#but I hope it makes sense overall

[chevelleneech]

to me Jimin seems more apprehensive of the two, which is understandable with ms upcoming etc, but jk seems so carefree and happy, idk where people are seeing this disinterested-ness, bc he seems constantly happy and even trying to make sweet moments (like the snowfall comment ahah)

I agree JK seems carefree, but I have to be honest, I don’t see either of them as being any more or less apprehensive than the other. During AYS nor outside of the series. I think they have different personalities, thus a lot of the time what we’re seeing is them just being themselves.

To me, Jimin has gotten older and has found comfort in both being exactly who he is as well as being mindful of his surroundings. Personally, I think Jimin it’s cutesy and affectionate, but I do think he plays it up for the camera as well. It’s a thing almost all idols do, but for people who enjoy it like Jimin, it slips easily into their personalities.

That said, Jungkook is also naturally cutesy and affectionate, but we only really see him be that way with Jimin or Hobi. Those are the two members we’ve seen him gravitate toward as his comfort zones over the years, with the main difference seemingly being Jimin is also his emotional landing pad.

To get back to the point, I think both of them seem chill. They’re laughing and drinking and eating and doing a small bit of adventurous things, which must have been all they wanted to do anyway. I mean, Connecticut and Sapporo in particular are trips we know were planned by the two of them, without any change of plans, meaning they intentionally chose nothing to do. Yes, they went canoeing and snowboarding, but that’s not the same as planning their trips around specific events. They didn’t go to a summer or winter festival. They didn’t go camping with other friends. They didn’t do anything big, is basically what I’m saying. They chose what appear from the outside, couple-like activities. I mean, starting with a cozy, single bed cabin in the woods, is a crazy thing to do for just friends, lol.

The last day in Connecticut was in what I assume as an air b&b house, for whatever reason. And I don’t say that to dismiss them sleeping in different beds, but the second episode wasn’t really about anything. They woke up, cuddled in bed, went grocery shopping, then went out to dinner and the episode ended. What made the episode worthwhile, was getting to see Jimin and Jungkook existing alongside each other in what according to them, was their first hangout in a bit. The first two episodes were really the one time we saw them rekindle a thing, after whatever they’d been through, and the result was, “Let’s keep doing this.”

So I do understand that with all we know about the members, and with all we’ve seen from other travel specials over the years, AYS is different. We’re seeing a dynamic between JM and JK that we’ve only really heard about in passing.

Yes, we knew they were attached at the hip. We knew they had similar senses of humor. We knew they cuddle and smacked ass here and there. We knew JK was a Jimin-pedia. What we didn’t know, was how deeply that ran off camera. And yes, AYS is obviously being filmed, but the part I think people are either refusing to or having a hard time grasping, is that it truly is unscripted. I don’t think the other specials were scripted down to the bone either, but there was always something they were expected to be doing. The closest thing to AYS was ITS, and we saw how chopped up that was to paint the picture that the members were always doing something. They edited stuff out of order just to keep the episodes moving.

AYS does not appear to have that. There are time jumps, but it doesn’t appear to be any: “This happened at 10am, but it’s going to be edited into having happened after JM said it’s 5pm.” It honestly just seems like they told BH where they wanted to go; restaurants and resorts wise, got some cameras and a crew, and started filming. So it was planned as far as the company had to make reservations and ensure their safety, then the crew likely went ahead to set up cameras and ensure their reservations were ready. But we didn’t see any of that. We only saw JM and JK’s pov, which was happening at the same time the crews were doing their jobs.

I’m getting long winded again, lol, but yeah I think a lot of what we’re seeing in AYS is just them being them. Jungkook isn’t “going through the motions” more so than he’s just not an overly outward expressive person when he doesn’t have to be on. And Jimin isn’t being apprehensive more so than he’s probably much more calm and laid back when he isn’t on.

And I think maybe that comes across as them seeming different in some ways, because we’re seeing just how often they really are on, even during past vacation specials. So I think the reality of Jimin and Jungkook’s bond and dynamic is that they are just soft for one another. When they don’t have to put on a performance in too big of a capacity to be entertaining, they simply meld together. They breeze about, going wherever they want, and even if they don’t have a destination in mind, something as simple as shopping or hiking is enough. Hell, they even like brushing their teeth together and sitting around playing card games.

So again, I don’t think it’s apprehension, I think that’s just Jimin. He is a ball of energy, yes, but he also seems to enjoy sitting back and watching JK live and explore life. Boyfriends or not, he likes seeing Jungkook happy, and Jungkook likes Jimin to feel taken care of.

[skitskatdacat63]

Kinda 😾 rn cause I realized the Senna show made the "can we be equal? 👉👈" scene SOOOO much less intimate/cute. Upon watching it, I was too distracted by "Oh! They're referencing dialog that actually happened!!" but now I'm peeved having rewatched the actual clip 😭

Why would they do this to me specifically

[sword-wielding-sapphic]

Recall the tale of Icarus.

Choose to be Icarus.

Linda K. Hughes, Text and Subtext in "Merlin and the Gleam", p.166 /// Alfred Tennyson, Merlin and the Gleam /// BBC Merlin, The Last Dragonlord (2x13) /// Natalie Wee, Patroclus Dreaming /// Hozier, I, Carrion (Icarian) /// BBC Merlin, The Wicked Day (4x03) /// Hozier /// Natalie Wee /// BBC Merlin, The Disir (5x05) /// Alfred Tennyson /// Hozier /// BBC Merlin, The Diamond of the Day: Part 2 (5x13) /// Natalie Wee /// Alfred Tennyson, The Passing of Arthur /// BBC Merlin, The Diamond of the Day: Part 2 (5x13) /// Hozier /// Alfred Tennyson /// Natalie Wee

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

after reading the ending and seeing the meltdown on twitter over the mistranslation before the official chapter it's just kind of annoyed me how people view gojo as some perpetually insecure, self deprecating dude when he was never that.

