#it's sooooo much more tragic from his side

[warlordfelwinter]

exchanges that make me feel a certain way

[shutupineedtothink]

More ep 7 thoughts, now that I’ve watched it twice and processed 🫠

Bookending the episode with Lilia’s fall but first it’s down and then it’s up - sick, twisted, beautiful, devastating, I’m crying

The soundtrack really goes hard in this ep

The wildest part about the “ex best friend” line is all of those things are equally insane - ex, ex best friend, or best friend. Like ma’am what hex were you living in

Babysitter is likely a reference to the comics, but interesting also in terms of WV because we saw Agatha babysit the twins only once I think. Does this mean she actually spent more time with them than we know?

Wow once again Kathryn Hahn is doing so much work in this first scene with Billy, she’s going from snarky to wary to calculating to hurt to i don’t even know. She’s doing a masterclass in face acting.

When they start to climb toward the castle, Agatha has her hands clasped behind her back and initially I was just like ma’am, why are you like this, but then I realized oh. Her hands are tied right now.

Waning moon for the Crone trial babyyyyyy called it

Fun and fast transition to get us into the trial, since we know the deal by now

She’s based on me you know — sooooo, tragic, misunderstood, secretly suffering her whole life, constantly judged by others, uh huh uh huh

Prove it - he really doesn’t believe a word she says! And she looks so hurt by it!

The way Agatha sits in the chair omg girl please chill

This is such like an Indiana Jones trap I love it

God I love Lilia’s visions, changing the perspective to hers, the blurring around the edges - sometimes you don’t need to do much, but it’s hella effective

Actually a lot of good camera tricks in this ep I’m not going to point them all out

It’s about limiting beliefs baybeee - once again the writers showing they know their psych

I’m sorry that tea leaves to the underground transition??? Spectacular

“Well tell me what more I should see when I look at you. No, I mean it” - hey nonviolent communication, how’s it going 🤌

God can you imagine how scary it would be to have these visions as a CHILD

Did you not see imminent impalement in your future?? Lol why did this get me

I get the fake nose on Agatha but idk maybe I could’ve done without it

Teenager his full name LOLOL underrated joke

Dory OMGGGGG

Jen being the ultimate Lilia champion this ep and I love it. Also seems to contradict her behavior even more in Agatha’s trial, but she’s still more snappy with Agatha here too

What are you wearing, I don’t wanna talk about it - bruh every line. EVERY LINE.

Did I mention the transitions are killer

Your task is not to control but to see. - I, I can’t keep writing down every line but

I love that as soon as Jen knows what’s going on, she’s totally on board, just asking Lilia for intel, like yep this is normal now

Ahhh the spell book. Interesting that Lilia finds it.

Ohp - I wish Lilia was here. Ask and you shall receive - see the Billy’s Road theory

She calls him baby again 😭

Is snappy dialogue one of my biggest joys on this earth? I think it is

Proper tarot takes time and care. And leads to large gaping wounds - …. You mean like internal wounds? Like trauma? Like you have to bring up the trauma to heal it? Uh huh uh huh cool cool cool cool you said it Agatha not me.

The Magician, the ability to turn all of your goals into reality - Agatha immediately side eyes him. Bruh.

I’m a forgotten woman. Then remember yourself. 🤌🤌🤌

I was falling. I will fall. - CAMERA. MOVEMENT.

What will you do with your remaining time 🤝 all we can do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us. Iykyk.

The subway baybeee get that House of R theory

God this tarot spread scene is so epic.

Ok Jen being the path ahead… I gotta come back to that

Agatha is the obstacle yep that makes sense (but the obstacle is the way)

Windfall - Billy, miraculous transformation uh yep ok

Destination - Death. Such a good reveal, even if I already knew it. Once again the power of good writing. In the end all roads lead to me. UGH WTF

NOT THE GREEN VINES SPELLING A BIG OL “R” WHEN THE DOORS OPEN

The original green witch…. Ok so she is in the coven… but also Billy’s in the coven? It’s a shared black heart? Or it means you can go one direction or the other… hm.

Ughghghghhh her just giving them each what they need before she sends them onward. She’s the GOAT.

Did I mention the music????

This whole scene is so EPIC. The tower upright fuck it up queen

Oh my God Lilia took her power back 😭

We didn’t see a body unlike Alice I’m holding onto that “see you at the end” lyric with all my might at this point

Time in a bottle was sick and twisted and beautiful I love it

I just… can’t believe this is something I got to witness. Like it’s so good I’m mad about it.

A few other quick thoughts:

Jen being the path ahead… if she was birth in the first trial (see my maiden mother crone trial theory), then maybe she’s also REbirth? It’s a circle sewn with fate… we’re going back to the beginning but emerging from the Road this time. Eh??

Patti…. PATTI!! Where’s her Emmy? Where’s the show’s Emmy???

Not only was this a better time travel plot than the rest of Marvel as I said in another post but it’s also better than time travel in Doctor Who for the last 10 years and that pisses me off low key.

Not to jump ahead but buckle up kids cuz if we’re following the loose structure of WandaVision then ep 8 is our flashback/reliving the trauma episode for Agatha and as much as I was destroyed by this ep I am so not ready for all of that.

Anyway. What a masterpiece. I’m DONE.

[futbol16]

Nothing is Going Well  • England Lionesses

Requests:  im sooooo loving the keira leah and georgia trio 😍😍😍😍 could I request a oneshot where the three have grown into Y/N’s older sisters and best friends. In their next game Y/N gets left bloody like Melanie Leupolz during the Chelsea match. Except this time the three see that the injury is much worse as Y/N is unresponsive, their favorite player who was happily playing with them 20 minutes ago now in danger

could you write something with leah keira and georgia being like big sisters to R? and like teasing her but also being very protective of her? thank you love your works

Word count: 4k

“GEE!!” a shriek accompanied by loud giggles echo through the corridors of the stadium and many of your teammates look back at the source of the sound. You’re running past Alex, a cookie in your hand and giggling like a maniac as you attempt to run away from Georgia who is chasing you.

“GIMME BACK MY COOKIE!” her booming voice only makes you throw your head back as you swerve in and out through the line of teammates filing into the stadium’s changing room. Georgia can’t help it anymore as she also breaks out in fits of giggles, her arms outstretched towards you as you just manage to slip away from her. 

The girls amusedly watch the two of you running around and they chuckle as you slip and fall on your bottom, Georgia crashing onto the ground too. You let out a loud groan as Georgia snatches the cookie back from you and in the same move she shoves the whole thing in her mouth. 

“Crackheads, those two, absolute crackheads.” Leah points to behind her as she grins at the camera, shooting it a cheeky wink that makes the cameraman laugh as he captures the England Lionesses arriving at the Brentford Community Stadium.

Georgia sticks her tongue out at you and you pout at her silliness, arms crossing over your chest. The brunette in front of you laughs at you and you look to the redhead approaching for help.

“Kie, Gee is being mean!”

“AM NOT!” she protests as Keira pulls you off the ground before throwing an arm around your shoulders. 

“Let’s go girls. Warm ups start soon.” she nods towards the changing room where most of your teammates are waiting and Georgia ruffles your hair before skipping off. You grumble as you try to fix your hair but Keira poking at your cheek makes you look at her. Upon doing so you’re met with a cookie in your face and a cheeky smile on her face as you take it from her. 

“Shh, don’t tell Gee” she winks at you and you hug her waist as the two of you enter the changing room, your mouth full.

Leah, Keira and Georgia have become your best mates in the England camps and you cherished your friendship with them very much. You were much younger than the other three, standing at a rough 19 years of age and they instantly took you under their wings when you made your debut for the national team earlier this year. The trio had unofficially adopted you as their younger sister which they had been teased for by the other girls but they would only smile at their words as they’d pull you into their side and ruffle your hair, saying something about how you were ‘the team baby’. 

 All four of you played in different positions with Leah all the way back in defense, Kei and Georgia as the midfielders and you upfront as a forward. You had only recently made a name for yourself but it didn’t take long for you to become a fan favorite.

You grew up playing for Arsenal’s youth teams and despite being moved to the first team a year ago, you hadn’t had the chance to show just how good you were. The tragic injuries of Mead and Miedema had forced Jonas to experiment with his other players though, giving you, Frida, and Stina more game time, which had proved to be the right decision. Within two months you went from a last minute substitute to a constant starter and being recognized as the young star of the Reds. 

Leah had watched you excel on the field since your very first few minutes of your debut and she felt immense pride when you got your first start. She’s still in absolute awe of your talent every time you step on the field and she has kept you close to her at Arsenal too. She was one of your favorite people and you had even been on vacation with her family. Her mother often jokes that you’ve officially become a Williamson. 

Jonas knew that if it weren’t for ‘the main force at the front’ - referring to the team’s three goalscorers - he wouldn’t know what to do since Arsenal had been cursed with so many injuries. Similarly to your debut for the reds, you got your debut for the England Lionesses because of the number of injured players as well. 

Sarina had kept an eye on you all of last season and as an Arsenal fan herself she was excited to see what you would bring to the team. She had instantly put you in the starting line up, which was shocking to not only the fans but you as well. Nonetheless, you didn’t disappoint as you served two assists in the same match and then being named the player of the match. You only got better after and it was a no brainer for Sarina to have you play in the final of the Finalissima. 

Your journey had only just begun and you were already suspected to be a future Ballon D’or winner. Keira loved to remind you of this and since joining Barca she has frequently brought your name up to Alexia Putellas. When she first mentioned your name Alexia had confirmed that she knew about you and would love to meet you, gaining you a face time that Kei had arranged with one of your idols. 

You stand by the sidelines with Leah behind you, her arms around your shoulders as the two of you watch the girls start warming up. Your fingers curl around the blonde’s forearms as you lean back into her, finding safety in her arms. 

“You ready for this game?” she leans down to whisper to you and your eyes scan over the Australian players as you nod.

“Yeah” you pause as you spot Steph waving at the two of you and you wave back at her with a wide smile. You loved Steph and you had great chemistry on the field. “I’ve never played Australia before.” 

Leah tightens her hold on you as she presses a kiss to the top of your head. 

“But it’s going to be fine and you’ll be great. Besides, it’s only a friendly so just in case you panic, remember that.” she tells you, knowing how much pressure you felt and your need to prove your worth to England. You nod again as you look up at her smiling.

“You too Lee.” you tell her seriously. Just like her, you also knew about the stress she was experiencing especially as captain. 

“Yeah” she assures you before Georgia and Keira come bouncing over. 

“Come on Y/N warm up with me!” Leah shoots the brunette a look as she brings you even closer to her, refusing to let go of you.

“You’ve had her for long enough! It’s our turn now!” the midfielder demands, ball in hand as she tries to tempt you with it. “Come Y/N, follow the ball”

“Gee she’s not a dog!” Keira laughs at her and you untangle yourself from Leah’s hold. She gives you a hurt look, dramatically slapping a hand against her chest and you giggle at her antics.

“I’ll be back but you go with Kei, okay?” you negotiate with the two while Georgia is shouting at you from a distance as she urges you to hurry up. They nod at you as you walk away from them and Leah leans into her best friend’s side.

“She should come to Barca” 

“Aww Kei don’t start” the blonde jokes as she throws her head back, smacking at her friend’s shoulder. 

“What? Jonatan already has his eyes on her. She’d fit right in.” she explains to Leah who nods, understanding. Leah knows you’re bound to join the club sooner or later in spite of being a die hard Arsenal fan, but it would be a great move for your career…somewhere down the line. 

“But Arsenal needs her more” she points out. Keira is about to open her mouth to interrupt again and tell her that Jonas won’t give you or any of this season’s players minutes once his main strikers are back, but Leah cuts her off. “Let’s go warm up, we’ve only got a few more minutes and Sarina won’t be happy with us.” 

