#asks and essays in the tags. that is PEAK interaction

[idyllic-affections]

this is a random thought i had but i cannot possibly fathom why a tumblr writer WOULDNT want essays written in the tags of their content? bro please... you guys please... please write whole ass ESSAYS when you reblog my fics, i love any kind of interaction but that kind specifically gives me many happy chemicals all at once!

[izzy-b-hands]

Didn't think the 1989 version of The Woman In Black would be scarier than the one with Dan Radcliffe in it

I was Wrong flkjdsafkldsja, but I'm delighted to have been wrong. I had missed getting scared with more practical effects/careful timing of things in the background of shots appearing and disappearing, and this one scratches that itch well.

[slythereen]

Oh my! I really really need to see the rest of your tag commentary for the Essay!!!!!!!!!

breaking: tumblr (rightfully) tries to silence area maniac’s deranged rambling but the people* won’t stand for it!!! (*one pitying anon)

right so regarding tsarinablogs' glorious essay on rbr, ferrari, and the lestappen marketing phenomenon… the only substantial point i had to add is about ferrari. because nat is totally right, it doesn't make sense for ferrari to be actively engaging in promoting the lestappen friendship if the payoff is charles moving to rbr. not unless their only aim is basically damage control and making the inevitable breakup look amicable.

but if you look at the austin lestappen interactions — and the rbr-ferrari interactions in general this season — ferrari isn't really an active collaborator in the agenda. time to get crazy:

the great rbr-ferrari sticker war

yes, we're coming back to my favorite topic briefly (my beloved rbr-ferrari sticker war agenda). this is the most actively involved rbr-ferrari interaction, though. and it was initiated (accidentally, in fairness) by christian horner.

belgian grand prix (nicely compiled video)

we start with christian covering the ferrari emblem on a fan's hat. this is one of those from-a-distance videos, i don't believe it was initially shared by rbr. not entirely an intentional engagement.

ferrari does start the actual engagement on social media by posting the first "sticker war" video and tagging rbr. they also directly reference rbr's yeti stickers tradition (which, as far as i can tell, is new this season with their yeti sponsor and i think belgium was the first gp they mentioned it) (which is curious in and of itself).

rbr retaliates. war is on. eventually, f1 gets involved with a cute recap... and that's when they go from just responding to one another in comments to actually tagging each other.

what else did we have going on in belgium?

a lestappen podium

rbr debuting (i believe) the yeti cooler on socials

carlos infamously having war declared on him by the entirety of f1twt for bully oscar

so, you could say ferrari actively instigated the sticker war. this has no real lestappen involvement and appears to be entirely the admins having fun with one another. it's also very conveniently timed as a distraction for ferrari and an opportune advertising moment for rbr and yeti.

dutch grand prix (max's home race)

a pause in the sticker war for the dutch grand prix. what we do get is rbr posting lestappen on main (the mclaren camcorder saga) and rbr posting some content about their yeti (and the new yeti sticker tradition). (just as a side note: travel stickers to add to yetis is a bit of a niche Thing; very on brand for the sponsorship deal.)

(similarly, a pause in monza — all ferrari, all the time, for monza. we get the lestappen quali podium and charles asking the crowd not to boo max.)

singapore grand prix (ferrari sacrificial altar)

again, we see ferrari instigating the interaction — now with tagging rbr on the posts. interestingly, rbr tags yeti in response and ferrari's comment on rbr's retaliation brings it back to the yeti sticker tradition. with this "attack" actually targeting the yeti cooler, it's making it all look very... yeti-focused.

but singapore is also when rbr doubles down on the lestappen content — and gets more loud about it. the infamous "lecstappen alert" post. we also got some photos of them chatting in the paddock (which, i believe, were not posted by either rbr or ferrari but were out there adding to the Vibes this weekend).

meanwhile, ferrari is dealing with peak ferrari civil war mode this weekend after blatantly sacrificing charles to defend carlos' victory and then not acknowledging it in the slightest in favor of propping up the "cool carlando operation."

japanese grand prix (f1 takes the score)

rbr initiates the on-going war this time around and makes sure to advertising their new suzuka hats while they're at it. ferrari retaliates. and once again, we see f1 doing a recap/summary of the on-going fight. no lestappen in sight once more...

... but rbr also posts lestappen crumbs, in the form of max talking about his suzuka race start from 2022. which means smiling at a video of one of his battles with charles.

after the race, ferrari is back in civil war mode after carlos complains about being "sacrificed" in suzuka and ferrari gets heat for their interesting quali strategy that put them in this situation in the first place. no post-race hi-jinx this time around.

qatar grand prix ("everybody is a ferrari fan")

rbr initiates the conversation again. this time, ferrari's only response is to like the photo. but this was after the sprint race and after max had already been crowned for the third time; not exactly a time when ferrari wants to be adding to the max agenda.

plus, by this time we had already seen the videos and photos of charles congratulating max immediately, before everyone else. this moment wasn't posted by rbr or ferrari, naturally, but it is out there and being spread around by the end of the time rbr starts posting the ferrari photo.

we also saw charles offering max glowing praise and talking about how much max and rbr deserves it, because they still had to fight even while having a dominant car. on one hand, this is a lot of respect for his childhood rival. on another, it's adding to the idea that hey, even with a super dominant car, the driver's talent matters (so if you catch me in a super dominant car in the near future, keep that in mind, media).

carlos had the dns for the qatar race, there were the obvious health concerns going on that definitely took up everyone's attention. no need for ferrari to do any distracting pr and therefore no reason to engage in the lestappen/rbr narrative for the weekend, despite rbr tagging them.

which brings us to...

austin grand prix and the lestappen resurgence

so far we've seen a fairly consistent rbr-ferrari conversation going on around the stickers and yeti sponsorship. but it definitely has tapered off and has shifted towards rbr being the one to engage and keep the conversation moving on social media. plus, we've been getting more and more of charles and max interacting in the background of all this, casually being friends (and being subtly pointed out by rbr).

and if you look at the austin interactions, ferrari isn't as much of a collaborator in the agenda. rbr is the clear instigator and driving force behind all of the lestappen media interactions — and they more or less force ferrari's hand.

obviously, the great lestappen padel date (cough, competition) sets the tone for the weekend. charles and max hanging out, outside of f1, publicly, is certainly a choice. i think they've always been closer than they let on (at least since covid-era), but the "rivals" narrative had them limiting their public interactions... so why now?

and then, of course, austin goes on a mission to overload us with lestappen. and rbr gets on board with that, quickly. starting with the press conference and lestappen gossip session... which, sure, is controlled by the f1. but max sitting next to charles and as far from daniel on the couch as he is? a choice imo.

next up we have our glorious quali session, and rbr starts in on the lestappen on main agenda. they heard us begging for the congratulations photo and they delivered (twice — with christian posting it personally, too).

with max not even being in the quali presser, you could just call this good opportunism. photos showing max being gracious and friendly with charles despite being upset about his lap being deleted is great pr and a great excuse to post about max and make it about max, to a degree.

we get lestappen being lestappen on saturday morning. so far, so good... a great parallel to the shots of max congratulating charles, this time with max taking the p1 (to rbr's delight).

following the sprint (and max's slight terrorism against charles)?

rbr posts lestappen again (three times), this time calling them out by name twice, and emphasizes that this is the second day in a row that they are giving us lestappen content. they tag charles again, but not ferrari this time. this is what i mean by forcing ferrari's hand — rbr has been posting their driver a lot.

and ferrari did essentially the bare minimum to keep up the fun rivalry vibes (responding to the post with the “back at ya” which in and of itself frames it as them just reacting to rbr). rbr is the one who doubled down by responding to that (the “we’re giving you what you want” reply). so while it looks like cute and very sus coordination, i would say rbr is definitely driving it. and rbr is driving it a lot.

(one strange exception: ferrari posting the charles answering questions video and posting him talking about padel with max. idk. you would think that they would cut it, or charles would have had to ask to include it if this is his agenda, or... something. that detail is just an odd one to me and may suggest greater ferrari support of the agenda.)

ferrari’s non interaction could say two things, i think. either:

they want to make it look like rbr is trying too hard and they are just humoring it (in line with ferrari’s stuffy reputation)… or,

it’s not their narrative and they’re doing what they must to not look too stuffy by not engaging at all (esp. after they joined in with the carlando propaganda previously).

i am inclined to think it's the second option, just based on rbr's behavior and the oddity of the sudden increase in content amidst ferrari's civil war and rbr's own internal second seat drama.

the sticking point for me is trying to figure out what ferrari’s agenda actually is with their recent social media approach, then. it seems far-fetched that they are just bad at social media and keep missing the mark. but seeing the vision… idk man.

if they’re being deliberate in trying to enrage fans it feels like it has to be leading to a driver swap. setting up a narrative of "something clearly isn't working, ferrari is doing awful, we need change" and then magically "fixing" it all with a driver line-up change. in my mind, this only works if they are trying to oust carlos — it would explain the stupid strategies and blatant favoritism, as well as serves as a convenient (and true) scapegoat for the shitty car we have this season. charles talking to espn this weekend about the 2024 car direction and how it is leaning in his direction? curious timing, that.

the alternative, of course, is that charles has already signed with rbr or ferrari suspects that he will. then isolating charles to the point to trying to remove their brand from him and be able to stand alone once he leaves makes some sense... however, not a lot.

the issue with taking a deliberate strategy like this is that it is very risky. they risk pissing the fans off too much. they also risk jeopardizing their results, especially if they are letting bad strategy calls go on purpose to drive the malcontent. you'd have to believe ferrari is willing to give up points and risk their reputation (at least temporarily) to commit to the bit.

which... it seems like charles, at least, is looking towards 2024. this year and this car are a wash. max and rbr already have the championships. maybe it's not such a bad time for ferrari to risk it and throw away some races to feed their agenda. but still, they look incompetent as shit. it's a bad look. and this type of strategy only works if they anticipate a radical turn around next season (and can say "look, all that junk last year was just growing pains and transition, fred came in and this is his first year with just him and his direction, and it's all good now").

their recent behavior is just... shitty. and you would think a brand like ferrari would be better than that. you have to believe there's probably an agenda in there somewhere, because it's hard to believe that they are just that bad at media. and there's not a whole lot that really ties into them playing along with rbr.

so, basically... i'm not sure if they really are playing along with rbr at this point. i think rbr has the narrative in hand when it comes to lestappen, though towards what aim... idk. maybe it's all just leading up to some ea sports shit. maybe rbr just wants to capitalize on charles' likability and boost max's reputation. maybe this is more about charles having more free reign with his image and brand lately, and charles deciding to be more open with his friendship with max (and, of course, more open about the idea that other teams want him). maybe ferrari is just along for the ride and doing damage control.

whatever is going on, it's something. there has just been way too much weirdness with charles' behavior and attitudes, rbr's actions, charles not having a renewal announcement yet, rbr's own seat issues, ferrari's very weird media angles, charles making big moves with his personal brand...

rbr lestappen may have felt like a pipe dream at the start of the season, but idk. let's not forget that max once walked back his statement about not being on a team with charles because you can't have two number ones. i believe his new answer was something to the effect that sure, he and charles could drive for the same team. and, of course, charles' response was always "why not?".

in sum: shit's happening. i'm hoping it's lestappen-in-red-bulls shit.

