#mostly bc i love history and especially that period

[h1-j1nx]

All I'm sayin is if I see any of the stuff I bid on resold I'm gonna start swinging 😭 if I lost the lila stuff I bid on to you You BETTER cherish that shit with your LIFE

[grecoromanyaoi]

helloo since we're on the topic: top historical fiction (or adjacent) ? can be any time period I just really love your taste in shows/games/etc and am always on the lookout for history inspired media !

thank you!!! im rly glad im like. inspiring other ppl to engage w things im insane abt hudofajsdfdassfsad. anyways. i will probably expand that list bc i literally forgot every single thing i ever read. also i havent watched that many movies so far

ancient times: i havent really watched a lot of movies/series set in ancient times so far :(

rome HBO (2005-2007) (tv series) - OF COURSE. i personally think its one of the best series ever made. they combine political, miliatry history with the lives of every day people in an incredible way. they never let you once engage with the series through modern lenses. according to my teacher (a historian, archeologist & self described 'romaphile') its incredibly historically accurate, mostly the clothing, set designs, characterization, military practices, etc. except for the things they straight up made up, of course.

i really enjoyed gladiator (2000), i think its a masterpiece.

prince of egypt (1998) i guess?

all the asterix movies of course, all the animated ones and most of the live actions. but i wouldnt really call it historical fiction

ok i havent actually finished watching it for now but sebastiane (1976) - an erotic, x rated, gay interpretation of the martyrdom of st sebastian. its in latin also.

wait i cant believe i forgor about assassin's creed odyssey - so far the only one ive played. its so fun and incredibly immersive visually. especially pour moi who cries into the pillow about how ill never experience the ancient world. also you can b a faggot which is always fun. i have things to say about their portrayal of same-sex sexuality and slavery in classical greece but i get why they did that considering its supposed to like. appeal to a lot of people, and a more "historically accurate" portrayal (for example of pederasty or how common slavery was etc.) would b v difficult for a lot of their target audience. alas.

medieval and early modern era:

the name of the rose (1986) - my medieval history teacher literally showed us bits of this movie to teach us about monasteries and monks fhdosiasdjasd.

the borgias (2011-2013) - incredibly messy, lots of political intrigue, and so so fun to watch. about the history of the borgia family. filled to the brim with drama.

the three musketeers (1993) - my favorite adaptation, also coincidentally the one i grew up on. casting tim curry as richelieu was genius. he slays so hard.

i also like bbc's the musketeers (2014-2016) - a neat little series. very fun and entertaining to watch.

outlaw king (2018) - like i dont think most ppl heard of this movie. its about robert the bruce's fight to reclaim the throne of scotland. starring chris pine

vikings (2013-2020) - its fun. i havent watched the entire series tho. dont expect anything resembling historical accuracy

the northman (2022) - you will see something resembling historical accuracy

mihai viteazul (michael the brave) (1971) - a fun movie. very much romanian propaganda tho.

1670 (2023-) - such a fun series!!! incredible cast, shows respect to the actual history and the lives of historical people. really cute and funny.

caravaggio (1986) - a biopic about caravaggio.

wait i also forgor about pentiment - an intriguing, immersive, and incredibly beautiful video game! it has a lot of 'the name of the rose' vibes, with it being a medieval murder mystery taking place in a monastery. its incredibly touching and made me cry, and in the last few years i very rarely cry. also im 99% sure its an indie game? go support the creators!

vaguely-medieval/early modern fantasy:

mirror mirror (2012) - a retelling of snow white. a very fun movie imo, with incredible costume design. julia roberts plays the evil queen and she SLAYS. armie hammer is unfortunately in that movie.

stardust (2007) - one of my fave movies growing up. more modern-inspired but still.

the green knight (2021) - controversial i know but i actually loved this movie! i liked it both as a standalone movie but moreso as a 21st century adaptation to sir gawain and the green knight.

galavant (2015-2016) - !!!!!!! one of the most series ever! they manage to tackle such difficult concepts and conversations with a hilarious wit. so fun to watch. i listen to a lot of the songs still, and rewatch every once in a while.

disenchantment (2018-2023) - very fun to watch, especially the first season.

i also really liked the novel uprooted by naomi novik. its a polish-inspired fantasy.

modern era:

killers of the flower moon (2023) - of course. a masterpiece

aferim! (2015) - a romanian movie set in 19th century wallachia, about two officers, a father and son, who were sent by a nobleman to retrieve an escaped enslaved romani man. a lot of the people in the comments were calling the movie humorous and funny, maybe im missing smth (as im watching with subtitles n dont understand the original language) but it was a very difficult watch for me??

the handmaiden (2016) - need i say more

black sails (2014-2017) - a prequel to the famous novel 'treasure island'. not an easy series to watch. incredibly good.

the favourite (2018) - need i say more pt 2

the rabbi's cat (le chat du rabbin) (2011) - animated movie set in early 20th century algeria. a rabbi's cat learns to talk overnight.

the nice guys (2016) - a fun murder mystery set in the 1970s

o brother, where art thou (2000) - a retelling of the odyssey set in the southern us in the 1930s

victor/victoria (1982) - set in early 20th century paris. julie andrews pretends to be a man and takes on a job as a drag queen. extremely fun, extremely gay movie.

lady chatterley's lover (2022) - very much porn for moms but it was a nice watch imo

amulet (2020) - set in like. idk. sometime in the 20th century. this is a horror movie, deals a lot with misogyny, sa, and so on. i really like it, personally. a lot of people, mostly weird men, dont tho.

the great (2020-2023) - i have mixed feelings about this show. on the one hand, its really fun to watch. on the other hand, its basically ofmd for girls who have public mental breakdowns whenever someone claims corsets were oppressive. and theyre so weird about russians, jesus christ.

disses:

domina (2021-) - i just couldnt get into it, esp since i tried right after finishing rome hbo. it was kind of silly, and not in a good way. takes itself wayyyy to seriously.

i didnt like spartacus (2010-2013) - the dialogue was almost grotesque and the editing, especially the transitions, straight up killed me

damsel (2024) - holy fuck what a trainwreck of a movie. absolute waste of angela basset and robin wright. the only good thing were the costumes.

lancelot du lac (1974) - i just didnt like it at all. couldnt get into it. i guess it was way too french and artsy fartsy for me. a movie that was trying to say both too little and too much at the same time.

i didnt rly like bram stoker's dracula (1992) - i mean. it was a fine movie. it was definitely not the godfather. the movie itself was meh. the visuals tho? absolutely stunning

[andromeddog]

hi! since you seem to like war (? idk how else to put it lol) and angst and devastating stories you should definitely read in memoriam by alice winn if you haven't already. it's a beautiful story, and i think it is right up your alley (it's about two men falling in love during ww1).

hello anon!!! lol ur good, it is a weird thing to have ppl be like so what do you enjoy? what are ur hobbies? and then to have to say well are you familiar with the first world war. especially in queer spaces i gotta say being like hey im a military history enjoyer gets some looks sometimes but its mostly chill bc im lesbian and do it in a cool way (i hope????? idk ladies you tell me)

ANYWHOOOOOO yes ive heard of this book!! i think ive seen fanart of it and it had me like 👁️👁️ as a woe and tragedy enjoyer i do love stories like this from that time period. i also recently bought soldiers don’t go mad, which is also about some gay men in ww1 and which i need to start, so this rec is right up my alley hahah. thank you, i will keep an eye out for it!!

