#even a lot of women fall for the “male stories are universal. women's stories are niche” thing

[the-hype-dragon]

lmao @ people who act like Stephen King isn't the same kind of pulp trash author as Colleen Hoover. why are NLOGs drawn to Stephen King lmao

[scara-writes]

change of heart

Sugar Mommy Reader X Y! Gold digger Male

Let's make a story about the reader falling in love first :>

Yes, this yandere is an asshole.

Might make a part two?

CW: yandere, manipulation, consensual-smut, gold digger yandere

No proof read. Will edit it later on.

cerise=cherry🍒

(THIS IS REPOST BECAUSE I REALIZED THAT SIDE BLOGS HAS LIMITED ACCESS ;-;)

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

Sheon wasn't rich nor poor but he wanted an easy money to make his life easier.

He knows he was becoming addicted on spending money. He can't blame himself, he was getting picked on for not having enough money to buy what he wants unlike his rich classmates that will flaunt their items at each other. He even sneak out of his way to take his father's credit card to buy him useless things that would entertain himself for a little bit like games and toys, Sheon would also flaunt them that his parents has the money when in actuality he is in the middle class. Although his arrogance did not last long after his father finds out about it, grounded him for a whole year for that. He still kept on spending money, he was pretty good at accounting which pretty weird coming from someone who spends a lot.

Now that he became a college student, with his major being aligned in accounting. His parents literally forced him to move out and gave him a right amount of allowance every month for him to study from his dream university but it wasn't enough. He just wants more money to spend, either to indulge himself or to avoid being picked on by his peers.

Not until he met you.

A kind person who introduced yourself to him, your cheeks were bright red as you told him that you fell inlove at first sight.

Sheon do look good. He was popular among women around the campus but those said girls can only glance at him as they feel bad that he was only a middle class. So don't blame him when he was surprised at your sudden confession, and he wanted to reject you right away, the red haired doesn't have the time to find a love, he wants money not a freeloader. But when you told him your last name when you introduce yourself to him, it caught him off guard.

"what was...your last name again?"

"(l-l/n)!" You exclaimed as you bashfully waited for his response about your confesion.

There are three siblings that is going to inherit three companies. If he remembered correctly, he saw an article of on one of them inheriting the biggest company once they graduated. Your face is somewhat coincidentally look the same as it is in the article.

A dark idea pop up to his mind. His greed was whispering at him.

If he can be with you. He can get what he wants right?

Easy money is easy life!

"…so… C-can I court you?" Your hands fiddling as you wait for his response. He looked at you up and down. You looked pretty average for his taste. The only thing that is pretty about you is the money you will inherit, but hey that will do if he wants to get what he wants.

The greedy man grinned and traps you between his arms and lean down to meet your face. Not even caring at the other student passing by looking at the both of you by either cringing or looking weirdly.

He boldly gave your left cheek a quick peck before answering your question with another question.

"… If I say yes, what's in it for me love?"

Not long after, the two of you became official. Your courting lasted around two weeks and that's about it. He always request for you to buy him this and that and you gave it him the very next day as you love him very much and trusted him wholeheartedly. He would taunt the said gifts he received from you to his old peers that he got himself the items that is much worth than their brand. Their frown look satisfies him.

Some of them asked where did he got the money to buy, but he will answer one word. cerise.

No one knows about his plan except for his ex friend, Tyr.

The ex friend of his cut ties off with him immediately after knowing he was using an innocent person like you for his greed.

Oh well his lost! He was about to share his dimes and gold with him.

Sheon thought about what will he give you something back for all the items you gave him. Well, His exchange for everything was himself of course!

His body is probably enough to make you feel something close to heaven. It made you whine out in satisfaction whenever he hit the right spot. Sheon could tell you never experienced this, a virgin at that. The way you moan out his name make his heart swell with pride.

"…is.. this what it..nghh… f-feels..uuhhmm..l-like?" You whimpered when he hit the same spot that made you cried out it on pleasure. Your hands were trembling around his sweaty shoulder, eyes rolling when he hits it again. He leaned to down to peck your parted lips. "… Do you like it?"

He fastened his pace up to chase down the ecstasy that you were feeling. He felt the walls grip of yours tightened around him feeling that you are getting close.

"I… I love…i-it..p-please don't s-stop!" You moaned out, unconsciously digging your nails to his skin. Sheon smirked at your reaction, wiping off your sweaty temple before giving it a soft kiss, then giving what you asked for.

You must be missing out from parties, seeing you had never experience like this before and that's okay. So long as this is a payment to get what he wants.

"Your wish is my command, cerise." He whispered his pet name to you.

"I-I love Sheon." You whimpered as you feel him pulled out when he gave you released. Sheon sighs, his load went through your stomach, giving you one last kiss before cleaning you up. Dabbing the towel around your body, cleaning you gently, asking you if he hurt you too badly. You answered meekly, telling him that you are fine, he was a sweet for giving you an aftercare.

He scoffs at you, teasing you. "It's a bare minimum, cerise. It's normal to take care of their partner after their love making." He carried you at the bathroom of your own apartment. Putting you down at the bathtub as he twist the faucet open.

Sheon joined you in the bath, he gently massage your scalp, making you shudder in relaxation, "do you like it?"

"I love it." You meekly replied leaning your back between his thighs. He wash down the foam around your hair, he rinse the shampoo out after he was done. He took a soap and was about to clean your body too but you insist that you will do it yourself. Sheon stopped and heed your words and starts washing himself up, the male was the first one to finish, he dried himself off by his own towel and starts to wear the pajamas that was already prepared besides the lavatory. After he was done, he told you that he will prepare you a snacks and turn on the tv for the movie you requested yesterday.

The red haired male's relationship with you went pretty well. Of course his body and his face shouldn't be the only thing he could do for you. He needed to act like a good boyfriend, being the fast learner that he is. He found himself, he was rather good at cooking and baking.

He would lie if he say he doesn't enjoy it when he cooks for you.

He would give you your favorites, something you cannot eat in your household. You told him you were on a strict diet ordered by your very own parents. They didn't know your relationship with him, Sheon was a secret affair and you revealed you were in arrange marriage during the time you courted him. It worried him seeing that his source of money will leave him for the arrange marriage.

You held his hand and you promised him that it will never happen, that you will fight for the "love" the two of you had.

The greedy male stared at you for a minute, realizing you are too naïve to think that he actually loves you. Were you that oblivious?

He wanted to laugh at your face but…

Why does his heart starts hammering when you told him that you will fight for him against your parents?

A little guilt went up to his throat before swallowing it by his pride.

The two of you lasted for three years as a couple, graduated and help him out to hire him to your company. His colleagues at his work respected him quickly seeing that he is the boyfriend of their soon-to-be boss, Sheon enjoyed the power he had over them, no more people looking down on him.

It didn't last long because your parents immediately confronted you about him and you had enough of it. It was the first time you neglected your parents orders and Sheon was there to witness it.

"I don't care about the agreement! The arrange marriage, I didn't agree on that! Mother, Father! I've been nothing but a good child since the day I was born! I have never ever went against you and I am obedient child who never goes against your will just so the two of you can be happy! But this is the only time I asked for you to let me have something I want in my life!" He felt the grip of your hands on him. The red haired male stares at your quivering form but he saw how determined you are about him.

He felt guilty knowing he was the cause of why you arguing with your parents right now.

Wait… He's feeling guilty?

"He's using you for your money! Look at your ridiculous amount you spent! From the moment you had a relationship with him!" Your father shouted at you, before glaring at him.

Truthfully, your father wasn't wrong. He used you for your money.

"And so what? I am willing to give everything he wants because I love him!"

Do you love him that much?

"The least I could do for him is to give what he likes because he is the only person who showed me what it feels like to be loved!"

Throughout the heated argument with your parents. He was silent for the whole time until you broke down to tears. Just a droplet from your tears made himself go blank. Sheon didn't know what happened to himself, all he knows that his body act on its own and went to cover your vulnerability from your parents.

You were surprised at his action before letting yourself be buried in his chest.

"I think it's time for us to leave." He told your parents before guiding you out to leave the mansion, not looking back.

He hop you on the passenger seat of his car before closing the doorway after he heard your parents trailing behind him, yelling. He doesn't want you to hear what he was about to say.

His blue eyes glared at them.

"I have never throughout in our relationship witness (Y/n) weep and broken down until this day, I always ensure her happiness on everything I'd done. If we have disagreements we will let each other agree to separate for a little bit until we are calm enough to discuss it again."

His mouth continued to flow out the next words he didn't think he would find himself struggling with his words. Thankfully, he didn't stutter.

"...I love her more than you could ever know. I won't let her cry and force her to do the things she doesn't want to. If she doesn't want something, she will let me know and I will stop because I don't want her to feel sad, bothered and suffocate. Truthfully, your daughter is the most sincere person that I've known in my entire life. She always gives out her best to make everyone happy."

He let out a deep breath. "I cannot believe she went through all her years of her life of enduring your demands and pressures the day she was born. It's no wonder your children are starting to neglect you. Most people might have called an authority because of your abuse if it weren't for the money you have. Every child deserve a parents but not every parents deserve a child." He paused before continuing again.

"If I see her cry again because of the both of you.No matter how much money you used to separate us. I will make sure you will regret it." With that he walk around his car before opening the doorway of the driver seat and drive away from your wrecked family. The whole ride was silent. Sheon never felt his heart rate beating this fast.

What happened to him?

Why did he do that?

What if his job from your company is going to make him terminated from his internship?

You were still on your way to become boss but your parents still owns it as long as they are alive.

"… I-I'm sorry.. you witnessed that." You sniffed as you tried to wipe off your tears trying your best to minimize your hiccups.

"… Don't mention it." He grunted before tossing you a box of tissue carelessly, eyes trained at the road not caring if you catch it or not.

You blew away your snots, as his thoughts were clouded of doubt.

"Stop crying." He said before parking the car after reaching his home. You nodded, trying to minimize your tears.

He exited the car and you did too before following him behind. A small squeak was heard from the car indicating that his car is locked.

Sheon didn't bother on walking beside you as he went to unlock the door of his home.

