#love how powerful she is while engaging with debates about power

[maesonc-artistic-adventures]

Daughter of the Red Moon.

[fromdove]

HOW I THINK SOCIAL MEDIA IS LIKE IN ㅤㅤㅤㅤ GOTHAM CITY

tiktoks where people are like “day 54 of trying to get batman to notice me by looking helpless and holding a brick outside of wayne tower.” and then like. a day later they upload another one like “guys it worked. i threw the brick at a window and he SWOOPED DOWN AND YELLED AT ME. i think we’re engaged now.”

BATMAN FAN ACCOUNTS. “batm4nslut6969: yall i saw him last night and his thighs were THIGHING. i can’t.” “i want him to run me over with the batmobile. respectfully.” “what does it say about ME that i’m in love with a man who beats people up in alleys.” “he punched my cousin and now my cousin’s life is on track. king.”

you’ll see a tiktok like “get ready with me to testify against the penguin 😘” and they’re curling their lashes like “trial’s at 10 i’m wearing valentino. hope the DA is hot.”

facebook moms in gotham be like “hi!! anyone else’s toddler develop shadow powers after playing near the narrows??? normal or???”

“guys u wont believe what just happened i was literally just tryna get a tuna sandwich and then scarecrow gassed the 6 train again 💀” followed by: “ok but like did anyone else get lowkey productive on fear toxin bc same”

and like imagine those "what's in my bag" videos but it’s like “what’s in my gotham emergency kit” and they pull out like mace, an inhaler, one (1) batarang they found in an alley, a granola bar, and a tiny bottle of holy water just in case it’s some demon this time.

every batman chase has like. three angles. one guy from his apartment, one guy hiding in a dumpster, and one guy who just happened to be doing a GRWM video when batman crashed through the laundromat window behind him like a medieval poltergeist in kevlar.

there’s also that one tiktoker who’s like. always posting “day in the life as a gothamite 🥰” and it’s literally her dodging debris from a police chase while trying to get a matcha. like she’s got wireless earbuds in while the riddler is detonating something in the background. caption: “when i said i wanted chaos i meant eyeliner not explosives 😭😭😭😭”

people be going live from literal crime scenes. like “hey besties so i’m outside ACE chemicals rn and idk what’s going on but i just saw a clown sprint past. anyone know what’s happening???” and everyone’s commenting like “GIRL GO HOME” and “go inside nowwwwww” and “live laugh leave gotham.”

you'd see youtube videos like “i lived in gotham for 2 days and here’s why i left” and it’s just footage of a man watching fire rain from the sky while eating a pretzel in pure silence.

twitter’s a HELLHOLE. people tweeting like “batman knocked over my hotdog stand again. this is the third time. i’m filing a restraining order” and “why does bruce wayne look like he hasn’t slept since 2003” and “if the joker had a podcast i’d listen. just being honest.”

ALSO fancams of villains??? OF COURSE. edits of scarecrow like “your mental health isn’t scary but he is 😍🔥” and joker fan edits with lana del rey playing over it like “he slayed literally. like a bunch of ppl.”

there’s discourse about EVERYTHING. “does batman exploit underage sidekicks??” vs “no they CHOSE to be there 🙄”

imagine gotham love confession tiktoks like “i met him in an alley while harley quinn was robbing a jewelry store” and the comments are like “literally gotham's version of a meet cute 💘💘💘💘💘💘💘”

theres podcasts like “the ethics of vigilante justice” and then they go off topic and start debating if bruce wayne and batman have ever been in the same room and one of the hosts is like “they have different jawlines 🙄”

the gentrification discourse?? YEAH. “just moved to crime alley!! rent was SO cheap!! the vibes are kind of ✨✨ except for the screaming at night. also someone left a human tooth in my mailbox. i think that means i’m accepted into the neighborhood??”

and of course. OF COURSE. the joker thirst edits. like i wish i was kidding. i wish. but someone posts “what if he kidnapped me actually. like what if i let him.” and it’s a picture of him looking crazy with 15 different filters and a caption that says “he’s literally me (i need therapy).”

and GOTHAM INFLUENCERS. OH MY GOD. the way they would be the WORST. “hey guys today i’m doing a billionaire morning routine <3” cue 6 am ice bath in the wayne building gym someone does a house tour and people in the comments are like “i think that’s *insert famous rich socialites name's* old penthouse????”

homeless ppl getting filmed for fake charity clout. omg. “today we’re giving a makeover to this unhoused gotham citizen 🥺”

gotham meme culture is top tier. like they’re actually so funny. because they have to be. it’s trauma response meets terminal irony meets "oh the joker blew up a costco again time to live tweet." they have memes like: “you vs the guy she told you not to worry about” - it’s a pic of bruce wayne (or some rich socialite) in a suit and then batman looking like roadkill in a cape or something like “just got mugged by harley quinn and she said i have bad taste in shoes. kinda valid tbh.” or “why is scarecrow hot now. like when did that happen.” “penguin looked at me sideways in the club. should i press charges or kiss him idk.”

some of them are rich rich. and also literally host giveaways with captions like: “win a week in my tower penthouse if you repost and comment ur favourite crime i’ve survived 💋”

the drama is UNREAL. like gotham reddit?? a cesspool. like there’s this one post every week like : “AMA: i dated bruce wayne for 3 weeks in 2018 and he ghosted me after i found a batarang under his couch.” and then batman side of reddit is like “this guy tried to sell me fake kryptonite at a gas station AMA” and the replies are like “was it the guy in the trenchcoat outside the CVS?? i knew he was shady.” oh and you know there’s a gotham reddit thread called r/gothamCitizenSupport and it’s just “does anyone know how to get joker gas out of your vents” “batman smashed my windshield again how do i file an insurance claim” “my roommate joined a cult and now she glows in the dark?? normal or should i move out?”

you know the “hot takes” girlies?? yeah they’re deranged. “ok but like… what does batman really do for the economy.” or “i’m just saying gotham has more billionaires than public libraries and i feel like that’s not a coincidence???” or “why is no one talking about the gentrification of *xyz place name* just because ivy turned a building into a forest resort spa”

the comments are always fighting for their lives like: “he saved my life leave him alone??” or “girl i got evicted because catwoman turned my apartment into a goth club shut up”

ALSOOOO there are entire sides of gotham tiktok like:

“batman sighting alerts”

“gotham thrift hauls (featuring actual riddler merch)”

“bruce wayne conspiracy theory corner”

“citizen thirst traps featuring blurry robins”

“updates from people who work at arkham: the podcast”

and every time a villain escapes it’s like “uhhh guys. just saw mr. freeze at the bodega. he said he wants vengeance.

"guys...my parents just told me we're moving to gotham because its cheaper...help me what should i expect?"

OH AND BATMAN WOULD HATE IT. and there are so many compilations like “BATMAN GETTING FED UP WITH CITIZENS PART 7” where it’s just clips of him looking pissed af. dramatically because someone asked for a selfie mid-chase or tried to ask him to do fit check in their video.

[rannie-moon]

“The Industry’s Most Successful Fangirl” — Lee Heran Announced as One of the Artists on the F1 Movie Soundtrack

What can’t the IT girl do?

Accidentally headlining Coachella and breaking global viewer records, topping the Billboard charts with her experimental EP Leak This!, spearheading an ENHYPEN comeback, and now—landing a coveted spot on the official F1 movie soundtrack, all within a span of two months?

Her name is Lee Heran.

The much-anticipated F1 film, starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick), was officially announced on July 5, 2024, immediately uniting movie buffs and Formula 1 fanatics alike. And as of May 1, 2025, the official soundtrack lineup was revealed, featuring global icons such as RAYE, Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, and the industry’s elite—BLACKPINK’s Rosé and ENHYPEN’s very own Lee Heran.

While Rosé’s continued rise in the U.S. charts makes her presence a welcomed expectation, Heran’s inclusion has sparked its own buzz. Why? Because if there’s one thing the 21-year-old is known for outside of her sharp vocals and genre-bending artistry—it’s her undying, unapologetic love for sports.

From her sporty-chic airport fashion to her spontaneous race-day live tweets and signature football jerseys in casual wear, Heran has steadily built a reputation as K-pop’s ultimate sports girlie. Her fans have long dubbed her “the industry’s most successful fangirl”—and this moment solidifies it.

In fact, this isn’t her first brush with a crossover between fandom and opportunity. One of her most iconic moments to date came in 2022 during the final round of the EAFF E-1 Football Championship hosted in Japan. A day before her 18th birthday, Heran joined ENHYPEN as part of Korea’s honorary delegation and stepped onto the pitch to take the opening penalty kick.

A former high school football team captain, Heran launched the ball into the top corner of the net with such precision and power that the stadium roared to life. National team captain and Tottenham Hotspur star and captain Son Heung-min later posted a photo with Heran to Instagram with the cheeky caption: “Scored us a goal so I’ll be popping in for an Inkigayo performance soon 🤗🩷”

And let’s not forget the signed Lionel Messi jersey she once casually wore during rehearsals—a gift fans are still debating how she secured.

As for Formula 1, Heran has been vocal about her support for years. A die-hard McLaren fan (her phone case even sports the team logo), she’s frequently spotted engaging with race updates, watching qualifying rounds live, and talking about the countless Grand Prix's she attended as a child, having no shame in skipping school for a few days.

Her track for the film, titled “Just Keep Watching,” is said to blend synthwave elements with pulsing alt-pop production—staying in line with the “Sports Car” motif that dominated Leak This! Both thematically and sonically, it promises to match the high-speed adrenaline of the racetrack.

In a brief message to fans on Weverse, Heran wrote: “This one’s for the fans who’ve ever screamed at a screen because your driver got undercut in the pits. Hope you feel like you’re in the car when you hear it.”

If her previous track record is anything to go by, “Just Keep Watching” is set to be more than just a soundtrack cut—it’s going to be a defining moment for pop culture’s intersection with sport, fandom, and unapologetic passion.

The F1 film hits theatres worldwide on June 27, 2025. Buckle up.

taglist: @angie-x3@deluluscenarios @chaeryyeongz @akitoshi39i@sparklydoll444 @yunjiiin @kaitieskidmore97 @yb763@reibelhearts @enhaverse713586

[aventurineswife]

one request <3 (im really bad at explaining)

how some hsr characters would react to a reader that are into otome games?

HSR characters with a Reader who's into Otome Games

Synopsis: How would some of these characters react to having a Reader who's into Otome Games?

Tags: Veritas Ratio x Reader, Aventurine x Reader, Jade x Reader, Kafka x Reader, Blade x Reader, Jing Yuan x Reader, Headcanons, Fluff, Established Relationship or could be read as Platonically, Psychological Themes, Banter, Supportive, Deep Discussions.

Warnings: Teasing, Occasional Dark Humor, Discussions On Morality And Psychology, References To Manipulation, Themes Of Ambition And Power Dynamics, Light Romance, Exploration Of Past Trauma(?).

A/N: I wish there was a HSR mod where we could romance the characters 😪😕

Dr. Veritas Ratio

Ratio would be intrigued by the narratives and character development in otome games, seeing them as an interesting exploration of human relationships and emotional intelligence.

He might initially scoff at what he considers shallow romantic tropes, but upon further discussion, he'd appreciate the complexities and motivations of the characters.

He’d encourage you to analyze the storylines critically, turning your hobby into a learning experience about psychology and social dynamics.

He’d love to engage in debates about your favorite characters and choices, often challenging your views to foster deeper discussions.

Aventurine

Aventurine would tease you about your obsession with fictional characters, using his charm to poke fun while secretly enjoying the playful banter.

He’d be fascinated by the strategic elements of the games, perhaps even comparing life to a game of chance, finding ways to apply his risk-taking mentality to the scenarios.

