#and then the personal life element - the last thing he needs. in my opinion. is to bring even more attention to it

[82mitsu]

Previously translated pair names that had been posted to Twitter. However corrections had to be made (misinterpretations & an instance of mistranslation), so this is version 2.

Note: This is the only translated thing I will be posting, I am not off hiatus. I had been meaning to archive this before my hiatus, but I also had to fix some things, which is why there was a delay.

Please consult to this post only regarding pair name translations done by me (82mitsu), any other posts or reposts you might see of this chart is the older version. (Previous version has been deleted, but I'm unaware how far the information had spread.)

If any other corrections need to be made, feel free to contact me and I'll make them as soon as possible.

Below follows an extreme lengthy TL note breaking down some pair names, it's a lot of text, so be warned once you unfold the read more.

A lot of research went into these due to 18TRIPs tendency to mix up words, use Gen-Z slang that hasn’t been picked up by everyone yet (or limited to TikTok) and make up their own words (“Omotenashisto” -> “Hospitalister”). I used dictionaries, searched forum results, looked up how people use these words on social media, went TikTok digging, etc.

I tried my best to localize in a way that should make sense even without added context. I only explained the ones that I thought might needed some more back-up in a cultural sense or because it was a specific JPN thing. Thus, not everything has been explained. However, I hope things are clearer compared to the first version that was posted. For Renga & Yukikaze: For ぽゆぽゆ (poyupoyu) there is no definition or anything for this word, but from context clues and digging through how people used it, I deduced that it means something soft and squishy like a plushie or cheeks, so to say. For Renga & Liguang: かりそめの宿縁 (karisome no shukuen) is a Japanese saying about a fated connection of bond that only lasts for a brief moment, but leaves a deep impact on your life. For Renga & Raito: Party is mispelled in the katakana as “paachii” and not the usual “paatii”. Renga has a tendecy to say English words wrong. While “friends” is spelled the correct way, both words have been “mispelled” to drive the point home. For Renga & Kinari: なぁぜなぁぜ (naaze, naaze) is JPN Gen-Z slang from Tiktok. It’s a statement made as an act for complaining, with a bit of sarcasm and irony thrown in at times. Like, “I said I wanna diet but I ate a big meal anyway! なぁぜなぁぜ” or “I’m an idol but I get more anxious doing improv than performances! なぁぜなぁぜ”. Best way I can describe the usage in this context is Renga is throwing a bit of a self-aware tantrum as to why Kinari would correct him. (As mentioned earlier, he isn’t good at English). I guessed a close equivalent would be “nuh-uh”, since that is a dismissal of someone else’s opinion without actual good reason, even if the other person has a point. For Renga & Netaro: まんまん (manman) means “a lot” but I also believe it’s a reference to meatbuns (nikuman). For Kafka & Yodaka: Hanbei is Takenaka Shigeharu, a Japanese samurai from the Sengoku era. He was known for being Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s strategist. For Liguang & Yodaka: 闘牌伝 (touhaiden) is related to Mahjong stuff. 闘牌伝 seems to be an old timey Mahjong video game with RPG elements. Rekka is a fighting game term, and I will quote the website The Fighting Game Glossary by Infil on this: “A type of special move that has multiple stages, as long as you input more commands to continue the sequence. Not all multi-part specials can be called rekkas though; a rekka tends to have exactly three distinct parts and will move your character forward along the ground with each new input.”  For Akuta & Nanaki: They went to the same kindergarten and were grouped together in the “Oden Class”. Japanese kindergartens, from my understanding from researching, tend to have a name for their class, rather than a number. To give an idea what such names could be, in 2019 the website hyenasclubs hosted a poll of most commonly used names for classes, and the top 3 were “baby chick” (hiyoko), “peach” (momo) and “dandelion” (tanpopo). For Akuta & Muneuji: My take on はっけよい輝矢部屋 (hakkeyoi kaguya heya) is a bit of an elaborate bit joking with Princess Kaguya of the Moon (from Tale of the Bamboo Cutter) because I was wondering why they suddenly opted for Muneuji’s last name instead of first. (I might’ve also just overestimated Kaguya Heya being some joke on Kaguya Hime). Hakkeyoi is what a referee shouts at the start of a sumo wrestling match. For Akuta & Ushio: I think ポジティブに腕押し (positive ni ude oshi) is a take on 暖簾に腕押し (noren ni ude oshi) that means something has no effect or is pointless. Lit. it means “pushing a curtain with one's arm”.    For Akuta & Tao: Akuta Nine is a joke on the baseball movie Gyakkyo Nine which is an adaptation of the manga of the same series, I believe. The movie is referred to as GK9, hence I made it AKT9.  For Akuta & Ryui: The original is OYAxKOBU which comes from 親分子分 (oyabunkobun) meaning “boss and his underlings”. Akuta also calls Ryui by “Oyabun”.

For Kiroku & Nanaki: Weebs who watch highschool anime should be familiar with this, but emergency staircase refers to the hallway stairs in a JPN highschool that are sometimes used as chilling out spots by students. For Kiroku & Chihiro: TuRyStA is the clothing brand they wear. 18TRIP has a various selection of clothing brands, which each character having a preference for one or another. For Kiroku & Yodaka: Zhao Yun, as quoted by Wikipedia, “was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China.” For Ushio & Raito: Some heavy freedom was taken with バスボムしゅわリスト (basubamu shuwaristo). After considering how to approach it in the most sensical way, I decided to translate it as “bubblist” due the other options being “hand sign list” or “bubble list”. I thought リスト might function as in -ist, like dentist, artist, guitarist. しゅわ comes from しゅわしゅわ which means bubbly. Although bubblist isn’t not that common, it is sometimes referred to entertainers that do bubble performances (in English). And I think it made more sense than “hand sign list” or “bubble list” to say the least. This was also taking in consideration how 18TRIP, as explained in the intro, gets very creative with its language usage. For Raito & Nagi: Mandarin ducks symbolize “soulmates” of some kind in China. In other words, Mandarin Duck Touring is more along the lines of “Motorcycle touring soulmates”. However, I find the mandarin duck reference and interesting pull compared to just “soulmates”, so it was kept as is. For Kinari & Ryui: “Super Darling Gap Inspection” is more along the original lines. “Gap” in Japanese is usually used in the context of when someone acts one way, but unexpectedly, can act a different way. Ex. A very shy person shows they can be super vulgar, that can be considered a “gap” of some kind. In English, people are more familiar with “gap moe”, thus gap moe was used. For Tao & Nagi: Might be a reference to Yokohama’s Zo-no-hana (Elephant Nose) Park. For Toi & Yodaka: The original is more along the lines of, in the most literal sense, “going around raisins circle (of friends).” Toi likes raisins, but Yodaka doesn’t, so Yodaka passes them onto Toi. I’ve turned into on a play on “sharing is caring” since that’s a common concept in English.

[jupiter-letters]

Dating Barry Allen would include:

Fem!Reader or GN!Reader TW: Mild Mental Health topics(Anxiety) No panic attacks depicted.

A/N: I've never really been a flash girl but tomorrowverse barry had me in my feelings. I did have a dream he wanted to date me really bad but I was like nah man I'm a superman girlie till I die. I tried my best with this one I hope it's alright!

Barry Allen, Mr.Loverboy himself. The man that you are. He's trying his best at all times. Despite being the fastest man alive he can't be everywhere at once. It'd be nice to be on a date with you and also stop criminals.

World's best gopher, you need something? He's on it! You forgot to get milk? Check the fridge. Your heater broke? Here's a new one! Sometimes he'll just drop off flowers or candies while you're at work. He'll leave them on your desk or in your locker with a little love note.

He loves to hype you up as much as possible, but he'll get really shy when you compliment him back.

