#i know i should apologize but i feel compelled to apologize because i love my threads rn
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othcrworlds · 2 months ago
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me, behind on replying to threads?? more likely than you’d think!! 🥹
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busket · 3 months ago
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gravity falls rant, cw sexual assault and harassment
seeing the gf fandom do a full 180 on billford is so odd to see and kind of infuriating because I had so many nasty rumors and lies spread about me in 2015-2018 because I liked them as bitter exes. a callout google doc was made and I never read it, but I know it framed me as a creep and an abuser. all because I thought a cartoon nerd and a triangle had a fascinating dynamic that was dark and compelling
in 2017 or 2018 someone sent like 70 messages to my curiouscat just repeating RAPIST RAPIST RAPIST RAPIST over and over again. I'd never even had sex at that point, and I had just cut my dad out of my life for actually being a pedophile and a rapist. so that was traumatizing! that really hurt me!
I also know it was because I had a NSFW account where i drew porn (i was an adult, i was clear i only wanted adults following me. and I still do draw nsfw, I'm not ashamed of that now but these folks made me ashamed of it for years) that included some porn of trans men, like Stanley or Stanford as trans men (NEVER together bc I've always been staunchly against incest or pedophilia ships) and these people framed me as a transphobe and a transmasc fetishist
well obviously I'm a trans man now and I didn't know it at the time but those drawings were a way to explore my own relationship with gender. I even look like Stan and Ford now, obviously i latched on to them as trans men because I wanted to BE them. but I believed it when people called me a piece of shit, I assumed all trans people would despise me too and I'd committed a horrible sin and it forced me back in the closet for another 5 years.
the people doing this were teenagers at the time, a few I thought were my friends/mutuals, and they made that part of my life kinda miserable. I was already miserable with other shit going on in my life. I ignored most of the harassment to make myself uninteresting and to avoid the possibility of becoming a lolcow but it involved anonymous messages both on tumblr and curiouscat, I even got a few emails just mocking me. even in 2019 when some people were like "oh yeah she's moved on to moomin, this is what her art looks like now, I can't look at it without thinking about how much she loves rape :/" which was NEVER true!!! I liked Ford and Bill as bitter exes but it was always consensual in my mind.
Anyway I don't ever expect or even want an apology. I'm sure they don't realize what an effect that harassment had on me during literally the darkest years of my life. to them they were just teasing a weird girl on the internet for fun, or very seriously warning their friends against whom they'd been lied to about being an abuser, but I was a closeted trans man trying to finish college, my home life was abysmal and abusive, I hated myself, i hated my body, my only friends were online, and when I'd log on for some escapism I was met with another message like "hey, you should block this person. they're saying some really cruel things about you on their account. I know it's not true but it looks like some people are believing it."
gravity falls was so important to me as a show since oregon is my home and it felt so authentic to my own childhood being interested in cryptids and going camping and visiting shit like the Oregon vortex as a child. but the fandom was the worst I've ever been in. it ruined my enjoyment of media online for years. so idk. I guess I feel somewhat vindicated but it would also be nice to get those years back and not be harassed and bullied online about something so stupid and unimportant
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muchanmocha · 2 months ago
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Round 7 (and beyond)
I never intended on releasing a prediction post bc Team Vivinos is capable of excellent plot twists and there wasn't enough to go on imo to really have any solid guesses. But the recently released teaser gave me enough confidence in my current theories to put this out there. (Apologies if it's incoherent bc I'm basically just reposting a discord spiel I gave to an unfortunate friend a while ago lol.)
In sum:
Luka will be the winner of season 50 but Till won't die.
Bonus half-crack prediction:
Luka will win against Till, but Till won't die and Hyuna crashes the party to win season 50.
I can't recall the source but I believe Team Vivinos has mentioned that we're entering the main plot/part 2 of the story. Everything in this post is formulated based on this premise.
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The artbook synopsis also seems to back up the claim that a bigger plot is coming.
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Luka wins
Fairly sure Luka will win because that's his role. He is the epitome of this system. He is the symbol of Alien Stage. He cannot fall this easily.
Him maintaining his position at the top means he and the segyein enter part 2 with a strong presence.
Alien Stage may be fractured — 2 current participants have escaped to the rebels alive — but the system is still standing. It's scandalous, sure, but they have a winner and they will eventually go on to have Season 51.
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Till survives
Till won't die because that's just weak sauce writing, plot, and character and we know Team Vivinos isn't capable of weak sauce writing, plot, and character.
Fact of the matter is, if Till dies in the next round he and his personal story will forever be overshadowed by Ivan's.
The climax of Round 6, Ivan's narrative and ending, it was executed so goddamn well. It was compelling. It was incredible. We are still not over it. And so—
There is nothing Till can do in the space of one episode ending in his death that can overpower Ivan's momentum from the previous episode. (Ofc everything in this series was somehow packed into 4 minute spurts that leave us emotionally wrecked so I am fully prepared to eat my words)
If Till dies here, regardless of what he does on stage before it happens, Till will be reduced to "the character who dies of guilt and regret after being the subject of someone else's obsessive love and sacrifice." He'll end up a passive player in his own story.
But if Till survives:
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Till from here on out
Imo it would be FAR more interesting to see where his feelings and relationship with Mizi develops and shifts from here because Ivan has effectively tainted his idea of love.
Why do I say this?
Well Till's love for Mizi is... very innocent, very pure, very "first love"y. It's all things naive and fantastical and shoujo manga heart-shaped bubbles.
Meanwhile Ivan's love for Till is dark and gritty. It's obsessive. It's all things murky and ugly (I mean it in the best of ways don't come at me with your pitchforks) — the complete opposite of Till's impression of love.
Which makes it all the more impactful when Ivan forces Till to come face to face (literally) with that deep, obssessive love in Round 6 with his last moments.
After this incredibly traumatic eye-opener — an intimate, violent look into a different kind of love — I don't think Till can look at Mizi the same way again. (No not because he does or should be obligated to return Ivan's feelings, and that's a hill I'll die on regardless of pitchforks. If Till develops feelings for Ivan it should be on his own terms. If Till falls out of love with Mizi that should also be on his own terms.)
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Hyuna wins Season 50 (jk)
Look it'll be funny.
Luka facing off against Till and then Hyuna crash the party, stomps him (vocally), effectively wins Season 50, and then yeets with Till and Mizi — one over each shoulder, hauled like sandbags.
(In all seriousness tho, not a very high chance of happening. They clearly have a lot of issues to sort out that'll prob happen later in part 2.)
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"Never come back again"
The whole reason why this post is up. The caption for the new promo art gives me more confidence in the theory that everyone leaves except Luka.
'Never come back again.' I feel like there's a good chance this is Luka saying or thinking this to Hyuna (and co). If indeed it is, there's a lot to unpack there.
Tl;dr
Hyuna and Mizi busts Till outta there, Luka is left utterly alone seated on the throne again, Sua and Ivan eventually come back wrong to wreck emotional havoc as zombie androids
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flight0fthenavigat0r · 7 months ago
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A Goodbye to The Bad Batch
I don’t even know what to say first. Because this is goodbye, but it is also everything but. But I suppose I should start at the beginning.
Just a couple of years ago I found my love for Star Wars. My entire life, as far back as I can remember, my dad has tried to get me into the fandom. Now, he’s not a fan the exact same way some of us are, he’d only watched the saga and the Mandalorian, funnily enough I was the one to introduce him to The Clone Wars and beyond, but it’s been a joy in his life for a very long time. I was never interested in it when I was little, but then I got a little older and Star Wars started to capture my interest.
One random weekend, I believe in 2021 or 2022, I decided that I was going to watch all nine saga movies in those forty-eight hours, and then start on my goal to watch every show and the additional movies.
This is, without a shred of doubt, one of the greatest decisions I have ever made, and one that I will never regret. I would not be the person I am had I not given Star Wars a chance.
It would sound ridiculous to anyone anywhere else, but this has become such a safe place for me that I know I can be honest.
Everyone finds that one thing that makes them happy like nothing else. A person, a hobby, a place, a fandom. Mine is the galaxy far, far away that lets me escape from my life whenever I need to.
The Star Wars fandom has its faults, and there is so much hatred.
But more than anything, there is love like no love I have ever experienced before. The love between fans and our love for these movies and shows is something I never expected to have in my life. But somehow, for some reason, it has all found a permanent place in my heart, and I couldn’t be happier.
At this time, the first season of The Bad Batch had just been released. I was branching out, watching The Clone Wars and then jumping to The Book of Boba Fett, though I’m not sure why I chose to watch everything in such a completely random order.
But then I started The Bad Batch.
I had no idea what Crosshair, Tech, Wrecker, Hunter, Echo, and Omega would come to mean to me.
I have dealt with a lot in the last few years. Nothing compared to others, but depression finds a way to wedge into your life. I love to be alone, but I don’t like to be lonely, and I have managed to isolate myself to a point of misery.
I found more comfort in The Bad Batch than anything else in my life, and I will never forget the joy The Bad Batch brought me in these last few years.
I began to write when I found Star Wars, and I was inspired to do so by The Bad Batch. Before, I had never felt so compelled by any one piece of media to add my own part of it to the world, until this. Writing has become another escape, one that gives me an outlet to continue the stories of characters left behind.
What I already knew has been reaffirmed, the lessons I have learned remain with me, and will even after this is over.
That it’s okay to feel afraid, because everyone does, and to make mistakes, provided you learn from them.
That feeling out of place for one reason or another does not make you unworthy of love, and having limitations with affection isn’t something you need to apologize for.
That being goofy, having fun, finding joy in the dark places, is just as vital a part of life as anything else, if not what we need more than anything.
That taking time for yourself, to make sure you don’t fall apart, even while taking care of others, is important.
That our worst moments can be one of two things, what consumes us, or what we grow from.
That being a young woman is not a detriment to your worth, intelligence, talent, or any other aspect of life, but is in fact what makes you strongest.
That what makes us unique and our faults are a part of who we are, but they do not define us, and we are so much more than the ideas people have of us.
My only regret is not making friends when I had the chance. I’m bad at that, opening up and putting myself out there, and I shy away from talking to new people because it makes me uncomfortable. But I wish I had been able to put that aside before it was too late and found people who love The Bad Batch the way I do to continue talking to, even after the show ends.
But to all the people who have supported me and who I have supported, thank you for being part of my Bad Batch experience.
It's very difficult to believe that this is it.
Though The Bad Batch has not been around long, it feels like it has, because as long as I have been watching Star Wars, The Bad Batch has been in its active run, and I’m so grateful I got to be here when it was.
I know that even when the credits roll for the final time, when the greater fandom forgets the show that they never really understood the way we have, I’ll be here, and hopefully, so will all of you. I think that the family brought together by The Bad Batch will endure, even if we go quiet for a while.
We’ll stick around, for the day the Batch comes back. Because I know they will.
Thank you Clone Force 99, the Bad Batch fandom, Dee Bradley Baker, Michelle Ang, the Kiners, and everybody who played a part in telling this story.
The impact The Bad Batch has had on my life has been profound, and I wouldn’t give it up for anything. It’s been a wild ride, and I have enjoyed every second of it. It has been a privilege to be a part of this piece in the ever growing history that makes up Star Wars.
Goodbye, Bad Batch. Until next time.
“Change takes getting used to. You’ll see. Just give it time.”
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hotvintagepoll · 7 months ago
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Propaganda
Ingrid Bergman (Gaslight, Casablanca, Notorious)—Where do I even begin with Ingrid Bergman? I fell in love with her with her astounding performance in the 1956 version of Anastasia -- the best Anastasia movie in large part due to her wonderful and touching performance. She's got this amazing, fascinating intensity to her in whatever role she's in. She commits 100%, and she's got this light in whatever she's in that's stunning. She's utterly convincing no matter what she plays, from an amnesiac possible lost princess, from a nun, from a woman taking her revenge on the town that wronged her, to light romantic comedy. She's never missed in any role I've seen her in! Also she became quite the MILF.
