#[MEANWHILE I WROTE A WHOLE NOVEL FOR YOU]

[untilthcyrot]

things you said prompts | 12. things you said when you thought i was asleep asked by @freakarus

Sleep was supposed to be a sacred time for people; a way for the mind to recharge, for the body to relax, and for dreams to whisk you away from the woes of reality and transform you somewhere else. For Winnie, for as long as she could remember, sleep was a time when she could chance sleepwalking and the prospect was just as equally terrifying as the last. She could remember when she was a little girl, her mother would securely tuck her into bed and she would feel so warm and safe underneath that blanket. If she thought hard about it, she could still remember the way it smelled washed in that fabric softener her mother always bought. Once tucked in, her mother would place a kiss on the crown of her golden head and whisper "good night" before disappearing from the room completely. Moonlight slipped through the curtains onto her face. Instead of counting sheep, she counted the twinkles in the night sky as she was lulled to sleep.

But no dreams ever came during those nights. There was only darkness, this void that felt like a daze that she was lost in until slowly she was being pulled out of. It would take a few moments to comprehend but she'd realize that she wasn't in her bed anymore. Sleep blinked out of her eyes and she would find that she was standing in her backyard . . . or the driveway . . . or on those rare and terrifying occasions, somewhere in the woods behind her house. No memory of how she got there, crawling back into her bed shivering and scared. When her mother found out, she tried to get her help, but how do you explain a perfectly normal little girl sleepwalking? You look at her schizophrenic mother and make assumptions apparently.

The Gilded Hand knew why. It took a madman taking her as a child, taking all of the special children like her, and locking them away in an abandoned factory, to tell her that she had a unique ability that went beyond the human scope. Winnie had that ability to connect with the dead who had trouble crossing over. She was a beacon of light to the spirits who were lost and confused. They would be attracted to her like a moth to a flame, trying to reach out to her, to her light, and use it as a means of finally crossing over. The trouble was, that a little girl didn't always realize that her imaginary friends were ghosts, and she didn't know how to help them. And her mother? Well, maybe she worried that these friends she saw were all part of a sickness that she passed down to her, so she was hardly any help to her daughter.

Sometimes the spirits took it too far though, but was it something that they could really help either? After spending time walking the earth alone and unseen by the living, finding someone like Winnie was overwhelming for them and they found themselves desperate. They found that they couldn't just talk to her but possess her for a short amount of time. They felt the warmth of life again in her body - what it felt like to breathe air into their lungs, the warmth of a summer night, the taste of food again. They tried not to let any harm come to her, especially when she was a child, but the stress of being possessed would cause her body to reject the souls and she would end up sleepwalking wherever she was left alone again.

As she grew older, she was able to take back some control again. There were no more imaginary friends but spirits who needed her help and she tried to do just that before it affected her sleeping habits, but it couldn't always be stopped. The world was full of lost souls, unfortunately. Winnie had been terrified that Eddie would find her in the compromising position of wandering outside in a sleeping daze until he finally had. Maybe it scared him too, but...instead of rejecting her...he was there for her. That meant more to him than he would ever know. For a girl who never felt completely safe when she was laying in her bed trying to sleep, just him accepting that part of her made her feel that much better about her ability, about her whole self in general.

Tonight, as it felt like she was having one of those dreamless nights again, her eyes flung open in a panic. She was met with darkness that made her heart race, only imagining in those first few seconds where she could have ended up tonight if Eddie hadn't stopped her from leaving first if he had even been awake to notice. Relief was quick to sink in when she realized her blues were staring up at the ceiling and she turned her head to find Eddie sound asleep next to her. She hadn't realized her hand had clenched the drawstring to her hoodie, quickly releasing her grip as tension died down from the realization that her dreamless sleep was just that . . . a dreamless sleep, nothing more, nothing less.

Winnie turned over on her side, body shifting closer to Eddie so that she could feel the warmth of his body against her own. Something about that feeling . . . it made her feel safe and secure, just like when her mother tucked her underneath that blanket smelling of sweet fabric softener and kissing her on the head. Safe. She leaned her head against his shoulder, shutting her eyes before the tears could escape them.

❝ You're my armor, ❞ she whispered so quietly that she wouldn't have even thought she said them if she knew she hadn't. ❝ You make me feel safe when I shut my eyes and I'm scared about what's going to happen when I fall asleep. I know nothing will happen anymore because of you. ❞

[cursedzucchini]

You know what? Fuck it

DC x DP prompt #3

I think at least lmao.

Anyway! Jason starts making videos on YouTube for one reason or another (is really stressed, no one listens to his rants Abt books who cares). His content is mostly bad books he read or really really really long rants Abt pride and prejudice. Like 3 hours on one tiny detail he noticed on his 214th read through.

He's kinda popular, mostly bc his terrible books videos. He talks Abt the ones that made him the most mad, which coincidentally are mostly romance and supernatural. Like he's one of the well known figures in the supernatural romance critique group (whcih is pretty small, but well). (Also he doesn't show his face on camera, bc secret identity and stuff, it's just his voice over a video of something mundane, like the sky or a room in which is a fly or something)

And now this can go two ways, that i can think of (w dead on main in mind at least)

1) one day Jason finds a book which is supernatural romance and is actually good. It has a kidna cliche system for the supernatural stuff, but with a refreshing twist. The characters have depts and flaws, yet are still very likable. The plot is actually interesting and overall the story's theme is death, not belonging anywhere and overall stuff that is very close to Jason's heart. The story doesn't shy away from violence and it is suprisingly accurate.

(I'm.gonna reblog this w pretty long idea of what this book could be Abt, bc i don't wanna annoy ppl lol)

Anyway Jason kinda falls in love w it, and it becomes famous for being the first novel Jason rated positively or something.

Meanwhile Danny, who was told by jazz writing is good way to get his feeling out, and just wanted to make a quick buck, is really fucking confused how tf did his book become so popular and who tf is this nerd who rates books for a living.

(basically big fan Jason and suspicious/awkward Danny lmao)

2) there is a famous series on Jason profile. It's the worst fucking series he ever read and it's just fucking awful. All the characters are fucking terrible, always going on and on about one thing, the romance sucks in a way that isnt even funny. Jason would love to believe some wrote this as a joke, if it wasn't for the absolute cringefest this was, and it wasn't a whole ass series!! Like who writes 12 books for a joke?

Danny ducking Fenton that's who. Dude was so ducking annoyed at his rogues, he threatened them w writing a terrible romance novels abt them. The ghosts, knowing his terrible grade in literature backed off for a moment, before someone crossed the line. And write Danny did. It was the worst thing he had ever written, the love interest was perfect caricature yet still faithfully go the original. And Danny, because fuck them he lost sommuch sleep over that one prank, decided to publish it. (The book was pretty thin so it didn't take that much time writing it). Unfortunately it became immensely popular in the infinite realm. So the ghosts started crossing lines on purpose. Before Danny figured it out, he had already published his fifth book and was writing another three. After some bargaining, getting a book written Abt them as a piece of shit love interest became a reward.

And while yeah, he had to say his writing was terrible and the books sucked, some small part of him was kinda proud y'know? Like a mother of her twelve ugly as fuck toddlers.

So when he saw some nerd on the internet not only shit talk his book, but also get money of it?

Danny decided to haunt him (just like his books did him, now that everyone knew Abt them thanks to this guy)

(enemies (sorta it's not that serious tho) to lovers ala terrible writer Danny who hates his books and kinda famous YouTuber hasn't who also hates Danny's books)

--

Fuck this is way too long wtf. Anyway imma reblog this w 1) book idea. Might add whatever i think the twelve books could be Abt. Pls if u want to add anything to this pls do!!

[rizzyu]

Hello there! :D If u dont mind, can i req platonic friendship hcs for luxiem? where gn!reader looks up to them as an older brother figure? +bonus points if they also have a chaotic personality >:D Have a great day~

Big-brother Figure HC

Pairing: Vox, Mysta, Luca, Ike, Shu x gn! reader

Category: Fluff, heehee haha funni

Warning: C h a o s .  