Ofc geto's defection fucked him over and that loss of a valuable bond was the guiding force behind a lot of choices he made in life but he was always, always fond of jujutsu itself, it's the orthodox structure and lone burden on his shoulders he disliked.

Even nanami clocked him for that in 236. That he enjoyed the thrill of sorcery. I hate satoru's uwufication (and don't get me wrong he's very much my cutie patootie) but to view his complexities as just insecurities is such a narrow view.

It's also why it didn't really surprise me when he "went south" in 236. So many people called his confession in that chapter ooc but in my opinion that raw vulnerability was so intriguing and on brand for him lol. Loving the fight, not being able to hate sukuna, trying to reach him through his skills, admitting the distance he created with others because the gap was just that big, and choosing to stay in the blue spring this time because that period was the most blissful time of his life..it's the first time he chose himself and chose life as Satoru and not just as the strongest.

And to see this same effect happen during the leak mistranslation with so many gojo stans babying him again and it was so..like bro 😭 are we sure we read the same content

THIS . THIS . THIIIIIIIS

anon thank you for putting this into words bc i have been struggling to do the same 💀 but i absolutely agree!!! i also have a big issue with people viewing him as insecure or sad because i truly think gojo was fully comfortable in his own isolation . he’s never pitied himself, and that makes him more tragic, not less. the mistranslation thing in 271 with ’i also have love and dreams’ just made me sigh because that’s just something gojo wouldn’t say 😭…. obviously he has dreams and he has love but he’d never frame that sentence in such a self-pitying way — he’s only telling yuji to carry on his dream if he dies. that’s all.

i can’t explain it super well but to me the greatest tragedy of gojo’s character is that he so rarely gets upset over his own situation — he’s been used and abused in plenty of ways but i don’t think he actually minds, because that’s all he knows. he’s staggeringly mature and resigned and that’s an aspect of his character i think isn’t talked about enough. he even finds joy in his own situation, through fighting and teaching, despite how much weight he has to carry. how overworked he is. ’one must imagine sisyphus happy’ applies really well to gojo, i think…….

and that’s why a lot of fandom takes just . irk me 😭 the truth is that gojo probably wouldn’t mind having his body used after death. and like he himself says in 271 — he doesn’t mind if people forget him. that’s just the kind of guy he is. he’s tragic in the sense that he goes with the flow and accepts the reality of his own existence without wishing for anything different. i think he did have hope that he wouldn’t have to be alone when he was with suguru, but after his defection that hope disappeared. suguru’s importance to satoru is one thing i don’t think anyone can ignore, but i don’t think he turned into some kind of empty shell after he left, either — suguru was simply the end of satoru seeking out meaningful, equal human connection.

…… until sukuna :3c

which!!! for the record!!!!!! i 100% agree with you on. 236 is one of my favorite chapters and i will literally fight the ooc allegations until the day i die bc i don’t think they understand gojo 💀 sorry to say. him finding value in fighting someone like sukuna makes all the sense in the world considering he’s the closest thing satoru has gotten to being on truly equal grounds with someone. and the fact that satoru wanted to teach sukuna about love speaks volumes about his character, how much he detests the isolation of strength. satoru isn’t a saint, but he’s a good guy with very particular motivations. and him finding peace in the bliss of his youth, right after being referred to as ’satoru gojo’ by sukuna …….. must have felt soooo liberating. criticisms about the aftermath of his death aside, i do think this was the happiest ending for someone like gojo.

i will say that nanami’s comment in 236 is often misunderstood as well — he’s specifically talking about teen gojo, not adult gojo. adult gojo fights for plenty of things, not just the thrill — but obviously he still enjoys that even now. i think a lot of people make the mistake of either viewing gojo as some morally corrupt fight loving feral maniac (which is just plain wrong), or viewing him as this sad, sad man who never wanted to fight (which is also plain wrong)…. he’s a deeply tragic character with a lot of kindness in his heart, and even at the very end i don’t think he was truly sad over his own circumstances.

i hope . that was semi-coherent ;;; sorry for just hijacking your ask anon but this was a good opportunity for me to talk about some things that have been bugging me for a while 😭 gojo is a wonderfully written character and i don’t think he was ooc even in 271 (though the talk with yuji felt sloppy to me in execution), i just wish his death had been handled as well as it deserved to be ….

[mao-ancunin]

Fools Fall

Pairing: Astarion x M!Tav/Named Tav 

Summary/Setting: Spawn-Astarion headcanon romance and friendship scenes of hurt, healing and love. Taking place between act 1 and 3. Lots of companion friendship scenes too 🤍 

Rating/Warnings: T / game spoilers, mentions of Astarions past, Trauma and PTSD, flashbacks, panic attacks.

Read entire work on: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62732383/chapters/160598794

Chapter 1 - Falling

At the beginning Astarion thought of Mao as the fool who fell in love, but soon he began to realise that it was him who was the fool.

