#rather than your standard love triangle

[narniangirl1994]

It's interesting how so many of Roy and Keeley's relationship breakthroughs/milestones happen as a direct or indirect result of Jamie. Obviously them meeting in the first place was probably only because she started dating Jamie. But there were also so many other instances.

Keeley trying to make Jamie jealous by bidding on Roy at the charity auction led to the conversation between her and Roy about him not wanting to be used as a pawn and her realizing she needed to be accountable, which was their first significant conversation together before dating and the first real glimpse into what she could have with someone more mature. When Roy messed up his knee chasing Jamie down on the field, it allowed Keeley to comfort Roy at his most vulnerable moment and get that much closer to him.

When Keeley really wanted Roy to get out of his retirement funk and connect with football again, she compared him to Jamie trying to get back into the game. And directly after comparing Roy to Jamie (calling Jamie brave), Roy agreed to try the pundit gig and rediscovered his love of being involved in the game - allowing him to be vulnerable and passionate again for Keeley. When Roy was unknowingly crowding Keeley too much and didn't entirely understand where she was coming from, Jamie's statement about needing to give his fellow players space on the field helped Roy understand Keeley's need for space.

It's also fascinating how Jamie's love confession at the funeral came directly before and closely paralleled Roy's own confession to her about his feelings about death/love for Keeley. Jamie has also led to the individual growth of both Roy and Keeley (arguably Roy more than Keeley) and vice versa. This all makes for a very fascinating dynamic...

[sdr2lovemail]

Hi there!

I finally got around to request something for Bill ^⁠_⁠^

Could I get some Bill Cipher x reader headcanons during weirdmageddon? How would it look like being by his side as his s/o? I love this yellow triangle so much-

Have a nice day / night! <3

Being Bill Cipher's partner during Weirdmageddon! (GN Reader)

Notes: I'm surprised in all my time of being in the gravity falls fandom I've never written anything for it. I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: Unhealthy relationships

It’s all reliant on if we’re talking about canon Bill or a more fanon version where he’s capable of love. So I’ll write both!

Canon Bill would keep you around more as a plaything than a partner. A trophy, if you will. He’s taken over the world, the Pines were out of his hair, and all he needed now was a prize! And that little prize would be you! 

He will poke, push, and prod every one of your buttons until you give him a reaction. Getting angry towards him won’t do anything for you. It’ll just bring him to provoke you more.

Bill would give his henchmaniacs free rein to torment you as long as no fatal harm comes to your body.

Any privacy you thought you had is nonexistent. There are eyes everywhere. Literally!

Now, there’s another side I could imagine. It's a side that’s nicer but still nowhere near friendly. If you were a possible disciple of his, wanting to help him start the end of the world, you’d be treated slightly better. 

You’d be more like a servant than a trophy. He would give you more freedom in a way. Like sending you to do tasks that he can’t be bothered to do.

“Hey, disciple. Go run to the never ending forest dimension and send Mother Nature a message. She still owes me something.” There wouldn’t even be time for you to respond before he whisks you away with a snap of his fingers.

Now, moving on to a more romantic version of Bill!

Having been betrothed to the strongest being in the universe, you’ll be absolutely spoiled. Anything across the multiverse is yours. Bill can make it happen!

While he doesn’t need to sleep, he’ll set up a room just for you in the Fearamid. Ever seen a triangle-shaped bed? Well, now you have! The room would be decorated in the gaudiest decorations a demon could think of. I hope you like the color gold, you’ll be seeing it in your nightmares. The room would be soundproof as well. The party isn’t stopping just because Bill’s human needs some rest.

Affection with Bill won’t be typical by human standards. Rather than hugs and gentle touches, he’s a lot more aggressive. Punches on the arm, slaps on the back, and heavy-handed head rubs are more his style. But maybe if you beg, he’ll let you kiss one of his surfaces.

Trips to another dimension are always a fun date idea! You’ll be introduced to species and lands beyond your mortal comprehension. See anything you like here, go ahead and take it back to the Fearamid. What you want is yours to take!

Bill likes to go all out and party. He’s throwing the biggest and most chaotic wedding you’ll ever attend. Any guest that doesn’t bring a nice enough gift is either getting thrown into the worst dimension possible or turned to stone.

Good luck taking that ring off your finger, you’re bound to him for all of eternity!

[schoenpepper]

You Are My Sunshine

Intro: It turns out soulmate marks don’t work over text.

Warnings: bad writing, awful grammar, reader is not yuu, unrequited love, kinda angsty idk, love triangle kinda, shipping crumbs haha, self esteem issues, reader kinda judgmental, angst, open ish ending, not proofread

A/N: I think the account is deleted but this is for a requester in my 300 follower event, I can't tag them though. Sorry it took so long.

Masterlist

‘I love you.’

Your soulmate is quite the straightforward guy.

Your mark’s been inscribed from birth; on your wrist is a scrawling, messy sort of handwriting that speaks of feelings you didn’t understand until you were at least 12.

In the form of Jamil Viper.

Maybe it’s the way he helped you so effortlessly with your chores, or even how he’s still so kind to you despite the way he’s so obviously favored by master Kalim. You’d long since been taught to be invisible as you serve food and drinks on banquet tables and be silent as you run through the halls. Perhaps those parts of your servant training inevitably bled through to your everyday life. Compared to other children your age, you’re barely noticeable. Nothing but a speck in the backdrop.

In the darkness, Jamil is a shadow slithered alongside you, as silent and invisible. It’s a comforting presence.

It’s unfortunate that he’s not your soulmate. Wrapped around his wrist in elegant cursive, like those you’d see written by quill and ink, ‘It’s my pleasure to meet you, truly. You certainly seem like a worthy…client.’, whatever that meant. Your first words to him are certainly not up to that standard. It fit him though, surely only someone of grace and eloquence is deserving of someone like Jamil.

That’s not to say it makes your pining hurt any less. Or that it helps at all. Still, it comforts you that the one you adore will find a future with someone who’s…not you. Someone better, presumably.

At fifteen, Jamil gets a black envelope.

You’re happy for him; his chance to become someone more than just a servant, far away from the master, it’s already in his hands. Being a mage makes for a lot more job opportunities than constantly cleaning up master Kalim’s messes, right? It was funny to see the master bawling his eyes out at the night of Jamil’s departure (definitely not out of spite but also, why is the master clingier towards Jamil than you are?).

Ah, but he gets invited to NRC too.

The house throws a huge party (that you have to serve for, of course), and you decide to work in the kitchen instead of weaving around the crowd of higher echelon folks in the ballroom. The smell of spices is stronger than the breeze carrying expensive colognes, so it’s a rather comforting place for you as you ponder over the situation. The situation technically has nothing to do with you. But gossip spreads quick, from the lips of a maid who'd heard it from her lady, she whispers it to the chef and to the butler and eventually, the entire town knows. Behind the glamor of these rich and noble people, their dirt is scattered like crumbs in a park, feeding bored laborers like starved pigeons. Kalim Al Asim got into the prestigious college because his parents paid more than enough to build at least two more dormitories.

It’s a bit…gross.

There’s nothing more annoying to you than seeing scenes like this. Master Kalim is technically faultless—he doesn’t seem to have the scheming to do such a thing—but his original sin was being born with everything you could never have in your life. Money makes the world go round, and the Al Asim family makes the world turn on their palm like a hamster running desperately on its wheel.

You hope your soulmate could be less dependent. You’d had dreams before of course, imaginations and such of what kind of person your soulmate could possibly be. Wouldn’t it be perfect if they were just like Jamil? Smart, responsible, hardworking and independent. Does it make you a bit of a hateful person, being so envious of your master at times when he’s done nothing to deserve your ire? Perhaps. But that still doesn’t stop the feeling, does it? In your eyes, Kalim is an overgrown child whose naivete will get him in trouble one day.

Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

Why is it that you have to work so hard for a happy ending when it’s already set in stone for him?

(You hate Kalim. Really.)

There’s not too much to do without your master around. Sure there are the occasional chores, but since you’re part of Kalim’s personal entourage and he’s not exactly around, most days you’re free to do as you please. It’s easy to get bored—your life before this point had been studying and duties and such—so having so much free time is a strange concept, but not one you couldn’t grasp. You end up downloading Magicam and register an account.

It’s there that you meet the beginning of a series of endless problems.

Not that you knew it then.

User ‘sunshineSANDrain’ commented on one of your first posts. On a simple selfie in a new outfit you’d bought with some pocket money (the Al Asims were anything but stingy).

sunshineSANDrain: cute!

It was innocent enough, and you’d have overlooked it had their profile picture not been a band you really liked at the time. It was relatively unknown, so seeing someone who shared your interest made you happy. That happiness was like divine providence that probed you to message them privately.

thatoneweirdo: hey i saw u were into blottediamonds??? crazy!!!! me too 🥰

sunshineSANDrain: OMG I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE

They’re a very cheerful individual, which is…strange. Happiness is a luxury. It’s the kind of thing available only to the top brass, when their survival is ensured and their every whim is granted by virtue of several hundreds of servants. But this person that you don’t know, they’re overflowing with kindness and energy to live life as it goes. It’s refreshing to see.

They never post about their personal life, but they have so much in common with you that there’s no lack of topics. How dull would it be to describe; you’re two peas in a pod, fitting perfectly like a glove. Yet it’s accurate. This online friend is someone who’s so easy to get lost in. In the middle of the night when you’re laid down in bed, you’re still talking to them about every single aspect of your life that you’re not even aware is leaving your fingertips. Your guard is instinctually down and you don’t understand why.

You talk about Jamil.

You understand it’s likely just…a crush. You’re not his soulmate, after all. But all the bitterness, all claims of how unfair the world is, your Magicam friend takes it all in stride. They haven’t felt the way you do, they say, but they try to understand you.

For someone so used to invisibility, maybe that’s enough.

Your first year talking with sunshineSANDrain goes like this. The topics shift the following year.

Topics delve deeper into your personal life, and some of his. Nothing too in depth. But he wants to know your favorite color. Your favorite subject in school. Are you a mage? Are you studying right now?

It’s a bit flattering, to be honest. You enjoy the interest he has in you.

You learn about him too.

He likes baby’s breath and coconuts. He’s a mage, and he’s barely passing his classes. But he’s so optimistic it makes you think it’s okay.

(It shouldn’t be, right? Success should be more important to you.)

The master and Jamil come back for winter vacation, and you thought it would be a bigger event, of sorts, to see someone you’ve liked for a long while. It’s been so long since you’d last met him, right?

(Why do you feel a bit…empty?)

thatoneweirdo: r u busy

Jamil smiles at you, and you smile back. You ask him how he’s been. He says first year’s been tough, but he’d survived, if only barely.

You laugh.

sunshineSANDrain: nope!!!! just got back from college 🥳

He asks if you’d had lunch already. Maybe you’d like to join him in the kitchen.

thatoneweirdo: yayyyyy do u wanna

thatoneweirdo: typing…

You help Jamil make chicken curry with potatoes for dinner in the servants’ kitchens. He doesn’t need to cook for the master at home unless directly requested.

sunshineSANDrain: wanna???

You take another bite of your meal. The boy you love is right in front of you. Your attention is still on your phone.

thatoneweirdo: do u wanna meet up

Ah. A call of your name from Jamil makes you look back at him. Assure him it’s nothing. Just a message.

sunshineSANDrain: okay 🥰🥰🥰 looking forward to it 😀😍🤩

Jamil’s soulmate mark is gold.

