#it's so sad for me that people only talk about the feelings side of poetry as an art form because! What about the structure! The words!

[anglerflsh]

re: your poetry post, can you give some pointers as to where to learn the rhyming patterns in poetry and the like? i only ever see poetry from the ideas/feelings perspective, but ive never learned the logic and structure behind it lol

I've learned most of it from my literature and grammar classes, it's taught in our school since elementary, so I wouldn't know of any books or manuals that talk specifially about it - but I can give you a rundown of how I do it, anon, if it counts for anything lol

Prefacing that this will be starting from italian poetica because that's what I know best: any poem, but specifically the pre-futurism/1910s ones (A Lot) will have some kind of structure aside from just the ryming scheme; The structure I am most familiar with is accentual-sillabic, so for example any single verso will have its stressed syllable in a fixed potision and occasionally a set number of sillables (eg. an endecasillablic metre means a stress on the tenth syllable, usually penultimate, equally to 11 total syllables), but there are also only accentual, or only sillabic verses, common in French poetry (?), all of which count as types of qualitative metre - as well as quantitative metre, which was more widley used in Latin and Greek poetry and which rather based itself on patterns of syllable weight (something that I know little about tbh; I think it's based on the lenght of pronunciation of the actual syllable).

this, of course, goes without even mentioning free-verse structure and less well-known ones.

Going back to the rhyming scheme, that also comes into play with structure in the sense that ... there are just a lot of them to pick from. The classic is the repeated AABB one, where each verse will rhyme with the one underneath (''kissing rhyme'' in italian), or the alterning ABAB, the crossed ABBA, the 'chained' or third rhyme ABA BCB CDC used for terzine, and plenty more! That's not all the ways to classify rhymes of course: you have plain rhyme between words accented on the penultimate syllable, cut rhyme between words accented on the last, sdrucciola with accents on the third-to-last, bisdrucciola on the fourth-to-last... etc etc

Then, of course, come the classifications in stanza lenghts! Groups of three verses are a terzina, well known for being Dante's favourite number (joke inserted to lighten this infodump), groups of four a quatrina, etc -

and depending on the number of single groups and on the type of verses in them, you have further classification as canzone, ode, madrigale, carme, filastrocca, ballata, sonetto... the latter for example is made of fourteen endecasyllabic verses grouped in two quartine, one in the beginning and one in the end, in crossed or alternate rhyme, and two terzine with any kind of rhyme structre.

this of course doesn't touch on the inner things and games of poem structure like the falling rhyme, spaces in between groups, enjambement, alliteration, allegorical figures, anafore, onomatopee, and all that fun stuff! Essentially when you see a poem look for the number of syllables in each verse, where the stressed syllable falls, how the rhymes are put, how many verses are in each stanza and strofa...

[definitelynotafurinasimp]

Hey, I like your writing. Would it be alright if we get Ganyu and Hu Tao with a pre-S/o who obviously has a crush on them but is to shy to confess their feeling. So it's up to them to take initiative. Thank you.

Them with a reader that’s too shy to confess their obvious crush to them

characters: Hu Tao / Ganyu / Keqing x gn!reader (separate)

warnings: none, just fluff

a/n: I decided to add Keqing because I feel like I haven't written for her in a long time, and frankly, because I could.

If there's something I got wrong about your request, feel free to say and I'll try again once i find the motivation/time to.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Hu Tao

While, at this point, most people would think that Hu Tao had no idea how to read a room, the funeral director was confident in saying that their theory couldn’t be more false, as she simply chose to ignore it whenever she could. So when you started acting increasingly shy and nervous around her, she was quick to pick up on your behavior. And once she noticed how you were acting, her discovering why was already on the horizon.

Of course Hu Tao used this gained knowledge to sort things out for the two of you. Or at least she will… eventually. After she got her fun first.

The longer you stared at the lines of the poem Hu Tao had handed you, the more of a weird feeling you got in your stomach. It was unusual enough for her to write anything that wasn’t at least 50% meant as a joke, so when you saw that it was about love you wished for nothing more than to either sink into the ground or wake up from this awkward scenario. 

What didn’t help was the fact that she continued to stare at you with a grin the whole time, not seeming to blink once whenever you stole a quick glance towards her.

“Uhm”, you tried to find the right words to start, only for Hu Tao to cut you off.

“Is there a problem?”, she asked, almost sounding genuine, if it weren’t for her grin growing bigger.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but why didn’t you choose anyone else to proofread this?”, you nervously asked, seeing her playfully tilt her head from the corner of your eye.

“Who else should I hand it to? Xingqiu? Nothing against him, but he really isn’t made for criticizing romantic poetry”, she was quick to respond, letting out a small yawn as the first sunrails made their way towards you, causing you to realize how long it was since she had dragged you out here.

“And I am better at talking about these kinds of texts for what reason?”, you asked with all the sarcasm you could muster, both of you knowing damn well how bad you were with any material about romance.

“Your reactions are funny”, she stated almost matter of factly while raising her pointer finger and pointing at a specific verse in the poem, looking at you expectedly. “Reread this once more and tell me if there’s something to change”, she demanded, causing your eyes to scan those words once again, only for the realization that the person described shared a lot of features with you… Almost too many for this whole thing to be a coincidence.

Before you had a chance to say anything however, Hu Tao snatched the paper out of your hands, giving you a smile before playfully patting your shoulder.

“Oh no, it seems like a new morning has dawned, which means that a new day of work lies ahead of us, so sorry that I have to cut this short all of a sudden”, she feigned sadness, only to give you one of her usual mischievous smiles. “But hey, if you need to tell me anything, you know where to find me.”

Ganyu

When you first began acting awkwardly around Ganyu, going so far as to avoid looking her in the eyes, the more anxious side of her began worrying she may have unintentionally done something that caused your behavior, only for you to blush whenever she mentioned it before trying to assure her that everything was fine.

It was only after one specific, purple haired coworker of hers started to notice the way you two acted around each other and decided that enough was enough, that Ganyu was confronted with the possibility of you having caught feelings. And while the intention of revealing your somewhat obvious crush was to make the half Adeptus stop worrying too much, it turned out to have the exact opposite effect as Ganyu also began to turn into a nervous wreck whenever she was around you.

Taking the initiative in situations like these never was something Ganyu was all too fond of, her own anxiety not exactly helping in making things easier. Nevertheless here she was, waiting for you to meet her as she requested, doubts about this whole thing quickly starting to invade her mind, only for her to try and shake them off once she saw your form in the distance.

“Good morning Ganyu!”, you greeted her, a smile on your face as you made your way over to her, completely oblivious to how much of an anxious wreck she was at the moment.

Or at least you were until she presented you with a rose, barely managing to look you in the eyes as the color of her face started to turn into the same shade of red as the flower.

“I-I’ve heard of a nearly opened shop that sells beautiful flowers, so I wanted to… buy you one”, she mumbled just loud enough for you to hear, the sudden change in atmosphere causing you to start blushing as well, slowly taking the rose out of her hand, making sure not to sting yourself on any of its thorns.

“T-Thanks, I would have brought something with me too if I knew you bought me something. Please excuse me for a minute, I’ll get you something”, you offered, trying your best to get out before your nervousness took over completely, only to stop when you heard Ganyu speak up again.

“Wait!”, she almost yelled, immediately stopping herself once she realized how loud she was, lowering her voice drastically. 

“There’s something I wanted to tell you.”

Keqing

No matter what way she looked at it, Keqing couldn’t help but feel slightly infuriated. You were her secretary, the first one to hold out for such a long time at that, so why were you spending less and less time around her, preferring to pretend to be busy running errands around the office?

This wasn’t jealousy that was speaking of course, it wasn’t like she started to enjoy having you around her at work so much that she couldn’t help but feel lonely whenever you weren’t, but if you had a problem with her, you should simply tell her that face to face instead of trying to run away.

And so, the Yuheng decided to ambush you somewhere private, fully intending to resolve whatever issues you had in a direct way.

“O-oh Keqing. Is there something you need?”, you asked, nearly jumping as Keqing appeared from behind the corner, cutting off your way suddenly enough that you nearly ran into her..

“Yes. I need you”, she stated, her tone sounding slightly frustrated, only for her eyes to slightly widen once she realized that her words could be taken another way, quickly adding a few more. “-to do your job as my secretary.”

While Keqing may have been full of resolve when she set out to confront you, the longer she had to wait for you, the more she began to actually fear what could happen. What if you really had a problem with her? Would you resign? Did you not enjoy working together as much as she did? At this point it was fair to say that she was feeling somewhat nervous, increasingly hoping that this all turned out to be some kind of misunderstanding.

