#sometimes characters are just like me for real. sorry!

[butternutt613]

PSA!!! IT IS OKAY TO CHANGE YOUR STORY HALFWAY THROUGH OR TO NOT HAVE IT BE PERFECT!!!

Fanfic writers (myself included) are way too hard on ourselves sometimes. I was chatting with a few amazing creators on Discord about this, and I realized just how much pressure we put on ourselves to make everything perfect.

Let me remind you: it’s completely okay if your story isn’t flawless right out of the gate.

The way I see it, fanfics, and most things posted on AO3 or Wattpad are like first drafts. ESPECIALLY!!!!! when you’re still actively writing your story. You’re still figuring things out, shaping the narrative, and building the world. It’s not set in stone, and it’s okay to make changes as you go. Hell, completely rewrite it!

So many of us get caught up in trying to make our stories perfect from chapter one because we’re scared that if it’s not, no one will read it. I experience imposter syndrome so hard lol

But NEWSFLASH!!! Even published authors don’t create flawless stories from the start. Their first drafts are messy, full of edits, rewrites, and changes. Entire chapters get cut, characters get reworked, and sometimes entire backstories get scrapped. AND THEN!!! EVEN WHEN THEY THINK THEY ARE DONE!!! THEIR EDITORS GIVE THEM 39 THINGS TO CHANGE!!!

If that’s how the ‘pros’ do it, why are we holding ourselves to an impossible standard?

And I’m going to be so real with you right now… 99.99% of the time, the characters we write about aren’t even canon or have never even interacted in canon or only had 2.3 lines of dialog (I'm looking at you, Jegulus….)

That’s the magic of fanfiction. You get to create something ENTIRELY NEW. You get to take these characters and give them experiences and a life the og author never did or never could. Fanfiction is about imagination and creation, not about rigid rules.

There will always, ALWAYS, be someone who says "you're doing it wrong” or “that character wouldn't do that” and I'm sorry to break it to them but idk if you know this but… THEY AREN’T REAL!

If I want these two guy best friends to kiss, I will! If I want my MC to save Anne by perfecting Isadora’s magic, I will! If you want Ominis to say “fuck you” to his family or Sebastian to become a healer or an auror or a potions master, then GODDAMMIT YOU DO THAT!

BECAUSE YOU ARE WRITING YOUR STORY!! It is YOURS, not anyone else's. You’re the author. Your creative process is valid and so is your work, even if you decide to change direction halfway through. (Elsa was originally going to be evil…)

There will always be haters. Even when something is canon, there are people who’ll criticize it (seriously like look at flat earthers….) That’s why you can’t let the fear of criticism hold you back. Write what YOU love. Create what brings YOU joy. The right people will find your work and appreciate it for what it is.

At the end of the day, fanfiction is about expression and connection. Whether you’re writing for an audience of hundreds or just for yourself, it’s yours. You’re building a world, shaping characters, and sharing something that came from your heart. And that’s what makes it meaningful. So stop being so hard on yourself. Keep WRITING. Keep CREATING. KEEP COMING UP WITH FUN HEADCANONS!!!

Your story deserves to be told. And you deserve to have fun and love doing it.

*mic drop* *peace sign*

[iprefervillains]

book club hangster?! please share more

Book club Hangster entered my mind at the start of the new year and hasn't left it yet.

Basically they both like to read and somehow this escalates from them swapping books on a carrier once to sending all kinds of random books they pick up on employment halfway across the world for the other to read.

They leave annotations and reviews for the other and sometimes spent hours skyping or emailing about the books. They read, discuss and banter. It's their thing, their way of bonding and falling in love even though they don't like each other (lie!) and aren't even in the same part of the world most of the time.

It's mostly vibes right now but some ideas for this include:

Bradley hating thrillers and Jake picking up some weird Scandinavian psycho thriller when it is his turn some time before the mission just to be an ass. It's the real reason for the "early grave" comment, the book scared Bradley shitless.

Jake having a concussion after his air-to-air kill and Bradley calling him up to read him a new book over the phone. It helps with the boredom and the nightmares.

Bradley has a special bookshelf where he keeps all the books Jake send to him. They are scribbled full (Bradley adds his own comments even though Jake won't see them) to the point where he awkwardly purchases a second copy of a book he already owns because he doesn't want to lend Phoenix his copy.

