#my primary relationship is also romance goals for some

[ardenchambres]

Yeah, I’ve read some books like that too. Thing is, I think that fanfiction writers are more aware, if that makes sense? Like, I haven’t read any of a specific popular contemporary romance author’s books, but all I’ve heard of it is “Condemning physical abuse while denying the existence of emotional abuse by making the main character get into that kind of relationship and glorifying it.” However, if an author on AO3 were to do the same, I feel like they would at least put more warnings ahead of time. That may, however, just be a byproduct of the demographics on AO3.

I think my idea comes in part from the tagging system on the site itself. All you get from books is a short summary of the events in the first hundred-ish pages, one that’s meant to make people read (because the primary goal of publishing a book is to make money). However, when you write and publish for passion and already know your characters, you can go more in-depth with what to expect from the story. Things such as the BAMF tag or fix-it related tags, and important themes and warnings. So if someone wanted to skip over things with alcoholism, they’d simply exclude the “alcoholism” tag. Meanwhile, in a real book, they would have to scour the internet for people’s reviews who’ve already read it or find list of warnings made by someone else to see if there’s mentions of alcoholism.

There’s also the fact that when you already know your characters, things hit harder when something happens to them. I cried when a character sacrificed himself for the rest of his found family, or when the happy-go-lucky immortal dog character was brutally murdered by an obsidian blade. Meanwhile, the only book I’ve cried about is The Hunger Games during everything with Rue. (I would like to note that The Hunger Games is one of the most masterful dystopian novel’s I have read, and I consider it an exception to most rules of actual books.)

TL;DR: Fic authors are forced to be more aware of what their writing includes due to the tagging system and are less likely to glorify abuse (or will tag Dead Dove) because of that awareness. Fanfictions also make you care about everything more, simply for the reason that they’re all already characters you know.

reblog if you believe fanfics are as valid as books that were published and sold by authors who write as their main careers. I'm trying to prove a point

[jessreadsandreads]

I have also been told, by multiple sources, that I have a whole entourage of ancestors and miscellaneous entities hanging out with me, and I like to believe that's because I have the most adorable and interesting-to-observe love life of any of their potential descendants. I mean, who doesn't love a great rom-com!

[daybrightsims]

Alright, they've lived in my brain too long; Time to air out my thoughts about the polyamory in BG3

To give a little context: I am currently ethically non-monogamous with my primary partner of almost 7 years. I am not a monolith of thought when it comes to polyamory/ENM/open relationships. These are my own personal thoughts and feelings. I've also completed the game with Astarion and Halsin romanced. Spoilers ahead, read at your own risk.

TL;DR - I don't share the current opinion of whether or not Astarion is okay with Tav pursuing Halsin and the discourse around his agency and choices in the relationship are bumming me out and frustrating me.

I am getting increasingly frustrated about the conversation about Astarion being polyamorous/okay with Tav being with Halsin in the game, primarily because I think a lot of the "think pieces" are coming from 1) monogamous people who have only ever been monogamous, 2) monogamous people who have been burned/cheated on/forced into polyamory by a partner (I feel for ya'll, that wasn't okay), 3) people who are very VERY protective of Astarion, and 4) people who are blatantly uncomfortable with polyamory. My goal is not to invalidate anyone's experiences, but to share an alternate perspective.

I do think that Astarion is not only okay, but happy with Tav dating Halsin. I glean this from how he responds to being poly with ANY OTHER companion. If you ask him to share with literally anyone else, he will say no and give his reason.

Gale: He doesn’t want to be in a love triangle (which with Gale, it would be).

Lae’zel: He’s uncomfortable and Lae’zel would kill him (also true).

Wyll: He knows Wyll is old fashioned and monogamous.

Karlach: He knows Karlach’s feelings for you are strong and he doesn’t want to stand in the way of that (he even says he’d be cool with an arrangement but knows Karlach will need all of your affection based on what she’s been through).

Shadowheart: He would be cool IF Shadowheart had more experience and ya’ll were together longer. But he knows Shadowheart is fragile in her current state.

Minthara: He REALLY doesn’t like this idea and will dump you immediately.

I did also see that ***SPOILER*** they updated or are updating some of the spawn Astarion language to have issues with your affair with Mizora should you pursue it, and it requires a persuasion/deception role to keep you two together.

Up to this point in your relationship with Astarion, he has become more comfortable voicing his opinions and concerns with you. He is learning to value his autonomy and his non-physical relationships. He will tell you when he doesn’t want to do something. In fact, he’ll break up with you over pushing his boundaries. He is fine with you pursuing the Drow twins and fine with you sleeping with Haarlep, even comforts you when Haarlep uses your form. So when he says he is okay with you pursuing Halsin, he means it. Yes, he voices his insecurity with you that you may be pursuing Halsin because you and he haven’t had sex in a while. But he acknowledges that Halsin has experience in this arrangement and doesn’t pose a threat to your relationship. Plus, if you kiss Halsin in front of him, he’ll say “don’t mind me, I’m just enjoying the show.”

To me, the idea that this is the ONE thing that Astarion doesn't have agency over in an arc of showing he can speak up for himself is you sleeping with Halsin is an idea that takes more agency from Astarion. He is a grown man. A 240 YEAR OLD man. That trauma he's endured does not mean he needs to be babied or coddled because he can't make his own choices. I think that's an unfair assumption to put on him that Halsin and Tav being together is the ONLY thing he can't enforce his boundaries on.

If he didn't want you to be with Halsin, he would say no like every other monogamous character in the game.

If you want a good example of someone saying yes just because they want to keep you, look at Karlach. You can tell she is HEARTBROKEN when you ask her, but she says “I don’t want to lose you”. That is not an enthusiastic participant in a polyamorous relationship. Astarion says “yeah, go for it! Just give me some reassurance”. Polyamory is not immune to insecurity. I've asked for reassurance in my own relationships and so has my primary partner. That’s not unenthusiastic. That’s realistic as shit. If you ask him about the relationship after you finish his questline, he doesn’t need reassurance because you’re having sex again. That’s also super realistic.

Am I sensitive to this as someone who practices ENM? Almost certainly. It's hard to see a lifestyle I live be villainized and claimed to be "forced" onto characters. I was actually really excited that I could pursue both Astarion and Halsin, and that Halsin places so much importance on consent and not misleading your partner. And it sucks SOO much to see one of my favorite characters be reduced to "oh, he's only doing it because he's afraid to lose Tav." It makes me almost feel bad for liking the interactions between them and enjoying to option. Do I think people mean to make me or other poly people feel bad? No.

But it does.

Headcanons are headcanons. I get it. People are absolutely allowed to interpret the poly aspect of BG3 how they want to. People are allowed to feel uncomfy with how it's portrayed and not pursue it. But it still bums a queer ENM Astarion and Halsin lover out.

Now excuse me whilst I live out my Astarion x Halsin x Tav polycule fantasies in the form of fanfiction.

[sodasa-was-taken]

The interconnected story of Prospera, Suletta, and Miorine: An analysis of Prospera’s role within the story of G-Witch

Happy Suletta Sunday! In this installment of my now series of analysis on the romance of G-Witch I’m going over Prospera's role in G-Witch, particularly as it relates to Suletta and Miorine. As always thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it.

Prospera is arguably the character in G-Witch who has the biggest effect on Miorine and Suletta throughout the story. She's also a Faustian bargain of a character arising from attempting to combine a Char-clone with a romance antagonist. These two narrative roles have some overlapping but mostly different requirements. Like all antagonists, they need to make life harder for at least one main character but also have narrative functions that are unique to them. 

The most significant difference between the main antagonist of a romance and any other type of antagonist is that their primary function is to provoke the main characters’ central insecurities. After all, when it comes to the main characters of a romance, their darkest hour has to be self-inflicted. In this regard, the way Prospera is the main reason for Suletta's central insecurity and gets Miorine’s to flare up like crazy while never doing anything to tear them apart and even being responsible for the two of them meeting is immaculate. Suletta and Miorine's insecurities are the only thing causing a rift in their relationship; that's romance at its best.

