#especially a very young omar

[retrieve-the-kraken]

In honor of the Young Royals anniversary, I’m posting my pictures from my pilgrimage to the holiest of places in YR fandom, Kaggeholm slottet (Hillerska).

I have to say, not only was it so surreal to arrive at the actual place, but it was actually one of the nicest days from my whole trip to the Nordics (besides seeing Omar at Furuvik and my birthday). It was such a nice day with perfect weather, the trip to Ekerö itself was kind of a fun little adventure, and I wasn’t yet dying from pollen allergy (more on that some other time). It was great.

I have to say, getting off the bus, and seeing the bus stop, and then turning around and realizing that the building is RIGHT THERE, was a little shocking. I don’t know what it is, but the dimensions of everything in my head were completely different. I mean, is it me, or did everything look bigger, farther, higher on the show…?

The area is very peaceful. I saw some cars arriving, some people working in the surrounding buildings, and I was prepared to be told to “get the fuck out”, but no one said anything to me. Guess they’re either very used to YR fans walking around in awe and they don’t pay us any mind (unless you’re disruptive or something, perhaps?), or they just don’t mind visitors. Either way, I was left to roam the area, and take pictures and nobody ever asked me anything.

The main building was closed, though, and through the windows I could see a lot of piled furniture. The high season is in the summer, and it’s clear that they were working on the areas and buildings used by visitors, and for summer activities. I didn’t walk too much around the buildings in the back because they were working, and I was worried about walking straight into a construction.

The whole garden was in dire need of upkeep, which I’m guessing happens nearer the start of the summer season. The grass was quite high, and there were loads of flowers growing everywhere. The fountain was empty.

But the area was really beautiful and peaceful. Sometimes there was the noise of grass-cutting equipment or an electric saw, but most of the time, I just heard birds singing, and the breeze, and it felt very nice. Perfect for a picnic.

Look! The classroom building! And the pier!

It was near midday, and I had to figure out where I’d have lunch. I brought a little picnic, but it felt kind of weird to sit there all alone and eat. Also I couldn’t see where to dispose of my garbage afterwards, so after taking a gajillion pictures and videos, I started back toward the front to wait for the bus in the iconic bus stop.

On my way around the main building, I saw this offering by a fellow YR fan.

Also, since I knew the bus would still be a little while, I did sit at a picnic table on the front, and had a knäckebröd sandwich, in honor of Wilmon. And I enjoyed some more of the soothing sounds of birds singing.

And the final stop of my little tour was the red bus stop.

Wow, that place has been turned into a real chapel of YR adoration and prayer, hasn’t it?

I was amazed by the amount of graffiti all over it, paying tribute to all the characters, the actors, the creators and the magic of the show. But I was also amazed about the fact that it has been left untouched. I hope it remains like that forever, but you never know, so I captured as much of it as I could. I might have to share them all in another post, because this is not letting me right now...

I left my own mark, so if anyone ever visits, you might find a tiny message saying Retrieve-the-Kraken was here (or something like that, can't remember) somewhere on the bench. I think I remember thanking Lisa too.

So there you have it. I was but a humble pilgrim wanting to see the place where one of the most special shows that was a very special part of my life for three years took place, and it did not disappoint.

It felt especially bittersweet to be there after the end of the show. From the way the place looked, it was almost like they really shut down Hillerska, but also it was like entering a dimension of its own, the birthplace of a love like no other. And I don't mean just Wilmon Endgame™, I mean a very special fandom which will live in my heart forever.

I'm not ready to let go just yet, though...

[kipercrow]

Stardew Gas (Shane x Male Farmer) (M/M)

The Luau was a wonderful tradition in Pelican Town. Omar being the town’s farmer, always made sure to bring his best ingredients for the big Soup! Everyone gets to put in their own ingredients, and Omar always wanted to show the fruits of his farming. Especially since the governor would come to town just for this event. Since he began getting close to Shane, Omar had been perfecting the way he grew his chillies. It was after all one of the ways he got Shane to see him as a friend, and then eventually a partner. They’ve been dating for a year now, and Shane with the help of Omar, town doctor Harvey, and his therapist in Zuzu City, he’s been able to work on his mental health, and improve a lot! After Joja Mart closed down following the completion of the Community Center, Shane started spending more time with Omar, helping around with the animals. They loved working together. It’s why when it was their turn to add something to the Luau Soup, they both added chillies! The soup was delicious! With the approval of the governor, everyone celebrated, eating more food and joking around with each other.

Late at night, after the Luau ended, full of food Shane and Omar walked back to their shared home together. “Ughh... *gurgle*... I feel a little bloated... oof... too much Joja all-purpose dipping sauce.” Shane said, rubbing his belly. “Same here. We ate so much. Elliot’s bean casserole was phenomenal. I have to ask him for the recipe the next time I see him. You know he told me that he was working on a cookbook.” Omar said. “Oh is that so? Do tell him that chickpeas don’t work in a bean casserole. Too many different textures.” Shane said before smiling. The two of them entered their home, and removed their shoes and walked over to their bedroom to change into their pajamas. Shane put on his blue plaid pajama pants, and an old band tee for Bimar, both Shane and Omar were fans of the band and loved their song ‘Distressed Position’. Omar changed into his black pajama shorts, and a normal t-shirt that just had a cat on it. The two men sat on the couch, and turned on the TV. Even though the Luau was lively, they weren’t tired. Omar’s dog Buddy sat on his bed next to the couch, it was the same dog that Shane’s aunt Marnie found and brought to Omar. Buddy took a liking to Shane almost right away, and has been very beneficial to Shane’s mental health improving. 

Shane rubbed his belly, the food from the Luau was beginning to mix and become gas in his stomach. This wouldn’t be a problem if he was back at Marnie’s home. Shane would usually just take a walk around the barn, and walk past the forests and let out any farts he had on the way. Hell, he’d probably be letting all of his gas out in his bedroom, as long as he kept his window open Marnie wouldn’t mind. But here with Omar things were different. He hadn’t farted in front of Omar yet. Sure he assumed that his loving farmer boyfriend had farted before, he by all proof was a human, and humans fart. He couldn’t fart no matter how bad the gas pains were, he didn’t want to ruin this love. But through the corner of his eye, Shane saw Buddy, sleeping peacefully in his bed. Dogs fart, Shane could totally blame his release on Buddy, Omar has probably blamed his farts on Buddy many times before. Omar was focusing very much into the movie about a team of young adults solving a mystery, he wouldn’t notice Shane farting. 

Shane slightly shifted in his seat, and released a fart blast.

PRBPRRRRBBTTRRTTTTT

The fart was a quick rumble, Shane had hoped that it would be an SBD but oh well, better now to blame the dog. “Ha Wow Buddy that was a good one!” Omar looked at Shane smirking, unbeknownst to Shane, Omar was not buying that at all. He knew that Shane had farted, breaking the barrier in their relationship, it would have been broken weeks ago but Marnie had called the home asking if Shane could bring over some fresh eggs from the barn, before Omar could be the first to let rip. Shane looked back at Omar, and began to internally panic. “W-What? That was the dog. I swear” Shane said, trying to seem calm. Omar shook his head and looked deep into Shane’s eyes.