Samia Gamal (Afrita Hanem)— Egyptian movie star and belly dancer oh my god she is ELECTRIC and unbelievably charismatic, the way she can move her body matched with that perfect smile will melt you
This is round 3 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.
[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]
Ingrid Bergman:
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God, she's fantastic. She's both beautiful and a compelling actor who's more than capable of putting the whole movie on her shoulders if necessary. It's worth noting that while her beauty is conventional, she was seen as refreshingly "natural" with more eyebrows and less makeup than many other leading ladies of the time. She's well known for her role in Casablanca, but in Notorious, Spellbound, (both available on archive.org ) and Gaslight (1944) she shows how immensely capable she is.
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I mean...she's Ingrid Bergman. I feel like that should be enough, you know? She's physically beautiful (her eyes!) but watching her is like a transcendent experience. Her voice, her expressions... beautiful woman, beautiful actor.
I'm a gay man but even I understand her appeal. I'll watch any movie she shows up in. Gorgeous woman.
Just try and watch her movies without sighing wistfully, then get back to me!
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Choosing 1-3 movies where Bergman was at her hottest was agony because, of course, she was always at her hottest. Not just because she was beautiful but because she was absolutely willing to go up against the bs women in Hollywood were constantly dealing with. When exiled from Hollywood for having an affair with Roberto Rossellini, not only did she refuse to apologize at any point, but she went on to say that Hollywood's films had grown stagnant and boring to her. Though she said she appreciated her time working there, she wanted to try new, different techniques (hence starring in Italian neorealist films, working on stage, and acting under directors like Ingmar Bergman). She was not afraid to chase after her artistic ideals and go outside the box regardless of what society had to say about it. From her first movie to her last she killed it. There's so much more to say about Bergman's career and life, but I've already written five million words so I'll stop at that.
ion words so I'll stop at that.
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One of the most incredible actors I've ever seen on film. Her facial expressions are so intricate and poignant that I cannot look away. I'm either ace or straight, but damn she made me question that.
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SEVEN TIME OSCAR NOMINEE QUEEN. Girl also PULLED, having affairs with famously hot men Gary Cooper and Gregory Peck IN ADDITION to her three marriages...sexy
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She has a very natural beauty to her, and she's from Sweden!
She left Hollywood and only became more beautiful. You could drown in her eyes. She can look innocent AND like she's seen it all. She is effortlessly elegant. She's played Joan of Arc (automatically hot) AND was in the movie that coined gaslight as a term. And where would we be without that!
She was known for being a breath of fresh air on the movie scene at the time with her windswept hair, dreamy smile and soulful eyes. I have loved her in every movie I have seen her in - she was just magnetic!
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Where do I even start. There's a neighborly quality to this beautiful, talented actress that makes her hotness one of a kind and her looks impossible to forget
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With a career spanning five decades, Bergman is often regarded as one of the most influential screen figures in cinematic history. Known for her naturally luminous beauty, Bergman spoke five languages – Swedish, English, German, Italian and French – and acted in each.
She's hot, don't get me wrong, but I've always found her very approachable, like she could easily be a member of my friend group
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A lot of the time hotness in a movie is just about words and framing. "You're the most beautiful person here" [vaseline lens] well I sure hope so because that's who you cast. But when, in Casablanca, they call Ingrid Bergman the most beautiful woman in the world... they were not fucking lying. And such a dynamite actor too!! I'd only seen Casablanca up until last year, and there she's confined to love interest. But in Gaslight she was maybe one of the most incredible actors I've ever seen!!!! Goddddd shes so fucking hot and cool.
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Samia Gamal:
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mikuni14 · 1 month ago
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Jack and Joker - Ep 4
Jack and Joker continue to steal my heart lol
How amazing it is that in this series every humorous, light scene or plot has such heavy overtones. For example, we see a little girl who is resolute, clever, brave, street-smart, and also cute and funny and as viewers we love her and admire her, but at the same time we see that she had to become like that to survive, that she shouldn't be so "adult" in her behavior, that she should be an innocent, carefree, childish little girl. The fact that she is practically the head of her small family, that she has to take care of her father and watch over him, that she "spies" for Jack and "protects" his household, that she has contact with violence and crime, is actually sad and disturbing. We also admire Jack for his kindness and courage, his unwavering decency and morality, but at the same time we see the weight on his shoulders when those noble traits of his are being exploited by others.
I love this aspect of the show.
What else I liked about this episode:
Jack and Joke's relationship is so enjoyable, I love when they clash, I love the tension between them, I also love that every fight and argument they have somehow always takes place when there is about this 🤏 distance between them 😆 Joke constantly invading Jack's personal space and Jack accidentally invading Joker's personal space will never cease to delight me. The only thing I'm still waiting for is Jack doing it consciously in a romantic situation and if he does it all aggressive and dominant, I think I'll die
Joke is such a great character, every episode just proves it. This time he surprised me positively again by 1) admitting to Jack's grandma what he did, knowing that he could lose her friendship (I love it when secrets are revealed right away, and not hanging over the characters' heads all season to be revealed accidently or with malicious intent by other people, creating stupid drama) and… 2) he cleaned Jack's house. Which was simply AWESOME. So many times we see characters who "atone" for their sins with great deeds, great sacrifices, and here we are, Joke just cleaned up, painted the furniture, helped with mundane household chores. As for me, I give him 10/10 for that alone. And I really liked the contrast between Jack's former coach's apology, which is just empty words and making himself feel better and Joke's actions, who doesn't stop apologizing to Jack, doesn't stop helping him and doesn't stop repaying him with big and flashy acts like stealing a ring, as well as small, ordinary, boring things like cleaning up or making a meal. I also like that the coach's apology was about him, and Joke's apology and actions are about Jack and him only
it never ceases to amuse me that every person takes one look at Jack and Joker together and immediately says: yep, they are married 😆
(a special award for me, a person with a non-existent memory for faces and names, because when watching Kidnap and Jack & Joker, series with a very similar plot and seeing a tall woman with dark hair entering this temple, the first thing I thought was, oh! it's that mafia boss lady from Kidnap 😭 )
entire essays and poems have already been written about how pretty War is as Joke, but I'll repeat my other post: Yin as Jack in this episode was exceptionally handsome. Maybe it's the dark clothes, maybe the hairstyle, or maybe the fact that he was exceptionally lively, expressive and emotional in this episode. For example, in the scene with his coach, his face went through all the stages of emotion, I couldn't take my eyes off him. I also liked the intensity on his face in his scenes with Joke
the child actors in Thai BL series this year are really something. First Chibi San, now Toi Ting 💖
I still like how despite their differences, they are both so similar, most in how completely selfless they are, both sacrificing themselves and doing everything for others. What a nice, compelling pair 🤩
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Their dynamic in this scene keeps me up at night ..
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avianconcept · 12 days ago
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Lucas Johnson, and why he was one of my favorites in TSC.
I see a lot of people hating on him for his reactions + actions towards Jean in TSC, which is fine! Everyone’s allowed to not like characters, and we’re all on Jean’s side! Lucas enabled a really traumatizing and dangerous situation. But I keep seeing these posts referring to him as an asshole who Jean should have revenge of some sort on, and I’m like ??? 
I thought Lucas had one of the most interesting arcs in TSC, and tied in really well with one of the central messages of the story. I think he’s a character who is in a lot of distress that he is unprepared to handle, and is still seeking the painful truth. Yes he was a dick to Jean several times, but I don’t think this makes him an Evil Antagonist or a little shit or whatever else he is referred to as. I found Lucas and Jean’s plotline to be one of the most compelling in the whole book. It made me think about how much knowing the truth matters, even if it can’t change the scenario. This is going to be a long and unstructured mess that is sort of about Lucas, sort of about the Ravens vs Trojans, sort of about themes. I apologize in advance, but this has been kicking around in my brain since I finished TSC the day it came out. 
I’m going to start with the straightforward bit: why I personally think Lucas is over-hated, and why I liked him. 
I think most of it comes from the fact that we as readers forget that not all characters are operating with the same information and perspective that we are. Our perception of the situation is informed by Jean’s POV– in a lot of ways, his perception is ours. So we have known from pretty much minute one that Jean isn’t an asshole, that the rumors about him aren’t true, and that Grayson is a serial rapist. So when we see Lucas not believing Jean, questioning him or calling him a whore, we see it the way Jean sees it: a nosy, rude, foolish man who is going out of his way to make Jean’s and his own life difficult unnecessarily. 
But when you think about it from Lucas’ POV, remembering that Lucas does not know the things we know about Jean and Grayson, Lucas’ actions make a lot more sense. 
Imagine, for a moment, that you have an older brother. You grew up together, you played the same sport, you loved him. And then he leaves, and goes no contact out of the blue. You try and try and you can’t get a hold of him, even when you join a college team yourself. But then one day, after his team falls apart, he comes home. He comes home angry and wrong and you can barely recognize him.The only way you can get him to engage with you is about this ex teammate of his. He gets angry, attacks you, hits you until you lose teeth. The rest of his team is being put in inpatient care in psych hospitals. You’re not sure whats wrong with him, only that this is not the brother you loved– there is something very wrong with him, and the only thing he’ll talk about is Jean Moreau. 
I feel like when we see it this way, it isn’t hard to get why Lucas came out so hostile when he met Jean. Jean was already surrounded by this (false, unfair) media perception, and then Grayson talks about how much he hates him. When you bear in mind that Lucas has known Grayson his whole life (minus the last four or so years), and Jean for about two minutes– it doesn’t surprise me that he does not immediately take Jean’s side. I’d even go so far as to say that it would make no sense if he did. ESPECIALLY when from Lucas’ POV, Jean starts saying all of this horrible (true) shit about Grayson, which has got to be a sore spot for Lucas atm. Because Lucas doesn’t understand that 
Sidebar: I don’t say any of this to blame Jean, or say that Lucas is without flaw– I say it because it’s a really well written conflict. In both characters' heads, they’re each making perfect sense. It’s irritating to me in books when the author has thrown in a conflict for drama only, by making two characters hate each other for no reason. This situation is really compelling to read about for this reason. 
I’ve seen a few of takes along the lines of, “How dare Lucas keep pushing Jean for answers/bring Grayson to the Gold Court/not believe Jean when Jean is CLEARLY traumatized.” And I get it– it was painful and frustrating to see him not understand. But also I think we as longtime lovers of AFTG have had ten-ish years to get used to the Foxes, and their understanding of trauma. For them, the parts of trauma that are triggers and erratic behavior and strange boundaries are navigated almost instinctively because it is all of their lived experience. They all (mostly) learned the language of when to push and when to back off because they have areas themselves that they don’t want to be asked about. Though they don’t use therapy speak, and though the way they deal with it often ranges from unorthodox to downright problematic, they have an understanding of the weight of what they’re working around. 
Lucas Johnson does not come from this world. He does not have this understanding– it is likely that the first time he was afraid in his own house was when Grayson came home. Now, compared to how gently and tactfully some of the other Trojans handle Jean, like Jeremy, Cat, and Laila, or even Cody and Xavier knowing to back off about Jean’s scars; Lucas isn’t doing so great. He could have been better. There are a few things to consider though. 
One: None of Jeremy, Cat, Laila, Cody or Xavier have as much of a personal stake in this situation as Lucas does. For them, it's an issue between two teammates, not the brother they’re slowly realizing they don’t know anymore. 
Two: There’s been two instances of drama mentioned, one being whatever Cat’s freshman year drama was, and two being whatever Jeremy’s banquet situation is. So the floozies might actually have a little more of a clue about how to deal with difficult situations. 
Three: Lucas is also undergoing trauma. He had the shit beat out of him by the brother he so desperately wanted back. He’s realizing the brother he loved may actually be dead. That is traumatic and painful and does not make someone act like their best self. 
All of this to say– he goes about the situation in a really indelicate, inexperienced way, makes some really bad judgment calls, and I think that makes a ton of sense! 
