#one of the biggest examples is most definitely Harry Potter

[starlooove]

Colorblind casting only works in stories that have nothing to do with race and I think that’s why watching Wednesday was so fucked as a black person

[delcakoo]

stop you're making me want to reread harry potter </3 ravenclaw!won has been stuck in my mind for DAYS

slytherin!reader who's in a relationship with ravenclaw!jungwon and is mean and cocky to everyone except won i am in shambles

slytherin!reader x ravenclaw!won random hcs!! ✧.*

STOP OMG anon this idea made me all giddy insidE i adore the ‘im mean to everyone but you’ grumpy x sunshine trope sANJSHS AND WITH RAVENCLAW JUNGWON AHHHH this is a bit longer than i planned but uh. enjoy JSHSJD

your boyfriend aka the biggest nerd on the planet (ravenclaw moment) doesn’t even see it most of the time

but the way you treat him in comparison to pretty much everyone else at hogwarts is VERY different

you could be like. about to fist fight someone or seconds away from pulling out your wand and hexing a gryffindor’s ass

all 😐😡😡👿👊💥

but then jungwon just

“y/n!!! :D” WITH THE CUTEST LIL SMILE AND OH GOD HIS DIMPLE :(

SUDDENLy every hint of rage and anger in your body just poofs into nothing and you’re just SMILING because there’s your sunshine with his cute nerd glasses and mountain of books

“wonnie!” you let him give you a big hug and the random gryffindor you were about to fight is just 🧌😦 in the distance

“guess what i learned in herbology today!!”

if pretty much anyone else asked you that you’d give them the most disgusted face imaginable and just.

“the fuck would i care? 🤨”

or

“when?”

“uh i think it was last satu-“

“did i ask? ☺️”

listen you’re just a very honest and straightforward person!!

but when it’s wonnie <3?

you quickly take all the books in his arms and lead him away with a smile, “what, baby? tell me all about it ☺️”

and by now a majority of the students in hogwarts knows not to mess with jungwon

because doing so immediately means messing with you too 💗

you’re extra strict on this because in the past your boyfriend did get bullied a lot for well. to put it simply, being a ravenclaw

luckily though, you were able to find out their names 😊😊😁

at first you were going to use magic but.. lets just say your knuckles were sore and bruised for the next week ❤️

doing the damage yourself was so much more satisfying y’know 😍

of course jungwon didn’t find out about all that.. at least you think

though he does get suspicious whenever one of his bullies stop even sparing him a gLance 🤨

when he confronts you, you just say karma did it’s thing and smile evilly 🫶

(little do you know, jungwon can read you like an open book and knows damn well you did it <3 however your cute proud smirk makes him decide to let you have this one 😞)

but if your revenge ambushes ever result in you getting any kind of injury, he’s always quick to bandage you up with a disapproving frown :(((

he sighs while whiping up your bloody knuckles, “seriously, i hate seeing you like this more than anything. why would you do that for me?”

you scoff, completely nonchalant with a small smirk on your lips as usual

you could care less about your fists when in the end, your boyfriend isn’t being picked on

“that’s a pretty dumb question for someone as smart as you, love”

he groans, “no y/n, really! they’re not worth your time, revenge isn’t the—“

“it is. it most definitely is the answer baby.” you grin, he sighs “now stop worrying about me and come give cuddles ❤️”

another thing jungwon gets away with all the time is bossing you around

you fr just take it like a champ every time without a word because only HE can tell you what to do

if anyone else tried to…? 😬😬

for an example scenario. you’re doing a group project in potions with jungwon (<333) and his other nerd friends

being surrounded by so many losers almost had you throwing up but you pulled through for won since you knew he wanted to be with his friends too

this didn’t stop you from being a dick ❤️

“hey y/n, can you grab the frog eyes?” sunoo gestures from the cauldron your group is watching carefully

“didn’t even say please,” you mutter, “who the fuck are you to tell me what to do four eyes?”

poor boy shuts up for the rest of the project T-T

“y-y/n,” jake would stutter nervously, refusing to make eye contact with you, “can you maybe g-“

“ask me to help one more time and i’ll stick that stirring stick up your ass”

but then jungwon sighs, making you frown because wait, is he disappointed in you or something??? :((((

“babe, you’re not contributing at all, go get the missing ingredients on this list at least”

you pout

he sounds so unimpressed :(

of course now you’re feeling needy so you rush to get everything for him and bring a bowl full of the ingredients back with puppy eyes

jake and sunoo are absolutely flabbergasted

but your bOYFRIEND who you thOugHt was an angEl from heaven STILL gives you a disapproving look :(

“thank you, now apologise to my friends please,” he asks strictly

WHY IS HE TREATING YOU LIKE A CHILD IT MAKES YOU SO MAD AND SAD AND GRRRGHH

your frown deepens, trying to lean in for a kiss at least but JUNGWON MOVES AWAY FROM YOU???

“won…”

“apologize and you can have a kiss”

your eye twitches but you’re so desperate

so you turn to those

those two

gargOyles.

and murmur out a “sorry, i promise to help from now on,” without making eye contact once with either of them <\3

at this point sunoo’s jaw almost fell off because THE POWER HIS FRIEND HAD OVER YOU?? popUlarly known as one of the meanest students in the school??????

you dont even wait for their reply (because you frankly dont care) and turn back to wonnie who’s now- UAHSJHSN HE’S SMILING HE’S PROUD OF YOU?!!! :D

you pucker your lips in anticipation and he gives you a dramatic mmmmWAH

after that you’re just so giddy and happy and help by doing whatever jungwon asks and ignore the other two <333

secretly jungwon feels like his heart is about to explode because the soft spots you have for each other is 🫶

AUGHH my favorite trope ever sushjsbsh thank u for the lovely req <3

[sophie-hatter-jenkins]

Try

Written for @hinnymicrofic January 2024, using Prompt 21

Another not-really-very-micro microfic. Oops!

They didn’t know she was watching them, Ginny was sure of that. She was carefully hidden as she was amongst the leafy branches of the biggest apple tree, a climb that she was fairly certain none of them even knew she could manage, but Ginny had spent much of the spring practising, while all the others were away at school. Now, in high summer, she could shimmy up to the very top with no effort at all.

She knew that no one would mind if she left her perch and went to join them, but the thought that she might embarrass herself again left her glued to the branch. It also left her incredibly frustrated that she honestly thought she would scream, if that wouldn’t mean being discovered spying on them all, and if being discovered spying on them all wouldn’t in itself be even more embarrassing.

Instead, Ginny watched with increasing jealousy as her brothers splashed about in the cool water of the pond below. The air around her was still and languid, the heat of the afternoon lingering as day faded into early evening. She felt ridiculously hot and sticky, and the pond looked so very inviting.

Of course, if it had been just her brothers and her father in the pond, then she would definitely be down there too, right in the thick of their games - because she was Ginny Weasley, and no one left her on the sidelines if they knew what was good for her. But it wasn’t just her brothers, was it? No, there was someone else there too, and that someone else was Harry Potter. THE Harry Potter. The Harry Potter about whom Ginny had read so much, the Harry Potter who was the subject of all her most cherished daydreams, the Harry Potter who Ginny was absolutely, definitely, one hundred percent going to marry one day. In her pond. With her brothers. 

Of course, it was true that he was… shorter than she had imagined. Skinnier too. Still, Ginny thought, he was very handsome. He had such pretty eyes. The colour definitely reminded her of something, though she wasn’t quite sure what. Ah well, she was sure it would come to her eventually. She liked his hair too. It was so very black and looked so very soft, and she liked the messy way it always stuck up - a little hint of something wild and unruly about him, no matter how polite he was to her mum. 

Harry, of course, wasn’t swimming. Instead, he was paddling ankle deep in the shallows, occasionally engaging in splash battles with Ron. Watching him, Ginny was struck yet again by how horribly unfair it all was. What on earth was wrong with her that she couldn’t manage to utter more than a squeak in his presence? She had so many funny, clever and downright cool things that she wanted to say to him, things that she was sure would impress him very much indeed, but her brain seemed to turn to utter mush whenever he was in the same room. Take that very morning as an example - she hadn’t even been able to answer when he asked her a simple question about her Hogwarts letter without humiliating herself. It was, she had to admit, as she examined the grease mark on her elbow for the thousandth time that day, something of a spanner in the works when it came to getting him to realise that she was anything more than Ron’s weird baby sister. 

As she watched, Ginny heard a familiar voice hailing her brothers - Dad was home from work. She twisted to look back towards the house, to see him striding towards the pond, also wearing his swimming trunks. 

“Now then, Harry!” he said, bracingly, as he arrived at the edge of the pond. “Let’s get started, shall we?”

“Erm… If you’re sure, Mr Weasley,” replied Harry, in a quiet voice. “I don’t want to be any bother.” Ginny thought he sounded extremely nervous, and more than a bit embarrassed. 

“Nonsense! Everyone needs to know how to swim. I’ve taught seven kids so far, one more will be no trouble at all!”

Which was entirely true. Ginny couldn’t really remember a time when she couldn’t swim, because her Dad insisted all the kids learn as young as possible, especially with a deep pond being so close to the house. It seemed really strange to her that someone as old as Harry had never learned, and both her parents had found it really shocking that he couldn’t when the subject came up at the dinner table the night before. 

It started innocuously enough, with Fred remarking that he hoped the forecast heatwave would last long enough to get in lots of swims. Ron then excitedly asked Harry if he had any trunks with him, and Harry had blushed deep beetroot, looking down at the table as he admitted he wouldn’t be able to join them. 

Mr Weasley asked a few questions just to make sure he had understood correctly, then spent some time spluttering things like ‘basic life skill, even for muggles’, ‘dereliction of duty’ and ‘downright unsafe’, before briskly announcing that he’d be teaching Harry himself. Harry, of course, tried to argue, but Mrs Weasley had rustled up a pair of trunks that probably originally belonged to Bill (because frankly, every item of clothing in the house originally belonged to Bill), before she’d even cleared up the dessert plates. 

She watched as her father supported Harry as he got into the pond, encouraging him to put his face in the water and blow bubbles, then supporting him as he tried floating and kicking his legs. 

Eventually, her father clearly decided his student was ready for the next stage. “Right then, Harry! Just give it a try!” he declared.

“Okay, Mr Weasley.” Ginny thought Harry looked utterly terrified at the prospect, but he took a deep breath, and his features settled into a resolute expression. He hurled himself forward into the water, wheeling his arms and kicking his legs in a tidal wave of splashes that landed straight in her father’s face. Then he sank like a stone. 

Ginny gasped as Harry disappeared below the water, but of course her father plucked him from under the surface only moments later. Harry was red faced and spluttering, with both water and apologies, but her father had only kind reassurances for him. Harry took a moment to compose himself, before striking off for a second time, with much the same results. Again and again he tried, listening carefully to Ginny’s father between each attempt. Gradually, his arm movements became more deliberate, and his kicks became more controlled, but it only seemed to extend the length of time between sinkings.  

Just then, Ginny heard her mother’s voice boom through the trees, carried by a particularly shrill Sonorus charm. “Arthur! Boys! Dinner’s nearly ready! Bring Ginny with you if she’s out there - I can’t find her anywhere!”

With the promise of food imminent, Ginny’s brothers stormed from the pond towards the house. Meanwhile, her father gave Harry an encouraging smile, as he conjured a pair of well-worn towels.

“Come on, Harry, let’s call it a day for now,” he said, slinging a towel around Harry’s shoulders. “We’ll try again tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll crack it by the end of the week.”

Harry’s thin features were set with determination as the pair of them followed Ginny’s brothers back to the house. “Thanks, Mr Weasley. I’ll try my hardest.”

Once they had left, Ginny dropped casually from branch to branch and then down to the ground below. As she ambled across the orchard back to the house, her head was buzzing with what she had just seen. Harry had been so nervous to start with, but he had set about his task with impressive tenacity nonetheless. Well, Ginny was nothing if not tenacious too. If Harry could learn to swim, surely Ginny could manage something as inconsequential as speaking in front of him. She could start small, just like putting her head underwater, just like blowing bubbles. Just a couple of words in his presence, and not even to him - to her Mum, maybe, or the twins. Perhaps she wouldn’t manage the first time, but that didn’t mean giving up. She would just try again. And eventually, she was sure, it would all be worth it. One day.

[wot-tidbits]

1 to 1 adaptation

Disclaimer. This post has no point to change minds. Your mind is already made up and no one will change it. This is written for the sake of my own mind.

Look at the crybabies! They want 1 to 1 adaptation! Oooh, they do not know how adaptation works! Cry, little bigot, cry!

Hello and welcome to the most manipulative sentence that the WoT fandom has ever coined. A sentence which required 8 billion people on Planet Earth to suffer from amnesia simultaneously. Yes, even the person who uses it.

What logical conclusion a sane person can make after hearing the following scenario:

Listen to me, pal. In the last 24 years there are dozens and dozens of fantasy adaptations starting arbitrarily with the Lord of the Rings as the biggest mainstream success. Some of them got successful, some of them were not. People liked some and disliked others. No big deal. People watched the same adaptations over and over. For two decades and dozens of adaptations. For what we know, pal, people did not live in a cave. They got full access to books, cinema and television.

Enter the WoT TV series. All of sudden these people in question must live the last two decades in a cave with no access to cinema or television. They must watch the WoT TV series as their first adaptation. They do not know how any other previous adaptation looks like. They must suffer from amnesia and to forget all other previous adaptations in the last two decades and cannot compare with them. I am the telling you, this is the only logical conclusion, pal, that makes sense when you hear that a person does not know how adaptation works.

