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dangerousduckcloud · 5 months ago

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Flowerbeds make up for a nice eternal rest

Read it also on AO3

“I feel bad, now.” That most certainly was not what Dick was expecting, brows furrowed and blinking. “What for?” “I tried to stab you… Or well, wanted to.”

Chapter 10 < > Chapter 12

Masterlist

taglist: @kurai-hono-blog, @katrina0-0

If anyone else would like to be added to the taglist, let me know!

You were scared, to say the least. The higher you went, the colder you got, specially with your clothes half-soaked due to the rain, your fingers freezing from leaving them inside a cloud as if it were a lake for too long.

Superman —Clark, he said you could call him Clark— was carrying you in his arms, granting you the freedom to extend your arm as much as you wanted without the risk of falling (that didn’t stop the need to tightly grasp his cape with your other hand). Your teeth were clacking, your body trembling, and even though Clark had asked you if you wanted to go back to the warmth of the manor, you declined, not regretting your decision for a second once the sun started to set.

Angelic was the only word you could describe the sight in front of you. Ethereal too, maybe. You now understand why heaven was always pictured to be above the clouds.

With nothing to hinder your gaze, you could see in its entirety how the golden rays shone above you, lighting up the dark, thick clouds, doing its best to traverse through the thick fog to reach the city. The light engulfed the two of you, covering you in a golden blanket that warmed your body.

Never in your life could you imagine the world could look so beautiful, never thought how hideous humanity’s existence erased the preciousness’ of nature with disgusting smog, never ending buildings, and garish billboards.

Once Clark had decided your cold clothes were too much for your body, he flew back down to the manor. Out in the garden, three figures patiently waited for your return, an open umbrella left to dry, discarded next to a bench, the rain gone for the moment.

Right after your feet landed on the grass, Alfred draped the comfiest, warmest blanket over your shoulders, quietly thanking the ever-prepared butler.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Tim said in lieu of a greeting —A Tim who should still be sleeping.

“Yeah.” Was the only thing you could say, with a beaming smile, not still out of your stupor. You felt like those two characters on that old tv show you used to watch, too stunned to speak after riding an impressive roller coaster, with the difference that you’d been higher than any human being could without the need of a plane.

“Thank you for the favor, Uncle Clark.”

“My pleasure, Dick. It was nice to meet you, Jane, but I must go home now. And don’t worry, we’ll get you home soon.”

You smiled despite the pang in your chest, thanking him once again for the extraordinary experience. You were feeling less and less hopeful every time someone reminded you of your situation, sensing they were trying to convince themselves they could do it, rather than admit the truth.

“Where’s Jason?” You asked once inside, taking off your shoes as to not dirty up the polished floors with mud.

“He went back to his place.”

“Oh.” You tried to hide your disappointment with an extremely fake sneeze. “I better go take a shower before dinner, lest I catch a cold.”

Dropping the blanket on your bed, you left your damp clothes on the hamper, a hiss escaping you when the hot stream of water hit your skin, reddening your back, not getting under the running water again until the temperature was to your liking.

Why were you disappointed every time Jason left the manor? Yes, you were aware of the ‘small’ crush you had on his character, on the portrayal people had of him, but not on him per se. He wasn’t the sweet, romantic, hopelessly in love person people made him ought to be in their stories, the short time you’d spend around him revealing, in fact, he was somewhat of an asshole, someone who was stuck in an immature mentality who dealt with their issues angrily and violently.

And wasn’t that what’d happened to him?

Cutting off the water flow, you changed into, finally, your own sleep wear, the lavender detergent Alfred uses invading your nose. You were brushing your hair in front of the mirror, attempting to get rid of all the knots that would form no matter how many hair products you used, when a knock on your door was heard, raising your voice to invite whoever was on the other side of the door.

“Hey, Jane, can I come in?”

The student in you was battling so hard to not automatically imitate all your old English teachers with ‘it’s ‘may’ I’, but you weren’t sure if Dick was familiar with that experience, so you replied with a simple “Yeah, sure.”

He sat down at the end of the bed, a small, white box in his hands. “So, did you like flying?”

“Absolutely.” You replied with a big smile, looking at him through the mirror. You’d given up on untangling your hair, content with getting most of them, and were now putting it in a ponytail. “I simply… I don’t think there’s words to put it, I felt as if I’d become an angel, bested with a sight not many were privy to. Thank you so much for making it possible.”

“I still remember the first time Uncle Clark too me flying, I’d been Robin for a year already, I believe, but I’d only met him a handful of times, Bruce wasn’t with the League yet, so there wasn’t much reason for them to meet.” There was a fond smile on his face, remembering his childhood, a chuckle from something he remembered. “Bruce tried so hard to hide it, but he was horrified, putting his arms around me as soon as we got back, as if to try and stop me from going flying again. I swear if he knew Clark had let me stand on his palms and do pirouettes, he would have a heart attack.”

“What was it like? To be a child vigilante.”

“It was the best thing that could’ve happen to eleven-year-old me. There was nothing better than to be soaring in the sky, helping those who couldn’t defend themselves, feeling the cold wind all around me, the adrenaline pumping through my veins with every goon we fought.” With every word, his tone got more and more enthusiastic, gesticulating every sentence. “And… I’ve never said this to anyone, but the fame almost got to me for a second, with all my classmates babbling about me, about how awesome it was to be Batman’s partner, to work with him and the Justice League. I wanted to be recognized, you know? To tell them right there and then it was me who was going out weekend’s nights fighting the Rogues.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No. I wanted to, but I knew nothing good could come out of that; the city would take me away from my family, and Bruce would be heavily judged and sentenced. Everyone loves child vigilantes until they know who is under the mask. Praising one day, pointing with their fingers the next one.”

“Why do I feel another ‘but’ is coming?” You were facing him now, leaning against the dresser with your arms crossed.

“But…” He said, elongating the ‘u’, his melancholic energy turning into a guilty one, painful memories resurfacing. “As much as I loved it, and have so many great memories, with all my siblings… Well, I know understand why Bruce was so adamant about me going out in the beginning. Especially after Jason… I rarely spent time in the manor when he was Robin, only coming to pick him up to hang up maybe once or twice a month. I always wanted a little brother, and to have him taken away so suddenly like that… I didn’t want to get close to Tim, fearing the same would happen, but I think I hurt him more by being cold towards a kid that didn’t deserve it… Sometimes I wonder if my stubbornness and desire for revenge for my parents was the point of no return to the unfortunate events that led to all the sorrow we’ve suffered.”

“You can’t blame yourself for something you had no control over, Dick. The only one here at fault is the Joker.” You moved from the dresser, sitting down next to him on the bed. He winced at hearing that name, telling yourself you would never mention it again in the future in front the Wayne’s.

Dick nodded, sniffling and inattentively rotating the box in his hand. “Well, I—” He chuckled. “I didn’t come here to damper the night. This is for you.” He handed you the box, the seal already cut. “Alfred mentioned he wanted to buy you a phone but didn’t have time to do so with… And I assumed you wouldn’t want to go back to the mall —or the city— any time soon. I already saved all our numbers, so that you can keep in touch with Steph and Dami once they go back to school next week. I know being cooped in here all day must be so boring, so I hope it can help make the days go faster.

The phone was the most recent model, a couple of apps pre-installed, eight contacts saved on your phone, your eyes lingering on Jason’s name.

“I feel bad, now.”

That most certainly was not what Dick was expecting, brows furrowed and blinking.

“What for?”

“I tried to stab you… Or well, wanted to.”

He opened his mouth, whatever he wanted to say dying before the words could leave his lips. “Now, why would you do that?”

“I was scared!” You stood up, walking to your nightstand and pulling out the forgotten scalpel, handing it to Dick. “It was when I still thought you were a bunch of kidnappers… If it makes you feel any better, I don’t want to stab you anymore.”

“Gee, that’s a relief.” Dick’s shoulders shook with mirth. “Thanks for thrusting us and giving this back.”

“Yeah, now I know your family is crazy, but for a whole different reason.” Silence befell you, Dick nodding at the accurate description of his siblings. You felt different now that you didn’t have the scalpel anymore. You felt light, free, the heavy burden of distress lifting of your shoulders. By handing it, you were giving away your only way to defend yourself, and thus, you were finally letting go any doubts you could have about them. “Hey, Dick?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you… Can you really take me back home?”

“We’re working on it, Jane.”

You hummed, noticing he’d changed his always optimistic response to a very vague one.

———

Both you and Cass had spent most of the next morning goofing off with the phone’s camera filters, using the goofiest one’s you could find. That was until you had to hide from a furious Damian, searching for you to delete the photo you took of him with bunny ears and nose.

“That’s not fair!” You half whispered, half shouted from behind a couch. “I can’t climb that high!”

Cass smiled widely from over the rafters in the ceiling, hiding herself in the shadows when the hurrying steps were getting closer and closer. You tried to blend in yourself with the couch, calming your breathy giggles.

“Cain! Jane!” Damian hollered. “I will behead you if you do not delete that picture at this instant!”

Your muffled titter turned into full on cackling when Damian jumped from over the couch, doing his best to grab your phone, which you were holding on to for dear life. For being ten, the kid was strong.

“I surrender!” You screamed; your cheeks were hurting from smiling so much. “I surrender!”

“Delete that photo, now.” Damian glowered, and you did, pulling out your phone and tilting the screen slightly for him to see you open the gallery and deleting the picture. “Tt. This better not happen again.”

Only until he left did Cass jumped from the rafters.

“Traitor.” You crossed your arms, playfully sticking out your tongue to her, to which she simply hugged you.

———

Your life had turned an eternal summer vacation. You had no responsibilities to fulfill, no school, no job, no chores, you would simply wake up and exist, sometimes helping out Alfred in the garden.

Contrary to all beliefs, it wasn’t the blessing most thought it would be, neither Cass nor Tim could spend time with you anymore, a grisly trafficking case appearing in the city a couple nights ago. Since Cass was completely committed to the mission, she was down on the cave most of the time, starting her patrol earlier than usual.

During the mornings, Tim was forced to go to W.E as the CEO now that Bruce was ‘unavailable’ with a ‘family matter’, and working down on the cave as well when he was home.

As much as you thought you’d broken down Damian’s cold demeanor, he’d reverted to his usual spoiled brat attitude, doubling it up now that school started the next day, deciding that if he was forced to be miserable, he was going to make everyone miserable.

Dick was out of planet on an emergency with the Justice League, stepping into Bruce’s place. And you hadn’t seen much of Steph since the day of the attack, she’d only visited the manor once on a bat related incident, but also preoccupied with high school.

There were not many people who could make the clock move forward, and so, you were forced —really— to one and your last resort, the black, taunting text conversation the thing you’d been contemplating more than anything this past two days, the ‘online’ status rarely lighting up throughout the day (no, you were not stalking him, you were simply getting informed), the white and gray predetermined icon annoying (was that because he didn’t have a photo, or he simply didn’t have you saved on his phone?).

What could you say? ‘Hi’ was too bland, ‘Hey, this is Jane’ was too-business like for your liking. A selfie? Nah, too narcissistic.

But it gave you an idea, searching your gallery for one of the thousand photos you’d taken with Cass, the both of you with digital bat stickers all over your face. In a brave, but truly stupid moment of courage, you hit send, hastily locking your phone and tossing it onto your bed, the device getting lost in your mess of blankets and pillows.

Fuck, what had you done? Your heart was racing a thousand beats per minute, feeling it bump into your chest, chiding yourself for being so stupid, what if he didn’t reply? Would it be worse if he left you on read, or to find out you were such an irksome he wouldn’t even open your messages? But if he replied? What would he say? React with an emoji? How could you continue the conversation after that? What if the asked you to delete his number? Did you still have time to delete the text? But he would still have the notification and— ding.

The chime stopped your spiraling thoughts. Should you open it? Wait? Destroy your phone? Pretend you meant to send it to Cass? Come on now, whatever he sent can’t be that bad.

| I have a cute sister.

The message read. Well, it certainly wasn’t the end of the world.

| And your sister has a cute friend;)

You sent back, feeling bold at receiving a positive reply.

| I don’t think I’ve met her. I only know two of them and one is annoying… The other one is a blonde obsessed with the color purple.

Despite being called annoying, there was a smile on your face.

| I’ve met the first one, she’s quite lovely and funny.

| Really? Maybe I should take her out on a date.

| Maybe you should.

There truly was something wrong with Gotham’s water if you were so boldly flirting with him, flirting with an effing crime lord, all those chemicals spilled onto it changing your very DNA.

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magnorious · 10 months ago

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The Reveal that Changed Percy Jackson

*Spoiler Alert*

I’m talking about the Nico vs Cupid scene in book 8, House of Hades. I picked this scene, even though there were a great many in the original series that defined Percy Jackson as a story far more meaningful than just “cool tweenage demigods with magic and superpowers who fight evil”.

When this book came out, Nico vs Cupid was almost all anyone talked about. Why? Because Nico came out. Nico, an explicitly gay character in a book published by Disney, in a rather high profile series. Nico, the little angsty brat displaced from the timeline, comes out of nowhere with a world-shattering reveal.

House of Hades is already the darkest book in the series and, I think, the most polished and successful with this tone and how it feels so complete. While Percy and Annabeth are in Tartarus, the constant clever and horrific callbacks to quests from prior books quite literally come back to haunt them. The others trying to carry on without them, the ridiculously high personal stakes, the drama, the storytelling, it spares no expense in this book.

The Nico vs Cupid scene was something else, though, and all these years later… I’m not so sure it was done for the better.

—

Independent of the Big Reveal, this scene does a lot of things we’d never seen before in this series, namely this: Cupid is scary, and no one expected him to be.

Percy Jackson, though it does have its serious moments, is the series where the god of wine wears leopard print shirts and the god of the seas has a fishing chair for a throne. These characters quip and joke even when they’re trying to be intimidating and Percy’s personality, snarky and sassy and very rarely shooting straight, undercuts a lot of the attempts at looking competent and threatening (and we love him for it).

They’ve fought gods and monsters and demigods and characters have died really tragic deaths, but for the most part, these serious moments all come when we expect them to.

This scene comes out of nowhere and for anyone who hasn’t read the book in a while, here’s the context: Percy and Annabeth are in Tartarus and Nico is kind of the de-facto leader in their absence, knowing the most about Tartarus of the remaining crew. He and Jason are sent on a side quest to go retrieve the Staff of Diocletian from Cupid and Nico is not at all happy about this venture, but we don’t know why beyond that he’s Nico and he’s never happy.

Right out of the gate, Cupid is not at all who we expect him to be and this fight scene, absent of Percy, is suddenly very serious. Cupid doesn’t quip, he doesn’t show himself, and he fights dirty. The god of love, not the god of war or anything we expect to be violent and dangerous.

He’s whispering in characters’ heads, throwing them around like ragdolls, and taunting Nico ceaselessly all in Jason’s POV. Cupid gets some seriously badass lines, too.

“I’ve been to Tartarus and back,” Nico snarled. “You don’t scare me.” I scare you very, very much. Face me. Be honest.

Love is no game! It is no flowery softness! It is hard work—a quest that never ends. It demands everything from you—especially the truth. Only then does it yield rewards.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say Love always makes you happy.” [Cupid's] voice sounded smaller, much more human. “Sometimes it makes you incredibly sad. But at least you’ve faced it now. That’s the only way to conquer me.”

In all this, unfortunately in Jason POV, we’re primed only once by a previous god finally acknowledging that gays exist in this universe. This universe, based on Greek Mythology, famous for its not-straightness. Even then, audiences have spent 7 and a half books accepting that there won’t be any gays. No one is expecting this from Nico.

So when it comes, when Nico reveals he has a crush on Percy… the fandom lost our minds.

—

And I’m not so sure that’s a good thing, looking back. On the one hand, obligatory “we need representation,” but on the other, there was this one reviewer who knew what was up long before anyone else did.

She’d said something along the lines of raising damning concerns that Nico’s entire character arc was now defined by his homosexuality, that this scene frames all his anger, all his hate, all his rage and depression, about this one aspect of his character, and diminishes him because of it.

