#Maybe this is a super common idea and I just haven't seen it. Or maybe it's too obvious to point out

[idunnoausersname]

You know what's really tragic about the character of Rudolf in Elisabeth das Musical? (Besides, y'know... Everything?)

That he's a LOT like Franz Joseph too, at least when he was his age.

They're both under the thumb of one parent, who doesn't allow them to express their own political view. They both feel like intrigue is ruining their lives, and wish they weren't in the restricting position they occupy. And most importantly: they both express a desire to be "soft", instead of the hard and emotionless leader they're drilled to be.

Why then, is there no song, not a single line, where either of them acknowledge that similarity? Elisabeth and Rudolf both sing about how similar they are, why can't Rudolf and FJ?

Because Rudolf doesn't know. How could he know that his own father went through the exact same pressure he is under.. when the pressure was successful in molding him? He never sees that softer side to him.

Franz Joseph might have chosen Elisabeth over his mother in the end, but he internalized her lessons and sees them as truth. He is hard, he is strict, and he doesn't know any other way to be. He doesn't see anything wrong with how he's treating his son. (And in his childhood, how Sophie raised him). He turned out fine, why should Rudolf be different?

So Rudolf had not one, but two parents who should have been able to relate to at least part of his despair. But both failed to be the parent they wished they had. And I don't know if it's better or worse that he never even knew how his father was similar to him, too.

[darlingseraa]

GUYS I CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE TO HAVE NOTICED, RIGHT ???

Ok so, I had this epiphany the other day and wanted to share it, but like, I forgor because if I don't do something I think of immediately in the moment, then I forget to do it. BUT, here we are.

I'm just gonna mark this down as a huge spoiler for The Legend of Zelda : Tears of the Kingdom, so if y'all don't want to be spoiled on some (albeit small) details from the game's canon, please do move on lol.

Okay so, as I was rewatching the cutscenes in Tears of the Kingdom the other day, I noticed that both Rauru and Mineru have this tear-shaped white mark on the bridge of their nose. Quite innocent, right? Maybe just a Zonai trait?

But then– then I realized they also have a third eye. On their foreheads.

Now, what really baffles me is, if you look closely at these screenshots (I believe Rauru's is taken from the official Collector's Edition Artbook, and Mineru's is straight from the game itself), then you'll also realize that both Rauru and Mineru's third eye have exactly three lashes.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, hear me out.

You know what other "race" in Hyrule displays these traits or make use of that sort of symbolism?

Yeah.

The Sheikah.

They're also the only "race" in Hyrule that doesn't appear in the flashbacks where we see all the Sages.

Now, it can and will certainly be argued that the Sheikah are not a seperate race from the Hylians and yeah, I completely agree with that (it's even stated in game in the profiles of the Sheikah characters, like Paya or Impa, that they are "Hylian (Sheikah)"). In a sense, even if they are the same race, they still belong to a different people or culture than the rest of the Hylian characters, and can therefore be considered "seperate". It was the case in Ocarina of Time where the Six Sages included both a Hylian (Zelda herself) and a Sheikah (Impa, as the Sage of Shadows, I believe).

So why not include a Sage who was part of the Sheikah tribe, like Nintendo did in Ocarina of Time?

Sure, I'm going off a super subtle detail here, but I have a theory and I will die on this hill if I must : I think the Zonai were actually the ancestors of the Sheikah tribe (and of the Royal Family of Hyrule, as Sonia mentions a "blood connection" between her and Zelda, as well as the fact that she sensed both her power over Time and Rauru's power over Light within Zelda).

Now, as I said, this theory of mine is based off a few small details, as well as off of the absence of the Sheikah in the distant past of Tears of the Kingdom. However, even if Nintendo haven't done this on purpose and the marks on Rauru and Mineru's noses are only meant to be decorative, I still think there's something there that we're just not seeing.

Either the Zonai are meant to be part of the Sheikah tribe's ancestry (which would, in turn, explain why the tribe has always been close to the Royal Family as they share common ancestors in both Hylians and Zonai), or the Sheikah were just like "Oh hey, that's a really cool idea for a logo. Wanna make that our tribe's symbol??" and their leader at the time was like "Yeah, let's go boooiiiiis" and that's that.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Sorry for the long post! I just absolutely had to share. I can't be the only one to have seen this detail, right???

[rubykgrant]

OK, my thoughts about the final season of RVB! If you haven't seen it yet, warning for SPOILERS!

In general, I thought it was alright. The good parts were GOOD, but it felt kind of rushed, and a few things were disappointing. Certain parts I wish had been different, but I'm glad it exists. Watching it with lots of cool people made it fun, and it had a decent enough ending for what it was... though, after so many years, so many characters, just so MUCH of a story, I wish things had been a little MORE. It was a shame it was so short and rushed. I'm still glad the people who worked on it got it done, and we were all able to see it.

So. Actual thoughts on different bits...

I'm somebody who enjoys seasons 15-16-17, so while it will always be real in my heart, if they HAD to do a ret-con, having a spoof with a Retro Convention was VERY funny. Kai would absolutely milk her relation to Grif for some attention. I thought it was weird that Dylan was there, but she was a convention host? I feel like it would have made more sense for her to be one of the people asking questions about where the Reds and Blues went (y'know, like she ACTUALLY DID in 15). Oh well.

Things were very rushed... if this had been a more full season (or, in my perfect world, a story split into 2, so we get 19 and 20 out of it. I'm sorry, it just bugs my brain when something ends on a 9 instead of a 10. that's a ME problem), there could have been more of a Big Reveal about Tucker being the Meta. HOWEVER, since things were very condensed, I can appreciate how amusing it is to have Epsilon info-dump the plot to every body.

I did get a chuckle out of Epsilon being a "recorded prediction program" and not the true AI, and he decided to just be an obnoxious little youtuber. Like, that was so awful, it was AWESOME. It is also something that would have made Alpha Church super ticked off, which is very fitting. Good job Epsilon, 10 out of 10~

I was so happy to see Sheila and Lopez! Mechanical love lives on. It was a bit meh seeing the Reds act like they don't care about Caboose (we've been there, done that), but some of the funny bits that followed and Simmons getting Sarge interested by bribing him with Blue Defeat saved it (listen, these guys have been insisting they hate each other for 2 decades, but they can literally not live without each other. let them just admit they are ALL FRIENDS). Grif ranting was excellent.

No Donut is some major BS! Look, I get it, we stole the spot-light in 16-17, he was the time-god's most specialest pink princess and a harbinger of death, it can be intimidating to include something so powerful after trying to erase all that from existence... but come on. With all the important call-backs and connections 19 made with previous seasons, AND having the ending be in Blood Gulch? DONUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE AND HE SHOULD HAVE THROWN THE AI UNIT. No, I mean it, imagine the thing gets knocked really far away, maybe from an explosion, and Donut throws it clear across the canyon, because you KNOW he can! This time instead of it being a grenade that kills Tex, she catches the unit, tra-la-la, it all comes together. I'm sorry, Simmons doing the cool sports-ball throw was fun, but... Donut. DONUT!

Alright, moving on. It felt a little awkward that Wash is yet again hurt, and nobody is there with him? Oh wait, Doc is there, except no he isn't. Listen. Listen. I love plural Wash. I also love the idea of him genuinely having an emotional connection with Doc, because it DOES make sense; when Wash kid-napped him, Doc just kept making all his sarcastic little comments the whole time, and it tricked Wash into having real conversations with him. I honestly think that if Doc hadn't been with them, Wash wouldn't have been so open to the idea of finally settling down after his Villain Moment. They also both have a lot in common with AI incidents, and again, Villain Moments. I'm just annoyed that the Pacifist and the Original Bad Boy evidently died. Off screen. Give me back my purple boys. If we need to have Wash Not Be Around for a while, have him and Carolina go off to track down Hargrove or something. Maybe they went to two different locations, and Wash gets back to the others first, so we still get Carolina to the rescue.

Anyway, the plot! There was a lot of funny bits when it came to looking for Tucker, getting into the ship with the "video call security", and Niner being there! Hooray! I am... a little disappointed about WHY and HOW Tucker is a "villain". Obviously, I can't picture him being legit EVIL, but the idea that he's just the physical puppet being controlled by the AI isn't very... good. I understand how it was explained, sure, but still. I know I keep rambling about my own thoughts for alternate scenarios, but I can't help it! I just don't like when Sigma (or Omega) are just plain EVIL, for no reason. They've always been more complicated than that (the Meta wanted to be HUMAN, remember. and Omega even told Epsilon "I'll be here if you need me". they are definitely different kinds of harsh and intense, but they aren't the Murder AI or the Evil AI). I don't like that Tucker is being tortured into doing what they say... a more subtle manipulation, the Fragments not only convincing Tucker but also themselves that they NEED to do all this to get Alpha back, is very intriguing. After Epsilon Deconstructed, the Fragments lost their Memories. They just know they aren't complete. Tucker just knows he wants to talk to his best friend again.

If it needs another push to make it more insidious, I'd buy that Meta suit being a trap to begin with; Hargrove probably had that thing rigged to make it into a trap for anybody that wore it, so they'd have this subliminal inclination to collect all the AI, and kill anybody in their way. Something-something forgetting what your motives are, and only caring about the GOAL. Tucker and the Fragments ALL need to remember who they are and why they want the Alpha; it isn't about being a weapon. If there was more of a fake-out/reveal of Tucker being the Meta, maybe with a false hint of it being Felix with the orange/black colors, a sign that Tucker is still in there would be him getting close to killing everybody... but he backs off each time.

