#these don’t really say a lot about each other beyond all having elements of the unconscious mind and similar composition but …

[sadweatherchildren]

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) / The Nightmare (Henry Fuseli, 1781) / Sleeping Venus (Paul Delvaux, 1944) / The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

[f1byjessie]

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS ━━ LN4.

sometimes the right words are hard to come across, and sometimes everything you need to say can be captured in an image.

( lando norris x photographer!reader )

━━ part four.

“Saw McLaren posted pics of the new car,” Jack says in lieu of a greeting when he sees you after the weekend. He picks up his pace and crosses the distance to meet you where you’re fumbling with the keys to your “office”, and then he takes a few of the many equipment bags you’re attempting to juggle, saying as he does so, “You take any of those or no?”

You laugh, “Ah, no. They actually hire on a whole studio crew that does that. They’ve got lights, green screens, special camera lenses, the whole lot. The post-production on those photos is mad though.” You get the door unlocked and usher him inside, “I got to sit in on it once, and it’s crazy how much work goes into getting just a couple week’s worth of promotional content.”

He sets your bags down where you direct him to and then offers you a snarky grin, “Still probably would’ve looked cooler if you took ‘em, to be fair.”

It makes you laugh again. Jack seems to be good at that, and it feels nice to get along so well with someone you work with. You’ve found a surprising friend in him. At the end of your conversation on Friday, you’d exchanged numbers and he’d made you promise to reach out if you needed him for anything. You hadn’t, but he’d still sent you an unflatteringly angled picture of Kyle Walker from after their match against Newcastle, followed quickly with━ “use this in the next media drop thx,” and the chatter had gone from there.

You set down your own bags. “Well, thank you. Pretty sure it’s not as fun as this job, though.”

And you mean it. You’ve had opportunities to switch over to studio photography, and though you respect the people who do it and the unique challenges it poses in its own right, there’s nothing like being upfront and personal with all the action, getting to see the athletes in their element and know them on a level that goes beyond an hour or two shoot. You wouldn’t trade it for the world.

“Wait,” you pause, hands stopping just above where you’re ready to start sorting through your equipment, “since when did you keep up with Formula One?”

Jack shrugs. “I don’t. But you work for that team, yeah? So I figured I might as well see what they’re all about.”

“Well, if you need something to do during the summer, let me know and I’ll see what I can do,” you tell him, resuming your sorting. “They give me extra tickets for each race but they usually end up going to waste.”

You don’t bring up the falling out you had with your parents at eighteen when you told them you were going to pursue photography or the fact that you haven’t really talked to them in years because of it. You also don’t mention that due to the strenuous, near-constant traveling and the strict schedule of your job, your friendships are limited to the athletes you work with and the other McLaren staff that travel with you━ all of whom have passes of their own, for obvious reasons.

Jack, thankfully, doesn’t ask about it either. Whether he’s made his own assumptions or respects that it’s probably a sore subject, he leaves it alone and the two of you carry on in companionable silence.

You get your equipment unzipped from the bags and organized across the room per your system, guiding your temporary helper with pointed fingers to where it all should go.

The silence is only broken again when he asks you a question. “You got a favorite driver?”

It’s so out of the blue that you nearly jump, startled by the suddenness of it against the quietness of the room. But then you laugh and shake your head. “Officially no, but just between the two of us, me and Lando started at the same time so he’s got a special place in my heart. He’s also my best friend.”

Jack raises an eyebrow, “Oh yeah?” Despite the persona he puts on, you think he secretly loves gossip. “How’d he take the news about you being with Ward, then? ‘Cause I’d have some choice things to say to any friend of mine if they got with a prick like that.”

You purse your lips, divert your gaze to avoid Jack’s eyes, and shrug, fiddling with the neck strap of your camera as you do so. “I don’t know.”

“You ‘don’t know?’”

You shrug again and feign checking over the settings as if your camera’s aperture is suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. “He hasn’t been picking up my calls,” you start, “or answering my texts since the paps released the pics, so.”

When you glance back up, Jack’s making a face. “So, your best friend finds out you’re dating a total bellend, and instead of asking you about it or at the very least taking the piss, he ignores you?”

When he puts it like that, you feel a bit stupid for being more sad than you are angry.

All you can do is shrug.

INSTAGRAM.

liked by mancity, jackgrealish, and 241,976 others

tagged: jackgrealish

yourusername ladies and gentlemen, jack grealish (i was threatened into posting these, send help pls)

comments have been disabled

You decide that if Lando gets to be petty, then so do you.

The thing is, you’d told Lando you wouldn’t replace him with any of the guys from Manchester City, and you’d meant it━ you still mean it, despite your frustrations and annoyances with him telling you otherwise.

But if he’s going to play games, then so are you.

Technically you hadn’t started the relationship with Garrett willingly, but Lando doesn’t know that, and even if you had that doesn’t give him the right to go about ignoring you. You’ve been supportive when he’s gotten girlfriends━ you even ate greasy pizza, drank cheap wine, and cried watching The Notebook together when he ended his long-term relationship back in 2022. He could at least pretend to be supportive, or better yet he could pick up the fucking phone. 

As pathetic as it sounds, you’d let him yell at and berate you if it just meant he’d answer your calls. Because having Jack around to gossip with and shoot the shit is nice, and he really does help you not feel so alone at Etihad Campus, but Lando’s your best friend and he has been for years now. There’s nobody that understands you as well as he does, even if he is a twat half the time, and what you need now most of all is that particular Lando brand of annoying to cheer you up.

The door opens, drawing your attention from where you’re scrolling through McLaren’s newest posts. Garrett stands in the opening.

The memory of that night still lingers like a bad taste in your mouth, bitter and unpleasant. You’ve managed to avoid him for the most part in the time since then, ignoring the looks he shoots your way out on the field or in the weight room, and lucky enough that his meetings with the physio team keep him preoccupied so that he can’t seek you out in between training sessions. You’d known it was inevitable that you’d have to face him, but that doesn’t stop the dread from pooling in your stomach when you see him standing in the doorway with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised as he surveys the makeshift office you’ve done up for yourself.

“They couldn’t find you an actual office?” He comments, looking disdainfully towards your desk and the large Manchester City logo emblazoned across the front.

You shrug, wishing he’d just get to the point. “I’m only here for a few months. Doesn’t matter much to me. What do you want?”

He takes a step farther into the room and closes the door behind him, taking his sweet time to cross the distance toward the seats. When he’s finally lowered down into one, he looks up to you with a nonchalance that fills you immediately with anger.

“I’m making some amendments to our agreement,” he announces.

“Like hell you are.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Did you seriously expect people to believe we’re a couple if we never actually do anything to give off the impression of being a couple?”

You scowl. Obviously, you hadn’t expected to just skate by on the coattails of pictures from a single night. You’d known from the very beginning that you would eventually need to make another public appearance together at the very least if you wanted to keep the paparazzi fed and encourage the idea to the media that you’re in a committed relationship with one another. You’d just been hoping you would’ve had more time until then.

“I’m not an idiot, Garrett,” you grumble, crossing your arms in your seat. You had been looking through pictures from the day’s morning practice, but now you think having to look at any more of Kevin De Bruyne’s grinning face will make you lose your mind when you feel the furthest thing from happy.

“Obviously,” Garrett scoffs. “But you’re the one who said I get one kiss and nothing more. Newsflash, love━” your scowl deepens, “━couples do more than just kiss one time.”

“So what are you suggesting?”

He pulls his phone from the pocket of his joggers and swipes across the screen for a few moments of anticipatory silence. “Well,” he finally says, “it’s the sixteenth now. We haven’t got a match until the twenty-sixth. Go on a date with me this weekend.”

You can’t say no. There’s no plausible excuse for you to get out of it, and deep down you know the only way you can get rid of Garrett is to just do what he says and hope the media make their conclusions about his change quick enough that you can ditch him before the summer break.

At least during the Formula One season, you can use traveling as a reason to get out of dates. When the Champion’s League starts back up he’ll be traveling around Europe a bit more than he is now, and there’s always a chance you could be in the same country at the same time, but the likelihood of your schedules aligning is slim and that means you’ll be safe from any ventures out into public.

But for the time being, you’re stuck.

“Okay,” you reluctantly agree.

He claps his hands, a deceptively cheerful grin on his face. If you didn’t already think of him as the worst prick you’ve ever met, you might’ve found it charming. It’s the same smile he used to flash at you in your first week when he was trying to cozy up and ease his way into your good graces. The sight of it makes you sick to your stomach, now.

“Great,” he rises from his seat. “We’ll do some shopping, get some lunch━ make a full day out of it.”

At this point, you don’t care what he has planned. You just want him to leave you alone so you can try to at least pretend like you’re gonna finish the rest of the work you need to get around to.

Garrett’s made his way to the door and has his hand reaching for the handle when he turns back around and gives you a smirk. “Might wanna work on your happy face, though, love,” he comments, gesturing towards you with a nod of his head. “‘Cause if you look like that in front of the paps they definitely aren’t gonna be very convinced that you love me.”

Just to spite him, you let your scowl deepen. “I don’t need your advice. I know how to handle myself, Garrett.” You say his name like a curse━ like the very feeling of it on your tongue causes you pain.

If he notices, he doesn’t comment. His face turns thoughtful, but there’s still the smugness painted across his features that makes you so unfathomably annoyed. “You must be pretty familiar with the paps if you’re always around those drivers, yeah?” He knows the answer to his question already, so you’re not sure why he’s even asking.

He stays silent, though, like he’s genuinely expecting an answer, so you shrug your shoulders. “Obviously.”

“Obviously,” he repeats back to you.

His laughter is all you hear echoing in your ears even once he’s long gone.

Until your phone starts to ring and Lando's name flashes across the screen.

━━ tags: @maih23 @urfavnoirette @leclercsluv @f1luvur @formulaal @a-disturbing-self-reflection @starlightpierre @chezmardybum @marshmummy @405rry @sideboobrry11 @d3kstar @mcmuppet @happylittlereader @casperlikej @5starl1ght

━━ a/n: cliffhanger hehe~ also, i promise we're getting to ACTUAL formula one stuff soon

[kitsuga]

Loading Screen. {Leviathan x Reader/MC}

Description: 

A fic in which Levi tries to express his feelings but MC makes the move. 

