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hotdaemondtargaryen · 1 month

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TOM GLYNN-CARNEY INTERVIEWED BY BUSINESS INSIDER MAGAZINE.

AS YOU WERE WORKING ON THOSE SEQUENCES WITH MATTHEW NEEDHAM, HOW DID YOU APPROACH GETTING HIM TO THE POINT WHERE HE WOULD MAKE THAT DECISION?

"Well, I think he wasn't given a great deal of options, and this seemed to be an option where the least amount of collateral damage would occur."

"It's survival instinct, I think, at the moment."

"And Larys has proved himself to be somebody who Aegon can trust, at least for now."

"I think Aegon would bite his hand off for that opportunity to get out of there."

"And he can't do it on his own, either."

"So Larys was his ticket out."

THERE'S A VERY MEMORABLE MOMENT IN EPISODE EIGHT WHERE AEGON BRINGS UP HIS PENIS, WHICH WAS DAMAGED IN BATTLE, AS LARYS SPEAKS TO HIM. IS THAT A DEFLECTION, OR IS HE AT ROCK BOTTOM, OR BOTH?

"I didn't see it as deflecting at all."

"I thought it was pure rock bottom, like you say."

"I think he felt like he had nothing to lose, and his dignity went out of the window very early on due to his injuries."

"And I think he's just acknowledging and coming to terms with the fact that he's changed."

"I don't think those changes are fully sunk in yet, but I think the more he speaks about them."

"It's like, when you speak about something, you breathe it into existence, don't you?"

"I think that's the first time he's acknowledged that about himself."

"And as we all know, Aegon found a lot of use for that part of his body."

"So I think he's going to have to reevaluate how he spends his spare time."

WHEN YOU WERE SIGNING ON TO 'HOUSE OF THE DRAGON,' HOW MUCH DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS PHASE OF THE CHARACTER, AND HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT WHEN YOU WERE FIRST APPROACHING HIM?

"I knew that he would be a challenge to wrestle into submission, but it was a challenge that I was more than willing to take on."

"I've absolutely loved every minute of it."

"I think he's the gift that keeps on giving."

"And even though his physicality has changed now, I don't particularly think for him, in terms of how unpredictable and how volatile he is."

"I don't think that's going to change at all."

"If anything, there will be more."

"So I'm really looking forward to getting back on season three, and taking him on this next chapter of his journey and really pushing the boundaries even more with him this time."

ALICENT MAKES THE VERY DIFFICULT DECISION TO SELL AEGON OUT TO RHAENYRA IN THE FINALE. DO YOU THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CROSSED HIS MIND A POSSIBILITY?

"I think there was always potential for her to betray him."

"I felt like everybody's egg timer is running out, isn't it?"

"And Alicent was very much on her final grains of sand at that point."

"It was about time that she probably jumped ship and saved herself."

"She's a very, very intelligent woman, and she is a survivor."

"It's just testament, isn't it?"

"How much of a survivor she is that she'll throw her own kids under the bus."

"But yeah, maybe if they meet again at some point down the line, they can have a conversation and she can apologize."

"But I don't know if that's going to happen."

"I think that's probably a different show, isn't it?"

I SPOKE WITH EWAN EARLIER, AND HE SAID THAT AEMOND AND ALICENT WOULD GO HAVE PIÑA COLADAS ON THE BEACH IN DORNE AFTER ALL THIS IS OVER.

"Oh, I'm going to the south of France, not Dorne."

HOW DID YOU AND EWAN APPROACH THOSE CHANGES, PARTICULARLY AFTER ROOK'S REST?

"These two have been at each other's throats for their entire life, and it now feels like everything's come to a head, and Aemond's finally plucked up the balls to do something about it."

"I think it's now a sibling rivalry on a different level."

"There's absolutely no element of Aegon that trusts Aemond at all now."

"I think that Aemond has his eyes on the prize and will stop at nothing to get it."

"Aegon has to come back and fight fire with fire, so may the best man win."

DURING A CONVERSATION THAT AEGON ISN'T PRIVY TO, HELAENA PROPHECIES THAT HE'LL RULE AGAIN ONE DAY. DO YOU THINK HE'S GUIDED BY ANY TRUE BELIEF THAT HE'LL RETURN TO THE THRONE, OR BE BELOVED BY THE PEOPLE?

"I think what Aegon has is something that is far more present rather than looking too far into the future."

"He's a survivalist, and he feels so betrayed on so many levels, by so many people, that there's more of a steely stubbornness to him now, and he's taking it day by day."

"And I think that's where his strength lies, that we just take it one day at a time."

"He's got this inferno of fiery revenge burning inside him, his bitterness that keeps him awake at night."

"I think he's going to use that to fuel him, and not get too caught up with the whole end-game scenario."

IS THERE A PARTICULAR CHOICE THAT YOU'RE REALLY PROUD OF THIS SEASON, OR SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE BEEN DYING TO GET ASKED ABOUT?

"Fabien Frankel and his ability to look unbelievably heroic on a horse."

"Honestly."

"I mean, love the boy to bits anyway, but seeing him mount a horse and gallop off with all that armor, my god — if I had ovaries,"

"Jesus Christ."

FABIEN IS AMAZING. CRISTON, MAYBE LESS SO.

"But I'm not seeing — because I'm seeing Fabien on a horse."

I'm only watching it because my mates are in it, and I'm a fan of the show, so I'm like, 'Well, I'm watching my mate jump on a horse there. That's absolutely class.'

"And he's so good at it!"

"I know he says he's riding on the back of a trailer or whatever, but my God, I think that's even harder to make it look like a proper horse."

"Fabien deserves more airtime."

DID YOU EVER FEEL LIKE THAT WHEN YOU WERE GETTING ON MECHANICAL DRAGONBACK?

"Yeah."

"Well, less so, because it's mechanical."

"I'd love to ride a real horse in the show."

"Maybe that's something I put toward the showrunners for next time."

"Please, can I ride a horse?"

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ahoyimlosingmymind · 4 days

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i think Sophie's personality took a nose-dive when Shannon over 'girl-bossed' the entire narrative surrounding all the girls in the books.

does this make sense??

I loved Sophie books 1-5. She had a fierceness and heroicness and a willingness to do what she believed was right from the get-go. But then somewhere along the line her already existing personality traits were shoehorned into this cringe label and over-saturated by characters like Ro who are always like "Girl power! and glitter!"

Sophie had so many great traits from the start-- but lately, her character almost feels like a caricature of those traits.

and I am NOT saying there is anything wrong with empowering women and girls-- however, the writing comes off as weak when it's spoon-fed to you that THAT is how you're supposed to perceive the character. Sophie was cool and smart and empowered way before the narrative decided to become "aware" of it in a textual sense. She was cool as hell before the books ever went "NOW THAT'S A STRONG AND POWERFUL GIRL!!! SEE THAT STRONG AND POWERFUL GIRL??? SHE"S SUCH A STRONG AND POWERFUL GIRL" like??? mf?? I READ the books. I ALREADY KNOW.

She was a leader from the beginning. She was a leader because she cared enough to do something about something. Way before the Black Swan named her the moonlark, and the leader of Team Valiant.

And she continued to develop those leadership skills over the books, until at some point, the writing became too aware of her development and shoved it into your face, instead of it being a subtle arc that spoke for itself.

but also... the way Shannon seems to want to sell her development doesn't exactly match with what she's written. There are moments in the books where characters shower Sophie in compliments that come off as generally untrue...

One of the defining aspects of Sophie's personality is her insecurity and secrecy. Which are traits that can be annoying at times, but are realistic. Regardless of those traits though, she still had dimensions and was willing to stand up for what she believed in from the beginning. The thing is, her insecurity never quite went away. If you read any of the later books, she has crippling self-doubt and identity issues. But then you have characters like Ro coming in and saying things like "Ur so confident!" and it just comes off as a very strange cognitive dissonance in the narrative.

No, Sophie isn't confident in her ability to lead, regardless of what the books say in small tidbits, when the whole of the books show that she is quite insecure, but believes in her values enough to do something to protect them-- which automatically shoe horns her into a leadership role.

What was admirable about Sophie's character was not her confidence. And is not her confidence. She's admirable because she's deeply insecure and flawed and not an amazing leader, but that she still tries. Sophie is a leader because she tries, because she steps out and says "this isn't right!" not because she's actually good at it. She does not have a lot of the typical qualities that make good leaders. She's not very outspoken most of the time, she's insecure, she's more introverted-- she's just a character who is justice oriented, so she rises above those feelings. WHICH IS A BETTER NARRATIVE CHOICE THAN "No Foster, ur actually a perfect leader <3"

I boil this down to:

TWO CONTRADICTING TRAITS CAN EXIST AT THE SAME TIME.

Sophie is insecure, and lacks confidence. But she's also moral, and therefore does her best to be a leader.

She's brave. Not confident.

am I making any sense??? I feel like I have a point and it's getting lost a bit here. Maybe I'll come back and clarify things another time. rn I'm tired.

ALSO: I fear the same thing happened to Biana and Linh.

I deadass think the introduction of Ro is what began it all. She's a try-hard character for female empowerment, that comes off as very forced and shallow.

#kotlc #Sophie foster

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siriuslyobsessedwithfiction · 2 months

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Six of Crows did a great job showcasing ordinary people don't care about Grisha. (And Zoya turning into a dragon and the propaganda of new "saints" won't solve centuries of prejudice, lack of education in common folk, and capitalism taking advantage of Grisha.)

Most of the characters in SoC duology have known misfortune and discrimination in their lives. You'd think they show solidarity to Grisha, right? Wrong.

Kaz

Kaz is a businessman. No more, no less. He says so himself. Once again, the fandom is blurring the line between the canon and the fanon persona. Kaz is not a "mother hen" who would do anything for his crows but will grumble about it. If Nina and Matthias crossed him as they originally planned in Six of Crows, he'd notify the druskelle to come catch them without any regrets.

Kaz's defining trait is that he takes everything too personally. Kaz is not some vigilante who protects oppressed minorities. He couldn't give a less of a shit about Grishas' struggles, as he makes clear to Nina on more than one occasion. Kaz had no problem indenturing Grisha and giving them less than favorable terms. The only line he wouldn't cross would be selling their bodies. (His disgust of brothels and their clients, once again, comes from a personal reason of his touch aversion).

Even after everything Nina did for him and his crew, even after she took parem, he was ready to kick her off the job in CK when she protested that they needed to evacuate the Grisha from Ketterdam. The only reason he agreed is because he needed Inej for the job and Inej refused to help him unless he helped Nina.

