#i've said it before i think but god this show has such a Strong cast i don't think there's a single character i dislike | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

pricklepearbloom · 9 months ago

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Hey I've love love loved your acotar fics and was wondering if you could do like a jealousy fic with az like he's being completely irrational about the amount of time your spending with one of his brothers but you only love him and he goes to elain for comfort but it ends in fluff after a big argument because as we know he struggles to regulate/show his emotions thanksss

-🥒

a/n: hey loveee I hope this is something along the lines of what you wanted! I've never done an ask before (omg first!!) If anyone else has any request, don't be afraid to slide into my inbox bb.

All I Want

Pairing: Azriel x OC (Ruby)

Warnings: just some good old-fashioned angst, not beta read

Word count: 3.5K

As the morning sunlight gently filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room, Ruby found herself in a cocoon of comfort, wrapped in the tender embrace of the love of her life, her sweet mate Azriel. The soft rhythm of his breathing and his heart synchronized with hers in a sweet lullaby. In the mornings, it felt like the world outside the haven of their bedroom seemed to pause before the chaos of the day began. Gods she loved weekends, nothing to do but relax and stay cozy Ruby mused as she cuddled in further into her mate’s strong chest.

He pulled her closer as he began to wake placing a soft kiss on her head, practically shoving his nose into her hair to drown in the scent of her shampoo. “Mmm what time is it?” Ruby lightly rasped out, voice rough from disuse. “Who cares, I intend to stay right here all day.” Azriel replied as he gave her a small squeeze, running a thumb lightly along the small of her back. Ruby smiled softly letting her brain imagine spending all day in bed.

Shoot. She couldn’t spend all day in bed. Ruby’s eyes shot open and she sat up at breakneck speed. Azriel scrunched his brows and followed her up to a sitting position. “Is everything alright? Hey, wait where are you going?” He calls as Ruby jumps out of bed throwing on her dressing robe running into the bathroom.

“I’m sorry! I totally forgot I promised Cassian that I would meet with him today.” Ruby said her voice muddled from speaking with her toothbrush in her mouth. Azriel felt his stomach drop a bit, he had been looking forward to spending time with her today. Rhys had been piling more and more work on his plate and he promised he wouldn��t intervene today. “But wai-“ he tried to get out “I’m sorry I’m running terribly late I can’t believe I forgot, he’s going to kill me.”

Azriel took a deep breath as he watched her run around their bedroom putting on undergarments then picking up and smelling and pair of pants, making a face and putting it back down before repeating the process until she had found one that suited whatever clearly questionable requirements she had for clean laundry.

“I’ll be back later okay?” Ruby glanced up from pulling her shoes on her feet and saw the slightly lost look on Azriel’s face as he was still sitting upright in bed, mouth slightly ajar. She felt a kernel of guilt tighten in her stomach. “I can cancel if you want. I’m sorry I forgot to mention it, Cassian asked me to help him pick out an anniversary present for Nesta and you know him, he’s useless at that kind of stuff.”

Her eyes softened and she crawled back on the bed placing a soft kiss on Azriel’s sharp jawline that seemed clenched before immediately relaxing after feeling her soft lips on his face. “But if you want, I can absolutely cancel, and we can stay in bed and spend the day together?” He shook his head lightly, “no, it’s fine. You should go. Someone needs to stop him from buying her an engraved horse saddle.” He sighed “I’ll just miss you; will you be back later? Maybe we can make hot cocoa and read together?”

A fond smile came to Ruby’s lips at the idea. “That sounds lovely darling. I think I should be back just after lunch; I’ll see if we can stop by the bakery to get some of those pastries that you love.” She scooted off of the bed before leaning back in for one last kiss. Azriel wanted to make it count, his hand gently caressed her jaw and neck, thumb swiping back and forth along her cheek as he firmly planted a deep kiss that sent Ruby reeling. Azriel’s kisses were always filled with passion and love, they were like a drug to her, she could never get enough. Azriel was the first to pull away, a small smirk on his face seeing her eyes still shut spinning from his kiss. Still got it, he thought to himself smugly. “I love you.” She said softly before practically prancing out of the room, taking Azriel’s heart with her.

That was only the beginning, it seemed. Azriel noticed that Ruby seemed to be spending a lot of time with Cassian. Rationally he knew that nothing would ever happen between them, but his feelings didn’t seem to care much for rationality when Ruby was concerned. His anxiety rose higher and higher as the weeks passed on, holding it all in until one day, after coming home from a long and hard mission, he came to his breaking point.

Muscles aching from a mission, Azriel landed on the balcony of the Townhouse to see Rhys. Meetings with Rhys could take either five minutes or an hour and he had a feeling that this particular meeting was going to be on the longer side. He mentally groaned, his entire body was practically screaming at him to return to his home and wrap his arms around his warm, soft, loving mate. Ignoring the buzz that’s ever present when he thinks about Ruby, he steps off of the balcony and opens the glass door and is met with a rush of warm air and the comforting scent of his home and- is… is that his mate?

His pupils immediately dilated, and his pace picked up tenfold. He swiftly moved through the house following her unmistakable scent, his ears perking up at the sound of her laughter. His ears picked up a low rumble that distinctly did not sound like his mate. His hackles immediately rose as he rounded the corner to see Ruby and Cassian sitting side by side on the couch. He was operating on fumes and all his mind saw at that moment was the love of his life with a man that was not him and all. he. saw. was. red.

“What is this.” His voice cut through the warm atmosphere like his truth teller on a mission. Ruby’s eyes snapped up to meet his and lit up with excitement “Az!” Jumping up off of the couch to greet him. She took in his tight expression and lowered her arms that were barely raised to embrace him.

“What’s wrong?” She said cautiously taking a step toward him “Oh, not much. Just came here to debrief before going home after a very long day to see my faithful, loving mate. Only come to find her here with my brother.” Ruby’s eyebrows scrunched shocked while Cassian’s rose to his forehead “Azriel. You’re out of line.” Cassian said slowly rising from his seat on the couch with a confused expression on his face.

Cassian’s defense only served to anger Azriel even more. Obviously if he was being defensive that meant that something was going on. Ruby had been spending an obscene amount of time with Cassian, something more had to be going on. “Am I? Please, Cassian, tell me why you’re spending your night with my mate when you have your own to attend to? Or is she not enough for you anymore that you had to take what was mine as well.” Azriel practically spat out, his shadows lashing out from his body reacting to his heightened emotions.

Cassian’s eyes darkened at the slight against Nesta. “Don’t speak a word about my mate. She is and will always be enough for me. What is going on with you? This isn’t like you at all.” And he was right, the emotions that were roiling through Azriel didn’t feel like him at all. Usually, he would be ecstatic to see his mate and his brother getting along so well. When they first met, Ruby had some issues with feeling welcome into the inner circle. They were a tight nit group, and she was easily overwhelmed by the depth that each of them knew each other, it often felt like she would never find her place beyond being Azriel’s mate.

“Cass do you mind giving us the room for a minute?” Ruby said gently, not letting her eyes leave Azriel’s. Once the war general gave a tense nod and slipped through the doorway to give the couple some privacy, Ruby took another step toward Azriel. “Az,” Ruby said hesitantly “I promise nothing was going on, Cassian and I were just catching up. Why don’t you take a seat, and we can talk about whatever’s going through your head?” A wave of embarrassment flooded through Azriel, but he shrugged it off, choosing to shut down instead. “Unfortunately, I need to meet with Rhys to debrief. I’ll meet you at home.” Ruby’s eyes sharpened at his harsh tone. “Fine. But don’t come back until you figured out what the hell is going on with you and you’re ready to talk.” Azriel didn’t bother to acknowledge her as he strode out of the room headed for Rhys’ office.

Following the fight, Ruby went home and sat and waited for Azriel to come back. She reflected on their little spat and agonized over every word. What could she had said differently? It pained her that her mate was hurting and that he wouldn’t let her help. When he comes home, she thought, we’ll sit here and talk about whatever is going on with him and then we’ll move forward from there. That’s all we can do.

But minutes turned to hours and Ruby still sat on the couch. A debrief had never gone on this long before and Ruby was sure that he was probably just taking some time to cool off. She didn’t move from her spot on the couch as the day turned to night and somewhere in the late hours of the night, she fell asleep on the couch, still waiting.

A door shutting woke Ruby from her slumber, her neck aching with the pain of being held in the wrong position for too long. Ruby reached up, trying to rub the ache away her eyes locking onto the dark figure standing in the archway that leads to their living area. “Hi.” Azriel said hoarsely “What time is it?” Ruby said her gaze peering out of the window seeing the light peek through the linen curtains they had picked out together “Did you just get home?” Azriel nodded unable to meet her eyes. “W-Where have you been? Why didn’t you come home last night? I waited up all night for you.” Ruby said standing from her place on the couch, leaving the imprint of her body on the couch from hours of use.

“I stayed with Elain for the night.” Ruby’s heart sunk through the floor. It was no secret that there was bad blood between the two. Azriel and Elain had an attachment of sorts until Ruby came into the picture and Elain made it very clear that she was not a fan of Ruby. She was constantly spouting vitriol about Ruby while she was still new to the inner circle, never in ear shot of Azriel of course. Eventually, Ruby made her discomfort known to Azriel and he had put distance between himself and Elain. His interest in her had been waning for some time and when Ruby came into his life, he didn’t give the Archeron sister another thought. His heart and mind set on the kind and strong female that the cauldron had blessed him with.