Then there's the Char-clone aspect of Prospera’s character. She's mostly comprised of characteristics of the Char from Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack. A self-righteous manipulator who’s willing to do some morally dubious acts to achieve their goal. Side note: Although it could be argued that some characters in G-Witch have elements of a young Char, none neatly fits into the role of Suletta’s rival. At least not if someone is to go with the dictionary definition of rival. No one wants to outdo her for the sake of it. Neither do they want something she has as she doesn’t have the political standing for her position as the Holder to do much, and the thing she does have is the adoration of a self-reliant Miorine, something no one else wants. Suletta is the only one who’s interested in Miorine because of her headstrong personality instead of despite it.   

The type of Char-clone that she is, along with being the main antagonist in a romance, means that her role in the story is to be a master manipulator who, through her manipulations, makes the main characters’ insecurities act up. It’s imperative that she’s not the direct cause of the rift in the heroines of the story’s relationship; otherwise, it wouldn't be a romance. Prospera only has the power over Suletta and Miorine that she does because they let her.

In order for the main characters’ insecurities to be passively provoked, those insecurities have to correspond to what the main antagonist is about. In the case of G-Witch, Suletta is overly reliant on her mother to the point Prospera consistently is the person Suletta goes to for emotional comfort. This only makes things worse for Suletta as Prospera keeps telling her that as long as Suletta listens to her mother, everything will be alright, which maintains Suletta’s dependency on her and instills the idea that she only deserves affection if Suletta does as she’s told. Prospera can take most of, if not all, the credit for Suletta taking the blame for Miorine breaking up with her because Suletta couldn’t be of more use to her. She’s been taught to see herself as an asset for her loved one instead of someone who can and should receive affection without needing to earn it. 

Meanwhile, Miorine starts to antagonize Prospera from the moment she discovers how much influence she has over Suletta. Miorine’s fear of how much control Prospera has over Suletta becomes the reason Miorine breaks things off with Suletta. Her desire to make her own decisions extends to Miorine wanting the same for her loved ones, which puts her at odds with Prospera. They have conflicting views on how Suletta deserves to be treated. This is made all the better by Prospera acting caring while using Suletta, while Miorine cares deeply about Suletta while initially pretending to use her. 

The most important elements that make up Prospera, Miorine, and Suletta’s three-way dynamic are their roles in the story, their characterization, and their motives. To simplify things regarding how they interact with each other specifically, those are as follows:

Suletta’s role: One out of two of the main characters in a romance.

Suletta’s characterization: Has a black and white morality and is a bit too willing to do what she’s told without question. Otherwise is loyal, protective, determinded, affectionate, easily excited, and loves doing acts of service. All in all has a personality not too dissimilar to a golden retriever.    

Suletta’s motive: To be with the people she cares about most and keep the people she loves safe.

Miorine’s role:  One out of two of the main characters in a romance.

Miorine’s characterization: Fairly deceptive, values independence to a fault, and doesn’t have the easiest time trusting others.  

Miorine’s motive: Making sure she and the people she loves, particularly Suletta, don’t do something just because they’re told to.

Prospera’s role: The main antagonist of a romance.

Prospera’s characterization: Overbearing, manipulative, and controlling, especially towards minors.   

Prospera’s motive: Doing everything in her power to get her daughter Ericht back and get revenge on those who took away her friends and family.

When it comes to which of these contributes the most to how their stories become intersected, it’s Prospera’s role and motive, Suletta’s characterization and motive, and Miorine’s role and characterization. The rest either is derived from or doesn’t affect that character’s dynamic with the other two. Suletta would have the same relationship with Prospera and Miorine at the start of the show, regardless of her being a romance protagonist. Prospera’s characterization stems from her role in the story. Miorine’s motive is dependent on her characterization and also her role, as without her feelings for Suletta, she would likely have the same amount of beef with Prospera as she has with Vim Jeturk. She clearly isn’t fond of him, but Miorine doesn’t tell him to stay away from Guel because he’s not one of her loved ones.         

The way these three characters' story gets intertwined starts with Prospera creating a repli-child of Ericht that becomes Suletta to help enact her revenge for the incident at the Vanadis Institute. Skip forward seventeen years where Miorine and Suletta cross path. Then, through Suletta being Suletta, she unwittingly gets the two of them involved. Through her relationship with Suletta, Miorine becomes acquainted with Prospera and learns about the influence she has over her daughter. Miorine, being who she is, of course, is having none of it and villianizes Prospera to the point of only making things worse for herself, which in turn solidifies Prospera’s role in the story. Lastly, learning just how far Suletta can go in order to keep her loved ones safe is what sends Miorine spiraling as she blames Prospera for the things Suletta did.

Prospera, Suletta, and Miorine’s narratives are extremely interconnected, which, for the most part, is a good thing. Having an interpersonal conflict that’s born from conflicting personalities and goals is gonna feel more natural and less contrived than a more situational conflict. It does, though, also mean that if someone wanted to change something in the story of G-Witch that involves these three without changing any other aspect of the characters or story, it’s going to be a bit of a pain. To complicate things further, this already applies when only focusing on Suletta, Miorine, and Prospera’s fundamental dynamic, but these three are a lot more intertwined than that. Each of their roles, characterization, and motive affects at least one other of either their own or one of the others and sometimes both.     

Now, to break this down. Starting with Miorine’s motive, if she’s not set on preventing Suletta from doing something just because her mother told her to, that would affect her characterization. If there’s any other reason she wants to keep Suletta away from Prospera, like actual mind control, that’s going to take away her fundamental insecurity. She needs to be wrong about the level of influence Prospera has over Suletta; otherwise, she isn’t being blinded by her insecurities she would just be right. This makes her a lot less flawed as it presents her deceptiveness as a purely good thing instead of something that every so often turns into mild paranoia. Furthermore, if Miorine either doesn’t have any central insecurity or it doesn’t have anything to do with the rift between her and Suletta, the story ceases to be a romance, which in turn affects all three characters’ roles within the story. 

Then there’s Prospera’s characterization, which is directly caused by her lust for vengeance and messes with the minds of both Suletta and Miorine, which is what makes her an effective romance antagonist. Without losing her friends and family, then most significantly, Suletta just wouldn’t exist, and Prospera wouldn’t have treated Suletta the way she did. This, in turn, would change some aspects of Suletta, that is, if she even existed and wouldn’t get Miorine’s, wouldn’t central insecurity get out of control, affecting her motive.

Lastly, there’s Suletta’s characterization. If she was any less unassuming Miorine’s central insecurity wouldn’t be acting up as Suletta wouldn’t do what her mother told her to with question. Also, if Suletta had a more nuanced morality than she does, she wouldn’t have been so unfazed by what she did at Quetta, which leads Miorine to think Prospera has a lot more control over Suletta than Prospera does. Suletta has been taught to think that her mother is always right, so if Prospera tells her that killing someone to keep other people safe is morally correct, she won’t see a problem with turning a guy into meat sauce. Prospera hasn’t allowed Suletta to develop a complex view of morality, which is a lot more messed up than if Suletta was some kind of sleeper agent or the like. Suletta’s unnerving in the same way a young child firing a gun without realizing that people could get hurt is. She is to blame for her actions, but the way she reacts to them is childlike, which showcases the way in which innocence can be terrifying. Suletta being a cinnamon roll doesn't crash with her willingness to kill someone it's why she's fine with it.

So there you have it. Why a character does something changes depending on the situation they do those actions in. This doesn't necessarily have to be a big deal as it mostly affects implications. If the circumstances change but the characters act the same, it can create some narrative dissonance.

[jkj-digital]

Saw your reblog and mate if you got queer visual novel recs I got spare time that needs eating.