Speaking of killing... Sarge. Oh, Sarge. I will admit that, just from a thematic point of view, yes- it works to have a Sarge death. I don't care for it being Tucker that did it, or that Donut isn't there to share the moment as well. Matt Hullum acted the HECK out of that scene, though. In fact, the whole bit of Sarge running back to save Caboose, and trapping Tucker with a bubble shield, was AWESOME. I didn't want Sarge to die... but he went out wearing his red armor, and told Grif and Simmons he cared about them. It was sad, but it was well done. In my perfect world, we just THINK he died, but then at the end it is revealed he's still alive! How? Well, Doc gave him CPR! Doc isn't dead either, that is integral you see. I'm not sure of Sarge going "Hurgh Bleh" would have been better or WORSE. Well, heck. I wish he wasn't dead, but as much as I hate it, I... didn't totally hate it?

I kind of wish Simmons had more of a break-down over it. I wanna see him lose his temper. OR, he acts so quiet and cold, it is just UNNERVING. Then Grif helps snap him out of it. Let's be real, those two are so co-dependant, it ain't even funny. I appreciate Simmons telling Grif he is officially free to leave, and the conversation of "Come with me" leading to Simmons saying he wants to see this through, and Grif agreeing to come along was good. Simmons has aspired to be an impressive soldier from the beginning, and Grif has just wanted to be DONE. In the end, they meet in the middle.

I may be a sappy Grimmons person, but I can say, as objectively as possible, they should NOT be separated at the end. Grif and Simmons are literally the introduction to the series. They were the first two characters we see, they have been side by side almost CONSTANTLY, they are always bickering but they are also each other's favorite person. I don't even mean in a shippy way, it is just a fact. To have them say good-bye and just leave each other is honestly out of character (we saw that before, remember, in 15; Grif got so guilty about it, Simmons came to the realization that opposites attract, and they finally had to admit they missed each other. it was a WHOLE THING). I think it would have worked if, after telling Grif he's free to leave at the end, Simmons waits minute, then starts following him-

Grif; What are you doing?

Simmons; Coming with you. What the hell else would I do?

And that is that, wherever they do, they're together. Also, Kai shows up and HUGS HER BRO, come on, please!

Now, as a sappy Grimmons person, they should have just gone through with it. It has been more than 20 years. Seriously. We all know it. People who don't even care about the ship know it. Just commit to the freaking bit. Stop being cowards. Let them hold hands, or hug, or gently bump the visor of their helmets together, SOMETHING. Show them taking a walk on the beach together, all lovey-dovey. We deserve some emotional satisfaction after a 2 decade queer-bait slow-burn. JUST DO IT.

Sigh... OK, that is out of my system.

My absolute FAVORITE thing in 19 was Tex. She was so freaking PERFECT. I love Caboose telling the unit a story, his way of bringing her back, because that was how he talked to Epsilon. It was so sweet. When they asked Caboose why he brought her back instead of Church, he told them- "Because I wanted to win". Listen, Caboose LOVES Church, but he knows what is up. It was hilarious to see her go through the teleporter to get her black armor back. I absolutely ADORED her saying she's NOT a "failure" anymore, because she's not just based on the Director's memories of losing his wife, she's also got the memories of the guys who REMEMBER HER KICKING THEIR ASSES. 100 percent, Tex return was the best. Her reuniting with Church was also very sweet... the only thing I would have liked more would be the other Fragments showing up in there, so they can all be together (and Church gives Theta a hug; he doesn't even need his memories yet, he just knows he loves Theta).

I didn't care much for deleting the Fragments at the end, but I get the "reasoning". Like, sure. Fine. In my perfect world, Caboose gives the unit to Carolina, so someday, when they're all "ready to wake up again", she can see her family. Wash taking the fall to alert Carolina was both kinda wonky, but also very funny, and hey- it got her there! Again, I don't know why she wasn't there with Wash from the beginning. Also, just. A few characters being dead, and most of the others splitting up at the end... nah. They all need to live together and be friends and be happy and be OK! Like, come on. They've had a lot of "endings" in this series that were bitter-sweet, or kind of sad. I know life doesn't always have a happily ever after... but just once, give them that.

OH, and ANOTHER THING; if things had been just slightly different, if both the Fragments and Tucker sort of "forgot" who they are, the way to remind Tucker should have been JUNIOR. Heck, maybe Carolina was off finding Tucker's kid, and when they come back Junior gets his dad to remember who he really is... but the suit is still controlling him, forcing him to fight. I just want a happy Tucker family reunion. Give that kid his daddy back. Even if Junior isn't there for the big conflict, he should have shown up at the end, with Tucker promising they won't be separated again.

Well, that sure was a lot! The final season was a lot, in a short amount of time! Again, I wish certain things were different, but I'm happy I could see it. Even after everything, all the good and bad parts, I know that it still isn't "the end". I've got a lot of ideas for stories, and so do many other fans out there. I know people are going to keep sharing their thoughts, creating their art, telling their stories... because a universe without stories? That's just empty space.

Bow-chicka-Bye Now!

[zoeykallus]

Important for requesting people...

Okay, I thought about this for a while, and I've decided something.

I get tons of requests, many of them downright praising my work, before asking their request. I'm flattered, very much so, I can't even put into words how overwhelmed I sometimes feel, because of all the requests flooding in (In a good way, because it's super flattering and sometimes in a bad way, because I always worry about not having enough time and being too slow. I know some of you were used to me writing every day, sometimes multiple things a day. But nowadays days I work three jobs and I just can't do it daily anymore without burning out). However, there is something that would be much more important to me.

Now comes the downside of what I have to tell you. If you send me a request, Non-Anon, asking me to do something for you (which I'm usually happy to do), but I can't find your name in my notification list even once in the last four weeks because you haven't liked anything of mine, let alone reblogged it, I won't even think about fulfilling your request. I'm not asking for anything except the occasional reblog. That's not too much to ask, is it?

Now, how, or why, did I come to this conclusion?

Pretty simple. I looked through the last 35 requests I received, and I saw a few names that didn't ring a bell at all. Requesting peeps that were praising me to the heavens, telling me they read everything I write/wrote (you don't have to do that, by the way). And out of curiosity, I went to my desktop PC, went through my notifications, checking it thoroughly for those names, in the period of the last four to six weeks. No notifications, nor reblog, no comment, not even a like. Don't get this wrong, I wasn't angry, but I felt disappointed, maybe even a bit deceived. I thought, why should I consider working on those (some of them quite extensive) requests, when I get nothing back?

Of course, I also make Anon requests, as I'm sure you've seen, and more than a few of those. So of course I can't keep track of that. I get that some peeps are just shy and that's totally okay, that's why I trust my anons and give them the benefit of a doubt, so to speak.

Just a reblog, that's all I'm asking for. (Or at least a like) Because that's what's actually keeping me doing this stuff, seeing that it was worth the time I spent doing it, seeing that people really read it. Now, before any of you start making any comments about ego. It's more about limited time, because as an adult in the middle of life, with three jobs, you just like to see that the things you do for others in your spare time are appreciated or liked in some way. It just makes us writers feel good and not lose the desire to write. I'd even say it should be common courtesy on tumblr.

Don't get me wrong, I have so much love for you guys, I love requests. Furthermore, I'm grateful for your input, your ideas, that you are feeding me with inspiration for my passion to write. I'm just talking about one hand washing the other. Mutual respect, we can all benefit from this, one way or another. You don't need to butter me up, just a friendly hello before you make your request and the occasional reblog will do, and I'll gladly fulfill your HC/Drabble/One-Shot wishes in the fanfiction section. Honestly, I'd rather have your reblog/or comment on one of my works, than a four sentence long praise in your request 😅😉

Love, Zoey

💚

[dusty-self]

Daemon HeadCanon - Music

I've seen a few different posts about Daemons in theatre and movies (I've got thoughts on this too, maybe one day I'll write them down here) but surprisingly I haven't come across any about music. I thought I'd write down some thoughts I had.

So firstly I don't think there would be much change with instruments. Most forms wouldn't be able to play any existing instruments well or even at all. Fingers are pretty important for that. That said, different instruments could have been invented for Daemons to play. I have no idea what those would look like or how they would work, but it would be fun to see different interpretations of what those could be.

I also don't think that genres would change too much. Because it's a way we categorize music I can't see it being affected. There might me new genres, but I think country would still be country, rap would be wrap, and etc. I DO think that lyrics would be different, or would at least be expanded upon. There would be a ton of different metaphors and says in a world with Daes that would undoubtedly get worked into songs. Romanticizing certain forms would common place in songs and might even popularize those forms.

On another note, I bet it would be super fun to sing with your Daemon. I already sing in the shower and if I'm home alone, but I very rarely sing in front of other people. I imagine belting out a song with your daemon would be a very special and personal experience.

Building on that, I imagine certain singers and song writers would preform with their Daemon. I don't think everyone would. Factors like genre, style, comfort, song, and of course personal preference would go into how often someone would do this, or even if they would at all. But just imagine. A singer sits dow with a guitar, their Daemon siting on their shoulder and preforming a song about a past love. Once they reach the chorus their Daemon joins them in a duet. Another part of them, their soul, joining in and expanding the song. Goose bumps.

Anyway, that's what I've got this time. I'd love to hear other thoughts and opinions on this!

[naffeclipse]

Sorry I haven't been commenting on the Apex Polarity chapters, there's been a lot going on recently and hhh,, sorry,,

I'm just gonna go over a few overall things~

Ok, starting with the setting. You've captured the arctic setting SO WELL! I don't understand how you do it but it's all just so easy to visualize when you write it. From the white arctic ice to the small research base and to the dark cold ocean, it's all so well written! I also just love this type of setting. I'm currently a little obsessed with arctic environments and especially arctic research bases. (The Thing has me in a death grip pfpgjdjf) I'm having a very good time hehe~~

You venture into places and explore environments I haven't seen anyone in this fandom write about yet. (maybe I live under a rock and there are more fics that explore settings like this, sorry if I've missed those) What I want to say is I'm so impressed that you can tap into all these different environments and transport us there so effectively! Lovely stuff!!

