#and maybe an excuse to create a whole different set of characters

[ambersky0319]

I have an idea

Now if I actually execute said idea is a totally different story

[mcflymemes]

AS SAID BY KARLACH *  assorted dialogue from baldur's gate 3

i can't tell if you're flirting or threatening me. i'll take either one.

don't want the youths to think i'm not, you know, up with the times.

sometimes i look at you, and i just don't have words for this feeling. you are everything i ever hoped for. everything i thought i could never have. never deserve.

i just love listening to you speak.

i know i can make you melt.

i want all of you.

i don't think i have it in me to share.

will you stay with me? when it's time.

what the fuck is happening to us?

you know, [name], i'm not sure i can trust you anymore. you're... different. a bit scary, to be honest.

i'm sweating bullets. what if i blow our cover?

it's good to see you smiling, [name].

look at you. the years have been good to you.

we're in the city on some urgent business, but can i come find you when it's all settled?

whose idea was this? was it mine? am i insane?

i'll rip your tongue out, you liar.

you can't possibly believe this shit.

what i wouldn't give for another hour together. another minute.

i can't believe you saw that. you're too young for that.

once you start, it's hard to stop.

now there's a name i'd hoped never to hear again.

this is it. i can practically taste his blood from here.

you're asking a lot. but i can wait - for a while, at least.

i don't want to put you in harm's way either. i'll wait for now.

now you're speaking my language.

sorry i haven't visited. i've been... away. but i'm back now! and i brought friends.

i miss you so much. but i'm happy. and getting up to some really important shit.

i just want to understand. i just want to know why.

the fucker has to die.

this handwriting looks familiar.

do you know what you're doing?

sorry, i think you have the wrong person.

would you believe me if I said i've got to save the city?

i love good news.

glad to see you're so well set-up here.

if we can help them, we will.

could i see your wares?

you'll still be able to do your wizard thing, though, right?

i wouldn't mind doing a little shopping in the city.

to have someone who cares about you and throw them away... i don't know how you do it.

sounds like more your thing than mine.

i was just thinking the same thing, but less poetically.

you're good at staying in character. i'll give you that.

i was just being nice.

what a pesthole. can't wait to clear this place out.

i smell a fight brewing.

care for a dip?

it looks good on you.

good to know love is on the table though.

how could we let this happen?

let's just keep moving. i don't want to talk.

this place is absolutely beautiful. what a wonder.

hey, can i try something on you?

my heart isn't a toy, got it? treat it like one and you're going to get burned. badly.

my heart is telling me i love you.

if i didn't know better, i'd say you're falling in love.

will you excuse me?

you'd better step away before i do something i regret.

i'm glad you chose me.

you give me chills, baby.

i'm not going anywhere. i've got plans for the future, you know. and they involve you.

to be honest, i'm kind of shocked you chose me.

if i can have you back, i've got a place for you here. cozy. warm. safe. and you can stay as long as you want.

it sounds like you really meant it.

revenge sounds so sweet until you've taken it. then all you have is... no one left to blame.

you know, for a while there, i wasn't sure you'd come back. but look at you. you've done what few could ever do - created your own path.

is it almost time for dinner?

don't tease me. my lonesome heart can't take it.

you really are the best of the best. of the best.

you know i'd do just about anything for you.

if he lays a finger on you, i'll break it off. that's a promise.

what's on your mind?

you and me. let's imagine. we have a whole life ahead of us. what do we do?

i'd love for you to show me where you came from. hear your stories. meet your people.

no moment is guaranteed. except this one. and this one. and maybe this one too.

i'm going to live. i get to be alive. i get to stay.

i've never felt better. like i'm finally complete.

and here i thought you had half a brain. how wrong i was!

i love you. and i know you'll choose your destiny, and choose it well.

you're lucky i love you.

you hear me? you're all i could ever ask for.

come on. there's something i want to show you upstairs.

i will miss you. but i wish you luck.

[lyinginmeadow]

Make the clock reverse I Paul Lahote x reader

Summary: You had been dating Paul for what feels like an eternity, his loyalty was something you never thought you'd have to question until she appeared, tearing you two apart. Word count: 2,2k TW: cheating (kind of), insecurity, violence, angst, hurt and absolutely no comfort (you had been warned) a/n: I feel like I should apologize in advance. Also I don't hate Rachel, I just used her character since I didn't feel like creating a new one.

You never were a jealous person by any means. The first glimpse of jealousy came when you first became an imprint. People might believe that the whole ordeal affected mainly the wolf who imprinted, but boy, were they wrong. You might not have been as possessive as Paul, or as vocal about it, but the bond still made you want to remind everyone that he was yours.

You didn't run into any issues until she became close with the pack when she returned from college. Rachel Black was becoming a thorn in your side, causing many problems within your relationship with Paul.

He, of course, didn't believe the accusation that you spat in his face once you had had enough. After you both had time to cool down, he assured you that nothing could ever happen. You were, as the fates decided, the only person in his heart. That he would choose you even if you weren't his imprint, fates be damned. It did the trick to soothe your worries for a while. But a little bug still lived in the back of your mind, quietly reminding you whenever he was with her that maybe fate was wrong.

Tonight was the bonfire that everyone in the pack was to attend. The imprints were invited, and you hoped Rachel wouldn't show up. That, of course, was ridiculous and wishful thinking since she was in fact Billy's daughter, and since coming back to the reservation, she became part of the annual events happening within the tight-knit community. Your insecurity was like a bright beacon for her. Shining, tempting her. You could almost swear she was doing it on purpose. She was part of the community ever since she was born, and you were an outsider who somehow ended up as an imprint. Hand in hand, you arrived, greeting all of your friends. They were always there to assure you of Paul's adoration for you, seeing what jealousy was doing to you. ''Em, do you need any help with the food?'' You asked your close friend who was there for you when you became an imprint, and ever since then, you had become inseparable. ''No, I got it covered. But thank you.'' She smiled, nodding to Sam, who had just come into view with five plates.

You laughed and let Paul take you to a seat near the fire. Just as you were about to sit, he pulled you onto his lap, snuggling his nose into your neck. ''I love you.'' He mumbled almost inaudibly. You giggled. ''I love you, too.''

As everyone gathered, you could feel the daggers sent your way. You tried to focus on Billy and his legends. Ever since the tribe let you listen in, you had been invested. Today was different. You were not able to concentrate on a single word. Shivering out of discomfort, your gaze shifted to the fires burning bright. She made you feel as if you didn't belong. Your imprint, however, pulled you even closer, trapping you with his arms. ''You okay?'' He asked, worry lacing his voice.

''Yeah, the wind is just cold.'' You whispered, setting your head on his shoulder. That was not the best excuse you could master since his embrace was always warm, and you sat near a fire, but he didn't seem to hold you hostage over your little lie, probably thinking that you could talk about it in a private setting of your home.

As the legends and stories came to an end, music and laughter replaced Billy's voice as the elders retreated to their respective households. Paul reluctantly let go of you, so you could stand up. You joined the girls as you gushed over Kim's new job. Rachel, as per usual, didn't join you. Instead, she took the opportunity that your boyfriend was just with his pack members to get closer to him. You rolled your eyes, not having the energy to deal with her. After all, you trusted your imprint to be loyal, he never gave you an excuse to do otherwise. And you believed she wouldn't try anything with you present.

''So I have this weird colleague who is like obsessed with his lunch. Which I would get, food can be a touchy subject,'' She gestured toward the guys, earning a laugh from you both. ''But he has a camera in the fridge. A camera. Who does that?'' She shook her head in disbelief.

''I can see Quil doing it, so don't give him any ideas.'' You laughed. ''No, you're absolutely right.'' Emily agreed.

"Soo, how was the honeymoon?" Kim turned to Emily. After the events of a near war with the vampire royalty, the world around you fell quiet, peaceful. Tranquility called for celebrations, weddings, and time spent together without looking behind your backs, expecting another danger to follow. Paul and Jared tried their best to fill Sam's role while he was gone with Emily. But you could tell neither of them particularly enjoyed that task.

''Well, let's just say it's about to get even more crowded around here.'' You and Kim squealed and hugged her. ''Emily, that's amazing, congratulations.''  You were ecstatic for her; she always wanted to be a mother, and you knew that she would make an amazing one.

While discussing all the ways you and Kim would spoil the newest addition to the pack, you looked around, noticing that Paul's missing. Frowning, you tried not to jump to any conclusions, trying and failing to find Rachel in the crowd. Excusing yourself to get a cup of water, you left your chattering friends behind.

As you entered the kitchen, reality seemed to crush down around you. Paul had his back to you, but the action was unmistakable. The intimacy of the moment made your heart drop into your stomach. She snaked her arm around his neck, pulling him even closer to her. His hands were slack, hanging alongside his body. Her eyes opened, meeting yours as she moaned into the kiss.

Your whole world crumbled as you quickly spun on your heel, walking out of the house swiftly, tears gathering at the edges of your eyes, blurring your vision. Your mind was drawing a blank, trying to recover from the shock.

