#more serious and darker into the story making them clash

[local-fire-dumpster]

I love how One Piece takes place in a world where Government corruption,slavery and genocide are the norm and yet rather than make the Revolutionaries the main characters the focus lies on Pirates. Not only are the main characters Pirates but the story implies multiple times that in order to make the World Government fall, Pirates are NEEDED. (See Whitebeard stating that a massive war will follow once someone finds the One Piece).

Pirates are the antithesis of the WG.They follow no rules,no laws and no societal norms. They are uncaring of what the World Government demands, free to do as they want and chase their dreams.Unlike the Revolutionaries there is no structure,no root to pluck,no leadership to kill, in order to make the main organization fall.

Roger with his dying words inspired thousands, if not millions to set out and find his treasure because if there is one thing the government can't control it's people's dreams. He started an Age in which Pirates stand opposed to the WG with the hopes that one day a Pirate would appear, who has the power and allies to take a stand against the WG.

[kookies2000]

Am I really about to do a full analysis of The Last Wish? Yes, yes I am. Starting with characters!!! One by one!!!

Perrito

Spoilers

One thing about Perrito is that he is so darn pure and tragic. When the trailers came out, I noticed people were sceptical about Perrito. Saying how he might be annoying and take away from the film. People even compared him to Olaf from Frozen. Which was a shock to me. I thought people loved Olaf from Frozen but I guess I was wrong. After a day of thinking on this, I finally understood why people thought this. Side characters that are usually used as the comedic relief can sometimes flop. They can be annoying and take away precious screen time from characters that the audience wants to see. But with Perrito, that is never the case. He doesn't waste a single screen time. In fact you end up wanting more from him. He's just so darn positive and sweet even after what he went through. He was thrown away by his owners for being the runt of the litter. But he was so positive that he thought they were playing tag. So every time they tried to throw him away, he would end up returning like it was all a game. And then one day, his owners drown him in a sock. And it's just sweet to see Perrito so positive about this. The sock they try to drown him in, he turns it into something happy and keeps it as a sweater. I guess it's his positive view that makes him so likeable. He leaves a positive impression on Kitty when she has a talk with him about trust. What I love about their talk is that Kitty doesn't push Perrito to not trust anyone and Perrito doesn't push Kitty to trust him or Puss. Just that she has to trust someone. The conversation just feels very natural and healthy. Now let me talk about how his childlike view doesn't clash with the dark themes of the film.

Olaf and Perrito comparison

I'm not bashing Olaf, I'm using him as an example. If I see a single bad comment about Olaf, I will hunt you down for insulting him and writing a strongly worded letter!

I adore the first Frozen film. It was wholesome, cute, magical, and just phenomenal. And Olaf as a character blended in perfectly with the environment that was created. The film was near to perfect and every character shined. But then Frozen 2 came in. Frozen 2 had darker elements that were fantastic. I loved the concept and the way the story was told. I do have a few issues with it but this isn't about Frozen. This is about how Olaf's positivity clashed with the darker elements. Olaf is supposed to have a childlike view of life just like Perrito. The two characters are put into similar situations. Innocent, naive, and trusting characters who are struggling to understand the more serious issues around them. The difference is, Olaf, clashed with the darker elements while Perrito helped embrace the darker elements. Olaf in the second film still has his innocence and childlike wonder. He goes to the library to read about life and soaks up knowledge like a child would. He even has a song about how everything will make sense when he's older. And that's a strong beginning to Olaf's character. It only starts falling apart when Olaf doesn't really learn about his surroundings. Does he understand that Elsa died? Or that his kingdom committed genocide? You can argue he's still a kid but he never shows his emotions or thoughts about the situation. Instead, he remains positive and tells jokes to cheer up Anna. It's cute but it feels pointless. I still love Olaf as a character, I just wish they would let him take time to process what was happening around him.

As for Perrito, he helps embrace the darker elements instead of just being positive all the time. His positivity influences both Kitty and Puss. For Kitty because of his conversation with her. Seeing things in a positive way isn't bad at all and we could all use a friend or someone to trust. For Puss, it's the panic attack scene. Puss is in a very vulnerable state and Perrito follows him. The moment is very tender and quiet. No dialog or humor, just the sound of the heart beating like crazy and hyperventilating. The moment is so darn sweet because Perrito doesn't talk or try to make Puss laugh, he's simply there for him. He places his head on Puss and that's enough to calm Puss down. And I feel like this is something many people forget easily. You don't need to talk, you don't need to say a word, you just need to be there. Listening and making sure the person who's venting knows your listing. This just reminded me of a personal experience of mine. A few years ago I was very vulnerable to panic attacks. All my friends did exactly this. They didn't try to throw in flowery words or jokes, they were simply there and made sure I knew they were listening. I only lost one friend, thank God because he was actually a jerk. And that "friend" tried using flowery language and false promises. Which only made things worse for himself and I. So yeah, the panic attack scene was very meaningful to me and made me cry. And this is what I mean by Perrito embracing the darker elements of the film. He doesn't fight off the heaviness of the moment. He doesn't try to bring light into the darkness. Instead, he goes into the darkness and lets everyone feel what they need to feel. He helps the emotions flow out properly. And I LOVE that!!!! Perrito isn't oblivious to what's going on, naive yes but not oblivious. He knew what to do when Puss had a panic attack. He knew how to talk to Kitty about her issues. He helped Puss and Kitty strengthen their relationship. And he helped Goldie find out what she wanted. Oh, and his moment with Goldie was adorable. You can tell from this moment that Perrito isn't dumb, he's positive. Baby insults him and instead of being upset, he joins in. He's aware he was insulted but he puts a positive spin on it. He's aware he's an orphan like Goldie and compliments her family. This makes you wonder, is he aware that he's an attempted murder victim? And he chooses to remain positive?

I'll talk about his final arc on the Wishing Star section. But man. I adore how well written he is.

Next is Kitty.

[mamamittens]

Oh hey! Since my Spooktober Event is over and done with, here's that finished pic for my... String Bean Naruto OC lol

(table they're leaning on not pictured lol)

Still not sold on the colors here. Mostly because I keep defaulting to tan/dark skinned, yellow/orange eyes, and purple hair for "Little mischievous shit with massive cat energy" and I can only blame Bleach and Kubo so much for that. Does fit! But it's....

I don't know? Not quite right?

I do want them darker (the majority of Naruto characters are pretty pale so it helps them stand out without going ham on design or something). I DO like the chaotic hair that seems endless and messy. Freckles are also quite nice!

As fun as the color changing eyes is, it would be harder to keep track of long term and having them be a little spooky is good. Almost considered red but it was kinda... Eh? Almost did a champagne pink for fun but that's also a bitch to get right.

For the hair... It's mostly the hair that's getting me, I suppose. It all looks good like this but idk. Black hair is so very done in the cast, red hair has Uzumaki connections, and blond is a bitch to render without being weak brown for some reason. Very tricky to color right, true story. White hair would be a bit... It feels overdone and tends to imply sickness in a character for some reason, especially if they have long hair. That or fragility. Which is a problem cause I wanna get across that they're Weird but Earnest. A tad wacky but well meaning and lonely.

Also did not draw out the scars.

Hmm, while I'm sitting here, here's a few more hair colors.

So blue is fun (I'm biased) but a pastel blue with the darker skin would clash I fear. And tends to imply a character that fades into the background. And if there's anything string Bean CANT do, it's blend. Dark blue is more subdued and tends to be the default way to render black hair with highlights, usually featuring with shy, or serious characters which... Does not fit.

Green is an interesting idea, would also imply a earthy connection (halfway between the sun and moon). A bit more rare of a hair color, BNHA notwithstanding. But also gives off flower child vibes I think. Not quite right.

Pink is a bitch to do right and tends to belong with optimistic, upbeat characters. Which is a bit much for string bean... Eh.

Brown is a bit of a boring option and kinda fades into the background a little. Reliable, nothing crazy, and just a little different from just straight black. Tends to feature mousy characters? I don't hate it, but I'd like to have fun with them design wise.

Yellow is... A little too loud. Especially given how much hair they have. It'd be a lot and would make the other colors a lot more difficult to choose if I try and pick different clothes. Also the white parts wouldn't stand out as much.

The problem is that I gotta communicate that this character is Weird but also Very Connected To Nature (Chakra) without meaning to be. Which is partly why their hair is turning white in parts.

Ugh, I love designing characters but it's always the little things that drive me nuts lol

Key traits for String Bean: Lonely, eccentric, wise, kind, and giving.

Maybe I should give opal hair a try again and just have their whole head already basically white. Just off enough to be noticed but dismissed at a distance. no idea about the eyes tho

[mdhwrites]

Do you think toh needs a reboot? There's lots of things that I don't like how were handled in the show but it's also painful to give up on them when you think of the better ways they could've worked out, characters, backstory, plot, everything in general.

I wouldn't mind a reboot tbh, but then again you mentioned that the show isn't quite concious of it's own identity. So I guess unless they work with better writers, it won't make a big difference even with the time needed.

The short version of this is that TOH's inherent flaws mean that… No. A reboot won't help it, it'd be a nightmare to try and adapt or reboot in general and it's never going to see one in animation that could improve much on the version we got except for cleaning up mistakes made because the writers weren't thinking about the consequences of their character's actions.

And this mostly has to do with its crises of identity being a very core part of its image at this point. If you try to refine it into an adventure series, into a school drama, into a more traditional fantasy story or one of the half dozen identities you could place on TOH, it becomes effectively a different show. It's going to feel different, it's going to be different, etc. like that.

So the first problem with even conceptualizing a reboot is you have all these disparate, clashing elements that barely interact and never were enabled to properly interact in the show so… What do you emphasize, what do you de-emphasize? Because no matter what, you're pissing SOMEONE off. If you lean into the childish nature of S1 then you annoy people who prefer the darker, more serious tone to S2. If you lean into the school stuff, Eda's plotline with her sister becomes more neglected and S1 doesn't feel as coherent while Belos feels like even less of a figure than he already does. If you lean more into the Owl Family, you lose as much time with Amity so her character arc is going to suffer, Lumity takes longer to happen naturally and you probably get called racist because people already call the show racist for how little it cares about Gus and Willow.

Quick note for another blog: I don't think race had literally anything to do with Gus and Willow's treatment. They simply stop having a place in the narrative post S1, even arguably after Luz becomes friends with Amity. They look the way they do for design variance and demographic numbers and that's probably it.

Anyways: No matter what, you cannot fix the conceptual problem of TOH being everything that Dana wanted to say and do alongside throwing in the kitchen sink. The only way to smooth out The Owl House is to literally smooth it out. Just flatten it into five or more seasons so it has the time to breathe and actually explore EVERY concept and even then… Yeah, that definitely gets into needing better writers than TOH has who can follow through on the ideas they have. After all, just because they would have more time doesn't mean they have the skill.

