#i love them to death even if I don't always show it

[comicaurora]

spoiler thoughts in no particular order:

The theme of this season seems to be "replacement." Characters are constantly taking on other character's roles. Heimerdinger highlights that Jayce is his former pupil and Ekko is his new pupil. Jinx acquires a Powder-esque kid sidekick and finds herself in Vi's role, while Vi finds herself hurt and abandoned by someone she loves most in a very Powder-y position. Caitlyn struggles to replace her mother, and Ambessa very tactically places herself in that authoritative role to give Caitlyn the motherly guidance she no longer has - essentially replacing Mel in the process. Everyone is being shuffled around, and very few of them are taking it well.

It's interesting to me that, amidst all this replacing, two roles are conspicuously not being filled: Silko and Vander. Silko's death has left a gaping wound in Jinx and Sevika's operation, and neither of them are attempting to replace him - instead, they're trying to figure out their dynamic without him between them. In a strange way, it feels like Jinx is maturing. She's beginning to recognize that she doesn't actually destroy everything she touches; there are things in this world she CAN fix. This is extremely un-Silko of her. If anything, it's a genuinely healthy extrapolation of her dreams as Powder - to be useful, to help. If she's reaching the point where she thinks she really CAN make things instead of just breaking them, that's a legitimately good sign.

Vi is the obvious candidate to become the new Vander, and I think she will eventually. The first three episodes have taken her some of the way along a very complicated journey. A lot of people have pointed out that she sacrificed every part of her identity to try and help Caitlyn in her grief - she put on the uniform of the people who killed her parents and sold out Vander, the people who tortured her in prison. She compartmentalized her love for Powder and convinced herself she could kill her for Caitlyn, even though she demonstrably couldn't. She packed away everything except her moral code, and then Caitlyn nearly shot a child to get to Jinx, so Vi stopped her. And so she learns that Caitlyn didn't appreciate anything of what she was asking of her. She didn't understand the weight of the sacrifice Vi was making for her. She didn't see Vi as a partner, only as a tool for getting her shot at Jinx, and when Vi broke from that purpose, Caitlyn police brutality'd her and abandoned her at the bottom of a hole. We've never seen Vi at this kind of rock bottom before, because she always had her identity, her stubbornness, her anger. She gave them up for love, and when her guard was down, she was punished for it. Vi is the character most reluctant to change. She voices it overtly; she sees everyone else changing, she begs it to stop. Everyone is preserved in her memory from before the night everything went wrong. Powder's not Jinx now, Powder is dead and Jinx is a new problem. Ekko is still "Little Man." I think Vi can't start becoming whoever she's meant to be until she gets past that terror of change, and it looks like she can't do that until she loses absolutely everything.

I'm less clear on what to expect from Caitlyn, but I think it's going to be fascinating. She's really at her worst in this part of the show, and it's incredibly interesting. Her unchallenged worldview is on full display: the undercity is disgusting and evil, the enforcers are the pinnacle of goodness now that the one bad apple has been excised. She was doing Vi a favor giving her the badge, obviously; Vi deserves the badge so she'll kick up whatever fuss she needs to in order to make it happen. Vi's one of the good ones, so Vi can't be like the other Zaunites, those animals. Her mother sealed up The Gray to keep them from asphyxiating from the pollution? Well, they killed her mother, so they don't deserve to breathe that free air anymore. Vi defies her one time and Caitlyn snaps into the only alternative she can currently understand: you're just like them, you're my enemy, you're beneath me. She never really made an effort to understand Vi's world because she clearly thought she was saving her from it. You don't deserve to be down there in the dirt, you deserve to be up here where it's nice. The dichotomy of Piltover Good, Zaun Bad is so deeply ingrained in her that her raw grief has left it completely exposed. If Vi won't help her, she deserves to be left down there. I want to see where they go with this, because Caitlyn's at her own kind of rock bottom right now - a sniper's fixation on her target causing her to hurt and cast away every other priority. Ambessa's correctly identified her as a weapon and is precisely aiming her wherever she needs her to destroy, and Caitlyn is so fixated on Jinx she can't even tell. I expect "what are you shooting for?" to come back in a big way.

I don't know WHAT the hell is going on with Jayce and I am so excited to figure it out. They really sold the whole "whoops you've been meddling with forces far beyond your comprehension just like Heinmerdinger said" thing and the implications are fascinating.

In the same way that Jinx seems to be sort of building a role all her own instead of taking someone's place, Viktor seems to be doing the same thing. He's not taking anyone's place; what he's up to is totally new. He's doing exactly what he wanted to back in season one - using hextech to help the people in most desperate need. He can heal the poisoning of Shimmer and the toxins in Zaun. He has what nobody else in this show has - a form of power that is curative and presently unchallenged. It isn't a fight for him, not like everything else has been. All he's ever cared about was alleviating suffering, and as far as we can tell, now he can. Nobody else was doing anything to help. I am very intrigued to see where this goes and how the magic system gets fleshed out around him.

I have a hunch that wild magic situation might be yeeting Ekko out of the timeline for a bit. The act 2 preview had him on the Remembrance Wall, so I assume the firelights are gonna presume him dead for a minute - bit of a bummer, but if he comes back with his canonical time powers I'll take it.

Minor note, I liked how they highlighted that the council hall was aggressively non-wheelchair-accessible. A very elegant way to underline how Piltover has never actually been a beacon of progress and opportunity.

Have you watched the new Arcane episodes?

my first "oh FUCK yeah" happened during the opening credits when I noticed Ekko's two shadows were moving like the hands on a clock and that momentum carried for basically the whole rest of the viewing experience

[warpedpuppeteer]

It would be great if they talk about how Buck thought his relationship woes would be "fixed" because he finally figured himself out as bi and that was the answer he was always looking for but that was only just one part of the journey.

Buck's problem with relationships is that he's always taking cues from his partners and course correcting by making unhinged proposals (like moving in) whenever he gets something wrong or thinks he can "prove" his love (or prove he can fall in love with them in the future).

He's never fully himself in any of his relationships. He's always playing the part of what his partners need (service top buck truthers this one's for you). Being an emotional pillar for Abby or a protector for Ali for example.

Even in his first relationship with a man, instead of exploring and having fun, Buck was operating in the assumption that he needed to be a long-time partner material and that it's just like any other relationships he's been in. Hence, the invite to move in with him.

And to be fair to Buck, gender really doesn't matter to him because it's like...okay it's a little bit different but it's still the same in that it's a relationship and it's someone he's interested in. So really, for him, his sexuality isn't where his issues lie.

In all his previous relationships, it's been more about him changing than being himself. He stepped in with Abby, he compromised with Taylor, he was philosophical/spiritual with Natalia, he was discovering a new aspect of his identity with Tommy etc.

And Buck is fantastic in that he's always willing to learn things about himself. He was always capable of being all of this for someone but he just needed time and experience to bring these sides out of him.

Now this would be great except...all his previous partners reacted adversely to these changes. He got too emotionally attached to Abby when she really only wanted the part of Buck that was fun and flirty. Ali liked Buck being strong & protective until she realized that he would risk his own life in being a protector even for strangers.