Inej

The only reason Inej took Nina's side (in standing up to Kaz to evacuate Grisha from Ketterdam to save them in CK) is because she cared about Nina as a friend, not because she was very concerned about Grisha. Inej never directly acknowledges the injustice Grisha face even in her thoughts in her pov even though the Suli and the Grisha are both minorities, are being weirdly fetishized for profit and have not been treated particularly well by Ravkans. Moreover, she refuses to meet the Triumvirate, claiming the Ravkans have not been good to Suli in recent years, even though the Triumvirate has only been formed for two years and its members were ordinary Grisha until then. They were servants, serfs. And even after the civil war, they don't have that kind of political power, they obey the Crown. So, what do they have to do with anything? Why does Inej refuse to meet them? Is she afraid they'll be racist towards her? One of the members and the general of the second army is Suli. Who, btw, is known for her temper and pride and not tolerating disrespect. Shouldn't Inej feel proud that a Suli woman is commanding the second army? If Inej doesn't feel comfortable meeting them even with her friend Nina, is it possible Zoya never really acknowledged her Suli heritage? At least, until KoS duology, that is. In RoW, Inej suddenly remembers Zoya is Suli and tells her they don't abandon one of their own. I'm sorry, but it doesn't make much sense. There are two routes of explanations:

It's the author's mistake. Zoya was never described as Suli in the Shadow and Bone trilogy (maybe even in SoC duology? I'd have to check). She was said to have blue eyes and raven hair and that is that. She is also said to have "perfect nose", which doesn't necessarily mean she had a straight or a small nose, but it feels it's written like that. What gives me that idea? In the trilogy, the Suli aren't exactly written very respectfully, considering the two main "good guys", Alina and Mal, impersonate Suli fortunetellers (which is sacred to the Suli), very poorly imitate their accents and have a laugh about it. Zoya acts like a rich, materialistic brat in the trilogy, calls Mal's commoner mannerisms foreign and enticing and we only find out her father was Suli and she comes from an extremely poor peasant family in KoS. It seems like instead of making her own up to her mistakes and making her grow as a person, the author gave her an excuse in a form of a sad backstory.

Inej is a sixteen year old acrobat, who might not be well aware of political situations and doesn't realize what role do Grisha really have in Ravka. I don't want to diminish her intelligence or make her ignorant, but the author isn't giving me much to work with. It also might be possible that during Nikolai's father's rule, while the Suli were on the Ravkan soil, they were tested for powers and taken to the second army since the draft was mandatory and that's why Inej didn't like them.

Wylan

Wylan is a good person, and he had many, many things to deal with in CK, so I didn't expect him to start drawing a plan on how to make Grishas' life better while hiding in a tomb from his father, but it doesn't take much to spare a sentence to at least acknowledge how messed up their existence was. When they're discussing the Kherguud soldiers, they're only worried about Nina and Jesper, not the grand scheme of things. It's a whole race of people we're talking about. Idk, it just feels weird.

Matthias

Oddly enough, the only person who thinks how certain events will affect Grisha is an ex-druskelle. I cannot write his entire redemption arc here, but he definitely shows more care and concern.

Joost

Honorary mention to the boy who knew how dire the situation was and didn't shy away from it. He couldn't take a girl he liked out on a date because she was an indentured Grisha, knew he couldn't buy out her contract but wasn't planning to give up on her.

Also, he demands to know where Anya is as an authority because she should be working. So, not only the merchants and businesses who own them control them, but the Stadwatch are authorized to find them and drag them over to them if they're not at work.

Do you have to have a crush on a Grisha in order to care whether they live or perish? Grisha are an integral part of almost every profession in Grishaverse, they're written as the primary reason for technological advancements, and yet, the ordinary people never stop to think what their eradication would mean to their world.

As for KoS duology, it's a fever dream. I've read fairytales that make more sense than that. Yes, it's YA, but the author is not acting or writing like it's not supposed to be taken seriously. And once you've established a universe with certain laws, you can't throw it all to the wind, give the readers a half-baked explanation and say it makes perfect sense. The SoB trilogy showed us how Grisha were not accepted even when they fought the Kings' wars for centuries and a Grisha saint destroyed the Fold. The SoC duology told us that the civil war destroyed the second army and Ravka was bankrupt and collapsing. Since the draft wasn't mandatory, no one wanted to go fight and die for a country that has given them nothing. But suddenly, the nation of Fjerda, who has hated and hunted the Grisha for centuries, is swayed by cheap tricks to worship them as saints and Ravka will be fine because Zoya can flap her wings and burn whoever opposes her? Yeah, 'cause that went so well for the Targaryen dynasty.

P.S. I am not calling the author or the characters racist. SoC duology is one of my favorite books ever. But as LB herself wrote in this book: "You can love something and still see its flaws".

#six of crows #kaz brekker #kaz dirtyhands brekker #kazzle dazzle #the darkling #shadow and bone #zoya nazyalensky #nikolai lantsov #rule of wolves #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #wylan van eck #matthias helvar #nina zenik #grishaverse meta #grishaverse

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studiodrydock · 2 months

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Interview With a Werewolf - A deep dive into the character of Westley Vuk from Wylde Flowers

We've put together an in depth look at Wylde Flower's fuzziest romanceable character, Westley Vuk! 🐺💕

Westley, the romantic werewolf bookseller, is one of our most beloved characters, and we had the privilege of chatting with several members of the team involved with bringing him to life, including Iona Vorster (concept artist), Desiree Cifre (narrative director), Mike Taylor (animator) and Ray Chase (his voiceover artist).

We discussed all things Westley including his inspiration, design, and what makes him so popular (and dreamy)! Enjoy! ✨

Writing a Werewolf

Questions answered by: Desiree Cifre (Narrative Director)

Q: Can you start by telling us a little bit about Westley?

Desiree: Westley is a bookish werewolf originally from Alaska. He became a werewolf due to a case of mistaken identity. His identical twin brother, Lou, was a marksman for a logging company, and shot at a werewolf who then returned and attacked Westley one full moon. Once Westley turned into a werewolf, he vowed to keep his distance from humans to protect them and himself, and found safe harbor in the magical village of Ravenwood Hollow. He hopes to find a cure for his lycanthropy and in the meanwhile, prove that werewolves can be positive contributors to the magical community.

Q: What was your process like, including inspirations and challenges, when creating Westley?

Desiree: Our original scope for the narrative limited the characters to the members of the coven and the other, non-magical villagers, so I was delighted when Amanda and Alex told me we would have the budget for a magical village with four residents. I knew right away that I wanted one of them to be a werewolf and that I wanted him to be a romantic interest for Tara. A bookseller seemed like a natural fit so that he could sell Tara the parchment and incantations she would need for her spellwork, and when Iona drew up some concept art of our nattily dressed Westley we all knew that was the right direction for the character. Once I learned we could support him having both human and wolf forms, that opened up the space to create a little mystery around his first appearance in town, and then we got to dive into his backstory a bit more later in the game.

Q: Do you have a favorite line that you wrote for him?

Desiree: Well, I was expecting players to love Westley, but even I couldn't have anticipated how much of a fan-favorite he would become. I have to say one of my favorite lines is one that only plays if you are partnered with him: "Tara, you're looking ravishing today! Not that I want to, or would, I mean, you know." The actor who plays him, Ray Chase, gave such a hilariously brilliant reading of that line and it makes me giggle every time I hear it! The thirst is real.

Drawing a Werewolf

Questions answered by: Iona Vorster (Concept Artist)

Q: What was the process like for designing Westley? How did you incorporate his personality and backstory into his design? Iona: Initially I started with sketching out ideas for all the Ravenwood Hollow characters in tandem. I wanted to make sure they would sit well together, and since they are all (mostly) fae, I wanted to make sure they felt consistent across their designs while figuring out “what do the fae look like in the world of Wylde Flowers.” Once I had a good idea of what they’d generally look like, I took each character one by one to work out the specifics.

With Westley, the process was a bit more complicated because I also had to figure out what his werewolf anatomy would be like and how far we wanted to push it. Since Westley is a romanceable character, I wanted his werewolf form to still feel personable and able to emote like the rest of the characters, so going very wolf-like with his design didn’t feel like the best option!

As with all the characters, I did have a wonderful character background to reference for Westley, written by narrative lead Desiree! A facet of his personality is that he likes dressing well, so along with him being a bookseller, a suit seemed like the natural choice!

Q: Which did you design first, werewolf Westley or human Westley? Did you have to put any considerations into giving him a (relatively) consistent appearance between the two forms? Iona: I started with his human form, since I knew his werewolf form would need R&D on aspects of his anatomy like his face and legs. However, eventually I moved back and forth between the two, because parts of his werewolf form, like his fangs and his fur, informed design decisions on human Westley. I wanted to hint at his werewolf form when he was in human form, and vice versa/

I also wanted to keep consistency in his outfit, especially since there’s the comical details of his suit not quite fitting his massive werewolf frame, which accentuates the differences between the two!

Q: What is your favorite part of Westley's design? Iona: His fangs! Designing all of him was fun, but I love that he has fangs in human form.

Animating a Werewolf

Questions answered by: Mike Taylor (Animator)

Q: What did the collaboration (if any) look like between you, Desiree and Iona? Mike: I wasn't involved very much in the concept of Westley. As with all characters, I was asked for feedback on each concept, but the concepts are always so good, I have very little to add, and Westley was no exception. Soo-Ling (Wylde Flowers’ 3D Artist) and I would discuss his model more and especially the hair, since we knew that was a big part of his design. We would work together to decide how to structure Westley's hair so we could have the most movement as efficiently as possible.

Q: What types of personality bits or other considerations were you trying to showcase in his animations, and how did you achieve them? Mike: Desiree and Elizabeth put together Casting Notes for all the characters, citing specific actors and/or roles that best exemplified the character. I always started there as the basis. For Westley in particular, I know I felt that he should be a little withdrawn and maybe a little brooding. He's an intellectual who has been cursed with being a werewolf, after all. From that I thought his walk - which is the animation that gets the most personality - should be pretty subdued, compared to the other characters, and he should be looking at the ground rather than straight forward. It's subtle, but hopefully reads just a little.

Q: And for Wolf Westley? Mike: For Wolf Westley, the goal was to make him more feral, without going too far. To do this, I added some exaggerated chest breathing to his idle, arched his fingers and turned his hands inwards, then made his walk very 'stompy' to highlight the extra weight he was carrying around.

Giving a Werewolf a Voice

Questions answered by: Ray Chase (Voiceover Artist)

Q: Can you describe the direction you were given when portraying Westley? What types of personality traits, emotions, etc. did you need to convey? Ray: Westley is a really deep character - and one who I was immediately drawn to. Going back through my auditions for this game, it looks like I only chose to audition for him and the reverend! I love how genteel he is - there's a huge part of me that wants to go run my own bookstore in a small village, so I'm playing out my own fantasies when I'm playing him. :D The voice director, Krizia, was a big help in dialing in just the right amount of werewolf into this character. He shouldn't be frightening, but rather be a warm wolfy snuggle.

Q: Westley's fans have become quite passionate From an acting perspective, what do you think is the secret sauce that makes him so appealing? Ray: I'm definitely using my bedroom voice most of the time for this guy. I have heard that it can be...most enticing....

Q: Are there any lines or beats with Westley that stick out to you? Ray: I'm a vegetarian, so it's always quite alarming when I have to do his butcher shop quotes! I can't believe he eats that much meat... But I guess it's better that he buys from a friend than go roaming the woods at night… And that's a wrap! Thank you for reading! Victoria and the Studio Drydock Team Find out more about Wylde Flowers Here

#wylde flowers #westley #cozy games #farming sim #indie games #vgm #voice acting #farming games #nintendo switch

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thisapplepielife · 4 months

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Written for @steddiesongfics.

Diamonds on the Soles of His Shoes

For a song released in 1986, I picked Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes by Paul Simon.

Partially hidden behind the trees, Eddie looks at the house, large and looming. Sure, he's been by it before, did a bit of trick-or-treating here in the rich neighborhood, but he's never actually been inside Steve Harrington's house. Never stepped foot over the threshold, beyond those red double doors.

Said doors are standing wide open tonight, inviting the whole world inside.

Steve Harrington's graduation bash. Everyone's invited. That's been the mantra all week.

Everyone.

Eddie's not so sure that everyone really includes him, and he didn't even graduate, anyway. Not even on his second try, and he's dreading the idea of spending a third senior year at Hawkins High. He'd be able to run Hellfire Club for one more year, but that's about it. The silver lining, small and weak, compared to the dark storm cloud that is the prospect of another year in that hell hole.