You start on the bench for this game, which you don’t mind because it gives you more time to observe the Australians playing style before you would be substituted in. It’s clear from early on that Sarina’s new line up isn’t working as well as she had hoped. Leah and Esme can’t seem to connect in the defense, Millie is obviously greatly missed from there and every shot on goal is either wide or offside. Despite this, England still manages to keep more possession of the ball, but you worry that won’t mean much if you can’t get a goal out of it. 

If the number of injuries wasn’t enough, another is added to the tally in minute 28, but thankfully nothing serious as Lauren is subbed off for you. Sarina’s hand remains on your shoulder as you wait for Lauren to get to the sidelines, a silent encouragement that she has faith in you to change the game. 

On your run to your position you get pats on the back from Georgia and Keira, both throwing a word of encouragement after you. You slowly exhale as you look over the opposition and your eyes connect with another pair of eyes. You look away as you feel a wave of anxiousness crash over you and you focus back on the game at hand as the match is resumed. 

“Come on Y/N” you mutter under your breath, eyes trained on the ball. 

All it takes is one chance. And Kerr proves that to you as she runs after the ball, hot on Leah’s tail. Leah heads the ball down for Mary but it unfortunately bounces before she can catch it in her gloved hands and Kerr’s foot has already connected with the ball. It’s a goal for Australia. 

Leah walks back with her head hung low as she wipes at her forehead, disappointed in herself. While the Matildas celebrate you take the time to jog to your friend who has turned into an older sister.

“It’s a friendly, Lee. Remember that. You’ve been doing great” you assure her as you squeeze her fingers and she sniffles when she gives you an unsure smile. You nod back at her, telling her to believe you. 

“As long as we have you on the field, I’m not overly worried” she uses flattery as a distraction from her mistake but you see right through it. 

“We’ve still got time to turn this around.” is the last thing you tell her before getting back into position. You’re not too worried about your game because you have Keira and Georgia backing you up as well as your other teammates. Leah recognizes this as well and within a second she has her game face back, ready to face whatever would come next.

It took you a few minutes to get used to the Matildas’ football but you feel like you’ve figured it out. It instantly shows in your game because you’re creating chances for Chloe and Alessia whenever you can. The ball possession remains on England’s side as your team pushes forward and the Australians are visibly taken aback as shots are fired at them. None finds the back of the net until Kerr loses the ball from a pass that Raso gives her. You’re quick to pick up the loose ball and in a blink of an eye you’re sprinting towards their goal, sending a screamer into the top bins. You run towards the corner flag in celebration, patting the badge on your heart as your teammates surround you. 

“There you go!”

“Yes Y/N!” Lucy and Georgia scream in ecstasy. England keep the ball in their possession until the halftime whistle is blown three minutes after your goal. A giddy smile resides on your face, still happy about your involvement in the game and confident that the girls would come out victorious. 

Sarina’s halftime speech isn’t very long but everything she could say is said. When England reenters the pitch, Australia is already out and finishing up their drinks break. 

Arms make their way around your shoulders and you hear a whisper next to you. 

“I heard you got a crush on an academy player” Georgia’s voice is laced with a teasing tone as the two of you walk to the field. You abruptly pull back and turn to her, eyes full of questions.

“Who told you?” the brunette raises her eyebrows at your lack of denial but her expression quickly morphs into a smirk. She shrugs but you already know the answer.

“Leah” she says nonchalantly and another voice cuts in.

“She didn’t need to.” Keira’s arm circles your waist as Georgia’s arm is placed back around your shoulders. You look at the redhead in confusion and the girl on your other side decides to elaborate.

“Every time you tell us about your academy days you mention her name” you blush furiously as you remember the amount of times you had unknowingly flashed the girls a dreamy look when talking about your best friend from the Arsenal academy. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” A chuckle leaves Georgia, there’s the denial. She shares a look with Keira who is giving you the same knowing look.

“Freya Godfrey. Does that ring a bell?” you can feel your face heating up and you hide in Keira’s shoulder as you listen to the two giggling at you. 

“Get away” you joke with them, pushing the both of them towards their positions on the field as you retake yours as well. You can still hear their giggles until they stop, getting ready for the game to restart. 

All seems to be going well as England better their tactics and keep the Australians on their toes. All seems to be going well as Chloe, Alessia, and yourself make a run towards their goal. All seems to be going well as Alessia delivers a wonderful cross to you. All seems to be going well until nothing is going well. 

You jump forwards to head the ball into the net and at the same time Sam Kerr tries to intercept. She also jumps, leg outstretched towards the incoming ball but she misses and instead of the ball she gets you. You can feel her studs sliding across your face before you land on the ground with a big thump. Searing pain takes over you as you lay face down on the grass, eyes stinging, nose feeling like it’s not in place and your head throbbing. Then suddenly you feel nothing as everything goes numb.

Kerr looks down at you, a horrified look on her face but the referee hasn’t blown the whistle yet and she feels obligated to run after the ball. Alessia is immediately screaming for the referee as you lay still while Keira instantly runs to your aid. It takes the ref around two minutes to finally blow the whistle and by that time Keira and Alessia have managed to turn you on your backside.

Your face is covered in blood, so much so that they can barely make out where your mouth is. 

“Oh no, no no” Keira is panicking as she looks you over and she starts waving for the medics. 

Georgia and Chloe are the next to get to you, both gasping in shock. Georgia feels sick to her stomach and she turns away from the sight of you all bloodied, opting to lean onto Rachel for support. Keira’s hand is on your knee as she calls out your name, waiting for any sign that you’re awake.

By the time Leah gets to you the medics are already making their way past Georgia and Rachel.

Leah’s face pales at what she sees and she drops to her knees next to you in horror. 

“Leah” Keira’s voice is broken as she searches for her captain's eyes. Her eyes remain on you however and she reaches a shaking hand out to your face, moving a strand of bloody hair from your forehead. Medics push them back as they try to assess the damage. 

Your three sisters watch in almost slow motion as they lift your head and wipe the blood from your face. They watch as the medics feel for a pulse and their panic only rises until they get a thumbs up and they allow themselves to let out the smallest exhales of relief. 

“She’s -” Georgia can't finish her sentence as her eyes water. Another wipe of your face reveals the cut on your cheek and nose. It also reveals the swelling of your nose and the misplacement of it. A broken nose. It’s not a big injury and you’d recover quickly but the way your face is now adorned with small cuts is not a pretty sight and it only makes your teammates even more worried.

“Oh my god” Leah wipes her eyes before the tears can fall. You have still yet to open your eyes or give them any indication that you were conscious. 

“What’s going on?” Keira questions one of the medics as they load you onto a stretcher.

“She’s likely passed out from the pain. She’s got a broken nose and maybe a concussion but that’s about it. She’ll need stitches for two of those cuts. We’re taking her to the medical room” the team is briefly told as the medic rushes the words out before he runs off after his colleagues.

The three stare after them as the medics carry you off the field, sorrowful looks painted across their faces as it sets in. Georgia huffs out a breath of frustration for not being allowed to go after you while the other two reflect on just twenty minutes ago when you were running around and scoring. 

The loss of your presence is immediately felt as Australia scores seven minutes later though it’s called off as an offside. The rest of the game goes by in a blur and the second the final whistle is blown and the teams have shaken hands, the trio are off towards the locker room in search of you. Hoping that you’re okay and sitting in your cubby with one of their hoodies draped over you like usual, waiting for them to get back.

Silence and emptiness is what greets them when they open the door of the changing room. They turn on their heels, marching to where they think the medical room is, to where you’d be. However, before they can reach it Leah is pulled back by a hand on her arm and she looks to one of the staff members. He wears an apologetic look on his face and she knows what’s coming.

“Now?! They want me to do a post-match interview now??!” she aggressively barks back but calms herself as she follows the staff member, urging Georgia and Keira to find you.

“Good evening Leah, sorry to hold you back, we’ve only got a few questions.” the interviewer tells her but she couldn’t muster up a genuine smile even if she tried. She speed runs the basic questions she always gets asked, her feet thumping on the floor as she looks behind the camera every few seconds, waiting for the signal that she can leave.

“Do you feel this tie is a setback?”

“Uh no. Absolutely not. Sometimes you have to take blessings in disguise. This friendly allowed us to experiment with different lineups and strategies which I think could help us greatly for the world cup.” she nods along to her words.

“Facing one of the top teams, top player. How hard was it to stop Sam Kerr ?”

“As a footballer you expect to go up against those top teams' top players. Obviously it’s hard, it’s a challenge but yeah, I think we nullified the threat pretty well. Obviously gifted that goal..” she pauses for a second as they replay the clip where she headed the ball towards Mary, effectively giving a goal to Sam.

 “You play top teams - watching it again, thanks for having that in front of me” she lets out a nervous laugh as she rewatches the clip. Your words echo in her mind and she wills herself to calm her nerves. 

“You play top teams, you play top players and when they’re in form sometimes that punishes us, but I think this has fueled the fire in us. It gives you a bit of fire.”

The interviewer nods at her answer as she checks over her questions and once again Leah finds herself glancing towards the doorway in hopes of getting away.

“Y/N L/N took a rough hit tonight in a nasty collision with Sam Kerr. She’s a recent addition to the team, what can you say about her as a player?”

Leah’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of you, her mind replaying the scene in front of her as you fell to the ground, when she saw your blood covered face, how you were unresponsive. She clears her throat as she tries to clear the images from her head.

“She’s pure class, a very talented young player and I believe she has got a very bright future ahead of her.” she says, voice full of determination as her eyes twinkle with pride but also worry.

 “Speaking of, may I?” she points a thumb to the side, asking if they could wrap up the interview.

“Yes, of course. Thank you for your time!”

“Yeah, thanks” she rushes out before jogging down the corridor to where the medical room is, anxiety and nervousness rising in her chest.

Upon opening the door a squeal greets her.

“Leeeeee!” your voice is nasally but it brings Leah so much comfort she could fall to the ground in relief. Georgia and Keira are sitting on either side of you, both holding onto your hand as they smile at their captain.

“Hey babes” she breathes out, taking long strides to your bed. She takes notice of your wrapped up nose and the stitching on your cheek. She gently runs a finger over it before she leans down to press a big kiss on your hairline. You grin up at her, nodding to the space next to your legs and she sits down.

“So?”

“Mild concussion, broken nose-”

“Not anymore!” you cut off Keira’s medical report, giggling to yourself. Leah raises an eyebrow at your state.

“No more broken nose then but she has stitches on the bridge of her nose and her cheek - as you can see” Leah scans your face before resting a hand on your thigh and giving you a gentle smile.

“I feel like a hamster.” you announced, flailing around your hand and Georgia’s. “You know in my dream there was this big big green truck? I named it Weelah Liliamson.”

The girls burst out laughing at your words, the air becoming lighter.

“Oh yeah, and she’s high on meds.” Georgia states, chuckling at your offended expression.

“I don’t get high, I’m a football player you know? You know I’m a football player? I play football!” 

“Yeah, yes I know” she giggles along.

“Don’t take drugs kids, no drugs.” you shake your head at her, eyes wide and bleary. 

“Okay Y/N/N, we’re taking you home yeah? You’re sleeping at mine.” Leah pats your thigh to gain your attention and you sit up straighter.

“We’re having a sleepover?! YESSS!” you cheer before falling back.

“Shhh. Yes, sleepover.” Keira confirms, helping you drink. An amused look in her eyes, only happy that you were feeling beter.

“You guys are my bestest friends, man I love you all so much” you mumble out, eyelids suddenly getting heavy. The three look at each other with wide smiles, their heart melting at your words and they watch over you as you fall back asleep.