“I can’t help but feel like you're avoiding me. Even now I had to basically ambush you to get you to even speak to me”, she explained while crossing her arms, checking your face for any reactions before taking a deep breath and continuing, “If you have a problem with me, just say it”, Keqing tried her best to continue her confident facade, only for it to slowly giving way with each and every word, her nervousness making its way onto her face.

“I don’t have a problem with you”, you quickly blurted out, only to almost instantly be cut off by the Yuheng.

“Then what is it?”

Her question almost instantly managed to shut you up, causing you to look around nervously as you tried your best to find the right words to continue with. Eventually letting out a long sigh as you closed your eyes in defeat.

“Could we go somewhere more private? I… have some things I need you to know.”

[ecoamerica]

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[merakiui]

hello to our lovely author :D! I come bearing 'about me' questions!

How do you deal with bad moods? Do you get them often?

When was the last time you laughed till you cried?

How well do you take care of your health?

What's something you would do if you had an extra hour in the day?

If you had a million bucks, what would you spend it on?

What's your biggest insecurity and how do you deal with it?

Favorite food/snack to spoil yourself with?

What's your go-to hairstyle?

What would you wish for if you had three wishes? (Aladdin rules apply)

Hiiii!! ( ≧ᗜ≦) omg thank you for so many fun questions!!!

✧ How do you deal with bad moods? Do you get them often?

It depends on the emotion accompanying the bad mood. If it's something sad or upsetting, I listen to music and cry. If it's something that induces anger, I write poetry to vent. If it's just a bad mood with an emotion I can't identify in that moment, I put it into writing to analyze it objectively. There are times when I can write a lot if I'm in a bad mood, and other times when I'm so distracted I can't put anything on the page. Sometimes I look at photos that I enjoy (or photos of my favorite characters) and it cheers me up!! In some cases, if it leaves me particularly distraught, I distract myself with academics or other tasks that require more logical thought.

I don't usually get bad moods often, but if I'm very stressed, overworked, tired, or a combination of all three I'm prone to feeling bad. >_<

✧ When was the last time you laughed till you cried?

It was a conversation I had with my mother in which something funny occurred during it and we started laughing. But then we couldn't stop laughing and I was crying because it hurt to laugh so much lol.

✧ How well do you take care of your health?

Most of the time, quite well! I eat healthy and exercise every day, and I tell myself many kind words to keep myself motivated. Although sometimes I neglect my health if I become too busy with academics or I'm not feeling well physically or mentally. ;;;;

✧ What's something you would do if you had an extra hour in the day?

Nap!!! I would use the extra hour to curl up in bed and recharge.

✧ If you had a million bucks, what would you spend it on?

Travel!!! Also buy lots of merch from my favorite things and more pieces to add to my lolita collection! The boring side to this answer is that I'd also use it on basic necessities and whatnot.

✧ What's your biggest insecurity and how do you deal with it?

Social anxiety. I deal with it by being,,,, very social. I work jobs that have me constantly interacting with people and I talk to my classmates and professors. The irony to it is that I genuinely enjoy talking with others and I'm very friendly and chatty, but sometimes there's a part of me that becomes wary and anxious.

✧ Favorite food/snack to spoil yourself with?

I adore potato and cheese croquettes. They're so delicious. orz

✧ What's your go-to hairstyle?

The jellyfish! Sometimes I do Venti's hairstyle as well. :D

✧ What would you wish for if you had three wishes? (Aladdin rules apply)

HMMM.......... I think the only thing I would wish for is for my mother to always be happy, healthy, and safe. The other two wishes can be given to someone else. I'm just grateful to be alive now!!!

[blushblushbear]

sorry..... me again...… you can choose to ignore this if you feel like it's too much

(not trying to guilt-trip you, please don't feel pressured

uh maybe... Nimh? Nimh is cute I like Nimh

if you don't feel like doing him, maybe Poe or Anon?

*blows the dust off this ask* oops this one's pretty old

I already did Nimh so Anon and Poe it is

Anon

Okay not to call the scott a drunk

but I'm about to call the scott a drunk

he's not too bad, but he is a little picky about what he will and will not drink

low key judges people for their choice of beers

side eyes people who order basically liquid candy as a drink (for a cocktail at least, he will rot his teeth on mountain dew don't get it twisted)

he mostly does pints but his fav mixed drink is a moscow mule

or a spiked energy beverage

speaking of drinks he always has a crazy amount of them

g-fuel, red bull, monster-- every energy drink type thing you've seen he's probably got

also drinks prime

also mountain dew

a lot of it

I joke about his teeth rotting but in all honesty he takes good care of them

that's the one gamer stereotype he does not fall in town

he's low key germophobic so his apartment and battle station are SPOTLESS

he defo has those touchland hand sanitizers cause he's a boujee bitch

speaking of boujee he's actually p well off

started trading stocks young and did crypto till it tanked

he doesn't like to talk about his crypto days (he was a hard crypto bro at it's peak)

usually his drunk rambles are about crypto

also conspiracy theories

also video games

his parents are decently well off too but he doesn't talk to them much

they don't have a bad relationship but it's definitely one of those 'you see the family only around the holidays' kind of deals

he has a lot of internet buds but I think deep down he's bad at making real connections and actually gets pretty lonely

likes watching animal videos, WOULD NOT get a pet

rarely has people over to his place, took him a while to fully mentally accept having you over

he was determined to get over it though cause he really wanted you around

would never shower with someone cause that just feels unsanitary-- the shower is for CLEANING

would maybe get a snake-- they're pretty clean

once went 3 days without sleeping

actually lost a lot of sleep to stardew valley when it first came out

his farm is AMAZING

loves to troll at video games but not in a run face first into the enemy team and ruin it for everyone kinda way

more a does a 360 no scope on you right when you think you're safe

you mad bro??? lol

sends lots of memes about liking his s/o cause he's really bad at saying how he feels

favorite director is Edgar Wright cause he's a man of taste and culture

regularly cleans and buffs his nails

has at least one to two drinks chilling in every room of the house

really wants to get an ear piercing

really vain about his looks even though he dresses like garbage

just tell him he's handsome, he's legit too proud to beg but he needs that validation

listens to a lot of underground bands and artists

also a lot of djs

owns 15 pairs of headphones

5 have animal ears

showers at least once a day unless he's in a gaming trance

once tried to write you poetry, felt like an idiot, removed all evidence of it's existence and would deny it fully if you ever found out

Poe

Probably not a surprise to anyone but he got bullied a lot in high school

Has been writing poetry since he was 10 and has notebooks full of poems and short stories from over his life

really wants to write some kind of vampire mystery series centered around a brooding poet vampire but also he's bad at writing mysteries

I've sad this before but he's in a book club with Nimh and Cashew

he keeps trying to get them to read romantic novels

Cashew was game until he realized Poe meant like Lord Byron romantic

Mary Shelley Romantic

thinks Mary Shelley losing her virginity on her mother's grave is the coolest thing ever and is high key jealous

Mary Shelley is honestly his hero

secretly got addicted to soap operas

he wants to stop so bad but he can't

he doesn't have a pet but if he did he'd be that dude you can totally tell has a pet cause he's always covered in fur

not that Poe would even care

Poe actually never much cared for birds and is still salty about becoming a magpie

owns so many Victorian/Edwardian style coats

and vests

he's just one color palette/slight aesthetic change away from just being steampunk

owns so many bits of jewelry, it mostly just floats around his living spaces and he chooses what he's wearing that day at random

all the people who headcanon Poe as trans, you're correct

constantly painting his nails and it's always chipping

his nail polish is actually pretty jank but he doesn't care so long as his nails are black

his living spaces are a mess

lots of papers, lots of random odds and ends, lots of clothes and book and forgotten mugs everywhere

does actually partake in the music aspect of the goth culture

most of his fav bands are ones you haven't heard of

he doesn't actually like horror much

at least not this modern jumpscare nonsense

he likes his horror dark, dramatic, and poetically gorey

Saw??? more like pa-shaw he can't stand those movies

the closest thing he gets to liking more mainstream horror franchises is Chucky

Tiffany Valentine is his favorite (*jennifer tilly voice* ~Jennifer Tilly~)

he can always get down with halloween, but only the first one

he can fuck with Tim Burton and Guillermo Del Toro though

crimson peak is his shit

also Jane Austen bitch?!

he loves him some Jane Austen

Emily Dickinson

Mary Shelley obvs

he low key hates to be basic but fucking

read Emily Dickinson's poetry and tell him you're not simping

he legit does simp for Shelley and Dickinson

legit loves the Kira Knightly Pride and Prejudice will all his heart

Sylvia Plath

He's trying so hard not to be basic but he loves Wednesday Addams

that line about her being allergic to colors--- he felt that

regularly listens to sounds of rain and fireplaces

ye I think I'll end it here lol XD

[moonsanoverthinker]

PLEASE TELL ME MORE ABOUT VOICE CHANGES IN TMA I WANT THE WHOLE RANT

LETS GO! Expect semi-coherent thoughts and a lot of random side notes. Also I apologise in advance for how long this post is, but then again I was asked for the whole thing and I like to over analyse x

Also second apologies, I didn’t intend for this to essentially become a weird essay / notes hybrid that goes well off topic! x

(This is JonMartin focused because those little men have a permanent place in my head)

Edit: I added the more thingy because then it’s not one super long text post (1. So I don’t have to scroll through it every time and 2. I only just found out I could do that!)