[the-only-teruteru-fan]

So- Danganronpa became a big enough fandom for me that I decided to make a side blog for it! And because…I need a community my dudes

ME:

I’m @snickerzanddoodlez, you can call me whatever you’d like! I’ve finished the first and second games, but I intend to complete the series so please avoid spoilers for DGv3 past Chapter 5 when interacting with me! I did finish the Danganronpa 3 anime (you know, with the different arcs) though!

My favorite characters are Teruteru, Gundham, Ryoma, Byakuya, Kaito, Yasuhiro, and Togami! Fuyuhiko, Gonta, Kokichi, and Monokuma are very close behind :) (NOTE: I don’t support all of these characters’ actions! You know who this disclaimer is about, haha! And my affection of said individual doesn’t exactly extend to the End of Hope’s Peak Academy anime…) Also, I haven’t played Danganronpa v3 yet, but I think I’ll like that weird little guy who looks like Mineta

I’m a Warrior Cats veteran, so…the things I make might end up being a little weird!

I also sell cute lil’ Danganronpa stickers!

I do commissions, too! Fund my Doll-gonronpa Collection

ASKS:

The ask box is always open for questions, discussion, suggesting incorrect quotes / art / animatics, etc!

By the way! I like to be incredibly needlessly angsty and cringy- so we don’t judge here! I’m still getting a feel for what does and doesn’t fly in this fandom- so give me the best you’ve got! All of your angst and ideas- maybe I’ll draw them!)

Just stay generally SFW (suggestive jokes and the likes are fine!) and keep in mind that I am 16!

RPS:

Currently occupied with a few!

TAGS:

Oh! FYI, I tag posts that fit into the same niche the same way! Here’s the list!

Incorrect Quotes - dgnincorrect

Headcanon - danganheadcanon

Posts I Look Back On for Comfort - my happy posts

Animatics / Animation - danganimatic

Fankids - Koji Hinata, Hotaru Tanaka, Aika Miodasoda, Haru Nidai, Mieko Nidai, Natsuki Kuzuryu, Fumiko Kuzuryu, Kiko Naegi, Honda Hagakure

The Nextgen Killing Game - legacy killing game

“IMPORTANT” STUFF

-The Teruteru Essay

-Animatics (Even Unlisted Ones!)

MY BUDDIES:

(If you are on this list and uncomfy with it let me know!)

-@detective-dick-gumshoes-pot-room

-@susiecampbelll

- @thedaydreamerscastle

MY SHIPS

Please note! As long as it isn’t incestuous / predatory, I don’t really mind what people ship- these are just my biggies! I’m also a really big fan of weird / unconventional ships, despite the lack of them on this list. Not PRO-ships, let’s get that straight, just ships that make you think about ‘em for a minute…like, “who came up with this??” I dig those.

TRIGGER HAPPY HAVOC:

Ishimaru x Mondo

Makoto x Kiyoko

Byakuya x Toko / Genocide Jack (I like to pretend they love each other. And make them less creepy)

Sakura x Aoi

Yasuhiro x Aoi (but as adopted siblings)

Celeste x Hifumi (I’m not active in this ship, nor am I even sure it actually exists I just think they should fix each other)

GOODBYE DESPAIR:

Gundham x Sonia

Akane x Nekomaru

Fuyuhiko x Peko

Monokuma x Monomi (silly)

Hajime x Nagito (but only Nagito’s one-sided crush on Hajime)

Chiaki x Hajime

Kazuichi x Ibuki

Imposter x Mikan

KILLING HARMONY:

Tsumugi x Gonta

Korekiyo x Kirumi (Kokichi is their son) (don’t even ask)

Miu x Keebo (Monotaro is their son)

Kaito x Maki (one of my OTPs for this fandom, honestly)

Shuichi x Kaede

Ryoma x therapy

Kokichi x Himiko

[blorbologist]

Squinting at the blorbos like rats in a lab

Tags are minimal unfortunately, this is a personal blog so it’s a barrage of all sorts! I DO tag critical role spoilers with #critical role spoilers and #cr spoilers, given I often liveblog, and will tag until the episode is on YouTube. 

I also do fanfic! You can find me on AO3 at umwelt! 

My main ongoing project is my 'Age of Arcanum Perc'ahlia AU', where Vax is the Warden of Ravens, Vex'ahlia his (lonely) Champion, and Percival is the creator of aeormatons. I tag posts about the au #age of arcanum AU if interested!

Prologue ... CH 3

Cat's Cradle is currently a WIP on hiatus, under #cat’s cradle AU, a lil modern Perc’ahlia AU with foster kittens. Compiling chapters on AO3, but tumblr stays a few chapters ahead:

CH 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15

My big completed project is my 'Raven Queen’s champion instead ' AU. You can find posts about it under #vex is the raven queen’s champion AU.

Some writing, sneak peaks and ask games happen here on tumblr, too. More than some. oops.

You can [hopefully, assuming Tumblr behaves] find my writing under the tag #my writing, and ask under #ask game usually!

Like what I do? Consider buying me a coffee so I can stay sane enough to finish these WIPs! And my thesis! 

I do not take requests. Prompts are only when I’ve RB’d a relevant prompt game - I’m in gradschool, assume I’m busy by default lol

Projects:

Architect of our demise [onwards to Vasselheim!]

Cat's cradle / Kitten AU [on hiatus for Uni]

Daughters or Dolls [plotting, title is a wip]

Second chapter to My heart’s a vessel for ill intent? [not started]

Perc’ahlia travel troubles comfort fic [half-done?]

Recoil chapter 2 [dusty wip, like a quarter done?]

And so will I chapter 3, Jester [dusty wip]

Nursery rhymes as told by briarpatches chapter 4, Greypool [dusty wip, half done?]

Vex’s menial duties as Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt [got one thing done?]

Kyssandra hide and seek fic [birthday gift for Burr <3]

Vex and Vax in the Slayer's Take in TLOVM [Vexahra for Nova <33]

AUs:

Vex is the Raven Queen’s Champion AU [One for sorrow / Two for joy]

Modern AU bottlefeeding kittens [Cat’s Cradle]

Age of Arcanum AU [Architect of our demise]

Delilah controls Laudna’s heartbeat [My heart’s a vessel]

Filles du roi Perc'ahlia AU [historical Québec au, plottin]

Ruidusborn!Percy AU [just ideas]

Leona runs off to the Cobalt Soul AU [maybe a quarter done?]

MILF and DILF Perc'ahlia marriage of convenience [posted part 1!]

Percy is the pact weapon AU [Get your hands dirty]

2/3 Vampires Bashter AU [got that one snippet to work off of]

Tiefling!Percy AU [brainchild with Essay <333]

FMA AU [A whole mess, one ficlet posted]

Fox woman dreaming AU [1/2 posted]

Just tons of random Gilmore/Vax’ildan/Keyleth shit bc i lov the thems

Perc’ahlia Atlantis AU [just in my brain and that One Screencap Redraw]

Accurate Jurassic Park AU [just vague mushing my two special interests together thots]

'The tale of Merciful and Lex' [Jester reads a smut novel 100% inspired by the de Rolos]

Ships:

OTPs are currently Perc’ahlia, Imodna and Laudmoore in that order. I usually only read fics of these ships bar rare exceptions.* NOTPs that are common enough to be worth mentioning are Widobrave, Widojest, Riprolo, anything remotely incesty or toeing the grooming line. I don’t want to interact with this content don’t fuckin make me.

Ships that aren’t my absolute feral loves, buuut that I’d be happy to write for are man. All canon CR ships, plus Beaujester, Bashter, Kiki/Vax/Gil, Callowmoore, Dorym, Chetney/Fearne, Widomauk, Kiki/Vex/Percy [with a huge *], onesided Tary/Percy, all fun! Also getting into the rarepair of Cassandra/Laudna for Reasons, and any Ace!Cass x NPCs her age.

Beyond that, just, y’know. Use basic critical thinking. Do I really need to write ‘hey! Don’t send me, a stranger, things you wouldn’t talk to a stranger about’? I have faith in y’all not to, for now ktrgnkrtnkgn

Have fun foraging through my blog - hope you find a few things of interest, writing or otherwise! <3

[ridasverkisto]

who are your top ten black clover characters and ships (romantic, platonic)? talk about them!

Oooooooh. This is gonna be a long one so buckle in. I’m also splitting the answer into two—so this is top ten ships, and I’ll do top ten characters in a separate post, because this is long. 😅

Before I get going, I’m just going to say this is in no particular order—I’m listing them in the order they come to mind, as I love all of these pairings for different reasons so it’s hard for me to rank them. I’ll also preface that for most of my pairings it usually doesn’t matter much to me whether it’s romantic or platonic, so long as they’re not. Y’know. Actual siblings/family/etc. Also for the purposes of this ask, I’m leaving out stuff like...the Black Bulls as a platonic ship tag. They’re found family, it’s sort of a given, so this isn’t going to focus on that. And before anyone asks, yes, I have crackships. I am not apologizing.

[If this needs a page break to keep from clogging tags lmk, btw]

1. Magna/Luck (and/or Magna & Luck, it’s the same to me)

What can I say? I’m a sucker for two dumbass best friends who share a brain cell living their best lives. Their dynamic is fun and interesting—Luck literally views Magna as fun and interesting and he loves bothering him because of how he reacts, while Magna started out hating it but grew incredibly fond of Luck’s antics.

They’re dumbasses, but they’re loveable dumbasses who bring out both the best and worst in each other, and I just love the way they interact. It’s great and I love them both so much 💕

2. Finral & Langris

Okay okay so. I know there’s baggage here, because Langris is an entitled little asshole trashbaby, but hear me out. Finral gets to be an older brother, exasperated with Langris and trying super hard to be a good sibling, while Langris is still a trashbaby but a softer one. Like.

They are Peak Sibling Energy, because I can see Langris insulting Finral because “polite interaction with my loser brother, how tf?” But the moment someone else tries to insult Finral, Langris gets annoyed. It’s the younger sibling Rights, only the sibling gets to insult the other siblings and if you try to get in on that fuck you. Meanwhile, Finral learns to be the responsible older sibling to Langris, and steps into being more responsible in other parts of his life while repairing his relationship with Langris.

Not going to lie, a lot of my love for this ship is because I’m probably projecting my own relationship with my own brother onto them to some extent, and my love for proper Sibling Energy has no bounds because that shit’s hilarious when done right.

Let Finral and Langris develop the weird half-unspoken language of siblings, let them reference embarrassing things and blackmail each other over stupid shit like “who’s going to go refill the teapot” or something!! Let them be petty and loving and protective as they learn to be siblings again, because growth!!!!