ANYWAYS. God. 
The reason I think Lucas ties in really well with one of the main messages of TSC is how he reacts as he finds out more and more about Grayson. In his final conversation with Jean, he is grieving, afraid, and in shock, but he is willing to accept that Grayson is not the man he knew anymore– that Grayson turned into something horrific. 
Lucas, upon realizing this new information, doesn’t cling onto his old world view. He doesn’t try to find ways to spin it to keep his brother in the right and Jean in the wrong. He faces the evidence in front of him, and makes an effort to realign his perspective with what he now understands the truth to be. Put a pin in that for a second. 
One of the messages of TSC seems to be that to look away when you know something malignant is going on is an act of violence. 
Jeremy is the one who outright says it, I will not look away, but that sentiment is echoed in the actions of so many characters. Cat and Laila’s continued rejection of Jean’s scrimmages excuse for his injuries. Neil looking for more than a second at the state Jean was in after Grayson’s attack and realizing something was wrong. Lisinski not brushing off Jean’s reaction to the water and banning him from swimming, to keep him from doing it anyway. Xavier, Cat and Cody’s reactions to Jean's scars. Over and over again we see people refuse to look away. 
Think about the Nest, about the sexual assaults Jean’s freshman year. The backliners who assaulted him all knew Riko put them up to it, but none of them ever said it outright. This implies that everyone outside of the backline doesn’t know. Jean caused a stir because of his age and how quickly he changed partners– which means the Ravens knew he was sixteen. The Ravens, though they are psychologically screwed now, came from normal lives. Even though they didn’t know about Riko’s involvement, at least a few likely understood the concept of statutory rape. We know Thea at least saw what was going on, we know Zane KNEW about the assaults, Kevin apparently understands ‘half the truth’; either way, at a certain point, metaphorically or literally, they all turned away from the truth. 
This extends to Riko’s abuse of Jean and Kevin, too. Jean mentions that he and Kevin went to great lengths to hide what Riko was doing to them from the Ravens. But, given the level of forced proximity on the team, I think that even with these layers of secrets, it isn’t insane to think that the Ravens likely saw clues. They apparently knew Riko was violent. They know Tetsuji is, so really, how big of a stretch would it be? In Lazarus, Renee notices that Zane sounds hesitant when he says that Jean was with Riko, which implies that he does have a clue what's going on in that sense.
I don’t say all of this under the impression that the Ravens could have stood up to Riko or Tetsuji, or put a stop to much of it. I say this to point out the significance of the truth, and acknowledging or avoiding it. 
The point is– for these lies to work, for the story to hold, everyone around them had to reach a point of Looking Away. 
Looking away from someone in distress and accepting the simple narrative is easy, but the right thing is always to not look away. To keep looking until you see the whole picture, because the person you’re looking at is worth it. Even if it can change nothing, the truth matters.
To me, Lucas does this! When you think about it from his POV, he has SO MUCH MORE of a reason to believe Grayson. He was a reason to want Grayson’s version to be true. If Grayson is telling the truth, then Jean is a whore and an asshole and maybe, just maybe, Lucas can still have his brother back. Sure, Grayson’s hurt him, but that could just be stress and Raven related trauma. Not acknowledging that Grayson has crossed irredeemable lines leaves the door open for Lucas to keep the version of his brother that he dearly loves and misses. It would be easier for him to double down, to deny and defend. To buy the easy, common story  And yet he doesn’t. He questions and starts to see his brother differently- he BELIEVES that his brother could be different than the man who left four years ago. He does not blind himself to the things he's seeing and hearing in favor of holding onto some false, memory version of Grayson. To me, that takes an immense strength of character, and a commitment to what is right.  And that is why Lucas was one of my favorite
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clairedaring · 6 months ago
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more my stand-in thoughts and other ramblings about joe/zhou xiang best boi
!!!!!!!!!!! POSSIBLE NOVEL SPOILERS WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!
as my stand-in begins to air, even though we're only two episodes in, the series itself has already established very clearly and explicitly that ming is a HUGE RED FLAG and he's not... the nicest guy.
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and as we are told by the narration of joe, this time he had with ming was not a dream as he had though but rather a nightmare and that it was ming who led joe to his death (literal translation of his last line in ep 1, iqiyi engsub you lack accuracy i hate you).
and while i am just one among the joe's protection squad, i feel like i don't share this overwhelming opinion i've been seeing of people thinking joe 2.0 should pull a 180 change or to be as bad as ming or to become some kind of monster and take his revenge on everyone who's ever hurt him as if this is some makjang kdrama.
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i once wrote a bit about my thoughts on why joe/zhou xiang is such a compelling protagonist and what separates him from other 188 novels' main characters. but since that piece was written before my stand-in had aired and i think the characterization of joe has been slightly changed in comparison to the novel, so i want to take this chance to elaborate a bit more on my point in that post as well as update it to fit with the series version of zhou xiang.
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so, like i've mentioned,one of the traits i love most about joe/zx is this inherent kind-hearted nature of his and i think the series has not only just done well in this aspect, but also greatly amped up this quality in the series portrayal of zhou xiang.
you can seeeeee it through joe's acts of services for this STRANGER he had just met. be it offering ming a ride to the BTS station or cooking for ming even though they didn't fuck.
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however, i do agree with my friend @dragonsandphoenix's observation that with the series, since they're trying to speed through joe 1.0 and ming's relationship, the series has joe falling much quicker (literally him using the L word on ep 2 pls joe) than zhou xiang did, considering it took mingjoe only 2 ep before they started their period of domestic life and yanzhou 17 chapters to do the same thing.
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i feel like this specific adaptation change in regards to characterization can cause audience to be even more protective of joe than novel readers already were of zhou xiang. one of my biggest fears for this adaptation (i say one of bc novel readers would already know my biggest fear of one specific scene) has always been the doormat allegations against joe. but like i've also said before, it's that specific trait that 'joe has the ability to fight back but he simply won't because he refuses to hurt others and his soft heart has him in pain whenever he sees others hurt' about him that i hold so dear. even in the series, we know joe has the physical capability of taking sol down... and the man did give sol a deck to his neck making him passed out.
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... but it's also the same joe who would take care of sol after accidentally decking him.
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did anyone watch ep 2 started counting how many times JOE apologizes in this episode... literally in the car scene, he said sorry to ming TWICE because he was scared he had hurt ming's feelings for his assumptions (right ones at that). or when the hot water dripped from the lid of the pot, joe immediately said sorry and checked to see if ming was hurt.
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whether it is in the novel or the series, joe/zhou xiang is just really the type to sacrifice himself for the sake of others, he's never been able to put himself first and puts others' feelings above his (⁠っ⁠˘̩⁠╭⁠╮⁠˘̩⁠)⁠っ
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which is why i was pleasantly surprised reading professional body double. because one would generally assume that after all the miseries thrown his way, he would become a bitter person, full of grudge and resentment against people who had hurt him, but he doesn't. that just isn't who joe is.
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while joe's bad experience in his 1.0 life does change how he navigates his social life and the relations he has around him, it doesn't change the inherent kind hearted nature nor the optimistic outlook on life he once had. i love that for joe in his 2.0 life because his first and foremost goal was to restart a life happily and we gradually got this journey of self-respect and joe 2.0 finally being able to put himself first and fight for the things/people he love.
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while there are obviously bad consequences to the "antagonists", i like that it has never been the direct result of joe 2.0 actions but it's more karmic. although i'm very open and would glad to see the antagonists getting even worse consequences than what happened in the novel (which i think was pretty mild) i think i'd rather be interested to see more of series!joe being happy and successful (big emphasis on successful because if i don't see joe with his 20+ blockbusters he deserve i'm suing for emotional damage)
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in regards to the wife chasing arc in the second half of the series, i think this part will be rather controversial since there are diverse opinions on how audience want the wife chasing arc to be executed, or from joe 2.0's perspective: his responses/actions to being chased by ming again. and trust me, i do want to see ming grovelling in pain and suffer just as much as the next joe's protector. but at the same time for me it'd just be... ooc of joe to intentionally and/or maliciously inflict pain on ming. granted i do have some qualms as to ming's chasing method that i hope the series will adjust, i do think that zhou xiang's approach to being chased by yan ming xiu was rather sufficient without the need to give zhou xiang a 180 personality change, so i really hope that doesn't change.
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all in all, while it's probably quite early to tell how the second half will progress and whether it does/doesn't diverge from his journey in the second half, i just think it was very in character for zhou xiang to make the decisions he does in the novel in his second life (except for one noble idiocy move that lasted like a day) and hopefully joe 2.0 also does in my stand-in for his new life. *sighs* joe is just truly best boi... i love him... look at he... that's my baby angel (づ ̄3 ̄)づ╭❤️~
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miss0atae · 6 days ago
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Random Thoughts about High School Frenemy (EP 7 – 8): Reconnecting and healing.
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Wow so much happened in those two episodes, I don't even know where to start. I regret a little a bit wanting to do my random thoughts of two episodes at the same time, but I will try my best to highlight what I liked about those episodes. So the school was really set on expelling Shin because of the fight and mostly because they needed a scapegoat. They think they are doing to end the school bad blood and the violence, but their attempt feels meaningless. Of course, they seem to be incapable of imagining any good solution and we can only rely on Jan and Sung to have empathy for the students of Class 2. Unfortunately for Class 2 students, they are poorly regarded and even if they do nothing, most of the school staff still believe they are doing something wrong. Of course, Saint wants to save Shin, but the feud they have is getting in between. Saint confessed about what he did to Shin and make a deal with him: he will stop going to school and lose the chance to be around him. The idea is that Saint would lose the most important thing in his life, just like he did to Saint when he stole his dream by hurting him. Some of his classmate and the two main teachers of Class 2 did their best to make Saint change his mind, but only Shin could do it. They are not friends again, but they are on the path of healing.
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I think the story is really compelling and it set a very difficult question to answer: can you forgive someone who hurt you and can you both reconnect after? From episode 1 to episode 6, we've seen how Saint regretted what he did to Shin and apologize profusely. His attempts were never well-received by Shin who claimed that they weren't friends anymore and that he hated him. We knew something bad happen, but we never really understood how it could have happened. When you see how Saint is around Shin, you can't understand why he would hurt him. The way he talks about their relationship, the love he has for him and all his behavior were showing how much important it was for him to be a friend of Shin. I have to admit (and I didn't watch the OG version) I thought maybe it was a misunderstanding and Saint had a "good" reason… Why would he suddenly become angry at Shin and hurt him to the point of breaking his legs and robbing him of his bright future as a professional football player, if the reason wasn't good? It was Shin's dream and Saint has always acted like what Shin wants is the most important thing and he should get it. Unfortunately, his reason was so dumb and so stupid. Shin wanted to leave the gang and Saint couldn't accept it and he hurt him just to prove a point. So disappointing. Everyone can understand why Saint is so resentful to Shin.
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Saint was too proud of his “Tsunami” persona and he felt like Shin was leaving him and not just the gang. He hurt Shin and then he disappeared from his life. Who would want to be friend with someone who hurt them?! I've read some reviews of other viewers and many of them seem to think that you can't go back from this situation. Even if Saint is really remorseful, Shin has every right to reject him. However, there is something that Shin must free himself from and that's the pain and hurt he still has from this. It was a very traumatic event: losing his dream and also losing his best friend at the same time. This kid needs therapy, but instead everything keeps reminded him of this incident: his mother's attitude, the fact he took for himself the nickname “Tsunami”, the fights with Udon Phithak campus, Jeng's gang and of course, Saint's actions too. He never had the chance to heal from what happened. The resentment, bitterness, and sometimes pure rage are slowly eating him up. I guess that's why he didn't really care about being expelled. What does it matter, when you can't seem to free yourself from emotions that consume you, slowly, until you are nothing but the memory of your overwhelming, righteous fury.