“We love you too”

[kcokaine]

You're one of the very few prominent sukuna x gojo shippers, can you please give more insight on why you love this ship so much? Like what made you think "damn they would be so good together" cuz outside of their parellels in the manga + fight, there isn't enough content about them to ship 😶 like what made it click dat it'll be a good ship

What do you think of satosugo (aka the most popular ship) and their shippers? There are also ships like sukuna x megumi and gojo x yuji which are pretty famous 😭 eek I'm talkin a lot i just wanna know your opinions on said ships

Its because Sukuna's whole theme is about love and lonliness, while Gojo's is mainly lonliness and trust issues. They are both so isolated, their personalities clash well, they both enjoy fighting, they are both total freaks. Sukuna was so mesmerized by Gojo he said he will think about him as long as he lives and its showing (he cant stfu about him in the manga still) They find solace in their mutual isolation. Sukuna finds someone who is his equal, could be his equal, not like any other. Someone who was ostricized and mistreated for their power. They can relate well. Gojo is also so not scared of sukuna, he has indominable spirit and strongwilled mind, Sukuna likes a challenge he likes that Gojo doesn't submit to him, fear him or let himself be thrown around by him. I also think Gojo doesn't fear death and after all, looking at Sukuna is like looking at the eyes of death.

Their whole dynamic is also so Ying and Yang. Its the tiger and dragon, two masses, one is sky one is earth, they cant exist without each other. Unmovable object and unstoppable force. Satosugu is good! Its cute, it has significance its important for both gojo and geto as characters. I also interpret satosugu in all my ships, geto had big impact on Gojo and that shaped him. But to me stsg is pretty plain, its mainstream ship which is fine, i just prefer more toxic dynamics. Also i see no real passion in stsg, its very one sided after geto loses his mind. Same cant be said about Sukugo, sukugo has very toxic burning passion and i really fw that type of stuff, love on astronomical levels. Stsg is surface level love, a cute teenage romance ending up tragic but there is no deeper connection in my eyes. Geto cannot get to Gojo's strength level, he cant understand his lonliness, he cant get to care about him even through his trauma, same as Gojo cant help geto with that said trauma because he himself is traumatized, they are broken people that ended tragically and i think thats beautiful. But what i prefer is lovers that end in death and colide in every universe. Sukuna's love is so interesting to me, the romance of wanting to become one with your lover, open their ribcage and eat their heart but savor them because you dont want to be without them. Its sooooo... Also i dont like proshits, keep minors away from adults thanks

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hello N,

I hope you are well. Love your blog. I’ll start off by saying I love all the characters but I really love Loustat together even though I know all the relationships are relevant to the story so I’m excited to see them all play out.

I’m kind of a lurker on Twitter and it’s interesting to me to see what different groups have to say. My question is how do you think the fandom is going to respond to Nicki and Lestat’s relationship? I know a lot of people have turned on Lestat after season 1 and will turn on Armand after season 2. There some people already saying Nicki was treated better by Lestat than Louis was if the show goes by Nicki and Lestat’s relationship in the books. They are saying Nicki wasn't beaten, his song wasn’t a ploy to get Louis back, and Nicki wasn’t cheated on. I don't think I agree with this and I don't they understand that Lestat was human when he was with Nicki and the dynamics were very different. Also, we still don’t have the full picture of what really happened between Loustat in season 1. They did say something I might kind of agree with though and that is that a lot of people who are intolerant of Loumand because it interferes with Loustat will probably be more accepting or excited about Nickistat. I worry for Lestat because I can see pitchforks for him all over again.

Hey!

Glad you like :)

Sooooo, first off I'd like to note that one might need to be careful when comparing future canon while mixing show and book.

What I mean here is that we can extrapolate, for the show, but what they choose to focus on (and the abuse angle is certainly a focus) might not be wholly predictable. And comparing what was shown, and the books, and expectations...

But let's look at some of the points

"Nicki wasn't beaten". Right. He wasn't in the books. True! (I'm not counting the shoves with which Lestat tried to get Nicki away from himself after turning here, because that is quite a different setup). But... Louis wasn't either?! He and Lestat fought. Quite on equal level. That's an important difference.

There was no "song" for Nicolas either in the books. Nicolas was the musician, he wrote the music.

Also, as you said yourself - they were mortals, and maybe more importantly their love affair really only lasted a few (intense) months. In the books there certainly is no cheating (apart from some kisses/flirting with others at the theater), but I don't see how that should come into play into that short a timeframe either?

Lestat did not really cheat on Louis in the book either. True, there was Antoine, but... Lestat wanted Antoine to be a part of their setup, not run away with him. With Antoine, too, it was the music that drew him. And the timeframes and actual relationships to mortals are so very different for vampires, I really, really do not see that as the same level. Of course Antoinette was presented very much on that cheating level. But, as said before (and as you say, too), we know there's twists incoming, and there were inconsistencies with her finger in the show, et cetera.

We will not be able to judge Nickistat or Loustat before season 3, earliest, imho. The others probably, too.

So that's my few cents re the points you mentioned^^

... In regards to Nickistat and Loumand.

Nickistat happens between Nicolas and Lestat, while mortal, and one of them is then raped into vampirism. Which, in turn, leads to a downwards spiral for Nicolas, and ultimately to his death. This is a couple that has no say in what is happening to them wrt the vampiric side. They are both - no matter Nicolas original intent to die in Paris, and his viciousness later wrt to Lestat's 'light' - victims there. It's simply tragic. (Edit: Nicolas pressures Lestat into giving him the Dark Gift, while that is with intent I don't see it as a free choice in the context either, given the circumstances.)

And Armand plays his part in all that, too.

Now, Loumand is tragic, too. But for very different reasons. Their relationship happens between vampires. And both chose this life (as debatable as this may be wrt to actually knowing what one is getting into and other... influence). Loumand is tragic because despite the initial interest in Louis by Armand through his fixation on Lestat he falls for Louis, but destroys long stretches of that relationship through his actions. And Louis falls for Armand, and betrays Claudia again, and despite her death and Armand right there... he cannot help but love Armand. Even though it almost destroys him, too.

Now, having said that, and totally apart from the overview - Nickistat can never be a threat to "Loustat" because Nicolas is dead.

He is already dead in the show. We will get to see that death still. We will get to see the tragic events leading to it, no matter how they'll spin it.

But Nicolas is no threat to Louis.

He is the past. He will stay the past. Louis is the future.

And I think that may be why some will be more... "accepting" of Nickistat.

Now, as per the "intolerance" for Loumand...

I'm sure for some there is also the racial issue at play here. Unfortunately.

BUT - Loumand has quite the toxic potential as well, and I really don't think they'll shy away from that. They have more than hinted at that.

Now, these books are 50 years old. There's shit incoming, and a LOT of it has to do with Armand. Armand was the villain of the first books, and then later that changed with his own recollection of events. But it won't change what's about to happen for Louis. Armand is the one who influences him, spell-binds him, kills Claudia (in a very gruesome way), and then lies to Louis, for decades. That is all text. I doubt the show will downplay it, given what we know already.

Those who know the books, and who are Loustat shippers only (to put it that way) might brace themselves in a different way for Loumand than they do for Nickistat.

That's not to say I necessarily agree with this. But I understand it.

The way they set up Armand in the show he is supposed to seem like more of a "threat", the "love of Louis' life"..., while Nicolas... simply cannot and won't be one. *shrugs*

So, last but not least wrt to the pitchforks...

Ahhh, no worries. It's Lestat. (And I mean, since he is fictional...?^^)

The story will unfold, and that will be that.

I for one do not worry about all that at all tbh - I just want this show to get the seasons that have obviously been planned already in someone's head.

Gimme :))

[ammaterasu]

Who is your favorite Naruto character and why? - Lee, inspirational how he went through rehab, just super happy, over the top, a little silly. i love characters like this (think tamaki from ohshc)

Favorite team - team gai, supportive! wholesome! simple!

Favorite villain - pain, very thought-provoking

Naruto or Naruto shippuden - naruto, its the nostalgia

Fav. Naruto movie - bonds (ended the sasuke drought)

Character you dislike, and why - sakura, annoying

Fav.  character in new generation? - i do not see, i do not hear

Manga or anime ( Naruto ) - manga!

Fav. ship, and why - narusasu, i dont ship them i understand them

OTP - narusasu

Fav. technique - amaterasu, also a big fan of raikiri

Fav. clan - it feels dumb to say uzumaki when we dont actually know all that much about them but i love the tragic mystery of them that is unfortunately not delved into more.

Uchiha vs Senju - philosophically, cant choose because its about them being "AND" not "versus"! in terms of powers - uchiha are cooler, in terms of looks, hashirama is sooooo hot to me

Fav. OT3 - ame orphans

What country would you want to live in (Land Of; Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning or Earth ) - lightning

Favorite Jutsu element? - fire!!

Do you like new generation? - who?

Do you like canon ships? - being "married" doesnt mean being happy and in love with someone. being "married" can imply that in different circumstances. but we had 699 chapters of context to understand who characters are and how they feel about each other. Regardless of a relationship label, it doesn't change how one-sided, delusional, and dysfunctional some of these "canon ship" dynamics are and continue to be. Being "canonically" married in this context doesn't imply these relationships are now suddenly built on love and understanding - quite the opposite. They give the impression of resigned adults playing house to let the series milking cows continue milking. And this doesnt make sense because the characters we knew for 699 chapters were not resigned, passive personalities. So no, i dont like the "canon" ships. I find them tragic.

What you think about ending? - made me block naruto from memory for 7 years so :)

Fav. no canon ship? - kakagai, so wholesome

Fav. canon ship? - shikatema is the only marriage that made sense narratively

Fav. Akatsuki member, and why? - itachi, most interesting microwaved tinfoil

Who is the best hokage? - tsunade, level-headed, strong, and went through a naruto talk-no-jutsu (i.e naruto-verse baptism) so shes pure now

Team 7 fav. moments? - when they tried to see kakashi without his mask - its a filler which says exactly what i think about team 7 hah

Fav. moments in anime/manga? - vote1 when naruto and sasuke shared their memory of seeing each other at the dock..

Which character you want to be your teacher and why? - gai, so supportive! wouldnt give up on you, would push you to be better! would help you! all qualities of a great teacher <3

Fav. friendship - ame orphans ;--;

[quiet-longing]

because sometimes louis (and vampires) deserves nice things

Or: no, they really don't, but I'm giving it to them, anyway because it amuses me.

Iwtv is a painful fandom to be a part of, especially if you know what's coming and I think most people know, readers or not. The books have been out for years. There was a movie. The internet exists. What I'm saying is anyone coming into this fandom is probably someone who, by general cultural osmosis, knows what's up. Nobody's coming in blind. So, we all, to varying degrees, know how much it's gonna hurt us.

So after I brood about it (like the good Louis fan i am), I like to imagine a softer world for the characters. A world that's filled with small dramas instead of big ones and imagine them still being their ridiculous selves.

Now, think of this introduction to my soft vampire daydreams as a warm bath...

The premise is superficially the same minus the murdering and vampirism and it's a modern day human AU, so this Claudia has two dads and not a dad and an uncle and more importantly (not to Louis and Lestat; they would like their young, sweet daughter back; not this shrieking changeling who's replaced her), she gets to grow up. She's adopted (legally and everything!) because Tragic Circumstances (not caused by Louis this time). Now, I thought Bailey played Claudia a lot younger than 14 in the beginning and I really enjoyed it. Claudia almost certainly didn't get a childhood, so when Louis and Lestat vamped her, she did, and I take my characterization from that because this is supposed to be fun.

Anyway, they adopt Claudia at younger than 14 - young enough that she's still asking "is that my fountain?" "is that my house" "are we a family?" and she is exactly as spoiled as she is in the show. Whatever she wants, she gets. Louis and Lestat dote on her. Lestat especially, spoils her. They have a special bond (I've yet to figure out about what yet; not the stage, that comes later and Claudia is sooooo mad about it). She has special bonds with both of her dads, but in her early childhood, she's especially close with Lestat because they're so similar. When she hits her tweens and teens, that's when she gets closer to Louis because "the NOISE, the DRAMA, he's so STUPID! he doesn't understand ANYTHING" and "noise! Noise is this torment that you pretend is music! I taught you better! She knows, Louis! She knows what music is; she only does this to HURT ME!, 'DRAMA?! DRAMA?! shouting in French', 'I AM AN ADULT; I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING AND IT IS YOU WHO IS STUPID, UNGRATEFUL BRAT!' followed by the very loud, very identical sounds of inarticulate rage, a chorused 'I HATE YOU' and the slamming of two doors in unison.