Michael and Vanessa are holding big secrets, gosh, especially Michael! I want to know what he knows, and what he might be hiding~

I really like those two in this story btw! Y/N needs some good people around to bring them down to reality after their meetings with Eclipse, and so far Michael and Vanessa are doing a great job.

I gotta say, the oatmeal with cinnamon brings so much warmth to my heart. Where I live it's a common food, especially during the winter months. Next time I have some it'll be really hard to not think about this fic. X3

Ok! Now the guy we all are obsessed with! Eclipse!!!

I'm falling so hard for this orca that by this point the impact will be fatal. He's so scary, off-putting and littered with red flags, still I want to cuddle him!? How do you even write a character like that!? How is he turning into a softie!?!?

Every interaction with him gives us something new, it's always so exciting when he shows up! And of course you're taking advantage of all his animal/monster features, one of my favorite things about your writing. You're using his teeth, his claws, his orca body and giving him those animalistic behaviours that just makes him SO FUN TO READ!! He's a creature and I LOVE IT! >:3

So in the recent chapters with the rock, the nap and that little ice block ride, oh my goodness he's sweet! How are you making him sweet while still keeping his forceful behavior!? I'm really wondering if he'll ever stop with the manhandling, will he be transformed at the end of all this, and where will this story even go!! I have my theories, but I feel like they could all be wrong X3

Before I end I'd like to just ask one thing about Eclipse!

How is his relationship with actual orcas? Are they mingling or does he hunt them? Or are the orca families too strong for him and they bully him out of territories and hunting grounds? Or do they just ignore each other?

(Feel free to ignore this question if it will lead to spoilers :p)

I'm VERY excited to see how this story continues, it's been such an enjoyable ride so far! Thank you for blessing us with your writing! ♥️♥️♥️

Meep, I am rattling you so hard right now, you have no idea!!!

Thank you so much! I've really thrown myself into descriptions for this fic as I want to capture the essence of the feeling of a place as intense and wonderful as the Arctic so your comment makes me so so happy!

Ah, Y/N really does need good people!! Vanessa and Michael have got stuff going on :)

Aw, that's super sweet ;-;

AH YES THE GUY HIMSELF!!! I'm really glad you enjoy him, I enjoy him too, writing and in the brainrot alsjdfals but we'll find out more about him as we continue on this icy little journey hehe

I would love to answer this question but I think it might be a spoiler, so I'll just ask that you keep it in your back pocket for later!!!

Thank you so much, Meep!!! I'm excited too and I'm so glad you like it!!

[ailingwriter]

Umbrella Academy, As Described By Me, Someone Who Has Never Watched Umbrella Academy.

I have seen enough Tumblr posts about Umbrella Academy that I have an idea of what's going on there. However, I haven't seen enough to know if that idea of what's going on is anywhere near correct. So, I'm going to type up what I *think* is going on with Umbrella Academy, and you all can tell me how wrong I am. (Though please, don't tell me how I'm wrong, just the extent to which I'm wrong.)

Umbrella Academy starts at the titular academy, which on the surface is just like any other school for supers that are relatively common in fiction nowadays. In truth, Umbrella Academy is horrible and abusive, and a lot of the kids there have some level of trauma. One major character is a kid named after a number, I think either Nine or Eleven. Or maybe there are many number kids? Anyways, 11/9 is either the main character or a recurring antagonist. Or both. Also they may be psychic.

After a while, the kids are taken to a Different Academy that is Better. However, the Trauma of Umbrella Academy still lingers, and Different Academy isn't that much better.

The overarching plot is either to avoid getting noticed by Umbrella Academy and taken back, or to go to Umbrella Academy and combat it for some reason. Also trauma, it cannot be driven home enough how traumatized these kids are.

Also the headmaster of Umbrella Academy is an old guy with graying hair who looks dapper and may or may not have a jar of beans on his desk.

[jpitha]

Soon after Kelly arrived, war was declared.

She and her parents transferred to the joint Human/K'laxi starbase because of Kelly's mom's work in the diplomatic corps. It was her first time leaving Parvati and she was super excited. She had heard that there was a side effect some people experienced when going though a wormhole, but she didn't notice anything. One moment she was looking out the window at her planet, then there was a flash of white light and she was in the inky blue black of space.

She had seen K'laxi before of course, there were plenty who came to Parvati work work or live or take a vacation, but this was her first time being in close contact with them. She was excited to make friends.

She was delighted to learn that her class was almost evenly split between humans and k'laxi. After school, Panemi, a K'laxi girl from her class ran up to her.

"Kelly! Did you hear the news?"

"No? What's up?"

"Oh, that's right, you just came aboard. The war's on!."

Kelly was taken aback. "War? With who? I thought we had good relations with the Xenni!"

Panemi shook her head, her earrings jingling as she did so. "No, not them silly. The people over on the sunward arm!"

"What?" Kelly felt hopelessly lost.

"Just...just come with me. You'll figure it out." She took Kelly's hand and led her down the hall.

When they got to the room, there was about a dozen kids, human and k'laxi milling about.

"Okay! I got the new girl!" Panemi yelled as she walked in. "We can begin!"

"Right." one of the human boys looked like the leader. He was a little older than Kelly, maybe a grade or two ahead. "James and Nermani have just come back and they say the the Sunward kids don't have any balloons made yet, so if we go now, we can surprise them."

"But Max, we don't have any balloons ready yet either." A human girl about the same age as Max spoke up from the back.

"Well then Mary, it sounds like we'd best get started. Everyone grab a handful of balloons and start filling them. Use the faucets in the commons that the gardeners use."

Panemi grabbed Kelly and they both went out into the gardens to fill balloons. "Do you get it now?" she said.

"It's a water balloon war!" Kelly sounded relieved. "But, will we get in trouble?"

"We haven't yet. Max says that Sunward and Planetward arms do this every year and have for a long time. It's just water and we don't fill them too full so it won't hurt anyone. You just get a little wet."

Kelly has done water balloon fights on the warm days back on Parvati; she knows how to fill and tie them. After a short time, they're all full in the cardboard box they brought, and they carry them back together.

"Done already? Nice work newbie." Max says as they come back in.

"Uh, Max?" Kelly began. "So, I've done water balloon fights back on Parvati, but have you given any thought about..." she paused. "...Artillery?"

Max raised his eyebrows. "Tell me more."

As the rest of the kids came back into the room, she explained. "Okay, so if we can get our hands on some synthetic rubber in strips we can weave a little basket on the end and have two people hold each end and someone put a balloon in the basket, pull it back, and launch it super far!"

"Kelly, that's brilliant!" Kelly beamed at the compliment. "Starbase?"

"Yes Max?" The Starbase answered immediately, coming in over the headset of everyone in the room.

"Two questions. One: Can the printers make synthetic rubber strips?" And Two: Can we have some to make some water balloon artillery?"

There was a pause of a few beats. "The printers can make synthetic rubber strips Max, and I'll allow you to print some on the condition that you don't make it too powerful. At full draw, you can't bruise. I'll explain to you how to make it like that..."

As Starbase explained the basics of creating a water balloon launcher to Max, Panemi looked at Kelly.

"That was such a good idea! You used to have water balloon wars back home?"

"Yeah, but they weren't this coordinated. This is a lot of fun though, thanks for inviting me along Panemi."

Panemi's fur rippled a small blush, but Kelly missed the meaning. She hadn't learned K'laxi body language yet. "You're welcome. It's so cool to have someone who grew up on a planet here! You have to tell me all about it. I grew up on the Starbase my whole life, I've never been planetside!"

"I'd love to tell you about it! Maybe you can come over to our quarters later and I'll show you photos."

Another blush, missed by Kelly. "I'd like that."

[toast-tales]

I Lava You, Chapter 4: You Taste Good!

Read Chapter 1 here!

Cover art by @luckyshotwrites!

This short story takes place after P39 of ITWOM and as such, contains minor, minor spoilers for ITWOM - read at your own risk! You do NOT need to have read WIDFALI to enjoy this story!

This story is cowritten with the amazing, fantastic @luckyshotwrites and uses the minor character June from their ongoing vore story What I'd Do For A Livable Income. It's chock full of monsters, magic, goofs, and absolutely fantastic worldbuilding and characters. Give it a shot if you haven't yet!

Contains: references to g/t soft, safe vore. ~1300 words.

Chapter 4: You Taste Good!

“Little buddy, we’re gonna have so much fun together.”

“Really?” June’s eyes sparkled back, more innocently than his giant buddy’s. “So far, what you said sounds neat.” The slime giggled. “I can watch you skate, ride a bike with you maybe, and go on a rollercoaster with you!" He hugged himself, swaying back and forth. "It'll be fun both inside and outside, because I'll be keeping you company," June confidently stated.

Sam thought that perhaps they should pinch themselves in case they were dreaming. Or maybe they were just on some really weird trip as a result of eating the human earlier. They hadn’t ever heard of something like that happening with humans, but like…they also hadn’t seen a human eat a lava lamp before, so they were entertaining some new possibilities in their mind.

Their ears perked up at the last thing June said, because it hit their secret weakness. They always welcomed company, and they realized suddenly that it being from a human didn’t matter as much as they would have thought. Their mind was racing with ideas for things to do with them, places to bring them, and cool glowy things to show them.

They found themselves laughing. “I’ve never had a human friend before,” they confessed, the words coming out of their mouth before their brain had time to process them. “But you know what? You seem pretty cool, little dude.”

Little did Sam know, these were magic words to the slime in their midst. Those words stroked his ears. He wants to be my friend? June could feel himself melting with warmth, internally. He was lucky he had enough control not to let his body mimic his feelings and melt on the outside too, as was common for slimes.

