#//But logically I don't think that would really happen.

[lemonhemlock]

the reason why i don't think blood & cheese works without maelor is because it undermines the gravity of helaena's choice

in the books, as we all know, she has to choose which son to sacrifice. blood & cheese are going to kill one either way, so, whatever happens, if you want to get cynical about it, aegon will still be left with a male heir of his body. no, the horribleness of the choice lies not really in dynastic matters, but in basic humanity: which of your children are you willing to condemn to death? and helaena truly does try to make the best out of a bad situation, she picks not because she loves jaehaerys more, but because maelor is so tiny that she hopes he won't understand what's going to happen to him.

and she absolutely has to choose, because b&c threaten to rape her daughter if she doesn't. it's psychological torture. b&c just want to fuck her up in the head as much as possible and helaena tries her goddamnest to minimize the harm done to her family. to further compound on the tragedy, b&c kill the opposite child, so now she has to live out the rest of her days knowing that the son left alive is the son SHE herself marked for the axe. which is what understandably drives her to lose her mind

now, in the show, the "problem" blood & cheese have doesn't exist at all: that they can't supposedly tell the twins apart. but (as awful as it sounds, since it involves sexual assault) they could very easily check which child has male genitalia and be done with it. it's a "problem" that takes literal seconds to solve. they don't need helaena at all! it becomes irrelevant which child she points towards - b&c can always just check! she can't save jaehaerys in this situation no matter what she does, because b&c were never interested in jaehaera in the first place. in the books, she has the ability to save one child and this exact horrible "agency" bestowed on her torments her for the rest of her days. in the show, even had she pointed towards jaehaera, it would have been a narrative plot hole for the writers to have killed her without checking

likewise, in the books, she begs them to kill her instead, but, in the show, she offers them a necklace? you can't deny that the dramatic stakes are lowered substantially by making that change. which one of these options would have been more filled with pathos? personally, it just feels like this was phia's moment to shine and, while she did a good job with what she had, every narrative choice was somehow made to subdue this horrible event and left her only crumbs to work with. cinematically-speaking, this scene (as it was executed) does not even come close to the iconic moments that cemented GoT into the collective consciousness, which is very strange, as the subject matter is anything but mediocre

and that's not even getting into the rest of the plot holes that others have already pointed out, like:

- why are there no guards at helaena's door or anywhere else for that matter? not just on that hallway, but on many other hallways, she has to run quite a lot to get to alicent's chambers

- why is her room unlocked at the very least

- why is ALICENT's room unlocked, for that matter? she is having secret guilty sex with criston and she forgets to lock her door in a castle full of spies? anyone could have walked in

- not even getting into this whole thing just being one huge misunderstanding + minimizing daemon's and mysaria's roles :))

- NOT EVEN mentioning removing the trauma of alicent witnessing all of this, gagged and bound on her own bed, not being able to help or intervene in any way

i can understand the likelihood of these elements happening sometimes (maybe someone does forget to lock their door from time to time, maybe a guard does shirk their duties from time to time), but you can't write all of them at once without it turning all looney tunes. if you introduce too many aspects that defy logic in your story, it ceases to be believable and just becomes bad writing

___________________________________________

also, "they killed <the boy>"? not "my son" or "jaehaerys"? it sounds so removed, don't you think? helaena out there on her mother's floor dropping exposition for the audience 🥲

[junegirl06]

Some spamton art and rambling

Spamton is a very interesting character. Anybody who had payed attention to Deltarune after chapter 2 would know this. And his sheer popularity makes sense. His odd way of speaking, the perfect mix of quirkiness and terrifying insanity, the tragic backstory. The elements are all there to make a insanely well written character. But uh- I'm not here to gush about how good of a character Spamton is. (I mean, technically I am) I'm here to look at his character specifically through the lens of him being a spam bot.

Despite what the addisons said about Spamton being "like the rest of us," I think Spamton always was meant to be a little different. The way his appearance is very similar to the addisons but not quite the same - I'm pretty sure his marketing tactics followed the same principle. Whether it was because he was simply a bit more pushy with his advertisements, or that there was something a bit unnerving about his character even before gaster/the mysterious entity came into play, I'm sure there was a reason the customers ignored him. Just like how people ignore real life spam emails. They're annoying, unsafe, weird, stupid. Spamton was always meant to be ignored. To be that one email guy popping up at people with advertisements on the streets. People just DON'T LIKE SPAM.

