#and yet it's him who ends up being the favourite and everyone loves and respects him and just think Nishiki's a lil bitch boy

[smol-tired-binch-blog]

I miss Nishiki. Misshiki.

[muxshwriting]

my love, my life

Violet Bridgerton x daughter!reader, Bridgerton!reader

summary: Violet and her youngest, Y/N were mirror image. when you debut and fall in love, she faces the reality of letting you go || warnings: growing up, nostalgia, crying sessions when writing this|| word count: 705 || masterlist

Violet Bridgerton had nine children, four boys and five girls. Her youngest two, Hyacinth and Y/N, had surprised her by being twins. Neither of them would ever meet their father and Violet held them closer to her because of that fact. As a child, Hyacinth wanted to discover everything, see the whole house and the gardens and sometimes beyond. You, on the other hand, were perfectly content to curl up on your mother’s lap as she stitched, watching her work.

If anyone ever asked, Violet Bridgerton did not have a favourite child. She loved all her children equally was equally saddened when they, in turn, flew from the nest. But secretly, you were her favourite child, always willing to help your Mama and wanting to spend time with her. You were always content, never causing a fuss or making trouble for her to fix, unlike all your other siblings.

When you debut, you remain by your mother’s side, wary of this new experience. You spend your first season testing the waters of romance, charming suitors but not being interested in any fully. It’s on,y in your second year that you find yourself truly charmed.

Lord William Harding comes from a respectable and wealthy family but most importantly, he understands you. He will gladly spend an afternoon strolling through the park together, not saying a lot but occasionally pointing out something and telling a joke. He makes you feel warm and safe and that’s all you can ask for. It’s starts slowly until you realise that you crave his warming silence and his gentle conversation.

“I think I love him Mama.” The confession came as you were lying across your mother’s lap in the drawing room. Your book had been abandoned and Mama put down her embroidery to look at you.

“You think or you know?”

You meet her gaze, suddenly worried at the realisation. “I love him.”

Violet simply laughs at your concern. “Relax, my love. You have nothing to fear. I see how he looks at you.”

“What does that mean?”

“He loves you.” She says. “Whether he realises yet or not, he adores you.”

“Are you sure?”

Violet simply raises an eyebrow and smiles knowingly, continuing with her embroidery.

Your mother is all-knowing, especially after watching most of her children marry. William continues to court you, constantly looking at you with adoration. You confess your love to him as you dance together at your mother’s ball towards the end of the season and he reciprocates fully, imagining your future together and planning everything. Unbeknownst to you, he calls on your brother the very next day to ask for your hand in marriage. Anthony is well aware of your feelings towards William and gives his blessing willingly.

The time flies through your engagement until you're standing in front of your mother on your wedding day. You can't stop the tears gathering in your eyes as you look at her, knowing this is the final hurdle of your girlhood. Violet grasps your hands tightly in hers and pulls you close.

"You'll always be my daughter, no matter where you are."

"Mama-"

"It's alright to be afraid, it's alright to be unsure. That's love and life."

You dry your tears. "I want this so badly yet I am terrified of leaving you behind."

"I am not left behind." Violet says, convincing you more than she convinces herself. In truth, she is afraid of being left behind. All her children are now married, all will begin families of their own and she'll be reduced to the grandmother who is visited when it's convenient. It's only life, everyone grows up and grows away from their roots.

"I'll always need you." You promise her. Mama hugs you tightly once more before shooing you towards Anthony who was waiting for you by the entrance to the chapel. This was the end of your childhood, walking down the aisle on your brothers arm watching your mother follow behind you. He passing you to William and you find yourself perfectly at ease next to him.

"Take care of her."

"I swear to everything, I will."

Anthony nods once, taking his seat in the front row as the rest of your life begins.

taglist: @aoi-targaryen

[rosenotactuallyquartz]

rose & the humans

(a rant about the fandom, by a bisexual woman who relates to rose)

we all know that rose is a complex character, and some people in the fandom have an issue with that. her pain & trauma is overlooked all while she’s oversimplified by many fans as being either a villain or a completely perfect, happy being.

on some platforms, it gets even worse.

“i like the way human beings play, i like playing along.” — rose, we need to talk

for many steven universe fans, i’ve noticed the immediate interpretation is that rose enjoyed sexual relationships with humans. there’s all kinds of jokes about it, yet there’s actually so much more to that line. unfortunately, people like to sexualize rose’s character before they even attempt to empathize with her.

before greg, rose mainly knew how to connect with gems. gem relationships are different from human relationships; they don’t use the same labels & they don’t follow (nor do they understand) the rules & norms of human relationships. that’s why pearl was okay with rose’s previous human connections. these relationships were shallow, and since there were no labels, pearl + rose could both easily see that their relationship was the most important.

greg was different. so different that amethyst & garnet would talk about how nice he was. he was amethyst’s favourite human. his connection with rose was different, too. & some fans love to mention that, before greg, rose disrespected humans and viewed them as fascinating. however, there’s two sides to this. as a gem, rose was likely a mere fascination to humans too. maybe, some of these humans acted much like the ones in the fandom. sexualizing her before even attempting to understand her.

if greg’s call for mutual respect & his effort to connect was so new to her, it suggests that humans in the past never respected her much, either. it’s frightening to think about. she doesn’t know much about humans, so they could easily be disrespectful without her knowing. she thinks everyone is better than her & has low self esteem, struggling to believe that she deserves someone like pearl, who knows about her past & insecurities & the things she’s ashamed of yet gives her such intense affection & care. even if she did feel discomfort around some humans, she would likely blame herself or assume that it’s the treatment she deserves. even the fact that they didn’t care to get to know her is “a good thing” in rose’s opinion, as she tells greg in this very episode that she’s glad he doesn’t know much about her.

“is this… not how this works?” — rose, we need to talk

some fans claim rose "played" with humans before greg. “everything was a game to her.” because they’re so focused on sexualizing & oversimplifying her character, they miss the vulnerability of that line. playing along. as a gem, rose was incredibly naive. for example, in the 90s, she admitted that it took her awhile to figure out that human babies were the same species as human adults.

on another platform, i’ve noticed more discussions (and, of course, ridiculous jokes) about how she got pregnant instead of why she chose to give up her physical form. while the relationship she had with a man throughout her last four years was undoubtedly important, sometimes it gets validated more than anything else. some even imply that she couldn’t love & she had no redeeming qualities until she met him.

it’s just like the way the fandom treats pearl, claiming that her character development is merely about “getting over rose.” they claim that rose’s redeeming qualities are all from greg “changing her.” they’re complex characters who are so much more than their relationships.

they also don’t want to understand her character. sugar said in end of an era that rose revered others, thinking they were better than her. as a diamond, she hated the salute. when pearl chose to live with rose & make her happy, this meant the world to her. fusing with pearl also meant so much to her, as this was an equal connection. she fell for her & trusted her only after pearl became her true self; opinionated, someone who argued with her. this was the type of connection that she wanted, reciprocating her love for the people she was close to, romantically & platonically. when pearl took her hand, she would interlace their fingers. when she connected with people in any way, she adored them and would treat them like they treated her, assuming that was what they wanted. it’s what worked in the very first connection she made… although their connection was always unlike any other, hence why pearl was alright with rose forming other connections. they also felt the same way about each other. some people are different & their intentions are more confusing. it was easier to just assume humans were treating her as they wanted to be treated.

being abused, isolated, & feeling out of place in her early years, as well as dealing with the pressure of being the leader of the rebellion, made all social interactions difficult. she managed to live comfortably with the crystal gems for thousands of years, and she was able to connect with each of them for different reasons. even then, things weren’t always perfect. she struggled with communication & vulnerability & dishonesty & insecurity & codependency. very common for people who have felt unsafe in their early years. nevertheless, these connections were healing and meaningful to her.

connecting with new people, let alone humans? of course that would be difficult.

some fans sexualize the things she says so that they can’t see her perspective when it comes to issues in relationships. they validate her four year long relationship with a human man and then proceed to invalidate everything else. her trauma, her pain, her feelings, her other relationships.

