#…dynamics of characters we haven’t seen much of in a bit

[anthurak]

Takeaways from the Volume 9 Epilogue:

--

One thing I really like about Oscar’s ‘If there was anything I wish I could borrow from you…’ monologue is that it laid out/confirmed something I’ve always felt was a major aspect of Oscar’s dynamic with Ruby that I nonetheless feel a lot of the fandom has missed: That Oscar very much sees Ruby as a mentor and an example to follow, and how their dynamic is specifically a foil to what we saw between Ruby and Ozpin. That Ruby acts as a mentor and example to Oscar in the same way Ozpin was to Ruby, and that Ruby is a far BETTER mentor and example to Oscar than Ozpin ever was to her. Which, as an aside, is a dynamic I can’t help but feel a lot of people have been misinterpreting as ‘ship-teasing’ and is one of the main reasons I’ve simply never been able to see Oscar as any kind of viable love-interest to Ruby. Frankly the dynamic of ‘Ruby is the mentor and example to Oscar that Ozpin couldn’t be for her’ is simply so much more INTERESTING than any kind of romance could ever hope to be.

--

Even in animatic form, Winter basically going overdrive on the maiden powers was a sight to behold. And her own monologue had all the self-deprecation we were expecting. Our girl is clearly holding on by a thread and it’s going to be REAL interesting seeing how she reacts and adjusts to her sister not actually being dead. As in, I can imagine a situation where Winter tries to throw herself into a heroic sacrifice with the belief that Weiss would make a better Maiden than her.

Also, Winter’s monologue giving major focus to how Penny is super-super-dead-dead-and-definitely-not-coming-back-for-really-realsies, as she is talking to the sister who she ALSO believes is DEFINITELY also dead? Specifically with the words that Penny is gone, when Penny’s last words to her were that she’d be ‘part of you’?

Yeah, there is no way in hell we’ve seen the last of Penny XD

--

The CROWN. Like it was only a few shots, but as someone who read the CFVY Books (which you totally should if you haven’t, they’re great), holy shit I was NOT expecting them to pop up here.

I mean, in hindsight it makes perfect sense that they’d be involved in Volume 10. They’re basically Vacuo’s equivalent to Vale’s criminal element and the White Fang splinter faction as Salem’s co-opted insurgency group, with Jax and Gillian joining Roman, Adam and Jacques as the latest of Salem’s unwitting patsies. It’s definitely going to be real interesting seeing the crew deal with them. Like it’s really fun to imagine Team RWBY in particular being kind of exasperated at seeing Jax’s probably doing a whole ‘With Salem’s help I shall be King!’ shtick after everything they’ve seen with Roman, Adam and Jacques.

Oh and if you don’t know, Jax has a mind-control semblance, so him trying to use that on Yang could actually lead to a sneaky callback to the Justice League crossover, ie; Yang doing a ‘Yeah, I’m not doing THAT shit again.’ XD

--

Qrow’s whole vibe through this is fascinating. Like his section may have been the one we already saw, but after seeing the abject depression and growing despair of all the other characters, Qrow actually being OPTIMISTIC hit so much harder.

--

Raven showing up at the end is… interesting.

I’ll admit that ever since we saw that specific clip a few months back, I’ve been rather conflicts about Raven showing up to deliver RWBY+J to Vacuo, particularly after Ruby’s tree vision. Like for one it felt a bit random and unnecessary. The tree already deposited the Ever After team outside of Vacuo so they didn’t exactly need help getting there. Not to mention that it kind of clotheslines the story-thread set up by Ruby’s vision; that she now has a reason to track Raven down to get the ANSWERS to what happened to Summer. Finally, it’s just kind of… random? Like where did Raven even come from to get the team?

But now having seen the clip with its intended context, I’m definitely more on board with it. Particularly hearing from Kerry and Eddy that the original ending for the penultimate episode had RWBY+J going through the portal to arrive at their memorial stone, and met by a ‘Mysterious Figure’, ie; Raven. Here it feels like were getting more set up to get answers later as to what Raven was doing at the memorial.

And really, now that I’ve thought about it more, this method kind of puts the thread of Ruby going to Raven for answers even MORE into focus. Like the story reintroduces Raven in the present right after Ruby got a vision basically saying ‘hey, Raven is important’. And now going into Volume 10, we’re pretty much perfectly positioned for Ruby to pull Raven aside for those all-important ‘Why were you fucking my mom? What happened to my mom?’ questions.

--

Finally… yeah that ending hit me a LOT harder than I was expecting. Like that ending was HOPE in its purest form and it was honestly beautiful to see. Particularly right now with the future of the show seeming so uncertain. I’ve personally been optimistic about RWBY’s future (in a manner not unlike Qrow’s vibes I suppose lol), but damn the hopefulness of that ending hit especially hard, and was something I’ll admit I needed. And I imagine the rest of us could use as well.

We'll be getting Volume 10. And 11, and 12, and however many more it takes to finish this story. At this point, I have no doubt of that.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - It's the Dog Days of BL Again

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

May 2024 Final Week

Ongoing Series - Thai

Wandee Godday (Sat YT) ep 5 of 12 - The side couple is so damn pouty and adorable. So far as Yak and Dee are concerned, I love that they kept up with the cosplay stuff and didn’t just drop it as a one off. I'm just genuinely enjoying seeing how much fun they have together and watching them accidentally falling in love with each other and trying not to.

Linguistic corner!

I don’t normally watch any BTS stuff, but for reasons known only to my serotonin-seeking brain, I’ve been watching a few for this show. And I MUST talk about the way Great speaks Thai. It’s so different from all of the other Good GMMTV Boys. He’s way more casual. Not rude, but definitely not as formal or as polite as any of the actors around him. It’s difficult to describe but just LISTEN to the way he hops registers and pronouns pretty consistently. Sometimes in the same sentence. He even softens his polite particles. I've never heard an actor do that out of character. It’s fascinating. I wonder if it has to do with the fact that he is older (then most of his costars) and comes outta the Bangkok club scene, and was older when he joined GMMTV. Frankly, it’s the closest I’ve ever seen on TV to the way people actually talked in Bangkok. 

My Stand-In (Thai Fri iQIYI) ep 6 of 12 eps - honestly these two shows are neck and neck for my favorites running right now and Wandee got the edge because it left me smiling, but yesterday, Stand-In would have come out on top. Such a great show. It’s so sinister. So not romantic. Which makes me feel like... it's not really a BL. And, yet, I DO NOT CARE. Because I’m enjoying its little evil soul so much. “Poor Joe” is pretty much all that goes through my head the whole time I'm watching, and I'm enjoying poking at that pain.

We Are (Weds iQIYI) ep 9 of 16 - I love all of the 3rd wheels. Kluen is kinda great. And I’m not just saying that 'cause I have a crush on Title, it’s because Kluen is so open and genuine. (Unless they fuck up his character.) I even enjoyed the backstory for Fang and Tan. Honestly, the friendship group is the reason to watch this show, they’re great and funny, and make everything enjoyable. It’s a soap opera, like Only Friends, but gentle with its characters and us watchers. Which is what I really want from my BL. I don’t want all of this Friend Zone backstabbing bullpuckie. 

Knock Knock Boys (Thurs Gaga) eps 1-2 of 12 - I like it, frankly more than I expected to. It’s a bit slow moving, but the characters are interesting and the dynamic of everybody living in the same house together is fun. I haven’t seen this style of housemates centered Thai BL in years. I identify FAR too closely with the crass-talking bug-killing pansexual. On a completely different note, I really hope Best and Seng have an NC scene together. Last week I would never have said that, but now I think they have good chemistry. Am I crazy?

Only Boo! (Sun YouTube) ep 8 of 12 - They are sickeningly sweet boyfriends, and Moo is such a brat and so demanding. It’s charming. There was even a little bit of dancing together which I’m sure made @heretherebedork happy. Dancing okay but NO SINGING. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

At 25:00 in Akasaka AKA 25 Ji Akasaka de (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - Asami's past was cool to see. I enjoyed that his character finally got fleshed out and given some solidity. However, it felt like it came a little too late. Even though I know this is the way Japan tends to roll with BL timing. I wanted to like him sooner then this. Now I'm not really that invested.

Living With Him AKA Kare no Iru Seikatsu (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 8 fin - It was an extremely good and very satisfying ending for a JBL, which we cannot expect, so I'm disposed to dole out top marks for that. Also we definitely have a new contender for Namgoong award for best wingman. (Japan's favorite: the bespectacled variant.)

Summation:

Kindly Ryota goes to uni and ends up rooming with his former childhood bestie, Kazuhito. Kazuhito doesn’t have a girlfriend for, as it turns out, cute roommate reasons. Same director as Old Fashion Cupcake, the framing is gorgeous and it is a stylish piece. As a friends to lovers cohabitation narrative this was a classic 2000s sweet yaoi. I enjoy that kind of tradition out of Japan even if it (and the characters) come off as a little slow as a result. Still, it's nice to get a traditional BL out of Japan that is satisfying, not slapstick, AND did not hurt us. 8/10 recommended

Blossom Campus (Korea Thurs Gaga & iQIYI) ep 5-6fin - gonna have to wait until next week, for mysterious hotel wifi reasons.

It's airing but...

You Made My Day (Thai YT) ep 1 of 5 - mini series staring the I Will Knock You couple Tar & Bom, started but I couldn't find it. I also didn't try very hard.

The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer released to Korean theaters 5/25. HoTae & DongHee, side couple from Unintentional Love Story are back! Same actors, same character names. I love them. I NEED TO SEE THIS. How?

OMG Vampire (Thai Sun ????) ep 2 of 10 - yeah I can't find it. Comments from last week suggest this is not my thing anyway, but Lee Long Shi very much IS my thing, so... maybe I'll put it on hold for a bit and y'all can let me know.

In case you missed

VBL (Taiwan) is released 'Special Episode' epilogues to their 4 2023 series on Gagaoolala, Viki & Viu - watch each on the respective shows' page: You Are Mine, VIP Only, Stay By My Side, Anti Reset.

My Biker 2 (Thai movie trailer) suposedly released somewhere, search me.

The Time of Huannan (Taiwan movie) went to theaters, not sure if we will get this, and it may not be BL.

And here's a 2023 that I missed and finally watched:

After Sundown AKA Saengrawi

ZeeNunew vehicle from 2023, recut into a movie on YouTube. It's from Mandee and horror, yet I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Pronoun use is ter/chan or rao (no nai or pom) because of the historical setting + softness of the relationship.

