#personally i think beheading someone is romantic

[electroratio]

i have many many many thoughts about these books.

[silverselfshippingchaos]

I fucking HATE how the fandom treats m.ine. it's so bad 😭

[canichangemyblogname]

I’d personally like to know what fandom they’re in because every third day since May of this year, I have been subjected to takes that include statements like:

Tommy will cheat on Buck because gay men cheat.

Tommy will give Buck an STI because gay men sleep around.

I hope Tommy dies of AIDS.

Tommy is homophobic for dating Buck instead of a “femme twink bottom.”

If I were Buck, I’d have killed Tommy for flirting with me.

If you like Buck x Tommy, you’re just a fetishizer. Even if you’re a queer man. I said what I said.

We should stone Tommy.

M/M romantic relationships have always centered women.

Temu is a predator for dating a grown man who’s younger then him.

Jakey only wants Buck for his body and youth because gay men are shallow and superficial.

Which crime makes you want to execute Tteokbokki the most? Cutting a date short or calling a man by his given name?

Gay men are never actually gay; they just think they are. They actually like women, but don’t realize it or are lying.

Men like T*mmy should be beheaded for flirting with men the way he has with Buck.

Tommy is such a typical gay man, forcing himself on Buck in his loft and turning him gay.

Gay men are all liars, so I don’t expect Buck to put up with Tommy long.

Stereotypes about gay men obvi come from somewhere, and that’s real life! I have good cause to think Tommy will be bad for Buck as a gay man!

Buck’s not actually into men; Tommy is your typical man and pressured/coerced Buck into a relationship.

Tommy and Buck dating makes light of women’s relationship trauma.

Someone needs to tell Buck that he’s actually in love with his best friend!

The gayest thing to ever happen to Buck isn’t kissing a man or the implication he’s had sex with that man, but the one time he told his best friend he’d beat him up.

Buck x Tommy is problematic because they’re both men.

Tommy is a pedo because queer people prey on children and a teen in the show called him “cool” off-screen.

Any number of takes calling fans of 911’s recent decision to expand queer representation by including a same-sex male couple ���bummies” or “bummers” << UK queer people have told y’all to knock it off. It’s a slur.

Also any number of takes saying that Buck & Tommy’s relationship feels “off-putting,” “creepy,” “gross,” “weird,” “nauseating,” or “obscene”

If you flirt with men like Tommy, you’re a predator. Simple.

Tommy is a freak and a fetishizer.

Relationships are only meaningful and worthwhile if it’s a slow burn and you more friends for the better part of a decade first.

I think this queer guy is secretly in love with and pining for his (straight) best friend.

Queer guys and straight guys can’t be friends; the attraction gets in the way.

Buck is going to cheat on Tommy because Tommy’s old and has a low libido and Buck’s a bisexual slut.

Tommy is grooming Buck!

So, yeah, I’d like to know what fandom you’re in where people are being homophobic to real queer people for *not* liking Tommy, because all I’ve seen is people literally sending death threats and CSAM fics to queer people—often specifically targeting queer men—who support 911’s newest canon queer couple. It has been MONTHS of targeted harassment. Months. I’d like to know WHO these people are who are harassing queer people in the name of defending a “homophobic queer character,” and then I’d like to know how that character is homophobic.

Please—I beg—tell me how Tommy is a “homophobic” gay man. How is he anything like the self-proclaimed “homophobic gay men” of buddieblr? Do tell. Without relying on any tropes about gay men being predatory. Because the only reason y’all think he is and can and would “groom” or “prey upon” a grown man is based in very popular irl queerphobic stereotypes about queer men. Y’all have spent the last five months essentially saying: “I want to subject this fictional character to violence because of real life false conceptions about men like him.”

[captainjacklyn]

Can I make a request a headcanon of Riddle, Vil's, Jamil's and Azul's reaction to finding out that their romantic partner is a direct descendant of the Great Seven? (Like the ones who found and made their dorms?)

Male or Female Yuu/MC/Reader/Y/N please and thank you!

What a wonderful ask, my friend ! I apologize for making this so late, I hope that you will still enjoy reading these head canons if you are still out there. I'll be using gender neutral reader since I wanted everyone to enjoy it but if you wish for a male/female reader only, send in a request and I'll get right to it !

Pairing(s) : vil schoenheit x reader, jamil viper x reader, Azul ashengrotto x reader, riddle rosehearts x reader

Warning(s) : gn!reader, may have some cursing, they/them pronouns are used but gender isn't mentioned, reader is a merfolk in Azul's part (cause you know- Ursula is a mermaid..), also they act similar to their ancestors.

Jamil, Vil, Riddle and Azul finding out that their partner is a descendant of one of the great sevens :

Riddle Rosehearts

When Riddle first met you, he didn't think much of it. Sure you were quite commanding and respected the rules of his dorms very well (which he appreciated) but he just thought it was your personality and nothing more.

When he found you looking at the Queen of Heart's statue, he was surprised to see dissatisfaction on your face. You appeared a little bothered and as your partner he wished to make sure his s/o was alright.

"Is everything ok my Rose ? You seem a little out of your element."

"Ah Riddle, no I'm all good I'm simply thinking about certain things concerning my ancestor."

"Oh, and who are they ?"

"The one I'm looking at right now."

....

WhAt-

he wasn't expecting that, honestly, it feels like a bucket of ice got dropped on his head. Since she is seen in such a positive light in Night Raven College, he will start asking you about her.

"Oh she was a tyrannical queen, absolutely insane with no moral whatsoever. The only traditions we pass down in the family are the rules and leadership qualities, those are taught to the kids at a young age. I never admired her, not once. Sometimes rules didn't even need to be broken for her to cut someone's head off. If she was in front of me, breathing, at this exact moment I would give her a taste of her own medicine."