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Tags: fluff, kissing, not beta'd, not edited, gender neutral reader, leviathan/levi x reader/mc, obey me!/obm/om, leviathan/levi

Word Count: 1,086

A/N: Written on: June 27, 2021 

I just felt like writing this one day for my best of all friends and I have nothing else to say beyond that, really. Also, nervous levi agenda thank you  

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

“Woo-hoo! Another series: done. Hurry up MC, I’m gonna start the next one!” 

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” MC called, rushing over to plop onto the floor-bound makeshift blanket fort with an arm full of snacks to restock their supply. “Don’t hit play yet!” 

“Too late! No time! Gotta play it now!”  

“Levi!” They whined, pushing him over and rewinding the previous 10 seconds they missed just to prove a point while he laughed. 

He bounced back up, pretending to have done it too hard and bumped into their side, causing them to fall over a bit as well. The two of them fought back and forth for a short while, laughing comfortably with each other until their new show’s opening ended—that was when they settled down. MC leaned their head against his shoulder, and Levi suddenly realized the position he was in and stiffened up; he started to get nervous and shy despite being in the same situation time and time again.  

Once the show actually started, it was easy for him to get lost in it and forget the warmth of MC cuddling up beside him, wrapping their arms around his waist and mindlessly feeding him snacks as time went on. As the episode came to an end, however, the cursed black loading screen reminded him once more of his (epic!) predicament. MC nuzzled against him for a bit before sitting up, noticing his nerves plain as day on his face in the very same reflection. 

“I think this one’s going to be good; what did you think about it?” 

“The premise is good but the executions a little slow. If they had used proper elements of a magical girl anime instead of trying to fake it and make their own, it would hold more attention of the viewers but instead they made it seem more like an off-brand mecha and that--” 

He continued on his rant relentlessly, MC wasn’t sure he ever took a breath within it. He spouted off a lot of explanations, most of which they picked up a few words from, but mostly just nodded in silence with a smile on their face. They looked content, happy to listen to him and pretty interested in what he had to say—whenever it was cohesive, at least. Their gentle smile is what caused Levi to pause and stare at them. 

“You know,” he started, “I’m glad you’re here. I’m pretty happy that you’re willing to do this with me.” His face started to heat up, and his face contorted to a pained look as though he were battling with himself to get words out. “I mean, I have no one else to do this with. I’m just--” 

“Aw, Levi,” they teased, a small smirk growing on their lips, “are you trying to compliment me?” 

“No!” A lie. “Let me talk!” 

MC threw their hands up in defense, nonchalantly twisting their lips to the side and eyes following suit as they pretended not to care. Levi took a deep breath before launching back into his speech. 

“I’m just, glad that you like me—and that you like me enough to sit here and do all that gross couple stuff with me, and that you listen to me even if you’re a bit of a normie and don’t understand the golden depth of my reviews, and--” he quickly started to spiral into a nervous, embarrassed fit and fidgeted with his hands, “and you know I just, I... I lo- lov- I lo-” 

The more Levi stuttered, the worse he felt. As his heart started to leap out of his throat, he could feel it breaking into pieces; this wasn’t how he wanted to do it. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Now he looks like a complete fool—MC wouldn’t like him back after this! Even if they were already dating—they'd definitely want to leave after this, he certainly did. His eyes shot up from his hands to their own eyes as their hands covered his. Their smile was so gentle, he almost shattered into pieces under the sheer intense pressure he found himself under. 

“Hey,” their teasing tone replaced with something he’d describe as angelic, “if you can’t say it out loud, go ahead and use this.” 

It was only then that he realized they dropped his phone in his hands. They tilted their head and smiled even brighter, knowing just what would make him feel better. His hands shook as he typed out a text message to them at lightning speed, thumb now hovering over the send button; he closed his eyes shut tight as he hit send and groaned, throwing himself backwards and laying on the floor. He complained to MC that they insist on making his life difficult, when all he wanted to do was watch anime.  

‘I love you. I wanted to say it without stuttering, or in some cool like, shojo-style way since it was the first time, but I ruined it.’ 

Levi was almost too afraid to look at his phone whenever it went off. 

‘Sit up.’ 

Reluctantly, he did as he was told and had already opened his mouth to complain, apologize, deflect, anything he had to do to save face but instead of needing to save it, MC held it instead. 

Gently, they cupped their hands around his face and leaned in slowly, only kissing the tip of his nose. The small kiss was so full of affection, Levi wondered if he was going to cry; his body relaxed a bit, his face melting into their hold as he looked at them through his lashes and a pout on his lips to offset the look of love in his eyes and blush on his face.  

Words didn’t need to be said. He didn’t need to say it again, they didn’t need to say it to him. He didn’t need to ask them to kiss him again, they leaned in again and gave him a deep, loving kiss. When they pulled away, he stared at their lips until they leaned in again and again. His heart was racing and he felt as though he were on Cloud 9; he didn’t know what he did to deserve this, but he thanked whatever god may have had a hand in it. 

The anime played through episode after episode, long forgotten in the background; their love reflected on the black background between them. He’d definitely be able to tell them the right way next time. 

[stripedstarsblueflags]

goodbye to a world

reading between the lines of the various goodbyes and dismissals to logan sargeant

Pt. 3: Oscar (press conference)

full series

not a goodbye (in the traditional sense of the word) but a fucking statement. obviously. because piastri.

the loscar dynamic is absolutely FASCINATING. out of all the friendships in the grid, this one plays a special role: it reminds the audience that there’s so much more than formula 1, there’s so much more to f1 drivers than this stage of their career. most of us (spectators) have a broad conception of the “typical” driver backstory; rich kid with rich parents, got in a go kart at age 4, karting and then single-seater and junior series was their whole life and they climbed up the ranks like rungs on a ladder. i think a lot of people who only watch f1 (myself included) tend to focus so much more on the Pinnacle of MotorsportTM that everything else just seems like prep. even though most if not all of the drivers grew up either 1) racing each other 2) watching each other on tv, we don’t really think of these relationships beyond and BEFORE f1.

until loscar. because what draws them together? they’re not teammates. they’re not rivals. williams is so far behind that they’re not even competitors. in many way, logan is entirely “out of oscar’s league”.

and yet they have this endearing, sweet, playful friendship that’s exactly what it seems like: people who have known each other since they were kids, grown up together, watched each other become the person they are today. there’s a casual, domestic intimacy neither of them have with their teammates, even if those relationships are also going well, because there’s this history element.

which is recalled no more vividly than when oscar and logan are compared. as they are too often.

total polar opposites. f1 stories practically the inverse of each other. one was a promising young talent who f1 teams had been keeping an eye on for years that, once thrown in the car at that “wait! isn’t he just a kid??” age, immediately proved his worth as a future superstar. Future World Champion, to quote the official moniker. “look at him go! look at OSCAR PIASTRI!” he’s a prodigy, he’s a social enigma, he’s a raw force of pure and driven talent.

then you have the other promising young talent who one f1 team had been keeping a loose eye on for years. who’s never done any free practices or tests. who’s barely even dipped his toe into the waters of f2. who’s shown a lot of raw potential but more noticeably, glittering fancy sponsors. who gets chucked into a car as a last-minute, scrapping underprepared and thrown-together plan B after the previous f2 graduate fails to keep his seat. and, while oscar soared off into the stratosphere, logan flops IMMEDIATELY.

go fucking figure. it’s almost like people like max verstappen and lewis hamilton are exceptions to the rule, not the rule itself, and an underprepared rushed overwhelmed rookie is actually NOT in a position to achieve immediate stardom! in fact, maybe that’s the OPPOSITE of what they need! so, in loscar, we have the exception to the rule (oscar) and the rule (logan). but that’s not the solidified narrative; the story, how history will remember the two of them, is that logan was nothing but a pale and washed-out shadow. always. open and shut case.

what does oscar have to say about it, though?

this was said to gp blog (great website); the full quotes from him are:

I sent him a text yesterday. He seemed okay. Obviously a little bit of a shock. Obviously it wasn't an easy time for him in F1. It was much more difficult for him than maybe I expected it to be going into F1. I think for me, his potential was much greater than what was on show in F1, for whatever reason it might be.

I know firsthand, being his teammate in the junior categories, racing him in basically everything, I know how quick he is. I don't think the change was completely unexpected...

Best of luck to him. Just a shame that, for whatever reason, he wasn't able to show everything that he's got. Because in the junior categories, he was genuinely one of the quickest guys I went up against. I think his potential is much greater than what some people have seen.

first of all, some BEAUTIFUL toeing-the-line from oscar here. he’s even more subtle than alex in that none of his words imply any sort of passive aggression or ill intent; the only emotion that’s really conveyed, in understated tones, is a mild perplexity about logan’s career and failure in general as opposed to its gut-wrenching end in question. the implications in his wording imply nothing more than a personal opinion, but the ambiguity itself is some massive shade. let’s take a closer look:

much more difficult for him than maybe i expected it to be- this is masterful. “yeah, that’s right. i’m the next-gen prodigal superstar talent with my future as a world champion pretty much written for me, and i’ve shown the skill to back it up, and not only did i know logan before the catastrophe of f1 but i regarded him with so much respect that i had actual expectations. his skill had become such an intertwined part of his character in my eyes that i just assumed things would go so much better. because i believed in him.”

his potential was much greater than what was on show in f1…- toeing the line again. balance. acknowledging both the reality and all the roads not taken. “i’m not making false claims. i’m not making excuses for him. i’m not blaming the car or the team or the lack of support or the disgrace or the mistreatment and i’m not challenging the results. i’m not talking about what happened, i’m talking about what could’ve happened. potential. i’m talking about everything that wasn’t on show– and by not on show i mean that his potential, his skill, his pace, him as a person was not seen or understood or respected or prioritized by anyone. i’m not saying ‘oh, one point in 36 starts is all anyone could do with x/y/z excuse’ i’m saying ‘you guys missed the point’.”

for whatever reason that might be/just a shame that, for whatever reason- fucking hell, this is harsh. this is practically an attack. “i’m not gonna make excuses, but i’m gonna leave this open. i’m not gonna call this bad luck or the way it goes sometimes or a bad break, i’m saying that Whatever Reason This Happened is not what should have happened. not a matter of chance or objective misfortune; this situation could have and should have worked out better and whatever obstacle got in the way of that was a matter of misjudgment.”