He might surprise you with gifts that reference your favorite games, like custom trinkets or stylish outfits inspired by characters, showing his support.

Jade

Jade might initially appear skeptical, viewing otome games as frivolous, but would soon become intrigued by the underlying themes of ambition and emotional manipulation.

She’d encourage you to see beyond the surface, urging you to analyze the dynamics of power and desire within the narratives.

Jade might even suggest treating your interest as a business endeavor, perhaps exploring ways to monetize your passion through game-related content.

If you have any game merchandise, she might admire your collection, possibly wanting to trade valuable items or share insights about the game's market value.

Kafka

Kafka would find the psychological elements of otome games fascinating, especially the manipulation of characters and narratives, seeing parallels with her own skills.

She’d casually drop remarks about the games, comparing the characters’ strategies to her own, which could lead to deeper discussions about morality and choices.

Kafka would be especially interested in the character designs and fashions, perhaps wanting to discuss or even replicate certain styles for herself.

If the games feature memorable outfits or coats, she might express a desire to acquire similar pieces, leading to playful banter about your mutual interests.

Blade

Blade might initially express a cynical view of otome games, seeing them as naive distractions from the harsh realities of life.

He would likely make darkly humorous comments about the characters’ romantic dilemmas, providing a contrasting perspective that could spark interesting conversations.

Despite his cynicism, he might secretly enjoy the escape they provide, finding a strange comfort in the fictional dramas.

Blade would likely appreciate the themes of love and loss, connecting them to his own tragic past and engaging in deeper discussions about the nature of relationships.

Jing Yuan

Jing Yuan would appreciate the storytelling aspect of otome games, often relating it to historical tales and strategic narratives he values.

He might offer calm, insightful perspectives on the choices you make in games, helping you to consider the ramifications of those decisions.

Jing Yuan would be supportive of your passion, perhaps asking about your favorite games and characters, fostering a sense of connection.

He’d likely inject gentle humor into the conversation, lightening the mood and making the topic of otome games feel more engaging and less frivolous.

[boyfriendtodeathconfessional]

Hc for what each character talks about on their first date! Läss gö!

Strade: Attentive, intelligent, and eager to learn about you! Takes an awkward turn when you ask what he does for work. Skillfully dodges the question. For hobbies, gives two words: power tools. When asked if that means he likes woodworking, he just smiles. Keeps asking if you want to see something cool in his car. If you say no, he'll mention how much fun he had, but it won't work out. Turns to another person and introduces himself, starting the whole process over.

Ren: Seems normal at first. What's not seen is every atom of his body being forced to not bring up anime. If you bring up anime, will begin a full yap sesh forgetting to let you talk (or letting himself breathe). Will eventually get real quiet as he internally debates bringing up hentai with you. Once you part ways, will text you pictures of anime characters getting married with the caption 'totally us! Haha'.

Lawrence: "Uh... um... I... umm..." Considers asking if you ever wonder where people go when they die. Stuffs a breadstick in his mouth instead. Spends the rest of the date staring at the table and mumbling to questions.

Derek: Rattles off a list of personal achievements. Talks at length at how difficult it is to get a table at this restaurant. Helpfully suggests some low calorie options on the menu so you can 'watch your figure haha'. Mood noticeably shifts when he asks if you'll follow him into the restroom to blow him. Has some choice words upon refusal, "Yeah?! Well, FUCK you, ugly slut! I got a whole LINE of people at my MANSION waiting to suck me off! Yeah. Mansion. I'm the heir to the Goffard fortune. You fucked up." Slams his wine and leaves without paying. Everyone else in the restaurant pretends not to notice.

Celia: Shows up 20 minutes late. Despite ordering a bottle of wine, she keeps sipping something inside her jacket. Expresses no interest in you until you order something filling off the menu. Eyes the food like she hasn't seen any in years. Spends the rest of the night staring into her phone, giving one word answers to questions. Excuses herself to take a call. It's 45 minutes later. You don't think she's coming back.

Mason: Prepared a full picnic for the both of you that he dutifully digs into. In between shoveling food into his mouth, will ask questions that sound more like statements and occasionally more like threats. "Long drive for you." "Eat up. Don't know when you'll eat next." "Real quiet out here." Weirdly enough, he had a great time and wants to know when he can see you again.

Fox: Is more than happy to engage in conversation. Things proceed as normal but will randomly get a far off look in his eyes while staring at you. Will wonder aloud if there's enough love in the world left for him or if it's some people's destiny to be lonely. Really sweet but very handsy. Will not stop talking like a JRPG villain. -☢️

.

[somedayillbepeterpan]

Penelope and her robe of power

Shoutout to @whistledownbad for invoking and taking this out of my subconscious. I didn't even realise I was thinking about this deeply (I shouldn't be surprised anymore since S3 has burrowed deep in my brain).

A short discussion on the Polisanity discord (a very very lovely, creative, and hilarious discord community of the residents of the Polin brainrot) showed me how this robe represents Pen's power-- not just in sexuality but in her character.

And it is shown on moments where she loses something, where her power was seemingly taken from her.

S3Ep3 - Forces of Nature

The first time we see this robe, Pen has just lost a flirting battle against Cressida for Debling's attention while pretending to be someone she is not. She looks defeated and annoyed which contrasts a similar scene on Ep 2 (after the fan encounter) where she looks more embarrassed and slightly amused at the situation.

S3Ep4 - Old Friends

The second time we see it is at the beginning of Ep 4. Pen is losing her battle from her resolve to follow the familiar tide of the marriage mart (I elaborate more on this scene here because it's not just Pen who is losing their resolve) on the day that Debling asks for Portia's permission to propose to Pen (where we get this poignant statement from Portia about security being romantic. Which I actually agree on coming from a poor family/country. Also, can I just say Nicola looks absolutely stunning in this scene).

She is distraught and seem to be in the middle of convincing herself that she is doing the right thing.

S3Ep5 - Tik Tok

In the middle of the chaotic 24hrs of Penelope's life (where she gets proposed to by the love of her life and experiences her first sexual encounter), she is seen crying and having to write about herself on Whistledown for the 2nd time for the current season (she probably writes about herself regularly in the column so as not to arouse suspicion but she would have most likely focused on mundane things) when we see this robe for the third time.

She loses the chance to feel completely and irrevocably happy about her engagement when Eloise points out that she is harboring a heavy secret from the man who just lovingly confessed that he would rather feel tortured with love for her than to carry on living.

S3Ep6 - Romancing Mr. Bridgerton

Ahhh...Pen and this robe. I'm so curious now what actually is the design on the robe and the decision behind using it for these scenes.

The fourth time we see this robe, Pen seemingly decides to lose Whistledown forever, hiding a part of herself in the "name of love". A crossroad that she never thought she'd have to go through when she began that season, Pen gives up all power and decides (tentatively) to follow her mother's advise. It's admirable on one part as real life will tell you that sometimes, there are sacrifices you need to make for your partner. But this really is sometimes up for debate whether that action is made in love, out of love, or for love (or not at all). I've always thought that Pen also suffers the same hero complex that Colin has albeit more subtle than his. I think this was part saving Colin (from whatever trouble Whistledown brings) and also part penance for what her writing and decisions have put him through regarding Marina.

AND THEN-- the last last time on this season that we see her in it is so viscerally powerful that it probably made everyone forget that:

This wasn't the same wedding night robe (where Colin openly lusted on Pen and stubbornly wasted his opportunity).

That whenever we saw Pen on this robe in the earlier episodes, she seemed to be unhappy and devoid of power and agency within herself.

S3Ep8 - Into the Light

This wonderfully and deliciously short scene encapsulates Pen's embracing of her power-- the parts that she has been losing and letting go whenever she wears this robe. I also love that it's with Colin that she finally embodies the full strength of this power.

Come S4, I need this robe to be slowly taken off by Mr. Bridgerton off of Mrs. Bridgerton please.

[shorthaltsjester]

the thing is that the “laudna or delilah” debate i think actually misses the complexity of laudna as a character — which i think actually gets magnificently illustrated when marisha talks about and chooses her actions as laudna. like in the game, she tends to act comfortably as laudna even in those delilah filled moments once the initial indication has been made by matt that laudna feels that presence particularly in a given way. but the vehicle of a ttrpg as the medium in which laudna exists and interacts means that there is intractable ambiguity in the “did laudna do this or did delilah?” because the answer is always at the same time that both of them chose it as it is that laudna did, because matt always brings in delilah as a reaction to the choices made, either by laudna in the narrative or by marisha as the creator orienting laudna’s choices. like tonight, marisha certainly didn’t say I’m Looking At This Sword Appealing to Delilah, but she did have laudna who was traumatized by that sword engage with it while also engaged with an action she has pointedly and continuously accounted as a coping mechanism from years of solitude with nothing but the voice in her head. laudna didn’t choose to have delilah in her mind, but she did choose to ask for more power, she did choose to act without orym’s input, she did choose to use her form of dread, whether or not she chose the form which it took. especially with the the indicators that this is a storyline alluding to addiction (something i’ve long suspected but has now been affirmed by marisha in the cooldown), it is extremely compelling that laudna is both insistent of her own responsibility when it comes to intentions but is absolutely avoidant to the point of absolute denial when it comes to consequences. this was especially apparent when imogen asked if laudna’s choices and actions were all her own and laudna insisted they were, but then ended the episode with a form of dread the image of delilah briarwood fading from around her as she repeated “i didn’t mean it.”

it is particularly interesting when she is alongside imogen because i think the thing that is the most compelling to me about them right now si something that laura (iirc) alluded to in the cooldown about how imogen has chosen a significant turn away from predathos at the same time laudna has leaned in hard to delilah. in a lot of ways imogen has been very like laudna when it comes to the importance of intentions vs. consequences, at least insofar as her experience with her powers led to a different kind of isolation than laudna’s but still led imogen to experience situations in which she was confronted by the cruelty of thoughts much more expediently than she was with the cruelty of actions. and while laudna has experienced the cruelty of actions, she ties those intensely to bad intentions as well — cruel actions come from cruel thoughts. i mean, that’s what fun scary refers to — in that first interaction with those kids, we get a clear though undoubtedly unintentional insight into the perspectives that laudna and imogen both have on the cruelty that the world contains. laudna sees no harm in the fear she instills in those children because she loves kids, her intention was fun, her actions can’t be truly harmful if she never intended it. and interestingly, imogen disagrees that laudna is fun scary at all, she actually points out that laudna is scary scary, but in a good way.

and so we have this dynamic between two characters who have been the balms to one another’s solitude — which, as has been expressed in other posts, in both cases emerged from their commitments to their outlooks: laudna continued to appear as a witch on the outskirts of town, likely engaging in haunting behaviour if her actions throughout the campaign have been any indicator, and continued to run until, interestingly, someone who could read her mind was the first person to truly realize she meant no harm. imogen isolated because she was inundated with thoughts and turned misanthropic because of how often those thoughts were negative and cruel, until someone (who partakes in actions that can very easily be considered at least appearing to be negative or scary) had thoughts that were good. and they fell in love — with a confession scene where laudna raised concern that she might be a bad person, because she herself had ill intentions in reaction to bor’dor (absolutely mediated by deliliah, but her own emotional reaction that prompted that mediation). and imogen’s rebuttal isn’t a reference to laudna’s choices or her actions but to the thoughts she’s had that imogen has been witness to.

