#i’m thinking it should have been explored more/different or maybe i could just watch/read the scene a million times

[rosesradio]

i will say the concept of their first kiss, with penelope expressing this sort of grief that not only comes with being cast aside from society, but also a grief of potentially letting go of collin after having feelings for him for years…pairing that with collin’s concern for penelope, his spark of curiosity and the introduction or realization of feelings…the end meeting the beginning

[jadeshifting]

— TRAVELING THE MULTIVERSE vs TRAVELING THE WORLD

( a long-winded title for why you should never be scared to post about your niche, less-well-known or original DRs )

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔

let’s be real: everyone and their mom is obsessed with jetting off to new places in the world. you know—scrolling through Pinterest boards of Paris cafes, watching vlogs of someone’s Bali retreat, or dreaming about backpacking through South America. we love soaking in the mystery of somewhere we’ve never been. but here’s the kicker: the multiverse is the ultimate travel destination, and it’s just as exciting to hear about someone’s niche desired reality as it is to hear about their trip to Rome

so why do shifters with “niche” DRs keep holding back? you think people only wanna hear about Hogwarts or being famous? PLEASE—we want to know about the far-off corners of your imagination—the places we didn’t even know existed until you opened your mouth. sharing those “off-the-beaten-path” DRs is like dropping us a postcard from another universe, and we fucking live for that

PASSPORT TO POSSIBILITY

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔

in this reality, getting a passport is your ticket to explore the world. but shifting? that’s your multiversal passport, babe. and guess what? it’s got unlimited stamps

think about it—just like every country on Earth has its own unique vibe, culture, and history, every DR in the multiverse is brimming with flavor. you’re out here specifying realities with details so rich you could practically smell the street food or feel the cobblestones underfoot. why would you hold yourself back from sharing that kind of magic?

picture this: someone casually tells you they’re shifting to a DR where everyone speaks in rhymes, the skies are lavender, and the economy runs on fruit trading. that’s wild. that’s fresh. that’s kind of a great idea, scripting it right now—that’s the kind of content i need more of. don’t undermine your own creativity. the multiverse is endless, and your DR might be someone’s next “bucket list destination”

EVERY DESTINATION HAS A STORY

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔

let’s talk travel bloggers for a sec, for the sake of examples. the best ones? they don’t just tell you about the tourist traps; they give you the juice. they show you the hole-in-the-wall cafe with the best fettuccine, or the tiny town with the down-low annual festival. and that’s exactly the energy i get excited for when you’re talking about your DRs

take Hogwarts, for example. we all wanna know what it’s like to sit in the Great Hall or attend Potions class (trust, we do), but if your DR is, say, a small coastal town in the Wizarding World where you run a little bookshop and spend your weekends drinking enchanted tea by the sea—i’d flip a table to read about that. it’s the details that make a place come alive, whether it’s in this reality or the one next door

your DR doesn’t have to be flashy or “mainstream” to be fascinating. in fact, the more specific and personal it is, the more i’m gonna eat it up

CULTURE SHOCK, BUT MAKE IT COSMIC

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔

when people travel, one of the most exciting parts is witnessing and experiencing new cultures. trying new foods, hearing new languages, learning customs that are totally different from your own—it’s all part of the adventure. shifting is a similar deal, but on a cosmic scale

(eyeing those of us with completely original fantasy DRs) maybe your DR has a society where time doesn’t exist, the sky is a different color, or you’re going to work alongside trolls and fairies. maybe in your DR, everyone has a telepathic connection to their past. or maybe you’re in a city built on floating islands where people commute via hot air balloon. give it to me, NOW

don’t underestimate how fascinating and cool your DR sounds just because it doesn’t fit the typical mold. people love hearing about the unfamiliar—whether it’s a country they’ve never visited or a reality they’ve never even imagined

THE TOURIST TRAP MENTALITY

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔

you know how everyone and their dog wants to see the Eiffel Tower, even though some people say it’s overrated? it’s totally natural to seek out common experiences, to want to experience and enjoy the same things others are raving about. people, including myself, often gravitate towards the most common DRs (especially when you’re just starting out shifting, and you’ve been given a ticket to the multiverse that you’re trying to make digestible)—Hogwarts, MCU, fame DRs. they’re familiar, there’s tons to read about them, and they’re beyond easy to romanticize. don’t get me wrong, those DRs are classics for a reason, but they’re certainly not the only stops on the multiversal map

your DR might not have a castle or superheroes or any magic at all, but it’s got you—your story, your vision, your unique little slice of the multiverse. and if you’re wanting and willing to share it, there’s always someone out there who’s gonna vibe with it hard—probably countless people. trust me, people are dying to hear about the realities they never even knew existed

SHARE THE JOURNEY, NOT JUST THE DESTINATION

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔

part of what makes travel so fascinating is the stories people tell about getting there—the long flights, the missed trains, the odd stories in airports which are basically liminal spaces. shifting is the same way. it’s not just about where you’re going; it’s about all the intricacies of getting there (read: scripting, basically programming your destination into the GPS)

did you script a whole language for your DR? did you spend hours designing the perfect house? did you practically write a novel of the love story between you and your partner? that’s the good stuff. that’s the behind-the-scenes content that makes your DR feel real and relatable, even to the people that aren’t shifting there—to us, it’s like tugging back the curtain on the most creative film of all the time and showing everyone how it was done. you multiversal mastermind

THE BOTTOM LINE: YOUR DR IS YOUR POSTCARD TO THE MULTIVERSE

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔

every DR is a little piece of the multiverse that you can bring to light. it doesn’t matter if it’s niche, weird, or completely out of left field. the more unique it is, the more people are gonna wanna hear about it

so stop worrying about whether your DR is “cool enough” or “popular enough.” share it. rant about it. paint us a picture of the world you’ve built, the life you’re living, and the adventures you’re having. because just like with travel, the most unexpected destinations are often the most unforgettable

post about whatever DRs you want !! i wanna read all of them. xoxo :^)

[daceydeath]

I Want to Watch (Part 8)

Pairing: Wooyoung x Reader x Mingi Word Count: 2.2K (unedited) Genre: Absolute Filth 🔞 Warnings: 18+, MDNI, Explicit Activities

a/n: Sorry that this one took me such a long time to update xx

Wooyoung wants to expand on your exploration maybe a different location or member will help with that.

“How would you feel about maybe making this experiment a little more risky?” Wooyoung asked after watching you finish drying your hair. Your date had been interrupted by a rain shower which had left you needing to dry your outfit and your hair so you didn’t look like a total mess.

“Riskier how Woo?” you narrowed your eyes in the mirror at him as he stepped into the bathroom to wrap his arms around your waist.

“I was thinking maybe we leave the dorm, maybe use a few other locations?” he kissed your cheek while you put the hairdryer down on the bathroom counter. 

“I am not letting you watch San fuck me in the park or anthing like that” you rolled your eyes but still melted against his hard chest.

“No! I’m not letting random people see you” he pouted against the skin of your neck making you giggle. “I was thinking maybe private locations in other places like maybe the studio or the dressing room?” he continued his voice low as he kissed a line down your neck.

“The studio should be alright, aren’t they sound proof?” you hummed his continual kisses and touches making you pliable in his hands.

“They are and they will be very private” he chuckled, reading your compliance as approval. “Because I think we should try it out now”.

“Really? I think I would like that” you bit your lower lip as his hands ran lower to skim across the silk underwear you were wearing.

“You should get dressed than baby, I have a surprise for you” he smirked, pressing his fingers against your folds teasingly “We will leave in 10”. You almost cursed him when he suddenly let you go to grab his phone and organize a ride for you to the studio but you knew the wait would be worth it, your boyfriend knew that the risk of getting caught turned you on so you were happy to let him change things up.

Holding Wooyoung’s hand you let him lead you through the KQ offices towards the studios, it was fairly late and most people had left for the night but you knew at least someone was waiting for you and Wooyoung to arrive. Knocking softly you were slightly confused that you weren’t at the practice room thinking that was where you would be meeting tonight but your train of thought ended when the door swung open revealing Mingi his hair messed up from running his hands through it repeatedly while he worked making him look far younger and softer.

“What are you guys doing here?” Mingi asked looking at Wooyoung clearly unsure about your presence.

“You texted me remember?” Wooyoung laughed quietly walking into the studio which was dimly lit with purple lights with the exception of Mingi’s computer which glowed brightly.

“Dude I didn’t think you were fucking serious” Mingi muttered looking like a deer in headlights as he moved aside to let you in gesturing for you to grab a seat.

“Well if you aren’t interested”Wooyoung shrugged, sitting in Mingi’s chair and swinging it around “We will just head to the dance studio and forget this ever happened”.

“Wait” Mingi stopped him instantly “You’re being real right now?”.

“Yes Min we are” you chimed in looking up at him with the biggest doe eyes you could, he was the only member you had not let fuck you and you were not going to let it slip through your fingers if Wooyoung’s reaction was anything like when you had played with Yunho.

“So I can do anything I want to you?” Mingi’s voice dropped as desire began seeping into his words. You nodded, licking your lips and smiling up at him.

“Anything you want man, just don’t hurt her and it’s all good” Wooyoung smirked his eyes darkening as you squirmed on the spot Mingi was looking at you like you were the only woman he had even seen and the effect on you was instant, the fabric on you underwear getting damper by the second. Mingi sauntered towards you, the hardening cock in his pants obvious as he stopped just a step away from you.

“How about you suck his cock baby? See if you can take all of it in your pretty little mouth” your boyfriend cooed as Mingi offered you his hand so you could stand up pulling you against him easily.

“Do you want me to suck your cock Min?” you breathed as he cupped your face and pressed his lips to yours, his plush lips soft as they slid against your own.

“Fuck yeah darling” he grinned sitting down on the couch and throwing one of the cushions between his wide spread legs for you to kneel on.

“Such a gentleman” you giggled, sinking to your knees and letting your hands trace his thighs with your fingertips. You looked up at Mingi through your lashes, his eyes grew even darker as you let your hands drift to his fly. Mingi grinned, covering your hand in his and unzipping his jeans slowly, his half hard cock pushing against his boxers a small dot of precum already staining the fabric. Shimmying down Mingi’s jeans and boxers enough to free him from them you grasped him tightly stroking him teasingly before you leant forward to drag your tongue along the vein that ran along the side of his dick. 

“Such a good girl baby” Wooyoung praised making you whimper softly. You had suspected that Mingi would be big but now that his cock was almost in your mouth you couldn’t shake the feeling that you were going to struggle taking him. Mingi groaned musically, encouraging you to keep going, letting your tongue circle the blushing tip as you collected enough saliva in your mouth to help you suck him off properly. Slowly taking him into your mouth you flattened your tongue and allowed your lips to stretch to fit him as far into your mouth as you could.

“S..s..shit” Mingi whined as the head of his cock hit the back of your throat “Your mouth is perfect darling”.

“Be good and choke on him baby” Wooyoung teased playfully, moving so he could watch you struggle to take any more of his friend's length. Bobbing your head you swallowed a few times to help relax your throat allowing Mingi to slide a little further into you making both him and Wooyoung groan as you gagged and gurgled around him, your hand moving to slide along the last few inches as your drool dripped from the corners of your mouth. 