...

He didn't expect that, not once did he think of it that way. What was pictured to be a righteous royal turned out to be someone who beheaded people for a yes or a no.

It doesn't change what he thinks about you, you are your own person and what your ancestor did is unforgivable.

he's just stunned, and maybe a bit more proud of being your significant other.

Vil Schoenheit

You and Vil are the star couple of NRC, people literally turn blind when they look at the both of you. Dazzled with glam and beauty I swear to god-

He's glad he doesn't have to constantly shout at you for being reckless and ruining your eyeshadow. Not like some people

You were the perfect visual depiction of a queen/king/royal, I imagine you two walking down the school hallway and a red carpet spawns out of nowhere for the both of you to walk on.

Aphrodite has favorites.

You take good care of your appearance, no matter the special/ so called 'unusual' features you carry, you still manage to appear even more wonderful than the Fairest Queen herself.

Rook stalks you follows you around a lot. He would gush at you everyday as you sat in front of the mirror and prepared yourself for the day.

He does this to Vil as well and y'all consider this normal at this point. If you don't, then get prepared to be spooked all the time. Like...all the time.

"My my [Nickname], you look especially splendid today ! Not like you aren't usually, but you managed to make your beauty shine even more than it already was !"

"Well I am the Fairest Queen's great-great-great-great granddaughter/son/child after all."

"..."

"Pardon me."

"Where did that come from ? Orchidia was that in the script-"

Rook will tell Vil immediately, it isn't like it will affect your relationship in any way, he just thinks its a very interesting fact about you.

He may or may not flatter himself with it, but even if you weren't, your beauty does shine without an ancestor to prove it.

Jamil Viper

You are an amazing tactician, I mean, you were capable of coming up with a plan to stop kalim from burning down the dorm 10 days before it had the possibility of taking place.

And let's not ignore your persuasive abilities, you don't even need unique magic to have 200 students do what you want.

You and Jamil are one manipulative pair, but at least you have good morals. Kinda wishing you were there during the entirety of chapter 4 because it would have been over in one episode with no overblot happening at all.

Wether you scold him after finding out is your choice, but if it does happen don't be too harsh about it, his mind is little coo-coo at the moment.

So much that the only thing he catches you saying is :

"...And I don't want you turning into my great-great-great-great uncle simply because things didn't go your way. He was one manipulative and deceiving *sshole who I wish was never related to me at all. He was smart but for the wrong reasons, you are so much better than the sorcerer of sands Jamil ! I know it, and if anyone or anything is bothering you, I expect a full ranting session from your part-" "Wait you're related to the sorcerer of sands ?"

"...."

"Did you hear anything else about what I said ?"

"To be honest..."

"No."

Well that went well.

He is genuinely impressed and a little disappointed about the fact that the very man who represents his dorm is a huge traitor.

You're the one to talk- Lady Orchidia please calm down

He understands what you mean but his perception on Kalim won't change so if you're friends with the guy he stresses over everyday than you're gonna have to learn to live with it.

I repeat, it doesn't change your love for one another, except this time he'll be watching his back a little more. Knowing your advantage against him.

He's soft for you ngl

Azul Ashengrotto

Who are you and why are you so cute together-

Octopus lovers. Oh my god this is too much.

Orchidia you still need to finish the fanfic Shut your mouth and let me die, I finally found my reason to sleep forever.

You will probably have to be a mermaid/man/folk due to your origins but your appearance is your choice cause I'm too lazy to give you one also I have no idea what you look like.

You are once again amazing at convincing people into obeying your orders and both loves and fears your skill.

You are also is source of confidence and pride, if you can be happy in your original fish form than so can he (you just gotta tell him that often.)

He'll find out during a normal conversation where the two of you are in his office as he's arranging the contracts and listening to you talk about your day.

"Oh and did you know my family is related to the sea witch ? I know it's crazy to believe but-" "YOU'RE RELATED TO THE BENEVOLENT SEA WITCH ?!" "Yes...?" *runs up to you and shoves contract in your face* "Please marry me."

He is very happy and very excited, acting like a fan who gets to meet his idol for the first time in person.

He thought highly of you before, now it's through the stars. get it ? cause he thought highly of you ? damnit I suck at jokes.

He's willing to hear you talk about your ancestor for hours and hours, she is his role model after all.

Finds himself very lucky to be with you, even prior to your declaration. You two are just adorable- SQUISHY OCTOPUS !

[allisluv]

I don't like thinking that Finnick was Annie's first relationship bc they already make her whole personality be just Finnicks smol gf who starts screaming everytime he's away and is like the stereotypical good girl, that he is her only personality trait except acting like a toddler. For me she was kinda popular at school, the cool girl with the perfect life, smart pretty rich and shit. And even if she wasn't and was just like avarage she could still have experience with relationships. Like at least 3 or 4 guys, she has some experience. And that gives her the knowledge to show Finnick how's it like to be loved truly. And maybe give more parallels between her and Cato, maybe she had a similar personality as him, maybe she also had some brief romance with one of the careers who could end up betraying her and her district partner and behead him. The Capitol likes to ship. She's a hopeless romantic who gets heartbroken so many times. And she gets this gentle man at the end who could never dream of hurting her. And also people want to give her their their idea of "innocence" with the wattpad yn stereotypes and just make her learn everything from Finnick (which for me teaching someone how to do everything is kinda icky), including sex. Give her at least some independence from Finnick people! But still there's nothing wrong with her first time being with Finnick, I just don't think it was. I'm just pissed off at how people make her be like a kid.

-🎸

i hate it when people in this fandom try and make annie out to be nothing but finnick's girlfriend. like, they don't even acknowledge that she's a person with her own personality! in my head shes as stubborn as they come and she's not going to back down when she thinks shes right. i think she had maybe two or three boyfriends but finnick was her first time. in my eyes, annie was saving that intimacy for the right person.