They spent one Christmas when they are both temporarily stationed in San Diego quietly sitting on the couch in the Bradshaw bungalow, each in their own corner, silently reading a book and making notes and then swapping books the next day to do it again, before loudly discussing them on the second Christmas day.

They have soo many inside jokes, most importantly: "this could be us but you playing" noted to either the most hilariously bad romance scenes or totally unhinged conversations between characters or people killing their enemies.

Sometimes they challenge each other to only speak in quotes without anyone else noticing

Bradley ends up confessing his love for Jake by putting one of those romance novels that has a life shattering confession scenes and ends with either one or both characters dying on Jake's bed before he leaves for the mission with the confession highlighted and the words "I wish I would have been brave enough to tell you too instead of being a coward. I'm so sorry, Jake ♥". Needless to say Jake ends up totally pissed when he gets to the point in the book on the way back to shore because this is such a dick move and storms the medbay in the middle of the night to rip Bradley a new one.

Honestly I just love the idea of them having a share passion to bond over. A soft kind of love, you wouldn't expect at first, especially when you hear them loudly arguing about the right flight style.

There is more if you want @intrepidjourneys, it might take me some time to write though.

[andy-15-07]

Hello! Can you make a Paul Mescal story where Y/N is a famous actress and singer, she was dating a friend of Paul's and their breakup wasn't very friendly, so she and Paul didn't get along very well. They're making a movie together (it could be Gladiator II where she's the sister of the emperors) and they're going to be a romantic couple throughout the movie. It's practically an enemies to lovers (an +18…🫦)

Set on Fire

PAIRING:Paul Mescal x reader

WORD COUNT: 2119 | requests are open (send requests, I will gladly answer them all)

Paul Mescal Masterlist

The roaring heat of the Moroccan desert felt like a furnace, the sun glaring down mercilessly on the film set. Y/N adjusted her tunic, cursing the sweat trickling down her back. It was day four of filming Gladiator II, and things were already tense. Not because of the epic stunts, the heavy costumes, or the sweltering heat—but because of Paul Mescal.

Paul Mescal, the golden boy of the film industry, the one everyone adored, except her.

“Y/N, ready for blocking?” the assistant director called.

She nodded, plastering on her professional face. The cameras were about to roll, and she couldn’t afford to let her personal feelings show.

Paul was leaning against one of the makeshift pillars on set, his leather armor glinting in the sun. He looked every bit the part of a grizzled gladiator, with his tousled hair and piercing eyes. Y/N hated to admit it, but he looked good—too good.

“Try not to trip over your lines this time,” he said, smirking as she walked past.

Her eyes narrowed. “Try not to get winded during the fight scene, old man.”

Paul chuckled, the sound low and infuriatingly attractive. “Touché.”

The tension between them wasn’t just about ego. It went deeper, stemming from her past relationship with James, one of Paul’s close friends. Their breakup had been public, messy, and filled with more drama than she cared to relive. Paul had made it clear whose side he was on, and they hadn’t exactly been cordial since.

“You two have so much chemistry!” the director gushed during a break. “It’s electric! Keep it up!”

If only he knew.

Later, after a grueling scene where their characters confessed their forbidden love, Y/N stormed off the set, fuming. Paul followed her, his boots crunching on the gravel.

“What the hell was that?” he demanded, grabbing her arm.

She wrenched it free. “What are you talking about?”

“You didn’t lean into the kiss.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you wanted me to throw myself at you.”

Paul’s jaw clenched. “It’s called acting, Y/N. Maybe try it sometime.”

“Don’t lecture me about acting, Mescal. You’re not exactly Daniel Day-Lewis.”

Paul stepped closer, his voice dropping. “You know what your problem is? You can’t separate real life from the script. That kiss—it’s not about you and me. It’s about the characters.”

Her heart pounded as he loomed over her, his blue eyes blazing. “Maybe you should stop pretending you’re above it all, Paul. You’re just as involved in this as I am.”

Their animosity hit its peak during a late-night rehearsal. Alone in the empty studio, they ran lines for a heated argument scene.

“You think you’re better than me?” her character shouted.

“I don’t think it—I know it,” Paul shot back, his voice dripping with disdain.

The energy between them was raw, almost too real. As the argument escalated, their voices echoed in the cavernous space.

Suddenly, Paul grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her close. “Do you hate me, Y/N? Or is it something else?”

