#like it is very much is a rival-to-lovers subplot

[mid-nightowl]

<3 5 facts for a celebrity au? (pairing of ur choice!)

hi tauria!!!! thank you for ask :) <3 <3 <3

this is a good one, but it was a challenge. now bear with me, we're gonna do a dickjaytim celebrity au 👀

Jason’s the celebrity (but like minorly?). He's a theater actor and is well-known in theater circles etc., but most people off the street wouldn’t recognize him. He’s a fan favorite on twitter/social media though, for being a scathing but good critic for new books and books-turned-movies. 

>>Tim’s the CEO of Drake Industries and a rival to Wayne Industries in Gotham (but like he doesn’t take it as seriously as he should to the despair of his board). His parents died when he was a teenager and after graduating high school early, just took on the company and does whatever he wants. 

>>Dick is an orphan and the ward-adoptee of Bruce Wayne. Same backstory as canon, circus kid adopted by rich Gothaminite. Bruce and him act more like older brother-younger brothers and act like Alfred is their father/grandfather figure. Bruce is CEO and offered Dick a position at the company but Dick would rather not. Unclear on what job Dick does in this but he’s not a cop (blegh).  

>>Tim and Dick are local celebrities, well-known and often chased by paparazzi, but Jason’s the real focus for this AU.

So, Tim’s a CEO and has to attend galas and rich people events, socialize and get people invested in his company (as well as prove himself a capable CEO despite being so young). He typically hates these events, dreads going, comes up with any excuse he can, but does attend some. He attends a theater play, expecting not to have to talk or socialize too much because it’s a play, and falls head over heels for the main actor, Jason. 

>>Tim sort of falls into being a stalker-y, secret admirer of Jason but Jason’s pretty smitten with all the nice, thoughtful notes and gifts he’s getting (especially compared to some gross ones he gets from Roman Sionis and other old rich dudes hoping to buy his favor). EXCEPT, Timmy’s not the only one in the running for Jason’s hand. 

>>Enter Dick Grayson. Dick was often third-wheel to galas and other events with Bruce and Selina, often exasperated and bored. But, so so similar to Tim, attends an event expecting to be bored out of his mind and is instead captivated by this stunning actor aka Jason. Cue the courting and gifts. 

And expectedly, Tim and Dick both start to realize there’s someone else trying to steal Jason and they figure out who. And this starts an epic rivalry over Jason’s heart. It starts with trying to out-gift the other, both buying Jason elaborate but meaningful gifts (rare books he likes, regular books, flowers and jewelry, donations to his favorite charities, etc). And it escalates rather quickly. I imagine Dick can be downright mean in this and Tim is just as biting, both unashamed in their rivalry and obsession with Jason. Anyways, there’s a lot of fun and hilarious stuff you could do with Dick and Tim fighting without physically fighting. (I’m giggling over them sniping at each other over twitter and Gothamnities just being ???? until Jason [Gotham’s adored theater nerd] chimes in and fans start having a lightbulb moment) 

Eventually, Tim and Dick’s rivalry hits a high point and the two tumble into bed together. And then they both decide they can just share Jason. Jason, of course, is oblivious to all of this. He likes Dick and Tim a lot, like a little too much, but won’t make the first move because he is a shy baby and then starts to think they’re only doing it as like a weird rich kid rivalry ritual and don’t actually care about him or his feelings. 

After Jason’s (inaccurate) revelation, he starts to pull away from Dick and Tim (especially when paparazzi and social media pick up on the fact that Dick and Tim seem to be “dating”). Dick and Tim take this as a challenge, and Jason (and his coworkers/friends) thought it was bad when those two hated each other, but Tim and Dick working together??? It is…terrifying? Impressive? Terrifyingly impressive? Jason’s already head over heels, but now he’s obsessed even more (but also overwhelmed and a bit light-headed at all the swooning he's doing, it’s a bit too much at times). I’m running out of steam here, but eventually Dick and Tim do manage to convince Jason that yes, they do adore him, and no, this is not a weird rich-kid rival thing. And Gotham breathes a sigh of relief when Jason gets caught leaving Dick-Tim's penthouse covered in hickies and wearing their clothes :))

[amethyst-geek]

Just thinking about how if Heather and Alejandro wee to have kids (for argument's sake, let's call the kids Eric and Selena), the kids would probably have a hard time making friends because of their parents' reputations. Even if Heather and Alejandro were to keep their kids in the dark about Total Drama, I can see some of the parents of their kids' classmates recognizing them and discouraging their own kids from befriending Eric and Selena, leading to the twins having a hard time growing up. Then when the twins finally learn about their parents' actions on Total Drama in a very public and humilating matter, like a classmate, perhaps a romantic rival, dedicating making an entire presentation revealing it, this leads to Eric and Selena being shunned by the few friends they were able to make and they become even more obstrized then they already were. Eric and Selena respond to this in different ways. Eric basically becomes a shut-in while Selena takes the "Then Let me be evil" route, becoming as ruthless as her parents, if not more so.

Then when Chris decides invite the various TD offspring within a certain age range (like 14-17) to compete a next gen season of Total Drama, Selena (who along with Eric is about 17 at this point) is more than happy sign up and she convinces Eric to sign up as well in an attempt to get him out of his shell.

I would want to give both of them romantic subplots. As mentioned in a previous post, I hc Selena hooking up with Mimi (the daughter of Tyler and Lindsay) while Eric hooks up with Jodi (the daughter of Geoff and Bridgette), and I think these romantic subplots woudl be crucial to the character development of the twins. As the daughter of Tyler and Lindsay, I imagine Mimi would often be assumed to dumb and/or unathletic, leading to people to underestimate her (which proves to be a mistake is Mimi is both smart and and a top athlete, and part of her motivation for signing up for Total Drama Next Generation was prove this to the world). So I can see her bonding with Selena over living in the shadow of their parents' reputations (though they might be on separate teams, so this may be an enemies-to-lovers thing).

Meanwhile, Jodi (fearing that Eric might try to do something similar to what Alejandro did to Bridgette) decides to flirt with Eric in an attempt to keep an eye on him and to keep him from flirting with the other contestants. However once he gets to know him (and he also helps her problems as well), she starts to fall for him as well. Not only that, but she (along with other other friendly contestants, like Mike and Zoey's daughter Shirley and whoever Ella's kid is) also help Eric come out of his shell.

Oh and by the way, I imagine Eric starting out the game as wearing a dishelved look like a hoodie and also dying his hair in an attempt to make the resemblance between him and Alejandro (though he still has pretty much the same build as seen when he's wearing a swimsuit) and over the course the season, he starts wearing more flattering clothing to reflect his coming out of his shell. He also wears glasses, which he'll continue wearing even after he comes out of his shell.

Edit: by the way, I picture Alejandro and Heather moving to London, England sometime after All-Stars, so I picture their kids having British accents.

[illogicallyx]

Have you watched pride and prejudice? I was like thinking imagine a scene from it with Mr darcy (don’t come at me I hel the enemies to lovers brain rot I’m having rn-if I dint find me an academic hot rival I will jump)

Haan so a scene where it’s just like some fluff and reader says smn smn about darcy not calling her “my dear” cuz that’s what her dad calls her mom when he’s mad at her—so she gives him suggestions onto what to call him and when

So he’s says like what should I call you when he’s cross with the suggestion of “Mrs darcy” and she says that he must onky do that when he’s like idk very very happy and then he like leans and he’s like “how are you this evening Mrs darcy?” AND THEN FOREHEAD KISS AKHDKWJAKHSM (yes sorry for explaining the whole scene especially if you have watched it already💀)

So yes like imagine this with Nanami <3

i have read the book instead of the watching the movie (idk how i managed that feat ok dont even ASK me) bc our school had a huge library and there were loads of jane austen books. i love hearing her stories not reading them bc classics are very hard to read for me.