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I still think forgiving is the best option for Shin. Of course, he will always remember what happened and that will be a way of setting clear boundaries. At the end of episode 8, Shin seems to have taken this decision to let go of the rage and determine what he needs. It's different for everyone. Sometimes the answer is to walk away, but in Shin's case, it seems that HE wants to keep Saint around him. Maybe we wouldn't do this, if we were in the same situation, but it's not so weird that you would want to keep someone around you, even if they hurt you in the past. You just need to determine what are your needs and when you find them, you can start healing and forgiving. I think most people around Saint don't understand clearly what happened and can't imagine themselves in his shoes. His classmates, even if they had the best intentions in mind, they weren't really understanding. Especially Peeta: I think it was a bit tactless what she said to Shin. He isn't sulking, he is hurting and that's not the same thing. What Shin needs is to accept that what happened, happened. Then, he can choose to find at least some understanding for Saint's actions, and then decide if it's in his best interest to let it go and move on. I think he already made his mind and even if we wouldn't do it ourselves, it doesn't mean it's a bad choice. It's his choice! Finally, Shin can make a choice and not go through the choice that someone made for him.
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As for Saint, his hurt was co-dependent of what Shin would choose. Saint's remorse are true, but he needed to let Shin's put the boundaries he needs after what happened. It won't be easy for them to reconnect because the relationship will never be the same as it was. He will also have to accept that sometimes the memories of this event will resurface. It's inevitable. Over the time, it will be easier for Shin to deal with them, but Saint must accept it. At least, at the end of episode 8, they are on the path of healing. Both of them, needed it. Even if what Saint's did was terrible, I felt empathy for him. I wonder if the fact that he choose to disappear from Shin's life after the incident was because he already felt guilty and was avoiding him as a way of punishing himself. I think I'm not so far from the truth because when Saint and Shin were locked in the gym Shin said something like: “You gave up on me a long time ago”. Now that Shin has decided to start on healing from what Saint did to him three years ago, Saint only has to accept the boundaries he is setting. As for now, Shin doesn't see Saint as his friend, but just as his classmate and Saint has accepted it. He wants to be what Shin wants. Saint will only heal if Shin is also healing. Otherwise, he won't be able to do it. His guilt is too deep. I also think he would need a great therapy.
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So is it possible to reconnect with a friend who hurt you? I don't know if there is a good answer. We are all so different, but Shin and Saint, they maybe are able to reconnect. We'll see how they are going to make it. As for me, I want to believe they will be friends again. This work they are going to do on their relationship will make them grow as a person and perhaps find a deeper meaning in the relationship itself.
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misc-obeyme · 1 year ago
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different anon here but i really liked the brothers hc where mc goes to check out the noise instead and i'd love to see a dateables version? thank you!!
Hi there, anon!
Okay, here are the dateables (and Luke), though I feel I must apologize to my own true love Barbatos but I honestly felt like this was the only scenario in which he'd let MC go deal with the noise without him lol. Also there's a reference to this original headcanon I did in Simeon's part, though you don't need to read it for it to make sense or anything.
I also tried to keep their locations vague so that you could imagine Simeon, Solomon, and Luke being in either Purgatory Hall or Cocytus Hall/House of Lamentation.
Thank you for the request!
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the dateables (and Luke) react to GN!MC going to investigate a strange noise in the night
Warnings: sharing beds with the dateables, but nothing sexual, mostly just cuddles and some kisses (except Luke which is all platonic of course)
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Diavolo
Doesn't want to disturb you, but he's sitting up immediately upon hearing a strange noise. He's not afraid or anything, his concern is all for you. He's considering going to check it out when you wake up and hear it too. He's going to tell you it's probably nothing and that you shouldn't worry about it. But you can see that he's uncertain even if he tries to hide it. Tell him to stay put and that you're going to check it out.
Protests. Really, MC, it's most certainly nothing. Please don't go out into the dark castle. You might get lost! Reassure him that you've spent enough time in the castle with him to know your way around by now. You're aware that this is just an excuse. He doesn't want you to go because he's nervous about you leaving him.
He's going to try to talk you out of it as long as you're in the room, but he won't follow you. You told him to stay and for some reason, he's compelled to do as you say. Once you're gone, he's out of bed, wandering around the room and arguing with himself about whether or not he should go after you.
The second you're back, he's got you in his arms. Tries to brush it off like he was just afraid for himself, not that he was nervous about you! Diavolo knows you can handle yourself. And he's not at all surprised when you tell him it was nothing. He's going to pull you back into bed where he holds you against his chest for the rest of the night.
Barbatos
He hears the noise, but he doesn't stir. He's awake now, though, and his stiffness wakes you up, too. Now that you hear the noise, you ask him about it. He tells you right away that he's sure it's nothing. The castle is large, after all. There are plenty of things that could make such noises. You point out that this noise has… a sort of… scurrying quality to it…
Now he's upset. He was trying to convince himself that it wasn't rats, MC. How could you do this to him? Tell him to stay in his room and that you'll go check it out. He's embarrassed. He's blushing full force, might even be covering his face with his hands. Can't believe he's this nervous about the potential of rats that you have to venture out into the darkness alone.
Waits in the room like you ask him to, but he's not happy about it. It isn't that Barbatos thinks you can't handle some rats. It's that he's actually letting you take care of it instead of doing it himself. Beats himself up the entire time you're gone. Thinks he's a disgrace of a butler. There shouldn't be rats in his domain in the first place. He was so careful to keep everything spotless in order to prevent this exact scenario.
When you get back, tell him there weren't any rats. Even if there were rats and you took care of them with your magic, lie to him. He'll know you're lying, but he also recognizes that you're trying to make him feel better, so he won't call you out on it. If you're not lying and there really weren't any rats, he'll be so relieved. Either way, he's going to pull you back into bed and curl around you tightly. He just wants to forget this entire ordeal.
Simeon
Wakes up when he hears the noise, but doesn't move at first. You're sleeping soundly in his arms and he doesn't want to wake you up. Tries to ignore it at first. Takes the opportunity to watch your sleeping face, gently stroking your hair. But then the noise is back and he can't just leave it be. Tries to remove himself from you without waking you up. Almost succeeds, but trips on the blanket at the last second and the resulting thud jolts you awake.
Ask him what he's doing on the floor. He's going to get out the bat that's under the bed. There's something out there, MC. He's going to check it out. You hear the noise then, too. Take the bat from him and push him back onto the bed. Tell him you've got this. He's going to be surprised for a moment before smiling and doing exactly as you ask.
He's not worried about you while he waits. He knows what you're capable of. He was certainly prepared to go deal with it himself, but he trusts you to handle it just as well as he can. Plus, you have the bat so there's really nothing to be concerned about.
Put the bat back in its spot under the bed when you return. Simeon is waiting for you with open arms. Wants to know if you found anything. Listens intently to everything you have to say. If you found one or more of his roommates out there making noise and threatened them with the bat, he's going to laugh just imagining it. Tucks you into himself, resting his head against the top of yours, content to drift back into slumber knowing you're beside him.
Solomon
Hears the noise, but doesn't react. He's a sorcerer. Anywhere he spends the night has all kinds of spells protecting it. Anything that might be making some noise is probably nothing, but if it is something, it doesn't stand a chance. If the sound wakes you up, though, he'll offer to go check it out himself. Tell him that you've got it and he's going to frown about it. You don't need to leave him when he knows you're safe here.
If you go anyway, he's going to follow you. Absolutely does not listen to you if you tell him to stay in his room. He won't do it. Point out that he knows better than anyone that you can handle yourself. Now he's conflicted. You're right, of course. He does know what you're capable of. But he also feels the need to protect you. And in the end, that instinct wins out.
It turns out that it's a good thing he came with you. You find a terrible monstrosity in the kitchen. The refrigerator door is open, revealing the pot full of… soup?… that seems to have spawned this thing. This is his fault, so you get to make him clean it up while you deal with this odd creature that's flumping around the place and making a racket.
He's amused. Laughs lightly while following you back to his room. That was certainly an experience! But you took care of everything masterfully, MC. He's sorry he ever doubted you. Tell Solomon to get back into bed with you and this time he'll listen. Gets a little serious as he pulls you into his arms and kisses the top of your head. He hopes you know that he has complete faith in you and your abilities. But he feels better now that you're back in his arms.
Luke
The second he hears the noise, he's awake. He's going to wake you up, too, because isn't it better if you're aware of the potential threat? MC, do you hear that!? If you're not sleeping in the same room as him, he'll go find you just to wake you up. He's nervous about that noise! Either way, reassure him that you'll take care of it. Tell him to stay in the room while you go check it out.
Luke will listen to you. Absolutely doesn't follow you, but he's incredibly anxious about you while you're gone. Sits and wrings his hands for a while. Gets up like he's going to go after you, but stops at the door and goes back. Hums nervously to himself for a little bit.
Come back quickly, he's really getting antsy! When you do get back, he's at your side in an instant, wanting to know that you're okay. Wants to know all about it. Tell him what you found, but it was probably nothing. If it was someone specific, he'll be sure to scold them for making so much noise tomorrow.
Get him to go back to bed. Might have a hard time calming down, so you'll have to do something to help him out. You might let him snuggle against you while you tell him a story or maybe sing him a soft song. He's going to be out like a light pretty quickly. He feels safe as long as you're near.
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masterlist | part 1 with the brothers | Thank you for reading!
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that-spider-fan-over-there · 4 months ago
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BNHA 428: This chapter made me annoyed and yet it was still somewhat better than I expected?
Himichako. I like it, it's a good ship- not one I'm crazy about, but the vision is compelling. I mean, the loved girl on hard times who admires honesty but represses her feelings + hunger motifs, and the formerly wealthy and rejected girl who's honest to herself but masks her sadness from others + drinking motifs? Being so similar at their core from selfishness, bleeding love, admiration and imitation? Yeah, why not, sign me up, it looks fun.
(plus Ochako needed a subplot that would shy away from Izuku because oh boi her writing is messy-)
Then the ending annoucement happened and I immediately went "oh no" when I remembered that tidbit. But. Yesterday, I remembered this page from 424, which in hindsight makes sense:
Shoto moving forward and choosing to not dwell on his past anymore, because he wants to know the man he wants to become alongside his family of choice.
Spinner feeling so much grief for Tomura inside his room, his extra Quirks add up to it. Further gut points as it was all because of AFO, but the wrong person is getting the blame.
Ochako looking lost and dissatisfied, not really saying anything about Himiko's status; then her hidden injury which left a scar that'll never go away, nothing can change that.
And then, well, a sky with a chance to fight for a "bright future". Which is the most ambiguous you can get for anything, really, sequel or not.
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(sidenote: is it me or the panel where she's touching her stab wound looks like a tangent line?)
Okay so, I went into the chapter, with Pikahlua's translations. It was A Chapter alright-
If it wasn't the antepenultimate chapter, the "filler" would've been welcomed. But I guess it means we should focus on the smaller details, I guess? Like that 1st year saying Izuku filled him with courage and Izuku immediately thinking of Spinner's pain? Yeah he hates himself and that people call him a hero, when he considers himself a murderer, and will never forgive himself for failing Tenko, therapy for him and everyone in Class 2-A please- yeah it was a fun detail. Also the throb of hiding your pain of "defeating" someone you wanted to save but in the end everything is miserable but everyone else is happy and you don't wanna be a bother. Fun.
Also I wasn't the one to point the out, but looking at the uniform (U.A. uniform blazer for boys + the tie with a dot for girls), the student who's a Izuku fan is probably trans/gnc, which I appreciate a lot :D (Damn Izuku attracts so many queer people I wonder if that's a sign- /hj)
Also, I guess Class A stating "[Bakugou], Midoriya and Todoroki were at the heart of it all" then focusing on Ochako is good foreshadowing on how her own battle wasn't fully recorded? It's like saying in the end her fight didn't matter, but the other ones went "well", so she's trying (and slowly failing) to keep her sadness at bay because, well, everyone's happy, so who cares? Another "throb".