Her breath hitched, her scripted lines forgotten. “What are you doing?”

He smirked, his voice a whisper. “Getting into character.”

Before she could respond, he kissed her. It wasn’t gentle or rehearsed—it was fiery, filled with the frustration and tension that had been building between them for weeks.

When they pulled apart, both were breathless.

“That wasn’t in the script,” she muttered.

Paul grinned. “Improvisation.”

The air in the empty studio was thick with the aftermath of their kiss. Y/N stared at him, her breath catching in her throat. Paul, his eyes still dark and intense, reached out and gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her face.

"I... I don't know what that was," she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

He chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. "Me neither."

He leaned in, his lips brushing against hers. "But I want to know more."

Y/N felt a shiver crawl down her spine. She closed her eyes, surrendering to the moment. He tasted of whiskey and regret, but also of something raw and undeniable. He tasted of hope.

He pulled back slightly, his gaze searching hers. "Come to my room later," he whispered, his voice husky. "I want to see you again."

Y/N nodded, unable to speak.

Later that night, she found herself standing outside his hotel room door, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She took a deep breath, then knocked softly.

The door swung open, revealing Paul in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, his hair tousled. He smiled, a slow, seductive smile that sent a jolt of excitement through her.

"Come in," he said, stepping aside to let her in.

The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the city lights outside. He pulled her inside and closed the door behind him.

"You came," he said, his voice a low murmur.

She nodded, unable to speak.

He reached out, his fingers tracing the line of her jaw. "You're beautiful," he whispered, his gaze sweeping over her.

Y/N felt a flutter of nerves, a mixture of excitement and apprehension. She smiled, a shy, uncertain smile. "You're not so bad yourself."

He moved towards her, his steps slow and deliberate. He knelt in front of her, his eyes locked with hers. "Let me show you how beautiful you are."

He reached out, his fingers tracing the line of her jaw, then moving down her neck, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. Y/N closed her eyes, surrendering to the moment.

He leaned in, his breath warm against her lips. She parted her lips, and he tasted her, a slow, tentative exploration that quickly turned into a passionate kiss. His hands moved to her waist, pulling her closer, and the kiss deepened, their tongues dueling for dominance.

Y/N broke the kiss, panting slightly. "Paul..."

He looked up at her, his eyes dark and intense. "Let me," he whispered, his voice a low growl.

He began to unbutton her shirt, his fingers fumbling slightly with the unfamiliar buttons. Y/N giggled, helping him. He finally managed to free her from the confines of the fabric, revealing the delicate lace of her bra.

He traced the lace with his fingers, his touch sending shivers down her spine. "You're breathtaking," he murmured, his gaze lingering on the swell of her breasts.

He leaned forward, his lips brushing against her skin, sending a jolt of pleasure through her. He gently cupped her breast in his hand, his thumb circling her nipple, eliciting a soft moan from her lips.

Y/N reached down, her fingers tracing the contours of his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart against her palm. She moved lower, her hands exploring his broad shoulders, his toned abdomen, finally resting on the waistband of his jeans.

He watched her movements, his breath catching in his throat. He reached down and unbuttoned his jeans, his fingers fumbling with the clasp.

Y/N, emboldened, took over, her fingers deftly undoing his belt and unzipping his jeans. She slid them down, revealing him in all his glory. He was even more impressive than she had imagined, long and thick, throbbing with anticipation.

She reached out, her fingers tracing the length of him, feeling the warmth of his skin. He gasped, his eyes widening.

"Y/N," he groaned, his voice rough with pleasure. "You have no idea what you're doing to me."

She leaned down, her lips brushing against the sensitive head of his penis, eliciting a low groan from him. She circled him with her tongue, tasting him, exploring him.

He gripped the sheets, his body trembling with anticipation. She moved lower, taking him deeper into her mouth, savoring the taste of him, the feel of him filling her mouth.

He arched his back, his head thrown back, a series of low moans escaping his lips. He reached down, his hands gripping her hair, pulling her closer.

Y/N continued to pleasure him, her movements slow and deliberate at first, then increasing in speed and intensity. He felt a wave of pleasure wash over him, his body trembling with the force of it.

He cried out, his hands tightening on her hair, his body arching off the bed. He felt a release, a surge of pleasure that left him weak and breathless.

