#idk it just makes sense to name them and give some insight on their lives and little dramas bc like

[libras-interactives]

YES I WANNA KNOW THE WORKING GIRL DRAMA

Every fuckin week its something new and MC just has to deal ,,, Callgirl is used to it and everyone else is just. "can I opt out of this."

the Jack/Marius/Lottie romantic scenes later on will have a lot more of the ladies; yall already know Malwina and Máire, and a few more will be named in Chapter 3

[the-modern-typewriter]

Hello this is a question that came about from watching the new Fallout TV show and a character named Maximus. He’s a relatively neutral character and his arc is very wonderful coming from a writer and big book reader but I noticed that the average viewer doesn’t understand his character and actually hates him… my question is as an author is it okay to make your story more digestible to people who lack perception since it’s the general audience for mainstream media and how do you do that without losing your story? Idk this was probably too complex and a stupid question 💔

Not a stupid question! There are no stupid questions.

Going to unpack this a bit though. (I haven't seen the show.) First some general points, but then some advice on balancing complexity in a story.

So. Some things to get out of the way:

You don't know what the average viewer is thinking. Just because their opinion on a character is different to yours, doesn't mean they lack perception. Do we sometimes have an issue with critical thinking in the modern age? Yes. But we also live in an age where people bring a vast array of different insights and experiences into the stories they read/watch. 99% of the time a story doesn't have just one right interpretation, especially if it is a more complex narrative.

You CAN try to write a story that is more digestible to a general audience, but if you do have concerns about the media literacy of the general population, focusing on providing unchallenging stories is not the fix to that. People learn through engaging with interesting work and having discussions about them - e.g. when they are given the opportunity to. Perception, like anything, is a skill trained with practice. No one's born with it. There's no inherent us/them that can't be changed.

Will you be happy and fulfilled as a writer writing stories that you feel are dumbed or watered down? I know I wouldn't end up writing the versions of stories that I want. Similarly, you probably won't then attract the readers/audience that most resonate with your ideas, because you don't give them the chance.

Generally speaking, people hate being talked down to. As a reader/lover of stories, if I thought a writer was talking down to me and thought I was an idiot who couldn't understand the themes/plot, I wouldn't want to have anything to do with their stuff. It's a horrible feeling, isn't it? It's like being written off before you even leave the gate.

Okay, now some advice: Amazing children's books are a great example of stories that are simplified to appeal and meet the audience where they are at, without losing the richness that makes them resonate and engage readers/audience. However, there are adult examples too. They share some qualities.

These often have:

Clear structure (there are a myriad story structures that you can use to make a story hit beats the reader expects and create a sense of satisfaction, while still giving you room to play.)

High concept story idea/plot (so, stories that can be explained/pitched in a line. E.g. children are forced to fight in televised death matches (Hunger Games), a famous author is imprisoned by a dangerous fan who doesn't approve of his new work (Misery), 'it's jaws in outer space!'). These stories have simple premises that often have wide-appeal, but the stories themselves can be complex.

Engaging main character(s) with a clear goal/agenda. They don't have to all be morally pure, but for an easy win, your character should be likeable/easy to root for. In a children's book, e.g. at the simplest level, these are often also high concept. (E.g. a mouse wants to be heard so is convinced it needs a lion's roar to be loved - The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright)

There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. Game of Thrones was phenomenally popular, for example, but I don't think it's an easy to sink into world/simple set of characters.

Watering down an existing story to fit a different target audience is often not going to lead you to write the best story. This is because it's like trying to fit a triangle into a circle, or make a banana bread into a savoury scone. However, there are plenty of stories with mass-appeal that offer readers a variety of different levels to engage with them, so it is very possible to write a brilliant story with mass appeal. But you work from the foundations up, not from the finished product down.

I hope this helps!

[fortunatelyyoungbarbarian]

Thinking about avatar and bending again. Honestly, I believe myself to be quite knowledgeable on the art of bending, but I still have so many questions.

So idk, I hope someone who understands better than me could give me some insight. Also, discussions around bending stiles are really fascinating.

So, I'll just list the ones we know for sure and then some ramblings and ideas I had.

Like last time, I'll go through the bending stiles based on the atla intro because I can.

Also, I'll be basing this on the rules set up in atla, not tlok. Just fyi.

Water

Waterbending (basic)

Swampbending - just bending swamp water? Can they turn it into ice as well? Don't know why they couldn't but we never saw that as far as I'm aware

Plantbending (?) - not sure if that's the name, but I'm referring to that one guy who bended vines in the swamp. About that, how far does that go? Just vines? I'm no plant expert but I'm sure there are a lot of plants that have the same amount of water in them like vines. So they should bend them too, shouldn't they? That seemingly doesn't take the power of the moon to do that as well.

Bloodbending - the good shit. Being able to control a living being by taking control over the water in their blood. Works only under the full moon (again, I'll be ignoring tlok for this). The question I have here is how far that goes. Theoretically, could they control a corpse? As long as it has blood in it still, of course. Again, I'm no doctor, so idk how long a person keeps their blood after death. Could they constrict the blood flow and make appendages die off? Clod a vein or so? Make someone experience a heartattack?

Sweatbending - bending sweat. Duh. But does that mean they can bend urine? I'm sure they can bend tears.

Cloudbending

They can suck out the water out of stuff as Hama shows Katara. So can they suck out the water out of people? Dry out our eyes? Idk, stuff like that. I don't know why they shouldn't be able to do so

Mistbending - I don't know if that's in the show tbh. But it should be pretty much like cloudbending so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Earth

First of all, I don't know what the fuck earth really is. Like I googled it, but I'm still confused. So if someone could clear that up for me, I would appreciate it a lot xD.

Earthbending (basic)

Sandbending

Metalbending - they should be able to bend weapons, right? Like swords. They can levitate swords. They can fight from a distance with a sword.

Lavabending

Crystalbending - I'm talking about Aang when they were in Ba Sing Se, when he made himself an armour out of the crystals. That opens the question on what earth really is. Like it's minerals, isn't it? Idk about that. But if you can bend minerals, that means they can bend a lot more, can't they? Again, they could make weapons with that and use them as I explained with metalbending.

Colebending - can they make diamonds out of them? I don't see why not, diamonds are just cole with a lot of pressure. But does that mean they could bend diamonds?

Mudbending - self-explanatory imo. But could they separate the earth part from the water? I think so

Glassbending - I've heard about this before from the fandom, but idk. Is glass the same as sand or does it change it's... uh... element? Idk. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Bonebending - I've heard that a few times as well but idk. As I said, I'm not sure what earth even is and I also don't know what bones are as well soo ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Symmetric sense - don't know if it counts as bending tho

Fire

Firebending (basic)

Lightningbending

Combinationbending

Mistbending - I mean, mist is basically hot water right? So could they bend the heat there and bend the mist through that?

Heatbending - with that I mean being able to put heat into stuff and suck it out. I would say fire-breathing counts as well. Again, I don't see why they couldn't.

Lavabending - I would use the same explanation as for the mistbending. Again, idk if that would be possible, but it's a neat idea I've seen around the fandom a few times.

Chibending - this is something I'm again not sure about but hear me out: We got chi-blocking, granted, it's from Ty Lee and a lot of people theorise that she's an airbender decent so that could come from there. But at the same time, lightningbending and lightning redirection rely heavily on chi. So that gave me the idea that maybe they can bend their own chi and the chi of others? On the other hand, chi could also be something that everyone has. That would mean that everyone can redirect lightning, wouldn't it though? Again, idk, just a thought.

Heat... sight? - basically, couldn't they feel/ see the heat from living beings? Similar to the symmetric sense?

Air

Honestly, I don't have that much on airbending so my bad ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Airbending (basics)

Sucking air out - like out of lungs or stuff

Temperature regulation

Flight

Earthbending - Ok, listen. Rocks have air bubbles in them, right? So could they bend the air in them and move rocks? They could also blow them up through that, right? Again, just spit balling.

Firebending - again, fire needs air, so could they manipulate fire through air?

Waterbending - same thing here ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Spirit stuff idk - airbenders were the most spiritual so maybe they could spirit bend or something idk.

Again, I would love to hear what other think. A lot of those things are also just ramblings and ideas and I'm no genius so keep that in mind.

[whositmcwhatsit]

Hi!

Idk if this sent the first time, the wifi i’m using is really bad, but anyway…

I’m not sure if you’ve already done this, but I was wondering if you had any recommendations on books about Elvis? I’ve already read Last Train To Memphis but that’s just about the only one.

I’m a relatively new fan, but he’s so magnetic and interesting — I’d love to learn more about him 🫠🫠

Thank you!! xx

Hi there! So, it's really a case of what you're looking for, because there are lots of different entries into the world of Elvis. Heads up, first of all: Everyone and their elderly third cousin twice removed has written a book about Elvis. They all put themselves at the centre of Elvis' life and decisions to some degree or another. They all talk about his excesses and problems as if they were not just as heavily involved and partaking just as much. Some will quote conversations with Elvis as if they are verbatim. A healthy dose of cynicism is needed throughout. Also, don't bother reading anything by The Stanleys. This is my golden rule. So, I assume you're going to read Careless Love by Peter Guralnick, but I'll recommend it anyway. It's a hard read towards the end, and Guralnick's own feelings kind of color things in contrast with the more 'objective' Last Train. Still, I consider it a must read. If you're looking for more of an overview using more than one voice, I'd recommend Elvis and The Memphis Mafia by Alanna Nash with Billy Smith, Marty Lacker and Lamar Fike. They tell a good story, they are 'characters' in their own right, and they give you a strong idea of the vibe around Elvis. Disclaimer: facts are sometimes less important than a good yarn. Like I said, most of his friends wrote about him at least once. Some are more entertaining and readable than others. Lots of people like Joe Esposito's books, such as Good Rockin' Tonight and Elvis- Straight Up, because he comes across as personable and more respectful. Just remember that he was reporting back to The Colonel and good friends with Priscilla, Lisa and EPE. Same with longtime EPE employee Jerry Schilling's Me and Guy Named Elvis, but I like that he was quite different from the rest of the Memphis Mafia and this colours his stories. I really enjoyed Larry Geller's If I Can Dream. While the man loves the sound of his own voice, he also gives an insight into Elvis' struggles in the mid-60s with losing touch with himself and the life he is living. He saw Elvis in a way that most of the other guys couldn't comprehend because of their backgrounds maybe. Some of his stories also have a weird surreal truly Elvis quality. To get a glimpse into Elvis's upbringing and strongest relationship, Elvis and Gladys by Elaine Dundy is a good one. He makes much more sense when you feel you understand where he came from, at least to me. In terms of the women, Linda Thompson's A Little Thing Called Life is a fun read. She probably got to a more intimate insight into Elvis as a famous boyfriend than any of the other women, including Priscilla, in my opinion. She knows how to spin a tale too. June Juanico's Elvis: In the Twilight of Memory is a swoonworthy dream. She is a great writer, and got to sample some pre-superstar boyfriend Elvis. I also enjoyed Joyce Bova's Don't Ask Forever. It gives a view of how it must have been to be one of his side-chicks- Elvis had a new phone line installed in her apartment just for him and would try and get her to skip work (At Capitol Hill!) because her work was less important than his! If you're interested in any of Elvis's work, I highly, devotedly recommend Ernst Jorgensen's Elvis: A Life in Music. This man is the one who should get all the credit for Elvis's legacy continuing so far. Forget EPE, RCA, Sony, all of them. He is the supreme Elvis historian, has scoured and catalogued the vaults for all Elvis' recorded material. He is involved with the FTD label, which rescued and released all the outtakes, alternate versions, studio banter, concert soundboard recordings, everything. He is my hero. I think everyone has a different version of Elvis that they love, so if anyone else has any other recommendations, please chime in! And remember, we don't read a Stanley. Thank you for reaching out. Let me know what you end up reading next, I love a book discussion!

[purplesurveys]

1727

Did you get enough rest last night?  I really didn't. I slept at 5 AM thinking that would surely let me sleep in the entire morning, but my body still automatically woke me up at 9 and didn't let sleep again by then.

What was the last thing that kept you awake?  That would be right now – I finished off the entire first season of D.P. which I ended at around half past midnight, and now I'm back in my room downing the rest of my coffee with no intention to sleep yet, even with just four hours of rest haha.

If you have pets, do they sleep in your bedroom at night?  No, they have their own corner in the living room.

Can you sleep with background noise or does it keep you up?  It helps me fall asleep as the light noise gives me a sense of security, so I kind of need it.

Do you ever take naps? Do you take long naps or little power naps?  Occasionally. I can never do power naps as they always end up feeling super insufficient for me, and I prefer having 3-4 hour naps.

