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#epic found family stuff was on point as well
littlehollyleaf · 4 months
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So. Those Dead Boy Detectives, huh?
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sageandred · 21 days
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Ranking LS Disasters *by personal preference
(only doing the major ones that were big and/or filled an entire episode // I didn't include the GraceJudd car accident, because I wanted to do natural disasters, but I did include 4x09 because it takes the whole episode of Marjan trying to get to safety // maybe i'll do a gigantic post of every single event later down the line)
1) Ice Storm (3x01)-The fact that this was a 4 part event (A pregnant Grace stuck in the storm, Carlos waiting for TK to wake up from a coma, Paul..it was all very good)
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2) Marjan runs for her life (4x09)-such a good solo episode (mainly focussing on 1 character the entire episode can usually be a miss, but Lone Star does good in all of their character-focussed ones)
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3) Dust Storm (2x14)-speaking of solo character-focussed episodes...Mateo getting his time to shine(!), but also this was a well-constructed episode and every found family based show needs an episode where the characters are split up due to unforseen circumstances out of their control, like being reassigned to different work locations. (#3 and #4 were switched originally, but I just found this episode a little more entertaining all the way through)
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4) Wildfire (2x03)-They took on a big task with such a packed episode, with this being the crossover event, and with [character] death being just 1 episode before it. I like the stakes and the team moments coming together, with their own and the LA force. (we also get the mention of Mateo's LA doppelganger cousin)
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5) Volcanic Eruption (2x02)-for the shock factor (+ all of the graphic gore from the opening to the episode highlight), and we get great solo character moments + support for each other at the end
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6) Arsonist Fire (2x12)-We get that great tarlos plot. It feels wrong to put this above #7, because the fire's such a small part/factor to the episode, but points since there were some episode shocks and the entire arc wasn't completely predictable the way that I thought at first]
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7) Tornado (1x04)-There's a sense of togetherness and feeling like a family; the disasters got better with this being so early in the show. loses points for the car between the buildings, but the story of the man with his two kids was heartbreaking, even being as stupid as he was.
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8) Solar Storm (1x10)-a pretty solid plot; as an episode it fell flat in some places.. but that radiation case from space on the phonecall with Grace 😭 (this episode and the plot was flawed, but this idea was promising and I was interested to keep going into season 2, so that's why it's higher than a couple)
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9) Building Explosion (3x18)-(this previous episode end leading into the big finale is purely ranked on preference) not their best disaster, and not their worst...This moment was eventful and provided some good moments for Judd/Grace and even Wyatt due to Judd being trapped in danger. This might be higher if the Judd main plot wasn't so short, although a good fake-out with a new conflict of another one of their own going down, but that Owen hallucination arc was a miss for me. The explosion itself (at the start of 4x18/end of 4x17, especially) was epic, though!
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10) Plane Engine (3x08)-I really liked the response to the emergency on the plane, the father-son stuff, and the help on Tommy via phone. Episode was great; the disaster itself falls last on my ranking. It was interesting, just not that intense; this being lowest on the list is solely because there are more mishaps that ended up being more intense. Though, it was a good emotional moment. (led to the great emotional tarlos reunion, too). The parallel of the flashback to present day that led to TK confessing to Owen was beautiful!
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suzannahnatters · 9 months
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My final Love Like the Galaxy reaccs!!! the tl;dr:  I loved it and it's the sort of show that probably demands to be seen twice because TWISTS and HINDSIGHT so IDK, one day maybe! Anyway it's either on Viki or on YouTube for anyone who wants to see what happens when Jane Austen comedy of manners meets The Count of Monte Cristo, but, like, in Ancient China, featuring an epic romance between a naive sledgehammer engineer girl and the terrifying murder general who cannot help looking utterly besotted with her every time she drifts past: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZZZLpfFwcBprNI6msl3NWt3pdX6F-eGs And now: for the reaccs for episodes 43-56, including the famous Murder Party (TM), check under the cut!!!
If Yang Yang ends up with Smug Scholar instead of her sweet little marquis I WILL throw things (thankfully, the sweet little marquis is getting actual screentime with her)
oh I LOVE this: the Empress apologises to Consort Yue for stealing her husband, and Consort Yue points out that if it's anyone's fault it's the Emperor's, and why should the Empress apologise? it's the little things, you know?!
I love that in amongst all this scowly strategising and betrayal and people's families in mortal danger…there's a whole running joke about whether the armour Niao Niao made her beloved makes him look more like a chicken or a mandarin duck
cdramas asking the real questions
wow they really kept like 90% of the action budget for this episode and money well spent say I
once again murder general is rushing off to save our girl, only this time he guesses precisely where she is and what she's doing, and knows she's probably doing a great job of it :')
GASP we are suspicious of Elder Brother Snacks now???
I've got a bad feeling about him and the crown princess turning out to be bad eggs - almost as though we're building up to a BIG BETRAYAL between our babies
Wan QiQi swaggering into prison in a wedding dress is the energy I aspire to
Hmm… Lou Ben feels very very foreshadowy of an obsessive man making a self destructive choice to grab what he wants no matter how it hurts the woman he loves
All the foreshadowing is REALLY mounting up now - Snacks still caring about NN but not wanting to see her after what she's done, NN observing of another couple that they were birds on the same tree but flew apart when trouble came
Anyway we are all headed for a heck of a third act breakup aren't we
is zisheng,,, allergic to almonds
what an absolutely bonkers twist
poor little Wang Ling! how terrible does her family have to be that she is trying to save her murderous traitor of an elderly husband, just because he treated her better than anyone else in her life?
"he even had a flower garden planted in my courtyard to please me, although he has life-threatening asthma! which means that he can't visit me very often! he's the best husband, Niao Niao!" okay Mrs Charlotte Collins
"Cheng Shaoshang, it seems you really don't know anything about Ling Zisheng" OOOOOOHH
Smug Scholar: a voice of reason. a stickler by the rules. an indefatigable drama queen who is quite ready to beg murder general to go right ahead, be his guest, do crime, because then Smug might get to marry Niao Niao instead
torture is always wrong, revenge kids! that said, it's very funny that murder general has been busy with hot iron and boiling oil all night and found out nothing, while NN has put herself fully abreast of the situation armed with nothing more than…a conversation with a female acquaintance
"wait - all that stuff you did in my name was ALSO in pursuit of your revenge plot? who are you really?" this show keeps serving the best stuff
matching bite marks on the arm is a way cooler idea than matching tattoos tbh
why are you not telling her, zisheng, she already knows!!!
she's sworn up and down (with bitten arms!) that she won't mind, it's keeping this from her that she can't forgive, get a clue!!!!!
ooooo - we have been cordially invited to a MURDER PARTY love the gearchange from Jane Austen Romcom to Jacobean Revenge Tragedy
OK LET'S GO, WHERE'S THAT MURDER PARTY I WAS PROMISED
Glad that we were given this scene of Marquis Chengyang being delusional and Chunyu being Justly Terrified that the young man obsessed with revenge has finally agreed to come to his father's birthday party, it doesn't quite explain how nobody realises this is Very Bad News but at least lampshades it
Since filial piety is the norm in this society, I guess it's hard for the elders to realise just how at risk they are from someone unfilial!
I LOVE that Chunyu (sp? the stepmother) gets a whole speech to point out the hypocrisy of HER continually bearing the blame of "climbing into the master's bed" after so many ppl in the show have ridiculed her for it as though it wasn't a decision made by the marquis
oooooooooooohhh this is amazing: Yang Yang is disturbed that NN's farewell before the wedding sounds like she doesn't ever intend to return home. and from NN's response, she KNOWS murder general is about to do something crazy and is fully prepared to suffer the consequences alongside him
it's…really amazing that during the stretch of the cdrama when the male lead traditionally starts Machinating and Scheming and lying to the female lead about it, THIS show keeps the heroine's agency intact, she sees right through his lies, she is still front and centre. Chef's kiss.
she knows where it's happening; she knowns when it's happening; she's sending someone for news. she's amazing and so are these writers.
meanwhile: murder general refusing to enlighten the marquis as to his true identity is Irene of Athens-level pettiness and I love it
the way this show keeps this whole episode focused on the story's main character even though she has little to do with -
oh wait never mind she has decided to involve herself anyway!!! now we get the entire Cheng family charging into battle? with NN at their head on a black horse? EPIC?????
well THAT was the best of Jacobean revenge tragedy
shocked to discover that Zisheng has Always Known who was really behind the fall of the lone city - he's just been quietly, methodically working through the destruction of all the perpetrators, COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO style
I love a protagonist who holds cards so close to his chest that not even the audience knows what's going on
more than that, it really adds nuance to the show's themes about revenge. Sometimes the system is broken, & even in a good system people will sometimes get away with murder. What to do then?
I can't support the vindictiveness of the leads (& I'm not sure I'm meant to) but as revenge plots go, I like the weightiness of the themes - how to fight for yourself in a world where laws and manners tell you you shouldn't? - better than Dumas' more superficial take.
where did these two henchmen come from, because they are NOT being paid enough to be part of this absolute disaster
also WHEE Niao Niao gets to swoop in and save HIM for once! Well done our girl!
oh what an idiot. what an absolute peanut.
I was pulling for you, murder general, but I'm not sure how you'll manage to come back from doing the One Thing (abandoning her) she asked you not to do
she's still calling him by his false name T_T
something something she only ever knew him by his false name and identity not his true one
moment of silence, please, I'm experiencing an emotion
well, duh - of COURSE Third Prince is here to collect NN to go help him plead for murder general, who has obviously been quietly helping him all along. even better: we don't know if NN is just figuring this out now or has known it for months but she understands it perfectly, just like we do, the moment she sees Third Prince's face
!!! murder general has been deceiving everyone in so many other ways too???????
it's not just that he knew all along who was responsible for the lone city's fall and has just been working silently to gather evidence on them: he ALSO has been playing four dimensional speed chess with palace politics, supporting a totally different faction to the one he was supposed to be aligned with?
IT WAS HIM IN THE PAGODA ALL ALONG????
I just love the sort of character who plays certain things SO close to the chest while also being utterly open and vulnerable about certain other things. like, as long as we trust their judgement for hiding the certain things and know it's not for purposes of control. and while NN does interpret his secretiveness as control, due to her upbringing, it's also easy in hindsight to see things from zisheng's POV: he is playing not one but several high stakes political games, treading a tightrope between the prince he is supposed to be supporting versus the prince who would clearly be a better choice, and now suddenly thrown into the middle of all this is a naive and well-meaning sledgehammer fiancee who is an absolute force of nature but who is not yet quite insightful enough to see and understand where the deep waters run; she's simply driven by personal loyalty to protect her empress' son. and she keeps forcing choices on him: protect her, or serve the Third Prince? and he makes tremendous sacrifices, as with the Tiger Tally, to save both of them. so is he going to take the risk and tell her and trust in her, or is he going to keep her in the dark just about this, until the game is over (it's so close to being over) and he can be as candid about these things as he can be about everything else?
but at the same time, he was so frustrated with her for not being candid with him, for not telling him when the mean girls tried to KILL her, for lying to him about choosing to help the crown prince - he should have known better than to reproach her about this when he was doing exactly the same things to her all along.
