#edit. i just reread my tags and

[cringelordofchaos]

// for even if I'm far away, I hold you in my heart //⟩ 💙💜

[benevolenterrancy]

Swords pining for each other's cultivator is my new favorite type of pining. Love your NieYao content! <3

I don't suppose we could get Baxia or Hensheng throwing a tantrum while Jin Guangyao / Nie Mingjue are away, leaving their owners to deal with the embarrassing aftermath?

Also, do you have any recs you'd recommend with these two?

this is the exact moment Nie Huaisang realised he was going to have to start meddling in his big brother's love life (con't: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Hensheng, on the other hand, doesn't throw tantrums but WILL sulk...

[abluescarfonwaston]

Fanfic writer advice thats like 'use a beta/copyeditor' is just like.

I'm sorry are you volunteering to edit my fics for Grammer/commas/whatever was so egregious that you decided this needed to be a part of your comment? Do you think it's easy to

1. Write something and then

2. Find someone to willingly edit it for free in a timely manner who will catch a meaningful amount of said things

3. Resist the urge to immediately post something when I finally finish something for once?

Like damn girl you think highly of me

[myokk]

before it felt like a sin, ch. 1

pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC

word count: 3000

summary: Eloise never wanted to be different.

And yet, her differences are what have defined her life up until this point: growing up as a squib in one of the most prominent wizarding families, being exiled to muggle society, and then attending Hogwarts at the age of sixteen.

She finds herself thrust into the life she should have been prepared for from birth but was denied. As she navigates this new life and her new precarious position in her family, she must come to terms with the fact that maybe what she dreamed of her whole life isn't turning out how she ever expected it would.

a/n: Hi everyone!! I decided to post this here too...I'm slowly going through everything I've written so far, and I want to post each chapter here as I edit them. I'm hoping that this can be a way to a) get back in to writing more, and b) get better at my art as I make full illustrations for each chapter. Let me know what you think!! :)

There is nothing quite as horrible as being a muggle, Eloise thought savagely as she ripped out yet another stitch in the landscape she was embroidering. At least, it was supposed to be a landscape. Maybe with her head tilted to the left and with her eyes almost closed so everything blurred together, it might resemble one. She did just that, trying her hardest to make out some recognizable shape and blast the stupid practice of manually pushing colored thread through a fabric in some sort of -

“And what is this, Miss Babbit?”

Eloise jumped at the sound and looked up at the scowling face of her teacher, and then quickly back down at the tangled thread in her lap. Behind her, she could hear the hushed giggles of the other girls in her class.

“Oh! Er…it’s -”

“How long have you been here?” the woman interrupted.

“One hour…I just -”

“Don’t be smart with me. I mean, at this institute.”

“Five years.” Eloise glared down at her embroidery as if it had personally offended her. It wasn’t like she was actively trying to be bad at everything, but she had the distinct disadvantage - how had it ever come to be that she would be at a disadvantage to muggles? - of not having spent a lifetime being prepared for muggle society and all that it entailed. The last five years had been a monotonous, endless cycle of lessons designed to turn her into the perfect lady: French (a waste of time as Eloise was already fluent), embroidery (a waste of time as the things she embroidered weren’t actually useful), dancing (a waste of time as she was already engaged to be married - why would she bother trying to woo another silly man?), and her most dreaded class of all: etiquette. No matter how many years had been spent trying to assimilate into muggle culture, her thoughts still got muddled when she tried to remember the steps to a dance, or how to properly address the son of a duke.

Did it really matter, anyways, what the other girls thought? She had pretended her whole life to be the daughter she thought her parents had wanted - now she was simply pretending that she hadn’t been thrown into the muggle world without a second thought. What was a bit more pretending - that she didn’t care? That she hadn’t been tossed aside without a second thought?

“Exactly. Five years. And yet, you have shown no progress whatsoever. This -” a finger jabbed accusingly at the embroidery - “is absolutely horrendous. If your parents hadn’t continued to make such a sizeable donation every year, I would have deemed you a lost cause and sent you packing when you first arrived. How your family ever managed your betrothal to the son of an earl is beyond me.”

Eloise grimaced at the mention of her fiance as her teacher clapped her hands together to get the attention of the class - a wholly unnecessary action due to the fact that it was already being given. “Class is dismissed. Please collect your belongings and put them in the correct place. Remember, as future wives and mothers, you must be organized in all aspects of your life. Many of you will be managing important households and the slightest misstep -“ a slight glance to Eloise out of the corner of her eye - “can cause the biggest of scandals.”

Eloise raced to gather her things and leave the classroom before everyone else. No matter how many years had been spent at the school, she couldn’t help but hate sitting through the classes amongst the judgmental stares and snide remarks. Although things had started out shaky at the finishing school - to be expected, really, when you’ve grown up in wizarding society and then are then forced to live as a muggle - it still stung that after all these years, she still hadn’t found a friendly face. She was treated as if she were a pariah: it was as if the other girls just knew that something was different about her. But…wasn’t that the great irony of it all? She wasn’t different than them. She was a filthy squib.

When she first arrived at the school, she was an anomaly. A twelve-year-old girl who didn’t know how to play the piano or who the queen was. It was clear to everyone that Eloise wasn’t the charity case of the school - her parents were obviously quite wealthy - and yet they seemingly wanted nothing to do with her. Whereas the others got regular letters and visits from their family, it was as if Eloise were an orphan. Nothing new to her of course, but to her peers this otherness aided them in her ostracization.

Upon entering her room, she was abruptly pulled out of her thoughts. Something wasn’t right. Everything seemed the same: a twin bed perfectly made opposite a small wardrobe, a plain wooden desk placed between them. The weak afternoon sunlight shone through the window, illuminating her desk. But…there.

That…

Placed on her bed, resting on the pillow, was a letter.

She never received letters.

Eloise shoved her embroidery under her bed and hungrily grabbed at it, pausing when she saw the address. Miss E. Babbit. The Third Bedroom on the Left… It seemed vaguely familiar to her in a way she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

As she read the letter, though, it became apparent to her exactly why this was. Although not exactly the same as the one her brother had received six years earlier, it quickly became apparent that this was a Hogwarts letter. For her. For Miss E. Babbit.

Hands shaking, she set the letter down on her desk and sat on the edge of her bed. She smoothed her hands over her skirt over and over, taking comfort in the familiar softness as she tried to even her breathing.

How was this possible? She had all but accepted the fact that she was a squib. The shame of her family, a dirty secret to be hidden away and never talked about or mentioned again. Her parents had suspected as much by the time she had turned seven without any signs of magic whatsoever manifesting around her - not even a basic transformation of brussel sprouts to sweets during dinner. It was ultimately confirmed, however, when her own Hogwarts acceptance letter never arrived. She had spent the whole year before her banishment daydreaming about her life at Hogwarts, still optimistic that there could be something magical inside of her. Her brother, Leo, came home every holiday with wonderful stories of his new friends and teachers, and the subjects he was learning at school. Even back then, at twelve years old, Eloise hadn’t been sure if he was actually hopeful she wasn’t a squib, or if he had been trying to prolong the fantasy for her before it all came crashing down.

Although she had had five years to come to terms with her new life, there was still a small part of her that hoped. A small “what if…”. She had tried time and time again to squash that tiny ray of optimism that would escape every so often, tried so very hard to cultivate a hard exterior that wouldn’t let any sort of vulnerability shine through. And that optimism was a vulnerability, after all. It was that vulnerability that had made it absolutely impossible for her to fit in the muggle world, and made it so that she didn’t really want to try.

Five years to come to terms with the fact that she needed a new purpose for her life and…

…not anymore?

Eloise grabbed the letter and greedily read through it again, drinking in all of the words. She paused at the end, thinking. Was this a forgery? Some sort of awful joke orchestrated by her brother? Leo had never been cruel to her in the past; in fact, he was the one who always encouraged her and was the most probable source of the small optimism that remained within her. However, she had no way of knowing how he had changed since she had last seen him. It had been, after all, five very long years. And not once had she heard from him, even though he had promised her through huge sobbing gulps that he would never abandon her. Maybe their parents had slowly poisoned him against her. It would be right on the nose for them, after all.

Looking at the envelope again, however…Third Bedroom on the Left…no. It was too specific. Nobody in her previous life had any reason to even want to contact her again, and nobody in her current life even knew what Hogwarts was, let alone have the ability to convincingly forge a letter just to have some fun at her expense.

