitely change and do better. 

And since this is his first relationship, he’s nervous something like this won’t happen again. 

Unfortunately for him you can’t get rid of insecurities easily and you have to love yourself before loving anyone else

You'd expect him to have the longest lasting relationship but he probably wouldn't. The relationship wouldn't end with harsh feelings but he'd still be upset by it and it'd encourage him to work on himself 

I promise you Kuai Liang is my favorite brother. Idk how Bi-Han got around 440 words and him and Tomas got around 380- I also plan on writing angst after I eventually go to sleep so tune in

[clairesvalentine]

Hello! I have a request: SFW alphabet for Kuai Liang cause he doesn't get enough attention.

sfw alphabet — kuai liang

note: i’m so sorry for disappearing!! life has been so so so hectic!! i’m back for the time being. also, i’m adding gta 5 to the games i’ll write for :) admin, i’m so sorry for the long wait! i hope you enjoy 🤍 this was really fun to do!!

warnings: none. just pure fluff 🫶🏼

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

kuai liang isn’t the most affectionate in public. he prefers to show his live through actions rather than words. while in public, he’d have a protective presence over you. if he feels like you’re in any danger, he’ll place his hand on your lower back or do whatever he can to watch over you.

however, in private he’s much more affectionate. he’ll gently place his hands on your waist if he has to pass by you. he loves placing soft kisses on any part of your body. whether it’s your shoulder or your cheek, he always wants you to feel appreciated.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

as a best friend, kuai liang is very loyal. you won’t ever have to fear that he’d betray you. if you need him, he’ll be there in an instant. he shows his appreciation by doing tasks for you, even the minor ones. he wants to show you that you can trust him.

you two always had a mutual respect for one another. after you were recruited by liu kang, he had kuai liang train you personally. the two of you grew to have a mutual respect with another. with that respect grew a romantic relationship.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

boy oh boy kuai liang absolutely enjoys cuddling, especially after a long and strenuous day. his cuddles are strong yet tender, making you feel safe in his arms.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

eventually kuai liang would like to settle down. there’s nothing more he would like than to start a family with the person he truly cares about. you guys have had conversations and it’s something that’s rather debated. you’d like to start a family, but with this war starting between his clan and bi-han’s, starting a family would now would not be the best time to do so.

kuai liang isn’t a neat freak per say, but he does tend to keep everything nice and tidy. he’s not at gordon ramsey’s level but he can cook well. he’s always willing to try something new and if he sees that you’re tired, he’ll take over while you rest.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

if kuai liang had to break things off with his partner he’d do it with utmost respect and honesty. he’d never want to hurt anyone intentionally, not if you were someone he deeply cared about. it would definitely be face to face, that way he’d be able to express himself better.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

kuai liang deeply values commitment and would not rush into marriage without being absolutely sure. after being betrayed by his bi-han, it’s hard to know when you can trust someone. you never really know who’s working on the other side.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

kuai liang is very gentle, both physically and emotionally. he understands the strength of his abilities and is always careful not to hurt you. he’d never forgive himself if he ended up harming you in any way.

emotionally, he is patient and understanding, ready to listen to you if ever need to vent or ramble about anything that’s bothering you.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

kuai liang loves giving you hugs, as well as receiving them. though he mostly reserves them for special moments. his hugs are firm and comforting.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

he would wait until he is one hundred percent sure before saying "i love you." he believes in the weight of those words and wants to ensure they are said sincerely and at the right moment.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

kuai liang doesn’t get jealous that easily, but when he does he tends to do little subtle things. for instance, he’s much more affectionate in public. he’d wrap his arm around you, pulling you as close to him as possible. this usually tends to happen whenever johnny tries to shoot his shot.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

kuai liang’s kisses are tender and deliberate, full of meaning. he likes to kiss you on your forehead, lips, and your shoulders. he enjoys being kissed on the neck, finding it comforting. though he also just likes feeling your lips against his.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

kuai liang is gentle and patient with children. He treats them with respect and enjoys teaching them new things. when he’s training children, he’s stern but patient. unlike bi-han, he treats his trainees like one of his own. training with the shirai ryu is no easy task. he wants his trainees to be the best they could be. children often feel safe and valued in his presence.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

morning with kuai liang are calm and structured. he likes having a good routine and often starts the day with some light exercise or meditation. on the days he isn’t training, he enjoys quiet mornings with you, sharing a cup of tea and conversation. if you’re still asleep, he will make sure that he leaves you some breakfast.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

nights with kuai liang are relaxed and peaceful. to unwind, he likes to lay beside you and listen to you ramble for hours until he drifts off to sleep.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

kuai liang reveals things about himself slowly, preferring to build trust over time. he believes in sharing when the moment feels right. with bi-han betraying him and tomas, it's a bit hard to trust people. the fear of people ultimately betraying him in the end hits hard for him.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

kuai liang is incredibly patient. it takes a lot for you anger him. however, his patience starts to run thin if he feels as if you're drawing at straws just to argue with him. even then, he'd never yell at you.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

kuai liang is not one to forget anything about you. he wants you to know how much he appreciates you. from remembering your birthday to how you like your coffee in the morning. you are his person, he'd do anything to make you happy.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

his favorite moment with you would most likely be a quiet, intimate time spent together. one of this favorite moments with you would have to be when he took you to watch the sunset. it was your all time wish and he just had to grant it for you.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

kuai liang is very protective, always looking out for his partner’s safety. with this war going on between his clan and bi-han's new one, he has to ensure that you're safe. whether it's by having you in his sight or by having tomas accompany you, he wants to ensure that you're okay. however, in the off chance that something does happen to you, he will most definitely go after the person to hurt you. for kuai liang, he appreciates being protected emotionally, knowing his partner has his back. loyalty is definitely a big one for him.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

kuai liang puts a lot of effort into everything he does, especially when it comes to his partner. dates, anniversaries, and gifts are planned thoughtfully. he pays a bunch of attention to what his partner likes and values.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

though he does try his best to spend his time with you, he does get involved with his work too heavily. with the war against his brother, he has to train his clan to be ready for anything. another one of his "ugly" traits would be his tendency to internalize his stress and emotions, sometimes making it hard for him to open up when he’s struggling. he might also be overly critical of himself.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

kuai liang is moderately concerned with his appearance. he believes in presenting himself well but he doesn’t obsess over it too much. his main focus is on being disciplined and maintaining his physical condition.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

ABSOLUTELY!! you are his entire world. you bring a different kind of balance in his life. without you, he doesn't have that structure or balance.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

kuai liang knows how to play the flute. that's it. that's the tweet. like c'mon!! this man has some musical bone in his body, i'm telling you rn

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

he HATES dishonesty and betrayal. in a partner, he values integrity, kindness, and loyalty. he can't be in a relationship where he doesn't trust his partner.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

kuai liang is a light sleeper and often wakes up early. in case of an attack, he has to be up and ready to fight. he prefers to sleep on his back or side.

[dipendenteconad]

Some LiuHan/BiKang headcanons for MY soul (SFW) pt. 1/?

From some chats I had with a friend

So, for instance, I'm well aware of Bi-Han's nasty attitude towards everyone, and I'll try my best not to write something ooc. Tho I can't help but see him more like the bratty type more than the dominant one (or better, a brat who pretends to be a dom iykyk); he wants to appear mighty, but he's not as cold as he presents himself to be. In fact, I think he might warm up under the right attentions, but they have to be from the RIGHT PERSON and them ONLY. He actually looks for someone who can keep up with him, either because they're on the same page as him or because they can predict his moves;

I think Liu Kang is perfect for him because they're so different, yet they can understand each other to some extent (opposites attract each other type of trope). I'm pretty much disappointed by Bi-Han's writing in MK1 because it gives too little explanation to his actions in story mode, this way I don't have much to work with and I have to let my delusions take the lead. But I can say that imo both Liu and Bi-Han are lonely souls who are looking for someone to fill that gap in their hearts. Liu would find amusement in trying to tame a beast like Bi-Han, and the latter would come to appreciate being taken care of;

Liu Kang can be very sweet and caring, but he's not afraid to impose himself, and I imagine Bihan to find enjoyment in messing with him, just to see for how long Liu Kang is willing to put up with him (spoiler: for eternity). Not used to affection, Bi-Han tends to destroy his relationships before they can hurt him: this way, he shields himself from eventual disappointment (see the outcome it had with his family, for example). Liu Kang knows what he's trying to do, and he promised himself not to let Bi-Han win this easily;

At first, Bi-Han would find Liu Kang's love annoying (even if he's hungry for it, he just doesn't know it yet). Whatever he does or says, Liu Kang has the right answer and the right solution for it, and no matter the situation he'd always try to understand Bi-Han so that he can be on his same side and support him. This would initially send Bi-Han on fire (eh) because he somehow came to think that he doesn't deserve/need any of that trust. He'd swear to hate Liu Kang due to his forgiving nature and his gentle approach towards everyone, but later he'd realize that what Liu Kang is offering him personally is way more than that: it is not courtesy, rather unconditional love;

So, the more Bi-Han tries to build a wall between them, the more force Liu Kang uses to demolish it;

People like Bi-Han, with such complex feelings, tend to contradict themselves: Liu Kang's presence morphed, with time, into a source of comfort. At last, he tried to focus more on enjoying what him and Liu Kang were having rather than destroying it before it had the chance to grow. Easily his best ever decision, because Liu Kang spoils and worships him in unimaginable ways;

Ever since he became a Titan and he lost his Kitana, Liu had been by himself. And I imagine him as someone who has so much love to give. Do you think he would really lose the opportunity to drow Bi-Han in it? Absolutely not;

Bi-Han would rather die than act all romantic, but fortunately for him, Liu Kang is enough for the both of them: each night Liu has the chance to have Bi-Han in his bed, he cuddles him and caresses his cold skin with warm hands, also enjoying the feeling of Bi-Han's body trembling under his touch at the sudden change of temperature. He would cover him in praise between each kiss, which can sound a bit cheesy for someone external but for Liu this is their moment and he wants to to make the most out of it; he also isn't shy when it comes to praise because he means every word of it (he would never say empty words to Bi-Han, he wants to gain the man's trust after all);

He compliments his body, his skill, his character, and Bi-Han doesn't really know how to react because he had never heard someone say such things to him before. One part of him wants to cringe, but the other wants to hug Liu tighter. Also, knowing that Liu Kang believes every word excites him even more;

So imagine Liu Kang's surprise when, after months of them being together, Bi-Han finally gives a compliment back. Maybe even a simple phrase said awkwardly, but still sincere and genuinely loving. He would cry, if those bioluminescent eyes of his were capable of such a thing (can they, actually?).