“Why?” Ruby’s rasped through a tight throat, thick with emotion. “Did you- Azriel did you cheat on me?” Her eyes welled up with tears as she stared at him incredulously, a sharp pain shot through her chest at the idea.

“No, no. I would never do that to you Ruby. I just...” he paused dropping his gaze to the floor. “I wanted you to feel how it felt when I saw you with Cassian.” Now that the words had left his mouth, he wished he could take them back. He wished he could shove them into a box and never let them see the light of day again because the look on Ruby’s face, it was enough to make him want to take truth teller and shove it into his gut until he bled out at her feet.

“You- you went to Elain’s to get back at me?” she said hoping that her ears had been lying to her and she didn’t hear that her mate had done something so… so spiteful. She had been trying to hold them back but once the first tear came it was like opening the floodgates. Azriel took a step forward reaching out to brush them away and to comfort her but she matched his step, taking one backward, flinching away from his hand. “I think I need some space.” She stepped past the couch that she had been sitting at all night waiting for him to come home so they could make up, but he was with her.

Azriel lightly grabbed her wrist as she passed him intending to head quickly toward the stairs that led to their bedroom. “Ruby, please. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” Ruby jerked her arm out of his grasp spinning around on him. “Really? You weren’t thinking for the entire night? I find that incredibly hard to believe Azriel. Leave me alone.” She practically ran up the stairs and slammed the door shut, locking it swiftly. She practically collapses into sobs on their bed, her tears staining the pillows still made and fluffed from yesterday morning.

Azriel’s heart shattered into pieces as he tried the door handle, finding himself locked out of his bedroom, unable to console and comfort his mate who he betrayed. He felt like beyond an idiot. What was he thinking? Going to Elain of all people? After his meeting with Rhys, he felt his emotions pulling himself in a million directions. He ran into her in the kitchen, fully intending on going home to sort things out with his mate, she saw the look in his eyes and offered an ear and some tea. A dark part in Azriel thought well if his mate was going to talk to another male then he could talk to another female. A large part of his heart ached to be with Ruby, but mess of his feelings kept him seated. They sat there all night talking and the next thing he knew it was light outside marking the next day.

If he could turn back time, he would slit his own throat before sitting to tea with Elain. It would probably hurt less than he felt now, hearing his mate’s sobs through the locked door knowing there was nothing he could do to help. “Please, Ruby.” He croaked out after hours of sitting outside of the door. “I’m sorry. I… I was jealous and stupid, and I wanted to make you hurt like I was hurting. It’s felt like you’ve picked Cassian over me for weeks and I didn’t know how to talk to you about it. I’m so sorry my love, you deserve a better mate.” Her cries had softened to a sniffle and he heard a click of the door. It surprised Azriel who had been sitting on the ground, head hung low.

He shot up, the door opening to reveal Ruby with a red nose and puffy eyes, irritated from hours of crying. He didn’t think his heart could break any further, but he found himself wrong once again.

“I don’t deserve a better mate. I have the perfect mate, Azriel.” She said softly, his heart daring to lift an inch off of the ground of the pit that it found itself in at her words. “I deserved to be treated better though, yes.” He hung his head nodding solemnly. Ruby walked back to bed and crawled beneath the sheets. Azriel hesitated to get close to her, his eyes shone with tears unshed. The desperation to be close to her was palpable and Ruby granted him mercy lightly tapping on the bedspread next to her. He wasn’t going to question her as he kicked off his boots practically racing for the bed before she changed her mind. They lay side by side turned so they could see each other. Whenever they were in bed, they were always wrapped in each other’s arms so not being able to touch her was agony for Azriel.

“What happened Az? Why didn’t you talk to me about how you were feeling with me seeing Cassian?” She whispered, wrapping her arms around herself as a way to comfort herself from the conversation they were having. Azriel reached out to tuck a piece of hair that had fallen into her face before thinking better of it halfway and pulling it back away. Ruby gently grabbed his hand and led it back to her cheek. As upset as she was, she craved the comfort that only he could provide. He caressed the side of her face, his thumb gently stroking back and forth. She closed her eyes feeling the familiar sensation, relishing in the warmth and care he provided.

“I was embarrassed, I think. I know you would never cheat on me but whenever you left to see him it felt like you were choosing him over me. And then it felt like you were spending all of your time with him and I felt like I wasn’t enough for you. Like you had to seek happiness elsewhere with someone more worthy.” He whispered back the insecurities that had flooded his brain as of late. Ruby shook her head vehemently, “I’m sorry you were feeling like that Az, I had no idea. Why do you keep saying that you aren’t worthy? You are.” She pressed not breaking eye contact with him as if to hammer home her reassurance. He didn’t deserve his kind mate. He should be reassuring her and here he was blubbering about his insecurities. “I don’t know. You are this ball of light and bring so much warmth into my life and what do I bring you? Baggage and pain.” He held his breath as he dared to whisper his deepest thoughts. As if, if he spoke them too loudly, she would realize his words to be truth and would up and leave. But she didn’t. She just shook her head sadly.

“I wish you saw yourself the way I saw you. You are strong, you’re a loyal friend,” he flinched, he wasn’t being very loyal when he went to Elain, Ruby gave him a knowing look. “We’ll get there. You are the best person I know Az. I wish you gave yourself the benefit of the doubt.” Ruby gave a moment of pause watching Azriel shake his head in disagreement “Do you think that I am a good person?” He nodded, “of course. The absolute best.” “Then why would my mate be someone terrible? Wouldn’t it make sense for the one that my soul is bound to by the cauldron to be just as good?” Azriel pondered, he had never thought about it that way before.

Ruby nodded to herself before taking a deep breath ��So. Tell me about Elain.” Azriel shut his eyes. “Gods I’m such an idiot. I’m so sorry my love. I promise that nothing happened, I was fired up after the meeting and she and I just talked. I acted despicably and if I could do it all over again, I would come straight home. Words-“ His voice cracked and he cleared his throat “words cannot express how awful I feel about it. If you want me to never speak to her again I will, just say the word. Please don’t leave me. Please. I’ll do anything.” He had never begged before, but he wasn’t above getting down on his knees for this female that ruled his world.

Ruby shook her head lightly “I’m not leaving you.” A weight lifted off of Azriel’s shoulders at her words and he began softly crying tears of relief. The rare sight of Azriel crying was too much for Ruby’s heart to handle and she wrapped her arms around her mate holding him tight. “What you did wasn’t okay. You lashed out to hurt me and I won’t just stand by and be your punching bag when you don’t know how to express your emotions.” Azriel nodded pressing his nose further into her hair taking a deep breath centering himself in her scent. She was here, she wasn’t leaving. “I’ll do better, I promise. I’ll communicate more when I’m feeling upset and we can work through it together.” Ruby nuzzled into his chest humming her approval. “And I’ll be more sensitive to making quality time with you a priority.” They stayed like that for an hour before Ruby broke the silence. “What if we took a little time off from the world? Spent some time just cooped up here, getting back into our groove and patching everything up?” Azriel let out a deep sigh a small fond smile finally taking to his face. “Yes, my love. That sounds wonderful.” They spent the rest of the day there, holding on to each other basking in the other’s warmth.

#azriel angst #azriel x oc #azriel x reader #acotar #azriel #no beta we die like men #request #acotar request #if this doesn't make sense #dont tell me

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enoughslices · 3 months ago

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You mention in one of your tags (related to the Emily episode) that you read an interview regarding Gillian's pregnancy and that some cast/crew comments were well-meaning but insensitive. Do you remember the interview or what they said?

The 90s were a fun time for music, tv, and entertainment, but it must have sucked for the women who had to deal with such a Macho and sexist Hollywood. Feeling compelled to go back to work shortly after a C-section out of "guilt" or fear for one's job "hurts" just to think of it because I know the pain of a C-section and just wanting to stay still when it feels like a stitch is going to tear.

:cracks knuckles: Let's goooooo! First of all, I can only imagine the pain and recovery from a C-section is super intense, full stop. �� I know from seeing friends go through it that it can be rough and traumatic even with access to deep rest and real support. It's absolutely horrific to me to try to imagine filming ten-days after an emergency C-section. I was able to find one of the main articles that gave me this impression, and it was this one from TV Guide, March 1995. I've excerpted some of it below and bolded some of the things that felt slightly infantalizing/not great to me. I should say before we dive all of the way in that I think part of what reading this article for the first time left me with was a sense of what an absolutely wild, overwhelming, and isolating time it must have been for Gillian, with some added 90s workplace misogyny and paternalism as icing on the cake.