I love that the show just doesn't support him in this. for two people who both say they want to work as a team, these two both spend an awful lot of time keeping things from each other. and it's only after going away and thinking about it that I start to see his side of the story at all, because she is so totally front-and-centred in the way the story is told.
oh wow - now she gets a whole speech and thesis statement about how just because she's a woman she shouldn't be shut out of her husband's confidence, and ends: "Ling Buyi is my most beloved person in the world. But I am still me."
I love this show so much
It's really wild that murder general, who everyone knows went on a murderous rampage to kill the entire Ling clan, goes from being condemned to death to the apple of the emperor's eye based on his surname changing
no doubt it's historically accurate and murder uncle, at least, deserved it - but for me it's just another sign of how irretrievably this system is broken, that bloodline so clearly outweighs right and wrong.
I'll be chewing over the question of whether this last-minute aversion of filial impiety ("it's ok! he was doing it to avenge his REAL father!") undermines NN's previous point about the right to filial reverence depends on a parent's conduct, or whether it's an author's saving throw to secure a HEA
"but I can never forgive him for abandoning me - he even swore it was for my sake" aha! How To Critique The Break Her Heart To Save Her Trope (Without Actually Using The Trope??????) this show didn't HAVE to hunt down and kill every bad Asian drama romance trope like this but is that stopping it? no
Empress telling NN that whatever decision she makes, she will support her in - hits like a punch because the only person who's told her this till now is murder general. On the other hand it is comforting, and underlines the themes of NN being a whole person without him, bc she still has love and support!
as an aside, I also like how the show has handled NN's terrible parents. by the end of the show, she's fought for, and won, their respect and support, & has come to understand the pressures they are under. but she will never love them the way she loves the Empress, bc they haven't earned that love. I feel this consolidates the filial piety critique.
we finally get to hear murder general's side of the story - and it's fascinating to hear him say that he failed. he did everything to bring ling yi to justice - and couldn't. the murder party was his failure.
I'm finding the murder party less problematic at this point than the Censorate beating
whoah, the empress is sailing in to admit that she spoiled her children until they were useless, so she's not upset about the crown prince being demoted? seems a rather unfortunate theme if children are only ever bad because of bad parenting
NN still taking absolutely no prisoners in the romance, though: "oh, I understand you perfectly. the problem is that you never understood ME" that's quite a burn
The Empress is now requesting to be deposed, and it's a complicated scene - is she blaming herself, or voicing regrets? I think she's regretting not fighting for herself: as she points out, her accepting a menage a trois has not spoiled Consort Yue's life so much as it has spoiled her own chance at love.
while the show has sometimes been finger-wagging, it's saved here bc she also blames the Emperor for going along with the flow, too, and tamely accepting a three-way marriage.
meanwhile at home, everyone's like "Niao Niao is so mature now!" and I'm sitting here like NO SHE'S NOT, SHE'S HAD ALL THE HAPPINESS CRUSHED OUT OF HER and…….along comes Not-Quite-So-Bad-Mum to say that precise thing, and confess to having been wrong all along???? This show just keeps hitting.
Love that NN's 3rd brother is completely on her side at this moment. he understands the assignment ("break up with murder general and send him away with a flea in his ear") and executes it with prejudice.
oh…mum has repented too late. I'm not sorry for her, but I AM sorry for the way NN chooses to spend the next forever - when there were so many things she wanted to see and do!
and now: five years' worth of mutual pining in excruciatingly aesthetic slomo, thank you
meanwhile everyone in the Cheng family is getting married? Yang Yang is getting married? Mum's warrior maid is getting married? Good for you warrior maid!
Smug Scholar, otoh, has remained UNmarried for our girl, and I actually love the choice he's presenting her - NN doesn't much care who she marries if it's a business arrangement; she just won't marry the man she loves knowing he was willing to lie to her and abandon her
is it really weird that I suddenly want to write the story about the coldly pragmatic fake marriage of convenience between NN and Smug Scholar
!!!! she IS going to get engaged to him??? murder general is going to come back from five years of picturesquely scruffy suffering to find her engaged to Smug Scholar??!?!?!!!??!
oh this will be GOOD
"thanks, but I can ride without stirrups these days" I love that this show is allowing the heroine to establish a life of her own apart from the hero - they have to be complete on their own before they can be good for each other.
and now: a break from reality for an absolutely bonkers carriage chase, which, because this is a cdrama, comes complete with one of the parties trying to extort a proposal of marriage from the person chasing them
I swear this is the third time this exact same cliff has cropped up in this show, one would think that people would know better than to gallop madly down the DEAD END CLIFF ROAD
Empress pays her last respects to the emperor: "I know that if it wasn't for Emperor Li's tyranny you would have asked nothing more than to live a simple life" LIESSSS this man requires a constant stream of drama to live, how would he have survived as a gentleman farmer?
"if you are truly filial, don't exchange your life for mine. Live well." while this show has come down in the end in favour of filial piety, I think that for the most part it keeps filial piety where it belongs: subordinate to ethics - and that's something I can get behind.
With NN decided that murder general is not the man for her and murder general determined to accept her decision, I really don't see how this will get believably sorted out in the next…3 eps. Bc she's absolutely right, he had his chance and he blew it. That said, I was really worried the show would blame her for being unreasonable, but only the recent antagonist has done that
even NN's mother is now telling him: we don't need you to perform guilt for us, we also had our chance with NN and blew it, now we can only defer to her conscience AND YOU SHOULD TOO
so, I guess we're headed for an "undeserved grace" ending, and I hope they make it a convincing one and not cheap, bc it's too late to show him doing any work to prove his repentance.
oh I love this scene: she tells him she forgives him but cannot trust him, and he without defending himself, vows to live well and take care of himself (because quietly protecting the people she cares about is the one last thing he can do for her)
and he won't ever tell her that he's been doing this because he knows it would only make her despise him more!!!
time for the bad family to apologise, the grandmother in particular for trying to control her children, and Niao Niao to decide no longer to carry resentment, but to dwell on the people who love her instead
I love that the themes have largely to do with resisting control, even when it's from family members, and fighting for yourself. Even more, I love that the highest expression of this theme comes in the trust there's supposed to be between husband and wife. Sometimes, lack of communication IS an attempt at control - although on thinking it over I'm not sure it always has been that on murder general's side. but if there's one thing the past five years must have taught him, it's that he's going to have to be be particularly open with this particular woman, because her family HAS tried so hard to be controlling in the past, and she can't take even the appearance of it from him.
somehow, yet another of NN's old enemies has an overly complicated plan to kill her sigh
loving how murder general jumps into this trap and promptly becomes useless and it's time for the lil henchmen to save the day
stop shouting his name and figure out how to open the trapdoors Niao Niao, smoke inhalation is no joke
murder general looks amazing for someone who was just blown up
TEARFUL RECONCILIATION SCENE
ahaha Snacks has fallen in love with his wife, we love to see it
Smug Scholar, meanwhile (exact words): are you all done flaunting your love?
EXPLODING PICKLES
flailing I love it NN is deploying her secret weapon….the family Cheng
"you can't be in two places at once, General!"
maybe not, but wifey and he can
"i'd like to see who interferes with my best granddaughter's marriage!"
*smash cut to the emperor having a hissyfit because he can't interfere with the marriage *
it's over? pokes couch cushions for spare episodes
OK I LOVED that murder general's grand gesture in the final ep comes in the form of a dilemma. should he go rescue his beloved as everyone is telling him - or should he stay on task, submit to everyone's ridicule for not protecting his woman, and risk her thinking he's abandoned her again?
his answer shows that at last, he has come to truly understand her (five years after she told him he'd never understood her). it's not physical abandonment she truly fears. what she fears is not being trusted & allowed to act as his equal. So he leaves her to protect Guo village while he stays on HIS task. His grand gesture, after so many rescues, is not to rescue her at all.
SCREAMING at that moment when Third Prince is like, seriously, mate, you'd better not abandon her! she needs help!!! go on I'll be fine!! and Zisheng VISIBLY WAVERS and then pulls himself together and shouts GUO VILLAGE HAS NIAO NIAO! GUO VILLAGE WILL BE FINE!!!
since the root of the contention between them was always him not treating her as an equal, this is probably the best proof of change we could get in the screentime. and the show is very insistent to tell us that if NN bends to take him back, it's because it's what SHE wants, not bc she can't survive without him.
the show does give her that moment of fright during the explosion to rush her past her abandonment issues, but since the real issue was always about control, I can make my peace with it. Similarly, she taught him a 5-year lesson about not consulting her. He knows - & her family makes it explicit - that he can never pull something like this again.
final overall thoughts: I have rarely seen such a well done romance in Asian drama, especially cdrama. The show was long & got repetitive, especially in the 2nd half, even though it had some of my favourite stretches as NN starts fighting for respect & equality within her marriage.
The themes about family, state, and fighting for oneself got fingerwaggy at a lot of points, many side characters were brutally humiliated and many of the numerous female characters became nonsensically villainous just to give NN antagonists. So, I would say the show is quite flawed.
that said, what this show does well, it does SO WELL. I was absolutely invested in this romance to an extent that is very rare for me. I was delighted by the way the show critiques asian romance tropes, there's a wonderful Dumas-level revenge plot, the fight scenes while rare are terrific, the show remains laser focused on its female protagonist all the way to the end, and if you are not delighted by the utterly besotted looks murder general serves up five times per episode, I don't know what to do with you.
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dedalvs · 10 months
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I have two questions!
1 - Have you read all ASOIAF books? If yes, which is your favorite?
2 - What are your favorites books and why?
Thanks in advance ☺️❤️
I have! I think the third one was my favorite.
Some of my favorites books are:
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev
Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov
Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
The Manuscript Found in Saragossa by Jan Potocki
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
True Grit by Charles Portis
The Castle by Franz Kafka
The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass by Fredrick Douglass
Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Sundiata by D. T. Niane
Paradise Lost by John Milton
Orlando Furioso by Ludovico Ariosto
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
At this point I'm just copying stuff down from a book review site I used to have. I used to read a whooooooooole lot, but I haven't much recently. :( Maybe I'll get back to it some day. My favorite author is Virginia Woolf. There's nothing more enjoyable than reading something by her—anything. When it comes to a put-together book, though, I think To the Lighthouse is her best. The others I've read are a joy to read, but the end, they don't necessarily come together as well as a book, if that makes sense. Now I haven't read them all. I've read To the Lighthouse, Mrs. Dalloway, Jacob's Room, and Orlando. If I were to recommend a second one, it would be Orlando, which is a real adventure to read. But her writing is unlike any other. I adore her work.
Lately I've been rereading some of my favorites aloud to my daughter after school. We read The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers, and we've now gone through four books by Tove Jansson: The Moomins and the Great Flood, Comet in Moominland, Finn Family Moomintroll, and Moominpappa's Memoirs. Next up is Moominsummer Madness before things get dark. lol But she's been enjoying them. I love Tove Jansson. She refused to write anything other than what she felt. (One of the reasons Finn Family Moomintroll was so odd. She felt a million eyes on her for perhaps the first time, and she was nervous. She settled back in after that.) There's also random things in there. In Moominpappa's Memoirs there's a drawing she did that's a send-up of Picasso's Guernica when Edward the Booble saves them at the end. I should put a picture of it, because I'm not sure anyone noticed... At least I can't find anything on the internet (probably searching wrong).
Anyway, that's some stuff.
