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coddda · 7 months ago

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Hiiiiiii. Episode 25/26 lawlight analysis rant thingy here. I don't know how to write an intro for this so let's just get to it LOL

I think one of the reasons that the rain/foot scenes stick out so much (the. Sheer insanity of a Foot Massage Scene in an anime revolving around two guys trying to kill each other aside 💀) is the fact that the anime specifically suffers a bit in terms of adapting a few of the "emotional" moments in death note.

And I don't mean "emotionally impactful" exactly. For example I think the adaptations of scenes like Raye and Naomi's deaths were very impactful and the atmospheres of their final scenes were great, but I mean more from a characterization standpoint (if that makes sense). Being more focused on mind and logic games, Death Note as a whole isn't as invested in individual characters' deeper feelings as it is in its action (which isn't necessarily a criticism per say, it's simply part of the nature of a mystery thriller series). But just because they're fewer and farther between doesn't mean there are none at all. In the manga we do get to see, for example, how much Light actually cared for his family and especially Sayu, and how he actually felt more conflicted and suffered lack of sleep/appetite when he first used the Death Note.

The anime specifically as an adaptation is pretty good at adapting the main mind fuckery and action of Death Note, but its lacking in properly adapting scenes like the ones I mentioned above is a criticism I see somewhat often, and it's pretty fair imo. Compared to all the other adaptations, it certainly seems to fall short on an emotional level: the musical has entire songs going in depth about the characters feelings and relationships, the 2015 jdrama is. Insane and has its emotional moments in spades (because it's a TV drama, which are more focused on portraying emotional conflict and the like), even the 2006 movies has its emotional beats and L Change the WorLd is. Well. Oh Man.

Anime Light to a lot of people is like. Light but he's "already evil" (which I have my own thoughts on but I digress). Light but after using the Death Note for like 2 minutes he's already like "fuck yeah time to kill criminals". Basically the anime doesn't take as much time to delve into his less cynical sides or really delve into his already vague and harder to decipher feelings in general, he is noticeably colder from the get-go here, etc.

But that's part of why I think episode 25 manages to stand out so much tonally (apart from it being, y'know, the episode L literally Dies). I love the episode so much and could probably rant for hours about how much I love the artistic choices made in it but what I'm trying to get at here is that it's one of the very few moments where the show tries to go deeper into specific character's emotions, and one of the very few moments where the show Attempts (emphasis on "attempts" because, well, you'll see in a bit) to get more in-depth into Light's feelings apart from his cynicism/apathy/justice. ness.

L in these two scenes in episode 25 is, well, pretty damn open about how he feels. It's usually interpreted as him knowing that he's going to die, and you can see it. He visibly looks/sounds lost, somber, etc. He never really had much to hide around Light to begin with (since he doesn't really care about hiding himself the same way Light does) but especially not now and it Shows, and I personally thought it was pretty cool to delve into his thoughts/show how he feels this way. The somberness can be felt throughout the entire scene, even people who don't already know the plot of Death Note from the manga could probably tell that he's about to die.

In the manga, once L starts suspecting Misa again and Rem realizes what Light is trying to do, it goes straight to Watari and L's deaths, but the anime instead gives a distinct and unexpected pause in the middle of this where L contemplates his own death. It's fucking great, and the shift from straight action to slower emotional weight makes these scenes stand out a lot, since, like I said, the show usually focuses more on the former. But it's kind of ironic, too.

Not only does the anime open up L's feelings more in these scenes, but it also tries to dig deeper into Light's feelings as well through L. And it's really funny honestly because while, yes, these are the more "emotionally open" scenes of the anime Light still manages to be Incredibly avoidant and contribute almost nothing to the entire ordeal.

L is visibly upset -> "Yeah Ryuzaki, you're not making any sense at all" (Not addressing the obvious conflict from L)

"Tell me, Light. From the moment you were born, has there ever been a point where you've actually told the truth?" -> "[The most stale, over-explained, avoidant answer to a "yes/no" question that you could ever hear + blatant attempts to reframe the question]"

(L's half-smile here kills me) "I had a feeling you'd say something like that" -> [Nothing]

"I'm sorry" -> [Nothing]

"It'll be lonely won't it? You and I will be parting ways soon" -> [Nothing]

^ From this point Light continues to say literally Nothing for the rest of the scene. I'm not even joking, from then on the rest of Light's voicelines are reduced to nothing but vague noises of confusion.

Everytime L calls Light out as a person ("Has there ever been a point where you've actually told the truth?" / "I had a feeling you'd say something like that." / "Won't it be lonely?") he doesn't actually acknowledge anything. Out of those three lines, he only answers verbally to if he's ever told the truth, and even then it's the most blatantly people-pleasing answer ever, as it usually is with Light. And I don't think it's because Light just. Doesn't care about any of what L's saying at all, or that he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about (questioning Light's authenticity as a person, saying it would be lonely when they part), instead he's choosing not to acknowledge any of what this means about himself or him and L at all. He's like a fucking wall.

And like, for the truth question in particular, the show makes sure that you know it's not something that Light just. Doesn't care enough about to answer. The hard cuts to silence are a very rare but extremely effective way that the show conveys an extremely important moment (see: Light regaining his memories, Matsuda noticing Light opening the warehouse door before he escapes (not as much of a "direct" cut to silence but still)), and cuts to multiple angles/framings/zooms of the exact same shot are also used for the same purpose (see: Light hugging Misa when she was crying, Matsuda aiming his gun to shoot Light, Light regaining his memories Again). Just like the scene where Light gets his memories back, the moment L's question finishes the show utilizes both. That question cut Deep. There's is a solid Almost 5 seconds of silence before the sound of the rain gradually starts fading back in, and honestly that should be telling enough as is (but of course Light doesn't actually admit that. Or anything at all really, so). Oh also another fun detail! We do not see Light's face At All (except for the shot where you can see his mouth moving but not his eyes), for the Entire time that he's going on his spiel to L. We Will Be Revisiting This Later, by the way. This is not, in fact, the first time you're going to see this detail from Light.

The only sort of reciprocation that we see from Light during Any of these two scenes is when Light dries L's hair while L dries his feet. Biblical meanings/references aside it's interesting because it's the only time he directly does anything "for" L in these scenes, but even then he doesn't try to pass it off as anything meaningful really the same way L does ("You're still soaked", a purely neutral and factual statement. It doesn't Add Anything compared to L's. Sin atonement loneliness grieving stuff. While Light is showing his own reciprocation to this more personal moment he also tries to keep it impersonal enough that it doesn't actually have to mean anything deep). And when L says "I'm sorry" after he once again gets no response from Light. It's also after this that L gets that pained look on his face, like he knows that at this point he's not actually going to get anything meaningful from Light (again, very significant and rare from L in the show. We've seen him in distress (see: when Ukita died, hell, when Watari dies), but even then he mostly manages to keep his usually neutral expression), we never see him "look sad" like he does here):

I just think it's interesting that this is one of the few scenes in this particular adaptation of Death Note where they try to open up the character's thoughts/feeling (especially considering the fact that they. lowkey blunder in adaptations of original scenes from the manga), and L himself is being rather open (not that he ever really tries to hide what he thinks nearly as much as Light), and yet all Light contributes to it in return is like. Actually nothing. Bro fumbled it. There is no resolution to any of this, to any of what L asks at all, to any of the many opportunities for a meaningful conversation, and the only thing even relatively close to an answer that you can get from Light is what you can infer from how he acts in the episode after L dies, where he's just going through the motions, but hardly acting as if he's actually living at all.

(Honestly I think the transition from this scene with the taskforce to the subsequent scene with Misa says enough on its own. Light's expressions and tone says everything:)

(Oh sidenote but. This shit again:

"Light, this is our first date in forever. can't you enjoy yourself a little more?" ('Why don't you seem happy? We can finally be together since L is dead') -> No response, Light instead changing the topic to him wanting to move in with Misa without changing his mannerisms at all

Also there's that one detail again. You pretty much don't see Light's expression when he speaks here at all, except for one shot of his eyes, which is quite literally the exact same shot they used when he "saw" L, just altered for the new setting. You have No idea what he looks like when he's responding to Misa, although it's probably fair to assume that it's the same empty stare he has for the whole Two Shots where you can clearly see his whole expression in the entire scene.

Something something Light Yagami bad at feelings I think you get the point though)

I guess Light's Kind of showing what he's feeling now? He'll admit to himself that it's boring without L, but no more than that. Light never actually admits to anything "significant", and L's dead already anyway, so what would that even do?

And then we get, uh. Basically nothing from Light. For the next 5 Years. Except that he joined the NPA, so, uh, yay? Good job, Light you totally nailed it! Thank you for allowing us as an audience to delve deeper into your inner thoughts and feelings as a character so we can find out more about you as a person! Very helpful! Thank you for not sabotaging one of your few dedicated opportunities to look into yourself as a person and reflect on your relationships with others and being 100% honest with yourself! We stay winning guys.

Anyway, this got way too long for a scene that's over a decade old, and I've probably just said everything that everyone else has already said in this fandom before. But unfortunately this has been living in my head for way too long and I must scream. I just think this episode's neat is all :)

tl;dr Part of the reason why the rain/foot scene (tbh episode 25 in General) stands out so much is because the Death Note anime specifically was a bit robbed in terms of its more emotional character moments compared to the other medias, which makes more somber/introspective scenes like the ones in episode 25 stand out a Lot in comparison. But it's also incredibly ironic because it's one of the few moments where the show (or specifically L) tries to look deeper into Light's character, but because he is so avoidant for the entire duration of these two scenes he adds basically nothing at all. It's almost funny. Mostly sad. It's also very gay. Aand post

Okay actually nevermind one more thing I talked about how the jdrama is supposed to be more emotionally in-depth because it is a TV Drama and just for the record, same thing happens there! I could probably do an entire analysis of the Blue Scene in this context like I did with episode 25 but I'd literally be here forever, so uh, just take this iconic line as my main example:

Same Thing. L's statement "I wish we could have met some other way" is personal. It's his own wish, his own regret that he is expressing to Light. While Light's reply obviously has that same regret implied it's also phrased in a specifically impersonal way. It's closed off. "This is the only way we could have met" it closes off the topic and simply renders L's wish as ultimately futile. Light does not say that he Also wishes he could have met L a different way even if it was likely impossible, instead it's a cold statement of cynical fact.

Idk just. Something something L being able and Willing to be more openly sentimental/emotionally open towards Light/about Light vs. Light's inability to be honest with anyone including himself and his own nature preventing any form of meaningful reciprocation. Something something self-sabotage, y'know the drill. God don't even get me Started on how sincere L's tone is when he says "It'll be lonely won't it?"(at least in the eng dub) in the anime I could talk about his tone in that scene for ages. Also yes all of this relates to L Change the WorLd too by the way. Don't ask how it just does okay.

I do think that scenes like these (rain/foot scene, The Blue Scene. Uh. L Change the WorLd The Novel Adaptation) show, at least in those adaptations, that L does genuinely care for Light, and show that he values him as a friend not just in the mindgame-equal sense but also just like, a more sincere sense you know. Idk if that made any sense and that's a whole other topic for another day but you guys just have to believe me on this one alright please please believe me buries head in hands. Okay post over finally thanks for coming to my tedtalk hope you enjoyed my very-unnecessarily long analysis of the week

#death note #dn #light yagami #l lawliet #lawlight #death note anime #coda analyzes stuff #sorry this is all very scattered and probably doesn't make sense i wrote this on a whim one day and then the post had a mind of its own #this was originally gonna be shorter but then light yagami (derogatory) happened #it was so difficult to avoid going on 27450438 different tangents i love this series btw #you know my post about LCtW parallels with Light post L's death. yeah pretend i copy pasted that whole analysis here too #it also applies and is very relevant #death note multiverse my beloved i will love you forever #i just ran this through a word counter 1K+ word rant about these scenes. in 2024. God i'm Cooked #^ LMAOOOOOOOO (laughs in ~2.5K wordcount weeks later at the time of finally finishing writing this) god I Hate it here #also sorry i havent been posting a lot of art lately i'm busy and i've decided to save up all my Art Energy for lawlight week #so i've just been finishing off and posting analysis that have been floating in my drafts.lawlight stp au parallels/notes are probably next #sorry not sorry </3

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flxrartsstuff · 2 months ago

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Wounds

TojixfemReader, 18+

Authors note: this one has some kind of story in it and was so long in my drafts that i finally can finish it now. Y/N is a badass killer/thief like Toji and rescued him from a very dangerous situation. She cares for his wounds but also realizes how she feels about him.

cw: Angst/smut, mention of blood and wounds, Y/N being a little bossy and possessive with our Toji, cowgirl, bj, riding, clitorial stimulation, nipple play, I love being bossy with Toji 🤭, a little slowburn 🔥

»Ouch!«

The man hissed in pain and held his side. Scratches and scrapes marked his face as she helped him to sit on the only bed in the room. He groaned, bit his own tongue and tried with all his might to avoid looking too weak in front of her. His hard and manly side was not going to crumble, of course. Even though this woman had already made him weak, he just didn't admit it yet.

»Let me take a closer look at your wounds.« she said calmly and pushed the fabric of his robe to the side, which he had hastily thrown over his broad, muscular shoulders. They were already covered in scars, but it was obvious that his years of training had given him a cage of protective armor. The ridges and hollows of his muscles, the veins already twitching just because her fingers slid gently over them without causing him too much pain. He hissed the air out of his nose and pressed his lips together violently so as not to make a sound. She heard his teeth grind still.

After her brief analysis of his injuries, she got up and went into the bathroom to fetch a bowl of clean water, a towel and a first aid kit. The man lowered his head and exhaled, only when she sat in front of him again did his body stiffen. It was simply unpleasant for him that she now saw him as so weak. However, she didn't say a word about it. Nor did she talk about what had actually happened. Instead, she pushed his clothes away, exposing his upper body completely down to his hips and V-line. A little more and his best piece would have jumped out at her.

But at first they didn't really feel like having fun. Not until she had almost gone mad with worry about him and he had believed that he would never see her again because of the eternal torture he had to endure. They had barely escaped the worst and were now sitting here. In this shabby hotel suite, with the single bed, the ugly curtains at the window and the old TV in the corner, which seemed to have survived the nineties.

She took the cloth, dipped it in the bowl of water and began to carefully dab the first open wounds on his shoulders. As soon as the moisture touched him, he winced and hissed through clenched teeth.

»Shit, Shit, Shit!« He uttered more curses, depending on how painful it was. But all the time his gaze was fixed on her. At the much smaller woman in front of him who had saved his life. If he hadn't been injured, he would have been all over her long ago. She leaned even further forward, stroked his neck with the cloth and let the water trickle down his skin. There were a few unsightly scratches and scrapes, red patches of skin that had been rubbed, either by a chain or a rope. The same marks could be seen on his wrists.