It's worth going into this bearing in mind that Gililan was 25 at the time of this interview and 24 when she started the show and found out she was pregnant. She lied about her age to get the job - she said she was 27. Both her husband-at-that-time and David are 8 years older so they were ~32 when all of this was happening. Chris Carter would have been 37. She and her first husband, who was on the art direction team for the show, had a whirlwind 6-month romance then spontaneously eloped to Hawaii and accidentally conceived on their wedding day (which the full article goes RIGHT into 😅 but I'll skip ahead to the relevant bit):

A pregnancy would mean limitations on her work schedule and missing episodes - no one could predict how many - in the second season. "I knew I needed to make my decision about the pregnancy first, before broaching the subject with the producers," says Anderson. "I couldn't be wavering. Having this baby was the right decision for my husband and me. But it was like, 'Oh, my God. They did all this for me and now look what I'm doing to them.' So many things go through your mind. So yes, I was worried." Apparently with good reason. According to several sources, executive producer Chris Carter was not pleased. "He went ballistic," says one source. "He wanted to get rid of her." Two other insiders back up that claim. "They were considering recasting," confirms Anderson. "I heard a lot of stuff through the grapevine, and it was not comforting." Not so, says Carter. "I never, ever considered replacing her. It's a lie. If anything, I was the loudest voice saying: We have to protect this show and this person. Scully and Mulder are two characters that the audience has invested in, they are the secret to the success of the show, and we have to find a way to make this work." How did all of this affect Anderson? "She's grown up," says wardrobe supervisor Kieft. "Getting married and having the baby has matured her, I think, and given her a bit of stability. When she was pregnant, we did have a bed standing by, and whenever we could, we would get her to lie down. But she is quite a strong little person." In fact, Anderson missed only one episode and was back to work - after an emergency C-section - in just 10 days. "I was getting restless," says Anderson. "I wanted to get back to work because it was really hard on David, and it's the two of us up there, you know?"

So just to break this down:

Reading between the lines a bit, it sounds like she felt pretty certain that if she didn't share the news with her mind firmly made up and her feet planted, the producers might try to coerce her into having an abortion. Sit with that for a minute. (I am fully and passionately pro-choice but the operative word is choice.)

If three anonymous sources and Gillian herself all say Chris Carter was absolutely incensed about her being pregnant, he was for sure Big Mad and is just trying to cover his ass for PR. There's evidence for this elsewhere as well.

I really do think this last passage was truly well-intended but it hits a lot of points that leave me feeling uneasy. The idea that pregnancy has helped her grow up or ground her, this sense that people were making sure she rested when she was forced back to work immediately after a harrowing emergency c-section, and everything about the phrase "strong little person."... to me it just sort of betrays an environment where GA was habitually treated/perceived sort of like a little girl and not an adult woman with full agency.

Just. Ten. DAYS!!!!! It's a crime.

This next one isn't as bad by any means, but here's a quote from her hairdresser earlier in this same article:

"In the beginning," says Marsden, "she had trouble with her lines, and I think it kind of upset David because he is so accomplished. He's worked in feature files. He's worked with Brad Pitt. And he can learn his lines"-Marsden snaps his fingers-"like. But I know he appreciates how hard she works."

Now obviously, there's nothing overtly wrong with what he's saying here, and it's explicitly laid out in the article how David was the first person she told and that he was supportive. But this quote (and the article taken as a whole) provides a sense of overall atmosphere to me: she's young, she's green, everyone's already a little impatient toward her, and then she was also pregnant.

There's also this article from USA Today in 1994:

The C-section put her "out of commission at least an extra four days than they were planning." She figures everyone is "a little sorry" for sending her back to the grind so soon. "But it seems to have worked out. I think. So far," she says, breathless and bemused.

Does this mean they were originally planning for her to return to set SIX DAYS (???) after giving birth? (??????!)

In the same article, casting a bit of doubt on the earlier narrative that she was just "a strong little person" that they had to coax into lying back down:

Surprise: It calls for her return as skeptical FBI agent Dana Scully--albeit lying in a coma for most of the episode, which aired last week. "That did help a bit, but I mean, with 60 people around you and all the lights, it's not an unstressful situation."

Also in the USA Today article:

When she learned of her pregnancy in February, it defined the phrase mixed blessing. "It was wonderful news, but it scared a lot of people. It scared me. The show was doing relatively well, but it was still very young and there was the possibility of it going one way or another. It could have crashed, and I would have been somewhat in the middle of that. It was a rough time letting people know I had made this decision and deciding how to work with it, and for them, whether to recast (the role)."

I interpret that as something like: if the show had stopped doing well and there was anyway it could be pinned on her pregnancy/absence, it would have been chalked up as her fault. I feel like I'm forgetting something major in terms of crew saying condescending/sort of shitty things (am writing this at midnight because of who i am as a person, so if I remember I'll reblog with it tomorrow) but if you poke around the gilliananderson.ws archives from that time, a lot of the articles focus on or mention her pregnancy or being a new mom, and she speaks pretty candidly about having feared for her job and being absolutely exhausted and fully in survival mode. When you consider that all of this coincided with her being thrust directly into major fame, it's A LOT! This recent Bustle article (Feb 2024) on where Gillian Anderson was at 28 is also somewhat illuminating.

Thanks so much for the ask! I'll share more if I can remember where I saw it! 😅

#txf #txf bts #the x files #the x files bts #gillian anderson #txf meta #tw c section #tw pregnancy #i'll try to dig up more tomorrow #txf text posts

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joculine · 6 months ago

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DIE Issue #2 Reread (Gillen & Hans)

I was pretty hooked on DIE from the concept alone, but this issue is what showed me the story itself would be something special. Sir Lane, the knight of kisses wraps up everything special about this comic to me into one, horrible little story. I love it. Let's dig in.

Art

Eyes are a big deal through the series, but they're an especially big deal in this issue. Hans is really killer at showing emotion through them here, the guilt Ash feels, the anger Sol & Matt feel, and of course the hate from Sir Lane.

I especially love her fight scenes. They move in broad strokes, not focused on any specific sequence of action, but the specific moments of victory and defeat that occur through the fight.

That's important when you're dealing with a cast as large and unique as the party. Everyone has these super powerful attacks with over the top video-game flairs, so she has to make sure to draw your eye with color and shapes.

I especially like how red is used in this scene, a strong color associated with violent magic from just about everyone. Historically, I've associated the red licks of fire with Ash and her dictator powers, but I think that applies to all members of the party here. Perhaps we are meant to see red as the color of violent magic? Or perhaps just the party's magic?

Isabelle's talks with her gods are another standout for me. These panels are always so interesting, I love to see how each one speaks, how they treat Izzy, and how little she seems to care about them. She keeps her back to them, refuses to meet their eye, but is still shadowed in most interactions. It also looks like a persona summoning scene, which is fun to me.

A special shout out to the cartoonish look of Ash's memory of Sir Lane. So idealized & flat, the perfect way to do this childhood flashback. Everything was so much simpler then... NOT. We'll get into it further on.

Actually, why wait?

This is up there for my favorite moments in the comic. Like I said, this is where I realized what DIE was doing—this is a story about careless people ruining their lives and the lives of others for the sake of "fantasy." And it's a story about the logical conclusions of those fantasies crawling back to you and covering you with awful worms.

What's incredible is the conciseness here. In just 8 panels over 2 pages, we see the entire tragedy. Sir Lane, the Angrian knight of kisses, was a fling for young Ash back in the 90s. Maybe even her first fling as herself:

It's an exciting thing for her, to be kissed as a woman. To be wanted as a woman. But Ash barely remembers this guy. She does recall their last meeting—he joked he wouldn't rest until he saw her again, asked her to use her power to make it true. She did. He died. He never rested. His eyes rotted. A lover's joke became a never-ending curse.

We see here how careless Ash has been with a very serious power. As the Dictator class, she can speak things & feelings into being. If she isn't careful, this power will rewrite reality to make her words true. Sir Lane is only the first casualty of this we see. What other horrors are waiting for them in this world, still reeling from the fickle whims of teenage demigods?

House Rules & The Fallen

Isabelle tells us the party takes this world seriously. They can't know how "real" Die is, so they have to treat it like it is real.

I don't think anyone in this party is actually playing this way though. The proceeding bit with Sir Lane is strong evidence against it, but even just moments before this interaction, we have the party going all out on the Fallen and this nice little explanation from Ash:

You know, some people would call me a trap with legs, but I hope there'd still be moral question to killing me. Anyway.

I was really mad the first time I read this, back in 2018. Orc discourse wouldn't hit its stride for a few more years, but even then I found it frustrating. If we're supposed to believe that these characters are treating Die as real, why are the Fallen different? Are "orcs" not people? Are they not conscious? Perhaps are used as unquestionable fodder in early D&D and LOTR, major influences on DIE, but I feel like we're past that now. The easy answer for the moment is that they are more like zombies than orcs, but that's still not satisfying for me. This whole scene appears to be a weirdly out of place statement for the comic.

Let's hold onto that feeling of dissonance—it feels bad for a reason. Without spoiling too much, Ash & the party's knowledge of the Fallen is pretty sparse at this point. They know them as hungry, diseased automatons. There's a lot more to them. A lot more. As we'll find later, this statement is just wrong.

This is a really important theme for the comic: The party is often wrong in what they think and what they do. Their attitude as 90s gamers will keep butting heads against more modern TTRPG ideas. This past thoughts/present thoughts conflict will continue not just with the Fallen, but in pretty much every aspect of the story.

So What's Up With Sol?

You've gotta love this guy—the dramatics, the get up, the ambush, it's all classic GM shit. Look, he's even having to stop himself from spoiling things here, he's just so excited to see his friends again!