(You can pretend it hurts. You know it doesn’t.)

Kalim’s been really into Magicam lately.

Not that he’s been posting a lot or going through trending stuff, no. But he did find a certain someone’s account.

Y/N L/N.

He’s a bit giddy upon the discovery. He’s never talked to you—sure you’re technically under his command, but at most, he can pine after you from afar. You’re a very quiet person. He’s not sure how to act around you, but Jamil said staying silent reduces the chances of you disliking what he says. So he shuts up.

Kalim Al-Asim, someone so extroverted and sunny, keeps to himself in front of you.

He wants a perfect ‘first meeting’.

But he never knows what to say.

Year after year after year, he’s really never met you.

He puts his phone down, your latest message flashing on his screen. You really want to meet him in person? He’s successful! You consider him a friend, even if only his online account with no pictures of him posted. At the movement of his arm, he catches a glimpse of the words wrapped around his wrist.

Jamil’s never told him what your soulmate mark said, and you cover it up constantly.

But his is…strange.

‘I’m sorry. I don’t feel the same way.’

His parents said it might be about some movie or game or something else of interest. He’s inclined to agree.

(He ignores the pang of pain in his chest.)

Jamil met his soulmate in NRC; same year, in Octavinelle. His family had hoped he would have a similar experience, but alas, nothing. They said the words would turn gold once they’d been spoken by the correct person. A part of Kalim still hopes it’s you. He’s never spoken to you before, and tomorrow will be the first time ever.

He rolls around in his sheets.

It’s so exciting!

Would you be shocked to find Kalim as your online friend? Jamil told him to relax and confess. The brunette is closer to you than Kalim has ever been, so he’ll trust his retainer’s judgment as he always has.

He’ll finally spill all his feelings towards you. Maybe not all of them. Just a few. Most of them?

The words and thoughts are hopping around in his head. Poetic or something else. He barely sleeps a wink, but back in his home turf, there’s an army of servants to give him a bath and fix him up to look like someone who’s slept more than two hours. He’s practically vibrating as he walks towards a car to get driven to one of the more secluded private oases in the Scalding Sands, where you’d agreed to meet him. Jamil follows right behind him with an umbrella.

You’re wearing new clothes.

He knows because you tend to post your shopping sprees to Magicam, and this particular outfit isn’t something he’s seen before.

You look so amazing. 

And nervous. Really nervous.

Your hands are shaking but he really can’t wait anymore; Kalim bursts into a run and surprises you with a giddy smile. He’s prepared himself for this. Relaxed, as Jamil had said, and everything would turn out fine—

“I love you.”

He was not relaxed, no. Kalim couldn’t stop the words that left his lips. Like divine intervention almost. His first words to you are so blatant and straightforward, he’s thinking he might have scared you off.

His heart drops when he notices your wrist glowing gold.

That’s not…no…the context is wrong, right? You wouldn’t say that.

“I’m sorry. I don’t feel the same way.”

And just like that, the heir of the Al Asim estate is left crumpled, alone, on the ground. You’re gone and Jamil is right next to him again.

“Kalim. What happened?” His retainer stops upon seeing the swirling gold ink on Kalim’s wrist.

Tears are flooding down like a river rushing through a broken dam. He reaches up to tug at his best friend, choking out words through sobs. “I told them, I told Y/N that I, that I love them,” he stutters out. He’s having trouble breathing when his sinuses are clogged and he feels like a child all over again. Helpless. Crying because it’s the only thing he can really do. 

Everything past that is a blur; he must’ve gotten home somehow, because he wakes up at the crack of dawn with swollen eyes, almost drowning in his bedsheets.

He just got rejected by his soulmate.

He looks at his Magicam account, only to find you’d blocked him.

Then…what does he do now?

It seems like love is unreachable for Kalim after all.

The words were spoken before you even had a minute to process them.

(You blurted them out, but are they true?)

It feels unfair to Kalim because you’d always held something against him—you’d always thought of him as some no-good brat who was born with a diamond encrusted spoon in his mouth, needing nor wanting for nothing. But now that you know who he is, when you’ve finally found out that behind that online persona that you actually liked, is the same person you hated in your ignorance…it feels so wrong. Just hearing those words from him felt so wrong. You feel unworthy. Kalim is not weak, he is not just some spoiled, overgrown child drowning in naivete. He is stronger than you realized, and perhaps you are the one who is weak, and you are the one stupid for assuming such things about your master who really never treated anyone with disrespect or disgust. 

With all the sunlight pouring out from him, maybe you were blinded in your envy.

At the end of the day, being born as he had been was no fault of his.

(And maybe you would be happier if you stopped thinking it was a luxury.)

But none of that really matters now. Not when you’d run away from him. Not when you’d blocked him from the only method in which you’d let him get to know you better. How many years has it been, running around in the estate to avoid seeing him at all?

Things are too silent.

With the master so upset, you’d thought it a sure thing to be kicked out into the streets. You’d really only thought to beg for your family members to stay. After all, do you not deserve such horrid treatment after rejecting him so thoughtlessly?

Nothing happens.

You continue in fruitless days, ignoring the words on your wrist that had gone from black to a shining gold script, much like the bright fire he exudes. It burns you just to look at it. And you can almost swear that, in the dead of night, it starts to heat up your skin as if threatening to melt it off.

Do you still hate him? No, not really. Sometimes you catch yourself thinking of him.

Of who he was when he was your online friend, and nothing but that.

Kalim is a pure, kind soul. Always seeing the better side of everything. He was a good listener, though his advice never bode well for you, he never meant harm. He’s blunt and honest. He’s everything you lack in your life. Jamil was a comrade because he understood you and that bitter, resentful side of you that you keep at the forefront.

And maybe what you felt for him was never really love.

Kalim is a light that allows you to see past the darkness that you had shrouded yourself in. He is a glowing string mapping out the exit of the labyrinth.

And maybe that means his love is something you’re never allowed to have.

(You can’t touch the sun, lest you burn yourself alive.)

[the-smut-analyst]

A defence of the Good Guy / Bad Boy love triangle

It is no secret that mainstream YA & NA fantasy gravitates towards an angsty love triangle. But is this trope's popularity due to vapid teenage vanity... or something far deeper?

Warning: in this post, I will be referencing: True Blood/The Southern Vampire Mysteries, Legendborn, A Court of Thorns and Roses, The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Hunger Games, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and The Vampire Diaries. Some minor spoilers, mostly relating to the romance side of things, may be involved.

I have stumbled across a bunch of articles lately analysing why love triangles are popular in YA and NA fiction - and all of them, in my opinion, missed the entire point.

Firstly, they focus entirely on the "love interests", while wilfully ignoring the fact that the romance element is often a subset of these stories, rather than the main focus (more on that later).

Secondly, these articles often attribute the appeal of the love triangle to "teenage vanity". They either directly state or imply that young women are drawn to the idea of "provoking" two men into a fight for their affection.

Look, I get it.

Or at least I get how a middle-aged man tap-tap-tapping away on his computer might draw that conclusion. Especially if the crux of his knowledge regarding female-centred fantasy rests on blog posts ripping apart Twilight.

But regardless, the fact remains that labelling YA love triangles as a conceited sexual fantasy is a gross over-simplification. Why? Because romance is rarely the point of the story. Instead, the love triangle is a vehicle through which the author complements and elevates the standard Hero's Journey plot beats.

To demonstrate this argument, I will go through each of the critical plot beats in the Hero's Journey. For each beat, I will demonstrate (with examples) how dual love interests can underscore the character development of the protagonist and highlight her emotional struggles during each stage.

The outline for this analysis will be as follows:

Introduction of the Female Protagonist / Refusal of the Call

Meet the Good Guy / Meeting the Mentor

Meet the Bad Boy / Tests, Allies, and Enemies

Death of Innocence / The Ordeal in the Abyss

Heartbreak / "Death" of the Mentor

Grief for Lost Innocence / Refusal of the Return

Self-Discovery / The Road Back Home

Female Protagonist Accepts Her New Self / Master of Two Worlds

For reference, here is a rough outline of the major plot beats in the Hero's Journey:

Alright. Time to rip apart some assumptions.

Let's go!

Introduction of the Female Protagonist

Refusal of the Call

Mainstream fantasy love triangles almost always centre a female protagonist hence why people love to hate on them. The introduction of this protagonist generally follows your fairly standard Hero's Journey opening.

We meet the protagonist, usually a teenager or young woman, going about their "everyday life" in the ordinary world.

But then the Call to Adventure comes - sometimes referred to as the Inciting incident. For Feyre (ACOTAR), this moment is when she kills a wolf who turns out to be Fae. Or for Katniss (HG), her sister's name is drawn, prompting her to offer herself as a tribute instead.

The Call to Adventure or Inciting Incident marks a point of no return - even though the protagonist might not realise it at the time. It is the moment when life as they know it ends. Afterwards, nothing will ever be the same, including the protagonist.

The following beat is usually the Refusal of the Call, where the protagonist resists any change coming their way. Buffy (BTVS), for example, wants to continue her life as a regular teenage girl instead of being burdened by the duties of being the Slayer. Similarly, Sabrina (TCAOS) is hesitant to participate in the dark baptism, scared of its implications for her ties to the mortal world.

But for the plot to move forward, something or someone needs to prompt the protagonist to leave the "ordinary" world behind - and in turn, take those first few tentative steps into the "special" world (unknown).

Enter...

Meeting the Good Guy

Meeting the Mentor

The Mentor doesn't always have to be an Obi-Wan-style character who teaches the protagonist everything they know about lightsabers. In its simplest form, the Mentor archetype is a guide. Someone who takes the protagonist by the hand, either literally or metaphorically, and leads them from the ordinary world into the special one.

This transition is known as Crossing the Threshold and it is the beat that marks the shift from Act I to Act II.

Now, there is a good reason why the Meeting the Mentor plot beat often serves as a precursor to Crossing the Threshold. And no, it isn't because the protagonist is incapable of doing anything by themselves.

Instead, the Mentor character is often employed to explain how this new world works to both the protagonist and the reader alike.

Through the protagonist interacting with a "guide", the rules and systems of the new world can be revealed through dialogue and action, rather than excessive exposition and info-dumping.

And this is where the "good guy" as a Mentor character stand-in comes into play. His arrival serves the dual purpose of propelling the protagonist into the Crossing the Threshold beat and guiding her once she does.

For example, Sookie's budding romance with Bill is what introduces her (and us) to the Charlene Harris's world of vampires in True Blood. Or, in Tamlin's case, he takes his role in "helping" Feyre to cross the threshold quite literally and abducts her, forcing her to leave the human world behind in place of the world of Fae.

Now, there are quite a few exceptions to this good guy/mentor rule and they generally occur when the good guy is a childhood friend or sweetheart. Examples include Harvey (TCAOS), Gale (HG), and Malyen (SAB).

When this happens, the good guy often provides the protagonist with a much-needed link to her previous life and/or the ordinary world. He takes on more of a "grounding" role, rather than a guiding one.

But regardless, what these good guys have in common is a fairly standard set of traits. They are protective, have a strong moral compass, and are incredibly loyal to the protagonist.

Furthermore, they are almost always the protagonist's "first love". They offer her the emotional support she needs in order to move forward by making her feel less alone in the world.