except. except it’s been months and imogen has a mother who had the best of intentions to start with . intentions that look a lot like imogen’s own, but now she stands at the side of a man willing to risk the entire world so that he can (ostensibly) no longer have to deal with divinity. imogen’s mother who allows the murder of countless people, of every member of the hells themselves except imogen, of oryms family, to get the answers and the solution that imogen herself is looking for. and as imogen has gotten further in the journey, the role of thoughts and intention has become apparent in its limits. because it’s true that they are important, it marks a difference between ludinus and liliana absolutely when it comes to likelihood that they might have a path for redemption, but it doesn’t mark much of a difference for the lives lost. and imogen has become much more concerned with this, i think maybe most clearly in her decisions around her last few predathos diving dreams because her hesitation hasn’t been that they need to consider the sides more, it’s been that, regardless of her intent to come back to the hells, to get information for their mission, her will might still lose the fight against the pull of predathos and if she’s forced to be this vessel which might allow it free, it might not matter as much what her intentions are when she dreams.

and at the same time. laudna has been confronted with the same evidence that her worldview might not paint a complete picture, but she’s still looking at that incomplete image as the whole. as is clear in her reaction to liliana, where she sets up her position to imogen by referring to her own love for her — for laudna, liliana must not actually love imogen, couldn’t possibly if the outcome of her actions is imogen growing up without her mother and liliana aiding and abetting (even if occasionally Maybe limiting) exandrias mage criminal of the decade. except, as imogen who has started to be checked on her flawed thoughts > actions perspective points out, that inconsistency isn’t one that laudna is immune to — laudna loves imogen and the hells and undoubtedly wants to see them live in a world they can thrive in, but she’ll also give up pieces of herself and make decisions without their input that have implications for those she chooses to exclude as evident in her choice with the sword,

and so tonight’s everything was delicious . when marisha’s interparty conflict beam hits it hits and it did tonight but the conversation between laudna and imogen was truly truly fantastic and so compelling because you get both laudna so locked into the familiar comforting behaviour that thinking that her intentions are all that matters is and being confronted by the fact that right now the consequences seem so enormous that the comfort is cold and imogen realizing that the thing that she’s been struggling through with her mother — and don’t get me started about imogen’s response to her mother saying she’s made her choices for imogen and the fact that laudna’s first explanation of why she chose this was a similar appeal to protecting imogen — is the same thing that has a hold of the woman she loves, though in different forms. and god, not to add another unnecessary sidebar, but laura is truly so good at coming up with heartwrenching prompts? dialogue? i dunno what to call it but the way that taliesin is insane with one liners, laura is like that with setting up conversations and then eventually spiking them into my heart because jesus the “i just watch. [as she plunges a dagger into her heart]” “i’ll always love you, i just don’t know what to do with it” “i didn’t mean it” “i know” because that’s the thing, that’s the struggle . ethel cain voice directed at laudna and liliana. imogen temult loves you but not enough to save you. because it doesn’t matter how much anyone loves laudna if she still believes in the necessity of delilah, it doesn’t matter how much anyone loves liliana if she still believes her presence at ludinus’ side is a requirement. and that’s not to reduce the degree to which they both have undoubtedly been trained to believe those things, but it is to say that both in the text and in the real world situations to which people love to refer when reducing agency to make characters more girlboss or whatever — it’s actually explicitly the role that laudna ascribes to her own emotions and choices and value that will lead her to a life where delilah does not have full reign.

the ambiguity and complexity is that as long as laudna wants (which translates to a need for her) her power, she wants delilah and whatever words that delilah will feed her to validate the need for and/or increase that power, which means that her actions are always her own, and the consequences are always hers to bear. the messiness is her continued insistence on separating intention from consequence — because laudna never means harm, for her it’s about protection, even power doesn’t seem to be power for its own sake. even with orym tonight it was about protecting orym from the sword, but also of course about finding power for delilah so that deliliah might also grant her more power so that she can help save imogen and the hells and the world. but that means when she explains to others she can make claims like i didn’t mean to, or that the choice was all her own because as incorrect to anyone else, laudna has completely committed to her founded belief that intentions matter more than anything else when it comes to the judgement of someone and their actions.

[hauntingofhouses]

Thinking about the crazy love triangle situation in Blue Eye Samurai and debating heavily with myself on how I'd like to see it conclude. And yeah this discussion can be thought of purely as shipping, headcanons, and fandom fun. But when analysing the show and engaging with it in a more in-depth, almost-literary level, it's impossible to dismiss who Mizu's potential love interests are and how different endgame romances would affect her character arc and the overall story and themes.

So in this post I'd like to look at the love triangle a bit more closely, and speculate on where the story will take this.

DISCLAIMER: It is my personal interpretation of the text that Mizu is non-binary—I use this as an umbrella term denoting any gender that does not adhere to the binary restrictions, norms, and expectations of what it means to be either a man or woman in a particular society; it's not just an androgynous "third gender" that exclusively uses they/them pronouns. Thus, while I personally believe Mizu is not strictly a cis woman, she does still identify with womanhood, despite definitely feeling a level of detachment from it due to living as a man for so long. With that being said, I will be using she/her pronouns for Mizu in this post, but please note that this is purely personal preference. Everyone is free to interpret the text the way they like. That's the fun of fiction. Now, without further ado, let's proceed.

Okay so, thinking about the pairings on a purely surface level, and even before i got into the show, I was pinning my hopes on some lesbianism going on between Mizu and Akemi, and the show does hint at this; in Ep1, during their first encounter in Kyoto, there is the famous slow-mo shot of their eyes meeting, Mizu's lips slightly parted as she is unable to tear her gaze away from Akemi, while sweet string music plays in the background. This is clear romantic framing, and a marker of attraction. If Mizu was a cishet man, there would be no question that this is a potential love interest.

But then, in the same episode, we meet Taigen, who is introduced to us firstly from hearing Akemi's father describe him as "a fierce and undefeated young samurai", the "best swordsman in the best school" and "a fisherman's son from Kohama [...] whose rise reminds [him] of [his] own."

In the next scene, we meet him in person as Akemi's fiance, and he seems sweet enough. He even gives her sweets! In exchange, Akemi gives him gold, and he feels a bit ashamed that he doesn't have anything better to offer her. But Akemi accepts him and his gift wholeheartedly and flirts with him a little, which makes him smile kinda shyly.

When Akemi confirms their engagement, Taigen is in disbelief because he has no status or noble background, but Akemi reassures him.

So from these first few scenes, we're introduced to Taigen as an honourable and strong samurai, but also as a man who is sweet and gentle with the woman he is about to marry, as well as aware of his own inferiority when compared to Akemi's high station.

Our view of him then changes as his true self is revealed: he is an arrogant and smug bastard among his peers, but more importantly, he is the terrible bully from Mizu's childhood.

And it is this side of Taigen--pompous jerk and unrepentant xenophobic bully--that we continue to see as the show goes on, and it's safe to say that this is his real self, sans any pretense of humility and modesty. Around anyone who isn't an outright superior in terms of class and power (ie. Akemi's father, the shogun), Taigen never hesitates to assert his own authority and "greatness."

But as the show goes on, he gets caught by Heiji Shindo's men, and then tortured. And that's when we see, okay, turns out he's not that bad. He's honourable; "honour" is not just meaningless and superficial pedantry for him, but an internalised, guiding principle.

He was a cruel asshat throughout Mizu's childhood, but in a prejudiced and xenophobic society, he was just playing by the rules. As a child, he knew he was at the bottom of society, but when met with someone even lower ranked than him (Mizu), he can project all those prejudices and insecurities onto someone else. This way of thinking--"if you can't beat 'em, join em"--is what allowed him to climb up the ranks despite being some dirt poor kid from an abusive household*.

*Well, that combined with his cismale privilege of course, because this would not be an option for a woman in similar circumstances.

Thus, his upholding of honour also exemplifies how Taigen embodies the ideals and rules of his society. His insistence on duelling Mizu is another more blatant example of this. He doesn't want revenge like Mizu does. He wants to be accepted by society, within the bounds that society has placed, and that means that his only two options following his defeat at the Shindo dojo were to either chase Mizu down and get his damn duel, or kill himself for his humiliating defeat.

Now! Moving on from Taigen, let's go back to the other end of this little love triangle: Akemi.

Mizu and Akemi only properly meet in Ep4. During their first meeting, when Akemi tries to poison Mizu in Madame Kaji's brothel, she compliments Mizu's eyes, calling them "beautiful."

This seems to genuinely take mizu off-guard for a second before she coolly plays along. We know that Mizu recognises Akemi from the get-go, and thus sees through Akemi's ploy from a mile away. It's also safe to assume she'd expected false flattery, because Mizu understands full well that this tactic is how women get what they want: by using their 'feminine wiles' and playing up their naivety and innocence. But even so, it's interesting that Mizu actually seems surprised by Akemi's compliment.

Then, after Mizu subtly taunts Akemi by lying about Taigen's death, she and Akemi have a bit of a scuffle, and then we get to Mizu saying this:

"Women in our world don't have a single good option. Except you, like some magical forest creature. You could have anything you want, but then you beg to eat trash."

(no screenshot because it's quite a long line but you get it)

Here we see Mizu's opinions on the marginalisation of (mostly poor and under-privileged) women stated outright, and underlying her words is also resentment. Because even though she and Akemi have shared experiences of female oppression, Mizu, unlike Akemi, was also poor, from a rural village, and is a racial minority. Mizu is triply oppressed, while Akemi only faces one primary form of oppression, and to someone as embittered by the world as Mizu is, to see Akemi "beg to eat trash" is a slap in the face, practically tone-deaf to the other injustices around her--injustices which Akemi has not shown much, or any, acknowledgement for at this point.

Then, after this scene, Mizu kills Kinuyo, and this unsettles her to a degree we've never seen from her before. She is visibly distraught, and the entire sequence hammers the theme of this episode (and arguably, a large portion of the show) into our heads: women in this world suffer. And even though Mizu is well aware of this fact, to commit this act is so visceral that is shakes her to her core, and it's what ultimately leads to the ambush of the Thousand Fangs.

But before the ambush, Mizu and Akemi talk a little again, and during this time Akemi taunts Mizu some more.

Right now, Mizu is exhausted to the point where (I believe) she even downs some sake, despite not usually drinking. Thus, worn down, she cuts Akemi's ropes and tells her, "Just go." Akemi recovers from her initial fear of Mizu's blade and taunts her some more, accurately seeing through Mizu's facade of coldness, recognising the raw anger there, and says this:

"I thought you had to be something special. Your face isn't even so scary. You're just... angry."

At this, Mizu is amused and compares Akemi to Taigen ("I see why he likes you. You're just like Taigen when we were children. A fucking brat.")

The reveal that Mizu and Taigen knew each other in childhood surprises Akemi, but before either of them can say more, everything goes to shit.

That's when we get to Ep5. This episode focuses primarily on Mizu, the central piece of this love triangle, and does the most out of all the episodes to shed some light on her character and goals, fleshing her out to be more than just the vengeful, highly proficient samurai we've seen thus far (symbolised by The Ronin), but also a person who is capable of love, domesticity and gentleness (symbolised by The Bride). But in the end, Mizu rejects both these ideals, instead becoming an Onryo, who is neither guided by pride/honour, nor love.

By 'reincarnating' into an Onryo, Mizu is able to win the day and save the women in the brothel. However, as she has now fully embraced her status as an Onryo, and is exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally, she lets the Tokunobu clansmen take Akemi away while Akemi's screams echo in her ear.

Mizu says this choice is for Akemi's own good, that Akemi's better off; because Mizu is jaded and weary, and cannot afford the luxury of idealism, and thus must always be strictly practical and realistic. So of course that's why, in her view, yes, Akemi should not be wasting her time in a brothel where women are exploited and abused, nor should Akemi be so naive to think that her marriage with Taigen is even still possible. However, regardless of Mizu's views, it is not for her to decide, because though Akemi is privileged in some sense, she is still trapped and voiceless, and deserves the right to choose her own destiny.

But as it happens, in the end, though Akemi did not choose who she gets to marry, she DOES get to choose her next move when Edo burns down.