He sees a girl from band, Robin Buckley, also lurking and lingering at the edge of the driveway.

"You goin' in?" Eddie asks, sidling up to her, making her jump.

"Uh, maybe?" she says, but doesn't sound sure about it.

"You know Steve Harrington?" Eddie asks.

"Only the back of his stupid head," Robin answers, snarkily.

Eddie laughs, agreeing, "Yeah, same."

But she doesn't move, and he doesn't either, "Why are you here, Robin from Band?" he asks, like that's her legal name.

She doesn't seem to care, just saying, "Reasons," and it's just cryptic enough that he's curious.

"Do you have a crush on Steve Harrington? Gonna make a move before it's too late and he's off at Harvard or Purdue or wherever daddy's money bought him a spot?"

"More like Roane County Technical College," Robin mumbles under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," she says, then turns and looks at Eddie, "just. I saw him applying to Scoops Ahoy, you know, the ice cream shop in the new mall? I don't think he's going to college."

"Maybe it's just a summer job," Eddie says, but that doesn't sound convincing even to his own ears. Why would Steve Harrington need a summer job selling ice cream?

"I don't think so," Robin says, and she's holding back. He can tell.

"Spill it, Buckley."

She cuts a look back at the house, then back at him, "Like, okay. You cannot tell anyone I know this, because, like, I took an oath–"

"You took an oath?" he asks.

"Okay, I didn't take an oath. But there was a lecture. A big lecture, about not repeating anything about what I saw cross the guidance counselor's desk, you know? I was her aide, fifth period."

"Okay, well, what did you see?" Eddie asks, because now he's curious. Very, very curious.

"Steve Harrington didn't get in anywhere. Nowhere at all. And now he's trying to sling ice cream all summer. With me."

"No way," Eddie breathes out, loving that he has this dirt on the little rich boy. Harrington's crown has been repeatedly tarnished this year, and Eddie's enjoyed watching the fallout from afar.

"You didn't answer my first question: Do you have a crush on Steve Harrington?"

"No," Robin says, and Eddie follows her line of sight. Oh, ew.

She's looking at the instigator of at least ninety-seven percent of the fallout King Steve's suffered, as he's holding court at the front door, like this is his party instead of Steve's. Billy Hargrove, surrounded by girls. Some freshly graduated, like the perpetually tone-deaf Tammy Thompson.

Eddie rolls his eyes. If he had to choose between the lesser of two evils, he'd take Harrington.

"Hargrove?" Eddie asks, not even trying to hide his disgust at her bad taste, "I don't even really know you, Buckley, but you can definitely do better."

Robin laughs, but it sounds kind of sad, "I'm not interested in Billy Hargrove, either."

Eddie doesn't get it, then. If she's not here for Steve, and she's not looking at Billy, she's looking at…oh.

No way.

He should have realized, should have seen himself mirrored in her or some shit. But he says nothing. If he's right or wrong, he'll never know, because it's just not discussed.

"Glad to hear it, Robin From Band," Eddie says, and offers her his arm. "Wanna go in with me, then?"

And he's surprised when she slides her arm through his elbow.

Robin finds some girls she knows from her own class, and Eddie slinks off towards the pool. He can smoke a cigarette and see if there are any customers out there, so he can make a little bit of money, selling off his shittiest weed.

No such luck, it's strangely empty. Pool drained, even if it's getting warm enough for swimming, especially if it's heated.

Eddie walks over to the diving board, and tests it, making sure it's not too bouncy. He doesn't want to take a header into the empty concrete, that's for damn sure. It seems safe, so he shuffles out until he can sit on the edge.

Lights a cigarette, and swings his feet.

The party inside is loud, and jam-packed, and Eddie is sure coming here was a mistake. There's nothing for him here, not at Steve Harrington's house. He should have rounded up Jeff and Goodie and found something else to do tonight. He's sure Gareth would have hung out, if he could get his mom to extend his curfew.

"What are you doing out there?!" The question comes, so sharp and hard, that it startles Eddie so much he nearly topples into the waterless void.

He grips the edge of the diving board, but loses his lit cigarette into the pool. Into the pile of dry leaves from last fall. Shit.

"Um, trying to burn your house down?" Eddie teases, and when he looks back, Steve Harrington is standing there, annoyed.

"Get off of that," Steve says, arms crossed across his chest like he needs to protect himself. From Eddie? In what world?

"Well, since you asked so nicely," Eddie taunts, batting his eyes.

"Please get off that," Steve says, dry as dust. No humor to be found. Which is odd. Eddie went to school with Steve for a long time, he is funny, as loathe as Eddie is to admit it.

He crawls off it.

"Just let me get my cigaret-"

"Leave it."

"But-"

"Don't go down there, Munson, are you stupid?" Steve snaps, and Eddie takes a step back. He's not stupid, but he's pretty pissed off now.

Eddie narrows his eyes, "Yeah, I have to repeat my senior year for a third time, Harrington, we all know that already," Eddie snaps, but rapidly loses steam. Steve Harrington's face says he didn't know that, not until Eddie told him.

Fucking idiot, opening his own goddamn big mouth.

"Uh, well, um…" Steve trails off, "I'm sorry? I didn't get into any colleges if that makes you feel better. I was probably one D-minus in Mrs. Click's class from joining you."

"Ms. O'Donnell is the one torturing me," Eddie answers, off-kilter that he's even having this conversation with Steve Harrington.

And Steve smiles, "Yeah, I hear you. I think she only passed me because of my last name."

Eddie is taken aback, Steve Harrington is aware he gets special treatment? Aware of the diamonds on the soles of his shoes, as well as the noses so far up his ass they'll never see sunshine again?

Well, hell. It isn't good ammo to know Steve Harrington can't get into college if Steve's willing to tell him that himself. Kinda takes all the fun out of it.

"Heard you might be the new King of Scoops Ahoy," Eddie teases, and it is teasing, now. Not taunting.

And that must read, because Steve smiles.

"I'll look great in a sailor suit. I hope we get tips, because I'll kill it," Steve says, hands on his hips. But he doesn't look aggressive, he looks amused.

And Eddie did that. Hot damn.

"What's up with the pool?" Eddie asks, and wishes he hadn't, when the black cloud passes over Steve's face.

"You know, Barb," Steve says, so soft that Eddie almost doesn't hear him.

Eddie's only heard rumors and gossip. That she went missing. That she didn't, and was instead found killed by everything from monsters, to Steve himself. The former seems more plausible than the latter, and isn't that ridiculous?

"Did she die in your pool?" Eddie asks. Maybe she drowned.

Steve just kind of shrugs, "I don't know. Maybe. Where you were sitting was the last place she was seen alive, though."

"You're shitting me?" Eddie asks, but he's pretty sure Steve's not kidding.

Steve shakes his head.

"Sorry, I didn't know," Eddie says.

"I know you didn't," Steve says, "it just scared me, seeing you sitting out there. All alone. Sorry if I was a bit of a dick about it."

And hell has frozen over, Steve Harrington is apologizing to him.

"Um, you weren't. It's okay. Sorry I just made myself at home."

And Steve laughs, "Well, that's fine," he says, waving his arms around, "look at everyone else."

"And why aren't you with everyone else?" Eddie asks.

"Like who? My only friend these days is thirteen-years-old."

"Say what now?" Eddie asks, because that sounds creepy. Is Harrington, like, a pervert now? He'd heard rumors last winter about Harrington hanging around Hargrove's little sister, but he hadn't given them much credence. He knows the rumors that go around about himself, and the vast majority of them have no basis in reality either.

"Long story," Steve says, "long, long, story. I'm, like, his babysitter? Him and a bunch of other street urchins, I guess?"

"You're a babysitter?" Eddie asks, disbelieving.

"It's as shocking to me as it is to you. I'm not bad at it, though," Steve says, and he smiles.

"You're not like…messing with underage girls?"

"Jesus Christ, no, what kind of freak do you take me for?" Steve says, and he sounds so disgusted that Eddie's sure that's the truth.

"Sorry, I had to ask."

"Unless you mean, like, Nance?" Steve asks, brow furrowed, like he's really thinking this through.

"I do not," Eddie says with a laugh, "I thought you were broken up, anyway?"

"We are," Steve says, "definitely. We are. What about you?"

"Am I broken up with Nancy Wheeler? Yep, have been for as long as I can remember, anyway," Eddie snarks, and Steve Harrington laughs. An ugly, open-mouthed bray.

It's dorky, but real.

And Eddie's heart does a thing that he definitely didn't give it permission to do in his chest. Flipping and flopping, all willy-nilly.

He's not supposed to like Steve Harrington.

Harrington's a rich boy, who doesn't try to hide it. And Eddie's poor as a pocket, with nothing to lose.

But right now, standing out here in the near dark, he does like him. God help him.

"Word of advice, from one freak to another, stop saying it like that, or people will think you're a perv. Lead with the babysitting part."

Steve nods.

"If none of these people are your friends, why have a party? Why spend money on assholes that don't deserve it?"

Steve shrugs, "Habit, I guess. Won't be like this much longer, though. My dad's pretty mad about college. He's cutting me off."

Eddie blinks. That's…unfathomable, really.

Steve keeps talking.

"So, I got a job at the ice cream place in the mall. To learn my lesson. Earn my keep, whatever. You should come by, I'll hook you up," Steve offers, and Eddie feels insane. That can't possibly be a thing that they'll ever do.

Then, Steve tries to sweeten the pot, "Pretty sure I'll be wearing a funny hat."

"And working with Robin From Band," Eddie says, and Steve just shrugs, like he doesn't know who that is.

Poor Harrington, Buckley'll eat him alive, given half the chance.

And maybe, just maybe, Eddie will swing by to see that happen, live and in person.

Free ice cream and a show.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddiesongfics and follow along with the fun! 🎶

Notes: Oh, these kids. If they only knew how important they'd all be to each other just a short time later.

#steddiesongfics #1986 song #stranger things #pre steddie #steddie fic #platonic stobin #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #thisapplepielife: short fic #thisapplepielife: steddiesongfics

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zero-ek · 5 months

Text

As soon as Yuu was released the first thing i did was to listen to her voice lines, not only because of who is voicing her (the Sailor Moon!!) but because i was very curious as to what sort of dimension her voice would add to her character.

And it's particularly interesting the way that her voice sells how... empty she is, like not only in that losing her memories destroyed her sense of self and her morality (like i had initially expected), but in that she doesn't seem to have a firm grasp of anything beyond the ideas of "Yuu", Shii, the list, Magical Girls and Witches. Like, it's like she doesn't even know what being a human even is.

That much is obvious just in the way she speaks, like she keeps switching back and forth between multiple voices and running over her own words, like she speaks out of muscle memory and can't control the sounds that her mouth makes. But also, some of the stuff she says is... concerning, here's a few lines:

(I got these from her F*ndom quotes page i didn't know where else to find them)

"We're together today too... is that the same as yesterday? Does that mean tomorrow's gonna be the same!? And two days ago too? I guess after tomorrow too... wait so even today too!?"

From her first login, notice how by the end of the sentence she forgot about whay she said at the start completely. Also it's hard to convey through written text but, not only her sense of object and spacial permanence is nonexistent, she seems to genuinely have a hard time undertanding the concept of time:

"Did you just say good morning? Oh that must mean it's morning nowiseewaitdid i... did i sleep? I'm bummed... no i'm not, aha! Morning!"

Her morning login.

"Did you just tell me good night...? 'Good night' is what you say when you're done for the day!? So if we keep repeating 'good night' forever, can we stop tomorrow from coming...?"