And you would need that promise from go so the writers could plan that out properly and… That's never going to happen. Especially not for serialized content like The Owl House, not in the current media landscape that we have. This isn't even because the show is bad. Quality has VERY little to do with whether something gets renewed nowadays. And if you want to get renewed consistently beyond three seasons (and iffy on even that) you need to hit one of two different options.

The first is for broadcast television where ease of programming, cheapness, and advertising is king. This is where you get why Teen Titans Go has two movies and a billions episodes. That show is entirely episodic and thus very easy to break up, throw into a hole in your broadcast schedule, easy to make marathons because you can just slap a bunch together without care, etc. like that. The animation is also incredibly simply and the show in general is probably very cheap to produce. Its writing style of literally anything goes adds to this fact. Cartoon Network can probably make five episodes of Teen Titans Go with the budget Disney gives for ONE Owl House episode and it works better for the company's goals monetarily.

And yes, Teen Titans Go is bad. It's WAY worse than The Owl House. But quality doesn't matter here. What matters is that it's easy, it's cheap, it has brand identity and is easy to merchandise. It is profitable, safe and people see it as easy to sit their child in front of for when they need the television to babysit.

The other option is streaming services and you're not going to get a 100 episode contract for a streaming service. Yes, they want cliffhangers and serialization to make sure you binge and continue subscribing even between seasons but that's also why streaming services are all or nothing. You either are so big that you will continue to pull people for months after your release or they don't care about your small squad of dedicated fans.

And TOH… Didn't become a cultural phenomenon. It was genuinely nothing special to most people, if they'd even heard of it, until Grom. Outside of that, it was just known that it had above average animation when it launched and… That's literally all I ever heard about TOH until I joined the fandom inbetween S1 and 2. And by then Netflix would have cancelled the show most likely.

Because TOH didn't break any records. It didn't light the world on fire. It didn't even cause some giant discourse that rattled through the internet on all fronts. And that means streaming services would probably rather invest in another attempt at a new Walking Dead or Game of Throne rather than continue the show. It's those record breaking numbers that got Velma and Wednesday renewed after all, not their quality or anything like that. (This isn't me condoning these practices btw. I think it's a real problem like everyone else and that it has to do with a lot of focus on short term gain rather than long term retention but I'm rambling enough as is)

And The Owl House never had that clout. Ever. I mean, how many people always had to add caveats to what made The Owl House special like "On Disney" or "in a prime time kid's show" rather than the show actually being special on its own merits? Especially now? There is one last option and that's of course a reboot that doesn't happen in the next five years but instead is closer to 20 when enough time has passed that radical changes might be allowed. That's the Voltron and She-Ra method effectively. Except... That's where we get the fact that Voltron and She-Ra were big properties at their time, never truly forgotten and have strong nostalgia attached to them. They pushed toys, they pushed consumers and those IPs had a real value to them, even to the current day but to revive them took a delicate touch because cartoons are different now. And TOH just doesn't have that power. That impact and care. And there is a LOT to be said about how it's much harder for shows to have that sort of impact nowadays but that's beyond the scope of this blog. The main point is that in 20 years, why would a studio choose to give TOH that much love and attention versus any of the other cancelled animation projects around this time? Especially something that did get to do its full run like Amphibia?

So… Is there a way The Owl House could get the time it needs to explore its whole identity and possibly become better? Yes? In a webcomic, manga or book. Animation is simply too expensive a medium and not regarded well enough that it's going to get the time but things like webcomics, manga and books are known for being more drawn out, able to do more with that space and more independent because the overheads are a LOT less than other mediums. After all, you only have to pay one writer and maybe a couple editors for a book.

But… I don't think Dana has the skill or attention span for any of those mediums. Not if she's working solo. If you look at her solo episodes in TOH, they have some really powerful moments and statements in them… And also some of the most meh B plots, some of the larger narrative cheats, show blatant disregard for her own world building and even at times had to have major plot points in them retconned by future writers because Dana wrote the show into a corner while trying to be clever. It shows someone who would be much better on an anthology series or an episodic series than ANYTHING serialized.

Remember, Dana wrote Reaching Out, where everyone just forgets that being a Wild Witch is met with the death penalty and is not just equivalent to college, which is how Amity and Alador treat it, let alone the twins celebrating becoming outlaws like they just joined a special club.

So in general, I don't think The Owl House is going to see a revival or the like. I think the best thing that could happen to The Owl House's legacy is that people figure out which parts they like the best and go on to make media inspired by those parts of TOH. Because I feel bad for anyone who tries to adopt TOH as a whole.

Because I just don't think it's possible to capture TOH's essence without also bringing along its crises of identity. The two are too intertwined and that was always going to hold the show back.

[cuubism]

Obviously it just means you should write a Shadowhunters x Sandman crossover fic ;)

perhaps 😆 perhaps

while i've read a few that i enjoyed i'm not sure i could ever actually write one simply because... sandman is a much more mature story, imo. don't get me wrong, people in sh fandom have written fics with a more mature tone and approach than what's in canon (i'd even venture to say most fics are more mature than canon (tho that's biased as it's based on what i've chosen to read), something about the show seems to have attracted writers who want to dissect it down to its bones and reassemble something more adult from the pieces, or delve into the more serious ideas the show touches on but doesn't fully explore). and the show is aged up and somewhat darker than the books, i think. but the story itself is inherently YA and has that in its bones, and sandman does not.

which is not a ding against shadowhunters at all, YA is great and stories aimed at young adults are great. YA gets a lot of flack but only because it's become somewhat repetitive as big publishers try to capitalize on a few big and original hits by replicating with similar stories. there's nothing inherently wrong with stories meant as a sort of middle ground between children's stories and adult stories, and nothing wrong with people of all ages enjoying YA. (of course, even children's stories can be quite serious and dark, especially classic fairy tales and such, categories are nebulous, and so on, but hopefully you get what i mean). it's just coming from a different place, and intent? i think? than sandman and that makes them hard for me to merge.

sandman is... well, i still need to get around to reading the comics, and from what i have heard the show's approach thus far is somewhat gentler. but it's still... a darker story, a more serious story, and a story that is very much not coming from a YA perspective. as i said, more mature, more complex. there's a tonal clash when i think about mixing them, for all that there IS a lot of overlap in character tropes, genre, and the elements of the story world between sandman and shadowhunters -- which is probably why a lot of sh people were drawn in. but yeah i could feel myself slipping out of sh fandom even before getting pulled into sandman for exactly this reason -- as my tastes have matured shadowhunters was just not fulfilling my interests anymore, so the moment my brain encountered something that was it latched on 😆 new enrichment in the enclosure, the creature got tired of playing with treat balls and needed a puzzle game instead.

that's more of an answer than you were probably wanting

[loopy777]

Would you agree that a huge part of what divides the pre disney and post disney star wars fandom is those who only really care about star wars in the context of the Skywalker family as the protagonists, and those who want to move beyond them?

I've always regarded killing off the skywalker family as a massive narrative mistake, but it's only now these years later that i have come to the realization that even if i thought disney star wars was good or great(which i do not), i flat out am not interested in a Star Wars universe withouth the skywalkers and the themes of family in that they represented being the main focus.

As far as im concerned, any story not featuring them(or their supporting casts) is at best an interesting sidestory. But i dont really come to star wars for side stories.

Anyway, as a disney era star wars fan what do you think?

Well, I don't know about divides amongst the fans. I don't engage with the Star Wars fandom. That said, I understand your perspective and can respect it, but it was going to be trouble for Disney at some point regardless of what they did in the sequels.

For how long can they keep telling stories about Skywalkers? The story really ended with RotJ. The prequels were a handy way to squeeze some more money out of things, but how poorly the details line up goes to show that Star Wars was never designed to be a true multi-generational saga. Even 'The Clone Wars' has big details which clash with the prequels! (Obi-Wan canonically fights General Grevious on Utapau a week before 'Revenge of the Sith,' to name one of my favorites to laugh at.) George Lucas couldn't even stick to a plan across 3 movies, never mind an Entertainment Conglomerate with no consistent creative vision. Lucas was good at improvising and didn't have to answer to anyone else about the story (just the budgets). Jumping to Luke Skywalker Jr to tell a new story, and then Luke Skywalker Jr Jr to tell another story, and then Luke Skywalker Jr Jr Jr- for how long would that really work for something like Disney, which canceled New Ducktales to make a Darkwing Duck cartoon they never actually made?

At some point, the audience would catch on that The Adventures of Luke Skywalker the Fifth are indeed just cheap side-stories, but with one character in the cast named after someone George Lucas invented. Having someone who the writers claim is descended from Shmi Skywalker doesn't guarantee that they'll actually get the themes right. Or, in the case of the sequels, even keep the themes consistent.

I mean, 'The Acolyte' could have very easily altered a few lines of dialogue to turn one of the main characters into Shmi Skywalker's mother. Would that have that made it any better? (For my part, I think 'The Acolyte' was overall mediocre with great action scenes, but as usual for Disney was failed by mindbogglingly weak storytelling.)

Some stories just can't go on forever, whether or not you can get Mark Hamill back for 20 movies. Disney didn't realize they bought a franchise that was the equivalent of a car with 200k miles on it, but they did, and now they're stuck with it. They couldn't even keep Marvel consistently knocking out hits past its 'ending' because Corporate Needs demanded more content than its creative team could manage, and Marvel is a franchise designed to expand infinitely.

Personally, I think Star Wars has had a good run for a darker-and-edgier spin-off of a comedy television series starring two celebrity comedians. It's like someone made a massively successful, 50-year-spanning serious horror movie franchise out of original elements from Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. But I get that I probably had a uniquely beneficial introduction to Star Wars which lets me enjoy any of it that uses the setting correctly, achieves the proper vibes, and has a sassy robot character. Everything else is optional.

[linnoya-writes]

Things I always hear Kat*angers argue (with counter-arguments):

1) Zuko and Katara’s elements might showcase an “opposites attract” idea, but they’re the same people: both are hot-headed and stubborn and would be at each other’s throats.  Katara and Aang carry the “soft boy/head strong girl” dynamic that is more healthy.

Let’s dive into this idea that Katara and Aang compliment each other better based on their natural responses to danger/conflict:

Aang is playful and cheerful where Katara is serious and focused.

Aang is a patient and peaceful soul where Katara is quick to anger.

Aang encourages Katara to reach for the sky, and Katara keeps him grounded.

