#ill reward you in friendship

[dragonymango]

besties that hate each other

[inkskinned]

for a second, you did the bad thing and bargained about it.

if it meant that you would never be numb like this again, what would you give up?

maybe it's the childhood stuff or the religious trauma or how your dad doesn't believe in medication, but this is how you are, right. you need to have a counterbalance. suffering has to have its own reward. there needs to be a point to it. and if you're happy - if you could just be happy, and the world could actually fill in enough space that the edges of your spirit actually meet the horizon of your body - you would need to pay for it.

your passions? that one seems fair, but how could you actually be happy without them. well, you'd never be numb again, so maybe you'd be able to find joy in the small things like you used to. gleeful, you'd make coffee and breakfast into an artform. you'd find a way to make it make sense, somehow. you'd move on. it'd be different, but it would be doable.

your lover? your friends? this would be hard. you owe so much to your community. still, you could maybe make yourself a small home in the woods. you could live a quiet life, one devoid of friendship - but also without this horrible grey mist. a life like bigfoot, then. you'd figure out how to make the most of it.

your hair. your teeth. all of it.

sometimes you are jealous of mental illness as it appears in media: a big stroke of a meltdown, a firestorm that resolves prettily in therapy. it is flashing lights and thin teenagers. you've absolutely had breakdowns that stole the show - but life after resolved into a pixel art of things you managed to piece together afterwards, not a tapestry of a heart made suddenly-beautiful. that people could pick up blades as if they weigh nothing, that the way it all appears is as a cry for help, not a slow backsliding.

you have to stop the thought: i'd give up everything.

but also - be real. you'd never give up your dog. nor your best friend. nor the way you feel walking while through deep fog. you'd never give up the last bonfire of summer, the reckless laughter of halloween. so you do still love things.

maybe that's the problem: you know it should be easier. you have everything you could possibly want. so how come you are still trapped? still yearning?

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

Another show just wrapped up, but a new one takes its place next week. Takara and Mitsuya have really become the bright spots for me in this current run of shows; they make excellent bookends for the week in jql. Of the five shows airing now, four are streaming weekly on Gaga and the other is available via fansub.

Takara's Treasure

What a fantastic episode of a show that continues to get better and better. The way this story has slowly built our understanding of these characters, and their understanding of each other, is masterful and so rewarding. I really loved the direct conversation they had about Takara's post-graduation plans and what it means for them, as well as Taishin getting to the heart of things and reassuring Takara that his desire is welcome. I'm excited to get a peek at Taishin's family next week and see how they navigate whatever challenges they bring.

Cosmetic Playlover

Farewell to this very pretty show whose story did not make much of an impression on me in the end. It never found a coherent relationship arc or gave us any foundation for this romance to hang onto, and it didn't live up to the dark and sexy tone of its original promotion. But it gave us a lot of beautiful visuals!

I Hear the Sunspot

We've now spent an entire month on repetitive side plots designed to separate and cause insecurity for Kohei and Taichi, and I am over it. I understand that the show is faithfully adapting the manga, but this is the thing about adaptations: when you switch to a new medium you have to adapt the work to fit the new format. When you read a manga you can speed through side plots designed to stretch out the story, but you can't do that in a weekly airing drama. And yes, I have seen the arguments that this is primarily a coming of age story about finding yourself, but it's not doing that well, either. This job falling out of the sky for Taichi and his boss—who we are meant to read as someone with good intentions—encouraging him to drop out of school immediately to work full-time is a strange development. That it once again set off a spiral of Kohei and Taichi feeling insecure about their friendship and misunderstanding each other only makes it worse. I understand the intention: we are supposed to be getting that Taichi is embarrassed about this job because it's tied to his still ill-defined feelings for Kohei. But they haven’t unpacked his hang ups with admitting (or understanding?) that he likes Kohei back enough for that to land. We've spent so much time sitting with Taichi's broody confusion without gaining any deeper insight into its source or seeing him grow, which makes all of this just feel like stalling instead of important character work.

Mr. Mitsuya's Planned Feeding

gif by @my-rose-tinted-glasses

*sobs* Welp, the penultimate angst has definitely arrived. They distracted me with the possibility of dog death (Frito lives! THANK GOD) before sucker punching me with Mitsuya pre-emptively rejecting Ishida before their relationship could go further. And while I often roll my eyes at this kind of noble idiocy in the penultimate chapter of a romance, I think it's well-grounded in this story. Mitsuya has been worried about whether a relationship between them is right since he learned about Ishida's feelings, and on the heels of this blow about Frito's health and his sense that he burdened Ishida with this problem, he is feeling his age and his melancholy more than ever. He sees Ishida as a bright and beautiful young person that he would only drag down, and he does not yet understand that it was meeting him that brought this out in Ishida in the first place. The way he apologized and berated himself for asking Ishida to stay then hugged himself for that whole horrible conversation said it all. This also sets us up nicely for Ishida to finally make himself clear and do a classic jbl run next week (this show is ending too soon, I'm going to miss it so much). Thanks as always to @isaksbestpillow for providing her wonderful subs so we can all enjoy this beautiful drama. You can find the ep here.

Tagging @bengiyo to add this week's anime update.

[saturns7moon]

ASTRO OBSERVATIONS P2 ٩(˘◡˘)۶

hihi everybodyyyyy, astro observations p2, let’s gooo 😋.

personally!!! i’ve seen that a lot of venusian influence within a family can show instances of having health issues linked back to sweet foods. like for example, my taurus mother is a pre-diabetic, and she’s told me that it generally runs throughout our family. i don’t have diabetes but i’ve noticed how me and my siblings have a really bad sweet tooth. eating too many sweets makes my (7H taurus moon and mars, sidereal libra sun and rising) tooth ache, the youngest (taurus rising, sidereal pisces stellium) has been scolded a lot for eating way too much sugar as well. same as i, lol.

now question for my fellow taurus placements. how do u feel about cooking? are you good at it?

i’m crying, right after i wrote this, i was scrolling on tiktok and there’s this video of this woman, meg deangelis, who says that one thing that she can never understand is when people say they can’t cook, and she’s basically saying how it baffles her. i had an inkling, so i searched up her chart and she’s a taurus sun and aries venus 😭. taurus people are commonly stereotyped to liking food a lot, which makes sense since taurus is the more down-to-earth side of venus, and venus is about comforts, and taureans find comfort in food! aries is ruled by mars, aka planet of war and what-not, and i’ve found that aries placements mixed alongside taurus placements love to cook in the kitchen because the kitchen is known to hold sharp cutlery in there, which commonly used whilst cooking.

i was listening to criminal by britney spears earlier today, and i swear that song is so so 7H mars coded. like falling for someone that isn’t the best of the best or people being against who you love like. i still can’t word it properly, but if you’re a libra rising/taurus rising/7H mars (scorpio/aries/venusian mars can count as well depending on aspects!!) please listen to the song (specifically whilst watching the music video🧍🏾‍♀️) or read the lyrics and tell me you understand what i’m talking bout 😭. like i know y’all would get it 😭‼️

^ also “why try” by ariana grande feels the exact same to me toooo omg.

having an afflicted 3H, 7H and 11H is literally my villain origin story. like it’s either i have no friends, i get bullied/outcasted or i go through the WORST friendship breakups ever like oooooh whoever has it out for me did a good job bro 🤧🤥.

(i have a 3H capricorn chiron, 7H moon and mars, virgo rules my 11H, and my mercury (sagittarius) is afflicted, i was never gonna win bro 😭)

a mutual of mine on twitter said something that i completely agree with, and it’s basically saying how having any ill feelings towards someone like, for example what she talking about, beauty can really damage ur venus personally. like, people who are severely racist for example, do y’all see how they age or look so ugly because they were berating how other people look specifically. or people who hate on women are just naturally nasty to be around. they don’t have to be physically ugly (they usually are tho) but you can tell by how they treat women what rewards and punishments they receive in life.

does that make sense? let me know guys 😭.

i absolutely love when i have my venus return/when venus is in capricorn because i feel so so pretty which makes so much sense considering in sidereal astrology i’m a libra rising ruled by my sagittarius venus, like i love all things venus, and when venus is in capricorn/sidereal sagittarius, i feel so good. which makes a lot of sense on why i don’t really care for or feel irritated when mars returns to taurus (or sidereal aries) because aside from the fact that i never really related to being martian ruled, my natal mars is literally retrograde, so yeah mars returns are not my favourites at ALL 😭.

(actually i take it back it’s not that i feel irritated? i just don’t think anything significant happens to me during my mars returns. i probably need to go check personally in my own time, but yeah. i just backtracked since in both my tropical and sidereal chart, i’m martian and venusian either way 😭.)

what’s ur favourite planetary return?