What helps when you have trouble sleeping?  I'd need to go through my phone and watch a lot of videos since that quickly gets the job done.

Who was the last person to cook you a meal? What did they make?  My mom made pasta for sharing a few days ago.

Who was the last person you cooked a meal for? What did you make?  I don't cook for anyone, because I don't cook.

Who is your female celeb crush? (If applicable)  Song Hye Kyo, Park Jihyo.

Who is your male celeb crush? (If applicable)  RM of BTS.

Tell me about an interesting article you’ve read recently.  Andi shared a pretty unique piece with me this morning which was basically a personal essay of why McDonald's' Coke seems to taste better than Coke literally anywhere else. It was silly yet insightful, mundane yet so weirdly intriguing and fascinating. For somebody who doesn't even like soda, I found myself reading until the very end. I liked it a lot and subscribed to that author right away lol.

Do you have a favorite Marvel character?  I'm not into anything superhero.

Favorite DC character?  Yeah, no.

Do you read comic books?  I tried getting into them but I got tired of faking it LOL so I just accepted that comic books and superheroes and I will never mix.

Has a horror film ever actually scared you? Which one(s)?  I found Paranormal Activity to be a refreshing horror concept for its time and it successfully gave me the creeps, especially with the multiple endings. The sequels unsurprisingly didn't hold up the same magic but I'm very much willing to defend the first movie to my grave haha. OH Midsommar was also super freaky. I nearly refused to drive home that night because I was afraid of seeing the trees in the neighborhood suddenly pulsating.

What was the last horror movie you saw? The Menu counts as horror-ish, no?

What was the first horror movie you remember seeing? What did you think of it?  The Exorcist. I was 12 and immediately downloaded a torrent when a quick "what's the scariest movie ever" Google search led me to that movie. In hindsight, though, because I already had expectations of how scary it is, I think that sort of pre-conditioned me to be more sensitive to the jump scares and all the freaky shit that happened in the movie – so 13 years ago, I was definitely spooked.

Realistically though, I feel if I watched it again now at 25 I'd probably find some of the effects more comedic than scary, BUT one thing I'll never get over are *those* demonic images that pop up like three times across the movie. Regardless of how old I get I feel like I'll always look away from those lol.

Name a few historical figures you find interesting. Why?  I recently learned about Herbert K. Pililaau, the US soldier who fought off Korean soldiers on his own while the rest of his crew? platoon? (idk terms) had been assigned somewhere else at the time. Fucking dude kept firing until he was out of ammunition; then switched to grenades; then when he ran out of those too, ended up with knife in one hand, fist in the other to fight the best and longest he could before he was finished off; when he was found, he was surrounded by more or less 40 soldiers he managed to kill. Obviously I don't support war and this is a shitty story all around, but this scenario is straight out of a movie.

What is your favorite historical film and why?  Gone with the Wind. I have yet to understand the complexities and deeper contexts behind the Civil War and all other questions related toit; and when I say it's my favorite it's largely because of the production value and how unprecedented such a movie was to have come out at the time it did.

Do you usually enjoy historical films?  Yes, as long as they don't extremely deviate from or betray things that actually happened, especially if we're covering atrocities or human right violations.

Name a sequel film (any franchise) you like better than the first film. Why is that?  Shrek 2. It's the Shrek movie I grew up with so I'll always be biased towards it.

Which do you find most interesting: Greek, Roman, or Norse mythology? Why?  Eugh, I really dislike mythology haha.

Which tale from whichever mythology you listed above do you find most interesting?  I read Percy Jackson and that's the most I'll read as far as mythology.

Do you collect anything? What was the last item you added to that collection?  Just BTS merch. Last things that arrived were my copies of D-Day and Face, but I'm expecting my orders of Jack in the Box and Layover to arrive October latest.

Do you have any houseplants?  We do, but it's my mom who takes care of them.

How do you like your tea?  As coffee.

Who is your favorite Muppet?  Wasn't really raised on Muppets.

What is your favorite type of bird?  Penguins. < Yes.

Which streaming platform do you use the most, if any?  Spotify.

What is a skill or useful piece of knowledge you wish you’d learned sooner?  How to pack smart.

What is your favorite vampire movie?  TWILIGHT SAGA ALWAYS AND FOREVER

Your favorite fictional couple?  Chandler and Monica from Friends; Glenn and Maggie from The Walking Dead; Mark and Joanna from Two for the Road.

Do you have a favorite historical couple?  Not really, no.

Have you received any good news recently?  Nah.

Have you learned anything new recently?  I took the 16 personalities test earlier for my ~annual check-in and found out I've switched from an ESFJ to an ESTJ. No big change other than the fact that I apparently think more with my head now hah.

[i-saw-my-corpse-along-the-path]

Jesus Christ, I need to make some fucking friends, or find a partner, I need a person who actually thinks about me when I’m not just right in front of them or at the top of their mind for whatever reason.

It’s a frustrating predicament, people often indicate that they enjoy my presence and talking to me, but I realized I don’t actually have a single close friend that I regularly talk to (my beloved friends from the past are far away now, have their own lives yknow, and I don’t wanna hit them up just to dump… myself on them), and none that I hang out with. I live with my friend, but they’re more like my sibling, and I just don’t really think they want to/are able to really engage with my interests.

I’m a sad pathetic freak, and I’ve none but myself to blame. I fear I will never be loved and seen for my full self.

It seems like I just really struggle to deepen relationships. I don’t really know how to get out of it either. I do not enjoy going out and doing the things people do to get to know each other, it’s like I’m stuck in school child mode where I just want to hang out with people at their houses, but my roommate says that people need to get to know you before they want to do things like that. And also that I need to be vulnerable and authentic. I simply do not understand how to balance these things. How are you supposed to be authentic and let people know just enough that they trust you but also aren’t freaked out by you being “weird” or “too much”? Or ruining your life by saying something and being socially ostracized? I’ve also received feedback that I seem “fake” because of my general disposition that leans towards people pleasing. I know where to draw lines and I have a very set mind once I’ve made it up, so it’s not like I do anything to please anyone, I just don’t have many of my own motivations and desires (or at least not ones I feel are realistic / obtainable / appropriate / can actually help move you though life) so I mainly do what I can to help out the people in my life. Hobbies have mainly become my way to rest.

But what does that achieve? As far as I can tell, I’m a helpful yet vaguely unsettling presence. I’m either too serious (everything seems more important to me than everyone else) too hyper (oh but it must be what makes me sooooo funny! /sar people do say I’m funny but I feel like my bones are rattling and I’m getting swept away in a torrent), too depressing, or I give an answer that is “such a (name) answer”! Well. Yeah, I suppose I do sometimes miss the forest for the trees, but many misunderstandings/annoyances are because people want easy answers and I simply cannot! There are no easy answers so if I thought you were genuinely asking me a question I’ll do my best to answer thoroughly. And details matter too. It’s about balance and trying for Insight (like the Buddhist concept).

God how I want to just be content doing the things I enjoy, working and reading and artistic pursuits. I don’t really even know what I’d do with friends at this point, and that, in my mind, makes me an awful rot totally undeserving of the one thing I do want: a partner, someone who loves me for who I am, who chose me, and who wants to listen to me, someone I can shower with devotion and follow on their adventures, or be their home base to return to when they need to rest. I do not deserve this, as is evident. I would be a lead weight, dragging them down. A “sure, he’s really nice and seems smart but… idk” weirdo that makes their family and friends question their choices.

The thing is that you can play the game perfectly, say everything right, and none of that actually matters at the end of the day because people sense you trying and that must make them nervous or something. Your careful calculations, meant to make them laugh and smile, well it does that, but maybe it makes their skin crawl too? But you’re “nice” and “helpful” so they feel bad about it, they feel bad about you. People are nice to me, invite me to things they know I’ll say no to (but never anywhere they know I might actually want to go) and I think it’s because they feel bad for me.

It’s so much worse if you actually like them and respect their opinions too. With so many, they’re easy to dismiss, I know why they think what they do and I take their opinions with a grain of salt. Not so when I actually do like them, I actually do deeply respect what they think. You want them to like you too, to also care but if you try too hard it has the exact opposite effect. And if you ever let too loose in an attempt to become closer through vulnerable authenticity, you’ll get a weird look or worse. Even if it was appropriate sharing time, the darkness unnerves. So… Why bother sharing how you really are? But, shit, why bother with a pre packaged response either?

Everyone says you’ll find your people but what happens when you’re not good enough for the people you’ve already found, that you already like? How do you find the strength to keep trying?

I absolutely viscerally fucking loathe “going out” and doing anything outside of routine without a Special Person with me. I do not. Want to go out for the sake of it. I get absolutely nothing out of it, it makes me panic and I start to loathe absolutely every particle of the system around me and before I know it it will seem like everything is all twisted up with cruelty and pain, even/especially the people, and it just hits me how much I do not want to be here, at all. I may know that’s not true all the time, but really the only way I can describe it is that I feel like a traveling spirit that has been stuck in one world for far too long. It’s time to move on. But that’s not the case, is it? In the actuality of my personal belief, I’ve been given one precious life to experience, just one. No second chances. Aside from the pain that such a bad, pre mature death would bring to the living, I can admit that I want to experience love. The feeling of being chosen and cherished. It’s the only thing I’ve ever truly, deeply wanted, and it cannot be forced. It just has to happen.

I need patience. I need to get older, and meet more people, I’m sure. But I already feel so fucking bone deep tired, so wrecked, so wretched. I don’t want to just keep holding on, reminding myself that everything is always changing and that what I’m feeling is temporary.

What I want is to give in, not so much as give up. Quit trying, and act how I feel. But I actually think it’s important to consider how my actions affect others. The planet. The future. I wish I could just stop consuming somehow, float along and wake up in a new world. I don’t feel worthy of what I take in right now. And I need to say it: I’m really struggling right now. My skin may be clean, I may go to bed at 10:30 and wake up at 7:00, I may do yoga almost every day, I may hold a job, but not a bit of it because I wish great health for myself. Perhaps quite the opposite? I crave the sensation of ripped, eternally healing flesh. Smoke in my lungs. The cold and fear. Dark temptations indeed but alas. These matters are crucially important to being able to show up for the world.

I guess it just won’t ever end until I’m over, will it?

[tuliptyper]

Oddly Specific Thomas Hewitt hcs;

TW mention for canon typical violence/cannibalism but also mentions of mental illness, suicide, bullying and general poor mental health. also nasty gross nail gunk

also these are long and wordy and not proofread sorry hehe

- neurodivergent, probably ADHD but it manifests in a way that he constantly second guesses his diagnosis bc people say he doesnt 'act like it' (projection? huh? idk her)

- dry asf hands because he cleans them a lot because he doesnt like feeling dirty but doesnt have much time to wash his face/shower. he hates his nails bc he doesnt know how to get the gunk out and accidentally stabbed his nail bed tryna clean them with a tooth pick

- loves his mama but he wishes she understood him better. growing up mute and being bullied by pretty much everyone, hes grown so fragile without even knowing it. sometimes he wishes he could peer into his mothers mind and tell her how he truly feels.

- i think he has some sort of relationship with self punishment. not really sh in the typical sense but he feels he deserves to be overworked to the point of sickness, he doesnt like to rest or treat himself. he gets tense when things are peaceful for too long and he feels the need to bully himself relentlessly. its awful :(

- living in an environment where hes essentially the breadwinner, bodyguard AND punching bag with no refuge to run to is incredibly hard. if it weren't for the guilt and his dedication to his family, he..well...i think you can guess the rest. (someone go get this guy some prozac)

- if he was introduced to them, hed love fairy tales. even though he was pulled from school and had very litle encouragement to persue his hobbies aside from sewing, hes a curious man who enjoys learning. fairy tales give him insight into past culture (and they also satiate his desire for romance. sigh ❤❤) ((call him your prince, he would actually get light headed from all the butterflies))

- should he ever get a taste of freedom, be it a particularly good experience with some strangers or seeing some pretty scenery on the road, he will chase that high Forever. he craves normalcy in its most wholesome form; saying hello to coworkers, picking up groceries, maybe taking his dog out for a walk and getting take out when hes tired. Hoyt knows this somewhat and makes sure tommy doesnt persue that desire with some nasty words and manipulation. ((literally grab his hand, run away into town and dont come back. discreetly send a check to mama with a small house on her name a few blocks down and leave the other old coots to rot))

- i gotta agree with the metalhead hc, he would love stupid ass nu-metal! dad metal, if you will. 2000s era heavy rock and anything with some angry lyrics. hates headbanging though, simply bc he loses his balance more than hed like to admit and also knots are fucking annoying to comb out with his curly hair. BUT ALSO his guilty pleasure music would be really sweet piano music or film soundtracks,,,its his inner romantic

- Thomas has like...hot dad personality..HEAR ME OUT omfg he finds puns funny, twirls his keys like a DAD and DIYs everything. he makes a lot of furniture, clothes and miscellaneous trinkets in his spare time. he needs an etsy shop ASAP

- but also hes such cute goth boyfriend material omg, he'd let you play with his hair, even braid or dye a strand if youre lucky! matching outfits kill him because he loves being yours. your hot goth husband. hell, he'll wear the bedazzled 'His/Hers' t shirt you got from the flea market, at least it fits him!