[menlove]

Sorry if you’ve been asked this already, but do you have any mclennon fic recs for 1967/pepper era?? I’m obsessed with the vibes around this time, and with Jane away John and Paul seemed to spend a lot of their free time during this period together, but I’ve had trouble finding much of anything. Thx!! <3

oooh good question ! i love love love the 1967/pepper era so let me look back in my ao3 history and see what i've got

these aren't all pepper's era, but they are all 1967 (w the exception of One that's not 67 but Is pepper's). put a 💖 next to ones i especially love

If You'll Shut Up About It, I Will

mature. au. 4k

The day after his birthday, Paul McCartney admits on national television that he's illegally had sex with men. On multiple occasions. But it's the media's responsibility not to spread these things, isn't it? Unfortunately (or fortunately), someone else is watching the broadcast, and wants to know why Paul has decided to declare he's queer to all and sundry when he's the one who's been waiting for Paul to give it a go. AKA, That LSD Interview but make it gayer. note: very interesting, short little au on if paul had come out as having had queer sex rather than having done lsd

you know i know when it's a dream

mature. 5k. In 1967, The Beatles visited Greece with the plan of purchasing an island they could call home. Of course, it was mostly John's idea. note: angsty, smutty little one-shot that hurt my heart

1967 💖

mature. 11.5k. au. In 1961, John Lennon and Paul McCartney left abruptly on a trip to Spain, via France. In 1967, they finally come home to face the consequences. note: not EXACTLY what you're looking for but hey the year is in the title..... but it's sooo good i'll rec this fic constantly. they do definitely have the same aesthetic that they did in real life 1967 too. but this one is so fucking good. it's got an experimental style that lets you see everyone's pov while still remaining really well written which imo is hard to do when you're doing a bunch of pov switches. but it's outsider perspective mclennon & explores the nuances of their relationship and how it was/wasn't impacted by fame and how they'd still be creative with each other if they'd never gotten famous from the beatles...... also they basically create the muppets which i think makes this worth reccing on its own tbh

The Places Where You Bend

mature. 2.6k. "Whatever the opposite of 'toppermost of the poppermost' might be, we're in it up to our asses." It's 1967, all hell is breaking loose, and Paul doesn't know if he can do this anymore. note: ugh i loved this one. it's angsty, as any beginning-of-the-end-of-their-relationship fic is, but it's sooo them and very bittersweet

Stop all the clocks 💖

mature. 30.8k. au. For the following kink meme prompt: ‘1967. After Brian dies, Paul decides not to go ahead with MMT, and takes John up to Scotland for a month instead.’ Also based on the following comment on said prompt: ‘pls someone let them fuck tenderly in 1967’ note: definitely an instant classic! super sweet au that makes you wish life had gone this way for them

Way Up Top 💖

explicit. 12k. Falling out of the sky, together. | Snapshots of the Beatles in Greece, July 1967 note: one of my all-time faves ughhhhhh i just love how they wrote everyone. like ofc the mclennon is great, but this one is so so good for just all around good characterization and writing

always, no sometimes 💖

explicit. 20k. Stolen moments from a single year. Or: four times someone nearly found John and Paul together, and the one time they found each other. Set around the recording of Sgt. Pepper, 1966. note: not 1967, but 100000% the vibe you're looking for. such a good fic. i honestly need to do a re-read bc it's been long enough, but this one was just. augh. so much mustache sex too.

shotgunning

explicit. 3.4k From the kink meme prompt: john/paul, shotgunning weed note: i don't Think this one has a year on it officially, but it definitely fits the vibe you're looking for!

Drop Chute

explicit. 1.9k. paul/robert as well "Paul does coke off Robert's dick and blows him in a public toilet. John is in the neighbouring stall and hates it." FFA asked and I delivered. note: ahhhh we love a good "john getting jealous of paul fucking other men" fic

again

explicit. 1.3k In the summer of ‘67, Paul knows exactly how lucky he is to be the man who gets to fuck John, and then eat him out, and then fuck him again, and then — note: it's smut and it's good smut what else can i say truly

Club Sandwich

mature. 4k. Some drug-fueled party in 1967. Paul ends up sandwiched between two men on the couch. As they start fondling and kissing him, John stumbles upon the scene… note: absolutely great. possessiveness and coke prince paul...... what else could i want from a fic

Carousel 💖

explicit. 3.4k 21 March, 1967. John accidentally drops acid during the mixing of Sgt Pepper. Paul drives him back to Cavendish and decides to take LSD for the first time. Based on true events. John's POV. note: definitely my favorite take on the "john and paul tripping together for the first time" story. so good and introspective.

you can get it wrong (and still think you're right)

explicit. 7.4k. Paul visits John at Weybridge. January, 1967. The laziest man in England, that article had said, and Paul thought suddenly of John, lounging: John, turning the pages of a book with one languid hand, his hair mussed and fetching, making pithy comments to empty rooms. Or maybe he didn’t speak at all when he was alone; Paul realized that he didn’t know anymore. note: aghhhh another great one by stonedlennon. the bittersweetness of their relationship.... love this one a lot tbh

Angles

explicit. 2.7k. John takes another languid drag of his cigarette, his eyes alight now when they look into the lens, meeting Paul's. He's a marvellous subject. They should put him in every movie. "That it?" Paul asks—leading. Hungry. "You're the director. Give us a direction," John goads him. note: looove this one. but all of moeexyz's fics are so good so that's to be expected tbh

an orgasm of sound 💖

explicit. 5.3k “It was a good piece of work between Paul and me. I had the ‘I read the news today’ bit, and it turned Paul on, because now and then we really turn each other on with a bit of song, and he just said ‘yeah’ – bang bang, like that.” — John Lennon Or, John and Paul work on A Day in the Life. note: another great one from moeexyz! this one is..... well. Well. it's very good. what more could i ask for in life than piano sex and a day in the life

[tanuki-kimono]

Hello! I love your blog bc it helps me a lot with writing and crafting. Thank you so much for making it!

Are there any patterns that deal with poison? Either in the pattern or in the dyeing process?

Even if there's not I'm glad you and this blog exist 💗

(anon continues) Poison in the dyeing process, like when green dresses were dyed with copper arsenite and it was extremely deadly.

Or a pattern of someone being poisoned, like a historical/folktale.

_______________________________________

Thank you for your kind words <3 I tried to keep things organized but the subject is huge so my of the top of my head answer is going in many directions. I hope you'll still find what you need :3

I'll briefly cover here dyes and (pigments), poison motifs, real life and supernatural poisonings. Buckle up we've got a long post ahead!

____ ABOUT DYE

Tbh I had to think for a moment because I don't recall major "poison" stories linked to dyes in Japan, be it fictionous or real (yet that doesn't mean none ever happened, especially considering Japan's history of industrial poisonings...).

Most gruesome details in the fabric industries I know of are about the horrific life & work conditions of female laborers in spinning mill manufactures (as in many countries, Japan industrialization process was ghastly...).

If potters and dyers had excellent practical knowledge, chemistry as a science officially started kind of late in Japan as it was not a local interest, and as rangaku (study of Western knowledge) often favored other subjects like medicine or warfare.

So, until the introduction of aniline dyes (not textile related, but this article about the use of synthetic dyes in ukiyoe printing is super interesting), Japanese worked with "natural" dyes, like ai (indigo) which was the most used during Edo period.

As with any ingredient, being natural doesn't equal safety. Some mixtures could be quite potent/foul, and process could be dangerous. Plants and minerals base ingredients could be toxic (cinnabar and orpiments were then used as paint pigments, and lead could be found in make up), as were mordants used to set colors.

If you want to easily overview which ingredients were used to create colors, I recommand browsing [Irocore] which presents colors with explanation in English in their database (pick a color then scroll down).

Not related to poison, but ai (indigo) is traditionally prepared in aigame/enormous floor set jars I find utterly terrifying:

I don't know if this tidbit can help you, but some dyes and mordants actually damage the fabric overtime, leaving them brittle (silk desintegrates after a while which is a huge issue in textile conservation).