& of course, he changed her life. he taught her so much about the world she loved. as a bisexual woman who unfortunately has a reddit account, i just find it interesting that people will go so far as to claim that greg was the only person who truly loved rose or had a meaningful connection with her, while her sapphic relationship—one that lasted thousands of years—gets ignored or dismissed as bad. i’ve seen people claim rose is straight, often accompanied by insults toward pearl, calling her “pathetic” or worse. pearl’s love for rose is frequently dismissed as “a weird obsession,” with words like infatuation & devotion used more often than the word love. fans will focus particularly on rose enjoying intimate relationships with human men, despite the thousands of years of romantic & implied sexual attraction between her and pearl.

many people refer to rose as greg’s wife, and not in a shipping sort of way, but because they genuinely believe that they were married. there’s so many arguments about this, all while there’s many people who believe that rose never had any feelings for pearl & they never had a relationship.

interesting, right? it implies that rose knew so much more about humanity & that her relationship with this human completely followed the norms of human relationships. it invalidates her other relationship that lasted for thousands of years, despite the fact that pearl + rose is canonically requited, confirmed by creators & incredibly evident, while rose + greg is canonically unmarried, confirmed in gem harvest.

what’s also troubling is the reluctance to acknowledge greg’s flaws or the complexities in his relationship with rose, while pearl’s flaws & her issues with rose are focused on (and for my lovely mutuals who love greg & his relationship, please know that this is not hate, i’ve explained a bit more about my opinion here). when pearl shows traits that resemble a stereotypical pearl from homeworld, she’s labeled a weak follower. when she shows strong emotions, she’s labeled as bad. when she’s expressive & opinionated, the significant growth she underwent to be able to openly express these aspects of her personality often go unnoticed.

when pearl’s relationship with rose seems too difficult for people to analyze, they dismiss it with the word “programming,” failing to grasp pearl’s character development and growth.

it’s interesting how sapphic characters receive so little empathy, while the flaws of male characters are often ignored, praised, or turned into ridiculous jokes on social media.

it’s not just him—there’s the mention of the “men that would come into her life now and again,” as pearl describes in mr. greg. people heard this line & took the chance to call rose disrespectful names, claiming she “kissed everyone.” they didn’t consider rose from a gem perspective & her knowledge about humans, or how rose is in awe of human decency, she had low self esteem & a belief that she didn’t deserve genuine love.

i think this is why we get so frustrated by those jokes about pearl “fumbling” a “bbw.” it sums everything up. rose getting sexualized all while multiple aspects of her character are misunderstood, overlooked, and invalidated.

[vigilskeep]

With Bea being your potential canon Inquisitor, how would your protagonists feel about each other?

keir and minerva don’t easily trust each other. he sees someone manipulative and dangerous who is always acting for her own agenda and doesn’t take proper care of her own people. she sees exactly the kind of big heavily armed human man throwing threats and physical violence around that all her life experiences have taught her wariness and dislike for. they’re both very accustomed to being the scariest thing in the room and have a tendency to get territorial. however, they have ferelden in common (whatever keir’s other thoughts, he will always owe respect to the saviour of his homeland) and someone they love in common (whatever minerva’s other thoughts, she will always owe a helping hand to the person anders cares about, and who kept anders safe when she couldn’t be there). once they get to know each other and have some picture of why the other acts like they do, it’s not all bad. probably. eventually

keir always looks at beatrice and sees someone else. he sees his beloved sister, as the sheltered young andrastian noblewoman she might have been. he sees the sebastian who was once his friend, both his earnest kindness and his inclination for fanaticism. and he sees grand cleric elthina, a woman whose unassuming appearance never changed the amount of power she wielded and what a profound danger she was. he is never sure which of these is closest to the truth and it creates a mixture of protective sympathy and real fear he finds a little sickening. for her side, she finds him somewhat intimidating on a basic interpersonal level. which he... kind of fundamentally is, lmao. arguably they’re both free marcher nobles but they’re from such drastically different worlds of experience all the same. she gets most of her information on him from the excitement and romance of hushed gossip or varric’s stories. the reality has more harsher extremes than she would like. but she wants to believe he’s a hero and that they’re on the same side

minerva harbours particular dislikes of sickly-sweet earnestness, “overly” pious andrastians, warden hero worship, and people who simply have power drop into their lap and then don’t even have any idea what to do with it. beatrice is precisely a combination of those things. she is... not likely to be minerva’s favourite person in the world. however, on minerva’s return from wherever she is, she would forced to admit through gritted teeth that bea is not only genuinely well-intentioned but straightforwardly a political ally. she is literally going to be the one who legitimises the mage rebellion and ushers in the end of the circle of magi. on those grounds, minerva will contain herself from whatever the political equivalent is of unhinging her jaw like a snake and eating the poor girl alive. she would kind of be visibly containing herself from doing that if they ever met and it would be a pretty unsettling experience for everyone involved. bea is at present blissfully unaware of all that and continues to think of minerva as a great warden hero and would hotly defend her against any heinous rumours of blood magic and involving herself in politics more than wardens should

(bea’s perspective needs the most work here because she’s newer. i’m also working with current bea, as in, early game dai bea the bright-eyed idealist who believes andraste has chosen her. she definitely believes in heroes—in a fun, weirdly meta, a little self-important way, she’s probably very aware of the idea of herself, minerva, and keir as the three “protagonists” of the dragon age so far. i think the bea we end up with by trespasser might have a very different take on the other two after she ends up with a very different take on herself, but i haven’t gotten there yet. i suspect that at great personal cost she may even develop a personality minerva would find bearable to be around 😭)

[thrashkink-coven]

I worship Inanna, Lucifer, and Aphrodite as the most powerful and greatest Gods, yes even beyond Ra and El and Ashirat and everything. I know that’s a bold fucking claim but I’ll explain why.

As glorious and incredibly divine and powerful as Gods like Ra and Ashirat and the primordial creators are, and as much as I respect, love and honour them immensely, my personal connections to the Gods come from my perspective as a human being. To us, the most powerful and influential force in the entire universe is Love. It is why Cupid’s arrows will always be more powerful than Apollon’s. Love is the primary motivation behind anything a human has ever done, created, or nurtured, beyond the basic instinct to survive. As soon as you transition from a state of being a human to a person, you become a slave to the Goddess of love.

Even if you’ve never experienced carnal love, romance, even if you never had a family to love familially, if you’ve never had a friend or a pet, you’ve still fallen in love in secret ways a million times. When I wake up in the morning and decide to wear something, it’s because I love myself. Or at least, I love some idea of what I am beyond what is essential to my survival. I add a little bit of icing sugar to my pancakes because I love the way it tastes when I do that. I draw a picture of a flower, because for some reason I loved it enough to study its petals. I wanted to remember it as it looked in that exact moment. I took a picture of a worm I saw on the sidewalk. I didn’t know it at the time, but I loved it too. I have music preferences, a favourite color, a favourite pair of pants, and they are all mine because I fell in love at one point or another.

I had a stuffed bear when I was a kid, and I loved her for some reason. I gave her a name, I even gave her a gender, and I called her my friend. But one day I had to take a bath and I decided to bring her into the bath with me because I didn’t want to stop playing with her. She got water logged and I think my mom threw her away, and I mourned her. Love is like a sin to the ones that feel it the most.

Every lasting grudge in human history was formed out of love. Because nobody believes that everyone loves everyone else as much as they do. I feel like I love my partner more than anyone has ever loved in the history of the universe. And yet I know that everyone loves something or someone as much as I love him. If someone hurt him, I would never stop hating them. If someone killed him, I would kill them, and the person who loved them would want to kill me. That is why the Goddess of Love is the Goddess of War. The height of my love is the depth of my hatred.

Because humans are social creatures and we love each other in order to love ourselves. Because love gifts us with the highest bliss and the deepest mourning. Because I would shrivel and waste away if my lover wasn’t with me. Just with me, beside me. That’s all I need.

Everything that has ever lasted maintained itself because someone loved it enough to create it. The pyramids, ancient temples of worship to Gods that were loved, adored. Markings on the bark of a tree that promise that two people were there, and loved each other. Every trinket at the thrift store, from the dog wearing a dress to the ceramic angel, that mug with that old man’s face on it, were made by a human that loved something enough to make art in its image. Whoever felt so strongly about a girl that their words turned into lyrics and their yearning turned into symphonies.

Humans are slaves to the power of love. When the end of the world comes and everything is done, we will embrace each-other dearly as if we were all that ever mattered, and we’d be content with that.

I champion the heralds of love because I am forever in dept to them. How incredibly lucky I am to have been born as a creature that can experience her bliss. How foolish and drunk I am on her infinite pleasures. How cruel it is of her to erect the most wonderful place in the universe between the arms of my lover, knowing that one day those arms will return to dirt, and hopefully, hopefully, I will still be in them.

Lucifer is the harbinger of Venus, and i love that so much. He ushers in her presence and does so with the fire of rebellion on his wings. What does it mean to love oneself more than any rule or doctrine? Or to love knowledge and self discovery? No wonder the angel of the rebellion is the harbringer of the Goddess of Love and War. The one who screams “Love is here! Love is here! She is more powerful than any system, any rule, any law, she is stronger than the mightiest warrior. She is loud! She is quiet! She always saves the day. I am proof of that.”

Lucifer tells us that even if we are not lucky enough to love and be loved by others, if we can love ourselves, we will always be free.

That is why I say that Venus is the greatest God. That is why I chose Lucifer to be my patron and why I express my loyalty to them above all others. Without her I could not have loved all those other Gods I adore. Without her they would be nothing to me, because I would be nothing to me.

You are the greatest God, Inanna. I will forever be your loyal devotee.