Her night login

A couple of her lines showing her extremely short memory, and how it affects her fundamental understanding of things:

"Man, i'm so hungry... WAIT! I think i was just full...! Which was it! Doesn't it really suck how you can never tell what's inside of your tummy?"

Noon login.

"Sorry! I...! What was i thinking about? Do you know? Can you tell me? What a bummer, what a bummer... Wait, what was i bummed about?"

Her standard login (honestly same).

"I gotta get goinghmm...? Where was i going again?"

Story end 3

"If your arms or your legs get really old, then why not just rip 'em off? It's gonna grow new ones so it's okay, here, lemme help you!"

Tap 4.

"Nagisa-chan loves cheese, meanwhile i have 'someone'... 'someone' is me! So don't forget about cheese and 'someone' even when tomorrow comes, alright?"

Magical release 1

"Y'see, ghosts only come from the past, they don't be coming from the future! So why... can i only go to tomorrow?"

Magical release 2

Also this one is just, man...

"No matter how many times time turns back, i'll keep doing the same thing! 'Cause i don't wanna pretend that all the times i messed up and all the times i was sad weren't real!"

Tap 8

It's also extremely unnerving how genuinely childlike and innocent her "main", higher pitched voice is, like i can't explain why but it really sells that she does what she does all because she genuinely doesn't know any other way to live, not least because it seems she wholeheartedly doesn't seem to be able to think beyond the current moment, like she just goes with the flow of time without having anything to ground herself on.

I think that, while having a fully fledged design added to her "inhuman" factor in a creepy manner, like, compounding to the idea of this beastly Magical Girl that rips people's organs off, her voice made her "inhuman" in a much crueler and sad way, in that it served to illustrate that she is the way she is because it's quite literally the only way of living that she knows.

#magia record #yuusa yumeno #i only skimmed her MGS but these got me thinking about her a lot #particularly as a memory bad individual myself #Also i haven't seen anyone mention this but her casual l2d reeeeally drives home the Kuchisake onna parallels #I genuinely didn't think she'd blink when i first saw it #zero types a lot

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nctstar · 10 months

Text

the day that i met you i started dreaming.

You watched in satisfaction as the imprint of your lips stained a faded red colour, two semi-circles adorned by fine lines. The smell of strawberry wafted gently, so subtle you could have missed it. Yet, his voice rang in your ears. “You taste so sweet, baby. You always do.”

pairing: jungwoo x fem!reader

other members: johnny, mark (+his brother), haechan (only mentioned)

word count: 3k

genre: fluff, romance

warnings: lots of kissing, one small smutty scene, not very graphic (penetration and kissing only), profanity (one use of the f word, shit)

disclaimer: this is a fanfiction purely from my imagination. I don't know the nct members (including their family members!) and don't claim that they act like this in real life. I also do not condone any of the activity by any of the characters in this fic. Also, even though I was inspired by mark's real life doesn't mean this is accurate at all, please keep that in mind nobody sue me please.

a/n: this is for my bestie @neocty because I love her and there aren't enough jungwoo fics out there and she is struggling, so I did what any good friend would do <3 so everyone else please look away (and by that I mean like and reblog and send me requests)

∞

You had first met Jungwoo in your first year of university. Surrounded by girls, one of them having their entire torso turned towards him like she was ready to mount at any moment. Giggles floated past you as you walked by, books slipping in your arms from the sweat on your skin. The edges dug uncomfortably into your side as you tried hoisting them from side to side, trying to find that sweet spot that wouldn’t make you want to throw all of them only the floor, give up and go home.

“Hey.” You hadn’t heard it at first, too busy untangling your arms. But it suddenly felt silent, too silent now, the giggles now gone. You looked up, and the first thing you noticed was also the first thing you said.

“We have the same headphones.” Your voice was monotone, your breath heating up your cheeks underneath your mask.

He frowned, and the second thing you noticed was-

“I like whatever you’re wearing on your l-lips.” He stammered towards the end, probably now understanding how strange that sounded. But if he was embarrassed, he didn’t let on. His face erupted in a confident, self-assured smile, one hand effortlessly running through his dusty brown hair. His face was cute, like a puppy, or a fluffy cat. Soft features, smile lines and shallow dimples on one side of his face. “I’m not hitting on you. My sister runs a small business and sells makeup. I’m trying to get girls to buy her stuff. She’s saving up for a car because she hates public transport. I, personally, don’t mind it. Anyway. Um, you want a flyer?” Paper shuffled in his hands as you realised that he was handing out flyers, not what you had originally thought when you saw all those girls around him.

You fought the urge to say aww as you took a flyer tentatively. You didn’t wear makeup other than yes, your lipgloss, the same one you had brought from your home country since you didn’t really have time to shop in Korea in the few days you had been here already. Your eyes started scanning up and down the flyer while your mind pondered, who still uses flyers to advertise nowadays?

You shuffled from foot to foot, aware that he was still standing in front of you for some reason. “Your sister seems really talented.”

“She is. She also, looks a lot like me.” Jungwoo proceeded to shove the remaining flyers under his armpit, other hand flipping out his phone. In your peripheral vision, you watched one girl side eye you, hard, very possibly the one who had wanted to mount him a minute ago. “Oh, that’s okay, um- oh wow!” Your eyes widened. “You guys look so alike!”

“Right?” Strangers standing musing for more than a minute was odd enough, but what he did next was even weirder.

“The flyer I gave you has my number on it, by the way.”

You looked at his face, soft brown eyes full of hope that made your heart twinge slightly with delight. He was so adorable.

“What happened to ‘I’m not hitting on you’?”

“I’m really not? It’s because my sister lost her phone, and,” he grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, “I want to help her earn money as soon as possible. Because if I don’t-“

He grabbed both your arms, making you flinch a little in surprise, but not pull away, eyebrows perked at his words.

“-she’s going to make me drive her to uni every day! Do you want that for me?” He whisper-shouted this last bit, and you shrugged his arms off.

“I don’t even know your name, so…”

“Kim Jungwoo. Jungwoo. Are you from America?”

“How could you tell?” You smiled, the English rolling off your tongue with ease. “I’m actually technically from Canada. Born and raised. Lived in New York for a while, so…close enough, I guess.”

“Oh! So is my roommate! His brother is auditioning for SM tomorrow, and he needs me to drive them both there-“

You laughed, this time your head naturally rocking back. “Are you the campus free uber or something, Kim Jungwoo?”

“No, he’s dating my sister. Mark’s brother, not him. Hey!” He pointed one finger out, almost comically, like a cartoon character. “You should date Mark.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re both from Canada. It just makes sense. He gets lonely sometimes. I think it’ll be good. Will you come with me?” He talked with the speed of someone on drugs, but with none of the fatigue or lack of lust for life. In fact, he was what you would expect if you asked anyone in the world to picture someone bright and cheery.

You told yourself that was the only reason you said yes that day. Never could you have known how far your relationship would end up growing. Like the first seeds someone carelessly tosses to the dirt in the cold season, another person notices and starts to water here and then, it was only a matter of time before something bloomed come summer.

∞

“We’re going to be late.”

“Oh, relax.” Jungwoo scoffed, but you eyed his nervous hands, shaking and fumbling with everything, from the gear stick to the AC controls. Behind you, Mark’s voice called out. “Did you want me to-“

“No, Mark. It’s fine.” You shared a knowing glance with the Canadian boy in the back seat, and Jungwoo noticed. He coughed, smiling like he knew something everyone else didn’t. “Shut up.” You hissed. He giggled louder, now catching the attention of Mark’s brother behind the driver’s seat, his eyes warily leaving his phone for only a second or two. “What’s so funny?”

Jungwoo finally pulls back the gear shift, that engine now grumbling to life. “I just think _ is too nice and pretty to not have a date for Christmas.” Puppy dog eyes now on you, shirt hanging loosely on his body, he turned and tapped you on the chin playfully. You rolled your eyes, groaning. “Oh my god. Tell me why I even started talking to you that day?”

“You said you reminded me of a puppy.” He pouted, making a tiny, perhaps insignificant part of you beam with something warmer, deeper that just friendship. For the past month, Jungwoo and you had been on a casual texting basis. If by casual, you meant every day, multiple times a day. Turns out you both just had a lot to talk about, or were drawn to each other, or…well, you didn’t want to think about it too much. All you knew is that for the first time since you had arrived here, or honestly, in your entire life, you felt like yourself. And that was enough for you. More than enough.

Now here you guys were, talking about dates for Christmas.

“Can we go, guys? Seriously.” You nodded aggressively and swatted at Jungwoo to start the car, while Mark leaned over, tapping you on the shoulder. Your body swayed as Jungwoo started driving as if he hadn’t driven in ten years. “Jungwoo told me your lips are pretty.”

“Uhm, excuse me!” Jungwoo braked hard at the lights, making the two men in the backseat yelp, Mark now flown back with a resounding dull thump. “Oh my god. Forget making it on time. I’m not sure we’ll make it there alive.” Concerned murmurs filled the car, but Jungwoo kept his foot on the accelerator, pushing through. “Oh relax, guys. And also, you agreed with me, Mark!”

“Well,” You pressed your head against the seat, hoping to avoid a future concussion. “I am wearing Min-ah’s lipgloss, so, it’s all thanks to her.” You shared a smile with Jungwoo, him glancing at you for far too long for someone on a busy road. Mark’s brother raised his arm in frustration. “Jungwoo! Please. I want to be an idol, I want to live!” A loud honk kick-started the car again, narrowly missing the lights changing from yellow to red at the busy intersection.

“Oh, Jin-hyung! That means you could probably advertise the glosses, right?” He slunk back into his seat, muttering something like they’re both mad. “Well, like, after you pass, of course.”

“I’m not sure I will.” Everyone in the car started overlapping with words of affirmations and enthusiastic praises, even yourself. “You’re so great! And you’ve practiced, what, like ten times? And that’s just in front of us.”

“Yeah, Hyung.” Mark’s hands patted Jin-hyung’s knee. “You’re the best singer I know.”

Jin-hyung turned to face Mark swiftly. “Can you come in with me?”

“Um, wait-“

“Please? I’m gonna shit myself if I go in alone. Please?”

Jungwoo leant in towards you, and you immediately placed one hand on his shoulder, steadying him. “Easy, tiger. You know you have to stay in your seat to drive, right?”

His eyes not leaving the road, he asked, “What are they talking about?”

“Jin-hyung’s asking Mark if he can come in with him. I’m not sure if that’s allowed…” You trailed off, watching the building tower over you, drizzles of rain prickling the wide front window. “Wow. Is this it?”

Jungwoo nodded, his attention now on the brothers in the back seat as he tried to park the car. The atmosphere was noticeably intense now, and you also weren’t sure how to react. He coughed. “We’re here. You guys alright?”

“No. Shit, I can’t do it. I can’t.” Jin-hyung’s face was one of pure terror, face pale and clammy, pit stains now forming on his shirt despite the cold blasts of air from the AC. You and Jungwoo shared a glance, the first one that wasn’t silly, rolling your eyes or smirking. “Well, a-are you sure?”

He was quiet, and you noticed light reflecting off the rearview mirror, Mark looking down and biting his lip, face marked with intense concentration. The tension in the car was suddenly thick, like the way a bread knife runs through a block of cold butter, and you swallowed. Finally, Mark spoke. “Okay, Hyung. I’ll come in with you.”

You watched as Jin-young’s chest retreated as he breathed a sigh of relief, cheeks still flushed and red. He tried not to let this relief show, but his voice cracked as he spoke softly. “Thanks, Min-hyung.”