- dont send him to the gym, hes either the reason membership sales skyrocket or skydive ( they either see him and think 'i want to be him' or 'ill never be him' LMAO). unintentionally, hes a menace at the gym bc hes just generally so strong from all the physical labor back at the farm house

- i think he'd go vegetarian aside from those ready to eat rotisserie chickens you get from the supermarket (listen...i smash a whole chicken with a side of rice and corn like nobody's fuckin business)

[opalesense]

the last appointment

zhongli & gn!reader

3.4k words • ~25 min. read

summary: as a studious and credible fortune teller in liyue, you discover something about your last client of the week that completely derails your outlook on life.

warnings: liyue arc spoilers, little bit of existential dread, slight mention of family member’s death

notes: might make more parts to this idk?  just kinda wanted to dip my toes into genshin writing for the first time!!

LIFE IN LIYUE HARBOUR seemed to be repetitive and mundane.  For the past few years, you would wake up, open your fortune telling shop, analyze the futures of your clients using your geomancy, possibly take a stroll around Liyue when you needed to run errands, and then call it a day.  You performed the same routine constantly, sometimes travelling beyond the harbor to collect crystals and magical supplies for your shop, but rarely did anything truly change in your routine.  If something was off in the slightest, it was never too exciting to note.

   As anyone would have suspected, you were tired of your state of limbo in life.  Other vision holders seemed to be going on adventures, travelling with companions and exploring the vast mountains and valleys of Teyvat.  Other vision holders seemed to be fighting against evil, helping citizens, and saving the world from imminent dangers.  You could even recall a recent event where the Qixing had evacuated the harbor to defeat a terrifying sea monster.  The Jade Chamber had been sacrificed for the safety of the people of Liyue, and yet here you were, playing with a bunch of rocks for a living.  Despite being able to grasp the glowing Geo vision that held your coat together, you could not grasp why you felt doomed to tend to this shop for the rest of your days.

   You didn’t know where or how to “start” your life.  The small, inherited establishment from your late aunt was located in the small alley of Chihu Rock, practically out of sight from most of the foot traffic in the harbor.  Not many people came to visit, though your name was still decently known.  In fact, most of your appointments were simply previous clients from your aunt, regulars that relied on her readings for years and believed you were the next best thing after she passed.  Especially considering you were the first vision holder in your family, it made your credibility even stronger.

   You still remember how you got your vision.  The morning after your aunt had passed, the elemental gift somehow made its way into your hand as if the timing was meant to be perfect.  You didn’t celebrate such a special and momentous occasion with pride or joy.  Your face stiff with tears, you instead reflected on why you received your vision at that moment in the first place.  With the shop doors closed upstairs, you gripped your vision and did what you felt needed to be done.  With your family’s legacy and tradition on the line, adventuring like other vision wielders was not a priority at the time.

   But after years alone of research, a social life consisting only of interacting with customers, and a constant state of grieving the experiences you could’ve had in your youth, you were now in your late twenties and closing the shop for the day.  Your last appointment was either extremely late or not showing up at all and you were tired of working today, just like every other day. Regret gripped you tightly as you wondered how you managed to get yourself in such a boring, slow burning loop.

   That is until the shop door opened, eliciting a gasp from you at the sudden noise, shattering the previous thought.  You accidentally dropped the basket of cor lapis you were refilling and immediately knelt down to pick up the precious pieces that thankfully hadn’t cracked on the way down.

   “Hello, [Y/N],” the tall figure practically glided through the doorway, “My deepest apologies for being late.”

   He closed the door behind him, “...and for startling you, it seems.”

   You sighed, checking for any scratches on the gems and sighed again with relief based on the good results.  You grinned to hide the fact you had just been in deep thought.  “It’s quite alright, Mr. Zhongli.  It’s kind of you to stop by at the very least, even if you’re late.”

   Mr. Zhongli was one of your aunt’s longtime clients.  Since you were a child, your aunt had always described Mr. Zhongli as a complex yet thoughtful man that had always shown kindness to your family for many years.  When Mr. Zhongli learned of your aunt’s death and began to receive readings from you instead, you quickly realized what your aunt meant by calling him complex.  Mr. Zhongli was truly a tough nut to crack in every single reading, his sessions taking longer than most other cases.  That is why Mr. Zhongli would always offer to take the last spot of the day at the end of every week as to not trouble any of your other clients.

   As you took a few of the best cor lapis from the basket, you could see Mr. Zhongli’s acts of kindness and thoughtfulness unfold in front of you.  He seemed to carry what was now clearly a gift basket at closer inspection.

   “This gift is for you,” Mr. Zhongli took a few steps forward to set the basket on a countertop.  “I brought you your favorites.  Slow cooked bamboo shoot soup, qingxin, glaze lilies, and all the crystals I could find…  needless to say, let this be a token of my appreciation for your patience and hard work from our last few sessions.  I know I am not the easiest to read, but you truly have a talent.”

   You were speechless at the gesture as your eyes sunk into the intricate detail of the handwoven basket and decorated items inside.  No one had ever done something so kind for you in so long.  It was astonishing enough that he remembered your favorite soup that you mentioned only once a few months ago, let alone your favorite flowers and crystals as well.  “Thank you so much, Mr. Zhongli!   I’m at a loss for words – this is so thoughtful of you!”

   “I even brought you that Rex Incognito series you had mentioned, although, I am not sure why you would need to read the series when I am fully capable of educating you on the history of Rex Lapis myself,” he flaunted, taking his seat on the cushioned chair in front of the reading table.

   “Now, Mr. Zhongli...” you picked out some prithiva topaz from another basket, following the usual protocol you had with such a personalized, frequent client like him. The required materials for his readings were imprinted into your memory like carvings in stone. “You know I don’t want to burden you with my curiosity.  And with such an intriguing topic like Rex Lapis... once I start asking questions I’m afraid I will not stop.”

   “I have all the time in the world,” he got comfortable in his seat as you sat yourself across from him, “I truly think it would benefit you to discuss the history of Rex Lapis with a learned scholar such as myself.  We can even have some tea as we discuss.”

   You chuckled at his eagerness.  He seemed more forward than usual. “You are too kind, Mr. Zhongli.  Perhaps I’ll take that offer someday, but at least let me put those books to good use first. Maybe I won’t need to bombard you with questions if I’m already well briefed on the subject.”

   He sighed happily.  “You make a good point. And you will enjoy them, I’m sure.”

   You settled into your seat as you arranged the crystals between the two of you.  “The usual for tonight?”

   “Yes, please.”

   Your hands meticulously placed the last crystal in its spot on the surface.  You closed your eyes and hovered your hands above the rocks, clearing your mind to make way for the usual reading: a reflection on the past, any significant events of the present to focus on, and some insight into the future.  You held this hand gesture for awhile, letting the energy from the rocks lift into the air and envelop your gloved palms.  When you felt there was enough energy to work with, you opened your eyes to reveal the manifestation of his thoughts in front of you, able to take its physical form using the powers from your glowing vision.

   No one had ever taught your this skill, not even your aunt.  If you had to bloat your own ego, one could say you invented this Geo fortune telling process yourself. The process indeed came to you naturally, a true display of pure talent.

   You slowly lifted your hands to allow the visual manifestation to settle on the table among the gems so Mr. Zhongli could watch his reading unfold in front of him as well.

   “Let us analyze the past first,” he spoke, already knowing the routine without you needing to ask him where to start.  You slowly waved your hands as if you were digging a hole in sand on a beach, the manifestation displaying ambiguous patterns that wouldn’t make sense to any commoner’s eyes but could be interpreted easily by yours.

   Two pairs of focused eyes fixated on the picture as you spoke your mind out loud.  “You have recently given up something extremely important to you, it seems.  I see you handing over something…  small, physically, yet unbelievably significant and personal.  I can’t tell what it is exactly, only that it glows like the sun with its energy.  But you have handed this important object over to a very... evil... figure?” you cocked your eyebrow, confused.  “You seem to be brooding over the fact that its aura is dark with malicious intentions.”  You hesitated, “Well, that can’t be right, can it?”

   He sighed.  “Unfortunately, that is indeed what happened recently.  But it had to be done.”

   “Didn’t we talk about a similar situation in a previous reading?  If I remember correctly, I thought I had advised you to not give up whatever that object was.”

   “I am aware of the consequences that will follow.  Especially with your future guidance, I’m sure the events following this one questionable decision will unfold in a better way soon enough.”

   “I will always be here to help you, Mr. Zhongli.  But please be careful in the future with these decisions.  The importance of this object seems to be off the charts.”

   He nodded.  “It is as you say.  Please, have faith in me now. I cannot change what happened in the past, after all.”

   You hovered over this image of the sacrifice.  You couldn’t make out what this object was, no matter how close you tried to inspect it.  It had the likings of a chess piece, but surely this wasn’t simply a chess piece, was it?

   “Let us move on, if that is alright with you,” his low voice cut the silence.

   You wiped the image from your mind and waved your hands again, as if you were slowly putting the sand back into the hole you dug before.  If the last image wasn’t enough bad news, this new one that formed was even more painful to witness.

   “You have been grieving your losses very recently,” you said gently.  “Your mind is currently weighed down by your past.  I see you looking out at the sea in deep thought.  There are flashes of…”

   You stopped as you inspected the graphic images that suddenly appeared beyond your hands.  You gasped at the terrifying horrors.

   “What is it?” the low voice tried to search for understanding of what you were seeing.  Even though the image was clearly laid out in front of him, it was still too ambiguous to tell when he lacked your years of experience.

   “There are flashes of war,” your breath stifled as you watched his thoughts splayed out in images of lifeless bodies and destruction.  “Very graphic details of war and death.  Mr. Zhongli, I believe this image of suffering has been weighing over your mind like an anchor in the sea.”

   He paused to process your comparison.  “That is... a very good way to put it.”

   “Though, I believe that despite the sorrow that emanates in this image, you are in a state of relief and tranquility.  It seems you are grieving, but you are simultaneously at peace,” you hesitated again, “Yet I wonder what these graphic images of war are meant to represent.  Surely we are not in an actual war, are we? Perhaps you are at war with your past, wanting to move on but haunted by your memories?”

  Mr. Zhongli unfortunately knew the images you were seeing were, in fact, real events he had experienced in his life time and the truth was that lately he had been reminiscing on these events.  Mortal life is kind to humans for them to be blissfully unaware and carefree of these harsh realities, he internally commented.

  He still put your analysis into thought, though.

  “I am haunted, indeed.  I have been attempting to come to terms with my troubled past, just as you advised me only a few weeks ago.  I have tried to follow your guidance, and although they resurface what I have been trying to repress, I believe I am coming to peace with what happened.”

  You grinned.  “That is very good to hear, Mr. Zhongli.  I believe you are currently making good progress when it comes to moving on.  Just remember that it is okay to remember your sorrow.  Let your emotions pass through you instead of repressing them or rushing to move on.  It is okay to take your time and let the thoughts bubble inside of you for awhile.”

  He closed his eyes as you continued, letting your advice seep in.  You continued. “Imagine the stillness of the sea.  Many creatures and lost remnants take their place in the depths of the waters, but on the surface we see constantly moving yet serene waves wash over what is hidden below.  Your memories are there to stay, Mr. Zhongli.  But your present self, the surface of the water, can peacefully coexist with whatever is hiding deep within.  Let these thoughts weigh you down momentarily, but rest assured, you will find balance and acceptance in due time.”

  His eyes fluttered open as he reflected over your words.  You always seemed to know what to say.  “Your words have truly resonated with me, [Y/N].  And you are absolutely correct.  I have been fighting these memories to avoid the pain, but it had not dawned on me that sorrow is... what I am meant to feel, not push away.  I suppose your advice has put my mind at a bit more ease, and I suppose I am focusing too much on when I will be able to move on rather than allowing my thoughts to coexist for a moment.”

  “Now you’re getting it,” you grinned with the relief that washed over his face.

  “Shall we move on?” he offered.