The ringing in your ears was nearly deafeng as you took the couple of steps down the porch into the clearing. You wore a distraught expression, feeling numb as if someone had just torn your heart out of your chest. The widened eyes of your friends were on you in an instance. ''What's wrong, what happened?'' Emily asked.

''Paul, he..." You stopped yourself, "I just want to go home. I'm so sorry, Emily. I-'' You couldn't find words, stumbling over them as you tried to remove yourself from the situation, looking around like a wounded animal.

''Do you need a lift?'' She asked, concerned for your safety.

''No, no. I'll call a taxi or something. Don't worry about it.'' You answered as you continued walking from the premises. The looks of pity from your friends followed you, haunting you. Would you now lose them, too? They were Paul's friends first, and since he was in the pack, it wasn't like they could banish him.

You wanted to rage and scream until your throat was raw, but the fire within you was extinguished. Embers of the anger dimmed in comparison to the deep, unending sense of devastation, as if your very soul had been ripped from your body. Because losing him felt like a fate worse than death. The bond stretched thin, aching with every breath you took.

It was so cold that evening, a clear sign that autumn was about to begin. You walked along the road, night enveloping you. You wished it could swallow you whole. Moonlight shined dimly, letting you see just a few inches ahead. If you weren't so distraught, you wouldn't be walking alone in these woods. Paul wouldn't let you, given that the vampires roamed around, looking for their next victim. But he was not with you.

He was with her.

Before you found out about the supernatural surrounding the Olympic Peninsula, the woods made you feel safe. At peace. Walking alongside it helped you feel grounded even now, when the world was crumbling. But not even the forest was enough to fade the memory of Paul and Rachel kissing.

Shuddering from the sudden pick-up in wind, you realized that your sobs weren't the only thing keeping you company. You stiffened, shivers traveling down your spine. The woods fell silent, watching the scene unfold. Holding its breath in the wake of a predator stalking its prey.

''I'll make it quick, I promise.'' A low hiss was the last sound you heard before fire enveloped you, threatening to swallow you whole.

''What the fuck, Rachel!'' He exclaimed as he pushed her off of him, "I have a girlfriend. An imprint. You know this. For fuck's sake.'' He started to pace around the kitchen, fingers pulling on his hair. ''What were you thinking? She was right. Fuck.'' He didn't know what to do. He needed to find her, tell her what happened, and apologize, even if he didn't technically kiss her on his own free will. How does one even explain this?

"I'm sorry, okay? Geez, I just thought-"

He turned swiftly, nostrils flaring. ''You didn't think. Who do you think you are?'' He yelled, feeling his temper rise as he began to shake. ''Dammit... I need to find her.'' He left her behind, stumbling out of the house, looking around, trying to catch a glimpse of you. Usually, you were the first thing his eyes automatically searched for in the crowd.

Instead, he was met by his friends. ''What did you do to her, Lahote?'' Yelled Kim as she closed the distance between the two of them. He looked around to find you again, but you weren't there. The implications of you leaving and Kim's yelling made his mind go blank. You saw them. You saw them and left. He trembled once more, shouting, ''Where is she? Where did she go?''

''I asked you first, so fucking answer.'' She shoved him, but he didn't move an inch. He growled as he towered over her, not appreciating her getting in his face. She should know better than to cross paths with an angry shifter. Jared made his way to his imprint, his boyish grin long gone. Baring his teeth at Paul, he took a protective stance next to Kim.

''I don't have time for this.'' Snarling, he began to leave when Rachel walked out, stopping on the steps of the porch, avoiding the gazes of onlookers. Shame coated her cheeks as she gnawed on her lip.

''You didn't...'' Said Emily, a knowing look crossing her features. Paul turned back to her, anguish glimmering in his gaze. ''You did.'' She whispered, her expression falling in disappointment.

Paul had begun to shake again, this time changing into his wolf form as he ran away from the angry faces of his friends. The whole situation made his heart beat faster, pumping blood into his ears. He couldn't wait for their answers; if you saw them, he had to fix it. He would fix it. He had to tell you it wasn't how it looked. That he would never betray you like this.

You told him how Rachel made you feel. He reassured you times and times again, that she was no one to him and that he only saw you. Which was the truth, he would never do that to you, he couldn't. Only now, you didn't believe it. Didn't believe him. And rightfully so. To you, this must have cut deeper than any knife could.

Running through the woods, he tried to catch your scent. Your words kept replaying in his mind, taunting him. His vision grew hazy with the images of your face, the betrayal in your eyes he didn't see but could vividly imagine. He stumbled, paws digging into the moss-covered ground as he picked up the scent of blood in the wind.

Human blood.

His pace quickened as he ran onto the road.

He saw it. You. In the arms of an unknown pale figure.

A vicious growl left his throat, catching the attention of the vampire. Crimson washed across his vision as the cold one pulled his bloodied teeth from your neck, hissing at the intruder. Without a second thought, Paul charged at him, teeth snapping in the direction of hard, cold skin. The vampire lost his grip, sending your body crumbling to the ground like a house of cards. Your head collided with the concrete with a bounce that echoed through Paul's mind.

Suddenly not interested in his prey, he started running toward the shadows of the woods, choosing life instead. A life he didn't hesitate to take from someone else. He wasn't quick enough when the grey wolf pounced on him, ripping his head off in a swift movement. 

The taste of your blood sat heavily on Paul's tongue, making his stomach turn. Spitting the head out, he let it fall with a sickening thud. His gaze shifted to your unmoving form, lying lifeless on the road. Your eyes were staring at him, the light in them extinguished, as if taunting him further. His whole world shifted while he stood there, processing the image before him.

The whole pack could hear the sorrow-filled howls shaking the earth itself beneath him. Begging anything, anyone to change the fates' design. The woods fell quiet once more. Listening, watching as the two souls, that were destined to be tethered together, get separated in a single moment.

[northlight14]

Since it’s the first day of Pride, thought I’d share something that I’m very passionate and opinionated about, that being

What Makes for “Good” Aromantic and/or Asexual Representation

Essentially I’m just sharing my own personal standards for when it comes to aro and/or ace rep. And you’ll notice a lot of this is the bare minimum. You’ll also notice how very few pieces of media actually do any of these. This isn’t to attack any particular creators (though some will be mentioned as being bad at this sort of rep not as an attack but as an example). Think of this as more for any aspiring writers or creators who want to include aro or ace rep in their work. Because idk about y’all but I’m kinda tired of just settling for the sort of rep we do get

And of course I don’t speak for all aro/ace people and some may disagree with me and that’s ok! These are just my personal opinions based on experience

1. Say it, don’t code it

A lot of asexual and especially aromantic “representation” is just coded but never explicitly stated. Characters will show disinterest in dating or even repulsion in some cases (see Saiki from Saiki K or Senkuu from Dr Stone). And while that’s all well and good, I barely even count that as representation

Showing a character is aromantic and/or asexual is fundamentally different from showing a character is gay or bisexual. And that’s because it’s a LACK of attraction, not the presence of it. You can have a character show interest in the same sex and nothing more really needs to be said because that’s you telling your audience what that characters preferences are. But you can’t have a character just reject another character and expect that to have the same effect because it’s not as if allosexuals/alloromantics are attracted to every person they meet

Now in the cases of Saiki or Senkuu where they say repeatedly that they’re not interested in sex or romance without actually using the words, I’ll concede that that’s slightly better than Viktor from Arcane just rejecting Skye and then the creator trying to claim he’s asexual after the fact. However, I still don’t think this is necessarily good representation even if it is better. That being because there is a long history of characters who start off saying they’re “not interested in dating” and then changing their mind. Or fans interpreting them as being gay instead or their close friendships actually being romantic. The easiest way to avoid this is just to use the words “aromantic” and/or “asexual”

This doesn’t mean you have to write a whole coming out scene either. It can be as simple as a casual mention or a pride flag hung up somewhere. But it should be said

2. State it in the piece of media

One of my biggest pet peeves about aro/ace rep is that it will be confirmed but only outside of the media itself and rarely in canon. Frankly I think more characters are confirmed outside than they are inside. Let’s go over two of main ways this just doesn’t work

It’s easy to miss. I didn’t find out about Viktor apparently being asexual several months after confirmation. And I’m pretty sure a lot of fans still don’t know

It creates discourse. A lot of fans simply won’t accept it because it was confirmed post canon or outside of canon. Or there will be accusations of it being fake or people trying to make excuses as to why they should be allowed to ignore it and so on

The only exception to this rule I have is that if your setting is maybe a fantasy world or historical setting where those words don’t exist then yes, it makes sense for it to not be stated in canon and instead confirmed elsewhere. But please for the love of god don’t just confirm it after the fact or else it just looks like a JK Rowling “Dumbledore is actually gay!” thing

3. Learn what it means to be asexual or aromantic

This might be one of the biggest “the bar is on the floor” things said in this post and it’s honestly depressing how many creators I’ve seen that have made me feel the need to say this. If you’re going to have a character be asexual or aromantic, you should know what those words mean. Like I’m literally asking for the bare minimum of research here

Do you know that asexual and aromantic are different things?