If you´ve come for gay furry visual novels, this is certainly a place with recommendations

Assume NSFW, Unfinished, and free unless otherwise specified

Adastra – get kidnapped by handsome space wolf and become involved in political shenanigans. The one that least needs an introduction – COMPLETE!

Astatos – A pair of mages (kind of) lose their home, summon a god and a devil, and help solve various political issues using card game mechanics. The queerness of this one is pretty heavily constrained to subtext, but there’s no doubt that all major characters are hot men in various states of undress – PAID, SFW

Chardonnay Romancia – Innkeeper who hates heroes discovers an amnesiac hero who quickly becomes obsessed with him, among many other subplots. The characters find themselves in many explicit scenarios, often enough against their will – PAID

Deers and Deckards – As a college student, get into a relationship with either your best friend, his dad, or both. Also, at some point the game decides it becomes tired of its light-hearted tone and takes a dip into a more supernatural setting. Currently, only the polygamy route is complete.

Demons Within – You play a demon of lust influencing the emotions of a soldier and those around him, attempting to assist your host while also growing your own power and keeping them ignorant of your existence.

Devil’s Gambit – A doctor reunites with an old friend, uncovering a supernatural mystery and kicking off a strange romance.

Glory Hounds – A young man finds himself with an unexpected employment opportunity: becoming a sidekick to a superhero.

The Human Heart – Wake up as the only human in a familiar world and find yourself adopted by a colorful group of friends – SFW

In Case of Emergency – Find yourself as the last of the chosen ones in gay furry Narnia and awkwardly ingratiate yourself into the longstanding group of heroes – COMPLETE!

Kingsguard – When things go to hell at your royal birthday how will you reclaim your throne from the magical forces trying to take it from you and, more importantly, which of your kingsguard will you fall in love with

Minotaur Hotel – Discover the true story of (and also fall in love with) the Minotaur of legends and turn his crumbling home into a home for the lost. Even among visual novels, this one is a slow burn, but it’s absolutely worth it

My Pirate Husbandos – Get rescued from drowning at sea by a crew of rowdy, and very gay, pirates, and help them until you earn yourself a place among their ranks

Nekojishi – Become forced to face an uncertain future when you suddenly awaken the ability to see spirits and find yourself fought over by three handsome cat men who each want you to become the priest of their shrine (or equivalent) – SFW, COMPLETE!

Orveia – Awaken in an unfamiliar and horny world along with your best friend (who somehow arrived about a decade before you did) and several handsome men to become an adventurer. This game contain heavy RPG mechanics

Pervader – Discover your kindly DILF of an employer is a wizard and get infected with “becomes a wizard” disease along with the heir to an order of knights whose primary goal is to stamp out all magic

Shelter – Become enraptured in a strange world of medieval fantasy dogs, and protect your home in a world that wants to take that away from you

The Smoke Room – Learn to trust again in the wild west in 1915 after a man you though loved you tried to kill you, while the world itself seems to want to drown you in your guilt

Temptation´s Ballad – A young rogue trying to live up to his father, a commoner with an obsession with adventuring, and a sheltered chosen one looking to broaden their horizons form an adventuring party by happenstance and find themselves with a quest far larger than any of them believed

[teriwrites]

about me: a writeblr re-re-re-introduction

Hello! My old pinned post is officially over a year old and makes me cringe whenever I'm on my blog, so it's time to freshen things up again!

me

I'm Teri, I'm smack dab in the middle of my 20s and figuring out life. My writing is pretty exclusively original stuff, a lot of novels and a lot of fantasy, but I play around with various genres in short stories. Sort of a jack-of-all-trades in regards to hobbies - aside from writing, there's anything from baking to drawing with my ancient art tablet to cross-stitch to playing music to rambling around the patch of woods near my house to watching long-form D&D let's plays.

my goals

I recognize that every time I post something like this, it's with the intention of finally becoming as active on writeblr as I was during the pandemic. I also recognize I've never quite managed that.

So here are some more general goals to get me through 2024:

Finish my 2nd draft of Beyond Alder Creek

Write as cringey and brutally honest as I never allowed myself to as a teenager.

Speaking of, a large reading/writing goal of mine is to go back through every NaNo draft I've ever written (I've participated since 2011). So aside from just reading that and likely turning it into a whole spectacle on here for people's amusement, generally just survive reading through the writing from 8th grade. Stay tuned for more on that in the coming weeks lol

Finally, I have a general goal every year of reaching 100K words, between writing and editing and the like, but I'd happily be a little looser with that goal if it meant getting through others.

And now, without further ado:

my writing

Before I get specifically into WIPs, a general overview of the kind of writing you can expect from me:

As I said, I'm a fantasy nerd. I love worldbuilding, both on a large scale (nations and cultures and political relationships) and a small scale (a magic shop in an otherwise contemporary setting).

There's not a lot of romance in my writing, but there Are a lot of transformational relationships and codependency. Friendships, siblings, guardians, general ride-or-dies.

Thought experiments. I've been trying to catch and indulge more in my 'wait, what if?' ideas. Sometimes, that's fun little snippets of silly ideas, sometimes it's a majorly emotionally heavy scene for a story I'll never write. Sometimes, it's coming up with ideas to 'combine genres'. It's all about expanding the range.

wips*

Beyond Alder Creek /// draft 2 /// tag: bac

Winnie Pewitt has never believed in the fae. That is, until her little brother disappears, and she stumbles upon a faerie ring on the edge of town. Inside, a man seemingly carved from gold suggests that he knows who took the boy. With everyone else around their hometown accepting her brother's fate as certainty, Winnie takes it upon herself to craft the perfect deal and enter the realm of the fae with her new companion in tow.

The Lies in the Legend /// draft 1 /// tag: litl

The fictional autobiography of an elven noblewoman who rose rapidly in station and influence from an unremarkable youth to a diplomatic powerhouse. Spanning centuries during the prime of her life, Lady Ghislaine Agassi charts the course of her career and reputation, and highlights the dangers of making myths out of our idols.

*Though these are my primary WIPs, I have a page that covers various other WIPs and projects that I've brought up over the past few years.

I think that about covers everything! As always, I can't make any promises about how the year will wind up and where it takes us. But I will say, I've actually been writing recently, and yk I'm just gonna ride that high.

And for fun, here's some random facts about me:

fun facts

I have degrees in psychology and music!

I've lived across three continents, but currently live in upstate New York for whatever reason lol

The animals I've ridden on the back of include: horse, pony, elephant, and ostrich. The horse was my least favorite. By far.

I got diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes a couple months after Covid landed stateside (in May 2020) and am Always ready to talk someone's ear off about it.

The first story I ever wrote was on PowerPoint and was about war breaking out between humans and aliens that had taken refuge on Earth after their planet was destroyed. I was 8. There was a Lot of Clipart involved.

I've never been published, but I once secretly planned out, wrote, edited, and self-printed a couple copies of a novel about my best friends and our college apartment. They received it for Christmas last year and loved it (or at least were kind enough to tell me they did)!