Lestat would absolutely argue like this with his teenage daughter. He would absolutely be the parent says 'your face is stupid!' to his kid, throw the exact same tantrum while his husband watches serenely 'LOUIS, MON CHER, HOW CAN YOU TAKE HER SIDE?!!!!!!! DO YOU NO LONGER LOVE ME?????' Meanwhile, Louis has said nothing as he listened to the two of them present their case to him as if he's some kind of judge. As if he wasn't just sitting here all cozy, reading his book when these two loud brats stomped (loudly) into the living room and stood in front of him, taking turns (loudly) hurling insults at each other while throwing their arms out as if they're presenting one another to Louis and then looking at Louis as if to say 'can you BeLieVE what i have to put up with? Louis does believe it. Louis absolutely believes because Louis is currently putting up with it times two every day of his life. He is seriously reconsidering Lestat's offer to nominate him for sainthood and present his case to The Church. St. Louis of New Orleans. It has as ring to it. Louis is not serene. He only looks serene because he is imagining his own softer world where his husband and daughter had quiet fights, upstairs, away from him, while he got to finish a book (one! single! book!) without interruption. And now that they've both stormed off without waiting him to render a verdict (he has yet to do this; he is mildly disappointed because he kind of wants to do that thing Armand showed him on the Ipad that time - hold up a picture of each one of them and tell them it's the same picture. He'd been a little confused by it at first and then Armand have given him a long lecture on memes on and Internet Culture before Daniel (Old Maniel, my beloved! I don't care; this is my new favorite iteration of devil's minion and you can pry it from my cold, dead hands) cut in: "Armand, I think he's got it. I had to explain memes to him. He had a lot of questions and I did a lot of research. Sorry, Louis." Louis, had in fact gotten it, gotten it quite a while ago. He'd pretty much gotten it as soon as Armand had pulled up a picture of the meme that wasn't two obscure Renaissance paintings.

He's not as technologically inept as everyone seems to think he is. Lestat is obsessed with social media. Louis helps him photographs his "thirst traps." (I imagine that's how Louis imagines the word thirst traps in his head.) Which reminds him. He's pretty sure he's due for that meltdown soon enough. It's getting harder to bribe Claudia's friends not to show her her dad's Insta. Louis does, in fact call it Insta. Occasionally 'the 'Gram' when he wants to be silly. Because Lestat. And because he's bribing his daughter's friends to steer away her away from the small empire Lestat has built across various social media websites.

Lestat's been a very benevolent ruler; he loves engaging with his subjects. Louis wishes he would engage a little less because he is very concerned that the one video of Lestat doing the Britney Spears knife dance in his underwear) is going to go viral. Right now, the good citizens of Lestat's fiefdom are hoarding it to themselves, making it their new 'iykyk' wink-wink nudge-nudge. And it was one of the paid streams, but still. Of course it was going to get out. He's just glad the public Lestat subreddit has banned posting it and is being strict about taking it down every time it goes up. (Louis is bizarrely familiar with certain corners of the internet, but he doesn't even know the nyan cat meme. Old? Yes. But standard curriculum for anyone who knows memes. Which Louis does not. The only memes he knows are Lestat memes and they all originated with Lestat. He doesn't even know they're called memes. He just thinks of them as funny edits pointing out Lestat being ridiculous. He can't believe Lestat likes them as much as he does, frankly. I love Louis.)

So, yes. That's another thing St. Louis of New Orleans has on his plate. His daughter's inevitable discovery of her father's social media following and that the real reason all her friends always want to hang out at her house is because they think her dad is hot, not because they're rich (well, they are and that is part of it, but mostly it's because they want to ogle Lestat. They think they're being subtle. They are not. Claudia, so far, has assumed it's because they share the same opinion of her father as she does: that he's a ridiculous idiot and that they're laughing at him, not giggling about Lestat 'just breathed omg!' like the 14 year-olds they are.)

Le sigh. This post was supposed to be about Claudia and her Regina George era and Lestat and Louis getting called to the principal's office and listening to a list of her crimes and making Very Serious faces at her and getting to the car and Louis starting to lecture and Lestat asking why she wasted her time on this instead of taking down the other Ultimate Mean Girl that just moved here who's trying to challenge Claudia's status as the Prettiest and Most Perfect Princess That Ever Walked This Earth Everyone Loves Her Just What Are You Insinuating About My Daughter [insert French insult] (did I already say Lestat is French in every universe? well, if i didn't, he is, and if i did, now you're really certain.)

Anyway, enjoy my crack thoughts about everyone's favorite vampire family.

[lunar-years]

T! From your latest ask game post.

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending? **

i'm very certain i've rambled on about most (all?) of these before, lol. But here is my truth:

General character stuff -

Jewish Roy Kent!! The O'Sullivan-Kent's are mixed faith

Roy and his sister were perhaps close when they were very small but not so much once Roy moved to Sunderland. They didn't reconnect until around the time she got pregnant with Phoebe, then became incredibly incredibly close during her contentious divorce, when Roy was the first and best person to show up for her.

Keeley's parents are divorced. also she definitely has major mommy issues and i think that's under-explored!

Jamie's dad came back into his life when he was pre-teen (i don't have an exact age but to me it was somewhere between like. the ages of nine to twelve). Old enough to already be putting himself on the football map, locally (enough for James to have taken notice, anyway) but young enough for James to have made the very deep impression on him and to hold the type of influence over him we see reflected on the show.

Simon came into the picture several years later when Jamie was an older teenager (16-17) and he and Georgie didn't get married until Jamie was playing (semi-)professionally

i feel sooooo strongly that he hasn't told a soul about that trip to Amsterdam until he tells Roy in s3. i know some people think he would have told his mum and i respect that but also. i couldn't disagree more, lol.

speaking of mummy, I also think the closeness we see them have in s3 is somewhat of a recent development. They were definitely that close when Jamie was young, but as is typical with having an abusive parent, I don't see how his relationship with his dad wouldn't have tainted his bond with his mum. To me there is a lot of things that were left unsaid between them, on both sides, for a long time, and I think the s1 bonfire scene really reflects that strain. not to say they were totally estranged, but I do think there were a few very rough years in there where jamie barely talked to her. and they reconnected around the time of the break between s1 & s2 when Jamie was back with Man City. now they're extremely extremely close.

jamie works with kids once he retires from football!! i'm not too particular as to what capacity but perhaps my favorite is that he coaches youth football at the Academy level. Like, maybe the U15s or U16s. young teenagers whose lives he can make a real difference in. just...jamie getting to be the mentor and influence for them in the way he wishes he had at that age. ahhhh.

ot3 stuff:

ot3 all have strained (at best) relationships with their parents, but in completely different ways. they all adore Georgie and Simon though and love making time to visit Manchester

they do NOT have kids ❌ Miss Keeley Jones is not EVER willingly getting pregnant i can tell you that much for damn sure

i'm ride or die ot3 and this is kind of irrelevant in a poly scenario but re: marriage none of them would change their last names i firmly believe this

look. it's not that jamie and keeley CAN'T cook. but if roy is willing to make them the majority of their meals. and do it better than either of them ever could. who are they to stop him?? (lowkey keeley's cooking IS tragic though, lol)

simon teaches roy how to bake. then they force Georgie, Jamie and Keeley to "judge" their creations as if they were competing on bakeoff. this is like. an ongoing event. there are multiple occasions, maybe once a year or something, and roy and simon spend weeks planning what they're going to do for it every time.

i think they keep their relationship a secret until Jamie retires. of course there is a thriving in-verse rpf community, lmao.

perhaps controversially i don't think they'd tell the whole team. I love it in blissful and happy and fluffy fics though :) And obviously, i think roy and jamie love the team very much, but i still think they'd only explicitly tell like, rebecca, the coaches, and then Jamie would tell his closest few friends on the team. everyone else kind of figures it out over time, though, they aren't as subtle as they think they are, but it's not really talked about? it's more like an open secret.

they have a closed poly relationship because at the end of the day they are all possessive and none of them are open to sharing with anyone but each other, lol. also like. even keeping up with two partners can be a logistical nightmare. who would have the time for more? keeley runs the calendars.

sex: Roy and Keeley switch. Jamie is mostly a sub but willing to try basically everything and anything once. also what they get up to is generally very kinky and very sex positive and most importantly they have LOTS of fun <333 the details of that would take up another 12 paragraphs but you know. i think the fandom is mostly in agreement with this lmao.

** maybe not so much ~die defending~ because if people have different opinions i definitely do not care, y'all do you. but these are the ones that are so tried and true in MY brain that if i read a different opinion or a fic featuring a contradicting viewpoint... It doesn't matter how much i enjoy it or even love it... I am still filing that away as an AU in my brain even though it's like, totally NOT 😂

[chryzure-archive]

I was listening to Achilles Come Down earlier today and it did make me think of Azure (bc ya know… French…) and uhhh can I get any rant about he and Chrysi please? I love them a lot 🥺

that song’s on so many of their playlists! mostly the vibe is sooooo 🥰🥰🥰 but ummmm, yes 🖤 i have a rant for them because they’re so…! i mean, like, major spoilers for the fic in working on but i’ve already spoiled everything regarding it because it’s jst a way for me to explain how chrysi caused jacks’s kiss + what it was that caused azure to try and save chrysi by leaving her !!!!

but BASICALLY

azures devotion to chrysi is his end-all, be-all. it is all he cares about. her happiness matters above all else (and he would prefer it if they could be happy together, but he’ll put his own needs aside for his chryseis)

that’s why it HURTS LIKE HELL that in this backstory fic (epilogue—commencement & closure), chrysi DIES IN HIS ARMS. while he’s asleep! she died and he didn’t even know it. i think that chrysi dying, jst in general, is enough to break him—but to have her die and he was there, useless and asleep? that shatters him and UGH, of course he’s going to make a bad decision!!!! he wants nothing more than to have chrysi back or to be with chrysi. that’s all he wants. he was willing to run away from being the crown prince and to steal money frm the royal treasury to fund a treatment effort for chrysi’s illness :(((

then he makes a deal with the stars and HE DOESNT THINK IT THROUGH ENTIRELY!!! he should’ve seen that the phrasing “you’ll live through many lives with her—as many as you need until you reach your happy ending” WAS SUSPICIOUS AS HELL….. why did the stars make it sound like only a happy ending was the way to get their reincarnations to stop!! and why does it seem like they’re using azure and chrysi as their new entertainment? of COURSE the stars will start to interfere with their future lives and make them miserable so they don’t lose out on their new favorite tv show of chryzure heartbreaks!!!!!

but he misses chrysi so much and he can’t live w the guilt,,,, and so he dies by her side 💔💔💔 but he doesn’t even get the courtesy of remaining human, because the stars make him a bed of roses instead.

then, like…. when azure realizes, in all his future lives, that because of that decision he made, he’s doomed chrysi (and him) to an endless string of lives ending in tragedy, GOD. the GUILT HE FEELS. all because he loved chrysi so much and because he made a decision for her happiness…. but now he has to realize that he made a huge mistake and that it’s all his fault. WAILING. CRYING. PLEASE!!!!

so it’s a combo of guilt and a hope that, if azure leaves, then chrysi won’t be doomed to another tragic ending + she’ll be able to escape the loop of reincarnation they’re trapped in,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, but unfortunately, he also needs to have a happy ending for it to be over, and the only way he’ll be happy is if it’s with her…! AAAAGHHHH!!!!

so that’s why he left chrysi with jacks 🤧 the future he referenced in that one letter was rlly jst him remembering that he made a deal with the stars so he and chrysi would keep coming back until they have a “happily ever after” and he couldn’t handle getting chrysi killed again,,,, so he LEFT.

not that he’s not doing something to try and combat his own deal (the entire time chrysi’s w jacks, azure is trying to figure out how to beat the stars, if there’s a loophole, if he could jst Kill All Of Them), but it’s also… idk, a hope that chrysi’s childhood friend can be a happy ending for her. but, unfortunately, azure is also jealous and he doesn’t want chrysi to be with anyone other than him. he’s got a lot going on

[vulpiximisa]

Me: i think im burnt out from idols, i should watch something else

Me also: oh boy colorful boys, lets go DreamFes

So the fact that Crunch only has the second season should have deterred me from even starting it, but I guess I didn’t want to watch anymore IMas Side M, so here we are.

