#bc if a person or a circumstance can change who I am with him then it can change me entirely fr I hold him v close to me

[halloithmeagain]

.

[tangents-within-tangents]

Thoughts on Echo as amputee/disability representation

First and foremost, I am not disabled or an amputee and I don’t claim to speak for those communities (and if I was I couldn't speak for everyone). What little I do know mostly comes from this youtube channel (@oakwyrm), this post, and other research I’ve done for my writing (and like one amputee I kinda knew in passing). By all means correct me and add to the conversation, I just have some thoughts I want to share because I haven’t really seen this discussed anywhere

Overview

So Echo is interesting. He is a triple amputee which is pretty rare in media. His disabilities come from extremely traumatic circumstances: injured in a near-death experience, imprisoned and dehumanized as an experiment with no autonomy over what happened to his body.

There are a few moments in the shows where Echo is treated… questionably. Like this bit where Rex uses him as an example of the Separatists' evils to convince the locals to fight back:

To be fair, yeah Echo’s treatment does prove that the Techno Union is not neutral like they claim. The modifications that everyone is gasping in horror at here obviously weren’t made with comfort and accessibility in mind, nor with Echo’s consent. But you still just want to be sure that “They took away his freedom, his humanity, they tried to turn him into a machine” is about using him as a living computer, not the fact that he is missing limbs. 

The Batch is also pretty insensitive toward him and his trauma imo, which is weird considering they've supposedly also faced discrimination for their mutations

Disabled people do have to deal with stuff like this in this day and age so I guess it can speak to those experiences. I think especially him being mistaken as a droid (and Hunter going along with it (bruh)) might resonate with some people. 

Aside from that stuff, Echo isn't really treated any differently as a character/person which is really good (as low of a bar as that is).

We get this moment in CW where Echo contemplates that yeah things are gonna be different now

While also (imo at least) showing that he is still the same person regardless, evidenced by the fact that he just echoed Rex :,) I also think it's significant that he joins the Bad Batch on his own terms and we're given a really emotional scene to specifically show that he's not just like 'lumped in with the other misfits' but that it is his choice to go where he feels his place is.

A lot of people, myself included, are disappointed that TBB didn't have more time to explore Echo's PTSD, but I think the one panic attack scene we did get is really good. Even thought it's minor it at least is an appropriate reaction from a guy who was medically tortured (which is more than I've come to expect from Star Wars shows lol)

And it's really sweet to see Omega showing Echo some empathy and consideration.

It would have been nice to see more of his adjustment period, and other side effects like chronic pain and maintenance, but there’s a lot of daily life stuff the show never had time for (i.e. we don’t know if he removed his prosthetics to sleep, but we also never saw him sleep anyway). His disabilities might take on a background role (much like the character himself sadly) but for the most part they aren’t invisible or erased, nor do they define his character and arc.

Physical Appearance

Okay this one is bit dicey, bc on the one hand, yes complaints that Echo’s paleness (most likely caused by burns from the explosion or chemical burns from the cryo-chamber) is whitewashing are totally valid. But I also think you can draw comparisons to real life conditions that affect pigmentation/complexion (like you know burns). So while I understand why a lot of fanart will depict him with his original skin tone and with hair, consider that there are real people who have to live with temporary or permanent changes to their appearance, and the idea of “fixing" him by making him look more like his old self can be problematic.

It's also interesting to note that Echo could act as a reversal of the 'disabled/disfigured = evil' trope. He's pale and bald and wears black and red, which is so often visually associated with villains, but we all know Echo is the bestest boy™

The Headpiece

Echo’s headpiece is interesting because within the show we don’t actually ever learn much about it (idk if there is more info in books or whatever bc i don’t have them so?). He didn’t have it in CW so we know it didn’t come from the Techno Union and therefore Echo probably had more choice with it. We don’t know its exact purpose but it’s most likely related to his scomping abilities. When he is hacking with his scomp in CW, before he has his headpiece, it’s clearly very mentally straining:

We don’t see him struggling like this in TBB once he does have it (though that could be bc he got more used to it over time). There doesn't seem to be much of an impact when he removes his headpiece in s3 ep14-15, except that he gets stuck in the ports every time he uses his scomp which is not something we’ve seen before: 

There might not be an exact real-world equivalent, but the headpiece is some kind of accessibility aid. It means that someone specifically designed a device to help him adapt to the changes the Techno Union made, as well as a helmet that integrates it. It’s removable and visually very present, much like a cochlear implant would be. (A lot of people actually headcanon it to act partially as a hearing aid, since it makes sense that Echo’s hearing would have been damaged in the explosion, but there isn't really any indication of this in canon.) The headpiece is never really acknowledged in the show, but I think that's a good thing. It's something he needs/wants and it just exists, completely normalized, and that's pretty cool 👍

Legs

Sigh... So from the very first episode of TBB I was really disappointed that the animation team or whoever completely visually erased Echo’s prosthetic legs (I think we all were, honestly, if fanart is anything to go by). It’s one thing when he’s in armor because he would probably want to protect his prosthetics, but we literally see him in his blacks and there is no indication whatsoever that he lost his legs even though it was not left up for debate at all in CW:

Like ??????!?

This is just really strange to me! Idk what went on behind the scenes with this decision but I don’t really see why it would be that much harder to animate or anything since it’s 3D and they've done it before. We do see some pretty sophisticated cybernetic technology in Star Wars canon that mimics real limbs:

But Luke’s fancy hand is technically 20ish years from now, so Anakin and Maul are more of a representation of what level we could expect here

So yeah, for no apparent reason, his leg amputation is effectively, visually and narratively nonexistent. Which is not great 👎

Arm!

The scomp on the other hand (uh lol!) is the complete opposite and I kinda love it!

At first I, like many others, thought it was a bit odd that they didn’t give Echo a prosthetic arm. Losing hands is basically a Star Wars tradition at this point, so robotic arms/hands are well established within the worldbuilding: 

We aren’t necessarily given a canon reason for why Echo doesn't get a cybernetic arm (again unless it's in some lore book I haven’t read, sorry). General fanon explanations I’ve seen are that he either couldn’t because the Techno Union wired the scomp too far into his nervous system, and/or the resources to give him one were deemed too expensive for a clone (what about his legs tho?), or that he chose not to, usually because he thought the scomping was useful. 