All these years later, I’m disappointed to say I agree with her.

This book series’ only major canonical gay (so far) is forced out of the closet with a proverbial gun to his head

Now, Nico likely never would have come out without that gun, but the way it happened, especially in front of Jason who he’s not friends with, showing Jason his memories because it’s not Nico’s POV and Jason has to see somehow because Nico sure won’t detail those scenes himself is... not good?

Jason handles it well, as well as he can given that this is Nico, and Cupid is an explicit villain so him forcing Nico out is in-character and not my problem. The narrative forcing Nico out is the problem—that this is a big reveal both to Jason and the audience is the problem.

The book isn’t new and with respect to when it was written and who wrote it, it’s not a terrible scene or terrible representation. But it’s not just forcing Nico out of the closet, either.

All of Nico’s character development is retroactively pinned on his sexuality

I get it. Nico’s… 14? 14 and from an era where being who he is was a death sentence, with zero education on the matter. Internalized homophobia is a thing (though Nico doesn’t actually seem to hate himself for being gay, he hates himself for crushing on Percy. Nor does he hate other gays or the concept).

Nico, though, is the one demigod who can summon any ghost he could dream up to teach him to hate himself a little less. He could have summoned the ghost of Freddie Mercury and what a dazzling mentorship that would have been.

The way the scene is framed makes it look like all of Nico’s rage comes from this one relationship, when it comes from so much more. He’s a son of Hades, a god no one trusts or likes and is synonymous with death, evil, and deceit. His sister, his last living relative, died on a quest as just a teenager. He has no friends at camp, powers that scare people, and is almost a century removed from everything and everyone he knew in his old life.

And he went and left camp *only* because of his crush on Percy? Not for any other reason?

When he does get his crush on Will, that only makes it worse. Nico did have friends, even if he didn’t believe it. He did have Percy and he’d earned the respect of his fellow campers after the Battle of Manhattan. He back-slid in HOH for this reveal, as if a romance is the only thing that could make him happy.

Cupid’s message is the narrative’s message: The only way to conquer love is to face it [in combat]

With a gun to his head, in front of a veritable stranger, instead of in, I don’t know, therapy with Apollo? There couldn’t have been any other way to fit this reveal in? He couldn’t have made his own group therapy session with other ghosts? Persephone or Demeter never sat this boy down for The Talk with a literal captive audience?

And that it’s a “reveal” at all, in incredibly dramatic fashion, a plot twist for shock value. The book couldn’t drop hints in Nico POV? Couldn’t casually state it anywhere at any time in the previous 3 books? Couldn’t treat it at all like this is normal and not a life-or-death situation?

I just feel bad for the kid. Nico can’t be the only demigod who has a guilty, unrequited crush. Cupid is forcing this out of him because that crush happens to be on another boy.

It’s in Jason’s POV

This world shattering, deeply personal reveal, and the character who’s having it isn’t even the narrator. Jason is a fine character and I know why it’s him out of everyone who could have gone with Nico, but this should have been solely Nico’s moment, not Jason’s commentary about Nico’s moment, being a non-consenting voyeur into Nico’s very personal memories about Percy.

Even if it’s not Jason’s POV to retain the surprise, it certainly starts to feel like Jason’s POV to retain the surprise. Jason can still be present, but even then—Cupid needed Nico to face Cupid, not Cupid and Jason.

—

It sucks because the scene as a whole, removed from the context, is incredible. The choreography, the pacing, the intensity of the battle, Cupid as a villain and Nico and Jason’s desperation to just stay alive.

Its impact on the series can’t be ignored. Blood of Olympus is no one’s favorite. It’s a terrible last book and not all that great as a book, period, but the ending?

Among other travesties, Nico confronts Percy, tells him he had a crush on him, and then *immediately* starts pining after Will. Percy doesn’t get the chance to talk to him, stunned at this reveal. They never have a heartfelt conversation about it, what this means for their friendship, how Percy never noticed or how this makes him feel, if he’s at all guilty for potentially leading Nico on and being a bad friend.

We get none of that. Nico just finds a pretty blond boy after, what, four years pining after Percy? One awful confrontation with Cupid and a few lines of dialogue traded with Jason and all his angst and moodiness is cured off-screen.

Can’t Nico go five minutes where he figures out who he is before he’s trading one crush for another? Can he not define himself independently of who he likes for just a couple chapters? He tells Jason after the Cupid fight that he’s over it, but… c’mon, he’s absolutely lying there, or he wouldn’t have been so hurt and upset and hesitant to reveal himself.

I love that he’s popular now, I love that he does have a healthy relationship (one that eclipsed the whole fandom for better or for worse), but the way he went about becoming popular still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Nico did walk so the rest of the series' extended universe could run. We did get Solangelo, we got Apollo being Apollo, we got a world based off Greek Mythology that stops straight-washing history. It's just a shame that he had to be forced out the way he did, and that his whole character is now defined by his relationship with Will.

#percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson #pjo #nico di angelo #solangelo #house of hades #blood of olympus #retrospective

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bat-besties · 2 years ago

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Who is Lili? (1)

Rose Wilson’s mother’s backstory is primary revealed in Deathstroke #15 by Marv Wolfman. I’m going to do a close reading of the first half of the comic, with the addition of some panels from Deathstroke #48, also by Marv Wolfman, recapping the events. I’ll follow up with her actions in the current comic timeline in my next post.

Inherently, Marv Wolfman has crafted a story which relies on Lotus Blossom/Miss Saigon tropes around Asian women, and sexualises a survivor of political and military sexual violence. However, I think that even within the comics canon, it is possible to read the character of Lili differently by engaging directly with the text and putting aside authorial intent. To do this, I am treating Slade as the unreliable narrator he is. I am contrasting his narration with Lili’s on-panel art, dialogue, and actions, as well as a light touch of Cambodian history, to imagine a more rounded and human character. It’s creative criticism, rather than strict analysis.

Right from the cover, Lili is literally described as “exotic”, and sexualised with a torn dress and unrealistic proportions. She’s also helpless, clinging to a white man in fear and unable to help herself. As if to add salt to the wound, there’s a large, purple flower in the background, illustrating the tropical setting and connoting beauty and fertility. It’s not a lotus blossom - but it’s close enough.

But the answer to who Lili actually is gets more complex as the comic progresses.

CW: discussion of sexual assault and sexual imprisonment, discussion of the Khmer Rouge atrocities, discussion of sexist and racist tropes around Asian women

The drawings of Lili continue to be sexualised and orientalist, with her next appearance set in an imagining of an exoticised Cambodian brothel, a world away from the brutal realities of women’s experiences under the Khmer Rouge.

She introduces herself as “Sweet-Lili”. I’m not sure where this came from - it could be a ‘working’ name of some sort during her imprisonment, or a direct translation of part of her name, or a nickname. Whichever way, “Sweet” evokes the Lotus Blossom tropes of demureness and innocence set against sexual knowledge and experience. It also evokes her being consumable, even edible, for white men.

She is fluent in English, showing a high level of education and also that her word choices are very deliberate.

The next thing she says is “these are my girls” - this is where we immediately get introduced to the character’s priorities which will unfold over the next decade. In #48 it is revealed these women were once her servants, and have now been subjected to the same fate as her. Still, she never uses the word servants for them, throughout they are “my girls”. She equalises herself with them, emphasises their youth and innocence when Slade uses the derogatory “whores”. Most of all, despite being captives of the Khmer Rouge, they are hers. While she used to be their employer, in this dire situation where her nobility makes her a target rather than a social superior, she continues to lead them with a sense of responsibility. Now that a rescue party has arrived for only her, she isn’t going to leave her women behind. She steps down the stairs in front of them, opening her arms and making herself the centre of attention - she is relatively confident that Slade and his men are here to rescue them, but as these are women who have lost everything in a brutal civil war, I do think putting herself first is a precaution.

When she greets Slade, it is by putting her hand on his chest in a flirtatious manner, something which the other women mirror with his soldiers.

This is to show her sexualised nature, and suggest gratitude towards Slade which will develop into romance. However, as someone who has survived the (implied) killing of her family through her captivity in a brothel, this could be read as a deliberate action she takes to both flatter Slade, and encourage her women (who are not meant to be saved at this point!) to use the attractions of the American soldiers to help rescue them.

She interacts with Slade as a fellow leader, and he asks if she is the princess.

Slade calling Lili a princess is not his fault at first, it has been common historically for English translators to simplify the complex Cambodian royal titles into Prince/Princess even for very distant relations to the king, like Lili. (Without knowing her grandmother and mother’s titles I can’t work out what her exact title would be, or if she is entitled to one at all. Please tell me if you can work it out!)

She corrects him very politely, affirming she is royal and his target (“my father’s father was third brother to the king”), but not actually a princess. Despite this, both Slade’s narration at the very beginning of the flashback and throughout his recollections of her in #48, he uses the term “princess”. Once was a mistake, but his continual use, and later adaption of the term into an endearment for Rose, seems to replace the realities of Khmer Rouge’s political purges of the royal family with Slade’s Orientalist fantasy.

However she corrects Slade with the brilliant line “But I am princess only to my girls” [sic], which elides her position from one of blood to one of responsibility. He has been sent to save her because she’s a royal, but she is extending her own protection over these common women. While missing out “a” could be a translation error, given how good Lili’s English has been so far I doubt it. Instead, I think she is transforming princess from a noun into a more active term; she is a princess “to” them, and being a princess to women is an active choice and responsibility.

She quickly follows this with “You will save me now, yes?” which is just such a bold line in which she takes control of her own rescue.

And surely - without even thinking about it, the Americans save her fellow captives as well. She’s achieved her goal without Slade even realising what she was doing.

He does observe her leadership as they escape, “Sweet-Lili kept them in line”, and the women are able to cook “incredible meals” from the surrounding nature, showing how efficient and well-organised the women are, in large part due to Lili. Slade says he doesn’t think he “ever had better”.

And then we have the key key line, something which would be so easy to miss. “Could say the same for the nights”.

The American heroes, the oh so noble saviours, are sleeping with the women they were sent to rescue from sexual slavery. Not only that, but it’s viewed as idyllic and part of their reward. I think that Slade does deep-down know this was wrong, as when he recaps the story in #48 after Lili’s death he claims they “trekked through the night and slept during the day”. This doesn’t align with this quote, or the fact that the women cook during the day, and all of the panels of the party walking and fighting in #15 are in daylight. This could be a continuity error, but I want to be consistent and not assume authorial intent.

The women are so far from being safe from male sexual violence. Without guns, they can’t run into the jungle alone, so they have to stay with the “rescue” party and do what they want. What is an exoticised memory for Slade is any woman’s nightmare - including for Lili.

The party comes across the Khmer Rouge enslaving and murdering villagers, and sadly Lili is unsurprised by these conditions, telling Slade the exact diet of such prisoners. As Lili hasn’t experienced these conditions herself, I think this shows how she’s tried to stay updated on the suffering of her people, despite the brutal repression of information and killings of journalists. She feels deeply for every person suffering during the civil war. While she’s empathetic but unfortunately has to be practical - she doesn’t ask Slade to try to save these villagers.

However, when an American soldier cries out at the murder, their cover is blown and all the Americans other than Slade and the women other than Lili are murdered. Slade fights the most brutally of anyone, killing all the Khmer Rouge and trying to protect the women before succumbing to his wounds.

After years living alongside these women and protecting each and every one through their imprisonment, Lili watches them all be killed in front of her, by the very group which tortured and terrorised them. It’s horrific. These are the only people she has left from her old life, and they’re gone.

She protects Slade, who comes down with a fever, including from the Khmer Rouge - we are never shown her fights, because Slade was not conscious for that. This is a much-needed reminder that Lili is only shown from his perspective.

Over time, the two talk and share personal information, growing closer. I do think that she was honest with Slade about herself, more so than she could be with other people after the experience was over. She doesn’t have anything left to lose, is an ambush away from being killed, and Slade is a mercenary who cannot be shocked by anything she tells him. They’re going through a huge trauma together, and it forges a bond. He describes their relationship as “formal”, a strangely nice adjective from Slade which shows his respect for her (as much as Slade respects any women), and the fact that he did not make any advances before Lili did.

So Lili definitely still has some walls up.

One thing that never comes up is that Lili has her grandmother’s necklace on her the whole time. In Deathstroke #46 Rose runs to get it after Lili is murdered in the US, wanting her mother to be buried with it as it’s the only thing she has left of her family, so it’s clearly very important to her and was taken with her from Cambodia personally.

Now, it’s entirely possible that Slade does know about it but it isn’t important enough to include in the story. But it never appears on panel, nor does he ever mention her grandmother. I think it’s likely she kept it hidden, even as she dressed and undressed in front of him. It isn’t monetarily valuable, so she can’t have been scared of Slade stealing it.

If it is an amulet, her grandmother would have personally had a Buddhist priest bless it for Lili, and this 1970 article shows how important this traditional item became during the war. It’s the most sentimental item she has - and she never shares that part of herself.

The two share a moonlight kiss, after an in-depth discussion “about the war, about her, even about me [Slade]”. She is shown to be the one leaning in, and I do think that she genuinely wanted to kiss Slade and share that moment with him. Interestingly, this kiss is only revealed in #48, when Slade feels more sentimental as she has just been killed. It does not factor into his initial recollection, showing how his focus is on sexual, not romantic, memories of Lili, distorting his view of her. We will never know what she said “about her[self]” to this American mercenary who saves her women and sleeps with them, kills for money and for protection, and could be the last person she ever knows.

This is where we get to the most complex part of the recollection - the two sleeping together.

Unsurprisingly, I’m going to reject Slade’s reading of this as a natural development of their closeness which was romantic and spontaneous. However, I do think that Lili does consent, and would not have maintained a future sexual relationship and friendship with him if she had not.

One reading, building on what I’ve said above, is that Lili has been through these terrible traumas, is at risk of death or recapture, and has found a surprisingly sympathetic companion in Slade. As an unmarried Cambodian royal woman in the 70s, she would have been expected to be a virgin, and likely did not have much sexual experience before being subjected to repeated rape as a captive. The most positive reading of her relationship with Slade would be a reclamation of her own body and sexuality in a pursuit of fleeting joy in the most dire circumstances.

Alternatively, and in my view more likely, you can read Lili as engaging in self-protection. She is unlikely to be able to get to Thailand as a lone woman, even with Slade’s gun. Slade has already almost died, he could easily decide the reward isn’t worth the risk and abandon her, or sell her back to the Khmer Rouge. She can’t know what he’ll do, and therefore she maximises her chances of being rescued by having this sexual relationship, the same way she survived in the brothel. Either she initiates proactively, or he does, and she is in no position to safely reject him.

I don’t think this is antithetical to her conversations with Slade and continued relationship with him post-war. People are complicated, and ultimately Slade does save her, and would have saved her women, as well as being the only person who has shared her specific war trauma and heard her feelings at the time.

[It’s really important to note here that, textually, none of these arguments hold true. In the text of the comic, Lili’s body becomes a reward for the white American rescuing her, and why she would desire him is not a question that occurs to Marv Wolfman.]

“It took us another two weeks to make it into Thailand. Wish it’d took two years” is up there with the most heinous things that Slade has ever said.

It also shows that she didn’t keep a relationship with him the moment she got to Thailand and safety. Whether she was escaping him to freedom, or wanted to leave the unhealthy coping mechanism of him in the jungle, she did leave in the immediate aftermath of her rescue. Slade lets her, something which must have been a concern in the back of her mind after her previous imprisonment.

I’m going to go into Lili’s life post-Cambodia in my next post, covering themes including tropes around Asian women as sex workers, her success and wealth, and her loving relationship with Rose.

