#this is also where i'd watch red white and royal blue. IF I HAD IT

[rockyroadkylers]

feeling very Unwell and rewatching things that make me smile to try to distract myself :')

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FROM RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE *  assorted (and slightly adapted to suit this meme format) dialogue from the book by casey mcquiston, adjust as necessary

on purpose. i love him on purpose.

i've always thought of myself as a problem that deserved to stay hidden.

i'm going to have you offed. you'll never see it coming.

take anything you want and know you deserve to have it.

get in there.

you're literally putting your dick in the leader of a foreign state.

before you, i was all right letting everything happen to me.

i can't believe even mortal peril will not prevent you from being the way you are.

sorry, are we not? did i skip ahead again?

you've been warned.

he died as he lived: avoiding plans and sucking cock.

my life is a cosmic joke and you're not a real person.

hey, have i told you lately that you're brave?

i honestly have never thought i deserved to choose.

we're gonna make it work. you and me and history, remember?

if you finish that sentence, i'm gonna spend tonight in jail.

but the truth is, also, simply this: love is indomitable.

i actively wish for the sweet release of death.

yes, good, carry on.

i won't hear a word against it.

we're gonna do it together.

i said you look great, baby!

i meet you in every dream, and when i wake i cannot close my eyes again for ruminating on your sweetness.

i'm so in love i could die.

you can take your legacy and your decorum and you can shove it up your fucking arse.

i wonder if it's too late to swan dive off the roof.

i'm learning all your hidden depths today, sweetheart.

you must invent an entirely new system.

a curious thing about grief is the way it takes your entire life, all those foundational years that made you who you are, and makes them so painful to look back on.

he's proof that it doesn't matter where you come from or who your family is.

i've bloody well had it!

we can unpack the ironic symbolism later.

that's beyond our sense of decorum!

i'm not afraid of anything i feel. i'm afraid of saying it. i'm only afraid of what happens when i do.

aw, you do care.

if there's any legacy for me on this earth, i want it to be true.

straight people probably don't spend this much time convincing themselves that they're straight.

the moment you first called me a prick, my fate was sealed.

you are the absolute worst idea i've ever had.

should i tell you that when we're apart, your body comes back to me in dreams?

can you perhaps stop putting your sodding life in danger now?

what are we even defending here?

history will remember us.

when i sleep, i see you.

i hate this so much.

every person who bears a legacy makes the choice of a partner with whom they will share it with.

we're just gonna fucking fight.

he is my choice.

i can appreciate that maybe this isn't your fault.

i've been gay as a maypole since the day i came out of mom.

when i wake up in the morning, it feels like i've just been with you.

i can feel your skin against mine, and it makes every bone in my body ache.

your spine's a ridge i'd die climbing.

for a few moments, i can hold my breath and be back there with you, in a dream, in a thousand rooms, nowhere at all.

the phrase 'see attached bibliography' is the single sexiest thing you have ever written me.

i promise you, one day we'll be able to just be, and fuck everyone else.

give yourself away sometimes, sweetheart. there's so much of you.

i want to set myself on fire, but i can't afford for anyone to see me burn.

you see, for me, memories are difficult.

never tell me the odds.

i wish there weren't a wall.

jesus christ, it's like they can see into your soul.

you're it, okay? i'm never gonna love anybody in the world like i love you.

i'm finished. i don't care.

god, i want to fight everyone who's ever hurt you.

the whole world watched, and history remembered.

are you quite finished?

just so we're clear. i'm about to have sex with you in this storage closet to spite your family.

you insane, hopeless romantic little shit.

[sarahreesbrennan]

sorry if you have already answered this, but are we getting any queer rep in Long Live Evil? 💕 i am super excited to see what you've cooked up for us either way!

I came back after I'd gone off on one, seeing the post had struck a chord and being thankful but fearful of my inbox. Let me say with delighted surprise that all the asks are very kind.

Thank you for this one, sweet anon. I am so excited and so nervous about my best beloved, Long Live Evil, and about coming back with a new book of my own after so long, when I believed for a long time it was hopeless.

I'm really grateful to find readers waiting for me. But I know readers are naturally more invested in characters they know: I extremely appreciate you taking an interest in the future.

So, short answer: YEAH you are!

Long answer: Long Live Evil wouldn't exist without its queer narratives.

C.S. Pacat and I were talking in our virtual Brookline Booksmith event recently about our favourite Disney villains. C.S. Pacat picked Maleficent, a fine choice. I picked Snow White's Evil Queen. We agreed we loved most of them.

Here's the relevant excerpt I was quoting in my last post from Carmen Maria Machado's In The Dream House, saying 'I think a lot about queer villains, the problem and pleasure and audacity of them.' Well... me too.

I think many of us have experienced feeling made wrong in some way - for not wanting what society said we should or being what we were expected to be - and that one step along that journey of discovery is going 'Okay, if it's wicked, I'll just BE wicked.' And that's part of why those characters appeal - because they seem free, and free of pain.

But modern storytelling isn't confined to coding, and audiences can now feel free to expect, not the certainty, but the possibility characters who aren't introduced as such still might actually turn out to be LGBT+. The essays I've read about Supernatural, Teen Wolf, Sherlock, Ted Lasso, Fox 9-1-1... I think the latest argued Jaime Lannister was bisexual. (Pretty persuasive.)

I remember reading the Raven Cycle going 'oh? OH.' I remember being at a writing retreat in 2013 and running through the halls screaming about Nico diAngelo. Ten years later we got a Nico diAngelo book co-written by Rick Riordan and the amazing Mark Oshiro. I watched Red, White and Royal Blue with a friend and she said 'honestly I hope the guys get together, but...' and I (having read the book) silenced myself with a herculean effort and watched her hopes come true. I didn't know about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and almost dropped the book in a swimming pool. But I've also read and watched many things thinking, just maybe... oh, no. Still that hope existing is meaningful, the thought that if the story had gone differently, if this revelation had happened, if this realisation had happened, if, if, if...

Long Live Evil is a story about the story going differently and asking yourself questions about your own nature, and the escape to fiction of those who really need escape. The book is based on that 'if,' and the 'if' itself is joyous, and brings me back to the idea of gleefully transgressing the narrative that much villain love is based on.

It's also an ensemble story with a rogue's gallery of characters and multiple PoVs. (I was much inspired by the Six of Crows ensemble.) So it isn't about any one character's romance, and by the book's nature there exist many possibilities. A critique partner read and said 'I didn't know you were going THERE' and I responded 'Should I?'

I've never been one to confirm where stories are going, and I won't do so now. I'm not talking about any one character or telling you a direction.

I'm just saying yes to rep. It's baked in.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

RWRB costume/ colour meta!

Ok, lets do this!!

Man have I missed writing costume/colour meta, so its good to have something to write about again! This took me far far longer than it should have - I kept getting distracted by the film while I was working on this - I'd go looking for a clip or to grab a still and end up just watching the film again 😂😂😂 but I've finished it and I hope you all enjoy it! Grab a beverage of your choice because this thing is a beast coming in at over 7000 words - I totally understand if you want to skip, but I have ADHD and do not know how to be concise 😂😂😂

Red white and royal blue employs several fun and interesting costume and colour theories (also made use of in the set design) to help tell the story of Alex and Henry. I’m not going to write a detailed meta for each costume - I just don’t have the time - but I am going to look at some costume/ colour details in focus, especially for Henry and Alex as well as highlighting other interesting choices! I also do not have the picture limit (I need more than 30!!!) to include every image I would like to, so if you want to see what I'm talking about, you might have to go check out the relevant scenes (I'll try to give you timestamps where I can!) I’ve kind of tried to do things chronologically, but I’ve left Alex and Henry to the end so if I don’t talk about them very much in the rest of this meta - that is why! putting it under a cut because its so long!

The royal Wedding

There are a couple of key themes here, the wedding party (consisting Lady Martha, Bea and Henry) have a distinct colour palette - dusty blue, dusty pink and Ivory, with the exception of Prince Phillip who is in his red Dress uniform - they’ve used a red uniform to make him stand out, convey that he is more important than the bride (what with his being in line for the throne and all that jazz) and hint at power - red is a power colour. 

I’m not sure what royal orders the collar and riband that Henry is wearing are supposed to represent as they don’t belong to a specific British order - if I had to take a punt I’d say his red collar is meant to be a AU version of a Knight Grand Cross of the order of the bath but the one he’s wearing certainly isn’t a real order in the UK (it isn’t meant to be an order of the garter as that is the highest ranking order and Henry would then also be wearing the light blue riband we see on Prince Phillip) the royal blue riband with the red edging is more i line with the night grand cross of the order of Victoria, although in real life that riband should be for in the opposite direction. My feeling is that they wanted a red collar on Henry to play into the red as a symbol of power theme they’ve used on Prince Phillip, placing Henry as having the ‘power’ in his conversation with Alex (as he is on home turf) and the royal blue sash is a deliberate choice that I will talk about later when I focus in on Henry and I think its actually pretty significant as a choice. essentially the order insignia he is wearing are not real orders which is totally fine as this is essentially and au royal family!

We do have to talk about that wedding gown - not royal in the slightest - spaghetti straps and a low back would never be allowed for a royal bride, the dress is also too long on her (but that’s a different conversation about budgets and rental gowns so we’ll let it slide here!!) and her hair should also be fully up - not in the half up do she has going on! The colour is also wrong - she would have been tied to a very limited colour palette of white or ivory - no colour in a royal wedding gown, so the blush colour we see is a no go! I totally get why they did what they did with her gown in terms of colour and I’m fine with that choice (i’ll explain more in the next paragraph), I even get the fairytale princess look they were going for with that dress -  but when you’re trying to portray a family so stuck in tradition and history etc, I can’t help but feel that they missed a trick to show her as buttoned up, conforming to the crown etc, especially as we never see her again!