[rnn11203]

i am trying to find info on Mine’s relationship with kanda but im coming up a bit sparse...i read a rily good fic once that touched on the subject, it was a character analysis and i really liked how it explained how mine values people by their abilities, their worth to society, their worth to him. I liked how brash and sloppy kanda was, it really made Mine look especially stuffy in comparison. (I unfortunately don’t remember what it was called nor can i find it but.. whatever that is fine!)

I really like when his stuffiness is more defined, he’s obviously not afraid to work, or get dirty, but it’s clear that violence is a bit frustrating to him. I think it’s a timely thing for him, such a waste of energy sorta thing. Rather than a moral matter ofc. It’s just more efficient to talk or to bribe. I also like how much less boastful he is than other antagonists, hes not all “look at me, look what i am, how powerful i am” he knows his worth. He says it himself “im much stronger than i look”.

I dont remember if its mentioned in game but i wonder if he beheaded kanda himself or had someone else do it, i believe its only mentioned that he had people murder kanda for him (obviously i have no idea if this is true and its a bit too grotesque for me to fact check but i image beheading him alive would be quite difficult so im assuming hes killed and then beheaded). I think it adds to his character either way, part of me thinks he would think that kanda wasn't worth his effort that his hands would be sullied if they touched him. But i could also see him doing it himself, the beheading is an apology after all, an act of good faith if you will, and i could see doing it himself being important to mine. I think it'd be some twisted form of sincerity? Obviously its not just an apology though. It's a threat. I think doing it himself makes more sense also i dont see him feeling too much towards kanda to be THAT disgusted by him, he wouldnt be worth that effort ykk.. (also not insane btw i think this is a valid form of character analysis!!)

His mortality is so interesting to me, this is super cliche but i really like when characters hate "weak" people bc they themselves were "weak" people, they ve convinced themselves that the blame is within themselves and not that they simply just got the short end of the stick. It's no wonder that mine met 1 person who was kind and compassionate just... because, and yeah... mine yoshitaka u will always be famous to me.

A bit random to throw in at the end, but yakuza 3 is a bit romantic hm? In a way.. if you squint!

[pterodactylterrace]

Okay. Let’s start unpacking, shall we?

Aemond: you feel bad he lost his eye and is now permanently disfigured and disabled. Because he claimed a dragon, and 4 other children took personal offense to it. As I have said before, THEY SHOULDN’T HAVE EVEN BEEN THERE. What were 4 children going to do if it was someone dangerous? Die? They never jump him, the whole thing never happens. When one party makes a clear mistake that caused something to happen, it tends to be their fault. They formed a mob and jumped another child over an imagined crime. Had they alerted the guard or stayed in bed, the whole thing would have been avoided. Also, Aemond only uses his “deadly weapon” after Jace whips out a knife. A knife he brought with him. He was planning for violence.

Daemon: killed his first wife, murdered and maimed hundreds of small folk without a trial, married his second wife of his own choice and still didn’t love her, fucked his niece at his wife’s funeral, groomed multiple young girls, almost beat a messenger to death and choked his third wife. That’s just season 1.

Rhaenyra: As I said before, NO ONE CARES THAT SHE HAD BASTARDS. We care that she put them in the succession, which is ILLEGAL. Pay attention when people talk. Literally no one cares she had kids with someone that wasn’t her husband. We care about the treason she pulled. We care about the constant lying. We care that she shows herself to be cruel to a recently maimed child. You really think the same woman that would suggest her younger brother be tortured wouldn’t have Cole gelded and beheaded if he told her father what she did? Ok, that’s a fantasy land. He owed his station directly to her choosing him. There was a huge power imbalance. We watch her continue stripping him while he stands frozen after telling her NO. That’s rape. It doesn’t matter that he eventually went along with it. She coerced him into doing it.

Aegon: We have a fragmented story of something that happened between him and the maid. It is assumed to be rape because Dyana drank moon tea. Her story is that she was getting him his wine, she put it in the table, and then she didn’t see him. She asked him to stop. It bugs me so much that people take this inference and decided Aegon did it, no questions asked, he is a terrible person, but what did Cole say again? Oh, Rhaenyra took his helmet to lure him into her chambers. Refused to give it back, blocked his exit when he tried to leave, ignored him when he says stop and then forces him to look at her. Switch the genders and it’s the exact same situation that happened with Aegon and Dyana, but we don’t see it happen. We watch Cole being assaulted, and people still want to sit there and say it was some romantic gesture. I’m sorry, but trying to leave and asking her to stop and not being able to look at her, is assault. He said “stop”, same thing Dyana said. But because the genders are reversed, Aegon is definitely guilty and evil (though we didn’t even see what happened) and Rhaenyra is just an innocent little thing that can do no wrong, even though we watch her sexually assault Cole.

Maybe we side with the green faction because we have the ability to understand words and shit? We can watch a scene and go “whoa, what was that?!” And realize that women are just as capable of being horrible people as men are? Just a thought.

[jedimaesteryoda]

"Petyr Baelish loved me once. He was only a boy. His passion was a tragedy for all of us, but it was real, and pure, and nothing to be made mock of. He wanted my hand. That is the truth of the matter. You are truly an evil man, Lannister." -AGOT, Tyrion IV

Catelyn looks at Petyr's feelings for her, and tries to convince herself that it was just a kid's crush, missing that it was something darker and more problematic. He challenged her betrothed Brandon to a duel for her hand. Note, he didn't even bother to ask Catelyn herself for her hand, let alone what she wanted, he just went and challenged Brandon for her hand as if she were a prize to be won. He also didn't take the hint when he asked for her favor and gave it to Brandon instead. Petyr himself believes he loved Cat, but in truth, he didn't actually love her, he confused infatuation and obsession with romantic love. Actual love is exemplified by Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice: "If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are not changed, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever." Darcy made it clear to Elizabeth that if she didn't want to be with him, he would respect that. That is love, it involves respect for the other person and treating them as an equal, even if their choices and wishes are not in line with yours.