Do you know what either of those words even mean?

If your answer is no, for the love of God Google that shit before writing it. I’m so tired of creators saying shit like “this character doesn’t want to date because they’re asexual”

4. Let our representation be diverse

Some aces/aro’s are POC. Some are disabled. Some are trans. Some are asexual but not aromantic. Some are aromantic but not asexual. Some are not fully aro/ace but on the spectrum somewhere like demisexual, greyasexual, librasexual, aceflux, and so on. Some are sex/romance repulsed and some are sex/romance favourable or indifferent

We’re as diverse as any other community with a wide range of experiences. And yet a lot of the rep we get is very white, usually just sex repulsed asexual or aro/ace, and able bodied. Now as a white aro/ace able bodied person myself I can’t exactly speak a lot on this but I do encourage any writers to seek out and learn about the experiences of others in my community that don’t look like me

While on this subject, remember it’s not unrealistic to have multiple aspec characters in your media. I’m only 20 years old and so far in my life I’ve met a total of 10 others who also identify as somewhere on the ace or aro spectrum. I promise we’re more common than you think and having multiple characters be somewhere on the spectrum would absolutely help in not just depicting the community as a monolith. Great example of this is Bojack Horseman who didn’t want to make Todd’s childishness seem like a byproduct of his asexuality and so added Yolanda who is also asexual but the opposite of Todd personality wise

5. Let your aromantic characters not be asexual

You wanna know how many non-ace aromantic characters I can name?

None.

Literally non. Zilch. Zero.

And I can make a pretty good guess as to why that is as well. Because sexual attraction without romantic attraction is so heavily demonised or made to be “promiscuous”. And this is something that needs to change. Aromantic people, for starters, didn’t choose to be aromantic. They aren’t “players” trying to get with as many people as possible, or lead people on, or break peoples hearts or whatever the fuck. They’re straight up just living their lives. Some might have a QPR and some might not. Some might engage in casual sex and some might not. Some might still date and some might not. And non of these things are bad

Aromantic people deserve representation just as much as asexual people, I cannot understate this enough

6. Let your aromantic characters be loveless

I’m not a loveless/aplatonic aromantic so again I can’t speak too much on this. However, I do see a lot of the time people trying to make being aromantic more palatable by saying “they can still feel love!” And “they can still have close bonds with their friends”. And look, that’s true for a lot of us. But it also alienates a lot of peoples experiences. Being an aplatonic aromantic shouldn’t be villainised. They aren’t cold or heartless. They just experience things differently and that’s ok. They deserve positive representation just as much as the rest of the community

7. Try to avoid stereotypes

This one is pretty simple. Don’t make your only ace or aro character the robot or the villain or the super childish side character. Some aces are super outgoing. Some aromantics are really emotional

Another part of this is let your aromantic characters be romantic and let your asexual characters be sexy. As I’ve stated before, these identities are on a spectrum and some ace people might still wear revealing clothing or even have sex. Some aromantics might love romantic media or even still choose to date. Non of this takes away from their identity and if you go this route just make sure you’re doing your research

Like, I’m speaking from experience here. I’m fully aro/ace but I still love shipping and romance in media. I’ve also listened to my friends about their sex lives. Like guys, sex is weird to me regardless of its missionary or hardcore BDSM. Not every ace is gonna be comfortable hearing about that but again, we’re not a monolith

—

I do have more I could say on this but I’m gonna end it here. If there’s anything I missed lemme know and also I’m willing to answer questions as long as they’re genuine, polite and respectful. Aphobia will be deleted

And of course, Happy Pride y’all🏳️‍🌈💚💜🤍🩶🖤

[aventurineswife]

Okay so, believe it or not- this is a SAHSRAU request, however we gone do this a little differently- ya see? Cause this will be a ~Boothill Indulgent Request~ Yeah?

Building off my last request, the Painter!Creator is feeling bad for having found out, they are the technical reason for a lot of people's suffering, especially Boothill. Seeing as how... let's say their family didn't survive that car crash, (Whatever happened to Painter!Creator during or after that incident with them living without their family is up for your interpretation) so they understand what Boothill is going through to a certain degree (~Boothill Kinnie~).

And as they are trying to figure things out with themselves that this is the way things are, the only thing they can think of doing is... Paint, and in a situation like this, that's all they can do with these saddening, and frustrating feelings, throwing them into a daze- Painting what feels right.

Low and behold- when they break away, they've come to realize, they Painted Boothill, his Friends, and his Family, before the destruction of his world, how? They are the Creator! And a Painter! Visualizing is like eating for them, it can be hard when its made by someone else, but easy when they're the one's whose cooking (My sorry excuse for an analogy is staggering). But if that's not enough, then let's say they had been unknowingly astral projecting themself to the past, being a witness to what Boothill's life was like, before its destruction.

Anyways, having seen what they had Painted, they decided to gift the Painting to Boothill as an apology and connect with the premise of losing what was important to them.

(I personally love the idea that when Honkai Star Rail had released they got the inspiration to Paint and Create so much so that the Museum of Divinity was born.)

If you wanna add any other characters that is totally fine, I only wanted to connect with Boothill since he is my Main, and I would be lying my whole ass off if I said I didn't start playing the game for him :)

I want to make this very clear—no more SAHSRAU means no more. This is the last one I will be doing. Writing for this concept has been exhausting, and despite setting clear boundaries, people continue to ignore and push past them.

There are plenty of other HSR writers out there who would be happy to share their thoughts on SAHSRAU. If you’re interested in more perspectives, I encourage you to seek them out instead of repeatedly requesting it here.

Please respect my limits. This isn’t about being rude—it’s about setting boundaries and having them honored.

Now, onto the request—this is actually a beautifully painful idea. The Painter! Creator processing their guilt and grief through their art, only to unintentionally reach into the past and witness Boothill’s life before everything fell apart? That’s such a raw and emotional way to explore their connection, especially since both of them have lost everything they once knew.

I love the idea of the Museum of Divinity being born from this. It’s like a living testament to their emotions, their regrets, and their attempts to make sense of a universe where suffering exists because of their hand. It’s almost like they’re using their power to preserve beauty where destruction has already taken its toll. Maybe they don’t know how to fix anything, but they can at least remember it, and share that memory with those who need it most.

/

The painting itself? Oh, that’s what really gets me. It’s not just Boothill—it’s his family, his friends, his home. It’s a world that no longer exists, captured in a medium that can’t decay or be erased. Boothill receiving that? He’s been living with nothing but revenge to keep him going, but this—this is proof that it was real. That it wasn’t just a dream or a cruel trick of his own mind. Maybe, for the first time in a long time, he feels like he exists beyond just being a product of destruction.

Does he accept it immediately? Maybe not. Maybe it just pisses him off at first—because what good is a painting when the real thing is gone? But over time, maybe he keeps it. Maybe he studies it. Maybe, when no one’s looking, he traces over the faces he thought he’d never see again.

Honestly, this whole concept is so personal and poetic. It’s a story about connection through loss, about art as a means of communication, and about how creation and destruction are forever intertwined. Boothill might never fully forgive, but maybe—just maybe—he’ll find something worth holding onto again.

[inbarfink]

Okay, so I just found out that I can watch the whole 2015 stage production of ‘Shock Treatment’ on YouTube and, like, I have… so many thoughts and feelings. It really does demonstrate how Shock Treatment’s biggest flaws is just how unfocused and messy and… just needing one or two more rewrites to reach it's full potential. 

Like there are a few tweaks to the dialogue that makes the whole narrative a bit simpler and easier to comprehend, the satire is a bit more focused on the core themes, I thought most of the jokes were pretty solid (and the more sexual ones offer somewhat of a stronger thematic link to ‘Rocky Horror’) and now there’s actually Shock Treatment in the plot of Shock Treatment!

I do really like how they tweaked the lyrics of some of the song to smooth over some of the remnant ‘these were written for a very different RHPS sequel and re-fitted into this plot’ weirdness. I especially like ‘I they need some young blood’ and the change to the title line in ‘Looking for Trade Fame’ and ‘Look what I you/he did to my Id” (meaning Farley). Sometimes ya just need to change just one lil' pronoun and the whole-ass song makes a lot more sense. 

But the biggest positive change this Stage Version brought is the cast. Because ‘Shock Treatment’ the movie just has way too many characters. Like, look at this compared to RHPS’ cast list.

While this is maybe a natural result of the setting shift from an isolated castle to a whole town, it also leaves a lot of the secondary cast feeling flat and with no real space to develop. Comparing both of Little Nell’s roles is probably the best example. Nurse Ansalong is fun and Nell's performance is great as usual, but she’s just kinda around to be a RHPS nod and so Little Nell has Something to Do in this movie and an excuse to run around in a sexy nurse’s outfit. And these are all noble goals but… well, Columbia was an actual character, as campy as RHPS is, she was a character with emotions and pathos and tragedy and an important narrative and thematic role. Ansalong just never had the time to develop into someone with even a tenth of that depth.