BRRRAAAAPPTTT

“Yes, the dog.” Omar said, smiling. Shane didn’t know what to say, Omar didn’t buy his lie, and then farted in front of him. “I-I’m sorry Omar. I didn’t mean to lie to you” he said, feeling absolutely awful. “Oh Shane, don’t apologize. You tried to blame a fart on the dog, so what? You’re not the only one feeling the effects of tonight’s Luau meal.” “I just felt embarrassed to do it, in front of you. I was afraid that you’d think that it was gross and wouldn’t want to be with me.” “Shane, I would never ever dump you, especially not over a little fart. It’s not even that gross, heck I have to clean up cow poop now that’s gross. I know it stinks, but they’re happier when they get to let that shit go. So you know it’s like us, I’m happier when you’re able to fart freely in front of me.” Shane smiled after hearing that, and kissed Omar on the cheek, it’s what he needed to hear. Shane and Omar continued to watch the movie together, feeling better now that they’ve broken the fart barrier. Almost 30 minutes later, Omar got hit with a smell of rotten eggs, he looked towards Shane. Shane with a smirk on his face looked at Omar, “What? I’m at my happiest.” Omar cracked up at that comment and he kissed Shane on the lips. “I love you, you smelly cow.” “Moo.” Omar and Shane continued to laugh together and watched the movie till its end.

After the movie ended, Omar and Shane turned off the TV and walked to their bed letting out little farts along the way, taking full advantage of their newfound comfort. They got into bed, Buddy in his bed. Shane felt really happy, he was soaking it in how he was sleeping with his boyfriend, he didn’t need to worry about Jas and Marnie, Buddy was sound asleep, and he was comfortable with Omar. He was so comfortable in fact that he didn’t think twice about releasing some of his gas.

PBRRT

It was a little fart, nothing big to write home about, but it made Shane happy to not have to hold back anymore. “Don’t blame the dog on that weak one.” Omar said cheekily. “Weak?” “Yes baby, weak. That was alright. Here, let me show you better.”

BRRrruuuRRPBRRTT

Omar released a loud fart that slid into a low rumble before coming back up in volume. “That’s how you do it.” “I see, I see. Here, I’m going to take credit for this one.”

PPPRRRBBRTTTTT

Shane let out a big fart, showing how serious he was to prove that he wasn’t weak. “Good Good. That’s better to see babe.” “You got anymore?” “Oh Shanny boy, you won’t be able to beat me. I used to out-fart my dad, and that man is why Mayor Lewis is a mayor and not the town farter.” “Town farter?” “Yeah Lewis used to fart a lot in town when he was younger. My dad beat him so bad in a contest, with a fart that some say is still going on.” “Really? I can’t believe Lewis would be so open about farting. He never seemed like the type to even burp!” Shane, now sitting up, was surprised to learn that Mayor Lewis would be so nonchalant about farting. Sure he knew that Lewis had his secrets, he thought to himself, “I mean Omar did catch Lewis kissing Marnie one night after a pretty eventful night at the Saloon. There was also the time Lewis forgot his underwear in Marnie’s room, Omar doesn’t know but I saw him bring it to Lewis. They don’t think I know but Lewis climbs in through the back window in Marnie’s room.” Omar sat up too, and began talking about the memories his dad told him about Mayor Lewis. “Yeah, when my dad lived here with my grandpa, my dad and Lewis would challenge each other in things. Lewis mainly farted when he was alone, but some days he’d fart in front of my dad to see if he’d do something. But he never thought my dad would fire back, so when one day that he did they set up a contest. My dad said it lasted for about an hour, they were firing back and forth within seconds of each other, they did it in this old home near the lake, he said that place stunk so bad! But after my dad let out a big 10 second fart, Lewis had nothing to return so my dad was declared the winner. Nowadays I notice that whenever Lewis walks by my barn he scrunches his face, like he’s letting something out. I think he uses my cows to block the farts.” Shane couldn’t believe his ears, Lewis a farter? And Omar’s dad beating Lewis, and Omar beating his dad? “Omar can’t be that impressive, if he’s using Lewis as a base.” Shane thought to himself. “Well Omar, if you’re such a pro-farter let’s see who can stink out this joint. Make Pelican Town think your cows have started to rot!” “You really want to go for it?” Shane pulled his knee to his chest and let out a 4 second bassy fart. “Yeah I’m going for it.” after saying that Shane let out 2 smaller farts back to back. “Oh! I see how it is, watch this!” Omar said before leaning slightly to the left, with his butt facing Shane and let out two bubbly farts that were 3 seconds. “Still want to go against me?” Omar said. Shane stood up and turned around and stuck out his butt, before letting out a wet 5 second fart! “And that was all air baby!” Shane said gloating. 

Omar and Shane kept their eye contact, the room falling silent until they both began to laugh and Shane fell onto the bed. “I love you honey” Shane said, kissing Omar’s cheek. “I love you too. Now if you truly want to start a contest we gotta do it by my dad’s rules.” Seeing that Shane was confused, Omar gave more information. “We pick a day, pig out on a bunch of fart inducing food, and whomever runs out first loses.” Omar punctuated his dad’s rules with a low rumble of a fart. “That sounds like fun, I mean I think we could do some damage to Pelican Town if we go full force-” Shane paused, letting out a wet note. “We should go some place far. Where no one can hear us-” Shane lifting his leg, releasing a loud bubbly fart “Where no one can smell us”. Omar smiled at Shane, letting go a short pop of a fart. “That sounds perfect, we can make the paint peel, in more ways than one.” Omar said, tracing Shane’s arm and stomach with his fingers. Omar releasing a longer bassy fart, punctuating it with tapping Shane on the tip of his nose, “Boop”. Shane smiled. Shane and Omar laid there in silence except for the bursts of gas releasing into the air, it wouldn’t be long before they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

[the-words-we-sung]

Thoughts and pictures - S3E4

I've never been that slow with a Young Royals rewatch >< It's hard for me to get through this season (especially now that I'm in the last 3 episodes...)

And here we go, starting directly with a very sad Simon 😞 Omar plays a crying Simon way too well, it breaks my heart every damn time...

I like hearing Wilhelm call Simon his boyfriend 🥰 Also is it me, or do we have a lot more close up shots in season 3? (No clue if that's what it's called, I mean shots that are very zoomed in on their faces like this one.)

Vincent drawing a dick on the ground, of course... And I don't get his explanation: "why even try if there's no reward for the effort?". It means if the school closes, they all won't graduate and have to do their grade all over again? Surely if they're taking tests and all, it counts for something? Why fail an important test and take the risk to fail your year? 🤔 (Not gonna lie, most of Vincent's reactions to what's happening to the school this season left me quite perplexed ^^') And if it's just the graduation ceremony that is cancelled, it still doesn't mean they're not graduating, does it? 🤔

But can you really Simon?

And Wilhelm repeating his mother's words "it's a privilege, not a punishment" breaks my heart >< (Also I'm gonna be a little shit about it but even the Royals have a choice in the end about accepting or not their role and job: after all, Wille is gonna renounce it in 2 episodes :p)

I do like what he said about the role of the royal family in Sweden! We have very little information on that in the show so I appreciate it here. And he looks so pretty in this light!