Rather than love, Littlefinger's attitude is more male entitlement, being possessive and treating Catelyn as his property. He also plots her family's downfall in part due to being denied her.

"I used to dream of it, in those years after Cat went north with Eddard Stark. In my dreams it was ever a dark place, and cold."

He even liked to think of Winterfell as a cold, dark place, because he wanted Catelyn to be miserable in her marriage to Ned. He didn't wish her to find happiness, because he didn't want to imagine the possibility of her being happy with someone else. The only image of her being happy had to include him, which speaks to his vindictiveness and selfishness.

He repeats it with her daughter Sansa. Cersei remembers "Petyr Baelish had offered to wed the girl himself, she recalled, but of course that was impossible; he was much too lowborn," to which Petyr saw as a reliving of his past of Cat's hand being denied to him over his lowborn status. He reacted with the same vindictiveness, manipulating Joffrey into beheading Ned to screw Cersei despite knowing it would clearly hurt Sansa. He brought Sansa to the Vale where she is effectively his prisoner as she has nowhere else to go and nor will he let her. It's exactly the kind of relationship dynamic he wanted with Cat: one where he has all the power and control in the relationship and she is compliant, serving at his side and being the object of his desires, unable to reject his advances.

Littlefinger for all his purported genius, has a pattern of recklessness when dealing with Tully/Stark girls. He challenged a more experienced and stronger fighter to a duel for Cat's hand, and forces a kiss on Sansa in the godswood where Lysa sees. He also wasn't the lovesick romantic Cat hoped he was, but an entitled, vindictive abuser who only wants a relationship where his desires are the only ones that matter and he has the power.

But like with Cat, he will learn that women often have desires and wishes of their own. He won't win over Sansa any more than he could her mother.

[esther-dot]

Do you have any suggestions/meta recommendations for introducing someone to jonsa? My sister was the one one who got me into asoiaf a decade+ ago & while my journey has led me to jonsa, the idea of a jon + sansa romance was completely foreign to her when I finally brought it up after the end of season 8. She’s an absolute blank slate & I want to give her everything but I have no idea where to start!! I bow to your wisdom 🙏🏼

Our minds work in such unique ways, it’s hard to say what would be the most compelling bit of evidence for a specific person? We recently had a fandom poll and everyone is pretty enamored with Jon beheading Slynt, which happens to be my favorite bit of evidence because it involves minimal interpretation, no reading of the author’s mind, a simple wish for a hero and Jon fulfilling the wish. It’s a unique connection between Jon and Sansa.

What makes it feel romantic is that we then have Sansa say “no one will ever marry me for love” and if the pattern holds of her despairing only for Martin to be showing the audience that she needn’t despair (no heroes -> Jon decapitates Slynt, no true knights -> Brienne exists, no one will marry her for love -> ???), she will marry someone who isn’t after her claim, but how will the reader know that person wants her, not her claim? Conveniently, Jon has been offered and already rejected Winterfell. Not just rejected it, said, Winterfell belongs to Sansa. Again, a unique connection.

I find that indicative of intent, one method Martin uses to make Jonsa feel embedded in their personal journeys while they’re so far apart. This will make the romance feel like it’s always been written into their story, not a last-minute development. But, I know that isn’t the line of thought that convinced others, so I will share a few favorite metas.

Find Sansa’s Husband

This one by Istumpy is a great angle to approach bringing someone into the fold. (That sounds a little culty…😅) Some may say Sansa is too young for a husband (we all think that tbh), but if you take seriously the issue of carrying on the Stark line, it is a great breakdown of contenders for her husband, and very accessible to someone who isn’t already invested in the idea.

I’ll include Jon and Waymar parallels because they too seem deliberate. Not sure why Sansa had a crush on this guy who happens to foreshadow Jon’s death unless there’s a connection being made there?

Jonnel x Sansa (1, 2) For some, this is the clincher. If your sister buys into the idea of precanon/history foreshadowing events in the series, this might do it.

Compatible dreams. Short, to the point, matchy matchy. Love. starkmaiden is also responsible for the work of art that is The Jonsa Compendium (not the first thing for a new fan to read, but a wonderful resource once you’re initiated).

Now the next one is one of the first metas I ever read (I was never involved in fandom before Jonsa), and I still adore it years and thousands and thousands of words of absorbed meta later. We didn’t get the predicted endpoint; however, this is where Jonsa began for many people because the OP predicted the Jon and Sansa reunion way before it happened on the show. The ability to predict something accurately makes me take that person seriously, and the OP called stuff very, very early. They even mentioned the NedCat of it all and then the show had Jon/Sansa cosplay them and recreate one of their scenes! Even though the conclusion isn’t what will happen, the argument for Jonsa as a romantic pairing is wonderful. It makes a great, overall case for them, and for many, A Time for Wolves is The Jonsa Meta.

Drifting-snowflakes made a series of posts that are very convincing. They kinda, look at what the show did and point out how that did and did not align with what we might reasonably expect in the books. If your sister accepts some of the broad ideas of the GoT ending, these are compelling arguments for what to expect in Martin’s. A Dream for Spring and Why Jon and Sansa will get married (1, 2)

If your sister is a lit nerd, cappymightwrite is the blogger she’d be drawn to. Here’s a post talking about the incest motif in the romantic movement and several posts about the Jon/Byron connection (1, 2, 3). That being pertinent to Jonsa for…reasons. 😬

A lot of us are fans of The Lord of the Rings and we all know Martin is a huge fan, so maybe your sister would enjoy the parallels between Aragorn/Arwen and Jonsa? I think the idea that Martin is writing his own, darker, more complicated version of that romance compelling.