Okay, maybe there's something a little worse than that going on here. Sol is (obviously) a really bad friend here. He's stating that he wants to bring the party back for another game—the war is over, now we're here for fun.

Ash reads this differently. She sees him as furious, furious beyond the point of sanity.

The other players have their own ideas. Isabelle, it seems, might be taking Sol at his word, but she's trying to talk him down. Matt is, pretty rightfully, furious. He's been brought out of his normal life into the worst place in the world. Angela bargains. Maybe she thinks Sol is crazy enough to fall for it.

So what's really going on here? Why did Sol bring them back, why now? We don't get an exact answer here, but I don't think it's anything put forth in this scene. Or maybe a bit of all of it. We'll learn more the next time we see Sol.

Other Thoughts

Well, here we go. We've got our quest, we've got a combat in, even some roleplay. A pretty good first session! I do like how these early bits are all structured like standard D&D sessions.

I already gushed a bit about the art in this issue's action scene, but I also want to call out the way Ash's narration works there too. Everyone's role in the party and their powers are very clear. It's a good set piece to show what everyone can do and why they're cool.

If you're considering reading DIE, I'd try to get through at least these two issues. If you like the tone and the characters, keep going! It just gets better from here.

In fact... next issue introduces one of my favorite bits of world-building in the series... but we'll save that for later.

#die comic #die reread

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destinygoldenstar · 3 months ago

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☀️It’s Time For DRAMA☀️ - Total Drama Viewer Reacts to Disventure Camp Season 1 Episode 1 “Meet Me In Tipiskaw”

"Ah shit, here we go again..."

So I did a poll awhile back asking if I should watch Disventure Camp, an indie animated show based off Total Drama. And you guys said it was a GREAT idea...

...SO NATURALLY I'M WATCHING IT.

I think it's also a good timing because the finale of Season 3 hasn't been released yet at the time of this post.

From my research of understanding, there's a 'beta' of Season 1 back when it was a Total Drama fanfiction. Then they made Season 2, and then went back and remade Season 1. And Season 3 goes off of the remake of Season 1's logic and canon. So I'm watching the remake of Season 1, so you're aware which version I am doing.

I'm also aware they have these episodes in Spanish as well. I'm an English speaker, so I'm watching the English version. That might enrage some people, but I want to make that clear.

What I am expecting going in; I'm expecting the setup for this show to be similar to Total Drama. With it being a Survivor parody. I'm also expecting the quality to not be as strong as TD, just because one is an indie production and another is not. I'm a producer and I know the setbacks that come with indie works. It's not gonna dock points from me.

I don't know anything about the cast. This is blind.

I felt bad when I didn't do reactions of the 2023 reboot of Total Drama. I liked the reboot, up until the last act of the second season. If you want my thoughts on it. I made a post whining about that last act. I admit I've gotten a bit softer on it, but I still think it's a weak ending.

So with this, I wanted to actually post my reactions so I can get more into it and write down my thoughts like a diary.

I'm sure this won't backfire in any way with people spoiling...

(THESE ARE ALL SCREENSHOTS FROM ODDNATIONS DISVENTURE CAMP. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE)

So... yeah. Here's my first time reaction to Disventure Camp Season 1, Episode 1.

Oh, and we start the episode with an ad. How wonderful...

What's worse than one Chris McLean?

TWO Chris McLeans. Dear god...

(I put subtitles on)

"I'm Trevor McGregor, and this is my hosting partner, Derek Johnson."

"We will do our best to make sure that all our competitors have the worst experience possible."

Okay, so is there a fair one and a sociopathic one?

I feel like there's a twist here and it's swapped at some point.

*listens to the game explanation*

Hang on, hang on...

Who voices these two? Why do I feel like I heard these voices before...

Okay, INRTO!!

They had the same cut tape that Total Drama had, that's cool.

Alright, lets see here.

We got a rich guy who looks like he's been dumped out here and would complain about dirt. And we got a girl scout character.

Plot twist, the dude makes it farther than her.

Ninja dude. And... other dude.

...when was this released?

Four months after the TD Reboot.

Well this is a remake of a beta, so... yeah. Total Drama said "We're gonna add queer characters to the cast. FIRST queer characters." And this show said "Am I a joke to you?"

I'm gonna call it though, that's gonna go horribly wrong. You date a ninja, you're ASKING for pain. I've watched Ninjago.

That boy has my thoughts exactly!

WAIT, THEY'RE NOT ALL THE SAME AGE. OMG.

Dang, this sixteen year old looks seventy.

She also looks like the cranky old lady. "My age don't define my level of badass!"

That other dude looks like a whitewashed Noah.

Oh you two look sweet, I'm gonna like you two.

THERE'S A CHILD?!?!

Who tf dropped off their KID in the woods?! WTF?!

DJ's brother. And a COWGIRL?!

I'm surprised Total Drama doesn't really have a cowboy/girl. Unless I'm remembering wrong.

(Or maybe I don't want to remember Pahketiew Island)

Oh I didn't even see you... you're wearing a swimsuit.

Oh. You're Heather's cousin. Okay.

"We're here. Everyone off."

Why is the thug Scottish?

Okay names... uh...

Yeah I'm gonna be bad at remembering all of that.

There's someone named Gabby here??? (Someone in my family is named Gabby, so that's awkward.)

Purple Team? No fancy names, huh? Where's the Ferocious Trout's and Frogs of Death?

"I'm Lill. National Girl Scout Troup Leader."

Oh, she IS a scout. I called it!

Okay, you know a writing pet peeve I have? It's when two characters in the same media share a name VERY similar to each other. Unless they're twins, I don't like it when they do that. It makes things hard to pronounce and you can never understand who you're referring to.

There's a guy named Will here. And a woman named Lill. That's way too similar. W and L sound a lot more similar when speaking than you think. Why? Why did you do this? Why not name her Lilly? That's easier. Or the other way around, name the guy Wally or something.

I'm sorry. Pet Peeve is getting to me. I'm calling her Lilly. You're not stopping me.

"You're currently looking at the future winner of this season."

"I know perfectly well how to play with the minds of these losers."

"I once won a beauty pageant because the other contestants got mysteriously sick."

Okay QUEEN, maybe wait a few days before you decide to SLAY, okay? 💅

Straight to the point. She's a prick. I'm down to stan a prick. I watch Total Drama, plenty of prick ladies that slay.

"There are no cabins!"

Oh don't remind me of Pahketiew!

...actually, I like this idea. I also think this and the confessional styles are more accurate to Survivor. Am I right on that? I've only seen a couple of out of context clips of the show, admittedly.

"A tent, a machete, and a pot."

Then what's that sword? Didn't mention that on your supply list. Is that contraband?

So no food either? Dang, we're really going there and starving everyone to death.

(I would SUCK as a Survivor player)

"There will, however, be a way to get extra supplies by winning the challenges."

You gotta EARN your McDonalds order.

Or Chef slop depending on your craving.

Alright, red sweater likes all this. You know what, I'm all for optimists.

"Could someone take my suitcase? I'll pay whatever."

You were DEFINATELY dumped here against your consent.

"Why are you dressed like that?"

I'M A NINJA. I DON'T FEEL HEAT.

"Actually, I can't get that much sun exposure."

Oh he DOES talk. Okay. I was thinking a different kind of ninja for a second.

I can't get over that there's a CHILD here.

WHO DUMPED YOU IN THE WOODS?!?! WHERE ARE YOUR PARENTS?!?!

"My parents are a little short on money so they agreed to send me here in exchange for payment."

That might be more f****d up than anything I've seen on Total Drama.

Yes? Child services? I'd like to report something.

Wouldn't it be funny if they ditched her cause she's a demon child?

It's still wrong on their end. But it would be funny if this little girl had a foul mouth and didn't know what love was. (Cause she never received it from her parents)

...so what's his name is the real ninja. Got it.

They couldn't afford a VA, I imagine. That or no one auditioned that stayed.

"I'd like to know who picked the teams and why mine got stuck with the old lady, a child, and four guys who looked like they've never seen sunlight."

Alright, I'm gonna like this character.

Not because she's a nice person though. I'm just down to stan a bad bitch and she's giving me that energy.

"Do you know how many animals had to die for that?!"

Well I know my GF would like you.

"If you don't care for animal's lives, I might not care for yours."

OKAY KAREN, CALM DOWN.

"Sometimes I get a little upset, but it's something I couldn't control, so I prefer to see the positive side of things."

Uuuhhh... are you bipolar? That would explain a lot.

"How come you're so good at this?"

"I watched a survival show."

What are your sources? I watched a movie once. Same energy of a response.

"It's just a book about surviving in isolated places."

Okay Noah wasn't whitewashed. He's right here. This takes place twenty years in the future of Total Drama.

"I haven't been out of the house that much."

CALLED IT.

"My parents... they're kind of overprotective."

"A couple of weeks ago I had an argument with them and I left."

I fear that every day. No one likes arguing with their parents.

I like this setup for a character.

"An animal attacking us?! We do not find any food and starve to death?! A forest fire wiping us all out?!"

Oh he's just like me fr

"I know it may be a little early for this..."

"How about we make an alliance?"

"Sure. We can protect ourselves and get the four of us to the Merge."

Ooooohh. We have an alliance ALREADY?!