Unexpected things started to happen after Astarions luring instincts kicked in. Although Mao, the gentle Tiefling, seemed to be falling head over heels in love with the vampire and was certainly lured by Astarions front of making himself as palatable as he could, matching whatever the other desired, there was more to their spending their time together; before Astarion knew it, Mao started calling him his ‘dear friend‘. If Astarion had admitted how he felt  he would have called him one back. Most of the time Mao was infuriatingly kind yet He could be feisty and fiery. He had an unpredictability that intrigued the other. The pale elf realised that on many occasions he didn't even make an effort to wind him up around his little finger with sweet nothings. Being himself, whatever was left of that was...Enough. 

Maybe if they had met in another life they would have loved one another in the most sickly sweet way Astarion could think of. But in this one, he had to look after himself, this situation didn't leave room for galavanting around with friends, let alone romantic relationships. Lest he risk a stake through his heart or worse, Cazador would take his freedom once more. 

Still, every now and then Astarion imagined himself in this little make believe life, and at least it made the whole ordeal a tad easier, stomach knots unravelling with each laugh and gentle touch. 

It became a habit, staying up late together, chatting about all sorts of silly meaningless things. Astation felt himself falling easily into playful embraces and conversations. Even though their relationship had stayed platonic so far, there was an unspoken attraction between them, arms brushing past, lingering touches all felt exciting. Every now and then, a hand lingered a little longer on Maos shoulder and every now and then Astarion caught himself observing him from afar and smiling to himself. He wasn't luring anymore, he was falling. 

Usually with a Mark to be taken to his master, Astarion would have already seduced the target as soon as they showed willing, but with Mao he hesitated. He knew that he could have him, claim him, pull the strings tight around his neck to lock him in as his net of safety. Maybe it was his new found freedom of his autonomy to do what and whom he wanted with his body. Or maybe it was the fear of the tainted act sex had become to him. Not sacred or special, something you do out of love and desire, but a tedious ordeal that turned knots in his stomach and one did for survival. Besides, he appreciated the space Mao gave him. He felt respected. 

One evening, as the events of the day unravelled in front of the campfire in the form of epic tales, laughter and toasts to living another day without turning into mind flayers, Astarion found himself next to Mao, unable to focus on the chatter, and frankly, he didn't care about goblins fought and druids freed. Momentarily he was preoccupied with the little circles Maos hands were drawing on Astarions skin. First it began with an accidental placement of hands and a following remark on how cold Astarions hands were. “Darling, you forget I’m undead, this is what it's like” was not enough for Mao to be discouraged in trying to warm them up. “Well, mine are always quite warm, they could do with a bit of cooling.” he said. So throughout the evening their hands always remained close. The touch itself felt intoxicatingly warm and he couldn’t help but ponder what Maos lips felt like. Mao himself was joining the telling of stories, laughing at Gale’s silly jokes and joining Karlach in joyous Tiefling chants. Although preoccupied with bonding with the other companions, his hand let the other know he was there for him and that he cared.

Then one after the other, their companions slipped into the shadows, retreating to the comfort of their tents until once again, Astarion and Mao were left to their evening ritual of watching the embers disappearing into the dark of the night, conversing about right and wrong, life and death, hurt and healing. 

But tonight, they embraced the silence and gentle touches of their hands, finding their way to entangle themselves. Their fingers as though dancing with each other, embracing, trailing, stroking. If his body had needed sleep, he could have easily sunk deeply into it as he felt a deep sense of safety. They lay back against the logs, a blanket draped over their bodies, which were closer than ever before. Astarion closed his eyes and let himself slip into the reality of his daydreams, pushing aside his worries of recapture and torment. For now he was just here, with Mao, enjoying kind, loving touches. 

Maos fingers brushed the white soft curls that had fallen over his eyes out of the elf's face, Astarions vocal chords humming involuntarily by the brief touch. The Tiefling continued to trace Astarions features with featherlight fingers, over his eyebrows, temples and lips which tingled in anticipation, he opened his eyes to gaze into golden infernal eyes that lit up with something Astarion hadn't seen before. He shifted his face closer to Maos to inhale the scent of desire in his blood and leaned into his warm hand, eyes closing - inviting.  Then their lips finally met, releasing hours of longing and dancing around each other.

Astarion shuddered at the tingle that the soft touch of Maos lips sent down his spine, warmth taking over his entire being. A sensation he didn't feel was too unfamiliar. He had fallen for someone before, kisses and tender touches feeling divine. Suddenly a sharp jolt of emotion flooded his senses, dread rising within. A memory pushed itself into his mind, a crushed skull, of a person he dared to love, someone he kept secret from Cazador. But there were no secrets he could keep from his master. And it was always punished the hardest. He would be sorry for daring to touch another soul in the same way again. Astarion felt the clammy blood on his hands, as he held his lover's beaten face. He blinked and gasped until he realised there was no blood, there was only Mao, concerned eyes trying to connect. 

„—starion?“ Mao said, unease spreading across his face. “Astarion, dear, are you alright?“ Astarion felt nausea surge in his stomach. Maos gentle squeezes on his arm pulled him back into reality. “Oh…I'm sorry“ he stared blankly for a moment, before he could realise what was happening. He attempted a casual smile „I exhausted myself today. I… I am sorry, I should probably get some rest. It's been a long day” Before Mao could say anything

Astarion broke away and disappeared into the darkness surrounding the camp. Leaving the other wondering and contemplating. 

Astarion paced frantically, he attempted to push the memory far back where it belonged, another century, another lifetime. 