3. Julius & Yami & William

Why yes, I am a polyshipper. But mostly what I really like about this one is the history and the dynamics between the three of them.

On the one hand you have Julius, who’s hugely respected by the other two, basically mentored/parented them both, and loves them both a hell of a lot. (You can’t look at the way Julius looks at Yami and William and tell me that’s not love, fuck you)

On another, you have Yami; he’s the outcast, loner, stranger in a strange land who was given a support system and place to belong by Julius. He also struggles to understand the less forthright William, and is fiercely loyal. Like. This man loves and respects Julius so fucking much, and it’s shown through such small gestures, it’s amazing.

And finally, there’s William—who couldn’t chose between Julius and Patry, yeah. Who’s a coward and a troll and hides behind his words and masks, but has made the choice to atone for his mistakes. He feels a lot, and is so clearly trying to be better it hurts.

The way the three of them interact has a lot of history and intricacy behind it, and even with current events in the series, I really really love their relationship with each other. This isn’t a ship I love for fluff, but for the tension and aching weight of history and growing up that lies heavy on it. It’s got this lovely sort of pain to it that feels like nostalgia in the summer heat, knowing nothing is ever going to be like it was once and still deciding to hold onto what you have with both hands.

I never said I ship for fluff and romance—I’m here for dynamics, and these three have amazing dynamics. (I will note for this one that it’s one that I can’t see as romantic at all. Not the least bc Julius was literally in his twenties when Yami and William were like 15, bc ~fuck that shit~)

4. William/Dorothy/Rhya

Is this a crackship? Yes!

Have these characters barely if ever interacted on screen? Yes!

Am I probably the only person who thought of this ship and wants to see content for it? Yes!

Do I give a fuck? No!

Not gonna lie, I know this is a crackship of massive proportions. But I’m here for the dynamics and the dynamics here have the potential to just be so damn cathartic, okay?

If I go on a deep tangent about this ship it’ll end up being an entire essay, so that can wait for another day, so I’ll just...give you this: these three have a lot to give each other to challenge and help each other grow. There’s a lot of potential, and tension, and catharsis here. The contrasts and dynamics between the three of them would be interesting and immensely entertaining.

I’ll also shamelessly admit that a good portion of this is also fueled by my personal head canons of William being a trans guy, Dorothy being feminine presenting nb, and Rhya just straight up being pan and attracted to strong people. What can I say? I know what I like lmao 😂

5. Yuno & Asta

I’m a sucker for good friendly rivalries. Especially ones full of so much mutual respect!!! Like, they both respect each other and care so fucking much is amazing ❤️

And don’t get me wrong, I get the people that ship them romantically and I’ll read it; but I see their relationship as more sibling rivalry/platonic than anything else.

You can’t look at Yuno being a Dramatic Bitch to get on Asta’s nerves and tell me that’s not Peak Sibling Energy, because I tell you I have done the exact same to my own brother. Let them be dorks and friends and brothers, bc it WORKS.

6. Rill/Charmy/Langris

Yes, yes this is another crackship. No, I do not care! And yes, i am aware it will very likely never be canon.

I just really like the image of Langris being reluctantly folded into the dynamic of two cinnamon rolls who could probably flatten him if they really wanted to. And Langris slowly coming to the realization that he actually really likes them and cares for them, even if he is a bit tsun-tsun about expressing it sometimes.

Plus, y’know, Rill and Charmy won’t indulge his asshole-ier behaviors, and if he pisses Charmy off he’s very likely to get his ass kicked.

I can’t really explain it more than that other than I just really really like the dynamics with this trio and I hold it very close to my heart 💕

7. Finral & Vanessa

Let them be friends!!! Let them be platonic best friends!!!! I love their dynamic, esp if you expand on it and take a look at how Finral and Vanessa can play off of each other. BEST FRIENDS.

8. David & Letoile

I know everyone likes to think of them as the chaotic one and the no-nonsense one, but consider: Letoile getting wrapped up in David’s shenanigans bc they’re just as ride or die as Magna and Luck are. Everyone thinks of her as the other holder of the Golden Dawn’s self restraint, and she sort of is, but her standards of what should be restrained is very different from Klaus’s.

9. Julius & Marx (can also be Julius/Marx, but only prior to the whole deaging thing)

Wholesome ship! It’s already obvious that they care about each other a lot in canon, so let that be expanded upon and developed more. It also adds the fun bit that the issues with Julius running away from his paperwork become even more comical with the added context. It starts to feel less like a subordinate yelling at their commandeer and more like an old married couple or something 😂

10. Leopold & Asta & Yuno & Noelle

Three competitive dumbasses and the exasperated one who makes it worse. I love them all and I think they make the best fucking quad friend group;; let them be friends, please. Please. Just the shenanigans they would get into makes me cackle with glee.

[pumpkinpaix]

老师好！Thank you for writing! i found you through your MDZS story and i really adore your insightful writings about the show. In my opinion, i even think the show is better than the novel in their presentation of WX relationship ~ ! it feels more natural and less pandering. Another essay suggestion for you if you want to write --- In the show, who do you think fell in love first in WX? When were the "turning points" when they realized?

sldjfslikl first of all anon, it’s WILD that anyone would address me as 老师 and i’m simultaneously flattered and gobsmacked. (i’m really really really not qualified to be called 老师 friend—thank you, like, a lot?? but yeah, i gotta say i’m not that cool) thank you for reading my fic and liking it and apparently my one meta enough to come talk to me!! also, SORRY this took approximately a million years i’ve been working on it on/off for like. two weeks. (@the other anon who also requested meta—pls forgive me im really doing my best apparently these take a lot out of me)

confession: I wrote a WHOLE ADDITIONAL essay in response to your opinion about show vs. novel that i ultimately decided to cut because it flies a little too close to the discourse sun and you didn’t ask for that hahaha. if it turns out you are interested in it, feel free to hmu and i can post it (though i’ll probably try to keep it out of the tags for my own mental health’s sake im not cut out for this lmao)

that all being said, who do I think fell in love first? it was definitely lan wangji, and it was right here:

[id: screenshot of lan wangji watching wei wuxian making a wish to “protect the weak and curb the strong, with a clear conscience for all my life” from episode 7 of the untamed drama. wei wuxian’s eyes are closed, his hands clasped. lan wangji looks on with a surprised tenderness. /end id]

I think it’s safe to say that he already finds wei wuxian attractive/intriguing (see: his reaction to wei wuxian drawing his portrait, tying the lan ribbon around their wrists, the PEAK gay panic in his voice when wei wuxian trips and falls on top of him), but this is the first moment he’s really moved by him. up until this point, wei wuxian has been teasing, immature, A Nuisance™, too clever for his own good, troublemaker energy personified etc but he hasn’t ever revealed his deeper moral values in front of lan wangji—and he does it like this, without pretension, without irony. He doesn’t spend his wish on something frivolous or material: he wishes to be able to do good for all his life, to be righteous, to be kind. it’s the wish he makes for both of them. “the promise we made together all those years ago,” as he says, half a lifetime later.

like just. imagine, for a moment, being lan wangji, whose whole world is being constantly challenged and needled by this unfairly attractive, chaotic bastard and then he just comes out of left field with this. I think this is where lan wangji first recognizes himself in wei wuxian—that at their core, they share their most important values.

look what i’m saying is this is where I fell in love with wei wuxian.

(sidenote: I really think a lot of the tragedy of mdzs/the untamed is stems from this moment. wei wuxian fails, over and over and over, even when his wish never changes, even when all he ever wanted was to do good without fear.)

i had to think for a really long time to try and decide which moments i wanted to talk about on wei wuxian’s part, because i don’t think he’s nearly as easy to pinpoint. lan wangji falls in love like a lightning strike, but wei wuxian’s love is something that grows so slowly, i don’t think he realizes what it is until pretty late in the game.

so let’s begin with this moment on phoenix mountain:

[id: screenshot of lan wangji and wei wuxian facing each other on phoenix mountain from episode 25 of the untamed drama. lan wangji is waiting expectantly for an answer, having just asked, “what am i to you?”, hand behind his back. wei wuxian is holding his flute, expression complicated and uncertain. /end id]

this is the first time i think wei wuxian is asked directly to label his feelings about lan wangji, and he says, “i once thought of you as a lifelong, intimate friend.” and when lan wangji presses, “and now?”, he doesn’t respond.

two episodes later, when wei wuxian is taking the wen refugees out of their prison camp and lan wangji appears before him, I think he has some kind of answer to lan wangji’s question:

[id: screenshot from episode 27 of the untamed drama. wei wuxian holds out chenqing before him in challenge to lan wangji, who is offscreen. he is smiling, just slightly, resigned and fond and terribly sad. /end id]

“if there really must be a battle between me and them, then I would rather fight to the death with you. if i must die, then at least i would like to die by hanguang-jun’s hand. it wouldn’t be an injustice.”

if that isn’t some kind of confession, I don’t really know what is.

but it’s too late—he’s now a defector in the eyes of the four sects. lan wangji lets him go and wei wuxian rides away. the remainder of his first life, that’s how things stand. even through everything with a’yuan, the final massacre at the nightless city—even though there’s something really meaningful there between them, it’s all tinged with a sense of impossibility, you know? there’s no outcome where they can resolve it happily. wei wuxian has gone too far down that single-plank bridge.

the first moment i think wei wuxian has to confront the unresolved and unsaid things between him and lan wangji comes when lan wangji gets drunk that one night and tells him, “i have regret.”

“what regret?”

“that at the nightless city, I did not stand beside you.”

[id: screenshot of wei wuxian looking at lan wangji (offscreen) with tears in his eyes as the full realization of what lan wangji just drunkenly confessed hits him from episode 36 of the untamed drama. /end id]

“so all this time, you’ve been searching for me?”

earlier i said can you imagine being lan wangji for a sec, and i’m gonna say it again except god. can you. IMAGINE being wei wuxian in this moment. finding out that this person that you maybe suspected you had deeper feelings for but never acted on has spent the entire sixteen years of your death searching for you, regretting that he didn’t stand with you before you died? a regret that he’s been carrying in secret, alone, for sixteen years?? that’s A Lot to unpack.

however, I don’t think wei wuxian really, fully understands and accepts how he feels and how lan wangji feels in return, how far they’re both willing to go until episode 42, at the confrontation at jinlingtai.

[id: two screenshots from episode 42 of the untamed drama, right after lan wangji takes a stand beside wei wuxian against the four sects. image 1 is lan wangji smiling at wei wuxian: he is gentle and sure. image 2 is wei wuxian smiling back at him, eyes red-rimmed and wet. /end id]

even though lan wangji has been walking with him since dafan shan, he’s been doing it with a plausible deniability. and here, when wei wuxian is trying to give him an out, lan wangji puts everything he has on the line so that he can clearly stand with wei wuxian, without dissembling, without hesitation. “the feeling of of walking on a single-plank bridge into the dark truly is no worse.”

lan wangji is finished with regrets.