Summary: Platonic relationship with the Luxiem members :D

A/N: Hi hi! That is such as cute idea! I can already imagine the chaos before even starting to write lol Anyways thank you for the request :D

Vox Akuma

He tries his very very very very very best not to bring in sussy conversations while you are around, since you're like his little-sibling figure

It's very fucking difficult for him to not straight up yell something like FORKIN- *** **** ***** ***, but he really R E A L L Y tries his best (c'mon you gotta give him some slack for trying this hard)

Even though you might already have learnt it from other Niji members (mr satan here might choke those specific members if he finds out)

But Vox also takes care of you very well

Like he'd go out of his way just to make sure you have the best meals every day

Overall, I think Vox would be a very caring but yet very protective big-brother figure

Mysta Rias

You'd be making fun of him A LOT (like real siblings lol) and also pick on him specifically

Like in every roast tier list, Mysta's in the "bullied" tier, and you're the living proof of that.

Say if you're playing Crab Game, you'd specifically throw a snowball at him out of nowhere, causing him (using his webcam mic that makes him sound like he's in the middle of a damn hurricane) to scream like he's stuck between the fabric of reality and the backrooms

Basically like this: "WHAAA WHA%#%@"#*@ WHO THE %##*@/× FUCK ^@!~# DID&פ^#*!/£₩※THAT /£&&$)#(@#:"

Meanwhile you: "MUHYAHYAHYAHAYYAHAYAGHAGSSBABBA L L L L L L"

And if Mysta is cooking, just like Vox his Mysta's cooking stream, you'd scold him for cooking in such uhhhhh c u r s e d ways

“Mysta, for the love of Riku Tazumi, by “pour oil into the pan”, doesn’t mean to fill the entire pan with oil.”

Overall, chaotic sibling-like relationship with Mysta :)

Luca Kaneshiro

The most chaotic duo in NijiEN

You two would both pull pranks and say random deez nuts, ligma jokes to other members

Whenever you two take part in collabs (especially large ones), I can imagine you both causing so much mischief that everyone would be screaming your names while chasing you two who are laughing your butts off (I love his laugh it’s so goofy)

He’d teach you his ways of pogging

Say if you’re playing Minecraft, you two would probably place lava traps in front of the doors of every house, before hiding nearby to see the other members scream when they fall into the trap

Basically he’s gonna troll with you all the time :)

Ike Eveland

Just like Vox, very caring but very protective

He really enjoys reading you the novels he wrote and making you caviar toast. Even if you dislike caviar, he (tries) to not be too disappointed in you lol

Ike also like to teach you how to write novels and how to speak some Swedish words

And usually when you did well when he’s teaching you things, he’d give you a headpat :3

Usually if some other members say something a bit sussy, broski would look d e a d into their eyes while having both hands covering both of your ears, before politely telling you to go somewhere else for the meantime. Then he'd threaten whoever did that in front of you.

I like it when he goes psychopath mode. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Shu Yamino

You’d definitely greet each other with “eyyyyyyyyyyyyy” everytime you meet lol

If you’re a smart person, you’d probably be talking about maths or something in the middle of a game.

“There are two boxes blocking that so if we double it we can cover the whole thing.”

 “Yea but there isn’t enough space to place 4 boxes there, maybe 3.46 boxes can work.”

“Seems like 3.48 would work better.”

“BUT IT’S JUST A 0.02 DIFFERENCE-” (made-up scenario lol)

The whole time chat would be spamming the nerd emoji 🤓🤓🤓

You, Shu and Petra would get along very well too, since Petra is like a sister figure to Shu

Happy penguin siblings :D

[icarus-suraki]

Got this as a reply ages ago on my Ao3 post:

Yes, even that story.

Ao3 is not a platform. Ao3 is an archive.

Okay, so, this story was definitely not for the you, commenter. That's all there is to it. Not every story is for every person. And that's just how it is. And it's okay. There's an old saying in librarianship: "Every book its reader; every reader, a book."

But rather than freaking out, maybe we ought to query why the creator wrote and posted that story.

Because if they wrote it with the intention to be shocking and transgressive, they clearly succeeded. You, commenter, are shocked and find the whole thing extremely transgressive. Conceptually, it's a bit like novels that say drugs are great. Or like any number of commercially published novels that take on graphic murders. Horror novels have some fucked up shit in them sometimes and people who enjoy exploring intense emotions and situations in a fictional context read those without engaging in those behaviors.

For the record, I read a lot of "transgressive" literature and I'm out in the world with a job and a place to live and an internet connection. Meanwhile, fans of Christian fiction can be some of the most vicious beasts I have ever encountered. Thoughts?

This particular example, though, is also interesting because it's like inverse zoophilia/zoosadism--the human is the victim here, somehow. Zooisms have been a hot topic in recent years--so does this story stir up personal reactions to that topic? Is that the intention? I'm not about to defend acting zoophiles/zoosadists because they're literally engaging in animal abuse. Like, that's a crime. (Was the dog in this story a German shepherd? It's always German shepherds for some reason with the zoos.)

Or is the concern that this is the author's kink? Because there's a lot of concern over kinks anymore and whether a kink is acceptable or whether kinks are acceptable at all. Who is this story for? Someone with a similar kink? Don't start on the "consuming porn leads to more porn and more violent porn until you're a sexually-motivated serial killer" line because that comes out of a Ted Bundy interview and we all know he was a consummate liar. Again: horror fans read some fucked up shit. Mystery novel fans read some fucked up shit, even if they say the "good ending" absolves them of that. And they're not killing people.

Engaging with an unusual interest or desire on a level removed from reality is a much safer way to engage with that interest than in reality. Fiction is not reality. Movies are not reality. Theater is not reality. BDSM is theater and theater is not reality. These are all things with a remove from reality, which lets one engage with an interest without harm to self or others.

I can guarantee you that there are stories just as, if not more, distressing to you, the commenter, in notebooks and computer files all over the world. They still exist though they aren't published. You don't have to have read a story like the above to find a socially dangerous interest like this. These things can arise in relative isolation. Source: I grew up before the internet became what it is now and I have seen some shit.

The fact that this particular story was posted online suggests a desire on the part of the author to share it. Why would they want to do that? To shock readers? To find people with similar desires? Publication/posting implies a desire for responses. Why do you think this story was written? Why do you think it was shared? Who is the intended audience?

I'm sorry this story upset you, commenter. It absolutely sucks to get blindsided by a story (or any kind of media) that you find upsetting. It's certainly happened to me and I didn't like it either. I have had a lot of religious anxiety for most of my life and getting surprised by Chick Tracts being left around in the bookstore where I worked was not a good time. So, yes, I sympathize.

But it's impossible to control what billions of humans are going to be saying, doing, writing, or interested in. You can't stop people from writing fucked up shit, as much as you would like to. The best thing you can do is create a system to alert others about what, if anything, might be distressing in a piece of media. This is why, if one is usual Ao3 like a lending library and not an archive, there are content warnings, age recommendations, and tags. You can't control what everyone else is doing, but you can and should protect yourself as much as necessary. And, yes, that does mean that you have to deal with things that you don't like existing in shared spaces in the world. You may have to work on coming to terms with that. And yes I am serious. I have had to do the same thing in my life.

Also I have a lot of questions. How did you find this story? Was it by accident or was it intentional? What was the story "about"? How was it written? Was it genuine or was it a troll? Was the dog cognitively on a level with a human? How canine/anthropomorphized was the dog in this story? Was this Scooby Doo fanfic? Was this werewolf fanfic? Are you concerned that dogs will read this story and go on to rape eleven year-olds?

So why would someone write a story in which an eleven year-old gets raped by their dog?

And, gang, I anonymized the commenter on purpose. Don't go seek them out.

[osarina]

I JUST GOT AROUND TO READING I, CARRION AND UGH!!