At the reception we see pretty much everyone in colour of some description, with the exception on Alex and Nora who are both in black - this is why Lady Martha’s wedding dress is a pale blush pink colour rather than white. The only reason that the men aren’t in colour (if they’re not in dress uniform) is because they are wearing white tie for the formality of a royal wedding, otherwise I think we would’ve seen coloured ties or some such on them. This is intentional because the room has a general (muted) wash of colour which serves to highlight Alex and Nora, making them stand out and look like they don’t really belong. 

Its a way of creating a them and us vibe and helps to establish the rivalry between Alex and Henry - we have a British scene, full of colourful clothing and the only identified foreigners are in black and white. We actually only see a black and white colour palette for the clothing of the Americans until Alex returns from his PR fix it trip to London after cakegate, while nearly all the Brits all were colour of some description - we can see this clearly in the hospital - all the children in colour, Henry in blues and - Henrys security in coloured ties while Amy is there totally in black.

Alex himself does wear navy blue but its a dark navy and that jacket is actually two tone - black and navy and its paired with black trousers in this scene - we see it again later - paired with taupe trousers which really helps to establish this idea of colour entering Alex's world once Henry is in it.

Sets

I’m going to pause on clothing here to quickly talk about the sets in the film and their colour palettes because they fall into three distinct categories;

We have the sage dusty greens, gold and bright reds of the British spaces - they have a regency and victorian air to them, all very traditional, opulent and royal in feel - they are the definition of a gilded cage and are ostentatious and Henry’s bedroom even fits into this mould (its very telling that we only see very limited physical intimacy between the two of them in this space - because its a space that neither of them truly fit or belong in) with its sagely green walls that echo the green walls of the state room the big royal family showdown occurs in. 

Then we have the creams, taupes and beiges (with a bit of minty green for the walls of oval office) of the America spaces combined with the very intentional colour choice of that rusty orange (there is also the red room but that is a whole other conversation - I’ll go into it later).

The Rusty orange is such a colour choice, its rich and eye-catching. All colours have meanings associated with them - these can vary wildly depending on where and how they are used and have both positive and negative connotations.

Generally speaking, orange is an attention grabber - its energetic and stimulating, but it also conveys transformation and endurance. This orange has brown undertones which means we should also reference brown colour meanings when thinking about what the colour means on screen - brown is a safe colour and it is also strong and reliable, but it can also portray a sense of loneliness - that is something I think is a really interesting concept - we see Henry in Alex’s world (through the text chats as well as in the first blowjob scene) on the rusty orange sofas and one of the underlying major parts of who Henry is, he is enduring like the orange (and his royal status make him an attention grabber without needing to try) but there is that underlying sense of loneliness - yes he might’ve had a crush on Alex since the climate conference, but as soon as the air had been cleared between them during the PR trip Henry reached out and pursued Alex because he was lonely and wanted a friend - not knowing if it could ever be more than a friendship.

Then, finally we have the spaces Henry and Alex occupy - spaces which are just theirs to occupy - spaces when they are themselves - these are predominately yellow and blue spaces, with some deep colours such as the teal we see on the walls of Alex’s room and the red room.

I’ll go into more detail about all the yellow and blue in this film a bit later on in this meta, but to provide a comment on the red room - red is a colour of passion and love, but this shade of red they’ve chosen maintains that orange undertone we see in the rest of the American spaces.

I wrote a post on the choice of red calla lilies and how they are both a symbol of love and commitment, as well as a phallic symbol of sexuality, and I know Alexander Hamilton was on the wall in the book, but he is there not only because he was very likely bi, but also because he was the subject of what is known as the first political sex scandal - something our boys are essentially also themselves going to end up becoming!

Once Alex does return stateside we start to see colour begin to fill his world. This is a really interesting thematic choice - think how the wizard of Oz (a film very much associated with gay culture - ‘a friend of Dorothy’ was a slang code used by gay men to identify one another and there is obviously the rainbow connotation) begins in black and white and then transitions to colour as soon as Dorothy wakes up in Oz. This film is playing on that same trope/ concept - this is a story essentially told from Alex’s perspective, so Henry and his world is already in colour - its only when Alex enters that world and becomes entwined with it that colour starts to seep into his life - its done in a much more subtle way, but it is there - even during the text bantering they have going one while he is watching a film with Nora - it is a black and white film (‘Some Like it Hot’ - its self a film that helped open conversations about queer identity and the queer community at a time when the Hays code was still in operation and when Sodomy laws still existed in the US, but that is a whole other conversation and lots has been written about it before, its one of my favourite films and if you want to know more then head to your search engine of choice or hit up my inbox! It’s also a film our director Matthew Lopez adapted for the stage which is possibly partly why it was chosen for this scene- as a nod to his other work!)and they are both wearing grey while Henry is in colour (cream and blue - playing into the queer coded yellow blue theming) and sits on the bright orange sofa.

I cannot tell you how much I am in love with the Koi carp on Alex’s dressing room wall because the symbolism - the symbolism!!!!! Koi are seen as a symbol of strength, patience, perseverance, love and bravery they symbolise success through courage. Koi are known to swim against the current and overcome great obstacles - there is a Japanese proverb ‘Koi no Takinobori’ which translates as 'koi swim up waterfalls' and as the word Koi in Japanese also translates to mean love the proverb therefore means that love can go against the current and overcome great obstacles and if that isn’t the perfect metaphor for Alex and Henry’s relationship then I don’t know what is!!

I am obsessed and I adore the set designer for including that wallpaper in general, but especially in their text banter flirty developing relationship - the writing is essentially on the wall for where their relationship is going and how its going to unfold - they are literally Koi swimming agains the current and overcoming great obstacles to be together!!

Back to the costuming!

As I said previously - when Alex returns from the PR trip we start to see increasing amounts of colour and it starts with blue - Oscar is wearing a blue shirt - a colour we only see him in for that scene and then again at the end of the film - during election night. Its an important choice - Henry's colour is blue - its the colour we nearly always see him in some form of blue so for this to essentially be the first colour that appears in the clothing in Alex's world is telling in its own way - it is the beginning of the slow saturation of Henry in the world of Alex. Oscar is always in tan colour-ways apart from those two scenes and generally speaking we see him wearing Mexican tribal and geometric prints/patterns and cowboy boots - playing into his Mexican heritage, but also establishing him as Texan.

Miguel is clearly set out as the baddie to us all - head to toe  in black all the time expect at the PM dinner - when he has to wear a white shirt because its etiquette - but they do make sure to give him black buttons on that shirt - which separates him from everyone else in dinner dress very clearly and keeps the undertone of untrustworthiness going.

The other thing to note is the grey fuzzy jacket he wears when being interviewed on the news. I’ve spoken before in my 911 meta’s about how the use of the grey fuzzy patterning is symbolic of confusion or obfuscation and that holds true here - Miguel is called out as being the one who hacked and leaked the emails by the presenter and he tries to bluff his way out - to obfuscate the truth.

We see the idea of green and jealousy play out a couple of times in the film - the flirty girl that tries to commandeer Alex and kisses him at the NYE party is wearing a very blatantly iridescent green dress which sets her apart from the rest of the crowd and then when the crowd drops low we also get the green lights on the DJ desk - while the scene is a play on the I saw you across a crowded room idea, there is also that undercurrent of jealousy - Henry is Jealous of Alex’s ease and that he cannot have him loudly and in the way he wants - highlighting that jealousy helps to build into Henrys later actions when he throws caution to the wind and kisses him under the tree. 

Ellen Claremont has a narrow colour palette as well - we only see her in black in that first scene and in the ‘new Texas strategy’ arguement with Alex, after that her dominant colour is cream and we also see plenty of red which is a power choice - she wears it in scenes when she needs to convey power and status such as at the PM dinner or when she is shutting down his Texas strategy. The cream is the base colour for her - its a colour of elegance, sophistication, it is also a neutral colour - playing into her position as POTUS, but also when she wears it in one on one scenes with Alex, it is a sign of her being a mother rather than the POTUS.

Zahra tends to wear blacks with one blue/grey cashmere jumper and when we do get colour on her they are jewel tones - purple and teal. We also get some more grey fuzzy patterning - again playing into my previous statements - here it is very much about confusion rather than obfuscation - she only wears the fuzzy grey when she finds out about Alex and Henry and has her mind blown by the knowledge. Its a perfect costuming choice for this scene as it conveys so much about where her brain is - that her mind has been blown by this huge thing she as just become privy to and it helps make her facial expressions even louder!

Nora wears a full spectrum of colours, the stand ones are obviously the red bodice and trousers she wears for new years and the pink shirt she wears in the office when Alex is having a mini bi panic and figuring himself and his attraction to Henry out. Generally speaking a characters costumes are meant to be about them and their own character, however with a film like this, everything is a driving point for the two main characters and so, other characters costumes will, at key points be less about the character wearing them and more about driving the story of the mains forward - this is very much the case with Nora’s red outfit (and we have already talked about the green of the flirty girl at new years representing jealousy).The red is very very red, it is meant to stand out and is a nod to romance - for both herself with Pez and for Alex and Henry, but Red is also a colour associated with passion and sexuality as well as fire and heat - essentially it is a marker that things are about to kick into action on the romance scale - we are heading from friends to lovers.

The pink shirt plays into the same theme - its a continuation, but a cooling down - less about the heat and passion of a sexual encounter, and more about the concept of romance and relationships - because that is what the conversation is ultimately about in this scene. We have the bi flag background helping to visually tell us what the conversation is about, but we also need to have that subtle reminder that this is not about fire and passion it is about the potential for romance - for love - because if Alex is going to hook up with Henry, it isn’t going to be a hook up, it going to be real. We do of course see things heat back up in the red room (as they should), but ultimately that is the last of the fiery heat we see - from then on anything connected with Alex and Henrys relationship is much more steadfast - the blues and yellows I will talk about in a minute!

Lets talk signet rings!! We see them worn on the male members of the royal family - so King James, Phillip and Henry - as well as Alex when Henry gives him his ring. their use is telling and significant. James and Phillip both wear their signet ring on the little finger of the right hand, while Henry (and Alex) wears his on the little finger of the left hand. in a general sense one would usually wear a signet ring on the little ringer of the non dominant hand - so if you’re a lefty you wear it on the right hand and vice versa if your right handed. This is not what is being portrayed here - all three of them are naturally right handed (yes I did spend far too much time on google to find this out!!) which would in theory mean all of them should have their rings on the left little finger and yet only Henry does.

