#but i think you deserve a reminder that our devotion is mutual and equal

[conducting-cardassia]

Of course I train him. It’s my right and my obligation to do so. But training isn’t about how long he can hold an uncomfortable position, or how many of them he can memorise. It’s not about him developing a sense of what it is I want, so that he can always deliver. It’s not about making up a bunch of rules that will every so often earn him a correction, because he will eventually fail to follow all of them.

It’s about stopping to perform submission. It’s about not acting up and forcing me to be forceful, because that is not submission at all. It’s about acceptance, of the truth of his place, and it’s about honesty.

I often struggle to express how devoted I am to my wonderful bondmate. How the littlest things he does make my soul sing. A tremble, a hitch in his breath, the incredible expression in his eyes as he looks up to me on his knees... those things speak more loudly to me than any grand gesture of submission ever could. They tell me just what I do to him. They allow me the freedom of gentleness.

[i-am-just-a-kiddo]

ok so I tried to come up with three characters like you did for me but this was very difficult. so feel free to ignore some if you don't like it or feel like talking about someone else :'D but the beauty ghost/liu qianqiao (word of honor), yu tangchun (killer and healer, bc i know you like our opera boy) and seo moonjo (strangers from hell, bc i am always curious about you and this dentist lol)

Aaaah thanks for these! 💗 It’s been a joy to answer them, so I hope you can get through my ramblings about them. 

Referring to Give Me A Character

and I’ll break their ass down:

How I feel about this character

All the people I ship romantically with this character

My non-romantic OTP for this character

My unpopular opinion about this character

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

My answers under the cut: 

Liu Qian Qiao/ Beauty Ghost (Word of Honor) 

How I feel about her: I love her and she deserves better. I’ve not finished the drama yet and I know surprisingly little spoilers about her. I just love to see her acting on her own accord, standing up for the person she loves. Being protective and so caring of Luo Fu Meng, it breaks my heart. From what I’ve seen, she’s gotten on my radar only recently - after they saved Luo Fu Meng from the prison, I got really excited to see more of her and them in general. 

I think she deserves better than that pathetic man whose name I don’t bother to remember. I’m scared of what the show will do to her but I’m so excited to see more, especially now that Scorpion got them in his clutches? She’s on par with him and I’m curious which direction this will go. However, as with many C-dramas unfortunately, she does not really feel tangible to me? There is always something missing, just a small piece that will make her feel more true to me. Maybe the drama will deliver on that? I’m not sure what to expect. 

All the people I ship romantically with her: Luo Fu Meng!!! Lesbian ghosts rights!!! Their recent scenes have been breaking me and I just want to see more of them. I want to know more about their past together, about their dynamic. Luo Fu Meng is her master but right now, Liu Qian Qiao is the one guiding and caring for her. It shows how equal they actually are, even if not in their title. Liu Qian Qiao’s devotion to her feels so burning and determined - whatever she has going on with that man just pales in contrast. She was ready to risk it all for her and she would never abandon her. She’s willing to do anything and I’m just praying for their lives - please don’t fuck it up, @ show writers. 

In short, I just need more of them. Please. 

My non-romantic OTP for her: I loved her interaction with A-Xiang a lot - she truly seems like an older sibling to her and it’s precious to see. I can see them being easily annoyed with each other but also fiercely protective of the other. I can see A-xiang being an unstoppable whirlwind and Qian Qiao trying to ground her, while being incredibly fond. I can also see A-xiang pulling her older sister out of her own head, grounding her and validating her? Tell her that she is more than she thinks of herself, and that she deserves a lot more than she allows for herself. I need more of their interaction because I’m weak for found family tropes and I need more of the ladies doing their own thing outside of Wen Kexing’s or someone else’s periphery. 

Also I want more interaction with her and the Evil Bodhisattva???? The potential that friendship has? Please gimme. 

My unpopular opinion: I don’t know any opinions? I’ve not yet dived deeply into the WOH fandom because I’m not done with the drama yet. I’ve generally seen little content about her and the other ghost ladies, which is a pity. Once I get there, I’m excited to dive into all the fandom has to offer. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I’m on episode 24, so I can’t really judge what the show is gonna do to her, but so far I wish for more depth. Less of that horrible man being affiliated with her. Less of her being subjected to violence. More agency. More of her and Fu Meng interacting, caring for each other, being in each other’s space. I hope her to survive and not be killed, so I’m crossing fingers. 