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thelostgirl21 · 1 year
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You know, one very pervert effects of queer baiting, I'm discovering, is that the queer community has been so used to look for any hint at maybe romance they can find, to satisfy their own 100% healthy need to connect with romantic partnerships in fiction, that when two same gender characters share profound bonds of love, emotional and physical intimacy (perhaps even have the occasional sex together), seek companionship, enjoy going on adventures together, would probably be willing to freaking die for each other, etc.
Well, when the show or people on the show attempt to say "no, this is a friendship", the reaction is to go "who are you trying to fool? This is obviously romance! No people that are 'just friends' would behave in such a way!"
Meanwhile, demisexual me, that can't sexually desire anyone unless I share deep bonds of trust and emotional intimacy with them (but not necessarily have any romantic desires for them), and thus has had a habit of more often seeking sexual intimacy with people I wasn't romantically attracted to (because it can sometime take a while for me to develop the kind of emotional connection I need with a romantic interest to find them sexually desirable as well)...
AND who has a very easy time "turning herself off" someone (in terms of sexual desires) when that sexual attraction isn't reciprocated...
Knows that romance and friendships aren't as clear cut, or black and white, as people often appear to believe them to be.
Society will teach you stuff like "sexual/physical desires occur as a result of 'falling in love' or 'finding someone sexually appealing'..."
They don't teach you "you can have no romantic desires for someone, yet feel so emotionally close to them you'll have a seemingly irresistible need to fuck them!"
They don't say "you can yearn for romantic love with a person, yet experience no need to sexually connect with them until you can trust them as much as you do your friends".
They don't tell you "you will meet friends, in your life, that may of may not return your sexual desires (should you have them), that you'll have absolutely no remote interest to have them as boyfriend/girlfriend, that you'll nevertheless want to share a part of your soul with, make a lifelong connection, be fiercely loyal and devoted to each other, perhaps even move in together for a time at some point, consider them your found family, share specific interests in common that will feel like something that exclusively belongs to you two, and whose rejection would make you feel like they were tearing your very soul apart and near kill you!"
If you want one absolutely gorgeous example of a strong platonic emotional connection (that used to involve a one-sided potentially non-platonic attraction), Jace and Alec, from Shadowhunters, are a gorgeous example of that.
My friendships are typically fierce, deep, epic, heart-shattering and world-ending!
I've been known to endlessly agonize (my boyfriend was getting worried, because I could barely sleep, had little to no appetite, and often look like I was physically in pain) over a best friend that I'd always been extremely close to (but never felt sexually attracted to), who had started to emotionally distance herself from me, and treat some of the personally traits she'd always claimed to find "charming" and "refreshing" about me as suddenly "annoying", after she met her girlfriend (that would eventually become her wife).
*Spoilers alert* We eventually talked things through, and reconciled, although the exact nature of our relationship did indeed need to evolve and change a bit to adapt...
And Jaskier is talking about the fact that he loves Geralt platonically *NOW*.
According to Joey Batey, Jaskier is sapioromantic. Technically this would mean that he would be a gray-romantic, and seldom experience any desire to form a romantic connection with people.
He can desire them sexually, can immediately "fall in love with them" and start following them around like an adoring, excited puppy dog (I think that's definitely what happened with Geralt).
He might want to share his mind, his thoughts, and strongly emotionally bond with them.
He might year for human connections that bring him a sense of thrill and adventure, that inspire his creativity, and might entice him to enter a form of companionship with them.
But not necessarily share a romance with them.
And sadly, while I believe that Geralt's own affections for Jaskier were genuine, the way he experienced them appeared a bit different (and hindered by his own trauma) - possibly because of his awareness that having Jaskier following him around put him at risk.
But then, the moment Jaskier started singing about Geralt, people took notice and started targeting Jaskier to get to him.
After what happened with Rience, I think Geralt realized that there was no going back for them.
The best way to protect Jaskier is to fully let him in, and treat the bond they share together with value and respect - keep him close to himself and his family.
I'm pretty sure that whenever Jaskier is being asked to watch over Ciri, both Geralt and Yennefer are doing so because they feel better knowing that Ciri is there to keep him safe, too.
At least when Jaskier is with Ciri, then he's not running off to who knows where getting himself into trouble!
And if trouble does come to find them, then they'll have each other.
As Ciri's uncle, Jaskier can troll Ciri's parental figures (Yennefer and Geralt) with her, playfully mock their flaws, side with her against them on certain issues, and openly tease them (how are Geralt's smiling lessons going?).
At times, he can also argue her parents' side with her (ex: when the daughter is frustrated of being kept out of certain situations, or told she's not ready for something yet).
And she's more likely to listen to him. Because those aren't his rules, he often takes her side, and he may openly acknowledge that he finds those rules extremely frustrating, too!
Therefore, she can listen to him without feeling like she's got to assert her own independence from them.
Jaskier has the advantage of being able to support Geralt and Yennefer's decisions, while looking like he's doing so entirely on the belief they they are sound, based on his own external assessment of a situation.
Not because Geralt or Yennefer have any authority over him, and he's forced to agree.
Jaskier may not be able to fight and physically protect Ciri (hence, the forcefield).
But he can offer significant protection by reducing the risks of Ciri doing something brash and impulsive, now and in the future, by simply being there with her and for her.
And Ciri's own needs - as a highly trained warrior - to make sure that Jaskier is safe, will make it easier for her to accept that she's got to stay put with him, at times she'd rather follow Geralt and Yennefer into action, too.
Geralt own encouragement of Jaskier and Ciri developing their own familial bond together would not be happening if Geralt didn't consider Jaskier family, and wasn't deeply attached to him.
Platonic or not, that level of attachment, love, and trust matters, and becomes a part of yourself.
Jaskier didn't let Prince Radovid inside the cottage - where Ciri slept - and he didn't tell him why he couldn't let him in, either.
His romantic interest in Radovid is new. It is a growing attraction and affection that is still in its infancy, and he's still unsure of just how far Radovid is to be trusted.
That relationship is not meant to replace, nor take away anything, from what he and Geralt share and have shared.
And if Radovid is, indeed, to love him, then he'll need to accept that Jaskier doesn't exist in a vacuum and that his heart is big enough for a group of people.
Like Radovid said, Jaskier doesn't just see people, he sees the best in them...
And he falls in love with what he sees in them...
Jaskier loves a lot!
Some people, upon becoming romantically interested in someone, will suddenly shift their focus towards them, and seek to isolate themselves with their prospective romantic mate for a while (like what happened with my friend when she got her girlfriend, and what was happening with Geralt each time Yennefer showed up)!
Whereas when I become romantically involved with someone, my instinct is not to put the emotionally intimate friendships I have aside in favor of romance.
My instinct is to share that romance with my friends, try to include my romantic partner within that tight knit group of people, and give everyone a chance to get to know each other.
I don't put friendships aside for romance. That's not how my heart works. What I share with each friend is unique, can't be replaced, and each loss is experienced as viscerally as that of a romantic partner.
Am I saying those things to you because I believe that those of you that are adamant that Geraskier was played out on screen as a romance are wrong?
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
Quite the opposite.
What I'm saying, is that what queer baiting has viciously stolen from us the ability to fully enjoy and explore the full range and complexities of human friendships.
I'm decrying and condemning a practice, that has literally conditioned us to see non-romantic sexual attraction, platonic love and companionship (that yes, can 100% transcend romance), and all their nuances, specificall as "romance"; given that's usually the only "romance" we'll be allowed to get!
Because the type of friendship I'm describing has been over-represented in literature, TV, movies, musicals, and video games between same gender characters.
In a world where same gender romances are viewed negatively, we've been forced to accept "deeply intimate platonic relationships" as the only substitute being offered to us to open the joy of watching an openly acknowledged queer romance on screen (that doesn't end in tragedy)
We've been forced to learn to "read between the lines" to identify the signs that there may be "something more", and make those romances real in our imagination.
Each time I see people go "making that relationship queer would send the horrible, negative, and terrible message that all close friends of the same gender are romantically attracted to each other! That men being close friends is gay!"
I don't know whether to laugh or to cry!
It's the complete opposite!
If, the only way you are allowed to communicate gay intent with a queer audience, is by showing two "close friends" sharing together an emotionally and physically intimate connection of "non specified nature" to replace romance, then EVERY CLOSE, INTIMATE FRIENDSHIP AUTOMATICALLY BECOMES GAY!!!
How are we supposed to tell the difference between "strong platonic love and companionship" and "strong romantic love and companionship" when you refuse to give an answer, or you give us an answers, while continuing to crank up on the romantically intimate elements while HOPING to keep us hooked on the POSSIBILITY of the romance, to avoid losing viewers?!
Canonically, same gender friendships on TV go from being casual friends, to friends that regularly eye fuck each other, share their most intimate thoughts and feelings together, couldn't live without each other, and rub chamomile onto their best friend's lovely bottom while helping them bathe naked.
Whereas canonical friendships between men an women on TV go from casual friends, to deeply emotionally and physically intimate bonds if the friendship is between a woman and a gay man (to remove any chance of them developing romantic and/or sexual feelings towards each other, that would "muddy" the friendship and "ruin its chances of success"), to possibly a brotherly/sisterly bond at times, when one of them has found themselves a romantic partner and, thus, isn't available as a love interest.
Most of the time, though, one of them might be secretly "pinning" and "in love" with their best friend, and "secretly suffering" that the other person is comfortable with them being so emotionally close together without being "in love" with them, too!
Straight relationship drama will teach us that sneezing in your best friend's direction means you are romantically/sexually attracted to them, for frak's sake!!!
Let us try an exercise, just for fun.
Let us replace Jaskier with Yennefer.
Imagine that the first time she met him, she was immediately smitten at the sight of him, and offered to follow Geralt to the end of the world on his adventures!
Imagine that despite his efforts to tell her off - even after he punched her in the guts - she kept insisting, and Geralt started really warming up to her.
Imagine that she decided that she wanted him to accompany him to a ball for protection, because highborn wives were upset that she kept sleeping with their own husbands, brothers, and sons.
Imagine that, when she spoke about her being Geralt's best friend in the whole wide world, Geralt answered "We're not friends", and Yennefer answered "Oh, really? You usually just let strangers rub chamomile onto your lovely bottom?".
Imagine that Geralt's response to that was simply to ask "How many of these ladies want to kill you?", thus acknowledging he'd been busted.
How many straight people out there, do you think, would find themselves reading their deep, canonical, platonic connection and comfort with being so physically intimate with each other as a "friendship without any romantic element", do you think?
How many would openly argue that we just want to make everything about romance, and send the message that best male and female friends can't just rub chamomile onto each other's butts without any intent or attraction!
Oh, they can, I'll tell you that!
I've been blessed with becoming friends with wonderful non-toxic 100% straight male specimen that I would gladly trust to shoot artistic nudes of my body without feeling objectified by them, that I feel absolutely comfortable snuggling up to on a couch while watching a movie, and that are extremely good at respecting my personal boundaries and the friendship I have to offer them.
As someone who is pan, I have never treated any of my friendships with men, women, or any other gender identities differently.
I've never had that sense of "I feel safer being more intimate with my women friends than I do my men friends, because they don't risk misinterpreting my desires to be physically and emotionally close to them as a romantic or sexual interest instead."