I thought since the Todoroki family issues are out in the open, didn't they record the whole thing? Then I re-read it, they only saw the family stopping Touya from exploding. So they didn't see Shoto trying to talk to Touya, which means none of the LoV were humanized. Fuck's sake.
After that, I get focusing on the first years and civilians wanting to help and all, but it feels like a repeat of everything seconds before Jakku, so I assume it's a way for them to pretend things are normal? But not-quite-quoting Katsuki (<- which I will point out for my sake is very much alive and well and- oh boi LFtR will kill me) and Edgeshot here because it made me smile:
"Will you...go back to the way you were?" "I plan to attain something greater than what I was originally!"
So, yeah I suppose he'll be fine eventually. (Best J. really loving Edgeshot even as a worm, honestly, goals)
Again with Izuku remembering saying "[He'll] bring it all back" and apologizing for "not keeping his promise" and others telling him to not blame himself and they can reconstruct as many times as it takes. Again, gave me a little smile, but not for long-
Finally, Ochako pretending things are fine. Hello there, Sports Festival/Provisional License!Ochako I missed you- /hj (I miss the dorms era in general, actually.)
So... *sigh* Full disclosure: I wasn't looking forward to Himichako as we were getting 5/10 pages for the "conclusions" in the previous two, I thought Ochako would be off about Himiko being depressed about the League. But since she's MIA, red flags are now red herrings, and it's better than the dead outcome. If Ochako got another person dying in her arms that'd just break her character.
A blood transfusion takes hours, she couldn't been doing that for more than 20min, if it was gonna kill anyone it'd be Ochako. Either Himiko ran away or got arrested, and Ochako feels guilty because she doesn't know if she's dead or not. Not great, but until I see a corpse she ain't dead. Besides: Touya, Shoto, Edgeshot, Katsuki, Toshinori, Ochako herself, all physically hurt unlike her, and yet they live.
And then we have Izuku showing up. I'm upset he used OFA embers for this, but eh, it's Izuku, do I expect anything else?
Rolling with the assumption Himiko died (like our POV characters), Izuku would need to face his own failure in Ochako- Failed to save two people like she failed Himiko, but it'd be so. Empty. Ochako was true to herself, while Izuku gave nothing but "I want to save that crying kid" while fighting Tenko. The most they can do is bond with "failing" and "this isn't what we fought for". This is not really a moment where he can be a shoulder to cry on, it'd come across as hypocritical /neg.
The only way it could make sense it without being shallow on Mr. Control = Repress Your Heart's part (as he didn't open up to the two people who died in "his watch") is Ochako telling how Himiko loved yet seeing him repressing this part of his is idiotic? She likes people who are true to themselves, which Izuku hasn't been for ages, leading to him realizing something. I thought it'd be through a DvsK3 but. I'll take it, two chapters left, I just want his thoughts (and for them to talk but that can happen in the last one).
They only recorded Shoto stopping Touya from being a suicidal bomb, Ochako floating a bunch of Twice!Himiko clones and Izuku entering a coccon, popping out armless, getting them back, punching Tenko to death. The "I want to save [them]" wasn't registered, it makes sense they're (well, Izuku and Ochako mostly) weirded out about this, dissatisfied like most readers are (sidenote: why when it comes to the trio either Ochako or Shoto get sidelined? So much could tie their stories together and yet-)
It's still a tough pill. I'm not a villain stan, just wondering if those fights were for nothing- the humanity of Tenko and Himiko? Can't be proved for anyone else, since they weren't recorded.
And I don't know if anyone saw the same thing, but those "city lights" look like the bubbles from Ochako's awakening, maybe we'll get a Blackwhip or Entrance Exam callback? Maybe it's what the tagline meant by "hidden feelings", since she unlocked it to reach Himiko and doesn't think anyone would understand why. I hope it's just a nice visual though.
If Himiko is truly dead though... You know, I headcannoned the characters were telling the story through confessionals/recordings to register it to the world so they'd learn from that, but I guess the interviews Aizawa was talking about seemed more likely, which. Well it's something, but I thought it'd be everyone instead of just Class A. Idk. The idea the LoV didn't change anything, or that they did change things but don't get to see it, is bitter.
So uh. Yeah, those are my thoughts. I'm not sure how to feel about it, on one hand I want Izuku to finally open up but on the other, it feels like it'll be at Himiko and Ochako's expense by involving him in something that's theirs now. And there's a chance we'll get the "nothing is fine" from Ochako- god I'm fearing the discourse next week already :DDDD
... Man, and this is a bad timing to be in the fandom, considering the LFtR episode airs this Saturday (which will be yesterday by the time this post goes up and I'll be crying about that instead-), so uh. Yeah, this fandom will be emotionally devastated for two reasons XD
Okay, so I'll try ending this on a more optimistic note: I think Himiko is alive, and Ochako just doesn't know it, which is why we're getting 0 confirmation and a breakdown. Izuku's confrontation with her can make or break this plot, but as long as 1) we acknowledge the emotional, different stakes between the Himichako fight and Tenko vs. Izuku one and 2) it doesn't end in a confession (and let's be real, it won't), then we're probably good (sadly, if you disregard the LoV status). I still think it's an ass pull for the camera battery to go out though.
But no matter how this goes: C'mon, two chapters left now, this one was wasted on the first years, smh, let this sequel hopium be a reality I wanna know who's the 425 guy, not the poor first year who's gonna replace Shindo Yo in fanfics- /hj
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asaka-lucy-dr-rc · 4 months ago
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Hello Asaka! :))
This first part isn’t really a question, and I apologize for rambling in your inbox unprompted, but I saw you talking about the Nagito Komaeda wiki and I just wanted to complain a little about it. I feel like the English Nagito wiki doesn’t actually do a good job at representing a good or universal interpretation for his character. It makes me cringe and frown a lot, I don’t like how it says “he’s a revealed to be a psychopath,” either it’s misunderstanding what the definition of a psychopath is and feels very harmful!
As for what the topic was actually about, from what I’ve heard about “English fandom versus Japanese fandom,” it seems like Japanese fandom more commonly will say make sure to say things are implied, while the English fandom will take things as fact when they are implied? I think that’s really fascinating, I don’t know Japanese though and can’t confirm if that’s actually the case it’s just what I’ve heard. Is that actually a true difference between the different fandoms or am I misunderstanding? I’d love to know what you think the main differences between Japanese and English fandoms are from your perspective!
This statement is more so rambling again and not as much of a question, but my interpretation is that I think Nagito was lying about lying when he talked about his illnesses, I think since we know his parents actually died he would have no reason to make up the illness. One of his songs written by Megumi Ogata also has themes of how his life is fleeting, I think if his illness is real his story is more compelling overall :D!
Sorry I rambled in my ask many times, but my main points are I’m asking what you think the differences between English and Japanese fandom are and I would take what the English fandom wikipedia page says with a little skepticism since it’s not the most reliable all the time!
Hi, Zen! :D I am a little relieved to see your message, because there are actually some statements in the Danganronpa fandom wiki that seem too assuming(judgemental?) to me. (Not only the page about Nagito!) The wiki has been very useful for checking the lines of each character and the differences between the Japanese and English versions, and there is information that I think is reliable, so I know it is only some of the contributors who make assuming statements, but... to be honest, there are times when I wish they would write a little more fairly and carefully.
As for the differences between English and Japanese fandom, I think your understanding is correct! For example, in terms of wiki writing, the Nagito wiki has the following statement:
In his final free-time event, Nagito claims to have Frontotemporal Dementia, a neurodegenerative disease that affects their personality and social cognition and thus may account for some of his strange behavior. He claims he was lying immediately afterward and it is unknown whether this was a lie or not. Nevertheless, it is clear that he has some type of psychological disorder.
I don't think a JP fandom wiki would have the statements like the followings: - that affects their personality and social cognition and thus may account for some of his strange behavior. - Nevertheless, it is clear that he has some type of psychological disorder. These two sound like very personal interpretations, and if I wrote something like this on a JP wiki, I think it would be deleted. While JP fandom makes it clear that things are just being implied or possible, or that someone is considering such things, I feel that EN fandom statements often end with a conclusion as to what the truth is. I wonder if this is an effect of the English language itself (the way it should be written in English), but the JP wiki usually ends with a vague conclusion when the fact is unclear!
This is a bit off topic, but some JP fandom wikis on Danganronpa characters still take care of spoilers. For example, when searching for a character's name on Google in Japanese, Pixiv's wiki is always the first result, but the Izuru Kamukura wiki does not mention that Izuru and Hajime are the same person (at least physically), even though it has a warning that "This page contains important spoilers related to the core of the story"! I feel that now that Danganronpa 3 has been aired on TV, that fact should be written already, but they still took care of that spoiler, and I was impressed by that when I looked at that wiki last year after a long time. XD By the way, there is another wiki for describing personal thoughts or opinions. It is called the 考察wiki (Roman: kousatsu wiki/ EN: thoughts or discussion wiki): https://w.atwiki.jp/dangan2nazo/
In conclusion, I think JP fans tend to be more cautious about wikis, and when they want to write their thoughts, they create other wikis to make it clear that it is just based on their observation. However, because of this, the JP fandom wiki tends to have less information than the EN fandom wiki. Even I, a Japanese fan who can find official information more easily than other language speakers, often find the English fandom wiki very useful! 😄 lol The EN fandom wiki is great in the sense that a lot of information can be found in one place, but I feel that there is a mix of unreliable information, so it would be nice if that could be improved. :)
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Before I mention Nagito's illness, I would like to tell you that I did not know that the lyrics of his character songs were written by Megumi Ogata until I saw your message. WHY DID I NOT KNOW THAT!? I even listened to some of the Dangan Radio she hosts! 😂 (Well, she didn't want to talk about the fact that she wrote the lyrics, since she even changed her name as a lyricist?)
Anyway, I find it interesting and convincing why you think his illness is real! :D I wasn't sure if I should write it in the answer to the question that started this thread, and I ended up leaving it out, but just in case anyone is curious, I will write how much of his illness is true and how much is unknown:
He made the following statement at the last free time event: Original: "余命は半年から1年… でも、そう診断された直後に希望ヶ峰学園の入学が決まった…" English: "My life expectancy is between half a year to a year... But right after I was diagnosed, I was accepted into Hope's Peak Academy..."
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If his life expectancy is as he said, he should have died about halfway through the Despair Arc of Danganronpa 3. Incidentally, the school trip (in the Neo World Program) of Danganronpa 2 took place more than 3.5 years after Class 77 enrolled Hope's Peak Academy, so he outlived his class by about 2.5 years.
Q. How do you know that the school trip took place 3.5 years after Class 77 enrolled? A. Because in Danganronpa THH's final trial, Junko tells Class 78 that you guys were killing each other with your friends who had been good friends for 2 years, which means that at least THH's killing game took place 3 years after Class 77 enrolled. (Since they enrolled a year before Class 78.) Komaru mentioned in Danganronpa Another Episode that she had been locked up for 1.5 years, and since that lock-up should have started around the same time that Class 77 decided to live only within the Academy, even if the school trip took place shortly after the story of DRAE, it would be 3.5 years after Class 77's enrollment. If you want to know more, here's a detailed chronology compiled by a JP fan that you might find useful (though it's in Japanese...):
Back to the main topic, there is no known reason why he lives longer than his life expectancy, and there are several theories among DR fans! The first two theories that divide the most are these:
Because the illness was a lie to begin with. (Either it was a lie made up by Nagito or the doctor misdiagnosed him.)
The illness was real, but for some reason he lived longer than his life expectancy.
Since the former ends there, we can delve deeper into the latter and come up with the following ideas:
The illness was real, but fortunately cured.
The illness is real and it's not cured, but fortunately it hasn't caused death yet. He is still struggling with an ongoing disease.
The name of the illness and the life expectancy were wrong, but that he has another ilness and it is not cured.