Wilhelm sounded so surprised that Farima said yes immediately when he told her they needed to help Simon. He was expecting to have to fight them on that.

Why did he have to delete his whole account? Why not just put it on private? (I know I've read in several fanfics the idea that searching and deleting through all the new people who followed him before going on private would be too much of a hassle but I feel like it's a stretch, and an acceptable price to pay to keep his account?)

Their conversation about Wilhelm's choice of foundation makes me so so sad! I had hoped that he would see Simon's point of view on how he can use his role as Crown Prince to try and make things better! I was actually pretty surprised that he was 100% not interested. It's a new facet of Wilhelm's personality that we hadn't really seen before I guess? And it feels like it creates a serious gap between them, it shows that they're not on the same page at all about a pretty serious subject (which is not good for the future of their relationship...)

This shot of these 3 made me laugh :p

This one hurts... Another crack in their relationship 😩 Simon is realizing how different they are. He knew they were but this season is showing us a side of Wilhelm that just seems incompatible with Simon :/ It's not just differences in tastes or personality, now it's differences in their core values also. And that is a huge problem.

So we learn that Simon mostly avoided Micke for Sara's sake. Or maybe he's exaggerating that fact because he's really angry at her.

The sit-in scene is very funny, they're all so dramatic, thinking they might starve to death xD I didn't think that August's eating disorder would be confirmed this way! Also I guess Vincent does have ADHD then? It was not just an excuse to get pills.

"Because we are different?" Yeah... that's what this episode is really about, how different you both are. Which wouldn't be an issue for me if it was less about such important matters :/ I wish we had seen them learn more from each other this season, instead of being in conflict to much.

I agree with Felice that it's getting out of hand! (I still enjoy the whole thing though 😁). I don't dislike Stella as much as a lot of people seem to, but I don't like her in this scene and how she talks to Felice!

Cutest scene of the episode.

I adore this scene. It makes me want to cry. I love them both and I'm so happy that they're slowly finding their way back to each other <3

"Erik was there." This sceeeeene!! Such a punch in the face, so fucking terrible >< (So well acted also!!)

Another trauma for my poor boy...

So lots of mixed feelings with this episode! I'm very frustrated with Wilhelm and his reactions, but I love the Sara arc. I really like the end of the episode, with some very good scenes. But now I really don't wanna go watch the next one ><

[tiesthatbind-tf]

You said Sentinel was Optimus’s mentor in your AU? What was that partnership like before Optimus left? How did Sentinel treat him, I mean?

Oh, we're going to have to pull up a chair for this hot dumpster fire.

You get some homework reading beforehand.

Optimus Prime (Omar Parvez) and his parents (Mirza and Ariya) are Kurdish political refugees from Iran who were granted asylum in the UK, and Optimus first crossed paths with Sentinel Prime (Sedgewick Princeton), when Sentinel was a young cop. Mirza was a college professor, Ariya was a journalist, needless to say they had people who wanted them silenced, and at one point of time, Sentinel (back then 27) responded to a home invasion at their apartment and saved Mirza's life. OP and Sentinel spoke back then when Sentinel was attempting to calm him down (he made the emergency call as a terrified seven-year-old) and it was this moment that inspired OP as a child to look into law enforcement as a career option when he grew up.

OP put in the work, made the cut to the military/law class despite hailing from parents in the art/education class, and caught the eye of Sentinel, who had become London Police Commissioner. Sentinel, both impressed by OP's work ethic and getting a bit of an ego boost that OP was inspired by him, decided to take OP under his wing when OP graduated, and began work in the Hackney borough.

At this point, Sentinel and OP's relationship was very good. OP was dutiful, excelled in his tasks and showed a lot of initiative, and he treated OP like a son, even to the point of trying to set OP up on blind dates! But OP would see some subtle warning signs, where Sentinel would compliment him in a way that disparaged his background (think the "you're a credit to your people"/"would you believe the child of mere book keepers could become a warrior" type 'compliments'), and played him up as a model minority to an uncomfortable degree.

The real rift started when OP was made Chief Superintendent of the Dead End as a trial by fire (its two previous Chief Superintendents had quit on the job), where he would oversee enforcement there without Sentinel's input and if it worked out, he would be promoted to deputy commissioner in Scotland Yard. OP strayed away from Sentinel's standard policing protocol for a more holistic/facilitative form of policing that focused more on public welfare than making arrest quotas and punitive action.

OP sees severe issues with the system, Sentinel thinks it's working as intended to 'keep order'; OP begins to see cracks in the Sentinel's pedestal and the callousness behind Sentinel's facade of propriety, Sentinel begins to see OP as not as a student, but as a rival, especially when OP's methods work. Both end up in disagreements and rows so bad that Sentinel would hamstring OP's station funding and send his men down there to police OP, because Sentinel still has authority over OP (thought not enough to strip OP of his position in the Dead End because NOTHING OP is doing is technically wrong, it's simply getting in the way of locking up all these 'undesirables' and investments from gentrifying the place).

And when OP gets in the bad graces of Proteus and several Senate members for being a loudmouthed upstart, Sentinel takes the opportunity to throw OP under the bus, fire him and have him blacklisted from future military/law enforcement positions.

That said, whatever schadenfreude Sentinel felt seeing OP reduced to a dockworker (see where disobeying me gets you), was immediately decked in the face by the realisation that OP is no fool; OP had made connections with Hotspot, Ratchet, and local activists to ensure through a network of initiatives and legalities that Dead End remains cared for and in the hands of its residents, regardless of its superintendent.

Sentinel has never forgotten this and has harbored a deep disdain for OP ever since, a disdain which turns into hate when he finds our years later than OP is one of the two rebel leaders of the workers' revolution clashing heads with his forces.

The point of absolutely no return is when Sentinel has OP's father, his only living parent at that point, arrested and publicly executed for sedition via dissemination of banned literature (there is a bit of a personal slant to this; a part of Sentinel is always angry that OP would never see him as a father figure and despite having the strength and discipline of a warrior, remains that soft-hearted, kindly book keeper at heart) in an attempt to crush OP's morale and draw OP and Megatron out into the open (also, it's an interesting narrative bookend, given that Sentinel had saved Mirza on the job years ago; he sees himself in a position to hold both life and death in his hands) The hatred is mutual after this point, and OP prefers to avoid any discussion of Sentinel to this day.

[heliza24]

Analyzing the sex scenes in Young Royals (using cinematic language!)

Every day I log on to this app and see y'all waxing poetic about the way Simon and Wilhelm kiss. And don't get me wrong, they're good kissers and you should talk about it. But like, if we're gonna discuss the intimate scenes in Young Royals, let's discuss them. Let's break them down. Let's get into the nitty gritty. Let's analyze lighting, let's discourse about framing, let's talk about musical motifs. And then let's all say "thank you" together to our queen Rojda for gifting us with these beautiful scenes. Yes Omar and Edvin are great at their jobs and have incredible chemistry. But at least 75% of why I love these scenes is down to directorial choices. It's Rojda's (and Erika's and Lisa's and Kristina's) world and we're just living in it.