However, have men ever tried to convinced me that I "couldn't possibly just want them as friends" when I was so comfortable being emotionally and physically (hugs, holding hands, playing in one's hair, caressing one's arms, leaning your head on one's shoulder while watching TV, etc.) close with them?
Absolutely!
For some, those were clear signs, or ways to express, romantic/sexual attraction, and there were no other ways to read them.
Needless to say, I did not keep those men as friends.
Well, I kept those that found it a bit "weird" and unusual, sure, but were nevertheless able to believe me, respect my boundaries, and adapt to the fact that this is who I am.
I'm unable to conceive why relationships dynamics should change depending on the gender we're with.
I also kept around any man that admitted that they had a bit of a crush on me, and that any physically intimate contact between us would just reinforce their romantic desires.
I have wonderful friends that are touch adverse, too, and our relationship is based on emotional and intellectual intimacy without any hugs or physical contact.
They are extremely dear to me, and just as valuable to my eyes as any other friendships I have, too.
But that's the whole point. There are no actual strict rules regarding the actual boundaries of all the different types of love you might experience for others people
The only thing that matters is the ability for all adults involved to offer consent, and being dedicated to your platonic, romantic, and/or sexual partner(s) emotional and physical well-being and safety as well.
If you can't separate romance from sex, or even physical intimacy, that's okay.
We'll find the right balance between our respective needs and what we can offer each other.
But society tends to present stereotyped models of men and women friendships, where as soon as they reach a certain level of emotional and physical intimacy together, then they automatically realize that "OMG!!! We were romantically in love all along without realizing it!!!" Even worse, when they are "friends with benefits!"
In fiction, "friends with benefits" relationships are usually nothing but a romantic relationship between two people unable to acknowledge their true romantic desires for each other.
They will inevitably become jealous the moment that their friend with benefits finds themselves a romantic partner (that is often totally wrong for them! Allowing the "friend with benefits" to "swoop in to save the day and show that they are perfect for each other!"), and there's this looming threat of them no longer continuing to be able to sleep together on the horizon.
Of course, there's a risk that a friend you're sleeping with might become jealous when you enter a romantic relationship!
If the whole physically intimate dimension of your friendship has been built on your sexual activities, and you haven't taken the time to invest in other platonic forms of physical contact, to make sure that the "loss of sex" won't feel like you are removing anything important from the emotional bond you two share, of course your friend will struggle! DUH!
And if you used to see each other twice a week, and now keep on cancelling your plans you'd normally make with them, to go on dates with your "new and shiny romantic interest" - acting as if the time you were devoting to them was just a "poor substitute" for a romance - of course you'll make them suffer!
If you are having sex with a friend that you love with all your heart and soul, and wish to remain bonded to them in a platonic manner after you've found someone that you're romantically attracted to, make sure that you're able to fully commit to that friendship...
Because being friends with benefits is indeed complex, requires very high levels of communication, compersion, honesty, emotional support, flexibility, and above all trust.
I've been friends with benefits with people I loved in a non-romantic way not because I was afraid of commitment, but because I'm able to fully commit to my friendships and treat them with the same care, respect, and consideration as I would a romantic partners.
And those relationships do work.
Hence why I'm hoping that, should Jaskier become romantically involved with Radovid, and discover that he loses any interest for being sexually active with other people while romantically attached to someone, he and Vespula will still be occasoinally seen spending time being emotionally and physically close with each other (or that they'll at least mention something hinting that they do).
That she'll remain a close friend. That he'll still go knock on her door in the evening while in town just to lounge around, play her songs, and share thoughts.
It's been made rather clear that she does "mean something to him".
He may not be romantically attracted to her, but it's been made rather clear that he cares about her enough to regularly return to her (and perhaps even live with her for certain periods of time).
She spoke about having had some "fun on the side", too, implying that they might be each other's "main sexual pairing", at the very least.
The idea of Jaskier being dishonest with her - of him trying to manipulate her into believing that she means more to him that the other people he's slept with while he was traveling away from her - really doesn't sit well with me, at all.
I don't think Jaskier is someone that likes to play with people's feelings.
And he wouldn't have been discussing Radovid with her if he didn't value her input, either...
He might have been in denial regarding him having a "crush" on Radovid, in part because romantic desire doesn't come to him easy and his own fears of what him being attracted to him might mean...
But he was trusting her to listen and give him some feedback on his thoughts...
Jealously comes from fearing loss...
If Jaskier abandons Vespula because he's found Radovid, then her fears of being replaced will have turned out to be entirely justified...
So, whatever happens, I hope he does right by her.
Another aspect that I find interesting about the aspect of Jaskier's sapioromantism (i.e. of him only being capable of experiencing a need for sharing a romantic connection with people whose intellect he's attracted to), is that there are different types of intelligence.
I've a feeling that Jaskier's own "brain type" is people that are displaying high levels of emotional and relational intelligence, most of all!
Because Radovid oozes emotional and relational insightfulness...
Whereas Geralt is brilliant... But he is a bit of emotionally stunted goat.
So, he may not be romantically appealing to Jaskier; but I bet his bloated biceps that, in term of "love and devotion", he's likely one of the, if not the, most important person in Jaskier's life.
So I'm sincerely not explaining all of this to you to tell you that you are delusional about Jaskier loving Geralt romantically, and that everything you've read and interpreted as being romantic between them since the beginning is incorrect, far from it!
But I'm heartbroken, and somewhat angry, that queer baiting - combined with a lack of appropriate representation of deep, platonic, physically intimate friendships between two sexually compatible men and women - has created such a reality where Geraskier not being canon will make some of the fans of that ship feel like we are sending them the message that they've been reading those signals wrong yet again.
That there's something wrong with them for being unable to read those signals as being platonic between two men anymore.
No. We carefully taught you and continuously trained you to read those signals as being romantic, to maintain you as a captivated audience on various TV shows, while making sure to avoid angering people that see the world of romance and friendship as a rigid heterosexual black and white structure.
Can Geraskier be read as platonic?
My own personal interpretation made with my own set of biases and filters?
In the context of someone that Joey Batey mentioned experiences sapioromantic panromantic attraction, and pansexual attraction?
I would be inclined to think that Jaskier fell in love (without romantic desires), and was possibly sexually attracted to him the very second his eyes fell on Geralt.
He felt a strong emotional pull that made him want to get to know him more in depth emotionally and intellectually, share his adventures, and become involved in his life.
He saw the person Geralt truly was behind all of his own pain, abandonment/attachment issues, and trauma, and genuinely felt a deep empathetic connection towards him.
He loved that wounded Witcher so much, and his own unhappiness touched him so deeply, that he tried to change the way that the world saw him.
He sang songs that painted him as a hero rather than a butcher. He provided him with opportunities to be loved and admired by people, and well compensated for his services.
He felt Geralt's need to be loved and wanted ("Maybe someone out there will want you"), and tried to help him heal his own broken heart.
But Jaskier partially* put aside his own needs in doing so, pushed and tried too hard, kept waiting for Geralt to finally recognize that denying himself from what he truly wanted and needed in his life - companionship, a family, people that wanted him - was only slowly eating away at his humanity...
...and he got badly burned for his efforts. *Im saying "partially", because when we met Jaskier, he was being booed and thrown food at... So, I think he was also rather familiar with the feeling of being unwanted and rejected by people, and they were two misplaced souls that didn't really fit anywhere that found each other...
It's the "Butcher" - the uncaring, unfeeling, emotionally disconnected false persona that Geralt has been so set on holding onto - that Jaskier wished Geralt would have finally been able to let go of, and burn to the ground!
I tend to hear "Burn Butcher Burn" not as a "scorned lover song", per say but as a last desperate loving cry for Geralt to let "the Butcher" in him burn!
I think that any sexual attraction that Jaskier might have felt towards Geralt upon meeting him would have eventually fizzled away when he realized that Geralt himself wasn't in a good enough emotional and physical place to be interested in being sexually intimate with him (and/or was possibly straight).
But I doubt it would have changed a lot to his feelings or level of attachment towards him, because Jaskier's always loved Geralt, and sought to emotionally connect with him, way more than he ever sexually wanted him.
And I believe that, while he was able to forgive him for his harsh worlds ("I forgive you for your foolish words and deeds. Your lack of faith and hope. Your obstinacy. Doggedness. For your sulking and posing, which are unworthy of a man."), in order for Jaskier to be romantically attracted to him, Geralt would need to demonstrate a heavier dose of emotional intelligence and insightfulness than he's been able to openly demonstrate him thus far.
And, in order to be sexually attracted to him, Jaskier would need Geralt to be the one showing him some interest first.
The love, loyalty, and attachment is still there, though, bright as ever, and filled with more hope for Geralt than Jaskier used to have for him, I think.
And I think that Jaskier has very strong levels of compersion for Geralt and Yennefer, and is finding genuine happiness in seeing them share a healthy romantic and sexual relationship together, too.
But, I'm basing that analysis on what's been revealed about Jaskier now, not what we knew about the character back then.
You can make it work, and interpret what we've been shown thus far of Geraskier with little efforts, when your own way of of experiencing friendships and romance doesn't really fit the usual social models, but you really shouldn't have to do that.
It's easy for me to move forward, embracing Radskier as my main romantic ship for Jaskier, and Geraskier as my favorite platonic now more "brotherly" (but still occasionally romantic) one for him, but I fully expect some Geraskier fans to mourn, feel like they've been tricked and invalidated by the narrative, and have a hard time accepting that "two men showing so much love and physical intimacy together were meant to be platonic".
In real life? Yes. Two men showing so much love and physical intimacy together can be 100% platonic.
In fiction? We may not quite have reached the point where it isn't problematic yet.
Because when we look on the side of tradition men/women pairings?
Dana Scully and Fox Mulder (X-Files) became canon once fans became so invested in them they weren't willing to accept "anything less".
Buffy Summers and Spike, of all people, eventually got together, when he's a character that should have been killed off after two appearance,s because people like the character so much, and fans shipped the pairing so hard (just to be clear, I have nothing against the pairing)!
And then, there's Stiles and Lydia...
Where's the outcry saying that it "lessens" platonic men/women relationships, by suggesting that two emotionally close people can't just remain friends?
People just had to shout "Stydia is endgame! Stydia is endgame! Stydia is endgame! OMG! They are SO in love!!!", and TADAH! They got together before the end of the last Season!
Hetero ships that people get highly invested in do tend to become canon.
Gay ships?! *GASP! You know, two men or women together can be FRIENDS! They don't have to be GAY!"
No shit, Sherlock!
So why can't a boy and a girl, that have an insane amount of chemistry, and share tons of emotional intimacy together, avoid any romantic attraction?!
And I don't ever recall Stiles having ever bathed Lydia, nor rubbed chamomile onto her lovely bottom, alright?!
Why do they need to become a couple, and send the message that the deep love they share couldn't be strong enough if they'd remained platonic?
(I'm not telling Stydia fans that their ship is wrong or that they shouldn't bask in the happiness that the ship becoming canon brought them. Just pointing out how hetero and gay ships tend to be argued differently.)
But gay ships?!
Nah! No homo, bro/sis! Must have close same gender friendships representation!
So yeah, it's not that it's unrealistic for Geraskier to be platonic that frustrates me, but that sense of how we teach heterosexuals and queer fans to read scenes and relation dynamics differently.
Yes, I will enjoy that absolute gift of a queer romance that Joey Batey worked so hard for us to get with Radskier!
