#linh song centric

[darkchocolatedimples]

could you do fearless (Taylor’s version) for kotlc characters 🫣

I absolutely am loving these since Kotlc and Taylor swift are like my two obsessions lol

ofc!! i'm so glad ur enjoying they're so much fun to sort

fearless!!

fearless - biana

fifteen - sophie

she. is just. a girl.

love story - keefe

hands down his favorite taylor swift song. this is keefe's song.

hey stephen - dex

maybe it's him to sophie but it's actually ME to him.

white horse - dex

HE BETTER GET HIS SOMEONE SOMEDAY WHO ACTUALLY TREATS HIM WELL

you belong with me - keefe

every unspoken thought

breathe - fitz

remember he didn't just lose sophie as a future romantic partner, at least for a little bit, he's lost her as a friend 😔

tell me why - linh

here's to you (song parents) and your temper!!!

you're not sorry - tam

dear song parents once more!

that's the way i loved you - sophie

bc fitz is sensible and keefe is SCREAMING AND FIGHTING AND KISSING IN THE RAIN AND ITS TWO AM AND IM CURSING YOUR NAME SO IN LOVE THAT I ACTED INSANE AND THATS THE WAY I LOVED YOU

forever & always - fitz

the way i'm constantly mourning keefitz

the best day - biana

three older brothers and keefe.

change - dex

jump then fall - biana

ITS SO DEX AND BIANA I COULD SCREAM

untouchable - keefe

this one gets me good "but your untouchable burning brighter than the sun...come on come on, say that well be together, come on come on, little taste of heaven"

come in with the rain - sophie

very stellarlune

superstar - sophie

"im no one special im just another wide eyed girl whose despertely in love with you" NO. YOU ARE SOPHIE FOSTER AND HALF THE MEN IN THE STORY HAVE FALLEN AT YOUR FEET. OWN IT.

the other side of the door - fitz

cause im so mad, i might tell you that it's over, but if you look a little closer I SAID LEAVE BUT ALL I REALLY WANT IS YOU

today was a fairytale - sophie

but not the whole day! bc she doesn't ever get that.

you all over me - tam

"so i lied, and i cried, and i watched a part of myself die, cause no amount of freedom gets you clean" screw the song parents part 29939

mr. perfectly fine - keefe

it was supposed to be sophie...but cassius SUCKS

we were happy - linh

that's when - sophie

pov shannon decided to let sophitz be

don't you - dex

atp i want to start campaigning for a dex centric spin off or companion book

bye bye baby - tam

[crymeariveronceagain]

tiergan reacting to tam and linh calling him dad? -t1sb

It was a very normal day, the first time it happened.

Tiergan honestly thought it was a fluke, an accident. He'd had it happen with Sophie, for crying out loud, and she'd blushed herself into taking a nap.

So he wasn't that worried the first time it happened.

Sure, it made his heart pound and his head light with some otherworldly sort of joy, but hey. Being a parent came with lots of moments like that, and you couldn't just count it all off on purposeful behaviors.

Anyways.

It was a very subtle thing. Tam had been on the couch, asleep, his book in his lap, his eyes shut and his head leaning against the cushions.

Tiergan had smiled.

There was such safety in his existence. It had taken months for that to grow. Tam had never used to exist. He'd tried extremely hard to make his existence small and meaningless. It was easy enough to do, a learned reaction from years of pressure and pain from people he should have trusted with his life, or a panic pressed in his chest that he should have been protected from.

But it was nearly midnight. Tiergan walked over to the boy's side, and gently shook his shoulder, just a tiny bit. Tam jerked awake, eyes entirely wide for a whole moment, then instantly drooping back to half asleep.

"What, Dad?"

Tiergan's heart had jolted.

He'd pretended nothing had happened.

"You're asleep, Tam," he smiled. "You need to go to bed."

"Can't I just... sleep here?" His voice was groggy.

Tiergan shook his head. "You've got a book in your lap, and your head's bent at an angle, and you're not gonna sleep well here."

Tam grumbled. Tiergan helped him up to his room, and let the kid collapse, fully clothed in his regular tunic and pants, into his bed.

He ruffled his adopted son's hair once, and then left the room, turning out the light.

The next time was different.