“So fucking good” Mingi stuttered his words sounding broken as you continued moving your head up and down his length. His hand came to lightly grasp your throat, moaning loudly when you tried to take even more of him. “Fuck I can feel it your throat”. 

You could feel your underwear sticking to you, every sound Mingi made was making it harder for you to concentrate, humming around him you felt his hips buck slightly forcing your nose to hit his pubic bone and choke you again forcing you to breathe through your nose. Mingi moved his hands to hold your head, one hand winding loosely into your hair. With his hand no longer around your throat Wooyoung replaced it with his swearing roughly as he felt Mingi fucking into your throat as tears began falling from your eyes.

“Fuck, so good, fuck darling, fuck” Mingi started chanting his voice tight as you felt him stiffen on your tongue before he came hard pulling your face hard against his abdomen. “FUCK” thick ropes of his cum filling your throat and mouth as he pulled you off of him, you swallowed pitifully not able to stop his seed spilling out of your mouth splattering your chest and running down your chin.

“Such a messy girl” your boyfriend tutted looking at you with hooded eyes as you whimpered softly pressing your thighs together tightly.

“Sorry Min” you rasped, letting him wipe the tears still clinging to your lashes “I didn’t mean to spill it”.

“Guess we're just going to have to make sure it all stays inside next time” Wooyoung mocked you in a sing-song voice while Mingi manhandled you into his lap. Mingi’s plush lips crashed into yours again roughly, not seeming to care that you had his seed all over your lips and chin, his tongue sliding against yours while he held you closely, his large hands sliding under your dress to squeeze your hips bruisingly 

“Wanna fuck you darling, will you let me?” he smirked, kissing his way down your neck.

“Please Min” you mewled, grinding yourself against his still hard member and soiling your underwear further. Moving quickly he tugged your dress over your head, his breath hitching when he saw the sheer bar you were wearing leaning you back he pressed his face between your tits licking and sucking across the fabric until he tugged on your nipple with his teeth making you keen.

“You make the best fucking noises. Shit man I gotta record this” Mingi babbled his large hand sliding down your body to press against your core his eyes almost rolling back when he felt how wet they were.

“I’m going to fucking ruin you darling” he whispered devilishly pushing your underwear aside and plunging two of his long beautiful fingers into you moaning when they slid in without any resistance his cold rings making you hiss as they touched you hot slit. 

“Fuck” Wooyoung mumbled the chair squeeking softly as he moved in it.

“More Min please more” you pleaded needily rolling your hips to fuck yourself on his fingers. Mingi almost growled, pushing a third finger into you, massaging your walls and sending sparks of pleasure through you with each caress of his fingers.

“Little bit longer darling” Mingi snickered his voice dark and rough “got to get you ready for me”. You choked out a broken groan as he pushed them deeper into you stretching your walls with his ministrations. “Look so hot like this, dripping all over me”.

“Fuck Mingi” you whimpered grinding against him his thumb now rubbing tight circles on you clit and making you see stars, your thighs began to tremble as your orgasm neared making you pant and whine in Mingi’s lap. Only for him to pull his fingers from you with a loud squelch making you wail as you high faded away.

“You are only allowed to cum on my cock darling” he murmured crashing his lips into yours while he guided himself to your entrance slowly sinking into you.

 “Oh my god” you called throwing your head back as his brushed against your cervix still not totally sheathed into your desperate walls, with a sharp snap of his hips Mingi filled you completely splitting you in half and making you scream as the pleasure spiked with pain made you cum hard around him you vision going dark as you weakly rolled your hips.

“Fuck yes darling” Mingi grunted holding you tightly and thrusting his hips against you roughly bouncing you as he prolonged your orgasm for as long as he could your fluttering walls squeezing him. “So perfect for me”.

“Min, Min, Min” you quietly sobbed letting his pound into you the loud slap of skin against skin echoing off the walls.

“Such a little slut aren’t you baby?… holy shit” Wooyoung grunted harshly, his breath ragged as he finished himself on his hand. Threading your fingers into Mingi’s hair you pulled him closer to you so you could kiss him swallowing the beautiful little noises he made as he began rolling his hips harder chasing his own high. 

“I’m going to fill you up darling, want me to knock you up?” He grunted pounding into you harshly, his mouth moving down your neck to nibble at your shoulder.

“Fuck yes Mingi, please, get me pregnant” you purred painting heavily as you felt the fire reigniting in your veins. Mingi’s feral growl as he help your hips still so he could fuck even deeper into you and his cock hitting your cervix making you cry out again your whole body going rigid as you spasmed around him. His teeth sank into your shoulder when his hips stuttered before hot ropes of his thick cum painted your walls white filling you so much you thought your stomach must have started bulging. You fell limply against his chest which was still covered in his shirt, your eyes closing as you tried to catch your breath.

“You alright baby?” Wooyoung asked sweetly moving from the chair to grab a bottle of unopened water that was sitting in a small fridge by the door.

“Mmmhmm” you hummed softly, not moving as Mingi panted raggedly.

“I didn’t hurt you did I?” Mingi mumbled helping Wooyoung lift your head up so you take a sip of water.

“No” you shook your head slowly. Both the boys smiled brightly, Wooyoung helping you off Mingi’s lap as Mingi switched your places, cleaning himself up and fixing his pants before disappearing to the bathroom to get some wet paper towels to clean you up. 

“Do you want to stay and we can go grab something to eat when I’m done?” Mingi asked your boyfriend moving to help Wooyoung once again maneuver your jelly limbed body into his lap so he could hold you.

“Yeah, we will” Wooyoung chuckled. “She can get clingy afterwards. Took me almost an hour to peel her off San once”. 

“Shut up Wooyo” You pouted, sipping the water he had given you.

“Cute” Mingi laughed, turning back to his computer to finish writing his rap.

a/n: Thank you for reading my lovelies as always I and grateful for your support, likes, reblogs and comments.

Taglist (open): @christopher-bangnaldoskzz @armystay89 @damnyouficc @roamingpolar

@tara-skyhold @bakedlilgoonie @krishastumblernow @mrsseals16 @fawnpeaks

@leeknowinggg @tanzen-ist-gold @taz-97 @ocean-dreamer-sky-chaser @everythingboutkpop @tunafishyfishylike

@londonbridges01 @bkimrose @pancake-freckle @pansexual-and-eating-pancakes

@skersey33 @jintastic-yuyu @hwxbibi @onmykneesforateez @skittyneos @thjksnsh @writhingwrecked

@pshcsn @jjoongstar @sanhwalvr

[heliza24]

Being a physically disabled Dimension 20 fan breaks my heart sometimes

I’ve been thinking about this since last Wednesday’s episode when we finally got a real scene with Lydia, one of the few physically disabled characters in the entire canon of the show. It was nice, but it was really just a lore dump. An excuse for exposition. A moment for Kristen to look good by expending sympathy/pity. (I’m a little frustrated about how that interaction went down. Extending the help action was nice but patronizingly touching the neck of a full-ass adult without consent was not. It was weird and not something she would have done to a nondisabled character).

I have watched almost all of D20 (still missing a couple of seasons) and as far as I know here’s where our list of canon physically disabled characters stand: Lydia Barkrock, Jan de la Vega (who feels pretty problematic to me, maybe more on that in a later post), one of the Dwarven statues in the temple in The Seven (who is not given the dignity of being brought to life like Asha), and Pete’s coworker in TUC2 who is in exactly one episode and is so unimportant I have forgotten his name. I guess you could make an argument that Gunny is disabled, but I don't feel that Lou or Brennan really talk about him or play him through that lens. So in terms of canon physically disabled PCs-- that leaves us with 0.

We do a bit better with neurodivergent characters and characters with mental health problems; Ayda (my beloved) is very well developed and Adaine is a PC. There have been some openly neurodivergent players, like Omar and Surena, whose characters also read ND to me. But that isn’t labeled or discussed in canon, so it's hard for me to know where to class that. I am going to focus the rest of this post on physical disabilities, since that is my area of lived experience. If another fan wants to write about their perspective of neurodivergence rep in the show, I would love to hear that, and will happily amplify.

There has never been a character with a sensory disability or a limb difference or a chronic illness (not a fantasy one, a real one) on Dimension 20. The only NPCs we have are nondescript, similar wheelchair users. And there has never been a physically disabled player at the table. On the flagship show of Dropout, a company founded on diversity and inclusion. It feels extremely pointed to me.

In fact as far as I can tell there has only been one (1) physically disabled performer on any of Dropout’s shows. (Shout out to Brett, you were great on Dirty Laundry.) Obviously I haven’t seen every episode of everything they have produced. If I have missed someone, please do let me know in the comments/reblogs. But it’s a problem. And Sam Reich even agreed with this criticism when I asked him directly about.

I do really hope they’re working on it, as Sam says. But why has it taken so long?

Dimension 20 has had trans and nonbinary and queer players. It has had players of many different races. I’m not saying that the diversity here is perfect; there should always be more POC in the dome, more queer people. We should keep pushing for that. (And we should also push for performers at the intersections of these identities!) But we’ve seen the ways this diversity has expanded and improved the different seasons, because diverse players create sensitively drawn, diverse player characters. They add details to their PC’s experiences that make them feel rich and alive. I’m thinking about each of Ally’s PC’s incredible capital G gender and Aabria “all my characters (even the stoats) are Black” and how excellent they all are. D20 would not be the show it is without this input.

And yet. And yet.

There are 1,000 interesting and complicated themes to explore around disability. Dealing with access. Dealing with ableism. Dealing with compassion and community care. Dealing with none of it and just being a cool fantasy or sci fi character that happens to be disabled. We don’t get any of it.

I watch my favorite show and I see myself in the ace rep and the female characters. But I don’t see all of me. I see a silent but ever present message: you aren’t quite welcome here.

I have this fantasy that I play in my brain sometimes that someday I’ll get to talk to Brennan in person, like maybe if I buy a VIP ticket and risk Covid to go to a live show or we run into each other on the street or something. I am able to look him in the eye and articulate why he NEEDS to include a physically disabled player in an upcoming season. I reference the ways he’s talked about inclusion and writing diversely on Adventuring Party. Maybe I hand him a handwritten letter, or hell, a printout of this post. And because he really cares about diversity and his shows and his fans he would listen to me, and cast a physically disabled performer in the next season.

But I think that might be giving that nondisabled man (whose work I adore, who I respect so much) too much credit. Because he’s had Jennifer Kretchmer, a physically disabled actual play performer, on adventuring academy to talk about access in gaming. He’s hired disability consultants. He knows about physically disabled people, enough to give us shoutouts as inconsequential npcs. And he still hasn’t thought to include us at the table. In over 20 seasons. None of that other stuff matters if we aren't given a seat at the story telling table, and the agency to craft our own narratives equal to other participants in the game.

When Lydia was telling her story in the last episode, I kept wishing for a prequel, where she is more than a plot delivery device and a kind but unimportant parent. I want to know about her adventures with her adventuring party. I want to see a talented, wheelchair-using actor play out the scene when she decides to put the gem in her chest. I want to hear about what happened after. I want to know how she survived. I want it so badly it hurts.