I also did not look beforehand if there was any seiyuu I know in it, but this seems like the type of show that has Nobodies. Anyway, I’ve done this before with Futsal Boys, so I can handle this.

So if I thought UniteUp felt like a sports anime, this would be the more generic, played up straight up sports anime of idols. It’s preeetty much Futsal Boys but with idols. In terms of it selling something that doesn’t quite line up exactly for the target audience? I’ve never seen any of the Puri (not Cure) series or Aikatsu, but I’m assuming those are also “magical” transforming idols using cards? The most I’ve been exposed to costume changing cards is Happiness Charge Precure, which, I’m assuming was inspired by series like that. I’m not a fan of it, but I get what vibe it’s supposed to be. So like, sentai toys, but with idols. 

Anyway, not gonna lie, I binged the first three episodes straight up because it was entertaining enough. It’s not as deep as I would have liked, where Blue’s tragic backstory was Not the “I watched someone I care about commit suicide” that I thought it was gonna be, but I guess that was semi traumatizing for a kid. I can’t say the characters are necessarily deep, as Kanade’s reason for dropping soccer kind of pisses me off, and we could have gotten a little more something from Keigo before he left for the 20:32 train. (Why was this the make or break role? Was there an on going rivalry between Keigo and Shin before?) 

The pacing of the series is too fast but at the same time doesn’t really give information. I feel like it really is targeted towards 5-8 year olds with the way the story is written. (Why the characters kept dredging up 2032’s lyrics and talking about it like that. It just felt like it was written sooo simple-y.) Also the semi-repetitive lines/gags from ep 1 and 2, mostly episode 1? Felt like they were dragging for time at some point (a minute too much of Kanade handing out balloons, a minute too much of Kanade and Yellow competing)

Also, I love transformation sequences IF THEYRE NICE TO LOOK AT. The boy’s Dorika henshins are way too samey, so yeah I’m gonna be bored at them. I get it's so they have a generic enough pose so they can CG slap the DoriKa outfits on. The landing pose, dorika catch animations are nice and fun, but iunno, I guess I like my smooth 2D henshins where they are fun to look at.

I complained about IChu’s performances but I see that DF is going to try to cram a performance into each episode. I get it I get it. I think it works for DF though, even if I think the performances themselves are kinda goofy. I like the face model for the guys, but the rest of the body feels a little wonky. (Their hands look under rendered and blobby sometimes I don’t know.) Hold the Phone, this was from 2016, which was also around the time I7 came out. And these guys look leagues better than the first MonGen MV, sooooo I think I know who is winning in this category. 

I guess I can get to talking about the characters now? …I uh, I think Kanade is cute ngl. I like the ponytail and even though his seiyuu sounds unrefined in terms of vocal range/acting, I like the boyish tone. Everyone is generic as hell though, but I was semi pleasantly surprised that Kanade (Red) was butting heads with Yellow (Junya, if I feel like remembering it) instead of the usual Red vs Blue. 

Speaking of Blue, I can’t really say that Kanade’s reason for wanting Shin to stay was super developed but ngl man that chase scene and “I dont want to not see you” etc etc, that shit got to me. See, the tone could have been more serious, if Shin’s tragic backstory was about suicide, so Kanade chasing him thinking that Shin would have followed the same path because of the scandal, etc etc etc. Anyway I’m already writing fic about them in my head while watching the episode skldjflkslfk

Also ngl, Mikami grabbing Kanade and throwing him into the car saying he wanted him Sure Was A Way to Sell to Fujoshis. It’s me, I’m the Bitches. Mikami is supposed to be the fun old star, I guess, I like him, he’s fun. The DF president is also cute! Anyway, I’m looking forward to meeting the other veterans of Sankishi.

Uh oh, I accidentally looked at the seiyuu casting and I guess there actually Are notable seiyuu in here. That’s fine though, I like when they give newbies a chance, but it’s too detached when I know Nobody. (Futsal Boys.) 

Anyway, I guess I’m looking forward to Purple Sweets Shota and his maybe not so tragic backstory with the Black other Shota that might be his Twin, because we love twins. (Not me.) Also, I couldn’t tell if Keigo was also an idol in the opening or if it was someone else? Will also look forward to finding out. 

[kardia-library-official]

"How the hell old are these people?"

(Another riff off that one post, but this time it's about a tangent in replies and hopefully contains less of my unserious ass trying to articulate serious concepts.)

I won't be commenting on every character, just the ones where I've been given reason to think about it in any sort of depth. (Lucas, Vishnal, Livia, Russell, Terry, Cecil) My opinions are my own, and are barely even opinions, because I'm not actually super invested. I just thought thinking back on a few of the assumptions I've made was interesting, and could be interesting as an example of one person interpreting this stuff.

Okay! Let's get into it.

Lucas: So, @darkacey mentioned that it's weird that people keep calling him "old" because he has facial hair, and yeah, he's not old. Just going by appearance, I'd guess anywhere between late 20s and early 40s. Which is weirdly realistic, because people in that range tend to all look the same to me even now that I'm in it. But also wrong, because of course he's unknowably ancient. BUT his current form might not even be as old as he looks. AND we know his life basically restarted yesterday. idk. He's Lucas.

Vishnal: I mentioned him in the replies, because I am absolutely haunted by that "he's 6' tall and a lot younger than he looks" comment from his VA. It makes no sense! How old does he look? 17? 23? 31? The artstyle isn't detailed enough to tell. And what would that make him? 12? 18? 25? For my own peace of mind, I've just decided that he can make an uptight first impression that gives him kind of a "22 going on 40" vibe until the illusion almost immediately shatters. Also, maybe this was more of a problem in his former life? Like maybe he got a lot of "excuse me, are you their father?" because he's on the tall side, perhaps hit his adult height early, and was often shepherding all his younger siblings around.

Livia: It's bizarre that she has cut romance dialogue, because the age difference feels sooooo awkward... But not in the direction you might think. See, even though I know the whole joke is that she's an ancient powerful dragon who can't even go to a bar because she looks like a kid, my brain refuses to parse her as anything but a tiny middle-aged woman. I feel like I have encountered many, many Livias, a surprisingly large number of which were running some event or operation like it's the Navy. It's a whole type of person!

Russell: I've said this before, but I refuse to believe that guy is under 30. He has a whole implied tragic backstory, which had to take place after he was old enough to be drafted (or enlist, I guess, but he Would Not Fucking Do That), and before he took in Cecilia, who is whatever age she is now. Even wiggling the numbers a little (how old is Cecilia, how old do you have to be to be in the military in this world), I don't think he could be as young as even the game itself seems to want you to believe. Fun fact! He's one of the few characters on this list that I have a specific number for! In AtNG, he is roughly 32.5. Sabrina is about the same age, and Edward is about a decade his senior (I tacked them on because I had estimates for them but nothing else really to say).

Terry: At first, back when the world made sense, I had him estimated at "about Russell's age idk." But Word of God is that he's 25?? And apparently even at least one person working on the game was kinda stunned by this, if I recall correctly? I dunno, that's just not very many years, and it's implied he's been through so much shit! How I ended up making this work for FSCB was a) giving him a really rough upbringing and very early adulthood, and b) working from the assumption that he's 25 at the start of the game and quickly turns 26. And you know what? Now that I have all that worked out, I like that he's in his mid 20s. I feel like that's just one more burden he has to bear. :P And some of the things in FSCB I had most fun writing are the moments where he's interacting with Cecil and it becomes really obvious that they're not that far apart in age. (Also, if anyone ever points out that he and Lucas seem to have a slight age difference... I don't think either of them would ever stop laughing.)

Cecil: ...Look. We've been over this. That boy is 18. Anyone who says otherwise either forgets what being 18 was like, or is so close to being 18 themselves that they have no perspective. But I remember. I remember wearing some really goofy hats, and wanting so badly to be included in all forms of adult business, but ending up getting railroaded into running around with the kids and actually really enjoying myself. (Okay, so that last thing still applies, and might just be personality-mediated.)

[moonrisecalamityretreat]

My Only Shining Star | The Shepherd | Trial 6.3 | Re: Yuriko, Maxime, Oji-san

Jinpachi supposes the first place he can turn his attention is towards Yuriko since they were so adamant to start it off...She was always so strong wasn't she? Jinpachi liked that, that's why he had to punish them and Mio for that confidence...

"Uuuuuuu that's sooooo mean Yuwiko-chaan!! We made the pwettiest cwowns too!! And you can't even honor that!? Waaah!! So mean!! You're so stinky and mean!!"

He crosses his arms with a pout after stomping on the floor like a kid throwing a tantrum.

"Waaah, you think I'm wrong!? Uuuuuu, you just keep saying mean things wike that! Uuu...it's wike only possible for sooooo long! I may have given the mawwet but I didn't make anyone do anything! That was aww of you siwwy biwwies that did it! If you didn't want to pway then you shouldn't have pwayed! Dummies!!"

He sticks his tongue out like a silly goose as he pats his head in all good fun. Everything was a joke to the way he was now. Lives weren't lives, they were toys...they were all Jinpachi's toys. And...he was getting bored of these toys that he loves so much. Running around in circles, he gives a more serious gaze to Yuriko.

"No, it is freedom. It's tragic that you can't understand. It's tragic that you can't understand that I haven't lost everything yet. I still have you all, don't I?"

A cackle falls from his lips. He still had them...he still had all of them to play with until this trial came to a close. Even without Juzo he still had the remaining people from Happy Smiles to keep the fun going. To keep his despair revving up.

It was a twisted feeling, this love that he felt for them all. It truly was love that he felt...It was just perverted by the way he treats those he loves. Despair was his euphoria...so why wouldn't he want to share this with those that he loves?

A strange existence...turns his attention to Maxime.

Enough? Enough he says? Jinpachi tilts his head to the side with curiosity on whatever grand knowledge that Jinpachi was sure be given from Maxime.

"You say that you escaped and yet you held yourself back? You had to have a hold on your blessing? Is that really escaping?"

He tilts his head the other way, letting his hair drape down to the other side as he listens intently to each and every syllable of Maxime's words.

"Hmmm, I guess we really were weren't we? If only Tsu-chan and Miki-chan weren't such failures then it would've been more. Sucks."

He shrugs his shoulders as he lets more tears start to fall from his eyes...these were dramatic tears...not like what he was shedding earlier...he turns these glossy eyes towards Maxime. To let other people help...to let them in and be the cure. Love...

"Uguuu...Maxime-san...Waaaaaaaaahhh!!!"

A childish and dramatic wail escapes Jinpachi.

"T-That's like totally t-t-the sweetest thing I-I ever heeeaaaaard!!! Waaaaaah!!! T-That's like s-so so so despair inducing!! T-That y-y-you could have this!! It m-m-m-makes me like soooo happy for you!! Waaaaaaaaahhh!! Juzo-niichan c-could've helped waaaah!! What have I done!? Waaaaaaaahhh!!"

Once again, disgracing the memory with indulgent tears that were nothing but an insult. He never felt like he could be cured...and that made him despair even more. He knew that Juzo wanted to cure him and that made him despair. Every single thing...every little thing...no matter what...Jinpachi derived complete and utter despair from it. To see that someone else was able to find treatment...through others that cared...through others that wanted to love them despite everything he did...

It fills Jinpachi with such an agonizingly painful elation!

His tears fade. He runs his fingers through his hair with a smirk at Maxime.