He went himself in, he doesn't care to tell you to follow because you will.

You sat on the couch and collect your thoughts for bit, staring the tiled floor of the living room. He look at your form and rolled his eyes before changing his clothes. What's next? Are you going to be stuck with him, onwards?

He went to the kitchen and starts to cook. Trying his best figure out something but nothing comes up in his mind.

He put the food in to two plates before serving you a lasagna. "Eat, cerise."

You thanked him and starts to eat your food slowly, your appetite isn't in good shape after your burst of emotion to your parents.

Sheon just picked his food but not eating as he stared at you.

What is he going to do with you now? He can't have you here! You… You need to come back and apologize! What if your parents cut off your card? Most of your money were from your parents! Then what about his money? What about the items you promised him to buy it for him?!

what about your feelings?

…what about her..?..

Stop... Stop making him feel guilty.

He quietly sigh and starts to eat. This mixed feelings are eating him up.

"Does it taste good?" He asked. You nod, sniffing.

"Leave the plate, I'll wash them up later. You can have my bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

You tried to reason him that you can sleep on the couch but he insisted.

You were stuck with him for three months. Your card was indeed cut off and you and him were evicted temporarily at your company by your mother. At that time he was conflicted whether or not he should just ditch you…. Since you don't have money anymore. You just stay at home.

Seeing you apologize for being inconvenient at his home he felt guilty for thinking about it. But for some reason... he can't bare the thought of you wandering around depending on no one.

Sheon went outside to get a hose to water the outdoor the plants until he saw a man who looks similar to you.

"Hey." The said stranger called for him. He must be one of your sibling, seeing almost all of your resemblance to him, except his demeanor. People would feel intimidated when they look at him but not him, Sheon wasn't scared of him. He is one of the siblings who neglect his parents.

The red haired male raised his eyebrow before walking up to him.

"Yes? Do you need something?"

"… My older sister, (Y/n)? Are you perhaps her boyfriend..?" The way he spoke the word boyfriend. Sheon can feel the distaste from him.

"What about it?"

His (e/c) eyes was staring at his soul. They both of knew they are never gonna be in good terms.

"(Y/n) can go back to the company. Our parents needs her."

"And what? Are they gonna invalidate her again?"

Your brother scoff. "If that were to happen, she can call me right away. They can't complain when it comes to me. They know I don't act like my soft hearted older sister." He tossed an atm card at him. Sheon catches it confused.

"What's this for?"

"Give that to my sister. It's her new card."

Your brother pulled the handle of his own car before going in. "What about (Y/n)? Do you not want to look at her?"

"No need… I'm sure she will be fine."

After that, He left without a bid of farewell.

Sheon looked at the card in his hand. Greed went on his mind to keep the card and hide it from you. Just telling you the details that you can go back to the company. He should get back the payment he used to buy the items he wasted on you for the past few months—

"Sheon?"

You called to him. Snapping out of his thoughts when he realized he was already in the kitchen, cooking food for the both of you.

"You almost burned the eggs… Is there something wrong?"

Sheon blinked before smiling at you.

"Your brother went to see you but he was in a hurry so… He told me that you can go back. Your parents need you back to the company."

Your eyes lit up."really?"

"Really."

He went silent. Deciding that he should just give your atm card. It was stupid idea to think of him hiding your card, that will result of him being arrested and making you abandon him. He can't ruin his hardwork for making you his bank.

You blinked when you stiffly take the card from his hand. "What's this?"

"Your new card. Your… Umm.. brother wants to give it to you."

You look at him in the eyes for a second before leaning in to kiss him.

"I love you." You smiled, your eyes were brightened. As if something cleared up your mind and he noticed it.

He gave you a tight grin. "I'll put this on the plate before it actually burns."

Just like his first week on a relationship with you. His life went back smoothly. Everything went back to normal. The next three weeks, the two of you went on a date, suggested by you of course.

The both of you enjoyed the rides at carnival. He laughed when you didn't like the taste of the sweet corn of the nearby shop, telling him you preferred the street food sweet corn he brought on your first date with him. After having a snack,Sheon went to take a picture of the two of you capturing every moment he can find.

You told him that you book a private resort nearby the beach. So he drove there. Enjoying the night ride with him.

His heart fluttered when he hear you humming happily while you were scrolling on the phone, probably buying an item that he request yesterday, you ask him what color he liked on the item. Right now, the red haired doesn't care about it and tells you to keep humming the tune and forget about the item he wanted.

He just found himself, liking the sound of your voice.

The first thing he did when the both of you went inside the resort was to pop out a wine and serve you one before quickly kissing your lips. The both of you enjoyed gazing the night at cozy fireplace lit on the modern table. You cuddled with him and he held you, warming you up. As he sighed, relaxing himself.

"Sheon…."

You let yourself go on his hold before toying his hands with yours until you let it go."What's wrong?" You look down, staring through his shirt.

"I have… Been meaning to tell you this.. I don't know if it's the right time but…"

Sheon held his breath. Did you find out that he was using you?

He looked at your right hand that is tapping something from behind of your pocket before showing it to him.

A small black box was given to him.

He looked at you confused before he assessed your new gift to him. The box looked liked it could store a jewel.

His world stops when he opened it.

"I know… you went all the trouble of taking care of me when… when I was kicked out from the house but… I never felt so indebt to you after all the love you showered m-me… I-I'm not good with this kind of things… and might even call it corny so….W-would-you-like-to-spend-the-rest-of-your-time-together-with-me?" You fiddle your hand nervously as you look up to him, rushing the last sentence. Awaiting for his response, whether he will reject you or not.

Before you could call his name again. His lips had already met yours, arms wrapped around your torso, pulling you closer.

You were shocked by your boyfriend's action before returning your kiss. Slowly wrapping your arms around his neck.

He pushed tongue inside your mouth, caressing your caverns and sucking your tongue, drinking the sound of your whimpers and moans. He loves the whimpers that you make, it makes him want to keep going.

You tap him by the shoulder, signalling him to halt his actions but he continued to assault your lips until the thirst in him quenched. It was the first time he ignore your orders, but he just can't help himself.

He felt euphoric.

Sheon was grinning, widely. One of his hands went to your buttoned shirt. Slowly unclasping them, one by one.

His cheeks matches the color of his hair. His voice laced with love and affection."I'm officially yours, cerise."

For the first time, he felt genuine towards you. He felt everything was clear. He doesn't know when, where and why he didn't realize it sooner but…

He actually like you more than the money itself..

No...

He loves you that no money can replace you.

Fuck all the items, he got. You're much more valuable, the most treasured thing he wants.

He went to kiss your collarbone before softly gazing on you.

For the first time, your relationship with him. Sheon uttered the words that are genuine and meaningful from the bottom of his heart.

"…I love you."

This might be a mistake in your part.

He will never let you go now.

========================

Part 2?

[anarglitch]

Scott pilgrim takes off inhabits the same artistic space as the matrix 4, or even the final fantasy 7 remake. I mean this as a good thing. It has the distinct touch of an artist that made something that defined a generation revisiting the art that outgrew them a thousandfold with more maturity and different interests.

These interests usually skew meta, they're about what drives someone to revisit something made by a past version of oneself, about the experience of suddenly gaining more influence than anyone could reconcile, where criticisms of your work (which you also, no doubt, have many) become synonymous with criticisms of your culture. If you've been here a while, you probably know (and are tired of) what I'm talking about, manic pixie dream girls and aloof average male protagonists, toxic nostalgia, pick your theme and it's a video essay title.

Imagine having every read of your 2004 funny video game-coded coming of age comic reverberate infinitely toward every direction, people saying your main character taught a whole generation of men to be self-absorbed while the exact opposite type of people rant about how your secondary lead "ruined a whole generation of women" because of hair-dye or whatever. Imagine Edgar Wright makes a movie adaptation of your cute little comic that somehow launches the careers of half of the current celebrity pantheon simultaneously. How would that change you?

Well, for one, it makes you less relatable. The truth of an aloof nerdy guy dating in his early 20s is a lot more universal than the truth of an artist in his 40s forever defined by the event horizon of a thing he wrote half his life ago. The matrix 4 couldn't stop talking about how it feels to have created the matrix. The final fantasy 7 remake can't help but to constantly examine what it means to remake final fantasy 7. It's easy to see why someone would hate that indulgent meta trend, I'll probably never write a generation-defining story, why would I care about the first world problems of someone who did? It can feel distant, and at its worst it can feel insulting. Like it's pointing the finger at the fans, whispering 'you did this to me'. I get that.

I get that, but I love it.

It's the fundamental difference between wanting something that is like something you liked, and wanting someone that is from the same creator of something you liked. The difference between feeding the mona lisa into an AI and finding a new authentic da Vinci. You can't make something entirely new if you religiously stick to using the parts of something that's already there. The human behind the work will always have influences you didn't realize, thought patterns and aesthetic preferences that weren't entirely clear in their previous work, no matter how much you deconstruct it. More importantly, the human will also change, and this organic self-continuity will reflect on the art. I don't want the creator of something to hold their own creation with the same zeal as its fans, because someone who did that simply wouldn't have been capable of creating the original piece in the first place.

I don't want a product, I want art.

Scott pilgrim, the original, indulges the most earnest impulse we have-- that of self-mythologizing, of creating a narrative off of our own lives. To depict the mundane as fantastic, interpersonal relationships as adventures. It resonated with so many people because it was earnest, and it was also picked apart to hell and back because it was earnest. Its flaws were on display, and not just the ones it intended to show. But in my opinion, the opposite impulse, that of washing off everything that could be criticized and presenting the cleanest possible image of yourself through your art, is just... bad. it makes for bad art, or it just freezes you. The very first hurdle of creating anything is getting over that, then maybe the spotlight will fall on you. If it does, you'll get everything you ever wanted, but everyone gets to see through you.