“it’s just funny, that’s all,” wei wuxian says, “back when the whole world flattered me with praise, you were the only one who would scold me. but now that everyone is calling for my death, all hating and condemning me, you’re nevertheless the only one standing by my side.”

i think after that, for all the remaining episodes, there’s an unspoken commitment between the two of them that underpins the rest of their interactions, which I think I can say without reservation that I like more than how it played out in the novel. EDIT 16 APR 2020: I changed my mind a while ago, ahaha. Turns out, I don’t prefer CQL over MDZS. I love them both so much. ;A; there’s something really profound about it, the trust in their unlabelled relationship. it really feels like the inexorable culmination of two adults in their mid-thirties coming together after falling in love for almost twenty years. there’s a maturity to it that isn’t present in the way the novel does the confession (which does have its own disaster energy™ charm) that I think highlights the fact that they love each other, not just because they admire each other, not just because they’re attracted to one another, but because they understand each other—because when they look at each other, they also see themselves.

[haknew]

get to know me tag ! 

tagged by @woosohn​ (ty again june ! <3) 

what day is your birthday?

one day i’m sure 

what’s your favorite color?

not to be that person,,, but rose quartz, serenity, and lilac ! [official answer] 

what’s your lucky number?

idk... tea bee hache 

do you have any pets?

do house plants count ? ;// 

how tall are you?

5′ 4 (i always forget this in cm sorry)

how many pairs of shoes do you own?

currently ... ? like 3 ??? 

favorite song?

oh i never have just one and it’s really about my mood :0 been playing thrill-ing a lot and other current releases so probably those at this moment in time

favorite movie?

can’t seem to pull up anything up from the dredges of my repressed memories of the time i used to watch movies but uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... idk  

what would be your ideal partner?

i did this on my other blog so i’ll try to give a real answer this time to this question ... mm i need someone with a lot of empathy and patience ! i’m definitely not the easiest person to deal with ever and i really hate being confrontational,,, so when there’s a problem, they have to be willing to talk through things with me and approach me first ;;;; think it’d be nice if they were strong in the points where i’m weaker ^^ to balance i suppose ... but who knows what’ll happen, funky question lol

do you want children?

lmao no

have you gotten in trouble with the law?

nooooo i’m boring that way <33

bath or shower?

shower ! 

what color socks are you wearing?

it’s summer so no sock season ~ but normally solid colors; gray, white, black ^^

favorite type of music?

i like a bunch of stuff but i’m a pop song person at heart :]] sometimes some r&b 

how many pillows do you sleep with?

always at least two ! but rn at home i have 6 pillows haha 

what position do you sleep in?

on my sides usually ;0 hugging a pillow sometimes 

what you don’t like when you’re sleeping?

if it’s too hot, i can’t sleep ;;;; or when it’s too loud or too early in the morning to be woken up looool

what do you have for breakfast?

i’m never awake early enough for breakfast but during my 8ams i used to make a cup of instant coffee if that counts haha :]] 

have you ever tried archery?

at science camp yeeeees ~

favorite fruit?

strawberries ! and watermelon ~~ mangoes too :p 

favorite swear word?

i don’t really swear all that much so don’t really use any  

do you have any scars?

i suppose, won’t elaborate tho 

are you a good liar?

i’ve been told no i’m not but then again i lie often so 

what’s your personality type?

choi soobin (he’s an isfp OKAY ?!?!)

what’s your favorite type of girl?

all of them of course u.u 

innie or outie?

innie !

left or right-handed?

right-handed ^^

favorite food?

i really like pasta ! but there’s a canto tea cafe specialty rice dish that’s basically fried rice with tomato + beef that’s my all-time fav ^^

favorite foreign food?

hmm most everything i have is ‘foreign’ food ? that’s just my cultural cuisine stuff tho so maybe other eastern asian dishes too :0 

are you clean or messy?

really depends on my mood ;;;; i like stuff to be clean ! but that’s easier said than done sometimes haha 

most used phrase?

i use a lot of internet language so your typical acronyms ‘lol’, ‘lmao’, ‘like’, and then stuff like ‘so true’ etc. haha ahhh and of course ‘jfkdhgdkjfhgsk’

how long does it take for you to get ready?

this also depends on my mood, at speediest maybe 5 mins ! at longest maybe an hour ~ but only bc i’m staring at my phone or smth instead of actually getting ready

do you talk to yourself?

hhh yes and that’s bc it’s sometimes easier for me to vocalize thoughts than let them swirl in a confusing mess in my head, hard to sort through sometimes

do you sing to yourself?

yea ! choir kid things

are you a good singer?

hmm depends on ? your definition ... i have a good ear for pitch matching but that’s probably it ^^ (i have a small little byr cover on this blog too prob not that hard to find if people were curious but ://)

biggest fear?

[insert a long essay about ew gross feelings and insecurities no one asked for] idk bugs ?!? ig 

are you a gossip?

depends on context ! i like being in the know but at the same time i don’t go out of my way looking for drama or any tea ;-; i keep to myself mostly ! 

do you like long or short hair?

on me, longer hair ! kinda a silly / unrelated remark but my old roomie said she thinks i would look nice with really long hair so i stopped trimming it even tho it’s summer ^^ 

favorite school subject?

haha probably bio and psych ! as i should certainly hope so as a bio major >.< 

extrovert or introvert?

introvert !

what makes you nervous?

oh quite a few things hhh, social interactions do ;;;; i like talking to people but i tend to overthink just about everything so,,, i can easily misread neutral stimuli as negative haha... and going out and about now that the panoramendmic has crushed any and all my social skills / self confidence LOL 

who was your first real crush?

haha he was in my honors english course and i think he and i argued about whether puppies are capable of real emotions jfksfjglds and during PE he’d run all the way across the gym to get our volleyball if we hit it out of the court ;;;; i ended up confessing the following year but uh .... things didn’t end well and it ended up following me all 4 years of high school lmao... 

how many piercings do you have?

just the two ^^ 

how fast can you run?

at my peak i could run a mile in 8 minutes fdkjhgdfjg but nowadays running to my mailbox is difficult wtf.... listen i’ve been sitting stuck at home for almost two years now-

what color is your hair?

it’s a dark brown so dark it’s almost black around my roots but a lighter brown for the rest bc i dyed it ^^ i plan to redye it a reddish brown soon tho ! 

what color are your eyes?

dark brown as well ~ 

what makes you angry?

something jacob mentioned once i forget his exact wording but i have a lot of patience actually so rather than being angry it’s a bit more frustration, mostly at myself when smth i worked on really hard doesn’t work out, but also bc i constantly overthink and consider other people’s feelings it upsets me when other people are dismissive or plainly ignorant of the feelings of those around them... and also esp when people are unaware of how to deal with their own negative feelings so they take it out on others when they shouldn’t 

do you like your own name?

not ? particularly ... tbh jess is not my full name but even so my name doesn’t really have any meaning of anything so it’s just :// a name i guess,,, i like it when people call me by name tho in the tags <333 lmao 

do you want a boy or a girl as a child?

lmao no

what are your strengths?

this would never fly in a resume but ??? oh man wish i knew 

what are your weaknesses?

the questions is what ISN’T 

what’s the color of your bedspread?

white with blue ink drawings <333 it’s very pretty i like it a lot 

color(s) of your room?

dark biege ! a lot of warm neutral tones with splashes of pastels here and there

tagging anyone who wants to do this again haha ^~^ 

[brutal-kittenxx]

I decided to post my English Essay from a while back here, cause why not

It was a typical ordinary day in The Cult Of The Neighborhood with the ordinary sacrifices and rituals, but this day was different and only came once or twice a month depending on how many sacrifices were made, it was time to decide who will be choosing the next sacrifices. This is a special event for some because you can get rid of those you hate, and the first sacrifice you make will be the most exciting for there are no limits to who your first sacrifice is. This time the privilege was to fall onto Mister Rogers. Mister Rogers was surprised as he never got the honor to choose the sacrifice, and it was perfect timing too as his good friend no more was to be the sacrifice that of which he chose.The man in question to be sacrificed is David Tarantino, a known rebellion to the cult. What he had done was perform a ritual not allowed by the cult, he succeeded in performing it and even escaped, however his two partners were caught and the room was not cleaned and left a mess. The two partners' names were Billy Mays, who had to clean the room, and Phil Swift, whose job was to dismember the bodies. They admitted that the mastermind behind the ritual was David Tarantino, and Phil Swift added in that he was the one who wrote on the walls with blood “That’s a lotta damage, now we’re gonna fix it with flex seal!”. After hearing this they decided to wait for punishment until Tarantino had been captured, so that all may be killed at once. Rogers didn’t want to wait because he was rebellious but too useful to abandon, so he decided to figure out what the ritual was himself and who he sacrificed. He eventually unsolved it, but was too horrified by who it was that he didn’t tell anyone what he had figured out. Rogers knew where and how to find Tarantino but couldn’t bring himself to do it to avenge the ones he had taken away that night, but when he was chosen to be able to choose the sacrifice, he had suddenly gotten the courage to find Tarantino and sacrifice him. Upon hearing that Rogers decided to choose Tarantino as a sacrifice, the leaders were reluctant at first but eventually decided that they might as well get it over with and the sacrifice will be their punishment. There was one problem though, no matter how much other cult members wanted to help, there was a rule for sacrifices that none were to help unless they personally knew him and even if they did, they aren’t allowed to help too much as most of the ritual must be performed by the mastermind of the operation. Mister Rogers knew this and had only one friend remaining since Tarantino, this was a man who he was good friends with even before either of them joined the cult. This friend was Dr. Emmet Brown, he was crazy but knew how to get all the supplies they need and clear out an area for the ritual. Rogers decided to tell Emmet Brown his plan and the only thing that Brown could respond with was “GREAT SCOTT, That’s a Great Idea, and I know just how and where to get the materials for it!”. The Doc then left after that to get the supplies and clear out the location so that no one other than the cult knows what happened. All that was left now was to get Tarantino to agree to meetup together. Mister Rogers left to go find Tarantino, and he knew a couple possible locations. First possible location was a bar, he wasn’t there. Second possible location was a pizza shop owned by mobsters whose slogan was “We Outpizza’d The Hut”. Now, the third and final possible location was a private gun store with a shooting range called Ammu-Nation. Luckily for Mister Rogers, he had access to Ammu-Nation but he had a problem, he hadn’t been there in years. To be inconspicuous, Rogers walked in and started browsing the small firearms that he can buy without making too much contact or interaction with the others in there. While blending in he managed to notice an order for more ammo for someone named “Kobe Bryant”. Rogers knew that meant Tarantino, it was their nickname they gave each other, Rogers’ was “David Blaine”. The time that it was scheduled for was 5 hours before the deadline of the sacrifice, Rogers was going to have to be the smoothest of talkers to get him to the location before it ends. He ordered a weapon and was to pick it up 10 minutes before the order of ammo for Tarantino. Later, he arrived to pick up his weapon and decided to test it in the shooting range while waiting for Tarantino to arrive. Soon after, Tarantino arrived in an armored truck ready to have the ammo loaded in the back, and with a couple of hired guns for protection. Rogers waited for Tarantino to have little people around them, then he approached him.