(It also makes ‘Shock Treatment’ waaaay harder to Shadow Cast.)

So the stage version just cutting her out and… basically cutting everyone out except for Brad, Janet, Farley, the two Dr. McKinleys, Betty and Ralph just gives a much better chance for all of these characters to feel like actual people. Campy, exaggerated cartoony people - but definitely people. 

Like, we get to spend a little more time on making the manipulation of Janet into a superstar feel more gradual and convincing. Which both help her work better as… basically the Emotional cornerstone of the whole story and make the villains feel more despicable and more competent. Which of course really helps the two Dr. McKinleys since all of Farley’s other minions have been cut. In general they get more opportunity to say funny stuff and can really see how they use their faux psychology and therapyspeak to control people. 

....There's some level where I maybe think this script went a little too far in the other direction. That it's kinda disappointing that this Janet didn't never quite go off the deep end like her movie counterpart did. In general this version's slightly more.... grounded vibe - compared to the Movie's kinda Surrealist Nightmare Vibe - is one of the things I feel most conflicted about.

Like on one hand, this kinda campy nonsense world where gameshow hosts committing husbands to mental asylums and living your whole life on a sound-stage are normal is one of the most compelling parts of 'Shock Treatments' satire and it's kind of a shame to lose it... but also this more grounded tone creates a story that it's easier to follow an, more importantly, emotional stakes it's easier to get invested in. I think the Ideal Perfect Version of Shock Treatment’ that Exists Only in My Brain would be, tone-wise, in the middle between the movie and the stage show, but also maybe lean more towards the stage version?

The added details that Brad and Janet’s marriage has been hitting a rough patch because Brad has been fired from his job just as Janet has gotten a promotion (which I think is a detail from "The Brad and Janet Show" draft that was dropped from the 'Shock Treatment' movie?) adds some thematic resonance about the characters dealing with the Changing Times, the idea that Brad might feel emasculated with Janet’s success while has been (temporarily) regulated to the role of a househusband is maybe understandable but it is also understandable why it would frustrate Janet and thus lives her open to the McKinley's manipulations. Again, the characters are still kinda campy, still kinda silly - but having a bit of grounding for Brad and Janet’s relationship does help when this is basically… all the emotional stakes in the story.

Now, in the Ideal Perfect Version of Shock Treatment’ that Exists Only in My Brain, the rift in Brad and Janet relationship would’ve been created by the lingering effects of the events in the Frankenstein's Place. Janet would rather pretend they never happened but Brad is still visibly reeling from that time he got forced-femmed by aliens. And although the events of ‘Rocky Horror' did definitely happen in this version, it’s mentioned as just a throwaway joke (“We’ve been through so much together! Infidelity, homicide, aliens, fishnet stockings… and that’s just the engagement party”). Still, it was a funny throwaway joke - and the promotion-and-firing idea they went with makes thematic sense in this version of ‘Shock Treatment’. 

Farley Flavors also get a bit of a ‘boost’ from the trimmed cast but… honestly the changes to his character are the ones I am most split about. Because this version of Farley Flavors is generally better because there’s a bit more… flavor to him. A more visibly wacky personality, a few more gimmicks to him. And when I first saw him I was actually… pretty hyped about him as the main villain.

Because, okay, the main problem with Farley as a villain is that, despite Cliff De Young’s excellent performance, he really is just another Evil 80’s Businessman and that feels a bit bland in the wacky world of Rocky Horror. Like, the whole ‘long-lost twin brother’ twist is supposed to feel like the counterpart to the Alien Twist in RHPS and a parody of stupid soap opera twists in general. But… the thing is that even before we found out he was an alien, Frank was already an incredibly distinctive and unique character. Being revealed as an alien in the last act of the story doesn’t define him.

But since Farley doesn’t have as much going for his character, the stupid parody long-lost brother twist does end up being his defining trait and it makes his whole character feel lackluster because… it’s a stupid parody twist! 

But since Twenty-Fifteen Farley is Fairly Far-Fetched right from the get-go this means the twist has more of a chance to feel more like the original Aliens Twist. Plus, there’s bits of dialogue here and there that feel like Foreshadowing. Farley constantly reiterates that Denton is his hometown, and that he’s a self-made man (which connects to the briefly-alluded-to implication that he was adopted into a poorer family than Brad’s and that's the source of his resentment), him saying some very Ominous Things to Bard at the end of ‘Lullaby’

And then…. It turns out this version decided to cut the long-lost twin thing!

Which… honestly I probably should’ve seen coming from the casting choices. 

And like, I see the logic here. Obviously the double-casting gimmick does not work on stage, that was supposed to be a parody of soap-opera twists and that element is a lot more downplayed in this version of ‘Shock Treatment’ and like… since this plot point has been already been heavily criticized in the film version I can see why they would want to cut it. 

But… it’s not just that I feel like this twist would’ve worked better in this version it’s also that… cutting this plot point and replacing it with nothing just makes Brad - who is already kinda relegated into glorified McGuffin for most of this story - feel like he had even less to do with the plot and makes Farley’s apparent animosity for Brad even more inexplicable and shoddy.

Like, Farley still says he chose Janet ‘because of [Brad]’ so I guess we’re supposed to believe that he just finds Brad to be such a massive lameo that it makes him seethe with a burning hatred of a thousand suns. Which is an even flimsier motivation than that Twin Stuff in the movie. 

‘Duel Duet’ always has that problem that it was originally written for two characters with a very powerful well-established rivalry and emotional stakes (Dr. Frank N’ Furter and Riff-Raff) and then had to be transplanted into being about these two schmucks who barely even know each other. And removing the Twin Twist just kinda removes whatever emotional stakes they did have and exacerbates the problem. 

.....Honestly, I think the main way to really ‘fix’ Duel Duet is… instead of that one kinda ‘Girl Power’ moment they tried to give Janet that I feel is a bit too heavy-handed and obvious…

Just make ‘Duel Duet’ a Farley versus Janet song!

Like, Janet is unquestionably THE Main Character of the story with the most important emotional journey of all of the characters, she was the core target of Farley’s manipulation and the focus of his schemes, she’s the one who actually got to interact with him and developed any sort of relationship with him, the focus of this scene is on how Janet realizing she has been used by him, she already spends all of Duel Duet physically kicking his ass…

Janet should also be the one to musically face-off against Farley, especially if you remove the only reason why Farley has to hate Brad so much. Like, yeah, she does get to beat him physically... but because this is a musical - the Songs are the thing that gets the biggest emotional and narrative priority. The person who gets to Duel Duet with the Farley is the person who really beats him. And this is really moment that should belong to Janet in this version of the story.

And maybe removing one of the few Things Brad actually gets to do in this plot which is also his Big Musical Number would kinda suck for him, but… well, this version also gives Brad a nice lil’ Triumphant Reprise of ‘In My Own Way’ where he reaffirms his love for Janet and maybe you can expand that into his Big Musical Number and… y’know, if the rift in their marriage was at least kinda about Brad’s insecurities about Janet becoming the Main Breadwinner of the household… Maybe it’ll be a good resolution to his story to embrace being Janet’s little Damsel in Distress?

(I mean, I think this is an element in this musical as it is but.... but you could've leaned into it more!)

And with both Oliver Wright and Macy Struthers cut, that gives more material to make Betty’s character more interesting. Without Oliver, Betty generally gets to talk about her ongoing investigation with Janet - and that means the two of them get to have more interactions and a more visible friendship. And on the other hand, She starts out as Ralph Hapshatt’s cohost, putting on a very Macy-esque false smile and pretending they’re still happily married. It’s a fun, character-specific spin on the whole ‘falsehood of television’ motif of ‘Shock Treatment’. 

(Also since Oliver is cut, it means Betty, Janet and Brad sing “Anyhow, Anyhow” as a trio. Which… I think that means they’re gonna have a threesome. And you know what? I support Janet Majors and her two girlfriends!)

And Ralph… really got the biggest boost in personality from the trimming of the cast - especially as most of the singing roles of these cut characters for assigned to him. Like, okay, I think something that’s kind of a problem with the ending of the original ‘Shock Treatment’ is how… unambiguous it is when compared to ‘Rocky Horror’. 

Because ‘Rocky Horror’ has a very morally ambiguous cast - pretty much every character has some element that makes them at least a little bit sympathetic and also… well, if not morally wrong than at least an (Audience Participation Voice) ASSHOLE (but also yeah, a lot of them are morally reprehensible even when working against other morally reprehensible characters). And the ending leaves it ambiguous whatever Frank got what he deserves or whatever his death is a tragedy, or some combinations of the two. Not to mention the ambiguity of what happened to Brad and Janet; whatever they’ve been liberated or exploited or corrupted and whatever or not they’re better off being left behind on earth or remaining in Frank’s clutches.