I am in the process of trying to find new indie actual plays that feature more disabled talent. I am learning how to GM myself so I can tell these kinds of stories. But it’s not the same as being a fan of something. Sometimes I don’t want to have to make my own representation. Sometimes I just want to turn on my favorite tv show, the one that I have cosplayed from and written metas about and loved whole heartedly, and see myself included.

If you’re another disabled or neurodivergent fan I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. If you’re not, I’d love for you to reblog this. I would love for the absence of physical disability in this show to be a topic of fandom conversation, at the very least.

[hotdaemondtargaryen]

PHIA SABAN INTERVIEWED FOR CONTENTMODE MAGAZINE.

CONGRATULATIONS ON HOUSE OF THE DRAGON! HOW HAS THE PROCESS BEEN SO FAR?

"Thank you! It’s a cool thing."

"When we’re working on it we’re in our own little microcosm with each other and those characters, and now it’s coming out and we’re seeing it all link up and become something else."

"It’s very new to me."

"Acting on screen still feels very new to me."

"I am so lucky to get to work with this group of people, they are so clever and loving."

"Recently we’ve been promoting the show and have been asked for opinions and explanations about our characters and the story."

"I’ve found it a new and funny facet of the job, to be asked sometimes to represent myself and speak from the character and for the bigger picture."

"It can feel different from acting, where you engage with the contradictions and spend more time with the mystery and the magic than the answers."

"I guess I’m saying that I’ve found this process contains multitudes."

"And watching the show is surreal — there are all my pals in wigs!"

MANY DIE-HARD GAME OF THRONES FANS HAVE READ THE BOOK SERIES AND ANTICIPATE PLOT POINTS IN THE TELEVISION SERIES. HOW DO YOU PROVIDE A FRESH TAKE ON FAMILIAR MATERIAL?

"It’s major to be part of something that people already feel passionate about, but it’s also exciting to have the chance to subvert expectations."

"It’s fun to make up little secrets that only you know about."

"As a viewer, I always like to be surprised anyway."

"I think it’s important (and fun) to have some irreverence for the genre so that you’re not patronizing your audience."

"The hope is to be part of something that challenges people!"

YOU'VE FOUND SUCCESS IN THE FANTASY AND DRAMATIC GENRES. ARE THERE ANY OTHER GENRES YOU'D LIKE TO EXPLORE?

"Yes! I miss being in plays so much."

"I cannot wait to be in the theater again."

"I’ve never been in a film, I’d love to make an independent one."

"Oh! To be in something people call a ‘picture’!"

"Recently I’ve been fantasizing about learning motion-capture and playing some sort of animal or creature."

"I’d love to be part of a suburban coming-of-age film, like the ones I obsessed over growing up."

"I’d like to do a great limited series, an intense crime one."

"And I could narrowly avoid being eaten by a shark, or an alien."

"I have dreams of doing a time-spanning project."

"I’d like to be the voice of an animation!"

"I‘d love to have a go at the present day."

"And maybe a dystopian future."

"And a Western?"

"I always want to do something funny."

"And strange."

"There are so many TA and filmmakers I admire (I won’t list them but they’re always being lovingly scribbled in my notebook.)"

"I’ll learn Norwegian and French for them!"

"I’m excited to keep finding new people too."

"More than all these, there are so many more things I hope to do, if I’m lucky."

"Not that I give it much thought or anything…"

HAS YOUR REAL LIFE INSPIRED YOUR APPROACH TO YOUR CHARACTER IN ANY WAY?

"Sometimes a character can be an expansion pack for your real life, like a new way to see things."

"So maybe it’s more that the fantasy inspires your real life!"

"It’s been really fun to explore Helaena’s interests."

"I’ve thought quite a lot about bugs."

"I get a huge kick out of investigating how her mind works and finding all the ways her’s overlaps with mine."

"I do lots of people-watching, which is great because now when I’m staring at people on the bus I can tell myself that I’m ‘working’."

WHILE FANTASY CAN SEEMS UNTETHERED FROM REALITY, DO YOU THINK IT CAN REFLECT THE REAL WORLD?

"Haha I hope so, otherwise that would be boring!"

"I suppose these stories are full of archetypes, which should mirror universal truths."

"But maybe that’s just good TV?"

WHAT TYPES OF NARRATIVED DO YOU FIND YOURSELF DRAWN TOWARDS WHEN READING SCRIPTS AND CHOOSING ROLES?

"Something surprising and honest that doesn’t tell me what to think!"

"And I love it when a script lets sad things be funny."

WHAT INSPIRES YOU AS AN ACTOR?

"Other actors, a lot."

"On a good day, almost everything can…"

"That might be one of the best things about being an actor."

[the-auguer]

I just couldn’t write a Belphie POV for my fic fear of falling apart (shameless plug) and I was wondering if it’s because I just don’t like him. In simple terms, yeah. But in not so simple, it’s cause I just can’t understand him or get into his head.

Warning: a whole rant is ahead. Just for my peace of mind.

While I don’t personally like Belphie, I do have a certain appreciation for his character. He is interesting, but what’s more interesting is what he could have been. I feel as though he could have been developed a LOT more into a really layered character that had a complex and interesting relationship with the MC after the whole Lesson 16 debacle. But it was such a massive waste of time. More than half of the entire first season was building up to the Belphie confrontation and all of the juicy, crunchy interactions and character moments that would have to follow an event like what happened. But it just didn’t happen. I’m not talking about the lack of apology or the canon “awkwardness” that the MC had to fix. The fallout, the consequences, of that entire situation should have been meaty. And obviously, everyone reacts to trauma differently so it’s hard to put that in a self-insert game, but there should have been dialog/action options or plot progression. PLOT PROGRESSION. Diavolo and Lucifer just inadvertently got the only human without magic in the exchange system killed on their watch. Simeon and Solomon— and VERY MUCH Solomon— should have been fucking on that. We could have had higher stakes than ever, even more than whatever forced “Celestial War” bullshit that Nightbringer tried to pull. Instead we get another 4 lessons of fluff and hyjinks. 

All that tension, all that suspense crashes down and is wiped away in an instant, leaving the player to wonder if the whole Belphie thing was even that big of a deal in the first place. 

I think that a really, really compelling dynamic could have been born from Belphie… not apologizing. Or apologizing but for the wrong things. He took the demon threat that had been hinted at with nearly every demon brother and fucking hammered it home. The MC couldn’t do a damn thing and just died. Just like that.

Just… there were so many different directions the game could have gone to really flesh out the Three Realm Student Exchange aspect of the world, and make Diavolo a character that isn’t just secretly super interesting. Or even just to make any characters other than Mammon and Lucifer (the faves) a little less two dimensional. Maybe even explore what it is to embody sin and still love. Finding love despite or because of that sin. Idk, I’m just a home fanfic writer.

But it pains me to see a product that had so much potential, a CHARACTER that had so much potential, get squandered.

Long rant told shortly, I don’t write Belphie because I just can’t. There’s nothing for me to extrapolate from. Lesson 1 - 16 Belphie is a different person from who emerges afterword. And I just can’t compute who he is, what his motivation is, what his wants are. I can’t get into his head or even make something up for him yet.

Anyway, if you read this far thanks :P

[rocketturtle4]

Be My Favorite - When is the present actually the future?

I’m pretty sure writing this is about to consume my entire Saturday but by the time I wake up tomorrow La Pluie will have been out for 6 hours and my Sunday brain will have other things to think about! (it actually only took about half of it so I'm considering that a win)

I have read through my Tumblr feed for people’s thoughts on the latest Be My Favorite episode and I absolutely have to share because I found that while ideas and themes explored mirrored my own thoughts, the conclusions people were putting forth about where the show might be going were completely different.

(Posts I don't specifically reference in this but that which I definitely read and you should too include @syrena-del-mar and @shouldiusemyname here and @chickenstrangers here )

Also shoutout to @bengiyo because I used your sarge watches to reduce how much I had to go back and watch things.

LETS CLOWN

(am I, am I using it right? I have so many questions about the LINGO and I don’t know who to ask)

My Hypothesis: Kawi is going to be faced with the ultimate choice of remaining in the past or the present when the crystal ball runs out of charge and he will choose to remain in the past where he must face his uncertain future.

Okay, stay with me please

Question 1: When is Kawi actually in the present?

Last week I made a throw away post about the time travel being a metaphor for being unable to skip ahead in life without consequences. In particular this scene (a flashback at the very end of episode 4):

Got my brain thinking about how Kawi and the people around him freeze in their character development whenever he jumps forward, so maybe his present is actually in the past.

EVIDENCE

Timeline 1: OG Future

In this timeline Kawi essentially froze the moment the crystal ball was broken. In the OG Future he is distantly acquainted with classmates, sad for the death of his father (from whom he was distant), distant from Max and has never drunk any alcohol. This is all directly reflective of where he was at the time he broke the crystal ball.

Timeline 2: Future 2 – He’s Pisaengs best man

In this timeline he’s been back in the past, and acted very unlike himself because he assumes he's dreaming. At the end of this timeline he ends up in the very early stages of becoming Piseang’s bestie. We have not yet had serious (feelings) tension between Piseang and Kawi, only a single night of bonding and I would argue that in this particular future timeline, Piseang is not in love with Kawi. He has become a platonic bestie (something that could never happen without the time skip) because these were the emotions Kawi and Piseang had for each other in the past even if these were pretty fledgling emotions when Kawi left. (Also, Kawi now drinks heavily, something he did for the first time in this immediate past when he thought it was a dream).

Timeline 3: Future 3: Piseang is in love with him and abandons his own wedding.

In the past Kawi is more intentional with his actions to change things. We also see his confusion around how he became Piseangs best man because as Kawi continues to grow and learn this option doesn’t make sense (But as a frozen version of the previous past's future…) (I'm losing track of the tense I can feel it)

In this timeline we have only progressed slightly further through the past but all the development was around Kawi and Piseang and Piseang’s growing feelings  (Piseang getting Kawi the plushie happens in this Future’s linked Past). And we come forward to Piseang finally giving into his feelings and kissing Kawi. This scene is very similar to Piseang almost kissing Kawi in the past in the following episode (episode 3) when they fall over because in Piseang’s arc these things happened at a pretty similar point in time, its just that in this future he was frozen at his point of realization until Kawi’s consciousness returned to his body on the morning of Piseang’s wedding. He could only act after Kawi was back to being old!Kawi, because of things being frozen.

Timeline 4: He’s Famous and it’s a mess

In the linked past here, Kawi has JUST debuted as a lead singer, has turned down Piseang kindly but Piseang has made his devotion clear, has decided to date Pear ‘because he’s in love with her’ BUT Pear is feeling uncertain about her place in Kawi’s life (evidence: both the bar scene with Not, and the hospital scene) and is friends with Max again. (Also I'm not sure if I already linked @lurkingshans post with Kawi 'interupting his own growth arc midstream.' it definitely kicked my brain into gear)

In the future he is a famous singer, distant but close to Piseang, and friends with Max (why has Max stuck with him huh?) also Not and Pear and Kwan provide, in my opinion, strong evidence for their frozenness because we’ve just seen in the past that Not has feelings for Pear and Kwan has feelings for Not, and this is the exact feelings scenario we get in the future. There has been no change. They're frozen in their feelings from 12 years ago.