What you say? Remove any detail of that scenario and my house of cards is ruined? Imagine that all these people have not gotten out of the cave and it would be fine.

Imagine that such person exists. For real. No, actually I have better idea - imagine that there is a person who firmly believes that such scenario is possible to happen in any turning of the Wheel. Oh, what you say, I probably see such person every day in the mirror. Well, this is awkward…

Do not worry! I have the ultra giga mega argument in my sleeve! The bigots said that “iTs nOt liKE iN tHE b0oKs”! Yeah, this will show those losers! Definitely!

Yes, this argument worked excellent when the bigots cried about the Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter or Game of Thrones season 1-4! What, it did not work? It did not work at all? Are you sure? Oh, no, you did not suffer from amnesia and you all remember how well these adaptations were received by book fans? And that no one tried to explain the bigots how adaptations work because it seems they knew it very well already? Are you sure that millions of toxic people did not hide in their caves and stayed there in silence? What? It is not how the Internet worked in the last 24 years? You must have heard about “HARRY, DID YOU PUT YOUR NAME IN THE GOBLET OF FIRE”? Yeah, what? The people who made fun of this difference between the movie and the book weren't mocked and bullied into silence? I am truly shocked.

Hey, I have another suggestion. You know these millions of people who liked their adaptations and knew how they worked what about that they died in mass extinction and now the thousands of people who cried about WOT TV show are completely new and have nothing to do with the old ones. What? They are the same people? Are you sure? 24 years is not enough time for mass extinction? Listen, pal, I assure you they are not the same! They want 1 to 1 adaptation! I am sure of it! No one has ever heard of that before in the long decades of adaptations! They must be new.

You and me, pal, both know that such thing does not exist. These losers believe that and they cannot provide previous examples to compare. Do you see how smart I am? Pat me one the back. Please, pat me on the back. They cannot….WHAT NOW? You started going around and have asked them about it already?!?! You asked dozens of these bastards? How dare you! I wouldn't never get close to these bigots! Do not believe anything they say! It is a lie! What? They gave as examples as great adaptations the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and the first 4 seasons of Game of Thrones. Every single time? Every single time. Well, this makes it easy. They are truly completely insane as I told you. Don't they realize that none of their examples is 1 to 1 adaptation?!? It doesn't make sense to whine that it is not like in the books and at the same time every single bigot to demand adaptation on the level of the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and the first 4 seasons of Game of Thrones. These adaptations are different than the books. It does not make any sense. They must be wrong. No, no, no, no, it is definitely not me assuming that the bigots want 1 to 1 adaptation. IT IS BLOODY THEM! They cry about it! I do not. Don’t you realize what will happen if the whole time we mocked the bigots for believing in unicorns and it turns out that we are the ones who believe in unicorns?!?! Madness! Do not let them breath! Mock them how arrogant they are! How they do not know how adaptations work! After all, did not you hear? Even Brandon Sanderson doesn't know how adaptations work! A person who you never assumed such thing and you used him as undeniable example of support for the show in the previous two years. Amazing, right? No, it is definitely not me. I still do not hear patting me on the back, pal. They must believe in 1 to 1 adaptation. Otherwise all of this unjustified censorship and mocking for years will be proof of my hypocrisy.

Someone should have told the same to the angry fans of the Avatar: TLA animated series before whining about the movie adaptation of Shyamalan. Why nobody tried to mock these fans then? Why I should know the answer of that?!?

Or maybe we should move closer in time with House of the Dragon. People were angry about that production too. What? Book fans loved the adaptation despite the changes and the casting controversy? You didn't hear that right, I assure you. These bookcloacks whine about every adaptation! Just like they ruined the Sandman! What? They did not do such thing either?

Ok, ok, ok, hear me out then. Winter Dragon! Yes! Oh boy, how much it was despised! Right? See! There was so much whining from the bookcloaks back then… What? Not just from the bookcloaks? What do you mean every single fan thought it was bad adaptation? Nobody pointed that they do not understand how Winter Dragon worked? No one mocked fans that they wanted 1 to 1 adaptation with the prologue? Everyone simultaneously knew what a bad adaptation looks like when they saw it? Are you sure you remember all these events right? Maybe you have some kind of amnesia, pal. You sure sure? I start suspecting you are one of those bastards, aren't you?

No, you are not? How convenient! Then how many more examples of fans of the source material who miraculously understand how adaptations work you will throw at me? Did you not hear me the first time?!? I AM NOT WRONG! The bookcloaks are wrong!

In conlcusion.

The sane person in question after hearing it: Yes, 1 to 1 adaptation is sane and logical conclusion based on the evidence of plenty of dozens of fantasy adaptations in the last 24 years.

We live in an age of wonders where fans of the Percy Jackson's TV show tell the people who watched the Percy Jackson's movies that they do not understand how adaptations work. These two adaptations are separated by merely 13 years apart but suffering of amnesia as we all know is eternal.

Let the Light keep you safe. LightOne

[as-mod-eus]

DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH! HOW TO RESPECTFULLY PLAY A MUSE WITH:  CPTSD

hello and thanks for reading! I’ve been in the rpc scene for a little while now and have seen c/ptsd given as an attribute to a lot of muses and have occasionally felt the portrayal was inaccurate or even disrespectful. so, in honor of disability awareness month, I’ve decided to write up a little awareness post for cptsd. from someone who has been diagnosed with ptsd for eleven years and cptsd for one year (though it was all cptsd all along), I’d like to give some insight into what living with it is like and how to play it accurately and respectfully. I’d like to preface this by saying I, by no means, am some expert on cptsd. I’ve just lived my entire life with it so I can give some good information on what living with it is like.

quick trigger warning before you advance. the following will contain: mentions of abuse/narcissism/gaslighting/neglect, detailed descriptions of cptsd symptoms

I.                         𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐒, 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐒𝐎 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐒𝐍'𝐓

a lot of times people write cptsd as interchangeable with ptsd. while they have a lot of overlapping symptoms, cptsd is, by definition, a more severe version of ptsd and to do it justice, it’s important to not simplify that experience. cptsd has a lot of overlapping symptoms with ptsd, bpd, DID, bipolar disorder, adhd and autism for example. cptsd is even confused for bpd and bipolar disorder by actual professionals quite a lot (from all the anecdotal experiences I’ve seen), so it’s important to know what cptsd is, but also what it isn’t.

everyone with cptsd has a different experience of it, of course. but there are typically very foundational feelings and experiences that most, if not all, cptsd-sufferers experience. read more under the cut!

II.                                                             𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐏𝐓𝐒𝐃?

so I think the very first place we should start is at the origin of the condition, and how to write your muse’s background to be realistic for the condition. in general, trauma is very subjective. what might be traumatic to one, might not be to another, and vice versa. that being said, the biggest common denominator amongst cptsd sufferers is that the abuse was long-term or never ended at all, and is still actively happening. in a lot of experiences, it stems from severe emotional or physical neglect, narcissistic abuse such as gaslighting/smear campaigning/ scapegoating/etc, exposure to adult themes as a child, living with a mentally ill parent, reckless or oblivious endangerment, toxic shame, and much more.

if you’re struggling to conceptualize this, think of the following media examples:

the family dynamic in Shameless, most notably the lack of any healthy parental figure

the childhoods of both Beatrice and Bojack in Bojack Horseman

the childhood of Diane Nguyen in Bojack Horseman

the childhood of Sterling Archer in Archer

the childhood of Harry Potter in Harry Potter

something to note is that there have been studies that have concluded that even one positive, affirming figure in a child’s life can offset trauma enough to prevent post-traumatic stress. if you plan on giving your muse a really rough childhood, and having them come out of it without mental ailment, it might be a good idea to include somewhere in their background a parental figure or mentor who validated them, cherished them, and affirmed them of their inherent worth.

III.                                                            𝐑𝐄: 𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐒

a lot of cptsd sufferers experience something called dissociation and/or depersonalization, in which the abuse is so severe and inescapable, that the mind has no other option but to remove itself from the experience out of its own self-preservation. while this absolutely manifests as something that I can only describe as severe zoning-out, it can also manifest in different ways, such as maladaptive daydreaming or quite literally being unable to feel your body anymore or see anymore. for this reason, a lot of cptsd sufferers don’t actually show the “visible” and severe symptoms of cptsd until they’re out of the throes of abuse and physically and emotionally in a safe place again, at which time their mind feels safe enough to start processing the trauma. that experience isn’t always, if ever, a conscious decision and one more involuntary, that resurfaces through trauma responses, symptoms, and emotional dysregulation.

for many cptsd sufferers, commonly known symptoms like flashbacks don’t start happening until long after the abuse ends. for lots of cptsd sufferers, there’s a period of time where everything is “alright”, until suddenly the dam  breaks, and it’s not anymore. that all being said, when considering the timeframe for when your muse began exhibiting disabling symptoms of cptsd, it would be more realistic to have them begin after the fact. while a lot of us did have symptoms during the abuse as well, the dissociation/depersonalization acted as a good enough buffer that we couldn’t fully “feel” the trauma yet.

along with this should also be mentioned: dissociative amnesia. a very, very, very common symptom  of cptsd is dissociative amnesia. which is exactly what it sounds like. amnesia borne from  dissociation. credit where credit is due, it absolutely is more than just forgetting. it is quite literally your brain being unable to access the memories surrounding the abuse. sometimes that means years. sometimes that means an entire lifetime. for a lot of us, it means we sort of flickered in and out of our lives. one moment we were seven, the next we were fourteen, and suddenly we were twenty-one with a job and an apartment, with no real recollection of how we got there. sometimes these memories are tucked so deep down in our heads, there’s no hope for accessing them again. and that’s usually for good reason. other times, as we begin processing the trauma through therapy, these memories pop up again, and become known to our conscious minds again. when that happens, they can be devastating, and torturous.

IV.                                                                         𝐑𝐄: 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒

alright, so, let’s talk about the big F now. what most people associate with ptsd and assume makes up the large majority of a ptsd experience is flashbacks. as I said earlier, cptsd has a lot of overlapping symptoms with ptsd, and one of those is flashbacks, but they typically come in a different form. flashbacks can be experienced as partial or full, somatic, visual, emotional, etc. there are a lot of different types of flashbacks, but the one I see the most get played is the visual flashback. for a lot of cptsd sufferers, visual flashbacks are the minority, if they even happen at all. the most commonly experienced cptsd flashback is the emotional flashback. emotional flashbacks are still flashbacks, so they involve being “transported” out of the present and into a past emotion, while still physically being in the present. hopefully that makes sense, but I’ll try to explain a little more!

emotional flashbacks can feel and absolutely are very disorienting, devastating, sometimes present with terror beyond words, and generally are something of a living nightmare. imagine the worst thing to have ever happened to you, and having to re-experience the emotional state you were in while it was happening, when something seemingly minor happens in the present. your emotional existence suddenly is no longer in the present, while your eyes, ears, and body all are. a lot of times, there’s a massive somatic experience that comes along with the emotional confusion and devastation, such as GI issues like pain and nausea, amygdala activation causing things like trembling, sweating, high heartrate, pupil changes and the like.

V.                                                         𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊.

so now that we know what a flashback is like, you’re probably wondering how to write getting out of one. the most effective way to get out of a flashback is to be grounded back into the present. sometimes, folks long-term into their recovery can ground themselves really effectively. other times, especially when someone isn’t aware they’re in a flashback, the grounding needs to be initiated by an outsider.

here is a really good resource to learn more about cptsd grounding.

for me, the first step is usually reminding myself, or being reminded, that I’m in a flashback, and saying it out loud to make it real and so I can hear my voice and know that I’m here, right now. physically interacting with my surroundings is usually the second step. pressing my back against the wall, putting my palms up on the wall, holding ice, splashing my face with water, or tasting/smelling something offensive like lemons or spice works to shock the body back into the present.

then it’s time for the emotional grounding back into the present. for me, that’s telling myself my name, my age, that I’m an adult, that the trauma isn’t happening to me anymore, where I am, and recent things I’ve done, like going grocery shopping or watching a new tv show. listening to new music also helps, as I’ve never experienced that song during the trauma and only while outside of the trauma.

getting out of a flashback is all about getting back into the present.

VI.                                                      𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓, 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓, 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐙𝐄, 𝐅𝐀𝐖𝐍

the most commonly known fear responses are fight or flight, but what few people realize is that there are two other fear responses. cptsd deals directly, and frequently, with fear responses, and it’s important to map out the type of fear response your muse has before you map out how they’re going to interact with the world. to minimize the experience of any one of these is a huge injustice to those of us who this is a reality for, so it’s important to remember that in most cases, just as would happen in a life or death scenario, the emotional experience of each is extreme.

also, consider how your muse might react to emotional intimacy or vulnerability. fear responses can play a major part in insecure attachment styles, and which one is developed.

fight — the fight fear response is exactly what it sounds like. it involves defensiveness, whether that’s physical or emotional. this is the one I see most commonly portrayed, though in my experience, not a lot of us actually have the fight fear response. some key attributes while triggered are: aggression, defensiveness, irrationality

flight — again, well known enough, but this fear response is a bit different from fight. in fact, it’s the complete opposite. to flee from the offending experience is to remove yourself totally, whether that be physically or emotionally. when physical escape isn’t possible, that’s when dissociation comes into play.

freeze — for those of us who have a freeze fear response, it’s categorized as completely freezing up when triggered. sometimes this is just physically, such as losing the ability to speak or move, and other times its mentally as well, such as suddenly and severely depersonalizing.

fawn — the fawn fear response is categorized as essentially fawning to the triggering event or person. it’s complete submission, with no ability for self-advocacy or self-defense.

lots of people with cptsd will have more than one fear response. a common pairing is freeze + fawn.