____ POISON MOTIFS

Concerning "poison" themed patterns, none would be actually used traditionally on a kimono or an obi beside novelty items ^^;

For example, many plants can be toxic, but I don't see them set as pattern for this property - they'd rather refer to a poem, be a symbol of the passing of seasons etc. Fuji (wisteria) can be quite harmful, yet it's a beloved traditional motif in Japan.

You have much more chances to find pattern with kujaku (peacock) which are thought to be impervious to poison in Buddhism, than say venomous mukade (centipede) or the horrific ômukade (a youkai I covered in a folktale).

Snakes like the habu and mamushi are dangerous, but if used as pattern snakes are most often auspicious and linked to rain dragons or goddess Benzaiten.

If you squint hard, toxic fugu could count as poison pattern, but such a seasonal delicacy as a motif would mostly underline wealth (as those fishes are pretty expensive as they are prepared by specialized chefs), a kind of carpe diem spirit, or just a fun pattern because fugu balloon shape is cute ;)

____ POISON MURDERS

Poisoning was certainly a thing is Japan since ancient times (see kodoku sorcery). Poisons were for example used in some fishing techniques.

I am pretty sure some kuge and buke were disposed of this way - even thought poison was seen as a coward weapon (hence why its supposed to be only used by shinobi/ninja - even if this "fact" is opened to a lot of discussions!).

During Edo period, such murders made up the news and penny dreadful-like illustrated books favored by city dwellers in need of a fright. But those stories didn't pass to posterity beside cheap ukiyoe plates, and were never as popular as some shinjû (double suicides) or ghost revenges like poor poisoned and murdered Oiwa's:

____ SUPERNATURAL POISONINGS

If your poison is both physical and metaphorical illbeing, mushi could be your guys ^^ This term actually covers everything small and crawling, from real worms and insects, to anything inside one's body causing distress - be it a parasite, an unknown illness, an overboard emotion, a curse etc. If you've read/seen Mushishi you've got what I mean:

In fact any illness-causing being could count as poison-bringer. Hôsôkami (smallpox demon) was truly feared by all before vaccination was introduced in Japan.

Finally, continuing the supernatural poisoning trail, best girl is probably legendary fox witch Tamamo no Mae who among other terrible deeds made emperor Konoe fall sick with poisonous miasma (some version of the story attributes the disease to another monster, the nue). I covered a similar murderous kitsune folktale here.

[jeonstellate]

flashpoint: forward

junhui’s post-9 pm overthinking led him to you, ten years into the future.

๑༄ wen junhui x gender neutral!reader

๑༄ time travel!au — little fluff(?), mostly neutral

๑༄ bulleted list format — 3K words

masterlist | flashpoint: backward

[gif’s full credit belongs solely to its owner]

๑༄ wrote this almost a year ago && decided to wait until i made significant progress on the second part, but i kinda— anw. long story short, here’s the first part even tho the second one isn’t done yet *insert dancer emoji here*

๑༄ personally loved this, if you can’t tell by the word count lol, so i sincerely hope y’all do too <3

for this specific universe, the world lives in whichever time they wish

however, the ability to jump through time isn’t a common ability

nor it is a well-studied area of science

it isn’t necessarily a regulated movement(?), either — time travelers don’t carry passports or any documents that record their movement from one time to another

to top if off, no one knows exactly how one gets the ability to jump through time as well; it just appears randomly once the blessed individual comes of age

what people do know, however, is the fact that there is a set of rules every time traveler is strongly advised to abide by

first & foremost, every time traveler mustn’t mess with the flow of events — specifically those that concern an entire population

which means they can’t prevent any public figure from crossing onto the other side of veil — political or otherwise

they can’t introduce a current technology to the people of the past, either — especially since inventions have the power to drive social advancement

basically everything that can impact how history is told is forbidden

saving endangered animals through time travel is included in that btw

tragically

&& also bringing forward obsolete stuff to the present

[that means no bringing forward quality web-based flash games or the psp. sigh]

second, every time traveler cannot reveal to the people of time periods prior to time travel becoming "common" knowledge that they are, in fact, time travelers

that sounds like a trippy sentence to comprehend completely, so let’s paraphrase

time travelers can’t change when time traveling became something that people just know to exist

if they travel to some time in the BCE, they can’t mention anything abt time traveling to the ppl there — bc time travel isn’t heard of yet during that time period

same thing if they travel to any CE period when time travel is basically "non-existent" still

truth be told, no one can exactly pin point when time travel became a common knowledge

so it’s a little tricky

that’s why it’s advisable to keep quiet abt it when going to the past

unless it’s recent past, then that should be fine

but not so much when going forward in time

since yk, they fs already know that time travel exist if people of the present already know abt it

the third advice for time travelers is to not stay too long in the past or the future

the unofficial handbook for time travelers didn’t really specify how long is too long, so everyone interprets it differently

some think it means a few days max, while some think it’s a few weeks

some even think it means a few years

but anw

the point is, according to the handbook, if one stays too long in the time they don’t belong in, changes will occur in their present

which will domino effect

to not only their future, but potentially to everyone else’s lives as well

[write that down—]

in a way, that connects advice three to advice one

thankfully, you aren’t blessed to be a time traveler

sure, you don’t get to experience the perks that comes w time traveling

but at least you don’t have to remember all those rules

&& wtv unmentioned precautionary tales there are abt time traveling

unfortunately for wen junhui, though, he is a time traveler

which means he has to keep all those rules in mind whenever he enjoys the perks of time traveling

sigh

.

.

.

.

.

junhui doesn’t have a favorite era to travel to

he, quite honestly, just travels on a whim

remember that "end of the world" talk bc of the mayan calendar?

yea

junhui didn’t believe in it either

but, nevertheless, he still time traveled to the day after the supposed end date just to prove to himself that he was right not to believe it

&& that there was definitely still tomorrow after the so-called "end of the world" day

ngl that extremely brief stay in that particular date was for his post-9 pm self — the one that worries abt every little thing that has ever happened in his life & that he has ever heard of in passing

basically his post-9 pm self has some sort of heightened anxiety or smth, that’s why he never trusts anything he thinks of from 9 pm onwards

[i personally believe this btw. this belief has saved me multiple times. i highly recommend :D]

still, whenever his post-9 pm self gets too worked up worrying abt nothing, it’s difficult for him to sleep

so it’s best to quell anything that can be a source of anxiety asap

esp since he needs — wants — all the sleep he can get

junhui has also traveled into the year 3000

solely bc he heard his friend hansol play a song abt it

&& the lyrics mentioned smth abt ppl in that year living underwater

now, that lyric could’ve been entirely fictional, a result of merely observing the trend of global climate change

but, considering the world they all live in, it’s also plausible that at least one of the songwriters for that song is a time traveler

so, naturally, junhui wants to confirm it for himself

to his surprise (not really), they do live underwater by then

&& remember the flying cars ppl of the past collectively envisioned for the future?

they’re apparently floating vehicles instead, like submarines, which can give the impression that they’re flying

it’s actually pretty cool to see

almost like the future in meet the robinsons, but like . . . underwater

anw

junhui doesn’t just fact-checks the future or any future-related things, he also has a similar habit for the past

aside from making sure wtv he read abt in books are accurate, he also fancies seeing tourist spots in their young state — before the effect of time & tourists took a toll

just to name a few . . .