Before we get into it, I should probably tell you about my thesis about sex and intimacy in this show (hammered out over the course of many irl discussions with @bluedalahorse), because it really shapes how I think about each individual scene. There's a lot of different reasons that characters make decisions in Young Royals. They're influenced by their families and their childhood and their peers. But they also often make decisions based on a kind of physical and emotional logic that only makes sense to us only because we have witnessed the magic that exists in the intimate scenes. Does it make logical sense for Sara to want to date the boy that betrayed her brother? No it does not. But the tangible proof of their connection is in their scenes together, so I understand why she made the decisions she did even if I don't agree with them. Sometimes I don't think it makes sense for Simon to go back to Wilhelm after everything that Wilhelm put him through. But I've felt the magic, the way the rest of the world falls away, in their scenes together. So I understand how Simon can be so desperate to put the rest of the world aside and kiss Wilhelm again in 2.4, damn the consequences. In order for this to work, in order for me to believe that two characters' attraction is so powerful it alters the rules of logic and gravity, the sex scenes have to speak their own cinematic language. They have to be different, elevated from the rest of the show. They have to feel sacred. And that's why we need to talk about more than just the kissing itself if we want to understand why we're so obsessed with these scenes.

I think the morning after scene (aubade, as my Shakespeare professor would have said) at the beginning of 1.5 is a good place to start. It's the zenith of Wilhelm and Simon's connection in season 1 and it's easy to notice all of the things that make it special, because the knock on the door that ruins the moment creates an immediate contrast with the regular world.

The whole scene is diffused with golden light, which makes sense because it's morning, but is also an intentional choice. That light becomes a recurring theme whenever Simon and Wilhelm are together in this way. The camera is close to both boys; when you're getting coverage of one of their faces you're practically on the shoulder of the other. Their faces fill the whole frame. (The show occasionally pulls a little trick of giving the camera the POV of a character, like before the first kiss when the camera stands in for Wilhelm and Simon is looking directly into the lens. This isn't that direct but it's still very intimate.) Contrast this with the wide shot of both boys after the knock on the door, when the camera is removed and above them.

I'm obsessed with Matti Bye's score in general but I especially love the music here. Those sustained notes create an otherworldly feeling of floating, while deconstructed pieces of melodies we've heard before filter into the scene. Also, the way the sound is mixed here is so different than any other part of the show. We are able to hear every tiny detail: sheets moving, breath quickening. Every touch has a sound. That sound cuts out immediately after the knock on the door, so much so that it almost feels like the oxygen has been sucked out of the room.

The first thing I notice about the kiss scene after the dance in 2.4 is the lighting. The lights coming from the party in the background are twinkling, which creates a magical backdrop. But the reason they're twinkling like that is because they're out of focus. The shallow focus of the scene creates a literal bubble for Simon and Wilhelm to exist in. The noise of Hillerska is distant and unimportant compared to whatever is going to happen between them here on the lawn. The other lighting element that sticks out to me is the warm light the hits Wilhelm, which I think looks like it's coming from a street lamp. That's a light source that makes sense for the scene, but I'm also sure it was intentional. A return to being with Simon means a return to that golden light.

The music here is so intense. The use of the abstract choral vocals creates this incredible sense of anticipation, like the whole world is holding its breath. I love the contrast between Wilhelm's historical costume and Simon's modern outfit too. By going out to find Wilhelm, Simon is going back in time to when he and Wilhelm were together. He's also reaching back into the traditions of the past and trying to pull Wilhelm, who has been overwhelmed by the historical weight of his royal role, back into the present.

We've got the very deliberate sound mixing again; you can hear every move of that kiss. The thing that stays with me though is that the sound doesn't go back to normal until Simon has fully exited the scene. His footsteps crunching on the gravel are crystal clear. Wilhelm is holding on to every piece of him he can, even his steps as he walks away.

This scene actually contains one of my two gripes with season 2. (Gripe number one is a much bigger story thing to do with Felice, which I might write about another day). But this complaint is, of all things, a tiny editing decision I disagree with. The edit stays on coverage of Wilhelm's face through the whole lead up to the kiss. I really wish it had switched to coverage of Simon when he says "everything just got so messed up between us", because that's the moment he decides to step forward and kiss Wilhelm. Watching Wilhelm patiently wait for Simon to make that decision is fascinating, but I wish the edit had respected Simon's agency a little bit more in that moment and shown us his face while he makes that crucial decision.

Anyway, the kiss is still great. Ok, moving on.

The "what's going to happen to us" hookup scene in 2.5 is interesting to me because there's a very clear beginning, when the scene tips from normal dialogue into something more intimate. When I first watched this episode, I was holding my breath, wondering if that hug was going to turn into something more. And then it did! There's one wide shot of the boys hugging, during which the score drops out and the sound mixing changes to emphasize those small movements and breaths. Then the next shot is up close, with their faces filling the frame. We hear Simon sigh and know that the energy in the scene has shifted.

And then the camera catches the golden light from the window, creating a little bit of a lens flare. "Holy" starts playing, which sets this scene apart from all the other sex scenes in the show which are scored but don't have a needle drop. I love that the lyrics of the song make explicit everything that the cinematography up to this point has been trying to convey in these scenes: Wilhelm and Simon together create a sacred space. And there's so much yearning in that song, which perfectly suits the desperation of their situation. They're scared of all the ways the future might separate them, but they know they want each other in that moment.

Also, I'm obsessed with the decision to cut the scene at the climax of the music on a shot of the curtains. It's like the cinematic version of an ellipses. It invites us to imagine all the things they're going to do together, while still granting the characters the privacy they were so cruelly denied in season 1. It is, in a word, extremely sexy.

Each decision is so intentional in these scenes, and I think it's one of the reasons why people connect with this show on such a guttural level. I think it also feels rare to have queer sex scenes shot in this way, with such care and precision. I feel cared for when I watch them, because the creators clearly care for the characters and the story they're telling.

I think that's a good sample of scenes, but if people are interested or have scene requests I'm happy to do more! Also curious about what you all noticed that you think sets these scenes apart.

(And a little PSA: If you enjoyed me talking about the sex scenes in Young Royals you might also enjoy me writing sex scenes for our Young Royals fic Heart and Homeland. Even though it's an AU we tried hard to capture the sacred tenderness that we love in the show, especially in the Simon and Wilhelm scenes.)

And edited to add: there is now a part 2 of this analysis that you can read here!

[love-isthebestthingwedo]

Young Royals Season 3 Thoughts

I have very mixed feelings about this season…

It feels like Lisa is building to something big, maybe Wille and Simon splitting up for real and Wille accepting his fate (I don’t think so re: Revolution I talk about further down)? Maybe Wille abdicating and an open ending with possibilities for Wille/Simon?

I loved the Wille/Simon romance scenes, but I hated how Wille treated Simon when he was struggling through so much (while still obviously understanding that they’re both teenagers and Wille is hardcore struggling with his own shit). It did feel like some (some, not all!) of the character development that happened in season 2 might have been ignored a little bit.

Edvin and Omar said that the ending is unexpected but makes sense for their characters… and am I the only one who feels like Wille abdicating is true to himself? He never wanted this, he’s miserable as Crown Prince, and he’s realizing that maybe he doesn’t need to carry on Erik’s legacy since he and the royal family are and have always been flawed.