Here are some sources on representation and trope history I drew on to write this:

Before that, here's a post about her life between Cambodia and America and the Dragon Lady trope

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/03/26/asian-women-hollywood-portrayals/

http://unveilingthesilverscreen.digital.brynmawr.edu/tropes/lotus-blossom/

https://www.hercampus.com/school/american/the-dragon-lady-the-lotus-blossom-and-the-robot-archetypes-of-asian-women-in-western-media/

https://www.nytimes.com/1970/09/09/archives/amulets-are-a-vital-part-of-a-cambodian-soldiers-equipment.html

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/women-speak-out-over-khmer-rouge-sexual-violence/j5wwh30x1

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2019/11/feature-survivors-of-sexual-violence-in-cambodia-speak-out

#rose wilson #ravager #lili worth #[i couldn't find the source for that surname so haven't used it so far]#lili #dc comics #this is so long but i wanted to do a really deep dive #and this is the edited and shortened version #i hope it's interesting!

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krat395 · 10 months ago

Text

A "Purrfect" Sleepover

First story of 2024, y'all! :D And what I have here is a request that I did for @godofwaterbreathing. He wanted a story about his OC, a Neko boy named Lucas, having some tickle-related fun at a sleepover with five other kiddos. And four of those five kiddos just so happen to be Frisk, Chara, Asriel, and MK; the “core four” of my Main Series. As for the fifth one… well, I'll just let you find that out for yourselves. ;) Also, this happens to be a story where some of the character's ages are different from that of my personal headcanon. The kids are still the same ages but some of the adult characters between the ages of 18 and 29 in my headcanon on the other hand have been aged up. You'll find out why once you read the story.

Undertale(c) Toby Fox.

A “PURRFECT” SLEEPOVER

It is Saturday afternoon, early October, and later today, Frisk, Chara, and Asriel will be having a sleepover at their mother's house. Nothing big, just a small gathering with three of their closest friends: MK, Izzy, and their newest friend, Lucas, whom they met during their summer vacation. Lucas is a 12-year-old African American Neko boy; half cat, half human; with blue eyes, medium-length black hair, black cat ears, a black cat tail, and a black birthmark on his right cheek that looks like a paw print. He's a nice boy but also very shy; unlike his mother, Catty. That's right. Catty (who is 30+ years old in this story, along with several other characters that are 18-29 years old in my headcanon) is Lucas's mother. And his father is a human male that left when he was born, thinking that Lucas wasn't his child. Sad. :( But he and Catty got by in life without him though. Surprising considering the number of people that used to berate Lucas just for being a Neko, people often calling him a hybrid in a mean and offensive way. Before Lucas met Frisk, Chara, Asriel, and MK, he would always hide his ears and tail so no one would berate him for his physical appearance. And he did so again when he met Frisk, Chara, Asriel, and MK for the first time, fearing that they might do the same. But a few weeks later, after becoming more and more comfortable around the four of them and finding out how trusting and kind-hearted they all were, he worked up the courage to reveal to them that he’s a human-cat hybrid. And after revealing to the four of them that he's a human-cat hybrid, not a day went by without Frisk and Chara petting and/or scratching his ears. X3 They adore Lucas so much. And so will Izzy before the end of the day both Frisk and Chara are sure! The little blonde-haired human girl herself has been wanting to meet Lucas for some time now after hearing so much about him from Frisk, Chara, Asriel, and MK and tonight’s sleepover will be a perfect opportunity for her to finally do just that. ;) But first things first. Snacks for the sleepover! A sleepover isn't a sleepover without snacks and the Dreemurr kids know just the thing. Donuts from Muffet's bakery! :D The Dreemurr kids, MK, and Lucas were all in the mood for Muffet's signature donuts. So they then rode their bikes over to Muffet’s bakery/house to grab some. Then once they arrived there, the Dreemurr kids and MK made no hesitation to go inside. But Lucas on the other hand was hesitant to go inside. One thing worth mentioning about Lucas is that he has immensely bad arachnophobia. If he is spooked by a spider, real or fake, he'll jump straight into the air, yowl like an angry cat (but in a scared way), and cling to the ceiling above him with his claws until someone either gets rid of the spider(s) or pulls him down themselves. And because Lucas has bad arachnophobia, the Dreemurr kids and MK all told him ahead of time that he didn't have to go inside the bakery if he didn't want to and that he could therefore just wait outside while they grab the donuts. But because Lucas is trying to get over his fear of spiders, he ended up going inside the bakery anyway, only to end up clinging to the ceiling the very second he saw Muffet herself. And he didn't come down until he knew for sure that Muffet was out of everyone's field of vision.

Muffet: Oh, bonjour, Lucas. *Muffet greeted Lucas politely the moment he stepped inside her bakery*

Lucas: *gasp* MEEEEEEEOOOOOOOW!!! *yowled Lucas upon seeing Muffet, right as he jumped high into the air and attached to the ceiling above him* MEEEEEEOOOOOOOOW!!! *he yowled once more, his tail puffed out and trembling with fear*

Frisk: Aw, Lucas. It's ok. *uttered Frisk, trying to comfort Lucas* Oh well. At least you tried to conquer your fear.

Chara: Heh. Yeah. And hey, you lasted longer than all the other times. (Not really but I thought that saying that might help him feel better.)

Muffet: Aww! Poor kitty. Well, that's my cue to leave the room. See you again real soon, dearies.

MK: Bye, Muffet!

Asriel: Thanks again for the donuts.

Muffet: Ahuhuhuhu~ You're very welcome. Take care.

As soon as Muffet left the room, Lucas got off the ceiling only to end up jumping right back up there the moment he felt one of Muffet’s spiders crawling on his tail. A garnet-colored spider named Genevieve to be exact. She had been crawling around the bakery long before Lucas and company arrived. And since she adores Lucas so much, she just had to crawl on him as a means of showing affection. Big mistake! Because once Lucas jumped up to the ceiling, she instantly fell off of him. But thankfully, MK caught her before she could fall too far. He caught her with his long scaly tail and with her clinging to said tail, he then proceeded to walk out of the room to where Muffet was standing while she was waiting for Lucas to leave.

Muffet: Genevieve, what on Earth were you thinking crawling on Lucas like that?! Do you have a death wish?! The boy’s afraid of spiders for goodness’ sake! *yelled Muffet, holding her middle right hand next to MK’s tail so Genevieve could then crawl on said hand* Thank you, MK. You're too kind. Now you and your little friends have a fun sleepover, ok. *she then said politely to MK, thanking him for helping Genevieve to safety*

MK: Hehe. We will, Muffet! See you later. (Wow. Muffet seemed pretty upset. Hope she’s not too hard on Genevieve after what she did.)

And with that, Frisk, Chara, Asriel, MK, and Lucas, after getting pulled off of Muffet's ceiling by the aforementioned kids, headed outside of Muffet's bakery/house with two boxes of assorted donuts, much to Lucas's relief. Then not long afterwards, the five kids rode their bikes back to Toriel's house; Asriel riding on his red bike with one box of a dozen donuts in its gold basket, Chara on her green bike with the other box of a dozen donuts in its silver basket, and Frisk, MK, and Lucas following directly behind them. Then once the five kids arrived back at Toriel's house, they all just hung out together until Izzy showed up. They didn't want to start the sleepover without Izzy and luckily for the five of them, they didn't have to wait too long for her to show up at the house. And once the little blonde-haired girl herself stepped inside the house after being dropped off by her adoptive mother, Heidi, the first thing she did, right after kicking off her pink flip flops, was introduce herself to Lucas. She was so excited to meet Lucas and while Lucas himself didn't say too much to her when they first met, that didn't stop her from giving his ears a little scratch. And by scratching Lucas's ears, she had caused Lucas himself to purr in response, which did nothing but fuel her desire to learn more about him. It was at that point that Frisk and Chara knew that Lucas had made a good first impression on Izzy and vice versa. But to really seal the deal, they'd have to spend some more time together. And luckily for them, they have all night to get to know each other better, doing various activities together along with the Dreemurr kids and MK. And there's one such activity that the Dreemurr kids, MK, and Izzy are hoping will do wonders over all the others. And that activity is… tickle time! :D The Dreemurr kids, MK, and Izzy all love their tickle time and they're hoping that Lucas will as well. And he should, based on everything his mother, Catty has told the Dreemurr kids and MK. Lucas doesn't know it, but Catty has secretly told the Dreemurr kids and MK about how she tickles him and how much he enjoys being tickled by her. And if everything she's told them is indeed true, then Lucas will surely be in for a fun time. ;)

Later that night… in the living room of Toriel's home… after several sleepover activities…

Izzy: Heeheeheehee! Well, that sure was fun, you guys! *commented Izzy, shortly after finishing a scavenger hunt with the other kids* Man, you really went all out with this sleepover! *she added, pointing out how the Dreemurr kids have done more than they usually do with their friends during sleepovers*

Frisk: Heeheeheehee! We had to, Izzy. Chara, Asriel, and I don't get to see you and MK as much now that we're in middle school.

Frisk, Chara, and Asriel were all very grateful to spend time with Izzy and MK, two sixth graders at Ebott Elementary School, on this particular night. Ever since the three of them started seventh grade in a new building entirely (Ebott Junior High School), they haven't gotten to see them (or Brad, Justin, Patty, Kyle, and GK) nearly as much as they did when they were all in elementary school together. So that's why they did more activities than usual during this sleepover, to get the most out of their visit. And Izzy and MK both appreciated that very much. Though especially the latter as well as Lucas, due to an opportunity to see Frisk, Chara and Izzy in their PJs. The two boys thought that the three human girls all looked really cute in their PJs; Frisk in a pair of blue flannel pants and a magenta t-shirt over a black long sleeve shirt, Chara in a white t-shirt and green pajama bottoms, and Izzy in a light pink and white striped tank top and pink flannel pants. And as for their footwear, they had none. All three girls were barefoot in their PJs. And so were natural barefooters Asriel and MK; the former in a green t-shirt and black shorts and the latter in a red sleeveless shirt and brown flannel pants. But Lucas on the other hand had on white socks with his PJs, which consisted of a Demon Slayer shirt and green flannel pants. Though probably not for much longer because once tickle time starts, those socks will likely be coming off. Especially if his friends are planning to tickle his feet! Sure, they could just tickle his feet with his socks on but where's the fun in that? ;)

Izzy: Heh. That's true, you don't. Well thank you for going all out for us.

MK: Hehe. Yeah, thanks, you guys.

Asriel: You're welcome. And we'll be sure to do the same with Brad and Justin one of these days and Patty, Kyle, and GK as well. *stated Asriel, wanting to hang out with the aforementioned kids sometime in the near future*

Chara: Hehe. So many of you kiddos. *Chara chimed in, referring to elementary school students as kiddos now that she's in middle school*

Izzy: Heeheehee! That's right! X3

Frisk: Hehe. Yes. And would this kiddo be interested in starting that activity that we think might help Lucas here feel more comfortable about talking to you.

Lucas: Eeeeep! F-Frisk! *exclaimed Lucas, blushing red with embarrassment*

Izzy: Eeeeeeeee! Yes! Yes, please, yes!

Frisk: Heeheehee! Well, Lucas. You heard the little lady. *said Frisk, calling Izzy a little lady despite only being one year older than her* Let's get our butts upstairs and do this thing.

Lucas: O-o-ok, Frisk. And what's this thing we'll be doing?

Chara: Heeheeheehee! You'll see…

And with that, the six kids headed upstairs to Frisk and Chara’s bedroom. Lucas didn't know it but once he and the other five kids arrived in said bedroom, tickle time would start. And the other five kids had the decency to give him a heads up about it before they started doing it, Frisk and Chara informing him of the things that Catty had told them prior to the sleepover and Asriel and MK standing guard at the door in case Lucas tried to run away.

Frisk: Now, Lucas, don't be mad at your mom, but I spoke to her about things you enjoy doing with her and she told us that one of those things was tickling, is that correct?

Lucas: Eeeeeeeep! *squealed Lucas, blushing red with embarrassment* U-u-ummmm, w-w-well…

Chara: Heeheehee! I'll take that as a yes. And you'll be pleased to know that we do too! All five of us!

Lucas: You… you do?

Izzy: Heeheehee! Yes! We all just plain love our tickle time! Provided that it's all in good fun, of course.

Frisk: Heeheehee! Yeah… like what I'm about to do to Azzy here! *exclaimed Frisk, seconds before digging her fingers into Asriel's sides directly in front of him*

Asriel: Hey, wait a second! PFFFFFFFF-HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHA!!! *Asriel laughed preciously, dancing in place as Frisk ever so gingerly kneaded his sides* FRIHIHIHISK, NAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Lucas: (Awwww! X3) *thought Lucas to himself upon witnessing Asriel being tickled*

Chara: Heeheehee! Hey, I wanna get in on this too! *exclaimed Chara, dashing over towards Asriel to claw at his belly, which in turn made him sink down to the floor*

Asriel: EEEEEEEEEEEEP!!! HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! *Asriel laughed even harder, moments before leaning against the door behind him and sinking down to the floor until he was in an upright sitting position with his legs straight out in front of him and his soles exposed for tickling* CHAHAHAHARA, HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, NOHOHO, NOT YOU TOOOOOOOOHOOHOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOO!!! HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!! *SNORT* HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!!!

Izzy: Heeheeheehee! Ooh, now it's my turn to join in! *cooed Izzy, mere seconds before leaning over Asriel's legs with his ankles sandwiched between her knees and scribbling her fingers ever so gingerly against his snow white soles*

Asriel: EEEEEEP!!! NOHOHO, IZZY, DON'T-BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! *Asriel laughed especially hard once Izzy joined in and tickled his feet* OH MY~ HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! GOOHOOHOOD GOSH GOHOHOHOLLY!!!! *he exclaimed through his laughter, wiggling and splaying his toes uncontrollably with every passing second he felt ten skilled fingers scribbling against his soles* BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!! *SNORT* GYEEEHEEHEEHEHEEHEEEHEEHEEHEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEHEEHEHEEHEE!!!!

To try and help Lucas feel more comfortable about being tickled by them, Frisk, Chara and Izzy all felt that they should tickle at least one of the other boys first, to show him that what they were intending to do to him was all in good fun. And of the two boys to tickle before Lucas, they chose to tickle Asriel. And that was simply because it had been a while since Izzy last tickled Asriel. Izzy loves tickling fluffy boys and Asriel reminds her so much of her own fluffy brother, Bastian; her big bunny bro. X3 But she loves tickling scaly boys as well; like her friend and classmate, MK. And little did MK know; he would be tickled by each of the three human girls shortly after they were finished tickling Asriel. They simply couldn't tickle one precious monster boy without tickling the other. No siree!

Minutes later…

Asriel: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Frisk: Heeheeheehee! Ok, ready, Chara? *asked Frisk, right as she stopped tickling Asriel, prompting Chara and Izzy to do the same*

Chara and Izzy: Heeheeheehee! Ready, Frisk!

After a moment of silence…

Chara: Hey, MK! Guess what! You're next! *exclaimed Chara in a singsongy voice whilst holding up her hands and wiggling her fingers, making MK nervous enough to dash forward without thinking; and by dashing forward without thinking, MK ended up tripping and falling face-down against the floor, leaving him open for Frisk, Chara, and Izzy to tickle him without a single care in the world*

MK: Eeeeeeeeep!!! Oh no, not again!!! Oooooooof!!!

Frisk: Quick! Before he gets up!

With that said, the three human girls scooted towards MK and pinned him down before he could stand back up; Frisk holding his left robotic arm down against the floor with her bare feet pressed against the left half of his torso, Chara holding his right robotic arm down against the floor with her bare feet pressed against the right half of his torso, and Izzy kneeling over his legs and tail with his ankles and the end of his tail sandwiched between her knees. Then without a second thought, the three human girls began tickling MK, Frisk wiggling her toes against the left half of his torso on the outside of his shirt, Chara wiggling her toes against the right half of his torso on the outside of his shirt, and Izzy wiggling her fingers against his soles and toes as well as in between his toes.