So, how do you revisit something like that? You have two options. Either you take all the pieces and try to reassemble them exactly how everyone remembers it, signing your name as a formality, looking at a mirror in which you no longer see yourself, or you talk to it. You dialogue with your own work, with who you used to be. You travel in time and talk to yourself. You question them, acknowledge them but also teach them a thing or two. You don't respect the product, you respect the feeling. You find the same earnestness that made you put pen to paper for the first time, and you point it towards your new loves and fears. Maybe you make it less about the main guy, take the chance to develop your secondary characters, maybe you give the girl more agency. Maybe you summon the future and refuse its answers. Maybe you fight yourself.

That's the harder choice. It submits your new self to the scrutinizing eyes of a whole new generation, it risks alienating the people who identified with your previous piece. It's riskier, probably less profitable, and by any pragmatic lens probably a bad idea. But it's the only way you can make art. It's truth, the truth that got you there in the first place.

It's how you get it together.

[2deadkat]

Ever seen “Black Sad”? What’re your thoughts on them if so

Okay lemme stop you right there before I start fanboying out…I LOVE Blacksad, it’s one of my favorite comics of all time…the art is so immersive and the writing is so smooth it’s one of my biggest inspirations actually. I make a lot of my mini comics with that in mind fun fact. I’ve read all the comics during December of 2022 and it has burnt into my mind ever since (tho the recent one has ended on a cliffhanger and I haven’t heard any new updates which is making me salty)

Honestly I love the fact that it’s a novel detective story with animal people and something about Blacksad screams peak design…

though the implications of fur color racism in this universe has got me thinking a lot but somehow it makes sense (I’m not sure if you know one of the comics is about a white supremacy group filled with pure white animals). Overall they have really good mysteries, I like the one in New Orleans and the other in Route 66. The way they delve into the culture also…there’s a huge show don’t tell aspect into the comics I really like. What I mean by that it’s very visual, there’s a lot of emphasis on action and expression which pairs really well with the thoughts of the characters, and you know Blacksad’s a detective so he monologues a lot, it works.

Idk how to describe it and maybe I’m wrong but it makes scenes where they’re just talking so endearing to look at and it makes me engage with the story really well…

Btw the spreads are insane…so much background detail, I’d recommend you see the full things for yourself

And now it’s time for my major complaint…why the fuck do all (or at least a majority I know Blacksad himself has more humanistic features) the male characters have beastly features compared to the female characters that is just a basic human body and with cat ears and a nose???

Hell even if there are more animalistic designs of women the problem is they’re either on the side or just a joke/gimmicky character compared to the ones that are a major part of the storyline it seems unfair with the male cast. Like you know you can an attractive furry woman without relying too much on humanistic features right???

So far the only redemption I see is with the alpaca lady with the “they all fall down” comic so I’ll give it that.

But yeah that’s the only thing that’s taking me out of reading these comics…and also the fact they play with women’s suffering for shock value for the sake of the story which seems to be a staple in noir/pulp type fiction. Which is…nothing I can do about but it’s more of a pet peeve really :/

But yeah despite all that it is still my favorite comic ever and a huge art influence minus the female furry design…

[reviewinghiccup]

Hey!!! I’ve gone through your entire list of posts and loved it. There’s a lot of psychoanalysis which makes the work a fun read.

Though I’m curious, what is your biggest inspiration or take-a-way from Hiccup? Do you have any other HTTYD character that equally inspires you. What about the franchise that speaks to you the most?

Sorry if the questions are loaded, but I’m curious, you dissect and approach the franchise in a detailed, humanistic way, I wonder if that’s kind of how you also view the universe.

HELLO DEAR!!! Sometimes I wish you guys weren’t anonymous so that I can find you and thank you for filling up my Inbox with such amazing words of encouragement.

To hear that anyone has just read this blog and enjoyed it really makes my day. I pour my heart into my writing and I just want to say I love answering these questions and I am sorry I took over a year to reply. Before I get to why lemme answer you first.

My biggest inspiration and take-away from Hiccup is:-

He is different

I grew up with Hiccup. When the first movie was released I was the same age he was and going through my own season of not fitting in and awkwardness. I wanted so much to be noticed and recognised. Physically I was also very different. I didn’t fit in anyone’s mould.

Peers are precious about certain things and kids with many friends usually meet their criteria - but I couldn’t. Not even close.

I know how it feels like to be alone and misunderstood, even by my own parents.

but he is always kind…

Hiccup doesn’t subscribe to revenge, at least not around his immediate peers like Snotlout who sometimes, I really do feel he deserves it. He believes that there’s always something, to understand, to fix or to improve. That industriousness actually makes him the perfect leader to propel his people forward into the future. In a world where everyone focuses on what’s on the outside, he hyper fixates on what’s on the inside and if we really start listening to why people say what they said instead of just taking their words literally you hear so much more.

he stewards his gifts well.

He can invent. He’s been inventing before meeting Toothless. He’s good at it. And he meets every physical challenge he has with an invention.

He is also a natural born leader - though he never fit the mould of what a Viking should look like, he fits the mould of what a leader should be. A leader needs to earn his respect, and though still the smaller male Viking, he is very well respected.

He is fearless.

Push comes to shove, Hiccup is reliable, courageous and quick thinking. He does not back down from a challenge. Yet, he isn’t intimidated by others strength - he allows everyone else to hone their skills and be their best selves as he has allowed himself to be.

HICCUP inspires me because his growth and leadership and story comes from him first accepting himself and in time, he becomes everything he was suppose to be. My biggest take-away from him is, you will never lose if you give yourself time to see the bigger picture of why things are the way they are.

Of course I love Hiccup for so much more, but I don’t know how much you’d wanna read 🤣 Nonetheless, on the top of my head, that’s what I think he means to me.

The other HTTYD Character that Equally Inspires me is, of course, ASTRID

To be fair, we know her significantly more than the other characters so it’s natural to fall in love with her.

But they have created a very beautiful character to love.

Astrid is strong and independent, but nothing about that takes away from her femininity. Sometimes I feel like movies/shows about strong independent women make those women so unfeeling and hard.

Astrid feels real to me. She’s driven, self-disciplined and honourable, but she can also be condescending and harsh - and instead of getting defensive about it, she actually listens to that constructive criticism when it comes and changes.

She knows she is born to lead (though not in the same way Hiccup is - which is also admirable because she humbly gives way to him to do his thing) so she needs to learn how to inspire her soldiers, help them improve and make them better. She can’t do that if she always thinks she’s right. That’s what brings about toxic leadership. And she is not toxic.

I admire her dedication to improve. It’s something I love in Hiccup as well, but Astrid just works on herself and her performance. It’s inspiring.

While there’s more, I’ll keep it to these two things for now.

What about the Franchise that Speaks to me Most

Friendship. Trust. Becoming. Young Adulthood. Reality Check. Being lost. Finding Yourself.

So much really. So much.

When I first started writing this blog, I actually lost my grandmother. I loved my grandmother so much. She was warmth, love and life personified.

After she left, I was lost for a very long time, failing exams and switching careers. I couldn’t focus.

This show helped me piece together a lot of my own personal feelings. It helped me think through certain problems. When I synthesised those thoughts into this blog space, I felt like I was dealing with them.

And when I watch Hiccup and Toothless glide in the sky, it made me feel like I am there with them. The soundtrack itself is also very transportive.

I think my favourite thing about the franchise was/is that it made me feel again. At least on the rewatch leading to the creation of this channel.

The franchise when I first watch those movies, when I was really young made me feel “found”, if that makes any sense to you. Because, it talks about not being alone - like how the loneliest dragon could find the loneliest boy Viking. And that these two in turn, found a lonely girl looking for something to see herself in.

Each step of Hiccup’s life was mine. Even when he didn’t want to “take on the family business” and desired to be more than he and the world he’s in is built - that was me, still is me.

This franchise has something for almost everyone. And every which way you turn Hiccup, you will see a small glimpse of yourself in him.

In essence, I think the franchise just speaks and that’s what makes it so damn good.

[jakeperalta]

For someone like me who loved Francesca's novel what's now happening is awful. Francesca has a very unique story, she represents what a lot of women go through, she's a symbol of pain, real pain that happens to many women in real life: being a young widow (of someone she married not for social pressure but because she loved him and was sexually attracted to him), miscarrying, feeling isolated from her family in her pain, falling in love again while feeling the guilt that brings, the fear to be barren while hoping desperately for maternity, the years spent thinking she was so, dealing with her mixed feelings of love for her siblings, who reproduce like rabbits, and the pain of not being able to have children, feeling inadequate in a society that values women based on their fertility, all while being loved by the most perfect male character written by Julia Quinn, who shared her pain not because he wanted progeny but because he loved her desperately and wanted her to be happy. A man for whom she was enough. They took Francesca's pain, they took this symbol of what so many women go through, this one original take at life in 8 books, and decide to fill with her, out of 8 siblings some of whom have really no special quality attached to their romance, the show required gay/bi quota making her someone who marries but is attracted to women and will develop a live story based on that. Maybe they just didn't read the book, knew only the names of the ppl in the love "triangle" and that was enough, maybe they thought they couldn't write her story of pain right and chose the easy way. What a big disappointment. What a missed chance. They had Hyacinth, nothing special about her. They had Eloise, why not her? Why the one Bridgerton that had an interesting story to tell? A story that many women live in their own skin. Shonda really ruins every great story she approaches. Nothing changed from Grey's anatomy.

And that book that is special to you still exists — as with every adaptation, the on screen version of canon doesn't negate book canon, it exists alongside it (even more so with Bridgerton, where the show has always been very liberal with the source material and does form its own almost separate universe). Francesca's story in the show can still explore her grief (she clearly does love John as a partner and companion and loves the prospect of building a life with him), her isolation from her family (which they've already been showing), her experience of falling in love again, her infertility and longing to be a mother. She can still have someone who loves her desperately and wants her to be happy and, just like the other seasons, they can still incorporate plot points and dialogue from the book whilst refreshing it for the show. Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion, but making changes doesn't automatically ruin a story or make it meaningless to the entire audience.

[soapskies]

Could I request some hcs for BTAS scarecrow falling in love with a co-worker while he still worked at the university?

BTAS SCARECROW FALLING FOR CO-WORKER 📇🍁

MALE READER. ROMANTIC HEADCANONS.

— screencaps from @jonathan-cranes-mistress-of-fear’s blog, edited to fit :) they’ve got all the scarecrow stuff.