Barry will bring home new recipes from all over the world to cook with you. It's one of his favorite things to do together, standing next to each other while preparing a meal. It's so simple yet so domestic. It's the little things that really get him emotional.

Sometimes he'll prank you, he'll tap you on the shoulder and bolt out of the room before you turn to look. He'll even move things around while you're cooking or working at your desk. You'll confront him and he'll just smile like this 😁

He'll use his speed to give you kisses, if he sees you while he's out on patrol. You'll be minding your own business and feel lips on yours. He might even leave a little flower in your hand.

Moving in together! He daydreams about that so often, you have to snap him out of it. He dreams of putting a table from IKEA together for you. For a big moment like this he doesn't put everything together super fast, he wants this to last. Seeing your home slowly come together brings him such joy and the best part is when it's all done. You both get to cuddle on YOUR couch, watching YOUR TV.

Dating him you guys become the same person, nothing is really "mine" or "yours" it's "ours" or "we". You guys are on the same page alot so when you're on missions on or not he'll say it. "Batman WE think we should go ahead and stop the meeting at the warehouse. "WE don't think it's a good idea." "OUR plan is much more productive." The rest of league is sick of you guys😭

There are some days his anxiety gets the best of him and he's glad you're there to calm the storm. He worries and gets into his head alot, Barry will want to call you and share these thoughts. It's helpful to him to get a trusted second opinion from the most important person in his life.

During the winter he'll put your hand in his coat pocket while walking down the street. Once you find your way into a nice warm cafe, he'll take your hands and caress them to warm them up some more. He'll just protect you from the elements in general, on a hot summer day he'll give you his baseball cap or just fan you off real fast. In the fall he likes to see you in your scarf under the red and orange leaves of central city park.

Thanks for reading! Lemme know what you think. Please like or reblog if you like my stuff.

[arschbiene]

Idk if someone ask this to you before but do you think gilbert is albino?

Unpopular opinion, but I do not HC him as Albino. Cut for length.

Albinism is more than coloring in human beings, it comes with a host of other complications such as eye issues and skin vulnerabilities. While people with Albinism are typically healthy and live normal lives, I think we all know that warfare means you are out in the sun and elements and I just think that would be very difficult for someone with Albinism and make him particularly vulnerable, so if you're gonna do it, I think that good representation is realistic representation and these challenges should be woven into the fabric of his character.

Petty, but one of my pet peeves is having to reading excessive epithets in fanfic and 'The Albino' has become a kneejerk for me. I think it's a sign of writing that needs to mature and grow and often can be an instant backspace for me. The main reason is that I do not think that people should be pared down to their disabilities, I find it robs people of their personhood. I feel the same way of things like "The dwarf/little person", "The amputee" etc. Someone's condition or appearance really ought not to be the choice when we need an epithet. If you find you are heavily using epithets in your fanfic, you may need to work on the fluidity of your style to avoid over-use/over-reliance.

I have worked over 7 years with the disabled and mentally ill community and I think there needs to be more understanding of how to approach disabilities with sensitivity and awareness. If you really want to lean into the albinism head canon you need to do your research, including hearing out voices of those in the community and learn about the objectification/romanticization of disability and educate yourself on biases and pitfalls you have. Of the top of my head, Stella Young has a lot of ted talks jumping into the issue that you can use as a spring board.

Last but not least, I don't think due to recent coloring shifts from himaruya that was his intentions, he has gotten more gray/ashy blonde in official art work and his eyes are losing their red hue with the introduction of a blue splash he has been favoring recently. We haven't seen official colored piece from himaruya in a hot minute and he is so inconsistent in general with hair colors and eye colors so I do not think it's confirmed canon at all. I do think his looks are striking/unusual as he references it one time in the canon strips that he'd be recognizable due to his appearance while pointing at his eyes/face but yeah! It's up to interpretation until otherwise indicated.

I personally just do not see him that way but like I always say, the fun part of hetalia is that no one is right and wrong. My only point is that if you do it, make sure you are coming from a place of knowledge! But in general otherwise, do what you want, life is short <3

[nix-moon]

✮⋆˙✮ V𝔦𝔯𝔢𝔫'𝔰 𝔳𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞𝔦𝔫 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔯𝔢𝔡𝔢𝔪𝔭𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔞𝔯𝔠𝔥 ✮⋆˙✮

(𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕙𝕪 𝕀 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕚𝕥 𝕤𝕠 𝕞𝕦𝕔𝕙)

SEASON 6 SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️📢🚨

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I'll start by saying that this is my personal analysis based on nothing more than my own experience watching "The Dragon Prince". Anyway, long text ahead!

•°•°•°•°• ☆ °•°•°•°•°• ☆ °•°•°•°•°•

I really like how Viren's story was built throughout The Dragon Prince/Mystery of Aaravos. I enjoy villain narratives that bring some elements which, in my opinion, give the character development a little bit more of a "real humanity" you know?

Like for example, a character that makes mistakes, regrets them, and then go and do something totally apposed to their beliefs, take hypocritical actions, such as humans do all the time! I love when the idea of a perfect character falls apart, showing contradiction.

I think TDP brings that to the table all the time buuut talking about Viren I think it makes total sense that he used dark magic again after giving it up on previous seasons, exactly because of contradiction in actions, because things change and so does the circumstances and his whole beliefs/regrets.

Another thing, and this might be totally MY gone-too-far analysis, I feel like there's a lot of attention to detail and symbolism in Viren's relation with dark magic, which is basically, you know, the main "element" that makes him a villain somehow. Whether this was on purpose or not, I'd like to point out some of my observations towards this:

𓏲⋆ ִֶָ ๋𓂃 ⋆ Dark Magic and Viren's ascension and fall ᯓ★

Viren's plot started and ended with dark magic. As his "villain era" started when he used it to cure Soren, as shown on season 6, he also died from its use. TWICE if you think about it, because the turning of events in previous seasons were mostly led, in my opinion, by the fact that Viren, being someone very ambitious (thinking that he would to anything to get what he wants, either the cure of his son or power) found in dark magic the instrument he needed to materialize his desires.

𓏲⋆ ִֶָ ๋𓂃⋆ Someone who was served, someone who claims to be a server ᯓ★

Before dying, king Harrow "humbled" Viren by pointing out his place as a servent of Katolis, which wasn't taken so seriously by the High Mage at that time. In my opinion, we was already taken by the idea of getting almost everything he wanted from dark magic, or, being served, since magic creatures were literally serving to his purposes. As his journey continues in the "after-resurrection" times and he starts to be more reflexive, he comes to a point where he, himself, goes back to the place he sort of turned his back to (Katolis) claiming not mercy, not forgiveness, but that he is a servent of that kingdom. ~CHILLS~. This is one of my favorite moments by far! It shows to me a true redemption, where the character isn't looking to a scenario of "feeling better" about the things he did and regretted, he is actually assuming the weight of his mistakes and willing to pay the price.

I understand that people wanted some sort of reconciliation between him and Soren, or some kind of gathering with Claudia, but I like the way things went in the story by far. I'm glad Soren didn't get that letter, because to me it brought even more real-life aspects to the narrative: where you may not be ready to say some things and back up, where there's angst, where forgiveness is so hard to achieve when someone you love takes a path that hurts you so bad! Soren goes to see Viren on the dungeons, and then doesn't want it anymore, he is fighting contradictions of feelings he doesn't even know how to name - is there something more human than that? Being confused and wanting to do AND not do something at the same time?

𓏲⋆ ִֶָ ๋𓂃 ⋆ The heart: corruption and salvation ᯓ★

The last topic leads me to this one: the heart. During the series, we constantly see the narrative of the "corruption by dark magic", the "it will consume you inside", and at some point the heart is used as the main corrupted "element", let's say, which is already symbolic enough for me to think about. BUT WAIT!

Not only Viren was corrupted by dark magic, which means his heart was taken, but it was his heart that "saved" Katolis. That old heart, broken by the idea of losing his child, broken by his wife reaction to his use of dark magic, and then consumed by it, stopped by it more than once, who was used in a spell made not anymore by the High Mage Viren, but by the humbled servent of the kingdom.

And more: Soren wanted him to take his heart. In his place, Viren decided to take his own, even though he had to use dark magic again, even if he would die doing it.

This is why it makes sense to me he did it again. This time, he wasn't doing it for him, he was doing it for his son, like he did before. In the beginning, he used dark magic to save his son, and in his last moments, he did it for his son once again, and the way this was so beautifully built trough the narrative makes me actually feel butterflies in my stomach and scream cry throw up.

I love this FUCKING show so much.

∘₊✧────────────────────────✧₊∘

That was my super-freaky-super-long analysis of a fictional character. If you read all of this... Go get a life. JK, I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think! ᯓ★

[in-g-major]

ATLA Unpacked: Kataang is Reactive, not Constructive (Part 1)

In my last rewatch of ATLA, I came to a conclusion about something that's bothered me since I first watched the finale in 2008. After *the kiss* which closes out the entire show, I've been of the opinion that Kataang was an absolute failure, on multiple levels. Over the years I've held that position through multiple rewatches and the perspectives of many other intelligent, passionate fans. However, why it fails is something I've thought more deeply about over the years. There are the implications of a romance with a very lopsided balance of emotional labor, and issues of one party's consent (Katara's) being violated without an apology. Those are serious problems and valid criticisms, but here I'm going to be examining how Kataang fails because of its position within ATLA's story. As a disclaimer, I am not invoking Zutara in this analysis. For most of my time as an ATLA fan I abstained from the shipping wars beyond an occasional comment, and I only became pro-Zutara within the last year after taking on the responsibility of writing about these characters again. Alright, here goes! Reactive vs Constructive? When I say Kataang is a reactive force, I mean that it disturbs the flow and direction of the narrative (the implicit and explicit messages a story is projecting to the audience) by contradicting and clashing with other things we're presented with. A constructive force, on the other hand, is something which shapes the narrative towards an internally sound and satisfying conclusion. To explain what I mean, I'll be going through the show in episode order. No Kataang in sight yet (B1:E1 - B1:E13) A commonly cited argument in favor of Kataang is that it was part of ATLA from the beginning and the show was building towards it all along. This argument doesn't hold up simply because of how many episodes go by before there are any implications of romantic interest between Aang and Katara. The closest thing to romantic subtext is the way Katara appears to Aang after she frees him from the iceberg. (B1:E1)

By itself this doesn't suggest anything particularly romantic, especially since Katara is the first person Aang sees after a very traumatic experience. Later on he tells Appa "I liked her too" (B1:E2), but that's pretty nonspecific. After this we get exactly zero text or subtext until we're over two-thirds of the way into Book 1. Now a romance between two characters doesn't have to be developed from the very beginning of the story to make sense. However, things get messier for Kataang from here, so hold on tight. The Dashing, Dark-Haired Boys in Katara's life (B1:E6 - B1:E10) In my last rewatch I really took notice of how we see Katara's dynamics with no less than THREE dark-haired boys her age or older in the span of five episodes. First, there's Haru (B1:E6), with whom she builds a very sweet friendship that has some romantic possibilities. They bond over the struggles of losing their parents to the Fire Nation, and he's the first person who empathizes with her feelings about the death of her mother.

Katara: I lost my mother in a Fire Nation raid. This necklace is all I have left of her. Haru: It's not enough, is it? Katara: No. (Disclaimer: Harutara was my OG ATLA ship) Next, there's Zuko (B1:E9), at this point her enemy and the one who finds her mother's necklace after she loses it at the end of B1:E6. Their parallels so far have revolved around the longing they project onto Aang and learning to master their elements. Here, in their first one-on-one interaction, a further connection is established through Katara's mother's necklace. Exactly why this is significant for Zuko isn't clear yet, but it pays off wonderfully later on.

Zuko: Tell me where [Aang] is, and I won't hurt you or your brother. Katara: Go jump in the river! Zuko: Try to understand. I need to capture him to restore something I've lost: my honor. Perhaps in exchange, I can restore something you've lost. (That first image is the perfect snapshot of how hilariously awkward this exchange actually is. Zuko's only cool when he's not trying to be) Finally, there's Jet (B1:E10), Katara's first crush. She's wooed by his good looks and guerilla tactics against the Fire Nation, then spends most of the episode smitten with him. Jet empathizes with her mother's death when she brings it up, but he also tricks her into doing something she would never have agreed to with full knowledge of his plans. When she confronts him about it, he tries manipulating her with what she told him about her mother, and she truly turns on him when she thinks he's killed Sokka. It's the first time Katara has had her trust violated, and it's a painful experience.

Katara: Jet, why? Jet: Katara, you would too if you just stopped to think. Think about what the Fire Nation did to your mother. We can't let them do that to anyone else ever again. Katara: This isn't the answer! Jet: I want you to understand me, Katara. I thought your brother would understand, but... Katara: Where's Sokka?... I can't believe I trusted you. You lied to me! You're sick, and I trusted you!

(Just putting those images together had me slightly teary. Poor Katara.) What these character dynamics have in common is that they're all constructive. They contribute to Katara's story without contradicting each other. Her feelings and agency are clearly emphasized, and all three boys exist as their own independent characters while simultaneously being part of her journey. Keep that in mind as we venture into our first real Kataang episode. Related Meta & Additional Reading - Katara's Romantic Agency by starlight-bread-blog

[sigilmint]

RICHIE!! (for the character ask thing)

Richie Jerimovich 🥰

How I feel about this character

I have a soft spot for characters who are bitter, who push people away so they don't get hurt, who are so so sad inside but who disguise it with prickliness, who kinda see themselves as major fuck ups. Characters who you get a terrible first impression of, who you actively go 'eugh' when they're first introduced. Every time I encounter a character like that, I lean forward and start paying so much attention, because I know they are so fucking sad under all that. Richie was created for me in a lab.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

I do think that Richie is queer. I think his relationship with Mikey had an unrealized crush/obsession element to it on Richie's part, and him getting dragged further and further into Mikey's world is what lead to the dissolve of his marriage. I think Tiff realized at a certain point that she was never going to be what Mikey was, to Richie. And I think a lot of his pain comes from not understanding that, not realizing his feelings about Mikey were that intense, not being able to see the forest for the trees as it were.

So all that being said... I actually very much ship him with Carmy. The idea of them meeting each other as real adults after years apart (even though it's not been terribly long, they both went through significant life events since last they saw each other, at the start of the first season) and realizing that the other person isn't just some stupid kid/annoying friend of the family anymore... there's so much there. They build a real respect for each other, amid the yelling matches, and when they're on the same page, they are both so strong. They are front of house and back of house. They have so much complicated history and also they're starting from scratch. They both lost the most important person in the world to them. They need each other.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

My unpopular opinion about this character

Idk what the fandom missed when they watched this show but he and Carmen aren't actually cousins lmfao. I mentioned that ship irl to someone and they made SUCH a disgusted face at me. Childhood friends isn't family, and there's nothing wrong with kissing someone you've known since you were young. I'm honestly so confused how one of the most popular romance dynamics of all time got turned into like, 'pseudo-incest' or whatever like come on people!! It's fictional characters.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Can you imagine how tender and sweet and supportive a coming out episode would be on this show 🥹 Let the saddest man have a day where everyone showers him with love <3

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

Oh, hello!

It’s time to replace my original pinned post with a more permanent choice, so here’s the quick, updated scoop on what you can expect here:

I love all things Tolkien and looking at, thinking about, and talking about those things. So I will absolutely reblog your fan art of Thranduil draped across his throne in that sultry pose or like your fic about how Tuor came to love Voronwë as a brother on their long journey to Gondolin. But in my heart, I’ve always been a Rohan kind of girl. That’s where you’re going to find my interest most often drawn, and it’s what I write about almost exclusively (with the very occasional tangent into Haldir-related content, which I understand is totally inconsistent, but the heart wants what the heart wants!).

So, if you could talk about the Eorlingas for hours on end, if Éomer is the Middle Earth king of your dreams, if you find yourself unreasonably attached to minor characters like Háma and Elfhelm or have tons of opinions about how amazing Théodred is, if you’re personally invested in Karl Urban’s dimples …maybe we should be friends! And if you like those things, then maybe you’d get something out of my fics. Or not. Either way is fine!

Those fics are now collected in one place below, which I’ll try to keep updated. I make no claim that they are fine works of literature, but they make me happy and that’s their primary purpose. While they’re all consistent with each other and exist in my unified headcanon, they tend to be one shots based on some particular thing I was interested in–a specific plot point, an unanswered question, a desire to see a certain character grow/develop a certain way. Anyway, you get the idea. So thanks for being here, click through to the master list (such as it is) and FORTH EORLINGAS!

Rohan: (stories in rough in-universe chronological order)

Éomer-focused:

TFW Siblings Prompt: Éowyn is frustrated by Éomer’s attempt to protect her from Wormtongue.

Turning Points: Éomer is back from the war of the ring with a changed worldview and an intention to get married. Includes the first look at the character who becomes his wife.

A Vigilant Eye: A marital scene between Éomer and his wife, Mereliss, focused on Éomer’s stubborn need to never admit weakness. This is as spicy as any of my fics get, which is to say…only very mildly spicy.

A Need of the Soul: Éomer is teaching Faramir how to speak Rohirric as a surprise for Éowyn. Cute brotherly bonding moments, remembrances of Boromir and Théodred and lots of horse talk.

TFW Parent-Child Prompt: Éomer becomes a father for the first time and has lots of feelings about it.

TFW Extended Family Prompt: Éomer’s father in law, Elfhelm, realizes what he means to Éomer in light of the many losses Éomer has already experienced.

Nowhere Else: A look back at how Éomer met his wife, told from both sides of the meeting. Includes a look at several other sweet moments from over their years together.

Théodred and Éomer art by Valeria Salo

Théodred-focused:

TFW Cut Ties Prompt: Traces the unshakable bond forged by shared grief between Théodred and Éomer, enduring all the way to Théodred’s literal last words.

Into the Breach: My most comprehensive look at Théodred the person and his backstory, told in the few days leading up to his death. It's more or less my answer to the question of what Théodred was doing in/around major canon events from LOTR. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4.

Ties That Bind: A look at how Wormtongue’s manipulation of Théoden affected the larger royal family, as seen through Éomer’s experience when Théoden had him jailed. Théodred's fiancee is a key element of this fic, so I'm putting it with the other Théodred stories though he's not directly in it.

A Life Interrupted: Éomer reckoning with the death of Théodred. My original story with details of Théodred's life and my HC for him.

Háma-focused:

Háma art by @ rinthecap

Those Worth Fighting For: Family fluff of Háma being a sweet dad to his little girl while shielding her from the reality of the increasing danger posed by Isengard.

TFW Freeform Prompt: Háma and his wife struggle with how to protect their children from the increasing likelihood of war.

Not This Time: The discovery of Háma’s body after the battle of Helm’s Deep has major consequences.

Other Rohirrim:

TFW Ancestors Prompt: Théoden’s father, Thengel, returns from exile against his will to take up the throne in Rohan.

Unwary: The story of the deaths of Théodwyn and Éomund, the parents of Éomer and Éowyn.

Untitled intro piece about Guthláf: A short musing on what it means to Guthláf to be Théoden’s banner bearer.

Where Now the Horse and the Rider: The love story of Guthláf and Wídfara, trying to hold it together as the world falls apart around them. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. Part 8.

Untitled ficlet on Elfhild: A short intro to Théodred’s mother, who had a premonition she wasn’t going to survive his birth.

Lórien:

Three Weeks on the Nimrodel: Haldir meets his perfect match while posted for 3 weeks with a substitute marchwarden who understands and appreciates his natural reserve.

The Guardian: Haldir finds a lost and scared little human girl while on patrol in Lórien. Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. Epilogue.

[itsgirlcraft]

I just spent 2 hours trying to explain my RQ Roleswap AU for my last Stevetember post haha-

Buttttt ofc I rambled so much it got confusing yayyy

SO!! Here's the uncut version! I have simply Too Much Lore and Even More Time! I hadn't even gotten into how he found out abt the multiverse through Shattered Time or TFC's relation with the roleswap or the multiverse curse and the roleswap! There's So Much! (Pain. I will never be able to explain it all)

This AU is more or less about changing unrecognizably, healing, fate/repeating history, and loops. It all begins after Sabre has spent years alone with Origin, teaching him and growing together. Sabre had changed over the years - into his god form, with wings and animalistic legs and antlers upon which crystals grow. His first god form is mostly green and white. Technically, he has 3 god forms and 3 "mortal" forms.

Origin had started creating the Steves, and becoming an independent young man. Sabre knew he wouldn't need his guidance much longer, and he couldn't reveal his true identity to the first Steves. But he hoped, maybe, something may come along and take him away. The loop, age, something. Nothing came - he realized he had to do the leaving. He worked towards creating a portal, which would close behind him. Somewhere unknown.

He wound up in the RQ Roleswap timeline - in episode 32, aka the pig episode. So already partway through the first season. He retained all his memories - and so he knew what had to do. He had to change history, and change everyone's fate. Most importantly...Orange Steve's. He can't let this all fall down again. He had to unite them all, before bringing about any heroes. He had to support everyone, give everyone room to breathe, treat them all with the love they may not deserve, but that they need. He needed to greet the world with open arms.

Heh, Epic reference :>

Anyways, yeah. That's the basis of the AU - Sabre uses his memories/experience (and carefully constructed journals) to change fate and lead with love. He goes on to warn the Steves of the future, their fates, and their choice to follow it or not. Despite his new outlook on life, he knows he isn't perfect - his past haunts his every calculated move. He tries to just experience reality as it is, but slowly that alienates him in a different way - people are so surprised to hear his thoughts behind all of it that many look up to him. All he really wants is to give everyone a choice in their fate - even his enemies - and appreciate what he has, and had, in this moment. And that mindful, kind mindset puts some people in awe.

Even before he regained his god form, Sabre was already put on a pedestal he tried to jump off of repeatedly. It's not to seem humble - he genuinely doesn't want this power, this gift of second life. But he'd never waste it - he can't let them fall again. One of his greatest accomplishments, in his opinion, is his ever-growing library of stories. Of journals others have given him, his own observations and notes, and of history books detailing stories long gone. He wants to tell everyone's story, and his library is the most important thing to him (in that sense). A daring dream that he has witnessed so much success with. He takes no interest in censorship or revealing secrets, only to make sure they are remembered. Every one of them, every person he meets, every path he has followed.

Near the end of the "main plot" of the roleswap timeline, Sabre locked up Origin (who is in TFC's role) in more chains, refusing to listen to his call. But, eventually, he starts to drift back to the past...if only his old friends could see he's finally saved them, finally been a real hero for once.

Soul and Corruption, the swaps of Time and Elemental, decide to work together to give Sabre a gift: a portal, that they hope takes Sabre back to his home timeline. He's so so excited! A chance to show that he didn't waste his new life! It lands him in the middle of the Rainbow Kingdom just before og Soul/Corrupt attempted a seige with the Darkness, aka episode 144. It takes some convincing to get RQ Light to let them stay - as not only did Soul/Corrupt come with, but so did Orange Steve, who became the 3rd hero....Void.

In the roleswap timeline, Sabre looks more like Shadow Sabre, while Crystal Sabre (the Shabre of the timeline) is brightly colored. The crystals replace the darkness, being amalgamations of infectious gems, so bright they can set things ablaze with sunlight. Sigils are the new crystals, being darker colored just like the main color Steves. In this world, the shadows are comforting and kind, while the light is deadly and violent. (Though no, they aren't really nocturnal...I might change that eventually). Naturally, the Steves have dark skin tones and eyes, looking all too much like the darkness infected. Similar can be said of the og timeline in comparison to the Crystal infected, though ofc the infections are a lot more frightening. You could consider it to be the first stage of infection, I guess.

In the roleswap timeline, there is a specific set of swaps, that change how Sabre is recieved in the og timeline. It goes like this: Prof. Red, Rainbow Red. Void, Rainbow. Soul/Corrupt, Time/Elemental. Assistant Steve, Hypno. The First Curse, Origin. Galaxy, Nightmare. Ultra, Chaos. Faceless, Great Librarian, Ghost. Shadow, Sabre. Sigils, Crystals, Darkness. (For trios, just move them one to the right, that's the role they take on)

This goes beyond Rainbow Quest itself. Twisted Rainbow and Steve Legends are affected, too. There are two TR roleswap timelines. The first one, which TR Shadow/Elite ends up in, only switches he and Sabre's roles. The second one is a semi-shitpost idea turned canon and is completely wild. Btw, the first name takes the second name's role. It goes: Shadow, The Great One. TFC, Sabre. Sabre, Twisted. Twisted, M. Prof. Red, Hypno. M, TFC. (Yeah, that last one was intentionally an insane choice). TR is also the only universe whose roleswap still has normal Color Steves, simply because Twisted/Darkness is already an important motif/split as it is.

Sabre's, the main, FIRST Sabre's, story is split into several acts. Act 1: changing fate, where he repeats RQ with a new ending. Act 2: old friends, where he returns to the og timeline, and defeats TFC/swap Origin with his newest god form. Act 3: reliving history, where Sabre mentors Colle through his swapped timeline. Act 4: domain expansion, in which Sabre discovers the multiverse and is determined to save EVERYONE from evil. Act 5: returning home, in which Sabre, now caring for a whole multiverse, finally creates a portal to Earth, but has he changed too much? Act 6: doubled over, another shitpost idea made canon, in which Sabre gets stuck in a version of the RQ timeline which has both the og and swap versions, where the world is changing quickly, mimicking the og story, and where Sabre's desire to give everyone a choice in fate is tested.

I've had the AU for awhile before I listened to Epic, but the musical has inspired me to create for it, as well as consider the overarching themes!! So the first drawing, the dual timeline "mortal" form, is basically Sabre at the end of the au, as he becomes a fused form of the swap and og timelines' versions of himself. His crazy outfit is made of bits and bobs from people he meets, sometimes he adds stuff inspired by people around him, but a lot is just gifts he's recieved. He has a goopy Darkness horn and a sharp crystal horn, and a fluffy colorful tail and a sharp black tail. His eyes depict his former infection of crystals/darkness.

Drawing 2, in the upper right with Sabre's arms out in front of him, is meant to be him midway thru act 1. Where he willingly infects himself with the crystals, which are like the darkness, in order to be able to fight Rainbow (who created the infectious crystals, aka the Void of the timeline). Crystal/Shadow Sabres would probably be saying the lyrics to him.

Drawing 3, with the big barrier sigil over Sabre and the Steves, is based on act 6 of the au. He gets the Hypbo variants to help him create the barrier sigil to keep the Steves from changing unexpectedly due to the strange nature of their timeline (its Complicated, but the world is basically changing in accordance w/ the og timeline w/o anyone doing anything). This barrier, as well as the smaller, jewelry-based variants, protects them from time/space basically going by quickly. However, Sabre's insistence on keeping everyone from changing can be seen as almost manipulative, which is why he's saying the lyrics there. He can't give them the choice, not when the world is changing them without them actually doing anything. But by keeping them inside the barrier, he's refusing to let them experience it. So uh...yeah. Complicated.

Also...here, have this drawing of god form Sabre. Enjoy. I guess.

[seraphtrevs]

I feel as dense as Jesse because I just don't see it about Walt loving him even more than Skyler and going completely feral when other people hurt him? Like obviously he loves him because he can easily manipulate him but I just... don't get it? Is it that he wants to be the only one who hurts Jesse?

But Walt doesn't think he's hurting Jesse. He thinks he's protecting him. Every time Walt does something shitty to Jesse, he convinces himself it was for Jesse's own good.

Like when he let Jane die. Walt's true reason was that Jane tried to take Jesse away from him. But Walt thinks that the reason he did it was to protect Jesse. Jane got him hooked on heroin. If he stays with her, she'll kill him. In a way, Walt killed her for Jesse.

And I don't think Jesse was actually that easy for Walt to manipulate at first. Jesse kicked and screamed the whole way as Walt dragged him into their partnership. Things changed when their relationship became more intense - when they loved each other, Jesse became easier to manipulate. But Walt didn't fall in love with him because he was easy to manipulate since that didn't come until later.

A big part of the reason their relationship is so intense is that they've been through several life-and-death situations together now, starting from the beginning when Krazy-8 comes for them. Walt kills Emilio in defense of himself and Jesse. Later, he kills Domingo, sparing Jesse from having to do it.

When Walt killed Emilio, he wasn't doing it specifically to save Jesse (he was saving them both, so it was as much self-interest). But once the dust settled...I think Walt felt excited about the idea of killing someone in defense of someone else. A huge part of Walt's psychology is that he loves the idea of being a protector (and a provider). In mundane life, there's no opportunity for doing something that primal. He can't kill for Skylar and the kids...

...but he can kill for Jesse.

The other thing he can do for Jesse is provide. (Yes, they're partners, but Walt views himself as the leader.) The only person in the whole show who ever feels happy about getting money from Walt is Jesse (that doesn't last long, but he was very excited at first).

Heisenberg is Walt's ideal self - powerful, rich, dangerous, feared. But he has to hide his ideal self from Skyler and his son, even as he's in the process of fully realizing fantasies he's had for years. (btw Heisenberg is nowhere near as cool as Walt thinks he is, but that's how Walt feels when he's running his empire). A huge part of this fantasy is being a protector - he can't be Heisenberg unless he has someone to protect. So that person becomes Jesse

Jesse used to be his student, so he already had some residual protective feelings for him, which puts Jesse in the role of a child - a son. But at the same time, these fantasies are VERY sexy to Walt - he tries to bring it home to Skyler to mixed results. So with that energy frustrated and needing a place to go, Jesse also becomes like his wife. (What can I say, he's a sick person.) Their relationship plays out more like a romance than a father/son story, in my opinion, but there's definitely an element of both, which is what makes it so disturbing and fascinating

[penultimate-step]

Oshi no Ko 144 Reaction

After the big climax of last chapter, jumping straight into a more everyday, less tense situation is a bit jarring. I know this was done intentionally, I can see what they're trying to do here, but the part of my brain that craves the short term rush, the part of me that is desperate for answers and for the twins to actually start talking amongst themselves more and finally got a taste of it last chap is hungry....I know it needs to be pushed off for pacing reasons. I Know. But it does hurt a bit. Reading serially published works is hard.

Anyway. So the big theme of the movie arc is taking a look at how people are viewed in the eyes of others, right? That's why we have this whole setup of a movie within a manga - Ai's life, her real thoughts and personality, cannot be recovered. Even we, the semi-omniscient audience, aren't actually getting real flashbacks at her life, but rather her life filtered through the extremely biased eyes of Aqua (and Gotanda) with edits for marketability made by people who never knew her, like Abiko and Yoriko. This movie is likely going to become the definitive version of Ai for the general public, millions of people who never spoke to her at all - to those with no connection to someone beyond knowing their image, the constructed self is all that exists. The fact that this arc is the backdrop that we place Ruby's infatuation with Gorou is fairly intentional, I think, and if I wasn't 100% confident in that before than I absolutely am after last chap.

Which leads us into 144 - right after we had the dramatic chapter in which Ruby talks about how she views Gorou to Aqua himself, telling him that she sees him as a fan sees an idol, we cut directly to how Gorou is being portrayed in the movie. Melt and Ruby are both constructing images of of Gorou, but for very different purposes - while she cares for him and wants to idolize him, Melt is aware he never knew him, and is coming up with his interpretation solely for work purposes. This is the direct contrast being explored in this chapter - the different ways of seeing someone's image.

Ruby gets upset when what she sees as Gorou's charm points are not being fully expressed, that the movie's view of him won't match hers. Gorou needs to be painted in the best possible light, so that everybody else will share her image of him.

This is very amusing to me, considering that Gorou himself, as Aqua, couldn't even match up to her image of Gorou before she was outright told that it was him, but let's put a pin on that for now.

Melt, on the other hand, has no personal or emotional attachment here. He isn't trying to glorify Gorou, nor slander him, nor even really get to know him. For him, The Doctor is a role, a story, a character.

This is why he refers to the pin as a "character symbol," while he is doing his best to get a feel for Gorou thirdhand, his priority is not the man, but the role. He papers over gaps in his knowledge with story tropes, things that would work best for the narrative of the movie. From the perspective of an actor, this is probably the correct way to go about things. Abiko and Yoriko are probably satisfied with his interpretation of the role. But for Ruby, who has a personal investment, his image is not the same as her image.

(as an unrelated side note, this bit was funny. I can't believe they're having an adaptation vs source material debate about RPF of Aqua of all people.)

Ruby comes around to Melt not because of any change in him or his acting, or because she approves of his interpretation of Gorou, but because he starts talking about her:

Ruby accepts Melt's interpretation because so long as it maintains the connection between them, this is the most important element for her; she is satisfied. Her opinion of Melt then does a 180, just as her opinion of Aqua did in chapter 123.

This is where I will uncork the pin from before and say - one thing that I am kind of unsure about is what Ruby's image of Gorou actually is, at this point. Usually she seems to see him wholly positively, dissociating all of her criticisms about his behavior from the image she is idolizing. But last chap she started talking about his flaws, so she clearly knows at least some of them...but here she's right back to talking about his radiant inner strength. Leaves me a bit uncertain where she stands. However, I'm not the only one - I think she herself doesn't fully understand her own image of Gorou right now, to be honest.

Also, side note: the way Melt's "Gorou" act in this chap parallels Aqua's own in 143 was super cute.

But after thinking about that for a bit, I realized that it's deeper than a cute shot. while the movie arc has been giving more focus on Ruby's view of people than Aqua's, there's the interesting side note simmering in the background that Aqua, too, has a constructed image of Gorou at this point - even if he actually IS him, it's been over 20 years since he's been Sarina's doctor. Ruby, Melt, and Aqua all have very different ideas of who Gorou was - and none of them match the man himself.

I don't have very much to say about the last third of the chapter tbh. The supernatural elements of this story very much confuse me, I am not sure where they are going or what it's doing and don't feel confident speculating anything. Crow Girl is a cool character and I want to see more of her, but I suspect I'll appreciate her a lot more if I reread the series once it's done and we actually know what her deal is.

Overall, solid chapter, I think does a good bit to contrast and deepen our understanding of Ruby's views, and even if part of me really wants them to narrow in the focus on the twins a bit more after last time, I am content to let Aka keep cooking.

[bigkurosmash]

Fuck it, I'mma revive this blog with more than just art 'cause I saw The Dare (2019) and I need to ramble somewhere.

The Dare is not at all the type of movie I expected it to be. I went in thinking it would follow the usual slasher formula only to see it absolutely wasn't. There were familiar slasher elements, but the story had twists I don't typically see in slasher movies and I loved it.

From the environmental story telling to the set details and how the main antagonist's story unfolds between present actions and flashbacks intermingled was a delight for me. I love a good backstory and The Dare told a wonderfully bitter one. The Dare also did something so many other slasher films just never do- It humanized the antagonist and made him so real instead of hollow or so othered they're no longer 'human'.

Dominic is so complex with his conflict and, in various twisted ways, he is merciful.

vv Spoilers under cut as I go deeper vv

Dominic was not running on pure revenge if context clues are to be followed. Dominic was taught 'letting the evil out' was a good thing, a mercy, something that needed to be done. Did he feel good hurting those that hurt him? I wouldn't doubt it, but there was more to it. He was upset when Paul didn't survive and so broken when he admitted that he failed to 'let the evil out' of the last 3.

That shows there was definitely more there than just seeking revenge, at least in my opinion it does. How he instead begged for Jay to kill him even though he held all the power in that situation and could so easily kill Jay but chose not to. Dominic is well aware his upbringing has made it impossible for him to live a normal life and he laments this, wishing deeply to have it but knowing his best option [at least to him] is to be killed- put out of his misery; a mercy.

But Jay refused to kill him, meaning Dominic would have to continue living in his solitude surrounded by the memories of the horrors he went through as a child. That right there is why I assume he attacked Jay and threatens Jay's family in the hopes that would be what gets Jay to kill him. If Jay won't kill him when he begs, maybe he will to save his own family. Dominic is smart and he knows how to find what makes people tick; how else could he have such control over several people enough to put weapons in their hands and be so comfortable doing so.

Growing up in two different abusive homes, Dominic likely had no choice but to learn how to read people, figure out where the line was drawn and how to choose his words carefully to avoid abuse as much as possible. Begging, pleading, using placating words even if he didn't mean it. Which means he also knows how it feels to be the smaller/weaker person and what makes them bend when he's on the other side of it.

He's also smart and resourceful enough to track down 4 random people he only knew for 2 days 20 years later all without any of them knowing. He got his hands on 20+ year old photographs, their names, their addresses, tailed them long enough to know where they would be and when so that he could snatch them. Again, all without any of them knowing. This makes Dominic even scarier than just 'ooo big bad' and I personally love the unknown and psychological element mixed in here. Personally, I would've loved if they showed more of that as well.

Dominic is a wonderfully interesting character and The Dare shows that in so many different ways from backstory to body language. The acting is also incredible in how you can feel the victims' fear, Dominic's included, and how you can literally see the moment Jay realizes whatever plans he had were crushed the moment he finally saw Dominic coming through that doorway. 🤌

Also yeah, huge scary masked beefcake who could break you in half but also can cry is hot.

[corviiids]

Have u been asked about shuake for the ship thing yet. Those guys please

@possum-lydia asked: ship ask: akeshu/shuake (whichever you prefer) @bogballad asked: am i too late for the ship ask game has no one requested akeshu?!

ship it / don't ship it

1. What made you ship it?

i love a good mutual obsession. i just fuckin love when two characters are like i don't know if i like you or hate you but i DO know you occupy my brain 32/7 because ithink about you even when im sleeping </3 . i LOOOOOVE when two characters are like we are so diametrically opposed in every direction which means in fact that you are the only person who understands me on this planet and you know me better than anyone else and unfortunately we are connected in a way neither of us can do anything about. and also, gun

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

im really compelled by both ren and akc being characters who for one reason or another are both generally, like, people whose true selves are not known by the people around them? who then meet each other and are like, oh. you're me. in a way i barely recognise. like ren is quiet and trying to keep his head down and has been repeatedly punished for standing up for his values, he interacts with people based on what he thinks they need to hear / what will make them think of hi mfavourably / etc like some of that is meta that comes from him being the player character but theres also a lot in his visible personality that really points to him being a very carefully masked person. akc is akc is a person and has never been able to show his true self to anyone ever and has in fact forgotten how to do it because he's been playing a part for so long. so these two like, meeting and SEEING each other almost instantly despite being so, so different in so many ways, and then just being so drawn to each other for reasons beyond just what they can do for each other when the majority of their other relationships have had at least a small element of that transactional nature is just. ughrughgd. gshjlg sjglk dgedghdgd. what if you were more to me than what i could do for you for the first time in my life

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

we don't have time for all that. just view every post ive made for the last eight years

[inchidentally]

Ngl little bit sad that you're becoming kinda negative on here. I miss when you used to post those super cool thoughtful discussions and analyses, without the need to trash talk or bash on other ships.

(just to say, I'd normally post something like this behind a cut and I promise I always will in future. it just feels like today in particular is a good moment to state a few of these points. I'm not normally this serious lol I just want to kind of mitigate any more drama.)

I've always posted about wanting rpf to be kept out of the drivers' and teams' public spaces and I've always said it's stupid/unnecessary drama when fans of certain fictional ships get genuinely loudly "competitive" over other fictional ships and I've really always been against people hating on the girlfriends who get caught in the crossfire of the fans who truly believe their two drivers are in a secret gay relationship. it's how I've always personally felt and apart from it being my opinion (which is fair for my blog) I also feel like having even a smidgen of traction on my posts means I can potentially prevent landoscar going down the road of certain ships that have fans who've fully crossed over into aggressive/publicly disturbing territory. and who've been doing so for years and only gotten worse.

hell, I've even always openly hated when Lando's individual content gets taken over by people bringing up Carlos or Daniel or even sometimes Oscar or Max F. the man has a life beyond all of those friendships and he very much deserves for his content to sometimes stay just about him. only people like his family or Jon/Lando's team of 10+ years deserve any significant share of credit for Lando's successes but no one's bothering to bring them up in the comments etc.

also, it's still very early days for landoscar as a ship and we have at least two more years of Lando and Oscar as teammates (fairly likely more) so if we can keep out the element of fans who take rpf into widely public spaces/directly to the people involved, then I'm going to continue to occasionally post about it. those types of fans absolutely hate reality intruding and they hate real life partners even more so I'm absolutely going to post about reality and girlfriends regularly. even apart from the fact that I'd feel weird excluding girlfriends, there's a solid reason to do so.

especially when even apart from rpf, the girlfriends always get shit from people who want the guy for themselves or who have decided they get a say in who he dates. I'm not going to pretend like all of that doesn't happen just to avoid all negativity.

as far as the tricky/controversial asks I get, I always put them fully under a cut and tag appropriately so they're incredibly easy to skip. I also batch them up so one of those posts happens maybe once every couple weeks - if that. my content has always been massively on the side of fun content vs anything drama/wank related.

the one thing I will say is that I'm getting a lot of repeat anons about ship drama that I would otherwise not hear about (I rarely look at twitter and my tumblr dash is lovely and tidy with just a few things blacklisted) so I'm going to write one sort of roundup post to cover any more of those and not answer any more. I'm just repeating myself atp.

I also went on my first ever blocking spree in this fandom today when a post I'd rb had a bunch of ragey hardcore rpf people jump onto it and I also blacklisted a few more things. so that's the last I'm personally ever going to see of that drama myself. I still casually ship carland0 and dand0 as well and a whole lot of us are nothing to do with the people publicly pushing shippy shit or doing the whole - god I cannot believe this still happens - 'my rpf ship is real and yours isn't'. they're also the people who call all girlfriends "escorts" and "beards" so they're easy to identify.

one last thing anon is that I hear you but I've got to mention I delete a LOT of borderline hate asks and I leave a fair amount of trolls frothing by refusing to respond to their asks. so I'm very much always trying to keep the content on my blog free of useless drama or negativity.

[micamicster]

Hey micaaa, i just finished IWTV thanks to your passionate blog work on the show and I remember seeing you answer an ask about your thoughts on the second season but i didnt read it to not spoil myself and now i cant find it 😭😭😭 would be grateful if you could help a gal out xxx

Hi babe! So either I never answered an ask like that or its been lost to the bowels of tumblr, but that's ok because this is an ask! and I can share my thoughts here! And my thoughts are... mixed but overall positive. I will expand under the cut.

When I watched the first episode of the new season, I called my sister immediately and said, don't worry, they've done it, it's just as good as it ever was. Now I'm not sure I would say it's just as good as it ever was, (I have things to criticism this season whereas last season I really had not a single bad thing to say about the show at all) but it's still at a level of acting, writing, set and music and costume design, and thematic depth that I think is hard to find anywhere else on television. Complement sandwich coming up!

The acting, music, sets, costumes: this show is the opulent gothic romance I've spent my whole life craving and modern media not giving to me. (Fire emerald fenel or whatever her name is immediately and hire this team for wuthering heights or i riot). As in season one, there is a level of cohesion, thoughtfulness, detail, and sheer skill that goes into every element of this show that makes it just a joy to watch. Jacob Anderson is a revelation, and he's got a team that is on his level.

I agree that the pacing is not as good this season. In season one, I felt that each episode was its own distinct chapter in the story with it's own distinct arc, and I have to admit that I'm biased toward that sort of clearly structured storytelling when it comes to television. (It's television! It's got episodes for a reason!) For example, I thought the San Francisco episode was one of the best of the season, and I think that's because it's (sort of) a bottle episode, and because it's about the complicated dynamics between just a few characters, so it has that tight focus that other episodes in the season were lacking. I get the inclusion of hallucistat because I, too, missed the explosion of chemistry that is jacob and sam playing off each other. However I felt that there were times he was overused or unnecessary, and in some of the later episodes it felt like the writers worried their audience would get bored. I thought that it took a while to get a direction on what the dubai portions of the show were doing (rather than them just being a tool to enable story digressions, like the lestat/armand backstory). For as significant as they are, we really learn nothing at all about the coven aside from santiago (ben daniels u were having SO much fun, weren't you?). And it makes their betrayal, their plotting, and their deaths less interesting when they're just background costume hangers. (And it's disappointing when I think of how well other minor characters are sketched out in equally small screen time other places in the show.) Similarly I think that the last episode confrontation was underwhelming--maybe we needed an episode for the dubai climax and for the backstory climax?

(Not really a criticism here, just givng my personal opinion that despite what the actors are saying I have a hard time believing 100% in the louis/lestat reunion. We've never seen anything so far in the show not narrated by someone else (or directly experienced by daniel) so I have a hard time seeing it as "the truth" (what does that even mean in a show like this?) but instead as a version of the truth filtered through Daniel's imaginings, for his story's conclusion. But that's just my interpretation!)