Taylor liked that Buck was thrilling and exciting until she realized that he had morals he won't compromise on. Natalia was so very interested in Buck's experience with death until Buck was more focused on living. Tommy liked that Buck was newly bi and curious but stepped back once he realized that Buck was taking this very seriously.

Instead of embracing all the changes Buck was going through, his partners almost wanted the Buck they fell for originally. Kind of like...they fell in love with the IDEA of Buck rather than Buck himself.

So Buck actually needs someone who knows him as Buck in his entirety. Someone who likes Buck as he is but also likes him even as he changes and grows. Someone who Buck shows his true self to instead of adapting to his partner's needs.

Take me as I am, flaws and all. Take me as I am, and as I will be.

Not only does he need to realize that he doesn't have to shove his own needs/wants into the background but also that he needs a partner who will not expect anything more from him than he can give. When he does realize this, that's when Buck is truly free of the hamster wheel.

Of course, i can go on about who exactly is the perfect partner for Buck but instead, here are a few quotes that's very important in showing who it is :)

"you're the guy who likes to fix things"

"just do what you always do, talk to him"

"you think you're expendable but you're wrong"

"now am i allowed to ask how you are?"

"once he knows that you're an idiot, he'd love you, like we all do!"

"there's nobody in this world i trust with my son more than you"

"i forgive you...just don't do it again"

And the most damning of them all:

"you don't have to be anything for anybody"

[rootspiral]

WANDAVISION DEEP DIVE part 2

(Wandavision entries: [1][2][3])

(AAA entries: ep1 [1][2])

In which I continue looking through Agatha scenes in Wandavision, I want to get to AAA nowwwwww but I can't stop taking screenshots. I forgot how good this show is

We are on episode 6 and it's naughty couture time! (so much for less screenshotting)

Oh wow, these three together, very cute and not painful in any way! Also not foreshadowing or anything.

I'm not clear on this point, did Ralph have ANY free will or was Agatha just puppeteering him at all times? Because he totally sounds like Agatha doing a half-assed Quicksilver impression. You want to know about Wanda's trauma, don't you Fietro???

Bit much there, buddy. That's right. Too much ham. Off you go.

yep, that's Agatha's manipulative ass alright. and she almost got away with it too.

Episode 7, where Agatha can't wait to get her paws on those little boys and do horrible villainous things to them (like making them snacks and watch cartoons. And some light trauma)

That's why Billy's her favorite, he's such a mama's boy.

the exact faces the three of them will make when auntie Agatha tries to ghost-mom the twins

babies are delicious

why is she being such an ASSHOLE TO WANDA OH MY GOD. psychological torture for days and days and days

IMMEDIATELY tries to bond with Billy. she's also prodding for his powers but there's genuine kindness there too

Billy genuinely likes Agatha though, that's the thing. despite everything, even in the future he instinctively trusts her and seeks her out. in a way they kind of adopt each other

why does her voice get so tender goddamnit Hahn. you know Agatha is thinking about Nicky and having so many feels

this whole dynamic really hits differently now, doesn't it?

her body language with Monica is so threatening, she's containing herself but you can see she wants to KILL

At this point Monica and SWORD are approaching and there's no much time left, so Agatha takes another big risk and openly approaches Wanda - or actually, not *much* more openly. She goes from over-the-top neighbor to over-the-top witch, the same trick she always uses, except she never went against someone as scary powerful as Wanda. She is truly gambling here, and you can tell by how rigid her body language is. She's projecting strength more than feeling it, and I think she's using señor Scratchy both as a prop for her villain persona (hilarious. that's a cuddly bunny, you idiot!) and also as moral strength, she's holding him like a shield.

^^Agatha when she's purposely being a clown and fucking with people

^^the real Agatha, razor-focused, serious, and, more often than not, cruel.

Episode 8. We now know that Evanora hates Agatha because she was born with succubus powers - born different, born evil, queer analogies abound. Jac Schaeffer says that Agatha has never been loved by her mother or really by anyone before she met Rio, so let's just sit on that.

Here we have a very young Agatha, still a teenager, already up to mischief. Interesting that Evanora does not mention her killing anyone quite yet, Agatha's crimes are about seeking knowledge, something she'll keep doing all her life. She's already a self-fulfilled prophecy, she's being bad and going against her coven because her coven calls her bad and pushes her away. This is supposedly her family, her sisters, her community. She committed a bloodless crime, and they're about to execute her for it.

She denies, Evanora calls her out. Agatha is already refining her greatest skill: deception.

Can she control it? Did they ever try to teach her? And why is she talking about her powers now? She is not being executed for stealing at all, is she? And she knows it. (Also I LOVE that when Agatha is at her lowest she resorts to beg. Her survival instincts are stronger than anything, even her pride, she is self-centered to her very core. That's the only way she could ever survive.)

Evanora starts chanting "mors monstrum innaturale", death to the unnatural monster. And, I'm sorry, that's incredibly fucked up. It gets more fucked up the more I think about it.

"Watch this, Lisa. You can actually pinpoint the second when her heart rips in half."

The coven in an excess of prudence must have decided to kill Agatha in a joint effort, just in case her powers are too much for one witch or two. They thought they would destroy the so called evil with their moral superiority, they actually had no idea of what Agatha was capable of, and by her shocked expression, neither did she - she was never allowed to explore her abilities, not to such an extent anyway.

That's the same expression again, completely focused and merciless. I know I'm repeating myself but the real Agatha is anything but bombastic. Her emotions are subtle but formidable.

When I first watched this scene 3 years ago I came to the conclusion that Agatha was conning the Salemites in order to kill them. She was absolutely not. She is shell-shocked at what happened.

Hahn is very deliberately making understated choices here. No evil cackling, no gloating, just contempt and bitterness.

And I'm running out of space again but it was worth it, this scene was so interesting to analyze. Hopefully part 3 will be the last one for Wandavision

go to part 3

[dreamingsnowflake2013]

Demon Daddy imparting valuable life lessons, which is something he's been doing since the day they met. I love he helps ZYC to make sense of things and put them into perspective, and anchor him, as if he were his harbour in the storm of doubts he's been lost on.

The message being that what he is doesn't change who he is, only he can do that. Being a demon or a human doesn't matter, they are just titles and identities that don't define who you are, in the end, that's your own choice. The way he gently persuades him to live on, that his life has a purpose and is worth living. And it's in such a stark contrast to the first life lesson he's ever giving him, so negative and full of cynicism and fatalism born of despair. He's changed since that time, too, they all did. There is so much hope, despite him knowing that his death is inescapable.

When ZYZ asks him whether he wants to be a demon or a human!

I'm emotionally compromised! A virtual unkillable demon who wants to die and a demonized demon slayer and the only person who can kill him but doesn't want him to die. For, at least to me, utterly inexplicable reasons Edward Guo's shows are apparently known in China for being all style and no substance, but the way I see this Fangs of Fortune is one of the deepest pieces of storytelling I've ever had the pleasure to enjoy.