Or, maybe a specific angle is too limited? Some people work best with a more comprehensive presentation. Here are posts that talk about several things all at once:

Jon Snow: The Silent Unknown and Unthought Answer to Sansa's Hopes

Book foreshadowing

Jonsa Endgame foreshadowing

Book hints in chronological order

Also, over the years I’ve noticed many, many Jonsas come to it via fic, so if she’s into GoT-verse fic, I’d rec thimbleful’s alternate s8 (that was written well before s8) because it’s been called out by non shippers as a great way to wrap up everything we’d been given in the previous seasons. Once Jonsa is something you enjoy, it’s a lot more likely you’ll read theories with an open mind.

Your closer made me laugh, and I’m sorry I don’t have one “this is the answer!!!” recommendation, but I hope one of those seems like something your sister would enjoy!

[acourtofthought]

"Lucien said he didn’t care that she wasn’t one of the High Fae"

"he was certain the mating bond would snap into place soon"

"he was going to marry her and leave his father’s court to his scheming brothers.”

"he hadn’t wanted anything but her. She’d seen him not as a High Lord’s seventh son, but as a male. Had loved him without question, without hesitation."

I think the love Lucien had for Jesminda is too easily overlooked and undervalued by some Anti's / Pro Vassien / Pro E/riel's.

This was a Male who already had the potential to be an incredible leader, even at a young age:

“I’d say that sounds more High-Lord-like than the life of an idle, unwanted son.”

A long, steely look. “Did you think it was mere hatred that prompted my brothers to do their best to break and kill me?”

Yet he was willing to leave it all behind for Jesminda. For a love that didn't care about power or bloodlines.

And then he was forced to watch as she was beheaded, a guilt he's carried around for centuries because he honestly (though incorrectly) believes he should have done something to protect her.

And his love and loyalty to her has remained throughout time. Yes, he's had physical encounters but he's never opened himself up to a real connection with anyone else as he thought he had lost his Mate and still feels like he's betraying Jesminda when he thinks Elain is the most beautiful female he’s ever seen.

That is an EPIC kind of love.

I'm sorry but I just don't think his friendship with Vassa, a female he's already been living with for over a year (and has not expressed romantic interest in as he's still looking at Elain with longing in SF) can in any way compete with what he felt for Jesminda. He and Jesminda were an inferno while Vassa would feel like a lukewarm bath in comparison.

That's not a slight against Vassa but there's no real chemistry between the two when you are witness to their actual conversations. I'm not talking about Feyre's opinion of their interactions, I'm talking about the reader being up close and personal with the two. Cassian notes that Lucien seems to often play the role of mediator between Vassa and Jurian, breaking up their disagreements. In an SJM novel, banter, snark and anger tend to equal passion and Lucien seems to play the role of parent to she and Jurian (decidedly not sexy).

It's interesting that both Lucien and Rowan lost a female (who were considered "lesser") they truly loved to murder. Females they both thought were their Mates for centuries after their death. And only Rowan's true Mate was the one to help him finally let go of his past.

It doesn't matter how unique and special a particular female is, I honestly can not imagine Lucien ever truly letting go of Jesminda for anyone less than the most sacred of Fae Bonds. It just doesn't seem logical to have had him love someone so much he was convinced they were his Mate, only to end up with a female he knows can't be his Mate.

The only thing with the potential to be more powerful than the love he felt Jesminda is his actual Mate. And being with Elain means he would no longer have to sacrifice who he was meant to be because his Mate could be just as influential in the Fae Court system as he is foreshadowed to be (unlike a Human Queen who cares for her people in the Human Lands, not the Fae).

[cursezoroark]

OoooOoOooo.....you wanna make an oc x canon ship with Taka sooooo bad.....join meeeeeee/ silly.

But uh. Yeah. Unless Mercury does get hit with sledgehammer I don't. Know if it'll work hgvhvgvgvcg. It's really dependent on what you do with them lol.

- R

SEE ok the thing is. I think Taka does like Mercury romantically. The entire time in the desert as I was playing I was thinking “is he flirting. Is he flirting in a rlly sad way.” And then the train car scene happened and I died. I was charmed. I’m so easily charmed by sad pathetic men. I give him a little kiss. I knew he was getting stabbed later though so rip to him.

But Mercury is like. poison in a bottle that isn’t neutralized yet and they Know they would probably be bad for him. They probably have an idea about it. But they don’t engage w it because 1. They’re in the fucking desert and got electrocuted to hell and back + wow that’s a beheaded person! they need some quiet. And 2. They actually like Taka as a person, and wants them to be on their level. They don’t think they’re good for him in that manner. They like having someone that knows what it’s like to (REDACTED) so. rare scenario where they’re unsure how to approach this.

ah but don’t get me wrong they do find him attractive. But not in the sentimental value (as of me writing this). I don’t know I can’t rlly see Mercury fully going all mushy romance rlly. U have to work rlly hard to charm a charmer. Either have smth severely wrong w u (Flora lmaooo) or be someone painfully earnest. Which Taka is slowly turning to be. But again, Mercury’s a person I slam down who doesn’t “want to be tied down”. Whether or not that changes (and even if it’s w Taka) is up in the air.

[brotherslayer]

hi, i was stalking your blog - and i adore your aus! i like your analysis and you're really good with your words! i just wanted to know - hypothetically, do you think anastacius and diana would ever work in any au?