VII.                                                                            𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄

the ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) test is a really good predictor of whether someone will have cptsd or not. in my experience, being in social circles with other cptsd sufferers for years, most of us have an ACES score of 4+, typically 6+. I personally have one of 9.

to take the ACES test for your muse (or for yourself!), you can do so right here.

VIII.                                                                           𝐑𝐄: 𝐂𝐎-𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐘

with cptsd, typically comes a slew of other co-morbid conditions, both physical and mental. I’d recommend doing your research on which conditions overlap most commonly, but here are a few:

depression

anxiety

bipolar disorder

autoimmune disorders

alcoholism/drug abuse

heart disease/stroke

also important to mention that cptsd, just like ptsd, can be highly dabilitating and disabling. for many of us, it causes massive strain on our interpersonal relationships, ability to work, ability to care for ourselves, ability to have financial stability, and more. if your muse has cptsd, unless they are deep into their recovery, it would be most respectful to play them as having disability.

IX.                                                            𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃

finally, to cover one of the most important points: recovery. recovery from cptsd is a long road, and usually life-long, non-linear and very slow going. it generally requires having a really good psychiatric care team, including a therapist and psychiatrist, often being on medication (if not many medications) for the rest of your life, and having to reprocess the horrific trauma you experienced.

healing does not look like “man-ing up” or “just getting over it”. it does not look like distracting yourself with work/school/hobbies and then immediately being back in a bad space the second you’re alone with your thoughts. a lot of people mistake moving forward physically in life while still dissociating as healing.

true healing comes from revisiting all of those core lessons taught to the inner child, reparenting the inner child, and grieving and processing what has happened to you in a safe and supportive environment. often it involves making painful, difficult decisions such as going no-contact with family members, if not all family. often it involves painful, difficult decisions such as parting ways with people you love and care for because they aren’t healthy for you, or aren’t respectful of your boundaries, or whatever be it. it also involves relearning quite a lot. relearning how to love yourself, how to love others, how to regulate your emotions, how to advocate for yourself, and so, so much more. if you are writing a muse who is in active cptsd recovery, please be cognizant of the fact that therapy for cptsd sufferers might look a lot different from therapy for other conditions.

X.                                                                                         𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

complex ptsd is a very nuanced and painful condition to have, and, as is true for most conditions, everyone experiences it differently. however, I’ve noticed in the rpc that portrayals of c/ptsd tend to follow the general media’s perception of the condition, which doesn’t do us sufferers any justice. it further spreads an incorrect narrative of what cptsd looks like, and dilutes what is a reality for a lot of us down into something that isn’t recognized when interacting with a cptsd sufferer. as a result, we can be treated unfairly, experience ableism, and have our conditions worsen even.

hopefully this post was at least a bit informative and I hope to see more representation of us out there in the rp world. thank you to everyone who read this, and feel free to leave a comment if I missed any big talking points! admittedly pretty tired now, but I think I touched on all the big outliers I’ve noticed.

happy rping and happy disability awareness month!

[jkrowlingbodydouble]

FAQ

Is this satire/a bit?

No.

Are you a deluded fanboy who can't accept that your favorite author turned out to be a shitty person?

No. My experience with the Harry Potter franchise before this whole debacle consisted of watching the movies on Apple TV with my father as a very young child, reading the first book under circumstances where I had nothing else to do but read and a limited selection of books to choose from, getting the second book after that and then falling off halfway through, and then playing Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (a Pokémon Go-style social location-based AR game released in June 2019) for the 6 months in which it was popular before the near-simultaneous occurrence of the situation this blog addresses and the COVID-19 pandemic obliterated it.

But this is like, spy shit. Spy shit is for governments. Even the biggest and worst corporations don't do spy shit.

I regret to inform you that they do. Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey is one particularly egregious example, but there many are others.

So, the original J.K. Rowling is dead, right?

She may be dead, or she may be in some sort of holding cell deep within the bowels of Disney, feeding them information only she would know under threat of torture to enable the body double to pass as her. It would certainly not be difficult for someone with Disney's resources to extralegally imprison one 50something year old woman with no skills relevant to breaking out of prison, but I do not feel confident that this step would definitely be necessary, so I choose to apply Occam's Razor and assume by default that she's dead if it matters.

When was she replaced?

My lower and upper bounds are 2011, before which she was working too closely with the film and theme park teams for the swap to be viable, and 2019, when she first began to express transphobic sentiments. I additionally suspect that she was replaced before the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, for reasons detailed in the evidence masterpost, but am not certain of this.

If she was replaced that early, why did they wait so long to make her transphobic?

First of all, they likely wanted to play it safe and test the waters to see if the facade had any cracks before doing something big and new that would attract lots of attention, and second, while it may seem obvious now that if you're going to replace a celebrity with a body double to sabotage their brand, terrible political advocacy is the way to go, hindsight is 20/20, so it may be that their original plan was simply to have the double sabotage the quality of future Harry Potter projects and the TERF idea only occurred to them a few years in.

Why trans people? Why not make her, say, racist?

Because it's the most efficient way to convert money and clout into suffering in our current political climate. Explicitly racist groups in the modern day Anglosphere are either disorganized street/prison gangs or only exist anymore so politicians can pay them to endorse their opponents, and she had already talked about Dumbledore being gay before the switch, so homophobia was out.

Do you have any, like, actual hard proof of this whole accusation?

Not yet. If I did, I would be going to the government or the press, not putting up posters and starting a Tumblr.

Even if all this is true, what do you want me to do about it?

For now, spread the word. Tell your friends. Post on your social media of choice. Write your congressman. Submit additional evidence via the ask box. (Or submit counter-evidence, if you have that. My first commitment is to the truth.) I want to state up front that I am not an expert in anything, merely a person with a hard-won knack for knowing when I am being decieved, and I am hoping if I get the word out I will attract more competent people who will be better able to translate awareness and resources into action than myself. I do have a preliminary objective, though. This theory does not require the NSA to bust down Disney's door and dig through all their files to be falsified. J.K. Rowling has three living biological children. It is exceedingly unlikely that the body double also had three living biological children who were also trained in impersonation and looked enough like Rowling's children to pass as them with makeup and/or plastic surgery. If we raise enough awareness, we can mass demand that Joanne and her children undergo some kind of publicly verifiable DNA test (I do not know how one would ensure it was tamper-proof, if such a thing is even possible, as I said I am not an expert of any kind) proving that she is their biological mother, and if she refuses, that would constitute undeniable hard evidence with which to back further action. Think of it like Pascal's Wager, except it actually makes sense. If you join our campaign and we're right, we've unmasked a reprehensible conspiracy and probably brought Disney's tyrannical stranglehold over American culture to an end, and if we're wrong, all you've done is mildly inconvenience a hatemonger. Sounds like a win-win to me.

[olderthannetfic]

Do you know what the origin of the "sold to One Direction" thing is? I know it's a common trope (or was), but, I have no idea where I first heard of it, where I learned it was a thing. How do weird tropes like that get started, anyway? Why do some concepts take off and become huge parts of a particular fandom, but others don't? (And does this particular premise show up in other RPF contexts as much?)

--

tl;dr - Wattpad circa 2013, probably

--

I'm only familiar with that from doing Wattpad research. I don't think it's a major RPF thing, at least not under that exact name. Horny f!sub is kind of the Wattpad way, so a lot of the popular tropes there make sense from that perspective. I've definitely seen plenty of badtouch sexy slave/kidnapping victim/stalk-ee stuff with BTS and other music groups. But maybe somebody reading has more specific 1D history knowledge?

As for why one thing takes off and another doesn't, the big answer is:

Historical accident

We can look for patterns, sure, but a lot of it is ultimately survivorship bias. That's the thing where we look at what's remaining (successful companies, popular fic tropes), and we assume they have some special property that made them survivors and then extrapolate from that. But maybe it's coincidence, or maybe it's a different type of causality than the one we're looking at.

For example, a trope in a popular fandom will spread farther faster than a trope in a dinky little fandom, so maybe fandom size is what matters and not the nature of the trope. Most analyses assume it's the trope itself that matters.

On an individual basis, many specific tropes get popularized by a particular famous author or fic that other people imitate. Some get popularized by a fanworks exchange or fest. (That's how 5 Times fic spread.) But why do they stick around long term? Why do they gain traction elsewhere?

Aside from random chance, it's probably something to do with broad applicability and easy entry points.

So, for example, the show The Sentinel doesn't actually have Guides as such, but the AU added an official role for the other dude to make the two of them super destined. Sentinel AUs took off across a ton of fandoms. (Less so these days, but I've even seen them in BTS, so they're definitely not gone.) The AU version is basically soulmates + potentially codified top/bottom roles + superpowers. People like fantasy AUs. They like frameworks to fit their ship into. The trope isn't highly specific otherwise, so it can be tacked onto many settings, both real world and sff. It fits two-person ships easily, which is most popular ships. One can do some worldbuilding about whether there's One True Guide for a given Sentinel or whether the bond is more a matter of choice. Guides might be equal in numbers/prestige/public visibility to Sentinels or not. The existence of all this can be openly known by everybody or a secret like in the show.

A/B/O has a similar level of "proof my ship belongs together" stuff with room to play around with worldbuilding. It also overlaps heavily with prior popular tropes people like for pretty obvious horny reasons. Same with plenty of tropes. They're often a slight remix of already popular stuff.

Sense8 AUs, however, never really took off as a thing. I saw some fans sadfacing about this, but in this case, I think we could have predicted it. Why? Simple: the concept involves OT8, and that's not going to apply to most people's fandoms unless they happen to like a kpop group or a superhero team with 8 people. The 8 also don't have specific roles that would make this simpler to write. If you're going for less OT8 and more of a complicated network of relationships, that's a complicated story to write and it has much less of a template to work from. So low applicability + high barrier to entry.

Hogwarts AUs, on the other hand, are super popular. Why? My guess is that the biggest reason is that a million bajillion times more people know Harry Potter than know Sense8. Hogwarts also has some canned roles that are more obvious: which house is your Fave? Shit that could be in a clickbait-y personality quiz is easier to write fic about than something that requires you to make up everything yourself. But also, four houses are easy to keep track of in a way that all those Myers-Briggs types are not. Add too much mandatory complexity, and it gets too confusing.

--

If I had to guess about the popularity of Sold To One Direction, I'd say a lot of it is due to the problem of getting Mary Sue or y/n into the room with them. Why is she there? This fic concept provides the answer in one quick title or tag. Sexy slavefic and dubcon have had broad appeal since forever. There's room to go really dark or fluffier. Some of the fics are nothing but ravishment fantasies, while others are more abuse recovery stories (where 1D are better than whatever came before).

I don't think there's some simple answer for why this specific thing and not a closely related trope became such a known trope in 1D. Probably, if some BNF had posted a ravishment fantasy with a different pithy title at just the right time, some adjacent trope would be big instead.

As for why I've heard of this trope, it's absolutely due to 1D being a fucking massive fandom such that its popular tropes occur very frequently in a sample of Wattpad writing of the right eras. It definitely owes its lulzy memeticness to fandom size: lots of people care enough about 1D and 1D fic to know what the trends are and make jokes about them.

Here's Huffpo being dicks about 1D slavefic back in 2013. They don't mention the exact phrasing though. Here's a pretty standard specimen from 2013-14.

I presume this was also a big thing on Quizilla (RIP) and I see extant examples on Quotev. Sadly, these and Wattpad are fucking hard to study, and a lot of the meta-writing types stick to AO3, so I don't see as many good analyses of this part of fandom.

Any 1D fans want to weigh in?

[sofoulandfairaday]

The ultimate How I Met Your Mother Finale rant

I know this has been done before, and I know I'm several years late to the party, but I don't care, so IN THIS ESSAY I WILL tell you about why this finale takes the spot as the second-worst finale in TV show history (because Game of Thrones is still, to this day, unbeatable, and it will probably stay like that forever). 

But first, a little context: I've just finished binge-watching HIMYM. This binge has been going on for three days straight (my final exam of the semester is in a week and I should be studying, so the fact that the last few days were a partial waste of time makes me so mad). Second thing: I already knew how it would end, and yes, kids, it does ruin the show for you. It ruins the show so much it makes your blood boil when you rewatch certain scenes, but I will get to that. 

You might want to make yourself a drink because this is a complete list of all the reasons why HIMYM's finale sucks - I'm warning you, it's gonna be looong.

It completely invalidates the entirety of season 9

This is one of the complaints people most often have with this series, and I have to agree. It would have been so much better if the last two episodes never existed, and they just showed Barney and Robin dancing at the reception after walking out of the chapel, Ted noticing Tracy and then the platform scene. "And that, kids, is the story of how I met your mother". Cut scene. Honestly, I don't get the hate people give to season 9, barring the last 2/3 episodes, especially since season 8 was so much worse (except for a few honourable mentions, like The Robin). S8 was slower, less funny, and less deep, and while the authors took a risk by making s9 happen in the span of a weekend it paid off: they took their time introducing the character of the Mother to the gang and fleshing her out. They make sure to highlight all the little ways in which Ted and Tracy are perfect for each other, and even tie up loose ends, like with the Slapsgiving episode, that was a filler but it wasn't boring to watch (although it may be problematic for different reasons, I'm not Chinese, so I can't say for sure if it's cultural appropriation or just the authors making fun of a particular movie genre). 