And meanwhile ‘Shock Treatment’  has a VERY clear-cut ending. There is a unambiguous differentiation between the characters who are the Good Guys, and those who are Bad Guys and those who are the Bad Guys’ Gullible Victims. And, like, yeah, all the Bad Guys succeeded in their evil scheme and and are now basically literally rolling in cash

…but literally any character who has any redeeming qualities gets to happily escape this Nightmare Studio while singing a cheery song about sex. 

Even Oscar Drill and the Bits, who are quite literally Bit Characters and have very little characterization or connection to our Main Foursome, get to escape. Basically just because what little we got from them made them seem like a nice group of young gays and they never did anything bad. 

And all of the people who stayed behind were portrayed as such exaggerated cartoonish bigoted caricatures literally rushing in excitement to get themselves exploited. Nor do we get any moment for our protagonists to show any sort of concern or regret or sadness about these people who they've known all of their lives. So it’s really hard to care about them as, like, Real People who've been duped into being ground down by this awful machine of capitalism and conformism. 

I understand the idea that having a wider cast makes Denton feel more like a Town compared to the isolated feeling of the Frankenstein’s Place, and that seeing all of these people fall for Farley’s bullshit in their own slightly-different ways help drives home how prevalent and influential and powerful this capitalist proudly-selfish image-obsessed philosophy really is. But… none of these characters get enough time to develop into anything but shallow parodies of Society. There’s just not enough humanity in them to sell even an ounce of the tragedy of Columbia and Rocky's deaths. 

So condensing all of these slightly-different characters into Ralph Hapshatt… that really made him the most complicated and morally-ambiguous character in this whole musical. Because, yeah, he is a self-obsessed sexist asshole driven primarily by a desire for fame and fortune but…

We spend enough time with him to humanize him. To see how he’s struggling with internalized homophobia and how he does have his doubts about what Farley and Co. are doing to his best friends even if his thirst for fame keep winning the moral battle and that said thirst for fame is pretty obviously born from a desperate need for love and validation that this homophobic corporate world just can’t give him.

So when the show ends with him being happily strapped unto to the Shock Treatment device he illegally modified with his own two hands because he just can’t allow himself to refuse a chance to star on TV - on some level this is karma, but it’s also a grim reminder that even if our threesome of heroes are happy and free, this exploitative entertainment machine also 'just got to keep going', just got to keep grinding down other people in the name of mental health, the American family and quality entertainment. 

And although we’ve technically scaled down from a whole town to just one guy, this feels so much more tragic because as selfish as Ralph is, and as silly and intentionally-ridiculous as the writing is sometimes, he still feels so much like a person. 

[toonocosm]

I've made a custom Sketchtober prompt list this month and turning my OCs into fantasy MMORPG characters were the prompts from the 8th to the 11th. I've wanted to do this ever since I made this post, if you read it you'll get some insights into my design decisions here.

Necromancer Ravi

Ravi uses life force that he steals from enemies to conjure up necrotic spells. However, if he depletes all his stored life force he will start using his own which damages him (This is an excuse to draw him as a living skeleton lol). He can also create undead minions by using bones he finds in the environment. His outfit is based on the Ritualist Outfit from Guild Wars 2.

Virtuoso Kiana

I love how her design turned out! She's a magical girl fairy. LOOK AT HER, she's so fantasy! Her design is based on my main in GW2. She conjures up thorn knives that she lunges at her targets. She can't fly, but she can glide and get a bit more height when jumping thanks to her wings.

Guardian Api

You get a little look into what Api used to look like in 2016 here, he used to have angled back solar panels and different hands. And as you can see, this is not the first time I've drawn Api with armor (Based on the Protector's armor from GW2), so I just redrew that old piece from 2016. Like I said in my post from 2023 that I linked above, I still don't know what I want to do with Api in an MMORPG setting. But maybe I shouldn't overthink it, perhaps it's fun to just make him a classic knight.

Soulbeast Lotl

I based their clothes on the Rift Hunter armor from GW2, I'm not entirely sold on this design for Lotl though. But I might be able to grow to like it, I do like the slight viking vibe. I need to do more sketches to show off Lotl's whole gimmick in this mmorpg AU though. But basically, they're a pet wielding class and they can merge with their active pet. I'm thinking of giving them three different pets, one land-based pet, one aquatic pet and one that can fly. And I could make them have elemental powers, which Lotl would gain when merging with them. So that could be neat!

[acourtofquestions]

I personally love all of SJM’s books, and have read TOG and ACOTAR (I’m on the second book of CC) but I’ve seen multiple anti-SJM posts on tumblr. I personally disagree with them, but what’s your opinion?

(One of the main things they argue is that Rhysand was abusive)

A very good question! Thanks for asking! I always love talking about fandom stuff & your posts are always a fav😊🫶 @romantasyreader28 (apology in advance for the delay & long ramble lol; it was a good question I had many thoughts on🤣)

I was actually pondering something similar within this note but separate for an updated reading post on Rowan from TOG (I’m reading HoF for the first time; & though I generally try not to pick “pro/anti” (as there’s always another side to the story) not gonna lie I was near “anti”-Rowan… until PT. 2… hence the more “pro”-Rowan upcoming post😂).

— So there are definitely a LOT of changing opinions depending on the point in the series.

As far as Rhysand goes:

I was on a rollercoaster with him at first too, the introductory chapters & UTM time period were concerning (assault is a big trigger for me; so having Feyre drink faerie wine, “marking” her with paint, & kissing her without consent was disturbing).

With that said, I did find his character generally easier to “like/not loathe” on first read in comparison to other “enemies to lovers”. I think this is because of a few reasons… The 1st being you know there is more going on beneath the surface. 2nd, the perspective it’s written in shows their draw to each-other & makes swaying the audience easier. 3rd the undercurrents to their banter & little clues to more within their interactions; such as him betting on HER; shows he believes in her & also something more. Finally, it is furthered by the already very dark setting, not to give excuse but to more easily explain the why which is NOT of malice. My biggest point is that he does not defend it, apologizes for it & it is not portrayed as “okay”.

He is not perfect, he can be read as hero or villain; he does NOT make the same mistake twice, he DOES apologize, he does TRY to be better. He creates a sanctuary specifically for women to escape abuse, he makes a lot of effort to give Feyre HER choices & empower her to make them. And the times we are shown his side it is much less morally murky.

I know there is a lot of anger around him hiding the risk of Feyre & Nyx; I don’t disagree it is wrong & confusing, but we do not get the full picture, clearly showing in the other perspectives. & The other being his threat to Nesta after she tells Feyre; which was wrong & he knows it. — There is a difference however between anger & action. — While many of these patterns could probably be deemed as abusive, they could also be deemed as acceptable/explainable. Which one is correct?

— Well, at the end of the day it’s fiction. Within a genre that very much struggles with this as a whole. & While there is something to be said for “real world” power within fictional escapes. It also comes with a different & messier set of non-existent rules; if we are to examine them all, quickly everything becomes problematic. & maybe that’s good to do, maybe not; it’s worth acknowledging; but in that acknowledge that it is fiction.

Meanwhile, writers are real people. So be wary of jumping toward conclusions on either side…

As far as SJM goes:

I don’t know & we’ve never met, I don’t know what she’s like, what she believes in, what she’s experienced. I doubt anyone would write a series with the intention to sway people into abusive relationships. & though intent is a good question to ask; I tend to lean similarly towards no.

There are times I think abuse is shown; whether intentional (as Arobynn and Celaena), or questionably (Tamlin & Feyre’s first kiss; a moment that bothered me as she is drunk, but I actually appreciate because it is shown how problematic they are later; point to it as a key warning, not “romantic fairytale” to aspire for).

I also think the Maasverse does take time to give survivors & “unspoken stories” a spotlight, that means a great deal (or at least it did to me) with characters like Gwyn being a large one.

It serves as an enjoyable escape from the world; one we know is fiction. A morality that can be more “fun” to debate & ponder, but still exists within fiction & opinion primarily over actual moral grounding.

For me: I love Rhysand (though I may not wish to marry him in the real world) I wish to have someone to hold my hair when I have nightmares & I loved watching him and Feyre fall in love in moments like that; I love the way SJM turns plots on their heads & think she does a great job with them.

Reading throne of glass as my next Maasverse series has been cathartic; I have thoroughly enjoyed many dynamics and actually praised them for flipping stereotypes on their heads & NOT being abusive.

So, while I think there are many sides and points to argue & at the end of the day is generally within fiction; I enjoy SJM’s writing & reading them. I generally don’t find it more problematic than other series. And prefer to enjoy fandoms, or move along if it doesn’t feed me healthily.

[sol-consort]

Okay, me again. I was watching more of those modded gameplays again this time it was Tali's and OMG SHE TAKES OFF HER MASK?!?!?!?! That's so crazy!

(P.S. Also idk if this is true or not and I'm too lazy to check rn but I saw in the comments of that video that the game was gonna allow more same sex relationships but then Fox News threatened to get the game banned and also the whole commotion about femshep and Liara? Like, I'm sorry?? Can queer people have one fucking thing, please?)