So what I like for this ship is a touch-starved Bi-Han with way too little relationship experience and an overly romantic Liu Kang who would do anything for him to make him feel loved again, even close an eye to more than one red flag.

Additions to this are very welcome

[natasha-in-space]

Can I request you RFA and Saeran ( minus Jaehee) with a male MC. The boys are just shocked they are attracted to someone same gender as them. Does Jumin Han is gay? Jumin would confirm that this is true. Male MC is literally so adorable and cute, kind and compassionate, also has some feminine trait

I do want to preface this by pointing out that this is very headcanon-territory overall! I don't think I talked much on this blog about my personal headcanons for MM gang's sexualities so far. Not directly, anyway. That is to say, they will love you regardless of your gender! All MC's are loved and cherished by the RFA, don't forget that <3

Yoosung

Now, Yoosung definitely had crushes before, but they never really went anywhere. By the time he meets you, he probably has little or no real-life experience with romantic relationships. I don't think he is very well versed in his own sexual or romantic preference... at all. He was simply too focused on studying for the majority of his school years, and once Rika has passed, the yearnings for a romantic relationships were just another form of his deep longing for human connection. So, it goes without saying that a male MC wouldn't have much impact. These feelings are still new and undiscovered for him, whether you are male, female, trans, nonbinary, etc. By the time he realizes that he is falling for you, your gender is the last thing on his mind. The thing that will come up is coming out to his family. This post focuses solely on exploring that aspect for Yoosung!

Zen

So, Zen canonically has quite a bit of relationship experience under his belt. He is aware of his likings and dislikes. I do headcanon him as questioning his sexuality, but still presenting himself as straight. A part of him just never really felt that inner push to try and pursue anything with a man. Not fully. But he definitely considers it sometimes, and he finds himself feeling attracted to non-female presenting individuals. He's kind of confused in that sense, often writing it off on him finding someone aesthetically attractive is all. I have a feeling that there were some men approaching him romantically or sexually, though. He works in a creative field, and creative spaces are often, if not always, full of queer people. So, for him, it'll be more of a confirmation than anything else. He finds you attractive, both inside and out, and that's a feeling he recognizes well enough. He'll be way more awkward with flirting, though. He knows how to charm a lady, but he's clueless if he should do anything specific for a man. You'll have to give him a push there.

Jumin

Jumin is not that interested in learning about his romantic or sexual preferences. Although he appears somewhat clueless, he really just... doesn't care much. In a way, he always knew that he is capable of attraction to more than one gender, he just never had a word for it, nor did he care enough to learn. I personally headcanon him on the ace spectrum, so that plays into his indifference towards his love life. Of course, that's not to overlook the role his unfortunate upbringing played in shaping his views on romantic relationships. He would definitely be way more involved if his family didn't raise him the way they did. (But we're not touching that huge can of worms right now) I don't think he will care much about labels, not until you or someone else brings it up to him. He just knows that he loves you, and that's that. He doesn't understand nor appreciate anyone questioning him or meddling into his personal affairs. His family included. So, I don't think he will be all that shocked, nor will he struggle. Most of his intimacy issues stem from his upbringing, not much else.

Saeyoung

It's pretty much a common knowledge that Saeyoung is very blatantly not straight. He doesn't try very hard to conceal it, nor does he care to. I actually view him as the most flirty one of the group, so he has his fair share of fleeting flirty connections with many people of all gender identities. None of it was anything meaningful nor serious, though. He's the sort of guy who flirts with everyone in the room, but will quickly fumble and leave if someone reciprocates his advances. Saeyoung's issue is not so much about his sexuality as it is about his unique situation regarding his job and identity.

Saeran

Saeran... doesn't know much, if anything, about sexuality. His knowledge is very limited to what little he reads in books and Rika's words. In other words, I don't believe Rika would instruct him that feeling something for another man is wrong or incorrect. I think it's pretty clear that she is not the type of person to do that or believe in that. (That's not mentioning that she is very not straight herself but I digress) I do think Ray would talk about it with her, though. Although she trusted him to select a tester on his own, I'm certain that she still overlooked some aspects of the process. And we do know that Rika doesn't really mind his attraction towards you. It's only when that attraction grows into something more substantial that challenges his loyalty to her does it become an issue in her eyes. That is to say, Ray wouldn't care if you are a man. He finds you as lovely as can be. Just be prepared to be called a prince. And Ray will probably want to be your knight. He can't think of a role more fitting than one that will make him serve you and protect you like you deserve.

[moontrinemars]

a Few Notes on Writers and Storytelling in Vedic Astrology - and how to use that in your own chart!

Researched for my use, published for your reference. Disclaimer in bio. I use Sidereal placements but suggest checking both.

✒️ Ardra has massive connections to Gothic fiction. Mary Shelley (Frankenstein) and Lord Byron (romantic poetry) both had Ardra Ascendants, with Shelley also having Ardra Saturn and Indu Lagna. Charlotte Bronte (Jane Eyre) had an Ardra Mars and Emily Bronte (Wuthering Heights) had an Ardra moon.

📖 This makes sense! Ardra is the Star of Sorrow. It is also called the Star of Oppression. The Vimshottari Dasha says Ardra can be connected to condemnation and sacrifice. It is ruled by the Howling God, Rudra, born crying for he had no name. He was the god of Destructive Storms and Thunder, and also the Lord of Wild Animals and Medicines. This aligns with many common Gothic motifs!

📖 As a result, Gothic fiction can be an amazing introspective dive for Ardra natives... if they aren't too afraid to see their own wounds reflected back at them. Like Frankenstein's monster, Ardra natives often end up rejecting or being rejected by their "creators" - whether that's their families or their gods. Catherine and Heathcliff and their tragedy will speak to the wild Ardra native's inclination to lash out or run away out of fear of being trapped or abandoned. Etc!

✒️ You can look at an author's D5 for common threads in their popular works. For example, D5 Mars in its own sign or house is common for suspense and noir authors, as is prominent Scorpio. Both of these things are true for Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot books and other mystery novels), Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes series), and Truman Capote (In Cold Blood)!

📖 If you are a creator, you can look to it for inspiration, or use it to analyze your works for patterns you never even noticed! For example, I also write original fiction in my own time. My D5 Ascendant is Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter, and faith, fate, and the divine are common themes. My D5 sun is 6th house Taurus and my works usually explore one on one relationships with lots of dialogue. Venus, my D5 sun's sign ruler, is in the 12th and Scorpio and the plots typically involve secrets, mysteries, and the link between life and death. Etc. etc. etc.

📖 Even if you don't consider yourself a creator, you can use your D5 to look at the creators that helped shape you! For example, my D5 has a Mula Ascendant and a triple conjunction in Bharani under 1º, and my favorite author as a child, Cornelia Funke, has Bharani Mars and a Venus/Saturn conjunction in Mula under 2º in her D1. I also loved Peter and Wendy, and on top of us sharing D1 Ardra Risings, J. M. Barrie has his D1 sun in Krittika, same as my D5 Jupiter.

✒️ Fairy tales are usually associated with Punarvasu, Hasta, and Revati. Hans Christian Anderson (The Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes, etc.) had Punarvasu Rahu, Hasta Saturn, and Revati Sun and Mercury. J. M. Barrie (Peter and Wendy, later iterations known as Peter Pan) had Punarvasu Jupiter, its ruling planet, in the 1st and D10 Hasta Ascendant and Pluto. Hans Grimm (Grimm's Fairy Tales) had Hasta Moon, which is its ruling planet, and Revati Rahu.

📖 Punarvasu is the Star of Renewal. It prospers the greatest only after experiencing failure - a common theme in fairy tales. There is a Rags to Riches element to this nakshatra, or the reverse. It's not a romantic nakshatra but it is well suited to travel. I personally associate it with The Emperor's New Clothes, The Lost Princess, and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.

📖 Hasta is the Hand, which has more than one meaning. This nakshatra puts what you want in your hands, but there is also a connection to palmistry, fate, and magic. These natives have the quick wit and mystical audacity that gives characters in fairy tales the happiest endings. They're also willing to 'take with both hands'. I associate this nakshatra with Jack and the Beanstalk, Rumpelstilskin, and The Seven Ravens.

📖 Revati is the Star of Wealth, because they find what has been lost or overlooked and appreciate it appropriately. They are at their best when they act as guides, or as guardians, to those who need them. I associate them with The Blue Bird, The Frog Prince, and Thumbelina.

Hope this was useful, thanks for reading. If you have any questions, feel free to message, ask, or reply ♡

[whichstiel]

A Christmas Prince II

I haven't even watched THAT many Christmas or other holiday movies yet this season, but I just vividly dreamed an alternative sequel to the Netflix's A Christmas Prince.

The movie began with them divorced after a short but rocky marriage. The magnifying glass of royalty charred them both and they parted ways amicably (but also obviously heartbroken).

After the opening recap monologue where she talks about her whirlwind royal romance and subsequent heartbreak (disclaimer: I haven't watched the movie in at least a few years - what even happened in it?) we cut to her leaning in to kiss her new girlfriend. (That's right, Netflix says bisexual rights!) They're ready to spend their first Christmas together. Her new girlfriend really wants to introduce her to her parents when the whole family gets together for the holiday. It's bittersweet for our heroine but she tries to move on.

But Amber (I just had to google her name, shut up) gets a call from her Journalism Boss, the Boss of Journalistic Sources. The crown jewels from her former lover's kingdom have been stolen!!! And there's nobody better to cover the news than Amber.