He just had to get back on track, put on that mask that he wore so well, speak words dazzled in flirtatious promises and poetic verses. And put up a thick wall between him and his feelings. This whole ordeal would get him into trouble and he could not afford thinking of what would happen to Mao, should Cazador ever find them. He wasn't allowed to care for someone else. Astarion was not going to give up his freedom, no matter how tempting. 

He was bound to break, but in that moment Astarion saw no other way. he was fumbling, grasping the lucky thread that his survival hung by, it was wearing thin. He thought that maybe by forcing himself to sleep with Mao, like he did with so many times with his targets he might feel that nausea in his stomach return, a knot that would make him repulsed by the other and make it so he could just use him for the intended purposes, make himself stop falling, stop feeling. Just surviving. It had to work. 

At the celebration with the tieflings the next night, he composed himself, mask locked tightly in place: tonight he would pounce.

Part of himself felt a sort of loss after they had slept together. it felt as though he had betrayed himself in a way. Another part of him fell deeper, unexpectedly. 

After that, it didn't take too long until his front finally unravelled for good.

[mazojo]

Anyways XO Kitty love interests summarized

Dae

Min Ho

Yuri

[biblically-accurate-dca]

vanweek day 2 - knife

does anyone else remember the knife game or have i finally gotten too old

[jon-sedai]

This isn’t really a fully formed thought or anything. But it’s interesting how Sansa, Jon, and Lyanna specifically factor into one of GRRM’s greater explorations on the merits of fantasy. More specifically, there is a common trope that connects these three characters: a princess locked in a tower transforming into a valiant knight/hero. Lyanna and Jon, for starters, are pretty obvious explorations of this. Lyanna is the reconstructed version of this classic trope especially as presented through Arthurian tradition; but the twist here is that the dragon/knight who “locks” her in the tower isn’t actually evil and she isn’t so much kidnapped but rather willingly chooses to go there with him. This princess in a tower directly results in the birth of the hidden prince trope, which is even older than Arthur. So one fantasy classic, Rhaegar and Lyanna, leads to another with Jon being Arthur (a hidden prince and destined king), Percival (a hero who grows up in obscurity but has a great destiny to save the land), and Galahad (a noble hero destined to be even greater than his father, Rhaegar/Lancelot, ever was) all at once.

This princess dies in the tower…but her spirit/ghost lives on through her son, who grows up to look and act just like her, eventually becoming the valiant hero you read in the stories (but again, a de/reconstructed version). Part of how Jon does this is by repeating Lyanna’s actions as the valiant “knight” protecting an innocent from bullies. So by making it out of that tower even though his mother didn’t, Jon becomes the survival and rebirth of the fantasy ideal. You could even make the argument that just because Lyanna died doesn’t mean fantasy died as well because it lives on through Jon, her son. And this is actually is aided by Lyanna’s pleading for her son’s life, so she has some agency in how fantasy is preserved in the same way she had agency in how it’s perpetuated when she protected Howland Reed and when she ran off with Rhaegar. The princess living on and becoming the hero/knight in the stories is thus taken on by two characters here: Lyanna and Jon, mother and son. Jon goes even further into the Arthurian-knight playbook by encountering and eventually killing another vicious bully, Janos Slynt, who was coincidentally had a hand in his father’s demise. Then enter princess in the tower 2.0, Sansa Stark.

Sansa is an interesting case because she’s not martial in the way Lyanna and Jon are. But she too encounters her fair share of knights and villains. Janos Slynt is one of them, and Littlefinger will be another. I’ve talked about this before but Jon becoming the valiant hero Sansa wished for is important because it directly plays into GRRM’s reconstruction and (imo) defense of the ideals of fantasy. It’s not so much that heroes don’t exist - they actually do. They just might be far away, or might be the ones you’d never expect. This is the opposite of the “fantasy is dead, stop believing because everything sucks” reading you might see in some sections of the fandom. This moment may not end up meaning much for Jon and Sansa and their relationship, but it means a lot to us readers who are audiences of GRRM’s conversations with the genre and his arguments for its appeal. But that’s not the only interesting thing because Sansa, unlike Lyanna, does eventually make it out of the tower. But she’s currently in the hands of Littlefinger who, like Janos Slynt, was a villain responsible for her father’s demise. In this scenario, will she have to wait for a valiant hero to come take care of him again? Or will she instead don the knight’s armor (figuratively) by enacting justice in her own right? Based on the GoHH’s prophecy, it looks like it will be the latter; and it’s important to note how often “armor” as a motif is repeated in Sansa’s chapters. Thus, the princess evolving into the hero is told through the arc of a singular character here. Sansa is the princess who makes it out of the tower to become a hero of her own making; important disclaimer though, Littlefinger doesn’t really play into the elements of knighthood but he does count as an evil lord holding a princess hostage so Sansa can still be a subversion of the knight rescuing the maiden - the lesson being that she is her own knight, her own salvation!

It’s a very powerful meta-textual thread that exists between these three characters. They all fit into a wider narrative about fantasy and how it can live on, whether played straight or twisted a little crooked. So Sansa doesn’t have to be an overt in-universe parallel to Lyanna because that’s just not her role in the story. And I personally don’t think any “similarities” they have are actually important to Sansa as a person or to Jon because let’s face it, Lyanna’s primary (and most important) role is to be Jon’s mother and everything else informs on that. But both these women (and Jon) can be meta twinsies based on how they fit into GRRM’s wider narrative goals.

[supernovasilence]

Peter being pissed off that Caspian married his baby borther without permission.

