#but we only really see the two extreme ends of the spectrum

[still-a-morosexual-help]

Coming off of the Masquerade event & the implication from lot of his voice lines that Malleus & MC spend much more time together than what we see in the game.....

Their friendship means so much to me?

And I feel like MC just makes Malleus less scary by association?

It's giving cheetah in captivity & its emotional support dog like at first it was "sure it's cute but it's also something that could definitely kill me if I got too close" and now it's "okay that's definitely still something that could kill me if I got too close but look at him play with his little puppy wuppy friend🥺"

Beauty and the Beast energy except the Beast is just some traumatized architecture/history/anthropology nerd and the Beauty once yelled at Kalim while he was already crying

Centuries old all powerful inhuman creature that is also royalty btw and just some random idiot who got isekaid

Friendship recognised and found between the odd ones out except they're both on the two extreme ends of the "odd ones out" spectrum

"I have way too much magic to ever justify being in a magic school" & "I have way too little magic to ever justify being in a magic school"

I'm obsessed.

Anyway if I spent my whole incredibly long life being so alone that it actually traumatised me, with the only friends I have being people who are also technically my family, unable to make any friends or even get invited to anything because everyone was just so scared of me before they even spoke with me and it was obviously hurting me deeply but I could never really show that because the hurt of that would probably level a city, only for some clueless idiot who, being completely powerless, should have even more right to fear me than everybody else just looks at me and immediately decides I'm their friend and then continues to act on that by giving me a silly nickname and inviting me to things and studying with me and talking with me about my interests and casually touching me because we're friends and that's what friends do I'd lose my fucking shit

[typenull]

While the climax of Dunmesh [here’s your warning for spoilers] gives us an extremely thorough look into Laios’s psyche and his own desires, we don’t actually know that much about Falin, despite her “death” kicking the entire story into motion. The only bits of Falin we get to see are through the lens of other characters, who inherently show us their own biased perceptions of her. I’d go as far to say that Falin is actually the character in Dungeon Meshi who’s true desires we know the least about!

We know with absolute certainty at least a few things: Falin is gifted with powerful magic, wants to follow behind and travel with her brother who she deeply respects, loves her friend Marcille, likes fruits and creams, loves insects and is curious about monsters, once again like Laios… most of the things we learn about Falin are things that she has in common with her brother, but what does SHE want, deep down? How does she feel about everything? I don’t think we’ll fully get an answer to that question before the manga is over. This is definitely on purpose though, and has even been hinted at in the text (which I’ll get to later).

In my opinion the main difference between Falin and Laios is that Falin doesn’t want to hurt anyone besides herself (for the sake of others, and she barely knows who that self is) and Laios wants to hurt anyone who he “doesn’t like” (anyone who endangers him and those he loves). Both of these feelings stem from the same shared events of their childhood where they both began to feel “disconnected” from humanity so to speak, but they reacted to it in opposite ways.

Where Laios stubbornly ran away and refused to deal with being hurt and surrounded by hurt, Falin, who we rarely see making choices based on any desires for herself (staying in the academy for 8 years after being sent by her father despite not thinking it’s for her, nearly agreeing to marry Shuro just so that she doesn’t have to deal with being asked later, etc.), doesn’t object to anything she’s subject to because the only person being “hurt” in these scenarios is herself, which to her is acceptable. She accepts the fact that she’s considered “othered” extremely easily, and this reflects openly in both her behavior and in the few things we know about her: she connects with and cares deeply for spirits despite being ostracized, admires insects and monsters like her brother, and is even fine planning to take on a job that’s revered in her hometown. To Falin, being “othered” is more normal to her than the alternative

The only people in Falin’s life that make her feel like *more* than just an outsider are Laios and Marcille. As a result Laios and Falin end up with similar sounding mindsets on the surface; "As long as [the people I love] are okay, I don't care about anything else" — but underneath, they actually manifest completely differently! Where Laios “doesn’t care about people”, Falin cares deeply about them despite barely being treated as one.

The only *active* decision from Falin we see that most obviously reflects her deepest desires is her choice to die for those she loves, which I think says a lot about her.

I think that if Laios is “a human who wants to become a monster” because he hates humans due to his past, the most obvious foil to him is Kabru, “a human who wants to destroy monsters” because of his past in Utaya (and feeling like a monster himself). Thinking of them as two ends of a spectrum, in the grey middle ground of this is where I think I’d put Falin.

She’s simultaneously a human made subhuman, a monster made to follow Thistle, a “ghost” of her former self haunting Laios and Marcille — she really IS the absolute epitome of a “chimera”.

The Lion cursing Laios was the “hinting in the text” I talked about earlier: forcing his deepest desire into something seemingly impossible to achieve, a chimera. The surface level conclusion when reading this is that Falin won’t be revived, but I seriously don’t think it’ll be that simple in the end. After all, a chimera is multifaceted.

My hope for the final chapter of Dungeon Meshi is that, *if* by some chance Falin is revived, she will finally have to grapple with not only having to look deep within herself to answer all of these things for her own sake, but also with having the one opportunity in which she chose to use any sort of agency to act upon her deepest desires not only be completely reversed, but also hurting so many people in the process. When Falin is revived in the Red Dragon arc, she doesn’t even remember sacrificing herself for her friends — but she promises Laios to never do it again, falling back into her typical submissive obedience. How would she react the second time? Will we even get to know? Something tells me, probably not.

[enigma2meagain]

RESTRICT Act: The TikTok Ban is a Smokescreen for PATRIOT ACT 2.0. EDIT: KOSA and EARN IT Act are also back.

EDIT: So now we not only have RESTRICT to worry about, but we also have the EARN IT Act and the Kids Online Safety Act to deal with.

See here for my previous post on it. Fuck Blumenthal and Blackburn for trying to bring back two pro-censorship bills on top of the RESTRICT Act.

And Evan provides some insight on it.

EDIT: SO it turns out that Meta IS partly behind this, but it’s also due to Silicon Valley AND the government wanting more power and control. More information in the links provided below.

EDIT: List of Sponsors has been removed for easier reading. You can still find the list in the Link to the bill itself.

EDIT: Meta-related information apparently incorrect. Updated for accuracy.

----

Here is a link to the bill:

----

This RESTRICT Act is EXTREMELY authoritarian and violating privacy and the 1st Amendment. It’s being disguised as being about banning TikTok, but it’s VASTLY overreaching and basically gives far too much power to the government.

How bad is this bill? Bad enough that pretty much every side of the political spectrum opposes this bill once they took a closer look at it beyond the TikTok smokescreen.

The following points were articulated succinctly by tumblr user @logan-galbraith (used with permission):

This act, while saying it's to insure American's personal information will be safe from foreign powers, it goes much deeper than that.

It will give the United States Government the power to remove and ban ANY online service they deem "a security risk" while making it so they do not need just cause and do not need to clarify or release a public statement.

It allows them the power to gather American's data without our knowledge or consent and even force us to submit documentation for anything they wish.

It protects the government from scrutiny on this, and if you try to speak about it and inform people on what it ACTUALLY allows, they can claim it to be false information and charge you.

It prevents you from using a VPN as it's seen as a breach of information security, thus they can charge you. (Uncertain on accuracy. Crossed out until more concrete information is revealed)

Failure to abide by these "guidelines" can lead to a fine up to ONE MILLION DOLLARS and/or 20 YEARS in prison.

And above all it does NOTHING to prevent AMERICAN companies from collecting and selling your data.

It doesn't matter what political party you're on, because BOTH parties in office want this. This is not about sides. This is about the ENTIRE government stripping our rights away so they can keep lining their own pockets.

And that’s what the TikTok ban really is; a smokescreen for Congress to grab more power. This is the PATRIOT ACT VERSION 2. This has BIPARTISAN support and approval from the Biden Administration.

The scary part is that this bill is being approved under THIS administration...and it’s STILL incredibly bad.

What would end up happening if an openly fascist leader were brought into power? All of sudden, ANYONE and ANYTHING could become a target or considered an adversary under the flimsiest of pretenses.

What should YOU do?

Well, the same thing as past horribly invasive bills like EARN IT and KOSA; we make a LOT of noise, and get the word out.

While there has been increasing amounts of negative press and opposition on this bill, it’s hard to tell how much this has really slowed thing down. As such, getting the word out on how bad this bill is CRUCIAL. Make it EXTREMELY CLEAR that the TikTok ban is just a smokescreen, and that this is nakedly authoritarian and dangerously unconstitutional.

And PLEASE call your Senators.

Find your 2 senators numbers here.

Fax them, email them.

Tell them they MUST oppose this bill. Calmly make it clear to them that if they support this bill, then you will vote for someone else who doesn’t go along with this blatant act of authoritarian intent. CONTACT any major human rights and cybersecurity related organizations and let them know about this bill. Get this out to any local news groups that you can.