ZYC's realising how similar they have always been, his former mortal enemy and him.

What I adore about this drama that it doesn't matter whether you see in it bromance, family love, heterosexual romance or gay romance, it can be enjoyed on all these level, even at once. Personally, I rarely apply the term, but if I should define ZYZ and ZYC's relationship, I would say they are soulmates, something that surpasses both romantic and familial love and goes far beyond.

ZYZ both visually and narratively taking the place of his older brother. Seriously, this show is as close to perfection as a show can get.

[lovelyjuju]

𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 - 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐦𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐢

werewolf!taki x fem!reader

genre: supernatural au, love at first sight (for taki), strangers to ??, some fluff & some angst

warnings: mentions of blood/injuries, contains vampires, switches between reader's pov and taki's pov sometimes

word count: 5.1k

a/n: this is very inspired by &team's webtoon, because this was the easiest way for me to write it. i've never written "supernatural" before and i think it really shows, i honestly don't like how this turned out lol

this was requested here, tysm for your request, anon! <3

•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾•

the cool night wind was blowing against your cheeks, causing you to shiver slightly, as you pushed your hands even further inside the pockets of your coat. your steps felt heavier than usual, given the small layer of snow that covered the forest ground.

you mentally cursed your brother for refusing to leave from that goddamned party, making a fuss over it that ended in you leaving on your own before the two of you made fools of yourselves in front of the other people. your own hometown wasn't far, but there were only two ways to reach it: the barely lit highway, where walking would equal signing a death contract, or through the forest that seperated the two towns.

you weren't scared in particular, knowing the paths like the back of your hand from the countless of hours you'd spent in the woods during your childhood, playing catch or hide and seek with your brother, or climbing the trees to heights that would have sent your parents into a coma if they'd known. yet, despite the familiarity of your surroundings and the full moon that illuminated them more than any other night would have, there was just something about wandering alone through a forest at night that felt unsettling.

but you'd be home soon, only a few more steps until–

you stopped, squinting your eyes slightly, not quite sure where the dark spots in front of your feet were coming from. your gaze scanned the ground until it fell on a trace of more marks. you took out your phone and opened the flashlight, only able to catch a glimpse of their deep red colour before the light died down again.

your phone running out of battery seemed like a smaller problem, compared to the realization that hit you when your mind started racing until it had made sense of the red stains. they were drops. blood.

you tried to keep your breath steady, although your heart doubled its pace, at least. it was no secret that wolves roamed the forest, and from what you'd heard all your life, they were ruthless creatures – always poised to strike, always ready to take down their prey. but what if, this time, their victim hadn’t been an animal but a person? what if someone was lying just a few feet away, possibly still breathing, possibly in need?

you shouldn’t. not when you were alone. not when you had no way to call for help, too far from either town divided by the forest for potential cries to reach anyone. but against your better judgement, you followed the trail of blood, holding your breath and tightening your grip around your dead phone.

the further you walked, the bigger the stains became. your eyes were fixated on the floor, eagerly following the path, until a faint sound yanked your head up. it had sounded almost like... a whimper? your feet picked up the pace, almost running, hearing the same sound becoming clearer, closer, until you finally found the source of it.

your eyes widened again, an uncomfortable shiver running down your spine. you felt your stomach sink, and your insides felt like they'd turned upside down.

this couldn't be possible. you could have almost sworn your mind had played a trick on you – that there was no way that a wolf was not the perpetrator, but the victim of an attack – had it not been for another whimper that came from the wounded animal in front of you.

it sounded almost desperate, like a futile cry for help, and for some reason, it tugged at your heart. you hadn't grown up to feel sympathy for wolves, but you weren't heartless either. yet, you hesitated. your parents had warned you time and again about wolves.

almost out of reflex, you took a step back, flinching at the sound of wood cracking underneath your boot. fuck. you held your breath as the animal in front of you lifted its head just slightly, turned it in your direction, and looked you right in the eye. another cold shiver ran down your spine and you stood rooted in place although all your instincts told you to run away. you'd never be able to outrun a wolf, but you had a chance with a wounded one, no?

you mentally prepared yourself for the worst, yet, you didn't move. had you not been shaken with fear, it might have been almost comical how paradoxically beatiful the wolf's amber eyes looked under the moonlight. they were anything but threatening; instead, they held a sense of vulnerability, despair – and something else you couldn’t quite identify. fear, maybe.

without another thought, you took a few steps toward the animal. at first, it seemed to try to get up and move away, but it was too weak to manage. standing directly in front of it, you could finally see the source of the blood: a large wound on its side, still bleeding slightly.

after a brief hesitation, you slipped off your scarf and pressed it against the wound, gently at first, then with more pressure. you knew it was irrational, dangerous – maybe even downright stupid. but something about the creature before you broke your heart, and you realized you had no other way to help. running back to either town wasn’t an option; just picturing the townspeople’s faces if you asked them to help a wounded wolf was enough to tell you it was useless.

taki's pov: the sound of wood cracking caused taki to open his eyes. had he already found him? or had nicholas and euijoo heard his pathetic attempts to call for them? no – the strong scent of his blood would give him away before any howls would even leave his throat. when he caught sight of you, the moonlight illuminating your soft features beatifully, reflecting almost magically in your slightly widened eyes, the entire world seemed to shift. in an instant, his breath caught, his heart quickened, and a warmth spread through him despite the icy cold of the blood-stained snow underneath him. it felt like destiny had taken his hand, leading him to a place he'd always been meant to find. of course, he thought. the moon was full tonight. taki should have felt terrified. he knew the perception humans had on wolves. giri had always taught him to be careful – to stay away. he'd expected you to run away, not to approach him. certainly not to help him. he had tried to run away, but his body didn't allow him to even stand up yet. he knew he'd heal soon, but the cut was still too deep. when he looked at you, he saw the fear. you were scared, yet you took off your scarf, even with almost no hesitation at all. your hands were shaking despite the warm coat you were wearing, as you softly pressed the scarf to his wound. he hated that his mere existence scared you, but could he blame you? you'd probably grown up around here – that was the only explanation as to why you were here at this hour, alone, on top of that. growing up in the towns around the forest meant growing up to fear, to hate, wolves. he felt the tremble in your hands ease as he stayed still. he even stopped calling for the others, willing to do anything not to scare you more. but the silence only lasted for what felt like the blink of an eye. he sensed the smell even before the soft rustling of the nearby bushes made you flinch. he had come back – probably to finish what he'd started.

the rustling of the bushes drew your attention away from the wounded animal. a chill prickled down your spine as you remembered – something had caused that deep cut in the first place. and if that something could injure a creature this powerful, what might it do to a human?

you scanned your surroundings. at first, you thought his pack might have found him, but the shadow that the moonlight casted over the snow looked suspiciously human.

the shadow shifted until the man stepped into view. the animal beside you stirred, rising quickly despite its bleeding wound. you couldn’t quite read its expression, but the abrupt movement held a hint of alarm – as if the man himself were responsible for the injury. but that couldn't be. no human could inflict such a deep wound with bare hands, and he carried no visible weapon.