Regardless, I actually really love this choice (and it's the whole reason I made this post), because here's the thing: There’s a lot of problematic tropes out there that either erase/cure disabilities or compensate them with perks (like how pretty much any blind character is actually not blind by some sort of magic power). With amputees that is done with robotic arms. The character is still an amputee or course, and there is still value in that representation, if this story from Mark Hamill that makes me tear up is anything to go by:

but for the most part these characters function like anyone else, just with a limb that looks a little different. It’s no more than a video game skin, an able-bodied actor with a green screen glove. It “cures” the disability, or it actually makes the character even stronger than usual: 

It usually makes sense within the world of the story, but the reason it’s not so great in my opinion is that in the real world we just do not have technology anywhere close to that yet. Prosthetics can more or less replace any mobility from lost legs, but not for all the complexities of a hand (and even if they could the average person wouldn’t be able to afford it).

So

I think it's actually really super cool that Echo’s scomp bypasses the canonically-established amputee erasure and functions much like a stump would irl. He integrates it into his movements and everyday life and it’s (as far as I know) a lot closer to an everyday amputee’s experience. 

It doesn’t define his character, it doesn’t hold him back, he lives a full life, the other’s don’t treat him any differently, and he’s still a total karking badass 

The only additional thing is that he sometimes uses it as a weapon (which given his story, I think it’s cool to see him taking back autonomy in a way, and we only see that like twice)

And also the scomping, which could be seen as the 'added/compensating superpower' trope. But narratively it's no different than if he was plugging in with a hacking gadget of some kind (he didn't necessarily "need" to lose his arm for it) and it’s not like Echo is completely defined by this skill. Personally, I think it's well worth the positives of him actually having a visible and realistically impactful amputation. 

I see a lot of posts or comments out there that say stuff like “how come Echo doesn’t get a hand?” or fanworks that do give him one and I just think it’s a bit of a shame. If he did get a robotic hand, it just would have disappeared the same way his legs and Anakin’s arm did (aside from that one time he got yoinked by a magnet). When Echo did “get a hand” in the last two episodes there were comments like “yay he finally got a hand! but it doesn’t even work” but I was actually so relieved that it didn’t! Bc for one thing that wouldn’t make any sense, he grabbed it off a droid, it wasn’t designed to implement with his scomp, that would be really complicated. But more importantly because it again refused to erase/cure his disability! It functioned like a real-world cosmetic prosthetic (useless beyond appearance) which is exactly what he needed it for, so that he could blend in better with his disguise.

And he continually took it off throughout the episode and ditched it at the end. He only used it for the necessity of a stealth mission, he doesn’t feel the need to visually “fit in” in his daily life. 

And, last but very much not least, he made a dad joke and from my intel that is very accurate representation!

TLDR: Echo’s scomp is actually really cool from an amputee representation perspective, especially within Star Wars, and I think that deserves some appreciation 

[myfairkatiecat]

okay so shannon giving us a keefe pov seems actually lowkey important and what i would do in the story rn but I'm not convinced she's going to use it to do the things I feel like we need her to do.

let me explain.

Shannon set Sophie up as a character who behaves certain ways. A lot of those ways are very good, and she's certainly a hero, but she also has character flaws that get worked through. For example, she can be a little reckless (personally I would have made all the same choices) (I know we think of Keefe as the reckless one but he's a different type of reckless) she can prioritize the wrong things, she can be disorganized, etc (all things that are super valid and understandable and make her relatable btw. I am a sophie foster defender)

and BECAUSE sophie is the protagonist, we see all of this develop. She has certain qualities that are a little stagnant sometimes, at least if you look from the outside, but there's actually a ton of development going on. She hears others' opinions on her actions, good and bad, and the reader sees how this impacts her and how she grows and changes, even if that change is nonlinear or in many ways she stays the same and just grows more mature.

Here's the thing about Keefe. he wandered out of side character territory and into second main character territory starting at the end of everblaze and peaking in legacy. And Shannon has been INTENTIONALLY writing him with consistent character flaws since the beginning, explainable by his past circumstances in fascinating ways. But we aren't there to see a lot of the falling out for that stuff.

A lot of people complain that keefe never faced consequences for stealing the caches or never had the black swan or adults yelling at him or mistrusting him or his friends avoiding him. And like... we do not know that. It could simply be that that was just not Sophie's problem at the time. Sophie also may have simply not been one of the people giving him a difficult time about it. In fact, we know she wasn't, but boy oh boy Fitz certainly didn't bounce back in less than five seconds. And we don't know what the Council and/or black swan did with him that sophie just wasn't involved in--and bc it didn't become relevant to the plot from sophie's perspective, sophie being the actual MC, it just seems unimportant.

Another thing is that Keefe has a lot of the same character flaws throughout the series, but they do shift somewhat with his experiences, and that's without us even seeing in his head, you know? So here's the thing.

Shannon went and started developing Keefe like a second protagonist (who is interestingly also an anti hero in some ways) and even if you aren't a person who thinks he's the most developed character on the paper (disagree but see where you're coming from) he's DEFINITELY most developed in shannon's brain, and that bleeds through. But then we ONLY see Sophie's perspective BECAUSE THIS IS SOPHIE'S STORY, and everything revolves around what is relevant to the plot from her perspective, and then keefe is just in the background being extremely important and relevant and having all these extra issues that we ONLY ever see from sophie's perspective.

Unlocked was... well, it was half a book, and only half of it was keefe. I actually do think his perspective was enlightening in some ways, but a full keefe book at this point kind of seems necessary to me. Because... he's taken on the role of another main character in this story, but we don't see any of that development happening, and for a lot of people i can see that getting taxing. Now I get that those same people also wish keefe would just. step back from the plot. and i get that! but I think with the way he's involved in the plot NOW, seeing his perspective is important, because sophie's POV (especially with her unreliable narration) doesn't give us enough of a window into the complexity that is keefe's worldview right now, especially with all the ways he keeps impacting things. it's just a really important perspective to have at this point.

Shannon, if unraveled is just keefe trying different human foods and giggling like a kotlc react on wattpad, I will probably enjoy it bc i love your work always, but i will also be shaking you by the shoulders because we need this book and you better spend it doing the things we need

[silverraes]

10 BL Boys I Want Carnally

10 BL Boys That Make Me Feel Things™

(not sexual, not romantic but a secret third thing)

okay so I wasn't exactly tagged in this but I saw several people doing this and I'll take just about any excuse to scream about my favorite characters so I'm just going to very sneakily join in on this trend 👀

there is absolutely no ranking to these bc I couldn't rank them if I wanted to

(also I changed the name a little bc my ace ass is literally physically incapable of wanting anyone carnally but I still have lots of thoughts lmao)

1) Tharn (The Sign)

I mean. is literally anyone surprised that this is where we're starting?

he's the nicest person out there. he can kick your ass if he wants to. he lost his parents at a young age and is absolutely convinced that everyone he loves is doomed to die and he keeps seeing visions of people dying and he's told again and again that those he has wronged in a past life - which he doesn't even remember - are still out to get him and yet he has so much kindness left for the world??

also he can be such a little shit and knows exactly how to tease Phaya back I love him so goddamn much.