I know firsthand, being his teammate in the junior categories, racing him in basically everything, I know how quick he is- alex said something similar, about pace. “raw speed” he calls it. and it’s really interesting that his teammates, who learn firsthand about him as a racer, his driving style, his strengths, his weaknesses (whether they’ve been teammates for months or years) identify a specific trait/skill about logan rather than just making the empty claim that “he’s good” or “he’s better than this”. and this is very interesting coming from oscar in particular given his current teammate. lando isn’t the best starter or the best defender or the most coordinated overtaker, but even with all the areas he needs to work on he can still compensate for it by being really fucking fast. his pace is his defense; he gets clean air and boom, he’s fucking gone. obviously that’s an oversimplification but oscar directly competing against that and observing/absorbing that and bringing up the same category of skill in logan– even in flashback– can’t be overlooked. in addition: “yeah, i’ve raced against him in basically everything. you’ve watched him on tv in a backmarker team for a season or so? i’ve known him for YEARS. i know. i don’t care what you’re seeing, i’m the expert on this and i know.”

I think his potential is much greater than what some people have seen- shit, this is as close to passive aggression as he gets, but it’s still done so precisely and subtly that it’s almost an art form. i mean, leave it to oscar piastri to use the phrase “some people” and NOT make it sound like a straight up, poorly-veiled callout. try to use that in a sentence without seeming like you’re shit-talking someone, potentially in the room. this is part of the lovely passive-aggression classic: “….unlike SOME people” (sometimes while staring at them directly, depending on how passive you want the passive aggression to really be. so, he’s (in unofficial terms) calling out who– anyone who hasn’t seen logan’s potential. who have underestimated him. who have invalidated his situation and him as an athlete. this could be any category of haters– negative fans, petty journalists, the horrid type of reports who will ask questions like “what does it feel like to be the slowest driver in formula 1…”. and that would make perfect sense. almost perfect. if we thought oscar piastri paid any attention to the haters, his own or anyone else’s. if it was ever on his mind. so, people who haven’t seen his potential… what, like, team principals? the ambiguity in itself is simultaneously a direct implication and oscar piastri’s intelligence needs to be studied because it is sometimes terrifying.

oscar doesn’t make a statement on social media, doesn’t bring it up further, doesn’t make any sort of personal goodbye available to the media– of course he wouldn’t, not just because that’s incredibly private but also because he’s oscar and he’s basically kimi raikkonen (in this analogy lando is sunshine boy seb but that’s an idea for another post). oscar’s whole public image is that he doesn’t want to have a public image. he doesn’t give the media any more parts of himself than he’s contractually obligated to. what he does give is concise, serious, the strongest points in the fewest words. and because of the enigmatic, tantalizing nature of that approach paired with the fact that he’s a fucking brilliant driver, people listen to what he has to say.

so oscar has a lot more weight to throw around than alex. alex’s image is that he’s a cuddly sunshiney cat dad who is a living anomaly in that he’s a good driver and a total sweetheart at once. whether or not what he says comes from the heart (it does. he’s alex) the reaction can always be “awww look at alex he’s such a nice guy :)” and the focus is on the kindness of the gesture/praise/respect itself rather than what alex is actually saying. so if alex says logan had more potential, that’s alex being alex.

if oscar says logan had more potential, that’s a fucking statement. and if the media wasn’t coming for JV’s head at this point, oscar just gave them a diagram for how to build a guillotine.

beautiful.

[avrelia]

Zuko, Mai, and their love

I adore Mai and Zuko romantic relationship on avatar the Last Airbender. Not because they have a perfect relationship, or perfectly healthy one, but because that relationship is a realistic hot mess that is true to their characters, the world they live in, and the story.

And being realistic means I see similar people with similar problems in real life, in various combinations even if they cannot bend elements and don’t stand in line to inherit a throne.

At the same time Mai and Zuko are unique in fiction and make a total sense inside their story, narrative sense and symbolic one.

We see two kids who grew up in privileged, but toxic environment, steeped in propaganda and manipulation. We don’t know much about their relationship before Zuko was banished, and it is not necessary. They meet after three years, now 15 and 16 years old, and soon they are together, and here their love story starts. It is an inversion of a familiar trope, or most tropes popular these days that emphasize slow burn and feelings developing over time, in the right order and on as steep a scale as it can be. That’s one of the reasons why enemies to lovers is so popular – it makes for a better contrast and longer road. The characters are supposed to learn about themselves and the other, to become better people, to experience all that delicious unresolved sexual tension, and then to start good and wholesome relationship that make the world a better place.

Mai and Zuko don’t do that.

They skip all the steps and start the relationship. And only then they have to deal with the problem that they don’t know each other and hardly know themselves.

Is it GOOD? no. I wouldn’t advise anyone to try that. But is it believable? Absolutely. Mai and Zuko are two traumatized teenagers who really have no idea how healthy relationships should work. They barely function as is, and not good about connecting to people beyond their immediate circle. Which is why they have easier time connecting with each other.

There are many examples of Zuko’s people skills throughout the show, but Mai hardly fares better. She can pretend she is fine, but that’s because she was trained to stand pretty and be polite to people at the parties. She can appear aloof and bored, which is way more socially acceptable than whatever Zuko (and Azula) do at parties, but she can’t really connect to people, either.

With each other, they don’t make that effort, they get together, and it is a relief and solace for both of them at that moment, even though it brings problems in the future.

And they share a lot in common – it is ridiculous to downplay those similarities or pretend that they don’t matter. They have a similar upbringing, and while similar upbringing is never a guarantee of having a good relationship, it makes many things easier at the time.

Another thing I see in their on screen interactions and the one people tend to discard – The physicality of their relationship. Mai and Zuko seem to be genuinely attracted to each other and very comfortable being physically close with each other. No speculation on how close they got, just what we see on screen – they keep touching each other, they kiss, they keep close unless they are arguing (in the Beach and the Boiling Rock). But as soon they are back together, we see them embracing. And looking rather happy while embracing each other.

Both are touch starved and have spikey demeanor with the rest of the world, both desiring contact and shying away from it at the same time, Mai plainly saying to her best friend Ty Lee that she doesn’t like hugs and showing her reluctance to return Ty Lee’s hugs. But Mai is different with Zuko, and Zuko is different with Mai than with the rest of the world. And it is not bad, it is human.

Mai and Zuko love each other, but they also prove that the famous quote “all you need is love” is not quite right. Love is there, but it doesn’t work, and these two won’t stop trying to make it work.

We are seeing them in the very beginning of their journey. Book 3 lasts three months, and half of that time they were not together. And they managed a fine progress over that time. They talk, they learn about each other, they are being stupid and awkward and wrong, but they try to understand and support each other as much as they can. They learn to trust each other. And their confrontation at the Boiling rock is all about trust.

Mai is feeling betrayed and confronts Zuko. Zuko tries to explain his reasons – and maybe it is all shocking and uncomfortable for Mai, but she trusts Zuko at the end. Even if she is not ready to join his cause, she knows him enough to trust him again. To trust his reasons and his actions to disregard her own life (and social position) in order to save his. And that’s more than love.

What about symbolism? I talked about characters, but what about overall place in the story for Mai and Zuko’s relationship? When we talk about narrative and symbolism in any story, it is important to note that there no single understanding of which symbol must mean for everyone. Not for creators, not for viewers. There no agreement even in the simple question what narrative is there. And some fans, sure, see the narrative where Mai is an evil ex or symbolizes the past one has to move on from. But I see a narrative of kids growing up in oppressive state, under propaganda, struggling to find themselves and express themselves. And it is a difficult road to walk on, so they stumble a lot but they keep going.

Another possible aspect is the one where we see Mai as the Fire Nation. The marriage between a ruler and a country is one of the oldest myths, existing across different cultures, so the relationship between Mai and Zuko get that powerful mythic aspect as well. We know that Zuko is leaving Fire Nation and is coming back to it. Of course, as any symbol, it does not fit precisely, but the parallel is there, and it is fun to think about it.

But what does that relationship give Zuko? What does it give Mai? Except for some make-out sessions? Well, a bit of refuge and solace is not that little and useless benefit. Those were teenagers who were fighting in war, on the villainous side, sure, but still Mai’s previous months were unhappy, and Zuko’s previous years were filled with anguish and trauma. Right now they can be comfortable with each other, and it’s a lot. They also help each other to change for the better. It is not a huge and sweeping change, but Mai becomes more willing to talk about feelings, her own and Zuko’s, and for Zuko his experience of Mai’s love and support gives him respite and helps to realize the truth about himself – that he has to join the Avatar and help to end the war. He knows he is not alone in the Fire Nation, that even if Mai doesn’t see that the Fire Nation is in the wrong yet, she agrees that something is wrong with the world.

Mai and Zuko’s relationship works, and not because it is perfect, wholesome and unproblematic, but because it is believable that these particular people would have this particular relationship, and at the same time it shows new, unexpected sides of the characters and highlights their problems and, provides refuge, challenges and makes them change for the better.

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

ok I need you to discuss this John is My Son thing because like I also feel that Sometimes I Felt Like His Priest is also really underdischssed!

okay here we go!!!

The quote you're referring to is from the Foreword of The Lyrics. I grabbed some more of it because it's all quite interesting to me.

This was about the same time that I met John Lennon, and it’s pretty clear now that we were a huge influence on each other. Readers might detect duelling emotions in my recollections of John; that’s because my relationship with him was very mixed. Sometimes it was filled with great love and admiration, but other times not, especially around the time The Beatles were breaking up. In the beginning, though, the relationship was a young Liverpool guy looking up to another guy a year and a half older. It was hard not to admire John’s wit and wisdom. But as I came to see him as a person and a human being, there were, of course, arguments, though never anything violent. There’s even a movie out there in which John’s character punches my character, but the truth is that he never punched me. As with many friendships, there were disputes and there were arguments, but not many. Sometimes, though, I certainly thought John was being a complete idiot. Even though I was younger, I would try to explain to him why he was being stupid and why something he’d done was so unlike him. I remember him saying things to me like, ‘You know, Paul, I worry about how people are gonna remember me when I die.’ Thoughts like that shocked me, and I’d reply, ‘Hold on; just hold it right there. People are going to think you were great, and you’ve already done enough work to demonstrate that.’ I often felt like I was his priest and would have to say, ‘My son, you’re great. Just don’t worry about that.’

