#aesthetic • all kinds of magic all around us; it's hard to believe.

[georgiewhitmcre]

tag drop!

[neruomancer]

Average Members of Groups of Interest: Where are they now?

Majestic:

*A researcher at an obscure facility or a random no name hired by a security firm. They don't know what a Majestic is let alone that it doesn't exist anymore. Mostly likely to leave behind a bloody green or blue key card for agents to pick up and use

*A former Majestic goon who has been so horrible mutilated by protomatter implants that they look like a cenobite. Frozen in amber and reporting for duty. Biter and an angry March employee activates them to get back at their pissant boss. Now they dwell in storm drains, waiting for easy prey.

The Karotechia:

*125 year old wizard that escaped the plantation burning down. During the war they went to the Tibet expedition and learned about Carcosa and the yellow king. They were a big Disney fan before then so they believed they found the "Magic Kingdom". Avid collector, was very upset about the fast pass situation. Mostly likely being used as an assist by either the Program or some other group under a thin veiled disguise.

*Some weird telegram mod, wasn't even in the original group, was never a rook or a knight. Just heard the name and thought it sounded cool. They just post black sun phonk edits all day. Kind of a pathetic existence. Eventually their group chat will devolve into backstabbing under the smallest pressures.

Saucerwatch:

*OG member, not a big name probably was just an intern before it blew up. Now they are the social media manager for a wellness group that is the front for a cult which is a front for Op.

*Some kid who made an ARG that included some Saucerwatch materials. They didn't really know what it was, they just included it for the Ufology aesthetic for the sake of their analog horror YouTube videos.

The Fate:

*They were around during the upstate New York metal scene. Will corner you to talk about Candlemass or Mayhem. They never got to be an acolyte. Doesn't know what a Nyarlathotep but the satanic imagery was hard as fuck in their opinion.

*Rust cohle styled paranoid conspiracy theorist.Who and What the fuck is a Stephen Alzis? Has a substack with their findings on a guy who keeps dying. They have these weird dreams about a band? They are playing a song to wake up the sleeper.

[dangermousie]

This is such a !!!! scene on so many levels. Here is 17, changing, and even with only inner robe on, he looks pristine and perfect, just the way his reputation paints - a wonderful young master heir blah blah.

And then the camera pans down and you get horror. And the thing is, I love it for so many reasons - this is a vanishingly rare costume cdrama narrative where scars don’t fade - usually people spit blood and look pristine and it’s an aesthetics I dig, but this isn’t it, this is very much torture and suffering is not pretty in the least. There is nothing appealing about 17′s bare torso. It’s honestly pretty damn hard to look at. And I am genuinely impressed at the drama for going there. But also, it’s so in keeping with the thrust of the narrative for ALL the characters - traumas do not magically heal and go away; you learn to live with them and heal the best you can, but the marks remain for good and you are forever changed. It’s pretty clever of the drama because we saw all this mess in ep 2 but he’s been dressed to the neck ever since and I honestly just assumed it all got healed; no it normally wouldn’t but I am used to drama logic. And then it just smashes you in the face. Nope, still there!

Crazy fiancee bursts in with another attempt to woo or w/e and then sees this...

It takes a pretty impressive kind of discipline to get this reaction and then turn to fully face the other person, exposing all the horror while knowing the revulsion you are going to get as a reaction and, in fact, counting on it to help break the engagement. If Jing wasn’t such a nice person, he’d be honestly terrifying.

She runs off, of course, and it strikes me again no wonder the hugeness of his reaction to XY blushing around him shirtless (when he looked even worse) and how it restored his feeling as a man when this is the reaction he gets from his fiancee and probably 99% of any woman around. Looking like this and still being seen as desirable - yeah, that’s got to be huge.

As I said. Good lord, he could be quite terrifying if he chose. But also, it’s all so symbolic of how he looks like the perfect Tushan heir and that idealized image but he really is not - because he’s hurt by his past but also because nobody can be this bloodless perfection. XY likes him with all his trauma, physical and otherwise, just as he likes her the same - they see each other’s real self. But here, even if fiancee wasn’t evil, it is like the infatuation of that musician outside that tea house - based on idealized image, not reality.

Pssst, fiancee’s notion of a better man? Jing’s torturer brother. Her main complaint is “dude, the torture you inflicted on your brother makes him look gross!!!!”

I love how their delusions are what’s blinding them, just as both believe he’s back for revenge because that’s the only reason they’d be back.

Sweetheart, you are a murderous psycho but I am forced to point out that a man who could torture his own half-brother who he grew up with and who did him no harm, do it for years and so severely the man is permanently terribly scarred and with a busted leg, for literally nothing the man had ever done to him but because he was pissed at his mom and had an inferiority complex, is not a good choice of partner? One day he’s gonna get pissed at you!

I hope you both get to experience cousin’s maggot box at length but also, if there ever was a fitting match in this drama!

[space-cowboy-101]

✨ATEEZ as Dragon Age aesthetics pt.2✨

Yeosang, Mingi and San’s have got to be my favorite out of all of them because they’re just so them in this story. Especially Yeosang’s, solely for the picture I used and how it relates to Orlesian culture.

Anyway, onto the backstories!

Even with the giant stone walls, Starkhaven couldn’t hold the great Choi San within its containment. He’s seen everything the Free Marches has to offer; Minanter river, Grand Tourneys, the mysterious gremlins skulking around the outskirts! Out of his father’s promising grasp with the help of a revered mother, he wandered around the Marches without abandon and enjoyed the new freedom to the fullest, and did it taste sweet. Until he met his match just after his departure from a quaint village, someone who’d become a mentor he didn’t think he’d ever have and teach him all the skills of a Kirkwall rat. Someone who’d eventually bring him to the Inquisition’s doorstep.

Song Mingi’s seen many things in his short life. He’s experienced the influx of refugees during the Fifth Blight, he’s watched the Champion of Kirkwall rise to infamy and even got to meet him, and he got to be a first hand witness to the boiling tensions and subsequent destruction between the Kirkwall Templar Order and the Circle of Magic. Nothing more than a stranger to him, the effects of the Champion’s manufacturer-consumer relationship with his father hit him hard once he left Kirkwall. The government viewed his father as a criminal—and he by association—and it was the tipping point of his decision to leave the dying city, what with the mages in the Gallows and the Templar’s strict control of them. So, with the two he met in the tavern in Lowtown, he followed them on their mission to find the next Inquisitor of an Inquisition soon to be brought to fruition.

Life’s never been very kind to Jung Wooyoung, or at least that’s what he’d say if you asked him. Growing up as a prodigy should’ve assured him a life of luxury and ease, for he’d have a place as a Tevinter Magister as soon as he completed his schooling, but no. Life had other plans for him. Hopping from Circle to Circle, the mage never knew home and got into more shit than a deepstalker, until he was confronted by the man who’d help him realize his potential. Before he too fell to his curse, his family destroyed and his mentorship failing when Wooyoung was asked to do the impossible. Tumultuous and bitter, his life spiraled before his father made the choice that any sane person would be scandalized by and forced him to run. And run he did, right into the arms of someone that understood his problems better than himself.

Everyone knew that the Anderfels is a cesspool of depression, even Choi Jongho despite calling the nation his home. Home of the Grey Wardens and their nemesis, the Darkspawn, Jongho heard lots of the stories about fierce warriors that rode into battle on griffins but never did he see that when the Wardens defended their village from the darkspawn that wandered too close. It wasn’t until he was old enough to hold a sword did he realize how shattered and desolate Anderfels was, when he’d fled his village and found himself at the Nevarran border and seen for the first time what a yellow sun at high noon looked like. Nevarra was part desert yet it was nothing like the jagged rocks and bloodied sand that the Anderfels had, and Jongho’s eyes were opened to the beauty of the world, alongside the man who saved him that day.

rip the other guys, i kinda got into their stories without realizing 💀 but at the same time, i’ve tried not to spoil too much because they come into play later on 🫣

poor jongho…going from hot ass desert to icy permanent winter mountains. 💪🏻 you got this guy, i believe in you.