"I want to be great."

This one line is the key to her entire arc, which is only just beginning. We see she quickly has acquired the affection and good graces of the shogun's son after their wedding night and consummation, and with Madame Kaji and the girls now serving her, Akemi will only grow to become a prominent political player.

NOW, only after analysing the characters as they are within this season, only can we speculate how their arcs will continue as the show progresses.

First and foremost, I will reassert the popular opinion that Mizu and Akemi are foils. The climax (pun intended) of Ep7 illustrates this as it parallels the turning points in both Mizu's and Akemi's arcs:

Mizu melts the steel of all her loves and shames, the people she's collected: the broken blade wielded by both Chiaki and Taigen, Akemi's knife, Ringo's bell, Master Eiji's tongs - this symbolises her beginning to accept herself, and in doing so, also accepting the help of others;

Akemi consummates her marriage with Takayoshi Itoh, gains his affection, and cements her position as a woman in the shogun's palace - this symbolises her taking charge of her situation, no longer playing the damsel, but using her position to her advantage, empowering both herself and the underprivileged women around her.

These are thus two directly contrasting, diverging journeys:

Mizu's arc moves inward (yin). It is an internal path of self-love and self-discovery, focused on finding peace and tranquility inside herself, and this involves allowing herself to let others into her life, opening herself up to friendship and empathy once more.

Akemi's arc moves outward (yang), it is an external path of growth, transforming from a naive, caged princess to a powerful woman and a force to be reckoned with.

Akemi is always dressed in red, even her eyes are a bit of a reddish-brown rather than brown-black like most other characters, and in her penultimate scene she stands against a backdrop of flames. She is fire: quick-tempered, passionate, full of energy. Red is powerful, authoritative, and in eastern cultures, it is associated with prosperity.

Mizu is blue: her eyes, her sword, her clothes. She is also named after water; it's where she goes to recover, reflect and meditate. Water is fluid like a brook weaving around a stone in its path, always changing and adapting, it is graceful, it is beautiful and ruthless, tranquil yet swift.

Thus, in the future, I expect we will see plenty of political manoeuvring and intrigue in Akemi's plotline, where she fully embraces control of her life, and begins to take action to help others as well, realising that her own oppression is just one piece in a much larger picture. Her main conflict is with society.

In direct contrast, Mizu's main conflict is with herself. She must realise that her desire for vengeance is a projection of her own deep-rooted self-hatred. Her arc must move towards unpacking her feelings and trauma so she can be at peace with herself and allow space for love in her heart. Because as we saw in Ep5, Mizu had come extremely close to achieving peace and joy, as she had not only loved Mikio, but also had briefly believed that Mikio had loved her (and accepted her for who she is) as well.

Thus, assuming the story is not planned as a tragedy, Mizu will likely end up getting her vengeance, but it will not satisfy her, because it is not what she needs. What she needs is to let go of the Onryo within her and to reconcile both The Ronin and The Bride within herself, as she is both a fighter and a lover, but not a monster.

(Edit: I recommend checking out this post by @stylographic-blue-rhapsody for a much clearer analysis about Mizu'a symbolism as Ronin, Bride and Onryo!)

And now that we've mostly covered each of the characters individually, we can finally get to the main point of this post: the love triangle.

--

Let's talk about Option A: Akemi.

As I covered extensively earlier, Mizu and Akemi are foils, a yin-yang pair. But while they play off each other very well in a thematic sense, I personally believe that a serious romance between them will be more complicated if they become endgame. This is because Akemi's natural resolution is to embrace a position of power and influence, where she has both freedom and control over herself and to make much-needed changes in a prejudiced society. Meanwhile, Mizu's natural resolution is the opposite; her happy ending would to find a peaceful life where she is safe and free from prying eyes, and able to be her true self.

Thus, it would make very little sense for Akemi to forfeit power and run away with Mizu and start a humble life together. Akemi wants to be great, and that is absolutely what she deserves. On the other end of the spectrum, it would also make little sense for Mizu to dedicate her life in service of Akemi, such as acting as a bodyguard or something similar, because a life in a palace full of court intrigue and conspiracies is far from what Mizu needs to be happy.

With that being said, if Mizu/Akemi is endgame, and assuming their overarching character arcs do not shift directions, their love story would likely be either tragic, doomed, or bittersweet. I do absolutely love this type of story because personally I'm a sucker for catharsis, so it would be very interesting if the writers do decide to take this route.

Also, as a note, please do not take this as me dunking on this pairing. This is just my personal opinion and analysis and I completely understand if you disagree!

--

Then, of course, we have Option B: Taigen.

Between Akemi and Mizu, Taigen is a bit of a free-floater here, because Season 1 leaves off at a point where his arc is very ambiguous as to where it's headed. While Akemi climbs for greatness and Mizu goes on a journey across the ocean to (presumably) discover more about her heritage, we have little clues about where Taigen is headed. And if I'm being honest, I'm sure he has no idea either! He still hasn't reclaimed his honour, so he would be unable to rejoin the Shindo Dojo; he's been rejected by Akemi; and while he showed loyalty to the shogun, the shogun is now dead, and all the shogun's men who had witnessed his "humiliating" death were left to die by Lady Itoh, who is now pulling the strings within the palace.

Therefore, Taigen has very few options here.

And when considering his role in the story is as Mizu's begrudging ally, his arc will undoubtedly be focused on unlearning his xenophobia and misogyny, the latter of which we have not seen yet, but is surely present. Now, whether he will do this in Mizu's presence or absence will be unknown until we see Season 2. Following the Season 1 finale, he might return to Kohama and wait for Mizu there as he learns humility and remorse over his past cruelty; or maybe he will follow Mizu to London, and the two of them will continue to butt heads until he finally admits to himself that he cares for Mizu more than he would like to admit. There is no room for doubt that his growing feelings for Mizu are more-than-platonic, because we all saw him get turned on by sparring with her in Ep7 lol. Thus, regardless of the exact choice he makes, I am sure that his overall arc will be focused on redeeming his character.

Now, when it comes go redeeming him, I know there are many who simply don't want him redeemed because he was such a jerk to Mizu, and while yes I agree he was awful, I do believe there is also nuance to his character.

Previously I've discussed in great detail the colour and elemental symbolism with Mizu and Akemi, but have yet to touch on how they relate to Taigen. So, let's talk about that for a second.

While Akemi is red and Mizu is blue, Taigen is green.

Green is a complementary colour to Akemi's red. Complementary colours are directly opposite each other in the colour wheel; when mixed, they neutralise each other, but when put side-by-side, they form a pleasing and impactful contrast that boosts the brightness and prominence of both colours. This mirrors Taigen and Akemi's relationship. They are an "ideal" pair because they complement each other very well, and bring out each other's most prominent traits. Mizu's comment about their similar "brattiness" comes to mind here.

Green is also an analogous colour with Mizu's blue. These colours are sitting right next to each other on the colour wheel; their natural similarity makes it easy for them to form a cohesive overall appearance, but using both in equal amounts will make a design overwhelming and too busy. Thus, the best way to use analogous colours is to make one the dominant colour, while the other will serve as an accent. I feel this also speaks to the dynamic in Taigen and Mizu's relationship. They came from the space place, both from nothing; they're both strong fighters who love the sport, and work well together when fighting side-by-side; however, they butt heads too easily, mirroring how analogous colours can be too overwhelming when used in equal amounts. Thus, to work together in harmony, one has to be the dominant colour, while the other serves as the accent. In this case, the dominant force would be Mizu, as she is the protagonist of the story, while the accent would be Taigen.

By fulfilling this role as an "accent" to Mizu, Taigen's character would easily be slotted in as a the love interest. This is in contrast with a Mizu/Akemi relationship, whereby Akemi is Mizu's foil before she is Mizu's love interest. This is because, by being a love interest, a character usually takes a backseat in the story, serving the plot and the themes by playing a purely supportive role, and this is not possible in Akemi's case because her character exists to parallel and contrast Mizu (red and blue), and not to support her.

It is possible to serve as a supporting love interest in Taigen's case however. And this is because he, unlike the other characters, does not currently have a definitive place within the story. He initially served the plot as an antagonistic force, but now as he is slowly unlearning his prejudices and becoming a better person, he can no longer serve the story by acting purely as a rival.

Instead, he will serve the story by literally supporting Mizu. And this relates to Taigen being earth, which is steady, firm and reliable, unwavering in loyalty and principles, hardworking and rooted in stability, which is seen in Taigen's staunch and inflexible obedience to the traditions and rules of society. These traits are what make him a perfect samurai, but not a good man. However, unlike most people in their world, Taigen is still capable of change and redemption, which is why Mizu says that he has the potential to be great. Not great by way of power or glory, but great in character. Already, he is honourable to a fault, and does not betray Mizu even after she technically robbed him of everything he was striving towards. And when he was shot by an arrow in the chasm, he did not hesitate a second to tell Mizu to use him as a human shield and save herself.

The trigger for his redemption is Mizu. If she had never beat him in that duel, Taigen would live on to become a man like Akemi's father. Cruel, power-hungry, controlling, conservative. But through Mizu, Taigen's sharp edges are ground down, much like water that wears down the stones in a river.

Where Mizu and Akemi's possible love story would be a clash of wills, full of passion and even heartbreak, a possible love story between Mizu and Taigen would be the wearing down of souls. Mizu would make Taigen a better person, and in turn Taigen would dedicate his full respect and support to Mizu as his equal, thus getting her to slowly open up and love herself. Already, Taigen has grown enough to admit (begrudgingly, and in his own Taigen way) that Mizu is better than him; though, clearly, he still has a long way to go, as he still calls Mizu a demon shortly after that.

But basically, Taigen is a very simple man (his main goal now is "to be happy"), and Mizu has great depths that he cannot yet fathom. For this love story to work, it has to begin with Taigen changing for the better. If he succeeds in that, and is able to accept Mizu for all her complexities, I believe that they will make a formidable pair. And though he'd likely still throw a jab or snarky remark at Mizu every now and then, I think he'd come tl wholeheartedly admire Mizu as a brilliant swordsman and a kind soul. Thus, should things work out and this be endgame, Taigen would be able to provide Mizu with what Mikio could not: an idyllic life that is not built on a lie, but mutual trust, respect, admiration, and equality.

Or hey, maybe they could both make their own dojo together! I don't know.

(Edit: This post by @rinandsketches does a great job at delving into Taigen's character and a potential Mizu/Taigen relationship if you'd like to read more about this angle!)

--

Now, as I move on from Taigen, there are a couple more options on how to resolve this love triangle and that includes Option C: Ringo.

In this option, Mizu does not have an endgame romance with either Akemi or Taigen. In this route, she finds peace and love through friendship, solidarity, and a found family between herself, Ringo and Master Eiji—a bunch of outcasts in society who make a strong trifecta of sword-makers.

Also, as an aside while I'm talking about Ringo, I'd like to point out that I believe his element is air and his colour is a neutral grey; he is talkative, easy-going, wise, curious, light on his feet (stealthy) and free-spirited, which are all traits linked to air, and traits that complement Mizu nicely, as he is capable of getting Mizu to open up and trust others again, while Mizu helps him reach his true potential for greatness.

--

And finally, there's Option D: Polyamory.

This is basically an "all of the above" option, in which everyone wins and it's a super duper happy ending. It would also be awesome to get some polyamorous representation, and seeing the dynamic between Akemi/Mizu/Taigen play out would be very entertaining and refreshing. So, you never know, this just might be the true endgame!