It's oddly sweet and wholesome, for a ghost story. Phloeng and Rawee enter into an arranged marriage for confusing prophetic reasons and a twisted fate, solving a mystery of the past that is haunting Phloeng's family and harming Rawee. Honestly, it makes no actual sense, but it's kinda historical, and very pretty, so I enjoyed it more than I should. 8/10

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

June Releases

6/7 My Love Mix-Up (Fridays Thai Adaptation not sure where this will air) - I do love G4 and I did like the original and maybe this time these characters will actually kiss? I'm actually fine with this pick-up. I kind of enjoy seeing different countries remake the same IP. Especially if it's IP I'm mostly unfazed by.

6/7 The Last Time (Thailand Fridays YouTube?) - Convoluted story of loss and possible reincarnation or something?

6/9 Love Sea (Thailand Sundays MAME warning iQIYI - New characters to the Mameverse. While travelling, a writer has a one night stand with a very irritating man. YES I WILL TRASH WATCH THIS. Drinking will happen on Sundays I guess. (Look, I do usually travel on weekends, so it may end up being Monday Mame Trash - which jives.)

6/14 Let's Eat Together Aki and Haru 2 AKA Aki wa Haru to Gohan wo Tabetai 2 Haime! (Japan movie Gaga?) - Continues the (frankly) lackadaisical story from part 1.

6/15 Sunset Vibes AKA SunsetXVibes (Thailand Saturdays) Star Hunter and MosBank on iQIYI so if nothing else it's gonna be a wild and sexy ride. A one night stand but "uh-oh he’s my boss," adapted from a web series. I’m game. Maybe it’ll have a better story than Big Dragon? Maybe it will have a plot? We can but hope.

6/26 The Rebound (Thai Weds VIU?) - MeenPing are back in their 3rd BL together, a basketball based romance (Meen was a national basketball player, so yay for that). I like this pair better than most (I still do miss Meen with Est but Est has a fantastic looking new BL coming from GMMTV so yeah...) Anyway I'm up for a sports romance starring a man who, yah know, actually played that sport so... I'm game (pun intended).

(Speaking of, why can't Est be a merman? This... I ask you?.)

Why You? (Khmer movie - Billed as a horror romance BL this is supposed to release this month.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

In my world we call this smug. (Only Boo!)

LOOK AT HIS ARM?! This has been your Goodness Gracious Great Guns Of Huge 2024 moment.

(All Wandee Goodday)

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity

@rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in it's infinite wisdom doesn't like too many tags.

There's these tricks, remember.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Life in the City 1

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as bad friends, creep behaviour, abuse of power dynamics, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You move to the big city and find yourself swallowed up by its chaos.

Characters: Clark Kent, Thor Odinson, short!reader

Note: Probably calling in today. Also will hopefully be working on more Dirty Work for tomorrow.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

You’ve been waiting for Friday all week. You need this. A girl’s night, just you and Melanie, a bottle of wine, a bowl of popcorn, and your favourite nostalgic blockbuster. You even got a brand new pair of cozy jammies for the occasion.

And it’s your first official get together at your new apartment. Your very own. No more roommates, no more arguments over dishes and dust and a shared bathroom. It’s all yours! It’s almost like a housewarming, even if it is just a bachelor suite.

A new home, a new city, and an old friend. You haven't seen Melanie in years. You keep in touch here and there but she always seems to have so much going on. Now you're in the same place, it won't be so hard.

You bounce in the door, excited to get started on your prep. You leave your work bag in the entryway beside your shoes as your mind runs a mile ahead of you. You’ll fold out the futon couch and throw all your pillows on it. And the extra comforter can go on top. And you’ll put a scarf over the lamp, oh, and you got some candy for the spread. 

It’s a bit childish but it’s been so long since you could just throw away your daily toil and forget. No overtime, no grind, just a night to reconnect and refresh. You grab your bag from the short hallway and take out the clay masks you bought at the drugstore on your way home, you thought that would be so cute!

You pull out your phone and search for the digital rental on your account, wanting it ready to cast as soon as Melanie’s there. Your screen suddenly lights up with an incoming call, interrupting your browsing. You answer, excitedly greeting your best friend.

“Melly Bean,” you chime, “I was just getting everything ready–”

“Oh, really?” Her voice is willowy, “that’s… I’m sorry.”

“What?” You clutch your hand in front of your stomach, your chest filling with dread. You know that tone.

“I totally forgot and I made other plans–”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I know, it’s shitty but I really can’t cancel and we can do it next week, right? I’ll host. I have a bottle of rose here, or I could make some sangria–”

“Uh, yeah,” you feel like you’ve been punched, “yeah, sure, that’s… that’s fine. Things happen.” You shake your head at yourself as you try to stem your disappointment, “good thing I didn’t even get started…” You look at the futon, covered in pillows and the fluffy pink duvet, “I actually just got in the door, long day at work–”

“You ready?” A distant, deep voice creeps under your rambling from the speaker.

“Sorry, I gotta go,” she interrupts, “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? Again, I’m sorry. I’m so stupid. I should’ve put it in my calendar.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” you assure her softly, “call me. Talk later, Mel–”

The line dies before you can finish your sentence. You pull the phone away and frown at the timed out call. You sniff and toss it onto the futon. Well, you can still have a good night. Alone. Catch up on a show and pamper yourself. Your skin is getting a bit patchy.

Or just lay here and watch the same thing you watch every night. Suddenly, you have no energy. You flop onto the mattress, the metal frame creaking loudly, and sigh. Another lazy night, all by yourself.

🏙️

Melanie doesn't answer your call on Saturday. You try not to dwell on it but you know she's not working. Her nine-to-five keeps her planted at her desk Monday to Friday, just like you. Well, you can't be mad at her for having a life.

She texts on Sunday. Just a short but sweet confirmation for next Friday. A heart emoji along with a promise that you'll see each other then. You can bring all your snacks and the face masks, and even your cute new pajamas. Her place must be a lot nicer than yours on her executive assistant salary.

A new week begins but Monday isn't as difficult as usual. You have something to look forward to. Again. This time, it will actually happen.

You spend your days with the spreadsheets and menial reports. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday all blend together into an endless slog but Friday comes around with a special shine. It's the day. 

You breeze through the day, lighter than usual. You even packed everything up so you could commute straight to Melanie's place. She's been texting, saying she's excited. Well, she sent a message at 10:38am. 

It'll be just like in high school, when you sat up all night and giggled. Except this time, you're not too young for the movie you're watching. No, you'll be just like the metropolitan women you watched on the screen, gal pals!

You take the twelve out towards the east side of the city and get off a few blocks from her building, at least according to your GPS. You walk in a full circle before you get your bearings and end up just outside the grated door. You tap the small button to buzz her number and wait. It's a lot fancier than your apartments.

You ring several times without answer, your stomach swimming with nerves. What if she got caught up in something? Could she forget in the  eight hours since her last message? Are you in the wrong place? You check the address again.

You hear someone come up the walkway and sidle aside to let them in. You consider sneaking in after them but you don't know if you should. They might not like that or you might get in trouble. You stand back as the man glances at you and gives a nod. He keys in a code and buzzes himself in. You scrunch your lips, helplessly floundering on the edge of the steps.

"Coming in?" He holds the door.

"Oh, uh," you catch the handle, "sure, I just... my friend wasn't answering."

"No worries, don't look like much of a criminal to me," he kids.

You chuckle quietly, forcing it out nervously as you follow him inside. The entryway is white with silver trimmings and the lobby opens up to a set of two elevators. You look at your phone again, confirming Melanie's apartment number. The man strides on confidently and hits the button, the doors dinging and sliding apart.

"Going up?" He prompts as he puts his hand in front of the censor.

"Uh, sure," you scurry forward. You suppose taking the stairs might be a lot with all the weight in your knapsack.

"Floor?" He trails you into the elevator.

"Um, seventh."

"Ah, what a coincidence," he taps seven and the doors close.

You bring up your chat with Melanie and text her. Hopefully, you're not too early. You don't want to surprise her. You key in that you're there and on your way up.

The door open again and the stranger once more lets you through first. You check the numbers on the plates on the wall; 700 - 710 to the right. You turn and the man heads in the same direction. How awkward. You hold the door to the hallway for him and he catches it, not far behind you. You count the doors until you find 704. 

You stop and knock, stepping closer to let the stranger pass. He doesn't. He stops and laughs as he rubs his palms together. You peek over at him. Oh shoot, you have to be in the wrong place. It explains the no answer and you're standing at his door knocking. You must seem like a crazy person--

The door opens before you can figure out what's going on and Melanie's 'hello' goes from a high squeal to dull disappointment. You look at her as her eyes flit between you and the stranger at your shoulder. She laughs and tosses her hair back.

"Oh, uh, come in," she waves you inside, "movie night, right?"

She rubs her neck as she steps aside, your stomach flipping entirely. Did she forget? Really?

"Um, I forgot to mention..." she says slowly, "Clark's joining us. He's never seen the movie before so I thought..."

"That's fine, but er, I can... just go. I thought..."

"I didn't forget," she insists as the man enters with hesitation, "promise, I just... invited my boyfriend."

"Right, boyfriend," you turn to the stranger, Clark, she said his name is, "hi."

You introduce yourself and he repeats his name. He's handsome and tall. As far as you can tell, he's nice too. The cleft in his chin gives him a rugged handsome news and his eyes a bright and blue. He fits Melanie perfectly. She's changed a lot more than you knew.

You give a strained smile and look around. Her apartment is so nice. You're happy she hadn't seen yours after all. As you try to figure out what to do, she approaches Clark and stands on her toes to kiss him. You keep your eyes on the floor and turn, distracting yourself with your shoes as you peel them off.

"I brought snacks," you say as you unhook your bag from one shoulder, "for the movie--"

"Oh, I'm on a diet. No carbs, no sugar... mostly water and lettuce," she trills, "sorry."

"I...It's okay," you try not to wince as you struggle to free yourself of the heavy bag.

"Here," Clark startles you as he grabs your bag by the handle on top and helps lift it off your left shoulder. You pull your arms free and he carries it to the table, planting it on top beside the tall vase of white orchids. 

"Thanks," you say as you inch forward, anxious about messing up the unlivable pristine apartment, "you can share the snacks... if you're not on a diet."

"I'd love to," he accepts, "should I make up the couch?"

"Uh, sure," Melanie flutters her fingers at him, "I guess that makes sense."

You notice how she bites into her glossy lower lip and looks around desperately. She's wearing a pretty black dress and there's a sparkly clutch on the half-circle table by the wall. You thought Melanie would be your one piece of home in the city but now you feel even more out of place. Uninvited.

"If it's a bad time," you begin.