He collapsed on top of her, his chest heaving, his heart pounding. Y/N held him close, stroking his hair.

"That was..." she began, her voice husky.

"Incredible," he finished for her, his voice a low growl.

He kissed her forehead, his lips lingering. "I want more."

Y/N smiled, a lazy, contented smile. "I think I do too."

He rolled off her, his eyes still filled with a lingering afterglow. He reached for her, pulling her close. "Come here," he whispered.

She moved beneath him, her body fitting perfectly against his. He lowered himself onto her, the initial touch tentative, then deepening with a groan.

Y/N arched into him, her nails digging into his shoulders. The sheets rustled, the air thick with the scent of their arousal.

He moved with a slow, deliberate rhythm, his hands exploring her body, eliciting soft moans from her lips. He found the sweet spot on her neck, nipping and sucking at her skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake.

Y/N reached down, her fingers finding the sensitive skin beneath his waistband, circling him gently. He gasped, his grip tightening on her hips.

"Y/N," he groaned, his voice rough with pleasure. "You're incredible."

She leaned up, kissing him deeply, her tongue tangling with his. He responded with a ferocity that matched her own, his hands moving lower, exploring the hidden depths of her body.

Y/N felt a shiver crawl down her spine as his fingers found the most intimate parts of her. She arched into him, her body trembling, a low moan escaping her lips. Paul's eyes, dark and intense, met hers, and she saw the raw desire mirrored in their depths.

He moved inside her, slow and deliberate at first, then with increasing urgency. Y/N cried out, her body arching against him, the pleasure building to an unbearable crescendo. She felt him inside her, every muscle tightening, every nerve igniting.

The world seemed to fade away, replaced by the sensation of his body moving within her. It was a primal, overwhelming experience, a release of all the pent-up tension and unspoken desires.

Paul followed soon after, his body trembling above hers as he erupted inside her. They lay spent, their bodies slick with sweat, their breaths ragged. Paul held her close, burying his face in her hair.

"That was..." she began, her voice husky.

"Incredible," he finished for her, his voice a low growl.

He kissed her forehead, his lips lingering. "I want more."

Y/N smiled, a lazy, contented smile. "I think I do too."

And as their bodies began to stir again, they knew this was just the beginning of a passionate, unforgettable affair. This time, it wasn't just about physical pleasure; it was about emotional connection, about exploring the depths of their intimacy and discovering the true meaning of passion.

They continued to make love throughout the night, their bodies moving in a rhythmic dance, their passion building to fever pitch. They explored each other's bodies, their hands and mouths a whirlwind of sensations.

In the morning, they woke to the gentle rays of the rising sun, still entwined in each other's arms. They lay in comfortable silence, the aftermath of their passion a warm, comforting glow.

Paul leaned down, his lips brushing against her hair. "Good morning," he whispered, his voice husky with sleep.

Y/N smiled, snuggling closer to him. "Good morning."

They spent the rest of the morning in bed, lazily talking and laughing, their bodies still tingling with the afterglow of their lovemaking.

As they lay there, Y/N knew that this was just the beginning of something special. The tension that had simmered between them for so long had finally been released, replaced by a deep, passionate connection.

She looked at Paul, his face peaceful in sleep, and a wave of happiness washed over her. She had never felt this way before, so completely and utterly connected to another person.

She knew that their relationship wouldn't be easy. They still had to overcome the lingering effects of her past and the initial animosity between them. But she also knew that they were strong enough to face whatever challenges came their way.

As she drifted back to sleep, she held onto the feeling of Paul's arms around her, the warmth of his body against hers. She knew that this was just the beginning of their story, a story filled with passion, adventure, and love.

[misforvendetta]

you know... i want to say that jayce talis set such high standards for me that i judge him lol (btw, I posted this on bluesky but I want to post it here too!!!)

i mean... he is such a great friend, and lover, and son, and person in general. he is very lively! he doubts, he is very empathetic and is not shy about his emotions. if he loves, then he loves. no half tones and half measures. we can see it in his friendship with caitlyn, in his relationships with mel and viktor (i believe he loved mel, but not like viktor. like... mel is an incredible woman. i am so sorry she ended up alone. but apparently it was better for jayce to stay with viktor, imo).

i get why people might not like him, but i don't understand. he's done so much for the people around him, really, though for some reason the fandom doesn't notice (just like in real life, lol). i've never really had that much emotions for a character, i even forget sometimes that he's not real.

and i really blame jayce for the fact that i'll probably be forever without a romantic partner and friends, because, well... i've never been treated the way he treats people around him.

here. that’s the post.