We also have had posts about the idea that Kawi has gotten drunk and kissed Piseang multiple times through this jump. (Which makes perfect sense if you freeze his character at this exact point of uncertain feelings that are being ignored) (@piningintrovert here) (also this post where for some reason my @ won't let me tag dropthedemiurge IM SORRY) (also here) @becomingabeing

Also his alcoholism is spiralling because he has not learnt anything about drinking responsibly in the (mere days/weeks) it’s been since episode 1 started (and alcoholism is definitely more complicated, but in this specific context you have an individual that’s just started drinking heavily because they’ve discovered alcohol and their life is super confusing and these habits aren't checked or changed because his growth is frozen, there are simply the consequences) (not saying this is the case just the case in the context of this theory)

Counterpoint

Kawi’s dad has survived surgery in the past but is still dead in the future.

I don’t necessarily think this is strong evidence against my point but it’s worth mentioning.

Question 2:

How does Kawi’s Memory Work in these Futures?

This is a separate thread but it’s related to my theory because in Timeline’s 2 & 3, Kawi appeared to have no memory of the intervening years. (Inference: He hasn't really lived them)

Timeline 4 was a little different but the memories seemed to need specific triggers (speaking aloud, seeing a person) to come back. We saw in his arguments with Pear and Piseang that he DID seem to gain and settle into his memories more as he thought about the intervening past (intervening past = the time between when he left the past and arrived in Future 4).

We see 2 different flashbacks of the ‘Pear leave’s Kawi’ moments. 1 seemed to be Kawi remembering (trigger is when he sees Pear for the first time). 2 seems to be Piseangs own memories (flashbacks are always so frustrating because who is remembering? Is Kawi remembering this too?.

Kawi also just slips into being less jaded and work focused than his (frozen) future self apparently is. (Sudden carfree metaphorical ocean romp definitely relevant here)

ALSO Kawi freaks out about his own memory in episode 7 3/4 10.30 (re Piseang’s new number) (this almost felt like young!Kawi was overlayed with old!Kawi and so we were getting conflicting reasons for the memory lapse (is he sick? did he call Piseangs old number as young!Kawi without thinking?)

Counterpoint

The scene at the very end of episode 7 threw a small but solid spanner in the works of my brain because when does this scene take place? Piseang says eight years, original jump forward was 12 (I think) so therefor this is in the intervening years. Which I kind of thought of as frozen/fairly nonexistent (Except specifically when a character thinks about them) so I am not sure how this scene fits in.

This could be something Kawi will specifically think about before going back in time

(see this post for more clowning @sparklyeyedhimbo)

(side note, his jacket looks super similar to the flashback jacket in this counterpoint scene - it's not the same one though)

How old is Kawi’s brain?

I also made a throw away post about this last week, I have no clearer thoughts on this except that it’s intriguing to ask how old the Kawi traversing between the past and the future actually is? This post is so long I’m just going to link it. It’s not very fleshed out.

Side Point

One thing that floated into my brain while thinking about all this was the recent Step By Step episode and the dissatisfaction everyone felt about the time skips. So often used as a means of progressing a characters life while rarely showing meaningful character growth.

Could this whole show be a commentary on time skips and their conceptual flaws as a means of fast-tracking character growth?

I think it’s a bit of a reach, but I also don’t tend to read into directors/creators intentions as much so I thought I’d put it out there for people to chew over.

Additional hypotheses/questions I’m chewing on:

Q: Will his dad survive if he chooses to stay in the past to take care of him?

Q: How many sets of memories does he have, does he remember any of the intervening past between main past timeline and future 2 and main past timeline and future 3? Are the memories getting overlayed?

Conclusion

 As @lurkingshan pointed out, Kawi interrupts his character growth when he jumps forward in time. We have to go back in time to keep growing. Yet we’ve gone back and forward and back and forward 4 times now and the future is always messy because the characters can’t live on without change for 12 years and still grow together. I could absolutely see the show choosing to go in the direction put forth by @wen-kexing-apologist and @stuffnonsenseandotherthings here also @lurkingshan and @ginnymoonbeam have interesting thoughts about Kawi having to stop trying to change the future and live with his choices to move forward.

It's just that I think he is going to do that in the past giving up his chance to jump forward without growth. Because he has to choose not to know where he is going, to truly live in the present.

Savy?

(please point out all the holes in my theory, I am so invested I need some PERSPECTIVE)

[sugarcoatednightshade]

finally got around to watching The Unsleeping City and I'm so obsessed with Pete. immaculate vibes. perfect character.

Anyway I'm halfway through episode 8 and I can't stop thinking about the previous episode, We Need to Talk About Pete. Especially that scene where Robert Moses shows him that video of Kingston admitting that he'd kill him if necessary, and Pete assumes that it's just taken out of context. Which is funny and sorrowful because this is a rare instance where context makes his statement 1000x worse.

And I had to pause Subway Skirmish and write this quickie just exploring what would happen if Pete heard the whole conversation, terrible context included. Its mostly work for word until the end, the only difference being that Ricky agrees more with Esther and basically proposes an intervention, which gets to Pete in a whole other way.

I'm predicting that Pete and the gang make up almost immediately. Either at the end of this episode or the next one. Which is really sweet and affirming, but I love the idea of pvp and Pete actively fighting the rest of the group, maybe embracing being the voice of nightmares as well as dreams, isolating himself with nightmares, etc.

Anyway, I cant finish the episode I'm on until I post this. mom said. Enjoy 1.5k I literally wrote instead of sleeping. This is a first draft, unedited, probably full of needless angst and grammatical errors, I wrote it in like an hour and refuse to read it again. Enjoy.

Robert held the phone out to Pete. Its screen showed a video cued up to play.

“Listen, kid, I’m not trying to force you into anything here. I just want you to have all the information, know who you’re really working with.”

“I know who I’m working with,” Pete lied. But he was looking down at the screen which showed his new – friends? Associates? Comrades in arms? – sitting down at a table. The angle was high and the quality kind of shit, like it was taken from old security footage, but Pete could clearly make out Kingston’s expression, frozen in something like rage. It was a weird expression on him, one Pete hadn’t seen in all the time he’d known the man.

“Just look,” Robert said. “Come to your own conclusions.”

Pete takes the phone away from Robert, hating himself for it. But, goddamn it, despite it all, he was still fucking human. Even knowing Robert’s game – he could practically smell the shit he was talking – he couldn’t pass up on free information. If only so that he could know what Robert knew, so he couldn’t use it as extortion later.

Yeah, Pete thought, real convincing.

He pressed play. The image on screen jumped, showing a much calmer and collected Kingston. It was reassuring for all of one second, because when the recorded Kingston opened his mouth, the words he said sent Pete’s stomach rocketing to the floor.

“I mean, here’s the truth Alejandro if things get out of hand, we put him down. Straight up.”

He barely hears Kugrash’s and Sofia’s protests, ignores the revelations that Kugrash has human kids and a whole human life he abandoned, stuck trying to process what he just heard.

Kingston is speaking again, saying that ten out ten times he’d choose the city over Pete and that’s fine, really, that’s fine. Pete’s not selfish enough to thing that he matters more than the entire population of New York City. And Kingston is supposed to be the voice of the city or something. It’s basically his job. Pete should be used to people in his life choosing their careers over him.

Sofia asks a question that’s been bothering him for a while, and Alejandro answers confuses him at first – he talks about someone named Jackson and a Concrete Order and some other things Pete doesn’t really understand until…

“It is not fair to the people who have come to this city or have been born here and lived here their entire lives, that their wellbeing, safety, and in fact, even their life or death should be thrown into chaos because of what amounts to often a joke.”

Pete thinks back to the bug monsters that had attacked Astoria. Despite all the destruction and chaos and death, at no point had he sensed any real malice coming from them. They had been excited and grateful and fully unaware of why what they were doing was wrong. To call them evil implied that they knew right from wrong and actively chose it, but they were just doing what they did just because.

Alejandro had become more animated as he spoke, gesturing wildly with his hands, but now he lowered his voice enough that Pete had to raise the volume and lean in to hear it. “Peter actively courts the darkness more than the light.” Alejandro’s back was turned to the camera, but Pete could see the way his shoulders hunched forward, as if he were sharing some great secret or revelation.

Suddenly his hands feel clammy with sweat. He wants to pause the video but can’t, can’t let Robert know that any of its getting to him, so instead he watches as a group of people talk about him like he’s something dangerous, talk about locking him up – you guys have to tell me if you’re cops, right? – and taking his drugs and putting him down like he’s infected. Like he’s a rabid dog that can’t be trusted not to bite.

And, looking around, Pete hates to admit that they’re right. What defense does he have, sitting in a vampiric nightclub filled with dead-eyed humans selling their bodies for a little cash? What defense does he have when he’s so used to that stare that it barely registers? How many times has he sold drugs to people with that same look in their eyes, desperate and empty?

Pete knows what kind of person he is, what kind of people he runs with. And like Robert had pointed out, he’s not exactly subtle. Pete knows he’s dirt. Robert called him a businessman. Kugrash seems to think he’s just some troubled kid who needs a little guidance. Kingston and Alejandro think he’s a ticking bomb.

But Pete knows what he is. He’s a homeless drug dealer who sells to monsters and children, whose only friends are nightmares and people who want him dead. Fuck them, he thinks, who fucking needs them.

Some girl – Esther, he thinks, but it’s hard to remember when her back is to the screen – voices her support of Kingston.

Ricky is facing the camera, so Pete can see his face when he agrees with her. The grainy footage blurs his features, but he still looks sad when he says, “Obviously, Pete needs help. He’s not in a good state physically, financially, or mentally. He a danger to the city, sure, but he’s just as much a danger to himself. I’m not saying we lock him up, but what if we just supervised him. Helped him get clean and sober, and then maybe that would help him calm down a little, give him a little more control over what he’s doing.”

Hearing Ricky – perfect fucking Mr. March with his washboard abs and crest-white smile – talk about staging an intervention is almost more painful than watching Kingston plan murder.

How fucking dare they. What, they know him for one fucking week and decide it’s their business what he does with his life. They’re total strangers, who cares if they think he’s dangerous. Of course he’s dangerous; it’s New York fucking City, everyone here’s dangerous. The people right now discussing his murder probably more dangerous than he is. But them coming after his livelihood? His medicine? Sure, he could probably live without the coke and shit, but what happens when they come for his anti-psychotics? His Zoloft? His Testosterone?

Would they decide that’s unnecessary too, decide to take that away from him for his own safety?

Sofia, previously his strongest defender, looks to be agreeing with Ricky. Only Kugrash is pushing back, talking about self-medication and withdrawal. But Kingston’s talking over him and then the video cuts, ended, back to the paused scene showcasing Kingston mid-yell.

A voice from the corner of his mind he’s beginning to associate with his magic speaks. They know nothing of your struggles… they do not know your pain as we do… they would have you imprisoned or worse, without trial or jury… we can help you escape…

A shadow appears in front of him, and Pete nearly jumps out of his skin. But its only Robert asking for his phone back. Pete hands it over without a word.

“I hope you have considered what you have seen.” He says.

“I might need some time to think it over,” Pete says, which is true. “I know the area, I might head across the street a get a drink.”