BUT YES YES OMG THIS WITH NANAMIIIIIIIII and also idk i feel megumi and choso would suit this too.

also if you LOVE enemies to lovers. you should deffo read "divine rivals" aldoe in my opinion the enemies part doesnt enemy as much as it does in other books but its still a good read regardless so heyy book rec!!! ALSO the poppy war too - although theres not much romance in that series sooooo do not go into it expecting romance its not even a subplot its just....breadcrumbs but even those breadcrumbs are WEW (she bashes his head in the ground repeatedly until she's forcfully pulled away from him ;))

also these are recs i just gave u uncalled for are series so if u or whoever reads this - just know these are series and PLEASE check the tws for the poppy war series!!

sorry romee hehehehe i cannot stop talking once enemies to lovers is mentioned <33

[tinygumdrops]

what r ur fav tropes!!

Hi there, anon! Omg I had to Google for trope bingos for this ask, but unfortunately after 20 minutes of searching it seems that trope bingos don't have the specific ones I'd love to talk about T-T Anyway, I absolutely love:

Found family or families of choice - I don't really give much importance with blood relations, in stories at least. A character with absentee parents isn't as tragic to me as them not belonging in a loving, supportive group of comrades (for life! ;-;). Honestly, stories where the parents/relatives are dead or fucked off to god knows where and the MC goes on a life-changing adventure with their precious gang? Yup, definitely my jam!

The [Insert Greek/Roman Myth here] trope - One of my favorite books to reread constantly is Mythology by Edith Hamilton. Spotting mythology references in contemporary fiction makes me giggle and geek out aloud. Really takes me back

Super long adventure journeys with subplots that connect to the main theme

Depressing af story, super happy ending

Sentient animals and plants ;-; Plus points if they can talk!

New kid comes to town, unravels the old system and creates progress

Characters that are emotionally intelligent, cheerful and kind despite their grim, twisted past. Sometimes their suppressed emotions will rear its ugly head, but reality is reality and they keep their heads afloat and move tf on.

But I also love characters that are as fake as a two-dollar bill and keep us guessing! And morally grey MCs (that are written very well ofc)

Battle Duos or Trios where they're equally as powerful but not in the same category? I'd love it even more if their abilities are complementary

I'm more of a friends to lovers >>> enemies/rivals to lovers kind of gal, but they both gotta be slow burn romances for me to even consider the romance plot/subplot.

Battle Royale stories/arcs like in HxH and Hunger Games ;-;

Thank you so much for this ask! I had a blast answering this! :D

[fandxmslxt69]

Happy Birthday!!!!!!

Book recs:

I just finished Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns & Rose's series. I also have The Witcher on my To Read list. I LOVE fantasy. Definitely getting on the fantasy romance train lately, but Lord of the Rings is still one of my all-time favorite books. I do enjoy mysteries too.

What are your recs? My birthday is next week. I intend to make eyes at my dad so he gets me more books.

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS !!!!!!!!

oooooh i hear so much abt SJM's books!!!!!

I spent the past week eyeing my parents to get me books and NO ONE HAS PICKED UP ON THE CUE. still waiting.

OKAY SO LET US SEE!!! Fantasy is SUCH a vibe and its hard to find the good ones BUT:

Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber. It's the second trilogy to her fantasy world, but trust me you don't need the first series; there's just some characters from the past who make a new appearance as side characters or leads! The story follows dear silly Evangeline as she navigates the world of heartbreak :( In her world, the Fates (magical beings that are known to be cruel, evil, and harsh and give very very heavy Tarot card energy!!!) have come back and are residing in their own magical kingdom of trouble and deception (TRUST ME AS CLICHE AS THIS BOOK SOUNDS ITS LITERALLY SO FREAKING GOOD.). Evangeline ends up praying to one of these Fates - Jacks, the Prince of Hearts - to help her save her lover from what she thinks is a curse. Of course Evangeline doesn't care for the consequences of asking a Fate for a favour, but Jacks is literally the biggest shithead ever (affectionate) so he puts that poor girl through SO MUCH FREAKING TROUBLE and Evangeline finds herself travelling to the magical land of fairytales to try and win over the heart of a prince. FAIRYTALE ENERGY EXCEPT ITS KIND OF TWISTED FAIRYTALES!!! AND ITS NOT LIKE YOUR USUAL FAIRYTALES NO NO THIS IS ITS WHOLE OWN LORE !!! BEAUTIFUL AESTHETIC AND THE PLOT IS LITRALLY THE BEST OF VIBES EVER !!!!!!!!!!!! Trust if you enjoyed SJM's work, you WILL enjoy Stephanie Garber; it's a given. (This IS fantasy romance btw, just not as heavy as some other ones!! The romance is def a smaller subplot and is very...will they won't they with some love triangles in the way)

We Hunt The Flame by Hafsa Faizal. This one is also one you'd enjoy if you enjoyed SJM's work!!! It follows the story of a girl named Zafira who hunts in this big cursed forest to try and save her village from famine. She's known as The Hunter, wanted by the sultan for multiple acts of treason, and one of the most feared "entities" of the area; anyone who goes into those wicked forests is insane and probably dangerous (SHE"S JUST A SILLY GIRL.) The kingdom is ruled by a horrible, corrupt sultan and the land has been drained of all it's magic and left as nothing but a dark, twisted land. On the flip side of the coin, you have the sultan's son, Nasir, who is overflowing with trauma, daddy issues, and OOZES dark mysterious morally questionable man !!!!!! He's the kingdom assassin and does all his father's bidding. Nasir's father hears word that the Hunter had been assigned a mission to go find the tombs of the old Witches (who had given the land its powers, and then taken them away to be buried with) from this dark evil island of sorts. He naturally orders Nasir to go find this Hunter, let him lead him to this tomb, and then kill the Hunter (naturally everyone thinks this Hunter is a big scary dude when it is nothing but a like 5'5 girl with fury that rivals that of the gods). Anyway, when Nasir and Zafira get there and realise what this is, things start....going downhill (uphill for ME) FOUND FAMILY AND ENEMIES TO LOVERS AND FANTASY LORE AND AND AND AND WOW WOWO WOW IM SO BAD AT SUMMARIZING THEM WITHOUT GIVING AWAY ALL THE PLOT BUT TRUST ME TRUST ME. Zafira & Nasir get the PERFECT enemies to lovers!!!! SO MUCH FOUND FAMILY (there's other people who ended up coming to this island to find this tomb and they all just get together in a team of misfits). PLOT TWISTS AND WOWO WOWOW WOW SO MUCH ARABIAN LORE !!!YEah. Trust me trust me. If you've read like, Six of Crows, you'd like this.

okay i swear there would usually be more but these are the ones I truly think you should give a shot too, i SWEAR TO GOD they are. SO. SO SO GOOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You might also enjoy Fourth Wing, it's become very popular alongside SJM's books, but I hear the second book has gotten sooo bad and honestly, I personally only enjoyed the first book because it was very character based, full vibes/worldbuilding, very little plot. So if you're looking for plot heavy fantasy, I wouldn't go with Fourth Wing.