Some episodes were arguably great: "Daisy" was amazing, and that whole fight between Marshall and Lily was so realistic and well thought out, "Sunrise" was extremely important for Ted's character development, same goes for Tracy and "How Your Mother Met Me", "Bedtime stories" was impressive, "Rally" was incredibly funny and proved once again what a beautiful character Barney Stinson is, so much so that even Robin never has doubts that he (the guy with the biggest commitment issues on the planet) will bail on her before the wedding, and says to Ted that "he always comes back". Daphne's character is super funny and the right amount of annoying, the shenanigans of the gang are well thought out and all of the characters (not just Barney) complete their arc in this season. The last two/three episodes butcher that.

Marshall and Lily

Marshall and Lily, arguably the world's most solid couple, are the only thing this God-awful finale gets right, especially Marshall, who is my second-favourite character, that finally gets everything he deserves. But what about Lily? They never mention her career after Italy, and I refuse to believe she goes back to being a kindergarten teacher as if her year in Rome meant nothing. I also refuse to think she becomes nothing but a political wife, the equivalent of Zoey, but without saving the world. We know she has three kids, but her postpartum depression is never really talked about much and they definitely had the screentime to delve into it. 

Barney

 Where do I even begin? Barney Stinson is, without a doubt, the best character in this series, the glue of the whole gang. I think the message they were trying to give is that, since his trauma stemmed from the absence of a father figure in his life, he could only truly heal by becoming a father as well. People also say that n°31 had to stay just a number, because who could match up with Barney Stinson? First of all, I call BULSHIT on that last point, because Robin wasn't the only girl Barney could have ended up marrying. I used to think that too, but it's just not true: that is the equivalent of saying that Barney was incapable to truly love a woman and commit to her, even after all the development he got, and that he only got one shot at love in life, and that's it. This goes against the point the showrunners try to make by having Ted and Robin end up together AND by having Tracy get with Ted in the first place: "it's never too late, you always have another chance at love, etc." And, let's face it, Barney and Robin are legendary, but Barney and Nora (hell, even Barney and Quinn!) were pretty good together too. 

Second of all, if they wanted to give Barney a kid, they could have easily done that, before Barney married Robin. Barney's "redemption" starts when he gets with Robin the first time, hell maybe even when we meet James for the first time: Nora, Quinn, finding out who his father is, the episode dedicated to the lies his mum told him/finding James' father, him getting to know his own dad, etc... those are all steps along the way. The s9 episode where Barney accepts the relationship between Loretta and the reverend proves how far he's come. So why not give him a daughter BEFORE he proposes to Robin? Have him cheat on Nora/Quinn with n°31, giving him a relapse, and having him get closer to Robin while struggling to be a dad to Ellie. That would have been great. 

Or, you know, don't give him children. What's the point of burning the Playbook if you're going to have him write the second edition? What's the point of having him do a complete 180 in the last few scenes and acting like having a kid is the only thing that makes him change? What's the point of doing that when the show spends entire episodes berating Marshall and Lily for "changing too much" when they have a kid?

Also, Barney is the "challenge accepted" guy. He loves his wife so much, he spent years wanting her, and then he gives up because there is no WiFi in his hotel. How does that make any sense at all? This is Barney Stinson, the "I will fly out to San Francisco and buy Lily a plane ticket", the "I will steal every girl from my best friend just to save him for Lily", the guy that wrote the Playbook (it takes effort to pull those plays off), the guy that planned for weeks his proposal, the guy that waited years to get back at the man who stole his first girlfriend, the guy that makes every night legendary... are you telling me that that guy becomes the equivalent of a bored housewife instead of living his best life while travelling the world? Come on. They don't even try to make it believable.

Ted

While watching seasons 7 and 8, I felt that Ted was becoming the worst character on the show: he was boring, depressed, basically had no good storylines, the whole thing with Victoria was pointless and inconclusive (and the whole "stop being in love with Robin" was completely out of character for her), but whatever, we could have accepted that because it passed the message that two people could be good together, without being soulmates - which, by the way, renders the TedxRobin ship pointless, because they were right for each other, but Ted and Tracy were soulmates. Him being hung up on Robin in the latter seasons is almost pathetic, and the thing he does with the locket is insane, not romantic - BUT I will say this: it can be seen in two ways, depending on who's watching. I personally like the two as friends, so I see the whole thing as a "Dahmer" situation, but I get the people who see it as a "Dobler" one and see what he did as a grand romantic gesture. 

The problem, though, is that the whole TedxRobin ship gets pretty old, pretty fast: it's an annoying on-and-off thing, that should have ended with the locket. Because, yes, Ted was in a dark moment, yes, he was probably depressed, yes, he thought Robin was his only shot at happiness, but he changes during season nine! He spends entire episodes letting go of Robin, including the one where she transforms into a balloon and flies away. Ted is the good guy, ultimately. He is the guy that is genuinely happy for his best friends. In one of the deleted scenes from the finale, he meets Robin years later and says that he's so happy with Tracy he never thought about Robin in that way anymore. All of that gets thrown in the trash. Why do that? To use a Harry Potter metaphor, Ted is Severus Snape, while Barney is James Potter: the former loved the girl of his dreams with all his heart, even to the point of creepiness, but they weren't meant to be together. 

Robin

This, along with the next point, is the worst of all: Robin is the worst character of the entire finale. Her relationship with Ted in season 2 is wonderful, and I say that as a full-on Barney/Robin shipper. There was never a problem in their relationship, apparently, but they then break up because they have an "expiration date" and ultimately want different things in life. Except that Ted is not her soulmate. The only times when Robin wants Ted are the times where (1) she can't have him because he's either trying to move on or (2) the times where it's convenient, for example when they become roommates again and they solve their disputes again. Around that time, we see perfectly that Ted had moved on and that the person getting hurt was Barney. It's one thing to see Ted and Robin in the finale as two people picking up where they had left off after they dated. But this is not the case. 

In season 7, we have the exchange that should have put an end to any and all TedxRobin drama, and that completely invalidates whatever the writers wrote after that about the two of them: Ted declares his love - "I think you know how you feel about me now. I don't think time's gonna change that. Just tell me: do you love me?" To which she answers "No". And Ted also says later to Marshall, that he's "happy because he can finally move on". 

What a load of crap. 

Getting over someone is hard, believe me, I would know. And, oftentimes, it doesn't happen until we find someone else to love (and from the moment he meets Tracy, there is no one else for Ted). But by giving Ted feelings for Robin after this moment, it takes away from the beauty of it- because it's one of the most heartbreaking feelings in the world when you declare your love to someone and they don't love you back. Ted and Robin were both honest at that moment, and it was the last genuinely good exchange between them. After that, during season 8 they try to show us Ted trying to get over her (and failing) and in season 9 Ted getting over her completely. This is also weirdly paced because at the beginning of s8 both are in happy relationships with other people and there's no jealousy (which is good, because at least they weren't toxic) and they seem just friends (when Robin leaves Nick to go see him in the middle of the night, she implies that she would do it for any of her friends), but after Ted breaks up with Veronica because of Robin everything is weirdly coated in this sort of tension between the two: first Ted loves her, but she doesn't, so when he helps her by taking her to Barney's proposal ("which means my best bro in the world has given me his blessing"). 

And, by the way, every time they try to paint Ted as the guy that comes through for Robin after this moment, they dumb down Barney's character. And still fail to make Ted a better guy than him (see: the carousel in Central Park). 

Yes, Robin and Ted have some chemistry, but it is nothing compared to what Robin and Barney have. Every time Robin is jealous of Barney, it doesn't seem like a stupid whim, just because some other child is playing with her toys (except, perhaps, during The Robin). Robin and Barney's relationship would need a whole other post, and the next time I rewatch the series I will write down all the things that make them perfect for each other, but, to me, the biggest difference between the two relationships is this: in season 6, when she's not dating either one of them, Ted accuses Robin of never making him feel needed while they were together, whereas Barney praises her for it. Those are elective affinities: that's what Barney and Robin have, and what Tracy and Ted have. 

Barney and Robin have more or less the same arc: they both get over their fear of commitment and they do that with each other. Time and time again, we are told that if they're ever going to settle down, it would only be with the other. The first time they break up is honestly so stupid, and even when they are broken up, they are the best of friends, which also makes Robin's behaviour in the finale look so stupid. The way the two of them fit together is unparalleled, both in a romantic and a platonic way. 

Think about it: Robin makes Barney a better man, while she makes Ted a worse one. 

Also, the whole point that there are different seasons in life for everything gets thrown out the window: apparently, Ted and Robin (that were a couple that ultimately worked in their young twenties) are the same people in their forties.

But that's not even the worst part. The worst part is that the two final episodes butcher Robin's arc as well: episode 23 starts with Lily saying "I want this girl to be in our lives" and we know Robin never made other friends outside of the gang, because she didn't need to, and now she walks away from everything because of fucking Ted?? This is saying "hey, Robin was only in the group for Ted, who brought her in, and now she leaves because he's not her puppy anymore". Robin was the one that was eternally indecisive between Ted and Barney and you're telling me that three years and many many life experiences later, she's still not sure? 

The point of her story is learning how to get over her fear of commitment, learning how to be there for her friends (there's an entire episode dedicated to that, and it's the one where Lily's pregnant and we meet Robin's ex-best friend in Canada), and how to balance her job and her life. Also, the way her character is treated is un-feminist and un-progressive: she becomes Ted's consolation prize. She is passive throughout s9. She cannot, ultimately, win the modern-day struggle most women have and balance out career and love life, so her true life, her "happy chapter" begins after she has already accomplished everything she wanted to and she's free for Ted. She doesn't even go back to him, she just the prize the main character wanted for all his life and only got in the end because his wife died (ONE SCENE, people, ONE SCENE!). Also, this makes Tracy the "broodmare" that gives him the kids he wanted, and his "happy family" experience before he goes to be with his one true love. 

The mother

This. This makes me so mad. One whole season spent on building up Tracy's character, just for it to go to waste. It would have been so easy to screw her up, but she is hands down the best thing about s9. She's the perfect woman for Ted and the episode shot through her perspective is the sweetest. By the end, I liked her more than Robin and Lily. She was the perfect addition to their group, she fit together with them in a perfect way, and they show us the biggest moment of her and Ted's life... for what? To have her die in a few sentences? And I don't care if they shot a funeral scene, I don't care if the finale was supposed to be 40 minutes long, because, in the end, it wasn't. The scene where Ted meets her is the second most beautiful one (after Barney's proposal to Robin) and the climax of the whole show, but they ruin her... and for what? The chemistry Ted has with her, he has with no one. The joy she brings him, the way she understands him, is unlike any other. I am sure that one of the reasons they killed her off was the shock value and I hate it. 

I cannot stress this enough: Tracy makes Ted a better person. When he's with Robin, Ted is "the nice guy" in the most selfish and narcissistic version of the trope. When he's with Tracy, love comes easy to Ted. Also, the scenes between the two of them are arguably the best Ted scenes of the show.

The kids' reactions (ugh)

It's not really what they say- it's the way they say it. The end of HIMYM was not supposed to be funny, even though the show is a sitcom. It was supposed to be bittersweet and beautiful, because it's the end of an era, and the writers must have known that. So, Ted finishes telling his story, reveals to the audience that their now-beloved Tracy is dead, and the reaction is: "No, ahah, you totally have the hots for Aunt Robin" (their words, not mine). Like, what the actual fuck? I cringed when Penny said that. It's tasteless and not fun at all. Even if it has been six years... It's still your fucking mum, show a little bit of sadness at the thought of her. 

The reason the show ended this way

What makes me especially mad is that I know for a fact that the reason they went with this ending is that it was the original one, always intended for the show, from season 2 onwards. And, if you watch it right after s2, it makes sense. But if you consider the eight years that passed and the massive character development, then no, it's not the best possible one. So many things hadn't been decided yet back in s2, especially about Barney, Ted, and Robin, and I hate that they didn't dare to scrap their work. This ending probably had sentimental meaning to the writers, but authors have to do what's best for their characters, not themselves. It's like with GoT, in a way: I think that the authors were all too aware of the impact of HIMYM and didn't believe that their finale would live up to the expectations... which compelled them to make the worst decision possible?? Every single character is OOC during the episode. Oh, and Marshall and Lily moving in the last episode is a ripoff from Friends (or maybe a tribute? Idk). Anyway, I believe that the authors were too attached to their sentimental version of "what should have been" and didn't give the characters the endings they truly deserved.

"Life works this way" // "Life only moves forward"

Some people say that the show is realistic because that's how life works. But I call super-BS on that. That might be true, and yes, people do get sick and die (Max, Marshall's dad...) and life does go on. But then, you don't frame it the way they did. It's just bad storytelling if you do it like that. And the problem is not the structure of season 9, because the characters develop in that season. The problem isn't even the mother's death. The problem is Ted ending up with Robin because that's not life moving forward for him, that's him, doing the same thing he did in 2005, 25 (twenty-fucking-five) years before! 

In conclusion, this finale is incoherent and inconclusive, and not satisfying at all. The only character that gets a good ending is Marshall: why is that? What makes his ending great? It's the fact that his character arc is respected and he finally gets what he's been working towards for more than ten years.

[blueteller]

How I rate stuff (because, why not?)

I enjoy fiction a lot. While most of the time I don't strictly put things in categories (also, my tastes and opinions might change over time), I thought it would be fun to make a post about how I rate different series and works of fiction that I like – or don't like.