A light, bubbly feeling began to spread throughout her body as it sunk in that this was real. She was going to Hogwarts. Soon, a - squinting at the letter again - a Professor Fig would be contacting her and giving her things to study. A huge grin slowly spread across her face and she hugged the letter to her chest as she fell back on her bed. She read through it again. Was it the fifth time already? It felt as though no amount of times rereading the letter would ever be enough.

Eloise got up and walked over to look at the calendar on her desk. She was surprised to see that September 1st was in only two days. The days at the finishing school moved in such a strange, sluggish way. They all felt the same. Monotonous. French and Latin and embroidery and household management and Merlin even knows what else all blending into each other in an endless parade of dusty classrooms and gossip and boredom.

The light feeling left her in an instant as, after years of practice, the optimism was squashed back down. But how will you even get to London? And, her brain added sneakily, you haven’t even shown any signs of magic. Maybe you’ll just be returned back here after they realize their mistake.

No, she thought fiercely, gripping the letter. Until -

A tapping came from the window. A tentative smile returned at the sight of a tawny brown owl with another envelope in its beak. She ripped it open as soon as it was in her hands (again addressed to Miss E. Babbit) and along with the letter a small, purple pouch fell out of the envelope and onto her bed.

Miss Eloise Babbit,

I am pleased to be the wizard charged with such an important task as escorting you to Hogwarts in two days’ time. It is something extraordinary to be accepted in your fifth-year, and as such, I expect extraordinary things from you. I have enclosed a small pouch along with this envelope, and in it are some items that will be vital to you in the upcoming days. I have included books for you to study at your leisure, and a small gobstone that will bring you to our rendezvous point in London. All you have to do is touch it at noon on the 1st and you will be transported instantly.

Your family has not been informed of your acceptance. I am sure you understand why - at this, Eloise scoffed quietly to herself - which is why I will personally be your escort.

I am looking forward to meeting you and bringing you to the sorting ceremony in two days’ time.

Yours,

Eleazar Fig

The handwriting was tiny and spidery and cramped, but it didn’t stop Eloise from reading it with the same vigor as the previous letter and as many times. Finally, she turned to the small pouch that had fallen onto her bed when she opened the second envelope. It must have had an invisible extension charm, because it was filled to the brim with books on basic spellwork and general wizarding history. Professor Fig had no way of knowing, but Eloise had already read many of these books and many more during the year her brother had started Hogwarts, as she had needed to know absolutely everything about what would be awaiting her. A few years may have passed since she had stepped foot in her family’s library, but she couldn’t get the books or their contents out of her brain even if she had wanted to. She had really wanted to forget everything she knew about the magical world when it was confirmed she was a squib but it was a futile effort. As she zoned out during her piano lessons, she would find herself mentally going through the movements to cast different charms.

It was painful to be thinking about things from the life that had been ripped away from her, to know that what she was thinking about would never come to pass, that she would never be able to wield magic - and yet she couldn’t find herself able to stop.

As Eloise picked out one of the books and settled into her armchair, a steely resolve overcame her.

She would prove that she deserved to be there, and was just as capable as any of they were. She would make her parents regret ever discarding her like she was nothing.

She was worthy. She was capable. And she would prove it.

The morning of September 1st dawned cold and rainy. Absolutely perfect.

Eloise had pretended to be sick the night before, and no one had suspected a thing when she stayed in bed long after all of the other girls had gotten ready and headed to breakfast. As the last of the chattering faded away down the hallway, Eloise finally got out of bed and prepared herself for the day. It was difficult to sit still long enough to braid her hair. Her fingers wouldn’t stop trembling and she had to restart countless times. Finally, she tied the black ribbon at the end into a neat bow and turned to the drawer of her desk to retrieve the small purple pouch she had hidden away.

Everything she deemed important enough to come along with her had already been placed inside: the books from Professor Fig, the hair ribbons gifted to her by her brother many years ago, and some clothing. Nothing else was coming with. She needed the fresh start. Besides, anything else she might need would be supplied, as her acceptance letter had specifically stated that any school supplies would be provided to her.

Waiting the hours before noon came along proved to be more difficult than Eloise had imagined. Time seemed to be moving slower than the molasses that had come with the breakfast sent up to her, the steady patter of the rain becoming a sort of metronome keeping time as she paced back and forth. Wasn’t there anything that could distract her, even for a bit? She glanced at the clock. Only five minutes had passed since the last time. 10.35.

The second hand ticking away in tandem with the sound of rain splashing against her window.

What if this was all a trick? What if she arrived at Hogwarts, and they turned her away because they realized they had made a mistake? After all, why would they admit a sixteen-year-old? Surely she was too old; every other student had started Hogwarts at the age of twelve and had shown signs of magic much earlier than that. She still hadn’t shown any signs of magical capability whatsoever, and didn’t feel any different than she had before receiving the letter. It had to be a fluke.

As her thoughts started veering into the melancholy she was prone to, she shook her head. No. Today was a happy, exciting day. She wasn’t going to squash the optimism down today, not when she needed it most. All of these thoughts she was having were simply that: thoughts. Not reality. Hogwarts never made a mistake, and in all of the history books she had read, she couldn’t recall an instance of someone being turned away at the door. Granted, she had also never heard of someone being admitted so late. But, better to focus on what she did know, which was that she had gotten the letter. It must be right in its assumption that she had magic.

Trying to pass the time was easier said than done. She ended up quizzing herself on all of the charms she had memorized in the books sent by Professor Fig, moving an imaginary wand in the precise movements needed to successfully cast and focusing on her pronunciation. She had studied all of these forms late into both nights she had had the books, and when she would eventually close her eyes to sleep, the wand movements were all she saw.

Eloise was determined that she would receive pity from nobody. Nobody was going to look at her like she was lacking. She had gotten enough of that to last a lifetime, and now that she was given this opportunity she wasn’t about to waste it.

When noon finally struck, Eloise was ready and waiting. She eagerly grabbed the gobstone that was sitting on her desk and felt the familiar tugging sensation in her navel as she was whisked away to London and the beginning of her new life.

next chapter

[yagi-toshi]

beastars 147 spoilers a sequence of panels that are important to me

[person-personified]

hello I suddenly got into hunger games fics (from reels on instagram as one does) and I read an amazing fic series called.... the ashes of district twelve by silvercistern (now orphaned) and it was written in two thousand freaking twelve and it's so good that I've basically accepted it as canon?

and the peeta's pov fics that I wrote off for some reason are next on my list after a few other post mockingjay healing/growing together.

if anyone wants to come yell at me about thg or thg fics (granted I don't remember the details of the books) or has recs please do

[lenalenouilleisblogging]

2024 feminist movie retrospective ~ day 3

LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOO WOMEEEEEN 🔥🔥

*cough* Sorry. Uuuuuuuh. Well. Do I need to introduce this movie? It's fucking Furiosa. This is radblr here, I assume we've all had at least one wet dream about Imperator Furiosa 🫡 raise your hands. No? Just me? That was a bit by the way. I'm kidding. I swear I am... Let's talk about Furiosa : A Mad Max Saga ! Spoilers will be in red. Graphic descriptions of violence and sexual slavery ahead.

Watched : May 24th at my city's independent theater. The showing was pretty empty.

One thing you gotta know about me, I'm a fangirl by nature. But I'm not a forgiving fan. I'm not the kind to just be happy that an IP I like is getting some new content and be happy with anything I'm given. I'm a really demanding fan. If an IP I like is getting new content, I'm gonna need it to be up to the task. And as a long time George Miller fan and an absolute Mad Max Fanatic, I expected a LOT out of Furiosa.

I think this movie can be enjoyed even with no prior knowledge of the MM series. Personally, I'm glad I watched these films in the order that they came out and I would recommend you do the same, but if for whatever reason the rest of the series doesn't interest you and you just wanna see Furiosa, go for it, there's no big story thread that will confuse you.

Mad Max is a series of dark adventure movies set in a post-apocalyptic world, an unknown number of years after our time. In the first movie released in 79, the economy and the state seem to have collapsed but there is still a semblance of an organised modern society amongst the violence. From the second movie onward, it all goes to absolute hell. The first film had a very limited budget and you can tell the team was working with what they had and were still finding their footing. It was a very different type of film but it was already a massive success, a very original concept, and still to this day probably my favourite entry in the series in terms of narrative.

Emboldened by the massive success of MM1, George Miller and his team got more freedom, more money, and started dreaming big. Every film from MM2 onwards became more and more balls to the walls insane. It all reached a climax with Fury Road in 2015, the most expensive and ambitious film in the series.