  You got to work on the last segment of the reading.  If manifesting the other images didn’t take long enough, reading one’s future always took the longest.  Interpreting an event that hasn’t happened yet always made you a bit nervous with your words.  You never wanted to let a client down with an inaccurate reading.

  On the contrary, this reading, despite taking quite awhile to appear on the surface on the table, was very clear.

  “That is undoubtedly an image of me,” your eyes glazed over the facial features of the person in the manifestation.  “I apologize for the delay, Mr. Zhongli, I must have accidentally let my thoughts seep into yours–“

  “Do not fret, I believe this is accurate,” he interrupted.  “Keep going.”

  Your perplexed expression remained as you continued the reading.  “I am admittedly stumped.  There is nothing left in this image.  I suppose it is simply me standing in what looks like some ruins.  I am holding a staff, or some kind of long object.”  You paused to think out loud.  “Why am I in your reading?  What could this possibly mean?”

  Mr. Zhongli chuckled as you thought out loud.  “Perhaps this is a good time to tell you why you are in my thoughts.”

  “I’d love to hear it, I have never appeared in someone’s reading in my last decade and a half of experience.  This is quite unique.”

  He folded his hands in his lap, “For some reason, I have had this strange vision of training you.  I’m not sure why, since you don’t seem like the fighting type, but there is some voice inside me that is telling me you are destined for something great and i need to take some part in it.  What do you think, now that you see this vision as well?”

  Your eyebrows rose in shock.  “Training me?  I guess this does relate to something I have been pondering as of late.  I do not want to lay out my troubles on you though, my job is to interpret your life, not mine.”

  “Our lives have clearly intertwined in this vision,” he insisted, “Please do not hold back for my sake. I have the time.”

  You thought for a moment.  How could you form the words without seeming too selfish? How could you maintain professionalism by talking about your personal problems?

  “I am not the fighting type, Mr. Zhongli.  Though, lately I have been quite depressed about the fact that I am not doing as much with my vision as other vision holders are.  My life is uninteresting.  The truth is that I am a simple fortune teller that plays with rocks.  I hope you can understand why I am failing to interpret this reading,” you apologized. “It’s because this doesn’t seem characteristic of me at all.  And with all due respect, after giving you readings for years, I would have never guessed you were versed in combat to train me!”

  He chuckled.  “I respectfully disagree.  To tell you the truth, your talents surpass the abilities of many other vision holders.  Not everyone can read thoughts or tell the future.  Now that I mention it, I know of one talented astrologist in Mondstadt, but think about that.  You are one in hundreds of thousands in Teyvat,” he reassured.  “You did not receive your vision for no reason and I truly believe you are destined for something big.  I regret not being able to realize this before.”

  “How are you so sure of this?  I would love to believe you, but I’m afraid I am not destined for much, really.  Again, I am simply a fortune teller.  What could I possibly do for Liyue other than read some rocks?”

  He sighed and connected his palms with yours, interrupting the reading and wiping the manifestation off the table.  The hovering crystals dropped onto the surface, making you gasp at the sudden sound.

  “I am not who you think I am,” his amber eyes finally met yours for the first time this evening, which sent a chill down your spine.  “Promise me you will not fret, for what I am about to show you may shock you.”

  “What do you mean?  What are you doing, Mr. Zhongli?” you slightly panicked as he firmly grasped your hands.

  Suddenly, the room was engulfed in golden light that emitted from the seat across from you.  Scattered, distorted images of a mystical dragon, a devastating war, and seven seats in Celestia flashed across your eyes as you stared at the beams of light.  Death seemed to swallow you, but not take you.  The baskets of crystals around the room shook with the surge of energy.  The world seemed to destroy itself then remake itself over and over again within fleeting moments.  These thousands of years of memories made your body tremble.  It all happened within fleeting moments, and after a few seconds of your senses being overwhelmed, you finally pulled yourself together and connected the dots.

  His expanded knowledge of Liyue’s history.  The sudden gift of your vision immediately after your aunt passed.  Grieving his losses and having flooded thoughts of war and death.  Offering combat training.  Remembering your favorites the same way he would remember Liyue’s customs and traditions.  His glowing amber eyes alone.

  Mr. Zhongli was the God of Contracts and overseer of Liyue.  Rex Lapis, a being that lived for millennia, sat in the seat across from you. He had been posing as a mere mortal for years, taking readings as if he were any normal customer. The realization shook you to your core as you sat there bewildered, grateful, and horrified at the same time.

  He let go of your hands after seeing that the information successfully processed in your mind.  He saw something in you that was yet to be awakened, where the sky was the limit under your own expectations.  This daydream of his was no simple vision – it was a calling.  Internally, whether you agreed to it or not, he vowed that he would not leave your life until your true destiny was fulfilled.

  He would see this vow fulfilled by offering you a contract that would change the course of your life forever.

[uivellyn]

omg nina i was cleaning and had some thoughts... could you see arwen having a different fate than what tolkien had for her? if so what kind? although she chose a mortal life she lived well over 100 years so how long do you think she would have lived? + are there any characters you can see her interacting with, be prior to or following aragorn?

okay so jo you have just awoken a whole spiel within me, thank you for this I have many thoughts about Arwen!!!!! here we go, I'll try and organize them as best I can!!!!!!

a different fate . . . . being the granddaughter of Galadriel, great-granddaughter of tuor, a descendant of Turgon through idril and Tolkien has her die in the woods of heartbreak? GETS ME EVERY TIME. dying of heartbreak is a thing that can happen to elves they can fade but personally, i feel she carries on without aragorn for the sake of her children. her daughters??? unnamed? a crime. i honestly think she’d adore her children and even when they’re grown would see aragorn in their eyes and smiles and even actions as most parents tend to! i want to see her teaching her children swordplay and elvish tales and tales of men and insight to rituals and hobbies and lessons they both teach their children . . . i want her daughters named after her mother and perhaps grandmother! IDK I'm just very soft about Arwen maintaining roots in subtle ways as she gives up immortality but not the memories of those who love(d) her, as Aragorn comes to realize despite being raised by elves, he's MORTAL and comes to accept that I like to think they can't quite shed the ways in which they were raised ??? I'm just soft about her singly elvish lullabies to her children and then repeating them to her on her death bed. I want her to pass in a room full of love and support of family, children && grandchildren alike!! that's how I gaslight myself into thinking she died surrounded by children and mortal friends she'd made along the way. honestly, I have many thoughts about how long I think she COULD live but I like to think she grows old much slower than one would think as I personally just like the thought of Arwen seeing multiple generations of kings and queens past but that's just me. i get so sad thinking about how Elrond and celebrian will never meet their grandchildren SOB. thinking about her brothers who had to give her up as well. just sometimes i get so sad thinking about arwen sometimes man,,,,,,

on people I'd like to see her interact more with . . .i think about Arwen growing up with two twin brothers and the mischief they would get into and I also think about Arwen learning her sword skills from Glorfindel late lord of Gondolin and balrog slayer and I just EXHALE because whilst they live in a homely haven I feel Arwen's energy levels and need to move and learn,,,,, but you know. (i want someone to compare Arwen's eldritch Luthien beauty to that of Galadriel and I personally hc Arwen is an unsettling beauty as Luthien and elves of the first age were sometimes described if that makes sense, odd hair things, penetrating gazes, she got a heart of gold but damn is her presence not unsettling and thrumming with old power.) I think I’d love to have seen Arwen and Eowyn speak more, if Arwen had gone to helm's deep(ALSO WANNA TALK ABOUT HOW THE SCENE OF ARWEN SHOWING UP TO HELMS DEEP TO FIGHT WAS CUT FROM THE MOVIE ILL NEVER FORGIVE THEM FOR THAT) I ponder on the events that would have taken place. there are more ways than one to be fierce and hold hope and fight for your dream but damn would i have loved to see Arwen kick severe and major ass, i wonder what her cool sick armor would have looked like but you know! It is my bi brain thinking about Eowyn's deep admiration and love for Arwen's will and freedom, her drive to be with the man she loves and to fight for middle earth and tbh in my head, I can see her having feelings for arwen > aragorn but hey I mean she has two hands lol. and who could blame her. not me. plus they have much in common and I feel their convos would be full of questions and laughter and emotion. i would like to see the power of Arwen's song and sword in action though on the real. i’d also love to have seen an expansion on the friendship between Arwen and Legolas seeing as I’m sure they crossed paths and I think their friendship would be so amazing to flush out I have many thoughts about that as well.

[gaykey]

Good morning! I've been thinking about why VP is so alluring to so many people compared to KP, despite having the worst possible set-up for a relationship, and I think I got it. It'll be a long one, hopefully worth your time.

KP are lovely but they're the opposite of straight-coded. Someone said that the word Kinn used to call Yok means "wife's mother". But the "wife" is his literal bodyguard, a fuckboy street fighter, and there is nothing feminine about him. Even though they're a boss and an employee, they don't have that type of power dynamic. The majority of the audience is women and it's difficult for a woman to insert herself in place of one of two hunks.

VP on the other hand... Pete may be a bodyguard but he's friendly, soft, clumsy, and a fan of k-dramas who loves his grandma very much. He's relatable. He has no control, he's at the hands of Vegas, which is kinda giving conservative marriage vibes (hopefully no actual torture goes on in those). How many women face abuse or toxic relationships every day? VP promises that the (hot) guy loves you in the end, so it's bearable.

If that's not your thing, maybe you can relate to Vegas. He's lonely, maintaing a façade, and an abuse victim as well. He's the English speaker, and I think that's a crucial factor for international audiences. Maybe you also want an adorable guy who will understand you, who will see all your flaws, your most pathetic moments, but will love you anyway.

I don't want it to sound like VP is basically a straight relationship, female fans are the worst and women are naturally submissive, because that's not true. But I am a woman too, and I know the reality I live in. And I'm sure I would be very invested in VP if I was younger.

I hope you don't mind me writing such a long ask. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, as you always make good points and have a reasonable, mature perspective. Have a lovely day!

hi anon

i'll put my answer under a cut, because this is pretty long already, and, no i don't mind btw, i just worry about clogging up people's dashes.

alright so

whilst you made some interesting points in this, iiii'm not totally convinced? or, not on everything you said at least.

i'm not denying that a majority of the audience are straight women and i'm sure that what you pointed out, are true to some people in regards to how they percieve both vp and kp. but, i wouldn't actually say that vegaspete are overly straight coded?

idk, it's a bit of a big assumption to make i think. though, i am not sold on them, there's no denying that vegaspete is a bit more...complex than that. i don't think you can apply some of the straight stereotypes you mentioned to them tbh.

it's like? are you basing it solely on their personalities? because that doesn't check.

like, we've seen that pete isn't totally this soft, pure and fluffy person. he has edges, he gas a darkness in him. i mean, the man is literally a trained killer.

is it just their entire dynamic? because, that doesn't sit right with me either...

like, i get what your saying, but, hmmmmmm, i disagree.

as for what is so alluring about them.....i dunno. everyone's gonna have their reasons.

i personally think it's the dark, twisted and cruel but beautiful man, with a the tragic back story, and the one person who can open up his heart trope - or the let's both destroy each other, but then build each other back up trope - the no one else in the world gets me but you trope, to name a couple, that are the main attractions

and there are definitely queer themes in those.

maybe straight people in the audience interept in a heterosexual way, to relate it more to themselves but that doesn't make their story, or their relationship, totally staight-coded.

....am i making any sense?

anyway, i'm losing track of my point a bit i think, so i'm gonna stop here

but rhank you for you insight anon, this was interesting to read and think about <3

[majimemegoro]

Matagi in yakuza 5 !

I was doing some research and it looks like the hunting village saejima visits in y5 is a Matagi village. Idk how much of this would be obvious to japanese fans, but it wasn’t at all obvious to me so im just gonna share my findings here in the hopes that they may be interesting or useful to someone else who was ignorant of this cultural context. I do think identifying the hunting village as Matagi gives a new angle of understanding to some elements of the mountain segment of the game.

Disclaimers: what ive written here is just based on a few articles I read. They weren’t even detailed articles. I am by no means an expert on the Matagi, and I would love to hear any input from people who know more than i do ! Now Read On

So the Matagi are a traditional northern hunting culture (perhaps indigenous Ainu in origin) who emphasize maintaining ecological balance and holding respect for life. They use every piece of the animal out of gratitude for the animal’s sacrifice. All of this matches perfectly with what Okudera says about hunting. he doesn’t emphasize the overtly spiritual aspects of Matagi culture, but these spiritual aspects are reflected in the mountain gods that Saejima interacts with and also arguably in the presence of Yama-oroshi as a kind of supernatural manifestation of the hunters’ crimes in upsetting balance on the mountain. (side-note: if anyone can offer insight into the etymology of the name yama-oroshi  “ヤマオロシ” id be interested to hear it, as all I could find out was something about graters and something about management…)

(A digression on okudera: as I recall the game does not specify his origins: he might have originally come from a hunting village and reconnected with his culture after escaping from jail, or more likely he is just appropriating the culture of the village lol. either way though I think we are warranted in reading Okudera as the village’s appropriate representative of the traditional hunting culture, given that he is the mouthpiece for the above hunting ethos, one which perfectly matches with the Matagi in the sources I looked at. more on this later.)