“bedtime story” by frank ocean (unreleased!!) is the most scorpio venus ass song i’ve ever heard in my life…i love it so so much sigh. the poetic, angsty, yearning that a scorpio conjures up because who could honestly be better at being so deeply consumed by emotions than scorpio? (many many other signs but it’s not about them rn!!)

yknow a while back i did a part one for sos the album by sza as the signs, and i haven’t made a part two but would y’all like another part!? or would you like me to do this with other albums? let me know pls 🧍🏾‍♀️.

this is probably common knowledge amongst other astrologers, but i definitely believe that virgos, specifically the risings, are so mean to their selves is because their 12H is ruled by the sun, and whilst the 12H is the shadow side of ourselves that we choose to hide from, as much as they would like to hide, virgos have their shadow side constantly in their face as the sun shines so hard on everything they aren’t ready to touch or aren’t ready to see. whether it’s their selves personally or others around them, there’s an underlying sense of dread that they live with because they know that no matter where they run, their mind will always remind them of what they choose to hide underneath, which results in the fear that people/society (scorpio 3H) will see the absolute worst of who they truly believe they are, and judge them ruthlessly for it (aquarius 6H).

one thing i’ve noticed is whilst saturn in pisces has been transiting my 5H, is the romantic side of my life has been lacking so much 😭. like coming april would make a year since i last had a crush on someone, which is funny to me since i used to crush on ppl so often. however, it makes sense since saturns main themes are about structure, discipline and what you want to create in the long-term, and i’ve noticed that i don’t just want to even have small crushes or what not on others because not everyone meets my standards (structure) and i want my first relationship with someone to mean something and to become something (long-term plans involving relationships) and nobody around me has given me that, so the lack in my love life is mainly just because i’m sticking to my standards and they haven’t been met yet 🤷🏾‍♀️. saturns job is to make you understand what you truly want and what you don’t want or what isn’t benefiting you, and since saturn had gone direct back in november, i’ve definitely been noticing this, especially since we’re in a saturnian season rn (aquarius) and valentine’s day just passed lmao. so just to give an example or help you understand how saturn has been impacting you, let’s say saturn is trainsiting your 9H and you’re in education, maybe you’re realising the course that you’re on isn’t for you, or your long-term plans just don’t mesh well with what your studying for yknow or you could realise how you’ve started building more around your education in regards to what you want in place for you in the future.i’m also using that example since saturn is currently trining my 9H and i’ve realised university is definitely not what i want to go through with after i graduate college tbh.

thinking about how majority of my planets are in my 1H-7H axis (1H sun and jupiter, 7H moon and mars) and how i genuinely can have the choice to create multiple identities 😭. to explain, when i was born, my mum gave me three names. mae, lola and the last one i don’t wanna disclose lmao, but i saw a tweet a while back talking about how your name(s) can definitely link back to your birth chart, and remembering this again makes me love astrology a whole lot more tbh.

(actually i lied i have 4 different names, but that name is very very close/similar to my younger sisters name as well and i can never tell the bloody difference 😭, but y’all get my yapping.)

feeling tired or like u can’t be bothered to do shit???? the moon is most likely void of course or your mars/moon is negatively aspecting (square, opposite, conjunct) transit mars/moon. when the moon is void of course, it’s basically just a period of time (usually less than a day i believe) when the moon is literally like not aspecting anything in the sky, so she’s wandering around until she transitions into another sign. usually astrologers say that during this time, it’s difficult for ppl to make plans or have any motivation to do anything as ppl are less likely to make solid decisions about anything in general, to summarise, it makes ppl lazy 🤥!!

having 1H synastry with anyone depending on the planet is so interesting to watch from an outside perspective, because you can either see two people adore one another’s energy or be completely revolted by one another. like for example my best friend has my younger sisters aquarius stellium in her 1H and it’s hilarious to me how much those two dislike each other, and then not too long ago my best friend told me how my sister reminded her a lot of herself at my siblings current age and it just clicked for me lmao.

i’ve noticed that people with a mix of aries, gemini with a small dash of water in their chart have such a hard time processing their emotions or are just very abrasive when it comes to their emotions, putting practicality over emotions most of the time, leaving people to perceive them as quite emotionally stunted or selfish to be honest. i’ve noticed that it’s commonly believed that these types of people don’t really care for others as much as people care for them, leaving a lot of miscommunication within these relationships, especially if the other person is water heavy compared to them.

hi yes this is long overdue, i’m very very sorry, i just lost motivation to continue with my stuff and life unfortunately has been a mess to keep up with! i’m not gonna promise anything new cus knowing me i’ll probably dip for awhile again, but hopefully you all liked these observations and pls leave ur thoughts and opinions in the replies, i always enjoy hearing what you guys have to say :)

okay bye bye, lots of love, lola <3.

[coffeebeanwriting]

Reasons to Kill Your Characters

Killing your characters at the right time (and having a reason behind it) is important. Here are some reasons behind why you might want to kill a character or two.

1) It can serve as poetic justice. This is when the bad guys are punished and the good guys are rewarded. When the antagonistic force finally gets what they deserve, it can satisfy the reader. If you’ve ever watched Game of Thrones, you know how angering it is when the bad guys always preserver. Giving them a well-deserved demise can be like lemonade on a blistering hot day for your reader.

2) Can death strengthen your current theme? Is your theme love, friendship, betrayal, good vs. evil, survival, etc.? Death can be used to intensify each and every theme. Someone who’s afraid to love because of past loss, a friendship bond broken by a death, a betrayer killing your protagonist's friend. 

3) It can develop your protagonist and advance the plot. While you might not want to necessarily kill a character for the sole purpose of hurting your protagonist, if the death does achieve that, you’re developing them! Does this death motivate them to push forward? Does it put a hole in their plan? Create new conflict? Deaths can be great for moving the plot forward or putting obstacles in the way of your cast.

4) Killing certain characters can bring closure to their story/arc. Sometimes death can be the best way to end an arc. Depending on who the character is, after they’ve served their purpose to the story, is it better to let them linger, have their story continue off page somewhere or to kill them?

5) Death can build tone. If your tone tone is happy and lighthearted then this isn’t for you. However, if the tone you’re going for is tragic, dark and/or dreary... death can intensify that vibe. (Not just the death of characters... but the death of a time period, happiness, animals, flowers, etc.)

6) Death adds realism. Loss is apart of life (sadly). Is it actually realistic for everyone to survive at the end of an epic fantasy journey? Especially when most of them are novices learning along the way, running into skilled villains, dangerous creatures and mysterious illnesses? Death comes and goes whenever, wherever. This unexpected element can add realism to your story.

7) Shock the characters and your reader. This one is risky. You’ve probably heard it before-- killing a character out of the blue with no foreshadowing or reasoning can upset the reader. However, you can still have an abrupt death that has meaning. A selfish (yet beloved) character who suddenly sacrifices himself for another. He wasn’t expected to die, but the way he did had meaning.

Instagram: coffeebeanwriting

[twstowo]

They End Up In a Universe Where The Two Of You Hate Each Other [Riddle pt.2]

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗SYNOPSIS: As Riddle takes his time to fix his other self's mistakes, the two of you slowly bond during your visits to check on him. However, one day you find yourself worrying more than you ever thought you would about him when another assassin is sent to try and finish what you couldn't.

♡︎This took me so long to write! I'M SO SORRY!!

[AU Masterlist] ☆ [Enemies] ☆ [To Friends] ☆ [To Lovers]

Keeping his word, Riddle worked to change the laws, his behaviors, and his relationships with the people around him. Despite making progress, there were still those who doubted his actions. He continued to hear whispers from the maids, questioning why a tyrant like him would turn into such a good person out of nowhere. This took a toll on Riddle, as in this world, he didn’t have anyone’s help. He felt completely alone.

"Why the long face?" He turned to face you, not expecting your presence. The memory of the day you first met lingered in his mind. The agreement you made still resonated – every week, on a random day, you would appear. If he had made progress, a pat on the back would be his reward. However, if he ever reverted to his tyrant ways, you vowed to end him. Not the most conventional way to forge a friendship, but Riddle grasped that this wasn’t the you he knew from his own universe. “Thinking about going back on your words?” The venom in those words was palpable, you were testing him.

“Absolutely not! I would never go back on my word!” He felt almost offended. He, Riddle Rosehearts would rather die than go back on his word! May the Queen of Hearts herself off his head if he ever dares to even think about such a thing.

He observed as you leaned against the rails of the balcony outside his window, dressed in black clothes perfect for blending into the darkness of the night. Your face tilted upwards as you watched the sky, and Riddle swore that this was the first time you ever stayed that long in your weekly visits. Most of the time, as he had already mentioned, you would knock on his window, almost giving him a heart attack. Afterwards, you would simply nod at him with an unfazed face and leave him alone.

“They have been talking ill of you,” you state, tilting your head sideways while staring at him. His eyes widened as he understood the implications of those words. What could he even do to make everyone change their minds about him? “Don’t let them get you down, you are doing an amazing work.” And then he gasped.

Did you just praise him? A faint blush grasped his cheeks, and you noticed the way he had reacted to your words, chuckling at him, making him even more of a mess. Trying to hide it, he lowers his face to the side and crosses his arms.

You can’t help but wonder about the fact that you made the king of the Queendom blush with such simple words. Could someone like that truly deserve the title of a tyrant? But you don’t want to think much about that, after all, looks could be deceiving. The small moment of silence makes you realize something. There is a strange aura of calmness around the two of you. It’s not like you are friends, you still hate him for the things he did to your people, the way he and his mother treated everyone you loved so dearly.

You take a glance at him, his eyes still glued to the side of the balcony. He is deep in thoughts, and you can sense that he wants to tell you something. However, you find that his overall nice attitude towards you is taking a strange toll on you. You fear that if you stay, you might actually want to talk with him, just like friends do, and that is something you can’t allow yourself to do. To befriend your enemy. But how dumb do those words sound when you think about them. Didn’t you give him a chance to redeem himself? You had the simple task of killing him, but you had to turn soft. You had to back down, you had to believe that no one is truly evil. So, with those racing thoughts, you leave as fast and silently as possible.

“I have wanted to ask for a good time now,” Riddle starts talking, still looking sideways, “If you’d be fine with ever sharing a cup of-” And when he turns to look at you, he sees the spot you used to be empty. You had vanished just as fast as you had arrived. Even though Riddle understands that you aren’t here to be his friend, he can’t stop himself from wanting to spend time with you, just like the two of you used to back in his universe.

──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

Some weeks had passed since you found yourself walking around the streets of your hometown. You were enjoying a nice day off, savoring some long-awaited alone time when one of your old friends ran up to you, and their words sent chills down your spine. They had sent someone else to kill Riddle because you hadn’t done it.

You never thought you’d end up feeling this way towards someone you were supposed to hate, but the thought of finding Riddle dead if you weren’t fast enough to stop the new assassin made you almost want to throw up. By now, you were close enough to reach his balcony, so worried that you didn’t even notice some of the guards running after you. You didn’t have time for them—Riddle was in danger.

As you entered the castle, you ran towards the garden area where Riddle tended to be around this time. When you spotted him, you felt all the weight leave your body. He turned towards you with a surprised expression, and that’s when you saw a strange person running in his direction.