--

AAAAND with that, I close my extremely long analysis of what is essentially Mizu's love life. Whatever the final outcome of this love triangle though, I just hope it will be well-written and satisfying to all the characters' respective arcs. (Also I just want Mizu to be HAPPY goddamn it because she deserves the world and her coochie eaten out)

Now, I highly doubt anyone will read any of this (especially not until the end!) but that's fine. I just have so many thoughts and feelings about this show and I just needed to get this out of my system lol! But if by some miracle you did read this far, I wholeheartedly welcome any sharing of thoughts and ideas because man am I obsessed with this show! But of course, if we have an opposing opinions, please be respectful when letting me know; I am very open to friendly discussions.

[cozmicnymph]

lol dumbass can't even have the guts to answer for their transphobia. No one is "erasing lesbians" by HC VI as a trans man. You're just looking for an excuse to be transphobic and claiming "lesbian erasure" as a deflection. There's nothing wrong with a trans man seeing themselves in VI and wanting to HC her as a trans man, especially considering that lots of trans men still have a relationship with lesbianism and sapphic culture. VI is still a cis woman at the end of the day and a random trans man feeling seen by VI or relating to CaitVI and making a HC on tumblr.com does not "erase lesbians." Again, youre just looking for an excuse to be transphobic and then being so cowardly that you have to immediately block anyone who points it out.

first of all. learn to read my tags. I said very clearly that Vi can have a complicated relationship with gender. I never said she couldn't be transmasc or gnc or fluid — I literally acknowledged all of that. What I said was: making her a man while keeping Caitlyn a woman erases lesbians. And yes, that’s a problem.

I’m trans. I’ve dated across the spectrum — trans men, trans women, nonbinary people. I’ve been open about that for years. My issue here has nothing to do with being “anti-trans” and everything to do with how people love to take the masculine woman in a sapphic ship and decide she must be a man. That’s a pattern. That’s a problem.

Vi is a woman. She's canonically referred to with she/her pronouns in both Arcane and League. She has a masculine presentation — and that’s part of what makes her so powerful in a sapphic context. Masculine women exist. Lesbians who look like Vi exist. And every time someone says “well she’s basically a man to me,” what you’re saying is “I don’t see masculine women as real women.”

That is lesbophobic. That is erasure.

This also refers to the fact that people always keep Caitlyn as a cisgendered woman. If both of them have a complicated relationship with gender? If it’s a little funky, if it’s a little queer-coded or strange — sure, queer culture runs deep, I know that. But I’m saying: when you make Vi a man and keep Caitlyn a cis woman, that erases lesbianism. Period.

Because — and I shouldn’t have to spell this out, but apparently I do — trans men are not lesbians. Trans men can relate to lesbianism. Trans men can have a past with it, trans men can engage in sapphic culture. But trans men. Are. Men. And the entire point of lesbianism is that there is no man in the relationship.

Yes, masculine people can be lesbians. Yes, nonbinary lesbians exist. No, I’m not debating the finer points of queer identity in this post because Tumblr dot com has forgotten what reading comprehension is. My issue — clearly stated — is: you make Vi the man because she’s masculine, and you keep Caitlyn the woman because she’s feminine. That’s the logic. That’s the pattern. And that’s why it’s f***ed.

Vi can absolutely be transmasc. Vi can be gender-nonconforming. Vi can have a weird little gender. But when you decide she's a man with a dick and Caitlyn is still a cis woman and it’s presented as a ship, yeah — that erases lesbianism. Straight up.

It feels misogynistic. It feels lesbophobic. Because what you're telling people is that masculine women are basically men and only feminine women get to stay women. That every sapphic dynamic must have a “man” and a “woman.” And that’s f***ed up.

I’m a masculine woman. I want to relate to Vi. I do relate to Vi. I don’t want her to be seen as a man because I am not a man. I want to know that I can be dominant, strong, protective, and masculine — and still be a woman. Vi gave us that. She was tough. She bound her chest. She protected Caitlyn. She was messy and tender and violent and soft. And she was still a woman. That matters.

So let me end it here: if you make one of the lesbians a man, and that one is the masculine one, and you keep the feminine one a woman — it is lesbophobic. It is misogynistic. You don’t have to like that, but you do have to own it.

And the wildest part? You had to hop onto a sideblog and misrepresent what I said in order to accuse me of transphobia, instead of just reading the post and tags like a grown adult. So maybe ask yourself why you felt the need to do all that mental gymnastics just to avoid engaging with the actual critique.

Grow up.

[offtorivendell]

On Elain, Gwyn and their apparent romantic worthiness.

TW: mentions of death, violent or sexual assault, infertility and pregnancy/childbirth related trauma. Please do not proceed if these topics bother you.

Disclaimer: please, please engage with this post with kindness. I promise I am not writing it to stir the pot, but because I - and many others - are fed up with seeing hurtful and harmful rhetoric spewed by the fandom, yet having no back up when dealing with it. Word vomit incoming, I'm sorry. This has been bothering me for a while.

My love to everyone who has been hurt by things they've read in this fandom. 💜

It's 2024 and I cannot believe we are still seeing posts, almost daily, about both of these women; all giving reasons why they cannot possibly be with Azriel. And I don't mean the debatable but utterly harmless discussions about Elain not looking good in black or Gwyn blabbing to Merrill when asked not to. Whatever, go nuts. I mean the truly horrific takes based around things these two women have had no control.

Now, my post history makes it very obvious where I stand in terms of ships, and yes, I'm well aware I've spoken before about the inherent power imbalance - that I perceive - which would exist if Azriel ever became involved with any of the priestesses in the women's shelter he is charged with protecting (to be clear, that's not me suggesting that Gwyn and her story isn't powerful, or powerful representation to those who see themselves in her, nor is it personal to Gwyn, or indicative of any of the sheltered priestesses and their ability to heal; it's purely a function of Azriel's position of authority over their sanctuary). I want to reiterate that my stating my feelings about this was never done with the intent to shame people who do ship them; we all ship who we like, and real world ethics should rarely come into it.

That being said, the following, in my opinion, is one of those times.

Firstly, I just want to say that lived experience informs how we interpret fiction, so please let me clarify something: the people who have said that they don't think Gwyn is ready for a relationship yet, and that NSFW fan art of her with anyone makes them uncomfortable, are not in any way in the wrong. They're simply the other side of the coin to those who find it empowering, and both are valid responses, often related to personal trauma. The problem lies with those very few who say that Gwyn could never have a romantic relationship, and call those who talk and/or post about it "gross." Some have called her "damaged goods." This is absolutely wrong and whoever is doing it needs to stop.

The entire fandom, even those who find romantic or NSFW content involving Gwyn uncomfortable to consume, frequently acknowledges that her trauma doesn't define her, and of course she should be able to enjoy love whenever she feels ready for it. Those who say otherwise are readily condemned from all corners. I've seen it happen and called the people out myself, as have many other Elriel shippers when necessary. However, Elriels are still very regularly and very publicly blamed for the actions of a few (some of whom I truly believe are burner accounts wanting to cause chaos, with their Elriel themed usernames and no post history), despite our largely collective action to call them out when we see it.

Could we do better? Absolutely, but so can you!

Because, on the other hand, I've noticed that, whenever I or others have tried to explain why the pliable bones "theory" - which attempts to reason that Elain could never be endgame with Azriel, as she and any baby would die during the course of pregnancy or childbirth - is equally as harmful, we are met with people publicly and wholeheartedly refusing to understand why (especially recently). Some horrific comments have been made to my friends, not to mention all of those I see well after the fact, which are never widely condemned by any but us. People will argue back that we're wrong, and have even suggested we're weaponising infertility! On Mothers' Day, of all the fucking painful days to say that.

Some of the push back I've seen recently includes:

"Nobody has said Elain is infertile."

No, nobody has, and that's not what we're saying or have ever said. We know you don't think this, as the Elucien fandom loves to write and draw Elain and Lucien's hypothetical future children (which is super understandable, as this is a romantasy fandom after all - no shame, enjoy your warm fuzzies).

What we are saying is that, if it's true that Elain's anatomy wasn't changed as Feyre and Nesta's was - and to be clear I cannot stand that entire plot, I wish SJM had chosen literally any other reason why Feyre's pregnancy was dangerous, as it is simultaneously degrading and doesn't fit with her previously established lore - then Elain and Azriel, together^, would be functionally infertile. Yet it's only ever framed as Elain's body not being able to work with Azriel's, never the other way around.*

^Why didn't the bat boys have to sacrifice their wings to keep their wives/mates safe? Why did the women have to change their anatomy? Because it would make it harder for them to be all powerful? Well Nesta sacrificed her powers! Why not just have Feyre be cursed by an enemy or something, and Nesta found a way to use the Dread Trove to save them all. Ugh. I love SJM's books, but this was such a miss.

*HOSAB/HOFAS SPOILER: funnily enough, this was never said about Ruhn and his eventual mate, even though he actually did think he may be unable to father children, thanks to the Oracle's prophecy. People shipped the hell out of him and a couple of different women throughout the CC series, despite the chance he could never get them pregnant.

"People haven't called Elain damaged goods, so it's not the same. We're allowed to not like her."

My faerie porn* lover in christ, what the fuck do you think the pliable bones "theory" is actually doing? It is suggesting that Elain's hypothetical inability to survive having children with Azriel, and for those children to also survive childbirth, is impaired. Ergo, she's damaged.

We don't care if you don't like Elain, we're allowed to have different preferences in characters and ships. That has never been the problem.

*I use this term with affection as a great lover of the genre.

But "damaged" vs a functionally "impaired" uterus? It's the same damn thing, and sorry, it's misogynistic af, not to mention ableist and homophobic at a minimum. In the same breath you are also reducing your favourite to her apparently functional uterus (even though the pliable bones argument is medically inaccurate, by the way - this is really damning of the state of health education across so many countries).

"Hahaha/lol."

Yes, I have seen people laugh and treat this as a joke. As recently as tonight, in fact. It's disgusting.

Regardless of your lived experiences and shipping preferences, both of these takes about Elain and Gwyn are equally degrading and horrific and need to stop, but if you're only calling out the comments that hurt you/your friends/your ship and not the others, then you should maybe attempt some basic self reflection and analyse those double standards you're carrying.

This entire fandom needs to do better. I'll say again, for the umpteenth time, to any of my fellow Elriels that if you think mocking Gwyn's past is funny, then you're not mature enough to read an adult series. But this works both ways, and if you think mocking infertility is funny/use it as a win, then you're just as immature. I would really and truly appreciate it if we were not left alone to argue over and over again why discriminating against someone who couldn't "have a man's children" is wrong, and why many, many people in this adult fandom - that is largely comprised of women! - might find such a theory, and the resulting discourse, incredibly upsetting.

Infertility hurts; not having a kid when you want one can be viscerally painful. Besides that, I know very few people who have given birth who don't carry around some sort of emotional or physical trauma from doing so. Treating a character's hypothetical infertility with one man as a joke is gross.

Please don't call Gwyn "damaged goods" or suggest that Azriel would choose somebody else over Elain because she couldn't have his kids.

They are the same thing.

It's not hard to be kind. Pain is not a competition.

We should all do better, and take care of each other.

[womenmustgoon]

Reading as Resistance

In 2010, Azar Nafisi published a book that I considered my favorite—a statement that might seem simplistic or superficial coming from someone who has always identified as a compulsive reader. And yet, that’s how it was. I remember sitting on a patch of grass, completely absorbed in that Adelphi edition with its utterly unappealing cover—yet it captivated me, page after page. It transported me to a world culturally distant from my own and, while discussing books I had loved during my university years, it also spoke of a country I had dreamed of visiting for its artistic beauty and cultural allure: Iran.

It was 2010. I was a young woman full of dreams and expectations. That book embodied everything I had studied, the highest expression of what I had immersed myself in over the past ten years: literature, particularly English literature, Western cultures, the cultural divide that often appears to separate geographically distant peoples, the condition of women—most visibly subordinate in the Middle Eastern world—the emancipatory power of education, Islamic law, and the role of marriage in society.