if you're also into historical fantasy with some sci-fi elements, or retellings, then def check out Chloe Gong...her Secret Shanghai series (Two duologies and 2 novellas) is SO SO GOOD!!! Shakespeare retellings, spies and betrayals and gangs and fake dating and enemies to lovers and lots of political and historical elements (the books take place in a big time of unease in Shanghai where foreign politics and goverments are trying to take over. The first duology is Romeo & Juliette retelling with the gov being the two rivalling gangs and a horrifying disease that is running wild through the land. The gangs eventually get taken down as Nationalists, Communists and Japanese forces start taking over Shanghai. The SECOND duology is centered around the power struggle between the Communist and Nationalists, with the Japanese invasion that is inevitable. The main leads are split into 2 couples; 1 works with the Nationalists (fake dating, undercover spies), the other works with the Communists (partners to lovers "I would ruin our mission to save you" energy). The second duology is very very traumatising. These series are fantasy but ALSO mystery based. I personally liked the second duology better (Foul Lady Fortune & Foul Heart Huntsman)

For full full mystery vibes, The Inheritance Games IS your jam. OH MY GOD I will never shut up about this series and this post is ALREADY too long so I won't go into details BUT basically. Avery Grambs gets told she just inherited something like 47 million dollars or whatever from some random old man from Texas whom she has NEVER EVEN heard of. Billion maybe. she got a LOT LOT of money okay. The only thing she has to do to secure that money? Live in Hawthorne House (his manor) for 1 year with his 4 grandchildren. No biggie right? Except said grandchildren happen to be some of the SMARTEST TRICKIEST and most TROUBLED KIDS to ever exist in the world. Grayson, Jameson, Xander & Nash. Nash is a cowboy who ditched the rich life and would die to protect Avery. Xander is just glad he has someone to have fun with because she enables all his crazy ideas. Jameson loves getting under her skin and is low key in love with her. Grayson wants to get her OUT of their lives because he refuses to believe his grandfather would give this RANDOM GIRL on the street their whole inheritance; the house the business the family name all that money!! Not when Grayson was promised all of it. Anyway, Avery becomes the world's richest teenager in less than 24 hours. But, the longer Avery stays in this house and living this lifestyle, the more she realises how much the late Hawthorne was hiding. Tobias Hawthorne (the dead grandpa) was infamously known for his puzzles and mysteries and games...it's how he raised his grandkids and why they are they are they are. Except...things are getting a LITTLE TOO REAL. SO SO SO SO SO GOOD THE MYSTERY I SLITERALLY CHEF"S KISS. i've only read the first 3 books but trust me. oh my god lirerally insane. you THINK you know whats happening but you don't.

NAYWAY.

I HOPE YOU GIVE MY BABIES A SHOT AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!!! TRUST TRUST i have never disappointed anyone with my recs please....

[tokumusume]

First impressions: “The Longest Promise”

I would be lying if I said I’m watching for the plot because I’m totally here for Xiao Zhan.

Spoilers for episodes 1-3.

Christ on bike, it’s been only five minutes, I know, but I have no idea of what’s happening here. Like, why is this girl wearing full bangs in one scene and a middle part immediately after, then back to full bangs? Do you know how hard is to make full bangs look good after you part your hair? Those things are stubborn.

(Also, fakest hairpiece in the history of cdrama 👇)

Ren Min has a very unique face but this hair does her no favors, she looks a thousand times better with the middle part.

An eternity eight minutes into the episode we finally see Xiao Zhan’s beautiful face, aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh (me and mom fangirled so hard).

Sorry, I see no chemistry between them, I don’t buy them as lovers, only friends. I hope I’m made wrong later.

We are treated to an episode long flashback to Xiao Zhan Shi Ying’s childhood where he meets Ren Min Zhu Yan, but she doesn’t know he’s the prince, palace drama ensues, he’s accused of murdering his father’s concubine (mind it: he’s a child here). His mother creates a copy of him, sends him away with some guy and sets herself and the copy on fire. He’s presumed dead (his mother somehow survived this??)

Zhu Yan is mourning Shi Ying when this fella gives her a rose that’s clearly not a rose. I thought he looked familiar, then I thought he looked like the snake guy from Ashes of Love. Turns out Fang Yilun was in cpop/kpop boygroup M4M with Yu Bin aka Wen Ning. Listen to Sadness btw, it’s really good, very BEAST (both were in Cube).

(PS: Netflix subs are wrong, his name is Zhi Yuan)

Makeup on point.

I love him already.

The little kid playing young Shi Ying, Jian Yuxi, is killing it. A face to watch for.

The plot here is very complicated but apparently Shi Ying will be sent to cultivate in the mountains and he can’t see women because his destiny says he’ll be killed by a girl (idk if it’s specified it’s Zhu Yan or any girl will do) so he must kill her on sight, how romantic.

Five years later Shi Ying is now Xiao Zhan and is somehow still underage. Now, Xiao Zhan does look younger than 32 but he can’t play 17. Anyway, he’s gorgeous and I’m drooling.

I really want to like Chong Ming because he’s cute and reminds of that guy from Ashes of Love (again) but he’s oh so insufferable. I’m against animal cruelty but I want to kick this bird.

Xiao Zhan finally smiles, I love him so much.

Bad CGI bird (it’s Chong Ming btw) but I’ll forgive it because it’s cute and reminds me of my cat Yuki.

Subplot about sister drama and magical dancing competitions, who cares. Wang Churan, who plays the bitchy sister, was in Guo Jingming’s Painted Skin, 100% recommend this short film. Nice sister is better at dancing than bitchy sister so bitchy sister throws her special dress down a forbidden valley and of course Zhu Yan will retrieve the dress.

She meets Shi Ying down there but he can’t speak to her because of his celibacy vow prophecy. He recognizes her as the girl he met in childhood. Chong Ming shows up and is all like “omg a girl kill her now!!” Shi Ying bends his fingers and prepares to kill Zhu Yan when bad guys with Wolverine claws arrive and tries to kill both of them, lol. A fight ensues, Shi Ying breaks his vow and hides Zhu Yan inside his magical head space (???) when his master arrives. She touches an illusion of him inappropriately. Fuck, I’m jealous.

Back in their shared house, Shi Ying tells Chong Ming that he has no time for pussy, all he wants is to rescue his mother and avenge her.

Bitchy sister also went down the valley to search for something but Chong Ming stops her. She happens to be Shi Ying’s cousin and he asks about his mother. The news are not good. Shi Ying decides to help his mother immediately only to learn she just killed herself. Xiao Zhan gives a performance to rival Nightless City.

I forgot to say earlier but Xiao Zhan’s voice is markedly different from CQL. I don’t know if he’s using his real voice here or if it’s a different voice actor but it’s jarring, to the point where I can’t concentrate during his scenes. I watched CQL five times, Wei Wuxian’s voice is burned into my brain.

Shi Ying’s master is a master of psychological torture. He brings Shi Ying to listen to some officials disrespect his mother in order to strengthen him???? Btw, I thought this guy

and Shi Ying’s father

were the same person until now, lol.

This scene was probably done using this chemistry trick (trigger warning: fake blood, fake cutting) as you can see his hand is wet before.

Finally we see the return of the evil black smoke as Shi Ying screams that the world doesn’t deserve saving (I agree with him on that) and looks gorgeous.

I hope this is a sign that Shi Ying will go bad and mad and sexy in his quest to avenge his mother.