Okay-- so it’s safe to say that whenever one partner is angry/frustrated, the other approaches them in a calm, collected supportive manner... right?

Actually, look closer.  These fun-loving, playful and peaceful kid-like traits embedded in Aang’s personality are traits that Katara always had in her-- she just needed someone like Aang to remind her that she had them.  The focused, serious and disciplined traits of Katara are all traits that Aang should be adopting into his own sense of maturity as he gradually becomes more confident and determined to be The Avatar.  

It’s not so much that Katara and Aang compliment each other enough to manage a relationship together, but more that they inspire each other to become more complex, beautiful, individual human beings.  Romantic potential between them has nothing to do with that.  

This “soft boy/head strong girl” idea of Kataang doesn’t even address the way Katara always hides her dark side/emotional issues from Aang in order to be a capable “voice of reason” for him on any given moment, or the fact that Katara is always defending Aang like a mother to a son, chasing him every time he literally or figuratively runs away from problems.  The dynamic between them is an imbalance of maturity rather than a balance of character traits.

Which leads me to Zutara’s dynamic; yes, Zuko and Katara are quite hot-headed, stubborn individuals who easily get frustrated when people don’t see things their way.  They have been at each other’s throats in the past... but here’s what people forget -- they stopped fighting the moment Zuko learned the error of his ways, stood by Katara’s side without judgment when she faced YonRha, and they became an unstoppable well-oiled machine of a duo who understood, respected and trusted each other enough to lay down their lives for the other.

It isn’t to say that Zuko and Katara would never argue or fight again, but the difference here is that their shared maturity, their understanding and mutual respect for one another would keep them at bay to hear each other’s point of view.  They have seen the darkest sides to each other and would know how to approach it calmly and collectively.  Neither of them would downplay or ignore the other’s anger; they would face each other until the conflict is resolved.

And that’s why Zutara’s dynamic, despite sharing similar character traits, holds a lot more weight and power that Kataang.

2) “Their bond is so epic that not wanting them together is like not wanting Han Solo/Princess Leia to be together.”

Okay, so, I’m not completely disagreeing here.  

I do understand that Katara and Aang had a spiritual connection since the beginning (very much like how Hayao Miyazaki sets up two protagonists to have a special, unspoken bond) and the adventures/obstacles they face together make their relationship all the much stronger.  I see Katara seeing Aang as the culmination of all of her dreams come true with the revelation that he is the Avatar, and that she brought him back, and I see Aang seeing Katara as the person who not only welcomed him into this second chance to fulfill his destiny, but to also guide him as a voice of reason into this darker war-torn world that he isn’t prepared for.  As Bryke once commented, Katara and Aang are the “DNA of the show” and I interpret this as the two of them moving the story forward... taking the initiative to go from plot-point to plot-point to fulfill all the needed tasks (ie. finding Aang bending masters) in order to have Aang become a fully realized Avatar.

My argument here is, why does it have to turn romantic?  Why can’t the bond remain as a spiritual, wholesome connection between friends?  Even Roku and Toph brought up the idea of friendship being such a powerful bond that it can transcend lifetimes in “The Avatar and the FireLord”... and I think the beauty of Aang and Katara is that it was a powerful friendship that occurred serendipitously and yet perfectly, setting up the entire arc of the ATLA story.  To me there is more emotional weight in keeping Katara and Aang as life-long friends rather than making things romantic.

The problem with turning their bond into a romance is that it brings up a lot more issues.  Katara is not a nomad like Aang; she would give up her own personal wants/needs to not just be at Aang’s side but travel everywhere with him as the Avatar’s SO, when we know that she is a girl who prefers setting roots, building connections and helping people for as long as its needed (”Imprisoned” and “The Painted Lady”).  She has a strong connection to her family in the SWT and would want to rebuild her home after the war and especially train new water benders.  Her SWT culture that greatly values quality family time, a meat-based diet, clothing made by animal skins would also clash with Aang’s personal tastes-- he’s not even discreet about how much he doesn’t like SWT food.  Furthermore, Aang as the Avatar would have so much responsibility fulfilling his work to the world that he would have a lot of trouble understanding the emotional needs/wants to Katara as a partner-- especially since in the show, he’s so accustomed to seeing her be mature enough to handle tough situations calmly and collectively.  Aang has even repeatedly avoided, ignored or downright down-played Katara’s angry and aggressive outbursts, so it goes to show that he wouldn’t know how to properly “be there” for her dark moments.  Katara has gotten accustomed to setting aside her own emotional headspace to instead nurture/coddle/support Aang.  It becomes a very lonely, very unsung existence, carrying that responsibility to be “collected” one in the relationship.  It’s easy to determine that this would continue as they’d get older, and Katara would continue to carry that heavy burden of always “being there” for Aang, but not vice versa.  

The emotional imbalance in a romance between Katara and Aang would be palpable (and it’s implied in LoK and the comics that they did have problems) especially since healthy relationships are meant to express equality and partnership-- where the two people interchangeably give love and support as needed.   

So yes, Kataang is indeed an “epic” relationship in the sense of friendship, but turning it into a romance would come at the cost of the individual characters’ wants/needs and development, and the healthy dynamic that they had as friends would suffer.

3) “But... what about Aang??  He’s loved her since the beginning and would be so devastated from Katara’s rejection, he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his duty as the Avat--”

Stop.  Just-- I’m gonna stop you right there.

It is not Katara’s responsibility to be there for Aang, especially as PR/damage control for the Avatar.  She does not owe Aang a relationship just because he harbored strong feelings for her, or because he’s grown to depend on her over time, or because he has this unbelievable power of the Avatar State that he hasn’t learned to control without her influence. 

Aang is the one who must grow up, who needs to be the Avatar and understand how to manage this power and sense of duty to the world.  On his own.

Aang needs to learn to be enough on his own.

... And while we’re on this topic, it is never healthy for someone to be figuratively “stuck” or “trapped” in a relationship just because their partner would be a lost, broken wreck without them.  

That is called “codependency,” and that is not okay.

[tsubaki94]

hey! i just found your dp comic but Tumblr was being a bitch and i wasn't able to find much info or a summary on it. does it have a name and what kind of au is it?? i love the panels already posted. your art is so cute <3

I like to call it The Phantom comic, mainly because I didn't have a name for it when I started drawing the panels.

Tumblr isn't being a bitch to you, I have only posted the comic panels, nothing more, but I can give you an idea of what it is about.

The story is based on the idea that Vlad never had his accident, to begin with. He heard Jack's "Bonsai!" and knew that it meant that his friend was doing something that would put him in danger. That is how he avoided the accident that gave him his powers.

Because there was no accident, Vlad stayed friends with Jack and Maddie. They were like family. When Jazz and Danny were born, Vlad spoiled them. He adored the kids and was the Favorite Uncle, making sure they got the best education money could buy.

In this story, we see Danny being best friend with Dash. (An idea that has been waiting for me to work on.) They meet as kids in pre-school, where Dash protected Danny from bullies. When Danny had to leave Amity Park to go to a Boarding school in Wisconsin, he never lost contact with Dash, and they made sure to hang out whenever Danny was back in town. They became skilled ghost hunters, taking the excitement more like a game than serious, which is where this story starts.

Of course, there wouldn't be much drama if everything was fine and everyone was happy. Unfortunately, Danny doesn't know Sam and Tucker initially, and his cocky and self-assured attitude clashes with them right away.

This story is going to get a lot darker after the first chapter.

I hoped this answered your question. Please feel free to ask more. I will always answer.

[quicksandblock]

speaking of c!techno and losses, cus I thought about it a bit in the shower, you know what I would've liked for techno to lean into? the loss of his allyship and friendship with c!tommy.

even though the relationship between them was completely dysfunctional and doomed to fail due to conflicting goals, they still CLEARLY cared for each other while working together. and c!techno was clearly very hurt and felt betrayed when c!tommy switched sides. that could've been a major loss for him, or prompt him to question his ideals and whether it was worth the people he hurt and lost.

that's really why c!technos response to c!tommys death later was disappointing. sure, you could argue that 1. c!techno isn't the type to grieve publicly and maybe he grieved privately "off-camera" 2. cc!techno obviously prefers a lighthearted tone and isn't gonna lean into angst.

but his lack of response obviously gives the audience the impression that he doesn't care. and im not sure if that was the intent, but if it is, that's disappointing.

there could've been subtle ways to show grief and regret (he's good at the subtle stuff anyway). he couldve subtly implied that he was covering up grief with humor. techno is not a bad actor or writer, he excels at subtle storytelling. but that whole thing really made me just. dislike and distrust his character, lol

-cube-cumb3r (thank u for reblogging my crit post earlier btw)

it was a good post lol, like I said you put it all very well

and yes!! all of this!!! like it would have been weird if he’d grieved too obviously, but we wanted something, and we didn’t get it, and now Techno’s character is starting to feel kind of flat. he’s losing a lot of depth he had at the start. like it’s still an interesting character, but more and more we’re having to read that in from possibly-unintentional clues rather than being able to analyze obviously deliberate character choices.

unfortunately I think the root of the problem is that Techno isn’t having as much fun on the dsmp anymore. he came in to play a cartoon villain and promote his channel, and suddenly everyone’s storylines are fucking dark and everyone has 15 different kinds of ptsd and his funny anarchist pig doesn’t really have a place there anymore. not to say his character hasn’t always had its serious moments - but like the dream smp itself, they used to be the spice that added significance to a mostly lighthearted story, not the norm. nowadays it feels like you have to be able to cry on command to even participate.

there’s also the fact that he doesn’t really like collaborative storytelling. he’s said this on stream before - I can’t remember exactly when, but it was when half the fandom decided that Ranboo was his son (?? why????) and he had to come in and clear that up. he doesn’t like other people being able to decide things about his character, and he doesn’t really like “yes and”-ing as far as I can tell. he prefers to have tighter control over his own story. which is valid - but creates some problems in a story built entirely out of collaborative roleplay.

unfortunately both of these lead him to clash with Tommy’s storytelling style pretty severely - Tommy loves the dark stuff, and he’s also more than willing to play off of people and let improv and chance have a strong influence on his character’s path. and Tommy does a lot of highly emotional improv acting, which Technoblade just Doesn’t (unless the emotion is anger).

Ranboo and Tubbo have been talking about the older “semi-lore” style of the smp recently, and I think that a return to that style would allow Techno to come back to participate more in the story. but overall I think the conflict here is going to remain until the current arcs, especially the Tommy and Dream thing, have been wrapped up. which is unfortunate because Techno is kind of an integral part of some of those arcs.

coming back to specifically his response to Tommy’s death... I kind of feel like cc!Techno is trying to retroactively make that relationship less important to his character in an attempt to separate himself from the grimdark stuff. but I honestly can’t tell. it could just be a manifestation of his tsundere-ness. I hope it is, because while I get not being interested in a darker story, it would be kind of disappointing if he just noped out of any story that didn’t fall in his comfort zone. I just wish he would fucking stream so we could have anything at all to go off of lmao

[autumnslance]

15) why did you start writing?