“there’s a lecherous smile on Albatross’s face as he leans against the frame and looks at you, glasses hanging off the bridge of his nose. ‘Damn, if you weren’t the boss’s girl…’” awww stop it you’ll make me blush

THE SCENE W DAZAI FINDING US NOT READY YET “It’s not silly if it has you upset,” kisses on the nape of the neck and then kissing our ankles & buckling our heels >>>>>> “I’m sorry that I’m not a good enough man to do what’s right and let you go.” hey so what if i started violently sobbing. “but if fate brought us together, then far be it from me to deny the one thing in this world that has ever made me happy.” HEY SO WHAT IF I STARTED VIOLENTLY SOBBING.

“Still, he wants to gouge their eyes out.” if my man doesn’t want to gouge out people’s eyes just for looking at me, i don’t want him ‼️‼️

“My, Dazai, possessive, aren’t you?” “Very,” Dazai agrees idly. “Be sure to remember that.” bringing his hand up from your waist to cup your cheek, thumb brushing over your bottom lip as he murmurs, “That’s my girl, always so smart.” blushing giggling kicking my feet twirling my hair

“Fyodor Dostoevsky. A pleasure, truly.” oh no. oh no no no no no. that’s not good.

one more thing, i noticed that you kinda like made up your own characters (which was super cool and really creative btw!!) could you explain how/why you chose the specific authors you did? and i’m assuming you got their group names from something they wrote, any reason you chose those works in particular? (these are the ones i’m talking about: Mishima Yukio of the Sun and Steel, Nabokov’s Pale Flame, Leo Tolstoy’s Three Deaths, Cao Xueqin of the Red Chamber, Kitazawa Michihiro of Fuji Electric)

ty for listening to my ramblings once again ily !!

TUMBLR USER PE4RL-DIVER UGHHHHHH I LOVE YOU WHENEVER I SEE U IN MY NOTIFS IM SO HEART EYES

albatross is truly her no1 fan in this fic and she adores him <3 dazai is so not unsubtly jealous of him whenever she talks to him. gets all side eyed and irritated and then has to hide it whenever she looks at him LOLLLLL meanwhile albatross is just pleased that dazai is no longer an emotionless brick wall with a quick trigger finger

WHEN I TELL U THAT SCENE WAS ACTUALLY MY FAVORITE EVER i actually struggled so much writing it not because it was hard to write just because i was yearning so terrible for him LOLLLLL HAHAHAH

</33333 we all need our own beastzai truly life is so unfair he's so perfect

OMGGGGGGGG actually thats my favorite part of writing series/long one shots. i adore being able to build up new characters and organizations. usually i pull them just from some of my favorite authors/works (i cheated with the one electric company its actually just a real company because i got lazy) BUTTTTT mishima is obviously my go to just because there's lowkey already been reference to him and his works in the series but no mention of him, so he's my favorite to build and explore. and then i dont know why but i always have the russian underground divided by three (tolstoy, dostoevsky, nabokov) and usually in a constant territory struggle. of the two ive built up, nabokov is usually the one i use the most because ive hced that he worked with the previous boss pretty often before things went to shit. but i've actually built tolstoy's organization more than his - the three deaths is led by a triumvirate of tolstoy, gorky, and cheknov who were all contemporaries and had were associated with each other. and actually fun fact, i plan on doing a fic with a reader who takes the place of cheknov as one of the three deaths so we're going to see more from them. cao xueqin wrote one of the 4 great classical novels of chinese literature. my fyozai fic i've also built a new organization for - they're based in italy and are in constant conflict with the clocktower, but i don't wanna give anything away because u shall see when i finally post that

maybe one day ill do a whole little page for the organizations ive built & their references in my fics for u guys to look at if ur interested!!

[lloydfrontera]

I wrote a short retelling of the ending spoilers for a discord server I'm in. And. Oh☹️ they changed how it was portraited. Of course they would☹️

They already changed how Lloyd would view his death– which, by the way, was seriously more tragic when he could FEEL himself die– to it just him being an outsider that can't feel or interact with anything

Novel Javier was holding back tears, trying to comfort Lloyd by telling him to Cheer Up, the doctor will be here soon, he even gave his heart a massage using mana vs Webtoon Javier with tears and sweat rolling down his face trying desperately to prolong Lloyd's life with a mana transfer

Idk the novel scene genuinely made me sad meanwhile the webtoon just made me go 0-0 ohh that cant be good. but. thats it

Like. Just.

Novel Lloyd who arrived at his own conclusion after Javier told him that the hole they dug to throw away all the excreements from the refugees was full even though it wasn't too long ago that they dug it out

vs

Webtoon Lloyd that was literally told to 'Remember Vienna'

Novel Lloyd, who, even in his deathbed, was still trying to comfort Javier by squeezing the hand that was holding him with all the strength he got left vs "Javier... That's enough... It's no use... and you know it... Live on... and burn them..." then promptly passes away

"Cheer up a little. Please. Lloyd-nim. Just hang in there. The doctor will be here soon." vs "You are... the protector of my second home... and a hero to the thousands of refugees you saved. That... is what the world will know you as."

Like. I don't know why this actually irritates me☹️

not only did they completely changed the way lloyd experiences the ending spoilers but y'know what infuriates me the most about this particular spoiler? the way they had lloyd see a good chunk of time after he's already dead. like!! no!!!! one of the most impactful things about the ending spoilers is how fast and abrupt and brutal they are!!

later on lloyd has to carefully time his death to make sure his past self gets to hear and see all the he needs! he can't make it too long lest his word not be included in the spoiler! because the spoilers always end the moment he dies and not a moment later! he gets to experience excruciating death and then the abrupt shock of being thrown back to his own time!

in the webtoon not only does he not get to feel himself die with every spoiler, in episode 70 he even gets to see javier prep his body and burn it along with everyone else's. like. that would've been an insane amount of time compared to the few minutes at best he gets in the novel!

and it's such a cheat to have lloyd leave himself a message at this point of the story! that isn't supposed to happen until the fourth spoiler! you see the progression of lloyd slowly learning to leave more and more clues at the time of his death to the point where by the fifth spoiler he's just outright talking to himself. not like the webtoon that has him leave a message already by the second spoiler :P

and like not to repeat back at you everything but. god. the way they completely changed javier's words,,,, like. not even close to what they were supposed to be...

"You can't... You can't leave me so soon." Javier's voice dripped with sadness and anxiety. Lloyd felt his hand being grabbed. Javier was trembling. This guy. Is he sad because I'm about to die? Lloyd guessed that his teasing friendship with Javier lasted as they grew old together. "Just hold on a little more. Please.” Javier spoke, almost pleading.

the 'you can't leave me so soon' of it all,,,,, why would they completely erase that,,,,,

novel javier is just... softer? the whole scene? instead of the frantic desperation we see in the webtoon, in the novel he's just,,, begging lloyd to hold on just a little longer, just wait for the doctor to arrive, almost keeping lloyd's heart beating himself

Lloyd suddenly felt Javier's grip tighten. At the same time, warm and clean energy flowed into his body. It was mana. Emergency treatment? Lloyd was right about it. Javier was sending his mana to Lloyd, and it traveled from his hand through the elbow to reach his chest, expanding its range at every beat and driving away the murky energy in his system. At the same time, it continuously pressed on his heart. Lloyd realized what Javier was doing. He's massaging my heart. It appeared as though this future Lloyd would draw his last breath anytime soon. Javier was striving hard to extend his life at all costs. Lloyd's heart ached as he noticed how desperate Javier was. "Master Lloyd. Please bear a little more. The physician will be here soon."

it's a different tone, a different kind of desperation if that makes sense

i also really like this chapter's illustration which is not what we get in the webtoon lol

i won't put a screenshot of javier in this episode to compared them cause i'm not that bitchy but. c'mon.

having said all that. i kinda can't bring myself to completely dislike the webtoon's version aklshdjksfds

like. they kinda did go off with javier almost exploding his own heart to give his mana to lloyd,,, and then that panel of his hands clutching lloyd's shirt,,, cradling lloyd's hand in his own,,,, i am not immune to a little clinging,,,

but overall i completely get your irritation nonnie i do have a lot of grievances with the webtoon when it comes to how they're choosing to adapt the ending spoilers so. i get you 〒▽〒

[not-poignant]

omg that chapter 101 excerpt 😭😭😭😭 honestly didnt see that coming, ef expressing himself so clearly! and you wrote that so tenderly, but i also know his hole must be the size of a small country rn.

also have this visual in my head of gary cooing at ef being cute, then processing his words and his brain stutters for a sec as his brain goes „loading response… loading res-„

and congrats on making it past 100 chapters! always a reason to toast imo. 35 feels too soon but it actually would be another year right? so we have time to come to terms with it ending 😂 my first time actively following a story, i think the thought of underline the red afterwards is soothing my brain but idk what i would do if it all ended one day ☠️ gold and blue wont be much longer right? and then silver and red idk if you have a scope on the horizon for those..

cheers! 🍻

Hi anon!

