#oooooh there is some DRAMA going on at the SECRET SOCIETY .

[brutalage]

" ARE YOU FINALLY FINISHED SPEAKING , LUTHOR , or am I going to have to SUFFER though another one of your monotonous articulations ? and , believe me , my patience & tolerance is wrought from steel . "

@invidentius asked for a hostile starter ( inbox meme ) .

[dreamwritesimagines]

It’s CMA-

I’m writing this from a paleontology society meeting this time lmaoooo. Time to learn about trilobites and clover’s traumatic past in one fell swoop.

Also I watch binged dimension 20 a court of fey and flowers and am now in the mood for some regency romance/drama let’s goooooo

Lmaoooo clover straight up saying that an apology wouldn’t work without even trying😂😂 queen of the emotionally constipated dumbasses club (I think we all know who the king would be…. (Not romantically just in general)

Yessss her uncle is calling her out on her bullshit finally!! I love that everyone who loves her is totally willing to call her on her shit and she completely refuses to listen to any of them lmaoooooo

“The head of the family said yes” LMAOOOOOOO I mean we knew they were going to bond over their protectiveness of Lottie but this is genuinely hilarious

“She doesn’t like you anthony” lmfaooooo damn Ben. I love how you write them like normal siblings just roasting the shit out of one another.

(Have you seen that LOTR tumblr post that’s like when the fellowship is half reunited and they all start roasting one another immediately and the king goes like ‘surely we are witnessing the reunion of dear friends’ or something like that? Anyway that’s siblings in ur fic. They roast because they care (like monsters inc but not))

Lmao Ben and Anthony and clover are that meme from the office of the three people pointing finger guns at one another

(note: at my meeting they’re talking about paleobotany which feels fitting for it being the meeting I’m reading clover’s story in lololol)

I do wonder if Lottie was more willing to listen to clover because she doesn’t know her as well, so the betrayal stung less, or because clover was the one who inadvertently revealed it, compared to Ben and Anthony who would have theoretically would’ve kept it a secret forever.

…. Does Lottie know what lust is? Also bless her for forgiving clover right away and being understanding. I just hope no one overheard them talking….

Omgggg they’re bound by fate that’s so sweet 😭

Oooooh the marina/Colin scandal is coming up!!! Haha Anthony really isn’t getting a break

“Holding you” skdjndsnnddndn I am unwell. The way that they’re so casually affectionate even when no one else is around and clover still thinks that they’re not in love with one another I just-

SHE CALLED ANTHONY FAMILY AND SHE APOLOGIZED?!!??!!!??!!!??? HOLY FUCK ITS HAPPENING PEOPLE SHES GROWING AS A HUMAN BEING

(also knowing that her parents are going to come and ruin this as soon as possible…. Grrrrr….)

Fuck this chapter is an instant fave for sure

CMA my love hiiii! 🥰😍

Oh that sounds like a very fun meeting! 😁

Exactly! 😂 She's not used to apologizing at all, so she was so using that as an excuse 😁 And her uncle knows her so well😂

Both Anthony and Clover absolutely adore Lottie🥰 And them bonding over that will be entertaining for sure! 😁

I love how you write them like normal siblings just roasting the shit out of one another. IT IS SUCH A FUN DYNAMIC😍 I'm so happy to hear that you like it, I love writing them like that 😂

Wait I haven't seen that LOTR post! Ooooh I'm so curious now! ❤️

Totally fitting for Clover😁

I think there were a lot of reasons why Lottie was willing to listen to her! ❤️ One of them was that she approached her first and another one is, like you said, Clover ended up telling her the truth even if it wasn't intentional, while Anthony and Benedict were still hiding it from her ❤️

Lottie definitely does know what lust is😈 And she'll get to experience it soon 😏

Bound by fateeee🥰

Anthony needs to take Lottie and go on a realllyyyyy long holiday to get over the string of scandals this season 😁

They are having a bunch of romantic moments for months now, and Clover is still in so much denial 😂

Character development my beloved! 😂 It only took her like thirty chapters😂

Thank you so much for this darling! ❤️ I hope you're having a wonderful day! ❤️

[fairyfandommother]

'Young Royals' Season 2: An unhinged and unhelpful guide (it's a reaction, let's be real) to the First Four Minutes (Part 2).