There is however another explanation -  a ring worn on the right hand is symbolic of tradition conformity and rigidity and royalty (traditionally the monarch would wear a ring on the right hand and this was offered to subjects to kiss), wearing it on the dominant hand as a sign of power/ dominance. Henry and then Alex wear Henry’s ring on the left hand - the traditional hand that wedding bands are worn - because of the concept of the main artery running from the heart down the left arm and into the left hand, it is a symbol of love and life and connection to another person and is where the concept of the red string of fate comes from (which ties in nicely with Alex referring to the rope in his chest pulling him towards Henry). This all gains greater significance when Henry gives his ring to Alex and that he choses to also wear it on the left hand, its essentially a symbol of engagement and eternity - it is a sort of pre engagement I guess - and is a low key statement from Henry he is giving Henry Fox to someone for eternity - to Alex. 

Right, shall we talk about the yellow and blue theming that I keep mentioning. This specific theming, tends to be seen more in sets and lighting than costumes - although we do see it used in costuming too (looking at you Bea!!). For those not aware, there is a tendency to use yellow and blue colour-ways for queer story arcs - if you look at Heartstopper (esp s1) they have been using it to great effect , and it can be seen in other shows and films with queer character arcs to such as 911 (and Lonestar), as well as plenty of other mainstream media if you’re looking for it. I don’t know when or how it became a colour way associated with queer relationships - especially mlm relationships - I’ve not had the time to deep dive into that particular research spiral - but suffice to say we see it put to very very great effect here in Red White and Royal Blue - we only ever see it used as a colour way when it is regarding Alex and Henry and their romantic relationshipI’ve included some of the blue and yellow we see (couldn’t fit it all in - 30 pictures is apparently not enough!!!) surrounding Alex and Henry and there is plenty of it. The first time we see this yellow/blue theming come into play is at the turning point - when Henry opens up the lines of communication with his text message. Alex is in his room - the first time we’re seeing into his room - a room painted dark blue and full of yellow accents - the lamp on his desk and the unit to the side of the sofa, as well as the very yellow and blue painting we see above his bed (which was commissioned for the film and so the colour choice was very much deliberate). Just to show how prolific the yellow/blue colour way is here is a list of most of the occurrences - I've tried to include as many of them in the pictures as I can as well.

The copy of People is yellow and blue, the Jacket Alex wears for new year has gold and blue embroidery. The PM’s dinner has blue lighting with gold curtains and there are a lot of blue and yellow dresses being worn in the crowd when Alex is watching Henry. The cushion on the sofa behind Alex is yellow and blue. Then we get to the French hotel room and the Eiffel Tower - it is literally all yellow and blue - everything - even down to the blue (extra safe) condom packets. the New York hotel room is dark blue and gold another is a blue bottle of lube on the side (the condoms and lube are very much a deliberate colour choice - there are a million different colours you can buy both in so if the colour wasn’t important they could’ve chosen any, esp as fuchsia and red is the most common colour for both in the durex brand in the UK).

In England - Henry mostly occupies green spaces - in keeping with the royal theme I wrote about earlier - however the room he is most himself and most comfortable in is the music room/ library which is yellow and any time we see him in that space, he is wearing blue. It is telling that when the emails between Henry and Alex are hacked, his sanctuary is full of ‘old white men in suits’ and Henry cannot go in there - symbolic that who he is - his true self - has been violated and he is being forced into ‘royal coded’ spaces - back into his box as it were!

Back to costumes and he two blue hoodies. I’m gonna get a bit of hate for this, but the blue hoodie is actually two different hoodies! - they are slightly different shades of pale blue - Alex’s is much more dusty blue, while Henry’s is much more baby blue, they are also different cuts - Alex’s a traditional sleeve cut while Henry’s has a raglan sleeve cut (think baseball tee). There is the idea with these two hoodies that they are at different points in their journeys, but still connected and i love that we see them in them at really key points of crisis - they are a comfort blanket in a way - Alex wears his during is bi crisis and again when he's watching Miguel on the news and figures out who the hack was, while Henry wears his when he lets Alex in - when he opens up and unspokenly confesses his love for Alex, when he agreed to take the step and be brave - both are wearing these hoodies in moments when they need/want comfort the fact that they are wearing such similar hoodies speaks to the fact that in it is the other they want that comfort from (even if Alex doesn't actually realise it during his min bi crisis).

And now to our two mains - lets start with Henry.

Henry

The bulk of Henry’s wardrobe is double breasted suits - a key theme for the members of the royal family - not one else where’s them - its a fun costuming choice, cease generally speaking the double breasted suit isn’t in fashion at the moment - the film fit single breasted suits we see on the rest of the characters is. It's a very clear choice to create a them and us concept in a visual and telling way. the other thing to note about these db suits is that only Henry wears plain fabric - the ones we see on Phillip and James are pinstripe or woven stripe. I want to quickly mention the tie King James is wearing because of its very obvious pattern. it is the only loudly patterned tie in the entire film - all others are either, plain , striped or spotted. In the book Henry says that patterned ties are considered too political (i'm paraphrasing and can't find the actual quote!!) and here we have a king playing with politics wearing a patterned tie - I love tiny nods like this to the original source material that only those of us who love the book will pick up on - its just a tie to the ga!

Henry himself wears pinstripes - when he is at his most royal - so for example when he is taking part in the PR exercise post cakegate. His ties also fit into this theming - he almost exclusively wears striped ties excepting at a couple of key moments - when he’s undertaking skulduggery and the yellow one he wears for the election. at all other times he has stripes on his tie. the stripes get wider or skinnier depending on the situation - the wide ones tend to be for royal events while the skinnier stripes tend to be connected to Alex.

Another thing to note with Henry is the lack of black he wears - the only time is at the most royal of occasions - the wedding - all the rest of his suits are varying shades of blue or grey (and cream) even the tux he wears to the PM dinner is a dark navy with black lapel rather than black - it differentiates him from everyone else in the room (esp Miguel) and shows him as the object of Alex’s gaze. I also want to mention the royal blue theme we see on him - something I love Keith Madden for doing - Henry nearly always has something blue on him and a lot of the time (especially connected to times when he is doing something connected to his status as a royal) we see him wearing something royal blue - its why his riband at the wedding is royal blue rather than the lighter blue of the order of the garter - but we also see it in the royal blue socks we see him in several times, the royal blue pyjamas when the hack/leak comes to light and the blue shorts in Texas when he’s lying on the bed before he leaves to return to England. We also see him in a lot of blue shirts keeping that blue theme connected to him.

Then there is my most beloved check theory - (its a theory connected to 911 for those who don’t know my costume metas already) Check is connected to foreshadowing of trouble - Henry wears a check/plaid pattern at a couple of very very key moments - at the bar in Texas - when we see Alex realise his love is the forever kind, when he is back in England having broken his own heart in a misguided attempt to save Alex (gingham shirts in pink and blue) and then the suit he wears when he choses himself over the crown and steps out onto the balcony with Alex to greet the crowds has a subtle check pattern (not sure if you can see it its the pictures but if you watch the scene you should be able to) all of these are moments which foreshadow the upcoming or current trouble in his life.

Yellow roses - symbol of Texas being flipped - from Mexican to independent (and eventually becoming part of US) - symbol of the fact Texas is about to flip blue from red. Yellow roses are also a symbol of good luck more generally and the yellow tie is a great choice to suggest neutrality in the election scenes (at this point in time Henry still has royal status). We see Henry in a grey suit with this yellow tie - this only further highlights his escape from royal life - when he is un the US we do not see him wearing the navy blue suits we see him in in England - the only exception is the dark navy dinner jacket he wears to the PM dinner . In the US he wears either a grey suit or the cream/light blue suit we see him in when he visits the lake house and the light blue linen jacket we see him on his light back to the UK is the only single breasted jacket we ever see him in - I would have loved to have seen the grey suit at the end also have been single breasted, but I'm guessing budget constraints prevented that from happening, as it really would've highlighted the difference between Henry George Edward James Hanover-Stuart Fox and Henry Fox!

At the lake house we get a piece of costuming that I love - the slightly differing short lengths we see on Henry and Alex - it Alex’s shorts are always shorter than Henry’s - it maintains that sense of Henry be more closeted and buttoned up - the overhead shot of them on the pontoon shows it really clearly - the two of them have similar leg lengths which serves me well here to show this point - the shorts Henry is wearing are at least 3 inches longer (possibly more) than Alex's - it isn't just that one pair of shorts - all 3 pairs of Henry's shorts are longer - its a costuming choice thats s perfectly in keeping with their respective characters.

The final thing to talk bout is Henry’s rainbow turtle swim shorts - a cute nod to his being gay - especially as Alex is is his purple bi swim shorts. But there is also the fact that they are turtles. Turtles are a symbol of steadfastness, longevity, perseverance and transformation. they can also be seen as a symbol of everlasting love. there is also the concept of carrying the weight of the world - which is seen in its most explicit way in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels - where a giant turtle carries the world on its back. All of these metaphors and symbols perfectly fit Henry and his relationship with Alex - it is a symbol of the enduring nature of their love for each other, the perseverance we will see for them to overcome the obstacles thrown at them, the steadfastness of their love, as well the transformation we are seeing Henry go through - from closeted gay thinking he has to conform to the very rigid and dated ideals of his family - to the freer Henry we see in the US - the real Henry and the version of himself he so desperately wants to be but thinks he can’t - he has the weight of the world on his shoulders at that moment a la the disc world turtle.

Alex

Alex, obviously has the largest number of costumes, as well as the largest colour palette, but even that is pretty limited. In the same way we see Henry’s wardrobe go through a subtle transformation, we also see the same for Alex, almost in the opposite direction - while Henry’s wardrobe becomes freer, Alex’s becomes more grown up - more mature and conveys his growth as a person - becoming more certain in who he is. I’ve already written a fair amount throughs this meta about Alex’s costumes, so this section is a little shorter than Henry’s for that reason! 