Additional evidence for the villagers as being Matagi: Mrs Nishina explicitly calls the villagers’ way of life “traditional,” contrasting it to recreational hunting. now some of the Matagi common game don’t match with the game available in the game (see what I did there??). For instance there is no japanese serow, but this makes sense given that hunting the serow has been banned and it would be pretty icky and weird to have a video game incentivize the killing of a specially protected animal. But their culture features a focus on – you guessed it – bears. The Matagi also mostly wear contemporary (vs traditional) clothing, so the village’s fairly modern aesthetic by no means precludes their being Matagi. finally, reading the village as a Matagi village also fits with what the villagers say about their being permitted to hunt by special license after regular sport hunting was made illegal, since the Matagi hunt by permit. So thought I was on the right track with identifying the village as Matagi, then I saw this picture:

Recognize the outfits? Look at the crossed ropes in the front holding up a lil fur cape/vest thing. It’s a very distinctive visual feature, I would go so far as to say unmistakable. Okudera #confirmed for Matagi.

(incidentally I think okudera’s fur thing might be serow fur, the serow being an animal which it is now banned to hunt even for the Matagi)

Ok now so what about it? The village being a Matagi village accounts for a few textual features that I found confusing. For instance it explains what Saejima says about the villagers “selling out” by accepting outsiders’ commissions for prize game. I was confused by this comment bc I think of people as only “selling out” if they know they are doing something bad, while the villagers didn’t seem to know that they would tip the ecological balance on the mountain. But in light of the Matagi culture it makes sense that hunting on commission would be a violation of their standards: hunting is permissible only for subsistence purposes. ‘subsistence’ doesn’t mean you can only consume/use animals and not sell them, but it does mean that you shouldnt hunt because it’s lucrative or in order to maintain a lavish lifestyle. Hunting is only appropriate to sustain a simple lifestyle. So by cashing in on the hunting boom prior to the enactment of the new hunting regulations, the villagers violated Matagi values whether or not they knew that their actions would do tangible harm to the mountain ecosystem.

(Of course this creates a huge ludonarrative dissonance when we think about HOW MANY animals saejima kills, in my case to sell the pelts and, uh, hoard the meat forever basically. But ludonarrative dissonance doesn’t admit of literary analysis so lets move on)

Reading the hunters as Matagi also adds new tragic depth to the attack of Yama-Oroshi and its consequences. When Mrs Nishina talks about how all the villagers used to help each other out, but don’t anymore since suffering starvation after the attack, shes describing more than just a breakdown of norms - shes describing an actual cultural crisis, and the dissolution of hundreds of years of tradition. The traditional Matagi collectivism apparently began to decline after guns replaced spears, obviating the need for group hunting. But what Mrs Nishina says points out that Yama-Oroshi’s attack sounded something like the final death knell for Matagi collectivist traditions in their village. Mrs Nishina even says explicitly that “our entire way of life [was at risk of being] lost to the ages.” :O :(

I have one last vague thought, which is related to Okudera’s outsider status. Whether or not he is ethnically (?) Matagi, he clearly did not spend any or most of his life following a Matagi lifestyle. Yet he seems to be the strongest adherent of Matagi traditions. Specifically okudera exemplifies the Matagi principle of mutual aid (though interestingly we mostly see him exercise it in helping outsiders rather than the other villagers, and it also does turn out that the villagers are looking after okudera more than initially appears…). Mr nishina also says that Okudera knows the mountain and travels quickly the best out of all the villagers, and that okudera reminded them all “how a hunter should live.” And sakurai: “okudera-san is truer to the spirit of the hunt than any of us native villagers.” Overall okudera, an outsider, is the authoritative representative of the Matagi ethos, a fact which receives a powerful visual representation in his traditional hunting attire. i wonder what this could mean thematically… something about the power of cultural sharing to help isolated individuals, who then if they are truly dedicated can help to revitalize a culture in turn ? but okudera himself attributes his understanding of the way of the hunter to the tutelage of the village and the mountain…

Thats all I have to say right now. If anyone has thoughts, more informed than mine or not, id love to hear em ! I hope this treatment was respectful and interesting.

Im gonna put sources in a reblog so this isn’t hidden from search results.

[awoken-artist]

Last big doodles of mine and so far just the last two. for now since I have more doodles I want to do, and honestly the top one above is my big favorite and gives some insights on my two FMA OCs Emmy and Emmet Rosenthal [my Rosenthal siblings]

I shall talk about the doodles as usual :3 starting the top one! ^

so the top one is going to be very important to my OC's, Emmy and Emmet Rosenthal, as well it'll be touched up more in my comics. while some FMA artists would probably question it and maybe say it "makes no sense" because of stuff, dude its world building. there's MANY FRICKEN PLACES...THAT HAVE YET TO BE DISCOVERED. ID IMAGINE THIS BE ONE OF THEM. Remember the brotherhood movie??? Yeah-  Anyways- So Emmys mothers ancestry is pretty unique and has been around for a good long amount of time, some would speculate their culture or their people, whichever which or both have been around possibly around when Xerxes been around until they vanished, but would also say it was a probably a very 'young' country like...there's not many people. until years gone by there's many. it was once a small kingdom and soon grew more and more over the years which it has. they rule under someone of royal blood - their rulers being the king, queens, prince, princess, etc. I am still thinking of a nice cool name for what their race is named, because i named them "Krazohens" but that's ME …. borrowing a name.....from a video game and just add more letters to make it sound "cool" but- ack...noooo. So i need to think of what the race ethnicity would be named so that needs some work. I would imagine they are people who use alchemy A. LOT. for defense, protection, and healing purposes. they even have schools for the young that wishes to use alchemy. they ban inhumane alchemic acts such as using live animals and such to create chimeras and .. use alchemy on people to create a human-weapon. and also bring those to life is a huge no no, forbidden. no surprise and no shock. So I'm still working with the world building on the culture and such of Emmy and Emmet's ancestry, from the mothers side of the family, but i do wanna at least explain a bit on what these two are doing in the doodle piece best i can? i had imagined that they go through special rituals and such when visiting their ancestral homes around the times of the festival month and this happen the week they arrived [in the story ed and al tagged along and get to see the ritual being done]. Both Emmet and Emmy also get idk ranked? ish? by their knowledge and abilities i suppose?  Emmy was more seen as she who protects her people, and a healer who she comes to protect. Emmet was seen and has shown that is he who protects and defends his people, a heart of gold and steel that he will lay down his life to protect his people and his love ones. being his family he has left and his sister. Emmy was seen as an alchemist warrior but more towards a healer too, while Emmet is shown he's more of a warrior and a soldier then anything. Emmet can do alchemy but he is used to hand to hand combat. I'm still working with the world building on the ancestor part but i was enjoying a lot with it and this was my big favorite piece I've drawn (quq)

^^^^

this is a scene that'll happen in the comics for sure, and I don't give a flying flip what anyone says- but basically - its a scene where Ed and Emmy where still in Emmy's ancestral home and they stay there for a good 2-3 weeks, and they got the special honor to stay in the castle. they kept hearing noises and voices which was creeping Alphonse out and making Ed skeptic but also weary. Emmy being weary as well. of course here Emmy and Edward got into an argument of "there's no such things as ghost" and of course...Emmy stares at him pointing out about him dealing with shit that was suppose to be "impossible" to encounter let alone exist....

come on if we got paranormal actual documentation of demonic possessed fucking places and dolls in our world, I would imagine there be some IN THE FMA WORLD.. just not very common to figure that out but come on-

[hell Mei, ling, and Lanfan and Fuu had pointed out on the feelings of people swarming around beneath when they went to central or arrived so- i mean????? lets be real here] so yeah they go into investigate mode and figure out something deep in the castle and help recover something that puts everything to rest in the country that was...LONG overdue. which will get in touch with in future doodles or when the comic comes out.

🌸🍡———————————————————🍡🌸

🌸🍡Please don’t resubmit/repost my works without my permission! thanks!🍡🌸

🌸🍡———————————————————🍡🌸

🍡Artwork and my FMA OCs Emmy and Emmet Rosenthal is owned by: @awoken-artist

🌸Fullmetal Alchemist and Edward Elric is owned by: Hiromu Arakawa

🍡Programs Used: Clip Studio Paint EX

[parasite-core]

so! you wanted to talk about your ocs, yeah? hm, idk about them so can you give a little introduction about who they are and their likes or something like that? or at least about some of them? thanks! 🥰💞

Thank you! Sorry for the delay I wrote way too much then wrote less but still too much then I took medicine that knocked me out lol.

So I’m going to talk about Draven because he’s who I’m fixated on, but if you want me to jump to another OC just say the word and I’ll talk about someone else instead.

So my first attempt at answering got out of hand and was not a “little introduction” so I’ll tag you in a separate post with all that if you feel inclined to read it after seeing the ‘short’ answer lmao. Even this answer got long so you can imagine the other went very detailed.

Let’s start with the part that’s short, his likes and dislikes.

Likes: Cats, he grew up with a big blonde cat named Captain who only liked him and he’s loved cats ever since.

Leto, his surrogate brother.

His friends…begrudgingly sometimes.

Music, he’s a big music lover, especially violin music but really anything he can tell had real passion put behind it.

Makeup and generally making himself look beautiful: it offsets the scars a bit and people—including his enemies—already call him uncomfortably pretty so why not lean into it. Plus it makes him feel good when people call him pretty/beautiful. (He might be slowly having some gender self-revelations but Draven isn’t very insightful so it’s taking him a while)

Dislikes: Demons, demons, demons. Glabrezus (treachery demons), Succubi (you know), you get the point. He really hates demons. He doesn’t mind tieflings/ abyssal sorcerers/ other people who just happen to have demonic blood in them, so long as they don’t let it define them. Which is good for him since he recently discovered *he* has demonic blood in his bloodline so he’d have had a way worse breakdown if he’d been upset about the blood in general not just which specific demon it belonged it (Jerribeth, a Glabrezu, and likely the cause of his entire family’s deaths…so yeah, baggage)

Other things he hates…people telling him how he should feel about something. He’ll feel how he should feel in his own time and not a moment sooner.

Having people’s lives in his hands. He’s a commander of an army he has no choice in the matter but he hates it so much he wishes he could just be a front line grunt fighting demons and risking his own life not giving the order that might kill dozens or more of others if things go wrong or he miscalculated. He carries the weight of every person who has died under his command and take it very personally.

People insulting tieflings for their existence.

About: this still got long but less long than the first time.

Draven Imani is a warpriest of the goddess of righteous valor, justice, and honor, Iomedae. After his family was killed by demons when he was 8 and he was the sole survivor, he was saved by Iomedaen crusaders. After he was healed, except for a Mark of Deskari on his wrist that festers and remains open no matter what healing is applied, they had him bandage up and keep it secret, although vicious rumors already began spreading. He was taken in by an Iomedaen orphanage called the Light-Oath Orphanage. This is where he gained his faith, and his desire to follow in the footsteps of the crusaders who saved his life. This is also where he met his best friend and surrogate brother, the tiefling Leto, who he’s been inseparable from for 13 years.

The two of them made a group of 6 who all wanted to join the crusades for various reasons, and they set out for the Crusader hub city of Kenabres. Unfortunately when they were an hour out of the city, a demon slipped through the wardstone barrier. Draven sensed it first, the evil mark on his wrist burning and bleeding in response. It was too late to flee or warn the others, and one by one they fell. Draven lost his eye while trying to protect Leto, and doesn’t remember the rest of the fight from the shock and trauma. Next thing he remembers is waking up in a healer’s bed in a temple of Iomedae in Kenabres, Leto waiting for him, his other friends dead, and unable to see out of half his vision.

The for next year he retrained himself how to fight with his sword and shield with only one eye, relearning to judge distances and to mostly figure out his spacial awareness. However because everyone saw him as irreversibly damaged, he got relegated to the lowest, least prestigious, most mocked rank of the crusades: the Raven Corps. And there he rotted in guard duty and being degraded by both townsfolk and other crusaders, all of whom see the Raven Corps as the lowest of the low.