Amber breaks the news to her new girlfriend buuuuuut also obviously makes a big terrible lie out of it. Instead of "sorry, babe, I need to work," she tells the girlfriend that she can't meet the parents because her Christmas surprise is an all expenses whirlwind romantic trip toooooo ALDOVIA. Her girlfriend is apparently NOT a news reader, connects no dots, and packs her skis, baby!

They arrive in Aldovia. Amber tries to spend the whole time wearing slouchy hats and sunglasses, so that nobody in this tiny, fake European monarchy will notice its famous former queen. Hijinks happen. She probably gets recognized by the butler, or something, who secretly plots to "accidentally" reunite her with her former husband who has been pining for her this whole time.

The girlfriend is a sweet but lazily written cinnamon stick who is mainly in the movie to be holiday-card cute and super sweet to Amber (while Amber spirals after glimpsing the Prince - er, King? IDK). We want Amber to reunite with her lost love but also? Girlfriend is sweet like kitten? Must protect??? Maybe this will be a Frozen situation and the girlfriend will turn out to be a total Hans.

Amber is trying to focus on the case - er, journalism story. WHO STOLE THE ROYAL JEWELS? She is only in the country for this reason! She definitely does not find herself comically hiding herself in hedgery to spy on her prince! Especially when a princess comes to town looking to give away her rose, if you know what I mean.

This part of my dream is a little fuzzy, which probably means it doesn't actually exist. So let's have a little fun and make it up.

We can throw in a...baking contest. How about Amber goes undercover as a contestant to sneak into her former home and nobody will recognize her at all because, uuuuuuh, she just has "one of those faces?" (Her bakes are terrible.) She tells her boss that she's only in it to find the jewels and save the prince's kingdom cover the news story.

While Amber is living her worst life, her actually still pretty new girlfriend is busy being a solo tourist of Aldovia. We get what could be a sad montage of solo Christmas card moments (decorating cookies at the local snowy farmer's market stall, holding baby bunnies at the Pet Palace Emporium (the bunnies wear little fake poinsettia bows), and drinking hot chocolate while looking at CGI snowy mountains). The thing is, she's not sad about it. Girlfriend is having the BEST time. It keeps things light for this Netflix romance and we don't feel too bad for girlfriend. She is in a stale three month relationship and all she has is this amazing overseas vacation to show for it!

Amber ends up getting discovered at the palace by the prince. He pulls her into a lavishly red and green decorated room to hold a hissing conversation about why she is there, is she there because of this princess interloper, does she want to get back together, does she miss him too, has she happened to spot any very shiny rocks anywhere?

They decide to solve the mystery together before parting ways FOREVER. One last adventure! Hijinks ensue again, and we're made to suspect the interloping princess, the mysterious relative of the prince who just so happened to be visiting and may be trying to steal his throne, and probably a mysterious shopkeeper who bears some resemblance to Santa Claus and keeps showing up unannounced all over the movie.

While they try to find the missing jewels, Amber and the Prince fall back in love. Or, realize they never fell out of love.

Amber breaks up with her girlfriend - probably during the baking contest - and runs off to stop the prince from getting engaged. It turns out the princess interloper is nowhere in sight and the prince is just...staring out over the mountains, longing for Amber.

Finally, we get back to my dream. The snowy garden is full of twinkling lights and Amber and the prince lean in. Turns out they never stopped loving each other. They vow to let nothing get in the way of their love again. It's time to get married again! They can overcome anything including Journalism and Jewel Thieves! Will their marriage crumble again?

That's probably for next year's sequel.

The cinnamon-stick girlfriend soothes her sorrow by heading back to the Baby Animal Emporium to snuggle more bunnies. The spurned Princess shows up, looking to soothe her heartache with some, uh, bunny snuggling as well. I guess they're going to be featured in the spinoff movie?

Oh, and what about the JEWEL THIEF? We almost forgot about the mystery sub-plot! A squirrel lumbers across the yard while Amber and her prince reaffirm their love. It's...dragging a ruby pendant. They follow the squirrel and find the entire treasure trove of Aldovia shoved into a hollow tree. The thief was small and furry and there's no threat to the kingdom after all! Let's turn to the camera and laugh, share a kiss, and.......fade into snowy mountains while a generic Christmas love song plays us out.

[galaxicide]

IMPORTANT CANON DIVERGENT POINTS: many of my divergency points are made due to the sore lack of context in the movies, messy writing, and a bit of downright terrible writing. most of these are probably already featured in my carrd. but this post will be directly accessible via my pinned post because the divergencies are important.

the og trio ALL survive, ben too. kylo injures han (the severity is up to rpers). leia does not die, neither does luke. why? well, I don't agree with the narrative of wiping out the old for the new. nor having kylo kill off han because harrison wanted out. given how close han and ben's relationship once was, this simply doesn't fit for me. and I also don't think there can be any true healing after the war for ben without his family there. this family is the HEART of the entire franchise. killing them all off was a bad move...as much as I enjoy a tragic narrative.

Luke did NOT try to kill Ben. Ben finding out his relationship with Vader triggered his fall to the dark side, and he accidentally summoned a force storm during his rage (fanned by snoke too) that razed the entire temple, its students, and luke too, under bens impression. believing he'd murdered his uncle, ben ran. and wasn't seen again for some years. Though this divergence is negotiable if Luke rpers would prefer to write the actual canon!

Kylo does NOT kill Snoke. Snoke is the big bad here for me, not sOmeHoW pAlPaTiNe rEtUrNeD. Therefore, Kylo does not become supreme leader. He is so brainwashed by Snoke, that even though he suspects one day Snoke will eliminate him, he is still loyal. Snoke is ALL he knows.

I do not write the dyad as a romantic bond, at least not with rey and ben. their relationship is utterly atrocious, and kylo does exactly to rey what snoke is doing to him. it's manipulative and abusive and is not a good foundation for any relationship. i think they can achieve something akin to siblingship one day. but that's years away after tros.

ben's identity as kylo is only known to VERY FEW, including snoke, some highers up in the first order, and a few in the resistance. it's probably less than 10 people altogether. he NEVER removes his helmet in public for various reasons not related to this post. so if you're unsure whether your muse is or might be one of those 10 or so people, please feel free to ask.

it's honestly not as obvious in the movies as it should be imo, and is not a canon divergence. but it feels like it needs to be said often cus people still want to dismiss this fact in 2023. ben solo is a victim of decades of abuse and manipulation. no, it doesn't excuse his actions, but it gives context and explanation to them. i will never not make this point enough.

annnnd here comes the maybe controversial one. might depend on how well i explain it. han and leia are/were not purposely neglectful parents, nor perfect people...please, keep reading after that sentence. take a step back and think about it in terms of real adult life, okay. both of them are important people. leia is a senator. it would literally be impossible for her to be around all the time for ben. you simply cannot be a person that powerful and have a well balanced family dynamic. han, on the other hand, we know canonically was ben's primary caregiver for 6 years, which is a hot win, imo. stay at home dad, excellent. but he, too, eventually goes back to training pilots at the academy because it's what he's good at, and he deserves to continue it. i am in NO WAY saying that han and leia are bad people or parents. far from it. I've no doubt they tried endlessly, and they still are, even with ben falling to the dark side. they're just doing normal things that adults do. just because you have a child does not mean you stop being a person. BUT their busy adult lives paved the way for Snoke to move in and do what he wanted with Ben, which was to slowly turn him against them and make him believe he was unwanted and unloved by them. and that's not han and leia's fault, they didn't know what was going on. Ben was a child, and Snoke was an abuser that easily slipped through the cracks because he couldn't be seen. i realise this also wasn't really a canon divergence, but it needs to be said some more.

[harleyshahas]

Guess who's mad about Frozen again?!

Anna and Elsa are the worst examples of sisterhood. They hardly talk to each other throughout the movie with the exception of their, admittedly cute, bonding in the intro. But then The Plot happens and, their parents being The Worst, actively encourage Elsa into isolation, they actively encourage the sisters away from each other. And yeah, I get it, that's the point, the story needs to happen, but how do they go 9-10 years without talking to each other? How can you look at this movie and be like, "Oh yeah, excellent example of sisterhood and being a family and love and all that?!" They don't talk to each other!

They don't talk to each other growing up, despite Anna desperately wanting to talk to Elsa. Eventually she flat out gives up. Once again, I get it, that's The Point, they both have to move past their own issues in this film and, once again, I admit it works. But only for them as individuals, not as sisters.

They don't speak again until the coronation, where it's, also admittedly cute, awkward and tense, they don't know how to talk to each other anymore. They bond over chocolate of all things and it's actually a good little moment, like meeting up with an old friend you haven't seen since childhood and trying to reestablish a common interest. It's a good scene, probably my favorite in the movie, and it's the only time they have a good interaction. After this, Elsa boots her off to dance with Weaselman where the Hans thing happens (we all know how I feel about Hans, my man deserved better, I won't get into it here), and instead of using this time to build a relationship between Anna and Elsa, whom the movie is supposed to be about, we get a boppy romance number, and some more character about Anna. At this point in the movie, Anna has had too much focus. What we need is Elsa time. What we need is some Elsa and Anna time.

This would have been a great opportunity to build up the relationship between the sisters (the core theme of the movie) instead of a poorly subverted romance subplot. This would have also been a good time to give Elsa some actual character. She's pretty flat, ngl.

The next time the sisters talk is for them to fight over quite frankly the dumbest thing in existence. "You can't marry a man you just met," my ass. We need the plot to move forward in the most contrived way possible because what do they have to fight about when we don't know what they have in common? Had they actually taken the time to speak before we might have actually had a good reason for a fight, like say an actually cute and meaningful moment between the two only for it to take a tense turn when the subject of their isolation finally gets brought up. They could have talked, we the audience could have watched this cute bonding experience build organically and the sisters actually start to learn about each other, only for it to take a tense, dramatic turn that could have actually meant something for the story and for their relationship! God, I'm so fucking mad at this movie, we could have had better!

Anyway, bullshit fight (over a man of all things, even if it's not in the traditional sense) ensues, Elsa's powers are revealed, she runs, Anna tries to stop her, Arendelle's covered in snow, cue fantastic girl power song. Let It Go is amazing, I'm not too proud to admit that.