There’s some petitions by groups like ACLU: https://go.peoplepower.org/letter/tiktok-ban

They are betting on people being blissfully ignorant of this, that it’s “Just about a Silly App”, so they will not expect you to contact them about this. They are trying to weasel this through in order to give themselves more power, and we won’t be able to do anything about it without the risk of being jailed or censored.

Here’s a part of a rough script if you need one. Add in more based on what is relevant:

"Just to make you aware I do not support the TikTok ban and I do not support the Restrict Act. If this bill is passed I will not support any official who supports that bill. Instead, I will be spending all my time and energy supporting your opponents in the primaries."

----

A list of links/citations:

Truthout Article 4/02/2023: Restrict Act Critics Call the Far-Reaching “TikTok Ban” Bill a “Patriot Act 2.0”

Dailydot Article 3/10/2023: “The RESTRICT Act isn’t about banning TikTok—it’s designed to force a sale”

Lawfareblog.com 3/23/2023: “Two New Bills on TikTok and Beyond: The DATA Act and RESTRICT Act”

Reuters Article 3/28/2023: “If TikTok is banned, brace for epic First Amendment fight”

VICE Article 3/29/2023: The 'Insanely Broad' RESTRICT Act Could Ban Much More Than Just TikTok

Reason Article 3/31/2023: The RESTRICT Act Would Restrict a Lot More Than TikTok

ArsTechnica Article 3/31/2023: Meta can’t buy TikTok, so it hired GOP operatives to run a smear campaign

https://twitter.com/evan_greer/status/1642721929013362688?s=46&t=9ilK5pqP73XDblTtTbb4Qg

https://twitter.com/Imani_Barbarin/status/1640527908790837250?t=nTf7qCAcXB1s1RE-fb2Cwg&s=19

----

[berlingotesque]

What are your ships for Batim? :D

VERY GOOD QUESTION- I know my answer should be rather straightforward but I feel I have to put some context to my answers since they may seem contradictory/paradoxical otherwise, so bear with me-

Sammy x Norman : Well. I think that one was pretty obvious, anyone who's seen more than 3 of my posts knows that I'd die for these two. They're just so PERFECT for each other, from their complementary personalities to the fact that their relationship allows us to delve deeper into batim's historical and social context. Sammy and Norman have one of the few relationships that develop the most during the game's lore : Norman originally complains vehemently about Sammy's frenetic behavior, only to end up lamenting to Buddy and Dot how 'Sammy isn't the same anymore'. What's interesting about this statement is that he says it in relation to Sammy's strange behavior : clearly, the two men have grown close enough for Norman to differentiate Sammy's extravagant habits from his ink-influenced behavior.

Furthermore, Sammy is a very gray character morally, a perfectionist who is extremely socially maladjusted (surely due to the fact that he's coded on the spectrum and autism wasn't properly diagnosed at the time), naturally ostracizing him. For his part, Norman comes from a rural background (which surely earns him the animosity of the people at the studio, given the historical context and the fact that he could very well be poc) and also seems ill at ease socially : to me, it's fascinating to see two characters excluded from their peers because of differences they can't change (being autistic or poc and gay) getting closer to each other, to the point where Sammy, who is deeply misanthropic, naturally compliments Norman by describing him as very bright. To me, Norman is the perfect partner for Sammy : ready to apprehend him as he is, since he's completely free of social conventions, without taking any shits from him.

I think Sammy and Norman can really get the best out of each other, during a historical period when being different was strongly proscribed. I think I'd have trouble enjoying Batim as much without their dynamic at its heart (considering how narratively rich it is) : Norman is Henry's confidant, Sammy is Joey's, both remain morally gray deuteragonists fundamentally opposed to the ink machine, while remaining fascinated by its powers. And who wouldn't love a good old enemies to lovers ending tragically with the unwitting murder of one by the other ? After all, Norman's main flaw is that he's too curious for his own good, and it was Sammy who inevitably led him to his doom..

Allison x Tom : what more can I add. She's everything. He's just Tom. I've always been drawn to characters/ships with a vibe completely opposite to the vibe of the work they originally came from, and the 'turning poison into positivity' energy that Tom and Allison bring to Batim has always fascinated me. In a world as tragic as their own, I find it touching to see these two find beauty in all the ugliness and manage to ask themselves 'what if we were happy after all ?' It's really striking and brings a narrative richness to the work, since they directly mirror what failed with Sammy and Susie : Allison is perfect, but that was never what was at stake in Tom's eyes. Tom was looking for humanity, not perfection, and he managed to go beyond the image of the muse to discover a friend, unlike Sammy with Susie. They're literally Romeo and Juliet but, well... Not dead.

Joey x Henry/Henry x Linda : oh boy. These three... Let me get it straight right away : Henry and Linda are perfect for each other. She's exactly what he needs to be happy : she's present, patient. There's no denying that he loves her immensely. But Joey... oh Joey is undoubtedly Henry's soul mate. The subtlety is that Joey can't bring him the stable happiness Linda can : Joey tugs at him, pushes him over the edge. He knows exactly what to do to push him beyond his own limits. The love Joey offers Henry is an uncomfortable but unconditional one, one that would allow Henry to go beyond what he thinks he's capable of achieving because no one knows Henry better than Joey ! And let's be honest, Batim only exists because Joey refuses to move on, to live his dream without Henry in it. He's stuck in unrequited love and refuses to learn to live with it. And that's the tragedy of this trio : Henry sincerely loves Linda but is truly himself with Joey, which prevents him from hating OR loving him (And Joey exploits this information by remaining extremely toxic and convincing himself that he can wear him down lmao). Henry is stuck with this dilemma : Existing peacefully with Linda or living painfully with Joey. And that's why I love the dynamic of this love triangle : because there are no solutions that will satisfy everyone.

Joey x Sammy : okay, don’t get me wrong : these two are HORRIBLE for each other. Does Sammy periodically want to quit just to piss Joey off? Yes. Isn't Joey's fascination with Sammy intimately tied to his refusal to forget Henry, who was a genius like Sammy? Yes. Nevertheless, it's impossible for me to read The Illusion of Living without feeling embarrassed and like I'm reading Joey's diary : whether you ship them or not, Joey is practically canonically smitten with Sammy. I sincerely don't think Joey and Sammy can sustain a healthy relationship with each other, but oh boy, surely that won't stop me from exploiting their bizarre obsessive love-hate relationship, where it's hard to determine whether they're going to throw hands or make out.

[moongothic]

Seen quite a few people comment how they believe it's more likely the Dragodile Divorce happened due to ideological differences rather than because Dragon was too straight to stay with Crocodile, and. Like I did suggest that (or at least tried to) in my Crocodad Giga Thesis (really I should've been more clear about it in my essay so I wouldn't be writing this now lol), but like yes, Dragon and Crocodile absolutely have drastically different beliefs on How One Overthrows The World Government. And that absolutely could have contributed to the two separating and/or Crocodile deciding to go his own way instead of becoming a proper Revolutionary

Because like, as I tried to imply in the essay (but failed to deliver); if Crocodile's goal had always been to get Pluton so he could just nuke Marijoa off the face of the earth by himself and end it all in one go, then Crocodile and his way of thinking could work as this, like... contrasting opposite to how Dragon believes things should be done. Some fans (unfairly imo) call Dragon a "fraud" because over the past 20+ years he has only attacked Marijoa and the WG directly just once, and even when he did, instead of doing something to stop their corrupt reign for good... the Revs destroyed... the Tenryuubito's... food storage..? Like. Sure, that'll bother them for a little while, get their panties in a good twist etc, but in the end they're just going to demand more tributes and more free food. The Revolutionary Army may be successfully inspiring more people and more countries to rebel against the World Government's corrupt rule, but the Tenryuubito are still in power and will continue to be in power for a long time. And that's kind of how Crocodile would greatly complement Dragon within the narrative. Dragon being arguably "too soft" with his slow, methodical way of overthrowing the WG, while Crocodile would just kill them all without mercy, even if it meant hurting innocent people in the process. The two would act as the opposite sides of the same coin, the different extremes of the same spectrum. Crocodile would become like a response to the complaints people have against Dragon.

And yeah, the two having such wildly different ideological views could VERY EASILY contribute to a divorce, for sure.

My thing is that... If (and this is an if) Crocodile is meant to go a character arc and grow as a person, if we're meant to see him as a sympathetic character at all and maybe even feel bad for him... It'll be much harder to write that if the Dragodile Divorce happened only because of the two having ideological differences. Like who's going to feel bad for Crocodile if the two got divorced because Crocodile wanted to mass murder people and Dragon wasn't okay with it? That's not a tragedy, that's not a situation where we as the readers would feel for Crocodile and want to root for him. That's not something that would give a character unprocessed emotional trauma to heal from and overcome. He'd just be a villian who'd need to have his beliefs changed.