Then the mysterious entity came into Spamton's life. Somehow, defying all logic, they made spam emails popular. They made Spamton popular. But they also gave him knowledge on the nature of their world. That everything is controlled by the plot and other such unseen forces, and that nobody can truly make their own decisions in this world. With this, Spamton knew his popularity really wasn't supposed to have happened in the first place, but everybody already loved him, (well, the addisons left him- but that was just because they were jealous! He didn't need them!) and he'd ride the wave as high as it'd take him.

But it all came crashing sooner than even Spamton expected. Without the entity's help, the world corrected itself, and everybody went right back to hating spam emails. Spamton would go back to being that forgetful email guy. No, it was even worse now. At least back then he had some people that were friendly to him. Now... he had nobody. He didn't even have a house.

He was always meant to be this way, wasn't he? No matter how hard he tried, the world simply wouldn't let him be a big shot. Spamton absolutely hated that. He wanted to fight back against this cruel world. Now, he didn’t just want his popularity back, he wanted freedom. To escape the confines of this story and his role as a personified spam bot, to become something… more. To truly become a [BIG SHOT]!

But that didn’t change the fact he was still a spam bot. And what do spam bots do? They just keep sending emails to as many people as possible, just in the off chance somebody will click that link. That’s exactly what Spamton does to try to gain his freedom. He latched on to a ray of hope- that robot in the basement- and repeatedly attempted to sneak inside the queens mansion to get to it without regard for exactly how good his plans are, in the vain hope one of those attempts would succeed at one point. He just kept trying. Over and over and over… slowly losing his mind even more in the process. There is evidence that he tries multiple times to get inside the basement, with Sweet Cap’n Cakes mentioning a “funny little man” asking them for help to sneak in the mansion, and Swatch mentioning an impersonator- which is probably Spamton. Which uh… the image of the tiny dude dressing up as this huge bird guy and thinking it’s a clever enough disguise to get past everybody in the mansion in a funny thought- but kinda sad at the same time. Seriously- did Spamton really think there was a chance that’d work??? But I digress.

Even with his repeated unsuccessful attempts to infiltrate the mansion- there was one attempt that worked. When Kris and the player came into the picture. But even with the help of a lighter and a literal god-being on his side helping him with his plan… he still failed. That neo robot didn’t do anything for his situation. He was still trapped. And so he turned against Kris, and by extension the player, in a last ditch attempt to get his freedom. That was what fully solidified his utter failure. He was going against us. But even if he hadn’t attempted to fight the player, he would’ve have failed in any other attempt anyways.

From the very moment Spamton decided to oppose the rules of this video game world, to try to become something more than a spam bot, he was destined to fail. Even if he managed to get Kris’s soul. Even if he somehow became as powerful as Asriel in undertale, he still wouldn’t get the freedom he wants. Because he is a character in a video game, and he will never become anything more than that.

[snakeredbirdbatkatana]

TimKonBartCassie Clone Baby AU

Part 2

He jolts awake from if you call weird dream's about a gun slinging toddler with a flying a dog a restful sleep, to awake in a second.

It takes about ten more seconds for him to realize he is in his room at Titans Tower, his kid is gone which he is not currently too worried about once he remembers the conversation from last night.

He's already heading back to the lounge figuring it a good place to hunt down a secret keeping Impulse and everyone else.

Kon is holding him the baby asleep, while Bart rests in Cassie's lap. Various baby items from bibs, diapers, and clothes are neatly placed to the side of the couch.

Kon greets him with a soft smile that he can't help but return before sliding down next to Bart.

It's comfortable and he's grateful that's no one's mad, that they all just accepted Luci once again he's surprised by how family just goes with it no matter what.

He loves them so much.

It's only been about two minutes before Cassie breaks the silence.

"Alright, we don't know how much you remember but you passed out, we figured the sleep deprivation caught up, Kon carried you to bed, we wanted to wait until you were awake to finish the discussion about everything."

Tim breathes he wants to know everything Bart knows but logically this doesn't just concern them if Jason has a kid he has to inform him. Nevermind that he needs to get back to Gotham and talk to everybody.

"Ok, I think we all should head to Gotham, I can call a family meeting, Bart can finish saying whatever he knows to everyone, because I don't think it's fair that we sit with information that could effect everyone, but I don't just want to decided or do anything I already did, something pretty big without talking to you guys."