The revelations about Erik are crucial to this season’s plot, and they wouldn’t be there for no reason. It is obviously instilling doubt in Wille’s mind and making his royal future look less and less appealing and uncertain.

I want Wilmon endgame SO SO badly, and the only way I see that happening is if Wille abdicates because otherwise they’re both going to be miserable for the rest of their lives.

I’m trying to keep in mind that the ENTIRE idea of this show is revolution. Revolution. Simon sings about it throughout season 3, and it’s always been talked about throughout the series, and by Lisa, Omar, and Edvin.

Not only that… but LOVE being the catalyst to revolution. I think that picture we have of Wille smiling at graduation is some kind of resolution with the Queen. I think Wille will have a “come to Jesus” moment and starts a Revolution! The very real thought of losing Simon for good might be that catalyst.

Yes, I’m disappointed and I have some strong feelings about the direction this season took us in, but I know that Lisa has always done what’s most true to the characters and their stories. Remember when we all thought the love triangle storyline was predictable, overused, and wouldn’t work? Well, that’s what led Simon and Wille back to each other. I’m holding onto hope, especially after processing it through writing all of this down.

[jeannereames]

Actor for Alexander

I've been asked a bunch of times which actor I think could play Alexander. Mostly, I've had to say, "Nobody." And, "Cast a complete unknown."

I still, honestly, think that would be the way to go.

Pulling off Alexander takes not just Peter O'Toole levels of talent but Peter O'Toole levels of charisma. And unconscious arrogance. (He played Lawrence or Arabia in a very Alexander-ish way, below with Omar Sharif.)

That's the problem. Colin Farrell was, imo, not right for the part. He's a good actor in "small screen" intense sorts of roles. Liked him in Phone Booth. LOVED him in Ondine. I did not like him as Alexander.

Buck Braithwaite is, I think, better, although I have issues with some of how they directed him. Still think William Shatner beat them both in sheer presentation.

Of people NOT cast as Alexander, Michael Hurst (who played Iolaus in the old '90s TV show Hercules) would have been a dream cast for me. Even in the '90s show, he was too old, but man, he's an amazing actor and looked right for the part. Stick that man in a Macedonian cuirass pronto!

Jon Bon Jovi in his youthful days could totally have played him. Blond hair AND he's (relatively) short. Total command of the stage.

It's not an accident I picked a rock star.

I believe I've finally found a (current) "name" actor I would not hate in the role (again, depending on how he was directed).

It took seeing him in Elvis, and also in Dune II, but yes, Austin Butler could, imo, play Alexander. He's blond and blue eyed, and he has a long face (which Alexander had). He's really too pretty, and definitely too tall. At 32, he's also too old (especially for younger ATG), although the baby face helps. But he's got the charisma in front of a crowd that many actors (even good actors) don't have. I think he has the emotional range to be both terribly charming and frighteningly fierce.

So if you had to cast a name actor, Austin Butler could pull off ATG, imo.

But ANY name actor is going to have the same issue ... baggage from prior roles. in that respect, Buck Braithwaite was not a bad choice. He did have film experience, but I'd never heard of the guy before. (He was still too old.)

If Austin Butler were cast as Alexander, could audiences NOT see him as Elvis-Alexander or Harkonen-Alexander? Dubious.

So yeah, I STILL think that finding a talented, YOUNG, hungry, super-charismatic unknown would be the way to go. Alexander should be a young actor between 22-24, imo. They can age him up easily. Harder to age him down, but still possible. Colin Farrell was just 26 at filming, and he still looked too old, imo.

Alexander was a BABY when he crossed to Asia, just 22. He needs to look it, for the full impact of what he did to really knock your socks off.

[ranna-alga]

ATTENTION: Help support Samar and her family! 🇵🇸 @samarsh11

Samar and her husband Hashem are suffering under the genocide's harsh circumstances, particularly following the premature birth of their beautiful baby, Omar, who was born in a tent. No child should be born into such a dire situation, yet that is the case for little Omar and his parents who suffered the destruction of their home and were displaced five times. Furthermore, Samar and Hashem are doing what they can to not only support their baby, but their family too. The following is from Hashem's GoFundMe where he can further explain in his own words on the behalf of his family:

We’re a family of 8 members, me, my mother, and I have 4 brothers and two sisters. Islam (30) years old, Hazem (27), Samer (29), Mohammad (35), Nisreen (37), Noor (36), and for my close family I’m married and I have a newborn baby (Omar). Two of my brothers, Islam and Hazem , had a supermarket that was the source of income for the family. During the war, it was destroyed and we lost our source of income. Me and my wife (Samer) enduring incredibly challenging circumstances. Since October 7th, our home has been destroyed and we’ve been displaced five times, forced by the Israeli army to flee to southern Gaza. Eventually, we found ourselves fleeing to a small tent, sleeping on sand amidst crowded conditions, severe cold, and the sound of explosions. Samar gave birth prematurely in her eighth month of pregnancy, delivering our first child, Omar, in February 2024. Providing Omar with basic necessities like clothing and diapers has been difficult, compounded by the poor quality of available diapers, leading to a skin rash. We never imagined Omar would be born in a tent, which has affected his health due to environmental pollution and severe cold, resulting in hospitalization for respiratory complications and pneumonia, requiring 5 days of intensive care.

Samar and Hashem's beautiful family are in need of support for the plight they face. Evacuation fees are $5,000 per adult and $2,500 per child - meaning that the total amount of money they need to all escape the genocide is $45,000 in total. The family does not deserve to suffer, especially beautiful baby Omar who, like many young Palestinian children, deserves better than the circumstances he has been born and raised into.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

You can always donate to the family's fundraiser. However, if you cannot send money, then please share! As of writing, Samar and Hashem's family fundraiser has reached 13,755 euros out of a total 45,000 euros. And so far, they have already reached 31% of their goal with steadying donations, but they still very much have a long way to go! Like I said, if you cannot donate, please share! We owe it to Samar and Hashem's beautiful family to be their voices in an unjust struggle that is trying to silence them.

Let's help Samar and her family!

[gaysails]

fanmade 4k remaster of the wire prequel "webisodes" originally released in 2007. HUGE credit to jeremy hinen for the work that went into this remastering!

full text from OP's reddit post under the cut:

This was a project I'd been meaning to get to for a while! Hopefully you enjoy. Here's the background info I posted with the video on Youtube:

Originally aired as webisodes on HBO.com in 2007, these three prequel vignettes offer the only canonical flashbacks to several characters on HBO's "The Wire". They are some of the earliest period piece attempts by the show's braintrust, before they would eventually work on projects like Show Me a Hero or The Deuce. Prior to now, fans of the show have only ever been able to view the prequels online in 360p (and one bizarrely resized 480p clip). They're hard to look at, especially compared to the updated remaster.

With the re-release of The Wire following HBO's HD remaster in 2014, consumers who purchased the complete edition of the show finally had access to a higher bit-rate, 16:9 version of the prequels. To my knowledge, this version has never been shared online, and retains color/contrast closer to the 4:3 releases.While the 16:9 version displays far fewer bitrate issues than its original online release, there are still shots that suffer from compression artifacts and minor aliasing.