[notquiteaghost]

im back in the 'finish writing down one fic idea, close window, reveal four more fic ideas hiding behind it' era of the star wars spinterest. they were not lying those ideas sure are rabbits

one such idea is the aroace codywan fic i have had rattling round in the back of my head for [mumbles] years now and an angle that occurred to me the other day is. HOW do clone troopers know about romance, actually. like i do not think that was in the flash training. obviously "i like this person So Much and i want to be with them All The Time" is not something you need to be taught to experience but. yknow. always the feelings about the clones constructing their own understanding of the world out of. flash training and instinct and comments the trainers made and almost nothing else.

and also how presumably the kaminoans actively did not want the clone troopers learning about dating. and actually did canon ever get into how fraught their conceptualisation of each other as family was. in the sense that soldiers should be invested in their collective survival but they shouldn't be so invested in other individuals that they value those individuals over the army's goals. this is how palpatine got to the control chips isnt it. so he could have his "clones are People the jedi get invested in" cake and eat it too

anyway. my personal aromanticism is less "inherently i Do Not Feel Romantic Attraction" and more "the idea of defining a specific relationship in my life as radically different to all others, other than to mean 'yes this one is Most Important', does not make sense to me. also marriage was invented by capitalism to sell diamonds (< hyperbolic oversimplification for effect)". and that is why aro codywan is Real And True And Correct, because they are a guy whose primary reference for The Cultural Concept Of Romance is what he and his kin cobbled together out of scraps and spite, and a guy with a religion that The Cultural Concept Of Romance is antithetical to

all of which to say. pre-geonosis there is a thriving clone trooper black market of Forbidden Media and a significant chunk of it is romance novels and romance holos. this is how we have "buddy you never even met a girl". and then at some point during the war cody & obi-wan have a relationship defining conversation that is less "We Are Dating" and more "look i don't give a shit about natborn / non-jedi labels, i would follow you anywhere and you cannot stop me"

[micamicster]

Hi! Do you have any romcom (movie) recs? I feel like i hypothetically like the genre, but have a lot of trouble finding ones i enjoy. So many romcoms feel so formulaic (in a dead way) and misogynistic and stale to me. I think they’re a lot easier to do well in the context of a series because there’s actually time to build. Recently i thought rye lane and fire island were fun. I like kdramas when i have the time for all the episodes because i appreciate the build. I need chemistry— people who both convincingly like each other and seem like actual human beings. I thought you might have some good ideas! Thanks <3

HELLO LARGE VOICED ANON <3

I hope you weren't waiting on my recs all day haha i have been. hm. hungover af <3 (i'm going to leave kdramas off this list for now but if you would like specific recs for kdrama romcoms send me another ask and i can try to do them justice!)

I think this is a genre with underrated range! So one thing that I find very interesting about the genre of romcoms is that I think there tends to be a split between romcoms whose goal is, like, to be a fun lighthearted movie with a central romance, vs romcoms whose goal is to Say Something About Love in the vehicle of a funny movie. Both of these categories are represented on this list but for giggles i will not be saying which i think are which <3

anyway recs under the cut <3 i will link my tags for these movies if you want to take a look but be warned for spoilers ofc

I think for your purposes my primary rec would be Lovesick (aka Scrotal Recall). It's a (short) tv show so it would likely give you the chance to get to know the characters and see a slower build. In contrast to the frustration you've had with some more "formulaic" romcoms the writing in this show is very deliberately in conversation with romcoms of the past. Also it's just one of my favorite romcoms ever made so I rec it to everyone. The premise is that a young man, Dylan, is diagnosed with chlamydia and instructed to tell his past partners. Being a hopeless romantic (emphasis on hopeless), he decides to try to turn this into an opportunity to revisit relationships that didn't work out, and try to figure out where he's been going wrong. Two simultaneous storylines play out in each episode, the flashbacks to the exes (and breakups) and the present, where Dylan's best friend is getting married.

Older romcoms: When Harry Met Sally (ive heard this is divisive? but idc its SO funny and so well made), Moonstruck (a romantic-comedy in the operatic sense. also cher <3), The Philadelphia Story (katharine hepburn the woman u r. tw for a classic 1940s gag about punching ur wife in the face), Bringing Up Baby (screwball comedy my beloved), Roman Holiday (audrey hepburn is lethally charming in this movie), Dirty Dancing (someday ill write something this good and then You Will Realize), Much Ado About Nothing (i tend to enjoy either the danielle brooks shakespeare in the park version or the classic tennant/tate combo)

Teen romcoms: 10 things I hate about you (young heath ledger and young julia stiles ur welcome), to all the boys i;ve loved before (lana condor is ADORABLE), The Half of It (my other favorite sort-of romcom of the decade)

More recent-ish: Speed (like its keanu and sandra what more do you want), Strictly Ballroom (i used to watch this literally weekly as a child and I WAS RIGHT TO), Miss Congeniality (sandra bullock what u did for us all <3), Fire Island (thank u 4 my LYFE), The sandra bullock/channing tatum movie that came out last year (i forget what its called but he's so funny in it), Mamma Mia AND Mamma Mia Here We Go Again (beautiful greek islands, abba, cher, what more can you ask for?)

Indian/bollywood: Jab We Met (after dramatically quitting his job, Local Man somehow ends up escorting a woman he meets on the train while she attempts to elope with her boyfriend. aka classic screwball comedy heroine and Guy She Dragged Along For The Ride), khabie khushi khabi gham (multiple generations of romance and family drama featuring Kajol, the Most Beautiful Woman In the World), Band Baaja Baaraat (two wedding planners fall in love--great choice if you want to watch idiots ambushed by their feelings)

Other tv recs: Selfie (john cho and karen gillian in a show canceled far too soon)

[lordofthestrix]

Aya & Tristan A short study in plotting and scheming with someone for centuries. I realized that I don't mention Tristan's right hand all that frequently, so this is a post offering some appreciation for that connection. Because I do think that they are quite interesting to think about in some respects. In a universe where most of the significant relationships between immortals that we delve into are primary rooted in familiar bonds, profound romance or hate and animosity, these two are part of just a handful of cases where there are different foundations involved. As cold as the two of them can be, the relationship is always alluded to with certain gravitas by the two of them and by others. equally This is Elijah talking about Aya in the episode where she is introduced: ELIJAH: Aya. Let me guess-- Five-foot-seven, built like a goddess, vicious as a viper? Now this is Elijah talking about Aya in relation to Tristan during the same episode: ELIJAH: You waltz into my city unannounced with your flock of sycophants flaunting news of a threat. All the while, your little lapdog Aya is conspiring with none other than Marcel Gerard. A snide description and intended as such, obviously. But it is curious to see Elijah of all people reducing his former romantic partner, and one he does show to have some complicated feelings towards during the season, to Tristan's lapdog as his way of showing his contempt. It legitimizes the significance of that connection as something noticeably more than superficial. Aya is consistently shown as a paladin and pretty much the greatest defender for Tristan's vision for the Strix: AYA: The oldest society of vampires this world has ever known. We are called The Strix. ELIJAH: Quite the prestigious organization! Responsible for countless wars, numerous plagues, assassinations... AYA: You have to break rules if you want to build a new world. -- AYA: One of our more famous faces. We count amongst our society celebrated actors, artists, politicians... Of course, most of us prefer to live a life outside of the public eye. That doesn't make our talents any less impressive. -- AYA: We're the top of the food chain-- the smartest, the strongest. And, we take what we want. Added to this, she also presents herself as a steadfast advocate for Tristan himself. Both before and after the ocean: AYA: Tristan has been a collector of extraordinary talent for the better part of a millennium. He chooses the best of the best and helps them evolve.

.. AYA: Tristan de Martel guided this organization for centuries. He was a radical thinker, decisive leader, and, to each of us here tonight, both mentor and friend. He was, in a word, irreplaceable. -- AYA: But I did not die! Thanks to the efforts of a true nobleman. Tristan saved us! He earned our loyalty. Tristan, in turn, deposits an intrinsic level of trust in her, not something by any means easily earned from him, even when dangerous circumstances retain him from heading the group:

ELIJAH: The alternative is significantly less pleasant. TRISTAN: I think I will hold off on any confessions. At least until my Strix arrive to free me and burn your home to the ground... Holding no shadow of doubt that someone will provide a valiant rescue from the Original family doesn't involve a small degree of trust. And speaking of that episode it does have one of the most important if subtle moments between them. Tristan spent the episode from torture to torture. Aya spent it trying to make the goal of forcefully saving him from the Mikaelsons not a suicide mission. When she succeeds, he simply looks at her in mild frustration. And goes: TRISTAN: It took you long enough. Aya smiles at him. And that is the moment you receive the strangest "another hard Monday at the office uh?" vibe emanating from them. In that moment you fully believe that yes. These two, cold as they may be, have been having adventures together for centuries by this point. And that is their general impression when they are together. In the little looks they hunt for in the other. In the way they play out of the other as if they were the two on the know whenever they reach the stage.