You were a researcher in the medical field, a very intelligent one at that, and at first he was simply interested in sitting in on your lectures

He admired your charisma, the way you spoke, and all the strange stories you would tell with such passion about things you discovered

You’ll probably have to be the one to approach him first, since he’s kinda awkward at making friends

It’s hard to fully trust you in the beginning, with all his other co-workers (and students) finding him creepy

But he’ll slowly start to warm up to you, especially when he realizes that you’re being yourself around him, not putting on a friendly act to ridicule him or something.

He’ll invite you out for coffee at his favorite place in the mornings and take you on walks through the park in the evenings

You guys will probably talk a lot about your jobs, grading stuff, and troublesome students

Your favorite place to gossip being the library, where the two of you can be alone in peace and look at books together

He’ll offer to aide you in your research, sharing and building on each other’s ideas as you work in the lab

He could listen to you rant about your work or your current hyper-fixations all day, no matter how grotesque

While fear is something he loves to talk about, he would keep his darker ambitions hidden from you, afraid that it will drive you away

At first he has sentiments floating around his brain every time he sees you smile at him

The way you just light up as he listens intently to your rambling

How handsome you look in that suit and tie, with those rough lips that suddenly seem so kissable…

Jonathan realizes his feelings for what they are, but he tries to shove them down

It’s cliché maybe, but you could never go for a guy like him, right? With his scraggly appearance and fucked up head

You just seem much kinder than he is, well-adjusted and likable, in his eyes

With how some women seem to get all blushy around you, it makes him start to worry, hell, you might not even be into men!

(Damn him for thinking he’ll get his gay love story)

And to think of how that would reflect on you, if everyone knew their favorite teacher was dating scary ol’ Dr. Crane.

You catch on eventually, with how Jonathan seems to be holding himself together less and less around you

Once you finally confess your feelings and confront him about his, he’s speechless

This must be a dream, right?

But he’s quickly assured it’s not, when you wrap your arms around him joyfully and he melts into your warmth

[laylajeffany]

Can men do any form of divination work in your interpretation of outcasts? There have been plenty of male psychics, but none doing Wednesday's sort of magic. Though very few men were accused during the most well-known witch trials (though there were still some), there were many men accused in other countries like Russia Many authors intentionally choose to exclude male witches from their work simply because there's plenty of male representation already, but it varies whether not that means no men at all or if simply none are presented to the audience. So I'm curious to know your view on it in the context of outcasts and the Network (I will say I'm only on chapter 21 so there may be a character I'm not aware of yet)

I just snorted; there is a character you are loosely aware of and haven’t met in-person yet as of chapter twenty-one and oh boy, can he perform psychic/magic-adjecent feats.  For the magic “rules” I have in place in CftF, anyone is capable of tapping into the energy of the universe and perform feats of divination, though obviously Psychics, particularly Seers, would be more naturally inclined to be open to these channels due to their Outcast abilities. Wednesday’s lineage on the Frump side and the whole “homespun magic” piece is intentionally matriarchal. Indeed, all the way up to the end, you will notice that only women (outside of QBB in the ether) have been seen doing divination in the story regardless of the Frump family, though. Is this a coded message that women are stronger than men in this area within the CftF world? Or does the author just think about men so infrequently that she didn’t even consider to include any males in the scenes that involved these practices, lmfao?

In general - my writings are by The Girls™ for The Girls™ All other genders and expressions of gender are welcome to read of course, but might not find themselves connecting as deeply as I specifically call to some of the female and lesbian struggle, written by a lesbian who really writes for herself, and edited only by lesbian eyes as well lol (even before Wednesday and Enid are together in chapter 13 - the subtext of her struggle prior to is related to that experience). I used to write a lot of stories that featured men more, including het ships. Now I’m like, “Why would I write something that I don’t really like?” And I don’t really like men lol. (To be fair I also do not have great men in my real life who inspire me in any capacity, I am constantly having to teach them very basic things, do their jobs for them and/or remind them that I am not just here to be used - I do know there are good men out there, T. Martel’s father being one of them a la Gomez). (I think Kate McKinnon’s team has scrubbed lot of her pre-SNL content from the internet…she used to have an interview from when she worked on LogoTV that explained this so well that I can’t find anymore.) Regardless, the entire world centers men, and my 1.4 million word story was a place where that simply would not happen. As an author I absolutely try to center women and write from a lesbian lens as often as it is appropriate and makes sense for the story. We will be seeing more Gomez and Pugs in the sequel though as the first 300k will probably be taking place prior to arriving at Nevermore for the fall semester and be far more Addams family (which includes Enid now) centric. I recently finished an extremely heartwarming father-daughter part of chapter one and it tugged on my own heartstrings, lol. I would love to play with more Gomez and Morticia pre-children visions or memories if I can find a way to meaningfully incorporate them into the story. I think that Gomez’s love for his wife is a conduit for her to tap into more powerful divination practices - she is a light seeker, and her husband is part of where she draws inspiration (even if it grosses Wednesday and I out lol). This was very briefly mentioned when Wednesday asked if she had a difficult time conceiving when she realized that it was nearly seventeen years into Gomez and Morticia's relationship before she was born. Love power is real lmfao.

[thrilling-oneway]

I'd give you 5$ if you post that draft

you didn't even need to bribe. it's not actually in the drafts of this blog so i'll write a better version

i've said it a billion times before: tsukasa is the comedic relief weirdguy, the devs basically will do anything with him so long as it's funny.

so starting with that valentine's day vlive in 2021. during the MC part of that he gets jealous that rui has been getting chocolates and tries to brag that he got lots of chocolates too but then immediately reveals that he got friendzoned by multiple girls. his voiceline that year is something about how he catches everyone's attention on vday and year round bc he's a star or something like that but anyway that whole interaction there seems to suggest he's straight lol.

however.

he's REALLY oblivious. played for comedy ofc but i see a lot of people interpret this as him being somewhere on the aro spectrum (probably not what the writers intended but fair instance of accidentally coding a character as smth). examples include: not understanding why Akito doesn't want to be seen at PXL alone with Toya in an Akito's initial 3* (second story), literally says "thank you" when Asahi basically confesses to him and completely misses the point (he actually did seem to nearly get this one for a second), and he doesn't understand why Rui's friends are impressed that he's friends the incredibly attractive Shizuku (Tsukasa is the only not-gay-coded male character who isn't attracted to Shizuku, probably because they're childhood friends. or if you want to view him as being aspec, then that works too). also when he mentions that he's friends with guys in his class who are cool and popular and good with women, Hibiki says that he was in a class with one of those guys in 1st year and is amazed that tsukasa is in that crowd now, emphasis on the "tsukasa's friends are good with women part". tsukasa's just confused about that because of course they talk to girls a lot they're in the same class.

also he usually rewrites a lot of romance plays to remove the romance. he rewrote R&J to just make it focused on the action (which is probably because he likes playing action heroes more than anything else), and he got rid of the romance plot in little mermaid because he didn't felt it was needed (this one is justified in-universe as they do fun shows for small children and don't really need the tragic romance, and also from production standpoint like you don't do that because fandom). so yeah that could again be read as him being aspec if you want but i don't think the writers intended it to be read that way, especially the R&J one that was purely for comedy.

all that said, this is an idol game, which generally run on the rule of thumb that every character is some flavour of queer, even if it's just for fanservice (i don't play enstars but from what i do know of it it falls a bit on that last point). anyway you can probably tell where this is going but he gets ship tease with rui sometimes. vast majority of this is from Rui's side but there are things like Oki ni Mesu mama

Tsukasa: Waiting for the "1, 2…" signal, holding hands with you is an act of courage for me

or that one part in pandemonium where he drops his persona for a brief second when he's impressed by rui's plan that was very much put there on purpose, or that Tsukasa and Airi's cheerful carnival team name from that event is "swayed by their partners (相方, aikata)" and when you consider that Shizuku and Airi are heavily implied to like each other, and have canonically been on a "date", that was also a Choice.

idk whether to count KING because justified by them being actors and the fang motif in the song... vampires kinda homoerotic it makes sense that the dance routine was that. also i'm not sure if the connect lives are even canon, especially the wxs one since tokishun broke character and the 4th wall.

yeah i dunno. the writers kinda just do whatever they want with him. interpret any of this how you will i'm just recounting shit from the game.

oh hey it's longer than 300 words now

[the-dog-watch]

Whimsical, chancy, female, lunar: yaoi and yuri in the Aubrey/Maturin series

the inherent yuri of the sea and the inherent yaoi of the sailor is the most ancient queer solidarity

- twitter user caranthirs. I would link to the tweet, but their account appears to be suspended (RIP)

This essay was born from a discussion prompt asking about the relationship between yaoi and reality. In answering I was reminded of the above tweet. Tongue in cheek as it no doubt is, it’s always really resonated with me and my own personal experience with yaoi, yuri, and queerness, such as it is.

First of all, it’s a truth universally acknowledged that there’s something kind of fruity about the ocean. A great deal of boat media, which is a term that I’m using to encompass everything from Moby Dick to One Piece, from Muppet Treasure Island to the Titan submersible implosion incident of 2023, is intimately concerned with this. One thing I’ve always been intrigued by with boat media is the inherent constraint, the inherent loss of control; even in our modern day, the ocean is an unpredictable element, and to this day it has depths that are literally unfathomable to science. There’s a certain powerlessness one has to give oneself over to to board a boat, and of course there’s timeless romance, endless stories and art and music associated with the sea.

I’ve been to the ocean maybe four times in my whole life, and I’ve always lived in an area of the United States that’s about as inland as it’s possible to be on the planet Earth, but I’ve long been fascinated with boat media, though I was not always conscious why I was drawn to it. When I was growing up I had a persistent autoimmune disorder that destroyed the vision in my right eye and from a very young age I was forced to sit still for various eye exams, procedures, surgeries. Because I was so young when all this started, I never exactly rebelled against it; if I was a fish, then this near-constant constraint placed on me was the water that I swam in. I was a kid who lived in my head a lot, and my head was filled with fantasies of escape. I used to make up stories and tell them to myself before bed, a kind of self-soothing ritual that saw me off to sleep. In more difficult times in my life, especially as an adolescent, this quite literally got me through the day; I would look forward to my little bedtime story, and sometimes not.