"I told you," she snips, "I didn't forget. Duh, you think I'm an airhead or something?"

"N-no--"

"I know you went and got your fancy degrees," she sniffs, "but I don't need paper to tell me I have a brain."

"I didn't mean--"

"Mel, cool it," Clark chuckles lightly, "no biggie. I like a night in," he shrugs, "I'll grab some blankets and pillows. We can have a sleepover."

"Sleepover?" She nearly hisses at him, "well, tomorrow--"

"We'll all sleep in and I'll take you ladies to breakfast. Or brunch," he unzips your knapsack and takes out the tall bottle of wine, "depending on how much you indulge." 

"Oh, I can take care of all that," you offer as you near the table.

"You're our guest," he insists as he holds onto the bottle, "hon, you wanna get some glasses?"

You hear the gentle sigh escape Melanie before she replies, "fine."

You wring your hands in front of your chest and hover by the table. You hate this. You feel like you've intruded on their night but you thought...

Your heart sinks as you think of the message; 'looking forward to tonight'. She sent it to the wrong person. She must realise that too.

"Mel will pour us some wine," Clark says loudly, "did you wanna help my grab some blankets and stuff?"

You just nod, thankful for his diversion. Anything to keep you from wallowing in your embarrassment. Everyone there knows you're not supposed to be there. You must seem pathetic.

You follow him down the hall and wait on the other side of the closet door as he opens it. He hands you a folded down duvet. He sends you back to the living room as he goes to grab pillows from the bedroom. You get a glance of the sleek white vanity just as he opens the door.

You turn and traipse back to the front room. You go to the couch and shake out the blanket. You glance over as Melanie slurps loudly from a stemmed glass, the other two are unpoured.

"Really, Mel, I can just go--"

"No, it's fine," she huffs, "I don't want him to think I'm some sort of bitch."

"Oh, I wasn't--"

"You don't call to confirm?" She accuses.

"I texted and I buzzed--"

She shushes you as she hears Clark coming back down the hall. You leave the blanket across the sofa and go to the table. You pour the other two glasses and step back, too uneasy to claim one of your own. Instead, you busy yourself unpacking the snacks but you don't even know if you'll have any yourself.

"You girls sit," Clark insists as he drops the pillows on the sofa, "I'll get everything ready. Oh, hon, you should go put some pajamas on, get in the spirit. You could lend some to your friend too."

"Erm, I brought my own," you offer, "just... thought they were cute."

"Amazing, you two get changed, get cozy, and get the movie going," he grabs the bag of chips from your hands, "oh, and I'll get those kernels popping."

You nod and swallow as Melanie struts out without looking back. You retrieve your pajamas from your bag, brushing close to Clark by accident, and apologise. You quickly flit away to follow her, chasing after her right before she can close you out. You need to find an excuse to get out. Then you can think of how to say sorry for spoiling her date,

[blitzbuckzowild]

On Stolitz, Kink and Power Dynamics, and Role Reversal - Stolas Centric

So, I have been thinking a lot about the kink dynamics between Stolas and Blitzø, especially how they are portrayed in the show vs. what is popular (or more popular than you’d think) among fan works. A lot of this has probably been said, but I am unsure what has and has not, and I have only recently begun to interact with the community.

For some background, I have about 10 years of experience within the kink/BDSM lifestyle including several long-term dynamics as both Dom and sub, attendance to events, extensive engagement in online forums, etc. I’ve been in many types of dynamics and have a good understanding of the culture.

We have very little knowledge on the intricacies of the dynamic between Stolas and Blitzø but from what I can gather its a pretty standard one without very much structure. This makes sense seeing as before recent canon events, their scenes are primarily limited to once a month. There is no evidence of switching that I can find in the show, most likely they stay firm in their roles of Blitzø as Dom and Stolas as sub. There is the comment during the Loo Loo Land episode, where Blitzø say “wait till her dad tries diddling your holes”, but the keyword being “tries.” Now obviously he could be receiving penetration, but I find it hard to believe that there is any actual control given to Stolas.

This structure obviously allows for some entertaining role reversal, and (on the surface level at least) mitigates some of the issues with the power at the same time. I find myself often wondering how people would regard the dynamic between them if Blitzø was portrayed as the sub. It obviously doesn’t really fit his character as he is now, but it is a thought.

Anyway, the point is actually to explore the idea of a role reversal between the two and what this can represent. Obviously, a lot of this has been touched on in fan-works, and probably other posts, but primarily in the framework of Blitzø’s experience subbing. I think that is well-established that a lot of the draw for Blitzø to submit is the idea of him being vulnerable and letting go of control. There are many works that focus on this.

But what about Stolas? That’s something I haven’t seen a lot of.

Stolas is passive. Even if he snarks back at Blitzø and does set some boundaries a bit at the beginning of Apology Tour, and he does tease and push, it’s really not substantial. Even with Full Moon, even with the crystal, he is still so submissive to everything that happens around him. He makes his grand gesture and throws the ball in Blitzø’s court until he can’t handle what that looks like. He let’s things just happen to him for the most part. So a lot of his character growth in the show focuses on him gaining confidence and taking initiative.

Even in Apology Tour, at the Blitzø Hate party, he makes it clear where he stands on what he wants his role in a relationship to be. He wants to be pursued, like a woman in a rom-com who stereotypically and historically takes a passive role to whatever confident or goofy hunk wants her. Sure, she wants him (usually), but typically she is not doing the pursuing. Instead she rolls her eyes and things happen to her.

Stolas taking on a dominant role, taking control, even in the context of kink, can be symbolic for him learning ambition and initiative. Everything has been decided for him and he’s letting Blitzø’s actions and responses make the decision for him. Even with Octavia, he acts as if he is collateral to her behavior and emotions. It’s fair for him to want Blitzø pursue him and to take accountability. However, at some point he needs to pursue as well. You could say that the crystal was an instance in which he did? But was it really when at the first sign of resistance from Blitzø, he folds and pull back.

All this to say, there can be some really great story telling using their BDSM dynamics. I don’t really expect the show to address this, because I think there are some intricacies here that can only be appreciated by those really involved in the BDSM lifestyle, and honestly I am not sure how knowledgeable the writers are about it outside of the mainstream knowledge (Well mainstream compared to someone like me.)

With the deal ended, and the power dynamics somewhat balancing out, the door is really opened for this type of thing. There isn’t as much baggage in Blitzø being portrayed in a sub role. The class divide is still there, but Stolas no longer holds all of the cards

There is waaaay more I can say on this in regard to the roles of sub and Dom and how they relate to Stolas and Blitzø but this is already so long. Some things to consider would be the the actual emotional needs that are filled by each role, the ways relationships in dynamics develop, different BDSM subcultures and theories on the nature of their dynamic, and more of my thoughts on how their current dynamic with Stolas subbing and Blitzø Domming impacting perceptions of their previous arrangement by viewers, how Blitzø is already submissive to Stolas in ways, the general emotional state of people when engaging in kink, etc. I could also provide my own thoughts on Blitzø subbing but I feel it’s already well addressed in the fandom.

Maybe I’ll do a part 2 if it’s wanted or I get the will. I would love to engage in any discussion (agreeing or otherwise) on this, I probably missed some things, or interpreted stuff differently than others.

And here is a Poll to wrap this up

[dceasesd]

Do you pirate comics? And if you do please gimme your piracy site mine isn't working😞

And could you give me asshole Bruce and Jason fic recs but specifically "I'm a selfish controlling man child and I love my family and will go to hell and back for them and will do anything to keep them safe" Bruce not "I'm an unfeeling man child who only cares for his narrow views of justice"Bruce

If you don't have any fics like this specifically I would gladly take any Bruce and Jason fics that doesn't bash either of the characters or their idles

i gotcha man i gotcha

i personally pirate all my comics on readcomiconline.li, which i find by typing the title of the comic and issue im looking for followed by ‘read’. usually it’s the first option!! it might depend on what country you’re in, though— i’m in the u.s. and it works for me but i’ve heard of people from other places having trouble with it :P

(also, be warned, readcomiconline.li has so. many. pop-ups. use at your own risk)

and oh my god i have so many thank u so much for asking i love giving recs so much (under the cut!!!!)

alrighty bruce and jay fics pls enjoy!!!

Clearly Calm and Keeping Terrorized by Batbirdies

this is one of my favorite fics of all time it’s so good!! it’s literally exactly what you’re looking for. i’d recommend reading the entire series for full affect, but a very basic summary of the plot is bruce goes to therapy and tries to unruin his familial relationships :-) this fic focuses on his attempts w jason. so great!

This Place we Built with Grace and Guilt by Cerusee

yeeowch this one hurts!! another one of my favorite authors, definitely also check out the rest of cerusee’s works, they’re great!! if i had to describe this fic in one word it would be GUILT

The Penny Drops, The Penny Dreads by Batbirdies

omg second batbirdies fic on this list they just get bruce and jay like no one else what can i say!!! this is the only wip on this list but it is very good and i can’t wait for more!! jason and bruce trying to figure out how to have a relationship w their contrasting class backgrounds

The Distance Between Us by AutumnHobbit

this is the one i instantly thought of when i saw ur ask— autumnhobbit is so good! bruce is traumatized and trying his best and that’s what matters

the city carries ruin in its hearts by nex_et_nox

outsider pov of bruce and jason’s relationship!! an interesting perspective, jim gordon is a surprisingly fun character to read!!

borderline by TheResurrectionist

this isn’t specifically jason and bruce and more bruce and everyone in the family, but there is some good jason&bruce dynamic. control freak bruce tries to stop being a control freak

Come Alive by captainozone

this is a young justice fic so if you haven’t seen the show you might be a tiny bit confused, but it’s essentially just a ‘jason comes home’ fic!! one of my all time favorites!

THIS ISN’T PUNISHMENT (I LOVE YOU.) by orphenusaki

orphenusaki i love you all your fics are amazing pls never stop writing!! this author is so great so id recommend checking out their other stuff as well, but this one features a long-needed convo between bruce and jason prompted by truth serum.

hope you like these!!!! thanks again for the ask <333 happy reading!!!!

[victoriadallonfan]

Not to claim Godzilla x Kong was a deep film, but credit where it’s due, it has by far the most respectful portrayal of indigenous people in all of the Kong films.

This is not a high bar and I’m NOT saying it’s the pinnacle of progressive film work, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

Spoilers below, of course.

For those of you who haven’t seen any of the older Kong films outside of the Monsterverse, the general plot beat is that a wealthy businessman/philanthropist/greedy asshole goes to Skull Island to find something new to make a lot of money (film for the OG/Peter Jackson and Oil for the 70’s film), and comes across a tribe of “barbarian” natives who kidnap the beautiful white woman whom they sacrifice to Kong, whom they worship.