They are a pretty fun duo.

[estercity]

Hi Wilson. 👋 I've seen you talk about Supergiant before so I thought I'd ask what your feelings on Pyre are (if you've played it)? I have it + Transistor in my Steam library from some good promotions awhile back, but didn't consider playing them until recently.

HI OKAY i can definately tell you about them but ive only played pyre once and transistor about 3 times ❤❤❤

PYRE is set in a world where after people are exiled into purgatory, they can compete in an ancient sport against rival teams in order to return to where they came from. it's a 3v3 get-the-ball-into-the-other-team's-goal to diminish their flame until you win game with some enviromental mechanics and different movesets depending on the characters you use. the matches are seperated by character driven story moment, you meet these characters along the way and depending on dialouge choices can learn about their individual lives, why they were exhiled and why they want to return. i found it a bit overwhelming with all the text but that was like YEARS ago. as always the character design is beautiful, i loved witnessing the developing relationships between everyone, the lore and character writing was really good - i'd honestly propose its the best supergiant has put out. the player is their own character and you start in an established group of nomads. there's multiple endings depending on how you choose to play with a big theme of sacrifice that i was compelled by.

i'd definately give it a go but if you don't like the party gameplay then drop it after a couple matches tbh because it doesn't get much more compelling from that i remember.

TRANSISTOR however is my FAVOURITE supergiant game of all the ones ive played (literally ever single one except hades 2). murder-by-passion with a lot of sci-fi horror elements. a deadly virus starts transforming people into organic robots whilst the corrupt group in charge are powerless to stop it, triggered (iirc) by the accidental murder of singer red's bodyguard, in an attack that was meant to kill her. the game will tell you the story between the main couple is a tragic romance but it is LARGELY about the dangers of codependence. however because the game doesn't realise that, its sort of fumbled, but i still really enjoy the story regardless. timestop stratergy rpg with a lot of customisation on loadouts with primary, secondary and passive options on all attacks (IF i'm remembering correctly), a new game plus option where you keep your previous collected abilities and also the option to just hammer shit in real time... but you will get your ass kicked if you take on every fight that way. incredibly compelling cast of characters despite only really meeting 3, the rest you discover with the lore through voting stations, points of interest and conversations you'll witness between the protagonists. it has one of my favourite villains of all time and the sequence where you finally meet him is INCREDIBLY well done. it's been a while but i'm pretty sure my feelings wouldn't change on replay when i say the final battle was so fun and subverted my expectations of the gameplay in a really interesting way.

i think everyone should play transistor atleast once, if not just for the gameplay but like i said i am a sucker for the story even tho the ending is... divisive 👍

[kyluxtrashpit]

So I haven’t posted that much about it here, but I’m still going with my Kylo in BG3 playthrough and I want to talk about how it’s been going and his relationship with things cause it’s honestly really interesting? Like from a character pov, it’s just really fascinating some of the things he’s going through and the way he reacts to things

So as a reminder, the idea is that Faerun is just a place on a planet in the same galaxy as star wars (probably in the unknown regions or something, somewhere where the gith and the FO/etc. have just never encountered each other cause space is Big). And he somehow ended up there after TFA. So he’s a temporary visitor and his primary goal is to get home. As part of that, he wants the tadpole out right now immediately, as it’s suppressing his Force powers, just like it suppresses everyone else’s powers in-game. So that’s where we start

And I’m just kinda gonna ramble about his relationship with different concepts and the companions and whatnot (behind a cut for length)

So first off, it’s interesting for him to be in this world as we have gods and devils and other beings of great power. And Kylo is like. Largely unimpressed by all of them lmao. All of these beings are nothing compared to the Force, in his opinion. Plus he’s on a planet where they don’t even have electricity and he’s used to space travel. The magic is impressive, he’s interested in that, but he still considers it inferior to his own powers. Which makes for a very interesting play – a character who finds all of these powerful beings everyone’s beholden to utterly unimpressive and irrelevant. Also, things in this world don’t really matter to him in the long run, as he doesn’t plan on staying. Which brings us to…

Lae’zel– his relationship with Lae’zel is really interesting imo because they have a lot in common. It’s funny in the sense that both of them see the other as their local guide to the world, meanwhile neither of them actually know shit lmao. They’re both from space. So it’s really the blind leading the blind. But they have similar morals, having no qualms with threatening or killing to get what they want. They are both warriors who greatly value martial prowess and they kinda bond over that. If I didn’t personally see Kylo as gay, there absolutely would’ve been romance potential here, as these two get each other so well. Lae’zel’s inner conflict about Vlaakith is also kind of a shock to Kylo as… well, there’s a lot of parallels to Snoke there. I think he’s going to return from this journey ready to turn against his master, just as Lae’zel is. Vlaakith is unworthy to lead and she has much in common with Snoke. Lae’zel’s journey has made Kylo realize some things himself

Astarion he also gets along well with, as once again, they both are comfortable with murder. Also, Astarion was the only man at camp willing to fuck him without needing to get feelings involved first lmao. So of course, this is the romance that actually ended up happening (more on that later). Which is mildly annoying for me, as I’m also romancing Astarion with durge and would’ve liked to not have two the same so close together sdkslks but it is what it is. It would’ve been ooc to have Kylo end up with his other option. I’m also not sure what he’s going to do when it comes to Cazador. Cause on the one hand, I can’t see Kylo wanting someone else to get some great power he can’t, even an ally. But if a lover? That changes some things… I also think Kylo fully believes he can kill Ascended Astarion if need be so he could be down for it. Though, I could also see Kylo just killing one of the other spawns during the fight to ensure Cazador can’t complete the ritual, with no thoughts for what that means for Astarion. Also, again, I’d like to do something different on this run, even if not a different romance option, and ascending Astarion could be the dash of freshness I would like. Idk, we’ll see. It’s interesting, honestly. I have no idea where it’ll go. It is funny to imagine him bringing Astarion back to the Finalizer though lmao

Now, Kylo’s other romance choice somehow ended up being Gale lmao. I’m not even sure he really likes Gale, but he definitely liked the attention Gale gave him. But alas, Gale is a ‘feelings first, sex later’ kind of person and that’s not Kylo’s speed. Kylo’s also had just about enough of hearing the name ‘Mystra’ lmao, another god that he’s sure pales in comparison to the Force. I’m also not sure what’s going to happen with Gale’s ending here, as Kylo would not want him to seize the power of the crown (Kylo would rather have it himself, but I don’t think that’s an option). But Gale’s ending conditions are also so convoluted, it’s hard to know what you’re going to get even when you plan it. You basically need a guide to know for sure which you’re getting lmao. So. It’ll be interesting for sure

(Also, speaking of the crown, I have no idea if Kylo will take Raphael’s deal. Cause on the one hand, he’s not terribly threatened by Raphael. And if he can’t have the crown, well, he doesn’t really care what Raphael might do with it, as this world is just one of many and he’ll be leaving it. But I don’t think he likes owing someone something. So I’m really not sure how that’ll go yet. He could take the deal and then go get the contract perhaps, idk)

Minthara, Kylo also gets along with well, unsurprisingly lmao. She probably reminds him of a certain General sdksld. I think the only disagreement they really have is Minthara has embraced the tadpole, while Kylo still wants his out – without it, he has access to much greater power than it can give. He understands why she values it’s power, as it’s the most she’ll ever have access to, but he can have more (at least, in his opinion). So keeping it, ruling over this land – that’s small potatoes shit to him. The FO seeks to rule the entire galaxy. These petty matters are largely insignificant to him (and, tbh, this must be how Lae’zel feels about some of the power struggles in Faerun – the Gith have an empire in space, her main goal is to be cured so she can get back to that). Still, he respects her a lot, and if it were possible, I think he’d consider inviting her to be part of the FO