We get rebellious Alex to begin with - the leather jacket easily conveys this to us, its almost a universal symbol or rebellion in costuming speak at this point and one of the reasons I like its use here is that it very quickly sets him apart from everyone else in the film - yes its early on, but he is the most casually dressed character by a long way - and this jacket it the antithesis of the buttoned up penguin suit from the wedding - it emphasises how uncomfortable Alex was in that environment and as a result gives the heavy drinking we saw before the cake went flying purpose and visually sets him up as the lead and as a rule/ convention breaker. The same is true of the greyscale with leopard print Hawaiian shirt which is meant to contrast him dramatically with Henry, who is still stuck in that stuffy double breasted suit prison of convention and expectation to behave a certain way - the costuming does a big chunk of the work in giving us rebel v prince in those opening scenes. I actually like that they brought the leather jacket back for the drive to the lake house - it sets up Alex’s falling in love arc nicely - in that it allows the idea of rebellion to continue flowing through the story - Alex wanting to be outing proud in Austin and not grasping that that isn’t an option Henry at this moment in time and is a nod to his not really understanding the different places he and Henry are in when it comes to what being out means for them respectively.

I’ve already written about the black and white colour way we see him in until his PR stint when we start see colour appearing in his wardrobe. I’ve put the pictures roughly in chronological order because it helps to show his progression, but it also shows the increasing amount of blue in his wardrobe, especially in moments connected with Henry.

To pick out some of my favourites - the Mexican pattern shirt with the red cardigan is wonderful - we have the shirt hinting at Alex’s heritage - in blue with the chunky knit red cardigan - I’ve written above about the use offered as a colour of passion and how that passion ebbs and flows - this cardigan also plays into that idea - it is the first time their texting becomes flirty - even the text message is in a red bubble on screen. This idea carries on with the orange red tee he is wearing during the turkey conversation - I made a post about that outfit being the same colour way as the turkey in question and how to talk turkey means to talk honestly and openly with someone - the very thing we see in that scene. 

I adore the subtle yellow and blue jacquard embroidered New years jacket - the moment our boys connect and we move further into the lovers part of the enemies-friends-lovers trope and it keeps the yellow/blue theming an active part of the storyline. - the contrast with Henry’s orange tie is a choice - while there is a lot of colour at the NYE party Alex blends into the background while Henry is quite literally tied into the orange theme we’ve already seen in the furniture and sets - orange stands out and now we the audience are being drawn into unconsciously making the same connection that Alex is making - Henry is lonely, but he is an enduring and attention grabbing part of Alex’s life - it only further reenforces the direction of Alex’s gaze - green wearing flirty girl who??

We have a fair amount of Alex and the bi colour ways and we subtly see it coming into play from more or less the moment they start messaging - the light purple tee and purple message boxes, flowing through to the women sufferage wall and the fact he is wearing blue and purple in that scene with Nora in pink to round out the there colours. then we have the blue and purple colour ways he wears at the lake house - bolder and brighter - contrasting with the more muted shades from before - showing that he has recognised and accepted that part of who he is - he’ now out and proud and his parent know about him. I’ve used the old subtle a lot, but this is yet another example of transformation and growth for a character done subtly through colour. We also see him bathed in bi lighting at the bar when he has his 'OH I feel forever about him' moment at the Texas bar - he is the only one in that whole scene lit in that way - Henry is blue lit, while there is a more general lighting scheme that is blue/red dominant for the bar as a whole.

On to Alex’s suits and ties - he seems to have 5 suits and a jacket (not including the formal wear - tux and tails) a black one, 2 navy blue ones (one with a woven pinstripe that he wears in Paris) a bright bluish grey one and a grey one along with the black and blue waffle jacket we see him wear both on the PR trip and at the Polo match. I am obsessed with the fact that when he is in England he wears the navy suits and jackets whereas in the US he wears the other colour s suits - in the same way we see Henry less buttoned up and wearing grey and lighter blues in the US, here we see Alex fitting into Henry’s world and the navy blue suit uniform of the Royal family - its a wonderful piece of costuming that tells so much of how each of them are fitting into the others worlds, especially wen the black and navy waffle one is only worn early on - it is the cross over garment!

The ties have  a similar story to tell - we see him wearing 4 ties - a yellow one we see in the beginning in the news reel and never see him in again and then we get the lighter blue striped one at the polo match - the one most similar to the striped ones we see Henry wear - suggesting he is trying to fit into this new world - Henry’s world - that he’s been invited into - its somewhat jarring for his character and plays on the idea of trying too hard - its therefore telling we don’t see it happen again - we only see hi in a striped tie again at he end during election night and accompanied by the black suit we saw him in a couple of times on the campaign trail in Texas. the blue tie is the only other tie we see him wear and it nicely connects all the key moments he has while in his suit - key political moments - his speech at the DNC followed by his speech to the press after the email hack and when he is at Buckingham Palace facing up to the King.

The final ting to talk about is the khaki green shirt jacket - I cannot tell you how happy I was with this costuming choice (and not because it was screaming Eddie Diaz from 911 vibes) khaki is so associated with military - with the army - anti is the most perfect choice for this scene - army are about war - they go somewhere to fight - to storm the palace etc so to have Alex - who has never worn anything remotely like this before rock up to KP to fight for his relationship - for his love - is the perfect choice, its a subtle yet clever way of emphasising the Alex has chosen to fight for what he wants - for his relationship with Henry and what makes it more telling is that we only see him change out of it once Henry has explicitly stated that he will try to be brave and that he wants history to include his love for Alex. It is why we see Alex in the yellow and blue Mexican patterned jacket - he no longer needs fight for his love because he has won - this yellow/blue jacket is a piece of costume tied into pivotal moments - we see the jacket twice - when he wins his bid to get the Claremont campaign to focus on Texas and Ellen tells him he’s going to Texas, and again when he has won the day with Henry and they are back together - in some ways that makes this his victory jacket - victory in his own personal battles - battles that are central to who he is and his development and I think that’s petty neat!

Hopefully you've enjoyed this deep dive into the sets and costumes of the film - I've loved writing it and I can only hope its coherent! Feel free to hit me up with any questions or comments and likes and reblogs are love ❤️🤍💙 thank you for reading and until next time...

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

genuine question, where did the monthly romance novel thing come from? because you don’t seem to enjoy most of them 😭

okay, so, last February I had a hair-brained scheme to read, like, six romance novels in February so that I could "review" (strong word for my usual reading roundups but whatever) like a booktuber. to be clear I wasn't under the impression that anyone would really enjoy this but me and my beloved @dykerory, but I do a lot of things to entertain an extremely small audience and it's never stopped me before.

I was also genuinely interested in tackling a low-stakes project like that. I've never been a romance reader but I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything, which is why I initially planned to check out some big names and well-reviewed titles to get a sense of what the genre was all about. trust me, I wouldn't have put Red, White and Royal Blue on the list if I wasn't trying to do as thorough a study as possible in such an abridged amount of time.

anyway, I decided to get an early start and read the first book I'd picked out, a buzzy wlw romance that was getting a lot of positive buzz - Mistakes Were Made, by Meryl Wilsner, and boy howdy that mistake WAS made! the thing I realized immediately was that reading six romance novels back to back to back was definitely possible, since they're generally extremely short and not particularly rigorous, but in terms of content? oh, man, ingesting that much romance novel in a short period of time would make my brain stat dribbling out my nose.

so I amended the terms of my own completely non-binding contract so that I'd have to read twice as many romance novels over the course of an entire year, giving myself WAY more time to really explore what was big in the genre and try to really figure out the appeal.

and uuuh I really like it! they're quick and they're fun and they make for a really nice break in between the other kinds of books I rea. I like a lot of hefty nonfiction and dense-ass speculative fiction and moderately harrowing literary fiction. a romance novel makes for a nice little palate cleanse, like going for a little walk in the middle of a workday to break up the monotony. and even when I don't enjoy the story itself, the experience makes me better at recognizing and critiquing what I do and don't like in a romance novel and in a story generally. I genuinely do feel like I'm succeeding in my goal of learning a lot about the genre and its conventions, and understanding the appeal it holds for so many readers. I learn as much reading a romance novel as I do any other work of fiction.

also, I don't know how else to put this, but I'm a recreational hater and I loooooove poking the shit I don't like to figure out what makes it tick. I watched all 4.5 seasons of Gotham out of pure bile fascination, come on. this IS positive enrichment for me and I wouldn't do it otherwise.

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic Finder

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1. hello im looking for a fic where wwx and lwj are married but wwx died. wwx is interred in lotus pier and wangxian's kids go to see him and ask him to wake up, iirc. also it seemed unfinished or part of a series bc at the time i read it, the fic ends with wwx still dead. thank you so much for all that you do i hope your dinners are always good ♥️

FOUND? A Baby Dragon's Guide To Seducing Your Huli Jing by sweetlolixo (M, 87k, wangxian, fantasy au, dragon LWJ, fox WWX, younger LWJ, older WWX, fluff, humor, happy ending, WIP)

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2. Hi! I want to ask about a fic I read some time ago. 

It was about a Canon Divergence where WWX and the Wens disappeared and years later they come back. They have formed a new sect and were hidden in the Wen territory. And I remember they had as a kind of dome with a fog or something in the Wen territory. And something happens that WWX and the Wens has to return and at the beginning doesn't want to talk to LWJ and always the one that speaks for him is WQ.I hope you can help me find this fic, I'd love to read it again. Thank you for everything 🤗💜 @wangxiansgirl​

FOUND! 💖 Echo, Murmur, Dream, Here by bluerainmist (M, 51k, wangxian, canon divergence, WWX survives, sect leader WWX, yiling wei sect au, slow burn, angst w/ happy ending, getting together, pining, love confessions, reunions, mind all the tags)

Not FOUND! Identity Porn AU by ShanaStoryteller

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3. Hi! I've just watched the trailer for the movie "red, white and royal blue" and I remembered reading a wangxian fic based on that novel too!! I cannot find it anymore tho? Does anyone remember that fic? Thank you all guys for your amazing support!! @jaecomments

FOUND! History, Huh? by BaconnEggs (M, 53k, WIP, WangXian, Modern AU, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, RWARB AU basically, Modern Royalty, First Son, International Relations, Diplomacy, Multimedia, Miscommunication, Mischief, Royalty, First Kiss, Implied Sexual Content, Friends With Benefits, Oblivious, Sexuality Crisis, Non-Graphic Smut, Secret Relationship, Fade to Black, YZY is a Good Parent, WangXian Being WangXian, Chatting & Messaging, First Time, Twitter) could it be this one? i haven't read it but it's the only one i could find that fits.