So here's a couple of examples, on the scale of 0-10:

(Remember this is based on my enjoyment, not objective criticism! Beside I'm a pretty lax critic, I truly start to dislike things only like, 3 and below. So have mercy on me! I'm just being honest)

10/10 - I have very few complaints, nothing more than nitpicks. Otherwise I enjoy everything about it. (Example: Avatar the Last Airbender - love everyhing about it)

9/10 - I have one major issue or a couple minor ones, but apart from that it's similar: I love it (My little Pony: Friendship is Magic - surprisingly, I love most of it)

8/10 - I have some issues which I consider visible, but still liked it a lot (Star Wars series - not all of it, but the best of it)

7/10 - I have a significant amount of issues, but still mostly liked it (Harry Potter series - my favorite bashing series, so many plot holes to tear through, it's hilarious)

6/10 - liked it, but probably wasn't a fan (Pokemon franchise - my childhood, but not nearly on the top of my list)

5/10 - I didn't dislike it, but I wasn't invested either (Star vs Forces of Evil - I liked the Eclipsa plotline at first but otherwise, ehh)

4/10 - something bugged me about this, so I dropped it (Attack on Titan - I'm like, nope, canibalism is a big no no for me, sorry)

3/10 - something bugged me and probably made me mad, definitely dropped it (the Twilight saga - the romance is GROSS, but at least it's so bad it's funny)

2/19 - I really don't like this and I have strong feelings about it! (Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian the movie - it's personal, they completely ruined one of my favorite books ever, why did they make Caspian and Peter into emo jerks??)

1/10 - oh I HATE this (that one Robinson Crusoe movie adaptation I saw once in class when I was 11, where they turned the MC racist for drama: I am still full of rage because that book was pretty cool, so like, whyyyy)

0/10 - I am in denial of its existence and happier that way. (Last Airbender Live Action Movie. There's no movie in Ba Sing Se.)

Other series I enjoyed:

Fullmetal Alchemist (Manga/Brotherhood): 10/10, very well structured, engaging, funny and 100% satisfying. Never gets old.

My Hero Academia: 10/10, love the world and the characters. Can't wait for the conclusion

The Chronicles of Narnia: 10/10, the first book series that wasn't for school that I ever read by myself. Still my favorite series of all time

Lord of the Rings: 9.5/10, I only love it less than max because it's very long and Narnia is my 10/10 fantasy series. Sorry LOTR, there can only be one favorite, even if I admit that LOTR is factually better quality-wise. I'm subjective, you know?

Danny Phantom: 7/10, it has many problems but the premise is GREAT and it has killer aesthetic. It's kinda unforgettable, even.

Some recenty found series:

Trash of the Count's Family: 10/10, recently found it, fell in love pretty fast. The characters alone are enough for me, but the story is honestly great as well

Solo leveling: 8/10, interesting, fun, simple in enjoyment. Not too long either. My biggest pitpick would be that the story was a bit simple, but it's exactly what it's supposed to be.

Suicide Hunter: 7/10, interesting, very funny at places, still too brutal for me (sooo much suicide and mindbreaking stuff... but I get why people like it).

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint: 5/10, don't kill me for this, I have reasons! It is interesting, and I like most of the characters, but I'm just not a fan of the main plot. There's just something unappealing for me about the whole "gladiator premise" (where a superior power creates the scenario where random people are forced to kill each other). Same reason why I never liked the Hunger Games (which I'd probably rate 4/10) and I'll never watch Squid Game.

The S Classes That I raised: 6/10, it is interesting, fun and hilarious in many places, but the supporting cast somehow didn't quite click for me just yet. The rating might change in the future, who knows?

[pleckthaniel]

Tell me more about Lovecraftian horror in Warriors it sounds very interesting :O

Okay so like, honestly WC invokes cosmic horror fairly often. Quick terms clarification: cosmic/lovecraftian horror has become kinda popularly synonymous with 'Big tentacle-y gods with hard-to-pronounce names,' but the original meaning and the one I'm using here is 'horror which emphasizes fear of the unknown and the unknowable.' I think with this definition you can kinda see where this tends to crop up: when the cats are dealing with humans, when they're dealing with the dog pack or Sharptooth, arguably also with the smart rats in Firestar's Quest, and to some extent when they're dealing with StarClan (though the Erins tend to downplay the cosmic horror of StarClan lol). But the biggest and most obvious place they invoke it is with Scourge and BloodClan, which is also why those elements have had the lasting power they do.

Let me actually backtrack a little bit here and ask a very relevant question. Why did the Erins get away with having Scourge kill Tigerstar? No other childrens' series that I can think of has done something similar. Can you fucking imagine if halfway through Harry Potter book 7, JK Rowling had been like, 'psych, Voldemort just got hit by lightning and fucking died'? People would have rioted in the streets tbh. And rightfully so! * In the children's adventure genre, which is where both HP and WC fall, as soon as you give us a relatively likeable, easy-to-root-for protagonist (Harry or Fireheart) a reasonably cruel and powerful archnemesis (Voldemort or Tigerclaw) to fight, you have promised the audience a showdown between them. You can't get out without giving them a satisfying resolution to that conflict. So how did the Erins manage to fully avoid doing so?

As far as I can tell, there are two major reasons that it works. One is what I'm going to call the Matt Arnold School of Avoiding Writing Set-Pieces (side note if you're a writer please listen to story break lol it's a good show it makes me think about shit and it indirectly prompted this post by making me think about TDH again). Basically the idea is that if you promise the audience an explosion, you can only substitute that explosion with an equal-or-greater-sized explosion. For example, in Star Wars, the beginning of the movie promises the destruction of an entire planet when the Death Star is introduced. So in order to get away with not blowing up Yavin-4 or whatever the rebel base is called, the planet-sized Death Star is blown up instead. You get to both see the explosion and have the good guys win; a fully satisfying ending for an adventure story. The Darkest Hour does the same thing. It sets up an ultimate showdown between Good and Evil that will determine the fate of the Clans themselves. When Tigerstar is killed, he is literally instantly replaced by another evil cat who also wants to take over the forest. So while the most surface-level expectation that the battle is going to be Firestar vs Tigerstar is subverted, the promise of the premise is still fulfilled.

The other reason is that BloodClan doesn't come out of nowhere. No their existence was not hinted at in previous books, but that's because they don't really come out of the world, they come out of Tigerstar's arc. In short, Tigerstar is an incredibly effective villain; he's incredibly charismatic, has no short supply of honor to his name to lend him a lot of credence in the eyes of the general population, and is completely ruthless in his pursuit of his goals. BUT, he has an ego on him. An ego that gets significantly worse over the course of the series. When it starts, he's just making derisive comments about kittypets. But by the time The Darkest Hour starts, he has tried to take control of a feral, vicious, barely-restrained dog pack and is also currently plotting to make himself the new god-king of the forest.

So BloodClan? They're just an escalation of the same internal tendency the dog pack represented. Tigerstar is so driven to succeed that he is willing to meddle with forces that should not be meddled with. Forces that are almost unknowably powerful compared to the Clan cats... forces that one could call... cosmic? So even though we don't get our classic Good-Vs-Evil showdown with Tigerstar, his arc still ends in a satisfying way, and honestly in a much better way than just fighting Firestar would have been, because we see that he planted the seeds of his own destruction with his hubris. He's transformed into the classic Level 1 human villain in cosmic horror, the cult leader who summons the actual tentacle-god and is promptly destroyed by it.

And BloodClan themselves, the reason they stick out in so many kids' minds as the most iconic part of the series, the reason Scourge is one of the few characters from Warriors to transcend fandom spaces and become semi-recognizable in his own right, is because they are goddamn scary, not in an edgy or gory sense, but because they are the cosmic horror, because their power is presented to us as beyond comprehension, to the point where they wear the teeth of the last cosmic horror in the books (dogs) for fun decoration. To the point where Scourge literally eviscerates the villain that had been built up to for six books at this point in one fell swoop, while also personally undermining the only piece of magic that currently canonically exists. To the point where their forces are presented as essentially infinite and undefeatable unless they are first demoralized by the death of their leaders. None of those things are traditional horror (even other horror scenes within the series or book itself, like the Bonehill scene, rely more on traditional horror elements) but they are instead about the terror that is inspired by encountering something that can literally crush you like a bug and might not even notice doing it.

Incidentally, this is also why I really don't like Rise of Scourge. It's a good standalone, I know it's a lot of people's favorite WC graphic novel. But when you tie it back to Darkest Hour, it completely undermines what that book was doing. I think what the Erins were trying to do was the classic like, tyrants are just humans too, type of theme. And I'm all for that! It's a good theme, normally. Obviously it worked really well for Tigerstar in arc 1. But it doesn't work for Scourge because Scourge isn't the tyrant archetype. He's not an evil dictator like Tigerstar was, he's fucking Cthulu.

--

* some have argued that the way the final battle between harry and voldemort in HP book 7 is kind of a cop-out ending, but i would point out that while it isn't great, it still isn't random nor out-of-character; it fulfills the promise made at the beginning of the book, that there would be a showdown and one of them would be defeated; my point is that the lightning scenario would not.

[romecardoso]

@c23tasks​

[TW: under the cut there is a gif of the creepy dude from pan's labyrinth. courtesy of cola.]

what’s your mutant’s ability? (if you need help finding a proper definition or just a resource for abilities, you can head over here. i recommend that you also link the page on your post when you find the ability you were looking for!)

Rome's ability is bogeyman physiology.

what’s your mutant’s classification level? (you can choose it here.)

Alpha

how old were they when they first discovered their abilities? how did it happen?

It first showed up when he was really young, before he can remember it. By the time he was a toddler, he was unable to control himself and was terrorising his parents left and right, becoming monsters that were much bigger, much louder than their angelic three-year-old baby.

so, what can your mutant do with their abilities?

He is the personification of a person's fears. When standing in front of someone and choosing to use his Bogeyman abilities, he will turn into a representation of that person's biggest fear. Like boggarts from Harry Potter vibes. When alone, or making an effort not to channel into someone's fears, his neutral Bogeyman form, and what he considers to be his true authentic self, is this guy: (faceclaim is the pale man, from pan's labyrinth)

…and what can’t they do (at least, not yet)?

He cannot assume the abilities of the creature he turns into, he has only his own (human-grade) strength, stealth, agility, etc. But as far as visuals and sound, he becomes the thing. For example, if someone's biggest fear is a werewolf, Rômulo will turn into a werewolf; he will look and sound exactly as the person expects in their worst nightmares, so say he has fur, is three times larger than himself, and he can howl. He even has the sharp teeth and can attempt to bite them, perhaps, but he does not have super strength or a bite that would be as strong as a werewolf's. This also means that if someone's biggest fear was another mutant, Magneto for example, Rômulo would be able to turn into Magneto visually, and even mimic his voice and mannerisms, but he would not have the ability to mess with metal.

what’s one thing they hope to learn or are currently trying to learn with their abilities?

He hopes he can learn to channel's someone's fear from further away. At the moment he can only do it if he's standing a few feet apart from the person, at most, but he thinks it'd be useful if he could tap into people's nightmarish visions from afar.

what is the most powerful thing your mutant can do with their abilities? do you think they would actually do it?

I think the worst he could do would be either giving someone a heart attack on the spot (which he wouldn't have much control of), or terrorising someone to the point of a severe trauma response. And I think he would, given the right amount of anger to tick him off. I don't think he has enough of a moral compass to point him the other way.

what are your mutant’s weaknesses?

Most people can be scared by something, even if that thing is just their old mother yelling profanities at them, but if the person is emotionally well resolved or their fears more abstract in nature, Rômulo cannot take on a new form, and will only be able to present his Bogeyman (pale man) self to that person. Which, can still be pretty gruesome, but probably inflicts more disgust than genuine fear. He also doesn't have a full grip on his human form, after growing up with an auntie that adored his Bogeyman form. It takes a fair amount of concentration to stay in human form, and if that concentration slips, he becomes his Bogeyman self, which can be an issue on day to day life. And he is also still susceptible to any human weaknesses he might have, so he could visually become Wolverine to scare someone off, but he'd still die from a bullet to the chest.

do they use their abilities in their day-to-day life? in what ways?

He'll bring it out if he feels the need to freak someone out, like terrorising some poor junkies who aren't paying him right. But in his day-to-day he mostly keeps it hidden, specially when he's bartending.

as a mutant, do they have any goals? dreams?

To be accepted, loved, adored for his mutant self. His goals are pretty self-centred for now, and he's leaning onto the brotherhood's cause to get somewhere.

how do they feel about the last 30+ years of mutant history? notably, the presidential address of 1983 and the essex house?

Rômulo has only ever had eyes for how badly the humans have treated mutants over the years. If there are any redeeming points in history, they have gone over his head, leaving him with a bitter taste in his mouth, so he's ready to wreak more havoc.