“David, is that you?” “Rogers, what are you doing back here?” “I decided to check on how the place has changed and also to get a new weapon, here look at this” “How did you get something this fancy?” “The looks aren’t all, check the chamber” “Why? This is a FMJ bullet, and it is also a .375 caliber. This isn’t your style. You go for weak and common rounds found in any store with an extended mag. Preferably the glock.” “Well, I thought I'd get something stronger for special occasions.” “What type of occasions?” “Don’t know yet, but when the time comes you will be the first to know that I used it and who I use it on.” This went on for a while of them discussing the guns they use, and what they have been doing since they last talked. “Oh, Rogers, you know I have been telling you that I was planning on creating my own gang to rule this city. Those hired guns over there protecting the truck are actually some gang members. Our gang may be small and not well known but it will be better than others soon, that’s why we’re stocking up on ammo.” Rogers’ suspicion was right, the ritual performed years ago was a ritual required in the city to become a gang leader. You must sacrifice someone really close to your best friend. Either family, their girlfriend/boyfriend, or pet. The more sacrificed makes you have more respect and strength when creating your gang. Tarantino sacrificed some of the most people while in the cult, so he is well respected, but no one really joins his gang because they know just how many people he sacrificed and how crazy he was. “David, how about we hang out a little. It’s been a long time since we hung out, and I think it would be better to hang out than just have a quick conversation.” “Right you are Rogers, it is better, but I need to deliver these supplies back to the gang.” “Don’t worry about that, here just put your gangs sign on the side and make it noticeable so no one will dare mess with you.” “Alright, I’ll take your word for it. JOSEPH, you know where to take the supplies, so take them there! Now, where do you want to go hang out.” “I cleared out an arcade all for ourselves, you know the one with the games, bowling, and laser tag, or if you want it has a mini restaurant. It’s The Peak.” “Bro, I haven’t been there in a while. I’ll totally go. I’ll just get the delorean and we’ll go there.” After that he went around the corner and drove back in his delorean, no not the one from back to the future, the one from 1982. They left and arrived at The Peak with the new cult members that Tarantino doesn’t know about in the staff uniform, and no other customers there. It was going according to plan. Rogers took him around to play the games and go bowling, trying to avoid the laser tag, saying it was “the spectacular end to this day.”. They played for a couple hours and then went to the gift shop and bought a bunch of big pixy stix. Rogers got a message from “Anonymous 174” saying that the laser tag is ready, he knew that this was Emmet Brown because he is the one who he gets messages from most and messages most. He waited for Tarantino to come out of the giftshop before saying “It is time for the end, let’s go shoot some lasers”. When they went in the room to suit up, there was a box there with a note saying “the other vests and guns were either low on battery or broken, use these until we get more available.”. “David, you should be the red team. I mean, it IS your favorite color.” “Are you sure? What about you? Don’t you like it more than me?” “Yes, but this is a special occasion, you should wear it.” “Oh, alright, but you better not complain you can’t fight because you aren’t used to wearing blue.”. They then picked up their weapons and Rogers found a hidden, almost impossible note to notice in the Doc’s handwriting that said “You will need to hold down the trigger for the blast to really work, otherwise it is a normal laser gun”. This worked perfect for Rogers getting Tarantino to believe this is all real, he can shoot a couple shots first then charge one and get a hit on him. Only one problem, Tarantino likes to hide behind barricade and never come out and move until he thinks it’s been compromised. The game went on for about 30 minutes until Rogers finally snuck up on Tarantino and charged a blast on him when a lot of electricity shot out, and Tarantino’s suit was destroyed while he was knocked unconscious to the point you’d think it was a coma. When Tarantino woke up an hour later, he was tied to his buddies Phil Swift and Billy Mays with a giant pentagram beneath them. “What is the meaning of this Rogers!” “You killed my family many years ago, and I still can’t sleep because of it.” “You know I had to do it to become a gang leader!” “I trusted you, but becoming a leader of your own gang was more important to you” “Couldn’t you have killed my family” “You wouldn’t care about your family, never have, but being betrayed by me will be similar since you betrayed my whole family. Now get ready, you will feel their pain from that night.” Rogers then took off a blanket and revealed knives, swords, and tasers. He then proceeded to chop them up starting with Billy Mays, then Phil Swift, and ending with Tarantino. Before Rogers chopped up Tarantino and begun the ritual, he asked “Did you feel anything during the murder” “No, I was blinded by the possibility of becoming a gang leader” “Good, cause I definitely won’t feel anything” Then he chopped him up and begun the ritual when out of the literal darkness of the room, cult members appeared and begun the chant. IT IS DONE.

[foegs]

so bryce @alphatoro​ tagged me to do a fic ask so here I will #expose myself again because pandemic time isn’t real time and nothing is real. 

fandoms: miraculous ladybug, f1, and (aspirationally) alex rider 

tropes: idk I don’t really do tropey things, just admire them from afar, but recurring things in my works are: skincare. literally just skincare and lifestyle shit. however c*rlos has receded from the pantheon of my skincare gods so I’m not doing it much at the moment. also i’m breaking out

number of fics: 17 published

fic i’ve spent the most time on: stop the clocks; we’re killing time. it’s a uni AU so heavily detailed that I scared myself off of it, but I put a good couple weeks into outlining it and even longer to write what yet exists.

fic i’ve spent the least time on: cold water after crying. lando, skincare, acne, and self consciousness. this one literally just took one night. (not counting drabbles here tbf)

shortest fic: my 99-word ode to Antonio’s stint as race leader in singapore, and a point is one

longest fic: stop the clocks; we’re killing time. will soon be usurped by try again. fail again. fail better. because it’s about the god damn mongol rally. please talk to me about this fic. I live and breathe it these days

most/kudos/comments/bookmarks: my collab with singlemalter! can I get your number is a collection of fics, one for each driver in 2019, in as many words as the driver’s number. so yes, Dan got three words. Gio got 99. 

my fic with the most hits is cut through the clouds, break the ceiling, because people like porn but are not horny enough on main to show their presence (valid of them)

total word count: 45673. I’m an amateur.

favourite fic: deadass? it’s my charles leclerc beauty pageant girl AU, snow on mirrors, future killers. either that or the experimental format lando norris skincare guru interview fic

fic i want to rewrite/expand: My Team Principal Totowolff. it needs finishing and I’ve grown as a writer since then. also my lando norris streams a seance on twitch, which is the peak of literature 

share a bit of a wip: this is unpublished from the uni AU that is on indefinite hold:

Alex can hear Max and Charles pulling an essay back and forth, the quietest argument arising over a particular theme which the author may or may not have deliberately included. That seems to be the course of his roommate’s interactions with Lando’s friend, so far. 

“…tell me that, are you an idiot?” Charles says shrilly. He stretches out the syllables, eedioht, Alex hears. “You are not meant to sympathise with him, he—”

“Oh, so because he is not cute and sad he is obviously fucking evil,” Max scoffs, and Alex hears a bit of paper rip, and a pen repeatedly stabbing at the sheet. “See? No, look at this, it keeps saying trauma, trauma, damage, and you try to tell me he’s evil—”

tagging: @trueishcolours the OG in my life and @legendofthefireemblem

(i’m on ao3 under babypapaya)

[edda-blattfe]

Get To Know The Mun

I was tagged by @xdendenx . Thank you for think of me Den! 😊

———————————–

1. What do you prefer to be called namewise?

I’m actually really fond of the name Blue, since it was given by my friends here on tumblr. ☺️

2. When is your birthday?

October 14th

3. Where do you live? (You don’t have to give city, you can give the state if your USA or country if you are overseas)

Hawaii, U.S.

4. Three things you are doing right now?

Typing, watching my cat -Akira- wander around my desk, procrastinating on essays

5. Four Fandoms that have your peak interest right now?

Twisted Wonderland, Disney (I consider it a fandom), She-ra: pop (looking forward to the 15th!), and I’m not sure of a fourth right now

6. How has this pandemic been treating you?

(Using this to vent, please skip if you don’t want to read that sort of thing right now)

Ahah-heheh...you want the truth? Ok, well, it’s been bringing up some not so good memories and suppressed feelings from my childhood that constantly come and go (short version: my parents worked on a carnival ever since I was 5 and left my brother and I alone in a trailer with minimal human interaction during most of it with only homeschooling videos and movies to watch. I didn’t get to attend an actual school until I was 10 and we still had through isolation during the summer...so yeah, not a good time 😅) but I’m working through it, don’t worry!

On the bright side, the pandemic put a permanent end to my parents careers working at the carnival (under a manipulative and emotionally abusive boss who couldn’t care less that she exploited my dad’s loyalty and longing for acceptance...heh...fun times...) which means they can all move on and have a normal life! And my grandmother has been sewing/giving out free masks and set up a neighborhood pantry that’s been getting her to interact with more of our neighbors. It’s given a good boost to her mood, I’m glad to see her happy! ☺️

7. A song you can’t stop listening to right now?

“Happier” the version from Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

8. Recommend a movie

Just one?! Hm... “Song of the Sea” is an incredible family film with a touching story line and absolutely stunning animation! There’s also “Wu over the Wall”, “The Willoughbies”, “The Breadwinner”, “Onward”, every Disney movie available, all of the Jurassic Park movies....heh, the list goes on but I’ll stop there 😅

9. How old are you?

21 😭

10. School, University, Occupation, Other?

Enrolled at the local community college

11. Do you prefer heat or cold?

Cold!!! God I miss the cold....the air feels so nice to breathe and you can actually wear layers! Someday, I really want to move somewhere with winter (then I can go back to my goth ways or maybe try out Mori Kei since I wouldn’t be living with anyone who’d criticize it!).

12. Name one fact about you that others may find unusual

People call me a 90 y.o. in a 21 y.o. body...mainly because I don’t like going to parties, or drinking, don’t date....if I had my way we’d have at least three more cats..... I like to knit and drink tea in the mornings.....would rather take walks through the botanical gardens or zoo rather than go to the mall....yeah...

13. Are you shy?

I think so, but everyone I ask genuinely says I don’t come off that way...idk man

14. Do you have preferred pronouns?

She/her please

15. Biggest pet peeve?

Whenever someone tells you to smile, cheer up, or not cry. Like, dude, we’re human. We feel things and need to work through them (otherwise you get people who learn to immediately hide their problems and believe me it is not healthy)! I’m sorry if you feel uncomfortable with seeing someone suffering, but that’s your problem. If you’re not going to try helping then just go tf away!