Yu Tangchun (Killer and Healer)

How I feel about this character: OH BOY. I have freshly baked feelings about him, get ready. Warning for spoilers:

First of all, I always felt the drama did not dive into him as deeply as I had wished. Something was always missing there, but I can’t really name what. Maybe more depth, other than just being sick and out for revenge? He had more potential and I will get to it later. But from all I’ve gotten from him, I love how strong he is, and how much bravery there is in such a small body. He has his own mind and own agenda and doesn’t allow people pushing him around - I also love how deceiving he can be, even to his friends (namely Chen Yuzhi when he asked for that drug). He is a clever fox and I love that for him. Which also made him incredibly unpredictable to me in the beginning - I just couldn’t quite place him? 

In the end, am just incredibly fond and he deserved so so much better than the show ever gave him. 

All the people I ship romantically with him: Zhan Junbai, with all its flaws. From the first moment on, their tension just made me go ???????? the whole time. It was amazing and unsettling to watch, see its development and knowing this could not end well. A very delicious dynamic that always treaded the line of will they or won’t they (whether that refers to killing each other or otherwise). At some point I felt a little more invested into their plotline simply because it was so interesting and unpredictable. The mutual attraction is undeniable, which made what happened later even more heartbreaking and fucked up.

It could have never worked, even if Zhan Zhunbai had been less of a dick. They deserved a different ending - at least Yu Tangchun should have been the one to kill him, or at least they should have had a proper showdown together. After all - they were more than friends at this point. 

My non-romantic OTP: I loved his friendship with Chen Yuzhi, but I must say I would have loved to see him more with Chu Ran! If we imagine a different ending, they could have bonded together so much over what Zhan Junbai did to the both of them. They are both so gentle and headstrong, I wish we had gotten more of them together. It could be relaxing and freeing for the both of them. 

Also I’ve always wondered how exactly Yu Tangchun’s friendship with Jiang Yuelou worked? I think this got way too little spotlight. 

My unpopular opinion about him: I have no idea what is popular and what isn’t? Maybe that I sort of enjoyed the idea of Yu Tangchun joining Zhan Junbai, even though I knew it wouldn’t happen. Let me dream, that could have been a different level of conflict. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Oh boy. Oh boy. SO MUCH. Spoilers ahead if you haven’t finished the show: 

First of all, his ending?? It felt way too rushed and while not out of character, he deserved so much more than his death being an afterthought to the plot and a few sad gay flashbacks. The entire ending felt rushed and oh boy, could I rant about it here, but I will try and focus on Yu Tangchun. So yes, give him the respect he deserves. 

Another thing which I have mentioned above is that I wished they had given him more depth? Just a little bit more other than the trauma and agony he went through. I also wish I had seen more of his opera and his story with it - how he got there, how he thinks about it. We only ever got glimpses and I get that a show can only focus on so much, but still. 

I also wish his ending with Zhan Junbai had been different - in a sense that I wanted him to break Zhan Junbai, lure some genuine emotions on his face other than anger. I wish they had gotten more….closure? I don’t even know. It didn’t feel satisfactory at all. Zhan Junbai went through so much trouble to keep him and then suddenly he let’s him go and then he dies? It just went too quickly. If at least Yu Tangchun had been there to kill him in the end, or at least get some sort of closure. I’m rambling now because I don’t know what I wanted for them but it was certainly more than what the show gave me. I am so frustrated about the ending of the show, help me. 

Seo Moonjo (Strangers from Hell)

How I feel about this character: Conflicted. That is the short answer to that, but of course I’m not here to give a short answer. Do I have to clarify that I do not condone the actions of a cannibalistic serial killer in real life? I hope not. Okay, let’s get to it then. 

Seo Moonjo (or Mr. Dentist, as I lovingly call him) to me is incredibly intimidating. Part of it is that Lee Dong Wook does an incredible job at depicting him as charming and terribly unsettling at the same time. From the first second he shows up on screen, you feel this presence - and you feel intrigue and fear. Which is what Seo Moonjo wants, it’s what he preys on. 