[shesmorethanfibro]

“Fibrophobia” the fear of doing absolutely anything physical that could provoke a fibro flare-up. (Original creds to @ Dear Fibromyalgia for this definition) When you have fibromyalgia it seems and sadly is a reality that really anything can negatively affect your pain. Stress, exercise, temperature, etc. and because of that I will admit, I get anxiety more often than not thinking that everything will lead to bad pain. I hate living that way, but sadly it is a very possible reality. I think it scares us from living, but it’s also hard to get over that fear when it’s rational and can really lead to more pain. ⠀ ⠀

I want to share my biggest fear that fibromyalgia could negatively effect. I want to be an actress. I once shared this fear of mine in a support group and this lady who does makeup for shows and movies once commented and gave me SOME peace of mind that acting may be an easier job as a lot of acting is sitting around waiting to shoot, they have water and healthy foods on deck, can nap when I don’t have a scene in my trailer or dressing room, can still get some exercise so it’s very accommodating. That has been a relief, but there are also some fears that come to mind. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

One thing I know for sure is that this is the thing I’ve wanted more than anything, and whether I have to get a massage everyday, or bubble baths every night, even if it hurts terribly every day I will not let it stop me. But there are some things that leave me hesitant. For example, Id love to be on type of shows that wouldnt be too bad like a cw one (like tvd), a teen high school one like Degrassi, one tree hill, the oc, pll, etc. greys anatomy, a Netflix one, and for the most part wouldnt be too bad. but my dream is to do movies and shows that are more demanding. Like marvel, Harry Potter, stranger things, Jurassic world, Godzilla /Kong ones, tbh any franchise, heavy action ones. So I constantly fear that is going to beat me down physically everyday or that they would rather cast someone who’s healthier who is less than a liability. In a marketing standpoint it’s nice to hire someone with fibro to show people it’s possible, to tell children to never give up but idk if that is worth risking their projects over. I would work my ass off even harder if I got the chance because of fibro, but you just never know. ⠀ ⠀

Another fear is one that people might not understand if you don’t have fibro and don’t live like this to be honest. My sleep. Yes 9-5 jobs in the acting world are possible, it’s more of the sitcoms ones but as we’ve establish I have my heart set on other type of shows which are ones that can go on into the middle of the night. I take meds to help me sleep and I have to take them at a certain time for them to kick in in 3 hours. With acting especially with the kind I want to do, it could go over schedule, change and what if I take my meds and it goes over schedule, and I’m even more tired. Or if I get out late and take my meds too late so going to bed basically in the morning, and what if I just have a scene in the morning. Yes I can nap in the day but with chronic fatigue you want and need to sleep at night. Or could just not take them that night if i have to, but i need to to sleep. I’m sure it’ll be a cross this bridge when we come to it thing, but when I don’t take my meds I fall asleep and wake up right after, all night. The longest staying asleep like 20 minutes at a time, but more often waking up right after I pass out. I know I will figure out what works best for me, and will just depend on what may happen that day but it just gets me nervous. ⠀ ⠀

I think that fear has a large part on fibromyalgia and it stops us from doing things sometimes because we want to avoid what we feel is the inevitable. But I’ve also learned that fibro is unpredictable, and some days when you think it’ll be too bad to do something and you have to do it anyway it may not actually be as bad as you may have thought it would be. I would never not follow these goals because of these fears because I know that even if it will be a lot harder, it is still possible and that’s all I need. It just scares me. But as I look back on my childhood, I see little things that I did that make sense when I realized that I wanted to be an actress. I don’t even remember exactly when I figured it out but it just all made so much sense. I have a bunch of goals, but acting is the thing I want most, that I think of everyday, that drives me. And pain or not, I won’t let it stop me from my goal. ⠀ ⠀

Another thing that inspires me to not give it up out of fear is knowing that there are other people with dreams who have fibro that feel as if they’ll have to give it up because of fibromyalgia. I was the same way. I so often hear why you’ll have to quit because of fibro, that most things are impossible, that an ever lasting love story isn’t realistic because of fibro. But I want to show people and not only them but myself that it is possible. I want everyone to know that yeah it may be hard, but when I go up to get an academy award or something someday that I have fibromyalgia and I’m doing it. And that is something that’ll make me push through that fear everyday.

[burningthemidnightcityoil]

ON CLASSES

Classpects run on Irony, Puns, Wordplay, and each class has a secondary verb, in addition to the one they share with their pair.

Witch - Which. “Choose / Choice”. A Witch chooses power. Witches are the Powerhouse of the Session(cell). They are akin to Thieves, for a Witch takes power. But the difference here is that a Witch doesn’t need to take it from other people, a Witch takes back their own power from whatever Guardian (or “familiar”) has it. Its not like an Heir, where the Heir can just wait for it to come; a Witch has to grab it or be forced into its service.

Heir - Air/Err. “Inherit”. An Heir inherits power. While Heirs are akin to the Page, where they both inspire others to help them; the difference here is that Heirs will inspire others to Guide them (Literally inspire others to act as Seers), while Pages inspire others to Serve them (Inspire others to act as Knights). Heirs don’t like being Served (In fact, Heirs Homestuck-Historically have conflicts with Guardians because of their Service), and Pages don’t like being Guided. (Most Pages tend to talk smack about those trying to Guide them)

Mage - Magician. “Perform”. Mage’s are showy, in addition to being knowitalls. How you are Seen is Important. There are three Mages, two known and one HC’d, that give this. Sollux, inspite of his problems, is a Show Off and tries to play it off Smoothly. His performance is more important than his powers (Or Spells, if we’re dedicated). Meulin also tends to be Showy. Both by showing off her favorite couples, and by her Disciple self showing off her rommance on literal cave walls. HC’d Mage, Diamonds Droog / Draconian Dignitary, is all about the Show and the Class, and not about Flash Powers or Transformations.

Seer - To See. “Envision”. Seers See Seas. What you see is important. Unlike their counterpart, the Mage, A Seer’s visions are more important than their Spells. (This is inspite of the fact that both Mages and Seers are equally capable of both Visions and Spells, as well as Performance. It seems what what indicates if you’re a Mage or a Seer is if what’s important is How you are Seen, or What you See; A Mage wants to be Seen, a Seer wants to See).

Thief - To Steal / To Steel / Steel yourselves. “Enforce”. If Knights are the Law, Thieves are the Enforcers; because they literally reinforce themselves by taking what they want. Let’s take this a step further, and include all definitions of Enforce Thieves Strengthen, Intensify, Force, Drive and Urge whatever they set their sights on, to be what they want it. (After all, they Steal, or Take By Force / Violence)

Rogue - To Go Rogue / Haywire. “To Cross”. Rogues are pretty good about making connections, and making connections work; be it between people, or their Aspect. (Roxy between her Friends and her Windows; Nepeta with her Romances)

Knight - Night. “To Bare / Bear”. Bear hands? This may seem outlandish, but the origin of the word Night is “Bare” or “To be Bare of Sunlight”. And Knights tend to put on a kind of Mask, or Shield, or rather, Helm / Helmet as they feel their weaknesses (or what they think are their weaknesses) feel bare to the world (Dave and his Sunglasses; Karkat and his Temper; Latula and her Gamer Attitude).

Page - Chapter. “To Assemble” YOU BOY, EQUIP ARMS. This one took a bit, but what’s a Page without a Chapter? Be it a Chapter in a Book of Pages, or a Council to of all those they have called on to serve them. A Page is a Knightly figure that has a Round Table, akin to a Rogue’s Merrymen. A Page inspires others to play Knight to them, or to serve them. To call to Arms, or call to Action. So basically, if Robin Hood is a Rogue’s Mythic figure, King Arthur is a Page’s mythic figure. So literally, all those a Page calls on personally, makes them apart of their Round Table of Knights. (Wait, does this mean that HS^2 Jane is Morgan Le F--)

Maid - Made. “To Make” Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice. Maids are the Makers. They don’t so much as Maintain, though they do that too, as they create. Consider. Aradia is a prime example. She dies, so she makes Time for herself as a very powerful Poltergeist. She becomes a Robot, and makes Time for Herself by her many many Robot Time Copies, or as Time is Numeral, making Numbers. She becomes a Godtier, and suddenly, Time in the Dream Bubbles align perfectly with the Present. Notice how when we are first introduced to the Dream Bubbles, Time was a real nonlinear pain. But when Aradia took the Reins on this Time Management Stuff, and suddenly the Dream Bubbles were Linear and aligned with our Story. She did want to see the end, after all (And the more living Time Gods entered the Bubbles, the more Linear things became) For Porrim, its about Making Space for others in both her various views and her uh... Various Views. For the Dolorosa, this included making Space for herself, and for her son. She possibly even helped direct him closer to the idea of Freedom (And he did see visions of another space in time...)

Sylph - Sylvan / Wood Threshold. “To Matter” Okay, this one is like the Knight’s, if not more complicated (and likely gonna require more development in the future, cos this took waaay too much digging for my liking). Thing is, Sylph is a difficult thing to name from name alone unless you look into the word itself. Because its derived from Sylvan “Of the woods”. But we break that down into two things. Silva, the Woods, and Hyle, Matter. Hyle / Hule is already the Greek word for Matter or Wood in any case. And our word for Matter is already derived from Mater, the Latin word for Mother. (The original English word was displaced by Latin; Andwork was once our word for Matter). Unfortunately, I can’t quite make the connections here yet, so I’m not sure if “To Matter” is the proper verb. I can, however, describe some loose connections that at least tell me I’m on the right track: ... Sylphs are defined by their Environment; Such as Kanaya’s relations regarding Trolls (A motherly figure), Aranea defined herself by Information and giving Information (which ain’t healthy), Mindfang defined herself a Thief because the Troll Empire was lead by a Thief And HC’d Sylph of Mind, Snowman was, quite literally, the Universe (And its Multiverse, which is a Mind thing). So a Sylph defines herself by her “Woods”, or like a Nymph / Dryad, by her “Tree / Wood / Matter”. And when you kill the Tree / Wood, you kill the Sylph, and vice versa (Destroy the Matriorb, and Kanaya dies; Kill Snowman and you kill the Unvierse; Mindfang was murdered, and her Enlightenment about the Doc died with her).

Prince - Principle / Foremost. “To Postulate” Its the Principle of the matter. For Princes, Principle and Code are key, and they will follow these as a fundamental truth (and be damned to anything else). This is likely what it was meant when they were called a Destroyer Class, because they do tend to destroy all avenues when it doesn’t fit their Principle. A Group of Princes could be called an Argument. For Eridan, both the system he resided in, and his own internal narrative (his Hopes), were his fundamental truths. And in the end, it fucked everything up. For Kurloz, his Belief System and his chosen Lord were his Fundamental Truth (And Rage is about Truths; so this guy didn’t just have a fortified castle, he had an entire armored country) For Dirk, the Character someone presented was the Truth of the matter, and the Character he presented. He believed that all versions of him were Him, and that was his biggest flaw, because they weren’t. AR was no more Dirk Strider than Bro was. ... And unfortunately, one version of him took this very literally (HS^2).

Bard - Barred / Bar. “To Prevent” Bards are quite the Wild Card, because how the hell do you manage destroying stuff for other people’s benefit and it actually ensured that it is a benefit? But from our few examples, Bards do act as great barriers. They keep things on the path because if you didn’t have that barrier, you wouldn’t progress, or you’d go too far too quickly, or things could go out of hand. For Gamzee, he tends to invoke the idea of the Barrier Maiden (He does roleplay a fairy / maid). He can’t die cos he’s a Cosmic Keystone to things happening like they’re suppose to. Paradox Space, literally, cannot let him die because it needs him to complete the Alpha Loop [By extension, no Doomed Timeline ever has a Dead Gamzee, he’s just that important, the stupid fuck] / [consider the theory that he also absorbs his alternative selves to keep his keystone status; like how Rose absorbed her alternative dream self] (Though when you take him from his story / destiny / fate, he’s just another mortal shitty clown). Gamzee prevented Rage, for Homestuck to continue as its intended narrative. For Cronus, his little Hope Quest was a direct line to Lord English (being the evil wvizard in his little Harry Potter fantasy). But this blew up royally, because as it turns out, it isn’t up to the Beforus Trolls to do shit. So just as Gamzee’s crisis of Fate put things back on the Path to LE and prevented catastrophe, Cronus’s crisis caused catastrophe. He prevented Hope for the Beforus Trolls, because it wasn’t their Story. And now for my HC’d Bard of Doom, Clubs Deuce. He does exactly what it says, he Prevents Doom. Inspite of what it appears, he’s highly competent because that prevents things from going to hell. For CD, he prevented Doom, for his Crew, and the sessions he’s involved in. And any time CD tends to disappear from the picture, is when things go to hell fast (For the Crew, Cans showed up; for the Beta Session, he was a mere herald for the doom that was already coming and his death cinched it)

[professor-peanut]

I posted 40 times in 2021

30 posts created (75%)

10 posts reblogged (25%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 0.3 posts.

I added 80 tags in 2021

#sfw headcanons - 20 posts

#headcanon - 17 posts

#haikyuu!! - 10 posts

#haikyu x reader - 8 posts

#mha - 6 posts

#jjk x y/n - 4 posts

#jjk headcanons - 4 posts

#mha bakugou - 4 posts

#jjk x reader - 4 posts

#aizawa - 3 posts

Longest Tag: 24 characters

#jujustsu kaisen x reader

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Anime Voicemails PT3!

Even more Anime Voicemails! So many people asked me for PT3 on reddit! Enjoy these! If you have anyone you want me to do let me know!

See the full post

102 notes • Posted 2021-08-30 22:10:59 GMT

#4

Karma Akabane Headcannons!

He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty

He’s always carrying a knife with him, not just the fake ones they give out to kill Koro Sensei either

Every once in a while you will hear an evil laugh echoe throughout the house/classroom

He basically lives in the detention room

His favorite food is anything that comes with a red sauce, for example, chili.

He is a fan of every game that involves a little blood being splattered

He laughs every time a character dies in a horror movie

He has one of those boards with the pins and the strings in his room plotting out different ways to kill Koro Sensei

His punching bag has become a bullet hole filled stabbing bag

He doesn’t like halloween because it doesn't live up to his standard of scary

His favorite game is Yandere Simulator

He watched the first Harry Potter movie and immediately got attached to Draco. He never watched it again after that.