"Looking forward to it? I think that's a very simple way to put what I'm feeling about the situation..."

Death...death...death...That was the core of this game...it was how it had to end. No matter where they went...no matter what hope they tried to grasp...it all ended in death. Death, death, and more death.

Death started this game and death was going to end it.

Death was the only certainty in life...and it was...something that Jinpachi was looking forward too ever since the moment he felt the pull of despair in his brain ten years ago. Everything...to that moment.

"I can't wait for it! To die...what greater despair could come than from that!? Losing everything I've spent years building! Losing everything that I've done all in one singular moment! The everlasting pain that death brings! The despair of the unknown that follows death! What is there not to be excited about!? Huuuuuh!?"

Death was despair...and not just any...

Death was a once in a lifetime despair...so Jinpachi couldn't wait to know it...He laughs but stops with his gaze irritatingly moving over to Hanji...

Hanji...the one that understood him the best...that understood Juzo the best. Hanji...Hanji...Hanji...Jinpachi grits his teeth at their words. Always such a pest...Not a dog but a bug that needed squashed...

"What Juzo-niichan wants? Juzo-chan didn't understand what he wanted. He had to understand that."

Juzo had known exactly what he wanted.

Jinpachi knew exactly what he wanted also.

They both wanted nothing more than to be together with each other forever.

"Teehee! Of course I'd rather die than lose the most precious part of me, oji-san~ Juzo-niichan was just confused! You think you understood him but still none of you understand at all! I knew what he wanted! I knew what he needed! Our ways of living were totally incompatible! If we wanted to be together one of us was gonna have to change! Hehehe!! I can't change who I am~ But I sure could try to change Juzo-niichan!"

Change him...change him for what Jinpachi saw as for the better. Jinpachi knew what Juzo needed...he was the one that wanted to protect Juzo. He just wanted to protect him from the whole world the same way Juzo protected him. To show Juzo a better way of living...to show him confidence...and ****...no it had to be despair...

"A new jail? That's the same thing Yuriko-chan said. I don't really get it I guess? What kind of jail could I be trapping myself in? I can do whatever I please. Everyone would be able to do as they please if they would just allow themselves to do so. People that don't want to do this are worthless. Those that can't see how it can release them are just fools that need to be shown the way! Even if it all falls apart, if it all becomes boring and predictable all over again..."

His face contorts into a grin of evil.

"Well, wouldn't that be it's own grand level of despair to have everything I worked so hard for end up just as boring for me?"

No matter what...Jinpachi finds his silver lining of misery. It was what he was after all. The living embodiment of misery.

If the world got boring then Jinpachi would just have to spice it up again, he would have to twist the world into something else he desires yet again.

Hanji continues on, long gone, just as dead as Juzo was. Jinpachi has to concur that what they said was a fact. Jinpachi...the Jinpachi of over ten years ago was gone. He had been replaced by what was now known as The Shepherd. A being that would never find any hopeful joy in life ever again. All he can do is drag the world down with him...that would be his despairing joy.

Hanji was pissing Jinpachi off...that wasn't anything new though.

Just like his parents...Jinpachi finds a smile overtaking his expression. What a thing to be called...

His parents...

"Jinpachi. This is what you were born to be. This is who you were born to be! Our little genius."

"He's excelling at everything! He's going to be a legend once he makes it into Hope's Peak Academy!"

"Stop all this crying! Why are you so selfish? All the work we put in for you and you act like such a brat! That other one is a bad influence on you."

"We shouldn't keep him around anymore. He's going to ruin you."

Jinpachi was...the harbinger of his own demise...even when he was a child. Hopefully athletic...hopefully intelligent...hopefully perfect. Jinpachi was the child that could do everything. A genius the likes of which the world wouldn't have seen before. But he didn't want to be a genius...He just wanted to be happy.

Like Hanji...what Jinpachi desired more than anything else was his own freedom. He wanted to spread his wings and be whoever he wanted to be. By his side...to show him that was always Juzo. His other half...his person that would always protect him. His brother that protected him.

Jinpachi loved Juzo. Jinpachi loved Juzo more than he could ever love anything else in the entire world. But it was because of Jinpachi that Juzo was taken away. Because Juzo taught Jinpachi freedom, he was lost. Jinpachi was lost...he had his freedom taken from him...and he fell into the grasps of his parents.

Jinpachi still loved Juzo though, every night, he dreamed of finding him. He dreamed of running away from home and reuniting with him. If he could be with Juzo then everything was going to be okay for them. Jinpachi wanted his brother...he needed his brother...As long as he could hold onto a sliver of hope...then everything was going to be okay!

The world ended...

Jinpachi was safe with his parents...but still he watched the carnage begin. People slaughtering each other...it wasn't just the freedom that enticed Jinpachi into despair.

It was Jinpachi's love. His hopeful love and hopes to see his brother again were twisted and shredded before his very eyes as the world fell to ruin. This love for his brother...became a love that left him breathless...a love that clawed at his heart and ripped it asunder. A love that left him lifeless...that left him hopeless...

That was Jinpachi's true fall into despair...the moment that AEDS took its hold on his underdeveloped brain and would never let go...

The moment that he felt his hopes of ever seeing Juzo again...were ripped from him. After he lost that, there was no need for anything else...there was only freedom...there was only destruction...and there was only chaos.

Even after they finally did reunite...when the truth was that Juzo was always alive...Jinpachi was too far gone. He wanted Juzo to feel his despair, to know his despair, to connect with him again on a deeper level...

How dare any of them not understand...how dare they question his undying love and devotion for Juzo.

All he can do is laugh...all he can do is clap his hands together in pure amusement.

"Ahahahaha!!! What wonderful things from you, oji-san! Juzo-niichan was always chasing the impossible! Drowning himself in his own hopeful despair! There was no going back! I couldn't consider his love because it wasn't going to ever happen! Should I have lead him into believing? Maybe I should've...maybe then...he could've felt an even stronger despair when he realized it was impossible..."

His love was despair...

The thing...he hated most...the people he hated the most. He remembers...he remembers his weapon tearing through his mother's body. Her running and screaming out as she realized her own son...the one she brought into this experiment was the volunteer with AEDS. He didn't want to give her voice...because of what she did to Juzo...Her blood was warm...and he kept going until her blood was cold. How could he be anything like her? If he was...then he should surely meet the same despairing fate as she did.

Jinpachi assumed that Juzo felt the same way...Juzo's first task...before meeting Jinpachi at Happy Smiles and take his place, was to enact his own revenge. As much as Juzo didn't want to ever admit it...he felt his own joy at getting revenge. His father's confusion at who was standing in front of him...his confusion that was clarified as a blade sliced through him...

"Being everything I hated...I suppose...that makes me satisfied. Satisfied to know what's coming? How about that? Does that answer satisfy you, oji-san~"

[yinwaryuri]

Okay hold on tight, I'm gonna try my best to limit myself while giving a proper list with brief summaries so you can see what interests you! I don't rank my shows so these are in no particular order.

Love in the Air

Especially recommended if you enjoyed KinnPorsche, and written by MAME (author of TharnThype). It's kinda split into two stories, Payu (or Phayu, honestly the spelling gets switched a lot and even I don't stick to one thing) and Rain, and Prapai and Sky. PayuRain are the most couple ever, that's just the best way I can put it. BossNoeul have incredible chemistry and set a fucking standard for making out. Sky and Prapai will make you cry. FortPeat handle some pretty intense material (tw SA survivor stuff) and do an incredible job with it. Also bisexuals with motorcycles and light mafia action.

Until We Meet Again

Reincarnated lovers who previously had a tragic end. This one is heavy on the emotions, the first 10 minutes took my fucking knees out. Has lot of themes of intergenerational trauma and how important having supportive parents can be. Pharm is so cute, I need to squish him! This is also where you get introduced to TeamWin, although them as a couple is featured fairly little here. Kob Songsit (Kinn's dad) and Na Naphat (Tawan) are also in this.

Between Us

It starts around the same time as UMWA, but from the perspective of TeamWin. They have their own angst issues and family traumas that make them messy, and there's a lot more development of the side characters that were featured in the first series as well. I especially enjoy the sideplot for gamers WanTul, lol, I wish they could get their own series too! I do recommend watching UMWA first if you don't want to be confused about a few scenes in this one.

Not Me

Do you like gays? Do you like social activism? Do you like batshit plots that put you on your fuckin knees for the whole ride? Have we got a show for you. I don't know how to summarize this one without immediately feeling insane, I love this show with all my goddamn heart. Twins Black and White get separated because they have a connection where they can feel the same things when they're close, and it has proven dangerous. Black gets put in a coma and White takes on his identity and joins an anarchist gang to find who hurt his brother. Not everything is what he thinks, though. Also this show inspired my first tattoo because Yok is my favorite boy forever and ever amen.

Old Fashion Cupcake

Japanese BL? Older queers? Office romance? Age gap? A confession scene that meets Jane Austen level standards of desperation? Togawa and Nozue are something else man. They make it a game to pretend to do what young women do as an "anti-aging" technique, but really it's Togawa's scheme to hopefully catch the eye of his boss. Incredible, no notes except maybe I'd like to have a Thai remake? Please?

Semantic Error

A fantastic Korean BL. Rivals to lovers and 10000% ADHD4autism. Jang Jaeyoung is prevented from graduating by Chu Sangwoo and makes it his personal mission to get under his skin. And well....it works lol. They're both the most characters, I adore them and their chaotic stumbles into romance. Bonus Choi Yoona bisexual goddess side character, we love her.

I Told Sunset About You/I Promised You The Moon

Not only an iconic BL series that strives for telling an incredibly realistic story (no goofy sound effects or gags here), but the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. Also the messiest bisexual awakening known to man. Oh my god. So much crying. Sooooo much angst. It's okay if you throw shit over this one, it's worth it, I promise. Tee and Oh go through pretty much everything that could make weaker couples hate the other person and that's what makes them top tier.

Enchanté

Childhood friends to lovers in the silliest, goofiest sense imaginable. Theo returns from living in France and his old friend Akk helps him with culture shock and getting comfortable at the university. One day Theo finds a message written back to him in a library book and while seeking out the writer, multiple guys claim to be them. Akk offers to help him figure out which of the guys are lying. I actually say that to properly appreciate this show you have to watch it twice. There's lots of cute references to Le petit prince and personally still my fave ForceBook show so far.

Vice Versa

They kinda mixed soulmate AUs and alternate universe AUs into one here, which is both neat and very funny. Basically, if you and someone in a parallel universe die at the same time, you swap bodies. Talay and Puen are two guys who have landed in this new world and are seeking a way back home. This show flaunts its colors (Talay is a film colorist) and takes advantage of every cute cafe in Bangkok. Plus, they had fun putting references to other shows and giving actors nice little cameos here and there.

The Eclipse

A school very much bent on teaching and keeping traditional values gets rocked when a group of queer activists arises to protest its policies. Akk is the head prefect, in charge of keeping students in line. Ayan challenges him. All of these things bring to surface the desires and pains several people try to hide, and it threatens to crack under the weight of a curse that has come back to haunt them. So, yeah, keep your tissues handy. First and Khaotung act their asses off and I might actually cry just staring too long at that gif.

A Tale of 1000 Stars

THE SLOW BURN IS REAL. Also this story is just fucking incredible. Tian, the son of a rich family, undergoes an emergency heart transplant. To deal with survivor's guilt, he discovers his donor was a volunteer teacher up in the northern border and goes there to volunteer himself. He learns to live in the wilderness under the care of Chief Phupha and both push each other's limits. Hope you bought a double pack of tissues.

My School President

High School Musical: Actually Gay Edition. Tinn pining for Gun has turned into plotting to win him over now that he's class president and will do anything to keep the music club thriving. This show is so sweet you'll get several cavities and a LOT of earworms because the soundtrack is just fun and enjoyable. We don't groan over the amount of boys singing with guitars in this one.