[neteyamsilly]

HI ITS UR FAV ANON WITH A BLOODY EAR INFECTION 🫀!!! A LITTLE LATE TO THE PARTY BUT THATS CAUSE MY PHONE BROKE😍

ANYWAYS

I CRIED DURING CHAP 4 OH MY GOD the way Jake actually cares but gets such bad tunnel vision that he actually looses sight of what he's trying to protect:(

what if the conversation he has with reader at the tree of souls isn’t like any actual conversation??? but it’s like a barrage of memories and visions, possible futures and dreamlike visuals that portray both people’s feelings.

like obviously there would be a conversation but like when Kiri went to see grace, their location and physical state changed, so what if since jake and reader are both very emotional but also emotionally constipated they can’t get everything out through actual words?

when reader finds out Ikran (my vote is for the name is yom’tsyeyk cause it means “eat jake” 🙏) can’t fly anymore :(( maybe the ikran can just get really good at running… OR PULL A HTTYD ‼️ either way you go the metaphorical and emotional meaning behind it can do a LOTTTT. i just love the way you write, it’s so GOOD

like the way you describe emotions, actions, thought processes??? i’m currently writing my own fic and i aspire to be you fr

The anger Neytiri felt and how she lashed out at jake, THE ADOPTION CEREMONY THING??? i love the way ur brain works, are the kids mad at jake too?? like they’d probably never show it cause of how intense it gets when reader does but i can’t imagine the anger the kids might feel, wether it be directed more at Jake or reader or if it’s just anger at the situation and their relationship, id actually cry if we got some sibling angst up in there.

as someone who watched many conflicts between their sibling and authority figures, there’s always that kind of habit unconditional siding with the sibling even if they might be wrong. The sibs are definitely gonna be traumatized by this but how are they gonna respond and how will that manifest? isolation? attachment? anger? Would Kiri stay the pacifist or would she try and become some kind of protector or shield for reader? each kid would def have their own response and opinions and what if they clash?

Bro imagine the tension if the kids’ emotions manifest negatively like that :( would reader feel responsible?? WILL THIS BE THE REASON THEY MOVE TO THE REEF??? (assuming we’re going in that direction) THE DRAMMAAAA

tbh it could have a tiny little romance subplot 🤭

(SAPPHIC READER???? TSIREYA😍😍 Rotxo being sweet and balancing reader out??? rivals to lovers ao’nung with a not really secret soft side??? the possibilities are endless)

IM GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF AND RAMBLING SO MUCH😭😭 anyways, that’s just my thoughts and theories abt how this could go, im sooooo excited for the next chapter and where you go with thisssss :)))))))

-🫀

EAR INFECTION ANON, WELCOME BACK AHAHAHSJDSJKD AND ITS OK, UR HERE ANYWAYS!!! WOULD NEVER FAULT YOU FOR ANYTHING!

OUF so. from movie-canon its like a blend of the souls living in their best memories, neteyam wasn't aware he died but the moment jake didnt follow the memory his soul knew something was wrong, but jake put things back in order again. grace, however, knew she was dead - and we saw how the sceneries could change. im planning to take FULL ADVANTAGE of what we've been given AHAHAHAH

about jake and sister!reader's conversation though, HHHHHHHH its hard to have a heart-to-heart, but im sure you'll like what ends up happening since it's hurting me to write it BDBSBD

ALSO "EAT JAKE" IM HEJHKJSKDS AHSDHBSDBD BAHAHAHAHAHAHA YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXPECTATIONS I HOPE I CAN MEET THEM BDBSDSBD

About the siblings-parent conflict... I haven't written much of it because I don't think it's in character for either of them to be angry at Jake for it, they never are for Jake's actions even in TWOW. Lo'ak's generally frustrated and Neteyam gives the slightest bits of attitude, and Kiri is moody. They are too young for the kind of anger you're talking about, in my opinion. Sully family also is one of the healthier families in media. But there are tidbits of it in the new chapter, but it doesn't really go anywhere because Jake isn't his old self where wouldn't listen any of it. He takes full blame of it, and sort of reconnects with Neteyam and Lo'ak through it because Neteyam full on blames himself and Lo'ak is flabbergasted as to why Jake isn't affected. Jake listens to Neytiri's advice on transparence here. I'm going for sort of a healing-route! Though of course they'll be traumatized in their own way.

And this IS heading to the awa'atlu plot! I'm just making it more solid.

Also I've NEVER considered what kind of romance plot there would be, but sister!reader to me is kind of fruity LMAO She has a mix of Korra, Ellie and Vi vibes in my head. Like, girl-preferring with stupid attraction to men she gags at. Idk if I'll ever write it though BSHDBSS The general outline in my head is that she sees tsireya as a goddess and aonung as a pest she'd like to step on. rotxo is nice though she rocks with rotxo

ALSO!! ITS ALRIGHT ILY <3333 Have an amazing day!

[mariejordans]

Do you have any TV show recs with really good romances?

oh boy, do i! one thing about me? i’m gonna watch a show for the romance subplot. but also this is such a broad topic, i’ll try to narrow it down into two categories: show recs with romance as a main plot, or at least a good majority of the plot, and show recs with romantic subplots that aren’t the main focus! so without further ado…

starting with the former:

bridgerton. i know there’s a lot of mixed feelings about this show, a lot of them are definitely valid, and while the first season romance is kinda meh (and questionable), the second season makes up for it completely imo. i was obsessed with kanthony for a good few months after s2 came out, just because the chemistry between the actors was just so potent and explosive. it’s a true enemies to lovers trope if i’ve ever seen one and it’s just so well done imo

one tree hill. early 00s cheesy teen dramas are kind of my kryptonite and oth is probably the king teen drama of all imo. i wouldn’t say the romance is the main plot of most of the show (and not a lot of the romance is great 😭), but it is a major plot point of a lot of the seasons. i’m recommending this for one reason and one reason only: nathan and haley. it’s a classic popular guy x nerd girl and they get together after she starts tutoring him in secret and i just love what their relationship turned out to be. haley is a badass and i Love her and naley basically raised me, so that’s why it’s here :)

doom at your service. honestly, i could recommend quite a few kdramas, bc a lot of them do have what i consider “true” romantic main plots, but i thought i would narrow it down to one. it’s about this young woman who has an extremely shitty day and wishes on a shooting star for the world to end, not knowing that the spirit of Doom himself is actually listening. idk how else to describe this show honestly, the main couple between the young woman and Doom is just soooo so so so good, it’s so sweet and very romantic, i just really can’t recommend it enough.

as i was starting this list, i realized i didn’t have very many true romance shows so let’s move onto the next category, which are the romantic subplots 😭

marvel’s runaways. i think i would maybe recommend this show before everything else just because it has a lot of similarities to gen v and the romantic subplots are *chef’s kiss*. i LOVED karolina and nico, one of my favorite wlw ships, and i also really loved gert and chase as well. it did, unfortunately, get cancelled pretty early but still well worth the watch imo.

agents of shield. another marvel show, honestly one of their most underrated shows. i’ve never really been super interested in the mcu, but i loved some of the older, adjacent tv shows (aos, runaways, CLOAK & DAGGER.) my favorite romantic subplot in this show is fitzsimmons, one of my FAVORITE friends to lovers ships, i think the way they were developed was so perfect, had just the right amount of pining, angst, and slowburn. i also love mackelena and may and coulson!

the wilds. okay, so i have a complicated relationship with this tv show, but just know that s1 is AMAZING. shelby and toni are another one of my fave wlw ships and don’t even get me started on leah and fatin…they weren’t a crackship, it was real to ME. i don’t wanna talk about s2, but s1 is definitely worth the watch.

anne with an e. gilbert and anne. that’s all i have to say. if you liked the rivals to lovers aspect in limoreau, you’ll love shirbert. also, it’s just a very cozy and comforting watch.

the good place. this show had me fucked up but in a good way. the romance between eleanor and chidi isn’t the main focus, but i think it adds so much to the characters development and to the plot of the show. even the crackships are good, tahani and eleanor had great chemistry, and jason and janet were just hilarious.

alchemy of souls. another kdrama and i want to preface this by saying kdramas, especially costume dramas like this one, can be super hard to get into. they’re very long (episodes can go up to an hour and a half) and often veeeery slow, but it’s TOTALLY worth it in my opinion because this show has one of my favorite romances EVER. that first season ending? oh it’s so good. i binged this in like a week and i couldn’t watch anything for a while after because i couldn’t stop thinking about it.

mozart in the jungle. probably the most obscure show on this list, and FARRRR under appreciated. as a classical musician who is currently studying music in university, this show was right up my alley when it came out. the romance between hailey and rodrigo is slow and a bit subtle at first but they were such a fun and dysfunctional duo that somehow fit together perfectly. they just got each other perfectly, imo. the ending left me heartbroken a bit, but i’ve since come to realize it was the best possible ending they could’ve given us and i’ve made peace.