Thanks for checking out my post if you’ve read this far 🥹 and i hope you enjoy my story if you decide to give it a read! the third chapter just got posted yesterday and the next one will be up in a few days. 🫶🏻

[ellecdc]

hi my beautiful working woman!! I haven't been around for bit so this is my little catch up rant for you :D

CONGRATS ON GETTING A JOB MOTHER!! you work so hard to support all us children. i'm so happy for you and i hope it continues to go great!

also i lovee that barty has affected the aesthetics as well! i see him whispering in your ear being like "hells yeah treasure make it all about ME!" I wouldn't have thought purple would suit him so well but you made it seem like the color was made for him (ur so talented and ur themes are always gorgeous). (also dad barty is a sandbox we need to play in more. may have some horny tuesday thots about him??)

the poly maurauders x seer!r has corrupted my brain. i cannot move on or live normally. i literally had a geniune dream about taking leo and baby to a get together with the other maurauders era people. like the boys being so proud and friends being so lovey to the babies... apparently i'm ovulating now and the flavor is *baby fever* loll.

lastly i saw swan lake at the ballet this weekend! it was really pretty and the grace and poise ballerinas have makes me think they are using just a pinch of magic. do u like dance or anything like that or is it not ur style??

anyways much love baby <333

-ʕ⁠·⁠ᴥ⁠·⁠ʔ (hornipocalypse anon. i will wear the name badge with pride :D)

the hornipocalypse 😭🤣😭🤣😭🤣 I can't believe it's been a week ago already since that faithful day 😳

also I'm happy to have you back!!! thank you for your congrats and kind words! I've been enjoying myself 🥰

omg! usually I write Barty as calling reader Treasure so I'm separated from it a bit, but reading you writing Barty calling me Treasure!?!?! 😳😳😳 I'm sat, respectfully 🪑

I love seer!reader and poly!marauders' little family 😭😭😭 the marauders little doppelgängers are killing me. and I too am slightly desperate for the marauders to father my children ✊😔

and that's amazing! growing up my mum insisted that the we all go see the Nutcracker around Christmas time - I found that dreadfully boring. But!! I used to work at a dance studio and I loooovvvveeddd watching the kids dance and found them sooooo talented so I have a new appreciation, I just don't know if I could sit through a long show like that hahahaha

[sofoulandfairaday]

Headcanons about James Potter? Thanks!

Hi! This is quite hard since I'm a recent James Potter stan. I was originally (and still am) a Severus Snape connoisseur. I don't know if you've noticed, but the nastier a character is, the more I like them. Of course, I personally believe Snape to be ultimately good, but that's a whole other post. Back to James!

The mom friend of the group.

Refused to use his dad's hair products. He loved his messy hair.

Jokes: either the best, sassiest, hard-hitting ones or the corniest, absolute worst ones ever.

Infectious laughter.

Also, the Marauders were very much James' friend group, as I've said before. Someone reblogged my Sirius HCs post saying that The marauders are essentially about three boys trying to become james bf and only one succeeding. I tend to agree.

One of those extremely charismatic people, those magnets that attract. He was tall, and “cute” but he wasn't as devastatingly handsome as Sirius was. He was extremely good at Quidditch and in school. He was an all-rounder, as you might say. Transfiguration prodigy, heart of a lion, funny prankster, approachable, jock. He was the kind of person you wouldn't resent when they teased you (as a Gryffindor), because he was just like that, our boy James.

People tripped over themselves to be his friend, which is why Remus and Peter especially were so grateful that he had picked them. Why did he hang out with them when the rest of Hogwarts wanted him? It made them feel like the élite.

Everything written in this meta is exactly his dynamic with Sirius.

Also had very dark sides. He could be very cruel, and very self-centred, he and Sirius actively made each other worse on more than one occasion.

He was a bully, and quite classist too. He came from a wealthy background, even though he wasn't “noble” in the way Sirius was, and therefore had some of those biases. Albeit kind people, I can see his parents as being a bit old-fashioned, and more than a bit classist. Those beliefs are intrinsic in him when he meets Snape. He sees a boy who is rough around the edges, ugly, and dirt poor and picks on him immediately. The dislike is automatic.

He's a person with a very black-and-white way of seeing the world. His personal cruelty is just boys being boys, even though taking someone's underwear off forcibly in public is very traumatizing sexual assault, and asking a girl out repeatedly after she's already told you no a million times is a major dick move. But you can bet your ass that someone using a Darker curse in a duel would have had his whole-hearted contempt. James hated Dark Magic.

He was loyal to a fault to his friends. The literal definition of ride or die and I imagine he might have taken more than a detention off of Peter's or Remus' shoulders - the former because his grades were already low, and the latter because of his health reasons.

For some reason, I headcanon him as eating a lot.

Growth spurt at the end of fifth year, like Harry. Lily very clearly did a double-take when he saw him back at school.

In constant search of a personal style. He always has brand new robes, but when he tries to dress more like a Muggle to impress Lily, it's a mix of Sirius' grunge aesthetic and Remus' smartest preppy clothes. I like James with a preppy-but-cool style, very different from Remus' worn-in, comfortable sweaters and vests (vests, Moony, who the fuck wears vests in 1976?)

Very personal headcanon: Voldemort tried to recruit him through other people first and then personally, at a social event one of the summers before he had even finished school, and he said no both times. The same happened with Lily (but I won't tell ya where ihihi)

He didn't hesitate when asked by Dumbledore to join the Order of the Phoenix.

If he hadn't gone into hiding, I could see him becoming an Auror. He had the grades and the bravery. Not my boy Sirius, though. Babygirl didn't work a day in his life (I have no dream job, I do not dream of labour).

Was more distrusting than Lily. It's funny because I see him as an idealist and her as a pragmatist, but I do think of her as someone who wanted to see the good in people, while James as someone who categorized you pretty quickly, and once he formed an idea, he wouldn't easily change his mind.

He had tunnel vision when it concerned the people he loved (see: Wormtail).

Was the only Marauder Peter couldn't turn against the others during the First War. I think Peter successfully played Sirius and Remus against each other, but James would have regarded it the height of dishonour to mistrust his friends.

I think he might have had a girlfriend or two, and definitely snogged girls before Lily, but I can't imagine how hard it must have been for them to be with someone that was a) drooling over another girl and b) very much his best friend's boyfriend.

Kendall Roy/Stewy Hosseini dynamic BUT HEALTHY

this post. (just kidding, just kidding)

[a-court-of-moonlight-and-ire]

A while ago I had a very lovely conversation with @feyres-divorce-lawyer about Tamlin and the way his stans treat him and Feylin and Ive been having a lot of thoughts about that. Essentially, we talked about how Tamlin stans will often claim to be 'better' in some way than Rhysand stans because they dont excuse all of their faves actions but I mean, do they? like actually? I dont mean to generalize because I have seen people who actually dont excuse his actions, but theres an awful lot of people who have posted some variantion of "well, atleast i dont excuse tamlins actions 😊" when they have either previously posted or will go on to post some variantion of "ugh I cant believe feyre would break up with a man who did nothing but upset her, when he was trying so hard and struggling and his actions werent even that bad" or worse, some variation of "feyre's sooooo stupid, if some handsome fae lord wanted me to just wear beautiful dresses and be his pretty little wifeling I would do as he says 😍😍" like hey dawg, I hate to tell you this but thats just straightup misogyny. You can indulge in your fantasies of being a rich magical victorian guy's tradfwife without implying that other women are stupid for not wanting that. Also if you think that and also complain about acomaf and feysand being bad because its just a self-indulgent billionaire's wife fantasy, please consider that you basically want the same thing but with a different aesthetic. Which isnt bad in it of itself obviously, I just find this kind of hypocrisy very annoying

The way I see it, theres a couple reasons why the (positive) discourse around Tamlin is like this:

Tamlin stans get harassed for liking him or even just debunking blatantly false claims from Rhysand stans (such as the claim that Tamlin said Feyre looked better when she lost weight while Rhysand said she looked better when she gained weight which seems oddly persistant, even though I dont think Tamlin ever commented on her weight in acotar, and Im pretty sure that he only commented on how thin she was in acomaf in the context of how bad she looked), so they get very defensive about him, which is understandable

Tamlin is out of character in acomaf which leads a lot of people to dismiss his actions that upset Feyre because "acotar!Tamlin wouldnt do that though!" and like, thats true and I get it but it doesnt really matter when we're talking about their relationship and Feyre's decision to leave him from an in-universe perspective. Like, imagine if someone in your life opened up about how their previously wonderful partner started to exhibit some abusive behaviours and you were like "nooooo theyre just being out of character right now, its fine, you should stay with him". And obviously its different when its real people vs fictional characters, but my point here is that its nonsensical to earnestly engage with this relationship from and in-universe standpoint only to then use an out-of-universe thing that doesnt actually factor into their relationship to explain why it fell apart

Tamlin is less bad than Rhysand, even in acomaf, and excuses for his behaviour sound less ridiculous to people who think more critically about these books, which most Tamlin stans do; "he locked her up in his manor, but only because she was going to get herself in real danger" sounds a lot less ridiculous than "he sexually assaulted her for months on end, but only in order to protect her from drawing Amarantha's attention (when she wasnt even paying attention to her in the first place)", but again, Feyre is still allowed to be upset by that. I feel like theres this line of thinking among certain Tamlin stans where theyre like "yeah, tamlin locked feyre up in the manor and it rightfully upset her, but later on in the series rhysand locked her in a magical shield that prevented her from having any physical interacting with the outside world and she was fine with it, so she shouldve been fine with whattamlin did" and its like no!! If we're using real-world standards, which I understand we are from acomaf onward, then Feyre does not need any kind of justification for breaking up with someone. Tamlin couldve been the most wonderful and perfect and non-traumatized boyfriend ever and it wouldve been perfectly fine for her to be like "hey man, im not really vibing with this" and leave

And this I think is the most important thing because its what the two previous points ultimately stem from; they buy into the foundation of the narrative that these books present, which is that Feyre needs a man in her life, she needs to pick one of these two toxic guys or else her life isnt complete and she wont ever recover from her trauma, she needs good sex and romantic love in order to stop being broken. And I get it, you do need to buy into the narrative in order to properly engage with it, but whats the point of being critical of the misogyny in these books if youre not going to take a step back and realize when youre just accepting it?