or had you missed something?

your gaze scanned over him once more, and in an instant, your blood ran cold.

a trickle of red dripped from the corner of his mouth, sliding down his chin.

it felt as though the air had been knocked from your lungs as you watched him lick his lips. a sharp fang glinted back at you.

what in the world?

you froze, caught between shock and disbelief. vampires? you had never believed in neither them, nor the tails that had been passed down through generations in your town. this had to be a dream.

there was no time to decide whether to stay shielded behind the wolf, who had somehow pushed itself in front of you, almost protectively – or to bolt.

the man took a slow, deliberate step forward, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight with an unsettling intensity. the wolf beside you let out a low growl, a sound that seemed torn between fear and defiance. you could almost feel its tension, muscles coiled and ready, yet it stayed rooted to your side as though bound to protect you, even in its weakened state.

you stood there, frozen, your mind reeling with shock and fear, but you knew the wolf wouldn't be able to fight alone. and for some reason, you refused to run off while you still could.

you didn't know what to do, just that you had to do something. your mind was racing, yet there was no time to think.

with a snarl, the wolf lunged at the vampire, managing to swipe its claws across the man's cheek. he hissed, stumbling back, crimson trickling from the fresh gash. in that split second, you seized the chance, grabbing hold of the animal's fur and half-dragging, half-guiding it backward.

the cave, you thought. it had taken you almost a year of playing hide and seek with your brother to find it, but from then on, you'd always hidden there and he'd never found you. you knew how to find it by heart.

“this way,” you whispered, although you knew the animal wouldn't understand you. you broke into a mixture of stumbling, running, and darting through the underbrush. every few steps, the wolf glanced back, teeth bared, ready to fend off your pursuer, but each time you pulled it along, urging to keep moving.

“just a bit further, ” you murmured, more to yourself than to the wolf. its breathing was labored, but it pressed on, muscles taut as it maneuvered alongside you. behind, the vampire’s movements grew louder, branches snapping and snow crunching underfoot.

you finally reach the spot, the small entrance partially hidden by bare trees. you pushed the animal forward, urging it through the entrance before ducking in after, crouching low and pulling a few branches over the entrance as quietly as you could manage.

you sat there in silence, the only sounds your ragged breathing. you could feel the animal trembling against your own shaking body, its breaths shallow and quick. without thinking, you reached out, gently placing a hand on its side and feeling the damp warmth of its blood through its fur.

your scarf must have fallen off somewhere and you were just praying it didn't give away your location anyhow. with that thought, the reality of your escape hit you like a wave – you had only barely gotten away.

a few deep breaths later, exhaustion began to settle in. you fought to stay awake, determined not to give in – you couldn’t afford to fall asleep out here in the woods during winter, not with a wolf at your side and a creature, once only a tale, lurking somewhere nearby.

but as the cold seeped beneath your coat, despite the cave offering shelter from the stronger winds outside, your eyes fluttered shut repeatedly, until exhaustion finally took over and sleep gently pulled you in.

a faint howl stirred you from sleep. you slowly opened your eyes, blinking away the haze, and pulled your legs closer to your chest, trying to warm your body that felt frozen to the core.

flashbacks from the night before crashed over you as another howl rang out – closer and louder than the first. this time, it came from right beside you, where the wolf you’d fled with only hours ago lay in the same spot. its wound had dried, looking far less severe than before.

another distant howl called out, answered quickly by the one next to you. they were calling each other. you needed to leave. this wolf had been too weak to attack, but who knew what a whole pack might do?

just as you began to move, the branches you’d used to cover the entrance shifted, and three other wolves stepped into view – each larger than the one beside you.

fuck.

the closer they came, the more you tried to edge away, but they halted when they reached the injured one, nudging it to its feet. with a last, lingering glance in your direction, the four of them turned and disappeared, leaving you alone, trembling – not only from the cold but from the shock and confusion of everything that had happened in the past hours.

┈┈・୨ ✦ ୧・┈┈

even days later, you could still not comprehend any of that night's happenings. you were dying to talk to someone, but who would believe you? you’d run off with a wolf who’d saved you from a vampire? it sounded like the textbook definition of insanity.

realizing you’d have to handle this on your own, you decided the best course was to forget about it entirely. so, you turned to the one distraction sure to keep your mind off things – working extra hours at your barista job, which you hated enough to guarantee you’d be thinking about anything other than that bizarre encounter.

you had lost count of how many times you'd greeted the familiar customers with a kind "the usual?" or how many times you'd engaged in the same small-talk, when customers finally stopped coming in for a while. you quickly left your spot behind the counter to tidy and wipe the tables, when the ring on top of the door signaled another customer.

"i'll be there in a second," you said without looking up from the table you were just cleaning. you quickly rushed back to the counter, placed the cups you had collected to the side and looked up with the usual, practiced smile.

"hi, sorry, i'm–" you stopped, eyeing the four unfamiliar guys in front of you for a second, before snapping back to reality, "i'm all yours now."

you took their orders, doing your best to cover up your earlier slip. it wasn’t common for out-of-towners to show up here, and you’d never seen any of these guys around before.

your breath caught when you looked at the last one. his amber eyes seemed so familiar, but you couldn’t quite place where you’d seen them. you furrowed your brows, mind racing until it landed on the pair of eyes that had met yours in the forest just days ago. you quickly shook your head, willing away the memory of the wolf. you could’ve sworn their eyes had the exact same spark, but the ones in front of you clearly belonged to a human.

yet, you couldn't tear your eyes away from his. you didn't know how much time had passed when the gentle clearing of his throat snapped you out of your thoughts.

"i– sorry, what was that?" you awkwardly asked for his order again, gesturing them to wait at a nearby table until their drinks were ready.

as they left the counter, you exhaled sharply, forcing yourself not to glance back at the four of them. you really needed to forget this whole thing before your mind started playing even more tricks on you.

yet, you couldn't help but glance at the amber-eyed boy while you prepared their drinks – and each time you turned to look at him, you found his eyes already on you before he quickly looked the other way.

you placed their mugs on the tray once they were ready and took a deep breath before heading to their table. you didn’t even know why your hands were shaking just a little, but you cursed yourself for struggling to balance the tray – even after all the time you’d spent working here.

taki's pov: when you reached their table and set their drinks down, taki really tried to not look at you another time, but he just couldn't help it. your eyes caught his yet another time and, god, it was so hard to look away. time seemed to slow down, the world around him seemed to come to a halt – until he felt euijoo's foot gently kicking against his knee, causing him to flinch and tear his eyes away from yours.

he forced himself to keep his eyes on his mug when you walked away after almost whispering a silent 'enjoy'.

when you were out of earshot, euijoo shot taki a stern look. "stop being weird, taki. i know she’s the–"

"not now, euijoo," giri interrupted, his tone sharp and leaving no room for argument. he glanced around to make sure no one had overheard even a fragment of their conversation.

the table fell silent except for the soft clinking of mugs being lifted and set down, and taki kept his eyes fixed on the tabletop. he knew he couldn’t take any risks, especially after you’d looked at him like you almost recognized him – but there was no real way you’d understand.

once they left the café, following giri through the forest to a quiet hill they always went to when they needed to talk in peace, taki felt three pairs of eyes on him. just as he was about to speak, giri cut him off. "you can’t go back there, taki, do you understand?"

when taki stayed silent, eyes on the ground, nicholas spoke up.