ALRIGHT THAT’S IT THAT’S THE LIST (pt. 3)

i had fun making this! anon, i hope you find that one of these shows works for you and also that you still think i have great taste after 😭

[justmybookthots]

A Study in Drowning

Was this the book to break me out of a 1.5-month slump? Yes!

Did I enjoy it? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Let's just put it this way: this book did not work for me. If you're expecting this post to be filled with praises and you expect nothing less, please click away. This is not for you.

And I'm sad it wasn't for me, either, because I went into it with... well, not high hopes, but hopes, nonetheless.

(Spoilers ahead.)

Now, to start with pros: the writing is absolutely beautiful. I kept picking up the dictionary because I wanted to hang onto every word. The similes were a little overdone (more than a little, tbh), but I didn't mind because the choice of similes was pretty and very, very atmospheric. There are very few books where the writing wows me as a separate entity from the plot (this tells me my reading choices need work, lol), and this was one of them. 

Also, even with how lush the prose is, the story was very easy to follow and get into. Even until the very end, despite how bored and disinterested I was, it was easy to continue to follow it without feeling confused.

By all rights, I should be invested in the plot because it covers my favourite themes (?): rivals to lovers, the topic of misogyny, etc. But I don't love how the execution was done:

1) I really didn't care for the rivals to lovers plot here. I didn't care for Preston. He was all right. He was... a'ight. His inability to tell lies and perform simple flattery to get what he wants is a personal pet peeve / turn-off for me because it tells me he doesn't have a very high EQ. It's a common trait for male leads in a lot of fiction, one I'm tired of (this reminds me why I adored the subversion of Bambleby from Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies). And I've seen men like that in real life, and they are unlikeable, weird, and unempathetic. Granted, Preston can be very empathetic when the time calls for it, but it's still... weird. In this alternative universe where everyone is RAISED to view men as superior to women, I don't understand how he was a feminist right from the start. I wish his way of thinking wasn't just "YEAH I'M A FEMINIST TOO" right away - it felt too much like wish-fulfilment and I'd prefer to see his views change over time. 

2) Also when the heroine found his thesis (which was to expose her favourite author as a fraud) and she was enraged and he persuaded her to not just not report him but also JOIN him, and it worked, I was like............... 🤦 Sure, we, the reader, know he's trustworthy because it's a romance novel (or rather, a novel with a romance subplot), but the heroine is such an IDIOT TO TRUST HIM WHEN HE COULD HAVE DONE IT JUST TO MAKE SURE HE WASN'T REPORTED. Moreover, I didn't find her transition to frothing over his thesis to joining him believable. 

3) Speaking of the heroine, her ability to quote excerpts of her favourite book verbatim doesn't make her a good literature student. I can't count how many times I've cringed every time she does it. It feels pretentious and a lazy way of telling, not showing. Being a good literature student isn't just about memorising text verbatim. I mean, sure they can, and it's great, but it's their interpretation of the work that matters.

4) Stop with the romanticisation of smoking, I beg. Smoking is a HUGE deal-breaker and turn-off for me and I hated every word of it. 

5) During their sex scene. Did.... only Preston finish? I CAN'T, this is hilarious.

6) Again, I didn't like how the misogyny was written. It was very cartoonish: man = all bad, woman = all good and victimised. I KNOW that's the case for some scenarios in reality, but somehow the attempt at feminism just didn't work for me. To be honest, I still can't say exactly why this book didn't work for me in its depiction of misogyny. I've praised thriller books for covering this issue (like The Maid's Diary), but just not this one. I think I just wasn't very convinced by the worldbuilding, and how it conveyed their roots of misogyny. This is more a personal issue for me, and regardless, I'm glad it managed to successfully depict institutional sexism in academia for some.

7) Also, I was expecting a bigger plot twist in the end but nope, Iantho was the Fairy King just as I thought (I mean... it was so obvious), and his mother's role was also obvious. There was really nothing special or surprising - it was predictable to the very end.

- 16 Oct 2023

[veneritia]

9 serial comics/manga that live in my head rent-free

Thank you @yvesdot for tagging me!!!

With the exception of one, all of these are manga/manhua that I've greatly enjoyed and have read more than once (yes, even the unfinished ones).

From the top left corner going across, we have Akatsuki no Yona, Lout of the Count's family, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, Full Moon wo Sagashite, Who Made Me a Princess One Day, SPY x FAMILY, Fiancee's Observation Log of a Self-Proclaimed Villainess, My Dress-Up Darling, and Abandoned Empress. And because I'm extra, below the cut I'm gonna give a (very bad) explanation as to why I love them.

Tagging: honestly anyone who wants to have a go!

Akatsuki no Yona

Yona's character development is just *chef kiss* Seeing her grow not only as a person but as a princess, while on the run, is honestly so gratifying. The majority of characters are quite complex, with different goals, motivations, backstory, that all end up playing into each other. And despite the fantasy elements of four of the main characters having the powers of legendary dragons, very little of the story actually has to do with fantasy/magic. A lot of it is Yona learning what her kingdom is truly like, the people living in it, and how she could help make their lives better.

Lout of the Count's Family

Cale Henituse is so aroace. I love him. This man is literally manipulating the events of the world and gathering up as much power as possible just so he could avoid getting punched in the face. I honestly just love how little to no romance this story has. It warms my heart.

Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne

Mix Jeanne d'Arc, Kaito Kid, and heavy artistic licenses on Christianity and history, and you get this story. It's a fun magical girl manga starring a highly competent main character and an entire rivals-to-lovers subplot. That and it's written/drawn by Arina Tanemura whose works were basically my gateway into shoujo manga.

Full Moon wo Sagashite

Another work by Arina Tanemura! This one made me bawl my eyes out. It stars a young terminally ill girl who dreams of becoming a famous singer and finding her first love but only has one year left to live. She makes a deal with 2 death gods to fulfill her dreams in exchange for quietly coming with them once her year was up. It's heart-wrenching, it's beautiful, AND THE SONGS THEY INCLUDED IN THE ANIME ARE GOOD OK. Eternal Snow my beloved <3

Who Made Me a Princess

Just really, really beautiful art by Spoon and an amazing Father-Daughter story. Also every time Diana appears on screen I am swooning.

SPY x FAMILY

THE PINNACLE OF FOUND FAMILY COMEDY. You know how in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, they both had no idea that the other was an assassin? Take that plot and dial it to an entire family except for nobody (but the kid) knows and everybody is trying to figure out how to act like a Normal Family TM.

Fiancee's Observation Log of A Self-Proclaimed Villainess

An early subversion of the Villainess trope where the entire story is told from the Villainess' fiancee. It's fun, it's wholesome, Bertia is best girl. I've read this thing 3x and it never fails to make me laugh.

My Dress-Up Darling

A cosplay romance story! A girl who loves to cosplay enlists the help of a classmate who knows how to sew. I've learned so much about how much effort goes into cosplaying because of this manga, and wow I have so much more respect for cosplayers now. It features a very wholesome classmates-to-friends-to-lovers plot.