16. What is your fave ‘dere’ type?

Yandere, Kuudere, Utsudere, and Shundere

17. Rate your life 1-10, 1 being really crappy and 10 being best it could ever be

Right now, 9.5: I’m living with a person who loves and appreciates me without judgement, in a home that isn’t falling apart, with plenty of food and comforting things (like my kitties ☺️). Might not have many friends irl or a romantic partner and I’m still struggling with a few personal things, but those are in my control to change. This is a much better place to be, for sure!

Over all?....lemme crunch the numbers and get back to you on that.

18. What is your main blog?

Timeoverdrive

19. List your side blogs and what they are used for

@true-neutral-earth-elf : My tdp blog (not active as of late but there’s a lot of writing + art there)

@obeyme-blue : My Obey Me blog (also not very active)

20. Is there anything you think people need to know about you before becoming friends with you?

Like a warning label? A few actually. (Again, feel free to skip)

- There are a ton of subliminal social indicators I do not understand. If anything I say or do makes you uncomfortable, or if there’s something you don’t want me to share, or want me to do you need to tell me directly! I know this can be uncomfortable but it’s the only way for me to understand what exactly you’re trying to convey. This is something that has caused a lot of trouble in the past, and even though I’m trying to get better at it, it’s still frustratingly difficult for me to grasp. I’m sorry for burdening you with this.

- Internally anxious about the weirdest things (like going to public places without any goal or purpose, trying to sleep without any living creatures around, staying in unfamiliar places) and this does apply to hanging out with friends.

- Has trouble communicating feelings and forming connections with other people.

- In otherwords, there’s a lot of confusing baggage to work through, none of it is conducive to close friendships, and I really have no clue what anyone would get out of any sort relationship with me....yeah, you’ve been warned 😓

Tagging: @circuscarnage , @mamushroomoracorn , @officialworldofmistren

[annp1987]

Be on top of your platform 👑 Tips to gain and maintain a following

      Wouldn’t you love to quit your Monday through Friday 9-5 job that continues to stress you out after you clock out? Living a life full of glamour, a full closet full of clothes that are in style, vacationing to the most exotic and beautiful places? It seems so easy right? Post some photos on Instagram and Facebook, hashtag a company or two and tag a few celebrities. It can’t be to hard, right?

    Wrong! Especially now it seems like social media influencers are all over the place. For every one successful influencer there are 5 unsuccessful ones. People who started and after a few posts, or even months of zero new followers or emails from companies asking to partner they have given up on there dream and set there alarm for Monday morning clock in. So what does make you a successful influcener? I have listed a few tips and tricks that can help you take your best forward on this journey!

    1. Be happy           It is proven that emotion is contagious. People want to be happy. Be sure to post about happiness! We share emotions of all sorts on social media from anger, pain, depression, happiness, excitement, appreciation, etc. Posts with higher emotional value get more shares and that is what we are looking for! Try adding happy or happiness to headlines, posts and hashtags!

2.  Give hints           Your post should give away hints, not full stories. The full story comes after the visitor clicks on the link to go to your website or after trying the product for themselves. If you post a photo on social media, the first photo should be a sneak peak, the caption should say ‘swipe left for blank’, this draws that visitor in and gets them interacting on your social media platform. 

3. Research          You can’t just pick a website and make a post and expect followers. You have to do your research on which websites have the most users, which are most popular. Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. You definitely want to pick a site that has hundreds of thousands of users who could come across your post. You also want to know what people respond too. Pictures, music, quotes, colorful writing, etc. Make your post appealing to the eye, don’t have it looking like a huge report or essay, make it fun!

4. Engage          This is a key step. When you do get followers, and you will, you have to let them know you see and appreciate them. Respond to their questions, if you go live say hello to them when you see them join your video. Just like you and myself, followers like to be noticed and appreciated. The more you care about your followers the more they will care about you and what you are saying. They will in turn comment on and/or like your post which will show up to everyone who follows them. They will share a story you post that interests them and that will broaden your audience!

5. Be YOUnique           Be you! You are selling yourself after all. Companies and cities pay big money to advertise, what makes them want to pay you to it also? You alone, that’s who. You have to be yourself, you have to put your own spin on it, make unique. Social media is the place to be different, be weird, be authentic. By doing this you are setting yourself apart from the others, making yourself different from the thousands of other posts! 

[blackcrawford]

Why Women of Color on Supergirl Deserve Better

 There are things that need to be said about Supergirl, its fans and its treatment of women of color. Specifically black women. [I will be speaking for my Asian and Hispanic sistas as well. But as a black woman, I mostly speak about that]

Thsi interaction sparked somewhat of a reaction in me. 

Azie Tesfai (who plays Kelly Olsen in Supergirl) is a black woman.

Now with the feminist rhetoric that will always surround this show, because it was the foundation it was built on, people tend to forget that women of color exist, because the show is peak White Feminism. Up there with Taylor Swift and Pink Vagina hats. 

All of the women of color on Supergirl excluding Kelly and the Colonel, has either been some sort of villain and/or dies.

National City is supposed to be LA and apparently only had one Mexican person and four black people. 

If you’re in LA and don’t see a Mexican or a black person, it’s cause you hid in your bathroom all day. 

That’s completely irresponsible and dangerous. It’s erasure. 

All of the witches in S3 except for one was a woman of color. Which is irresponsible and dangerous. 

Alex putting a gun in that black womans face, after breaking into her home based on Kara's DREAM, while the woman had on headphones, when she hadn't even committed a crime, is literally so insensitive considering the culture we live in.

Look up Korryn Gaines. Here I did it for you. 

(http://data.baltimoresun.com/news/korryn-gaines/)

It was something out of a white supremacist wet dream. Something black and brown people all over the country have to live in fear of. 

I refuse to watch that episode ever again. Irresponsible, dangerous and blatantly racist.

Supergirl was not and has not been a show that is friendly to women of color. (I would say ask Floriana, but she isn’t even a woman of color. She just TANS. Like really? Really? They had her playing a hispanic woman and she ain’t even hispanic? Not black face, but close. Disgustingly close)

Insert Kelly. 

During a season where the subject of profiling and discrimination was the main focus. 

Coincedence?! I think so. 

I doubt the Supergirl writers did that on purpose, because they are not that smart. 

The reaction to the treatment of aliens on this fictional show was more empathetic than the actual prejudice that those considered part of the African Diaspora faced is not only repugnant, it is cognitively dissonant. 

Supergirl is a show with mostly LGBTQ+ identiying people as fans. It has a lot to do with the people who tuned in for Sanvers on S2 and S3. 

Also a lot of people who want to see Supercorp, and also Katie Mcgrath has played WLW characters in the futre. 

(Speaking of Katie Mcgrath and Lena Luthor! READ MY OTHER WRITING ABOUT SUPERGIRL and that reveal!)

( https://lenashomegirl.tumblr.com/post/185024993045/why-lena-luthor-matters-even-when-others-actions)

LGBTQ+ community members tend to be some of the most racist people in the world, while also crying about equality. 

And that isn’t seen more clear than Sanvers fans treatment of Azie Tesfai.

Calling her an “IT”, numerous times, making sure she saw it. 

The dehumanization of black women is so ingrained in the psyche of white supremacists, that they don’t even consider it white supremacy at work. They just see it, as a Twitter feud. 

I have not seen her being called the N word, but based on how y’all treated Mechad those first couple seasons, I know for a fact y’all have got that slur locked and loaded in the chamber, for them extra bored days.

 https://www.instagram.com/p/BwDb221hTsM/

Mechad spoke about this less than two months ago. All of them spoke about it. With Candice from The Flash. 

Candice not quitting is a testament of how strong black women really are. I remember when it was announced. You Neo Stanzis came out to PLAY. I was so disgusted. 

You’re not going to do this to Azie y’all. We won’t allow this to happen. I won’t allow this to happen. I don’t care if I’m fighting by myself, writing an essay a week for the next 3 seasons, I will be here like Tony Montana at the top of your tags and timelines, emptying chamber after chamber. 

If you racist fangirls suspend me, I will make another account on another computer and keep going. 

Not liking a character is completely understandable. I wanna knock Kara’s teeth out most of the time. But I don’t comment under all of Melissa’s social media posts “Hey I wanna knock your perfect teeth out”

 Y’all bullying real people. 

And I see what y’all trying to do. I’m not stupid. 

Y’all bullied the guy (Rahul Kohli) that played Jack Spheer as well. He called the fandom “toxic” and “nasty”.  And he also, called y’all “racist”

HM! All of the people of color who have white love interest on this show has had a problem with racism on this show. Almost seems as if it’s a habit as opposed to a one off comment here and there. 

Y’all got Chris Wood (Not a man of color, but a good example of the toxicity that permeates the fandom) out the paint, by bullying him till his anxiety almost killed him. He spoke about it in his livestream for his clothing line. He was talking about his dad’s undiagnosed mental illness ended up killing him and he spoke about how dangerous social media is. Him and Melissa had to shut off the comments to their own engagement announcement. 

A dangerous precedent has been set by the Supergirl fandom. 

Y’all think you can bully people, until you get your way. Until people leave. 

And y’all say “It’s not racist, if we don’t like Kelly. She’s just not right with Alex”

Why is she not right? She’s smart, she’s beautiful, she speaks to Alex in a non condescending way (Maggie was a douche. I hated her.), Alex likes her. etc. What EXACTLY is not right about Kelly? Specifically. 

“They moved too fast” Give me a break. Maggie and Alex got engaged in six months. 

You guys speak about representation and seeing yourself positively, but that all goes out the window when people of color are involved, huh? 

Black women aren’t allowed to see themselves as nothing more than yellow eyed villains in National City? 

She’s here. She broke your illusion of Supergirls predominantly white world with a few tokens and now your SICK. 

Get used to it. She’s here. 

And the KKK rallies y’all host in her mentions, ain’t gonna drive her away. 

[coffedraven]

22 Questions Tag Game

Rules: answer then questions then tag people

1- name: Thaiz

2- nickname: my brother calls me Izzy; my friends in college call me Chandler, from Friends, they say I’m 100% him

3- star sign: Libra

4- gender: female

5- sexuality: I’m kinda bi, kinda ace/aro idk

6- favourite colour: Red/Purple/Black/White

7- time right now: 07:35

8- average hours of sleep: 5/6

9- the last thing i googled: cyber security pdf (for an essay) 

10- number of blankets: usually 2

11- favourite fictional character:  Sakura Haruno (Naruto); Ravena (Teen Titans); Chandler (Friends) and Floki (Vikings) 

12- what are you wearing right now: Black sweatpants; black t-shirt; black shoes; everything underneath is also black ‘cause I’m goth af (me, a wise woman applying the concept of TMI);

13- favourite book: Memoirs of a Geisha made me cry all the 5 times I’d read it, so it’s my top 1; but I also loved Pope Joan and Carrie (that by Stephen King);

14- favourite musician: right now I need to put BTS first; I’m also deep in love with Epik High, Hyukoh, my queen Lady Gaga and some oldies like Elvis, Sinatra, Etta James and Aretha Franklin;

15- dream job: artist but I’m not talented enough to make money with my drawings (yet); anything that allows me to travel abroad would be nice - as long as it’s legal and doesn’t hurt people/animals/environment 

16- number of followers: last time I checked there were 100 - but I’m afraid most of them are that old inconvenient porn blogs that I forgot to block so I must have something around 40 or 50 followers 

17- when did you create your account: 2012 I think

18- what do you post about: things that used to inspire me at first, now it’s kinda similar ‘cause BTS inpires me a lot, but it’s a lot healthier than the depressive shit I used to like, so...