Anna then leaves Arendelle in the hands of someone acutally capable to chase after her and we get another contrived romantic subplot with Kristoff, with even more contrived parody bullshit over Disney romance (they're kids movies, guys, a little unbelievable romance is the fucking point, it's all fantasy) and Olaf. We get a couple scenes of how Hans is handling the kingdom (pretty well, all things considered (yes, I'm a Hans apologist, fight me)), he comes up with an actual plan, and we're back to Anna and Kristoff. Throughout all this character growth with Anna and her romance options, we get Nothing from Elsa. She gets a song and is cut from the film until Anna shows up outside her fancy ice palace.

Maybe instead of Anna and Kristoff romance bonding, and Olaf (and no one seems to want to talk about how Elsa has the ability to create actual sentient Life and has the powers of a literal god) and getting his I Want song, we could have had a good bit with Anna going up the mountain by herself, finding the strength to push ahead solely for the love of her sister, we could have had some (actual) introspection from Elsa about the nature of her powers, her relationship with them and the relationship with her parents and her sister. We could have had a song where they sing a duet from the top and bottom of the mountain, Anna could have pushed through on her own and over the course of her journey realize that she is a strong single woman who doesn't need a man. I honestly think her journey would have meant more if she had undertaken it completely alone, maybe running into Olaf at some point to liven up this kids movie I'm still mad about. The point is, we didn't need another romance subplot. We needed more time with Elsa and Anna. But most specifically with Elsa.

While Let It Go is a good song, it's not actually very telling. It's about Elsa coming to terms with her powers, and that's good, but it ultimately doesn't mean anything. She regresses the next we see her when Anna shows up. She hasn't come to terms with it. She's still scared of what she can do. If Let It Go really was supposed to be the empowerment song it was supposed to be, then we should have had a brief scene or two of her using her powers in the ice palace. We should have seen her experimenting with them, making ice sculptures and decorations to fill the palace with, basically having fun being able to let loose with them or something.

Think of the scene from Tangled, when Rapunzel sets foot on grass for the first time. It's no big musical number, but instead she's running and frolicking and using her hair for all this new and wild open world to explore. She's in the process of having a mental breakdown for going against Goethel's orders, but she's still just so excited to be free. We spend the entire movie with Rapunzel, watching her get a feel for how hair can work in this new environment. Rapunzel is very similar to Anna in personality, so Anna going off on her own to brave the mountain to find her sister actually alone isn't so far out of the realm of possibility as she has the same drive. Elsa is more reserved, so her being alone to explore her powers works and I personally would have loved to see her make Marshmallow and actually react to the fact that she can create literal life, since she didn't see Olaf come to life.

Kristoff didn't need to be in this movie and I resent his inclusion.

The next time the sisters interact its to Anna telling Elsa she needs to come back and fix things. Immediately jumping straight to the blame game, neither of them take the time to learn anything about the other or understand what the other is going or has gone through. Elsa's powers going out of control makes sense here, but the buildup to it could have been more meaningful, could have made me care a bit more. Arendelle was snow-covered for like two days, they could stand to be covered a bit more for the relationship to build. Then Anna gets hit with ice, Marshmallow chases them off a cliff, bullshit romance subplot, Elsa is captured by Hans (actually a well-done scene, I have no critiques on that).

Once again, their relationship should have taken centerstage. Elsa could have invited Anna in, shown off all these amazing things she can do, Anna taking the time to listen to her for once, to see her actually excited about something rather than a depressed shut in. Anna could have told Elsa all about her adventure, introduced Olaf properly, they could have had a beautiful bonding moment together, this would have been a great place for the relationship to build naturally, and the tension could have risen the longer it went on as Anna tried to break the news of Arendelle, instead of jumping straight to the Plot.

They don't talk again until the end of the movie.

They don't SEE each other again until Anna gets (ha) frozen.

And I honestly don't care by that point. Why should I care that Elsa feels bad about freezing her sister? They had little to no interaction, barely any chemistry to build upon and make me care that they care. Because nothing in the movie tells me they care. It's mostly to blame on the bullshit romance subplot, the whole movie relies on Kristoff and Anna's growing relationship when that's not what this movie is about? It's about sisterhood? Is it? Is it, really???

No. No it's not.

Frozen spends so much time focusing on Anna and Hans, on Anna and Kristoff, when it should have focused entirely on Anna and Elsa (with a little bit of Hans in there for flavor if Disney really couldn't help themselves, but even then I think it would have been fine without him). This supposed movie about sisterhood lacks in sisterhood so much that it's really just... ya know...

A bad movie.

Anyway, Anna is melted by Elsa's love (which I don't believe for a second), Arendelle is unfrozen, and Anna punches my man in the face in a dumb moment of Girl Power (he totally deserved it in the context of the story, I won't lie). And then Anna gives Kristoff a new sleigh, she kisses him to wrap up the bullshit romance, and she STILL doesn't have any meaningful conversation with Elsa. After the intro they have a total of four, FOUR scenes together. In this movie about SISTERHOOD.

Go watch Lilo and Stitch if you want an actual good movie about sisterhood.

[sweettsubaki]

J'ai publié 8 262 fois en 2022

C'est 4 089 billets de plus qu'en 2021 !

138 billets créés (2%)

8 124 billets reblogués (98%)

Les blogs que j'ai le plus reblogués :

@spongebobssquarepants

@yramesoruniverse

@renecdote

@kitkatpancakestack

@rantblog-no1

J'ai étiqueté 5 940 billets en 2022

Seulement 28% de mes billets ne comportaient pas de tag

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Tag le plus long : 139 caractères

#i'll be honest i first saw him in hana yori dango in which ...well his nickname was 'tête à claques' which is a french expression meaning :

Mes billets vedette en 2022 :

n°5

I would like to congratulate Mochizuki Jun for taking 2 romantic moments from Princess Mononoke and merginf them into one romantic moment between Vanitas and Noé (plus another one not that long before).

Just... Congratulation

49 notes - publié le 9 mai 2022

n°4

Natsume Yuujinchou / Natsume's Book of Friends / Le Pacte des Yokai chap 100

Look at how adorable he was as a kid. I just can't.

57 notes - publié le 31 août 2022

n°3

Homura Arc (chapters 100-104) - How Ban's character highlighted Natori and Matoba's bond/Frienemieship/Whatever it is they have through cats

@joelleity here's the thing I was talking about

Heads up I haven't read the non translated chapter so this is only resting on the canon we have up to chap 108.

I've always considered NatsuYuu to be a cat people story in part because most characters have cat-like tendencies (especially if they're Ayakashi related, whether because they're Yokai or because they can see/feel them). This show is about the importance of interpersonal relationship and those are treated very much with a cat themed thesis of "even if it's just for a second and you find happiness with other people, it doesn't make its impact lesser than"...Also Natsume punching creatures bigger than he is and running away immediately is peak cat behavior u.u.

Generally speaking there are very few humans in this show who give the cat vibe as much as Matoba Seiji does.

However I didn't expect Midorikawa sensei to play with it this literally instead of just jokingly (if one day we get a chapter with any character, but especially Matoba being turned into a cat I'll die)...

More seriously though, the focus of this story is Maneki Neko exorcism tools and the fact that Ban wants to capture them for his Master who happen to be Matoba Seiji's Sister (whom I will call Lady Matoba from now on for practicality). Which actually give us these two as foils

through the Matoba siblings feud(?).

Surprising, I know. I actually don't know the point of this, I've mostly noticed a pattern and am trying to write my thoughts down.

First let's take a look at what we know of where Matoba Seiji and Natori Shuuchi are at, at the beginning of this story.

So far in the main story Matoba and Natori have been established as people who know each other through having clearly worked together before which brings some level of knowledge about each other that's common between colleagues and Natori is particularly distrustful of Matoba. They still both acknowledge the other's skills.

We've also got to know only a few chapters prior that they have known each other since high school and had moments which they remembered differently. Natori remembered not liking the loquat he tried meanwhile Matoba remembered being offered loquats only because he was with Natori and remembering the context as well as remembering Natori's experience too.

The flashback chapters, which we have had for longer, give a lot more depth to this. We know that Natori's distrust is caused both by Matoba's attitude toward casually using others (well, him specifically) AND because of Natori's family rejection because of who he is. Basically Natori has a huge inferiority complex and doesn't know how to have interpersonal relationships.

Meanwhile Matoba seeked him out regularly 'cause lonely teenage boy, and because he too sucks at interpersonal relationships, he tried to find a pragmatic reasoning for why he was there. Since he was basically raised to live, breathe and die for his clan his pragmatism is inherently linked to that. Whether he was trying to find use for his clan and took the opportunity to find a friend or he wanted a friend and took the opportunity to help his clan is left unsaid. Either way he tried to get both.

It generally seems mostly one sided in the fondness department. with the exception of that one time Natori woke up after being possessed, Matoba seems to be the only one trying to turn this into an actual friendship.

So on the one hand we've got Matoba seeking Natori out and trying to befriend him but unable to be vulnerable because that would make his clan vulnerable. Matoba even tried to get Natori to come to his clan so he'd get a talented exorcist and get an actual friend out of it (vulnerability would not be as much of a problem if it's from the inside. Granted I doubt he though that far ahead). Matoba who is used to being rejected and still tries. Though he stops trying to recruit Natori he still seeked him out. Until he stopped which we don't know a thing about.

On the other we've got Natori who doesn't want to be vulnerable out of fear of being rejected, who takes Matoba at face value and never really tries to see past the Clan Heir to who Matoba is because Matoba's front gives him an excuse to fear vulnerability.

The one time he tried, Matoba got cold feet because while hoping, he's never actually had anybody try to reciprocate a genuine interest in him as a person and didn't know how to react so he fell back on known mechanisms.

This is represented by their names. Matoba calling Natori by his first name and getting him to call him Seiji and them arriving at adulthood using their last names with a polite distance.

Neither was in a good enough place to actually manage to build strong foundations so there are foundations but they're kind of just...there waiting to be reinforced and built on.

So that's it for the run down.

But why does that matter ? Well this chapter nuances everything through more or less subtle additions which hasn't really happened yet in the main story, at least not on such a big scale.