And this is where I would have to start getting into the misogynistic baggage thats attached to mainstream romance as a genre and how trying to do all those typical steamy m/f romance tropes (the MOST dominant man, sexually inexperienced fmc, dubcon/noncon, rough sex, etc etc) while also trying to be feminist is setting yourself up for failure as an author, and setting your audience up for failure when they discuss your work, but Im getting tired and this is a pretty long post so Im gonna stop here. If you are interested in my further thoughts on this, idk maybe send me an ask and I'll get back to it. For now, I'll say that I dont think its impossible to write an m/f romance thats feminist, but know for a fact that its impossible for SJM

[bluestriips]

⊹₊࿐ creatures ୨୧

directly associated with animals because… they kind of are the animal?

— vampires 🕸️

bloodsucking monsters who are allergic to garlic and silver.

except most information about vampires is propaganda and they’ll immediately judge you if you believe the fake stuff. they’re quite judgmental creatures. garlic has minimal effects, silver can’t do shit, they don’t have to sleep in a coffin (though some do it for the aesthetic), but all the blood stuff is true. they do need it to survive. baudelaire is what vampires call a “vegan” school (their blood supply is animal-based rather than normie-based), meaning they have better bloodlust control overall. unless bitten directly by a vampire, most vampires are mutations.

vampires at baudelaire are quite moody, but overall fun to be around. they involve themselves with creative extracurriculars such as photography, literature, art, music and drama. and sometimes sports. they really are the school’s golden students.

vampires are bats, their most prominent feature being the fangs. though they can’t transform into bats.

— werewolves 🕸️

humanoid wolf monsters who howl at the moon and consider the word “furry” a slur.

most of the stuff said about werewolves is true. they do turn on full moons, and they are allergic to silver (unlike the vampires). luckily, the forest at baudelaire is magically accommodated for werewolf students to safely turn during full moons. it just gets a little loud. much like vampires, if they weren’t bitten directly by another werewolf, they were born by mutation.

werewolves at baudelaire are essentially the “popular jocks”, minus the bullying. mostly. if they are douchebags, the demons like to mess with them. they’re quite rowdy, but a vibe for the most part. they throw the second best parties on campus, and they basically belong on the sports fields.

werewolves are… wolves. for obvious reasoning.

— sirens 🕸️

the beautiful, but unfortunately fatal sea creatures who feed on unsuspecting men. plus they can sing pretty well.

sirens are drastically misunderstood. sure, their ancestors might’ve eaten men, but that’s total bullshit now. they’re just feminist divas. sirens are allergic to bronze, and value things such as beauty, confidence, and shiny things. possibly the most prominent feature they inherited from their ancestors; the beautiful singing voice. they have the ability to hypnotize anyone with just their voice, but using it on campus is banned. as far as we know, sirens can only be derived by mutation.

sirens at baudelaire are the werewolf counterpart — basically the popular girls. sirens here are sweethearts, though. unless you have beef with them. they pretty much carry the school’s choir, and also fought hard to start a fashion club.

sirens are sirens. that’s the connection.

— serpents 🕸️

evil humanoid snakes who’s purpose are to plot against anything and everything.

serpents are actually pretty chill. much like sirens, they value beauty and shiny things — plus wealth. if you meet a serpent, 9/10 chance they’re a fashion mf. they’re allergic to copper, they’re quite judgmental creatures, and they thrive around nature. some plants are chemically engineered to thrive more if a serpent is simply near it. unless injected with serpent venom manually or from a bite, serpents are derived from mutation.

serpents at baudelaire are charismatic and fun. they don’t really give a fuck about what other people think. they thrive in drama and history classes (especially those based on greek mythology). they also thrive in debate due to their strong opinions and easy ability to speak their mind.

serpents is basically a fancy word for snake, meaning that serpents are snakes.

[echoes-lighthouse]

Secret f/o's 👀 I cast upon thee, talk about 🌌

Does your F/O believe in astrology? Bonus: what does your astrology compatibility say about you and your F/Os signs?

Do you or your F/O believe in love at first sight? Do you believe in soulmates?

What’s an often overlooked or unknown trait about your F/O that you adore? What’s your special trait that they love?

How sentimental is your F/O? Do they keep every little gift you give them? Do they carry your picture around with them?

Does your F/O feel safe you be vulnerable around you? Do you feel comfortable doing the same around them?

What would the ideal dream date be for you? What would be your F/O’s ideal dream date?

What relationship tropes would you say best describe your relationship with your F/O?

I know it's a lot of questions from the ask game, so if you want to skip some of them, I totally understand 😅

oKAY let's do it!!! *kicks up my legs and gets comfy* My relationship with this f/o is a quirky one that involves nonsexual bdsm so consider it M-rated (16+), I guess! I only get into that under the 'readmore' though because this is a LONG answer thank you anon I adore you <3 <3

(ask game: i'm answering questions about my secret f/os and my slasher kiddos right now!!)

4. I guess I was inviting this question with the emoji I chose! A version of astrology is kind of baked into the in-universe magic system, so it's not really a matter of whether we believe in it? I don't think he has a canon birthday, but I'm assigning him Aquarius on aesthetic vibes. I don't do astrology so lemme do a quick google on that... "With Libra and Aquarius, you'll find a strong connection in friendship and love, and likely good sexual compatibility — though it may take some time to develop. Communication is one area where this duo can break down a little, and they may have to work harder than other couples to really make things stick."

I mean, that's not false!

38. He definitely does believe in love at first sight, he's.... an incurable romantic, it's one of the things I tease him about. I don't, I think that love is a lot of work and commitment that doesn't happen all at once. I don't think that either of us believe in soulmates, though. The world is too complicated for something like that.

11. An overlooked trait that I love about him... is that it's very hard to get him out of performance mode. He's always trying to project one character or another, and I think that it's easy to take him at face value, because he's flashy and impulsive and it's hard to pick apart where exactly the performance stops reflecting his reality. If that makes any sense at all. I love that my job is to break down that performance.

As for a trait he loves about me... I think it would probably be my attentiveness. I've got a good sense of when his mood shifts, but even more importantly I have a good sense of the people around us. It's not quite one of his skills, reading the room (an understatement), so we make a good team on that front.

27. On a scale of 1-10, he's an 11 on the sentimental scale. He struggles with getting rid of presents from people he's fallen out with. We're not a romantic relationship, so we don't have photos of each other, but he definitely keeps things that I give him. Once our relationship went from professional to friendship, he did give me some earrings with sentimental meaning and also some protection magic, and I wear those very often! I think I'm a healthy 6 or 7 on the sentimental scale.

34. The type of our relationship kind of demands that we have to be comfortable being vulnerable around each other! That said, from the start we have a lot of systems in place to protect both of us. As the relationship progresses, those systems start to fall away and get replaced by trust and experience.

15. What are our dream dates? Oh BOY, well. I think that's something that's definitely developed over the relationship. We've been trying to get a trio scene to work with his other partner for the last while, but the dynamics have made it difficult. I think his dream day would probably be something with the three of us, if we can get our shit figured out.

As for my dream day... I'd like a little coffee date where we catch up as friends and I can hear all the hot gossip, and then we go back to his house and do an age play scene where I get to be devastatingly considerate and he cries about it. That's the satisfying scenes for me, and it takes the most trust from him.

40. We're a relationship that it's hard to define by tropes, because it's not a very traditional one. We're not romantic but we're not quite platonic. We're nonsexual but that doesn't mean that sexuality doesn't play a role in our relationship. I feel like there are still tropes that are relevant to us but I can't put my finger on them when I try. Something about class travelling (highblood finds escape in lowblood circles), something about two damaged people with compatible coping strategies (one who needs control, one who likes to give it up).

[stereogeekspodcast]

[Transcript] Season 4, Episode 4. Quantum Leap 2022 Eulogy

Gone too soon! Quantum Leap (2022-2024) has been canceled and Ron and Mon aren't taking it well. We share our thoughts about the show, what we loved, what could have been improved, and we run through a list of our favourite episodes.