19- what made you get an account: I saw a friend using and I thought it was really cool, all the designs and posts, etc

20- when did your blog reach its peak: well I’m not popular nor looking for some kind of popularity, since I don’t really make content... People just began to interact with me here on last months, so I would say right now it’s the highest I’ve achieved 

21- do you gets asks on a daily basic: Nope, I just had like 2 asks my entire life here

22- why did you choose your url: I love cofee and Draven is the last name of my alter ego - yep I have one

thank you for tagging me @mikvrokosmos <3 

I’ll tag some people I follow: @taegi @beesthoughtsblog @aquaminwrites

[travllingbunny]

The 100 rewatch: 1x04 Murphy’s Law

I’m a new fan of The 100, who first binged it last year, August to November. This is my first full rewatch of the show. I was planning to start it anyway and finish it before the season 6 premiere on April 30, and when I saw that Fox Serbia was airing a rerun (Monday to Friday, 40 min. after midnight, with repeats the next day), starting on 1st February, it was a great opportunity to start my rewatch in HDTV on my beautiful new TV. I decided to do write-ups and tag other fans on SpoilerTV website, as I did when I was first watching the show. But my posts turned into full blown essays. So, finally, after over a week, I’ve realized: Why don’t I post them on my Tumblr blog, too? I’ll copy my write-ups of the first 7 episodes, and then I’ll post my rewatch posts after I watch each episode. (The next one, 1x08, is on Monday’Tuesday.)

Spoilers below for all 5 seasons of the show. I go of on a tangents and make a lot of references to future events.

Rating: 7/10

The first 3 episodes took place over something like a day or two, This one happens a week later. Which is a way to avoid having to show Clarke's immediate reaction to Wells' death, and to have to spend a lot of screentime on her mourning, because most of it took place off-screen (we just see her at his grave, and later talking to Finn about him and how good he was to her while they were growing up). At least Finn got an entire episode, even though it lasted just about a day in-universe. This is something that TV shows like to do - have the characters mourn for an episode or a few scenes for a dead character and then never have them mention that person again. Well, at least they did have Wells' father see apparitions of his son multiple times and mention him several times, including when he was dying.

This episode instead isn't at all about Wells, but starts with the Delinquents learning that he wasn't killed by the Grounders and that it was instead one of them, using Murphy's knife. The title of this episode, Murphy's Law, aside from being a pun, also describes the chain of events not just in this episode, but the show in general: everything that can possibly go wrong, will go wrong. This a really good episode right until the last 5 minutes or so. The interactions between Clarke, Bellamy and Murphy are really interesting. Murphy is at this point at his peak obnoxiousness. He's basically acting in the textbook "How to make enemies and alienate people" way. In the first couple of episodes, he was only antagonistic towards Wells, but now he's using his position as Bellamy's sidekick to bully other Delinquents for no reason at all, to try to make himself feel bigger, out of his own envy and hate and resentment, and his inferiority complex. To use a Buffy reference, if Murphy was a high school Mean Girl, he wouldn't be "Queen C" Cordelia Chase, he would be one of the Cordettes - people who latch onto someone more powerful and popular (in this case, Bellamy) and then bully others through that newfound 'power'. The infamous scene where he urinates on another Delinquent happens when he's overseeing the work (the Delinquents are building a wall to have a defense against a possible Grounder attack, since they still have almost no weapons) after he's first mocked that guy for not working hard enough (implying 12 year old Charlotte would work harder), and then mocked him when he said he needed water, but then Bellamy told Murphy to go and get him water. And that's probably why Murphy then urinated on the guy, he couldn't take it when Bellamy took the guy's side, so to speak, and cut down his position of power (or what Murphy sees as such) by sending him to fetch water. Hey, look, here's Manny Jacinto as one of the boys bullied by Murphy. Of course I didn't notice him before, he appears for like a second. Even with knowing Murphy's later development, there's no two ways about it, he was a total dick at this point. Which makes the situation more ambiguous when he's blamed and almost lynched for something he didn't actually do - Wells' murder - though he had threatened to do it, and together with Clarke jumping to conclusions and accusing him of it, because Wells was murdered by Murphy's knife, and the fact that most Delinquents obviously really dislike Murphy at this point (no surprise) leads to that result. What happens to him is wrong, and someone should have apologized for it. But that doesn't excuse him at all for what he does next, trying to make people kill Charlotte instead, after she has confessed, and then, after realizing no one is supporting him, doing his best to kill her, including threatening Clarke's life at one point. I wouldn't think this needed to be pointed out, but I've seen some people in comments to YouTube reaction videos to this episode actually, in all seriousness, argue that he was right and that Charlotte should have been killed. WTF? What's wrong with people that they don't get the whole being 12 year old thing? I know that USA has the weird habit of putting minors on trial as adults, but even then, I'm pretty sure even US legal system doesn't go that far to execute 12 year olds. At which point did the writers and viewers decide that Clarke was "the Head" and Bellamy "the Heart" (which the show made explicit in the season 4 finale, and then overturned in season 5)? I've always felt that was a huge oversimplification and I'm generally not too fond of it. Season 1 Clarke was pretty impulsive in some situations, especially in this episode (it was her best friend who was murdered, after all), immediately deciding that Murphy is the killer and should be punished, while Bellamy argued that this would be a bad idea, because it would create unrest and make the Delinquents turn on each other, and that it was better for them to keep thinking it was the Grounders who did it. Which was maybe cynical, but pragmatic and rational. (BTW, I don't think Bellamy made a connection that Charlotte was the killer - he probably forgot about giving her Murphy's knife or thought someone else took it, but in any case, I don't think it would have occurred to him that she would do it.) Then Clarke actually confronts Murphy angrily in front of everyone, which causes the avalanche of disastrous events, as the boy that Murphy bullied earlier and a bunch of others immediately decide to hang Murphy and ask Bellamy to do it. 

Clarke had a lot of moral certainly at this point (which will be eroded slowly over the course of the show) but sometimes it was a bit too straightforward (she didn't stop to think how people will react - you could say, she didn't know her audience that well as Bellamy did), and here she realized that things weren't that simple - she wanted to get some kind of justice, but didn't want Murphy killed, and seeing what she had caused, she admits to Bellamy "I was wrong earlier, you were right". 

But where Bellamy goes really wrong in 1x04 is decide to "give people what they want" - in this case, a culprit they want and his death. It's one of his biggest mistakes in S1 and one that will come to bite him in the a.$s, especially at the end of the season when Murphy starts his revenge spree, which will be directed at the guys who first wanted to hang him, but most of all at Bellamy himself. And Bellamy will learn his lesson, an opposite one from Clarke, that you need to do the right thing and not just give the crowd what they want (in 1x12 he tells Clarke "Crowds make bad decisions, just ask Murphy").

The moment when Bellamy goes ballistic and starts acting on pure emotion - and tries to kill Murphy immediately - is later after Charlotte commits suicide, due largely to Murphy's pressure - because of course he would react like that to her death. Guess what, Finn acting decently (actually decently, not just on the surface) didn't last. We find out he was exploring woods by his own and found an old shelter, but he didn't tell anyone. Instead, he gives Clarke a pencil to impress her (right after she's told him about how Wells used to give her stuff when they were growing up, and that she didn't realize at the time that he was denying himself things to give them to her... hmmm). Later he reveals the shelter to Clarke when they need to hide Charlotte from Murphy and his gang. Clarke asks why he hasn't told anyone, and immediately thinks about how they could use things, but Finn tries to justify himself, saying that the food has all expired and there are no weapons, and besides, if he had told everyone, then they couldn't use the shelter now that they need it. So how does that work - he foresaw they would need to hide someone from the rest of the Delinquents?? Or he was just waiting for a chance to use that shelter to show it to Clarke and just Clarke, impress her and show her how good he is to her and how much she needs him? Am I being too harsh on Finn? He does some good things in this episode, like do his best to stop the crowd from hanging Murphy. But still... I never liked him much, my perspective on him is different now, after I have seen season 2 Finn with his "I killed all those people for you, Clarke!" thing, At the time I first watched this, I assumed that Finn was meant to be likable, but that the combination of bad writing and bad acting made him unlikable. I didn't know what it was about Finn that rubbed me the wrong way or that didn't resonate with me. But now I see more and more reasons to dislike him, and I think that his character is more consistent than I initially thought, but that he was never meant to be a really great guy, and that his romance with Clarke was just supposed to create drama and angst rather than be a great ship people would root for. (The whole thing with Raven really shows that.) Maybe I was too harsh on Thomas McDonell, though. He wasn't as good as some other cast members, but he's not that bad, now I have Tasya Teles' acting to compare it with. (I'm sure Tasya is a nice person, but she just can't act.) It's kind of funny that the climax of this episode is focused on Clarke and Bellamy being shocked at Charlotte's death in such a way that it seems like their child just died, and then arguing about leadership (it's already pretty clear that the two of them are those who decide on most things), as Finn just looks on. This may be the crucial moment where their co-leadership begins. Clarke argues "We don't decide who lives and who dies". It's so ironic that she will later during the show be expected and asked to decide just that, more than once. Meanwhile, on the Ark, we get to meet a couple of new characters - Kane's mother, a preacher, who'll be around for a couple of episodes, and Nigel, a woman at the Mecha station who runs a black market, and who, I think, won't ever appear again. But she gets Abby arrested by Kane, and also, through her, we get to learn more about Raven's backstory - that her mother was an alcoholic and that she used to prostitute herself to get stuff. Life on the Ark, especially those of lower classes, seems so freaking wonderful... The last few minutes of this episode initially annoyed me a lot, because it seemed like a return to the cheesy teen soapy bullcrap of the first couple of episodes. The love triangle was set up - Raven takes the pod by herself, since Abby can't go, and is arriving to Earth, while we get a confirmation that Finn is the boyfriend she wants to save - just as Finn and Clarke end up kissing and having sex for the first time. Now that I know and love how this triangle is eventually resolved, I don't hate this so much, but this scene is still really cheesy and feels like the classic TV insta-romance. And it's not just that, I also hated the scene where Octavia kisses Jasper, after praising his courage (for "standing up to a bully" -? I still have no idea what she was referring to, it's always confused me) and telling him that heroism gets rewarded. Ugh. And then Monty gives him a high-five. One of the things I hate the most in fictional romance is when romance/sex is portrayed as a reward that someone - usually a female - gives another person - usually a male, for performing heroic deeds. Gross. I'm so relieved, because of that, that the Jasper/Octavia ship went nowhere, even though I wasn't a big fan of how her romance with Lincoln was portrayed in S1, either.