Natori's familiarity with the Matobas

We start the arc with Natori recognizing an object belonging to someone we don't know. Just that they make him shudder. We learn at the very end that this is Lady Matoba. Which brings some behaviors to a different light.

For example when explaining who Ban is and what kind of person he is sevring, we get this:

Voir l'intégralité du billet

57 notes - publié le 29 août 2022

n°2

Natsume Yuujinchou / Natsume's Book of Friends / Le Pacte des Yokai chap 101

Matoba is such a nerd.

72 notes - publié le 3 septembre 2022

Mon billet n°1 en 2022

OK but Eddie's announcement about leaving the 118 and putting Buck on the spot at the end of 510 is sooooo similar to the way he chose to enroll in the army leaving Shannon behind.

In both cases he's running away with the excuse of taking care of his son (both were fully valid, but still excuses).

He admits to Carla that the shooting and the kidnapping both impacted him, the same way he admitted to Buck that he left for the army because he was scared.

Except now he clings to his son instead of leaving him behind. But he still leaves his partner behind without discussing with them the fact that he won't be able to have their backs first.

If there was any moment Eddie needed to get Therapy... It's now.

141 notes - publié le 3 mars 2022

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[blueteller]

Why is Cale so lovable, actually? What's his secret??

Here's the thing: despite his flaws, KRS-Cale's charisma is insane, even for protagonist standards. Why is that?

Sure, it's a standard protagonist quality to use the ✨Power of Friendship✨ to save the day, but Cale has the unique ability to – completely unintentionally – turn EVERYONE around him into simps, sometimes even his enemies. And that, bizarrely, includes the audience. No don't lie to me, I've been in this fandom for a month already, I have eyes!

So, how does that keep happening, exactly??

To answer that question, allow me to first introduce you to a very important concept for healthy relationships: the 5 languages of love.

Words of affirmation

Quality time

Physical touch

Acts of service

Receiving gifts

A no, this does not apply only to romantic relationships - it's ALL relationships. Every person has their own preferences, both in showing and receiving them, usually 2 or 3 of them being the most important ones for a person. For example, I'm a "words" and "touch" person myself: I like hugs and people telling me they care about me. Pretty simple concept.

So, here's the thing. I've been re-reading TCF, and I came to a very important conclusion: Cale, completely by accident, absolutely excels at all five love languages.

It's so subtle you might not realize it at first. It does't sound like someone with such a closed personality, does it? It's especially confusing when you consider his background: an abused orphan who was pretty much always alone. But perhaps because he never recieved much affection growing up, he currently compensates by subconsciously sharing what he always wanted to receive, yet never got as a child. And because he ends up in a world where he's surrounded by abused children who didn't get enough affection, it's so darn effective, winning people's undying love and loyalty instantly.

Let's look at these one by one, shall we?

1. Words of affirmation

Cale has a tendency to accidentally say exactly what the listener needs to hear. But it's not all bluff, and not all luck. Cale is actually quite wise. He gives proper words of encouragement, based entirely on his knowledge and judgemment. For example: he tells Choi Han that he can protect people. He tells Raon that he should live freely and that he's great and mighty. He tells Alberu he deserves to rule the kingdom. He tells Mary not to "listen to nonsense". He tells Rosalyn she's reliable and capable. The list goes on and on.

Cale might not be saying "I love you" directly, but he is saying "Good job, take good care of yourself"... which pretty much amounts to the same thing.

2. Quality time

It might sound ridiculous, but... taking down Arm and saving the world is actually their perfect family quality time. Laugh if you want, but I'm serious! They're not a regular family, after all. They were all hurt, scarred and/or betrayed by the secret organization at some point. By destroying them and saving the world together, Cale not only gives his friends a purpose - he is also giving them closure. Revenge, retribution, healing, moving forward... it's all there. THAT'S some quality time!

3. Physical touch

While he's certainly not hugger or anything (not counting the Choi Han battle hug or Alberu's showman embraces, those were always an act), Cale is not averse to touching people either. Head pats for the children are quite common. Cale also touches people on the shoulder a lot, have you noticed? Like when Jack cried over Hannah, or when Cale congratulated Choi Han on a job well done after rescuing Raon. It's subtle, but it's there: his touch means support, affection and respect. It definitely counts.

4. Acts of service

Pretty much everything Cale does ends up helping other people, one way or another. Considering the sheer scale of Cale's actions, it's only natural that combined with the other love languages, it makes others feel great admiration towards Cale. He might not like it, because he sees those acts of service as "self-serving". But I think Cale was the most honest about it at the beginning of the story: when he gave On and Hong bread for the first time. "You don't need a reason for things your heart draws you to."

Cale actually, genuinely wants to help others. It's just he's so overworked already, he doesn't want the expectations and responsibility that comes with other people relying on him. As an orphan, he was made to believe that taking care of his own interests is inherently selfish, but somehow, he only applies that when thinking about himself. Despite everything, he actively encourages others to take care of themselves while neglecting himself. No wonder people love him.

5. Receiving gifts

Despite liking money so much, he's extremely generous. He lets go of five billions when selling Toonka – whom he "doesn't even like" – some documents back from the magic tower pretty much "just because". Sure, Alberu told him to do it, but Cale wouldn't listen to him if he didn't want to. You'd think his previous life of poverty would make him greedier than that. But while he steals from bad guys with no remorse, he gives to his allies freely with even less remorse. Sure, he expect them to "repay" him with their services, but you'd have to be blind not to notice how beneficial those deals are for everyone involved. And his kids? Cale downright spoils them. Sure he "scams" Raon by letting him pick one magic gemstone out of hundreds, or a single coin out of Alberu's pockets... but that's just responsible parenting more than anything.

And remember how he asked Basen and Lily what they wanted as a gift at the beginning? There was absolutely no ulterior motive to that: zero. He did it literally just because. Remeber when he gave Raon an additional pouch with healing potions when he just met him? Or when he gave Choi Han the same pouch when he sent him off to find Lock and Rosalyn? Yeah. Cale does that pretty much all the time in the novel.

Conclusion: the reason why Cale is so lovable is because he's already so loving 😊

[tiffanylamps]

Han Joo Won loves a love triangle, Part I

Let's talk about Han Joo Won, his jealousy and his weird attempts at creating love triangles.

[Excuse this post and all its flaws: it was written during a stupid, stupid English heatwave... otherwise known as satan's asscrack. No, this tiny cold island shouldn't be 33C at 9am. ]

Also, I must add that I barely got my English GCSE at school. So, to all those English majors or people with a higher qualification in English Literature (etc), I have no horse in this race. I am not pretending to know what I am talking about... Just indulge me, please.

We all know that Han Joo Won is a silly, silly man. He is pompous and proud, blunt and rude, emotional and caring; he picks fights, gets dissed, and then needs 5-10 business days to think of a comeback.

He also doesn't like close emotional relationships. He believes relationships should be on a transactional (give and take) basis; no emotions, no complication, just favours and debts that get paid off. Han Joo Won has also canonically never had a romantic relationship.

Joo Won clearly has some emotional issues that stem from childhood trauma. He struggles with making genuine, long-lasting connections (mainly because he doesn't want them) and doesn't seem to understand the value of creating bonds. He's a very lonely person, who doesn't know that they're lonely. He reminds me quite a lot of Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Both share some character traits and act as "misunderstood antagonists" in their own stories, only to become one of the protagonist's greatest allies (and romantic interest). [they're both totally autistic/have asd but whatevs]

[This is written about Mr Darcy. But if someone told me it was a summary of Joo Won, I would totally believe it]

Obviously, the basic plots of Pride and Prejudice and Beyond Evil do differ: one is about the sociopolitical inequalities of regency England's marriage system and how that conflicts with love, and the other is about the importance of found family and love in a corrupt society, overcoming trauma and that no one is above the law. However, they do share similar themes:

Reputation

Class

Family

Preconceived assumptions

Love

Integrity

Han Joo Won and Mr Darcy are (at first) both hard to get along with. Their arrogance and snobby attitudes rub people up the wrong way, and they are often excused for their behaviour because of the family's class and financial status. Where these two characters differ the most is the lens through which they are explored. By this, I mean that Mr Darcy is explored through Elizabeth's pov, and only when her perspective of him changes so does the audience's. Whereas Joo Won has his own pov, he is one of the main narrators of his story. Our perspective of him only chances once he is willing to show his other facets (because Dong Sik forces him to).

[HJW and MD are both misunderstood, socially inept rain-soaked kitty cats, who do use/would use the word ardently when describing their feelings]

[Quick note: Dong Sik is so Elizabeth Bennet. Crazy pretty, comes from a family of "lower" economic class, is from a loving family, charismatic with a sharp tongue, witty, sarcastic, has a love of the ridiculous, stubborn, and has a bit of a temper. Come on, this quote said by Elizabeth could easily have been said by Dong Sik: “There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.” Pride and Prejudice, chapter 31]

Another similarity between Han Joo Won and Mr Darcy is that at one point or another, they find themselves in a short-lived love triangle. The biggest difference is that Mr Darcy did not choose to be in a love triangle, Han Joo Won did.

[Joo Won has his own hand flex scene]

When Han Joo Won arrives in Manyang, he is there with a purpose and that purpose is to catch his murder suspect: Lee Dong Sik. There is some stalking history but that's another point for another time. Han Joo Won seems to be taken aback by how much Dong Sik's community love him: he has a large friendship circle and is respected and supported. From very early on, Joo Won seems to be interested in the idea that Dong Sik has a girlfriend. Which could speak on Joo Won's societal beliefs. Perhaps, he's been brought up to believe that a man in his forties should or at the very least, would, have a girlfriend or wife. Perhaps, he believes that Dong Sik would have a wife- maybe it helps Joo Won add more detail to his murder suspect's MO. Or perhaps, it's because Joo Won needs Dong Sik to be interested and involved with women because if he wasn't then... maybe he's interested in men, maybe he'll be interested in Joo Won, maybe he'll find Joo Won attractive, what if Joo Won reciprocated those feelings, what if-

It's easier for Joo Won if Dong Sik is straight.