He held his body together, then pointed to himself. “M-me? You think I’m cool?” His lips quivered with sweet thoughts. He pointed at Sam and shouted, “W-WELL, I THINK YOU’RE SUPER COOL!” He wore a smug grin as, at least in his mind, he had successfully “showed” Sam that they were cooler.

“A-and,” he held his arms up and out, “c-can I give you a hug?”

Sam took a step closer to the human, giving them a weird look. “How are you gonna do that?” A mental image popped into their head, which made them laugh. “Unless you’ve got, like, super stretchy arms or something.”

This wild idea was, unbeknownst to Sam, much more accurate than they realized. June could easily use his “super stretchy arm powers.” He could be squashed and stretched, outrageously so. Not that he would tell his new friend that. He was human. “Heheh, no, no. That would be pretty funny, though.”

He motioned for Sam to lower their face. “Come closer, then I can show ya!”

Sam leaned in closer to June—perhaps too close, as their nose brushed up against June’s tiny body. The scent was tantalizing again, and though they couldn’t eat the human yet, they were still drawn in towards them, almost without realizing. 

“...like this?”

June didn’t even flinch as Sam moved their face closer. Instead, he bounced joyously in place, and his arms wrapped around what they could of Sam’s face. That would be near the giant’s nose, since it was closer.

Sam’s body was warm and quite smooth. “Mhm! Perfect. Your face is really comfortable,” June said with a snicker. 

Though Sam had been expecting it, the act still caught them off guard. Their eyes widened in surprise at the human’s gesture, and a warm, fuzzy feeling started somewhere just north of their stomach. Something that wasn’t quite a craving anymore, though, perhaps it was—just one of a different kind.

They pressed the human further against them with a few fingers, as if in an attempt to return the hug. They grinned like an idiot as their eyes nearly crossed to look at the human.

“You’re a funny human,” they said, rather bluntly. “But I think I can vibe with that.”

Heheh, that’s me, a funny human, June thought as he relaxed, even closing his eyes as he hugged Sam. He loved being able to latch onto his friends.

Sam only had so much self-control, though. Sneakily, the tip of their tongue poked out to taste June’s leg. Any other giant might have thought it was a rather muddled human flavor, but to Sam, who hadn’t had a human in months and was notorious for not being picky in general, the taste shot through their system like the best damn thing they’d ever had before. It made their head buzz with excitement.

The lick didn’t really spook June as much as it would have scared someone else. It simply surprised them. “That tickles,” he said with a goofy grin.

“You taste good,” Sam blurted out, social decorum flying out the window. While they didn’t have enough self-control to keep things like that from coming out of their mouth, they at least had enough to stop themselves from tasting June any further for now. They did not, however, make any moves to back off of June, secretly enjoying the feeling of the tiny human pressed up against them. The fuzzy feeling was still there.

Hearing Sam’s comment, June buzzed with the possibilities of what his body was capable of. I can change my taste to be whatever I eat too! He wanted to mention it but caught himself yet again.

“Thank you for the compliment!” June nestled closer. 

See, Christopher’s human’s just weird. This one gets it. Unfortunately for every human Sam would encounter in the future, June was only affirming in their mind that their “compliments” toward humans were not, in fact, weird at all.

June thought that maybe he should compliment Sam back, and used his much tinier tongue to lick Sam on the side of their cheek. 

The taste, of course, was near nonexistent. Slimes couldn’t actually taste things, but the light tingle of Sam’s energy was there. So June fibbed—only a little bit. “Back at you in the tasting good department!”

Sam didn’t properly register what had just happened, until June commented on their taste. Whatever part of their brain was supposed to be in charge of connecting thoughts together and making sense of things, it took that moment to slip a resignation notice across the desk and vacate the premises. 

“Y…huh…wh—” Inexplicably, Sam’s body decided to respond with “embarrassment” in their brain’s absence, their cheeks flushing red and their words reduced to a stuttering mess. 

Humans didn’t…uh. Do that? Did they? Is this a willing thing?

Sam didn’t have anything left in their head to stop their immediate thoughts from coming out into the world. “What do giants taste like?” 

June saw the redness on Sam’s face and could feel their flustered embarrassment. He smiled happily, still burying himself in Sam’s cheek as he felt the heat rising in it. It elicited a light giggle from the slime. 

He pulled back for a moment to adjust his glasses that had begun to fall off. Hearing Sam say “giant” didn’t quite trigger him to put two and two together yet—he still thought it was short for “giant human.”

June was caught. Slimes couldn’t taste things—but humans could. He had to pretend. What’s a good thing to say? What do people like—?

“Sweet?” He shook his head, then narrowed his eyes and doubled down. “VERY SWEET!” Yes, that’s an acceptable answer! Humans love sweet things.

Sam blinked a few times. “Huh. Human taste buds are weird.” 

They mentally shrugged it off, though they did have a sudden urge to lick their own arm and check—just in case they’d never noticed that giants did actually taste sweet. 

Sam didn’t see the smuggest smile in the world cross June’s face. Tristan, you should see me now! I ROCK at pretending to be a human! 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Chapter 5 ->

What other things will these two find out about each other? Stay tuned to find out!

Thank you for reading!

[lostbutterflyutau]

2, 4, 5, 6, 23, and 24 for Velvette and Camilla please? I don't have emojis so just picture the devil emoji cuz hell

YAAAAS. Let's GO!!!

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

Velvette: Her attitude and looks. Seriously, girl is serving. Even though it is immature at times, I just love her overall aura and aesthetic. Plus, I love how observant we see her being in the bit of time she gets on screen and the fact that her looks change so frequently, which speaks to her position as a trendsetter and fashion designer.

Carmilla: Like Velvette, I like her attitude, but for different reasons. She's clearly been in position for awhile and that reflects in the way she conducts herself. I also love how she will literally murder for her family. I have a thing for protective characters who are also secretly soft with certain people (in this case, her daughters).

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

Velvette: Oh, geez. I guess I never thought about it much. Maybe something akin to Project Runway/Rainbow where I could see her being a great judge.

Carmilla: This is super obvious, but considering Striker is mentioned as having a Carmine-crafted rifle, it would be cool to see her in Helluva Boss. I know it will never happen, but the idea intrigues me.

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

Other than their respective songs from the show:

Velvette: Shameless by Camilla Cabello, but that's because I ship her with an OC of mine and it reflects that.

Carmilla: Sexy Bitch by David Guetta ft. Akon, for... reasons. I'm simping respectfully.

6. What's something you have in common with this character?

Velvette: Hmmm... Fashion, I suppose. Not in that we dress the same, but enjoy creating it (even if I just do sketches).

Carmilla: Not much, actually. The only thing I got is that we're protective of and will go to bat for those we care about.

23. Favorite picture of this character?

(This is my favourite Velvette look (Planning to cosplay it eventually!). And I just love the attitude you can see in her everything here).

(Carmilla with her hair down is EVERYTHING. DAMN GIRL. YOU A SEXY BITCH. (And I will cosplay you as well one day)).

24. What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them?

Velvette: We haven't seen many side of her, but in some ways, Velvette reminds me of early Carla Delgado. Like, season one through mid season two where she was more ornery and disrespectful before Ash happened and she chilled out.

Carmilla: No one, honestly. Like, she has traits in common with other fandom characters, but I can't peg just one character from a fandom I've been in as being similar. Or I'm just blanking right now.

[starseneyes]

Ineffable Husbands / Aziracrow / Crowley x Aziraphale - Good Omens - A Thought

Y'all, I am super late to this fandom. But, I devoured both seasons like Aziraphale with a plate of ribs and then went back for seconds, and thirds.

Up until now, WayHaught has been my favorite queer ship, but these two adorable beings have slithered their way into my heart and flown into my mind.

I'm not planning to Meta these (I'm still behind on the Spapel finale, the Chenford REWINDS, and never even got to start Nace). But, I do have a thought that I can't get outta my head.

SPOILER ALERT: There's no removing this once it's in your system. I will be talking about both seasons. So, if you're still unspoiled (as I was until very recently), and want to stay that way, proceed no further.

Again, this isn't a full Meta. Just my own weird contribution to the conversation based on uneducated observation and fanatical attention to detail. I might be way off in my interpretation, but I haven't seen this thought discussed elsewhere, so I thought it should be said.

Ready? Let's dive in.

Aziraphale Feels Love

We establish early in Season 1 that Aziraphale is able to feel love. We don't know if all angels share this ability from the show (maybe the book-readers can tell in the comments), but we know he can.

He feels it when they go to the former Nunnery. He feels it when they're driving right before they run into Anathema. Aziraphale feels love.

And, yes, the book is in my TBR pile. I promised a friend to give them script notes, and I've told myself until I fulfill that promise, no other reading. So, soon enough I'll be caught up! But, in the meantime, I treasure the wisdom of those of you who've gone before.

I could wait to write this until later... but like Aziraphale after doing a good deed, I'm about to pop!

Anyway, we also see Aziraphale reveling in the ball and the pureness of the perception of the era. He loves a slow-moving romance spoken through kissing hands and whispered conversation. While Aziraphale has not experienced physical love, he's no stranger to the concept of love in its many facets.

Crowley/[Insert Angel Name Here] and Aziraphale have been doing a dance since before the Earth began. The first time they met, Aziraphale was immediately keen on him. And The-Angel-Futurely-Known-As-Crowley was happy to have someone to share in his moment of triumph.

If we look at the Bible, there's the idea of companionship—that humans were not meant to be alone. I would argue that the same could be said of our favorite eternal beings.

The-Angel-Futurely-Known-As-Crowley was trying to crank all this up by himself. It's not that he wasn't capable. He could've held the plans between his feet, or something. But, an angel happened by who was willing to stop and help—a pure heart eager to lend a hand.

That's where it started for them. And I argue that at the Eastern Wall, Crowley wasn't sure how he'd be received by Aziraphale... but he had to try. And being the angel he is, Aziraphale chose kindness toward the fallen angel.