The longer she looked at him like that, the more uncomfortable he felt. Even though he now trusted this woman with his life. He felt shabby and worthless when she looked at his scars, which had long since drawn deeper into his skin than his fresh wounds. But instead of saying anything, he just looked at her and thought about how he could get back to his usual self from this position.

She tapped the cloth several times in the now reddish water, wiping it over his broad skin. The whole room was silent and only her soft breathing and the occasional moans from Toji could be heard.

»Show me your back.« she ordered coolly, trying to appear calm and collected.

»No.«

»Toji…«

She tilted her head and, as if she wasn't already upset enough, his current behavior only made it more difficult. His gaze went blank, he didn't even look at her anymore. He shuddered when a hand suddenly placed on his cheek and gently turned his head in her direction so that he had to look at her. But he didn't hold her gaze for long and pressed his face to hers, his lips hungrily on hers. She accepted his kiss just as hot-bloodedly, opened her mouth and immediately let his tongue touch hers. She moaned into the kiss, longing and unrestrained. And when he thought he could go on, that he could forget and undo everything with this little love game, she pulled away again.

»I need to clean your wounds first.« she insisted breathlessly. And he didn't like that at all. He was used to get women around so easily, to shut off his private feelings and not let anyone get close to him. It had never taken much effort to get a woman into bed and forget everything for a few hours. But here was a woman who had absolutely nothing in common with his previous conquests. Reason number one: she had saved his fucking life.

He would probably never forget the feeling of relief when she had freed him from this trap and yet he couldn't think of what he had done to deserve it.

»Why do you care about my wounds, huh?«

»Because someone has to.«

He only gave a disbelieving snort and allowed her to take a seat behind him on the bed and inspect his back. The silence that followed and her sudden hesitation showed that his scarred skin must have left her more than speechless. There was no question about how uncomfortable it made him and yet he silently tolerated it, trying to resist the urge to put his robe back on and get up.

In addition to the new injuries, his back had more scratches and cuts all over it, which were still visible due to years of healing. It shocked her more than she had expected. Of course, not a single word could even begin to explain how much it affected her to see him like this. There was no question of pity. And by God, he didn't need that.

Instead, she took the cloth and wiped slowly and carefully over the injuries. He no longer flinched. No, he endured the pain on his back in silence. But he felt a completely new experience when something soft and gentle was added. Instead of the pain, she placed her lips on each area that was injured or scarred. She appreciated his body without any sexual intent. Her kisses were like butterflies, like the harmless licking of a cat over wounds. Even if her intention was really harmless and caring, he couldn't suppress a throaty growl. He closed his eyes and sighed as she continued, gently stroking his back with the cloth. Together with her lips, it was a sweet temptation and a soothing band-aid that he desperately needed after the stress.

»Better?«

He grumbled in acknowledgement, so she continued and eventually cleaned his entire back. Her touch was the best thing he had ever felt in his life and he almost believed it was out of this world. Only when she stood up and sat in front of him again did he open his eyes, which he hadn't even realized he had closed. There was a slight playful sparkle in her eyes, although she tried to remain serious. Fuck, what would he give for this woman? It shocked him that he almost lost her forever. And only because a madman had tortured him to death.

When she had finished cleaning him up, she used the disinfectant spray to treat his larger wounds to prevent them from getting worse. As if he hadn't been whining constantly before, it continued now. He winced and growled with every stinging pain the product caused him. Although it was important and helpful, he rather would have liked to grab the bottle and throw it out of the window.

»Almost done.« she kept reassuring him, circling his broad stature to be able to treat him everywhere. Now all that was missing were a few plasters and bandages. She was no professional, but for an amateur she had done a great job on him. The silence in the air was heavy, however, and the invisible tension between them had still not been released. He felt somehow guilty and responsible for saying something to her. But what?

»What are you thinking of? You’re so silent.« He looked up and saw her bandaging his left arm. She was almost finished with her work and it seemed as if she herself had become more relaxed. More relieved.

»Nothing.«

»Really, Toji? You know, you can’t play with me.«

He grinned. »Yeah, that’s true.«

Both glanced at each other a few seconds and this spoke more than words could ever. She knotted his bandage and finally got up with a sigh to take the bowl and first aid kit away. He looked after her, lost in thought, and didn't move. Until she came back to him, he sat motionless, feeling as if he hadn't been tortured and injured until a moment ago.

»You should sleep a little.« she said and he couldn’t overhear a slightly little tone of concern in her voice. He smirked only and looked at her from his low and dark eyes. He leaned back in bed, supporting his back on his elbows. Although he still could feel pain from his wounds, he tried his best to ignore it.

»What are you? My nurse?«

She puffed the air through her nose in amusement and shook her head before walking towards him, sitting down on his lap and pushing him back onto the bed. His elbows gave in and he landed on his back on the pillow, looking up at her in surprise.

»Nurse? Is that what you want me to be?«

His eyes widened for a moment and before she could notice anything about him, he put both hands on her bottom and squeezed lightly.

»What else?«

»Mmm, I don’t know. Let’s see..« she began, pretending as if she had to think hard about that. »The one and only who saved you from nearly death? You idiot. Don’t you dare do this to me again. Understand?«

Now he saw the gleam in her eyes, the hint of unshed tears, which she was suppressing with all her might. Her face was very close to his as she looked at him in silence, pushing a few strands of his black hair out of his face. Impatiently, Toji pressed her against him so that her posture gave in and her body was pressed completely against his. She let out a startled gasp, unable to do anything.

»Fuck, I thought I won’t see you ever again.« the man moaned onto her lips as he dragged her closer for a long and sloppy kiss. Their tongues played immediately with each other, teasing and dominating the other for control. She started to move against his middle which was slightly covered by the simple gown and could feel him getting hard under her.

She was the one who briefly let go off him, leaned her forehead against his, with her breathing unable to calm down.

»I want you.« she whispered on his lips, kissing him again and still moving her hips against his. A dark growl left his throat. She sounded so urgent yet so needy but it was different than any other time. He never heard something like that from any other woman he had sex with. She truly was a special one and he definitely wanted her, too. Only her.

She rubbed her clothed middle over his hard erection, slowly and steady. Moaning his name and arching her back slightly.

»Then do it, kitten.« he said darkly, that slightly cocky grin moving on his lips. »Get what belongs you.«

His voice was so low and rough as if he was loosing it every second. He wanted to let her claim him, wanted her to make him forget what his tormentors did to him while he was captured hours ago. The woman looked down at him and slowly licked over her lips. She truly was someone. So reckless and brave, she did everything to get him out of this mess. She had any reason to be mad at him and to do whatever she wanted with him. So she continued to ride him dry although her panties already soaked in her wetness. Her pussy screamed for release, she shivered and still didn’t take off her clothes.

»We’re partners, you know? But as I saw what these assholes did to you in front of my eyes…I couldn’t hold myself back. No one is allowed to touch you like this than me. Call it jealousy if you want, claiming as well. I don't care.« she moaned desperately, grabbing the bedsheets left and right next to his head. His eyes lowered, becoming narrower. Pure lust was written in them.

The next thing he felt, were her fingers moving, running down his broad chest and then down to the belt of his gown to open it. His long cock sprang free, already hard jumping against his lower abdomen, precum on the tip.

»Always horny, huh? Even as a wounded.« she teased him playfully, grabbing his cock with both hands. His grin widened devilishly, seemingly happy and enjoying the situation far too much.

»Always because of you, kitten. Now give this wounded man a special treat. So I can get well soon.«

»You think after all that I am making it so easy for you?«

»Sure. Why should we stop right here?« he asked her instead and crossed his hands behind his head to support himself. Suddenly he seemed so careless that he forgot all his wounds and scratches. But Y/N didn’t really plan to give in so easily. Of course not. This woman was way too smart.

»We won’t stop, because I say so.«

»Oh, what’s that supposed to mean?« he asked cocky and already started to feel enjoying the show she was giving him. She undressed herself in front of him, let him see what awaited him. But as he wanted to grab her body again, she stopped him, pressed him back into the pillow.

»Not so fast. Lie down.« she looked down at him as he did what she said, positioning himself so she could climb on top of him again. He looked hungrily at her, couldn’t stop himself from grinning wolffish.

»Ah, Kitten. Tell me what you’re gonna do. I don’t like surprises.«

»Me either.« she said darkly referring to the events happened earlier and leaned down to kiss his chest. Her tongue moved slowly over his nipples, circling them. The only thing she wanted was him right now. The urge to let herself go, to fuck him till her whole pussy would burn, was so big than ever.

Toji moaned under her, grabbing the back of her head and let his fingers brush through her hair. His eyes were half closed but he still could see her. Her tongue swirled around his nipples, teasing them.

»Stop. Teasing.« he uttered through his teeth, urgently. He definitely turned into a state, that even with his fresh wounds he would lose any patience and flipp her over, to let her know how sincere he was.

»Not gonna tease you. Just making sure you get well soon, you know?« she said with a low voice and let her tongue slip over his broad chest, over the hills of his muscles and appreciating every inch of his skin. His body was on fire and all he had in his mind was her. With tired eyes, he looked down and watched her every movement. Y/N went closer and closer down, dangerously close to his cock. And with every second his heart was about to jump out of his chest. All wounds were totally forgotten with only her lips on his skin. She reached his bottom and gently grabbed his cock before she swirled her tongue around it. Always looking in his eyes, meeting his hungry gaze as she licked all over his long shaft.

»Fuck-« he cursed again, more desperate as he already was, but goddamn he was enjoying it way too much. »That’s it, baby, take it all. Just-«

He let out another growl and wanted to move his hips but she stopped him, by pushing them back to the bed.

»Don’t you dare to move.« she said and sounded determining. »You will cum, when I let you.«

Toji sighed and didn’t know if he ever could be patient. There was never a time where he actually was it so why should it be now? The truth was, he was crazy about her and even though how much, he let his head fall back and enjoyed the pure sensation of her lips on his cock. It was hard already, glistening red tip with precum on it. But her movements were just a torture. She let all her goddamn time, hummed in satisfaction as she wrapped her lips around his length and swallowed it deep in her throat. Slowly and steady to get used to it. A grunt left his lips, his chest raising and falling heavily with every breath, while little pearls of sweat were forming on his forehead. With all his power he had, he pressed down every urge to grab her head and push her deeper till she gagged around him.

After a while she released him with a pop, a long strang of salvia connecting her mouth with the tip. She gasped for air, but she still didn’t let him cum. Instead she raised herself, climbed on top of him and placed her bare cunt right above his erection. His big hands grabbed her waist in such a hurry that he still feared she could disappear right in front of his eyes.

She looked absolutely stunning and his heart filled up with pure joy about her cocky and brave behavior. Being alive just because of her, seemed almost like a dream. And he didn’t want to wake up from that. So he let her take him, let her take what belonged her. As she lowered herself on his cock, he could feel her warm cunt right at his tip before she let it slip in. Her warm walls, already so wet, welcomed his cock inside her.

She sat on top of him, as if she came back to her throne and he truly loved the sight of that. A cocky grin spread out on his lips, making his scar twitch, his gaze was low, pure lust written in them. It was more than attraction, he was truly hers and in her hands right now. He heard a few moans and whimpering as she slowly started to move on his cock, letting it slide in and out, so damn slowly. Teasing him still. Toji growled, his hands buried in the flesh of her thighs and leaving red marks on them, which did nothing to her. She stayed with her pace and wanted to make her words come true. She wanted to take, what was hers. All what he was able to do, was watching her pretty cunt slide up and down his whole length, smearing their combined arousal over their bodies. Her legs perfectly spread, she used just a little effort to bounce up and down on him.

»Fuck,« he heard her and oh how he loved it that she used her filthy mouth like that, the same how she sucked on his cock minutes ago. His cock rock hard, screaming for more penetration and his hips nearly were starting to move against her. It was hard to wait, but it would be worth it. Tojis whole body was sweating, like he was on fire. Everything tensed up and was ready to boil any minute. He searched her eyes, grabbed her face and made her look at him. She was nearly as desperate as he was, while trying to keep any composure. Her beautiful breasts jumping right in front of him with every move, so he grabbed one and pinched her nipple between his fingers.

»So good, baby…you’re doing…so fuckin‘ good!«

He praised her, pressing his hands under her bum to help her to push her up and down more faster and intensely. As his fingers explored more of her, he let them brush gently against her other hole, penetrating her there as well. About this little touch, her back immediately turned into a curve and he almost came just because of that sight. She moved her body forward, leaning closer to him so her face was right above his and her nose slightly touching his. Her hips slowed down for a bit, grinding more than bouncing up and down on his cock. She stimulated her clit so deliciously on him, before switching again and dragging this long awaited climax out of both. Her mouth pressed on his, as she kissed him hotly and moaned into his mouth.

Toji was like a lion growling to get finally released as he felt his cock twitching inside of her and shooting a warm and long spurt of cum into her womb. She wanted him just there, nowhere else, pressed her hips more tightly on his and rode him out like a possessed. Her beautiful scream echoed in the room, followed by the sound of slapping skin and a wooden headboard that hit the wall with every thrust. Their heavy breathing was in sync, she collapsed onto the man’s chest, her body glistening with sweat.

She felt the warmth between er legs and his cock still buried inside of her. The last thing she wanted was him to drag him out. When Toji looked down on her, he saw her eyes closed tight, not that she was sleeping no. He saw something glistening, tears running her cheeks down like little and precious pearls. He pulled her up again so she had to look at him.

»Don’t cry over me, kitten. Never.«

As they looked at each other, their shared orgasm was nothing compared to the intimate feelings they had now. Both were still breathing and trying to get down from their high, but for him it wasn’t over for now. Her gaze was hitting him more than words could ever do.

»You fuckin‘ idiot.« she cursed at him, don’t holding back anymore. Toji pulled her closer at his chest, tightened his arms around her body and listened to her silent crying, unable to watch her like that. And there’s was nothing else to say, but just to listen and protect her. The same she did to him.

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk smut #jjk angst #toji fushiguro x reader #toji x you #jujutsu toji #jjk toji #toji smut #jujutsu kaisen toji #fushiguro toji #toji fushiguro #toji x reader #toji fluff #toji x y/n #toji zenin #jjk x y/n #jujutsu kaisen x you

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clemelntine · 2 months ago

Text

They did it again

Fadel and Style had sex in an abandoned building in the woods and I have never been sane about anything in my life ever, so here are my thoughts and interpretations of that.

Thoughts on the storage room sex and fantasies we saw from FadelStyle in ep 2 and 3

Before we start, I know I'm a bit late. So if you've forgotten this episode, allow me to quickly promote @airenyah and the beautiful summary and analysis she made of Fadel Styles' little journey in episode 4.