"look, i know she helped you and all, but it’s too risky – for us and for her. you’ll forget about it, and she will too, eventually."

taki bit his lip, knowing nicholas was wrong but unwilling to argue.

"he won’t forget," giri corrected. euijoo and nicholas shot him puzzled looks. "it was a full moon when they met," he added.

he didn’t need to explain for them to understand, didn’t need to say the words we fall in love with the first person we see on a full moon night, bound to love them for the rest of our lives.

giri turned to taki again, his voice hardening. "can i trust you that you won’t go back? you won’t search for her, and you won’t forget what’s at stake if you do." giri's eyes narrowed, a rare flicker of fear surfacing. "if you care for her, you’ll stay away – for her sake as much as ours."

taki gulped down the lump that had formed in his throat at giri's words, but he nodded his head, unable to protest.

yet despite everything, taki found himself drawn back to the café. no amount of warnings from giri or silent judgment from nicholas could seem to break the pull he felt. it had only been days since he’d seen you in the forest, days that felt like eternities. each time he left the woods, he told himself it would be the last. yet he would find himself standing outside, hesitant and hopeful.

it became a habit. once, twice, then almost daily, he’d come to the café, knowing he risked too much and cared too little. at first, he stood in distance, waiting to catch just a glimpse of you when you closed the store at night. then, he found excuses to be away during the day, finally working up the courage to not just watch from afar. he tried to be discreet, ordering something small and sipping slowly to avoid suspicion, but it quickly became clear that something about his presence unsettled you too. still, he couldn’t resist.

your face would light up each time you caught him glancing your way, and his cautious heart felt its walls crumble each time you smiled. each day, he grew a little bolder, staying a little longer, exchanging a few more words, as if to anchor himself to the warmth of your world.

"back again?" you asked one day, your eyes warm but playful as you set down a cup of tea.

taki managed a half-smile, shrugging in what he hoped was a casual manner. "guess the coffee's better here than anywhere else," he joked.

"or maybe you just like the company," you teased, daring him with a soft smile. your eyes sparkled with something curious, something that made his heart race, and he couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

“maybe,” he said, meeting your gaze head-on for once, feeling his pulse quicken at the sight of your grin.

soon, your moments grew longer, richer, and neither of you made any real effort to hide how much you enjoyed each other’s company. you’d sit across from him on your breaks, filling the quiet with stories about your hometown and the strange little quirks of the café. he found himself smiling more, laughing at your jokes, losing track of time as you two talked about everything and nothing at all.

"it’s strange," you admitted one day, swirling your coffee and glancing at him over the rim of your cup. "it feels like i’ve known you forever.”

taki felt his heart skip, and he glanced down at his own mug, gripping it tightly. "i know what you mean," he murmured, unable to look at you without risking giving away everything he felt.

he felt like he was walking on thin ice, balancing between the safety of his world and the irresistible warmth of yours. the weight of giri’s warning hung heavy on his shoulders, yet the longer he spent with you, the more he felt pulled towards you.

as the days passed, you found yourself looking forward to taki’s visits more than you cared to admit. something about him – his quietness, the mystery in his eyes, the way he seemed a little more at ease with each visit – felt like an invitation you couldn’t resist accepting.

you'd steal glances at him whenever you thought he wasn’t looking, catching the subtle softness in his expression as he watched you move around the café. the comfort in his gaze had a way of making you feel like the only person in the room, as if his whole world condensed in the moments you shared over coffee and quiet conversation.

sometimes, you’d find yourself sharing things you'd never shared with anyone else – except for what had happened that one night, but that had by now moved to the back of your mind. taki listened as if each word you spoke were precious, his eyes brightening when you laughed, his face softening when you spoke of something that saddened you. he gave you the gift of being truly seen, of feeling understood in a way that felt as natural as breathing.

but soon, something else crept in – a feeling you couldn’t quite name. at first, it was subtle, barely more than an odd sense of being watched whenever you’d lock up the café at night or turn a corner in town. you’d catch a glimpse of a shadow moving out of the corner of your eye, only to turn and find nothing. your stomach would twist, a chill prickling your skin, but you’d shrug it off as your nerves.

then, one night as you closed up, you caught sight of a figure across the street, half-hidden in the shadows. they seemed to be watching, their stillness almost unnatural. your heart thundered in your chest, your instincts screaming to turn away, but your feet stayed rooted to the spot, your gaze locked onto the figure’s unmoving form. you waited, holding your breath, until the streetlight flickered and the figure vanished into the darkness.

the next day, you finally shared your unease with taki, hoping he might reassure you. but instead, a shadow crossed his face, his jaw tightening as he listened. he said little, just that he’d “keep an eye out,” though you noticed the tension that now lingered in his shoulders, the way his gaze darted over his shoulder whenever he left.

it didn’t take long for you to put the pieces together – the unease you felt, the strangers who seemed to lurk in the periphery of your vision, and taki’s quiet, watchful presence. you didn’t know what he was hiding, but you sensed the fear he tried to conceal, the way his gaze softened with regret whenever he looked at you.

"let me walk you home," he offered the next night after you closed the café. normally, you would have declined, but you had to admit there was a certain comfort in not being alone.

as soon as you stepped outside, that familiar unease crept in, your fingers trembling slightly as you locked the door and slipped the keys into your bag.

taki's hand, slightly larger than yours, reached over, giving yours a gentle squeeze – a wordless reassurance – before letting go.

a cold breeze cut through you, and you instinctively turned toward taki, who had gone still, his jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with an intensity you hadn’t seen before.

before you could speak, your breath caught as you noticed the familiar, imposing silhouette just a few feet away.

taki didn’t need to look back to know. the scent alone was enough. he turned, stepping protectively in front of you, his entire posture tense.

your knees wobbled as the figure approached, his movements eerily swift. then you saw them – red eyes. fangs. you felt like you’d been flung back in time, to that night in the woods, the wolf between you and the vampire.

"taki," you whispered, unsure of what to say. but taki didn’t break his gaze from the figure in front of him.