SERIES 1-5 SPOILERS (sorry forgot to add this!)

Series 1 Jon was fairly consistent in how he’d say Martin, usually pronouncing the R and the T, the ‘professional/formal’ way (Gotta try and convince people you are in fact the head archivist) as well as the tone usually being a little harsher when he was making unprompted jabs at Martin. (Also side note, MAG 14 where he talks about Martin maybe getting chopped up, sounding far too happy about that prospect Jon). MAG 22 is where we actually get to hear Martin, after hearing nothing but slander from Jon. Obviously he’s making a statement for a traumatic event but there’s a clear difference in how they speak in terms of confidence with Jon and nervousness from Martin. (Also side note 2, I listened to mag22 again and I forgot how much Martin wanted to prove his experience was real to skeptic Jon, makes me a little sad) That edge is still there in Jon’s voice but it’s softened the tiniest amount at the end when he’s actually providing solutions to Martin (Hurt/Comfort described as work) Then we get to MAG 39 where they have a real conversation! There’s still that ‘professional’ tone from Jon but this is the first time he actually has some form of emotion that isn’t annoyance, instead it’s fear. Also the ghost conversation where it just feels like the roles have flipped, with Jon being the one who doesn’t understand and Martin making fun of him. (Side note 3 I still think one of the funniest moments in MAG 39 when Martin mentions he records poetry on the tapes because of the lofi charm and then there’s the solid few seconds of silence with only the fire alarm sound).

Series 2 is pretty much the same between the two of them, but occasionally we start to see a different side to Martin when he’s answering Jon back. Like the whole ‘accidentally stabbing yourself with the bread knife’ conversation, he answers him a little firmer (like you would to someone you care about deeply) and in MAG 56 when Martins confronted by a paranoid Jon he answers in a firmer way but it feels less like it’s out of care and more just out of trying to diffuse the situation. Series 3 is where things start to change a little, we get Martin clearly being pleased about people saying him and Jon were ‘close’ as well as Jon mentioning ‘office gossip’ where he sounds like he’s attempting to convince himself ‘it’s natural and normal’. (The denial was strong)

Series 4 is where the big changes come from the two of them, and to me it almost feels like a role switch between them. Jon becomes the one practically pining and Martin becomes the one to deny it. There’s Jon demanding to know what Elias did to Martin, the constant asking about him as well as Jon actively seeking Martin out several times. MAG 124 is the first conversation between the two of them in series 4, Jon sounds excited to talk but Martin just sounds flat (it gives series 1 vibes) and this same pattern of Jon’s tone changing while Martins stays flat is carried on throughout. Then we get to MAG 154 (let’s gouge our eyes out and run away!) But first Jon thanks Martin for the ‘intervention’ which has says in that sarcastic tone, Martin jumps to the defence and Jon apologises and that is when Martin almost goes back to sounding how he used to. Then we get to the big we can leave together moments, Jon’s frantically trying to convince Martin and there’s a genuine hope ‘I could derail everything. We could derail everything and then just leave!’ To which he is met with Martin shutting it down with the harsh reality of the situation. Then we get the Mahtin’s (I can hear it, I don’t know how else to write it) and relief from the two of them as they leave the lonely together (I’m not crying) and everything ends in the cabin, nothing bad happens and they just live in Scotland with the cows

We’ve made it to series 5 where things are a little bit fucked! So let’s start at the beginning, Jon just sounds defeated, the thing he’s being trying to stop is everyone’s issue and he feels it’s his fault. Martins trying to sound reassuring and hopeful that things can be changed. Also there’s the various points where they sound almost happy despite the situation, ‘Eye spy literally everything’ ‘You are my reason. Just wanted to make you say it!’ And there’s warmth to the two of them, an oddly refreshing happiness that only comes in those short moments before everything’s awful again. (Side note 4, maybe I’ve got it a little wrong but Martin sounds less nervous in his voice, follows the character development of adapting and becoming a stronger character from dealing with everything) ‘You have to promise me, that your going to do everything in your power to live’ There’s a firmness in Martins voice but it sounds more like he’s either trying to convince himself that Jon would do that or he’s trying to convince Jon to do it. MAG 194 starts with the argument as the reality of it all is finally recognised. Martins clearly hurt by Jon claiming ‘it’s the only option’ resulting in him sounding more frustrated and almost like a petulant child. ‘Breaking his promise.’ ‘That’s not fair’ Jon just snaps at the accusation, despite it being partially true. This argument is similar to MAG 154 (to me at least) because of the pleading and convincing from Jon and the disagreement and bordering mocking from Martin. Jon was in an impossible decision and was attempting to justify his own sacrifice but Martin was mostly focused on the two of them living. ‘Tough! The world doesn’t care what you accept. It just is.’ Is Jons final attempts in the argument, he knows there is limited options and limited survival rates, it’s like he’s accepted the end of it all, then Jon does the statement, proceeds to make a joke of the lack of arguments given by it and says ‘I’m going to go and apologise to my boyfriend’ and there’s the brief smile in his voice again. Jump ahead a little to MAG 199 where we get the somewhat calm before the storm. And there’s a weird calmness to the two of them when they talk but there’s a mix of defeat and acceptance from Jon because he was always going to try and sacrifice himself, and then there’s defeat and hope from Martin because he knew Jon would try but clings to the hope that maybe everything will be okay. Ah onto MAG 200 the one that proceeds to hurt us all, again there’s the acceptance from Jon but also fear and determination to ‘win’ over the fears no matter what it costs him. Martins a mix of betrayal, anger, sadness, fear because well the promise was broken and he was going to be alone again. But it’s the final moments, there’s fear but they still cling to hope that they will be together no matter what happens.

[gardensnakie]

Who's better at poetry, Stranger or Sunny?

I automatically assume that Sunny would lean more onto the drawing side of art rather than writing, let alone poetry. I think it depends on how people see the character because based on Canon occurrences, Sunny takes a lot of inspiration from the outside world, like from comic books and movies when he dreams. He creates new adventures and scenarios that would lead most to assume that he would be a good writer if he practiced. In addition to his more darker thoughts, and his sad poem skill, it seems possible he'd be good at it. But the thing is, Sunny has trouble identifying how he feels, that includes speaking and even writing those feelings down. If he were to attempt to journal anything for those 4 years that he was stuck in the house, that would ruin the world he created for himself where mari didn't die. With how much he was repressing his feelings, trying to organize them into words would be a long shot. That's why Sunny turns to drawing, in can be incoherent as he wants without directly including the thing he wants to ignore. (And sunnys drawings are cool, I'm a sucker for violent, surrealism art) Even after the truth, I think sunnys poetry would be good and cool to read (I'm not sure, I'm no critic but I'd like to think sunnys poetry would be very vivid, sometimes incoherent) His poetry would be for his eyes only, I don't think he'd actively try to get better at it but use it as a way to be less stressed.

With rare access to pen and paper, Stranger has a lot to say but speaks in a cryptic way as a way to hold back. Of maybe it's because Omori/Sunny refuses to hear anything of the truth that Stranger is simply cursed to never say it out loud. Or maybe Stranger doesn't want to frighten them away and chooses his words carefully in order to keep him from retreating further into repression. I like to think about the second possibility. Stranger is capable of altering his words in a vague, but concise way to lead, question, or warn The Dreamer. He also has access to the Lost Library and practically most of the horrors residing in Blackspace. Every idea is different down there, it changes constantly, the abstract rooms and delusions is a gold mine for inspiration. Horrible inspiration, actually. (Kinda reminds me how most artists are troubled in some way, "thank you for the trauma, I need it for my art" kinda way)

Stranger had been down there longer since Sunny avoided blackspace as much as he could. Who knows? During that time, Stranger must've talked to himself a lot. He may speak strangely, not really using the words 'I feel' because spiraling is far too easy in a quiet place like that. He can't really draw. With personified fears and ideas from The Dreamer in all those rooms, Stranger doesn't want to draw them again as a mean to express his own feelings. How can you express the hell in your head when there is hell all around you? So melodramatic. At least Sunny sat in denial, surrounded by color. Stranger reminds me of someone doodle silly things, at least draw something where he hoped to be instead of living in darkness. Though, it'd probably make him more sad, so he'd abandon it somewhere. If he could, Stranger would write a lot. His thoughts could be like a little rule book to keep himself sane. Anger, guilt, shame, vile thoughts, disgusting actions, Stranger would make sure certain mistakes don't happen twice. He'd remember his purpose, helping Sunny remember. Certainly making him feel less worthless. If all this writing was possible, Stranger would be the one with tons of poems.