Karlach is a mixed bag, because he admires her rage and her ferocity, but he does consider her naïve, too nice, all of that. So like. They get along sometimes. In truth, we’ve gotten more Karlach approval than I expected, though still not a lot. Because I do think Kylo is the kind of person to give a fighting chance to those he’s killing, he likes it when they fight back, he wants to find a decent challenge (he just rarely does). And Karlach tends to approve of at least giving enemies a fighting chance, rather than just an execution. That’s… probably all they agree on though lmao. Oh and finding Mizora incredibly annoying

(This is where things start to get sad, btw sdlsllks)

As for Wyll, Kylo found him naïve too, but he liked him well enough. Respected his ability, he’s easy on the eyes, things like that. But, unfortunately, just far too naïve. I think it would’ve been interesting to like, have Kylo make him worse, but that’s not really a thing in the game as Wyll doesn’t have like, a really bad ending in that sense. He does, however, have a bad ending if you think you’ve found a loophole and kill Mizora in the mindflayer pod…

(This is a mistake I genuinely made on my first playthrough, but then immediately reloaded. I should’ve known it was too easy lmao. Kylo, though, Kylo would absolutely try that… so unfortunately, we lost Wyll 😭)

And the other companion we lost, a long time ago, was Shadowheart. They didn’t really get along from the start, with her being so secretive and Kylo being a fan of probing people’s minds on the reg. She also didn’t like Lae’zel, and he does, so. Unfortunately, it was just fated that she wouldn’t survive when she moved to kill Lae’zel in her sleep (also, kind of sensitive thing for Kylo, you know, considering that’s happened to him too)

It is actually too bad, though, cause his feelings on Shar are… complex. You would think, just at first glance, that he’d been down with her, given that she’s all about darkness and such. But her darkness is not the one he’s embraced. Her darkness is about absence, about loss, about emptiness… that is not what darkness is to Kylo. To Kylo, darkness is passion, it’s pain, too, but it’s also power. It is the light that is the absence, that is giving up such meaningful things like emotion and connection. So I think he would find Shar’s teachings have more in common with Jedi teachings than it would seem on the surface. The Jedi are peace through oblivion, light burning away all you are until you are merely a vessel for the Force and nothing more. Thus, Shar, who uses darkness in the same way, would seem like a perversion of darkness to him. In darkness, there is passion and freedom and strength. It is not oblivion. It is not loss. It is everything but what Shar teaches it is. As such, I think he really does not like Shar, but not because of the reasons that most in-game characters don’t

The other interesting part is how he feels about the dream guardian. So I made the dream guardian Ren, because I thought that would be interesting. Ren is the last teacher he had before Snoke and I think Kylo still has a lot of complicated feelings about Ren. Regrets, too. So if you-know-who really wanted to get Kylo’s attention, Ren is the best choice, no doubt

(I talked about this a little before, but I think only on twitter, so it’s a bit of a repeat if you’ve seen my other post on it)

But it ended up being really interesting because Kylo knows it’s not Ren. It doesn’t act like Ren or talk like Ren and, most important, Ren is dead by his own hand. It’s a trick of some kind. He knows that, he has no doubts

And yet. Even though he does not fully trust the guardian, he doesn’t… not trust them either. So far, they have been on his side. They clearly know him, considering the form they chose. And a part of him, I think, really regrets how things went down with Ren. It’s not a second chance, he knows that, but. It’s like imagining doing things right while you’re in the shower or late at night. It’s not real and it’s not going to fix anything. But you still want to try to create a world, however temporarily, where you didn’t make that mistake. And, when he entered the prism, that, combined with seeing Ren on his knees (the same position Tai was in, in his last moments), disarmed and allowing Kylo the chance to choose… Kylo can’t kill him. Even if it would cure him (though he has his doubts there too), Kylo can’t do it again. He knows it’s not Ren and that it never was and that surely some kind of terrible revelation will happen in time. But for now, Kylo wants to let himself imagine making at least that one choice differently

And then, later, he actually passed the checks to give the guardian a hug, which I didn’t know was a thing lmao. So of course he took that. And he’s still not sure what the guardian actually is and he knows he shouldn’t trust but he just. He cannot resist

I did save right at the end of act 2, so. He’s gonna find out the truth very soon here, whenever I play him next. And I think Kylo’s REALLY not going to like you-know-who lmao. He is really not a fan of being manipulated, especially as this journey has helped him realize just how bad it was with Snoke

There’s also Halsin and Jaheira, but he doesn’t know them super well yet. I figured we’d lose Halsin as Kylo would be like ‘well, good look waking up that kid or whatever’ but apparently you actually cannot refuse to help with the portal? Lmao you’re like ‘nice, looks like my work here is done’ and Halsin’s like ‘oh no, I definitely still need you. Brb, going into this portal. Also you’re gonna be attacked btw’ and just. Goes. So fortunately we got to keep him. Kylo would really like to sleep with him though so sdklskd. Maybe he did it for bear dick, who knows

Jaheira honestly probably shouldn’t have lived, given how aggressive she is during the first meeting – Kylo should’ve attacked, but I, the player, also wouldn’t have been able to survive that fight lmao. So I compromised by leaving her fate up to chance at moonrise and not adding her to my party (I usually do, to ensure she survives). But she lived! So we shall see. I don’t think he dislikes her as of yet but. No opinion for the moment

It’s also kinda funny that like. In truth, he’s done more things that are “good” than I honestly expected at first but it’s like. A lot of “good” things are still just ‘kill this guy and I’ll help you’ and Kylo is fine with killing lmao. And he wants the Absolute dead a) for what they did to him and b) to get the worm out of his head. But we also lost two companions so far, and a good number of random characters. So it’s been a very wild playthrough tbh. It’s very chaotic neutral but it is still by far the evilest run of a video game I’ve ever done sdksldks 😅

Which is why I’m taking a break before act 3 because woof lmao, this is hard for me to do, even though it has turned out to be really interesting both play-wise and in terms of character analysis/exploration. Anyway, I shall end this on the note of RIP to the fallen 😔

🪦 Us

🪦 Owlbear mom

🪦 Mayrina

🪦 Shadowheart

🪦 All the tieflings you lose if you don’t convince Rolan to stay at the grove (apparently a lot)

🪦 Zevlor

🪦 Wyll

[bamthelocalcryptid]

I made something that’s a combination of an OC creation prompt and a game that pushes your imagination.

I've done this myself a couple of times and it really helped with planning out characters when i had writer's block or needed additional characters in my stories.

I wanted to share this cause it might help others and be a fun little exercise for character creators, artists, writers, and bored individuals!

So, to make the oc imma start with a shuffled list of songs from playlists I like/with an overall vibe I want to incorporate. The trick with this one is that, in addition to the primary character traits, the world building and potential back story are also determined in the songs. I suppose different aspects of the music determine specifications of the world and its central protagonist. Some plots might be clichè or repetitive if music tastes are similar. In that situation, perhaps a new/different/someone else's playlist will suffice.

NOTE: Some parts might take a bit of research to fulfill. You can also use any aspects of the song's for anything. My details simply provide guidance.

1. Determines OC's physical appearance (can be but is not limited to: ethnicity, style, color scheme, humanoid aspects, sex, gender, general physical expressions, facial/bodily/added features).

[The main components of the song to analyze are: lyrics hinting to physical description,  the writers/performers of the song, the cover art, the cover art subject matter, name of band/song/album, genre etc.]

2. Determines OC's emotional/mental expression and personality

(Involves: General personality traits, potential disorders, character mindset, emotional and mental weaknesses/strengths/capabilities.)

[Based on: Song's lyrics, names of album/song, subject matter depicted in the actual music or in cover/album art etc.]

3.Determines the OC's back story/ childhood/ past information

(Primarily involves: lyrics/storytelling in one's own interpretation of the music or, if given outright, a storyline contrived of the song's general story. If one is not present, retry or make something up loosely based on the song that originally came up.etc)

4. Determines OC's relationships with supporting characters/the world around them.

(Determined by: general atmosphere of the song to one's own interpretation, lyrics involving a surrounding enviornment/another character, emotion captured by the music, real life interactions of the writers/preformers/creators etc.)