After the two left the car, it was just you and Jungwoo. And, for the first time since you guys had met, it was quiet, maybe even a little awkward. Your hands flew towards the controls of the car, trying to fill the time, only to be met with Jungwoo’s skin on the back of his hand. Wow, he felt so soft. “Oh, sorry. Do you listen to music? I mean, should we?” Retreating your hand slowly, you let your eyes travel to his face.

“Kiss me.”

“What?” You didn’t even register, even as you replied. He looked equally as shocked, staring back at you blankly as if someone else had said what he had said. He let one arm slump over the back of his seat, and your heart starting pounding, your throat clammy. “Jungwoo…”

“I don’t know why I said that, sorry.”

“Wait, do you…But you wanted…me and Mark…”

“I know!” He brought both his palms to his face, rubbing his eyes so hard until it felt like you were seeing stars. “I know. That was so stupid. I can’t believe that just happened.”

You were silent, your emotions rattling inside you noisily, threatening to blow your cover. Your mouth opened and closed a few times, until you stared at his doe eyes, his cheeks now flushed pink with embarrassment. You leaned over, closing your eyes at one point before your lips met, soft, plush, a mix of his morning Americano and the strawberry lipbalm from Min-ah. Pulling away, you were met with the tiny intricacies of his face, his scent, the feeling of his shirt under your palm. The cologne he was wearing tickled your sinuses. Normally you hated that smell, but today…

“Was that okay?” His breath caressed the thin skin on your face, and you nodded almost involuntarily. “Your cologne is a bit strong for me, though.”

“My what?”

“Sorry.” You had no idea why you were so unfiltered with him, thoughts running free from the confines of your brain and into the air. “It’s just…men’s cologne makes me sneeze.”

“Oh baby, you are so cute.” His voice deepened and it felt like someone just released a dozen hungry butterflies loose in your stomach, beautiful and urgent. He chuckled, pressing a kiss now to the sides of your lips. “You’re cute when you blush. So cute.”

The sound of the car door opening made you both jump, both pulling away in the process, backs now snug against your own seats. “How did it-“ you started.

“Min-hyung is going to be an idol!” Jin-hyung’s face was sweaty and warm, his eyes puffy and red possibly from crying, but he wore an unapologetic smile on his face, like this was what he wanted all along, and the relief was simply euphoric.

∞

You pulled your hand away from inside his, trying to rid the clammy feeling off your palms. “What’s wrong?”

“Just nervous.” Jungwoo towered over you, wearing one of those denim fleece jackets you loved so much over a white t-shirt you had gifted him 2 weeks ago. “You look so yummy in white, Woo.” You wanted to cringe at that your own voice reverberating through your skull, but you felt warm and nice instead, like you had just sipped hot chocolate in this freezing weather. He knocked his ankle against yours, playfully pushing you to the side, only to drag you back with his arm looped around yours. “I’m right here. It’s okay.”

“Okay.” You nodded, but anxiety still stirred inside you, making you sick. “Plus, we can always leave if you want.”

“_! Jungwoo-hyung!” Mark looked small in his oversized puffer jacket, waving one arm over his head enthusiastically. Beside him was Johnny Suh, a trainee friend of Mark’s from Chicago, master of sarcasm and dad jokes. Walking up towards the two men, Jungwoo’s arms slipped away from yours, and you playfully patted Johnny on the arm. “Hey, you.”

“Hey, gorgeous. Wait, are you and Jungwoo a thing now?” You half-smiled, shivering against the blast of cold air that pierced through your stockings. You felt warmth spreading on the small of your back, and Jungwoo’s voice behind you. “Yeah, man.”

“I got him that.” You pointed at Jungwoo’s shirt, and he pulled you closer to your side, squeezing your hip firmly. “Yeah. So you can stop flirting with her now.”

“Damn, so you went out with her only to stop me from flirting? Red flag.” He raised his eyebrows comically, and you laughed, but Jungwoo didn’t seem very amused, not to you. He smiled and nodded, but you immediately knew he was uncomfortable. His lips were pale but plump, and you fought the urge to kiss him, biting your own bottom lip in reflex.

When you went inside, you wriggled your shoulders, shaking off your coat. “Hey, baby, you okay? You’re not jealous, are you?” Your tone was teasing, but you watched him carefully, at the way he avoided eye contact with you as he searched for an empty space on the coat rack. “I’m fine.” He muttered, and you pressed your lips together, fighting a giggle. Probably your toxic trait but he was so cute when he was sulky and pouty that you didn’t know how anyone took him seriously. “Woo, please. Don’t lie.”

“Okay!” He still wasn’t looking at you, smiling and nodding at passersby’s as he spoke. “I don’t care that he flirts with you, I really don’t, I really really…”

“Yes, you do.” You rested your weight on one hip, crossing your arms across your chest to look up at him.

“No, I don’t! I trust you.” The warm flame you had burning inside you erupted, replacing that tiny flame of anxiety, filling you with a sense of security, of love. I trust you.

“But you said I’m the funniest man you met, yet you keep laughing at his jokes.”

It was your turn laugh noisily in response, so much so that Mark noticed and joined in from afar, probably already a little tipsy and sharing random anecdotes from his life that no one asked for. You brushed snow off your boyfriend’s shoulders, watching as his nose and cheeks flushed red from the cold. “Cute. You’re so cute.”

“Well, I know that, but am I funny? I don’t care if your exes were hot or whatever, but funny?”

“First of all, you know you’re my first serious relationship. And secondly, Johnny’s humour is different. It’s more flirty, on the spot. You, well, you’re awkward and cute funny, you know? Plus,” you leaned in, intentionally letting the lipgloss on your lips smudge on his sensitive skin behind his ear, “you’re the only one I wanna kiss so bad right now.”

“WOAH! Get a room, you too!” You pulled away, noticing that the red on his cheeks were deeper, spreading all over his face. His eyes stared back at you almost blankly, and you pecked his cheek. “After this, okay? You can have all of me.”

∞

Chest heaving, you shut your eyes, wanting to savour every moment that had passed. Your bare skin shone with a thin layer of sweat, legs tangled in his. You felt him brush up against your neck, his voice vibrating in your ears. “Was that okay?” He asked as if he already knew the answer, pressing his bare body closer to you. You answered by bringing your face closer to his, and he sighed. “You taste like watermelon today. Lemon yesterday, and then strawberry on Tuesday.”

“Jungwoo, this isn’t what I wanted you to say after we had sex for the first time.”

“Sorry.” His eyes were flickering shut. “But you taste really good. Like, everywhere.”

“That’s so cute and kind of nasty too.” You scrunched your nose, and he chuckled. You hiked one leg above his thigh, needing him again. “Can I?”

He kissed you, sucking your lips, making you moan audibly and the tension in your body release as you sunk down on his length. “O-oh.” You whimpered as he began to thrust slowly into you, pressing your hips tight against his. “Fuck, yes.”

Your boobs against his bare chest, arms wrapped around his broad shoulders, you kissed him deeply, not wanting to lose contact. He groaned, thrusts getting sloppier as you felt yourself reach your own high for the second time.

∞

Your butt was getting sore from sitting on the hard surface of the stairs for hours, but you didn’t care. You watched him hang out with his friends, making them laugh so hard you could hear them from metres away. You held the envelope tight in your shaky hands, suddenly nervous. What if he didn’t like it?

“Hey, _.” The stairs creaked as you looked up, watching Johnny’s figure shrouded by the faded light of dusk. You shuffled over as he sat next to you, resting his arms over his knees. He looked tired, only hints of his sarcastic self shining through here and there. “You here to see the missus?”

“Johnny.” You rolled your eyes, but your stomach churned as you realised his eyes were on the envelope in his hands. You snatched it away to hide under your jacket, but it was obviously too late. “What’s that? Is that for him?”

“Yeah.” You had no idea where this self-consciousness suddenly was coming from. You were so proud of it, even this morning as you were driving here. Johnny was silent, matching you as you both sat, letting the distant sounds of the boys yelling fill the space between you for a few moments. Finally, he spoke.

“He loves you.” You swallowed, suddenly feeling tears well up in your eyes. When was the last time anyone had loved you like that? “So don’t worry. He’ll like it.” He patted your shoulder, and with a few thundering steps, he was gone.

As you stood in front of Jungwoo again, the same nervousness brewing in your stomach, you tried to remember those words.

“What? Who loves me? What guy?” Jungwoo looked confused, genuinely frowning and holding your hands in his. You furrowed your eyebrows, slowly coming out of your thoughts. “What?”

“You just said, ‘he loves you’.”

“Oh, oh…I said that out loud?” You removed one hand to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. “Look, I, had this entire monologue prepared, but, um, I’m just a bit nervous.”

“Why?” He caressed your face, and you heard some ooos and cheers come from the right of you. Jungwoo rolled his eyes. “Lee Donghyuck, if you don’t-“

You watched Haechan give you both over-enthusiastic thumbs up with his hands, and Jungwoo gently guided you off the stage, his hand flush on the small of your back. “Just relax, baby. It’s just me. You’re making me nervous. Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing like that.” You shook your head just as you whipped out the envelope and thrust it sideways. Your heart felt like it was bursting out of your chest, under all the layers you were wearing. You blurted out. “I kissed the pages. I kissed them after putting on the lip balms and glosses and lipsticks I wore when I kissed you and you told me I tasted good. I know! That’s the kind of thing that sounds cute in theory, but absolutely psychotic in real life. And I just-“

Jungwoo shut you up with a kiss, the envelope grazing your side as he held you tight with his other arm. Goosebumps ran up your limbs, despite all your layers. Pulling away, he rubbed his nose against yours, making you break out in a smile, despite how corny it was. “You’re probably thinking about how corny this all is. But I love it. I love this. And I love you.”

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nynyhaha · 3 months

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Thinking about the way Chrollo represents apathy and passion.

When I first saw him,he gave the impression of someone who is both very serious about his occupation and on some kind of mission,and someone who just lets things happen.

The reason he seemed so enigmatic compared to other troupe members is because we couldn’t grasp what he actually values, besides obviously the spider.This whole line of his about not caring for money,glory or fame.The fact that he sells the loot soon after stealing it.

It doesn’t make sense for a thief to be this indifferent towards the treasures he steals.And while the troupe risked their lives trying to steal from the auction,when things went wrong the loot was the last thing they considered.I always wondered what happened to all the boxes at their hideout.I hope they didn’t just leave it there??But it was never the main focus,

I think he occasionally finds something that fascinates him,just to discard it afterwards.It’s almost like he tries very hard to,excuse me, “fill the emptiness inside him”,with material possessions but is painfully aware that it’s not possible.The troupe are primarily known as thieves but it seems obtaining stuff can’t be that satisfying,at least not to Chrollo. Even if he tells everyone to “just steal” in his character song.

The scarlet eyes might’ve caught his attention at some point but again,he’s very dismissive of the whole kurta theme even when Kurapika demands some response.

So I don’t believe it’s greed that drives him.In fact,he doesn’t know what drives him.

And the reason he’s able to commit all those horrible deeds is because of his disconnection with PEOPLE. Being the leader,he’s somewhat set apart from the rest of the spiders.And there are rules that put the good of the organisation before the well-being of the members.That’s supposed to prevent members from caring as much for one another.Which is tragic.

It all only started because they all cared.

How are characters humanised in hunter x hunter? Trough forming bonds with other characters.

Killua and meruem are excellent examples.Both of them grew to care more about humans in general trough meeting a particular person.

Chrollo lost someone important and that very personal grief lead him to stop caring about human lives.Not just his own,but the ones of his fellow troupe members.