Robert frowns. “Why go to another bar and pay when you can get drinks here for free?”

His tone immediately sets Pete on edge. Between his dad, Alejandro, and now Kingston and Ricky, he’s so goddamn tired of men telling him what to do. And Pete’s not some fresh teenager new to the scene; he’s not stupid enough to accept free drinks from a suit.

“No, actually, I think I’d really rather leave.” He says, moving to the exit. Robert lets him leave.

On his way out, Pete catches sight of his reflection in a mirror. It covers a wall of the club floor to ceiling. What he sees reminds him of that one vampire movie, Van Helsing. Most people in the club vanish in the mirror. It’s just him and Robert and the other humans reflected. Robert excluded, Pete thinks that he fits right in with this crowd. It’s his first time seeing his own reflection in days; bloodshot sunken eyes and unwashed hair, his skin visibly damp with sweat.  He looks like any other homeless junkie. How could anyone think he’s dangerous? How could anyone think he’s an important player in this game?

The mirror people stare back without seeing. The voice of magic whispers… but you are important… you are important to us…

Pete turns to keep walking, makes his way out onto the street now bustling with city life. He was stupid to think this new group of friends wouldn’t fall apart or turn on him. They were too good to be true anyway. How could he have forgotten that he belonged here in the gutter with the rest of his people. Homeless junkies and petty thieves.

He wouldn’t forget again.

[rawliverandgoronspice]

Gantober #10 - Depths

Today, a short snippet of a vague TotK-adjacent story about this Ganondorf's childhood escapade! And including an arbitrary headcanon I played with, aka: Sage of Lightning being Ganondorf's younger sister.

Enjoy!

---

“Hey, slow down! I’ll tell mommy if you don’t wait for me!”

Ganondorf ignored his sister’s worried squeaks. She had bugged him all morning when he had tried to enjoy some rare alone time: she had wanted to know what he was reading, pinched his sides with weak jolts of electricity when he had refused to answer, and despaired at his cold disinterest in a shared play time. At the height of his annoyance, he had snapped his book shut and offered her his very worst smile. Do you want to go play explorers? he had asked, and of course the stupid brat had seen nothing concerning about that.

He would have gladly lost her in the upper layers of the ruins near Gerudo Town if she hadn’t been so insistent, following his long strides with a clumsy resolve he admired just as much as it drove him up the wall. Not losing her for real, of course. Just a little scare. She was the only child who wasn’t at least a bit afraid of him —and in the palace, her tears were so quickly comforted. Their mother the chieftain would throw some harsh words his way: that he was to be king and so ought to act with even more self-control than the noblest of their sworn personal guards, that power should never make room for cruelty. His sister would be hugged, and he’d be called callous in a way that itched.

But here, there was only him and the dark. If she cried, she would need to wipe the snot off her nose all on her own.

“Wait for me!”

He didn’t. Hopping past fallen rocks half-submerged in the sand, Ganondorf took a sharp turn left —froze.

The floor dropped into a hole.

It wasn’t a large hole. He could easily fit in, but his mother might have gotten stuck if she had tried to squeeze through. Underneath was pitch black darkness. Faint red, maybe. Or faint green?

Ganondorf knelt, and plucked a stone from the floor before dropping it in. The pebble was swallowed, its fall completely silent. Nothing ever echoed back to him.

“What is this?”

His sister loomed over his shoulder, nosy as always. He stared at her: her green pupils blown wide, mouth agape. Pointed ears. The kind he did not have. For a brief instant, he imagined pushing her down there, or rather: plummeting himself. There was an alluring call to that long drop. A chill ran down his spine. Something down there... yearned. The knowledge was both visceral and unquestioned. And somehow, the fear that should accompany that knowledge refused to take hold.

His sister’s fascination, however, took up a different shade. A paler one.

She gasped, plunging her tiny nails in his arm without thinking. He clenched his jaw in response. “It’s so deep! You shouldn’t get so close!”

“Let go,” he hissed.

“But...”

“If you can’t handle this, you should have played on your own.”

Her skin darkened in childish anger. “Stop being so rude! I’m gonna tell mommy you’re going to places you’re not allowed to go!”

“Go tell her then.”

She hesitated. Her long braid was powdered with dust and sand. A messy spectacle that would immediately betray she had gleefully followed her brother in forbidden, dangerous places. Ganondorf bared his teeth.

“Go!”

His sister jumped, hissing back at him like a stray cat. She turned around and ran off, the tapping of her soles echoing in the caves underneath the city they were born to inherit. He watched the wildfire of her hair disappear in the dark, then turned back to the hole.

Blowing between his palms, he invoked a small flame —blue, soft, the kind to bounce off its shrine across every sort of stone. The walls of the drop were jagged enough for him to climb down. He brushed his palm across its mineral skin, felt its coldness espouse the calloused bumps he managed to claim for himself in the midst of his life’s luxuries.

He didn’t even think. Blinked. Found himself several meters in, surrounded by rocks that wanted nothing more than to watch him fall. He considered forcing himself back up, out of vague concern for his sister and his mom, before deciding he didn’t really care. Something beckoned him deeper.

And he wanted to know what it was.

Long, long minutes later, far too long, the hole opened to a larger cave. Ganondorf’s magic indicated some sort of base floor waiting for him underneath, covered in moss, which he hoped would be enough to break his fall. Strange, unknowable flowers glimmered in what seemed like an infinite void.

He let himself fall.

The impact wasn’t kind to him. His ankles screamed, but he did not. When Ganondorf opened his eyes, all he could see was blackness, and the roots of immense structures of stone erected straight and far up. These looked nothing like gerudo architecture. Old, decrepit machines stood frozen and dead. Cold furnaces.

Ancient, silent, unwelcoming.

Ganondorf stood up and carefully made his way through the ruins.

[kookieswan]

Red Light - The Sweetest Promise

Nightmare!Hoseok x Psychologist!Reader

Word Count: 1.7k

Genre: Horror AU, Monster AU, Psychological horror, some Angst as always , definitely some dollops of Fluff.

Warnings: Talk of self harm. It should be noted that this story will contain themes of horror/psychological horror and also explore obsessive behaviors and codependency. Many characters are morally gray. Please be warned!

Summary: You make a sweet promise built on chocolate kisses.

Notes: Going back in time s bit! I urge you to go back and read ‘Foiled Secrets’ if it’s been a while, this is set directly after it! I hope you all enjoy ♥️

This is Part 31 of the Red Light series. Find the Masterlist here ♥️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Kisses…?” Namjoon looks giddy, eyes wide as you step toward him. You unwrap one of them quickly, almost laughing as he nearly unhinges his jaw in anticipation. Hoseok watches bemusedly as you pop the kiss into the other Nightmares mouth.

“Chocolate kisses for you since we know it can have certain affects on your emotional state. We’ll start with one and go from there to see if it makes any difference. I know sweets spark a sense of… Something for you so that’s why I chose this method.” The Nightmare doesn’t chew, doesn’t move as he stares ahead, likely letting the chocolate melt slowly in his mouth. Hoseok clears his throat noisily, drawing your attention over to him

“What about my kisses? Don’t I get any dearheart?” Snorting, you shake your head with glee. He looks almost offended by this, eyes widening as his mouth drops open slightly, wings stretching out behind him.

“No, you’ve been bad. Now sit there and be good and maybe you’ll get one at the end of our session.” Your Nightmare kisses his teeth but a smile’s there, almost cheeky in nature as he shakes his head. There’s suddenly a small groan from Namjoon, a very clear sign that he’s enjoying the sweet treat you’ve supplied. Good, that likely means progress toward your goal.

“What do you think Namjoon? Is it good?” He moans again, and you watch in awe as his eyes shift back and forth between his regular deep brown and a crimson red. They settle finally on the brighter tone as he wiggles in his seat, eyes wide as he finally regards you, batting his eyelashes.

“Delicious; so deliciously divine Doctor. Can I have more? Pretty please? I promise to be good if I can have more.” He asks earnestly, so unbelievably polite that you just can’t say no. How could you anyway, you’re clearly making some sort of headway here. Perhaps you should have brought a chocolate cake…

“Sure Namjoon. Here’s another one for you. Now, can you tell me how you feel? Any different?” He chews this time, eyes closing as he savors the chocolate. It’s quiet as you wait for his response, but it finally comes out low and almost curious in nature.

“It’s hard to describe feelings after so terribly long but I suppose I’m feeling giddiness now? Excitement? Kind of like I want to explode… I feel more trying to break through. I wonder if it will, if I can contain it; if I’ll want to. I prefer this method to ripping at my skin though.” Ripping st his skin? You never even thought of pain as an option; but it’s something you’ll definitely address down the line. You see Hoseok’s wings flex from the corner of your eye, see how he sits forward in his seat. You choose to ignore it for now though, Namjoon needs your full attention.

“More of…?” You try to coax it out of him, letting him ponder his thoughts. He doesn’t seem like he’s trying to hide anything, eyes searching yours as he squints. If anything, he’s likely at a loss for words and overwhelmed. Having your feelings go in and out can’t be easy…

“More of everything. I feel more, I’ve always felt more and that’s always been the problem. It’s caused so much chaos in the past. Fun for me, not so much for others.” It’s a known fact that Nightmares in general feel every emotion more intensely. Namjoon has had that increased even further, and so it’s a little shocking he hasn’t completely gone mad from the overstimulation.

“I see. Since you’re an empath, you feel everyone’s everything all the time. I can’t imagine what it must be like, but I suppose you’ve always had a sort of way to control it?” There must have been something keeping him grounded over the years. Some sort of technique or some other stimulus to keep him distracted? Namjoon huffs, eyebrows furrowing as the corners of his lips downturn.

“My lovie always helped before, but… Ah, but what if I can’t control it now, hm? It never stops, it’s overwhelming. I can feel your unease I can feel his anger, Doctor. I can feel it all, and in turn it becomes mine to bare. It’s much too easy to influence others when I lose it.” Seokjin, hm? It’s interesting, both the Nightmares in front of you can sense sometimes general disposition in one way or another. Namjoon’s ability is just a lot harder to deal with it seems, and so you press into why that is.

“Do you not like being able to feel others emotions and in turn control theirs? Has it always been something that’s bothered you?” Again, Hoseok shifts in his seat, eyes not on you but on Namjoon. He’s openly staring at the other Nightmare, eyes slitted. Namjoon pays no mind as you pop another chocolate into his mouth. He chews quickly and swallows, not taking nearly the same amount of time to really enjoy it.

“It doesn’t matter, it’s one extreme or the other now. Feel everything or feel nothing. It’s not much of a choice, not really fucking fair I was dealt this card. Not fair, not fair, not fair…” He stomps his foot, the action startling you ever so slightly. Hoseok’s voice echoes across the room instantly, commanding and firm.

“Namjoon.” A warning perhaps, but not one that holds much malice. Namjoon blinks up at you, the crimson wavering just slightly so a softer shade of red. You smile down at him, a silent affirmation that it’s fine, that he’s fine. When you speak, you do so gently because really, you feel horrible for this man. He’s had so much ripped away and hasn’t received much empathy in return.