Ramble. Ramble. Ramble. Jeez, that was a lot of crap. Sorry if you were expecting a yes or no with a few sentences of reasoning, I wanted to reinforce a lot. It gave me a few ideas in the process, but all of it is pretty loose and theorizable (i didnt read check this, so sorry if certain sentences of explanation are a little awkward). But yeah, whaddya think?

[antstarion]

Headcanons wise, what kinds of books or movies do you think each of the boys and Layla if u feel like it would be into? Like genre wise, tropes, era, whatever!

ahhh thank u for this question, it sparked something within me and I let it get a little bit away from me but we move. I actually had a wip about what books I think the boys would like so i merged that into this. I'm no book or movie expect so pls don't rinse me for what I think are classics or what films belong in what genres.

Marc:

Marc's favourite trope is enemies to lovers. He likes it because of the vibe that someone can see the worst parts of you but then love you anyway. That sort of redemption. He'd probably relate a lot to people in stories including this trope because marc is pretty disconnected from his emotions and I think at first he wouldn't know how to open up and show that he loves someone, so he could come across cold and distant, like a lot of people in this trope do.

Marc is an 80s movie man, and he's into dude-bro movies like fight club. He's just a guy, he doesn't watch many films so he's only seen the popular stuff and a couple cult classics. In the mix there are also movies he's seen at the cinema with Layla so she influences his taste a little bit.

Maybe he watches films that give tomb buster vibes, like the mummy (he and steven could watch it together) and Indiana Jones.

Marc's a simple movie enjoyer, would go crazy for that moment in an action film where the main character walks away from an explosion.

I think marc is a comic guy, if we're talking marc from the comics you can see from his room that he liked star wars as a kid so we know he's a bit of a nerd. Maybe comics are a thing he'd reconnect to during his adult life and allow himself to indulge in to relive the better parts of his childhood. Maybe he walks past a comic book shop or something and wanders in just to check it out. He'll pick up a few of the recent issues of the stuff he used to read (I won't say any examples of heroes since we're talking marvel so idk how that would work). Although marc wouldn't call himself a superhero I still think he'd find it funny to see how being a hero is sort of romanticized in some comics, since he knows what it's like.

Reading them wouldn't have the same enjoyment as it used to but it would allow him to reconnect with his inner child and his nerdier side. He'd hide it from layla though, only keeping physical copies of his favourites and mostly reading online and at night so it's more inconspicuous.

Maybe he'd pick up a few poetry books to try and connect with Layla's interests, but he isn't into them or reading really.

Also, I think marc vibes with pop science books, you guys are probably sick of me and my marc loves space headcanon (I'm not projecting😔). he'd mainly be into the fun physics book like What if? by Randall Munroe, nothing too heavily complicated or mathematical. just books that are a little bit thought-provoking for when he has the energy.

More specifically I think marc would enjoy The Outsider by Albert campus. I don't know, I think marc could be interested in philosophy, or some of the ideas included in this book. He certainly thinks about morality a lot because of his work with knonshu and I think he'd have some interesting takes to bring to a discussion.

Steven:

Unrequited love is his favourite trope, he's a sad romance kinda guy

Prefers documentaries to fictional movies, he likes to learn and will put on a documentary when he's too tired to read. Not just history though, he's big on nature documentaries too. Stuff like the blue planet, maybe Blackfish. Occasionally he'll watch a true crime documentary too, but he prefers ones about crime in america because the british ones feel too close to home.

You didn't ask but I also think he's big into podcasts to help him stay awake. Casefile is his jam.

But also Dr Who and British reality tv shows (GBBO, love island, gogglebox).

I feel like the 2000s is his era. Like lord of the rings, finding nemo, maybe shaun of the dead.

I feel like steven would be into international films too. He strikes me as a big language learner so he'd love watching films in different languages and trying to pick up a few new words from the subtitles.

You all already know steven loves his egyptology and history books so I won't talk about non-fiction. But I feel like he'd be big on fiction too for the escapism.

I think steven would like classics, books like The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I think he likes searching a book for the messages and rereading to notice little details. Steven thinks a lot about the message a book is trying to tell and how it applies to the world outside of the book.

Stay with me here, I'm gonna talk a lot about this one book but trust me, it screams steven. Its The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. Like the beginning of moon knight, we discover the story of the book as the main character does and all the pieces come together as the mystery involves.

"For those who feel homesick for a place they’ve never been to. Those who seek even if they do not know what (or where) it is that they are seeking. Those who seek will find. Their doors have been waiting for them"

This quote is what first made me think of steven. In the way that he says he's been feeling like he's been waiting for the adventure his whole life. This relates to steven being a fictive too. From what I understand fictives in systems can have memories from their source materials. Maybe steven gets flashes of his adventures from tomb buster sometimes and that's why he yearns for it. Or maybe his desire for adventure is just from his interest in Egyptology. Either way, both the main character of this book and steven go on a journey, learn about themselves and get the adventure they've always wanted and I think that's cool.

Jake:

I don't think he's into romance stuff, so I won't give him a favourite romance trope.

Doesn't have much time to watch movies or shows so I think he'd rewatch the same things over and over. He doesn't want to take the risk of watching something new only to waste his time and not enjoy it.

Jake's a big comfort movie guy. His comfort movies are mostly movies that people close to him have recommended to him or that he's watched with friends, so they have good memories connected to them.

Again he doesn't have much time for books but I feel like he'd read more since he could carry books around in his taxi. On missons I can see jake reading to pass the time.

Because he can't really have possessions jake had a library card, he goes to the library so much all the librarians know him by name.

His favourite genre would be thrillers and maybe crime novels or mysteries. Simple and shorter books that he doesn't have to think too much about. He likes books with main characters with a darker vibe, maybe morally questionable like the detective gone off the rails vibe. If jake can't get into the mind of the character he struggles to get into the book so he will drop a book without a compelling protagonist.

I don't read this type of book so I won't try and give any recommendations. Although if we're talking true crime I do think jake would enjoy In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.

Other than that jake just reads books for research, maybe picking up books on places knonshu is sending him if he has time. He likes to get to know a location before he arrives and studies in the local libraries when he has time. Maybe he looks at the tourist attractions for each place, fantasizing about going there and wishing he was visiting the city for a different reason.

He also reads cook books to find new recipies to try. He'd look for a simple vegan cookbook to send to steven from his "mum" to try and get him to eat some proper food.

Layla:

I think layla would like the fake relationship trope. I can see that being how she and marc got together. Like they act as a couple for a mission and they both slowly realize there's something actually there.

She likes simple romance films, with how complex her and marcs relationship is, I think when she sits down to watch something with romance she wants to get away from that.

She likes romcoms, her and jake could watch mamma mia together,

She likes documentaries too, because of her adventures and "liberating" artifacts I think she likes to watch history documentaries and wonder where the items have ended up.

Layla likes movies that are so bad theyre good, or like movies you know are bad but you can't help watching them anyways. a bit like tall girl. like not a cult classic, you know it's shit but you watch it anyways because it's easy to watch. basically just bad Netflix movies.

Obviously, layla likes her poetry, I know absolutely nothing about poetry but I think it was french in the show, I feel like she uses it to connect with her emotions and find the words to describe how she's feeling, she and steven could share their favourite poems together almost gift giving like a love language.

I think layla would be into classical books too, maybe her dad introduced her to reading through the classics. She seems to be influenced by her dad a lot and I think it's nice to imagine them reading together.

Books I think layla would like: The Secret History by Donna Tartt, All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Sort of that dark academia vibe.

[razorblade180]

Moon

Yoimiya:*wakes up*

Kazuha:Zzzzzz

Yoimiya: (Hehe, cute)…*gently kisses him* Morning Kazuha~

Kazuha:Morning~

Yoimiya:….You’re suppose to be asleep.

Kazuha:*opens eyes* Who wouldn’t be awoken with a kiss? Many stories have this moment for a reason.

Yoimiya:Very funny. *snuggles close* Sorry to wake you.

Kazuha:I need to be up anyways. Packing is less of a chore when it isn’t all at once. Though I don’t have much to begin with.

Yoimiya: A couple more days, then you’re off to see the world. Guess we won’t be speaking much soon.

Kazuha:Are you sad?

Yoimiya:No, not exactly. Just a little bummed I suppose. I will miss you a bunch but it’s not like I won’t have anything to keep me busy.