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4. Hii! I'm looking for this fanfic where Wei ying got cursed or something like that. Because of that he can't see (and feel? hear?) Lan Zhan, Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Jiang Cheng (and Jin Ling?). To break the curse they have to admit their true feelings towards him and wei ying  has to acknowledge and accept them. He thinks they all hate him, but that is obviously not the case ^^

I hope you can find it.

FOUND? See Me, Feel Me (Listening to You) by Ghost_Honey (T, 29k, wangxian, JC & WWX, LSZ  & WWX, JL & WWX, LJY & WWX, WWX pov, WWX needs a hug, and gets several, WWX’s abysmal self-esteem, emotional healing, angst, curses, JC & WWX reconciliation, hurt/comfort, cuddling)

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5. Hi!!!! I'm looking for a texting fic, it's set in the regular mdzs verse (not modern, but like they just invented a version of texting) LXC is like a massive hoe in it. Please help, I'm getting desperate here, Thanks @sad-stucky-shipper-107​

FOUND? Grandmaster of Meme-onic Cultivation by Hades_the_Blingking (T, 75k, LWJ/WWX/MXY, chat fic, canon compliant, memes, polyamory, not everyone dies au)

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6. Hey, I have been looking for this fic for a very very loooong time, and still unable to find it. I hope you can find it for me

Here is all the things that I remember of that fic:

- modern setting

-lwj is an actor or singer (not sure which one 🤔)

- established wwx/lwj-i think wwx is a reporter/paparazzi 

-there is a part where other reports think that lwj is dating mianmian

That's all I can remember so far. Hope you can find it 🤞@mayavsworld

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7. Hi! Please help me find this fic. It was post canon. LJY night hunting with LSZ, but only LJY come back to Gusu with LSZ's head ribbon. WWX took the news hard that i think its mentioned that he fall sick after that. I think LWJ went to where the night hunt happened and kill the snake yao to at least find LSZ body to have a burial but come out empty. I think it was chaptered fic but im not sure. At near the end of the story, in LP, LSZ turn up and make JWY shocked. He than tells JWY that the snake yao didnt killed him and he get lost when he is trying to go home. Thats all i remember. Thank you! @idontknowwhattowriteforusername

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8. a fanfic where wei ying's parents aren't married and he gets turned into a slave @lydiablackrose​

FOUND? To Be Known by kat8cha (M, 4k, LXC/JGY, pre-3zun, wangxian, mildly dubious consent, Captive Prince fusion, sex work, master/pet, something made them do it, non-con situation, emperor NMJ, WIP/discontinued)

FOUND? Leash the Wind by ladyshadowdrake (E, 71k, wangxian, LXC/JGY, NHS/JC, Captive Prince fusion, emperor LXC, fluff & angst, slow burn, dub con, extensive world building, WIP)

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9. Hey, I was hoping you could help me find a wanxian fic where wei wuxian gives himself to the Lans to be cleansed from resentful energy in exchange for the Wen's safety. The wens move to cloud recesses, I think. Lan wangji uses his qin to purge the resentment and unknowingly nearly kills wei wuxian. His body starts to deteriorate back to when he had injured himself in the fall to the burial mounds.

FOUND? decay by antebunny (G, 15k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Misunderstandings, Miscommunication, Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, the fluffiest ending, Hurt/Comfort)

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10. There’s a fic I can’t track down. It was a bottom Lan Wangji one. I think wwx had been fantasizing about oral sex for a while and I have a rather distinct memory of Lan Wangji sitting down next to him at his desk and sucking on his fingers. The situation may or may not have had something to do with some p0rn Huaisang sent them, my memory is very hazy :’D

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11. Hello! Jealous lwj au. Wen ning and wwx are friends. wwx loves making lwj jealous because he gets railed so hard when lwj is jealous and angy. then one time it got too much, wwx suggested hugging or doing something sketchy with wen ning during a party. wwx promised wn that it'll be the last time. then lwj saw it, but sadness was seen in his face not the usual anger that wwx wants from lwj. lwj runs away from the party and lwj throws their ring. then wwx ran after him crying begging. THANK YOU! @jamebyeol-blog​

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12. hello!

there was a particular fic where wei wuxian learns how to weild his sword all over again and sword fights with lan wangji under the moonlight and lam wangji is extremely turned on by it.

wei wuxian tries to pick up sword fighting and challenges lan wangji

this and any other wangxian sword fighting fic works too!! @lalalalan​

REC:  与其身后名 | immaculate by auberjing (E, 15k, wangxian, wuxia au, courtesan LWJ, angst w happy ending, revenge, pining, virgin LWJ, getting together, major illness, blood & injury, martial arts, cottagecore, ritual sex, alcohol, mutilation, near death experiences, recovery, implied/referenced torture, bottom LWJ)

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13. Hi, sorry to bother, I have two requests for finding a fic. I wanted to know if anyone remembers A) a fic where A Yuan goes with Wei Wuxian to Jin Ling's A one month celebration. This someone changes the way things go. B) Also another one where A Yuan shows up with Wei Wuxian when he's discussing the Wens being prisoners so people see that there are children in the prisoners camps!! Any story where A Yuan changes things for the better before Wei Wuxian's death. Thank you, be well @monicaop21

Hi, thanks for your help but is not the fic I'm looking for, I think it was complete and I do remember A-Yuan is in Koi Tower, he arrives with Wei Wuxian there. Be well!!

13A)

Not FOUND I whatever you, I will stand by your side by Lizziewriter07 (M, 63k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, YLLZ WWX, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Slow Burn, Happy Ending, Canon JC, Bitter WWX, Cultivation world Bashing, dadxian, Sexual Tension, Pining, Protective LWJ, SongXiao Get a Happy Ending, Protective WQ)

Not FOUND! The Core Issue by Hauntcats (T, 21k, WangXian, Angst with a Happy Ending, Not JC Friendly, Canon Divergence)

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14. Looking for a fic that was on ao3. I remember there was two versions, one where WWX was a man and another where he was a woman and he decided to fake his death I think? And leave the cultivation world behind. He/she had twin sons that were A-Yuan and Jingyi I believe and then in the end LWJ who is the father of the twins but he doesn’t know it, fakes his death and finds them by an anonymous tip *cough cough* NHS who had tried to get WWX to rejoin the cultivation world earlier when NMJ died. @bigmeatycl0ws

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15. y’all are doing the gods work with this blog and this is coming from an atheist XD

anywho i’m looking for a specific fic (or was it series?) where the premise is the swords are spirits that can manifest in a human body. wwx is one such sword called suibian, as is lwj. the story starts (i think) with wwx being jc’s sword and they don’t really get along/harmonise (big surprise)

there’s some world building of a story of xxc being a self wielding sword and getting tricked by xy and either doing bad stuff and then dying or just dying.

uh it ends with wwx and lwj proving to the golden tower (the peeps that hold the swords because they’re too innocent or whatevs to be alone out in the wild) that they can handle their own. there’s a line in there about how they’re not self-wielding swords, but swords that wield each other.

wwx was previously lwj’s human under the name wwx something one or both of them forgot.

there’s some scene after about wwx meeting jc’s new sword and there being some antagonism between them (new sword throwing tantrum and wwx being chaotic but solving the problem as usual)???

think author said it was inspired slightly by touken ranbu? or some other sword person anime/game thing?

this is so detailed it’s bothering me so much but i can’t find it and i’m at the point where i’m doubting if it existed ;-; @tabbycallie​

FOUND! swords, i guess by victortor (T, 26k, wangxian, swords au, asexual character, asexual LWJ)

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16. Please help me find a fic! I think it was a WWX's Parents Live fic, but I can't be sure. I remember that LQR had a good opinion of him at the start of the guest lectures. There's a scene where LQR is talking about talismans, and has WWX take out all of the talismans he has on him. WWX has a whole system set up for combat talismans in one sleeve and general use talismans in the other, and he lectures about their unique uses and value and a bunch of sect heirs get angry at him for showing them up, and I think there's a fight later? But I really don't remember much beyond that. @lewiscarrolatemybrain​

FOUND! From the Warm Sun by sunshine_sparrow (T, 58k, WangXian, CSSR & WWX, CSSR & LQR, Discussion of Rape, Period-Typical Sexism, Mostly CQL but probably some MDZS too, CSSR Lives, Madam Lán Lives, Qingheng-jun lives, But WCZ Still Dies, Fix-It, Happy Ending, All Soft and Very Little Angst, the wens live, Yīn Iron, Good Person MY, Good Person LQR) The scene with the talismans is in chapter 4.

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17. Hello, thank you guys for all of your hard work! Don’t remember if this was book or cql canon but im looking for a fic where post WWX death lwj travels to another world where wwx is still alive during the cr lectures and older lwj, young WWX and young lwj end up sleeping together and then nhs comes and brings lwj back to their og world fulfill his grand plan

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18. Hi! I have already asked this before but i can't remember the title again. So i am asking for your help once again.

So like, the cultivation world needs yiling laozu's help and they tried to summon him using mo xuanyu but they failed since yl Iz appeared in his own original body and not in mxy. Anyway so history repeats itself, wwx knows everybody especially lan zhan cuz he his "friend" that time. They became curious about wwx, they found his journal and he kept talking about this certain friend eventually they found out the friend's name is lan zhan lan wangji. Time skip they found out that Iwj reincarnated, he looks exactly the same as wwx's friend. Lxc said it was impossible cuz all their ancestors died because of an explosion that was caused by wwx back in the day.