[pinep-ne]

Mmm. I usually don't get into fandom drama because sometimes it's really just a waste of energy. But TikTok's got some... interesting people. I've noticed a pattern and I hope I have a place to speak on it.

I'm kind of sick of non-Americans/Southerners being blatantly and willingly uneducated towards, or even just entirely ignoring the political+societal themes of rdr2. It's literally the game man. I just think sometimes they really don't feel the weight of the topics they're throwing around.

Why are you calling Charles a "redneck" in a failed attempt to call him another slur, neither of which were you aware were derogatory, nor did you think to educate yourself on the significance of?? And then when people called you out and educated you, you throw out a meager apology with the words "I'm sorry if I offended anyone."

And then proceed to half-ass a google search, post it, and further prove your stupidity by saying "redneck isn't a slur, it's a derogatory term for Americans" which yes, it is— towards white, southern, lower-class Americans, with actual history tied to it. It's still derogatory, and Charles isn't white. And THEN when confronted about it even more, you throw your hands up and say "I just can't make jokes I guess." Like it was never a joke in the first place dude. You're just being racist (and accidentally classist?) on account of your illiteracy.

And this one was just a wild argument I had the other day— why are you calling Micah's racist remarks "not as black and white as that"??? He quite literally says a derogatory term within the first ten minutes of the game. There's a whole four minute youtube video of his racist actions. Joking or not, or whether you think his intentions were to 'rile people up', it's still discriminatory. Racism is often, if not always, as black and white as that. (no pun intended /srs)

Thinking otherwise, I'm tempted to believe, is your own projection. It shows a lot that you'd stretch so far to continuously deny and defend a continuously emphasized theme, that directly affects the characters as it has directly affected real people. Hell, even if it was vaguer than that. How much tolerance are you privileged with to brush off and prance around something that irrevocably damaged entire communities for centuries. Just because it's fiction? 'Cause it's not real? Because "it doesn't affect anyone"?

They also said "He can't be racist! He works with POC!"

???

I'm all for liking and appreciating whatever character you want— I'm not gonna spend my time leading all those horses to water— but snatching and running with the veil of fiction to dissolve the connotations and gravity of a very real thing, simply depicted within a story, just so you can slobber all over your favorite character, it's just undoubtedly shallow and disrespectful to the history and media that you claim to comprehend. You can't just create lines to read between and pull the "have some media literacy" card when someone calls out that you really never had such power in the first place. Like I said, do whatever you want with a character, but at the very least acknowledge every single part of them instead of brushing it off.

Ah anywho. I'm not a POC myself but I am Southern. Racism is still very present here and I felt it'd be important to me to speak up about it. If anyone's got perspective to offer, or they'd like to correct me on anything, I'm open. I think my prose may be a little too flowery to have gotten every point and logistic across, so there's always a chance of misinterpretation. Just let me know!

*** Hh and disclaimers because I'm afraid of misunderstandings. I know racism exists in places outside of the U.S., but the game is placed in America. It's in the context of discrimination against American POC, that some non-Americans tend to poorly gauge the difference and weight of. In neither of these instances were the people from the U.S. And as another thing, this isn't to ignore the treatment other characters receive regarding their culture or country (Sean, Javier, Charles, etc.) by folk who are not a part of it. It's just ignorance. The cycle sickens me. I just think in general if you're going to consume historical fiction and you're going to discuss it, at least understand the historical part. Don't be blissful x

[ch33sequakes]

I've been trying to sum up my feelings for so long and this is how I feel!! Thank you sm for putting it into words. I feel like pv is a strong character, but he's also a person who's story relies too much on others (ex: white lilly). There's very few people in real life who are completely selfless like that for no gain (even if the "gain" is something like feeling good from doing good things.) To me it's not a sustainable life style, you need to prioritize yourself sometimes too. That's why I feel like pv has a more complex character than just being the nice or gentle guy, and that's where smc comes in. Smc forces him into a position where he has to examine himself, and make better choices than smc did. It really tests his character and his moral code and I love it. The fact that he corrupts and then awakens is proof of that character growth. Also I love how you said that the beasts were doomed to corrupt from the beginning. They remind me a bit of gifted kid burn out where they grow up being treated like they're amazing and then suddenly it's all taken away. The ancients were made for a specific purpose, and then stripped of that purpose. I would crash out too (of course that doesn't mean it's ok for them to terrorize everyone else. I think it would really be cool if the beasts also learned from the ancients). But yeah I like the brand of pv and smc where pv isn't being abused but instead overcomes what smc throws at him and in the process also forces smc into redemption 👍 (also I've only gotten back into crk after a year break so sorry if Any characterization is wrong)