Everything else happened in slow motion for you. Your feet ran in the direction of the stranger, your voice screamed Riddle’s name as he looked back, and he dodged the dagger by millimeters as you pulled the assassin down to the floor with you.

The guards raided the garden, seizing both the man who had come to kill Riddle and you. There were too many for you to escape as they pulled you down to the ground as well.

“Stop it!” you heard Riddle shouting, and his voice sent chills down your spine. He had this authoritarian tone you had never heard before; with you, he always seemed so sweet and kind. “They saved my life. Unhand them right now.” Without even questioning him, all the guards let go of you as Riddle approached, offering you a hand to stand up.

──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

After that day, you were formally invited to the castle at least twice a week, where you and Riddle would spend time together. Riddle would always send you a letter inviting you to have tea with him, just the two of you in the gardens with the hedgehogs.

“I didn’t know you were into cute animals.” Your sudden comment almost made Riddle spit his tea as his eyes widened.

“I-…” He didn’t know how to respond, and you found the situation so funny that you started laughing, having once again rendered the King of the Queendom speechless. He was just a silly guy at heart. “Is there a problem with that?”

“No, not at all…I guess it makes sense…” He eyed you with a questioning expression, not understanding what you were trying to imply. “You know, cute guys like cute things.”

“Y/N!!??” Oh, how you loved to see him flustered. Maybe getting along with Riddle hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.

[apiswitchcraft]

tarot and their divinatory meanings (wands)

this post just includes the suit of wands, for the suit of pentacles click here, for the suit of swords click here, for the suit of cups click here, and for the major arcana click here

King of Wands

UPRIGHT: a passionate and energetic person, honest, noble, a good leader, handsome, possibly someone married

REVERSED: a severe and arrogant person, rash and impulsive, prejudiced, intolerant, aggressive in pursuit of gain

Queen of Wands

UPRIGHT: extremely focused and passionate person, successful businessperson, generous, may be a little self-centered, strong sense of individuality

REVERSED: deceit, infidelity, jealousy (especially if the surrounding cards indicate it), otherwise a strict, domineering, overwhelming person

Knight of Wands

UPRIGHT: travel/moving house, a fearless and adventurous person, possibly hard to tie down, flighty, or rash

REVERSED: discord, separation, stagnation/delays, life interrupted

Page of Wands

UPRIGHT: faithful and loyal person, excitement and energy (sometimes too much), inner battles keeping you from acting, a new job/position

REVERSED: bad news, indecision, gossip, someone noncommittal, not pursuing what you want

Ten of Wands

UPRIGHT: heavy burden, success becomes oppressive, taking on others' problems, obstacles overcome, martyr complex

REVERSED: shifting responsibility onto others, selfishness OR release from burdens, burnout

Nine of Wands

UPRIGHT: strength in the face of opposition, changes, deception, temporary ceasefire, be okay with hard work and taking risks

REVERSED: obstacles, calamity, a mistrustful person, illness/disability

Eight of Wands

UPRIGHT: great haste and hope, freedom after a period of inactivity, excitement/surprises, be patient--momentum is building

REVERSED: jealousy, dispute, domestic disputes, guilty conscience, forgive yourself and adapt your strategy

Seven of Wands

UPRIGHT: valor, a fight you have an advantage in, success, hold your ground, set a clear purpose and follow through

REVERSED: perplexity, anxiety, indecision causes loss, being defensive, you can't see the full picture

Six of Wands

UPRIGHT: public acclaim, gain, good news, victory, possibly even egotistic/arrogant behavior, reward for hard work

REVERSED: delay, fear, treachery/disloyalty, doubt in your abilities, feeling unloved/neglected

Five of Wands

UPRIGHT: competition, internal struggle, unsatisfied desires, struggle for wealth

REVERSED: trickery, complexity/contradiction, litigation, avoiding conflict at all costs

Four of Wands

UPRIGHT: harmony, happy and relaxed home, refuge, peace, weddings, pursue love/friendships, support and stability

REVERSED: loss of peace/harmony, dissatisfaction, conflict, fear of commitment, instability

Three of Wands

UPRIGHT: good business, you are in control and have a strong position, a good grasp on the future, travel, opportunities coming your way

REVERSED: failed venture, lack of growth, feeling trapped, disappointment, take time to plan

Two of Wands

UPRIGHT: laying foundations, patience, maturity, make plans for the future, watch and wait, look to the future

REVERSED: lack of prospects/plans for the future, loss of control, impatience/overconfidence

Ace of Wands

UPRIGHT: creation, fertility/birth/family, a beginning--start something new, act now

REVERSED: stagnation, lack of excitement/energy, excessive indulgence and the following decline, a false start

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

For my first thought about “Saw X” (once again, highly recommend), I’m really impressed with how the movie managed to make their concept work. It’s mainly because the story of “Saw X” is really hard to pull off.

Not a lot of movies and shows can portray the kidnapper/torturer/evil mastermind as the protagonist while the victims are the main villains. Because, obviously, no one wants to be rooting for a character who is tormenting other people. It’s like making a version of “Squid Game” where you’re supposed to root for the VIPs, that’s a hard sell.

But, there are the rare few that manages to pull this off. “Hard Candy” is one of the best examples of this since the victim is a pedophile murderer while the torturer is Elliot Page. “Don’t Breathe” is an accidental example since even though we’re supposed to root for the victims, they’re not so easy to side with since they’re burglars who robbed a blind man.

So “Saw X” had a tough sell since we’re supposed to be on Jigsaw’s side for once. But honestly, I thought they nailed it. Not only are the victims horrible people (scammers who prey on the terminally ill), the story doesn’t force you to like John Kramer. John is entirely unapologetic about his actions as Jigsaw and the movie doesn’t try to justify him, especially by having Amanda question John’s choice of putting Gabriella into a test (she was a drug addict). Instead, the story naturally puts you on John’s side by focusing on his internal dilemma; fighting his cancer.

The first third of the movie was entirely devoted to John dealing with his cancer and how he was dreading that he was almost out of time. It humanizes John and makes you feel really sorry for him, even knowing who he is. What I like about this is that it’s not forced sympathy because the audience has known about John being a cancer patient for over a decade by now. Focusing on John’s disease and mortality makes sense is what I’m saying.

Even Jigsaw’s friendship with the little boy Carlos makes sense since John wanted to be a father. The one thing that people can say was a little forced to make you sympathize with Jigsaw STILL has precedence in the series, which is really rewarding for people who’ve watched every “Saw” movie. Nothing felt out of place for John’s character, it’s like a legit tribute to the character.

So when you learn that the doctors were all scam artists, it’s natural to side with John since:

1) They did it to themselves

2) You feel for John since you watched at least 30 minutes of him trying to fight the disease

3) You feel angrier towards the doctors since they’re arguably worse people than John

4) The lead doctor reveals that she knew John was Jigsaw and continued the grift anyways, so they have really no excuse

It’s like “Don’t Breathe” again, where both sides are horrible people, but the more sympathetic one gets to be the hero. And I’m all for it, because fuck medical malpractice/grifters.

(Side note: I feel like another way the movie got us on John’s side was that he stayed true to his word. If you pass the test, you get to live. During the movie, he makes sure Diego survived since he passed and asked that Gabriella be taken to a hospital after she freed herself. It’s honor, but in a fucked up way, which is appropriate for the character)

[inamindfarfaraway]

Elena of avalor goes crazy

Esteban’s song something I would never do Is essentially a whole soliloquy in a preschool show

Elena of Avalor goes SO HARD. Sometimes it’s pretty standard Disney Junior fare, but then every now and then, to keep you sharp, it punches you in the jaw with darkness or moral complexity or really profound, emotional storytelling. Esteban’s whole antivillain-antihero ping pong arc is rightfully iconic. But I want to call out Elena herself too. The protagonist of this Disney Junior princess TV show, the one little girls even younger than Disney’s average demographic are meant to look up to and connect with, clearly has PTSD, repeatedly demonstrating symptoms like flashbacks, panic attacks and hypervigilance. Her character growth is so well-done. She has serious flaws and makes meaningful mistakes, and then matures and takes accountability for them. Not all her issues are resolved within a few episodes or even whole seasons. In Season Three she gets a lot worse in some ways due to trauma. But she chooses to do the right thing enough, and receives enough help and support from her loved ones, to remain a good person and become a better one. She’s a genuinely great role model for kids and has so much older people can relate to and appreciate.

Like, Frozen has got a lot of praise for its portrayal of mental illness. And I am so glad that it did what it did, giving symptoms of anxiety and depression sympathetic representation in a mainstream, theatrically released, incredibly popular Disney movie. But Elena does everything Elsa does on Disney freaking JUNIOR and more over more time. Superpowers? Check. Beautiful, evolving relationship with her younger sister? Check. Rules a kingdom? Check. Is mentally ill, uses unhealthy coping mechanisms like emotional repression and learns healthier ones? Check. Sings amazing musical numbers? Check. Never falls in love? Check. None of the main cast have a romantic subplot! The importance is all on family and friendship! It makes this asexual very happy. Nearly kills people? Multiple times! Actually kills someone? Check. Wait, what? Elsa didn’t do that!

Yeah, let’s talk about the murder, shall we? I particularly love how this series handles revenge. Elena really, really wants to kill Shuriki, both to protect her country and to avenge her parents and herself. Her family have a debate about this. Do they argue that killing or acting in hatred and anger is always wrong? That not even the pure evil Shuriki deserves it? That it would be an irrevocable moral stain on her soul to take any life? Nope! They argue that she matters too much as the ruler to run off and attack an extremely powerful, deadly threat and it would be more effective in the bigger picture to let her royal guards do their job. Their disagreement is entirely practical. Nobody suggests that Shuriki should be forgiven or offered a second chance. When Elena later defeats Shuriki in an epic final duel, she does indeed kill her! She incinerates her with a fire spell! The narrative never shames or punishes her for this, only rewards her, and she doesn’t feel any remorse or forget to value life as a result. A Disney Junior princess commits first-degree murder in cold blood and it’s depicted completely positively. She did what she had to do and is happier and safer for it. BUT then in the next season, she really, really wants to kill Esteban because he was directly responsible for Shuriki getting to do everything she did to Avalor and its royal family, even though he initially has no malice toward anyone and just doesn’t want to be imprisoned. Her pursuing him with unnecessary aggression and coldly disowning him when he tries to make amends gradually drives him to seek power and be an actual villain to compensate for his ruined life. She’s disproportionately fixated on catching and hurting him over the greater good and her own wellbeing. This time her thirst for vengeance is negative because it harms herself and others who don’t deserve it. She’s sympathetic and understandable throughout, but not making wise or kind decisions for herself or her loved ones, like not letting Isabel to talk about her feelings on Esteban with her. In the end, she does need to forgive Esteban to save everyone and have peace. But only after he tangibly proves his change of heart by sacrificing himself for her. The NUANCE.