I'm not sure but what I'm sure of is that it would never be as intense as the love of two emotionally broken people. Claudiana's whirlwind romance sounded like severe mania to me. Falling in love with a tyrant at first sight and deciding on having a baby with him a few weeks into the relationship, even sacrificing your life for said child and having faith that said tyrant would never let any harm come onto them, all this after a few months of knowing each other is a decision no woman in their right mind would ever make. Realistically it would make sense if Diana was a person who was attracted to toxic men like the moth to a flame. A person who wanted to fix others and struggled with their own mental health in a way that was not obvious to others because she was introduced when she was in a mania episode of euphoria, delusions, and overactivity. With Claude's she was his maniac pixie dream girl and died before her problems became apparent. With Anastacius her own struggles could be explored too.

How would the palace life affect Diana in the long run? Perhaps it is her fairy imaginary that makes me view Diana as someone deeply connected to nature and ever-changing. With time she might feel stifled like a flower in a vase or a songbird in the cage. Diana would hate the restricted life in the palace and go on long trips or mingle herself on the streets with the common folk. Someone like her would miss the life of a travelling entertainer and seek to replicate such life as best as she can at court. It's entirely possible that Diana and Anastacius' relationship would be something short-lived. They would break up on good terms and remember each other fondly many years later. I can imagine Diana as someone who jumps from relationship to relationship and doesn't really differenciate between romantic and platonic love. She loves someone as a friend but said friend wants more? She doesn't mind it and would sleep with them to see if she could feel the spark.

Supposing they stayed together: Unlike Claude I don't see Anastacius' breaking traditions easily. He cannot marry Diana and make her Empress. The logical conclusion is that he would have to take a princess as his official wife while keeping Diana as his concubine. Rather than offending the other party like Claude who would behead every envoy with marriage proposal and send their heads back, the best Anastacius could do would compromise and reduce at least his number of concubines. Now I have to pose the following questions: Does Anastacius have it in himself to put his lover through the same suffering Claude's mother had to endure? Would he be willing to humiliate his wife in the same way his own mother had been humiliated? Is he able not to play favourites between the child that was born out of love and the one that was born out of duty? Anastacius seems to have a soft spot for children. He would try to love them in equal measure but I think the children would understand unconsciously that he loves one of the mothers more than the other and his legitimate child might feel insecure because of this and doubt the extend of their fathers love. It would cause Anastacius many grieviances if his children would not get along.

However I think if Anastacius' married a good woman she and Diana would grow as close as sisters and she would love her stepchild as much as her own blood. Of course this requires that Diana doesn't die in childbirth. I think the chances of Anastacius committing himself completely to dark magic are slim in an AU like that. Throughout the series people only turn to black magic if they feel betrayed or unloved by their family. If Anastacius were to have a person like Diana by his side his heart would be purefied just by the goodness and love she gives so freely away. He wouldn't be so insecure and bitter if there was someone who loved him in spite of his lack of power or his status as crown prince. Ideally he would have to meet her in disguise. Maybe he's hunting and got lost or he went out to collect magicial herbs in the woods where Diana's dancer troop pitch their camp, they meet each other, fall in love, Diana notices that he's being targeted by an evil spirit and gives him a protection charm or performs an exorcism ritual that she has learned in Siodonna. She could have her own heroine arc where the lady saves her prince with the help of the prince's brother. Anastacius' relationship with Claude would improve after a heart to heart talk and a sincere apology, but I think Claude would fall for Diana in every universe and it would end on a bittersweet note for him.

In a darker AU Anastacius would have an affair with Diana to use her to give birth to his miracle child and would only realize once its too late the kind of danger he is putting her in (and that he has hopelessly fallen in love with her). Apart from that even if he never performed any experiments on her it's possible that Diana would die in childbirth. Despite Anastacius' absurdy low amount of mana he still comes from a long line of magicians and might have passed on the gene that has skipped him onto his own child.

Aeternitas could hijack someone else. Anastacius' father for example. Or Claude who is tormented by his unrequited love towards Diana. Anastacius might die anyway because of the aftereffects of his black magic usage in his youth (remember Aeternitas targeted him since childhood). Tragically Claude would find himself in a succession crisis with the children of his brother and the woman he loved and might even be forced to kill them one day.

[artist-issues]

Your favorite character was Graham you say?

How did/do you feel about his history/relationship(?) with Regina. Since there are a lot of different opinions and I'm curious how you view the two. Especially with Regina literally having Graham's heart and him having to obey her otherwise he'd die.

I don’t love his relationship with her. I don’t think they should’ve made it romantic, but I see why they did, because by making him romantic with the Evil Queen, they could segue into giving Emma a love interest that her rival also has. Like Mean Girls.

I don’t think they should’ve made it romantic because the only things we know about the Huntsman from the Snow White fairy tales is that he 1) is compassionate 2) works for the Evil Queen and 3) is afraid of her ((enough to initially obey her command to kill a child; enough to try and outsmart her instead of stand up to her directly.))

All those things are still intact in OUAT. It’s just…it’s not clear why the original Evil Queen from the fairy tale would ever want to be in a romantic relationship with her Huntsman. So why is it that way in OUAT? Just because the actor is handsome and the leading lady needed to prove she could get the villainess’ man.

Remember, this is the issue I had with season 1 of OUAT. Regina is an interesting villainess and a cool character but she’s not…actually…The Evil Queen Character from the original Snow White.

The Evil Queen from the original Snow White was self-obsessed in the MOST shallow way. She wanted to be the most renowned beauty in all the land. She wanted everyone to see her as beautiful, even though all along her heart was ugly. Which is what makes her a good opposite to Snow White, who is pure, innocent love on the inside and the outside, with nothing to hide. If you suddenly say, “no, the Evil Queen didn’t poison Snow because she was jealous—she poisoned Snow because she has this hole in her heart where love was stolen from her, and she thinks revenge or a child of her own will fill it,” that’s a cool character, but it’s not The Evil Queen.