Then the Wardstone protecting the city was destroyed, the Stormking, one of Deskari’s generals, lead an attack on the city and began slaughtering everyone, and the party was swept underground by the silver dragon Paladin of Iomedae, Terendalev, who told them they had a destiny to fulfil.

And then Auriel Answerer, Draven’s friend and mentee from the Raven Corps died right next to him striking a fatal blow against a Baphomet cultist. And it turned out Auriel was supposed to be Iomedae’s Chosen One. So because Auriel vouched for Draven, now Draven is the one allowed to wield the Holy Sword Radiance—although Radiance themself seems begrudging of this.

Draven met his hero, Commander Irabeth Tirabade, a half-orc Paladin and former Raven Corps member who once saved the city and was promoted to commander of the prestigious Eagle Watch Legion in recognition. Irabeth immediately gave Draven a field promotion to acting captain of the Raven Corps for recent events. No pressure or anything.

We destroyed the final wardstone shard that Deskari cultists were trying to corrupt into a weapon, via our archer Hiskaria avoiding a boss battle while the party fought her and kept her distracted by being bigger threats until it was too late. Then Hisy jabbed the stone with the rod of cancellation and it broke and destroyed her and two of her minions. And a single shard hit each of us after we had a vision of what had meant to happen—of the doomed world we weren’t meant to save—and how our actions had literally broken fate. Afterwards in reality the Wardstone shards sank into us and bequeathed new powers to each of us.

The night after becoming Mythic Draven met Iomedae in our dreams and received a number of really helpful boons from her. So Draven was in awe there. And learned from meeting the warrior goddess that maybe he should be less self deprecating about his own facial scars.

Since then he met the Queen of Mendev, got promoted to Commander of his own legion (The Adamant Shield Legion) with Irabeth friggin Tirabade as his mentor and advisor, they liberated an impenetrable citadel in two days, found out Leto was now working with the cult of Baphomet for unknown reasons, but he promised Draven that he wouldn’t let them hurt him. It turned out he’d been acting strangely since meeting a Glabrezu on the battlefield, and when Draven tried to ask over sending Leto only told him that “wishes come true at the most unexpected times”.

Since then. Dray’s learned that the mark on his wrist means he also made a wish to a Glabrezu, that he doesn’t remember because he was a traumatized child who was just tortured and saw his family killed when he got his mark. And not just any Glabrezu—Lady Jerribeth, the original architect of Drezen’s fall, and very likely the cause of his family’s deaths. And not only that, but Jerribeth’s blood runs through his veins, from within the last few generations of his family. So the Crusader, the demon slayer, who fights demons but embraces tieflings, is struggling to put his money where his mouth is when it’s his own blood touched by a demon’s influence. Also killing another mark bearer places a new mark of Deskari onto him, so he has a new one on his neck now from killing a raider half-fiend berserker who also shared Jerribeth’s blood and mark. He’s scared of the implications.

And that’s Draven so far.

[selsprompts]

Who’s the best boyfie?

Insight; This is literally a shit post idk what this is okay- I basically wanted to do some boyfriend headcanons with my best boys Kuroo and Bokuto because why not??

This is literally all over the place pls don’t come for me.

Characters; Tetsurō Kuroo & Kōtarō Bokuto 

Warnings; cursing & erm there’s implied smut so read at your own risk mkay ghouls and gals tyty

Kuroo<3

oh gosh my favourite boy!!

Lots of hugs and kisses regardless of where you are this mf does not CARE.

but will be respectful infront of elders (ofc)

Loves to mark you up (hickeys ect)

He is definitely a physical boyfriend in every sense of the word

He comes off as the blunt type, definitely won’t beat around the bush when he wants something from you but will tease.

“Kitten, stop doing your work and come cuddle with me”

“Not right now Tetsurou”

“You’ve been studying for 3 hours just take a break”

“Oh yeah and do what?”

“I mean that chair looks a little uncomfortable, I have a better one right here”

Cocky bitch 101

You’ll be like ???

And he’ll be smirking licking his lips and then you catch his drift because he meant his face.

Soz back to cute stuff I’m—

He likes to buy you over the top things for special occasions.

this doesn’t mean he doesnt buy you things for non-special occasions.

it means that he puts more effort into Christmas, birthday and anniversary gifts.

Like this guy is ALWAYS doing the most just to show you how special you are no matter how much you think you aren’t.

He loves you to death and loves to show you off.

Shows you off infront of his friends especially so they can get jealous.

“Oya Oya that’s my baby, you look so good today”

“Yeah, yeah I know”

“Oh you know?”

“Yes?”

“You hear that Kenma? Y/n ALREADY knows!!”

Kenma is like 0_0 but he will compliment you saying you look nice

Kuroo likes to spend lunch with you, basically any of his spare time outside of vollyball and studying, that time is reserved for you.

It doesn’t bother him much because he sees his friends during classes and majority of them are in vollyball anyways.

WILL. FLIRT. WITH. YOU. IN. CLASS.

He will send you notes and purposely tease you (maybe try to get you in trouble)

“Hey y/n take the note”

“nO Kuroo I’m going to get in trouble”

“Come I’m just this one time-”

“KUroo no-”

“Excuse me, Mr/Ms Y/n, am I interrupting your conversation?”

“No Miss”

“Mmm”

“I’m gonna kill you Kuroo”

“ehehe”

Now he can tell you about how you need to be punished later for making such a big mistake.

Kuroo is top. He will switch if that’s what you really want but majority of the time he’s top.

Kuroos way or the fucking highway 8)

Type of bf to text you at 2am asking to FaceTime till he falls asleep and you comply

Sends you memes that you two can laugh about next time you see eachother.

Sends futuristic memes (as in things that would happen in the future between you to)

*Marriage memes*

Loves to help you do whatever you need.

He hates seeing you struggle when it’s not underneath him

Makes fun of your height if you’re shorter than him CONSTANTLY

“Hey short stuff, how’s the grass?”

if you’re taller he will be lowkey jealous that he has to look up to you.

“Hey, if it isn’t my long legged kitty, come down from up there”

Loves you regardless of what you look like honestly.

Loves you for the mindset you have and the person YOU ARE.

Kuroo is the type to fall INLOVE with someone’s way of life and how they choose to live it.

King shit all the time pls you are his King/Queen.

You ARE royalty in his eyes and deserve nothing but the best, no more no less.

Will reassure his love when need be. It’s cute because he doesn’t do it often.

10/10 boyfriend will definitely share the bed.

You’re usually little spoon but when he’s cranky and loses a match, he won’t say it but you’ll just know that he wants to be held so you be the big spoon:’)

Bokuto<3

okay off the bat this MF IS SO HYPER MY GOD-

will want your attention 24/7.

always has to make sure you’re safe.

he’s so cute when you ignore him purposely especially over text,

“Hey baby”

*read*

“Helloooo y/n”

*read*

“noe what did I do pls tell me🥺”

babie hotline 101.

wbk he super emo so when you do stuff like that he’s in babie mode.

will always answer your texts ASAP.

V supportive of anything you do 100%.

He is the physical boyfriend but is a tiny bit more modest in public and likes to keep it respectful infront of elders/superiors.

Loves to hug you from behind so he can pop his head on your shoulder and look at you from the side like ;).

he will say he loves you all the time just cause he wants you to know.

this goes for in person and over text,

“Hey y/n”

“Yeah Bokuto?”

“I love you”

“That was random”

“I know but I just want you to know how I feel right now”

“I love you too goofball”

“Hehe”

WILL HEHE WHEN YOU COMPLIMENT HIM PLS HE SNICKERS ALL THE TIME AND BLUSHES.

Loves to give affection however he can.

This means he’ll bring flowers during lunch or whatever just to surprise you to see the look on your face.

Loves sharing food with you because he gets to feed you.

Same when you’re sick he will be babying you.

Bokuto is a switch so he’s moody no doubt about it for when he wants you on top.

He can be v dominant when you see him after a match he lost or if he’s very hype.

Will go into “whos the best fucking player mm?” mode in the bedroom 0_0.

Loves when you pull his hair WHEHE.

Loves to do matching outfits sometimes lowkey.

Also LOVES LOVES LOVES to show you off infront of literally everyone???

Akaashi is like ok chile.

He thinks your relationship is good for bokuto because he’s not up his ass all the time and he doesn’t have to deal with the emo king.

Loves to kiss you on the forehead during romantic moments.

He feels that it symbolizes more affection then a kiss on the lips sometimes.

He also kisses you by grabbing you with both hands by the face.

Super passionate kisser literally out of a movie scene.

Likes sending memes of like everything dedass, especially shows you watch together which is ALSO a lot.

Will name a star after himself and tell you that ‘whenever you look up at the sky you can find me’

Super cute gifts.

Bokuto has a type.

It’s the incredibly cute kind.

He needs someone to match his uwu energy.

He loves you for your ambition and strive.

This is because he feels the same way about vollyball so when he sees you being so driven with something it reminds him of himself.

Loves your personality more than anything.

You’re probably always big spoon because babie hello unless he’s like ok protective owl time.

If you’re short he loves to throw you over his shoulder and run around with you.

“Babe not again”

“But WHYYYYY it was so fun last time”

“FOR YOU! I was being carried around like a dead CHICKEN”

“A CUTE DEAD CHICKEN!”

“I- bokuto”

If you’re tall he will dedass ask you to do blocks for him even if you don’t play vollyball... there is no choice.

Tall jokes 24/7.

“How’s the weather up there mm?”

“Shut up bokuto”

“Mhm just don’t get hit by any birds”

“-_-”

Boyfriend status again 10/10 but will pull the wholeass sheet off of you and when you yell at him he will tell you to ‘get closer then’.

It’s really a preference at this point.

Hey guys, I apologize for this long awaited post. I’ve had this in my drafts for forever and I haven’t been feeling in the mood to write lately but I hope this is good!

[vulpes-incendium]

Question 0-0 I’m writing a historical fic (Ming dynasty to opium wars if that helps) with both HK and Macau in it (also has the rest of the gang), should I use the official Hong Kong Cantonese romanization of HK’s name or not because idk if the official Hong Kong romanization existed at that point, if not, how should I write his name? (I feel like you’re the name authority now lol so that’s why I’m asking 😆)

Romanisation of Cantonese in HK (+ other Chinese speaking countries)

Ahhh this is quite a complicated question. I'll try my best 🙈🙈🙈 Remember, I’m not a linguist nor a historian, these are only information I researched and based on my own knowledge. I could answer you right away that it’s safest to stick to the HK system for HK’s name now, but since romanisation has something to do with history, I thought this bit of insight would interest you and some others as well?

Basic facts

The standard English romanisation of Cantonese the HK government uses was introduced in late 1800s to early 1900s after HK was colonised and Hanyu Pinyin (Mandarin pinyin) in the 1950s after the PRC established, both did not exist back in the period you mentioned. So even Yao might not be Yao back then! (but I’ll talk about that later)

Also, the language has evolved a lot since then, plus there are also many other dialects (that are not mutually intelligible with Cantonese or Mandarin), this could play a role in it too!

Cantonese

How the system worked in Hong Kong 🇭🇰

So I only heard this from my parents and grandparents! Back then (30s - 50s) people just went to the registration office and said their names in Cantonese, the officers (mostly British I think) would hear it and translate it on the spot. I have yet found an official romanisation guide by the HK government (unlike Macau), but I believe with time, they kind of built up a system? HKers are used to the romanisation and would just know how to romanise names. There are some cases with names romanised not in the usual way, like 林 is usually Lam (99% of the time), but there are some romanised as Lamb, could be because of the mistakes made by some officers or they weren’t too used to the system, it does happen sometimes, but they are rare.

The government probably has a system for the street names, but it’s also a mess, they don’t necessarily reflect the pronunciation well, one obvious example would be “G” to “K” like the “K” in Hong Kong, it’s pronounced more like “Gong” in Cantonese, name romanisation has this problem too, but that’s another story.

Pre-colonial Hong Kong

Hong Kong was of course in the Canton/Guangdong region back then, there isn’t really like a border or anything like now. As the name hinted, the region speaks Cantonese. I couldn’t find that much information on the people living in HK, but one of the most famous people active around the HK area was 張保仔 Cheung Po Tsai, a pirate, active in the late 1700s. He wasn’t born in the area that is now known as Hong Kong, but HK was the area where pirates were active, because it’s surrounded by the sea. His name is romanised using the HK romanisation system, but I believe this is how the HK government preserves history. Mind you, this is the modern HK romanisation, his name might not be romanised like that back then, but I couldn’t find further info.

I believe only some people’s names were romanised in Cantonese because (Nanjing) Mandarin was the language the government used (which I heard was quite different from the Beijing dialect, aka modern Mandarin). There were only a few exceptions to have their names romanised in their native dialects (Cantonese, Hokkien, etc) to highlight their heritage/ importance to the region.