But, I still felt the need to speak out, and tell Geraskier fans that might still be feeling betrayed, or in disbelief that they called Geralt and Jaskier "platonic" that "I get it". That their feelings, disappointment, sense of betrayal, and hurt are valid, and that they have the right to mourn and struggle with accepting what was offered them (Radskier) instead.
You weren't reading romantic elements where there was none.
Had Geraskier been a romantically/sexually compatible man/woman "platonic friendship", they'd been "endgame". I'm pretty sure of it.
They'd even have been allowed to use "videogame logic" that says that Geralt can also end up with Triss, or any other partner besides Yennefer. They'd made it work!
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My Billy is a bit grouchier than he is in canon and would be just a little bit meaner. He gives the kids harsh criticisms on certain things, like say Spencer's homemade props, or all in all is sometimes seen as unfair by the kids point of view, see canon Billy's 'diva tantrum' from episode 2 that was actually completely justified. 
My Billy's career started when he was 12, being the youngest boy in a boy band, and his solo career began when he was 15, but ended when he died. He died at home, thus why his ghost was tied there before the kids found his stuff and he was able to follow them around town. He had been into music from a young age thanks to his mother, who had tried to go solo some time in the 70s/early 80s but failed. When her husband/Billy's father passed, and she had to raise the boy alone she ended up turning unreleased songs into lullabies just for him and showed him how to play certain instruments, like an acoustic guitar. It was like this until he was 12, where he begged his mom to let him try out for the boy band he was in, and then his manager ended up marrying his mom by the time he was 13, he kept his father's last name though. Sadly his mother passed when he was 15 and it devastated him. (I imagine my Billy is a bit of a Mama's boy, if you want a fun visual I always imagine him to the song underworld, from the epic underworld saga, in which the segment where Odysseus is talking to his mom would be him if his mama were a ghost.) he gets his taste in home decor from her :3
a lot of his arrogance is played up as a stage persona, I also changed his genre from pop to rock to more heavily reference Billy Joe Armstrong who he's said to be based on. Similarly, he would absolutely dropkick a guy from the stage, like Billy Joe Armstrong did at a concert to protect a lady being harassed in the crowd.
Like I mentioned in Spencer's post Billy and Spencer have a SIBLING dynamic and depending on the episode his roll would either be an annoyed older sibling, a babysitter, or he's having a moment being one of the kids. I also imagine for my version of Mallory he gives her pep talks on how to tell people no and how to stand up for herself (I will explain more about her when I get to writing her post.) he also originally did not want spencer and his family in his house, but seeing as it currently keeps him from being lonely he's fine with it, for now.
As for my design for Billy, his hair replaces his jacket lapels as the whole 'cobra hood' thing. He doesn't have pupils because of ghost lore that will get a separate post, and instead of wearing short clothes that hed probably wear at a concert he's wearing his own merch, which I imagine hed wear casually either at home or as pajamas, maybe outside as well if he didn't want to get recognized, considering my version died at home he's in his casual wear and thus his own merch, granted it's old merch since he's been dead for 10 years but what can he do, he's dead.
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chirpsythismorning · 1 year
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What makes me not be on board with Will and El being twins and Hopper and Joyce's biological kids theory is that it'd ruin the aspect I love the most about the Hopper-Byers family: found family.
Hop, a divorced man, adopted a girl and found love again with a divorced woman who escaped a toxic relationship and her two sons. It shows that a straight romantic relationship doesn't need to generate descendents to be valid. I also like the idea of an "alpha-male" like Hopper ending up not passing his genes forward and being ok with the idea of not having biological children.
So, I still think it's more probable Will and El being Lonnie's kids. Anyway, I'm looking forward to find out what the writers prepared for us.
I totally get that! And that's how I felt about it too! So no hard feelings at all.
I think for me it sort of got to a point where I had to put aside my feelings and what I had grown comfortable with for so long, based on my interpretation as the series was happening, and how there is evidence going against our assumptions we've had up to this point, going back to the beginning (same applies to byler as well).
I would also argue that found family is equally as epic as estranged family finding their way back to each other in every universe, despite all of the obstacles in their way. Though, not many things are equally as beautiful as found family, so the standards are very high.
I do want to make it clear that I agree completely about the found family side of why the instinct is to sort of not want to consider this.
Found family is beautiful, and I think it's wonderful that more stories these days are working to de-stigmatize our societies idea of what a family even is, because it's not this cookie cutter concept we've all grown to believe it is. Family comes in many forms and it doesn't have to be blood-related.
It just so happens that in this case, there are too many unanswered questions, going back to the very first episode, all tying these characters to each other.
Hopper more than anyone has so much crypticness revolving around his character (he gives off dad deja vu constantly in s1, like it's actually terrifying), and not only that, but David has alluded to unknowns surrounding his character for years. He's talked about how the truth behind Sarah is more complicated than it seems and that she could have connections to the lab. He even went as far as to say that there were easter eggs in s1 that fans wont get until the end, and that it will make the end of the story beautiful. Assuming he was talking about revelations related to his character, it fits very well with a lot of the evidence hiding in the details connecting all of these characters.
This is also a supernatural show dealing with time-fuckery implications and repressed memories going back to s1. Like just rewatch 1x01 by itself and you'll see what I mean. There is a lot of stuff fitting a little too conveniently to not all be connected.
If this was a regular show then of course I would chalk it up as found family bc there obviously couldn't be anything else to it. But it's not and we're dealing with revelations in s5 that have apparently been hiding in the details all along and are beautiful...
I just don't see anything beautiful about revealing Lonnie is their bio dad, when Hopper is right there with heavy hints surrounding him connecting him to Will/El...
You could say that found family is this thing they've been hinting at this whole time and that's all there is to it, but I would argue that we've already got that vibe by the end of s1, and so, where is the beautiful surprise in that revelation happening in s5? Technically found family isn't even a revelation seeing as it's something we subconsciously recognize as being obvious as time goes on. With s5 said to hold answers to questions unanswered since the beginning, while I do think found family is beautiful, I don't think it's the surprise at this point that connects all of these characters.
The good news is, if this theory does play out, they would explain things. It wouldn't just come out out of nowhere, in the sense that there is evidence pointing to it from the beginning (just like byler).
The main thing that makes this theory beautiful to me, is the light that is constantly being associated with Hopper/Will. Like it happens A LOT. One of the most mysterious scenes to this day is the scene in 1x01, of Hopper in the shed with the lights flickering. That has never been explained (nor has Will being able to contact Joyce through the UD been explained) and we all kind of just went along with it back then, but I think it ties into a lot of repetition we're seeing with these characters in reference to light.
Here are just some of my favorites from s1:
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This next one is one of my favorites, where we're given Lonnie's priorities after Will's body is found:
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And this is Hopper's, in the scene (literal first shot) directly after that scene with Lonnie:
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And this:
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Is followed by, this:
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Same episode. Deer portraits in both Joyce and Hopper's houses as they're freaking out over lights and their kid(s) going missing, while being watched by the lab...
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One of the most incriminating though has to be Hoppers' memories of Sarah kicking in at points in moments directly connected to Will:
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I'm just going to jump to s4 because this is hilarious to me that this trend carrys out throughout the entire series:
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We all joke about Will being Jesus, but idk if it's a joke anymore...
Not saying he is Jesus like literally, we're talking about a show that pulls inspiration from a bajillion different things, but, like... there is definitely some lighting emphasis being applied to Will along with the word Jesus... And the events of s4 happening around easter and this whole resurrection storyline going on with Hopper in s4.
El also has a role in this. The whole time in s1 we're seeing them look for Will, leading to Hopper saying 'What if all this time I've been after the wrong kid?'. How he starts s1 saying that when a kid goes missing 99 times out of 100 they're with a parent or a relative: El and Hopper in s2 just chillin'...
Again, I would agree with you fully if there weren't the supernatural implications at play. If this was just a regular story, I would be eating up the found family storyline like I always do.
However, we're dealing with a show that enjoys hiding the truth in plain sight, and has the capacity to pull this off tremendously, with a lot of the evidence to back it up. If it can do that, why not?
I won't pressure people to believe it if they don't want to! TBH I'm at a point where I'm confident enough in it, like byler, where it's just a matter of waiting for s5 atp to find out for sure. Seeing people's surprise after the fact is going to be more rewarding than convincing them beforehand. So it's like, it is what it is!
It's something that people aren't going to be able to say came out of nowhere, bc pretty much the entire show hints at it along the way. And so same with byler, post s5 anyone can try argue they don't like it for xyz, but it isn't going to take away from the fact that there was in fact evidence pointing to it.
Just going back and looking for stuff to reference in this ask, I found a shit ton more, like... This revelation does seriously make the show rewatch value skyrocket bc you're seeing these characters all be SO close to the truth, yet so far away. Like it is legit beautiful.
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find-the-path · 2 months
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OC Questions Tag Game
Thanks for the tag @a-lonely-dunedain! Here I will answer three OC questions from her post, and then tag a couple people to answer the questions I'll come up with (if they want to). These are for Amathan and Aderthor, as they're the OCs clearest in my head and also the ones who've been banging down the door for the last monthish.
1. What is a trait your OC can't stand in other people vs. a trait that they find themself drawn to
Amathan - he tends to be pretty short-tempered and low-filter around people who tick him off, and he doesn't have a short list of these. A specific trait (rather than general immorality) would probably be laziness, especially where it matters. Didn't set up that barricade right? Thought you'd just keep up that meaningless conversation rather than pay attention to what you're doing with a blade in a crowded workspace? You've got another think coming. On the flip side, professionalism (when warranted, and the genuine kind instead of posturing) does a great job of convincing him you actually know what you're doing. He's not himself a leader, but does not accept leadership from someone who even he can see is doing it wrong.
Aderthor - as a generally easy-going guy, it takes more seriously terrible traits to get to "can't stand" territory. Cruelty of any kind gets him angry, but what gets him furious is cruelty without a point. Doing that didn't even get you anything. You just ripped hurt into existence and your gain was itself. You did that for fun. The additional confusion that it adds to the equation makes it even worse. He can't understand it and he can't understand the people who do it and that drives him crazy in addition to angry. As for what he is drawn to, generally the opposite: people he can understand and who want to be understood, even unconsciously. People who feel their own kinship with every other person around them and share in it. (This is a reason he gets attached to Corunir so quickly.)
2. What animal would you associate with your OC? can be for in-character reasons (I.E their favorite animal) or a more symbolic reason
Amathan - A chihuahua. I've never actually thought of animals in relation to most of my characters, so all I've got on the top of my head are dumb jokes. Let me google some stuff think real quick. A WOLF. He's often perceived as a 'lone wolf' by those around him, especially those who met him recently, but in reality he's much more of a pack animal, and is fiercely protective of his family and friends. He's intelligent, but has a penchant for diving over his head and wildly overestimating his own martial ability on his own. He works far better in a team. Lastadron absolutely stayed with him partly out of a conviction that this guy is alive purely because of duct tape and spite.
I really want to equate Lehtion with a horse for humor and also symbolism, but horse symbolism and Lehtion's Lehtionness isn't cooperating. (Most of his character development ends up circled around Rohan, despite me not actually planning it that way.)
3. What is their biggest regret? was it truly their fault or some unavoidable tragedy? (and can they tell the difference)
I'm going to take this question as it pertains to backstory, as it occurs to me my characters have way more regrets post-Epic, most of them every other player character is going to share.