Those were the years when I was beginning to explore the internet as a space for debate, when I was leading university seminars on forced marriage, analyzing it as a representation of the cultural clash experienced by second-generation Muslim populations in the West. Yet in those seminars, I always emphasized how this institution had also been an integral part of our own culture, used as a tool of control to suppress any rebellion against the preordained norms of patriarchal societies—societies that, only on the surface, seemed distant from Islamic culture.

Those were the years when I would spend hours talking to anyone who was willing to listen about how liberating education could be, how I saw it as the most powerful weapon against political dictatorships and cultural segregation. Those were the years when I fought to prove the power of words.

Then one day, long after its publication, I came across this book, and it was love at first page. A manifesto of disarmed and disarming rebellion. Perhaps too politically correct for the louder voices of the time, perhaps even a bit bourgeois—but to me, it was a powerful and compelling battle cry.

Reading Lolita in Tehran

Azar Nafisi, a professor at the University of Tehran, was forced to suspend her English literature course due to pressure from the regime that took power after Khomeini’s 1979 revolution. As a witness to the repression and violence her female students suffered at the hands of the morality police, she refused to give up teaching. Every Thursday, she gathered a small group of former students in her home, which became a refuge for reading and discussion. In this all-female space, far from the grip of dictatorship, these women spoke about themselves and their new reality in post-revolution Iran. For a brief moment, they experienced freedom—studying and seeing their own lives reflected in the pages of books banned by the Ayatollah, engaging in dialogue through the words of authors like Nabokov, Austen, and Fitzgerald.

Novels became tools for analyzing daily life, allowing these women to expose their vulnerabilities while also giving them a lens through which to deconstruct the new regime. Lolita, reduced to an object by Humbert’s monstrosity, became a symbol of their own dehumanization, while Jane Austen’s works, with their masterful use of what is said and left unsaid, provided insight into the evolving role of women across different times and places.

The professor explained to her students how, in their culture, the divide between love and sex was a barrier to a true perception of the female figure. And so, in one of their final meetings, she arrived with Pride and Prejudice in one hand and a book on female sexuality titled Our Bodies, Ourselves in the other. Once again, literature became a weapon—a means of preserving dignity and achieving self-awareness in its fullest sense. Nafisi proposed rebellion through literature, through self-knowledge and the pursuit of understanding, as the only form of resistance against censorship, against thought controlled and dictated by a society that fears women, fears equality, fears equity—but above all, fears knowledge.

I loved this book. I read and reread it until I practically wore it out. And yet, only a few days ago, I discovered the existence of a film adaptation by Israeli director Eran Riklis, released in November 2024.

The Cinematic Adaptation: A Complex Challenge

Riklis’ film takes on one of the most complex and, in a way, most spiritual challenges: adapting a literary work to the screen. A delicate endeavor that, personally, I have only ever truly admired in Ivory and Zeffirelli. On top of that, Riklis faced the challenge of bringing to the screen a book that, as mentioned earlier, is essentially a symphony of literary voices, spanning different eras and geographical origins. Nabokov, Austen, Brontë, Flaubert, Naipaul, and Fitzgerald seem to engage in conversation, prompting the reader to question the limits of their own freedom to act.

In my opinion, the director does a fairly good job of achieving his goal, effectively conveying the oppressive atmosphere of post-revolutionary Tehran even to viewers unfamiliar with its historical or political context. He highlights the stark contrast between the rigid, suffocating world outside and the secret meetings between Nafisi and her students, alternating between moments of breath and tension for the audience.

And yet, despite the film’s clear and effective message about the power of literature, it lacks the strong sociological analysis that Nafisi so brilliantly weaves into her narrative. Riklis only lightly touches on what Nafisi states outright in her book: that Islam and the Islamic Revolution are two distinct and distant entities. Furthermore, the director largely overlooks the many references to Persian literary culture, particularly excerpts from One Thousand and One Nights, which Nafisi considers just as powerful as the coveted yet forbidden Western literary tradition.

The male characters also seem stripped of depth, resulting in an almost caricatured portrayal of Iranian society—an aspect that, at times, might make viewers question the intentions behind the film’s Israeli production. Another limitation is the film’s minimal representation of historical events—aside from the initial scenes of student protests during the revolution—whereas Nafisi’s book provides a rich, detailed account of her twenty years in Iran, from her return from the United States to her final escape in the late 1990s.

Had the film been bolder in its storytelling and paid closer attention to Iran’s history, it could have reached a wider audience and made a stronger impact. Instead, it gives the impression of being aimed at a niche audience already familiar with Nafisi’s book—viewers equipped with the necessary references to understand its many literary citations.

The Power of Words

It is a powerful film, still worth watching, but one that, if I may say so, misses the opportunity to highlight an issue that extends beyond Iran’s morality police and revolution. The role of words—just like that of images, in this case—is to awaken dormant consciences, to shake us from the fragility of our time, from the precariousness and existential uncertainty that define contemporary global history.

The power of words. The power of knowledge. The freedom to know oneself as the ultimate answer to the suffocating repression of singular thought.

Reading as the highest form of freedom—this has always been the true act of rebellion.

Source: Leggere Lolita a Teheran: la ribellione della parola

[el-moscorrofio-y-el-mercachifle]

I loove the theory that Mario loved secretly Armando. They are both toxic but I think they would get along great as a couple 😭

What do you think about them?

Hiii! Thanks for the question🥰 but I think you arent going to like my answer at all lmao

Tbh, I don't like the theory or the ship lol I will proceed to explain why so if you don't want to see the ship or theory dragged I apologize but since you asked my opinion ig I'll be honest lmao

1. I don't see the theory that Mario was in love with Armando viable because it goes against my personal interpretation of the character.

I see Mario as a manipulative and nearly machiavellian hedonistic man. I see his actions as coming from a place of mere fun and manipulation. He cares about himself above all else, and if he has to step on top of others to preserve himself, his position, his entertainment and his power, so be it (ex. The plan, ofc. He doesn't care about using Betty). He doesn't care about the harm he causes others: women are toys to be used and discarded, ans men are tools. Women can be controlled by their emotions (Patricia, Betty, Marcela), and men through their fears (Armando). The only person who we ever see Calderón sort of caring about is Armando, and even then it's highly debatable to which degree he truly cared. When Armando is at his lowest points we continually see Calderón further kicking him down, like when Armando is nearly having a crisis about his sexual frustrations due to Betty's refusal and Mario starts taunting him about Nicolás being the one to satisfy Betty and that he's better at sex/bigger than Armando. We see Mario alternate between checking the grounds to see where Armando is at (he's a very observant man and can quickly tell when something is off. Ex. When Betty was injured. Ex.2. Calderón extremly quickly realizes Armando feels different about Betty) making fun of him for his emotional turmoil even after Armando has told him it's very important to him. Mario's body language is very important, too. You see how he processes information much better in his facial expressions than with words. If you're interested in a deep analysis of dkfferent but crucial scenes, I recommend checking out @youwontlikethisblog 's posts. But yeah, Mario is very manipulative and his actions come from looking for his own benefit.

I know that the last paragraph sounded super sinister, but that's who Mario is in my eyes. We just don't see it as plainly because he's funny and handsome, but morally speaking, he's barely a step above Daniel lol. He's funny in the things he says, his mannerisms, and he's super charming, which is why men like him are much more dangerous than men like Daniel lmao with Daniel, at least you know sknce the first hello thay he's a jerk, with Mario, you see a polite smile and a cute laugh and next thing you know you're betraying the person you trusted the most or dragged along in an empty relationship full of empty promises lmao

Anyways, continuing:

His relationship with Armando is based on fun and usefulness. They both start as very cruel men who just use women and discard them, feeling nothing towards them and making fun of them/ their intimacy behind their backs. (Ex. When Betty is showing Mario about how she tranfered Armando's phonebook to the computer, and the name of a woman comes up, and both Mario and Armando start joking about Armando having "voice lessons" with her while they start mockingly moaning in a female voice)

They both lacked morals and that's why Mario had fun with Armando, because they were partners in crime. They could be cruel in front of each other and have fun with it. Whatever attempt Armando made to change and be a better man, Mario knew it was empty (ex. When he says he won'tcheat any more on Marcela right after the engagement, just to end up going with Claudia Bosch as soon as Mario suggested it).

Armando disapproved some of Mario's behaviors (like him going for vulnerable women, which already set the ground for Armando's later moral development) but it wasn't a big deal. Once Armando starts to actually develop a firm moral stance, change, and now cares about the damage he's causing to women (Betty, Marcela, Alejandra), Mario finds it weird and offputting ans boring. Armando is no longer fun to be around, and is, instead, actually being a hinderance to Mario's fun (ex. When Mario wants to be with Alejandra and Armando forbids him), and also a moodkiller (ex. When Mario is reading Betty's diary, he looks interested, relaxed, he's finding it amusing and even says thay Betty writes wrll, then Armando comes in and the whoel fight starts).

Additionally, Mario benefited grratly from that friendship. When Armando was a future President and then President, Mario had his position as VP secured. After everything falls apart, Mario still has skin in the game as he continues being owner of a small percentage of Ecomoda, so it's still in his best interest to save it, but his friendship with Armando is no longer useful as he's now desitute. This is when Mario goes on to full cruel mode. He doesn't even seem to care that much that Armando literally tried to kill himself. His supposed best friend was so down that tried to kill himself in a very brutal and slow way with full intention to feel every last moment of pain trying to pay for what he did, and Mario barely cares. He actively contribjtes further to Armando's emotional pain by casually asking if perhaps the woman thay Armando is fully in love with never actually loved him at all.

So yeah, I think Calderón had good chemistry with Armando (they're super fun and entertaining to see together! God knows I laughed the hardest with Calderón's scenes)x but I don't see love there because love is beautiful, gentle, and selfless. Mario wanted fun and cared not for Armando or anyone else. I truly don't see Mario as capable of feeling true love, lmao

2. I don't like the ship, either. I think it would be just as toxic as Armando/Marcela

Armando is a very wild, emotional, and pretty brutal man. He is a whole ass storm lmao and he needs proper calm to be able to flourish his good side and actually be a good. That's why he fits with Betty so well, because she's calm and calculative and soft and tender and happy.

Mario may seem calm and happy, but he's none of these really. He's calm not because he has great control over himself and is able to handle emotions in a mature way, he's calm because he doesn't care ans has to keep a facade in front of everyone all the time (which is why when Armando hits him in front of everyone Mario doesn't even pay the slightless attention to him and his speech, all his attention is to the cuartel and everyone watching, because thay's the only thing he truly cares about: his image. This is also why after it's lost, he truly leaves.) He's also not happy, he's funny and makes fun of everything and everyone because he doesn't care and probably finds feelings, guilt and empathy a laughable matter (especially if it's towards women). This is seen to infuriate Armando throughout the novela lol in comparison, Betty's true happiness and calmness brings him peace that allows him to reflect and think his actions through instead of just reacting on instinct to put his barriers up (ex. The first collection with the bad fabrics. When everything is calm and Betty offers support, Armando actually allows himself to wonder if he's doing the right thing instead of just aggressively defend his position).

Mario is also very dismissive of Armando's emotions, very similar to how Marcela does it. Neither of them really care about him but rather how his behavior will affect them (Marcela: how it'd affect the engagement/ Mario: how it'd affect Ecomoda, aka his source of income). Some examples of this dismissiveness are like how Mario constantly tells him to suck up his guilt and move on or how he needs to marry Marcela even though they barely stand each other.