If I were telling that story, I’d simply have had Regina find out that Graham kept Emma on as a deputy, or was consulting with her on police cases, and won’t stop defying orders on top of being dangerously close to finding out about the curse… then she crushes his heart and kills him. It’s still the same basic reasons—Regina needs to protect her secrets/Regina can’t stand losing control of something she once possessed/Regina hates anything that contributes to Emma’s happiness, etc. But you take out the weird “we’re in a loveless power-struggle relationship.”

But…you know, to do that, I’d have to re-tell all of OUAT, because this OC they made up who is not the real Evil Queen, Regina, really is the central character of the OUAT show. To re-write her motives in “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” would only make sense if she weren’t Regina anymore; if she were the real Evil Queen from the fairy tales, instead.

But either way Graham can still be in love with Emma and she can still be in love with him. I liked that, even if the “age” difference was weird. But take out the part where he’s ever forced into a relationship with the Queen. The Evil Queen wouldn’t have any interest in exercising her power, romantically or sexually or whatever, over someone who was already her subordinate. She’d just have him beheaded, or curse him. She doesn’t care about proving her power or finding someone to love her. She cares about appearances and being worshipped.

Anyway. Graham.

I liked that they explained his compassion for an innocent person like Snow White by recognizing she’s “pure of heart…” because he has this whole life-philosophy of “purity of heart” and knows how to spot it in animals. Because they raised him. So that’s cool. I like that he still has to learn to stand up to Regina, because in the original fairy tale, like I said, that’s the one thing he doesn’t really do. So it’s cool that when he meets Emma, he’s supposed to frame and ruin her by order of the Queen, but he doesn’t, simply because he genuinely feels compassion for her. That’s Step 1: show how he’s still The Huntsman at his core. Then Step 2 is: have the Huntsman’s story move forward from there, which essentially what the Curse being broken looks like: it stops all the fairy tale characters from moving toward a Happy Ending, and rewinds their character developments, and freezes them in time. Then when Graham starts developing past the point his character ended on in the fairy tale, that’s when the curse starts to weaken, so he has to be killed off. So I thought Graham was just a really cool bite-sized version of the whole plot, before they killed him off. 🤷‍♀️

[courtney-deserved-better]

my fair lady: part nine - a gwourtney choose your own adventure!

(part one | part two | part three | part four | part five | part six | part seven | part eight) (read on ao3)

i'm going to be completely offline from 3/16-3/26 so i'm extending this poll to be a week instead of a day. here's part nine!

Gwen quickly sticks her foot out in front of Heather.

“Ack!”

Thump!

As Gwen tries to keep running, Heather grabs her ankle.

“Argh!”

Thump!

“If you’re going to try and lose the challenge, can you at least do it more subtly?” Heather hisses.

Oh thank God, she thinks I tripped her to delay our progress, not because I definitely don’t want to have a conversation about any romantic feelings toward Courtney—of which there are none! None!!!

“This is why you don’t run in heels, Heather,” Gwen says loudly, as the rest of her team jogs back over to her and Heather’s fallen forms.

Heather ignores the hand Alejandro offers her and stands up. “You’re wearing boots, what’s your excuse?”

“It was probably just the cobblestones,” Courtney says, pulling Gwen to her feet. “Now c’mon, we’ve gotta beat Team Chris to the spire!”

The team takes off running, Gwen very aware of how Courtney has not let go of her hand since she helped her up. Once they get inside the Tower, Courtney leads them up.

And up.

And up.

“I am not—” wheeze “—made—” wheeze “—for stairs,” Noah pants, stopping to lean against the wall of the landing. “You guys go ahead… I’ll catch up to you… gotta catch my breath first… don’t like playing catch…”

“Okay, bye,” Courtney says, beginning to run further up the stairs.

“Wait!” Alejandro calls. “Chris said Jack the Ripper is also hunting us. Leaving one person alone is bound to get them captured.”

“So stay and babysit Noah!” Heather says, following Courtney up the stairs.

Gwen shrugs and lets Courtney keep pulling her up. “See you guys in a bit.”

Stairs. Stairs. More stairs. And then—

Courtney gasps as she leads Gwen and Heather into a dismal room.

“Oh my gosh! This is the very room Anne Boleyn lived in before Henry VIII beheaded her!”

“Is this a medieval torture chamber?” Gwen asks, looking around at all the strange devices. “Sick!”

“I think you mean sickening,” Heather says.

“That’s an Iron Maiden,” Gwen says, pointing at the different devices, “that’s a breaking wheel, that’s a thumbscrew—”

“And that’s a rack,” Courtney says, pointing to the prominent table-like structure in the middle of the room.

Heather shudders. “Ick. You two deserve each other.”

“What?” Courtney asks.

Before Heather can respond, Chef emerges from the shadows, dressed as a medieval torturer.

“The clue’s inside,” he says, pointing to the rack. “If you wanna get it, you better tie someone on and stretch!”

“I nominate Heather,” Gwen immediately.

“I second that motion.”

“Hey!”

Alejandro chooses that moment to burst through the door, carrying Noah in his arms bridal style. He slams the door shut and the boys slide to the ground in a crumpled heap.

“…Hello?” Courtney says.

Heather frowns. “What was that about?”

“Ripper,” Alejandro wheezes, panting heavily. “Came after us. Barely got away.”

“I hate the British,” Noah adds helpfully. “What’s going on up here?”

Gwen jabs a thumb at the rack. “We gotta stretch someone to get the clue.”

“Gwen nominated Heather,” Courtney says gleefully.

“I think we should stretch you,” Heather says.

“Absolutely not! I’m the reason we made it here before Team Chris, who certainly doesn’t have a tour guide. And I already got whipped by you in the Yukon!”

“Fine, then let’s stretch Noah. He’s the reason half our team almost got caught.”

“I’m with Gwen on this one,” Noah says. “Stretch Heather.”