Amathan - his biggest regret is probably not taking off after Aderthor immediately after they realized something had gone wrong (or better yet, going with him). Yes, he actually found him alive even after ten years out of contact, but in Amathan's view he could have also done that perfectly well without the ten years of thinking his brother was dead. The question of whether that would have worked (a lot of factors contributed to the overthrow of the False-king in Angmar, not just Amathan and Lastadron showing up, and the Ram Duath really was impassible for a good long while there) is not one he has considered in depth. He also hasn't considered how twenty-year-old-Amathan might have reacted to being thrown into the Epic. So, while deciding not to go after Aderthor immediately could be his fault (which is NOT the right word), Angmar not getting overthrown ten years earlier absolutely was not.
Aderthor - WE COULD'VE AT LEAST TOLD SOMEONE WHERE WE WERE GOING DANG IT. The whole situation around trapped-in-Angmar-for-ten-years is one big regret for Aderthor. Whenever he gets stuck in a circle around thinking it (especially before Amathan and Lastadron show up) he mostly loops THIS WAS PREVENTABLE!!!!! around every tragedy and every death. Whether anything that was within his power at the time (telling Halbarad, staying with Corunir, and... nothing else really) would've helped anything is not clear, and most of the time he can see that. The pointlessness (from his view) of it all is what really galls him, even if he can't actually think of One Thing that anyone could've done to prevent it.
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Now for my own questions! Hmm, let me think...
What is your OC's family relationships like? Is he/she close with his/her birth family? Any siblings? Living parents? Extended relatives? How does he/she think of any found family--- in those terms, or more shy about it?
Does your OC more easily connect with people inside of a context--- a task, a specific conversation topic, a common goal--- or during downtime when they can do whatever they want?
How good are most good-intentioned people at reading your OC, or how correct are their general assumptions about him/her? Does your OC present him/herself as open to other people or closed-off?
Sorry for any vagueness in the questions, feel free to interpret them however you want! Tagging @o-lei-o-lai-o-lord, @sailforvalinor, and @mozart-the-meerkitten if they want to join! :D
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callipraxia · 1 year
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[Well, this was supposed to be my big NWHS/ATOTS review...but I literally made it three minutes in before I got on an epic tangent and now I desperately want to write about and read up on stuff related to the tangent. I haven't desperately wanted to write something for quite some time, now, so the review proper will have to wait - as for now, enjoy ten observations on the first three minutes?]
Whew. Here we go. NWHS/ATOTS, planning to watch it straight through, let's go. It's gonna be intense, but we/I can do it. Probably.
Not What He Seems
Aaand now Stan's irradiated his forehead. No way this could ever have terrible consequences. He's better at lab safety than Ford, sure, but that's...reeeealllly not saying much. However, since Ford, Fiddleford, and Stan should probably have all had much worse side effects from constant improper handling of radioactive materials...maybe it's something about Gravity Falls' weirdness that shields them, or it's just not quite as dangerous in this world?
2. "Minor gravitational anomalies." Ford, that...feels like a bit of an understatement? Ok, so, I expect you could have written down "Stan, do not do the thing, it will make the house fly to Oz and destroy half the town. Yes, Stan, I'm specifically talking to you. Don't do it." and it would not have made any difference, but...'minor' is a relative term....
3. I am kind of impressed with Fiddleford managing to sleep, all things considered. Though who knows how long he's been awake, working on the laptop? I would give ten pretties to know what he knows at this point, though.
5. If I hadn't already done an AU stemming from NWHS, I...might be tempted, now that I think about it, to see what I could come up with in response to "what if Fiddleford had been awake when the laptop indicated the device had just become active?"
6. Ooh, is that a picture of a very young Caryn and Filbrick that the twins run under, after they pass the end table and just before Mabel stops in front of the random door she found? It looks...kinda like them, but also kinda pilgrim-y? But the woman's hairstyle is better suited perhaps for a very young Caryn, timeline-wise, and the pictures are more silhouettes than anything, and the male figure wears its hat very low.
7. Also, wow, does the Shack have a lot of doors or what? Manly Dan definitely should have picked different trees to build the Shack from...that, or the reality-breaker in the basement has started affecting geometry slowly upstairs over the decades. Which is also not a bad idea, I guess.
8. "I am the god of destruction!" More like a significant priestess at best, honestly, Mabel - no shade on you, of course, but when you've got the likes of Stanford "let's punch a hole in reality!" Pines, Stanley "danger, blah-blah-blah, can it, Poindexter!" Pines, Fiddleford "homicidal pterodactyl-bot I made when my wife left me" McGucket, and Bill running around in your setting...the competition is pretty intense, y'know?
9. Though I do wonder now if Mabel ever thought about that line again...if she remembered saying that, say, during the period where it looked more and more like the world might end...or that they might all get arrested...or after she heard that keeping the Portal open did not fix her family...maybe even when she handed "Blendin" the Rift, seeking a perfect endless summer....
10. "Plenty of summer left." "Enjoy it while you can, Stan." Stan really did think the kids might well never forgive him for lying to them all this time, and that's even if he got the real Stanford back alive. If he hadn't...if he hadn't, then he was confronted with the possibility of both the kids cutting him off and not even having the satisfaction of success to cling to. Or anything to cling to, unless you count loads of new guilt, now that he has seeming confirmation that he's responsible for Ford's death. I...do not see that ending well, really.
And yet, he took that chance. He could have decided "it's been so long that the odds of success are very low, and these kids are definitely alive and not too irradiated yet. I could just let this go. Settle for what I've got instead of endangering it for a one-in-a-million shot at getting back what I've lost." But he didn't, even though he was aware of how thoroughly failure really was an option. He was gambling everything at once, with no reserves to get him out of town if the dice landed the wrong way - willing, essentially, to burn the world (certainly his own world, but possibly, y'know...the world) for one person, for no better reason than his own feelings about that person and/or what had happened to that person. And I suspect this is at the root of what I find so interesting about him as a character. There's a reason, after all, why characters like this feature in so much of what's considered Literature, folks. [And here there were tangents; while I'm sure I will one day figure out what the character limit for tumblr posts is, I don't have enough hours in today to do it with]
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jimintomystery · 1 year
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Makoto headcanons
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[Above: Uh, yeah, that's probably fine]
Originally I found Makoto to be an extraordinarily bland protagonist, which made him seem a bit two-dimensional. Eventually, though, I got a handle on the character, and saw at least some potential for depth...
We learn very little about Makoto in Trigger Happy Havoc, other than what he learns about himself from the experience. He thought he was just some guy, y'know, and then he turned out to be some sort of...non-giving-up...school guy. He's a blank slate compared to his classmates, even Kyoko, who is supposed to be the officially designated blank slate. His most distinguishing feature is the ability to chin up amid the horrors he's witnessed. I think that's taking an unseen toll on him.
When the Tragedy happened, Makoto reassured his friends the crisis would be over soon. It wasn't. When the Killing Game began, he promised Sayaka he would get her out of there. He didn't. By the end of the game, a third of his classmates have murdered another third, and the remaining third seriously considered letting him die to save themselves. When he came up with a plan to rehabilitate the Remnants of Despair without killing them, the Future Foundation branded him a traitor. Said plan almost backfired and nearly doomed himself and his closest friends. In the Final Killing Game, the Future Foundation largely went knives-out on him, and then a mind-control program nearly brainwashed him to kill himself. He doesn't process this stuff, he just puts it on his tab. He's running up a big bill.
I'm not saying all this is going to break Makoto, or that he's on the verge of succumbing to despair, or anything like that. The idea that this can't happen is what makes him interesting--the story won't let him falter or fail, so he just has to endure. He can't cope with his problems except in terms of helping others cope with theirs. In that sense he reminds me of Hajime Hinata, but Hajime is a surgically enhanced ubermensch, so for better or worse he's built to handle such weighty problems. Makoto is just an ordinary man, so it's kind of scary to realize he carries such an epic burden.
If I'm making Makoto sound like Jesus sweating drops of blood over his duty to the world...well, yeah. Personally, I am extremely tired of writers cramming Christ tropes into American superhero stories, so I'm loathe to look for one in Danganronpa, but it's hard for me to avoid it this time. Not that I want Makoto to be crucified and resurrected (any more than he already has been). But I'm intrigued by the idea of a Christ/martyr figure who can't get off the hook by peacing out to heaven.
Anyway, the point is that Makoto avoids his trauma by helping his friends with their problems. Which is ironic considering he spends a lot of time getting Kyoko comfortable with facing her trauma. Kyoko benefits greatly from having someone she can trust and finally open up to, so it doesn't occur to her that Makoto might need the same sort of help, or that he would hide it as well as she does. Overcoming that takes a lot of work, for both of them.
I haven't decided what sort of relationship Makoto and Kyoko had before their memories were wiped, but I tend to think it wasn't romantic. At most they might have had some basic attraction, but neither of them expected anything to come of it, so they paid it no mind. Even during the Killing Game, I don't think Makoto realizes what he's starting to feel. He's just curious about her because she's mysterious, or worried about her because she's missing, that's all. She's cute, but he'd never have a shot with her, so there's no point going there. Meanwhile Kyoko is gradually facing her feelings about him, and getting a little frustrated that he's not making a move. It's not until after they escape that everything hits Makoto all at once.
As Makoto learns more about Kyoko's family, he isn't afraid to call out the bullshit they've put her through. He's willing to believe her father might have had a reason for walking out on her, but that doesn't excuse the harm he caused. He's also not wild about her grandfather pushing her through the family traditions, and (from what I've gathered) exploiting her abandonment issues to hone her emotional discipline. If Fuhito Kirigiri ever meets Makoto, I think there will be a lot of friction there.
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theinsanecrayonbox · 4 months
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FOP: A New wish ep 5-8
and we're back at it again. another week, more episodes
spoilers: i think i found my favorite episode of this series. you'll understand why when you get to it XD
Episode 5: Fearless
for some reason my OnDemand doesn't have this available on it's own. however, it seems to be paired with ep4 (as it should be) so we can still see it. it's just weird that every other episode is on there single and together...weird
anywhos, onto the episode proper. the title card is giving me big reff vibes; i can't quite recall which previous title card it's evoking, but i feel like we've done this one before.
did Wanda's "squirt' sound like a mangled "twerp" or was that just me?