Since MM2, the franchise has had a strong visual and thematic identity with a lot of easily recognisable elements. A fashion heavy on leather and chains that seems BDSM inspired, a strong narrative presence of children and parental themes, a cast full to the brim with actors/extras who are visibly disabled/have congenital physical quirks, and a strong environmental message. The world of Mad Max is a seemingly endless desert where fuel has become the most sought after ressource and engines/vehicles are deified. It's big, it's empty, it's dry, and it's distinctly... well, distinctly australian.

Furiosa : A Mad Max Saga is the fifth movie in the series and as the name implies, the first one to not have Max as the protagonist. It is the origin story of a character who was introduced in Fury Road.

The story follows the titular Furiosa as she gets kidnapped at a young age from her home, the "Green Place of Many Mothers" by a biker gang from the desert who seeks to take over the Green Place for resources. As Furiosa is taken deeper and deeper into the Wasteland, she is caught in the crossfire between two feuding warlords, Immortan Joe (who will then become the main antagonist in Fury Road) and Dementus. The story takes place over many years, showing us what happened to Furiosa to make her the ruthless Imperator we know her as.

To start, a few notes on this film's relationship to the previous one : I think it's pretty flimsy. An origin story is supposed to give us additional information about an interesting character, and while the movie does add new elements, i just don't think it's enough. Just so we're clear : i think Furiosa is AMAZINGLY developed in this film. She's an incredible character. I just wish the film gave us more new elements. The Green Place is a major plot point in MMFR, but here it appears on screen for less than 5min. And more importantly, we never get a definitive answer as to what happened to it?! It's frustrating because as much as i love this movie's story, i think it's a bit of a false advertisement. MMFR tells us all about this heavenly place Furiosa is from, and halfway through it's revealed to have died/been destroyed. That was a hugely dramatic moment for Furiosa in FR!! We're then told we're gonna get an origin story for her, which opens with a scene in the Green Place, then the film leaves it behind to focus on the same areas we know from FR, and we're left with the same questions than 9 years ago! Showing it in a few shots doesn't matter in the end, we have gained ZERO new information about it. And most of what we "learn" about the main character in this film, apart from elements related to newly introduced characters (Dementus, Jack), is stuff that we could have guessed ourselves. It showed us events yes, but too few elements of characterisation to make this a satisfactory origin story.

There's also an issue with the movie's status as a prequel, but that's a common problem that isn't exclusive to Furiosa. To put it simply, it lacks stakes. We know Furiosa survives because we've seen her older. We know the Green Place dies off anyway. And more importantly, we already know when the conflict begins that Immortan Joe will be victorious, the whole point of FR was that he was top dog. It was a strange decision to focus so much on a conflict between Immortan Joe and ANOTHER warlord, as if we don't all remember the previous movie. Honestly, a film that follows Furiosa's mother in the Green Place, in conflict with Dementus, then ENDS with the mom dying and Furiosa being taken would have been a better choice i think! It would have been less marketable probably, but more compelling. No one would have been confused as to what happened to Furiosa between the Green Place and Fury Road. It's pretty easy to fill in the blanks with the info we got before this film. Anyway, that's enough complaining. Again, just so we're clear, i don't think this film is badly written. In fact it's the opposite! The film tells its story very well, i just personally, as a fan, wish it had told a different story.

(edit : oh yeah I forgot, there IS one massive plot hole in the film. The arm thing. Uuuuh what happened there. How... What... But hey this is Mad Max, it's told like a legend/tale. So we'll just say that detail was lost in time lol)

Holy shit, writing in bright red for 20min hurt my eyes so bad lol why did i do that.

Apart from storytelling decisions (as seen in the spoiler section above) the only other criticisms i have are : one, absolutely TERRIBLE looking CGI fire, and two, an over-abundance of fade to blacks in the editing. But that's just about my personal tastes, these always feel like they make movies seem slower to me, but it might be just me. Apart from that, well, i loved everything, so let's talk about the rest.

The movie is incredibly atmospheric. The music by Junkie XL (who had already delivered a banging ost for Fury Road) is perfect, and is incorporated into the action so naturally. It's intense, it's poetic, it all works so well. Miller's movies always have great sound in general, this one is no exception. The universe is well developed and feels lived in, as usual with the franchise. There's something interesting to look at in every shot, there's so much attention to detail everywhere. The acting is PHENOMENAL all around. I've been a huge fan of Anya Taylor Joy since Split, and she didn't disappoint here. But the biggest stand-out by far is Alyla Browne as kid Furiosa. Good child performances are far from common in blockbusters, but she's undoubtedly the star of the show here. I hope she has an amazing career ahead of her. Chris Hemsworth as Dementus was a surprise, i've almost exclusively seen this guy in Marvel slop, but he gets to shine here and he's fucking great?? I think it's the first time i hear him use his real australian accent in a role and it works great with the character. His physical comedy and line delivery are always on point, he was by far the most entertaining character. That's no surprise, Mad Max ALWAYS shines with its insane villains.

The movie's incredibly well shot and makes plenty of daring and interesting stylistic choices. It's stunning to look at. The CGI is significantly more visible than it was in FR and i'm... not sure why... The budget is after all very close to the one of the previous film, and the production was to my knowledge not rushed. On one hand the film is 30min longer but on the other hand it's also much less action packed. It might be a choice..? George Miller and his team have always handed the effects very well. The CGI in Fury Road was SO good that still to this day some people believe that the film only had technical effects with no digital help. It was invisible.

Here the effects work the same way (they enhance impressive real-life stunt work) but they are distinctly more plastic looking, and the vibe is very different. For a lot of spectators this was a problem, which i understand. For a lot of people, CGI exists to enhance visuals in a way technical effects can't, and is successful only when it is absolutely unnoticeable. That's not my opinion. As long as it's well thought out, well designed, well animated, and entertaining, i love fake ass looking films :D

(i've seen someone complain about a time-remapping issue in the CGI but even when i rewatched specific scenes i didn't notice anything, so it's probably a nitpick only animation professionals will care about.)

It's not just the visuals and the effects that feel like it was made specifically for me. The whole vibe is exactly my thing, i can't lie... There's an impressive action set-piece midway through the film that lasts almost 15 minutes, and it's... a lot. There's a lot happening at once, it's purposefully very busy to the point of being overwhelming, and some spectators found it to be too much. But fuck, i can't relate. Inject that shit straight into my bloodstream all day every day. It's insane, it's silly, but i'm a James Cameron/Whachowski fan, i don't care i love that shit. (i only like the Wachowski as artists, not as people...💀💀)

As silly as the action sometimes get, the film is actually very serious overall. It's clearly less campy and more focused than Fury Road was. As disappointing as i found some narrative choices to be, i have to admit that the story IS the film's biggest strength.

It clearly follows directly from the last movie in terms of style. But in terms of substance, i think it's closer to the original trilogy. (and i actually think this is why the movie flopped. Fury Road was already too expensive and i think it barely made its money back. But since then the movie has gotten quite the cult following, and a lot of these people were disappointed by Furiosa because it wasn't Fury Road 2. It's not a fast-paced never-ending chase, yes there's action, but it's mostly a serious, slow, silent, character driven film. And i'm really happy about that. I didn't want this saga to turn into 2hour stunt showcases. Yes i love FR, but i'm glad it turned out to be the exception in the series and not the new norm.)

As I said earlier, the best part of this film is its story. It has a great tone, it fits well in the series, the ending is frankly amazing. Some people found it anticlimactic and... Uh?? I don't get it. It was beautiful and coherent with everything we saw before. If you're like me and you're always a bit frustrated because movie antagonists rarely get the comeuppance they deserve, because the hero is like "no, I'm better than that 🙂‍↔️" then rest assured I LOVED that ending. Furiosa you're so sick and twisted. I am in love with you. WHO SAID THAT

Even tho the film is a prequel, the story takes plenty of unexpected turns and expands on the universe in a way that will please all fans of the series I think. And it's also, say it with me now : a great feminist tale.

I won't insult your intelligence by explaining why it's significant that the only safe haven in this deadly desert is named "the Green Place of Many Mothers". As I said at the beginning of this review (approximately 150 years ago), children and parenthood have always held a special place in this franchise. And since Fury Road, it's more specifically motherhood and women that take center stage. The actions of the two antagonists of this film cannot be removed from their maleness. Dementus is a creep, Immortan Joe is a monster. He holds all the power and resources of his community and collects women like livestock.