They might lose like 1-2 of their members, but that's a good idea. Start your alliances early. It'll help you in the long game.

"Right now, you're gonna vote one person off each team."

Wait, what? THE GAME JUST STARTED, WTF?!

This has to be a psyche. There's NO WAY.

"Gabby from the purple team and Fiore from the teal team."

This is a psyche.

You shouldn't have threatened anyone.

What did Fiore do?! Sorry for being a child!

*Team Swap*

Oh thank god, it was a psyche.

"No one will be eliminated today. Only this time you will play for a reward."

So no one's going home today. Cool.

*Patreons*

Oh, there's a patreon shoutout.

I definitely respect these content creators, I will say that much. Presentation is a lot better than I thought it was gonna be.

"I understand why they hate your personality so much, but you know, I can tolerate you."

"Really? Would you be my friend?"

"No, but we can be allies."

Hey, at least she's honest. That's a trait you don't see very often on these shows.

I don't hate Gabby's personality btw. I'm leaning more towards the opposite, especially after what happened to her. Learning everyone hates you right off the bat sucks.

"On the other team they were very rude to me."

They pretty much ignored you, what are you talking about?

"How old are you?"

"I'm 6"

DEAR GOD.

YES. CHILD SERVICES. I'D LIKE TO REPORT SOMETHING.

You can't fight a ninja!!

Idk where he got a trash can lid from. As proof that this man is, indeed, a ninja.

"Will! Go call the others!"

Um, excuse me, I'm CONCUSSED.

"Ouch. I cannot see anything."

...okay, I haven't complained about the voice acting cause it's been quite good for the most part. But that line delivery? Uh uh.

OMG Miriam 😂

Gabby's too much like me here, I'm gonna be honest.

Oh, you little...

Don't underestimate children.

I didn't even realize he had the wrong flag. That's impressive.

"Alec gave it to me."

Oh... but she still kept it hidden. So she still deserves some credit.

"I'm a little scared of the dark."

Is your whole character being a coward?

"Why did you give me the credit for that flag thing?"

Oh wait, that was a lie?

"I prefer to go unnoticed."

That's actually smart. She's a child, and children are "stupid". So she doesn't pose a threat to anyone in Tribal Councils.

"These assholes are really buying into the story that I'm a helpless little girl."

FOUL. MOUTHED. CHILD. LET'S. F*****G. GO!

DEMON CHILD. WHAT DID I SAY?!?!

Oh, the Scottish guy is a criminal. Never would've guessed. /s

They also shoutout patreons at the end with the animation. That's actually a cool extra mile they didn't need to do.

Wait, I wanna see who voiced the host characters. Cause I swear I heard both voices before.

Steven Gordon & Silly Billy.

Yeah I definitely heard those voices before.

Well, kudos to everyone in these credits that worked on this show. Credit has gotta be due.

Presentation wise, that was way better than I thought. I didn't think it was gonna be good quality at all. That animation looked so close to Total Drama and was very smooth!

I also may or may not like the designs better than the TD Reboot designs. Just because there's more character in each of them.

I love the idea of the cast not all being the same age. It's a lot more variety to character backgrounds. I don't hate the teenagers TD used or anything. This is just another approach and idea.

Character opinions: (I looked back to get the names down)

Dan, Ellie, Jake, and Miriam... eh? They didn't do anything this episode. Nothing to say.

All Alec really did was be involved in that lie for Fiore. Maybe he's her first target and he's an early boot and that's why she picked him.

Fiore is a demon child and I am so here for it. Like yeah, maybe her parents actually did dump her here cause they don't like her. That does explain her behavior. But she's also like "Well f**k it, I'll roll with it. I'm here to win a million bucks and crush some adults. Easy peasy."

Tom... NINJA.

No, but seriously, it's not subtle he's hiding stuff. But it could end up being something really minor like he hates his appearance or something and wants to be seen as the cool guy.

Grett, she's a bad bitch. She's not a good person. But you know what? After watching Total Drama and suffering through such nasty characters making it far in the game, I have embraced it. So yeah, QUEEN. SLAY. 💅

Gabby... I think there's some depth to her, and I THINK I like her, but she has some faults like a temper and talking too much. (She's just like me fr) She might climb up for me later. Depends on how long she's in the game.

The Ashley, Lilly, Nick, & Will alliance... I like their strategy here. Forming an alliance as early as possible is a good idea. Heather did the same thing and it worked in her favor. I don't think they're all merging though. I think Fiore is gonna target 1-2 of them and get them eliminated. My guess would probably be Lilly being one of them just because she seems very competent at the game she could be a threat.

But like I said, I think she may target Alec first cause she pinned the flag thing on him.

Nick, I like his story and his reason to be here. Like I said, I think he's outlasting Lilly for sure and getting development.

Will... he's fine, but his only trait so far seems to be 'I'm anxiety'. So there's another Fiore target if the alliance break pre-merge is two.

And Ashley... I like her, just cause she's a cowgirl, but I think there could be more personality from her later. And she seems like one of the nicer people here.

So... yeah. If you guys want me to continue these reactions, be sure to let me know. I'm willing to continue this show.

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skullsfigurepage · 1 year ago

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Trafalgar Law - Banpresto Maximatic Figure

Note: I won this figure in a claw machine and it fueled my ego so much before I kept losing at every other claw machine I played. Stay humble.

Review and more photos under the cut :-p

If you follow my main account (@skullc0r3) you might know that Law is one of my favorite one piece characters so walking into an arcade and seeing Several boxes of this figure stacked in a claw machine felt like crazy luck even before I won. I'm so used to all the merchandise for things I'm into being rare or super expensive (persona 5 scalpers I hate you more than I can say) so getting into OP has been interesting because of the sheer volume of merchandise for it that's below $50.

Onto the figure!

For starters this is the first time I have ever seen a figure with such an obvious front and back to the sculpture. In this case it's because the back has significantly less painted details. In the last photo above you can see on his leg closest to the camera the back of his pants and the front have different shadow qualities. This isn't because my lamp was strong enough to cast such harsh shadows, its because the front of his pants (and the front of the rest of the figure) has painted on shading while the back does not. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, most people wouldn't notice or care since they were only ever going to display it from the front, but the box did hype up all the detailed painting that would be on the figure. In their defense though, I understand why this would be necessary from a production standpoint. My biggest gripe with this (still fairly small) is that on his back hand, Law doesn't have his signature (stupid) knuckle tattoos.

Here's his forward hand. The tattoos are all printed on and thank god for that because I can't imagine how miserable it would have been to force someone to hand paint them.

And then here's his back hand. I wonder if the issue was a matter of the tattoos being harder to place in this position, or at least to do it efficiently enough that it would be worth it. Again, not something that impacts the actual quality of the figure but I find it a fascinating insight into the production.

That being said the paint job on the front is super neat, it really does add so much depth to the figure (especially on the yellow and blue parts of the figure; it makes it look less like cheap plastic, lol) and I really enjoy it.

Next, the scale of this figure. I didn't realize when I won it, but this thing is huge. I can hold him like a small carp (and I have). He's huge. I'm guessing here, because I don't feel like finding a ruler right now but I'd say he's probably 10" tall? including the stand, which makes him one of the biggest figures I own. It also means the scale of the sword is perfect for just kind of, pointing at tiny stuff with. Which I have done. I have fun.

I think the figure's pose is super fun. It's dynamic and getting photos of him with a wide-lens is really fun. The actual sculpting details on the clothes and arms in particular are so fascinating to me, they're incredibly well done in my opinion. The composition is good too, the lines create a few triangles which really helps balance the figure.

(had to fudge it a bit here to show the triangle with his hands and head since one hand is hidden in this shot, oops)

The only issue I've had with the figure is it's kind of wobbly. I've fixed this by either putting his lower foot against a "wall" or putting something under it. It's not really a big deal if you don't disturb the figure too much.

From looking around online this figure is around 30$ including shipping (and that is a higher estimate), so as far as figures go this is pretty affordable and imo it's worth it (so long as you have enough display space).

Final Thoughts: I love this freak figure. It's fun, its got great details, it fueled my ego for a week, it has a pole going up the ass of the figure, what's not to love.

Thanks for reading!

#one piece #anime figure #trafalgar law #one piece figure #figure review #figures

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glindaupland · 10 months ago

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The Phantom of the Opera | Seoul, South Korea | 집팬텀 x 손크리 Review

October 11, 2023 - Evening

The Phantom of the Opera | 김주택 Kim Ju-taek/Julian Kim

Christine Daaé | 손지수 Sohn Ji-soo

Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny | 송원근 Song Won-geun

Carlotta Giudicelli | 한보라 Han Bo-ra

Walked out of the theater, face in my hands, soul in pieces, etc etc. Listen, I've been a POTO fan most of my life and after a while you become used to (?) not easily moved anymore by (?) things in this show even though you still love it deeply. You love and enjoy new casts, but it's pretty difficult for some to stand out enough to squeeze their way into the top tier. So tell me why I haven't cried watching it in at least over a decade and I left this performance with full tears streaming down my face? I need therapy Actually, this pair needs to use their POTO paychecks to pay for my therapy because this is their fault!