The stories differ greatly, but the one thing they’ve all had in common is they’re always about at least two characters who are trapped together, undergoing some kind of external trauma or abuse or privation, and together are trying to escape, but they never succeed. The reason for that is that the stories have no ending, by design; the “end” comes when I fall asleep. Sometimes there are self-inserts, but usually they’re about other characters, usually male characters. For a long time I didn’t exactly understand or think much about why I identified so strongly with these stories, which were sometimes original and sometimes elaborate works of fanfiction, sometimes erotic and sometimes not.

I was something of a late in life yaoi adopter; I was immersed in Western media fandom spaces and I viewed a lot of slash fandom initially with contempt, but based on what I’ve described above it’s maybe not greatly surprising that I became a big yaoi fan when I was around 19 or 20. I found it both enticing and alienating at once; I was a cis girl but I felt like I was a failure as a woman, and reading about or trying to identify with women didn’t always do it for me. There was something about viewing male as the default that was attractive; I remember as a kid, pre-internet, I would consciously look for books about male protagonists, though as an avowed feminist I felt obscurely ashamed of this.

Shame was an essential component of all of this, by the way. Both eroticized shame and the more down to earth, un-fun kind. There was always the question in the back of my mind: did I wish I was the man, or did I desire the man? There were similar questions about my attraction to women, which were even more disquieting in what they did or did not say about me: did I desire a beautiful woman, or did I want to be a beautiful woman? Shame was inextricable, and constant; shame about my nascent queerness, shame over how poorly I performed my own gender, and shame about being into all this yaoi shit in the first place. I had internet friends by this time, but I didn’t tell any of my real life friends about my online activities. I had an absolute horror of being seen as the type of straight girl (or bi girl, as I identified at the time) who fetishizes real life queer men.

Currently, I’m in the middle of reading Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series. I fucking love it, and something about it has helped me square some of the circles involved here; discussing these books, with other fans online and with unwilling victims loving friends and family members has led me to reflect on some of the above in ways I never have before. It feels freeing in a way I never even knew I was constrained. To bring it back to the quote from the beginning, and also add a passage from the eighth novel in O’Brian’s series:

“‘With the wind as it lies, I believe we may look for them the day after tomorrow,’ said Jack. ‘But tell me, Professor, is not this a most prodigious wearisome ride you are undertaking?[...]’

'No doubt,’ said Graham, ‘but the sea is an uncertain chancy whimsical female lunar element: you advance one mile upon its surface and at the same time the whole body of water has retired a league. I prefer the honest earth, where my advance is absolute, however arduous…” - The Ionian Mission, ch.11, paragraph 50

This character, a haughty diplomat our protagonists are forced to deal with while battling it out with the French in a Grecian port, is not very important in and of himself. Unlike the two principals of the Aubrey/Maturin series, he is no seaman and has no affinity for shipboard life, and his uneasiness while onboard the ship is tinged with a misogynist mistrust of the Mediterranean itself. I prefer to take a horse, like a man, he seems to say, but you and Maturin, feel free to stay here in your gay little boat. 

(Sidenote/fun fact about Jack Aubrey: he has pretensions of being a horseman whenever he’s on land for any length of time, but he is in fact really bad with them and while riding is frequently unseated nearly but not quite as often as Stephen falls out of the fucking boat.)

That is one and this is another of the many, many ways Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin get kinda fruity with it; our two main characters are differentiated from landsmen (lubbers!) in this way throughout the series. The sea is dangerous, of course; Jack and Stephen, who face naval battles, sickness and disease, shipwrecks, storms, and volcanic eruptions on their voyages throughout the series, know this better than anyone.  As different as Jack and Stephen are, as different as two men can possibly be, what unites them is a niggling, persistent discomfort with life on land and this, coupled with their very great affection for each other, is why they choose to sail with each other over and over again. Though they came to it by different means, each of them finds that their true homes are on the sea, and with each other. 

The essential yaoi of the seaman, the essential chancy, lunar, yuri element of the sea…. There’s something about it that makes me smile. Yeah…the ocean. She’s a little gay with it. Who isn’t?

[sagemonsters]

Heyo! It’s been a hot second since I’ve posted about any writing activity in my life—the end of my university semester + some familial troubles has really kept me away from my drafts—BUT I’m getting back into the swing of things! I have a new WIP that I’m hoping to finish the second draft of before my autumn semester starts on August 22nd.

The WIP doesn’t have a title for now, but is best described as “Dungeons & Dragons meets Indiana Jones meets monster romance” and is a cis male centaur x AMAB nonbinary human/elf hybrid romance novella. I’m hoping to publish it on Kindle and/or Smashwords once I’ve finished the draft and made all necessary edits.

The story takes place in a high fantasy setting inspired by the pre-Islamic Middle East and northern Africa. If I may gush… the setting itself is what made me fall in love with the story. I’ve been listening to the Fall of Civilizations YouTube channel and really vibing with the episode about the Nabatean civilization + looking at some stunning photography of the real-world Namib Desert along the west coast of southern Africa.

The first draft of this nameless WIP was set in a generic kitchen sink fantasy universe in the standard western European flavor, and I really didn’t click with it; even adding my favorite biome (temperate rainforest) as the backdrop for an important location didn’t make me have fun with what I was writing. However, once I changed the setting to something more geographically & culturally distinct, I started to enjoy it a lot more.

But characters are important too!

Taji Seventhborn is a linquist-mage who specializes in translating a variety of ancient languages into a variety of contemporary ones. They’re newly graduated from a thaumaturgic university in the (ofc fictional) city of Al-Darabous, and struggle with a mild anxiety disorder. Taji is the POV character for the entire novella.

I used the Baydews 2.0 picrew to make a portrait of them, which I’m not 100% happy with because it makes Taji look 14 rather than their actual age of 24. However, it’s still nice to have a visual representation of the character.

Cimitrius Firefoot is the centaur character and love interest. He’s a little older than Taji at 27 and is a warrior rather than a mage. He leads a band of adventurers, and was contracted by Lord Sindiso (along with Taji; that's how they meet) to guard an expedition searching for an ancient temple somewhere among the ghost-wracked dunes of Tindaalo Desert.

Excerpt below the cut!

Taji took a deep breath and looked around the Square. Even though dawn had not yet broken, there were plenty of people about. Veiled women filled pitchers with water from the fountain, their bangles tinkling as they moved, and the first wagons were being admitted through the massive, studded ironwood doors of the Victory Gate on their way to the marketplace. Shutters were being opened in the windows of the tenement buildings that flanked the Square, and street vendors pulled their hand-carts into position in preparation for hawking food, drinks, trinkets, and everything else under the sun. Another busy day was getting ready to dawn in Al-Darabous, and—for the first time—Taji would be leaving it all behind.

Their nerves jangled like the delicate silver chains that the Emperor’s court dancers tied into their braids. They scanned the two major thoroughfares that fed into the Square over and over, shifting their weight from food to foot as time wore on. The gray dawnlight blushed into the full brilliance of morning, and a cacophony of bells tolled in the high white towers to mark the occasion. Taji pulled the papyrus letter out of their pocket and read the last lines for what might have been the thirtieth time:

Prepare and outfit yourself for a long journey through the desert, and meet us in the Square of the Leaping Gazelle before sunrise on the seventh day of Firefall.

[joe-the-english-otter]

Cerebus The Aardvark: Issues #101-#200. Continued Thoughts (Repost)