In the world of MM, People have started being infected by unknown influences and the population is mutating. Growing more and more unhealthy, less and less fertile. Those with no congenital disabilities and malformations are called full-lifes. Immortan Joe keeps a harem of women, locked up in his palace. All wearing chastity cages. Their prison is pretty, inviting, clean, the illusion of a better life. Forced to be raped by their master, they must give him a full-life male baby. Three strikes (as in, failed or disappointing pregnancies) and they're out. But they're not "out" like all the random men trying to survive on the outside. They become milkers. Supposedly kept pregnant as long as they're able to, to make more child soldiers for Immortan Joe.

When kid Furiosa is traded/sold to Immortan Joe, she becomes a future wife. She lives with the other full-life women, terrified of the master's oldest son who is a bit too interested in her. She decides to shave her head and run away from the prison to instead work as a mechanic. (Yeah it's one of these stories where no one can recognize sexual dimorphism and as long as you shave your head and don't speak you pass as male)

We see her slowly learn the ropes and work up the ranks, until she is the Imperator we all know. When her identity is discovered (before she is an imperator) Immortan Joe doesn't suggest making her a wife again. For two reasons : one, she is so talented at what she does that it is more useful to let her keep her current job, and two, by doing what she has done, she has effectively ruined her womanhood in the eyes of men, which makes her unworthy of breeding with. The wives become very important characters and a crucial plot point in Fury Road, and it's abundantly clear that Furiosa is not treated by men the way they are, even tho she too is a full-life female. To them she is better and lesser at the same time. She becomes a strong, powerful woman; and it terrifies them.

Furiosa is a great film about an even greater character. And I'm not just saying that because I love seeing myself be represented on screen (bald women 🩷). If you like Mad Max, I hope we can agree that this franchise needs more varied POVs like this. Not that I dislike Max, he's my special boy. It's just nice to see different corners of this world. If you don't know Mad Max, I hope this introduces you to it and you end up loving it as much as I do :)

Final rating : FURIOSAAAAAAA/10

This film gets the official Léna seal of approval! It's one of the best of 2024! Here's a link to the trailer.

[starswornoaths]

In Light of Day

Follow-up for In Shade of Moonlight I had thought lost to the ether years ago (although if you want to read this whole scene from start to finish, Something Like Home is the start of the evening referenced in the fic, followed by First Steps and then In Shade of Moonlight but god. I haven't gone back to edit them please lower your expectations they're old.) Once I found it, I couldn't stop picking at it until I eventually had to just post it already. Hopefully I'll get more of what I've already written posted at some point.

Post 3.3, pre-3.4, it's the morning after the festivities. While there is no hangover to be found in Borel Manor, yearning that spilled over in the moonlight is now examined and re-examined in the light of day. Duty and Devotion are inextricably tied, yet where one can so often subsume the other, other times either may be consumed.

Word count: 4,400

~*~

Serella was relieved to find the sun was rising to greet her the second time she opened her eyes that morning. As mind and body reconnected, she found herself bundled into blankets beside another warm body and comfortably in bed rather than flung to the floor in her sleep. She took in the sight of a barely-familiar room and the faint creak of howling winds pressing an old house, and she knew with immediate and delightful certainty that the previous night hadn’t been a dream.

More pleasant still was the weight of Aymeric’s arm slung over the curve of her hip.

Truly, it was always the small mercies that kept Serella aloft.

With great care so as to avoid waking him, she negotiated the slide of his arm to drape across her back, that she might turn to watch him sleep. There was no force strong enough to stop her from smiling as she took in the sight.

Bereft of the waking world’s worries to weigh on him, his features were slack with rest and smudged into the pillow without care. Once removed from the mantle of his station and free of the pinch in his brow, he almost looked like a different person entirely. In a kinder world, he might know this feeling even when awake—but then, so would she.

Her hand itched with the want to run her fingers through his silken curls, strewn wildly all over and haloed in the morning light. He looked so utterly endearing to her in that moment, with an almost boyish pout pushed into his full lips by the pillow he burrowed into.

Serella felt her heart squeeze. Two things occurred to her in that moment, one right after the next: that she had never seen Aymeric so utterly unburdened and unreachable to the rest of the world, and she wanted to do all in her power to make more moments like these, if only to hoard for herself like a dragon.

Assuming such a thing would even be welcome.

If last night had been a fairy tale, this morning was the stumble out of the fairy’s circle. The moment where everything became real again, and the world was sustainably imperfect.

Still asleep, Aymeric shifted such that his other hand knocked into hers in the scant space between them. Even in dreams, the touch was enough to curl his lips in an unguarded smile he half smothered into his pillow, fingers flexing for a fleeting, blind search of her.

But time was liable to take notice of Serella if she further entangled them. If not time, then certainly duty or any number of things that would rip her from this peace. Rather than risk it, she gathered the pillow beneath her in a white-knuckled fist. As she watched the gilded fingers of dawn blindly fumble for the shape of them through the parted curtain, she prayed the city—the realm—would forget them a little while longer.

In this liminal space between what she had dared to want and what was real, scars from flesh to marrow and deeper still threatened her with their phantom pains. Muscles in need of stretching burned, and the chill in the air threatened to make every joint ache the second she left the blankets. Bones creaked in protest after being still for so long in sleep when she tried to address those aches that howled first. For several long moments, her body was caught in its own space between thrumming soreness from stillness and lancing ache from movement, waiting for the worst of both to ease.

And from below the monotonous agony, a long-standing anxiety welled up from the pit of her rib cage to form a roiling bubble of intrusive thoughts that pressed at her throat. The what-ifs began to whisper in her ears again. Despite her best efforts, what had been muffled to a distant buzz in the previous eve’s heady rush was given crystalline clarity in light of day.

For her heart was but a muscle, and it ached like all the rest.

Such worry always came on the heels of vulnerability. Of course it did; fear was an old and familiar stalagmite that had gradually emerged from the pit in her stomach through years of buried feeling being left to itself. Crystallized and jagged monument of unaddressed pain that it was, its sharpest and highest facets had long since lodged themselves in the spaces between her ribs. To dislodge even a piece of it, something inside of her would surely have to break. The morning light bounced off its raw facets in her mind’s eye, sending her vision swimming with spots until she realized its true source was the thinning of her own breath.

To persevere in silence would be to welcome the press of a blade to her heart, trusting that it would not be run through—and oh, how Serella had bled in the past.

It wasn’t as though the fear was unfounded, even knowing Aymeric to be a good man; blunt though the instrument be, duty could well be what he might wield to beat all they were back to the shadows. Worse—it could well be his expectation that she was of like mind.

Surely not—surely not. And yet…

If Serella had been wrong to let herself be vulnerable, to want—if she had guessed wrong again—

Scratching at the door ripped her from her spiral so suddenly that she nearly jumped. No doubt it was Duchess, whom she heard rumbling from the depths of the manor last night.

A more insistent scratch came as if in answer. Serella strongly suspected such a temperamental old thing would start to yowl if her demands weren’t answered in a timely fashion.

She knew the type.

Peering back at Aymeric, who seemed yet unperturbed by the sound, she found even the thought of waking him to border on criminal—and he doubtless would once Duchess kicked up enough of a fuss.

The lady of the house needed feeding, and Serella was already up. No sense in robbing him of what little extra sleep he could find, after all. Not when her anxieties were so chatty this morn as to already rob her of it.

Decision made, she eased herself from the loose tangle of limbs and tucked the covers around him as he continued to doze. When he pawed at the empty space left by her absence, she compensated him with her pillow. Once freed of darling and duvet both, she slid from the bed entirely with immense care and only minimal popping sounds from her joints as she ambled over toward the door.

Sure enough, Serella was met with the lady of the house peering up at her once she’d eased the door open. More fur than feline, she sat at the doorway like a prim little tumbleweed with indignant green eyes, all dense fur patterned with beautiful mottled browns and brushed to its utmost fluffiness.

“Good morning.” She greeted, slipping out into the hall and twisting the doorknob to soften its closing behind her. “Breakfast?”

Mrr, Duchess rumbled in assent. Serella felt it in the floorboards.

“Well go on, then,” she said with a gesture to the hall, “I know you know where it is.”

With a thump of her tail and a wheezy huff, the acting Viscountess trotted off down the stairs. Her house guest followed gamely, hopeful that she behaved as most cats would and make a dash for her food at the promise of being served.

Blessedly, Duchess was no different: with a startling amount of speed for her apparent age, she made a beeline down the stairs and around the bend to a specific cabinet in the kitchen just beside the pantry. Once sat primly before the little door, she began to paw at a worn patch of scratches at its bottom corner and look up expectantly with the widest, roundest eyes that she could and the softest trill she had managed thus far.