Kazuha:You know…it is possible that you won’t miss me at all.

Yoimiya:Huh? Why wouldn’t I?

xxxx

Ayaka:*blushing* Going with him!? He really asked such a thing? How bold.

Yoimiya:That’s what I’m saying! Completely caught off guard!

She slumped down in the private hot spring with Ayaka. It was the only way her friend was allowed to enjoy them. If it was owned by the Kamisato, then Ayaka could let her guard down. Besides them, Beidou joined as well.

Beidou:Never thought Kazuha would ask you to see the world with him. That takes guts. Did you answer?

Yoimiya:No! He told me it was just a suggestion and that I should give it some thought. Oh boy, I can feel my face already getting red.

Ayaka:Well the important question is do you want to leave?

Yoimiya:I…sigh I mean of course I want to see the world. Inspiration is bound to be found; new sights, smells, him by my side… Still, Inazuma is my home. The perfect spot to launch fireworks, the endless festival requests, smiles of the people, the grand finale I spent months putting together for summer; it’s what I live for. It’s what I’m proud of. Besides, I’m the one in charge of the family business. If I leave then in a way, Summer is coming with me.

Ayaka:I will admit, a summer festival without you doesn’t sound like one at all. Even so, nobody would want to tie you down from doing what your heart desires.

Beidou:That includes Kazuha. Whatever you feel, he’s gonna be okay with it. Even if that feeling changes over time. If Inazuma is your home then he’s got a reason to come back, and that’s regardless if you choose to stay or leave. Home is where the heart resides, so he’ll always find his way back to you.

Ayaka & Yoimiya:…..

Yoimiya: Wow, that was…a little unlike you if I’m being honest.

Beidou:I know. That guy, all his poetry sessions on the ship are starting to rub off on me.

Ayaka:That does sound like him.

Yoimiya:I’m convinced he has a journal or something to write them all down with. It’s pretty cute if not a little silly at times. We could be enjoying a festival one moment then he wants to admire the moon the next moment. Hehehe.

Beidou:….

Ayaka:*blushing* Th- The moon? Umm Yoimiya? Do you mean “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”

Yoimiya:Hmm, yeah! Pretty sure he’s told me that on a few nights. I’m always getting ready to watch the fireworks or it’s long afterwards on the walk home while we talk about other things. I-

She suddenly stops. Yoimiya notices the shock on Ayaka’s face. The sound of Beidou’s restrained snickering confuses Yoimiya for a second, then her heart nearly stops.

Yoimiya:Does that mean something!? Is he teasing me!?

Beidou:I am suddenly glad for those poetry gatherings.

Yoimiya:Beidou! What am I missing!?

Ayaka:Yoimiya, those words, they’re… ummm *leans in to whisper*

Yoimiya:…….*crimson* HUUUUUH!?!?

xxxxx

At her favorite firework watching spot, Kazuha rests his head for awhile as the day goes by. The warmth of the sun against his skin only comes second to the sound of familiar footsteps racing towards him. He opens his eyes and only turns his head right to see Yoimiya huffing and puffing, face red and eyes as lively as the fireworks she creates. She points at him firmly.

Kazuha:Yoimiya?

Yoimiya:The…The moon is beautiful, isn’t it!?

Kazuha:….Well then *sits up* that’s an interesting thing to say when the sun is still out. *smiles*

Yoimiya:Don’t play coy. *gets closer* You’ve let me say “yeah it’s pretty tonight” and move on. Why didn’t you let me know you were confessing? *sits*

Kazuha:Because you were having so much fun. Dinner, casual talks, firework watching; I never wanted to interrupt the mood and put you on the spot. Besides, I may look calm, but confessing love is something not even a god could do without the slightest bit of nervousness. Saying it without you realizing was a way to get it off my chest. Sorry if it felt like a tease.

Yoimiya:I get it but….*blushing* I would’ve liked hearing it; even if it did make things weird for a moment. I know I’ve never properly said it either but…I do, love you.

Kazuha’s cheeks start to turn red. He truly wasn’t as good at things others may of thought. His gaze avoided Yoimiya’s out of embarrassment. For some reason, that only made her smile softly. She slid her hand on top of his.

Yoimiya:Now that I know all those times you’ve said it, I can’t help but be happy. I knew our feelings were mutual, but I guess there really is something special about hearing it.

Kazuha:Yeah, there is. Who told you anyways, about the phrase.

Yoimiya:It came up in conversation with Beidou and Ayaka. Actually, they we were discussing you to begin with, and what you asked me. *frowns*

Kazuha:Hehe *looks at her* You’re staying, aren’t you? *smiles*

Yoimiya:You aren’t upset?

Kazuha:Not at all. Much like with the confession, I actually thought about not asking in order to avoid making you feel conflicted. However, I know you value communication, and I honestly don’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t ask you. Having regrets are no way to leave a home.

Yoimiya:Yeah. There’s just too much here I still want to sort out, but that doesn’t mean one day I won’t be ready to leave for awhile. Until then, can I ask something selfish? Letters are nice but can you return every so often, because I’m really going to miss you Kazuha.

Her hand trembled slightly and her voice cracked. Kazuha held her face gently and looked into the eyes that fought back tears.

Kazuha:You’ll never leave my thoughts, and each day we’re apart is another one closer to me returning. Don’t call it selfishness. It’s only natural I come back to you.

Yoimiya:Kazuha~ can I hear your confession? One more time?

Kazuha:Of course. I love you Yoimiya.

Their lips pressed together gently for a moment, before reuniting again for a longer, passionate connection. There they spent their time together for hours. Well into the sunset, and the rise of a beautiful moon.

[rudiedelrey]

Dream Blunt Rotation with keanu reeves characters:

- John wick. Man honestly he deserves to kick back and vibe for a bit. I feel like he’s got a lot of stories and we’d be around a fire in the woods talking smack about all the people who tried to hunt him down. I feel like he’d get philosophical ash and be a bit of a connoisseur about it from what he picked up in connections with his trade. Would probably be calling me out for acting a fool.

- obviously TED. I mean COME ON. I feel like John wick would say something sad and Ted would say “that’s literally so inspirational bro, you’re so right.” And try to relate with his own kinda story that has nothing to do with what John was trying to say. Probably laughs a lot, we’d be talking about nerd and music shit. Start a camp fire sing along. He gets real artsy with it, we get Lana Del Rey vinyl about it.

- Jonathan harker. I’d feel bad after a while tho bc he’d probably be paranoid thinking Dracula was after him and would wander off. He’s be a bougie bitch about the weed and only proclaim the purest of things, proceeding in everyone roasting him, especially Ted. Ted would be offended that he said his “panties were in a twist”. John and I would probably have to go look for him and find him tripping out under a tree log stabbing it with a stick thinking it’s old drac again. But he’s an amazing writer so we’d be talking about poetry. He’d be the quickest to get high out of the group and probably cough so loud it scares the owls away up ahead. Would talk over the others and smile too much to annoy John but amuse Shane. Him and Ted get along too well.

- Shane Falco…. All aboard the himbo train!!! Woot woot!!!! 🚂 naaaa I’m just playing. I feel like he and John are on opposite ends when it comes to personal philosophies and I’d be in on the drama. He’d probably be annoyed by Ted and tolerate Jonathan. I think everyone would check out if he even tried explaining football to Jonathan. He’d probably challenge John and I to a game of football and we’d end up crashing into eachother and looking a mess.

- Don Jon. I’d probably invite him so he didn’t feel left out but would fill the group with negative energy and be a sulking king. Would rant and make everyone side eye eachother and dance around the subject till Shane tries to intervene. Ted would try to be supportive and lament about the *ladies* but he’d probably storm off into the darkness. Would traumatize Jonathan harker mentioning Dracula and get kicked out.