Also, going back to Frozen comparison, I would like to point out that if you’re sick of them, Elena of Avalor has no twist villains. But it does have an array of interesting villains who are fun to watch and can be surprisingly layered and dynamic. Victor and Carla have a natural redemption arc building off their established true love for each other. Ash loses her love for her family to become even more immoral. She essentially kills (petrifies) her husband before their daughter’s eyes. They didn’t need to go that hard, but they did. Shuriki is a sorcerer queen with classic Disney villain confidence and flair, and has the added menace that a) she literally murders Elena’s parents in front of her in her first scene and b) she’s a colonising dictator who we actually see oppressing her conquered people through realistic methods of cultural suppression and police intimidation. They didn’t need to go that hard, but they did!

Thanks for the ask!

[pollen]

tldr; if you’re autistic and down with someone exploring a potential diagnosis sharing their experience with you to see if you relate, please let me know! 😊

it’s such an odd feeling having so much of my life make sense through the lens of neurodivergence and having it bring so much peace, because maybe everything about me isn’t terrible and my fault

but at the same time i keep bursting into tears. i’m grieving a life i could have had. i’m so sad for the little girl in me that felt so fundamentally alien because i was excluded from true friendship as a kid and learned quickly retreating into my own world was more rewarding.

then i was called a monster and treated like something was terribly wrong with me because i structured my life in a way that i didn’t have to socialize at all. and i was perfectly content with myself, though no one else was with me. and this has made me feel so inadequate and lonely.

i’ve constantly pushed myself to make my life busy with things i don’t truly enjoy and that overwhelm me because i feel powerful when i can successfully do what people expect me to do. it just comes with the cost of making myself miserable the whole time.

and then not to mention all my sensory issues and chronic illnesses that have no diagnoses. like… maybe i’m not making my pain up, and the fact that no one can find anything wrong with me through any test or procedure might actually matter.

idkkkk if any of my autistic mutuals wouldn’t mind me doing the whole “ok i have autistic family and here are things about me that aren’t making sense and i’ve been doing so so much research and i promise i’m not trying to lie or claim i’m autistic when i’m not but also i don’t think a neurotypical person would actively feel like an autism diagnosis would save their life so could you tell me what you think about my experience” please let me know

i’m rambling so much but it’s literally impossible for me to talk or care about anything else right now:) thank you for reading!!

[aphfanficwriters]

Every month we will pose a question and collate responses as a fun and informal little exercise in getting to know each other and spark discussion. This month's question is:

“Are there any recurring themes in your fics?”

Lacy: sadly no. I jump from genres and ideas too much to have a reoccurring theme in fics. Maybe if i really want to pinpoint one, i do realise my longer fics always made use of science experiments to push the events of the stories.

Tama / @delgumofics: 🤔 probably that evil goes unpunished. Bad people in my fics almost never see justice. Sometimes it's implied that they'll get their just desserts somewhere down the line but it's never anything I focus on while writing.

Wasps / @petiolata: Taboo relationships. Deception. Selfishness. Attachment issues, trauma, and mental illness. Family. Maybe these don't count as themes but are rather just subjects? For something more complex, I guess you could say there is no sense of right and wrong in my stories, or of justice or meaning. Sometimes characters' bad actions blow up in their face, other times they're deliciously rewarded. With most of my stories, the intention is more to voyeuristically view events and characters and take what you want from it. Sometimes I try to capture a feeling or experience but I'm not trying to make some grand point to anyone.

@chibidashie: As most of my writing is sugary sweet, it's that everyone deserves to be loved and that imagination can quite literally take you places you'd never expect to visit in your life! As the funny horse show says in the title, friendship really is magic!!

Emil / @connorsandroids: I don't have any simple 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

@billowingangel: So far no there isn't any recurring themes in my stories. Maybe eventually though it could end up being love knows no bounds or some other cheesy romantic shit ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@proosh: I find myself trying to approach the question of "what is a nation, anyway?" and all of my conclusions are varying shades of -- most of the time fairly abstract -- horror and that's what I like to dig into from a conceptual and thematic standpoint. Besides that, the recurring motifs of blood being both life and death keep cropping up in my writing, commonly as an extension and extrapolation of the previous question. On a less esoteric level I frequently end up touching on the themes of freedom and duty, and the interplay of power and violence. All of these feed into one another and become inextricably linked on a narrative and thematic level. We have fun here at Prush Studios :)

ciel / @torontofetish: i tend to explore identity and specifically identity loss and transformation. agency and control are also big themes i play around with, and the intersection of agency and identity is my sweet spot. what i write often ends with heavy sacrifice and the complex emotions that sacrifice goes hand in hand with. i ask who this character is, what defines them, and then i strip it away brutally to see what they can become without that identity to hide behind. for obvious reasons, most of my work can be considered horror.

Eru / @eruverse: I wonder if i have any. Actually if i write original stories i DO have it, but prob not for hetalia

Didi / @teaedon: death (mortality), loneliness. sometimes the crossing of boundaries, other times the corruption of love (obsession). probably more, idk

Mossman: Sex

@netherzon: Love/Romance in my fanfics since they’re mostly ship focused, but I have branched out with some of my more recent fics exploring themes like family, good and evil and in between, and how grief affects people

Yukihitomi / @arthurhonda: Super late to this but often the themes in my writing are love and loss.

WhiteWings / @smuttyandabsurd: I want to say a recurring theme in mine is loneliness and the insatiable need for human connection, but the unadorned truth is it's blowjobs 🌚

[paingoes]

purrrrrr. sorry idk why i just purred i couldnt help it.

nsfw discussions below. nothing sexy about it though just me philosophizing.

i guess the thing i already told my friend is that "i cant show you cause its nsfw and im not ready to share that with you" which is kind of a lie but also not. actually if it was just straight nsfw i probably would send that to her. unfortunately its some very emotionally involved nsfw. i personally DONT consider "D/s" to be necessarily a kink thing. i think power dynamics are simply a universal constant and it gets parsed and contextualized in various ways for different people. hierarchy is just a thing that exist and imbalances of power obviously aren't inherently sexual. in fact a lot of people would probably be really upset at the suggestion.

isnt that what a fetish is though? something that is not inherently sexual but something that a specific/personal meaning attached. theoretically anything could be a fetish but obviously some are more recognizable than others and in some contexts there like an unavoidable connotation.

i consider destroyer main series to be sfw but with that kind of inevitable coding beneath that and while i make no promises i do think im going to get into that more w the spin-offs which is why a nsfw blog became kind of necessary. or maybe just a dedicated tag i still havent decided.

(spoilers: paris permanently fucked up the reward centers of delta's brain. so thanks for that.)

(im just really interested in writing about the way prolonged abuse and trauma tend to affect your view of relationships and of sexuality. i have a lot of experience writing the relationship side but not so much sexuality but i really do want to give it a shot. might take a while for me to get there though.)

anyway shes into kink so i feel like that part wont even necessarily be hard to explain its more like i said. the extent of how fucking emotionally involved it is. its obviously about power dynamics but its also in a lot of ways about child abuse and c-PTSD and disposability and bad friendships. in a way thats almost more revealing than being like "i want to fuck mech pilots".

then again she really is my bestie and i love sharing this kind of stuff with her and trust her to be more cool and understanding about it than anyone else i know. shes so cool. also there are things i like about destroyer that have nothing to do with really any of that im simply v proud of the characterization and setting. so maybe ill tell her! just with a fuck ton of preamble.

[thevirginwitch]

Divination with Playing Cards

In response to this ask I got earlier today, I decided to do a quick deep-dive into my research materials about divining with playing cards vs tarot cards. Here's the research I found in Old Tradition Crafte, translated by Robin Artissan (2005):

"Meanings may be assigned to a pack of playing cards, to be spread out and read as omens so a situation may be given clarity and direction as well as understanding." This style of reading is claimed to have been used by witches in the 18th-late 19th century, according to Old Tradition Crafte translated by Robin Artissan (2005). According to Artissan, "It has been taken from those who practice the North Berwick Style of Crafte, but is not old enough to be the original system. The cards used in this system are ordinary playing cards. There is no mention of Tarot cards in this system."