Where as, if The Divorce was caused by Dragon and Crocodile no longer being compatible due to Dragon being straight while Crocodile transed his gender... Even in the most respectful of scenarios that is a heartbreaking situation, a painful thing to go through. That is a tragedy without bad guys, a story where you could feel bad for Crocodile and want to root for him. That is a situation that would give him trauma to heal from.

And that's kind of why I so strongly believe in Crocodile's transition being a more important, contributing factor in The Divorce. Again, this does absolutely depend on what Crocodile's actual role in the story is going to be and whether or not he's even meant to go through a character arc at all. Like if he's not going to be that important and if he isn't meant to go through an arc then sure, Crocodile's transition doesn't have to matter one fucking bit. But if he is meant to go through an arc, if we are meant to feel bad for him and find outselves rooting for him eventually... From a writing perspective, that'll be far easier to do if we can find ourselves sympathizing with him even just a little bit.

Also like. Yes, you can have queer characters who are just queer for the sake of being queer, their queerness does not have to be an important aspect in them or a huge plotpoint in their story at all. Crocodile could be queer just for the sake of being queer. Because that's what it's like being queer, you just are what you are. At the same time, from a writing perspective. What would even be the point of making him queer if it didn't matter to his character at all and have an impact on his character?

Also while Crocodile and Dragon clearly have very different beliefs on how the WG should be dealt with right now, we don't really know when Crocodile came to his beliefs. Like for all we know Crocodile could've formed his worldview years after the divorce. Hell, based on the way he spoke to Vivi about her ideals, and how we know he spent over a decade in utter emotional solitude, his current worldview could have been partially born from resentment towards Dragon (and his ideals) that's been simmering away over the years.

All of this to say; yes I think the two's beliefs could have been a contributing factor in The Divorce, but from a writing perspective (and based on the direction I personally want to see the story go), I find it far more likely if Crocodile's transition was the main cause, one way or another.

[stratocumulusperlucidus]

WIP REC

I love love love reading WIPs, the anticipation, the excitement of getting the notification for a new chapter, even sometimes the cliffhangers... So here are some of the lovely fics I'm currently reading!

Oh and if you read these, please consider taking a minute to leave a comment, let the author know you appreciate their work 💖

This Is More of a Comment Than a Question by @caterpills

Rating: Mature | Chapters: 3/10

Three weeks before Henry Fox's tour for his fourth, highly anticipated, awards-bait novel A Brief War in December begins, his publicist Janella breaks her foot on a bunny slope at Windham. Alex can't be mad at her, even though he kind of is. Saying it out loud would be like kicking her when she was down, and she already went down a literal mountain in the worst way possible. Now crammed in Rafael Luna's corner office, Janella is shooting Alex extremely apologetic looks while slumped on her crutches, wearing a bright orange cast. The conversation about who is going to be joining Henry Fox on his multi-city trek across the U.S. is also going downhill. Alex is feeling the same sort of free fall while standing still. Because out of all the publicists available in their tiny underfunded department, the only one left to escort their company's best-selling author is regrettably him. The problem is, well, Alex absolutely hates Henry Fox.

Or: Alex is the publicist for Mountchristen Publishers, and is stuck on a two-week tour with their best-selling, but frustrating, author Henry Fox.

Her Royal Highness by @tailsbeth-writes

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences | Chapters: 5/?

'Shaan, can you please put an appointment in my diary?' 'Certainly sir, what is it for?' 'A reminder to kill Alex for getting me into this mess.' Shaan tried to hold back a smirk as he stepped back, tapping away on his tablet. 'Personally I think the blue glitter really brings out your eyes, sir.' This terrible idea had started like most of Alex’s did, a seedling planted by the most chaotic of the chaos demons; Nora.

or How Prince Henry ended up as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race UK.

the full spectrum of human emotion by @firenati0n

Rating: Mature | Chapters: 3/6

Alex grips his hand tighter. They’re going to need to have a long, hard conversation in the next five minutes, or else Alex is going to combust right here in Pez’s fancy office. Explode for all of Midtown Manhattan to see. Here lies what remains of Alex, for all the world to witness—taken out by a rogue marriage proposal from his evil boss-turned-fiancé.

Or: Working under editor Henry Fox-Mountchristen was only supposed to be Step One in Alex’s plan of achieving his big dreams—but when his boss winds up facing an even bigger problem, potential deportation, Alex finds he isn’t just a beleaguered assistant anymore. He’s the solution.

It’s fine. They only have to fool his friends, his family, the United States Government…and themselves.

Life Is Not A Movie (But We Can Have The Fairytale) by @lfg1986-2

Rating: Explicit | Chapters: 3/?

Three years after the smashing success of the first Red, White and Royal Blue film, Nicholas and Taylor are preparing to return to their roles as Henry and Alex to film the sequel. After a late night of catching up with each other and reestablishing their close bond just before rehearsals begin, they wake up to find themselves in a crazy twist of fate, where fiction blends with reality and the lines between fictional characters and the actors who portray them become irrevocably blurred.

Or

What happens when Taylor is transported into the movie universe and comes face to face with Prince Henry, while Nick wakes up to find Alex Claremont-Diaz in his living room in the place of his friend and costar? Both pairs must work together to figure out how to get themselves back where they belong, and along the way they discover some things about themselves and each other that has the potential to alter their relationships forever.

take me back to San Francisco by headabovethewater / @getmehighonmagic

Rating: Explicit | Chapters: 2/8

“You don’t look like you’re having a very good time,” a soft voice suddenly startles him from his thoughts. Henry’s entire body jerks and he spills some of his drink down the front of his shirt.

“Oh, bloody-” He leans over to put his drink on the table and starts wiping at his shirt. “No, I’m- It’s not that, it’s-” He glances fleetingly at the stranger and then down at his shirt again, before his brain finally registers that oh, glasses, dark curls, white smile, exposed chest. Henry’s head snaps back up and his lips part in astonishment. Handsome doesn’t even begin to cover it. Him.

“Hi,” the man says, then chuckles. He hands Henry a napkin and gestures towards one of the other chairs at the table. “Would you mind?”

or, Henry and Alex meet on vacation in San Francisco and an instant spark between them has both of them unable to let the other go. With only two weeks to spend together and the knowledge that it can't last beyond that, it's just a massive, insurmountable recipe for disaster.

Or is it?

Unattended / Unsent mails by amnesia_on_ice / @amnesiaa-on-ice

Rating: General Audiences | Chapters: 4/?

Alex is a Singer Songwriter, henry is his arch nemesis Actor but also secretively writer. There is a long running feud between Henry and Alex. Now they are meeting for the first time in person in a vanity after party and the stan twitter have lots to digest of the meeting.

The story of Unattended/ unsent mails.

the drag of your lips by rizcriz

Rating: Mature | Chapter 2/3

Alex isn’t sure how he got here.

Here being pressed into the couch, his roommate straddling his lap and warm against every point they’re touching, soft lips moving against his own in the most sensual, leisurely pattern that Alex’s fingers instinctively flex where they’re clinging into his lower back. He’s hard in his pants, straining towards Henry, but there’s no desperate hands grasping, no drive to take this any further.

Or, Alex just really wants to make out with someone. Henry helpfully volunteers.

Foxden Park by myheartalive / @myheartalivewrites

Rating: Explicit | Chapters: 4/9

“Yes, Alex, what a terrible destiny,” Nora says. “To be hosted for a week by all these charming rich people, who have bent over backwards to accommodate us, including sending their own carriage into town to fetch us. How very dare we drag you into their nefarious scheme.”

—

Invited to a week-long house party at the Duke of Windsor’s country residence, Alex Claremont-Diaz does not expect to find anything to enjoy about his time there. What he does find is Lord Henry, the duke’s younger brother—and a boatload of things to learn about himself.

Seven days in the country in a duke's house. What could possibly happen?

[noctvrnal9999]

Got a private message asking me to comment on the whole Neil stream thing so I guess here goes. Excuse my thoughts, they are never coherent.

What I liked about the stream is not what Neil said, but what he didn't say. I'm not big on watching streams, his or anyone's, but I watched some and I noticed Neil is very very careful when discussing Astarion. If anyone is aware how deranged the fandom can get - it's definitely him. I saw him dance around the topic multiple times either in streams or in clips I've seen all over the internet. I highly respect him for that because unlike someone (cough cough) he's not telling people what to think or what narrative they should take for any reason. A true professional unlike someone (cough cough).

So while he addressed operatic vs theatrical and there's no arguing that he delivered it wonderfully, what we really have is Larian saying "yeah, AA is still same Astarion, just with his most awful traits amplified" and then we have Neil saying "oh yeah, the mask is off". And that's... extremely important. I said this in tags before - what Neil doesn't say, to me, is important as well. He doesn't tell that Spawn is maskless just as AA, he just... skips over it, emphasizing that AA is the complete mask-off version of Astarion. I'm not going to cling to this because this is just something I immediately noticed and might not have been intentional on Neil's part, but... I don't know, I personally think it was done for a reason.