"Gregory" huh? i can get behind that. and Hazel is a horror buff?? i love you child. and Jasmine's seen IT?
did they censor Jasmine saying "fraidy cat"??
haha you can use TMNT because Paramount owns them too. they're Disney self reffing XD
ok, wishing your friend was fearless, good plot...think we've semi-done this before...and it didn't work this way last time in Emotion Commotion. but holy wow this is some imagery; we are so into the creepy. i love it
oh oh new geography! Annapolis...can't figure out where it is on that map though (Michigan maybe? Italy if it's not USA??)...also yes muppet stand-in is funny
sweet friendly pep talk, and fear fighting montage. good story telling
child possession??? by an eldritch entity of fear??? dang...this is getting deep and epic. A+ writers
"Don't want another of those going rogue" with an ominous stare at the camera...uh, guys what did you do? what did you do??? O.o!!
overall, very good episode! mundane problem that was complicated by magic but in the end was solved without it and allows our MC to grow naturally as a person. A++
Episode 6: The Wellsington Hotellsington
this one was a Spongebob episode plot right? this title card though evokes Hail to the Chief to me but obviously no connection
Winn Harper's our new Trixie? (a popular potential romantic intertest...and are they nb?) and Dev is certainly Remy/Tad and Chad
oh this plot is actually A Wish Too Far; Hazel's making big rich claims and gonna magic to make it seem that way until it goes wrong. eh, stock, but reasonable. actually makes even more sense since she is the new kid so not everyone knows about her, verses Timmy who'd known his classmates for longer so you'd think they'd've known his family's financial standing.
and why's Jasmine buying this, didn't she go to Hazel's apartment last episode? wasn't on screen, didn't happen i guess)
oh she does remember, but she's an easily convinced ditz. it's ok
mega points for emu
oh and now her wish is backfiring on her, as it usually does
evil doppelganger Hazel speaking backwards???? what the...we are not shying from the weird and creepy are we?? (Shinning reference?) i love this writing team
dawww see Hazel you impressed them all on your own, don't need the frilly fancy stuff.
though you have earned yourself a sworn mortal enemy in Dev. delicious
and we end on creepy doppelganger?? what are you guys doing...and will you do more
overall, another pretty good episode. not anything spectacular sure, but we're still developing our supporting cast and the story status quo. so it's good
Episode 7: 1500 Minutes of Fame
the title almost sounds like it'd fit the previous episode too...but nice city skyline cutout *saves that for later refferance*
awww they're a friend trio now, yay
oh it's Most Wanted's plot...well base plot. Hazel wants to be popular. you'd think Cosmo and Wanda would remember how poorly that can go...
why is Father Time here? he had nothing to do with this type of wish last time. also he looks completely different from his prior appearance but then again that was in Timmy's Secret Wish and that wasn't good so we can let that slide. but being popular falls under "15 minutes of fame" huh? uhhu. well...to be fair i could see a rules restructuring after Tim's deal in Most Wanted and all his tampering with the Time Scooter (and in Timmy's Secret Wish too i guess) could've made it so Father Time has final approval of time-based wishes...maybe if that'd been the ruling from the start we wouldn't have 5 different timelines caused by Timmy in the first place
he's far too gleeful about how monkey's paw this gonna screw her over. he's gotta be djinn
that's squirrel!Timmy!!! as the school mascot??!! what??? also that's Big Problem adult!Timmy again...huh...
i wonder if Bev is a Ubetcha...
and yes being most wanted includes being wanted for not positive reasons
why would you send her to a Hollywood school? because she's famous maybe? i mean that makes sense...because Dimmadelphia isn't in California like Dimmsdale, where one could argue that the Hollywood school was just a district over this they'd share students. i just answered my own question...carry on show
who's higher than Father Time on the magical hierarchy when it comes to time magic? who would you get in trouble with my dude?
pffffft ok Nick of Time. 1) love the pun on the name. 2) love the meta puns in the dialog (ranks up there with Zim experimenting on a child also named Nic).
act New Yorky to make New York minutes? uh...ok...i mean, that is a logical idea a kid would come up with to problem solve, so for that reason it makes sense. also, it again highlights that she's a West coast/Midwestern kid and not an East coast/New Englander (yes there's a difference between NE and NY, just like i know there's a difference between West and Midwest). so...montage of stereotypes i guess
"I am a child and recognize all these references" pfffft i am laughing
and musical number with 2d animations...FLAPPY BOB???? and more TMNT references
and the wish just runs out, the day is saved. this was a fun magical shenanigans story, so good job team.
Episode 8: 28 Puddings Later
are...are we getting a zombie outbreak? i know we had some body horror in another episode, and then all the other creepy stuff in this week's episodes, but...really? O.o why are children's media doing zombie plagues a bunch lately...and why am i complaining about that??? even the title card is a zombie pudding apocalypse!! i am SO down for this episode!
it's picture day...and pudding...oh boy, stock plot of trying to stay clean in coming
Dev steals all the pudding?? oh heckie no! go stop him Hazel!! ah it's through bribery...boo on Dale
Timmy is the janitor i guess?
ah making pudding that available will ruin the market value, and devalue it. economics 101. but also people doing nuts and addicted and thus zombies i guess
and we are spooky. heeheehee
why isn't Wanda more chocolate crazy?
zomr there are children zombies swarming another student. what even is this; i love it
broccoli pudding?? but no Yugopotamians? boo
but anywhos, i think this might've been my favorite episode (and oh look it's episode 8 even, heehee). it was just so silly and fully magically induced and fixed, but it was fun. children being pudding zombies, that's just...yeah XDDD
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captzexx · 1 year
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2023
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2023.
Well, we're halfway through it and I just figured now would be a good time to update all the stuff that is or was or maybe going on with this blog.  If you're still here, thanks for staying!  If you're new, hey welcome!  If you're on your way out the door for a pack of smoke or to get the milk, see ya soon dad!
So here's the rundown.
This is a hub for all the crazy/mundane/weird/eyerolling roleplay writing stuff that I think I'm pretty decent at. On good days.  It's been a year since I had my surgery and I have literally killed a third of myself.  Now to just keep him dead.  Which is hard as my brain is in a good/bad place most of the time to match my body which is in a good/bad place, but I'm keeping it together.  Most of the time.
So if you're interested in a collab, are collaborating, or going 'where the hell did that guy go' I'm still here and I'm getting it back to form.  Ish.  I promise I'll try not to let you all down if we're interacting or will be at some point, which I would love to do!
Now that that's out of the way, here's where I'm playing these days!
THE BLOGS
@sailsonaseaoffate - My Spelljammer blog came true!  Fantasy based sci-fi adventures with Treasure Planet vibes that I do my best to stay with the setting though as with all lore I make my own!  I do what I want.  Either way, this is where most of the Candell family has found a new home on the remade Wayfarer as they search through Wildspace for a way home for some, a new home for others, or bringing that final piece back to their puzzle.  New foes, new ships, plenty of sarcasm, and lots of face punching.  Adventure among the stars with a multiversal family of rogues and swords!
@conduitdreams - Cyberpunk is getting closer to reality than we ever thought possible, which is both very exciting and terrifying.  I'm hoping to lean more into the exciting part of it, but horror and terror are common themes for me as well.  Pulling a lot from cyberpunk epics such as Bladerunner, Strange Days, and Cyberpunk Red/2020/2077, I've been doing my best craft my own little slice of synthetic neon dystopia to build a few stories from.  Midwich is a floating city built in the Gulf of San Andreas after the great quake that split California from the mainland essentially making it's own free floating city-state.  Where most see it as the end of the world for golden state, it has done but flourish thanks to move and now is the ultimate producer of food supplies as well as other natural resources.  New trade markets had to be made and with it came the creation of these middlemen cities that processed items from place to another. It's very loose setting in my head that is welcome for more voices and ideas to help flesh it.  Come run the net and see with artificial vision searching for a soul!
@acrowamongsparrows - Steel for men, silver for monsters.  I love horror.  I love fantasy.  I love the Witcher.  Would I call myself a superfan?  No.  I would I call myself a big fan?  Hell yes.  Do I know all the minutia and information about the world?  Good god no.  But I did make my own witcher and I did piece together a 'Scooby-doo' crew for him to battle all sorts of things that go bump in the night.  I am no lore god (I do respect it though) but these are our stories and I feel like we should be able to tell them how or why we want to.  So, if you'd like to hunt monsters, beat up elves, and dodge vampires join me as Eld of Kovir travels with his nephews into the depths of monstrosity.
ON HOLD
@thedreaminghunger - I had high hopes for Oplisca and wandering the cosmic horror I built up around her with the mythos and the bits of Warcraft butchery that I'd clung too.  But I just can't seem to get a hold of it.  I'm not sure I have enough level in pure weird to truly give her what she needs to become the monster I see in my mind for her.  Traversing the multiverse in search of herself so that she can consume them and grow in power in the many eyes of her 'Love'.  Maybe I'll get there or if someone has an idea to push my feral end of space witch into stratosphere I dream of.
@memoriesofivalice - My poor FF14 characters, I had a big cast and a lot of my mind when I tweaked and created them all for this MMO.  I loved the game but I found myself spending most of my time alone and just kind of got tired of the story grind.  I joined a great guild of storytellers and people, but my heart just couldn't get into it.  As much as I distance myself from WoW, it still hurts me so deeply after everything that happened and continues to happen with them.  Maybe I'm tainted with MMOs.  Maybe I should revamp to just be a Final Fantasy blog and do my own thing with people.  I mean there's 16 of them and only like two really connected by sequels.  I hope an idea comes because this cast deserves to not be forgotten.  Or maybe rebooted at least.
@withanemeraldeye - 'Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And unto this, Conan, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow.'  I used to play a lot of Conan Exiles and I honestly can say I watched Conan the Barbarian once a month when it's streaming as I love everything about sword & sorcery.  Pulp fantasy has always been huge for me to match with the incredible art and style presented by such artists Sanjulian, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, and the king himself Frazetta. So making a brutal pulp fantasy character was inevitable for how much I dig the simple but exciting concept.  But it's been quiet here for me and that breaks my heart for what I put together for Voldrin in the Exiled Lands fighting for survival with the Black Sword across his back.  I hope I can get back into it again.
FUTURE
I am interested in anything or anything to collaborate on.  You wanna do an urban fantasy adventure?  Let's do it Dresdan style.  Airships and moncoles?  I'm there.  Transdimensial time travel with Quantam Leap infintie lives?  That sounds really cool and I would love to explore it.  We run a coffee shop for people in the urban heart of a Pacific Northwest City?  That sounds a lot slice of life, but I am intrigued on what it may bring.  
The skies the limit for me and all we need is to do is say 'Hey I got an idea!'  
So, that's me.  It's 2023.  I need to be creative.  So do you.  
Team work makes the dream work.
Or synergy.
Insert corporate slogan.
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Hellooooo hi, I'm too lazy to scroll yeah
Can you tell me a bit about your paracosm? :3
A bit? Nope, sorry, no can do, I can only tell you a metric fuck TON about my paracosm. Hope ur prepared for an infodump >:)
Sooooo uh. There’s a lot to talk abt (because I don’t know how to shut up) so let me break it up a little. Setting-wise, the story’s set in a fantasy version of Earth, where the most important difference (aside from the presence of magic) is that if someone writes a story and enough people read it, the story becomes real in a parallel dimension. I originally thought of this as a way to explain how my OCs could meet with the characters from my favorite shows/books, nowadays it’s both a mechanic that facilitates the story and (recently more frequently) the focus and source of conflict.