I think each of these would be interesting. In the first case, we could think that the Academy helped him cure his illness, or in the second and third cases, we could think that Hajime and the other Ultimates are taking care of him so that his illness does not progress to the point of death.
But honestly, I don't think it would be easy to live 2.5 years longer than his life expectancy with a fairly serious illness like the one he described, and since Despair Arc doesn't mention that he had surgery or something for treatment, I think it's a more obedient way to look at his statement as a lie. But I also think it would be more dramatic if his illness was real! XD
As for why he lied if I think he lied, I think it is very important to note that he was already prepared for death when he arrived on the island. (This was told in Nagito's ending in the island mode!) I guess he was worried about whether anyone would care even if he died, and he wanted to test that (to see how Hajime, the person he was most open with, would react to it). Some might not like the idea that Nagito lied, but in my opinion it was quite cute that he wanted to see Hajime's reaction like that. :)
Sorry that my answer has been so long! I've been thinking a lot after answering the ask, so I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about it. Thank you for asking! 💖🫶
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bengiyo · 5 months ago
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Don't Care for an Old Man's Underwear! Ep 3 Stray Thoughts
Thanks again to @isaksbestpillow for making this watch possible.
Last time, Makoto tried to bring empathy to work by being understanding that Haranishi didn't give up his day off for a work emergency, but failed. Later, he went with the young man to lunch and learned that he wears a bra because he enjoys the feeling of being held and supported that it gives him. Moe, the daughter, fell ill before Comica, and so Makoto went with Daichi to sell her books on her behalf. Makoto began to understand Moe a little bit more, and observed that passionate people who love something are strong. Meanwhile, Kakeru is still struggling to leave the house, and we learned that he's been struggling around other boys for a long time. We also saw Daichi with his boyfriend, something Makoto is also maybe not fully ready to accept.
I like this juxtaposition at the beginning of this episode where both guys are struggling with presentation. It gives me hope that they'll eventually connect in the future.
Mika and Moe ain't have to eat that man up like that lol
Kakeru is outside!
I'm obsessed with this show. Young gays should go on friend dates with older men more often. I had a blast with this in my 20s.
Daichi wants to be a veterinarian!
About $31 is appropriate for a gift I think if we're not trying to create a sense of debt.
Oh this is so compelling. Daichi wants to buy a gift to make a good impression on his closeted boyfriend's family if he ever gets to meet them.
Ah, I was wondering if Mika also worked. She's been staying home to take care of Kakeru.
Small steps for Kakeru.
What in the You Can't Fall on Love if You Ain't Clumsy is going on?
Now this is excellent. While finding a useful gift for Daichi, we spotted something Kakeru might like.
I love their conversations on this bench. Makoto wants to help Kakeru, and Daichi is able to offer perspective without betraying any of Kakeru's trust. As sad as it is, I'm glad to know that Daichi is choosing kindness in spite of the things he's suffered as well. Makoto remains so easy to understand in this series.
The dog's name is Carlos!!
I get Daichi. There are too many potential enemies. You'll burn yourself out.
Oh ho! We're going to meet Daichi's mom!
Aww, not Carlos ignoring him like Kakeru.
Mmm, he screwed up already.
I see where Daichi gets some of his nature. I like his mom a lot.
Mhmm, this is why I don't pick up strange animals.
I really like the concept of the public bath.
I appreciate what he's doing with this apology, and also glad that Daichi was stern about wanting his private life to be respected.
Look at Makoto figuring something out!
Aww, he stood on the side of traffic for his wife.
He went back for the wallet and said who it was for!
Oof. We're gonna have to force Kakeru back to school next episode.
Another excellent episode. I like how little of Moe we saw this week after focusing on her last week. I'm also enjoying the little bits of the relationship Mika has with Makoto. However he may be, she doesn't appear intimidated by him. Daichi's search for a gift touched me because I also try to be thoughtful despite the things I've been through. I think the moment in the bath was fantastic, because there's something to be said by saying what needs saying with all of the barriers removed.
I really wish more Japanese dramas were more easily accessed, because this is so good.
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ashleyfanfic · 6 months ago
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I have finished part 1 of season 3 of Bridgerton. Thoughts under the cut
So, I hesitate to really try to talk about everything that happened, so I’m just gonna concentrate on the Polin of it all.
First, let me say that Nicola and Luke should be fucking proud cause they killed it with Colin and Penelope. Especially Nicola able to convey so much heartbreak on her face. But then toss in Luke and the longing looks, the complete denial he found himself in, was just perfect. He did such a great job.
Second, Colin’s vehement hatred for Whistledown is gonna bite them in the ass. I mean, I get they had to change the reveal from how it happened in the books, but also… WHY!? Him finding her at St Bride’s church and confronting her and then the carriage ride all went together. Not that I didn’t love the carriage ride. I mean, I’ll get to that in a moment, but I did so love the reveal in the book. But also, Eloise knowing before Colin is gonna be a big fucking problem, it seems.
Third, we get it. Colin is a manwhore making his way through the brothels of England, and also a bit of a vouyuer if he pays. Lordy Jesus what is he gonna ask to watch Pen do??🥰🥰 dirty boy. But in all seriousness, between Benedict Anthony and Colin, those brothels are being kept up. Also, yall stay the fuck away from Gregory and don’t ruin that sweet little boy.
Fourth, Pen flirting with others in the ton was actually painful to watch. I have terrible second hand embarrassment. Actually sitting through it was nearly impossible. I had to up the timing on it so I could make it through. Kudos for Nicola for making that the most awkward shit I’ve seen in a long fucking time.
Fifth, Sir, that coat and open neck are sinful. But I approve. Carry on!
Sixth, that first kiss. Let’s talk about it. First, Colin bribed her maid to speak with her alone. Clever. The hopelessness that Penelope feels was so palpable. He felt wretched for her and I do think he feels a sense of responsibility for her, but also the need to try to rescue someone. And I think that’s what he sought out to do when she asked him to kiss her. However, it made him reevaluate EVERYTHING. He became awkward with her because of how it made him feel. She was embarrassed for asking, he was embarrassed because he liked it so much and it rocked his fucking world. It was really beautiful that it started out so tentative, but then the romance of it all caught up to them. And she, unbeknownst to her, left him wanting.
Seventh, dreaming about your friend now? Naughty dreams that were tamer than whatever you were doing in that brothel, but knocked you so completely in your ass Mister Bridgerton? Hmmm?
Eighth, the apology he gave her was actually really beautiful. Because it was honest and sincere. He hated he hurt her, he does value her, and she is his friend. Also, we see you with those fluttering lashes when you thought about Colin whispering in your ear at every ball. Well played. But honestly, after how hurt she was by what he said, it did take him off the pedestal she’d had him on. They were finally on even ground and not her looking up at him, theoretically speaking. She will have to give an equally compelling one when it’s revealed to him that she’s Lady Whistledown, especially since he proposed without knowing the truth. I only wish she hadn’t accepted without telling him first. My only really qualm with their love story.
Ninth, friends to lovers is a hard trope to pull off once one of the friends is in the friendzone. As they said, it’s hard to get off the wall once you’re on it. But I think they did a great job.
Tenth, Penelope reading Colin’s journal made it in and I’m so glad. She needed to see his temper a little. Part of him coming down from the pedestal is realizing that he’s not perfect and genteel all the time. Him cutting his hand and her tending to it, while also commenting on his writing was really a lovely scene. As was the moments before it.
Eleventh, the balloon scene. Colin staring at her while she was eating a pastry is unhinged. Mouth open and everything. But also, him realizing what was happening with the balloon because he’d been staring at Pen. And the swashbuckler ran to stop anything from happening. Pen then getting caught up staring, same girl same, and when she tried to run she fell. I felt that on an emotional level. I once fell out of bed because I got my foot caught in the opposite leg of my pajamas. We all clumsy out here. I know my ass would have face planted if I tried to run. But I liked all of it.
Twelfth, their meeting under the tree was super cute. Both fumbling with their words because the kiss did mean something despite what Penelope said. TBH, I would have had my maid check me for bugs after cause trees like those have them. Her paid was the MVP, honestly, that woman stayed so fucking far behind them I don’t know if she can say she was actually with them.
Thirteenth, it struck me that the advice Colin gave Penelope didn’t work because that’s really not who either of them are. They’re both weird little nerds who like to talk about the things that interest them even if no one else is interested.
Fourteenth, Colin chasing after Penelope twice as she left two different balls. The first time just shattered my heart. She had been hurt by the revelation, as she should have been, and then to have it rubbed in her face later was horrific. The realization on her face when she realized what everyone was talking about hurt my heart for her. She truly got a taste of her own medicine when she had to write an article about her own scandal. God he’s really gonna be pissed when he finds out she did that to both of them.
Fifteenth, I keep coming back to I wish she’d told him already about Whistledown. I fucking hope she doesn’t marry him without telling him. That would be hard to support. From the preview, I imagine Eloise won’t let that happen.
Sixteenth, Penelope’s new dresses were very lovely.
Seventeenth, I think I’m ready to talk about the carriage scene. Colin ran after her carriage and made it stop along the road so he could get in. Penelope was embarrassed and ashamed that her once chance to marry had slipped away. And Colin was so fucking relieved when she told him she wasn’t engaged to Debling. Also, Colin, you out here causing a doozy of a scandal by interrupting their dance. Like my dude! Carry on! And he did. I love that most of his confession was on his knees in front of her, making them eye level but also displaying his sincerity. I think that’s what’s so powerful about the scene. Luke did such a wonderful job conveying his desperation to make her understand and that he was genuine. She already knew she loved him, but thinking that he loved her had never crossed her mind. And that it was Penelope who finally revealed herself and her feelings for Colin to spark them into the spiciness.
Last, the spiciness. Admittedly, the dream was rather tame considering all their talk of spicy. The carriage ride was more Bridgerton. Penelope touching his hair LIKE WE ALL WANT TO. The caresses, the kisses. And who knew that a Pitbull song could be romantic!? I love when the carriage stopped him asking if the carriage could just keep going! The laughs, two friends who are used to sharing giggles together who now have more fun pursuits. But then the determination on his face when he climbed out of the carriage. He knew before he moved he was going to ask her to marry him. The fact that Penelope didn’t immediately say yes, tells me she was probably still a little distracted by getting finger banged inside a carriage. Completely understandable. God, I hope her mother doesn’t give her the sex talk. The fact that her sisters had NO IDEA what sex was… well, I hoped she learned her lesson. Draw pictures for your daughters, ladies. Or ask Agatha, to do so. We learned in Queen Charlotte she’s not bad at drawing. But I did really love this scene and how intimate and sexy it was.
Last minute things I had on my mind about the others: as much as I wanted to hate Cressida and Eloise’s friendship, I kind of like it and that they’re comfortable enough to call one another out on their bullshit. GUYS, UNLESS MICHAEL STERLING IS GONNA BE PLAYED BY MICHAEL B. JORDAN IM HIGHLH PISSED THAT HE’S NOT GONNA COME WITH A SCOTTISH ACCENT AND LOOK LIKE RICHARD FUCKING MADDEN. I’m serious. I mean, should they have saved Rege for that role? I’m nervous. Is the only reason that Lady Danbury dislikes her bro is because he’s a rake? Another season of Benedict wandering aimlessly through life and diddling some lady. Honestly, I would have been happier if he’d ended up with Madam Delacroix. Is it possible her name is actually Sophie?
All in all, not a bad first half.