Anyway.

But this is what I've been saying too. Astarion is a bad person from the very beginning. I got people insult me over this take, I got told I'm a horrible garbage person for this take. But I stand by it. And even without personal interpretation you have proof of that within the game. You have a very good-aligned character (Karlach) and Astarion is at the opposite end of that spectrum. Every other companion (sans Minthara) fall somewhere between the two.

What Ascension allows Astarion is not only to live his life fear-free - it allows him to be himself. As Spawn he's constantly acting. To either get protection or simply not to turn into a mind-flayer. And Tav can take the route of trying to convince him to be better and he starts aligning his views to Tav along the road but he's still the same person. Just going to say this - nobody changes this drastically in just couple of months without pretending (which is presumed timeline for entire BG3). And people don't immediately get all better from major mental trauma in 6 months only (just sayin').

Point I'm trying to get at is this - to me Neil confirmed what I have been saying all along - Spawn is coping and still lying. Because he has no choice but to adapt. Maybe he's not lashing out or yelling, but seeing the epilogue he came off to me as grieving for things he will never have.

And then we have Ascended - a fully unleashed Astarion, who's confident and not apologetic for being himself.

That is true Astarion.

Astarion who isn't guilt-tripped or chastised into needing to change, Astarion who does not need to listen to people telling him how he's awful, Astarion who can do as he pleases without needing to explain himself to either his master or houlier-than-thou Tav.

Astarion who he was always meant to be.

Because he's a vampire. There's a reason why vampires in every single media piece are portrayed as evil. As a Spawn he's evil, as a Vampire Lord he's just doing what vampires do best - gain power and exploit that power for his own benefit. He's not just some cute boytoy with fangs, he's a vampire and he will never not be a vampire in BG3 (you can headcanon whatever you want in what happens after but that's not relevant here).

Ascended Astarion is true Astarion not because it's one of the routes we can take and headcanon that way, but because he's a vampire, and as Vampire Lord he's his own man at last, not needing to rely on anyone or to be defended by anyone. He has power now, to be whoever he wants and be true to himself while he does it. Without the fear of judgement, without the fear of being discarded if he's "too much" or not "good enough".

And with Tav at his side - he has everything he ever wanted: vampiric power that has never been witnessed before and a beloved who vowed themselves to be by his side forever, giving him ultimate assurance that there's someone there for him and will be there for eternity.

[aspec-mafia-official]

"If it's normal, then why do you need to celebrate it?"

The above quote is something I've seen many times as a "gotcha" for queer folk trying to celebrate pride month, and also as a genuine question from uninformed allocishets. I have personally received this question multiple times both as an act of aphobia and genuine confusion. So, why is pride necessary (aspec edition!)?

As an asexual and aromantic person, I very rarely see people like me in the real world and in media. In fact, just now I can think of maybe five canonically asexual characters, and two canonically aromantic ones (both of them, by the way, are also asexual. We need aroallo rep as well!!!) When it comes to real life, I know 2 other asexuals, with myself being the only aromantic. (Of course this is excluding people I've only interacted with online, if I included them the numbers would be much higher.)

That lack of representation means that many aspecs feel outcast growing up, knowing there's something "wrong" or "broken" about them (there is NOT, for the record) but being unable to pinpoint why. I was one of the lucky ones who had chronically online and queer friends from an early age who introduced me to the terms many years before I ended up discovering myself, but that is far from the norm.

We also very rarely see aspec flags in pride merch! Even during pride month, I find myself having to scour the stalls for anything asexual, let alone aromantic or even aroace (and if you're somewhere more nuanced on either spectrum, just forget it. Demis might get lucky occasionally (and of course demisexual is more common than demiromantic in my experience), but everything else is nothing.) In fact, there have been times where I saw very niche microlabel flags I didn't even know the name of, but not one aspec flag!

I will never forget the year I went to a pride parade and there was a stall selling flag jewelry. They had a bunch of flags, including asexual and aromantic (the latter of which I bought). I was naturally extremely excited, and the person working the register gave me a business card and a paper with an etsy discount code (unfortunately I lost it so I can't tell you the brand, sorry!!) Later I was passing a group and overheard someone lamenting to their friends about the lack of asexual related anything. I instantly stopped them, directed them to the stall, and gave them the etsy code paper (not really on purpose it was just the closest one in my bag but I figured they would get more use out of it anyways). The look of pure joy on that person's face will never leave my brain. I thought they might cry in front of me at the idea of someone representing their identity at a massive event.

This is why pride is so important. Seeing yourself represented and being told in no uncertain terms that you aren't alone means more than could ever be described, though I hope I managed to do it some form of justice <2

Happy pride, everyone!

[justafriend-ql]

2024 gmmtv bl + gl predictions/wishlist

okay okay, i know it's only july. but i'm a little crazy, so i'm already thinking about the 2024 lineup. some general observations that are informing my predictions:

the 2023 lineup features 9 bls and 1 gl (out of 22 total series). 2 of the bls are ensemble casts (our skyy 2, only friends). so we can probably expect ~10 ql series next year.

as a general rule, it seems like gmmtv's main pairs will get a series every other year or so, although some popular pairings may be mains two years in a row.

they also seem to give lead roles to one or two new main pairings per year - usually pairs that have been floated as side couples in series that aired the year prior (e.g., milklove, perthchimon)

*please note that this is entirely speculation and i don't intend to start any wars in the notes. also: i will be talking about the pairs from an analytical/business perspective; if that makes you uncomfortable, i recommend you just keep scrolling*

bl predictions (in no particular order)

winny x satang series

rationale: given the success of their pairing in my school president and the many fanmeets/brand sponsorship events they've had together this year (including some solo events abroad), this is almost a guarantee. genre prediction: i'm guessing it will be a romcom with a bit of a darker/angstier edge to it, since winny and satang are great at the enemies to lovers trope and are talented dramatic actors.

2. pond x phuwin series

rationale: since fish upon the sky, these two have been a very popular pairing (particularly in thailand, it seems). along with joongdunk and geminifourth, they're part of the 'new gen' group that gmmtv has do a lot of fanmeets/brand sponsorship events (which means $$$ for gmmtv). their last series, never let me go, aired mostly in 2023 but was scheduled for 2022, so a 2024 series would be in keeping with the every-other-year rule. genre prediction: i think their next series will lean more towards the romcom end of the spectrum, given that never let me go was a lakorn and (regrettably, in my opinion) wasn't as popular as fish upon the sky.

3. gemini x fourth series

rationale: this is another no-brainer, really. this pair is so wildly popular that they're already having a solo concert together. both are very good actors (and performers) despite their young age. gmmtv would be stupid not to capitalize on their popularity and skill. genre prediction: probably still romcom, but with a little more "maturity" than my school president. they're young, but that hasn't ever stopped gmmtv from upping the intensity of the physical intimacy, in particular (e.g., phuwin was 19, about the same age as gemini and fourth, when never let me go was filmed).

4. first x khaotung series

rationale: though these two certainly aren't bound to the branded pair model, they excel when they act opposite to each other. the eclipse garnered a lot of popularity for them, and that's only going to grow after only friends. genre prediction: these two can carry heavy, emotional scenes and dark themes extremely well, so it'd be great to see them in a darker genre (the eclipse, while dealing with heavy topics, still had a lot of lighter romcom moments). personally, i'd love to see them lead a p'aof production, which might be likely since p'aof worked with (and was impressed with) the two of them on moonlight chicken. a period drama with these two would be super interesting.

5. neo x mark series

rationale: these two are the wildcard pairing in only friends and were originally the side couple in cooking crush (before they switched out mark due to overbooking him). this is consistent with gmmtv's tendency to float a couple in a series or two before giving them a series of their own. they're both in the same boat, having been relegated to the "funny side character" role for a while, but they have tremendous potential to do more, and gmmtv seems to recognize that now with their decision of casting them in only friends. genre prediction: hmm this one is tricky, since these two can do romcom and drama equally well. if i had to guess, they'll give neo and mark an "edgy"/"sexy" sereies because they're willing to go there and they can execute it well, which isn't necessarily true of all other gmmtv pairs.