This is the second part of the three part saga of my opinions on Cerebus The Aardvark. I suggest you read the first part that I posted a few days ago, if you have no idea what’s going on or need some context. (Originally posted to FA on January 17th 2023) So I've continued reading Cerebus and yeah, the previous flaws that might've shown a bit in the previous issues really start to ramp up here and get worse the closer we get to issue #200. (I did mention in the previous journal about Dave Sim's anti-feminist views and I'll get into even more of his... Interesting views later on) Issues #101-#113: This is a continuation of the previous arc, though more story elements are added in as previous echoes, that were hinted at earlier in the story arc, start to build up properly and add weight to the story as Cerebus ascends (In a literal and metaphorical sense) to where he meets the Judge who.... Well, judges the many people of the world. After a long speech which developes the world building a bit more, he tells Cerebus that he's destined to die "alone, unmourned and unloved", that his empire has collapsed to an invading army and that the vast majority of his followers are dead. Issues #114-#150: After Cerebus literally falls back down to earth, he walks around the mostly ruined city that he once ruled, before eventually running into Jaka and her new husband Rick. Cerebus stays with them for a bit as a houseguest and there's a bit of tension as Cerebus does his best to try and split Jaka and Rick up, still showing that he loves her deeply and is heartbroken that she's found someone else. This part of the story is lightly pushed down as the character Oscar is introduced, who is 100% written as Oscar Wilde, he plays a major part in the story as he starts writing a story based on Jaka's life, without Jaka knowing. Cerebus leaves to go do a basic errand and while he's gone, Jaka, Rick and Oscar are captured by the new dictatorship controling the region (The dictatorship being mostly big burly women and one of the higher ups being Margaret Thatcher... Seriously). The latter half of this arc deals with the last days of Oscar's life, after being severely scarred by his time in prison. It also deals with Cerebus who is deeply shell shocked, believing that Jaka is dead. Issues #151-#200: This is probably one of the longest arc's in the series. In is part, we get more details on two other aardvarks that exist in this world; Cirin (Leader of the new dictatorship) and Suenteus Po (An extremely powerful philosopher who has lived through several incarnations of himself). There's a lot of mind games as Cerebus, Cirin and Astoria (She's back now) try to change things to their own ideologies, with Po trying to prevent things from going to complete shit. In the third part of the arc, the viewer is shown parts of an in-universe essay, which basically describes a theory on the sexes using a female void (Which focuses on feelings and emotions) and a male void (Which focuses on reason and logic). This honestly reads like it's Dave Sim's thoughts and it mostly comes out of nowhere, like it holds a bit of relevance to the story arc but it just feels very tacked on in my opinion and it's one of the first major times Dave Sim would throw his thoughts and opinions into the story. This story arc starts to reach it's end as Cerebus, Cirin, Astoria and Po finally meet together. Po is able to talk Astoria out of fighting Cerebus and Cirin, helped by the fact that Astoria is worn out by the constant violence. Astoria and Po then leave after they're unable to talk down Cerebus and Cirin, leaving them to fight and good god is their fight violent as hell, leaving them both covered in blood, but alive. Eventually they're both shot up into space by "god" (Who turns out to be called Dave and is 100% a self-insert of Dave Sim) and they're slowly split apart, this leaves Cerebus alone with his thoughts and we get a good look at some moments from his past. (Caution warning: Censored Homophobic Slur Mentions) It's also during this time that Cerebus is left alone with his thoughts and he starts praying to Tarim (The none Dave Sim god), at first being thankful for being saved and then out of nowhere, starts thanking Tarim for not minding him being a f*ggot, while also loudly trying to drown out those thoughts by chanting "Shut Up" as he unintentionally brings up a few moments of him being aroused by men, while also repeatedly using the word f*ggot, mentioning that he hates f*ggots and that being a f*ggot is a sin. Now this is all brought up because it's mentioned in the third part that Cerebus is a hermaphrodite and has or had the ability to reproduce by himself if need be, that really troubles Cerebus and is what caused his outburst. I understand that in medieval fantasy, there is some carry over of what the laws were in the irl medieval era, but there are way better ways to handle it and doing it in such a way where the character is disgusted by these thoughts and saying that they're morally wrong, is really hard to take, especially considering they're the main character. But anyway, back to the story; Eventually Cerebus meets "god" who is shown in word balloon text as he changes various things while speaking in Cerebus's mind, proving that he is a supreme being in some sense. "god* then shows Cerebus the destiny that he was supposed to have followed, but that he screwed it up royally and is now set on a path of self-destruction, he then shows Cerebus two possible realities in which he lives with Jaka, neither of which end well for either of them. The arc ends after Cerebus is stuck on a small planet for a while, as a type of penance, before he is sent back to earth. So, here are the good bits: The art is fantastic, both Dave Sim and Gerhard (He was the main background artist from issue #65 onwards) did a brilliant job. The writing can be very good at times, like the converstations between characters as they argue and discuss topics can be really interesting. Now for my main gripe: Dave Sim's thoughts and opinions bleeding into the story. It's now reached a point where it's gone from being fairly balanced, into just full on "This is what I think and you're going to have to deal with it" and it's really hurting the story. Nearly every female character is now an antagonist or is really watered down character-wise (Even more than before). It's also clear that his anti-LGBTQA+ opinions are showing and it's only gonna get worse from here as he goes deeper into has ramblings in the comments section, which at times takes up more space than the actual story he's making. I will continue reading this series as there's only 100 issues left and a few extras that I might comment on. Overall, I stand by that Dave Sim is a fucking arsehole and someone with some serious personal issues that he didn't resolve. He's talented, but that does not excuse the hate he spews from his gob. Thank you for reading. As before, if I'm factually wrong or have said something you disagree with, do let me know via a comment or DM on either here or on Twitter. Cheers.

[stranger-rants]

terrible how every fandom in the universe is allowed to excise the bad things their characters do re: "taking the good parts of canon and leaving the bad stuff behind" but no one's allowed to do it with billy for some reason. the dandruffers clearly being edgy and falling flat on their face with billy's racism that serves as nothing but upsetting shock value has to be taken completely seriously, rather than treated like the dipshit writing decision it was by the already racist and performative duffers

The thing is that racism should be taken seriously and the scenes re: Billy & Lucas are jarring for that reason, but The Duffers used the shock value of it to pay lip service rather than commit to an authentic and meaningful story about race and racism in a midwestern town and how that is uniquely experienced by a boy who is both black and a nerd. Having to commit would mean having to confront the fact that nerd culture predominantly benefits white male nerds even though it’s very foundations were built by people of color and/or women. They can’t possibly do that because they would then have to admit they’re not just helpless victims of bullying, but that they take up a lot of space as white male nerds and their biases, conscious or not, alienate their characters of color and their fans of color. I mean, everyone seems to think things are great for Lucas now that Billy is dead even though the introduction of the well beloved Eddie directly came at the expense of Lucas.

[matchagator]

Inescapable Delusions | Ch. 15 | Explicit 21+

Hoseok made a visit to one of the characters to help persuade the verdict of the upcoming trials. Will Jungkook and Taehyung be released from their crimes or be found guilty?

*This is an explicit story. Minors do not interact*

{Summary:} Enter the House of Cards for an evening of countless wonders and jaw-dropping spectacles. While you become entranced in the various acts, take caution not to fall victim to the illusions or you may end up facing inescapable delusions.

{Main Pairings:} Animal Tamer Jeon Jungkook/ Original Female Character

{Rating:} 21+ Explicit Caution: Read Warnings

{Genre:} Alternate Universe - Crime Circus

{Warnings:} Circus (no clowns), Smut, Abuse, Gaslighting, Rough Sex, Bondage, Rape/Non-con - Freeform, Angst, BDSM, Blood and Violence, Knifeplay, Crimes & Criminals, Sex Trafficking, Death Threats, Nudity, Stockholm Syndrome, Explicit Language, Manipulation, Possessive Behavior, Praise Kink, Abusive Relationships, Unhealthy Relationships, Secrets, Sexual Slavery, Prostitution, Tigers, Elephants, Animal Attack, Virginity, Bad Decisions, Banter, Manhandling, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Degradation, Coercion, BDSM Elements, Whips, Throat Fucking, Unprotected Sex

It was finally the day Taehyung and Jungkook would be tried for their crimes, and the headlines had built up the occasion in the local community. Sophie walked up to the courthouse escorted by Namjoon and Anna, pushing through the crowd of angry citizens. The scene seemed awfully familiar to Sophie when they first encountered the House of Cards. The gathering of protestors strewn across the parking lot was now screaming at the pillars, trying to be heard and making demands for justice in their great city. 

Sophie took a stuttering inhale as Anna reached back to grab her hand, pulling her forward so that she could link their arms together. Sophie could feel the slight tremor in her friend’s limbs as they crawled up the steps. She could only imagine what must be going through her head. Anna didn’t like talking about their time at the circus, but it was plain to see that it still haunted her. 

When they finally reached the courtroom, the rich mahogany details in the pews and stand shined in the flashing lights of photographers, catching a glimpse of the scene that would take place that day. Anna gave Sophie a reassuring squeeze before slipping her arm away and following Namjoon up to the prosecution table. Sophie sat just behind them, knowing that she would be called to the stand since she had close relations with the leaders of the circus. 

Sophie glanced back as people filled the seats, spotting a few of the women who performed alongside herself and Anna. She also noticed some of the male performers, most of whom got it easy since their hands weren’t as deep in the pot that stirred the House of Cards. Her heart stopped as a dark figure moved in from the entry, quickly blending in the shadows of the back. She realized it was Hoseok, coming as a reaper to collect the souls that would be released from this event. 

As he sat down, his eyes instantly settled on Sophie from under a hat and the swell of his cheeks rose with his tormenting grin. He seemed satisfied by the horror-stricken across her face as he tilted his head down, casting darkness over his features to conceal himself from those who would recognize him. Sophie turned around in a cold sweat, placing her palms on her thighs as she wiped away the moisture of her balled-up fists. Her nerves were rattling now that she knew Hoseok was here, watching her every waking move. 

After a few moments, Anna glanced back and smiled tightly at Sophie. Both were nervous, but it was, for the most part, different reasons. Anna would be forced to encounter Taehyung, the mastermind of her hell, while Sophie would see Jungkook again. She craved to see the familiar magenta hair, hoping that her testimony would prove his innocence. Jungkook’s only crime was being a witness to all of Taehyung and Hoesok’s wrongdoings.

The room bustled with noise as it started reaching full capacity, and then the defendants were escorted from a backroom and the whispers started. All eyes were on Taehyung and Jungkook as they arrived wearing their prison uniforms and a dazzling pair of cuffs. Taehyung had a hard scowl over his features as his eyes pinpointed Anna’s presence. His intense gaze was locked onto her as he was guided to the defendant’s table. 

Sophie caught her breath when she finally saw Jungkook stepping up from behind Taehyung, his hair now more faded into a pink color rather than the vibrant magenta. His complexion was dull from his time imprisoned, but his features illuminated when his eyes scanned her. That charming smile returned and Sophie felt her heart swell, wishing she could run into his arms. 

The judge’s gavel cracked against the wooden plague, gaining the attention of everyone in the courtroom. Sophie encountered a moment of deja vu, her mind flashing back to all the times Jungkook snapped his whip at her heels or smacked her ass with his rugged hands. “Prosecution, you may call your first witness.” The judge declared. Sophie shook her head, coming back to reality as one of the lawyers announced the name of the witness. 

Sophie was stunned when she heard the name Celia. It couldn’t possibly be…and then she saw the woman stand from amongst the crowd. She was dressed professionally compared to the thin, revealing fabrics of her performance attire. Sophie watched with curious eyes as Celia walked up to the stand to be sworn in by the bailiff.  She wondered why she was one of the witnesses to the trial when she had only been working there for a few weeks. 

Once Celia took the stand, the prosecution lawyer was allowed to question her, examining the information she shared for relevance in Taehyung and Jungkook’s innocence, or lack thereof. Her answers were vague and calculated, just enough to respond correctly without revealing too much personal information. By the end of her examination with the prosecution side, the courtroom realized that the House of Cards was a brothel handled by Taehyung. 

When it was the defendant’s side to ask questions, there was no holding back. Sophie realized quickly that their lawyer was very good at what he did. He went straight for the jugular and made Celia share her past in the sex work industry. She used to walk the streets, offering her body just for a warm meal and a decent place to sleep before she was arrested. That’s when she met Namjoon and was hired as an informant, compensated for tracking down sex traffickers and other illegal rings.  