Before their sex scene this episode we once again get two scenes that show what each of them wants (or that can at least tell us something about their desires and where they stand)

Style has a sex dream that is just a montage of shots from the storage room. I thought I might find something in the specific shots they used, but its pretty much just a summary of the entire scene (a compilation of highlights, I guess). This does tell us that he liked it. If they had just shown shots from a specific action, it could have indicated that only that was enjoyable to Style. But the entire sex scene being summarized shows that, if anything, all of it was good to Style. I already said in my previous post that Styles fantasy in the host club showed that Style wanted fadel to take control and act on his own desires. This dream only confirms that more.

The dream starts with Fadel saying, "If you want it, I'll give it to you." Which was what he said right before he kissed Style. It makes sense, since it started the sex, now it starts the memory of it. But they could have also started it with Style asking if Fadel doesn't like him a little bit, like the cut in the trailer, or have no words in it at all. Style specifically remembering these words and tying them to the sex in his memory/mind indicate that Style was aware that there weren't that many feelings involved. Fadels words made it sound like he is giving in for the sake of Style, not for anything he wants (maybe to put up a wall, plausible deny ability, or maybe cuz that was part of Fadels motivation). Style knows that and will spend the rest of the episode trying to change their relationship, to also be romantic. I also think (and have said in my previous post) that Style was kind of into the idea of Fadel doing it for him, but that's besides the point.

At first, he seems pretty content, it was a good dream, but after he's woken up and he looks down, there is a look of slight shock and surprise, and he curses. He clearly didn't expect he would be so attracted to Fadel. Didn't think it would affect him this much. I don't doubt that he is aware of his feelings and his attraction, but I think he at least thought he was in control of it. He knew he liked Fadel but didn't expect this to creep up to him like that to make him feel things when he wasn't conscious/aware.

Not technically a fantasy, but Fadel cutting Styles shirt in the kitchen does tell us some things.

In this scene, Fadel is reminded of the lack of control he has over his emotions (just like Style earlier in the morning). Style brings to his attention that Fadel missed Style. This is no new information to Fadel, but for it to be called out like that startles him, brings up his fight or flight a little as he bites back by saying Style is annoying. But Style doesn't back down. He claims that he knows Fadel likes it when Style messes with him. I do think this might have been slightly new information to Fadel. He might have been hiding behind his attraction to Styles body to stop himself from having to admit he likes his personality.

Because that is imidiatly where he takes it. He points the attention back to Styles body by laying him down on the table and cutting his shirt. This is also a sort of response to Style saying he needs to let go of the control. He can't do that yet, just like he can't admit to liking Style on a lever deeper than sex, or at least he won't allow himself. He goes to attack Style, to try and prove him wrong, but also indulge himself a bit. He finds Style hot, and I don't doubt he loved seeing Style laying on the counter like that. Eyes closed full trust in Fadel and very vulnerable. So he challenges that trust by laying scissors on his stomach, no reaction. Style wasn't bluffing when he said he wasn't scared of Fadel. So Fadel goes on, cuts, and then swiftly rips open Styles shirt, a counterattack to the way Style so quickly bared Fadels secrets (and heart, like ripping open his chest).

Style seems to be into it though, a big smile plastered across his face. This is the exact type of stuff we've seen he likes, Fadel acting on his own accord and responding to Style. Most of Styles teasing is to get a reaction out of Fadel, and this is one heck of a reaction. It might not have been Fadel letting go of control like he initially wanted, but it is progress, and Style doesn't mind it (we'll get to losing control later in the episode, of course). And once again, Style places his hands on Fadel in an encouraging way. Not exactly holding Fadel down, but signaling that he wants him close.

And that is what finally brings us to the woods. As soon as Fadel dragged Style away from the meeting, I wondered if they were really going to have sex again. Even considered Fadel might be into whatever that is. But then he decided to drive Style (who willingly got into the car, that man's trust surprises me every episode) to the middle of nowhere and just leave him. I don't think he had any ill intent. He probably just wanted to scare Style, but that clearly didn't work. Style even said: I know you're going to kill me, but I'm not scared. And I believe him. He continuously sees that Fadel is dangerous and capable of harm but continues to return every time.

Style initiates the kiss. He had previously let Fadel take control cause he wanted to do/see what Fadel wanted. Because although Style might have been very annoying and provocative, he does seem to know and understand the vulnerability that comes with sex. He even points out multiple times that he doesn't want a one night stand and isn't the type of person to just bang and bail. Style knows and feels the connection that sex creates and requires. So Style is scared of taking that too far with Fadel, and he had been letting Fadel do what he wanted. But in the woods, Style just got verbal confirmation that the thing Fadel wants is Style. It might not have been direct, but what Fadel said is as much of a confession as Style will need, and he finally takes the liberty to make the firsts move, to be active.

(Also I realize the kisses in the locker room were initiated by Style but because those weren't really with the intentions of going anywhere and were more to tease Fadel and test the waters, I didn't include them I this conversation. This was also before Style developed a genuine interest in Fadel)

This is also a big change for Fadel. So far, he had been the one to act during their intercourse. It was a way to take control of the situation (but also, as @nnnn99999 pointed out in this post, it gave space for him to slip up. He was able to do anything and let himself go, got too into it, still inevitably lost control). Framing the sex as being for Style might also have been a way for Fadel to distance himself from it slightly. View it as just an act, a service to be given out. It couldn't all have been for Style, though. There were too many kisses placed along his skin to convince me of that. Fadel likes Style, and he likes making him happy/satisfied.

But now it was Styles' turn, and we immediately see parallels as well as differences. @secriden already documented and showed these really well in this post (the side by side screenshots really help visualize it better).

The similarity in hand placement (both of them placing a hand on the others jaw/neck during the first kiss if the scenes) might be Style mirroring what Fadel did. A strategy often used to build connection. But I doubt Style knows of this or even thought if it during this time (although it might still have had the same effect on Fadel). I assume Style held Fadels face like that, two hands with one behind his neck, to keep him in place or position him better. Fadel having the same intentions when he did it as well (and maybe a slight choking kink, who knows).

Both of the scenes are bathed in blue lighting, which often signifies coldness. And although that makes sense for their first time in the storage room (them not really connecting emotionally), it doesn't fit the scene in the abandoned building very well. This cold can, however, also be a calm feeling. This could signify that in the abandoned building, they are at ease. After the high tension confession, Style settles the mood by telling Fadel that it is okay to love, and it makes them both feel more comfortable. After that, their blue lighting no longer shows their emotional distance but their content feelings. The singular light illuminating them from above also creates a feeling of intimacy.

After Fadel kisses him, instead of sitting back and letting him do what he wants, Style decides to take the upper hand and initiate once again. He first lifts Fadels shirt, swiftly caresses the skin under it, and them moves quickly down to his pants. Style puts his hand in Fadels pants and does so with a very watchful eye. He observes Fadel and tries to keep as much eye contact as he can, a direct contrast with Fadel in the first scene who focused all of his attention on burying his face in Styles skin. Both are actions of desire, both show a clear interest in pleasing the other while still taking in as much satisfaction from the action for themselves as well.

Whereas Fadel kissing every inch of Styles skin shows an active determination to make him feel good (and of course enjoy Styles skin). Style looking at Fadel for the reaction he gives (something he also does when teasing Fadel, once again he wants to see what Fadel thinks, wants him to respond and go along) shows that, he this time too wants Fadel to get pleasure out of it. Last time, he thought that could be achieved by letting him do his thing (letting him use Style as a way to get to his own climax). This time, he knows Fadel likes and wants him and decides to take action into his own hands: he will be the one to make Fadel happy. And as we see by the look on Styles face, he too gets off on Fadels pleasure.

Their eye contact also indicate they have a deeper connection now. The eyes are the gateway to the soul, and after Fadels confession, they are both ready to face that.

Fadel is shocked at first. This isn't something that he would assume Style would do and isn't something he had shown to like. But as soon as the surprise wears of he gets into it. And it is finally time for Fadel to let go of control. He already gave up a lot of his control when he confessed to liking Style because a lot of the reason why Fadel felt like he had the upper hand was because Style was pursuing and following him (their interactions depended on wether Fadel went allong or not, he was able to control that). Now that he admits he likes him back, they are on even playing ground and ready to pursue each other equally. And with Style jerking him off it seems like their relationship is finally building more trust as well as being more 50/50.

Another point I liked is the focus on Fadel laying his hand on Styles hip. This is a beautiful contrast with the way his hand hovered over Styles hip when he kissed him in the locker rooms. Back in the lockerrooms he didn't trust Style yet and wasn't interested in him (at least not emotionally/romantically)

And that's why this time, at the car, when Style asks if Fadel wants to date and gives his flirty little reason, Fadel agrees. Over the course of the episode, since his sexy dream, Styles has tried to build a stronger relationship with Fadel, and it had finally come to fruition. When he now teases Fadel, he goes along, and when he shows his emotions, Fadel responds. It's like his demeanor shifts, and he realizes that Style is actually serious about wanting to date him.

I also really like how Style says specifically, "What you said to me just now, I feel the same way, y'know? This isn't just Style telling Fadel that he likes him, Style is reminding Fadel of his own feelings, affirming them. He does this a lot. He did it in the kitchen when he repeated that Fadel misses him. He did it in the storage room when pointing out that fadel likes him a little. Style is pretty good at reading people, and repeating that back to them not only acknowledges those feelings but also shows that Style cares and is putting in effort. It's also fun to see him teasing Fadel with the fact that he is easy to read because fadel doesn't want to be

There is a lot to be said about the last quarter of the episode and how knowing the truth changes Styles behavior but for that you'll have to go somewhere else. @secredin made a really good post about it.

Forgive me if this is a lil shit and reads like ass. I'm just trying to get my thoughts down on paper so I can move on. Anyways I'm finally gonna go watch episode 5 now!!

#the heart killers #the heart killers the series #fadelstyle #fadel thk #style thk #joongdunk #joong archen #dunk natachai #finally got this done #sorry it is so uncohesive #i honestly dont even know anymore

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andy-wm · 6 months ago

Note

https://x.com/jmnberries/status/1817503692083396934

LOUD AND CLEAR

Said by Jimin himself. He's searching for the person he's meant to be with, the one his heart is waiting for. He passes one person after another thinking is it you or you. And guess what ? IT WAS ALWAYS A WOMAN.

You and your theory about WHO proven wrong for 975939488848th time 😛

My goodness Anon, are you telling me my theory has been discussed that many times? That's quite an achievement! I didn't know my theories - or I - had such a far reaching impact.

[basking in the glow of this proud moment]

Ok I'm done basking, now back to the ask:

For those of you playing along at home, here's the tweet Anon sent in, for context.

Anon, I'm going to quote you, since you said it so succinctly...

"He passes one person after another thinking 'is it you or you'. And guess what ? IT WAS ALWAYS A WOMAN."

Absolutely correct Anon!

It WAS always a woman

I'm glad we agree on this.

You also said "He's searching for the person he's meant to be with, the one his heart is waiting for."

Yes! We agree on this too!

He's definitely working hard to find the one his heart is waiting for - you said it yourself, he's searching. He's actively looking for them.

We're doing well so far...

Oh but context is important here, right??

We should probably clarify that he's actually describing the last scene of the MV - the one he's about to film. He's not describing himself or his own life.

Yes, to be totally transparent, Jimin is describing a scene he's shooting for the MV of a song - a song he asked Jon Bellion to write. A song he himself didn't contribute to beyond that. He didn't write the visual narrative for the MV either, that was the creatives at Lumpens. No doubt he gave a lot of input but he didn't provide the material.

Did you forget that part, Anon? Or did you think he was actually describing his own life? Or... were you sneakily pretending he was talking about his real life when he said those things, because that suited your argument?

If you were trying to make it sound like he was talking about his own personal lived experiences, that kinda sucks. Because we love Jimin for WHO HE IS. We don't need to make shit up about his life and pretend things are real when they aren't.

We don't need to pretend, Anon, we can just observe, write about what we see - honestly and objectively and without judgement - and then step back and look at the situation.

I guess you might be wondering how come I'm analysing everything if I think we should just be talking about what we see. Fair call. I don't mean that we can't read between the lines or make educated (substantiated) guesses that we can back up with facts (and cite our sources - I am a librarian after all). I also don't mean we can't look deeper than the surface. There are always layers of meaning and hidden messages in the art produced for BTS. I get right into it because I enjoy it - my background is in visual arts analysis so it's kinda my jam - but I'm not just making shit up. I have a wealth of learning and experience I'm basing my analysis on. I'm also not claiming that it's fact - it's an interpretation - It's my interpretation (and just quietly I am pretty good at this stuff so it's a justified and plausible interpretation).

What I'm saying is don't purposefully misinterpret what you see to mislead, or to fuel an opinion or argument that doesn't stand up otherwise. If you have to bend the truth to back up your argument, you might want to reconsider that argument. Theory is built on evidence, not the other way around.

But back to Jimin...

Of course it's perfectly possible that he did spend several years thinking he would one day find true love with a woman. Maybe he dated loads of women. Maybe he came close to finding a deep love with one or more of them. And if he did, I hope those were happy times for him (or at least meaningful times if happiness was elusive). I would never think of denying that if I saw evidence of it, or judging him for who he loves (or loved). I don't think there's any wrong or right here - whether it's heterosexual or bisexual or asexual or gay or queer or into kink or poly or whatever else he is or does. Who he fucks or who he loves or who he feels emotionally safe with - and for many of us humans those are not necessarily even the same people - that's his business.

His life, his body, his business.

I don't judge Jimin. I just admire and celebrate him for who he is.

And I wish him happiness.

I wish them both so, so much happiness.

That's the whole point of all of this, really.

That's why I watch Jimin and Jungkook together, Anon. Not because I want them to be together or because I think they should be, but because I see real happiness when they are together.

True happiness and true love are rare and beautiful things.

I think that's why most of us Jikookers are here, Anon. Because the joy we see and the delight we feel, just from witnessing these two beautiful people being happy, is real.

I'm not saying ALL of us are altruistic. Some Jikookers are full of shit. They covet one or both of them and they think supporting Jikook's relationship entitles them to make judgements or assumptions or claims about Jimin and JK. They get possessive, they objectify, they demand things. Some people who claim to support Jikook have spite and hatred in their hearts... yes, we have our share of nut jobs too.

But the majority of genuine Jikook supporters I encounter are simply here to celebrate the greatest love story we've ever seen. We're here to get behind two beautiful men who clearly love each other despite the odds against them. We're here to bask in the reflection of their glow and it's bloody wonderful.

But, I digress....

Let's go back to the making of the MV for WHO...

Here Jimin describes the MV, just like when talking about the final scene. He says it's like a musical movie.

"Right now we're filming one of my favourite parts. It's like a musical movie." There's definitely a narrative here, it's the part where he joins 6 other male dancers, an obvious nod to BTS.

We already know there 's a narrative, but Jimin confirms it for us here.

So let's look again at the narrative:

Throughout this production we can see that the dance (not choreographed by Jimin) and the lyrics (not written by Jimin) have been created/chosen to show /tell us that Jimin (the performer) is searching among all these women for the love of his life.