I will fight to the death for PureShadow because they (and the other Beasts/Ancients) can be such a powerful narrative about how they are the same, but also different, and therefore can help each other. A lot of people dislike the pairing due to its violent nature but still, I think many people also say that because they view PV as helpless or 'too gentle,' and therefore not capable of being in complex dynamics. PureShadow is not meant to be perfect, nor is it---at least to me---supposed to be a toxic pairing meant to simply be traumaporn, but I do think it could develop into something that becomes an interesting exploration for both characters' stories. I think within the right environment, it could be a very fascinating narrative about how the Beasts weren't ready for the power given to them, and therefore were doomed to be corrupted from the beginning, and the ancients were procured inheritors who had already proven themselves to be strong enough. I find that people also dwindle SM down to a one-dimensional "evil to be evil" villain, but we've been given various breadcrumbs that say much otherwise. But then again, maybe I'm getting too analytical about talking gingerbread cookies.

[evilneo]

sometimes im like "damn why is there not more discussion about [canonically abused character]'s and [canonical abuser who has no regard for autonomy or boundaries and is also a parental/familial/older figure of some kind]'s abuse through a lens of CSA bc im a victim of that and they resonate with me and also it would not be a stretch at all to view it as that even tho its not canon". and then im violently transported back to the real world where the internet is mainly split into either "we discuss it but only bc we fetishize pedophilia and incest LOL we dont care about survivors" or "we have a complex about this and we think if you hc characters in this way youre as bad as the first camp. what do you mean were basically telling survivors that their experiences are too disgusting and shameful to talk about? shut up" and well i think both camps are Dick Heads‼️‼️‼️‼️

[dreamsy990]

some of the less nice thoughts about being aroace

extras below the cut

sketch

closeups on my favorite panels

bonus: adios

[forgetful-nerd]

In there trying times have some cute pictures of Mikey and his brothers:

Just a little reminder that they love their little brother. And he loves them back.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

literally the easiest way to make someone care about a character and make them feel well-rounded beyond basic traits like personality, sexuality, ethnicity, etc, is to give them an actual character arc, and it’s shocking how many people do not seem to fully realize this

you cannot just cram a bunch of tropes. tropes are not the main event, they are tools to tell the story you wish to tell. emotional impact comes from the lead up, so you can’t just jump ahead and expect the payoff to work. “I want this character to just ___ already!” but they’re not there yet. that’s where the arc comes in - how do they get there?

and! most importantly, and this is something I really want people to think about when writing - the most important relationship your character should have, always, is with the world and society around them. defining your character purely through their interactions with other characters are, I find, how a lot of female characters end up feeling flat or not engaging with the themes as much as the male characters, and also how queer and non-white characters wind up as devices for other characters’ development instead of being more fleshed out

[hotvintagepoll]

Oh no I missed coffee night!!!!

I wanted to ask you about Hitchcock 😔 If you're willing to answer, which movies of his do you think are overrated and which do you think are actually good? He's my most watched director (because film school) but I only genuinely like a few of his films and always disagreed with my classmates about which ones were the best

I feel like I'm holding up a Daffy Duck style sign that says "shoot me" because Hitchcock is so well thought of by cinephiles versus me, the basic horny mod who watches movies with hot people in them. With that said, I remember Rope, Dial M for Murder, North by Northwest, and To Catch a Thief all left me a bit flat, because I felt like he was prioritizing pushing technical limits or creating extravagant images over deeper characters and relationships. I love a good technical limit-pushing, but it needs to serve the story! And sometimes I feel like he has an idea he wants to try or an image he wants to show and puts so much focus on developing it that characters' reality and interest kind of falls by the wayside—they become pawns navigating his situations, instead of interesting characters in their own right.

