#minimal romance

[mycloudymind]

{RECAP} Re/Member

It’s night, and a little girl, Miko Onoyama, is clutching her doll, Emily, while she runs for her life from an axe-wielding perpetrator. Miko does her best to hide, but ultimately, she’s killed and dismembered by her attacker.  Years into the future, we follow six students Asuka, Takahiro, Rie, Rumiko, Shota, and Atushi. Asuka is an outcast, ignored by everyone, and she has a crush on her…

[jaal-ama-daravv]

Ghilan'nain Threatens Rooks LI - Emmrich Edition

thanks @redbatchedcumbermayned for sharing where to find it!

[spawnofbhaal]

A take I've been seeing at times (which is valid, people interpret things differently) is that Rook will know the "real" Solas more than the Inquisitor did (even a romanced Lavellan) and . . . I personally don't agree. Solas the god is just as much of a mask as "I'm a simple apostate" Solas. Solas' followers in Tevinter Nights and the comics know him as Fen'Harel, but they don't know him as a person. Iirc in one of the comics (the Blue Wraith or Magekiller series maybe?) a follower of his calls him "master," which is anathema to everything Solas believes in. How much your character (Inquisitor or presumably Rook) gets to know the real him depends on the effort they put into it and the empathy they show him.

Also, the circumstances of Inquisition facilitate Solas being able to show his true personality quite well. He *has* to interact with people rather than distancing himself from them the way he did before the Conclave and after Corypheus' defeat; he is exposed to views that differ from his that he can't resist speaking against; he can form true connections with others he befriends or falls in love with. He tells romanced Lavellan they saw more of him than most, and that he would not romance them under false pretenses and pretend to be someone he isn't. I take these statements at face value because I think his writer is trying to tell us Solas is genuine with romanced Lavellan (as they have said to fans in the past). The man who loves telling stories, who hates tea and loves frilly cakes, who kisses with tongue, who lights his own coat on fire sometimes, that is the real Solas. The Inquisitor just has to pay attention to see it.

While someone's history is an important part of who they are, and I'm sure we will discover a lot about Solas' past in Veilguard, a person is also not entirely defined by their history. Solas' past and present godlike power is also not what defines him as a person. The impression I got from Trespasser is that even though Fen'Harel is an important part of who Solas is, at the center of it all, he's just a man. Fen'Harel was a title forced upon him, as Inquisitor was forced on our protagonist. I don't think Solas' entire personality is going to change just because he's taken on the mantle of Fen'Harel again now. And I don't think he will be entirely transparent with Rook, not unless they work hard for his trust over the course of the game. I actually expect Solas to start off as more cold and closed off than in DAI because he isn't in a situation where he has to act friendly.

I somewhat resent the implication that Solas as he has already shown himself to be in DAI is not the real Solas, that romanced!Lavellan only loves him as the apostate hobo when the whole point of the romance is Lavellan seeing past the disguise. And Lavellan learns the truth of him being Fen'Harel in Trespasser (Lavellan can even piece it together by themselves before they confront Solas!!!) and can still be in love with him ("If you had just told me;" "I loved you. Did you really think I wouldn't have understood?"; "I would have had you trust me"). Honestly, I think that's why the romance works at all: Solas was in a situation where he could show his genuine personality, and that's what Lavellan falls in love with. Not an idealized humble woodsman, nor a powerful godlike being, but a flawed, conflicted person. I don't know how it gets more "real" than that.

[galina]

Anyone's Ghost, August Thompson – enjoyed this advance review copy way more than I expected, it broke through my cynical shell and turned me into a soft wobbly mess. An angsty cheesy beautiful queer love story that will be a perfect crying-on-holiday read, comes out in July.

[starry-bi-sky]

pouring one out for luo binghe in my disciple SQQ fic, poor guy has taken a backseat here. we're nearly 30k words deep and he hasn't even shown his face once. it'll be much longer before he even actually talks to Shen Qingqiu.