Regardless of whether the good guy is a childhood friend or a mentor-like character, his relationship with the protagonist usually marks a time of both innocence and self-discovery. He is a source of love and companionship while the protagonist takes those first few tentative steps into the unknown.

Meeting the Bad Boy

Tests, Allies, and Enemies

The Hero's Journey is, at its essence, a Bildungsroman-like story. Or at least it is in the YA/NA genres. It is a coming-of-age tale, with Crossing the Threshold being a symbol for leaving the child behind in order to discover the adult that awaits.

What follows is a collection of plot beats known as Tests, Allies, and Enemies. This stage of the story is often fraught with missteps and small triumphs, good times and bad times - much the same as adolescence.

And this is where the bad boy comes in.

Sometimes the bad boy manifests as an enemy who the protagonist must face in some kind of test like Spike to Buffy. Other times, he presents as a Temptation beat, like the Darkling does to Alina (SAB), trying to lure the protagonist away from their path.

But regardless of how he makes his entrance, the initial purpose of the bad boy is almost always to bring the protagonist face-to-face with the dangers of this new world.

For example, through Eric, Sookie realises that not all vampires are polite and restrained like Bill. Similarly, Feyre's first encounters with Rhysand show her an even darker side to the Fae.

Even bad boys who are not outright evil still tend to behave in a way that the protagonist finds confronting, like Peeta (HG), whose ruthlessly practical survival tactics disturb the very moral Katniss.

In this sense, the bad boy fashions himself into a symbol of the harsh realities of adulthood. Much as a child might find their first encounter with the cruelty of the world shocking, the protagonist is shocked and appalled by the bad boy.

We're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.

However, it is important to note that the bad boy is usually just one component of the beats involved in the Tests, Allies, and Enemies section. Again, this ties in with my argument that these stories are a Hero's Journey first - with the love triangle simply underscoring that fact.

The friendships that Buffy forms with Willow and Xander are shown to be her two most enduring relationships, while her love interests come and go. In Legendborn, Bree's quest to learn the truth about her mother's death has nothing to do with romance at all. And Sabrina's rivalry-to-friendship arc with Prudence gets significant screen time across multiple episodes and seasons.

During the Tests, Allies, and Enemies stage, the protagonist is usually starting to come into her own. She faces challenges, forms friendships, and encounters enemies. And yes, with love triangles there's usually some lust and romance thrown in there, too.

But the main focus of this stage is that the protagonist is starting to learn who she is. She is becoming more and more powerful with each setback and triumph.

The Death of Innocence

The Ordeal in the Abyss

The Ordeal into the Abyss, also known as The Belly of the Whale, is a plot beat where the protagonist encounters their greatest test thus far.

Rather than this beat being the climax of the story, The Ordeal is generally a challenge that the protagonist must face before the final confrontation or battle - and they must do so alone. It sees them hitting rock bottom and coming face-to-face with their greatest fear, whatever that may be.

This plot beat is a transformative one. It forever changes the protagonist and readies them for the final battle ahead. It is a death of innocence. The moment when the "girl" becomes the "woman", so to speak.

And in this sense, The Ordeal in the Abyss comes with loss and gain in equal measure. Yes, the protagonist is stronger for the experience, but not without cost.

To get to this point, she has been to hell and back. Sometimes literally (cough, cough. Sabrina). The protagonist is now well acquainted with the darkness of this new world but, in order to survive it, she has to absorb some of that darkness into herself.

If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes into you.

The aftermath of The Ordeal usually sees the protagonist having conflicting feelings over what she has discovered about herself.

On the one hand, she might relish her newfound power and strength. But on the other hand, she may also be afraid of who she had to become in order to emerge triumphant.

Heartbreak

"Death" of the Mentor

The Death of the Mentor isn't always a literal death, but rather, it is a plot beat that forces the protagonist to stand on their own two feet.

By losing the mentor, the protagonist's safety net is ripped out from underneath them. It places them in a "sink or swim" situation that is critical to their growth as a character.

This is why the relationship with the good guy must either falter or end at some point, even if only temporarily. Their breakup serves as a stand-in for the Death of the Mentor plot beat.

Because despite romance featuring heavily in these stories, there is still an inherent idea within them that there are certain steps in a woman's coming-of-age that she must take alone.

The cause of this breakup is almost always due to the transformation that the protagonist underwent during The Ordeal. The good guy no longer understands her, even though he may want to.

For example, Feyre's experience Under the Mountain sees her outgrow her coddled life with Tamlin. Similarly, when Katniss returns to 12, Gale can't fully comprehend what she went through, nor the role she is being forced to play as a result.

Grief for Lost Innocence

Refusal of the Return

The combination of The Ordeal and the Death of the Mentor take their emotional toll on the protagonist. She mourns for the girl she once was, the loss of her first love, and the ordinary world that is now a stranger to her.

What follows is a low point called The Refusal of the Return. Sometimes this beat sees the protagonist running away from her problems, as Buffy does when she flees Sunnydale after killing Angel.

Other times, The Refusal of the Return is a period of rebellion. Grief manifests itself into rage and the protagonist leans more heavily into that darker side of themselves that they discovered during The Ordeal. Like when Elena turns off her humanity following the loss of her brother.

It is usually during this stage that the bad boy begins to take on a more prominent role. (Welcome back to the plot, bad boys!)

At some point, either during this beat or perhaps earlier, we see a different side to the bad boy. Most often, this occurs when the bad boy shows the protagonist some kind of vulnerability, leading her to second guess her first impression.

In the Darkling's case, Alina recognises his profound loneliness. Sookie witnesses Eric's grief at the loss of his maker, Godric. And Rhysand confides in Feyre about the horrors he endured at the hands of Amarantha.

However, seeing this "other" side isn't just a plot device to justify the protagonist's developing feelings for the bad boy. But rather, it serves as a mechanism through which the protagonist's assumptions and beliefs are thrown into question. Not just about the bad boy, but about the world in general.

Disrupting the protagonist's foundations is essential to nearly all emotionally-driven storytelling. Through shattering the her beliefs - whether it be in a system or person - the narrative is propelled forward as the protagonist is then forced into come to her own conclusions.

And this - THIS! - is where the "good guy / bad boy dynamic" becomes so much more than just a blatant over-simplification of male archetypes pandering to female sexual fantasy.

The dichotomy of "good" and "bad" expands here to represent larger choices that the protagonist has to make. Comfort or danger? Honour or Power? Altruism or ambition?

Furthermore, the protagonist's conflicting feelings about the two love interests underscores the very real push-and-pull we all feel during adolescence. Where we crave the adventure and independence of adulthood while simultaneously mourning the safety and protection of childhood.

And this is why the good guy / bad boy love triangle can be such a great plot device. It's not only fun to read (when done well) but it makes sense that the protagonist might find herself drawn to someone whose darkness matches her own.

Who the bad boy is - and what he has done - creates a safe space for the protagonist to explore this darker side of herself. To rebel. To fall apart. To be selfish for once, instead of selfless.

At a time when others in the protagonist's life, like the good guy or her friends, my judge or simply not understand her, the bad boy offers a reprieve. But whether this reprieve positively or negatively influences the protagonist tends to vary from story to story.

Sometimes he is the one who encourages her Refusal of the Return, as the Darkling does for Alina. Other times, the bad boy helps the protagonist in returning to her path, rather than luring her away from it, by offering her his understanding.

Peeta gets what Katniss is going through in a way Gale never can because he went through it, too. Similarly, Stefan can't provide Elena with the reassurance she needs after becoming a vampire because he has never come to terms with his own loss of humanity - therefore, enter Damon.

Self-Discovery

The Road Back Home

The Road Back Home sees the protagonist emerging from her Refusal of the Return. It is when she embarks on the journey to fully reconcile the girl she once was with the woman she has become. To do this, she needs to confront her trauma from The Ordeal and forgive herself for whatever darkness it might have awakened.

This is usually a gradual process that takes place over many chapters or episodes. In many ways, it is a mirror to the Crossing the Threshold beat. Except this time around, the protagonist is looking inwards not outward - instead of discovering the new world, she is discovering herself.

During this time, the bad boy's relationship with the protagonist is often explored more deeply. Being loved by the bad boy - darkness and all - is usually a precursor to the protagonist beginning to accept this darker side of herself, too.

But a distinction needs to be made here between "accept" and "embrace". The former does not necessitate the latter, and whether or not the bad boy gets his own redemption arc usually serves as the distinction between the two.

In the Darkling's case, he certainly helps Alina to come into her power, but ultimately, Alina rejects the path that he is trying to lead her down. The Darkling might have helped her to accept her darkness, but she does not fully embrace it the way he does.

Other times, when the bad boy gets his own redemption arc, we see a precursor to self-love through their relationship. Because in pursuing her feelings for the bad boy, the protagonist has to reconcile the fact that people are nuanced, and no one is entirely good nor evil. In forgiving the bad boy for his past wrongdoings, the protagonist sees that it is possible to forgive herself, too. Damon and Elena's arc (in the TV adaptation) is a good example of this.

But regardless of where things may or may not go with the bad boy, the next plot beat has nothing to do with romance at all. Now, the protagonist is ready for the final battle.

The Female Protagonist Accepts Herself

Master of Two Worlds

Everything the protagonist has been through has been leading her to this moment. Her triumphs, her defeats. Her discoveries and lessons. Her friends and mentors and lovers.

She's faced evil, maybe even embraced a little of it, and come out stronger and better for the experience. She has finished mourning the child she once was and accepted the woman she has become.

Now she is ready, as a master of both worlds, to face whatever comes next. And we, as readers, now get to enjoy the final battle!

Basically, the protagonist is a certified badass now - and she's going to win.

Now, where the romance goes during or after this plot beat is very, very varied. Sometimes, the protagonist stays with the bad boy, like Feyre does with Rhysand. Other times, the relationship is temporary, like Eric and Sookie. Or, in the case of Buffy, neither the good guy nor the bad boy remains in the picture. In fact, a very deliberate choice was made with her story to avoid an "end-game" romantic pairing.

And the reason why the romance is pretty damn varied is because, well, it doesn't really matter. The romance is the cherry on top of the story, not the whole damn cake.

Conclusion

I understand that love triangles might not be everyone's cup of tea - and that's okay. But to paint the entire trope under the broad strokes of teenage vanity and wish fulfilment is to do it a disservice.

Because for the most part, it isn't just some vapid romance. A lot of the most popular stories within the genre are actually complex YA fantasies in and of their own right, driven by your standard emotionally-driven, coming of age beats. They just happen to feature a female protagonist who falls in love.

Okay, maybe in this example she falls in love a few times. But so what? Getting your heart broken and mended again is a part of growing up, so why shouldn't it have a place in YA/NA fiction?

If young men are allowed to froth over some guy getting bitten by radioactive a spider and getting superpowers, then we can have two sexy vampires pining over the same girl.