There is this spefic scene, wwx kept blaming himself because he was the reasom why Iz died, ok so Iz married a woman (arranged marriage) and had child with her, wy was heartbroken and told Iz that he has feelings for him, Iz also has feelings for him, so when Iz heard that the sects will have a siege in burial mounds he went there and protected wy then something happened and the surroundings explode.

Anyway, they have come to a conclusion that wy is an immortal, he took care of Iz's child, Iz reincarnated he fought really hard to keep his body and appearance the same @hellothere9597​

I know I’ve read this one but I can’t remember the name and all the tags I think should be in there aren’t :’) ~Mod L

FOUND? Old Foreshadows by protos_metazu_ison (M, 15k, WangXian, YLLZ WWX, BAMF WWX, War, Universe Alteration, Sunshot Campaign, [Podfic] Old Foreshadows by Saint_tuesday)

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19. Ok I'm looking for a fic I read years ago where we have amateur porn channel, lwj is submissive full time and wwx calls him bunny, he's the Dom in the relationship but lwj is the top. It's all lwj pov and he's alone at home and horny but holding back bc he's not allowed to cum without permission even when he's alone. Idk I'm just needing some sub lwj in my life. Thanks so much!

FOUND? The impatient rabbit by BCat13 (E, 3k, WangXian, Somnophilia, BDSM, Dom WWX, Sub LWJ, top LWJ, Bottom WWX, Soft Dom WWX, Service Sub LWJ, Bunny LWJ, Emotionally overwhelmed LWJ, Breeding Kink, Exhibitionism, Art)

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20. ​hey! can anyone help me find this wangxian fic set in the burial mounds days where jgs (?) found this one artifact that would enable him to see inside of the burial mounds, called a meeting with all the sects and everyone saw that they were harmless or something among those lines, thanks!

FOUND? A Step in the Wrong Direction by pupeez4eva (Not rated, 4k, wangxian, canon divergence, humor, everyone realizes WWX and the wens are innocent, the Jins have a lot of answering to do, JGS pov)

FOUND? Through A Looking Glass by Purplepulu (Not rated, 21k, wangxian, canon divergence, Families of Choice, Wēn Remnants Live, Fix-It of Sorts, Creepy JGS, JZX Tries, Cultivators with One brain cell, Crack Treated Seriously, Humor, Angst w Happy Ending, Oblivious WWX, Pining LWJ, Matchmaker LXC, Mastermind NHS, Traumatized A-Yuan, Fluff, NMJ Lives, Soft NMJ, BAMF WWX, POV LXC, POV JGS, Protective JYL, JZN Being an Asshole, Everyone Lives au, Except for JZN, Good Sibling JC)

FOUND? Revealing Truth by DreamNightmare (G, 2k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It)

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[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Was I the asshole for pirating a book?

This happened back in early college, I was still living with my conservative (and lowkey controlling and emotionally abusive) parents. I heard that this new book Red, White, and Royal Blue was really good, and I wanted to read it, but it's a gay romance and I was frightened of getting caught with it. I was only recently a legal adult, so my dad was still on my bank account and library card, and could see where I spent my money and what books I borrowed (I had gotten in trouble before for checking out good omens so I knew they monitored it)

In hindsight I definitely could have gotten him removed from my accounts first and just borrowed/bought the book, but at the time I was afraid he'd ask why and I'd get caught. Or that mom would find the receipt in my trash or something (she went through it sometimes) and I'd get caught. I just wanted to have zero way to trace it back to me, zero paper trail to follow--so I pirated it.

It's been years now, but I still feel guilty. Pirating books is bad for authors, I never do it, and I know early sales numbers of debut books in particular are important. Sure I was in a difficult situation, but I also could have just...not read it. Or waited a few years til I was out from under their watch and read it then, but I didn't. And while I do feel guilty, I don't super regret it because it was suuuuuuch a good book, and I needed a pick-me-up at the time for obvious reasons.

(also, for context, I'm not lgbtq+, so it's not like i was seeing rep of myself for the first time and it was something i desperately needed. it was just a very very good story when i needed one.)

I kinda forgot this had happened til recently, but it's been bothering me, so I'm saving up money to buy like ten copies and give them to little free libraries and such.

[jsbluelove]

So, what did I know about Arthur and Merlin?

Not much. Just that these two names are always said along, knew something about Arthurian legends, and that's just about it. And I knew that these two are often shipped and when some people say, 'they were good friends ' others would go like, 'sure'.

I didn't even know there was a series called Merlin, until I saw someone say in the comments of a YouTube video on Red, White and Royal Blue trailer that Henry and Alex giving of Arthur and Merlin vibes.

So, I asked again, 'How come they know so much from one or two movies or few stories that might have been about Arthur and Merlin?', and then I also wondered maybe there is/was a show - which led me to discover Merlin(2008).

And I thought, 'oh what a great way to spend my Saturday!' Might be an old show but maybe I will enjoy'

And by Monday night, I'm watching 5x13, except for the last part, because I won't...I won't cry..I don't want to cry. I felt so alone because I was so late to the series, overwhelmed, a little offended because I was genuinely thinking that the magic will do the deed, and bring back Arthur.

By Tuesday, I have already read at least two fanfics, watched 10+ edits, but I still won't watch any video of that last scene. I don't want to accept.

But there's a silver lining: I'm not really alone, I see people creating fanfic even in 2023. Look, I just wanted to have a fun Saturday, but by today, I feel like I should go jobless and read through all the content around Arthur and Merlin.

My thoughts on Arthur and Merlin being gay

This is something I heard people saying even before I knew the show existed. I thought they came from the tales of the legend itself.

I also watched a video where the cast and the showrunners talked about the characters' sexuality. But what I think is, Arthur and Merlin don't necessarily have to be gay, and yet can definitely be romantic.

The kind of person Merlin is, and the kind of person Arthur was, they bonded so well for a reason. They tease each other, they enjoy each other's jokes - Arthur did, they worry about each other, they have each other's back, they have adventures together, they need each other, and most of all, beyond need, they want to be around and with each other.

And the kind of person they are, why would I not think that what they feel about each other is beyond their sexual preferences? It's so much more than that. Arthur doesn't have to be gay to want to spend all his life with Merlin, live with only him forever and wanting no one else(considering he didn't have any royal responsibilities), and vice versa. I believe if Arthur would love Merlin even if Arthur was straight, gay, bisexual, or anything else. Because his love for Merlin goes beyond anything else.

The show focuses more on Merlin's dedication, love and loyalty for Arthur

Merlin's love for Arthur is what we see most - because he has been told in the beginning that he is destined to serve and help him. So what did he do? He devoted his whole time and attention to Arthur - the bond with Arthur only followed after that.

But I want to focus on Arthur here.

I see Arthur's side more - because despite so many to love and bond as friends, he found his bond with Merlin. So much so that even when outing with a princess he should impress - he stuck to trying to annoy Merlin. Outing with his wife - he is nonchalantly talking about Merlin. He definitely pictures being away and alone, but alone doesn't mean not Merlin.

Merlin is adored by many - he is just that lovable. He has a great mother, friends find it easy to like him, and he finds it easy to talk and connect with most people. That's his character - cheerful and cheeky.

But Arthur had this particular nature that only comes out while he was with Merlin. I'd like to call it instant cheerfulness. Merlin was special to him.

Arthur, I believe, always knew how much Merlin meant to him, how much Merlin cared about him, and he also knew that it is mutual.

Arthur was really hurt to know that there's a great part of Merlin, his magic, which was kept from him. It truly hurt me too.

I don't know if I'll ever watch that last scene or if I'll ever cry. Maybe someday I'll get over it and finally watch it.. or maybe I'll just bite the bullet and watch it and cry..

[copperbadge]

Hi Sam, hope you are having a fine day. Not sure if this is a weird comment to leave you with, but when I saw the trailer for “Red, White and Royal Blue” I immediately got excited because it felt like maybe one day Shivadhverse could get its own cinematic universe, and I would really and definitely enjoy that. Thank you very much for writing and sharing your stories, they have been a comfort to me for a decade now and going.

I've seen the trailer! It looks fun, I'm going to try and catch it. (And if folks reading this haven't read my books but are into Red White and Royal Blue, I think you may enjoy them. They're available free as PDFs!)

This particular film is being made and distributed by Amazon, but I think it's a good opportunity to discuss the genre and the way it's shifting, which means circling back around to Hallmark Channel for a minute. The OG "light-romance" channel as a whole is beginning to lean just slightly more liberal, and a lot of actors left en masse to join a more right-wing channel, and I'm hoping Hallmark...hasn't really missed them. And I think everyone in that orbit -- not just Hallmark, but the production companies that make Hallmark movies and also off-brand "Hallmark" movies that show on Netflix and Amazon and Paramount and such -- have realized that a) the permanent loss of viewership over simply having a gay romance is either minimal or has already happened, and b) if you make it gay, THE GAYS MIGHT WATCH. And anyway it's not like Amazon has the same viewer base, so there's less risk regardless.

Fete For A King was originally written as a Hallmark script, full-on. It had two versions -- the original "Eddie" version and a halllmarkified "Edie" version where Eddie was a woman (pretty much nothing but her pronouns changed). That didn't go anywhere, which is fine, the odds of something like that going anywhere are quite small, but it meant I could develop it into the books, which are a satisfaction on their own. If Hallmark (or any other film distributor) came knocking, sure, I'd love to see the Shivadh novels as films and I think they're pretty cinematic in the specific way Hallmark movies are.

There's a Hallmark movie director who gave an interview once where he said, "You don't find Hallmark. Hallmark finds you, if you're lucky," and I think that's pretty true -- you can't like, submit your novel to a production company and be all "Hey here's a movie idea". But you know, the more these novels circulate, the more word of mouth the readers give them, the better odds that someone'll see them and think, "Hm."