(i say im pouring one out but in reality im sitting in my director's chair chewing on a cigar and wearing a beret as he tearily and unsuccessfully pleads with me for more scenes with Shen Qingqiu)

[alex-the-bringer-of-chaos]

Ok, let's be honest, these two:

Are the bi4bi couple.

[kiaa-chin]

　　　 　 . 𝜗　 ˚ 🤍 .　 ∿ ᴗ͈

[sunrisesinthesuburbs]

Beautiful Things

Rating: M

Chapters: 12/12, complete! (65k)

TAGS: Actor Aziraphale; Chef Crowley; Both are Disgraced; Isle of Skye; Autumn Romance; Falling in Love; Dogs; Rain; Bickering; Awkward Flirting; Idyllic Country Life

Two London snobs (accomplished professionals highly respected in their fields, thank you very much) are forced to stop and reconsider their life and career choices after a horrible summer. Strongly encouraged by their entourage to take a break and reconnect with nature, whatever that means, they find themselves on the same idyllic Scottish island by some strange twist of fate. New neighbours and temporary owners of two nearly identical cottages that are in desperate need of new plumbing and better kitchens, burned out actor Aziraphale and disgraced chef Crowley can’t stop running into each other. 

Autumn on the Isle of Skye is rainy and lonely, and everyone needs some company. And if the company is so good that parting seems unbearable, it’s just part of the magic of the island, surely. Afterall, they only have one autumn.

chapter twelve: are there still beautiful things?

[coyote-ralyn]

W: Time Catcher: Vesper.

[lightshiningforth]

My opinion on Charles and Crystal is that they ARE cute together and they DO like each other but they can’t possibly last, both for reasons they know and reasons they don’t. It’s sincerely sweet and tragic.

Crystal is alive, and being with Crystal makes Charles feel more alive. She’s fit and she has a bite to her and she’s the first new friend he’s had since he died. Crystal is overlooked by her parents (not that she knows it at first) and haunted by David, and Charles sees her and stands up for her and likes her as she is. They’ve got a really lovely thing.

But it’s doomed, you know? It’s doomed to end. Crystal will grow up, and Charles won’t. Further, Charles’s closest person in his life is Edwin, and will continue to be Edwin. It’s not that he can’t love anyone else… but the role of (after)life partner for Charles is already spoken for.

Anyway. I say this has someone who thinks Charles and Edwin are the ultimate couple of Dead Boy Detectives. Someone who thinks Charles is bisexual and will realize someday that he has romantic feelings for Edwin, too. Still… I would never want to minimize what Charles and Crystal have. It’s something. Something short and vibrant and bittersweet.

[teaandinanity]

I love my character in The Golden Rose so much. His stat screen is basically like

[astheswarmitcalls]

Expect an essay about the set design and visual language from mcr’s wwwy set (night one) within the next 10 business days I’m going NUTS

[shadystranger]

try putting sad romcom soundtracks on samdean and watch how perfectly it fits

[girlmetalsonic]

something that is like the baseline of amys entire character to me is that shes lonely. shes clingy and physically affectionate in a way none of her friends really are, shes always getting pushed aside and left behind. yeah, she helps out people she doesnt know because shes a nice person, but also, she sees part of herself in them. she wont leave someone else behind because she knows the feeling —and more importantly, hates the feeling. if she doesnt have somebody to stand by her and be there for her, then shes going to be that person for everybody else. something something her obsession with sonic is really just like a manifestation of that desire for closeness with someone, and she thinks that romance is the only way to get that. idk... this hedgehog can have so many abandonment issues.

[asideofkimchi]

oh my god.

Ohhh my god. Look at her. Look how beautiful she is. Radiant. Literally glowing. A soft warm light envelops you when you look into her eyes, when you see that smile. She’s so happy. We make her happy. She loves us so much. Just. Wow.

[usefulquotes7]

“The greatest wealth is to live content with little.” - Plato