[cranberrv]

when i was your man

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ in which dallas winston wants you back

(warnings: mostly fem!reader but can be read otherwise, just a few remarks towards the reader being fem)

tulips were your favourite flower. dallas never remembered.

you had spent what seemed like forever trying to get dallas to be what you imagined to be a perfect boyfriend. get him to be the kind of guy you see in movies, the boy who isn’t afraid to be with you in public, the boy who takes you on fancy dates and the kind of boy who buys you flowers. but he never did, not once. love letters never showed up at your door, he never put his hand around your waist or took you out on a date.

you got over him quickly. he broke up with you because you got ‘too attached’, and he hates commitment. you were just one of the many girls who fell for his boyish grin and charm, who’s gaze went blurry and blind when any red flags seemed to uncover, ignoring every horrible attribute about him.

a new boy came into your life about a year after the breakup, a soc, someone who treated you with the respect you wanted and gave you the life you needed. he had the money to take you to fancy restaurants, and he always bought you roses, the most romantic flower there is.

when he got down on one knee, you had no doubt into your mind and said yes. his proposal was too good to be true, everything thing about him was. he proposed on a vacation in the tropics, by the beach. there were tears in his eyes. you had never had a man cry for you. not dallas, not anyone.

planning the wedding was easy. you were having red velvet cake, the venue was in your backyard, keeping it close to home, and you were going to wear the most beautiful and expensive outfit. your fiancé was in charge of deciding who to invite, and he invited everyone you wanted to be there for your special day.

simply put, you were in a pure state of bliss. what every little kid dreams of is a perfect lover who will give you everything you want and more, and now you have that.

there was one topic your fiancé did avoid, though, and that was dallas winston. your lover did not like him, not one bit, he became bitter towards dallas after you opened up about how he didn’t treat you like you mattered, which was all you wanted. you felt it was a bit excessive, if you even dared to utter his name, he’d interrupt and change the topic. and dallas certainly was not invited to the wedding.

at the end of the day, you shouldn’t care about that. you spend a lot of your time convincing yourself that it doesn’t matter that your lover is being rude to your ex boyfriend, it’s not like dal treated you right, anyway. it doesn’t matter, right? it’s better he’s not in your life.

on the day of the wedding, something felt off. you saw your reflection in the mirror as your friend did up your dress, and you didn’t see a girl who was tearing up with joy, ranting to your friends about how perfect your fiancé is. you should be, your lover was perfect and life was magical. you felt ungrateful for the gift life gave you. yet, in the mirror you saw a confused and unsure person looking back at you. someone who didn’t know what they were doing, someone who didn’t know the difference between love and lust, a scared kid who rushed into a decision purely out of the need to feel wanted after a past relationship.

as you’re standing, staring at you and your outfit in the mirror, your friend goes up to the vanity (which you’ve yet to sit at), and picks up a small bouquet of flowers.

“what’s this?” she says, holding it up and examining it. “did your boy give this to you?” she teases.

you look at it. “oh,” you hadn’t noticed that before. it’s not roses. he always gets you roses. this time, it’s tulips. tulips wrapped with light parchment paper and a lace bow. “yeah, i guess so.” she hands you the bouquet, and a small smile spreads across your face. so he did remember.

your friend talks to you for a bit longer, and eventually leaves the room to go grab the hair stylist from downstairs. you’re then stood in the room alone, staring at the bouquet of flowers with a smile and rosy cheeks.

a few minutes later, the door creaks open. you perk up. your face falls, eyebrows raising every so slightly with surprise. cold umber eyes and a smirk that never quite reaches his eyes, a sentence that perfectly describes dallas winston.

shock turns to frustration. how dare he just sneak in here on your special day? he’s probably just planning on ruining it, maybe he’s already got into a fistfight with the groom.

“jesus, dallas, what’re you doing here?-“ your voice is still quiet, not wanting to alert attention.

“you look cute.” he interrupts, eyes not leaving you for a second, drifting across your hair and your pretty outfit. they stop at the bouquet of tulips. “d’you like the flowers? they were expensive.”

your eyes fall onto the bouquet, and you look back up at him. you ignore both of the shocking statements, trying to get him out of here. “you’re not supposed to be here—“

“i was wrong.” he interrupts again. “i was wrong for everything. look, you know i’m not one to say this, and i’m sure as hell not one for these romantic gestures, but i messed up. i thought i could get over you, i mean, broads are easy enough to get over, but i just can’t. your name loops my mind all day and it’s fuckin’ stupid. now you’re with someone ten times better than me, and i know i’m probably too late, but please, don’t say yes. i can treat you how you should be, i promise. i know i don’t have a good history with girls, or with you, but i can try. i’m willing to give it my fuckin’ all for you, i’ll remember your middle name and i’ll take you to the movies, i don’t know. but you’re my gal, y/n, i can’t let my gal run off with someone else now, can i?”

there you’re stood, staring up at him with the bouquet in your grasp, hands shaking and tears silently streaming down your face. your mouth keeps opening and closing, at a loss for words. “why now?” you say after a few antagonizing long seconds. “i mean- i’m stood here on the day of my wedding, and- and you chose now to tell me this?” your voice is breaking a bit, but you’re doing a good job at keeping your cool.

“i’m telling you this cause i know you’ll make the wrong decision otherwise.” he answers.

“well what am i supposed to do now? god, you can’t just do that, dal, i don’t wanna walk down the aisle with another boy on my mind,” you sit down on the chair by the vanity, feeling lightheaded and trying to gather yourself.

“i want you to walk down the aisle and know there’s another boy who loves—“

sometimes you wonder what he was gonna say, but you decided to interrupt him. “we’re not sayin’ that word again, dal.”

maybe you’re just in denial. the word ‘love’ associated with dallas seems so right, and you’d rather die than admit that.

he goes over and kneels beside you. this kneel feels more important than your fiancés was the day of the proposal. “y/n, i’m just being honest. you think you’d be cryin’ if it was some other guy? you wouldn’t. i may not know the little things but i sure as hell know what you’re feeling right now.”

his words hit you like bricks. you don’t want it to be real that you’re crying because you still love him, crying because you love another boy more than your very near future husband. “i’m an awful person, dal,” all your emotions come out at once, small sobs that you try so hard to contain so people don’t notice. “please just go, dal, i can’t do this.”

“and then you go off and make some stupid decision with some guy that ain’t me? don’t think so, y/n.”

“he doesn’t deserve this,” you start speaking about your ex. “he doesn’t deserve me loving another guy.”

you’re speechless after that, crying in your vanity chair. his hand grabs yours as you break down, sitting there in this hurt. you hold his hand so tightly, never wanting to let go.

he’s there for you. he’s always been there for you. lurking in the background, spending his time loving you and watching how quickly you got over him. you knew it was too good to be true. you knew the decision was too rushed, that there was a reason why you instantly moved on. now you knew exactly why.

“i think i’m still in love with you, dal,” you say softly after you recollect yourself enough to speak.

he chuckles. “you think?” he says sarcastically. you did just spend the time you should’ve been getting ready for your wedding crying over him.

you furrow your eyebrows, not in the mood for jokes. “lay off, dal, i mean it.”

he releases a small breath. “you wanna get out of here, then?”

you hesitate, thinking back to your now heartbroken fiancé and your loved ones that will be extremely disappointed in you for leaving without a word, but you nod. dal always had a way of making you do reckless things.

maybe the guilt will always haunt you after you leave, and you’ll find yourself always thinking back to the day when you were just a young and dumb kid who hurt so many people by wanting just one, or maybe you’ll find yourself with a version of dallas who is trying, who is more open to commitment and to spending time with you, a version of dallas who remembers tulips are your favourite flower.

[gonzo-rella]

Headcanons: Being the Nonbinary Wilkerson Sibling

MASTERLIST | AO3 | KO-FI

Pride Month 2024 #8

Relationship(s): The Wilkerson Family x nonbinary!Wilkerson!reader (platonic/familial)

Warnings: Coming out scene(s). Hal isn't completely accepting at first, but he's not outright transphobic. And, Ida is her typical self and is transphobic (but nothing is said explicitly). I've tried to make the reader's AGAB ambiguous, but apologies if anything's slipped through the cracks. (Let me know if I need to add any)

(A/N: I have no idea why it's taken me so long to write for Malcolm in the Middle. It's one of my favourite shows and I love these characters so much. I've got an idea for a MitM fic where the reader is Malcolm's best friend and when Malcolm goes away for college the reader befriends and starts dating Reese, so let me know if you'd be interested in reading that, or if you have any other requests you'd like me to write. I'm kind of obsessed with and fascinated by Lois and Francis, so there's a lot of Lois and Francis stuff in this. I'd love to write a follow up/companion piece to this fic, so if you've got any ideas for that, or if you'd like for me to come up with something myself, let me know.)

The first person in your family that you come out to is Jamie.

He can’t talk, or comprehend your words.

So, you get the benefits of finally admitting this thing that’s been weighing on you without it having any true consequence.

You’re babysitting him one day, when everyone else is out, and you say to him:

“Hey, Jamie. I know you have no idea what I’m saying but if I don’t say it soon I’m going to explode.”

He just looks at you blankly.