It’s such a cliche that even Peter Jackson does it in his 2005 film (and it’s possibly even more racist than the older ones):

As you can see, there is a very familiar pattern

The Iwi tribe of the Monsterverse is handled very differently

In Kong: Skull Island, it actually does try to play into previous viewers perceptions; we meet the Iwi as the protags stumble upon their village ruins and are surrounded by. Tension is tight, and it looks like it’ll be a repeat of the previous films… until the character of Hank Marlow arrives and diffuses the tension entirely, revealing that the Iwi have been generous and caring hosts to him.

And yes, while they do worship Kong, it’s not out of fear, but rather that Kong protects them from the hazards of Skull Island. The Iwi are the ones who help the crew get a working ship and aid them in escaping the island.

This is followed up in Godzilla vs Kong, where we tragically learn that a massive tropical storm (I think implied to be due to King Ghidorah hurricanes) sank the entire island and left Jia as the sole survivor of her tribe, saved due to Kong protecting her from the rising floods.

Kong and Jia are then seen as a near inseparable duo, further twisting the “beauty and beast” dynamic of the previous films, making it more about how they are both alone except for each other. Kong even learns sign language from Jia in one of the best movie reveals of the series:

It’s even Jia who is able to give Kong the morale boost to save Godzilla from Mechagodzilla.

And then we get into Godzilla x Kong. Kong and Jia, while having a new home, still feel isolated because of their cultures (or lack thereof) and make excuses to see each other as much as possible. Which is turned on its head as Kong finds other Apes and the Iwi tribe have returned (or at least) an offshoot of them, as the protectors of humanity who calls Godzilla to their aid.

I was a bit wary of making them telepathic, but I liked that they used it more like a separate language than a superpower, with Jia serving as that bridge as she finds her culture, her adoptive mother accepts that Jia may want this life more than one back home (where she felt out of place), and Jia becoming ANOTHER bridge as she helps resurrect Mothra who goes onto make Godzilla and Kong form an alliance!

Ultimately, Jia parts ways with the Iwi on good terms to live with her adoptive mother, happy to know there are people of her culture she can visit and Kong lives on with his people.

But I especially appreciate a moment in the film that pretty much lampshades the older Kong movies.

One of the characters is filming himself and others as they venture into Hollow Earth, desperate to get his fame and fortune in making people realize he was a hero and not a conspiracy theorist (he was a spy for Apex Labs, the ones who built mechagodzilla in the first place). Another character is an animal doctor and naturalist, who points out that, historically, native populations don’t tend to do well when exposed to the modern world.

Add on to the fact that the Iwi are telepathic and know how to use crystals to alter gravity in Hollow Earth, they would absolutely be the target of government operations and experimentation. Aka, a far more grand version of what happens in the older Kong films.

The film ends with the footage not being used and the Iwi living in peace, having Mothra once more to protect them.

Like I said, it’s not groundbreaking stuff, but I appreciate how different it is.

[ask-the-prose]

Building a Character Arc

Hi all! These past 8 months have been a busy time huh? I’m back and hoping to jumpstart this blog with a bit more organization. So let’s get started with our next guide!

We talk a lot about worldbuilding and plotting out stories, but there’s an important factor I haven’t seen much discussion around, and that is: character arcs.

We’ll be covering character building next week, as that will build off of this post. But building a character arc is just as important as knowing all the static facts about a character and how they react to the world you’ve built around them!

What is the character’s purpose?

We love to imagine our characters as people and real in our heads, but ultimately they are a tool to tell a story. So when building your character arc, you need to know what the purpose of this character is. How do they serve the story? How do they enhance the themes?

Characters can have tons of purposes, from the protagonist to the antagonist to cannon fodder. Characters can serve multiple purposes at one time, even. So what do you want your character to do for the story?

An example: in The Hunger Games, Gale Hawthorne serves a purpose far beyond just love interest #2. Gale helps propel the plotline in a number of ways. He spurs Katniss into action when he is whipped in the town square, he challenges Katniss’ worldviews both directly and indirectly by proposing ethical and complex questions that Katniss must later answer, and he’s symbolic of an answer to the main theme of the books. He isn’t relegated to just one of these purposes, but he does have to have one otherwise, he would be irrelevant words distracting from the actual story.

What changes within the character? What doesn’t?

Characters can be divided into two categories: static and dynamic. Static characters stay the same over the course of the story, whereas dynamic characters do not. So a good question to ask yourself when building a character arc is what, if anything, changes about the character over the course of the story?

One important factor to consider is the character’s attitude towards the world, the conflict, or the other characters. If that changes, how does it change? Why? What happens to cause that change? These questions can be applied to any number of factors you wish to include, like a character’s opinion of themselves or another concept, a character’s worldview, or a character’s feelings towards their circumstances.

If the character is a static character, why? Does it serve the story’s themes?

Is your character an active participant or reacting to plot events?

Naturally, a character reacts to events and responds to those reactions through action. But do those actions actually affect the plot? Does the plot happen to the character or does the character act and consequences follow?

These seem like plot building questions, and they are, but it’s critical to understanding your characters as well. Characters that always react to the plot and have little consequences for actual actions taken tend to be placed in the “reactive” category. While I can’t speak to every style and story structure, most traditional publishers and western audiences prefer active characters over reactive characters. They want the character to impact the plot, their actions have natural consequences that push the plot forward.

Reactive characters can absolutely be utilized to tell interesting and compelling stories, though, so don’t throw out the whole story if you find your character is more reactive than active.

Conclusion

So you’ve created the plot and the premise and you need to populate your world with characters! Remember these key points in building a character arc: purpose, change, and action. Hopefully this guide can help you get on the road towards creating a character arc that not only compels your reader, but enhances your themes and serves your story.

-- Indy

[seeker-of-stories19]

One I thing I have personally really appreciated about Bridgerton is seeing Violet interacting with her children in different ways and being portrayed differently in each season. I don’t mean for this to be a super negative post about her just that I think people tend to ignore the real disparities in how parents treat different children and usually when it is brought up it’s minimized to ‘having a favorite.’

But there’s so much depth in Bridgertons portrayal of Violets relationships with her individual children and how much they are affected deeply by society, trauma, her personal feelings etc. Parents are genuinely influenced by these things and it is unfortunately projected differently onto different kids, whether that is because of outside forces or clashing personalities or something else entirely it’s often glossed over or handled poorly in media.

Coming from a loving family doesn’t necessarily say much about what someone went through growing up and often love is only a small part of the equation. Despite Violet loving all her children they have had very different lives and experiences related to her parenting and you can clearly see that with each one of them.

First you have Daphne who is generally taken with the whole idea of being a debutante and the idea of romance which is very relatable to Violets character and their relationship (from what I remember) paints a generally idyllic picture of the family.

Then you have Anthony who is at the other end of the spectrum entirely, he has gone through extreme trauma and been neglected, abandoned, and parentified to an intense degree. We see him struggle with poor self esteem, anxiety, and imposter syndrome as he tries to step up during the worst time of his life. He has to bear the weight of Violets grief as well as his own and raise his siblings and handle the estate meaning that he has had an incredibly different parental relationship with her.

Benedict and Colin both seem to receive some light chastisement and a bit of meddling from Violet about their choices and finding a match but are generally not bothered by it and both seem to be relatively content in their relationships with her which again is very different to what some of the siblings experience.

Eloise also struggles with her relationship with Violet, albeit in a very different way to Anthony and for very different reasons, but it’s coming from a place of not wanting to disappoint Violet while also not wanting to be someone she’s not. I think Violet generally handles this as well as she’s able within the confines of the time period and despite hurting Eloise she seems to be coming from a place of trying to help her find her place within a framework that already exists but still in a way that’s authentic.

Francesca also seems to have a primarily positive relationship with Violet but there is some pain surrounding their differences and how Violet and her siblings fail to understand her or meet her where she is at, leaving her as the outlier of her family and struggling with loneliness because of it.

I don’t think I’ve seen enough with Gregory and Hyacinth to see get a very good idea of those relationships but they seem happy and content, they also haven’t really gone through the trauma of losing a parent the way their siblings have which was a very pivotal moment for the rest of the family. Whereas Violet and Anthony are the only parents they ever really know.

The point of all of this is just that I think this is so important to the storylines and really lends the Bridgerton family a lot of depth that makes them much more realistic together and individually compared to how families usually work. The siblings are different people who all have very different relationships with their mother and are treated in observably different ways, for better or for worse, and from my personal experience this is much more realistic than the average dynamics portrayed on TV.

[starfall-spirit]

@acotar-omegaverse-week Day 2: Turning Up the Heat

Read on Ao3 // BitS Masterlist // Fic Masterlist

Summary: After having just moved into the Forest House weeks before the wedding, Feyre finds herself in a strange predicament.

OR;

Burning in the Starlight, but make it omegaverse.

Chapter II: Our Sweet Girl

Feyre

Distance. Distance would help. If She could just find a way to convince them to leave her be that evening, she could ride this out on her own.

“Feyre, don’t be stubborn,” Rhys said, watching her retreat. “We aren’t going anywhere.” 

“I—how—”

“Don’t concern yourself with maintaining your shields. It won’t be possible once the heat sets in.” The next time she turned to face them a pile of clothing waited on the bed, each piece carrying Rhys’ scent. “Finish your nest, pet. You won’t have the clarity to do so much longer.”

Caving to her instincts once again, she snatched up the pile of clothes her mate had provided, doing her best to ignore her mounting arousal. She heard Rhys curse softly, perhaps more attuned to the change in her with a bond connecting them. A second wave of heat rolled through her and she groaned, reaching back to twist her hair up at the top of her head. She’d left a tie on her vanity the evening before, hadn’t she?

“Can you—Shit. Can you open the window? P-please?”

“It won’t help much,” Eris warned, but moved to crack the pane over her window seat.

Giving up on finding any sort of ribbon or tie, Feyre drifted back to her nest, curling into the side of it where she’d left most of the clothing, choosing to ignore the look the males exchanged.

“Feyre darling, let us help you. Invite us into your nest.”

It had been months since their bargain was struck and still Feyre struggled to grasp how two males who had so much negative history could work so cohesively to accommodate her wishes alone, but that unity was helping to settle her now. Before she could let her mind spiral back into denial, she nodded her head, granting the permission Rhys had requested. She nearly moaned as they settled in on either side of her, endearingly careful not to disturb her arrangement more than they had to.

“You’ve done this before, haven’t you?” she whispered.