Oh, this was manipulation if ever she’d seen it, doubtless perfected over eight lifetimes’ worth of practice on family and guests. Must have the same teacher as her owner, Serella mused to herself.

After a brief scan to find her feeding bowl—full but for the emptied center of the dish, of course—Serella was soon scooping an appropriate amount of food for the lady.

“Your breakfast, madam!” She said, presenting the bowl in a with a flourish.

Duchess sniffed up at her, nearly thankful, before promptly burying her face in the kibble and paying her guest no further mind.

“You yet possess your hand.” Aymeric’s amused voice drifted in from behind her.

Startled, Serella spun to face him with eyes wide and hands held up to her heart as if she had been caught doing something wrong. It was effortless to find her ease when she saw him leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed and a sleepy smile on his face.

“Of all your accomplishments, that may well be among the most impressive,” he teased with a chuckle, “not even I have managed unscathed every time.”

“I’ll count that as a personal victory, then.” She said, at a loss as to what else to say.

Though she wore a set of his pajamas, she might as well have not changed from her gown last night for how reverently he looked at her. Even at barely seven bells in the morning and doubtless with a bird’s nest in her hair he still looked at her as though she were spun from starlight and woven in his dreams.

Her gaze shied from his, all at once overwrought with raw and tender ache.

“I’d hoped to avoid waking you,” she explained as if she were trying to get out of trouble.

Which was silly, she knew. She’d only fed his cat.

“Seems my stealth could do with a bit of work, though,” she added with a lame gesture between them.

She wasn’t even sure it was meant to be a joke, but he offered her a huff of laughter all the same.

“In truth, your absence woke me more than you leaving,” he admitted, his smile turning bashful when his gaze demurred as he added, “though the decoy was almost as charming as hearing you through the door.”

His ears flushed a faint pink when he glanced back at her and explained, “I reached for you—and when you were not there, it alarmed me.”

Not entirely unreasonable—she had flung herself off the bed in the middle of the night. He’s gracious enough not to mention it.

“I would have otherwise been tempted to lounge with you all day,” she mumbled, and felt near feverish for how hot her face burned at the admittance, “if I thought we could get away with it, at least.”

It seemed to please Aymeric greatly, however; as his smile grew wide enough for his eyes to crinkle at the corners as he looked at her in full again. As if that helped him decide something, he pushed off the doorway and moved closer with steps merry yet unhurried.

Serella still startled when he stopped within arm’s reach. He could have already made contact with her, yet he hesitated, as if wondering what she would do.

Nothing. She did nothing, save for white knuckle the counter behind her with the want to.

She wasn’t surprised at her struggle with letting that last wall between them fall, not after a year or so of skirting around one another. Not with her thoughts swarming her head like an agitated hive. Understanding it did not ease her lamentations. Did not quiet the buzzing.

“That may yet be arranged,” he murmured, unaware of her struggle.

His hand drifted to skim the thin shirt sleeve she wore with his knuckles, his expression almost shy. At no point on its dutiful march down her sleeve did his hand make contact with her. She felt the comet’s trail of his warmth all the same.

It wasn’t until the tip of his finger hooked on the cuff of her sleeve in a vague pantomime of holding her hand that she realized she had let go of the counter behind her. Startled, she looked up at him with a thin gasp to find him already peering at her through his lashes.

Holding her gaze steadily, he asked, “...If it should please you?”

It’s too early to be this sweet, she huffed at him in her mind.

She shivered despite the warmth of his knuckles against hers when his hand drifted those few ilms lower. Under his attention, her heart felt both deeply tender and fit to burst.

“It would.” Serella said softly, though refrained from giving in to the temptation to unmake the scant distance between them entirely.

Last night had been…perfect. Beyond perfect. Sharing their hearts, even an onze, even for a moment, had been more than she had ever dared hope for. In the light of day, where the dream was over and yet they still remained, she could hardly contain the affection she’d withheld for so long. Just the effort of it made her skin burn.

And yet…

That sharp, anticipatory pain in her heart where the blade could well find its purchase seized her bodily in that moment. The fault lines where it would break from such piercing groaned in warning.

Aymeric seemed to sense her hesitation, as he dropped her sleeve and moved a few ilms away. The hollow space where she had meant to lace their fingers together howled yet she could not force herself to move before at least this fear could be exorcised. She had no more room to bury it, and it would not help her exhume the rest.

“I,” she tried to croak though the words tangled in a lump in her throat.

Swallowing it, she tried again, “I don’t…I don’t know what you hope for us to be.”

At that, Aymeric stilled with a short yet shuddered intake of breath. Even his aether seemed to recoil in response but what startled Serella most was that for all the emotions that rippled along the surface of his heart, surprise was not among them.

The tangle of feelings radiating off of him was familiar—too familiar; not for the first time, she had nearly missed it for how similarly his struggle had mirrored her own. That tense anticipation for pain, the pre-emptive flinch before impact, she could feel every twitch that spoke of routine. The morbid vindication of ah, and there it is, to greet disaster after awaiting it for so long.

Expectant rather than dreading. Because this had happened to him before, she remembered.

In the few seconds it had taken her to make the connection, he had thinned his breathing, as if to make himself as scarce and unobtrusive as he could in this moment. Already, his body language began to shape itself in the familiar form of an apology, starting with the inward flinch of his shoulders.

Even blind, she would feel the way his aether roiled and his stomach dropped out from under him. Sensitive to it all as her Blessing had made her, it was impossible not to know the waves of his emotions as they crashed into her.

In a grim way, it was reassuring: he was just as much of a nervous mess as she.

Suddenly desperate to soothe it out of both of them, she took his hand and chose to be brave.

Body and soul, that surprised Aymeric. He could not catch his expression ere it crossed his face.

“I want to be with you.” she said—and though the words felt strange, like tasting an old secret on her tongue, she relished in the relief at saying them.

The breath left him as though he were struck, even as he beamed at her. As if given permission to breathe again, his chest rose with the slow, relieved inhale that left him in a sigh so deep as to sag his posture.

“Serendipity itself,” he said on the tapered end of his exhale, more air than words.

His hand was gentle when it brought hers to his lips. His warmth splashed across her knuckles in soft breaths as he kissed them once, twice, thrice in reverence.

“I want much the same—it feels at least a lifetime that I have yearned,” he admitted against her skin, peering at her through fanned lashes and a deep flush.

Relief and happiness crushed her heart from all sides at his words, enough that for a moment the swarm in her head scattered in dissaray. How could such an otherwise even toned and collected man have such infectious joy? The nerve of him. The unmitigated gall.

Turning her hand within his hold she instead curled it to cup his cheek. When he leaned into the touch and eclipsed her hand with his own, his lips sought her palm as though they were made solely to kiss it.

Her thumb traced the angle of his cheekbone as she struggled to find the words to say to help him understand. His thumb idly mirrored her movements, blindly pacing the length of a scar on her thumb he had come across as if in a trance as his lashes fluttered.

Seconds passed in the sort of sunlit slowness that moved like honey on a spoon, but Aymeric was eventually stirred to shift within her hold and face her fully. All syrup-slowness, his lashes lifted to let him regard her at length.

“You have concerns,” he said at last, his eyes still searching hers.

“Only one.” Serella answered, relieved and horrified all at once for his perceptive nature.

“I imagine you will find more in time, yet if there is only the one for now, then I would hear it.” he said, and let her hand slip from under his when she pulled it away. “I would help you find your ease.”

Words swam in her head, only forming coherent sentences at certain angles through the muck of her fears.

“I don’t…need any grand gestures. Nothing…announced.” Serella fumbled to explain, the words clumsy and anxious. “And I don’t want any of that—gods, it makes me anxious just to think of—“

“You are not one for ceremony.” Aymeric agreed, smiling.

Serella nodded. Wetting her lips, she tried to persevere, saying, “And—and I know there will be times where professionalism is more important. For both of us, really. I would want that distinction regardless, lest we be accused of corrupting one another’s stations.”

It was his turn to nod. “I agree,” he said.

“But that—” she cut herself off with a wince, bracing for the fall with a deep, steady inhale as she said in a rush, “that doesn’t mean I would be content to be hidden.”

“…Hidden?” Aymeric asked, and it was obvious he was taken aback for the way he almost physically jumped at the thought.

“I only mean—“ Realizing she was wording it poorly, she flustered. “I—I’m not really making myself clear, am I?”

“You are—I am merely struggling to see.” He reassured her.