It's like… there's so much going on here, you know? John is almost paradoxical to Paul: the source of one of the biggest hurts of his life and also one of his great bringers of joy; he's forever petrified as a teenager in Paul's mind and also on some level remains his fairground hero whose shadow Paul cannot escape; a traitor and yet don't you dare depict him being violent towards me; wise and simultaneously stupid.

At its root, I think many of these contradictions exist because Paul is on some level aware that a lot of the pain John dealt him was at least in part due to something John could not help (i.e. mental illness). He can't bring himself to blame John entirely, in a similar way a lot of us fans wrestle with John's behaviour that we know came from a place of great anguish. This has contributed to Paul infantilizing the memory of John; he has an instinct to look after John, and it's exacerbated by the fact that he has aged whilst his conception of John has not (you can see this in the way Paul constantly circles back to the early days of their friendship), which is in great contrast to Paul's memory of, say, Brian:

"I find that one of the interesting aspects of ageing: Brian Epstein never got beyond thirty-two, but I think of him as an older guy even though I’m already twenty years older than he ever got to be." – Many Years From Now.

But there's another element to this… A lot of people on here speculate about why Paul "can't get over John". My answer:

1) John's death was uniquely traumatic to John's loved ones in a way we tend to gloss over.

2) We are not letting Paul get over it! Paul has been asked about John in interview after interview for four decades and his image directly suffered due to the lionization of John post-1980 as well as the way he (Paul) was judged for not grieving correctly. Perhaps he's started bringing John up a lot in interviews in part because he feels he has to, lest he be deemed callous and cold again. (and perhaps he is seeking to nip the Lennon Question in the bud before the questions become, ahem, horribly insensitive) That's not to say Paul isn't weird about John – I think he is! But I think the way he's been made to both carry John's legacy and accept criticism used to build John up and bury his own unresolved anger at John and grieve over a senseless murder publicly and defend John now that his image is being torn down… it accounts for a huge chunk of this weirdness, IMO. Again, I want to reiterate: I think these are generally Paul's genuine feelings and thoughts (and I certainly don't want to imply that all of this only started post-1980... but perhaps there's a reason Paul seemed more measured throughout the '70s) but I think it's naive to act like society didn't help shape the way Paul talks about John and sees him. When you live as publicly as he does and your childhood friendship is one of the most talked about relationships in music history, you are bound to be affected by the general reception.

I also think Paul is often doing reputation damage control. It is very important to him that he and John are remembered first and foremost as friends (hence the offense he takes in the depiction of John punching him in Nowhere Boy) and it seems like, since at least Goldman, he's been trying to emphasize John's softer, more lovable traits. I think this, mixed with the infantilization mentioned above, is where you get stuff like the clip of Paul calling John a little baby or a lovely broth of a boy.

It's all so damn complicated you know? And so fascinating.

[stardustdiiving]

I have a lot of really small headcanons about the concept of “elemental resonance” I keep incorporating into my genshin fics whenever I write them bc I love using the concept that the characters can pick up on other people who wield elemental power’s energy, and the fact elements can react or resonate with each other as a really small way to give insight into how a character feels about things or people around them

I enjoy imagining and using that as almost like another kind of “body language” or mode of communication. I like using it to give characters more defined presences and personalities especially with how they’re viewed through an external POV

Things of this nature I’ve kind of thought about/written before include:

Wanderer will describe the unusually strong elemental power radiating off of Archon characters he’s around as “unpleasant” and tell the reader he doesn’t like being around gods because they all radiate this oppressive and uncomfortable energy that makes him feel very defensive…but he noticeably doesn’t seem to mind Nahida’s elemental energy despite being very aware of it and describes it in a much more pleasant way because He Likes Her

In contrast a lot of people find Wanderer’s Anemo “jarringly sharp like storm gales” or just really odd/confusing and potential sinister(????) but then Nahida just describes it as like, gentle and very nice even if it’s a bit wild sometimes :) (this would confuse everyone if she told them this)

Lynette and Freminet can tell when Lyney gets upset/anxious, especially over them, because his Vision that gives him elemental power came from his ambition to protect his loved ones, and they would describe him being worried as like, a flickering and more fast paced sort of Pyro energy radiating from him that feels very directed towards them specifically

Venti tends to passively reach out and “resonate” with a lot of elements around him, especially with people he likes or shares his element with, as sort of a way of going hello! I see you! Jean and Xiao describe his Anemo energy as very like, reassuring/comforting/makes them feel more centered (he usually does this when they seem stressed out), while a lot of the Mondstadt characters don’t recognize it’s coming from him and just feel more relaxed/comfortable/“at home” (or nostalgic for Mondstadt if they aren’t there at the moment)

Kaeya describes a lot of the pyro characters he’s friends with (Klee, Amber, etc) as very warm and nostalgic—he doesn’t say it directly but the implication is it reminds him of Diluc when they were younger. In present day he describes Diluc’s energy as “subdued heat” towards everyone else but “smolderingly cold for a fire” when Diluc’s attention is on him because their relationship is in great condition ❤️

Characters tend to find being able to resonate with the energy of people they’re close with very comforting (it’s like a hug or leaning on someone for support basically). They usually note it’s especially reassuring if it’s done with someone of the same element. They usually do this pretty deliberately but u can also have characters sort of reaching out to their loved ones more quietly if they don’t like being very emotionally open (lol)

^^ so Tighnari usually reaches out with his Dendro passively for Collei to “lean on” if he can tell she isn’t doing well and wants to like, very intuitively reassure her. Kaveh and Al Haitham both pretend they never do this but they are regularly both “checking in on each other” whenever they’re in proximity as sort of a like “are you there? Oh hi you’re here. Okay nice”

I could go on about this for a while with like every character but I find it so fun. I really love subtle characterization or adding more personalized descriptions to characters beyond just like purely physical appearance jducjfjd

[sundove88]

Can ya headcanon info dump the all of the Choco Cookies?

Dark Choco:

Considering that he was nearly starved to death by Dark Enchantress (He and the other Cookies of Darkness were only given small amounts of food a day), he earned the right to be chonky and full of food.

When he was a small cookie, he always dreamed of having his own horse to ride on. Fast forward to the present and now he has his own therapy horse named Heaven!

He was banished to The Cookie Kingdom as punishment for his actions, but grew to actually like his banishment and decided to serve the rest of it doing community service.

Pink Choco:

She’s good friends with Astronaut, Milky Way, Space Doughnut, Stardust, and even Xylitol Nova! She often spends a lot of time in space.

She is part of an astral organization dedicated to protecting Earthbread from beyond the planet.

Some of her favorite hobbies are making chocolates for her friends and going on adventures across the Galaxy.

Mint Choco:

He often teaches others how to play instruments alongside Creme Brûlée. He taught Cocoa to play the piano one time!

Speaking of which, he also makes for an excellent dance partner whenever he’s not playing music- he knows how to waltz and to boogie down.

He often stops by Herb’s greenhouse to look for new inspiration for his songs, as well as to decorate his new venues with.

White Choco:

She’s one of a handful of cookies who are of mixed heritage- She is of Hollyberrian and Dark Cacaoan origin!

She is good friends with Raspberry, Raspberry Mousse, Rose, Blueberry, Bumbleberry, and Cranberry- she even owns a Chantilly Shiba Inu!

Her favorite treat has to be Bingsu with a mixed berry syrup- which is a culinary fusion of her heritages!

Chess Choco:

They often finish their sentences- just like every twin does, considering that they are!

They often make macarons together and share them with the Cookies of Darkness, because they really do have hearts of gold.

They have an entire closet dedicated to dress up costumes, and this often ensures that they don’t get bored on rainy days.

Buttercream Choco:

He is the father of Cheesecake, which makes her of Golden Cheesian and Dark Cacaoan origin, just like Butter Pretzel Cookie.

He is super supportive of his daughter’s endeavors, especially when it comes to planning parties for the masses.

He’s incredibly wealthy and always uses his money for the greater good; such as donating to The Creme Republic’s sea cookies.

Chocolate BonBon:

One of her most treasured works is a beautiful ballgown (It was a Hanbok but purple and with Dark Cacaoan elements) she designed for Queen ChocoPearl so she could attend a prestigious event.

Her favorite part of making dresses has to be the last stitch, when everything leading up to that moment all comes together.

She carries around an emergency sewing kit in case anyone’s clothes get ripped or torn.

Choco Ball:

He always carries around a pack of gummies to share with his teammates whenever things get heated.

He’s starred in a LOT of energy drink commercials, some of which date back to when he was new to the team!

He always gets invited to his sister’s movie premieres. And that’s saying something!

Choco Bar:

She’s the big sis of Choco Ball, and loves to go to his soccer games whenever she has free time.

She always gives constructive criticism and ensures that the cast she works alongside can have a great time filming.

One of her premiere dresses was made by Chocolate BonBon! And she keeps it in a very special area of her wardrobe.

Dark Cacao:

After Episodes 13-14, he often goes around to each village disguised as an old man so he can learn about their cultures more.

Some of his favorite telenovelas and K-Dramas happen to be ones based on olden day legends and famous folktales.

Considering that he has nightmares (This is due to The Dream Express event), one of the more common ones is losing his entire family to the darkness. Again.

ChocoPearl:

During Episode 13, she had a gut feeling that she HAD to return to her people and be there for them- She ended up being right, as The Cookies of Darkness were trying to take over The Black Citadel.

She slapped Pomegranate without remorse for “Corrupting The Love of my Life” and “Corrupting My Son”, aka her husband and Dark Choco. Think of that scene from Coco.

She knows which herbs are suitable for medical treatment, and the ones which are not safe to consume. And she keeps a small satchel of them under her skirt at all times.

[agenericplaceholdername]

Dragons Rising S2 E1-5 Thoughts

Here’s some thoughts on the first episodes of Dragons Rising, Season 2:

The Blood Moon:

RAS AT SHADOW DOJO. Part of what makes the running joke about the scene so good is that the scene itself is really cool

Ras’ night vision is a cool detail but imagine a fight scene in the dark lit only by elemental powers where Ras fights the Ninja

New intro!