Eris chuckled at her back. “Not together, but there have been other omegas, yes. Each of you may be unique in your needs, but some things remain consistent.”

Feyre hummed, shifting just enough to nuzzle into Rhys’ neck, where his scent seemed to be strongest. Stooping down, he pressed a kiss to her temple, beginning to make a sound she could only describe as a purr. A flood of wetness coated her panties and she whimpered, one hand flying down to press between her legs as the other gripped his shoulder tight.

“Shh,” Eris soothed from behind her, one hand running through her hair, tugging lightly each time he returned to her roots. “You’re alright, little one.” He managed to shift her lower body enough to lift her nightgown so it was rucked up around her hips, exposing the soaked cotton between her legs. “The slick is natural.”

Feyre wasn’t sure why he was acting so out of character when it came to this. Until he sensed she was an omega, he’d been the gruff male that she’d met Under the Mountain—that she’d seen commanding the court.

“Alphas are caretakers,” Rhys explained, reminding her that their mental bridge had been left wide open. “Eris may be a dick in every sense of the word, but he’s no exception to the trait our dynamic shares. We’ll take care of you, Feyre. Through this heat and long after.”

Long after? She didn’t know what to make of that, and now hardly seemed an appropriate time to try.

“Lay back, Feyre,” he murmured aloud. 

Turning her by the shoulders, he claimed her mouth in a heated kiss, nearly dizzying enough to distract her from the fact Eris was dragging her underwear down her legs, fully baring her lower half for them to view at their leisure. She whined against Rhys’ mouth, irked that Eris could keep her spread open with so little effort. She’d never felt this exposed.

“Relax, Feyre. Trust your body,” Rhys soothed her the next time they broke for air. But how could she when the heat and ache inside her only built with each touch. If she was driven any higher she’d surely lose her mind. “You want the first taste, Eris, stop teasing her.”

“What fun would that be?” he retorted. There was the cruel edge she’d been expecting. “And after she was so resistant to any help.” He shook his head, only to duck down a moment later, his tongue flicking against her clit as two fingers pushing inside of her, their passage eased by the slick that now coated her thighs and the sheets beneath her even as she clenched hard around them.

Her hips jolted upwards, only to be pinned by the muscled arm Eris slung across them. “Behave,” he growled. 

Feyre tried to break away from the kiss once again, this time to tell Eris what she thought about that demand, but Rhys had sensed her intentions, his fingers knotting through her hair to keep her in place. “Mind that sharp tongue of yours tonight, darling. He can choose to edge you just as easily as he can give you what you’re so desperate for. I won’t stop him if you’ve earned it.”

Eris groaned against her center and she could only pray he was satisfied with his position between her legs and that Rhys hadn’t shared his sentiments for the evening. Either way, it seemed she hadn’t done anything to earn a punishment yet, as Eris sucked hard at her clit, fingers curling inside her, hitting a spot that set her trembling from head to toe.

Rhys chuckled, dropping the hand tangled in her hair to pinch her nipple hard enough she whimpered, the pain only driving her closer to her release. He pulled back, placing a tender kiss to her throat before his attention shifted. His hand slid down to cup her breast, tongue flicking over it before his lips sealed over it, the wet heat soothing the sting.

Gripping Rhys’ shoulders, she keened, arching up against his mouth. Soaked with slick and sweat, she could only imagine what she looked like to the pair of them—the perfectionists they were. “Lie still, little mate,” he crooned.

And Cauldron, did she try. “Our sweet girl,” he praised, even as she struggled to comply with his gentle command.

“Need—” Her begging was lost under her own cry of panic when she felt one thick finger trailing down to press into her ass, her own slick serving as a generous lubricant. “Eris!”