6. force x book series

rationale: okay, i know i said gmmtv usually doesn't give pairs a main series two years in a row. but in forcebook's case, i think it's likely. for some reason that i don't personally understand, enchante didn't seem to resonate with a lot of people, but their popularity has skyrocketed since a boss and a babe and will only grow more when only friends airs. i think gmmtv will go with the momentum and give them another series in 2024. genre prediction: forcebook have done two romcoms already, so hopefully they'll get to branch out into another genre. personally, i think a mafia-type series led by these two would be really sick.

gl predictions (in no particular order)

gmmtv is testing the gl waters with milklove-led 23.5 this year. given the popularity of idol factory's gap the series (which surpassed 2gether's viewing stats by a wide margin), gmmtv will need to invest in the gl market in order to remain competitive. that's why i think there will be at least 2 gls in 2024, rather than just one.

view x june series

rationale: view and june will star in dangerous romance and 23.5 this year, indicating that gmmtv is looking to brand them or at least give them main roles in 2024. they're both talented actresses who have a lot of experience and can easily handle heavier material. it's just a matter of how well they're received as a pair in the series that air in 2023. genre prediction: we don't know what their dynamic will be like in their 2023 series, but i think a lakorn-style, enemies to lovers narrative would suit view and june well and give them a chance to showcase their great acting skills. a sci-fi series would also be really neat!

2. sizzy girl group series

rationale: this one might be more of a personal wish than a likely prediction, since gmmtv hardly gives sizzy the time of day. but! jan and aye have played queer characters before, and ciize has repeatedly expressed interest in doing a gl (even talking to jane about being paired together). they're all great actresses and performers (sizzy concert when??), so it really would be amazing if they got their own series. genre prediction: i'm feeling a rom-com for them. my personal dream is a series about a literal girl group of performers (like sizzy itself) so that there can be original music for each episode like in my school president. bonus points if nanon can guest star as their slaytastic manager (i'm never getting over their love score collab).

ensemble predictions (in no particular order)

given the growing number of branded and un-branded pairs within gmmtv, gmmtv will have to lean more into ensemble series (like only friends) in order to give everyone screen-time.

a light-hearted romcom (like our skyy 2)

rationale: this would be an opportunity to give airtime to any branded pairs that don't have their own series, or more work for popular pairs. a light-hearted romcom with a stacked ensemble cast would be a huge moneymaker for gmmtv with lots of fanmeet/concert opportunities (like my school president). cast predictions: we could see many members of the my school president gang (geminifourth, markford, potentially also aun and prom) here. this could also be a chance to float new gl pairings!

2. a more mature, jojo-style series (like only friends)

rationale: other production companies are ratcheting up the heat of their series; gmmtv will do so too in order to stay competitive. for better or for worse, sex sells, and like only friends, a series like this would attract a lot of attention and excitement on social media. cast predictions: this is where some of their older, more established pairs come into play. we could see jimmysea or offgun here. or even joongdunk or pondphuwin, since these two pairs are being pushed in the direction of higher heat. this could look like a mafia or gang-war style series, or maybe something with paranormal/horror themes.

bonus: things that probably won't happen but i would desperately like to see

namtan, tu, ploypach and/or prim gl (please i'm begging i would DIE; can you imagine a period piece with these four?? the costumes alone would have me on my knees)

joongdunk/pondphuwin vampire series (i don't care if it's cringe; did you see joongdunk's dumdum performance??)

breaking up branded pairs (imagine, for example, if joongdunk/pondphuwin switched partners; or winnysatang/markford; or jimmysea/forcebook)

fluke pusit main series (i mean, come on)

midnight museum season 2 khathadome canon (not brothers, please be serious)

okay, that's it. feel free to add your own predictions/wishlist. remember: these are just my own ideas and opinions! don't take anything i say too seriously haha

[beemovieerotica]

while we're talking about ofmd and race, i think there's a really interesting discussion to be had about how colorblind and color-conscious casting happens for historical content -- and the basis for why any of this is happening is that actors of color want to be able to engage with history in a way where they're not continually being asked to play slaves/servants/the singular empowered POC who dies tragically

and while money isnt being put toward stories centered on historical people of color with anywhere near the same frequency as white stories (Woman King was a huge breakaway from this where we actually had african-centered history that made it to white audiences) we're still talking about diasporic actors and writers of color whose families are rooted in the west and who grew up on western history. and on one level there's the instant recognition for these western stories by audiences (and recognition = less financial risk for producers) but on another level, POC want to have the same ability to play around with the historical contexts and stories they grew up seeing. and while people have their gripes with things like bridgerton (no media is without problems) it was a rare instance that let actors of color get to play the high society lords & ladies, have more screen time, and fundamentally get paid more for having a good time, and they're not being asked to engage with generational trauma

and i see ofmd on the other end of the spectrum from this where there was a deliberate choice made not to explain the casting & historical realities of slavery in any narrative sense -- it just is the way it is. so you have your options of 1) create an alternate timeline to explain the presence of POC in these roles and the reality of slavery (bridgerton), 2) dont explicitly explain the casting, dont change the reality of slavery, but weave in the commentary on the actors' races in a meta-textual, self-aware way (hamilton), and dont explain at all, just let things be (ofmd)

and the first two are conducive to drama with elements of comedy, but they're two very different genres from each other and extremely different from the conception of ofmd as a 20-minute-per-episode comedy. so you have a 1700s colorblind comedy that does not engage with the history of slavery -- actors and writers are able to play with the setting without switching genres, and the show is hugely successful

so the key question is: does this all meaningfully change the way that people then engage with the history of that time?

im not really concerned with discussions of "should [media] have been made" because it's here. it already exists. someone wanted to make it and audiences liked it enough to keep it around. im also not really concerned with the personal morality of media consumption, because again, the media exists and people are watching it without you. im asking if there is something like a "bridgerton effect" that distinctly alters people's perceptions of history itself because of the way a historical piece is satirized, modernized, played with, and reworked for modern audiences. and even then we can have another discussion on top of that on whether, if the answer is yes, this is the responsibility of the writers and creators, or of existing educational gaps. i think that's compelling and kind of the only thing that matters in these discussioms imo.

[athletearrhythmia]

Two dilated ventricles

(Note: this is a more dark cardio post. Everything written was approved before posting, if the tone seems kinda mean it's not, I know the other subject well)

(Top image I'm on the right, bottom on the left)

Xykolich is one of the best cardiophile creators around right now, I'm sure you've seen videos of his remarkable heart. He has advanced dilated cardiomyopathy and recently gave me images of his mri study to compare to my own dilated ventricles.

His left ventricle is a whopping 80mm across, a full centimeter over my extremely large left ventricle and nearly twice the size of an average person's. However while my heart is positively adapted to exercise, his heart is scarred and inefficient. You can see a ring of scar tissue in his short axis image representing the dead portion of his heart that can't contract, which is what caused his heart to balloon as it panicked to compensate.

We don't have video, but this contrast in our hearts really flourishes in exercise. We both have low ejection fractions at rest because our hearts are so large a small percentage still amounts to large stroke volume. (Although his disease is advanced enough that his stroke volume is getting too low.) If we were to exercise though, the scarring prevents his damaged heart from contracting much harder than it can at rest. Even in light exercise then, his heart rate will skyrocket before decompensating and going totally out of rhythm as his heart fails. You've seen this in some of his videos. My heart by comparison will expand and contract harder as exercise intensity increases, allowing my heart to pump gallons and gallons of blood as its output increases beyond standard limits.

His right ventricle is also normal in size but looks small because his left ventricle is so large. You can really see here just how much cardio has enlarged my right ventricle. The biventricular enlargement reemphasizes athlete's heart syndrome as it represents improved function of my right ventricle to support the enhanced left. In fact my right ventricle clocks in at 56mm and 7-9mm thick walls. For context, that is the size of a well trained amateur's *left ventricle*; my heart is so enlarged that supporting my left ventricle requires the output of most athletes' entire heart. His right ventricle is not up to the task. Even if his left wasn't damaged and could beat well, the rv isn't big enough to fill that massive heart. His heart is doomed to fail.

I love that our hearts are opposite ends of the cardio spectrum. We are both genetic flukes (DCM is usually genetic, the extent of my enlargement can only be genetic). We have both extensively pushed our hearts in their natural directions, mine by constantly trying to improve its function and grow it, him by engaging in dark play. And we are both extremely "advanced", with his heart essentially a non functional balloon and mine 99th percentile among Olympic athletes. What's so cool is on a still image, our hearts are still pretty similar looking. Certainly explains why some cardiologists look at my heart with concern. I should show them his.

[luckyqueenreign]

Hello o/ I've recently started playing litg again, I left after 4th mid-season after lame-ass Will coupled with Thabi, I haven't played the 5th season bc I've heard that it's hot garbage, could you please tell me why? I don't mind spoilers, but I haven't found any answers other than that. Thank you a lot!

Ohhhh babe settle in while I relive that dumpster fire, this is going to be a long one…

Anyone who’s played s5 will back me on this, If you were annoyed with Will leaving us for Thabi, I STRONGLY advise you to not even *think* about playing s5.