"Dad," Linh said, over lunch, non-chalantly. "What time are we going over to see Edaline and Grady?"

Tiergan choked on his food. Linh didn't make eye contact, or even acknowledge what she'd said.

After about three seconds of awed silence, he remembered that there had been an actual question in that, not just the word "Dad", and answered, his voice a grumble more than anything else, "Five. Sophie's gonna be there, too."

"Sweet," Linh said, and kept on eating her sandwich.

Tiergan brushed it off, once again.

The next time it happened, he was thrown off yet again.

"Hey Dad," Tam said, fully awake. "Tell Wylie he left his towel on the floor of the bathroom again. It's gross."

And it happened again.

"Hey Dad," Linh said, her eyes bright, "Tam said we were gonna go shopping later, but if not that's okay, I don't care, but if we are... are we going to Slurps And Burps? Dex said he had a new elexir that could make your eyes turn a different color."

"Yeah," he answered, still shaken. "We can do that."

Her grin was big enough that it made him grin back.

And it kept happening.

"Dad," Tam said.

"Dad!" Linh giggled.

"Dad... Seriously?" Tam scowled at one of Tiergan's jokes.

"Daaaaad."

"Dad!! Come on!!!"

It kept happening.

Until.

"Dad," Linh said, softly, in the silence between the flicker of the light between the fireplace in the living room and where she sat on the couch and he sat in his chair.

Tiergan looked up.

She didn't look at him.

He watched her for a moment, and she didn't move. Her eyes were just fixed on the fire.

"What's going on, Linh?"

She bit her lip, her eyes still staring into the fire. "Is it... is it okay to call you that?"

Tiergan blinked, looking at her. "Call me what?"

"Dad."

Tiergan felt the word like it was a shield, hefty, weighty, a promise, and a role he was more than happy to fill. She pressed her lips together, and looked at him.

"I get it if it's not okay. I mean," her voice slowly grew smaller. "It's a really improper title, and I don't even need to use it, and you're not my actual Dad, you're just someone I think of like-- It doesn't matter. I'm sorry, I won't--"

"Linh," he said, softly.

Her eyes shot to him. There was fear there, and it made him wonder what she'd heard.

"You can call me your dad if you want."

Her eyes went wide, big and huge and gray.

"I'd love to be someone you think of as your dad."

Her eyes went impossibly wider.

"And I love you," Tiergan said, simply.

"Father loves me," Linh said, softly. "He always said he did."

Tiergan watched her hands clench around her arms, tight enough to cut off her bloodstream. "Yeah?"

She nodded, fierce. "Things only hurt because they love you."

"Things shouldn't hurt more than they're good," Tiergan said, his voice gentle as possible.

Linh made a noise in the back of her throat.

"Love is good," Tiergan said, gently. "If there is no good in it, that's not love."

Linh nodded.

"Why did you bring that up?"

"I... I wasn't allowed to call my father anything like Dad."

Tiergan felt something sickened sit in his chest like a sad little man made of void-black paint, stretching his long nailed fingers into his chest and snipping off bits of his heart. "Why not?"

She winced, a sad smile touching her lips like the ache that touched his lungs for pain she and her brother had been through. "Said only good kids deserve to call their parents that. Proper kids." She looked away. "I didn't ask to be born," she said, her voice quiet, "They treated me like it was my fault I existed."

Tiergan didn't say anything.

"I didn't make the choices. They did," her voice was tinged with sorrow. A sad chuckle left her lips like the fire in the grate leaping up and randomly crackling with vigor. "That was my whole life. They made the choices that made me. There was no way around me. I existed. They just did everything they could to make my life hell."

Tiergan knew that she needed to be listened to.

He knew that her brother knew all of this.

But he wondered if she knew how much he could see the trust in the relaxation of her position as she stared into the fire. She didn't like what she was saying, but he was an okay person to say it to.

He felt like his heart would break.

But then again, his many children had broken it many times.

It had always reformed, and loved them even harder.

She leaned back. "They made me regret the existence I played no part in creating."

He watched her.

"It was a lot of stupid, little things, that just all added up to be bad. They didn't hug me. I was dangerous. They never let me go to Foxfire. I was a disgraceful, you know. They locked me in my room for every little thing. I was a really bad kid," she looked away. "They never listened to what I said, never took anything into account. I was..." she shrugged. "Ignored at best. A detrimental afterthought at worst."