[wlwcatalogue]

Valentine's Special ~ Aerith/Tifa from Final Fantasy VII: Remake (Compilation)

Since today is Valentine’s Day, and FFVII: Rebirth is releasing at the end of this month, it’s the perfect time to get caught up on Aerith/Tifa, a.k.a. Aerti, a.k.a. possibly the most unexpected F/F ship in gaming! Here is what I consider to be the most comprehensive compilation of Aerti scenes from FFVII: Remake, prepared by yours truly for your viewing (and shipping) pleasure :)

Quick sales pitch: While Aerith is famously The One Who Dies and Tifa is known for her sexy character design, they are also popularly remembered as main character Cloud’s two equally appealing love interests, as attested to by one Robert Pattinson. However, just as the elements present in the original 1997 game Final Fantasy VII were expanded on and added to in FFVII: Remake, the relationship between Aerith and Tifa was also fleshed out… to the point where it became very, very easy to ship them together. To put it in Tumblr terms, it’s like Betty and Veronica, but taken in a different – but still (subtextually) gay – direction compared to Riverdale. Check out the video above, it's just 1.5 hours!

(Longer sales pitch / commentary below the cut)

Originally from the hit 1997 Japanese role-playing game Final Fantasy VII, Aerith and Tifa, along with the main character Cloud Strife, were one of the most famous love triangles of video games at the time, and arguably even now. (Note: Think Betty and Veronica (Archie but pre-Riverdale), or if you’re more familiar with anime, Rei and Asuka (Neon Genesis: Evangelion) or Saber and Rin (Fate: Stay Night).) Although they barely had any interactions together and really were primarily love interests for Cloud in the original game (and subsequent related works), the relationship between Aerith and Tifa was significantly more fleshed out in Final Fantasy VII: Remake (2020), going beyond your standard box-ticking “look, girl power!” exercise. There seems to have been many a fan who walked out of playing Remake who found Aerti (i.e. Aerith and Tifa’s relationship) memorable – whether read romantically or platonically – resulting in many GIFs, fanart, and even compilations of memorable scenes of their “friendship”.

Not only do they interact with each other outside of speaking about Cloud or other male characters (scraping a pass in the Bechdel test, yay!), Remake gives the relationship space to develop from “strangers who hit it off” to “individuals who care about and trust each other”. Significantly, Aerith is the one who seems to take Tifa’s concerns the most seriously and comfort her, and Tifa is also able to see past Aerith’s cheery façade and reach out to her at her times of greatest need. In my opinion, each of the pair offers the greatest emotional support to the other out of all the characters – even more than what they do for Cloud (or what Cloud does for them).

So what makes their relationship romantic rather than simply platonic to me (other than sheer force of will)? Even though there isn’t really any direct flirting or explicitly romantic lines, there are a number of moments which are framed romantically or parallel romantic moments between Cloud/Aerith or Cloud/Tifa. Perhaps the most obvious of this is when Tifa protects Aerith from falling (twice), which is animated and shot in a way which suggests that it’s just as swoon-worthy as when Cloud protected Tifa from a fall in a prior scene. However, another notable example is how the high-five gesture is linked to Cloud’s opening up to Aerith (as he has to be persuaded over the course of several scenes to do the high-five), but Aerith also high-fives Tifa in other scenes later, effectively appropriating the gesture. So while I never expect it to ever become canon, Remake’s Aerti has been a wonderful surprise and I hope to see even greater developments in their relationship within this subtextual space as the FFVII: Remake trilogy progresses.

Let's all hope for the best-- in the meantime, please enjoy this compilation!

[grimalkinmessor]

10, 11, 12, 19, 42, and 45 for Shimateru? 🥺

SHIMATERUUUU LET'S FUCKING GOOOO

♠️⚜️

10. Do they share any hobbies or interests? How do these things bring them together?

The girls are fiiightiiiiing 💅✨

Nah but fr, fist fighting and sparring with their powers are a big point of quality time for them. It's how they met, it's how they "made up" (read: became attracted to each other), it's how they start and resolve arguments, it's how they let off steam, and oftentimes how they start sex. Fighting as foreplay my beloved 🙏

It's cathartic for both of them Shimazaki finds it fun, a way to let loose, and Teruki feels the same, but with more relief, because Shimazaki is the only person he can go all out against. Not because he's strong, but because he knows Shimazaki's not afraid of hitting back and giving as good as he gets.

11. How do they feel about nicknames/pet names? If they like them, what pet names do they use? If they hate them, why do they feel that way?

Oohhh Shimazaki loves to use petnames for Teru, and Teru fucking hates it, especially in the beginning. Shimazaki's favorites to use are Kitten (and all it's variations), Sparky, and Sweetheart—all incredibly condescending. At first, anyway. He likes the way Teruki's aura flares when he says them, his little lightning bolt gets so pissed off >:3 He eventually adds on Lovely once they're closer and those nicknames don't sound quite so mean anymore; if anything, they're almost -gasp- affectionate? 👀

Teru himself has a few nicknames for Shimazaki that he uses later on, standard stuff like Love and Darling. He uses them sarcastically at first, much like Shimazaki, but then he too falls into the trap of affection 😔🙏 RIP unattached Teru he will be missed.

12. Do they have a difficult time when separated from each other, or are they fairly independent?

Ahh, not really? They've both been on their own so long that I don't see them ever really becoming codependent that way. They're people that like their space and need alone time, so they work pretty well together in that respect. So yes, fairly independent.

19. Do they wear each other’s clothes/jewelry?

THIS one is fun, because while Teruki absolutely probably steals Shimazaki's leather jackets and pants from time to time, Shimazaki can't really,,,,,see, what he's picking up when he handles Teru's clothes. He can see the shape and cut of it due to Teruki's aura being all over it, but he can't exactly see the colors or designs on them. He has no way of knowing that Teru has the brightest, neon fashion sense known to man unless someone tells him, and you can bet your ass that absolutely no one is going to.

Shimazaki steals Teru's jackets and scarves and even his shirts sometimes, maybe a watch or two, and then you have this intimidating emo-looking guy waltzing around with a neon yellow scarf with like green triangles all over it. An inverted blacklight Hawaiian button-up. Occasionally a bright, hot pink wrist watch. Teruki actually thinks he looks nice though, is the thing, so I guess it works for them 😭

42. What’s their relationship like with each other’s friends/families?

Well, Teruki is kind of a runaway? At least in my head he is, rather than his parents just,,,voluntarily letting their fifteen year old live alone. So Shimazaki likely never really meets Teru's family, unless he decides to take advantage of Shimazaki's teleportation abilities and send messages to them back and forth that they can't technically track. Even then I think it would be kind of awkward for Shimazaki to interact with them given how genuinely worried they seem for their son—I think it would skeeve him out.

As for Shimazaki's family....well, I kind of have an angsty headcanon for him where his mother actually purposefully blinded him as a kid and that's what sparked his psychic awakening, so he's ALSO been a little vagabond skirting from town to town so he doesn't get put in the system, so he knows what it's like. His father was out of the picture and his mother is still in jail for, you know, maiming her kid so Shimazaki doesn't really have any family for Teru to meet now beyond the Ultimate Five, and even they don't really fuck with Shimazaki much because of how much of a dick he was 😅

I guess in that vein Teru's Meet My Parents meeting would probably just involve the Kageyama brothers, Reigen, Tome, and Dimple :')

45. How do they support each other? How do they rely on each others support?

Ack, this one is weird for me. Because again, they're fairly independent and that's because they're both very prideful and they both needed to know how to survive on their own, which they do and think they do well. It woul be hard for either of them to support the other because both of them think they don't need support.

I think the biggest thing that Shimazaki "supports" Teru through is sparring. When his anger issues start flaring up, when the guilt starts creeping in, when he feels Old Teru start bubbling back up in sneers and insults, he can count on Shimazaki to run him through the wringer until he feels right again. To take every bit of his rage and aggression without flinching back from him or thinking he's weak for it.

For Shimazaki, I think Teru mostly supports him physically. Leaning against him when he gets all quiet, dragging his hands along the walls and furniture in the apartment to make sure Shimazaki can see the shape and limits of them, holding his hand when they walk through large crowds, sometimes even combing his fingers through Shimazaki's hair when the man can't get to sleep.

Neither of them acknowledge that they're helping the other out loud, and neither of them acknowledge that they're being helped, because that shit Embarrassing™

[allbeendonebefore]

Casual Cruelty

Happy Monmonton Day gang.

So, I don't write anything other than comics like, ever, let alone writing for a dedicated ship event because what even is that. I may chicken out and expunge this from the earth because it's cringe as hell but we'll see. I wrote this literally on my phone any time I was waiting somewhere without wifi or late at night when I couldn't sleep for some reason over the past, like, idk year and a half? I started with the title and went from there.

This is a (canon?*) story featuring Edward and Étienne, friends with benefits, in some indeterminate time period in the late 20th century in Montreal. Ed struggles with a lot of internal strife that almost wanders into the territory of self harm, but not quite. Lots of pining and seemingly unrequited feelings. Some drinking but nothing excessive, and just a tiny bit of bad French. There's nothing particularly unsafe for work although some undressing happens and Ed has very low standards in his fantasies. So, without further ado...

---

There were a lot of things that were likeable about Étienne Maisonneuve. He was attractive, naturally, though it was more how he carried himself, curated himself than anything else. One would look from his dark, carefully coiffed curls to the loud and erratic patterns on his clothes into his bright green eyes, peeking over a sunrise of long lashes and an amused smile, and one would gasp in genuine shock as he nonchalantly revealed how his older, taller, more handsome brothers would comment on his various shapes and sizes with caution or contempt, that he needed to tone his body up or his attitude down. Who would tell Étienne of all people that he wasn't enough? Too much, perhaps.

Edward, naturally, liked the coiffed hair and the loud prints and especially the green eyes. He was (silently) pleased that Étienne was not particularly tall (so they were generally at eye level), and whether Étienne could fit into his jeans one way or the other didn't particularly bother him (as Étienne, whether there were comfortable handles at his sides or whether you could cut your hand open on his hip, always chose jeans that were probably a little too small).

It was Étienne's unconventional physique (and his unconventional physicality) that Edward liked because Étienne was always changing, he could barely be held in his own skin. When Étienne reached out for him, which was often, it was all Edward could do to hang on for the ride. And it made him feel that, even with ten years of medication and self hatred and complete lack of control over his own body, perhaps he could become something desirable too. Even if only for a moment.

But it wasn't Étienne's appearance that was particularly occupying Edward's thoughts, even if it was rather pointedly occupying his lap and flashing a gleeful grin towards the other occupants squished tightly together into the booth. It was what he was saying, and the conjectures of Meaning that Edward's mind was trying to keep up with.

"And so I couldn't pretend like I hadn't seen him, I mean, how fucking cowardly!" (The others tittered encouragingly, not wanting to miss the blow by blow, while Edward busied himself with a cluster of little triangles printed on Étienne's shoulder and tried to pay attention and not think about how he himself was a fucking coward more often than not.)

He missed the details about the confrontation in his concentration.

"But I said to him, maybe if he wasn't a biphobic de crisse de-"

The altercation rapidly being sketched in Edward's head, at least, was full of expression and colour and electricity. Étienne had run into (an acquaintance? An ex? An old flame who had burned him one too many times, who had made him swear off love for good?). One (Étienne?) was on their way in, one heading out of the (cafe? diner? dispensary? trading post? dep?). Words were exchanged, the fur flew, Étienne naturally emerged victorious (pleased? bitter? wounded?). However it had felt in the moment, clearly amongst attentive friends it was a savourable challenge and good humoured.