Moonlight Chicken

Okay, have you watched those last three BLs I just mentioned? Do you wanna see those same pairs plus Mark Pakin all in one show? Do you want an incredibly deep, hearfelt look into poverty and culture and identity and heartbreak and new beginnings? This is one that could burrow straight into your chest if that's what you're into. It's such a profound work and, on top of that, stunningly gorgeous.

(Honorable mention to other parts of the Midnight Series: Dirty Laundry and Midnight Motel. They are not BLs but feature several directors and actors from shows previously mentioned and are fun as hell to watch.)

Bed Friend

(They did the PayuRain thing!!!) Speaking of another acting pair who really don't hold back, Net and James are both phenomenal. TW for domestic abuse, and several SA attempts - poor Uea is traumatized to hell and back. He and his coworker King decide after a one night stand to be exclusive fuck buddies, and ngl it's HOT. We get catboy kinks in this one! Also all the shitheads get owned, it's really nice to watch.

The Warp Effect

Alright, it's not a BL, technically, but my GOD is it queer. Don't believe me? Here's a list that I made of not even all the reasons why this show is so queer. It addresses so much about sex ed, relationships, consent, kink, body shaming, and even features the lovely Silvy Pavida as a non-binary character. Jojo Tichakorn does not stutter.

I have to stop myself here because I've already spent about 3 hours making this list, but I am happy to share so many more!

Here to make BL suggestions, but idk what you've seen outside KinnPorsche so I don't want to rec any repeats 😅

- @vegasandhishedgehog

hiii, yes i watched tharntype, the together series and a bit of bad buddy. anythimg other than these!!

thankksss<3

[youremyheaven]

astro observations pt 9

1. the degree your sun is in, represents the age at which your ego matures. it usually represents some sort of achievement which leads you to re-evaluate yourself. for example, taylor swift has her sun at 21 degrees and she became the youngest artist to win a grammy for album of the year at 21. (if your sun degree is less than 10, then please look at the degree of your sun in your sidereal chart!!!)

brad pitt has his sun at 25 degrees and he landed his first major acting role in 1989 at 25 years old. bjork has her sun at 28 degrees and released her debut album titled “Debut” in 1993 at 28 years old.

2. look at where you pluto is located to know about your shadow side. pluto typically represents an area of major transformation in this lifetime but you know what makes transformation possible and necessary? your shadow or rather uniting and merging with your shadow in order to become “whole”.

3. ive noticed that a lot of celebs with pluto in 8h have had tragic & untimely deaths. princess diana, aaliyah, elvis presley, bruce lee, bob marley, jimi hendrix, edith piaf, maria callas & selena quintanilla all had this placement. 

4. a lot of musicians have mercury in 10h and ppl who have this placement generally tend to be either known for their voice/speaking style (ex: marilyn monroe and her baby voice) or have excellent vocal ability.

christina aguilera, shakira, JLo, joan baez, courtney love, megan thee stallion, billie eilish & lady gaga all have this placement.

5. sun in 12h is an excellent placement for fame, because the 12h represents isolation and you know whats a very isolating experience? fame. it sets you apart from others and creates a life where not many ppl can relate to your experiences, its a double edged sword essentially.

jodie foster, queen latifah, tony blair, hillary clinton,  george michael, roger federer, margot robbie, david beckham, avril lavigne, keanu reeves, madonna, gigi hadid, orlando bloom and sooooo many others have this placement. if you look at the most renowned people from any field, they usually have prominent 12h placements.

6. look at your decans and you can learn more about how you channel your placements. you can have aries moon at an aries degree in 1h of aries but if its at a cancer decan, you’ll channel it in a cancerian way. 

7. leo placements are always talked about as being attention seekers or otherwise as being “popular” and always in the limelight but leo natives are the most insecure people most of the time and have a very oscillating self esteem. they depend on external validation so much so that they lack an inherent sense of self worth. a lot of leo natives grew up with a very hard to please mom and this has made them very emotionally needy. they always need approval.

8. venus in aries has a terrible reputation in astro circles for being h0es but tbh an evolved venus in aries is one of the fiercest lovers ever. they will have your back no matter what and will love you to death and then some. they go HARD for their loved ones.

9. on that note, venus in gemini natives are some of the most fickle lovers ever. theyre so indecisive and they fall in and out of love very quickly. do not expect commitment or loyalty from them. they change their mind very very quickly. everything is temporary and fleeting to them. (ofc, this only applies to an unevolved native)

[emblemxeno]

Hello again.

Sorry to bother you with this topic again, but i reread the 11-part long fates criticism post on reddit, and found so much shit wrong with those posts i could no longer resist the temptation to write a counter-essay pointing out everything wrong with it and posting it to the fe subreddit (rip what little karma i had).

I'm in the middle of writing it now, and one of the parts i'm having issues with is the last one, where OP claims the themes of the game to be family, war being bad, and finding the truth, and giving reasons as to why the themes are poorly done (family is bad because BR doesn't explore Corrin's relationship with the Hoshidan sibs enough, war bad is poorly done and SOMEHOW also somewhat pro-war due to Hoshido's moral superiority over Nohr and Corrin being "absolved of any and all wrongdoing during CQ", and finding truth being bad due to Azura knowing the truth all along).

As expected, i have a LOT to say about those arguments, especially the second one, but i also want to add a little extra to the essay by pointing out what the actual themes of the game are and doing so with evidence from the plots of each route (no supports or other such side material unfortunately, he barely touches on those in the other posts and i don't think it'd be fair of me to use that as evidence when he doesn't bring it up himself in the segment i'm talking about).

Issue is, i kinda suck at thematic analysis and don't truly know what the themes of the game are, even after looking through the scripts of the routes again.

Which is why i wanted to ask you: what would you say the main thene of each route and/or the game as a whole is, and could you give examples of them being estabilished/developed throughout the plot(s)?

I know this is a complicated question, and i'm completely fine with it if you don't feel like answering, especially since my main point will be dissecting why his arguments are bad, with the thematic analysis being more of a bonus.

So anyway, I started writing and I couldn't stop, sooooo... yeah. I hope you don’t mind me posting this public, because I wanted to share my brain mumbo jumbo with others too haha. Thanks for the ask! And feel free to take from this what you will, it's not like I'm going back to Reddit, I hate it there lol.

For starters, all of what I've written under the cut isn't me trying to say that the topics that the OP of that thread aren't major pieces in Fates' story, but... ehhhh. The family aspect is definitely prominent, but I wouldn't say its a theme per se. It's more a tool to drive the dramatic and tragic moments of the plot. Theoretically, you could replace the sibling aspect with "really cool childhood friends" and you wouldn't lose a thing if it was written well enough. The royals being Corrin's siblings just takes less work, because family dynamics are more readily and easily understood (even when they're dysfunctional) with comparably minimal explanation.

'War Is Bad' isn't a theme either IMO, cuz objectively there's positives to come out of warfare for both Nohr (resources) and Hoshido (defense against attacks so they don't have to step out of their isolationist bubble). It's really only Corrin and the litte sisters who push that aesop, but that's because it's part of their characters. Truth seeking is also not a theme in my eyes, it's more a catalyst for things to happen. Like the OP said, Azura has all the answers so finding the truth is a pretty shitty theme. But in that case, why not work backwards? If Truth Seeking doesn't work as a theme, consider then if it's even meant to be a major theme at all. That's what I did, and it led to me to think, no, not really. Azura exposits the truth because it's another way she supports the leader, Corrin, and it helps him and the story at large develop the actual themes meant to be conveyed.

But anyway, back to the topic at hand.

Using He/Him for Corrin, the rest is under the cut!

For Birthright, I'd say the big theme of that route is "Trust and Belief in your allies/friends". From the start, Corrin's trust and faith in people gets tested: Does he believe Silas' words when he says they were childhood friends? He chooses to do so, and it works out. Yay!

From then on though, that faith is shaken with what happens with Zola. True, Corrin's words and actions did shake Zola's core a bit given his words to Garon, but he still betrayed the party and ruined Corrin's plans to end the war early.

This theme is given the spotlight later during the Ice Tribe chapter, during Ryoma's talk with Corrin about it. This hardens Corrin's resolve in choosing not to doubt his friends anymore, leaning into his strength rather than worrying about the risks all the time. This initially burns him with Flora, but it helps win the day with Takumi getting over his possession.

Being more broad, you could put it under a general "The Value of Human Relationships" as well, in order to include the copious moments where Azura's connection and companionship with Corrin takes the spotlight when discussing her powers and the dangers that come with overusing them. This can also include the tragic aspect of Birthright, where the Nohrian siblings' family dynamic is ruined because of Corrin's choice, something that Birthright's story hammers in a lot, especially in regards to Elise; the value of the relationships that Corrin had with the Nohr royals is sullied, pushed into a place of destruction, culminating with Camilla outright saying in BR's epilogue-in the JP version at least-that her feelings towards Corrin and his actions are mixed.

For Conquest, I'd say the main themes are "Where Justice Lies" and "Moral Convictions".

Corrin has a clear and well established moral compass: he fights if necessary, but will always, always do his utmost to find an alternative to war and killing. Can he disarm them? Can things be talked out? Can he deceive ally and foe alike?

This compass gets put to the test during this route. Quelling the Ice Tribe rebellion his own way works out, but fighting against the Hoshidan soldiers and royal family puts him on edge. He can avoid death and conflict to the best of his ability during the Sanctuary and Macarath battles, but innocent lives are put in danger in Nestra, and despite Leo's efforts, Corrin is still uneasy.

Hence the moral question Corrin offers himself during chapter 15: Should he have not joined Nohr, considering all the pain he is enabling by doing so?

Learning the truth that Azura reveals drives the point home further: Corrin now has knowledge of this demon infesting Garon, that's causing all of this wanton destruction. And yet, he does not have the power to rebel. As the story goes on, he no longer has the option to mitigate damage as much as he wants to, either. Is the justice he's fighting for-expunging the demon he now knows of-worth the sacrifice of another kingdom's peace? Corrin even breaks down over this dilemma eating away at him during the Wind Tribe chapter, where he is overcome with emotion at the thought of being seen as a worthy hero despite his actions.

(Fighting for his own justice also relates to Xander, a character who initially thinks justice is a fairy tail nonindicative of the real world, but later comes to terms with being a king who maintains the justice he believes in. I can't talk about Conquest's themes without mentioning Xander heheh.)

For Revelation, I wish I had better words to describe it, but something along the lines of "Be who you are/be true to yourself."

Rev in itself deals a lot with Corrin's personal growth as the definitive leader of the campaign (as opposed to BR or CQ where he's kind of joint-leaders with Ryoma or Xander, respectively) This growth has to deal with being his authentic self, relying on his strengths, cementing his convictions, not putting himself down or giving up.

The branch of fate kind of does this in a very neat meta way, IMO. Corrin can't betray his convictions to side with one family against the other, and seeks to solve things without conflict. While Xander and Ryoma scoff at this and proceed to fight anyway, notice how they only target each other and not Corrin. This is because Corrin remains true to himself by choosing diplomacy first.

However, Corrin then steps out of his realm of expertise. Sure, he's an objectively talented fighter, but he's still inexperienced and doesn't like warfare in general. By taking Azura's advice and trying to attract Ryoma and Xander's attention by taking out their subcommanders, instead of getting the result he wanted, Corrin instead earns the ire of his elder brothers. (As an aside, this also goes to provide an in story example of why Azura isn't a leader type, something she herself says later on. Her calculated strategies don't take into account the emotional aspect of conflict, which fits into her established character of being standoffish and stoic. She's meant to be a supporter, both in-game and in-story.)

What do Ryoma and Xander say of Corrin after he does this? They declare him a traitor, hellbent on being an enemy of both kingdoms. They can't understand why Corrin would attack them like that, and are so incensed by Corrin presumably doing such a 180 on his character that they think malicious madness is the only cause.