My favorite performance and my favorite seat right under the chandelier (things that were way too expensive on Broadway)! Let's pretend I didn't arrive just 7 minutes before the performance after over-estimating the time I had to get there after seeing Rebecca because I was not expecting to have 500 disasters happen to me on the way. But I lived!

Admittedly, at the time of casting I was a bit unsure seeing an opera singer with no musical experience taking on the role. It's not that I automatically assumed the worst, it's just that this brings its own obstacles (the type of singing, acting, etc). But he has really been able to turn that experience in addition to his passion for music into an advantage for himself. He brought such a fresh new interpretation to the role that was so nice to see after being a fan for so long. 🥹 So now I've ended up with a new surprise favorite Phantom in my top ranks. I was very impressed, I'm a big fan now

The Mirror/Angel of Music

KJT Phantom had such a powerful entrance that it gave me chills hearing his booming voice. It sounds crazy. But I loved how clearly his tone shifted after hearing Christine respond to him SJS Christine seemed very worried about disappointing him. I think she tries really hard to gain his favor because she holds him in such high regard.

The Phantom of the Opera

His Phantom is possessive and mentor-like. Already in the title song he's looking at her like he's so proud of the student he's created. At "In all your fantasies-" he sings "I gave you all of those fantasies, all of those secrets-" and when she finishes the line "-you gave them to me" his gaze feels strong and he nods approvingly. Like - Yes, I taught you well. I gave you all of this. When they get off the boat he really turned into a strict teacher with the way he commands her to sing I know title song is pre-recorded, but wow...opera singer pair is so healing for your ears actually. Both Kim Ju-taek and Sohn Ji-soo studied at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, Italy so this was a pair that was meant to happen 🙏 My soul was happy, I was ascending.

The Music of the Night

Even though he put himself in this mentor position with her, I think at this point in the run he had softened up a bit. By the time he started his last lines before MOTN, his eyes were brighter and filled with adoration and fascination. He worships her, but his feelings aren't quite romantic yet (something Ju-taek said himself about his interpretation). KJT Phantom has hidden himself from the world and buried himself in music to keep himself safe. So it's everything to him, his biggest priority, the most important thing in the world. So Christine is precious to him more as his muse, as the key to making his music - his whole purpose - come to life. He has to shape and tune her into the perfect instrument. I have to talk about his voice more god he really had fantastic control. I think he sounded heavier and leaned into the big full operatic voice most of the time in the early Busan days, but there was more nuance here. His stability in his higher register had improved and it didn't feel like the light notes got shaky or were cut off too soon. I got chills after his big powerful note in MOTN because of the gentle way he sang the next line. "마침내 내 것이 될 순간 / The moment you'll finally be mine - he put the whispered emphasis on "finally" this performance. He finally had what he needed to complete his music. The way he acted when he came close to her was like she was a precious treasure he had handle very carefully. SJS Christine has fantastic chemistry with him. She's more trusting and swayed by the Phantom more easily. His passion for music really seemed to draw her to him. At times though, it felt like he was under a spell himself as well. He had a lot of power, but getting close to her you could sense he was a little bit overwhelmed with the slightest hand trembling. There were moments of "distractions". He doesn't act overly flustered, but when Christine almost kissed him he gasped a bit when pulling away. Like "Okay wow! Uh, time to move along, learn how to redirect that passion elsewhere~" I cannot blame her for being so very into his whole thing though. Regardless of his real intentions, if someone was looking at me and treating me like that I'd definitely be like "what are we" If I'm forgetting something (feel free to correct me, I have the worst memory sometimes) but I noticed that the Korean lyrics actually don't have the Phantom mentioning "love" in Act 1? I believe the first time he actually used this was when he was plagiarizing Raoul proposing to Christine after PONR. So it made his interpretation work pretty well in my opinion. But also, king...then what the hell kind of weird artistic (?) symbolism (?) are you going for with this bride replica for your student. Christine, this is a symbol of...uh...you devoting your life to music with me? : ) Yeah okay that's normal!

You can listen to a TV performance of Music of the Night here for a little taste! It's amazing, but I think he sounds even better now. Some of his gestures and expressions here are a little similar to his actual performance, but obviously not fully like it

Stranger Than You Dreamt It

So he definitely has a frightening temper, but you can tell his outbursts are very fear-driven. The beginning of STYDI sounded threatening and cold, but halfway through that wall he put up started to crack and reveal this vulnerable insecure side of him. Throughout the show, he basically acts like a wounded animal that lashes out in defense, but then cowers and shrinks in fear immediately after. He would snap, but then be close to falling apart moments later. Quite a rollercoaster! Christine had been looking away at the ground, but she finally slowly turned to face him with teary eyes. As soon as he met her eyes he started realizing the position they both were in and looking a little regretful. She moved like she wanted to go comfort him after he turned around, but stopped herself and reached for his mask instead. It was after receiving the mask that it seemed like his feelings actually began to shift into something new. ...Oh well! Time to smack whatever the hell this feeling is away, I'm taking you back upstairs!

All I Ask of You (Reprise)

To him, he gave her the most beautiful gift and instead of devoting herself to him and his music, she was ungrateful and used it against him. Just threw it away for some stupid boy! He has no idea he actually just wants to be in the stupid boy's position! You have feelings for her now! Anyway he's mostly very fragile in this part and I thought his transition to rage during Christine and Raoul's singing was very smoothly done. Honestly though first moment I saw him I just thought of him saying he has to be really still or else the angel starts swaying and then everyone's paying attention whatever the hell is going on up there instead of Christine and Raoul because it was making some slight movement above me 🤭

Wandering Child/Bravo Monsieur

Oh, I loved the difference between these parts. He starts this off so warmly and delicately. It's after Raoul demanded him to stop that he became hostile with a very stern, dark, and deep voice. The way he growled Christine's name when calling her before 'Bravo Monsieur' was harsh and commanding like he was getting impatient. Major temper issues! He sounded like he was scolding them for disobeying him at the end in scary teacher mode. The audacity trying to act like an authority figure so much...

The Point of No Return

Once again he tried really hard to be controlling, but he was fighting being controlled by her himself (something that she doesn't realize of course). "The moment my fate is about to be sealed - I won't regret this" he sings as the last lines of his part. Ohoho, I think he is definitely regretting it from the start though, let's not lie. He already was kind of wriggling and having difficulty facing her before she reached for him I really like the detail where he mirrors Christine when she entwines her fingers together for the choreo (singing "내 곁에, 내 품에 / beside me, in my arms" -> “defenseless and silent”). It looked like he was trying to keep himself composed and focus on everything playing out exactly as he planned so he could ignore that he had just cornered himself. Always, always trying to push his feelings down with distractions or anger!! He kept reaching for his face and cloak when he wasn't sure what to do with his hands. He's very restless and sort of glanced to the side nervously a few times too like he needed to know what she was about to do at any moment Poor Ji-soo struggled getting his hood off. You could hear the mic getting smacked loudly on the first attempt. I actually got kinda worried she would knock off the mask early, but it was fine! But lol what could the Phantom be thinking in universe Anyway it felt like this was finally the moment he started to understand what this feeling he had was all along. He wanted her for more than his music. And since he had no idea how to express his feelings because he barely even understand what the hell they were until now...uh...shit quick! Let's steal lines from the guy who did know what he was doing! Okay, but I have to admit that the way he screams "안돼! / NO!" is really funny. He sounds like a possessed rooster. Dinosaur? Eh, same thing

Final Lair

Category 10 emotional disaster no survivors and the ground is radioactive after. You can really see the internal conflict in the smallest of changes on his face. There was so much uncertainty about his actions and a weird guilt creeping up. He hesitated and had a panicked look for a moment when she said she didn't fear his face anymore. Quickly, he snapped out of it and continued in a rushed sloppy manner like he hadn't heard her. He couldn't believe her rejection was for any reason other than his face. Or maybe he couldn't allow himself to believe it. Every rejection she gives him, every cold word made him look more and more doubtful which only made him increasingly desperate. He actually can't handle upsetting her now. If he doesn't shout and unleash his emotion as rage it seems like the only other way to do it would be with tears. Oh man and he lunged at Raoul when he asks him why he should force her to choose a lie like he's trying to strangle him and shut him up. He was so frustrated growling loudly when Christine got in the way. When Christine tells him "음악의 천사 위선자여! 믿었는데 그댈 / Angel of music, you hypocrite! I trusted you!" -> (“Angel of music you deceived me! I gave my mind blindly!”) he usually replies with “믿었다... 날...믿었다고... / Trusted...you trusted me“ in disbelief. When he looked at her you could see in his tearful eyes - You trusted me? Did you really? So then why all of this, why not me? - In this moment he looked like he already knew what his choice would have to be in the end. So when she told him he wasn't alone, he was shaking his head just before she turned him around. No, I will have to be alone in the end because I have to let her go During the second kiss, he almost fully surrendered. His expression was so calm for just a moment and his hands hovered so close to her back before one strayed up quickly to gently but quickly pull her away from his face. He couldn't let it continue. He looked at her hands then quickly covered them both with his when he registered what she had just done. He then reached up to his own face as he stumbled away. When he looked between Christine and then Raoul his face actually looked so mortified and ashamed at the situation he had created. His eyes were wide and his hand reached up to his mouth for a moment like the truth of the situation hit him, like he had finally woken up. I think now he was more disgusted at his own actions than he was of his face. He realized in the end what the problem really was. While he sang that he loved her smiling, SJS Christine shook her head like she wasn't ready to leave him forever. She kissed his hands and they took a long time to separate. He was trying to show her that it was okay, that she needed to leave, but they practically needed to peeled away from each other with how long they dragged it on. He kissed the ring when she was gone. Actually, Ju-taek said he wishes the way he could say "I love you" could be "I'm sorry" in this moment. Like "I'm sorry for being selfish, I'm sorry for only using you and not treating you like a person. Now I know I love you, so you have to go" Oh, I was going to be sick!!! Forgive any awkwardness in translation, but this part - "share each day with me, each night, each morning"- from my understanding is like: CHRISTINE: 말해줘요 그대 단 한 사람 / Tell me you’re the one and only RAOUL: 결코 변치 않을 한 사람 / The only person who will never change CHRISTINE: 세월 흘러도 나를, 나만을 -> this is followed by "사랑해줘Love me" in AIAOY so if not cut off, it would fully be "Even as time goes on, love me, only me") So when she watches the Phantom it looked like she's asking him to keep loving only her forever. She does this with every Phantom, but because he actually turns around and locks eyes with her as she does it, it was extra painful. He really did hear it, he wasn't too lost in his crying to miss it.