First let’s start off with MC…she was… not cute. For reference:

And I know that after a few weeks fb gave us more options and all of our MCs either became cuter in our eyes or maybe we all just felt extremely sorry for her because of the horrible experience she was having. Let’s get into that next…

Your MC walks into the villa and immediately is greeted by none other than her super hot, narcissistic, cheating ex, Suresh. Normally I would have to tell you oh I did X route so some of my choices will defer from yours if you pick another choice, but NOPE not in s5! Because we had ZERO choice. For first recoupling whether you want to or not, you are coupled with your ex, Suresh. Then he is fawning over you IMMEDIATELY, he’s jealous, running around after you, trying everything to win you back. And you can choose every single positive interaction saying you want him back too and the game doesn’t care. It literally won’t let you get back with him until the very end. But on the other spectrum, if you don’t want to be with him, he will not leave you alone no matter how much you beg.

As for LI choices, at the start you are given TWO. (I say at the start, but to be honest you’re really only give 2 for the majority of the season) One being Alfie and the other being Dana. Now every season before this and every season after, one of the girls always asks if you are into girls and this determines whether they will have girls grafting you or not. Well your answer doesn’t matter here. You could have said I’m the straightest person on earth and Dana would still hit on you everyday and get sad whenever anyone else showed interest in you. Oh and because there were only two other girls in the villa and one being your bully, dana was also meant to be your best friend and CONSTANTLY let you know that she was. By interrupting any and all conversations you were having, even good ones! You’re about to kiss your LI? Here comes Dana! There’s a lot more to unpack on Dana but I’ll get back to her later, just remember she’s your “best friend” in the villa.

As for the bully I mentioned, every season prior to this it’s been clear that whenever someone was coming after us, it’s because they were jealous that MC was “that girl”, s5 blurred those lines and became full on bullying. First with Kat, who went into full attack mode when MC even breathed in the direction of the two boys she was after. Her first and very brief LI was Alfie, who if MC just hugs garners a feral reaction from Kat screeching at her to leave him alone. And then her second LI, Finn who comes in as the first bombshell and Kat drops everything to be with him. Throughout the season anytime she feels any sort of jealousy she takes it out on MC and MC NEVER fires back!

Then we get two new bullies bombshells, Meera and Arlo. Suresh starts heavily flirting with Arlo, which I’m sorry but wasn’t he just up our asses literally yesterday?? And legit, who wrote this season and thought this was ok?? bc even if I hated my ex it wouldn’t be nice to see him flirting with someone else. Meera comes across like a super nice girl while Arlo becomes our second bully! Yay! Again even if you don’t want to be with Suresh, Arlo acts as if you do. And after a prolonged recoupling Suresh chooses Arlo, Alfie chooses MC and Meera is sent home (more on her later) Now if you wanted to be with him you’re probably thinking wtf Suresh?? And if you don’t you’re probably thinking, finally I’m free!! But NOPE when he couples up with Arlo that’s when he decides he’s going super full on and starts going after MC even harder. He wears the shirt she bought him for an anniversary on a date, he tries/kisses MC in the bedroom (depends on your choice) and just overall is doing everything to win MC back except for being honest and dumping Arlo to be with MC. Well Kat sees the kiss/hug/rejection and still tells the entire villa that you and Suresh were kissing in bed. The whole villa erupts, Alfie/Dana rush off and are super pissed at you, they won’t even let you explain yourself. So then you try to go find Alfie/Dana and you go to the roof terrace only to find Alfie kissing Kat or Dana kissing Eddie (if you’re on her route he’s coupled with Dana but she doesn’t really like him) OH and just a reminder, you have past trauma from when your long term ex CHEATED ON YOU. Alfie/Dana knew about this the whole time and yet STILL kissed someone else. Then Suresh takes this opportunity where you’re at your lowest again to apologize for cheating and tells you have until tonight to decide if you want to be with him or not. The girls also ask that night who you want to be with and your given the choice of Alfie/Suresh and when you go to tell one of them who you want to be with….they’re gone! YUP! They’re off to casa!!

And you might be thinking, after all that drama casa might be a nice break! A few days of freedom from the mess that’s gone down. THINK AGAIN BESTIE! While you’re at casa you get a major surprise! Remember that girl Suresh cheated on you with??? Oh yea the producers decide to drop her into YOUR casa villa. So you have to come face to face with Gabby, the girl that your ex cheated with. Now this was obviously a massive departure from the irl show because they’ve never thrown a girl into the girls villa at casa amor before. And remember your bestie Dana?? Oh yea she gets SUPER hot and bothered by Gabby and decides she wants to bring her back into the villa.. now I know you’re probably thinking wait but what if your on Dana’s route?? Obviously she wouldn’t cheat on MC with Eddie and then bring back the girl that Suresh cheated with!! WELL SHE DID BB!!!

Throughout the season we’ve been given very little detail about Suresh and MCs relationship. We know he cheated, he said it was a one time thing, MC found out about it from a picture on his phone. OH how could I forget!! We also find out that MC was going to propose to Suresh!! The day before he cheated she bought a ring! Well that’s all we knew until gabby says nah we were more than just a one time thing, he had a tooth brush at my place! We dated for months!

So now casa is over and we’re going back, the game doesn’t let us go back single and we have to pick either Nicholas or Johnny to bring back to the villa. Doesn’t matter who you choose they go nuts regardless. So now Gabby is back in the main villa thanks to your “bestie” and Suresh is STRESSING. Because obviously he left out some crucial details! And you would think ok we’re immediately going to talk to him? NOPE we need a fucking girls chat with the new casa girls. Lulu, Suresh’s new girl…Meera is back with alfie and remember that nice girl? Well she’s gone and we now have a full on bitch in her place aka Bully #3. Eddie is sent packing and tells us that whichever guy you like / Dana still really likes you and thought about you the whole time during casa. Cool cool cool but will any of them tell you this?? Nah lol! So you get pulled in the middle of your slumber for a chat with Gabby and Suresh. He tells you in front of Gabby he cheated once but then mc broke up with him and he went to gabby and they dated for 5 months. Full on rebound relationship. He tells them both that he never loved Gabby and that MC is the only one he’s ever loved. Well she’s not having that! Gabby goes full on delulu and basically doesn’t accept what he’s said. Now at the time there was major upset online about Gabby not being romance-able bc in all fairness she was extremely hot. So the game now allows you to romance Gabby and you’d think they’d change SOME of the interactions but NOPE they didn’t. So basically the entire time she’s running after Suresh trying to win him back. So much so that she explodes one day and reveals to everyone that he was going to propose!! Shock and awe all around the villa while everyone looks pitifully at MC.. at this point in the gameplay I think we were all so tired at the sheer embarrassment we were enduring weekly. And then Suresh announces hey that wasn’t for you dummy it was for MC!! Buttttt remember when he found out weeks ago that MC was going to propose??? Why tf didn’t he say anything then?? BECAUSE THAT WOULD MAKE TOO MUCH SENSE. Oh and speaking of making sense… if you’re on Suresh’s route and you somehow survive the weekly torture, I kind of blacked out at the end, but he proposes and MC obviously wins because she should.

I know I left out so much bullying (Nicolas and Eddie) and so much other shit that goes down, but this was getting too long. Bestie if you’re still here, all in all just don’t play it. You’ll have severe ptsd from it. You’re better off reading all of the fanfics the amazing fandom created.

[yabagofmilfs]

☕️ california!!

this is a broad question, haha. as a concept, california is elite. you want to go to the beach today? cool, see you there in 20 minutes. feel like going snowboarding? two hours to the mountains. want to go on a hike and jump off a waterfall? meet me in malibu. want to go camping or to the lake or the desert? anything you could possibly want is within a few hours drive. our food is god tier—our mexican food is untouchable of course but we also have huge korean and vietnamese communities, and also for some reason an entire city founded by danish settlers who now sell some of the best pastry in the world.

san diego, san luis obispo, and monterey are some of the most beautiful places on earth. i can’t believe i can just drive to a beautiful town and eat fresh caught fish tacos on the beach whenever i want. (why don’t i do that more often what’s wrong with me.)

on the other hand, most of our cities are not walkable, we have almost no public transportation, and we measure distance in minutes rather than miles because traffic is horrendous no matter where you’re going. rent is very high and good luck buying a house if you don’t have generational wealth on your side.

on the other other hand, we don’t have hurricanes* or tornadoes or blizzards. but we also only really have two seasons: A/C on (~april-november), and A/C off (its a good year when you don’t have to run it on christmas). we don’t have the infrastructure or quite frankly the common sense to handle rain, and we’re all resigned in a very desensitized way to probably dying when The Big One hits and we all fall into the ocean.

everywhere has its pros and cons, but they feel like pretty extreme ends of the spectrum here. it’s hard for me to imagine living anywhere else, but at the same time idk how sustainable it will be to live here much longer. :(

sorry for the long ramble, hopefully that answered your question!