MK: EEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!! *squealed MK the moment he felt twenty toes wiggling against his torso and ten fingers wiggling against his scaly feet; everywhere on his soles, toes, and in between his toes* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! *he laughed preciously, twitching his tail and robotic arms while they were being held down, trying to break free but to no avail* OHOHOHOHOH NOHOHOHOHO!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! OHOHOHOH NOHOHOHO, NOT THAHAHAHAT!!! *he then pleaded, blushing tomato-red due to Frisk and Chara tickling him with their toes and Izzy simply tickling his feet* HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!! *SQUEAK* EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!! EEEEEEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!!!

Chara: Heeheehee! Now, MK, we know you don't mean that! Not while Frisk and I are tickling you with our pretty toes!

Izzy: Heeheehee! And while I'm tickling your tootsies!

MK: HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!! DANG IT, YOU THREE CUHUHUHUTIES!!! HAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! YOHOHOU’RE KILLING MEEEEEEEEEEEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!!! *SQUEAK* GYEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE HEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!!!

Frisk: Heeheeheehee! Thanks! We'll take that as a compliment, you lovable lizard you! X3

Frisk, Chara, and Izzy all know what MK loves and all three human girls were happy to give that to him before tickling Lucas together. MK was in seventh heaven with two cute human girls tickling his torso with their toes and a third cute human girl scribbling her fingers against his overly sensitive feet, not wanting any of them to stop by the time they decided to release him. But they had to release him though! Because if they didn't stop tickling MK, they would've never gotten around to tickling Lucas…

Minutes later…

MK: HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Frisk: Heeheeheehee! Ok, ladies, that's probably good enough, don't you think? *asked Frisk the moment she stopped tickling MK, prompting both Chara and Izzy to do the same*

Chara and Izzy: Heeheehee! Yeah, probably.

MK: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!! No, dohohohohohon’t stohohohohop!! *begged MK, still laughing and giggling due to lingering ticklish sensations* Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!

Chara: Heeheehee! Sorry, Lizzy boy, but we have to!

Izzy: Yeah, don't you want the same to happen to Lucas?

MK: Hahahahahahahahahaha!! Ok, that's fair!! Hahahahahahahahaha!! Go ahead!! *squeak* Heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeeheeheehee!!

With that said, the three human girls then turned their attention to Lucas, slowly approaching him one by one; Frisk first, Chara second, and Izzy third.

Frisk: Heeheeheehee! Well, Lucas… how do you feel about the three of us tickling you now? Are you ready? *asked Frisk, wondering if tickling both Asriel and MK beforehand has helped Lucas feel more comfortable about being tickled altogether*

Lucas: U-u-ummmm, y-y-yeah. I… I think so. *uttered Lucas, both nervous and excited to be on the receiving end of tickles from three little human girls*

Chara: Heeheehee! Good to hear.

Izzy: And don't worry, we'll go easy on you to start. *assured Izzy, giving Lucas's ears a quick scratch* Right, ladies?

Frisk and Chara: Oh yeah, most definitely!

Lucas: G-good… *gulp*

Moments later, Frisk and Chara directed Lucas to lie down on the floor in a spot where they had placed numerous blankets. The two girls not only wanted Lucas to be comfortable whilst being tickled but they also wanted plenty of room for them and Izzy to maneuver. And once Lucas lied down on a floor on top of the blankets in a T position on his back, the three girls officially started tickling him. One by one the three human girls tickled Lucas. And the first of the three girls to tickle him was Frisk. Kneeling next to Lucas's head, Frisk grabbed a hold of both of his cat ears and tickled them to her heart’s content, wiggling her index fingers and thumbs on either the inside or outside of them with every passing second, until it was one of the other girls’ turns to tickle him.

Lucas: Pfffffffff…Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!! *Lucas laughed, shaking his head lightly the entire time Frisk tickled his ears* Oh wohohohow!! *Squeak* Heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee!!

Frisk: Heeheeheehee! I love what I'm hearing so far. *cooed Frisk, adoring Lucas's reactions to the ear tickles*

After one minute, Frisk stopped tickling Lucas and let another one of the girls have a turn. Next up was Chara, who was kneeling off to his right, and she scribbled her fingers against his legs of all places. From his thighs all the way down to his ankles, not a single inch of Lucas's legs was left untouched. And as Chara tickled Lucas's legs, she induced more frantic reactions and laughter from Lucas. His legs are a little more ticklish than his ears, which she and Frisk were informed of beforehand by Catty, but she wanted to find out for herself. And she was more than pleased to find out that Catty had indeed told her the truth. And whichever spot Izzy tickles after Chara finishes tickling his legs should be more ticklish…

Lucas: Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!!! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! *Lucas laughed harder than before, his legs twitching lightly as Chara scribbled her fingers against them ever so gingerly* Holy… Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!!! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

Chara: Heeheehee! Having fun, Lucas? *asked Chara, not expecting an answer as she continued scribbling her fingers against Lucas's legs*

Lucas: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! Yeheheheheheah!!! *Lucas frantically answered through his laughter, trying his best to keep his legs still for Chara* Heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee!!!

After Chara stopped tickling Lucas's legs, it was then Izzy's turn to tickle Lucas. And the spots she tickled were indeed more ticklish than his legs. She tickled his sides and to effectively tickle his sides, she kneeled over him with his thighs sandwiched between her knees, trapping him underneath her and giving herself all of the freedom she needed to scribble her fingers against them and squeeze them to her heart's content. And for even more effective tickles, Frisk held his arms down to prevent him from inadvertently smacking Izzy.

Lucas: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! *squealed Lucas, jolting backwards at the lightest touch to both of his sides* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *he laughed harder than before, indicating that Izzy had indeed found some sweet spots of his* OHOHOH, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, OHOHOH THAT TIHIHIHIHICKLES! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHA! *SQUEAK* GYEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!

Izzy: Heeheeheehee! Awww! Of course it does, you cutie. *cooed Izzy, causing Lucas to blush in response* Heeheeheehee! Oh, you are just so cute when you laugh.

Lucas: HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA! *laughed Lucas once more, wiggling and squiggling in a cute manner underneath Izzy* THAHAHAHAHANKS! *he then shouted through his laughter, unsure of how to respond to such a nice compliment whilst laughing* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *SQUEAK* HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEEHEEHEEEHEEHEE!

After Izzy finished tickling Lucas's sides, it was once again Frisk's turn to tickle him. She was still kneeling next to Lucas's head but instead of tickling his ears a second time, she dug her fingers into the hollows of his armpits, causing him to just plain scream with laughter. His armpits were even more sensitive and as a means of dealing with the tickling to said armpits, he flailed his arms every which way, only to end up stopping once Asriel and MK kneeled next to him and held his arms down; Asriel holding down his right arm and MK holding down his left.

Lucas: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!! OHOHOHOH NOHOHOHO!! HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! NOHOHOHO, DON'T… *pleaded Lucas through his more frantic laughter the moment he felt Asriel and MK grabbing his arms and holding them against the floor* EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHA!! *SQUEAK* KYEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!!

Frisk: Heeheehee! Thanks, you guys. He was starting to get really crazy there!

Asriel: Heeheehee! Yeah, just like you do when we tickle you there, my dear sister. *teased Asriel*

MK: Hehe. He's right! *MK agreed*

Frisk: Oh, you boys… I must say, you're really lucky I'm tickling Lucas at the moment… *claimed Frisk, informing both Asriel and MK that she would be tickling them just for teasing her if she wasn't busy tickling Lucas*

Lucas: HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! GO AHEHEHEHEHEAD AND TICKLE, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, AZZY AND MK IF YOU WANT, FRISK!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! I WOHOHOHON’T MIND!! *SQUEAK* HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!!

As tempting as it was to adhere to Lucas's request to tickle Asriel and MK, Frisk focused on the task at hand. That being, tickling Lucas and only Lucas. She, Chara, and Izzy just had to give him a proper tickle treatment. And as soon as Frisk finished tickling Lucas's armpits, Chara traded places with Izzy and scribbled her fingers all over his belly on the outside of his shirt, causing him to laugh even harder. Lucas's belly was even more sensitive than his armpits and he was laughing so hard that tears were beginning to form in his eyes.

Lucas: PFFFFFFFHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! OHOHOH NOHOHOHO, NOT THE BEHEHELLY TOOOHOOHOOHOO!!! MEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEHEEHEHEEHEEHEEHEHEEHEE HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!!! OH, I'M SOHOHO TICKLISH THERE, STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Chara: Heeheeheehee! Keep going? You got it! *teased Chara, mere seconds before lifting up Lucas's shirt and scribbling his fingers against his bare belly*

Lucas: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!! *shrieked Lucas, his eyes open so wide the moment he felt Chara’s fingers touching the bare skin of his stomach* HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! *he laughed hysterically, right as he began kicking his legs at an alarmingly fast rate, prompting Izzy to then hold them down before he inadvertently hurt someone* CHAHAHAHAHAHARA!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! CHAHAHHAAHARA, DOHOHON'T!!! HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! *SQUEAK* EEEEEEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE HEEHEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!!!

Moments later…

Lucas: HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Chara: Heeheehee! Ok, ok, just one last thing before we give you a breather… *claimed Chara, holding up a single index finger next to Lucas's bellybutton*

Lucas: EEEEEEEEEEP!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! OH NOHOHOHOHO!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Chara: Heeheeheehee! Kitchie kitchie kitchie kitchie kooooooo! *teased Chara, swirling one of her index fingers directly inside Lucas's bellybutton for ten whole seconds*

Lucas: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! NOHOHOHO, NAHAHAHAHART THA… MEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOW!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! MEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOW!!! GAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…

Ten seconds! Ten seconds of swirling an index finger inside Lucas's bellybutton and Chara had managed to make Lucas yowl like that of a housecat. And he'll likely be doing even more yowling after his break is over, for there's one spot that's supposedly more sensitive than his belly…

Lucas: Huff… huff… huff… *Lucas huffed and puffed after Chara had stopped tickling him*

Lucas was gasping for air by the time Chara stopped tickling him. He’s quite the ticklish Neko boy if Frisk, Chara, Asriel, MK, and Izzy do say so themselves. And despite how much he was freaking out while he was being tickled, he had a great deal of fun being on the receiving end of those tickles. He loves receiving attention from girls. Especially cute ones like Frisk, Chara, and Izzy! As well as cute monster boys like Asriel and MK, who will both likely be ticking Lucas shortly after Izzy has another turn.

Frisk: Awww, Lucas! *cooed Frisk, scratching Lucas's ears to help him relax after being tickled, causing Lucas himself to purr in response X3*

Chara: Heeheehee! Awww! Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty! *cooed Chara, adoring Lucas's purring* Speaking of “kitty,” your mom told us that you say that if tickling ever gets too extreme for you.

Lucas: Eeeeeeep! What?! N-no I don't. *claimed Lucas, embarrassed to find out something else that Catty had told Frisk and Chara (and Asriel and MK) behind his back*

Frisk: Heeheeheehee! It's ok, Lucas. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. *assured Frisk*

Chara: Heeheeheehee! Yeah, we're all friends here. You can trust us. And Izzy too!

Izzy: Heeheeheehee! It's true, Lucas! And I for one think it's cute that you have a safe word. My mom has one too. Carrot cupcakes! Actually, that's two words, so it's more a safe phrase in her case. Heeheeheehee!

Lucas: Oh, that's neat.

Izzy: Heeheehee! Right? I love making her say it every time I tickle her big feet. She has extremely ticklish feet! And she's a kicker so if you ever want to tickle her feet, either have someone hold her legs down for you or tie them down.

Lucas: Oh, that's good to know. T-thank you for t-telling me that.

Izzy: Heeheehee! Of course! And speaking of ticklish feet, are your feet ticklish, Lucas? *asked Izzy all cheekily, looking at Lucas with a cute little smile on her precious face*

Lucas: Eeeeeeeep! No! No, not at all! *exclaimed Lucas in response, curling his toes in fear inside his socks*

Izzy: Heeheehee! Are you sure? *asked Izzy in a singsongy voice, shortly before signaling over to Asriel and MK to hold Lucas's legs down against the floor*

Lucas: Eeeeeeep! *squealed Lucas once he felt his legs being held down* Y-yes, I'm sure! I'm sure!

Izzy: Hmm……… I don't believe you.

At that moment, Izzy began tickling Lucas's socked feet, scribbling her fingers gingerly up and down the soles of them and eliciting precious giggles while doing so.

Lucas: Pfffffffffffffff… Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!! Ok, ok, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, they're a little tihihihihicklish!!!! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

Izzy: Heeheeheehee! Now how about these toesies? *teased Izzy, right as she began tickling Lucas's toes with his socks still on*

Lucas: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHA! NOHOHO, NOT THEHEHEHEHEHERE! *pleaded Lucas through his more frantic laughter, trying to pull his feet away from Izzy only to be prevented from doing so by both Asriel and MK* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Izzy got more of a reaction when she tickled Lucas's toes. And for good reason. His toes are his most ticklish spots; ungodly ticklish according to both him and Catty. Just a slight touch to one or more of them is enough to get him in stitches. Even with socks on! And as Izzy tickled Lucas's toes, Lucas himself laughed so hard that tears ran down his face. Then after a while, Izzy removed both of Lucas’s socks and tickled his feet a second time, much to Lucas's dismay. His feet are far more ticklish without socks and after just a few seconds of fingers scribbling up and down his bare soles, he was yowling in addition to laughing and crying, indicating to everyone else in the room that his feet are indeed more ticklish than his belly.

Lucas: AHHHH! NO! NOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! IZZY NOHOHO!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! NOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!! MEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOW!!!! HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!! MEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOW!!!! HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!!!!

Lucas was going crazy with every passing second he felt Izzy's fingers scribbling against his bare feet; laughing, squealing, squeaking, yowling, and everything in between. His feet are so ticklish. But the tickle torture he had endured couldn't have been too unbearable. Because the entire time Izzy tickled his feet alone, he never once said “kitty,” his safe word. And she tickled him with more than just her fingers too. In addition to her fingers, she also used a Q-Tip, paintbrush, feather, fork, and toothbrush.

Lucas: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! MEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOW!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! *SQUEAK* MEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOW!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! *SQUEAK* HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE…

After tickling Lucas's feet with her fingers and five different utensils, Izzy moved aside to let Asriel and MK take turns tickling Lucas. First, Asriel tickled Lucas on his own, quickly tickling him everywhere Frisk, Chara, and Izzy had tickled him; starting with his ears for 20 seconds, then his legs for 20 seconds, then his sides for 20 seconds, then his armpits for 20 seconds, then his belly for 20 seconds, and then his feet for 20 seconds. Two whole minutes of tickles from his furry fingers alone!

Lucas: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! *SQUEAK* MEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOW!!! HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!! *SQUEAK* MEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOW!!! HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!!!

Asriel: Heeheeheehee! How do you like my fur, Lucas? *asked Asriel, wondering if his furry fingers were tickling Lucas more than human fingers*

Lucas: HHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I DOHOHON'T LIKE IT!!! *lied Lucas through his laughter* HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! STOP UHUHUHUSING IT!!! HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!

After Asriel finished tickling Lucas, it was then MK’s turn to tickle Lucas. And MK did exactly what Asriel did for two whole minutes. He tickled all of his sweet spots for two whole minutes. But unlike Asriel, he threw his tail into the mix.

Lucas: EEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!! HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHAHA!!! AH, NOHOHOHO, HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, NOT THE TAIL TOOHOOHOO!!! HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!! *SQUEAK* MEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOW!!! HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEHEE!!!