Scene 3, continued: Wilhelm, now wearing what we can assume is Erik's coat, wraps his arms around himself and sniffs the material. He pulls a pocketbook from the front breast pocket with the letter E on it and reveals a lighter with the words "once a brother, always a brother" engraved within.

THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON HERE!!!

The picture/painting of Erik over Wilhelm's shoulder as if the late Crown Prince were there in spirit. Looking on in case Wille needed something. "I got your back. bro."

Wille sniffing the jacket did things to me. I could have gone my WHOLE life without that. I feel so sad for him.

And then Wille finds the pocketbook?? This could mean so many things!! My brain went haywire when I saw it!! Either it was something Erik bought for himself to represent Wilhelm (which aww), it was a gift from Wilhelm (or another member of the family) to him again to represent Wilhelm (less aww but still aww), orrrrr it was a gift from the members of that secret society that August, The Asshole, and his lot have.

Oooooh, the drama and implications. I'm living for it.

If it is that last thing and I'm not just spiraling, I'm sure the fact that Erik held August in such high standards is a sour thought for Wille in this moment.

Scene 3, continued: Prince Wilhelm removes the lighter from its case.

REMEMBER HOW I TOLD Y'ALL TO KEEP THE BEHIND SHOT OF WILLE IN ERIK'S ILL FITTING JACKET?! Well, it's the same jacket but the ill fit is less obvious here. Almost like Wille is accepting his role after seeing the "once a brother always a brother" thing, and if my suspicions are correct and it has something to do with August, the jacket not looking as big could mean Wille is accepting that he has to wear this costume but it doesn't mean he'll read the same script as everyone else.

Scene 3, continued: Wilhelm tours his brother's room. Hand grazing a ceramic statue of a green frog wearing a crown, and several photo's of the princes as children that Erik has stuck in the frame of his mirror.

This is quite possibly the only bit of personality that is in this room and shows who Erik was.

The Frog Prince is such a... weird story idk. The story goes that a handsome prince was once cursed by a wicked fairy to inhabit the body of a frog until he could get someone to let him eat from their plate and sleep in their bed for three nights. He meets a spoiled princess who reluctantly agrees to let him do so with her should he do her a favour (retrieve a toy from a pond). Depending on when the version you're reading was written, the curse is either lifted by the Princess throwing the Prince against a wall or her giving him a kiss.

It should be noted, however, that in some iterations, the Prince has a loyal servant named Henry/Harry who has iron bands fixed around his heart to prevent it from breaking when the Prince gets cursed and when the Prince is freed the bands break because he is so happy...

Idk that sounds pretty gay, why does Erik have that?

ANYWAY! Erik sticking pictures of him and Wilhelm in his mirror got me choked up again this is so sad we had him for like five minutes what mess is this??

Scene 3, continued: Prince Wilhelm pulls a photograph of Prince Erik and August Horn, The Asshole of Arnas, from Erik's mirror and puts it to the flame.

Of course, because they were bros™, Erik also has a photo of him and August. Of course.

Wille using Erik's own lighter to burn that shit is giving me the sustenance I need to carry on in this scam called life. How dare he stand next to Erik.

Notice the framing of this shot replaces August's burnt head with Wilhelm's. Ooh, they've done so many fun things with the visuals. I love this show.

Also, Burning photographs is so final! August will never recover I fear.

Scene 4: August Horn, The Asshole of Arnas, exercising and eating alone at Hillerska Skolan.

Oh, he's losing it...

First of all. Fuck him.

Interesting, though, that it seems like August stayed at Hillerska over break, or perhaps he's just... very early... things are still rockey at home mayhaps?

It also seems like we'll be seeing more of August's apparent obsession with fitness. Many have speculated that this could be the early stages or even the throughs of an ed. Time will tell.