[nahiyasha]

my love mine all mine: an open letter to my past self

dear j,

your love doesn't belong solely to you now. though this may seem unfair, believe me when i say that this phase of your life is the most beautiful experience that you have practiced your love with another. sure, you have practiced your love by means of poetry, stories, art, music, and even in the murmurs of your nightly prayers. i have no doubt that those experiences are also beautiful. but this one in particular involves a sweet and lovely breathing entity that you can finally see, touch, smell, hear, and taste—all in one, a love so heavenly unearthly.

love used to be in fragments for you. surprisingly, now, it sees the whole side of you that you always kept hidden from the world. it can hold your hand whenever you're feeling sad. it can smell your rosy freshly-washed hair and it can also notice the moment you change the scent of your perfume. love can finally listen to the stories you've always wanted to say. to the intricacies of what makes you, you and yes, even to your odd obsession with all types of bread. this love definitely doesn't taste like burden like you used to wonder. it tastes like honey: flowery, syrupy sweet, and it never expires.

only i can understand how lonely it was for you to build a love that grew from neglect, abuse, and isolation. being alone in all your heaving lungs day and night was a torture. no one loved you, no one cared for you, and no one thought of you. but you were wrong. in your comforting dark expanse, someone was there patiently waiting for you to speak because he always wanted to listen to you talk, no matter what it was all about. a boy in a red shirt and a heart so kind. well, you wouldn't know. you wouldn't even notice, because you were asking the wrong people for help.

he stood there with his hands tightly clasped together—too nervous and too careful not to get too close. as he may escalate things a lot worse, he confessed as if he committed such a grave sin. but, you see, we were too young back then. adults should've been on our side but they always weren't there; we were growing kids, but it felt as if we were stuck at 13 years old trying to live without a clue in the world. that is why when we make decisions for ourselves and the people we care about based on our limited knowledge and sources, we never fail to second guess if this is the right choice to pursue. sadly, the decisions we made then aren't always so great. and that's okay.

also, who would've thought that the one you'll love this way has always been close to your heart? definitely, not us. now that you've grown closer to him, he's the lover you've always imagined you partner would be. he knows how to weave words the way a heart would beat from a straight line into the curves of the highs and lows of every feeling; pulsating for you and only you just as you for him. his voice sounds as comforting as the ocean waves that yearns for the shore. his face as lovely as the moon, the celestial body you endear ever so that is now at your reach, and of course, his love as cosmic as the vast cosmos. he's just a boy, yes. but not like any other boy.

well, your love is solely yours after all, however you want it. in a world that costs everything, all your love is free, your love is growing endlessly and this affluence is a rare find in a world such as this. so take good care of it.

it's okay, you can loosen your tightly hidden fists now. for the first time ever, your heart feels an enormous strength in the guise of softness. you are safe now and you are so loved.

i'll never forget you,

y.

[lgcheewon]

hi hello and thank you for the warm welcomes. i'm new (they/them) and i'm... new lol more importantly, this is heewon and he's an aspiring rapper who likes coffee and cracking the type of jokes that make you laugh before wondering "wait is he ok?" i have a tl;dr under the cut, but you can find an even shorter one on his stats page here. feebly cobbled together some plot ideas too!

i don't have a twitter or anything of the sort, but if you're down to plot and don't mind doing it the old-fashioned way in ims, feel free to like this post and i'll hit you up when i can (or feel free to im me first)!

heewon (you can also call him won) is not an interesting guy. or so he'll tell you! he doesn't like it when people have too many expectations of him. makes it too easy to disappoint, y'know?

born and raised in nyc, he's the eldest of three and the kind of prodigal son that parents who put too much money into cram school and the like weep about. he's born to a well-off family, but has no real interest in anything but music (and this is apparent early on), and even that's a stretch.

he doesn't really think about pursuing anything as a performer himself until he auditions for lgc on a whim and actually gets invited to be a trainee. by then he's kind of on the older side and it feels like a crapshoot, but hey. it's almost been three years. maybe he's doing something right? or wrong? who tf knows lmao.

he's chill, mellow, laidback, easygoing, etc. and he very much so floats on by at his own pace. he comes across as pretty aloof sometimes, but he doesn't mind small talk and he doesn't mind meeting new people! with the obligatory downside that he probably won't remember your name. no hard feelings, really. it's just hard for him to care enough! (ok. sorry. maybe some hard feelings?)

he is a hard worker when it counts but he's never joking when he asks you to keep your expectations low. he doesn't like disappointing people and it's easier when the bar's closer to the ground. does he work hard? yeah. but does he want you to know that? not really. he cracks a lot of jokes at his own expense to mask the weird kind of self-esteem issues he has. perks of being the failed first son, am i right?

fiercely private when it comes to his personal affairs or emotional issues, he'd rather you think he has very few cares in the world. no hard feelings (for real, this time) or anything. it's just the big brother in him kicking in.

on a lighter note, he's kind of pretentious in the way he likes foreign films and poetry and film photography and pretending he knows a thing or two about loose-leaf tea, but he's also the kind of guy who likes doing a little bit of everything. he's down for most things too. it's hard to embarrass him. everyone has to be "bad" at something, right?

WANTED VIBES

event... stuff.... (pretending like i know what's going on)

childhood friends — he went back and forth between korea and america pretty frequently, especially during the summers. his family has a separate home in seongbuk!

high school friends — he went to high school in korea for about two years (at a foreign school, but he's fluent in korean and english!) before going back to the states for university and then coming back to korea to join lgc.

trainee friends — i'd imagine he probably has a lot but maybe only a few that are actually close-close with him. he's not a cold or frigid person by any means, but he's certainly a lot private and he likes to keep things as lighthearted as possible. he's a nice person to have around! and even when he's less than delightful around his closer friends, he usually tries to keep the sad vibes to a minimum.

antagon???istic??? — ample question marks because he likely would not return any strong negative emotion. please feel free to resent him for literally anything but he's really good at ignoring the things (years of practice, baby) that he doesn't care for so don't expect any sparks!

KEYWORD CONNECTIONS

sugar — did i say no negative emotion? well, i lied! just kidding. but he does resent you a little. it's not really your fault, but for whatever reason, the barista in the company building keeps getting your order confused with his. maybe it's because you two are the only ones who seem to be there at that awkward mid-morning hour? either way, he's getting a little sick of your drink. is it even human to consume something this sweet...?

past — (similar age) hello to the ex he still cares a lot about! he's the type of person who says "sure" to anyone who confesses to him. bad habit? maybe. but what's the harm in giving it a shot? well, maybe there's a little harm when he actually catches feelings. the relationship ends almost as quickly as it starts, and maybe it's because you started off as (and thankfully stayed) friends, but he does think, privately, that in another life, he might have given it a little more effort to make it work.

sibling — his brother/sister has the biggest crush on you and he's been tasked with getting your autograph. but he's bad with faces and even worse with names. isn't it funny, pal, the way his baby sibling's celeb crush has the same stage name as you? the world sure is small—oh.

dawn — he goes for a jog every morning. just because routine keeps him sane and all, and because the rec soccer team he plays on on sundays is way more serious than he thought it would be. while his runs are often pretty uneventful, it's on one morning in particular that he turns a corner too quickly and crashes right into you. did you roll your ankle? sprain it? well, fuck. say the word. he'll be at your beck and call until it heals in penance. consider it good karma.

puppy — (younger) for whatever reason, you have a crush on him. you should get your eyes (or brain) checked when you can, by the way. you've definitely got a screw loose. he's not so inattentive that he doesn't notice, but he sure doesn't want to break any hearts—so he'll pretend he doesn't know. all while pushing you to find someone else to set your sights on. for your sake.

coffee — he likes people watching. he especially likes watching your reaction every time you drop by the coffee shop he works at just to bravely try some of the shop's best (but woefully un-sweetened) coffee. next time he catches you in the legacy building, he'll treat you to some coffee milk. lol. baby.

close — (same age or older) of his best and closest friends, you are his best and his closest friend. it's not by a long shot or anything (he wouldn't want to offend the others, after all), but if there had to be a tier or a hierarchy, you'd probably be at the tippy top. he's comfortable around you. and you make it easy. probably why he's caught some feelings, right? no worries—he wouldn't dream of risking what you're sharing with him. sooner or later, the palpitations will fade. hopefully.

photograph — (similar age) it's a shame you're not really friends anymore but it's always easier to stick with the people who share the same level of ambition and drive as you, huh? he's an overly sentimental person, though. and while he's okay with the fact that you're orbiting different stars now, he still keeps that stupid polaroid of the first sleepless night spent practicing in an eerie studio together in his wallet. or he did. where did he drop it...

[ecoamerica]

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[acourtofthought]

I chuckled reading your last anon response, as a gywnriel and elucien I too cringe when I read super cheesy headcanoms, mostly because elriels are so cheesy, I don't want casual readers grouping us with elries. Don't get me wrong, I hope for some sweet, meaningful moments, these are romance books after all but my gooooood, have you read some of the things elriels write; I get second hand embarrassent - like there's cute and romantic and then there's straight up cringey, creepy and cheesy. Also, I hate HATE how they've literally rewritten Azriels personality and turned Elain as a damsel in distress, whos only purpose is to cater Azriel. Like, do they not see that the female is the prize not the male? Like as of right now, Azriel isn't good enough for anyone until he works on himself.