THAT'S *PART* OF THE STORY THEY ARE TELLING.

But it leaves out a pretty big development ...

He was searching for love, looking at every woman just as he was supposed to, but someone (WHO?) crashed into his life and stopped him in his tracks. Yes, that someone fell directly into his path in a way that couldn't be ignored.

Jimin said

"I try to see WHO I'm meant to be with... is it you? Is it you?"

It doesn't sound like he was giving anyone much of a chance, does it? It sounds more like he was searching for someone in particular.

Maybe it was no accident. Maybe he was searching for WHO all along and he just didn't realise, until he found him.

Ok I am done talking (finally)

I'll finish responding to this ask so we can all go on with our lives.

To respond to your specific query, Anon:

Jimin doesn't say he's searching for a woman himself, does he? Not even in that quote you supplied.

He could have said "women walk past me" but he said "people walk past me".

He could have said he's trying to see which of these women he's meant to be with, but instead he said "who I'm meant to be with"

We can't ignore him saying WHO, Anon.

The song isn't called Which woman?

The song is called WHO

Anon, if you stuck with me all the way through this post, I commend you.

And yes, I was a bit facetious in the beginning, in my defence I had a shitty day at work. But I responded to you as the adult I imagine you to be, even though your language was a little on the childish side. I assume you were intending to piss me off but I enjoyed answering to your ask, so thank you regardless.

If you are still here I want to ask you a few genuine questions in return... I'd love to hear your honest answer.

Why, in the face of all the evidence, it's so difficult to accept that Jimin and Jungkook have a bond that goes beyond friendship or brotherhood?

They look like they're vey happy together, so why do you want them to not be together?

Why is it a problem for you if they love each other? Homophobia is learned behaviour. Who did you learn it from?

And probably my most burning question:

Have you ever experienced true, deep, lasting love?

#park jimin #jikook #kookmin #국민 #jeon jungguk #true love #jimin muse #bts jimin #jungkook #jimin who #who by jimin #muse by jimin

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aspoonofsugar · 4 months ago

Text

Lust and Love in "House of Asmodeus"

House of Asmodeus is the perfect climax of season 1 and my personal favourite song in Helluva Boss. Not only it is a banger and it introduces Asmodeus and Fizzarolli's characters, but it is key for themes and characters alike. Let's see why!

THE PERFORMERS

The protagonists of House of Asmodeus are three couples:

Moxxie and Millie

Asmodeus and Fizzarolli

Stolas and Blitz

What do they represent? They are the theme, the anti-theme and the negation of the negation:

The theme is the stance the story is supporting. In this case, "love".

The anti-theme is the stance that runs opposite to the theme. In this case, "lust".

The negation of the negation is the stance, which is worse than the anti-theme. In this case, "loneliness".

Each couple embodies one of these ideas. Not only that, but in general they explore the topic of relationships, by considering two aspects:

the microchosm: the bond itself, the couples' ability to communicate well and to find a common ground

the macrochosm: how society sees the couples and their reactions to these expectations

So, let's explore House of Asmodeus! First, I will offer a general analysis, where I will highlight the basic ideas and motifs. Secondly, I will go deeper into each couple.

LOVE VS LUST

M&M embody love (the theme). After all, the song starts with Moxxie singing a romantic serenade for Millie:

Moxxie: I love you More than the brimstone loves the fire More than Beelze- loves her -bub More than a maggot loves gangrenous stubs You make my spirit sing Yeah, you make me glad I live in Hell Our love is a story sweet to tell Yeah, you cast a special Satanic spell over my heart Love is a journey we decided to start Yeah, I hope we'll never ever be apart I love you (x7)

It is a celebration of the couple's pure love, but it gets interrupted by Asmodeus and Fizzarolli, who mock M&M. They represent lust (the anti-theme) and want to sing about it:

Asmodeus and Fizzarolli: joining in, mockingly I love you (x5) I love you (x3) Asmodeus: You singing love songs in my lustful lounge? Fizzarolli: Ozzie's ain't the place for sentimental sounds! Asmodeus: What'd you expect from a proprietor like us? Fizzarolli: Your demon host, Asmodeus, the embodiment of lust! Asmodeus: Give me a thrust!

The entire song is a juxtaposition between these two ideas, not only in lyrics, but also in visuals.

Moxxie and Millie's parts are full of warm colors, like pink and yellow:

Moreover, a lot of romantic cliches are used: the serenade for an anniversary, the pink hearts, even a kiss on a flying platform with intertwined tails:

Asmodeus and Fizzarolli's color scheme is instead colder, with a lot of blue and purples (Asmodeus's colors):

What is more, the couple keeps referencing sexual practices and erotic games and they even improvise a fake striptease on stage:

Basically Moxxie/Millie and Asmodeus/Fizzarolli celebrate different kinds of bonds through opposite performances. M&M offer an instrumental love song, which is classic and sweet in lyrics and sounds. OzziexFizz instead put on a show full of brilliant tricks and jazzy tunes.

What about Stolitz?

They are still part of the performance, but they are so in a passive way, just like they are passive in their own relationship. Their bond is stagnant and unclear, so they lack the words to celebrate it. This is why they do not sing and instead become props in Fizz and Ozzie's show:

Fizzarolli: Is that Blitzo? So, you're showin' your face? Hey, everybody! This guy's a total disgrace!

Asmodeus: Who's that at your table? Is your date a demon prince? Stolas, is that you?

They are even given a specific red color scheme, which highlights their uneasiness:

And by the end they are humiliated:

You sold your life for a thrust! Now, that's the spirit of lust!

Stolitz embody the spirit of lust, but in a negative way:

Blitz is mocked by Verosika for being bad at sex. He is basically told he is bad at lust.

Stolas is called out by Asmodeus for giving up his life in exchange of some cheap pleasure. Not even artful lust, but just a quick thrust.

Basically, Stolitz is presented as a mess. A relationship rooted in lust, which can't even fully enjoy it. That is why they are the negation of the negation. Neither love nor lust. A bond, which ends in loneliness.

STOLITZ: YOU ARE GONNA DIE ALONE

Blitz and Stolas are mocked for their (lack of) lust:

Verosika Mayday: Oh, Blitzo? I used to date him (date him, date him) I'd stroke him, I'd fellate him (fellate him, fellate him) Yeah, but when it was my turn (my turn, my turn) He did no reciprocatin' (what a dick bag) A selfish Imp in the sheets And just as bad in the streets A reckless, heart-breaking freak!

Asmodeus: Woo! My dark lord, how the mighty do fall! You used to have a smoking wife, a kid, you had it all I hope you didn't give it up so you and him could get it up~

Blitz is bad in the sheets and Stolas sold his priviliged life for some cheap arousal. However, in both cases the point isn't really lust, but something far deeper and more vulnerable:

Fizzarolli: Is that Blitzø? So you're showing your face? Hey everybody, this guy's a total disgrace! Some nerve you got to comment on a relationship Last I checked, your love life is a pile of shit!

Stolitz are not bad at sex. They are bad at relationships:

-Blitz is fine in bed, but he is scared of deeper relationships, which is why he ghosts Verosika:

Blitzo: EVERYONE'S SHITTY! Hello, we live in Hell! Why am I suddenly the bad guy for sucking at relationships?! (...) Verosika: How do you think I felt? When the fun guy I was dating decided to just bail on me because I made the shitty mistake of saying I love… Ugh! It was the most embarrassing feeling. To be vulnerable for once and… you really just know how to send a message in the shittiest, fucking way.

Verosika insults Blitz's sexual prowess, but what she is really angry about is Blitz's selfishness and emotional immaturity.

-Stolas's story with Blitz isn't just the whim of a pompous Goetia, but it is Stolas's first real attempt at happiness. He hides his romantic dream behind a lustful persona, but deep down he wants to belong with someone:

Stolas: You wanna know what I want? I want to know what it's like, to not be alone. I want to be someone's someone. I want to feel wanted. But like, in a romantic way, like I'm standing out in the rain at a train station and someone is shouting: “Harriet! Don’t get on that train, it’s going to London and I cannot be without you!”

He wants more than occasional lust. He longs for a real relationship.

So, for both Blitz and Stolas lust is a mask. It is an easy coping mechanism that lets them enjoy a relationship without truly committing. They do not really have to put in the effort with each other, so they do not risk rejection. After all, rejection is scary:

As Blitz hallucinates: Stolas: You're going to die aloooo-one! Fizzarolli (hallucination): You're gonna die alone, Blitzo!

Stolas: Prince, all alone, upon your throne Your power is so frail You raise your voice You have no choice Inside your gilded jail

Both Blitz and Stolas are scared of dying alone, so they gravitate towards each other. At the same time, they see no real future for their bond. As a matter of fact they can neither have a detached lustful relationship like the one Fizz and Asmodeus (apparently :P) have nor an openly romantic one like Millie and Moxxie's. In general, they can have no relationship because:

1- When it comes to the microchosm, they can't communicate:

Stolas: We could talk, or… watch a movie, or… maybe cuddle? Blitzo: Stolas, don't act like what we have is anything but you wanting me to fuck you, okay? You make that really clear all the time. But, I just, I-I can't do it tonight, okay?

They want and believe different things. Stolas slowly realizes he wants more than just a night of passion once in a while. Blitz doesn't believe he and Stolas's utilitaristic bond can ever become something different.

2- When it comes to the macrochosm, they belong to different social classes:

Wally Wackford: Are you sleepin' with an Imp?!

Stolitz are not Imps like Millie and Moxxie, who are expected to end up together. Rather, they are like Fizz and Ozzie. As a result, the Jester and the King of Lust come to embody the only kind of relationship Blitz and Stolas can hope to achieve:

Blitz can reach Stolas's level only if he is useful to the Goetia. Just like Fizz's talent as an entertainer makes him a suitable business partner for Ozzie.

Stolas is justified in sleeping with an Imp, only if it is devoid of any feelings or deeper emotions. Just like Ozzie presents his utilitaristic relationship with Fizz. Entertaining, but purely physical.

Except that Fizz and Ozzie themselves are obviously more than what they seem. They too are using lust as a mask.

FIZZ X OZZIE: THE EMBODIMENT OF LUST

This is how Fizz and Ozzie want others to see them:

Fizzarolli: Ya mind? Trying to have an unemotional bang sesh here! Asmodeus: Yeah! Cuz we're so NOT in love! Fizzarolli: Yeah! Love. Is. STUPID!

This is how they actually are (and how everyone sees them):

They have to hide their genuine love behind an emotionless lustful facade. In other words:

1- When it comes to the microchosm, they are fine:

They clearly love each other, get along well and want the same things. They are even able to communicate decently, as shown later on in MAMMON'S MAGNIFICENT MUSICAL MID-SEASON SPECIAL (ft Fizzarolli).

2- When it comes to the macrochosm, they struggle:

Asmodeus's status as the sin of lust makes it difficult for him to openly commit to a relationship with Fizzarolli. This is why the two of them have to initially hide their involvement with each other (even if they are awfukl at it).

So, Ozzie and Fizz are fine with each other, but Hell can't accept their relationship. In a sense, the social pressure they feel is even worse than the one Stolitz experience, as Ozz and Fizz are far more famous than Stolas and Blitz. This makes so that OzziexFizz's mutual declaration of love nicely contrasts Stolitz's lack of one.

Blitzo: He's just a fake, privileged asshole! Fizzarolli: Sounds like you just hate him for bein' a prince. Because no one, and I mean no one pretends to care that much just for a cheap lay. Blitzo: Point is, royal demons don't give a shit about guys like us. They're all the fuckin' same. Fizzarolli: That's not…! A-always true…

Fizzarolli openly calls out Blitz's excuses about his relationship with Stolas and tells him being royal means nothing in the face of love.

Mammon: Ha-ha, hooo. Look who's acting like a big fuckin' hero. Careful what you say, Ozzie. Wouldn't want your little secret getting out, would we? Asmodeus: I don't care anymore! Fizzarolli: Ozz? Mammon: Because if you let him quit, I could tell everyone here that you- Asmodeus: What? That I love him? Well, I do!

Asmodeus publicly announces his love for Fizzarolli, which is what Stolas initially struggles to do.

At the same time, Ozzie and Fizz's development happens in season 2. By the end of season 1 they are still struggling with their problems and hiding the nature of their relationship. This is why they symbolically lose to Moxxie and Millie.

M&M: I LOVE YOU (THE THEME)

M&M are the winners of the thematic confrontation that takes place in House of Asmodeus. In particular:

Moxxie does not change his song to fit Asmodeus and Fizzarolli's tune:

Moxxie: I want to… Fizzarolli: Yeah, what do you want? Butt stuff? Piss play? Bondage? Moxxie: Make gentle love to you

Millie ruins Asmodeus and Fizzarolli's big finale and asks Moxxie to finish his song:

Millie: I think you were trying to sing something for me, Mox. Moxxie: Yeah, I was.

They sing the way they want and do not let Fizzarolli and Asmodeus degrade their relationship. They are able to do so because their relationship is strong both when it comes to the microchosm and to the macrochosm.

1- The microchosm

Moxxie and Millie have shown multiple times to be fond of each other. Not only that, but they are complementary and supportive of each other. So far, their major conflict happens in Unhappy Campers because Moxxie lets his insecurity (his major flaw that he shares with Blitz) get the best of him. However, he is quick to get over it once he is called out by Millie:

Millie: For once, I feel like… tears forming like I'm important. Like I'm someone to be proud of… And I had hoped that my husband would be there to support me half as much as I've supported him this week!

Moxxie: I am very proud to introduce to you peeks over to Millie, who was now being moved by Moxxie's appearance Someone with abilities never before seen on this Earth. Someone with the raw athletic skill of an Olympian. The voice of an angel. gestures to Millie as the spotlight now shines on her The acrobatic technique of an indentured 12-year-old Russian ballerina. And a body that - JUST. DOESN'T. QUIT. The best, and most supportive person I've ever known and the love of my life. My wife- Brotheeeeer… Millerd!

When they face a problem, Millie openly tells Moxxie what's wrong and Moxxie is quick to do better. Their fight is solved and their usual dynamic is re-established.

2- The macrochosm

Moxxie and Millie are two Imps, so they are expected by society to be together. And yet, they too struggle with others disliking their relationship. Specifically, both their families are against their union:

Millie's parents think their daughter deserves a stronger and more traditionally masculine husband

Moxxie's father wants to use his son as a tool for his criminal empire and tries to force him into an unwanted marriage

However, Moxxie and Millie are able to resist their families' pressure.

Millie: Moxxie, I'm fiiiine! I got worse than this during the flower tufts at my brother's weddin'. But I caught that fuckin' bouquet, and it was fuckin' worth it! You just have to get out there, and fuck up that brownnosin' cocksucker for me!

Moxxie: I said I'm not doing it, sir. I've spent my whole life being afraid of you, but I'm not giving up the only good thing I've ever had just so you can keep your fragile little sense of control over everything. Millie is a good woman, a better woman than I deserve, and there's nothing that scares me more than hurting her.