“I’m nonbinary. So, I’m not a boy like you, and I’m not a girl like mom.”

All you’re met with is another blank stare.

“Yeah, I must be going pretty insane if I’m trying to explain this in a way you’ll understand.”

The next logical choice is Francis.

After all, he’s far away and you don’t see him often, so you don’t have to live with him if he ends up rejecting you.

Not that you expect that from him, as your cool brother who respects pretty much everything that goes against tradition.

You call him one day, when you miraculously get the house to yourself.

“Francis, I need to tell you something.”

“You’re not calling me from jail, are you?”

“No.”

“Then, what is it?”

“I… I’m nonbinary.”

“The thing where you’re not really a boy or a girl?”

“Yeah, that.”

“How’d mom and dad take that one?”

“That’s the thing. I haven’t told them yet. Or Reese, Malcolm or Dewey.”

“So, I’m the first in the family to know?”

“After Jamie, if he counts.”

“Man, I can’t wait to shove that one in mom’s face.”

“Can you keep this to yourself? Until I’ve told them. I mean, you can tell Piama if you want.”

“Of course. I’ve kept worse secrets than this. Not that this is bad.”

“Thanks, Francis.”

“No problem. And, congrats. I think that’s what I’m supposed to say.”

“Uh, thanks, I guess. So… you’re okay with it?”

“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Do you think everyone else will be okay with it?”

“If they’re not, they’ll probably come around. But, if they don’t, give me a call, alright?”

He paused, before speaking again.

“Do you like grandma?”

“Ida? Not really. Why?”

“Well, I think that she’d probably have a heart attack if you told her. So… do with that information what you will.”

You tell your family within the next month.

You choose to tell them when you’re having dinner one night.

If a fight breaks out, you figure it won’t be too different to your normal dinners.

Hal looks ever so slightly terrified.

Lois, for once, is at a loss for words, which scares you more than her yelling.

Reese is confused.

Malcolm and Dewey look surprised, albeit not overly shocked.

“What does that mean?” Reese questioned.

“It means…” Malcolm pauses as he looks at you, not sure how to refer to you yet. “You’re not a girl or a boy, right?”

“Yeah.”

“But, you’re a-”

You cut Reese off.

“That’s not how I feel. And… I hope that you can all accept that, or try to accept that.”

Your eyes dart around everyone at the table, then you bite your lip and avert your gaze.

“So… do you think you guys can accept that?”

“Sweetheart-” Hal begins hesitantly, but Lois interrupts him.

“How long have you felt this way?”

Her voice is the most uncertain you’ve ever heard it be.

You can’t bring yourself to look up at her.

“Uh, a while.”

“And, you’re sure about it?”

“Do I have to be?”

“No.”

“Well, I am. Mostly.”

“Okay. Then, tell us what to do and we’ll do it.”

Surprised, you nervously tell your family what pronouns to use, and anything else they need to know.

It feels like such a relief.

Over the next few days, you overhear Reese asking Malcolm questions, but they’re both keeping their voices down so that you can’t make out what they’re saying (but you can infer the questions are about you).

Malcolm and Dewey adjust to the change the quickest.

Lois adjusts pretty quickly, too, no doubt because she’s that stubborn and determined not to slip up.

(Part of you wonders if she’s worried that getting it wrong or do anything to make you feel like you’re not accepted by her or the rest of the family will push you away like Francis)

Reese is trying his best, but he gets it wrong half the time, so Malcolm will make sure to correct him.

You notice that, at first, Hal avoids using pronouns for you as much as possible (and your name, if you asked for them to use a new one), and he has that look where he looks like he’s about to keel over and die, or like he’s having some kind of allergic reaction.

But, as time goes on, and with Lois and Malcolm’s insistence, he will try, and he will realise that all that matters is showing you that he loves you no matter what.

You find that Lois will fight for you in whatever way she can.

She overhears some judgemental mothers in the neighbourhood talking crap about you?

She will give them a piece of her mind.

If you’re still at school, and you want your teachers to use your pronouns (and your new name if you have one), then she will march down to the school and speak to the principal.

Your brothers will stand up for you, too.

Francis has told you to call him if anyone gives you a hard time.

If anyone’s a jerk to you, Reese will either punch them in the face or threaten them.

Malcolm will argue with anyone who gives you a hard time.

Dewey will secretly enact calculated revenge against anyone who upsets you, but will deny it when asked.

When Ida finds out about you, she will show up unannounced, storm into the house and start berating you and Lois.

Malcolm calls Francis, and it isn’t long before he turns up, too.

(Everyone knows that Francis will never turn down the opportunity to argue with someone, especially Lois or Ida)

It brings Francis and Lois together in a rare moment of solidarity, and they will spend hours upon hours in a screaming match with her.

(Somewhere along the line, you get the impression that they’ve all forgotten that the argument started with you at the centre)

Eventually, they’ll manage to get Ida to leave.

You’ll get up in the middle of the night to grab a drink and a snack, and you’ll find Lois sitting at the kitchen table, her head in her hands.

“Hey, Mom? I really appreciate you sticking up for me, but I always knew this wasn’t going to be easy. I can take people being assholes to me. You don’t have to keep standing up for me.”

She looks up at you, her exhaustion evident, but she’s still able to keep herself together, somehow.

“Honey, the world’s a cruel place, and it beats this family down enough without adding that gender stuff onto it. But, if that’s who you are, I’m not letting you face this alone. What kind of a mother would I be if I didn’t fight tooth and nail for you to be able to exist like everyone else?”

[galeorderbride]

Could I request headcanons for Raphael, Haarlep, Cal, Dammon, Rolan, and Zevlor with GN Tav who is a martial pacifist please?

Got you anon! I did my best with Haarlep and Dammon, I hope you like them all! Also, I admit I had to google what a martial pacifist was lol, I live under a rock. Pray I did it right!!

More requests are going to be rolling out!! Keep an eye out :)

HC under the cut!

Headcanons for Zevlor, Cal, Rolan, Dammon, Raphael, Haarlep (in that order) with GN!Tav

Zevlor:

This type of person has to be Zevlor’s favourite (or one of them). While calling him a pacifist is a stretch, given he’s a hellrider and sort of a solider at heart, but he isn’t arbitrary with his violence. He leaves it as a last resort. For example, in the grove, his consideration to kill Kagha is not taken lightly and framed as a last resort. While he’s willing to do that to keep his people safe, he seems rather reluctant and even a little worried about things coming to that.

To see Tav in all their peace, prioritising discussion and talking disputes down rather than with force is incredibly admirable to him. He’d strive to be like that every day, and it seems to come naturally to Tav! While his utmost respect would be quiet, he’d never want to make you uncomfortable by overstating how he feels, he’d smile a bit every time he’d hear or see you resolving an issue with words alone. Convincing everyone involved that they all won out in the end.

But he’d be lying if he said he didn’t think about that punch Tav threw at Aradin, right before the raging adventurer struck Zevlor himself. And even more when you returned with your companions to announce they’d finished off every goblin they could find. Knowing now that Tav could dole out punishment as much as they could peace, if it meant protecting the vulnerable. His affection for Tav would definitely sprout from this practical, moral approach to conflict, as it’s something he’d try to emulate if he could.

Cal:

Cal would feel similarly to Zevlor, maybe even more! He’s always trying to calm the less cool heads of his siblings when they argue, although he definitely isn’t always successful. Cal strikes me as someone who wants to avoid violence and confrontation in general, even if he may be a bit more capable of fighting than some other tieflings at the grove.

He’s gentle at heart, so of course he’d be drawn to Tav with a similar energy! Though, unlike Zevlor, he might feel a bit nervous when he first sees them throw a punch after they see an injustice. Maybe a Druid bullying one of the tieflings, or one of Aradin’s adventurers spewing the word ‘hell spawn’ loud enough for Tav to hear. A panicked heartbeat within Cal as he witnesses Tav socking someone in the face with the fury of Avernus.

After the first time seeing it, he’d come to love it! No longer worried that the pacifism was simply a mask for a bigger darkness, but rather a strong sense of justice that Tav hates to be compromised. Not to mention, the two of you as a team works best when one of you can at least be forceful!

Rolan:

Might see Tav’s pacifism as an ‘act’ initially. Seeing how popular and trustworthy they became to the rest of the tieflings. Rolan, as with everyone he meets, approaches them with a hint of cynical suspicion. Look at them, he’d think, traipsing about like a bloody folk hero! He’d question their reason, see that they had no material benefit to just being…decent. Yet they do, every time. How puzzling. How frustrating.

At least Tav would have some flaw. Their peaceful nature juxtaposed with the lack of a backbone, maybe. Something to make them a little less perfect. Only to find Aradin skulking about with his posse in their little hideaway. Bruised on the side of his face from what appeared to be a rough punch. Lakrissa told him that Tav intervened in a conflict between him and Zevlor, swinging at Aradin before the human could do it himself. No wonder he was packing up quickly, mumbling tiefling slurs under his breath as he declared himself ‘done with this hellhole’. So, not only was Tav a much-too-good Samaritan, they also fashioned themselves a paragon of justice.