He has the biggest horror movie collection known to man.

Favorite place to take you on dates will always be the shooting range. (He asked the employees to put up a picture of Koro sensei instead of the paper dummy)

141 notes • Posted 2021-06-22 06:45:28 GMT

#3

Bakugo Katsuki Headcannons!

Of course he won't admit to it, but Bakugo enjoys being the little spoon in cuddle sessions

You guys are always going out to dinner because when it’s his turn to cooks he’s going to get angry at some point and burn the food

He won’t admit to anyone that you guys are dating at first but he will soon warm up to it. (He didn't want to be made fun of for being soft around you)

He is always making sure that you are in bed at the same time he is, because he doesn’t want to hear you complaining about a lack of sleep.

When you are away he has a teddy bear sprayed with your cologne/perfume and he dares anyone to touch it

There are most likely burn holes in one or more of your hoodies

He likes to surprise you with small gifts but he makes sure to tease you before he actually give it to you

You are his number 1 therapist

When you are in his bed, the cool side of the pillow no longer exists.

His idea of the perfect date is anything that is better than what Deku is doing. But he really likes going to the local ramen shop to get his favorite spicy dish

When you’re mad at him he’ll slide notes under you door to tell that he’s sorry

You have tried on his hero costume (yes the gauntlets too) at least once.

He has definitely given you a dumb nickname. So if you have braces your new name will be "brace face"

He lost you in a crowd ONCE and now he forever makes fun of how short you are

He likes when you are on his shoulders at concerts or other events...or just because lol.

You help him do his eyeliner before every mission. It’s like his good lucky charm.

176 notes • Posted 2021-06-17 01:40:25 GMT

#2

Anime Voicemails!

I came up with some ways that I think anime characters would leave voicemails on your phone! (Or how they would answer they phone if you're not around.) If you have anymore leave them in the comments!

Kirishima: "Heyyyy it's awesome that you called, but unfortunately my pebble isn't here right! Maybe try again late! Work Hard, Stay Hard! Wait that's not what I-"

Suga: "Hey it's Suga, so nice of you to-NICE SERVE! Sorry about that. Anyways, it was nice of you to call but they're busy right now! Leave a message at the beep!"

Legoshi: "Hello...um, how do you do this again? Oh um, t-they're not here to um talk right now. Um, can I take a message? Wait that's not right, Uh- Call some other time. G-goodbye."

Tenya: "Hello. This is Tenya Iida of the Iida family. Unfortunately, Y/N is not available to accept your call at this time. If you would please leave your name, number, and reason for contact, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your call and I'm sure they will get back to you soon. Goodbye."

Aizawa: "They're sleeping. Leave a message."

Tsukishima: "Did you really think they would pick up the phone? Don't flatter yourself."

Kageyama: "Who are you and why are you calling them. Doesn't matter. They're not here anyway."

Kuroo/Hawks: "Hello? Yes. Mmmhm. Just Kidding! This is a voicemail! *cackling* I got you didn't I? Whatever, just leave a message after the beep."

Bakugo: "Why are you calling MY S/O. Whoever you are, I'm going to find you. You better not lay a finger on them..or else. And leave message or something I guess.

Midoriya: "Oh hey! Y/N is not here right now, but if you could leave your name and your quirk- I mean your number, I promise they will get back to you as soon as possible! And as always, have a plus ultra day!"

Vil!Deku: "Unless you want to me to kill you...don't call again."

Fatgum: "My honey is out to lunch right now, but if you leave a message, I might just give ya a cookie. Naw I'm just joking with ya. Just leave ya name and number and they'll get back to you some other time."

See the full post

218 notes • Posted 2021-08-29 19:46:30 GMT

#1

Anime Voicemails PT 2!

A lot of people on Reddit, where I posted these originally, are asking for PT 2 and PT 3 so Ill post them here because I think you guys might like them too!

Todoroki: "Hello. I am Shoto Todorki and this is a voice-mail. Y/N too busy to answer the phone right now, so call again later. Buy they will still be busy then so maybe call tomorrow. If you're Endeavor don't call again."

Dabi: "Fuck off, they're not here."

Bokuto: "HEY HEY HEYYYY!!! I'm so glad you called buuuuuuut Y/NA is out on a date with yours truly right now! You're not calling them to take them right....? "

Kenma: controller noises "Not here, back controller noises later."

Oikawa:" If you're calling for an autograph, I only do those on Tuesdays, if you're calling for Y/N then stop. They're mine. There's no use in calling them."

Naruto: "They're not here right now, but if they were im sure they'd love to talk to you! Believe it!"

Shigaraki: "Hello you have reached the LOV and I-" dusts phone

All might: "HA HA HA I AM HERE! With a message! I am sorry to say that young Y/N is not here to answer your call! Sorry!"

Noya: "RRRROLLINGG THUNDERRRRRR- Oh thats not- My bad..Yeah Y/N isn't here right now so leave a message or something."

Genos: "You have reached the voice-mail box of (xxx)-xxx-xxxx. At the tone, please record your voice message." automated beep

Sakusa: "Why do you want me to touch your phone...? It's dirty....ugh fine. Y/N isn't here to answer but leave a mesage I guess. Now take this thing away from me."

Sakura: "You've reached the hidden leaf hotline! I'm sorry that y/n is not here to take your call. BUT IF YOURE SASUKE PLEASE STAY ON THE LINE"

Tokoyami: "Silent is the one who does not answer. Just like this call, unfortunate y/n is not here to accept your call at this time. You may leave a message, however one who chooses to try again shall have a different outcome."

Shinso: In your voice/Mind Control "Sleep."

Monoma: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA DID YOU REALLY THINK THEY WOULD ACTUALLY ANSWER YOU? HAHAHAHAHAHA"

Hisoka: "If you're not GOOOOOOON hang up at once."

See the full post

221 notes • Posted 2021-08-30 21:56:39 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[odanurr87]

My thoughts on... Hotel del Luna

From left to right: Pyo Ji-hoon as Ji Hyun-joong; Yeo Jin-goo as Gu Chan-sung; Lee Ji-eun (IU) as Jang Man-wol; Bae Hae-seon as Choi Seo-hee; and Shin Jung-keun as Kim Sun-bi.

Released in 2019, Hotel del Luna was my introduction to the works of the Hong sisters as well as actors Yeo Jin-goo and Lee Ji-eun (IU), and what an introduction it was! The first episode of the show was excellent, giving us a hint of Man-wol’s tragic past that left me wanting to know more, then moving forwards in time to reenact that scene from Beauty and the Beast where Belle’s father is caught trying to steal a rose from Beast’s garden to give to Belle, and finally reaching present day as Man-wol tries to recruit Chan-sung and introduces him, and us, to this world of gods, ghosts, and souls with lingering grudges, that reminded me of the wondrous world of Harry Potter. Everything clicked for me in this episode, from the beautiful cinematography and music to the strong performances, particularly IU’s as Man-wol who knocked it out of the park and, incidentally, has a most impressive wardrobe and an uncanny ability to look amazing in every single one of her outfits. This was a highly promising start for my next modern fantasy show after Goblin and I couldn’t wait for the next episode. But what is this show about and why should you watch it?

Plot synopsis

21 years ago, Gu Chang-sung’s father cut a deal with the beautiful and mysterious owner of Hotel del Luna, Jang Man-wol, so that she would save his life in exchange for his son. Regretting the deal afterwards, the father left the country with his son hoping to spare him his fate. Believing himself to be safe, Gu Chan-sung has returned to work as assistant manager in one of Korea’s top hotels but Jang Man-wol is intent on collecting on the old debt by having him work in her hotel instead. However, Hotel del Luna is not your typical establishment, as Gu Chan-sung soon finds out, providing a service for souls who need healing or have grudges left to settle before moving on. While initially afraid of the prospect of becoming assistant manager at a hotel that serves ghosts, Gu Chan-sung finds himself intrigued by the challenge and curious about the story of the beautiful owner who runs it.

A magical atmosphere

Stepping into the world of Hotel del Luna feels like taking the train at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and attending Hogwarts. In fact, our intrepid hero, Gu Chan-sung, also receives a magical letter welcoming him as Hotel del Luna’s new manager, and while there’s nothing magical about the subway that takes him there Jang Man-wol does use a little magic to ensure their first encounter goes undisturbed. The hotel itself reminded me of Hogwarts, not because it is filled with ghosts and can only be found by them (and the very much alive and fearful human manager), but because of the feeling of perpetual wonder knowing that behind every door lies a new magical mystery waiting to be discovered, be it a room only people who are alive can enter but not exit, the sky lounge, a swimming pool that is actually a beach in some undetermined plane of existence, or a beautiful garden with a magical tree that holds one of the hotel’s biggest secrets. Of course, one should not forget CEO Jang Man-wol (if one wishes to live) who, while certainly a very different character from Albus Dumbledore in terms of personality, always knows more than she’s letting on and is usually in control of any situation, even if the outcome isn’t always the one she anticipates. There is also the wonderful supporting cast in the form of the different incarnations of the deity Ma Go-sin (played by Seo Yi-sook, who looks like she’s having a blast playing the different sides of the goddess), a reserved but diligent Grim Reaper (played by Kang Hong-suk), and the welcoming staff of the hotel, represented by the trio of Kim Sum-bi (the bartender), Choi Seo-hee (the room manager), and Ji Hyun-joong (the hotel receptionist).

In the same way we cannot divorce Harry Potter from its music, given its distinct signature by that legend that is John Williams, I cannot forego mentioning Hotel del Luna’s mysterious, magical, and ethereal, instrumental soundtrack. Let me take you on a brief musical tour, shall I? Let’s start by taking subway line 4 and going to Hotel del Luna. The receptionist seems to be asleep so why don’t we let ourselves in? Wow, looks like the hotel’s throwing a party, apparently they’re welcoming human guests for the first time in years and the staff is particularly excited about it. That explains how we managed to get in (remember, this is not really a hotel for living, breathing, people). I can see that the bartender is busy receiving food orders and members of the staff are decorating the hall with real flowers. Hey, where’s that kid sneaking off to? Let’s follow him. Oh, that’s the Samdocheon Tunnel, which marks the boundary between this life and the afterlife. The Grim Reaper and the manager are there to bid farewell to one of the hotel’s guests. Apparently, there’s a bridge beyond the tunnel that takes 49 days to cross! I’m not eager to cross it just yet so let’s return to the hotel. Wait, why is there water everywhere? Looks like a water god managed to get past the receptionist (not that difficult when he’s asleep) and the CEO isn’t very happy about it. Yup, she definitely doesn’t look happy. We’d better make our exit before she figures out we shouldn’t be here.

To complement this excellent instrumental soundtrack, my favourite among all the kdramas I’ve watched to date, there’s an amazing selection of songs by artists like Red Velvet, TAEYEON, Heize, Punch, Chung Ha, and Paul Kim, among many others. IU herself sings an absolutely beautiful song that plays in one of the most highly-anticipated scenes of the show but which, sadly, has not been released. However, just as important as having a great soundtrack is using it well. If you’ve read my reviews of Angel’s Last Mission: Love or Strong Woman Do-Bong Soon, you should have an idea of how much I value using the right music at the right time to convey or accentuate the proper emotions during dramatic, comedic, or romantic scenes. Correct music usage can lead to your soundtrack being memorable, whereas incorrect music usage will surely render it forgettable. Fortunately for us, Hotel del Luna knows precisely when to use its music and how. It knows when levity is called for and when it’s not, when to highlight the wondrous side of magic and when to show its darker side, when to use Heize’s “Can You See My Heart” or Punch’s “Done For Me.” I believe it was John Williams, when talking about the music of the original Star Wars trilogy, who said that he wanted the score to tell the story of what was going on in the screen. I believe Hotel del Luna’s score achieves this feat.

Another aspect that contributes to the magical atmosphere of the show is, without a doubt, its incredible cinematography (from camera angles, through its beautiful use of lighting and colours) which, combined with its excellent score, can create scenes that are best defined as poetry in motion. I particularly liked how it favoured studio sets for shooting many of its scenes, giving the sensation that we’re watching a superb play that encourages us to send our imagination into overdrive. Even some of the more noticeable VFX work, like the city view from the hotel’s sky lounge plays into the notion that one cannot always tell what’s real and what’s fake in Hotel del Luna, as Man-wol warns Chan-sung that the view from the sky lounge is not from this world, but the fall will kill him just the same (Man-wol being Man-wol). Because I’m not knowledgeable enough to explain the show’s cinematography in technical terms, I’ll leave you with a trailer that captures some aspects of it and, luckily, also showcases Jang Man-wol’s incredible selection of dresses.

A part of a greater whole

In my review of Bring it on, Ghost I mentioned the show followed a certain formula that is often poorly executed in Western shows. There is a main story-arc that encompasses the whole of the show and there are side stories where our protagonists confront the “ghost of the week.” One of the strengths of Bring it on, Ghost lied in how these side stories would sometimes tie into the main story or would be used to expand on a character’s backstory so that they rarely came across as filler. Hotel del Luna executes the same formula with a lot more thought and care, often laying out the groundwork for events later down the episode, what is expected, or even later down the show, what is a bit more impressive. The Hong sisters remain true to their initially-stated intention throughout the show and reinforce this with the aid of these side stories, preparing both Gu Chan-sung and us for the inevitable dénouement of the show. Let me try to illustrate my point by way of an example. I don’t want to give more for fear of completely spoiling the show for you.