Beyond Evil uses the rule of three when exploring Joo Won's jealousy. [Definition: "The rule (or power) of three is an age-old writing technique that implies that things that come in threes are inherently more satisfying and effective to readers." - www.andbeyond.com]

So, who's the first person Joo Won believes Dong Sik is interested in? Kang Min Jeong.

I'm not even sure if this suspicion lasts for an entire episode. But Joo Won is so bitchy about it, so princess, that Ji Hoon had to sit him down and say you're being really obvious, calm down, damnnnn she's like his daughter. So, once that "potential love interest/rival" is ruled out, Joo Won moves quickly on. The second rule of the three, the next suspect: Oh Ji Hwa

Now, this is where Joo Won's jealously really shines through. It's text, it's obvious, it's right there for everyone to see. Episode 5 is where this jealously is most prevalent for the audience to see. [quick context filler] At the beginning of the episode, Joo Won wanted to know who Dong Sik is protecting. They have a big UST row over it and Joo Won left with all this information and not context (cause he's too silly to connect the dots). At the police station, the Mayang police gang protect Joo Won against the harassment of the reporter... and he... well... He asks: “Why do you care about me? You barely know anything about me." That's some of the sad shit right there. It just highlights Joo Won's complete lack of understanding of how feelings (like attraction, affection, love) work. He doesn’t understand that they aren’t something earnt, they aren’t given with permission, you cannot control how someone feels about you. It ALSO shows Joo Won's panic of "oh, now I owe these people". The conversation that follows is (I think) one of the most important in the show because it outlines one of the fundamental factors of Dong Sik's and Joo Won’s dynamic. Dong Sik tells Joo Won that “we'' protect our own here, even if we are mad at each other. The people of Manjang band together to eliminate any external threats. And WHAT HAPPENS THROUGHOUT THE STORY??

DS & JW band together to protect a disabled boy against the weather

When bringing Kang Jin Mook to justice

They (reluctantly at first) unite to find out who kills KJM

They start their own task force to investigate who killed the Chief

They band together to find out who killed Lee Yu Yeon

They band together to arrest Joo Won’s father

Whenever there is an outside threat to their community, their safety, their happiness, and their relationship, these two always band together to protect and fight off the threat. No matter the sacrifice, they will protect each other and anyone else who deserves it. That is so beautiful. They are at their best when they are a unit. But anyway, within the context of the scene, Dong Sik is really saying: “I’m still mad at you for the shit you’ve been pulling recently. But don't you see that we are all just normal people? I'm not who you think I am. So, just stop the charade and be a part of our community."

But at this point in the story, episode 5, Joo Won doesn't trust Dong Sik but he is interested in him. What he also doesn't realise is that after the whole "don't be mean to HJW. He's an idiot but he's our idiot" scene, Dong Sik alongside everyone else. He has just protected Joo Won, adding him to the list he recited at the beginning of the episode.

Then... plot happens and they go beat people up together because they're bonding... it's also because Joo Won cares for Dong Sik AND it's because Dong Sik protected him, and Joo Won has paid back the debt.

[from the moment I saw this bit, I thought it was an erection joke and I've got smh at myself sometimes]

But what happens afterwards is what is most telling.

Whilst the officers are processing the charges, Lee Chang Jin makes everyone aware that he and Ji Hwa used to be married. In a thinly-veiled attempt to make others feel sorry that he’s no longer with “his love”, Dong Sik gets angry on her behalf. Ji Hwa is one of Dong Sik’s closest friends, they have always had a platonic relationship, and they love each other dearly. Dong Sik doesn’t like his friend’s shitty ex-husband spurting lies. 

So, he kicks the desk. 

Joo Won’s reaction? A small amount of confusion mixed with surprise and a sad sigh as he looks away.

What does this look like to Joo Won? He thinks Dong Sik is jealous. He thinks the guy he likes is jealous of (if this were a normal het drama, Dong Sik and Ji Hwa would have been a couple and Joo Won and Jae Yi would have ended up together) Lee Chang Jin’s history with Ji Hwa. Perhaps, his feelings got hurt so he wants to push the “straight” man he likes away, in order to protect himself. Concealing. Concealing. Concealing.

So, what does he actually do?

Gets jealous and pisses Dong Sik off by being a jealous brat.

As we enter the following scene with jwds, the shot we see is of Joo Won sitting up straight with his arms crossed in front of himself. He seems to be annoyed and deep in thought. This could be because of a video of him beating people up is online, it could be because he knows his father knows, it could be because he’s worried he’ll get into trouble. But what is the first thing out of his mouth?

Are you jealous?

What a wonderful example of projecting. Dong Sik isn’t the jealous one. We know he isn’t because there hasn’t been a point in the show (for the 5 episodes, which are roughly an hour long each) that a romantic relationship (past or present) between Dong Sik and Ji Hwa has been mentioned. Instead, we have seen their friendship. The concept of jealousy comes directly from Joo Won and you can see how hurt/tired Dong Sik is once Joo Won accuses him of being jealous of his friend… his female friend’s ex-husband. 

We’re at the halfway point of the episode, up until this point Dong Sik has been trying to pull Joo Won in by protecting him and just being nice. He finally thinks they’ve gotten somewhere and the brat says this? 

All of this "Dong Sik having feelings for Ji Hwa" nonsense is best summed up Ji Hwa's reaction:

This is probably meant to be a funny line to help diffuse the tension for the audience. A “we know it's getting pretty gay in here but don’t worry, we’ve acknowledged it, it’s not like that, pls don't run away conservative audiences…”  But in reality: She directs these two lines to Joo Won. Not her best friend, who is older and should know better than to let little upsets get between himself and his partner. No, she directs it to Joo Won. Almost as if she can see through him, all the way down to his silly jealousy. His reaction is so interesting to me because he immediately gets up and tries to leave; which could be seen as heterosexual disgust (the suggestion that he might “fall” for a man) but it's already been established that he’s the one who is jealous. So, is it disgust or is it concealment?  [Also, I know when he gets up, in the world of television, he has to stay facing the camera, so we can see his face as he leaves. But the character of Joo Won always chooses to leave the interrogation room by squeezing behind Dong Sik (getting in his personal space again), instead of just walking to his right. That is rather amusing to me]

In episode 6, Joo Won brings up Ji Hwa one last time to determine Dong Sik's feelings. The reaction he gets is a sigh. By this point, Joo Won has finally gotten his head around the fact that Ji Hwa and Dong Sik aren't romantically interested in one another. Joo Won had ruled Ji Hwa out as a romantic interest/rival. This leads him to his next suspect: Park Jung Je. The last part of the rule of three.

-

I'm going to leave this there for now. I will write a part II at some point but don't expect it any time soon. This feels a little disorganised but we all know what I'm getting at. Thanks for reading.

Ta ta for now!

[letarasstuff]

Unbreakable Bond

(A/N): This is based on this post and this tiktok

Summary: A big age gap between Aaron's children doesn't have to mean that they are unable to form a strong bond

Warnings: Mentions of Haley's death and failed relationships

Wordcount: 1.8k

✨Masterlist✨

_________________________________

His life took turns Aaron never expected. It’s not the “Oh, mh, well that was unexpected”-type of turns, I talk about the “God played Cards Against Humanity with angels and decided to make it happen for someone”-type. But looking back he would not want to change a thing.

After Haley and Beth he was convinced that God, the Universe, something out there shared the opinion that romantic love isn’t the right thing for him and Aaron accepted that fact. Even more when he and Jack went into witness protection. I mean, when you are worried about the life of your family being in danger because of a stalker, you don’t think about the beautiful neighbor, who lives next door, right? Right?

Well, without going into too much detail, Hotch did think about her and she about him and vice versa. Everything went good until Aaron received the message that the team found the stalker and that it was safe to come back. He decided to come clean to his girlfriend. They talked about the possibility of moving back to Quantico.

In the end they decided in favor of the move, the final argument was the surprising announcement of her being pregnant. Hotch wants to raise their youngest where his and Jack’s roots are located. But he decides against taking a position at the BAU, instead taking a desk job in order to be more at home. He also has the opportunity to work from home after little (Y/N) was born and continues to do so until she is old enough to go to Kindergarten. Even then he takes two days the week where he stays home. Aaron learned from his decisions and mistakes he made in the past and wants to live up to them and be a better father and husband than before.

And Hotch keeps it to this day, six years later. It’s (Y/N)’s first day of school, while Jack just graduated high school and goes off to college in a few weeks. Even though they have an age gap from twelve and a half years, their parents are sure there are no other siblings with such a strong bond.

Ever since his baby sister’s birth Jack is her biggest supporter, protector and friend. Her first word was his name, though it was more of a “ACK!”, but that’s the best nickname he ever got. As soon as (Y/N) was old enough to comprehend the concept of movies, he introduced her to Star Wars. Since then lightsaber wars out of cardboard pipes are not uncommon. Last Halloween they even dressed up as Chewbakka and Han Solo. You get three guesses on who was who.

“JACK!” (Y/N) runs into her big brother’s room with an excited expression on her face. “Daddy promised to buy me a real lightsaber after I read ten books! With lights and sounds and all! Isn’t that cool?” Jack smiles. Aaron did a similar thing with him. For a certain amount of books he got a reward they discussed beforehand. This way he felt motivated to read and improved writing and reading skills.

“This is awesome. I think that means we have to go book shopping together, what do you think?” (Y/N) is not only the cool kid that has an older brother, she is also the cool kid, whose older brother has a drivers license, a car and a part time job. She nods with big eyes, speechless, because the offer sounds like heaven to her. Getting books and one on one time with Jack after he was really busy with school for weeks? This has to be heaven.

“Ok, then you put your outside clothes on and I’ll tell Dad about our plan.” At that the little girl rushes to her room, not wanting to waste any more time. Jack makes his way down to the kitchen, where Aaron wipes the table from lunch down.

“Dad, I take (Y/N) to this bookstore in DC and we’ll probably go eat ice cream after that. Is that alright?” Hotch looks up at his son. It still feels like yesterday as he told Haley that Gideon is a big no as a baby name. Now he is all grown up and just a few weeks away from the next big chapter in his life.