Cuz it’s something I’ve always had to do.

My earliest memories are desperately trying to learn to read before I ever got to school, to being eager to go to school to learn more (they messed that up good), because I had to know how words work and had to make my own. I was telling stories with my young uncle and my cousins, drawing and dictating and telling stories even as a tiny Lyn.

It was in middle school when a history teacher liked a story enough to read it to the class, in contrast to another student’s story (that was also good but darker than mine). I realized I could share my writing with other people, and some of them might even like what I wrote? What a wild concept!

So I wrote. A lot. Most of it for me still, but I helped start a lit mag at my high school (it didn’t last long after we graduated), and won an award or two, even though my juvenile efforts are so rough when I look at them now. But I was learning and growing and had the time and energy to do so, and some of the concepts aren’t terrible at least.

I remember being not only hurt but affronted when I realized a lot of my Dad’s and Grandpa’s life stories were lies and tall tales. Why not just say you were telling a story, instead of claiming it was a real thing that happened to you? That doesn’t make a story less cool if you made it up; if anything I’d think you’re cooler for being creative--not a sad man who has to try to impress his own offspring with falsehoods. So I guess I got it from that direction, but it seemed better to me to make stories for fun, not to hurt other people.

Roleplay came naturally for the same reasons; creative storytelling, only collaborative? How cool! It satisfies that same creative itch and why I often combine/conflate the two. I write stories for almost all of my characters, even outside of the game sessions. I’m the person that almost always hands the GM a detailed backstory with all sorts of plot hooks.

The few times I was involved in ”drama” or hurt others with my actions as a GM or player, I felt bad, cuz I still believe stories should be fun. People clash for all sorts of reasons, though, some stupid, some serious. It’s part of learning and life.

Even when not roleplaying or actually typing/putting pen to paper (I still hand write too), I’m thinking of stories, characters, scenes, plotlines, and cause & effect. Some will never get written down, because they are only for me, not for sharing.

I can’t go too long without writing something down, though. When I can’t write, especially due to stress or such, it’s hard. I’m thankful FFXIV gave me something new to spark the creative parts of my brain again after a rough time in the real world. Because writing’s just what I have to do.

[neonbluewaves]

spare neon lore? i love her

My brain shut down for a moment because I wasn’t sure what to say that I haven’t before, so I’m going to try to explain things I haven’t before, if I repeat myself forgive me :v

Careful what you wish for tho, here comes a longass rant, and I mean LONG

·Something I’ve barely talked about is Neon’s residences. She spent her childhood in Spain, in the Prieto Manor, big enough for her, her granparents and her uncles to live in, and still have much space to spare. The land around it is really large, with a field of almond trees that turn everything pink when in bloom, so part of their income comes from almond production. They also have different cultives, mainly to substain themselves, because her family isn’t exactly beloved, as in many think they’re better of dead. They also have vineyards with grapes specifically for wine production. Another way of income they have is with art. The manor has a room full of (mostly) spanish art pieces that they sell from time to time. Neon has sold pieces to the Thyssens, and donates some to certain collections when the museum opens later on.

Those are the things they’re known for, there’s rumors that they also deal with illegal stuff, but nobody can say for sure. Once they’ve graduated, Neon hires Jae to work under him. If you ask him, he says he’s the “financial administrator”, but he most definetly works as something else.

All their lands are surrounded by a thick forest charmed to work like a labyrinth. Only family members know the way, and there’s no chance of finding your way out to the other side by luck, the labyrinth will throw people away the way they came in. The forest is also full of stray dogs along with other average animals you’d find there. Neon has spent so much time in that forest she knows the whole place by memory, not just the way in and out, so it’s impossible for her to get lost.

On that note, Neon showed early signs of magic, many of which resulted in selfinjuries, like things exploding or catching fire when holding them or around her, as well as being capable of making dogs do her bidding unknowingly, thinking they just really liked her and could understand her.

Her second residence is in England, Yorkshire. Living in her old granparents house, in a small, mostly full of wizards town. A pretty big two story victorian house, Neon didn’t like it nearly as much as the manor, mainly because it has a small garden, unlike the big fields they have in Spain. Still she made it work for herself. Currently she lives with her uncles in their house, down the street, but she drops by from time to time keep the house clean.

· If it weren’t for her grandfather, they would all be spoiled brats. Coming from nothing, Gonzalo Prieto made sure he taught them humility amongst other things. Rocio was a pretty strict mother and it rubbed off on them, making them strict mothers in turn. Teaching to their kids was pretty serious, things like writing with good caligraphy, reading, maths, history and art, (no wonder Neon hates paying attention yet gets good grades, she’s used to studying). Carmen sent Nuria and Neon to get some work on summer after their third year as a way for them to learn what she and Luisa had learn working with their father. With him being gone, Carmen decided the best way for them to learn what they did was to just work, so Nuria ends up in a bakery, where she learns not to burn the whole kitchen, and she made the bakers cry a lot with whatever she ended up cooking until she got decent. Neon on the other hand went to a blacksmith and just like Nuria, at the beggining it was a complete disaster. After a month of just cleaning and watching she got to try making a knife blade and it ended horribly, and broken. The next year she managed to make an actual knife blade that could cut. By year 6 she’s managed to forge many swords, they’re not the finest work, but they’ll do for this one spell she’s been planing to invent for a while. She uses it for the first time against her uncle.

·There’s many projects unfinished saved away by family members, mainly because they died before they could get midway or start. Neon’s dad had blueprints of a house on the beach he wanted to make for the family to go on vacation. Neon also starts her own project when she’s 14/15, her own scholarship for orphan wizards. Romul was the one who encouraged her to go through with it, and joined in the idea, her scholarship centered in Hogwarts students, and his in Beauxbatons students.

·Here’s an essay I wrote some time ago about character soundtrack themes, behold:

When creating the themes for the Prieto members (Neon, Nuria, Laura, Argon and Narciso) they all need one intrument in common that ties them together, the organ. The organ is the one instrument all members learn to play from a young age and they have one in the Prieto manor. This one intrument plays along with the motif chosen for them. The Dies Irae. The Dies Irae is an hymn in latin about judgement death, and is used frequently in media to signify death, this makes reference to the fact that all the family has a reputation of commiting homicides and the fear we see in the main four that their uncle is going to kill them. All the titles make allusion to church and religion. Although they are not religious, the play comes from the fact it all seems to go beyond what they can choose, as if a bigger force decided their fates from the start, like a marciless god, and the darkness of the songs plays more like requiems than character themes.It also rounds up with their symbol, the church grimm.

Each of them get their own special instruments within their themes, so:

Neon's themes would be:

-Church: composed with organ, violin (another instrument she plays) and some percussion, it's sombre and dark and is usually played when Neon is alone, either figuring out mysteryes around her or in introspection scenes.

- Grimm's wail: composed with an organ, violins and double bass, and strong percussion like a bass drum, it's a reprise of church meant for action scenes like duels, specially the one's within storyline, like the fight with the ice knight or the dragon.

Nuria's themes would be:

-Shrine: composed with organ and some acoustic guitar. it's a simple theme made for scenes where Nuria (or other members) are seen contemplating choices, past memories, etc. It has a certain nostalgia to it

-Golden cross: composed of just organ and electric guitar, it's a more rebelious theme played for Nuria's duels and stronger moments of emotion, the change of guitar mimics her change from sweet and docile to determined and more "violent"

Laura's themes would be:

-Faith: composed with organ alone it's a soft sad melody that goes along her guilt of having lost Argon and her denial of involving herself with Neon and Nuria's life out of fear of screwing up and losing them too. It starts out quite depressing and builds up to a darker tone, but always quiet like her, as if the melody also tries to hold in rage.

-Sin: another reprise of the original (Faith), made with organ and heavy percussion, brass drums and kettleddrums, used specially in moments of high tension, the closer she is to finding her uncle, the longer we hear this piece.

Argon's themes would be:

-Finding Solace: We hear this song in flashbacks. Depending on who is remembering we hear one part or another. Made of organ and harp at the begining, it's the part that plays on Neon/Nuria/Laura's memories of him, sweet and naive, and organ and brass air instruments in later parts are used in memories by Duncan/Rakepick/anyone who dealt with him when he was manipulating other's/doing shady stuff, more sincere but dark.

-Broken Prayer: made with organ, violins and strong percussion in paralel's Neon's theme "Grimm's wail", also used on more intense scenes.

Narcisso has one theme:

-Lost religion: made up of organ alone and one drum set. Plays with both the Dies Irae and a couple of notes that remind of the theme song of The phantom of the opera, playing both with death and mystery as to what this character really wants and seeks.

The family has it's own theme, played only twice in full. Made up of organs, electric guitar, violins and percussion intruments plays like a violent, dark orchestra, with punctual moments of choral voices singing as if a church choir, giving it a more gloom feel. The two instances played in full are in the memory of Rocio losing all her siblings and father, and the start of the battle between Narciso and his nieces. Small parts may be heard in scenes where Neon and Narcisso clash, like the river incident or when he injures her leg before year 6.

There could be more themes, but these are the most important ones I thought about.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I hope this was enough for now

[zirkkun]

Do you have any advice on how to make a character look majestic/godly?

hwvdnab ah well;; im not exactly sure if you mean this literally or figuratively tbh lmao but I guess I can describe kinda how I do character design

I'm mostly self-taught so bare with me if my explanation is really bad lol, feel free to ask too if something doesn't make sense.

But pretty much when I'm designing a character, I take into account a few different things, such as their environment, time period, culture, and personality. These are probably the biggest four I pull from. Sometimes I give characters assigned colors or patterns, but usually if I do it's with a purpose, because while I love the aesthetic of color-assigned characters or a whole cast with the same color scheme (like, XTale? dream character design choices there tbh), I can never get it in a way that feels natural. But if you wanna use specific character colors to help design outfits and such, go right ahead!

"Majestic" and "godly" can be pretty relative based on what kind of culture you're working with. If it's something more Western-style, a larger character with imposing wings and a lot of white might be a better choice, while something more Eastern-style might be less extravagant in its body but more in its clothing and with a lot of gold. (Of course, this is very general, and when you really get into the detail of it, it really depends on where you're pulling inspiration from. Something German is probably gonna be really different from something Inuit, despite both living on the "Western" half of the world, and something Chinese is likely to be much different from something Russian, again despite being both on the "Eastern" half of the world. Even still there becomes more and more narrower cultures.)