Caspian: Technically I'm king so I have all the permission in the world.

Peter and Caspian have a fight in the garden over it.

Honestly there is some great potential for drama here (it's not that Peter doesn't approve of Caspian, he's just very protective over his siblings, borderline possessive but my thoughts about Their Siblings Are All the Pevensies Have are for another day, and Caspian didn't even ask for Peter's blessing!) I'm just having trouble imagining it because I struggle imagining Peter and Caspian fighting badly. My personal headcanon of their relationship leans closer to the books than the movies, where they don't have an antagonistic relationship at all. (Practically Peter's first words to Caspian are to call him "Your Majesty" and tell him "I haven't come to take your place, you know, but to put you into it," and meanwhile Caspian "was liking Peter very much, but was rather tongue-tied".) Honestly all I can imagine is:

Edmund: stop fighting, you two!

Caspian: LET ME DUEL FOR YOUR HAND IF I WANT TO

Edmund: don't make me get the big guns!

by which he means he will call Lucy to Look At Them With Disappointment

[obstinaterixatrix]

chatted with a friend for three (3) hours to unstick fic thoughts and it was in fact extremely helpful especially because they know things that happened in royal and can fact-check me on it. it’s also just really fun to talk about the meta of fic, this chapter needs to be about this and convey this and contextualize this and here’s where it fits in the overall trajectory of the story, this is where this character’s thoughts need to be, this is where this character has to be completely off-base. I also do cackle a lot when it comes to thinking of scenarios that are horrible for everyone involved (miserable mutual hostage situation that neither intended to be in LMAO)

[simplegenius042]

Music Monday

Tagging @inafieldofdaisies @icecutioner @derelictheretic @shallow-gravy @voidika @socially-awkward-skeleton @shellibisshe @direwombat @strangefable @rhettsabbott @josephseedismyfather @josephslittledeputy @imogenkol @cloudofbutterflies92 @skoll-sun-eater @cassietrn @carlosoliveiraa @adelaidedrubman @g0dspeeed @wrathfulrook @afarcryfrommymain @strafethesesinners @aceghosts @turbo-virgins @raresvtm @softtidesworld @starsandskies @ladyoriza @la-grosse-patate @florbelles @titiagls @minilev @yokobai @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @justasmolbard @alypink @thesingularityseries @nightwingshero and @noodlecupcakes + anyone else who'd like to join.

Songs for The Silver Chronicles, Life, Despair & Monsters and Wings And Horns respectively. You can find the songs below the cut:

Elsa Omar is Silva's younger sister, they both managed to escape to America together along with an infant Persephone, where Elsa would have quite the reputation in Hope County, but they'd have around two or three years of peace before Elsa perishes in an accident. Ezekiel is Thomas Rush's future Captain in Security in Old Dusk, and has a rebel attitude towards authority he does not respect. However, back on the Archipiélagos, Elsa was the damsel-in-relative-distress lying and manipulating her piece of shit father as she shared info with the local rebellion about the Congregation's patrols and whatnot, while Ezekiel was an orphaned Tumultite street kid who looked up to the likes of Alvarich and Paul, despite being very anti-authoritarian in general. When these two first met... they hated each other. But hate turned to grudging respect. Respect turned to horrified crushing. Crush turned into deflecting by flirting. And that annoyed everyone else. Even 26 years after he last saw her alive, Ezekiel still yearns for his star-crossed love. And I think this song definitely describes how much their connection may as well have been fated, even if it was for a short time.

"I don't mean to be so uptight But my heart's been hurt a couple times By a couple guys that didn't treat me right I ain't gonna lie, ain't gonna lie 'Cause I'm tired of the fake love, show me what you're made of Boy, make me believe." "Whoa, hold up, girl, don't you know you're beautiful? And it's easy to see."

"If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be Baby, just let it be If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be Baby, just let it be So won't you ride with me, ride with me? See where this thing goes If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be Baby if it's meant to be

So come on, ride with me, ride with me See where this thing goes So come on, ride with me, ride with me Baby if it's meant to be."

"Maybe we do." "Maybe we don't." "Maybe we will Maybe we won't.

But if it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be Baby, just let it be ("Sing it baby")* If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be ("Come on") Baby, just let it be." ("Let's go!")

[*Changed the word to "baby" instead of leaving it as "Bebe"]

Cecil Royce is the daughter of Daemon Targaryen and Rhea Royce, conceived after a drunk night of hate sex. Cecil, unlike her cousins, does not hold any admiration towards her father. Throughout The Thorned Crown Of Iron Thrones, Cecil is particularly hostile towards Daemon, and pretty much rejects the Targaryen name and practices in favour of her mother's. Though after the "accidental" death of her mother, she is put underneath Daemon's care... and he honestly tries his best. Through many trials, and many errors, as well as very slow-paced bonding experiences and the apparent mutual agreement that Rhaenyra should be heir to the Iron Throne, they manage to get along, and find in themselves an actual father-daughter bond suited for two rogue Targaryens. Until of course Cecil learns from him that he murdered her mother... and unlike Daemon, Cecil actually loved and looked up to Rhea. A bond fractures and there's just this uneasiness between them that stays long after the first fic ends and the second fic begins. How does "Summertime Sadness" fit into all of this? While the song itself is a yearning for the loss of a lover, here the context is Cecil's conflicted grief and yearning after the loss of Daemon, when he buys her time to fight the Court King, where he is knowingly severely outmatched and slain in the encounter. Despite the fractures in their relationship, Cecil can't really get over the fact that, while Daemon was no where close to perfect, he was her father, and the bond they had combined with the sacrifice he made is something can't help but grieve over.