(P.P.S. I think Tali was gonna be one of the characters that both male and female shep were allowed to romance, and that's why I think there's like romantic dialog left over even as femshep)

Sadly the Fox News controversy is true

ME1 released in 2007 and this segment aired in 2008, it contained a lot of false information about how explicit the sex scenes were, causing a massive backlash from the general public. Liara's romance was especially demonised.

Bioware had done queer characters and romance before, but it was more on the subtle side with games that never got much publicity to begin with. So to put a lesbian romance on the same level and seriousness as the other two straight romance options was blasphemous in people's eyes at the time.

There were rumours about ME1 Kaidan being bi but then scrapped because of maleshep romance dialogue lines people found in the gamefiles, but bioware claims that it wasn't cut content, just a mixed up script that got sent to his voice actor.

Notably, in ME2, there is a huge lack of main queer relationships. Liara wasn't added until the DLC, Kelly is an npc that doesn't have a route. Sleeping with Mornith causes a game over screen and she is an optional recruit that you've very discouraged to pick by the game.

All the main relationships were gutted and scrubbed from any hint of queerness. Thanks to Fox News, Jack, Tali, Thane, Miranda, and Jacob had dialogue lines and romance flags for same-gender Shep.

Jack took the biggest hit, however, as she was meant to be THE bi rep, but the fox news segment made Bioware pull the plug and turn her straight last minute. Her femshep romance was practically done.

In ME3, they did listen to the community, and Kaidan was turned bi thanks to the mix-up lines accidentally recorded in ME1. Plus getting an exclusively gay/lesbian romance option.

Steve and Samantha are more well-rounded characters than Kelly, they contain more depth and actual personality...but, they do fall short in comparison to the rest of the romance-able characters. The game considered their romance a main route unlike Kelly who still let you go have other relationships, you could "Lock in" with both of them.

A huge part of why they don't feel as important is because you can't take them on missions with you, they're stationary set pieces almost. The crew fighting alongside you helps create a special bond, why even EDI feels closer to the player than both of them despite her being in a relationship with Joker.

So besides Steve and Samantha, Liara and Kaidan remain the only gay romance options in the Mass Effect Trilogy.

-

Final note: I really like how Thane—a deeply spiritual and religious character—was supposed to be queer without it creating conflict within his belief system. It helps resonate how different the aliens' culture is, how homophobia could be a man–human–made concept in the Mass Effect world. How it's only us who used religion as an excuse way to shun queer people, while the rest of the galaxy didn't even consider it.

In ME3, there is an overhead dialogue about a human soldier talking to the asari embassy about finding refugee for her asari daughter, maybe send her back home. She mentions how all her human family basically abandoned her the day she married her asari wife, homophobia heavily implied.

You don't hear a story like that from any other alien who married an asari, I really think homophobia is exclusive to humans. It's both shameful but also a relief that at least the rest of the galaxy have their priorities sorted right. We could learn a thing or two.

[christinethalassinou]

So. That’s gotta be a bit long so bear with me.

How comes that from the two deaths that do NOT happen in the book, one comes across as sad but not exactly surprising, and one as basically complete nonsense the moment you start thinking about it from a narrative standpoint?

The kinda obvious answer is that one of them has a decent build-up, and the other comes practically out of nothing. Now, lemme explain that a bit more in-depth.

Poor lil’ Naga’s death can come across as shocking at first, depending on how attached to the character you are (or how much have you paid attention to his character arc), but it’s not a surprise. It was obvious pretty much from the get-go that this kid will do something stupid rather sooner than later, the only question was that what kind of and how stupid it will be.

So, you see, not a surprise. Sad but not a surprise.

Hiromatsu, on the other hand… and please excuse me for the following but I must: WHAT THE RAINBOW-COLOURED, EVERLOVING ACTUAL FLYING FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?!

And now this out of the way, my reasoning, in short: it makes no sense. Like, at all. I’ve watched Shogun four(!) times by now, and no matter how much I try, I just can’t make it make sense (and I’ve been writing fanfics for more than two decades now so I’m pretty used to extreme mental gymnastics).

Because let’s see quickly what happens in the book: Tora decides to surrender, daimyos are not happy, some of them think he’s not fitting for leadership anymore and almost launch a no-confidence vote against him, so to speak. Tora catches this and forces them to commit seppuku, thus RE-asserting his dominance (and the ‘re’ in ‘re-asserting’ is the operating part here). He does this to keep shit from getting too much out of hand before he could solve the problem.

What happens in the series, though, is an utter and complete mess narratively. Because the problem they set up is the same as it is in the book: Tora surrenders, daimyos are not happy, and some of them openly defy him… thus being a huge-ass security risk, and also a traitor, and just fuck them anyway.

^These guys right here... ^These are the problems need to be addressed

After that, tho, this storyline gets utterly derailed because what happens in that scene is not only not solving the already existing problem but creates a whole new one! And I get it. I’m a self-admitted hurt/comfort slut, I understand the need to heap trauma upon trauma on your main character. What I can’t condone, tho, is that when it’s used for pure shock-value to invoke an emotional reaction in your audience (and even then, it either works or not, depending on how attached one is to the character).

Because let’s see what we have here: Troublemaker 1, 2, and 3 are not dealt with in any way, not in this scene or later, they’re just forgotten after being brought up as a problem, Hiromatsu brings up an entirely different kind of problem that is already present but is also not getting solved (because it can’t be at that point of the story, it’s not a mistake, it should be like this). So, there’s Huge-Ass Security Risk number 1, 2 and 3, and the problem of surrendering to Ishido, both brought up in the very same scene. Problem #1 gets completely hijacked by Problem #2, even though it’s Problem #1 that can be solved right on the spot, and it also NEEDS to be solved right on the spot!

And even right now, I’m just sitting here, trying to figure out what exactly happened and why in this scene, and I just can’t. Even as I’m writing about it, it feels like a tangled mess I can’t make any sense of. And yes, it might be a me-problem, but in this case, please someone explain this to me like I was 5.

The scene of Hiromatsu’s death just feels disjointed and out of place, more and more so as I’m thinking about it. It ultimately doesn’t go anywhere and doesn’t achieve anything from a narrative standpoint except giving Tora some more trauma; which trauma is not even getting addressed in any way, shape or form! So why? Maybe it can be argued that it sells a false picture of a defeated and on the verge of insanity Tora, but a killing spree among his vassals (and getting rid of the traitors in the same time) would’ve achieved the same, or even more, so my question still stands: why?

Ultimately, I think that whoever fucking idiot came up with the idea of this change didn’t have a goddamn fucking clue how stories work or how to adapt a change appropriately, and there was another fucking idiot (or more than one of them) who enabled it without thinking it over even for a bit. And it’s all the more baffling that they had eight(!!!) writers for the first season, and not one of them said “wait a minute, something doesn’t add up here”? Really?

Way to convince me you can write two more seasons for this shitshow, guys.

[practically-an-x-man]

2, 5, 13, 17, 25 for Star Wars?

Thank you!

Salty Ask List

2. Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?*

Rose/Finn. Maybe it would be different if they actually followed through with it in the movies (or followed through with any of the pairings they tried to set up with Finn, really), but I'm more of a FinnPoe fan anyway and even in the movies I just saw him and Rose as a close but platonic bond.

5. Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?*

Honestly... Reylo. I didn't particularly like the ship to begin with, but I was definitely neutral about it. Didn't like it, didn't hate it, honestly didn't think about it too much. But with the whole fandom situation around it, with some people vehemently defending it and others abhorring it, it just soured whatever neutral opinion I had at first and now the whole thing is just gross to me.

13. Unpopular opinion about XXX character?

You didn't specify a character so... this is probably evident from all my writing in the Star Wars fandom, but I think Hux had so much lost potential as a character. I mean, the books give him so much backstory that could have been really well-utilized (bastard child, abusive father, raised into military success, etc.) and then just... wasn't brought up- I mean, hell- they don't even say his first name in any of the movies! And I think the whole spy plotline was arguably a better setup for a redemption arc than Kylo Ren's was (since it couldn't be excused by the Force or romance, if he wanted redemption he'd have to genuinely work for it and it could've been such a good premise), not to mention Domhnall Gleeson is an incredibly skilled actor who could have done so much with the character if they'd actually gone into that deeper backstory and difficult choices...

This is getting long. Point being, I think they created a lot of genuinely interesting characters at the start of the franchise, and every single one of them began to trickle off as the writing got worse, but I think Hux is one of the characters that flies under the radar in that regard.

17. Instead of XYZ happening, I would have made ABC happen…

I mean, most of Bolts and Blasters is literally my fix-it/rewrite of the Rise of Skywalker movie, so that's a pretty good example of what I'd change and how I'd change it. I'd like to think I did a pretty decent job with it.

25. How would you end XXX/Would you change the ending of XXX?

See above ^

[niffala]

As I Lay Dying

Pairing: Eddie Munson / Steve Harrington

Summary: Another day, another flower added to my grave, but I still love him just the same. 

Warnings: angst, pining, unrequited love, Hanahaki Disease, implied character death

A/N: Short and bittersweet. Written in 1st person. No stealing, no reposts, no translations, no feeding to AIs. Comments, reblogs and likes are always welcome and appreciated. 