5. Determines OC's plot progression

(Includes: possible trauma experiences, main events in their life, triggering occurrence to send their current adaptation into motion.)

[Determined by: song's storytelling,  lyrics, cover art, theme of the album/song/entire discography, own imagined scenarios while listening to said song etc.]

6.Determine's OC's primary relationship motivation

(For example: the song might entail an, aquaintence,  romance, platonic friendship, family, enemies, master/student,  lovers etc.)

[Determined by: song subject matter and its portrayal of a relationship, energy of the song, cover art and anything else inspiration can stem from etc.)

7. Determines OC's overarching goal/wish/want/need

(Can involve anything previously mentioned and not mentioned with regards to aspects of the song. Can also be ignored completely and instead be based on the developing plot etc.)

Now for world building:

8. Determines general setting

(Involves: design/style/color scheme of the surrounding enviornment, sci-fi/fantasy/dystopian/alien/historical/steampunk/ etc.)

[Determined by: genre, cover art/colors/subjects, general theme/atmosphere,  descriptive lyrics, etc.]

9. Determines emotions evoked by the world/setting

(For example: laid back, fun, depressing, hopeless, enraged, rebellious, deadly, safe etc.)

[Determined by: Whatever invokes an emotion to compel you to design it.)

10. Determines inhabitants of the world

(Includes: their views of life, their general emotional inclination, their current activities.)

[Determined by: song subject matter, lyrics, invoked emotions,  storytelling (environmental, atmospheric, lyrical) of the song/band etc.]

11. Determines primary issues/plot points/problems that further the OC and developing society

(Can involve subject matter of songs, what the music was originally inspired by, the creator's notes on the song/their personal struggles involved in it, or simple inspiration from the song itself etc.)

12. Determines secondary issues/plot points/problems that further the OC and developing society

(Anything in the song that inspires you/furthers the world that is already made)

13.Determines unique aspects of the world and its inhabitants

(Can be based off of subject matter, lyrics, physical descriptions, cover art, general themes, or simply serve as inspiration for the plot already created.)

This is simply meant as a guide, some songs may not go well with others but that just creates opportunities to mold a unique story from that! None of my prompts are a must and they can be used out of order if you wish. Don't be afraid to go back and change details!

Have fun! Feel free to share results, suggestions, and recommendations if it strikes you!

[dynmghts]

TRANSMISSION FROM @aeviare : 23. would your muse be good at recognizing their partner's needs right away, or would it take some time? 31. does your muse develop crushes easily? would they be open about it to a friend or keep it to themselves? 32. does your muse have an ideal "type"? TRANMISSION ENDED / ROMANCE HCS , ACCEPTING .

would your muse be good at recognizing their partner's needs right away, or would it take some time?

hmm… well, i think it varies. early katsuki is very focused on his goals and tends to disregard others to pursue them — so as you might’ve guessed, he’s kind of a terrible partner early on. recognising his partner’s needs while he’s so focused on himself and the goals he’s set would take time, and even then, he’d likely get frustrated if it’s something he can’t fix straight away. like… maybe the intentions are pure, and the care is there, but his execution is subpar at best.

like i said, terrible partner. 0/10. do not recommend.

BUT this is so different to what i imagine a later katsuki to be; there’s a point where he turns on his heel and recognises that the needs of those around him are just as vital as his own. this allows him to prioritise his partner when he recognises that they need something from him, for sure! and it’s not perfect — sometimes he still takes a bit of time, and sometimes it’s instant — but it is much better executed and with a lot more care. even if he gets frustrated, he doesn’t let it get in the way.

he also becomes more open to the idea of change. and not like, change his personality and everything with it kind of thing — he’d rather die. more like… adjusting how he approaches aspects of the relationship. meeting his partner’s needs that way. if they ask for him to touch base more often, he will. they ask for him to keep them in line, it’s done in a heartbeat. more affection? he might call you a sentimental idiot, but fuck it.

does your muse develop crushes easily? would they be open about it to a friend or keep it to themselves?

HA. HAHA. katsuki, developing crushes easily? no. fuuuuuuck no. this boy has no fucking idea what a crush is even meant to feel like — he’ll hear mina talk about that feeling of attraction to someone, and he’s staring at her like she’s grown a second head, because what the hell does that even mean? he’s just supposed to feel… what, sick? because that’s a pretty shitty feeling, if you ask him.

like. okay, i have so many ships for him, and it’s mostly just me promoting my katsuki x happiness agenda… but realistically, in my head and the whole timeline i have for him, he’s only kind of crushed on like. one or two people before ua. and it was nowhere as intense as people describe; it was more a passing feeling of oh, they’re alright, i guess, i don’t hate them. but how is katsuki meant to separate that from the friendships he had during primary and middle school?

the day he gets a real crush is the day he thinks he’s dying. because why is his heart racing, and why is his stomach churning, and why does the idea of going near that person make his face feel like it’s on fire? he almost SWEARS his quirk drawbacks have hit him out of nowhere, even if he hasn’t trained.

as for whether or not he’s open about it, that is also a funny joke because katsuki bakugou would take that crush to his grave if he could. he wouldn’t utter a single fucking word about it for months, even YEARS. (that 100% varies based on who it is he’s crushing on.) no, seriously, he could keep his mouth shut about someone he likes for six years, right up until he’s practically moved on — and nobody would have ever known.

but with his new friend group at ua, if he feels like he needs to get it out there, he has one or two friends he could trust with this secret. that’s kind of helpful. it makes it more bearable, if anything…

except if the crush in question is kirishima. then he just wants to throw himself off the nearest mountain.

does your muse have an ideal "type"?

type as in physical features: no, not really. there’s not anything he seeks out in a person’s physicality that could be considered his “type”.

but in personality traits? ABSOLUTELY.

katsuki is as headstrong as they come. strong-willed, assertive, competitive, and unapologetically himself, he knows he needs someone that can match his energy or maybe even contrast it. it’s a good thing that he also thinks that is kind of his “type”. because consider, say, izuku vs. ochako vs. shouto. (this is all personal observation and should be taken with a grain of salt by the way!)

izuku always seems to meet his energy in one way or another; even without a quirk, he did stand up against katsuki's personality. after getting one for all, izuku’s confidence soared, and it’s why they tend to reflect one another so readily — and fight so fiercely. they feed off one another more than anyone else.

ochako is somewhere in the middle. i feel that some of the time, she’s contrasting his energy with a more careful approach to situations, like hanging out with friends, or if they’re on the field, a rescue mission. but! she has a real fighting spirit under there, and once you pit that against katsuki’s own, they’re absolute demons. (and while i think of it; kirishima also fits into this category! he’s got a supportive, encouraging sort of personality that boosts katsuki’s, but he also kind of contrasts that in the moments that need it.)

and finally, shouto is a strong contrast to katsuki. while he has his ambitions and moments where he isn’t the cool and collected type, he will always be overshadowed by katsuki’s consistent hair-trigger personality. but that’s the fun of it! because 1) opposites attract and i live for that. but 2) katsuki feeds off the collected energy and settles down, while katsuki offers a chance for shouto to step away from his usual demeanour — especially when it’s something he is passionate about.

apart from that? katsuki values ambition, resilience, and loyalty. these three are the core traits he wants to see in his partners above all — because that guarantees they share similar qualities, while they are able to handle him when he’s not at his best. and loyalty out of the three is arguably the most important to him; if he gets the inkling that you’re not a loyal person, you will never be in his life again.

(he also values strength, but this isn’t necessarily a part of his type.)

[meredoubt]

On Repeat Playlist Tag Game

Rules: Shuffle your repeat playlist 10 times and tag 10 people.

I was tagged by the ever lovely @defira85, and I'm tagging anyone who wants to do it. Just tag me so I can see your music, I'm always looking for new songs!!!

An...interesting mix. Under the cut.