Listen to the episode on Spotify.

Hello, and welcome to a new episode of Stereo Geeks.

I'm Mon.

And I'm Ron.

This is our Eulogy to Quantum Leap 2022-2024.

Rest in Peace.

Can I just say, I did not see this coming, but I feel like you had an inkling that this would happen.

The first season was renewed almost immediately, and this one, it came, it went, no one talked about it.

And then I got that feeling, you know, it's like, you just know it's doomed.

And I was right.

I know that there are going to be no more seasons, we only got the two, but we still want people to watch it wherever they can find it, which is why we're doing this episode.

So a little bit about the show.

Quantum Leap is not exactly a remake, more like a half sequel to the 80s Quantum Leap show.

It was extremely popular.

2022, we heard about Quantum Leap.

We thought, let's give it a try.

We quite quickly fell in love with the show.

First season went absolutely brilliantly.

We were excited for the second season.

And yeah, now, alas.

So let's take a look at the cast.

We have Dr. Ben Song, played by Raymond Lee.

His fiancee, Addison Augustine, played by Caitlin Bassett.

Then we have the kind of tech genius, Ian Wright, played by Mason Alexander Park.

The security chief, Jen Chu, played by Nanrisa Lee.

The head of the Quantum Leap division is Magic, played by Ernie Hudson.

In season two, we had a recurring character, Hannah Carson, played by Eliza Taylor, and also Tom Westfall, played by Peter Gaddio.

I'm probably pronouncing that wrong.

We also have, throughout the two seasons, a few appearances by a character called Janice, played by Georgina Riley.

Not too much into her because spoilers.

I'll also shout out some notable guest stars.

We had Brandon Routh, aka Superman. Obviously not playing Superman here, but still.

Lou Diamond Phillips, a veteran of Hollywood.

Melissa Roxborough, who we recently saw in Manifest.

Justin Hartley, who's been in a lot of stuff, but I believe most people know him from This Is Us.

Jewel Staite, who most Canadians know because she's a Canadian actor.

Deborah Ann Woll, who's coming back as her character Karen in the Daredevil series.

Robert Picardo, who obviously we know very well because he was the doctor on Voyager.

And James Frain, who is in everything, like he's James Frain.

Season one had 18 episodes.

Good, solid season.

Season two had 13 episodes.

I guess the signs are already there.

I really think so.

I mean, we didn't realize it, but anyway, this is a celebratory episode.

We're never going to see these characters again.

But yeah, this is the goodest time of the year to just get in there, watch these two seasons, enjoy a really heartfelt, rousing show about finding the best in humanity.

Let's get into it.

We never got around to watching the original Quantum Leap.

They didn't show it where we were.

It's a bit hard to now get into it.

80s aesthetics, some of the sensibilities.

I hear that the original Quantum Leap was way ahead of its time.

You know, people are fans even now.

Even though we went in cold, one of the most exciting parts about Quantum Leap in general is time travel.

And this reboot, remake, reimagining definitely stuck to a lot of time travel.

Yeah, I love time travel in any of its forms.

I have seen some shockingly bad films because they were apparently about time travel.

Anyway, I think the reason why the Quantum Leap concept is so fun is because generally with time travel, you don't want to change the past.

That's a bad thing.

Butterfly effect and all that.

But in Quantum Leap, the whole purpose is to change the past because that's what's going to make things better.

Yeah, absolutely.

And it makes things a lot better for characters who are queer, especially in this show.

And that's actually one of the things that I really like about the show being made in 2022.

Love how all the show's characters are just unabashedly allies of the queer community.

It's like not even a second thought.

No one's fighting that battle.

And it's especially great because Ian, played by Mason Alexander Park, is a queer character, and they are queer in real life as well.

So this just feels so much more layered.

They don't go on and on about it, and all of Ian's storylines are not about them being queer, but they're definitely the center of it, when that's the episodic storyline.

I thought all the characters were really interesting.

It's a very diverse cast.

The dynamics among the characters are very interesting, but each character also has an arc of their own.

It wasn't just, you know, Ben and Addison's romance, but you know, in the background, you have Ian, Jen, and Magic.

Like they're this trio of heroes that are making things happen and trying to save Ben.

Speaking of Ben, this show lives and dies by the fact that he's not only played very carefully and sweetly, I would say, by Raymond Lee, but he's also really well written.

He's purposefully written as this very kind-hearted person.

He believes in the best of people.

He knows that, yes, sometimes you're in a situation that is absolutely terrible.

You've done something or you could be doing something, which is horrible, but there's something to redeem you.

I just love that so much.

And that plays into how each episode is structured, because it's all about the rousing speeches at the end that Ben gives.

He wins the heart of whoever he's talking to, but he also wins the heart of the viewer.

Absolutely.

Ben so easily sees the best in people, and that's why when he makes a sincere appeal to their humanity, they listen.

And we as the viewers are also listening.

And I feel like after every episode, we just felt like better people.

Yeah, if there's one major grouse with the show, it's that we only get two seasons of it.

Exactly.

I mean, we're definitely upset the show is canceled because Raymond Lee was so game to do anything in this show.

Like he was a flight stewardess in one episode.

He was a lady bounty hunter in another.

It could have gone so many different places.

And we probably would have seen more opportunities of him hanging out with his other teammates because they would have been the holograms instead of just Addison.

We got to see that a little bit, but season three, they kind of promised that that would actually happen.

And now we never get to see it.

Yeah, exactly.

The first few times that the others got to be holograms, it was a lot of fun.

Like Jen was singing about it, which was absolutely hilarious to watch.

Like when magic got to be a hologram, so much emotion, just so much emotion.

But yeah, now we'll never get to see that.

But is there anything that didn't work for you?

I think the one major thing that didn't work for me at all was the whole Janice plot line in season one.

I think it needed to be fleshed out a lot more.

They were trying to be very cagey and keep things under their hats, but I feel like maybe they went overboard.

Or if they'd been able to stretch it out a little bit more over two or three seasons, we would have really felt, I think, the stakes of exactly what was happening and why a little bit better.

For me, I think season two, the Addison-Tom relationship, it didn't work for me.

I couldn't really see the chemistry between them.

And for some bizarre reason, I just couldn't trust Tom.

I still don't trust him, and we'll never know if our concerns were warranted or not.

Since this is a celebration, let's chat about some of our favorite episodes.

It was really tempting to put all 18 of the first season and all 13 of the second, but you know what?

We need to be tempered in our view.

So if you are wondering if you want to invest so much time into the show, maybe start with just these faves.

Kicking off with season one, one of the episodes that I really found quite emotionally stunning was episode three, Somebody Up There Likes Ben.

First of all, there's a lot of physicality in this episode because Ben leaps into the body of a boxer.

There are a lot of stakes.

It's an emotional roller coaster, and it also has a really powerful message about mental health.

It was so lovely.

It will definitely have you quite emotional by the end of it.

The first two episodes of the first season got you hooked.

Episode three was when I realized this was a great show.

And they tried different things.

They weren't just formulaic or one-note.

With episode seven, for example, Oh Ye of Little Faith, it was a Halloween episode, and it was completely a horror genre.

And how they made it work and made it plausible within the context of the story was fantastic.

But this was so good.

This was…

It was hilarious.

It was kind of scary.

And Ben Song was an absolute delight in this one.

To make the horror elements work within the world, it was very impressive.

They could have done so much more.

And there was another genre episode that I was really impressed by.

That was the 10th episode of the first season, Paging Doctor Song.

It's a medical episode.

Generally, I don't like medical shows.

They make me feel ill.

But even though this episode is kind of gory at times, it's so unexpected and unpredictable plot-wise.

And again, the emotional beats, they just come out of nowhere.

Well, I think this particular episode for me was a reminder that the show is about people.

It's about how we interact and live with each other.

And that's what makes us come back for more.

And we would have come back for a season three if they hadn't canceled it.

And literally the next episode is probably one of the best.

It's called Leap Die Repeat.

Look, time loop episodes are a mainstay of the time travel genre.

They are also some of my favorite tropes.

I can't think of a single time loop episode that was bad.

But there is also so much danger in this episode.

The stakes are insanely high.

Ben could die at any time, but he's cycling through these time loops and he is actually running out of time as well.

There's always, you know, there's got to be some deadline to your obstacles.

Also Robert Picardo is in it.

It's a banger.

Yeah, I have to say that was edge of your seat stuff.

And the next episode after that is also our favorite.

This is odd.

All we can say is that middle part of season one was really good.

So episode 12, Let Them Play, it's a chance manifesto.

We won't get into the details, but it is so full of feels.