"I agree mostly the cave would be the best place, I'm not exactly ecstatic about talking to everyone. I think Rob's right, also I want Jon to meet his nephew."

Kon brings up a point that he hadn't factored in Bruce is a grandfather now Dick is a uncle so is Jason and Damian. He also kinda really wants to show off his baby he finally understands why Bruce keeps photos of them all in his wallet.

"I agree Diana is gonna be all over our little hellraiser and it's a lot easier if we just gather everyone up and do one giant explanation, than doing it a million times. Also I don't know about anyone else but free babysitting is a perk, kiddo didn't want to sleep at all most likely cause Mom passed out on the floor but who knows?"

Tim can't disagree other than, wait why is he mom?

"Tim you talked in your sleep and were very offended that Dad has baby memorie before Mom cause you created him."

Kon laughs distracting him with his sparkly eyes, how unfair.

"I didn't mean to say that out loud and yes I did all the complicated stuff so I will be Mom if I want to although I will share with Cassie if I have to." He pouts. 

It's surreal that he really does mean that and for some reason mom or dad it doesn't matter one bit he has a little baby, his own baby bird.

"Alright boys I think we should get a move on, Tim send out a message and have Batman gather everyone up, he will probably have an easier time then we would."

He grabs his phone he didn't even realize that he had it luckly it's late enough in the day that work and school for everyone shouldn't be a problem.

He texts both Bruce and Alfred that something happened no one is hurt, but he needs everyone in the cave from Supers, Bats, Titans, Outlaws, Wonder Woman's essentially if we would want them to know something important they need to be there as fast as possible.

Not even ten seconds later his phone rings which he expected.

"Tim what's happening?"

He's terrified it's really setting in that he has a a kid.

That he has to tell Bruce.

Yet he's relieved it's Batman, It's Bruce, it's Dad.

He fix anything and hopefully teach him how to change a diaper.

He can't stop the sob that follows.

"I just need you to do this, please Dad it's... I did something stupid, but so amazing and just please I need you ok. I am coming with Young Justice it involves all of us and make sure our family's there, just please. I can't explain over the phone."

"Ok sweetheart I don't know what's going on but it will be ok. Anything can be figured out. Alfred is calling everyone will be here in about an hour. Are you ok? Injuried?"

"No I'm ok just make sure everyone's there Dick, Alfred just we need them. I'll be there in about an hour and a half. I love you."

He hangs up.

-

Bruce is terrified he never dialed so quickly in his life and his son sounds well upset doesn't even begin to cover it, but he knows it's important he only had to look at Alfred before he was calling Jason who was already with Roy picking up Lian.

Dick, Damian, Duke, Cass already are waiting in the cave he practically screamed for them to get down here.

Alfred quietly informing them that something happened and that everyone needs to get to the cave.

Bruce can't move he hears Jason come in but he can't greet him.

Soon the Titans arrive conversing with mainly Roy and Dick.

Clark, Diana and Barry arrive soon after.

He sees Jon talking quietly with Damian finally he gets up.

Looks at his children, teammates and everyone he could possible think of might need to know about a catastrophic event.

He clears his throat.

"I received a message from Young Justice, I don't know what happened, all I know is it's something major apperently no one is injured but they need us I expect whatever is going on is upsetting they will need our support."

He looks at his boys and Cass trying to push reassurance but he doesn't succeed.

Clark and Diana look two seconds away from flying to Titans Tower only stopped by Alfred.

It's been a little over an hour and Bruce wants nothing more than to hunt down his son, and wrap him in his cape but he's stopped by Zeta Tube turning on.

Everyone turns.

Out steps an exhausted looking Connor Kent, followed by Cassie Sandsmark who shoot a quick smile at Bruce which immediately confuses him.

They both block the zeta glaring at everyone until Bart Allen appears holding up a clearly exhausted Tim who still has tear tracks on his face.

He looks like he is gonna drop at any minute but before Bruce can rush to his son.

Tim steps away from all three wrapped in Superboy's Jacket.

The leather falls.

There's a baby.

A exhausted grin comes across Tim's face before he speaks.

"I had a baby, these are the parents also Bart has a story to share...... Surprise?"

Before Bruce can even blink Dick is across the room followed by Jason.

Jason who quickly steals the bundle with a soft coo.