Heart Suit

King - good-natured man, honest and inventive Queen - affectionate and loving woman Knave - loyal and trusting friend 10 - victory, gain, success, reward 9 - enterprise and money, good position 8 - physical pleasures (sex), affection, lust for life 7 - friendship, commerce, enterprise, successful business 6 - courtship, a generous person 5 - marriage, a gift, discovery 4 - trouble and jealousy, a friend who doubts you 3 - warning, sorrow, poverty and failure 2 - successful ideas that need plans and strategy Ace - home, comfort, celebration, but may turn to quarreling

Spade Suit

King - a man who has ambitions without ethics Queen - a woman who intrigues but is a false friend Knave - a man of treacherous reputation; he may be a man of law or authority 10 - warning, grief, strife, trouble 9 - sickness and misfortune, ruin, failure, death 8 - danger, loss, obstacle 7 - bad luck, loss of friendship, money loss or problems 6 - unwanted problems, money gain if it's worked for 5 - trouble resulting from hasty action or bad council 4 - illness or an accident 3 - journey or travel 2 - loss Ace - back luck/omens, misfortune, slander

Diamond Suit

King - father, protector or parent Queen - a woman of a kind and generous nature; flirtatious girl or woman Knave - a sly and deceiving man, letters or news, discovery 10 - business success and enterprise, gain 9 - successful endeavors, wisdom and knowledge to reach goals 8 - late marriage, good luck 7 - scandal and unjust slander; for a business enterprise this card means more cucess 6 - early marriage or decisions 5 - unexpected news 4 - betrayal, or an enemy uncovered 3 - fighting or quarreling 2 - friends warn of a snare, take their advice Ace - good luck, marriage proposal, good news

Club Suit

King - a reliable man, but gets too free with advice and promises Queen - an intelligent and easy-to-trust woman Knave - a good friend 10 - legacy, children, good family 9 - money, gain and position 8 - caution, retribution 7 - caution against the wiles of the opposite sex, false hope 6 - success in enterprise, business or industry 5 - a comfortable marriage 4 - change 3 - three days, weeks, months or years 2 - a disappointment or let-down Ace - good news, success

[skzhocomments]

Star Dust - JongTae Oneshot

General Masterlist

Pairing: Taemin x Jonghyun

Genre: non-idol AU, star tear disease, angst, unrequited love, romance

Word Count: ~6k

Warnings: swearing, angst, lots of crying

This is just a story that doesn’t describe any of the mentioned SHINee's members' true character in any way. It’s just a product of my imagination and should be treated as such.

This story is also on Wattpad (click here) and AO3 (click here)

Summary

Inspired by the Star Tear Disease - An illness born from subjects of unrequited (of a feeling, especially love not returned or rewarded), where the subject cries out stars. This story started as a challenge given to me by my dearest friend @0rgell, who gave me the following words that I must use in the story: Lollygag, Toast, Star tear disease, Execution, Spit , Blood clot, Butt plug, Train station. If you see random words bolded and underlined, it's so that I could keep track. I would also like to use this fic to wish @0rgell one year of the most beautiful friendship one could ask for. Love you to the moon and back <3

A/N: As any other writer out there, I would appreciate reblogs and your comments on this story. Please let me know if you enjoyed it, and most importantly, have fun!

© all rights reserved by skzhocomments (Tumblr), skzho (Tumblr)/ storminsidemycore (Wattpad), storminsidemycore (AO3)

---

Star Dust

It was bad.

Extremely bad.

Fuck, terrible, even.

Taemin should’ve known something was wrong from the very first night it happened to him. However, he’s never heard about this before, and when it happened, it left him utterly confused.

His eyes started burning, and it was unlike anything he’s ever felt before. The burning only intensified as his heart clenched and broke into pieces at the sight of him with a pretty girl on his lap, his lips lazily caressing her neck so openly, in front of everyone.

Jonghyun wasn’t even drunk. There were alcoholic drinks on the table in the cramped karaoke room, but Taemin knew for a fact that he didn’t drink any of them, not even a sip. He was driving tonight, and if there was one thing Jonghyun was, it was responsible.

If he were drunk, it would’ve been easier to accept, maybe, that Jonghyun seemed to only have eyes for everyone but him. Maybe in a drunken haze, Jonghyun thought the girl’s eyes were pretty, and he decided to have some fun with her tonight and forget about her the next morning. He’s done it time and time again, Taemin heard, but it was the first time it was happening in front of his eyes, and it stung.

But Jonghyun wasn’t drunk.

He was into this girl for real, he wasn’t in any drunken state to make him irrational. He liked this girl enough to let her straddle him in the middle of the fucking karaoke room.

The burning intensified.

Although hurt, Taemin tried his hardest to keep his tears from flowing. He smiled and sang along and even danced with everyone to all the happy songs in the karaoke machine. He focused on the lyrics on the screen and held his microphone tight, he sipped on mocktails, and occasionally, he’d nervously rub his thighs with his hands just to focus on something else but Jonghyun.

Despite the age gap between Taemin and the rest, he didn’t feel out of place, even if he was the youngest and they were sometimes treating him like a little kid that needed to be doted on. Jonghyun treated him the same way.

Maybe that was the problem. Jonghyun never saw him as a man, he’s only ever seen the cute, innocent, young Taemin who needs protecting from the big scary world. Jjong was more than willing to offer that protection, but not in the way Taemin wanted it. He assumed the ‘big brother’ role and rolled around with it while Taemin’s feelings grew and grew, to the point where it became painful to be around Jonghyun without clinging to him.

That night, Taemin kept swallowing back his tears, but the burning in his eyes just kept getting worse. He started rubbing them repeatedly, but it would do nothing to ease the discomfort he was feeling.

Eventually, he decided to go home early, made up a pointless excuse no one would remember and headed straight to the door.

“Taem.” Jonghyun called to him, making him turn his head around. Fuck, he hated this. He hoped he could get out without having to see that girl straddling him again, but it appears Jjong unintentionally wanted to remind him one more time that his lap would never be Taemin’s place.

“Yeah?”

“Need me to drive you?”

Yes.

“No.”

“Let us know you’re home safe, then. Mkay?”

“Sure thing.” Taemin faked a smile and got out quickly.

Fuck, he was barely able to see. His eyes hurt, and everything was blurry. The lights hurt him. He rushed home, and he didn’t even know how he got there with how little he was able to see.

Going to the bathroom, he looked in the mirror and almost had a heart attack. His eyes were blood shot; it looked like all his veins in them popped open. Shit, it was scary.

He started googling out symptoms, but nothing checked out. He didn’t think he was allergic to anything he drank tonight; his eyes weren’t necessarily dry, and he didn’t have any allergies or infections (that he was aware of, anyway), so… why was he looking so horrible?

Maybe he was under too much stress. He did have a hard time at Uni lately, and even if his older friends assured him that it’s normal to be stressed in your last year and that everything would be okay, he kept thinking that maybe they were wrong. Maybe he was that one-off case you read about in the news - the young man who gets so stressed, he has a heart attack. He did smoke a bit too much lately, and smoking is a risk factor for the development of blood clots, if he remembers right.

Fuck, maybe he’s dying.

He was trying his hardest to remember how he got in this state. He met Jjong and the rest, they went to karaoke, then Minho called up some girls who turned up, and then that one brunette got on Jonghyun’s lap and-

Ouch. He pressed his hand on his heart and felt his eyes burning up again.

Right.

He started feeling this way when he noticed how much Jonghyun seemed to enjoy that girl’s company, how into her kisses he was, how he couldn’t seem to get enough, so he pressed her against his crotch right there in front of him, how-

Taemin couldn’t think about it anymore; the burning got so intense, he started blinking repeatedly and rubbing his eyes. It was so weird. He wanted to cry, to let it all go and feel his emotions just as he’d always do, but something was wrong this time, for instead of tears, a single, pale green star-shaped thing fell from his left eye.

He managed to catch it before it went down the sink’s drain, and confused, he started inspecting the little thing.

Sure enough, it was a star. A slightly greenish star with five corners.

Bewildered, he tried to touch it with his fingers, but as soon as he did, the small star shattered with a crystalline sound right on his palm.

He looked back in the mirror, and as if by miracle, his eyes returned to their normal colour. They were no longer blood shot and irritated; it was as if he'd imagined the whole thing.

~

The next day, Taemin went to Uni feeling more confused than ever. He’s asked around to see if he’s able to find anything about his condition, as Google didn’t prove to be too useful in his quest. He even went to the infirmary to ask the nurse if she’d ever heard of this before, but she just shrugged and told him to stop taking drugs while it’s still early enough, and that she can help him if he’ll let her.

But hell, he was not high. He didn’t take any drugs. Not willingly, anyway.

Maybe there was something in his drink?

Yeah, that’s the only logical explanation.

Maybe he did dream about everything.

After all, who’s ever heard of crying stars?

~

“Taeminnie!” Jonghyun exclaimed. “Thank God I’m here early. I came to get you. Would’ve missed you if I came by 10 minutes too late. Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

“Jjong?” Taemin looked perplexed.

“Did you hit your head?” He ruffled the younger’s hair lovingly, then grabbed the straps of his backpack and forced him to take it off his back. Taemin complied.

“No, I didn’t.” He rearranged his hair while Jonghyun put the backpack on his own shoulder. “But why are you here?”

“Well, for starters, you didn’t message me last night.”

“My phone ran out.” He shrugged.

“And you’re not picking up today.”

“Left it on silent and I didn’t see you calling.”

“You little liar.” Jonghyun ruffled his hair again. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

Taemin blushed and turned his head away.

“Did you have fun last night?” He asked, but as soon as the words came out of his mouth, he regretted it.

He didn’t want to know.

“Oh, yeah. I went to Amber’s after dropping everyone else home, had a few drinks, had some fun with her. You know, just the usual.”

“Mhm.” Taemin nodded, swallowing back the lump in his throat. His eyes started to burn again, similarly to last night.

What if it wasn’t a dream after all?

“But enough about me! I want to know how you’re doing. Feels like we haven’t talked in ages!”

“Well, you’re always busy.” Taemin shrugged.

“Don’t be upset, Taeminnie. I made time for you today, haven’t I?”

“Where are we going, anyway?” Taemin stopped in front of Jonghyun’s car, confused by his friend's demeanour.

“Well, since it’s Friday, I thought I’d do you a favour and get you out of the house more.”

“I’m always out of the house with you and the others, though.” Taemin retorted.

“Yeah, but that’s no fun, is it? I meant just the two of us.”

Taemin blushed, and he felt the burning in his eyes suddenly stop.

They hopped in the car and Jonghyun clicked on his playlist, familiar tunes filling the empty space in-between their chats and their laughter.

“The beach?” Taemin asked with a raise of his brow when he looked out the window and saw seagulls.

“Yeah. You told me you haven’t been in years, so I decided, heck, I don’t have any work today, so why the hell not? Good idea, right?”

Taemin scoffed and laughed briefly as they finally reached a parking place.

“Well, I’m glad to be here, but I’m also starving.”