I split all the individual shots into Topaz, and used several Artemis AI models to repair the footage before upscaling to 4K.Using Davinci Resolve, I then recolored the prequels shot-by-shot to match the look and feel of the HD Remasters. The compression on the 16:9 version also resulted in a loss of the film texture very visible in the Remasters, so I finished by overlaying a scan of Kodak Vision 200T 5274 film grain – matching the film used by the show.

My hope is that these changes look subtle enough to remain indistinguishable from the main episodes, although this remaster does expose some production details the original crew never anticipated being seen; like the fact that Young Omar's scar is drawn on with marker. I've done my best to keep it from looking too glaring.

These prequels are now preserved here for any ardent fans of the The Wire to enjoy.

[omarera]

So so proud of Omar. I am so happy he is let in to new types of media. SvD and DN are the biggest national morning news papers in Sweden. He has been in evening papers and might be silly but I am glad he is covered in these papers. And now also Hellenius Hörna and Så mycket bättre. Thank You TV4. Now let’s hope national radio stations let his music in as well.

Here are some bits of the interview in SvD. It resembles his Sommarprat and nothing new for us really but a really nice interview with a nice tone in it and it will reach many households in Sweden that still has morning papers…

He talks about where he was a few years ago from the interview and I think it’s beautiful that he opens up about feeling lost, experimenting and on his journey to get to know himself and feel confident being who he is and that he also dares to vocalize his dreams. Remember that Jantelagen is strong in Sweden and vocalizing such big dreams is not usual. His journey continues!! I so want for him to reach his goals❤️

They start off with his FO&O and talk a out his bringing and his mom and dad and moving to Sweden.

One thing he hasn’t touched so much on before is how being known so young affected him:

“It was the sickest thing I've ever been through. It was both a kick and very scary to break through, especially when you were alone in town or going home on the bus. I was up in Stockholm and felt very watched. It was an emotional rollercoaster.”

He takes a deep breath.

“Every single person my age has known about me since I was 14 years old. It has been very intense and probably affected me in different ways. I've probably become more shy and stick mostly to my friends that I've had for many years.”

(We know he always pick stay home and that he is very close to his friends and has a circle of friends he feels safe with. And then about after FO&O)

“I released a few singles, but then the pandemic came and everything was put on hold. That's when it started.

Omar Rudberg puts one hand in his baggy leather jacket pocket and looks out through the Connection Hall in the Slaughterhouse area, where we met on a cool autumn afternoon.

“I was incredibly lost. Both in my professional role and in myself. I had no idea who I was or what I was going to be, what I liked and didn't like.

He set out on an experimental journey.

- I tried to find myself and started hanging out very intensively with friends. We hung out every day and became almost like a collective. It was incredibly fun and above all nice to see people who were in different ways.”

(I also liked this part where he talks about his creativity: )

“In the new homeland, the song and dance continued to be palpable, as did Omar's wild imagination. By the age of eight, it was so intense that his parents took him to a child psychologist.

- What they reacted to was that I didn't need toys. I could just enter another world, be chased by dinosaurs or have the worst action movie in my head. But I wasn't crazy, the child psychologist noted, just a child.

The creativity and musical gift can be traced to the grandmother and the mother. Early on, the latter ensured that Omar participated in talent competitions, often with success.

(And then more in creativity and using it to find yourself)

- My friends and I started trying different types of clothes. We played music and got dressed up. Some tried to put on makeup and nail polish. I really experimented. Those who are not in the know immediately think that a guy who wears make-up is gay or transgender - that bothers me. Make-up should not have to have an orientation, it should be for everyone. Now I wear black eyeliner when I feel like it without being ashamed.

Playing with the outside became a way to find home more in one's inner self, and the fact that Omar was named Best Dressed Man of the Year by the magazine Café this spring is something of a receipt for that.

- I have realized that I have to feel comfortable, stable and free with who I am if I am to be able to move forward in life. Clothes clearly play a role in that. They can also help me get into a certain character more easily.

(There is more text in YR and Karusell but he gets back to: )

“Although it is as an actor Omar has become known in recent years, it is the music he wants to focus on the most in the future. A few days ago, the new single Off my mind was released and tonight is the premiere of this year's So much better on TV4, where Omar is one of the participants.

Perhaps the participation will also be revenge for Omar as a solo artist.

- Yes, I hope people are reminded that I'm actually a singer at heart, it's music that I love the most. I'm looking forward to releasing an album eventually and especially to playing live.

A decade has passed since Omar Rudberg first broke through, when I ask what he thinks life will look like in another ten years, he first laughs at the thought of being 35. Then comes the answer:

- I want to have done the sickest gigs, have had several hits and be out on a world tour. I want to be in a Latin American TV series or movie and for my own company to be worth an incredible amount of money. I will not buy a Lamborghini, but a nice apartment for my mother so that she can be free as a bird. I want to give back everything I got from her.

He runs his hand through his slightly wavy hair and walks over to the mirror to get ready for the photo shoot.

- I would never have dared to have it this way a few years ago. Thankfully, I am much more confident in myself now.

You're not as lost anymore?

- No, I have grown a lot in recent years and now I feel stable enough to take myself forward in life. But I'm probably not quite there yet, the journey continues …

Translated bits from: Elin Liljero Eriksson - 23 oktober 2023 SvD Magazine.

[carolinahope]

I was peer-pressured and peer-reviewed into watching Young Royals. But I'm not mad. I'm delighted.

I have a lot to say, and I will, but for starters just general thoughts.

I watch so many USAmerican shows that every time I put on something not that, it takes me a hot second to adjust my optics. It is not bad at all. Just really refreshing.

As for the show, I think the first season was more emotionally satisfying. Because the main story were Wille and Simon and this unexpected relationship they found themselves in.

Second season was more story-tellingly engaging. As the characters were established and they could dive into them more. We got more of all their hopes and dreams and fears and flaws. There was a lot of scheming and pressure and mistakes and small victories and big losses and learning.

I liked how the seconds season showed even clearer that these are pretty much just kids who are put under undue pressure and how that both breaks and makes them. I liked that adults were pretty much just furniture or the cause of pressure throughout the whole show.

The tradition aspect that was woven into the show was really interesting as well and managed to paint an even fuller picture. The stupid initiations, the St. Lucia, Valentines, etc. It was a lovely insight into Sweden. But mostly into the rigidity of uncontested insistence on doing it all the way it has always been done.

The visuals and music were amazing as well.

And I fucking love the casting. Especially Omar and Edvin are a delight to watch, whether together or separate. But there really is no one where I would say, meh.

I also liked the relationships portrayed. It is interesting that there really wasn't much male friendship there. They all seemed to be more associates or teammates or accomplices. On the other hand we got some really solid and interesting female dynamics.

I watched the show in two sittings during work week (otherwise it would have been a very pleasant if full Saturday). But who needs sleep, right? And now I'm here not so patiently awaiting S3.

[kruemel8]

This kind of wants to make me cry 😢 they are both so sweet. And especially Omar’s answers broke me here. Speaking from his heart based on his and many others reality and real fears and worries. He deserves the world 💜

The series is about the right to be yourself and love who you want. You have a lot of South American fans - and there it's not always obvious in all places. What do you want to say to them?

Edvin: You win every time! Love always wins. And I will stand by that until the day I die - you should be able to love exactly who you want and be exactly who you are. That's the point of the series. The problem has never been that Wilhelm and Simon are queer – the problem has been the context and surroundings that prevent them from being themselves.