Intelligent George definitely uses clickbait thumbnails

Are Borg’s Sufficient Nutrient Wafers just using the Borg brand? Or actually made by Cyrus Borg

Goodbye cute baby Riyu, hello Teen Riyu

Poor Lloyd. Also a lot to analyze in that vision (but not here)

The way Arin talks about seeing his parents and Sora talks about unlocking her True Potential implies only a few weeks, maybe a month or two have passed since the end of S1. And outside of the reference to the Mech Master 5000 being an annual race in the Mech Shorts, it honestly could be that long (instead of over a year)

Kreel and I are the same: we both have “organization systems” only understood by ourselves

Kreel’s hat does look jaunty, and at least Arin smiled

So when did Cinder start searching for the mallet? Clearly before the season started, but the season also opened with Ras and Jordana finding the Shadow Dojo, and Jordana hadn’t met Cinder yet. Maybe Ras just gave him a call while walking in the Forest of Spirits to start looking

The Arin and Sora friendship is so sweet

“Maybe percussion is my thing”

Love the fight against Cinder

Cinder outmatches Arin and Sora and then immediately is forced on the defensive and flees when Lloyd arrives

“Our dark journey can begin” thank you for beating the villain allegations Ras

Shattered Dreams:

I would also like bagels

“We want you to work the same amount, just be funner about it.”

First the Cloud Kingdom, now Percival—we’re just revisiting S1 places

You can still see the bridge that was damaged in S1 connecting the Crossroads to Ninjago City

Where’s Mystake when you need her

Arin did you even do Spinjitzu to fight Cinder?

Would love to see Kreel’s robot dance

Sounds believable Fedulian, I’m with Arin here

“MAGIC ATTACK” “KILLER BUTTERFLY SWARM” “PSYCHIC ORB BLAST” I want a Hantro-Clutch Powers spin off

As weird as “shattering goodness” is, the music and atmosphere of the scene sells Hantro’s exposition

Love this flashback, and its location in the episode helps contribute to a constantly rising tension

I would like to learn an evil language

“You cursed the worms?” but when? And did he have this in mind when he did?

I love how the Five’s teachings and language have been banned but also the Cloud Kingdom is allowed to learn Theroxian (to translate it) and keep scrolls about the Five

Jordana is so mad lol. Tbf for Sora, she re-met Jordana for what, 10 minutes half a season ago?

Ras believes in strength above all else but also refuses to fight the Ninja on equal ground (he’s way above them and then sends out the Wolf Masks and Cinder to do what he can’t)

The Wolf Masks seem powerful once the Gong is struck (beating Arin, immune to fire, knocking Kai and Sora down) but then are easily dealt with in E10 so what gives?

Kai is so cool

Not gonna analyze the Cinder fight in detail. All I’ll say is that it’s well choreographed and directed, the music is great, and it’s kinda nuts that we get a fight this good in E2. Ofc Ras and the Ninja don’t interact until much later in S2P1, but this shows just how outmatched the Ninja are and demonstrates the need to learn a way to fight Shatterspin

Ouch Wyldfyre

Excellent episode

Beyond the Phantasm Cave:

Jordana demeaning Euphrasia to appease her own bruised ego

Sora and Arin - why is your dialogue to each other just saying what you feel? What happened to show don’t tell

Cool shot with Lloyd

We got names for the Source Dragons through the Netflix captions and credits lol

Kai and Wyldfyre why are you so well characterized? imagine if Wyldfyre had stayed at the Monastary and then everything else happened the same way — as in Kai was still sacrificed.

Yes, Wu would take you on a mission based on spirit smoke or actual dreams (see Hunted)

Cloud Kingdom sky base is so cool

Watching these episodes, even months later, after having seen the marketing clips so many times is funny. The clips were all great too — I love “Ninja Mission” 

Are flying ships commonplace in the 16 realms? Because how else would there be a bunch of destroyed ships 

I love the grappling scene for Arin’s character

Sora has the elemental power of LEGO sets

What is this random tentacle thing

Stop with the cute Arin Sora scenes they’re gonna be friends forever

“Are the Ninja your family now instead of us?” ouch

Sora how would that be Kai

“You will never be good enough” Lloyd you’ve saved the world countless times please seek therapy

What are the chances Jay has lost his memory and wouldn’t remember Nya, cmon not a very realistic fear

“What even are you” very good question Nya

I’m sure we’ll learn what Kai saw later, right?

“You should trust you, too” thank you Nya

Cliffhanger for the next episode

Force from the East:

This is a super cute scene, with a cool detail: Geo slightly misremembers things in favor of his and Cole’s relationship

Cole told Geo the cloud monks were nice? Only one was, while the Master Writer tried to get him and the other ninja eaten by whatever Nimbus is

Kai’s animation is very briefly messed up here

Dragon basketball is a key part of S2 and needed to be included

“I’ve always got you, Arin”

Hat-less, bald Egalt is so strange

Lloyd come on the ancient talking dragons are obviously the teachers

Lord Ras’ army meets its most dangerous foe yet: two orphan children

I know Geo can’t fuse living things, but couldn’t he fuse the clothes someone is wearing together and then to the ground?

COLE!

“Dragons can be Ninja?” the First Spinjitzu Master is crying in the grassland rn

Given that the Ninja have fought the embodiment of evil three times, I think they probably can imagine the evil of the Five

No fill us in on your mission now

Cole’s powers seem more… powerful, I guess

The name “Rising Dragon” is similar to if Sensei Yang called Airjitzu “Rising Human”

What are the consequences of using the gong too much?

“Oh [Ras is] evil. 100%. Even his breath smells evil.” Arin has very strong moral convictions

What is “last time”? Why did Egalt swear off training non-dragons?

The Forbidden Five exploit overconfidence, you say…

Even if the boundary spell was still in place, how would the fog prevent the Finders from using the portal gate?

“It doesn’t matter where they go. We will follow.” Ras then proceeded to do the opposite and wait for Bonzle to enter the Forest of Spirits

Another setup for the next episode

The Spell at the Waterfall:

I want a Frohicky plush

At least Fritz and Spitz like Mr. Frohicky’s cooking

Of all the things Bonzle could say… that was not something I would have predicted

I think Egalt would be more impressed with the Ninja if they mentioned they defeated the entire Oni invasion

How does Rontu know what Wyldfyre’s element is? Was it not an element created only after the Merge?

What does Wyldfyre’s element being Heat explain? Besides explaining how she and Kai seemingly have the same elements

Bonzle’s backstory is delivered beautifully

Rontu, I don’t think it’s possible to jump 3 times your height

“He’s just a dragon” Sora you’re talking to a dragon. “Dragons can’t do Spinjitzu” Sora seriously read the room

Love Egalt’s lesson and the surrounding scene. As the Ninja are going through the motions, Arin is consistently a half-second or so behind

The Wu and Bonzle scene is also really really good. I wonder where in the timeline it takes place — given that Wu and Garmadon are “no longer on the same side” but the Ninja are Wu’s family, it’s probably post-Pilots but before the end of S2 or between Hunted and March of the Oni. I don’t think the sideburns matter that much in determining time, since Wu could just shave them. (All this matters far less than the great conversation in the scene itself)

Nah Sora, that’s clearly a Mucoid

Okay yet another fun scene with great music

Lloyd and Egalt’s training styles are very different

Arin nooo :(

Bonzle of course they’d accept you for you are

“Strength is all that matters” hmm okay 

RAS WHAT who are you talking to AHHH

Sacrifices!?

Next up, the most recent episodes of Dragons Rising Season 2 to release (at the time they were supposed to) – the finale of Season 2 Part 1!

[mini-jiminie]

Unpopular and kinda mean opinion, but I actually think they could have something going on romantically, but I don’t really know if they should. I just think that their personalities and circumstances will make it very difficult to have a healthy balanced relationship and,whether platonic or romantic, I think is kind of the result we saw in chapter 2. If they are involved romantically, then that took place in a vacuum, where they were constantly around each other without having to try and constantly sharing the same experiences. I do think Jimin carries a lot of the emotional burden, not just with jungkook, but probably in a lot of his relationships just given his personality. Conversely, obviously excluding private relationships we don’t know anything about, jungkook has never really had to try in relationships. Like he’s the baby in his family which gives him a natural place and way of being treated, he’s the baby in bts who is also a group that never forced strict age hierarchies on him despite him being the youngest, even pretty much his entire friend group are same age friends which by Korean standards makes friendship a lot easier. I think that all of jungkooks relationships have just had a natural ease to them, with him usually being on the receiving end. He says in AYS that they didn’t hang out and kinda seems like he blames most of it on Jimin but where was he? He had no problems doing vlives but didn’t even know jimins schedule or bother to visit him while he was promoting in korea.

I’m not saying all this just to be mean to jungkook, I just think there is a real reality that if they are romantically involved, then that relationship was built in a bubble with all these mechanisms that don’t exist or work in the real world. Even if we look at it platonically, I think they were struggling to navigate just hanging out in chapter 2 (although I could see the argument of them choosing to spend time separately either to prepare for enlistment which they thought would be separate, or to battle the probably natural codependency that forms from spending so long with someone in such a close setting and in all aspects of you life)

I do think if they’ve ever been romantically involved, they weren’t together during that part of chapter 2 when they weren’t seeing each other or talking. I see a lot of jikookers make excuses like “well when my husband was in medical school blah blah blah…” but the reality is that for relationships to work you have to make time for each other, even if that just a half hour phone call a night. It’s clear that they weren’t talking enough to know what was going on in each others life beyond official content releases.

Idk weirdly I see things that could very plausibly imply they have a romantic relationship, yet there are things that I feel are missing or unbalanced for it to be a healthy romantic relationship. So it leads me to ok are they just not romantic at all or do they have some semblance of romance (like an open relationship or something)? Or is that just a cover up for me wanting to think they’re together even when my brain is acknowledging that elements are missing?

Anon, the jikook police are plotting your assassination as we speak.

I'm joking but, do sleep with one eye open!