Tiergan wanted nothing more than to master the art of time travel and collect this little girl and her brother from the place they'd grown up in that had screwed with their minds so much.

"I... I wondered. A lot, back then. If it would have been better for me to just. Not exist. That if my parents could have gotten rid of me easily in some way, that they should have. If it would have been better. For everyone."

"Not for me," Tiergan said, finally.

Linh blinked, her eyes turning back to him. "What?"

"It wouldn't have been better for me."

"Why not?" Sheer bewilderment filled her face.

He smiled, softly. "Because," he said, "I wouldn't have you for a daughter."

It took her a solid three minutes to formulate any sort of response to that.

"Dad?" she asked, her voice halting.

"Yeah?"

"Love you, too."

[stellarune]

HI

my name is MARS

i use they/them pronouns

my main is @creetchure i follow from there

under the cut is the masterlist of all of the writing and art ive made for this fandom over the years.

there’s a bit of mcyt on this blog. those are remnants from when i didn’t want to post on main. now, i ask that you do not bring up mcyt on this blog, for my organisation and comfort, as well as the people who could not care less about it. keep discourse out of this blog, by which i dont mean character or book discourse, but interpersonal drama. i dont care.

my askbox is always open. feel free to send an ask whenever. want a fic written? cant promise ill deliver, but send an ask! want to know a headcanon? send an ask! want me to give you the stupidest character take youve ever heard? im pretty good at that!

★ : favourites

# : unfinished

WRITING

summer night : Keefe/Fitz/Dex, 0.4k, POV Fitz (3rd person), Angst with an Open Ending

★ Alone together : Keefe/Dex, 1.2k, POV Keefe (3rd person), Angst and Hurt/Comfort.  

August (part 1) : Ruy/Alvar, 0.7k, POV Ruy (3rd person), Fluff

August (part 2) : Ruy/Alvar, 0.5k, POV Ruy (3rd person), Angst, Major Character Death

every piece of fuzz : Ruy/Alvar, 0.5k, POV Ruy (3rd person), Fluff, Non Graphic Description Of Injury

# set in stone : Tam Centric, 0.5k, POV Tam (3rd person), Sickfic, Unfinished  

# One Time Keefe Thought About Soulmates : Keefe Centric, 0.2k, POV Keefe (3rd person), 5+1 Soulmate AU, Unfinished

# Ain’t a party : Keefe/Tam, 1.5k, POV Alternating (3rd person), Superhero AU, Unfinished

★  guillotine (even when i lose my head) : Keefe/Tam, 2.2k, POV Keefe (3rd person), Hurt/Comfort  

hop on the chaos train : Multi Ship, 7.8k, POV outsider (3rd person), Twitter fic, Crack  

# like a dog inspires a rabbit : Keefe Centric, 1.3k, POV Keefe (3rd person), Torture Fic (the very begining), Unfinished

The reason why Elwin can never take a break : Keefe/Tam, 2.1k, POV alternating (3rd person), Sickfic,, Fluff

# The Prank To Kil All Pranks : Keefe/Tam, 3.4k, POV Alternating (3rd person) Fake Dating AU, Unfinished

★ Song Sewing Shop : Sophie/Linh, Keefe/Tam, 1.1k, POV Linh (3rd person), Fluff   Dammit idk : Keefe/Tam, 0.5k, POV Keefe (3rd person), Major character death, Angst

known by you : keefe/dex, 0.5k, POV Dex (3rd person), Fluff and Angst

summer sunshine  : keefe/dex, 0.4k, POV Keefe (3rd person), Fluff and Making Out

carry me ? : keefe/dex, 0.3k, POV keefe (3rd person), Fluff

revenge erica fic : keefe/dex, 0.2k, POV keefe (3rd person), Heavy Angst, Major Character Death

coming home : background keefe/dex, 0.6k, POV keefe (2nd person); angst, fluff

after i fall : gen, 0.4k, POV Gethen (3rd person), angst, major character death

our son keefe ? no he moved to austin : gen, 1k, POV alternating (3rd person), unfinished