(also that mole-)

2) Kim (Kinnporsche)

was he also on my characters I'd hit with my car list? maybe. and what about it.

I love him so much. he's such a badass but he's such a loser. famous singer who falls for a fan he was supposed to be investigating but is too emotionally constipated to admit it. badass son of a mafia family who can kick ass but only if he wants to. who does it like him honestly

(it also helps that he's played by just about the prettiest man alive)

3) Babe (Pit Babe)

did I start watching this show ironically? yes. is every mention of alphas and mpreg and that mama/papa thing hitting me like a brick and causing me 9000 psychic damage every single time? also yes. did I absolutely fall in love with the show and just about every character in it? you bet your fucking ass I did.

but I especially love Babe. he's just so babygirl. special alpha man who has to act tough and strong but just wants to be babied by his dumbass loser (affectionate) alpha boyfriend. like, he's actually so goddamn soft?? I love him.

4) Guy (Bake Me Please)

I think we all knew this was coming. I was literally gushing about him for half of the episodes. Guy my beloved. that show did not deserve you.

he spends the entire show supporting his crush's every decision and trying to make sure he's okay literally how could you not love this man

(yes he was a petty bitch for like 5 minutes there but he immediately apologized for it the next episode. properly. unlike certain other people-)

5) Sprite (Twins)

he's so himbo coded. himbo of all himbos. the himboest. not a brain cell in that head. he's my little dumbass I love him.

he deserves so much better than what he's being put through. someone please just love and support him for who he is. and also take him away from that family

(please talk to your boyfriend tho I am begging)

6) Wei Wuxian (The Untamed)

MY BELOVED. I could write essays about him. he's such a great character I love him so fucking much. if you ever had to bear witness to me talking about him.. I am so sorry.

sassy emo bitch with a flute and a tragic backstory who's seen as evil by just about everyone but only ever had the best intentions. absolute fucking dumbass. kicks ass. always smiling despite the circumstances. loves his siblings so damn much. doomed by the narrative. what more could you possibly ask for

7) Zhou Zishu (Word of Honor)

I'm trying so damn hard to keep this list to one character per show and it really took me a while to decide if I wanted to include him or Wen Kexing but ultimately it was Zhou Zishu for me

just.. god. him. assassin sect leader just trying to retire who keeps getting dragged into the biggest bullshit but doesn't really mind bc the bullshit comes with a mysterious pretty man. also that whole god damn nail thing. I have so many thoughts and feelings about that but this post would get too long if I got started on those-

(also actually pulling the "I'm literally dying" card to get out of chores is so fucking valid of him. more characters should do that)

8) Milk (Choco Milk Shake)

he is quite fucking literally a reincarnated cat, of course I love him. I could list reasons for why I love him but it would be the exact same reasons just about every cat person on earth lists for why they love cats so. but here's a quick summary, just in case:

petty. dramatic. knocks over glasses. silently loves you so fucking much.

9) Tew (My Dear Gangster Oppa)

I really did not expect to love him this much? greenest of green flags (except for the plot line we shall not talk about). can and will kill people and is fine with it (seriously it is so refreshing to see a mafia character not having a huge moral dilemma about being in the mafia). both a badass mafia man and a gamer guy who doesn't know how to talk to people and is absolutely whipped for his gamer bf.

also scars make a person just about 110x more attractive I don't make the rules. even if the scars are weird and yellow, it's the thought that counts.

10) Tian (A Tale of Thousand Stars)

I? love him??

I just love how he sets out to do something for someone he didn't even know because he feels like this person deserves that much at least and how he ends up genuinely loving and caring for those kids and the village and this inner conflict he's having the entire time but hiding oh so well and how he actually calls out his parents on their rich people bs and-

tagging everyone who reads this far and wants to do it. seriously. I mean it. if you want to do this, please go ahead and say I tagged you. I love reading everyone's thoughts.

[falsenote]

what is truly most joyful about this film is scenes like this. the constant gay teasing throughout the plot towards robert hossein's character hits at exactly where it should bc the source of the joke isn't the spectre of homosexuality itself but how much of a ridiculous terror he experiences each time. there are a few things to be said about this character, but it all comes down to his patriotic military persona he is trying to insist on desperately, being as much of a facade and hollow performance as his masculinity itself. it is such an absurd, hysterical dynamic when catherine spaak and tomas milian's characters spot this insecurity and annoy him about it just for the sake of it. bc spaak, to his knowledge, is supposed to be man but is really a woman all along (or is she), so when there is some sort of attraction building between them, she notices this and goes out of her way to create situations where he would have to address his attraction to her, believing himself to be gay since she is a boy, of course. these little scenes leave him so humiliated, and her, in control and amused at the situation, not bc how could he be so stupid he doesn't realize ~the truth (?), -since in this narrative we have to suspend our disbelief anyway and accept that catherine spaak is made to look in any way boyish in her appearance- but he is ridiculous bc he insists so much on a set way of seeing the world. bc her and milian's characters exist completely outside of this norm he is representing and they are the ones ridiculing *him* for clinging so much to it, it's like he's in the minority in the film's narrative. it is to be noted that when the final reveal happens and catherine spaak wears a dress instead of a uniform and tells him of being a woman and being in love w him as well, robert hossein keeps calling her as her 'boy name', theodore, even after their final kiss. it's not the person who has changed, from "man to woman" but only a dress was put on. there is also the fact to be noted here is that catherine spaak never once says, 'i will use this boy name as an alias bc circumstances demand it' she says, 'i am now theodore and i wish to be called that and be a man from now on'. it is completely insane.

^while on the note of clown behaviour and gay jokes, the tomas milian's subplot is practically that he also falls in love w catherine spaak (only bc she wears men's clothing which is so so funny and there really should be a fucking dissertation about clothes as a symbol in this film bc it is relatively so simple and yet says it all) and she does reveal to him that she is technically a woman which does not change his feelings (they said here's how bisexuality can still win) but when other, unaware characters question why he is in love w another man he simply does not correct them. why? because he is insane and also bc just as catherine spaak does w robert hossein, he literally just enjoys shocking ppl with the concept of homosexuality. and this is how you make a fun gay film.