[lemonsrosesandlavender]

Writer Interview Tag

Thanks for the tags, @darkurgetrash and @kimberbohwrites <3 I really enjoyed reading yours! I tag… hmmm, who hasn’t done it yet? @dutifullylazybread @commander-krios and @redroomroaving ? (And consider this a free tag if you want it!)

When did you start writing?

I honestly couldn’t say when my very first act of creative writing was, I feel like I’ve been writing on and off my whole life (barring like 5 years from 16-21). When I was 8 or 9 is the first I really remember though. I kept a diary religiously at that time (yes, it’s hilarious), and also attempted several stories that went nowhere, including a glorious portal fantasy about two children who are isekai’d into a kingdom of cats and have to face off against an evil cat stealing wizard. As you can tell, I love cats, lmao. And I have always loved portal fantasies and isekai. A through-line all the way to Planar Tears!

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

Oooh. Well, there are very few genres I *wouldn’t* read, and I’ve only written so much, so I suppose most genres currently sit in this pile for me? I can’t really see myself writing original sci-fi, despite loving it as a genre, because I think it really lives or dies on having an excellent concept more than a lot of other forms of fiction. Short of being struck with a lightning bolt of inspiration, I think I’d lack purpose. But I love, love, love science fiction. Isaac Asimov, Philip K Dick, N.K. Jemisin, Octavia Butler, John Wyndham, Marge Piercy, Ted Chiang… all of these SF authors’ stories have a place in my heart.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

No-one has yet compared me to anyone. I often realise that I’m going a little too Austen in my work, and gently push myself to modernise - but I guess that speaks to the fact that whilst I admire her, I don’t want to exactly emulate her? I love the way she gently teases her characters, the way she makes clear the contrast between what they believe and what’s actually true without being cruel. But I don’t want to write a pastiche.

On the other end of the spectrum, I recently re-read My Year of Rest and Relaxation and was reminded of how much I love Otessa Moshfegh’s cold, somewhat brutal cataloguing of the world around her character; her sparse but vivid imagery (casting aside a pair of shoes like “dead crows”) and her unlikeable but extremely readable MC. I should read more of her work!

Basically, I love to read and have a wide spectrum of influences, but I’m not aiming to emulate any single one of them. I would say my writing swings between archaic and more efficient depending on whether I’ve read classic or modern literature most recently, because I love both.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I have many. On my phone anywhere - especially the commute - and at home on a laptop, either sat at our dining table (we live in a rental flat in an expensive city, a proper desk would be a luxury), or on the sofa with my girlfriend and flatmate sometimes contributing "suggestions" lol. If I'm in a writing phase, which I have been for a year - every space is a writing space.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Hmmm. I am rarely in a completely creatively fallow period - unless I'm just straight up obsessed with a game/TV show/the gym, in which case I'm busy having a good time in other ways - but I'm not always in the writing zone. I like textile crafts and sewing, and art hobbies generally. I guess that is to say, if the writing muse is not present, I rarely miss it; I'm probably thinking about something else.

(Barring the times when my mental health is fucked, but even then, I'm probably throwing myself really hard into a hobby as a distraction. I'm an all or nothing person). When I'm struggling with writer's block on say, a chapter of a long fic, it's usually because it's not quite headed in the right direction, and I need to backtrack, take stock of where my characters are emotionally, and try again in a different direction. Honestly... I know it's advised against by some, but sometimes I just have to sit down and make myself write just to figure out what's wrong. Just do it, and rip it up later if you have to. (**put it in a separate doc in case you can use it elsewhere. you probably wrote it for a reason. DO NOT TILT OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH AND DELETE YOUR SHIT, NO MATTER HOW FRUSTRATING).

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Number one is “coming to terms with making mistakes in your vocation, and recognising that you are more than your talent at it.” It’s the reason that draws me to Rolan in the first place, because it mirrors my own life experiences very closely. I was somewhat picked on and harassed in school (shit that many of us have experienced) and built my whole personality around being smart and having my life planned out as a shield against it. I was going to do [thing], I was really good at it, and it was all clear. Not to mention I loved this subject. So when I got into a prestigious university my life was sorted, right? Except... all of the hideous self-esteem issues and perfectionism I'd been papering over came crashing down all at once, and I was in an incredibly unforgiving environment, in a very male-dominated subject where other (male) students would literally be like huh, isn't it weird more women don't study this subject? Why do YOU think that is? I felt like I was worthless, stupid and useless, and that I stuck out like a sore thumb - and I was carrying the weight of every woman who wanted to do my subject and was afraid they weren't good enough. My life plans crumbled before my eyes, and I was severely depressed, alongside other health issues - which my uni did not give two fucks about, at all.

Which is to say, I draw many parallels between my own arc and Rolan's - being an outsider, the precarity of having your own talent validated only to have your entire future rest on it, and being vulnerable to really shitty messaging about how hard I should be working and how it was obviously my fault if I wasn't succeeding already, when they were one of the best universities around. And then I realised I was writing similar experiences with Catrin and SW Tav - discovering, and appreciating, that you're more than this one crutch you cling to, this singular skill that you desperately need to hold you above the maelstrom of life. And I promise that, like Rolan, this has a happy ending - I personally took some years out after battling through undergrad, faced my demons, and returned to the subject that I loved as a far more well-rounded person, better equipped to deal with failure. I'm not perfect, and I never will be. I'm neurotic and perfectionistic and all the rest. And that's probably why I keep writing, and exploring this theme - to remind myself that I want to avoid that trap, and to deal with the ways I feel when I'm in it. I was gonna write about kink here too, but I think this is enough, lol.

What is your reason for writing?

Joy. I love exercising my creative drive. And I love re-reading what I've written!

Obsession. These fuckers, these plot points, occupy every spare inch of brain and will not stop until I vent them.

Learning. Honing my skills is a frustration and a pleasure.

Connection. I'm so, so grateful to have people who read and care about my work. It means the world.

Horny. Um. Yeah. I have no further explanation for this one lmao. Except. Fantasies are amazing, but then writing them down makes them even better because now you're really thinking about the specifics and those specifics come to mind more easily next time you're [REDACTED. CABBAGE STOP. ENOUGH!!!]

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

I can’t pick just one! A balanced diet of comments is the best ;)

I joke but - I love them all. Shouting about the plot? You're invested, and I'm grateful. "Additional kudos" twenty chapters in? You've stuck with me this far, and I'm grateful. I guess if I had to pick a few:

1. Strong emotional responses. Kicking my feet/biting my keyboard/stressed/blushing/screaming - whatever fits the mood of the scene. I’m so happy my writing evoked strong feelings. That’s a good chunk of the point, right?

2. Writing analysis. Picking out individual lines or highlighting certain aspects - characterisation, dramatic tension, etc. The day someone said that I "had a knack for showing character in a single action" and then provided examples, I nearly exploded. Augh. I particularly love comments on my OCs because they're especially precious to me. My own brain children, and you LIKE them? heaven for reader. heaven for reader for 1000 years.

3. “I should be sleeping but instead I read this” AND I AM KISSING YOU. That’s all.

4. Just straight up compliments. "I love this" thank you I'm crying. ahhhhhhh. Cute lil kudos graphics (you know who you are). I'm over the moon you enjoy my work. <3

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

Well, I know for certain that a large swathe of my readers perceive me as “the one who writes good subby Rolan porn” and frankly? I love that reputation. If nobody appreciated the SFW elements of my work, I might feel differently, because thoughtful storytelling is also really important to me - but I feel seen in that regard too, so I can delight in knowing my writing has a distinctive flavour. Kinky chilli ice cream, spicy and sweet.

I would also love to hope my readers think of me fondly when they get the next long fic email, and are excited to continue the story. Oh, and I hope my readers enjoy chatting in my comment section, because I do. All I can aim for is to be the friendly author who "rites gud". Fingers crossed I meet that bar :)

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

You know what? I might not have said this once upon a time, but I actually think I’m pretty decent at plotting. I think I wind various threads together quite well, and with purpose.

I think I’m pretty good at observing character too. I hope. I’ve written so much Rolan that he’s really taken on a life of his own, but I do often rewatch his cutscenes (I know, such a chore 😉) and think I have a good sense for him. I also think that although Catrin started out difficult to write, I developed a very distinct character for her too, which I’m glad about.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

90% of what I’m writing is for me. I want it to be the best it can be, for me; I want it to cover the themes I care about. I want to tell the story in my head. Before BG3, I wrote for a teeny tiny fandom, inaugurating its fandom tag, and that inoculated me a little against writing for stats because well, thirty kudos felt like an INCREDIBLE achievement in that fandom.

Also, I want to write my kinky filth and not dilute it. That means actively CHOOSING not to worry about whether people are put off, because they absolutely, certainly will be in cases.