Dick kisses Tim's forehead before picking him up

"I gotcha little brother, to the med bay we go."

Jason follows a step behind purposefully keeping the baby in sight of his third son.

It takes less than a minute before Alfred is checking over Tim only to be quickly interrupted by Kon who is laughing.

"Rob, that phasing could use some work, yes we have a baby, he did not however give birth to it in the traditional sense. Not that I don't agree with the coddling he deserves it. What I want to know is why exactly did you people just steal our kid, if Mom needs a break he's got three Dads over here."

Dick interrupts from his place by Tim's side.

"My little brother is my priority he will be taken care of by me. I assume little brother goes where baby goes so baby will also be taken care of by me. I also could care less of how Littlest Bird came to be, all that matters is my brother and the baby are healthy and ok."

He glares straight at Connor which Bruce quickly joins him how dare that boy. His baby had a baby. He needs his family.

Everyone is still frozen other than his boys.

He walks over to Jason to get a closer look at his granddaughter based off the pink blanket.

He wants to hold her and keep her safe until Tim can but Jason looks two seconds away from shooting anyone who gets to close so she will be perfectly safe.

He will check on his baby instead.

He kisses Tim on the forehead who is being prescribed rest and fluids by Alfred. He will also not be walking anywhere for the foreseeable future he is assuming that there wasn't an actual birth but any excuse to carry his children he will take it.

Damian, and Cass have joined around Tim. Clearly both on guard with their brother so clearly vulnerable. 

"I am really glad you guys are taking it so well, but Bart has important information for us all, and Jay, I would like my baby and maybe a hug from Dick in that order."

Quickly she is given back to Tim and Dick joins wrapping around them a soft smile directed at them both.

"Yeah it might be best if I start talking, cause I think Rob is gonna kill me if I don't."

[jeons-catalyst]

It was tkk who romanticized TK enlisting into the military based on a passed down Urban Legend quote of Tae saying he would enlist with JK, which they can never provide real proof of where he really said that. They had it in their heads it was gonna happen. Even talking about the companion system in 2022 hoping TK would use it. They were all set for TK to enlist together. Even made nasty, disgusting, raunchy fanarts of them having sex non stop in the military, cause they think queer men can't keep their hands off each other. So when they found out JK were doing it, it knocked them down to reality. And all those sex drawing and sex filled fantasies they were writing suddenly made them panic cause it's Jikook going together and gonna be together for 2 years in the same bed. There's no use in arguing this. We have receipts going back for years of them confident TK would enlist and was begging. I do have a question tho. Since by their logic they are using NOW that Jikook proved they are not real when they enlisted together, does this mean deep down the whole entire time they don't think TK are real, because why were you wanting them to join the military together then? Just to prove they aren't real? See they don't think before they speak. And BTW, they have been non stop making theories and lies about TK sneaking off base to have quickies and taking their vacation days together to spend alone time together. It's all they think about.

If after you watched GCF Tokyo & believed such a system existed for two close people to join the military together and thought to yourself, TK will use that. Then you set yourself up for failure right out the gate. And if Tae did say that, which I am still waiting on a real non mistranslated quote and proof of where and when he said that, since K-army Tae fans said they don't even remember him saying that. Then it still doesn't matter cause you have never in your life heard JK say he would enlist with Tae. Tae can say it all day long, but Jk has to make that decision too and clearly he did and we see who he went with. And that is not shade. That is reality. The two closest members who proved it for years are the ones enlisted. The ones you were burning memories DVD's over cause it always proved to you how glued they were. And now you wanna act shocked. IT'S BEEN 6 MONTHS. YOU GOT A YEAR TO GO. Either shut up and move on and accept Jikook used the companion system and proved they were close enough to use it. Or stay and keep making excuses & keep being proved wrong. Fighting for a ship where one of the parties took his real relationship public. You can't make this up. I'm not gonna argue with you over your proven non romantic ship, when I saw what Tae did with my own eyes. Knowing all this and them freaks still making theories about JK and Tae possibly sharing a car back from base. There are people in those cars with them and Jimin is right in front of them. I'm not wasting my energy on you sex deprived horndog freaks. Your ship is proven not romantic or real. Move on.

Everytime taekookers open their mouths, they just prove how much they themselves don’t even believe in the things they say.