To be fair, this is more a characteristic of his later work than his early work—The Lady Vanishes is one of my favorite movies, and I remember Notorious and Spellbound both being enjoyable when I watched them a few years ago. Again, basic film watcher here. Don't show this post to the Criterion collection.

[prolibytherium]

I never touched it but I feel like i only ever hear positive things said about song of achilles.. in (rough strokes at least) what makes it dogshit to you?

Okay it's been a while since I actually read it so some of this might not be spot on accurate. Sorry if at any point I say 'the book never does xyz' and it actually does once or twice but I think my underlying criticisms are accurate

-Patroclus is made into like this soft gentle tender quivering little yaoi boy. In the source text, he's shown as compassionate and moved by the suffering of his own men (and apparently having some medical skill, tending to the wounded in the camp), but very much invested n combat and very, very good at it (pages worth of descriptions of the guys he's killing left and right). In this, the arguably more complex character from this 8th century BC text is flattened into Being A Healer, he doesn't want to go to war he just wants to help people, he only goes because Achilles has to but he doesn't want to fight he's a HEALER he's a gentle lover NOT A FIGHTER who just wants to help he just wants to help everyone around him he HEALS while Achilles is a doomed warrior who is so good at fighting and KILLING its a DICHOTOMY GUYS!!!LIKE THE BEAUTIFUL SUN AND MOON DOOMED LOVERS SO SAD patocluse HEALER . (I Think he's specifically characterized as being BAD at fighting but might be misremembering)

-I don't remember much about Achilles' characterization I think it just makes him less of a jackass while not adding anything of interest and levels out into being mad boring.

-Not getting into the literal millenias old debate whether the mythological characters Achilles and Patroclus were being characterized as some type of lover by the original oral sources of the Iliad or its Homeric writers. We will never know. We don't even know what (if any) culturally accepted conventions of male homosexuality existed in bronze age Greece (we know much more about their descendants). But there are some interesting elements of their characterization in this direction, with how unconventional their relationship is WITHIN the text itself- Patroclus is described as cooking for Achilles and his guests (very specifically a woman/wife's job), Achilles chides Patroclus like a father, but there's also scene where Achilles' mourning of him directly echoes a passage of Hector's wife mourning her husband, Patroclus is explicitly stated to Achilles' elder, and is overall treated as his equal or near-equal, closest confidant and most beloved friend (to the point that pederastic classical Greeks would debate over who was erastes (older authority figure lover) and who was eromenos (adolescent 'beloved')- many took it as a given that this text depicted their present-day cultural norms of homosexual behavior but it existed so Outside of these norms that it had to be debated who was who). Their relationship is non-standard both within the text and to the descendants of the civilization that wrote them.

Basically what I'm saying is this book had opportunities to like, explore the unconventionality of the relationship (being presented here as explicitly lovers), explore the dynamics of why Patroclus wants to do 'women's work' (besides being a tenderhearted softboy), the weird dynamics where they take on paternal roles to each other but also roles of wives, how they feel about being this way, and just kind of Doesn't. Which I guess isn't an intrinsic fault (because it omits much of what I just talked about to begin with). it's just like.... Lame. This book takes jsut abandons everything interesting about the source text in favor of flattening it into bland Doomed Yaoi.

-The conflict that sets off the core story of the Iliad is Achilles and Agamemnon fighting over Briseis, an enslaved Trojan woman taken by Achilles as a war-trophy, Achilles spends most of the story moping because he was dishonored by his 'trophy' being taken. Achilles and Patroclus and everyone else are raping their captives, all the women in the story are either captured Trojans (or in the case of the free women within the walls of Troy, soon to be enslaved, and are slave owners themselves). Slavery as an institution and extreme patriarchal conventions are innate to the text and reflective of the context in which it was developed. You cannot avoid it.

But obviously you can't have your soft yaoi boys doing this, so the author has them capturing women to Protect Them from the other men. Their slaves are UNDER THEIR PROTECTION and VERY SAFE (and they might even Like And Befriend Them but I might be misremembering that. Briseis does though). Our heroes have apparently absorbed none of the ideals of the culture they exist in and the author seems to think "they're gay and aren't sexually attracted to their captives" would translate to them being outright benevolent (also as if wartime sexual violence is just about attraction and not part of a wider spectrum of violent acts to dehumanize and brutalize an accepted 'enemy')

In the source text, Briseis mourns Patroclus as being the kindest to her of her captors, who tried to get her a slightly better outcome by getting her married to Achilles (which probably would be the Least Bad of all possible outcomes for a woman in that situation, becoming a legal wife instead of a slave), and wonders what will happen to her now that he's gone. This is a really really sad, horrible, and compelling dynamic which could be fleshed out in very interesting ways but is instead is tossed entirely aside in favor of them being Besties. Like brother and sister.