But there was no sense in trying to claim she disliked it. Not when that foreign pressure was what sent her hurtling into an orgasm that wrecked what little mental clarity remained. One orgasm and she was truly lost to the multitude of sensations brought on by her heat. And her mate and betrothed were to blame.

~~~~~

Taglist: @highladysith // @lulling-night-sky // @edgyellie // @stars-and-scripts // @shallyne // @the-lonelybarricade // @darling-archeron // @goddess-aelin // @the-lost-changeling // @faeriequeensuriel // @pandavelaris // @s-uppertime // @elentiya-whitethorn // @acotar-fanns // @jealousveronya // @acourtofwips // @reverie-tales // @gwynkyrie // @corcracrow // @thelovelymadone // @mybestfriendmademe // @lilah-asteria

[crow-hoards-things]

The Bad Batch Series Finale

FULL DISCLOSURE: This is a vent post. I’m angry and hurt. After I get this out of my system I’ll be more open to discussing the positives of the episode.

Warnings: Ranting, Spoilers

Hooo boy. Okay. I am… less than satisfied?

Quick rundown since I haven’t posted much of anything Bad Batch related: Tech is my favorite Batch member, immediately followed by Crosshair. I’m also a HUGE Republic Commando Nerd (read all the books, played the game, despised Bad Batch as a whole initially because I felt the commandos were being unfairly ignored, can sing + translate Vode An, etc.) and Scorch was my favorite Delta. The Bad Batch grew on me shortly after Season 1 finished up, and I immediately latched onto Tech when I began watching. He’s the reason I watched the first two seasons. (Crosshair + delusions about Tech were the combined force behind watching the final season)

NOW, onto my actual thoughts on the episode, in no semblance of order because my brain is still trying to process, Ft. Cry count:

• Wish Tech was here. He would’ve loved the Zillo being freed.

• “‘Cause I’d do the same thing” no you wouldn’t. Fives would’ve. The you I fell in love with would’ve yelled at Fives about it being a terrible idea and then promptly gone along with it anyway. That said it was a really cute moment and I loved his nonchalant little “come on” afterwards.

• C: “Echo or Omega?” W&H: “Omega” THEY KNOW THEIR GIRL SO WELL

• When Hemlock went to get the operatives I got excited thinking maybe, just maybe we’d get Tech back.

• CROSSHAIR LOST HIS FREAKING HAND!?!? WHAT THE HECK!?! I will never stop being salty about this. He’s been through enough. [Near Tears]

• Rampart sucks

• Nala Se got to blow stuff up and I appreciate that even if I don’t really like her

• I’m glad Wrecker’s okay. He had me scared for a bit. Hunter, conversely, never really did? He’s Omega’s Dad, he had to survive.

• Did anybody else see that one operative whose helmet seemingly had goggles built into it? We had a lingering shot on his helmet for a few seconds and they looked like a red version of Tech’s goggles.

• SCORCH IS DEAD AND YOU’D BETTER BELIEVE I’M MAD ABOUT IT! [First shedding of tears]

• HECK YEAH, HEMLOCK IS DEAD!!! [Tears of relief combined with grief over Scorch]

• I’m so glad Omega hugged Crosshair first. I fully expected her to just run to Hunter, and Crosshair needed that hug.

• Echo’s goodbye was disrespectful. 0/10. He’s family and they don’t even care that he’s leaving???

• SOMEONE IS MISSING FROM OUR NICE LITTLE GROUP SHOT!

• I never really got super invested in the dynamic between Omega and Hunter, but the ending between them was cute I guess.

• We were robbed. We could’ve gotten Crosshair and Wrecker as old men and we were robbed.

• Tech is dead. Like, seriously, really and truly, dead. As a delusional “Tech’s alive guys, trust me” fan, it feels like he just died all over again. I’ll talk more about this later because I’m not over it. [Que sob-fest]

alright, circling back around to my main gripes, in order of appearance:

#1. Scorch.

I hate how they handled him. At first when he showed up I got super excited. That was my boy! In the Bad Batch show!! He’s making an appearance!!! Maybe they’ll do something with the Delta boys!!

Even as the episodes went on and I started to suspect where his path was leading, I consistently would go “Scorch!!! <3” every episode, because that is my boy and I love him dearly.

The levels of offended I am on Scorch’s behalf are not within my ability to express with words. The complete and utter disrespect he was shown over his time on the show is appalling. Why bring him in if you’re going to drain him of all his personality, make him have zero plot relevance, and then murder him?! They could easily have made a new clone for that, as seen by the number of operatives who exist and got 0.5 minutes of screen time.

But no. They brought in a beloved character with 10 seconds of canonical screen time prior, stripped him of everything that made him lovable, didn’t even have him DO ANYTHING, and then murdered him. It feels like a spit in the face and a kick to the gut all at once.

I will mourn. I’ve already cried and I’ll probably cry again. But right now I’m angry and I think Scorch deserves to have people be angry about how he was treated.

#2. Tech

Yes. I admit to having been a “trust me guys, Tech’s alive” person. I will also admit that at the end of episode 13 I wanted him to stay dead because I had zero faith they could satisfactorily bring him back.

My gripe is not with him staying dead. Yes, it feels like losing him all over again. Yes, I will mourn him again. Yes. That sucks. It’s not what’s making me mad.

What makes me mad is how his death was handled.

• It served ZERO purpose narratively other than to up the stakes and make us worry about whether anyone else would die (Spoiler alert: They didn’t. Tech was the only one who died) • Nobody mourned him. No one seemed affected by his death at all. No one cared. I don’t care what anyone says, that will NEVER be okay. • The first actual mention of Tech *dying* was in the finale. Sure, we’ve had name drops and goggle appearances, but actually talking about what happened? One line. One. Freaking. Line.

I feel like I’ve been slapped in the face, you know? He deserved better and so did we. He was a part of that family and they couldn’t even be bothered to address the responses to his death. He was beloved by many of us and they couldn’t even respect him or his fans enough to treat his death like something to be mourned.

That’s wrong, no matter how you look at it.

[stormandforge]

Raw reactions to X-Force #2

60% Sage, 40% Forge, and 100% what I want from a comic.

SPOILER warning.

Sage finding the solution, Forge saving the day. I want to live in this issue.

There’s a conscious effort to remove the big hitters from the action to let the nerds take centre stage, and I am here for it. No offence to the Betsy and Rachel fans: it’s just not every day my darlings get to shine.

Absolutely loving the dynamic between Forge and Sage. It’s everything I wanted it to be, equal and open, if cautious. Here are 2 intellectual people functioning on the same level, and my, is it hot in here? I’ve been shipping them for a while, but they work so well together on the page, I feel vindicated.

Forge has plans for Sage. See: “nothing works without Tessa” in issue #1, and the way he rushes to save her before anyone else when the jet explodes in this issue. He needs her around. I just hope it's not because he plans on sacrificing her.

New pattern detected: every significant relationship Forge has with a woman starts with her insulting him. Weirdo man.

Time to remind the world of a general rule: SAGE IS ALWAYS RIGHT.

Going into this, I was afraid Forge would become some sort of seer character, and that the tinkering would take a back seat. Boy, was I wrong. THERE IS SO MUCH TECH IN THIS. He’s still the master tinkerer I know and love, we just haven’t seen him in his workshop yet.

But we do see him abandon Sage in a hostile jungle to return to his workspace. WTH man, that's rude.

In case you're wondering: Forge is hot. Sizzling. The brains, the mystery, the shiny eyes…He can recruit me for a suicide mission any day.

I’m hoping we’ll get more concrete information about Sage’s goggles. I’m always annoyed by the glasses she wears – it’s never clear how they complement or enhance her power, or what they’re for exactly.

Did we see Forge fixing/improving Sage’s goggles by simply laying his hand on them? If yes, that’s new and that’s hot.

Forge staring into the Analog all day like it’s the ring of power or something. Hey, handsome! Look up and give us a smile!

Of course he stores the Analog in his leg. The ridiculousness of this man.

I actually cheered at the debunking of the “passive” mutation. Mutant nerds represent.

Things that happen when you write Sage in-character: she becomes SEX ON LEGS. Uber smart metaphor for autism who speaks in probabilities and foreign tongues, helloooooo

“Not ‘colonizer’. Mutant.” Ohhhh that’s a bit cringe.

Little Miss Tessa talking in the third person for some reason (there might be a reason...?)

Loving the research Thorne is putting into this. He obviously knows Wakanda, but I love that he can also justify his premise with actual back issues. Gotta love a nerd with receipts.

Speaking of receipts, I stan Sele's bluntness. 'Hi, Stranger who just saved us all. I know everything about you. Didn't you use to screw the queen? Now get off my lawn.'

“Do not finish that sentence”, lol

The duality between science and magic is obviously a crucial part of Forge’s character, even if he hasn’t touched magic in a long time now. He favours science again in this issue, but I’ll be interested to see if he can balance the two again in the future.

Keeping the Tank mystery going, I see.

Nori’s a precious jewel.

I really don’t mind the episodic approach so far, but it could get old.

The average comic book reader might want a bigger scale and more explosions. I don’t. I want more stories of Forge and Sage being their hot nerdy selves.

[wriheart]

Darling and the Charming Siblings

Part three of my Ever After High rewrite let’s gooooooooooooo. I am so excited to finally get these ideas out of my head and into writing.

All of my Ever After High posts can be found here if you haven’t read them, the previous two posts explain the world building and a bit about the magic of Ever After.

So, as mentioned in my original post, the fairytale children are not, in fact, born from their parents, but instead from a magical tree that is planted upon the completion of a story. The major reason I did this is because of…insest. I know, I know, the show kind of explains it away with that one episode where the charming kids are explaining “we’re not related to that charming family or that charming family” yada yada, it never made sense or sat right to me. If all of the kids are supposed to be the descendants of fairy tale characters, Apple and Daring should be siblings. So when coming up with ideas for my rewrite, that was the most major aspect of the original that I wanted to change. So here we are.

My solution still had two problems though: a) if the charming siblings were raised by their fairytale parents, they would all be raised separately, and wouldn't have that sibling dynamic, and b) if they were raised by their fairytale parents they would be raised side-by-side with their love interest (like if Apple and Daring were raised in the same castle), we would still have insest-adjacent bs.

So, I fell back on my nobel family idea that I came up with for the villian kids: there’s a nobel family who raises all of the Prince Charmings. So Daring, Dexter, Darling, and the other charming brothers all grew up in the same home. Out of all of the noble families, the family who has raised every generation of Charmings is the most renowned.

Darling is a little different from her brothers, however. She was not born from a fairytale tree. Instead, she’s the legitimate child of Cinderella and Prince Charming.

For this fanfic (if I ever write it), one of the major themes that I will be exploring is the classism present in the world of Ever After. After all, you have the royals who find themselves born into a happy ending, and the rebels who are stuck with gruesome fates and taught from a young age that they have to go along with it. Then, you have the students without a destiny who are treated like mere extras hardly worthy of anything.

Now what does this have to do with Darling? Well, the fairytale characters are not supposed to have children, after all, that’s what the trees are for. So when Cinderella gave birth to a daughter, Emperor Grim was not happy. But Cinderella is a royal, a queen who has otherwise followed her destiny to a t. By taking her daughter and sending her to be raised by the most prestigious nobel family, it is a slap on the wrist punishment for Cinderella’s offense. If a villian survived and had a kid (or anyone who wasn’t a royal made the same mistake as Cinderella) their punishment would be much more severe. So Darling being raised by the Charmings shows how those with higher up positions are treated differently from the rest of the population.

(It still sucks for Cinderella, don’t get me wrong. To occasionally see her daughter when she visits EAH to see Ashlyn, catching a glimpse of Darling is painful.)

Darling does not know she is Cinderella’s daughter. For all she knows, she’s the daughter of the nobles who raised her. She’s Lady Darling Charming. In addition to the prestige noble families gain for raising the next generation, their children have a higher chance of being accepted into EAH when trying out. So Darling tries out and is accepted. (I’m not yet sure what destiny I’m going to have her try out for but it’s something where she’s a damsel in distress or something along those lines.)

Even though she’s seen as a lady by most, growing up with many, many brothers means she was roughhousing from a young age, and since they grew up with her, her brothers don’t care that she’s a girl and they’ll happily train with her.

When it comes to taking control of her own destiny, Darling is playing the long game. She would rather be taking sword fighting lessons instead of learning how to be a damsel in distress, but in a world where destinies are framed as life or death, she knows that for now, as much as it pains her, she must keep her head down.

That doesn’t mean she’s doing nothing though. Since the moment she arrived at EAH, Darling has been exploring. She knows the castle like the back of her hand: every secret passage is known to her and she uses that knowledge to her advantage. Blondie may be the one who loves finding gossip, but Darling is the one who truly knows everything that is going on at EAH.

So, of course, she knows that Raven is trying to break free of her destiny. Darling is willing to do anything to help, even if it means traveling into the cursed world of wonderland.

Daring, Dexter, and Darling are the three main charmings, but I might have to create a few more charming siblings to tell the story. There are so many tales with princes, and with at least four princesses in need of a prince (Apple, Briar, Ashlynn, and Holly) it makes sense to come up with a bunch more. Plus, I think it would be fun if the charmings grew up in a house with twelve other siblings.