Main Masterlist   

I wish I could tell him how much he meant to me. Confess what I held so close to my chest. How much I lived for his smile. How every time our eyes met my world stopped. How much it pained me that he always looked away first, shame marring his perfect face. How our almost kiss still made my lips tingle. How life seemed pointless without him around.

How I'd get down on my knees to beg him to come back. 

He was like the stars, to be adored, but never touched. Maybe if I'd only tried harder. If I kept reaching, raising my hands to the sky and hoping. Dreaming. Stretching myself into an impossible shape just for the chance to see love in his eyes when he looked back at me.

It was a foolish wish. Each time he looked away, I was reminded of it. Of a love I could never voice. A yearning so great it manifested into something terrible, tangible… deadly.

I remember the first petal. We were hanging out with friends when he sat next to me, hand brushing against my own. He commented on how cold I was. Then he covered my hand with his warmer one. Leaving it there for what felt like hours, but were probably minutes. My soul soared to the cosmos… until he let go. Dropping me as soon as he saw her walk in. 

Seeing them together made my heart tighten, my stomach twist and my lungs burn impossibly hot. I began coughing uncontrollably, excusing myself to the bathroom. Sucking water from the tap, trying to clear my airway. When the spasms stopped, I found a solitary petal in the sink. It had a deep purple hue, almost black in color. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I know now I should have. 

It happened again, then again, and again. Each time there were more petals, until I began throwing up whole flowers. Most of which I didn't have a name for. The colors though; Midnight blue, indigo, amethyst, burgundy, crimson, onyx. Always different, always dark. Rich and remarkable.

There was a name for this; Hanahaki Disease. A condition that took one of the worst feelings in the world and made it equally gentle and violent. Added beauty to the pain. Yes it will kill you, but look at the pretty flowers. Look what love creates even when it isn't returned. A miracle and a tragedy rolled into one. Yeah, I guess that summed up love pretty well.

I feel the hot trail of tears slide down my face as another wave of coughing hits, expelling a large flower into my hand. Even with blood staining it, I still find it beautiful. I treasured my destruction. Keeping each one so my room now overflowed with them.

I set down the blossom, resigned to my fate. I could try to save myself. Get to the hospital and have them rip it out by the roots. Suck out the poison. Erase this devastating love.

No!

I could never do that. I'd rather spend my last moments thinking about him. Letting this love choke the life out of me. My body would be found surrounded with the gorgeous blooms. Their perfume masking my decay. A heartbreakingly perfect garden. 

Would he finally see me?

Would he know it was for him? 

Would he care? 

Or would he pluck a flower from my broken chest and give it to her?

My breath stutters, struggling for just a few more minutes. Living for the images in my head. Holding onto and replaying the memories that created every soft lethal petal.

I hope to be buried with them all. They are evidence my love was real. That there was a reason for all of this and it was beautiful. 

More than anything, I hope he knows I never regretted a single moment. 

He was worth it.

The End

A/N: A special thank you to everyone that has read this. I appreciate you all and I’d love to know your thoughts.

[deceptive-daydreams]

Ok, I'm finished with work, I'm here! 🤣 I did read this before my shift but was waiting to do a proper response till now. It was super early and it was thundering and lightning and raining real hard outside and it was the perfect setting for reading this chapter ⛈️

The flashbacks! The way you wrote her pain was so real. Particularly her feeling paralyzed by it, both of them shells of who she thought they were. Her describing him as home, that was gut wrenching. I was hurting reading it. And then the sugar analogy, he really is gritty but sweet. this whole paragraph was my favourite part I think. You've created such good imagery, it's fantastic.

And then they get mean. I liked that she clapped back though. I've seen mean Eddie fics before and sometimes reader is kinda meek and just takes it (no shade at all, I would 200% be like this in real life) but roadkill does not. The line 'you had no intention of entertaining a conversation with someone who never had your best interest in mind' hit hard. People need to bear this in mind more often (definitely not me 👀) it's inspiring. but he really does try and that part where they're admitting they like eachother but it's all wrong because it's too late. This was 'stick a fork in my heart and just pluck it out beat it to death' angst. Just amazing writing. It's like they're breaking up and they weren't even together.

The self fulfilling prophecy situation Eddie's created for himself was hard. He's convinced he doesn't deserve love and fucks up every good thing in his life, and he makes it so. Isn't mature enough at the time so see it doesn't have to be that way, that he could make better choices. And so the kitchen scene at the end proves it. Poor roadkill. Proves that then was not the right time for them. He needed to get to the present day point to realise that he can make better choices, and he does 🖤

And now they're trapped together! And a totally different kind of trapped than just working together. Forced proximity within forced proximity. Very clever, see what you did there! I love that he's such a rock for her in her distress. And his thoughts on if she were his, how she never would be, how he's somehow fallen even harder. Stop iiiit you're killing me 😭 although this undoubtedly confirms he's got zero going on emotionally with Steve, and he even tells her that! Fist bumping the air at that! Their whole conversion after this was amazing. He's being so honest and she's clinging onto this shitty version of him she's gotten comfortable with because she's stubborn. and seems very good at holding a grudge and I relate to this so much. You have no idea. 'Don't mess me up with your niceness when I'm not used to it, I don't like change' kinda deal. The dialogue was so good here, the direction it goes. She's laying it out how awful it was and telling him how it's affected her dating in particular all this time and his reaction is perfect, it's a great take on misogyny and how that situation would have been terrifying and he understands that now. They were barking. Gross. But they end the conversation on good terms! Not forgiveness, but a ceasefire maybe? I can just see them attempting a friendship and it getting harder for him to hide how gone he is on her 🖤

p.s. them picturing touching eachothers noses the exact same way! I'm scrrreaming 😍 they're gonna be so in love and I can't wait.

Why you were ever scared to post this absolute masterpiece of a character study I'll never know. I loved it. But I guess you can tell that by now 🫣

🖤🖤

ILY IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY TO GET YOUR ASKS AFTER EVERY CHAPTER 😭

ugh yes that is such a fitting setting like just really setting the mood right there

IM SO HAPPY YOU LOVED THE SUGAR ANALOGY THAT WAS LIKE MY FAVORITE ugh I think that may be my favorite paragraph too 🥹

Yeah I found it really important for her not to hold back or excuse any of his behavior (even tho I’m totally the opposite idk like I’m so shy I would be like ok) UGH YES it feels like a huge breakup but there was never a relationship to begin with so in a way it’s more achey :(

I LOVE forced proximity, ik it’s been done so often but that’s because it’s so good like it just makes you yearn for them so to then double it is like YES NOW YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR DEMONS OUT WITH EACH OTHER HAHA

I’m so glad the take on misogyny landed well

you have no idea how excited I am for them to stop being idiots and just kiss BUT WE ARENT THERE YET

I WAS SO PROUD OF THE NOSE TOUCHING PARALLEL like it’s so simple but it makes you feel their yearning even if they don’t quite realize it yet SO IM GLAD YOU LIKED THAT PART 🥹

thank you thank you thank you I cannot thank you enough for your support on this fic I adore all of your feedback 😭🥹💜💜💜💜

[castlebyersafterdark]

Okay so after seeing the play today, I can see where the Henry stans are coming from about Henry potentially being gay. I do wonder if I would have seen it if I wasn't looking for it, because on the surface, Patty and Henry are ostensibly in a romantic relationship together and it's clear they had a close bond. But there are certain things that go, "Okay, if this was meant to be queer subtext, I can see it."

There's a line where Patty literally says, “I like the gay ones best” which could be a wink wink at the audience, an iykyk. At the same time, it’s also possible that’s just a random line and Creelby was intended to be genuinely straight-forward and romantic. But then again, the same thing can be said about M11 too. The play plays around a lot with the idea of it being “normal” to date a girl, which sounds a lot like Mike’s whole deal. If Henry’s meant to be gay, it’s definitely not the focus of the story. But it’s definitely a potential reading of it?

At the very least, the Henry in the play comes across as heavily neurodivergent and most likely autistic. He's clearly in a great deal of suffering, from both the Shadow and society not understanding him. He's a "weirdo." | can see now why people empathize with him and even see themselves at him. That obviously doesn't excuse his evil actions as adult Vecna, nor is it an excuse to create completely nonsensical, non-canonical evil twins to try and absolve him. But it does make me think...

The potential queer coding of Henry is soooooo controversial but I feel like we can't ignore it!! There was enough to compare him to Will in season 4 that it was noticeable, even though Henry didn't do anything blatant but also - neither did Will in early seasons really, other than get called slurs. But a lot of us knew.

Sensitive, different, outcasts, artists. The comparisons were there. And we know Will is gay, and has been coded to be gay from the beginning. It wasn't hard to make that leap to thinking that maybe Henry had an undercurrent at least, which, in my opinion, was less for Henry to be some sort of "queer" rep character and more to foil and counterpart Will in the last season than anything else, hmmm.