[lizzybeth1986]

Part 2 - His Flame

Introduction

Part 1

Part 3

Disclaimer: This post is the second in a trio of essays on the events of the Finale of The Royal Romance, in which I place Prince Liam's final decision to marry Countess Madeleine in the context of his role as king, the current state of his country Cordonia and how he will move forward from the events of his Coronation. The first essay looks at Cordonia is a nation and how Liam's role is defined by the events that have taken place there over the past few decades. Part 2 will explore the Liam x MC relationship and look at how Liam's interactions with the MC change his beliefs over time.

Disclaimer 2: For the purposes of this essay, I have included only the Liam-centric diamond options and romance-point-responses as part of the plot.

Do read Part 1 before you proceed to this point.

--

MC: Our relationship is so strange. It's not like he [Liam] can sweep me off my feet and carry me out of here...

Maxwell: When you're royalty, the rules are different.

- TRR Chapter 8, "A Waltz to Remember".

Liam comes to New York with one fervent wish: to see the Statue of Liberty - the ultimate symbol of freedom - right before he goes back to Cordonia to fulfill his duties and choose a bride. He refrains from asking his friends to include it in their schedule for fear of sounding ungrateful. So when an adventurous, fiesty young waitress jumps on the chance to make his dream come true, he is more than intrigued. Almost instantly, he confesses his deepest desires to her as he would an old friend.

For most of their boat trip to Liberty, Liam seems to admire the MC for being precisely what he can't be: gutsy, adventurous, the kind of person who constantly follows her heart. He recognizes in her the freedom he lacks.

For both Liam and the MC, this romantic interlude seems special because they don't expect to see each other again.

The MC, at the beginning of the game, is given three options that reveal to Liam what her ultimate dream is: to see the world, to fall in love or to live every moment to the fullest. Each of these goals, in some way, propel her to take that giant leap to Cordonia once Maxwell makes her the offer.

The Liam she finally meets at the Masquerade Ball is in many ways different from the tourist she had met in New York. In Cordonia, he is the Crown Prince, constantly aware of who he is and what his duties are, and the consequences of his actions. When the MC asks him what he thinks of the social season, he says, "I know it's silly...but it is tradition. I know how important it is to Cordonia to find the right queen." (TRR Chapter 4). He tells her that his feelings do not exactly count in the face of Cordonia's stability, citing the example of his brother Leo's mother. The MC will have to build her reputation in court and gain public approval if she is to be considered a fit candidate for his hand.

It's easy to forget sometimes what a personal leap it is for the MC (especially if Liam is her LI in the playthrough) to settle into courtly life. She has to use her limited funds to impress the royal family, the press and the public, quickly learn the new things that all the other suitors seem to know already and say all the right things to the right people, all while being able to snatch only a few minutes with Liam here and there.

Liam seems aware of how difficult her transition is, and strives to make it easier on her from behind the scenes. He persuades Drake to keep an eye on her to see if she is lost (something that actually does occur at the Derby), ensures that Drake gets the room next to hers at Applewood Manor, arranges for American barbecue to be given at the beach party so she will get a taste of home. He is aware that among all the ladies vying for his hand, the MC is at a disadvantage because everything about this experience is new to her.

The MC, on the other hand, attempts to give him opportunities to let loose, relive his childhood and forget for a while that he has the responsibility of an entire nation on his shoulders. At the Masque, she convinces him to play maze-tag with her after the ball, confiding in him later that "you laughed more in this maze than you did all night at that Masquerade". The hedge maze, from there on, becomes symbolic of their relationship - a reminder of Liam's mother, and his past, and a promise that he can relive happier memories with a woman who is willing to see him as merely human.

Another example of the MC encouraging Liam to take risks and try out new experiences is the "cronut run" (although, to be fair, the cronut run is really for ALL her Cordonian friends). It is here that Liam reveals to her exactly how sheltered his life is: "It's strange. I'm the potential leader of my country, and there's still so much of it I haven't experienced". He realises this needs to change, but isn't sure how to go about it yet.

Their relationship in Cordonia begins on slightly shaky footing, both aware that Liam is expected to make time for all the ladies participating in the social season, and that they cannot give in to their need for each other no matter how tempting the prospect is. While the MC is willing to go further in her relationship with him, Liam reluctantly exercises control over his desire for her, for different reasons over the course of the social season.

From the Masquerade to the hot tub scene at the Nevrakis Chateau, Liam is aware that anything can happen over the next few months and isn't willing to take chances with her. At this point the MC has only begun to prove herself to the King, Queen and the Press, and her reputation as an American vying for the Prince's hand makes her an unconventional choice. By the time they slip into the hot tub at Lythikos, Liam is already starting to feel the strain of repressing his feelings for the MC in favor of being fair to everyone. It's probably at this point that he starts to question exactly how useful the social season is, given that during the Coronation he doesn't hesitate to call it a "damned process".

The Royal Regatta, which follows this sequence, is a turning point that raises questions both for Liam's future and his relationship with the MC. King Constantine's announcement about retiring and handing over the throne to Liam complicates things even further. Had Constantine's rule continued, and the MC succeeded in winning Liam's hand, she would have had plenty of time to fit into her role, so that by the time she was Queen she could prove she could handle the pressure. With this announcement, however, there are chances that whoever Liam will marry will be pushed headlong into the role of Queen.

By this time Liam is already sure he wants to marry the MC (he takes her to Forgotten Falls - a favourite childhood spot - and almost confesses his love to her there), but has no idea how she will fare as Queen. It is a question he asks her often over the next few days, warning her of the expectations she will be asked to fulfill, trying each time to gauge whether this is something she will be okay with.

It is during the Apple Blossom festival that the MC truly gets her moment to shine. Here (if the player clicks the correct options) she not only shows a keen enthusiasm for Cordonian traditions, and manages to charm both the Queen and the Press (again), but has also formed alliances with the suitors who were out of the running already. Where earlier the Queen's questions tested her opinions on governing the nation, here their discussion centres around delegation and the need for allies. Her answers prove to the public that she is serious about becoming Liam's Queen.

This also explains Liam's own change of behaviour. In Applewood, the MC notices that he is happier and more carefree, and definitely more ready to talk about the future. We are never explicitly shown why, but over the course of the book we discover that the MC's reputation has grown in Applewood, making the Prince's decision to select her easier on him. At the ruins close to the village where they rode horses, Liam asks her what kind of king he will make. Her encouragement makes it clear to him that he is not alone.

In the same diamond sequence, Maxwell tells the MC that he saw "something in [MC] that Cordonia needed: hope". It is at this moment we can pinpoint when exactly Liam started becoming confident in his choice of queen. By the time Liam sneaks her into Applewood hedge maze for private time, he has begun talking about spending an eternity with her, asked her what kind of legacy she will want to leave behind and what causes she will champion. At this point he has stopped considering anyone else for his hand in marriage.

It is during their stay is Applewood that their kisses become more frenzied and desperate, and where their need for each other is starting to reach its peak - by the Beaumont chapters Liam is literally biting her neck.

The Beaumont chapters mark an important transition in the way their relationship functions: so far, the MC has been the one who, in Liam's words, has been "jet-setting around Cordonia, attending grand formal events...", and Liam already feels the need to give more to the relationship than he has so far, by having his first ever date with her.

Midway through the date, he tells her that he has never dated before, answers awkward, silly first-date questions, and confesses to her his dream of having a family. This experience is the closest Liam has ever gotten, in his adult life, to being normal around someone.

His efforts to meet the MC halfway don't just stop there. He takes the risk of wearing a suit to match the MC's gown, aware that the symmetry between the couple will cause a stir. He offers her a massage at the Beaumont spa, hoping to help her relax a bit before the craziness of the Coronation ball begins. Having hosted a wildly successful party for the first time, her chances with Liam are now higher.

But because this is a relationship with strange beginnings, Liam and the MC are able to move forward quite quickly in some aspects of their relationship, while tiptoeing around others. For instance, they tend to be open to each other about happier times, but do not always share troubling information with each other, such as the truth behind Constantine's retirement (though Liam does tell her that she would have been the first to hear it if he ever was ready to talk), the Tariq fiasco and the damaged lock on her door at Applewood. Part of this, of course, was because the MC convinced herself that there was nothing to worry about.

Liam and the MC finally confess their love to each other at the hedge maze in the Coronation ball - the first place Liam had ever taken her to in Cordonia. By bringing her here to confess his love, Liam comes full circle. This was the place where he pulled away for the first time, afraid to go further. This is the one place he treasured for the memories it held. In this moment he is confident now that she will become his queen, and nothing - or no one - can stop him from choosing her. In this place, he now wants to make new memories, with her.

Over the course of their relationship, the MC has never failed to turn everything Liam knew to be true, on its head. The social season was about getting him a bride and a fitting queen for Cordonia, but the MC managed to get him to think beyond it. This is never more evident than in these lines:

When Liam eventually makes love to the MC, he doesn't just ask her consent for the sex. He also asks her how she wants it. Both options yield different scenarios, with Liam moulding himself to fit into the MC's needs for that night. This may seem like a small thing, but the fact that he wants her to enjoy sex the way she wants it, not the way he assumes it should be, shows us that as soon as he is done with this social-season-facade, he plans to place her needs first.

There is an element of tragedy to this love scene, given that it happens just minutes before they are denied a chance to ever be a couple in public. We know what took Liam this long, what it took for him to rein himself in everytime things threatened to go a little too far. We know that he was waiting for approval from all sides, hoping against hope that he would be able to both fulfill his duty to his country and be with the woman he loves. He was confident enough in the fact that they'd be together that he stopped waiting and gave in to what they'd both wanted all along. And right after this he finds the same woman being openly humiliated in court, thrown out without being given a chance to clear her name.

When the scandal finally breaks out in court, Liam's first reaction is to ask for her, and then yell out to her so she can hear him. When he doesn't get a response (because her screams are too far away to hear) he turns to Regina, angrily insisting on talking to the MC before she pulls him aside and whispers instructions in his ear. By the time he announces Madeleine's name, he is furious. He is actively resisting in the only way he knows how.

Liam, stickler for rules, demanded an audience with the suitor he loved just as the night was drawing to a close, just minutes after being crowned. He insisted on it. He called out her name in public. Not in anger, not in suspicion, but in shock. All this in front of his family, in front of the court and other suitors and the press. At that point it almost didn't matter that his mask of self-composure was slipping in front of a crowd. He didn't stop insisting and trying to buy time until his parents forced him to follow the Coronation rule. That might not seem like such a risk, but with the background he comes from, it is.

We must realise that his love for the MC develops over time, and so do the changes that love has brought in him. From being resigned to choosing someone he could just hope to be fond of and slightly compatible with, his experience with the MC proves to him that any bond lesser than love will be detrimental to his marriage and detrimental to Cordonia.

At the end, Liam finds himself living out the words he said, mere months ago, while visiting Lady Liberty.