By the time we reach 1941 (which sounds like a very critical year for these two), they've been through a lot. They've formed "our side" and Crowley's loneliness got a little more bearable while the weight of Aziraphale's conscious increased.

They've traded temptations and blessings, flipped coins, shared meals, supped and sipped. But in their last documented interaction before 1941—in 1862—they had a fight.

Crowley asked for Holy Water. For insurance. And Aziraphale's poor word choice led to their first real breakup (that we've seen.. 1650 and 1793 had the "I Was Wrong" dance, so they might've broken up, then, too, for all we know).

"Look, I've been thinking, what if it all goes wrong? We have a lot in common, you and me."

They're still not putting a label on it. These cutie-pies have been doing this for 6,000ish years and they still don't know what to call it.

Now, to be fair, they're doing this in secret knowing that if either side finds out they'll be destroyed. So, can't really blame 'em for not knowing what to call it.

"I don't know. We might have both started off as angels, but you are fallen."

Gee wiz, Aziraphale! I get that you have to ground yourself in your deeply instilled rote morality, but way to alienate the love of your life, dude!

"I need a favor." "We already have the Agreement, Crowley..."

Before, Aziraphale didn't want to put a label on that, either. Now, we saw back with Shakespeare that Crowley's the one who came up with that label.

But labeling aspects of their relationship is easy for Crowley. Labeling them is another thing entirely. And it's the last thing on Crowley's mind—this time he's actively asking for something outside the norm.

This is a new layer to their trust in one another. Crowley is asking Aziraphale to take a huge risk, and Aziraphale is mis-reading the situation.

"Out of the question." "Why not?" "It would destroy you. I'm not bringing you a suicide pill, Crowley." "That's not what I want it for."

They're talking past one another. Yes, I know this is classic them. But before the bickering can get much further, Aziraphale drops this on him:

"I'm not an idiot, Crowley. Do you know what trouble I'd be in if... if they knew I'd been fraternising?" ... "Fraternising?"

"Fraternising" applies to brotherhood and friendship. To this point, the only one we've seen call them "friends" was an outsider at the Theater. Neither of them has yet adopted the moniker "friend" when addressing the other or speaking conversationally about the other.

And, yes, we're going with the English spelling on this one. No, the characters aren't actually English. But they've both chosen English accents for their existence, so we're gonna roll with it.

"I have lots of other people to fraternise with, Angel." "Of course you do." "I don't need you." "And the feeling is mutual, obviously."

Of course these two idiots need each other. They're utterly alone in the world without one another—both aligned with a side... as far as they can go... but also with each other.

But Crowley is lashing out. Because he's not ready to put a label on this, and he has to keep himself distanced from Aziraphale and anyone associated with his former bosses.

And Aziraphale's fighting to maintain his very black-and-white view of good and evil, here, so as soon as Crowley seems ready to walk away, so is he. Though, we all know deep down neither of them truly want that.

In a fit of anger, Aziraphale flings the paper at the water. And, in an appropriate measure of response, the scrap obeys the laws of physics and flits down to the water rather than sinking into it like a thrown stone.

That's how we leave them (so far as we know)... at odds and decoupled in 1862.

Then comes 1941. The blissfully gullible angel has tried to do right and found himself in the snares of a trap. Bless his heart. (Yes, I'm a Southern Yank—which sounds contradictory, but I briefly studied at Leicester, so I know what my Uni mates'd call me)

"What are you doing here?"

The last interaction of which we're aware prior to this is the one where Crowley dramatically announced he didn't need Aziraphale, and our angel boy responded in kind.

So, while there have been many scrapes before where Crowley played hero to Aziraphale's damsel-in-distress, our angel wasn't awaiting rescue this time. He's genuinely surprised to see Crowley there.

But Crowley has had time in the in-between to consider their friendship and what it would mean to him if Aziraphale were to be discorporated, and if that would lead to him losing his place on Earth. Crowley can't have that.

Aziraphale assumes Crowley's there with the baddies. But, no, he's there for his angel.

"I just didn't want to see you embarrassed."

Watch Aziraphale soak that in. He turns his head to the left, away from Crowley, as he often does when confused or struck by something his sweet demon has said.

"Anthony?" "You don't like it?" "No, no. I didn't say that. I'll get used to it." ... "What does the J stand for?" "It's just a J, really."

Without so much as an apology from either one, they've fallen into a familiar rhythm. And, yes, apologies are very important, and these two need to get the hang of them, someday. But we can clearly see why they've survived so long without them.

When you're about the be discorporated at any moment, time for apologies is short.

"And if, in thirty seconds, a bomb does land here, it would take a real miracle for my friend and I to survive it." "A real miracle."

Of course, we're all focusing on the fact that Crowley is saying, "I did the bomb, you're doing the saving". But there's also a key word in there... friend.

Not so long ago (in their time, anyway), Crowley was incensed at the use of the word "fraternising", yet here he is calling this angel his friend.

I think in the time apart, Crowley realized just how important Aziraphale is to him. He really doesn't get along with the other demons on a social level, and he's failed to make any lasting human attachments. In all the universe, there's one being he can count on—his angel.

So, while we all know "friend" barely begins to cover it with these two, Crowley is finally ready for that label. Friends.

"That was very kind of you." "Shut up."

There's Aziraphale trying to thank Crowley without thanking him, once again pointing out what he sees as angelic traces in the demon before him.

And there's Crowley rejecting those same traces with all his being because he's embraced his exile internally and can't sever from that headspace anymore than Aziraphale from his desire for Heaven's affirmation and acceptance.

"Oh, the book! Oh, I forgot all the books."

Because in this moment of importance, he's going to prioritize Crowley. He put everything he had into keeping them from being discorporated.

But Crowley's wearing a smirk with flare. While the angel flails, Crowley strides confidently to the waiting bag of books.

"Oh, they'll all be blown to…"

His words trail off as he sees Crowley's right hand holding the precious bag. The music shifts as soon as Aziraphale makes the realization—Crowley saved the books.

"Little demonic miracle of my own. Lift home?"

Their fingers barely overlap as they exchange the bag, Crowley looking to not make a big deal of this. But it is a big deal.

Much as Gabriel was smitten with Beelzebub for a gift, Aziraphale is swayed by Crowley's first true act of love towards him this side of Heaven.

Yes, Crowley has saved Aziraphale multiple times. They've crossed paths over and over. But something's different. This time, Crowley called them friends. This time, there was something extra.

And while I know we were all taken in by Aziraphale looking at Crowley like he'd hung the moon and stars in the sky... which he technically did... there's a little sigh there that makes me wonder—was this the moment Aziraphale felt love from Crowley for the first time?

Remember, Aziraphale feels love. And we can tell he's enamored with Crowley long before this moment. Remember how his eyes lit up to hear his love's voice when he was locked in the Bastille? Remember the heart eyes he gave Crowley in hopes that the demon would work a miracle for Hamlet?

Yes, I believe Aziraphale feels his own affection for Crowley growing... but in part because he feels Crowley's love for him.

Now, there are many types of love. It doesn't have to necessarily be romantic (though we all know it is). But it plays into Aziraphale's prevailing theory that the demon is at least a little good and capable of good things—including love.

I think it's easy to pass off waves of love from around you as something else when you're not touching the person who loves you. Because they did touch as they traded that precious bag of books.

And that was an act of love. Beyond saving lives, Crowley protected something material that held meaning for Aziraphale. We all know Crowley's repeatedly stated that he doesn't read books. He doesn't adore them as Aziraphale does—but that doesn't matter.

Crowley saved the books because no matter what they meant to him—nothing—he knew they meant the world to the one who means the world to him.

It was an act of love. And I fully believe Aziraphale felt it.

Slipping into Season 2 with that same night, we can see that Aziraphale's still reveling in that feeling in the car with Crowley as they race through the embattled streets of London during the Blitz.

I paused it at a particularly adoring look from Aziraphale to Crowley. I mean, he's basking in his love.

"You know, that was a very nice thing you did for me." "Shut up." "There must be something I can do for you in return?" "Forget it, will you?"

Crowley's not ready to talk about it. He's never ready to talk about it... not until it's too late. And it's always too late, right?

But Aziraphale is fully enamored and looking for a way to reciprocate. This goes outside their usual Arrangement, and you can tell he's filled with feelings and wants to channel them into an act of love for Crowley.

And Crowley's brushing it off. Because it's easier for him to act than it is for him to talk. If you label it or try to define it, he's going to jump ship. But if you let it be, he's happy to ride the wave of... whatever this is.

Rather than wait in the car, Aziraphale follows Crowley inside. They're both savoring the time together, this time. It's somehow different, and I love that.

"Um, I wonder if I might be able to help you on behalf of my... uh, good friend here."

And, there it is. Aziraphale sees a way to live one of his greatest fantasies and help out Crowley. He has nothing to give him, but this'll do the trick, eh?

Also, look at him adopting "friend" as quickly as Crowley was willing to claim it. While Crowley is the one pushing them forward in many ways, he holds them back in others. This was a case where Aziraphale was a little faster to move forward emotionally than Crowley.

And this is the first night they've spent together in some time, if what we know of canon holds true.

Why am I going into all this!? Because, 1941 feels like one of the bigger turning points of their relationship. Of course, Job was, too. But I spent so much time watching that final confrontational scene of Season 2 Episode 6 only to keep returning to 1941 in my head.

I saw folks positing that Crowley's confession was the first time Aziraphale felt his beloved's love... but I argue he's felt it in waves throughout the centuries and been able to dismiss it as coming from somewhere else.

When their fingers touched in 1941 as Crowley gave Aziraphale a most-treasured gift—his books' survival—it was undeniable. Aziraphale felt Crowley's love.

And he spends the rest of this night trying to return Crowley's affection.