Omar: It must be extremely difficult and hard to live in a world where you don't feel like you are allowed to exist. But everyone reading this needs to know that it's okay. Never stop being loud. Keep fighting for the right to exist and love whoever you want. And don't change because someone else says you have to. But also take care of yourself and be careful - because the world can be very evil sometimes.

Have you received many homophobic hate comments?

Edvin:

There is a very harsh tone on social media and people can be very mean, but love is always there. The love of rainbow fans is like a cockroach - it never dies. It lives and gets through anything.

Omar:

I was prepared for a lot more hate. I was afraid that gangs of boys would jump on me in town - but I've rather experienced the opposite. And when someone throws out a mean hate comment, our fans always defend us. And the haters are going down! Young Royal's nation is always on top. ut everyone reading this needs to know that it's okay. Never stop being loud. Keep fighting for the right to exist and love whoever you want. And don't change because someone else says you have to. But also take care of yourself and be careful - because the world can be very evil sometimes.

Thank you. 🫶🏻

[the-words-we-sung]

Thoughts and pictures - S3E3

The great rewatch of season 3 continues! And we're halfway through with episode 3. As usual, it's probably gonna get a bit long so proceed with caution 😁

And we're starting off with some big big pressure on Wilhelm, for a change... "I don't know if I can handle it" => ma'am, you're the queen, you're an adult, you're his mother. Get a fucking grip!!

How can she put so much pressure on her son's shoulders? I understand that she's unwell, she hasn't grieved Erik's death properly in season 2 so this break down was bound to happen I guess, but how can she (and Ludwig) just abandon Wilhelm like that? And not so long after his speech (and the "trial" with August). Did either of them talk to him about it? About this huge coming out he just did? About how brave he was? One day I'll write a post just about Wilhelm and his parents because I have A LOT of feelings.

And I don't know a lot about how a monarchy works but would Wilhelm really have to step up and replace his mother if she was suddenly unfit to lead, despite being 16? That doesn't make a lot of sense, does it? Especially in this case when Wilhelm has been Crown Prince for very little time (and even needs a special Crown Prince school during summer to learn his duties).

"You wouldn't have been able to handle it. That I can fuck up too" => oh Simon, my sweet sweet boy... I have to say that I really like his scenes with his mother this season, I really needed to see Linda actually act like a mom, and Simon to become more "real" with her. So I love their scenes and dynamic this season!

Is Wilhelm still seeing Boris? Or is he really all alone in dealing with his mother's health and everything else? My boy needs help...

I'm sorry but Simon with helmet hair is just the cutest thing!

But gosh their communication is just so awful this season... On one hand Simon frustrates me a tiny bit because I didn't think he would be so "naive". I mean, of course it must feel truly awful to receive to many hate comments, but he's a teenager who knows how to use social media so I would have expected him to know that these people are trolls and responding to them would lead nowhere? The people writing these are not interested in knowing him or the truth or anything, just in being nasty because it's easy to do so anonymously. But also I guess he's 16. He's super young, I'm probably expecting too much maturity here and not being super fair ><

And on the other hand, Wilhelm also frustrates me because he barely stops to listen and to actually see what Simon is going through. And yeah, he's got the crazy pressure from his family and his mother being unwell but still, he's being very selfish. And he has always had a tendency to be, but it's 10x worst this season ><

(Also why did he not say anything to these mean girls mocking Simon's song when they entered the music room together??)

I'm realizing now that truly, these Boris sessions with Wilhelm and August are really fucked up: the sessions with Boris helped Wilhelm so much last season, he felt safe enough to talk there, to be honest, and he was able to work through the hard stuff in his life. And now they put August there? The person who made him feel unsafe, who recorded him and leaked the video online. They put that person here in his safe place with him? Which might explain why there's no more therapy sessions for Wilhelm this season (outside of the ones with August). It's so fucked up...

Wilhelm is feeling so cornered...

And Simon is breaking my heart... Omar is such a good actor, he portrays sadness way too well, I wanted to cry almost every time I saw Simon in this episode. He's so depressed, thinking everyone hates him, it's hard to watch... Why did season 3 have to be so cruel to him?

It's hard to enjoy the sweet moments between them (this scene for example, which I forgot was gonna happen there :p) when we just had a sad Simon, bad communication between them, Wilhelm being mean to him... It makes it hard (for me) to enjoy the cute scenes because it just feels like a small band-aid put on a gaping wound ><

I really liked that we got to see Felice's dad again, and this scene is so important! I love Felice's decision to go without her dad and to be honest in the end. I still think she should have had a stronger storyline throughout the whole show. She's a great character and she deserved more!!

Sara and Micke singing in the car: 💛 "I'd rather have a papa with bad spells than no papa at all" => I don't know August... I guess it's the eternal dilemma..

Just because he looks so incredibly beautiful here 💜

This Sara and Micke conversation was so important and needed! I really liked that we finally got a bit more information about Micke and what happened to their family.

And another scene that I forgot was happening in this episode ^^' I got too used to seeing the cute (and hot) scenes from this season with gifs here that I know them without the context around :p

Why is it that every time something good happens to Simon this season, it backfires immediately and Wilhem makes him sad about it? 😩

3 more episodes to go, wish me luck >< This season is even more depressing than I remembered ^^'

[anonfromtheflight]

💖List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who liked or reblogged something from you 💖💜💜💜

My family! I love them even if we're dysfunctional af sometimes. But I know they'll always have my back and that's the most important thing to me.

My nephew and niece. Yes they're part of my family, of course, but they're their own kind of serotonin boosts! They're adorable babies and thankfully they love me as much as I love them and seeing their big smiles when they see me will always make my heart feel like it's too big for my body.

Music! I have playlists for all my moods and I love going to my liked songs and "discover" songs. Like damn, I have good taste lmao

Spring/ the sun! I am so ready for winter to be over and get some warm temperatures already plus all the pretty flowers ☀️

Young Royals and Omar Rudberg. It basically explains itself lmao but despite some stuff happening in the fandom as a whole, I'm very thankful for the people it has brought to my life (shout-out to W @darktwistedgenderplural especially for their kind presence and support!) and Omar's music especially has been a constant companion during these months.

Thanks for the ask! 💜💜💜

[youngestrunningleek]

Urchin and the Raven War

I’m running out of things to say about returning to Mistmantle…

You know the drill, by now. This post is reviewing The Mistmantle Chronicles, Book Four: Urchin and the Raven War. It was published in 2008, written by M. I. McAllister and illustrated by Omar Rayyan.

You also know the deal about spoilers. There will be spoilers, as well as discussion of violence and death.

This book jumps forward in time a significant amount (although it doesn’t specify how much). Urchin is fully grown, and Princess Catkin (who was a baby last book) is up and around. She is talking, making decisions, and fed up with boring island life. When swans from Swan Isle come for help, the animals of Mistmantle go to their rescue. Doing that, though, draws the anger of a flock of ravens and Mistmantle is put under siege.

I’ll confess I was pretty anxious about this book. Last one was especially good, worthy of being an ending to the whole series. Luckily, book four delivered. I love that every book has very distinct tension. There’s usually a mix of threats from outside and inside the community.