“It isn’t fair Namjoon, you’re right. It’s up to you though, you get to pick what you want. I only want to be able to aid you in your journey to whatever that choice is.” It’s true, you just want to help them. Help them thrive in any way they can even if you can’t truest free them. Perhaps it’s foolish in a way, but you’d rather be a fool than a monster like every other person down here.

“You were able to live with it before though, right? You and Seokjin traveled together, you functioned and were clearly happy. Do you not want that again?” Hoseok’s voice is careful yet curious, eyes scanning the other man swiftly. He almost looks conflicted, a careful smile coming to his face as Namjoon nearly melts in front of your eyes.

“My Seokjin…” His eyes turn to a pretty shade of pink, a soft dimpled smile coming to his face. He looks at you dreamily, eyes so intensely bright that they’d likely glow in a pitch black room.

“I miss my Seokjin. I want him Doctor, I want him so bad but they won’t let me have him. I’ll behave so good for you if you let me have him, I will.” You believe him outright, fully aware of how terribly both Nightmares crave each other. It would be dumb if you to keep them away from each other any longer, it would only be a matter of time before one of them gets too impatient and all hell breaks loose.

“Well, I think that we’re thinking the same thoughts Namjoon. With everything I’ve been told during this session, I believe the next step is bringing you to see Seokjin. Chocolate is one thing, but your lover…” if you had to pick between Hoseok and a piece of candy, well… The option is pretty obvious. Namjoon nods excitedly, happy giggles leaving his lips as Hoseok fidgets in his seat.

“I don’t mean to rain on your parade Doctor, but the chances of that happening aren’t very high.” Stepping back from Namjoon, you step right into Hoseok’s space again, finger coming down to boop his nose. He scrunches it cutely, wings flexing again behind him, the little cracking noises now a comforting sound.

“I’ll make it happen. I don’t know when and I don’t know how soon, but I’ll make it happen. Stop frowning Hoseok, it’ll be fine. I’ll be fine.” Placing your pointer fingers on either side of his lips, you push them up into a smile as he stares at you. The smile remains as you pull back, slowly morphing into something more smirk like.

“I’ve been good, do I get my kiss now?” He turns his wings out towards you, tongue peaking out to wet his lips. Not being able to resist, you brush your fingers against his cheek, slowly following the curve of his jawline until you’re cupping his chin again. You wonder idly if it’s normal to want to touch this much.

“Do you think you deserve it? You’ve been quite the pessimist darling.” His eyes shoot open in shock as gears up to reply, likely something teasing, maybe a little snarky, but you silence him with a quick peck to his soft lips. His chest rumbles darkly as you pull away a second later, his displeasure resounding as you step away from him with a whisper of ‘patience’.

Turning back toward Namjoon, you pull out the rest of the small bag of kisses out of your jacket pocket. Placing it in the breast pocket of his jumpsuit, you lay your hand there with certainty. Namjoon feels warm, the heat radiating though his jumpsuit nearly enough to be uncomfortable.

“The rest of the kisses are yours, a token of my promise to you; the next time you see me, you’ll be seeing your Seokjin as well. And please, no more hurting yourself if you can help it?” Namjoon laughs a true laugh, loud and excited as you pull back from him. He nods his head and hums, likely the happiest and most emotive you’ve ever seen him, and you want this version to stay.

“That’s a sweet promise Doctor. I do hope you’ll keep it.” Namjoon closes his eyes then, humming to himself as Hoseok mumbles something about intrusive thoughts. With a smile, you turn back to the door, fully intending to keep your sweet promise. In the end, you’ll either make it so or at the very least die trying.

“That’s all for today boys. Hopefully I’ll see you both soon.”

[seeminglyseph]

Swear my brain is like. “Hey, you should try and figure out a way to make an essay out of the topic of how cool Wind Breaker’s expression of Masculinity is”

And like. Thanks brain I want to have the best case scenario of a YouTube career be “nobody watches you” but also like. I think I would have to talk about the manga a lot because a) the manga only character profiles lend a considerable amount to my analysis. Those grooming products are so vital to characterization. It’s like. I know you can’t fit whole character’s grooming habits into a story organically so fitting them into character profiles makes perfect sense, and it works its way into the design elements of the characters anyway so it’s often stuff you can imply about the characters based on appearance and design. But sometimes it defies what the design tells you about the character, like Sugishita looks like a scruffy hooligan. But instead he’s a guy who gets a hair treatment once a month and has a brand of day-to-day hair care that is recognizable enough that it was censored in the notes. I just don’t know it because I don’t know Japanese beauty products very well. (If I do an essay I’ll do the research I promise, I haven’t decided yet, right now I’m just sitting outside navel gazing about a series I’m fixated about)

But I figure if I let the anime have its finale, which is looking to be a hook for the Keel Arc which I kinda figured, it was the next major arc coming up. And it will take me more than a considerable amount of time to even start let alone complete, people will have time to decide to read the manga if they want more information and I can can give spoiler warnings and start with a discussion of Shishitoren some I do adore them extremely.

And if it takes time maybe some manga stuff will wrap up and I’ll have some manga stuff to say about Shishitoren that is like. Further exploration of the community building through healing and understanding. The “No Man Is An Island” theme of Wind Breaker is really interesting and I really enjoy it, and I also enjoy the concept of like… “you aren’t being a man wrong if you aren’t being a bastard about it”??? Like. Obviously it’s a fighting anime, so people fight and have flaws and hurt people, but that’s not like… proof of them being bad people. But like… also being gay or feminine or liking stuff other people don’t like or being a nerd or concerned about your appearance or being sick or being weak… like that doesn’t make you a “bad man” either. It’s like… there’s a million billion different ways to be a man. And they all count and matter and make the whole stronger for being included. And it’s just that this show is about teenage boys learning to become men, and most of these boys have been pretty fucked up and hurt but like, they just wanna be accepted and loved and respected do good. And like. I love ‘em.

Sakura didn’t think there was a world where he could do good, and is learning so fast that not only is there, but he’s in it and now he’s responsible. And he likes it??? And it’s that’s like. Intimidating and scary. Which might actually be more terrifying than being alone. Being afraid of losing people he likes. The worst. Uggghhhh the Keel Arc has one of the best moments.

God Clover Works do not fuck us with this season 2. Tell me you learned your lesson about season twos from the neverland show. Do not fuck me with the Keel Arc. I need my feral cat child to have his feral cat moment. I need Suo to have his fucking “you won’t like me when I’m angry” moment. I need this. I mean I also need to eventually get to Tsubaki and the like… man I keep calling them El Tango de Roxanne and The Communist Child Mafia. The first one not officially, the song just plays in my head, but like it’s hard to get that across in text and like. It’s not the Police version it’s the Moulin Rouge version, because like it’s clearly the superior version obvs. And due to this being text and any video being likely to require copyright, there’s no way any version of my subconscious association will translate. I know those gangs have their own names I’ll remember on a reread, that arc confused the shit put me in the Pepe Silvia Conspiracy Spiral that is “this is a dystopian hellscape” because like. The Communist Child Mafia was like… sure, within the realm of possibility, but like. Definitely kind of wild. And the Red Light Crew were like. “What the fuck do you mean you are teenagers you assholes?!? You’re fucking bald. That is not a teenager. What?!? Oh he works at the host clubs?!?? But of course he doesn’t drink! That was my first concern of course. That he was drinking.”

I feel like I need to do so much research but I don’t even know what to research. Like. That arc still like, it in no way defies the theme of “No Man is An Island” or “There Is No Innately Incorrect Form of Masculinity” but like. The worldbuilding questions it poses. I don’t know if I’m even supposed to ask them. I might be the wrong one. This might all be reasonable and o just like… misunderstood the setting because like. A couple things could reasonably clear up a few things. Like… a few natural disasters and poor infrastructure and the city being located in an area with poor government oversight and like. Most people in Japan are aware that area has that problem locally. But as someone not in Japan I’m not aware of that history so I’m not aware of that one simple contextual clue that makes like… everything click into place. Because there are things that make me suspect aspects of that but like. I don’t just wanna throw my own bias onto things, you know?

Well I guess I do because that’s the point of an essay. You create a thesis and then you argue for it based on your own biases and how you think the text backs it up, plus maybe some arguments from other texts or anecdotes from life or whatever.

Idk. I might be losing coherence. Ideas out of momentum for now. Need to collect more data.

[nonsubstantial]

APRIL 2024 ART FASCINATION DIARY

This is another post about the art that I've been fascinated with this year. I make these posts monthly, so that I can look back and remember all the things that were keeping me happy and inspired! If you are reading this, then I hope it will be somewhat interesting to hear about. First, a collage of my interests this month, then there are descriptions below.

MUSIC / ALBUM I heard about Everything Harmony by The Lemon Twigs because Vinny Vinesauce liked it enough to feature it on his twitch channel four times within this last month. After checking it out, it quickly became a favorite of mine as well. It's inspired by 60's era rock bands like The Beach Boys and The Beatles, and the two brothers in charge of The Lemon Twigs were basically raised from birth to create this kind of music. They're excellent musicians, but I do have a few complaints, mainly that their band is a four person group that started as a two person group, and it shows. The musicians on their drums and backing guitar are unnoticeable most of the time, or even make their music worse when I really focus on the boring repetitive parts that they play in the mix. I think that it would improve things if we heard the other two members’ creativity shine a little more. On a different note, their lyrics also feel kind of hollow to me, sort of like facsimiles of themes that we heard out of the 60’s pop music that they’re inspired by. Maybe the brothers’ odd upbringing is what makes their lyrics feel like nothing more than dreamy imitations of other lyrics, rather than being something written from their own hearts? In any case, their vibe is really bizarre, but despite all my criticisms I did really enjoy this one album from them. (And actually, their new 2024 album is already out! It’s also fantastic, and I’ll talk about it on my May list.)

FANFIC / CREATIVE WRITING I've been working on a long fanfic for fun since last month, and every time I write a new scene for it I'm filled with a sense of creative euphoria for the rest of the day. It's not always perfect, but there's no real pressure to write something good, so it just ends up being an enjoyable outlet for my passions. Even if I never publish anything, being creative and exploring my own imagination is satisfying in itself, and I wish I had the time to do it every day! (HONESTLY, there could and should be time, if only our society actually prioritized taking breaks for mental health and personal wellbeing over making endless amounts of money and increasingly insubstantial products to be consumed by only the luckiest members of our parasitic upper class. I hate our unsympathetic workaholic capitalist culture with every fiber of my being, and wish that I could fucking end it all, but I digress...) Writing is just so fun. And I'll be working on the same projects for another few months, probably, as long as I can keep on keeping up with them.

REALITY GAME SHOW The finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 concluded this month, and I thought it was absolutely fantastic. Now that it’s over, we’re starting back from season 1 and we’re going to try to eventually watch it all! (We actually did finish season 1, right before posting this. It was interesting and groundbreaking in its own right, and it introduced me to Tammie Brown, who is now one of my favorite queens. Then, we started season 2 and I’m pretty sure that this is where the show’s bad reputation got its start, because I really can’t stand any of the season 2 contestants. Too bad, but we’ll keep on watching and see how it pans out anyway.) In season 16 though, there was just so much unique creativity and talent on display, and so many jaw dropping ‘holy shit’ moments, that I think it was one of the best things I have ever watched. It had the hypest final lip sync battle I ever could have imagined, and I had no idea which way it was going to end. In whole, I feel like the show was a wonderful watch, and I’m glad that our friends convinced us to give it a shot.