I was sitting there destroyed, but at least curtain call was cute! After Ju-taek kissed Ji-soo’s hand he paused like he realized something and turned around to face Won-geun. He looked at his hand and then back at his eyes and stretched out his hand hoping for Won-geun to put his there. ....But Won-geun is a jerk and slapped his hand away lol. Accept the love! Don't be rude! There's different ways this has gone it's so silly. After Ju-taek kept blowing tons of kisses into the crowd

Anyway to conclude this half of his Phantom reviewing, I'm grateful for Lucy's recommendation to me (to see this pairing specifically). I had been tempted to see him with both Christines because I had grown attached to his Phantom during my wait and it pushed me into giving in and adding this performance to my schedule. It was so wonderful to have my live experiences end up exceeding expectations! ❤️ But this means there's one more KJT Phantom show review too! I can wrap up my thoughts there

#베르디 페어 u are everything to me #im traumatized guys #who wouldve thought!#the phantom of the opera #poto korea #kim ju taek #julian kim #sohn ji soo #song won geun #오페라의 유령 #김주택 #손지수 #송원근 #poto #poto review

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florisbaratheons · 1 year ago

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I think it's good Daeron will be at Harrenhall instead just popping out of nowhere. His story won't be that limited as in books which is good. And I like it that Alys will be working for him, better him than Daemon lol, and it might introduce us to Strong family better because there is also this new castellan since Larys is obvously in KL. And naturally this will make all stupid anti alysmond takes vanish, I've already seen comments about leak with Emily Beecham when people there on Tumblr said Yeah, she flirts with Daemon, wants to sleep with him as Mushroom said in books that she tried to seduce Daemon and they cling into this for dear life. And then they turn around and say it's good if Aemond rapes her as war price because she tried to sleep with Daemon before so she deserves it. That makes me sick.

But, with Alys working with Daeron, it has great potential. Daeron goes to KL, leaves Alys, his ally at Harrenhall and maybe, just maybe, when Aemond wants to fight Daemon, Daeron tells him bro, there is a woman, Alys Rivers, who has been working with me since the beginning of the war, she even helped Larys add fire to kill Lyonel and Harvin, she is on our side, don't kill her. And then Aemond arrives, decides to kill all Strongs and spares Alys because of what Daeron told him (maybe Alys says to him that she is the only one who is loyal to Greens and the rest of her family is pro Blacks) and then they talk and he is like: You really killed your father and half brother? And ALys is like: You see I was a kinslayer when you were still a child. And that's how they connect, 2 kinslayers, that's just a glorious way to go.

Anon, are you a writer on the show? This is incredible. And it reminds me of the character description for Alys when Gayle's casting was announced. "A healer with a secret." Her secret is she played a hand in the deaths of Lyonel and Harwin, and her having a connection with Aemond both being kinslayers? I freaking love it.

This is great. It gives Daeron and Alys more to do, it pushes Aemond towards his ending of the God's Eye but has it make more sense rather than him just going off to die or have all the glory for himself. It makes it all the more tragic imo.

That leak also said that Daeron kind of bonds with Alys about being outsiders of their own family. He was sent away at a young age to Oldtown, he never got a chance to be with his family, and Alys was ostracized and abused by her family for being a bastard. That would definitely help Daeron trust her as well.

I freaking love this. Thank you for sharing. I really hope this is what comes to pass.

#answered #anonymous #daeron targaryen #alys rivers #alysmond #house of the dragon #hotd #hotd spoilers #hotd leaks #game of thrones #got spoilers

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denimbex1986 · 11 months ago

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'"There's a lot of keyboard warriors that have such a strong opinion on the roles that I play."

After her breakout role in Heartstopper, Yasmin Finney is back on our screens playing trans character Rose Noble in Doctor Who, as the show celebrates its 60th anniversary.

The 20-year-old trans actress tells BBC Newsbeat being part of the cast has given her "a kooky, amazing family", an experience she feels she missed out on.

Yasmin has spoken before about being close to her mother, but the beliefs of much of her extended family mean she has little contact with them.

"I don't really speak to them as much. I kind of cut them off due to my identity," she says.

Using TikTok, where she has almost two million followers, Yasmin has been open about her experience of being a transgender black woman as well as making it as an actress.

Growing up in the "mud of Manchester", she says school was tough but she was able to relive it in a different way while playing Elle in Heartstopper.

"I didn't go to drama school, I didn't have the privilege to see theatre shows every weekend," she says.

Yasmin says she's "super grateful" that her roles so far have let her experience "a little bit of what I've missed as a person growing up".

Yasmin was born in 2003, two years before her now co-stars David Tennant and Catherine Tate were first cast in Doctor Who.

It was their performances as The Doctor and Donna Noble - Rose's mum - that first introduced Yasmin to the Whoniverse as a child.

"I used to be obsessed with David Tennant and Catherine Tate," she says.

Now they've reprised their roles for the 60th anniversary specials alongside Yasmin, she says "it's a bit weird" to think about her fandom.

"But it's just an honour to be with the greats making something so magical."

Also making up an important part of the cast in those formative years was Billie Piper who played Rose Tyler and it didn't go unnoticed by fans that Yasmin's character is also called Rose.

"Everyone was like oh my God she's taken Billie Piper's role, what about Billie Piper? What's happened? What's happened?

"No, guys, I'm simply just named after Rose."

But that added pressure of being aligned with such a beloved character, as well as her trans identity, meant that for Yasmin there has been a downside to being cast in a dream role: online trolls.

"Any sort of franchise that has been going years and you get a black trans woman playing the role, people are going to have their opinions," she says.

"It's so funny because when I get a hate comment, it'll be: 'Your acting was so bad and I hate trans people'.

"Fair enough you had one opinion, but then when you tie my identity into it, it's just kind of unfair."

She can't control the haters, but she can control her response and so Yasmin says she's just focused on protecting her mental health and acing the role.

"Ultimately, I just want to deliver a good performance," she says.

"I want people to laugh, I want people to smile, I want people to cry. And also I just want to be good representation for people that haven't had it."

The need for representation is an issue that doesn't seem to be going away soon for Yasmin.

Both as Elle and Rose, she is a trans actress playing a trans character.

She hopes to be a role model for people like her growing up trans but at the same time, she hopes she'll be able to play a variety of roles.

Debates around which actors should play which roles should be a thing of the past, she thinks.

Actor Eddie Redmayne previously said playing a transgender character in 2015 film The Danish Girl was "a mistake", after some felt a trans actor should have been cast in the role.

"I think there needs to be such a more open space for any actor," Yasmin says.

"If you're a good actor, you're a good actor. It doesn't matter your identity, your sexuality, if you can sell a story, you can sell a story."'

#Doctor Who #60th Anniversary #Eddie Redmayne #The Danish Girl #Heartstopper #Rose Noble #Yasmin Finney #David Tennant #Catherine Tate #Donna Noble #Billie Piper #Rose Tyler #Elle

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strawsoldier · 4 months ago

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Spring 2024 Anime-Round Up

I tend to do this Round-ups before the next season starts but thanks to my vacation it was delayed until now. I still haven't caught up on all my spring shows, but I did watch and finish the shows that are going to be written up here.

Anime of the Season: Sound! Euphonium 3

Best Opening: The Parade of Battlers (Black Butler: Public School Arc )

Best Ending: Twinkling Ash (Delicious in Dungeon)

Drops: Wind Breaker, Unnamed Memory, Blue Archive: The Animation

Plan to Watch at a later date: Girl's Band Cry

Completed:

Delicious in Dungeon - (9/10)

Imagine being a popular, well-written, and beloved manga and getting an anime adaption this good. Most of the time, the anime gods are cruel, but sometimes they can be merciful. Soooo looking forward to S2

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc - (6/10)

Not sure how much milk the cash cow has left, but you can be sure the good farmers at Ufotable are going to keep squeezing that teet. I find it incredibly ironic that one of the complaints about DS when the manga was still ongoing is that the story progressed way too fast and now people are complaining the anime is too slow. At the very least, the switch to movie format should help the pacing issues...I hope.