They claim that Jikookers are romanticizing the military when all we are doing is celebrating the fact that Jikook have each other meanwhile they are the ones really romanticizing the whole thing by projecting what they really think Jikook would be doing in there unto us. You talk about Jikook being together and you see a taekooker coming to accuse you of claiming that jikook are fucking in the barracks. B**tch, how does “Jikook are together” translate to “they are fucking in the barracks”? They don’t realize that with every word they utter, they tell us what they really fear.

Enlisting together was ok until they heard jikook were doing it and then they changed narratives, the same way “a real queer couple in a homophobic country would never be seen together cuz it exposes them” was their motto until Taekook started hanging out in public and making appearances at red carpets, concerts and musicals together. They claimed jikook couldn’t be real when Jikook went to restaurants at midnight, went to movies, hung out with friends etc. To tkkrs, this was jikook exposing themselves too much to be a real couple in a homophobic country but this same people celebrate Taekook attending a premiere and call it a “private” date even though they were literally driven there in bighit vehicles with bighit staff surrounding them. You know, the same bighit they have claimed is hell bent on suppressing and hiding taekook.

Almost every public function which taekook attended together in chapter two which tkkrs call “private dates” and and claim had nothing to do with bighit, we literally see bighit vehicles, drivers and staff with them. They keep eating their own words but don’t even realize it.

These are the same pple who call jikookers nasty for celebrating jikook being together but after the “awkward” taekook hug on Jin’s discharge, almost all of them started claiming that taekook see each other often. My question is how? They forget that Taekook haven’t had any vacation days that aligned so are they implying that taekook sneak out of their bases to go see each other? They do things like this yet we are the nasty ones?

Also, they claim that the Buddy system doesn’t mean anything to Jk because jk has never said anything about it, but if i ask them to show me when Jk said he was going to enlist with Tae, something they have been celebrating for years even though it literally allegedly came ONLY from Tae and never from Jungkook, then i’ll be the bad guy🙄

[flowerandblood]

Review from the Vatican

House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 1

AGHHHH!!!!! I LOVED IT. I LOVED ITTTTT. I don't care what others think, I had tears in my eyes throughout the entire episode! I couldn't imagine a better season opener, really. It was fantastic first episode, better than the one from season one in my opinion.

Below are my spoiler thoughts and my husband's impressions – beware, comments section is not spoiler free.

Alicent x Criston???? Honestly, that's the only spoiler I got, but it was still worth it, lol! Their relationship is very interesting! I like the idea that Alicent kind of get what she always envied Rhaenyra. Scene in the Sept with her burning candles made me very emotional. And her trying to justify Aemond and Aegon? Her sending apologize letter to Rhaenyra? Heartbreaking!

Aegon trying to be a dad who cares and a good king in his weird, boorish way? Helaena saying that she is afraid and his response, that there's nothing to afraid of – then when she says that she is afraid of rats he looks around the chamber as if thinking that there are really rats there. When he nor the servants sees none he is going back into joking mood, not knowing what to do with her words. I love, loooove that we get a scene between them!

Helaena giving away her boy not knowing what to do? Helaena running away with her daughter? Helaena in complete shock, entering her mother's chamber, not even caring what is going on there?

I really like the change that they wanted them to kill Aemond, not Helaena's children. It has a lot, lot more sense for the plot for me (I know that some Team Green people will complain that they make them "look better" – I'm not any team and for me it just look more logical that you want son for a son that actually KILLED YOUR BABY.

Rhaenyra finding Luke's body and grieving? Jace talking to Cregan on the wall? Aemond being Aemond?

AMAZING

As to the Aemond: Aegon calling him a hound, but like, in some tender way, like: my brother will fucking destroy our enemies and protect our family. I love the feeling that Aemond deep down, as Otto said, want to PROVE himself, because he FUCKED UP so much.

And him teasing Criston Cole? My fucking God that was hilarious.

I loved Alicent × Otto conversation a lot too.

My husband really enjoyed the entire episode. Overall, I'm proud of him for understanding what was going on so well and we both laughed during the scene in the Throne Room with Aegon and Otto. He was surprised that Helaena gave up her son so easily and didn't really believe she did it: in my opinion, she just knew that if she didn't do it, they would kill her and her daughter too.

The next episode looks completely crazy. We'll see what happens in the brothel, aghhhh.