"Majestic" and "godly" can also be different based on the time in which it takes place -- times like the European Middle Ages might see angels as more godly, but maybe in a more futuresc setting someone who has become more robotic or immortal through technology is seen as godly. There's probably a lot more examples, but that's really all I can think of right now tbh, haha.

It also depends a bit on how this character acts, too! If this character is a god of sorts but doesn't enjoy the role, maybe appearing as such or over-the-top doesn't appeal to them. Or, on the flip side, if the character adores being majestic, maybe they'll be adorned with as much things as they can possibly get their hands on so they can stand out and really show off how amazing they are. Or, of course, anywhere in between. Maybe they're casual or don't mind their godliness. Is there a "uniform" of sorts for this godly character, or are they even godly at all (do they just consider themself to be at a higher position above everyone else, but are in fact at the same level)?

The most broad topic is a character's environment, because that is wholly dependant on the work itself. Arguably, culture can be as well, if the culture is completely made up without outside influence, although this is rare since most people draw inspiration from something. Human brains in general are just really bad at coming up with entirely new ideas or images. (Fun fact, did you know you can never come up with an image of a face you've never seen before, even in your dreams? Any face you picture in your head is of someone you've seen before, and if it's someone you don't recognize, you probably just passed them on the street once or something. Anyway. Back to actual advice lmao.)

The environment of a work isn't necessarily the same as the setting, either. Two different works can both take place in South Africa, but one could have a happier tone while the other a more somber tone. If the tone of the story is happier or doesn't really divulge into any serious discussion, sometimes it's better to go with something more bright to fit that environment, while if something is more somber or dark, a desaturated color scheme might fit better.

Additionally, there's also what I personally love to use, and that's juxtaposition, which is a complete contrast between two close by or closely related things in a work. The number one example I can think of that is a clash between character design and environment is Doki Doki Literature Club, where all of the characters are very cute and happy looking, but the environment is dark and horrifying, which leaves the player with a very confused opinion of what is going on because of the mixed messages. Most works tend to not lean towards this because of the mixed messages it can leave or the misdirection is can have towards the consumer. But at the same time, it's an extremely powerful tool to use. I tend to have a lot of brightly colored things in darker-toned environments.

Another thing that I just thought of alongside juxtaposition is foils, which is similar to juxtaposition in a way, but rather it is directly related to two characters who are designed to be complete opposites to each other. A prime example: Sans and Papyrus! Literally everything about both of them is completely opposite, and their outfit and color choices are actually well-chosen to fit this as well. Blue and red are typically two colors that are considered "opposite" (although blue's true opposite color is orange, so when I draw UT!Pap I usually use a red-orange) and are typically used to represent "good" and "bad" as well. I could write an essay about their differences, but I'll spare you, since that wasn't the question lmao. But if you have a character who you're trying to contrast against this godly or majestic character, whether it be someone like a hero, a sibling, a demon, etc; using foils to contrast them with someone else in your cast list can be helpful too!

I wrote a lot but I hope it's not too much avdbsbs hope it helps!!!

[juju-on-that-yeet]

Afterwards

Whumptober Day 24: You're Not Making Any Sense (Yeah, I know I’m months behind on Whumptober, I’m still gonna finish it out and you can’t stop me >:c ) Prompt: Forced Mutism

Eric tries to get over what happened at the club with Tessa. But that's easier said than done, especially when a new trigger makes itself known. (continued from “Behind Closed Doors”)

Warnings: Panic attack, flashback, referenced sexual assault

Read on AO3 (Full Whumptober Series)

Enjoy!

~

The immediate aftermath of what happened at the club is fuzzy for Eric. It took until late morning the next day for the drug to wear off. He felt foggy for the rest of the day, even after Dr. Iplier released him from the clinic a few hours after he woke up.

“Hey, Eric,” Dr. Iplier had told him as he left, “If you ever need to talk about what happened, you can always come back.”

He’d said it quietly and gently, with a look on his face like he hoped that Eric would.

And maybe he will.

But not yet.

As far as Eric knows, precious few people know what happened that night. Most of the egos know the basics; that he had to spend the night in the clinic after going to a club with the Jims, and that whatever happened was very serious. But the Jims, Bim, Wilford, and Dr. Iplier are the only ones who know the full story. Not even Ed knows, which Eric feels a little bad about, what with how close they’ve gotten. But Eric isn’t about to tell him. It’s hard enough to bear the sad looks and sidelong, cautious glances of the five people who know, even if he knows they come from a caring place. Bim is fretful and awkward as he always is in a crisis, Wilford tries to address it but always fails. The Jims have become Eric’s twin shadows, attuned to his every move. Dr. Iplier exerts a gentle-but-present pressure on Eric to start actively processing his trauma, something Eric doesn’t think he’s ready for yet.

He thinks about what happened. A lot. Not even necessarily to imagine how it could’ve gone differently, what he could’ve done to prevent it – though he thinks about that sometimes, too. But usually it’s just a replay in his mind whenever there’s nothing else to focus on. He catches himself staring mindlessly into the mirror while he brushes his teeth or into his food while he’s eating. The whole scene, Tessa and everything she did, plays out over and over.

It could’ve been worse, Eric supposes. She could’ve raped him.

Even thinking that word makes him sick.

Despite this new layer of trauma on top of Eric’s other, older traumas, he starts to feel a little more like himself day by day. He’s still able to laugh, to smile, to find joy in his hobbies, his friends, and other things that distract him. He’s familiar, at least, with this stage of trauma; the long stretches of numbness broken up by genuine good moments. Someday the good moments will outweigh the bad again, Eric just has to get there.

But a couple weeks after the night at the club, Eric’s recovery snags.

He’s in a common area with the Jims and the younger Googles, all of them taking turns playing a video game together. Eric isn’t very good, and neither are the Jims, but everyone is laughing – except Chrome, though he does smirk every so often. They’re all having fun, including Eric. As RJ and Oliver are competing in a 1v1, someone else enters the room. Everyone looks towards the door to see Yandere, grinning a little as he watches everyone play.

“Hey,” he says, “Can I join in?”

Eric still finds Yandere a little scary, and so do the Jims, but he’s learned by now that Yandere is harmless to the other egos unless someone gives him a reason not to be. Truthfully, Yandere can be a lot of fun to hang out with at times. It helps that Chrome is already in the room for Yandere to flounce over to and playfully wrap his arms around. Yandere looks the same as ever, with one difference: He’s wearing dark lipstick, a deep, vampiric red, darker than his hair.

Eric immediately knows he doesn’t like it. Not that it looks bad or weird, but it suddenly puts Eric on edge in a way he can’t pinpoint. Especially when Yandere smiles mischievously at Chrome as Chrome takes in his appearance.

“That’s interesting,” he says neutrally.

“What, that’s all?” Yandere scolds playfully, smacking Chrome on the arm. The force of it probably would’ve hurt anyone else, but Chrome doesn’t even flinch. Though he does smirk a little.

“It’s a look!” Oliver says, looking away from the screen for a moment to give a thumbs-up.

“At least one of you is nice,” Yandere laughs. “How are we taking turns here? When can I play?”

“I was going next,” CJ says, “But you can go instead, since I’d be playing with Red Jim.”

Eric is only half-listening (and half-watching, in CJ’s case) to the conversation. He’s focused intently on Yandere’s lips, on how they look as they move, the strangely familiar way they smile and open to laugh. The laugh becomes a little awkward, and suddenly, Yandere is looking back at Eric.

“Uh, you good there?” Yandere asks, “Is my lipstick that interesting?” Chrome looks at Eric curiously, as do Plus and CJ. Eric’s cheeks turn red and he rushes to explain himself.

“I-I’m sorry! S-Sorry, I mean, I’m,” Eric stammers, “I j-just, I don’t r-really see, um, guys wearing l-lipstick very much. But it’s n-not bad! It looks, um, it’s good, but not l-like, oh geez–”

It’s not a lie, but it’s not the whole truth. Eric doesn’t care at all that Yandere is a guy in lipstick. But he can’t find a way to explain how strange the dark color on Yandere’s lips makes him feel.

“It’s alright, Eric-kun, I get it,” Yandere giggles, no longer awkward. He pauses thoughtfully. “Yeah, you’ve never seen me in lipstick before, huh? I don’t wear it a lot, but makeup’s fun!” His eyes light up. “You’d look cute in makeup too, I bet!”

“O-Oh, um, I don’t know if I…” Eric trails off, uncomfortable. He immediately understands that he doesn’t want that at all, the same way he immediately knew that he hated the lipstick. Fortunately, Yandere only shrugs, taking no offense.

“Well, if you ever want to try it, I can help!” Yandere says brightly, “Aka-kun won’t let me do anything but paint his nails, and he only lets me use the same red as his shirt.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Chrome asks, “Any other color would clash.”

“No way!” Yandere exclaims, “I bet plenty of colors would look good, maybe even a different red!” His eyes glint with mischief, and he grins. “Maybe even something like the color I’m wearing. Hmmm…”

“Yandere–” Chrome begins, intuiting Yandere’s intentions.

He’s not fast enough to stop Yandere from leaning in and kissing Chrome’s cheek. Plus and Oliver laugh, and the Jims laugh too as Chrome sputters indignantly. Yandere pulls away, leaving a dark red stain on Chrome’s cheek.

“I was right, that color looks great on you~!” Yandere laughs.

“Gross,” Chrome mutters, wiping at the stain with the heel of his palm. The stain is stubborn, though, and stays well put.

Eric is staring. He can’t stop looking. His breathing is faster. The dark stain is sending him somewhere else, two weeks ago, at night in the bathroom of a club, a woman straddling his lap, dark lips coming towards his face, leaving stains all over him, drawing back to moan or giggle before coming close again and again –

Eric can’t even excuse himself, can’t make up a reason for leaving before he’s already gone, out of the room, away. He has to get away. If someone calls after him, Eric doesn’t hear them. He can’t hear over the blood rushing in his ears, over the club music pounding. He makes it to his room somehow, he doesn’t shut the door because he can’t be locked in again. He sits on his bed, curled up, because if he curls up no one can sit on his lap. He starts crying, shivering, he can feel Tessa’s mouth on him and it won’t stop –

Someone comes in cautiously, Eric hears his door creak open a little wider. Eric looks up to see CJ, looking at him with wide, worried eyes. There’s a long pause, during which Eric tries to come up with an excuse, even though he knows CJ wouldn’t be fooled. The silence stretches, and CJ eventually steps into Eric’s room, closing the door behind him. Eric realizes he wants the door open, just a little, that having it closed all the way is too much right now. It reminds him of that closed bathroom door, of being trapped and stuck. He opens his mouth to say as much, but nothing comes out. He can’t talk at all. His heart is too loud, his mind is too dizzy.