MK: Heeheeheehee! Yes, the tail too! Heeheeheehee! I love tickling with my tail! Can you tickle with your tail too, Lucas? *asked MK, wondering if Lucas can tickle people with his tail like he can*

Lucas: HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!!! I DOHOHON'T KNOHOHOW!!! *Lucas answered, not actually wanting MK to know if he can or can't tickle people with his tail… not at this moment, anyway* HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Moments later…

Lucas: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Even after being tickled by both monster boys back-to-back, Lucas still didn't say his safe word, giving everyone the impression that he handles tickles to his various sweet spots better in short spurts as opposed to lengthy periods of time. And that observation appeared to be true because it wasn't until Asriel and MK tickled him together that he said his safe word; Asriel sitting next to his head tickling his ears and armpits with his fingers and toes respectively and MK kneeling over his legs and ticking his lower abdomen, thighs, and feet with his tail, toes, and fingers respectively. With so many of his sweet spots being targeted at once, Lucas had literally no choice but to say his safe word. But he didn't say it right away though. Not until after two full minutes of tickles to his sweet spots…

Two minutes later…

Lucas: HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! OHOHOH MY GOHOHOHOD!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHA!!!! KITTY!!!! HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! KITTY, KITTY, KIHIHIHITTY, KIHIHIHIHIHITTY!!!! EEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!!!! MEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOW!!!! HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Upon hearing Lucas say his safe word, Asriel and MK both moved away from him and thus stopped tickling him entirely; Asriel moving to the left of Lucas and MK moving to the right of Lucas. Then, without any warning whatsoever, Asriel and MK found themselves being pinned down against the floor on their backs with their arms above their heads by Frisk and Chara respectively! And not only that; Izzy kneeled over Lucas and pinned his arms above his head! And to keep all three boys held down against the floor, Frisk conjured several spikes (every single one of them a red color) and crisscrossed them around every single one of the boys’ limbs as well as Lucas and MK's tails! :O

Asriel: Oof! *Asriel struggled* Hey! Frisk, I thought we agreed not to use any magic! *he then shouted, annoyed that Frisk had used magic to hold him, Lucas, and MK down against the floor after telling him beforehand that she would not use any magic whatsoever*

MK: Oof! Hey, yeah, what gives, Frisk?! *shouted MK, also annoyed*

Frisk: Heeheeheehee! Calm down, boys. Let us girls have a little fun for the next ten minutes or so. You won't regret it. *claimed Frisk in a cheeky manner, giving each of the boys the impression that they will receive some type of reward if they endure tickles from her, Chara, and Izzy*

Izzy: (Heeheehee! You won't!) *mouthed Izzy, sitting behind Frisk and holding her feet up for all three boys to see and running her blue feather across her bare soles; silently informing all three boys that they will indeed receive a reward for enduring tickles from her, Frisk, and Chara*

Asriel: Heh. Well, when you put it that way, okay! *exclaimed Asriel excitedly, now that he knows what the girls are intending to do after tickling them*

MK: Hehe. Yeah, do your worst! *commanded MK, greatly spreading his toes*

Frisk: Heeheehee! Great! And what about you, Lucas? Do you have anything to say before we start?

Lucas: Just three words, Frisk… Bring… It… On! *commanded Lucas in a very confident manner, prompting both Asriel and MK to say the following,*

Asriel: Hehe. Yeah, you tell ‘em, Lucas!

MK: Hehe. Yeah, dude, yeah!

And with that, each of the three girls began tickling each of the three boys with their fingers alone. For nine whole minutes the girls tickled the boys. Though, not the same boy for nine whole minutes. No, every three minutes, the girls switched to a different boy. And how long the boys were tickled on either their upper bodies or their feet depended entirely on the girl that was tickling them. If it was Frisk, each boy received two minutes of tickles to their upper bodies and one minute of tickles to their feet; if it was Izzy, each boy received ninety seconds of tickles to their upper bodies and ninety seconds of tickles to their feet; and if it was Chara, each boy received one minute of tickles to their upper bodies and two minutes of tickles to their feet. But it was hard for each of the three boys to tell though because of how busy they were laughing their heads off. All they knew was that each of the girls’ fingers tickled like crazy and with no chances of freeing themselves from their predicament, the only thing they could do was lay on the floor and take everything that each of the girls were intending to dish out.

During the first three-minute interval…

Asriel, Lucas, and MK: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! *the three boys laughed preciously; Frisk tickling Asriel, Izzy tickling Lucas, and Chara tickling MK*

During the second three-minute interval…

Asriel, Lucas, and MK: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! *the three boys laughed once more; Chara tickling Asriel, Frisk tickling Lucas, and Izzy tickling MK*

During the third and final three-minute interval…

Asriel, Lucas, and MK: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! *the three boys laughed even more; Izzy tickling Asriel, Chara tickling Lucas, and Frisk tickling MK*

Sometime later…

Asriel, Lucas, and MK: Huff… huff… huff… huff… huff… *the boys huffed and puffed after nine whole minutes of tickle torture*

Nine minutes! At this point during the sleepover, Asriel, Lucas, and MK had endured nine whole minutes of tickles! And with ticklers like Frisk, Chara, and Izzy, that was no easy task! The three human girls themselves sure know how to get each of them laughing with their fingers alone, scribbling, drumming, and raking their fingers all over several of their sweet spots and verbally teasing them every so often while doing so; the dreaded “coochie coochie coo,” “tickle tickle tickle,” “kitchy kitchy koo,” you name it. But it was all worth it in the end though, because shortly after Frisk freed the three boys, they were all given an opportunity to get some sweet revenge on her, Chara, and Izzy! And to prevent themselves from moving around too much, all three girls stuffed themselves tightly into one sleeping bag with their heads sticking out at one end and their bare feet sticking out at the other; Frisk on the left, Izzy in the middle, and Chara on the right. And sure as hell all three girls wiggled their toes to tease the boys once they saw them stuffed in one sleeping bag together. XD

Frisk: Yoo-hoo. Boys. Oh, boys. *cooed Frisk in a singsongy voice, in order to get the boys' attention once she saw three of them standing up after taking some time to catch their breaths*

Izzy: Time for your reward. *cooed Izzy while Lucas was putting his socks back on*

Chara: And you better hurry up before we change our minds. *teased Chara*

Moments later…

Lucas: Oh G-god… *uttered Lucas, blushing red at the sight of three trapped pairs of ticklish human feet*

MK: Eeeeep! H-h-holy m-m-moly! *exclaimed MK, mesmerized by the sight of Frisk, Izzy, and Chara stuffed in a sleeping bag together with only their heads and feet sticking out*

Asriel: Oh, wow. Oh, w-w-wow! T-t-thank you so much, you guys! *exclaimed Asriel excitedly, knowing full well that the girls were intending to let him and the other boys get some sweet revenge on them*

Frisk: Heeheeheehee! Of course, Azzy. You, MK, and Lucas earned it.

Izzy: Heeheehee! They sure have! *Izzy agreed, teasing the boys with her feet more than Frisk and Chara were with their own feet*

Chara: Heeheehee! Wow, Izzy, you must really want your feet tickled, huh?

Izzy: Heeheehee! I do! More than anything!

Frisk: Heeheehee! Well, boys, you heard the little lady. Tickle us, all three of us.

Chara: Heeheehee! Yeah, and don't you dare hold back!

Lucas: Oh, we won't! *exclaimed Lucas, rushing over towards the girls and sitting next to their feet before Asriel and MK could even think to do the same*

With that said, each of the three boys tickled the girls' immensely ticklish bare feet, causing all three of them to laugh both heartily and hysterically inside the sleeping bag that they had stuffed themselves into. And with barely anywhere to go while stuffed so tightly in one sleeping bag, laughing was the only thing they could do. And with every passing second they felt fingers scribbling either gingerly or rapidly against their bare soles and/or twisting in between their toes, they did a great deal of laughing… and squealing… and screaming. For six whole minutes the boys tickled the girls' feet with their fingers alone. And for the sake of variety, the boys switched ticklees every two minutes.

During the first two-minute interval…

Frisk, Izzy, and Chara: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!! GYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!! *the three girls laughed; Asriel tickling Frisk, Lucas tickling Izzy, and MK tickling Chara*

During the second two-minute interval…

Frisk, Izzy, and Chara: HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! *the three girls laughed once more; MK tickling Frisk, Asriel tickling Izzy, and Lucas tickling Chara*

During the third and final two-minute interval…

Frisk, Izzy, and Chara: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE GYAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! *the three girls laughed even more; Lucas tickling Frisk, MK tickling Izzy, and Asriel tickling Chara*

After tickling Frisk, Izzy, and Chara together for six whole minutes, Asriel, Lucas, and MK stopped to give them a breather. The girls appreciated that, their bare feet being so ticklish and all. But then shortly after the three of them regained their breaths, the boys tickled them for at least six more minutes! But not together though. Instead, the boys took turns tickling the three girls, resulting in each boy having the three girls' feet all to themself for at least two minutes. And the first boy to tickle the three girls was MK. And he did so by first wiggling his clawed toes against each of the girls’ soles; first Frisk's right sole and Chara's left sole, then Frisk's left sole and Chara's right sole, and then both of Izzy's soles; until finishing it all out with a single feather duster he held with his tail, facing away from all three of them and swinging his tail as if it were a pendulum; the feather duster brushing against the girls' feet with every swing of MK's tail.

Frisk, Izzy, and Chara: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!! HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!! HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!

As soon as MK finished tickling the girls, it was then Asriel's turn to do the same. But rather than using his feet and short fluffy tail, Asriel instead brushed all four of his limbs against each of the girls’ soles, tickling all three pairs of feet at once with vertical and horizontal motions and letting every strand of his soft silky fur on each limb do all the work; first with his left arm for 30 seconds, then his right arm for 30 seconds, then his left leg for 30 seconds, and then his right leg for 30 seconds.

Frisk, Izzy, and Chara: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!! GYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Then after Asriel’s turn, it was Lucas's turn to tickle the girls. And it was at that point that Lucas revealed to his friends that he is indeed capable of tickling with his fluffy cat tail. He used nothing but his tail to tickle all three girls for two whole minutes, first by swinging it like a pendulum against the girls' bare soles like how MK did with a single feather duster and then by brushing it against all three girls' feet at once like how Asriel did with each of his limbs.

Frisk, Izzy, and Chara: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE GYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!! BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

As soon as Lucas finished tickling Frisk, Izzy, and Chara, he and the other boys freed them from the sleeping bag. Yes, as tempting as it was to continue tickling Frisk, Izzy, and Chara while they were stuffed in a single sleeping bag together with only their heads and feet sticking out, the boys freed them from said sleeping bag. Frisk freed the three boys themselves from their magic spike restraints after tickling them, so it was only fair for them to free the three girls themselves from the sleeping bag. Then after freeing the girls, all six of the kids built a large blanket fort together and talked and told each other stories until they fell asleep on the floor. A great end to a fun night of laughter and various shenanigans if the kids do say so themselves. Though, especially Lucas! He was very grateful that he had made a new friend during the sleepover. He and Izzy had such a fun time getting to know each other that night and from that point forward, he would continue to hang out with her and learn even more things about her in the process, like what to do to overpower her in a tickle fight, for example. ;)

THE END.

#undertale tickle #undertale tickling #feet tickling #tickle story #tickle fic #asriel #monster kid #monsterkid #frisk #chara #upperbody tickling #sleepover #cute kids

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mrbensonmum · 5 months ago

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TV Shows - 3 Body Problem VI

First, we learn that Ye Wenjie is brought to Michael Evans on the Judgment Day, and at the beginning of the series, during Vera's funeral, we found out that Vera is their daughter. This is another aspect that is portrayed differently in the book. I wonder if this connection was chosen in the series to create a sort of bridge between the different factions. However, I don’t mean the factions within the series itself, but rather between the Chinese and Western actors.

Because, if we take a closer look, there are indeed some differences in nationality and gender, as well as certain events that are spread across multiple characters (I’m still very curious about how this will develop later in the series).

However, the crucial point in this episode is that, due to his ignorance, Michael Evans loses contact with the San-Ti (as they are also called). He reads them a story, but it is misunderstood by the other side. It’s also clear that Evans isn’t particularly good at explaining it. At the same time, it reveals that the San-Ti, as it seems—though it's not explored further—have a completely different understanding of truth and untruth, as well as communication in general. This is another area where more could have been explored about the San-Ti, to make things clearer for the audience. After all, communication has already existed for some time, and without an eight-year gap in between.

Will, meanwhile, has rented a small house where he also learns that he is the sole heir to Jack’s fortune. Unfortunately, at that moment, he’s too stoned to really grasp it. Honestly, I can understand him—if I had the chance, I’d probably do something similar and sign up for what’s coming in the next episodes.

Toward the end, Jin is almost murdered by Tatiana, but Clarence manages to prevent it. Tatiana is shot but manages to escape, and she will only reappear later. Ye Wenjie, however, is captured by the task force and still believes that this is all part of the San-Ti’s plan, and that when they arrive in 400 years, they will populate the Earth together.

I know I ask this question often, but it keeps popping up in my mind—how will it continue? In theory, I know how it goes on, but the question is more about what we’ll actually see visually, or what the series will show us. Especially when I think about Will and everything that gets set in motion through him—just that alone could easily fill half a season.

But the arrival of the San-Ti is a relatively complex topic (here’s a spoiler warning)! The first season leaves us with the knowledge that in four hundred years, the San-Ti will land on Earth, and humanity can do nothing about it—or won’t develop enough to counter it. This misconception persists until the very end, about 200 years in the future from here, where incredible arrogance among humans is suddenly, literally, shattered.

This is where the Swordholders and Wallfacers come into play, with the latter only being briefly mentioned in the last episode (more on that later).

This episode, I think, marks a sort of halfway point, and you can feel how things start to tighten up from here. Everything suddenly develops at a rapid pace, even though it’s still told calmly and thoughtfully. This is something the series shares with the book when you compare the first season with the first book. Because from the second book onwards, nothing is as it once was, and events start to spiral.

I just read an article about the Chinese audience’s response to this series, and the changes to the characters have not been well received. I can understand that to some extent. Even though these changes were made to make the series more appealing to a broader audience, I found it very interesting in the book that the main characters were mostly Chinese. It was just more diverse in many ways because it was something unfamiliar.

Even though I often complain that the series should tell us more about the San-Ti, I think, at the end of the day, it might not be such a bad thing. It maintains an interesting level of suspense, and that with a lot of finesse.

I’m particularly curious about what will happen with Tatiana since, in the book, she’s just a bodyguard for Ye Wenjie and dies rather quickly and unexpectedly. Especially because she manages to escape, and we later learn that she also gets a headset.

One more fun fact to finish: If Netflix sticks to its current plan, this could become the most expensive series in Netflix history. Each episode costs around 20 million dollars, and if the subsequent seasons also have eight episodes each, the total costs will reach 480 million dollars. Whether this includes marketing, I don’t know, but when you think about it, you can see that the series is highly produced. Even though the CGI in The Rings of Power (Amazon) is much more extensive, I still think that both series visually benefit from these high costs. And yes, I know, there are significant differences in storytelling, no question. But purely in terms of look and feel, there are some parallels.

#3 body problem #trisolaris #netflix #tvshow #rewatch #tv show #remembrance of earth's past #jess hong #benedict wong #Eiza González #netflix series #netflix shows

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lilareviewsbooks · 6 months ago

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June Rapid-Fire Reading Wrap-Up: 15 SFF/Romance Books

Hey guys! Happy June (boooo no more pride month!!)! Last month I read a whopping 15 books (do not ask me how) and so I thought I'd do a quick little monthly wrap up for you guys :)

Mortal Follies, by Alexis Hall

416 pages | 2.5 stars | WLW rep!

I reviewed this in my Queer Bridgerton Post, so I'll be brief! This one follows Maelys, as she finds out she's cursed by a magical entity and recruits a grumpy Ducchess to help her break it. The gimmick is that the whole story is narrated by a member of the fae, who has been exiled and is reminiscing on their Regency adventures!

I thought the gimmick was pretty cool, but the plot lost itself in the second half. The main conflict is resolved way too soon and it spirals from there. But I loved the first half and thought it had a strong point about women's bodily autonomy in Regency England. Since I loved the narrative voice so much, I think I'll continue with the series!

The Navigating Fox, by Christopher Rowe

160 pages | 4 stars | no queer rep on page

I'm finally getting back into novellas! I was excited to read this one: in a world where animals speak and act like humans, the world's only sentient fox begins a journey with a rag tag group to the doors of Hell...

I thought the premise was really interesting and so was the world-building. There's a lot to love here as it really does build a very interesting world that's immersive. But I thought the ending was rushed and that kinda soured it for me. Though overall, I would recommend!