Sophie was stunned when she realized Celia was posing as a performer for the House of Cards to gain information for the police. She could already feel this trial was not going to go in the men’s favor. Sophie glanced over at Taehyung, noticing his features hardened as his piercing eyes stabbed through Celia. It seemed he could feel the shift in the air as rumors were whispered amongst the crowd.

“No more questions, your Honor” The defense lawyer declared, adjusting the neck of his collar with the sudden heat of the situation. He had his work cut out for him.

The prosecution called their next witness, Detective Kim Namjoon. Sophie distinctly remembered him from the raid, her mind hazy from the blur of the events that happened. The only vivid memory she held of that day was Jungkook’s arrest while Anna’s arms wrapped around her. She imagined what would have happened if her friend wasn’t there and could only paint a picture of her sitting beside him in her own pair of handcuffs. 

Namjoon’s examination began and Sophie was thrown back into reality, taking in her surroundings of the courtroom as they went through the various mundane questions. Ones that shared how he came across the House of Cards, his intent to hire Celia to help him gain evidence against the circus, and his motivation to help Anna run away. 

Then the defense lawyer came up to the stand and things became interesting. He questioned Namjoon’s intent for the night he escaped with Anna since he paid like any other customer with the purpose of sleeping with the performer. Namjoon insisted it was the only way to get her alone, but the defense lawyer argued that the detective paid for sex and was more than likely serviced by the woman. The prosecution moved quickly to object, making sure to hold Namjoon’s credibility together in court before the jury took this information into account. 

The defense lawyer adjusted himself after the judge settled the objection. He asked a different question, his focus on the original intent of the payment Namjoon gave to Taehyung. Namjoon could only answer with the truth, which was that the agreement between the two men was for sex with Anna. Once that information was obtained, the lawyer was satisfied with the visible reaction of the crowd. 

Sophie’s stomach was doing somersaults as the stir of whispers returned, and the air became heavy. She watched Anna sitting in front of her nervously fiddling with her fingers under the table as tension tightened over her limbs. The prosecutor called Anna as his next witness and Sophie could see her shake as she stood up. She moved slowly to the podium, and Sophie frowned as she watched her friend crumble under the pressure of the audience speculating her actions. 

Unlike Celia’s and Namjoon’s testimonies, Anna was very descriptive in her responses. The images she painted of her time at the circus were vivid and dark all at once. A hand clenched around Sophie’s heart when she heard about all the horrible things that happened while Jungkook kept her busy. As she continued sharing her experiences, anyone could see her shoulders lifting from the weight that had been holding her down since her escape. Her eyes no longer avoided Taehyung and Jungkook. Instead, she stared at him just as she did when she defied him. 

Sophie observed Taehyung’s features, seeing the buried fury deep in his stare as he balled his hands into fists under the table. In different circumstances, he would have made Anna pay for the way she looked at him with disgust and talked to him as if he was a monster. If she wanted to paint him as one, he would have shown her how monstrous he could be. 

The defense lawyer was now asking her about the initial kidnapping, which was one of the larger offenses in the case. Anna made sure to share every detail, all the way down to Jungkook’s involvement. Sophie became tense as Anna slowly turned the spotlight onto the animal tamer, claiming he was the reason they were taken. Sophie wanted to stand up and defend him at that moment; Jungkook saved them from getting killed. He wasn’t to blame for their capture; if it was anyone’s fault, it was Anna’s. Sophie clutched her skirt, digging her nails through the fibers as her heart clenched at the thought of never seeing Jungkook again. She only hoped her testimony was enough to get him off the hook. 

“You may step down.” The judge acknowledged Anna after she was examined by the defense lawyer. She slowly rose from her seat, moving across the front of the courtroom to sit beside Namjoon and her lawyer. The detective gave her a reassuring smile as she took her place, her limbs shaking with overwhelmed nerves. Facing Taehyung again was a whirlwind as all her encounters with the ringleader resurfaced. She had to relive the memories that plagued her day in and day out despite escaping that place. 

Namjoon reached out and squeezed her hand, catching her eyes when she glanced up at him. “You’ve got this.” He had no reason to believe the defendants had any means of getting off easy from her story alone. What she witnessed was enough evidence for the case to be closed, but with the help of Sophie, the verdict would be nailed shut. 

“I call Sophie Jennings to the stand.” The prosecution attorney announced. Sophie swallowed, lifting herself up with the rail that separated herself from Anna and Namjoon. Her friend glanced back and gave her a reassuring smile, as she mustered the courage to walk up to the bailiff to be sworn in.

While he was talking, Sophie stole a glance at the defendant’s side of the courtroom as she felt Jungkook’s strong hands curling around her heart and squeezing her into submission. His eyes bore into her soul, reminding her of all their interactions and the life they shared together. The bailiff cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him. “I solemnly declare…” She regurgitated the oath each witness was forced to conduct before they started the examination process. “...shall be the whole truth and nothing but the…truth.”

Fear speared her in the chest as she thought of the target on Jungkook’s back and the gun pointed at her. Hoseok knew she would be called to the stand, and during his visit, he made demands that she throw Taehyung under the bus for all the illegal activity bred from the House of Cards. She feared she would be in a spot where she might jeopardize Jungkook’s involvement. Could she save him? Would she need to lie?

Anna intently watched Sophie, her expression distraught as she waited for the attorneys to ask their questions. Anna’s leg bounced under the table as she dwelled on the few interactions she shared with Sophie after the raid. Sophie discussed very little of her thoughts about everything that happened, keeping herself busy with work and errands mostly to adjust to normalcy. Despite her arguments with Anna about their capture, Anna couldn’t deny her friend had changed during her time with Jungkook and the animals. She feared that Sophie grew more attached to the life of the limelight more than she portrayed. 

She looked to Namjoon when her nerves became too overwhelming, using his kind features as a reminder that she was safe and free. The prosecutor started interrogating Sophie, getting her familiar with the process as the questions became more in-depth with the crimes under speculation. Sophie would respond slowly, calculating the effect of her answers like she was trying to protect certain information. Anna furrowed her brow, wondering what would she be protecting?

The prosecution lawyer questioned Sophie on the events of the kidnapping, confirming the method by which they were taken and determining the defendant’s involvement. Sophie hesitated, her irises flicking toward the dark corner of the courtroom where she saw Hoseok’s glare burning back at her. “Anna snuck into the back and was grabbed by Taehyung.” She stated simply, feeling herself being torn in two different directions as she was forced to face the prosecution of Jungkook’s crimes. 

The attorney asked how she was captured, and all eyes were on her. She paused, audibly thinking of her response as she switched between the stares of Jungkook and Anna. She knew if she shared the same story as Anna, Jungkook would be charged with kidnapping, but if she fixed the story, she might be able to keep the spotlight on Taehyung. “I followed after my friend and got caught. Taehyung decided to make us part of the show because we knew too much.” She panicked, keeping Jungkook’s name from her mouth to avoid putting him in more jeopardy.

Sophie relaxed slightly as she caught Jungkook smirking in her direction. Her statement wasn’t a lie per se, but she knew that she left out a few details. Her gaze flicked toward Anna and immediately she could tell that her friend was upset by her response. “Who did you get caught by?” The attorney asked after a moment.

The cold sweat returned and Sophie knew this was a question she couldn’t weave her way out of. She would need to tell the jury who captured her and that would ruin Jungkook’s chances. She pressed her lips together, guilt eating at the pit of her stomach. “Taehyung.” Voices whispered in the pews as her heart clenched from the blatant lie she just told. She instantly wanted to take it back but knew if she did, not only would she be labeled as a liar by her friend, but the public as well. She avoided Anna’s gaze, flicking back to Hoseok, and saw his haunting grin, confirming he was satisfied with her testimony.

“No further questions, your Honor.” Sophie could feel like she could breathe again as he walked away, knowing that the defense lawyer would work to get the men cleared from their allegations. Jungkook was in the clear, but could he save Taehyung? Probably not. 

Anna was devastated by her friend’s confession that contradicted her testimony of the kidnapping. She clutched her fists together on her lap, trying to control the erratic shaking of her limbs. Her heart pounded in her chest as she struggled to breathe, the whispers of the audience blaring in her ears. Namjoon noticed her behavior, reaching under the table to grab one of her hands. “Calm down.” He whispered gently.

Tears pooled in her eyes, her emotions getting the best of her. “I-I can’t. She-” She choked on her breath, overwhelmed by her thoughts and surroundings. She was furious, betrayed, and ultimately hurt that the woman she considered her friend would twist their story. Anna glanced toward the pink-haired defendant, the man Sophie had lied to protect, and narrowed her eyes. She then understood Sophie was using her testimony to protect Jungkook even though it was his idea to keep them against their will. 

The defense lawyer paced the stand, looking to Sophie to clear up the speculation on the sexual activity within the House of Cards. “Did you have sex with anyone for money?”

“No.” It was an easy answer to make since Sophie was never sold to the customer like the other performers. 

“Were you ever forced to have sex with anyone during your time at the circus?”

“No.”

“Did anyone offer you money for sexual favors?”

“No.”

“Did you have sexual relations with anyone involved with the House of Cards?” 

“Yes.” The air was still as the whispers started back up, circulating around the room. Sophie could feel the heat on her cheeks as she noticed a few smirks in the crowd, eyeing her figure and speculating who she was in cahoots with if they weren’t already aware. 

“Would you please tell the jury who you had sexual relations with?”

Sophie bit her lip, seeking approval from the man in question. He smiled proudly, leaning back in his chair as his legs parted slightly under the table. The pink-haired man seemed all too eager to hear her answer with a swift nod of his head. “Jeon Jungkook.” He chuckled under his breath and Taehyung glared at his partner, unamused by the direction this case was taking. 

Chaos broke out in the court, forcing the judge to slam the gavel calling for order once again in the room. The defense attorney smirked as well as he approached Sophie, “So just to confirm. You had a sexual relationship with Jeon Jungkook, but it was consensual and without compensation?”

“That’s correct.” Sophie smiled despite the embarrassment as Jungkook grinned back at her, recognizing the movement of his lips as he whispered her praise. 

“No more questions, your Honor.”