Millie affirms she is proud of her husband, whereas Moxxie resists his father for Millie's sake. Moreover, both Moxxie and Millie call out their respective parents in law for their partner's sake:

Moxxie: Y'know, she protected me. And maybe I'm not a strong beefy dickhead, but Millie has the strength enough for both of us! You two are getting on her case about being hurt by a psychopath you hired?! Shaaaaame on you!

Millie: This ass is MINE!

So, even M&M, who should be free from social expectations meet them. Still, they overcome them out of their wish to stay together.

In the end, this is why they are victorious in the musical skirmish at Ozzie's:

Moxxie: I love us I love us just the way we are Don't have to pretend to like to do things we don't I've always got you around to laugh at my stupid jokes I'll never take you for granted I'll always give you my best And if you can offer the same Fate will handle the rest 'Cause I love you 'Cause I love you

Differently from both Stolas/Blitz and Asmodeus/Ozzie, they do not hide neither themselves nor their love. Through each other, they are free to be their real selves and this gives them the strength to face the world's judgement. This is how they are able to stand proud in front of the king of lust. They do not need Asmodeus's approval because they have each other.

Ironically, they end up being the most openly lustful couple:

Their song is a metaphor for sex (just look at Moxxie's vagina-shaped guitar) and their ginal kiss is the only sexual act to happen on stage.

What does it mean? Simple: Moxxie and Millie are openly showing the nature of their bond. As a result, they are more lustful than even the embodiment of lust himself. After all, isn't Ozzie's about showcasing your deepest desires with no shame? Well, this is what Moxxie and Millie do. In juxtaposition, both Stolitz and Fizz x Ozz mask their wishes and feelings.

So, M&M finish their song and the public cheers for them. Their exhibition gives Ozzie and Fizz a moment of intimacy:

They happily celebrate that part of their bond they can't show and that is similar to Moxxie and Millie's.

Stolas and Blitz are instead left silent and confused because they are reminded of what they lack.

IDEALS AND REALITY

Theme-wise House of Asmodeus is a dissection of relationships, lust and love. Character-wise, it is a call out for Stolas and Blitz and a push for them to change.

Stolitz dream a relationship like the one M&M have. They want the ideal:

Blitzo: No, it's fine! I-I can come with the two of you, help you celebrate your boring as fuck monogamy. Moxxie: Uh, no. The reservation is for us. Blitzo: Uh huh! Moxxie: Just us. Blitzo: Mhm! Moxxie: Without you there. Explicitly without you there. Blitzo: I'll wear something nice. It's a big deal after all. See you lovebugs later!

Gabriella: Ay, why won't you love me Alejandro? Stolas: That's a mood, Gabriella.

Both Blitz and Stolas try to experience happy love stories by proxy. Blitz through Millie and Moxxie that he stalks and Stolas through the love drama that he binge-watches. This is their way to cope with loneliness. However, real relationships happen because the people involved put in the work. So, Stolas and Blitz can never obtain their dream love-life, if they do not face their flaws first.

Fizz and Ozz remind them of this in two ways.

On the one hand they openly call out Blitz and Stolas's flaws. Fizz highlights Blitz's troubles with relationships, wheread Ozzie draws attention to Stolas's privilege and unsolved family situation.

On the other hand they themselves are far more similar to Blitz and Stolas, then Moxxie and Millie are. They are one Imp and one Goetia, for starters. Moreover, Fizz and Blitz share similar issues, which stem from their childhood. Stolas and Asmodeus instead are trapped by their status.

In other words, Fizz and Ozzie destroy the ideal and force Blitz and Stolas to change and grow. Symbolically, they do so by attacking both M&M and Stolitz's relationship. However, Moxxie and Millie in the end don't give a fuck. Nothing that Fizz and Ozzie do have any long impact on them nor on their relationship. This isn't the same for Stolitz. Some quick jabs are enough to make their current dynamic collapse. That is because Moxxie and Millie share a real relationship. Stolas and Blitz instead share a fantasy and they need to turn it into reality.

#helluva boss #hb meta #hellaverse #hellaverse meta #helluva meta #blitzø #stolas #helluva boss asmodeus #helluva boss fizzarolli #moxxie #helluva millie #stolitz #fizzarozzie #moxxillie #m&m #my meta

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robby-bobby-tommy · 2 years ago

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It's once again a nighttime and I'm once again here with scene/character analysis.

As it's prominent from the last few post I'm a quite Ultra Magnus enjoyer, and I'm very upset at how people see him as heartless nerd. I see him as a person very damaged by the war. So here's some of my thoughts.

Ultra Magnus has a great problems with fitting in, because he forgot how to be in this kind of relationship and it's just depressing. For at least a century he has been in a war that took all his time for friends and especially family. And part of me thinks it is because Ultra Magnus is used to communication with orders. In "Evolution" we can see how he really tries to start a conversation, but all he knows now is orders and missions. And the next problem with him is he doesn't belong. He doesn't know what a family is, Wheeljack sends very clear messages that he is not welcomed to the Wreckers. Magnus felt completely isolated and this inability to make deeper connections than commander-soldier doesn't let him comprehend familial relationships. And I have some proofs.

The most important one is this line.

"The members of team prime are not cogs in a machine."

Why would Optimus use this particular line? It felt very meaningful and even as a non-english speaker, I felt it was very important for Ultra Magnus' character. So I went to Internet for the answer and I found this..

This one line opened a lot abt my boy. UM considers himself and team Prime through this war prism. "You are important,but we know how war is. Everyone can't survive. Sometimes you have to sacrifice something for a better outcome. Magnus doesn't think he's better than the rest of Team Prime, quite contrary, he holds himself by the same standards. I think Ultra Magnus sees himself as this metaphorical cog in a machine. He is important now, but if he isn't important in great scheme of things. This sounds like a very army type of mentality. He's prepared to die for a mission and sees little value in himself apart from weaponry and missions. So when Predaking had him and Wheeljack cornered he accepted it fairly quickly, yet was saddened with a thought of joining the allspark, especially with Wheeljack, whom he is to protect as his subordinate.

After Ultra Magnus wakes up, he's met with a lot of pleasant developments. Now he is fully accepted, Team Prime is by his side, and even Wheeljack drops this very meaningful line "Magnus fought like a wrecker"(=you're accepted in our group). And after finally asking OP about what was a Team Prime, he found out about a new concept, that basically breaks all his perceptions.

Family.

It isn't the army, or the elite guard where you are easily replaceable and aren't important. Now Ultra Magnus is family. And, forgive me for cliché, but you can't replace a family. They all are accepting each other and won't willingy leave someone behind for a brighter future.

I think if Ultra Magnus had more screen time his arc would be about relearning to care/connect in a deeper way and finding your own and others' importance, showcasing hardships of a soldier, trying to become more relaxed and closer to a people he knows and loves.

Or mb I just overanalyze one line¯\_(ツ)_/¯

(Also UM and OP have this so sweet bond. Former is, being as socially awkward as he is, still being honest about his feelings and asking smt he doesn't understand. And Optimus completely trusts his lieutenant with the team family and is able to see when the other's uncomfortable/sad. I dunno, they're so brothers/friends. They're very close without having much interactions on screen.)

#transformers #tfp #transformers prime #maccadam #maccadams #ultra magnus #tfp ultra magnus #optimus prime #tfp optimus prime #team prime #wheeljack #tfp wheeljack #character analysis #???? i guess.#he's one of my favorites so be prepared for me analyzing him to hell and back

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genericpuff · 1 year ago

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Okay, what the FUCK is Inklore?

My ULO pals and I have been deliberating on this one since it was announced. "Inklore", the brand new imprint from Random House Worlds - which is, in and of itself, an imprint of Penguin Random House - and Rachel Smythe Presents, an in-house program of sorts that's dedicated to graphic novels, specifically those that "tell updated, romantic versions of classic stories and mythologies, and caters to readers looking for bingeable, relationship-driven stories with a distinct visual voice."

Basically it's exactly how it sounds - they're creating an imprint for works like Lore Olympus, and using Rachel as the leading lady.

But let's dig a little deeper. Because the more I searched on Inklore, Rachel Smythe Presents, and Random House Worlds, the more it started to paint a picture of what's really going on here.

INKLORE

I talked about this in my recent analysis of LO's pacing problems, but Inklore launching in Spring 2024 conveniently lines up with what would seem like a reasonable end point for LO. Rachel's always lined up LO's episodes with real life dates and holidays - even when it's been at her comic's own expense - and while we've kept our minds open to the possibility that it could end later than Spring, there's no denying at this point that LO itself is dragging itself out, which gives me stronger reason to believe it's just trying to make it to March, specifically March 20th, which is the first day of Spring in the northern hemisphere. Because of this, our best predictions right now is that LO's series finale will either release on FP or unlock for free readers on either the 16th or 23rd of March (if it unlocks for free on either of those dates, that means we can expect the series to end behind the FP paywall on either April 6th or 13th, assuming they're aren't any more hiatuses, but at this point I doubt there will be.)

Moving on, let's look at the actual Inklore site-

Already you can get the vibe of what kind of work they're looking for through their imprint. This is for people like Rachel. Now, I'm definitely not going to rag on anyone's tastes, I myself am a weeb of epic proportions, but considering you're about to see what's really the highlight of this site, you'll get what I mean when I say this isn't for people like Rachel, this is for people like Rachel. Specifically Rachel.

RACHEL SMYTHE PRESENTS

Inklore seems to be just an imprint specifically for Rachel Smythe Presents, with a couple extra series tacked on to give off the impression of it being more credible than it is. It means the whole site can be dedicated to it, rather than having it shoved in haphazardly alongside Penguin Random House's other works. You'll see what I mean in a second, but let's magnify those questions real quick, shall we?

As soon as I saw the "we are not accepting unsolicited pitches for Rachel Smythe Presents", it dawned on me that Rachel's own fans don't know how imprints work. Why do I say that? Look no further than the comment sections on her announcement posts for RSP (which I'm abbreviating, but I assure you, it stands for "Rachel Sex Party"- /j)

Of course, there are plenty of "congratulations" comments and "please do xyz myth", in which case, please, don't let her touch more myths I beg you-

But then there are also the odd comments of people asking how to get involved themselves. People who are just, by all accounts, regular people on the Internet.

But wait, how do you get involved? Thankfully there's a handy URL in that FAQ telling us how.

And holy shit, it's hilarious.

Guys, it's so easy to get into Rachel Smythe Presents! All you have to do is finish a manuscript, find an agent who's willing to work with a new unpublished author (and hope that they're not a scammer), get your manuscript prepared for publishing and submitted to editors, and then hopefully land a book deal! Wasn't that so easy?? Thanks for demystifying the process, Penguin Random House!

Listen, okay, there's something to be said about how difficult it is to navigate the publishing world. While some of those difficulties are for good reason - to ensure that not just any piece of crap thrown on paper can get published - many more are rooted in privilege, racial gatekeeping, and sexism. It is still an industry being run by a lot of nasty old fucks who take full advantage of people desperate enough to get their book published.

All that aside, it's kind of hilarious - in a sad kind of way - to see fans of this comic assume that this project and its opportunities were ever made for them. It wasn't. It wasn't made for the Canvas creators, it wasn't made for the Wattpad writers, it wasn't made for the people who work in the medium that Rachel started out in to get where she is today. It was made for the people who are already 3 of the 4 steps into Penguin Random House's "helpful" guide on publishing. It was made for the Cait Corrains and the wannabe Rick Riordans.

At best, Inklore is simply a home that's been manufactured for Lore Olympus after it's done on Webtoons. It may remain on the WT platform forever - or maybe not - but Inklore gives it a way to be seen and acknowledged outside of its niche. Because, despite Webtoons attempting to make Lore Olympus a global phenomenon, it really hasn't sold well in other countries, especially those where it was translated which people from those countries have stated it's not translated well at all.

It goes to show that much of LO's claim to fame was manufactured within North America by Webtoons itself, and Inklore is just another one of those manufactured attempts.

Still don't believe me? Still think I'm wearing too much tinfoil?

There are still only two series that Inklore has to show for itself - and remember, it launches in two months - and of course the ones leading that charge are every single volume of LO, even the ones that aren't "new and upcoming" anymore.

And then there's their Instagram, which is just more of the same-

(wonder if they ever found a Marketing Manager? Not exactly the role you want to be left empty leading up to a launch, oop-)

But wait, doesn't that site layout look a little... off? Almost cheap, maybe? Am I being too harsh-

Oop, nope, it's the exact same template used for the LoreOlympusBooks.com website.

Wait a minute, what about the imprint that Inklore is attached to? Random House Worlds?

RANDOM HOUSE WORLDS

... Uhhuh. I'm not entirely convinced that Lore Olympus is in any way on the same level as fucking Star Wars but to the average onlooker, this would make Lore Olympus seem pretty big and important simply on the virtue of it sitting smack dab in the middle of a grid of massive franchises.

So I'll bite, where do these buttons go? They all lead to external sites selling books and merchandise (except for the Marvel Studios one, which hilariously doesn't have a URL attached, so that button goes nowhere LMAO)

... Oh. It's that layout again.

Not all of them have the same layout, mind you, but it seems to be the default layout for sites they just haven't buffed up yet. It would explain why the Star Wars and D&D sites are a lot more robust in their designs, while others just link back to Penguin Random House:

Now the Minecraft one does look better at first glance, but it's still just the same template as the LO site, with a slightly different layout, but working off the same design philosophy, like they just spent a few extra hours dragging things around and spiffying them up in a site editor.

So it seems a lot of the default sites are working off the same CSS stylesheets, which doesn't exactly look good for LO and Inklore's online identity.

But hey, it's gotta mean something that LO is sitting alongside such franchises as Star Wars, Marvel, Magic the Gathering, and Minecraft, right? These are some of the biggest franchises on the planet, and while LO does make a lot of money, it's still nowhere near the billions that these franchises generate every single year.

And that's what I would be saying, if I hadn't noticed the specific products that Random House Worlds was selling - all easily churned out merch, from cookbooks to spin-off titles, which aren't exactly the main draw for these franchises, simply stocking stuffers or otherwise fun gimmicks to try out.

(I actually own the Dungeons and Dragons tarot deck. It's shit. They don't actually tell you the suit of the cards, JUST the numbers, so you have to flip through the book and match up the pictures on the cards with the pictures in the book just to figure out if it's Cups, Pentacles, Wands, or Swords, which I'm sure you can figure out, if you're a tarot reader, is very inconvenient and doesn't make for a good card reading experience)

Point is, Random House Worlds seems to mostly be an imprint dedicated solely to the cheaper products and books they can make to pump up a franchise's merch count. Even the Critical Role site doesn't offer the campaign books, those are published by their own personal imprint Darrington Press and are offered on their main - and much better designed - site:

Instead it's selling printed versions of interviews and... mad libs.