"Cheers for getting me off the hook." "Oh, there's no need to thank me. That's what... friends... are for."

He's still testing it out. The last time he used a word even close to that, Crowley had walked out of his life for half a century. But this time Crowley isn't correcting him, and Aziraphale loves that.

"You're going to need a 100% reliable marksman. Someone you can really trust." ... "Oh, I've got the perfect man for the job. At least, I think I have."

There's no question in Aziraphale's mind that he trusts Crowley enough to aim a bloody firearm at his face, pull the trigger, and that he'll be just fine afterwards.

And Crowley knows he's never fired a gun, but he also knows that if he doesn't say yes to this, his angel's gonna try to find someone else who will—and he can't have that.

He knows he'll miracle it away if something goes wrong. Crowley has to be the one to keep his angel out of harm's way.

"Haven't you fired a gun before?" "Not as such."

You. Two. Idiots. Seriously gotta work on your communication skills. but watch how Crowley's trigger finger actually shakes as he feels the weight of Aziraphale's trust in him.

That's love. That absolute trust. And while Crowley doesn't fully understand what's going on between them, he knows he can't betray that trust. He can't let anything happen to Aziraphale, and he's going to find a way to protect him.

Afterwards, backstage they're sharing the evening like a pair of old lovers celebrating a win. Crowley's lounging on the chaise longue. A triumphant Aziraphale winds a feathered boa around his neck. They're reveling in this moment, and it's the most relaxed we've seen them together to this point.

They could have gone separate ways as soon as the trick was achieved, but Crowley chooses to stay with Aziraphale. He's spent the last 50 years without him, realizing just how much this angel means to him, so he lingers.

Afterwards, they're back in the bookshop sharing wine on what Crowley believes may be his last night on Earth. He chose to spend it with the person he most wanted to be near.

And, yes, Aziraphale knows that he switched out the photo, but Crowley doesn't. For all his anger at their last meeting about "fraternising", it's all he seems to want to do, now.

Aziraphale notes that Crowley's glass is empty and fills it—a small act of love... but it's there. Feeling enamored and inspired, he tests the waters of discussion.

"I, uh, I knew you would come through for me. You always do."

Crowley tosses it off, but doesn't completely ignore the subject, for once.

"Well, you said, 'trust me'." "And you did."

He almost whispers it, like the three little words a lover whispers affectionately to their dear one. It's trust.

For an angel to be able to trust a demon... for a demon to be able to trust an angel... that right there is so far outside the bounds of what they both have been told is supposed to be.

But in one another they found one being in existence that they know will trust them wholeheartedly, and whom they can trust in return.

"You could've walked away. If you were truly as evil as you like to paint yourself, you would've done." "Nah, that's the trouble with you lot. You tend to see things in black and white. Sometimes, you've just gotta blur the edges."

And, let's be honest, his lot tend to see things the same way. Crowley is unique in that he truly wishes to understand. It's not that he wanted to thwart the will of God. He wanted to understand what was happening, to question it, to delve deeper than unanswered, unwavering dedication to a "Great Plan" that didn't make sense.

In Aziraphale, he's found someone as close to his morality as he'll ever discover (someone who goes as far as he can, but ultimately has a separate moral code). But Aziraphale lacks Crowley's distance from Heaven, and thus lacks his perspective. That'll eventually catch up to them.

But, tonight, they're both savoring the seconds of shared security. In the safety of the bookshop, they toast to, well, them.

"Well maybe there is something to be said for... shades of grey."

Aziraphale holds out his glass to Crowley, inviting the agreement. And, of course, Crowley will drink to that. Because that's where their love lies. In the black and white, it wouldn't be possible.

But because these two beings are able to think in the grey, to live in the grey, to love in the grey... they have a snowball's chance in hell of making it. Because something majorly shifts between them in 1941.

Yes, they've been doing this love dance since the beginning. But I think in feeling Crowley's love, Aziraphale is that tiny bit more emboldened.

Yet even after all that... Aziraphale hasn't quite reciprocated Crowley's act of love. Yes, he got him out of a bind with the delivery, but we can argue that Crowley had to rescue him right back with the bullet drama.

Enter 1967. We can assume that these two saw each other again in 1941 based on the fact that the "I was wrong, you were right" dance was in-play and we didn't see it. But we don't know what else might've transpired before 1967.

All we know is that Crowley's planning a "caper" to get the one thing he thinks he needs for insurance... the one thing Aziraphale outright denied him when he asked as a favour.

Crowley slides into his Bentley as the familiar swish of Aziraphale's miracle magic fills the air. The demon's tail lands in his seat just as the angel appears.

"What are you doing here?"

He's echoing Aziraphale's words from 1941. This isn't one of their planned clandestine meetings, and Aziraphale clearly doesn't want to risk the tiniest chance at an audience overhearing or witnessing this exchange.

Where the bookshop is the angel's sanctuary, this Bentley is Crowley's. And they're about to have a very secret exchange.

"I needed a word with you." "What?" "I work in SoHo. I hear things. I hear you're setting up a... caper to rob a church."

In a very Aziraphale coded move, Crowley looks away from the angel at the mention of an uncomfortable topic.

"Crowley, it's too dangerous. Holy Water won't just kill your body. It will destroy you completely." "You told me what you think 105 years ago." "And I haven't changed my mind, but I can't have you risking your life."

Here's the thing, as much as Crowley felt fiercely protective of Aziraphale in 1941, that's how much more Aziraphale feels now. That level of trust and love builds and builds.

Because what Aziraphale is saying to Crowley right now is—I can't lose you. Even though I hate this. Even though I don't want this for you, if it means I get to protect you, I'll do whatever it takes. Because I need you.

Which is why Aziraphale gives Crowley the Holy Water without understanding why he wants it. It's a gift without strings, without conditions, without preamble. Because Aziraphale knows if he's the one to do it... Crowley will at least be safe for now.

Just as Crowley agreed to do the shooting trick... for the exact same reason.

And while Crowley doesn't feel love in the air the way Aziraphale does, he does feel it from his angel. He understand the risks that Aziraphale took for him. And it means even more that his angel took these risks without understanding the reason... simply because this angel trusts this demon.

Crowley's lips part as he accepts the gift, and the two are very careful not to let their fingers touch, this time. Perhaps Aziraphale already feels quite exposed and doesn't want to risk the rush of another wave of love.

"Should I say thank you?" "Better not."

Aziraphale can't even look at Crowley. He's terrified he's just given the love of his life a suicide pill, but also so thankful to know he's safe, for now.

"Well, can I drop you anywhere?" "No, thank you. Oh, don't look so disappointed. Perhaps one day we could, I don't know... go for a picnic. Dine at the Ritz."

And this scene really shows me that Aziraphale is not oblivious to what's going on here and how he feels. But, he's placing very clear boundaries on where he hopes they can someday reach... sharing meals together in public.

Because I tend to agree with those who say that celestial beings love differently. We saw with Gabriel and Beelzebub that there was almost nothing physical to their affection. Their connection was enough for them. Without labels. Without definitions. Just... love.

But I think Aziraphale and Crowley are different, still, from the other celestial beings... partially because of their long time spent on Earth.

They like to eat and drink. They both like to listen to Earth music (though on different ends of the spectrum). Crowley canonically likes to go to the movies. Aziraphale soaks up books like sunshine, and loves learning new "human" things the human way.

These two can love in a purely celestial way. But, I argue they both have formed ideas of love that are a little different from their peers. They experience so much of existence in the human manner that it's impossible for their perspective of love to not be thus colored.

And right now, Crowley is feeling the impact of Aziraphale's love, much as the angel felt his in 1941.

"I'll give you a lift anywhere you wanna go."

Crowley is willing to let Aziraphale set the destination, here. And he'll go. Anywhere. Anywhere with him.

But Aziraphale's not quite ready for it. He knows he doesn't want to lose Crowley, but he doesn't yet know how to move past his angelic programming to fully embrace what they can be to one another.

"You go too fast for me, Crowley."

My. Heart. Stopped. The first time I heard this sentence come out of Aziraphale's mouth, I had to immediately rewind and rewatch. Because the hardest part for these two is always going to be the boundaries they put up in their own minds.

They've spent a long, long time on "opposite sides" while sharing an existence built on half-truths and trauma. They're both traumatized and both struggling through it. It's a miracle (heh) that in all this they've found one another at all.

And when it all comes crashing down in that truly devastating confession/kiss at the end of Season 2... Oh, they're both breaking apart because that trust that has been the foundation of everything for so long finally feels broken.

Crowley admits what they are. Out loud. No more, "Shut up" or "Forget about it". He opens himself up in a way he never imagined to the one being he could always trust.

And David Tennant takes us on the ride of our lives. Look, I'm a long-time fan of Tennant, starting with when he took over the role of The Doctor. But, golly, he destroyed us all with this confession.

Crowley removes his glasses before his beloved at the start of the conversation. And once he realizes how lost Aziraphale is to the system, he could have given up and left. Instead, he gathers his courage to speak his truth.

They're a team. A group of two. And he wants to spend... every second with him. Just being... them.

And they can't really run away from it all. It'll find them, eventually. But they also can't go rushing into the lion's den wide-eyed and unprepared.

But neither's truly hearing the other right now.

Aziraphale wants to bring Crowley with him to change things from the inside. Crowley sees there's no changing anything, and wants to spend whatever time he has left loving Aziraphale.

And. He. Falls.

Aziraphale isn't there to catch him. Because our poor sweet angel has drank the Heavenly kool-aid and earnestly believes he can make Heaven better for his beloved fallen angel.

They're both so bitterly lost.

Crowley covers his eyes and stalks away, muttering "good luck" to his thoroughly confused angel. They're both confused, really.

Because they both want to ultimately be together, but they're talking past one another. The mixed messages that once shielded them through suspicion and scrutiny have sealed their undoing. At least, for now.