It's why it's not Corrin's martial prowess that gets Ryoma and Xander to stop fighting in chapter 13 (you're very much encouraged NOT to fight them given how damn busted their stats are, after all). It's Azura's song and Corrin's words that calm the brothers down and have them begin to realize that Corrin means what he says and is the same brother they know and love. (Something that the other siblings-Sakura, Camilla, and Elise especially-say in very similar terms!!!) Azura creates opportunity for peace through revealing truth and her song, not her leadership. Corrin uses said opportunity to spread his cry for peace and unity, because they are a leader whose strengths lie in believing in people and relying on his friends.

This all comes to a head during the the times when Corrin tries to take all the responsibility unto himself, putting his life at risk in doing so. He attempts to tell the party of Valla because he himself still doesn't believe in his strength as a leader, and tries to pass off the role to Ryoma and Xander. The brothers reject this idea, because it was Corrin's leadership, not theirs, that brought the party together. This comes up again with the Anthony debacle, where Corrin again tries the same thing-taking all the problems onto himself-and has to get the point definitively hammered into him: Your biggest weakness is also your greatest strength. Be true to yourself, and we'll always support you in times of need.

Corrin developing like this makes them the leader that he always was, he just didn't know it until then. It's why as time goes on, I have less of a problem with Corrin leading Valla, because thematically? It works! He pushed back against the cycle of warfare that Nohr and Hoshido-and his families by extension-offered him, and ended it by being true to his moral convictions (like Conquest) and relying on his strengths, that being believing in people (like Birthright). Corrin proves that he's a leader capable of leading Valla out of its ruined state, with the help from his brothers that he'll never shy away from asking for again.

Sorry again if this was a lot, Fates just brings out the analyst in me haha. 

[hachichimitsu2]

MY THOUGHTS ON THE SOUTH PARK: THE RETURN OF COVID SPECIAL

When the special started off with Stan and Kyle playing catch together, I knew I was up for a ride. 😎

First things first, I weirdly feel like the intro of this special should’ve been the intro for the first parter. It would make for a nice transition from the status quo of pre-covid to the future now, and the Heather William element of the story would tie seamlessly with the end of the second special. The Heather Williams factor in the story felt like it was a last-minute decision for plot convenience. But then again, Stan’s tragic backstory would’ve just been laid out in front of us instead of it being a depressing reveal, so I guess it would be hard to write around that.

I do prefer the first special moreso than the second in terms of pacing and flow. For all things considered, I LIKE the fact that they didn’t try to stop COVID in the end, but only their outlook on the entire pandemic, which I feel is a much needed message we need in our current state of the world. The time travel aspect of the second special was a lot shorter than I expected, and felt like it should’ve been expounded upon more. I wanted the reconciliation of the broship to be more…resonant I guess? Just one precedented time is able to help the boys reunite, but I feel like their problems grow much deeper than that, so just sticking on a band-aid won’t really help it much. Maybe we’ll still see them at a rockier footing in the new season, who knows? Still, the resolution felt really fast. I’m just hoping we’ll get a lot more Main 4 interactions hence forth.

The character animation is well-done, perhaps even more so than the last special. Tweek’s stance when he screamed, Token’s action scene, Alexa’s rampage on Kyle? They were all so well-animated! I really have to give props to the animation and production crew, especially given how they did everything remotely.

I actually liked the Alexa gag, even if it doesn’t fit in the special tonally. It’s like a repeated big-lipped alligator moment. I was wondering WHY Stan kept asking to see the deals and specials from the first special especially during socially inappropriate moments, so knowing that he’s doing that to prevent his Alexa from going batshit insane is actually funny. I also like Kyle just being…concerned and scared the whole time 😭

Omg I KNEW Butters was gonna introduce us with a “Hey fellas!” However, NONE of us could have ever predicted that he would become an NFT investor. I’m sooooo glad that Matt and Trey didn’t pull any punches in regards to NFTs and cryptocurrency. I was lowkey worried that they would take a neutral stance in this subject matter, but I’m glad to see that’s not the case.

Butters’s design is also still…..CUTE. Like he’s still adorable with his voice and mannerisms. I can’t help but laugh at how Butters still pees the same way. I definitely dont think Butters is OOC considering we had “Butters Bottom Bitch”. Butters can be a convincing, competent salesman when he’s up to the task. He’s almost like Cartman in a sense, which I find to be REALLY interesting. The Cartman / Butters interactions are just like the old days 😭

Kevin being the lovable nerd that he is. I’m actually really surprised to see his appearance 😯

I was curious on where Ike was, and I’m glad he’s looking as Canadian as ever. He also has a “Canadian” accent now 🤣

I really wish we had more Creek moments, but it’s fine 😭 They’re still cute.

Also more great Clyde moments. Clyde still being a great representation on how anti-vaxxers halt our progression to move forward in the pandemic. Even as an adult, he still sides with Cartman as always.

Also, adult Clyde mentioned that someone told him not to get the vaccine because it’ll grow titties on his head. Was that person “himself”? Is the timeline really as connected as we speculate? Is this a huge significance that we may be overlooking?

The Stan and Randy talk was really heartfelt. Everything with the staging, cinematography, music and dialogue. It was great, sprinkled in with some humor. Randy pretending to be dead in the end is so funny.

I still can’t believe that in EVERY single timeline, Randy fucks the pangolin. I really really wanted the weed to have SOME type of significance to the time travel, but it was just so Kenny gets to be high. I don’t know if that was intentional because they really set it up to be this huge thing.

Unrelated topic but Kenny went back in time successfully, right? What….happened exactly? What happened to the timeline he went back to? Did he try to get the broship together? Why did he come back? Was it because his efforts were unsuccessful? Why didn’t we see MORE of him? You’d think he’d have a bigger role in this just like the first special 😭 Was Kenny immune to Butters’s NFT escapades? I like to think that only he can withstand Butters’s convincing pitches, which is why they work great together.

Now for the ending. If you know me, you’ll know that I’m not really a huge fan of fixed future endings. I like open-ending scenarios where we fill in the gaps ourselves and was surprised that Trey and Matt went with this route. It honestly felt a bit “too satisfying”, almost like a weird fever dream. It doesn’t feel all too real.

I have a really hard time believing that Cartman would end up homeless. I’m not a Cartman enthusiast, and he definitely deserves his just desserts, but the idea of him being homeless and not having ANYTHING going on with his life is really, really hard to believe. It just feels…off. You’re telling me that the kid who has successfully rallied up citizens, opened numerous successful business ventures and has a way with manipulating people to get what he wants ends up homeless without any direction in life? It seems more like a “ha-ha” mean-spirited type of ending rather than something more realistic.

So apparently, Cartman’s love for his family is real. I’m not really sure what to think about this, but Cartman reverting back to his old ways after coming back to South Park is an interesting concept. However, I hate how it subliminally insinuates that he only becomes like this because of Kyle. Kyle didn’t make Cartman the monster that he is. It’s all internally motivated. Cartman’s perfectly capable of change, it’s just that he doesn’t want to out of his own pride, ego and greed. I wish they rewrote it in a way that goes a whole lot deeper than that, instead of Kyle being the sole reason. (Though I feel like they added that bit solely as a joke).

I also don’t think Yentl is Kyle’s wife, because they would’ve shown her at that point, especially to drive in the nail that Kyle got everything he deserves and “Cartman didn’t”. But them not showing Kyle’s wife is something that makes me ponder. Why didn’t they show her? Are they divorced? Did Kyle adopt those kids as an only-dad? Like sure they have red-hair, but it’s darker than his. Or is he actually a surrogate father? M-preg? It’s like they made this intentionally ambiguous for me, and I find it funny how this is the only aspect of the future that remains open-ended.

I actually like Stendy. Not as strong as Style or my other ships, but it’s not a ship that I dislike. It’s not my endgame ship for sure, but whenever I watch South Park I’m always mentally preparing myself that they might become endgame one of these days. (Side note: Watching Guitar Queero (the gayest breakup and reconciliation in media) only for The List to happen afterwards made me extremely vigilant on this manner ☠️) I’m glad that they didn’t end up married and with kids, and are just two adults “chasing their dreams”. It just seems like a mature way to portray it. They made their part sort of ambiguous in the end, so I’m also perfectly happy with the idea that they’re just really close, platonic friends. The idea of Stendy still being on / off is also a possibility, considering that aligning space missions with Wendy’s line of work must be difficult, but eh. No matter the outcome, as long as Stan is happy, I’m well content.

By the way, I’m going to ramble about Style in a delusional, totally bogus way from here on out for my own self-indulgent fantasies, so feel free to skip! This shouldn’t be taken seriously like…at all! You have been warned.

I’m SOOOOOO happy with all the Style moments we got in this special.

I already mentioned how seeing them play together in the intro has already gotten me hyped. I’m such a mess. All those Alexa cutscenes are just so hilarious with Stan trying to bypass everything and Kyle growing more and more concerned. I’m sure at the back of his mind, he’s like “Is that how he sees himself as?” I think it’s interesting how their Alexas were talking about the two of them. Like, talking about what exactly? Does Stan vent to his Alexa about Kyle? ☠️ What could he have possibly told his Alexa that made Kyle’s Alexa hate him? And not to mention, Kyle’s Alexa told him about his liver, which is 🤨. Is Kyle asking his Alexa information about Stan. Is he that concerned for him? It’s EXTRA significant when Kyle starts acting “differently” to Stan after getting his Alexa.

Kyle really does try to show that he enjoys having Stan around like showing that he’s using the Alexa Stan bought for him, but obviously it comes off sort of forced 😭 Him trying to instill a “We just have to be positive” attitude only for Stan to be like “Dude, seriously?” is something I wish was delved a bit more. I really wanted a long discussion between the two about the status of their relationship since they still brush everything off with either a detached sense of fake positivity (Kyle) or drinking his sorrows away (Stan) instead of actually communicating. It still seems like they are afraid to really have a heart-to-heart talk about confronting their issues directly. I love me my angst, but I wished we got MORE. Maybe in the newer seasons? If not, more cute, super-best-friend moments, thank you.

Stan and Kyle summoning for their Alexas will ALWAYS be badass. It’s been such a while seeing Stan and Kyle just working as a team 😭

I like how the bridge scene really solidifies how it’s STAN AND KYLE that suffers greatly from the broship breakup. Cartman and Kenny still lead good lives in their timeline, but Stan and Kyle were the only ones leaving empty. I love how it still shows that they REALLY need each other in their lives no matter what in order to move on and have a happy future. If that isn’t poetic, I don’t know what is.

Taking off my Style goggles for a sec, I’m fine with Stendy being “canon” since it doesn’t hinder with my personal headcanon that Style still happens later on in life as a late-bloomer gay realization type of thing. Honestly you can wave any non-Style canon pairing in my face and it STILL won’t hinder with my Style endgame headcanons. I’ll always find a way to make it Style, and despite always taking truth to canon, this is the only aspect of South Park where I project things for my own personal enjoyment 😂 All things considered, I’m still happy that Kyle sees Stan as family and an important person to his kids, if the “Uncle Stan” wasn’t indicative enough. No matter what happens, Stan and Kyle will always be an important figure in each other’s lives and it’s really sweet! 😭

As for my headcanons, I personally like to think that Kyle is divorced and only married someone and had kids because he knew Stan and Wendy are still a “thing” and thought he definitely doesn’t have a chance with him. The thing is both of them are really oblivious to their own feelings toward each other, which is why it takes them this long. They realize their feelings for each other eventually and get together and are thriving with their cute little family. Kids still call him “Uncle” by accident, but they love him as a kind, supportive father. Kyle is always waiting for him to return home safely during his missions. They have a nice, balanced life. This is it. My coping mechanism. 😭

Style goggles off.

I’m curious as to how they’re going to progress with the seasons this way, especially since we now know the “true ending”. I cant help but feel like Matt and Trey wrote themselves into a corner UNLESS the “true ending” isn’t true at all 🤔 I’m anticipating how things will continue on from here on out.

I’ll be rewatching this in a bit, and update some new things I can find, but that’s the jist of all my thoughts for now. Lemme know if you agree or disagree 👀