With a tilt of his head, he asked, “Help me understand? How—why in the name of the Fury would I hide you?”

“It’s just…we’ve fought so hard for so long to reveal the Holy See’s secrets—both small and large.” she began slowly.

“A victory that has cost us much.” he agreed in a soft murmur.

“And…I don’t know if your station allows you to have room for me—but—”

Wetting her lips, she finally sighed and said, “for how hard we fought for the truth of the Theocracy, I would not want us to be the Republic’s first secret.”

Realization dawned on his face for the briefest moments before melting away into relief.

“Ah,” he sighed, gently, before asking, “is that what it was?”

When Serella looked at him again, his smile was impossibly soft.

“Aye,” she said, posture slumping over as the last of a sigh left her, “that’s it. My one concern.”

“Certainly a valid one, but permit me put it to rest.” Aymeric said, reaching for her again.

The first brush of his fingers on her face was enough for the tension in her shoulders to snap with such a force she almost felt lightheaded. Her head fell into his palm like the architecture of him was made to hold her.

He waited until she met his gaze before speaking again.

“There is naught preventing me from being with you, so long as we both wish for it.” Aymeric said, his hand soft as it stroked the apple of her cheek. “Nor would I ever wish to hide—I do not even think I could. Not after,” he flushed clear to the tips of his ears as he finished the sentence in an almost mumble, “not after so long pretending. I could not go back.”

She flushed in kind and resisted the urge to hide her face in his hand. Or his chest. Or the countertop. How many times would she be made to damn his earnest nature before noon? Before the sennight was over? Before the world ended?

May it happen enough that I lose count, Serella prayed.

“Well, then,” she said around a hum, “consider my concern addressed.”

“Good.”

He smiled, though the relief that rippled through him felt tentative to Serella.

“Do you have concerns?” she asked with a tilt of her head and an arch of her brow. “Since we’re clearing things up now—which, by the way, an important start to things, I should think.”

“...Only—only one for myself as well,” he said slowly, all the ease that had found him leaving in fits and starts.

As if wandering, his hand drifted to her hair and began to twirl a lock of it loosely around his finger. His gaze focused on his fidgeting.

He only did that when he was uncomfortable with what he was going to say next, she noted to herself; it was the only time he would ever look away from the person he was speaking with.

“I had not thought to address it—I presumed it was taken as given, but—“

“Better to say it,” Serella said. “Whatever it may be.”

“You have the right of it.” Aymeric agreed, even as he seemed almost reluctant. Still, his tone was even, almost detached, as he explained, “I would never want you to enter a courtship with me bearing—“

“Relationship.” she said.

When he looked at her in surprise, she added, “If you feel the need to court me to make up for lost time, I certainly won’t object, but I’d argue the past year or so has been exactly that. More or less.”

“…Relationship, then.” He said, and for all his trepidation, that seemed to please him greatly. “With perhaps some courtly romance for lost time.”

Though the troubled expression hadn’t fully left his face, even the thought of their bond had let joy rally in the corners of his lips. The melancholy almost immediately regained its dominance as he slowly continued, “I would not want you to agree to such a relationship bearing any misconceptions as to my…dedication.”

“...I don’t follow.” Serella admitted with a shake of her head.

“Pray do not misunderstand,” he pleaded, and she felt his anxiety in her throat. “I would never do aught without consent—“

“I know,” she reassured him. “I trust you.”

“That does not mean, however,” he spoke like it tortured him to do so as he said, “that I could always prioritize you over aught else. If at all, really.”

“Hmm?” She arched a brow—not offended, but still not entirely sure what he meant.

He must have taken her confusion as offense, because he spoke with just a tinge of desperation, as if frantic to articulate, “For however deep my feelings for you might run—so long as I hold even one office—” he winced before continuing, “—never mind two, I cannot hold you above my duties to Ishgard.”

As she thought. She resisted the urge to laugh, knowing how upset he was and how that would look. He had little and less to worry about in that regard—or at least, just as much to worry about as she did, which all evened out in the wash so far as she was concerned.

“Even were I not an officer of the Maelstrom,” she began, searching for the words, “as the Warrior of Light, I have to ask you much the same: can you feel comfortable, knowing I must put not only the needs of Limsa Lominsa but also the realm over you? That I most often must answer to a title before I can answer to my name?”

Aymeric blinked owlishly at her, and then she did laugh at his incredulous expression; clearly he had been so caught up in his own fears he had not perceived aught beyond them.

The sweet fool, she thought with infinite fondness.

“I can,” he said, almost excitedly.

“Then promise me,” she said, moving to lay a hand over his heart. “That you’ll never prioritize me over Ishgard and Her interests.”

“I swear it,” he said.

With a huff of relieved laughter he kissed her forehead.

His eyes were alight with relief and crinkled at the corners with his smile when he spoke again, “promise me in kind that you will never place me above the realm.”

“I would never,” she said—and spoke true.

As if her words dispelled his every trepidation, he smiled in that way that felt like the first rays of sunshine after endless rain.

“Any other concerns?” She asked, her grin returning in the wake of her relief. “Any at all?”

“None,” he responded, at last crossing those last few ilms of distance and curling his arms around her. She met him readily, hands smoothing away the singular cowlick in his hair. “None whatsoever.”

“So it’s us, then?” she asked, both for clarity and because she would never tire of hearing it. “For as long as we want?”

“Please,” he breathed, barely getting the word out before Serella discovered her new favorite feeling: his laughter, humming gently against her lips.

[qwesty-030]

Gene does not do school work because he wants to. He does school work because he feels like HAS TO. He feels OBLIGATED to do so. Gene even states it himself: albeit he’s an academically successful student, it doesn’t mean he’s interested in learning. The end result (getting good grades) is what matters to most to Gene. To me, it’s very clear that he uses grades as external validation. He uses grades to define his self-worth and identity.

This is especially true when Gene flunked his first test bc of Finny. This flunk was a very personal attack for Gene (unbeknownst to Finny). that was the final straw for Gene. THAT was the moment he saw Finny as an enemy. THATTT was the moment Gene’s “war” truly began. and the rest is just history..,,

also not to mention he literally WEAPONIZES his academic achievement to “outbest ” Finny

[byunsreverie]

Hi folks 🩷🩷 I hope you all have a great day today whether you're spending it at work or at home or somewhere else - I hope you can take some time to rest and take care of yourself and make sure you stay hydrated have something delicious!! 🤗😚💞💕💗💘

It's been a while since I made a post like this (maybe it has not but it feels like it certainly), I used to make them at least once a week but since the beginning of the year I've been so busy with work I've just ended up getting home every day and being too tired to update y'all. 😅

But things are starting to settle down a little at work which is such a great relief. 💞🙏

[greennoobartist]

What's your favorite reason for liking Vio? (If you'd like to answer)

Hi hello hey, yes i finally turned to answer this ask :))) took my while to cook anything that could sound normal but im practically glitching as im writing this so im not making any promises XD

The yap below the cut, i have NO idea how long this is gonna be! Im letting myself free here so yeah (omg im glitching this is gonna be wild)....

Okay, uhh, first off Blep this is a cursed ask but in a positive way lol XD ive never been asked a question like this before like seriously so i have no idea what am I doing XD With all fictional crushes and blorbos i had ive never been asked smth like this so yeah

Oh yeah and also thank you bcuz i remember that this was asked with a reason so thank you for that, i remember that i was upset the other day and you sent in this ask to distract me so ty :D 💜

Without further ado, lemme start this >:D

You said favorite reason? So.... No number limit? Is it reason or reasonS? Bcuz I have multiple reasons for liking him and choosing a favorite is like asking if I prefer to drink water or breath air lmao. Like seriously choosing a favorite seems impossible buuuut after listing some reasons i will try to choose a favorite :) 💜

Okay now buckle up im not limiting myself here, so if I speak like a drunk racoon after 15 cans of Red Bull talking about why the moon has craters, i won't blame anyone for laughing at me and teasing me

Straightforward before even starting: im a simp for this man. There's no denial. It's a fact. And with this fact, if I talk like a simp in this yap i talk like a simp in this yap. Im saying it just to make sure that whoever is reading this is aware of what they're about to read if they're about to read.