Anyway, I stand and wait. There's enough material in what's published to make four to six movies or at least twelve bingeable episodes of streaming TV, should anyone want it.

(I would hope it goes without saying but to say it anyway, I'm not volunteering this to happen while the writer's strike is ongoing; my mother didn't raise a scab.)

[kay-claire]

Okay, all my Red White and Royal Blue movie feelings:

(Spoilers ahead)

Taylor Zakhar Perez really put his whole pussy into playing Alex. He does it perfectly and from a few press videos I've seen of him he really loved the character

Nicholas Galitzine is pretty, but he's not really playing Henry to me. Movie Henry and Book Henry are two different characters in my mind.

The changes they made in the film to the book work well, but I still kind of wish we got Alex's bi awakening and that they hadn't cut out June. Like she didn't need to have a big role but I wish they hadn't made him into an only child, and also kind of odd his parents are still together (like it took me way too long to realise his parents were still together and that he'd already had his bisexual crisis)

That said, all the changes they made for the film worked well to simplify the plot and create a more cohesive story, so I'm not mad about any of it.

(Though I still find it so funny that they made the queen a king instead to be less like real life, and then the real queen went and died during production)

I just finished Heartstopper season 2 yesterday, and I looooved the colour grading in that show so much. I don't really like the colour-grading in this film, BUT it's not BAD - I just kind of wish it weren't all so muted. That said, I do like the camera work (like when they slow zoom into a scene of the two of them talking, to show the two of them slowly getting more intimate with each other was lovely), and the graphics they use in the montages are great.

I really love how they decided to do the texting/emailing parts of the film - having them read out the texts instead of it all being on screen is fantastic. Like not to compare it to Heartstopper, but I didn't read any of the texts on Heartstopper because I draw while I watch stuff, and I can't be arsed to pause what I'm drawing every 5 second to read a text. I really like how RW&RB narrate the texts, and the one scene early in the film where they superimposed Henry into scenes with Alex while they were texting each other was SO GOOD.

The dialogue is really great, I love the writing. The flirting and banter between Alex and Henry is perfect.

The making out and teases at sex are really hot too. Like we were all worried about the chemistry between these two but they look great together in those scenes (to me at least)

I like that after Henry runs away from Alex after being at the summer house, the movie follows Henry's POV for a while instead of sticking with Alex.

I'm so glad I enjoyed this movie. It's definitely something I'd want to watch more than once.

[meraki-yao]

Hi! Thank you for reflagging my little rwrb ask game. Here are some numbers as another thank you and because I’m a little bit curious :)

1, 2, 11, 12 and 16 💜

Feel free to ignore the ones you don’t feel like answering, if there are some! 

First and foremost thank you so much for making this ask game!!! and also thank you for asking me!!! Writing this was really fun :D

What was your introduction to Red, White and Royal Blue? How did you become aware of it, what was your first impression of it?

It was completely coincidental. The day the trailer came out it popped up on my recommendation, and I was intrigued so I watched it, and then I couldn't stop watching it. I swear, within like, three days, I watched it at least 30 times, and I ran to get the book two days later

My first impression after watching the trailer for the first time was that it looks a little cliche, like something I'd find on Ao3, but it also looks like a genuinely fun and delightful movie, and I think I would have a really good time watching it. And I did!

2. Team Alex or Team Henry? (I know you love them both equally but choose anyway. OR choose depending of the circumstances. Like, "I’d go shopping with Alex but I’d marry Henry. Or I’d hug Alex but I’d go karaoke with Henry. I don’t know. Try something.)

I love both boys in both universes/mediums in different ways, but I'd say I personally relate a lot more to Henry, particularly movie Henry

11. Choose your prison. Would you rather live in a royal palace or in the White House? 

If we're talking about the buildings themselves, I'd say the palace, mostly because I grew up with fairy tales and I like that regal, medieval/classical/romantic aesthetic.

12. Share one of your unpopular opinions about the book and/or the movie.

Ooo, this is gonna be a slightly longer one. I was thinking about making a full post on this but I might as well just answer it here.

This has to do with the bonus chapter: I didn't really like it? Or more accurately, it made me feel kind of... disappointed or sad. With all due respect to Casey of course.

It took some time but I came to terms with Alex wanting to work in smaller law firms, especially after talking to my law student friends. My issue is Henry's abdication.

It's just, so much of the original book is about making history, about being in a prominent position AND being gay. Henry keeps track of gay monarchs, and they tend to have to hide or give up something one way or another: King James I had to commission the translation of the bible and sort of... lie about his relationship (I'm technically not religious, but I did read the bible a lot as a kid, and I really don't think the relationship between Jesus Christ and John, namely teacher and disciple is comparable to a very, very homoerotic relationship), and King Edward II (Yes there are two gay kings in Henry's name) had to exile his lover. So to have Henry finally be a royal who can keep both his title and his love would be historical, just as they said they wanted. Henry can step back from royal duties without stepping down: irl Princess Beatrice while still a working royal, had a full-time job in 2017 and split her time between New York and London. Henry could have done something like that. I understand that in the book the royal family is a lot stricter, rigid, and overall awful than in both real life and the portrayal of the movie, but I thought that with Princess Catherine coming back to take charge at the end, things would improve, fixing the system instead of going "fuck the system". Also this might be because of certain things happening in my life right now, but I'm kind of sick of seeing stories where you have to choose one, instead of coming to a compromise. You don't get all the good, you don't get all the bad, you find somewhere in between, and that's okay.

Plus given the more benevolent portrayal of Henry's family, especially his grandfather in the movie (I wrote a whole essay about it), if we get a movie sequel, I really don't want Henry to abdicate, and it also makes less sense.

But then Casey posted a story about their thoughts when writing the bonus chapter, about the boys taking a break from making history, not giving up; preserving their flame instead of letting it burn so hard that it burns out. That made me wonder if my perspective and opinion on the bonus chapter are affected by me being young.

16- Pick a line and/or a quote for each:

-You have to sell the book/movie to someone who doesn't know anything about it.

Bith "But you're the one who decided to put your dick into the heir of the British throne!"

yeah I think that summarizing the initial selling point pretty well

-The quote that makes you the most emotional.

Romance/ Love wise:

Book: the entire fucking list, but also "give yourself away sometimes, sweetheart. there's so much of you." (I started sobbing when I read it)

Movie: "I'll break the sound barrier for you. "

Lines that make me emotional for personal reasons:

Book: "I honestly have never thought I deserved to choose. But you treat me like I do."

Movie: "But Henry, Nothing will ever happen to you."

(I feel like just from that you could tell what my personal issue is lmao)

-A quote/line that could be a life lesson to you.

Both: "Sometimes you just gotta jump, and hope you're not standing on a cliff."

This was so much fun! Again thank you for sending in the numbers, and if anyone else wants to ask me (the list is here!) please do!

[a-pile-of-unread-books]

Have you ever seen your parents do the most mischievous shit, while knowing perfectly what they're doing, while also having a straight face, to your grandparents?

Well, I have. And It was fucking hilarious.

Ok. So, yesterday I was at my grandparents house with my mom and my cousins and my aunt and uncle. We just finished having lunch, and me and my two cousins (one is like 10 and the othaer one is my age) were watching TV while I was on my phone too. Then my mom comes in and tells us that my grandpa (who is like seventy-something/eighty and pretty homophobic) is watching red white and royal blue. I, of course, knew immediately that my mom was behind this, and probably told my grandpa to watch it, I obviously was shocked and laughing, because I enjoy the mischief and the chaos and exposing homophobic people to gay shit without them knowing.

I'd like to say that I also love my grandpa, he is a good person and has always been nice to me and my cousins (tho he obviously doesn't know that I am a lesbian and that my cousin is NB and pan), and he is also not someone who hates gay people, he's just from another time, and he knows he has to be respectful.

That said, let me tell you how this went. Me and my cousin were watching from the doorframe of the room where my grandpa was clearly enjoying the film, and we were holding the laugh because he had no idea of what was coming.

Later, I went to the kitchen to get food, and on my way out my mom said "Go check if Toti is still watching the film or if he's just sleeping at this point" (by the way, Toti is how we all call my grandpa), so I did what my mom told me, and he was very awake and still enjoying the film.

Now, here's the fun part. He was in the scene where Alex and Henry are about to fuck in the White House. I immediately went to tell my cousin and we ran to the door frame and watched him expecting any reaction. We were holding our laughs and tears, but then I couldn't hold it anymore, so I went back to the room where we were previously watching TV. A few seconds later my cousin came back and I asked him what Toti did, and he said he just turned the TV off. We laughed and then kept watching TV.

Then I went back to the kitchen and, on the way out, asked my mom what had Toti said about the film, she said that he had told her that it was too gay for him and that he got disturbed.

I honestly never thought that my mom was that evil. I mean, I know her, but I didn't think she was able to do something like that, and I love that she did.

[mermaidsirennikita]

i feel a strong need to ask you AGAIN........ what are your top 10 favorite movies of 2023?

LOL OFF TO UR LETTERBOXD

(We really do need to watch Killers of the Flower Moon soon because I kind of wonder if that would be on there or if I'd just want to jump into a black hole of despair too much to appreciate the craft.)

In no particular order:

Bottoms--hilarious, romantic, everyone had chemistry (PJ and Brittany are gonna hook up in college for real) Josie and Isabel had my heeeeart, I just. Loved it.

They Cloned Tyrone--So funny, so devastating (when he went into the room oh my god???), we got a lovely little trio (maybe a throuple someday) out of it. I was so into it.

Sanctuary--Such a surprise! Arguably the hottest movie of the year! Dude, the scene where she looks him dead in the eye and goes "I'm ovulating" lmao I WAS. DEAD. Yet it's incredibly romantic too?

Fair Play--Dude. This was SHOCKINGLY good. I really didn't expect anything (a lot of the movies have surprised me, I think). It was weirdly funny at points, we began with such a high of accidental period cunnilingus being laughed at and followed by a proposal, and then we hit such incredible lows, yet it was so powerful in the end? Also, I didn't feel anything about either lead beforehand but they were so good??? I'm still thinking about the final shot of the movie, man.