Anyway, I’m trying to keep the characters mostly the same. Darling appears shy and soft-spoken, the perfect lady, when in reality that’s simply a way for her to disguise her rebellious intentions until the time is right. She’s curious, inquisitive, and a lover of adventure. Dexter is very self-conscious. Compared to his other brothers, he isn’t very good at the typical prince things, and yet, he has to be. He can’t fail his fairy tale. He’s constantly under pressure, and the things he thinks about himself are very harsh. Daring is also under pressure, as the prince with the most famous destiny. He’s constantly risking his life to save those around him before his destiny is even started. He sacrifices his own time to constantly be the one people turn to when there’s a foe to be vanquished, so he’s never really taken the time to simply be by himself and enjoy what he wants to do. He copes by constantly making sure his appearance is perfect, because even if he’s feeling tired on the inside, his charmingness must persist.

————

All EAH AU Posts

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hello, please don't take it bad because, through the question maybe the tone can be a bit weird also I know you talked about it hundred of times.

But as a Loumand enjoyer and someone who take them for what they were,creepy,toxic, unbalanced but also beautiful because i like good chemistry and no one can deny their good chemistry right? Jacob and Assad were beautiful together.

What i don't understand is why,i keep seeing from most of the fandom the reasons they don't like them is because they were toxic/weird dynamic, aren't all the relationships in the VC romantic or not,toxic/weird?

I promise i didn't make a fanfic in my head,i knew from the start we were watching a divorce but they still had some on-screen good moments?

They will still be important for each other lives in the future right?

I feel like most of the vitriol i see for them (not from you) is because Loumand feels like a ''threat'' (I can't find a better word) to the existence of the two main pairings.

I don't think they were because of the dungeon scene is a proof they were never meant to be but still I'm sure some people felt threatened.There no other reason i can see.

In the future they will be other weird dynamic between other characters and i can see them receiving such a treatment.

Also I know some Loumand enjoyers are the reason we are seen as the annoying part of the fandom including myself.

All good :) (your tone is fine^^)

Tbh I haven’t seen much of what you refer to (I barely make it out of my inbox and DMs right now 🤪) but I think what you witness now is the backlash after almost two years of “Lestat is an abusive racist and we cannot wait to see Louis in a healthy, wholesome romance with a POC character and nothing of Lestat anymore“.

Like, don’t misunderstand me, I‘m not saying you did this. But this definitely happened. The show never promised Loumand to be wholesome, but since it was commented on as healthy and wholesome on the podcast many took that as fact. Pointing out book canon things were met with “anti accusations“ (even by some I would have never expected it from). Suggesting that the “tale“ might not be correct was taken as racist, and abuse apology bc the black man was “made to be a liar“. No matter the cast and writers and crew comments on this. (But I‘ve been over this in my rant, it’s linked in my bio if you want to read it, not rehashing it all now).

And that for over 1,5 years. There’s comments on my fics you wouldn’t believe. And no pointing out discrepancies, nor book canon facts made any dent into these accusations. It was always argued that the show is its own thing - and that is true - and yet they have now circled back MUCH closer to the book canon than I had actually anticipated.

So.

I get that it’s hard right now? I have said before that I see Loumand as totally valid - but for me it is mostly later on, when it’s on equal level. I think it is totally valid to enjoy them now, too, while being aware of the manipulative layers and the fucked-up dynamics:))

Ultimately… there’s not much for you to do except curate your dash. Go and block haters freely, leave those voices that you like or that disagree with you on a respectful level.

Especially for future (also rather toxic) pairings that WILL come up this will be MO. :) Fortunately tumblr has some practical tools there. ^^

[mazzystar24]

i feel like you’re the right audience for this but i’m rewatching gilmore girls and buck and eddie are so luke and lorelai coded sometimes. christopher is rory and shannon is christopher (sorry shannon i love you). ana is max medina.

BABE YOU HAVE DEFINITELY REACHED THE RIGHT AUDIENCE ISTG I THINK I MADE LIKE 167283 POSTS ABOUT THIS

Like eventhough Chris is Rory in this situation I feel like buck is more loralie and Eddie is way more luke, so like plot wise it’s the other way but dynamic and character wise DEFINITELY Luke=Eddie and loralie= buck

Like there is something about the yapper/ fond of the yapper, the one who believes in fate and the universe/ the one who thinks it’s all bs, sunshine/ grumpy, needs attention to survive/doesn’t like attention dynamic that is just RIGHT

Plus like loralie- fucked up and complicated relationship with her parents where she never felt seen by them, troublemaker when she was younger, has a tendency to make things about her/ take things personally, kinda needy and like loves attention, yapper, adhd coded in my opinion, ran away from home at a young age to then find herself in another place and build this sort of found family dynamic, emotional attachment to a jeep, has a tendency to sometimes get control freak, micromanaging mode

All of which are very buck things

And Eddie is so luke for obvious reasons like the sort of need to kinda drag things out of him a little more, endlessly fond and supportive, would rather die than talk about his feelings, like just that sturdy energy idk

And rip Shannon but I have mixed feelings about you and you do fit the Christopher role: like left their kids with no contact✅technically has like a reason of being young scared etc but still went NO CONTACT WITH THEIR CHILD✅ their love interest romanticises their relationship eventhough in reality it’s not a good relationship ✅

Also omg Rory as Chris just works so well cos it’s like that smart beyond their years and supportive energy (cough cough both had a player era too)

I see your Ana as max and I raise you Tommy as Rachel, nothing overtly wrong but they’re just not the right person (if he has the Rachel send off I’d die of joy)

TAYLOR IS JASON (digger) LIKE THE SAME ENERGY OF BEING A BIT COLD AND CLOSED OFF AND SHIT AND THEN BETRAYING THEIR TRUST BY HURTING THEIR FAMILY - actually depending on how Tommy goes his personality also fits Jason too like the kinda closed off energy works

Marisol is Nicole cos Nicole pisses me off 🙄 (like we haven’t seen Marisol enough for me to hate her but you know what edy made me hate her because seeing her face and hearing her voice actually physically makes me vomit) but like lbr personality of a wet towel, underdeveloped, moved very quickly then moved back then moved quick again then imploded

Omg tho if we get any form of luke and loralie build to buddie I would love it like I made a post before about the “I feel like I’m never gonna have it- the whole package” “you will” “you don’t know that, how do you know that” “ I just do” conversation but also the luke and loralie first kiss would be so scrumptious for buddie

I’m gonna shut up now cos I feel like I yapped too much but yes I love you sm because you absolutely clocked me right with this ask

[sn0wp1anets]

my take on the black family

ok disclaimer this isn’t going to be super detailed with evidence and quotes from the books because a) i haven’t read them in a while b) all my energy is going into school rn BUT i try to adhere to canon as much as possible and reference it wherever possible

this will be split into these main parts:

abuse + dynamics

politics + ties with voldemort and DEs

wealth + status

CW: abuse mentions, general bigotry

ABUSE + DYNAMICS

THE ABUSE

imo right now most portrayals of the dynamics of the black family, especially surrounding sirius + regulus and later on draco a bit are really black-and-white, and lack the nuance that already exists in canon. there is a common trope of the black family, especially walburga black, being very physically abusive to the point of using unforgivables (the cruciatus most often, but i have seen imperius use too) on sirius and regulus- that there is no love between walburga+orion and their sons.

i disagree with this for several reasons:

a) characters, espcially in a dynamic that is clearly affected by generational trauma are complex and morally grey, and it is unrealistic that walburga weas simply a disney cartoon villain who just enjoyed inflicting torture on her children.

b) there is a quote by kreacher that says that walburga’s heart broke when sirius left- although it is more than likely that kreacher was exaggerating as he was very attached to walburga, it still makes sense that walburga loved sirius to some extent- he is her son.

c) it is canon that there is emotional + psychological abuse, and most instances of these abusive dynamics happening irl are the result of messed up/twisted ideas of love, generational trauma, etc. for example, sirius is referred to multiple times as being a disappointment, and this would probably be due to a combination of the fact that sirius was against the fundamental bigoted values that the family is firmly rooted in- and actively acting against them publicly- humiliating them and their family name and legacy, and the fact that sirius would have disappointed walburga+orion by not conforming to their ideal of a heir. therefore, there treatment of sirius is likely because they wanted “more” for him, and wanted him to fit into their predetermined familial dynamic, rather than just calling him a disappointment for no reason (which makes no sense).

d) there is no canon evidence for physical abuse ever happening to any members of the black family HOWEVER, i believe it is very plausible that there was some degree of violence in the households, but this would probably not have been things such as the cruciatus curse (if it was that extreme it doesn’t make sense that it has never even been implied in canon), but instead minor hexes, or boxing(?) ears, etc. it’s also possible that there were punishments such as being withheld supper, or being made to stand in a corner for extended periods of time (i personally think this is what happened: and it would’ve been done under a misguided notion of teaching resilience and dignity and self-discipline, which seems very in-character for the family). these types of abuse would have been unfortunately quite common for the time period- and walburga+orion would’ve mostly likely viewed them as a form of discipline, punishment, or even ‘tough love’ rather than a genuine attempt at harm. (i am not in any way defending this type of abuse, this is an explanation on how this dynamic would’ve been seen during the period and in the situation)

e) sirius himself says to harry that the reason for him leaving is because he hated them and disagreed with them, rather than being kicked or driven out, or under so much physical torture that he had to leave. the breaking point of him leaving the family was most likely, imo, an argument with the family, and probably comments towards not just himself but also at james (because we all know he is kind of obsessed with him, and would defend him over anyone else).

SIBLING COMPETITION

walburga and orion comparing sirius and regulus in a very harmful way is canonically confirmed: sirius says he is reminded often that regulus is a better son than him.

do i think that the parents always favoured regulus? NO.

sirius is, in canon, probably one of the most powerful and smartest characters in the series. he is a powerful magician that can keep up with bellatrix in duels even while out of practice, he became an illegal animagus while still a teenager, he was part of creating the map and the twin mirros. he is also extremely intelligent, and it is pretty much outright stated that this comes very naturally to him: he is described as exceptionally smart by the teachers, he finds all his exams easy despite never studying etc etc. so he was most likely very bright and gifted from a very young age. he was also the oldest son, making him the heir. this creates a very clear dynamic between sirius and regulus, sirius is the perfect heir, more intelligent, more gifted than regulus could ever be. while it is also true that he has always been independent, and even rebellious (he happily talks abt breaking black tradition on the train with james) he would’ve been preferred by his parents and received lots of attention and favouritism. regulus would have been the spare. although his parents probably liked regulus better as he was more obedient, sirius was the heir, they were proud of sirius.

the problem comes in when sirius is sorted into gryffindor. the black family have traditionally always been in slytherin, and there are clear ties between the house of slythering and wealthy, high-status pureblood families, like the blacks. this is when sirius begins to step out of the mold as the perfect black heir. i personally do not think that sirius’ house was the singular reason while he becomes a disappointment and outcast of his family, but i do believe this event acted as a catalyst. the real problem arises when sirius begins to become dealigned with the values that he grew up with, and he starts to go against his family’s values and politics, and he does so publicly. he befriends well known blood traitors (james potter), half-bloods (remus lupin), muggleborns, and people from families that would not have been highly regarded by the blacks (peter pettigrew). he comes home from hogwarts and starts rebelling against his family by hanging up gryffindor colours, putting up photos of muggle women, and probably getting into disagreements with family members over their bigotry.

there is a common trope of regulus feeling upset at this because he wants to stay with sirius etc. and while i do think they had a relationship as brothers, i believe regulus would have secretly enjoyed sirius becoming more of a disappointment in his parents’ eyes. they are now embarrassed of sirius, and proud of regulus. when sirius left the family, would regulus have been sad? yes, probably, they are still brothers, still family. yet sirius’ departure changes the dynamic completely, in regulus’ favour. sirius is gone now, he isn’t just the embarrassment, he is no longer the heir, regulus is. regulus now has his parents’ undivided attention (i would say love, bc i believe they still loved sirius, but obviously he has just left them so like…), after being the 2nd choice for years and years of his life. regulus is just a child (14?15?) he would have wanted to be loved by his parents, and this is his chance.

ik that people either say that regulus was forced to become a DE or that he did it as an act of rebellion (more on this later). i personally HC that he genuinely was an extreme believer in voldemort’s views, especially as having seen first-hand the way that sirius left him and their family after deciding to go against the views. still, at 16, i don’t think it’s very likely that he joined at such a young age out of pure political views, rather as another attempt to be loved and valued by his parents, and to make himself more different from sirius.