Courtney rubs her chin. “Alejandro is the tallest…”

“So you want to make me taller?”

“Does it work like that?”

“Come on!” Chef yells. “Just pick someone already!”

[unreadpoppy]

6 songs tag game

I was tagged by @flamemittens!

I'm doing these for my dnd oc, Elizabeth Adawolf (drawing by @littlemoondarlingarts)

No pressure tagging: @desenhosdebolso @actualmagus @littlemoondarlingarts

(and you can bet i'm gonna put some of the meaning of these songs in a vaccum)

An event that defines your character's past (Blackbird by Norma John)

You sang when he was in my bed You sang when my heart sang, now Now you remind me of something I'll never have so Blackbird don't sing

I wrote a whole ass fic based on this song and in regards to Elizabeth's past, it's related to how she and her girlfriend got separated from one another.

2. How your character sees themselves (Monster by Skillet)

I feel it deep within It's just beneath the skin I must confess that I feel like a monster I hate what I've become The nightmare's just begun I must confess that I feel like a monster

Elizabeth's a werewolf, and for a long time she realy struggled with that, especially with the shift from her usual life to now being alone and working as a monster hunter. Beyond that, 'I hate what I've become' is a line that resonates with Elizabeth because she has suvivor's guilt and she keeps thinking about how she's not good, and she wished she had died alongside her family or that someone else has survived cause she did and she's a mess.

3. How others view them (Queen of Kings by Alessandra)

Got raven hair, it's dark as night Icy eyes, out of sight, out of sight Her heart in spite, is warm and bright Her smile awakes the Northern Light (...) A firestone forged in flames The wildest card, run the game, run the game Can't stay the same in this world of change Don't fear the pain, just break the chain

Very early on in our game, we discovered that Elizabeth was the chosen of the sun goddess, which also made her the heir of some kingdom, and because of that, some revolutions in a continent started happening and she's kinda the leader of all that now (and of the party) so this is why people see her way differently than she sees herself. Others do see her as a strong, capable leader.

4. Their closest relationship (platonic or romantic) - Universe & U by KT Tunstall

And you know there's no need to hide away You know I tell the truth, we are just the same And I can feel everything you do Hear everything you say even when you're miles away 'Cause I am me, the universe and you (...) Oh-oh when you're on your own I'll send you a sign Just so you know That I am me, the universe and you

Kallista is the most important person is Elizabeth's life after her family died, and one thing I like about this song in regards to that is that it refers to distance, because Kallista and Elizabeth have been (physically) separated for a long time now but the love they hold for each other is still very strong (so much so that one of the driving motivations of both of their stories was trying to find the other).

5. A major fight scene - Hero by Skillet

A hero's not afraid to give his life A hero's gonna save me just in time I need a hero to save me now I need a hero (save me now) I need a hero to save my life A hero'll save me (just in time)

Fun fact: This was the song I was listening when I came up with the concept for Elizabeth! And the reason it's here it's because of the image it conjured when I listened to it that led to Elizabeth which was a battle scene and of her beheading people to save others. Also I think the chorus has some beats that kinda give those 'combat montages' vibes kkkk

6. End credits song - Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles

Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo Here comes the sun, and I say It's alright Little darlin', it's been a long, cold, lonely winter Little darlin', it feels like years since it's been here

This is the moment where I get a bit sappy but because our campaign never ended (as our DM gave up on it due to personal reasons), there's not an actual, canon ending for my girl. BUT, in my personal ending, I would have wished for Elizabeth to finally get the peace and happiness she longs for and deserves and this song kinda signifies that for me, both in a metaphorical sense (the winter being sadness ending for the sun, peace, to come it) but also in a literal sense as i said before, Elizabeth is the chosen of a sun god, so I think it just fits perfectly.

[yallemagne]

What do you think of people who whole-heartedly ship Jonathan and the monster himself?

Oh... bless their hearts. /s

Now, someone is going to call me a hypocrite because my fanfic is tagged with Dracula/Jonathan and heavily involves their relationship. The tag is there because it happens in the story, not because it's gonna be endgame. It certainly will not be. Depicting the ship is fine, but people who have deluded themselves into thinking Jonathan belongs with Dracula are just as bad as DracMina shippers.

Eh. I've read plenty of fanfics wholeheartedly shipping Jonathan and Dracula, and I personally don't see the appeal. Most don't even try to make Dracula... appealing. So Jonathan doesn't even falls in love with him, he's just stuck with him. How romantic. And stories that try to make Dracula softer? I feel like it would be better if you just picked a different old man because, at that point, it ain't Dracula.

Now, exploring the homoerotic tension between these two is one of my favourite things *gestures to my obsession with the trope of Dracula shaving Jonathan*, but I don't think any stories that want Dracula/Jonathan as endgame ever capture the slowburn of infatuation turning to horror and hatred on Jonathan's end, nor the chance interest turning to obsession on Dracula's end. They dull the actual thrilling parts of Jonathan and Dracula's dynamic and just make Dracula an abusive husband and Jonathan a battered man. It's not fun to see. I want Jonathan to behead him! Let him do it!!

Simply put, I don't like it. I certainly don't like "romantic" Dracula/Jonathan because the sexual aspects of their relationship are already very non-consensual. Dracula does not see Jonathan as a person, he sees him as property, and if Jonathan is doing nothing to push back against that idea, then that's not Jonathan, that's a sexy lamp you named Jonathan. Also, wholeheartedly shipping them always requires deleting Mina from the narrative (either by killing her or having Jonathan willfully abandon her), and I FUCKING HATE THAT. If Jonathan's undying love for Mina doesn't fit into the story, then it's not really a decent story, now is it? That isn't Jonathan! That is a lamp!

I'm not speaking about any writer or fic in particular, by the way. There are so many of them. I couldn't name even one.