He wished, at first, that they didn’t need someone like Tav to stand up for them. But even he isn’t immune to the charms of someone with such natural kindness. Especially at the celebration after the goblins were dealt with. When he performed a small incantation for Cal and Lia, and Tav watched behind them. Waves of lavender weave dotted like fireworks above him, and they clapped with an enthused smile. Rolan joked with his siblings to stave off the tingling warmth in his stomach when Tav applauded, embarrassing little butterflies that told him he’d have no choice but to warm up to this folk hero adventurer.

Dammon:

Excitement, through and through. Of course, Dammon appreciates Tav’s kindness and patience with others, a natural desire to help. What a rare thing to see anywhere, he’d think, especially for Tieflings. But with that appreciation comes a vexing feeling when he sees them in action, standing up for the ‘little guy’ as they say, ready to go in swinging when they’ve been wronged. A heat around his cheeks and chest to rival Avernus. He was never a fighter himself, how odd that he still had a thing for danger.

For Dammon, a moral pacifist is a match made in heaven. Senseless violence and carnage is not only unacceptable, but a reminder of his time in Avernus, no matter how nostalgic he can be for his access to infernal metals down there. Tav isn’t confrontational for the sake of it, but chooses their battles carefully, and always with a moral justification. Dammon enjoys the sight of them in their combative element, knowing he doesn’t have to feel guilty about it because it comes from a good place.

He’d ask Tav for infernal iron where they can find it, hoping they give him a little extra so he can forge a weapon for them. A token of his appreciation, he’d say, to stay coy about the real reason he so affectionately worked on this piece. A growing crush and fascination that comes to a head at the celebration when he presents you with a new sword or dagger forged from the fires of the hells themselves. A gift to ‘slay the unjust’, he says to Tav, as they ponder the future obstacles of their journey. He doesn’t wish to part from them so soon, but he’s glad to remember that they carry something from him the whole way.

Raphael:

Treats Tav’s nature as a game, like with anything. He’d want to see just how deep that peaceful nature runs before it inevitably snaps in two. And he’d relish over the thought of Tav losing themselves to him, to show just how much he could have an impact. More than he’d ever care to admit, Raphael comes up with ways to push Tav’s buttons, strategies for sowing cynicism into their pure, little mind. All the reason for them to draw over to him, become more than a reluctant ally.

The fire that latently crackles within them is like an infinite-act play. He watches them and their companions from afar, waiting to see the next person to suffer the unexpected ire of the golden folk hero, ready to help the next unfortunate sap they come across. Laughing to himself when he sees them let their rage consume them. He wonders where that inner turmoil came from, what tragic event occurred to have them so on guard all the time. If only he knew…the ways he could use that information.

Still, the inimitable kindness is rather…twee. There is something endearing about Tav’s ability to constantly see the good in things. In a sickeningly sweet sort of way. Most mortals break after a day or so with the arrogant musings of their fellow human (or elf or otherwise). Ultimately, Raphael believes mortals are all selfish at heart, even if they spend their limited lives trying to deny that. Tav has a certain resilience he hasn’t seen before, he should give them that.

Haarlep:

Wants more than anything to unlock that less-than-moral side of Tav. Haarlep wishes to lock into the baser desires possessed by all mortals, even the most decent ones. That constant need to settle scores with peaceful dialogue and compromise can only go so far before the desire to ‘let go’ becomes too strong to resist. How irresistible it would be to convince them to lose themselves in him, so he could leave a wicked little piece of himself within them as they go on their moral crusade. Knowing that even in the lightest, most benevolent of deeds, his pointed, forked tongue would still whisper in their ear.

Choosing battles requires strength, the mental fortitude to not fly off the handle when things get too stressful. And Haarlep takes the most enjoyment out of making the strong fall weak to his influence. And he’d shower them in adoration for giving in to that constant ecstasy he could give them if they just say the word.

This isn’t to say he’d want to strip Tav of all their moral righteousness. No, that’s part of the fun, if he can convince them to let him please them. A dangerous, erogenous selfishness left only for him to experience. The idea of being the one creature in the realms Tav doesn’t have to assist with anything, he’s perfectly capable of doing all of that on his own. As long as he can still pepper those little parts of him within their soul, embedded there forevermore.

[taempteng]

【 Erha Delusion 】 Transmigrator AU

… or, the alternative title — What If a Modern Day Person Transmigrates into Mo Ran

Inspired by this tweet:

Somewhat referencing SVSSS, but I only know the premise and bits and pieces of the story

Also, these are just idea dumps, nothing solid

Let’s begin!

The transmigrator wakes up in Mo Ran’s body. When they realise what’s happening, they plan to treat Chu Wanning (one of their favourite characters) better than Mo Ran did at the beginning

However, they quickly learn that the system is working against them. Every time they want to show Chu Wanning their kindness, the system will warn them of being OOC and threaten them with punishments. They have no choice but to commit small acts of cruelty to satisfy the system

For example, taking the scenario in the tweet: If the transmigrator tries to take the offered dumplings, the system will warn them. So instead, they drop the perfectly made wontons. However, they brush it off by saying their hands were slippery

Whenever these cruelties happen, Mo Ran (I will be calling the transmigrator that from now on) will feel guilty. In their heart, they ask their Shizun to wait for them until they’ve levelled up through the system and can finally treat him right

Imagine despite Mo Ran’s best efforts during the Butterfly Town Rift incident, Chu Wanning still dies. When they wake up, they frantically ask about their Shizun’s whereabout. When revealed that he’s dead, they break down into tears, realising that all their efforts were in vain

I also like to think that, aside from Chu Wanning, another favourite character was Ye Wangxi. So, when they meet her for the first time, they have to hold back from fanboying. They’re very protective of Ye Wangxi and will throw hands with anyone who will treat her badly

However, overall, Mo Ran wants to ensure the story this time will not be as angsty as in the original. If possible, they want everyone to get their happy endings. If not, at least they want everyone to experience as little heartaches as possible

Now, a little bit about the transmigrator themselves

No name for them yet, but they’re from modern day China. They’re closeted non-binary, pronouns they/he. They present femininely and never masculinely due to their fear of their loved ones’ expectations, and also their own worry that they might feel dysphoria

Through Mo Ran, the transmigrator is able to explore their masculinity. Courtesy of this experience, I think they’ll come to accept and embrace their masculinity

Side note: Another thing they admire about Ye Wangxi is her androgyny. They really didn’t expect her to be a girl when they started 2ha, but their respect for Wangxi only grew after the revelation

I’m still deciding how the transmigrator came to the world of 2ha. Whether they died or they switched bodies with the original Mo Ran. If it’s the latter, what has happened to the original Mo Ran?

Those questions shall be answered when I get the time to brainrot about them some more

For now, these are all the ideas I came up with. Feel free to add your own thoughts and ideas!

[the-pale-chancellor]

Have you watched the recording I sent @majeremorozova ? If so I’d love to hear your thoughts

Oh yes, I have.

I have.

And that's gonna be a long(fucking)read, beware everyone who dares to step further!

Disclaimer: Those are just my overall thoughts, I do not want to insult or humiliate any of the actors, directors or any other person with my words, though they may be harsh in some places. And that is totally my fault. So! With that out of the way!

Let me divide this thing into small parts.

1. Plot.

That's the biggest improvement here, literally. I could not thank Anton enough for actually making things understandable to a regular viewer, who didn't for example watch 4 different plays and read the books like I did. Scenes were moved between each other to make a comprehensible storyline. Though, at first I somewhat got confused with the pre-Conclave scene and the Nightmares suddenly being the second to play (which they weren't actually but at first it seemed so). They even added Paladine! (loving good old Fizban finally showing up, but sadly not Tas). Interesting way of singing Lord of Nothing along with Crysania and not Takhisis!

But there always will be things I don't like: first of all, just for the sake of Paladine, whAT IS HAPPENING IN THE ABYSS????? CABARET???? WITH TAKHISIS???? HALF-NAKED DANCERS???? That was supposed to be a serious, dark scene of Raistlin going nuts and not..whatever it was. Bruh. Lacked the emotional impact from the Cataclysm scene, it literally did nothing to achieve at least a sense of fear, meh. Also, for some reason I cringed from a JCSS reference before Battle for the Zaman Castle, Raistlin is not supposed to reperesent Jesus in any way, it just doesn't suit the character arc. Also Dalamar appearing in the most random places?? Where he was not supposed to be even in the book???? But oh well, characters are another problem here.

2. Characters

Oh boy. I am going to rant here alot, ain't I..We'll go with everyone here for getting at least some improvements.

-Tika. Absolute favourite, nothing can change my opinion here. New version of the tavern scene is precious and some other scenes like holding a baby in her hands. Adorable.

-Caramon. Nothing changed x2. Rostik just slays and may I notice the cameraman was mostly filming him lmao. Fighting scenes were both appealing and wonky in different places, but he made it through really well.