Not made or even really endorsed by the Critical Role cast, because if they were, they'd be on the main site, where the good shit is.

Random House Worlds is, at least judging off what I've found here, the "trick the parents into buying it" imprint. It's simply there for parents to see, go "my kid watches / plays that!" and then buy a Beholder puzzle which their kid will undoubtedly start and then never finish and eventually throw out half-finished after all the pieces have been lost. It's the cheap merch money generating machine, with works written by people who were simply paid to write it, and not people actually involved in the larger franchises.

And this is the imprint that Inklore and Rachel Smythe Presents is going to be an extension of.

At best, Inklore will likely just be a home for Rachel's work post-Webtoons, with maybe the odd success outside of it. At worst, it comes across as nothing more than an ego project, another artificial attempt to place Rachel and LO on the same playing field as Marvel, Minecraft, Star Wars, and Dungeons & Dragons through the only means that they can - an imprint that specializes in off-brand books, which they're truly counting on people just seeing the logos and going "wow those are big franchises!" and associating LO with that status simply by affiliation - without it having anywhere near the actual level of prestige, household influence, or brand recognition.

Its readership is dying out, its stats dropping, and worst of all, the vast majority of people - of which its a very small amount - who have heard about LO without being a Webtoons user themselves have heard how infamous it is in its bad writing and poor art direction.

It has nowhere to go but down, and if you were hoping to be a part of Rachel Smythe Presents, then all I can suggest to you is to go through the very simple process of finishing your manuscript, finding an agent, finding an editor, and then (hopefully) landing a book deal with the 'esteemed' Inklore.

Good luck! ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ

#lore olympus critical #anti lore olympus #lo critical #inklorebooks #inklore

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percheduphere · 1 year ago

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LET'S TALK ABOUT THE LOKI SERIES' ROMANTIC TROPES AND JANE AUSTEN

I am going to compare the relationships and romantic undertones of Loki, Sylvie, and Mobius with my all-time favorite Jane Austen adaptation because the character archetypes and plot-points are strikingly similar with Ang Lee and Emma Thompson's 1995 Sense and Sensibility.

This sounds cracked, but stay with me. Tropes are tropes for a reason. They are often repeated in writing subconsciously because they are very old and near-universal story arcs regardless of the literary genre we are discussing.

Please note that this is not a 1-to-1 comparison. This is an analysis of basic archetypes, tropes, and plot-points: the barebones skeleton of story structure. With that said, let's dig in:

Loki = Kate Winslet's Marianne Dashwood

Sylvie = Greg Wise's John Willoughby

Mobius = Alan Rickman's Colonel Brandon

For those of you who have not seen (or read) Sense & Sensibility, the story is about a family of women who are rendered near-destitute when the patriarch passes away and, due to English law at the time, all the family finances fall to the only son. The only hope for the women to escape the edges of poverty is to marry into wealth.

The Loki series’ main storyline is a far cry from that of Sense & Sensibility. It is first and foremost a sci-fi action-adventure, but don’t let that genre fool you. Well-written stories are always character-driven. The setting serves to establish the rules of the world and the tangible challenges the characters must confront to achieve their goal. The end goal for Loki is his ascension to the God of Stories (and time). Therefore, his character arc must follow a trajectory that prepares him for that ascension.

Love, above all else, is essential for Loki’s journey. In order to understand and be capable of love, Loki must experience love in all its forms including but not limited to romantic. I've seen a lot of social media posters mocking shippers with comments saying, "the story is not about romance." I wholeheartedly disagree. While romance is not the main concern of the series, romance does serve Loki's character development.

It is critical that we remember romance does not require physical contact or even blatant declarations of love. If that were true, unrequited love would not be thought of as romantic, which we know is not the case. Further, it is possible for physical intimacy to exist without any romance at all. One does not require the other.

While dismantling HWR’s old regime is the Loki series’ “Plot A” thread, Loki’s emotional experience serves as the series’ “Plot B” thread. Love and romance exist in Plot B.

THE CHARACTERS & THEIR ARCHETYPES

LOKI & MARIANNE

Within Sense & Sensibility’s plot, one of the main heroines, Marianne, has the archetype of the mercurial, passionate, and freewheeling spirit. She is rebellious at heart, chaffing at society’s rigid expectations of emotional repression and polite rather than fiery courtship. Much like Loki with Sylvie, Marianne is drawn to John Willoughby because his temperament, values, interests, and talents very closely mirror her own.

Like Loki, Marianne is emotional. Her emotions drive many of her decisions, some of which are rash and socially unacceptable for her era.

Like Loki, Marianne detests social norms. Refusing to contain her nature for anyone, she is unafraid of the stares and judgment of others.

Like Loki, Marianne is poetic, a lover of words and metaphor.

Like Loki, Marianne is a hedonist. She will follow where her heart takes her regardless of the consequences. Just as Loki runs after Sylvie through the portal door, Marianne chases after Willoughby.

SYLVIE & WILLOUGHBY

Willoughby fulfills the archetype of the ideal lover at first sight. He is young, handsome, strong, deeply romantic, and a lover of poetry, pleasure, and unfettered emotion. I will not go into the deeper details of his character and plot here as I don't find them relevant for the purposes of this analysis. The key point to remember is that Willoughby is meant to be Marianne's perfect match by virtue of similarity.

Like Sylvie, Willoughby is emotional and consequently chaotic in nature. At his worst, Willoughby is unafraid of hurting others in the pursuit of his desires.

Like Sylvie, Willoughby chooses absolute freedom over the genuine love and care he has for Marianne (Loki).

Like Sylvie, Willoughby views institutions with social authority with contempt.

Like Sylvie, Willoughby judges character based on association with institutions rather than the individuals themselves. He holds repugnance for Brandon’s (Mobius’s) association with the military (the TVA). Fair enough, both the TVA and the military (especially the British military) are institutions that have committed horrific global atrocities.

Like Sylvie, Willoughby is unable to separate the institution from the individual people living and working within it, who are capable of goodness.

MOBIUS & COLONEL BRANDON

Colonel Brandon, a decorated military officer, fulfills the trope of the “dark horse” in love. He is Willoughby’s opposite: older, "less physically attractive", reserved, practical, and orderly. The main character (Loki/Marianne) appreciates his friendship yet does not feel any romantic affection for him (Mobius/Brandon) until the primary love interest (Sylvie/Willoughby) abandons the relationship for absolute freedom.

Like Mobius, Brandon is drawn to intelligent, artistic, footloose nonconformists.

Like Mobius, Brandon accepts and loves Marianne exactly as she is, including her faults. He does not want her to change against her will and gently reprimands her older sister, Elinor, at such a suggestion.

Like Mobius, Brandon serves an institution with significant influence on the lives of others.

Like Mobius, Brandon accepts that his love is not returned yet continues to express his love through his support of Marianne’s (Loki's) wishes, including his romantic rival Willoughby (Sylvie).

Like Mobius, Brandon is seen as a dear friend rather than a potential romantic partner in the first 2/3rds of the story.

Like Mobius, Brandon’s personal desires are secondary to Marianne’s (Loki’s) happiness.

THE ROMANTIC PLOT

It is understood by the audience that love is not only a feeling; it is also an action that requires incredible responsibility. In that responsibility, both lovers must choose to take into consideration the feelings, wants, and needs of the other.

The trope of a main character meeting their perfect match and falling quickly in love informs the audience that conflict must lie ahead, and that the third party of the love triangle will be tested for their worthiness as a romantic partner.

Loki & Sylvie and Marianne & Willoughby possess a fast, passionate, and explosive love.

Loki & Mobius and Marianne & Brandon posses a slow, steady, and gently burning love.

These two relationships, which are BOTH valid AND romantic, are set against one another to contrast each suitor's strengths and weaknesses, as well as to shed light on which suitor best meets the feelings, needs, and wants of the main character.

The main character's (Loki/Marianne) love interests inevitably collide in a tense confrontation. Being the Georgian Era, Brandon and Willoughby do not discuss their dislike for one another directly but with Marianne's older sister, Elinor.

Sylvie, on other hand, is not afraid to tear into Mobius, saying exactly what she thinks of him. Both directors of photography frame their shots in a near-identical fashion, demonstrating who are at odds and the individual (present or not) who is between them.

Whether in the realm of fiction or reality, the act of love inherently requires some degree of self-sacrifice.

While Sylvie performs self-sacrifice by pruning herself in hopes of finding and rescuing Loki from the Void, that self-sacrifice does not extend to her personal values and beliefs with respect to free will. She therefore fights Loki, ultimately kissing him farewell before kicking him through a time door to get what she wants.

Likewise, Willoughby, cut-off from his family's estate due to indiscretions he refuses own, prioritizes wealth over his relationship with Marianne in order to continue his lifestyle of luxury and absolute freedom. Willoughby therefore marries the exceptionally wealthy Miss Grey to achieve this end, abandoning Marianne and breaking her heart in the process.

At the midpoint of each storyline (where the narrative turns), both Loki and Marianne have lost the person they felt most strongly about because they were not that's person's priority.

Marianne's quote in the above gif is significant. It is a poem she and Willoughby recited together when they first met. She recites it again, alone, as she looks upon the estate Willoughby has married into in the rain. The poem is as follows:

"Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove. Oh, no. It is an ever-fixed mark that looks upon tempests and is never shaken."

This poem defines love as not fickle but persistent in the face of challenges and "never shaken".

THE DARK HORSE IN LOVE

Brandon, who falls for Marianne first, establishes himself as not only a friend of Marianne's but her whole family's. All of his actions throughout the film are performed out of love for Marianne, but these actions are not read as romantic by Marianne because there is no fast-burning fire and (seemingly) little commonality between them.

Marianne's mother cautions her, pointing out that the romances she cites all meet pitiful ends. In return, Marianne describes such love as not pitiful but "glorious."

Brandon and Mobius express their love for Marianne and Loki through practical means. Their actions are predominantly viewed as marks of friendship rather than marks of romantic love. It should be noted that in both cases, no verbal declaration of love, nor any physical declaration of love, such as a kiss, is ever made by either Mobius or Brandon on screen. Brandon's unrequited love, however, is readily apparent to everyone (the characters and the audience) due his presentation of the opposite gender.

Brandon, upon seeing Marianne struggle cutting reeds for weaving, offers her his pocketknife. Mobius, knowing that confrontation with Sylvie at Roxxcart will be dangerous, offers Loki his daggers for protection.

Brandon, recognizing Marianne’s need for artistic pursuits, gifts her a piano. Mobius, recognizing Loki’s need for validation, provides him with words of affirmation, encouraging Loki’s talents in magic and cunning.

Brandon, acknowledging Marianne’s love for Willoughby, invites Willoughby to a picnic at his estate despite his distaste for him. Mobius, acknowledging Loki’s love for Sylvie, frees Loki and is pruned despite his jealousy of her.

Marianne, out in the rain and in distress over her loss of Willoughby, succumbs to a deadly fever. Loki, kicked through a time door and in distress over his loss of Sylvie, succumbs to time-slipping.

Brandon and Mobius actively make themselves available in response to their loved one's individual break-ups with ZERO expectation of having their love returned.

Brandon, concerned that Marianne's illness may kill her, rides nonstop for hours to retrieve her mother during a storm. Mobius, concerned for Loki's wellbeing, risks his life on the loom's gangway, risking exposure to temporal radiation and death.

In the end, both Brandon and Mobius are the triumphant winners of Marianne's and Loki's hearts.

Indeed, Brandon reads poetry to Marianne, and when he announces he must "away", Marianne worriedly asks "where?", demonstrating her desire for him to stay. Brandon teases her, fulfilling Marianne's need for romance and excitement by saying, "it is a secret."

Mobius, meanwhile, begins to open himself up to worldly pleasures, allowing himself to drop the strict, no-nonsense behavior he exhibited in S1. Loki, in turn, begins to provide him with the type of emotional support Mobius has consistently given him since the beginning (yes, he has a jealous meltdown, but he recovers relatively quickly).

The outcome of their successes, however, diverge due to their gender presentation.

Whereas Brandon happily marries Marianne ...

... Loki returns Mobius's selfless love with a sacrifice of his own, and they are separated.

#lokius #loki #mobius #loki series #loki season 2 #lgbt representation #lgbtqia #queer representation #lgbtqia representation #loki meta #loki analysis #my meta #my analysis #jane austen #sense and sensibility

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rowanwritestoomuch · 5 months ago

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How to Create Your Own Symbolism

with rowan

gather round children, I want to tell you about symbolism.

The wall isn't always blue, but when it is, what does it mean to you?

I often see young writers (and even some of us veterans) using symbolism in the most banal ways, simply because they believe they have to. The world said 'we think this thing means such and such' and the writer feels confined within that analysis.

But to be blunt, what if we weren't so anal about it?

What if we, the author, got to decide what exactly a certain motif, a certain quirk, a specific flower, a sound, a sensation, meant more than what it does and it meant exactly what we wanted it to?

We do this through research, as all good things are done. Recently when setting up a scene in my current work, I explored the symbology of flowers for my original plan, and I inserted flora that I was familiar with and felt right. Then I realized I live in Michigan and my characters are standing in a field in Georgia. Oh boy, what a mess. So it was that we must find out what exactly blooms in Georgia, in this particular month (being that of early August). I looked for a long while at various photos and descriptions, percipitation charts and spreadsheets about bloom patterns, and when it was that I found several flowers that aesthetically pleased me, I created a bouquet in my mind. I wanted this scene to encompass the characters in the somber beauty around them. But where to begin figuring out what these flowers mean?

We look first into the meanings that other people lend to these things. We ask the florist 'what does it say when I hand someone a frond of grey goldenrod? Is it different from early goldenrod?' and the answer may surprise you with its affirmative yes. We may consult the spiritualists, 'in what context of ritual do you place this flower on the altar of worship?' and we can consider the metaphor of their response in our own character's interactions. We look to the biologist and we say 'how does this flower exist within our world? What are its strengths--- its weaknesses?' and we ask our characters the same thing.

We then look into ourselves. Can this information we have collected be arranged and placed and fed to the reader in a way that describes what I want to portray? Will I remember to continue to weave those threads, that lasting impression, throughout the text? Does it speak to me with the same rich voice that a symbol should?

Bringing all of this together, before I choose the symbols I was going to use in finality, I reflected on my text. Did the appearance of this blossom fit the color language I have used so far? Will it remind the reader of earlier moments, of foreshadowing I have previously set down, of events that have brought our paths into this moment? Will it be jarring, in the revelation of what deeper meaning I have placed upon it? Will that shock be what I desire?

Often I think we don't ask enough questions, or perhaps, we are not guided to which questions should be asked in order to inspire us. Anything placed within a scene can be a symbol. Make it memorable, make it unique. The walls are blue because she is sad, and we see that throughout the entire body of the text, and never do we forget that those walls are closing in, they are weeping, they are longing, they are cold, they are solitude. The breadth of the text remembers that. And perhaps, in your own way, blue can be happiness, it can be light, it can be like the air, or the calm ocean, or the perwinkle opening its petals to dawn. If only you decide.