he went to see the great wall at its peak condition: complete & still intact

he had admired the taj mahal as a recently completed building

same goes for the eiffel tower & the entirety of intramuros

not to mention the not-yet-green statue of liberty

& disneyland, back when there were merely 20 attractions in the entire park

suffice to say, junhui enjoys his time traveling abilities to the fullest

despite not actually using it often

in fact, by this point in time, he hasn’t time traveled in a while: his last time jump being more than half a year ago

it was, if he remembers correctly, to visit the cats in ancient egypt

sure, he could’ve looked around for the pyramids too & the other wonders of ancient egypt, but he was literally just there for the cats

cause, yk, he just thought of them & how dissimilar they might be to modern-day cats

to no one’s surprise, there wasn’t any notable differences

so, yea

no other escapades followed after that trip

that is, until his post-9 pm self got better of him

wen junhui, like any other night prior, just wants to sleep

well, at least his body does

his mind, though . . . it seems like it has other plans

bc it just . . . wouldn’t . . . shut off

[i fcking hate it when that happens]

his brain, for wtv reason, just decided that it was the best time to think abt the future

not just any future, though: his future, specifically

sure, he has traveled to the future countless of times, but those trips were never to catch a glimpse of his own future life

partly bc he was never actually interested in knowing beforehand

but mostly bc he knew that the future isn’t exactly set in stone

sure, the near future might not change drastically when he decides not to eat his usual breakfast, but there’s no telling how much each choice dominos into the distant future

thus, it’s reasonable to assume that, just bc he sees it when he time travels, it doesn’t automatically mean that that’s how his future will play out exactly

really, a part of him just wants to stay cautious abt accidentally changing his future

‘cause he can totally see that happening:

after seeing how his life is in the future, he might potentially develop a conscious preference towards things that he thinks will build into the future he saw

not knowing that the decisions he made due to his hyperawareness actually altered how his future will eventually play out

wen junhui doesn’t want to experience that

like, at all

bc it’s def a recipe for disappointment & heartbreak

but, apparently, his brain begs to differ

bc it’s still trying to convince him that it wouldn’t hurt

to know how his life will going exactly 10 years from now

if anything, it might even provide some comfort . . . to know that, yk, he’ll be just fine 10 years from now

but at the same time,

what if he gets so obsessed w making sure he doesn’t change his future after he goes back to the present??

he would be so stressed for the next 10 years until his present finally catches up to the moment he time traveled to

oh heavens

junhui of the present just — quite literally — want to fcking sleep

so he tossed

and turned

blanket off

blanket on

one foot out

foot back in bc he remembered abt the monsters that might try to pull him by his leg

lie down on his stomach

lie down on his back

put one arm under his pillow

and—

nothing

absolutely nothing

he’s still wide awake

tragically

once he sees a semblance of sun rays through the window curtain, he defeatedly decided to compromise

and finally time traveled 10 years forward

truthfully, time traveling for wen junhui is v easy

at least after he mastered it

which took a bit ngl

he just has to think of time & place he wants to travel to, mean them, close his eyes, & let the magic do its thing

normally, he would open his eyes as soon as he feels like it was safe to do so

just to confirm that he did end up in the time & place he intended

but for this one specifically, he didn’t even want to bother confirming that he arrived at his destination

instead, he settled for accepting the different feeling of the sheets under him as such

contrast to how uncomfortable & hot his own bedsheets and blanket felt to him tonight,

the ones currently touching his skin felt comfortable & cool

aka literally the perfect recipe for sleep

junhui personally has been begging his body to sleep for hours now at this point

so after processing the sweet relief of comfortability, he basically knocked out cold almost instantly

[he was getting so frustrated—]

[i’m so happy for him *wipes tear*]

now, don’t get him wrong

he’s normally cautious whenever he time travels, esp if it’s within his lifetime

given that it’s a "special" circumstance of sorts

that shall be explained later . . . after he wakes up

he’s just really tired, okay?

let him be

let him discover how much he fcked up once he wakes up

from a deep sleep he so deserved

.

.

.

once junhui finally wakes up from his slumber, it took him a moment to remember what he did before he slept

still unaware of his night shenanigans & barely awake, he makes a beeline to the bathroom

except the path that normally takes him to the bathroom didn’t actually take him there

but rather to a closet that he doesn’t even recognize

undeterred, he turns & tries the second doorknob he grasps

thankfully, that door opens to reveal what he’s looking for: a bathroom

the harsh lighting essentially forces him to fully open his eyes

and he finally notices that there are two toothbrushes by the sink

he could’ve sworn he only has one toothbrush out of the box

so he absolutely has no idea which one he should use

much less why there are suddenly two in the first place

junhui decides to not think too much of it

and just takes the safest option: only using a mouthwash & moving onto the rest of his morning routine

he’s not abt to take a risk abt that yk

who knows what he uses the other toothbrush for that he just can’t remember atm

now refreshed & completely awake, he finally finally remembers what he did last night before he drifted off to sleep

he has time traveled 10 years forward

which means he’s currently in his body 10 years into the future

alright, guess this is the right second for a quick rundown of how time traveling works in this universe

if the time he wants to travel to is within his lifetime, his consciousness will enter his body during that time

which means he’s inside the time flow & whatever he does may impact the succeeding events

which also means he has to be extremely mindful

if the time he wants to travel to is outside his lifetime, may that be before or after, then he’s just . . . an entity with no actual form

like an invisible ghost

which means he’s outside the time flow & he’s free to say wtv & move whichever way he wants without bothering ppl

or even worrying abt accidentally altering the timeline

however, if he’s not skilled enough, he might accidentally manifest as a person that didn’t/doesn’t rlly exist during that particular time

which means that, once again, he’ll be inside the time flow when he shouldn’t be

actually, if he’s a seasoned enough traveler, anything is possible: he may still touch things without necessarily being inside the time flow, he may potentially alter the timeline without having a vessel, etc.

but anw

now, with all that knowledge in mind, wen junhui looks around with purpose

first he turns to the mirror to intently observe how he physically changed over the years

then, once satisfied, turns his attention to the bathroom itself: how he recognizes some of the brands but not exactly the packaging

and how painfully obvious it is that his future self shares the place with one other person

has inflation gotten so bad that he had to share his apartment w someone?

truthfully, he doesn’t rlly mind that

but it means his chances of getting caught are higher

esp if his flatmate happens to be home atm & he has no idea who they are

junhui takes it upon himself to explore his bedroom too

& look for clues abt who he might be living w

assuming that they are close enough, that is

it doesn’t take him that long to find what he’s seeking, thankfully

bc there are two framed decorations on his bedroom walls that basically answered all his current questions

one of which is an intimate wedding photograph of him and someone else

which means . . .

wen junhui of the future is fcking married

and his flatmate can only be his spouse

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

alright

now

it’d be a complete lie to say that wen junhui of the past anticipated that

bc he totally didn’t

and honestly, who can blame him?

dude doesn’t even have a significant other in his present

and, judging who he ends up marrying,

he hasn’t even met the person he ends up w yet

nor has he heard of them

bc he has yet to hear the name that he can only assume is theirs next to his on the other framed decoration

which has his name & [first name] in large print — surrounded by small handwritten messages

all of a sudden, junhui has more questions than what he started w prior to discovering the identity of his flatmate

how did they meet?

how long were they a couple before they wed?

how long have they been married at this point?

when did they marry?

when did they me—

and as if on cue, a soft knock resonated from the door,

instantly freezing junhui in place

followed by a: "jun, are you awake yet?"

thinking on his feet, junhui quickly busied himself w making the bed

so when the person who knocked inevitably opens the door, he can use it as an excuse

"oh, good. you’re up."

junhui immediately thought the picture has done you no justice as soon as you appeared by the doorway

he swears he even stops breathing for a sec after seeing you

"yea . . . i was just fixing the bed . . ."

he has no idea how he’s able to act like he didn’t just fall in love at first sight

but perhaps his fear of giving himself away is the one to thank

hopefully, his acting was convincing enough to foul you

not that he wants to lie to you or anything

he’s just being cautious bc he doesn’t know if his future self has let you onto his secret

and he certainly don’t wanna be the one responsible for that talk

"once you’re done, come join me for breakfast, yea?"

phew

it seems like you’re none the wiser

that’s good for him

now, all he has to do is to play along & not blow his cover

sounds easy enough

right?

right?

"ofc. lemme just grab my phone & we can head out tgt"

.

.