i also think that the dynamics between the black sisters were equally as toxic and harmful. i don’t have too much material to work with, but anyway. after andromeda left, it was .just bellatrix and narcissa. we know that during the era that the books take place, the two have quite a close relationship- they spend time together, use nicknames, seem close generally, however, it also seems kind of strained? or like a bit off idk how to dsecribe it. anyway. i think as children/teenagers there was A LOT of comparison between the sisters, i think especially between andromeda and bellatrix; first, on the surface level, they are described to look very similar to each other, so subconsciously people would be likely to compare the two of them together, and think of narcissa as a separate unit because of how different she looks. secondly, i hc adnromeda and bellatrix would have been very similar in personality and skill: they would both be ambitious, outspoken, very very powerful and intelligent. (narcissa would also be really smart but in a more cunning, discreet way, compared to the two). as a child, i think narcissa would’ve been more obedient, more conforming to traditional gender roles and ideals of a noble, pureblood woman- following from this, i think she’d be more well-liked and more praised by druella+cygnus, the ‘perfect’ daughter. from this, i’d say that andromeda and bellatrix were closer as children, and even later on, until andromeda leaves the family. with andromeda gone, it is just bellatrix and narcissa- they’re both blacks, both intelligent, both powerful, but are so completely different from each other. where narcissa is strategic and restrained, bellatrix is bold and blunt. where narcissa is haughty, bellatrix is arrogant, etc etc. this then relates to how later on, narcissa fulfills exactly what is expected of her: she marries into one of the richest (probably THE richest? if im being honest) wizarding families, she has a son, she is smart and she keeps her family close, and most importantly she works from the inside- this is what the blacks do, and this is something bellatrix cannot do. bellatrix also marries into a rich wizarding family (the lestranges), but then she joins the DE- and furthermore becomes Voldemort’s right-hand not on account of her family name but her power. this causes problems for one main reason: she is now high-profile, and her hands are ‘dirty’ in a sense; the blacks work from the inside, they may agree with voldemort’s ideas, but they would never fight alongside him- they’d pay for the masks but never wear one themselves.

FAMILY RELATIONS

i think by now it is a relatively widespread hc that bellatrix’s favourite cousin was sirius and narcissa’s was regulus. i actually love this hc- i think bellatrix and sirius are mirrors of each other; they have very similar personalities in that they are both arrogant, bold, independent, and most of all they are intensely loyal. bellatrix to her family, sirius to james. sirius, as a child, thinks bellatrix is very much The Shit, he is happy to be like her. they look down on their “soft” siblings. when sirius becomes disillusioned with the family, that’s when things change, because sirius is no longer bellatrix’s parallel, he is andromeda’s, years later, sirius and andromeda are on the right side of the war- they’re proud of this, but one cannot escape their own blood, they are still blacks. when andromeda gets mistaken for bellatrix, when sirius, after decades, looks back at himself, they see bellatrix and they fear they are no better than her. narcissa on the other hand is regulus’ parallel- they are obedient, they grew up in the shadow of their louder, more powerful sibling, and they know in the eyes of their siblings they will forever be the ‘soft’ ones.

i think the previous generation is also interesting in this regard. unfortunately i do not have the brain capacity to understand who is actually related to who because they’re all inbred. i wonder tho; were cygnus and druella jealous of orion and walburga? they produced a male heir to the black fortune, in fact, they produced a spare too. were they actually happy- when sirius left, when regulus joined the DEs and died at 19? that would’ve left bellatrix as the heir(ess), surely. and also alphard is so interesting i wish i had enough energy to look into this more but i do not so.

POLITICS + TIES WITH VOLDEMORT AND THE DEATH EATERS

THEIR VALUES

toujours pur. always pure. the fact that this is their family motto makes it very clear that purity is at the centre of their values. i think in fanon this is kind of tunnel-visioned into just blood purity alot- and while yes, blood purity is a big part of it, i think this is referring to the isolationist nature of the black family- their inbreeding, their social circles. obviously there have been others married into the family, and they are selectively chosen, they will forever be outsiders in the eyes of the blacks. druella black, to them, is still druella rosier. (i can’t think of more examples, which honestly just shows how isolated the blacks are as a family/house). sirius mentions to harry that the blacks were convinced they were some kind of wizarding royalty- whether they are actually of this status or not, i think this is a good example of how the black family functioned- the way normal people are received by the royal family and even the press when they marry into the family.

obviously bigotry is a large part of the black family, mainly blood purity, but i’ll talk about that in the voldemort part. regarding other types of bigotry, although not explicitly stated i think it is pretty clearly implied? for example, sirius is a very queer-coded character, in regards to his family experience. i imagine the blacks have very traditional conservative values, and i think it’s interesting to see the politics of the uk in the 70s and 80s reflected back in the family and the wider scene of the first wizarding war at the time. although i can’t imagine the blacks caring for matters that they probably considered to be very muggle-centric, like feminism, and queer rights, it’s interesting that the first wizarding war- essentially a fascist movement that promotes the supremacy of purebloods coincides with the rise of social conservatism and thatcherite morality, which is largely family centric, which i think makes sense actually? with the black family at least, who care about purity as a means of protecting their own. (if this is incoherent im sorry its 4am)

SUPPORT FOR VOLDEMORT

it’s pretty much stated that the black familyas an institution has basically the exact same values as Voldemort and the DEs. i truly dislike the hc of walburga and orion forcing the dark mark on regulus , and trying on sirius, or even encouraging the idea of joining the DEs because

a) the blacks are a noble, generational-wealth type family. these types of families do not get directly involved in conflict, they are not on the battlefields, on the missions. it’d be unlike them to get their hands dirty or be involved with the DEs in any incriminating way. (if they are caught somehow i’m sure they have good ties to the wizengamot, but the blacks are calculated, they are strategic, they would not want to risk their own blood being spilled, especially in a state of war when the ministry is being headed by people such as moody and barty crouch sr.

b) they would believe it is below them. they don’t concern themsleves with such trivial matters. the blacks are haughty and arrogant if nothing else. the DEs ranks include werewolves, half-bloods, and those from less-respected wizarding families. getting involved would only taint the pure, the pristine reputation of the family.

although they are privately in agreement with voldemort, the blacks would not want to physically lift so much as a finger to support his cause. i do not think they would have liked regulus’ involvement.

do i think as a family they were involved in the war? yes. perhaps not in a physical way, but in OOTP we get a close look at 12GP, and what we see is that the blacks have unparalleled access to the dark arts, dark magic, knowledge, and wealth too. this was probably the extent of the blacks’ involvement with the war (except for bellatrix, regulus, and sirius ofc), and it would only be to further their own interests.

WEALTH AND STATUS

WEALTH

the blacks are extremely rich. this is likely all generational wealth, they are old-money. we can see this through how we do not know anything about where their fortune comes from, it’s certainly not from the hard work of orion, or cygnus. i think a good family to contrast them with is the potters- though they have several prominent ancestors, these ancestors are not wealthy- at least enough to last them through several generations. the potters are rich, but they are part of the nouveau riche- their money primarily comes from fleamont potter’s invention of hair potions; the potters are businessmen! the blacks are simply wealthy.

however, it’s also noteworthy that the blacks were probably wealthy in a combination of connections, status, and estates rather than actual, physical money. in canon, the black vault is well guarded and important, but not as deep or grand as the lestranges’ family vault. many families with generational-wealth are actually not as rich as one may expect, or are even declining, which may be the case with the blacks, especially if you compare the state of 12GP to other homes such as the malfoy manor. yes, 12GP is their traditional home, and has ancient magic etc. but it cannot compare to the size and grandeur of malfor manor, which is a good indicator of their actual financial state.

STATUS

so the blacks obviously were of high status: described as one of the oldest, wealthiest and most prominent families in the wizarding world.

i see some things about the sacred 28 being all nobility and aristocracy- however, in canon, this is literally jsut a list written up by a member of one of these families, and in fact, some of the families such as weasley and gaunt were not of significant financial status. but i do believe that having the claim of being a pureblooded family gave the blacks some type of status, especially among the blood purist families/cicles. the blacks also tend to be intelligent and powerful (sirius, bellatrix, etc.), which helps further to elevate their status and i also hc that they’re all really hot so that helps too. i do think out of tradition, and just because blacks are probably the longest-standing pureblood line, and are connected with every other significant line, the black family are the most highly regarded or prominent wizarding family; linking to sirius’ claims that his family believed themselves to practically be royalty. there is no wizarding royalty, and although the blacks are not the outright wealthiest, due to their status, fame, political power/influence, etc. they are probably as close as you can get. however, the idea that you can get close to being royalty may be problematic, but we also have to remember that the wizarding world mirrors the muggle world- the monarchy is constitutional and they have no real power other than influence- which is what i think the blacks have. sirius’ phrasing, though, is kind of indicative of the idea that maybe the blacks were a little delusional, and perhaps believed their status to be more inflated than it actually was- we don’t actually have any solid evidence of the blacks being of higher status than the malfoys, or the lestranges, or the rosiers, etc.

[celestie0]

i've always wondered have you ever given the y/n in your fics a personality description? like everything about her just ties the whole story together yet the reader can actually, embody her in some way?? that's one of the things that makes your writing so enjoyable to read and i've always wondered if you see yourself in her when u write ;

IDK HOW TO EXPLAIN IT BUT i hope u know what i mean 💔💔

love u loads btw you're like my comfort writer as we speak

GASP i have neverrr actually, i dont think i’ve formally sat down n really given any of my characters personality descriptions i just kinda have a vibe of them in my head haha but this has intrigued me 🤔 I KINDA WANNA MAKE EM NOW!!! (i hope this is what u mean by character descriptions btw hahah)

kickoff reader.

i think she is a little self conscious at times, easily affected by things going on in her life, definitely tries to bite off more than she can chew, and she’s an anxious avoidant until she can’t take it anymore and becomes overtly confrontational instead alskdjdh i think this can be seen in the way she confesses to gojo, in her interactions w kai, and then also her turning down the newsletter job before she realized it was actually a good opportunity, etc etc. when i write for her, i kinda wanna give the vibe of tired college student that has a lot going on in her head n in her heart, but she’s slowly starting to learn to live again and is looking forward to life after college (aka me all of my senior year loool) i think she has a pretty neutral personality overall :0

in holy matriphony reader.

omg i haven’t written much for ihm reader yet but i already ADORE her so so so much based on what i’ve got planned for the series, and i think i understand her the most of the oc’s i’ve made. she is someone that gets crazy tunnel vision, can only really focus on one thing at a time, often neglects her other responsibilities if it means getting The Main One done, she is hella jaded because of all the financial stress, work stress and caretaking stress which means she doesn’t have much of a filter anymore, she’s very cynical and pessimistic and easily irritated and prideful BUT…..deep down she’s a huge softie and is actually very self aware of her flaws n just really wants to get better but she just can’t find a moment to breathe…im gonna enjoy writing for her bc i think she’ll come off irrational and a bit over the top at times, but in those soft moments, she’ll be very down to earth :)

in another life reader.

aww i haven’t had too much written for ial reader yet, but in my head i picture her as a veeeery soft spoken, sweet natured woman in her older age (she’s engaged to nanami, who i imagine has mellowed her out in comparison to when she dated bad boy choso lol), idk i think she’s kind of basic 😭 not that that’s a bad thing at all, i kinda wanted that dynamic of crazy rock star lifestyle choso mixed w simple lifestyle reader (for when they meet again later in life). when she was younger, she was highly impressionable, often thought she was more mature than she actually was, n loves veeeerryy deeply, so much so to where old scars hurt even after years and years. i think she always tries to do the right thing, but bc of her conflicting emotions, she has the capacity to cause a lot of hurt

AHH idk this is just the vibe i get from them or try to encapsulate while i write them, and i also totally think readers can have diff interpretations of them than me and still be accurate about it (idk as the author i don’t feel like i even know everything ab my own stories sldkdjdh at times i feel some of my readers know more than me haha)

i think kickoff reader is the most confusing in my head, but i like it that way because i suppose she’s the youngest and she’s in college and it makes sense for her since she’s figuring herself out

i definitely do see myself in all of them!! i have certain attributes i share n some that i don’t. for example i don’t think i’m as brave as kickoff reader (to pursue passions or confess to a boy so brazenly or slap tf outta someone at a bar LOL) and i don’t think i’m as crass or no-filter as ihm reader for example, but i definitely relate to certain aspects like the tunnel vision, anxious avoidance, and stuff like that!! but i still try to make them their own characters i suppose, but it really depends on how i want their personalities to mesh w the love interest as well

GOSH THIS IS A LONG FUCKIN ANSWER MY BAD i was just so intrigued by this ask xD i’m soooo sososoossooo happy to be your comfort writer and that you enjoy my works 🥺💕you guys keep my passion alive n i’m always so grateful for you all <33 have a wonderful day/night!! 🧚‍♀️✨ilyy