Obviously it didn’t work and they still feel very strongly for each other.The whole yorknew arc focuses on those repressed feelings of camaraderie that aren’t allowed to be experienced fully as that would interfere with the Spider.Pakunoda has to break the rules if she wants to save the life of her friend.

Chrollo can’t do that because the Spider with its rules is all he has.He’s very good at “severing ties” with things like living a save life,the authorities,possibly religion,connections with other people,seeing dead bodies as something to be respected and not as objects.He’s willing to give up everything that made him who he was,but what does he have in turn? Nothing.

The Spider needs to have a purpose but it seems that purpose is lost.Chrollo is lost,all his sacrifices lead to nothing.

He doesn’t even feel hate or anger at the world.He rarely takes things personally.

I think there was some revenge based reason for murdering the kurta clan.The troupe seem like they’d have some reason,even tho it could never be good enough.

But my thesis is that Chrollo’s biggest sin isn’t greed,pride,anger or whatever.It’s apathy.

Nothing prevents him from hurting people who have nothing to do with him,therefore he does.

He’s afraid that things will start mattering again,but at the same time we see him constantly searching for that something.He is scared of it,but he really strives to strive for something so that he can break out of this indifference he feels for everything.

So maybe Hisoka will awake some of this rage buried inside and with it make Chrollo once again seem like a very distressed human.

#chrollo lucilfer #phantom troupe #hxh #yorknew city #hisoka morow #hunter x hunter

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sunseed-fandump · 4 months

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Beware the Fae King

Another quick Liar's Circus blurb! This one is about how Shadow Milk Cookie describes Elder Faerie Cookie to the Kids!

Enjoy!

“Are not!” Wizard Cookie snapped.

“Are too!” Came Gingerbrave’s well-thought-out reply.

Gingerbrave and Wizard Cookie had been arguing like this since they got back from their trip into town to get groceries. The trio were lounging in Gingerbrave’s tent, the boardgame they had been playing forgotten in favor of a petty argument. Strawberry Cookie had given up on trying to break them up and resigned herself to watching with a tired sigh.

She had been winning too…

“Hey, hey, hey! What’s going on over here, my Little Stars?” The Ringmaster floated over from who-knows-where, putting himself between the bickering friends.

“We’ll ask the Ringmaster about it, then!” Wizard Cookie said, not taking his eyes off of Gingerbrave, “He knows everything, which means he’ll know that I’m right!”

“Well I do know everything…” The Ringmaster said with a pleased chuckle, “But I must admit I am ever so very lost on what you two are fighting about! Mind filling me in, kids?”

When Wizard and Gingerbrave just kept glaring at each other, Strawberry decided to fill in the Ringmaster herself.

“It’s about faeries.” She said, failing to notice how the word made their mentor twitch.

“… Faeries?” His smile grew a bit strained, “Now wherever did you kiddos hear about… those?”

“A nice old lady in town told me a story about them!” Gingerbrave finally broke his staring contest with Wizard. “She said they might give us gifts if we’re nice to the forests! I was talking to Wizard about it but he says they’re not real!”

“They’re just rumor and superstition!” Wizard Cookie huffed, “Faerie Cookies are just something adults made up to trick kids into behaving! Tell him, Ringmaster!”

“They’re totally real and cool and nice!!!” Gingerbrave stomped his foot with a huff.

Both boys turned to the Ringmaster with expectant looks, wanting him to settle this argument once and for all.

Shadow Milk Cookie barely contained an amused chuckle at their adorably serious expressions. Why did kids always have to take such frivolous things so seriously? And why did their expressions just look so goofy?

The Ringmaster cleared his throat.

“Well…” He pressed his hands together as he thought about how to phrase this. “Yes, Faerie Cookies do exist.”

“HA!” Gingerbrave puffed out his chest, feeling victorious. Embarrassment colored Wizard Cookie’s cheeks as he glared at his friend from under his bangs.

“However, the myths of them being nice are wrong.” Added the Ringmaster.

“Whaaaat?” Gingerbrave wilted, disappointed that he might not be able to make a faerie friend.

Strawberry tugged on the Ringmaster’s sleeve, gaining his attention. She shuffled her feet as she asked, “Have you ever met a faerie, Ringmaster?”

He timed his hesitation before responding, “I have a bit of a history with them, yes… Though I must admit, I’m a rather biased party! After all… It’s hard to feel fond for one’s jailors.”

“HUH?!�� The children gasped, taking the bait - hook, line, and sinker.

Shadow Milk Cookie turned his back to them to hide the small grin he could feel spreading across his face. He covered his mouth with his fist to sell the idea that he was slightly distraught.

“But didn’t you say it was the Witches who locked you up?!”

“You’re a really powerful cookie, how could a bunch of faeries keep YOU locked up?! How strong are they?!”

“But the story I heard said they were guardians of the forests!”

“Alright! Alright!” The Ringmaster turned back around, putting his hands up to stop the barrage of questions and exclamations, “I’ll answer all your questions… In the form of a story! And it’s about your favorite characters too!”

The children perked up in interest at that.

“The Five Great Heroes?!” Gingerbrave had stars in his eyes. They all loved the Ringmaster’s stories, but Gingerbrave seemed to have a special fondness for them.

“That’s right!” With a flourish, the kids were lifted off their feet and three cushions were brought over from Ginerbrave’s bed. They were gently seated as, with another wave of his hand, the Ringmaster summoned a small puppet theater before the trio. “But I must warn you, I’m afraid your favorite heroes don’t come out on top this time…”

Gingerbrave, who had practically been vibrating in his seat, paused. The other two children looked rather confused as well. The Five Great Heroes always won in the Ringmaster’s stories…

The Ringmaster vanished behind the puppet theater. The lights in the tent visibly dimmed, immersing the group’s focus on the little stage before them.

“Now… Where to begin…” The Ringmaster’s voice filled the entire tent. “Well… Can’t beat the classic opener! AHEM!”

Once upon a time…

There were Five great Cookies. Baked to be perfection incarnate! Great heroes who were so radiant, so glorious! They rebelled against their evil creators and began to forge a new future for the Cookies! One free of the tyranny of Witches!

Ah, but their greatness drew envy from many Cookies. But one Cookie’s jealously rose above all the others! He was known as…

The Faerie King!

A loyal servant of The Witches, he believed he had been baked to be the strongest in the world! Any Cookie who challenged him was dealt with, without mercy!

He stole the Life Powder from the Cookies foolish enough to give him their names…

He cursed the Cookies who wandered into the Faeriewood to wander lost forever…

Any who dare challenge him to battle? Was swiftly cut to pieces!

And should the Witches will it, he would kidnap small cookies into the night… To offer them to the Witches to EAT! Ah! How terrifying! I can barely look!

Oh, but he was the REAL fool! Yes! Such a fool indeed…

And yet, despite his foolishness, he was dangerously sneaky, oh, so sneaky!

“Great Witches! How do I defeat these foes so I may become the strongest Cookie in the world?” He asked his dark masters.

“Alas, there is no way you can best them in battle…” Replied the Witches, “However, we know a way to remove them from the world forever!”

And so their evil plan was put into action…

The Faerie King challenged the Five to a great battle! But just as it looked like he would loose…

WOOSH! BOOM!

Silver rained down from the skies! Chains wrapped around the Five like snakes! It was a trap!

The Five Great Heroes, their bodies reduced to crumbs, had their spirits sealed away inside a magical Silver Tree. What a tragedy!

And so the selfish, cruel, but ohh so so foolish king punished the Five Great Cookies according to his own whim!

“HA HA!” He laughed, “Now I will protect this tree and all who stand against me will be offered to the Witches!”

The Faerie King still protects the Silver Tree to this day. For he refuses to ever give up his title as the Strongest! And any Cookies who have tried to free the Heroes and bring about the end of the Witches? Wind up as crumbs!

He rules the forests with an iron fist! His faerie knights attack any wingless cookies they see! And if you’re alone and wander too close to the wood… You might just wind up never being seen again!

They’re tricky! They’re evil! They’re sneaky! They’re cruel! Yes, the fae are not to be trusted one itty-bitty bit! And you should never be foolish enough to meet their King!

So be wary of the forest, kids! And never come home late!

Lest you meet the Faerie King and wind up on a plate–!

“EEEK!” Strawberry Cookie’s scared cry startled Wizard Cookie and Gingerbrave, who replied with their own screams.

The three of them instinctually huddled together, seeking the safety they knew came with being close.

“I’m sorry, kiddos! I didn’t mean to scare you THAT badly!” A voice behind them cooed and suddenly they found themselves being wrapped in the Ringmaster’s arms.

On the inside, Shadow Milk Cookie thought their reactions were hilarious.

“Th-Th-That story isn’t REAL is it?” Strawberry asked, eyes already watering.

“I’m afraid it is, sweetheart.” Said the Ringmaster, “Elder Faerie Cookie is super-duper dangerous! And the last thing I want is for any of you to get cut down by his sword or offered up to the Witches!”

“Y-You just wanted to warn us…” Wizard summed up. His little body trembling like a leaf.

“After that story, I hope I never meet any faeries, ever!” Gingerbrave shook his head vehemently.

“If you do, you’ll have nothing to worry about!” The Ringmaster said with a sunny smile, “I’ll protect you! Alright? You can always rely on me!”

The kids cuddled closer to him. Though he was a spirit and lacked any warmth, they still felt safe in his arms.

Yes, they would definitely be able to rely on their Ringmaster to keep them safe…

#liar's circus #cookie run fanfic #fanfic #cr fanfic #gingerbrave #strawberry cookie #wizard cookie #shadow milk cookie #au

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tyran-the-tyranical · 4 months

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I keep seeing people bringing up Raphael’s line about Mol and are coming out with (in my opinion) a little bit of extreme takes.

“What a lovely specimen she is a blushing Apple begging to be plucked”

Firstly, this is just gross and predatory behaviour regarding Mol, just not in the way people are claiming.

He calls her a blushing apple and what he means by this is that she stands out - he sees potential in her and he’s planning on plucking that and exploiting it to his own whims. Of course blushing seems to have its own connotations but in relation to the apple analogy it makes sense. The sentence in itself is very disgusting and gross, but not because it gives off “pedo” vibes, it’s because he’s being predatory but not in any sexual way, there’s nothing sexual about it, literally nothing.

It’s gross because that’s what devils do, they prey on the weak, sick, elderly and children, the most vulnerable in a society because they’re easy prey (in their minds, etc) he’s also may be planning on grooming her presumably into a future position that would serve him later on (like what Korilla does now), yet might I add there’s nothing sexual about it.

People also bring up Gortash as an example but theres also nothing to add with that either. Gortash was abused by Nubaldin (who is an employee of Raphael’s), who says it himself that he would beat Gortash until he was sobbing, there is no mention of Raphael partaking in this let alone any other sorts of abuse (tho he’s not innocent here either, negligent in the very least)

Also, when looking at Gortash’s design it’s clear he holds some sort of admiration for Raphael, he copies his outfit somewhat with the devil’s accessories and such, which would be strange if any abuse by Raphael happened.

Raphael is a devil and if we even look at his father, who in canon, takes good aligned children/babies and eats them so perhaps the leap to something just as sinister isn’t too crazy to come to. Yet, at the same time there is no evidence of this whatsoever other than vibes which is a weak argument in the first place.

His line about Mol is purposely made to be uncomfortable and weird, Karlach even comments on it being such.

“please let me smack this creep”

The line is supposed to show how predatory and deplorable he is, but where I think people are getting confused is that they think him being predatory automatically means he is a pedo, which just isn’t the case. No where else in the game is it stated he has an affinity for specifically children and especially not in that way.