Efnisien's definitely going to need some time to recover re: what Gary did to him and his hole lmao, though thankfully the anus is pretty damned elastic and even after fisting sessions it generally goes back to normal unless someone's being too rough too often and doing it on a daily basis.

35 feels too soon but it actually would be another year right?

Yeah! It's funny to me honestly how 'small' 35 chapters is when for someone else that's the beginning of a whole new novel, and meanwhile I'm like 'wow only like 35~ chapters left omg so close!' I'm sure this is where most novelists go 'only 4/5 chapters left!'

We live in a different world in serial land lmao.

Underline the Gold and Underline the Blue won't go too much longer, that's true, but since I'm alternating chapter releases it's still a while. But ideally Gold / Blue / Black get taken over by Red and Silver. Red has a lot of scope to be just as long as Underline the Black, because it's got a fairly epic storyline and it will ultimately be a polyamorous OT3 situation, I'm pretty sure. Silver also has the scope to be long! Though we'll see. It's a different kind of story. I hope people like it, because it's not really as conflict intense in the same way as some of the others. :D

[soahbee]

I Update one I

Hiii girls!! I'm here with a little update! Let me start by saying that I feel like I'm in a romance / drama novel or something that I'm going to have a difficult time getting out of if this continues. lol

We agreed that we would meet at the center bc he had business there and it didn't really matter to me bc anyway I almost had a heart attack twice while sitting on the bus. :):) I tried to dress nicely, although to be honest my ass almost froze in a skirt, because it was extremely cold today, but you have to do everything to be memorable, u know hihi…

I wrote to him that I was about to be there, and then he sent me the address of which cafe he was waiting in front of, which was actually a few steps away from the center. and oh my goodness girls…when I saw him uhh he was wearing an elegant gray jacket and he was smoking. I couldn't believe that this particular person was waiting for me. Anyway, I rushed over to him quickly, clutching my little gift in my hand, and when he looked at me, I waved at him, and he smiled at me and put out his cigarette. I honestly didn't know how to say hello, bc now we met outside of school and I was very embarrassed. >< But thank God I didn't put myself in an awkward position bc he immediately asked how my journey was and I said that the bus wasn't far, so it was quite good, then I asked what this place was, while I looked into the cute little cafe, which I hadn't been to before.

He said that this is one of his favorite cafes in the center, it's small but not crowded and the cakes are very delicious. So we went in and the whole place was really so cozy, I could still feel the Christmas spirit. The seats were in such a separated u-shape / or in a semi-circular shape (I hope you understand) with a round table, so when I sat down I actually realized that R was quite close to me, bc we were not sitting opposite each other. (adjsweferg)

I tried to hide the fact that I was embarrassed in front of him and immediately started looking at the menu, while he started to tell me so cutely that he was very tired these few days, bc he also had to correct the exam assignments while he was with his family. I also told him that it's not easy to be a teacher, and then I conspicuously shut my mouth. I saw him wear black turtleneck top and OMG his muscles looked really good in him and I think he noticed that I looked at him bc he just grinned at me and asked what was wrong and I just laughed and said that it was nothing. But AHH GIRLS it really looked like I was staring him flirty … my face must have been as red as a tomato LOL kill me

I quickly asked what he would recommend and while we chose cakes and coffee we started talking. He asked me how my Christmas was and while I was telling the story, I noticed several times that he was paying so much attention to me… sometimes I didn't even know what I was saying, bc he was simply mesmerizing me with his eyes. Meanwhile, he was relaxed all the time, as if it was such a natural thing that we meet and you know… this is not fair bc ah I WAS DYING LOL HOW WAS U SO CALM??

Then we got our order, I asked for caramel coffee + apple pie and he asked for plain black coffee + cheese cake. Everything was very delicious and I told him this pie was also very delicious and then I asked how his cheesecake was and he replied: "Its good, would you like to taste it?" (EXCUSEMEEEEE) and me was like a little girl who dont know what to do but i said

"may I taste it?

then he gave me a small piece of it and it was really good, but I don't know what was better, the cake or the fact that it was his cake..😳

and don't get mad girls, but I have to stop updating here, bc honestly a lot happened today, I'm really exhausted and I'm about to fall asleep.😭😭 But I thought I'd give you a quick update and I promise I'll continue tomorrow in another post!!! <3333

[a-chess-lesson]

Please please please tell me about Number Two in your Mysterious Contraire Society AU

(No pressure, of course. Just trying to express my excitement for your idea!!!)

MUAHAHAHAHHA soph you have made a HUGE mistake /pos. i accidentally wrote a whole bunch so i'm adding one of those fancy "read more" thingamajigs. be ready

okay so no. 2 is in sticky's role, right? so of course she needs palpable parental trauma.

pencilla is a runaway from leadville, colorado. her parents never paid too much mind to their daughter until she began to show her skills for creating machines. give her a pile of wires, some scrap metal, and a quiet room, and she could make a working machine within minutes.

suddenly, her parents were very, very interested in her. they began praising her excessively for her smarts and skills. flushed with pride, she'd fiddle with wires and circuit boards and mumble about it being nothin', it's just what she does. her parents got big dreams of being in charge of a new tech company. they gave their daughter more wires, more expensive circuit boards, bigger blueprints. pencilla became quickly overwhelmed with their demands and the complexity of the machines. meanwhile, her parents quickly became quite sucessful; rich folk thought that buying machnes made by a ten-year-old was novel and quaint, but were quickly amazed at the sophistication of the products. they kept coming back. pencilla's parents kept making money. pencilla kept making machines.

by the time she was eleven, she was growing more and more desperate. in a fit of something like rage and despair, she broke her biggest machine yet just to get back at her parents. they shouted at her, and she finaly ran off and never looked back.

she hopped from train line to train line, trying to forget about the corporation bearing her name, trying to forget about her desires to create. the name of the company, Pencilla Mechanics, followed her everywhere. this is what spurred her to start going by No. 2; a way to distance herself from her past without completely abandoning her identity. when No. 2 found a newspaper ad from a strange young woman named Miss Contraire, she felt a spike of apprenhension and hope. perhaps these 'special oppurtunities' would give her a chance to create again... but for herself and for reasons she believed in this time, rather than for two people who cared for little but her brain and the skill in her hands.

WHOOOOO OMFG OKAY. so ALL of that was made up on the spot. i'm pretty happy with it, though! hope that answers your questions, sophie :D

[emmalovesfitzloved]

Last question, who are your fav downwolders and why?

Ahh… well it has to be….

The one….

The only….

💫Magnus Bane! 🥂

(Art credit: @cassandrajean )

Queue the music!

Now. Reasons reasons reasons. Where to begin.

I took my time thinking about this question bc there are quite a few downworlders I have an affinity to. But the showdown where it was REALLY hard to pick one or the other was the battle of the warlocks…

Tessa or Magnus.

On the one hand, I love Tessa So much (wrote a piece on why you can find here hehe) and I truly think she is a timeless character (well before she became literally timeless ie. immortal) and her influence throughout the shadowhunter world is iconic, relevant and enduring.

(Art credit: @giannyfili )

However… her choices and inner narrative became a bit clumsy dealt with and a bit inconsistent unlike Magnus’s, as the shadowhunter novels went on. Of course, characters are allowed to change, grow, develop at any age, but her character felt slightly manipulated in the writing? All for the sake of peddling the plot. Not to get TOO into the whole herongraystairs touchy topic but I do think as I’ve grown up and done over a handful of rereads I do spot the slight manipulation that started then, which kind of set a precedence in her character throughout. I adore Jem but he as well was felt a bit clumsily. Topic for another time.