[kanonavi]

hello tumblr user kanonavi who is 1/3rd of the reason i started rereading tgcf. i have come to collect my personal apology for the emotional damages inflicted upon me for the past 5 days. and i have also come with THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS (mostly feelings)

- icb i put off this reread so long hualian are so romance. theyre jsut Romance......... absolutely floored by every throwaway bit of dialogue they had....... in shambles forever....,

- sqx arc was not as painful as the first few times i read it bc i now stand with my cancelled wife (he xuan) I STILL LOVE SQX AND THEY DESERVE EVERYTHING GOOD. BUT HX WAS REAL FOR ALL OF THAT. i love revenge

- i wanna know your thoughts on ling wen bc u mentioned having mixed feelings on her but i loved her so bad all the way to the end so im curious ljdkdjf

- i am not immune to backstory arc pt2. read it last last (?) night at like 3am and cried myself to sleep its just so gutting every timeeeeeee.... the hc plot that builds in that arc is ofc one of my favorites in the entire novel though :')

- the chapter w the cave of statues took me like 2+ hours to get through because i was feeling so insane abt it

i feel bad dropping this block of text in ur askbox sorry. will leave it there for now LOL

Omg hiiiii tumblr user stardust-make-a-wish welcome back from the yaoi cocaine pit :3 I know you're here to collect emotional damages, but I must make it known that I'm not even remotely sorry <3

Also you should feel bad for yourself instead of for me because I can only respond to huge blocks of text with even bigger blocks of text, so (TGCF Spoilers Ahead) and also I am so sorry lmaooooo

UGH you're so right that hualian is the most romance forever they are just so *clenches fists and sobs*....... They're always there for each other and they're so in love and they've been through so much and I just want them to be able to rest because it's what they deserve.

I will never once say that Hu Xuan wasn't justified in everything he did cuz like. Shi Wudu had it coming what a piece of shit. But at the same time Qingxuan is my wife and I will not tolerate my wife being harmed. So like revenge slay yes but also I am still cancelling He Xuan and spraying him with the water bottle (even though he is already very very damp).

Yesyesyes Ling Wen. So my thought about Ling Wen is that she kinda girlbossed a little too close to the sun, but at the same time you look at her circumstances both past and present and have to understand why she did all of that. It already would have been hard enough for her to gain any kind of recognition as a woman, much less in the Heavenly Court, so her ruthlessness is completely understandable. But at the same time, I don't really think the Brocade Immortal deserved what she did to him nor was taking Bai Wuxiang's side in the final conflict a real cool thing of her to do. I can't fully be a hater though because her own thoughts about everything are clearly so nuanced (See: The final convo she had with Xie Lian about the Brocade Immortal, which I am still thinking so incredibly hard about to this day).

I think that Ling Wen is interesting in the same way that I find other characters like Mu Qing, He Xuan, and Yin Yu interesting. It's in the sense that even if I don't really agree with all of the actions that they took, it's very easy to look at them and come to an understanding of why they did what they did. And I have varying degrees of like for all of the characters I just listed, but that doesn't change the fact that they're all Compelling. So it's almost like a begrudging respect that I feel for Ling Wen, if I were to boil it down into simple terms.

aaaaaaaaaa The Horrors(tm) :sob: Even though I could talk about Xie Lian's arc through that part of his backstory for a million years, you're so right that Hua Cheng's arc through it is also so interesting to watch. It really goes to prove that Hua Cheng is different from everyone else in Xie Lian's life up until this point, because yes there's the very obvious throughline of Hua Cheng wanting to protect Xie Lian (rather than expecting his protection), but even more importantly that feeling never changes even when Xie Lian has his mini corruption arc.

Like, Hua Cheng fell in love with the pure and virtuous Crown Prince of Xianle but not for that quality. Instead of being ashamed and looking at Xie Lian with scorn when he was like "What if I kill everyone actually" Hua Cheng is like "Then let me be your sword". There's the element of not wanting Xie Lian to dirty himself that Hua Cheng carries for the entire story but the point is in that he is not a voice who would tell Xie Lian to stop having those thoughts if it's truly what he wants (Unlike what his parents or Feng Xin and Mu Qing would probably say).

I'm going to write an essay about their character dynamic one day istg I am chewing through the drywall

The cave statues chapter......... *passes away*. Like on one hand that chapter is so funny because yes Hua Cheng is just an absolute certified freak (POV my roommate telling me earlier on in my reading that HC is a porn addict and me being like "pssht noooo" but then getting to this chapter several months later and being like "O h.") but on the other hand THE CONFESSION??????? Like. All I can do is gesture wildly at the storyboard animatic that someone made of that scene on YouTube while absolutely fucking sobbing. There is a reason why the cover of volume 6 felt somehow more intimate than the cover of volume 4 where they're literally making out.

Anyway I'm patting Hua Cheng on the head like It's okay buddy Xie Lian loves you because you're a certified freak, he's seen too much of this world to be weirded out even a little bit. Which is why those two are perfect for each other <3

I'm glad you had so much fun on your reread, have fun with the brainworms :3

[hottestthingalive]

thinking about dorothy gale again. bc i always am. but specifically i was thinking about the peter pan-dorothy comparisons because if you think about it:

a fair-haired* orphaned human immortal** with a permanently child-like appearance and personality that primarily wears green*** is initially from the real world but is transported under mysterious circumstances via unconventional air travel to an isolated land with magic, a variety of animals the author probably saw at the zoo, and mystical creatures including specifically mermaids and fairies. They have a small primary companion whose name starts with a T, is prone to biting, and that can understand human languages but refuses to speak them****, as well as a group of other functionally immortal quasi-children***** that they go on adventures with. They occasionally leave the isolated land but always return (partially because they lose their immortality if they do not), they spend a portion of their lives tormenting an old gay man with an oddly circumstantially appropriate name******, their best friend is a fairy*******, there is a group of responsible adults around that keeps an eye out for them & the other kids but mostly lets them do their own thing********, and at some point a pretty girl gives them a kiss*********.

This description applies to both Dorothy Gale and Peter Pan. Literally the only real differences are their gender and nationalities.

in conclusion, all those books where dorothy and wendy become pals are cute, but also deeply inaccurate to the actual dynamics. Give me Peter Pan and Dorothy Gale being chaotic BFFs

now, all the footnotes:

*in the movie, dorothy has dark hair. This is based on the first book, where her hair color is difficult to discern but is generally held to be brown or black. In all later books that Baum (& others but I don’t count them) wrote, the illustrator was changed to John Rea Neill, the “Royal Painter of Oz”, who portrayed Dorothy as a curly-haired blonde in art. Since later books retconned numerous parts of the first book, I chose to accept that brunette Dorothy is one of them.