ART

Kotlc : 

reyna comic  simon comic  keefex comic,  ★ eboy alvar, ★ unsolved au (keefe and tam) , ★ cryptid au (kam), ghost au (keefe and tam), soc fitz, tam, ★ kam, galaxy tam, goth sophie, ★ tma sophie, angsty kam, voltron au, braided gals (solinhiana), braided guys (kam), girls, ★ linh,  keefex  ★

Other : 

chisuke (oc, tw scars/injury), ★ tattoo design, 

HEADCANONS

dadwin : (1)(2)(3)(4)(enby keefe) foster parent keefe  keefe : (1)(2) keefex : (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11) keefex, but queerplatonic : (1)(2) ravioli : (1)(2)(3)(4) not really ravioli carmilla au kam ships from other fandoms (1)(2)(3) witcher au atla au enkle tam’s support crow cryptid au: (1)(2) superhero au : (1)(2) sophie and inflicting youtube au: (1)(2)(3) a different superhero au poptart dex angst (1)(2) biana ansgt (1) poppins’ asks : (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)

[ao3feed-kotlc]

Unbroken

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3kqmUA3

by anD_nOw_tHe_wEaThEr (CryMeARiver3465)

"She’d manifested her hydrokinetic talent a year and a half before Tam had, at a horribly young age of eight, and ever since that moment, water had called to her. Not like fire called to Marella, like a hissing, angry voice that could be brushed off, but like a soft, sweet, lullaby, that begged to be leapt into, held onto, pulled around.

It wasn’t something you could just ignore. And Linh had to ignore it."

~~ AKA: Aro/Ace Linh Song Fight me.

Now with an updated ending!

Words: 7301, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Gen

Characters: Linh Song, Tam Song, Marella Redek, Biana Vacker, Quan Song, Mai Song, Sophie Foster (Keeper of the Lost Cities), Fitz Vacker, Maruca Chebota, Stina Heks, The Neverseen Members (Keeper of the Lost Cities)

Relationships: Linh Song & Quan Song, Linh Song & Tam Song, Marella Redek & Linh Song, Linh Song & Biana Vacker, Sophie Foster & Linh Song, Linh Song & Mai Song

Additional Tags: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst, no ships, Hurt/Comfort, minor ships, Asexual Character, Aromantic, Linh Song Is Aro/Ace, fight me, water sings, water is really violent, Shannon Hale’s thoughts on water in Shannon Messenger’s world, hydrokinetics is huge, Tam Song Is a Good Bro, Sensory Overload, why isnt that a tag?, Linh gets Sensory Overloaded REALLY EASILY, Hurt, Torture, Aftermath of Torture, Mai Song’s A+ Parenting, Quan Song’s A+ Parenting, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Figuring Yourself Out, ANGST did I mention ANGST, Marella Redek is a good bro, the author is projecting, Im projecting onto Linh, I'm Not Ashamed, Asexuality, Linh Song Centric, Dialogue Heavy

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3kqmUA3

[ravs6709]

Within The Background- Platonic Marellinhiana

Woo, the last of my requests! Platonic Marellinhiana, requested by @completekeefitztrash (sorry for taking so long, whoops). It's really Biana-centric and deals with her scars that she got during Nightfall. And just all of them being supportive.

I'm not someone who has scars, so if something ends up being a little insensitive, please let me know! Kinda injury tw, but its more of the effects than the actual pain itself

Enjoy!

•~•~•~•~•~•

Biana Vacker was someone who was used to standing out. She'd been doing it all her life, she was a Vacker, born for attention.

But with the whole Neverseen thing going on, she wasn't the one with the attention. It wasn't like she needed it, it was just something she was so used to. And you could call her selfish or self-absorbed, but she kind of missed it. It was a little difficult to see Sophie run off with Fitz and Keefe all the time, while the rest of them were left behind.

She wasn't going to ruin things just because she was jealous though. She knew better than to do something like that. She channeled all that frustration, converting it into something more harmless, something she could use to protect her friends.

During Nightfall, it'd been the first time that those pent up feelings had let loose. She didn't even hesitate before going after Vespera, and she didn't realize what had happened to her until after she'd gotten away.

And at first? She felt ashamed. She wore more simple dresses, hiding away the scars. If she was faster, stronger, better, she wouldn't have been injured and Vespera would have been captured. She distanced herself from the others, and for the first time in her life, she hated the attention. She'd wanted to stand out, but not like this. Not for failing.