"close your eyes," he commanded, his voice strained, urgent. he glanced back at you for a split second, his amber eyes meeting yours. "trust me. just…close your eyes for a moment," he urged, trying to sound calm despite the tension.

you hesitated, but complied, closing your eyes. when you heard a sharp howl echo through the night, you opened them – and found taki gone.

it felt like a sick twist of fate, like déjà vu, as the same wolf from the woods now stood before you. the realization hit you with full force when it turned and you saw those same amber eyes that had just met yours moments before.

could it be that…

you didn’t have time to finish the thought, when three more wolves burst from the shadows. you were sure you recognized these wolves from that other night in the woods. your mind started racing. if there was a chance that the wolf in front of you was really taki, then... these three would be the guys you'd first seen him at the café with?

your heart raced as you watched them work together, swift and lethal. flashes of fur, the gleam of teeth, and the muted growls filled the air as they closed in, forcing the vampire back until it disappeared into the shadows.

you stood there, frozen, heart pounding, trying to process what you had just seen. your gaze dropped to the ground, unfocused, as your mind raced to piece everything together.

you flinched when you felt a sudden, yet soft touch on your arm.

you hadn’t even noticed that that the wolves were gone. that taki stood close beside you again, a few scratches across his face. you looked up, your breath catching as your eyes met his – those same amber eyes you’d seen so many times before, only now, there was no doubt.

you could only stare at him, your mind reeling. you remembered that night in the snow, the warmth of his eyes when he’d looked at you. you'd had no idea, but somehow, part of you had always known.

"i’m the one you saved, y/n," he said softly, as if to reassure your thoughts. his voice was warm, familiar.

you searched his gaze. “you’re...a werewolf? so they really do exist,” you managed, still trying to wrap your head around it all. there was a hint of a smile tugging at his lips, but then his expression grew serious.

“giri said it’d be best if i kept my distance. safer for you,” he admitted, his voice barely a whisper. “but i couldn’t...stay away.” he paused, his gaze dropping. “i’m so sorry i got you involved in all of this." his voice trailed off towards the end.

for a moment, you just looked at him, letting his words sink in. his gaze was steady, though there was a flicker of vulnerability there that made your chest ache.

“taki,” you said softly, stepping closer. “i’m glad you didn’t stay away.” he looked up at you, a hint of surprise crossing his face. “i mean it. i love spending time with you, i told you things i've never told anyone else, i feel safe when i’m with you. even after – especially after tonight.”

a gentle smile softened his expression, the tension leaving his shoulders. “then i promise,” he murmured, his voice warm, “i’ll always protect you.”

you felt a warmth bloom in your chest, a feeling of quiet assurance that you hadn’t realized you’d been looking for. you nodded, smiling back at him.

the night air felt a little warmer with him beside you, and as he reached for your hand, you let him take it, feeling the comforting weight of his touch.

“come on,” he said, his voice lighter now. “let me walk you home for real now.”

© lovelyjuju (2024)

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[nuninho2000]

what's your opinion to all weasleys?

Well , let's start with the parents:

Arthur: I like Arthur, i really enjoy his fascination with everything related to Muggles, it reminds of those kinds of scientists, explorers and collectors on whatever are things found in Nature and then takes home with observing and studying , he's a great role model father that is caring, understanding but can be put his kids in their place when enough is enough and his relationship with Harry and Hermione and the way he takes care and watches over then is really underrated

Molly : I like Molly too , she's the definition of what a realistic mother looks like , she's not a perfect mother but always is trying her best and what's her kids to shine and have success especially in school, sure she can be a nag sometimes with her overprotective side but she is the best mother than you could ask for , in some ways she reminds my own mom and the way she welcomed Harry and show he's part of the family is good

Bill : I like him , he's a very cool old brother that has a cool job and is that kind of brother that everyone loves and the brothers friends look up to , he's a good looking and stylish guy that is patient and helpful, i love his relationship with Fleur and i think are great pair

Charlie: he's the Weasley sibling that we have less showing but just like Bill we can see that people love him especially his teammates from Quidditch like Oliver Wood , his work with dragons always fascinated me because i love dragons and the thought of him working on dangerous job is really badass

Percy; unpopular opinion but i like Percy's character arc and appreciate his development from a snobbish person and is a student role model who is ambitious and wants more , his ambition got the better of him and act really bad during book 5 the way he spoke to his father and how he was ashamed of him , ignoring his mother Christmas present was out of line, to be honest I don't blame him that much for not trusting Harry because despite knowing him they don't get along but the main reason why Percy sided with the ministry was because of the promotion and his ambition got the better of him and when was finally reveal that Voldemort returned and Harry was right all along his pride didn't make go apologise to his family and he had it coming when his siblings ignored him and twins and Ginny throwing food at him but i was really he came around in the end and finally apologised, made amends and fought in the battle of Hogwarts side his family

Fred Weasley : smart person and was a talented wizard that was a great duo with twin brother George, his death was really sad not only because he died next with Percy when everything was alright between them and the fact he died with a smile is heartbreaking and fitting his character

George Weasley: I like him , i think in terms of personality i like him more than his brother Fred , he's a great mastermind and was the best Quidditch player among the twins, i love how protective he is with Harry especially in book 2 when Harry said he would do anything to get the golden snitch and even got mad at Oliver for it , along with Ginny consolidated Ron when he thought his rat was killed

I find it so relatable he gave his pass away brother's name to his son because my name is a tribute to my dead uncle that i didn't know but from the people that knew him said he was a wonderful person

Ron : he's my favourite Weasley character and one of the characters i like the most in the series and he's in my top 10 HP favourite characters, he's brave , funny, smart, passionate, loyal, lovely person and a character that i have a ton of respect for .

He's the best friend that any person likes to have and the best friend and company that someone like Harry and Hermione should have , without him the Golden Trio wouldn't be complete and we readers couldn't have a better person to show us how the Wizarding World works .

Ginny: the lovely girl who conquered the heart of our beloved protagonist and his soulmate.

What can i say about Ginny? The shy girl that wasn't exactly shy had a good growth throughout the series and showed how brave and reckless she could be by fighting against the possession of a memory of Tom Riddle with 11 years old and hang on until it became inevitable, fought against her own trauma, had many friends, was popular, become a Quidditch player which was dream considering that use to practice without her brothers consenting and notice but the peak was when her wishes and dreams became real when the love of her life and soulmate kiss her in front of many people and started dating, unfortunately and was necessary she understood when Harry broke up with her not because he stopped loving her but to protect her .

With Harry, Ron and Hermione haunting for Horcruxs she alongside Neville and Luna restarted the DA and fought against the Carrow and tried to steal the sword of Gryffindor and fought in the battle of Hogwarts .

After the battle she and Harry rapidly started dating again, got married and had 3 wonderful kids and she realised her dream of becoming a Quidditch player for 4 years and then started to write about sports after retirement.

I love the Weasley family, what's not like, right?