So when I think about how I feel about him, I think he is one of the best villains I’ve encountered recently, simply because he makes me feel the same way he makes Jongwoo feel. I’m very fascinated? I feel Seo Moonjo is a very lonely person, lost in his own ideals and morals. He has absolutely no sense of social propriety and does not intend to learn them. He’s so caught up in his own art and his desire for a certain life, it’s almost pitiful how much he desires it. But of course, once I feel a sliver of pity, he reminds me that he is - indeed - hell personified. I am still lowkey mad that he charmed me (why is being a villain so sexy smh).

Summing up, I love and hate him. What a creepy bastard.

All the people I ship romantically with him: Yoon Jongwoo, despite all the cruelty of it. I think comparing this show to NBC’s Hannibal is very valid, even though these two never got a proper development of their relationship like Will and Hannibal did. I absolutely think that Seo Moonjo is in love with Jongwoo and wants him to be his, wants to wrap him up in his life and make him the ‘perfect art-piece’ he had always wanted in his collection. No matter how sick it is, this obsession is probably the closest Seo Moonjo can get to feeling love - he does not know how else to love. 

So what do I want for them? I want Jongwoo to get his revenge, to make Seo Moonjo suffer as much as he did. I want Jongwoo to see eye to eye with him so they can walk with equal footing. I want Seo Moonjo to realise that Jongwoo has as much power over him as he thinks he has over the other. After this, they can be murder husbands for all I care, in true Hannibal-esque fashion. The emancipation of Jongwoo needs to happen first, and Seo Moonjo needs to realise that he is not the invincible one in this relationship. After that, they can have a good time together, no matter how fucked up that time may look like. 

Also, I am convinced that he ‘dated’ Yoo Gihyeok in a twisted way, before he went and fucked up his plans; and before Jongwoo came to cath his eye.

My non-romantic OTP: As mentioned above - Seo Moonjo is a lone wolf. Yes he had his pack and someone that guided him on this path, but none of them ever come close to him to see his heart. The show itself doesn’t give him much space to see a potential friendship except the one he has with Jongwoo. Jongwoo would be the answer for this as well. (also to be fair, I don’t wish anyone to be friends with him damn)

However, if I could explore more dynamics he has with other people, I would love to see it with Officer So. I think she is an incredibly interesting and strong character and the few scenes they had together were fascinating - she came as his patient and ended up being his enemy. In another installment of this show, I would’ve loved to see more interaction like that and see the development of them being pleasant acquaintances (and maybe Seo Moonjo realising that she too is worth his attention) to enemies. I want Seo Moonjo to find respect for her.

My unpopular opinion: I’m not into depicting him as fancy rich, as many do in fics. Yes he’s a dentist and surely has a ton of money, but I like the idea that despite this wealth, he would always be a shabby sort of person. Not decked out with a luxurious rooftop apartment and wearing dress-shirts every day and expensive watches; but rather using his wealth to make himself safe from detection, finding remote areas, buying utensils and appliances for his ‘art’. So no, I reject the vision of him lounging on the highest building in Seoul with a minimalist empty apartment. I see him in a ratty rundown but expensive old mansion/house that has many corners for his artistic endeavours. I’ve already picked the perfect house for him in Busan, on the top of a hill overseeing the city and the harbour. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I’ve mentioned it above, but I wish Seo Moonjo had gotten to feel more pain. We got Jongwoo’s liberation and Moonjo being proud of his ‘artwork’ while Jongwoo kills him, but that was not the revenge Jongwoo needed. In the end, Moonjo still lingers with him, as a constant presence, and he never got a taste of his own medicine. While watching this show, all I wanted was Jongwoo to break Moonjo’s heart. This would not make up the suffering Moonjo put him through but at least they would be equal. So I have my own revenge fantasy with this character that is more than ‘merely’ killing him. Being killed by Jongwoo just felt like an honour to Seo Moonjo and I’m not satisfied with that. 

Phew okay I’m done! Thank you for giving me something to ramble about, it was a joy!! 