Sophie took her seat behind Anna and could feel the tension in the air, keeping quiet as the case continued. From there, the prosecution began to fall apart as the defense began calling up their witnesses. Jessie was the first, and just like Hoseok planned she played right into the story, blaming Taehyung for all that was wrong with the House of Cards. She even confirmed that she also did not receive compensation for sexual favors, which eliminated some of the prostitution allegations against the defendants. 

Jimin was the second witness, who was a perfect advocate for the House of Cards as he took on the role of the naive aerialist; making up a story of a boy with a dream of performing rather than confessing to the man who preyed on the women left behind by customer selection. He was more than willing to point the finger of blame in Taehyung’s direction when it seemed fitting, despite his alibi. 

When Taehyung went up to the stand, it was easy to see that things were not going his way as he curtly responded to each question. Sending intense glares to those who put him in this situation and helped bury him with offenses and misdemeanors. Anna at least had the comfort that Taehyung would go to prison for his actions.

Jungkook’s testimony was the final nail in the coffin, using his role as the animal tamer as a scapegoat for all the wrongdoings happening in the House of Cards. He told the story of him falling for the star of their show, and Anna couldn’t help but notice how Sophie ate up every word. If she had known these were the delusions he was feeding her friend, she could have stopped it before it got this far. However, the leaders of the circus knew keeping them apart would be the key to turning Sophie against Anna. 

After his examination, the judge called for the closing arguments of each attorney so that the jury could recall the information discovered during the trial and use it to decide the verdict of the defendants. While the jury was in the deliberation room, communicating their thoughts and decisions of the trial, Anna took a break from the courtroom leaving Sophie to watch her go as the guilt festered in her gut. Namjoon followed after her, sharing a disapproving look at Sophie before departing.

Her gaze floated toward the defendant's table to find that both, Taehyung and Jungkook, were watching her. One looked far more happy by her presence than the other. Taehyung’s intense glare unnerved her as she looked back into the crowd to see the familiar faces of those who performed alongside her in the circus mixed with the reporters and photographers. She found Hoseok talking to Jessie in the back before he peaked at her from the corner of his eye. He flashed her a cruel smile as Jessie followed the direction of his stare. Jessie smirked when she noticed Sophie watching and sent her a wink before turning around in her seat and sitting properly.

The courtroom doors opened as Anna and Namjoon stepped back in with Celia, whom Sophie had not noticed left. They made their way back to their seats without acknowledging Sophie. “Anna, I’m -”

“All Rise.” The bailiff announced as everyone stood from their seats in the courtroom. The jury came out of the deliberation room with the final decision as the judge returned to the stand. 

“Have you reached a verdict?” The judge inquired, looking towards the foreperson to speak on behalf of the small group of jurors.

A middle-aged woman stood proudly before the court, nodding at the judge. “We have, your Honor.” She waited for the judge’s initiation before continuing, “We find the defendant, Kim Taehyung, guilty…”

As the juror continued to list the charges against Taehyung, Anna nearly burst into tears. The man who caused her such hell and tormented her was finally getting what he deserved; she couldn’t be happier. Subconsciously, she grabbed Namjoon’s hands to help keep her grounded as she was pummeled by waves of relief after spending what felt like forever in tension and suspense. 

Anna was so elated that she almost forgot that they still hadn’t revealed Jungkook’s verdict until the woman made the announcement. “We find the defendant, Jeon Jungkook, not guilty of the charges of…” Sophie bit her lip, fighting back the smile on her lips as she peered off to see Jungkook already smiling at her. She was so enamored with the now free man standing just on the other side of the room that she didn’t realize Anna watched her moment of jubilation with betrayal written across her features. 

“Court is adjourned.” The judge slammed the gavel on the plague, ending the trial and releasing Jungkook officially from his time in jail. The people in the courtroom began to shift as Taehyung was returned to his cell where he would remain until they transported him to a proper prison. Sophie snuck through the attorneys, clinging to Jungkook as he welcomed her in his arms. 

He instantly pressed a kiss to her lips, grabbing her face between his hands as he kept her close. “You did great, kitten.” He smiled as she played with the pink strands of his hair. “Were you a good girl while I was gone?”

Sophie hummed happily, missing the feeling of his arms wrapped around her and his lips on her skin. “I missed you.” She whispered softly, admiring his new appearance since the magenta dye had faded from his hair. 

“‘Atta girl.” He cooed, cupping her cheek and dipping in for another swift kiss. When he pulled back, he glanced towards the entrance of the courtroom and noticed Hoseok. “Looks like it's time to go home.” He tilted his chin toward the magician, pointing him out to the beauty in his arms. Sophie followed his gaze to find Hoseok patiently waiting with the other performers. She then noticed a certain presence slipping by them, spotting Anna as she left with Celia and Namjoon while avoiding all the press. 

Anna moved past the crowd of people blocking her way, feeling the familiar sensation of being trapped until she finally reached the courtroom doors. She took a deep breath, looking back once to see Sophie watching her while she was still wrapped in the arms of the man who kidnapped her and diluted her sanity. Anna smiled sadly as she noticed Sophie’s features shift, recognizing that her need to be with Jungkook blindsided her from being there for her friend. Her arms started to slip from around Jungkook, but he was quick to sweep her back into his affection, dragging her back into his world and isolating her from reality. 

“Let’s get out of here.” Celia insisted, realizing Anna was looking back into the crowd of conspiring performers. She was glad to be done with the trial so that she could take a break from the work she put into the case. Namjoon agreed as he guided Anna outside, severing her from the chains that tried to drag her back.

Previous | Epilogue

[jaykorianddickkoriforlife]

In Harry Potter, there are dark lords, right? Were any of them ever women? Would they have been called something else if that were the case? My Lady, perhaps? Like you would a woman with power in the old times. Mistress of darkness? Lol Dark Lady?

I don't think it diminishes the power behind them if they're referred to as ladies unless they classified themselves otherwise, but still it's an interesting thought, and I'm mildly insulted that the only ones we've learned about have been male. There is Morgana, of course, since they did have Merlin in that universe, but she's not even mentioned like that, so I don't count it. We had evil characters who were women, but they didn't have the power or the following that Voldemort or Grindelwald had. If anything, they were the followers.

I want a massive tale that showed how demented said Lady was, how cruel. I live for women in power who are innately evil, or who became evil because of the things they've gone through. It's different than the normal good, pure woman you mostly see, which I still love, but there's just something alluring of stories involving a women in power that makes everyone shake in their shoes in fear by the mere mention of her name.

Stereotypically, women in stories are written as the opposite, so when they're like that, it just becomes a very enchanting tale, and I wish we could've had at least one in the HP universe because the story behind Voldemorts rise as well as Grindelwalds was amazing, and so psychologically intriguing as to how much power does corrupt someone if you let it. The rise and the fall for both were great, and I would've loved to see the chaos that a woman would've caused if they had that power. Simply to sate my curiosity in the different tactics a woman would've used to rise to power and gain so many followers because it wouldn't have been the same. If people were so stuck on blood purity during Voldemorts' reign, chances are they would've had sexist ideals as well since a lot of things were very traditional in the Harry Potter universe. Chances are that none ever existed with that statement alone, but it would've been so cool to have at least one.

The psychology behind the world that dictators, and cult leaders build for their followers, and victims is very informing of human nature. So the thought of there having been a Dark Lady, if that had been the term for them, in the HP Universe is very interesting.

I personally prefer Mistress of Darkness cuz it's so cliche lol but you get my point. Either ways they still would've been referred to as My Lady by their followers, so it makes no difference, but just imagine?!?!

[elinorwritesstuff]

Writing Advice Answers #4, Part Two: In which I go on a rant in support of female OCs

You mentioned that OCs are controversial in some fandoms, and that’s something I think a lot about, so sorry if this is a tangent, but hopefully it will be helpful with your confidence.

So I hear two basic criticisms of OCs. The first is the classic “Mary-Sue,” thing, which I’ll talk more about but is just so dumb. The one I hear most often, though (especially when I used to RP on tumblr) is “Women just create OCs because they think the character is hot and they want to live vicariously by writing sex/a relationship with them. Eww, cringe.” I hate this so much. You can find a character fascinating and compelling and intriguing and attractive. Who cares if you want to write a ship with them? Who cares if you want to write PWP with them?

It’s so weird, because I guarantee you that people writing canon ships are living vicariously through at least one of the characters.

The big hill I will die on with this stuff is that it is deeply, deeply, deeply misogynistic. Even when it comes from women, that’s just called internalized misogyny, most women have at least a little of it, and it is so freeing when you start to recognize it and get it out of your head. (For the record, I’m not assuming that everyone who writes female OCs is a woman. But this kind of criticism/judgment usually does.) And there are other people who have said this, and probably said it better than me, but I don’t have their posts handy so I’m going to say it myself.

This criticism is almost always leveled at women and female characters. Want to see the most egregious “Mary-Sue” characters, who are brilliant at everything they try, and always make the right decisions, and are destined to save the universe? Look at best-selling published fiction with male protagonists, written by male authors, especially fantasy fiction. Want to see the most obvious wish-fulfillment stories where a beautiful character falls madly in love with the protagonist and/or wants to have so much sex with them? One again, best-selling published fiction by male authors about male protagonists.

People are getting down on women (and people presumed to be women) for writing nice characters and fanfics, while men are making millions of dollars publishing books doing the same thing. I will own that when I talk about misogyny, it’s from an American-centric viewpoint, but that said, we hate things women like. You can see this in characters like Arya Stark, who’s supposed to be the coolest because she thinks “girl” things are stupid. (It’s fine to want to do “boy” things, instead of “girl” things; those definitions are arbitrary. The problem is the negativity towards “girl” things.) We hate women’s sexuality when it’s about women wanting to have sex, instead of men wanting to have sex with women. And like I said, the reason I say “we” and include women in these statements, is because internalized misogyny is such a thing. Look for these attitudes in yourself. Know they’re wrong. Be free.

In conclusion: Write female OCs. Read female OCs. Love female OCs.

(P.S. Male OCs are also amazing. So are non-binary OCs. Honestly I’d love to see so many more of them. Nothing here is to say that female OCs are better; it’s to react to negative attitudes toward them.)