-New: the Nun and the Inquisitor. They were added specifically in the new version of the musical and I rather enjoyed seeing them honestly. Especially the latter. The Nun though..she doesn't integrate with the plot well, too much of a comic relief which I don't like.

-Takhisis. Apart from the abyss scene and her costume design which I'ma mention later, she wasn't bad. Neutral opinion, that's all she gonna get.

-One line for the two: The Kingpriest and Par-Salian. Both are just okay, again, without additional rant about the costumes yet. One thing is that I don't like how the actor for the first one (woops, I don't remember his name, shame on me) - his voice is too rude, too harsh and rough when he sings, he's supposed to be like the Abbot from Curse of Strahd, like the Saint Being himself, and he just roars. But that's just taste, I got used to Plamenev and Sydorenko singing some parts I suppose.

-And here we start a rant. Ladies, gents and other people - Dalamar Argent! Even though I don't mention him a lot in my posts, I fucking love this character, even my DnD PC kinda reminds of him. bUT. Both in the books and in the previous staged versions he still HOLDS his respect towards his shalafi, his master. In this one he just goes "yeah whatever this mf is gonna die" and what??? where's the rest of it at least???? he appears in the Abyss to notify about the scenes (why would they even make him do that???) and what? Ending where? Also, his whole vibe of a twink gothic vampire is not what he's supposed to feel like. But alas, bonus points for the cane and for looking gay. And he got some new scenes, I'd say I liked (e.g. him going against Raistlin and losing miserably).

-*breathes in* Crysania. Just Crysania. I had my share of doubts about her at all times, I've never liked her originally so no expectations were there. She has bread instead of her brains in the original media, bUT THEY SOMEHOW MADE HER EVEN MORE STUPID. HOW GUYS. JUST HOW. Wtf you mean she pretended to pray to do her own things insted??? She is a CLERIC. She prays furiously, she lays all her hopes on the gods, on Paladine. Her behaviour is utterly childish, her descisions are peak dumbass, and the only good about this version - her laughing madly by the end and the very Lord of Nothing she sings in a duet. The "I can fix him" woman cannot get fixed herself I suppose. Ehhh.

-Oh, we really got here? Yes, yes we did. Raistlin. Again, outside the costume and prop design. Why in the sweet hells he is THAT disabled??? It's the 4-6th books, he's nearly fully in full health, he doesn't need his staff to walk like this, he isn't supposed to whither and wipe the floor with himself - he literally becomes a god so how come he looks like this? And with the actor thing - this man doesn't suit him, nor does Rostislav. I understand that choosing actors might have been a big deal, but not them. Maxim was there, he could have played Raist and not Dalamar, yet they decided otherwise. I completely disliked this Raistlin, but that's just some opinion of mine, don't get angry. I "grew up" as a fan of Ruslan and then original Anton version, anyone else (maybe except for Egorov) just don't feel any right, especially with this kind of acting out a character. Woah, that was a long rant, teheee.

3. Costumes.

I am utterly horrified. Literally zero words. Raistlin without a wig and with a mop on his head (not talking about SpB vers, it got better there), sport-like costume with white print AND a suit??? In fantasy????? (yeah, I read the comms of Anton about it all being just a fable, not fantasy-like, but then you could've made everything modern!au?)(Raist in the suit lowkey looks like the 12th doctor, I couldn't help but imagine 12th singing the last bits instead of Raist himself). Horrible. Just horrible. Everyone has different styles of their costumes, half of the actors are literally wearing curtains (yes, Kingpriest, i am looking at you). Par-Salian somehow got the best one here, I like the mirror thingies on his shoulder pads.

The Abyss and Takhisis are something else entirely, I hate how this powerful character got turned into a..what, brothel hostess? Her original costume design was rejected, they didn't have time to make a new one so they literally bought pieces from WildBerries and paired them together! (joke's on u, the comment section even found the exact version of her coat and body part)(alright, I mean this one costume doesn't look that bad, no, it just..too open, too out of place, not for a Dragon Queen).

Please, return Dalamar his ears, I beg. If not his wig, then at least his eARS-

4. The last one. Production and the props.

As it was just the recording, I cannot truly get you the whole picture, so bear with what I noticed.

The sound went off on minute 20. Raist's mic started flopping so he had to get a hand one and then just the other one between the scenes. The sound team didn't do their work properly, besides I sometimes couldn't understand what the characters were singing or saying (luckily, when you know most of the arias, it's easier). The orchestra was a bit louder than the leads, but maybe it was because of the recording itself.

Props were either good or bad, no in-between. The moons everyone were laughing at, were rather good in my opinion, just not something one would get used to in a matter of seconds. They looked funny when moving and not flying in one place, because they bent into different sides like balloons. Also the staff broke down a few times.

well, i do hope this review is fine! thanks for reading!

[darlingdivasworld]

SPOILERS FOR EPISODES 20, 21 AND 22 OF SEASON 9

Remember when I said that Episode 14 was the worst of the season? I still mean it is but there were parts of these Internationals episodes that made me compare to that atrocious episode or Season 7. There are definitely good aspects of it (Anthony and Adele, fan favourites returning, Freya's song, the outfits) but overall could've been better.

1) Internationals...at home

I could already sense that Internationals would be underwhelming since we were staying at home but seeing it in real time was just worse. I don't know how it could've been salvaged but I don't like how they handle it. Everything and everyone is at TNS so Internationals feels very local. There's no tension or suspense in the competition because we don't see other countries dancing whatsoever.

Twists or revelations aren't given time to be dramatic or shocking because everything is cramped together. For example, Ebby is made the alternate because she recorded the Internationals duet (accidently) but she only reacts in her talking head. No one on A-Troupe reacts to this either and Ebby is subsequently ignored for the rest of the episode. I also feel like everyone's storylines weren't wrapped up properly.

2) Grace

I remember starting Season 9 and thinking Grace's motivations for trying to take down TNS were ridiculous but as time went on, I just accepted it and credited Grace for her unfaltering determination. And with her plans succeeding more than failing allowed me to respect her as a ridiculous yet amusing antagonist. Even at Internationals, she's still plotting and scheming. Sorry, I meant was because the TNS writers decided to give her a redemption arc. WHY? Even after screwing with Ariana at Internationals, she looks so satisfied with herself...until suddenly she's not.

Apparently, Grace is secretly jealous of Ariana because she's all alone and Ariana has friends and a girlfriend. Redeeming Grace this late is just cheap. I know she's still a child but she's just so much more dynamic and entertaining when she's being evil. Even when she double crosses Maria, I'm just sitting there thinking, "I wonder what song Maria had chosen for A-Troupe."

I guess she realised that after spending time with Maria, she would be her future self if she continued scheming, but Grace's guilt wasn't highlighted enough throughout the whole season. Outside Internationals, the only moment I can think of is when Daisy glares at her during her audition. No build up=no pay off, and I wasn't for it.

3) The ending

Okay, this IS the worst part of Internationals. Eldon and Michelle walk up to Nick and claim they want to buy the studio. Together. Yes, that's right, they FORCED Theldon to break up so Micheldon could return to the open arms of no one.

It's so insulting on so many levels it's infuriating. Last time we saw Michelle and Eldon together, Michelle claims that, "Their time has passed." Until it hasn't for convenience. These 2 haven't shown romantic interest in each other for a decade until the TNS writers decide Micheldon should be endgame. Not to mention the egregious claim of having "Emily's blessing". Last time I checked Michelle, Emily is your wife and Emily wouldn't be in an open relationship. There's no reason for Michelle to be romantically attracted to a bum like Eldon. Last time I checked, he broke up with you after losing a dance battle and ghosting you. And you can't even make the argument that he's matured because a month ago, he was bullying children because his girlfriend broke up with him. No one wanted this and I'm honestly baffled by how tone deaf the TNS writers are.

Like, who's side should I be on? As much as I love Nick, he is practically a wallet due to his absurd neglect of the studio and practically forced Kenzie to be studio head whilst being a teenager. Rival that with immature man child and his god-like girlfriend. No thanks.

In summary, they could've done better and I'm really disappointed overall. The season started off with a lot of promise but the second half depleted in quality and that cliffhanger ending makes me strictly against a Season 10. Now why would I (or anyone) want to see Michelle and Eldon in love, running the studio?

[delyth88]

X-Men rewatch part 5

This round was X-Men Apocalypse.

This I definitely hadn't seen before. First impressions were that it would be pretty silly, but the villain wasn't as cartoony as I thought he might be and there was plenty enough pulling at the heart strings to keep me invested.