Abandoned Empress (derogatory)

But Maddie, you ask. Why put this on the list if you hate it? It's because Abandoned Empress is the equivalent of a squatter who WON'T LEAVE. I have very strong opinions on this manhua, and overall don't recommend it. It had a somewhat strong beginning but the ending absolutely ruined what goodwill I had for it. Don't recommend unless you want to be cursed with its presence.

[heywriters]

Hey! Do you have any tips for writing enemies to lovers? I’ve read a couple of books that include this concept and done research, but I am still struggling with cliche, internal conflict, and pacing. I did read your ask policy and search the blog, but if this is still something you’d rather not answer, no worries.

Hi! I promise I haven't been ignoring you, I just sometimes have to put asks on my mental backburner for a couple days before I know how to approach them.

Enemies-to-Lovers Trope

1. Cliche

This is a tried and true trope so you can't avoid repeat territory. When you do feel stifled by "this is what always happens with this trope, so what else can I do?" play with other factors in your story that could alter the scenario and make it unique. If the standard process is "X" what is there about your plot, characters, or setting that could change the standard? As long as the interactions and outcome feel authentic it will read well.

2. Internal Conflict

Start by acknowledging that your pairing already have strong feelings for each other, and may even be obsessed with each other. At first the conflict is just external---"I hate you." ~ "Good, I hate you too." As time passes the internal conflict will grow because they will both need to step back and analyze their own hearts. They may feel the other will never reciprocate, especially when the guilt of past mutual harm comes into play. They may even question their own morality for loving someone they believe should be despised, or whose negative traits they cannot bring themselves to accept. Of course, they can seek confidants to help them sort out these strange new feelings, but the advice from those sources may perplex them even more.

Whether your couple are equals with a rivalry (friendly or vicious), or are villain/hero opposites, will matter greatly. Reminder that Romeo & Juliet were socially considered enemies but saw each other as equals, but Benedict & Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing) were socially equals and saw each other as rivals. Therefore each pair has different inner conflicts. Meanwhile a pair like Batman & Catwoman or the couple from You've Got Mail who are definitely enemies but whose commonalities attract them to each other, will have more intense inner conflict to grapple with.

3. Pacing

This trope is inherently a slowburn. Again, depending on the obstacles to overcome, the needed amount of external and internal conflict will vary. In Pride & Prejudice a span of several months apart is required for the two characters to evolve individually and consider their feelings before the ascent to the story's climax picks up speed. In that time they deal with subplot and family drama before it all crashes together in the end. Much Ado About Nothing fills the time in between the beginning and the climax with comedy, trickery, and hijinks as a wedding of mutual friends is being prepared.

As with any great romance, either one decides to be open about their change of heart to the other, or a catharsis is needed to bring them together at once.

I feel it is very important to note too that changed feelings do not require a change in personality. Some couples may require changes in order to love the other, and some may simply see sides of each other they hadn't seen before. Different types of pacing and setup will be required for different types of character development.

---

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[equal-shipping]

Why Kaishin Still Holds Up, Even Now.

I FINALLY watched the 23rd Detective Conan and let me tell you what...

Why are there not more episodes with these two working so closely together? Like please?! They got that solved so quickly and just shared information with one another and can I please just have them interact before the series ends pleaaaaaase.

Yet I'm not here for begging. I'm here to rant and cleverly disguise that rant as an essay.

I want to rant about trust in Detective Conan (specifically with a look at Kaishin) and the Enemies turned Rivals turned Friends turned Lovers trope.

[Mild Spoilers Ahead]

Trust as a Driving Force in Detective Conan

If someone asked me what is one of the many driving forces in the DC plot as well as the cornerstone of many of the relationships in DC it would be trust. Most of the characters in DC are living their lives with lies as the foundation of who they present themselves to be.

And here is something that I love about the relationship these two have with one another:

The trust that Shinichi has on Kid was earned and vice versa.

I don't think that Shinichi thinks that Kaito Kid is the most honest person in the world, but he does know that the magician works by a code and he trusts him to not put someone in any immediate danger despite the fact that Kaito Kid does not inherently talk too deep about his heists with him.

Ask yourself this. Where in canon did it say that in Kid's heist nobody gets hurt by Kid? I've read the manga and nowhere does he really say 'this is a safe show for everybody!' Let me tell you where it says it: Nowhere.

So why do we all assume it to be that way? Because even we have trust in our favourite thief that he won't do something to actively hurt someone. Since the story is being told in Shinichi's point of view, most of the times, we can rely on the trust that Shinichi has placed on Kid to not get anyone hurt.

One big example of this would be in the Detective Conan Movie: The Sunflowers of Inferno:

Leaving Ran in Kid's care is a conscious decision he is doing despite the fact that he doesn't know if Kid is even going to make it out. Shinichi loves Ran probably more than he loves himself and he wants her out of danger enough to place trust in someone that, situation wise, has no business whether Ran or Shinichi live or not. I honestly think that even Kid was surprised that Shinichi made that decision.

Now I'm not going to put my shipper goggles when I make this statement and go 'OH MY GOD THEY LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH IT SHOWS IT EVERYWHERE. LOOK AT THE SHOW, STUPID."

But these two have something that not many of the characters in DC have and that is a mutual trust without knowing all the details of their lives.

Kaito happened to guess that Conan was Shinichi and I doubt that Shinichi is going to meet Kuroba Kaito by the end of the series. These two barely know each other but through their interactions just happen to understand each other enough to work together amazingly when thrust into a situation where they have to help each other out.

Which brings me to the second thing I want to talk about.

My Enemy Went From Being My Rival to My Friend to my Lover, What Happens Now?

I want to break into Gosho's house and ask him to please let Kaito Kuroba meet Shinichi Kudou. Like this is such a might need that I'm almost scared of looking forward to the ending of DC because I just have a feeling it isn't going to happen.

I might also ask him why the hell every side character needs a romance subplot but that is neither here nor there.

But now that the ships have been decided and canon has sealed the final nail on everything, I just want to talk about the trope that makes Kaishin just so amazing for me.

If I am remembering my facts right, Magic Kaito came before Detective Conan. Kaito was a realized character, somewhat, and was clearly a very likable chara with a ridiculous high IQ and a secret he couldn't reveal to anybody.

I mean he's a goddamn beautiful man is what I'm trying to say.

When I first read the series I could immediately tell that Aoko was set to be the romantic interest, Gosho really ain't fooling nobody. She seemed cute, extroverted and a girl who seems to really care for Kaito. Of course there was the juicy tidbit of Kaito being the thief her father is hunting down that also kept the relationship interesting.

So I was more than okay with having these two together.

I was already a bit aware of Detective Conan so I was all for the ShinRan as well. The pining, the secrets, the care that Shinichi has for her that transcends the organizations doing!

Also fun fact: Kaito/Aoko was the basis for Shinichi/Ran! Which is why ShinRan is thematically better than Kaito/Aoko but I will not go into that.

So one sad day during quarantine, I decided to rewatch the series to see if I could get any writing inspiration.

Now I don't know if it was quarantine or a change of heart or just me growing up but Gosho's friend trope seemed boring to me the more the episodes continued on. I AM NOT THROWING THE FRIENDSHIP TROPE DOWN, IT IS BEAUTIFUL I STILL SHIP SHINRAN

But I was tired of picking vanilla and wanted to see what else was on the menu.

And as luck would have it, I had decided to watch episode 515: Kaito Kid's Teleportation Magic and fate decides to deliver me a wonderful hit to the heart:

What is it about characters pointing guns at each other that I love so much?

And Shinichi doesn't react like a normal fucking person he just goes:

He knows this man ain't gonna shoot. They have had five interactions before this (if we are going by anime episodes) and through all those interactions Shinichi managed to get to a level of banter with this guy that he hasn't had with any of his other enemies.