Edward was convincing himself it was something he had taken that made the details slip through his brain like earthworms through wet mulch. Surely it was down to some substance that made his stomach clench, not the fact that he had heard some version of this story from Étienne enough times to wish he hadn't. Étienne confronts the weak-minded conservative. Étienne dashes any hope of salvaging a relationship against the rocks. Étienne pierces the heart of the next poor sap who dares to remind him he ever had one of his own, just because he can.

This is how Étienne is and has always been, Edward reminds himself as he calmly takes a sip of whatever Étienne has pressed into his hand (he can't taste it). What he thought he read from him over the years was projected onto ink and tears that had long since dried, delusions of childish fantasy. The person in his lap was more real, carried more weight, than whatever scrawling Edward had been trying to interpret since before he was literate.

"Eddy?"

"Mm?"

"What do you think?"

Edward stared at him stupidly. Was he supposed to tell him he'd done the right thing? That his casual cruelty to the poor sap who just wanted to pay his bill and go home was his sexiest quality?

"The drink."

Edward weighed the question.

"It's okay."

Peals of laughter rippled forth and jostled Ed from his position, clearly the wrong answer.

"That's Eddy for you, always a polite word. A true Canadian," Étienne teased as he slung an arm around Edward's neck.

Edward flushed. The only thing more embarrassing than not paying attention was being caught out as undiscerning, uncultured.

Back home, he would have leaned into it, but here... The insult would have to slide off his well-oiled armour. He managed a grin, almost as if he meant it, and took another sip.

---

His guard was still up even after they stumbled up the metro steps, and as he leaned his head against the bus window away from Étienne's shoulder. It remained so even after the front door closed behind them and Étienne had pirouetted away with their coats and boots.

He excused himself to try to settle the emotional soup in his stomach in front of the bathroom sink before Étienne had a chance to pin him in place. For someone who was so easy to be around, Étienne had a way of making him feel uneasy.

Ed's malaise was chronic and ebbed in like a tide; Étienne was mercurial and his mood shifted sharply and unexpectedly. It was in Edward's interest to deal with himself first rather than risk Étienne misinterpreting him, or worse: feeling responsible for him.

Maybe he'll ask if I'm alright, he thought as he completed his routines. Maybe he'll ask what took so long, or make some joke about getting lost that will lighten the mood enough for me to tell him.

Tell him?

Edward caught his own inquiring eye in the mirror as he dried his hands and swept away the ring of droplets around the rim of the sink. Tell him he didn't perform these little gestures out of the traditional guest-host relationship? That he wanted something impossible?

He leaned on the counter unsteadily, somewhere between faking being sick and being sick.

Here came the tears. What the fuck did he want? For Étienne to knock the door off its hinges and rescue him? To wipe the sick off his face and tuck him in? Or would he rather be back home, imagining becoming the latest villain who dared to try to make E. M. fucking Maisonneuve commit?

This, he reasoned, was the alcohol. Clearly he was simply a sad drunk and the only thing for it was to brush his teeth, splash his face enough to hide any tear tracks, and sleep it off.

He caught himself eyeing the tub in the mirror. It wouldn't do any good, acting on that impulse. Imagining the slip, the fall, the impact and the shout was already giving him a headache. Even if the idea of being exposed, broken, and cradled was appealing. Christ-like, even... he managed a smile. He would find that funny.

Where might his host have got to? Ed doubted he was awaiting him with bated breath. He would surely find him bored, asleep waiting for him on the couch. Or perhaps he had already moved on to amuse himself elsewhere. He dried his hands, flicked off the light and peered down the hall.

There was no sign of life from the living room, but he heard running water. Étienne trying to wash the taste of the evening out, no doubt.

Edward cautiously hovered at the edge of the kitchen, a dimple curving despite himself. Étienne, of all possible things, was furiously washing the last of a generous array of dishes.

"You clean up well, Maisonneuve," Edward gave him an exaggerated once over, smiling at the large amount of water Étienne had somehow spilled down his front in his haste, revealed as he twisted around to acknowledge Edward's presence.

"I was hoping you'd take a little longer, you aren't supposed to know how much I had left to prepare for you and how little I'd done," Étienne smiled and turned back to rinsing the last few stragglers hiding beneath the suds.

"The illusion of your carefree bachelor life is shattered," Edward mock sighed. He leaned against the wall, unable to answer the impulse to help. Somehow, finding Étienne this concerned over it was so...

It was like a dream, watching this private moment. Étienne fiddling with the cap on the dish soap, scrubbing a particularly displeasing spot, nails scratching over the towel. One might even mistake him for mortal, wiping his hands on the sides of his jeans after fumbling around in the dishwater for the plug.

Edward's heart ached sweetly. He couldn't have everything he wanted, but he could continue to savour this tart hurt for a hundred years more. Whatshisname de Biphobe was missing out.

"Effortless." Étienne grinned, scrunching his face in mock satisfaction that blossomed into nothing short of a genuine smile as Edward met his eyes.

"Your secret is safe, I'm nowhere near sober enough to remember your kitchen as anything but spotless," Edward twirled unsteadily out of the doorway to prove his point.

"I'm sorry for that, Eddy," Étienne laughed and reached out to catch Edward's fingers and complete the clumsy flourish. "You flew five hours only for me to find you the worst drink in town."

"I thought you knew this city," Edward's eyes and his resolve crinkled up like tin foil, he couldn't help but interlock their fingers.

"I'll make it up to you," Étienne's gaze sunk briefly, his smile rose.

"Mm? I dunno, I may be ruined for trying new things forever."

"Perhaps I find bad things on purpose," Étienne grinned maliciously. "Get the worst out of the way so that you tolerate the rest. Or that you appreciate my favourites."

"I fly out five hours to "tolerate" the farce of national unity at work, I don't "tolerate" you," Edward looked away from Étienne's face and back down to studying his shirt pattern, dabbing at the damp spots uselessly with his hands and causing Étienne to try to wriggle away.

"What are you doing?" Étienne whined, "It's cold!"

Edward dropped his hands abruptly as Étienne took the opportunity to return the favour, poking and prodding Edward against the wall.

"You're doing, it wrong," Étienne paused, laughing briefly between words, angling for his next attack. He looked up to see Edward's worried expression, which was disturbing enough for Étienne to straighten up and meet his gaze.

"Oh, come on Eddy," he stepped in closer and started playing with the collar of Edward's shirt, "You've barely smiled since you got here. Are you not having fun?"

Edward gulped. He hadn't been, but Étienne knowing this was exactly the opposite of what he wanted.

Then again, what other reason did he have to come out here? Their entire relationship for around two decades seemed to balance on Étienne as his personal concierge of fun, legitimate or otherwise.

"Has something happened?" Étienne's brows knit, eyes searching.

"No," Edward recovered. "No more than the usual bullshit."

Étienne looked unconvinced for a moment, but he expertly shifted the tone.

"I'll help you forget all about it." Étienne, clearly plotting something, grinned wickedly as his arms shot out to pin Edward's to his sides.

"What are you-" Edward flushed as Étienne slowly pivoted him back to the door frame.

To his surprise, Étienne released him as quickly as he had caught him. He grinned over his shoulder at Edward, "You were in front of the fridge."

Reaching in for what he was looking for, he added, "There's a jar in the cupboard on your left, please. And I'll also need a bowl and two mugs."

Edward blinked at him stupidly before retrieving the dishes, opting to use what he could find in the cupboards before turning to the freshly washed items by the sink. By the time he had found the jar, he heard a curious hissing sound and nearly dropped the thing when he figured out where it was coming from.

Étienne's electric kettle was soon whistling merrily, and Edward finally brought himself to comment while Étienne reached for the offered bowl.

"Seems you aren't about to burn the place down," he laughed weakly.

"Ha, no, it took some courage for me to try it out but so far it's worked like a charm and expanded my repertoire significantly. I can make all sorts of things: oatmeal, noodles..."

Edward's heartstrings nearly snapped with the strain. He really needed to heighten his standards. The thought of Étienne preparing cup noodles for the two of them should not be attractive. He had to look away before he started imagining him ruggedly heating water over a campfire.

"And the powder?"

Étienne handed him a spoon from the drawer as he fumbled for whatever he was looking for. "Cocoa. I've been experimenting with my own blend," he replied as he triumphantly pulled a beater out from where it had been wedged in the drawer. Slotting it into place with a satisfying click, Étienne turned up the dial and his hand mixer roared to life.

Edward spied the carton of whipping cream next to the bowl and everything fell into place.

Étienne, catching his eye as the mixer powered down, winked teasingly. "Don't worry, I've made extra for later." He handed Edward one of the beaters and could barely restrain his giggles as he popped off the other and brought it to his mouth.

The cold cream did little to help the first blush creeping up Edward's neck and ears. The sour taste did.

Étienne choked on his beater. "Oh, Eddy, no... I swear this was good yesterday," he frantically tried to grab the other beater from Edward.

"It's not bad," Edward spun away with a smile as he finished licking up the cream. "Better than that first drink you gave me, anyway."

"Eddy, you'll make yourself sick-!"

"It isn't that far gone, honest. If it really bothers you, put some plastic wrap on the bowl and we will cook with it tomorrow. Whipping cream is a decent butter substitute, and it'll taste much better than this heated."

Étienne looked at him with amazement for a moment before he hastily followed Edward's instructions. "Where do you learn this stuff?"

"You've been around three centuries and you don't pick this stuff up?"

"I pick it up," Étienne leaned against the fridge door as he closed it, hands behind his back and a sly grin on his face, "off a plate. With a fork."

"How do you survive?"

"Much better now. You're a life saver, I mean it."

Ed turned his attention to the hot chocolate, saved from spoiling, to distract himself from thinking too much about what exactly he meant. Picking it up, he glanced warily at Étienne who gave him an encouraging nod and smile.

The bitter cocoa, the sweet sugar, the hint of cinnamon... Everything had been smoothly whisked and there was even a kick of chili at the end. Étienne's smile grew as Edward's eyes widened.

"It's good. I like it." Surely he could come up with a better compliment than that.

Étienne didn't seem to mind his awkward bluntness, smiling into his own mug without breaking his gaze. "You see, I may be a fuck-up, but things eventually turn out just as I intended."

Edward said nothing, focusing on the cocoa and not the story of the evening. Of course, Étienne Maisonneuve, conquering hero. Always.

The companionable silence as they drank was unbearable. Edward quickly broke it.

"This might be the first hot meal you've ever made for me." He meant to muster a smile, but must have forgotten.

Étienne blinked in surprise. "Not so," his eyes narrowed in concentration. "You remember I made that... the roux, with the peas and corn?"

"Rubaboo," Edward supplied.

"Rubaboo! Now, I could make that at some point, surely. And far more meal-like than this."

Edward didn't want to think about old times. He didn't want to think about his childish thoughts or his naivety and he didn't want to think about the self satisfied glow in his chest that Whatshisname de Biphobe would never, could never know Étienne as long or as well as Edward did.

He didn't want to think about sacrificing almost two hundred years by ruining their relationship and becoming the next poor sap to be discussed over one of Étienne's outings.

Suddenly, the weight of his escape from home settled between his shoulders. He put down his empty mug unsteadily into the sink.

"I have to pass out." He was too tired to try to be anything but his blunt, boring self.

"Of course," Étienne smiled, setting his own mug down and fluidly steering Edward out of the kitchen.

"I'd just brushed my teeth," Edward moaned pathetically.

"Mhm," Étienne flicked off the light behind him.