There's a lot more of the episode characters rather than the main characters, but also a focus on Ian and how they're bringing the queer perspective and the queer lived experience to what the story is about.

Mason Alexander Park really brings a lot of emotionality and depth to Ian's storyline there.

Some great scenes about being trans, about being queer.

It's really, really a very good episode and absolutely a joker.

Oh yeah, that one just, it really does bring so much emotion.

It's a really powerful story as well.

And also an interesting mystery.

And really relevant to the current situation, even two years on, in the US and the UK especially, and now maybe in Canada.

Well, moving on to episode 13 of season one, that middle bunch of episodes was just spectacular.

Family style, it's an Indian episode.

We gotta shout it out.

But there are so many lovely little moments about this episode that made it stand out for me.

Ben loves to cook.

Like in the previous episode, he is overjoyed because he gets to be a basketball coach and he's a basketball fan.

But he is in his element in the kitchen.

He is losing his mind because he gets to cook this amazing food.

And also there are all these family dynamics that you and I recognized.

It's a top favorite for me.

Yeah, this one had probably one of my favorite closing scenes.

It was just like all the fields, all the fields.

But you know what I really liked about this one?

We live in a multicultural society.

Like the whole world is multicultural right now.

You can't imagine a time when we were growing up where you would have watched something where the main character of an American TV show would just be super excited to be in an Indian restaurant trying out this amazing Indian food and getting deep into actually trying to cook it.

And here's Ben just enjoying himself.

Like he's just having the time of his life and this is food that he's familiar with and he likes.

It's just so good.

It was just, it was heartwarming.

And so on to season two, I will say I was a little bit concerned when it started.

The first two or three episodes were a little off and it really was because of Ben.

Story wise, it made sense why he wasn't himself, but it didn't pick up till Ben was kind of back to his usual self.

And I think the turning point was really episode five of season two, One Night in Koreatown.

This one had so many feels.

I did not know what to expect.

It was so layered and nuanced and said a lot about racism in the US especially.

Racism among communities, about other communities.

It's not something that a lot of people are comfortable talking about.

But I think also what made it special was the fact that magic got to be the hologram.

And he's part of an event that he originally experienced as well.

I just found that Ben and magic's relationship, their dynamic, along with the dynamic of the family that Ben is involved with in the story, it was so incredible.

This was my favorite episode of the entire show.

This was a real standout.

I had actually heard an entire podcast series about this particular event.

So when I saw the title, I was like, oh my gosh.

I have to say I was a bit nervous because I was like, this is an event that it's left a mark on people.

They still talk about it.

And I wasn't quite sure how the show was going to handle it.

I think they went in the right direction.

They went ground level.

They hyper-focused on one small family, and the result was very relatable and as you said, a real tear-jerker.

Great stuff.

So moving on to something else, which would you believe it, I had just listened to a podcast series about.

Episode 7 of season 2, A Kind of Magic.

It was all about witch trials.

And as I said, I heard a podcast series, and then I heard two separate episodes of two different podcasts, which were both about witch trials.

One of them was about the American witch trials.

Another was about the European ones.

So I had a lot of information in my head when I went into this.

Again, this show does such a great job.

It just goes ground level.

Ben is in the body of this young girl, who is of course accused of being a witch.

And a lot of the stuff that I was reading about, it was super accurate in this episode.

I was very impressed.

And despite the nightmare situation, somehow Ben finds the positivity to inspire the people around him.

I just love that about this character.

Yeah, witch trials for me, every time I come across any storylines like that, they just make me so angry.

And the writers of the show just know how to calm you down.

Because you can't do anything with that misplaced anger.

This happened years ago.

So this episode felt a little bit cathartic for those of us who just are needlessly angry about something that has nothing to do with us.

Cathartic is the word.

We are just living constantly with impotent rage.

When you watch something like Quantum Leap, and you see Ben going into these situations, and you know that you can't do anything, and all the horrible stuff has already happened, and we are living through a time when there is more horrible stuff happening, and you get to feel some amount of positivity because Ben can fix the situation.

That's why we need this show.

You are making me sad now that we don't get more.

Let's talk about another favorite.

Well, literally the next episode, episode 8, it's called Nomads Egypt.

It's set in Egypt.

Who doesn't love Egypt and spies?

That is a fantastic combo.

And what really worked was that they shot on location.

You feel that.

One of the things that a lot of people complain about, a lot of entertainment media nowadays, is that everything looks flat.

You can tell that they shot on VFX.

Now listen, VFX, when done right, looks great and looks seamless.

But the people who work behind the scenes on post-production need time.

Guess what a lot of people don't give them?

Time.

And the other thing nowadays, everybody wants to cut budgets.

Hence, no location shooting.

So, what do you get?

Everything looks the same.

Thankfully, this episode, I don't know how they had the money to do it, but there they were in Egypt and it looked great.

It has this really nice, old-timey, heist spy movie sort of feel to it.

I love that.

Love that episode.

And in a similar vein, we have episode 10, The Family Treasure.

This was a stellar episode.

It's essentially Indiana Jones.

But it focuses on three siblings.

Ben is one of them.

And they are so wildly different from one another and have very, very different relationships with their dearly departed parents.

And all this comes to the fore because they're on a treasure hunt.

I love treasure.

I love adventure.

And this was only part of what this story is about.

We won't even go into the rest again.

It was just so heartfelt.

Ben is the best ally in all of TV history as far as I'm concerned.

Truly, truly, like Ben brings people together and really helps them see perspectives because they can't.

I mean, he just goes out of his way to see the best in people, and he shows them the good things about themselves that they're missing, which is exemplified in the episode right after that, The Outsider.

Honestly, the end of the season just bangers one after the other.

So Ben's unwavering positivity changes a journalist's mind about her own abilities because she had a bad situation and she let it get to her head.

But Ben would not let her doubt herself.

Honestly, we all need a champion like Ben in our lives.

This episode was sort of going one way, and then it just hits you in the feels because Ben just is like a dog with a bone when it comes to redeeming a person.

I felt very heartened when I watched this episode.

And then on to the finale.

You know, finales can be hit and miss.

The first season finale I thought was one of the weaker episodes of that season.

And with season 2, I was really wondering, where are they going with this?

Lots of twists and turns, quite epic, very tense and intense as well.

But again, that cathartic feeling because Ben is appealing to the best of humanity, even when all seems lost.

You can't even imagine that this man is going to win.

How is he going to win?

There's no way.

Despite all these twists and turns, you can't predict what will happen next.

And somehow Ben is like hanging on and telling you to hang on.

Because yeah, humanity is worth saving.

Yeah, Ben just constantly believes that humanity is good and that when the chips are down, we will do our best.

Apparently, he did not live through the pandemic.

But yeah, this was an epic season finale.

Very, very tense moments.

Some really quite shocking plot twists.

But the biggest plot twist of course was that we couldn't have predicted that they would cancel the damn show.

We are not at all bitter.

Spoiler alert, we are very bitter.

Alright, so that's our episode on Quantum Leap.

I know that it's gone.

It only lasted two seasons, but it was two fantastic seasons.

I'm so glad we got to meet these characters, hang out with them, even though it was only for two years, but they made us feel so much better.

Tuning in every week sparked a little bit of joy in all our lives.

We're going to miss you, Quantum Leap.

Ron: You can find us on Twitter @Stereo_Geeks. Or send us an email stereogeekspodcast@gmail.com. We hope you enjoyed this episode. And see you next week!

Mon: The Stereo Geeks logo was created using Canva. The music for our podcast comes courtesy Audionautix.

[true--north]

Do you have any wishes for live-action Frozen? What could be done better than in the animated movie, what could be deeper? And what deleted plots could be incorporated? Some F2 hints maybe as well? And what wouldn't you like to see at all? Please don't hesitate to write a long reply, I really like reading your opinions ^^

Thanks, Anon ❄

I do have some wishes for the remake. I want to add a more serious atmosphere, which must be simple if deepen already existent themes of the movie. Elsa's self-isolating tendencies, Agduna's hard and impossibles choices, Kristoff's outcastness, Anna's loneliness and longing, Hans's "lack of love"(Lee). Everyone's lack of love and the suppressed and so much desired wish to melt their heart for someone(or something, in Hans' case.)

Would be interesting, in my opinion, to see a bit of the Southern Isles and Hans' father(maybe the king says a parting word before Hans gets on the ship). More developed and logic Hans is needed. I would appreciate Hans plotting with the Duke who is a sort of his mentor.

But my impossible dream for the remake is a "good" but still subtly antagonistic Hans: he is a prince and a hero in the world that needs no princes, in the world where the princess wants to save the witch, and the lover is the stolen-by-trolls-grumpy and rude commoner; so Hans' traditional princely exploits only get in the way and spoil everything: the key to this concept is the non-working kiss.