Always remember, write because it hurts if you don't.

until next time.

#rowanwrites #creative writing #on writing #writeblr #writing advice #how to write #rowanteaches #writers on tumblr #writing tips #ao3 #symbolism

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leylasnovella · 15 days ago

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Hello lovely, my name is Leyla!

On my page I want to explore the deep depths of my mind in form of poetry and creativity, so I figured starting this blog might be just right!

Here are some things about me:

- my page is known to be „colourless“ and „cold“ however, to me it reflects a calm tranquility within nature and the mind without distractions and perceiving details in little things which life offers!

- I love the movie Dead Poets Society! There is nothing more I could talk about for hours and watch new analysis videos on YouTube. Simply beautiful.

Furthermore I also enjoy movies which cradle deep into my mind like Dune, Tenet, Interstellar, Inception, Catch Me If You Can, … some more fantasy films to get lost in my mind.

- Books and reading. Do you also happen to collect some books before reading them simply because you know you‘re going to read them and they look so beautiful? Me too. However, this year I‘m actually setting the goal to read more books I own before I get some new ones (I should probably avoid book bazaars and flee markets…)

There are various genres I enjoy such as: mystery, fiction, non-fiction, psychology, philosophy, theology and classics!

- Video- and Photography. There is nothing more beautiful than capturing a feeling or moment, expressing a situation or feeling through some video and sounds. Hopefully I‘ll get deeper into my hobby and soon you‘ll see some work of mine.

- Trees, winter, calmness, rain, big windows and wind.

Some of my absolute favourite artists are Tamino and Morpheus. However, my music taste can vary a lot.

Sibylle Baier, Françoise, Matt Elliott, Hako Yamazaki, Felix Damour, Mayberg and the Bands PianoMagic, Archive, BuckTick, MaliceMizer, TheSmiths, MassiveAttack and Rammstein. Not to mention my favourite composer Antonin Dvorak. I‘m also playing the violin and little bits of the piano.

- Languages, languages, languages. Some of my greatest interests is to discover cultures, languages and how it connects people. As for me, I‘m fluent in German, Turkish and English. However, I‘m also learning Latin-I‘ll probably learn more different languages in future hopefully.

Thank you for taking some time to read my introduction! Don‘t be shy to drop some comments about something you enjoy or have in common! I‘d love to make some moots.

See you soon!

#target audience #academia aesthetic #chaotic academia #classic literature #dark academia #light academia #music #tamino #morpheus #nature #trees #poetry #psychology #knowledge #philosophy

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monkberrymoonsdelight · 1 year ago

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A Monkberry Moon Delight lyrical analysis because it is the greatest song of the 20th century

Monkberry Moon Delight is a song from Paul McCartney's 1971 album Ram. The song is generally considered to be surrealist 'nonsense' lyrics a la Lennon's late Beatles work like 'I am the Walrus' and 'Glass Onion'. But if we know anything about Paul (and Lennon-McCartney in general), he tends to put deeper emotions into his songs, often with out meaning to and without his direct knowledge:

"I don't write anything consciously, Sometime when I'm pissed off with John over Apple business a line might creep in." - Interview with Disc And Music Echo (Nov. 20, 1971)

"Songwriting is like psychiatry; you sit down and dredge up something that's inside, bring it out front." - Interview with Robert Palmer for the New York Times (April 25, 1982)

" But in a song, that's where you can [share your innermost thoughts]. That's the place to put them. You can start to reveal truths and feelings." - Interview with John Wilson fork BBC 4's (May 24, 2016)

And my favorite because it's y'know...in a song: "And when I'm gone, I leave my message in my song" - Beware My Love (Wings at the Speed of Sound, 1976)

All that being said, in my opinion, Monkberry Moon Delight is a projection of Paul's feelings of anxiety about his post-Beatles public/critical reception and his reaction to John Lennon's antagonism post-divorce. Specifically, he details his writing of Too Many People as a response to John's antagonism and the making of Ram as an attempt to recapture public attention/praise.

For context: Monkberry Moon Delight was first written/demoed at some point from May-August 1970 on his farm in Scotland. Paul's late 1969-1970 Scotland era is complicated. He often describes it as being one of the most difficult periods of his life because of the break-up of the Bealtes, the Apple financial troubles, his frayed relationship with John, and starting a whole new life which all compounded into a deep depression and alcohol abuse.

Let's start with the title and chorus. In Paul's own words, Monkberry Moon Delight comes from his kids mispronunciation of the word 'milk' and establishes MMD as a fantastical drink like 'Love Potion No. 9'. I think Paul obviously hides behind the surrealism of the lyric but its association with family and domesticity makes an interesting contrast. Though he is happy to be in his escapist domestic fantasy in Scotland, he juxtaposes this with the underlying pressure to be acclaimed (especially after being considered the greatest artist in the world for ten years). Though the song has a peppy, jaunty beat there is an air of anxiety developed through the songs key of C minor and the staccato of the piano and bass parts. His vocals also have a similar strained desperation like 'Oh! Darling'.

The lyrics:

So I sat in the attic, a piano up my nose

And the wind played a dreadful cantata

Paul starts with himself, writing. 'The attic' may be a reference to John Lennon's recording studio that he had built in his attic in Weybridge where he and Paul would often go to write.

"We nearly always went up to his little music room that he'd built at the top of the house, Daddy's Room, where we would get away from it all. I like to get away from people to songwrite, I don't like to do it in front of people. It's like sex for me" - Many Years from Now. Whether or not this is a direct reference to 'Daddy's Room', Paul is known to prefer small, confined spaces for songwriting.

'Piano up my nose' to me shows a rapt attention, leaning so close to his piano its almost up his nose. He is intently and passionately composing his 'dreadful cantata', this cantata I believe refers to "To Many People". Based on this record of the order of demos on the Ram cassette, it seems that Too Many People may have been written (or at least recorded) before Monkberry, which furthers my belief that Paul is making a meta narration of the writing of his song which he recognizes was very pointed or dreadful.

Sore was I from a crack of an enemy's hose

And the horrible sound of tomato

Here he describes what spurred him to writing this song, and this album as a whole. The 'crack from an enemy's hose' could refer to Allen Klein's treatment of Paul during the final months of the Beatles and his attempted mishandling of the release of McCartney (1970). (Note: The crack could also be from Phil Spector, the press, Ringo, George, Yoko or John; Paul is kind of getting shit from all sides right now). The 'sound of tomato' implies the idea of throwing tomatoes at an artist to express dislike or dissatisfaction, referencing the poor critical reception of McCartney (1970).

Ketchup, soup and puree

Don't get left behind

Ketchup, soup, and puree; liquidy tomatoes because splat, splat, splat go the critics. And ketchup because catch up pun.

Don't get left behind is the central theme of this song. He is worried that the public is going to forget about him while he's depressed, away in Scotland, and making critical flops. This is him desperately clinging onto the hearts of the public. Because we all know how much Paul needs to be liked.

When a rattle of rats had awoken

The sinews, the nerves, and the veins

The 'rattle of rats' could be any of the number of people who were getting on his nerves, sinews, and veins (pissing him tf off) in 1970. This could again be referencing the great "Let's all gang up on Paul McCartney" game of 1970 but because of the subsequent lyrics, I think this may be more specifically about John (and Yoko). Either way, it was these rats who annoyed him into getting to work.

My piano was boldly outspoken

And attempts to repeat his refrain

'Boldly outspoken' again connects this song to TMP. The line is similar to the TMP lyric 'This is crazy and baby, it's not like me' in the sense that both show how audacious he sees this songs as. In 'attempting to repeat his refrain' I think Paul is using the 'well he started it' justification for TMP because he's sees it as a repeat, of him rising to John's level of insults.

So I stood with a knot in my stomach and I gazed at that terrible sight

Of two youngsters concealed in a barrel, sucking Monkberry Moon Delight

Ah yes my favorite moment in all of music ever. This is the verse that really convinced me that this song may be referencing JohnandYoko. The 'youngsters in a barrel' alludes to John and Yoko's bag piece, where they would get into a black bag for...peace? As seen in Get Back, this particularly irked/disturbed Paul. "Go get in your bag. The Merseybeat award for couple of the year, goes to John and Yoko" (Get Back Episode 2). He also refers to them as 'the young lovers' in Get Back during the infamous January 13th 'and then there were two' conversation. Even though it makes him nervous and sick, part of Paul releasing TMP and Ram is to face up to the JohnandYoko powerhouse which was a non-insignificant portion of his early 1970 criticism.

Well I know my banana is older than the rest

and my hair is a tangled baretta

Here I think he is reasoning to the listener, the public, over why he thinks they've abandoned him. Paul recognizes that he has been in this music game a long time (so people may have grown bored of him) and has been depressed (and thus out of the game), his tangled 'baretta' of hair like the wily depression beard he grew out while in Scotland.

Also banana = dick, just so everyone is clear (can anyone find that banana poem from his poetry book? Also this just perpetuates my tinhat theory that all the banana milkshakes Paul got in Paris were just **** **** but I digress). Also something about Paul likening songwriting with sex so him not being 'musically desirable' is because...his music dick is old? Ok Paul.

I leave my pajamas to Billy Budapest

And I don't get the gist of your letter

This is the one lyric I am pretty unsure about. Not that every line has to fit perfectly into my interpretation but I genuinely could not make heads or tails of it. My initial interpretation was that this was referring to Billy Shears, and how during this period the Paul is dead theory regained popularity. This reference adds to the feeling of dissolution he builds in this verse.

But mike on the Beatles Bible seems to remember Billy Budapest as being a children's pajama designer though I have found not evidence of this. However going with this shot in the dark, leaving his pajamas to Billy Budapest could draw back to the theme of his current domesticity and occupation with his children.

The letter in question I believe refers to the infamous letter John and George wrote to Paul changing his McCartney release date that they had Ringo deliver which really set Paul off and kind of began the messiness of the divorce.

Catch Up, cats and kittens

Don't get left behind

Finally we get the pay off to the ketchup-catch up pun and see the resurgence of the theme; Paul feeling like he's falling behind his contemporaries and desperation to catch up.

In typical McCartney fashion, Monkberry Moon Delight is a seemingly shallow and superfluous song but actually reveals a lot about his inner turmoil at the time. Him dealing with the rejection by the critics and John by turning to his piano and creating the absolute banger that is Monkberry. This is why MMD is one of Paul's best, because of how quintessentially Paul it is. Veiling tough emotions behind ambiguous and surreal lyrics masked by a fun and light melody. Oh, the juxtaposition! Oh, the Lennon-McCartney of it all.

Anyways this is a barely organized rambling of thoughts but Monkberry Moon Delight deserves a mega analysis because it is genuinely one of the best songs Paul McCartney has ever made.

#song analysis #monkberry moon delight #Ram (1971)#paul mccartney #linda mccartney #john lennon #yoko ono #allen klein #thank you for coming to my tedtalk #seriously can someone find that banana poem it's driving me crazy

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youcantkillamutant · 3 months ago

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reading this insanely wonderful piece (?), work (?), analysis (?) by @plutoslvr and really deeply thinking about Kevin leaving after his hand was broken. And just thinking about how fear doesn't always make you a coward, and Kevy, oh Kevy...is the perfect example of that. I don't even remember what happened in cannon or EC at this point so I'm just imagining Jean finding Kevin in the locker room or something and idk falling to his knees in front of him, whispering in French.

"What have they done to you?" and Kevin, ever the perfect piece of property goes

"It was my fault. My fault. I did this. I made him do this." and Jean knows what Riko sounds like. Knows how Riko's words sound when they're forced past Kevin's teeth, but he knows the pain of ignoring them too, of deviating from the script given to them by their Master. And then he looks down again, and he sees so, much, blood. They will kill him. He thinks. He knows. He knows. And as much as he hates Kevin for being number 2, for having the illusion of privilege in this rotted basement, he loves him more. This is the boy he taught French to. This is the boy who whispered corrections to him in the hallway, who pushed him just enough on the court to keep his coveted 3, who tried time and time again to distract Riko from his own maniacal decline. It didn't work. They knew it wouldn't. This is the boy who made him promise to stay. Made him promise to stay alive and showed him every day how to be brave. How surviving every hour made him braver, stronger, truer, than anyone on their court.

"You must leave. Now." And the words were rushed from his lips but he could only see the blood as he said over and over again, maintenant, maintenant, maintenant Kevin. S'il te plait. And Kevin, Kevin who never imagined that this could be his life, who knew only the Court and Exy and Riko, Riko, Riko, shook his head so furiously his vision swam. It was the blood loss, he thought, distantly.

"You cannot play." The words were nothing, it was the truth of them that cut Kevin to the bone. If he couldn't play, he was nothing. He was hardly anything to begin with, not with Riko standing before him, but now? Kevin opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came. Jean, for the first time in a long time, touched his face. Cupped his cheeks and pulled his eyes to his.

"They will kill you. You must go." But Kevin was already shaking his head, already shivering, already crying. His good hand clutched at Jean's forearm, reveling in the warmth. How could someone be so warm in a place this cold, he wondered. But it was Jean. Jean had always been brilliant.

"I can't." And the words were choked from him, and his vision was swimming but Jean was there, holding him up, holding him.

"Two years ago I made you a promise." Jean was quiet now, speaking the words into the scant space between them.

"You made me promise to never take myself away from you. To stay alive." Kevin breathed, and clutched Jean's arm tighter, fighting away the memory of that night, of all the blood.

"You must promise me the same Kevin. Do not take yourself away from me."

"I can't."

"You must." then, quieter, foreheads touching, noses bumping, lips a hair's breadth away. "Leave." Jean breathed in the scent of him, the salt from his tears and the metallic tang of his blood, and even deeper than that, the clovers and the pine and the cinnamon. He looked in his eyes, the greenest things he'd ever since since coming down to this place, and knew it would be the last time. Another breath, just one more, and then,

"Partir."

#aftg #aftg hc #thinking about this on a Tuesday afternoon apparently #forgive the french #i took 7 years of it and am still very very bad at it #sigh #mine #my writing #blind landing #kevin day #jean moreau #riko moriyama

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dracocheesecake · 14 days ago

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Ahem. I just watched all KFP movies and I'm dying for more Kai X reader.

Could you do one where like reader is happening to be at the jade palace because she just happens to be. Could be like the part where Kai takes chi from everyone there and the reader is like 'oh.. Hi?' maybe the reader isn't from the valley of peace! And Kai just kind of decide to take her with him. Cough kidnap cough. And PLEASE DON'T TURN THEM INTO CHI AT THE End. 🥺. Reader slowly starts following for him because big and strong and I'm just rambling at this point. Don't question my sanity. If you can't do, that is fine :p

It's just i have a weird obsession with villains

Oh no you're fine I totally get it XD

Here it is!