"It's like 6:00 AM in my head and I just got here and I'm boring and tired, and-"

"And drunk."

"And drunk. And not fun." Edward hiccupped weakly for emphasis.

"Where to?"

"Yours. I won't be able to sleep with Rocket Richard staring at me."

Étienne caught him by the shirt before he could collapse on the bed. He quickly unbuttoned it for Edward and held it back, letting gravity do the rest. Edward fell with a soft sigh, eyes closed.

"'Tienne, peux-tu..." For some reason, it was easier to ask for something in French.

"Bien sûr." He didn't see the smile on Étienne's face, but he could hear it. He felt well practiced hands undo the belt and button at his waist; he then half-heartedly tried to wriggle free.

"Et peux-tu me cuisiner," Edward murmured. "Demain."

"Qu'est-ce que tu voudrais, Édouard?" He felt the denim peel off his legs.

Edward was silent for a long time, drifting off, grasping for the right word. "Oatmeal," he said.

He struggled to hang onto consciousness. Though he couldn't keep his eyes open, he heard Étienne laugh. Seconds later, or maybe a few minutes, he heard the clink of a cup set against the nearby night table.

Even nearly asleep, a wave of guilt lapped at him. It wasn't so long ago that he could keep up with Étienne, that he could be fun, almost without pretending. Now Étienne was tucking him in and keeping him hydrated, like a child, or an old man.

"J'm'excuse..." he mumbled.

"Ahh, Eddy. Toujours le 'Canadian'." Étienne teased, a mocking melody on the English. Edward felt the warmth from Étienne’s cupped hand, mussing his hair gently. "Bonne nuit, mon chum."

There were a lot of things he loved about Étienne Maisonneuve. He loved how he never took himself, or anyone else, too seriously. He loved how every time he fucked something up, he would find a way around it or through it. He loved his warm dishpan hands and the solid press of him against his back. He loved the way he was causally cruel, biting and acidic. He loved when his smiles met his eyes and when his eyes met his.

---

END

---

*It's canon in the sense that they are immortal personified cities but it's only "canon" if you accept it as such. I try to position myself somewhere in between @randomoranges' fluffy candy writing and @quatschmachen's angsty torment writing I guess, so today you get a little of both.

[azdoine]

Bright Christmas

Childlike wonder does not persist at standard temperature and pressure. Growing up is the process by which it evaporates, as you convince yourself that it never existed in the first place.

The first snow of winter isn’t beautiful; it’s a nuisance that blocks the driveway.

Your toys never meant anything; they were only answers to craving.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re naughty or nice; only what the world’s coffers hold for you.

Santa Claus isn’t real; there are only lies to children and games grown-ups play.

But there still exists a joy which will never thaw, grace impossibly preserved.

What has Saint Nick brought you for Christmas this year?

Pick two.

Protoclay

A lifetime supply of foundation. Each morning, you receive a random new LEGO set, still fresh in its packaging and wrapped with a little bow. Sets can be delivered which never made it to release, or were created by fans, or are no longer in production, or which never existed at all. But you’ll never receive the same set twice.

All of your LEGO pieces respond directly to the power of your imagination. Even when following an instruction guide, your creations will grow stronger as they’re assembled, so long as you care about what you’re making - bricks snapping together at the joints with unreal precision, toy models that don’t fall apart unless they’re deliberately dismantled, clever assemblies that work as intended.

Used as a channel for your own creativity, the pieces only grow stronger, permitting the construction of impossible objects. A boxy plastic triangle that cuts food and can be cleaned like a metal knife. A LEGO armchair that feels soft and gives way like stuffed leather. Futuristic industrial machinery made out of Technic parts. A magic staff that shoots mighty fireballs from its translucent red core. There are no fundamental limits to the quality and potency of what you can assemble; only what you can convincingly translate from idea to reality.

Memento

A letter to eternity, bound within a diary. Simply pressing a point into the surface of its endless pages will see it well with ink or glue or crinkle with embossing, and a stylus hangs from the end of its long bookmark. Nothing committed to this scrapbook can ever be removed, but the strange sheen of its paper grants clarity enough to avoid unforced errors.

By your status as the master of the diary, it grants you knowledge of its contents as if each word was memorized. But its greater power is the preservation of more than memory: all historical information scribed within traces a shadow of the time in which it was still true, pale moments which can be dredged forth and cast as shadows upon the changing now. Victories recorded may be synthesized and re-enacted, wizened performance sustained with the intensity of youth. Entire spaces may eventually be locked in an eternalist present or superposed with their ancient history - the only limit to this power of manifestation is your total will to defy entropy.

Even should every other part of yourself be destroyed, you may choose to linger as a timeless memory within the pages of your diary, suspended and composited in the apex of your life.

Velveteen

A boon companion - or the boon companion, rather. They may be the treasured friend you loved the most, now awakened and quickening, or something new entirely, the toy you never had. In any case, a stuffed animal, a figurine, a doll, a childhood companion brought to life in your arms. In all respects, their personality is compatible with your own, their loyalty assured without the flaws of obedience, their love for you untainted by misunderstandings.

It would be a mistake, too, to regard them as a mere animated object now that they’ve surpassed the circle of representation and become Real. Their forms and powers flow straightforwardly from their nature, simple but overwhelmingly effective in their domains; a teddy bear who commands a healing sleep and an aura of protection against evil, a doll with supernatural beauty and mastery of all things even remotely related to housekeeping.

Though your companion may be a person and take human shape to walk with you in the daylight, they still belong to a different order of life, reproducing through the exchange of love rather than biological DNA. If you and your companion ever both come to love another companion-toy as much as you love one another, then it may become Real too, no lesser than its predecessors.

Hexahedron

The root of all brainteasers. Its form shifts wildly and without warning, taking new permutations  on the order of minutes or days - or even sooner, if you should ever solve one of its iterations with time to spare. Twisty puzzles, wire puzzles, puzzle boxes, burr puzzles, puzzle locks, puzzle rings, jigsaws… almost anything tactile enough to hold might pass through your hands, shapes rising and falling in a spiral without limit.

Each time you successfully solve the Hexahedron, it will open your mind to paradoxes and arcana, revealing some quantity of information in a random domain related to the puzzle that preceded it. Lore mastered in this fashion can include procedural skill as well as declarative knowledge, and nothing you learn this way will ever harm you or be forgotten.

The harder a puzzle is and the less time you have in which to solve it, the greater the quantity and quality of useful information you can glean from it; at the highest levels of gnosis, the Hexahedron may even grant you knowledge of functional spells and rituals. There are no fundamental barriers to stop you from sharing this preternatural knowledge with the world at large, but others will struggle to understand what esoterica you effortlessly comprehend.

Abstract

The fundamental implement. This edutainment kit consists of the materials to introduce you to a profession or hobby in a fun and easy way - an Easy-Bake cooking set, a set of Nerf guns for play-fighting, fake fossils to excavate from National Geographic. But it’s not limited by concession to practicality or lies to children.

As you continue to learn, your resources will only grow, and your tools will only increase in fidelity. Equipment that once was only an imitation will become capable of handling the real thing, diversifying until you have everything you need; handbooks of toy problems will teach you more adroitly than college textbooks ever could, guiding you along a road where each step is, if not easy, then at least as clear as the first one.

Where your skill in your chosen hobby or profession surpasses normal human limits, you may use your tools to wield it with increasing applicability and at increasing scales - a painter who uses art of surpassing beauty to argue, churning pieces out at a breakneck clip, an electrician who wires entire cities, shaping strange coils to channel the flow of traffic within it. There are no fundamental limits to what you can accomplish beyond your ability to learn.

Ouroboros

The circle of completion. A basic train table, marble run, or other looping toy set with room to grow. Just as a closed circle implies an interior, so too does your toy circumscribe a place - an otherworld within to which you can open portals to and fro at will. You are the ultimate master of the Ouroboros, and none can gainsay your right to control its circulation and borders.

The interior of the Ouroboros is a macrocosmic reflection of its exterior, a series of closed spaces moving and interlinked in greater cycles. There’s already room enough inside to live there in a pinch, but as you continue to add to its exterior, its interior will grow - each train car or marble either adding a new chamber, or being consumed to increment the scale and magnificence of a chamber that already exists.

Beyond a certain threshold of grandiosity, spaces within the Ouroboros can develop increasingly supernatural qualities: a library train car that gathers cursed tomes, a bathing world that swells with healing waters. There is no fundamental barrier to exploiting these spaces for power in the outside universe, but all advantages are ultimately derived from the use of resources within, albeit renewable ones.

Mantle

The distinction between man and beast. A few tokens of clothing for the winter and the seasons to come - perhaps socks or a scarf, jeans or jacket. Just wearing it already confers benefits based on its nature as clothing, above and beyond what mere clothes make possible - bolstering your willpower with justified confidence, flattering your body so acutely as to push its physical limits, protecting you from the world like a suit of armor.

With an exertion of will, you can choose to don your gifted clothing more completely, as far removed from an ordinary person wearing clothes as a person wearing clothes is removed from the naked. A masque donned as you move through the world becomes a sword to overturn it, permitting the flowering of aesthetics into power: a biker with a chariot of fire, a streetwear super-hacker, a goth commanding the darkness.

Should you mix your outfits and regularly wear another article of clothing together with this set for a year and a day, you may allow some of this stylistic magic to rub off on it. There’s no limit to the number of enchanted articles you can collect, and if you find something new that feels truer to wear, its potency in your hands will be increased to match.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Whatever your presents, know that they are a blessing true, treasures that shall never be lost or destroyed, only well-loved and shared as you please.

But there is another gift that must be given before winter’s end, and a burden that must be accepted.

Is it yours to carry?

If you know, in your heart of hearts, that duty comes before joy.

Open the mystery box?

[your-local-uwu-artist]

mysterion design >:D

notes under the cut

-i'm imagining for this au everyone's middle school aged, so still like, kids, just a bit older

-ignore the fact that i fucked up the colors on all the text i SHOULD have had the colors shift between lines it helps legibility but i didn't fsr??? i'll figure that out in later art dw

-GOD THESE COLORS TOOK FOREVER the og colors are SUPER desaturated and also more on the pink side of purple but I prefer to use saturated colors and wanted to go more towards the blue side of purple (than the colors are closer to complimentary colors between mysterion and kenny)

-ended up going with a very soft look (rounded edges and ovals and softer lines) i was thinkng off of the batman inspo actually and thinking about that scene in the lego batman movie where the brick notes batmans design isn't very hero looking, i mean it is by western standards but like when i think of a good hero and symbol of justice and hope i think of twintaild magical girls with ultra frilly skirts and cute mascots and sparkles and stars everywhere but like.. i'm biased.... anyway I chose the softer lines to make him feel softer and instead relied any edgy vibes on the colors and body language rather than the shapes (i mean i still used triangles but yeah)

-I ended up not going with brown boots cause i didn't want to have to tie in another color, and i had the epic idea of the little question mark symbols on the soles of the shoes and the m logo on the ... toungue i think it's called?

-so I originally wasn't gonna show his hair but I thought it would help to balance the colors more as the white shorts felt too bright

-i didn't plan to post this or else i would've tried to better phrase all the writing lmao

-i went with rounded feet to make him feel like, floaty?