Karlach I think even says more about it after the conversation on how she sees mol going down the same route she did, as in someone taking advantage of their naïveté but not sexually, just that they’re going to use them to their own ends and screw them over in the long run, I think if Karlach thought he was being sexual about it she would’ve been a bit more pissed or comment about it at the very least (more than just calling him a creep lol)

Like I know I might be crazy for this comparison but this feels like when ppl were saying William Afton is a pedo, on the basis of him being (literally) predatory around kids and vibes - you can be predatory and not a pedo, the two aren’t synonymous.

I also think it’s kinda disingenuous to push away criticism by saying you’re only defending Raphael bc ur attracted to him etc, I can like his character and still think he’s a shitty disgusting person, as well as having critical thoughts on that matter, especially since I love my girl hope (justice for hope fr) and I will most likely always kill Raphael in my playthroughs too since he’s such a lil freak anyway.

I really think it’s just a total lack of media literacy, just because these characters are preying on kids weaknesses/vulnerabilities (luring them into selling their souls or grooming them to work for you in the future) does not equate to them being pedophiles. Is it gross and deplorable behaviour? YES, that was the point, but does that mean they’re pedophiles? NO.

The line is gross, it’s supposed to be, and I understand if someone’s first thought might be is he a yknow, but to stick with that and to boldly claim he’s something that there isn’t any evidence for is wild to me. Call him a predator, a groomer, murderer, a literal devil, all things he literally is lol.

Look maybe I’m crazy, maybe I’m being wild, I’m not trying to defend him, he’s disgusting and literally evil lol, yet I still think it’s a misjudgement of his character, since there’s other evil characters in game but that doesn’t mean you can just add every evil thing a person can be into them, like minthara, even Gortash, orin or ketheric or whatever, they have their limits, (tho orin is probably the one with the fewest limitations lol) but if you’re going to call anyone a pedo have it be Mizora, least she grooms Wyll and follows through with disgusting touching (everytime she’s licking him in the promotion, EW, tho that’s not in game so debatable)

I get that with such a clearly and obviously disgusting line that that might be the conclusion people will automatically come to but at the same time I just ask that you do some more thinking on the matter, like sure he’s just a lil pixel dude but at the same time it’s a bit worrying to see how quick people will confidently jump and claim he’s a pedophile.

Anyway, media literacy is dead and we’ve killed it.

#bg3 raphael #raphael bg3 #baldurs gate raphael #baldurs gate 3 raphael #baldur's gate raphael #raphael the cambion #bg3 mol

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that-ari-blogger · 2 months

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Duality Of Tone (Follies at the Coven Day Parade)

Let’s talk about tone for a bit.

We’re in a kind of pre-chorus for The Owl House, we’re not in the end game yet, that kicks off with Edge of the World, but we’re gearing up for it.

We’re also not exactly at the start of the series anymore. You could argue that the start of Season Two got the ball rolling with the more dramatic storytelling that characterised some of the series’ best episodes, and while that’s true from a certain point of view, I still think that the show actually gained momentum with Knock Knock Knockin’ On Hooty’s Door and has been spending the after that consolidating what it has before the final sprint.

In this context, I mean dramatic in the sense of one of the two main overarching genres (kinda), the other being comedic. This is the context in which you will hear actors discussed as dedicating themselves to one and breaking the mould when they venture into the other. I will come back to this.

Follies At The Coven Day Parade focuses the idea of choice and the established ending implicit in the magical world genre, but it uses the opportunity to fine tune the show’s tone and mood as a whole.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD (The Owl House, Amphibia, Dead Poet Society, Good Morning Vietnam, Good Will Hunting)

Kikimore is just fun. I’ll talk about how her story factors into the themes in a minute, but I want to come back to a concept I have been discussing for a while, the idea of multiple introductions.

Because, up to this point, Kikimora has been a one note villain. She’s a henchwoman with an abusive boss. Its interesting, but there’s not really been much else to her.

Enter this episode, which introduces her family and the stress that relationship puts on her. You can imply a lot from the one side of that phone call, and it doesn’t seem like the healthiest of relationships.

I think the fact that Kikimora stands up straighter in response to her mother over the phone speaks volumes. She follows the voice of authority, in this case her mother, immediately. Its instinctive. You can imply a lot about Kikimora's family life from this phone call, but also why she follows Belos so willingly. She has had that hierarchy engrained deep in her psyche from a very young age.

As a side note, is it a phone call? Is it a walkie talkie? The wiki calls them Crow Phones, but Amity has clearly only ever heard Luz say the word “phone” so I’m just at a loss. Are they just crows? Are they a pun that I’m not aware of? I’m so confused.

Anyway, then we get the one line that sells this character for me:

“Ooh! I cannot believe we are being taken against our will. What sayeth you, fiend?”

This seems like part of Luz’s schemes, right? She seems like the kind of person who would work references to her favourite stories into her plans. But her response says otherwise.

“Uh! That's right! I, Hecate, will whisk you away to my kingdom of mirrors and snakes! (Hushed) Hey, come on. I didn't know I had to prepare lines.”

The fact that Luz’s idea of improvising is just becoming someone else is telling because it shows you that her idea of confidence isn’t in her own identity, its in idolisation and replication. But also, Kikimora out of the blue decided to dish out some purple prose, for no reason. She could have just been silent, but she decided to be poetic. She’s got a hobby, and a personal life beyond what we see.

But then she doubles down.

Hey, look at that, duality as a theme presented through the cinematography. Kikimora is intimidating and lit from below. You look up at her and that frost effect is awesome. But she's also tiny, relying on the bigger creature for her power.

When I talk about characters being introduced twice, that usually implies a mask being worn or an innate contradiction. Amity, for example, is introduced as “the bully” first, and then expanded into a character with themes of abuse and expectations, which recontextualises her into someone that can change and become better.

The purpose of this isn’t to claim everyone is the exact opposite of how they appear, because with Kikimora, what you see is what you get. Kikimora has complexity, but she is still a henchwoman with an abusive boss. That one note has been expanded into a chord, sure, but it’s not a complex one, and that’s ok.

It does allow Kikimora to engage with the theme of duality that this episode hinges on. Kikimora has to make a decision between her two worlds, and Luz latches onto that because of the events of the previous episode.

Worth noting, however, is that Luz has completely misinterpreted the conversation with her mother. The mind spell is a fantastic way of literally exploring a character’s psyche, but a flashback can work just as well. Memories aren’t as infalable as people think, especially with an unreliable narrator who focuses on specifics and misses important elements.

The original conversation went like this:

“When you come home, promise you'll stay here. I didn't mean to push you away. I swear things will be different.

“Mom, it's not you, it never was!”

“Promise me, Luz... please!”

“Okay, Mom. I promise.”

Whereas in this episode, Luz only remembers the following:

“Promise me. When you come home, you'll stay with me, and you'll never go back to that place.”

“Mom, it's not you. It never was!”

“Please!”

“Okay, Mom. I promise.”

There’s an ultimatum in Luz’s memory that wasn’t there to start with. Luz is dealing in absolutes, and all know who deals in absolutes.

In all seriousness, Luz has perceived the world as a Boolean variable, either she stays in the demon realm, or she stays in the human realm. In her mind there are only two options.

This is exacerbated by Kikimora, who does live in a world of extremes, because her boss is abusive, and her family is… less than stellar. Luz has projected onto a situation that doesn’t fit her and tried to work that out as a proxy, which doesn’t work.

Similarly, Riane has, in my eyes, misconstrued things as well. Raine’s last interaction with Eda led to them believing that Eda cannot be a part of the rebellion. They think that either Eda protects her kids and isn’t a rebel, or Eda is a rebel and loses out on her family.

But here’s the kicker: The Emperor directly threatens Luz and King with his villainy. Eda will be forced to join the rebellion later on, so Raine trying to scare her away only postpones the inevitable.

I mentioned tone, and that actually factors into the duality theme that is being presented here.

Luz is so morose in this episode, especially in contrast to the rest of the series up to this point. This is to set up the weight of episodes to come so that they aren’t jarring, but it also reflects how thematically dissonant the ultimatum is.

Take Amphibia for example. That is a series about growing up and understanding that sometimes you have to let go. Sometimes people drift apart, sometimes you move to a different place, and that’s ok. So, the finale, when the two worlds are separated, feels cathartic. It’s the culmination of the themes.

The Owl House is not Amphibia. It’s a story about human complexity, and the perils of boxing people in. It’s a story about nuance, and the breaking down of categories. It’s a story about finding a middle ground between the real and the imaginary. This ultimatum doesn’t make sense.

Case and point, the duality of dramatic and comedic storytelling it utter bollocks.

It’s a useful tool, don’t get me wrong, but its for external understanding. Its so that an actor or a writer can go “I like telling this kind of story” and an audience can point out their preferences. But in practical terms, storytelling is more of a gradient. There is no exact line that distinguishes each category. Nobody is saying “everything funnier than Toy Story 2 is a comedy”.

As evidence, I present, Robin Williams.

Dead Poet Society and Good Morning Vietnam both start out as comedies then come crashing down into dramas towards their finales.

The former focuses on the quirky hijinks of what boarding school kids get up to in a critique of British Private School education that all comes to a head with the death of a student and the utter mismanagement of the results.

The latter is about a comedy radio star who witnesses the horrors of war and gradually looses his sense of humour. The Adrian Cronauer that gets off the plane at the start of the film is a very different person to the one we see at the end.

Both of these stories have clear points at which their tones are changed up and Robbin Williams switches his performance seamlessly.

So, was Robbin Williams a comedic actor, or a dramatic one? Or was he just using tools of the trade from one or the other depending on the situation?

Alternatively, is it possible that he was drawing from the same toolbox to achieve whatever response he wanted at the time?

Good Will Hunting is both a comedy and a drama, and it doesn’t differentiate the two. Sure, there are moments that are one or the other, with the discussion of Sean’s wife waking herself up with her own farts being decidedly funny and the “your move chief” speech being serious as all hell, but the rest of the film falls somewhere in the middle. And let’s look at those two scenes in a bit more detail.

The joke about Sean’s wife is used to bring the characters together and allow them to empathise. Their friendship is built on humour.

Simultaneously, the speech is all build up to a single, final punchline. It has little moments to keep you interested, keep you entertained, and hint and the meaning, but it hinges on its final words, that’s how jokes work.

The iconic “it’s not your fault” scene works in a similar way. It’s a building of emotion slowly, gathering your attention as the characters react in different ways, until that powerful burst of emotion and breaking down.

Set up and pay off. That’s all it is.

Maybe the two genres of storytelling aren’t that different at all. Maybe the entirety of genre is a construct. Maybe the world is more nuanced than categorisation would lead you to believe.

I feel the need to cover all my bases here and say that I am heavily biased in the direction of genre being a scam. There is an argument to be made that the duality of performance does exist, and a ton of actors, including some I know personally, use it to great effect to inform their choices on stage. It is a way of understanding a story, and if it helps you, it helps you. I am just one of those people for whom it does not work.

Linking back to The Owl House, the series is gearing up to get really dark and really serious in the near future, lessening its comedic influence for a while. The ratio of jokes per episode will be a lot lower in the next few episodes.

This reflects Luz’s swing in a different direction. She has been so focused on the dream and adventure, but now that she is dealing with reality, she is grappling with her home, which she sees as more mundane. The humour is used to convey whimsicality, and the “real” world is sapping that from Luz’s life.

I’m not going to spoil the entirety of the series here, because I know some people are reading these posts as they watch the show. But rest assured, this won’t be the last time the series messes around with its tone.