Squire, by Nadia Shammas & Sara Alfageeh

305 pages | 2.5 stars | no queer rep on page

Squire is a graphic novel that I had started once in a bookstore and had really wanted to finish! We follow Aiza, who's part of a minority under Imperial rule, as she trains to achieve her dream of becoming a Knight.

The art for this is absolutely beautiful, and the themes are also very important and well thought-out, as you can clearly tell with the authors' reflections at the end of the book. But I found myself enjoying those more than the graphic novel itself. The TLDR is that I think the graphic novel does not communicate visually. Instead, it communicates via dialogue, which makes it all feel rushed. Plus, I feel like this could've been a book: although the art absolutely has its merits, nothing convinces me that this story had to be told in graphic novel format. In the end, I wasn't that impressed by the story-telling!

The Obelisk Gate, by N.K. Jemisin

410 pages | 4.5 stars | transfem side character!

Oh my God, The Obelisk Gate! This one is hard to review because it's the second book in the Broken Earth Trilogy. In the first book, we follow Essun, who has magical powers related to the Earth, and two other perspectives, as new "Season" begins, and the world turns desolate again.

This one picks up right where we left off, and I had a really good time! Jemisin's writing style is addicting, and I feel like I know Essun so intimately! It's definitely a middle book in the sense that I was only given more questions and didn't really get any answers, but I'm happy with that hahahah I'm halfway through the third book and loving it, as well! Highly recommend, especially for fans of The Locked Tomb!

The Memoirs of Lady Trent, by Marie Brennan (vols. 2 - 5)

350ish pages | 5 stars | genderqueer character in vol. 3!

The highlight of my month was definitely The Memoirs of Lady Trent! I listened to the audiobook of 4 volumes this month, and was absolutely addicted. The narration by Kate Reading is amazing!!

The series follows Isabella, who lives in a fantastical version of Victorian England, and rebels against societal implications by being obsessed with the study of dragons, and fucking off whenever possible to study them! Each book is one of her adventures, but they all culminate beautifully in the last volume with one hell of a reveal!

I couldn't pick a favorite, but it's between 2 and 3, and for a least favorite, I'd have to give it to book 4. But I had fun with all of them regardless, and was so charmed by the cast of characters! My only qualms were with the endings, which I always felt were a little rushed. But even that didn't hinder my excitement and my love for these books - they are amazing! Definitely new favorites!

(I have a more detailed review of book 2 here.)

The Justice of Kings, by Richard Swan

496 pages | 3.5 stars | no queer rep on page

Next up, The Justice of Kings! It follows Helena, the assistant to Sir Vonvalt, who is detective, judge and executioner of a sprawling Empire, as she and her boss uncover a conspiracy in a smalltown.

I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't what I expected. This is more of a mystery than anything else, and I was expecting a little more than that (not that there's anything wrong with mystery!). I also feel like the characters didn't really change from the beginning to the end of the book, and that the ending doesn't entice you into reading the second book. But I've heard great things about the second book, and so I'll be reading it this month for sure!

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, by K.J. Charles

331 pages | 4 stars | MLM main couple!

I also reviewed this one for the Queer Bridgerton Post, so I'll be brief once again! This one follows Gareth, who runs into his old lover when he comes to Romney Marsh to claim his inheritance from a father he didn't know - and ends up with a sister and a step-mother!

I really enjoyed this! It's very sweet! I thought Gareth's trauma was dealt with expertly, and that his love interest is very charming. The side plot deals with smuggling, so it's very exciting - if a little ridiculous at times! But I had fun regardless! Definitely recommend!

The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics, by Olivia Waite

219 pages | 5 stars | WLW main couple!

Another one that I reviewed for the Queer Bridgerton Post! This was definitely my favorite of the bunch. It follows Lucy, an astronomer, who takes up residence with the Countess of Moth in order to translate a particularly tricky piece of French mathematics. It deals with the trials of women to get scientific and artistic recognition in Regency England, and also explores abusive relationships and other pressures put on women at the time.

Despite the heavy topics, it manages to stay very sweet and compelling! I found the discussion of embroidery in particular to be very refreshing and impactful - I haven't stopped thinking about it since. Highly recommend!

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, by Lex Croucher

416 pages | 4 stars | WLW and MLM main couples!

The last of the Queer Bridgerton Post books! This one takes place in medieval England, where the princess Gwen and her bethrothed Art find out they are very much gay - and hijincks ensue!

I thought this was witty and charming - but it's definitely take it or leave it when it comes to the humor. If it's not your style, put this down, because it won't stop hahaha But because of the humor, I was having a lot of fun, and so ended up rating it highly even though I see plenty of flaws. In specific, I think the romances are barely developed - it's more the friendships that end up being the focus. And the ending... It's quite bad. Atrocious, even. I couldn't get specific without spoilers, sorry, but it didn't really ruin it for me. I still would recommend!

The Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan

864 pages | 3 stars | no queer rep on page

This month I also began my Wheel of Time journey, by reading The Eye of the World. To be honest, guys, this read like a gigantic, 800-page prologue to something. Which isn't to say I didn't enjoy it! I did! But I couldn't really tell you where we're going - which honestly, is fine. This series has 13 books, after all.

I'm excited to continue! I've heard things pick up in the second book and so I'll definitely pick it up this month. But this was a little too slow for me, which is why I gave it a 3! I still had fun though! And I'll definitely do a more in-depth review in the future!

The Fireborne Blade, by Charlotte Bond

176 pages | 2.5 stars | WLW rep!

I was very excited to read The Fireborne Blade! It follows a female knight as she ventures into the cavern of a dragon with her squire, which is quite an exciting premise for me! But I found the writing to be too tell-y instead of show-y, and even though the world was awesome, this made me feel less immersed. The twists are also no properly established beforehand, which makes them all come out of nowhere, making the story very weak. Unfortunately I just didn't enjoy myself too much :(

Half A Soul, by Olivia Atwater

304 pages | 4 stars | no queer rep on page!

Listen, I was only going to read this because the third book is sapphic, but I ended up falling in love! I was so pleasantly surprised! This story follows Dora, who was cursed as a child to only have half a soul, and struggles with social cues and her emotions because of this. When her beloved cousin decides to spend the season in London, in search of a husband, Dora trails along, and is soon dropped into a world of magic!

Although intellectually I know the romance is underdeveloped and the social critique is rather lukewarm, I found this to be so charming that I couldn't put it down. It's absolutely delightful and makes you feel warm inside! Dora and her love interest are very sweet together, and it's excellent to see representation for autistic people done so well - and magically! However, I will say I thought the epilogue kind of ruined it. I felt it was absolutely unnecessary!

Regardless, I highly, highly recommend!

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A bunch of books this time hahaha but thank you for sticking with me :) I'm excited for what next month brings and would love to hear from you! What did you read this month? Any stand-outs?

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anueutsuhos-touhou-profiles · 2 years ago

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The Fortune Teller:

The fortune teller (he has no name) appeared around halfway through Forbidden Scrollery, and never again, for a good reason.

He was once a human fortune teller living in the village. However, he began to realize that all the human villagers were nothing but cattle for the youkai of Gensokyo to leach the fear off of. He decided to become a youkai himself, and surpass his humanity. He accomplished this by writing all his fortune telling techniques in a book, without signing his name on it. He then killed himself. As a ghost, he bided his time to see if someone would try to take credit for his work so he could resurrect himself out of sheer rage. However, he also carefully controlled his emotions to avoid becoming a vengeful spirit. After all, manipulating people's emotions is an essential part of fortune telling!

As to how someone stealing his credit would allow him to resurrect: there was a belief in the Edo period that a little bit of the author's spirit is in every book they write, and when you read a book, their spirit reads you. And yes, if you plagiarize from a book, the author's ghost will come to haunt you.

Eventually, Kosuzu Motoori took the bait after she found this book in her store, and became a popular fortune teller using his strategies.

When she heard about Kosuzu's new business and the fortune teller's mysterious suicide, Reimu immediately rushed to Suzunan out of instinct, just in time to see the fortune teller appear in the flesh.

His resurrection as a youkai scared Kosuzu so much she fainted out of shock, and he ran away into the woods. Reimu took pursuit, and eventually caught up with him. He revealed his grand evil scheme... to live peacefully in the woods as a youkai. He expected Reimu to allow this, seeing as how she's allowed so many youkai to stay at her shrine, that "youkai shrine maiden" that she is. Reimu responds... by cutting him in half with her gohei! Lengthwise! She reveals that this is the fate of any human villager who turns into a youkai. The worst crime there is in Gensokyo, and the only one with no forgiveness. She then had the book burned to make sure he could never come back to life again.

For a guy who only appears in a single two-part arc before being killed off permanently, he's incredibly popular. Though actually dying in a series where nobody dies is probably a major part of that. He showcases Reimu's moral ambiguity very well, as well as adding some eerie potential as to what might happen if Kosuzu's reading of youma books one day turned her into a youkai. The other part being his unique, Nosferatu-esque design and being one of the few male characters with a notable role in the story.

May he rest in peace.

#touhou project #touhou #fortune teller touhou #touhou manga #forbidden scrollery

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kyogre-blue · 2 years ago

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Hi. Sorry for the following rant, but you're the only person I know who seems to be having a hate-love relationship with genshin. Please feel free to ignore this though if you want.

So I was doing Zhongli's first story quest, about Havria, and it's revealed that when she died there was backlash due to her godly powers. Now I don't remember for certain if this is canon or fanon, but I also thought that the reason Osial was imprisoned and not killed was due to the backlash. So how did Zhongli's "death" not get questioned then? Like Rex Lapis' death should have leveled at least half of Teyvat. And maybe sure, common citizens wouldn't have this information, but at least the Adepti should have known. Was it explained somewhere and I just missed it?

Like Liyue arc was so full of plot holes it's not even funny anymore. (And this is coming from someone who is willing to overlook a few plot holes). Is it so hard for Mihoyo to hire some competent writers, or at least keep track of all that's being said. Like I get that writing is hard, but if you strip it to the bare bones genshin is a simple story, and I think if they had kept that in mind they could have done so much better.

Again sorry for the long rant. i guess I just needed to vent a little bit.

Ah, you poor soul....

You made the classic mistake. When reading Genshin, you felt the hollowness of the storyline and the lack of any logic or explanation behind its events, so you instinctively tried to connect what was happening to other parts of the story. Your self-made explanation made sense, it felt good, so you assumed it was actually canon. But it's not.

There is no reason ever given for why Morax sealed his enemies instead of killing them. This is simply never discussed or mentioned. Same way there is no explanation for why the Traveler wants to see Morax's corpse so bad, or why we think a Guizhong Ballista will help us look for the cocogoat. We just do it because the plot needs us to do it.

In regard to gods exploding when they die, it seems to be something they can choose to control. The energy Andrius unleashed when he died (because, yeah, he's a ghost in present day) was actually beneficial to Mondstadt, since it change the previously frozen climate to something warmer. There's also no mention of Deshret or Rukkhadevata causing any big explosions with their deaths.

Take your personal pick of whether Havria was just taken too much by surprise to control it, was too weak and pathetic to control it, or if she decided to fuck up those bitches who shanked her on purpose.

In regard to why the adepti never question the whole "Rex Lapis was MURDERED" thing, it's because his supposed murder is just a plot device to have a cool sequence of events where the Traveler is a fugitive for some reason. After the end of Act 1, the entire concept of his death being caused by someone intentionally is largely dropped. EDIT: On replay, there's some mention from Keqing that the Qixing would nominally be the best suspects (though no explanation how they could have possibly achieved it), but that the adepti simply do not believe humans could have done it. On the other hand, they also never mention the adepti looking for any non-human culprit, so... do they think he just dropped dead from old age? This is never explained. At the end, the Qixing just tell the human populace that Morax failed a heavenly trialed and uh ascended or something.

At the most generous, you can say that "murder" was just Ningguang's kneejerk reaction and she sweeps it under the rug as quickly as possible once she realizes how stupid it is, and the adepti never took it that seriously. They're just mad in a generic way that Rex Lapis is dead, whatever the cause might be.

Honestly, Genshin's plot being stupid is like... it's bad. But it's made infinitely worse for me by that fact that the characters are worse. The characterization and (lack of) character arcs are just... I can't do this. Why does this """story""" even exist? It's so pointless.

....I mean, I know why it exists. GOTTA SELL THOSE ANIME WAIFUS

#playing genshin

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mysticaldreamwitch · 2 years ago

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Its in the Blood

This was suppose to be a fanfic, but as I am currently in no headspace to write it, any of you creative people out there can feel very welcome to make this idea your own!

Please me sure to tag me tho, I'd love to read where you take this concept!

Also TRIGGERWARNING for child murder, cannibalism, incest and murder

The Line of Atreus is really fecked up guys x.x

This is about the movie Remainder from 2015, starring our beloved Tom Sturridge in the main role as a nameless man, who looses his memory after a crash and desperately tries to reclaim it, using everything, anything and anyone at his disposal to do his bidding.

He starts off somewhat sympathetic, but in his ongoing mania, he rids himself of any moral or human notion, turning into a merciless killer in the end to get what he wants, and only realizing in a final moment of clarity, that he has been running in cirlces, and that he had just repeated everything up to the moment to which the crash occurred, making him loose him memory all again, indicating that this is an endless cycle, which the character has gone through before many times.

When I first saw it, I admit, I was quite baffled and perplexed by it all and I couldn't really make sense of it. I appreciated the movie for the craft, the camera, the lighting, the acting, everything was great, but the story left me feeling hollow in a way, filled with dread.

Perhaps other people like movies like this, the kind that depict a downwards spiral, and usually I watch it once, and thats it, but this one lingered in my mind, as it did something similar, but just different enough: The downwards spiral NEVER ends. He will always loose his memory, try to reclaim it, turn into a horrible void doing it, just to be struck down and start from zero again. It has no beginning, no end, no meaning, besides the mental and physical suffering of this person and everyone around him. And that, for a lack of a better word, fucked me up. I do NOT like that, cause it just made me feel so helpless. Nothing is explain, nothing is clear, you just watch this human suffer, knowning the end of it will never come.

So it kind of got me thinking if there could be a reason for this, some kind of explanation. And I think there is perhaps an interesting viewpoint one could turn this into.

Maybe its not that interesting, idk, it is to me

Consider, the main character as a descent of House Atreus.

For explaination, the bloodline of Atreus, as well as his brothers, were cursed, first by the actions of the grandfather Tantalus, who served his son Pelops to the olympian gods for food, to test their omniscience. This action got him sent to Tartarus, a part of the underworld, where he is damed to stay in water he can never drink, under a tree with rich fruit he can never reach.

His temper was passed down to his son, who, after being reassembled by the gods as good as they were able to (this will be relevant later), went on to live a normal life. However when the time came to marry, he was not the only suitor for the hand of a princess, so he convinced a servant by the name of Myrtilus to saboage his rivals chariot, which drove the man into death. However, instead of rewarding him, Pelops pushed the servant down a cliff, so his secret may die with him. In his dying fall, the servant uttered a curse on Pelops and his entire lineage, that the gods shall punish them all.

Pelops went on to have three sons: Chrysippus, Thyestes and Atreus. The ladder killed they half-brother Chrysippus in order to get the throne, but soon grew unsatisfied, resulting in another fight, which lead to Thyestes taking the throne, an act which was later resolved through devine help, as the gods helped Atreus claim the thone.

However, Atreus soon learned that his wife and brother had an affair, an affront that enraged him so much, that he invited his brother for a feast, only later to reveal the meal servend was made of his brothers own children. His brother was exiled for the crime of cannibalism and sought revenge, looking for the help of an oracle, which told him to have a child with his own daughter, which would later kill Atreus.

He did as the oracle told him, but the mother abandoned the child, ashamed of its origin, and it was discovered by shepherds and brought to Atreus palace, where the boy was raised, only later to kill his grandfather/father, after Thyestes revealed the plot to his own brother.