Hong Kong before the colonial period was very small and there weren’t a lot of people living there, most of our ancestors fled China for HK due to wars or political instability, but that was mostly after the Brits took power. So I’d say, for the sake of simplicity and also due to lack of information, using the HK system now would be fine, which is Wong Ka Lung or Lee Siu Chun, it also shows his identity (from HK) and his language. See this post for more info on his name.

Macau 🇲🇴

I have to also mention that even among Cantonese, the romanisation could be different too! Macau’s system is similar to HK’s but not 100% the same, this is because their system is based on Portugese pronunciation. Some common differences are Leong instead of Leung in HK or Ao instead of Au in HK. I’m not quite sure when they started using the system, but the document I found from the Macau government in 1985 showed they had a system for quite a while.

My bet for Macau is that his name was probably already romanised based on the Portugese system at that time, he’d probably also be given a Portugese name for the ease of communicating with the Europeans too. I have 2 names for Macau: 王濠鏡 Wong Hou Keang, popular among the Chinese fans which is based on one of Macau’s old names (I romanised his name wrong in my previous post using the HK system) and 王嘉麟 Wong Ka Lon, suggested by a HK fan, it shows his relationship with HK sharing the word 嘉 (many parents give siblings a sharing name). I use Vicente or Marco as his Portugese name. I can do a detailed post on this later.

Mandarin

Pre-PRC China (pre-1949)

Before the PRC was established (and Mandarin pinyin was introduced), I believe each country had their own method of romanisation for Chinese (all different dialects), probably catered to  their own speakers. Wikipedia said Nanjing dialect-based romanisation systems are more commonly used until the late 19th century, but I can’t really confirm that, since I don’t speak the dialect and I couldn’t find much info on that. But it could make sense, Nanjing was once the capital and a very important city, I could see why that would be the case.

If you look at this book from 1742, you can see the romanisation is very different from what we are used to, it's a French book so it’s based on French pronunciation, on top of the fact that the language back then was a bit different than nowadays (both French and Mandarin).

A notable example would be Confucius. It’s the latinised from 孔夫子 (Kǒng Fūzǐ in Mandarin pinyin) in the late 16th centuries by the early Jesuit missionaries in China, which consisted of mainly Italians, but also Portugese and Spanish I believe. Nowadays, of course his name wouldn’t be romanised like that, but this name was made popular by them based on Italian/Latin I think. In theory, his name would probably be based on the Nanjing-dialect, which I have no clue of, it does sound like Beijing Mandarin though.

Wade-Giles I believe was the most used romanisation system pre-pinyin. It was created in the 19th century and based on the Beijing-dialect. This may not be obvious if you look at important people in the modern (mainland) Chinese history because the Chinese government has probably changed the records to make the status of Mandarin pinyin more important (eg. Peking to Beijing). However, you can still find some hints in Chinese living abroad or non-mainland Chinese (most prominent example would be the Taiwanese).

Michael Shen Fu-Tsung was one of the first Chinese people who moved to Europe (late 1600s, from Nanjing/Nanking), he was using his Portugese name Michel Alfonso most of the time when he was in Europe, but his Chinese name was romanised using the Wade-Giles system later, could be because his life was more well-known in the west than in the east, so when Wade-Giles became popular, the European used the system when they refer him by his Chinese name?

All in all, China’s name would probably be romanised differently in each period by different countries. Not sure about Nanjing-Mandarin, but in Beijing Mandarin, his name 王耀 would be romanised as Wang Yao in both Mandarin pinyin and Wade-Giles luckily.

Taiwan 🇹🇼

Taiwan still used Wade-Giles until the government started encouraging the people to use Mandarin pinyin in 2009. I would say if you’re using 林曉梅 (Lin Xiao Mei), Lin Hsiao Mei would be more accurate to the time, for 林乙玲 (Lin Yi Ling) it’s Lin I Ling according to this. For Wade-Giles, names were usually hyphanated too I think so that the westerners know they have to use both words to refer to a person’s name, so Lin Hsiao-mei or Lin I-ling? (It’s not important, I just wanna mention my observation)

Taiwan also has another official language, which is Taiwanese (Hokkien). Now I don’t speak Taiwanese, but it’s also an important representation of the culture too and some people’s names were romanised from their own dialects, which leads me to my next point...

Other dialects

Some names were romanised from their own dialects, an example would be Koxinga from 國姓爺, or 鄭成功 (Zhèng Chénggōng in Mandarin pinyin). It’s the Dutch romanisation of Hokkien. From his name, you can probably tell why his name was romanised this way. He was of Hokkien and Japanese descent and he was most active in Taiwan (well, the sea regions, his family were pirates), hence he had most contact with the Dutch (he eventually replaced Dutch Formosa with Kingdom of Tungning). His name was also romanised differently, either from Beijing Mandarin or based on other languages, but I supposed he was most well-known by Koxinga.

Most of the Chinese immigrants in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Phillipines and Myanmar are of Hokkien (Hoklo) descent. I believe this is why many Chinese names are romanised differently in these countries, say the surname 陳 is usually Tan in Malaysia because it is romanised from Hokkien or Teochew (it’s Chan in Cantonese and Chen in Mandarin). This could theoretically happen in HK too, but most people wanted to integrate into the community and the majority of HKers speak Cantonese (eg. my grandparents were Shanghaiese but their names were in Cantonese).

Cantonese in Pre-PRC mainland China

This is just an extra piece of information if you’re interested, it’s about Cantonese in mainland China after British Hong Kong was established (mid-late 1800s), which is probably not your subject of interest, but maybe if someone wants to do an oc, or idk, just want to know in general? Long story short, there’s still not really an offical way to romanise names, but in my opinion, you can tell someone’s story/background from how their names were romanised.

Cantonese like 康有爲 Kang Youwei and 梁啓超 Liang Qichao were romanised like that (pinyin) because they worked at the Chinese government and I think the Chinese government now romanised them like that? Their names were probably not like that back then, not sure.

Another example would be 孫逸仙 Sun Yat-sen. He was Cantonese, born and was mostly active in the Canton(Guangdong) region. He’s more well-known as 孫中山 in Chinese (he had a lot of names), but he mostly went by Sun Yat-sen when he’s with westerners since he studied in HK. It looks a bit different than modern HK romanisation (it would be Suen Yat Sin I think), but I believe it was because that was the time the HK government just started developing the system, and as I’ve mentioned, there are some exceptions when romanising names in HK.

And then we have Chiang Kai-shek, who was not Cantonese (he spoke Wu, another Chinese dialect) but his name was romanised from Cantonese, probably because of the KMT activities he participated in were in Canton/Guangdong? He did change his name and the romanisation for his political career (he went through a lot of names too, I don’t speak Wu unfortunately to tell you whether one of his names were romanised from Wu, but some were from Mandarin using Wade-Giles). His name looks like it’s romanised using the HK system to me, it could really be that the Cantonese in the Mainland adopting the system when it was developing and got popularised in HK.

Cantonese might not be the main language used by the Chinese government (even though it almost became the official language of modern China), but since Canton/Guangdong was an important trading spot (on top of HK and Macau), many foreigners would learn Cantonese too.

Conclusion

Romanisation is to aid their own countries, it would be catered to their own languages, Turkish doesn’t have the letter Q, or W is pronounced V in German, Yao’s name in German could be “Jau” if the Germans were to romanise his name to cater their own people. The influence of the countries contributes a lot in it too. As you can see there are many names romanised from Dutch, because the Netherlands was a strong power, so I guess that’s why sometimes the Dutch romanisation would be more used? The HK romanisation and Wade-Giles got so popular probably because the British Empire was so strong back then or that English became an international language. And of course there is history too. Taiwan’s old name, Formosa, means beautiful in Portugese, because the Portugese were the first Europeans to discover Taiwan.

There are still so many different romanisation systems nowadays, one can tell where you’re from or where your root is just by seeing your romanised name. Say the surname 鄭, it’s romanised as Cheng in HK and Taiwan (different languages though), Cheang in Macau, Zheng in China and Tay or Tee in Malaysia and Singapore (Trịnh and Jung/Jeong would be the equivalent of the name in Vietnamese and Korean respectively) and they are all based on different languages, romanising different languages/dialects based on different languages.

Again, I’m not a linguist nor a historian so I might not be 100% correct! Please correct me if I got any of these wrong! Sorry for turning this into an essay lol, I really really appreciate your effort on making your fic historically accurate! Feel free to ask me more, I’m glad to help!

[hopevalley]

Season 8, Episode 1: Open Season

Work was busier than expected on Monday, but the deep dive into the first episode of S8 begins now!

Scene 1: Narration, Elizabeth and Nathan, Lucas

The awkwardness between Elizabeth and Nathan was...palpable at first lol.The best part about the non-narrated part of the scene is twofold: Nathan interacting with Jack is a well-needed and very nice touch, and of course it’s always nice to see that Nathan is patient concerning Elizabeth’s situation and reassures her that she can let him know when she’s ready to go to dinner with him.

My problem with the whole thing is that...if she hasn’t spoken up about wanting that dinner date yet, and she’s not saying yes she’d like to get dinner with you now, it’s like...any sane person would assume at this point in the story that Elizabeth isn’t interested in Nathan. Worse, Nathan isn’t the kind of man who wouldn’t take a hint. I’m pretty sure this is why the opening scene felt just a little bit off. I think they ought to have let Elizabeth be a little more enthusiastic about the idea while still failing to commit to it. 

To be fair to the writers, I can’t imagine it was easy for them to figure out how to open this season after such a long time gap. They let a whole winter elapse between last season and this one. How do you explain literally no major development with the love triangle in that amount of time? Especially after the way the last season ended?

Random consideration: the camera focuses on Elizabeth’s face a lot and makes her wedding ring clearly visible.

Boom, the flashback with Lucas. I think having him leave out of jealousy was a better idea than having his mother fall ill (we’ve certainly seen that enough at this point), and maybe we should also consider the fact that while Lucas was gone, Nathan didn’t really jump on the opportunity to woo Elizabeth himself.

I wonder if we’ll get an explanation for that or not. What makes Lucas so sure that after 4+ months, Elizabeth hasn’t started courting Nathan? Maybe he kept in touch with someone in town? Or he just knows Elizabeth well enough to know she wouldn’t feel quite ready to commit in that time frame anyway?

I did really like Lucas’s opening scene with Elizabeth. Honestly, he was quite likable, here: admitting he was wrong, admitting his shortcomings, apologizing. All good things. “I’m ashamed I let my jealousy get the best of me... The worst of me.” That’s such a good line.

It didn’t feel equal in enthusiasm to the Nathan scene, but I’ll have more thoughts on that later. I do believe it was on purpose.

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Scene 2: Clara and Jesse’s Fight, The Café

I like the concept of some marital discord for Clara and Jesse. Marriage is easier said than done and like any serious relationship, it’s a lot of consistent maintenance. It starts out pretty well, with Jesse sleeping in the other bedroom. At this point I fully expected to find out Clara kicks in her sleep or she snores a lot or something that’s funny to hear about but really difficult to actually deal with in real life. Color me disappointed later, but I’ll get to it.

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Scene 3: The Mercantile, Ned, Florence, Carson

This just set up things with Faith’s situation so there’s not much to say, but as always I do love Florence. I hope she gets some good scenes this season. And I love Ned so I hope the same for him.

Henry coming in to mail a letter was interesting, though. I’m not sure it’ll mean anything in particular later, but...it’s possible.  Then again, maybe he’s just here to set our expectations regarding Faith’s return (of course it’s a long trip from Chicago) or Carson’s worry (a bit unreasonable unless he expected to hear from her at a specific stop).

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Scene 4: Nathan, Dylan

Dylan is such an incredible scumbag. The spurs were a nice touch. He says things almost fondly (“She’s growing up... My little girl.”) and then wants nothing to actually do with Allie. 

The guy’s actually a pretty good actor. The way he segues into being glad for Allie’s sake that Nathan wasn’t the one killed. If the next words out of his mouth weren’t a demand for go-away money you’d almost feel those words were genuine!

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Scene 5: Lee and Rosemary’s Return + Faith’s Return + Dylan Part Two

Lots of energy in this scene, both good and bad. I always appreciate what Lee and Rosemary bring to the show. I genuinely just don’t care that much about Faith. I’m ready to ship her with Cowboy Brett Brewer. He gets a name, which makes me wonder if he’s gonna show up again. :3

Lol at Carson’s jelly face:

I MEAN...

Not a fan of Faith’s outfit...but to be fair we’ve never really seen Faith outside of uniform. That just doesn’t strike me as something she would wear to travel in...?