If he even considered Kaito Kid an enemy to begin with.

Both Kaito and Shinichi have a mutual respect for each other's skill.

They test each other out in several situations and are pleased when the other figures it out, kinda transitioning their little chases to more of a 'two really smart guys trying to outwit each other' and less of a detective trying to outsmart a thief.

Shinichi enjoys figuring out his magic and Kaito enjoys the challenge of making some of his magic tricks near impossible to figure out. Their friendship is something really special and if they can have it without even knowing the details of each other's life, imagine how strong it would be if they truly met each other face to face.

I don't really want to cross into headcanon territory that would turn them into lovers, lord knows we have more fanfiction to do so, but it is just wonderful to see these two men both living a lie respectively but finding some solace in each other that they can shut their brains off for one second and just...play.

Hell, Kid's heists might be Shinichi's safe place. In those heists he is known as the 'Kid Killer' and not just some brat who happens to figure shit out. His opinion matters in those heists.

And not just to the police, but to Kaito as well.

BUT IM GETTING OFF TOPIC!

I just wanted to show love to this wonderful ship q wq

[liss-99]

MY MAJOR TAKEAWAYS FROM S2-SPOILERS

okay there are so many things I could talk about, but here are my major takeaways:

-The Kanthony slow burn/pining/rivals to lovers was FANTASTIC. I think they did such a good job building their relationship (I would have loved more happy domesticated Kanthony but hopefully we get more of them in future seasons)

-Unpopular opinion but I loved Eloise finding out about LW (El is smart, Pen is her best friend, she was bound to find out)

-Episode 3 was the standout, Ruth, Johnny, those flashbacks were heartbreaking. I loved the change they made to have Anthony witness his father's death. Pall Mall, the Bee Sting, such a great episode.

-Daphne seeing right through her brother and knowing where his true feelings lie = GENIUS

-I love any and all moments of Lady D and Violet conspiring

-Benedict being high. That's it.

-All of the hands/close proximity! So very Pride and Prejudice and I LOVED IT.

-Nerdy Phillip bonding with Colin over trees and being a good father to Amanda and Oliver <3

-Dancing On My Own playing during Kanthony first dance together was perfection

-I absolutely hate that Edwina and Anthony got engaged and that she didn't leave until she literally was at the altar. Boo.

-The pacing after the first three episodes was so weird. Super slow and too much sub plot focus, the wedding episode was dreadfully slow, and then the final episode was so rushed.

-Theo is annoying and an unnecessary character.

-The build up to K and A's first kiss tho

-Lillies! Love that detail and love that Anthony loves it.

-Anthony and Kate's first time >>>>>>> Daphne and Simon's first time

-Anthony and Kate's first time music <<< Daphne and Simon's first time music

-Anthony likes to eat hehe

-Kate????? Falling off the horse and going into a coma!?

-The family dancing together and Anthony having cute moments with Hyacinth and Gregory

- well we got more Frannie than S1

-I think the Duke's absence was handled well

-Hated all the Featherington subplots...boring and distracted from what I really wanted

-NEWTON

god there is so much more I could talk about hit my inbox up if you want my opinions on specific things.

[martascabreras]

BRIDGERTON SEASON 2 THOUGHTS (NON-KATHONY)

spoilers + musings under the cut!

- surprise! the first point is actually about kathony, lmao.

HOLY SHIT WERE THEY AMAZING OR WHAT???? jonathan and simone said “here is our entry into enemies/rivals to lovers” AND WAS IT A WINNING ONE. despite book changes, i fully believe the essence of kathony seeped into everything. esp in the departure from continuous sex scenes. it makes sense considering that tension, that build up, that slow burn IS enemies to lovers. kathony forever. god bless johnny and simone.

- side note: i’m glad i kept a positive outlook for this season because i was excited to watch and now i’ve been more than satiated. this is a win for positivity.

- speaking of book changes, i didn’t mind the departure! i think the replaced scenes worked and i didn’t mind that certain scenes were cut. i do think pacing, however, was not in the season’s favour, so it was maybe the execution and editing of the new plot and not so much its presence.

- and i think that ^ could have been avoided if the damn subplots were LESSENED. don’t get me wrong, all were interesting, but they really shouldn’t be that intense. the library scene is longer in the book and it’s a very tender moment. granted all kathony scenes have an element of tenderness but when you read this scene, it had nothing sexual about it, and it grounded the couple because of it. it’s vibe was perfectly captured in the scene we got, but i wish it involved a more frightened kate, a more concerned anthony and a deeper conversation. so less subplots or maybe just less screen time for them would have guaranteed even more kathony - IT’S THEIR SEASON DAMMIT!

- edwina’s conclusion lowkey irks me. yes everyone forgave each other, but i couldn’t help but feel kate didn’t get an explicit apology from edwina. i definitely empathise with edwina’s anger - it’s valid, she was fucked over, and without context, she definitely is the victim. but considering her duty and role in society has become an important part of her identity (or maybe it just was never focused on in the novel), i find it very disturbing that she didn’t immediately sympathise with kate. and the tensions of the episodes would have remained! she would have been pissed with anthony and embarrassed to be seen, esp when he won’t even try to hide is affections for kate.

- to reiterate the above aspect, i did feel like kate got the shorter end of the stick. but i blame that on writing only. i cried in every scene with her bc she truly did EVERYTHING in her power for OTHER people. on the flip side, that’s true oldest POC daughter culture, and intentional or not, it resonated a LOT

- as a woman of colour (albeit middle eastern), i liked the indian influence in the story - but only while watching. it got icky problematic when mutuals and other users explained that there was a very big lack of consistency with it. my question is that one of the writers was a south asian woman, she was the one suggested the sharmas become the sharmas… so what went wrong?? there were many south asian cast and crew members? good representation should still be accurate and consistent - pocs aren’t the exact same people, even if they hail from the same country.

- holy FUCK this season was hilarious

- bridgerton family remain supreme. i know a few people don’t like eloise bc she screams white feminist but it lowkey felt like she and everyone felt more genuine this season. i loved that rather than her just talking about shit, she got her hands on some theory and rhetoric and engaged in political discourse (although pen was right in saying she doesn’t take action). even daphne had more character! i loved her new role as the one that never misses anything. and i adored how easily kate fit in to the bridgerton fam. would have loved to see more ben and colin and kate shenanigans though.

- the peneloise fight hurt. i do hope it means we get a more actively political eloise and a whistledown partnership though. i love their friendship so much and claudia and nicola are seriously talented to play two teenage besties THAT well.

- the featherington plot was weird and then it got weirder.

- it was fun seeing penelope’s methods as whistledown! it was fun seeing pen in general. she does some shitty things but i’ll never hate her bc nicola always just makes her so REAL. she’s a young woman, she can’t turn to anyone for help and this is HER THING. she’s gonna make some BAD choices but i’ll always stick around for them.

- as a final point, i do think it was better than season one (i may be biased because, well, tvwlm is not only my favourite haters to lovers book but a really good book in general) by QUITE A BIT. the quality was AMAZING. the attention to detail in dances, scene choreography, period piece homages, lighting, COSTUMES (how did kate serve in EVERY FUCKING SCENE GOD DAMN) and music. i am now obsessed with the instrumental ‘stay away’.

- a hopeful ask: bring back married kathony so we can get MORE DOMESTIC KATHONY ARGHHH

that concludes my intense thoughts on bridgerton season 2! so far i plan to analyse/rant/drool over each AND EVERY kathony interaction, but i might like to do some analysis on WOC and POC families in the season, POC identity in TV and also enemies to lovers too! but more on that later!