However, at this point, Atreus already had children of his own, the most important being Menelaus and Argamemnon. You know...the guys that went to war with Troy over Helen of Sparta, Menelauses wife. They went out to kill Thyestes to get back their kingdom and succeeded in their goal.

Coming back to the beginning of the Trojan however Argamemnon had angered Artemis goddess of the hunt by killing one of the sacred deer and boasting about being a better hunter then her, something she didn't take to too kindly, as he made the wind still and the ships unable to sail. A sacrifice had to be made: Iphigenia, his first born daughter.

But of course Iphigenia also had a mother, Clytemnestra, twin sister to Helen. Enraged by the sacrafice of her daughter, she started an affair with Aegisthus (the incest baby of Thyestes and his daughter) and started to plot her husbands murder, which she executed in the night her husband returned from the war. She let him into a bath, where she stabbed him to his death.

However, of course, Clytemnestra and Argamemnon had more then one child, however only one son Orestes, who had taken away by his sister Electra (or was exciled, depending on the version), and raised by/with her, swearing revenge on the murder of his father.

Him and his sister planned the murder, and Orestes executed it, being cursed by his mother in turn to be haunted by the Erinyes, the Three Furies. After wandering the land with guilt in his heart for many years, the gods decided, that enough penance had been done and freed the man from the curse.

How as he have established, technically the curse should be cured, right? Well yes...and no. You see apart from the fact that most of the people mentioned before had siblings, male and female where barely their names are known, one significant person in this whole plot was not punished at all: Elektra.

Althought their is speculation, for the most part her whereabouts after the murder and during the brothers penance is unknown, and what happened to her finally is quite unclear. So let you propose this idea to you: The main character in Remainder as a descent of Electras bloodline.

This may seem like a strech, but considering how many children went barely or completely unnamed, especially if they were female (yey to that old greece, good job), there is a high chance, many descents were never cleared of the House of Atreus curse like Orestes was. Therefore, the curse is still active or simply lies dormant.

Perhaps one could entertain the idea, that it is spread throughout their children like Haemophilia, which is found primarily in men, due to the genetic defect laying in the X-Chromosome. It happens in women as well, but only rarely, when the other X has a malfunction in some capacity.

This is also the reason why I chose "In the Blood" as the title of this idea. Apart from it being an absolute banger song from the Hades videogame, I think it could be an interesting piece here as well considering its context of family and kin.

I linked it, give it a listen if you can, its amazing!

So the characters spiral and violent tendencies could be attributed to that curse, okay, but how did he end up in this repeating nightmare you ask?

Simple: He's in hell. Well Tatarus. Actually both. Lemme explain.

As mythology got convoluted over time, so could the underworld be one giant realm which consists of many parts, including the Greek Underworld, as well the the concept known as hell in Christianity. And as seen in the show Lucifer, it is not uncommon to imagine hell to be a place where people relive their worst parts of life.

But the people in Lucifer are aware they are in hell, thats the whole point of it , you'd say, and yes, that is correct. However, what if this is not for his own mind to realize, apart from that small moment right before it all starts again, but for someone else to watch, to be amused by it. Someone that habours a resentment towards him, or maybe his entire line?

Far strech I know, but bare with me. A never-ending punishment made of agony, dispair and the very short realisation that it is indeed a punshiment, that sounds quite like Tantalus himself I think. Totured in Tartarus for all eternity for what he did.

Oh, also, to come back to the Pelops thing, ha, don't think I forgot! I mentioned before that the gods tried to put Pelops together as much as possible, because, while all the other gods immediately knew they were tricked, the goddess Demeter, still grieving the loss of the daughter Persephone, ate part of Pelops shoulder, which was deplaced by an ovory shoulder crafted by Hephaistos. So all of Pelops decendence have a white spot on the back of their shoulder. A nice little detail, you might wanna include if you like.

So yeah thats it, that was my rant about this idea, aka me trying to comprehend this movie, cause my little brain can't accept that there is suffering like this for no apparent reason.

I'd like to know y'alls views on it and feel free to use the idea in your own writing if I feel like it, see you around!

witch x.

#remainder #remainder 2015 #tom sturridge #tom sturridge character #movie idea #fanfic idea #greek myth inspo #house of atreus #honestly what is this movie it hurt me physically

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rhetoricandlogic · 2 months ago

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REVIEW: Space Oddity by Catherynne M. Valente

Series: Space Opera #2

Published: September 2024, Simon & Schuster (Saga Press)

Genres: Science Fiction / Space Opera, Science Fiction / Alien Contact, Science Fiction / Humorous

Summary: The Metagalactic Grand Prix—part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past returns and the fate of the Earth is once again threatened. The civilizations opposed to humanity have been plotting and want to take down the upstarts. Can humanity rise again in this sequel to the beloved Hugo Award–nominated national bestselling Space Opera by New York Times bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente?

This review contains spoilers for the ending of Space Opera and minor spoilers for Space Oddity.

Truthfully speaking, I didn’t find myself with a burning need for a sequel when I finished reading Space Opera—yet Space Oddity remained one of my most anticipated books of 2024, if only because I had total faith in Catherynne M. Valente to deliver Good Vibes and/or Hilarious Insanity like no other author.

In this sequel that’s lowkey a meta commentary on the nature of sequels (“This time it will be different!”), we return to the Metagalactic Grand Prix, an intergalactic Eurovision-esque singing competition between countless species that determines everything from trade deals to resource allocations to potential wars to music chart-toppers.

Last year, humanity eked out a respectable tenth place in our first showing. This year, we’ve graduated from newbie, and soon become escort to a newly discovered species.

Where other novels may treat the Dreaded Exposition like a concert opener—quality may vary from offensively bad to mildly boring to surprisingly delightful, but nevertheless it’s the thing you have to sit through to get to the thing you actually paid money for—subtly weaving it through the text so as not to drag down the pace or distract from the plot, Valente’s exposition is the headlining star of the show—all the bloody intergalactic history and weird alien biology and that one ranting monologue about the Frankenstein monster that is the English language, sketched in run-on sentences that can span a whole paragraph, if not multiple pages.

While I was thoroughly amused by Valente’s bombastically stylistic writing (and her ability to build entire alien societies around a single pun), the absolute heart of this book for me is the Absolute Zeroes.

Good News: While lead singer Decibel Jones is the frontman of the band and the book, Space Oddity is actually, stealthily, a story about Fridged Woman–turned-paradox Mira Wonderful Star, and any time spent with Mira Wonderful Star is, well, Wonderful. It’s especially touching when Valente contrasts Dess’s washed-up ennui about placing tenth in the Grand Prix with Mira’s punk-hope enthusiasm about touring and exploring the galaxy.

Bad news: I probably took at least half a star off when I learned that Oort St. Ultraviolet, man-of-every-instrument and my favourite Absolute Zero, is relegated to a background character. (We’ve had a Decibel and Oort book. We’ve had a Decibel and Mira book. Am I wishing for a third book that’s all Mira and Oort? Yes.)

Space Oddity is an glitter-filled, imaginative romp that matches the frenetic energy of its predecessor. Valente’s maximalist writing style makes even the dullest topic (e.g. a never-ending intergalactic meeting that could’ve been an email) a sensory and humorous delight. But while Space Opera skillfully married the Absolute Zeroes’ sordid histories and personal hang-ups with grand intergalactic stakes, the finale of Oddity didn’t quite pack the same emotional punch—though, I’ll admit, I audibly gasped and shook my fist at the sky (affectionate) when I read that reveal about the Empty.

#Catherynne M. Valente #Space Oddity #mahreviews #long post

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preyed-llama · 1 year ago

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I’m thinking of Ending Things (Movie), Faithful to a Fault.

Spoilers following for the book ‘I’m thinking of ending things’ and the movie adaptation.

I’m thinking of Ending Things is a good adaptation but as a self contained movie it is adequate but missing. As someone who has not read the book I will discuss my issues with the movie as a self contained story. As someone who is going to get the book and read it I will discuss the differences in more depth some other times. Probably. Below the cut are the three prevalent issues I found in the movie.

The story follows a young woman (typically called Lucy) and her boyfriend Jake. Throughout the story you learn that Lucy is a fictional woman created to comfort a lonely old man Jake- one at which he feels guilty over utilising consider she is a real person he saw once. This leads to the story.

First- not an issue but some background information which will provide insight later on for why I consider these issues rather than simple adaptation errors. The movie strays far from the book given it’s form as a visual medium, this appears in several parts but notably Kaufman includes alternating shots of the old man Jake and the fantasy world- an element not included at all in the book as it’s all told from the woman’s perspective in first person with it only being revealed in the end as a twist. Kaufman utilises the visual medium to include a ballet dance number to Oklahoma as well as a song that does not appear in the book. Including whole new scenes is not the the only major difference he made, additionally in the scenes with the parents he takes larger steps to make the twist more obvious, characters changing ages rather than just changing dresses and bandages. This leads heavier into the themes of death, age, decay that do appear in the book but nowhere near the level portrayed in the movie.

As one reviewer put it ‘the only literature you really need to know before watching the movie is the original novel’- which, is painfully accurate. The movie has three parts that really stick out considering the framing. In a scene where the two characters buy milkshakes a woman tells her ‘sorry about the smell, we’re varnishing in the back’, which she then says ‘I lied we aren’t varnishing’. If the second line didn’t occur it would be easy enough to overlook- but with the emphasis on it the fact that the movie never mentions the varnishing or even states the man is inhaling the fumes in the real world it feels drastic, considering the movie shows us the real world throughout, including a flash to him being a peeking Tom when he tries to kiss Lucy. In the book the line directly links back to him cleaning with the varnish without proper ventilation. Considering Kaufman chose to change so much of it in the two hour movie but include that line makes it so much more of a glaring oversight.

Another issue with the movie is the Caller, in the book it is first mentioned in page 6, in the movie it is mentioned about half way through, focused on twice and abandoned without consideration or follow through. This element is another oversight- to include the caller as a hint of the fantasy without engaging with it in any meaningful way leaves it unfulfilling.

Finally- in the book the minor changes in Jakes parents are easy to overlook. Far easier than changing ages or moving from their deathbed to being cheerful young parents, as such when Lucy sees a picture on the wall of a child (that Jake claims to be himself) and her internal monologue states that the child in the picture is her it feels like a big moment in the book, and her finding it unusual is a human reaction that makes perfect sense. It feels right. In the movie however the changes are all incredibly large; whole scene and character shifts- ages, characters developing dementia and being so young and spry, this is never mentioned. Lucy does not mention it in her internal dialogue- she pauses at changes to puzzle over it but it’s moved passed so quickly. So why then does she pause over her picture? Why is her picture there? Lucy is a figment, he feels guilt over fantasising about her without knowing her past or future- without even knowing her name- and yet in that scene he gives her a past in the form of a picture and she acknowledges that.

Someone out there may have a wonderful answer that encapsulates it all but as a movie watcher I had to keep looking up references and finding the answer being 'in the book' felt like a gut punch. To include references to the book is one thing, to include lines from the book that reference things not in the movie is frustrating.

#movie analysis #film analysis #i'm thinking of ending things #charlie kaufman

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microraptorreactor · 9 months ago

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Bathed in Blood and Shame time! This one is. A lot. I had to wait for V2's ark to finish because I uh. Kinda forgot that my thoughts on this work 100% contain spoilers for chapter 20. Now that it's out I can retrospective this allllll I want!

Context for this: it went through so many diffrent versions that were all compleatly diffrent from eachother. The very begining (V2 sulking in Lust) and middle section (V2 traveling across Lust and building the arm up until the encounter with V1) were the only consistant sectons. The scrapped versions were:

V4V work were their romance gets very weird and kind of bloody. These robots are not normal. Scrapped because I am bad at writing romance.

V2 gets adopted. I've mentioned this one a couple times before, would have given Gabriel a speaking role for once. Scrapped because I felt like the concept was a little too 'out-there'.

Alternate universe where V2 gets isakied into a crossover where it must work together with other fictional robots from other properties to return to its home universe. This is not a joke. Would have also featured Murderbot, 13 Black Winter (Robots of Gotham, PotaTOS (portal), The Lotus (Warframe), Brau (Pluto), Trouble Dog (Embers of War), and about half a dozen other robots.

Because I didn't know what I wanted it to be I feel like Bathed in Blood is kind of a hot mess.

Okay so this line unintentionally aged really well with the rest of the story. I'm going to pretend that V2 not mentioning its name was an intentional detail and not because I hadn't decided what it would be yet.

Classic V1, stealing people's arms. Also classic V2, for being just a little too trusting of other machines playing nice.

Fun fact: Kernel mode came about specifically because of this scene! When I started this one-shot, the multichapter Ultrakill work I had planned took place during canon and was about a chatacter who would become Baeri/Sleet (at the time it acted more like 732 then the deranged little pilot we know and love). An important part of that was that the machines couldn't fully remember what made them turn against humans, except that it took the form of a message over the feed. Kernel mode was my way to explain that! Here's the original explanation of Kernel time from that work:

Pretty close to what's given in Handle With Care, but some of the words are different and Baeri/Sleet is the one in Kernel, not V2. It's also pretty weird to read Baeri being helpless and processing that feeling without threatening people. Like wow, I can't believe I wrote this character to be emotionally stable at one point.

I forgot I formatted Earthmover text like this. The New Requiem red herring was mostly unintentional, but really funny. Apologies to Requiem for framing it for mass murder, I guess XD

These two paragraphs spawned a 50,000+ word novella. They were really just an excuse for the angst at the end, but man did they define this series. Of course, there's a couple details that don't line up anymore, but I'll probably just throw in a sentence or two mentioning Koda once Handle With Care is over. Maybe rewrite that last paragraph.

So sometimes I bounce ideas for this work off my brother (he's sometimes in the comments of Handle With Care, or you've read OmoShot and know him from a different fandom entirely) and he suggested that Kaine should have taught both V units the coin trick. A solid idea tbh.

Shrike's Weirdass Murder Shit weapons cooler, plus Kaine giving Koda the shotgun, was also my brother's idea. Kaine is his favorite character, lol.

This work is just the normal V2 characterization slowly sloughing off to reveal a sad wet cat. This is the first failbot moment that helped decide V2's characterization. One of the few paragraphs that didn't get fully rewritten whenever I changed directions for this oneshot.

I miscounted the Knuckleblaster's fingers here. It only has three fingers, not four. I just think that's funny.

My apologies for dragging out the awful terrible scene that everyone is dreading, but there's quite a bit to analyze here! First off, both V2 and V1 were originally built on New Requiem! V2 was always about a decade younger then V1, though. Now neither are from Requiem. In fact, they weren't even made ion the same continent anymore (V1 is American, V2 is from somewhere in Europe)

Wils threatening V2 with maintenance was something I tried to keep in Handle With Care that just fell flat. Along with the implied concept that no one else on New Requiem liked V2, and it only stuck around because the Earthmover liked it. I can handwave that one since its a hallucination and all that, though.

Oh boy is she threatening V2! I used to dislike this dialogue because I thought that V2 sounded too child-like. Then I realized that its story would hit so much harder if it was actually a child. So yeah yet another sentence where I realized I accidently did something smart, lol.

Hey little buddy, I think hell might've been lying to you about the whole V1 loving you unconditionally thing. Just maybe.

Birdcatt's live author reactions to their own works looks fun I'm gonna steal that. Live author reaction ahead.

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greensaplinggrace · 3 years ago

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do you have any darklina fic recs?

I certainly have a few! But first I want to clarify that I don’t really read fic when I’m writing it, and since I have so many fics in the works right now, I haven’t really been reading a lot of fanfiction. So this list probably won’t be as extensive as it could be.