.

wrong!

bc, for one, he has no idea who you are

besides being his spouse, and your name,

and perhaps also how you physically look like,

junhui doesn’t know you

and what kind of husband doesn’t know anything abt his spouse???

not a good one, for starters

sigh

all of a sudden, he was so glad he bothered to take acting classes when he was younger

to be fair, he did take them to help him blend in whenever he wants to travel w a body rather than as a ghost

which is exactly what this situation is

except this one’s a bit different . . . in a way

‘cause now he gets to use it to keep his marriage intact

and for the sake of his future, he needs to not mess it up

no pressure at all ammirite

[mammutblog]

???!! i need to know more.

hello i can’t say too much about it bc i’m still at an early stage of writing! i tagged that under this post bc one of the more common questions i receive is “how do you know this album isn’t made for male pleasure?" I can't say I know for sure, but my belief can stand if the two statements “women were notoriously oppressed during this period of chinese history” (which they were) and “women have a lot of agency within the gender and class system, and built relationships with one another” can co-exist, which i think they can. we often live contradictory lives ourselves and i think people back then did too! the images themselves also tell us a lot about who the intended audience may be, especially if you put it against other similar objects from its time. Anyway! onto the p0rn itself:

if you go to the boston mfa website -> collections -> collections search and then search “secret spring” you’ll find 12 eighteenth century album leaves that depict various scenes of girls hanging out, playing chess, reading porn, buying dildos, doing some fruit sex and more

it’s not unusual for there to be depictions of female sexual intercouse in late imperial chinese p0rnographt but the male gaze-y-ness of them are quite present, such as very lavishly decorated backdrops, an emphasis on penetration, and sometimes the presence of a male viewer/participant

my vibes is that these albums (cr. james cahill for writing about this in the first place) is that the secret spring album centers around a quotidian nature of pleasure and an indulgence in everyday life. if you look closely at the backdrop for example, it feels like a very lived-in space, with tea cups and chess pieces lying around, beds unmade, furniture moved about etc

scenes of pleasure and nudity also seem to be shrouded with a sense of causality and comfort, there is no sense that the women are attempting to seduce or purposefully arouse the viewer, nor do the nudity and sexual acts read as foreplay to phallic penetration.

there is actually a lot of documentation, though not as much as male homosexuality, of women (mostly upper class) exchanging love letters, composing erotic poetry about courtesans, and sponsoring singing girls for entertainment. what i am trying to figure out right now is how to understand these expressions of love, friendship, pleasure and sexual desire without putting contemporary labels on them because it wouldn’t actually help us to better understand relationships between women at the time, anyway i wanted to make this really short but that’s what you get for asking me a question about my research, okay bye!

[mikasa-imadebiscults]

Hello, hello! I hope you’re doing well and are having a nice end to your weekend. If your matchups are still open, may I request a matchup for JJK and AOT?

Pronouns: she/her

Sexuality: straight

Zodiac/MBTI/Enneagram/Hogwarts house (bc why tf not?): Leo, INFJ, 1w9, Ravenclaw

Appearance: long wavy auburn hair and my eyes are more of a honey brown. I always wear round glasses. I'm pale with freckles on my cheeks and nose. 5’9, more of an hourglass shape and have a bit of muscle. If I wear makeup, I like keeping it subtle. I often just apply eye makeup and stick to shades of purple, gold, and orange.

Aesthetic: I mostly wear black and white, but I have some lilac in my wardrobe. In summer I typically wear long, flowy dresses with a jean jacket and combat boots, and when it’s colder I prefer slacks, sweaters, and combat boots.

Personality: Making an effort to understand myself and others is important to me, so that leads to long periods of pondering my actions, as well as others’. I love having me time, though I enjoy being with those close to me from time to time. I love discussing topics that revolve around enigmas. It’s not as important to have others agree with me as it is to explore the unknown with them. Since I’m reserved, I take a long time to open up to others. I’m gentle but can be (unintentionally) intimidating. I’m adventurous and have completed a dream of mine – living/working in a country that doesn’t speak my native language. I actively search for things to be thankful for. I'm easily flustered, clumsy, athletic, and conscientious. My humor is witty and sarcastic. Every now and then, I like listening to the branches being rustled by the wind and being able to gaze up at the moon and stars shining brightly, which remind me that there's a lot of beauty in the world, and I'm glad to experience it. I am happiest when seeking out information/reason. I’m really kinda superstitious…

Likes and Dislikes: I like practicing the languages I know, demonology, biology, genealogy, reading, museums, Victorian history, singing, alternative rock, and exploring my surroundings. A large portion of what I read/watch relates to the occult. Although I used to play the piano and was extremely talented, I still admire it and may want to get back into it in the future. I dislike storms, large bodies of water, and people who always turn disagreements into arguments. 

Hobbies: Writing horror stories, DnD, reading, singing, listening to music, watching horror movies, and yoga. As an avid horror fan, animated movies are for sure a guilty pleasure of mine. Coco is 10/10 for a good cry.

Pets: I don’t have any pets, but I’m a massive cat person. I love all animals, although I just feel like cats and I get each other.

Type: In terms of physical appearance, I find many features attractive and don’t have a type. However, personality wise I can handle a lot in a partner/friend but not one who belittles others. I’m someone who can laugh at myself, so I appreciate when my partner/friends can do the same. This may be super basic, but I’m the kind of person who’s very supportive of their friends/partner and just wants that in return. Too many people I’ve met have tried to take advantage of that. Speaking of which, my ideal partner would need to have a backbone and healthy boundaries. I’m not usually romantically interested in people pleasers ^^’ (NSFW related) I much prefer being dominated and feeling out of control. I get stressed a lot, so giving someone control over me in the bedroom is *chefs kiss. I’m kinda kinky and also very vocal ^^’. I try to be as open as possible with my partner, especially when it comes to intimacy and welcome discussions about what we like/don’t like.

Love languages: words of affirmation and acts of service. I love cuddling and hugging but sometimes need my space. Same with spending time together, I love it but I need time to recharge, too. I don’t really like gifts just because I feel like I owe them. That being said, I will still appreciate and adore anything they give me. It’s sweet to know that they were thinking of me.

(HEY I AM ALIVE I SWEAR! I really hope you enjoy this and have a great day!)

I match you with..

Gojo Satoru

- He likes that you get easily flustered, often times he teases you.

- Always gives you the biggest hugs.

- One day he took your glasses and put them on then asked if he looked good in them (hopefully he didn’t break them)

- He’s great at acts of service. He loves taking you out places, he reassures you that you don’t owe him anything.

- When you two are watching horror movies together, he will try and startle you. If he succeeds, he will be laughing his ass off.

- Likes to jam out to music with you.

- He listens to you talk about demonology, he always says something like “Yeah I can defeat them in a fight.”

- If he’s scrolling through social media and finds a video about cats, he thinks of you and sends them to you. (Most of them will be funny videos, like cats attacking their owners)

- The first time he heard you sing he was like “I didn’t know you could sing” in a teasing way.

Armin Arlert

- He is glad that you love to seek out information because he can relate.

- He’s really good at words of affirmation. Ever feeling insecure about your relationship or other things? He’ll be right there ready to make those feelings disappear.

- Prefers horror stories over horror movies but he doesn’t mind watching them with you. He enjoys when you talk about the horror stories that you make.

- You two love to star gaze together, pointing out all the unique looking stars above you, listening to the sounds of nature and feeling the cool air.

- He likes to take you to museums, and even go somewhere new that you both never been to before.