LIVE THEATER MUSICAL My partner and I were given a gift card to our local theater last year, so we finally used it to go see a live production of Annie! We don't live in a place where live musicals are very common, and I actually hadn’t seen any since highschool, so we had to make plans very early in the year to go watch it. And after having done so, I can say for certain that there is a unique magic to watching a live theater performance. I’m surprised that it was all performed so perfectly, even with children and a dog on stage, and remarkably, it sounded better than any recording I could find online before or after the event. It was so incredible all around that it totally transported me into a unique creative headspace. There were people of all ages there, some dressed up, some appearing more casual, but the atmosphere was delightful and jovial all around. I’m not going to comment about what was or wasn’t problematic about Annie; it’s not really that deep and you can probably figure that out on your own. But I will say that the magic of a live performance depends entirely on the energy in its room, and I was totally swept away by this experience. Without the discount, it would have been very pricey though, so I’m hoping that we can put away a little money to see a different live musical next year.

BOOK / AUDIOBOOK About a month and a half ago, I started Leo Tolstoy's epic work of historical fiction, War And Peace. I love a book that I can get completely lost in, and War and Peace is one of those books. I made it about 1/4th of the way through it this month, and even though it started slow, I’m now sure that it’s going to be an all time favorite. I read Anna Karenina years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I expected to like this one too, but there was still a sort of learning curve to overcome at the start. After over a month of engaging with it, I feel like I’ve finally gotten over its barrier to entry, and now I’m picking up the pace. Most people have heard of this book before, so let me tell you that its high-sounding title is no false advertisement. It’s a Russian slice of life book set during the Napoleonic Wars, dealing with a huge assemblage of political and philosophical conflicts, and it will have you exasperatedly crying “time is a flat circle!” as you realize that humans today have nearly the same brains and political interests that they had over 200 years ago. It is already a masterpiece, in my opinion, and I’m going to be reading this book for the entire month of May also, so that’s something to look forward to. If you’re interested in checking out an audiobook, I’m also listening to the Maude translation, narrated by Neville Jason, and I think it’s quite good! (That's it for April! But we're already a few weeks into May, so expect more Lemon Twigs and more War And Peace. Thank you for caring about me, and I hope you have a good day! ♡)

[lycanlovingvampyre]

MAG 160 Relisten

Activity on my first listen: head empty, only eyepocalypse...

Yeah, The Eye Opens doesn't sound so good... Neither does the ominous slightly different version of the Institute’s motto...

MARTIN: "I still don’t think we should have brought it." JON: "Oh, it’s better than no warning at all." Hmmm, I think one would have just turned up. Like on the ship to Norway.

JON: "Yeah, well, it technically still belongs to Daisy, so – (small exhale) I’m just glad it’s not some sort of kill room." MARTIN: "Or – (pause for a huffed laugh) Or it is, and she just cleaned it up really well." JON: (small exhale) "Yes." MARTIN: "Are we? – Are we… safe here?" JON: (sigh) "Safe as anywhere. If Elias wanted to find us, I imagine he could, but – I doubt the police will be able to. If nothing else, I’m hoping there’d be some – jurisdiction complications, in Scotland?" I always love how there just happens to be a conversation that tells us where they are (or what object this is about etc.)

MARTIN: "And if she does?" JON: (exhale) "Well. At least we’ll know where she is." And here's the information that we lost Daisy :( Gone full Hunt.

JON: (teasing) "Anyways, don’t tell me the phonebox down there doesn’t appeal to your retro aesthetic." MARTIN: "It – might. Maybe." Ahhhh, the teasing!!!

MARTIN: "You’ll be okay here?" JON: "I’ll be fine." It's so soft...

MARTIN: "I mean, they’ve finished all the interviews? Apparently they’re calling it a 'terror attack.'" From what Basira said in MAG 158 ("From what I saw they’ve been toying with the rest of the Institute, but it won’t be long until they’re all dead or escaped.") I'd call that a proper killing spree.

MARTIN: "And she wasn’t sure which ones you’ve read already, so she, she just said she’d send a bunch." JON: ""There – There are tapes in here, as well. D-Did she say anything about tapes?" MARTIN: "She didn’t mention it? – But I didn’t check it until after the call." Do you know how long it took me to realize these are not the statements Basira sent xD I thought Elias smuggled his statement to the obvious stack of statements in the Archives and Basira grabbed it with the others and sent that... Yeah, it does make a lot more sense for Elias to simply watch Basira and then express-mail his own welcome-back package.

MARTIN: "– I will give you some privacy. Go for a walk." JON: (exhale) "Let me know if you see any good cows." MARTIN: "Obviously I’m going to tell you if I see any good cows." Famous last words... Love how it sounds there has been something going on with them defining "good cows". Already told this little story in the tags of one of the MAG 160 art reblogs: last year my spouse said they're going for a walk and I know there's a route past a field of highland cattle. So I asked them where they're going and it was this exact route! Of course I asked them to tell me if they see any good cows xD The world didn't end and I got a photo of highland cows!

Overall impression of these two scenes: Their conversations are so normal... They really are okay here. At least, how far we can tell from what little we have. I'm sure I already said this in one of my relisten posts, I think it's really good for the fandom to have so little. Yeah, of course I would have loved more fluff, but by keeping this so short, there's sooo much we fans can imagine happening here. TMA has a lot of this, referencing vaguely what happened, but keeping it open for us to explore that. This is actually also very good for the horrors in the show. It’s a genre I respond very well to. Keeping it vague, let my mind do the rest. Fucking love this shit.

JON: "Right. Statement of Hazel Rutter regarding a fire in her childhood home. Original statement given August 9th, 1992." OMG, I remember exactly, what my reaction to this was. I was like "What bullshit statement for a season finale is that supposed to be???"

JON: "Hello, Jon. Apologies for the deception, but I wanted to make sure you started reading, so I thought it best not to announce myself." And then I was "Oh SHIT!" Also, I always forget it's Jon reading this statement because Jonny's impression of Ben's Elias is sooo good! So this is Jonny pretending to be Ben pretending to be Elias by copying Jonny pretending to be Jon, all while still pretending to be Jon... I hope that makes sense... Also I used this sentence one time for a friend! She doesn't really like horror because she's easily scared, but she did listen to all of TMA for me. And I had a very cool and really creepy nightmare which just happened to include one of my cats and I wanted to tell her what happened in this nightmare. But it was also almost midnight and I knew she just wouldn't read my text if she immediately had recognized it as a nightmare. So I started to retell it by focusing on my cat only to hit her with the creepy stuff in the last sentence. She texted me "I hate u" back xD and a week later we talked about this via Twitch chat during a stream of our friend’s and she was like "I thought it was a cute cat dream!" and I answered "Yeah, I knew you would stop reading if it would have been too obvious... Hello *friend's name*. Apologies for the deception but I wanted to make sure you started reading..." We both laughed so much xD

So uh, I already made a post about this once, but I'm putting that thought in here again. The case numbers of the statements are always in the episode descriptions (here 0181810 - a palindrome!!! - 18th October 2018). These case numbers always refer to the date the statement was first given, either written or recorded directly. This is a written statement, so teeeeeechnically 18th October was the day Jonah wrote this statement, and not the day Jon read it. I do think this one episode is an exception of this rule, but hear me out for a moment: If 18th October was only the day Jonah wrote this, this could mean for Jmart to have more time for their Scottish honeymoon!!!

"but that you would quite willingly doom that world and confine the billions in it to an eternity of terror and suffering, all to ensure your own happiness" Capitalism is the real enemy!

"I once asked her what drove her, what had started her down that path. She told me the Desolation had killed her cat." Understandable, have a nice day! (Gertrude is John Wick...)

"You see, the thing about the Fears is that they can never be truly separated from each other. When does the fear of sudden violence transition into the fear of hunted prey? When does the mask of the Stranger become the deception of the Spiral?" Yeeees, like colors! They're all part of the same light! I love how everything that seemed like a plot hole in TMA actually has an explanation!

"It does tickle me, that in this world of would-be occult dynasties and ageless monsters, the Chosen One is simply that – someone I chose. It’s not in your blood, or your soul, or your destiny. It’s just in your own, rotten luck." And in the next few sentences he'll say "Oh wow, that one is marked by the Spider! Must be their blessing to send me someone already with that destiny!"...

"How is Martin, by the way? He looks well. You will keep an eye on him when all this is over, won’t you? He’s earned that." Jonah!Elias ships them XD

"And there, I think, we are brought just about up to date." I have listened to the episode starting this sentence soooo many times!

Ahhh, the soundscaping during the incantation is so good!

JON: (still distorted, with shaking laughter/tears) "Look at the sky, Martin. Look at the sky. It’s looking back." [AND NOW HE DOES BEGIN TO LAUGH IN EARNEST. IT’S NOT A LAUGH WE’VE HEARD ON HIM BEFORE; NOT A SHORT, CLIPPED LAUGH; NOT A SURPRISE BURST OF GENUINE HILARITY. THIS LAUGH SEEMS AFRAID, AND YET COLD. IT’S REMINISCENT OF ELIAS’S VILLAINOUS LAUGH, BUT IS TINGED MORE WITH FEAR THAN SATISFACTION.] [HE DOES NOT STOP LAUGHING.] That was it. I thought now he lost it. Completely. I was asking myself if he could pull it together next season, or if he'll be full crazy monster. And I totally felt that shock of “Oh no, this really happened. Everything is ruined. How can this progress? How can this every be undone??” I really, reaaally felt Jon and Martin’s (mostly Martin’s perhaps) emotions there at the end...

A few random thoughts at the end here, while I don't remember my surroundings listening to this episode. I remember being in the bedroom at the end of this episode. Like specifically that thought of Jon "going crazy".

I think it's funny how MAG 160 fanart is either super sweet Jmart or total devastation of the world ending. And memes. Lot’s of memes.

Fun fact: My father in law finished S4 today as well!!! He never struck me to be a person who'd be doing a relisten, which I found a bit sad because there is so much to discover in a relisten. BUT he said he's thinking about doing a relisten right now already xD This episode is always my most anticipated one when wanting friends and family live-blog their experience to me xD

@a-mag-a-day

[greenhikingboots]

Ship Game. Answer with a GIF. No repeats. 1. First Ship I thought long and hard about it, and I think my first ship must have been Mulan and Li from Disney’s Mulan. The movie came out when I was just old enough to start thinking critically about movies, noticing what I liked and didn’t like. And I realized I really, really liked Mulan and Li as individual characters, but I didn’t like that we didn’t get to see them fall in love — just the spark of something starting at the end of the movie. I think it was the first time I daydreamed about different scenarios that could have played out between them, which is basically the foundation of fanfiction, right? So…. count it!

2. First OTP This has to be Draco and Hermione (Dramione) from Harry Potter. This is the ship that got me into reading fanfiction and actually engaging in fandom spaces. Unfinished fics still haunt my Google Docs, and I hope one day I’m going to come back to this ship and finish them. Basically, I love thinking about Draco’s possible redemption arc and I love that a relationship with Hermione helps explore and enhance it. Oh, and the angst!