“Of course, I thought about that as well, who do you think I am?” Jonghyun rolled his eyes and opened the trunk, taking out a picnic basket.

“Jjong, it’s freezing. Are we having a picnic?” Taemin laughed enthusiastically and clapped briefly.

“I know the taste of my food will overwhelm all the other senses. Besides, there’s blankets for us, and I even got two coats, just in case.”

Yeah, that’s why Taemin fell in love with Jonghyun in the first place. His attention to detail, to whatever Taemin talks about; he remembers everything, even the small details, and he’s so damn attentive. It’s impossible to not fall in love with such a man.

Even if he doesn’t feel the same.

The burning came back with this thought, but Taemin was quick to shake it away as soon as Jonghyun linked their arms, dragging him towards the beach.

“Now it’s time to take your shoes off.” Jonghyun commanded and pointed to Taemin’s feet while he took his own shoes off himself.

“Jjong, it’s freezing.”

“Taem, we’re at the beach. You don’t walk on fine sand with shoes on, that would be such a waste.”

“Fine. But if I’m catching a cold, you have to nurse me back to health.”

“Not like I have a choice. You’re always soooo clingy when you’re sick!” Jonghyun ruffled his hair lovingly.

“Ugh, stop treating me like a child. You’re only 3 years older!” Taemin stuck his tongue out, when Jonghyun quickly grabbed it with his hands.

After some struggle, Taemin managed to get his tongue back in his mouth and made a disgusted face.

“You didn’t even wash your hands!”

“You’ll live. Now, let’s set the table and eat!” Jjong clapped once excitedly and started arranging the blanket on the sand, putting the basket on one of the corners, and dividing their shoes on the other 3 to prevent the blanket from flying away from the wind.

“This looks amazing. When did you even have time to cook this?”

“Well, your birthday is coming soon, so I thought-”

“My birthday?” Taemin laughed. “We’re only in February.”

“Eh, what’s a few months?” Jonghyun waved his hand in the air.

“Your birthday is sooner. Only two months.”

“Then we’re celebrating my birthday. Try this!” He quickly grabbed a tempura shrimp and put it directly in Taemin’s mouth, and the younger chewed it with a smile.

“Wow, this is actually really good!”

“Well, what else did you expect?!”

“You’re the best.” Taemin chuckled.

“I know I am.”

“Your head will grow too big from the praise.” Taemin shook his head.

“Look who’s talking. You adore praise.” Jonghyun retorted with a roll of his eyes.

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do. Wanna bet I can make you blush just by praising you?”

“No.” Taemin laughed briefly and tried to focus on the food, but Jonghyun didn’t want to drop it.

“Come on. You’re doing so great, swallowing food like that. Good job, Taeminnie. Should I give you some toast for being such a good boy?”

“Oh, shut it.” Taemin laughed and playfully slapped Jonghyun’s thigh, trying to hide the blush creeping on his cheeks.

Damn, he really was a praise princess.

“The wind is really picking up.” Jonghyun remarked as one of their napkins flew away.

“Yeah. You made sure to have everything prepared but forgot to check the weather.” Taemin laughed, and just then, some sand blew into his mouth. “Ewww!” He tried to spit it all out, unsuccessful, all the while Jonghyun kept laughing at him.

“If you’re done eating, we should go stick our feet in the sea! Walk along the shore, you know the drill.”

“Jjong, it’s freezing.”

“It’s the third time you’ve said that today.”

“And I’ll keep saying it. We’ll definitely catch a cold.”

“Come on, don’t be so negative. We won’t catch a cold. Let’s go!”

“No. You can’t make me stand up.” Taemin shook his head, but Jonghyun would not take no for an answer, so he bent down and picked the younger by his legs, dragging him away from the blanket through the sand.

When Taemin stood up to protest, Jonghyun took advantage and picked him from his waist, placing him right on his shoulder and running away towards the sea.

“You’re fucking crazy!” Taemin shouted with a laugh. Truth is, this is another part of Jjong that made him love him. He was so persuasive, and always found a way to get what he wants. His personality clashed perfectly with Taemin’s, and every time they’d meet, just the two of them, it was impossible for them to not pointlessly fight about something.

Taemin liked it, for it made everything funnier, and time spent with Jjong was always entertaining.

If someone else were to pick him up like that, Taemin would’ve exploded in anger, but with Jjong, everything was different.

“They say birds of a feather fly together, so I guess that means both of us are crazy.” Jonghyun put him down with his feet right in the water, and Taemin grimaced.

“It’s so fucking cold, I’ll die of hypothermia.”

“You’ll die of drama.”

“Better come to my funeral and apologise when that happens.”

“Will do, Taem. I’ll be on my knees begging for your forgiveness for forcing you to stay with your feet in the water.”

“Freezing cold water.” Taemin corrected.

“Come on, it’s getting warmer by the minute.”

“You’re just getting used to it.”

“And aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Taemin chuckled.

“Then, what if I splash you?”

“Jjong, for the millionth time, it’s freezing. Splashing me with water would be the same as taking me to the electric chair for my execution. I’ll genuinely catch a cold.”

“Just pop an ibuprofen and drink some tea and you’ll be fine~!”

“You’re so carefree, aren’t you?”

“Of course! You know I enjoy my life to the fullest!”

“I’m-”

“Let me guess! Freezing!” Jjong started to laugh. “Okay, you win. Let’s get out, Taem.”

They made their way back to their picnic blanket and Taemin looked down at his wet feet that collected sand on the way from the sea to their little space on the beach. He hated the feeling on his feet, but Jonghyun came once again prepared, and pulled out a large water bottle and a towel so they can remove the extra sand stuck on their skin.

“It’s already getting late.” Taemin observed. “Should we go back home?”

“Home?! No way, Taem, you’re stuck with me for the whole weekend!”

“What?!” Taemin gasped. “But Jjong, what about my homework and-”

“Boring~!”

“You little-” Taemin narrowed his eyes and jumped on Jonghyun, starting to tickle him. The older squirmed and begged to be spared, but Taemin wouldn’t have it.

“Okay, okay! Sorry! I just wanted to spend some quality time with my best friend! Sue me!” Jonghyun eventually managed to get out, breathless by the whole ordeal. He was holding his hands on his belly protectively and feared any unexpected movement from Taemin.

“Okay. Let’s say I do ignore all my responsibilities for the weekend to spend time with you. Where do we sleep?”

“I booked a room at an inn somewhere around here.”

“Good, let’s go and rest, I’m tired as fuck.”

The duo headed towards the inn and got to their room in no time. They kept talking about nothing important for a few hours, before finally taking out two futons out of the closet and arranging them neatly on the floor.

“This is quite comfortable, isn’t it?” Jonghyun asked, taking in a deep breath.

“Yeah. It’s really warm.”

“Ahh, I love this place.”

“Have you been here before?”

“Oh, yeah.” Jonghyun chuckled. “With one of my exes. We came here on her birthday a while ago. Honeymoon periods are the best.”

Taemin hummed, but as soon as he heard Jonghyun, he got that weird sensation in his eyes again.

“She was a really nice girl, but we didn’t really work out.”

“Why not?” Taemin asked, although he wasn’t sure he really wanted to know, because with every word coming out of Jonghyun’s mouth, it seemed the pain in his eyes only intensified.

“Well, we wanted different things from life. She wanted to get married and start a family as soon as possible, whereas I…” He hesitated.

“You wanted to live your life first.” Taemin turned to his side to face Jonghyun, even though it was dark, and they couldn’t see each other.

Of course, Taemin knew this fact about his friend all too well. He knew how much he loved the sea, for instance, and how suffocating the big city they lived in could feel at times. He knew Jonghyun would stop at nothing to see what else was out there. He’d head into the big scary world with no hesitation if it meant expanding his horizons.

JJong has always been that type of person who would without a doubt go to the train station and buy the next ticket to nowhere. If given the chance to have some days off work, he’d hop on a train and sit in a window seat, admiring all the sights their little country had to offer: fields, mountains, rivers, sheep, cows… he wanted to enjoy the wide world his own way, by observing and breathing in some fresh air.

It was one of the many reasons that made Taemin fall in love with him. They were so different in this aspect. Taemin preferred comfort; he hated going out of his bubble and trying new things. If he could, he would only go to the same restaurant to have the same meal on the same day of the week for the rest of his life. He knew which buses and trains he had to take to get to the same familiar places, and if he would never have to get out of his mundane day-to-day life, he wouldn’t mind it.

When Jonghyun came along, he challenged Taemin’s whole world. He challenged him to be different, to step out of his comfort zone and experience new things, which was so scary at first, but with each passing day of Jonghyun pushing him around, he started enjoying experimenting.

From new foods to new places, to new museums, to new parks, and even to new people, Jonghyun made it his mission to force Taemin to go out and explore the world around him.

To both of their surprises, it worked. Taemin was more sociable now, and he discovered he appreciated new things as long as Jonghyun was next to him.

That’s how it started, and that’s how he realised his growing feelings for his best friend.

And now, in the warmth of his futon, Taemin couldn’t help but wonder why Jonghyun seemed to have feelings for everyone but him.

“Yes, exactly! She was perfect otherwise. We had great chemistry, she was a looker, smart, funny. Ugh, life is so unfair!” He chuckled, but Taemin could barely focus on his words.

Ugh, this hurts. He rubbed his eyes, and just as Jonghyun started talking again, seemingly surprised that Taemin knew him so well, he excused himself to the bathroom.

Looking in the small mirror, the same redness as last night was present in his eyes. He couldn’t wrap his head around it.

If he was unsure of anything last night, he was absolutely certain now that he didn’t have any allergy, dust didn’t get into his eyes—or was it the sand? No, it couldn’t have been—and there was simply no logical explanation.

He was hurt because Jonghyun happened to come to this inn with another girl, and he truly loved her, enough to remember her God knows how many years later.

Ugh.

He started crying again, and just as last night, no tears came out. There was only a twinkle sound, and a couple of green stars, and once he looked back in the mirror, his eyes were back to normal.