[durtystars]

i agree with a lot, heavily on the fact that he was a good leader. one of the biggest arguments against him is that "he would get everyone killed" but.....he was already taking care of an entire group of people that were nearly 12 in number (if not that number in the first place) well before rick came into the picture. that reddit post could be right regarding the show, but the comic creator said that rick was asleep for an entire month (if not, i know it was said somewhere regarding the timeline of twd video games) so even if the show wanted to backtrack and say shane was a bad leader, they already showed literally in the first two episodes that start it off that he's not. in addition, if you read the official TV scripts of S1, in the scene of them in front of the lab and they don't have an answer after knocking on the door, daryl says "Everything was fine until this guy showed up." one of the weirdest and hardest things in twd to understand and accept was rick's sudden transferal of leadership, as if the group knew and trusted him better than shane the entire time. and during this time, rick is making horrible mistakes. but if you look in the deleted scenes of S1, rick heavily relies on shane for guidance on what to do, which ACTUALLY makes sense. i have no idea why these scenes were deleted. even if they were cut for time, they could have made some other scenes in S2 to show the rick/shane dynamic.

i don't agree that shane lied about rick. for one thing it doesn't make sense for him to save his life at the chance that he can come back and then lie about it, and as for why he never cleared it up is because he knew how bad it looked regardless, so he didn't bother. and of course as his character is deeply sensitive he was too ridden with guilt for loving lori so he let her believe it to make it easier to cut her out of his life.

i'm glad you brought up that shane always had rick's back. even in the scene when he had his gun pointed at him, i interpret it in the sense of him thinking of offing him because he's simply to weak for this world, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. i defend lori and give her a LOT of slack, but it must have been a special tormenting hell for him to face rick and her never supporting him when all he wanted was everyone to be safe. the rest of the group was affecting him as well, but lori and rick are something special to him, of course.

in my first watch (i think it was around covid days), i completely agreed with shane and was absolutely blown away that everyone was treating him like he was crazy. this was during the last stutter of the era of hating S2 as it was regarded as the most boring season, so when i looked around online to see if i was crazy i wasn't met with anything of the contrary. nowadays, S2 has been regarded in a much better light and has been for at least the past 2 years and while shane was always popular you definitely see more support of him in the ways of YT videos, and even if there's no support it's still in the breakdown of his character because he truly has so much to give as he is and through jon's performance.

i always say that while i believe S1 to be a masterful display of TV, S2 is the one that really brings out the discussion with the viewers. you said you couldn't watch shane's death scene, on my first time i couldn't either. i had no idea he even died because i was so outraged he was being isolated the way he was. i literally skipped up to the end of the episode because i was so adamant on his obvious road to death. so instead i turned all the way back to 2x1 and asked my mother to watch it with me, just to see how crazy i really was. that's why i say S2 is the one that actually brings out real discussion. my mother did agree with me, but we still had interesting conversations while watching it. i told her that she didn't need to watch the rest of the show with me, but she decided to stay for the rest of the journey (now she's watched the entire show and almost all the spinoffs and it's completely in love with the daryl show). but the thing is, as some of these things will go, my mother was telling what happened with me to my father, and so she convinced him to also watch S2, for which he stayed with for 6 more seasons. S1 is the one that pulls you in, but S2 is the one that makes you stay. and you are not going to convince me that it's not because of anything other than shane's character and jon's performance. we talk of shane very casually in the twd fandom, but in the outside of things he's a character that died in the second season of a 10+ season show and was barely mentioned again. and yet in this context, he's THE most talked about and relevant character in the franchise. the twd creator just talked about making a comic prequel surrounding him, lori and carl this year as well. no other character died as early as he did and have remained at such an impactful level, not a single one comes close.

now, me and my mother still rewatch S2, and find new realizations about his character. S2 is the most viewed, most rewatched and most discussed season in my house. every single time, it's brutal to see shane's degradation. and yet he became the groundwork of the show. he also still lives on in the characters. rick, daryl, carol and maggie are alive because of him. whether the writers mean it, whether the actors mean it or not, they have manifested his harsh way of living within them one way or another. and yes, carl is gone but he's still worth a mention as he voiced his mourning of him and how much he missed him. yes, i would prefer if shane stayed alive for at least one more season. but it's his leaving the show so soon that shows how much his presence stayed deep in the cracks of the show.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on why Shane is the best character in TWD 😊

Cause he's my baby and he's hot and I love him and that's good enough of a reason 😂 

But if you want something more logical, perhaps for a lot of reasons people tend to overlook… First, something that always bugs me is how little acknowledge there is of him actually stepping into the role of a leader for months before Rick showed up. As far as I know, no one in that group stepped in like he did. For the few interactions we saw, everyone would come to him for answers, and while he wasn’t always very diplomatic, he had good survival instincts and kept the group safe for months. Perhaps staying at the quarry wouldn’t have worked in the long run, but it was a plan nonetheless. 

He was right most of the time. He figured out pretty quickly how things were after the infection, and adapted a new mindset. He had to make tough decisions nobody was ready for yet, and maybe he pushed too hard instead of giving people time to get into that same headspace. And we see in later seasons that almost everyone thinks in a similar way Shane did, they just have different approaches. 

and it keeps going under the cut...

I recently saw a timeline in a subreddit or somewhere else that said the events from season 1 and 2 happened in the span of 2 or 3 weeks and that's crazy to me. So they were seemingly doing good, and they found Rick, everyone automatically herd to him, and everything until that point didn’t really matter anymore. That really pisses me off that he was just killed a few weeks later because they couldn’t sit down and talk things over. All and that, and despite him being driven for his misplaced love for Lori, he was still loyal to Rick in his own way. Did he question Rick’s leadership? Yes, countless times. Did he also follow his lead every single time? Also yes.

Which leads me to my next point. He also kept Rick safe. In the hospital flashback, he went in and saw what was happening and amidst all the chaos he still tried to get him out. When he couldn't, he did the only thing he could, he locked the door and barricade it. Did he know that would keep him safe? Probably no. He had absolutely no idea, but he was driven by getting them all out, and when he couldn’t get him out, he did the best he could to get Lori and Carl out of town. If he hadn't lied about Rick, Lori wouldn’t have agreed to leave him behind. Again, tough situations led to hard decisions.

And one of the hardest decisions he made was killing Otis to save Carl. He didn’t murder him in cold blood, he was with him until the end, killing him wasn’t something that crossed his mind until the very last second when he had no choice. If he hadn’t, Carl wouldn’t have gotten the care he needed. BUT people tend to paint him as a murderer for shooting him in the leg. It wasn’t right, but it was the only way out at that moment. I recently revisited one of my fics and wrote that Shane sacrificed his soul to saved Carl that day and I still agree with that. I don’t think he purposely hurt someone before unless he was defending himself. And from that moment on, you could see it changed him and didn’t know how to deal with that, which led him to his own demise.

Was he an asshole sometimes? Yes. Did he do or say things in a way I didn’t agree with? Yes. Did I ever want to slap him? Many times. But there was something about him, compared to other antagonists later on the show, that made him more realistic to me. He wasn’t driven by wanting to be right all the time or even being the leader. His misguided love for Carl and Lori, was at its core the things that he cared the most about and that he wanted to protect at all costs. And while I cared for neither, I think it was beautiful of him. 

I can never watch his last moments. For me, he got the right idea at the beginning of season 2 when started considering leaving the group on his own. I wish he had done that, even if that meant leaving the show. 

I’m probably forgetting something here cause I haven’t rewatched in years, but I think that’s it. Like I’ve said, I didn’t pay much attention to him the first time around, I did agree with him most of the time, it was his manners that left a lot to be desired. It wasn’t until my love for Frank got me to go back and watch some of his previous performances that I got to see Shane in a new light. 

In conclusion, he’s still the best character to me, and everyone should love him like I do. Or not. More Shane for me if you don’t. 