Hm, this is a heavy take. I don't think it's fair to assume what type of relationship and dynamic jk has with his family and friends outside of bts. We just haven’t seen enough of it to assume. This 'he's the baby, everyone adores him' narrative might've been the case a couple of years ago but, jk has been very adamant on breaking out of that box. He's done things that completely go against rigid social standards and expectations for idols such as: getting tattoos (and a whole sleeve at that! a baddie fr), candidly discussing sex (that live where he talks about seven and asks a commenter why they would think sex is considered 'dirty') and talking about how he sees clothing as 'genderless. I wouldn't be so quick to say jk is the type to be 'content' with stereotypes. He's grown so much over the years and he's worked so hard on himself. You won't see him completely shut down after making a small mistake on stage anymore. Instead, he smiles and moves on.

There's this post theorising why jk might've not known jm's schedules or tried seeking him out. I tried for ages to find the exact post but, I could not for the life of me find it (I'll link it If I end up finding it).

Anyways, the poster basically said that during late 2022-early 2023, jm and jk were on different pages. Jm was hyper-focused on producing FACE whilst Jk admitted that he was just trying to take it slow and finally take a real break after continuously working. We know jk is the type to get pretty hyper-fixated on completing certain goals and tasks. I'm pretty sure he knows this too. That's why he really took time to rest because he just tends to just throw himself into work head-first. Also, Tae mentions in ep 3 of ays that bts have a shared calender. If jk wasn't working at the time, I don't think he'd need to check the calender? That's probably why he didn't know every logistic of jm's schedule. Plus, jm never seemed bothered by it. He was always gently filling jk in or correcting him about his schedule. I don't think this should paint jk in any negative light. The man just needed a well deserved break.

The poster also said that, if work wasn't something jk wanted to think about at the time, maybe constantly seeing jm working sort of put him off? This is pure speculation

In regards to jkk, I think the word 'unhealthy' is overstepping our boundaries as fans. From what I've seen, jkk have shown what a good, healthy relationship is. Those two adore one another, it's abundantly clear. Them spending time apart, discussing why and moving forward is such a good example of a healthy relationship dynamic. More people need to be like them. Also, joint military enlistment doesn't just happen like that. I'm sure it involved heavy discussion between them. There’s the fact of having to go through screenings to be eligible. This doesn't just happen on the whim of two people who share an unhealthy bond.

[yosajaeofficial]

JULY UPDATE

Hey hey hey! Welcome back to the show, “The Monthly Jayce Myles Comics Updates!” Where I give obvious monthly updates to my followers about the progress for the hit series that hasn’t debuted yet, “ROTTMNT: The Jayce Myles Comics”! Sorry I haven’t posted this month, I was hella busy with college applications and other projects, but I’m delighted to get back into these updates.

Without further ado, let’s get the show running! I have some fun things to show ya!!!

The Comic

(W.I.P OF THE OFFICIAL DEBUT COMIC)

The month was way too quick for my own good, the comic’s slow. Again, I was busy applying to college and doing other side projects I’m working on. I’m gonna be attending college next month so the comic will have its hardships but I really wanna pursue my education as well, but the updates shall continue like always with all of its fun content! Anyways, the comic: the debut has 20+ pages and my god it’s just insane on how many there are when I’m not even halfway there. I’m impressed with how many pages go by just to tell the story, older pages will be fixed up so it either might be reduced or even more but that’s for future Jae to decide; I’m learning as I go! It’s also better that I show instead of say that I’m just “working on it” since it’s easy to lie to be honest.

The turtles haven’t been seen since I haven’t got to drawing their introductions yet, I’m gonna shart in my pants because I’m scared but I’m literally an artist doing a comic so I gotta do them sooner than later. Maybe the next update you’ll see them? Don’t hold me too much onto that but it might be a cute goal to set, let me know what happened when the August update comes!

Jayce is so silly with her coat huh? She’s just a girl giving it her best, even if they thrift at the worst shop known to man (they’re gonna learn someday…) We also got Rogelio and Jayce being all cool together, I was proud of that page when first sketching it out. They both are so sweet to draw out, hope to see their finalized pages to see their true potential!

Bonus Content: Hidden City Mystical Crystals

Silly reader, you’re scratching your nose and thinking, “what am I looking at?” You’re in luck! Cuz these babies are actually additional parts about the Hidden City’s lore/magic system. Magic system? Yes, a magic system. The Jayce Myles Comics is going beyond the original canon of Rise and creating many more original concepts and combining it with what was given by the canon. I wanted to show off more of the mystics from yokai because their potential was so much cooler to finally explore when drafting the ideas.

The Hidden City’s magic system is based off of the elements, not too complicated, but has some different rules when compared to other executions of the elemental magic system. That’s for another day, I��m only gonna talk about the crystals and show what they can do. You can reference this update and look into the JMC with this cool bit of knowledge! Let’s get started >:3

Origins of the Mystical Crystals

These crystals were created based off of industrial flaws people have faced. Basically, I learned about the 1920s construction workers and their working conditions where it made me think “what would the have wished for when they worked?” I referenced from real people, history books, and my own personal experiences to create functions, and help base the crystals off of what I came up with.

The Netflix show, “Arcane” was a great inspiration to combine mystics with technology, the brand was called “Hextech” and it’s system was hella cool to me and it helped a lot when I was working on the crystal’s concepts. The mystical crystals are meant to be used as “tools to help the magic user”, where they can enhance their power, gain a temporary ability, create spells, or use in technology.

The names of them are based off of the Latin languages like, English, Italian, Spanish, and a hint of both Chinese and Korean if you squint really hard. I will go through each of the crystals in a vague manner for ya’ll to see what they can do!

Fire Magic

Fire magic is actually defined as: “The manipulation/manifestation of temperature” instead of just heat, it can be fire or ice.

LA HEILMAQ: The crystal is based off of quartz in visuals and has the glow like a moonstone! La Heilmaq is the crystal that’s used to help air conditioning in modern homes and create weapons. They’re the most natural crystal to use to create weapons since it’s form holds up so well, it’s as common as bronze in real life! They’re pretty cold to the touch, so be careful and don’t hold them for too long if you’re 1. not a fire magic user, or 2. not wearing gloves. These babies are used for more attacks than defense since they’re pretty deadly if you’ve been penetrated by the crystal itself.

EL HEILMAQ: This crystal is based off of colored glass from old alcohol bottles, tainted windows, and the power of friendship because this is the one that isn’t the most realistic looking since I made the shape up. It looks like the “BOOM!” shape for a reason~ El Heilmaq is the crystal which contains heat, it’s sealed by the actual gemstone itself so you’re able to touch with your bare hands without getting burned. The crystal can be used for restoring heat in homes, making artillery, and/or throwing them on the ground to create natural firecrackers. Most yokai use smaller bits of the crystal as distractions and the bigger pieces to help the industry by keeping their homes warm, they don’t need boiler rooms or to grab coal because El Heilmaq crystals can already do that for them without causing damage to nature.

The word Heilmaq was based off the English word “Hail” which is Ice, which is to hammer the idea that this isn’t just heat based. The word Maq is gibberish that's made to be another word for "kaboom", which brings more of the fire elements to the word itself.

Air Magic

Air magic is defined as, “The manipulation/manifestation of oxygen”!

LA SENYÁR: The crystal is based off of diamonds and emeralds! La Senyár is a crystal that helps give the air magic user more of a boost, they can crash the crystal and it gives them a boost of air so they can jump higher, dodge quicker, or just blow a gust of wind at the enemy. The crystal itself is used by technology to give it more flight, used in planes, cars, and even shoes! Yes, shoes can also have the crystal, it helps the bird yokai give them a boost to use their wings to fly. The word Senyár is a word based off of the Spanish word, “Soñar” that translates to “To Dream”; it was named this way because the way how the pressure of the air isn’t as powerful or dense, it’s like if you’re walking on clouds, it feels like a dream.

Water Magic

Water magic is defined as, “The manipulation/manifestation of water and health”

LA CANTÉM: The crystal is based off of pebbles found in rivers, ponds, and on rock beaches; there’s also influence by the topaz gemstone with it’s beautiful orange color. La Cantém is a healing crystal, where you’re able to use it on yourself to cool down injuries where it helps heal the wounds. It works both as a numbing solution and healing solution based on the water magic user. With these crystals, you always have to hydrate them in fresh water so the water can absorb into the crystal and used as energy; if it’s dehydrated, then the crystal’s will be weaker. The word Cantém is based off of the Spanish word, “Cantar” where it translates to, “To Sing”. It’s because singing can calm people down, and the crystal helps calm down the injured and lets the healing process go smoothly, it’s based off of my bestie where their singing really was like fresh water to my ears, a great inspiration for this crystal.

Earth Magic

Earth magic is defined as, “The manipulation/manifestation of nature”

EL TERÉM: The crystal is based off of an amethyst visually, and yes, inside there’s a different color! El Terém is the crystal that most fighters use in order to manipulate rocks/boulders, build stronger architecture, or create rock shields when you throw them on the floor. It’s mostly rock based but still hella good to use in battle as a defense mechanism, the rock that’s formed is sturdy too, not weak for it to break easily. Shredder would have no problems breaking it but that guy’s insane. The word Terém is inspired by the word "tear" or "contain", any interpretation rocks! (no pun intended)

Yin Magic

Yin magic is defined as, “The manipulation/manifestation of darkness”

MIE SIÑE: The crystal is based off of titanium black tourmaline and onyx. Mie Siñe is the crystal that contains shadows inside, depending on what the spell is, it either can produce shadows or fog. The usage for the crystal is much more unknown since Yin magic is banned from being used in Witchtown, but the crystal itself has been documented to be used to isolate the enemy when being used. It's also been used to cover the enemies eyes with darkness in order to distract them/become vulnerable sight wise. The word Siñe is a word based on the actual word "Sign" and "Sin", which holds a lot of significance into the story so I won't spoil.

Yang Magic

Yang magic is defined as, “The manipulation/manifestation of light”

MIE PIRE: This dear crystal is based off of the Italian onyx, magnesite, and calcite. Mie Pire is the crystal that contains light inside, any kind of light, it's not just sunlight. It's a bit more tricky and dangerous to use since you can blind yourself with it more easily, so it's also not as used. However, Yang magic is also banned like Yin, but there has still been technological uses for Mie Pire like using it as an alternative for electricity (which saves the bills!) and also used as lamps for more conservative places like Witchtown. The crystal has proved itself useful as a light source, but it can still be used as a defense mechanism by blinding the enemies eyes for a good second of even minute. The word Pire is based off of the word "Pure" which means that this crystal is very raw hence why it's dangerous. Another word it's inspired by is the Latin word "Pyra" which means "Bonfire". Both interpretations are used for this one!