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hotvintagepoll · 8 months ago
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Propaganda
Ann Sothern (A Letter to 3 Wives, The Blue Gardenia)_ Another unsung comedienne of the 30s and 40s, not enough people know about Ann Sothern. She was, along with her bestie Lucille Ball, originally a Goldwyn gal, but was soon a featured star in pictures. She even headlined a series of films, the Maisie movies. And though she was known for her comedies, but I fell in love with her after her dramatic role in A Letter to 3 Wives. I also absolutely love her in the noir murder mystery The Blue Gardenia. She was absolutely stunning, and I am always excited to find a movie of hers to watch. She's high on my list of "Why don't more people talk about her?" actresses
Ingrid Bergman (Gaslight, Casablanca, Notorious)—Where do I even begin with Ingrid Bergman? I fell in love with her with her astounding performance in the 1956 version of Anastasia -- the best Anastasia movie in large part due to her wonderful and touching performance. She's got this amazing, fascinating intensity to her in whatever role she's in. She commits 100%, and she's got this light in whatever she's in that's stunning. She's utterly convincing no matter what she plays, from an amnesiac possible lost princess, from a nun, from a woman taking her revenge on the town that wronged her, to light romantic comedy. She's never missed in any role I've seen her in! Also she became quite the MILF.
This is round 2 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.
[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]
Ann Sothern:
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She was so beautiful and had great comedic timing!
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Ingrid Bergman:
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God, she's fantastic. She's both beautiful and a compelling actor who's more than capable of putting the whole movie on her shoulders if necessary. It's worth noting that while her beauty is conventional, she was seen as refreshingly "natural" with more eyebrows and less makeup than many other leading ladies of the time. She's well known for her role in Casablanca, but in Notorious, Spellbound, (both available on archive.org ) and Gaslight (1944) she shows how immensely capable she is.
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I mean...she's Ingrid Bergman. I feel like that should be enough, you know? She's physically beautiful (her eyes!) but watching her is like a transcendent experience. Her voice, her expressions... beautiful woman, beautiful actor.
I'm a gay man but even I understand her appeal. I'll watch any movie she shows up in. Gorgeous woman.
Just try and watch her movies without sighing wistfully, then get back to me!
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Choosing 1-3 movies where Bergman was at her hottest was agony because, of course, she was always at her hottest. Not just because she was beautiful but because she was absolutely willing to go up against the bs women in Hollywood were constantly dealing with. When exiled from Hollywood for having an affair with Roberto Rossellini, not only did she refuse to apologize at any point, but she went on to say that Hollywood's films had grown stagnant and boring to her. Though she said she appreciated her time working there, she wanted to try new, different techniques (hence starring in Italian neorealist films, working on stage, and acting under directors like Ingmar Bergman). She was not afraid to chase after her artistic ideals and go outside the box regardless of what society had to say about it. From her first movie to her last she killed it. There's so much more to say about Bergman's career and life, but I've already written five million words so I'll stop at that.
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One of the most incredible actors I've ever seen on film. Her facial expressions are so intricate and poignant that I cannot look away. I'm either ace or straight, but damn she made me question that.
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SEVEN TIME OSCAR NOMINEE QUEEN. Girl also PULLED, having affairs with famously hot men Gary Cooper and Gregory Peck IN ADDITION to her three marriages...sexy
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She has a very natural beauty to her, and she's from Sweden!
She left Hollywood and only became more beautiful. You could drown in her eyes. She can look innocent AND like she's seen it all. She is effortlessly elegant. She's played Joan of Arc (automatically hot) AND was in the movie that coined gaslight as a term. And where would we be without that!
She was known for being a breath of fresh air on the movie scene at the time with her windswept hair, dreamy smile and soulful eyes. I have loved her in every movie I have seen her in - she was just magnetic!
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Where do I even start. There's a neighborly quality to this beautiful, talented actress that makes her hotness one of a kind and her looks impossible to forget
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With a career spanning five decades, Bergman is often regarded as one of the most influential screen figures in cinematic history. Known for her naturally luminous beauty, Bergman spoke five languages – Swedish, English, German, Italian and French – and acted in each.
She's hot, don't get me wrong, but I've always found her very approachable, like she could easily be a member of my friend group
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A lot of the time hotness in a movie is just about words and framing. "You're the most beautiful person here" [vaseline lens] well I sure hope so because that's who you cast. But when, in Casablanca, they call Ingrid Bergman the most beautiful woman in the world... they were not fucking lying. And such a dynamite actor too!! I'd only seen Casablanca up until last year, and there she's confined to love interest. But in Gaslight she was maybe one of the most incredible actors I've ever seen!!!! Goddddd shes so fucking hot and cool.
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ewanmitchelll · 10 months ago
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Imagine Taylor Swift’s songs (XIV): State of Grace.
Imagine you find the love of your life on Tinder. But there’s a lot going on before you and him realize that.
Warnings 1: fluff, light reading, some drama, light smut.
***
• (I)
I'm walking fast through the traffic lights. Busy streets and busy lives and all we know is touch and go. We are alone with our changing minds. We fall in love 'til it hurts or bleeds, or fades in time…
You stare at the Tinder app you’ve just downloaded. Motivations cannot be concealed of why you are doing it. Loneliness is why it’s suddenly opened, leading you to interact with strangers under the pretense you are about to fall in love with the man of your life.
Ridiculous are such romantic notions, and you have no one to blame for nurturing them but yourself. That is why you open it and sliding these male pictures like they are part of an odd menu, you think you are very demanding when you see his picture on your screen.
His profile reads:
Aemond T, 28 years old. “Live fast. Die young. No idea what the fuck I’m doing here, but it is what it is.”
You think those lines are quite amusing and you press the “like” button, a part of you doubting he’s liking you back. Especially when your profile reads:
Y/N, 28 years old. “I talk a lot and make bad jokes. If you are here to be monosyllabic, please get out.”
To your disconcert, he likes you back.
“Well, let’s see how this one goes”, you tell yourself, somewhere between self pity and skepticism.
*
Aemond Targaryen has arrived home in the first rays of morning. Ran on the streets, crossing red lights, a color he dresses and lives for, hardly respecting it at times when he finds convenient.
Living at the upper east side of King’s Landing, he’s slightly drunk when he gets at the apartment he shares with the only tolerable member of his family: his sister, Laena, who’s sleeping by now.
Opening Tinder because, since he left Alys, he feels the need of one night stand, he finds himself quite impatient before such pursuit. When he sees Y/N on his screen, he knows this is not the kind of woman he usually hangs out with.
In fact, this bad boy hardly looks for good girls—Alys once accused him of mother issues for dating older women who somewhat resemble his mother and this kind of traumatized him. No one knows, but he’s doing therapy to fix this issue.
But you are not older, hardly look like his mother, Mrs Alicent Hightower, and… well, you look beautiful with vivid y/c eyes, smooth y/c skin and y/c hair tossed against the wind.
As soon as he sees he’s corresponded, he sends a message, almost falling asleep because it’s 5 am but he’s surprised when you promptly reply.
“What’s up?”, Aemond writes, half drunk, half asleep.
“All good. And you? Where do you speak from?”, you write back.
“Upper east side, you?”
“Not the richest part of the town for sure.”
When reading these acid lines, Aemond laughs, though something about them annoys him in the same measure.
“What do you know about that?”
“Enough to know this is not a place I frequent.”
“So where do you come from?”
“I recently left High Garden and am temporarily living at the capital. In that neighborhood called Y/C.”
“That’s a good neighborhood. Despite your prejudice, I actually go there at times.”
“My prejudice? Do you suppose I hate rich people now?”
Aemond is not sure how the hell this is going. Shouldn’t a one night stand be this difficult to find, for sure.
“Sorry. I’m drunk.”
He’s about to throw the phone away and touch himself instead. This appears to be a better option. Besides, calling Alys is not fucking considered.
“Apologies accepted. I admit I did not express myself well”, you write. “Should we start again?”
Aemond, between horny and impatient, finds himself compelled not to throw away his phone, after all.
“Sure, why not? What are you doing at 5 am? I mean… I have the excuse of being drunk after a fantastic party at the port, but you?”
“I couldn’t sleep. Too many thoughts over my head, I think, but this is not a conversation for Tinder.”
Now Aemond is wide awake. You don’t look like any superficial woman he’d been talking these days.
“Why, tell me about it. I am an expert when it’s about anxiety and other things. Besides, who do you take me for? I like deep conversations.”
“Send me a text message and we can keep this going.” And you write your number down.
The silver haired male raises an eyebrow. Despite the poor starter, you are more interesting than he’d formerly judged.
I wonder what lies behind these photographed vivid eyes, Y/N.
***
You exchange messages with Aemond for three days. A date is set, and before you know expectations rise. Then you start to sabotage yourself.
You begin to look for excuses when it comes to meet this strange, handsome rich man. Old traumas remind you of past failures, but your mind is briefly distracted when he sends you a message:
“Hey, Y/N. How’s it going? Didn’t hear from you today.”
It’s mid-week, and due to your work as y/c you occupied yourself enough to avoid his name or the fact that in three days you might meet him.
Part of you wonders what could possibly go wrong whilst another makes a power point presentation with lists of why it could go worse than expected.
“All good”, you eventually answer. “Sorry for not answering straight away. I’ve been working.”
To your surprise, he doesn’t take long to answer you back.
“How’s work so far?”
You know Aemond works as humanities professor at Westeros University, but that he’s also part of that (rather infamous) Targaryen family.
“Good so far. Just busy. How’s yours?”
“One needs patience to deal with young adults that still think they are teenagers. By the way, apologies for the swift change of subjects, but how’s our Saturday going? Still standing, I hope?”
You hesitate, panicking before the idea of seeing someone. Part of you tries to find motives to avoid him, but another, more reasonable, reminds you this is living: hurting, yes, but embracing the joys life may offer. Shielding oneself against disappointment will not stop them happening, so what is the point of hiding in shadows under the pretense of impeding suffering?
“Is 10 o’clock good?”
“It works fine for me. I’ll see you there!”
It’s set. Your first date in three years…
• (II)
You come around and the armor falls. Pierce the room like a cannonball. Now all we know is don't let go. We are alone, just you and me…
Aemond is not romantic, but practical like his ex used to mock. He is not the kind of man who opens easily, rather being a man of actions.
How unusual, or perhaps following an advice of his sister dear, that he opts as first date with a girl he’d never seen before a picnic at the Aegon’s Hill.
Dressed like someone who could easily be mistaken as a motorcycle rider man, he’s wearing a pair of sunglasses and threw over his shoulder a black jacket, wearing a simple white shirt and black pants.
He checks his phone once a while, but why is he feeling dizzy at this first encounter with a stranger?
It’s when he spots you dressed in a flower dress, medium y/c hair blowing against the wind, wearing a pair of blue sandals on your feet.
A funny contrast you two are, like sun and moon when they meet, resulting in an eclipse. But as Aemond watches you come, shy and insecure about him, he wonders where this will go.
Taking off his sunglasses, he stands and smiles:
“Y/N? It’s me, Aemond.”
“Oh”, you barely blink when spotting those purple eyes. “You are taller than I had assumed.”
He chuckles at your remark.
“In my family this is a remarkable trait, some would say.” Aemond offers you a seat and you soon take it.
You see the picnic is already set, the cloth already spread over the green grass on a spot that has some shadows thanks to a large tree that there stands.
There are fruits, cakes, cereals and breads, but also juice, water and coffee. You are positively impressed by the effort he paid to this. Aemond side smirks at your reaction.
“What? Did you like it?”
“I loved it”, you smile the brightest at him. “Thank you, Aemond. I’ve never done picnics before.”
“No?”, he inquires, watching you with interest. “How come? I thought this was a common thing at High Garden?”
You laugh heartily and Aemond decides that he likes the sound.
“I am not a noblewoman, my dear. It may be a tradition amidst the local elite. You must certainly have heard of a beauty named Margaery Tyrell. She does promote these events there, but like I said, I’ve moved to Kings Landing a few years ago.”
“The name may hint something, but I don’t care about elites and their gatherings”, says Aemond, serving himself some water whilst you opt for some juice. “My father loves throwing fanciful parties, but I don’t fit them, so I stopped going.”
As you study him, your gaze and his linger for one small, but significant moment before you say:
“So I get you are not very close to your family?”
“Not really, no. But you wouldn’t be if your father favored one child over the other and expected gratitude in return”, he smiles despite the poisonous words.
You raise your eyebrows.