General Kai x Fem!Reader: Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Wrong place, wrong time; You had heard it before, but the meaning behind the phrase had never been so starkly clear to you until now.

You had fallen asleep in one of the supply closets shortly after you had arrived at the Hall of Heroes. Travel to the Valley of Peace had been rough, and you had only meant to take a quick little nap, alone and undisturbed, so your mind would be sharp enough to get down to some serious study of the many historic kung fu artifacts- but when you awoke, the place was completely deserted, void of anyone, even servants.

Alright, maybe that should have tipped you off that something wasn’t right. But to be fair, you had been almost completely absorbed by your obsession at the moment, and there was no one to watch you or chastise you for worshipfully touching the artifacts- just a teeeny bit, for further analysis, only- so how could you not take the chance when you had it?

But then there was shouting from outside, and the place went so strangely dark; an ominous, almost supernatural sort of darkness, not like the candles and burners simply going out; no, this was phosphorescent, eerie and green. It made you feel sick, full of malaise. Quickly you collected yourself- the commotion outside had to mean that someone (a few someones, by the sound) were still present: the Furious Five and Master Shifu. You could go to them and find out what was happening.

You came close to the doors and knew you would have to find a different mode of escape; it was more than a commotion- it sounded like a full-on battle was going on; but against who? It couldn’t be an army. There would have been many more voices if that were the case, war drums and cries, weapons clashing; but there was only Masters Tigress, Viper, Monkey, and Shifu. They had been the only ones currently at the palace when you had fallen asleep; you remembered that much.

But there was another voice, a deeper voice you did not recognize- a more menacing voice.

“Why not? He destroyed mine.”

The bitterness, the pure hatred behind it, told you all you needed to know, even without hearing the rest of the conversation or seeing the one who spoke. You listened further to the sounds of combat, and knew it wasn’t going well for the Jade Palace. Despite your fear, despite everything, you had to see for certain- not that you could help, but you just at least had to go see with your own eyes, some sort of curiosity demanding you went to confirm your disbelief.

Unnoticed by the combatants (you hoped), you opened the door and rushed onto the portico. Hiding behind one of the wide pillars, you peeked around it to watch the fight in the Master’s Garden- and you immediately gasped in horror at what you saw. Your worst fears were confirmed: the Jade Palace was losing.

But to whom? You watched the battle, watched as Shifu attacked a hulking figure. It was a bull- a single bull, but…You felt your breath catch in your throat at the mere sight of him: this was no mortal being, you knew immediately.

No, this was something else.

He looked demonic, just from the four horns sprouting from his head- like no other bovid you had ever seen before. A hulking figure that exuded raw, evil power. He was the source of the darkness that had come over the world, the source of the green glow of unearthly energy. He swung jade blades from long chains, trying to slice Master Shifu to shreds; but fortunately the red panda was still quick and agile for his age.

But the Furious Five were not faring well, not against their own. You didn’t know how, it was too horrifying a thought, but your eyes weren't deceived; it seemed Masters Crane and Mantis had been transfigured into jade versions of themselves, and they were attacking the other masters!

Master Shifu went flying, smacking into the base of the Oogway statue. Tigress managed to get up, rushing to his aid. The bull's eyes glowed green. He lifted a hand that also glowed, beckoning.

“Bring them to me,” he ordered darkly.

The jade Crane and Mantis grabbed Masters Monkey and Viper, whisking them towards the bull. You couldn’t look away, transfixed with horror as you watched the bull move his hooves, a flash, and then…

They were gone, and he had new amulets to go along with the collection on his belt. He laughed, a boisterous, fell laugh. Those horrible green eyes were on the remaining Masters.

You couldn't watch anymore. You had to survive. You ran back into the palace, closing the door behind you and rushing for another escape- or at least a hiding place, should he come looking for you. You couldn’t string your thoughts together, couldn't calm down the rapid pounding of your heart, as if it too were trying to escape the bull.

A sound- that was all the warning you had. Some impression of the incoming danger forced you down to flatten yourself against the cold polished floors. You threw your arms over your head, whimpering, then screaming as you heard something enormous come crashing through the Jade Palace right above your head.

Rubble fell over you, but nothing too heavy, by some good fortune. Still, you didn’t rise again for a good while, just in case something else collapsed on top of you, or the bull came; but eventually, the quiet reassured you…and simultaneously, filled you with dread. But you needed to get up, anyway, try to escape.

You groaned, coughing up dust as you rose again, brushing it off of your clothes. You kept your eyes on your feet for sometime, not wanting to see what had happened- the ruin surrounding you now was already too much to accept. You didn’t need to see the rest, you already knew. You tried to clamber over the ruin, stumbling and tripping as you went- and it only reinforced the facts you couldn’t shield yourself from.

He had destroyed the Jade Palace. The entire palace. It was rubble. It was gone.

Your breath came in quick, panicked bursts, and you began to speed through the wreckage without direction- but then you remembered the bull, and fear, ever the teacher, the protector, forced you to slow. To think out your escape. With considerable effort you took control of your lungs, easing your pace to a more steady jog.

Then you came over the crest of a hill, rounding what remained of the Master’s Garden, and saw him. Instantly terror petrified your body, rooting you to the spot. A breath, two, waiting for your inevitable demise at his hands, to share the fate of the Furious Five and Master Shifu.

But he wasn’t looking in your direction. By some mercy of the gods of fortune, the bull sat on what remained of the base of Oogway’s statue, gazing at what ruin he had wrought, and so avoided seeing you. You should have taken the opportunity provided by providence to slip away, you knew that- but that conscious knowledge hadn’t been delivered to your feet yet; fear still paralyzed you.

So having no other choice, you observed him for a minute. You had a good view of him where you stood, a much better view than the slight glimpse you had had from the portico; he had been fighting then, moving around too much for you to really see him.

He was still a menacing, hulking presence, but now, sitting casually with his forearms draped over his knees, he didn’t seem quite so demonically large as before. A helmet that wasn't of a military fashion from this dynasty sat on his head, giving his heavy brow an even more severe look, even when his expression was relaxed, as now- you didn’t know for certain if he was military, or had belonged to the military: something about his bearing just emanated authority which demanded to be obeyed- only a high-ranking military figure could have that. The rest of his attire, though, wasn’t quite military grade: dirty puttees, brown bracers, and a tattered loincloth.

The glow had gone from his eyes, so now his expression seemed almost…disappointed, or bored; a conqueror who had laid claim to his prize, only to realize that it was the battle, not the conquest, that made victory sweet. One of his hooves reached up, taking the amulet he had around his neck and stroking it with his thumb. If you hadn’t just witnessed the horrors he had wrought, you almost would have felt bad for him- maybe even gone up to him and asked what’s wrong.

The thought was sudden, and disturbing. There was no way you would willingly get within fifty miles of him if you could have helped it- so why the thought that you wanted to reassure him? He deserved whatever melancholy he felt, after what he did. Your anguish over the Jade Palace’s destruction broke you out of your paralysis, and you managed to move your foot- and stepped on what felt like a leaf, a soft crunch that seemed horribly loud.

You let out a slight gasp and looked down. It wasn’t a leaf, but a piece of ancient parchment- possibly the remnants of a scroll that had drifted from the ruins of the Palace. You squinted at it, recognizing in the painting the shape of the bull, and beside him, what looked to be…Master Oogway? Oogway had known him?

You didn’t have time to contemplate the revelation; you had made too much noise. Your head shot up, gazing in the bull’s direction. His ear twitched, and you tried to duck down to the side of the path, behind a boulder and out of his range of vision-

Too late. The bull’s glowing green eyes were on you. His eyebrows arched slightly, as if he were somewhat surprised, before his expression flattened back into boredom. You tried to turn and run.

“Bring her to me,” you heard that rumble behind you, and the next thing you knew, a stone cold, steel grasp was on your wrist. You grunted in pain, then turned and almost screamed when you saw that the jade statue of Master Shifu had you. You tried to twist away, but then it struck you in the ribs. You fell to your knees, breathless and reeling from the pain.

The jade Master Monkey picked you up, and then the jade Master Crane swooped over, snatching you in his talons and dropping you in front of the bull. Your legs reverberated painfully from the impact of landing, but no serious damage was done. You could have ran- if the jade coils of what looked to be Master Viper hadn’t wrapped around you, squeezing your limbs to your sides and strangling the breath from your lungs. You gasped, helpless.

The yak leaned down more to your level, so that the black tangles of his mane almost curtained you. A pleasant smile was on his face, one that didn’t reflect in those horrible, glowing green eyes- half-lidded, as if this were only an idle chat. From this close, though, you could see a ring of blue surrounding the pupil; it was…lovely, in a way. You never would have noticed, if you hadn’t been so close to him.

“Hello, there,” he said. “I thought all of the little Valley people scurried off before I came. Not you?”

Why did his voice make your spine shiver like this? It had to be fear. You swallowed past the lump in your throat, and tried to choke out some response- a very difficult task, with a jade snake strangling you, and the thumping of your heart.

“N…No…”

He tilted his head. “How come?”

“Fell asleep…i-in-in…cl-closet…no…way…to…”

You glanced towards the Jade Palace, saw the rubble it now was, and wished you hadn’t. Your gaze quickly returned to him, and you saw he had followed your thoughts. His eyes turned back from the ruins to you, and he smiled.

“Surprised you managed to survive. Too bad you couldn’t get away unnoticed, though.”

He chuckled, a deep rumble that sent another one of those strange shivers down your spine. You couldn’t help it, he had some sort of charm you couldn’t describe or reason away. That, and something about his appearance, the slovenly, almost barbaric array, was a little appealing…

You immediately shook off the thoughts. What was wrong with you? There was no way you found this deep voiced, muscular, long haired, strong, powerful, villainous, devilishly charming bovine handsome or anything.

No. You didn’t. Not at all. It was just fear. After all, you had seen what he had done to the masters. Would that be your fate, too? You watched him, eyes wide, waiting with bated breath for his next move.

One of his hooves then came up, taking your chin in hand. The blood rushed to your face rather than away from it.

“Care to tell me what you were doing here, Little Sneak?” He asked. His brows raised archly. “You aren’t one of Oogway’s students, are you? I’m afraid I would have to add you to my collection if you are- nothing personal. At least, not between you and me.” That glint, like the glow of the blades holstered at his hips, flashed in his eyes.

You swallowed and shook your head. It wasn’t just the jade coils holding you tight that took your breath away, now. He was so close, holding your chin with such gentleness despite the immense strength you knew him capable of…

He nodded. “Alright. Release her.”

The jade viper uncoiled, and you were able to breathe again. The yak also released you, stepping back. You didn’t stick around to thank him; you turned and started to rush down the path.

“I didn’t say you were free to go yet,” the bull said sharply, with authority. It made you freeze in place. “Turn around. I’m talking to you.”

Your body moved as if controlled by his will, slowly rotating on your heel until you were facing him again. You stood where you were, eyes wide, shaking. The severe expression he was wearing eased back into that pleasant smile, the harsh green glow of his eyes dimming.

“That’s better. Now we can discuss what to do with you.”

He stroked his beard, as if in thought. “Hmmmm…Let’s see…Maybe I will take your chi after all.”

You felt your heart racing. Your shaking intensified. He cast you a playful grin, one that showed his crooked teeth.

He chuckled. “Or maybe not. But what to do with you? Hmmmm…”

The bull again pretended to think, stroking his beard. Your eyes shifted around, searching for an exit- but there was none. The entirety of his mountainous bulk blocked the path ahead of you, and the jade masters every other possible escape. You weren’t going to squeeze out of this one easily.

“Or maybe,” he said, “I could interrogate you for information…But you don’t look like you know very much- not anything useful to me, anyway.”

He perked up suddenly, clapping his hooves together as if he just had an epiphany. “Oh! I know! I could just…let you go!”

You couldn’t suppress the reflex that made you look hopeful. He saw it, then burst out laughing.

“Don’t tell me you fell for that. Nah. Not a chance.”

He cocked his head to the side, admiring you from the corner of his eye. There was something in that gaze though, something that gleamed in a dangerous way. He had a lazy smile on his muzzle.

“...You’re cute, for a mortal,” he said softly, appreciatively. “And fun to tease.”

He straightened. Then he chuckled, placing his hooves on his hips, close to his blades. His tone was casual as he spoke.

“Tell you what,” he said. “I’m not going to take your chi. Wouldn’t be worth it, anyway.”

The pleasantly lazy smile turned back into a smirk. His voice darkened. “But you’re still coming with me.”

Your heart leapt into your throat as one of the jade masters- a gorilla, by the looks of it- lifted you and hauled you effortlessly over a shoulder. You grunted, scrambling to try to wriggle free- or at least, get in a slightly more comfortable position. Kai chuckled at your futile attempts, then turned back towards the path. He stretched a little as he walked, and you couldn’t help but admire the view, watching the heavy cords of muscle move under the slate gray fur. Your face was heating up, but you didn’t look away.

“I don’t know if you overheard my conversation with the Lesser Panda while you were sneaking around, so I’ll explain again. Little Kitten will lead me straight to the panda village,” he said, “and to the Dragon Warrior, too. I’ll take their chi, and then drain every. Single. Panda. There.”

He stopped in his tracks. The jade gorilla did, too. You were behind him, so you couldn’t see his expression. However, his shoulders started to bounce, and then he burst out into an evil cackle.

“Then I’ll destroy every last trace of Oogway’s legacy! And then begins The Kai Dynasty!” He let out another evil laugh. Green lightning streaked across the sky, followed by an ominous boom of thunder- whether good timing or some power of his own, you didn’t know.

You paused, horrified by what you had heard. But then, despite yourself, you piped up:

“Kai Dynasty?”

He turned to look at you. “What?”

“...That’s what you’re going to call your evil reign?”

He furrowed his brow. “Yeah. What’s wrong with it?”

His tone had been gruff, but there was a slight hesitancy before he spoke, and the way he slumped his shoulders showed that his pride had been wounded. You would have smiled at the absurdity of the entire situation, if it hadn't been so dire. You cleared your throat.

“Um…No-nothing, it's just a little…cheesy, is all.”

His eyes flashed, and he narrowed them at you. “How so? You have a better idea?”

“Well…Maybe the Jade Dynasty?”

The bovine- Kai, you assumed- glared at you with his strange eyes for a moment in tense silence. Then his posture relaxed again. He chuckled.

“The Jade Dynasty…I actually like that,” he murmured. That somehow charming, lop-sided smile spread across his face again, along with that strange gleam in his eye- a gleam you were starting to recognize as fondness. “Good idea.”

Was he starting to like you?...And why were you starting to like him, too? What was wrong with you?

What did you get yourself into?

#ask #request drabble #thank you for the ask!#kung fu panda #general kai #kai the collector #general kai x reader #kfp villain x reader #x reader #reader insert #fem reader #kfp3 #fanfic #turned out way longer than I expected but I couldn't stop myself 😅

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