Scene 4, continued: August and Wilhelm have a text exchange wherein August begs Wilhelm for forgiveness but Wilhelm makes it clear that his mission is to make August's life a living hell.

Look at the weasel pouting in the last frame... are you finally realising that there are consequences to your actions? Aww... boohoo...

Look, I know he's a kid and he's got problems of his own but like... I kind of don't care? He's a shitty kid and if he suffers for the things that he did, tough luck? LMFAOOOO. I love hating him. He's an insufferable prick and that's okay in fiction.

Also very telling of his character that he's not apologising because he's genuinely sorry but because he needs to be forgiven in order to absolve himself of guilt for what he did.

It's not "I'm sorry I hurt you, I'll make it up to you however I can" it's "I'll do anything if you just forgive me".

If someone is aplogising to you simply because they need your forgiveness to not feel guilty, please run away. Apologies only work if the person apologising is truly remorseful for whatever it is they did. Expecting forgiveness after practically destroying some ones life is a major red flag.

Scene 5: Sara Eriksson (Frida Argento) and new character Markus (Tommy Wättring) come back to the Eriksson home. They are greeted by Linda Eriksson (Carmen Gloria Pérez) and while Markus excuses himself to the bathroom, Linda informs Sara that she has received a letter. After opening the letter, Sara joyfully exclaims that she "got accepted".

First of all. Fuck her.

I don't care what y'all say. What Sara did was No Contact worthy.

Markus being in the Eriksson home???? 👀👀👀👀

He's going to the bathroom???? 👀👀👀👀

The bathroom that's right next to Simon's room??? 👀👀👀👀👀

I'm a Wilmon girl to the very core of my femur but Simon deserves a love that doesn't also come with complications and heartache. Especially if it's platonic love, since his mum is really the only person solely in his corner.

Speaking oooofffff, LINDA SWEETIE I LOVE YOU! DID YOU HAVE A GOOD CHRISTMAS??? I HOPE YOU GOT LOTS OF PRESENTS OMG.

Ugh, do I have to talk about her? *heavy negro spiritual sigh*

Sara getting an acceptance letter could mean that August actually pulled through and got her room and board at Hillerska, or it could have absolutely nothing to do with him. This will be an interesting dynamic to see moving forward. And I really don't see that letter being about anything else.

That being said, Linda's excitement and warmth toward Sara probably means that she has no idea what Sara did and the mother-daughter affection could change verrrry soon.

It'd be nice to see a contrast in the way August is begging for forgiveness and whatever Sara will do whenever shit hits the fan (BECAUSE IT WILL HIT THE FAN!!) because despite what she's done, I think Sara does genuinely love her family and seeing how hurt Simon is likely going to be over what she's done will likely also have her groveling but... authentically.

Of course this is me working on the assumption that Sara will care at all. She's supposed to be weighing the benefits of old and new allegiances this season so... she could also just... not give a fuck. Simon probably won't be boarding so it'll make that decision easier for her...

So, that was it! That was the First Four. (does the title card look a lil... different to y'all???)

I'm sad we didn't see Simon (in real time) or Felice but I know their introductions to the season will be great. Them and Linda and Wille and Madison are the only bitches I trust in this house!

I'm so excited for Season 2, you guys!!!

I feel like I've been typing for agggeeeeesss... is it November yet? 👀

[the-stove-is-on-fire]

Do you have more on your DP / BNHA crossover AU?!!!!

Combining these two asks because I DO have some thoughts!

The abbreviated narrative I’ve got going in my head is that Danny is from the Pre-Quirk Times, so like 200+ years in the past from Izuku’s pov. Danny is a midwestern teenage white boy from the early 2000′s, he wouldn’t know the difference between future Japan and present Japan if it hit him in the face. The only reason he even notices Deku is because my boy Midoriya was actively trying to get his attention. All Danny sees a fellow teen in a weird outfit with a backpack and makes the very logical jump to “Oh, that’s a cool costume, he must be looking at MY cool costume. Byyeee” and he dips. 