- He would love to adopt a cat with you, but before that he wants to make sure that he’s prepared to take care of a cat (cause cats be wild sometimes-)

Masterlist

[sickness-health-all-that-shit]

hello! i was watching ian and mickey scenes through *the* youtube channel, i'm not too deep into the lore of the fandom but! i read that noel wanted to be paid more for his role which is why they wrote him off on s6 etc. reading some comments through clips from the other seasons he is not in i saw that the ''reasons'' as of why ian seems not to care of him was because of his medication and pretending to keep himself steady but with s7 it went down after seeing him again + monica's death (and that's also why he's maniac again :0) thankfully right after they're back together which makes my serotonin skyrocket! i mostly read fics that are a sort of fix it or with mickey coming back right after monica dying etc. i didn't know about these infos before so i thought it was kind of fanon that ian goes maniac because of that and that he never said ''i love you'' to anyone but mickey. i wanted to ask you what is your take on ian's feelings when mickey wasn't around? gotta say that it makes me feel way better knowing that despite their effort to remove mickey from the series they managed to make it was all about him/leading back to them together! i hope i didn't disturb you with this ask but im having feelings!!! eheh

hi there! totally valid to have ✨feelings✨ about this, especially when you first start diving into their history and relationship!! my own deep-dive under the cut:

I do believe Noel left bc of contract renegotiations, yes. and after that fans were not happy with (and were very vocal about) the show trying to 'replace' Mickey with other boyfriends for Ian and having Ian badmouth Mickey etc. anyway, if we're keeping this to in-universe explanations as to how Ian felt about Mickey during those seasons, my interpretation is this: at the start of s6, Ian was in a very, very bad place. we see that at some point he started taking his meds (despite his previous refusal to do so like during the breakup in 5x12) but he's very clearly going through depression at that stage. let's keep in mind that at the time he was dealing with accepting his diagnosis, something he struggled a lot with both bc of the comparisons with Monica and bc of how much he valued his independence, so acknowledging the need for outside help and someone to care for him when he's not feeling well is particularly hard for him. he also just came out of a long period of being unmedicated--I've seen people suggest symptoms first started manifesting at the end of s3, and might've influenced his decision to go off to the army with everything that that brought as a consequence and all the choices he made as a result of that.. his life had changed dramatically in that period (he dropped out of school, left his home and his siblings, worked in nightclubs as a minor and of course he went through all that traumatic stuff with Mickey from 3x06 onward) so at the beginning of s6 he makes the decision to basically just put all of that behind him. Ian has a tendency to compartmentalize, which means he took all the bad things that had happened to him up until his diagnosis (and everything that reminded him of that, ie Mickey) and tried to forget about them, so that he could move on in some way. of course at this point Mickey was in prison and expected to remain there for the next 8 to 15 years, so that was another thing Ian made the decision to put out of his mind, bc it all hurt too much to deal with. so he made a new life for himself. which I'm very proud of him for! I love his journey to become an emt <3 dating-wise, choices were made. not necessarily by Ian though, by which I mean he kinda fell into those relationships, going through the motions because of how uncertain he was feeling at that time, and ending up dating people that should've maybe definitely had been fuck buddies at most. anyway, let's not dwell on that ajkds and let's get back to Mickey. the whole 'out of sight out of mind' thing obviously crashes and burns for Ian once Mickey shows up again, right there in front of him. that rush of deep-buried feelings must have been overwhelming. and yeah, I do agree that Ian's manic state through s8 was probably a result of the double hit of Monica's death and losing Mickey again--for all Ian knew, for good this time. and he absolutely never said I love you to anyone but Mickey, bc he's never loved anyone but him. they were it for each other from the start!! thank god the show finally got with the program at some point lol and gave us the happy ending they truly deserved ❤️

[tumblasha]

vacation review: taiwan

overall rating: ★★★★/5

cities visited (chronologically): taipei, taichung, kaohsiung, taitung

the good parts

i got to see Moomf (micosu oomf)

i got over the "i can't visit a country if i don't know the language" feeling

nature everywhere

night markets were so fun!

at least half of the population wears a mask at all times (even outside of taipei where the air quality is nicer!)

every train station + tourist spot had a stamp area so now i have a lil booklet filled with taiwanese stamps :,)

food! especially boba and soups :DD -so much liquid.

traveling on the back of a scooter is so mind-numbing, i love being a passenger princess

the bad parts

taipei's air pollution is a lil sad but def not the worst

getting over the jetlag and post-vacation sadness T_T

they killed that duck that i saw in that one tumblr post

overall summary

i think that taiwan is an excellent place for people of all places to visit! especially if you know english, everyone is really nice to english-speakers and makes an effort to gesture-speak or google translate through every conversation

this may be insensitive, but i think that the "made in taipei" brand (country pride of having many ~cultural influences) really works for tourism. previously, i saw friends and co-workers take their japan trip and do all the kawaii things (sanrio store, snoopy cafe, studio ghibli museum, etc), and got sad. taichung really embraces manga, anime, and other kawaii-adjacent things, and it satisfied my desire to go to japan. i've been having a hard time with co-existing with appreciating the good side of japan (mostly art and media) and learning abt the bad sides (colonial history), so it was nice being able to get a positive experience with low "double-think"

on post-vacation sadness

idk why but this was the first time that i came back from a vacation and i was Sad. like, maybe it's bc i got my period mid-trip and it was some weird post-period hormonal thing?? but i doubt it

looking back, i think that i have never truly been Alone until this trip? when i solo traveled in sp+pt, i was able to talk to the people in the hostel and go out with them. i wasn't able to talk to anybody bc a majority of the tourists spoke either mandarin or japanese, and idk either of those languages. i think that i was alone with my thoughts for too long -> leading to being on my phone too much -> leading to random bursts of crying (?) that lasted through a week after coming back to the US. it was bad enough that i took off all my jewelry and almost cut my hair X|

also any instagram posts that mentions taiwan / east asia kinda ruins my whole day. i wanna go backkkkkk

lessons learned

it's okay to be lost emotionally and physically! being alone is a constant battle of self-love and The Void

i need more international friends bc visiting them in their free time + their country of residence in their work time is so fun

i need to take more pictures of myself! i think somewhere in this trip i convinced myself to download dating apps again and i have no good pics. i also can't post a "taiwan photodump" on insta :(

tl;dr: go to taiwan! but go with friends!!

[satsuha]

gets its own post bc i havent drawn more for them yet, but headcanon names/etc info for the unreleased wyrmclan leaders! i will most likely stick to these names when referring to them from now on..! some more rambling/explanations below

pls take everything i say here with a grain of salt bc i am NOT a history expert and i didnt want to follow irl history too closely anyway bc it IS a fictional adaptation of irl figures

as for the names i tried to go for popular figures in the sengoku period since most of the wyrmclan leaders are from that era (seimei and yoshitsune being the only exceptions):

uesugi kenshin, known as the "dragon of echigo" and takeda shingen's rival... shingen is known to be loved by both his fellow wyrmclan leaders and vassals but its quite clear that he has a bad relationship with/disapproves of kenshin so i thought he might be just really. obnoxious and unreasonable... kenshin is the only one with a confirmed name/zodiac animal but the reason i thought he was the blond one is bc apparently depictions of uesugi kenshin in fiction often use that headdress that he was known to wear... (read it in some reddit post) which meant blue haired boy is the dog wyrmclan leader, since the others are pretty self explanatory

azai nagamasa, oda nobunaga's brother-in-law and enemy. i don't have.. a big reason for giving rabbit leader this name but i did want to prioritize figures with connections to existing wyrmclan leaders.. i think she'd be generally quite unsociable and blunt but she's probably especially bothered by nobu's recklessness...

chosokabe motochika, i mostly picked this name for the sheep leader bc it notes that his father worried about his gentle nature as a child.... akjhjkag i think he'd be a true pacifist and maybe disapproves of ieyasu for preaching peace but choosing to fight

toyotomi hideyoshi, known for being the last unifier of japan alongside tokugawa ieyasu and oda nobunaga.. was also loyal to nobunaga and defeats mitsuhide for his betrayal. i thought snake leader looked really scheming like mitsuhide so i wanted them to be like one-sided rivals.. (mitsu does not care) and the mitsu -> nobu betrayal is an actual thing that happened in wyrmclan history and while mitsu and nobu disregard their family feuds, i thought itd be funny if hideyoshi was a char who didnt? like constantly bugging nobu to stop being so close to a traitor like mitsu lmao...