Kaiju No. 8 - (8/10 (kek))

Real shit. (Kikoru spinoff when?)

Konosuba! 3 - (8/10)

Don't really have much to write tbh. It's still funny. Sucks the character designs are not as expressive as they were in the first two seasons, but we're here for the cast and they are still as good as ever.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Part 2 -(6/10)

Didn't I say I was going to drop this series? Must've forgot. Anyway, watching this for Norn, would shot up to being the best character in this show, was worth it. Still don't care for much of everything else. Rudeus still sucks.

GO! GO! Loser Ranger! - (6/10)

The Boys- I mean. Loser Ranger is a show with a good concept and plot and some of the best direction I've seen in an action show. Unfortunately, it's boggled down by the fact that most, if not all. the characters in this show are not endearing or just flat out suck. I don't know if I'll bother with S2 but this was fun despite my lack of investment.

Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night - (7.5/10)

I don't think this was as good as everyone was praising throughout it's run, but it's a very strong story nonetheless. The themes that it tackled hit a little too close to home and the drama felt very genuine. Kiui was my favorite.

Laid-Back Camp Season 3 - (7/10)

Peak comfy is back!! This time with a new studio and much more RL backgrounds. Both of which I did not like lol. Granted, eight-bit at the moment is very stretched thin giving how many shows their are working on. Maybe in the future more staff can jump on future installments of Yuru Camp and make it better than what we got. Please add Aya to the main cast

Sound! Euphonium 3 - (9/10)

Kyoani is back and stronger than ever as they bring Kumiko's high school journey to a close. The drama this season was some of the best Eupho has produced and the new characters were fantastic additions to the cast. I am sad we didn't get as many performances but the one we got in the finale more than made up for that, and even made me cry a bit. This series is so important to me and I'm glad it got to reach it's conclusion at the level. Well done Kitauji!

The iDOLM@STER: Shiny Colors - (4/10)

Remember when I said how cruel the anime gods can be?

Black Butler: Public School Arc - (6.5/10)

Never saw this show ever coming back. And with a fancy Ishihama OP to boot. Hopefully a sign that more is to come.

#anime round up #spring 2024 #dungeon meshi #demon slayer #kaiju no. 8 #konosuba #mushoku tensei #sentai daishikkaku #yorukura #yuru camp #hibike euphonium #idolmaster #shinymas #black butler

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cuntylouis · 5 months ago

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church anon here I’m really glad you’ve found a faith you can believe in because like you said western Christianity can be pretty bad in some ways! im surprised ur surprised (i think) other Christians watch the show though, its always struck me as deeply Christian — Louis’ struggles w his sexuality, faith, and murderous needs are really Christian to me, so is Lestat’s aggressive casting off his fate when he realized no god would save him from the cruelty of men, even Armands ascetic dedication to meaning all seem to me like extremely textbook Christian struggles. Like maybe I’m biased, but I’ve always seen faith at the center of the show, and I see a lot of the characters struggles are fundamentally about questioning faith, doubt, exhaustion, the search for meaning, the search for absolution, the repeated question of if one sin is enough to damn one’s soul (I know Louis mentions it verbatim, but even before that it seems to me he’s struggling with it, because he feels he damned his soul when he chose Lestat), and even Lestat’s aggressive desire to enjoy himself after being forced out of the seminary and getting beaten up feels like a hedonistic impulse in response to deep anger at the emptiness of faith. idk it’s always just struck me as a deeply Christian show, maybe not necessarily pro or anti Christianity, but deeply linked to the struggle that comes with a demanding faith that has a big focus on sin, meaning, and pleasure. and have fun at church I’m looking forward to it too <3

This is really well-put i agree that the show (and of course the original books with Rice being catholic iirc) has strong Christian themes! And themes of religion and faith in general for example with show Armand being a muslim. I think i was surprised because in my country most people who identify as believing Christians that i've met are conservative and wouldn't want to watch a show with homosexuality and supernatural horror etc. But i've learned those are only one type of Christians and probably a minority! And this show is so full of deeply resonant themes i'm happy that people of all kinds of backgrounds have found it

#thank you for sending this you're really sweet <3 #mail

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go-to-two · 1 year ago

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Assuming we get a truncated season 11 in 2024, what are your best case and worse case scenarios or predictions for it? Any ‘most likely to’ theories?

I think this answer splits into two categories for me. One is actual storylines in the show and the other is IRL decisions made by the cast. I'll start with cast predictions first.

I'm going to walk back a prediction I made about Benjamin before. I think he might be gone. I also still think Tracy is gone sooner than later- perhaps sometime this season. If the show does lose these characters, they'll have to bring in new faces to replace them, which brings me to the storytelling....

With a shortened season at this point in PD's run, I would anticipate seeing notable changes in the cast, but not many changes in the characters lives since a lot of real estate would (should) be given to establishing the new people. As for existing characters, my predictions are Kevin to detective (literally the third season I've said this for the love of God), Adam officially adopts Makayla at some point, and Hailey steps away. I haven't a clue what they do with Voight. I don't think they know either.

As for best case and worst case, I'm not shy about the fact that I'm only here for Hailey and Jay at this point 😂. Best case is he makes a final appearance to usher her out, and they continue together off screen. Worst case is they end them permanently and continue to break Hailey down into isolation and label it as a "strong female empowerment" story when she carries on alone because she literally has no one else in her corner. Or death. That'd be bad too.

#anon ask #chicago pd

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emjayart · 1 year ago

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Love Between Fairy and Devil

i know this Drama was aired back in 2022, but one thing about me is that i'd rather wait until the drama is completely aired than to wait in agony for the next episode to come and translated (that thing is no joke); i've done watching this show last month and boy was i cursed after this, i saw the cover and title on Netflix and i was like "eeehhh probably just a typical Cdrama, nothing special about it" but then i started to have doubts about my own judgement and decided to watch. oh boy i was wrong.

First, let me give my respect to the screen writers who spent 3 YEARS in writing the scripts, their efforts and hard work paid nicely <3, so does for all the visual effects team, choreograph team, etc for bringing this drama came to life so beautifully.

You can smell the strong chemistry between two leads. great casts!! standing ovation for Wang He Di for his performance!!!

ever since i started to fell in love with Cdrama i have never saw "what great power looks like" you know what i mean? like Ye Hua in TMOPB he was considered the brightest and all that, but the show did not give me any chance to actually witness his power at it's peak, same case with my beloved Hanguan Jun (though i still love him), Wei Ying (almost at a peak if it's not for him to deal with the power biting his butt back).

DongFang QingCang (dfqc) showed up with style, arrogance, domineering, invincible, confidence, that air that makes everybody even the heavenly emperor tucked their tails between their legs when he arrived at that Waterfall Hall to safe xiao lanhua, he summoned lightning and darken the sky, his voice like thunder; even when he was fighting with ChangHeng and his buddy Rong Hao. that HELLFIRE is hella sexy!! I NEVER BEEN THAT HYPED when i see a villain is about to destroy, the music, the visual effect, choreograph for DFQC is superb!! one swing of that man sends ChangHeng the God of War got beaten up like a dough, he was left unscathed, no drop of blood, stand so proudly in front of his opponents, WORTHY OF HIS TITLE, RESPECT AND FEARED. "the only person who can defeat DongFang QingCang is himself" he can easily kill xiao lanhua, but he didn't, yet he opened to the new experience.

i want to talk a lot about this complex character and his development throughout the journey which thumbs up to the Production House to be able to put his whole development as a character fantastically though i hate why you guys left us like that for the last 6 episodes, you can you that 4 more episodes to give us more!!

the are soooooo many scenes that i love, so many comedy in this drama, body swap, but the peak of the comedy is in Human Realm, when ChangHeng & DongFang QingCang became sworn brothers lmao, when DongFang QingCang crawled through dog hole (I'm dead) and so much much.

but the one that hit me the most is when DongFang QingCang mourned for xiao LanHua, guys let me tell you, i watch that episode around 10 pm and watch i think one more episode before i decided i can't take it anymore, i was bawling for hours i'm not even kidding, the fact the DongFang QingCang can't accept her death so he would rather stay in his dream if it means to be with her broke me into pieces. no Cdrama has ever done that to me, not even Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (sorry Ye Hua and Bai Qian), i had that emotional breakdown for almost a week, i lost control over my emotional because of this show lol that i'm afraid to go out fearing i would have a breakdown in public. the effect are too strong on my emotions.

this drama is 11 out of 10!

as i said before, the only downside of the drama is how they did the story for the last 2 or 3 episode, too rushed, i wanted to see Goddess Xi Yun's devotion on nurturing DongFang QingCang's crescent moon spirit! i was so frustrated on how they end things, i want Season 2 of this drama mainly because i wanna see how great GLAZED FIRE is and i want to see that stupid heavenly emperor put to justice because honestly he does not deserved the crown!!!! never.

let's discuss in the comment on what you like and dislike and if i miss-mention something :)

#cang lan jue #xiao lanhua #dongfang qingcang #changheng #ronghao #love between fairy and devil #shuiyuntian #cangyansea #moon supreme #dylan wang #wang hedi #cdrama #chinese #fantasy #xianxia

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