Mario is also deeply allergic to commitment lol Armando actually wanted a commited love and a traditional family (marriagex children) while that's what Mario despises the most. There would be lots of cheating and insecurity on that relationship, ans we all know how Armando handles that when he's in love lmao

Anyways I think I already wrote too much lmao I could make a whole essay in this topic fr, but you get the idea lmao

Sorry if this isn't the answer you would have liked! I still loved the question because I've been wanting to talk about those two for ages but couldn't bring myself to do it! ❤️

[thesilverlady]

Judging by how Ryan love to show his feminist ideals by making female characters go through unspeakable amount of non-canon abuse and violence. And the only way for Rhaenyra's story to be a progressive/feminist tale is by making her get abused by the men around her. I am going to assume it's wouldn't be that far for Ryan to change Rhae's death and makes her gets raped in 4k scene by aegon (who should be disabled but we know Ryan loves to ignore source material) like show Rhaenyra's got zero respect from the writers. Like even her relationship with Daemon which wasn't healthy in the book to begin with , is now not really about her but because Daemon got the hots for Viserys (some leaks implies it for Aemma) he started projecting into her and entered a relationship with her bc it's the closest he can get to Visussy 🤓 f&b was already bad for me personally but Ryan is such a talented mf he managed to come up with much worse

*sorry for the rant I don't really ship daemrya but I really hate watching a female character get non-canon abuse just for the writers to prove a point about a male character *

Edit: My answer became very negative so for the pookies who want to avoid discourse and negativity pls scroll past ♥

it's alright! no need to apologize! 🫶

tbh with you I do enjoy daemyra very much in the book but I fully acknowledge their dynamic has its toxicity (tbf it's super rare to find a wholesome, sweet, "healthy" asoiaf couple and I probably wouldn't even get that hooked compared to how I get with the dark ones)

That being said, the couple lost me already by s1 ep4, so it terms of shipping I've given up waiting anything from them

Now about the writing, hotd has been misogynistic from the start so I'm not exactly waiting for a transformation to happen in s2.

in s1 Alicent’s character was rewritten - in such a way that the new version of her doesn't even experience a moment of happiness or a second of having autonomy or power. She's always someone's punching bag while also her being hypocritical and nasty to Rhaenyra

Laena's way of death was completely unnecessary and brutal, similiar to Aemma's. And the fact they made getting burnt alive being "a dragon rider's death" already gave a hint about how Rhaenyra's death will be seen if it follows canon.

asoiaf established how brutal dragon fire is when Rhaegal bathed Quentyn after he tried to tame Viserion. It's not "honorable" as hotd tries to make it be, it's torturous. And my concern with Rhaenyra's death is that it won't be seen for its brutality.

To continue Baela & Rhaena were barely given any lines, their role as kids was getting dismissed but their dad and as adults they were just standing silently - you'd think they were background characters.

Mysaria's character was brushed off by erasing the child loss she went through due to Viserys - which debatably worked as a trigger for the events she also did in the plot.

Rhaenys was downright written as an idiot who was envious of Rhaenyra and instead of supporting her, she was trying to "humble" her by being an asshole. When she got the opportunity to destroy the greens during the coronation she walked away because.... *check notes" she made eye contact with alicent and the power of motherhood won? her granddaughters being engaged wasn't enough for her to act I guess.

Then there's Helaena, who while she did have an extremely tiny role in the book, it doesn't justify making her extra passive. I've talked about this before but making her having "dragon dreams" is useless and a waste of time and it's also a great excuse to have her be dismissed and ignored.

Helaena in the book was said to be pleasant, motherly, patient and calm. I won't mention the leaks I've read about b&c but if they're true they paint her in a very weird light.

Rhaenyra deserves an entire post of her own. If alicent was the punching bad Rhaenyra is the bing bong boll being tosses from one person to another each second.

So yeah, the issue isn't about shipping or even which teams anyone sides with. The writing is atrocious to all the female characters, and what's the cherry on top is the showrunners constantly patting themselves in the back for being "feminist" and GA falls for it!

I'm so burnt out 😩 This is why I've decided to attempt turn off the media analysis for the show 'cause it's like kicking a dead horse. My goal for this season is to try to vent less and enjoy whatever I can put of context without thinking too hard about it.

[shadowphoenixrider]

Sloshed

(Shadow has a bit too much to drink. Gambit takes care of her.)

Gambit can't remember what the occasion was for, which is a little bad considering the X-Mansion isn't usually the host of big parties where the liquor flows freely, but proprietary is only a concern on jobs.

His eyes are on the woman animatedly chatting the ear off a very patient Jean Grey. Shadow was prone to spill out long lectures about things she was interested and or passionate about normally, yet tonight they'd discovered that alcohol further loosened her tongue, turning branching tangents into wild forests with the original point lost within.

Shadow wasn't one to drink, preferring cola or other soft drinks, but this event necessitated at least some wine - which both explained her current state and why her brother Ebak had completely vanished.

An idea Gambit would have loved to copy, if it wasn't for the fact Shadow looked drop dead gorgeous in a suit, all crisp lines politely hugging her curves that made his heart drum excitedly against his chest. He wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to see her looking so good.

And he was glad he hadn't, learning that if she had to drink, she had a taste for red wine and that, well...

The mutant that served as the X-Men's medic was only five foot three inches, and unused to drink, let alone wine. A single glass had completely floored her. Gambit wondered idly if her powers were magnifying the effects, considering the effects of some other things they regularly engaged in.

But not now. Ever since he'd noticed the slight sway to her gait, Gambit had been keeping an eye on his beloved. The only danger might be from Morph pranking her, but protectiveness curled around him, along with knowing she was going to wake up feeling like the day after Mardi Gras.

It was when Shadow started to sway on her feet even whilst she was standing still that he made his move.

"Pardon me, mes amies," he spoke breezily, striding over and looping an arm around Shadow's narrow waist, flashing a brilliant grin. "Don' mean to interrupt, but it be gettin' late for dis belle. Gambit gon' show her to her room for de night."

Jean bowed her head in a nod, a small smile on her lips.

"Of course, Remy. Good night to the both of you." She didn't need to speak into his head for him to read the gratitude on her face, but she did anyway. "I was about to call you over."

"Thanks, but I've been keeping an eye on her for a while." He replied.

"C'mon, petite brigand." Gambit said, gently tugging her with his arm. "Time for de two of us to turn in."

"But I'm sstill awaake!" Shadow giggled, stumbling into his side with an 'oof!'.

"For de moment, maybe." Said Gambit, guiding her away from the throngs of people and noise. "But Gambit know you. You gonna get silly an' tired, den fall asleep somewhere ya neck an' head gonna hate in de morning."

"Am fine..." Despite her protests, she didn't resist him. She struggled to walk in a straight line without his assistance, grumbling about it when she narrowly avoided colliding with a doorframe.

As the party ebbed away, Shadow became quieter too, leaning more of her weight on him. When they got to the stairs, she uttered a plaintive whine.

"Up there?!"

"'Fraid so, chère." Gambit tried not to laugh at the way her face scrunched up as if she'd just eaten a lemon. "Not to worry, though." He crouched down, looping an arm under her knees and lifting her up. "Gambit's got ya."

Shadow giggled musically, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Oooo, my heroooo!" She cooed loudly in his ear, kissing his cheek messily. "Am I your pretty princess?"

Gambit chuckled, setting off up the stairs.

"If y' want to be, chère." He shrugged her off from trying to kiss his neck. "Ah ah, none o' dat. We goin' to bed to sleep."

"Awww, no fair!" He winced at how loud she uttered this so close to his face. She folded her arms and pouted. "Spoilsport."

"Maybe when y' feelin' more yourself, mon ombre." As he reached the landing, he briefly debated setting her down. He decided against it when she leaned back over his arm to let her head dangle - it would take too long for her to remember how her legs worked.

"Wheeee!" The Cajun couldn't resist a deep chuckle at how childish she seemed, even if now she had made herself more of a wide load.

"Tuck ya head in for Gambit, dere's a good girl." He muttered softly as he weaved through a doorway.

"Mmmm, take me to dinner first, big boy." She crooned, and he rolled his eyes. Should have seen that coming.

"Good thin' Gambit jus' puttin' you to bed den, eh?"

"Are you suuuure?" She grinned up at him, ear to ear, swinging an arm dangerously below his waist.

"Oui." He held her away from his body, eying her seriously and saying firmly: "Shadow, behave y'self, or we gonna sleep separate tonight."

That did it; although Shadow pouted sadly at him, she pulled her hands back up to her chest, curling up into an easier-to-hold bundle.

"Sorry..." She mumbled into his chest when he pulled her back in.

"It be okay, mon amie." He replied, shifting her into one arm to fish out his dorm key. "Jus' don' want you to be havin' regrets in de mornin'."

The fact she didn't answer implied she was already having those regrets - not ideal, but that probably meant the alcohol was beginning to wear off. They would sort it the next day, when they were sharper.

Gambit flipped the bedside light on for its soft glow, laying Shadow gently down on the bed. She was mostly limp and her blue eyes were glazing over - it would be a miracle if she managed to stay awake for much longer.

"Help me get ya stuff off before ya make sleep, Shadow," he said, quickly unlacing her shoes, tugging them and her socks off.

She grumbled something completely incomprehensible, and managed to get half a sleeve off her jacket, rolling awkwardly onto her side and getting stuck. Gambit shook his head and went to assist. She moaned unhappily.

"'Preciate de effort, ma chère, but startin' to t'ink ya be a bit too tired for this." He knelt on the bed, lifting her upright to lean against him as he stripped the jacket and pale blue shirt off her, along with her bra. She uttered a soft puffing sigh of relief. "Yeah, bet dat feel better, don't it?" He smiled, rubbing at the pressure marks left in her skin. She uttered a quiet affirmative noise.

Reaching under the pillow, he pulled out a soft pair of grey cat pyjamas. "Arms up please, chère." Despite her fatigue, she did as asked, and he pulled the top down over her head and arms. "Merci, mon ombre." He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Put ya arms down now."

Shadow flopped back onto the bed as he stripped her trousers and underwear off much the same way, dressing her in the pyjama trousers in a less than dignified manner as slumber began to really take hold of the smaller mutant.

"Remy..." She moaned softly, eyelids fluttering.

"Hush now, petite oiseau." He murmured softly, pressing a kiss to her head as he tucked her under the covers. "Go to sleep now. Remy be wit you in jus' a coupla moments."

"Mmmrrr...luv you." She mumbled, head flopping to the side.

"Love you too." Another kiss to her cheek. "Sweet dreams, Shadow."

Expectedly, she was out like a light when he returned from the bathroom, drooling on her pillow. Gambit smiled; even like this, she looked lovely.

Slipping into bed in front of her - unsure how her hangover would manifest - Gambit flicked the light off and joined her in the realm of dreams.

---

It was unusual for Gambit to wake first, eyes flickering open to see Shadow still fast asleep in front of him, and he took this rare moment to admire her. She looked so peaceful, her thick curly hair so wild around her soft sleeping features that it took a considerable amount of restraint for him not to sink his hand into it, cup her cheek and feel her curls around his fingers.

Indeed, Shadow sleeping in to this degree had thrown him off - normally she was up with the larks, much to the Cajun's chagrin, always wanting to slip out of his arms and start the day instead of staying for those precious five more minutes of sleep. How ironic - the one time his wish had been granted, it was when his lover might be too prickly to even allow a touch.

Luckily, he didn't have to debate with himself for long; Shadow uttered a grunt, her face immediately screwing up as the hangover's headache came swinging in with a vengeance.

"Shadow?" Gambit whispered softly.

Tired blue eyes cracked open, hazy with pain. His heart panged to see her like this.

"Remy...?" She croaked, voice scraping through her gravel-lined throat.

"Hey dere, mon amour." He reached out tentatively, brushing her hair from her face. "How ya feelin'?"

"Like shit." She mumbled. "Fuck, thought I drank enough water last night."