**In the Emerald City of Oz, Dorothy and her aunt and uncle end up permanently moving to Oz, after which they become immortal.

***When Dorothy is acting as Princess of Oz, or is just generally in the Emerald City, she is almost always described as changing into or just generally wearing a green outfit. After her moving into the palace permanently, it thus becomes her primary outfit color.

****This is in reference to Tinkerbell and Toto respectively. Tinkerbell speaks the language of the fairies but can understand Peter, the Lost Boys, and the Darlings when they speak English (and it is subtextually implied she choses not to speak English). In Tiktok of Oz, it is revealed that Toto, like all other animals, has been able to speak since he entered Oz, which explains why he always understands what Dorothy says and asks of him: however, he just doesn’t care for speaking much, and prefers barking.

*****For Peter, this is the Lost Boys; for Dorothy, this is Ozma, Trot, Betsy Bobbin, Button-Bright, Ojo, and assorted other children who at some point either traveled in or permanently live in Oz.

******Peter Pan very purposefully torments Captain Hook, who is named this before he loses the hand; Dorothy unknowingly drives The Wizard up the wall with her persistence until she eventually reveals him as a scam artist, who had Oz as his stage name even before he ended up in the Land of Oz.

*******Here, I reference Tinkerbell and Ozma. Tink is obviously (and very famously) a fairy, but Ozma is described numerous times as being a fairy princess. ********In Peter Pan, this is the indigenous tribe that keep an eye on Peter and the Lost Boys; in the Wizard of Oz, this is the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Glinda, Aunt Em & Uncle Henry, and assorted other characters.

*********Funnily enough, in the book Peter and Wendy technically don’t actually kiss: she just gives him an acorn she calls a kiss. HOWEVER, Dorothy and Ozma are described as kissing MULTIPLE TIMES, and there is a famous canonical illustration by Neill of them kissing on the mouth. Gay rights!

[yourmoonie]

hi, moonie! i have been a follower since early 2023 on twitter and you really helped me achieve a state of not giving a damn about the 3d!!

but i have a question, if i'm using loass to get my sp back and like i know the 4d is the only reality and in the 4d sp is mine, but the 3d hasn't conformed yet and so i don't care. so in the 3d, i start hooking up and hanging out with other guys would that become cheating if i believe and embody the state of him as someone who dates him? i'm so confused right now because the 4d always reflects the 3d and so is it okay if i still hangout and hook up with others when he hasn't conformed in the 3d?

Hey dear

Thank you for your love and support and I am very happy to know that my content has been helpful for you

Let me link an sp success story for you (I manifested my bff's ex back into her life bcs she wanted me to). Mind you, she had a partner around that time and her ex was dating another girl while they were in no contact. But we didnt care about the circumstances of course (p.s. they also got back together and started dating for a while) - link

So what I am trying to say is that you can date other people and 'manifest' your person (the reason I say ' manifest ' is because you at the end of the day you are manifesting yourself not anyone

You change your assumptions = the world changes accordingly

You change your views on your person = your person changes their behavior towards you

How do you think some people get whoever they want? Even married people? It's simple -> because of their assumptions and self-concept, and they don't even know about manifestation, but they are able to manifest perfectly whatever they want.

[turtledovenycx]

Idk why I’m saying this here but one time I cried bc of how beautiful Chan was, it was a very humbling and universal moment for me. That’s it, thank you.

Hi anonnie 🤍

I'm happy you said it here. I'm sure many of us on Stayblr can relate to this emotion. I've had celebrity crushes the infatuation stays for a week or two, and then it fades.

But Bahng Chan... How I feel for him is a different emotion in itself. I know reality, I know he will never be mine but it still doesn't change the way I feel. I would choose him again and again in every universe in every circumstance.

Anonnie, I understand how you feel the most... I'm an emotional person and I react deeply. I've cried so many times too. I cried when I saw his face the first time he won the award. I've cried when I saw how hard Chan worked to become who he is today, I've cried during Chan's room and cried so much when it had to be shut down, and I've cried when I think about how beautiful he is inside and out. I've cried because I am so proud and happy to be able to live, breathe, and admire him. I am overwhelmed with what I feel for him but at the same time, it calms me.

How can he be this beautiful? Like how? He is so handsome. Even if he believes differently. If I could, I would cherish him every day, and give him so much affection till he believes it himself. Channie is so handsome. He is the dream of many out there, he is mine I know that. His eyes- they crinkle when he smiles, his big nose that I've grown fond of- his nose is one of his insecurity but to me, it is the cutest thing I've seen, his plush lips, his cheeks, his smile lines, his dimples, his hair, body, arms, fingers, legs, everything!! god, I love this man so much. I love his smile and laugh... I'd die

However, Channie is more than handsome. His beauty is not limited to his physical features. I could say a million things about his features and millions more about his character and personality. Trust. The trust the team has in him, the trust the boys have in their hyung, he is their boulder you can't tell me otherwise. I picture him being there for the most mundane things without complaint. The way he cared for each one of them in the way they needed. He calms Jisung when he is anxious, and defends Changbin. Channie makes Seungmin believe that his voice is of an angel and that Minnie's smile is the best, he literally raised Jeongin. Chan is Minho's only hyung, He is Felix's best friend and Hyunjin's comfort. Us stays don't have to worry about whether the boys are taken care of. I know they are well taken care of and loved by their leader.

His soul. I have cried so much thinking about his soul. Chan has the kindest most beautiful soul I just know it. He has endured and he is wise. He is humble reminding us that to be perceived and respected you have to be down to earth. I've seen men at their best and their worst. I've experienced the worst most of my life but Chan made me believe that there were good and bad people, I was just stuck among the bad ones. He made me feel appreciated even though he was speaking generally, he made me feel valid, and he made me feel seen.

Some people can't understand that and I don't blame you, But if you have been through what I have been through, if you were in the darkness like me I think you would understand why I fell in love with a man who doesn't know me. I cry when he is sad, I cry when I'm proud of him and I cry because I love him. I hope he will learn to love himself soon.....

So love, I want you to know that when you feel the most humbling and universal moment, many are there with you. I am there with you. He truly is one of the best humans out there. I love him and I will continue to do so. He saved me, he saved a lot of us.

I kind of got carried away but I'm not really sorry. I love him, words are not enough, sentences are not enough, and pages won't be able to cover it.