“Is it that bad then?”
“You have no idea.”
You tilt your head.
“I cannot believe I relate to you, Aemond Targaryen.”
For some reason, this brings you both to delightful laughters in that first date…
***
• (III)
And I never saw you coming. And I'll never be the same…
It’s been two weeks. What was supposed to be a chasing after one night stand it has become new discoveries giving space to new sensations.
Aemond likes to kiss your lips in his car, to make you laugh at his bad jokes or listen when you tell about your day.
You like to listen to him too, not only about his days, but his past experiences, open wounds that mirror yours. And when he kisses you it is as if the world stops spinning and everything takes in a slower rhythm.
His kiss makes you feel unspeakable things, but that you never felt encouraged in doing them, transferring to reality what has only been a fantasy of your dreams.
Nonetheless, you are still reluctant in pushing affairs forward and Aemond respects you that. He reads you like an open book, always observant about your mannerisms.
This day, for example, you two are at a coffeehouse that is located within a bookshop. There, you read a book of poems all the whilst he drinks coffee. It’s a comfortable silence and it gives him such a peace, one of the kind he’s unused to it.
“What are you looking at?”, you ask upon sensing his stare, which makes you blush.
He chuckles, finding adorable how easily he makes you shy.
“You”, says he directly. “I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful like you, reading so concentrated.”
You giggle like a silly girl, finally putting the book aside to take his long hand in yours, enjoying how smooth it is when your fingers are locked with his.
“Stop it”, you shoot him an embarrassed look. “You know it’s untrue.”
Aemond laughs quietly. He then makes sure you are now sitting on his lap, disregarding the fact you two are at a public place.
“I mean every word I say”, he looks deep into your eyes, holding your hips as he rests his chin over your shoulder. “How come I feel more alive when I’m with you, dearest Y/Nickname? My heart races when you look at me like that.”
You lean closer to him, a smile spreading big on your lips before cupping his face with your hands.
In your mind you cry out a big “I love you”, but these words don’t reach your tongue yet. You thus kiss his lips instead and there you stay, at your private paradise.
*
Later, he drives you to his home. His sister isn’t there and Aemond wants to show you his place properly. This is the first time you are there since you and him started dating—though no label has come out of either mouths yet.
Once inside, you are given a tour at the apartment. It’s bigger than you’d expect, but cozy and nice to look at with a huge view at his living room to the sea.
“Look at this view!”, you exclaim in awe as you see green hills mixing with different modern buildings that are combined with the blue of the oceans, reflecting the same shade of the color that paints the skies. “I wish I was this privileged! But then I remember I already am.”
And saying so, you look at him, transmitting more than you’d expect. But even so… when Aemond meets your gaze, he sees it through you. What is curious is that, somewhere in his past, he’d flee, panic or fight it in his way by sabotaging the process.
He still has his scars, and these are eventually coming to surface, but this silver haired male has no space in his mind that is not you. Thus, he comes to stay behind you and says:
“You know what, Y/N? Be with me. Be my girlfriend.”
You turn your head at him. It is easy to be involved by sweet words and empty promises, but this is not what you feel when your wide-eyed gaze meets his intense one.
Souls speak in silence when desires, sentiments and thoughts are aligned in one purpose. Could it be any different? Perhaps yes, but neither you nor Aemond conceive otherwise.
"Yes, my dearest."
You turn and wrap your hands around his neck. Proximity is shortened as his long, callous hands tight the grip around your waist and his forehead once again rests against yours and a kiss comes as a result.
Though he is not yet ready to speak these three words that at times can be seen behind his dazzling purple eyes, Aemon is more than ready in building a new, more optimistic future with you by his side.
A sentiment and perception that you share as your togue snakes in his and together dance in one slow syncronized rhythm. Silence remains undefeated in the surroundings... but for how long?
His is the fireous pursuit and you, like a timber prompted to burn. Soon, you are pressed against the wall with his lips still locked with yours, but his hands move to your hips, there staying, there caressing your bum before rising to your waist and slowly transferring his gentle, warming touch to your back, underneath the blouse you wear.
It does not help that, after biting your bottom lip, he breaks the kiss so he gradually grows bold in his teasings. You like how your boyfriend--and the word brings a smile to your redish lips--takes his time to get to know you and your pace even if you suspect he's a dragon like the standard of the symbol of his famous family.
You play with his long locks, wrapping them around your fingers, sighing quietly as his tongue takes its time to get familiar with your neck. You giggle softly, however, when his hands rest subtly on your belly.
"Yes, babe?", he raises his eyes to meet yours and in them you see mischief. "Is it good for my lady?"
Your knees often weaken and your body gets instantly warm at whenever he is gallant with you. Aemond, a good observer, knows it well. No wonder why he smirks at you.
"It is more than good, I fear to say", you chuckle, struggling not to rub one leg to the other, especially when he looks at you like that. And you find yourself restless, prompted to let your fingertips vaguerously move from his arms to his chest, thus helping him remove his shirt.
"Is it so?", Aemond laughs quietly, letting you take the reins of the moment. "Your innocent gaze makes me no fool, young lady".
Saying so he presses you one more time against the wall, biting your neck all the whilst your hands eagerly move to his pants.
"You are my doom", you whimper impatiently.
The spark is about to explode...
***
(IV)
So you were never a saint and I've loved in shades of wrong We learn to live with the pain, Mosaic broken hearts. But this love is brave and wild
Even sun sets in paradise. In due time, his obscurity comes to surface as well as your vices. Jealousy is a trait you dislike in yourself, reflecting the insecurity within due to bad experiences in former relationships.
His self entitled taste for liberty awakes this beast, coming to test your relationship in the famous “three months crisis”.
“Don’t give me the silent treatment”, says Aemond, troubled by your silence as he drives you home.
The cause of disagreement rests in the unwelcoming presence of Alys Rivers. Two days after Aemond’s birthday party, she, who remained a close friend to his brother Aegon—even if his entire family hates her for reasons you have not yet figured out—paid him a visit and you were not told about this.
But he eventually tells you like it is not relevant for your relationship. You, proud where sentiments are concerned, think that if he cannot see how wrong this all is, certainly will not find out by you.
“I am not giving any silent treatment”, your words cry a wound open in your ego, your voice betrays your pride.
Aemond sighs and stops the car somewhere random.
“Come now, don’t be like this, Y/N”, he looks at you with confused eyes. “We have always talked about everything, haven’t we?”
Your therapist usually tells you that, regardless of how uncomfortable it is to speak out, you must not swallow your sentiments nor bury them by turning into a burden that should be forgotten. Or else your body would feel the results, which in turn were not nice.
Aemond can see you are struggling against yourself, aware that underneath you there lies old scars that still do you harm. He puts a hand around your shoulders, patient.
“Take your time”, he says with his usual soothing voice.
In other circumstances, he’d not be patient. But this is someone whom he cares deeply, having grown to love sincerely. Only another woman holds his patient affection and it’s his sister, Helaena.
Eventually you burst into tears, letting yourself exposed before this man you love. You’d think he is the kind of guy who likes strong women so you’d never let be seen so fragile, so open.
Aemond somehow comprehends it, then he lifts your face so you can meet his gaze and see there’s no judgement behind his eyes. Wiping away your tears, he suddenly realizes, after examining his conscience, the probable cause of your hurting.
“What did I do, lass? There is no need to push me away. We must speak. What is troubling you, my love?”
“I… I…” you take a deep breath, confident you can battle your demons. “You welcomed her, the woman who you told me you loved fiercely for many years. You welcomed her at your house and tell me as if this is no big deal? She may remain friends with your brother, but then what about us? What about me? Do you care so little about my feelings that you simply receive her, a woman I cannot equal in many ways?”
Oh, the thought comes too late. So this is what it’s about.
Aemond doesn’t know how to respond straight away. Sticking to his early encouragement, he is not running away from himself.
There is embarrassment, there is shame. His thoughts are a mess, but only after you stop sobbing that he turns at you.
“I’m sorry, Y/Nickname. That was imprudent of me.”
“I am not that kind of girl who is possessive of her boyfriend. Who you hang out with is your problem, we all have friends and it’s completely understandable to be friends with one’s ex but…”
“Wait”, he frowns. “Are you friends with your exes?”
You ignore his remark.
“…to welcome her like that without even telling me, and at your own house with no one else. How can I feel comfortable with that?”
“Aegon was there”, Aemond mumbles. “This doesn’t excuse, I know. I’m sorry, darling. And I had no idea you compared with her. For the love of God, I am your boyfriend, not hers. If I wanted to relive the past, I would be a historian or a museologist.”
Pleased to make you chuckle, Aemond smiles at you, pressing a soft kiss against your temple.
“Are we good?”
“Yes, my love, we are.”
And you two stay silent, appreciating each other’s company with only the stars and the poorly illuminated posts as witnesses.
*
A few months later, a graver disagreement comes like an earthquake to shake the stability between you two.
Aemond is a possessive man, so he is not exactly a man of sharing. This flaw comes particularly when he feels threatened by others. One of these is his nephew, Jacaerys Velaryon.
He thought this rascal man was being friendlier to you than you deserved. You two had a fervent argument after that.
Or when you accused him of running away of his commitment to you by not introducing you to his family.
As you can see, it’s been a hell of a ride.
But twelve months later and insecurities are overcome, with you finally settled with each other’s demons.
***
• (V)
This is a state of grace. This is the worthwhile fight. Love is a ruthless game unless you play it good and right. These are the hands of fate. You're my Achilles heel. This is the golden age of something good and right and real…
You mount on him, ready to another drive. It feels so damn good to have his cock twitching hard, thrusting inside you as you two move slowly.
“This is so damn good”, you moan, eyes closed.
“Do not be loud, my dear”, Aemond smirks, adjusting to you, taking a seat without letting you fall.
Curtain is open, giving path to moonlight spark in his bedroom. You are at his apartment, having recently moved together.
But dear Helaena’s birthday is coming soon and some of the family is spending time there.
“I am trying to, but you make it difficult”, you whimper when he takes your breast to his mouth all the while fingering you concomitantly to his moves.
And then he rolls you to his bed, fastening his pace and kissing you passionately.
Not too long after that and you both come together in the same climax. When cuddling you, Aemond says.
“I corrupted you, didn’t I?”
You cast him an amused glance.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ve become more naughty since we’ve met”, Aemond chuckles, kissing your neck. “Not that I am complaining.”
“What can I do if the makeup sex is really good?”, you laugh quietly.
Interlocking fingers, you two stay like this for a moment, staring into the nude dark sky able to spot from his bed.
“I was thinking…”
“Yes?”
You look at him, admiring his beauty, the paled, smooth skin, the well built muscles perfectly drawn in his shaped body, his long hands that mould so well with yours… Even his wrongs, his flaws, his vices… make you love him ardently.
Sensing your gaze, Aemond begins to flush.
“I am no romantic”, he whispers in his usual quiet tone. “But you know how I’ve grown to overcome my disability in expressing my thoughts and sentiments.”
“I’ve always judged you did this better than me”, you muse partially joking, pleased to make him smile.
“I…”
Now on your elbows, you take his face with your hands.
“What’s it my dear?”
Avoiding your inquisitive gaze, Aemond is silent before bursting it soon:
“Be my wife.”
You barely blink, a small, silly smile, coming to form on your lips.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“You heard me”, he blushes.
You laugh at his lack of sensibility. Throwing yourself at him gives the peace his rioting heart requires.
“Is this a… yes?”, Aemond asks, unsure. “I should have done it better, I’m so…”
You shush him by kissing his lips, then saying:
“Of course this is a yes! You are my state of grace, Aemond Targaryen! I could have not asked for a better husband.”
When contemplating the genuine joy stamped in your features, he, stroking your cheek, then says:
“You are the love of my life, Y/N Y/LN.”
Without waiting for any response, he holds you against his chest, rocking you in his arms as you share a kiss.
It’s the first chapter of your happily ever after…
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