3. Current Favorite Sydney and Carmen from The Bear. It took until the end of the most recent season for the appeal to sink in, and I’d like to see more positive moments between them before romantic feelings solidify. But I think they’ve got a great foundation. Plenty of conflict, sure, but relationship experts say the frequency of conflicts and the subject matter of conflicts aren’t what indicate success in relationships. It’s all about how conflicts are repaired. And I LOVE the way they do repairs together. So vulnerable. So willing to accept responsibility and try to change. Looking forward to their development in future seasons.

4. Shipped From the First Minute Josh and Donna from The West Wing. I watched this show way after it ended and found myself just wanting more and more of them. Like, they could have been the main characters instead of having an ensemble cast and I would have been perfectly content. Playful banter right off the bat. She keeps him in line. He’d be lost without her. They’re both smitten but dammit they work at the White House and that means they have to keep things professional. The pining! Do yourself a favor and go watch YouTube videos of just them. You won’t regret it.

5. Wish They’d Been Endgame I’m putting Jon and Sansa (Jonsa) here so that I have a sensible spot left for other ships. I do believe they’ll be endgame in the books, if we ever get them, so this answer is for Game of Thrones specifically. We’ve all read, reblogged, and probably written a few of our own posts about how many different ways the show went sideways. I have nothing new to say here and to recap previous thoughts would take way too many paragraphs. Jon, Sansa, and the Stark legacy all deserved so much better. That’s the short of it.

6. Wish They’d Been Canon As some other answers hint at, I typically empathize with writers’ choices even if they don’t fit my personal preference. So it was hard to think of a couple that wasn’t canon but I truly thought should have been from a cohesive narrative perspective. Maybe Caleb and Maeve from Westworld? This show went more and more off the rails with each season, so a lot more than ship dynamics would have to change to redeem it in my opinion. And I definitely wouldn’t want Caleb to have been unfaithful to his wife. But they showed us such a stronger bond between him and his daughter and between him and Maeve compared to him and his wife that, like…. maybe his wife shouldn’t have even been a character? Write her out completely, as early as possible? And then that strong partnership between Caleb and Maeve could have been something even more? Yep, that would have been better.

7. You Like But Most of Fandom Hates Do people *hate* Jacob and Bella (Jella) from Twilight? I don’t know, but I like it 100 times more than Bella and Edward, and I think that’s probably pretty uncommon. Actually, in my college public speaking class, we had an assignment where we had to have a partner and write persuasive speeches from opposing views. And I was like, “Who wants to be my partner and have fun with this by debating Twilight ships?” I compared Jella against serious research about successful relationships and ACED IT. My instructor liked my speech so much she asked me to give it a second time to another class she taught while she recorded it. I would pay money to be able to track down a copy of that. A+ work.

8. Don’t Even Watch But Ship Them Anyway Eddie and Chrissy (HellCheer) from Stranger Things. Opposites attract? Grumpy sunshine appearing but maybe not really? Outcast boy and popular girl? A ship name that isn’t about their names? DOOMED BY THE NARRATIVE? What’s not to love, you know? Plus, this ship’s fans make amazing art! And if I remember correctly, it loosely inspired a Jonsa AU fic I really enjoyed, lounge act.

9. Wish They’d Had a Different Storyline Stefan and Caroline (Steroline) from the Vampire Diaries. I’ve only dabbled in this fandom, but it seems like Klaus and Caroline (Klaroline) is a much more popular ship. They had great chemistry, so I get the appeal. But the surface-level unrequited crush to reluctant mentor/mentee to genuine friends to platonic soulmates to lovers slow burn of Steroline is just chef's kiss. But then — spoiler alert — right after they get married, Stefan sacrifices himself so his brother and ex-girlfriend can be together? From a writer’s perspective, I get that ending. Full circle, brotherly love, blah blah blah. But I liked Stefan and Caroline so much more than Damon and Elena and would have rather seen the former couple get the happy ending.

10. Favorite that was Endgame Coach Eric Taylor and his wife Tami Taylor from Friday Night Lights. Do they count? They were together the entire series and had few serious marital conflicts. So there was never any threat of being something other than endgame. But I’m picking them anyway. I love their classic bickering like an old married couple and the way they still lust for each other after so many years. And I love, love, love that the series finale ended with them making a move that was more for her career than his. Relationship goals.

[zer0cyanz]

This is a question for those who read WRoEF fanfics. This is really important and I would appreciate some input from you guys. No force though if you don’t wanna comment, reblogg or send a message privately.

So I’m working on a very long fic about the Finch family through the years where everyone is alive the whole time (meaning no deaths… for the most part). I’ve started and restarted several times but can never seem to become satisfied with the way I write their story. I think this is due to not having a fuller beginning.

See the first 3 chapters are like years apart due to not having anything to fill them with. The Finch kids are so young at that part and just having Edie and Sven do stuff is only entertaining for a while. Why I skip forward. But doing this leaves some severe gaps in the story. I’ve tried to fill them in later on but it doesn’t come off as naturally doing so. Not that I want to only have exposition explain what is happening, but it’s weird to always have a character bring up or reminisce on something that happened years ago and have it come off naturally.

Here’s where my question comes in.

Should I include Odin, Ingeborg and Johann? Or maybe just Odin and Johann but I like the potential of Ingeborg as a character.

I like the idea of this story being somewhat about Edie learning to let go of the Finch curse as she watch her family extend and live their best lives over the years. I want it to include basically every emotion you can think of at least once with a happy/hopeful ending. Yes, I have big plans.

But where my issue lies is whether to kill of Edie’s parents and brother or not. If I include them I will have a lot more I can explore plus to have something to fill in those earlier pages with, but that also means Edie won’t be mourning their deaths. The curse will still be on their minds but not in the same way. Sure the old house can still sink but this also means the family cemetery was probably never build, at least not till years later…

I want to write a fic where Odin, Ingeborg and Johann lives but I also want to write one where they don’t. The question is, which one do I spend more time on. I can’t write like over 30 chapters, if not more, on both. It simply isn’t possible with my schedule.

Which one sounds more interesting? I like exploring different ways grief can manifest and how that effects different peoples lives but I also like exploring under developed characters. I would like to add Johann doesn’t have a confirmed birthday but it’s heavily implied he’s born in early January (before the 7th at least), which means he’s born the same year as Molly, 1937. Sure, just because the wiki says it doesn’t mean it’s true, they have been wrong before, but it’s a lot more fun thinking about it like that than imagining him being born in late December 1936 (though, that would mean his birthday is the same month as Molly’s and he could be born around Christmas/New Year’s if we wanna get crazy with it).

Ok just because I can, I’ll add it as another question.

Conclusion:

Should I prioritize a story about the Finches after Odin’s death and how they learn to deal with it and the curse over the years?

Or

Should I prioritize a story about the Finches’ lives if Odin, Ingeborg and Johann had survived (or only Odin and Johann if that is what you want but again, I like to imagine who Ingeborg could’ve been)? They would still move to America btw^^ forgot to mention that I think.

Adding to that: When do you think Johann is actually born? It would presumably be the same day Ingeborg (and him) died.

If no answers I’m just gonna pick the 2nd of January because I can :))

[iwillbemeforever]

so I just watched Koisenu Futari 2022 jdrama

Man,

I have so much thoughts.

First and foremost, the main characters are aromantic asexual. As an asexual myself, it’s just so good to see such a good representation. 

The show was great and it was just so good to see people like us on screen who feel the way we do.

Sakuko is a young girl who recently just discovered that she was an aromatic asexual while Takahashi is an older guy who already knew he was an aromantic asexual. 

Sakuko is quick to claim the label because, I guess, it’s nice to know you’re not alone and to describe what you are.

Whereas Takahashi, although he knows, he isn’t going to use it out irl. He’s abit more toned down. A bit more bitter. And I don’t blame him. When you don’t fit in with societal’s norms, it’s tough. You’re fighting against it and it gets heavy and tiring sometimes. 

I understand why Takahashi buckled down and hid himself from the world and try to surround himself with some joys that he personally allow himself to indulge in. 

I loved that although Takahashi was the one that showed her that she was not alone. That, later, she returned the favor by showing Takahashi that he can live how he like. That he could be free to do. And if he didn’t like it. He can start again. Everything is everchanging. Everfluid.

This show has made me think of my own situation.

I have known that I’m an asexual for a long time now. 

My entire life.... I knew that I was different. I never felt sexual attractions. I have been made fun of, growing up. I been accused as queer because I never shown attraction to people of the opposite sex. But I was not queer. I knew I was straight. But I’m just not someone who wants to have sex with someone or someone who can fall in love with a damn stranger.

Then one day, in university, I read something on asexuality. 

And the moment I read the definition, I knew what I was. I knew I was asexual. I didn’t have to take quizzes. I didn’t have to google it. I just knew. Honestly, I was just glad to know that I wasn’t alone and that I wasn’t too weird. That people like me exist. 

Then later, I got in a relationship. And I did wonder how it was going to work because I was asexual. 

For a moment, my sexual identity was definitely questioned. Then, since I was in a relationship, I discovered demisexuality. So I thought, maybe I was just demisexual. And for a long time, I embraced this new identity. 

But now that relationship ended, I realised, nah, I wasn’t a demisexual. I am an asexual through and through. I just accommodated my previous partner. It didn’t mean that I was demisexual. 

But this whole experience taught me that identities can change and that it’s okay. It’s cool. Just pick the one you relate to the most or don’t if you don’t want to. So it is everchanging, evergrowing.

But watching koisenu futari made me wonder, am I aromantic? Like, I knew I was asexual because I had no sexual attraction.  So I thought the definition should be the same as aromantic. That one doesn’t feel romantic attraction. I guess this was something that escaped me for many years because I do want romance. Because of that, you’d think that there’s no way you could be aromantic.

But the truth is, you could be aromantic and still want romance. I really do wonder. Because I do want romance but I don’t think I ever experience romantic attraction. And it explains alot. Like I have never fallen in love with someone at first sight. Like I can admire someone’s beauty but that doesn’t mean I fall in love with them. I can never fall for a stranger. 

But then again, I don’t have to explore this if I don’t want to. I don’t have to do whatever I don’t want to.

Anyhow, I understand why Takahashi puts himself in a box. Ever since my last relationship ended, I know that it won’t be easy to put myself out there because I’m asexual. And most of all, romance and love is not the most important thing to me. I have things to do. 

But we live in a world where society dictates some stuff. It’s hard to live one way when everyone is constantly questioning it. 

I know I’m asexual and recently, I just came back from a party where my friends were talking about sex. And it made my insides turn. I felt like I never want to hang or see them again. But that’s harsh. So I decide that I’ll just reduce my contact with them. So in a way, am I not doing the same thing as Takahashi, hiding myself because it hurts to be yourself and being out in the world?

But I don’t think I’m wrong. And in this sense, Sakuko offer a better answer. To find a world of people like you. To curate your world. And despite those group of friends not being understanding, I have other group of friends. I have other friends whom I been out with. Whom understands me for me. Whom loves me. 

And so, I don’t have to hide. I just need to curate and create my own world. Yea, this show made me think alot. But yes, I completely enjoyed Koisenu Futari. Most of all, I truly relate to Takahashi.