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

Henlo? Yeah yes welcome :)

This where the yap starts :)

The reasons are not in any order

Number 1 - Dude is fucking smart

Look, i might've said this before and im saying it again: im all for smart men. I was always the local nerd for all these years and i never saw another boy to be anything close to smart, but Vio flipped the board. Ive always been called the smartest in my generation when I was in Europe, so basically everyone was placing me above everyone else. What's also a bit maddening is that they never gave me next grade promotion (to advance a grade above). That's not a thing in the country i grew up in so NO MATTER HOW SMART they called me, i was there with my generation of kids. They knew im smarter than average with them and yet they kept me there, pulling me back. My mum often complained that if I stay they'll pull me back from above average to average, which is smth she said would be a really big chance completely missed. Unfortunately, my native country was just like that. I was there with my generation no matter what. And being there while you're above average was boring to say the least. You don't have anyone to look up to, you have no sort of competition with someone else, you have no sort of challenge, no sort of participants, no difficulties, no excitement, no enemy aside from jealous ppl. So yeah. Any friend that i had couldn't even be called a friend: they used me. And boys? They were all out of interest. If there's anything I share with my gender, it's the aim to have a man that's better than me in at least one sort of field. And smart? Boom. Breaking the law. Breaking the stereotype. Yes, im sorry men. I had a stereotype that y'all are stupid bcuz of boys around me. Sorry for that. It did change thanks to Vio. Anyways like, when I was being the smartest back in Europe, if there is one trait i want in my man, it's for him to be smarter than me. And boom. Welcome Vio.

Vio is the smartest boy i could've ever seen. Like seriously. Irl boys? Definitely smarter than all of them that were around me. Even fictional too! I don't remember seeing a fictional character in other media to be so smart. He's like that definition of a nerd and I don't see anything wrong with that. With being called the smartest so many times that its annoying, seeing a BOY to be smarter than me is a game changer. Like, a girl okay, but a boy is just different for me. i absolutely love it. I love seeing a nerd. Yeah, ig i love nerds lol. I absolutely love his intelligence. I love how he's the definition of a nerd and how i can call someone smarter than me. Yes, ik he's fictional but lemme live here okay? One of the reasons why i don't like him, but love him, is because he's a nerd. I didn't meet many nerds in my life. But he's the best one so far.

Number 2 - he's different from what im used to seeing in a boy

I technically said this above with calling Vio smarter than the boys who lived around me, but it's not just that. It's not that he's just smarter, it's that he also acts and behaves differently, which is just sweet to me. Yeah, he's still a boy so he does have the stereotypical characteristics of a boy i got used to seeing (cockiness, confidence, stubbornness) and I expected that cuz he's still a boy so im not surprised by that. But he also has different traits which i don't remember ever seeing in a boy. Vio's calm; he can be very silent and collected and seeing him overreact is not smth you'll see him do. He's really calm and seeing him do smth reckless or aggressive is pretty rare. He likes silence. He doesn't mind a room being completely quiet. He even likes it. A perfect environment for him to read a good book. Speaking of books. He fucking reads books :) i don't remember meeting a boy irl who reads books on a regular basis. I love books and having a boyfriend read a lot too would just be great. Having someone who'd agree to be quiet to read a good book or just won't be loud all the time is just amazing. I can totally see him pat his partner in his lap or just have an arm wrapped around his partner while reading a book to them or to himself. Like, i can totally see him do that. His love language lmao.

He acts different than other boys irl that I met and I love it. Hes introverted and quiet. Calm but strong. Don't get me started on archery. Focused and strategic. It's just different from what I got used to seeing, and it makes me more curious and interested. He's not smth i saw before in boys and now seeing that traits similar to mine are in someone of opposite gender is pretty interesting.

Number 3 - i relate to him

Connecting a slight bit to above, him and i have things in common. I also relate to him much more than i thought I would when I started reading the manga. He's got background and personality that holds weight and unfortunately the manga couldn't focus much on that. It's smth that I cover in my solo analyses or yaps with my older sibling (yeah, you Blep, the one who asked this lol) Since the manga focused on the main story, all Vio's traits were placed aside and his character couldn't have been explained deeper. With my analyses, i bring up things that were overlooked and forgotten. Minorities that hold truth and weight. Subtle actions and words that actually reveal who he is. I stopped doing those analyses for a while for several of reasons but ofc i can bring them back and analyse him more and more. I have tons of theories on him and subtle panels and dialogues that in my eyes bring overshadowed things to the light. With or sometimes without those analyses, i start to see the true him and how similar we are and how much I relate to him. Seeing someone similar to me is at the same time both heartwarming and tragic tbh. But with how different i was from ppl and the ones i was supposed to be similar to, now seeing him be someone similar to me makes me like him. Like "yeah, yes, buddy, i understand that exactly, you don't have to explain anything, i know that". Imma mention some things i relate to him.

I think he's misunderstood and incorrectly seen. I think ppl would see him as boring and annoying nerd. Or someone who doesn't care about anything. Or, a liar and untrustworthy person. Unloyal. Selfish. Careless. Emotionless. Reckless. Now, i dare you to try to convince me he is this what i listed, i dare you. From the outside and his mistakes, i think ppl have a stereotype and incorrect template of him. Im also seen pretty incorrectly by ppl. Cuz im stoic and can be confident, there are ppl who think im also selfish and careless and unkind. Someone who's just faking kindness and lying to be a nice person to manipulate ppl. Someone who's annoying and enjoys making ppl mad. Someone who doesn't care about anyone or anything. But yeah, that's wrong. I have empathy bro. With these stereotypes, i think he's often insecure about himself. Feeling like he's too different from what he's supposed to be and overwhelmed by his mistakes. With his betrayal and everything he did, i think he believes those stereotypes and sees himself as a disappointment and a bad person. With the people he "betrayed" and plus how cocky he acted in that situation, i think he feels like he's evil and deserves the hate and everything he received from ppl (or Blue especially which is a wound for another day :3). I think he's insecure about himself and wants to change and be good like the other three bcuz he sees himself as a bad and selfish person. Also with the loss of Shadow at the end of the manga, im pretty sure he never forgave himself for that. Im sure he feels insane guilt for it and feels like he's the reason Shadow is gone. There are a lot lf AUs in which he feels guilty and tries to revive him and honestly i really agree with all those headcanons and fanfics. Overall, i think he never forgave himself for everything bad that happened and all his mistakes. I relate to that. I also never forgave myself for things that went wrong and for mistakes i did. I still see myself guilty for things that are lost and that happened. Just like Vio, i also lost a friend who's now probably gone forever. Pls don't think they're dead, i truly hope and am pretty sure they're perfectly fine and living their own life in Europe. But there was a conflict in 2022 (i think) that messed up a lot of things and I believe that's bcuz of me. I think im the cause behind that conflict and problem that completely tore me apart of ppl. And that friend, i have no doubt they left me in 2024 bcuz of that conflict. That's a long and personal story, but summarized: i acted like a nerd and made around or more than 20 people in my generation angry at me. With that many ppl being angry at me, my friends started losing trust in me and I lost trust in ppl. Eventually leading to my bestie finding a nice gap im my defense and leaving me behind like everyone else. There's a lot of things in between that i don't think are suitable to all audiences since there's a lot of bullying and loneliness in it too. And some triggering stuff so that's the summary. And see where did it begun? It begun when I was acting silly and thought I could make someone laugh, but instead made everyone upset. I don't forgive myself for that. Im the cause of it and the reason it happened. Just like Vio, i feel like im too different but failing to change. I feel like im a bad person for completely messing up a whole generation of students. Vio with hos betrayal and I with my conflicts, i relate to his insecurity. I understand how it is to be insecure about yourself.

I gave two major things i relate to him, but there are some minorities like those personality traits and such. Like, with how i always felt different from ppl, relating to someone and finding them similar to me feels fulfilling, that's also a reason why I love him. No doubt we have differences, but it still feels good. I relate to him and that's another reason why I love him. I feel like we would understand each other with these difficulties and problems.

Number 4 - he's pretty

Ehehehe here comes the most simpish and self-indulgent part of my simping lmao >:] Like this is such an underrated thought but lemme live this one okay? Also self-indulgency on peak here so no it shouldn't make sense XD. Tbh when it comes to his appearance that is smth i never before tried to place into words but okay, imma do it for the sake of this ask.

I seriously suggest anyone who isn't fine to listening to someone's simping and inconsistent yapping to completely scroll past this part and just read the title of this part and be satisfied with it lol

(Might use pictures as well but look im cooking this in Samsung Notes and adding pics is messed up buuut i might do it anyways for my own sake lol)

Hmmm, let's see where to start... E Y E S! Okay so like i yapped about this earlier and many times and I can do it again. Dude has way different eyes than original Link and his eyes change sm through the manga that its like crazy. From lively to almost what feels like soulless. I always had theories on this and im not letting go of those lol. And ik that the manga is black and white, but look. We have the covers and places in which he was colored. Am I the only one who looked at the eyes in those pictures?