All of the above pisses me off so much. If you don't want to engage in the icky parts of ancient/bronze age Greece then don't write a retelling of a story taking place in bronze age Greece. I'm not gonna get mad at children's adaptations of Greek myths or silly fun stories loosely based on them for omitting the rape and slavery but it is SO fundamental to the Iliad. If you're not willing to handle it, either fully omit it or better yet set your Iliad inspired yaoi in an invented swords-and-sandals setting where you can have all your heartbreaking tragic doomed lovers plot beats and not have to clumsily write around the women they're brutalizing.

-The author didn't seem to know what to do with Thetis and she made her just like, Achilles bitch mother who spends most of the story trying to separate our Yaoi Boys (iirc her disguising Achilles as a girl and hiding him on Scyros is made to be more about getting him away from Patroclus than trying to save her son from his prophesied doom in the Trojan War) until she sees how much they loooove each other and I think helps Patroclus' spirit get to the afterlife or something in the end?

-This is more of a personal taste gripe but it has that writing style I loathe where the prose feels less like a story and more like an attempt to string together Deep Beautiful Hard Hitting Poetic Lines that will look great as excerpts on booktok (might predate booktok but same vibe). It's all very Pretty and Haunting and Deep but feels devoid of real substance.

I really like The Iliad and The Odyssey in of themselves. They're fascinating historical texts that give a window into how 8th century BC Greeks told their stories, saw their world, interpreted their ancestors, etc. And genuinely I think these texts have 'good' characters, there's a lot of complexity and humanity to it.

WRT the Iliad- all of the main Achaeans are pretty fascinating, the one singular part where Briseis Gets To Talk and laments her situation is great, Achilles fantasizing that all of the Trojans AND the Achaeans die so he and Patroclus alone can have the glory of conquering Troy (wild), Achilles asking to embrace Patroclus' shade and reaching out for him but it's immaterial (and the shade being sucked back underground with a 'squeak' (the squeak kinda gets me it's disturbing and sad)), Hecuba talking about wanting to tear out Achilles' liver and eat it in a (taboo, exceptioally pointed) expression of rage and grief for his mutilation of her son's corpse, just one tiny line where the enslaved women performing ritual wailing for their dead captors are described as using it as an outlet to 'grieve for their own troubles' is heartrending, etc. A lot of grappling with anger and grief and the inevitability of death, a lot of groundwork laid for characters that could be very interesting when expanded upon in the framework of a conventional novel.

And Song Of Achilles really doesn't do much with all that. I know a lot of my gripes here are kind of just "It's different from the Iliad", I would have thought of it as mostly mediocre and forgettable rather than infuriating if it wasn't a retelling (and I DEFINITELY have strong biases here). But I think the ways in which it is different are less just a product of a retelling (of course there's going to be omissions and differences) and more a complete and utter disinterest in vast majority of its own subject matter, to the book's detriment. I think a retelling has a point when it EXPANDS on the source, or provides a NEW ANGLE to the source. This book doesn't Really do either, it just shaves off the complexity of its source material, renders the characters into a really boring archetype of a gay relationship, and gives very little else. Its content boils down to a middling tragic romance that has been inserted into the hollowed out defleshed skeleton of the Iliad.

Bottom line: I definitely would not be as mad about it if I wasn't familiar with the source material but I think it's fair to expect a retelling to Engage with/expand on its source, and I also think it's weak purely on its own merits. This book was set up to disappoint Me specifically.

[ravenalla]

Snarky Din how I miss you

[princsstwilightsparkl]

saying "if aroace people can date, then can lesbians date men?" is absolutely aphobic narrative btw!

[konmics-n-stuff]

I really resent the Young Justice tv show for … a lot of things. TBH.

[sieglinde-freud]

i miss claude so badly im already planning my golden deer maddening run while still in the middle of black eagles. i just want my guy. my favorite guy. unfortunately i just love the black eagles as a group/cast but i am mourning my man (i never kill him btw)