Here are some other great fic recommendation posts, however:

DARKLINA FIC RECS by @vicioux

DARKLINA FIC RECS // part ii by @vicioux

Darklina Ruling the World Together Fic Recs by @clubofthestarlesssaint

Tumblr Ficlets

Aleksander’s First Memory by @kestrafagnor

Fivan Talk About Darklina by @jomiddlemarch

a little light in the great, big dark by @valkyrhys

Alina tells Mal she’s with Aleksander by @lorsanbitch

Darklina week day 5: intimacy & touch by @starlesscne

AO3 Fanfiction

if it ain’t me by larry_hystereks (Incomplete - 10/13 Chapters)

alina’s in her second year at Yale when she meets aleksander at one of his frat parties.

a hookup with the potential for more, only if alina wasn’t still struggling to piece herself together from last year’s breakup.

or: alina, zoya, their trust issues, and the men that fall for them

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I’m only at about chapter 6 of this fic currently, but so far it’s one of my all time favorite Modern AUs. The characterization for Alina and Aleksander is incredibly well done, and the entire fic itself is so feminist and queer in such a refreshing way. Aleksander and Alina are bisexual as fuck, both with their own separate complex lives, and much of Alina’s own traumas and relationships are explored outside of Aleksander.

There’s some Zoyalina, with Nikolina friendship and endgame Zoyalai. There’s some mystery and some tension, but nothing too extreme, and a lot of the fic is merely an exploration in growth and overcoming one’s history and learning how to move on in healthy ways. I love it.

She Wears a Collar (With My Name) by Ceris_Malfoy (Complete)

She is immortal, and whatever lingering hints of humanity she may have once had have long been bleached from her heart.

I will grant you one wish, boy, if it is in my power to do so. What does a Shadow Smith most want?

"You," he answers.

Written for Darklina Week 2021 - Day 2: Role Reversal

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This piece is just exquisite. This author’s writing style is one that I particularly enjoy. Their stuff is always so uniquely composed and crafted, and this one especially is a work of art. The way Darklina as a relationship is portrayed in particular is fascinating to me because it’s a role reversal but it’s still so complex. Aleksander’s character is nailed.

the bright sun was extinguish’d by athousandwinds (Complete)

Somewhere, deep in the dark forests of Ravka, a boy grows up on stories of Sankta Alina of the Wastes, the Sun-Scorched Saint.

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This fic is just straight up magnificent. It’s so engaging and I love love love the way a role reversed Aleksander who joins the army is portrayed. He reminds me so much of Demon in the Woods Aleksander, as if he’s exactly what a grown version of that young boy would be. When I say I adore his characterization in this I’m not lying.

If I wanted any completed fic I’ve read to have a second chapter, it would be this one.

Winter in the Little Palace by redisxwing (Complete)

Written for Yuletide 2020.

Baghra and Alina's wildly different perspectives on the Darkling, and how things could have gone if nobody listened to Baghra.

Warning: Baghra is written as a harsh and arguably abusive parent, and this is darkfic about that relationship, with a side of shipping. Everything is terrible (except the parts that are pretty much okay).

Canon divergence pretty much as soon as Alina gets lessons in summoning.

This fic is likely not compatible with King of Scars (or any subsequent work).

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As is said in the summary, this one makes Baghra a bit more extreme. If you’re a fan of Baghra, this fic probably isn’t for you. But since I’m not a fan of Baghra, I had no problems with it.

My biggest praise for this fic is in regards to the character interactions and the POVs. There’s a brilliant grasp of unique perspective and how to convey it, and that talent is carried over into the way character interactions are brought to life in the text. Also, there’s a scene where Alina gets kind of protective of the Darkling, which is one of my biggest weaknesses when it comes to Darklina.

Good Ideas by FelixRivers (Complete)

Alina Starkov had a very good idea. Aleksander Morozova would definitely agree. (or: Alina wants to go camping and Aleksander won't complain)

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This fic is just straight up adorable and hilarious. They’re such a cute couple and Alina’s POV is great. It’s just pure fluff and humor 💕

I’m not a bad girl, but I do bad things with you by SanktaJenya - @sankta-arya (Complete)

Winter had been hard on Old Baghra and Ana Kuya was worried about her, so she decided that Alina should make the trip to her cottage on the other side of the woods to bring her some food and kvas. On her way there, Alina meets a stranger...

Darklina Red Riding Hood/Company of Wolves AU

Darklina Week, Day 4, Fairytales

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This fic has a splendid grasp of tension and atmosphere. It’s very enchanting and dark and intriguing, and it nails those aspects with absolute precision. I love the style and the way the fairytale is incorporated into the narrative. It’s truly a masterpiece.

The Wretched by @aceofnowhere (Complete)

“We are strangers, but I want to help.” He growls at her, mocking and mistrustful. “I understand,” she said. “You think I am one of them. I certainly look like one of them. But I want to help you. Will you let me?” Prompt: fairytale. Alina saves a dragon.

---

Okay so I’ve mentioned this one before as one of my Top 5 fics of all time and I still stand by that. I can’t even describe why I love this fic so much except that the pacing is amazing and the prose is stunning and the story is beautiful. Aleksander is a dragon and Alina is a witch, and their relationship is just so...interesting and fascinating and lovely. I would literally kill for this fic. There’s such a softness to it as well. Such a tenderness. Idk, I just really love it.

Show Me Who You Are (I Want To Know) by Ceris_Malfoy (Incomplete - 12/?)

Alina takes her future in her own hands and makes her own decisions.

---

This is a great “what if Alina had stuck around after the reveal” rewrite. It doesn’t have Mal bashing and in fact still writes them as close friends, which is something I’m fond of in Darklina fics. Aleksander is allowed to be soft and Alina is allowed to be powerful, and I really enjoyed the take on their dynamics as a power couple wherein Alina is given a lot of control.

There’s something to be said for the way Aleksander is written in the scenes where he must be honest and earnest with Alina. I really enjoy the way they both come to equal ground, and I’m even more fond of the way Alina is allowed to grow darker without losing her light. She also engages a lot with quite a few other characters, developing tons of friendships and alliances on her own that help strengthen her as an individual character.

on this bridge between starshine and clay by @rhea-imagined (Complete)

"His breath narrows for a moment, his fist clenched tight before he forces himself to loosen it. She is his only opportunity for salvation, but vulnerability is not a cape he wears easily. “In those days, there was less prejudice against Shadow Summoners. But everyone fears the dark, in one way or another.” He does not look at her as he waits for the penny to drop, half-hoping it stays suspended in the air."

In which Alexander comes clean to Alina and tells her about his true identity in hopes that this will help convince her to take down the Fold.

A rewrite of the fountain scene in episode four, with a good!Darkling that is trying to make amends.

---

This is my all-time favorite good!Aleksander AU. He’s kept in character despite the major changes made to his motivations, and Alina is given a lot more agency in her own story. It’s the first fic in what might become a series, but it can stand alone beautifully.

I love how Aleksander and Alina’s relationship is allowed to grow tense without breaking, and how it’s a clear sign of change but not abandonment. I love how both characters are able to think for themselves and become self-aware and are given the chance to think critically. I love the character interaction so much because it’s honest and fresh and engaging. Everything from the smallest action to the most off-hand thought is in character and meaningful and incorporated with an amazing style of writing. It’s a very refreshing piece, and the writing only makes it that much better.

Bunnies of a Feather Stitch Together by Ill_Ratte (Complete)

"Just as Alina called to the light, gathering and twisting it into a ball in her hands, the door swung open.

Kirigan blacked out the door frame. His appearance enough would have surprised Alina, but there was something clutched in his arm, something dark and floppy. It almost looked like the stuffed toys that had been passed around to the younger Orphans." - Alina and The Darkling bond over a love of soft things

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Soft stuffed animal shenanigans. Bits of trans!Aleksander, which I’m very fond of, as well as just a lot of fluff with a bit of something bittersweet and sad in a good way.

Half Lie by Ill_Ratte (Complete)

"Baghra always talked of the demon that had stolen her daughter." Or, Alina learns the hard way that the Darkling isn't the only one who deals in half-truths

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This one is trans!Aleksander, and it handles it in a very interesting way. It’s quite sad, and deals a lot with Baghra & Aleksander’s relationship through Alina’s POV. I want to give a warning for transphobia, because it does center around that a lot as the premise, but it really is worth the read if that isn’t a trigger for you. This is one of my favorite trans!Aleksander fics, and the way it handles emotion and grief and pain is quite extraordinary.

The CEO and Helioseismologist by mrthology (Complete)

Aleksander Morozova doesn't get sick. He's the CEO of one of the most successful companies in the world, one that he had built from the ground up with blood, sweat, and tears. He exercised daily (usually), maintained a healthy diet, and kept himself fit.

He wasn’t sick.

Too bad no one believed him. And too bad Genya decided to call Ivan to take him home before also calling Alina to take care of him.

Maybe, just maybe, being sick wasn't so bad. Especially not when he has such a wonderful girlfriend.

---

Both of the fics in this series are great, but I love this one in particular because I’m an absolute sucker for hurt/comfort. Anyone who’s been on my blog for a while knows that it’s my all time favorite trope to read, and this fic fits the hurt/comfort trope to a T in the best of ways. It’s very tender and in character, and Aleksander and Alina are so soft with each other. It’s adorable and really makes you feel for Aleksander, and the caretaking is done perfectly.

All the different layers of dark (thousand little suns) by Anuna (Complete)

One month after the Winter Fete, Aleksander returns to the Little Palace, and Alina has been missing him.

Episode five canon divergence in which Alina had never left Os Alta.

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This one is soft emotional hurt/comfort smut. They’re both so open and vulnerable with each other, and it’s so beautiful to read. I love the writing style and the emotion in this one. It makes my heart ache in the best way.

An Honourable Man by liviy695 (Complete)

A reimagining of the scene after the winter fete. Alina catches a glimpse of a caring Darkling after he returns from integrating the Conductor. Plus, no Baghra interference.

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This one is what it says on the tin, in that Baghra doesn’t interfere and they’re allowed to talk after the Darkling interrogates the Conductor. But more than that, it’s a great imagining of how a scene where Aleksander reveals Marie’s death would have gone. There’s a sort of quiet to it that I appreciate, with grief and solemnity weighed against care and vulnerability.

I see the real you (even if you don’t, I do) by Anonymous (Incomplete - 8/?)

A series of questionable decisions lead Alina to meet the Black General a bit earlier. Butterfly effect ensues.

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I’ve only read half so far (I hadn’t realized it had updated!! 👀👀) but I’m already in love with this fic. Alina’s dialogue and perspective is perfect, her relationship with Mal and the other cartographers is great, and I really enjoy how much personality she has. Aleksander is so smitten, but more than that, his characterization is soft but not weak. It feels almost as if he’s swept up by Alina, instead of the other way around, and I quite like that.

Of parenting by Anuna (Complete)

Alina finds out how her husband handled yet another parenting situation.

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This is pure adorable Darklina parenting fluff and I live for it. Yet it doesn’t lack depth and in fact explored Alina and Aleksander’s relationship with parenting quite well.

i have a longing by LRCee - @ladylyannastark (Complete)

“So, Alina Starkov, risk-taker, how did you end up being editing’s newest wunderkind?”

Alina Starkov is rising in the publishing world. Singlehandedly responsible for editing (see: rewriting) the hottest book of the year, she lands a coveted spot at Morovoz Publishers. It's the position she's always wanted, at the biggest publishing house in the country. Life is perfect. That crush on her boss though, that's gotta go.

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OKAY! I LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH!! Let me tell you, as someone who is not too fond of Boss/Employee dynamics, I was very wary going into this fic. But boy did it deliver in a way that was perfect for me.

The relationship that develops between Aleksander and Alina is complex but healthy, and it never feels as if there’s too much of a power imbalance or anything that would make Alina feel forced or unhappy. The tension lies purely in how she fears others will perceive her, and not in how unhealthy her relationship with Aleksander is. For somebody who’s often attracted to unhealthy ships, I have to say that my favorite fics are usually ones that don’t have that type of dynamic between the characters. This fic delivers on that.

Also, Aleksander’s POV surrounding his struggle with his Russian heritage and his feelings for Alina is amazing, and has some of the best writing and characterization I’ve seen.

You receive: an evil demon; I receive: human souls by @aceofnowhere (Complete)

The next morning while she tried to tell herself it was a dream, that of course there wasn’t a fucking demon in her house, she found a note taped to her fridge.

“You might eat this shit,” it had written, “but I would like some fucking souls please.”

Darkling Week Prompt 7: free choice. Alina has a demon in her house.

This is absolute crack, and I have no idea what the fuck is wrong with me.

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May I just say that this is the most fun I’ve ever had when reading a fic. It’s interesting with a bit of mystery, and Aleksander as a little shit of a demon is hilarious. Alina in this fic is great too. It’s such a unique take on her POV, especially when you reread it after knowing the ending. 10000/10, this fic is brilliant in every way and I love it.

I had been lost to you, Sunlight by BrytteMystere (Complete)

A Girl became a Woman, became a Sankta, became a Goddess.

Or: An Immortal Alina calls upon merzost to reunite with the Prince of Shadows she lost long ago. She may have lost herself in the process.

But then again, maybe time and endless wars did that instead.

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You really just have to read this one to get it. It is utterly haunting and fascinating in the best of ways. The writing style is strange and novel and fits so well with the story being told. The composition of the fic as a whole is genius.

I Look Inside Myself (And See My Heart Is Black) by Ceris_Malfoy (Complete)

"When is a monster not a monster? Why, when you love it, of course."

Written for Darklina Week 2021 - Day 6: Favorite Quote • King & Queen • Monster

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Once more, this author comes through with an absolutely breathtaking writing style and story. The imagery is elegant yet brutal, simultaneously horrifying and glorious. There’s a certain way these stories are written, like fairytales, where the beautiful becomes the macabre and becomes ever more stunning because of it. It’s very dark but in a good way - an almost bewitching way.

Afterlife by @aceofnowhere (Complete)

“You are asking me to leave?”

“Not asking, shadow,” she said. “Telling. Time to get unlost, loser.”

Day 3 Darklina Week prompt: Modern AU (I mean, barely)

Alina expels ghosts from purgatory.

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@aceofnowhere once again bringing the best of the paranormal to the Grishaverse. Literally everything you write is amazing idk why I’m even pointing out individual fics when I could just rec your whole page. But anyways!! This is fun and interesting and Alina is a badass. Aleksander is, of course, compelling and dark and kind of a little shit, and it’s all incorporated seamlessly into an existential paranormal narrative.

Once Upon a Shooting Star by Ceris_Malfoy (Complete)

"But most of all, she was drawn to a vast darkness that reached out above all of them, a void so hungry for companionship that she knew she could fulfill."

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Let. Alina. Be. Feral!! Anyways, I clearly have a type when it comes to storytelling, and it’s whatever the fuck this person has got going on. Feral!Star!Alina is literally the light of my life. Her interactions with not only other people but the world in general are so well done, but my favorite parts about this fic are the numerous ways her relationship with Aleksander is described and depicted.

I love the dark and light imagery, especially with how it’s portrayed as them filling in the gaps of each other’s lives and supporting each other instead of trying to block each other out. There’s such clear passion and joy and love and devotion between them. The central focus of this fic is on her and Aleksander’s relationship, the interplay between them and their powers and the way her light fills his loneliness, the passing of adoration and trust and reliance between them. It’s very beautiful and I love it.

A Blaze of Light by Keira_63 (Complete)

They discover the Sun Summoner in the burnt-out remains of the Shu laboratory in which she has spent the last seven years of her life.

Or, the Darkling finds himself with a Sun Summoner whose greatest wish is to burn Shu Han to the ground. He is happy to oblige her.

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👀👀 Badass Alina and Badass Aleksander. The ultimate power couple, and Alina burning a path through Shu Han before they both burn a path through the world together. The darkness and rage in this one are handled very well, and the way that rage turns to coldness and then resolve is done so well. This fic is very cathartic and also very furious, and reading it is certainly a trip down emotion lane.

One more for the Road by Rist (Complete)

He returns to the war room shaken, and finds an Alina that cannot leave without at least having tried.

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This one hurts so much but its soooo gooood!!! Very smutty but also very tender and very bittersweet. Sad and soft all at once. I just... love the way Alina and Aleksander are written so much, and Alina’s complicated feelings for him are explored in such detail and depth. This one is truly worth the read.

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