The in-my-head song, for sure. It's a song that embodies the thing I want most when I'm unwell: to just have anyone care. So it both scratches that itch, and also makes the pain worse. I'm new to Sleep Token, but I'm a big fan of this album. It will surprise no one this is on Dirge's playlist, in the context of it being to and from himself. The idea of loving someone and not knowing how to help them. I'm a huge proponent of directing songs that are about another, particularly love songs, inward.

So while I love this song in it's original context, it actually gets it's most plays in a playlist for an original story. It's about a Gorgon trans man who goes on a journey to break the curse that makes people unable to look at him. I associate this song with the moment he gets to come home. Pretty similar to it's original use. Very...hero's journey lmao.

I have a whole playlist that's songs from 1933-1969 that I have so meticulously curated lol. When I feel those Fallout and Mad Men vibes. I imagine this is from there.

I've got a playlist of songs that sound (lyrically, melodically, or vocally) like transition goals. Do not get it twisted, of course Mr. Brightside's on there. But, this song does feature on the trans guy playlist. And it's a great cover.

...listen. I like my toxic songs. I have separate playlists for two discreet relationships I'm writing that are terrible. It was going to be represented on here somewhere.

Another song for an original story. It's a modern changeling story. The fey child in our world grows into a lead guitarist. Definitely the song I most associate with him. The wild and the (comparatively) modern.

I mean. It's just one of my favourite songs. Not complicated. It's the reason I decided to pick up a guitar again. It inspired my Orpheus-themed tattoo I'll be getting. It's near and dark and dear to my heart.

It's so soft, but surprisingly it does make me think of Dirge and Astarion. Some of the lines are so reminiscent of things Dirge canonically has said, that it's very sweet, and feels true. The line about alive and free, in particular.

Not my music putting me on blast?! This is one of my go-to songs to get pumped up. It started when I still played Destiny, and I imagined this would be the introduction song for my Striker Maximus lmao. Now it's just a good song to lift to. I gotta be the hottest guy! In the rain! I will be hotter than any man. Etcetera. Anyway...goofy.

There are many reasons I love Cyberpunk 2077. One of the primary reasons is that it introduced me to Refused. That shit is marrow deep for me.

[dawnsbreaking]

Interactive Romance Fiction Rules of Genre as Illustrated by Lucifer in Obey Me

(i'm so normal about this game i promise) One of my things that I’m constantly talking about when I talk about interactive fiction is that romantic interactive fiction is its own genre with rules and conventions.

In my opinion, the most important (and most rarely broken) rule of the romantic interactive fiction genre is that each main character’s personal development begins with meeting the player and is facilitated through the character’s relationship with the player.

This rule applies to Obey Me (and is done very well, in my opinion) so, as an example, I’d like to talk a bit about Lucifer and his character arc in the first season (Lesson 1 through Lesson 20)—how his sin manifests through his characterization and how his journey as a character is facilitated through his relationship with MC.

First of all, how does pride manifest in Lucifer’s characterization and what challenges arise because of his flaw?

Lucifer is obviously man with an iron backbone, his pride is apparent on a surface level through the way that he interacts with others. He is stoic and reserved, often holding back kind words for fear of showing weakness.

Lucifer thinks of himself as infallible and doesn’t like to rely on others for anything. Lucifer’s pride extends to his work and his family and, though the latter has some positive effect throughout his arc, he loses himself to these things in the process. He is a workaholic and a perfectionist. He is strict with his brothers, needing them to meet his lofty standards.

Lucifer struggles to see MC complexly, underestimating and misunderstanding them because they are human. He initially is very opposed to the idea of forming a pact with a human because it would be a damaging blow to his pride.

How do these things change/develop over the course of the game?

Like most of the brothers, the primary goal of Lucifer’s character development is for him to find a balance with his sin. He does not need to give up healthy expressions of his pride, like the pride he has in his family, but he does need to express this pride in a way that doesn’t hurt others or himself.

This balance is achieved simply by his forced proximity to MC. To keep performing his duties to Lord Diavolo to his highest ability, he must keep MC safe. The positive effect that MC has on the other brothers forces him to confront his own biases and begin to reexamine the way that he behaves. This development is present throughout the entire arc.

The first major turning point for Lucifer is during Satan’s pact arc (Lesson 9 - Lesson 12). When MC reveals that they want to earn Lucifer’s respect by forming pacts with the younger brothers, Satan and Lucifer’s fraught relationship is brought to light. Satan and Lucifer’s character arcs are very closely linked (I wrote about this a little bit here) so any major development for Satan usually comes with a similar development for Lucifer and vice-versa. Here, though, it is especially significant because the body swap and its resulting fallout is the first time Lucifer really acknowledges MC’s positive influence over him and his brothers. 

The second major turning point for Lucifer comes with the revelation of Lilith’s human life and Lucifer’s pact with Diavolo. In his pride, Lucifer took on the burden of ensuring Lilith’s human life without telling his brothers. While he did also believe he was protecting his brothers, he did this primarily because he didn’t trust anyone but himself. And, while the pact with Diavolo is a blow to his pride, it is partially made up for by the pride he is able to feel for this selfless act.

By confronting these secrets head-on, MC is able to show Lucifer that he could have trusted his brothers and also relieve him of the stress of keeping the secret. Trust between Lucifer and his brothers is healed both ways as it comes to light that Lucifer has good, selfless reasons for his allegiance to Diavolo.

The final turning point in Lucifer’s season one arc is when he makes a pact with MC. Lucifer is the most resistant to the idea of making a pact with a human, because of his pride. When he chooses to make a pact with MC, he puts loyalty to her above himself and lowers himself more than ever before just for the sake of his relationship with them. It is a complete turn from his behavior in the first few lessons. He proves himself more in-control of his sin and more capable of minding his priorities.

The entire arc happens as a direct response to MC’s presence. That is interactive fiction as genre fiction!!! That is what I mean!!

[deadrayg2mf]

I Married a Beast (Prime Mating Agency #7) by Regine Abel

I have to say, for a series with a cover style similar to others that I would normally bash on... they are not the worst "real life men turned into alien" covers. They are actually probably the best because some work that was not just beginner photoshop skills was put into them. Anyways, here is my part two of my back-to-back Regine Abel reviews!

This book immediately captured me with the female lead proclaiming two paragraphs in that she was a proud monster fucker. Preach, sister. Belle is an artist with a penchant for the otherworldly, both as her muse and romance interest, which is how she finds herself preparing for an interview with the founder of the Prime Mating Agency. Her goal is to get a beastly husband who's rough on the outside but sweet to her with plenty of strange features to boot. After some time spent discovering she is not there for the all-out strangeness the worlds have to offer her, her matchmaker settles on who he deems to be the perfect male for her (and he is always right... I mean 7 out of 7 books so far, who would dare to question Kayog).

Bayron is a familiar face if you've read the previous books, he comes to us from a previous interaction from book 2 I Married a Naga. He's got four eyes, four arms, and a beastly personality that he lays to the wayside for his beauty. (That's right, it's Beauty and the Beast references galore). He's also got double the package to please her with. That's right, folks, more DP. ~(˘▾˘~) (double penetration)

This is another great low angst 302-page addition to the series. As always, the primary plot is focused on their love story, getting Belle introduced to his society and way of life while also seeing Bayron willing to make concessions when it comes to some human aspects he isn't used to. They are a fun couple to watch fall in love with each other, they have a healthy relationship with open communication mostly and a never-ending appetite for each other. It even brings back some issues from in the second book that get resolved in a way that adds to the book ten-fold.

I love seeing past couples we've met through the series brought back as well, it makes for some great unity between the books. This can also be found between I Married a Birdman and I Married a Minotaur. Please, please, please check out this series! It's hit after hit and I promise you won't be wasting your time! 9.5/10 (-.5 for all the times Belle made me cringe with some monster fucker comment)

Would I read again? Yeah!

Would I recommend? I am literally begging at this point... I will get on my knees!（ －||－）