It took a while for her to mentally recover. A large portion of it was due to the support of her friends.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"What are you two doing?" Biana asked, stumbling across Linh and Marella in a relatively isolate, open place.

"We're trying to practice our abilities," Linh explained. "I'm finally gaining control over the water, but I don't want it to only work out if I'm being enhanced."

"She's also here for damage control, in case my fires become too wild," Marella added.

"Oh, you can continue," Biana said, sitting down.

She didn't know what exactly they'd been doing, but she was astounded. They'd been practicing separately before, but then they turned to each other. Reds and blues shot from their hands, hot and cold and it was all beautiful. If this was just then experimenting, she couldn't imagine what they were capable of in a real fight.

Her fingers pressed together, and her legs shook with a surprising amount of energy. Maybe she should join them? It was more productive then sitting there, doing nothing.

As if Linh had read her mind, she spoke. "You could join us too, if you want?"

Biana smiled softly at that. "My ability isn't as offensive as the two of yours."

"There's other things we can work on than just power. Precision, timing, you could work with it? Right Marella?"

Marella nodded. "No point shooting flames if it doesn't hit anyone."

So during a lot of their free time, they had gone to the open field and practiced their abilities. Biana worked on moving more gracefully, hoping that in a real fight, she'd have speed and stealth to her advantage.

She reached up to stretch, only to wince at the dress' sleeve falling to uncover her arm.

"You... you don't have to hide it from us," Linh told her. "I don't think it changes you."

Biana closed her eyes and thought it over. It wasn't really about ruining the 'perfect' skin. The existence of the scars themselves wasn't too bad. It was what they represented. She couldn't stand to have people stare at her and be reminded of the way she failed.

"You fought really hard during Nightfall," Marella said, her tone a little heavy. "You went face to face with an actual criminal, who has experience with this type of thing. We're all children with little experience, so we fought out best. It's pretty inspiring."

"Neither of us think you failed. All it means is that we have to practice harder," Linh continued. "To me, the scars meant that you tried, they represent how brave you are."

"Which is something that I would have never expected from 'Princess Prettypants'. You've grown from the spoiled selfish elf you were, and that's what matters to us."

Biana smiled. "Thank you."

A small conversation like that wasn't going to change her opinion so easily, but that evening, she managed to get herself to look in the mirror for once and not feel completely ashamed.

The rest of the progress needed to be made would be done by her. But those words were the push that she'd needed.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Their training kept continuing, even if they didn't have many chances to actually fight. Biana was usually invisible, her goal usually to reach Linh while avoiding the water. When Marella's control got better, her and Lihh would trade places.

When Biana had to evade the fire, it was exhilarating. Getting hit by the water wouldn't hurt that badly, but fire was an active threat, and would actually burn. She had to be light on her feet if she didn't want to be hurt.

It was going to be easier if there was the threat of a fire. There would be no tensing up of freezing, because she was used to it now. She could jump straight into action. And if the fire belonged to Marella, it only made it that much easier to trust it.

"That was tiring," Marella said after they were done, and laid down on the field.

Biana and Linh laid down at her sides, and tried to catch their breath.

"We're doing a lot better," Marella stated. "We're getting stronger."

"We've really come so far together," Linh agreed, and Biana noticed that Marella shifted a little so she could hold Biana's hand. Then she offered the other to Biana. She took the hand.

"When Sophie needs us, we'll be ready to help her. Right?" Biana asked.

"Right."

•~•~•~•~•~•

Taglist- @keefeinnit @my-swan-song @impostertamsong @subrosasteath

Wanna join/be removed from the taglist? Just let me know!