Meanwhile Magnus, while through his own self discoveries and through his own immortalities feels more cleaner in plot. He’s necessary, vibrant, witty and is that character that you ALWAYS look forward to reading. He is That character that just lights up a room and you wait with baited breath on what he’s going to say next. His air of lightness that he brings into every interaction makes you be able to read and listen to him all day long. With long promises made of laughter, sage advice, experience, history and adventure.

“I've got a stele we can use. Who wants to do me?""A regrettable choice of words," muttered Magnus (City of Ashes).

And because of this, when he is being serious, his words strike you when you least expect it and leave you stunned.

“You endure what is unbearable, and you bear it. That is All” (Clockwork Princess).

His bisexuality was handled wonderfully, and was truly one of the first stories I think our generation read where the sexual identity wasn’t about coming out but already at the stage of acceptance and fun loving. He remains respectful and doesn’t want Alec to rush out of the closet but rather does the best thing- inspire Alec to be the best version of himself in life which is finite. That’s the best thing a partner can really do for you.

However he isn’t a Mary Sue bc in every series he stars in the reader sees his vulnerabilities in pure daylight. And also has a plot line that challenges his Yodha immortal dogmas. Will being one weakness of his in TID, Camille and how she mistreated him and being alone in a very sad world. I don’t think these topics were explored nearly as well with Tessa.

“You left me. You made a pet out of me, and then you left me. If love were food, I would have starved on the bones you gave me” (City of Fallen Angels).

And of course, his relationship and development with Alec is my top 3 relationships in all the shadowhunter world. It felt natural, wonderful, sizzling, exciting and steadfast. Didn’t feel too young or naive like I sometimes feel when reading Clace, but new enough to feel like the honeymoon will never end. And I think in part it’s because of Magnus bringing out the best in people, and how Alec chose him. Of all the people Magnus helps out, he actually doesn’t really ask much in return. But for once Alec did a double take on him and let Magnus take the reins of where their relationship will lead them. With great readership payoff 🥹💍

“You could give me the past,“ he said a little sadly. “But Alec is my future” (City of Fallen Angels).

(Art credit: kasirose)

In fact, he has SO much to offer we got standalones, his own mini series with his partner and constant features in further novellas stories. There is no other character in the Shadowhunter chronicles who has been that centre stage as him. And he deserves all of it.

Favourite Swiftie songs that r HIS:

• BEJEWELED

• Begin Again

• Welcome to New York

• You’re in Love

• Karma

• You’re Not Sorry

• Ours

• I Know Places

• You’re on Your Kid

• Castles Crumbling

• The Last Great American Dynasty

• The 1

• Hoax

So yeah the superlative for the best Downworlder has to go to the delightfully and wonderfully written…

Magnus Bane <3

(Art credit: kasirose)

So yeah! I hope the answer makes up for the wait @imabitchforjemcarstairs ILY! And thank you so much for the lovely ask!

P.s. if any artist doesnt want to be affiliated, kindly DM me and I’ll remove your lovely art and mention from the post :))

[raayllum]

I love how we are basically opposites on the whole theory thing :

You predict plot points by making jokes that end up coming true

meanwhile me and my overdramatic mind obssesses over dark scenarios that would never fit into 9 episodes and then I'm surprised when they don't happen XD

Listen as long as you're enjoying what you're doing, I say have all the fun you want in fanon and taking insp from canon! That's the best part sometimes! <3

Although I have some things that started out as jokes that ended up being canon (my absolute favourite of which being this joke I made about Ezran in 2x04 that was then an actual thing in the s2 novelization) the weirdest thing for me has been like... the ultra specific thing / things I thought would be more metaphorical that ended up being more literal

AKA a list in no particular order

Me assuming since Through the Moon came out that Callum would inevitably play into Aaravos's hands and that the struggle to not do so would be his main conflict in arc 2 (which looking back, the possession plot line seems so thematically obvious I am genuinely a little sheepish I didn't see it coming)

The game motif being my favourite motif and then s4 fucking Delivered it was beautiful

Viren's atonement arc because of his eye symbolism

That the rune cube placement could be trusted to foreshadow things, specifically the Ocean rune in finding the prison and in foreshadowing Callum's dark magic use

Me going "Hey wouldn't it be Fucked Up if whatever comes out of the cocoon is like a child version of Aaravos?" (hi Sir Sparklepuff my beloved)

For that matter: that Aaravos would ask one of the mage fam to kill Sir Sparklepuff for a deep magic spell, and that they'd refuse to do so

Callum's interplay with freedom being too tethered to Rayla that I banked on her eventually being taken hostage and Callum doing morally ambiguous shit to save her like 3+ years in advance

Seeing Callum's S4 design for the first time and noting that the circlets around his wrists invoke chain symbolism but thinking "Nah him and Rayla being in chains like tarot cards will just be metaphoric right". Haha, no!

Ezran as the embodiment of Justice / the series' Witness (hell yeah thank you 4x03 & TOX for making Justice his highest value)

Predicting Rayla's entire arc 2 arc thus far re: her paranoid and restless nature being what puts them on the path to finding Viren and her wanting a rematch, the coins, and her self worth issues, written March 2020 (months before TTM came out)

Callum and Viren as each other's primary foils (begun before this but started being highlighted further from Nov 2019 onwards with specifically thinking that S4, as opposed to s3, would crank it up to an 11)

Rayla and Callum's whole ass light-dark motif that I thought would be a fun consistency in the background rather than a whole ass arc defining Thing

Characterization wise but Ezran as an Enneagram Nine The Peacemaker personality wise (once again thank u 4x03)

Back in Aug 2021 I noticed that bloodbending had thematic similarities to dark magic (in terms of framing, notions of control & agency) but again, didn't think it'd amount to literal likewise puppeteering (Aaravos is/was even imprisoned like Hama too!)

Seeing parallels between dark magic and thematic/metaphorical cannibalism / positing Aaravos as a cannibal in a fic I wrote in 2019 but never ever thinking it'd be more than metaphorical bc kids show, am I right? (when I tell you I screamed)

Like 3 weeks post s3 I came up with Political Trio Theory in which Ezran and Rayla are at odds about something and Callum is caught in the middle, as he agrees more with Rayla but feels like he should side more with Ezran, which an Ezran / trio centric conflict along those lines seems to be what we're going to get personally with Runaan / the coins in future seasons

Which, not only is it mostly to keep my English major-y brain sharp and my enclosure enriched (parallels are my perpetual hamster wheel), but it's also like... obviously predicting from theme/motifs isn't perfect, but it does mean you have all the right pieces. Then it just comes from running through the options to assemble what the puzzle might look like, & also thinking through the constraints of structure and run time (ergo I wasn't surprised when Callum didn't figure out the mirror himself in early S4 cause I just didn't think the show would have time for that kind of slow build).

Like following S2 I never really thought Callum's journey with dark magic was precisely over, firstly because I saw him absolutely as someone who would do dark magic / things he morally is against again if put in the exact circumstances he was in S5 (hence the CHET predictions post up above), but also because as our primary mage character and with dark magic being the core ethical dilemma for mage characters in the show, it just didn't make sense to assume that it'd be entirely resolved with a neat little bow 2/6 (since at the time we thought it'd be 6 seasons) in. Like - what? So that's something from an analytical standpoint of characterization, theme, and structure, for example, and TDP gives us a decent amount of time to get used to all those things especially in the first three seasons and then we can kind of build our predictions neatly from there.

So what usually happens is that I'll have a passing thought / gut reaction, think "huh maybe it's something," and then actually think about it for like 2 days to 2 weeks and realize that it loops back in with a lot of other stray thoughts and that there's something Substantial there. It never stops being wild

Anyway this was definitely way too long a response so TLDR; I'm always pleasantly surprised / excited whenever I predict anything correctly and also adore when the show throws me a curve ball (hi Terry <3), and the fun of theorizing (and sometimes throwing spaghetti at the wall) for me comes down to the themes and parallels and fun (fanon if nothing else) possibilities I can find. I love writing meta, speculative or purely analytical, even if/when they're often time consuming. My instincts haven't steered me too 'wrong' with TDP thus far, and I don't think they ever will!