Dylan approaching Jack and Jack speaking to him was so hilarious to me. “A puppy!” It’s extra funny after he looked afraid of Rosemary. Nathan intervening was undoubtedly for the best, but I can’t imagine why he would have approached Elizabeth or Jack. He doesn’t know who they are, or their connection to Nathan. Maybe too convenient. Might have been better to have him approach someone else entirely--like Opal.

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Scene 6: Nathan and Allie

It’s great Nathan’s officializing the adoption but he had literal years to do this and only chooses now, when there’s a threat? Legally Dylan doesn’t have a leg to stand on even in that day and age (he did the abandoning in the first place + Nathan is a lawman)... It kind of ruined the cute moment for me, and I think it will come back in a bad way later.

I don’t mind Nathan’s inability to confide in Elizabeth in this situation. At this point, she doesn’t need to know, and the situation is just weird enough that he probably doesn’t think he needs to dump his own problems on her.

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Scene 7: Carson and Faith

I’m the jerk who just chanted “BREAK UP BREAK UP BREAK UP” during this scene in my head. I just...don’t care about Faith and Carson.

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Scene 8: Bill and The Gals

I hate that they keep retconning Bill’s ability to cook well with every passing season. In season 2 and 3 he was more than satisfactory. In S4 he made dinner for Dottie and it was really nice. Now he’s godawful and doesn’t taste his own shit before letting other people try it? Come on.

This is the kind of stuff the writing team needs to cut out of the story. It’s not funny. 

Worse, outspoken Fiona lying to Bill? I just don’t see it. At least Molly told him the truth...but I still am just SO tired of seeing this shit. It makes me think new writers only watched the last couple of seasons instead of all of them.

Also, if Bill is literally running the cafe most of the time, if he was bad at cooking, then...the place would have shut down ages ago. What they should lean into if they wanna do a cooking joke is that Bill isn’t good at creating recipes from scratch. Maybe he doesn’t have a strong sense of taste (my husband has this issue so it’s the first thing that comes to mind) so he’s likely to over-do things like spice or sugar or salt on accident. There’s also a lot of room for jokes about his “taste” in things that can come of it (women, clothes, et cetera).

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Scene 9: Lee’s Pants

Good scene, 10/10, wouldn’t change a thing. I hope this pants thing becomes a running gag. This is the good kind of humor I want in my life. And I like that Jesse wants to emulate Lee. It’s wholesome. 

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Scene 10: Rosemary and Clara

The ribbon as a tissue was funny, but it was just SLIGHTLY too over the top for me.

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Scene 11: Faith and Carson Again...............

“Were you jealous of that cowboy?” I think he should be. The cowboy is better. I don’t give a damn about these characters. And I genuinely hate that the strumming is Carson’s Thing Now. At the very least we should get some Carson and Bill doing a duet together which would be cool.

It just felt like it was shilling Paul and had nothing to do with the characters.

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Scene 12: Mmm Money

This is arguably the most interesting scene in the episode. Lucas nodded at Nathan. Nathan went to Lucas for money. Lucas didn’t need to get the scoop to find out why Nathan needed it to loan it to him. Elizabeth is officially the least interesting part of the love triangle.

They treat her like she’s such a prize to be won, but I’m starting to worry that she’s become the new Lorigail on the show.

Anyway this scene had some gay vibes and I liked them.

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Scene 13: Rosemary and Elizabeth Catch Up

YES. GOOD SCENE. It starts off fun and it gets serious, and the transition feels really natural. “Did he have reason to be [jealous]?” I’m genuinely glad this is in the episode. It needed to be. I hope Rosemary continues to ask the hard questions.

Elizabeth needs to face either dating one of them, or dating neither of them so that everybody can get on with their lives. If you’re not that enthusiastic about either of them I’d say...maybe don’t date either of them idk.

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Scene 14: Nathan and Bill Talk

"If he sees you with me, then...” The problem with this scene is uh...twofold, let’s say.

Issue 1: ThEN HE WILL WHAT, NATHAN? WHAT HAS HE EVER DONE BEFORE THAT WAS SO BAD if he’s not a hard criminal? Maybe an example would be useful here...?

Issue 2: The old Bill Avery would have heard “if he SEES YOU with ME” and mentally been like, “all right so it’s only bad if he SEES ME” and spied on Nathan.

Nathan wanting Bill to stay behind in case Dylan doubles back isn’t a terrible idea, but it almost comes across more like...the writers just want Nathan alone.

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Scene 15: Oil

I like the discussion and that Hickam gets to do something. I feel like Henry is low-key advising against shooting the well, and that Lucas and Hickam will end up doing it and causing an issue. It’s just setting up for the future and it’s nice to see those kinds of scenes in the series again!

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Scene 16: Jesse and Lee

I’d like this scene more if I felt it gave us ANY insight into the problem Jesse and Clara are having. It mostly comes across like Jesse gets home and does nothing at all until bedtime and Clara is lonely. Could have been a better scene. It’s mostly just repetitive right now.

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Scene 17: Nathan Cancels the Date

“Tomorrow’s Saturday.” Nathan’s like uhhhhh. This actually works really well to do what it’s supposed to do. By that I mean, he seems “off” so Elizabeth realizes he’s a bit stressed and leaving town = mountie business = dangerous.

I kind of wish Rosemary and Elizabeth would talk more about this, but maybe that’s coming in an episode soon...?

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Scene 18: The Barbershop

Just a cute nice scene that shows a good friendship between Fiona, Clara, and Faith. I like this stuff. Keep it coming, Hallmark!

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(Skipping Scene 19 because it’s just Nathan riding around...)

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Scene 20: Lee and Rosemary Scheme

I really enjoyed this little bit where they decide to buy something for Clara and Jesse and we don’t get to see what it is. Super wholesome and very fun!

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Scene 21: Nathan gets Ambushed

This scene was absolutely wild. Probably one of the best scenes like this that they’ve ever done. Dylan taking Nathan’s hat, “Take care of my little girl” after he takes the money and Nathan’s gun. It was super good.

Also, not too fake that Nathan was on the ground that long. If you got roped off of your horse you’d have the wind knocked out of you super hard lmao.

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Scene 22: Bill & The Girls

Clara and Fiona are so cute. Bill playing the “Dad” figure to them both is really nice and it’s good for him. “I’m a lawman. I get to sneak.” What a Bill response. 

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(Skipping Scene 23 since it’s just Nathan finding his horse.)

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Scene 24: Lucas visits with Elizabeth

Lucas and Elizabeth are flirting via a nursery rhyme. I...don’t like that LOL. But Lucas’s “Helen Bouchard taught me to read and after that I was on my own.” She really sounds unloving. This was a pretty decent scene, though.

Also, Grand Isle Louisiana had a major hurricane in 1909 and 1915.

They also seem to have been hit by more mild hurricanes in 1916 and 1917, but the 1915 one was a Cat4, so...the most notable.

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Scene 25: Rosemary and Lee in the Dress Shop

This tries to solve the issue of Clara and Jesse’s marital problems, but it doesn’t actually do that. “Let Jesse read when he gets home.” “I’ll talk to Jesse.” Meh.

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Scene 26: Barbershop

“Why do this when you’re so good with women’s hair?” I fully expected Fiona to say, “That’s where all the hot gossip is, of course.” I do like  her gumption, though!

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Scene 27: Nathan Finds Dylan

“I had to let you ambush me, so I had grounds to put you away.” COLD BUT EFFECTIVE. I appreciate this.

Imagine getting to be this smug. I wish it were me.

Anyway, long-term thoughts on this are mostly that...there is just no reasonable way Dylan’s story is over yet. It’s too juicy of a storyline to let go this easily. Allie is going to find out what Nathan did and she’s going to struggle to come to terms with it, especially after her grandfather really did try to turn his life around. Why couldn’t it be the same for her father? Why couldn’t she get lucky like that?

I hope it feels satisfying, whatever they choose to do. Otherwise this was just wrapped up too neatly/too quickly.

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Scene 28: Nathan Returns

Very good scene. Nathan’s in a good mood and he does my favorite trope of all time when one person in the relationship has a child: “Why don’t we all go?” You already all know each other, so why not? It’s wholesome and good, and it shows he doesn’t care how he gets to spend time with Elizabeth, as long as he does.

Also, it takes a lot of the pressure off of her for the duration of the date and at its conclusion. This was a cute and good scene, one of the better they’ve had, I think.

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Scene 29: Jesse and Lee Talk

This was a nice attempt at a talk, but it really comes off like Jesse has stopped loving Clara for no reason. That his romantic interest in her is what is causing the failure in their relationship.

The problem is: WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS CAUSING IT. NOBODY EVER SAID. 

I agree that love isn’t “just” a feeling or “just” an emotion. It’s ALSO a choice. Marriage is a commitment you choose to continue every day. That is all good.

“Choose love. Then you feel it.” is probably some of the worst dialogue they’ve put in the show, though. Yuck. It left a bad taste in my mouth. It feels like it’s shaming people who legitimately fall out of love or who are in bad relationships. “If only you chose to work harder.”

I don’t think that was their intention at all, but it really soured the scene. I would have MUCH rather have had Lee get Jesse to talk about what’s wrong and then offer him pointers on how he could do better. Maybe he’s stressed out and losing himself in books, or he wishes Clara would sit and read with him because that’s something he always wanted. Or maybe Clara would be down for reading time if he read to her while she did her sewing.

There’s so much they could have done here to really send this home, but it didn’t work very well. At the very least Lee could have said, instead of ‘choose love’: CHOOSE COMMUNICATION. Make sure she knows you still feel that way about her.

The biggest thing is like, Lee could also be very encouraging in saying like, the honeymoon phase doesn’t last forever but just because things settle down doesn’t mean the love is less.

THERE IS SO MUCH GOOD STUFF THEY COULD HAVE WRITTEN FOR THIS but they chose “Choose love. Then you feel it.” WTF. That’s awful advice.

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Scene 30: Jesse and Clara

Him bringing her flowers was a nice touch, and her getting him the book was also nice. The tandem bike was SO unexpected to me and I loved it. It’s just goofy enough that it works. The best part is that they know it’s not going to fix anything, but it’s still a fun and nice thing to do, and that’s wonderful for Rosemary and Lee. They both like to make the people they care about happy.

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Scene 31: Mama Bouchard

MILF ALERT.

Elizabeth is just so shook at all of this she doesn’t say a damn thing for so long it made my palms feel sweaty.

“Someone ought to take an interest in your writing, don’t you think?” I rewatched the episode to understand the tone, and it’s a little hoity-toity/uppity, but she actually doesn’t sound condescending. It’s good for an editor to meet the author, after all, and meet to talk about their writing/book. This has always been custom, even in the early 1900s. Authors didn’t usually get their work published by an editor they’d never met (though of course, you will find some exceptions). 

From the little we saw, Helen seems fine. The preview for the next episode tells us she’s UH, AN EDITOR DOING HER JOB, so I’m not looking forward to the editor being the bad guy, but I guess I’ll have to deal with that when it arrives. (To be clear, Elizabeth has never proved to the audience that she’s a Good Writer, let alone a Great Writer. She’s also not experienced which means her work probably NEEDS SOME WORK.)

Anyway, Elizabeth is immediately rude as HELL. Nobody can make an excuse for this. Helen isn’t THAT big of a deal. There are other publishers. Your father is filthy rich. If she changes her mind about your book you can pub to someone via your father if you have to. Like...Helen wouldn’t have taken you on if she didn’t see any potential in you. 

Even if it was a big deal, Elizabeth has NEVER been a flake. EVER. 

This is a classic case of a writer forcing the character to go out of character in order to bend to what the plot dictates. 

If I were Nathan, I’d drop Elizabeth like a brick.

How to fix this scene? I’ll honestly have to think about that for a while. This was the first hint of truly bad writing this season. The bit with Lee and “choose love” was careless writing, but this scene with Nathan is just Bad.

The thing is, I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. I know they put this in there so that it looks like she’ll choose Lucas because she never even goes out with Nathan, and then BOOM. I know it’s meant to be this big thing about how she’s scared to feel anything for Nathan because Lucas is the safer option and also a good man (so why would she fall for the more frightening option?).

But this was not the right way to do this type of scene. I hope to God in the next episode someone says something about it. Allie could tell her it was rude and it hurt Nathan’s feelings/you shouldn’t have said yes if you didn’t want to. It’d be fully in character for her. Rosemary could also say something similar. If they do, I might be able to forgive this...but if it’s not called attention to by the other characters, then it’s a massive failure as a scene to me.

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Did I miss anything? Do you want my thoughts on something in particular? Shoot me a message HERE and I’ll do my best to answer!