For the sisters' dynamic I generally want to see the earlier concepts from the "Prophecy" version: their quarrel in the dressing room, Life's too short and reprise; they are not isolated, but Elsa is hiding such a huge part of herself that just can't be free in this cage. I want Anna from "More than just the spare" and assertive Elsa from Life's too short.

Maybe I want the remake to be more Anna-focused, as it should have been. We need to see how everyone's life was revolving around Elsa and Anna was left to her own dreams of love. She must be more clearly shown as the only one who doesn't believe that Elsa is evil; but maybe after the struck some doubts would appear in her heart and it would start freeze. That doesn't stop her from sacrificing herself for Elsa and saving herself.

As for F2 hints, it must be a scene where Iduna tells the girls about "the secret white river"; maybe a scene where Iduna seeks for some folklore manuscript. Or some serving maids would gossip about the past war with "the evil magical tribe" and about "the brave and heroic King Runeard who wanted to save us from their treason." Arendelle must be shown as a kingdom that's is wounded and antagonistised by magic. (And as an imperialistic one too.)

I would like to see some signs that the Great Thaw was not the complete happy end and the acceptance was not so easy, and that Elsa struggled to put the crown on her head again. The final scenes must refer to F2, as a link and a hint. For example, Anna and Kristoff are chatting with Olaf and Sven, Elsa looks at them with a smile, and then a gust of wind, and an autumn leave is flying by, and Vuellie is playing in the background and Elsa stops listening and stares at the sky. Or Anna brings them two cups of hot chocolate to sit by the fireplace and chat like sisters do and finds Elsa dreamily absent as she looks to the North standing by the window.

Something like that.

I want an aesthetically pleasant winter Scandinavian movie.

I absolutely don't want to see a portraying of Anna where she's bashed for her wish of romantic love vs Elsa who is an "independent girl boss" or something like that. F1 Elsa narratively is a witch and a damsel in distress at the same time and Anna is a saviour, and her desire for romance is not bad in itself. Bad are the people who exploit her heart that is full of love and kindness. I don't want a blatant "sisters before misters" because the message of F1 is not simplistic like that, though it shows that sisterly love is true love. I don't want a lessened Kristanna, or Kristoff out of the picture. I don't want actresses who will play the sisters to look like average American German-Holland ancestry's type of girls. They must look accordingly to Anna and Elsa's Nordic and Finno-Ugric heritage.

[mercymaker]

mallllllllll 🤥💥🌙🌱🌌🪤🎭✂️🔪📎🖍️❇️💧🌪️🌈🔥☁️🌟🌠☄️💓❤️💌💔

𝐎𝐂 𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐉𝐈 𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒!

Aaaa, this is quite a challenge! Thank you! 😘

🤥 LYING - are they good liars? do they have tells to show they're lying?

Yes, Mal is a pretty good liar because she sort of, in that moment, almost believes the lie herself. Oscar-worthy acting, you could say. And I don't think it's very easy to spot a lie even if you know her very well, which, in turn, can make close relationships a bit tricky because it's not very easy to trust her when you know how easy it is for Mal to lie 😬

💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

Honestly? A lot of honest, vulnerable emotions Maleane really struggles to deal with. I guess above everything it's grief. She never properly mourned her mother (or her father, for that matter) because she just locked that shit up behind a massive wall in order to focus on survival. She finds it hard being truly honest with someone, it doesn't come naturally to her, so if she is being honest and vulnerable with them that means Mal put a ton of effort into it. Being well aware on how to use other's weaknesses against them, it's only fair that she guards hers so well.

🌙 MOON - what is your oc's greatest wish? how far are they willing to go for it?

Power is incredibly tempting as it offers a way to her true wish and part of her wants to be really powerful. I think it's part of her journey throughout the game, this relationship with power and finding the perfect balance within it. But at the end of the day, Maleane wants to be free. To do as she wishes, to live without fear, to be powerful enough to protect herself, but not so powerful that it becomes her entire point of being. What's the point of ultimate power if it's only going to attract the worst of this world to try and get a taste of it? Or worse - take it from her?

🌱 SEEDLING - what is their most vivid memory from childhood?

I think it's a sort of rare, idyllic moment she had with her family. Chewing on a piece of honeycomb until there was nothing but a lump of beeswax left in her mouth. All while her mother was reading a book in the glimmering light of a candle. And her father cutting a piece off, spreading a thick layer of honey on a slice of bread and offering it to A'sherra on a small plate. Just little moments like that, which weren't that common, but they definitely dominate Mal's memories of her childhood.

🌌 MILKY WAY - what was the inspiration behind your oc? what was the first thing you decided about them?

I'll be honest with ya here on this day, but when I made Mal it was purely based on aesthetics. I didn't put that much thought into her, I kind of went "ok, night/dark elf? YES! magic? YES! looks sorta like my mage from wow? YUP!" but she quickly evolved as I played the game and just became her own person. That I'm absolutely in love with.

🪤 MOUSE TRAP - what will always lure them into certain danger? a loved one in danger? a promise of something they are always searching for?

It's very likely to be because of the people she cares about. As self-interested as Mal is, she would risk a lot for those that earned her favor and love. And it's hard to admit that, even to herself, because it makes her feel foolish and stupid, and yet Mal does it (she'll deal with the internal conflict later)!

🎭 MASKS - do they act differently around certain people? what's different between the way they act around friends, family, strangers, etc.?

Absolutely! Mal sort of shifts into whatever she thinks the situation demands, whatever gives her the best advantage. And it's not necessarily doing an extreme 180! Sometimes it's all about subtle little changes to the way she acts, small lies peppered here and there. Her friends definitely see a more raw, honest side of her, but at times it's hard to shed the act entirely as some of her "core" characteristics are sort of in conflict with each other. Strangers see the many different acts, be it a small meek woman on the road or a cold and intimidating drow. When she's surrounded only by the closest ones, she's much more mellow, relaxed, less alert. A great listener, actually!

✂️ SCISSORS - what is the "last straw" for them to cut someone out of their life? how easily do they let go of people?

As hypocritical as it might be it's probably if they used her. I don't think Mal finds it very hard to let go of people, even if it aches and hurts, she knows she can survive out there without them.

🔪 KNIFE - how do they react to injury / misfortune befalling their loved ones (significant other, family, friends)? do they put themselves at blame?

For starters, she tries to prevent anything bad happening to them. But if there's one thing that life had taught her is that there are so many things that are simply beyond her control. She spent so much of her life being scared and feeling powerless to control any part of it, that it's sort of normal to think that you can't prevent every misfortune from happening. She would, on the other hand, go out of her way to harm those who hurt her loved ones.

📎 PAPERCLIP - a random fact.

She's incredibly lightweight when it comes to alcoholic beverages. It doesn't take a lot for her to get smashed. One time some of the compot they had preserved had gone sour and turned into booze and she drank it and got absolutely hammered.

🖍️ CRAYON - what advice would you give to them?

STOP. BEING. IN. YOUR. HEAD. SO. MUCH. She's just such an over-thinker, trying to anticipate every possible scenario to come out of the situation that she gets tangled in that mess. It often times prevents her from just enjoying life in its simplicity, you know THE ONE THING she ought to do after spending all her life in isolation???

❇️ SPARKLE - what is their most prized possession? what do they value?

A little piece of amethyst that reminds her of her father. When she was little Lathorien gave her a little gem that he kept from one of his trips to Underdark before she'd been born. Mal had lost the original one long ago, but the next time she found it in someone's pockets, she kept it, cherishing the memory.

She also keeps a lot of books, scrolls, and notes that they find on their travels. At first, it was to keep herself informed, gather intel and try to find some advantage in the chaos that was swallowing them up. But then she just kept more and more unrelated stuff, to read in her leisure.

💧 DROPLET - random angst headcanon

Mal had to bury her mother's mangled corpse and she was in so much distress and panic that not only did she absolutely wreck her hands digging the dirt, but also summoned a massive storm that made everything ten times more difficult. She sat there for hours, soaked and shivering, just channeling the torrential rain until she passed out from exhaustion. Mal doesn't remember most of it.

🌪️ TORNADO - what is the biggest change you've ever made to them? how have they changed from their original version?

I think changing her magic from wild to storm? I just wanted her magic to be connected to her emotions. A controlled person who's capable of keeping her feelings locked tight being able to translate that into precise use of magic? Only to eventually lose their shit and cause devastation? ? You know how they say that if you repress your emotions they don't go away but will one day come out in a way you might not even be able to recognize? I like that metaphor for her.

🌈 RAINBOW - what advice would they give to their younger self?

Ask father things about his family. His community. Don't believe everything mother says. Even if she has your best interests in mind, doesn't mean she won't manipulate you. Keep some thoughts to yourself. And not every outsider you meet will want to harm you.