He didn’t bother catching the stars this time; he just let them fall in the sink and shatter. He couldn’t understand it. It made no sense.

And why green?

Out of all colours, why were his stars green?

It almost seemed like, because he was jealous…

No, this couldn’t be it.

He returned to the room and tried to brush the thoughts off, but still, he was unable to shut it down.

“Jjong, do you believe that colours have meanings?” He asked all of a sudden, interrupting his friend. He didn’t hear what he was saying anyway.

“Huh? Colours?”

“Yeah. You know, like… emotions. Red is anger, blue is sadness, green is envy…”

“Oh.” Jonghyun chuckled. “I don’t know. I mean, yeah, colours do make me feel something, but… I prefer to focus on the positive meanings instead. Red is love, blue is calmness, green is nature… you know?”

“Tsk, always such an optimist.” Taemin muttered.

“Why did you ask?”

“I don’t know, I just… I was thinking about it.” Taemin smiled sadly and was glad that his friend wasn’t able to see him in the dark.

It would add up. Last night, he felt jealous seeing that girl in his lap, and today, he felt jealous again as soon as Jjong mentioned his ex.

He cried star-shaped tears of jealousy.

But why?

~

“Why are we here again?” Taemin asked, embarrassed.

“To buy a butt plug, of course.” Kibum grinned from ear to ear.

“This is a very weird bonding activity.” Jinki commented, but curiously picked up multiple items from the shelf and analysed them. “Look, this one has a rhinestone in it!”

“I feel like this trip will unlock a new fantasy for Jinki.” Key chuckled, and all the boys started laughing.

They were trying to pick up a gift for Jonghyun, whose birthday was approaching way too quickly, and although all of them prepared some ‘serious’ gifts, like new books or a new vinyl for his pick-up, Kibum suggested buying something else as well — something he would remember.

Thus, the 4 boys were now in a sex shop, browsing through different types of toys, plugs, condoms and whatnot, and Taemin had no idea why he had to be there in the first place. Key could’ve just picked alone.

“What about this one? It has a little reptile tail. It kinds looks like a dinosaur when you squint.”

“Uhm… does it matter what it is? Will he even use it?” Minho chuckled, and Key rolled his eyes.

“Come on, he’s the type who’d definitely experiment with taking things up his ass.”

“Ï don’t know. He’s not you.” Minho said with a snicker.

“Yo, lamppost, I think I’m gonna shove this up your-”

“Okay, okay!” Jinki got between them and pushed them aside. “Let’s just get the rhinestone one.”

“Hyung, you can get it for yourself if you like it that much,” Taemin commented so quietly, it almost came out as a whisper.

“Should I?” Jinki looked at the little box with a lot of concentration in his gaze. “Then, do we get a matching one for Jjong?”

“Why, are you guys fucking?” Minho asked, and Taemin’s heart dropped. Were they?

“God, no. He’s just my friend. I was just saying.”

“Let’s go with the reptile one.” Taemin butted in, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible.

“That’s what I’m saying! Good choice, Taeminnie!” Key ruffled his hair, annoying him. He was once again treating him like a baby.

~

“Wow, this is certainly… unexpected.” Jonghyun laughed loudly as soon as he tore open the cute pink packaging and saw the small box.

“Taemin picked it for you!” Key grinned, and Taemin immediately wanted to disappear.

“We all went to the shop!” He protested, trying to avert his gaze away from Jonghyun’s.

It didn’t work, for when he raised his eyes again, Jjong was still looking at him with a determined gaze, as if challenging him again.

“What?” Taemin asked, embarrassed.

“Nothing. It’s cute.” Jonghyun smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Why a dinosaur, though?”

“Well, we always say you look like one, so…”

“I like how many shades of green it has. Quite interesting.” Jjong held the buttplug in the air, examining it under the light of the bulb above, and Taemin immediately frowned.

How many shades of green did Jjong see, exactly?

Taemin barely saw one, and even that looked dull.

“It’s so vibrant, too.” Jjong went further, and all the boys around the table nodded in approval.

What…? Taemin shot up and snatched the plug from Jonghyun’s hands.

“What’s wrong?” Jinki asked, concerned.

“N-nothing. Hey, gotta go. Sorry!” Taemin threw the plug on the table and practically ran out the door, not even hearing the 4 boys shouting after him.

He ran and ran and ran until he got home, and once he did, he opened his computer and typed in the word green in the search bar.

It was like his mind was playing tricks on him, as he certainly didn’t remember colours looking so dull and lifeless.

He typed in pink and was met with the familiar vibrance of colour, which made him more confused than ever. Once again, he typed in green.

Dull. Faded.

But why?

Why didn’t it look as it should?

Why?

~

Weeks have passed and with them, the finals were creeping in faster.

There was a lot of studying Taemin had to do, which inevitably meant less time spent with his friends.

Less time spent with Jjong.

Taemin didn’t notice the weeks passing by, as there was just so much to do. What he did notice, though, was that green was no longer that green.

His sight didn’t return to normal, and he still couldn’t understand why.

He was certain it was because of Jjong, because he was now also experiencing the same symptoms with the colour blue, after noticing that this separation was only difficult for him, as Jonghyun didn’t seem to miss him too much.

Taemin cried pale-blue stars every time Jonghyun took too long to reply to his messages.

Blue. Just like his feelings.

It hurt, but what was there to do? Jonghyun didn’t feel the same.

This thought alone made his vision blurry again, all the symptoms of the Star tear disease starting to reappear instantly.

He couldn’t cry again, not when he had so much to study. He had to think about something else.

Fuck, his eyes stung. Again.

Soon enough a few blue stars followed with a twinkle sound as they shattered against his desk.

He was crying stars again, the blue shade way deeper now, and when he was done spilling his sadness, the ink of his pen looked almost black.

He could barely see the colour blue.

~

“It’s finally over!” One of Taemin’s classmates exclaimed, walking leisurely with his hands above his head, stretching with a yawn. “I swear to God, this exam was so long I thought I might pass out.”

“Tell me about it.” Taemin chuckled.

“Oh, isn’t that the dude you were seeing?”

“Hm?” Taemin turned his gaze towards the gate and saw none other than Jonghyun, waiting for him next to his car. “I’m not seeing him.”

“Really? I thought you were an item or something, he used to come here like everyday.”

Yeah, used to. Rang through Taemin’s head. Ever since Jonghyun’s birthday, they’ve barely spent any time together.

A pang made its way through his heart as he looked at the man waiting patiently.

As Jonghyun saw him, he immediately straightened up and showed him the widest smile.

“Taeminnie!” He said, coming closer and ruffling his hair. “Looking good!”

“Likewise.” Taemin smiled shortly. “What are you doing here, Jjong?”

“What, can’t I come see my favourite person?”

My favourite person.

He doesn’t mean it.

“Besides, wasn’t today your last exam?” Jjong continued asking.

“Yeah.”

“See? I remembered. I’m such a good brother.” He boasted proudly. “I’ll treat you to some good food for all your hard work this semester!” Jjong decided, and there was no space for arguing as he instantly opened the door to his car and shoved Taemin inside.

The way to the restaurant was pleasant like usual, and it was like no time has passed at all since they’ve last seen each other, even if, in reality, almost two months passed.

“So, did you miss me?” Jonghyun asked jokingly, his eyes on the road.

“Mhm.”

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you~” He kept teasing Taemin, unaware of the other man’s inner turmoil.

“I didn’t have time to eat, let alone miss anyone.” Taemin replied, looking away through his window. The trees were a dull shade of green, and the sky had almost no colour to it. It was a blue-tinted grey.

“Aww, you’re so mean! I missed you lots, Taeminnie.”

“Good for you.”

“Hey, did I do something wrong?”

“No.”

“Okay.”

“I’m just hungry.”

“Makes sense.” Jonghyun chuckled. “Me too. We’re almost there.”

And Jonghyun was right. They got to the restaurant less than 3 minutes later, the song that started playing on the radio not even having enough time to get to the end.

To his surprise, Jonghyun took him to an extremely fancy restaurant, and they had a reservation.

“Jjong, is this okay?” Taemin whispered as they were being led to a private room. “Seems really expensive.”

“Of course. Everything for my smart friend.” Jjong smiled brightly. “You deserve this for studying so hard these past months.”

They sat down opposite from each other, and plates of food began being brought to them minutes later. It seemed Jonghyun had it all planned to the notch.

“Do you like it?” He asked after a while, both of their faces stuffed with food.

“It tastes incredible.” Taemin replied delighted. “You know, I always thought expensive restaurants were stupid because they serve such small portions, but eating here definitely changed my mind.”

“I’m glad.”

“So, what have you been up to lately, Hyung?” Taemin asked with a smile that dropped as soon as Jonghyun answered.

“Oh, just the usual. Work, work, and work again. But I met someone new, and we’ve been on a couple of dates, and she seems nice enough.”

The food started choking Taemin, who tried to cough the unchewed bits out.

“Wow, you okay?” Jonghyun stood up, rushing to Taemin’s side to pat his back.

“Yeah, I’m fine. You were saying something about a girl?”

“Oh, yes.” Jonghyun sat down right next to Taemin instead of going back to his place on the opposite side of the table, as he excitedly started describing the lucky woman to him, and all the lollygagging they engaged in these past couple of weeks.

Taemin couldn’t eat anymore, and with each of Jonghyun’s words, he tried swallowing his tears back. His heart was hurting. Couldn’t Jonghyun see the turmoil he was putting him through?

“Why did you even take me out?” Taemin mumbled under his breath, unaware that Jjong would hear him.

“What do you mean?” He titled his head unaware. “I told you. You did so well that I had to-”

“You didn’t do this for any of our other friends.” Taemin countered, cutting him off. “You didn’t take Kibum or Minho or Jinki out, even though they had way more exams than me and even finished Uni and their Master’s.”

“N-no, I didn’t…” Jonghyun rubbed his nape awkwardly.

“Then, why? Why did you take me out, just to talk to me about some random girl you’ve been fucking?” The younger asked harshly.

“What do you mean, Taeminnie?”