[svtellify]

Chapters: 1/2 Fandom: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Sophie Foster/Keefe Sencen, Linh Song/Biana Vacker, (hinted at) - Relationship, Luzia Vacker/Vespera, Dexter Dizznee/Fitz Vacker, if you squint Characters: Sophie Foster (Keeper of the Lost Cities), Keefe Sencen, Linh Song, Grady Ruewen, Edaline Ruewen, Verdi (Keeper of the Lost Cities), Dexter Dizznee, Biana Vacker, Fitz Vacker, Vespera (Keeper of the Lost Cities), Lady Gisela (Keeper of the Lost Cities), Cassius Sencen Additional Tags: soft times, keefe is soft, also sad, i think this might be really sad, bc i was sad when i wrote it, keefe-centric, lgbt keeper relationships, although not the focus of this particular one shot, and believe that we need more representation in kotlc, also i lowkey forgot about wylie and fitz for a bit, so that's why they're not in the first part, same goes for ro, except i remembered her towards the end, edaline adopts keefe: the fic Series: Part 7 of kotlc | sokeefe onshots Summary:

"He’s reminded of this colorful picture he saw once, in a glass window, when Fintan was training him. A girl with wings and glowing hair, a halo of silver crowning her temple as she looked to the skies, body trembling with the strength of her power.

An angel. She looks like an angel.

'Pretend that I’m not Sophie. Pretend that you don’t know me, and tell me whatever your feelings are about everything that’s happened so far. Talk about whatever you want to.'

He wants to laugh again, because how can he pretend that she’s not Sophie? That she’s not the strong, brilliant, fierce girl he made friends with, only to fall head over heels for her? That she’s not sitting there, moonlight illuminating creating a halo around pale gold, giving her the illusion of the angel she probably is?”

guess who’s back :)))))))

[dweemeister]

The Girl from Yesterday (2017, Vietnam)

In the West, there has been a reevaluation of films featuring teenage stars or the vast high school subgenre. Such examinations have come from ardent fans of those movies, and even the central actor of a number of those films, Molly Ringwald. Yet those movies never traveled to many pockets of the world, where the major American movie studios had yet to stake claims in those untapped markets – whether due to economic and/or political realities. Among those nations is Vietnam, where its (relatively) recent adoption of a “socialist-oriented market economy” left it largely untouched by Western cinema, as the nation’s cinema begins to discover its cinematic identity outside of government-funded features about the heroism of revolution. The subject of this write-up, The Girl from Yesterday, is a product of that filmmaking environment in Vietnam – a piece more inspired by popular contemporary Asian media than that of America.

The Girl from Yesterday is director and co-screenwriter Phan Gia Nhật Linh’s second feature film, adapting author Nguyễn Nhật Ánh’s young adult novel of the same name (another Nguyễn YA novel, Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass, was recently adapted as a film, and was well-received by critics and audiences). The romantic games that its main characters play will be familiar to fans of high school movies – albeit deprived of an overt, invasive sexuality that one often finds in their American counterparts. Colored with a nostalgic lens throughout, this is a gentle romantic comedy not afraid of wackiness, nonsense.

It is 1997 in Central Vietnam. Thư (Ngô Kiến Huy) is in his final year before university, and his failing grades are not the first thing on his mind. He has instantly fallen for the new transfer student, Việt An (Miu Lê), who notices Thư’s affections but dismisses his advances. Her behavior vexes Thư – a rambunctious fellow used to being in control of his friends. As he becomes more unsure on how to approach his new classmate, let alone getting to know her better, Thư increasingly reflects on the first girl he loved. Ten years ago, Thư (Minh Khang as seven-year-old Thư) met next-door neighbor and classmate Tiểu Li (Hà Mi). Initially, their friendship could not be described as one of equals. But as the younger Thư learns how to be a true friend to Tiểu Li, his pride prevents him from expressing how important she is to him. As the film progresses, these flashbacks are cross-cut more frequently with the present day – reflecting Thư’s mental tumult towards Việt An.

Also featured in this film are Việt An’s friends Chiêu Minh (Lê Hạ Anh) and Hồng Hoa (Hoàng Yến Chibi); Thư’s best friend, Hải (Jun Phạm); and teachers Hường (Lan Phương), Hinh (Tiểu Bảo Quốc), and Lực (Tùng Min).

One constant problem throughout the narrative is its committal to using late 1990s Vietnam as a backdrop. The film – from its production design, costume design, and even the screenplay itself – looks nothing like that period in Vietnamese history. Decades of ostracism from the international community and botched communist economic plans had taken their toll on the populace, rendering Vietnam one of the poorest countries in Asia. Thư, narrating the film, will occasionally mention economic hardships while his family – and all of his classmates’ families – seem to be economically comfortable, or at least are curiously silent about things not having to do with his pursuit of Việt An. Some may argue that financially uncertain times are incompatible with romantic comedies, but there are moments in The Girl from Yesterday that appear to almost pull off this precarious balancing act. The film could use a more versatile blend of comedy, as things become one-note after the half-hour mark.