However, I do also care about my readers; I love comments and I want to give them the best story I can. I really enjoy my NSFW prompts; since my tumblr connections know the baseline of what I’m into, they can throw out AMAZING ideas that I love writing and am deeply grateful for. I’ve also definitely pushed harder on fics and oneshots because I knew a particular commenter or mutual was super excited for them ❤️ (shout out to my piss kink cheerleader lol, and everyone who has kindly - or ferally - expressed interest in my longfics).

How do you feel about your own writing?

Mostly very good! I do struggle with writer’s block sometimes, but my particular combination of perfectionism and obstinacy means I don’t tend to publish my work until I’m happy with it. I can see imperfections in my work, especially my past work, but I do genuinely enjoy the process of learning even if it frustrates me sometimes. I really enjoy re-reading what I’ve written later, because by the time it gets out there into the world, I’ve always beaten it into something I’m proud of.

I can't deny that I do, occasionally, get bitten by the little green monster though. Seeing someone else's Rolan writing get called "the best" or whatever has me nursing a tiny stab of pain. And I know it's valid - I'm not *the* best writer of all time, I'm just writing my reasonably-good stories out here, but I can't deny that small oof. (I'm tipsy so you're getting rather honest Cabbage tonight). I'm also very aware that I get many wonderful comments and treasure them, so I just accept my limitations a bit and try not to think too much about other peoples' writing that is along similar lines to my own. You're all writing beautiful stuff and I support you, but I will go NUTS if I spend my life reading closely-related fic. (If I have read your fic, know I fought my inner demons to do it, lol). Idk. I write what I want to write, as well as I can, and I'm grateful that people want to read it. Seriously. You have no idea how much every bookmark and subscription and lovely comment mean to me <3 And all I can do is my best to master this lovely art form and carve out from the marble an approximation of what I see in my head.

[medicinanocturna]

Understanding the OPPOSITION aspect in SYNASTRY

An elaborated piece about the essence of the opposition aspect in your natal chart is here.

It is a good point to start before plunging into its meaning in the synastry. 

To summarise. Whether or not we see it, any quality that we have in us is only alive because of its opposition.

SYNASTRY opposition is the sacred tool for us to recognise the opposition in ourselves. Often it is considered being the most difficult aspect between the two charts, and on some level it is. 

The deeper you are willing to explore, the more you appreciate any difficult aspect, and the aspect of opposition -  in particular. 

Besides understanding WHAT does this aspect mean in the charts of the two of you, you really want to understand WHY.

Answering to this question may take your partnership to a new level. 

First, opposition is the same thing that is … a conjunction…but - in the opposite way. 

When the two things conjunct, we often think that they become one. There is a union, a mixture. Rarely do we get to see that the new union (which results from the conjunction) has the new opposition in itself.

In the synastry chart, opposition can signify several types of interaction between the energies of the two. 

(Please note that although synastry chart mostly refers to the intimate partnerships or friendships, it also includes any other one- on - one relationship like: teacher - apprentice, doctor - patient, client - provider, etc.)

The first type of the opposition is a fight between the two very different qualities. This energy of “fighting”, however, may give an intense arousal in the domain of sexual interaction. And often it is considered being an aspect of passion. But outside of it, this type of the opposition will hugely complicate things, make the energy sharp, or heavy, or tight (depending on the planets), and the sense of fight (“either this, or that” feeling) will always prevail. One partner will feel like the win is theirs, and the other one will have to feel they have lost. Here the compromise usually feels unnatural, and boundaries-breaking for one of the partners.

Another type of the opposition is the ability (usually unconscious) of the partners to distribute the energy in such a way that both parts feel satisfied and in charge while moving towards the same goal. Usually, it refers to the opposition of the planets that signify manifestation of an outward action. Sun - Sun opposition, for example. Mars - Mars can be extremely constructive for a project building as well. But on the level of the emotional spheres, this opposition is still a huge cornerstone. The two people will intrinsically feel there is a pull - push game going on at the energy level, but both are not willing to give away their “share”. Sometimes this is totally unconscious and stems from an insecurity. Energetic vampirism is a common result of this type of the opposition in the chart. In the intimate sphere, it can be very exciting at first, but irritating in the end.

The next level type of the opposition between the two will provoke a healthy interest, an intense curiosity about the “otherness” of the other. Here, this opposition is already felt consciously as a tool to see one’s own opposite sides that have to unite. Sexually, it will have less physical intensity than in the first type of the opposition, but emotionally and sensually it may bring a vast spectrum of colours between the two. However, on the mental level, the two partners usually become pretty discerning and may be inclined to have a mental game (or manipulation) around each other's opposite sides. Depending on the planets, this game can be very resourceful, or exhausting. But usually, it will only lead these two to a more comprehensive understanding of themselves and the meaning of their partnership. 

And the ultimate level of the opposition would be a union. Here, both partners have accepted the opposite sides of the signs, where the synastry opposition is set, so well that their ability to enjoy this aspect creates the sense of integrity. Whether this is a unified outward action, the energy in the realm of feeling, or a sexual ritual, this opposition will feel like the most complete wholeness. Moon in Capricorn versus Moon in Cancer union will feel like the deepest emotional connection where a healthy structure holds an emotional blanket of another person, and both of them feel centred and deeply seen by each other. (The same aspect at the first level will give lots of tears, coldness and misunderstandings to both). 

The opposition of a Taurus Venus to a Scorpio Pluto at this level may create a union where the esoteric power becomes so harmonious and respectful to the material world of beauty that it creates something healing, earthly, but deeply transformative and sensually hypnotizing at the same time - be it a project, or an intimate act. On the lower level, however, this opposition is a synonym of obsession, jealousy, and lots of tears again … 

Remember, there is a middle point in any opposition.

On the higher level, this point is a golden ratio, where the two opposite qualities find its perfect balance. On the lower level, it is a grey zone where the opposite qualities mix in a chaotic fight.

Whether your synastry chart is playing out at the higher level, or the lower level, it is exactly what you need.

But if you feel you need more, then it is the right time.

Drop me a line for a personal look at your chart. 

Yours,

AlSheren

[ravenkinnie]

what r ur thoughts about mel in general

mel is so mother, not in a bland girlboss way that people assign female characters they don't actually care about but don't want to be sexist but in a way that I imagine she could inflict emotional violence on me I would think about for decades and also in a gay way because she serves ultimate cunt. I don't like the two ends of the spectrum she gets though, it's either people thinking she is only an evil capitalist manipulator (she is a capitalist but let's not talk about arcanes class worldbuilding issues again lmao) or that she only ever had pure intentions - she did manipulate jayce, she absolutely did work her charm and found cracks in him she could dig her fingers in to make him work the way she wanted and THEN realised she genuinely cares for him. and I love that, I love that she likes a man who is stupider than her and then gets charmed by how earnest he is in his dumbassery

mels issue is fandom is that she's a black woman and people are racist djdjdjkdk and she's attached to a storyline and a man that is largely taken over in fandom landscape by a slash ship so she's always gonna lose, the fact that meljay is a rareship slays me dhsjjs and also her storyline starts kind of late in the season, like it doesn't really kick off until ambessa shows up and by then you have viktor committing unethical experiments and dying and the whole zaun storyline unfolding and everything surrounding jinx-silco-vi triangle is just so enrapturing in its insanity mel stood no chance

but ngl her storyline with ambessa has me gagged, I like gasped when ambessa went BECAUSE YOU WEAKENED ME like the way mel this whole time thought she just didn't live up to ambessas standard and then the realisation that ambessa felt like mel was putting her up to a standard she couldn't live up to and didn't want to accept and that the values she thought she couldn't embody that ambessa did are the reason she was exiled aaaaaaaaa. I hope they get more spotlight next season and noxus becomes more relevant because you see a set number of ways mother daughter relationships are portrayed in media and its rare that there's this sort of violence and strong mindedness present in them the way it often is in father son relationships. I love that mels arc is her rejecting her motherland and their values and building something for herself (like her taking off her family ring and voting for jayces peace treaty even tho the treaty was fucking stupid... jayce is real for that dumb idea just so we could get mels cunt moment and silcos mother coded sophies choice arc)

also there's mels brother who we don't know much about, we know that he was important to mel because duh he's her brother but also she looked up to him in some way. but because arcane moves so fast with its plot she doesn't even get a moment to grieve him

I don't write mel fics a lot tho, just because mel is somewhat smarter than me and that becomes an issue when she has to be written by me, a dumbass. and i cant combat that unlike with another character like with silco who is somewhat smarter than me but he is also extremely delusional and I can balance these out to make it work. acc maybe I need to figure out how to make her more delusional

anyways while I'm here here are mel fic recs: family study this mel/silco fic is one of my favorite arcane fics ever caitmel from linka my fellow Caitlyn Fucks warrior elora/mel that eats character study through being gagged over mels hair insane