It’s hard to say if the books are getting better, or if I’m just growing fonder of the series. I’m far from objective at this point. But that’s also a major testament to McAllister’s skill. She makes a world, and characters, that really draw readers in. I think Rayyan’s illustrations continue to improve, too. This is an archetype of the genre. This is what animal fantasy for children should be.

What could be better than a generational story with an ensemble cast? It’s very special to see characters mature and grow in responsibilities. The books were published at a rate of about one per year (which is remarkable) and I’m curious how people who actually grew up with this series felt about seeing characters go from children to being adults. The characters certainly grow up faster than the readers.

I really think that, finally, we got a Mistmantle book without a boring early bit. The other consistent problem, of too many characters, is also slightly improved. I think it helps to have characters who are swans and ravens.

This book has swans shown in a more sympathetic light, after they were kind of empty-headed in the first book and they didn’t even talk in the second. The ravens are pretty flatly dehumanized, though. It’s a common trope with nonhuman protagonists to have another species be monstrous. “Maybe rats and mice are okay, but owls and snakes are even worse!”

One character, Corr, is a young otter who’s searching for adventure. I find his journey interesting because he lives on his own for a while, after leaving home. It makes me wonder— what would society be like, if we could easily go off into nature and live without other people? If a human wants to try being self-sufficient, they’d need a lot of distance from other people, plus clothing, shelter, tools, and training to boot. But couldn’t Corr just hunt fish to feed himself?

Later, the otter Fingal kisses a squirrel on the cheeks because he promised he’d kiss whoever killed the raven prince. That’s the closest the books have gotten to addressing inter-species relationships.

Speaking of… At one point, a healer is urging Urchin to stay alive.

“Stay, Urchin,” she said. “Stay with me. Stay for Mistmantle. Stay for Crispin, for Juniper, for Needle, for all of us. Think of—” Is he in love with anyone? Take a guess. Stay for Sepia. Stay for your friends.”

That cracked me up. And, it made me realize how light on romance the books are. Almost all of it happens offscreen. Usually, we have a couple and then timeskip to them being parents. The most interesting relationships are platonic. I like that.

One thing I admire about this series is the treatment of violence. In the first book, a mole assassinates someone and then is killed himself. This book brings back his brother, seeking vengeance. That made me realize, violence is essentially never the answer in these books. It just begets more violence.

Ultimately, Mistmantle defeats most of the ravens with sticky nets. Plus, leadership struggles make the ravens fight each other.

At the end, even though the Mistmantle animals cut down the surviving ravens, they’re so badly injured that they die within minutes. That detail was so unbelievably convenient that I had to laugh.

Now for some worldbuilding. This book finally made Threadings merit the capital T, in my opinion. We meet a hedgehog who occasionally, unintentionally, includes the future when she’s making the tapestries that tell Mistmantle’s history. It’s pretty cool to imagine someone accidentally including the future in a historical document. Preemptive history.

There’s another kind of prophecy with the Silver Prince. He’s a kind of messiah for the ravens. They used to rule Swan Isle, but after they were defeated they promised never to return unless they had a Silver Prince to lead them. The swans agreed because silver ravens are rare, and only female.

I was wondering if I’d be able to claim him as a trans icon, but it seems like he’s just a grey raven who they got overly excited about. (You can still headcanon him as trans tho.)

Aah, these books make me happy.

I would love to hear any opinions about this series, especially if you read it when you were young!

My personal rating: 4.5 My overall rating: 4

[kikikiwi27498]

Good morning darling! Here are some more yr fic asks! I'm curious about 20, 36, 37, 42 and 44 💜

Wish you a splendiferous Sunday!

Hello! Thank you so much for asking, and sorry this took so long! Work has been crazy and I might have gone a little overboard haha. I'm going to answer everything in one ask, so here are numbers 6-13 as well. Also these are basically all Wilmon fics because I love those boys so much.

From the 2023 Young Royals Fanfic Ask List: (I'll do more of these if people want, I love talking about fics)

6. Favorite one-shot fanfic: Pretty much everything by NerdGirl07, especially Promise Me (You're Safe) and Centre of the Storm.

7. Favorite chaptered fanfic: I have so may favorites. As Long As We Have Each Other by groenendael (@groenendaelfic) is my current favorite post-season 2 fic. Right now I'm reading Doesn't Everyone Belong in the Arms of the Sacred by painterssong (@alltoowille) and I'm loving it.

8. Fluff recommandation: This is such an angst-heavy fandom, sometimes it's hard to find pure fluff. I loved Playing House by LovelyLittleLosers (@lovelylittlelosers), Wille experiencing normal things, even just getting lost in Ikea, brings me so much joy.

9. Crack recommandation: Simon Eriksson: Just Some Guy From Biology and Patience Is A Virtue and I Have None, both by fandom_commitment_issues (@zee-has-commitment-issues).

10. Smut recommandation: Love Would be Burning Red by embracethevoid (@ungaroyals) and disruptedthesky (@omar-rudeberg) and You Can Send Me to the Lord by YoungRydbergs for smut with plot. They're both parts of series, so you might want to read the other parts first, especially for You Can Send Me to the Lord. If you want smut with less plot, I liked the Sense and Sensuous series by YulianaHenderson. (one of these days I need to make a spicy fic rec list)

11. Angst recommandation: This fandom writes so many incredible angst fics, it's hard for me to pick! I loved A Palm to My Mouth, I Said it, Almost by MyArtificialFlowers and It's All So Incredibly Loud by pysanky (@pysankywrites-updates). Please read the tags before reading these, they are both very angsty.

12. Kid fic recommandation: I love kid fics so much and girl dads Wilmon even more, though I have many thoughts about whether Wilmon would want their kids to grow up royal. Some of my favorites are Thoughts On a Stormy Night by LaChicaMarvel and Painted Memories by NerdGirl07, as well as When Dividing up the Universe, You Could Have Mine by the_old_stairs.

13. Christmas fic recommendation: And That's How Simon Got Banned from Christmas Decorating by ASkyofKai. If you want a slightly angsty one, Merry Crisis by pysanky (@pysankywrites-updates) - ngl I'm low-key obsessed with the Third Year Things series, it's perfect and everyone should go read it right now. (if anyone knows any other third year Wilmon fics please let me know, I'm dying to read more)

20. Your « not Wilmon » favorite ship/couple: Henry/Walter (do they have a ship name?? Wenry? Halter?) probably. It's an angsty post-breakup fic, but I loved Closure by stretchoutandwait (@stretchoutfics).

36. Your favorite trope: This is kind of basic, but I love friends to lovers. I'll also always read a sick fic where Character A has to take care of Character B (bonus points if Character B insists Character A leaves so they don't get sick, and/or they deny that they're sick), such as Baby, You're the Cure (So Let Me Close to You) by isnt_that_wizard (@skateboardtotheheart) - it's part of a series, but you can read it on its own.

37. The trope you didn't expect to like: Only Fools Remain Sane by Elin98 made me love fake dating.

42. Do you like to comment on the fic you read: I do! I'm just really bad at doing it consistently because I tend to write whole essays so it takes me a long time.

44. On what device do you read: Mostly my phone, but I use my laptop too.