[incorrectinkheartquotes]

Not to pry, but i saw your tags and i would love to hear any thoughts you have on what cornelia could have done w capricorn and basta instead of doing them like That, if you have any ideas/opinions?

really sorry for the late reply, but totally! ((and thank you for asking!!))

okay so, first off, Capricorn. I want to say that I’m not actually super upset by Capricorn’s death since the ending of Inkheart is great in my opinion, and narratively speaking it really ties everything up pretty neatly and cleanly in a satisfying way. it serves the story VERY well and is very gratifying since Capricorn is just nasty enough that we’re all very, very glad to see him get his just desserts.

I said that killing Capricorn off was a bad move, and what I mean is that, because of the way the other villains are written in Inkspell and Inkdeath, the stark contrast between them and Capricorn as a villain in Inkheart really grates on me, because I know Cornelia Funke can write really cool and intriguing yet blatantly evil and unsympathetic villains, but I don’t feel like the story delivers on that in the other books like Inkheart did, and it basically feels like we might as well have just kept Capricorn alive and let him do the cool scary stuff the rest of the story, lmao.

he’s such a good antagonist, but I don’t legitimately want his death undone or him to actually play a part post-Inkheart because I feel like Capricorn belongs squarely in Inkheart, in the real world, untouched by fantasy or magic or anything that delegitimizes how really, scarily, human Capricorn and his evils are. I feel like he really thrived in our world for a good reason, and I don’t rlly want to mess that up.

(also I think it’s interesting to note how the Inkworld trilogy is basically on a sliding scale of realness to pure story, and both of what I consider the strongest terrifyingly legit villains never make it to the last installment, where it directly crosses over into actual fantasy, instead of just nudging at it.)

what I’d have liked to see is actually maybe flashbacks of Capricorn. more mentions of him. some connections, more than just Mortola’s motivation in Inkspell or passing references to the former fire-raisers, you know? I stand by the fact that Capricorn is a villain fitted better to the irl world, but I also don’t like the feeling that Capricorn was just plucked out of thin air and never had a real impact on the Inkworld, which is what we get in Inkspell, to me. I want to know that the Capricorn that terrified us in Inkheart is the same Capricorn who used to have his own posse of men at his beck and call in the Inkworld.

also bit of a tangent but, this goes in general as well as a complaint I have for Inkspell. I want to feel like all of these supposed characters from the Inkheart book are real and their pasts matter, like Inkspell didn’t just drop us and the main characters into a world that doesn’t really exist and doesn’t really have any stakes, which is, unfortunately how it kinda feels to me. and I think Capricorn is a big part of that, given how huge a presence he has and how huge a part he plays in Inkheart. you can argue that it’s just foreshadowing in a way, that the Capricorn who made such a big impact in the very first story is only the tip of iceberg, he’s only a minor player in the real world of Inkheart, which is a very fair assessment, but I think it also has the unintended consequence of making the Inkworld feel less like a cohesive universe separate from ours and more like, well, a story, because of that.

my opinion about Capricorn’s past in the Inkworld also goes hand-in-hand with my opinions on Firefox–I would have loved to hear more about his past as a fire-raiser under Capricorn and what Capricorn was like then, what Firefox’s personal investment in that line of work was and how he was brought into it, his relationship with Capricorn and the others. 

basically his stake in the story and his opinions of the old fire-raisers vs the new work under the Adderhead. I feel like Firefox would have been a really good way to connect the lore of Inkheart only mentioned in the first book and what we actually see stepping into the world itself in Inkspell. he has the right history to give us backstory and insight into the past we’ve heard of, while also bringing us into what the future of the Inkworld looks like right now and how it’s changed.

and Firefox is also an excellent way to fix my issues with Basta’s plot.

so my thoughts on Basta! I feel kinda the same about him as Capricorn, in a way, that his death is deserved and in it’s own way poetic (the fact that in the end, Basta is nothing more than an awful man whose death is only a footnote to the story at large) but his death is not very satisfying as a reader who’s been extremely invested in his role in the story up until that point. narratively I don’t think I actually have a huge problem with the decision to kill off Basta because it all checks out, but I also think it causes some other issues.

what I mean is, Basta is the most personal of the Inkworld trilogy villains, and I think serves an important role as sort of the bridge between the readers and more distant, high stakes of the story. AKA he is the very real, very intimate reminder of what exactly the heroes are fighting for and against, and what will happen if they lose–men like Basta will win. he also provides good interpersonal villainy that helps develop characters and move the story along in a way that a Bigger And Badder villain just can’t. and I think that taking him out of play while also not adding in anything else that serves the same role kinda takes away the tension in the story, I think.