FUCKING JUSTICE FOR THE DOG. 🤬🤬🤬🤬

If you want, write about your thoughts, but please take into account that I will simply delete and block messages/comments that insult other fans or me. I invite you to a joyful and pleasant discussion!!!!!

[writingquestionsanswered]

Could you please help me, I'm stuck so badly I don't know if my plot make sense or not, i write my plot here please tell me if it's make sense and logical or it's illogical?🙏🥲

My character i call him (A) is in love with Other character (B) for four years, he doesn't know B has a boyfriend and when he found out abt it only after his confession to B, he still won't give up on his feelings for B. Despite the fact that B rejected him. There's a C one who is in love with A. A & C start interacting until A catch some feelings for C but he still didn't give up On his feelings for B.

Well then We have A character who is in love with B and has feelings for C. Is it logical to love someone else when you're in love with another one? Do you think my plot make sense? And is it ok for A to have feelings for both and think about both of them in his head?

Messy Love Triangle

Love is complicated, and that's one of the many aspects of the "human condition" we writers love to explore via storytelling.

Is it "logical" to love one person while still having feelings for another? I don't think "logic" really plays into it. Love is often illogical, that's the point. Is it "believable" though? Yes, it's believable because it happens.

As for whether it's okay for A to have feelings for both and to think about both, that's a harder question to answer. How would you feel if the person you were in a relationship with still had feelings for someone else and still thought about them a lot? How would C feel? These are questions only you can answer and explore since it's your characters and your story. :)

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[kingspuppet]

I've always really enjoyed the idea of Goro having a gun, but it's always more-so for the purpose of a "just in case" scenario if Shido comes after him. It's not something he really carries around or breaks out. Probably sits hidden wedged between his mattress and the wall/bed frame, and probably isn't really taken anywhere. At the same time though, it's kind of difficult to imagine that he'd even have one in the first place. With his age, image, and Japanese society I doubt he'd easily acquire one. So as much as I love the idea of him having it for insurance purposes, I feel like there's a good possibility he just doesn't have one.

[mewtwo24]

You know idk if it's just me being oblivious af but mxtx sure does enjoy putting her protags through the trolley problem when it comes to her works huh /j

[antiyourwokehomophobia2]

I don't wanna be fuck buddies or friends with benefits or casual or open relationship or whatever the fuck else people come up with. My heart is not something you can weigh in one hand while weighing someone else's in the other. Either love me fully or don't touch me at all.

[fluffykitteninabox]

me at 15 reading about ocd on the internet: oh that sounds like a nightmare I don't think I could live like that, so glad I definitely don't have it

me getting diagnosed 7 years later:

[andessence]

so cruel to be stricken with blorbotions for a character in a mediocre source material. i love u ma'am but ur covered in bad writing grime!! idk if there's anything i can do for u....

[s-une]

the stress I get from reading suspense but since I'm a masochist it's the genre I look for the most. I want to eat this book and someone tell me what's going on.

[bumblingbabooshka]

Can you imagine if Tuvok got divorced? It’d be so funny, I just know that guy would completely give up on everything. He’d need like, several decades to recover. I think he might go become a Kolinahru for real this time.

[mishkakagehishka]

And it's not just ab Mika projecting onto Frankie as an 8yo, it's about Mika getting in his angsty teen phase at 14, deciding he's "grown out of" mh and having to accept that, no, he's not just like Frankie, that he'll never be as cool as the pretty and fashionable monster (positive) dolly, that unlike her, his eyes don't hint at a cooler background, they're just creepy reminders of the fact that he's a freak, or whatever.

And then at 18 outgrowing that angst and finding comfort in mh again, outgrowing his hatred of his eyes, something something. The bittersweet connection between a boy and the character he first projected onto to cope with his insecurities, then started hating out of a misguided jealousy/envy and then started loving again because he realised he was too harsh on himself, or something

[violetclarity]

my best friend is moving in with his boyfriend and I am Not handling it super well so real grown-ups of tumblr, how do you deal with it when a good friend has a long-term, serious partner who you think is...fine?