“Don’t call me that.” He frowned and turned his eyes to the unfinished food on the table, that was sure to stay unfinished, because he wanted to get away.

No, he needed to get away. Now.

Hastily, Taemin stood up and grabbed his backpack from the floor.

“Wait-” Jonghyun followed suit and grabbed his wrist to force him to stop.

“What?” Taemin asked, without even turning to look back.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what you meant, but-”

“Oh, fuck this, Jonghyun. You always do this shit!” He spoke harshly, letting go of all the feelings he’d been suppressing in his chest that were making it hard to breathe.

“What did I do? Taemin, look at me, please.” Jonghyun urged him, and he finally looked back, his eyes full of sadness and disappointment.

“You take care of me. You treat me nice. You take me out on dates that you don’t call dates, only to then break my heart and tell me about how much you love someone else. Why, Jonghyun? Why are you doing this to me?”

“Taemin… what’s this?” Jonghyun watched in awe as a bright red star fell from Taemin’s eyes with a twinkle sound.

“Not this again…” Taemin tried to wipe it off, the sound getting more intense as the stars shattered against his fists.

“Holy fuck! What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“I really can’t do this anymore…”

“Stars…?!” Jonghyun kept looking shocked at his friend.

“I’m in love with you, idiot!” Taemin finally confessed, pushing Jonghyun back, and without waiting for a response, he ran away from the private room right outside, and tried to put as much distance as possible between him and the restaurant.

Red stars continued spilling from his eyes, pouring out all the passion and love from his heart as he kept running away until his lungs ran out of air, leaving star dust on his tracks.

He didn’t know where he was, but knowing that Jonghyun drove him all the way to the restaurant for quite some time, he was aware that there was no chance of going back home on his own. He decided against calling one of his friends and called a taxi instead as soon as his tears dried up and he stopped crying stars.

There wasn’t much money in his pockets, so he asked the driver to just drop him off at the nearest bus station, and the way home took more than an hour.

He had to shut down his phone sometime during the bus drive, because Jonghyun was blowing it up, surely worried about his whereabouts. However, he didn’t have it in him to answer to at least let him know he’s okay, and once he got home, he was glad to see he didn’t come see him.

Taemin laid in bed, wondering how his day could start so well and end so badly.

Why did he have to fall in love with someone who didn’t love him back, he wondered?

Why did it hurt so much?

He couldn’t find any answers to his questions, but glancing around his room, he noticed that the covers of some of his books, once red, were no longer as vibrant.

Loving Jonghyun came at a big price, he thought, and by the time his feelings were dealt with, maybe all the colour would be gone from his world.

~

Taemin was surprised to not hear anything from Jonghyun in so many days. After blowing up his phone that day, he was radio silent.

His absence hurt Taemin even more than his presence, and he found himself crying twinkling stars almost every day. However, they now fell in all colours at once: a blue star, a red star, a yellow star, an orange star… and his world became dull.

Still, he tried his hardest to find joy in the colours he was able to see, so he’d force himself to go out every day, trying not to dwell on the pain in his heart.

16 days later, he found Jonghyun waiting in front of his apartment complex when he returned from one of his walks.

“Taeminnie.” Jonghyun whispered.

“Hi.” The boy answered softly, guarding himself and building walls around him.

“I missed you.”

Taemin didn’t reply.

“I’m sorry for not reaching out to you after that day… I just needed some time to… reflect on things, I guess.”

“I see.” Taemin nodded.

“Taemin, can we talk?”

“We are talking.”

“No, I meant… whatever, you know what? I’ll just say it. I’ll admit that I haven’t really thought of you that way… not consciously, anyway.”

“Okay.”

“But after you confessed, I realised that you were right about everything. Unconsciously, I acted protective of you, and I was careful to not hurt your feelings, and to be there for you… I really took you on dates, even though I hadn't figured out they were dates…”

“Jjong, go straight to the point.”

“Fine. I will. I also like you, Taemin. Let’s date.”

“Wh-what?!” Taemin’s eyes grew wide, as he wasn’t expecting him to say this. He was readying himself for a proper rejection, so this came up completely unexpectedly.

“You heard me. All this time, I’ve been searching for you in all my partners, without even realising it, simply because I was too scared to confront my true feelings for you. I won’t do that anymore.”

“I can’t believe this…”

“I love you, Taemin.” Jonghyun confessed and pressed his lips against the boy’s lips.

Taemin loved him too, but it was too late, for his world has already lost colour, and his cheeks would forever be stained by powdered star dust.

~The END~

[idkaguyorsomething]

Why Greta Gerwig should adapt The Magician’s Nephew instead of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

I had some thoughts. They are below the cut in list form

Something we Haven’t Been Shown Before- to put it bluntly, we already have a perfectly good adaptation of TLTWATW, and it’s probably as good and accurate an adaptation as you could ask for. There are a few minor details that got cut and added, but honestly, as far as book-to-movie adaptations go, it’s extremely faithful to the plot, themes, characters, the whole shebang of the original book. Even if you don’t count the live action movie, there’s still the animated movie, the BBC production, and several play adaptations out there. It’s had its time to shine and by adapting The Magician’s Nephew, we’d be getting something fresh from the franchise.

Equally Accessible Starting Point- while TLTWATW was the first Narnia book to be written and published, chronologically The Magician’s Nephew takes place before it, serving as both a prequel and standalone story so that newcomers to Narnia could get into the series with either book. C S Lewis himself said that it didn’t matter which one people chose to start with, so it would serve as a great entry point for anyone looking to get into the Chronicles of Narnia as well as provide an interesting prequel for people familiar with the movies that already came out, leading me to my next point:

Worldbuilding- this book has so much cool stuff you guys. The pool world, Charn, the apple grove, the rings, Frank. ¡Actual literal worldbuilding! Also Sherlock Holmes and Atlantis for some reason. There’s just a lot of really interesting concepts and locations in this story that have the potential to be a true spectacle while also serving as a rewarding expansion of the universe that Narnia fans know that newcomers will still be able to appreciate.

Our Heroes- Digory and Polly are incredibly adorable and likable protagonists. They feel a good deal more fleshed out and realistic than the Pevensie kids in the books, and even though the movies went out of their way to give them some more depths, our dynamic duo from The Magician’s Nephew still feel quite distinctive in their own right. Their interpersonal conflict never grows as deep as something like, say, Edmund’s betrayal, but they both have different perspectives and things they bring to the table as individuals while also having a very fun, genuine friendship. Bonus points for being a rare boy/girl relationship that is never so much as hinted to be anything beyond platonic.

The Villains- The Magician’s Nephew has a pretty perfect combination of antagonists who manage to be memorable and legitimately menacing as well as pathetic little meow meows. This book gives us Jadis’ backstory as well as her getting to wreak unhinged havoc in downtown 18XX London as well as Uncle Andrew, a conspiracy theorist incel Redditor before Reddit was ever a thing. They’re delightfully entertaining in completely different ways, and seeing them onscreen would be an absolute treat.

Thematic Resonance- lots of things that happen in this book carry a lot of similar motifs to other films that Greta Gerwig has worked on, and since she hasn’t really created any epic fantasy style films yet, they could provide a strong emotional core to center any experimentation she tries out in the genre. You’ve got Digory’s loving but complicated relationship with his mother due to her illness displacing them from home, the coming-of-age aspects as the children encounter various adult figures they feel powerless to oppose, and learning the consequences of one’s actions. It’s even mentioned in the book that Polly is working on a little writing project that she’s sensitive about, like Jo March. A lot of people have complained that they feel Greta Gerwig will neuter the story by toning down the religious elements (which there is A LOT to dissect about concerning how C S Lewis’ beliefs led to things like the Problem of Susan, but there just isn’t enough information about the actual movie out yet to draw any actual conclusions) yet I’d argue that these emotional arcs, which play into Gerwig’s strengths as a director, could easily hold up a movie on their own if handled well. Combine that with the potential for unique visuals, the book’s surprisingly good sense of humor, and the many concepts that could be brought onscreen in a truly unique way, and you’ve practically got a recipe for a great addition to the Chronicles of Narnia unlike anything the movie fans have gotten before.

Feel free to disagree about any of that, though. Hearing where other people think the netflix movies should pick up would be really interesting, so leave any thoughts on the subject in the notes if you want. I just wanna see Fledge the pony accidentally get yanked into another dimension.

[compassionatereminders]

Hey, "bad friend" anon again.

I don't think my friend is fake -I think they process affection very differently and don't necessarily get the same reward from being social that I do due to their set of mental health and neurodivergence issues, but that doesn't make them necessarily bad. Like I said, they are actually a uniquely amazing friend when they're doing ok.

I also don't expect 24/7 availability, but... the way they've been is very Jekyll and Hyde. Not even a one-line note when they disappear. It hurts me so much every time, and I want thicker skin, but... It's so hard?

I feel things extremely strongly, and I don't know how to guard my own heart against this person. I don't know how to handle the constant yo-yo of feeling close to someone and then being cut off, and the genuine worry for their health that comes with it, and the simple knowledge that they don't really have the bandwidth to feel that deeply about me in return.

Every time I think "I'm gonna keep it chill and superficial" they still worm their way back in and then wreck me with rejection and abandonment when it gets to be too much again. And that's on me, I know that's on me. But as much as I rationally understand (I'm mentally ill and disabled myself), and want to be understanding, emotionally I'm left bleeding every time.

I don't want to lose them. But I want to stop being in so much pain all the time.

I get that, and I respect that, and I am not saying that you HAVE to be okay with the way this friendship is functioning or that you're not allowed to walk away from it. You are in your full right to decide that this kind of friendship isn't healthy and sustainable for you and to establish the boundaries you need accordingly. What I was commenting on in my previous answer was the implication that ALL friendships with periods of inconsistent and bad communication are a definite result of a lack of care and should be left behind. That's not an assumption I agree with. That being said, you are allowed to decide that this friend isn't good for you and walk away. The affection this friend offers you in good periods not necessarily being fake does not mean that you don't get to decide that it isn't enough