CJ comes to Eric, sitting on the other end of Eric’s bed, a few feet away. It’s close like Tessa was, but it also reminds Eric of when he was found, when CJ ran in and blew his whistle and rescued him. He feels like he’s there now, like his soft bed is the hard toilet seat, like the soft sunlight through the window is the fluorescent light in the bathroom. CJ signs something but Eric is too far in the past to understand. He’s breathing too hard but not getting enough air, he’s still crying but he’s hardly making any noise. CJ reaches out a tentative hand, lays it gently on Eric’s arm. It’s not rough, there’s no grabbing, there’s hardly any pressure at all. But to Eric it feels like a smaller hand, one with long, manicured nails, one that’s about to pull his arms away from around his legs so it can rub over his thighs to –

Eric jolts away from CJ, letting out a fearful cry. CJ pulls his hand away immediately, shocked. His eyes go huge, and Eric can see regret instantly cloud his face.

“I’m sorry,” he signs, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

At least Eric can focus enough to understand CJ’s signing now. He still can’t talk at all, and he’s too afraid to uncurl enough to sign. He’s utterly speechless, too caught up in awful memory to communicate at all. He can see CJ’s hands in front of him but he can still feel a different pair of hands wandering over his body.

“Do you…do you need to be alone?” CJ asks.

If Eric knows CJ, he knows that CJ is asking this with the utmost reluctance. CJ would much rather stay with Eric until he knows his friend is okay rather than leave him, even if that’s what Eric wants. But he cares enough about Eric to ask anyway, and Eric knows that if he gives CJ any indication that he wants him gone, CJ will leave without thinking twice about it.

Maybe that’s why Eric shakes his head. He still trembles, a part of him is still afraid to be alone with someone in a closed room, but another part of him knows that CJ is safe. CJ relaxes a little, and offers a reassuring smile. At least, that’s probably what it’s supposed to be; mostly it just looks nervous.

They stay like that for a while, silent in the face of Eric’s still-running heart. It reminds Eric of that low morning when the Jims came to him and quietly sat by him, helping him gain the strength to face the day. It’s one of Eric’s better memories, and the rush of warmth that comes with thinking of it combats the chill of what else Eric is thinking of, the cold of the club restroom and the toilet seat Eric was sat onto. That cold is beginning to leave him, the hands rubbing over his body start to disappear. Thinking of kindness, having CJ here watching over him, and simply letting seconds pass away from his trigger all allow Eric’s heart to calm, allow him to start breathing easier.

“Do you feel better?” CJ asks.

“Yeah,” Eric replies. He still doesn’t trust his voice, he still prefers the quiet.

“Can I ask…what happened?” CJ’s fingers are uncertain and halting as he signs. “You don’t have to tell me, but…”

Eric doesn’t mind the question, and he can tell what CJ means: If he knows what triggered Eric so badly, he can avoid it, and protect Eric from it. It warms Eric all over again to know.

“It was…Yandere leaving a kiss mark on Chrome’s cheek.” Eric’s hands shake just a little as he remembers. “It reminded me of Tessa, all the lipstick stains she left on me.”

CJ winces. He must remember those stains, too. He tentatively, slowly, reaches out his hands to Eric’s, which are curled in his lap. This time, Eric doesn’t stop him, and lets CJ cover his hands with his own, and the two continue to sit in silence. But with CJ’s hands on his, Eric finds the silence even warmer, even kinder, even nicer. He thinks, suddenly, that he’s almost okay again.

As if on cue, someone outside knocks softly on Eric’s door.

“AJ, CJ, are you guys alright in there?” asks RJ’s voice. “Can I come in?”

Only a few minutes ago Eric was still too uncertain and nervous to speak. Now, though, he feels stronger, more secure, normal.

“Yeah,” he answers RJ. His voice is more quiet than he meant it to be, and for a moment he’s not sure if RJ even heard him.

But the door opens, and RJ pokes his head in, concern written all over his face. Eric can’t wave him inside with CJ’s hands still on his, so he smiles at RJ instead. RJ immediately smiles back, and happily comes inside. Like CJ, he closes the door behind him, but unlike with CJ, Eric no longer minds the closed door. Maybe later, he’ll let them know that he’d prefer the door slightly ajar before this happens again.

And it will happen again. Eric already knows that. There’s bound to be other triggers, bound to be other times that memories of what Tessa did to him swarm over him and make him afraid. But knowing that isn’t scary, at least, it’s not scary right now. Not with CJ sitting across from him, gentle hands squeezing Eric’s, and with RJ coming in to sit beside him and lean against him, providing a comforting pressure.

Someday, Tessa will fade into the background amongst Eric’s other traumas, and Eric will find his normal again. For now, he lets his head rest against RJ’s, lets his hands rest in CJ’s, and takes in their gentle care.

[notthatiwilleverwriteit]

I was re-reading the whole story and I've noticed a lot of moments where zhan punched or slapped jian and no one called him abusive but when he tian did it to mo in the past he always got hate. The thing I love the most about tianshan is that they're relationship is not the typical one and not "rainbows and sunshine" but I wouldn't call it abusive either. Where did this double standard come from?

Good evening, dear anon-san!

I have talked about physical violence, comedy, and toxicity a couple of times. Here are some asks that I think could be related to your topic:

HT as the discipliner?

ZZX and violence in the beginning

Is Tianshan (still) toxic?

Is Tianshan toxic, vol. 2?

I might repeat myself a little but I don’t think I have compared Zhanyi and Tianshan this way before. At least not in so many words. Also, for this ask, I’m going to call punches, kicks, and slaps just physical violence. But please don’t jump to any conclusions. In each case, I will be giving it context, so “physical violence” doesn’t equal “toxic abuse”. It’s just easier if I have some kind of quick way to refer to whenever the boys kick, slap, or punch each other.

“Where did this double standard come from?”

I wouldn’t call either Zhanyi or Tianshan abusive but I do think physical violence is different in nature when it comes to the respective relationships. So, I do see why people treat it differently when ZZX kicks JY from when HT kicks MGS. Because they are different, although they both serve their own purposes.

Context is the key here. I don’t think you should call anything abusive or toxic without a proper context which is exactly what makes all the difference here. This is also partly why I don’t think Tianshan is toxic or abusive. If you separate the physical violence of both Zhanyi and Tianshan from their contexts, they become seemingly similar. A punch is a punch.

Let’s take a look at Zhanyi at first. The comedy in 19 Days (especially in the beginning) is largely based on slapstick comedy. A form of humor that strongly exaggerates physical violence (either accidental or intended). Literally, when someone gets slapped, it makes us laugh. You can see this kind of comedy a lot in cartoons, comics, and anime. It’s not “real” violence; it’s merely a comedic moment that doesn’t have longlasting effects.

Doesn’t that sound pretty much like Zhanyi? Usually, this kind of comedic physical violence is built on JY’s crush on ZZX and him not always being able to hold back while ZZX is the one with stricter boundaries. JY, being the oblivious airhead in love that he is, often ends up getting uncomfortably close to ZZX or making some kind of pass at him or otherwise gets on ZZX’s nerves. ZZX gets embarrassed, bothered or annoyed, and all of us wait for him to explode in 3…2…1… (ch. 1, 4-5, 9-13, 23-24, 29, 30-31, 34, 62, 73, 86, 88, 92, 106, 121, 129, 137, 171, 206, 247, 253):

Even listed like that, ZZX’s physically violent behavior starts to look kind of bad. But if you remember to read them as a part of their context their meaning shifts quite significantly. Prior to those slaps, punches or kicks, JY had:

touched ZZX’s personal stuff without permission

suddenly kissed him on the lips

refused to get up

destroyed ZZX’s precious stuff by being careless

drooled on ZZX’s shirt

suddenly gotten in ZZX’s face and startled him

tried to hold ZZX’s hand while drunk

been pushy with physical affection

practically made love to ZZX’s blanket

been overall an idiot

suggested they took a bath together to save water

squeezed ZZX’s butt

nearly toppled ZZX over

wiped his snotty nose on ZZX’s shirt

jumped him

suddenly wrapped his legs around ZZX’s waist and locked him in an awkward position on top of JY

tricked ZZX with a lollipop he had already sucked on

suddenly flashed his dick when ZZX wanted to have a serious talk

told something embarrassing about ZZX to someone

and finally ripped his jeans while trying to feel ZZX up.

When you put the physical violence in all of that context, it suddenly becomes something else than ZZX being abusive towards JY. Especially when you’re familiar with the characters, what kind of relationship they have, and 19 Days as a publication. So no, I wouldn’t call the physical violence in Zhanyi abusive or ZZX an abusive character. We realize the bruises, bumps and bloody noses are there for a laugh and they’re “healed” by the next panel.

Besides for the comic relief, ZZX also seems to get physical if JY had made him worry (ch. 179, 181, 198):

In a way, that fits Zhanyi as well. ZZX is the protector and JY the one who’s weaker and yet often careless and oblivious. Giving JY a hefty slap in the head is a way for ZZX to take his relief out on something. Could he do something else instead? Sure. But I don’t think that still makes him an abusive character. It’s just an exaggerated way to show how worried he is about JY.

As far as my interpretations go, there has been one occasion when the physical violence in Zhanyi got darker (ch. 141):

Usually, when JY makes a pass at ZZX, it’s lighthearted and comedic in nature. They could have been brushed off as jokes and JY just messing around. That kiss was different, though. In his panic-hazed bout of seizing the moment, JY did something he had wanted to do for years. It wasn’t a joke anymore, and his unrequited love was suddenly there for both of them to see. ZZX’s reaction was more than expected, but the violence was different in nature. He wasn’t comedically annoyed but shocked and upset. However, even this occasion doesn’t come across as “abusive” to me. Rather it was about something that had been simmering under the surface for a long time suddenly bursting out in the open, raw, vulnerable and potentially destructive. By ZZX seemingly reacting the same as always, it was cleverly demonstrated how it wasn’t the same at all.

Now, what about Tianshan? HT and Tianshan are often called abusive and toxic. Personally, I can see where people who think so are coming from even if I don’t interpret HT’s character and their relationship the same way. There is physical violence in Tianshan - there’s no denying that - but again, it’s the context that matters and gives it a purpose, so to speak.

Whereas physical violence in Zhanyi’s case was mainly about comic relief, in Tianshan’s case it’s often about two strong-willed personalities clashing (ch. 138, 160, 222):

Where ZZX slapping, punching or kicking JY is funny to us, HT’s character uses physical violence to overpower and dominate MGS. And it’s rather easy to call that kind of behavior abusive - but again, the nature of it shifts when put into its context.