“Of course, just let me get my wall-” Jack cuts him off. “No need, I want to use this as a kind of goodbye thing. At least until Thanksgiving.” Aaron knows what he means. It’s his last day before he goes off to college and just a couple more until the first classes begin. The family still hasn’t told their youngest exactly what’s going on. Else she would refuse to go to school and go on with her day, insisting on using all the time they have until Jack drives off.

Two hours later the siblings leave the bookstore, both of them having a bag in their hands. Of course Jack's heavier, but both he and the cashier assured (Y/N) that they lift the same amount of weight.

“Uncle Spence will be excited when I tell him that I read Harry Potter, he told me so many good things about it”, the girl gushes. Jack nods, indicating that he is listening. Of course they also picked books that are not that advanced. Still, no sister of his shall grow up without knowing the beauty of the wizarding world. Also, secretly he is hoping for her to turn out as nerdy as he is so they get more things to talk about. His next step is superheroes, especially the Marvel ones.

They converse until they get to an ice cream parlor and order both their usuals. “Do you think you are ready for me to tell you something important?” The older one asks after they sit down at a table. (Y/N) nods, confusion taking over her face.

“Uhm, you know how I graduated from high school? I’m done with school, but I want to get a degree, but for that I have to go to college. It’s pretty far away so I can’t come home for a few months. But I’m back home when Thanksgiving is and also for Christmas.” It doesn’t matter what Jack says, a sad frown has formed on the little one’s face. “Oh. And after Christmas, will you leave again?” He nods and explains when he is off from college and when not.

“We can always skype and write letters. How does that sound? And when you get your first phone, we can even text.” That (Y/N) lights up a bit. For her first year of school she got a stationary set and is eager to use it to this day.

“I’m going to miss you so much”, she says hugging her big brother. Jack pats her back. “I’ll miss you, too.”

The goodbye the next day is a heartfelt matter. Everybody cries, especially (Y/N). She can’t fathom a scenario where her brother isn’t there for her all the time.

The following weeks are also hard for the family. The youngest refuses to sleep alone for the first three days after Jack’s leave. She is more closed off and mainly just does her school work or reads the books he bought for her. By the time Thanksgiving is only away for another two weeks, (Y/N) has read through all of them at least two times.

Her father already ordered the lightsaber he promised her. Unfortunately shipping takes several months, so the little girl still has to wait patiently for her reward to arrive. In the meantime she works on getting the next and she is already pretty close to the comic book collection she wants.

“Sweetheart, can you set the table, please? Your Mom will be here soon from grocery shopping and she will need help getting them from the car into the house”, Hotch calls for his daughter while stirring in a pot.

The little girl nods, putting her stationary set and pens aside to do as her father asked. She is in the middle of answering her brother’s last letter, telling him that she is now the one that usually has to read aloud for the class because of her advanced skill for a first grader.

Just as she sets the last piece of silverware down the doorbell rings. “Sweetie, can you please open it? This should be your mother.” Happily (Y/N) runs up and turns the door knob. Over the last few months she hit a small growing spurt and is finally tall enough to reach it without standing on her tippy toes.

“Mo-” She nearly chokes on her own saliva. The one at the door is definitely not her mother. “JACK!” (Y/N) runs up to him and jumps onto his leg. “Hey Princess. I thought now that you read your books, we need to hold the most amazing lightsaber fight in history.” With a mischievous smile he pulls two from his back, giving one to his baby sister.

It is the most epic fight in history between an elementary schooler and a college boy. They can only be stopped by their parents announcing that it is a tie between both of them and that they have to sit down, else the food gets cold.

The following weeks mostly consist of (Y/N)’s joyous laughs and cuddling with her big brother. She even insists on him sleeping with her in her much smaller bed. On his last night before going back to college, the little girl turns to him in the middle of watching her favorite movie in the living room.

“Do you promise not to forget me when you are away? Because I alway think about you and tell my friends so much about you. I told them you are a hero, my hero, just like Daddy. They wanna meet you because of that.” Jack has to hold back tears at her statement.

“I also think of you so much. All of my friends at college are pretty jealous of me having such a sweet baby sister. Maybe one time you can visit me and I can introduce you to them.” The thought of that makes (Y/N) smile and is a little consolation to the thought of her brother leaving again.

Aaron watches the interaction going down, happy to see the strong bond between his children, despite their age gap. This is nothing like he and Sean were and that is a relief for him and the worries he had in the beginning. It is a sign that he did do some things right as a father.

Taglist:

All works:

@dindjarinsspouse @big-galaxy-chaos @jswessie187

Criminal Minds:

@averyhotchner @mggsprettygirl @herecomesthewriterwitch @ash19871962 @ellyhotchner

[linnoya-writes]

Things I always hear Kat*angers argue (with counter-arguments):

1) Zuko and Katara’s elements might showcase an “opposites attract” idea, but they’re the same people: both are hot-headed and stubborn and would be at each other’s throats.  Katara and Aang carry the “soft boy/head strong girl” dynamic that is more healthy.

Let’s dive into this idea that Katara and Aang compliment each other better based on their natural responses to danger/conflict:

Aang is playful and cheerful where Katara is serious and focused.

Aang is a patient and peaceful soul where Katara is quick to anger.

Aang encourages Katara to reach for the sky, and Katara keeps him grounded.

Okay-- so it’s safe to say that whenever one partner is angry/frustrated, the other approaches them in a calm, collected supportive manner... right?

Actually, look closer.  These fun-loving, playful and peaceful kid-like traits embedded in Aang’s personality are traits that Katara always had in her-- she just needed someone like Aang to remind her that she had them.  The focused, serious and disciplined traits of Katara are all traits that Aang should be adopting into his own sense of maturity as he gradually becomes more confident and determined to be The Avatar.  

It’s not so much that Katara and Aang compliment each other enough to manage a relationship together, but more that they inspire each other to become more complex, beautiful, individual human beings.  Romantic potential between them has nothing to do with that.  

This “soft boy/head strong girl” idea of Kataang doesn’t even address the way Katara always hides her dark side/emotional issues from Aang in order to be a capable “voice of reason” for him on any given moment, or the fact that Katara is always defending Aang like a mother to a son, chasing him every time he literally or figuratively runs away from problems.  The dynamic between them is an imbalance of maturity rather than a balance of character traits.

Which leads me to Zutara’s dynamic; yes, Zuko and Katara are quite hot-headed, stubborn individuals who easily get frustrated when people don’t see things their way.  They have been at each other’s throats in the past... but here’s what people forget -- they stopped fighting the moment Zuko learned the error of his ways, stood by Katara’s side without judgment when she faced YonRha, and they became an unstoppable well-oiled machine of a duo who understood, respected and trusted each other enough to lay down their lives for the other.

It isn’t to say that Zuko and Katara would never argue or fight again, but the difference here is that their shared maturity, their understanding and mutual respect for one another would keep them at bay to hear each other’s point of view.  They have seen the darkest sides to each other and would know how to approach it calmly and collectively.  Neither of them would downplay or ignore the other’s anger; they would face each other until the conflict is resolved.

And that’s why Zutara’s dynamic, despite sharing similar character traits, holds a lot more weight and power that Kataang.

2) “Their bond is so epic that not wanting them together is like not wanting Han Solo/Princess Leia to be together.”

Okay, so, I’m not completely disagreeing here.  

I do understand that Katara and Aang had a spiritual connection since the beginning (very much like how Hayao Miyazaki sets up two protagonists to have a special, unspoken bond) and the adventures/obstacles they face together make their relationship all the much stronger.  I see Katara seeing Aang as the culmination of all of her dreams come true with the revelation that he is the Avatar, and that she brought him back, and I see Aang seeing Katara as the person who not only welcomed him into this second chance to fulfill his destiny, but to also guide him as a voice of reason into this darker war-torn world that he isn’t prepared for.  As Bryke once commented, Katara and Aang are the “DNA of the show” and I interpret this as the two of them moving the story forward... taking the initiative to go from plot-point to plot-point to fulfill all the needed tasks (ie. finding Aang bending masters) in order to have Aang become a fully realized Avatar.

My argument here is, why does it have to turn romantic?  Why can’t the bond remain as a spiritual, wholesome connection between friends?  Even Roku and Toph brought up the idea of friendship being such a powerful bond that it can transcend lifetimes in “The Avatar and the FireLord”... and I think the beauty of Aang and Katara is that it was a powerful friendship that occurred serendipitously and yet perfectly, setting up the entire arc of the ATLA story.  To me there is more emotional weight in keeping Katara and Aang as life-long friends rather than making things romantic.

The problem with turning their bond into a romance is that it brings up a lot more issues.  Katara is not a nomad like Aang; she would give up her own personal wants/needs to not just be at Aang’s side but travel everywhere with him as the Avatar’s SO, when we know that she is a girl who prefers setting roots, building connections and helping people for as long as its needed (”Imprisoned” and “The Painted Lady”).  She has a strong connection to her family in the SWT and would want to rebuild her home after the war and especially train new water benders.  Her SWT culture that greatly values quality family time, a meat-based diet, clothing made by animal skins would also clash with Aang’s personal tastes-- he’s not even discreet about how much he doesn’t like SWT food.  Furthermore, Aang as the Avatar would have so much responsibility fulfilling his work to the world that he would have a lot of trouble understanding the emotional needs/wants to Katara as a partner-- especially since in the show, he’s so accustomed to seeing her be mature enough to handle tough situations calmly and collectively.  Aang has even repeatedly avoided, ignored or downright down-played Katara’s angry and aggressive outbursts, so it goes to show that he wouldn’t know how to properly “be there” for her dark moments.  Katara has gotten accustomed to setting aside her own emotional headspace to instead nurture/coddle/support Aang.  It becomes a very lonely, very unsung existence, carrying that responsibility to be “collected” one in the relationship.  It’s easy to determine that this would continue as they’d get older, and Katara would continue to carry that heavy burden of always “being there” for Aang, but not vice versa.  

The emotional imbalance in a romance between Katara and Aang would be palpable (and it’s implied in LoK and the comics that they did have problems) especially since healthy relationships are meant to express equality and partnership-- where the two people interchangeably give love and support as needed.   

So yes, Kataang is indeed an “epic” relationship in the sense of friendship, but turning it into a romance would come at the cost of the individual characters’ wants/needs and development, and the healthy dynamic that they had as friends would suffer.