date masamune, the "one-eyed dragon of oshu" and commonly depicted with an eyepatch... it could've been anyone between rabbit/dog/snake leader but i chose dog leader bc he is apparently known for his black armour..??

i picked elements/weapons mostly based on the illust we got of them (e.g. masamune's blade is already visible) but otherwise it's because i wanted all 9 weapon types to be present amongst the wyrmclan leaders! i think that's all i have to say for now but i do want to keep drawing them

[madwickedawesome]

Top 5 art movements and slash or fashion periods

ohgod yes ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️im not incredibly well versed in fashion periods BUT ill do what i know :))

(art movements)(this is very european. sorry)

1. romanticism obvi. i adore anything w emphasis on emotion and romanticism is literally born from a newfound push for the core of humanity to be seen in artwork like is that not SO perfect ….. especially the major themes of 1) love, joy, interconnected humanity and 2) sorrow, despair, loneliness . like it just goes to show how these r so DICHOTOMOUS and yet INTERTWINED bc they were immediate reactions to freedom of artistic expression and ugh i could literally go on for years . also the art pieces themselves r gorgeous so

2. impressionism <333 maybe its bc im the biggest monet (& hicks? but hes a modern revival) fan like ever in the world (sorry if he was racist he probably was) but even movement influence aside i just love the like . is there even a word for it. Simplicity But Not of impressionist paintings ???? like the serenity of the scene matched w how everything isnt overly realistic and yet is still incredibly clear and uuughjgh so pretty

3. rococo!! i loooove maximalism and match that w some old rich person hubris and we have a party!!! i adore the sweet colors and the emphasis on sensuality like u go girl!! palace of versailles went Crazy dude thats all i have to say . i love rococo and its emo parent baroque

4. academicism ? maybe ??? similarly i am the hugest cabanel fan in the world ever and i just love like . how beautiful everything ? is ???? such a basic answer sorry but i cannot articulate what it is about academicism that makes me go bonkers but also i love it to bits

5. im so stuck between fauvism and post impressionism and expressionism but fauvism is only in very specific circumstances and i already have impressionism on here so i can Skip its weird child anyway…. EXPRESSIONISM . bla bla bla emotional experience u already know what im gonna say. also i love van gogh and also also the scream is SO funny im sorry i cant take it seriously

(fashion periods)(uuuuuhhhhh)

1. whatever was going on in the late 1800s in england and france and america but mostly america. like come ON dude 1860s-1870s masculine american fashion just went crazy i cant say any more !!!

2. 1550s wealthy france thats it

3. everything else. im so bad w fashion history i dont know a THINF

[zombiepedia]

I’m so curious and I hope you don’t mind me asking but what was your first introduction to zombies? I know next to nothing about them bc they used to freak me out and I avoided anything about them, but finding your blog has made me super interested!! To the point where I was going to sign up for a uni course on them but found out the professor for it was quite shit so I didn’t :,) but yeah when did you first see/hear/learn about them? I’m so curious

:D i don't mind you asking at all i love talking about this!!!

well when i was young zombies also really frightened me (i still get zombie stress nightmares sometimes) but i've been a horror fan since i was a kid, so that never stopped me from getting really into zombie media anyway. there were several contributing factors i'd say? my first memory of REALLY loving something with zombies in it was with my childhood best friend. she had this really shitty Xbox 360 and we used to play COD zombies together for hours and hours. people always think i'm crazy when i say this (because COD zombies sucks) but it's a huge reason why i started loving zombies

in my formative years a lot of huge zombie centric franchises were at their peak as well (TWD and TLOU especially. and PVZ was HUGE) so i was of course very invested in those franchises growing up, and i had a lot of friends who were super into them too, especially TWD :D one of my best childhood memories is going to a huge TWD convention with my best friend and i got to meet Clementine's voice actor!!!

my mom also really loves zombies, and i don't share a lot of interests with her, but we always loved them together and would watch stuff together. my mom bought me a lot of zombie books to read and always encouraged that interest of mine. especially in middle school i was blowing through books she'd buy me like World War Z (novel, not movie), The Enemy series, In The After, and the TWD novels were just a few that i was consumed by when i read them. and then i started writing my OWN zombie stories in middle school, like self insert stuff with my friends, etc

and when i got older i started watching a lot more zombie movies (before i had been mostly invested in books, games, and shows because i find movies hard to sit through) and zombie movies are fascinating they have so much history!!! there are so many of them to enjoy with so many different takes on the genre!!! zombie centric music is really fun too, that's also something i got into when i was older. i love music about zombies (and horror music in general)

to quit rambling on and to answer your question super directly i think i ended up loving zombies because the people i love do too, albeit not as much as me lol, and the time period i grew up in (after the release of 28 Days Later and the revival of zombies in the early 2000s) was an absolute goldmine for really good zombie content

[op15-moonwaltz]

luckily santa clause 3 was like my first hyperfixation like….ever lol so i’ve got jack hcs for dayyyyyyys and the marty short hyperfixation has reignited the love for popsicle man so🫶🫶🫶

-expanding on the last one bc YESSSSS weighted+heated blanket jack truther fr. i totally hc that one time mrs claus found him when he felt too cold and panicked and was shivering both from the cold and the anxiety. she immediately hugged him while also trying to ground him from his panic as jack tried to remember how to breathe and fought off tears. eventually he calmed down enough and mrs clause made them some cocoa, giving jack all the time he needed to feel safe (and warm) again. he felt *so* guilty for his weakness but after the whole ordeal, a few days later ms claus gifted him with the weighted+heated blanket. he’s used it every day since <3

-despite being *very* used to the cold, jack would always get pretty frequent nosebleeds. he’d always keep tissues nearby or in his pocket, sometimes not even noticing his blood. although, one time one of his nosebleeds almost ruined one of his suits and he nearly sent a blizzard to miami in anger lol

-BIGGG history nerd. after some of the legendary figures found out about this, they appointed him as a substitute teacher for the elves. while jack acted like he hated it, the elves actually always loved when he was there (mostly because he gave no homework lol), and jack definitely felt that love and appreciation :,) so naturally, he loved them right back

-even though he’s kinda uncomfortable with physical touch, on particularly bad days he’ll actively seek out hugs. being held like that even just for a second just makes him feel so much safer on those days <3

-his ass is not straight idc 😭 i literally have nothing for this i’m just right

i need to think of some more but i love this ice cube sm 🫶🫶🫶

ALL OF THESE ARE SO REAL AND CORRECT

his ass is the walking definition of fruity, take one look at his entire fit from the movie and tell me I'm wrong 💀

I can TOTALLY see him being a huge history nerd, then being like "NO, I am NOT teaching a bunch of Claus' 'Yes' men, I'd rather die!" cuts to him wearing glasses and pointing at a chalkboard "THEN, around the late 1700s to the 1830s was the Industrial Revolution-" and just absolutely LOVING that he was able to rant about time periods for hours.

Him seeking out comfort on bad days >>>>> He definitely spends more time around the Claus quarters, it's always warmer in there and over time he's become close to both Scott and Mrs. Claus, the only downside is that once he gets warmed up enough he ends up falling asleep on their couch in there. They've since replaced the old couch with one that has reclining seats.

I can see him stimming discomfort by rubbing his arms up and down, especially if he gets too cold, and maybe repeatedly clenching and unclenching his hands.