Because of the setting, aside from the numerous stolen characters from other media and reworked versions of said stolen characters, there’s obviously a lot of magic going around with a fuckton of places to visit and even more magical species to populate the world and wield said magic – “angels”, demons, shapeshifters, monsters, gods, you name it. Most of my paras are non-human and those who are also tend to have non-human ancestry or some kind of extra magical power (what’s the point of fantasy without fantasy, yknow?). But also, because I have a weird obsession with Organizing and Putting Things In Boxes, I have the physics of magic worked out to an absurd detail, feel free to shoot me an ask abt it if you want to be bored to death :D
Plot-wise… well. I would summarize the story, I actually HAVE a pretty decent summary, but it’s like, 100+ pages (50k+ words if I recall correctly), and I’m pretty sure tumblr would not Like That (and this version’s not even up to date), so. There used to be a lot of exploration of the world (aka me integrating my current interests into my paracosm because I can), nowadays it’s a lot more character-focused, with the plot revolving around 15-ish “main” paras and their lives. Which can be anything from “I can finally go to college and study the stuff I wanna study! Yay!” to “oh god oh fuck I’m a general in a multidimensional war and thousands are dead if I make the wrong move” so. There’s a lot of throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. (I am a sucker for big epic fights tho so that happens a lot lol)
Thematically, I like to focus on the inner worlds of my paras and how they relate to the world around them. Each of them come from different backgrounds with different perspectives so any time I wanna explore a concept I can just pick whoever falls closest to that (like, “oh THIS one was abandoned by their family but THIS one is a stable father figure, found family trope go brrr” just to name an example). There’s a lot of hurt/comfort generally speaking, heavy on the emotional angst and, because I’m a secret whump enjoyer, there also tends to be a lot of blood. Like a lot. (Dw I always balance it out with some old-fashioned “finding peace in each other’s presence” daydreams, especially soft and cuddly.) Oh yeah and also everyone’s gay but that’s pretty much expected at this point.
Sometimes I also like to wonder about the morality of certain aspects of this universe, since the setting and world is so different from ours, but ig that’s a topic for another day haha
Anyway yeah that’s as short as I could get it 😅 it’s a bit hard to talk about my paracosm as a whole because it’s so old and as a result incredibly widespread. I do have a sideblog dedicated to it but tbh I haven’t really touched it in ages so what little info it has is probably outdated. Idk what else to say, if there’s any part you’d want me to go into greater detail feel free to ask (I know ppl mostly only care about the paras which, fair, but when it comes to talking abt my paracosm practically any topic is free for the asking lol), and sorry for the long ramble haha
Bonus doodle of one of my paras (Rowena) I did like a day ago
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lcmawson · 1 year
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Viktor nodded, pouring wine into both of our cups. “I fared better than you in the friend-department, but only because of Dana. All of my friends were technically her friends. Well, except my roommate at Ember, but she’s a Slayer too, so once again, it seemed best not to stay close as we grew up.” “It kind of sucks, doesn’t it?” “Indeed it does.” He sighed, taking a swig of his wine. “Everyone talking about being queer talks about having a ‘found family’ who can act as your support if you need it, but they never talk about actually having to fucking find your found family.” “I know, right? Everyone acts like you come out and queer friends just spring up around you like mushrooms, and they’ll be totally ride or die for you. That’s what Amanda’s friends seemed like…” “What about Amanda? I mean, you two seemed close.” I shook my head. “I think she was trying to take me under her wing, but… She was my boss. She was the one who got to decide if I paid rent at the end of the month. I think she did genuinely care about me, but I couldn’t let my guard down. Not with that barrier.” Tears pricked my eyes and I took a sip of the wine, only to almost choke on it. How did people drink this stuff? Viktor looked me over, and I prayed that he wouldn’t ask me about Amanda. I didn’t want to think about her any more. I couldn’t… Eventually, he took another drink. “You know, I think you’re the only friend I’ve made without Dana’s help, or being forced to share a room at Ember.” “Wait, we’re friends?” I suppressed a wince, hoping that he didn’t take my words as me being offended by the idea. “Well, if you want to be.” “I do, I just… I’m not really sure what having a friend involves at this point…” Viktor smiled. “Me neither. But I’m fairly certain that looking out for each other on an epic quest counts.”
Fire (Daughter of Nature: Book One) by L.C. Mawson
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bokettochild · 2 years
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😈💖🎯💔🤯😬❌
Sorry I sent so many, I got ahead of myself for a bit 😛 feel free to skip whichever you've already answered or whichever you feel is boring
... except ✨, that one's obligatory /hj /lh
Has there been a point in a story where you did something just to be playfully mean to your readers?
Yes actually! Sometimes the cliffhangers aren't necessary, and sometimes particular turns of phrase are put in to mess with fans of certain characters. Also, yes, I cut off whumps at bad points on purpose sometimes :)
What made you start writing?
In general? I've always been a storyteller. I grew up telling stories as young as like....five. I'd tell my little sister stories sometimes and work out intricate games for us to play with lots of plot twists and chaos :)
As for why I started writing for LU, well, I got an idea for a fic where all the boys could be related (TTTB) and it was the first thing in a long while I'd actually wanted to write, because I was on a writers block with my novels. I wrote a bit, shared it, kept going, and got addicted <3
Have any of your readers accurately guessed major plot points? Care to share which?
Okay, it's been a bit, but I'm pretty sure FTMH had a few of those moments. People were guessing ahead of time who would figure out legend's secret next, and several people predicted plot points in TTTB, usually in regards to reveals and um.. well... Time's use of the Ocarina :)
Is there a fic of yours that broke your heart?
Yes. A Mother's Touch, Hylia's Child, Hylia's Slave, and The Floor Is Lava actually all touched on big issues for me. I think I was actually in tears when writing Touch and Go :(
Although, Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones was also one that hurt a bit to write, even if that one wasn't personal for me
What’s a genre you struggle with as a writer (ex. romance, action, etc.)?
It's romance, for sure. Action can be difficult, but I can get it if I work at it long enough. Forcing a dynamic doesn't work well for me though, so romance is a fussy thing and I struggle endlessly with it :/
Which of your fics would you be most horrified for friends, family, or coworkers to stumble upon?
If my Mom found Hylia's Child, Hylia's Slave I think my life would be over. At the very least, I would have to cut contact with her for a good while.
What’s a trope you will never write?
Um.... I'm not sure actually, I like tropey stuff tbh, although only if the work itself recognizes how tropey it is and embraces it. If the story is presented as new and unique and epic, but I already have predicted the plot twists of almost the whole thing within the first thirty minutes *cough*mortal engines*cough* then it's an issue. Generally speaking though, I appreciate some tropes and there isn't one in particular that I hate, as long as they are done well. I think they all have their place in story telling and can be used for humor or smiles pretty well :)
Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it
I do a good job at bringing characters together or apart and establishing convincing and endearing dynamics between various individuals
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I posted 1,231 times in 2022
That's 264 more posts than 2021!
198 posts created (16%)
1,033 posts reblogged (84%)
Blogs I reblogged the most:
@gay-otlc
@thegreatlibraryfangirl
@rosalind-of-arden
@solreefs
@orangeandpeppertrees
I tagged 647 of my posts in 2022
Only 47% of my posts had no tags
#the great library - 294 posts
#wolfe/santi - 44 posts
#christopher wolfe - 33 posts
#whump - 26 posts
#fanart - 24 posts
#dario santiago - 21 posts
#asking things - 21 posts
#glain wathen - 16 posts
#jess brightwell - 15 posts
#the great library fanart - 14 posts
Longest Tag: 135 characters
#i have a truly excessive number of thoughts regarding darios betrayal scene and his multiple rationales and the way that khalila reacts
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
if the great library characters became animals, what would they be and why??
(I have seen your previous ask, it's epic, but my brain is currently refusing to answer it, apologies)
ok so, easiest first:
Wolfe
Crow.
Why? Because of 'Stormcrow', of course. Also:
They are fairly solitary, usually found alone or in pairs, although they may form occasional flocks.
Source RPSB website
Fun fact btw, Gandalf is referred to as Stormcrow, and this article has a lot of stuff about Gandalf being seen as a harbinger of chaos and destruction that works very well both for Wolfe's personal circumstances and his job confiscating originals.
Rather than wolf as an alternative, I could see Wolfe as a black panther (melanistic leopard).
Again, a loner animal, but this is more playing off Jess' obsession with pointing out that Wolfe is lean and athletic in physique (S&P has it like 3 times, other people say various things about Wolfe's size throughout the series).
Santi
Dog. Of some huge, imposing and loyal type. Suggest breeds for me in reblogs or something. Google informs me there is an Italian livestock guardian dog breed called Maremmano, so that'll do for now. Or a mastiff, maybe.
Jess
Ok so before I even think of anything at all - Thomas canonically compares Jess to an otter, in Sword and Pen. How very heterosexual of you, Thomas. So we have to consider this!
Other than that, thank you Thomas, I think Jess is a dog too, for how much he enjoys affection and the exercise of the High Garda Specifically a Jack Russell terrier (small, fearless, English in origin, incredibly persistent).
Jess himself might identify as a rat, as a fuck-you to both Dario and his father. The brown rat, which is actually apparently nicknamed "street rat" according to Wikipedia.
Note, the Wikipedia article on black rat gave me: "The black rat also has a scraggly coat of black fur, and is slightly smaller than the brown rat." paging @wheel-of-whimsy can you headcanon the Brightwell twins as these two rat types??
Khalila
I should really have put her first tbh, as the most solid one of all; I headcanon her as the blackfooted cat. It's one of the tiniest wildcat species, and it is known for being particularly fierce when it defends itself. Tiny predator Khalila. I will say no more.
Dario
Reluctantly, I'm actually going to call Dario a lion. Like, a lion who's bad at fighting. Royal associations obviously, needs a group around him to survive. Except he'd be bad at being the head of a pride for aforementioned fighting reason. Dario as Scar, is what I'm saying here. That or he's just a standard pampered housecat. Take your pick. (Note, the domestic cat is actually much more social than people think!)
Maybe he's a wasp. Stabby stabby, underappreciated lol.
Glain
Glain is a difficult one. Argh. Suggestions welcome. Soldier ant??? That seems unfair. Ink and Bone Glain is a bit of a honey badger tbh, but idk about later. Is she a lioness, actually?? Quite possibly. Part of a family team, killing machine.
Thomas
Thomas' two main traits are Big and Genius. (Yes I know there's obviously more to him than that but we're simplifying). Therefore he's an elephant.
Morgan
I know I always say this every time a personality/categorisation thing comes up, but god damn it Morgan is hard to do. Her entire arc imo, start to finish, is based around not wanting to be enslaved, ended up enslaved anyway, and then being a martyr. What does she enjoy doing? We don't know. What are her skills, hobbies, characteristics other than 'gets Jess' dick hard'?? Smoke and Iron and to a degree Sword and Pen does give us more insight into her, but only based around "How do I get out of this?"
OK, so creative, intelligent, ridiculously determined. Also magic powers. Idk. Grey parrot.
21 notes - Posted July 22, 2022
#4
Kahlila and Dario rock up with their fancy swords and Santi's like "No. You're doing this whole combat thing wrong. We're going to be running laps and here's a gun."
Oh definitely 😂 dario would be devastated 😂
though I must point out that Khalila is canonically proficient with a gun and at least one of her impressive kill count in the series is from a gun.
Wolfe can throw knives too, wonder if santi needed to have this conversation with him too?
21 notes - Posted July 30, 2022
#3
I have no brain but like, there's definitely a fascinating attitude towards religious thinking, external locus of control, seeing things from his life partner's point of view idk, about that bit in S&P when Santi asked Isis to help protect Wolfe
23 notes - Posted December 18, 2022
#2
Caine wrote a whole 5 book series where at no point do characters cook or visibly provide themselves with food in any way. I aspire to that level of 'details don't matter'.
35 notes - Posted June 18, 2022
My #1 post of 2022
This is Writing, right???
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49 notes - Posted August 24, 2022
Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →
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