I mean, the stakes are still there, it’s kinda hard to NOT feel the weight of the mass-murder of children but tension (as in narrative tension) is really important in a story and I don’t really feel that as much in Inkdeath as in the first two books? and I do think the villains are responsible for that (or also the lack of certain villains.) 

I just honestly feel like the pros of Basta’s death in the story don’t outweigh the consequences.

what I would have liked to have seen, that I think fixes all my issues, is a Basta and Firefox team up in Inkdeath. Firefox always seemed awfully dissatisfied with his new job working for the Adderhead to me, and there are just SO MANY villains in Inkdeath working at once, all with their own agendas and own little teams, the idea of them all being at odds with each other while all also trying to capture the main characters is VERY cool.

like, you have, of course, the Piper, with his high-ranking station in the Adderhead’s court, being The Dragon to the Adderhead’s Big Bad. the very classic, very regal and threatening villains who make up the serious problem in the big story, the ones who are driving the actual plot going on. they’re the ones who have the resources and who actually have to be defeated by the characters and not just avoided.

and then imagine you have, pitted against them, Basta and Firefox, and Orpheus and Mortola, all working for their own ends and own reasons. Orpheus and Mortola who are pretending to be allied with the Piper and the Adderhead while working their own sneaky underhanded schemes in the shadows, and Basta and Firefox who have publicly defected from the Adderhead and are in hiding just as much as the heroes, while still trying to make their moves.

like Inkspell gives so much basis for a Piper/Firefox rivalry with no delivery and that’s a shame!!! I really feel like he was wasted as a character, and the question is not about him, but I REALLY feel like fixing Firefox’ arc in the books would automatically tie together a lot of other stuff.

and we all also know how lost Basta is without a master to devote himself to, and we know how displeased Firefox is as the Adderhead’s servant.

Mortola has absolutely no ties to Basta other than he’s convenient and loyal to her as an extension of his former loyalty to Capricorn–he’s an easy tool to use. Inkdeath already has Mortola growing steadily more unhinged and illogical as she accepts her own irrelevance after Capricorn’s death, so it’s totally plausible she might abandon Basta completely to go about her own goals when she decides to work with Orpheus, and of course Basta would flounder.

and so Basta, unsure and looking for any anchor to give him a purpose, would look for some sort of familiarity and companionship, and there’s two options there: the Piper or Firefox. the Piper is steadfast in his own loyalty to the Adderhead if for no other reason than greed, and Basta can’t stand him nowadays and never liked the Adderhead.

Firefox was someone Basta used to work with who is still someone Basta can at least tolerate. Firefox has his own issues with the Piper and the Adderhead and those two would be able to find common ground in that, and their other issues with how things are nowadays in the Inkworld

I can very easily see Basta persuading Firefox into a mutually beneficial partnership, speaking about his own experience with the Bluejay and his allies, and convincing Firefox to jump ship entirely. and I feel like Firefox might thrive under the ability to work with his own rules, unchallenged.

like seriously. Firefox who comes into himself and really becomes his own leader and own serious antagonist to be reckoned with, and gaining Basta’s respect and loyalty. them having a very good working relationship together as mostly equals, where Basta gives advice and information as a henchman, and Firefox actually calls the shots and plans the strategy. and they serve the same purpose in Inkdeath that Basta and Mortola did in Inkspell, that Basta and Flatnose and Cockerell served in Inkheart.

and that ties back into the post-Inkheart Capricorn disappearance, because with two of his former best men becoming allies later in the story, there’s plenty of room for mentions of him and backstory with the fire-raisers and how Basta and Firefox (and the Piper!!) all knew each other, and then how they used to interact with the rest of the Inkworld (Dustfinger, the Black Prince, Cosimo, etc) under Capricorn’s orders.

I just. h. feel like it would have been really cool to see Mo and Meggie and Dustfinger and everyone struggle against so many enemies from all sides, each with their own special ways of causing issues that have to be overcome. I would like to see that Piper and Firefox rivalry and confrontation and the consequences. I would really like to see Basta’s arc have him devoting himself to someone else and what that means for him, as a character.