I keep trying to put into words what's "cheesy" versus romantic and I'm struggling to do it because it really is just a feeling when it happens. Where you do want to cover your eyes, groan and look away because it's so corny. SJMs couples have their romantic moments but they usually read as sweet and playful or sarcastic and loving. And they're never out of character for the couple. Like, the way the characters present themselves to others is not drastically different from the way the couple is behind closed doors (i.e., Az is sort of closed off to everyone on a regular basis so it's difficult for me to imagine him writing poetry and being a sappy puppy dog behind closed doors). Rhys is playful and suggestive towards Feyre whether it's in front of everyone or just the two of them. And Nesta is the kind to lovingly smack Cassian on the side of the head in front of the group or when they're alone. I like your comment that "the female is the prize, not the male." That's the point of books targeted at a female audience. We want the female to be the one who is worshipped for her bravery, her strength, her beauty (because to him she's always the most beautiful thing), her intelligence, and so on. I definitely don't want to read about a fantasy heroine whose purpose in the book is to cater to the whims to the male. Equals? Sure. But not where he gets to overshadow her value and E/riels seem to turn Elain into Azriel's permanent sidekick, and beyond that, the female to show him the soft, gentle love the sad lonely boy needs. I really dislike the idea that her love is what will show him his worth. That by her choosing him, he'll finally feel good enough. Also, I think E/riels fail to remember some important information about Az: He may have said this: "We're born hearing the song of the wind."

And: "They pull people together. And bring them joy. They are a time to pause and reflect and gather, and those are never bad things." Which sound poetic and meaningful but......... "You get used to the wording, he'd told me earlier. How often did he have to remind himself to use such words? Did "we" and "our" and "us" taste as foreign on his tongue as they did mine?" II don't really know where I fit in anymore." "I've been alive almost five and a half centuries, and I'm not sure of that either," Azriel said. "The Illyrians are pieces of shit." "Because Rhys wants me here. It'd hurt him if I didn't come." Az talks about "we" and "them" but if I'm correctly reading what SJM is telling us, Az doesn't really include himself in those statements. The Illyrians might have been born hearing the song of the wind but it sounds more like Az is parroting back something he's heard and not telling Elain something he feels. He also talks about the joy of holidays but again, he's only there because it means something to Rhys, not because he feels joy over the holiday. All these things that make Az so sweet in their minds and such a good match for Elain don't actually seem to describe Az at all, it's just Az applying knowledge that he's learned from watching others to the situation. At times, Az scares Rhys. At times he scares Feyre. And we know his actions have scared Mor. Cassian says Az is closed off, that he and Rhys have never been able to get him to open up and Az himself admits to not really knowing who he is. He admits to Elain not knowing who he is. This is not a male anyone can fall in love with right now because he doesn't even know himself and the things he does know of himself (the darkness inside of him) he struggles to accept. So all the E/riel moments they like to use feel fake because soft, gentle and poetic Az doesn't seem like the real Az to me. I'm not sure who Az will be once SJM gives him his healing arc but I don't think it's going to look like the version E/riels have created in their minds. They've created a romance between two characters when neither Az or Elain really knows who they are right now.

[clavelthecupid]

Hello! What's your take on Viego's personality? I feel like everyone sees him as varying degrees of obsessive, romantic, sophisticated, etc. due to Riot's handling of him.

Oh god I could go for hours talking about that! I honestly think he's all of that, but there are a lot more to know; I feel like even though Viego has gained a lot of media since his debut, there's still very little exploration of his character. So, what we know of canon is that he enjoyed the royal life and was unconcerned about his responisbilities as a king, and the only person he ever really cared for - after himself, of course - was Isolde. After her death, Viego was restless to restore her to life, going as far as to almost cause an apocalypse.

I believe Viego had to grow up with the constant reminder that he was always second in line. He was probably more free to wander around and actually be like a child, but was treated like he was less important than his brother. Still, Viego was royalty, so he grew pampered, getting everything and everyone he wanted - which makes me think that nobody was ever sincere with him. So that's why he ended being selfish and so carefree regarding his position. My headcanon is that Viego didn't just fall in love with Isolde because of her beauty, but also because she showed him sincere emotions, the good and the bad ones.

Basically, I think Viego is a character who's got a childish side to him, considering he was very young when he died and lived a comfortable life with no such worries as ruling a kingdom the right way since he believed he'd never be king, but was very dedicated with everything he loved deeply, people or hobbies. Maybe even a perfectionist. He's very stubborn and maybe even a bit naive - I do believe he did know what he was doing when he unleashed the Black Mist in Runeterra and did all the atrocities we know, but reading his short story, his quotes and the way he acted on some of the cinematics, it makes me think that there's a lot he idealized about the world and the people around him that wasn't true.

I feel like he used to be way more confident and spontaneous before the Black Mist, but now he changed to be more methodical, since he always says the Mist is the personification of his sadness. He seems to be the arrogant type when upset, vengeful even. On the bright side, I think Viego would be a very caring friend and lover, the kind that memorized the little things you would be fascinated with, just so he could give you gifts every possible time and compliment you on everything, be it on achieved things or the way you dressed. He's very smart and versed on the arts, so it would always be interesting to talk to him, since he probably knows a bit about everything; Viego also seems like the type to write poetry and talk about philosophies, so I guess he's got a sensitive side to him.

Overall, I think his arrogant posture is mostly something he uses to "protect" himself, but that's also just how he grew up. Royalty will almost always be arrogant and selfish, thinking they're way better than anyone else. He probably needs to pick up on some social clues of course, but I think once he feels like he can finally get his shield down, he'd be a very good person, the kind that would kill someone or kill himself for you. Beware of clinginess though, I feel like he's the kind of friend/lover who needs to have his loved ones' hand somewhere over him always.

(Also, I'd like to point out the fact that he spent the kindgom's fortune to try and get Isolde back. Maybe it's just the obsessive side of him acting up, but I think he does suits the type that doesn't worry about spending money if it's something for his loved ones...)

[passanima]

tag from foot2rue is gay, here’s the receipt (just copy/pasting my live reaction to watching season 1 to friends)

1/ there's a sort of love triangle between two guys and a girl. the situation is that guy 1 and 2 are childhood besties that spend all their time together but one day a girl becomes part of their friend group. guy 2 gets a crush on her immediatly and guy 1 get PISSED and for a good almost 10 eps it REALLY looks like he's jealous that guy 2 pay attention to her, and not... what they meant to convey, that he supposedly has a crush on her also

2/ the boring het couple are together now BUT as soon as they are there's a jealousy ep (couldn't wait a bit longer to make them look like a real couple even) and THE DUDE. get jealous. in the MOST gay way like. talks about his "rival" like "he's so cool, and nice, and handsome, i get why she would prefer him to me" like do you hear yourself boy????? he tries to do the "angry boyfriend" thing of talking to the dude but gets flustered instead cause the guy just too handsome like COME ON writers

3/ in one ep he runs away and the only person he tells/says goodbye to is one of his guy friend (not even bestie, but another i can totally see him have a crush on), and not his "gf"

4/ other ep bestie isn't here and everyone is midly upset... expect main dude who is VERY upset, like nothing can cheer him up upset. gay boy. he's so upset his other friends are annoyed about it

5/ same ep: cause bestie isn't there they have to find another player and mc decide to pick their nemesis, his teammates are like "you lost your fuckin mind" but he goes on a monologue about how nemesis deserves a chance and he can relate to him and shit like BOY 

if there's no enemy to lover fic about these two, the fuck is this fandom doing

it's like poetry... the closeted gay boy who feels he would be rejected at any moment if his peers knew about him, and while he's currently popular, can't help but be stressed about this possibility so much he doesn't really fit in (from his point of view) and looks at how his nemesis is rejected by everyone for being openly himself (tho not about his sexuality) and think "we're the same" hence why he reach for him even if it means all his friends being mad at him... for the hope that if he gets rejected just like the nemesis one day, maybe at least one person would do the same thing he just did for that dude

5/ i legit gasped LOUDLY cause holy shit the dramaaaa

obv the rest of the team don't want to play with the nemesis so they're playing badly and almost loosing until nemesis has no choice but give up 

mc is like "the fuck is your problem" to teammates and they're like "we'd rather play as 4" (there's 5 people in teams) and mc is like "yeah? well get ready to play at 3" 

and fuckin LEAVES

with the NEMESIS 

ABANDONING HIS TEAMMATES

6/ this boy gonna make me faint... they just won the match that qualified them to the final and he LEFT before his team even started to go all YEAAAAH to follow the nemesis, like, this was more important to him

7/ next ep: mc gets up in the night and guess who he meets? his nemesis. who CHEERS him up, even tho they couldn't stand each other until last ep but mc being on his side must have meant so much to him they're on good terms now

also mc is sad over the thought of loosing his friends (in text, he has no real reason to believe he's gonna lose them)(in gay reading tho? oooooh boy) and AGAIN the way he talk to ex-nemesis about it, the one he relate the most to? bitch........