[pachirobi]

Agent 12 but something looks a little bit weird

eh. must be my imagination

Happy yurimas, everybody [4/3]

[iniziare]

Tag drop: Dorian Pavus

[capricornsicle]

"I'm going to tell you a story. Maybe it will sound familiar." Visionary x Insatiable x Status Asthmaticus x The Wolves of War

[galadhir]

Oh this is nice!!! I know that early 2000s LOTR fandom was extremely hard to deal with so more power to you for this one.

Honestly, I found the fandom a great place to be in those days. There weren't a lot of people writing Celeborn or even the Sindar in general, (other than Haldir and Legolas.) But the section of the fandom that I hung out in, I found delightful. Lots of really good writers, and a playful atmosphere in which we were all being inspired by each others' work and writing our own, and chatting about it with each other. I was lucky, maybe, but I have only pleasant memories.

I do remember what I thought was a thriving Elrond/Celebrian fandom in those days (although anything not-Legolas and not-Feanorian was obviously much smaller than those powerhouses.) I think it's great. Celebrian deserves a bit of development. If we want strong female characters in the Tolkien fandom we should maybe write more of them than just Galadriel, and surely Galadriel's daughter must have been special in her own right.

i think it's interesting that even in that one Celeborn is a Teler, and therefore always associated with the folk that got damaged by the Kinslaying

It *is* interesting :) I think Galadriel nails her colours to the mast as regards her support for the Sons of Feanor with that decision. And would have stood to potentially alienate herself from her whole people if not for Thingol embracing the Finarfinions and (cautiously) being okay with the people of Fingolfin. It's hard to go against your whole family for love - which is an interesting aspect of their story I don't see explored enough.

(Admittedly I haven't been in the fandom for 20 years, so it may have been done to death by now, but... somehow I doubt it.)

Also I like the version in which Celeborn is a Sindar, which also makes the marriage a mixed marriage in terms where Galadriel married a dark elf. There's a lot to be said about elvish racism in the way the Amanyar treat the elves of Middle-earth, and how that makes things tricky not only for Galadriel with her relatives but also for Celeborn with his.

I think that's sad that people ignore this and say that Celeborn never understood the real Galadriel (opinion that came from the show for some reason) or that he's just an useless betacuck with no personality because that's the only way a woman would have indipendence in her marriage, amirite? Because else a Real Man™️ would rather tame her, right ?

Ugh. This is still going on? Of course it is. Because we are more sexist than Tolkien, and we can't imagine a m/f marriage without subordination of one of the parties.

For some reason it seems to be impossible for people to understand that you can have a marriage where both people have their say - and are thus functionally equal - where one of them has more power than the other.

And yet that's easy - the one with power just refuses to exert it over the other person. They respect their spouse's autonomy because they are a good person.

Also it's possible their spouse has qualities other than power that make it only sensible to consider their opinion.

because they are your beloved and you want them to be happy

because they may have more knowledge of specific things than you and you trust their judgment

because they may have character traits you don't have and you need - ie caution, or wisdom. (See where Galadriel calls her husband 'Celeborn the Wise'. She obviously thinks he generally has good takes on stuff.)

etc

I can't believe I'm still having to argue for the equality and independence of spouses in this day and age.

The less said about Peter Jackson the better. To be fair, I loved the first film, but it was him having the elves of Lorien come to Helm's Deep that got me into fandom in the first place. I was like 'no. That's not how that happened. Do you think they didn't have stuff to do at home?' And then I wrote Battle of the Golden Wood to try to produce something that was a bit closer to canon.

If I wasn't so old and tired I would be tempted to write the story of the Fall of Eregion and the Forging of the Rings for the same reason. But omg I am so tired.

Objectively the funniest argument i've seen for the reason why Celeborn isn't in the show is that he's so boring that not even the showrunners know what to do with him and that he would be an useless baggage for Galadriel's story…

Well, they should do their job and think of something. I could do it. I could do it in a heartbeat. It's easy. How dare these people think that Galadriel's husband is going to be boring? What a travesty!

For what you say of the lore… you're right but i think that the Unfinished Tales rights are off so they cannot use them.

Oh yes, I keep forgetting about the copyright stuff, and their insane decision to write a story they don't have the rights to use the canon sources for.

They should have done something they *did* have the rights for, instead of just making up something that almost has to be wrong in order to be permitted at all. I'm sure there are an infinite number of stories that could be told around the events of LotR and The Hobbit.

What about that Haradhrim soldier that Sam wondered about, for example? I would genuinely love to see more about Far Harad and learn what lies Sauron told them to make them trek across Mordor on their war elephants to attack a city they'd probably never heard of.

You could add a female MC, a couple of blue wizards and some ex-Numenorian Corsairs and I'm sure you could mix up something fascinating that no one in Tolkien fandom could complain about at all.

(We still would complain, but it would be fun complaining and not whatever cannibalistic thing this is.)

Simon Tolkien should at least suck it up and if he was ok with Amazon's fic, to open the possibility for fans to publish LOTR retellings.

LOL! That would be great. I'm ready :)

Hoo, boy. I am definitely going to unfollow the Celeborn tag again, since it's full of Haladriel shippers arguing that Celeborn stans are harassing them.

I'm not getting into whether that's true. I have no interest in Rings of Power, and as far as I am concerned, Halbrand does not exist in Tolkien's world. I can't be somewhere where people mix Amazon's fanfiction with actual lore.

Also ship wars are not for me. I was a massive Celeborn defender during the release of the movies, and I wrote several novels worth of fanfic then. I think I'm spent.

Still, as a Celeborn fan I thought the Celeborn tag would be a great place to go to find stuff about Celeborn. How could I have been so foolish!

My poor lad! Not even his own tag is about him. Which is exactly what I should have expected, now I come to think about it.

[iiboronii]

I was SO unwell about I've Got A Dark Alley last night that my friend had to check up on me. Like it was just playing on repeat for hours and I almost cried. Anyways I feel like tonight will probably destroy all the fobbies super bad. And I'll miss all of you so much. I'll miss the live updates so much as we all watch streams together. Let's all be friends forever? I'm making friendship bracelets as we speak for each and every one of you. This might sound a little silly but I've loved this band for years and I forget sometimes what it's like to be part of a community that also loves them. But I feel like fobblr welcomed me with its arms wide open. It's been so real. Watching these streams with everyone and constantly refreshing my dash has been SUCH a wild experience but I've loved every second of it. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love you all so much and I never want this tour to end, but tonight is the night. I'm not ready for it. I don't think any of us are.

[luvevee]

Idk maybe it's fine to accept Sada and Turo are just really shitty parents who neglected and abandoned Arven instead of pulling the shortest straws in an attempt to make them seem like they were just sad workaholics who got too caught up in their work like a bad hallmark movie

[backslashdelta]

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[no-face-no-shame]

I'm kinda glad Dungeon Meshi stopped being popular because I just couldn't fucking stand the dumbass drama and discourse. Especially since ppl were just fabricating it because there was nothing to argue about in the source material

[xcziel]

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