"Oh, my God, I feel it in the air Telephone wires above are sizzlin' like a snare Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere Nothin' scares me anymore (One, two, three, four)

Kiss me hard before you go Summertime sadness I just wanted you to know That, baby, you the best

I got that summertime, summertime sadness Su-su-summertime, summertime sadness Got that summertime, summertime sadness Oh, oh-oh, oh

Think I'll miss you forever Like the stars miss the sun in the mornin' sky Later's better than never Even if you're gone, I'm gonna drive, drive, drive

I got that summertime, summertime sadness Su-su-summertime, summertime sadness Got that summertime, summertime sadness Oh, oh-oh, oh."

Wouldn't It Be Nice if Metatron and Xiang could just sit down and get along for a few moments while looking past their species prejudices and work on agreeing that something needs to be done about the Soulmate System, because it's definitely malfunctioning? Said by Azriel and Jezebel as they "fight" while their caretakers are getting deep into that steel on steel, sword on bullet action.

"Wouldn't it be nice if we were older? Then we wouldn't have to wait so long And wouldn't it be nice to live together In the kind of world where we belong?

You know it's gonna make it that much better When we can say goodnight and stay together

Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up In the morning when the day is new? After having spent the day together Hold each other close the whole night through

But happy times together we've been spending I wish that every kiss was never ending Oh, wouldn't it be nice

Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true And, baby, then there wouldn't be a single thing we couldn't do Oh, we could be married (Oh, we could be married) And then we'd be happy (And then we'd be happy) Oh, wouldn't it be nice

You know it seems the more we talk about it It only makes it worse to live without it But let's talk about it Oh, wouldn't it be nice?

Goodnight, oh baby Sleep tight, oh baby Goodnight, oh baby Sleep tight, oh baby Goodnight, oh baby Sleep tight, oh baby!"

[langfield]

Hiya. I notice a lot of fans seem to dislike Vinh's relationship with Max because he moves on to her too quickly after Safi died. They argue that if Vinh really respected Safi's memory then he would hold off on initiating anything with her best friend. The same thing with Max, after she found out about them, people say her character would avoid him even if she already had feelings for him out of consideration for her best friend. I know she writes about her reservations in her journal but it's another reason why fans are saying she's not acting authentically in DE. Wondered what you thought? Thank you very much.

firstly, i do find it very odd that fans want vinh to act as a widow of some sort in regards to his relationship with safi. while it’s undeniable he loved her dearly, the game makes a point to have vinh question if he was genuinely in love with her like he thought he was, or if his wires had been crossed somewhere ( aka devotion must equal romantic love? ). on top of that, i don’t think vinh owes safi anything where it concerns his love life because safi herself doesn’t care about it or him at all. he’s already spent four plus years being unable to move on from her and desperately hoping they’d make up eventually, idly clinging to her via their sexual relationship -- a relationship that safi, again, didn’t care about or viewed in the same sentimental manner vinh did. she is nothing but irritable in the photo of them in the afterglow and has never shown any interest in his other relationships before. she talks about him like they were never friends to begin with, is seemingly unfazed by the idea of vinh not being over it yet in episode four, doesn’t understand his love for the cheap hedgehog figurine she got him, and so on so forth. i don’t understand why vinh is obligated to continue his one-sided devotion towards a person who couldn’t care less about him … honestly, i think he should’ve moved on long before she died : at least then it would’ve been an active choice he made rather than an outcome he had no control over. vinh, for all intents and purposes, clung onto safi and his feelings towards her until the bitter end. so what more could he do? how else is he supposed to prove how much he loved her outside of what he already did? dead world vinh spirals so hard after safi’s death that he basically gives up, as evident by his more authentic behavior and the fact he was planning on leaving caledon to pursue acting ( a career he doesn’t even believe in for himself ) all so he could leave lakeport behind because safi wasn’t there anymore, meaning he no longer had a purpose. living world vinh commits a literal crime to try and save yasmin’s and safi’s relationship because he loves her that much, even if he thinks she’ll hate him forever if she knew, even if his plan was stupid and impulsive at best. loving safi isn’t good for vinh, and that’s more important to me than ‘oh no, what about the girl code?’ any day of the week, especially when said girl supposedly doesn’t care if vinh lives or dies. safi’s and vinh’s relationship is much more complicated than that, of course, but to see my insight of them, i’d go and read this post instead.