I REALLY would like the antagonist situation in Inkdeath to be a lot more personal and interesting and complex.

anyway uh.

TL;DR:

my main issue with Capricorn isn’t his actual death, but how his time as an antagonist contrasts with how the villain situation ends up later, aka Not As Cool In My Personal Opinion (And These Guys Wish They Could Live Up To The Standard Capricorn Set). still would LOVE to see backstory of him regarding other villains that ties the whole universe together.

Basta’s death is valid but unsatisfying and I honestly really really miss him as a character in Inkdeath and because he was fun and delightfully horrible and twisted and I think he served an important purpose.

I think the way to fix both of these issues is UTILIZING FIREFOX.

I hope this sums up all my feelings and ideas about this subject well!

[tales-of-nexus]

★ Avie and Perse 83c

I like (everything about) you / I hate you / I dislike you/ I love you (so much it leaves me raw) / You are family (and so much more) / I would take a bullet for you (without a moment’s hesitation) / I would shoot you (only if it would save you) / I would lie to your face / I would say something cruel to you on purpose / I would say something cruel to you accidentally  / I would cheat on you / I would physically hurt you (for our mutual benefit) / You annoy me / You amuse me / I laugh (because of) you / I’d laugh with you / I’d manipulate you / You scare me (because of how much you care for me, and I’m afraid I’ll give you reason to stop) / You confuse me (with your devotion) / I wish I knew you better / I trust you (with everything I am) / I don’t trust you (to not hurt yourself when I’m not around to help you) / You inspire me (to be a million things I never cared to be) / I consider you an equal / You are (beautiful) beneath me / You’re better than me (in so many ways I can’t fully express it) / I would trust you with my life (my love, my wealth and everything that I am) / I think you’re mean (to yourself) / I think you’re petty / I think you’re childish (in a way that reminds me of the old days, and it hurts and I love it) / I think you’re smart / I think you’re stupid (to have chosen me) / I think you’re a bad person / I think you’re a (better) person (than me) / I’m not sure what kind of person you are / I wish you would listen to me (when I tell you how important you are) / I want to make you proud / I wish you would notice me / I want to impress you (at every turn) / I would hurt other people for you (without batting an eye) / I’m not sure how to make you happy (but I like to think I’m doing alright with it) / I’m a bad influence on you (and I’m not sorry for it) / You deserve better than me (but I won’t let you go) / We make a great team / I (had) a one night stand with you / I have a relationship with you / I would marry you (if we were the men we used to be) / I fantasize about our life together / I would trust you with my most treasured belonging / I would tell you my darkest secrets (some day) / You disgust me / You intimidate me (with how passionate you are towards me) / I hope I intimidate you / I’d hug you / I’d let you hug me  / I’m (terrified) of losing you / I don’t think you like me / I want to be better for you / I respect you / I don’t respect you / You’re my mentor (in the affection I thought I had forgotten) / You’re my friend / You’re my best friend / I have a crush on you / I could easily watch you die / I’d get drunk with you / I’d party with you / I’d comfort you / I’d prank you / I’d spike your drink / I’d act behind your back / I’d (never) abandon you / I’d hurt you to get what I want / I would choose my happiness over yours / I would choose your happiness over mine / I (am terrified of) how much I care for you / I need you / I’m dependent on you / I don’t know what I’d do without you / I’m scared of you leaving me / I’d give my life (and everything) for you / You frustrate me / I’d call for you in a time of need (every time) / I would protect you (from everyone, including yourself) / I’d visit you in hospital (and stay by your side as long as I could) / I’d carry you if you were hurt / I’d feel (unfathomably) guilty if I hurt you / I’d let you be near me when I am vulnerable / I’d ignore a phone call from you / I’d call you at 3am (just to hear the sound of your voice) / I’d break you out of jail / I’d get angry at you / I would shout at you / You’re too loud / You’re too quiet / You’re too sensitive / You can’t take a joke / You embarrass me (and I love it) / I feel (everything) for you / You’re reckless (and it worries me) / You’re bossy (and I can’t get enough) / You bore me / I would ask your advice / I would blame you for something I did / I would cry in your arms / You have the power to hurt me more than anyone else / I care for you more than I ever thought possible for me to feel again