🔥 FIRE - do they have any self destructive tendencies? what habits do they have that hinder them from becoming their best self?

I think she allows herself to succumb to her darkest thoughts. That voice in her mind that assumes the worst about others and herself. When Mal is in a particularly dark place she just allows one side to win. And at times she thinks about harming herself, just going absolutely feral on her own body. Maybe as a way to kill that voice, because it IS her voice in her head. It's all part of her.

And I think it's all that overthinking, rotating and weighing conflicting thoughts, trying to get the upper hand that's hindering her growth. I think she needs to learn when she can let go and just let things unfold naturally. Sometimes you cross the bridge when you come to it.

☁️ CLOUD - a soft headcanon

She makes potions for everyone! I just see her spending the well-deserved 4 hours of rest in trance and then she's reading and sorting herbs and writing things down. She sorts out the vials, stacks them in piles and hands them out in the morning before they leave camp. Poisons, health pots, invisibility potions, you name it.

🌟 GLOWING STAR - what do they think about when they look at the night sky? is there someone they want to star gaze with?

At times she thinks of her father. He'd take her on week-long trips through the forest, hunting, camping, teaching her things about the wilds. At night, they'd sit around a fire or its embers, looking at the sky and he'd tell her stories of Eilistraee, about all the creatures, magical and not, that he'd encountered, tales of great heroes, etc.

And uh, star-gazing with a star, no? I think she yearns to just cuddle up under a night sky, all soft touches and sounds. But she also thinks it's embarrassing to admit to want soft things like that, so you'd have to pry that out of her like a sin.

🌠 SHOOTING STAR - if they could make any wish with no repercussions, what wish would they make?

Likely to have her parents back. Alive and well. She misses them much more than she'd be willing to admit to herself. Sure, it was her mother's death that even allowed Maleane to start to become her own person, but damn at times she just wishes she could talk to A'sherra, to both of her parents.

☄️ COMET - what do people assume about them? are they right?

Often times people assume whatever she wants them to assume. She plays meek and fearful when she wants someone to underestimate her. Or commanding and intimidating if it feels like it would prevent someone from harming her, etc. etc.

But those who get past the initial act likely assume that she's harboring some deep dark secret that demands all that masquerade to begin with. Like a distraction from something twisted that she's trying to hide. And while she IS hiding something from them, it's much simpler than some horrible dark past. It's just her fragile heart that she's shielding from everyone.

💓 BEATING HEART - what gets their heart racing?

Using magic! The adrenaline of being in battle and just feeling it course through her, seeing the devastation it can cause, protecting her team, etc.

❤️ RED HEART - their love language(s)?

I think it's quality time and physical touch.

I mean, she almost turned into a puddle the first time Shadowheart softly touched her hand and did her hair!!! When she hugged Astarion, she felt like years and years of hurt and longing were melting away. It took her breath away when Gale held her hand to his heart, it almost scared her how intimate it felt? ? ?? SHE'S JUST THAT KIND OF GIRL!!!

💌 LOVE LETTER - do they like love letters? what kind of messages do they leave for their partner?

Honestly? ?? I think she'd love to receive letters in general. Half her childhood she'd read letters and notes from other people and at times dream of someone writing one for her!! BUT also it feels almost, uh.. beneath her??? To write a love letter? ? It's admitting feelings, something she struggles so much to do in private, and leaving them behind as evidence on some parchment?? ?/ NO! Too cringe! Jail!

💔 BROKEN HEART - what could their partner do that would absolutely break their heart?

Use her! Use her trust in them. It's not easy for someone like her to bare her heart and admit feelings and be vulnerable. So if they took all that from her and betrayed her trust. Yeah, she'd be absolutely devastated.

[lilyofthevvlley]

( havana rose liu. she & her. cis woman. ) the courts of veritas welcome DELPHINE REN! it’s been said that the TWENTY-SEVEN year old MERMAID is known to be CREATIVE and INSECURE. when DELLA isn’t working as a CARER AT STARLIGHT SPROUTS, they can be found participating in CREATING MOSAICS. if you visit their home in ECHO COVE, it may remind you of colorful sea glass, seashell necklaces, water lily flowers, impressive crystal collections, satin skirts, beach waves, sandcastles, handmade art, starfish, Fleetwood Mac songs. they may be your best friend or your greatest enemy.

lover, fighter queen of midsummer's youthful lust daughter of the ocean's foaming waves inhale let this raging beauty choke your lungs as it did my heart

TRIGGER WARNINGS ;; n/a

CHARACTER BASICS

Full Name: delphine maya ren

Nickname: della / delly

Age: 27

Gender: cis female

Pronouns: she&her

Ethnicity: chinese-caucasian

Nationality: veritean

Education: college level

Occupation: carer at starlight sprouts

Hometown: veritas isles

Current location: veritas isles (echo cove)

Species: mermaid

Written Aesthetics: colorful sea glass, seashell necklaces, water lily flowers, impressive crystal collections, satin skirts, beach waves, sandcastles, handmade art, starfish, Fleetwood Mac songs

CHARACTER APPEARANCE 

Face Claim: havana rose liu

Height: 5'4"

Hair Colour: brunette

Eye Colour: hazel

Dominant Hand: right

Distinguishing Features: in her human form, she's got a heart shaped birthmark on the outside of her thigh. in her mermaid form, her tail/merfolk features are a shimmery, light teal similar to this color.

SUPERNATURAL EXTRAS 

Abilities: hydrokinesis, vocal mimicry, healing touch, empathy. //

Weaknesses: vulnerability to dry environments (she needs to revisit her home in echo cove at least once every 24 hours, and she keeps a humidifier on around her at all times), lack of mobility, emotional vulnerability, and emotional ties to the ocean

Have you always been aware of your abilities?: yes! delphine was born to a long line of merfolk, a family who has lived on or near veritas for generations,

Favorite Magical Items: the starfish earrings that whisper compliments in her ears, the conch shell she has that's enchanted to play her favorite playlists, and a magical book that saves every drawing the children at starlight sprouts make for her.

What supernatural creature is your character most scared of?: werewolves - it's nothing personal, she's just a big believer in the power of the moon, as a creature of the ocean, so she doesn't underestimate what effect it would have on those inflicted with lycanthropy

Who or what would they die for? her family, without question. she also loves all of her kids at the daycare, and would put her life on the line for any of them.

Does your character fight or flee? flee, she'll leave the fighting to someone else!

PERSONALITY

Positive Traits: intelligent, creative, determined, loyal, and self-assured

Negative Traits: withdrawn, stubborn, distrusting, narrow-minded, and haughty

Neutral Traits: protective, private, skeptical, constant, and perceptive

Goals/desires: delphine wants to be happy, find happiness, and create happiness for others

Fears: thunderstorms, cruise ships, and letting down her family

Hobbies: creating mosaics! she uses a lot off sea glass / litter / etc. that she finds in the ocean and turns them into art.

Habits: humming absentmindedly when she's nervous, bouncing her leg when she's sitting down even though she tries very hard not to

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT Q’S

your answers to these questions do not have to be in depth, though of course they can be! they’re just here to help you grasp your character a little more, as well as for me to get an understanding ! 

QUESTION ONE: were you born on the island, if so, what kind of curiosities do you have about the world beyond? if you weren’t, what do you miss about the world outside veritas isles?  delphine was born to a family of merfolk who've lived in Veritas for generations, so the isles are all she's ever known. because of this, she doesn't exactly finding herself longing for the outside world, but she is fascinated by their politics (and definitely thinks if her dad were president of the world everything would be better)

QUESTION TWO: what is your favorite part about the island?  everyone else who lives here! delphine is very friendly, and she loves that she lives in a place where differences are accepted (even if that is the idealist in her)

QUESTION THREE: if your character is supernatural, do they fear humans? if human, do they fear the supernatural?  as much as her family wishes delphine feared humans, she doesn't! she loves to learn about others, species aside, and she's a bit naive, so she thinks herself a bit untouchable (probably to a fault)

QUESTION FOUR: share a fun headcanon or fact about your character! this doesn’t have to be long, just something to introduce us to your character!  delphine's deep interest in learning what justport and the lives of non-merfolk were like stems from the first time she heard stevie nicks' voice - imagine her shock when she learned fleetwood mac was a real human band and not a group of enchanting sirens!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

delphine was born to a family of merfolk who didn't care to explore land. the ocean was their home, and they didn't see much value in expanding their metaphorical horizons. they did, however, give all of their children the freedom to chose what they wanted to do. delphine was the first to take them up on that. when she was around 6 years old, she met a human on the shore and quickly grabbed onto the possibility of learning what land had to offer. since then, she's balanced her life in both worlds well.

more to come soon !!

[apieters]

It’s finally happening—I’m finally reading The Lord of the Rings.