[leatherbookmark]

making it a separate post because i’d talk forever and it’s annoying to talk forever in the replies--

gnomeicecream replied to this post:

Makes me wonder if Lan Zhan isn't 'remember that time you thought my boyfriend was evil and nearly whipped me to death? I do' then deliberately not helping. He was left alone for what, three years after?

oh dear, now that's material for a loooooong conversation i'm not sure i'm qualified for, but like. i don't think lwj blames lxc for his punishment!

considering what the punishment is for, he kind of got off lightly; on top of that, lwj says in the banquet extra that "during the years i spent in seclusion, brother would always come visit me and talk to me sincerely", implying that now that the situation is reversed, he can't do the same. he has to feel at least a bit regretful/conflicted about that.

the thing that irks me is that... lxc is just a forever afterthought. this line i just quoted is from literally a three lines long post-coital conversation that happens and fizzes out quickly (wwx then doesn’t reply and they just go to sleep). another occasion lxc is mentioned in the extra is at the beginning of part 2, in which wgxn can’t try fucking while lwj’s doing handstands because “lwj has to visit his brother”. i know the book is about wgxn and the extras are even more so -- just a chance for the readers to bask in their adorable life together -- but from my pov (i don’t really care about wgxn’s adorable life together and i’m heartbroken about xiyao) it’s just... sad.

it’s been a while since i’ve read the chapters earlier than the one with the post-burial mounds lotus pier jgy haters conference, so i don’t remember all instances of the gusu twin jades interacting, but i can’t help but think that the whole jgy business kind of... changed it in a way that i’m not sure is salvageable. what i mean is that after lwj realized wwx is back, he sort of -- yeeted him on the very top of his priority list, and forgot everything and everyone else in the process, well, save for lsz because he’s wwx’s Kid Buddy From The Burial Mounds. he trusts and supports wwx completely, even if he has no real empirical reason for it -- wwx says jgy killed nmj, so jgy killed nmj, duh. the jades have their thing with silent communication, but i don’t remember lwj even showing that he’s in any way concerned with how lxc might feel about this.

in the guanyin temple as well -- i believe they do it out of concern for lxc, but i can’t help but feel bitter when wgxn tell lxc not to talk to jgy, not to believe him and so on, when they don’t want jgy to Tangle LXC In His Web Of Lies Again. i don’t know how to put it, but it’s like -- lxc isn’t a full person in this situation? they sort of assume he’s been tricked by jgy. they treat him almost like a child who doesn’t know better, when he says it himself that it’s not that he didn’t know jgy was up to No Good, he just trusted that he was doing it because he had no other choice. no thought is given to this revelation! jgy is bad, jgy is an excellent actor and a skilled manipulator, so it’s best to just not let him talk to lxc at all.

i think that at this point, lwj doesn’t understand lxc at all. i’m not sure whether he’s aware of this, so focused on wwx. probably not. but before he leaves, he doesn’t do anything to even show lxc... anything, really? i’ll be there for you, brother? i don’t understand, but i feel your pain? anything else, just anything! but there’s nothing. and by the time lxc is mentioned next time, it’s in the context of lwj not trying to help him because “it would be fruitless either way”. doesn’t that sound just fucking bleak.

because here, i feel, is the source of the problem, lxc’s crown of the most tragic elder sibling: his little brother doesn’t even know how to help him. there’s nothing he thinks he can do in this situation. does he even have anything to say about jgy, or his relationship with lxc? does he have anything to say about how his beloved helped bring him down? is he sorry about that, does he feel bad that lxc can’t or doesn’t want to face the world?

we just don’t know dot gif.

we do know, though, that at the end of the novel wangxian agree that they’ll tell lxc the truth -- the horrible truth that might make lxc, gasp! realize new things about his friend -- when he asks. which is honestly... well, i think you can guess how i feel about it.

it’s funny, though -- we talk a lot about the yunmeng bros’ reconciliation, is it possible or not, etc, etc, even though through jin ling all things are possible so jot it down. the fact that jl stubbornly points out that jc clearly wanted to say something to wwx -- this, i think, is a hint that they will eventually talk. or at least it would be in a world that i think would make sense; in a world where wwx has relationships other than lwj and the juniors. what should be debated more, i think, is the relationship between the lan brothers. the problem of lxc is often glossed over in fics; of course he leaves seclusion and attends wgxn’s wedding as their first and main shipper&supporter, and of course he finds peace, whatever the fuck it is. but does he really? i think lxc “finding peace” primarily should mean him figuring out what he wants as a person, individual, not “sect leader lan” or “lwj’s big brother”, but he, lan huan courtesy xichen. and i think that one of these things could be... understanding. and i don’t know if lwj can offer him that tbh