[runawaymun]

All your fic idea sound delightful but I’m very curious about the Magician Nephew x LOTR crossover and the Another MGME but it's just my OCs from my historical fiction novel!

Ask me about my not-yet-written-fics from this list

Okay, so:

,Magician's Nephew x LOTR crossover

It's so easy to make this work.

Jill and Diggory have magic rings that transport them to the wood between worlds. In theory, the wood contains portals to every world that has ever existed, or ever will exist, right?

So the events of the magician's nephew happen. They wake Jadis, get chased by her all the way back to the wood, and then they run for the nearest pool. And rather than it being home they run for the one that happens to be Middle Earth.

Jadis still grabs onto Digg's ankle.

(Debating on whether or not to include uncle andrew. It does involve them having to go back to England in between their trip to the dying world, and then for some reason back to the wood. Maybe the whole lampost situation happens still idk. I do just love the idea of Jadis and Uncle Andrew traipsing through Middle Earth).

I have not fully decided which age to put them in but there IS something immensely funny about Diggory and Jill wandering around Middle Earth with some magic rings.

And also for some reason Diggory and Jill end up with one ring color, and Jadis (and also potentially Uncle Andrew) wind up with the other ring color, and/or there just aren't enough rings and somebody ends up with all the green ones).

They wind up separated and traipsing around looking for each other and/or trying to separate Uncle Andrew and Jadis. I think it's best if maybe Uncle Andrew and Jadis have the green rings, but aren't willing to leave without also having the yellow ones.

Jill and Diggs wind up in Rivendell (obviously I MUST include Elrond) and give everyone a heart attack because they have a funny little yellow ring that absolutely rubs Vilya the wrong way and doesn't match any Music in middle earth. Meanwhile apparently according to them there are Some Very Dangerous People wandering around with another set of weird magic rings.

I want Jadis to decide that she absolutely wants to be queen of Middle Earth and to try very hard to launch a campaign for it.

Also want Jadis to find out that there are other magical objects and to try and collect them all like Pokemon, and to be a royal pain in EVERYONE'S (including Sauron's) ass.

Anyway that's it that's the idea.

MGME But It's Just My OCs From My Hisfic Novel

okay to make this make sense you gotta understand that within the actual history post the book I wrote, two of the main characters get killed.

(the book is set during the very last year of the nine years' war in Ireland, where Hugh O'Neill, High King of Ireland and Chieftain of Ulster fought against the colonizing English army. He had convinced Spain to help him (Catholics vs Protestants), but the Spanish pulled out and Baron Mountjoy (British occupation) essential starved the Irish out by burning all their crops, and eventually Hugh signed a treaty after one final stand in Ulster. Baron Mountjoy smashed the stone of kings, where all the High Kings of Ireland had been crowned for thousands of years, and formally began the occupation, moving British colonizers in to take over the farmland in Ulster and press the Irish into serfdom.

ANYWAY. So that's the background. Later Hugh and his ally Rory O'Donnell go to Spain to try and muster up some more help, but they wind up actually getting sick and dying during the trip.

So my OCs are Hugh's wife and daughter. (Hugh was, historically, a terrible husband and I am an absolute slut for messy toxic dynamics). The OC winds up with Rory in the end bc he was historically a Really Cool Guy.

So naturally, instead of them dying later I'm like 'haha what if they just got transported to Middle Earth'.

I have not thought this through very hard but I would obviously like the Classic 'they wind up in Rivendell' because again, Elrond, obviously obviously.

Mostly SOL but I could also see Rory and Hugh going "oh, there's another colonizer who wants to destroy the free people of THIS land??? Fuck him. We're absolutely joining that fight."

I could see this being set in the second age actually during the first founding of Rivendell (and so Rory and Hugh and up in TLA) but I could also see them at Pelennor in the TA, but unfortunately that means that my OC mom doesn't get to meet Cel :( And I want them to be friends. They would get along so well.

Elrond, of course, parents both OCs (even though one of them is a grown ass mom) because I want him to. Also he hisses at Hugh. Because he's trash.

Alternatively they could wind up sometime in the early third age and join the war against Angmar and then we still get Cel. I'm not picky.

This one is more vague and I mostly daydream about SOL situations of my OCs in Rivendell but there's definitely A Plot in there somewhere.

[ladyloveandjustice]

Fall 2022 Anime Overview- Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

It’s time to start reviewing the anime I watched in the fall season! There’s some anime I chose to save for later, like Bocchi the Rock! (which I’m watching now and enjoying) and Raven of the Inner Palace, though I’ve heard great things about it and it’s a rare shoujosei adaptation so definitely go check it out! I might do a review of that when I do get to watch it, since it’s been overlooked this season with so many heavy hitters.

But onto what I did watch! And this one has so much to chew on it gets a whole post to itself.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

A top contender for anime of the year for me. It’s not over yet though, so I pray it sticks the landing with the next season(s).

The anime follows Suletta Mercury, a girl who arrives at a new school (and new planet!) with her giant robot Aerial. Quickly she discovers a girl named Miorine, who’s desperate to escape to Earth because her bigwig father has decreed that people can duel with their giant robots for Miorine’s hand in marriage. Mio is not at all on board with this, especially because her current fiance is an abusive jerk. Suletta confronts the jerk fiance, challenges him to a duel and...well, you can probably guess what happens, especially if you’ve seen Revolutionary Girl Utena.

(And if you haven’t, go watch it! Though look up content warnings if you’ve got specific triggers or don’t often deal with darker media. I’ve got an episode breakdown here!)

Anyway, Gundam said Gay Space Rights.

Meanwhille, Suletta’s mother, Prospera (yes, it’s a codename AND a reference to The Tempest) has a thirst for revenge after a horrible wrong was done to her by the terrible corporation Mio’s dad heads, and has secret plan brewing behind the scenes. There’s alson conflict between Earthlings and the space-faring people who are exploiting them. Meanwhile all poor Suletta wanted to do is make some friends and enjoy a couple of dates!

This anime is so good so far, and was specifically targeted for me in so many ways it’s not funny. A fun cast of characters? Well written queer girls? Shadowy parental manipulation? A protagonist who’s sweet and shy yet supremely dangerous? Good action that’s driven by good character dynamics? Lots of cool women kicking ass? Tangled relationships and tons or well written relationship drama?

I’ve definitely enjoyed a few mecha shows (like Planet With),but I tend to bounce off them, in part because I have a hard time telling what’s happening when robots are fighting and the technobabble starts flowing. That still is occasionally an issue in this show, but because the fights are so driven by character conflict and there’s clear stakes I can follow along with (like the fact using a Gundam for too long is supposed to kill you), it’s not as much as an issue as it usually is. And Gundam knew exactly how to lure me in. The second I heard the whole first episode was a Utena reference, it pulled me in and I’ve enjoyed every second since.

The whole first episode echoing Utena does show the show’s pedigree (the series composer actually wrote the Utena light novels) and offers a little reassurance for audiences hoping it delivers on its queer storylines But the show is no rip-off, and it it very much does its own thing from that point on. Suletta isn’t Utena, and Miorine isn’t Anthy and this is apparent from the first episode. Suletta is achingly insecure, Miorine isn’t resigned to being a bride and has a short temper and abrasive attitude. The show isn’t about gender or compulsory heterosexuality (so far), it just has a lot of complex female characters in a wide variety of roles and has a developing romance between two women as the central relationship.

But like Utena, abuse is a huge theme, but very specifically parental abuse. Both Miorine and Suletta are being used as tools by their parents in a complex political game- Miorine is aware of this (though not the full scope of it, probably) while poor Suletta is very much in the dark. The way the parents use their children is chilling, but not without complexity- there are reasons to sympathize with Prospera, even if her treatment of her daughter is unforgiveable. She feels like a person, even thought we don’t know her full story.