Too much of The Girl from Yesterday’s hilarity revolves around misunderstanding, Thư’s daydreaming and general immaturity, and his inability to fully explain himself to Việt An, his parents – hell, anyone and everyone. It might even compel you to reach into the screen and shake him violently from the scruff of his neck. Thư’s behavior goes beyond farcical, and his misadventures with Hải may grate the nerves of the less patient. One’s mileage will vary as Thư swings between domineering arrogance (played for laughs, as the older Thư does not mean to intend to be cruel to others) and cartoonish vulnerability in front of Việt An (making Peanuts’ Charlie Brown look like a social butterfly by comparison, because at least he has some semblance of self-control). The Girl from Yesterday is filled with puppy love immaturity, and that never quite grows into something more, leaving it little meaningful to say about Hải and Việt An or their friends surrounding them.

Screenwriters Phan and Nguyễn Thái Hà employs flashbacks to intersperse the storyline to show how Thư, as a child, helps explain Thư, as an adolescent whose post-secondary school plans have been derailed with the arrival of the newest transfer student. The most effective moments occur during the flashbacks themselves, as we see how friendly yet insensitive Thư can be towards his childhood friend, Tiểu Li. Meaningful friends stay friends – no matter their differences, no matter time’s unpredictability. Tiểu Li’s loyalty is admirable, accepting of her friend’s immaturity and deeply forgiving. Perhaps this is unwarranted, setting up Tiểu Li as a force of platonic purity, turning the other cheek every time Thư misbehaves. Not so in this film. Tiểu Li becomes angry some days, but she is not armed with the vocabulary (and probably, given her age, the wisdom) of how friends are supposed to treat the other. As he approaches adulthood, Thư he begun to realize how much Tiểu Li meant to him (and he to her), and how he used her friendship for selfish reasons. These revelations and Thư’s epiphany arrive in the final half-hour, while the film leaves unclear why exactly the flashbacks are a part of The Girl from Yesterday until its climax. It is pure soap, in the manner of populist Asian cinematic and television dramas, but the child performances sell even the most cliched plot points.

For the supposedly teenager actors – as hilarious as they can be – they are much too old to be playing high schoolers. All of them are in their early twenties (a handful are Vietnamese pop music stars by trade, not actors) and though some apologists might point to several teenage-centric/high school films with the characters being played by actors in their thirties, this is still a distraction to an otherwise lighthearted, somewhat contrived romp. An over-dependence of mediocre visual effects and inexplicable placements of those effects override whatever emotions that Nguyen is attempting here. If Phan is unable to convey certain feelings through his images and storytelling, then he will never accomplish those feats by using any sort of animation or visual effects.

A forgettable, sometimes cartoonish original score does little but telegraph what is already happening on-screen. Besides that, pop singer Vũ Cát Tường provides the film’s original title song, benefitting from its moving lyrics. The song is partially hampered by a turn away from the beautiful piano line into a light beat too prevalent in Vietnamese pop music.

Anything related to author Nguyễn Nhật Ánh often translates to financial success in Vietnam, and such was the case with The Girl from Yesterday. It is also reflective of Vietnamese tastes in their domestic cinema – when it comes to romantic storylines, broad humor rather than intense drama (associated with Serious Western Cinema that has made few inroads among Vietnamese audiences) is preferred. A messy screenplay aside, Phan Gia Nhật Linh displays an acute sense of comedic timing and an understanding of how to develop characters within the realm of a comedy. The Girl from Yesterday is not exactly a dramedy, but its ability to summon internal character conflicts from the past displays how much of an individual’s behavior is dictated by how they treated others no longer in their lives. The worst of such behavior can only be addressed, the film says, unless room for introspection is allowed.

My rating: 6/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

NOTE: Parts of this write-up have been adapted from the synopsis that I wrote for the 2018 Viet Film Fest in Orange, California.

[ao3feed-kotlc]

pondering,

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by atlas_oulast

Sometimes Linh had to just sit back and think back on the series of events that had led her to this.