Joy Ride--Fucking hysterical, I haven't laughed this hard with a movie in FOREVER. Yet also, it had a lot of heart? And a lot of hot guys? And that threesome scene lives rent free in my brain? And Stephanie Hsu is a fucking STAAAR? And the moment when Dead Eye says they don't have any friends I always tear up?

Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse--I am really starting to loathe superhero movies, as you know lol, but these movies stay golden and this one was arguably better than the first. Also, Miguel. I am free. Any day. Any week. I am here. I am ready. My heart is open. Other things are open. We are GOOD, little cartoon man.

Red, White, and Royal Blue--Such a fun romcom, man. I miss fun romcoms. Remember whe fun romcoms were fun and we had fun with fun romcoms? Such a quintessential one, and it gives me such light and free joy.

Nimona--OMG I LOVED THIS. I saw it with my little sibling, who identifies with Nimona in a lot of ways, so it holds a special place in my heart. The animation is beautiful. It makes my heart warm.

Past Lives--I think this could definitely be a contender for some Oscars, and well deserved imo. The scene where they just start hashing out all their memories and her husband just sits there, getting emotionally cucked before our eyes? Lmao. Dude.

M3gan--Yeah dude I don't give a fuck this movie gave me everything I wanted and when she started singing Titanium I laughed until I cried and my throat hurt.

[alittlefrenchtree]

For rwrb book/film ask - 4, 7, 10 and 15 please!!

So sorry it took me forever to answer but here I am 😁

4- If you could keep only the book or only the movie, which one would you choose?

The movie, hands down. It was my introduction to the story and I like it better so no dilemma for me here.

7- Tell us something you like better in the movie than in the book. And tell us something you like better in the book than in the movie. 

It's hard to pick something specific knowing I don't know the book that well (I read it once and pretty quickly). It's also hard not to talk about the perks of the medium itself. The movie being more efficient in terms of storytelling and the book leaving more room for the development of their relationship. I like the way Alex's bisexuality is handle in the movie. I also like that he's actually taller than Henry, not sure why.

I'm going stick with the development and nuances of their relationship for the book, even if I can't highlight a specific scene. The movie being a romcom, the need for a strong-kind-of-cliché-roadmap-with-milestones for the relationship was understandable but a bit too strong for my taste? (I have so many unpopular opinions about Paris night scene). Wait, I can highlight a specific scene. The way penetrative sex is introduce in the story? Book all the way.

(all the puns are intended)

10- You’re in a difficult situation where you have only one call to get help (or to save your life), who are you calling? Amy, Zahra or Ellen?

I would call Zahra, because after being sure of my survival I could try to persuade her to marry me (sorry Shaan).

15- Gapfiller — briefly describe a scene you would have love to read/watch. It can be a whole new scene or a scene you would have like to be a bit longer, include more things.

My idea when writing this question was asking for a bit more of the lake house but I guess we have that already now. I'd say the coffee-shop-whatever in Paris. I feel that they could have also shot the conversation of the next scene (where they're walking around in a scenery that looks nothing like Paris) sitting at that table. I love the vibe in this scene, and I think having longer takes, less cuts and a longer scene in general would have made a beautiful thing.

Allow me to answer to an additional question from a previous ask I dodged at the time BUT had time to think about since then?

Asked by @sugdenlovesdingle (forever time ago)

19- Karaoke time ! For each, pick a song :

-To tell the love of your life how you feel about them:

-To tell your crush that you want them:

-To present yourself to the world and show what kind of wonderful you are as a person:

it would be a weird ass song to pick for a karaoke but i can't think of a better song for this purpose. I've been feeling ways about this song for half of my life.

AN INCOMPLETE LIST: 20(ish) THINGS YOU LOVE (or don’t) ABOUT RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE

[reasonandfaithinharmony]

#36 for the ask game please!

36. Graphic makers, how do you get started on a graphic? (How do you get an idea!)

Hi anon! I haven't made any graphics, so I'm going to talk about this in the context of gif sets. (I hope that's okay.)

Let's see… I tend to make a lot of parallel sets. (Way too many, omg.) But I think that goes hand in hand with rewatching episodes, you know? Our minds love to look for patterns.

If I'm in the right headspace, quotes unrelated to the show will just hit me square in the chest. That's how I end up with things like:

an Open Mic/Red, White & Royal Blue mashup

or "Someday, someone is going to look at you…"

Then there was the time that @my-nameless-bliss wrote this fanfic, and I mentioned to her that I'd love to make a gif set related to it. So, now we have a Sunrise, Sunset/Happy Ending gif mashup where Johnny wants nothing more than to give David a beautiful wedding.

Other times it's just me catching up on older interviews/articles because I didn't start watching Schitt's Creek until after it had ended. That brought me to:

Noah Reid talking about how David and Patrick feel at home with each other

Catherine O'Hara talking about filming Open Mic

TV Guide exploring David's reluctance to let himself be seen

But honestly? Working on one gif set is highly likely to spark ideas for other sets. And look, I am far too easily distracted by new ideas. Often to the detriment/delay of the original set. Oops. 🙈 For example:

A parallel for Dead Guy in Room 4 and Singles Week came about after seeing gifs from those episodes next to each other while planning "Someday, someone is going to look at you…"

This Barbecue/Jazzaguy/Singles Week set had me going through a David and Stevie scene frame by frame, and I was struck by the look on Stevie's face. So I made a set to emphasize her facial expression.

Working on "He makes *Patrick* feel at home" led me to another parallel, but with a different emotional tone: "Trolling as a love language." (Which is kind of funny because I feel like the latter should have been the more obvious set.)

Close-ups from the wedding (featuring a single tear falling from David's cheek) and a Town for Sale/Happy Ending parallel both came out of my attempts to work on a set that I still haven't quite figured out, tbh.

The seamless hug from Happy Ending is something I stumbled upon when trying to plan out an idea centered around Alexis, David, and Stevie (which is also not yet finished).

This still image from Grad Night began as efforts to work on this set of David remembering his first kiss with Patrick.

My attempt to highlight the framing of the word "LOVE" in this still image from Start Spreading the News comes from working on (oh no) ANOTHER unfinished set. 🙃

Aaaand I'll stop now. Wow, that got away from me. Apologies and congratulations to anyone who read this whole thing.

Thank you so much for the ask, anon!

So, I first posted this ask game in September… and then mostly fell off the face of tumblr. Gah. But I'm excited to finally get to these asks, now that I'm more active again. :)

Ask a graphic / gif maker

[shebeafancyflapjack]

Thought I'd do some quick book reviews for three sapphic reads I've recently finished.

First one is Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall.

Three stars. I really, really wanted to like this book because the cover is so gorgeous and I wanted so badly to have it on my shelf. Basically how my reading experience goes is that I listen on Audible or read the Kindle and then if I like the book I buy the physical copy, kinda like a murderer displaying trophies of their victims, I dunno why that's the similie I chose to go with. To start with the positives; this book is told in a really cool style with the narrator being an amoral sprite who watches and subtly intervenes over mortal affairs just to collect stories to bring back to their master. Honestly watching them start to slowly and reluctantly feel sympathy for the main leads and their funny commentary was the most entertaining aspect. I also liked the quirky best friend, I find it a shame she didn't get to interact with the narrator, that's a dynamic I would have loved! Sadly they overshadow the main leads who are pretty dull in comparison and the plot feels like two stories mashed together and very rushed because of it, rather than having both the reveal of the villain and the high stakes happen at once at the end to make a better climax and see more of the couple spending time together to build up their connection. This is supposed to have Bridgerton vibes but really lacks the Ton intrigue and politics that make Bridgerton interesting. Bit of a let down but I would be up for reading more stories in this world with the same narrator.

Next up is the Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores.

Two stars. Like a lot of people I was really hyped for this book; a sapphic retelling of Rapunzel with witches and vampires, sounds like fun if nothing else. Also, like Mortal Follies, gorgeous cover! But sadly, like Mortal Follies, another let down. And this one doesn't have a fun narrator to save it. This was such a struggle to get through, I felt like a secondaries school English teacher being handed a students first draft, like I could tell the author had a story she really cared about but how it's written is just so basic, with way too much exposition and poorly delivered world building. Similar to another book I read recently, The Shattered Lands, this just feels like it doesn't belong in the YA category, even though it deals with really mature themes and has some graphic, violent moments, the writing style just doesn't suit it.

Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawking.

Three and a half stars (four if I'm being generous). This book really surprised me, I finished watching Red, White & Royal Blue wanting to find the sapphic equivalent and this kept popping up on booktok. This is just a really sweet teen love story, even if it's by no means perfect. I listened to this on Audible which on the plus side, the narrator had the cutest Texan accent - I have a weakness for Southern Belle accents, can't help it - but it also sadly meant the Scottish accents were awful bordering on hilarious. The history nerd in me does wish we'd got a little more info on the hows and whys of Scotland still having a monarchy, it's just something that's set up without any explanation, but I get that's not the focus. I do feel that the writer had even less understanding of monarchy than who wrote RW&RB, I didn't read that book but going by the movie, the Prince acted mostly on point like a British royal and you felt how important that role was to him wheras Flora could have been just any high profile celebrity or nobility. But again, not the focus, it's high school romance where the alpha queen is revealed to be more than a spoiled brat and the simple country girl falls for her, and that being what it is, it's just very sweet, there's not much more I can say other than it gave me the same corny but cute fluff I got out of watching RW&RB.

Bonus quick review.

Four and a half stars! I did not think Faerie smut was for me, I skimmed through pretty much all the "spicy" parts in the ACOTAR series (which was also 60% of ACOSF). But I dug this, even though it's filthy as hell, I knew what I was going into, and it just surpassed my expectations. And it's gay, maybe that's why, maybe het spice just rarely does it, but this ticked so many boxes I didn't even know I had. Only took off half a star because it's so short and dammit I know it didn't need to be longer because it's just meant to be simple fantasy porn but, ugh, I got way more invested in this three day love story than I did the whole of Mortal Follies!