First up, goddammit! Why can't Erik get a break! That was horrible. And so heartbreaking because he did his very best, he did everything he could to live by the rules, and it was only an act of helping another that triggered everything. He even offered himself up peacefully, had told his wife who he was, and tried to get the police to understand his daughter was too young to be in control of her powers. And still. Agh! 💔 I think this is one of the best examples of this trope done well that I've seen. As a viewer it put me in the right place to buy his subsequent actions. Like I'm angry at the world on his behalf now! Lol

I was kinda glad that the villain came along and killed the men in the factory on Erik's behalf. It's one thing to kill in the heat of the moment, but another to do what he was about to do. Again, I know he's done worse, but it felt like this was the start again, and it would have been a line crossed. And it allowed me to continue to be sympathetic as a viewer. Later he does worse, but it's at more than arms length which just feels different. Letting him destroy Aushwitz was so good and so manipulative! Agh!

Anywho. That soul crushing misery aside...

I was a little meh about Scott, Jean, and Nightcrawler to begin with, but warmed up to them as we went along. I did think it was neat that they showed us how things might have started for Scott. What a crazy world where teenagers wake up one day and narrowly miss killing everyone in their class!

I did like seeing their first meeting. This finally gave me a reason why they are a couple. I can absolutely see them bonding over being outcasts.

Mystique. Ooh.. now I thought her story had more or less come to an end in the last film, but I loved what they did with her here! Both her still genuinely caring about Erik such that she went looking for him after she heard what had happened, and then her coming to realise that a younger generation looked up at her for her actions in saving the president years earlier. I feel like this is the first time she's realised people do look up to her. And she's not used to being respected like that. It helps add to Charles' consistent message that she might have a home amongst them, that she doesn't have to go it alone. And I didn't see her attempt to kill the villain coming. Nicely done! And with significant repercussions that actually meant something in the story!!! (Don't mind me, just still bitter about Loki in Infinity War. Sigh.)

And I liked how they tied this in to Storm's story too. ❤️

I did not like the poor woman in a leotard. Sigh. I hope that was a nod to some famous comic costume or something, because that was one stupid outfit. 🙄

I think I've watched so much X-Men in such a short time, that I absolutely felt Mysique's plea to Erik to save what family he had left. So that landed well for me. He just looked so sad and hopeless for so long. 😥 It was good to see him smile back at the school, if only briefly.

And Charles. I love how they've been having fun with the fashions in each decade, even if the actors haven't aged quite enough to match. But it was fun to see some 80s fashion and hair. I haven't quite figured out what appeals so much yet about his character, except this absurdly positive take on life that should be absolutely cheesy, yet it's done with such genuine good will that it just hits home for me. Like the scene where Scott destroys the tree Charles spent a lot of his childhood climbing, that his grandfather planted, and that was his favourite. That line was delivered with such genuine warmth that it's impossible not to like him. And when Raven shows up at the school, his eyes just light up.

When he contacts Erik through Cerebro and is hit with how Erik feels from the loss of his wife and daughter, its such a contrast. Maybe that's part of it - he feels such highs and lows. It's all the more impressive that he can retain this positivity after how low we saw him get in the Days of Future Past.

I liked how when he's forced to broadcast a message to the world its clear in his voice that he's not saying these words with conviction. And I loved his little moment of rebellion at the end of the speech. Just perfectly Charles.

I was kinda interested to see how he would be incorporated into an action film in the absence of walking or flying etc. I feel like in the original trilogy his role was more behind the scenes, whereas in these newer films he's much more a main character, and that could have been challenging. But they found an excellent way for his character to be integral to the story. And a story way from him to lose his hair early. lol I must admit I've never questioned how it happened before - just assumed it was an age thing - but I kinda like this.

As much as I hate a shoehorned romance, I also found his goofy affection for Moira quite charming, and the resolution to that thread being him returning her memories, but nothing more. "I shouldn't have taken them from you". A mix of pain and sorrow, and happiness.

I like how Mcoy and Mystique had some awkward moments. Not over the top, but not nothing either - the right amount to acknowledge their past. I love it when films bother with this sort of continuity.

The scene where every nuclear missile is launched into space was unexpected and I thought it was well done. I also particularly like that piece of music, but I can never remember what it's called. The drama!

And THERE'S the scene with Peter Maximoff rescuing people from the house! Lol! What's that meme about seeing movies through Tumblr gifs first.... 😆 I remembered him being a bit of a jerk, but now this film has softened me towards him. I'd like to know more about what he was thinking about telling/not telling Erik.

Ah, poor Wolverine. Smh. I take it in this reality he didn't escape after the adamantium was applied. But this is a reason I will buy as to why he has a thing for Jean later on. But I suppose given the title of the next film there's every chance they'll never meet in this timeline. :( (I haven't seen the next film either.)

I quite liked the villain's power to break everything down into particles and reassemble it. A different take on the telekinesis thing, and some quite spectacular visuals. The magnetic field arcs were pretty cool too!

One last movie in this era to go. And I understand it's fairly universally hated. 😞 Which is a shame, because I really would like to spend more time with these characters. And I'm afraid Charles has won my heart. Help!

[from-a-legends-pov]

Star Wars Legends Highlight of the Week: Honor Among Thieves by James S. A. Corey

This is a new feature where a fan will share one thing they love from Star Wars Legends – a book, a comic, an author, a character, an event, or anything else they want to highlight – and tell us more about it.

If you, too, love Legends, follow @from-a-legends-pov and check out our upcoming Star Wars Legends fanfiction event, From a Legends Point of View, HERE. Signups open April 28 - please encourage your favorite Star Wars writers to participate!

Today’s highlight is Honor Among Thieves by James S. A. Corey (actually the pen name of writing team Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, whom you may recognize as the writers of The Expanse), a 2014 Legends novel, and we’re talking with Dessi (@otterandterrier).

Tell us about your Legends highlight. What is it? What’s it about?

Honor Among Thieves is the second novel in the Empire and Rebellion duology (the first one being Razor’s Edge, a previous Legends highlight), and one of the last books published in the Legends universe by Del Rey. This book is Han’s story, and is told entirely from his POV.

The story is set about a year after Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, and our heroes start off scattering through the galaxy in their respective missions. Han and Chewie are sent to the Core to retrieve Scarlet Hark, a high-level spy who is after a thief in possession of secret, deadly information stolen from under the Empire’s (and her) nose – and that the Empire is willing to do anything to get back. Han doesn’t want to get involved, as this is way above his paycheck. But then he realizes that Leia is at a gathering on Kiamurr, the very same planet their thief is headed to, which means the Empire will be hot on his heels. That makes up his mind about helping Scarlet get there first!

The plot is quite the wild goose chase, and you have to suspend your sense of disbelief many times and forget specialized bits of lore in order to buy it. Even so, it’s really fun and gripping, and I appreciate the way that the main conflict is used to give us excellent insight into our favourite smuggler’s mind.

What makes this a Legends highlight for you? What do you love about it?

This is one of my favourite Legends books, because I love Han Solo. I love the intensely caring, occasionally dorky, bad at flirting, barely concealing a soft interior Han Solo that somehow we were fortunate enough to get in the Original Trilogy and, somehow, so many people missed. And that’s the Han Solo we get here! I love getting to see the narrative peeling off his self-admitted layers, contemplating his involvement with the rebellion, his new relationships, and the man he could have been had circumstances not put him on the path of an old Jedi and an idealistic farmboy, by setting up a contrast with an old acquaintance that shows up. We also get to see how competent and clever he really is, something that is often neglected.

Favorite moment or scene?

There’s this scene where the group is walking through a jungle, and a character is about to shoot at a large mud creature that scared her—but Han stops her. He explains that the creature is harmless, then he pats its snout and tells it to look out for humans. Leia calls him an animal lover, to which Han replies: “If everyone got to kill anything that looked big and scary, Chewie would never be able to leave the ship.” I love this little moment because it shows that soft, caring, yet practical side of Han that not many people get to see, and it’s also a nice moment of connection between Han and Leia. Han’s concern over creatures that are “just trying to make it through another day” also gets called back towards the end, rounding off Han’s overall spot-on characterization—although that’s all I can say without spoiling the book.

Anything else you’d like to share about it?

A few other reasons I love this book:

It develops Han and Leia’s early relationship: as a shipper, the UST and the moments of deeper understanding between them here make me squeal. We see Leia through Han’s eyes and beyond his façade, and how he goes from “I can’t stand her” to “I will kill anyone who tries to hurt her.”

Scarlet Hark FTW: This OC is a bit of a perfect male fantasy, but I like her a lot. Intelligent, badass, take-no-shit female character? Yes please! I particularly love that she and Leia get along so well and it’s never a competition between them. She’s a really interesting character to explore, and I’d love to see the OT gang teaming up with her again.

Han and Luke’s relationship isn’t forgotten: I really appreciate that the authors gave this friendship the importance it deserves, with Han thinking several times that he’s sticking with the Rebellion mainly to look after Luke (which is a better motivation than him staying because he wants to sleep with Leia).

To learn more…

If you’d like to read more about Honor Among Thieves, you can check out its page on Wookieepedia or find the novel at your favorite library or used bookstore (like Razor’s Edge, it seems to be out of print for new copies, sadly).

And be sure to check out @from-a-legends-pov and our From a Legends Point of View fanfiction event; as another reminder, signups open April 28, 2024!