Words: 1011, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F

Characters: Linh Song, Sophie Foster, Biana Vacker

Relationships: Biana Vacker/Linh Song/Sophie Foster, Biana Vacker/Linh Song, Sophie Foster/Linh Song, Biana Vacker/Sophie Foster

Additional Tags: Linh-centric, Fluff, so much pine they’re teamtrees, Domestic Fluff

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[ao3feed-kotlc]

moonlark's song

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by xylianeo

They’re the last to perform.

Words: 1935, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/F

Characters: Linh Song, Tam Song, Sophie Foster, Biana Vacker, Keefe Sencen, Dex Dizznee, Fitz Vacker, Mr. Forkle, Quan Song, Mai Song, Marella Redek, Jensi Babblos

Relationships: Sophie Foster/Linh Song, Tam Song/Biana Vacker

Additional Tags: figure skating AU, solinh, tam & linh are an ice dance pair, sophie & biana are ladies' single skaters, fitz & keefe are men's single skaters, dex is the media person & analyst, mr. forkle is their figure skating coach, also this is centric on tam & linh

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/32rfrFW

[ao3feed-kotlc]

i loved you then as i love you now

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/vumCSH4

by uni_seahorse_572

Maruca falls in love before she falls apart.

~

Years ago, now, Maruca and Biana crossed the line between friends and something more, secure in the knowledge that they had always been best friends and always would be.

Yet currently, Maruca can't walk through Foxfire without the memories nearly breaking her apart. All she wants is for the past to stop haunting her, is to be able to move forward and change the elven world any way she can through the Black Swan, whatever it takes. But that's certainly easier said then done.

Words: 9151, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F

Characters: Maruca Chebota, Biana Vacker, Linh Song, Marella Redek

Relationships: Maruca Chebota/Biana Vacker, Maruca Chebota & Biana Vacker, Maruca Chebota & Linh Song & Marella Redek & Stina Heks

Additional Tags: Post-Book 08.5: Unlocked (Keeper of the Lost Cities), Pre-Canon, Past and Present, Maruca Chebota-centric, Childhood Friends, Childhood Lovers, Angst without a happy ending, yes you heard that right there's no happiness here, can be interpreted as pre-four horsegirls of the apocalypse, also i express a lot of black swan related bitterness to put it mildly, feels like it's been forever since i wrote an actual summary and i hate it still

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/vumCSH4

[ao3feed-kotlc]

when your whole world is jaded (and nothing but your shadow's on your side)

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by wheretheskiesend

"He’s reminded of this colorful picture he saw once, in a glass window, when Fintan was training him. A girl with wings and glowing hair, a halo of silver crowning her temple as she looked to the skies, body trembling with the strength of her power.

An angel. She looks like an angel.

'Pretend that I’m not Sophie. Pretend that you don’t know me, and tell me whatever your feelings are about everything that’s happened so far. Talk about whatever you want to.'

He wants to laugh again, because how can he pretend that she’s not Sophie? That she’s not the strong, brilliant, fierce girl he made friends with, only to fall head over heels for her? That she’s not sitting there, moonlight illuminating creating a halo around pale gold, giving her the illusion of the angel she probably is?"

Words: 7613, Chapters: 1/2, Language: English

Series: Part 7 of kotlc | sokeefe onshots

Fandoms: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M

Characters: Sophie Foster (Keeper of the Lost Cities), Keefe Sencen, Linh Song, Grady Ruewen, Edaline Ruewen, Verdi (Keeper of the Lost Cities), Dexter Dizznee, Biana Vacker, Fitz Vacker, Vespera (Keeper of the Lost Cities), Lady Gisela (Keeper of the Lost Cities), Cassius Sencen

Relationships: Sophie Foster/Keefe Sencen, Linh Song/Biana Vacker, (hinted at) - Relationship, Luzia Vacker/Vespera, Dexter Dizznee/Fitz Vacker, if you squint

Additional Tags: soft times, keefe is soft, also sad, i think this might be really sad, bc i was sad when i wrote it, keefe-centric, lgbt keeper relationships, although not the focus of this particular one shot, and believe that we need more representation in kotlc, also i lowkey forgot about wylie and fitz for a bit, so that's why they're not in the first part, same goes for ro, except i remembered her towards the end, edaline adopts keefe: the fic

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2jOkIqu