The show also isn’t subtle about it’s political themes!

That particular conflict has been bubbling in the background, but handled well so far (there are some great, more subtle moments, like the news showing the ‘weapons’ from the protest above, which included ‘molotov cocktails’ clearly put there by the police, and...an umbrella.) But even if works have themes I like or agree with, what really matters to me is the characters and if they’re executed well. Fortunately, the show has a loveable cast whose journeys I look forward to with both excitement and trepidation.

Whether it’s the wonderfully angry Chuchu and her legendary [redacted] in episode 4, or the unpredictable arc of what started out as the show’s biggest (teenage) jerk, or seeing the funny romantic rivalries Lilique unwittingly gets entangled in, the show makes you care about these kids.

It’s also, as a side note, the best treatment of fat people I’ve seen in anime. There are a ton of plus-sized people in different roles, and they’re never made fun of (except for one mild comment in a later episode that is quickly shut down, and the person apologizes). Lilique is a chubby girl who’s allowed to just be the cute romantic one of the group and is canonically popular with the boys. Considering how anime is usually the opposite of body-positive, it’s really nice to see.

The central relationship of the show is, of course, Suletta and Miorine. And it’s a really fun relationship to follow. Even with the Utena reference and casual acceptance of gay marriage, I was a little worried about being baited by the show. But I’m happy to say I’m really satisfied with the development of the relationship so far. Both Suletta and Miorine are layered characters, and it’s great to watch the girls’ feelings grow as they miscommunicate and struggle and learn more about each other. We watch what starts as an engagement of convenience grow into a real bond, and root for these girls every step of the way. And yes, they’re bringing the gay.

But the relationship, and the show, is not without its shocking twists, and the very last minute of the last episode of this show left me a puddle on the floor and begging for more.This show can grab your heart and rip it out and you’ll thank them for it.

All I’ll say is fans of fascinating, screwed up women will be happy. I’m certainly happy! For now, at least. I like this show a lot, so I hope it doesn’t screw up it’s second season. It’s built up a lot of trust for me, but I’ve had that trust betrayed before. Such is the curse of being an anime fan, and a fan in general.

But for now, I whole heartedly recommend it, and encourage everyone to check it out! It’s got all the good things and there’s a ton to speculate on. Come freak out and theorize over that post credits scene where [redacted] with me.

[regallibellbright]

I’m pretty sure this is two metas stapled together under the umbrella of character parallels:

@paxesoterica replied: Poke

Okay so. G-Witch’s first episode homages Revolutionary Girl Utena’s, and Ichiro Okouchi, the writer of the show, also wrote the novelizations for Utena. If anyone reading this didn’t know these facts, now you do! This led to some pretty obvious parallels being drawn, especially with the characters who feature heavily in episode 1:

In the first episode of Utena, our protagonist Utena Tenjou challenges Kyouichi Saionji to a duel because he’s an ass, and becomes the fiance of the Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya.

In the first episode of G-Witch, our protagonist Suletta Mercury challenges Guel Jeturk to a duel because he’s an ass, and in so doing becomes the Holder, the fiance of Miorine Rembran.

Meanwhile, G-Witch establishes the rest of the Dueling Committee, an organization that serves the same general purpose as the Student Council (who were all duelists) in Utena. The roles here aren’t exact - it seems increasingly unlikely Secelia and Rouji are going to duel themselves at this rate - but you can pretty well map Suletta-Utena, Miorine-Anthy, Guel-Saionji. Additionally, it’s not hard to compare Shaddiq Zenelli, who takes a leading observer role as a member of the Dueling Committee in that first episode, to Touga Kiryuu, the Student Council President.

I’d also argue that Elan 4 is sort of a combination Nanami and Juri, but that’s a stretch, and that’s the point, because even early on we see these characters aren’t just “Utena but in Gundam”. Miorine actively and openly resents her father for setting up this whole system, for one thing, where Anthy never truly considers breaking the cycle of duels until the finale. There’s also a huge thematic difference in how the two series treat adults, with adults and especially parents all but absent in Utena save Akio (who wouldn’t get away with any of this shit if there were an adult who wasn’t kissing his ass around,) and omnipresent in G-Witch. Which is mostly relevant here to Shaddiq. Under the cut, I talk about both!

So the thing I keep rotating in my mind with Shaddiq is the idea that he’s taking that “lead antagonist among the teen characters” role the same way Touga is, even into the second half. We’re all expecting Prospera or Quiet Zero to be the final threat, Shaddiq’s not going to displace her unless he tries to bring all of humanity beyond the data storm. He just can’t top that. But where Touga was the runner-up antagonist because he was imitating Akio, still largely trying to win within the dueling system, Shaddiq’s the runner-up because he was never really plotting in the bounds of the duels. He wanted Gund-arm and Miorine, but I think it’s become clear his plans were conceived well before another Gundam appeared and they could be granted legitimacy. As such, he doesn’t actually need them, they just would’ve been nice. At the end, Touga wanted to usurp princeliness for himself and princessdom for Utena, to take her away from Akio and whatever was coming next. Shaddiq wants to restructure the Benerit Group via good old-fashioned violent corporate coups. Like, say, Vim Jeturk. In a way, they’re both copying a model of adulthood, but Shaddiq’s managing to do it OVER his own father’s head where Touga was never actually out of Akio’s pocket. There’s just enough there you can still see the parallels if you squint. And then there’s Guel.

Okay, we’re all joking about what an unending parade of suffering Guel’s life has become. To call him the Saionji by this point SEVERELY UNDERSELLS what he’s been through, because when Saionji was shown the brutal reality underneath all the glamor of the duels, it was a solely existential blow. But I do think they have similar arcs, roughly.

Both Saionji and Guel get their asses handed to them by the newcomer.

Both Saionji and Guel duel her again, trying to repair their own egos, and lose.

With both Saionji and Guel, it quickly becomes apparent that what they really want isn’t the girl, it’s legitimacy and approval from someone who will never give it to them (Guel and his father, Saionji and Touga,) and genuine human affection.

Both Saionji and Guel get thrown out of school. And both Saionji and Guel get a taste of the thematic beating heart of the show underneath the duels. Saionji realizes in episode 10 - of 39 - that the castle’s an illusion, and is the one to say that “we’re all still in our coffins” before Anthy brings the idea up again in the finale. Guel gets taken hostage and kills his father. And then he gets taken hostage again, and sees Earth combat at its most brutal, contrasting the flashier Gundam vs Gundam fighting that’s been most of what Suletta’s seen and done. (Even Suletta’s extremely bloody slapdown was still more over-the-top than what we see in Episode 15.)

Saionji knows this whole thing’s a sham, but when he gets the chance to be part of it all again, he takes it. Touga sucks him back into it all because he still wants to be equal again, even as Saionji knows he shouldn’t want to win.

Guel has had a drastically more traumatic time. But still, he’s trying to get back to Lauda and what’s left of his father, still searching for something he’s never going to get. This might be the point where he finally breaks the parallel, later than every other character (as I said, Shaddiq has hopscotched over the adult in his life where Touga can’t. Miorine has seized agency for herself every step of the way, where Anthy takes so long in reclaiming hers. It is impossible to talk about Suletta’s arc without talking about Prospera, where the first thing we ever learn about Utena is “she was very sad, because her mother and father had died.”) And there’s a half-formed idea there about how Guel’s “I haven’t moved forward since Suletta Mercury” kind of reflects that - Saionji never recovers from encountering Utena, either - but this is already a couple metas stapled together. And maybe he won’t diverge, maybe he’ll stay the Saionji ‘til the end, still realizing the horrors of war but trying to get the hell away from that reality.

Either way Guel seems very likely to continue having a terrible time. Poor bastard’s the cosmic chew toy of a Gundam show.

[shen-liqin]

I’M IN SCIENCE CLASS RN BUT I GOT AN IDEA FOR AN MXTX CROSSOVER

So I read in a meta post that it was mentioned in canon SVSSS that Airplane bro has written other stallion novels and that PIDW is just his most successful.