Episode 5 tells the story of a ghost bride whose parents want to give a soul wedding so she will be able to peacefully pass into the afterlife. Unfortunately, the chosen partner for this soul wedding ends up being Gu Chan-sung’s best friend, Sanchez, so while Man-wol goes shopping as Audrey Hepburn with the parents’ black card (our girl has very expensive tastes), Gu Chan-sung tries to figure out a way to spare his terrified friend. After some twists and turns, what is often the case with this show as the truth is not always what it seems, it is revealed that it is actually the groom’s parents who want to marry off the bride so she’ll let go of their son, who’s in a coma. For those who’ve watched Bring it on, Ghost, the parallels with the ghost side story from Episode 10 are fairly evident, as the ghost bride needs to find the strength to let go of the person she loves and she ultimately does so in one of the most beautifully composed scenes of the show. This is one of those “poetry in motion” scenes I was talking about. As the groom runs away in shock and fear, the bride gathers the courage to cut the red string of fate tying them together, under the intent gazes of Gu Chan-sung, dressed as the groom, and Jan Man-wol, dressed as a bride (in red).

You need a stronger will to let go than to hold on.

This scene is a portent of events yet to come, when the day finally arrives where Chan-sung and Man-wol will also have to part ways. Indeed, several episodes later, the room manager will remind Gu Chan-sung of the words Goddess Ma Go-sin then told the ghost bride, “You need a stronger will to let go than to hold on.” The bride’s selfless act of letting go of the person she loves, breaking free from her earthly tether of her own volition, can be seen as a challenge to Man-wol, whose hatred for the man who betrayed her has been her sole drive for the past 1,300 years but also a curse that has bounded her to the hotel and prevented her from dying. Could she, like the bride, unburden herself by letting go of her hatred? Is it possible for someone with such a long and deep resentment to simply let go? This is a recurring question throughout the show and one that puts her at odds with her increasing desire to protect Gu Chan-sung, as she fears her actions, born of her hatred for the people who wronged her, might end up harming the man she loves.

Side stories such as this one often give us further insight into Man-wol, whether it be a glimpse of her past or challenging her beliefs, making her question herself and her actions, however briefly.

A fairy tale romance

Man-wol is a tsundere character, both a Beauty and a Beast, who has been nursing a thousand-year-old grudge against the people who betrayed her and consequently filters every human interaction through a lens of cold cynicism, expecting the worst from people. Chan-sung on the other hand, is a proper gentleman, a type of character we don’t often see in kdramas and a natural consequence of his training as a hotel manager. He’s friendly, cultured, well-mannered, kind, clever, and someone who's very much in control of his emotions most of the time. The evolution of the relationship between these two characters is the centrepiece of Hotel del Luna, a breath of fresh air in a landscape that often feels the need to use love triangles, or other polygons, as a shortcut to properly fleshing out the relationship between two characters. While there are elements of a love triangle present, such as expressions of jealousy for the sake of comedy, Hotel del Luna chooses to forego this trope and commit fully to the main characters’ fairy tale-like romance.

When you tell her you’ve been dreaming about her.

Another trope the Hong sisters mostly dispense with is that of misunderstandings, which are kept to a bare minimum, as Man-wol and Chan-sung are very open with each other regarding their thoughts and feelings, although Man-wol is, understandably, less transparent about her feelings in the beginning. It was incredibly refreshing to witness two characters that could guess each other’s thoughts and were willing to have an open and honest conversation about it rather than to hold back for the sake of drama. Of course, this did become somewhat frustrating for Man-wol (and fun for us) when Chan-sung started gaining more confidence, feeling at ease with Man-wol, and rebuking her selfish or materialistic actions. Their playful banter and bickering throughout the show is, to my mind, a clear indication that they’re comfortable with each other, as strong a sign of the chemistry in their relationship as half a dozen kisses, if not a better one, what is a good thing because those are few and far between. On the other hand, it makes those moments much more valuable and meaningful. The love between Man-wol and Chan-sung comes across in the gestures they make, in their facial expressions, in the words spoken and left unsaid. When Man-wol tries to comfort Chan-sung but doesn’t know how (Video), when she confesses she wants him to stay with her till the end and they share an intimate hug (Video), when Chan-sung breaks down and cries at the thought of not being able to see Man-wol ever again (Video), when the two have a conversation on the balcony under the moonlight (Video)... These are a precious few examples of the beauty, strength, and depth of feeling, of their relationship.

When the adult catches you in a lie.

While Man-wol is not the same ruthless person she was at the beginning of the show as she is at the end, she still retains some elements or traits of her personality throughout the show (there’s still a little tsun in her dere), as it should be. In one episode Chan-sung is remarking upon how much nicer she has become and she replies, “Gu Chan-sung, you’ve made leaves and flowers grow and have changed me a lot. But you won’t be able to change my core personality. Don’t even expect that.” Even as she says this you can see her looking a little uneasy about something, a little girl about to be caught in a lie by the adult who’s trying to keep her out of trouble. It is thanks to Gu Chan-sung’s patient and enduring love, that protected her from the worst aspects of her own self, that Man-wol is able to let go of her anger, both literally and metaphorically. But Man-wol also deserves praise, as she reciprocates Chan-sung’s love and equally tries to protect him from the dangers of this new world he has entered but most of all from herself, to the point she is willing to renounce her revenge and extinguish her existence to ensure she can never harm the man she loves.

Conclusion

It should be evident by now that I absolutely love this show and it is, without a doubt, my favourite out of all I’ve watched thus far, including Goblin. This is not to say the show is without flaws. Its almost single-minded focus on the story of Man-wol and Chan-sung has some collateral damage, most notably in the form of a character’s loved one, an event used as a means to highlight the pain experienced by those left behind, anticipating the day when our main protagonists will be forced to part ways. In another case, a poignant encounter for Chan-sung is not properly fleshed out, perhaps intentionally so but it seems like a wasted opportunity. Additionally, the introduction and development of the secondary villain’s arc (Man-wol is both the love interest and the main antagonist) felt a little weak, but is still a functional plot device that leads to some of the show’s best scenes. Finally, there is also the way the Hong sisters handled the riddle of Chan-sung’s dreams, which I may address in a separate post because it has too many spoilers.

If you’re a fan of fantasy dramas like Goblin, there’s simply no reason for me not to recommend this show and, hopefully, I’ve given you a few to persuade you as to why this is such a standout drama and, to my mind, the Hong sisters’ best work to date. It’s even on r/KDRAMA’s banner as one of those must-watch shows. If you do decide to watch it, I advise you to pace yourself so you don’t have to say goodbye to Hotel del Luna’s wonderful family too soon.

[annethepancake]

Sherlock rant

I recently rewatched BBC Sherlock for Rupert Graves, and aside from the lack of Lestrade appreciation I have a lot of problems with this series. Here are my thoughts:

1. It was all a blur

My second first impression of the show: I don't remember anything but the characters. And some characters I just blatantly forgot, like Mary. And I loved Mary on my second watch! I really forgot that at one point John actually got married and I don't even remember when I watched the show for the first time. I can still recall most of HIMYM's events and I hated that series.

2. It’s overall not a detective/crime show

Watching Sherlock for the second time, I mostly turned off my brain and just let it play in the background because (1) there's hardly anything for me to solve with the characters, most clues are taken by Sherlock off-screen anyway (especially after season 2), (2) they focus way too much on the quirks of the characters that make it almost like a sitcom that got dragged on for way too long. A crime/detective show shouldn't allow me to turn off my brain.

3. The characters just kinda fall flat

Exploring the depth of human emotions is not a bad approach to a modernized version of anything, I’m not trying to pretend I’m better than someone who gets sentimental over fictional character (if you know my blog at all, you know I am not), but at least write good characters. Sherlock is hardly a multi-faceted person; in fact, he’s kinda like the Wattpad teen fic main character sometimes. He physically fights off some terrorists with a machete to save the damsel in distress? He gets high off his tits but still got everything right all the time? John is just kinda there for most of the cases. Jim is a poorly written antagonist. Irene is a lesbian but gets the hot for our main character, surprise surprise. The only interesting characters to me are the ones who act like normal people: Molly, Greg and Mary. They are the multi-faceted characters, ones who I can actually relate to without feeling inferior to them in any way. Write characters like them, stop trying to be smart about it and stop writing Wattpad fanfictions for Sir Conan Doyle’s original works.

I get that they try to make Sherlock more like a human with emotions, making him quirky and arrogant, then make him quirky and more likable. It’s hardly a convincing character development though. He’s given over-powered deduction skills, so edgy, so high and mighty all the time. When he is finally written as vulnerable, turns out he has plans for that too. I would love to see him get it wrong once and maybe get humbled by that mistake, but getting Mary shot and killed is hardly even his fault, he is only doing his job. And killing off Mary is overall a bad idea anyway.

4. They treated the fandom like shit

I was absolutely disgusted at the start of season 3 when the showrunners just straight up shat on their fans. I wasn't there with the fandom during the wait between season 2 and 3, but I believe it was a pretty long wait (2 years, I could barely wait 2 years for my comfort series, and they have like 10 episodes per season), and they were presented with the first actual mystery of the series: How did Sherlock survive the fall? After years of waiting and having fun theorizing, they were met with a mockumentary about them, starring the most hated character of the protagonist and the fans. Those are the people who actually cared about the show for god's sake. The fact that the showrunners treated fans like crap and there's still an active fandom for the show appalled me.

Now not only The Empty Hearse bugs me, but the entire show does as well.

Allow me to digress.

Doki Doki Literature Club is a great example of audience engagement done right (Sorry for using this example I’m not actually that invested in the other franchises). After the success of the first game, the story provoked so many fans into solving the mysteries of the characters, some of them went really, really far. And that’s because of the actual mysteries that the development team took effort to plant into the plot. There is actual pay-off for painstakingly following the clues; as far as I know, only two (2!) people in the world have come close to solving the mystery of the first game (or they actually did). The game developers value their fans and their intelligence enough to have planted those clues where they did, and it’s a genuine exchange between the fans and the creators. Now even though you haven’t actually played the game, when you hear of the name and you’re only kinda familiar with gaming (like me), you’ll probably know what it is. What started as a mere open-source game by an indie developer became a sensation which left millions of fans begging for more.

Looking back at Sherlock, there are tons of logical flaws for a self-proclaimed crime series, virtually no clues for the audience to solve crimes along with their favorite detective, and when there was actually a mystery (Sherlock jumped off the building), they plainly showed him alive and well minutes later. Do we really need to see things spelled on screen to know what’s going on? Are we supposed to accept that Sherlock Holmes is an all-knowing future-predicting genius now too? Not a great sign of respecting the audience there.

So far, the only thing left that’s interesting about this series is the characters’ dynamic. Which brings me to the next criticism I have for the show.

5. The plague that infested mainstream media

Why is there still an active fandom? Queerbaiting and targeted marketing.

Community marketing is proven to be one of the best marketing methods there is, if not the best, to lengthen the lifespan of a product or service. The way they do that for shows and films and video games is usually by planting seeds of possible lores and history inside the content. Look at Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, they are franchises that ran for multiple years with a ton of history and world building that provokes fans’ imagination.

Sherlock - well, Sherlock has sexually ambiguous men.

Sherlock has a formula for success. It was an adaptation of the most iconic detective novel in the world, funded by one of the biggest TV networks in the UK and possibly the world (don’t quote me on this). Making this series means you can appeal to such a wide group of audience even before airing. Adding in the quirky smart men who live together, you’ve basically guaranteed a prime-time show with millions of loyal fans all over the world.

Fans are not stupid, and queer people don't just find queerness everywhere they go. They know a gay subtext when they see one. Sherlock came back from the literal death for John, pretty gay if you ask me.

This show is very much not just about some guys being dudes solving crimes, they have relationship that’s deeper than friendship, and definitely not platonic. They deliberately wrote a sexually ambiguous Sherlock Holmes from the get-go - literally from the very first episode, then capitalized off of the targeted demographic, never a pay-off for their anticipation. Martin Freeman said in interviews that he could recognize Sherlock fans, them being generally women from 16 - 25. No shit Sherlock, this show targets them and capitalizes off of them, being quirky and gay as hell, of course the fanbase is generally 16 - 25 and female.

Sherlock queerbaited the fandom for years for the sake of marketing and there’s never a pay-off, nor was there any recognition to the community, and to add to all that bigotry, queercoding pretty much all of the villains? Why was a show aired in the 2010′s allowed to do this? Why did Mark Gatiss, an openly gay man, a writer of the show, allow this to happen? Why are millions of fans all over the world allowing all this to go on?!

6. Conclusion

Now I haven’t read the books yet, so I’m not at all qualified to criticize the adaptation quality of the TV series; I’m just talking about the TV series on its own. Despite my criticism, I think the first two seasons did quite okay. There are quite a few nice cases there, I like The Blind Banker and The Hound of Baskerville. They did those well because the focus was on the cases themselves, and the connection between John and Sherlock was only in the background. I, like many other fans, like to figure things out on my own, to read between the lines, and to not have things spelled out for me. With the next seasons bombarded with Sherlock and John bonding it seriously felt like mere fan service for me and even though I wasn’t there when the show was on, I still felt like I was robbed and my interest in the show was abused.

Sherlock is undoubtedly super influential in pop culture even now. It has to have done something right to be in that spot (capitalizing off loyal fans?). I’m not writing this rant to change someone’s mind about the series, by all means, I’m still gonna love the hell out of Gavin Lestrade, and absolutely lose my mind over Mary Watson. So do take my words with a grain of salt, I’m just disappointed that one of the most influential shows there is is just short of my expectations.