Patty, Patty, Patty. I mean, it feels wrong to say the Henry-Patty relationship was entirely veneer, because I did like what I witnessed and they were genuinely, genuinely sweet in certain moments. Whatever it was - chemistry was present (more than Mike and El have ever had tbh). They had a connection.

However. Does that mean anything concrete for sure, for sure? We are Byler fans stricken with the Mileven conundrum, after all. Are we haters or are we hopefully mature enough to realize that Mike and El are meaningful to each other and although the romance was misguided due to society and youth, thought to be what they needed. But ultimately in the end, incompatible, something entered into in seeking "being normal," using each other for that as well as using supernatural ability for personal needs, etc, while still being truly genuine friends and people who care?

Regarding Henry and Patty, I am conflicted. They are not directly Mike and El not Mike and Will. They are definitely something different with comparisons to both.

I knowwwwww it was set in the 50s and the gay/happy thing is a thing - but in the context of being written for consumption and analysis by a modern audience when so much modern-ish humor, mannerisms, and phrasing was intermixed anachronistically with the era slang and comedy style... that was suspicious? It was a little jarring but I wonder if it really was just jarring for the happy/gay connotations. But, out of alllllll the lines, they highlighted those lines specifically in the whole Dark of the Moon script (I literally just discovered that's a real play and not something they made for TFS. Interesting. Gonna procure a copy of the script because it's soooooo weirdddddd from the bit I just read). "I like the gay ones best" is almost too on the nose hmm.

I agree, that I don't think we're meant to take away from the play much deeper implications of the Henry-Patty relationship, but that doesn't mean coding and reading between the lines isn't there a little, or at least relating to that kind of read? I think it's a totally valid interpretation that also doesn't take away from the Henry-Patty relationship at all. There are themes we can use to correlate to things in the tv show. Using a relationship to appear normal, no matter what that relationship means in the end, is certainly a big theme. For multiple couples.

Your last paragraph, ooooh the shade of it all!! But... cosigned...

[moplayspoke]

ARC review for Arcana Academy by Elise Kova

Review Score: 5/5

Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Miss Elise, excuse me, what have you done to me? I underestimated this book. And I mean, unfathomably and unequivocally underestimated this book.

If you want a true fantasy romance, this is it. If you're looking for mostly a romance with sprinkles of magic, look the other way. This has a good balance of both with quite a bit of action, adventure and mystery thrown in the mix. Shocking twists, high stakes that will keep you on edge and tension that could cut you just as easily as a chef's knife.

Clara is a complex character whom is no stranger to tragedy nor betrayal, tossed into a dystopian world where a tarot magic system is used by the nobility and the gifted. Her history defines her future in her quest for both survival and triumph and her drive for justice pushes her through, riding the coattails of her own luck.

And as for the love interest? Ohhhh he had me from his introduction. Take a drink mixer and toss in a bit of the Darkling in there, maybe a bit of Rhysand and pepper it up with Ravyn Yew from One Dark Window. And some of his lines had me swooning when I least expected it.

It's not instalove between them, there is a bit of a slow burning romance kindling throughout the story but don't expect a typical love story with these two.

Other than Clara and her love interest, I do think I would have enjoyed just a bit more from all of them just to share a deeper connection. I felt like there were times when I felt like I was on the cusp with empathizing with some of them but I would have liked the full spectrum of emotion when experiencing their specific plights or happiness.

The magic system here is completely different from anything else I have read so far as well as incredibly intricate and thorough. The detail put into how magic works, how various cards are created and used, etc. could very well be their own separate book. If you're familiar with the various major and minor arcana from tarot and divination, this may make the story an even more enjoyable experience. There are a LOT of references used for it.

As for the plot itself, I really had no idea what was going to come. I had my suspicions for certain turns of events but I would always end up bamboozled by the end of it. Incredible. This was set up very well and I feel like the pacing benefited from it as well.

As a whole, wow. When I finished this I had to spend about 15 minutes staring at my ceiling, just absorbing everything while, trying to remember the Earth still tilts on the same axis. This is by no means a perfect story but it's perfect for me and readers like me.

[austencollins]

eh fuck it impromptu last minute new years resolution/daily project: since i gotta read the free chapter on kodansha's site daily to get coins to unlock ship of theseus anyway, why not write a mini-review of each chapter.

anyway, first up is Commander-In-Chief of the Magic Guild!: A Second Chance at School Life, which is yet another isekai-revenge fantasy. (Well, technically it's reincarnation, not isekai; but it's all of the same cloth.)

The first chapter is mostly set-up: here's our OP protagonist Cedric, here's the scheming craven self-centered elites who cause his downfall, now here's a magic school exclusively populated by sadistic aristocratic bullies & kiss-asses. It's generic, boring, and spends way too much time expositing about ranking and points systems and other tournament arc bullshit -- which is true for a lot of these kinda manga. Unlike the last handful of isekai/revenge stories Kodanshi threw at me, however, Second Chance's first chapter didn't contain egregiously high levels of T&A waifu harem fanservice bullshit.* I found that a nice change of pace! Unfortunately that's because Second Chance is sexist in the "oops i forgor women exist" kind of way.

*In a just world, the female character shown conspiring to kill old man Cedric off who would count as egregiously gratuitous because of her demon-themed bikini costume; but unfortunately simply including one such character in a few panels, where she's not the focal point, is what passes for restrained in shonen/seinen manga.)

Chapter 2 does introduce a token female character to Cedric's supporting cast, but she's mostly there to provide exposition and help Cedric beat the unlikable friendless incel allegations. Unfortunately nothing can help her or Cedric or anyone else in this manga beat the boring allegations, which is an infinitely worse thing to be if you're a fictional character. It would be one thing if the manga actually criticized Cedric as a person, instead of treating his OP magic/combat skills a reflection of his worth as a person. But even though Cedric's arrogant, demanding, judgemental personality literally gets him killed by a conspiracy of folks who simply do not believe he can lead humanity to victory without major losses; Cedric's arrogance & uncommunicativeness are not treated as fatal flaws. Instead, the narrative reassures us that Cedric had a backup plan: reincarnation! Which will coincidentally make him even stronger than he already is.

But we're not encouraged to wonder if maybe this means Cedric didn't fight hard enough to prevent his betrayal and murder, because being murdered gave him an excuse to transform himself into a younger man with more opportunities & potential -- even though that would be a very interesting angle on the character -- because this power fantasy is as much about being righteous as it is about being powerful. That leaves Cedric's OG old man body being his most distinctive trait... and then he reincarnates into a generic anime guy protagonist body, which is super disappointing.

Meanwhile, the body Cedric takes over is clearly a different person, who effectively killed himself, but that kid's plight is basically only important to the narrative insofar as it reassures the reader that Cedric's antagonists at the magic academy deserve to lose badly, creates narrative obstacles for Cedric to overcome, and lets everyone ooh and ahh over how changed and different "Alphred" has become. Using the contrast between the bullied dead kid Alphred to glaze the adult-in-a-kids-body Cedric feels extra fucked up because the whole reason the OG Alphred killed himself is because everyone started bullying him after his dad abandoned him due to Alphred's lack of magical power.

And Alfred should be interesting, from a narrative standpoint: canonically he has a fucked up evil dad, was once high up on the social ladder at L'Academie De Sadistic Snobs, didn't notice that his bestie was being paid to hang out with him (and secretly resented him), and ultimately decided to deal with being bullied relentlessly by sacrificing himself in an effort to summon a demon into his body, so the demon would rain hell down on the kid's tormentors. That kid should not be coming across as someone who's a bland wet rag generic mcselfinsert! He ought to be weird!! And so should Cedric.

If either Cedric or Alphred had a bit more characterization (instead of being constrained by the narrative's need to make Cedric seem righteous and infallible), then it wouldn't matter so much that Cedric is OP, or that the battles are too talky and visually meh. And maybe this story could say something about the interactions between individual strength and willpower and social hierarchies. But nothing here innovates or improves on or adds anything new that other stories aren't already doing. Like, I really do appreciate the (relative) lack of big titty waifu fetish content; but there's no stakes, no emotional hook, and no genuinely weird or original twists on this stale old revenge fantasy.

Did I Read Past Chapter One: Yeah, mainly to confirm that there was going to be a token female character (who I expect will do nothing of note for the entire story) and that said female character was going to be made redundant & sidelined asap by the addition of a male sidekick-slash-flunkie with actual combat/magic skills.

Would I Pay Money For This: FUCK no. It's boring.

Also, Kodansha's manga reader frequently cuts off the bottom of the page, which is annoying af and also completely fucking baffling given that making it possible to read this shit online is the one entire job of an digitial manga reading app/site!!!

Final Thoughts?: I miss when shojo and josei manga were the genres known for writing over the top bullying, scheming & revenge plotlines. I don't think Sae from Peach Girl would've stopped at slapping and kicking if she had the ability to cast fireball and explicit permission from authorities to do whatever the fuck she wanted to lower ranked students like the boys in this manga did.

Also something about the use of the word 'fodder' gave me the ick.

In Conclusion: