#but also this song doesn't have to be from a romantic angle

[bengiyo]

I Hear the Sunspot Ep 5 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Taichi started working at the restaurant where Miho met him during the break. He and Kohei didn't have much time to see each other, and Kohei's mom encouraged him to invite Taichi to the festival. They got rained out and Kohei confessed his feelings to Taichi, who didn't seem to fully understand them. Taichi has also decided not to explain the situation with Miho to Kohei, who thinks Taichi is pursuing her romantically. Kohei has decided to get a different note taker instead.

Descartes! I have been enjoying the philosophy class as a frame for digging into some of the themes. I wonder what existentialism will bring out of Taichi.

OOF. He took notes, but Kohei isn't there.

I totally get Taichi's friends. After a week of him whining about Kohei I would make him go talk to him, too. Taichi didn't tell Kohei everything, and so here's where we are.

I like the intro song for this show.

I'm glad Mama Sugihara got to see Taichi eat.

Wow, they're just leaving all this cream on his face.

Oh, I'm getting emotional already about Mama Sugihara asking Taichi to not give up on her son.

Thank you, restaurant boss, for spelling it out for Taichi.

I love the shifting of a shadow to tease that someone is overhearing. It's gotta be Kohei coming with the phone.

Good job, show. I like Kohei pretending he didn't hear Taichi gushing about him. It's a specific kind of mean, given their dynamic, but I understand.

Oh, this is a good fight. Kohei is mad that Taichi doesn't seem to understand all the feelings he's leaking, and what he already confessed. Taichi is mad that Kohei constantly bottles up his feelings and distances them.

Hm, this is definitely a manga panel marching camera angle kiss. However, I kinda like it since it's a one-sided kiss. I hope they kiss properly when they earn it.

Feels like a breakthrough for Kohei to admit he was more afraid of Taichi hating him than losing his hearing.

You know Taichi is thinking hard if he's not eating.

That's right! Send him off with two bento boxes.

Aww, that was so touching. I felt Kohei's emotional surge there.

I like the way Taichi says Kohei's name.

"And what if I don't hate it?" I'LL SEE YOU ALL NEXT WEEK!!

I really do love a slow burn romance. I like seeing characters getting to know each other better before things turn romantic. I like knowing that they've built a real connection that will grow and mature. I like seeing these two take each other seriously. I like that Taichi was able to continue to protect Kohei from what he didn't like in Miho, because I think that part still needs to be resolved separately from this communication block between them. This show has been so good. I'm glad we adapted it again.

[thecoolerliauditore]

long post: the neck kisses playlist on joel's spotify is about jimmy (and kind of etho too a little bit)

it's not actually about jimmy it very much is not about jimmy. however I had visions when I listened to it and I know at least one person really wants me to put this into words so

"I Miss Having Sex But At Least I Don't Wanna Die Anymore" is a pretty straightforward song about Awsten Knight's post-break-up life as well as his frustrations with his fanbase.

The feelings post-break-up are described as freeing, hence the title ".. don't wanna die anymore" but the ending of the song hints at some nagging regret despite that, with the desperate repeating mantra of "but I think it's fine, it's cool"

While I don't think all of these songs signify chronology (and some I don't think are literal at all unless c!Joel has some weird daddy issue lore I'm unaware of), I do like to think the start of the playlist calls to pre-3L jimmy/joel, most specifically their relationship in x-life.

In x-life, Joel establishes a totally-not-cult religion he dubs "Jeremyism", Jimmy being his first member after he fails to trick Lizzie into joining. He later gives up his leader title, quote, "for content". Jimmy is unhappy with this development and begs Joel to stay, but Joel refuses. While their relationship in x-life would be hard to define as romantic in any sense, they were clearly fond of eachother before Joel eventually broke away.

Things get a bit hazy here since "for content" doesn't really translate to anything in-universe, but I think it's interesting to note that both the song and Joel mention an audience, specifically one that they feel the need to appease. Whether this is a metaphor or watcher lore or some secret third thing I have no idea but it sure is there 👍

In my mind, it goes like this: Jimmy and Joel meet, they hit it off, Jimmy is affectionate and Joel starts to catch feelings. Joel cuts Jimmy off for making him feel weird.

the second song in the playlist reinforces this, being a much angrier post-break-up song.

While this seems out-of-order (why does the immediate anger come after the song about life after the break-up?), I think it's interesting if you look at it from an angle of this not being fully Joel's feelings towards Jimmy, but Joel's frustration towards himself for messing it up.

with a little bit of frustration being placed on jimmy too:

pictured: joel in third life with a message from jimmy that he very much. does not answer.

personally I like to think Joel held a lot of resentment towards Jimmy in Third Life, both for homophobic reasons (i.e. you made me feel gay and now I'm gonna punish you for it) and for jealousy reasons (start of his number one scott hater arc)

this one's just in the wrong playlist first of all why does he insert this between two waterparks songs. whatever man.

anyway this song's interesting to me because it's literally just about a hot babe getting rejected by some fuck who refuses to be ball-and-chained.

there's two directions this could go imo: one is that this is, once again, evoking joel and jimmy's relationship. Joel acknowledges that he a life with Jimmy would be nice, but he refuses to settle down because it would rob him of his identity/freedom.

the other is that brandy is joel and the sailor is etho, since brandy shows an admiration for the sailor but also an awareness that he loves his job more than her

this storybook like description of how brandy saw the sailor's tales is very smalletho to me idk. very hand-in-hand with joel's child-like view of who etho is.

I don't have much for this one tbh it's pretty much just a love song and Joel really liking waterparks (king)

That being said, there's some fun imagery to play with here:

yellow = jimmy makes a lot of sense (blonde hair, canary imagery, yellow also representing people on their second life in the life series which evokes neither the assumed skillfulness of a late game green name nor the danger of a red name), as does green = joel (the green streak. shrek. yeahg. and while red joel is iconic "green like my insides" could also be read in this context as "deep down, I am safe to be around" which I think is neat)

"natural blue" is a bit harder to interpret (especially considering the original context of this being a joke about Awsten dyeing his hair) but blue is of course scott's colour. this could be read spitefully as Natural blue (was in love with jimmy first) vs scott's dyed hair or it's. joel saying that's he's gay idk man.

"at least I match your eyes" is pretty simple, with both of them having brown eyes, "jealous and hypnotized" once again alluding to some jealousy, likely towards FH again if you believe the blue line is alluding to scott.

however joel has plenty of people to be jealous of in regard to jimmy so. shrugs. hey you can even interpret this line as talking about jimmy's desirability. neat.

there's also this, which again might allude to flower husbands, implying in this fake world I've created that Joel doesn't view them as actually "married"

ok this is getting too long lmao see you guys next time i feel like writing about this stupid fucking playlist again

[thelostgirl21]

English Translators: "Jaskier" translates as "Buttercup", but we can't just let a manly man use "Buttercup" as his nickname! That's way too feminine, and our readers would be horrified! Let's call him "Dandelion" instead. Yes, much better... Mucho macho...

Netflix & Joey Batey: Yeah, no. We'll just call him Buttercup by keeping the original Polish name, i.e. Jaskier.

So, this is our very own Prince Buttercup. He's a damoiseau in distress that's regularly in need of being rescued, enjoys chatting with animals, and might randomly break into song.

He feels very comfortable asking a strong, stoic, muscular man to accompany him to the Royal Ball for protection, and will attempt to convince him by rubbing chamomile onto his lovely bottom, giving him a bath, washing his stupid hair, and dressing him up in stylish, fine clothing.

He tends to see the good in everyone, and will spontaneously attempt to become friends with things that want to eat him (both figuratively and literally).

However he can occasionally become pretty condescending with commoners, and treat those that fail to appreciate his talent as beneath him; often with a complete disregard for his personal safety, as if it doesn't seem to occur to him right away that they'd actually dare lay their filthy hands on him.

He cries very pretty (so pretty), and will look at you with gorgeous doe eyes when he feels sad, hurt, scared, or needs a favor.

He's very distrustful and afraid of power-hungry sexy witches coming at him from many different angles, until they stop being all predatory and menacing, and begin rescuing and protecting him instead.

He gets along very well with other princes/princesses, and will resent not being invited to one of the most important social events of the Continent, but not getting to spend more time with them.

And he never experienced what romantic love truly was until he finally got to meet his very own Prince.

Obviously, Prince Radovid fell in love with our Buttercup at first sight, and was willing to give up his Kingdom for a chance to be by his side.

And as far as Prince Buttercup is concerned, he sees himself as a

because that's simply who he is, and that's also what masculinity looks like.

So, unless Jaskier, in the books, is a very insecure man that constantly worries about being mistaken for a woman, I can't help but find it hilarious that the translators of the books, in English, got so worried over "Buttercup" sounding feminine...

...when the character himself likely wouldn't have been bothered by the way it sounds in the least, and would totally have rocked that nickname while making it work perfectly for a guy!

Hell! As a non-native English speaker, other than the fact that I've seen the movie "The Princess Bride", and the princess in it was named "Buttercup", my brain does not at all perceive "Buttercup" as inherently feminine, nor "Dandelion" as inherently masculine.

Perhaps because, in French, each word has its own gender, and "bouton d'or" (i.e. "buttercup", but the literal translation would be "button made of gold") is masculine.

Un bouton d'or (a buttercup) is masculine.

Un pissenlit (a dandelion) is masculine.

Une rose (a rose) is feminine.

Une tulippe (a tulip) is feminine.

Etc.

"Princess Buttercup" is thus named "Princesse Bouton d'or" (it's actually the title of the movie) in French.

But "Bouton d'or" (Buttercup) is, by itself, a masculine word.

The funny thing is that, where I'm from, I think the dandelion is literally the single most hated flower I can think of.

When I was a kid, my parents - and pretty much all our neighbors - spent countless hours trying to remove every single dandelion they could find on their lawn and in their garden while making sure to fully eliminate the whole root, because they tended to replace all the grass, and some of the other flowers and plants from their garden.

Some of our neighbors had their lawns treated with very harsh chemicals (many of which are thankfully illegal today) in a desperate effort to get rid of them.

Dandelion always makes allergy season a complete and utter nightmare, makes it harder to breathe outside (those floating bits clouding the air always get stuck in your nose, throat or even eyes), it also clogs the air filter of your car...

And, when you cut them at the stem, your hands wind up all sticky and smelling awful.

Unless they want to make a point that they'll be extremely annoying, unwanted, sticky, smelly, trying to get into every single exposed orifice of your body as soon as you're exposed to them, and hard to get rid of, why would anyone ever wish to nickname themselves "dandelion"?

I mean, "pissenlit", the French name for "dandelion", comes from "pisse-en-lit" and literally means "peeing-in-bed".

Because if you eat dandelion leaves, they will make you pee and wet your bed (they have a strong diuretic effect).

Yes, we hate the dandelion so much, that we've decided to name that freaking flower "peeing-in-bed".

So, if you go from the original Polish name to the English translation of the name, and then translate the English name back to French...

You've essentially replaced:

Jaskier - > Buttercup - > Button made of gold (Bouton d'or).

By

Jaskier - > Dandelion - > Peeing-in-bed (Pissenlit).

It's hilarious!

All because some English translator got scared "Buttercup" would sound "too feminine".

The good news is that we kept Jaskier's name as "Jaskier" in the French translation of the books and the games. Although Bouton d'or would have worked just fine.

But yeah, come on! Jaskier would have made a beautiful Buttercup!

#the art of creating some gender issue where there's none.

When in doubt, just ask the character...

Would Jaskier have had what it took to call himself a "Buttercup"?

You bet your lovely bottom and bloated biceps he would have!

Still can't wrap my mind around him being a peeing-in-bed flower in English... Just... Nope! Does not compute.

[that-ari-blogger]

Iconic (Defying Gravity)

If you look up "iconic Broadway songs", you get lists upon lists of musical numbers, but there are a few constants. Beside One Day More from Les Misérables, Don't Cry For Me Argentina from Evita, and Seasons Of Love from Rent, you will usually find Defying Gravity, from Wicked.

If you think about it, this is actually rather weird, right? The aforementioned songs are about preparing for death, dying, and looking back on life, respectively. Defying Gravity is about a witch deciding to fly. A story that is objectively fantastical (it depicts magic and flying monkeys in a place that definitely does not exist) stands next to stories of real-world history and events, and nobody bats an eyelid because... well... because it's just that good.

This is like a corgi winning a race fair and square against a ton of cheetahs.

I think it's worth examining just what Defying Gravity does to stand beside giants, and what story it is telling.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD: (Wicked)

Defying Gravity is a battle cry.

When you examine a piece of media, the first thing you need to understand is what it is that that piece of media is trying to achieve. For example, if you examine a commercial for toothpaste through the same lens as a commercial film, that commercial will fall short. Similarly, if you examine a song that is trying to get stuck in your head through a classical, technical lens, things get funky.

You can, of course, apply those different lenses if you want. That's the fun thing about art, there are few rules. But even then, you need to understand the purpose of the text.

Defying Gravity is a battle cry.

It is a song that calls to arms its listeners. It says to Oz that things will get better, if Elphaba has to tear down the world to make it so. And it tells the audience to get excited, because someone has just started shaking things up.

The song is a turning point in the musical. It is the end of act one, and it sets the trajectory of the second half of the story. It defines how the characters will behave going forwards. But also...

Defying Gravity is a breakup song.

I don't think the two are disconnected at all. Wicked is about reality and dreams colliding, and it follows the seeking of freedom. The twist is that for freedom, you have to give up your safety, and Glinda isn't prepared to do that, but Elphaba is.

This is a piece by @abd-illustrates (Youtube, Deviantart). Although I believe it's technically about No Good Deed, I feel it's relevant here and a spectacular feat of artistic merit that I had to put it in.

Wicked has been accused of queer bating by fans, and while I see that angle, I don't quite agree. I think that the romantic relationship between Glinda and Elphaba does happen, but the fact that it doesn't work is key to the story. They are doomed lovers, and this song is that breaking point.

What is more valuable to our protagonists? Autonomy or stability? Both characters pick different options, and that incompatibility tears them apart.

"Elphaba, why couldn't you have stayed calm for once? Instead of flying off the handle!

I hope you're happy

I hope you're happy now

I hope you're happy how

you've hurt your cause forever

I hope you think you're clever"

Glinda's perspective here is clear, she believes in the system she is a part of. She sees its flaws, but because they work for her, she sees them as strengths. And this is understandable, the system has only benefited her, so she is blind to its faults.

But understandable is not the same as agreeable, and I am inclined to follow Elphaba's logic here. The system is unjust, and directly in opposition to her goal of fairness and equality. She wants to make the world a better place, and now that the system's lies are revealed to her, she needs to take things in a different direction.

"I hope you're proud how you would grovel in submission

To feed your own ambition"

So, the sides are established, and this song serves as a battle of ideas. Both characters want their friend to join them, and its notable how they go about doing that.

Glinda falls on aspiration and references a previous song to get her point across.

"You can still be with the wizard

What you've worked and waited for

You can have all you ever wanted"

I feel the need to point out that Glinda wasn't present when Elphaba sang The Wizard and I, and yet she matches the tune and meaning almost perfectly. Elphaba hasn't merely told Glinda her dream, she has shared her dream with her, and confided in her that incredibly vulnerable side of herself.

Elphaba acted so differently in The Wizard and I than in the rest of the story, she was less guarded, and more childish with that naive hope that she holds onto throughout the entirety of the show. That hope just becomes less naive and more relentless.

Elphaba has shared that naivety and hope and whimsicality with Glinda, and it's that relationship that Glinda is calling on now. Remember us, remember our dream.

However, for all Glinda's canniness and understanding of the world, she doesn't understand people, and she doesn't understand Elphaba.

Elphaba wanted to meet the wizard for a reason. She had a motive behind her dream that superseded the specifics of how it would play out.

"But I don't want it

No, I can't want it anymore"

Notice the vernacular that Elphaba uses. She can't want to be with the wizard. In her mind, doing the right thing isn't a choice. To Elphaba, good is a force that has pushed her to where she is right now, and forced her to sing this song.

Essentially, Elphaba is a paragon hero and is actively unmaking the grey morality of the setting. Often in media, "realism" is shorthand for everyone being either selfish or misunderstood. It's a pessimistic worldview of life that I don't entirely agree with.

That does happen in real life, don't get me wrong. The vast majority of the world is made up of people who are capable of actions that are good, bad, or neither.

But there are people out there who are truly cruel and evil, trust me, I've met some of them. But I've also met their opposite, people who are kind and compassionate and do what they think is right because to them, there isn't another option.

Elphaba is that second type of person, and the musical has got its audience to take this for granted at this point. But it's worth remembering that this character is the Wicked Witch of the West, the cartoon bad guy of an iconic work of literature. The musical hasn't made her more morally nuanced; it has made the world more nuanced, and that has reframed this character entirely.

The song even reminds the audience of this fact through the ensemble, just to make the juxtaposition more obvious.

"Look at her! She's wicked, get her.

No one mourns the wicked! So we've got to bring her

Down"

This is actually foreshadowing for a later song.

Back to this part, the backing of the song has spent the majority of its run time playing elaborate movements, but for Galinda and Elphaba's talk about dreams, it simplifies. Galinda gets a bare trickle of that floaty harmony, but Elphaba gets next to nothing for her line. Mostly.

This, combined with the slowing down effect brought on by the fermata (the symbol that looks like an eye), gives the conversation an intimate tone. The two have just each other to hear, and nothing to get in the way. It also frames Elphaba's line as reassurance. There is a storm coming and she is telling her girlfriend that things are going to work out ok in the end.

However, the big chords come back in on the "anymore" and lead into the key change that covers the rest of the song. This is a metaphor for the change that is happening in Elphaba's mind. As she makes her decision on how to proceed, and recognises that things are now different, the slow build up to this song's finale is finally got underway.

The rest of this song is just a build up to a final crash of sound. It rises in a few beats with the choruses, as Elphaba tests her wings, so to speak. And the song gains momentum slowly as more instruments are added.

If you thought I wasn't going to at least reference Glee's multiple performances of this song and how in that series, Defying Gravity is explicitly synonymous with queerness and pride, welcome to the blog. I make analysis posts, maybe stick around if you like this kind of thing.

"Too late for second guessing,

too late to go back to sleep"

There are two separate ideas being intertwined here. First up is the reiteration of Elphaba's inability to stop. Once again, she is doing the right thing because someone has to do it, and soon it will be too late. But the duality of this phase links that idea with the revelation about Oz. She can't go back to sleep, she can't go back to ignorance. Now that she knows what she knows, she has to act.

"Too long I've been afraid of

Losing love I guess I've lost.

Well, if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost."

This isn't particularly complex storytelling, but it's effective none the less. Elphaba is saying her realisations out loud to keep the audience up to speed. In this instance, she has been chasing acceptance, and now understands that she was never going to get it from Oz, and that what she would have to do to obtain a facade of understanding is not worth it.

The fact that my analysis of that phrase is just saying it again but slightly differently is a pretty good example of how effective the storytelling in the line is.

"I'd sooner buy defying gravity

Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity

And you can't pull me down"

The first chorus of this song is remarkably understated. It doesn't have the confidence of latter verses, and I will discuss why I think that is in a moment. The orchestra pulls back to a few instruments, and the drum plays a light rhythm on one of its... ok I my musical knowledge is a bit limited here. The bit of the drum that goes "tss tss tss", you know the one.

This gives it a light feeling that adds to the unsteady feeling of the chorus as Elphaba tests the waters and learns to fly. But she needs guidance, and support, and who does she turn to for that?

"Glinda, come with me."

This is the first time Elphaba has been thinking on the spot. Usually, she thinks everything through before she says it, but now she is running entirely on a single train of thought. I cannot stress enough how this thought process is literally: "love, kiss goodbye, Glinda". Historians will say they were close friends.

A leitmotif is a recurring musical phrase that represents a certain theme. For example, earlier in the musical, Galinda's "you deserve each other" musical phrase was repeated to show false relationships and false promises, and was also used in The Wizard and I to foreshadow the false promise of the Wizard and his gifts.

The Unlimited Leitmotif is used exclusively to symbolise Elphaba and Glinda's relationship. You can read that as platonic if you want, but there are some context clues that I would argue suggest otherwise. For example, it's called the "Unlimited" leitmotif for a reason.

As I have kept harping on about, the most valuable thing a person can achieve in this musical is freedom. This is a song about defying the laws of physics themselves. And the thing that Elphaba is offering Glinda here, the thing that is so defining for their relationship that it is literally the shorthand for it, is complete and total freedom.

Together, the two are unlimited.

The second chorus is sung together. Glinda gives Elphaba the strength of spirit to continue and is quite literally the reason she can fly in the first place.

But Glinda doesn't want that. She wants to feel in control of herself more than autonomy, and that's why the relationship falls apart. The two are doomed lovers, and it's not because one of them lies or cheats or any of that soap opera nonsense, but because they want different things out of life.

"Well, are you coming?"

"I hope you're happy

Now that you're choosing this"

"You, too

I hope it brings you bliss"

All in all, I think this breakup goes remarkably well. The two realise that their lives are taking each of them in a direction that the other cannot follow, and so they offer their goodbyes peacefully and get ready for the finale of this act.

Glinda even gives Elphaba a cloak to protect her from the elements as a final goodbye gift. Which, if you are keeping track, means that both the hat and the cloak, the Wicked Witch's most iconic visual elements besides her skin, were gifts from a very close friend.

I don't need to explain why the final chorus of this song is so good, do I? The music is phenomenal, the vocal performance is unrivaled, and it outright says half of the points I have been trying to make in this post.

I do think that the sheer skill on display here is important for the theming as well. Yes, the high note symbolises the flight and escape, yes it's synonymous with rising above petty grievances, and yes the rising is literally a reverse Deus Ex Machina. But it's also just the actress who plays Elphaba showing off and having a blast. There are no limits on her vocal performance, she doesn't have to rein in anything, and she can instead belt out a number as loud and powerfully as she wants because nobody is stopping her.

"As someone told me lately,

Everyone deserves a chance to fly"

This is a reference to something that the Wizard said to Elphaba, but when he said it, he was completely talking out of his arse. The Wizard, and a significant portion of Oz as a whole, parade around saying nebulously benevolent things, but they don't actually mean it. The Wizard has created a nation based around surveillance and oppression, there is no way that he believes in everyone getting a fair go.

The important thing to understand is that the Wizard's worldview is wrong. Everyone does deserve fairness. So his lie to appease Elphaba was in fact true. Elphaba's role in this is making that lie into a reality, by giving the people someone who will say things honestly and try to actually make the world a better place.

Finally, however, as the lights prepare to shut off and Elphaba rises into the distance. Glinda stands beneath her, looking up. She is now just another face in the crowd, but her sentiment stands in stark contrast to the rest of Oz.

Simultaneously, Glinda says goodbye, and wishes Elphaba good luck on the road ahead.

"I hope you're happy."

Final Thoughts

It needs to be understood that part of why Defying Gravity stands beside historical giants like Don't Cry For Me Argentina is the fact that it is fantastical.

Wicked is a musical about the relentlessness of hope. It is set in a world where anything is possible, and it brings that to life. Through the application of some truly impressive stagecraft, the actress who plays Elphaba genuinely flies for all to see.

This is a story that takes the impossible and makes it possible, and this is the song which cemented that theme in the minds of anyone who watched it. This song fully deserves its place as my second favourite in this musical.

That's right, my favourite is yet to come, and I'm enjoying watching y'all guess at what it is in the replies.

Next week, I will be looking at Thank Goodness and how it sets up the plot of the second act. So, stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[happypopcornprincess]

Tangled Fates (Part Two)

Part One

What happened after Sapuna left for Garud Lok, and how Wansarut faces a challenge to decide her future.

GIF by @25shadesoffebruary || Original Post by creator is here

a/n - Thank you to literally everyone who showed so much support on my previous fic! I really had the time of my life writing for The Sign series as it just keeps on getting interesting with the release of new episodes! can't wait for those saturdays dude! till then... do give this a read and let me know how it was! Thanks a lot <3

Also major shoutout to @ayansbff for suggesting the song for this fic! [Galliyan by Ankit Tiwari]

The Sign series spoilers ahead!

---/---/---

Having craned her neck for so long, Wansarut tilted her head to get some relief. In response, Wanwisa pulled her hair into an angle. Again.

“Phi Saoo! ” she cried, looking at Wanwisa through the mirror. “Stay still just a bit longer!” Wanwisa let out a laugh while braiding her hair.

Prince Chalothorn was expected to visit their family that evening, and all responsibilities for making Wansarut presentable had fallen on her elder sister. This included preparing Wansarut for the occasion. Although she knew the prince favored her family as members of the Naga court, Wansarut had no romantic interest in him. To her, he was more like an older brother.

“Where is your mind wandering off to?” Wanwisa inquired.

Days had passed since Wansarut last encountered the Garuda. Her thoughts occasionally drifted back to their last conversation, especially how she had revealed her name without thinking. She had been in such a hurry to escape from him that she hadn't even bothered to ask for his name in return.

“Nowhere. Just… thinking,” Wansarut replied.

“About…” Wanwisa sang, “The Prince?”

Wansarut shot her a glare with a frown. “No.”

Wanwisa sighed, combing her hair. “I can't fathom why you're so determined not to like him. He's the prince of our kingdom, fighting for our clan. He's always been good to our family. Imagine how incredible it would be for you to marry him – you'd be a princess, our future queen!”

“I've always seen him as a brother, Phi Saoo. If you're so fond of him, why don't you marry him?” Wansarut blurted out before she could restrain herself.

Wanwisa's hands paused, and she gently caressed Wansarut's hair with a sad smile. “He doesn't like me, Nong Saoo. He likes you.” She placed the now complete braid on Wansarut's shoulder and hugged her from behind. “You'll make a fine princess, Nong Saoo.”

Without offering further explanation, she left the chamber. Wansarut watched her vanish behind the entrance curtains, a thought appearing inside her mind: does Wanwisa has feelings for Prince Chalothorn. If she did, wouldn't she have confided in her?

---/---/--- Sapuna settled on the windowsill of his house, gazing at the floating mountains of Garuda Lok, absent-mindedly toying with his golden flute – a gift from his sister.

His mind replayed every word spoken to Lord Aruna. After urgently requesting a meeting upon his return, the fact that he emerged unharmed from the human world granted him the audience.

He had practically begged the sun god to suggest a truce with the Naga prince. Despite encountering resistance from those present, Lord Aruna dismissed him, promising to consider the suggestion. Excused from the battlefront for the time being, Sapuna was sent back home.

Thoughts of Wansarut only added to his turmoil, her image recurring in his mind. He felt a tugging sensation in his chest at the memory of his savior – her almond eyes, pointed nose, and the crease of her eyebrows beneath her hair haunted his dreams each night. Despite his grandmother's attempts to appease him with sweets, he longed for the sweet wild mangoes of the human world.

Sapuna noticed an object hurtling towards him at tremendous speed. He catched it effortlessly, and discovered it was a message from Lord Aruna. He read its contents, and standing standing abruptly; transformed into his Garuda form, soaring off to the human world. Despite Wansarut's reluctance to have him there, he now had a valid reason to visit her.

Because the letter in his hand read:

Neither side wants the blood of their clan to spill for nothing, and our aim is to attain peace given the animosity between our clans. I have proposed a truce to the Naga kingdom. And if they answer, you will be accompanying me to meet Prince Chalothorn along with my court.

I trust you, Sapuna. Don’t make me regret this.

---/---/---

Beneath the sheltering branches of an ancient banyan tree, Wansarut perched on a swing, trying to make sense of the events from the previous evening at her home.

Prince Chalothorn had engaged in conversation with her family while she and her sister eavesdropped from behind the curtains of the halls, accompanied by the servants. Just as she prepared to meet him with Wanwisa, a royal guard rushed in, whispering something urgent to the prince.

The prince's face swiftly transformed from a benevolent smile to a furious scowl. He rose abruptly, apologized to the elders citing an emergency on the front lines, and departed without meeting her. The rapid shift in his demeanor left her unsettled, prompting her to slip away while her family debated the reason behind his sudden departure. Uninterested from the start, she wanted no involvement in the drama.

Swinging back and forth, Wansarut felt a forceful gust propel her forward. She glanced around to witness the forest settling into an unusual calm, as if a presence had touched down amidst the canopy. Descending from the swing, she observed a figure emerging from the woods, recognizing the silver breastplate of the Garuda as he approached.

"Swadee kha, Wansarut," he greeted, joining his hands.

She whispered inquisitively, "What are you doing here?" scanning their surroundings for any witnesses.

The Garuda responded with wide-eyed innocence, "Why are you whispering?"

"Your entrance was not exactly subtle, Khun," she signed.

Amused, the Garuda burst into laughter. The resonant sound stirred something within her, it felt like a warm embrace. She couldn't help but be captivated by the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled.

---/---/---

Sapuna felt an ice-cold grip on his arm, and Wansarut tugged him towards the expansive Banyan Tree grove. He followed, too shy to meet her gaze, opting instead to focus on the ground. With every step, her emerald-gold anklets gleamed against her fair skin, and the hem of her garments brushed the ground in front of him.

Wansarut halted and turned to face him. Reluctantly, he lifted his head to meet her gaze. As she parted her lips to speak, he stopped her, saying, "I have news regarding your request."

Sapuna proceeded to share everything, from his visit to Lord Aruna to his journey to this place. Wansarut's face brightened with each word, as if she had realized something crucial and couldn't wait to express it.

"Prince Chalothorn visited my family last evening and left abruptly without explanation, citing an emergency. He didn't seem very pleased about it, maybe this was the news." she said, tilting her head.

Sapuna attentively absorbed her words and, driven by curiosity, inquired, "Why was Prince Chalothorn at your house?"

Wansarut glanced at him, her shoulders slumping. "My family has been members of the royal court for centuries, and he has asked for my hand in marriage."

"Oh," was all Sapuna could manage to say.

While he had suspected her high social status based on her jewelry and attire, he shouldn't have been so surprised that she was engaged, especially to Prince Chalothorn.

"I haven't given him an answer yet. I was supposed to yesterday, but..." She trailed off.

"You would have said yes?" he asked.

Wansarut gazed at him with a pained expression. He could decipher from her look alone that she harbored no interest in the proposed union.

It felt inherently wrong. She, with her purity and kindness, seemed incompatible with someone like Chalothorn. The Naga prince held nothing but bitterness in his heart, responsible for the ongoing conflict between their clans.

"I have to go," Sapuna said, distancing himself from her. "I hope you make the right choice."

"Khàapkhun Kha... Khun," she replied, bowing her head.

Sapuna chuckled at her formality. "Please, Wansarut, I should be the one thanking you. And you can call me by my name; no need to be so formal." Wansarut remained silent, directing her gaze to her feet and fidgeting with her hands. He realized the reason. "You don't know my name," he sighed.

"Sapuna. My name is Sapuna-Naparuj," he said, smiling at how Wansarut snapped her head to look him in the eyes, clearly surprised.

"Sapuna." she repeated.

He swore no one had ever uttered his name quite like that. His heart raced, warmth spreading across his face, and he took a step backward, still looking her in the eyes until the pounding in his chest became too much.

Turning away, Sapuna unfurled his wings and soared toward Garuda Lok, a smile playing on his lips as he stole glances at the fascinated Wansarut with his infinite vision.

---/---/---

Bonus Scene

"Come on, man," Phaya pleaded with the lunch guy to give him an extra slice of mango.

"I told you I can't give you extra. Two slices for everyone," the server stared him down, not a hint of emotion in his eyes.

Phaya looked at the tray overflowing with fresh mango slices, his mouth watering at the mere scent of the ripe yellow fruit.

"Phaya, move," Khem urged him from behind. Giving Khem a look, Phaya moved to the end of the line. Finding an empty table at the hall's far end, he sat down eyeing the tray of food before him, with food portions standardized for trainees following a specific diet plan.

Phaya ate his lunch, attempting to chew the sticky rice while reminiscing about how every year, a friend of his grandma who owns a farm would send crates of fresh mangoes. Him and his sister would always quarrel for the juiciest ones. If he managed to snag one, he would tease her by eating it in the messiest way possible.

Maybe this is karma for teasing Nee when we were young.

Deciding to save the mango for last, he focused on the chicken curry instead, grateful it tasted better than the vegetarian stew served the day before.

Tharn, Khem, Yai, and Thongthai approached his table, sitting down with their lunch trays. Phaya smiled at them and continued eating, while Yai and Tharn shared stories of a festival in their hometown.

As Phaya scooped up the last bite of rice, he saw Khem reach out to his tray and offer him his share of mango slices. Phaya stared at him in awe, then noticed Thongthai, Yai, and Tharn doing the same.

At a loss for words, he looked around at his friends, all of whom had smiles on their faces.

"Aww, Phaya, stop looking at us like that!" Yai jabbed him in the ribs. "It looks like you're about to cry."

"I love you guys," Phaya said wholeheartedly and dove into the pile of mango slices on his tray.

Busy enjoying his favorite treat, he missed what Yai was about to say. "Ay Phaya, it was Tharn who... Ouch!" Yai winced.

Phaya looked at Yai in confusion. "What?" he asked.

Tharn spoke up while gathering his now empty tray. "Nothing. He was rambling about something. We're gonna go, we... have to practice... questions! For the pre exam." He tilted his head at his friends, and they all got up and left, one after another.

Phaya tried to recall what Yai was saying but stopped when he felt all eyes on his tray. He quickly finished the fruits and made a hasty exit before someone could tip off the trainers.

---/---/---

Back in their dorm hall, Yai yelled at Tharn, "Hey, Tharn! Did you have to kick my feet that hard?" rubbing his toes that were now red, while Tharn furrowed his brows, searching for balm to soothe his friend.

"Khao thot, Yai, I just don't want him to find out it was me," Tharn apologized earnestly, extending his hands to Yai.

A hoot echoed from Thongthai and Khem's bunk, and Tharn rolled his eyes as they approached Yai giggling like children, bearing an ice pack.

Khem playfully poked Tharn in the ribs. "Tharn, you look so cute trying to impress your crush..."

"...making such a big sacrifice of your share of mango slices and threatening your friends to do the same!" Thongthai teased him, dramatically fanning himself, extracting laughter from Yai.

"Okay, okay, just don't tell Phaya. Please," Tharn laughed along, taking a seat opposite Yai's bed.

Khem inquired taking a seat beside Yai, "By the way, how did you know he likes mangoes?"

Tharn tilted his head, genuinely puzzled about how he knew Phaya liked mangoes. "I don't know. I just assumed, I guess."

Khem and Thongthai nodded, and Yai interjected, "Are we all going to talk about Phaya? Can't you see I'm injured?" He tried his best to give them puppy eyes.

"Oh, Yai! You're such a drama queen!" Khem laughed as he pressed the ice pack onto his feet.

---/---/---/---/---/---/---/---

More fics? reblog this with what tropes you want for Sapuna and Wansarut!

---/---/---

Guide

Sapuna - Phaya's name in past life as a Garuda

Wansarut - Tharn's name in past life as a Nagini

Naga - A creature from Hindu and Thai mythology who has magical powers and can shapeshift into a Serpant

Nagini - Females of Naga clan.

Garuda Lok - The realm of Lord Garuda

Naga Lok - Realm of the Nagas

Phi Saoo - older sister in thai

nong saoo - younger sister in thai

Khapyn kha - Thank you in thai

Khao Thot - Sorry in thai

---/---/---

Taglist (i tagged everyone who replied and reblogged part one pls dm if you want to be added/removed to this taglist)

@tuturuue | @asiandramas-takeover | @iggiogyfy9yf9 | @alienbi | @chaos0pikachu | @findthebluesky | @starryalpacasstuff | @elmindredaniq | @maxescheibechlinichacheli | @belladonna-and-the-sweetpeas | @kurosawascrowsfeet | @blneobin | @25shadesoffebruary | @blue-grama

[jikookuntold]

Sorry but don't you think it was already for Jikookers the moment JK's video was leaked ?

Saw many explanations and excuses saying it's made up, set up, fake etc. But really? There was no original source of video to prove it was edited. We can clearly see it's him in his apartment and bam running around him. It was filmed in Feb from his hairstyle, when bam was still with him. I saw some of big Jikokkers here having a relieved sigh when he said he don't have a gf now but He only said he don't have a gf in September. Tbh enough time to casually date and breakup with a girl.. which I've always thought his dating pattern is. So technically he wasn't lying either. And didn't he said he don't feel like wanting anyone and just want to concentrate on work for now? Doesn't that mean he don't have any partner but will have a gf in future ? In short not only he denied he had gf at the moment but also anyone special in his life. I don't think 'homophobic country' excuses applies as they literally enlisted together infront of everyone in the same country's military.

Also saw someone saying it can be a friend. But think.. who hugs some random girl in their apartment when their partner is not present there? Imagine spotting your bf hugging some random woman like that in apartment when they are alone at night. Doesn't make sense right ?

Another category of jikookers was going with 'open relationship' explanation but still not accepting Jikook is not romantically involved and everything was just them reading it wrong. Because if anyone listened to things Jimin said its clear af he only want to be in exclusive relationship.. maybe JK too but he was not even available for a serious relationship then.

Only a small percentage of Jikookers accepted its real and he has a gf irl or atleast not dating Jimin.

When i see Jikookers trying to deny it and find every excuses, it sounds like taekookers who still think Taennie was fake and army who think it's fake videos and pics.

But even worse for taekookers because one was seen holding his gf's hand in Paris while another was hugging his gf in his apartment all while choosing songs only about fucking women 😭 ik he said its not about his real life but only he chose songs like that. Others wrote their own songs but Tae's songs weren't autobiographical either and none of them were about fucking women or hetero sex. If it was rhythm he liked them they could've wrote some meaningful or even funny lyrics but nope all were about sex with women. If that doesn't tell about JK's sexuality and interests idk what will, 3D's choreo was fucking gross too. He's naturally drawn to what he likes. Tkkrs survive by lying and living in delusional world denying reality.. now jikookers also doing the same thing imo 🤷‍♀️ so idk why you have to make taekookers understand their ship is not real when Jikook isn't real too and 90% chance JK is straight af.

First of all, there is no reason for me to believe that blurry video posted on a chinese platform is Jungkook. Look for yourself, where is his lip piercing? Or the scar on his cheek? Or the mole under his lip? Huh? 😼

Wonder why that sasaeng who was spying for hours on a perfect angle on his window to catch him with the girl, didn't use a better cam instead of a toaster so their faces don't look like bread loafs? Even a normal phone has a better camera. Why in the other photos they leaked of him alone in his house the quality is good and the angle is completely different? When they explain this, I can agree that this ghost-face is JK. Otherwise it's just someone with bangs backhugging a giant pregnant lady wearing a night gown behind an open window on a breezy night.

About your mental gymnastic, in the listening party, fans were leaving comments asking "do you have a girlfriend?" And his answer was addressing that repetitive question, not the video. And don't give me this category of jikookers that percentage of jikookers thing. I don't care about anyone else's opinion, they can have their own, I have mine.

Don't you dare to compare that thing with Taennie. Taennie had 10 different HD photos leaked together and many obvious clues and hints proving the photos and the relationship was real, and even biggest and the most reliable media sources like Rolling Stone, BBC, Billboard, Dispatch, JTBC, etc wrote articles about them dating and being spotted together. JK didn't even wait for two days to react to that nonsense, but Tae was totally silent about it for almost two years. On the contrary, he started it all with following Jennie on IG, and then fueled it with more hints and wearing matching jewelry. Kmedia said they have been separated for months, so he could come up and say "I don't have a girlfriend" just like his dongsaeng but he didn't 🤷‍♀

Did you know Ricky Martin, George Michael, Freddie Mercury and many other queer singers for decades sang songs about having sex with women? Some was even their own lyrics while they were gay af lol. And you say Tae is gayer than JK because he didn't sing about having sex with women 😹

And how Jikook enlisting together has anything to do with this at all? Who said anything about homophobic country? Do guys deny having girlfriend in a homophobic country? Shouldn't it be the other way around? Did Jikook went to apply for buddy system and say "Sir, we are gay and in love, we can't stand being separated, please let us enlist together 😃🏳‍🌈" Nope.

The military of this homophobic country made this system available for close friends and relatives between the ages 18 and 28 to minimize the mental and physical traumas of mandatory service, and they are not going to ask them if they are having sex.

We always said Jikook can't live without each other, but it was people like you who come up with things like "they can't stand each other" "they only look close on cameras" "they don't care about each other" "they have different and separated lives" "they broke up" 🤡 Now that it is proved that Jikook is the closest and the most inseparable duo in BTS you are still brave on your shit? 💩

And since that video is your last straw I made this edit for you, I hope you like it 😻

[panlight]

What do you think the Denali Coven were like as humans, their interests or hobbies, or maybe do as a career? (Kate probably does martial arts or self-defense, Tanya could work in art, Eleazar in business, etc etc. They got that big mountain home somehow)

I'm skeptical of them having careers in the present day, given that they seem to have been staying in the same place since at least the 1930s. I guess now they could be doing some sort of remote work? Maybe in the past they wrote books or articles under pseudonyms, or just picked up odd jobs here and there. Or the sisters just had their boyfriends buy them things and pay for stuff?

(And I DO wonder about their house because Denali is a national park. Are they paying the government off to let them keep staying there? Is it so remote the government doesn't know about it? SM seems to suggest they live literally ON the mountain.)

As a human Kate seemed to be into martial arts and physical fitness, having served as a bodyguard of sorts to what amounted to a princess. I think she and Emmett would have had fun over the years testing the limits of vampire abilities. Maybe she does workout videos online.

Irina was from a small farming community, I imagine she had a quieter, more peaceful human life than Kate. Maybe she still likes to grow things? An Alaskan mountain cabin is not like, the most ideal place for a garden. Maybe she keeps an indoor herb garden? Or they are hiding a big greenhouse on the mountain too, lol.

I've imagined that Tanya was possibly from a more well-to-do background; Sasha was her great-aunt and had been watching over the family which makes me think the family was prosperous in some way. Maybe they were skilled craftspeople or involved in local government. We don't really get a sense of what Tanya's hobbies are (other than romantic pursuits), but she seems cultured and sophisticated, while still also fun. Keep thinking of her cannonball into the snow. Maybe becoming a vampire gave her freedom from the expectations of her family/society and that's part of the reason she so was so devoted to Sasha. She didn't feel like she robbed her of her human life, but that she gave her freedom from it. But I do like to think she is maybe into some sort of craft; maybe she remembers ancient weaving or ceramic techniques and sells them at craft fairs and on Etsy.

Eleazar seems like a scholarly sort, and Carmen gives musical vibes, although that might be because of the actress who played her in the movies. In my mind she sings, plays several instruments, dances. Eleazar enjoys these things too, but he is the harmony to her melody; he supports her, but it's her passion. Maybe she was a street musician when they met. Her siren song lured him away from the Volturi. I think Eleazar is like Aro and Carlisle, very curious, wants to learn and study, but perhaps more about history and culture than Carlisle's science/medicine angle.

[mastermindmp3]

If you just want the song analysis, skip to the next banner. However, I do think the context added by my rambling is at least interesting.

Hey, so remember how yesterday, I opened my analysis post with a comment about how I try to analyze the songs without analyzing Taylor Swift's life, because I feel it's limiting to my ability to understand the song. It's not a form of analysis I'm very good at either, frankly.

I feel like that comment goes especially so for But Daddy I Love Him. Because I was certainly there for the rat-filled fortnight, as in, he literally played guitar for Phoebe Bridgers at my show. And there's a lot I could say that has already been said, more eloquently and by people far more qualified.

I'm a biology student, not a sociologist. But as an Indigenous woman, there is a level of hurt that comes from the people we admire tolerating racism within their spaces, and how that can often play into revealing a pattern of behavior. On the opposite hand, I can see the annoyance (and indignation) that she was held more accountable for his actions than he was. Indeed, I believe that this is what the line "[My good name] is mine alone to disgrace" refers to. On the other, other hand, the whole situation leaves a powdery, bad taste in my mouth.

And now to never talk about that again, because I don't feel qualified to give you a conclusion on it. I'm still listening to the music, after all. The rest of my analysis will be from the perspective of the song as a story, not as diary, my preferred modus operandi.

I wanted to say all that as set up in: I didn't know what to think about this song. I was unsure what angle I wanted to talk about this song from, because divorcing it from the backlash was hard. She literally says "Scandal does funny things to pride," and we'll talk about that later.

Initially, I thought about covering against the grain readings. Recontextualizing the song completely, giving it a new meaning. I thought about maybe covering the history of forbidden romance as a genre (and its many evolutions, from ironically, interracial love stories to queer romance.) I even thought about talking about the Little Mermaid, tying the song into one of the pieces of iconic fiction, and tying that back into the idea of forbidden romance as a queer reading of straight fiction (Howard Ashman, the lead lyricist for Disney, ostensibly the heart of the Disney Renaissance, was a gay man whose partner accepted his Oscar after he had passed due to AIDs.)

And... none of that worked. There are like, five versions of this post in my google docs that will never see the light of day.

Sitting in standstill traffic trying to leave last night's Hozier concert, I finally came to a conclusion. Well, I didn't. Jean, who's previously helped me on both Little Tortured Poet's Department and My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys, made a comment that "Without the rest of the album, [But Daddy I Love Him] reads like any 2003 emo song about a sleazy bassist. Sure, we know better, but the singer doesn't."

And that got me thinking: TTPD is an album that is very much in conversation with itself, and Taylor's discography as a whole. I said, "How much does not knowing that wider context change the song?" That's an angle to analyze, baby!

alternative title that wouldn't leave my mind: Dark AU!Love Story, don't like don't read

But Daddy I Love Him is, out of the whole album, the song that benefits from context the most. It is petulant, petty, the speaker digging in her heels on the subject of true love. Indeed, Scandal does funny things to pride. I jokingly referred to it as "Dark Love Story," but the songs are foils ( and likely intentionally, since both songs have to the singer begging "Daddy" to let her have her lover. It also makes sense to foil one of her most popular songs, so that general audiences are likely to make the connection. )

We, the audience, know that the Speaker's romantic interest isn't good for her. We don't like him, because likely, we've already listened to the previous songs on the tracklist, and he's already clearly hurt the singer. The prelude (in the CD and Vinyl booklets) refers to the album as one story, which helps set up this framework in the listener's mind.

However, even in the context of the song, there are scant hints of this. The Speaker, with her rose colored glasses firmly on, still refers to her lover as "crazy."

There's also an interesting tie to her older works, known affectionately on Reddit as Car Lore in the use of cars as metaphor for romance. To quote the seminal essay by u/Alex_Demote, "But for Taylor, being in a car is often the same thing as being in a relationship."

Here, the speaker's lover "[floors] it through the fences" at her request and they only hear "screeching tires and true love" His actions are incredibly dangerous. Even if she's told him to slam through the fence, anyone who actually loves her would say no. A joy ride isn't worth risking your life.

By literal laws of physics, screeching tires are tires that aren't moving. Whether the speaker knows it or not, this romance won't go anywhere, or if it does... well.

I'm an Aston Martin that you steered straight into the ditch (imgonnagetyouback) / Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street (Red) / You were driving the getaway car, we were flying but we’d never get far (Getaway Car)

Though, do we know it's a car? Obviously, this is Car Lore I'm applying here, but our only other references to a land vehicle (aside from the Aston Martin, which is The Speaker) are in So High School, which has it's own parallels to But Daddy I Love Him, see below, and in imgonnagetyouback:

Whether I'm gonna be your wife or / Gonna smash up your bike, I haven't decided yet

And here comes my main point: Driving a car through a fence is reckless, yes, but not likely to be fatal. A bike? A bike? It's only with the context of the rest of the album that the danger our speaker was in comes into clear view. In the song itself, the Speaker only knows he's a bit of a troublemaker, but doesn't mind. She is either blind to the truth of the matter, or looking past it. After all, my boy only breaks his favorite toys. She'd rather burn her whole life down.

But, at the end of the song, her parents "came around" and while the "wine moms are still holding out," the Speaker seems quite happy to be "his lady." Time does give some perspective, but this song doesn't: though the final chorus could be reframed as about a new lover (as she says "Fuck 'em, it's over,") it still reads like everything worked out with her "wild boy."

Like I said on Down Bad, the songs on TTPD are slices of time. This song is the Speaker in a state of blind love, a poisoned honeymoon phase, and without the rest of the album of hindsight, the song just reads... Mean. The teenage prank of "I'm having his baby," refusing to "come to [her] senses," and even referring to herself as "not growing up at all," slamming through fences that someone else will have to fix. It's the exact kind of pettiness that a sixteen year old might pull.

Hey, speaking of sixteen: So High School. If But Daddy I Love Him is a dark take on forbidden love, So High School is its antidote, is that quintessential Boy Meets Girl, and plays deeply into high school cliches. It's also the only other mention of a land vehicle, to my knowledge. The speaker's infatuated with how her lover, "Got [her] car door, isn't that sweet?"

The other, very teenager-y love song on the record is so opposite. It's cheerful, and most importantly, the singer realizes it too. So High School serves to further contextualize But Daddy I Love Him as the speaker's attempt at a rebellious stage, and the rest of the album is her showing how it all crashed and burned.

Conclusion? Her daddy might love him, but he does NOT have land vehicle proficiency. And context can give far more perspective than time ever could.

also hey WDYM GET BACK HERE—

[sharkiegorath]

Major plot speculation for Good Omens S2. Doesn't reference any leaks. Does reference the trailer, sneak peeks, the S2 opening sequence, episode titles, official promos, minisode plots, hypothetical book sequel details, a late-season vague spoiler from the SFX article, and one interview where there might've been a slip.

Gabriel was the annunciation angel. Could S2 involve a second annunciation? For the Second Coming of Christ?

EVIDENCE:

The amnesiac Gabriel knows he needs to deliver something, seemingly to Aziraphale. Like he 'delivered' the news about Jesus to Mary? Based on promos and Gabriel throughout the opening sequence, this delivery is a major thread throughout the season.

'Everyday' was going to be S1's theme song, but it was cut. Now 'Everyday' is an actual plot point in S2, maybe because it's a romantic song………..but also because something else is approaching. Something of near-equivalent importance to the Antichrist.

"The Apocalypse was just a red herring" possibly because Jesus never actually showed up - was never even hinted at besides a short scene in S1E3 - even though the Second Coming is a major part of the Book of Revelation.

One minisode is called 'The Resurrectionists', and another involves zombies. The 'Everyday' pub in Edinburgh is also called the Resurrectionist. The resurrection of the dead occurs in Revelation 20, right after the widely-interpreted Second Coming in Revelation 19.

A minute into the opening sequence, there's a sign saying 'the 2nd Coming'. I mean. It's a bit on the nose, but what's up with that. The words 'THE PAROUSIA' are also visible around 1:08 of the opening sequence. It could be the theater's name...but 'Parousia' is another name for the Second Coming.

The hypothetical sequel book would've included Jesus arriving in a "big silver plane" surrounded by angel bodyguards. Crowley and Aziraphale would also be involved. (sources) S2 is supposed to get the plot to the point of the hypothetical sequel - maybe Jesus needs to arrive on Earth first. Note that a big silver plane labeled "Thy Kingdom Airways" appears in the opening sequence, shortly before it starts raining hearts.

The trailer has Aziraphale saying "I think I may have just started a war" and something reading "surrender the angle" [sic] thrown through a window. The SFX article reveals that "towards the end", Shax prepares to attack the bookstore, to retrieve Gabriel. Unlike the Heaven/Hell dynamic in S1, Hell might be trying to stop a Second Coming because they don't have a 'counter', since the Antichrist is now human.

WEAKER EVIDENCE:

S2E1 is titled 'The Arrival'. That's the same title as episode one of the radio adaptation, when the infant Antichrist arrived.

In the book/S1, Hell was incompetent delivering the Antichrist. It makes thematic sense for the Second Coming to be botched by Heaven being equally incompetent.

Last lines of the trailer: "I'm going to get into so much trouble." "Well then, let's make it worthwhile." because fundie groups will lose their goddamn minds if this is the plot?!

and...finally....

RADIO TIMES INTERVIEW:

"Jesus is being redelivered to earth, the Second Coming is scheduled." this could be a straightforward verbal slip about the book/S1 plot. or it might actually be the overarching plot

My biggest problem with this theory is that it might be too obvious. But things like Gabriel-as-messenger and 'the parousia' make me think the Second Coming is going to be evoked somehow. In that case, maybe the angels and demons conclude it's the Second Coming, and that assumption drives some of the plot, but then it turns out it isn't.

[richmond-rex]

this sounds a little petty 😂 - or maybe it's a genuinely valid piece of frustration, idk - but whenever I see a list of Tudor queens or Tudor queen consorts and Elizabeth of York is either 1) not on the list or 2) regarded as one of the less "important" (what does that even mean? idk but people keep saying it) queens, it irritates me so much. You'd think people who care about the Tudors as a historical dynasty would give the first Tudor queen her due, but apparently the most she's good for is vague and rather inaccurate comparisons with Henry VIII's queens. Particularly Jane Seymour, even though I really don't think there's much of a "parallel" between the two women's personalities, queenship, marriages or even appearance at all.

Elizabeth was SO IMPORTANT for the inception of the dynasty. So damn important. Henry VII's route to kingship from 1483 did not begin with him. It didn't begin with him angling for the throne or people angling for his right to the throne. It began with Yorkist supporters trying to put the Princes on the throne and then beginning to consider their sister Elizabeth of York as the Yorkist heiress. Their loyalty to Henry VII was primarily as the future husband of Elizabeth of York, that's where he gained the majority of his new supporters, including William Stanley who was of immense, history-altering help in Bosworth, came from. (I thiiiink you had reblogged a post of yours with someone's additional added tags about this that framed it a lot better, recently but I can't find it rip). That is obviously not discounting Henry's competence or his capabilities or his victory, or Margaret Beaufort's admirable actions, but I just feel like Elizabeth of York's importance to the Tudor dynasty can never be overstated. Her position as his queen and wife were so important for his road to kingship AND the way he secured his reign and dynasty afterwards. Without Elizabeth of York, it's highly doubtful that Henry would have been able to gain the throne the way he did (at least, not without a significant more time, effort and a MUCH higher chance of failure) and it's also doubtful that he'd be able to secure it the way he did, because their unification from two opposing sides was a major factor in his propaganda and collective perception of their marriage, and the comfort, strength and support it evoked.

Obviously, this is within the bracket of the Tudor queens (because they're a very famous dynasty and all their queens are significantly better known than a lot of former or latter ones), but it's just frustrating??

again - I hope this doesn't sound very petty 😂

Hi! Sorry for taking so long to reply, but don't worry I get your frustration completely (and I share it too). I remember once seeing an incredibly pretty illustration for the Tudor consorts depicting all of Henry VIII's queens AND Philip of Spain..... and it didn't include Elizabeth of York. After Catherine of Aragon, Elizabeth was the longest reigning Tudor consort, being queen for no less than seventeen (17) years! She was immensely popular at her time which can be attested not only by the several presents she received from noble and common folk alike but also by the fact that she was the subject of a popular ballad that reimagined her as a romantic heroine (The Most Pleasant Song of the Lady Bessy), and the subject of songs during her lifetime. Her death was lamented by commentators from Ireland to Rome, and her reputation for charity was well-known. She was so popular in her time, it's a bit ironic that she has become, as Amy Licence puts it, 'the forgotten Tudor queen'.

(Of course, it's all relative as you said: we're talking about the Tudor perspective. Elizabeth is still more well-known than Philippa of Hainault or Anne of Bohemia, for example, if only because she's known in relation to the drama of her brothers and uncle, or because she's known as Henry VIII's mother).

In terms of importance, it's staggering how much her role has been downplayed. And I'm not only talking about the establishment of the Tudor dynasty, which is usually cited if only in brief terms. Her legacy lived on. As pointed out by Michelle Beer, for both Catherine of Aragon and Margaret Tudor, Elizabeth was the only queen consort whom they had experience observing, and her queenship style would have impacted their own. But going back to the establishment of her husband's reign, her importance was so much more than simply providing him with the supporters he needed (which is so often reduced to merely 'lifting a finger for a wedding ring'). I will never tire of pointing out Elizabeth's active participation in diplomacy, communicating with European princes in order to protect her husband's interests. If on one hand, Margaret of York was writing to the Pope asking him to lift his sanction of Henry VII, Elizabeth of York was writing to him to do exactly the contrary and reinforce his sanction.

She was an integral element of her husband's reign that went beyond her dynastic blood. Elizabeth provided a more human/accessible image at court celebrations and feasts, formal occasions and receptions of foreign delegations. Not for nothing, she was so frequently found at Henry VII's side on those occasions. Symbolically, she seems to have been greatly valued by Henry too, and I don't mean it simply by how her family symbol, the white rose, was integrated into official Tudor imagery. I'm also talking about how much weight he seems to have given to their union. In terms of art commissions done by Henry, their marriage was constantly alluded to in a way that referenced prophetic discourse: we have their marriage bed where Henry and Elizabeth are portrayed as the new Adam and Eve (Christ and the Virgin), the royal chapel at Greenwich where they were depicted holding hands (I will talk about it in the future), the family portrait where Henry and Elizabeth are depicted as if re-enacting their wedding vows, and even the shared tomb he commissioned.

Elizabeth of York was important and was valued on so many fronts, I daresay she was one of the most efficient queens in terms of successfully upholding her husband's reign. When it comes to Henry's ascension, I think Elizabeth and Margaret Beaufort might have been equally important (considering Margaret's articulation/funding and her claim from which Henry derived his own). But after Henry's ascension, my opinion is that Elizabeth was even more important for all the political, symbolic and of course, emotional support she provided her husband. They seem to have been a very effective partnership, and I doubt his reign would have been as successful as it was if it wasn't for Elizabeth.

So yeah, it is frustrating that she's not given the real importance that she's due when it comes to discussing Tudor history. Whenever she is talked about, she's so commonly relegated to a passive dynastic and decorative role, a trophy wife, it's insane.

[kyouka-supremacy]

Did you do kouyou for the ask game?

I didn't! Thank you for asking her!!!

Favorite thing about them: Everything aaah, I love her tons. I really like how complex and multifaceted she is. She commits most atrocious actions for what she believes is a truly fair and just cause. She's adult and mature and yet she's blind to many aspects of the world. She's witty and cold and charismatic and yet even her is deceived by her own emotions. She really feels so human. I like how powerful she is, how high she is in the pm hierarchy, it's nice to see women in positions of power in this manga once in a while. Her backstory, however meager, makes for a truly compelling mindset and motives. I love her, I think she's about the most accidentally well written female character in the whole franchise.

Least favorite thing about them: Mmmhhh... Not a big fan of how her interactions with Dazai are portrayed I guess :/ He's always shown having the upper hand in every situation, and even though she's a powerful, capable skill user, she seems helpless in front of him. It's a little sorry to see, but maybe it's just me.

Favorite line: Nothing in particular, but I suppose this passage is nice :)

brOTP: I've said this before already, but I LOVE her ralationship with Mori. I really like to think of them as close siblings. I like the idea of Kouyou being Mori's right hand woman, and that he doesn't trust anyone like he trusts her. Additionally, Kouyou and Chuuya! I like the concept of Chuuya looking up to her as his mentor, and Kouyou being fond of him. I like to interpret them as well being close. And it's remarkable to see Chuuya admire someone else.

OTP: I'm positive towards kousano, I think they're cool!! Though I guess I don't feel very strongly for any romantic Kouyou ship ╮(. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)╭

nOTP: Nothing

Random headcanon: She's going to be the next pm boss no I don't take criticism on this.

Unpopular opinion: She deserves the next light novel. She's like a bad copy of Isabella ThePromisedNeverland lol. If you like the concept of the character, I really recommend reading the first arc of t/p/n.

Song i associate with them: Tengaku by Yuuyu-P, cover by ANGL ft. Meiko. It's a little funny because Tengaku is to me Yuuyu-P's spiritual opposite to Shinkai Shoujo (fire / water, red / blue, Rin / Miku), and that's a song I associate with Kyouka. Also, WORLD'S END UMBRELLA by Hachi is basically Kouyou's backstory.

Favorite picture of them:

Favourite panel from the manga:

Favourite illustration: (Admittedly, not a very wide choice)

Favourite illustration in the anime art style: (I never realized how truly little content Kouyou had until now)

Favourite Mayoi card: (Thank you Mayoi for being the only consistent source of Kouyou content)

Send me a character?

[glassprism]

Just saw phantom in trieste and plan to write up some better thoughts later, and yes there's all the... choices people have been talking about, but I haven't seen anyone talking about the way AIAOY is done? They really lean into the Christine trying to jump angle, to the point where the whole song almost comes off as raoul shakily begging her to stay with him just so she doesn't uh... which is certainly a choice. They don't even kiss within the song, it's just a hug and seems like a hug of relief from him knowing she's stepped away. Idk, I couldn't believe it! Bradley looked terrified the whole time as he edged towards her on the roof ledge.

It might depend on where you're looking - 'All I Ask of You' in the Italian production gets talked about in this fairly detailed review on the Box5 subreddit, and I know that eventually made its way to the Phantom Discord servers, where people were already kind of discussing it and the rest of the show. So yeah, maybe it's not being mentioned as much on Tumblr but it is being talked about in the circles I'm in!

As for that interpretation, it is interesting to me because it sounds a bit like a combination between the restaged tour and the Norway and Greece production: the restaged tour because it also heavily featured Christine on the verge of jumping off the rooftop with Raoul having to coax her away and Norway and Greece production because it also had Raoul and Christine hugging during the climax of the song (though they kiss when the song ends, which, according to the above linked review, also happens in Italy). I even remember there was a lot of phan criticism of the "jumping off the rooftop" choice when the restaged tour was around precisely because people felt it made 'All I Ask of You' seem less a romantic song and more like Raoul going, "Oh God don't jump Christine I'll say whatever you want if it'll keep you from jumping".

Which might just go to show that any time there's a new idea, someone else has probably already done it, heh. But despite that, it'd be cool to see it in action!

Thanks for the quick review!

[littlesparklight]

<3 thank you @papillon82fluttersby :D

The Rules: Tag (9) people you want to know better and/or catch up with, then answer the following:

Four ships:

Zeus/Ganymede: feel like it'd be a crime not to start here, haha. I've always been into mythology, but randomly thinking about Ganymede's myth a couple years ago now (that long!!) got me wanting to read Greek myth stuff, and I started with the Iliad (for the Trojan-related angle) and the Bibliotheke, and so. I might currently be more focused elsewhere but this is still my beloved ship <3 You can do so much with them, and, especially, I'd say, by interpreting them as mutually in love. There's obviously other m/m couples in Greek myth and even one of those that at first looks tragic doesn't need to end that way (Apollo/Hyacinthus) but there are so many reasons Zeus/Ganymede is the one that has me by the throat.

Menelaos/Paris: Honestly, looking back I'm not quite sure how I didn't zero in on this one from reading the Iliad itself the first time, because this is definitely one of the flavours of ships I love. This ship is also what led to, first, Helen/Menelaos/Paris for me and then Helen/Paris, because 99% of the time I just don't care at all about het ships. This ship is also why I currently am like I am about Paris! Make no mistake, I didn't hate or dislike him before that, either, like the majority of Tumblr (and elsewhere) seem to do; reading the Iliad I mostly thought him kinda hapless and inoffensive, so going from there and liking him wasn't that big of a step. The possibility of them having bonded during those nine days in Sparta (or in Troy!), going from friends (or more) to enemies with complicated feelings still in the background is just so damn juicy to me.

Carmilla/Laura: original novella flavour! One day I hope to do a rewrite/retelling of my own, that would definitely end with Laura going or otherwise together with Carmilla, one way or another. The way Carmilla talks to/about Laura and what they feel for each other is just. so great. The caterpillar quote. The one about Laura loving her or hating her, and especially "love will have its sacrifices; no sacrifice without blood". And you know. The boob-biting to feed is extremely inspired and very hot, even if Le Fanu undoubtedly didn't mean it that way. I don't care. They're mine now. :)

Darth Vader & Luke Skywalker: Since I am so deeply into gen&family ships aside from romantic/sexual shipping, it feels, again, like a crime not to mention these two. The ST might have broken the back of my fannish engagement in SW currently, but these two? I love them. I love Luke's impossible and earnest belief in his father's inherent goodness, I love that fucking scene at the end of ESB where Vader reaches out and Luke reflexively, despite everything, says 'father?' HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE IT???

Last song: Oh, uhh... I don't remember, but it's possible it was Teeth by 5 Seconds of Summer (happens to be one of my Helen/Paris songs for late war lol). I end up listening to a row of songs while drawing, sometimes (which is the only time I can listen to music and actually do something else at the same time), but it could have been another one, just as well.

Currently reading: Iliaden - en cover, by Dimitrios Iordanoglou, which is a (pretty heavily, sometimes) abridged and modernized version of the Iliad where the language is extremely slangy sometimes and the setting has been moved into "present day". Everyone uses guns and stuff. Apollo's main epithet is now "the Bomber" lol and he uses bombs and grenades. It's both extremely fun(ny) and really interesting, even if the language used sometimes make me wince even when I get why he's chosen it. But it's exactly because I know the changes he's made etc. that makes it extra interesting. When he keeps lines word-for-word from the Iliad they both stick out and fit in very well and it's interesting to see that, too. Also, and much longer than the above, is Paris in the Epic Tradition : a Study in Homeric Techniques of Characterization by Roberto Nickel, his thesis from 1997! I've mentioned it before; Nickel is exploring the possibility of the Iliad having changed/presented Paris (a lot) differently from how he might have been in traditional oral epic material. It's really interesting!

Last movie: Dungeon and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves! Loved it, a lot of fun, and despite how long it was, it all moved along at a good clip, nothing dragged.

Craving: Uh... :C Fics/art for my rare pairs? lol

Tagging: @a-gnosis @battlinghurricanes @crowlilies @my-name-is-apollo @scribeprotra @kebriones

[venturismcdonald]

Derek Venturi is 1989 by Taylor Swift: a sleep deprived essay.

To start: Derek appears to be shallow, fun, kinda ditzy and most importantly, catty. We know Derek's a petty asshole, which is part of Taylor's image during 1989 era. He's also a playboy/cad/whatever word you'd like to use to describe him. Taylor's image at the time was as this serial dater who's obsessed with men. We all know that they both didn't have many serious relationships at this time (honestly, their dating amount wasn't even much more than normal) but they want them.

The 1989 album focuses very strongly on themes of passion and perception. The truth can be whatever you want it to be and it can be twisted to be whatever you want it to seem. That's a motto that, as "king" of SJST High, Derek can live by. He also likes to twist stories to fit his own view of what happened, regardless of the truth. Truth and perception all depends on who you are and what angle you're looking at it from. Passion can kill. Perception is keeping it so that the death is covered up.

One of the core components of Derek's character is that he's passionate. He doesn't think before he does things, he lives his life based solely on his passions, and most importantly, he thinks with his heart, not his mind. Whatever logic Derek possesses (because to say he has none would be incorrect) is hidden away because he doesn't want to be logical. He wants to be able to exist solely on vibes, not on emotions (which are GROSS) or the stupid rules people put on him.

Track One: Welcome To New York

"Like any true love, it drives you crazy."

We all know Casey's the one with the real connection to New York, but this is not a song specifically about New York City. It's about going to someplace where you feel safe, about a home that's loud and vibrant and loving. For Derek, that's the McTuri house. It's insane and everything he wants, really. There's never a boring moment with Derek around, but especially in that house. It's where he grew up, where the marks on the wall are with his height and the memory of Marti tackling him.

Track Two: Blank Space

"Cherry lips, crystal skies/I could show you incredible things/Stolen kisses, pretty lies."

Derek's perception within London is someone who's a serial dater. He doesn't take any of it seriously. The song was written to satirize that experience, to make it seem realer than it actually is. From what we see, all the man does is go on a few dates, get two serious girlfriends in the entire show. This is a man who knows what his own love life is, that it's going to be dramatic and heartbreaking but he genuinely loves and loves hard. He can't help being popular and beloved and the victim of rumors.

Track Three: Style

"Fade into view, oh/It's been a while since I have even heard from you."

This is exactly how Derek feels about Abby. I'm aware Style is about a romantic relationship, but the general theme of an on/off relationship works for his bond with Abby. She shows up sometimes, but she's with other people so often, prioritizing them, that he feels sort of forgotten until she comes into view.

Track Four: Out Of The Woods

"Two paper airplanes flying, flying."

The anxiety present in this track and how terrifying everything is works very well for Derek's fear of Casey. He doesn't fear her, of course (because she's lame and he's cool), but he fears the way that she can control him. Being out of the woods would be being free from Casey and her stupid hold on his stupid heart. Hence why he runs away to Paris.

Track Five: All You Had To Do Was Stay

"Why'd you have to go and lock me out when I let you in?"

Derek's completely aware of how all of this sucks, and the fact that he left, but he maintains that Casey left first. This is all her fucking fault, because she's the one that was in his fucking jersey, which made him run. She was going to lock him out, so it made sense to run first. He was protecting his stupid, foolish heart.

Track Six: Shake It Off

"Got nothin' in my brain/That's what people say."

Some people have the fucking audacity to accuse Derek of being a man whore. Which, yeah, it's kinda cool, but! Derek's not a whore, he dates a normal amount of girls, and it's no one's business! He's smart and has knowledge, even if no one sees it. He can't help that girls like him, so he just shakes off the criticisms from everyone, even George.

Track Seven: I Wish You Would

"You're thinkin' now that I hate you now 'cause you still don't know what I never said."

Why on earth did someone hate Derek enough to make him want Casey so much he's in physical pain over it? She's with Peter because she's a fucking coward and now he has to deal with it, because Derek didn't take his stupid shot and tell stupid Casey that he likes her stupid self.

Track Eight: Bad Blood

"Still got scars on my back from your knife."

Derek is aware that he sounds insane, but fucking hell, the fact that Sam likes Casey is the world's biggest betrayal. He can't believe this happened, because this is cruel. This is the worst thing to ever happen and it's totally not because he has some weird feelings crawling up in his throat and feeling like Sam is stealing his Casey.

Track Nine: Wildest Dreams

"Tangled up with you all night, burnin' it down."

So what if Casey has a new boyfriend? It doesn't matter. Even if the new boyfriend is Peter, Derek is going to ignore that because he's still haunted by that fucking kiss, and he's going to be haunted forever.

Track Ten: How You Get The Girl

"And that's how it works/That's how you get the girl."

There is no true way to say how absolutely absurd Derek thinks the fact that guys say it's hard to get a girl is. He thinks the entire thing is bullshit. And, look, it's not hard to make a woman swoon! It's time to teach a course. Not to Peter, but to the children, who need so much help getting dates.

Track Eleven: This Love

"These hands had to let it go free and/This love came back to me."

Everything is fucking tragic, because he lost touch with Casey for years, but now she's there. They're together, again, and everything might actually be okay.

Track Twelve: I Know Places

"Just grab my hand and don't ever drop it, my love."

Hiding is easy. There are so many corners and places where Derek can hide, places where Derek can just exist with Casey and her insane ass without anyone watching. Their life was always on view, everyone watching, but now everything can be on their terms.

Track Thirteen: Clean

"I screamed so loud, but no one heard a thing."

Casey's a fucking addiction, one Derek can't be clean from, but there's a fucking ocean keeping them apart. And her goddamn husband. Still, he fucking hates this. Everyone thinks that he's over her, but he's screaming in every fucking song that he's not.

Track Fourteen: Wonderland

"Life was never worse, but never better."

They were toxic in Queens. It was a weird flirtationship that was never going to be healthy when they were in that in between stage, so he left Wonderland. And fuck, being lost in it was glorious.

Track Fifteen: You Are In Love

"Time moved too fast, you play it back."

It's so stupid to feel so much for her after all these years, but Derek cannot escape Casey's hold on him. He's so stupidly in love with her, his best friend.

Track Sixteen: New Romantics

"The rumors are terrible and cruel, but most of them are true."

A little bit of a slut era for Derek in his early twenties is what he needs, to cope with Casey getting married. He hooks up randomly for a year, gets a girlfriend, she gets pregnant, and he's not a new romantic anymore, but he's building castles out of bricks.

Track Seventeen: "Slut!"

"Half awake, takin' your chances."

Everything makes sense when he's with Casey, even if he's called a slut. She's the one, goddammit, and Derek's okay with it. All he wants is her, so he'll take the shitty rumors and occasional subtweets from Peter.

Track Eighteen: Say Don't Go

"And I'm yours, but you're not mine."

Just because Derek left, that doesn't mean he's okay! He's mad, selfishly, in a self-destructive sense. If she had just called and asked Derek to stay, he would've flown back. But she didn't, because she doesn't love him, and he just has to accept that.

Track Nineteen: Now That We Don't Talk

"Truth is, I can't pretend it's/Platonic, it's just ended."

Things have changed, and even though they talk, it's different. Everything is different. Rumors are half of how he knows her now, from the kids and Simon likes to share his observations, but Derek's trying to understand how everything works in this relationship now. Nothing is sensical. What the fuck are they?!

Track Twenty: Suburban Legends

"You were so magnetic, it was almost obnoxious."

Peter is cheating, and he's doing it right in front of Derek, who wants to tell Casey, but he can't. He just can't do this when he doesn't have proof, it's just suspicions, but god, they'd be a legendary couple. Derek would never hurt her like this. They would be suburban legends.

Track Twenty One: Is It Over Now?

"At least I had the decency/To keep my nights out of sight."

It's been years, and Derek's living with Casey now, but things aren't over. He doesn't know if they'll ever be. Will they ever get over each other? Probably not. But Jesus, he wants to. Kind of. He also wants to shove her against a wall because the longing is giving him way too many soft thoughts. She's with Peter, allegedly in love, and this is cruel because he's forced to know that every time he sees her stupid ring.

[todorroki]

Terrible Fathers The Series (Love Sea ep 3 thoughts)

i think this show is so funny. like i'm enjoying the beauty, the vibes, and the emotional moments for the first 50 minutes then suddenly BOOM peat's moaning then 5 minutes later i have a tear in my eye from fort's acting. i'm being swung around on Mame's Crazy Coaster. do not ask me what's going on. i'm having too much fun to answer.

also rip anyone who watches this ep on iq's web player. they're unable to display text in italics AND song lyric translations overtake actual dialogue. what is this terrible user experience. and you gotta pay for it!!!!!

if love sea is going to give me one thing, it's gonna be BEAUTIFUL SHOTS. my god i could go on and on taking so many screenshots of this episode especially.

i feel like we're getting more of the girls' relationship in the series compared to the book, which is a Good sign. last week's preview of 'will you be my girlfriend?' got me good. someone correct me if i'm wrong, but i don't remember fake dating happening in the book.

and the plot gears finally start turning this week! rak gets a call from his panicked sister about their father showing up, which causes him to hole up in his room. that in turn gives us serious mut (thank u for that.. fort looks So hot when he's being stern and assertive) and the sweet star gazing scene. i don't want to say much about rak's family because i feel like i might spoil something LMAO

one of my favorite scenes so far is when they go in the waters at night my GOD IM SO GODDAMN WEAK FOR A BRIDAL CARRY I CHEERED!!!!!! and the kiss in the water was ROMANTIC AS HELL. i'm so thankful for the entire production team for this scene. the waves were so strong yet they were all in the water doing their best to film. it must've been really challenging and difficult, so kudos to everyone. i, for one, am very proud of this whole part.

someone.. more peat in glasses please!! rak waiting for mut to fall asleep so he can cuddle him is sooo cute. i love their puppycat relationship. so many soft, heart-warming moments in this episode.

now onto the series of events in mut's house. plus points for the sunlight behind them in this kiss scene. idk anything about cinematography but it felt mesmerizing in a way.

the audible OH! i yelled when they REALLY started Kissing after mut's little trauma dump. I'M NOT COMPLAINING THOUGH comfort him every ep if you want >:) i'll take as many ncs as they wanna Give. i got duped by the first quick fade to black like 'oh ok so they're not-- NEVERMIND!'

gonna go into nc detail for a second here but i'm so glad we have nip sucking this ep. i was waiting for that. love sea Does Not miss in the nc department. ALSO DUDE WHEN DID FORTS TIDDIES GET SO BIG

AND THEN the best scene this episode: emotional mut, a showcase of fort's acting ability. i teared up a bit. it was soo so soft.

the angles, the lighting. BEAUTIFUL beautiful scene. i could not put it into words how much i adored this part. mut's difficulty in asking him to stay, rak telling him to keep being himself, them stroking each other's fingers with their hands intertwined, mut's little giggle when rak agrees, rak's laugh, the flurry of kisses after.. I LOVE ROMANCE!!!

i predicted right, we're going back to the city next episode. i can't say i'm too excited because i love the island setting too much, but the dreamlike vacation doesn't last forever!! the plot must move.

also ps they fixed rak's missing audio line in ep 2. i was rewatching a few days ago and finally heard it LMAO at least they're aware...

[themswritinwords]

Songs and Ships

Tagged by @athenswrites (many thanks!) and tagging @stesierra, @silvertalonwritblr, and @arigalefantasynovels (if you want, no pressure)

rules: write two to five songs that represent a ship between your ocs (it can be platonic or romantic or a secret third thing). then add a quote from said wip (if possible!) underneath it.

I know you shouldn't play favorites with your (brain)children, but I'm going with my all-time favs, Evan and Rowan, from The Rockbridge Experiment.

I Guess I'm In Love by Clinton Kane

I mean, the title says it all. He fell first, she fell harder, a little obliviously mutual pining (and everyone around them rolling their eyes) later, they're the embodiment of "this might as well happen." But make it romance.

Have Rowan's "oops! Feelings!" moment.

If she’d been anyone else, he might have just done it. Acted on impulse and kissed her right then, two-weeks-acquaintance be damned. But if there was a way to ruin everything, that would have been it. You didn’t just accept having a crush on your brand new coworker, let alone act on it. Is that why he was so hung up on her? He saw a pretty girl, but she was automatically off limits, so his brain threw a fit and refused to let the idea go without closure. That was then misinterpreted as attraction. Desire. Whatever this was. Was that really it? The thought gave him a peculiar, distasteful feeling in the pit of his stomach and he frowned to himself, turning another corner. He… didn’t want it to be just some fleeting attraction. And it wasn’t, was it? Yeah, sure, that came with it, but… Oh gods, he liked her. As in, ‘I want to kiss you because I really like you,’ not ‘I like you because I really want to kiss you.’ He stopped midstep, heart pounding with both joy and terror at the realization that this wasn’t a cut and dry case of having the hots for his coworker. “Well,” he said, putting his hands on his hips, “shit.” What did he do now?

Pas Peur by L.E.J.

Is it cheating if it's in a different language? Not if the character speaks said language. A song for the spicy Cajun girl who built a huge chunk of her identity on being Not Scared Of Anything, but is deeply terrified of the fact that she's crushing on someone for the first time in her life. (Bonus points because she literally didn't realize it for 3/4 of the manuscript. I'm not getting over that.)

Have the Terror of Realization.

She glanced surreptitiously to the side, scanning Rowan for any hint of how he was interpreting it. He had his hair down, running his fingers through the ends as he watched the alley ahead of them with a residual smile. Evan’s stomach did that weird twisting thing again, and a tiny jolt went through her as something shifted into place in her mind. Something totally foreign to her, a murky, terrifying unknown slowly fading into focus as her eyes traced the angles of his face.

Falling, by Florence + the Machine

What can I say? I'm a sucker for the scared-of-vulnerability and helpless-descent-into-madness vibes. This one applies to both of them. They're both terrified in different ways and for different reasons-- Rowan because he's usually the smooth talking player who dates around and is always chill, and now he's totally off his game with the facade stripped away. Evan because she's never actually cared for anyone like this, and she also doesn't know how to be the vulnerable, needy one.

Alas, there's not a ton of other quotes I could draw from because Major Spoilers, but have a snippet of a lil heart-to-heart that was particularly fun to write.

“You know,” she said after a moment, “a while back you told me that if the detective thing didn’t work out, I had a future as a therapist.” She looked up with a smirk. “I didn’t realize you were projecting.” “Side effect of your mom having a doctorate in psychology,” Rowan said with a smile. “The analysis, anyway. The awkwardly saying it out loud uncalled for is all me, unfortunately.” “Hey now, you don’t get to give a speech like that and then go calling yourself unfortunate.” With no witty comeback to be had, he just chuckled quietly. “Thank you,” Evan said, quickly and quietly. “I… I think I kind of needed that.” “I meant it,” Rowan said. “You really are incredible.” Their eyes met and lingered in a warm, fragile silence.  “I don’t know why this feels like the time to say it,” Evan said after a moment, “but for all the insanity and general screwed-up-ness of this whole situation… if nothing else, I’m glad it means I got to know you.” “The feeling’s mutual,” Rowan said quietly.

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Maybe it's time to get back to focusing on rewrites and shortening this one. I forgot how much fun I had writing these kids.