[carverl]

I want to talk about Raoul Silva AKA my favourite Bond villain and one of my favourite villains in all of cinema and why that is;

Silva (or Tiago Rodriguez) is a character I find endlessly fascinating, his charming personality and demeanor lead to him being incredibly likable from the start and how he speaks to Bond in a way that's friendly and honest yet with still a hint of menace is almost hypnotic to watch on screen. Javier Bardem plays this role to perfection and I feel he doesn't get enough credit for this performance, he is both a camp delight and incredibly threatening when he needs to be and I love every second he's on screen.

His design is also perfect, I don't know how they found a look that screams 'Bond Villain' but this is it, the way his suit is the inverted colour scheme of Bond's is a neat detail and his dyed hair and eyebrows are subtley off putting with how wrong it somehow feels hinting at that he seems well put together there is something off with this man.

The way he acts as the perfect dark reflection to Bond is so interesting to me, sure there have been plenty of characters like that in the film series before Silva i.e Red Grant, Scaramanga and Alec Trevelyan. But none of them are as well utilized as Silva in my opinion with how both he and Bond were betrayed by M and left to die but in Silva's case he went through literal hell whereas Bond just got shot. It's not hard to imagine Bond going rogue on a revenge mission to kill M if he were put through the torture Silva was. Another element to this is how Silva employs Bond's own methods to attack MI6, he attempts to seduce the closest ally to his target, deliberately gets himself captured to infiltrate his target's base to kill them easier and uses their own tech against them. All trademark tactics Bond uses against his villains but turned on him truly making it feel like Silva is three steps ahead of everyone.

The tragedy of Silva is so well handled, he's someone you can't help but feel bad for while watching Skyfall. All he really wants is revenge on the woman who left him to die, a woman he saw as a maternal figure. Like, yeah I get it and I love how Bond himself seems to understand and respect Silva with moments where it seems like he understands his pain. He's one of the few antagonists Bond has gone up against where it feels like he really respects them and probably doesn't even really want to kill him. And the fact that at the end of the film Silva wins, he gets what he wants and tbh, I'm kind of glad. Not that I hate M but it's just nice that Silva gets some closure after a lifetime of being denied that.

[thedailydescent]

hiii for the ask meme, how did you discover it or get interested in the show? an unpopular opinion? and/or have you read or watched anything because it was referenced in the show? :)

Hey!!! Finally getting around to answering this haha.

How did you discover it or get interested in the show?

It was actually @minim236 who inspired me to watch it back when I had my old blog! Anyway, the trailer had Jacob Anderson in it and I was like Greyworm ok let's go! And although I had not read the book or watched the movie yet, Claudia the child vampire is so well known I already knew about her, so was interested in that concept. Naturally, she became my favourite character :)

An unpopular opinion?

I feel I have soooo many unpopular opinions haha, but I'll say what I think is my most unpopular one, just because I feel like I'm following the right people here who won't mind:

Lestat as a character just does not compel or interest me in any way. I don't care about Loustat, about Lesmand, or any other relationships that involve him. Sam Reid did an amazing job, and got me drawn to him initially, but by the end of episode 3 I was getting a bit, well, and by the end of Episode 5, all sympathy for him went out the window, as did my interest. And full respect to other people who are still invested in his character btw! But I feel like because they made the abuse blatant rather than just brushing over it, many book fans were pissed, so now had to argue contend with a whole bunch of people not liking their special boy whom they've cherished for years. I disagree. I feel like the writers did a brave thing by not brushing over the negative impact Lestat has throughout the entire series. They, in a way, made the relationship more human and real, as this type of abuse is unfortunately still very normal today. They're not showing him through rose-tinted glasses, they're asking you to really look at it, so it'll be much more of a writing challenge to make him likeable and redeemable again to the general audience. It's an interesting concept, but until then, I just don't care at all about him! I don't feel anything when it comes to the romantic scenes between him and Louis either now, and I'm not excitedly waiting to explore his side of the story in the future seasons. The appeals to 'them being vampires' and 'this is supposed to be a gothic romance' has no affect on me, not because I 'can't handle dark subject matter', but because.... Lestat's not really imo the complex character everyone makes him out to be. His behaviour is actually pretty predictable and there's not that much there for me to work with, even as a villain. It's just: sad boy with tragic backstory ends up repeating cycle of abuse that was inflicted on him. Is extremely lonely with an ill temper. Uses dominance to feel in control and to hide his massive insecurities. Is "bad" but secretly has a heart of gold. Mommy/daddy issues. Loves usually only one person more than anything and it's seen as his salvation, but struggles with that relationship because he's emotionally stunted and can't communicate properly. It's something you've seen a million times already. It's what makes the much more layered and harder to grasp characters like Claudia and Armand so much more interesting to me, the vampires who are the most vampire-like of them all, yet ironically get a lot of hate and are mischaracterized from the same people who shout 'they're vampires!', but that's another discussion for another day.

Have you read or watched anything because it was referenced in the show?

I have! I watched Nosferatu, and read Madame Bovary and Marriage in Free Society, although I was going to read Madame Bovary anyway because my little sister heavily recommended it (she massively likes 'unlikeable' female characters and compared her to Anna Karenina, which she didn't like as much due her being too likeable. Which is funny because apparently Tolstoy originally wrote Anna to be an ugly, evil, conniving character who hurt her completely innocent husband and lover and son, but as he was writing, the character became more and more beautiful and sympathetic, and the husband and lover became more incompetent and unkind). I currently have The Doll's House and Nausea next on my list! (I really need to read The Doll's House, it's been on my list since I watched Bojack Horseman lol).

Although this probably doesn't count, because of the after show podcasts, I was inspired to also read The Gilda Stories because they had Jewelle Gomez make an appearance. I ended up being a bit mad afterwards because I soooo wished I read this book in high school, as I was an angry teenager still in the closet then, and this book might have helped me calm down a little lol. There's just something so different and radical about the way Gomez writes her vampires: in a lot of other media, the vampire/monster finally obtains the ability to have cathartic releases of rage due to their isolation/repression and/or abuse, but here, her main character opts for kindness, compassion, and community each time (she still uses violence and murder if needed to defend herself and others, but doesn't let violence consume her entire being). That was very refreshing, having the character be able to do so much damage and take revenge without consequence, yet instead find more fulfillment in the bonds they make with others and refusing to let other people bend her right to actually, well...live.

[annoyingblondebracket]

Round 1 | Poll 6

~ Note: This poll is being done out of a genuine love and affection for these types of characters! Please keep that in mind when adding commentary.

Propaganda (very long on both ends 😭) under the cut!

Madeleine Cookie:

~ everyone he has any kind of relationship with thinks he's insufferable (espresso cookie, financier) except for his family and he is so full of himself and always makes a show out of being a noble divine hero or something like that. His in-game story description says " On the day of his Commander's Oath-taking, Madeleine Cookie dedicated himself to the Divine and was granted the Sword and Shield of Radiant Light, which he prizes the most among his numerous possessions. The glorious Knight Commander's usual duties included trotting around the city on his snow-white sugar horse or letting his heavy cape flutter dramatically on the wind during his sparring sessions." (this is not all of it btw just the part abt him being annoying) and just fuckin look at him that's the face of a man who is never going to shut up about himself ever some trivia from his wiki page: - According to his unique loading screen's flavor text, "Madeleine Cookie excels at swinging his sword to heroic music with his cape fluttering in the wind." - According to his aunts, Madeleine Cookie has a sweet tooth and wouldn't eat anything if it wasn't sugary as a child. They also mention that he used to kick the blanket away when napping as a baby. -In the Halloween Commotion Costume Set Story, Strawberry Crepe Cookie analyzed Madeleine Cookie's dough and found "the most ridiculous amount of narcissism", alongside a considerable amount of light energy. also an interaction between madeleine and espresso M: Another magnificent day of my cloak waving in the wind! Wouldn't you agree? E: Of course. Yes. How marvelous. Please excuse me, I have rather urgent business to attend to. M: Too busy to even marvel at moi? What's the point of living then? also has a bond story with him and espresso called "we've never met" and it's about espresso avoiding him like the plague after seeing each other for the first time in a long while (if i remember correctly) another thing: just compare him to Financier Cookie, who is essentially madeleine 2 except she's not annoying and actually has respect for people and tries to protect people without looking for the satisfaction of being given praise or adoration. madeleine and financier are both paladins, they both are sworn to the divine, they're both from the same place, and YET financier turned out SO much better than he did. in one of financier's quotes, she says "Ser Madeleine Cookie could be so much more than... that." and in the kingdom overworld quotes, she also says "Light, guide my blade! ...What?! Madeleine Cookie says that?!" GIRL DOES NOT WANT TO BE COMPARED TO OR ON THE SAME LEVEL AS HIM JUST. WHAT IS HIS FUCKING PROBLEM

~ Theseus was an auto-admission and thus has no proganda! However as a Theseus yumejoshi it would be remiss of me to add nothing here, so here's some of my favourite lines of his <3