3) “But... what about Aang??  He’s loved her since the beginning and would be so devastated from Katara’s rejection, he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his duty as the Avat--”

Stop.  Just-- I’m gonna stop you right there.

It is not Katara’s responsibility to be there for Aang, especially as PR/damage control for the Avatar.  She does not owe Aang a relationship just because he harbored strong feelings for her, or because he’s grown to depend on her over time, or because he has this unbelievable power of the Avatar State that he hasn’t learned to control without her influence. 

Aang is the one who must grow up, who needs to be the Avatar and understand how to manage this power and sense of duty to the world.  On his own.

Aang needs to learn to be enough on his own.

... And while we’re on this topic, it is never healthy for someone to be figuratively “stuck” or “trapped” in a relationship just because their partner would be a lost, broken wreck without them.  

That is called “codependency,” and that is not okay.

[unlikelyjedi]

Star Wars Movie Pride Headcanons

Obviously I can't do all the characters in Star Wars (movies or otherwise) so today I'll start with just the movie characters I find important or just fun!

Of course, these are just my opinions and it's totally cool if you have different ideas. Art is subjective and there are plenty of ways to engage with said art. This is just for my personal fun.

Luke Skywalker (he/him): Bisexual

I know people like Gay!Luke and that's totally fine, but... I just think of Legends!Luke and his wonderful wife Mara Jade, and I think Luke Skywalker is a man who can appreciate both Mara Jade and Ezra Bridger! Would be open to polyamory if it was like a throuple situation and everybody loved everybody.

Leia Organa (she/her): Bisexual

Now, I know the Leia book says she only likes humanoid males, but as someone who had a crush on both twins growing up, this headcanon is for me personally.

Han Solo (he/him): Bisexual

Okay, so most of these are going to be bisexual because I'm a stupid bisexual and I said so. Han Solo would flirt with anyone in the galaxy, including but not limited to Qi'ra, Lando Calrissian, Leia Organa, and Luke Skywalker.

Chewbacca (he/him): Ally (?)

Idk, tbh. He's got a wife and kid, and I think he thinks gay people are neat.

C-3PO and R2D2: Queer-platonic

They're droids and even though I do think droids can develop attraction like bio-species, I don't think these droids feel any attraction. Doesn't mean they don't have chemistry with each other though.

Lando Calrissian (he/they): Pansexual

He fucks. Everybody. I think Lando would be hand-wavy about gender. Most people use he/him with Lando, but they also enjoy they/them pronouns. Totally chill with polyamory.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (he/him): Graysexual

I really don't think this man knew he could have attraction until he met Satine Kryze. He just didn't think about it. It's not important. He probably scoffed at people who had issues following the Jedi Code. "What, like it's hard??"

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader (he/him): Hetero-flexible

My man loves his wife (to quite an extreme degree actually). He's pretty sure he's straight? He's never thought of anybody but Padmé so it's not like he's really explored more. He wouldn't be opposed to dating men or other genders, though.

Wilhuff Tarkin (he/him): mlm

The only reason I'm including him on my list is because it's actually canon. He likes men. That's all I know on that front. I just had to include it because I was flabbergasted.

Yoda (he/him): Aro/Ace

All Yoda knows is talk funny, eat hot chip, and lie. (but actually he's a very wise master and mentor who loves his students and loves pulling a prank or two).

Padmé Naberrie/Amidala (she/her): Ally

Padmé loves her friends and family. She'd defend them with her life. I don't think homophobia exists in most areas of the SW universe, but if there was ever a time her friends felt marginalized, she'd be there to defend them. Whether that required just a simple talk, all the way to "aggressive negotiations."

Qui-Gon Jinn (he/him): Asexual

He feels like he could like somebody in a romantic sense. I don't think he'd hold on too heavily to the Jedi Code either. He just doesn't have the time. He's also never really wanted the sexual aspects of a relationship. I bet he gave all his Padawans "the talk" though.

Mace Windu(he/him): Aro/Ace

...and judgmental about it. Very sex-repulsed. He's not homophobic. He hates all PDA equally. Don't kiss in front of him. He will gag.

Rey (she/her): Pansexual

She just has a whole lotta love to give. :)

Finn (he/him): Bisexual

Rey's really hot. Poe's really hot. Why is everyone so hot???

Poe Dameron (he/him): Gay

Gay. Gay. Homosexual. Gay. (This is for Oscar Isaac. Luv u bby 😘) Poe looked at Finn like he was the first drop of water in the desert. And I think that's beautiful.

Rose Tico (she/her): Queer. Non-Binary.

Rose knows who she likes. She doesn't need a label to save what she loves. I think she still likes she/her pronouns, but doesn't necessarily like the label "woman."

That's the list! I'll be doing more Star Wars queer headcanons for people outside of the movies too! So be looking out for that, if you've read this far! Let me know if I've missed someone important from the movies and I'll add it later!

[lycheesqueeze]

5 Non-Romance Kdramas

I know. I know. Everyone wants sweet romance scenes. But every now and then we need to give other Dramas space. Dramas that shine with a good plot, interesting themes or storylines, diverse characters or thrilling vibes. I love to watch romance series, that's without a doubt, but I also really enjoy action, thriller or horror Dramas.

With that being said, I collected a few of my personal non-romance Kdramas, that focus on different genres and non-romantic storylines (but still offer some relationships between the characters).

Let me know what you think about them and if you have other suggestions!

- Sweet Home [스위트홈] // 2020 by Lee Eung-Bok & Jang Young-Woo // 10 Episodes

If you haven't watche Sweet Home yet, are you even a Kdrama Fan? It is based on the same name Webtoon and tells the story about the occupants of Green Home Building Compelx who get locked up inside as strange things start to happening outside. People start to turn into monsters of every sort, starting with heavy nosebleeding and fainting. There are many main characters in this story but it mostly evolves around Cha Hyun-Su who is a Hikikomori ( a loner, or a person who never leaves the house) and mobbing victim. As the story moves on many more interesting characters are introduced such as Lee Eun-Hyuk a medical student who becomes the leader of the group, the mysterious hitman Pyeon Sang-Wook or the charismatic firefighter Seo Yi-Kyeong.

It is definitely a horro series so if you can't watch things like that I don't recommend it. It has some jump scares as well as bloody scenes so if you are sensitive towards these pictures please refer from watching. It also needs a trigger warning because mental health problems are shown. But if you can handle these type of storylines than you will love Sweet Home!

Main Actresses and Actors: Song Kang as Cha Hyun-Su // Lee Do-Hyun as Lee Eun-Hyuk // Lee Si-Young as Seo Yi-Kyeong // Lee Jin-Wook as Pyeon Sang-Wook

- Vagabond [배가본드] // 2019 by Yoo In-Sik // 16 Episodes

Now this one remains one of the most thrilling and interesting Kdramas I have ever watched. The story evolves around a mysterious plane crash, terror organizations and bribed politicians. The main hero of this series Cha Dal-Gun (played by the incredible Lee Seung-Ri) wants to get revenge for his little nephew and with the help of Go Hae-Ri who works for the Korean National Intelligence Service he tries to discover the people who are behind the plane crash. It's a Drama which definitely has action movie vibes to it.

This Drama is extremely suitable for binge watching so be aware!

Main Actresses and Actors: Lee Seung-Gi as Cha Dal-Gun // Bae Suzy as Go Hae-Ri // Shin Sung-Rok as Gi Tae-Ung

- Save Me [구해줘] // 2017 by Kim Sung-Soo // 16 Episodes

This Drama is about a young girl who moves with her family from Seoul to the suburbs of Daegu. After the death of her younger brother, her parents get dragged into a religious cult and she becomes the main target of the cult leader who wants to form her into his own 'spiritual mother'. As her father gets completely brain washed Sang-Mi is unable to escape. Han Sang-Hwan (a former school mate) and his friends eventually try to save her from the cult.

I think I never saw a similar plot before so this one is really interesting to watch. It has a lot of untypical style choice, the area it plays in is rarely seen in other Kdramas. Most of the characters have the typical Satori (사투리) Dialect which is also rare. It is thrilling and has excellent cliffhangers so this one as well has binge watching potential.

Main Actresses and Actors: Ok Taec-Yeon as Han Sang-Hwan // Seo Yea-Ji as Im Sang-Mi // Woo Do-Hwan as Suk Dong-Chul

- The School Nurse Files [보건교사 안은영 ] // 2020 by Lee Kyoung-Mi // 6 Episodes

The School Nurse Files is about a woman who is able to see 'Jellies' (which are human desires, spirits and feelings) that appear in the school she is working at. Her job is to keep the students safe and try to discover the source of those 'Jellies'. She befriends the son of the founder of that school Hong In-Pyo who has a magic protection shield against those creatures. Along her way she meets many other new friends. This Drama is so weird that you just can't stop watching it. It's plotline, characters and features are totally unique and everything but normal. It feels like a different universe which it totally is.

I highly recommend this one if you need a quick pause from your usual Kdrama Storylines. Because it has only 6 episodes it doesn't take away much time but is still really worthy to watch.

Main Actresses and Actors: Jung Yu-Mi as Ahn Eun-Young // Nam Joo-Hyuk as Hong In-Pyo

- Extra Curricular [인간수업] // 2020 by Kim Jin-Min // 10 Episodes

The last one on this list is a short Drama as well. It tells the story about a highschooler named Oh Ji-Soo who is an unpopular kid in his school and without parents. As he needs to make money (and he wants to make a lot) he runs a highly controversial business. His secret gets discovered by his class mate Bae Gyu-Ri and he is forced to work together with her in order to silence her. As the story develops both of them get into dangerous situations and their secret business is about to get exposed.

This Drama in my opinion is a bit controversial but still worth a watch. As it tells a story we normally don't hear and also talks about serious topics without glorifying them it can have the potential to make people think. If you have no problems watching violent scenes and if you are not sensitive about themes like prostitution you should definitely give it a try.

Main Actress and Actor: Kim Dong-Hee as Oh Ji-Soo // Park Joo-Hyun as Bae Gyu-Ri // Jung Da-Bin as Seo Min-Hee