The word Mie is based off of the actual Italian word "Mie" which means "My". It doesn't truly mean mine, because it's also inspired by the Spanish "Mira" that translates to "Look". It can be interpreted any way you want!

Thank you for coming to this lovely update! I've been working really hard to get the comic rolling and to also balance out my personal life with it, but I'm proud of how far I've come in the span of a year! Lots of progress has been made and it's getting much more exciting to create for the JMC. Have a wonderful day/night and see ya'll soon.

[elbiotipo]

just gotta say i love in scifi settings where it is clear empires have grown and colonized beyond their technological capabilities (ie in your setting where they don’t have faster than light transit or communication that would be necessary for effectively centrally governing a galaxy scale empire).

Not enough people use that element and I think that’s a shame since it’s such a good opportunity for worldbuilding and social commentary

Thanks!! Yes, that was one of the things I wanted to play with, most space opera and even other "serious" settings somehow assume the existence of some sort of Galactic Empire. This is mostly because of Asimov's influence, who was really making a metaphor for the Roman Empire anyways. However there are lots of reasons why this doesn't work, not only from realism (there is no real way you can administer a whole galaxy, even a piece of it involves millions of stars), but also because it's a bit boring from a narrative perspective

The kind of enviroment I'm picturing is closer to the Mediterranean before the Roman Empire with lots of cities (worlds) connected by loose leagues and cultural ties, and also the modern world where there are not large inter-state wars (with exceptions) but more of a "cold war" setting except there's not two superpowers, but lots of powers with different interests. There are no large-scale wars and they make little sense, you don't have two countries on a map shooting at each other, you don't conquer 'land' on space, there's enough planets and... space... for everyone. Conflicts would arise over key trade routes, resources, historically important planets, instead. Also, having many different 'states' allows me to explore different ideologies and societies, instead of just one big blob empire.

I've been inspired by LOTS of discussions about science fiction all over the years but the section on Atomic Rockets about Space Empires is especially interesting.

https://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/stellarempire.php

[firephoenix23]

The Slugterra movie reviews

This has been in the drafts for a while so buckle up for a longerish post

Ghoul from Beyond

Ghoul from beyond was pretty cool and I liked the concept of the goon and the beginning of the Eastern caverns but the coolest part of the movie which is when Eli gets ghouled is way too short and it literally happens and is resolved in like ten minutes. But the movie for me is very nostalgic and it was a big deal when it first was advertised and when it first came out. Everyone was hyped the fuck up and I was too but watching it now it’s still fun but maybe not as exciting. Plus we get introduced to best boi Junjie. 7/10

Return of the Elementals

Okay lowkey I have a lot to say about this movie that I will try to fit in here. First off we have a new member of the team: Junjie. And the gang doesn’t immediately love him and they have to work together and figure out how to incorporate a fifth person in their group. There’s so many little details that I love from the movie. For example, Blakk doesn’t immediately kill Eli and the Goon is furious with Blakk and he brings it up constantly

Then there is the second time the gang tries to cure the ghouled elementals but the gang doesn’t know that the Goon took two of them, so when Kord finds this out he tells him tell Eli. Junjie clearly can’t get to Eli in time so he tries to stop Blakk himself. Obviously this doesn’t work and Pronto goes to tell Eli who is pissed. Normally, I would hate this misunderstanding trope because they happen so frequently in media and it’s just so annoying. But in ROTE the stakes are so high so when you see the Goon and Blakk switch the slugs and they try the plan again you’re like oh shit this is not gonna work. Plus Junjie not following orders again might make Eli question him again.

Also Will comes back!! And we get the most heart wrenching scene of Eli running up to the hole that his dad jump in literally screaming for his father only to be pulled away literally seconds before he jumps in. Also can’t forget Blakk’s darkbane form and the reveal of his new form is literally so fucking cool. Also the dialogue is great like when Kord screaming “does it look like I know slug fu” 10/10

Slug fu Showdown

Honestly four points go to high Eli alone 😅 Which I literally made a post about. But anyway on a serious note I’m so disappointed about this movie. Literally it has the coolest premise which is Eli learning slug fu which is what everyone wanted him to learn the first time we saw Junjie do it. And don’t get me wrong Junjie teaching Eli slug fu is the best part of the movie. I also love that not only is Eli learning from Junjie, but Junjie is learning from Eli like how he learns to name his slug because of him. I love the dynamic that the two of them have. And it’s a constant thing for Eli and Junjie to learn and grow from each other. That literally sounds so queer but it’s true 😅

But other than the the rest of the gang really have nothing to do. Instead they are going around chasing the elementals around because every villian and their mom knows about the elementals and wants their power or something like that. And I know it’s so stupid that they figured it out because Pronto was on like national television but I think it’s funny that Pronto was the one they interviewed and not like literally anyone else in the gang. It is nice to see Sedo and the Hooligang again they’re pretty cool villains 

Speaking of villains I have to talk about the villains in this movie. I honestly can’t remember his name and I’m too lazy to look it up but his plan to use the elementals to like destroy Slugterra because they would hit like the fault lines?? Like I don’t get it and it’s clear he was just added so Eli can just learn slug fu. I do think it’s really funny how the only way for Eli to learn slug fu is like under pressure because he’s like really resourceful. Like boy literally had to learn when the world was at stake and all of his friends are just standing around like staring at him. Like it just all felt way too fast. I know we watched him struggle but it just happened so fast. And I love Eli but this is a common theme with him in the later seasons. He kinda becomes a gary stu but you didn’t hear it from me 😅 5/10

Eastern Caverns

So I honestly didn’t know that the next two were considered movies but according to the Wikipedia they are so I’m going to count them. Next up is Eastern Caverns. I would definitely say it’s probably closer to 4 episodes that connected to each other than a movie but whatever. The concept of the Eastern Caverns is so cool but initially I was a little worried they would be like a little racist because I’m pretty sure most of the writers for Slugterra were white but they weren’t. The bar is so low 😅

I mean some of the stuff I was like a little 😬 like Pronto clearly dressing up in drag for shits and giggles and them talking about Chi but it’s stuff that I feel has been seen in Western media before. Plus this came out in like 2015 almost a whole decade ago 👀

But anyway most of the movie is them trying to get their slugs back and trying to gain the trust of the people of the Eastern Caverns after Junjie destroyed it for 20 years!! Which 20 years is just crazy. Like how old is Junjie technically supposed to be then like 35!!

But anyway they finally get into the place which is definitely the coolest part of the movie but then my one problem comes into play which is mostly a problem with Eli for me in the Eastern Caverns story line. They just make him so beefed up. Not literally but he has like so many skills under his belt like trick shots, fusion shots, slug fu, whatever the fuck he does with Burpy and they just write it off as well he’s so connected to the slugs that’s why which is just so dumb and lazy. And he just figures out slug fu because slug fu is connected to chi and chi is like the slinger code???? Like Eli I have never heard of this code you are talking about. But honestly deep down I don’t really care because I love Eli too much 😂

Also like I am so disappointed they used so many old models from the old 99 caverns but it’s Slugterra what are you gonna do. Like they couldn’t put a little bit of budget into making new background characters. And don’t even get me started on the Dai Fu. Overall I would give it a 7/10

The Emperor’s Revenge

Another “movie” despite me not remembering it as one when it came out. Maybe it was considered one later on for marketing who knows. What I do know is that is has the coolest fucking intro I have ever seen with all the Shane gang walking out of the hideout looking all badass and then introducing the voice actors with the statue of the emperor in the back is so freaking cool

I will say that the word movie is kinda a loose term here as like with the last “movie” since it’s very obvious it’s just 4 episodes combined into one which I don’t know why they did that in the first place but whatever. So bizarre

First off the first episode err I mean part is about how Junjie became the dark slinger and the background of Yang vs the Emperor. It’s a great episode and it has really pretty drawing to go with the story.

The second part is great too with Pronto acting brave because of the emperor’s sword and the creation on an iron warrior which the gang can’t defeat so they have to retreat which like never happens in the show. I actually liked brave Pronto it reminded me of when they made Shaggy brave from the Legend of the Phantosaur.

Also the iron warrior was created to be powered by life essence and we see the Dai Fu take Underlord Holt’s life essence on screen which seems kinda dark for this show

Then in the third part her life force is taken away by the emperor, who is back, to power up two other unstoppable warriors. I think the unstoppable warriors have a cool design and I understand why they had to reuse so many models from the old show.

But honestly the coolest thing was the reuse of the Thugglet slug which hasn’t been seen since The New Kid episodes. It’s like one of the coolest slugs in the show and they never use it

And honestly the final episode with the battle against the emperor was pretty cool. Unlike the battle against Blakk which was just the Shane gang and the shadow clan, this battle involved all the friends I guess that they met in the eastern caverns and it was pretty cool.

Plus the emperor was actually smart when following Eli and Junjie back to the hole of the deep caverns. He brought one of his unstoppable warriors with him. Also the like traumatic moment when Junjie jumps into the hole to stop the emperor from coming back up and they frame it how Will jumped in after Blakk like why you gotta do that to me Slugterra writers 😩

Overall I didn’t remember this movie at all until I watched it a couple of weeks ago but I actually really liked it. I just felt like the stakes were higher and the way they defeated the emperor was fun and creative.

The one problem I do have is about the elementals like how do the shane gang get back to the 99 without them, why did Eli even learn slug fu if he’s not gonna use the elementals to save his dad. I mean in the end the show didn’t get an ending so it’s doesn’t really matter that much 😢 Plus this was the last we see of Junjie and they never like hug him goodbye or anything but I wouldn’t except that from a boy’s cartoon anyway. No sentimentality allowed 😂 8/10 for the revenge

Into the shadows

I honestly thought I was gonna hate this movie because everyone else hated it when it came out in 2016. I know it was all because of Tad and how many plot holes he brings but (please don’t kill me) I like him. 