-one smaller challenge was keeping a short stature for kenny while still making him look like, menancing and powerful, another reason why i went with the graceful floaty feet, I also had the shorts flair out with that triangle shape like they do to emphasize and blend together the general shape of the body

-miiight have accidentally made him more androgynous~ my ass spent years studying and learning how to make characters appear masculine than said 'yeah no thankyou everyone is going to be at least a LITTLE bit pretty <3'

-ah look how nice and not over crowded the doodles are... yeah say goodbye to empty space cause Cartman/theCoon's completely lacks it. I like drawing fluffy animal ears and found the need to label all the drawings "furry" or "menance" so yeah

-i'm that one bitch that says fuck canon even canon doesn't give a shit bout canon so why should i? and never draws kenny with blue eyes, always either light brown or preferrable purple. mostly cause i feel blue + blonde is too basic and I find that the purple makes for a nicer contrast and overall pallete. Cause brown kinda just blends in, cause then his entire color scheme is all within the same hue range, but purple sticks out better + leaning into the magenta side of it looks great with orange

-petition for the southpark fan wiki to acknowledge how fuckign similar Mysterion and the mysterious mare do well are

-funfacts!! considered having the buckles be silver instead of gold (changed to balance with the blonde hair and tie back in the orange/yellow hues) considered having the inside of the cape be a lighter shade of purple either pulling in more pink or blue tinted shades, changed cause it made the overall color scheme to bright

-in case you were wondering 90% of my art has the same stupid level of thought put into it as posts i do add notes onto, I just figured most people don't want a ramble about shape launguage and colors on their silly blorbo fanart posts lmao. but if you find any of this interesting or heck if you ever have a ramble about your own art my inbox is always open~ i love getting to discuss drawing :D

[shrinkthisviolet]

5, 8, 13, 17, 22, 24, and 34 for the fanfic ask game!

5. What's a tag you never want to use for your works even when it applies?

Unreliable Narrator. It feels like a spoiler, honestly (TKAM didn't have “unreliable narrator” stamped on it, and neither did Great Gatsby*), but also...I feel like it goes without saying? In a sense, we’re all unreliable narrators in our lives, especially when we’re young, especially when we're emotional (some of the characters I write fit this bill). I know the trope is referring to an extreme example, and the tag is used to tell readers “hey, these aren't the author’s views”, but the tag isn’t even used that often as is. Idk, I have a complicated relationship with it 😂 I’ve used it, and I still will, but not entirely with confidence

*plus not everyone agrees that Nick is an unreliable narrator, it’s an uncommon interpretation from what I gather. Isn’t that part of the fun too—the “not quite knowing”?

8. How slow is a slow burn?

Depends on the ship. But my general rule is: as slow as you can make it without resorting to stupid misunderstandings or stretching out a love triangle too long

(Everyone has different tolerance levels ofc so “too long” is also subjective, but for example, I think Westallen had a good timeframe for theirs…even if the execution wasn’t perfect and it was slightly on the longer side)

13. Rate your worldbuilding skills from 1 to 10

Maybe a 2-3? I’m not very good at it 😅 there’s a reason I mostly write within pre-established worlds. I’m better at fleshing out existing lore than creating my own

17. Past or present tense? Why?

Definitely past tense (I can read present tense fics, but not often, and I definitely don’t write present tense anymore). Present tense just reads as unnatural to me—I’m telling a story, and to me it’s something that already happened rather than something that is happening, if that makes sense

22. What is it about watching the same two idiots falling in love over and over again?

Sometimes two people connect in such a meaningful way that you wanna test that connection by putting them in multiple situations and seeing if they connect in the same way 💞 if I’m honest, I prefer this platonically (as you can no doubt tell from the number of Barry & Morgan AUs I’ve talked about 😅) but I love it romantically too! Shows just how connected people can be, no matter the situation

24. Thoughts on flashbacks/flashforwards

Flashbacks are a narrative tool that can be strong and effective...or utterly pointless. Cobra Kai uses flashbacks well to flesh out character backstories and add context (though I’d argue it could use more flashbacks in certain places), while the Flash s8/s9 overuses them to such a frivolous and ridiculous degree—there maybe 2-3 actual good ones, while the others recap things that have already been shown on screen, as if the writers think we’re stupid

I don't see the point of flashforwards tbh 🤷‍♀️

34. Do you write to improve? Or is that not a concern for you?

It’s not a primary concern, but I definitely welcome growth when it comes. More than once, I’ve read old writing and cringed, and then I remember the advice that the cringe means I'm growing as a writer...and that’s good! Taking risks as a writer, expanding my narrative voice, letting my style change over time...that's fun for me. I’m not stressed about improving to a certain standard, but I always look to improve in the things I do 💞 and to be a brave enough writer to take risks

writing ask game!

[mycomicbox]

You seem to be a huge fan of RPG’s what is your RPG favorite game and/or series?

Man, where do I even begin? You can't make me pick just one! I'm just going to go down the list of RPG series that I've played and enjoyed:

Pokémon: My bread-and-butter series since I was 9. My first game was X, but since then, I have played all of the mainline games from the Game Boy to the Switch (currently playing through Violet). I just love battling with those funky lil' creachers :3

Mario & Luigi (and by extension Super Mario RPG): A very charming Mario spin-off series with some unique twists on the RPG formula, mainly with using timed button presses to execute attacks. Unfortunately, the developer AlphaDream shut down a few years ago, so this series is probably dead...

Undertale and Deltarune: C'mon... do I even need to go into detail?

EarthBound/M🌏THER: I love medieval fantasy, but it's sometimes fun to avert tropes. Rather than playing as a knight or mage slaying dragons and goblins, you're a bunch of ragtag kids using PSI and baseball bats to fight animals, gang members, and animated objects. Plus, the series is full of great jokes and overall just OOZES charm. Also MOTHER 3 made me cry.

OMORI: The one that you were probably expecting. Lovely music and presentation, a heart-wrenching story, and beautifully displays mental illness without making a mockery of it.

Final Fantasy: I've only played a few of these (I, III, IV, V, and currently playing through IX), but I have enjoyed the ones that I have played. I've heard good things about VI, VII, X, and especially XIV (though XIV is an MMORPG and those intimidate me). I have to say that my favorite so far is V, simply because of the excellent job system. Speaking of job systems...

Bravely Default: A series that I've gotten into back in May of this year, and it recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. A sister series to Final Fantasy that's basically a love letter to the JRPGs of old, with an excellent job system and a unique twist on turn-based combat with the Brave and Default commands. The fandom is frustratingly small, however...

Now for some RPG series that I'm wanting to try:

Persona: When the Switch port of Persona 5 Royal dropped, my brother and I both pitched in money to buy it, so I do own it. I just haven't touched it yet because I have so many other unfinished games on my plate. I WILL get to it, though, and that's a promise. If I like it, I might pick up P3P and P4G once those release on the Switch.

Dragon Quest: I've only played the first one so far and when I finished it, I was like "yep, that certainly was an RPG from the NES". Even though it isn't necessary, I want to try to play the games in numerical order (skipping over X because I can't read Japanese), though like I said, I want to clear out my backlog first.

Octopath Traveler: Love the 2D-HD style, and I've heard that it does have a job system of some kind. Also there's apparently a sequel on its way.

Fire Emblem, Triangle Strategy, and Final Fantasy Tactics: I'm lumping these together for one reason. All of the games I've listed so far are your standard turn-based RPGs, with your units on one side and enemies on the other. However, I am open to trying more tactical/strategy games where positioning matters. I've head good things about FFT, and I did find TriStrat at Walmart for relatively cheap. In the case of FE, however... what game do I even start with?

[paintingformike]

Bc, some people think those moments were meant to draw a contrast rather than a direct parallel.

People think that Will being in between Mike and El's scenes is not necessarily there to imply that Mike likes Will but rather is there to show Will's unrequited feelings, because Will was blurred whereas Robin was at the center of the scene where we watched her visibly being sad but Will was not sad, he was blurred in the background and when Mike and El have a forehead touch moment, he is entirely out of the picture.

Also, people do not exactly notice which music plays at which scenes. Only if they are interested in analyzing or searching, then they can find. Another example is, we know about the 'tender emotional music' because we focused on that and then made an analysis, but even then that wouldn't necessarily look like byler proof to the other parts of the audience, esp when that same music also plays for a melvin scene in one of the scenes where they talk.

It's also that Dan and Vickie broke up but Dan is just some random character, whereas El is a main character and we have been following Mike and El's relationship for seasons (that's how the audience thinks), and they gave Mike a huge monologue, whether or not we argue that it happened due to Will, it still happened. Even if Mike and El do not exactly talk, it does not look like a byler proof for some people but it rather looks like a casual relationship drama which will be resolved in S5 like Jonathan and Nancy's underaddressed situations.

I am saying this bc while I am a byler shipper and I think the narrative has a chance to make Byler fully canon, I also have many queer friends or in general friends who belong to GA, and I can also understand their points when they say that they do not see byler happening because majority of the proof that we have seem far-fetched, random or delusional to them.... or just not enough of proofs in general.

yes i literally just said i know people find it harder to believe in byler because main characters are involved in the love triangle whereas dan and vickie are side characters, and that’s as far as i’ll get their sentiments.

about all your other points, yeah i know that these are all reasons why people from the GA think most byler proofs are farfetched...but it doesnt mean their arguments are valid and understandable though lmao. the rovickie/byler parallels aren't even that hard to pick up on, and if it was only meant to contrast the two relationships then will being out of focus while robin isn’t wouldn’t be the ONLY thing different about their scenes cause everything else is pretty much identical to each other, mike and vickie even have similar conflicted expressions when they look at will and robin (and its ON THEM for not noticing that). also even if will is blurred out he still stands out the most cause he’s dead in the middle of mike and el’s faces and his figure immediately draws your attention (heck he was the first thing i noticed as a casual viewer while watching vol 2), which makes no sense for someone who’s supposed to be just “entirely out of the picture”...and about the monologue. something tells me its just double standards against a queer ship cause this isn’t exactly the first time a character seemingly professes their undying love for another character but still ends up with someone else 🤔

what im trying to say is yeah its true that they have all these reasons for not believing in byler endgame but at the end of the day...how am i just supposed to understand the points they have when they’re the ones who cant read into things that aren’t supposed to be very complicated when you have common sense, and i dont really think their thought process/reasonings are particularly strong anyway. also in this context...the rovickie/byler parallel is literally one of our least “random” byler proofs that just came out of thin air, its very much in your face so 😭 i guess i’d understand if you were talking about other more tiny background hints in relation to this topic but this one is pretty blatant...sorry for going into a tangent

[gunsatthaphan]

I completely agree with your assessment of the last scene. It was so weird, I hated it. Also, Nueng is starting to annoy me. He kissed Ben (and kind of let Palm know he's interested in Ben) but then has the audacity to go off at Palm for "flirting" with Maggie. I know he has very conflicting feelings and he was drunk at the time so I get it, but I just can't with the downright nasty stuff he was saying to Palm there. If I'd been in Palm's position, I would have bitchslapped him to hell and back already (this is why I could never be a "servant" lmao). I honestly think both Ben and Palm deserve better (or rather, that Nueng doesn't deserve them). Unless he apologizes/redeems himself soon, I'm gonna stop being invested in this couple because I'm hanging on by a thread right now. (And it's all because of that last part of the episode at the dance center, that part should never have existed ugh 😑 )

actually both nueng and palm are getting on my nerves atm djkghdf

nueng's double standards about palm are definitely annoying, which you could file as him being in a confusing phase in his life, but still the way he's acting around both ben and palm is not cute.