8/ i'm crying laughing....... ex-nemesis after all that "and your gf?" as in, what does she think of all this, and tag says he didn't tell her any of it (cause again the only one he felt like telling is ex-nemesis) and then PROMPTLY change the subject like i'm banging my fist on the table DUDE

9/ the fact that mc gets upset at his "gf" all the fuckin time but never treat his guy friends/crush that way (he had ONE fight with bestie but apologized quickly and it was a whole scene)(has he ever apologized to her? maybe once over all the times they got mad at each other)

10/ mc chose to babysit a kid even tho he had a date planned with his "gf", ditching her like he'd... rather do that, than spend time with her

11/ SCREAMING end of ep there's a good news for the team, everyone is cheering then the fuckin ex-nemesis enters frame but far away from them and winks 

for a sec i was like "who the fuck is he winking to? the audience?" but THEN zoom on mc's face, who winks back (he's the only one who saw nemesis, and og wink was meant for him precisely) like can you guys... stop... doing this to me

12/ i counted 4 boys tag seems to have a crush on in only 1 season

[panacrine]

Diaries of Resistance, part 2

My friends reach out to ask me if I’m doing okay. “Thank you for checking in on me,” I respond. “I’m hanging in there.” But this is what I really want to say: 

I am sitting in my desk chair in my room. The dehumidifier hums quietly in the background. It’s getting a little stuffy, so I turn on the AC and put on socks because my feet get cold easily. When I’m hungry, I paddle over to the pantry and binge eat a whole bag of chips with guac and salsa. I am fine.

Across the ocean, Bisan has narrowly avoided death by two minutes as she’s moved from the entrance of Al Shifa Hospital. Motaz is reeling in horror as he watches his colleague get hit by an air strike right in front of him; he would have been in that car if he hadn’t stayed behind to charge his phone. Students who are protesting the US’s aid to Israel see their faces and names on the side of a truck in front of the Columbia gates. People are losing their jobs because they dare to say publicly that maybe we shouldn’t bomb a defenseless population. They are not okay.

If you care about me, you would care about these people. You wouldn’t just care about them—you’d care about them more than you care about me right now, because I don’t need your attention or your pity. The concern that drives you to text me should drive you to sign a petition or repost information that you found useful or boycott or have the courage to talk about this genocide in your life. Because it was only by a stroke of luck that I was born one generation after the Vietnam War, 40 years and oceans away from having bombs dropped over my head and guns pointed at me too.

I beg you, I implore you, I’m screaming for you to look beyond me because I AM FINE and to ask yourself to care about someone who isn’t a reflection of me and you. I am asking you to expand your definition of ingroup and to put in the work that I know you’re putting in for me for someone who needs it more.

Also, I say I appreciate it, but I also wish that you wouldn’t do that. Leave me alone unless you have something to show for yourself. 

Actually, yes, it would make me feel better if you put your money you were going to spend on me to Doctors without Borders. (You really want to get me something that I would want? If you think I’d want anything other than the end of oppression, then you don’t know me at all.)

Children getting water behind their house? Their grieving father? A 79-year-old refugee? You’re defending yourself against what?

I understand now, actually, that to be Buddhist and to have faith is resistance. It encourages me to not spend extraneously such that I don’t prop up global companies that thrive on greed and the exploitation of poor people. It encourages me to look inward for strength and not fall for the glittery ads flashing at me every second. It encourages me to live according to the rhythms of nature, to respect and cherish the ground that I stand on, and to give back to it.

The difference between poetry and rhetoric is being ready to kill yourself instead of your children. - Audre Lorde, Power

I feel sad for the people who think that one group’s liberation must necessarily involve the killing of the oppressors. Imagine what it must be like to live in constant fear that what you’re doing to other people will be done to you. In a more enlightened world, we’d be able to collapse the distance between me and you and see that what I want for myself is something I must want for you too, regardless of who you are and who I am. I’d never want someone to go through the suffering that I experience, and in the same way I’d defend myself, I’d defend you too. But you wouldn’t defend me unless I give you a signed affidavit saying that I believe everything you do. That makes me sad, so incredibly sad, for the both of us, and all of us.

It hurts me to the core to see pictures of my people crying, clutching their children, their faces smudged with debris and sweat and blood. In this moment of pain, the camera has rendered them objects of suffering rather than subjects of their own stories. Can you imagine becoming the pictorial symbol of suffering? Can you imagine your whole life, full of inside jokes and laughter and hard work, being crystallized in still frame as a silent cry of powerlessness? Photography takes away the object’s agency. 

I don’t want to be known for what I consume: I want to be known for what I give.

Every time I like a video of a new atrocity, I feel more acutely that I am in a dystopia. They bulldozed over a refugee camp outside a hospital. There is someone’s leg sticking out of the rubble. A white and orange cat is nibbling at the martyr’s earthly body. My chest feels hot and twisted I cannot comprehend the cruelty I am typing on my black phone screen they are dying on the steps of a hospital we can’t help them now

[mellow-worlds]

From the beginning I felt very attracted to him. Not necessarily on the first night we met, because I mostly talked to a back then, but ever since the first time we actually started talking. I'm really grateful for him and it seems like he really wanted to spend time with me yesterday. I'm really happy about that. We went to the lectures together and sat next to each other and I even went to this other lecture with him just because. Every now and then, our arms would brush against each other and I always tried to kind of lean in a little to facilitate the touch. After the lectures, even after A left, we went to the cafe on campus and just kept talking and he postponed his gym date a little, just so we could keep talking. We talked about a lot of things and I laughed a lot. At times I might've opened up a little too much, since he studies psych I hope he doesn't realise how much in my brain went wrong. I told him about dad's upcoming marriage and how I never really got along with my mom. I suppose it could be worse. He opened up a little as well, talking about how he kind of has a choleric side to him sometimes and I told him I can only really get mad at my mother. But luckily, the tone never was too serious, we kept joking around and laughing. Something that embarrasses me a little is that I accidentally made it clear that I don't like it when people smoke and he seemed very conscious about that. While walking to the train station, he was super cautious to blow the smoke in the opposite direction. Ofc I appreciate that, but I wish I hadn't made him feel bad about it (if I even did idk). He told me never to start smoking and that he just generally likes to consume drugs. He's very sweet, and he's been very honest. I always try to be as honest as possible as well, but sometimes I just don't say something because it would "make me look bad" even if it totally wouldn't. I'm super conscious about the things I say most of the time, so it's hard for me to turn it off. Another thing! We talked about haircolour and he thought my hair was natural. He also told me it looks good on me :)))))). I could only ashamedly say "thanks" and look at the ground, before the conversation was carried on quickly. We even hugged after saying good bye in the train. He's just so attractive. He's perfect, honestly.

I really don't know if he likes me in any way. He probably was just being kind. I mean, I don't really have anything to offer. He did find it interesting that I'm an anarchist and maybe the fact that I also write poetry caught his eye. And yes, our conversation felt natural and never really came to a halt. But idk, I'm not particularly interesting or smart or funny or clever or pretty. I really can't tell if he thinks well of me or if he's just being nice. And honestly, this guy is part of the reason I might delay my suicide. I said I'd be dead until the end of November, but now I want to see how things go. My friends at uni and kinda my old friends at well kinda gave me back my will to live. Or at least when I'm with them. When I'm alone I can sometimes smile when I think about them, but I'm still very sad. It's not as bad as it used to be, though. Idk. Like I said, I want to see how things play out. Maybe I'll be happier again should we get closer, which is the best I could hope for. And if we don't, i can still end it all. I wonder how I'd do it... it's just a little frustrating how I keep postponing it. But it's not like I actually have a deadline or anything lmao. To be honest, death sounds very nice. I wish for my death to be peaceful. P and I talked about getting old and we both said we couldn't imagine getting older than thirty, both thinking we might die before that. He wants to have kids at around thirty though. I think that inside of him, there lies a very deep sadness. I wouldn't say he'd want to kill himself as well, but I think that deep down, he's very sad. What he told me about consuming drugs is kind of enough, ngl. Either way, I kind of miss him rn. It's stupid, I wouldn't have seen him anyway this weekend since both of us left our city, but yeah. I've been thinking a lot about him. My sister's bf came with us and we're showing him the cutt a little, so I keep thinking about what it'd be like showing P the city. Yeah.... I'm hopeless. I don't want to ignore all the time we've spent together so far and how he even freed up some time just to talk to me, but it's like... I don't have a lot of good features he could've noticed so he probably doesn't care about me specifically. And yeah, talking to someone doesn't make you find them interesting in any way. I mean yeah, to me, he's incredibly attractive. Ofc that doesn't account for anything. Alr atp I'm running in circles, I guess I'll just have to wait. If I get sadder again, I'll just kill myself. I'm saying that like it's easy.