Sure he’s pulls the exact same thing as twist (rip a real one) but what makes me like him is that he’s from the surface and Eli clearly bonds with him over that especially since it’s revealed that Eli had such a horrible life on the surface after his dad went MIA and that Tad did too. Kinda interesting that they both escaped their horrible realities to live in a fantasy world but I digress. And don’t even get me started on the scene of Will wishing Eli a happy birthday. I’m still crying 😭 

But yeah the vibe I got from Tad and Eli was that they were like brothers. I mean Tad literally said surface bros. With Twist his betrayal was worst but I feel like we really didn’t see him and Eli bond personally. Twist was kinda just like Eli’s yes man. Just constantly hyping him up and just being like yeah I totally name my slugs and if Eli thinks it’s good than I think it’s good. Literally sucking his d*ck. What who said that!? 

It was also pretty cool seeing how much Eli has grown from the show from newbie to teaching someone of slugterra himself. Also how excited he gets when he goes “I know right” clearly happy that he found something to relate to. Maybe I’ll make a long post on tad and how he’s not as bad as people thought he was as a character. 8/10 only one point higher than Ghoul from Beyond because of that beautiful fucking animation. Everything has this like gold tinge to it and I really like it. It makes everything just pop. But again 8/10 sorry everyone who hated it 😅

Final List

Return of the Elementals

Into the Shadows (pls don’t kill me 😅)

Emperor’s Revenge

Ghoul from Beyond/Eastern Cavern

Slug Fu Showdown

[rfxiii]

Stargazing with Franklin Clinton:

(I’ve been thinking about Franklin and the telescope he has in his Vinewood house a lot lately)

(639 words)

“Why are you laughin’?”

“I’m not laughing. I think it’s cool, Frank. Don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions.”

It’s late at night, with stars shining brightly above the skyline of the Vinewood Hills. You stand in Franklin Clinton’s upscale, modern home- looking out his massive windows as you both take turns looking through Franklin’s telescope and waiting for some meteor shower that Franklin was genuinely excited for.

“Well you’re kinda lookin’ like you’re laughin’ at me.” Franklin snorts as he gives you that raised brow look that always makes you giggle.

“No. Not at you. I just didn’t peg you as the space nerd kinda guy. I mean, between all the sports jerseys you’ve got, and then the guitars and stuff,-.. I’d have just never guessed you liked star gazing.” You muse as you stand together at the window- the lights down low and a fire burning in the gas fireplace.

“Well, I guess you just learned something new about me, (y/n).” Franklin chuckles softly, taking his turn to look through the telescope.

“So, when’s the sky supposed to start falling, Frank?” you ask, leaning on the back of an armchair as you slowly sip the expensive wine Franklin had poured you.

“Mm.. Like, four, maybe five more minutes.” Franklin replies as he checks his watch.

“Cool. I’m excited. This is my first meteor shower. I’ve never seen anything like it.” you say with a grin- bouncing on your toes with eager enthusiasm.

“You ain’t never seen a meteor shower?” Franklin asks in mild surprise,

“Aight. Cool. This’ll be fun then. Trust me. Shit’s outta this world.”

You giggle softly, sitting back and watching Franklin watch the stars- admiring how excited and focused he is. He’s so different like this- not having to act the part as the serious, level-headed one, like he has to when he’s working around Trevor and Michael. He’s looking and acting his age- looking like he’s having fun. He looks relaxed and happy, in his element doing something he’d always loved but was never really afforded the time or luxury to do. And watching him, you can’t help the smile that twitches your lips.

“Oh shit! It’s startin’! Come’er.” Franklin calls, waving you over as he steps back and lets you look through the telescope.

It’s the most miraculous thing you’ve ever seen, like glitter and fire raining down from the night sky as it fizzles out beyond the skyline,

“Frank.. Holy shit.. It’s…beautiful..”

Franklin watches, but not the meteor shower- his gaze glued on the way you smile brightly and scan the night sky with an almost childlike wonder,

“Yeah.. Really beautiful..” he mumbles, feeling himself stepping closer until his hand rests gently on your waist.

“Franklin.. You wanna look?” you ask softly, feeling your cheeks heat up at the gentle touch on your waist.

“S’aight.. I’m lookin’ right at what I wanna see..” Franklin replies- his warm, dark eyes locked on yours as a small, sweet smile splits his lips.

“You’re gonna miss it..” you whisper softly as you abandon the telescope in favor of moving closer together- looking up at him with a soft, imploring look.

“Nah.. I ain’t missin’ a thing..” Franklin mutters, fingers coming up to gently grip your chin and tilt it up until you’re looking into each other's eyes.

“Franklin,-..” you sigh wistfully,

“Thank you for an amazing night..”

And with all the courage you have, you stand on your toes to press a quick kiss to Franklin’s lips- pulling away hesitantly and looking at him with wide, nervous eyes. A little smile twitches Franklin’s lips- alleviating your anxiety, as he leans down and pulls you into another, more confident kiss. The telescope and meteor shower forgotten in the background as you cling to each other and find yourselves focused on something much more important.

[nightcolorz]

Hello, could you elaborate on your thoughts about how sex was treated in the show? If you are comfortable with it, obviously! I love your blog and your answers btw

Of course! I love answering these asks. For me this is more of a nitpick then a criticism, bcus I don’t think there’s anything technically worse about how the show handles sex over the books, but it just doesn’t appeal as much to my preferences.

In the books sex is very interesting bcus of how encoded it is into the narrative. Sexual desire is thematically extremely important in tvc, it informs basically every character dynamic. Sex isn’t something the vampires literally can do, but they are very sexual in nature, or “sensual”as Anne Rice loves to say, and their actions and dynamics r very psycho-sexually motivated. I think this makes for a very unique dynamic that the narrative has with sex. Tvc vampires can’t have sex but almost every form of pleasure they experience from killing to looking at art is felt as strongly as sexual pleasure, they have intimate relationships with each other that transcend human romance, almost every two characters have sexual impulses over each other. It’s weird and fucked up and interesting and there’s a lot going on there. Sex is symbolically the same as blood drinking and killing and hunting r sexual, and I love that bcus it gives the vampires this element of other that’s really compelling. I love the concept that their ways of feeling and experiencing human pleasures and emotions and relationships we’re familiar with r fundamentally changed in a way that r almost beyond our understanding bcus of vampirism. They r very alien but also very human, bcus at their core they just experience things the way we do but heightened to a freakish extreme. I like to think that tvc vampires experience a reality were the type of frenzied daze we experience when horny is what they experience nearly all the time. It’s so weird! And yeah, cool. The way romance works bcus of this is so interesting too, bcus an element of romance and sex comes with pretty much every vampire dynamic, and it creates these crazy fucked up dynamics that u wouldn’t get in any other book series.

and then well, there’s the show. Not much to say there is the problem. I don’t really have an issue with the vampires being able to have literal sex, but it’s the way sex and sexual subtext in general r handled that bothers me. Bcus..I mean it’s boring. Like, Louis and Lestat have crazy hate sex, but it’s not anything we haven’t seen before in television, minus how they’re an interracial couple and two men I suppose. Sex has the same implications as it does for humans, like the whole Antoinette cheating story line is just ur average cheating storyline but with blood and violence, you’d never get something that mundane and clean cut in the books. And like, I love some weird gay vampire sex scenes as much as the next guy, but how does floating vampire sex compare to the weirdness I rambled about above? There’s not that layer of complexity and strangeness I find so interesting. Like, it’s fantastical and vampire specific, they drink each others blood and float and stuff, but not in the dense way it is in the books. I believe that this has the potential to change, I think the tense scenes with Rashid, like the honey and pineapple scene, felt weird and bizarre in a way that reminded me of the books. But, I’ve been disappointed before. So for now I’m dissatisfied.

thanks for sending me the ask and thank you sm!!! You r so sweet <3 I love that u love my blog. As always feel free to send me asks guys I love them !

[graysongraysoff]

i think switching over from twitter to bluesky these last couple days and watching my timeline as folks try to find each other over there has helped me isolate something that’s been bothering me for the last couple of years that i haven’t been able to articulate until now.

see, the fandoms and fanfic-sharing spaces i have been in until recently were very much just about enjoying x thing together in the very simplest sense. even in the bigger and more “topical” fandoms i’ve been in over the years, it was all about making a small, close-knit group of friends really casually in the tags by exchanging headcanons and rping and writing fics for each other in a very, like, “non-commercial” way. just hanging out and having fun and feeding off of each other’s passion in forums or later on tumblr with no expectations beyond just enjoying each other’s work and company. like sure i still got in my head about kudos and comments from time to time, who doesn't, but it was more of an every-once-in-a-while thing rather than being like. daily.

now, i don’t know if this is because of the specific fandoms i’m in currently or if fandom in general has made this shift as forum sites and tumblr have fallen off and more algorithmic sites like twitter and instagram have taken over, but recently trying to engage in fan spaces feels so much more like. capitalist now, lol. it’s all about networking and promoting your work and Getting That Bag (either figuratively via kudos and comments or literally via commissions and zines). not that this hasn't always been an element of fandom — i know it has, and a big one at that. and i know a lot of people enjoy this side of things, which is awesome! go get that bag! hell knows i’m gonna buy that merch and support those zines!

i’m just saying that, to me, it feels like that's the whole thing now rather than just a part of it. i largely haven’t been successful with finding fandom friends the way i used to, because, well, how do you start bantering casually with people in fandom tags now that everyone has left tumblr, and twitter and instagram et al basically function as fandom linkedin? the larger shift away from just goofing off in forums to creating promotional threads for your fanfic on bluesky and huge discord servers to network in... i don't know. i don't love it.

i’ve started using reddit a little more over the last few days, so we'll see; maybe that's where my chiller, more vibey fandom niche has vanished to. but i think trying to carve a space in this larger fandom culture is the root of this constant feeling of inadequacy i’ve been wrestling with these last couple years. everyone takes everything so much more seriously, and i pay so much more attention to my ao3 stats than i used to as a result. i’m simply not having fun anymore.

it's no wonder i want to orphan my fics and delete my accounts when it feels like the only way to make fandom friends now is through fucking marketing. i do enough of that at my job without making it a part of my hobbies, too.