"Wine be very strong, an' you ain't used to it, petite. You take it easy today, yeah?"

"If Scott wants me to do drills, he can go fuck himself." She grumbled, eyes sliding closed again.

"Won't be jus' you feelin' last night." Gambit assured her. "'Sides, Jean pro'ly told him how outta it ya were. He ain't gonna be cruel like dat."

Shadow snorted, keeping her eyes closed. Gambit tentatively leant forward, placing a kiss on her temple before he slid out of bed. He showered quickly, figuring out his gameplan. She'd need some ibuprofen to ride out the headache, and for that she needed food. The Cajun wasn't one for humble breakfasts, but he'd forgo that so the woman he loved could eat and keep something down.

She hadn't moved when he stepped out of the bathroom, towel tucked around his waist, and he wondered if she'd fallen asleep again. That was until she opened her eyes again, lifting her head.

"Remy..." He strode over to her.

"Oui?"

"I'm sorry about last night," she said. "The way I was acting. I'm sorry you had to put up with that."

Gambit smiled softly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"It's alright. Y' forgiven, chère."

She looked away, finding the rumpled bedsheets more interesting.

"I still shouldn't have done it."

"No, but what matters is you stopped when I told you to." Gambit reached over, placing a hand on her side. She still looked doubtful, so he persisted: "Scientist like you knows dat drink loosens people up, makes de foolish choices look better. Bein' flirty any other time woulda been fine, jus' de booze sandin' off de finesse. And what matters," he reached over to gently tilt her head towards him, "is dat ya stopped. Coulda jus' let the drink do the talkin', but ya didn't. 'Cos dat who ya are, deep down."

Shadow sighed softly.

"I just...I'd never want to make you uncomfortable, and yet last night..."

"Didn' make me uncomfortable, Shadow. Trust me, compared to some drunks I seen, ya polite as anythin'!"

"Yeah but I shouldn't have done it in the first place!"

"An' when were th' last time ya had a drink, eh?" Gambit's eyebrow arched. "Girl like you always drinkin' soda ain't gonna know how to handle herself when de wine flowin'." He sighed. "You bein' too hard on yaself, Shadow."

"I just..."

"Give me your hands, chère." He reached out, and after a moment, Shadow pulled hers out from under the covers. He took them in his, leaning over to press kisses to her knuckles, before gently drawing them to place them over his bare chest. She twinged, trying to shy away, but he didn't let her, holding her hands in place until he felt her start to relax. "I trust you, Kat," he said lowly. "Trusted you den, trust you now. Last night changed nothin'. Not to me."

She didn't say anything for a couple of seconds, before hanging her head.

"God. I'm sorry for being like this, Remy. I-"

"Hey now, it's alright." His hands slid down her arms to pull her into a hug, tucking her head under his chin. "You gotta big, kind heart, and you try to take all de worries of de world into it." He stroked her cheek tenderly. "Don' gotta be perfect. Not for me."

Gambit wasn't sure if she was crying or not, but he held her until she lifted her head up - her eyes were full of tears, yet they'd stayed in place. "Feelin' a bit better?" He asked her softly.

"A li'l." She wiped her face. "Still feel like I headbutted Logan, but less that I was a horrible creep to you." A pause. "Thank you."

"Always." Gambit kissed her head. "An' for de record, ya weren't a creep. Jus' a little too handsy fer ya state of mind." He caught the look that flashed across her face. "Ah ah, no. No blamin' yaself. You make Remy sad if ya blame yaself for somethin' he forgave ya for already."

There it was - a little smile - tugging at the corners of her lips.

"You're sounding like Ber."

"Someone gotta when ya bein' mean to yaself." Gambit smiled, booping her nose. Her smile grew, and his heart jumped for joy. "Ah, dere she is, ma belle Ombre."

"Stop flattering me." She grumbled unseriously.

"Non." He grinned. "Anyway, how ya feelin' for food? Gambit'll rustle up somethin' gentle for ya stomach, den ya can have somethin' for that headache."

"Ugh, so long as it's not much." Shadow touched her belly. "Things do not feel good in here."

"Figured as much." He kissed her head again, before reluctantly uncurling from her. "Go get clean an' some comfy clothes, Gambit'll handle everythin' else."

"Sure." She nodded. Just before he left, she called him: "Remy?"

"Oui?"

"Thank you. For everything." Shadow smiled, even through the pain tensed around her eyes. "Last night and this morning especially."

He smiled back.

"No problem, ma chère. Remy always be here for you. Je t'aime."

"Je t'aime aussi." Shadow replied, and Gambit beamed, falling in love with her all over again.

[dracocheesecake]

Random Dorcean Headcanons

Baby Dorceans are referred to as 'eyas'.

They are given balls of tough fat from the parents' kills to chew on while they teethe.

Baby Dorceans are covered in something called 'baby downy'. It's a softer, fluffier version of the tough, coarse hairs the adults are covered in, and is a lighter shade of gray. They lose this as they age.

They can make their first kill at about one year of age, the minute they finally learn how to control their limbs. However, some wait until they can participate in an official hunt- there's a marked difference in their society between kills you make to eat as an infant and kills you make for sport when you're older.

At the age of one trilustralis (15) they are considered adults and usually are expected to look after themselves for the most part (with little supervision and assistance from parents and relatives).

Clans are just very large family groups that occasionally convene in one place (the Leader's camp) for festivals, judicial matters, hunts, recording and celebrating births and matings, or reporting deaths.

They elect their leaders. This tends to be a long, tedious process full of voting, reasonings, debates, arguments, and long speeches. However sometimes there can be a duel between candidates if one of them wants to cut the process short- however, as they are family, it cannot be to the death (no Dorcean would follow someone who kills their own family for power).

Dorceans have three hearts (and can survive without one of them!)

In their creation myth, their Goddess is dead. She died in an attempt to solve all of her people's problems and make their lives eternal paradise; She failed.

Dorceans don't believe in an afterlife: they believe in an endless cycle of reincarnation. In some sects, it's believed the number of kills made determines if they will be reborn as Dorceans again or not.

Female Dorceans have scars on their necks ('love notches' or just 'notches' as informally known) which marks how many males/partners they have in their harem.

Female Dorceans are very rare, as they are more solitary than the males, only rarely engaging with civilization. They're nomadic and extensive travelers, following the migration patterns of their prey or in some cases, having their own territory that can stretch for miles.

[tickldpnk8]

Shipper Tag Game

Thanks for the tags @windsweptinred and @writing-for-life! Sorry it's taken me a bit: this week has been really hectic, but this is a fun one! I suspect that my answers may be a bit of a blend of both of yours.

What ship were you completely obsessed with as a teenager, but now you don't care about anymore?

I still actively ship the same pairings I did as a teenager. Mostly because I tend to like canon pairings, so when I engage with a fandom, it tends to be through that lens.

What ship would you consider your first one?

The earliest ship I remember liking is Clark Kent/Lois Lane from Lois and Clark. But this was pre-computer in my house growing up. The first ship I really got into online fan culture with and fan fiction was Harry/Ginny from HP.

Your first fanfic was about which couple?

So I've never written fanfic: I'm more of a fan art person, although I'm pretty shy about posting it. My earliest fan art was probably something Disney...most likely The Little Mermaid as a kid. My most recent foray back into fan art was for The Unknown and Static Strange, Dreamling fic. Otherwise, I've just had fun painting Morpheus' hair.

Do you remember the first couple you saw fan art of?

Most likely Harry/Ginny: there was this excellent artist, whose name (I think) was Marta, who used to post watercolor sketches on her own site called The Art Dungeon: they were gorgeous and really helped shape how I pictured the characters as I read the books. I'd love to find her artwork again to see what her portfolio is like now if she's still working as an artist.

Have you ever gotten into ship discourse?

Oh man...do you know how non-confrontational I am?? I won't touch it with a 10 ft pole: first whiff of a debate going heated and I nope out of there. I took a peek at the Loki tags when season 2 came out and couldn't close my browser fast enough. Ship and let ship, but don't ask me to comment on it.

Did you use to have any NOTP or have one currently?

I generally avoid anything that a huge power imbalance: (think: underage student with an adult teacher). But other than that, I've come to embrace any ship if the writing is good enough. Almost any trope too.

Who were the last couple in the last fanfic you read?

I'm super excited to see Hounds is updating again, even if I've largely moved on from actively pursuing Dreamling. And I LOVED @writing-for-life's The Light of Stars (Morpheus x OC). I dabbled in a few Loki one-shots recently, too.

Currently, do you have any OTPs?

Man, that's hard...because I'm honestly not reading fanfic for the ships: I'm mostly reading it to satisfy the brain rot. So while I tend to prefer canon-adjacent or gen fics (missing moments, alt POV, etc), it seems that the best way to find those is through searching ship tags. Sandman seems to be the exception: I want all of these characters to pair up with all of the other characters and all bets are off the table. If the writing is solid and the plot is intriguing, I'm in!

Is there any couple that, to this day, that you are extremely mad about not getting into?

Not really: I don't invest so much in the ships I like and hate that I can't Ship and Let Ship. Likewise, if I want to read something, I will. And if it's not for me, I'll just ignore it. I also don't get so invested that if it doesn't become canon I'm upset: I kind of figure all things are possible in Lucienne's library

Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they're kind of interesting?

I honestly didn't really like the idea of Dreamling to start: it's not a canon pairing, I wouldn't have put the spin on Hob's character that fandom seems to have latched onto, and I really like that he's the one platonic friendship that Morpheus has able to form. But I find the idea of someone living for that long infinitely intriguing so I dipped into the tags, and some of the most well-known and well-beloved early fics for this pairing really caught my attention and hooked me in. But since then...my interest has waned. As others have pointed out, it's just everywhere and hard to filter. It's also starting to feel a bit OOC as fandom does what they do in shaping a character's portrayal.

I tend to go in spurts where I really like a certain dynamic and then I get bored with the fic selection for a pairing. But generally, I'll always come back to it after enough time. I really want to see more Desire-centric pairings like Desunity as I think they're a really interesting character and it could be interesting to explore them in different relationships given their function.

Do you have any ship that, in the past, would have been considered normal but now you would be cancelled over?

I've been in fandom spaces a long time, but I don't think any of them would be considered problematic today. It's more likely that there are things I used to feel were problematic, but I'm actually okay with now. I've grown a lot as a reader (and a human) over time.

What is your favorite crack ship?

Prob Morpheus and his Helmet (have we named this yet @writing-for-life?? it needs a worthy ship name). I'm also fairly certain that I coined the name Timeslayer for the Loki fandom (or might have simultaneously come up with the name when others did). But I've never seen a ship sink so quickly.

What is the couple you read the most fanfics about?

Lately, it's been Dream x Joanna (ConstantDream) coming off of a big DreamMuse kick that was followed by Dream x Lucienne.

What do most of your ships have in common?

That's hard! I was going to say Hard Candy Shell of a Guy reveals he has a Gooey Nougat Center...but really it just comes down to 1) is the writing good? 2) is the plot intriguing? 3) do the characters feel in-character? If you satisfy those 3 things, I'll likely read it.

What do you absolutely hate in a ship?

Absolutely nothing outright. I'll sometimes go off a ship a little once it reaches that point where fanon locks in too tight around it. But I think that's a very me problem, as I crave variation/new experiences/ideas. I'll still love the ship, I'll just know that's just my time to move onto something new and come back and visit every so often.

^ @windsweptinred couldn't have nailed this better. I crave new: new perspectives, new takes on a character or dynamic, new AU scenarios. So once things get a bit too repetitive across authors, I'll pull back and visit something else.

This was fun! Thanks again for the tags. I've been minimally online this week so am not sure who else has done this: if you follow me and want to participated consider this your chance!