HT had to use force to get through to MGS who was blinded by his suspicions and distrust due to bad past experiences. Neither of them was wrong and had reasons for acting the way they did. HT needed to assert control to turn MGS’s direction around and make him listen. MGS wasn’t going to yield to mere words, and while HT thought his stubbornness was good and showed he had principles, MGS was still not to ignore HT’s orders. HT took control by force, but I do think it was unavoidable and in a way helped to create a sense of security and trust. In some ways, HT acted like a parent and set strict boundaries for MGS. But again if you take all of that context away, HT’s behavior comes across quite darker and abusive.

Of course, it’s possible some people interpret the physical violence in Tianshan as abusive even in its context. And I can kind of see where those people are coming from even if I don’t personally read the story the same way. Even if in context, HT still clearly used physical force and didn’t give MGS an option. The thing is, though, I don’t really have a problem with HT behaving like he did. For the most part, I’m not bothered by HT being physically pushy or MGS more or less resisting him. It’s one of the things that appeals to me in Tianshan. And if their relationships became drastically different in that sense, I would find it quite out of character for them. However, that also means Tianshan is most probably always going to come across as abusive to some people.

To summarize, I don’t think either Zhanyi or Tianshan is abusive but the physical violence in them is different in nature. And that naturally results in people viewing the seemingly same acts differently. Some people don’t have a problem with physical violence when it comes to slapstick comedy (although, I have seen people calling ZZX abusive, too) but they do think HT’s kind of physical violence is different and actually abusive. Again, I don’t really agree about Tianshan but the “double standard” makes sense because they’re not the same.

In a way, “abusive” and “toxic” are in the eye of the beholder. And we all have different levels of tolerance for it before it starts to change our opinions about the fictional relationship. And I don’t have a problem with that - we all have our taste and what appeals to us personally. However, I’ve come to found out that when people are quick to cry “abusive” at every turn, the context is often forgotten or ignored altogether. The bigger picture. The question of “why is this happening this way?”. “Toxic” and “abusive” have become moral high horses of sorts to make people feel good about themselves and, if possible, to guilt-trip others in the process.

Thank you for your question, dear anon-san!

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Blending left field jazz elements with club tropes to forge something truly new, Emma-Jean Thackray's work is never less than riveting. New album Yellow is out on July 2, with the composer commenting: “It’s a record about togetherness, the oneness of all things in the universe, showing love and kindness, human connection. I approached the record by trying to simulate a life-changing psychedelic experience, an hour where we see behind the curtain to a hidden dimension, where the physical realm melts away and we finally see that we are all one.” Set to be released via her own Movementt imprint, the album is led by gorgeous new single 'Say Something' - opening with glimmers of Rhodes piano, it leans on that hi-hat shuffle before Emma-Jean Thackray uses her voice to elevate the song. A plea towards communication, it's a powerful introduction. [via Clash]

Philadelphia punk rockers Mannequin Pussy have released the title track to Perfect, their upcoming EP due out May 21. The new song comes with a flashy music video that’s inspired by the kitschy glamor of Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, too. Musically, 'Perfect' is a distorted blaze of rock guitars that sees vocalist-guitarist Missy eviscerating the idea that people must manicure their own social media presence. “Last year, I found myself spending more time on my phone than I ever had in my life… I realized that through years of social media training, many of us have grown this deep desire to manicure our lives to look as perfect, as aspirational as possible,” explained Missy in a statement. “We want to put ourselves out there, share our lives, our stories, our day to day — and these images and videos all shout the same thing: ‘Please look at me, please tell me I’m so perfect.’ It’s simultaneously a declaration of our confidence but edged with the desperation that seeks validation from others.” In the accompanying music video, directed by Missy, viewers get to watch as a 10-year reunion at Sugarbush High slowly unravels. It opens on three former classmates, all three of whom are pregnant, dishing some hushed gossip and talking about how they want to get plastic surgery that’s so good they mistake one another for strangers. Cue two students-turned-drag queens making a grand entrance and strutting their stuff on the dance floor (mirroring the 1997 comedy classic) while old classmates gasp, shield their eyes, and panic. Meanwhile, Mannequin Pussy can be seen tearing up the band stage while they perform live. [via Consequence]

Following the release of her debut EP I Can’t Cry For You in December, Manchester’s Phoebe Green is back with new bop ‘IDK’. “[It] explores a complete detachment from reality, observing things from a place of total apathy and feeling as though I’m witnessing my life as a bystander with little to no connection to it,” Phoebe explains. “It’s a horrible state to be in, I think it happens when I get overwhelmed.” [via DIY]

Fast-rising French-Korean artist spill tab is unveiling her latest mesmerising single ‘Anybody Else’. Accompanied by a new vid directed by friend and collaborator Jade Sadler, spill tab says, “This song is cheesy as fuck but I love it, it’s pretty straight forward, a little shameless - the lyrics are sort of a way of expressing my love without openly saying I love you. Jade Sadler (the video director) and I just wanted to have a shit ton of fun on this one. We thought about something with narrative or plot and it was just getting to be too corny. I wanted something lighthearted and playful, so we decided we would have all of our homies in this video paired with different colors and angles and set designs. I’m so excited with the way it turned out.” [via DIY]

Willow Kayne has shared her debut single 'Two Seater'. The Gen Z talent links together huge opposing forces, creating her own potent brand of rebel-pop. New single 'Two Seater' finds Willow blazing a trail, upending convention through melding together differing sounds. The lush, 90s inspired soundscape leans on nostalgic impulses, but her punk-like disregard for convention is sheer pop futurism. Produced by DANIO, it finds Willow Kayne coming into her own completely off the bat. [via Clash]

BENEE has shared a video for her single ‘Happen To Me’. It’s the latest cut from her debut album, Hey u x, which arrived last November featuring guest spots from the likes of Grimes, Lily Allen and Flo Milli. “This song is super important to me,” she says. “It’s the opening track [on the album]. It’s the first song where I’ve written about anxiety. The lyrics are pretty dark. Life is pretty crazy right now, and I think it’s important to talk about this kind of stuff.” Of the video, she adds: “Stoked to be sharing this music video with everyone! I filmed it with a bunch of mates, and it was the coolest set! Hope you love it as much as I do.” [via Dork]

Los Angeles-based art-pop artist Kit Major has shared the music video for 'When the Drugs Don't Work,' a more introspective stab at her signature dark, electropop sound. Blending driving dance beats and thumping hyperpop-influenced synths, Kit Major creates an intoxicating elixir of soundbites and grit. Taking inspiration from Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, and Charlotte Lawrence, 'When the Drugs Don't Work' dives into the overwhelming vulnerability and panic of failing to curb a depressive episode with medication. With this release, Kit Major furthers her efforts to be open and make light of her mental health struggles. On the video, Kit Major shares, "'When The Drugs Don't Work' was filmed in one weekend, directed by my best friend in my departed grandparents' now empty house. We filmed this in quarantine without a crew and worked to create a dark & twisted fairytale together. When I first started thinking about the video, I knew I wanted a more lighthearted take to balance the darker theme of my mental health in the song. I wrote the lyric, “little princess hurt locked away inside her palace,” because sometimes when I'm isolated in my room I visualize myself as a Disney princess running inside her castle, instead of being in my bed, surrounded by empty water bottles. This song was written from a mix of different perspectives including my own, my persona, and outside voices. I think we accomplished the storytelling behind WTDDW by portraying the importance of imagination and trusting yourself."  Alongside, director Noël Dombroski adds, "WDDW is a raw, introspective song from Kit that shines a light on parts of herself that at times may be hard to face. We were lucky enough to be able to shoot at Kit's late grandparents' house, an emotionally significant location that acts in the video as the inside of Kit's head. We wanted to challenge viewers to look at every facet of themselves and realize that each part is valuable, even if you may not like it. A conversation we had a lot was about the color scene, where the image of Kit is being pulled apart by color channels. You may hate one of those colors, but you still need it to create that full image. The same can sometimes be said about depression - it may be a layer of yourself that you don't care for, but without that experience, I don't know that WDDW could exist." The music video dives into the psychological turmoil at the heart of the track with a hyperstylized touch. Spotlights wander through a funhouse version of Kit's childhood home, hunting down our protagonist, who we find trapped behind bars, downing teardrops from teacups and champagne from the bottle. Simultaneously unnerving and stimulating in a Paranormal Activity-meets Alice in Wonderland aestheticism, the music video for 'When the Drugs Don't Work' dives into the floating images of a mental breakdown with a fever dream lucidity.

Number One Popstar continues to prove herself as a powerhouse, shaking up the music world with her fresh, unapologetic beats. This week, she shares another one, her new single 'Forever 21.' And no, it’s not about clothes. 'Forever 21' begins with a kicking beat, but subdued with reflective, twinkly keys. It’s a perfect mix of existential dread and dance. Carrying this vibe throughout, it breaks in between with a beaming guitar-driven bridge. Lyrically, the track makes us question why brands and media make it seem like our twenties are our prime, when we still have our whole lives ahead of us? Despite the effervescent pop sound, Hollowell got vulnerable about her past and its effect on the song, saying, "I initially started writing 'Forever 21' when I found myself looking back on my early 20’s, wanting to recapture the hopeful and dumb feelings of my youth. But the longer I spent on the song, the more it became a reflection of the loss I faced when my parents passed away in my early 20s. I started looking at my own fear of death, of dying like them. I really didn’t know where my life was headed back then. […] I eventually turned that painful experience into a motivation to go after everything I wanted in life. To be seriously less serious, recognizing everything is fleeting.” Like her other music videos, Hollowell likes to flip popular culture and societal expetations on their head. While also bringing the fear of aging to life, she also reminds audiences to stay present instead of holding on to youth. [via Earmilk]

Following in the footsteps of Prince and Lizzo, Dizzy Fae is set to become the Twin Cities’ next pop sensation. She just dropped her brand new track, 'BODY MOVE', and much like the name suggests, it will make you want to move. Self-described as alternative R&B, Fae takes a few notes from contemporary hyperpop artists like Charli XCX and Doja Cat with an industrial iciness that plays off the technicolor pop melodies. It’s an influence you can hear on 'BODY MOVE', produced by New York’s Stelios (Young Thug, SZA). The track builds itself off a snappy, rubber band bass line indebted to pop’s recent disco revival. “It’d be so cruel if I didn’t let my body move,” Fea’s voice loops through a robotic filter. A buzzing drum machines barrels in at the chorus, transforming the lightly retro groove to a futuristic club track more akin to the production styles of 100 gecs. But for all the modern influences, the Ying Yang Twins reference shows she’s a student of all types of music. [via Consequence]

Technically, 'Your Power' is not the lead single from Billie Eilish’s newly announced album Happier Than Ever. The album includes two songs she released last year: the jazzy, well received ballad 'my future' and the contemptuous multi-format radio hit 'Therefore I Am.' However, 'Your Power' is the first song Eilish has released since announcing the new album, debuting her new look, and officially commencing her LP2 era, so there’s definitely a deep sense of anticipations around the song. Eilish teased 'Your Power' this week with a brief sound snippet featuring acoustic guitar and the words “Try not to use your power” sung to a Feist-y melody. Now the full song and its Eilish-directed music video have arrived. The completed record remains as soft, pretty, and devastatingly sad as the preview audio. In the clip, a slow pan across a mountainside in the Simi Valley reveals Eilish in the clutches of a gigantic snake. (A press release specifies that it’s an 80-pound anaconda.) [via Stereogum]

[lanzhanlanzhan]

@faescapist I actually really love this prompt! I love it enough that I ended up writing this as second story just after churning the first one out, so thank you very much for sending it. 😊

Okay though, but this is probably more flirtatious/ominous than cute/playful I'm sorry but I

Lan Wangji has a secret. 