[cyberfairyblog]

Why Jillian Sucks

Hi, welcome to Odyssey Mystery Hour! I'm your host @gritsandbrits and today I'll be talking about a hot topic in the AIO fandom! Wanna know the tea? Keep on reading!

In the weeks I started getting back into the radio series, the newer episodes have started to irk me, mostly because of one of the more annoying additions: Jillian. Marshall. 😬😬😬

Even though I ship Jason with my self insert OC this not going to be about her. There's a lot of reasons why I do NOT like the idea of Jillian x Jason becoming a canon thing on the show. I hope to describe these feelings as best I can.

Who is Jillian you might ask?

Well to put it simply, Jillian is what happens when a Soccer Mom and a TikTok boyfriend mate and spawn an unholy baby and name them Rachel Berry. Out of the aspects of Nu!Odyssey I dislike, Jillian is the one thing I truly despise. Thankfully I've met fans who share the exact sentiment! 😁😒

Double-N Annoying, Double-O Nincompoop

Making her debut in 2018, Jillian is described as lively and upbeat, if a little high strung and immature; the perfect recipe for Kid Appeal! Before she moved to Odyssey she lived in different cities and worked nineteen jobs before becoming roommates with Connie and her sister Jules.

Now this is actually a fairly interesting set up: a new character struggling to find purpose only to discover it in a quaint small town. But as it turns out her going through that many jobs seems to be more than just struggling to find purpose.

When I first saw her design my thought immediately went to the smarmy classmates I went to school with.

We're introduced with this iconic line: "Hi!! I'm Jillian Marshall, double-L Jillian, double-L Marshall! It's so nice to meet you!"

With that one sentence I knew I was about to die.

The following episode has Jillian bumbling through every job interview much to Connie's duress after which she conveniently ending up working at Triple J Antiques...the same place Jason works!

A little backstory on Jason: he is the adult son of John Whittaker, one of the show's main character, and a bit of an Ensemble Darkhorse. He was introduced as a secret agent meant to bring action and intrigue into the show. He was set up as a charismatic and reckless sort of guy clashing with the calmer Jack Allen. After the Green Ring Conspiracy Saga, Jason officially retired from James Bonding and settled down to work at the Allen's antique shop.

Given his immense popularity there's understandable concern for how he is written and who he gets paired up with. So what does that have to do with Jillian.

Well, the idea of Jillian working at the same exact place as Odyssey's resident bachelor and calling him cute raises a few eyebrows.

"B-but Grits all she did was call him cute! You're reaching too far into this!"

Am I? Look I know this wouldn't be much of a big deal too but that is a subtle tactic the writers threw in to get the cogs turning for Jillison. Jason is clearly uninterested and even implied to dislike her. Jillian bemoans this but Connie reassures her that that's not the case. But hey at least she called him cute so OF COURSE she's going to end up being his love interest!

To me removing a character's core trait to justify a romance means you do NOT know how to actually write a compelling romance. It's trite, it's forced and painful to listen to.

It's also obvious she's a replacement for Bernard, given they have similar personalities and her brief stint on TV (which she also failed at lol). But whereas Bernard was actually endearing, Jillian seems more of a cliche womanchild with zero self awareness and tact. No actual depth, just a personality that is incredibly dumbed down and even insulting. Seriously they made her the dumb blond stereotype in an era where we should've moved on from that! 🤦

Did I mention she goes to church?

Yep she's gonna be one of those Christians.

Literally Loveless, Literally!

Oddly enough the narrative frames this as a rivals to lovers thing, where Jason is both the charismatic friendly guy and the super uninterested Straight Man. The constant twisting the turning makes him go OOC. See we know he's fit better as the former because that goes in line with his canon personality. But when they make him the latter he just comes off as unnecessarily mean. This is turns frames Jillian as someone we should pity: "Oh the attractive male doesn't like me because I went into his office without permission!!"

Wouldn't it make more sense for Jillian to be the one uninterested in a romance since her focus in to find a job/better purpose and romance might distract her? That would make a fun subplot...IF SHE WASN'T OBNOXIOUS!

A pattern I noticed and several fans pointed out: Jason's previous love interests were consistent in that they were strong minded women who challenged him in different ways. Their personalities bounced off creating a fun dynamic that was entertaining to see. Even though they didn't end up with him, you can still see and hear and feel their chemistry which is my goal for Jason x OC. Tasha doesn't make Jason OOC & they had a bittersweet arc, so their interactions were organic. Monica only made him OOC because she was a villain actively manipulating him. So again that worked in terms of story and led to Monica's redemption if my memory serves.

However, Jillian's dynamic is not that fun to listen to. You can feel her annoying Jason through the airwaves. She's strong but only in the sense of feeling something hard underneath your back laying on the bed and realizing that's just your earbud. She's vibrant yes but what else? She doesn't have any unique traits to contrast Jason, and any attempt at a contrast would mean making him act out of character. Adding her bumbling clumsiness and annoying voice, Jason would get tired of her very quickly. He's the type to go for people to have intelligent conversations with, not make him lose braincells. She could very well bring out the worse in him, it'll be an unhealthy relationship.

Here's a tidbit worth mentioning: the VA for Jillian actually auditioned with Jason's VA Townsend Coleman. Now that is big ass red flag right there! No hate towards the actress, just throwing that out there. There's also a facebook page dedicated to Jillison. Typical FB stupidity ramped up to eleven, or AIO fans who see something in Jillian; or at least THINk they see something worthwhile in her.

It doesn't help the writers keep insisting that these two go well together. The audience knows they do not work well as a pair but the narrative keeps insisting they are anyways. I recall an episode that had them pretend to be married while undercover and it was bad. Like REALLY humiliating to see Jason put in that position. He also told her to shut up much to my joy because she could NOT stop being irritating for five minutes. Alas the show still tries to justify Jillian being the Perfect Woman for Jason when she's anything but. And not even endearingly imperfect.

Follow Up

These tags I wrote on one of the AIO posts describes how I feel about Villain Marshall and the Jillison coupling as a whole. It just wouldn't work because Jason needs someone that can actually CHALLENGE him, have their own personality that can bounce off his (without being forced), and most importantly DOESN'T AGGRAVATE THE FANDOM!!

I have not met a single person anywhere that say they like Jillian. It's a different story apparently on the Club App - they like her for reasons I'm too cowardly to find out. But no, she sucks as a character. She makes a annoying friend, and is not a good addition to the show, much less a good love interest.

The only good thing she brought us are the nicknames we gave her 😌

That's all for now thank you for tuning into the Odyssey Mystery Hour. Next week I'll be talking a bit more about my OC Vanessa and her role in the world of Odyssey! Goodbye and make sure to lock your doors to prevent Jillian from coming in!!

[cadence-talle]

ok but can we talk about how Shannon accidentally wrote in

- a subplot in which one person hates person B because they’re everything person A will never be but as they become friends they actually like each other (Enemies to Friends to Lovers)

- a subplot in which two undeniably similar characters dislike each other and are constantly trading barbs but are later shown to care about each other (Enemies to Lovers)

- a subplot in which two people are close friends driven apart by their crush on another character whose friendship may never recover but who still undeniably have feelings for each other (Friends to Rivals to Lovers)

- a subplot in which two characters have directly opposing motifs and personalities but are still close friends and train together (Friends to Lovers, with extra symbolism thrown in)

- a subplot in which one character has a crush on another character’s brother, and person B hates person A at first, but they grow to have a friendship that is much more interesting and stable than A and A’s crush (Enemies to Friends to Lovers, but make it wlw)

- a subplot in which one person is exiled and their wife dies so their child is sent to live with their “friend” who they’re very close to and who is completely torn up about them being exiled (not a trope, just really fucking gay)

but is never going to develop any of them because they’re all gay?