(Also not really a criticism of the show but the fan experience hasn't been as fun this season. Last season everyone I followed was a fun little bubble against the wider fandom, this season the mutchies are at each others throats lol I of course stand alone as always being correct (in the secret takes I text my sister), everyone else is correct sometimes and incorrect others, or even both correct at the same time although they wouldnt like to hear it)

Final compliment! Theme: This show remains one of the best, most nuanced, and most empathetic portrayals of abuse that I have ever seen on tv. It's the gothic! It knows what its about! And what it's about is the way that people can both love you and hurt you, or want to control you, or be cruel to you, or damage you by loving you in a harmful way. It shows how abuse can use the structures of race, gender, age, and family, to trap a person, manipulate them, and control them. It shows how society aids abusers and punishes victims through these same structures. It shows how trauma can fracture a person's understanding of themselves, and of their own memories and experiences. And it says, with relationships and emotions this complex, there are always going to be new perspectives on what happened--even between a person and themself there are different versions of the truth. There are no easy answers, there are no one-size-fits-all truths in this story. The complexity of the emotions victims of abuse, the love and rage and fear, the gratitude and resentment, they feel toward their abusers are all present without the writing using these emotions to judge or vilify the characters. It manages to be empathetic in its writing of perpetrators, without demanding "forgiveness" from the victims or excusing/minimizing the abuse. (I know some people have different opinions on how successful the show is on this topic, I fall into the camp of thinking this is what the show does best--allow multiple complicated feelings and perspectives to be true at the same time). I think constantly about one of the showrunners quotes where they said (im misquoting) that is the gift of immortality and maybe also its curse--you always have time to try again, to get it right this time. Which is in many ways the allure and the curse of family--people you can't shake. People you can't escape. Immortality and memory and trauma as time loops. This show is so fucking good.

[iniziare]

Yelan: Identities, and 'faking it' vs. 'owning it'.

"Okay, I ask you a question, you have to think of the answer, where do you look? No good; you look down, they know you're lying, and up they know you don't know the truth. Don't use seven words when four will do. Don't shift your weight. Look always at your mark, but don't stare. Be specific, but not memorable. Be funny, but don't make him laugh. He's gotta like you, and then forget you, the moment you've left his sight."

Let's talk about inspiration for a second, though I'm not saying with this that Rusty Ryan is a direct source of inspiration for Yelan, but there are numerous things from this scene that I want to point out for a moment.

One. How much each detail matters when it comes to a 'person'(a). I know that in this quote/scene's context it's about where you can find uncertainty and proof of one's deception, but by that same account, it shows how many elements of ourselves carry our authenticity and thus our 'essence'. This shows the rather thorough knowledge that one has to possess in regards to human nature to be able to bring such thorough (and thus believable) personas to life. There will be moments when Yelan will simply throw up a quick lie as to her identity like she does in her SQ in Liyue Harbor when she simply needs some quick information but nothing beyond that; but for more elaborate missions that require a specific consistent and/or recurring presence? You'll see her live that as much and as naturally as she lives her own self, it's where you'll see a whole different level of craftsmanship, her craftsmanship.

Two. The arts of being perceived and deceived are rather intense. I mean, this also plays into the previous/first point, because it's honestly all about how the devil is in the details. But with this I aim to indicate how in control of yourself you have to be, to show signs of nervousness that may fit the persona in question perfectly. As an example: an experienced salesman will usually have natural charisma and confidence, because one's energy will draw customers in and the way a pitch is presented, will be what will make the sale; but one that's entirely new to the field will likely be lacking in both of those traits out of sheer inexperience. The latter will (likely/usually) find him or herself with a bundle of nerves caught in their throat which will afflict their speech and will likely keep their hands grasped together to not show the shake of them— living these little traits will allow one to blend into many different locations and scenarios (imagine too, how these would then also ripple effect into their personal lives). Any way, I digress. Even if we're speaking of a very temporary role or persona, falling into the latter example of character allows one to much more realistically bump into boundaries and excuse themselves; their nerves are a motivator and inhibitor for many things. But to able to present this realistically, every single layer of nuance needs to be closely and tightly understood. It's much more of a challenge than people might think.

Three. Those last lines, and that very last line in specific is so utterly important:

"Look always at your mark, but don't stare. Be specific, but not memorable. Be funny, but don't make him laugh. He's gotta like you, and then forget you, the moment you've left his sight."

Initially, I wanted to bring up Yelan's first character story as an example of this, that these novice pharmacists don't seem to realize that they've all likely treated Yelan for one injury or another already in the past and have forgotten; but it isn't the best instance to enforce the above quote, as each of their attention is drawn away from the obvious due to Yelan's endurance to endure the pain the treatments subject her to (yes, I will touch on this 'light addiction to pain' soon, and no, it is not 'kinky' as a portion of the fandom makes it out to be, or at least in my opinion; but more on that in a later post as it plays into a consistent thing across the board). Instead, the best example is likely simply: Liyue Harbor. This is where she lives (well, she technically resides just outside of the city), this is where people see her cross the street and yet in her SQ, numerous seem to not exactly recognize her. Even children who are known to frequent the wharf over and over, aren't familiar enough with Yelan as to be able to recognize her, and yet saying that they wouldn't have crossed paths is rather unrealistic (as she literally works for Ningguang, Liyue Harbor is the first port of call for intelligence gathering for numerous things). This tells me that she's either rather good at drawing their eyes away from her face or any other parts of her that people could rather quickly identify her by, or she's prone to disguising herself just enough. Now I do also have to note that the exact opposite may also be craved in certain situations. Sometimes, all you need is to be a memory that is much too vivid, a fever in someone's mind—— sometimes, that is exactly the persona that needs to linger.

What can I say, the game is a complicated one to play. For a woman who is so good at this craftsmanship, where every little aspect of these personas rests in a firm grip of control; no wonder she lives her life outside of that by the roll of a dice.

[beezonia]

MORE CLAIRE ANALYSIS!!

No’1

This is at the end of curious village right, that’s Claire’s outfit in lost future. What was that doing there?

Was it trying to foreshadow something to do with the next game or was it something deeper idk I just wanted to bring it to your attention!

No’2

Look at her, her joyful/proud “you did it” she’s so proud and in awe of what hershel does.

Claire as Celeste gets to support her boyfriend once more, gets to praise him and tell him how amazed she is with what he does.

Same goes for hersh when he says something like “you clearly know more about machines then I do” I’m a really amazed tone.

She’s so soft for her boyfriend and seeing him again it allows her to show her love for him one last time.

No’3/4

This whole conversation she has with Clive show’s her compassion and her regret, even after everything Clive has done Claire still shows him kindness and goes after him.

We can see it’s partially because of her guilt, I’ve said this before in my previous analysis that she knows what she did was wrong and this second chance is her doing everything she can to atone for it.

Second reason is my personal opinion/head-cannon of Claire being that sort of mother figure to some, she’s both extremely strong and caring and this is where it shines.

A innocent child hurt and probably still grieving needs a shoulder to lean on and what does Claire do she goes back for him, she doesn’t want anymore lives to be negatively effected by this tragedy she doesn’t want anymore deaths because of the project she was part off.

She puts the blame on herself, it’s like she’s punishing herself (far reach idk about this yet) for something that she didn’t stop and couldn’t control.

So Claire does what she does and chooses to yet again sacrifice her life and save Clive instead of doing the safe thing and leaving with the rest.

It’s her guilt again I think specifically with the second picture where she’s talking about how this was all because of scientists.

No’5/6

This is yet again Claire showing her love for Hershel.

She’s searching, wondering if he would actually come back, which may look like she doesn’t believe it.

But we hear he gasp of relief when she spots him and her eyebrows crease in a sort of sad happiness, Claire gets to see him again.

She gets to spend that scarce amount of time she has left watching him thrive in his element. Somethings she hasn’t seen in a long long time.

———

God I love Claire Foley so much, bring her back lvl five pls. I hope you enjoyed this rushed analysis.

But at least I’m writing a fic where she’s one of two main characters so that’s a bonus.

After all if lvl 5 won’t do it that fandom surely will.