As a kid, I really did not like high fantasy—classic literature, historical fiction, and sci-fi were my jam. Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy came out when I was a kid, and quite frankly, I thought that the costume designers, prop artists, and makeup artists needed to have very heavy rocks tied around their necks and be drowned in the sea—seriously, have any of those people heard of a Straight Line? Everything was wavy and pointy in all the wrong places aesthetically, and on top of that I have a categorical dislike of wizards and anything involving magic—not because I’m some uptight fundamentalist Christian who thinks Harry Potter is devil-worship, but because Magic in too many stories is a fix-all that has at least the potential to solve everyone’s problems if they just wave a magic wand hard enough while making a face that looks like they’re desperately in need of a laxative.

It was Game of Thrones, with its emphasis on unpowered human ingenuity, political maneuvering, and good old-fashioned martial prowess and military strategy strongly inspired by real-life history of the kind I already loved and enjoyed, that first turned me onto fantasy at all—it was my gateway drug. But like all gateway drugs, one starts exploring, and it quickly became apparent that Tolkien was the more potent stuff. People kept saying amazing things about the worldbuilding and the story, and the fact that the themes were directly influenced by Tolkien’s Christian faith played no small part in rehabilitating the image of The Lord of the Rings for me—as much as I love the Song of Ice and Fire, it’s themes are by and large alien to me as a Christian, with its emphasis on pragmatism, compromise, the priority of material concerns and a seeming ignorance of the compelling power of virtue, versus the timeless values and moral excellence at any cost and the need to use wisdom to turn ideals into practiced virtues that I believe characterizes real life.

So it is mostly out of respect for Tolkien and his universally attested literary merit, and for his Christian take on the world of fantasy, that I am looking into it to see what all the fuss is about. I have already read The Hobbit, and found it as charming a story as everyone says, but I found myself wanting something more…dramatic. I have no doubt that The Lord of the Rings will answer the call on that front, but I still have my doubts that there will be sufficient swordplay and mortal ingenuity to hold my interest, instead of being one long slog of perseverant walking toward the fires of Mt. Doom.

Nevertheless, I am off on the journey, and Bilbo Baggins has just disappeared from his eleventy-first birthday party…

[dreamlandbarnes]

I WENT TO THE ERAS TOUR 😭😭😭

emotional rambling under the cut

i cannot emphasize how ethereal the concert was. she was so!!! beautiful! sparkly!! SHE WAS GLOWING AND SHE SOUNDED AMAZING AND I SANG MY HEART OUT. i'm still reeling, still crying. i can't believe i got to go. when she came out during the lover set the tears immediately burst out of me. and i was uncontrollably sobbing during the surprise songs because there's no way that it was personal but!! i don't wanna live forever x mine and evermore x peter were sooooo 🥹 she mentioned something about how she gets a sense of the crowd before she chooses the songs to sing and it just felt like she knew i was there (she definitely didn't). it was the same feeling i get when she releases a new song and somehow captures exactly how i've been feeling and what i've been struggling with for months. sidenote: the last time i was at a concert at the rogers centre, i was seeing one direction in 2014. it's a very silly connection i'm making but the last time and place i saw zayn was in toronto at the rogers centre and years later two of my favourite artists make one of the best collabs ever and i got to hear it performed live by sheer luck :'))

i heard so many of my absolute favourite songs in the world live. i witnessed her magic in person. taylor swift takes up so much space on the soundtrack of my life. i remember hearing 'teardrops on my guitar' on the radio in my family's old jeep. i remember writing out the lyrics to 'you belong with me' on a tiny notebook in my childhood bedroom so i could memorize all the words. i watched the 'love story' and 'our song' music videos religiously on my sister's ipod and i spent hours upon hours watching lyric videos. folklore was the comforting hug that i needed and was fundamental in helping me cope with my grief. i blasted midnights whenever i was getting ready to party in my last year of uni :))) the sad songs, the happy songs, and everything in between are so special to me.

looking back it feels like i didn't take enough videos or pictures but i was really just having such a good time dancing and singing and crying throughout the whole concert. i feel so incredibly lucky that i was able to see her, at a once in a lifetime type of show. what an absolute powerhouse of a performer she is!!

~

art and music have kept me going during some of the roughest times in my life. i never considered myself an artist, and it's not the first word that comes to mind when i think of words to describe myself, but creating things within fandom spaces has helped me tremendously. i finished undergrad and was jobless and depressed and considering what i should do with my life, because i honestly, truly didn't think i was going to make it to my 20s. i was having an incredibly hard time last year and i learned how to video edit as a distraction and as a bit of a way to cope. so many of my silly little fandom creations are inspired by the songs taylor has created and released into the world. my editing style isn't super creative or original, but being able to use her music and create my own art enabled me to engage in spaces with people who are so kind and positive and uplifting and it got me out of my own head.

when i felt like i was useless, i was able to work through it by creating something inspired by her music or lyrics or aesthetic and it just. it means so much to me. the night was magical. i'm rambling throughout this whole post and i fear i haven't been able to capture the depth of what it all means. i love concerts. i love taylor swift. and i'm so grateful to have these experiences and reminders and reflections that make me glad i stuck around.

[ouatnextgen]

Get to Know: Alex

I stole the character template used in this fic, because I thought it was really thorough, and a good exercise for character building. So thanks ao3 user StarkPark!

Name

Alexandra Jaqueline Boyd. Sean named Alexandra, and it means “defender of men.” Their middle name is the feminine version of Jaq, one of her mother’s friends.

Nicknames

Alex (primary nickname)

Princess Alex (by her friends, to annoy them)

Pumpkin (by their parents)

Appearance

Thin, straight blond hair

Pale skin

Gray eyes

Smiley face tattoo on their shoulder, no scars. They have a tongue piercing.

They wear grunge aesthetic clothing, mainly black crop tops, ripped jeans, doc martens, and a lot of fishneting just…everywhere.

Face claims

London Fuller (young)

Virginia Gardner (older)

Personality

Sarcastic and kind of rough around the edges, but is actually sweet underneath. The one her friends go to when they need to rant, and/or do something mildly illegal.

They are industrious, loyal, and determined, but also very compulsive and over emotional at times. This can lead to fights and blow-ups with friends, but she will be the first to apologize, as she’s not stubborn, and will fold like a playing card.

She believes firmly in working hard to get what you want, one of the only traits she inherited from her mother. She despises when people have privilege and don’t help those in need.

They tend to think that rules are guidelines, rather than things to be followed. Especially if breaking the rules helps someone out.

Likes

Playing the bass

Just being in the same vicinity of her friends

Listening to very loud music in the car

Dying her hair

Spray painting and doing other non-traditional forms of art

Knitting, crocheting, and sewing (don’t tell anybody!)

Dislikes

Rules

Gender roles

Shrimp

Magic

No magic, but boy do they want it!

Health

Has a shellfish allergy

Used to have asthma, but doesn’t any more

Sexuality

Aromantic asexual. No romance, no sex. They love it!

Fears

Not being able to handle living on their own

Dying alone

Has a weird fear of breaking her ankles?

Habits

Chews on the ends of their hair

Bites her nails

Messy as all fuck

Favorites

Movies: Fluxuates between 80’s classics and obscure indie stuff, there is no in between

TV Shows: Historical Dramas…she hates history, but is fine with historical based media

Music: 80’s and 90’s grunge, with some indie/folk thrown in there

Books: Loves Narnia. Did not understand that Aslan was Jesus until they were an adult

Parent: She isn’t super close to either of them, but prefers Sean

Family member: Vibes well with their step-cousin, Conrad

Sport: Did lacrosse in high school, and follows a few teams

School subject: Art! Duh!

Food: Burgers and fries, but specifically Granny’s

Sweet treat: Chocolate lover

Colors: Pink, red, purple

Animal: Penguins <3

Toy: Fashion dolls like Barbies that they can cut and style the hair on

Game: Sim games like Harvest Moon, Stardew, and Animal Crossing

Least favorites

Movies: Rom Coms

TV Shows: Modern fantasy-based TV shows (lol)

Music: Music without lyrics

Books: Romance and YA fiction

Parent: They clash with Ashley a lot

Family member: Lady Tremaine…for obvious reasons

Sport: Track. She can only run in short bursts

School subject: History. Snooze fest

Food: Anything too spicy

Sweet treat: Hates carrot cake on principle

Colors: Blue, green, yellow

Animal: Any and all fish. They hate the scales

Toy: Bratz. Barbie or bust!

Game: Hates any video games that require skilled combat like Halo and all that

Career aspiration

Either an artist or hair dresser. Or both.

Social life

If they don’t hang with their friends once a day, they will die

She has a high social battery, and is up for anything

They’re the go-to queer informant for the youth of Storybrooke

Pets

No pets. She can barely take care of herself, let alone an animal