Belos shows the audience his scar, possibly creating a dilemma by way of Wild Magic having a cost, it could be thought provoking, if it wasn't immediately preceded by the most overtly villainous visual I have ever seen. The show primes you to disbelieve what he is about to say, which I think is neat.

Final Thoughts

I had more to say about this episode than I was expecting. I never really found Kikimora that engaging as a character, so an episode about her was never going to be my favourite. I think she’s fun, don’t get me wrong, but she never really got me to care about what happens to her. And that’s ok. Not every character has to be a big sell. Sometimes you just need a goon who relates to the themes and is written competently. Not everything needs to be amazing.

But, you know who is amazing? Terra Snapdragon. Holy moly that character introduction is brilliant. She has Kikimora and Raine wrapped around her finger, and the amount of malice that Debra Wilson brings to the role is full on Disney villain levels of panache and I love it.

She will get her second introduction much later, but as for what we get now, she is delightfully devilish. She is also set up so clearly as a villain for Willow. The plant magic is the obvious one, but she’s also Willow’s exact opposite, she’s confident where Willow is shy, and she puts people down where Willow is the team support. If season three hadn’t been cut short, I guarantee that would have come up.

Although, I do have a little more in mind that a possible extended season three would cover. Sound off in the replies if you are interested in my hypotheticals.

Next week, I will be covering Elsewhere and Elsewhen, which has more so much to talk about that I’m not sure where to start. So, stick around if that interests you.

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#rants #literary analysis #literature analysis #what's so special about...?#character analysis #the owl house #toh #toh kikimora #toh raine #toh luz #the owl house kikimora #the owl house luz #the owl house raine #raine whispers #kikimora #luz noceda #toh lumity #meta #meta analysis

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beansnsoup · 1 year

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hii -🍄

can i request a Reader x Fred Weasley

after a tiring week, on his break they plan to spend time together but something happens at the reader's work (maybe in her own store) and now Fred is a needy mess and impatient for cuddles

when she solves the problem (it didn't take long but I'm sure Fred would scoff that she left him for hours) they just hug and piss each other off

just fluff funny and more fluff fluff pleasee

Fred is so bbg

☆

All Love No Jokes

Summary: Diagon Alley has been very busy the past week or two, and it's caused you and your boyfriend Fred to not have a lot of time to yourselves.

Relationship: Romantic

Character: Fred Weasley

Warnings: fem reader, clingy partner??, fluff

"Thank you, please come again!" You say, handing them their bag. They smile at you, waving food bye as they take the bag.

After the customer leaves, you watch more come into the already packed store. You let out a sigh, you haven't seen your boyfriend, Fred, it days.

He and his brother, George, own the joke shop 2 doors down from yours. The three of you met when they first started setting up the shop after they bought it, and you and Fred had an instant connection.

Recently though the stores have been so packed either of you haven't been able to find the time see eachother.

The holidays were just around the corner, so family and friends were scavenging for the perfect gifts. This is the second most busiest time of the year. It's a close runner-up to back to school shopping.

You hear the door ring as it opens, but ignore it since the grandmother is taking forever to choose a gift, so she's been talking to you for the past 20 minutes to help her pick one.

You finally just convince the lady to pick out the necklace from your sister's jewelry line since not a lot of people have been purchasing from her lately.

You check her out and rub your eyes out of frustration. The people piling up in the shop are causing the volume to rise gradually.

"You're a very amazing businesswoman." You hear a familiar voice call out. You turn around to find Fred.

"When did you get in here?" You ask him as he wraps an arm around your waist to pull you closer.

"I squeezed in when you looked like you were going to rip your hair out because of that old lady."

You laughed, "Yeah, but she was really sweet. There's just a lot going on in the store today."

"You should close early, and we'll make a night of it, George will cover for me."

"As good as that sounds, this is the most money I've made in a while, I need this."

He sulks, "Okay love, just so you know, I'll be back at your closing time."

You smile at him as his grasp loosens, "Okay."

He makes his way to the door and sends you a small finger wave. When the door shuts, you suddenly feel empty, and you also find yourself looking at the clock every time you aren't helping a customer.

"Just these, please." You hear someone say thag knocks you away from your trance. You smile at them and start to add up and bagging the items.

The whole situation seems like a blur due to you trying to listen to the ticks of the clock and count them as they go.

Once you finally get the last group of customers out and the clock strikes 6 you lock the door up and run to the back door, swinging it open.

"Well, it's nice to see you too, love." Fred says, you smile at him and pull him in for a kiss. You lead him in, locking the door behind the both of you.

Soon enough, the two of you are in the flat above your shop. "Today was wild, I had a woman yell at me because one of the candles I was selling wasn't a color she liked." You started.

Fred laughed at this, "Well, George got slapped by a 12 year old boy because he couldn't get Puking Pastilles for free."

You laughed at this while he wrapped his arms around you and buried his face into your neck, "You okay?" You ask him.

"Yea, just a long day and I missed you."

"I missed you too, I'm contemplating closing the shop tomorrow or the day after to catch a break."

"That'd be nice. We could finally get some alone time." He said, wiggling his eyebrows.

You cringe and nudge him off you, which is followed by a groan from him. You knew he had a thing for physical touch, and you had a thing for egging it on.

He rubbed your shoulder with his thumb, grazing it up and down. "I missed you."

"I missed you more."

"Wrong, because I missed you most."

I LOVE FRED WEASLEY SM

"Don't start with me."

#harry potter #fred weasly x reader #fred weasley x reader #fred weasley #fred weasley x fem!reader

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felixisourayofsunshine · 11 months

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Okay so I really wanted to talk about emonette's character plus Shadybug and Clawnoir's relationship......... Well this is gonna be a long one so sorry in advance

Okay let's go!!!

So as we saw in the special emonette said that she was constantly bullied by Chloe(guess she doesn't change in any universe 😔 that damn brat I hate her.... not more than Lila though) and considering how broken she sounded that was not the same bullying that Chloe of this universe did to Mari that shit must've been extreme. However, I donot think that the bullying alone there must've been more aspects which lead her to the path of evil.

Well, while we're at it let's talk about this scene.. God this was so heart wrenching....

When she said that-

"I'm sorry mommy dear, I fine I just- just dropped my sewing kit it's A BIT DAMAGED"

When she said the above line while glancing at her face which reflected on those broken pieces of mirror.... I swear I wanted to cry. Don't you see how poetic this was, while she seemed to be taking about the broken mirror we can clearly see that the one who is broken Is her some one once said

"But that's the irony, broken people, are not fragile....."

So while emonette is completely broken inside she never lets show on her face, no matter how sad, how broken, how miserable she is she keeps moving forward, you wonder why? Well, because it's MARINETTE for crying out loud.... no matter what universe it is our Mari puts on a brave face in front of other, she tends to hide her scars and crying silently not letting others know. Even in the original universe she would have broken much sooner if it was not for Alya finding out her identity. But as emonette said herself she doesn't have loving parents, a best friend and a supportive boyfriend, she was left all alone to suffer without anyone by her side

I still wonder what her wish really was though, knowing her it certainly not power. Could it be something else which she yearns for. Okay so hear me out do you remember what she said to Mari? She said:

"Do you think that it'd be any different from how it is now? Guess what, I don't have your nice little life. The world where I'm from there are no awesome girlfriends to inspire me everyday, no amazing bff, lovable, calm and gentle mom or a boyfriend who doesn't think I'm a total loser...."

These lines broke me though 😭...

So my theory is that in that universe Tom is dead and Sabine is abusive( I totally can't imagine that tho) that would explain why she behaved like that with Sabine and she works in her dad's bakery to keep his name.

Oh well I have a worse on........ Both Tom and Sabine are dead and she was adopted by someome who were very abusive(let's consider that after she graduated junior high she moved out of that school and is probably out of Chloe's grasp) they even intended to sell the bakery, the only belonging of her late parents she was left with. That was when she met supreme and he offered her that in exchange of killing her abusive guardian she will have to work with him. So maybe her wish could be returning to those happy times with her parents without Chloe or any suffering. Well I guess it was a bit far fetched but anywaaaays.... 😅

Okay let's analyse another scene..... The one where she was reading Mari's diary.

What's interesting about her in Mari's room was that she certainly recognised her room and we can see that she does live in the bakery after all. The reason why she acted that way was to save her identity getting exposed to Claw Noir(which I don't think she cares that much about) or she really wanted to find out if this version of her had a better and happier life than hers.while she pretended that she wanted to look for clues, she went through Mari's personal stuff life her computer, her diary and her other things not because she was looking for clues but because she wanted know what kind of life this MARINETTE had.

Look, she was crying while reading that diary. She wants this life.

Just look at her... Looking into the life of a version of herself she wishes she could be. A world where "THERE ARE AMAZING GIRLFRIENDS TO INSPIRE HER EVERYDAY, AN AMAZING BFF, LOVABLE AND CALM MOM AND A BOYFRIEND WHO DOESN'T THINK THAT SHE IS A TOTAL LOOSER".

You see.. behind that evil mask there is a broken girl who longs to be loved. she wants a shoulder to cry on, hands who would embrace her tight when she is crying. She may look like a total badass who doesn't need anyone but no! that's not the case at all.

Aaaand I think she does have someone like that in her life already, and that person is the one and only CLAW NOIR. ........Even if she refuses to acknowledge it.

So, while she was shutted down, abandoned, bullied and absused her whole life and had no one to helf her up, Claw Noir was there for her,even though he is a total dork who teases her all the time.

Well yeah he is hella rude and disrespects her A LOT, it may look like she may never fall for him normally, but lets consider emonette's circumstances...... As much as we know she doesn't have anyone to rely on, no friends and probably no family. She never had anyone to inspire her. In a life like this...... After she got her miraculous and met Claw Noir, she finally had a reason to live, a reason to fight and a person, she could work together with and trust just a little bit yeah not totally cuz well he does let her fall head on..

In Mari's room when she reads the diary and learns about Ladybug and Chat Noir's relationship, their friendship, their partnership. She does look like she wants that too. (Also this may not apply to everyone but sometimes two people who like each other tease each other a lot....... )

They may fight eachother and not consider each other as partners, but they do make an amazing team. They may not be partners but they've got eachother's back at time of need. Just how Shadybug needs Clawnoir's strength while fighting and how Clawnoir relies on Shadybug's plans.

Also this scene...... While you can say that he is acting this way because he now knows that she is Marinette, the girl he likes.., but we know he is Adrien afterall he may care about Shadybug deep down without realising it and with him now knowing who she really is has realised it.

Just look at him he looks sad when he sees her cry too. He may act like he doesn't care but he actually does. He is like "I am the only one who can hurt her, anyone else who dares to do that must pay....." .

And the scene where she opens up to Mari was just so emotional, I literally started crying. There was pain, sorrow and grief in her eyes. She was suffering and was jealous of Mari,'cuz she thought that she had everything for granted, she thought that she never knew what suffering was like. Her words were so sad. But after Mari made her feel that they really are alike and changed her for better I felt so happy......

And after that when she met (now improved) Claw Noir they felt like they were more to each other and I loved it..

All I want now is a ShadyClaw series.. we need to know what happened after that.... And before they landed in the multiverse.

Well aren't they the cutest.

I wish they become a couple in future.....

Oh well that was a long one.....

Well I had it in mind for quite a long time but couldn't write it because I have exams coming 😭. But wanted to finish it before I forgot it. So here I am. I hope y'all liked it though.

Okay let's end it with a quote:.

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

I hope this becomes true for our beloved emoadrinette.

Bug out!🐞🐾

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