_nyx.☽༊˚

[reggieblk]

what's If We Were Lovers? I was scrolling on the Tomarry tag and I'm so curious now! I love longfics. What's the concept?

hi! thank you for asking!!

if we were lovers is the second long fic I've ever written, and I'll try and explain the concept to you though please keep in mind that I am so bad at explaining the premise of this fic and I rarely do the actual fic justice when I explain it lol

but! basically it's a no magic AU that takes place in the 90's (so same era tomarry) with some timeline mashups when it comes to secondary characters. the premise is that Harry gets into a very prestigious and selective school for the arts (he attends for theatre) and his arrival sparks a bit of controversy because students are only accepted at 12yo or never at all, and he is 18, so joining the last year theatre students. his arrival is not taken well by Tom, whose class he is in, because students get cut every year, and by arriving in their last year Harry has subverted that threat that the others faced every year. there are five other boys with Harry and Tom in seventh year that i love a lot. I'll put the list of tags I have up until now at the end of this post to give you an idea of what's gonna feature in this fic!

concerning the actual writing of the fic, initially it was heavily inspired by the book If we were vilains by M.L Rio, if you've read that. though the inspiration kind of dies out after the first Act of this fic, so it doesn't resemble the book plotwise at all, merely in vibe. as such, I decided the write this fic in 5 Acts, each comprised of 12 scenes (the fic will be posted in Acts so each update will be very long, and there will be a total of 6 "chapters"; Acts 1-5 + an interlude for a rough total of 260k words).

Additionally over the months I made this post, this one, and more recently this one about this fic if they can give you a vague idea of what's gonna be going on.

And, here's the list of tags I have so far :

And here is the summary (which may change bc i literally just wrote it now for this post) :

When Harry arrives at the most prestigious theatrical school in the country under very suspicious circumstances he doesn't have many expectations. The most unexpected thing he encounters, however, is one Tom Riddle. Amidst peers of great talent, his worry for his Godfather, unconventional professors, and a vague sense of unworthiness, Harry falls in love with the only other person who deals with feelings as well as him. But maybe, just maybe, he and Tom will find out that not all love stories have to end in tragedy.

Okay!! sorry for going on so long, like I said I'm really quite bad at explaining the premise of this fic lol. I promise the fic is actually good, and with so much divergence from the canon works, there's quite a bit of world building and stuff.

thank you again for asking!! i hope my answer piqued your interest, and feel free to ask anymore questions I will be more than happy to answer! I'll come up with a posting schedule some time this week and post it but the whole fic will be going up in December!

[dogfags]

kinda sad that like me & my ex roommate / old best friend pretty much got closure & resolved whatever issues we had with each other but then still. kinda just don't talk and haven't hung out since everything happened. and like it does make me sad bc she was my best friend and we lived together for years but I also. have completely outgrown that entire friend group and am no longer interested in the things we used to do together that we were both into at the time. we don't really have much in common anymore. I mean there are some things we do share in common but idk. meeting all of Chris's friends last night and having a little trauma dumping sesh (lol) made me realize how much I've changed in such a short amount of time. since being properly medicated and moving out and becoming kinda more independent. I told Chris's friends a lot of what happened with my ex & that friend and they were all so kind to me and like sweet and understanding. and I really feel like I am making new friends in these people which is insane bc I have such a hard time making friends I feel like. but no I've made genuine real connections with the people at work now, the people at school as well, and now Chris's friends consider me their friend too ?? like damn I guess I am fully capable of making friends and connections. I am a charismatic likeable person with my own personality that people Enjoy being around. it's wild. and all it took was getting the correct diagnosis and being put on the right meds. and moving out and finding Chris ofc. Chris honestly has done so much for me already and it's wild to me how much I have just let myself be mistreated by partners. like even tho we started talking in the worst of circumstances he still was like no I want to be with u and explore my feelings for u. I just appreciate him so much and it's crazy how much healthier I am now mentally. I had a whole identity crisis over not rly being in that friend group anymore and I'm now coming out the other side of it feeling more Myself™ and like I've met people who really understand me. I still miss my old friend and maybe we will hang out or something some time. idk. I'm probably gunna just wait for her to reach out bc ik she just moved and is probably still settling. plus idk how her bf feels about me now lol. I am so glad I've finally like moved on from that relationship with my ex tho and I'm not tied to them at all anymore and I can just leave all of that bullshit behind me. I love my Chris so much and I feel more loved & accepted by him and also his friends than I ever have before in my life. it's so cool to finally meet people Like Me. also at Chris's party it was so wholesome and fun like we just chatted and played games and there wasn't weed or alcohol which is such a Virgin Loser thing of me to say but omg it's so nice being around people at a party without having to be the only person who isn't high or drunk 😭 transitions are hard but I feel like I'm levelling up in my life rn. which isn't to knock my old friends. i just am not interested in that lifestyle anymore and it's ok that they are. it's just nice to find people who understand me now

[keepcalmholderon]

Bridgerton S3 thoughts continued

For a change this will not be focused on Pen and Colin.

The rift between Agatha and Marcus is so sad. They literally spent at least 40 years estranged (I am probably underestimating bc let's be real: the saying black don't crack is said for a reason and I have literally no clue as to how old Agatha and Marcus are supposed to be - woo woo good genes! Lolol).

To spend any part of your life estranged from a sibling, I've seen it from the outside. The circumstances I witnessed were due to personality disorder combined with just being a shitty person, but for Agatha and Marcus it was dashed hopes and a misunderstanding.

When she confronts him at the Mondritch ball you can see her words stabbing him in the heart, the weight of the realization.

It was so settling (I'm having a hard time wording right now - I blame work brain) to see them resolve their issue and reconcile.

The thing about siblings is that there is always a shared experience. I know this is not something that can be generalized. There are people out there who have siblings who are legitimately shitty people, and there are circumstances that can overshadow and swallow up any attempts at familial feelings. This reality that some people face makes me want to curl up and cry. Not everything can be fixed.

But I guess this long rambling post is just me saying- I appreciate when media shows us examples of siblings reconciling and working things out. It may be a fantasy more often than not because it takes effort from both sides, but it's a fantasy I'll show up for because at the end of the day I'll take hope in whatever form I can get. <3

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

hi

I'll start this by saying you can ignore this ask if it's too annoying bc valid

but I just saw some absolutely bullshit takes when I was scrolling through mdzs posts

some people claimed that:

- jin guangyao and wei wuxian are the same and both killed for revenge so if wwx isn't evil then jgy can't be either (I- excuse me??)

- jgy did so much good for people and wwx just........ saved some wens (lmaoo???)

- jgy killed nmj out of self defense (ok so why did he keep coming back and acting nice playing/poisoning him for probably weeks if not months then????????)