I see him LOVING stars and space, I dunno why. I think it's because of that glowy, almost uncannily beautiful aura that fresh snowy nights have. Where the sky is just too bright for the time it is, and the entire outside has this ethereal glow to it accompanied by the soft silence of the snow muffling everything but the wind. He likes to hang around during those times, it's one of the few moments where he feels he's done some beautiful things.

[lacomandante]

        i think the biggest hang up i have when it comes to writing sharpe fics is the historical accuracy (adhd brain aside).I feel like I have to continuously start and stop bc there is just so much shit to look up and it ruins my creative flow and chips at my confidence. I have more pressure (that admittedly I put on myself, no one else does) bc this is set during a real period of history, I want to get it right. and yet it’s one of the hardest fucking things, imo, to research--but mostly for Teresa.

        i write a character who is a partisan, of which there’s very little primary sources except for those who were nobles and more prominent (ie; espoz y mina) while most were peasants. of those sources, most are either very specific to a region or in old fashioned spanish when spanish is already hard enough for me to read.

        not only that, it’s fucking hard to find anything on spanish culture and society during this time period or just before it. I can find things from the 18th century, but not the turn of the century nor pre-invasion of the French. I specifically had to buy a three volume out of print set of Manners of Spain, 1818 which they had to print and bind by hand bc none exist anymore. It’s so hard to find time period accurate stuff specific to Spain that isn’t about the english regency and it drives me up the wall. its hard to feel confident when there’s so much i don’t know and i feel like i’m groping blindly in the dark when it comes to specific, important aspects of Teresa’s life.

        and then there’s dates, geography, battles, skirmishes, how weapons work, travel, etc. little nuances that to me are important to get right. i’m also not religious at all, so even basic catholic things i know little about which is important culturally as well. i have more to bitch about when it comes to writing teresa but i’m sleepy and can’t remember all of it.

        i do love her though, and i do love writing for this fandom. i’m a whore for nitty gritty details which is why I think it’s such a challenge for me. there’s both too much information and not enough and it’s exhausting to make sure everything’s accurate. trying to write a fic about the retreat from talavera where i’m like, nobody says where in fucking portugal wellington retreats to? which building is it, if it’s in lisbon?? surely someone would note an important place like that. wait, when does sharpe leave to confirm his captaincy? how long is he in england? how will this work on the timeline?

       or like other things- the partisans were so vast and varied information can be all over the place. what was the Moreno wealth built on? why was teresa not married before she married sharpe? Could she have inherited the family business as the eldest daughter? what was she doing in galicia and how does she know vivar, or how did she meet hogan? how important is religion in her life, and how does it change after the french come? how would her transition from lady to partisan be when i don’t have any information on wtf society and culture were like? how would she transition after the war?? so many things

        i think the most important thing for me to remember is that while accuracy can be important (and will bug the shit out of me if i’m not 100% certain) it’s not the end all be all. It’s what the scene is trying to convey that matters the most. i have both the film and the book canon that i can pick and choose from at will to make work. The films leave so much out and yet add a lot in (especially for Teresa- the books are okay, but I’m 100% film based Teresa while adding her brother in), and even the author makes places and events up to get Plot Things happening. I can make shit up to make things happen to and am not beholden to history or accuracy, though i can get close to it. i think i can be forgiven as long as i love the characters and the stories i write for them.

[teecupangel]

… A lot of things happened in Valhalla but sorta(?)-kinda(?)-i can see why, yes (it’s a Sage thing), yes very shippable, oh god yeah that wasn’t really handled all that well. And I have no idea if there are helmet-eating pigs but if it’s a glitch yeah I’ll believe it’s there. One of the main DLC was set in Paris (Siege of Paris) and it’s the most stealth-heavy AC Valhalla is gonna be. Nothing much happens that affects the main story though.

I honestly mostly just think Forsaken is set in Haytham’s POV and it’s the unreliable narrator at play on Haytham's side. Except for the parts that contradict the game. That’s just… Oliver Bowden doing his own thing.

Ooohhh boy. Well, here’s a GameRants article that explains what happened to Aya (and even Evie). It’s pretty much “women don’t sell” kind of thinking which is bs considering many successful videogames have a female protagonist that’s not just “select your character and they both have the same character development… if they even have one.” kind of deal.

The whole “we’re going to monologue here” is a thing games do when they believe that “hey, listen, this has lore in it but you might not be interested in it so you can skip it” without bothering to do any cinematic cutscenes. It’s just… their in-game model pacing around while they talk.

(Oh man, souls games are such a love-it-or-hate-it kinds of game so I don’t blame you for not finishing Sekiro. I didn’t even get to the first boss of Bloodborne XD). I would say that the amount of text depends on what genre you’re playing. Like, if it’s an RPG set in a whole other world (most common in open-world RPGs), a lot of the background lore that enriches the world (like the history of certain places) but isn’t necessarily part of the current plot is left in books you can find. Shoutout to Skyrim and Kiseki for adding freaking novels in their games though. They didn’t have to but, my god, they definitely did. Sometimes, they change it up by making it audiologs instead like in HZD/HFW and Gotham Knights and, if it’s a game of an existing IP or a sequel, there’s gonna be easter eggs and such added to these little ‘add-ons’. But some games, especially the action-packed ones, don’t necessarily make you read blocks of text. Like Uncharted and Ghost of Tsushima have short flavor text for each treasure or key item you get but it’s not like “this thing is from 300 BC and it’s made of (big block of text)”. FromSoftware games are the best practitioner of “there’s lore, you just have to read a lot” though and some like it, some don’t, but it’s not the standard. (Might be the Souls game standard though, not sure).

I’m going to be honest, I’m unfamiliar with the Chinese dynasties, and most of the things I know come from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms so I’m only a bit informed about that time period but I don’t think they’re necessarily trying to copy Wo Long Fallen Dynasty. From the leaks I saw, it looks more like a mobile version of Odyssey’s gameplay set in China and I honestly feel like it’s greed that made them choose to do that kind of setup. Common open-world rpg mechanic is to have a blank-slate character instead of an already-existing character like Shao Jun. The problem with blank slate characters is that it’s very easy to screw it up if the narrative expects you to act a certain way and you don’t which would break immersion. Eivor is a good example of this. The game expects you to play them as a Viking and a lot of the storyline ends with them acting like a Viking which breaks immersion if you’d been playing Eivor more stealthily. (btw, they seemed to want to tie Jade to Wei Yu maaayybeeee)

I am familiar with Mo Dao Zu Shi and, with the amount of the adaptations and such, it’s a bit intimidating XD A series relying on the unreliable narrator trope sounds awesome though. More like it’s meant to be interpreted however we want and we just make small ‘clans’ with the ones with the same fanon we have. XD

I’m just gonna leave this here:

Irt Shao Jun's Name

Why is it even spelled "Jun"? Even in her first appearance in Assassin's Creed: Embers, Ezio and Sofia pronounce it "Shao Yun."

It's...a mixed bag in Chinese fandom, as far as I've seen. There are no official characters for her name, and without them, we don't know what her name means or even how to correctly pronounce it because there are no tones. Fans usually pick a number of characters to spell out either Shao Jun or Shao Yun, which means her name is usually pronounced differently, with different meanings.

Tbfh, I always favored 绍君 for her name, AKA Shao Jun with "Shao" being a surname to mean "carry on" and "Jun" being a word to describe a gentleman/someone of noble birth and bearing. It bears a lot of power.

In the official AC novels by Yan Leisheng, he uses the 少芸，or Little Yun, which has me taken aback because I've always read Shao Yun as her full name, meaning "Shao" would be a family name, not a prefix. I guess both would work, given that she's a palace concubine. The "yun" he uses means "rue," the flower, which is fitting for a concubine, but doesn't bear the same weight and power as the "jun" I chose for her.

Either way, Ubisoft can't commit to her name. They spell it one way, then pronounce it another. Even the novelization is apparently officially non-canon, meaning once again, the VIBE of this girl is completely up to fanon.