In a last-ditch effort to get through to Aziraphale, Crowley takes a truly human approach with "one fabulous kiss". But it's not loving or tender. It's hurt. It's angry. It's as broken as they are.

Crowley takes one step, two steps, hands land on Aziraphale on step three before he gather's the angel's lapel in his hands and tugs him in. The choreography probably had to be perfect for poor David Tennant to make his mark through the glasses and contacts.

As their lips connect, Aziraphale's eyes widen in confusion. But it doesn't taken long for them to close, and as he relaxes into the kiss, his brow furrows as he presses himself into Crowley, wrapping his arms briefly around him.

When the perspective shifts and we're looking at the kiss from Crowley's back, Aziraphale's hand slides down Crowley's shoulder blades, where his angelic/demonic wings rest, hidden from human eyes. The angel's answering Crowley, now.

But fear kicks in, and the angel starts to flail. He's terrified. He's terrified of what he feels. Of what he wants. Of what this means. And he's heartbroken that Crowley would do this now when he's already refused Aziraphale's offer.

But the angel never. breaks. away.

He doesn't shove Crowley off. He waits until Crowley releases him to step back, and once he does he's overcome with emotions. There are too many feelings, too many thoughts, too many possibilities.

And Michael Sheen takes us through all the heartache, the pain, the longing, the hurt, the love, the devastation... Oh, he gives us every emotion and then some.

His, "I forgive you" cuts in jagged edges along our souls, like a papercut shreds skin, but on a cosmic level. And it shatters Crowley, similarly.

They part ways... broken.

Aziraphale is gutted to watch him go. More than any other time, this one feels final. In his confusion and pain, Aziraphale's trembling fingers find their way to his mouth, the taste of Crowley still fresh on his lips.

He presses his fingers against his mouth, trying to figure out where that sensation came from, but all he can recreate is a dim memory of the feelings crashing through him when Crowley's lips met his.

But the one thing that gives me hope is how Aziraphale keeps looking out that window. He can feel Crowley there. He can feel Crowley's love.

I've often wondered how they constantly find one another. Can Crowley feel where Aziraphale is and makes sure to be close in case of calamity, claiming that he's in town for a temptation? Does Aziraphale feel where Crowley may be and maneuvers himself as close as possible while feigning nearby blessings?

Because in the wake of their heartbreak, it's clear that he knows exactly where Crowley is.

He steps back to look out that window because he know that's where Crowley will be. He knows that Crowley hasn't peeled out of there in his Bentley. He knows he's waiting for him.

He feels Crowley's love. And when the Metatron confirms Crowley's words by mentioning the Second Coming, the way that Aziraphale looks back that last time feels charged.

I feel like Aziraphale wanted to run back right then exclaiming, "You were right. I was wrong!" But he can't. I mean, the Metatron is standing right there and expects him to come up and run this thing. If Aziraphale backs out now, who will be in position to stop this thing once and for all?

And maybe, maybe Aziraphale can protect the being he loves most by being in the room where it happens. Maybe that's the key, right?

But this is all projection. I'm more clueless than most of you because I've yet to read the book (yes, I will prioritize it after I finish these script notes!).

These are just my uninformed thoughts! But, I really do think that Aziraphale feels Crowley's love. And I think he's felt it for a very long time, at least since 1941. And I really can't wait until we get our Season 3 renewal notice.

Will I ever write full Metas on this ship? Gee, I don't know. We shall see, I suppose (which is only marginally less annoying than "wait and see").

Be good to one another. Spread love. Choose kindness. Give yourself grace. And don't forget to breathe.

[blues-valentine]

Do you think in the early S3 episodes JJ ever felt a tiny bit insecure about Kiara liking him now? Obviously it's not true, but do you think there was a part of him blindsided, confused, and so in disbelief about her feelings that questioned the seriousness of them, being that she's never expressed them before (as if she didn't feel anything in the past as he did & this was just a knee-jerk decision for her; or what he thought was flirting w/John B & the entire Pope-Kie fling--for him thinking as if she questioned for their 2 best friends prior to this thing w/them & it's not real)??? Maybe this is a common thought amongst the fandom already, but I haven't really seen anyone talk about this.. (or if you don't think this was really a thought in JJ's mind).

Absolutely. I think it’s only natural. JJ has always felt like Kiara was too good for them. In the pilot, he told John B he didn’t get why a “super hot rich hippie chick” would be “slumming” with them. I bet he has listened to this before. This is exactly what Luke told Kie in the car about Anna. JJ lives with the idea that he’ll never get out of the cut, will keep on doing blue collar jobs for rich people and will probably end up in jail. There’s a reason he is so reckless and ready to throw himself at danger. He views himself as the less valuable of them because despite all that cocky confidence there’s always this self deprecating layer to his humor. I don’t think he ever thought Kie would like him back because he feels like he isn’t worth it of it.

He thought Kie liked John B because she was giving him attention (one he probably wished she gave him) so he projected a lot on him because he cannot imagine not making a move on Kie if she seems interested. He was wrong. He seemed happy to be wrong. Then later did the same with Pope. He told Kie to give Pope an opportunity even if it hurts him. He saw that whole fling unfold and he probably knows why it ended too. In his case, he knew that their dynamic changed during the island but he probably didn’t want to be hopeful and think it could meant she shared his feelings because sure, it could end just like how it did with John B or Pope but the thing is, Kiara is also his best friend. He knows her. Kie being so vocal about her feelings for him was crucial because she’s never done this with anyone before.

And JJ was giving her the perfect opportunity to back down from their "moment" during 304 by saying it was weird because if Kiara didn’t feel anything serious for him she could’ve been like “yeah, it was weird” but she didn’t. She told him it feels different with him and he knows this too. That’s why he was so scared. It’s something that felt so impossible before but it’s there now and he doesn’t know if he should allow himself to have it or if he is even good enough to keep it.

JJ’s insecurities about Kiara’s financial status always existed in his mind (again, the pilot also has JJ asking Kie why would she bother with the gold if she is rich) but they never felt like real problems for him because it’s wasn’t something he thought he personally had to worry about but Kiara loves him too so now the fact that she might be “out of his league” hits him hard. He now has to deal with Kie's parents that don’t even like him, the fact that she has a very different life from his own. Now he has to worry about his future and what could he possibly offer her. He doesn't want to feel like she has to take care of him. All those old insecurities feel very real now and is why he self sabotages and the fact that Kiara does love him scares him so much. So I don’t think he questions her feelings at all. I think if he ever feels insecure, it will be about himself, not her love for him.

[acaplaya-musings]

Voiceplay Visuals: Dream On

Perhaps a bit of a shorter post than some of my recent/previous ones, but Voiceplay's video for Dream On is certainly far from dull, and the arrangement (a collaboration between Rob Dietz and Geoff) is absolutely killer!

The video for Dream On was released on the 9th of April, 2022, and features Omar Cardona, back again!

Don't have a ton to say about outfits/costuming in this one (though shoutout to Geoff, who is credited with "costuming look", as well as co-direction and overall video (he's a polymath genius I swear)), but might as well "shine a spotlight" on everyone individually, since I don't expect to have a lot to say for this video otherwise, and the vocalists all start off by themselves in the video before "banding together".

Hey Geoff isn't the only one with exposed shoulders for once! 😝

Cesar is, yet again, a style icon. And according to an interview he did with Mortius (that was simultaneously a reaction video for Dream On), the little "smoky eye"/eyeliner look he's got going on here was his idea! Love that for him!

(Also shoutout to Rick Underwood for yet again being a makeup whiz!)

Actually wait I forgot, uncovered shoulders actually outnumber covered shoulders in this one!

(Also this was filmed in some old school I believe? I think maybe Cesar's old school or something?)

There he is! <3

(Also love the fingerless gloves 👌)

Random fun fact: I used this shot about a month ago (though for you reading this it'll be more like 2-2.5 months ago) as a pose/proportions reference!

(And peep the little white-grey streak of hair framing his face <3 )

And of course I haven't forgotten about Layne! (No clue what he's wearing over his shirt, but my brain always thinks of a bulletproof vest, though that's obviously not correct)

(Also it's getting frankly a little embarassing now that back in my This Is Halloween post I was like "hey is that tattoo on Layne's wrist real? I've literally never seen it before", when apparently it has been visible at least a couple of times since, and I'm obviously not always as observant as I like to think I am 😅)

Fun fact: apparently Omar and Cesar are good friends, stemming from the fact that they used to be roommates? And now one of them is a permanent Voiceplay member, and the other is a frequent Voiceplay collaborator? (And had sung with them before Cesar joined the group, even). What are the odds? Like how freaking close-knit is the singing/acapella community in Florida?

(Btw that is one hell of a mohawk, Cesar! Go off!)

Group shot! (Also peep the book just behind Eli and Omar (that I only just noticed) - is that the same one Eli was holding/drawing in earlier?)

(Cesar matching Geoff with the fingerless gloves!)

"So how many lines and textures do you want in your clothes for this one?" "Yes" (No seriously, there is a lot going on with the outfits in this one. I'm not judging or criticising, but I would hate to try and draw them!)

Very brief but very cool distortion effect!

Obligatory "he's so pretty" screencap 😁

Screw it, have another Geoff hair study!

(I'm amassing a fair collection of these now, though I'm contemplating going and doing some more for older videos at some point so I can have a better visual representation of the main stages of growth, before it reached shoulder-length)

Is Layne in the freaking boiler room or something? (I'm not super familiar with boiler rooms (not super common in Australia, that I know of), but that looks like that would be an example of one!)

The "tenor trio" absolutely giving this performance their all! (As they always do, of course)

I'm doing this post on the same day (or well, night now) as the post I did for The Dragonborn Comes, so I'm still eagerly awaiting the video for Omar's newest collaboration with Voiceplay, and I can barely wait! It's gonna be amazing, I can feel it!