Izuku on the other hand is having a minor crisis because this random American hero with multiple quirks(!!!) just showed up out of thin air, kicked major ass, insulted his hero regalia by calling it cosplay, and then tore open a hole in the fabric of reality. You KNOW Izuku’s going to go full research mode to find this guy (if nothing else out of pettiness to see his hero ranking). Lo and behold portal guy is NOWHERE to be found. Most vigilantes have some kind of media presence(or at least a few blurry pictures and rumours about them), but the mystery hero has nothing. Deku, quite reasonably, does not think to search 200+ years into the past because that doesn’t make sense. Deku makes the logical conclusion that it must be some secret American thing (they sure do love their Secret Things) and puts it on the shelf as a weird, but ultimately unimportant event. 

BUT THEN DANNY BOY COMES BACK. 

Danny, out of the blissfully ignorant goodness of his heart, thought “Hey, I know I was in a rush but maybe it was kinda rude to just dip on that guy when he obviously wanted to talk to a real-life superhero. I should bring him a shirt” (Tucker also wanted Danny to go back and get “cool Japanese candy” because he’s a weeb and it’s 200X, that shit was nerd gold). I DO love headcanons where Danny gets Stuck in a universe but the idea of him just popping up like “Midoriya!! Hiiiiii!!!” at the weirdest possible times is, *muwah*, chef’s kiss, to me.

The logistics of plotting any further than that get a bit muddy because of accidentally altering timelines/influencing the past and all that jazz, but hooooo bOI when they finally make the “Oooooh this is the future”/ “You’re from WHEN?” realization it will be spectacular.

Oh but hey, maybe Danny’s timeline is hard set to have quirks in the future no matter what but it doesn’t have to go so badly at the beginning (Societal unrest & AFO drama). Maybe when Izuku looks into historical records he only finds traces of “Phantom” up until their timelines diverge. Cool cool cool, I like that nice neat little bow to tie things up. A few years down the line adult Danny outs himself as a super and becomes the metaphorical bnha glowing baby of his timeline? (before the literal glowing baby is born) Even though his powers aren’t from a natural mutation he could pave the way for a super society (or at least lay the foundations). So many possibilities. HECK, I love crossovers. 

[dangermousie]

Hi dangermousie I would like to ask for some recs, if you're feeling up for it. I love great characterization, a good story, and a mystery or genre mashing but like. At least good characters lol ToT. So The Wolf gave us Darren Wang, and Monarch Industry gave us that handsome general - any more cdramas with handsome male leads you can think of, more of that vibe rather than the super-pretty idol dramas tend to have? I'm guessing Novoland and Secret of The Three Kingdoms may have that?

(2) My other rec ask is: any dramas with a regular person and a royal as the leads? I can think of a few that are demon/heavenly clan (I'm VERY into if they have a happy ending let me know like Xuanji/Sifeng), but pretty much all the historical/costume dramas I've seen are 2 royals (which was good but I'm looking for a specific setup lol). Goodbye My Princess almost has that feel just because the 2 leads come from such different societies, and I'm looking for more stories where the leads really feel

(3) (part 2) like they came from very different backgrounds/lives. LWSS kind of gives me that feel, Guardian definitely did, Romance of Tiger and Rose did while the main love was a pirate (but I think he's actually a noble so it didn't stay so very different), Till Death Tear Us Apart they came from quite different bgs (loved that drama). Bonus if its a historical drama/costume drama since I'd love more contrast like what Goodbye My Princess had, potentially even more. But idk what's around...

Oooooh, I love this ask!

Handsome but a bit grizzled male lead? That is my favorite thing in the world despite cdramas not going for that much. I say skip Secret of Three Kingdoms if you want that because despite the fact that I am very fond of both Elvis Han and Ma Tianyi, neither is really manly - Secret is really more like idol take on Three Kingdoms. As to Novolands, Novolands Tribes and Empires is definitely gonna satisfy that need, but Eagle Flag leads are pretty young though definitely not in the least pretty or idolish.