What if prior to writing all these stallion novels, he wrote MDZS and TGCF. It was smth he genuinely enjoyed doing but it didn’t really earn him cash bc it didn’t do well (IMPOSSIBLE I KNOW) so he kinda forgot about them. Both stories were finished though.

Bruh what if Wei Ying and Lan Zhan end up in SVSSS bc WY was messing with some talismans and ended up transporting them there. Meanwhile Xie Lian and Hua Cheng end up in SVSSS because of a mishap in Heaven.

I can already imagine Qinghua shaking when he sees these four and getting slightly emotional because they were created when he was still hopeful and somewhat naive regarding how he would get his income.

Shen Yuan is internally fanboying because as a dedicated fan critic, he also read MDZS and TGCF and greatly enjoyed it. Like yes my man is oblivious as fuck regarding romance as a whole, but he could care less about the main pairing being gay. He was only reading them for the lore.

WY and LZ are lowkey panicked but I can see WY somehow getting along well with SY because they end up bonding over being constantly wrecked by their husbands.

XL and HC are confused and kinda wary but they warm up to Bingqiu and Wangxian after a bit. Binghe prolly tries to give XL some cooking advice with HC lowkey breathing down his neck because if Binghe ends up unintentionally insulting XL then they’re definitely gunna have a problem.

Ngl I can kinda see Hua Cheng and Lan Zhan kinda doing their own thing in comfortable silence because if their mutual understanding of each other in terms of devotion. Binghe joins them from time to time when all three of their husbands hang out by themselves. Like I can imagine Lan Zhan composing a new song, Hua Cheng making a mini statue, and Binghe making everyone a meal.

Meanwhile Shen Yuan and Wei Ying end up convincing Xie Lian to do all sorts of ridiculous shit with them. If you guys are questioning why Shen Yuan would agree to any of this my answer is simple, this man may be a lofty immortal but he’s still a shut-in from the 21st century. He has a lot of semi-pent up crackhead energy.

Xie Lian is confused but he’s enjoying himself so he doesn’t question it and is just enjoying having some new friends. Wei Ying just wants to encourage the chaos.

WAIT FUCK WHAT IF WEI YING MEETS QINGHUA-

Lan Zhan and Mobei-jun are going to be drinking vinegar because if their husbands end up having a conversation then everyone is screwed.

Wei Ying is a genius, but Qinghua deadass created the mechanics of MDZS, TGCF, and PIDW. My man has a shit ton of knowledge and he’s gunna use it. Pretty sure Qinghua and Wei Ying end up doing most of the with figuring out how to send everyone back to their of worlds.

[anghraine]

[This is eventually about P&P, but takes awhile to get there]

My best friend and I had a debate about whether there's an ethical component to being wrong about something when you are perfectly capable of being right. That is, we were discussing circumstances when you are equipped (through ability and/or access to information) to reach a legitimate conclusion and simply don't. Is this morally wrong?

We weren't talking about fandom stuff, originally, but about politics and how misinformation spreads less through an abundance of bad actors than through maybe one or a few bad actors, plus a ton of people who simply don't check (or sometimes even care) that X thing fitting their worldview is true.

We've all done this, I'm sure, but the first example that came to mind for me was a viral post that went around back when the US Republican Party had a majority in the House of Representatives. The post in question was started by a popular more-leftist-than-thou blog, and was about how the latest Republican evildoing had garnered some Democratic votes, too, and thus Democrats should not be seen as all that different, blah blah. I knew people who approvingly reblogged it! Meanwhile in reality, not a single Democrat had voted for the thing, and the OP was either lying or (more likely) made an assumption without checking that it was true.

So we were talking about whether that mistaken assumption (supposing it was a mistake for the purposes of discussion) had a moral dimension—is it morally wrong to make a mistake of that kind? Is it morally wrong when it's so easy to check if a major Congressional vote is party-line or not, but okay when it's not so much an objective fact that it's easy to get reliable information about? What about the people who uncritically reblogged the post, who might also have checked? Some are people I otherwise respect, so ...?

Nevertheless, my friend is much more inclined to be forgiving about this kind of thing, and we did end up talking about how it applies to less momentous matters. John Wiltshire, for instance, wrote a passage (and later an essay) about Darcy's smile and how some critics have flat-out rejected Elizabeth's memory of him smiling at her, even though it's explicitly mentioned multiple times by Austen. Sure, a formal critical analysis that argues that Elizabeth is retroactively manufacturing the existence of those smiles is fundamentally mistaken and (however unintentionally) misrepresenting what happens in the novel. That's irritating to be sure, but is it wrong?

Even I wouldn't argue that every statement that turns out to be mistaken is a moral misdeed. But I do feel that there is a moral component to understanding the world around us as well as we are truly capable of doing.

And then I reblogged that earlier post about how Elizabeth's judgmental wit is glamorized and idealized, but leads her to make serious mistakes of judgment, though the consequences of those mistakes are mainly felt by Elizabeth herself, and to some extent by Darcy (whose shitty proposal makes it difficult to feel that badly about Elizabeth's excoriating refusal, even where she's partly or wholly wrong about him).

Darcy repeatedly dismisses Elizabeth's misjudgment as not really that big of a deal and certainly not a moral failure. Elizabeth does see it as a moral issue, though. This is in part because her misjudgment led her to actually do something (throw Wickham's lies in Darcy's face as part of her rejection, which could have made it very easy for Darcy to reject the whole). But it's also because she personally had solid evidence of Wickham's duplicity and inconsistency, and the abilities she prides herself on could have led her to see through him, she just ... didn't, due to her vanity and prejudices.

This colors the entire rejection for Elizabeth; she regards her actions as despicable and, in retrospect, humiliating, despite Darcy taking pains to excuse and forgive her misjudgment at the end of the letter. Even months later, she thinks of her refusal as wrongly petulant and acrimonious. Despite Darcy's own mistakes, Elizabeth is grateful that he values her judgment enough to forgive the manner of the refusal and the objective mistakes within it, and to identify where her criticisms are legitimate and then act on them. When he's blaming himself after her engagement, she's the one who points out that her behavior that day at Hunsford also merits reproach, which Darcy denies.

Undoubtedly this is partly because he loves her and is inclined to forgive anything she says or does. But there is that question of whether she actually was wrong—not just mistaken, but failing ethically—to believe Wickham. I've noticed that fandom (and even more, pop culture takes) tend to shrug off her role in the Wickham subplot and to elide her worst accusations in order to represent her rejection as purely righteous and accurate. I find it annoying both as a Darcy fan and as someone who really likes Elizabeth's overall character arc in the novel and sees it as the heart of the book.

But so much of her mistake with Wickham is a mistake in personal judgment. She's wrong about pretty much his entire character, and also wrong about Darcy in some pretty damn significant ways. And it occurred to me that maybe some people feel more like Darcy in this respect—a private error in judgment, however severe, is not a moral misstep, it's just a mistake and everyone makes mistakes.

But one of the things I like about Elizabeth, and have for a long time, is that when she's confronted with her mistakes, she's willing to turn the harshness of her judgment on herself as much as on others. She can be an ethically demanding person but not hypocritically so. Even when she's no longer angsting over her mistakes, she doesn't forget that she made them or cease to regard them as failings on her part. She doesn't sentimentalize her conduct or motives when they are not truly sentimental, but based more on pride and vanity.

I respect that a lot—I don't think most people, then or now, are willing to face themselves the way Elizabeth does, refuse to soften their culpability, and still come out with a sense of dignity, humor, and entitlement to respect. And I feel like treating this as ... you know, Elizabeth is just so great that she treats an understandable mistake as a moral misstep, etc, undercuts the psychological journey/arc of her character.

But I'm biased, because I do tend to judge willful ignorance and willful mistakes more harshly than many people do. So maybe part of the reason that Elizabeth's mistakes in judgment seem very significant to me, on a par with Darcy's failings, and also why I respect how she handles those mistakes once she's aware of them and see it as essential to the novel, is because my own philosophy can be pretty harsh on this point.

It does make this a very rewarding novel for me, though!