- (this one is just crazy) wang lingjiao was just some poor commoner woman who couldn't fight back so wwx is awful for what he did to her

....

I'm sorry am I the crazy one here because these takes sound straight up INSANE to me like did the people who wrote it read the same novel I did??

"wwx stans are so hypocritical how can they say my baby's evil while they stan this cruel murderer who doesn't let his corpses reincarnate :((((" bitch????

I'm fairly new to the fandom and I can be wrong so can you tell me if I'm missing something (I doubt that i do tbh) but you seem very sensible and I just needed to get it off my chest

I'm not even saying people can't enjoy characters that are evil/morally gray bc some of my faves from other works are just that... but if you have to pretend these characters are some saints who didn't deserve what they got and drag down the main character just because you're salty then I don't think you like your "fave" all that much tbh

I hope you don't mind me ranting in your askbox, if you read my message then thank you for your time! Have a nice day! (I hope I didn't ruin it too much haha)

Hello anon! No I don't mind at all for this, rant away if you need to as I make my inbox open for it.

As to the idea that Wei Wuxian are similar, in terms of their status they had been born to, yes. But that's about as much of their similarity as they get. Just as how Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji are literary mirrors due to similarities in circumstance, but not mind or ideals. Yes, Wei Wuxian did kill in revenge, but he never denies this. He fully admits to this unlike Jin Guangyao, who continues to say he had no choice but to kill those that wronged him. The difference there is that, Wei Wuxian had been tortured, his guardians killed cruelly, his own sect almost was decimated by the ones he killed. Where as with Jin Guangyao, he killed many that endangered his political position or, verbally insulted him in some way. Between the two one's actions of revenge was foremost for the ones that had been wronged. For Jin Guangyao it was concerning his own ego.

Jin Guangyao never did anything for the common people. We are told several times in story that Lan Wangji, and the Lans are the outliers for this sort of thing. The watchtowers are nothing more than a repainting of the Wen's Advisory Offices and keep in mind, it was still under the approval of Jin Guangshan that they even were created. From a Jin Guangyao who wanted to please his father foremost. He also burned down a brothel of prostitute women, where in that, shows he cares for commoners of his own background?

A scum of a person, can be human and sympathetic, but it does not change that they themselves are in the end selfish, cruel and manipulative. That's what makes them terrifying, they use that sympathy to cause more hurt. Wei Wuxian never holds others hate of what he had done as unfair, just that he would not take rebuttal for what he never did and stands by what he did. Jin Guangyao never takes any sort of responsibility towards the ones he drags into his schemes and continues to say he needed to with no sympathy for the ones who had been innocent, saying that he should be the one pitied and forgiven.

You can like and enjoy an evil, just don't paint it as a saint when that is what the very work is against and criticizing. We are told that Wei Wuxian is meant as an ideal of morality, who this is still argued about and he is labeled "morally grey" and "just as wrong as the others" is just wrong from a literary and plot point of the book.

[i-need-to-touch-grassss]

Hey saw you and got curious about your writing so I was wondering if I could have some general hcs for affogato cookie? Also welcome to the world of cookie run x reader writing! We are always happy to see a new writer!

Of course! I’ll go see what we have in the back, just a moment!

warnings: a little bit of possessive behavior

✧ GENERAL HCS FOR AFFOGATO COOKIE ✧

✧ Affogato has a whole bunch of hobbies

and he will totally share what he knows with you whether you want him to or not

talking to you is like his therapy, he likes just being in your presence and talking about things he takes an interest in

he really does love having conversations with you!

he is almost always teasing you, mostly playfully

✧ do not, and I mean under any circumstances under an emergency, wake him up at any time before 6 am

he will have a hissy fit

he'll rub his eyes and scold you on how he absolutely needs "8 hours of sleep"

and you have to try not to laugh bc he looks so silly like that

but even giggling will make him more upset

he doesn't stay upset for too long, don't worry

✧ because of his...manipulation skills, if someone is either getting flirty, too friendly, or has ill intentions, he will use his status to...eliminate the problem at hand (he didn't kill anybody, don't worry)

but that is only a sorta last resort, if he notices this kind of behavior, he will first bring it up to you and let you know what he noticed

if noting changes, that's when he tries to tell the person to back off

if nothing changes still, then he uses his last resort

✧ talking about his status, he is so totally willing to use it for you too!

want to go someplace but there aren't any more tickets left in stock?

oh, would you look at that! he managed to find somebody who had an extra (or an extra 2 if he wants to go and has time)

you look at anything for longer than 5 seconds?

it's yours now!

he will literally buy you anything

✧ he can play a few sports, but he isn't exactly strong

maybe something like tennis or golf might be something that isn't too hard for him

✧ after a long day, he just comes home, changes into comfortable clothes, and collapses into your arms

(Run your fingers through his hair, he loves it)

✧ he's pretty busy often, but he always makes time for you when he can

when its late and he's working, sometimes you need to drag him to bed, he claims he didn't know how late it was

he was working harder so he could have more time with you, he won't say it though

✧ he absolutely loves when he can just hold you close and be reassured, you're there with him

can you tell affogato is one of my favorite cookies? I had a whole bunch of ideas for him

I also read a few oneshots and hcs for him while writing so if some parts look a little familiar, it's because I had a few ideas based around some of those

I'm also so glad I've been welcomed into the crk x reader side of Tumblr

[wastrelwoods]

to be fair i actually like the way that pterry positions police work - that there IS value in theory in a force that works to bring justice and uphold laws designed to protect people, and if police were good people who truly wanted justice then that would be fine, but also unflinchingly pointing out how easy it is for cops to be corrupt and/or arms of the government and how individual coppers' prejudices can affect their policing if not dealt with? like night watch especially with the original gang and with cable street and then with carcer easily becoming police - feels like pterry was saying 'ACAB, but they don't HAVE to be, but it takes root reform and a top-down permanent commitment to genuine people-focused policing to make them a force for good'