Now, on to other recs for this. Well, let's be honest - you can't do better than Three Kingdoms 2010. It's an amazing drama in its own right but if one has a Daddy thing *ahem my finger is not pointing at self nope nope* you might as well be in the brothel with this drama.

There is also The King's War with Peter Ho and Chen Daoming. The upcoming Imperial Age also looks wonderful on that score if it ever leaves development hell.

Honestly, your best bet for that sort of thing is in hardcore historicals. But if you want something less of that genre, how about The Longest Day in Chang'an? Nirvana in Fire 2? Vigilantes in Masks? The Lady and the Liar? General and I? Love and Fight with a Terracotta Warrior? Demi Gods and Semi Devils 2003 (I think that's the year - with Hu Jun and Jimmy Lin), Story of the Han Dynasty (I have a thing for Hu Jun, sue me.)

Regular person and royal as leads.

Imperial Doctoress (she is a doctor, he's an emperor. It's a solid drama.) Novoland Eagle Flag (one of the main trio is a concubine born son of a minor gentry person, his OTP is a literal princess.) Jade Palace Lock Heart (I love this drama!!! - Feng Shao Feng is a Qing prince, Yang Mi is a modern day time traveler.) Sound of the Desert (he's a general/prince and she's a random nomad girl), The Myth (she's a princess, he's a modern day time traveler. I love that drama), Colourful Bone (sort of - he ends up being the emperor but for the bulk of it he's a bodyguard with no idea who he is and she's a princess), Princess Jieyou (well she turns out to be a princess but either way she marries into a barbarian land and so there is a bunch of culture shock), Princess Agents (she’s a slave, both dudes are princes.)

Hope this helps!

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: May 2020

Well there’s another month come and gone. TV and books seems to be what I gravitate towards whilst in quarantine. Anyway here’s the month of May in a wordy nutshell!

……….FILM……….

Blockers (2018) I was mostly drawing while my partner watched this but from what I heard and occasionally saw, it was fun! Silly and gross and I’m not reeeeally sure who the target demo was, but it had a modern and more nuanced perspective on sexuality so that’s cool.

……….TELEVISION……….

Mad Men (Episode 1.11 to 3.03) WHO KNEW THIS SHOW WAS SO GOOD?!? The amount of screentime dedicated to advertising seems to be dwindling a bit, but oooooh there’s still so much juicy office drama (something I think I enjoy because of being self-employed and working from home). It looks like we’ll fail at our attempt to finish the series before it leaves Netflix in June but it was fun while it lasted.

Sex and the City (Episode 1.01 to 2.06) Returning to this for something when we don’t have time to watch Mad Men (or need something lighter) and it’s hitting the spot. We’re slowly getting past the era of randos talking to the camera (and mostly past Carrie breaking the fourth wall). I was in college when I first watched this and I’ve come to realize how much I’ve grown as a human as I only now have enough self-awareness to recognize I’m a Charlotte. 

Gravity Falls (Episode 1.09 to 1.15) We’ve since slowed down on this a bit but I’m really excited to get back into it as season 2 is just so good!

Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Episode 1.01 to 1.04) The first three eps didn’t really do much for me. The one on the directors was cool as I didn’t realize how many there were, but it would’ve been great if they talked a little more about what they brought to the table or why they took this on. Ep 4 on technology was more my speed but overall this still kinda just feels like surface level stuff. Loooots of time spent on actors and directors and professionals complimenting each other and I am not here for that.

……….READING……….

Illuminatus! Part 1: The Eye in the Pyramid by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson (Page 204/304) What a trip. It’s pretty much what I expected from an comedic book revolving around the illuminati/secret societies from the 1970s, though it took me ages to adjust to the writing style. I’m really enjoying it, but be warned that there’s no major break between narrators so it can jump between plots with each new paragraph. It feels, at times, like a tone poem, but maybe that’s me putting more of the generation into the text than was intended. Again, I think I like it, but am pretty sure I’m missing a lot. 