[cy-cyborg]

Any predictions about what they're going to do with Toph in the live action Avatar? I actually kind of like the changes they made like making Sokka no longer sexist. The story feels more real, honestly, I think Toph is a bit of an overdone character. Like she's super strong because she's blind, that's not good writing. I hope they make her better.

Ironically, I got the notification about this ask while I was talking about this very subject with my partner lol.

I'm only a few episodes into the live action Avatar so far, so take what I say with a grain of salt i guess, but I'm honestly a bit concerned. While I'm glad you enjoyed it (and legitimatly no hate on anyone who does), I'm finding so far that the creators of this version have attempted to "fix" a lot of things that either didnt need fixing, or they didn't really understand why they were issues, so they have ended up "fixing" the wrong things in a lot of cases. I worry this will be the case with toph eventually, too.

I'm planning to talk more about og toph soon (I'm working on the draft for the post atm) but basically, I agree, I absolutely love og toph, but she does have issues that its important to acknowledge. Its worth keeping in mind though the context of when the og show aired. the fact that she's a good bender specifically because she's blind/a bit over the top is, in my opinion, an overcorrection from the kinds of disability rep common in fantasy (and other genres but especially fantasy) at the time: chatacters that were mostly just sad or helpless who were left out of the action and/or used to show how sad a world is.

If they were to make changes to toph, it's important to recognise that this isn't really the case anymore, and what made toph work back then might not work as well now. Now characters like toph are so common it has become a trope in and of itself (the supercrip trope, to be specific, something ive already talked about before). to move away from that, they need to do a better job of recognising her blindness as a disability outside of her bending and maybe not necessarily toning her down, but adding layers to how her blindness effects her daily life and lean into the idea of her earthbending being used as a kind of disability aid rather than a cure for it.

The problem is, I don't think they will. I think they'll either add some (unnecessary) sad undertones to her character and backstory to match the "darker tone" they seem to be going for, or they'll lean into the supercrip aspects of her character even more that the og did and kind of forget she's blind at all.

It's a pessimistic take, and like I said, I haven't finished the series yet, so my thoughts might change, but from what I've seen so far, my hopes aren't super high.

[lost-kingsmen]

((*places a large manila folder on the desk and opens it, spilling an unrealistic amount of paper to the floor* Okay, let's follow up on that last post by stream-of-conscious-talking about different types of ghosts in this potential crossover.))

I thought of this idea while talking with @doors-to-infinity a while back (heyoooo I thought too much about a throwaway line and now we're here). What happens if a ghost forms outside of the Infinite Realms?

So. Amity Park ghosts from the Infinite Realms need and are made of ectoplasm, according to what I remember from the show and what I'm slowly absorbing from my brushes with the Phandom. I don't remember many examples of DP ghosts that noticeably deviated from this, apart from some notable ones (Clockwork, the denizens of the Far Frozen, etc.) that I'm leaving in their own category, for now.

Meanwhile, ghosts in the Mystery Skulls universe so far haven't been shown involving anything quite like ectoplasm. They appear to have a lot of similar abilities, such as energy-like blasts, illusions, and (some degree of) shapeshifting, and the fandom seems to attribute most other ghost-like abilities to them, as well.

Those things don’t sound like they really reconcile, right?

Well we’re gonna make them.

BAM! It’s usually super rare for ghosts to form outside the Infinite Realms - when it does happen, these ghosts need to rapidly consume enough ectoplasm to stabilize themselves. But ectoplasm itself isn’t super common outside the Realms, so where do they get it?

Other ghosts.

They learn to seek out natural portals and hunt the ghosts that come through them in a bid to survive, and Realm ghosts quickly lean to fear the ‘Outsiders’ that seemingly guard these natural portals, making them less likely to travel through them, and thus starving out most of the non-Realm ghosts before they could stabilize.

But this is a world of ghosts, magic, and superheroes, so of course, eventually, that status quo has to shift.

Whether it be natural or unnatural magical shenanigans, something changes in Texas to make it easier for non-Realm ghosts to survive. Maybe it was the Fae Court that immigrated from the UK and founded Sigil City, or maybe there was a cult that opened a door too wide to close? Either way, ‘Outsiders’ suddenly have enough ambient energy in the area to siphon off and stabilize.

Slowly, they adapt to require as little ectoplasm as possible - like desert animals adapt to function on what little water they can get. Some (like Dulce and Callahan) end up with enough excess to support a sizeable number of other, smaller spirits, while others ( like Gawain, Lewis, or Brushfire) only support a small number. They no longer need to hunt other ghosts, and come back to their humanity now that they aren’t constantly in survival mode.

Most Realm ghosts, however, have been staying far away from natural portals, frightened away by legends of ferocious beasts that eat ghosts.

When the Fenton Portal punches a stable hole between the worlds, it’s the younger ghosts who go through first, unimpressed by tales of monsters they’ve never seen. When all the younger ghosts claim to have met are humans and a ghost like them, more come through, emboldened by the seeming lack of true danger.

Then one day, years after the portal was opened and stabilized, Danny makes an off-hand remark to Frostbite about ‘being like his parents’ because he met some ghosts in Texas who don’t need ectoplasm and immediately took down a bunch of notes, like the scientist his parents always wanted him to be.

Frostbite, horrified: “You met ghosts…who don’t have ectoplasm?”

Danny, blissfully unaware: “Well, they HAVE ectoplasm, just not a LOT of it.”

Frostbite, curiosity slowly winning out: “And they didn’t try to consume you?”

Danny, confused: “No?? One of them offered me tea and another let me play with his ghost dogs. They were pretty friendly, all things considered.”

Frostbite:

Frostbite, slowly raising his own notebook and quill: “Tell me more.”

[mermaidsirennikita]

I miss the Lisa Kleypas from the Wallflowers and The Hathaways, The Ravenels are such a let down for me, don't get the hype (minus Marrying Winterborne, love Rhys)

I.... personally think the Ravenels is a series that works more for people who a) haven't read much of Lisa's backlist and b) often haven't read much historical romance at all c) are not open to the nuances of older historicals and the manner in which ~problematic content can appeal to some romance readers (and that's okay!).

(Caveat-ish: personally, I approach problematic~ content on a case by case basis. A lot of the time, things like consent issues, misogyny which often exists to be conquered, and sexualizing the heroine in general is not a super big negative because in part I think that allowing readers to experience safe fantasies of behavior and dynamics they otherwise would condemn in real life is part of why romance existed in the first place. Ironically, the reason why so many older romances have dubcon or noncon is because, in the very very early days of romance, it WAS less acceptable for women to be seen enjoying scandalous encounters in fiction, or publicly in real life. Cloaking these enjoyable encounters in a "I didn't want to want it" dubcon/noncon veil was a sly workaround and become encoded in the genre for a long time. And I don't think it's wrong for readers to still want that. I PERSONALLY have a harder time with light contemporaries featuring this behavior because it rings way too true to life, it's not a fantasy for me, but it is to others and that's okay.

In contrast.... racism and homophobia, for example, are not fantasies. So I don't find that acceptable in these books, unless, when handled with care, they are expressed by villains and confronted. Even then, I don't want to see a white writer approaching racism in their book, even if it's presented as a bad thing.)

ANYWAY.

I find a lot of Ravenels readers who read like, one older Kleypas book and couldn't stand how problematic it was, or maybe just read a scene or two. The Ravenels are watered down for the more recent readers. That's why you get things like St. Vincent getting a spotlight, but way toned down and Very Remorseful. Even if it feels OOC.

I think the idea that a book being problematic = low quality... really limited. There are problematic aspects to Dreaming of You, for example. The villain (a crazy woman who is insane because Derek dumped her, which, I wouldn't have gone as far as she did but I would in fact go somewhat insane if Derek Craven dumped me) is dated. Her threat to assault Sara in order to see what Derek was so stuck on is... problematic.

However, I do think that it's important to recognize the context and legacy Lisa was writing within at that time--and I also think that Joyce was at the time a more progressive version of this common villainess than say, the villainess of The Bride by Julie Garwood. Joyce's trauma from being married off to a monster when she was basically a child is referenced. (I personally read into it the idea that Joyce a) doesn't know how to develop or express healthy affection and b) she over-attached to Derek because nobody had really given her that kind of pleasure before and she interpreted it as meaning more than it did. Also, Derek is Derek. And gets it DONE.)

And anyway, a book can be problematic and have a great story. It can be problematic and be well-written. At times, the problematic content can be intentional and can contribute to that quality.

The Ravenels, to me, is very repetitive and very toned down. Even Marrying Winterbourne, in my opinion, gets a lot of work done by being very well-written, very romantic, and very character-based. If Rhys did not say "not five fucking minutes", would the book be as popular? I don't know. It is a really good book, EASILY the best Ravenels book... But even MW is not THAT original, you know? Rhys does owe a lot, imo, to Derek Craven and Simon Hunt--he's just a little softer.

Whereas Tom, whose book I do need to relisten to, is straight up from what I remember a watered down version of Harry Rutledge (just like West is a watered down version of Leo Hathaway). Maybe I'll feel differently when I read it again. The watering down seems essential. West, going back to a hero whose superior version I'm reading right now, isn't nearly as aggressive towards Phoebe, either as a challenger or as a lover. That element of pushy domination Leo expressed towards Catherine isn't there, because the Ravenels just don't go there. (The closest they got was really Rhys's "you want a bit o' rough?" scene, which, HOT, but wasn't even expressed to Helen... and sorry, it should've been.)

Like what you like, I just question the taste of those who think the Ravenels are outright SUPERIOR to books like Dreaming of You, The Wallflowers, and The Hathaways. Like, it seems as if people are really stuck on low-conflict, low-edge = better.