as for max, fans really underestimate her selfishness! a shocking thing to downplay given how most people sacrifice arcadia bay over chloe. she is considerate, certainly, but she hasn’t ever let how other people feel dictate her own feelings or her actions. in lis1, despite knowing that chloe is still grieving rachel ( a girl whom max is jealous of and knows chloe was in love with ) she still kisses chloe on a dare and relishes in it, without any thought to how things could change if rachel was alive and returned to them. she also agrees to ‘go ape’ with warren and, when stumbling upon the drive-in poster found in brooke’s locker, seems amused at how badly brooke wanted to go with warren instead … she can also kiss warren despite her priority always being chloe because, well, she wanted to. in that moment, max wanted to show warren how she felt and she did, and there’s no regret about it and no thought given as to what this might mean if she gets her happy ending with chloe and her hometown. i’ve said before that max is extremely impulsive with her romance, in the sense that she never thinks about long term scenarios and sort of ignores standard romance etiquette to act upon her feelings in a moment : a thing i’ve discussed more in-depth here. people seem to think that she is very conventional about love despite all the evidence to the contrary? while max does care deeply for safi, this wouldn’t exactly sway her to not kiss vinh if the moment presented herself … max also adores reggie and harbors a real soft spot for him, but similarly forgets about him the second she is within vinh’s orbit, and doesn’t seem to realize she fucked up until reggie straight up tells her he saw them kiss in a tone that’s all wounded shock. it’s only then that max feels guilty, yet she never apologies for kissing vinh -- she makes weak excuses ( ‘i was drunk’ ) or acknowledges that she should’ve been more considerate, but not once does she wish she could take it back nor does she actually apologize for the act itself. she is sorry for the hurt it caused. she isn’t sorry about what she did. with safi, it’s the same scenario except max is more aware that she’s fucked up, although if she tells safi the truth, it’s just excuse after excuse : you were dead, we were drunk, etc. excuses that safi cares little for and dismisses because it ‘still counts.’

i love max, and she’s perhaps my favorite character in the whole franchise, however she is undeniably more flawed than people are willing to admit. her views on certain things aren’t standard or normal, something that’s a given since max herself isn’t supposed to be just your run of the mill girl. she will do things that don’t make sense! she will cross lines and not really understand she is crossing them … and vinh, in particular, is really easy to get caught up with i think. it is almost natural to be ensnared by him or to be too immersed in his presence and the moment itself to rationally think things through. he is similarly impulsive like max and is bordering on desperation and loneliness the same as she is during spin, with them clicking in a way they just don’t with other people ; both able to bond over safi’s whirlwind effect, over this disconnect from themselves now and who they were before … the pain of their day ebbs as they talk and soon vinh is distracting them with a game that’s so juvenile and stupid it makes them both temporarily forget their issues while putting them in a certain headspace. all the world sort of melts away during the smash or pass scene and even important characters that max cares for ( like amanda and reggie ) blend into the background as they chat and flirt. it’s already stated that vinh’s able to forget about safi when him and max have these moments, and max operates similarly as well! i believe it was very easy for max to kiss vinh when her mind was unclouded by grief and when she was warm, happy, and stupidly attracted to him physically. the setting doesn’t escape me either! max approaches vinh like they’re two strangers at a bar and, while they most definitely are not, i do think the vibes mesh well … in this moment there are no consequences, there isn’t anybody to worry about, it’s just her and a really handsome guy chatting it up as they drink, and their actions are meaningless in the grand scheme of things. max’s ‘whatever, i’m drunk’ excuse isn’t her saying she isn’t into vinh, it’s just a crutch, a safety net, it’s part of the appeal and a way to rob max of any so called accountability, hence why she can bring it up to both safi and reggie as what it truly is … a flimsy, false excuse. it was less the booze and more of vinh’s company and max’s subsequent attraction to him, and max knows this but can’t exactly admit it yet because it would be more shitty than just. oh, i kissed him, but we were wasted and sad! she doesn’t even say it doesn’t meaning anything, she just tries softening the blow. it’s also worth noting that this drunk angle is definitely confirmed to be an excuse because max tries using it in her journal ( ie : i didn’t plan for it to happen so safi can’t be mad ) but then immediately admits that she has thought about it, with an implication of it being more than once. while she didn’t consciously set out to be woo’d by vinh, there was a subconscious part of her that was likely wanting that sort of attention, or at least a part of her was amendable to things taking that turn, if they did.

to further prove my above points, i think it’s extremely telling that if you choose the ‘i was drunk’ option with reggie, the conversation looks like this :

max : we were sad, and drinking, and he’s …

reggie : like an avalanche.

max : yes.

reggie : tell me about it.

it’s about how she can’t help but trail off and bring up vinh himself as a reason. how she doesn’t know how to word those feelings, or describe the way vinh is, and she just relents to reggie’s description with a twinge of relief -- you know, reggie? the man who’s so in love with vinh he can hardly go two seconds without thinking about him? despite the fact his best friend hates his guts? yeah! she is kind of helpless about her attraction to vinh and this little bonding moment between her and reggie really cements that for me. max is notoriously bad at turning away from those she feels so strongly towards, so i find it perfectly in character that she kissed vinh in spite of the whole safi thing.

tldr? yes, max knows it’s shitty and does fight with her shame and guilt over it! although that wouldn’t exactly stop her, especially not after safi makes it crystal clear that there’s nothing in her that cares for vinh in that way ( or any other way, really ). to her, that alleviates any guilt and makes him fair game. and maybe most people wouldn’t agree with that, but i think it makes perfect sense for max caulfield as a character … safi then leaves anyway, with max either supporting her or denying her, so there’s really nothing standing in the way of max and vinh anymore. vinh, similarly, shouldn’t have to let go of a girl who genuinely makes him feel happy and not shitty just because safi just so happened to be close with her. nor should he be expected to not move on at all or treat safi’s death like one would treat a girlfriend’s, because they weren’t dating and he doesn’t owe that to safi whatsoever. while i can understand the gripe itself, people seem to seriously simplify the whole max/vinh/safi dynamic and ignore the nuances and layers to it. on principle, max should always respect the girl code and vinh shouldn’t ever try to get with a girl he loved’s best friend. but it’s much more complicated than a typical love triangle ( it’s hardly that at all, unless you believe in safield ) and it shouldn’t be treated as such, in my opinion.