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (Complete) Such a stellar read. I loved Novik’s Uprooted and while you could read either in any order, they both feel of the same world. Both books are full of fairytale danger akin to the traditional stories. They’re beautiful and uncertain and familiar and new. I realize I’m being super vague and general but it’s because it’s so hard to pin down what’s excellent about this book. It’s just good and if you like fantasy and classic fairy tales with layered characters and a more nuanced approach to good and evil then read this AND Uprooted.

Umbrella Academy Volume 3: Hotel Oblivion by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba  (Complete) It’s great to get back to this world but I think I need to give it another read. The first two volumes were frantic, but there was typically a clear drive or sense of what the big picture was. Volume 3 felt like a buildup or segue into the next story being told and that’s...not great.

Satania by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoet (Complete) I’ve rambled at length about how much I love past books by these two (particularly Beautiful Darkness) but this one didn’t connect quite the same. The story only scratched the surface of (admittedly really interesting) themes and I would’ve loved for it to get fleshed out further. The art is consistently incredible and their take on a subterranean world is breathtaking. I recommend if you want to read every book by these two, but wouldn’t suggest this as your first introduction (for that, Beautiful Darkness, or Beauty).

Hellboy Library Edition Vol 5 & 6 by Mike Mignola, Duncan Fegredo, Dave Stewart (vol.5 and 6), and others (vol. 6) (Complete) A return to form. Fegredo is such a great choice for taking over from Mignola for the main story. The final story in volume 6 is still a weird choice to me (especially since the penultimate one would’ve been much better) but I’m so excited to read the next volume. Such an cool chapter in comics history.

GRRL SCOUTS by Jim Mahfood (Complete) Very late 90s. Like soooooooo 90s. Some of the writing hasn’t aged well, but it’s interesting to see how much things have changed in...oh jeez 20 YEARS! 

……….AUDIO……….

Staying In with Emily & Kumail (Podcast) As a dedicated listener to their old podcast, The Indoor Kids, it’s great to listen to these two again. Also weirdly comforting that their dynamic and personalities (at least as far as podcasting is concerned) hasn’t changed over the years between then and now. It’s gotta be at least 4 or 5 years, right? Anyway, this is a good listen if you’re navigating the pandemic (jk, we’re all doing that).

Articles of Interest (Podcast) So I think this is technically a miniseries put out by 99% Invisible but I loved season 1 and season 2 is just as good. Every episode is concise and these latest episodes are really diving into new parts of the fashion industry. Very cool.

Unravel Season 4: Snowball (Podcast) I checked this out on a recommendation since our mutual friend went through a similar situation (getting romantically involved with a perpetual con artist) and it was so interesting to see the overlap. It’s just such a wild story of deception and habitual lying and theft and manipulation. Great listen.

Dedicated Side B by Carly Rae Jepsen Exactly the sort of pick-me-up we need right now. Good stuff. Always a treat. Very happy.

……….GAMING……….

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The latest session had the group spending...maybe 25 minutes sorting out how they were going to approach the Jolly Roger (ship of the dreaded Captain Hook). Their plan is a mixture of stealth and impersonating what amounts to Pirate Ship Quality Control. We’ll see how that goes. Anyway I’m really excited by how the group is exploring the island and for this book to come out in October!

D&D Homebrew Adventure (Menace of Merlin) The group is sorting out a curse/illness plaguing one of the character’s hometown and...the timing of this plot is not ideal BUT everyone seems to be okay with it. They took out some orcs and hopefully will be able to find the hermit that can help with the slow petrification of the village.

Tyranny of Dragons /Gainfully Employed (Wizards of the Coast) I’m not sure I posted about this last month but the party has just sorted out the cause of a failing lighthouse (that’s magical) and brought the culprit to justice! Now to head out of Phlan and sort out some silly rumors that I’m sure are nonsense.

And that’s it! As always, hit me with your recommendations if you have something I should read/play/watch/or listen to!

Happy Sunday.