"Ready for me, Lan Zhan?" 

Wei Ying stands in one of the sparring fields, the greenery and mist-blue mountains of Gusu as his backdrop. White robes billow in the morning winds, contrasting with his dark hair done in its customary messy ponytail. On his face is a grin, lopsided and handsome, and it never fails to make something jump inside Lan Wangji. 

He does not verbalize a response—he seldom has to, with Wei Ying. Wei Ying just seems to know, and judging by the way the curve of his smile twitches even higher, indeed it seems nothing has escaped his notice. 

Wei Ying lunges first. No surprise there; this is his test after all. Lan Wangji deflects the first blow, their swords clashing a few times before they find themselves on their first bind. 

Wei Ying's core is new yet. Of course, he has worked his way to it, cultivating a golden core with his new body the same way every other cultivation disciple has had to do it. It is only even recently that Wei Ying claimed he has cultivated enough to handle a sword fight, and so it is no surprise that he wavers first, a tell-tale tremble under the weight of Lan Wangji's sword. 

Nevertheless, Lan Wangji has his own struggle. He can feel Bichen singing in his hands, touching Suibian where there has long been draught. He was not the only one missing someone in all those long years. 

"Ah ah ah, Lan Zhan," taunts Wei Ying. Strands of black hair fall over his expressive eyes, which now even seem to twinkle as they look up at Lan Wangji. "Don't get distracted. We've only just started." 

Wei Ying escapes him. He finds his footing, although not immediately, seemingly still needing some time to get used to Lan Wangji's spiritual energy when it is in the offense.

"This could be harder, I can tell," Wei Ying says across the field, "if Hanguang-jun is not busy ogling his opponent."

"I was not ogling," Lan Wangji immediately denies, but the tips of his ears feel hot anyway. 

Wei Ying laughs, rich and carefree, and it rings with the wind like its music was made to be played along with it. He is quick on his feet, preparing for another round, and it is no hardship for Lan Wangji to follow him with his eyes. 

Something about Wei Ying: he will not lose to Lan Wangji without a fight. He wants to win, and even now that is no different. He would accept loss but only in a fair fight, one where he made Lan Wangji work for it and maybe doubt, once or twice, if his was going to be a sure win. There is no such thing between them, not really. There could be perhaps a few years or so ago, when Wei Ying was newly returned and his core yet unformed, but Wei Ying with a golden core has always been Lan Wangji's equal. Nevermind that Wei Ying's core now is new; he is the sort of genius, after all, who can close a gap no matter how far ahead the handicap. 

The first time they sparred, Lan Wangji was surprised to encounter someone with skills and cultivation as high as his. None of his peers in Cloud Recesses, nor even in the nearby sects with whom they associated, had thus far come close to reaching Lan Wangji. And yet there Wei Ying was, a talkative, rule-breaking boy from Yunmeng Jiang, but one who could deflect Lan Wangji's strikes with one hand, jars of Emperor's Smile in the other.

He took Lan Wangji's breath away. 

"You are doing it again, Hanguang-jun!" 

Lan Wangji catches himself just in time to deflect an oncoming talisman. The charm breaks against Bichen, turning into golden butterflies that fly up into the blue sky. 

"Swords only," he admonishes. 

"Eh? Says who?" counters Wei Ying. "I don't think we set those rules, Lan Zhan." 

Lan Wangji huffs his disapproval, but lets it go. The other had a point, after all. 

"And speaking of things which I am correct about," declares Wei Ying, apparently not yet done, "Hanguang-jun, you really ought to focus. What will your junior fans say? You're lucky they are not here watching this." 

Lan Wangji goes for him this time, his swordpoint leading the charge. But Wei Ying just seems delighted by this, peals of his laughter bursting in the air around them. The winds, usually Lan Wangji's allies, even seem to side with him, cradling him in their grasp, taking his voice and bringing it clear and sure to Lan Wangji's greedy ears. 

"Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan!" cries Wei Ying, saying his name in a sing-song sort of way. "Is this how one defeats the esteemed Hanguang-jun? Just throw him a pretty face? See, this is why I considered just asking Sizhui."

That got Wei Ying a series of blows, Suibian visibly struggling beneath the onslaught.

"What pretty face?" asks Lan Wangji, because he can't help it. "There is only one." 

"Hm?" Wei Ying goes on taunting him, even as his breath grows strained and he has to pause between words so he can pant in between. "Oh, Lan Zhan. Only me, you say? Hanguang-jun is such a sweet-talker." 

He knows what to say, knows the expressions he has to make. He throws Lan Wangji with looks filled with promise, or at least looks that feel like they do. Whether or not he will put out is always an open question, because Wei Wuxian is anything but predictable, and it seems as though few things delight him more than teasing Lan Wangji. 

Lan Wangji loves that about him. But then, Lan Wangji loves everything about him.

Wei Ying turns serious in the next moment, seeming to summon up the spiritual energy necessary to attack Lan Wangji with a particularly complicated sequence that actually gets him to pull up more spiritual energy than he planned for this entire encounter. He pulls up more, and then even more, because Wei Ying is relentless and quick, and he makes it difficult enough for Lan Wangji to clear his mind and indeed focus, lest he find himself on the wrong end of his partner's sword. 

Wei Ying grows tired first, and he escapes Lan Wangji again and floats back to the far edge of the field. He catches his breath there, but his eyes does not stray from Lan Wangji—as though he has to watch him, as though he will not risk the very small, truthfully nonexistent possibility that Lan Wangji would attack him when he is not ready. 

Lan Wangji loves him like this—when he is serious, focused, wanting to win. True, he loves Wei Ying when his eyes are laughing and his voice light and bright, perhaps even fell in love with him because of those things, but times like this bring their own charm. Something deeper, darker, intimate in a way because Lan Wangji knows few people know Wei Ying this way, simmer there beneath the surface. Lan Wangji finds himself hungry for it, wanting more, and a part of him wonders if that is why he is so keen on Wei Ying growing stronger and cultivating back his golden core. Lan Wangji would love him regardless, core or no core, but there is something about Wei Ying when he has power on him that charges the nerves under Lan Wangji's skin. 

All things eventually reach their end, and despite several more attempts, Wei Ying's energy drains from him soon enough. In the end, the battle ends with Suibian on the ground, Bichen just centimeters from Wei Ying's throat. 

Wei Ying heaves a great sigh and falls on his knees to the ground. 

"Wei Ying did well," Lan Wangji tells him as he sheathes Bichen. "That took longer than I expected." 

"Yeah?" Wei Ying says in between pants, looking up at Lan Wangji. "Doing well is not the point though, is it?" 

"It is for now," says Lan Wangji. "It is impossible for you to win this first fight." 

To Lan Wangji, this is only pointing out the truth. It is impossible with a core so new, but Wei Ying shakes his head at these words all the same. 

"Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan. I may be of Gusu now, but never forget I am from Yunmeng Jiang. We strive for the impossible." 

It has been years, but when Wei Ying grins like that, it is still as attractive as the first time Lan Wangji saw it.

"Still, do not be careless," says Lan Wangji, keeping his voice even despite the effect of that look. "The impossible is impossible for a reason."  

"You," Wei Ying goes on to say, waving a finger up at Lan Wangji. "You're lucky you're pretty." 

Lan Wangji does not understand what that has to do with anything, but then his and Wei Ying's logic have always been somewhat different in that regard. He does not have much time to think about it though, because Wei Ying is then crooking that same finger at him, an even look on his face as he gestures for Lan Wangji to come closer. 

Lan Wangji has barely settled on one knee before Wei Ying pulls him roughly by the front of his robes. The kiss, when it comes, is unexpected but not unwelcome, and Lan Wangji's mouth at least catches up faster than his brain does. But he fails to stifle his reaction when a tongue slips past his lips, groaning through it as his fingers grab at Wei Ying's shoulders, both in surprise as well as to steady himself from the shock. 

Oh, but Wei Ying knows how to kiss him. He sucks and nibbles at Lan Wangji's lips, licks into his mouth in a way that has Lan Wangji clutching him tighter, fingers clawing up until they are buried in Wei Ying's hair. 

He even knows to prolong the kiss the right amount, and then pull back at just the right time to leave Lan Wangji aching for more. 

"You know I hate to lose," Wei Ying tells him after that kiss. "You're lucky I find you sexy when you win." 

Lan Wangji's ears are red, he knows. "Shameless." 

Wei Ying laughs then, breaking character or whatever it is he is going for that nonetheless worked so well on Lan Wangji. 

He lets himself be pulled up, lets Lan Wangji dust off the dirt on his knees, smiling and comfortable with being groomed and taken care of by the other. 

"Thanks for today, Lan Zhan," he says, eyes back to their bright and playful self. 

They pick up Suibian, and then walk together back towards the jingshi. Wei Ying fills the time with his usual chatter, telling Lan Wangji stories that never seem to run out, and which Lan Wangji wishes never do. 

He thinks, too, that they will continue doing this and someday, Wei Ying will win against him. Wei Ying now, after all, is only but a dragon yet asleep, a tiger that is still a cub, but soon he will find himself again, for there is no doubt he can work his way back to where he used to be. Lan Wangji can tell that when he does, Wei Ying will be insufferable, will probably gloat, and he will tower over Lan Wangji until Lan Wangji is on his knees. 

And Lan Wangji waits in anticipation for that day to come. 

(Also on AO3: A Dragon Lies in Wait)