Eh, heck yeah they have a soul lol. They might've did that for the sake of him being recognizable in the manga, but either way his eyes are just *chef's kiss*. It's like, idk, just the color and the depth and the character of his eyes ksnsldmdk. And then the way they're half lidded and calm, just peaceful and at ease. Relaxed but stern. And then the eyelashes. BRO I AM JEALOUS 🤣 DUDE'S EYELASHES ARE NOT NATURAL BRO!

My sis being jealous of my eyelashes:

🤣🤣🤣 I just had to include this joke im sorry. But like literally my sis is jealous of my eyelashes and then im like.... Have you met Vio? Have you seen Vio's? Literally bro has such long and graceful eyelashes like dude how they're so dosnskndkd- If there's one thing I like about Vio's appearance it's his eyes..... But there's more than one thing :3

*ahem* ..... ✨H A I R✨ Okay like not just the hairstyle it's also it's texture. Remember how i mentioned a while ago how i analysed Vio to the point i can tell what his hair feels like? Eh! That! Ik what would it feel like under touch and I love it sonsisn <<33 But I can say his hairstyle is pretty too. And especially, idk why, when it covers his eye..... Idk why, i just like it :) it's pretty to me and I can't explain that lol...

Next, a detail no doubt ppl don't notice lol,...... His blush.... There is PLENTY of panels in which he blushes (or kinda) and *slams the hand against the table* BRUH! that is like the cutest thing ever.... Himekawa Sensei's art style itself seems to always add few lines of blush just as it is but sometimes it just looks adorable and I don't want to sound too weird but it's cute cute cute- OH ACTUALLY! You know what's cuter on him? His smile :)..... His. Smile. That's. A. Different. Story. Like, we saw him smile only a few times in the manga and it's just *some noises i can't describe* like the iconic cat smile! Or just a grin or even a smirk, it counts too! Whenever he's not being stoic and expressless it's endearing to me :) but the cat smile *more noises* the most precious thing ever, i wish it appeared more...

Uhhhh, next that i just cannot explain cuz idk how to is just.... Like... His whole.... Body, like.... Torso.... Idk...... Idk how to explain, it just..... ✨✨✨..... Really like, idk..... Does it sound weird? I think it does..... ANYWAYS-!

When it comes to his appearance i just like it and I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT! "Okay, what do you like about it?" I DON'T KNOW! THAT'S THE PROBLEM! It's just there and that's it like his whole appearance is just good and that's it. Tbh I think that i can't explain it cuz im not that type of a person who can fall in love on sight. Like, i don't understand those girls who see a boy for the first time and immediately crush on him like gurl. You just saw him you didn't even meet him. For me like to love someone to that level i have to get to know them and see if their personality is for me. Like yeah ofc i can compliment someone and say they're pretty or that their hair is good or skin tone or clothes but like actually feeling attraction like..... No.... I gotta first meet him for him to have a chance of being my crush. And im putting an emphasis on "a chance" cuz no i don't fall for anyone. Impress me buddy in some way then you might have that chance of getting on that list. And tbh generally im a person who first has to love the soul and personality, then everything else falls into place. Like if I love how he behaves and his morals and everything, the looks fall into place. If I love the inside, the outside just starts to fit. That's why i don't understand those girls who have a type like: black hair, brownish skin, buff, 6 feet tall etc etc. I literally don't care how does my man look like. If he behaves well if he doesn't do drugs or drink alcohol or smoke or isn't just a bitch, i don't care how he looks like. If he's ready to respect boundaries and be a true gentleman and a truly kind and good person, that's it. That's like how i started liking many fictional characters, and now Vio. Like, yes, he's similar to the other four, but I like his behavior i like his personality his character his intelligence and then boom. He's prettier to me than the rest. The looks fell into place without me even realizing it. I hope that this explanation makes sense lmao.

All in all, his appearance fell into place, it's now freaking pretty to me and that's basically all. I don't want to go and say too sappy and ig cheesy things so imma shut up here when it comes to looks-

*****

Those were all the reasons i could define and explain. There might be more that i either already placed in one of these four categories or just can't place my finger on them lol (or ill just start going ksnozmzozm which is embarrassing). In summary to these whole four parts: he's smart, he's kind, he's gentle, he's insecure and I relate to him and thanks to his character i basically became blind and now call him pretty lmao.

NOW! To answer the actual question: my favorite reason for liking Vio? Well, i never used to favorize reasons when I list them, but I will now for the sake of actually answering this and not using it as just a yap pass lol. Now that I have major and comprehensive reasons listed, i think i can favorize one. And that'd be the way i relate to him as a reason why I like him. It is the reason that probably has the most effect and like the central pillar of everything, but generally finding him relatable makes me like him more and serves as a good reason ig. Look like with irl angst and everything, finding someone opposite gender similar to you is nice to see (even if they're fictional ok idgaf). Sometimes just in this vast world of many different ppl, it's cool to see someone who went through smth similar and who likes things similar to yours and who looks like they'd understand you. Ik that he's fictional but my possibly autistic and definitely crazy mind can solve that without any issues :3 💜

There are so many fictional characters i like, but imma admit and say that thanks to Tumblr my love for Vio is still alive after these few months. I like so many characters from many franchises but Vio is a different kind of like lol. I seriously don't remember obsessing over a character this much and uhhh *ahem*, having.....these thoughts lmao (nah, nothing too crazy dw, joking around lol) Sorry that it took me a while to answer but as smooth as this was to write, i felt too embarrassed to continue or just felt like an idiot for even spending my time on this. It's self enriching, but I'm just like nnghhhh when it comes to writing down my thoughts and sharing it with ppl. It was fun and self enriching and just fulfilling to write all of this, but due to irl past angst i feel SO STUPID for this! Literally overthinking my life decision here (leaning on regretting everything and kdndkmdk-). Imma say one thing that's for sure: no damn way id do this if it wasn't asked. Oh, and also if it was through anon i probably wouldn't have answered. My overthinking wouldn't let me to lol. From what im seeing, other ppl here on Tumblr would be completely fine with writing smth like this, but I just cant. Irl past angst i fucking hate it. If it wasn't asked directly by you, i probably wouldn't have answered, id overthink it too much or just feel completely ashamed or stupid to post a thing like this. As welcoming and accepting ppl here on Tumblr are, i probably shouldn't have this kind of fear and anxiety for expressing my love for a fictional character, but look. Long story short of that one irl past angst: i didn't have a nice experience with admitting that I like a fictional character. Another reason they called me a psycho. Funny, righ?

All in all, this ask was a whole lot fun to write and very satisfying and 100% self indulgent and self enriching, lol. I certainly took my time and im glad you were patient with me. Your ask might've been like that other one that you expected a sentence or two, but no HAHAHA. Thank you sm for this ask. It gives a feeling that I can't describe but is definitely good. <3

Oh yeah and I believe this ask awakened some sort of a demon within me which I surely dunno how to keep in check so ppl send help :)

[kit-screams-into-the-future]

re: the last post i reblogged bc i am realizing just how much i yapped in the tags and i do not wish to subject the wider tumblr public to that rant LMAO

[somerunner]

I feel like Lindon in this scene whenever I get an Activity notification that I decide to follow up on, trawling through an entire page because someone liked a specific post of mine

[inimitablereel]

I bookmark pretty much every fic I finish as a way of keeping track of what fic I've read, and I almost always do private bookmarks, so yeah, I feel totally comfortable leaving the occasional negative (or like neutral but in a way I wouldn't send to the author) note for my future self. Except I have now at least twice (over several years) typed that into the comment box instead of the bookmark box by accident and that is Absolutely Mortifying

[merehawke]

incredibly low effort colouring over shitty pics on my phone but . Screams. I wanted to see her right away. I need to do some proper drawings of her to spread my spores but this is my alive!lödwyn design .

[queenofbaws]

there are already roughly a million posts like this already circulating, but man. just. sometimes you really do have to step away from something you're working on and come back to it later.

creative buds, please. please. no one is worse at taking my advice than i am, believe me, but seriously, if you've been feeling down or frustrated or stumped with something you've been working on lately, take this as your sign to maybe take a little break. a week, a month, whatever. you've been looking at it too long, you've read it too many times, you've erased that same line so many times you've lost count - you need to come back to it with a rested brain and fresh eyes.

however rough it feels to you now, i promise, promise, promise that it'll feel so much better after a little distance. <3