I'm generally a bit confused about their relationship tbh. Nueng keeps saying he needs palm to be his friend but then he never talks to him about anything and then we have palm who beats everyone up who comes near nueng (that dance club scene ruined the entire episode for me) and says cryptic things like he wants to protect the people he loves while knowing nueng for like a week and also not communicating his feelings and I'm like??? idk. palm is a very one-dimensional character to me and I hope they give him a bit more personality soon. I know it's an unpopular opinion but at the moment I'm not feeling it between the 2 of them at all. which is why I like the triangle setup with Ben and idk where it's going between them but whatever it is, at the moment it's driving the plot more forward than the back and forth between nueng and palm in my opinion. also with chopper in the picture. but we shall see. we still have some more episodes to come 😉

xxx

[avatarquake]

Since this link doesn't work I went searching, so…

From here You got: Olive You are an oliveblood!^^ As an oliveblood, ac is usually energetic, and sometimes almost creepily so, but even considering that, it's easy that people purrrt ac in the background of things going on ;;-;;. It seems that ac is never involved in major dramas, love triangles or fights, even though ac might very well be involved in all sorts of things O.o. What ac is dedicated to, ac will stay true to and only change or give up if really necessary (^_^).  As an olive blood, ac will get along with purrrrrretty much everyone, but tend to seek ac's closest relations with bluebloods(*^*)<3. Romance might be found amongst the mutantbloods, but look out for the violetbloods! (O_O)#

which contradicts this where I'm either Lime blood (lowblood) (Emotional, Stubborn, Loyal) or Teal blood (midblood) (Mischievous, Fun-loving, Destructive)

or this Gold, yellow, mustard: You have gold blood, which means you share a color with Sollux Captor and belong to the caste with the sickest psionic powers on Alternia.  Why exactly you were born with this color is unknown, but its actually quite fitting! Gold signs are the reigning geniuses of the caste system and its clear theyre above the rest of their class even if they act humble. Theyre quick to throw a witty remark and enjoy talking but dont seek conversation. They might seek debate though! Theyre unaware of how "in their head" they can get until they unfurl a genuine response. Sometimes things only make sense to them and they struggle to explain why it does at all. Gold signs try to obtain an array of knowledge and know a bit of everything. How to make a spreadsheet? Gotcha. Art? Theyll try. Music? cant hurt to learn songs in cdefgab format. Theyre no masters but they work hard in one thing while branching out to all. They stress themselves out more than others from their rising and falling pursuit of knowledge and often have anxiety disorders. They want to be alone and pay the cost of looking callous with a tiny smile. But of course they want friends (rarely), preferably people that are masters of their own special interest so they can get help and have someone to look up to. Theyre not immune to crippling embarrassment or falling flat in school either.

Gold bloods have a lifespan most comparable to that of Southeast Asian countries

Kankri refers to gold bloods as "9chre" implying all metallic names are offensive to some extent

Most gold bloods have two pairs of horns

Lowbloods have a slightly higher body temperature than their contemporaries

last one, I swear Jade Blood: Your personality and preferences best match that of a jadeblood. Jadebloods are an extremely important caste as a whole, tasked with the nurturing and observance of the mothergrub, progenitor of all troll life on Alternia. On a social level, Jadebloods are the quintessential mom friend. Caring and responsible, it's in a jadeblood's nature to watch after those less experienced than his, her, or their self. Incredibly driven and result oriented, jadebloods are perfectionists to a fault, and will not settle for mediocrity in any facet of their lives. Hand and hand with this, jadebloods have incredibly high standards, and will not settle for those who they deem lesser when it comes to choosing relationships. While somewhat fussy, jadebloods are often extremely caring and nurturing, and often prove to be indispensable friends and allies. While highly confident, jadebloods are usually rather reserved, and any relationships forged with them require time and effort. Jadebloods are most closely linked to the aspect of space, as they are incredibly inclined to create and produce. Best <3 partners: Bluebloods, Purplebloods, Limebloods Best <> partners: Goldbloods, Jadebloods, Violetbloods Best <3< partners: Rustbloods, Indigobloods, Tealbloods

Go figure.

you are darkslateblue #483D8B Your dominant hue is blue, making you a good friend who people love and trust. You’re good in social situations and want to fit in. Just be careful not to compromise who you are to make them happy. Your saturation level is medium - You’re not the most decisive go-getter, but you can get a job done when it’s required of you. You probably don’t think the world can change for you and don’t want to spend too much effort trying to force it. Your outlook on life can be bright or dark, depending on the situation. You are flexible and see things objectively.

o7o Actually yeah kinda

[saccharinesalinity]

𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬: 𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞?

If there was such a thing as a tier for viennoiserie, almond croissants would be at the TOP of that tier because how could they not be? You get all that flakey-ness you'd get from a regular croissant with an additional nuttiness from the almond cream slathered on the inside and top, along with crunchy flaked almonds. What's not to love?

I think I can safely say that the amount of cafes/bakeries in KL and PJ are endless. You've got this whole list of them and right after crossing one off, you've already got a new one to try out. Now of course not every one of these shops serve up viennoiserie, while even fewer offer in-house-made ones. My infatuation for this delightful breakfast pastry has given me the motivation to scour around for the best that KL/PJ has to offer and if I'd go back for seconds. And of course, I'll be dragging my lovely partner along with me!

In this piece, we'll be looking at two of the most well-known bakeries out there, which are: Croisserie and Universal Bakehouse. The former being known for their extensive array of baked goods and desserts, accommodating both sweet and savoury palates while the latter having one of (if not, the) the best loaves of sourdough I've ever had.

First up, Croisserie in Damansara Heights. They boast of a double storey shop lot with the main seating located on the upper floor and a few spots just outside. Aside from the croissant aux amande, we had to get ourselves on some savoury action because admittedly, we're both not at all sweet breakfast people; hence, a triangle cheese, and a mushroom eggplant tartine for later, which are both highly recommended by the way but that's a story for another day.

They warm the pastries for you before you take them upstairs to a table of your choice. By the window is always preferred for good photos.

Now, onto the star of the show.

Visually, it's of a pretty standard size, nothing too big or small. Lines of snow powder sit atop deep golden almond flakes with a noticeable split in the centre. Almond croissants are usually day old croissants revamped because who wants to waste a good croissant? But I guess it's also a way to turn an eh croissant into an ooooh croissant (because that's how I exclaim when something tastes good). This one, however, slightly deviated from traditions. Vanilla-speckled pastry cream lined its interiors rather than creme d'amande. This took me by surprise having expected to be hit with the familiar gritty nuttiness but was greeted instead by smooth lusciousness.

I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't convinced on the first bite; I guess the different filling really threw me for a loop. But by the crunch of the last little nugget, it finally clicked. Everything just made sense. Nothing about the pastry was superlative—it wasn't too rich, too sweet, too nauseating. It was just right and I think I might've been baptized by it.

Fast forward to a half-hour or so later, we're at Universal Bakehouse in Damansara Kim. It was at this time the sun decided to come out from behind the clouds and scream fire at our skin. The fact that this little shop had limited indoor seating didn't help either, thus we were nestled into a corner outdoors by the storefront window.

They graciously heat up the pastry and bring it to the table for us.

And it arrived as marvellous as ever; prominent layers that you could count one by one if you could spare a minute more, golden-brown-to-perfection exterior, and a light snow powder finish on well-toasted almond flakes. The heating up took quite a while but I'll admit it was pretty worth it. The pastry was incredibly flaky and crisp, shattering upon first contact with the buttery-ness coating the entirety of your mouth as the warm almond cream oozes along. It couldn't get more indulgent than this.

This croissant abided traditions with its classic almond centre albeit a little sweet for my liking. A handful more of almond flakes on its crown or a steamy cup of coffee or plain tea (sans sugar and milk) would've offset the sweetness and lent the perfect balance. Overall, if I were to introduce someone to their first almond croissant, Universal Bakehouse's would be it; it's definitely a textbook classic.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure if it's fair to pit the two against each other. They're clearly bringing two varying intentions to the table through the same form, or in more modern terms: they're the same letters, just in different fonts. They both sell at similar prices with the former at around RM12 and the latter at RM13.6 (both prices inclusive of tax).

Would I purchase them again? Yes, but each with very specific cravings to complement them.

But the hunt is far from over, there are still a few highly-rated bakeries awaiting my visit.

Until next time then!

* Croisserie storefront photo * Universal Bakehouse storefront photo * croissant photos by LTW and yours truly

[petalsmooth]

And the season three tease that just uses old footage has 15 million and that's been out months. The first one here is just an advert for their wedding contest. The only content with more views is QC's trailer which has been out over a year at around 16.4m.

Now end of the day it doesn't matter how the show stacks up to other seasons in ratings because it's not like the show is suddenly going to change it's format. It's one couple a season, and if the prior actors stay maybe a side story but not near the same time onscreen and I accept that because I'm not delusional. However, it's important for a few reasons.

First is that I like the family and I hate the meandering triangle of season two which served no purpose aside from telling ME the showrunner at the time though he was more creative than he actually was, when really he had nothing to say or there wouldn't have been so much filler. If you cannot improve on the book, then stick to the book. So if THIS season is insanely popular, hopefully puts to rest any idea of future seasons being like THAT one.

Second, I'm tired of Kanthony fans and just fans in general playing ship wars with a show that shouldn't HAVE ship ways because of its format. It's among the most ridiculous things I've seen in an online fandom. It's one couple a season, everyone knows that. How do you then manage to create so much animosity in a fandom over new seasons not featuring your couple? I don't CARE if the season after POLIN is even more popular or if less. I only want it to be good. It won't diminish THIS couple either way. I am not rooting for other seasons to fail because I like the family! I want more eps! If you don't then STOP WATCHING THE SHOW and leave. Do not try to bully your way into a spinoff that will NEVER happen for you.

So, I feel like if the couple these ridiculous people trolled for year's is insanely popular maybe it will shut them up in a way season two should have shut them up. Because Kanthony is NOT the show. It never was. Infact season 1 STILL ranks higher in views. They did not make Bridgerton popular, and they are not why it would stay popular. People love the format of the show, the period, the costumes, the family of Bridgerton's. Really it comes down to more continued good writing and good casting for future seasons. Not any one couple.

That being said, contrary to their beliefs, Polin ARE popular and the views above prove it. And since women are primarily the audience, the idea they thought that same audience wouldn't identify with someone like Penelope...I dunno. Because while the show is known for diversity, that comes in ways aside from color of skin too. I think all women, even men really, can identify with not fitting a certain beauty standard or being socially awkward. This is rather universal across all boundaries I'd imagine. Even with Colin, being rather adrift in a family and uncertain of his purpose is...that is relatable. Throw in having seen the characters a couple of seasons and not sure how anyone would think there isn't an audience for this romance. And the chemistry? That was always there, need only look to season 1 with the "barb" scene to have a sneak peak of what would happen once the writing allowed it explored.

Also, in news related to the "family" of Bridgerton, Jonny has hinted will be a part of the show for years to come. Which I love because he has gotten more offers of late and could have followed same path of the previous lead, but indicated he wishes to be supportive in future generations of the show for the fans. Probably won't be on at same rate as before, but will still be there so I love that.