HI yeah sorry i waited to chew on this for a while i'm thinkin it over bc i am still always of two minds. pterry's take on policing is very reform-minded and explicitly trying to call out widespread corruption and violence in direct deconstruction of almost every other traditional form of the police procedural. and also having vimes and his police literally break from their intended role as a tool of the state to try to hold the state equally as accountable as people with less power is very narratively good! the idea that runs through the books of one man who is so committed to justice that he can reform the whole institution from the inside is compelling! and it is also very much an unrealistic fantasy and the kind of empty promise cities throw millions of dollars away for in sensitivity training and uber-militarization hoping that the problems with policing always sort themselves out with the right polish

as an abolitionist i don't agree that police work is an essential service and that police need to exist to provide justice, or that people would tear themselves apart without police and states and laws to hold them in check. but. that premise is something it would be very hard to make a procedural without. i think i like the watch best when they function the least like Police and are striving to provide more nuanced nonviolent community support, and de-escalate, and actually protect and serve people, and i like that sections like the start of night watch where every department in the city is involved in a genre-typical tense manhunt and shootout with A Psychopath Serial Killer (tm) are very, very rare

carcer isn't like most watch series criminals in being either a person driven to breaking the law by rough circumstances or a corrupt person in power, when we meet him he's just knee-jerk murdering young off-duty officers to keep from being caught for undescribed other random murders. carcer is just the sort of character who exists to be as terrible as possible with no particular motivation in order to make vimes' inner narration about how badly he wants to get a chance to kill this man without due process something that is sympathetic as much as it is harrowing. definitely the type of character most copaganda pieces use as an antagonist, and i like that the watch books don't resort to that the rest of the time. AND i also love that being just a guy who loves to do indiscriminate violence for the hell of it lands him a job as a cop in the past THAT is a great deconstruction. i also love the final conclusion being that even people who are this brand of cartoonishly evil and too dangerous to safely apprehend can't just be murdered in the street on the judgement of a good guy with a weapon. tho of course he is just hauled off and killed by the state anyway with more due process and paperwork involved. which is a little bit of an undercut of the idea but the ethics of capital punishment is sort of a different beast and not rly the focus ANYWAY

TLDR my hesitation is that a lot of the premise of police reform in the watch books is the kind of thing that demonstrably doesn't work irl re: promoting change from the inside but if you gotta have a book about good cops i do appreciate the ways pterry dug in and grappled with that

[softguarnere]

hey dove! how are you? family Christmas is coming up and I have a sneaking suspicion this year is going to be a doozy. your writing always cheers me up and I was wondering if you could maybe do something with Joe Toye? maybe reuniting after the war ends or the first Christmas back home together?

I've literally been rereading all of your stuff bc it's the only thing keeping me sane as of rn xD hope you're having a great day/night!

I'll Be Right Here Waiting/Put It Back Together

Joe Toye x reader

A/N: My dear, you have no idea how much this message means to me 🥹 The thought that the things I write to cheer myself up might be a comfort to someone else is so humbling 💕As someone who has also been dealing with lots of family drama this Christmas, I am sending you virtual hugs and good vibes - we will make it through this 🤝

Y'all know I try my darndest to write requests in the order that I get them. (And if I've taken forever to get to yours, I'm truly sorry, and I promise I'm working on it!) However, this message hit really close to home, and writing it felt like the distraction that I've been needing.

For those of you who enjoy my song title references, this one comes from Lucky by Two Door Cinema Club! (As always, this is written for the fictional depiction from the show - no disrespect to the real life veterans!) 💕🕊️

Warnings: mentions of war and hospitals, over use of italics - as usual

Funny, how one can grow so accustomed to unusual circumstances that going back to what was previously normal can be what feels like the drastic change. As the men that you’ve spent the past few years of your life with mill around the deck of the ship, your heart aches a little with the realization that for many of you, this might be it.

Even though you’ve exchanged addresses and given each other instructions on how to keep in touch, realistically you know that you may never see or hear from some of these friends ever again. Sure, you’ve all promised to remain in contact, but making a promise is one thing, and keeping that promise once you’ve moved on with your life and had family and friends and jobs and time get in the way is a completely different thing.

The evidence to prove this is there: there have been plenty of friends that you lost touch with after they were removed from the line and taken to hospitals. Even you, as a nurse, had a difficult time keeping track of them. Unfortunately, even someone who might have been more than a friend, had fate not seen it fit to send him home . . .

How do you go back to what you once knew when you’re so changed? What will you do when the things you saw during the war weigh heavy on your mind in the middle of the night, and the nearest person who would understand what you’re feeling is miles and miles away?

This might be it. The ship pulls into the harbor. People on the docks scream and whoop in delight as you and the other nurses and all the soldiers lean over the rail and wave, smile bright despite the dull worry gnawing at the back of your mind.

This might be it. Babe and Luz and Liebgott all shake your hand and slap your shoulders and trade slips of paper with you, promising to keep the flame of friendship alive between you.

This might be it. You’re gathering your few personal belongings and trying to push through the throngs of people with them, wondering where the loved ones who were supposed to meet you could be.

This might be –

“Let me help you with that,” a deep and familiar voice offers as strong hands take your trunk from you with ease.

Out of habit, you start to protest. “Oh, it’s fine I – “

But then your eyes meet his, and the world around you fades away until you are the only two standing on the dock.

“Joe?”

None other than Joe Toye smiles back at you, his brown eyes alight as he sets your trunk down and opens his arms. Not caring who might be watching, you throw yourself into them, the two of you wrapped up in a warm embrace.

You’re not so sure whether you should laugh or cry or what exactly, as your breath hitches in your throat. “You’re here!”

Still holding you tight, you can feel him nod. “So are you.”

“You found me.” Breaking your embrace is not an easy choice, but you want to look him over. Because he’s really standing in front of you, as tall and strong and capable as ever, his smile lighting up his handsome face as he takes you in in turn.

He nods again. “I had to. It was killing me, being away from you.”

What had started as shy looks between the two of you way back in England had turned into friendly smiles and inside jokes as the war moved you through Europe. And then those jokes and smiles had turned into touches that lasted a little too long and evolved into secrets shared in stolen moments and nervous kisses away from the prying eyes of his superiors.

And then he had been taken from the line before you could decide what word best described what was happening between the two of you.

Now he’s been hugging you on the dock – in front of God and everyone – and he looks just as ready to pick up where you left off as you feel.

“Me, too . . .” You choose your words carefully, like he might disappear again if you accidentally say the wrong ones. “Whaddaya say we make a point of not being away from each other for a while?”

Joe, usually so reserved in the emotions he expresses publicly, breaks into the widest smile you’ve ever seen. Is that your imagination, or does pink tint his cheeks? God, he’s so gorgeous like this, and you wonder how you got lucky enough to find him.

“You’ve always been better with words than me,” he laughs. “And Doll, you stole them right outta my mouth.”

With ease, he grabs your trunk with one hand and throws his other arm around you, protective as he leads you through the crowd. The people who were supposed to meet you at the boat fade to the back of your mind. Joe doesn’t say where you’re going, but with him, you’re certain that anywhere you end up will be called home.