[simplynims]

A few things I really enjoyed when listening to BitterSweet was Seths and Alphonses character development. As well as the development of his and Alphonse relationship with one another.

The story of BitterSweet not only tackles Seths and Alphonses personal issues but also addresses the toxicity that brewed between the two boys especially when both were in a situation dealing with gangs and drugs. What started as something healthy turned into a more destructive relationship with both men being toxicly dependent to one another as emotional crutches.

As the story continues, we see how Seth truly reflects on how he treated Alphonse back then and shows genuine remorse for what he's done. He's gone through great lengths to fix up his act and prove to not only them but to himself that he can be a better person.

We also see Alphonse grow as a person with the love and support of SugarBoo, it takes a very particular person to forgive someone (Especially if you take in the fact that Seth tried to stop him from going back to their hometown after Alphonses parents died) and I feel like SugarBoo was a great influence that helped him really process his past and guilt. SugarBoo definitely played a major part of these two talking it out but they also played a huge part of helping Alphonse gaining the strength to forgive Seth.

I love how the development of their relationship doesn't feel rushed and you can tell how both men have come a long way to getting to where they are right now. They still have a lot of healing to do but they have a more solid support system with one another.

[tarnswife]

ok time to introduce my human design of tarn so u guys aren't confused when I'm posting drawings of me and some random man its tarn I promise!!!

[leviiackrman]

HIDEKO SUGAWARA - Haikyuu!! [sketch redraw]

more art || character page || commissions

Tag list (ask to be added or removed): @carrionsflower @statichvm @risingsh0t @simonxriley @tommyarashikage @kanos @bbrocklesnar @confidentandgood @unholymilf @florbelles @thedeadthree @shellibisshe @roofgeese @aezyrraeshh @faerune @tekehu @jackiesarch @minaharkers @sergeiravenov @carlosoliveiraa @rosenfey @nokstella @queennymeria @heroofpenamstan @alexxmason @tethrras @jamessunderlandgf @a-treides @solasan @bigbywlf @delzinrowe @fenharel @imogenkol

[pynkhues]

https://www.tumblr.com/pynkhues/770024291081256960/x-oh-my-gosh-okay-okay-okay-anon-ive-had-a?source=share

and people try to call them vanilla... these two are crazy individually and even more crazy with each other! i would love to hear if you have more thoughts about the lack of aftercare and especially if it's angsty bc that kind of thing is my guilty pleasure in fics😅

Hahaha, revealing how much I've dissected that scene is a little mortifying, but at least the fact that I'm writing the fic about it makes me feel I can justify it, hahah.

And yeah, it's interesting re: the thought of Louis and BDSM etiquette broadly, especially things like aftercare and safewords, of which i don't tend to feel he'd have much regard for either. I don't think that would be out of any maliciousness, but more of a sense of feeling like these things have come in when you've already got a degree of expertise / feel you know what you're doing? Y'know, he was 33 in 1910, so he's a man coming of age and probably having formative sexual experiences in the very late 1800s and working literally as a pimp in that era. That's not to say that I don't think he grew and his sexual eperiences and understanding of sexuality - his own and others - evolved, but all the vampires are ultimately products of their time, even if they now live outside of it.

I've actually been thinking about this a lot as the next fic in the Spell 'verse after I finish the Cruising one is exploring both Lestat and Louis' relationship with BDSM. I've mentioned it before a few times (namely here), but I think there's a really interesting factor with Lestat in particular that he was coming of age in Paris when Sade de Marquis was publishing, who arguably is the person who birthed modern BDSM (BDSM has always existed in various forms across cultures, so he didn't really, but he certainly popularised it), and Sade's version of it really emphasised the sadism and cruelty in a way that's uhhhh, A Lot. I'm particularly kind of curious about it because Sade's writing was enormously fetishistic of rape, and it's interesting to think about that in the context of being a world Lestat's submerged in right before he's actually raped himself.

That's a digression, but kind of has been one of the things that's made me think about Louis' experience of his sexuality and particularly the fact that he comes from a space with a very specific vocabulary for sex and sexuality. Working as a pimp too, and having been a John, I'd imagine he was exposed to a lot (and tbh, I think it's where his baseline comes from when he starts that particular dynamic with Armand, especially given from what I've read in researching that fic, BDSM culture had died down in Paris post-WWII through to the sexual revolution of the 1960s as a result of the war trauma, although it was on the rise in other countries). So yeah, I think by the time there was this more contemporary language and etiquette around it all, Louis and Armand probably would feel pretty established in their behaviours?

And look, in terms of aftercare, I actually don't think Louis would always be bad about it. In fact, sometimes I think he'd probably be incredibly tender, but like with most things with Louis, I think a lot of it would come down to his mood. Someone sent me an ask the other day about there being narcissism in self-hatred, and that kind of hits the nail on the head to me - Louis is self-centred, he's the gloomy egoist! And I do think that probably carries over to sex a lot of the time. So yeah, I think in the aftermath of that 1.06 scene for instance, he was probably still mad at himself and feeling guilty about taking Lestat back, so I think getting Lestat cleaned up probably barely crossed his mind? He probably just threw his clothes at him, told him to get his things and had him limp out after him as Louis stewed on his complicated feelings of taking Lestat back at all.

I think in his more loving moments, he'd be more tender, but yeah - - I think a lot of it probably mood and context dependent with Louis, and I think he and Armand probably had generally pretty bad BDSM etiquette broadly, given even the fact that even being together after Paris is, for Louis, an act of punishment.